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As a child, we were taught from the start not to have anyone take 'naughty' pictures of us. When I was offered by my wedding photographer to do a boudoir session as a gift to give my husband on our wedding, I was curious and frightened - all a t the same time. I nearly had butterflies for days, anxious of what he would ask me to do during the photos. I even asked two of my best friends to come and be 'moral support' as I completed the pictures (and act as bouncers if I needed to tell my poor photographer to take a hike). As the photo session progressed and I realized that I wasn't 'baring it all,' my anxiety slowly lowered until I was cocky and confident by the end of the session. There was no 'pornography' in the pictures and both when I finished the shoot and later on when I received the pictures, I felt amazing. It was like a spa session for my soul. From that point on, I no longer viewed boudoir as 'dirty' but as a way to remind myself that even well into my thirties and after birthing a beautiful child, I am a sexy woman and should be proud and confident of who I am. Having those pictures taken inspired me to not look at boudoir as an ugly whisper and to take it on as a future genre in my photography profession.
If you look up boudoir on the internet under the photography section, it will talk to you about photos usually taken in lingerie and/or partially clothed garments. It has a lot of versatility ranging from the 'pin up' style of the 1940s to the modern versions of sensuality and nudity that is more implied rather than explicit.
The way I view boudoir is the beautiful pictures of the inner workings of a client's 'naked' soul. When a client is in front of a camera in a boudoir session, I see things through the camera lens that I usually don't find when they are dressed in their 'mask' of regular clothes. There is something about taking pictures when you are draped in a soft fabric that take away the hustle and bustle of everyday life and focus in on who you really are. It is an amazing moment to capture on film and present to you to see. I have seen people come into my studio all confident and tough, and once they are in front of the camera, there is suddenly a shy person that has a vulnerability to them that I never would have guessed. When I have shown these people their photos and made the comment, they usually say 'that is the real me.'
Boudoir is no longer about the ladies! I have had guys ask me to do a boudoir session for them but I have not had any of them fully commit at this time. Couples boudoir is now the new 'up and up' thing. It is based on sensuality and love, and a little bit of lust. When I do couples boudoir, I base it the same way I would an engagement session, but I focus more on the faces and responses. It is very similar to the female boudoir session, but having your loved one there puts it more at ease as he can take your focus off the camera and unto something(one) else.
When I set up a boudoir shot, I first have a real conversation via telephone or email with my client. My main goal is to put you at ease and get the right concept that you are looking for. I keep a list of boudoir shots I think are 'cool' on my pinterest board (http://www.pinterest.com/melissadamon79/photography-boudoir/) and am always open to new ideas and unique photos. I do not take any photos of full nudity (that includes bare breasts - if you choose to do a nude photo, I will creatively have you cover your chest with your hands or a prop and your breasts will not even be seen on my camera lens) and I do not take any photos using violence or any kind of pornographic theme to them. My objective in boudior is to give you hard proof that you are a beautiful person and should take pride in what a higher power has given to you.
I am the only photographer in our studio that does boudoir. You will not have a male in the room unless you bring a companion or friend as a 'bouncer.' I will never ask you to do a shot that you are uncomfortable with and am always happy to 'ditch' a shot or show you the image I am looking for before the shot to make you feel very comfortable.
Although I do use some of my photo sessions to expand my portfolio, I will never post nor show one of you photos to anyone without first receiving your express written permission AFTER you have received your photos - AND I would contact you first with the exact photo I would like permission to use.
I will go through items to bring to the studio when I conversate with you on the phone or email (and it also depends on what kind of photos you are looking for), but I usually recommend:
-a few pair of high heels
-a few undergarments that make you feel confident (or corsets)
-An oversized shirt or sweater (of a boyfriends/husband's) shirt/tie/etc.
-A dress you love yourself in
-a pair of comfy clothes you love (those to die for jeans and that awesome shirt that makes you look just right)
-Something that is a hobby or is important to you (a guitar, baseball cap, etc.)
-And yourself. I always have tons of fabrics as wraps and I have them drycleaned after use to keep them hygenic
(For couples sessions, I usually ask guys to bring a hat or two that they like and find interesting, their best fitting jeans, a few pair of undergarments, and a smile)
$100 for a Boudoir session and it includes:
-a private session with Melissa Damon (feel free to bring a friend or loved one if you would like for company)
-Several smaller 'proofread' versions of the pictures that have my company logo on them to choose which photos you would like to enlarge. Should you wish, you are more then welcome to post them to social media or send them to friends and family.
-Photos uploaded to a private password encrypted website to download immediately after completion.
-The option of a la carte if you wish to purchase more prints or different items (canvases, a book for a special someone, etc.)
If you are interested, please feel free to contact us at 860-941-7163 or email@example.com to set up an initial appointment, and/or ask us any questions that may come to mind. Our contact information is at the bottom of the page in the gray area.


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- Shop
- >
- Denim dudes & divas
- >
- Girl's denim shirt and cropped jeans two piece set
Girl's denim shirt and cropped jeans two piece set
13 16 £13.00
Gorgeous, stylish and trendy this two piece set contains a sleeveless stonewash denim shirt that can also be tied up. Alongside the shirt are fuchsia pink cropped, ripped jeans that have an adjustable waist for a perfect fit.
Fabric: Denim
Fabric: Denim
Match with...
Ladies' hot pink jeans
£15.00 £12.00
Beautiful summery hot pink coloured jeans. These skinny jeans with zip and button fastening have pockets to the rear and hips. Can be worn straight or rolled up, as shown in the main image.
Fabric: Denim cotton blend
Fabric: Denim cotton blend
Ladies' sleeveless denim top
£18.00 £15.00
This lightweight loose fit sleeveless denim top can be tied up to transform into a variety of different looks. Button up fastening
Fabric: Cotton denim blend
Fabric: Cotton denim blend
Simple Canvas Shoe - Children's
Lovely lightweight canvas shoes that can be worn with a variety of outfits. Available in two colours: red or white

subset: commoncrawl


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South Carolina moves up baseball game on Sunday so fans can watch Gamecocks' basketball game
As the South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team will be playing for a chance to advance to the school's first Final Four in school history, the baseball team wants to make sure Frank Martin and Co. have all the fan support they can get.
The Gamecocks have moved up the start time of their Sunday game against Alabama to a noon ET start time in hopes that fans can watch both the baseball game and the men's basketball team.
Sunday's game vs. Alabama has been moved to Noon to accommodate fans to go to baseball and be able to watch Sunday's @GamecockMBB game.
— Gamecock Baseball (@GamecockBasebll) March 25, 2017
The men's basketball team took down Baylor on Friday night to set up a third game of the season against Florida. The two teams split the regular season series. The Gators needed a Chris Chiozza overtime buzzer-beater to knock off Wisconsin and advance to the Elite Eight.
The Gamecocks and Gators tip off at 2:20 p.m. ET in New York. The game will be broadcast on CBS.


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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- The topic may sound dull and unimportant, but in these tumultuous, changing times -- it may be time for a Constitutional Convention.
That's one line of thought presented by the League of Women Voters of White Plains which has invited the public to attend an information program Tuesday, Feb. 7 on whether to convene a New York State Constitutional Convention.
This program is jointly sponsored by the local Leagues of Harrison, Larchmont/Mamaroneck, New Castle, New Rochelle, Scarsdale and Westchester County League.
There will be time for questions from the audience. For additional information consult the New York State League of Women Voters website, by clicking here www.lwvny.org . The program is free and open to all.
The New York State Constitution mandates that every 20 years voters be presented with the ballot question: "Shall there be a convention to revise the constitution and amend the same?" This year the question will appear on the ballot in November.
Sally Robinson, vice president of Issues and Advocacy for the League of Women Voters of New York State, will discuss The Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of New York State's Constitutional Convention Question.
Tuesday's forum runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Church Street School Auditorium, 295 Church St. in White Plains.
The state League of Women Voters has not taken a position on whether to support, oppose or remain neutral on the question of holding a constitutional convention and so LWVNYS's goal at this time is to educate members of the public about important aspects of the question and to assist the League in its decision on what, if any, position the League will take on the question of convening a constitutional convention.
Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.


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Hello fellow gamers. This is my first blog entry into the world of board games. Let's start with two things I know well, what I dislike, and top X lists. Lets jump right in.
5 Pack & Stack
Okay, not really that popular a game, but I still wanted to feature it on my naughty list here as it really exemplifies a common problemshared among all of the games here, with this one being a particularly flagrant offender, and that problem is the trivialization of the actions of the player. Yes, there is a lot to do in this game, you roll dice, you need to analyize your cargo, there is some math and spacial reasoning to be done, but there is only one single part where skill comes into play, when all the players reveal the available trucks, and then people race to grab the best truck. So what this game essentially amounts to is literally a split second of making a snap decision and moving your hand very quickly. With dice rolling being totally random, the scoring being a math exercise, and the stacking of cargo on the truck being close to trivial, to say nothing of plentiful aide other players will volunteer if the arangement is not perfect, the only opportunity to gain an advantage through skill presents itself in a window of less than 2 seconds per round. If you think of this more of as an 'activity' than a 'game' then it becomes more appealing.
4 Ginkgopolis
I am pretty sure everyone thought that this was a great game the first time they played it, myself included. There are many opportunities to gain advantages, build engines, and express yourself through the various strategies offered. But, unfortunately, I came to realize after a few playthroughs the fundamental flaw in the design of this game. At its heart, its an area control game. Almost always, the winner is crowned by whoever happens to control the biggest sector at the end of the game. This game's problem is that it is an area control game, but the amount of workers you are allowed to place, and the location of where you can place them, is completely out of control of the player. Its very dissapointing to play a game for a few hours only to realize you didn't draw the right tile at the very end of the game, yet another example of making good play irrelevant to the outcome
3 Trajan.
I've enjoyed referring to this game by my accurate nickname of 'Frankenstein's Monster.' This game is actually several board games stiched together. Obviously, there is some solitaire Mancala going on, but there is also Rummy, Connect Four, and Crawl the Graph. With development options and scoring mechanics pushing players towards focusing a single action type, IE focusing on one of the minigames as much as possible, one always has to wonder whether the eventual winner really deserves victory. Did the ship strategist really out-Rummy the Mancala player? How do you even compare the two even if not constrained to just awarding victory points?
2 Bruges
Clumsy mechanics are a good Smell for unearthing subpar games. The drawing mechanic in particular is unpleasant not only because it is a weak mechanic, but that's really giving players false sense that they somehow control their own destiny when they really don't, and that players are supposed to accept the mechanic as some fresh or innovative. Consider the following mechanics:
A player draws 5 cards and discards one
(The Bruges mechanic): A player sees two cards and choses one, which then reveals a new card. Repeat this 4 more times.
While it might seem that the second mechanic conveys more control as its offers more decision making, these are virtually the same mechanic! (Actually, a player using the first mechanic would have a slight information advantage, and thus slightly more opportunity for skillful play.) Because Bruges is about not being color screwed, I have always been mystified by the appeal of this game, considering that the majority of the game is spent agonizing over the perceived failure to get the right cards, when it really comes down to random chance.
1 Terra Mystica
TM is not a bad game, I just dislike it. It's competitive SimCity on a board with fantasy creatures. As long as you allow the game to dictate your moves, you should come out on top. That's boring. I hate boring. I like winning. Winning is the goal of the game, but there are lots of other games where you can try to win and have fun at the same time. Many people are impressed by how well its balanced considering the assymetric nature of the different races. I am impress, I just don't care. Balance is necessary to have fun, balance is not fun in and of itself. Many people think that the game might be further balanced through various changes, and have fun toying with the idea. I know it that its a fool's game to try and balance a game like this. Because I am not actively purging the world of the inferior red-skinned and scaly blueskinned races of the world, then I'm not really finding the game immersive enough to move the needle.
Well, that is the list. I hope this article brings comfort to those who have always felt the same way about these games as I do but couldn't find people who agreed with them. Barring that, I also hope that this reading helps to refine the palate so that game quality is more easily determined, and that game designers continue to improve for a more refined audience. There are so many great games out there that hardly ever get played that I wish some of these subpar popular ones stop appearing in gaming bags to free up some quality time. Sorry to those who disagree with these opinions, you are welcome to defend these games if you cherish them, but if you are looking for one more player, you will have to pick a different game if you want me in.
**add pictures of games


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Santa Fe Rusticos Solid Pine End Table with Marble Inset
Delivery Includes:
- Delivery and placement in your home. Learn more about our delivery process.
- Basic assembly of your item (except items marked "Customer Assembly Required").
- Disposal of packing material for most items.
Pick-up Includes:
- Free shipping to almost any store of your choice (selected in checkout).
Specialty Installation and Assembly:
- We offer professionally licensed installation and assembly services at competitive prices in many communities in Canada. Call 1-888-933-8786 to check if these services are available in your area.
Dimensions: Width: 27.5'' Height: 19.75'' Depth: 19.75''
Other items and packages in this collection
Product OverviewAdd a little rustic flavour to your home with this Santa Fe Rusticos end table. The natural pine wood and metal hardware complement the light marble inset for a beautifully vintage-styled piece. With two drawers, you won't have to worry about losing your TV remote or extra batteries again. Plus, a lower shelf offers space to display books and decor.
Key Features:
- The light marble inset adds upscale detailing to this vintage-style table.
- Use the two drawers to stash TV remotes, video game controllers or extra batteries.
- A bottom shelf offers space for books and decor.
- Metal hardware completes the rustic design of this end table.
- The Santa Fe Rusticos collection is hand-crafted from natural materials with traditional techniques used by Mexican artisans for hundreds of years.
Care Instructions
Wipe the furniture both inside and out with a dry cloth prior to placing it in your home to prevent surface staining from the natural wax coating this piece.
Wood: Pine
Pine is a strong wood that creates very durable furniture. Furniture made from pine has a natural colouring that looks elegant and gives warmth to the home. Pine has a tight grain pattern with a smooth surface that holds most finishes well.
Due to the live nature of the materials used to manufacture this piece, you many notice certain reactions to its environment, such as cracking, splitting, warping or squeaking, especially in very dry climates. These changes are completely characteristic of solid pine and rustic wood furniture, and enhance the beauty and uniqueness of your one-of-a-kind furniture.


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Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color in ITALIAN ROSE
Out of Stock
What it is: More than lip service—this innovative lipstick formula offers sumptuous color, comfortable, long-lasting wear and a soft, creamy shine, all while reducing the look of fine lines and improving lips' moisture instantly and over time. Who it's for: The woman who wants soft, creamy color that lasts. Why it's different: Formulated with emollient Shea Butter and skin conditioners, this lipstick glides on smoothly and evenly, wears all day and leaves lips soft and moisturized. How to use: Apply...
Discovered by La Go in Painted Lips


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Family members of both John Candy and John Hughes have lodged complaints against ABC, after the network announced it would be rebooting the 1989 comedy Uncle Buck into a sitcom.
The network announced plans for a TV adaptation of the film late last year, and like the film, the sitcom will reportedly be based on a childish man who learns how to be an adult by taking care of his brother's children.
Family members for Hughes and Candy have objected to the idea of the remake, and noted that Hughes, who directed the original, was opposed to a previous sitcom remake by CBS, and would likely be against any new remakes of the story.
In a statement released to Deadline on behalf of family members, those representing each man's estate spoke of the discontentment with hearing about the project through the media:
Disappointment has been expressed by both the John Hughes and John Candy families over the conduct and decision by the ABC Network and Universal Television to develop a comedy series based on the feature film Uncle Buck. Rather than either entity providing advance information to the Estates, the families learned of the project's potential via the media.
The families feel a strong attachment to the original film which symbolized the great and unique collaboration between Hughes and Candy. Recalling that the director was displeased with first Uncle Buck TV show effort which failed on CBS in 1990, it is well expected that he would not be supportive of this current attempt.
ABC's Uncle Buck will also be undergoing some cultural changes, It has been reported the network's reboot is seeking an all-black cast.
News of Uncle Buck Russell's cultural changes was first released by Showbiz 411, who noted that casting notices were going out for an African American Buck, who is described as "a wild and free-wheeling force of nature who has managed to lose every job and every girlfriend he's ever had, but who still flies through life by the seat of his pants, never knowing what tomorrow will bring."
Watch the trailer for the original Uncle Buck, starring John Candy, below:


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World Premiere
Sept 8 – 16, 2017
Un-Scripted Theater Company presents
"WORLD PREMIERE — An Un-Scripted Musical"
Inspired by contemporary musical theater and your suggestions, Un-Scripted's renowned musical improvisers create an original musical on the spot, every night, never to be seen or heard again! Every show is a "World Premiere!"
Opens Friday, Sept. 8, and runs Fridays & Saturdays through Sept. 16.
All shows 8pm
Box Office and Salon open 7pm
As member of Un-Scripted Theater Company's ensemble, David Boyll has improvised over one hundred plays and musicals since 2013. His indie troupe Improv Lab has performed at festivals in San Francisco, San Diego, Austin, Santa Monica, and SF Sketchfest. David was called "entertainingly stodgy" as Professor Alfred Billington in Partition at Indra's Net Theater and he "delivered a full load of crazy" as Bernard B. O'Hare in Kurt Vonnegut's Mother Night at Custom Made Theatre Company. He trained at SF State, BATS Improv, Voicetrax, and Waterfront Conservatory. Having been in love with San Francisco since 1968, all David asks is that you don't call it "San Fran."
Derek performs theatre in order to obey the inscrutable exultations of our souls. His long journey into making things up began with his graduation showcase with BATS close to 20 years ago. Since then he is proud to have worked with, and been inspired by, a myriad of talented improvisers throughout the Bay Area. Currently, he can be found performing with Un-Scripted Theater Company and as a founding member of the Traveling Improv Revival. Offstage, Derek lives the life of a buccaneer on Treasure Island, with his wife/captain Jill and Pooka the pirate dog.
Ian started his improv career at the sprightly age of eleven with an improv class at Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theater! Since then, he's performed in various improv and sketch comedy groups in Philadelphia and the Bay Area. He's currently an active member and leader of the Stanford Improvisers (SImps). Along with performing, Ian coaches through the SImps and BATS Improv. He teaches improvisational theater at Hillsdale High School with the HIT Squad, who share a name with the 90's hip hop collective. In his free time, Ian studies English at Stanford University where he's a senior.
Michael Fleming got his first taste of staged improvisation some years ago and has been hooked ever since. He is delighted to be part of the Un-Scripted Theater Company, and has also performed with Out of Line, on the BATS stage, and at a variety of other venues in the Bay Area. Michael has an enduring love of song, stories and making things up and feels unreasonably lucky to be able to do so with such a talented group of folks.
Molly Robertson is a Bay Area tour guide. She studied marketing at Wagner College and improv at Upright Citizens Brigade for over four years in New York. Following school, she headed back to the Bay where she began performing with Un-Scripted. She took a few years to travel around the world with Up with People and finally made her way back to the Bay again. She is happy to have a place to improvise since she is not allowed to make things up on tour.
Vanessa Speed is originally from New York but calls the Bay Area her forever home. She grew up participating in any musical that would have her, but didn't stray from scripted theater until 2009, when she began her improv training at Pan Theater. She originally thought that improv would lead her towards a career in stand-up comedy, before discovering her true love, theatrical improvisation, at the Un-Scripted Theater Company. She first performed with the company in 2011, and joined its ensemble in 2012. She enjoys bringing music, characters with unspoken histories, and dynamic relationships to her work. Her most recent improvisational efforts center around making up songs, games and stories for her young daughter.


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By Rob Markman
2 Chainz has a lingo all his own. Not only has the ATLien captivated rap fans with inescapable jams, he has also supplied us with a great deal of slang and creative catch phrases as well. Act like you haven't yelled out, "Truuuuuuuuu" in a crowded room or proclaim "It's mine, I spend it" to a nosey girlfriend or the IRS.
A few weeks ago when 2 Chainz came up to MTV News to talk about his August 14 solo debut based on a T.R.U. Story for our Hip-Hop Music Preview, the "Riot" MC kept making references to Deuce Mobile. Silly us, we thought Chainz was getting into the cell phone business, but nope, it's just his tour bus/studio.
"It blessed me to be able to just wake up with ideas and be able to lay them right then and there right by my bed or get offstage and lay ideas," 2 Chainz told MTV News when he sat with us for our Hip-Hop Music Preview. "Probably the whole last year of recording for me, since I've been on the road with the tours and everything ... I've been doing them on my bus and sending them back."
Life on the road can be a blur, but the "Spend It" rapper has made sure to keep track of where he records each song. The details will be documented in his album's liner notes. When fans rip open their physical copies of Based on a T.R.U. Story on August 14, they will notice that, although 2 Chainz's studio remains consistent, the cities will change.
"You might see Deuce Mobile, North Carolina; Deuce Mobile, New York. You're like, 'Damn, you got studios everywhere.' Well, it's actually my bus, and I'm just talking about where I actually recorded the song," he said. "You'll know exactly where I was on these records."


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More than 100 years of experience
William T. Spaeder started his business in 1914, working out of his parents home. While he had very little formal education, William was a self-educated, self-made inventor and entrepreneur.
Shortly after launching his company, William's career was interrupted by WWI when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After serving his country, he returned to Erie and continued building his business. In the early 1920s, he purchased a WWI army barracks and used the lumber to build a shop behind his newly built home at 730 East 25th Street.
Among the first employees were William's brothers, Lawrence and Carl. The company continued to prosper until the Great Depression, when most of the construction came to a halt.
Luckily, a new fashion accessory, the zipper, became popular during that time. The Talon Company out of Meadville, Pa., was the first manufacturer of zippers, and Spaeder provided its mechanical work, ensuring the company prospered even during a difficult time.
Challenges and perseverance
Despite the shortage of materials and manpower during WWII, William Spaeder's business stayed the course. By the late 1940s some of his children began working at the business and eventually nine of his 11 children would join the team. With this energetic second generation leading the company, business began to grow and Spaeder began to build a solid reputation as a leader in industrial, institutional and mechanical contracting.
In 1956, the company relocated from the building behind William's home to 448 East 3rd Street. After William passed away in 1963, his nine children with active roles in the company became partners and assumed ownership of the business.
New leadership
When Dave Spaeder was appointed to president, he led the company on a continued path of growth and expansion, and business operations were relocated in 1966 to Wm. T. Spaeder's current location on East 18th Street.
Initially occupying only a small area of the original building, the company continued to grow and by the late 60s and 70s, Spaeder soon occupied the entire building. Notable projects during this time included the construction of:
- PPG and Carr Hall at Allegheny College in Meadville
- Erie City Hall
- Saint Vincent Hospital Expansion
- Buildings 7 and 12 and the diesel repair building in Grove City for General Electric
In the early 1980s, Spaeder opened a branch office in Jamestown, N.Y. It expanded again in 1994 with the addition of its present fabrication facility. Dave Spaeder retired in 1995, and his son Terry was appointed president. By the late 1990s, the Jamestown location was shut down and all company operations were consolidated to the Erie location.
Continued expansion
The company's success has been aided by its ability to embrace technology and adapt to changes over the years. Improved materials and installation techniques bolstered productivity and customer satisfaction, leading to more major projects for the company. Notable projects over the last 30 years include:
- The rebuilding of several paper machines and a waste water treatment plant at Hammermill Paper Company
- Multiple projects for Blair New Process in Irvine and Warren, Pa.
- Major expansions at Saint Vincent Hospital, UPMC Hamot and the VA Medical Centers
- Multiple projects for local colleges and universities
- Renovations at the Erie County Courthouse and the Federal Courthouse Complex in Erie
- The installation of all process piping, plumbing and fire protection at the Lake Erie Biodiesel Fuel Plant
In addition to Terry Spaeder, seven of William's grandchildren currently own the company and four members of the fourth generation are employed there as well. The company has expanded from mainly industrial work to the institutional sector, as well as niche markets that include water and wastewater treatment and multi-unit residential projects.
Looking to the future
From a very humble beginning in 1914, Spaeder has grown to be the regional leader in mechanical contracting. Through three generations of Spaeder family ownership, the company management team has always strived to be hard working, practical and fiscally prudent.
The company's emphasis on building strong relationships with customers, vendors, and bonding and insurance companies has enabled it to maintain success. Spaeder aims to foster this tradition of excellence for years to come. Its dedication to recruiting experienced, loyal employees who exhibit the highest levels of professionalism and craftsmanship will continue to be a central focus of the company as it looks to the future.


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Opportunities abound in China, but the recent issues with retail and residential space notes an issue that can kick investors in the butt - China has a real estate bubble that may be ready to pop. The bubble may be bringing opportunities to the more creative investors.
As crowds shouted and pushed for the latest iPhone in Beijing on Friday, a glitzy mall across the street was bathed in silence, with just a handful of shoppers hunting for bargains.
The frenzy at the Apple store underscored the rise of the Chinese consumer, a development that analysts say is needed to support the global economy and make China's growth more sustainable.
But the empty SOHO complex cast a different light on what is happening in the world's second-largest economy: consumption is rising, but not nearly as fast as vast shopping centres are being built.
A boom in the number of malls without a matching increase in actual shopping gets to the heart of what analysts see as the fundamental problem of the Chinese economy: too much investment, too little consumption.We will be posting articles, in the near future, for investors interested in capitalizing on the Chinese real estate bubble.
"There was an exponential two or three years where record numbers of malls were built around the country," said Frank Marriott, senior director for Asia at property consultant Savills. "It has to take a bit of a breather."
Within a half-hour walk from Beijing's fashionable Sanlitun district, eight shopping complexes have opened in recent years. While one mall called the Village – home to the Apple store that was pelted with eggs on Friday – is bustling, many of the others are visibly struggling.
email@example.com IPG is engaged in projects for companies and entrepreneurs doing business in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam and the U.S. www.ipglegal.com


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My grandma told a tale about the time she called a repair man to fix the heating. This was many years ago before you could book anything online and when gas was cheap.
The repair man turned up and my gran showed him the boiler. He looked it over and checked all the knobs and pipes.
Continue reading "Hitting the spot"


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I decorated the house for Christmas this weekend. Now my whole body hurts.
Category Archives: The PsychoCrafter
Things Got a Little Out of Hand: The Christmas Edition
Wishes in the Mail
My friend has a birthday coming up. Sitting around waiting for my body to heal from surgery gives my mind all kinds of time to dream up ideas. So I decided to send her birthday wishes in the mail.
Please, Mr. Postman
Yesterday I got a Christmas card returned. Yesterday, May 14. It was postmarked December 1. That's a problem. For starters, Christmas cards a big deal around here. They are planned far in advance and mailed precisely on December 1. Where has this card been for the past five months?!
It shakes my unshakable faith in the post office. And I adore the post office. This is not my only issue with the mail. See, I'm throwing a party. It's allegedly for my friend, but it's really for me. I need to have a deadline to unpack the new version of the old house, and the threat of guests are about the only thing that will make me do it.
The pyschocrafter took over and I made the envelopes and it's all ridiculous. But now, some of the people on the list are telling me they didn't get the invitations. That obviously led to pacing and swearing and panicking.
And what I don't understand is why the post office would turn on me this way. I love mail. I'm kind to postal workers. I enjoy stamps. I'm the best thing they've got going for them. They should hand deliver my parcels with joy. I think it's clear, I've lost all perspective on the world.
And yet, I'm compelled to plead: Please, Mr. Postman, deliver de letters. De sooner, de better! (See now you've turned me into a bad version of Motown Act!)
Filed under The PsychoCrafter
Glitter Festivus
Pretty much my whole life I've had a kid Christmas tree: unmatched ornaments from all different places, macaroni construction, lots of pipe cleaners and blinking lights. The past couple of years Monkey Boy couldn't be trusted not to mess with the tree, so it was lights only. I actually kind of liked those trees the best. Very simple and pretty. This year, for the first time, we're having two trees. I can't bring myself to get rid of the kid tree, but we have enough space in this house to add another: a grown up tree.
I may be crafty, but when it comes to this sort of thing, I'm lost. I tried to go to the store to look at decorations and got so overwhelmed, I left. My friend Andrea has been crowned "Queen of the Glitteratti." She is amazing at this sort of thing. I begged her for help. She met me at a store and did a "Lunch and Learn" on Glitter Festivus decor. She helped me make selections for my grown up tree and then pushed me out of the nest to get my sparkle on.
In this season of giving, my gift to you dear reader, is Andrea. I brought my Flip Cam along so you too can be a Glitteratti. Here are her instructional videos:
Filed under The PsychoCrafter
Season Change
Today is the first day of Advent. Despite my very strict rules about no Christmas until December, I was not consulted on the liturgical calendar. Now we move from the Season of Gratitude to the Season of Grace.
Before we move on, a quick recap of Thanksgiving pics, just because they make me happy.
There is part of my brain that makes stuff and plans parties and mentally stores images I like as if I were ripping them from a magazine. I don't try to make these things happen, it's just how I process my world. I jokingly call it the PsychoCrafter part of me.
During my sabbatical, I've had the chance to explore a little of this area. I'm not huffing glitter or sniffing my glue gun. I've just been poking around to see what's in there. It's like finally deciding to clean out your garage and realizing there are more than just a few boxes to sort through. I gotta get all this insanity organized.
So I've decided to give the PsychoCrafter her own blog. I'm gonna make stuff, plan parties and rip digital pages from magazines and blogs to show you what speaks to me. If you're interested in that sort of thing, go see me over there. There may be some interesting stuff in there among all the craziness. You never know.
No worries, I'll still be here: swearing at my little town, sharing the misadventures of Monkey Boy & Baby Daddy, talking about red houses and whining about my various ailments. No matter which place I see you, it's always nice when you drop by.
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Filed under The PsychoCrafter
Sock Monkey Baby Shower
This weekend we celebrated life. It was my birthday (maybe you heard something about that?) and also, we had a baby shower for my friend Misty, who is expecting her first child. I'm so excited for her.
The second she told me she was pregnant I insisted I would throw her a shower. Of course, others were involved too. She is loved by many. I sent her a handful of ideas from blogs I liked. She's having a boy and loved the idea of a sock monkey theme with vintage toys and candy. So a party was born.
It should be noted for the record: I was really more the party dula. I came up with a lot of ideas and prepped them. (And by "came up with," I mean swiped them from other party blogs) Katy Kat did the labor to bring this party to life. I was very "helpful," offering all sorts of suggestions for improvement on her work while she was on a ladder hanging ribbon banners from the ceiling for me. She threatened my life on several occasions. I tried to remind her of the greater good. Then I hid. I did not offer ice chips. I think she would have pelted me with them.
Misty loved her party. She praised my OCD in way that thrilled my soul but likely terrified Baby Daddy and Katy Kat for future parties, "It's like every corner has another little surprise! I love all the detail." It's so lovely to hear compliments for my PsycoCrafting.
Once again, my photos fail to do justice to all the work everyone did. While I got a lot of credit, others did a much of the work. I appreciate their efforts tremendously. Now we just sit standby to meet Baby Fox in a few weeks. Can.not.wait.
Filed under The PsychoCrafter


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"A Mission
"Do join me. I've been nipping away at unsuspecting members of the public for a while now about an idea which I call "Fair Reading". Just as Fair Trade is about allowing a producer to benefit properly, Fair Reading is about allowing authors (and publishers) to earn fairly from their work.
"When people are enlightened about the consequences of "unfair" reading, they often change their purchasing and borrowing habits. So, here is the message - do spread the word if you agree.
"The Premise:
"Our income is increasingly undermined by several factors which threaten the quality and range of future books. The factors are:
- Untenably high discounts and promotions, incurring minuscule royalties.
- The rise of second-hand selling of good-as-new books, (for example on Amazon Marketplace), so that authors and publishers are bypassed from the earning cycle.
- Abuse of copyright by illegal photocopying or printing.
- Potentially, abuse of copyright by illegal free downloading of ebooks.
"The Problem
"As author / publisher income falls, authors and publishers become less able to survive by producing writing of depth, quality or innovation. The consequence of cheapening and devaluing books is therefore the diminution of literature's range. This is "unfair" reading, reading which puts no value on the work of the creator and simply scavenges, greedily and carelessly.
"The Conclusion: Fair Reading
"Fair Reading means, where possible, buying a book at a fair price that brings reward to the creator and protects the value of the written word, or borrowing within the PLR scheme. Each time we choose to buy a cheapened book or acquire an author's work for nothing, there is a small negative effect on the writer. Small effects add up to major consequences. A fair price protects future books. It matters.
"Even if many people ignore the message, others will hear it and there are people who care enough to change their practices, once they understand. I now find people apologizing to me for having bought a book at high discount and that sense of guilt warms my heart! I don't expect miracles, and I perfectly well respect that readers can't always afford to ignore high discounts: all I want is that each reader should make an informed choice. At the moment, readers are not informed and if we don't inform them, who will? Who should care more than we do?"
Editor's Note
Nicola Morgan has no connection with InternetTIPS.com. As a fellow author and owner of InternetTIPS.com, I was impressed with what Nicola has to say about "Fair Reading".
With the gift buying season just around the corner, I want to draw additional attention to the plight of many authors and publishers around the world. That's why I simply chose to include Nicola's note about Fair Reading here in this blog today.
As a predominantly digital author, I am in a much stronger position compared to most writers who opt to use the more traditional publishing routes by writing mainstream books. Yet I understand that writing for the digital markets is not every author's preferred option.
More importantly, what do you think about the idea of Fair Reading? If you agree with Nicola, please consider the idea of Fair Reading when you invest in books of any kind. Thank you.


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So Broken Malaysians are known to speak a variant of English so localised …
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Thanks to all who came out to the inaugural meeting of the Delaware Ohio Drinking Liberally group. Yes…to all those outside of county who are visiting here – we do know where we are – and YES there is such a group!
The discussions were great. The beer was fantastic (Rogue Dead Guy ale for me…then finished the night with Guinness), and the turnout was great for a first meeting. We had some 13 folks who kicked us off. …and believe it or not nothing like this happened! the true moral majority we are.
I wanted to also thank the Old Bag of Nails management and staff who were really good to us. See you guys next month!
Anyone close enough to join us, feel free!
Visit the site and sign up for the mailing list to stay in the loop. Each month we'll be promoting democracy one pint at a time!


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This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the launch of AirDuo™ RespiClick® and its Authorized Generic, which are based on management's current beliefs and expectations and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from that expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks relating to:
HZA106837 was of variable treatment duration (from a minimum of 24 weeks to a maximum of 76 weeks with the majority of patients treated for at least 52 weeks). In HZA106837 patients were randomised to receive either fluticasone furoate/vilanterol 92/22 micrograms [n=1009] or FF 92 micrograms [n=1010] both administered once daily. In HZA106837 the primary endpoint was the time to first severe asthma exacerbation. A severe asthma exacerbation was defined as deterioration of asthma requiring the use of systemic corticosteroids for at least 3 days or an inpatient hospitalization or emergency department visit due to asthma that required systemic corticosteroids. Adjusted mean change from baseline in trough FEV 1 was also evaluated as a secondary endpoint.


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AOL swings to Q4 profit
First quarterly financials since separation from Time WarnerNEW YORK -- AOL on Wednesday posted its first quarterly financials since its separation from Time Warner last month, reporting a swing to a profit.
The online firm recorded a fourth-quarter profit of $1.4 million, compared with a loss of $1.96 billion in the year-ago period, which included a $2.2 billion impairment charge. Revenue fell 17% to $810 million.
Full-year 2009 profit swung to a $249 million profit from a 1.53 billion loss on a revenue decline of 22% to $3.26 billion.
"2009 marked the closing of an important chapter in AOL's history and the opening of a new chapter that we are passionately pursuing," said chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong. "We have a clearly defined strategy, and we enter 2010 incredibly focused on day-to-day execution."


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Hello Teams, I hope everyone is getting some good pre-fish in. I finally got out on the pond Saturday and found the main lake to have great visibility and the water temperature was 52-54 degrees. This is just another reminder to everyone about the 2017-2018 Pasote Tequila & Berryessa Bass Tournament on Sunday 2/4/18. With a couple of cold days and warm days, the girls probably moved back and are getting confused. I caught most of my fish in the 20' zone on the main lake. I noticed boats fishing deep and I saw boats fishing tight, I guess you gotta keep checking. This will be the fourth tournament of the 2017-2018 Season! Please let me know if you'll be fishing, all the teams have been doing GREAT with notifying me! Matt Hamilton & Scott Smith will be doing live well checks and helping with parking starting at 5:00 a.m. at the Markley Cove Ramp. Makyla will be doing check-in starting at 5:00 a.m. in the Markley Cove store and Venom Energy drinks will be available. So, please let me know if you're fishing, then I can have your entry form ready on Sunday. Stage behind the gas dock and we will blast off from the gas dock. I'll blast everybody from the gas dock with my big voice, and each boat will pass the gas dock single file with kill switch showing and live-wells running. Chili/red onions/cheese/chips/cold beverages will be served at weigh-ins! Don't forget about the 50/50 Raffle! Keep it up Teams, looks like we have a great race for AOY going on! Points are valuable.
Thanks, and let's go fishing!!! Office Phone (530)794-6085
LETS GET READY TO FISH!!!!! Got 5?
Don't forget about the Battle Leukemia Fund Raiser Tournament 2/3/18 for:
Flyer is attached for Clearlake.
Pasote Tequila & Berryessa Bass Tournaments Sunday 2/4/18
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French lawmakers were to debate on Friday a motion urging the government to recognise Palestine as a state, amid growing European frustration at the moribund Middle East peace process.
The symbolic motion is expected to pass comfortably on December 2 when the lower house of parliament votes on the text proposed by the ruling Socialists.
The vote comes hot on the heels of a similar resolution approved by British lawmakers on October 13, Spanish MPs on November 18 and the formal recognition by Sweden on October 30.
The text "invites the French government to use the recognition of the state of Palestine as an instrument to gain a definitive resolution of the conflict".
It is non-binding on the government, although Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told AFP in a recent interview that France would "obviously at a certain moment recognise the Palestinian state".
The Socialist MP who drafted the text, Elisabeth Guigou, told AFP the aim was to "reaffirm that the two-state solution is the best guarantee for peace".
Ahead of the vote, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned France it would be making a "grave mistake" if it recognised Palestine as a state.
On the eve of the parliamentary debate, President Francois Hollande told French media he wanted to host an international conference "to find a solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He did not say when such a gathering might take place or who would be invited.
– 'Climate of anti-Semitism' –
Guigou stressed that France — which has Europe's largest Muslim population and largest Jewish community — had good relations with both the Palestinians and the Israelis.
Reflecting the sensitivity of the subject in France, parliament is expected to be divided, with the right-wing opposition UMP party seen voting against the motion.
France was the scene of several pro-Palestinian demonstrations against Israel during this summer's 50-day offensive by the Israeli army in Gaza that killed more than 2,000 Palestinians and dozens of Israelis.
Some of these turned violent, with looters in July destroying Jewish business and shouting anti-Israel obscenities in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles — sometimes known as "Little Jerusalem" for its large community of Sephardic Jews.
The Jewish Agency for Israel, an advocacy group, said in September that more Jews had left France for Israel than from any other country in 2014, blaming a "climate of anti-Semitism."
Fabius has insisted that any resolution "must be useful for efforts to break the deadlock and contribute to a final resolution of the conflict," warning against a purely symbolic gesture.
The Palestinian Authority estimates that 134 countries have now recognised Palestine as a state, although the number is disputed and several recognitions by what are now European Union member states date back to the Soviet era.
An AFP count puts the number of states that recognise Palestine at 112.
France was among 14 EU nations that voted in favour of granting Palestinian territories observer status at the United Nations in November 2012.


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Thanks Sheri !
A bird I noticed recently but haven't seen in my yard before. They tend to blend in with most trees but I finally got a chance for a better shot.
Thanks Sheri !
Beautiful capture!!
You can either register for a community profile, or sign in with your Facebook account by clicking the button below.


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Exhibitions featuring Native American art, antiquities begin Aug. 12
Various Native American art, jewelry, and antiquities will display at Shiprock Santa Fe Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, beginning Aug. 12, in multiple exhibitions.
Dali, Rembrandt and Barnum and Bailey headlining Sept. 13 event
An impressive collection of vintage Barnum and Bailey circus posters, fresh-to-market fine art, Native American pottery, and several pieces of an extensive collection of jazz memorabilia heads up a Sept. 13 sale.
Weekly Antiques Auction & Show Ads: July 25-Aug. 17, 2014
Whether you're looking to find antiques and collectibles treasures at a show or during an auction (online or in person), the Antique Trader weekly auction and show ads are a helpful resource in planning your strategy.
Beaded buffalo hide moccasins poised to fetch $1,000
A diverse collection of Native American artifacts, ranging from a Navajo Chief's blanket (est. $400,000) to beaded moccasins ($800), is crossing the auction block at Cowan's Auctions April 5.
Chumash basket, $35,000, leads Native American auction
Approximately 500 lots of rare art and Native American artifacts from three sales attracted a great audience of varying collecting levels, bringing the auction total to $1,456,776.
Whitehawk mourns the loss of its Founding Father, Don Bennett, 78
In late March of this year Don Bennett, a professional Indian art collector, dealer and founder of the prestigious Whitehawk Antique Shows, died quickly yet tragically in a single car auto accident in California.


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Welcome to Lowry Dental. Thank you for visiting our website; I hope you find it useful.
We have personally created this website to provide important information and education to our new and existing patients.
If we are not yet acquainted with our Boise dentists and services, I speak for all of us here at Lowry Dental by saying we are excited to see you in our office.
- My father, Dr. Brion Lowry, began practicing dentistry in 1975 here in Boise.
- My brother, Dr. Eric Lowry, and I, Dr. Benjamin Lowry, have since joined the practice. We are a true family practice.
At Lowry Dental, we share many common values about dentistry.
Our patients are of the utmost importance and we look forward to interacting with them. We believe our patients want and deserve the best treatment possible.
- We feel our patients are unique individuals and need custom care, which we provide.
- We want our patients' dental experiences to be comfortable and shared positively with friends and family.
- We can replace missing teeth with dental implants, bridges, or dentures.
- We can fix cavities with white colored composite fillings, inlays, or crowns. We can treat a toothache with root canal therapy, or if needed, extract it.
- We can remove wisdom teeth and straighten teeth with orthodontic treatment (braces).
- We can replace all teeth with dentures and add implants for support. Dental veneers can be placed to enhance a smile.
These are just a few of the treatments we offer in our office, and we encourage you to ask questions and learn about all the treatment options relevant to your needs.
We are excited to be your Boise dentist!
Thank you for visiting our website. Come see us soon!
Warm Regards,


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Entropy 2017, 19(6), 242; https://doi.org/10.3390/e19060242
A Framework for Designing the Architectures of Deep Convolutional Neural Networks
Computer Science and Engineering Department, University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CT 06604, USA
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Raúl Alcaraz Martínez
Received: 11 April 2017 / Revised: 17 May 2017 / Accepted: 18 May 2017 / Published: 24 May 2017
(This article belongs to the Section Information Theory)
View Full-Text | Download PDF [2754 KB, uploaded 24 May 2017] |
AbstractRecent advances in Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have obtained promising results in difficult deep learning tasks. However, the success of a CNN depends on finding an architecture to fit a given problem. A hand-crafted architecture is a challenging, time-consuming process that requires expert knowledge and effort, due to a large number of architectural design choices. In this article, we present an efficient framework that automatically designs a high-performing CNN architecture for a given problem. In this framework, we introduce a new optimization objective function that combines the error rate and the information learnt by a set of feature maps using deconvolutional networks (deconvnet). The new objective function allows the hyperparameters of the CNN architecture to be optimized in a way that enhances the performance by guiding the CNN through better visualization of learnt features via deconvnet. The actual optimization of the objective function is carried out via the Nelder-Mead Method (NMM). Further, our new objective function results in much faster convergence towards a better architecture. The proposed framework has the ability to explore a CNN architecture's numerous design choices in an efficient way and also allows effective, distributed execution and synchronization via web services. Empirically, we demonstrate that the CNN architecture designed with our approach outperforms several existing approaches in terms of its error rate. Our results are also competitive with state-of-the-art results on the MNIST dataset and perform reasonably against the state-of-the-art results on CIFAR-10 and CIFAR-100 datasets. Our approach has a significant role in increasing the depth, reducing the size of strides, and constraining some convolutional layers not followed by pooling layers in order to find a CNN architecture that produces a high recognition performance. View Full-Text
Keywords: convolutional neural networks (CNNs); CNN architecture design; deconvolutional networks (deconvnet); correlation coefficient (Corr); deep learning; objective function; Nelder-Mead method (NMM)►▼ Figures
Figure 1
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. (CC BY 4.0).
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Albelwi, S.; Mahmood, A. A Framework for Designing the Architectures of Deep Convolutional Neural Networks. Entropy 2017, 19, 242.
AMA Style
Albelwi S, Mahmood A. A Framework for Designing the Architectures of Deep Convolutional Neural Networks. Entropy. 2017; 19(6):242.Chicago/Turabian Style
Albelwi, Saleh; Mahmood, Ausif. 2017. "A Framework for Designing the Architectures of Deep Convolutional Neural Networks." Entropy 19, no. 6: 242.
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Georgia STONEWORKS 2 ReviewsQuartz at Unbelievable Price
Purchased my new kitchen countertops from Georgia Stoneworks and it was fabulous experience. 1) They measure using the old wood template system. This takes considerable more amount of time but a laser measurement is sure way to have crooked countertops. Lets face it our walls are not straight, so templated countertops allows them to cut the stone based on the wall. 2) They were a pleasure to work with and MUCH cheaper than the big box stores. 3) The stone was delivered and installed within one-week from template. It was record time and allowed me to keep my remodel on schedule. John C and his team are excellent! Would buy from again in a heartbeat!
Granite Transformations 74 ReviewsQuality product and professional staff
We have worked with granite transformations now twice and have had a great experience both times. We have since referred them to friends and neighbors who have loved them as well. The finished product always looks great and the whole staff/installation team is kind and professional!
Inman Park Marble and Granite 23 ReviewsGreat Work
I had Inman Park Marble in today to install my granite and they did a phenomenal job. Got here on time and when to work. Very friendly and answered my entire questions and most of all they cleaned up as they went so when the job was over they were ready to go. The work was professional and I will recommend them for any stonework you have.
Atlanta Granite For Less 2 ReviewsBest all around
Heath and his staff were exceptionally professional and assisted us greatly in finding the right color granite counter-top for our kitchen. They did an OUTSTANDING job of installation and clean-up. I had numerous estimates and they beat everyone and it was not cheaply done. Extremely satisfied.
G K Granite Llc 4 ReviewsGreat Place!
I went to GK Granite to remodel my bathroom countertops and I was impressed with their huge variety of colors to pick from! The staff is knowledgeable and so friendly! They definitely had some of the best customer service! I would highly recommend this place!!!


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1 Register to the website.
2 Buy Credits
3 Download / Read out the original file from the car.
4 Click "Upload File" on our website.
5 Fill in the form as completely as possible and upload your original file.
6 Create an account
7 When your customized tuning file is ready to download, you will de notified by email. At this moment, you will pay with credits./p>
8 Download your file. Your file can be found in your account when clicking on tuning files.


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I am an Assistant Professor in Political Science and Quantitative Research Methods at University College London
My research focuses on the application of quantitative methods to questions of legislative and electoral politics, mostly in relation to the UK and the EU.
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at University College London. My current research project, which is funded by the ESRC's "Future Research Leaders" programme, aims to expand the range of political concepts that can be measured through the statistical analysis of parliamentary debates. A description of the project was recently featured on the Times Higher Education website.
Previously I was a post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Methodology at the LSE, and I received my PhD from the LSE's Government Department in 2016. My PhD thesis explored the effects of legislative leaders on the behaviour of parliamentarians in the European Parliament and the UK House of Commons. A copy of the thesis can be found here.


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Four Marketing Metrics You Should Track
Almost all financial advisors know the importance of client satisfaction. It's a way of gauging what they are doing right and where they could use improvement when it comes to managing their firm. Most of them, however, have not thought about tracking other important data such as performance and marketing metrics.
Tracking this type of information can give a clearer picture of how a firm is doing not only with their business, but also with their marketing efforts. When this data is compared to established benchmarks and objectives you can see whether there has been progress towards reaching marketing and business goals. This valuable information can be used to help increase the effectiveness of marketing efforts, but you have to know where you started to know how far you have come.
Here is a list of important items I like to track for my clients:
- Client data
AUM, households, accounts, average household income, revenue
This type of information is probably the easiest to track and most advisors already have a system in place to collect the information – a Client Relationship Management (CRM) system. If you do not currently have a CRM in place, you can read this article to get more detailed information on where to start.
This is the foundation for seeing if your financial advisory firm (book of business) is growing, and it is also vital to keeping tabs on how your business is doing. You can use this information and compare it to other marketing metrics to find trends in what is working and what is not. This data can also show you what your ideal client looks like and help you set up a target client profile. This is important to finding the right types of clients, not just increasing your numbers.
- Website data
Sources of website traffic, unique visitors, time spent on site, conversions, sales, bounce rate
Most websites have data tracking built in. If they do not there are many options available. One that is fairly comprehensive, as well as free, is Google Analytics. But what do all of these terms mean and how do they help you grow your business? Let me explain.
Key data to track
Sources – Where the website visitors coming from. Are they clicking links from your articles, social media, advertisements, emails or search engines? By seeing this information you can know what sources are most beneficial to bringing traffic to your website.
Most popular pages – Exactly what it says. By tracking most popular pages, especially blogs, you will know that those hot topics are to focus on.
Other considerations
You can also use website metrics to see how many new/unique visitors you have compared to repeat visitors.
Behavior – How long are visitors staying on your site? What are they doing while there?
Conversions – Who is just looking around and who is taking action (using the contact us page or subscribe feature)? A financial advisor's site is setup to generate leads, not to make a sale. If the goal is to increase subscribers to your email list you can see who is taking this action from your website compared to emails or other outlets.
Bounce rate – Will let you know who is coming to your site and then leaving without spending any time or taking any action. This may help you see where a source is not being as productive as it could be. Factors to consider include whether or not you are marketing to the wrong audience, or your website needs updating to become more user friendly. You can read this article for more information about getting the most out of your website.
- Social media data
Followers, likes, and connections
By tracking your social media metrics you can get a better picture of how well you are using your social media platforms to make important connections with current and potential clients. You can use a simple spreadsheet to track this information, or use one of the many social media tracking tools available on the market. Or, better yet, you could hire a marketing professional that has the tools and the know-how already in place. I am not going into great detail here because a majority of this information is easily accessible, but do know that it is imperative to be aware of the various ways to measure your success in the wide world of social media and how you can use this wealth information to your advantage.
Key data to track
Total Followers – Your audience. While you don't want a massive following of people that are not paying attention to your content, it is still important to see an upward trend on a regular basis.
Other considerations
Likes/Share/Comments/Clicks – All indicators of engagement. People are doing more than just reading or passing over your content. Increases in these numbers are a good indicator of doing something right. You can use it to continue to tailor your content to your audience.
It is important to watch your follower/following ratio. You want to engage people. The more you get out there and interact with people and their content, the more likely they will be to reciprocate the action. This isn't as important early on, but it can help you develop into a thought leader in your industry.
- Emails
Opens and clicks
Time and effort go into creating emails; there should be some time and effort put into tracking what is happening once they are sent out. If you use an email marketing service like MailChimp or Constant Contact, certain metrics are built into the reporting system. This takes the guess work out of the process. An email campaign goes beyond writing and sending an email to everyone in your address book. You want to be intentional with your communications, and the only way to know if it is working is to track what happens through it.
Key data to track
Opens – This means tracking the number of subscribers that are opening your emails. Are your emails being read or are they being sent straight to the trash bin? You need to work to keep your content relevant and avoid being "spammy." You also want to make sure you are not getting filtered to the junk folder by using engaging but clear subject lines. If your unengaged subscribers numbers become large it may be time to clean up the list or change the way you are approaching your email campaigns.
Clickthrough Rate – While knowing if someone opened your email can be useful, it can be more beneficial to know how many people actually clicked on the links provided in the email. By looking at your clickthrough rate you can see how many of your subscribers are reading your messages and taking action. This shows you the number of engaged and interested readers.
Other considerations
Bounce Rate – This number will show you how many of your emails were undeliverable. If this number gets high it is time to clean up your subscriber/email list to get a more accurate number of people receiving your emails.
Conversion Rate – If you have asked your readers to complete an action this number can show you the ratio of those that did so. This too can show you the different success rates of various "calls to action."
List Growth Rate – New subscribers in ratio to the number of unsubscribes. It is important to know that unsubscribes will happen, and it is okay. It is just a good idea to keep an eye on and monitor whether or not the growth rate is rising.
Sharing/Following – Is your audience finding your information useful? Are they sharing it with other like-minded people? It is important to make sure you are making it as easy as possible to share your information. If this number is low you may want to consider if any changes are needed.
There are so many ways that you can track the effectiveness and efficiency of your online marketing strategies. The key is not to get overwhelmed. It's okay to start small, but start somewhere. Financial advisors are moving more and more to online marketing as a means to gain new clients and increase client satisfaction. There is no way to know if this effort is successful if you are not tracking the correct information. It is important to begin to focus on the metrics of the business, not just the client.
If this sounds like something that would be beneficial to your financial advisory firm, but you don't know where to start, please contact me. As a marketing professional, I have helped many clients set up and successfully track various business and marketing metrics. I can also help you draw the correlation between this data and your marketing goals. My goal is to help you reach your goals and grow your business.
Free Marketing Guide for Independent Financial Advisors
In the digital age, there is an app or tool that will do almost anything. Don't be overwhelmed by all the options. Download Crystal's Marketing Tools Guide and get the inside scoop specifically tailored to financial advisors.
I will also add you to my monthly newsletter, where I will send you tips, articles, and business hacks specifically for independent advisors to make the most of your marketing. You can unsubscribe at any time.


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Real coach Zidane praises 'formidable' rival Klopp
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Real coach Zidane praises 'formidable' rival Klopp
agent sbobet Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has hailed "formidable" opposite number Juergen Klopp ahead of Saturday's Champions League final against Liverpool. Zidane was full of praise for the English club's German coach, who has led Liverpool to two European finals since he took the helm towards the end of 2015.
"I don't know him personally, I've never spoken with him, but I've seen his work and it's agent sbobet formidable," Zidane said. "He has shown it over the years, not only at Dortmund but also now with Liverpool, too. I respect him a lot for what he's doing in the Champions League and Premier League."
The Frenchman also agent sbobet said he expects a clash of styles when the two sides meet on Saturday. "I don't think we play the same kind of football as a team," he said, adding that Real will be fully prepared and do not expect any surprises.
"Everyone speaks about the three up front [Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane] and says they're less at the back, but they're a team unit. They've got to the final and deserve to be there, just like us. "My work with the staff is to prepare for the game well, as we always do, and try to do them damage."
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Jennifer N. Grimes, AGACNP-BC
Jennifer is an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. Her licensure is AGACNP-BC (certified by ANCC). Also, she has a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas at Arlington, a Bachelor of Science from Texas Tech University HSC and Associate of Science, Nursing from Tarrant County College.
Jennifer has over 10 years of experience in direct patient care in an RN role. In addition, she has strong clinical skills enhanced by natural ability to build rapport with patients and families.
Jennifer likes to follow evidenced-based guidelines blended with clinical experience, and personal observation to ensure quality of care and open lines of communication between patients and staff.
Also, she has extensive experience mentoring new nurses; providing assistance as resource person and motivator. Prior to joining Cardiology Partners, Jennifer was a Staff Nurse/Charge Nurse at USMD Hospital in Arlington, TX.


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Agriculture & Chemicals in 2018: A Mixed Bag of New Policies
Still in its infancy, 2018 is already gearing up to be an action-packed year for the agri-chem sector, from changing farm policies to the all-encompassing Brexit. To ensure that we have captured these developments and to reflect the evolving nature of FTI Brussels' own agri-chem practice, this year's snapshot will be broader than those of…
Will the grass be greener on the other side of 2017? Guide to this year's EU agriculture policy
2017 started with the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as policymakers seek to finalise a number of regulations affecting the environmental impact of agriculture. In addition to the big overhaul and greening of the CAP, the EU aims to curtail emissions from agriculture and land-use by concluding the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) and…
Europe's opportunity in digital agriculture
Farming may sometimes seem the most traditional of activities, but it has never stopped innovating. Every generation has brought technological and organisational advancements, from when stone-age man first used primitive tools to the use of disease-resistant crop varieties. Now, digital farming is ushering in the latest revolution in humanity's agricultural practices. Will Europe benefit as…
Risk in EU legislation: The snake inside or outside the box
Although risk and hazard are sometimes used interchangeably, they are fundamentally different: anything that can cause harm represents a hazard, whereas risk describes the chance of harm being done – in terms of both the likelihood of harm, and the extent of that harm. To understand this difference is crucial when regulating potentially harmful substances.…
The new kids on the block in plant breeding
You probably haven't heard of them – unless you're a plant breeding researcher, an anti-GMO activist or work in the seed industry – but they're the new kids on the block desperately trying to fit in. They're collectively called new (plant) breeding techniques (NBTs) which is just a technical name introduced by the European Commission.[i]…
A tale of subsidies and regulation: Britain's farmers and Brexit
Brexit is the hot topic in Brussels, especially since last week's plan from European Council President Donald Tusk on how to avoid it. While much time and effort has been spent lobbying the British public, one influential group has yet to officially make up its mind: British farmers. While British farmers as an electorate will…
EU trends in agriculture 2016
Agriculture today must both mitigate and adapt to global challenges like water shortages, climate change and food insecurity. Industry and policymakers alike are coming up with potential solutions covering a wide breadth, from innovative breakthroughs resulting from digital technologies and industry consolidation, to new laws aimed at protecting farmers and consumers alike. The UN Sustainable…


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|Jan Lehnardt <...@apache.org>
|Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:06:00 GMT
Hi dev list, with r746691 I committed the current state of the stats patch to trunk; without unit tests for now. Once we've cleared the license issues, they can be added back easily. I mentioned this in an earlier mail but I'd like to bring it up again, since your input is needed here. Metrics are identified with a tuple `{Module, Key}`. `Module` is the module that initiates the counting of the metric and `Key` is a uniquely identifies a metric within a module. Until now, Alex and I just made up names as they came up without much considering a consistent and intuitive naming scheme. It would be great if you could help out checking if the names are any good and suggest alternatives. Also, if you are missing any stats, I documented how to add new ones: http://wiki.apache.org/couchdb/Adding_Runtime_Statistics To quickly test the patch, install CouchDB as usual (don't forget ./bootstrap) run the test suite or some random requests and then check the current stats with $ curl http://127.0.0.1:5984/_stats For specific metrics, call $ curl http://127.0.0.1:5984/_stats/Module/Key Cheers Jan --
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YPSILANTI – The Central Michigan University women's basketball team rolled to its 10th-straight victory Saturday as it crushed the host Eastern Michigan Eagles 95-72 at the Convocation Center.
With the win the Chippewas improve to 10-0 in Mid-American Conference play and to 18-3 overall while the Eagles fall to 9-12 overall and to 5-5 in conference play.
After taking a 36-28 lead into the half the Chippewas exploded in the third, outscoring the host Eagles 32-20 in the quarter to seal the victory.
The Chippewas were hot for the entirety of the game as they shot 61 percent from the floor on 35-for-57 shooting and hit at a 39-percent clip from downtown, going 10-for-26 from beyond the three-point arc.
The Chippewas, who led for nearly the entire game, struggled from the stripe though, where they usually excel, as they went 15-for-22.
EMU hit at a 47-percent clip, going 29-for-62 from the floor, and at a 36-percent clip from downtown on 5-of-14 shooting.
Senior center Tinara Moore had another huge game for the Chippewas as she tallied 28 points to go along with her 10 rebounds, four blocks and five assists.
Junior point guard Presley Hudson added in 19 points, seven assists and three steals while senior sharpshooter Cassie Breen had 16 points. Junior rebound machine Reyna Frost, who ranks seventh nationally in rebounding at 12.3 per game, finished with 15 points and seven rebounds while Micaela Kelly had eight points.
The Chippewas return to action at Ohio at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
CMU beat Ohio 82-58 at home back on Jan. 3.


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What Is Progress?/
FSX/P3D. That's a very good question. Now naturally, there are developers that almost never show progress. Take Martin of FlyTampa for example. He never shows development previews till just weeks before release. But we know he is busy delivering something good because he always delivers. Now take the Majestic and AXE aircraft development teams, these are two teams who continue to show great progress throughout their development denoting their tremendous efforts. Then I think about the team behind the CRJ... Hmm... Nevertheless, the A319 project is indeed progressing well as seen with these latest previews. As for it's release timeframe, I think we are looking at the end of summer. Looking forward to this one coupled with the Airline2Sim Cadet training program. Thanks to ADX reader Dit Van Der Stelt for the tipoff.


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Look to France for key Cup prep
NEW YORK The Prix du Moulin de Longchamp on Sept. 7 is shaping up as the definitive European prep for this years Breeders Cup. The one-mile Group 1 affair is attracting the attention of Henrythenavigator and Goldikova, both of whom have been committed to Breeders Cup races at Santa Anita on Oct. 25, but not for the same race.
The worlds best miler by dint of four Group 1 victories at that distance this year, most recently in the Sussex Stakes on July 30, Henrythenavigator has been named to the Breeders Cup Classic by trainer Aidan OBrien. Goldikova, who beat two of the best fillies in training in Darjina and Natagora in last Sundays Group 1 Prix Rothschild (formerly the Astarte), was immediately targeted by trainer Freddy Head and her owners the Wertheimer brothers for the Breeders Cup Mile after her Deauville heroics.
Both will bypass next Sundays Deauville centerpiece, the Prix Jacques le Marois, in favor of the Moulin, in which Goldikova is expected to renew rivalry with both Darjina and Natagora, neither of whom can be excluded from Breeders Cup contention, although their connections have not yet committed them to a specific autumn campaign. Darjina won last years Moulin as a 3-year-old, and it was taken by Rock of Gibraltar on his way to a luckless second in the 2002 Breeders Cup Mile at Arlington Park.
The straight mile of the Jacques le Marois is normally one of the most revealing of European races vis-a-vis the Breeders Cup. Miesque, Spinning World, Six Perfections and Domedriver have all used victory in it on their roads to BreedersCup Mile glory. Banks Hill won it before finishing second in the Moulin in her final start prior to winning in the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
The four Moulin principals are all nominated to the Jacques le Marois as well, but the Moulin timing is better for all of them. That leaves Hamdan al-Maktoums Prix Jean Prat winner Tamayuz, like Goldikova trained by Freddy Head, as the leading candidate for the Marois.
Henrythenavigators declaration for the Breeders Cup Classic was made by OBrien with the rider that he would continue to run in one-mile turf races in Europe until then. A tilt at the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Sept. 27 could serve as Henrys Classic trial. That route worked well for the OBrien-trained Giants Causeway prior to his narrow loss to Tiznow in the 2000 Classic.
OBrien and many other European trainers are probably happier than some of their American counterparts with the decision to hold the next two Breeders Cups at Santa Anita. Winning big races on dirt has always been a difficult task for British, Irish and French invaders, so Santa Anitas synthetic track, a surface with which Eurpoeans are more familiar than dirt, and which rides so much more like turf, must appear inviting to them.
By Kingmambo out of the Group 1-winning Irish Oaks fourth Sequoyah, and so a full brother to French Oaks third Queen Cleopatra, Henrythenavigator should be able to stay the 10 furlongs of the Classic. OBrien had considered him for a number of 1 1/4- and 1 1/2-mile races in Europe this season before deciding upon a mile program as the best way to prepare for the Classic.
While the French are enjoying the myriad delights of Deauville this month, many of Frances best horses are in the midst of their annual summer vacations. Most intriguing among them are two trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre, Prix de lArc de Triomphe favorites Zarkava and Montmartre. Or at least Zarkava is the Arc favorite, as Montmartre, the easy winner of the Grand Prix de Paris over the Arc course and distance, was taken out of the Arc betting by some bookies, among them Ladbrokes, after Royer-Dupre said last week that his Montjeu colt came out of the Grand Prix stiff and might not make the Arc, although he is still trying to get him there on the first Sunday in October.
When he is included in the betting, Montmartre is generally available at 7-2. His stablemate, the undefeated Zarkava, resting after her supremely confident win in the French Oaks, is on offer at 9-2 with those firms as she awaits her Sept. 14 return to the races in the Prix Vermeille, a course and distance Arc prep that will be her first try at 1 1/2 miles. There is a growing feeling that Zarkava, owned by the Aga Khan and by Zamindar out of a mare by Epsom Derby winner and excellent broodmare sire Kahyasi, is more than just out of the ordinary and could provide the racing world with some big thrills this fall.


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The Amalfi Coast | Praiano Positano
sleeps 8/12 doubles 6 twins 0 singles 0 bathrooms 6 guest bathrooms 1
This world-renowned Praiano, luxury Italian villa boasts breathtaking ocean views from the 10,000 sq ft. main house, overlooking Positano to Capri. From the villa numerous terraces and gardens, you may take in the enchanting Amalfi Coast and its extensive landscape. It is not purely chance that celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Michael Keaton, Barbra Streisand and Dr. Benjamin Carson have stayed at the villa and that it has featured in numerous international luxury magazines such as Point Devue, The New York Times Magazine, Amica, and AD. Accessible by descending approximately 80 steps from the main street of Praiano, on reaching the villa you get the impression that you have arrived in a small exclusive paradise. The villa enjoys absolutely breathtaking views, with Positano on one side that appears like a jewel set in the cliffs overlooking the sea, along with total privacy and a silence which is only very occasionally broken by a distant horn from a passing ship.
The property consists of a main villa, an ancient cliff top tower comprising of a bedroom and bathroom, and a guest house, built on the rocks which border the sea, with the entrance facing the pool. The particularly scenic effect from the bathroom window of the guest house, which seems as though you are at sea rather than on land, has been immortalized in the pages of Architectural Digest.
The tower and the guest house enjoy the same panorama as that of the main villa. In addition to the main house, the medieval tower and the guest house, there is a one bedroom, one bathroom beach house ideal for nannies. This house leads directly to the Tyrrhenian's crystal waters and a mooring place for boats. Of the various terraces from which one can admire the view of the Tyrrhenian sea, the largest is that of the main villa divided into two areas one of which is accessed directly from the living room and is furnished for dining under the stars, the other area is situated in front of the ground floor bedroom and furnished with comfortable sofas and armchairs. Further to the elegance and comfort with which the villa has been furnished, the size of the rooms and some of the bathrooms is noteworthy. Two of the bedrooms in particular are bigger than the others and have large bathrooms and a sea view.
A complete concierge service, consisting of professional and highly experienced 4 person staff makes Villa Praia a very exclusive place, suitable for those who love excellent service in a private and unique setting. An Italian and English-speaking concierge will be available twenty-four hours daily for your convenience and can arrange daytrips to nearby destinations. The villa also includes daily housekeeping. The staff lives in a separate house independent from the villa ensuring complete privacy for guests. For an additional charge there are several boats available for daytrips to explore neighbouring Capri or Sorrento. Positano is a mere four minute boat ride away. The luxurious Villa Praia will take a place in your heart also for it's excellent Mediterranean cooking, particularly it's Italian dishes with a variety of typical recipes from the Amalfi Coast based on fish and vegetables with the flavours of old.
When you don't want to climb the 80 steps it is possible to use a small boat (to be paid on the spot) accessible from the mooring place at the foot of the villa, visit the coastline with the boat and car, then return to the villa by car descending the steps without ever having to climb them.
breakfast and lunch
enjoy a European continental breakfast consisting of croissants, cappuccino, and juices. Breakfast is available between 8 AM-12 PM. The chef can prepare traditional Italian cuisine for lunch and dinner, both meals are upon special request, at additional charge. All food is prepared fresh daily with ingredients from the on-site garden.
permitted use
eight guests maximum, children under the age of 12 accepted, parents need to sign a 'responsability contract' upon arrival. For additional guests, it is necessary to make a special request for an additional charge. Names of all guests must be provided in advance, no exceptions Passport must be presented upon arrival in order to enter premises.
main villa sleeps 8
ground floor
entrance hall, spacious dining-living room with fireplace and French doors leading out to the terrace, few steps up to kitchen, pantry room, 1 wc room, 2 double bedrooms with French doors leading out to the terrace furnished with armchairs, 1 bathroom with bathtub.
first floor
corridor, few steps down to master bedroom with fireplace and en suite bathroom with hydro massage bath with breathtaking view of the sea, large living room with large windows with sea view, small vintage bathroom with bathtub, suite bedroom with en suite large bathroom with hydro massage bathtub and toilet room.
guest house sleeps 2
lower level (pool level)
kitchen, 1 double bedroom with sea view, 1 bathroom with hydro massage bathtub with breathtaking view of the sea.
tower sleeps 2
external staircase leading to the first floor. 1 double bedroom, fireplace and a spiral staircase leading down to a bathroom with shower. Direct exit to the ground floor.
by the sea
small independent house (suitable for a nanny) with breakfast kitchen, 1 double comfortable sofa bed and 1 bathroom with shower. Mooring place, with boat available, please check availability and rate.
restaurant at about 100 mts, various recommended restaurants within 10 min drive.
4 person staffed villa. Kitchen and laundry room can only be used by villa Praia's staff. Eight guests maximum, additional people only on request. Children under 12 years old allowed by signing a responsibility form. Different kinds of boats are available on extra charge for daytrips to Capri, Positano and Sorrento. Private direct access to the sea (200 steps). 80 steps from the villa to the main road
main distances
Positano 5Km/3miles, Capri 30mins by boat, Amalfi 10Km/6miles, Ravello 15Km/9miles, Sorrento 40mins by boat.
Naples 70Km/43miles, Rome 290Km/180miles.
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