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My wife's grandmother lives near the center of Sarajevo. from the window of her small two room flat is a stunning view of green slopes of Mount Trebevich, its lowest approaches a patchwork of terra cotta rooftops. in a sheltered alleyway, pressed between buildings and shaded by small tress is a cluster of small booths; something of a flea market for books, clothing, and kitchenwares. Near the center, almost directly beneath Ana's grandmother's window was a small booth where a couple local boys sold music CDs. I would show up with beers and ask the guys to play for me local artists. It was just after the war and before the internet had proliferated to any meaningful extent around the planet. I was eager to discover local music and, with the abject destruction of the war, even save and preserve some of that lost culture.
Yugoslav Rock musicians throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s had been eager to show relevancy and solidarity with the audaciousness inherent in Rock, punk and other genre's of contemporary music that heralded, it seemed a cultural revolution. I found, however, that Yugoslav Rock musicians, as well as emerging Bosnian, Serbian, Slovenian and Croatian Rock musicians always incorporated strong elements of regional folk. there was always a traditional element regardless of how contemporary the banded intended to be. It caused me to look at contemporary music in the US differently. bands I'd grown up with like Three Dog Night relied heavily on songwriters like Hoyt Axton and Paul Williams whose roots were in folk and country. Paul Williams penned the lyrics for "The Love Boat" theme.
all too often those who run the spectrum in society between discontent and revolutionary forget or ignore their own traditional underpinnings. Rarely if ever is anyone truly transformed completely in their humanity. The relics, the attitudes and ideas of our times and places are woven deeply within each of us. nit is imprinted, or becomes imbued without our realizing just how fully we are compromised, or incorporated into our world, our history and our culture.
It has become vogue in our culture to extol and demand the right of free and unencumbered expression. We can insult the police, berate the president and verbally assault one another with relative impunity. The First amendment becomes our shield and our burden. never in human history has the common citizen held this degree of expectation of free speech. It is revolutionary, but is it so revolutionary that we are free of those traditional underpinnings of a past in which speech was much less free. We all believe in our right to free expression while conjuring ways to curb the expression of those we disagree with.
I am in broadcasting. Broadcasters are the one place in which it is possible to understand the hypocrisy of what it means to assert truly free and independent and unencumbered speech. Stations in the past have cautioned me about certain limits about what I could and could not say. One station promoted verbal attacks on one political party while quietly forbidding dissent against its opposition. Today I was researching FCC rules on obscenity. In training new hosts I brag about the station's policy of non-censorship, then advise them that they can be fired for not supporting the station's policy of defending diversity in the community.
While I defend the right of groups, minorities and traditionally oppressed segments of society to fight against the willful and blatant use of offensive language and terms I also understand that there is a right of free expression that even protects offensive speech. The goal there should be to teach and build a society that respects the rights and sensibilities of others, and that often speech is the cornerstone of oppression. Offensive and oppressive speech should go out of vogue rather than be legislated out of existence. Words must never be banned, because words by themselves are not culprits. We are the culprits.
The American tradition is strongly rooted in reactionary politics and justice. While a narrative has arisen that positively challenges the reactionary and oppressive rhetoric and systems it also has characteristics of that other heritage. We have seen it with attempts to ban certain types of speech. Groups like Anonymous, which has done great work against oppression and injustice too often condoned by society and government, also at times acts extra-constitutionally as judge, jury and executioner. There is tremendous responsibility in that, and great peril as well. Across colleges and universities there are movements to highlight oppressive and offensive speech. That effort is vehemently resisted by the powerful forces benefitting from and supporting oppression. The frustration level pushes one to the point of restricting speech, but that ultimately is a zero sum game.
The effort is never to trade one type of oppression, one oppressor for another. the ideal is to create true revolutionary change, not merely have the oppressed and the oppressors change hats in an endless cycle.
The ideal should be not only justice; but fair, honest and humane justice. It should be equitable and accountable. The system change we champion must be that or we become the oppressors, while the newly oppressed, or those who believe they are oppressed scheme and conspire to overturn the balance.
The same is true for the incarcerated and those who have been incarcerated. What sort of justice and society do we pretend if those who have been sentenced and deemed to have paid their price are forever branded and excised from society. We eschew other cultures for the barbarism of cutting off a hand, or a foot, or putting out eyes, and yet we do the same to those who have been punished. There is no evolution of thought or justice or society. We are the lynch mob on the lawn circa the early 1900s. We are not learning from and evolving out of the relics of the past which have done nothing but perpetuate societal cancers.
Revolutions should be by revolutionaries, striving to create something new with a critical sense of where our common shortcomings exist and where are common strengths lend themselves to actual and demonstrable positive progressive change. anything less shows we are as culpable and guilty and destined to repeat the mistakes and injustices of the past as our reactionary predecessors.
Listen Saturday's from 11am-1pm to WC Turck, Brian Murray with Jack Hammond and guests on Chicago's real alternative media, AM1680, Q4 radio, streaming at www.que4.org.
WC Turck is an author, artist, playwright and talk radio host in Chicago. He has been called the most dangerous voice on the Left. His new book "A Tragic Fate: is an unflinching look at the events leading up to the shooting down of Malaysia Air Flight 17." His first novel, "Broken" was recommended by NAMI for its treatment of PTSD. In 2006 he published "Everything for Love," a memoir of his experiences during the siege of Sarajevo. He wrote and produced two critically acclaimed plays, "Occupy my Heart" and "The People's Republic of Edward Snowden." He works with the homeless and foreclosure victims in Chicago. He partners in a weekly radio show dedicated to issues, society and politics with cohost, activist and artist Brian Murray For more information, past shows, videos and articles, visit www.revolutioandbeer.com


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Family Stability Programs
Latino Network works to ensure our youth and their families have the best chance for success. For our low-income families, however, a job loss, unexpected emergency room visit, or rent hike can be detrimental to their children's future and their families' stability. Children often move from school to school while the family moves from one living situation to another.
Latino Network's Family Stability Programs help families to connect to the resources and assistance they need. Our bilingual/bicultural case managers provide culturally-specific, intensive support to help families:
- Secure stable, safe and affordable housing,
- Find and maintain work or enroll in job training,
- Locate emergency rent and utility assistance,
- Connect to resources and build a supportive community,
- Increase life-skill capabilities, and
- Set goals for self-sufficiency.
Our Family Stability Programs engage low-income households to become more resilient and to avoid and withstand crisis, achieve stability, and access opportunities for a bright and prosperous future for the whole family.
Contact David DiMatteo 503.283.6881 or firstname.lastname@example.com to learn more.
Latino Network thanks our Family Stability Programs funders: Multnomah County Multnomah Stability Initiative, United Way of Columbia-Willamette Siemer Institute for Family Stability, and Rockwood Pathways.


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Explore the works of Plymouth's legendary artists – Beryl Cook, Robert Lenkiewicz and Sir Joshua Reynolds, as well as today's talented young artists.
The Theatre Royal is the largest regional producing theatre in the UK. Attracting some of the top touring shows in the UK and theatre companies from across the world, the Theatre Royal and its Drum Theatre offers everything for you from glitzy west end musicals, to challenging drama, cutting edge physical theatre, and the annual big production panto.
Be one of the first to see the theatre stars of the future at the Barbican Theatre, with its extensive programme of drama and contemporary dance from up and coming young performers.
Visit the nationally-renowned Plymouth Arts Centre for contemporary visual art, independent cinema and creative learning. And check out The House; a brand new state of the art theatre with a programme of dance, theatre, and performances fresh off the block, supporting new companies and productions to provide new and daring insights into the world of live performance.
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After Konica introduced the world first mass-produced 35mm auto-focus camera (the C35AF), Canon responded with the AF35M (Autoboy in Japan/SureShot in North America) in 1979. Then in 1983, Canon released its successor, AF35M II, which is the camera in the picture above. The auto-focus system of the camera is neither contrast detection used in today's digital point-and-shoots nor phase detection used in DSLRs. It instead uses triangulation of active near-infrared beam. This system does not offer multi-point AF or face detection but it allows the camera to focus in total darkness!
To simplify the process of loading film, the AF35M II is eqiupped with an improved and thus easier version of Canon's earlier QL quick load system. This is for sure a welcomed feature for novice camera users. Another hightlight of the AF35M II is its built-in motorized lens cover that will also lock the shutter when it is closed, a common feature in today's point-and-shoots but a high-tech selling point in early 80's. It is also the third Canon camera without a "lens cap" after the Snappy 50 and 20 released in 1982.
The active near-infrared AF system combines with its fast 38mm f2.8 lens makes the AF35M II an alternative choice for street photography or even photojournalism. I remembered reading about photojournalists using 35mm point-and-shoots in the 80's to report civil unrests in situations where photos are discouraged or prohibited since anyone holding a MD-4 attached F3 will sure attract attention from local authorities. To use the AF35M II for such purpose, there are a few tricks that helps. First, and also the most important one, is the motor winder of the AF35M II is super loud! However, film will not be winded after the shutter fired as long as the shutter button is kept depressed. This can delay the film winding until you find a place (or in your pocket) where the noise from the motor will not notify the presence of the camera. Second, although the camera is fully automatic, you can still do exposure compensation by using the ASA film speed dail, a trick that is not possible for cameras that set film speed automatically by using DX coding.
Below are two street shots using the AF35M II loaded with ASA100 Foma Pan film:
The Story behind my AF35M II…
The AF35M II above is my family camera after the retirement of the Yashica Electro 35 GSN. It was easy enough for the whole family to operate, including my grandma and grandpa. While I was still in junior high, I took this camera with two rolls of T-Max 100 for a short trip to China to do some street photography and the experience was amazing. The shots above were taken short after I acquired this camera from my grandma who is using a Nikon L20 digital point-and-shoot now!
Status: In Collection


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NOTE this item is delivered in China ONLY
- Cake Type: Fresh Fruit Cake
- Taste: fruit
- Ingredients: mango, egg, kiwi, grape, whipped cream, strawberry, dragon fruit, white sugar, hazelnut chocolate sauce, wheat flour, oatmeal, water, edible vegetable oil, corn starch, blueberry, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, table salt
- Preservation conditions: 0-4 degrees Celsius refrigerated, best tasty within 1-2 hours within recieving. Dont keep until Next day Morning
- Sweetness: 3 stars
- Package Inlcude: Forks, Disks
- Delivery Time: Beijing Time 9:00-23:00(Working Hours)
- We Delivery Generally 3-5 Working Hours after u Make order
- Delivery to more than 200 Cities of China: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanjing and 200 Cities.
Cake is made and hand-delivered by the Cake Shop. Cake is made the same day as the delivery date to keep it fresh.
The cake can be delivered to most major cities in China, if your delivery is in a small town or rural area, please contact us before ordering whether it can be delivered or not.
The actual cake may look slightly different from the picture due to the each designer's techniques and materials' availability at the local shop.
You can write the gift card message and select a delivery date at the Shipping Method page during check-out process.


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Hi pals,
I've been playing Drakan since its release back in 1999, I'm very happy to be at Arokh's lair now. Such a friendly and cool community.
Today I was digging on something I can't remember what about the game so I found this picture - Does anyone know about this secret or hidden place? I've been discovering interesting things through the years but never seen that building before and without success, I spent four hours today looking for it.
Please, tell me where/how to find it!
Greetings from México.
http://fentezi.dragonsoul.com/ru/drakan ... ilding.jpg


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I have listed a new property at # 306 8933 EDWARD ST in Chilliwack.
Third floor one bedroom with den condo in a quiet central location in upscale "King Edward" near shopping, hospital, arena, aquatic centre, insuite laundry, balcony for BBQs, underground security parking, small pets ok, 19+ building, [ultra low property tax freeze zone], maple cabinets bar stool counter, nice mt. views off patio. Very nice looking building.


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Mainship Boats for Sale in West Virginia
There are no Mainship boats for sale in West Virginia, but some other boats are listed below
47' 1990 Sea Ray - 440 Sundancer Location: Fort Lauderdale Fl Usowner Wants OFFERS!Owner has two boats and says this one must go.(LOCATION: Fort Lauderdale Fl) The Sea Ray 440 Sund...
Tarpon Springs, FL | Powerboats | Cruiser Powerboats
Sea Ray
36' 1995 Silverton 362 Sedan Convertible 36 Silverton 362 Sedan Convertible"My Babe" Twin 454 Crusader Engines with low hours 6.5kw Kohler Generator Bimini and Full Enclosure; Leather-like inte...
Neptune, NJ | Powerboats |
28' 2000 Albin 28 Tournament Express-gatsby Editio... Single Yanmar 300hp Turbo diesel (540hrs) with bow thruster. Electronics include Raymarine Rl70 Pathfinder GPS/Radar, Raytheon Autopilot, and Depth Find...
St. Petersburg, FL | Sailboats | Cruiser Sailboats
40' 1993 Sea Ray 400 Express Aggressively priced to sell. This 400 Express is very clean and is stored inside our heated showroom for the winter season. Stop by the Marblehead Ohio ...
Marblehead, OH | Powerboats | Express Cruiser Boats
Sea Ray
28' 2004 Doral - Prestancia Location: Miami Fl USDry Stored - No Bottom Paint! The Doral Prestancia represents an upscale cruiser market. Doral knows what buyers in this segment w...
Tarpon Springs, FL | Powerboats | Cruiser Powerboats
36' 2001 Contender 36 Open 900hp Contender 36 Open will take you to the fishing grounds quickly, over any size seas. This boat is a fishermans dream, tons of under deck storage, r...
Sarasota, FL | Powerboats | Center Console Boats
32' 2005 Regulator (Four Strokes! Tower!) For Questions Contact: Tanner 225-610-7336 or firstname.lastname@example.com This is a 2005 Regulator 32 Fs powered by twin Yamaha F250 Four Strokes and feature...
Cocodrie, LA | Powerboats | Center Console Boats
It doesn't look like there are any Mainship boats for sale in West Virginia that match all of your boat search criteria, but included some other boats that are displayed above. Boat Paradise has a lot of boats listed for sale on but some brands/locations might be a rare find. You might get a better luck if you broaden your search.
Boats by Make
Boats by Type
Boats by Location
A1 Custom Trailers Albemarle Albury Brothers Alumacraft Aluminum Cruisers Inc Aquasport Baha Cruisers Baja Bass Tracker Bayliner Beneteau Bennington Berglund And Black Bertram Boston Whaler Caravelle Boats Carolina Boats Carver Catalina Celebrity Century Chaparral Chris-Craft Cobalt Cobia Contender Crest Pontoon Boats Crestliner Crownline De Viking Scheeps Donzi Doral Ebbtide Egg Harbor Everglades Boats Express Yachting Formula Fountain Four Winns Galaxy Glastron Grady-White Granger Performance Harris Flotebote Hatteras Hunter Hurricane Hydra-Sports Key West Larson Lowe Luhrs Mainship Mako Malibu Mariah Mastercraft Maxum Meridian Mirrocraft Monterey Parker Pearson Polar Boats Pro-Line Prokat Pursuit Rampage Ranger Regal Regulator Renken Rinker Robalo Sailfish Sea Doo Sea Fox Sea Ray Seaswirl Silverton Skeeter Sportcraft Stamas Starcraft Stingray Stratos Sun Tracker Sunbird Sunchaser Sweetwater Sylvan Thompson Tiara Topaz Triton Trojan Trophy Wellcraft Yamaha All Makes
Aft Cabin Boats Airboats Angler Boats Bass Boats Bay Boats Bluewater Fishing Boats Bowrider Boats Catamaran Powerboats Center Console Boats Classic Powerboats Commercial Boats Convertible Boats Cruiser Powerboats Cuddy Cabin Boats Deck Boats Dive Boats Downeast Boats Dual Console Boats Duck Boats Express Cruiser Boats Fishing Boats Fish and Ski Boats Flats Boats Flybridge Boats Freshwater Fishing Boats High Performance Boats Houseboats Jet Boats Jon Boats Mega Yachts Motoryachts Personal Watercraft Pilothouse Boats Pontoon Boats Runabout Boats Saltwater Fishing Boats Ski and Wakeboard Boats Skiff Boats Speed Boats Sport Fisherman Boats Submersible Boats Trawlers Walkaround Boats Weekender Boats YachtsClassic Sailboats Cruiser/Racer Sailboats Cutter Sailboats Ketch Sailboats Motorsailer Sailboats Multi-Hull Sailboats Racer Sailboats Sailing Catamarans Sloop Sailboats Yawl SailboatsCanoes Dinghy Boats Inflatable Boats Kayaks Pedal Boats Rowboats Tender Boats
Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin WyomingAlberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan


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Tips For the New Sales Manager
Among a variety of new income manager guidelines, preparing on your own is the key. You are not able to confidently face a new team should you be not convinced of your respective new position. Avoid your urge for doing that sales call as well as to check your nitty-gritty in the report. The standard problem involving transition from somebody contributor to your manager is if you get stuck using your previous position. Be aware about new tasks and hold them out and about. Now that you've the capacity to delegate, undertake it. Focus on planning the office. Remember you are in-charge in the whole crew, and not simply yourself.
Just be sure you are inside same web site and the most effective way of accomplishing this is by simply expressing your current expectations to the team along with having these people do a similar for anyone. This means, you will keep in mind their habits, their inclination and operate styles. Knowing these new income manager tips makes it simplallows you for that you manage these people. Consequently, their knowledge on the work fashion and preferences could make it a lot easier for them abide by what you might need. As an end result, both facets are satisfied, less time should be used in filling out tasks; for that reason, the doing work environment is incredibly healthy.
To begin with, they could possibly be apprehensive throughout approaching you when they are unclear on how we will reply to them. To treat this, build positive surroundings. Be exciting, be full of energy. At one time, be true for a words along with hold them into theirs. Using this method, they are certain to get the feeling that while you could be cool, anyone means organization. Ultimately, you can earn his or her respect.
Following these kinds of new income manager guidelines will strengthen your home in your current team. Therefore, it are going to be easier that you can implement growth programs and also other strategies that could keep your sales force performing in their best, happy along with constantly determined.


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The Tasting:The Fifty Best held a "blind" tasting with 18 pre-qualified judges for 26 flavored vodkas in four separate categories: Citrus, Fruits, Tea/Espresso, and Miscellaneous. The judges were informed of the categories and flavors, but not the brands. Strict tasting rules were applied. The order of service was established beforehand by lottery. Each of the flavored vodkas were poured into fresh glasses from new sealed bottles, and served at slightly above room temperature. Only ice water and neutral, unsalted chips and crackers were available to cleanse the palate. The Flavored Vodkas were tasted in groups according to flavor category, with medals awarded on the basis of the judging panels' rating of all vodkas from that group. The judges wrote down their impressions of each product on score sheets. The scoring was done on a 5-point system, with 5 as the best. Double-Gold, Gold and Silver medals were awarded according to a set range of final point scores received from the judges. There were no Bronze medals awarded in this tasting..The tasting notes that follow are summaries of the judges' opinions, with all replicated commentary eliminated. The states/countries of origin are identified for each brand.
Flavor Category: CITRUSDOUBLE-GOLD MEDAL WINNER:360 Sorrento Lemon(Missouri)Palate: Lemon drop candy, lemon syrup, peppermint, maple syrup. Finish: Lemonade, peppermint, smooth, velvety. Double Gold Medal
GOLD MEDAL WINNERS:Exclusiv Limon(Moldova)Palate: Natural lemon, lemony, lemon oil, melon, pineapple, sweet cane, smooth. Finish: Lemon drop, vanilla, toast, smooth, soft, delightful. Gold Medal
Belvedere Citrus(Poland)Palate: Citrus blend, lemon/lime, light tangerine, unsweetened mandarin, wood. Finish: Soft, very dry, good to drink straight.Gold Medal
Hanson of Sonoma Mandarin Organic(California)Palate: Light mandarin, natural mandarin, oranges, tangerine, light citrus, amaretto notes, vanilla popsicle, tart, smooth, balanced. Finish: Mint, peppery, spice, dry, crisp.Gold Medal
Flavor Category: FRUITSDOUBLE-GOLD MEDAL WINNERS:Enchanted Rock Peach(Texas)Palate: Natural peach flavor, sweet ripe peaches, peach ring candy, tropical fruit, orange, flowery, fresh, perfect balance of sweetness, full flavored, smooth, blendable. Finish: Peachy, peach schnapps, fruity, very soft, not too sweet, great possibilities.Double Gold Medal
Figenza(Mediterranean/Germany)Palate: Figs, mild fig, fresh ripe fruit, caramel, pear, green apples, citrus, nice flavor, crisp, refreshing. Finish: Dried fruit, plums, green apples, soft, smooth.Double Gold Medal
Exclusiv Pineapple (Moldova)Palate: Sweet ripe pineapple, just like pineapple, delicious crisp fruit, honey, molasses. Finish: Not too sweet, smooth, gentle, lingering.Double Gold Medal
Moses Date(Estonia/Finland)Palate: Good date flavor, authentic date, sweet date, caramel, raisin, nutty, smoky notes, nice balance. Finish: Fruity, smooth, clean, dry. Double Gold Medal
GOLD MEDAL WINNERS:Mariette Vanilla & Coconut(France)Palate: Coconut, toasted coconut, coconut macaroon, coconut pudding, coconut oil, nice blend of coconut & vanilla, vanilla, banana cream, dates, mint, floral, tropical notes. Finish: Coconut oil, medium sweet, clean, smooth. Gold Medal
Danzka Cranraz(Denmark)Palate: Nice blend of cranberry & raspberry, Ocean Spray cranberry, subtle berry, peach, strawberry, melon, delicious, velvety smooth, well-balanced flavors, pleasant. Finish: Fruity, acai, peppery, stone, clean, dry, easy, lovely. Gold Medal
Belvedere Pink Grapefruit(Poland)Palate: Ruby red grapefruit, light grapefruit, delicious grapefruit, citrus, grassy, smooth, well-balanced. Finish: Citrus, dry, refreshing. Gold Medal
Belvedere Mango Passion(Poland)Palate: Light mango, more passion than mango, orange peel, berry, nice tropical hints, anise, espresso, not sweet, slightly tart, delicious, quality emerges, very blendable. Finish: Citrus, peppery, gentle, great finish. Gold Medal
Van Gogh Acai-Blueberry(Holland)Palate: Blueberry, hint of acai, grape notes, violets, floral, classically delicious. Finish: Soft, delicate. Gold Medal
Danzka Apple(Denmark)Palate: Red delicious apple, green apple, sour apple, apple juice, spearmint, medium sweetness, very well-balanced. Finish: Dry, spicy, gentle. Gold Medal
Ch@t Strawberry(Pennsylvania)Palate: Strawberry jam, strawberry, cherry, Starburst, candy sweet, elegantly smooth fruit.Finish: Fruity, cherry, clean, fresh, smooth. Gold Medal
SILVER MEDAL WINNERS:Czar Red Berry(Kansas)Palate: Berries, nice blend of berries, Port wine, raisins, prunes, molasses, cocktail-ready.Finish: Fruity, mulberry, delicious. Silver Medal
Cold River Maine Blueberry(Maine)Palate: Good blueberry flavor, strong blueberry, berry, grape, acai, peach, mint, grassy notes, black pepper, medium sweetness, ripe flavor, very mixable.Finish: Blueberry, berry, smooth, mellow, lingering.Silver Medal
Mariette Orange & Pineapple(France)Palate: Citrus, more pineapple than orange, light pineapple, candy-like, good for cocktails.Finish: Lovely pineapple, sweet, spicy.Silver Medal
Flavor Category:TEA & ESPRESSODOUBLE-GOLD MEDAL WINNERS:Van Gogh Double Espresso(Holland)Palate: Espresso, full coffee flavor, chocolate, roasted nuts, nice amount of sweetness, nice balance, great.Finish: Espresso, natural coffee flavor, balanced, smooth, gentle, very enjoyable, amazing. Double Gold Medal
Graham's Texas Tea(Texas)Palate: Green tea, English tea, lovely black tea, real tea, nice natural flavors, not too sweet, nice balance.Finish: Tea, herbal, smooth.Double Gold Medal
GOLD MEDAL WINNERS:Hanson of Sonoma Espresso Organic(California)Palate: Espresso, cocoa, coffee, roasted coffee, vanilla creme, authentic, lovely.Finish: Nice espresso flavor, dry, balanced.Gold Medal
Belvedere Lemon Tea(Poland)Palate: Real tea, Earl Grey tea, black tea, herbal tea, orange Pekoe, lemon oil, bergamot, anisette, eucalyptus, nice blend of flavors, great to blend.Finish: Light tea, bergamot, cocoa, dry, flavorful.Gold Medal
Flavor Category: MISC.DOUBLE-GOLD MEDAL WINNERS:Hanson of Sonoma Ginger Organic(California)Palate: Natural ginger flavor, spicy ginger, authentic flavor, mint, spearmint, smooth, balanced, delicate, elegant.Finish: Ginger, sugarcane, mint, spicy, soft. Double Gold Medal
Liquorizh Peanut Butter(Michigan)Palate: Peanut butter, peanut butter ice cream, subtle peanut, nutty, mixed roasted nuts, sesame, hazelnut, wood barrel, anise, well-balanced, unique, original, blendable.Finish: Nutty, creamy, light, lovely.Double Gold Medal
Hanson of Sonoma Cucumber Organic(California)Palate: Fresh cucumber, perfect cucumber, hint of cucumber, mint, floral elements, nicely done, superb.Finish: Light, crisp, refreshing. Double Gold Medal
GOLD MEDAL WINNER:Liquorizh Whipped Cream(Michigan)Palate: Whipped cream, cotton candy, sweet cream, creamy, cake with cream, blendable, impeccable.Finish: Whipped cream, confectioner's sugar, light, silky.Gold Medal
Disclaimer: This section of the website is intended for visitors 21 years of age and older.If you are not of legal drinking age, please exit by clicking here.
Please drink responsibly!
Comments or questions welcome, please e-mail to: firstname.lastname@example.com


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After working on several GAE apps, some of which are being used for production, I have come to the conclusion that on this platform, backing up your production data is slow enough and expensive enough for us to transition to some other cloud based technology stack.
In one of our production apps, we have around a million entities with an average size per entity of 1KB. So the total size of the data is around a GB which should not be a big deal, right? Here is the output of the bulkloader tool after fetching the entities from the app engine with default options:
[INFO ] 948212 entities (608342497 bytes) transferred in 47722.7 seconds
That is almost 13 hours. So if we wanted to set up an hourly backup system for our production data, that would be way beyond impossible with the current GAE toolset.
The cost is another story. I tried using the datastore admin to copy entities to a different app which i thought we could use for backup. I first set the budget to $2 per day which quickly ran out at around 5000 entities, then i increased the budget to $10 per day which ran out again without being anywhere close to replicating the million entities.
I obviously dont intend to spend $100 every time i need to back my 1 GB data up neither do i want to wait for hours (or even days) just so that my data would be backed up. So either I dont know something or Google App Engine is currently just an impractical way to write scalable production quality apps of meaningful size that can be easily backed up and restored.
Is there a fast and cost-effective way to backup your data from a GAE app?


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A spoonful of sugar not only makes medicine easier to swallow, but it also might increase its potency, according to a new study.
The results show sugar can make certain antibiotics more effective at wiping out bacterial infections. The sugar tricks bacteria that would otherwise play dead into consuming the antibiotic and therefore end up really dead.
Adding sugar to medication may augment treatment for some chronic bacterial infections, including staph and tuberculosis, the researchers say.
So far, studies have only been conducted in animals, and more research is needed to see if the same results hold true in humans. But if they do, it's possible the antibiotics we already have could be improved without needing to make new drugs, which can be expensive. In addition, patients may not need to take multiple doses of antibiotics to combat recurrent infections, which would save on health care costs, said study researcher James Collins, a professor of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University.
The researchers hope the technique "would help to reduce recurrent infections," Collins said.
The results are published in the May 12 issue of the journal Nature.
Persistent bacteria
Some bacterial infections, including staph, strep, tuberculosis, ear infections and urinary tract infections, become chronic and reoccur even when they are treated with antibiotics. This happens because some bacteria, called persisters, are able to survive antibiotic treatment. Infections with bacterial persisters can last months and return even after the patient appears to recover. These infections can also spread to other parts of the body, such as the kidneys.
Bacterial persisters are not the same as antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The latter survive because they have genetic mutations that protect them from antibiotics. Persisters, on the other hand, survive by essentially playing dead. They shut down their normal metabolic functions and lie dormant in the body. And they refuse to gobble up the antibiotics designed to poison them.
The sugar technique used by Collins works by waking the bacteria up and making them eat.
Sugar brings the bacteria back to life and allows them to take up antibiotics, which in turn, kill the bacteria.
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Rates of women who are opting for preventive mastectomies, such as Angeline Jolie, have increased by an estimated 50 percent in recent years, experts say. But many doctors are puzzled because the operation doesn't carry a 100 percent guarantee, it's major surgery -- and women have other options, from a once-a-day pill to careful monitoring.
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- More women opting for preventive mastectomy - but should they be?
Collins and his colleagues tested their technique on mice with urinary tract infections. Treatment with antibiotics plus sugar was able to kill 99.9 percent of the bacteria persisters (in this case, E. coli bacteria). Treatment with the antibiotic alone had no effect.
The technique only works for a class of antibiotics called aminoglycoside, which include gentamicin and kanamycin.
The type of sugar used during treatment can make a difference. For instance, the researchers were only able to kill Staphylococcus aureus, which causes staph infections, by using the sugar fructose in addition to antibiotics.
The researchers are currently investigating whether sugar can be used to improve tuberculosis drugs.
The work is very interesting, said Nathalie Q. Balaban, a researcher at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel who has studied persistent bacterial infection and was not involved with the new study. "The authors show you can trick bacteria and harness their metabolism to make the antibiotics more potent against the cells that usually evade antibiotics," Balaban said.
The study shows the treatment works on artificial urinary tract infections in mice, but more research is needed to determine if it will work in humans as well, Balaban said. One problem will be getting the sugar compounds to the site of infection, Balaban said. Sugar given to a human will be broken down and will not necessarily travel to the site of infection, she said.
"If you're treating infection anywhere else in the body, getting the sugar there isn't going to be an easy task," Balaban said. In the mice, the sugar and antibiotic were given intravenously. Still, the findings are potentially interesting for the treatment of urinary tract infections in mice, she said.
Collins said creating a treatment for people could be as simple as adding the sugar to the antibiotic. However, getting the sugar in a viable state to the site of infection may be a challenge. They have yet to test their technique on drugs that are given orally. He notes the type of sugar used to treat the mice in the study, mannitol, is not metabolized by the human body and may be easier to transport to the site of infection.
- Bacteria Surprisingly Crafty at Sharing Antibiotic Resistance
- 7 Weirdest Medical Conditions
Follow MyHealthNewsDaily staff writer Rachael Rettner on Twitter @RachaelRettner.


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6071. asis -- sweet wine... juice, new sweet wine. From acac; must or fresh grape-juice (as just trodden out) -- juice, new (sweet) wine. see HEBREW acac. << 6070, 6071. asis. 6072 >>. ... /hebrew/6071.htm - 6k
Wine in Bottles
Wine in Excess: Forbidden
Wine in Excess: Impairs the Health
Wine in Excess: Impairs the Judgment and Memory
Wine in Excess: Inflames the Passions
Wine in Excess: Infuriates the Temper
Wine in Excess: Leads to Remorse
Wine in Excess: Leads to Sorrow and Contention
Wine in Skins (Rv)
Wine in Times of Scarcity, Was Mixed With Water
Wine of Abominations
Wine of Staggering (Rv)
Wine of the Abominations of the Apostasy
Wine of the Blessing of the Gospel
Wine of the Blood of Christ
Wine of the Divine Judgments
Wine of the Joy of Wisdom
Wine of the Joys of Spiritual Matters
Wine of the Wrath and Judgments of God
Wine of Violence and Rapine
Wine Press
Wine Press in Vineyards
Wine Press of the Judgments of God
Wine Press: General Scriptures Concerning
Wine Press: Treading The, of the Sufferings of Christ
Wine Press: Trodden With Joy and Shouting
Wine used at Meals
Wine was Kept in Bottles
Wine was Made of The Juice of the Grape
Wine was Made of The Juice of the Pomegranate
Wine was Stored in Cellars
Wine was Used for Drink offerings in Idolatrous Worship
Wine was Used for Drink offerings in the Worship of God
Wine was Used: As a Beverage from the Earliest Age
Wine was Used: As a Medicine
Wine was Used: At all Feasts and Entertainments
Wine with Corn and Oil, Denoted all Temporal Blessings
Wine: Abstinence from of Daniel
Wine: Abstinence from of the Courtiers of Ahasuerus
Wine: Abstinence from of Timothy
Wine: Admonitions Against the Use of
Wine: An Article of Extensive Commerce
Wine: Banquets of
Wine: Cellars For
Wine: Cheap Wine (Like Vinegar) Given to Jesus at the Crucifixion
Wine: Cheering God and Man
Wine: Commerce In
Wine: Consequence of Putting (When New), Into Old Bottles
Wine: Custom of Giving to Persons in Pain or Suffering, Mixed With
Wine: Custom of Presenting to Travellers
Wine: Denied to the Israelites in the Wilderness, So That They Could Know That the Lord Was Their God
Wine: Fermented
Wine: First Fruits of, to be offered to God
Wine: First Mention of
Wine: First Mode of Making, Notice
Wine: Forbidden to Kings
Wine: Forbidden to Nazarites
Wine: Forbidden to Nazarites During Their Separation
Wine: Forbidden to Priests While on Duty
Wine: Forbidden to the Priests While Engaged in the Tabernacle
Wine: from Pomegranates
Wine: Generally Made by Treading the Grapes in a Press
Wine: Given by Melchizedek to Abraham
Wine: Given in Abundance to the Jews when Obedient
Wine: Gladdening the Heart
Wine: Improved by Age
Wine: Inflames the Eyes
Wine: Intoxication from the Use of
Wine: Intoxication From: Ahasuerus
Wine: Intoxication From: Amnon
Wine: Intoxication From: Falsely Charged Against the Disciples
Wine: Intoxication From: Joseph and his Brothers
Wine: Intoxication From: Kings of Israel
Wine: Intoxication From: Lot
Wine: Intoxication From: Nabal
Wine: Intoxication From: Noah
Wine: Kept in Jars
Wine: Made by Jesus at the Marriage Feast in Cana
Wine: Made from Grapes
Wine: Making Mirthful
Wine: Many Kinds of
Wine: Medicinal Use of
Wine: New
Wine: Offered With Sacrifices
Wine: Often Spiced to Increase Its Strength
Wine: Old
Wine: Places Celebrated For: Assyria
Wine: Places Celebrated For: Canaan in General
Wine: Places Celebrated For: Helbon
Wine: Places Celebrated For: Lebanon
Wine: Places Celebrated For: Moab
Wine: Places Celebrated For: Possessions of Judah
Wine: Recommended by Paul to Timothy
Wine: Red, Most Esteemed
Wine: Refined
Wine: Refining of, Alluded To
Wine: Sacramental Use of
Wine: Samson's Mother Forbidden to Drink
Wine: Sometimes Mixed With Milk As a Beverage
Wine: Strengthening
Wine: Sweet, Esteemed for Flavour and Strength
Wine: Symbolical of the Blood of Jesus
Wine: The Jews Frequently Deprived of, As a Punishment
Wine: The Jews Frequently Drank, to Excess
Wine: The Love of Christ to be Preferred To
Wine: The Rechabites Never Drank
Wine: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To
Wine: Water Miraculously Turned Into


text: The best design, the best quality, the best price. At Fiorelli we don't believe a beautiful handbag has to cost hundreds of pounds – even if it looks as though it does. We started Fiorelli with one goal in mind, to produce the most beautiful and affordable handbags money can buy. And we've stuck to it. Today we are the UK's number one manufacturer of handbags. And every bag we produce, whether it's catwalk or classic, work or weekend, every day or evening, every bag we produce is designed to be beautiful, stylish and usable. Fiorelli. It's all about the bag!


text: Select Location: Southern California Northern California Illinois Massachusetts Maryland Nevada New Jersey New York Texas Washington 繁體中文 | 简体中文 | English | Español Search: Cathay bank Home About Us Investor Relations Contact Us Branch/ATM Locator Personal Account Checking Accounts Savings Accounts CDs Debit Cards IRA CD Loans Mortgage Loan Home Equity Financing Credit Cards Cathay Online Banking Mobile Banking Incoming Wire Instructions Business / Commercial Business Account Business Checking Account Business Savings Account CDs Cash Management Services Merchant Deposit Capture Zero Balance Account Lockbox Service Merchant Services Courier Deposit Service Armored Transport Services Cash Vault Services Payments Fraud Prevention Business Online Banking Business Mobile Banking Loans Commercial Financing Real Estate & Construction Financing International Banking & Financing Smart Business Lending Professional Loan SBA Guaranteed Loan Program Credit Cards Cathay Business Connect BANK@WORK Program Incoming Wire Instructions Foreign Exchange Foreign Exchange Service Foreign Exchange Market Update Investments Cathay Wealth Management Annuities Mutual Funds Investment IRAs Online Banking Personal Banking Business Banking Log In Forgot your user ID? Business_CompanyID: Log In View Demo Register Learn More View Demo Register Learn More Home > Promotion Pages Career Fair and Networking Event Energized by what's possible — for my career Come learn about career opportunities at Cathay, meet recruiters and hiring managers, as well as members of our Executive Team! Discover why Cathay Bank is for you! Thursday, October 24 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Cathay Bank Corporate Center 9650 Flair Drive El Monte, CA 91731 RSVP and submit your resume to: email@example.com Subject line: Count Me In for 10/24 Indicate the number of attendees in your RSVP. Light refreshments will be provided. FAQs Who is welcome to attend? We welcome anyone who is interested! RSVPs are preferred; walk-ins are welcome subject to availability. Cathay Bank employees, eligible to apply internally, can also attend. How to prepare? Bring at least two copies of your resume. Dress in professional business attire. Where to park? Free parking is located in the back of the building as well as street parking on Flair Drive. What to do upon arrival? Enter the lobby doors from the back of the building. Check-in at the registration table in the lobby for a name tag and list of tables to visit. Cathay Bank is an equal opportunity employer. It is the Bank's policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local non-discrimination law. 1-800-9CATHAY 1-800-922-8429 Consumer Customer Service 6:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. Business Customer Service 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. Automated information is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. U.S. customers in Hong Kong can dial toll-free 3710-1400 to contact U.S. Customer Service directly.


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Cleanses Don't Work – Detox Myths
The road to better health is paved in absolutes. There are processes which simply can't be circumvented. The natural rules as to how we gain or lose weight are constant: calories in, calories out. If you create a calorie deficiency consistently, over time you will lose weight. It can be tricky, but it can be done. It doesn't even require switching to grass-tea and mushroom only diet.
However, in pursuit of better health you'll hear about many plans and methods to lose weight fast. One of them is called 'cleansing'. It's an old concept introduced in the 1940's and has "evolved" over the decades, the principle roughly being the same: drinking a lot of water while generally mixing ingredients into said water, roughly 10-12 glasses a day. That's all; no food or anything else.
Often times when someone does a 'cleanse', they 'juice', which means just what it says. Instead of solid foods, you juice or blend fruits and vegetables (which remove many of the good nutrients by the way) and drink that, combined with your typical water intake. Doing this also denies your body many crucial nutrients like protein, so you'll enjoy a constant yo-yo of highs and lows with energy.
Another fad is the whole 'detox' myth, which insists that by doing a 'cleanse' you'll rid your body of "toxins" or the like. The term 'toxin' is vague and always non-specific: good luck trying to find out what someone means when they use this term. Regardless, should your body actually have toxins, your kidneys and liver are more than enough to handle the nasty intake of day-to-day diets. Excess alcohol or blockages can cause problems, but this is not going to be resolved via a 'cleanse'.
There are no proven benefits which come with cleansing or a detox. It doesn't lower cholesterol or help your heart, and any weight loss is negligible and temporary. It's better to eat whole, non-processed foods and manage your portions while working on good healthy life long habits, versus a "get slim quick" scheme. Cleansing, overall, is an unproven process and may actually be unhealthy.


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Skiing Links
Category Archives: Anouncments
2015-16 Membership Form
Membership for 2015-16 season now available. wolverine ski club membership form
Bill Koch Signups
The Wolverine Ski Club- Bill Koch youth cross country skiing signup will take place December 19, 21, and 27 at the Holland Patent Library from 4:30pm-6:00pm. The program is open to children ages 6-13 and focuses on skiing fundamentals, games, … Continue reading
Posted in Anouncments, Uncategorized Comments Off
Chris Klein will conduct a rollerski clinic on August 20
Roller Ski Clinic
Posted in Anouncments, Events, Uncategorized Comments Off
Thursday relay champions
Winning Team: Alex, Eric,Emily, Justyna, Racael Thursday Feb 6 This weeks Championship team. winning both the relays and the Freeze Game.
Youth Program Sign-up
membership: membership form (pdf) youth program Flyer: 2009-bill-koch-signup The Wolverine Ski Club youth cross country skiing signups will take place December 2nd and 9th at the Holland Patent Middle School in Room 208 from 5pm-6:00pm The program fee is $25 … Continue reading
skiing cancelled for this thursday
Formal kids' skiing is cancelled this week due to the New England J2 Festival and Junior Olympics. You are free to ski on your own. There is still plenty of snow so we will ski next week and plan on … Continue reading
A big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped with Saturday's race. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Information for Saturday's Race
Print verision: race-information (pdf) Print course maps: map-stadium and course Schedule: · 10:30 AM Scholastic Boys 10K followed by Open Men 10K · 11:15 AM Scholastic Girls 5K followed by Open Women 10K · 11:30 AM Modified Boys and Girls 5K · … Continue reading
Posted in Anouncments, Events Comments Off
skiing sunday 1/18
Well Thursday wasn't quite as cold as predicted but still on the edge for some. In light of the cancellation we'll have a special Sunday edition of the Thursday kids' skiing program this Sunday 1pm to 2:30….you can keep skiing … Continue reading
Posted in Anouncments, Events Comments Off
Sunday Morning Trail Work
We could use 7-8 people Sunday am at 9 to help with some trailwork. This would involve skiing the trails with brush cutters and trimming back all prickers and brush along the trails. Also we will need some snow shovels … Continue reading


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Search our resource database
7 Steps to Creating a School Garden
Mississippi Farm to School Network | 01-Dec-2016
School gardens can be a great asset to the school environment. However, the process involves careful planning and good management skills. The school garden is not a one person show. Rather, it should be a collaborative effort that involves administrators, students, teachers, parents, and other members of the community. This guide offers seven steps for creating a successful school garden, from forming a strong garden committee to planting and harvesting.


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Morning Scoop
Calexit tries again. J.K. Rowling apologizes for Trump tweets. Big honor for Derek Carr
It's Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Welcome to your Morning Scoop of intriguing tales, fresh news and things that make you go "hmm." Sign up to get the Scoop in your email inbox.
Top Scoops
• A Fresno woman is missing; police say a phone call she made to a friend ended abruptly.
• Fresno Unified students return to school Aug. 14. District trustees hope to pick their new superintendent by then.
• President Trump personally dictated a misleading statement for son Donald Trump Jr. after the latter's meeting with a Russian lawyer, an action that leaves the president vulnerable to allegations of a coverup, the Washington Post reported.
• J.K. Rowling has apologized for tweets alleging Donald Trump refused to shake the hand of a disabled boy. The "Harry Potter" author deleted the tweets, which were up for several days.
• Volunteers say they couldn't keep the LGBT Community Center in Fresno open. "It's a heavy commitment," said Chris Jarvis, president of Gay Central Valley.
• The body of a woman who had been hiking the Pacific Crest Trail was found in Yosemite National Park.
Watch This Video
• Please ensure my next airline trip has a little dude like him. Even if it means replacing a flight attendant or two. Thanks.
Good Stuff to Know
• Calexit wants us all to know: "I'm not dead yet."
• No other Fresno State Bulldog will wear No. 4 on a football field. Derek Carr will become the seventh 'Dog to have his jersey retired. Here's fans' last view of Carr in that jersey, back in 2013:
• It your power bill too high? (Sorry, is that a rhetorical question?) PG&E and SoCal Edison have discount programs that might ease the pain.
• The Olympics come to Los Angeles in 2028. Yes, L.A. wanted 2024; Paris will likely get that slot. But the Southland still did what New York (2012) and Chicago (2016) and Boston couldn't: Bring the torch back to the U.S.
• Steve Bartman will get a World Series ring from the Cubs. Now that is forgiveness.
• Here's the tale of a Cal Poly-SLO grad who's hit it big with rodeo-inspired clothing line.
Outrè Scoops
• Who needs tied-together bedsheets or a skeleton key or even a weapon for a jailbreak when peanut butter works soooo well?
• Millennials are being blamed for ... well, just about everything that's wrong in the U.S. Here's a handy list.
Jody Murray: 559-441-6367, @jmurray59


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Sept 25, 2006 (MOGADISHU) — Fears of regional conflict soared with the loss of a strategic port to Somalia's radical Islamic militia, which faced angry demonstrations that erupted into deadly violence Monday, and for the first time acknowledged getting help from foreign Muslims.
- Somali protesters hold a poster during a demonstration that was organised by the Islamic Courts of Somalia in Mogadishu September 22, 2006. (Reuters)
Ethiopian forces, meanwhile, arrived to support the internationally recognized government in its face-off with the radicals. Witnesses saw about 300 Ethiopians in a convoy of 50 armored trucks in Bardaale, 60 kilometers (40 miles) west of Baidoa, the only town held by the weak government. Islamic forces believe Ethiopian troops aim to cut off their route between Kismayo and Mogadishu.
"The incursion of Ethiopian troops into Somali territories is a declaration of war on Somalia," Sheik Yusuf Indahaadde, national security chairman for the Islamic group, told The Associated Press by telephone from Mogadishu. "We call on the international community to urge Ethiopia to withdraw its troops from Somalia. If that doesn't happen the consequences of insecurity created by Ethiopia will spread to neighboring countries and to East Africa as a whole."
As it has established authority in the capital and across much of the south starting in June, the Islamic group's strict interpretation of Islam has sparked comparisons with Afghanistan's Taliban. The United States has accused the Islamic group of sheltering suspects in the 1998 al-Qaida bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden has portrayed Somalia as a battleground in his war on the U.S.
Several thousand demonstrators protested against the Islamic militia Monday in Kismayo, 420 kilometers (260 miles) southwest of the capital, Mogadishu. The militia seized Kismayo, one of the last remaining ports outside their control and Somalia's third largest town, a day earlier without a fight.
Islamic militiamen with white bands on their heads opened fire on the protesters. Kismayo resident Abdiqadir Filibin said he saw the 13-year-old killed. Two other children were injured, witnesses said on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Sporadic gunfire could also be heard in other parts of the town.
"They are ... al-Qaida and we do not want them," said Halimo Mohamed, one of the protesters in Kismayo. "Theirs is not a religion. They are terrorists."
But some Somalis have welcomed the order the Islamic group has brought to a country where the transitional government has struggled to assert authority since if was formed in 2004 and where there has been no effective national government since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on one another, throwing the country into anarchy.
Hassan Turki, leader of the Islamic militia, told a demonstration in support of his group in Kismayo earlier Monday that foreign fighters were helping his fighters.
"They are your brothers in Islam," Turki said.
Turki, who is rarely seen in public, is on the U.S. and U.N. lists of suspected terrorists for having alleged ties to al-Qaida.
In an interview with the AP Monday, Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi said "terrorists" dominate the Islamic group.
Gedi, speaking in neighboring Kenya, called on the U.N. to partially lift an arms embargo to allow for the deployment of African peacekeepers, a move the radicals oppose.
The African Union has endorsed a plan by eastern African states to deploy peacekeepers in Somalia to protect Gedi's weak, internationally recognized government.
The U.N. Security Council was expected to meet in New York Monday to discuss a partial lifting of the embargo.
The Islamic group and Gedi's government have agreed to a cease-fire, but the Islamic fighters have continued to advance across the country. Gedi accused the Islamic group of violating the nonaggression agreement.
Gedi would not comment on reports of Ethiopian troops entering Somalia, but did say he expected neighboring countries to protect his government.
Witnesses had reported several deployments of Ethiopian troops in support of the government in recent months, and U.N. officials have confirmed the presence of a small number of Ethiopian troops around the town of Baidoa, saying the force was intended to defend the government and Ethiopian interests in Somalia. But Ethiopian and Somali officials have repeatedly denied any Ethiopian troops have crossed the border into the country.
Ethiopia on Monday repeated earlier denials its troops were in Somalia.
"No Ethiopian troops have crossed the border into Somalia," foreign affairs spokesman Solomon Abebe told The Associated Press. The Islamic group "violated the peace agreement by occupying the port city of Kismayo. Anytime the (Islamic group) takes a wrong step, it is well known that they use Ethiopia to hide their mistakes."
A Western diplomat said last week that following an assassination attempt against Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf, Ethiopia offered to send a battalion of troops to Somalia to protect the U.N.-backed government.
The Islamic group has been able to use Somalis' long-standing suspicions about Ethiopia to fan opposition to the government. Ethiopia and Somalia fought a war in 1977 to 1978 and view each other as enemies, but Yusuf is a longtime ally of Ethiopia.


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I have a list of things that I am yet to get for my trip. I will keep this list updated.
The trip is fast approaching and I can't help but feel I am woefully underprepared.
- Carnet de Passage
- A suitable tire pump
- Back up batteries for my electronic. gear
- A decent sleeping bag (I currently have a summer bag which will need to be updated before the Himalayas)
- A working smart phone
If anyone would happen to have any gear that they might consider leading me I would be most grateful.


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Shark Appears To Be Asking For Help And Gets It From Fearless Diver
March 25, 2017
Joshua Eccles, a diver with Emerald Charter in Jupiter, Florida, was swimming in the Atlantic Ocean this week when one of the lemon sharks passing by kept bumping into him.
Eccles suspected something was amiss with the creature, so he took a closer look, which the shark didn't seem to mind.
Chris Maddeford / Facebook
"It would lift up its stomach and I noticed something, so I kind of poked at it a little, the little hook or something," he said.
Chris Maddeford / Facebook
Showing no fear, Eccles decided to alleviate the shark's discomfort and remove the hook.
Chris Maddeford / Facebook
The "little" hook turned out to be the size of his hand.
Joshua Eccles / Facebook
After Eccles removed the hook, the shark swam away, only to return several times. At one point, the shark swam right up to a video camera, which Eccles believes was its way of saying thank you.
Chris Maddeford / Facebook
Watch the video here:


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Audiovisual communication is one of our biggest strengths here at VOVF.
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Hey, y'all! It's been awhile... I've been trying to make time to put up an outfit post for awhile, but with the 4th and good weather I've been finding myself at the beach or pool instead... or inside glued to the TV watching Wimbledon. You guys know how tennis obsessed I am! It poured rain last night and I had work today, so I finally had time to snap pre-work pics in the park right by the office. Let me tell you, the humidity today is NOT kind. I have no idea how many of my readers live in the deep south, but it's one of those don't-even-bother-straightening-your-hair days. Now that my keratin treatment has worn off, I've kind of embraced the messy hair thing.
I've owned this dress and these espadrilles for awhile, but I never thought of pairing them together until this morning. I usually wear white jeans to work, but mine were nowhere to be found so I threw on this comfortable tunic dress instead.
If any of y'all ever end up in Savannah, Johnson Square has great lighting on a semi-sunny day for taking photos! This is where these were shot.


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Property Details
West Seattle
#9412 21st Ave SW, Westwood, Seattle, WA, 98106, United States
Darling West Seattle home just perfect for first-time homebuyers, artists, musicians, or if you need a home office. 2 Bedroom main home features newly remodeled kitchen w/granite counters, eating bar, stainless appliances and gas stove. Skylights, hardwood floors and spacious bedrooms. French doors overlook backyard garden with head-turning pro landscaping and patio. Detached finished living space adds over 200 s.f. w/high ceilings, wood stove and 3/4 bath! New roof, electrical and double-paned windows. Walking distance to Westwood Village. Close to Lincoln Park, Vashon Ferry Dock, and a quick commute to downtown Seattle. Don't miss it!
Detached Guest House or Studio
Beautiful Gardens
Patio and Deck
Open Remodeled Kitchen
Stainless Appliances
Gas Stove
Granite Countertops
New Roof
New Electrical
Hardwood Floors
Wood Burning Stove
Listing Provided By
Keller Williams Realty
- Kristen Meyer
- 206-353-7625
- firstname.lastname@example.com
- Keller Williams Realty
- 4452 California Ave SW
- Seattle, WA
- 98116


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Jump on this deal if you're interested! Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes, 6 packs of 56 wipes (336 total count) — $.02 per wipe shipped! This is the same price as Costco but no loading the kids in the car.
Here's how to do the deal:
:: Add the Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes, 6 packs of 56 wipes (336 total count) to your cart by clicking the "Subscribe & Save" button ($8.22). You will receive 30% off plus FREE shipping with "Subscribe & Save" and if you're a member of Amazon Mom. I always choose the 6 month Subscribe & Save option:
:: Once you've enrolled in the Subscribe & Save program, you will receive automatic shipments of that product from Amazon at intervals you set. You are under no obligation to continue your subscription once your initial order ships and you can easily cancel through the "Manage" option in "Your Account."
You will pay $8.22 total 336 Huggies wipes, which is $.02s per wipe shipped! You could pay even less if you use a $5 Amazon gift card you've earned by using Swagbucks as your search engine!
Remember, Amazon prices change without notice. If the Subscribe & Save price is more than $10.15, abandon the deal!
Find more Amazon deals on Frugal Living NW.
Thanks, Coupon Connections!
This post may contain affiliate links. See the disclosure policy for more information.


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VCA Standard
The Verified Conservation Area (VCA) Registry recognises the area-based conservation actions of individuals, communities, companies and others. It is open to any area – marine or terrestrial – that has a conservation programme as set out by this Standard.
The VCA Standard sets out the requirements for registering an area as a VCA. [Published: 2018]
VCA Guidance Note
This Guidance Note provides additional guidance for the required documentation set out in the VCA Standard including area-based conservation management plans, conservation performance reports and independent audits. Further guidance for conservation management is provided in Earthmind's VCA Guidance library collection. [Published: 2018]
Guidelines for Developing and Managing Ecological Restoration Projects
This document describes the procedures for conducting ecological restoration in accord with the norms of the discipline that were established in the SER International Primer.
Guidelines for Developing and Managing Ecological Restoration Projects, 2 Edition. Andre Clewell¹, John Rieger², and John Munro³. December 2005. www.ser.org and Tucson: Society for Ecological Restoration International. [Published: 2005]
Habitat Conservation, Global
A Guide to Developing Biodiversity Action Plans for the Oil and Gas Sector
This IPIECA guide is designed to help HSE professionals and other relevant staff, e.g. those involved with project planning, in the oil and gas industry to develop Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs) for their sites and projects. BAPs are a systematic approach to biodiversity conservation that can build on, and be integrated with, existing company activities and processes throughout the oil and gas project life cycle. [Published: 2005]
Conservation Management, Guidelines, Global
Who Conserves the World's Forests? Community-Driven Strategies to Protect Forests & Respect Rights
To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to produce a global estimate of the scope of community conservation. Given the limited quantity and quality of the data, this analysis should be viewed as a first step, and we hope it will encourage others to examine this issue and improve our collective understanding of community conservation.
Forest Trends. ISBN 0-932928-01-4 [Published: 2004]
Habitat Conservation, Forestry, Global
Guidelines for Maximizing Biodiversity on Golf Courses
The aim of this booklet is to provide guidelines to golf course managers to ensure that the pressures of land-use, resource-use, and pollution are minimized and the contribution to the Landscape, biodiversity. and environmental services of golf courses are maximized whilst satisfying the members' expectations on playability and aesthetics.
Mackannon. JR and Patulot M CtM. GuidelInes for Maximizing Biodiversity on Golf courses. A5EAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Los Baños, Philippines. [Published: 2004]
Conservation Management, VCA Guidance, Asia
Prepared by the SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group
Approved by the 51st Meeting of the IUCN Council, Gland Switzerland, February 2000
The goal of these guidelines is to prevent further losses of biological diversity due to the deleterious effects of alien invasive species. The intention is to assist governments and management agencies to give effect to Article 8 (h) of the Convention on Biological Diversity. [Published: 2000]
Wildlife Conservation, Global
IUCN World Conservation Strategy
WORLD CONSERVATION STRATEGY - Living Resource Conservation for Sustainable Development
Prepared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
with the advice, cooperation and financial assistance of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
and in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) [Published: 1980]
Conservation Management, Global
Wagnée VCA Proposal Lettter of Support - Nov 2016
I want to strongly support the project of the Property of Wagnée at Florée (Belgium) to join the Verified Conservation Area registry. [Published: 2016]
VCA Reports, Europe
Wagnée VCA Proposal - Nov 2016
The area is part of a large piece of land surrounding an old house that was bought by a successful tradesman in 1768 and then split several times between its heirs. The last division dates back to 2006. The property has benefited from a rather constant management where agriculture, forestry, landscape and hunting have traditionally played an important role. Though, the landscape has evolved a lot for the last two centuries. Major changes occurred in the XIXth century where several small woods were planted (often with hybrid poplars, spruces, larches) and some meadows were drained. Some of those small meadows were later afforested (late XIXth or early XXth century). Only a part of the woods were mapped as woodland on the Count de Ferraris' map (1760's). [Published: 2016]
VCA Reports, Europe
Tullstorp Steam VCA Plan Audit - Sep 2017
The overall audit assessment for the present management plan is very positive. The large, coordinated landowner involvement is unique. The systematic work with the whole watercourse is very important and basically hard to achieve, but accomplished here. The continuous monitoring of both biodiversity and water chemistry is good. The intention to expand the approach is promising; especially to include biodiversity around the river is promising. The recognition of the cultural heritage in the landscape is a plus as well as the willingness to communicate what the project is doing and its results. The Tullstorp Stream project is situated in a much exploited landscape and therefore serves as a very important example of what can be done in such landscapes to make it much more attractive and well-functioning. [Published: 2017]
VCA Reports, Agriculture and Ranching, Europe
Tullstorp Stream VCA Management Plan - Sep 2017
In Swedish - SKÖTSELPLAN FÖR TULLSTORPSÅN NEDSTRÖMS JORDBERGA - REVIDERAT [Published: 2017]
VCA Reports, Agriculture and Ranching, Europe
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Electrical Testing & PAT Testing in Stanford in the Vale
Electrical Testing & Inspection –
Our Electricians who carry out testing in Stanford in the Vale have qualifications to the 18th Edition IET (City & Guilds 2382-18) wiring regulations and CITY & GUILDS Inspection & Testing Certification of Electrical Installations. This permits the electrician to sign off their own work as well as inspect and test the work completed by other electricians. So they can provide the highest level of electrical competency to test and inspect installations.
Our Stanford in the Vale electricians carry out inspections and testing for both domestic and commercial dwellings. Whether it is just a visual inspection of the electrical installation or a full EICR.
Electrical Installation – What is it?
The electrical installation consists of all the fixed electrical equipment that supplies through the electricity meter. This includes the cables hidden in the walls and ceilings, sockets, switches, light fittings and the Consumer unit (fuse board. This contains all of the fuses, circuit-breakers and RCD's (residual current devices).
What is an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)?
An EICR is a full report which details the condition of the electrical installation. This shows all of the test results and confirms if the wiring meets the current 18th Edition IET regulations. If the electrics do not meet the regulations, the report will confirm the details. Giving grades of priority of remedial works needed as shown below:
C1: Danger present. Risk of injury. Immediate remedial action needed.
C2: Could be dangerous – Urgent remedial action needed.
C3: Improvement recommended.
FI: Further investigation needed without delay.
Stanford in the Vale Landlords –
The Landlords and Tenants Act 1985 means that the electrical installation in a rental is safe. When a tenancy begins and throughout the term of the tenancy.
The Landlords and Tenants Act 1985 makes it an implied term of every tenancy that the landlord will 'keep in repair the structure and exterior' of the property. They should also 'keep in repair and proper working order the installations in the dwelling-house for the supply of water, gas and electricity.'
The Electrical Safety Organisation detail what the Landlords is required to ensure by law as shown below:
- The electrical installation in a rental is safe when tenants move in and maintained in a safe condition throughout the duration.
- That a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) has an EICR (periodic inspection) carried out on the property every five years. If the property is not an HMO, you are not legally obliged to do this. We recommend that a registered electrician carries out an EICR (periodic inspection and test) on your rental properties at least every five years to cover your duty of care as a Landlord.
- That any appliance provided is safe and has at least the CE marking. This is the manufacturer's claim that it meets all of the needs of European law.
To meet these needs, including duty of care, a landlord will need to carry out regular basic safety checks. This makes sure that the electrical appliances are safe and are working.
Please do see our LANDLORD page for more details.
PAT Testing –
What is PAT testing (Portable Appliance Testing)?
Appliances that have passed a PAT test are deemed to be safe to use until the next test date. The next test date in most circumstances will be 12 months from the date of a passed test. However, this can change in certain circumstances. For Landlords electrical items, these should have a test done before a new tenant moves in. Even if this is less than 12 months from the previous test date.
All customers that we carry out PAT testing services for have their electrical items entered into our database. We can supply an electronic copy for import to their asset database. For smaller clients, the PAT testing database is often used as their primary asset database.
Electrical Work –
Our Stanford in the Vale electricians not only carry out electrical testing but they also carry out all other types of electrical work. From replacing a broken socket or replacing a consumer unit (fuse board) to carrying out a complete rewire.
We can also provide emergency electrical work. This could just be advice over the phone for something as straight forward as resetting an RCD that has tripped. Or, if it is a more complicated problem then we can arrange for one of our electricians to visit your property or business to make the repair.
We are fully covered by public liability and professional indemnity insurance. This will also give you peace of mind that the electricians working in your home or business are from a reliable electrical contractor.
We are members of the following professional bodies:
ELECSA – operates competent person schemes on behalf of the government to make sure that the contractors you use are technically able to do the electrical work you want. The scheme relating to electricians is the Part P scheme. We are also a member of this scheme.
The ELECSA mission is to maintain and promote the best industry practice that underlines the technical integrity of the work that their approved contractors carry out on behalf of their customers every day.
TrustMark – is a non-profit making organisation, licensed by the Government and supported by consumer protection groups. A firm's technical skills have an independent check with regular on-site inspections. We signed up to a code of practice that includes insurance, good health and safety practices and good customer care.
By being members of the above, we are giving you peace of mind that our electrician has had an assessment and confirmed as component to carry out all electrical work for you.
If you have any questions about our Electrical testing services, please do give Leisa or a member of the team a call on 01367 358108. You can also contact us by email at email@example.com. We will be more than happy to help you.
We look forward to being of service to you for all of your Electrical Testing needs.
Areas we cover near to Stanford in the Vale:
Shrivenham | Stanford In The Vale | Watchfield | Uffington | Great Coxwell | Little Coxwell | Longcot
Buckland | Kingston Lyle | Charney Bassett | Faringdon | Littleworth | Coleshill | Hatford | Woolstone


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BLUE OCTOBER is the Texas-based band known for its shimmering melodies and heart-string pulling lyrics, boasting a powerful line-up of players and one of the most emotionally charged and magnetic front men in music today.
Blue October is Jeremy Furstenfeld (drums), Matt Noveskey (bass), Ryan Delahoussaye (violin and piano) and Justin Furstenfeld (guitar and vocals).
Blue October has charted TEN Top 40 Hot AC and Alternative singles over EIGHT albums with songs like "Into The Ocean," "Hate Me," "Home" "Calling You," "Dirt Room," "Say It," "The Chills", "Bleed Out", "Fear" and "I Want It" from albums such as 2009's Billboard Top 200 #13 debut 'Approaching Normal,' 2011's Billboard #8 debut 'Any Man In America,' the Platinum-selling 'Foiled', Billboard's #13 debut 'Sway.
On April 22nd, 2016, Blue October released their 8th studio album, titled Home. This album was co-produced by Justin Furstenfeld and Tim Palmer and features mixes from Tim Palmer and Mark Needham. Home debuted #1 on the Alternative Album chart, #1 Rock Album chart, #1 Independent Album chart, #5 Current Album in the Top 200 reaching audiences around the world. "Sway was about finding inner peace and learning to live in a healthy way," says Furstenfeld. "This new album Home is about what we do with our time on earth, how we're going to utilize that time in a positive way and make it the best we possibly can by bettering ourselves."
|Event Date
|Individual Price
|$25.00 in advance, $28.00 Day of show (if available)
|Door Opens
|7:00 pm
|8:00 pm
|Rapids Theatre
"This venue is one of the best to see a concert at. I've been to at least 10 concerts here. The bar is great! All the bartenders are moving to try to help customers as fast as they can. I will be back here to see my favorite bands." - Jason - - - Read More
Whether it's your own personal light show created by our lighting engineers, hearing your favorite songs on our State-Of-The-Art sound system, or seeing yourself cutting your cake and having your first dance on our massive projection screens, there's no doubt that there is no other venue like us! - - - Read More


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Fleet Week is here, just in time to be the City's main attraction.
More than a million people will be planted along the shores of San Francisco Bay this weekend to watch the Blue Angels perform both Saturday and Sunday.
Other highlights of the week include plenty of stunts by other airplane pilots, a visit by the well-mannered and polite Canadian Navy, and tours of Coast Guard vessels. Lots of military ships began arriving starting at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Looking for a good vantage point? You couldn't do any worse than the Golden Gate Bridge. The Marina Green and Crissy Field are also great spots to kick back. And for an alternative view of the event, head on over to Alcatraz. Wherever you're planted, you should have no problem viewing the high-flying attractions. The weather is supposed to be in the mid-70s with forecast all weekend -- a welcome change from last year's typical foggy views.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said Fleet Week is a San Francisco tradition that celebrates the City's rich naval history and maritime traditions.
Highlights this year also include the arrival of the USS Makin Island, which is billed as one of the greenest vessels in the fleet.
"This year, we are looking forward to welcoming the USS Makin Island, representing the next generation of environmentally friendly ships and the skilled naval aviators of The Blue Angels, with their extraordinary airborne maneuvers," Newsom said.
Combining a gas engine and an electric engine, the ship works somewhat like a hybrid car. Of course, generating electricity still releases emissions, but because that happens someplace far away, it's easier to pretend it's not happening at all.
The Makin Island joins other ecological showpieces in the bay, such as a cruise ship that leeches off of the electrical grid and the Hornblower Hybrid, a ferry with wind turbines.
The big Blue Angels show is on the weekend, but they practiced on both Thursday and Friday.
Here's the show schedule:
- Saturday, Oct. 9 – Full Air Show beginning at 1 p.m. and ending with the Blue Angels at 3-4 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 10 – Full Air Show beginning at 1 p.m. and ending with the Blue Angels at 3-4 p.m.
This year's Fleet Week Parade of Ships will include the following US Navy vessels:
- USS Pinckney (DDG 91)
- USS Curts (FFG 38)
- USS Champion (MCM 4)
- USS Pioneer (MCM 9)
- USS Chief (MCM 14)
- US Coast Guard Cutter Active (WMEC-618)
- Canadian Naval vessels HMCS Whitehorse (MM 705)
- HMCS Brandon (MM 710)
- WWII Liberty Ship Jeremiah O'Brien
- Vietnam Era Liberty PT-26 from Sacramento, with its all-female crew of sea cadets.


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Challenge: promote cohesiveness among staffs post-merger, and improve skills, performance
Strategy: develop a series of success stories illustrating how the firm, through its advisers, is building a formidable franchise in Wealth Management. Object is to share the lesson for future success. Engage a photographer (and video, when appropriate) to supplement the story.
Result: of 15 top stories by readership in 2013, eight were written and developed by Namarketer. In 2014, we have continued to develop stories with the same goal, and have met similar success.
Challenge: engage ultra high net worth (UHNW) clients of financial firm.
Strategy: position brand as 'in-touch' with the unique needs of the UHNW segment of their client base by creating a custom magazine featuring lifestyle and financial information geared specifically for that segment.
Result quarterly magazine was instantly adopted by the segment as measured by nearly 100% positive feedback and extremely low opt-out rate.
Challenge: advance the success of senior-level financial executives by providing information, tools and thought leadership for members of leading financial executive organization
Strategy: provide association members with financial, business and management news, trends and strategies through their signature international publication.
Result Namarketer authored and edited award-winning flagship publication and assisted with launch of special Japanese issue.
Challenge: increase content quality for the leading network of career sites for professionals working in banking and the financial markets and those firms seeking to employ them.
Strategy: create superior editorial content focused on job opportunities, job market news and analysis, salary surveys and career advice.
Examples: Financial Firms Hiring Women; Avoiding Entitlement in Families of Wealth; Dodd-Frank-- A Boon to Compliance; What to Expect as a Financial Advisor.
Result elevated job site's visibility among stakeholders, specifically for financial job seekers and human resource professionals


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Faith, hope and charity
The typical small business in Australia has a few workers with modest IT knowledge and a handful of computers. It also has a mountain of needs and little time or money with which to resolve them.
When Next approached the Hope for The Children Foundation - a volunteer organisation providing early intervention support for distressed families with young children - for an unusual IT renovation project, its managers were elated. Shane Dobbin, who was executive director at the time, says the charity had mismatched IT components, mostly received as donations, and couldn't afford to finish any IT projects once started.
"It's a never-ending challenge," she says. "We do it on a shoestring."
Hope's head office, in Homebush, NSW, spends its entire IT budget - $1000 a year - on support and has nothing left for office automation that could result in greater productivity.
It has no file-sharing capability, no central record keeping, no written policies and a half-built website. It sub-leases an ISDN line from its landlord but has no online contact with its branches, most of which only recently obtained a dial-up internet connection. It does what it can with the infrastructure available but ageing hardware and myriad software licences impede efficient communication.
Three groups participated in the IT renovation project - Binary Business, a small IT support firm; Forward Media, an independent enterprise consultancy; and four IT students from the University of Technology, Sydney.
The students were Daniel Lim, Nicholas McHardy and Truong Tran, from the Bachelor of Science in IT Innovations program; and Justin Yancey, from the Bachelor of Science in IT Professional Practice stream.
The challenge's aim was to uncover creative IT solutions available to micro and small businesses with little or no money to spend.
Each group received a written brief containing Hope's IT inventory and wish list. They were free to visit the organisation and expand on the brief.
Hope relies on one part-time and three full-time paid workers to co-ordinate a web of semi-independent volunteer networks in country and regional NSW, Victoria and South Australia. In total, it engages 230 volunteer counsellors who visit families in need. Its main focus is client service, followed by fund-raising - $500,000 a year is necessary to run it nationally.
The foundation's IT infrastructure comprises five printers (four in working order); a Pentium III computer with 64 MB of RAM and Windows XP Pro, connected to the ISDN line and used as a server; five interconnected workstations ranging from a Celeron 433 to a Pentium II, most running Windows 98; one MYOB licence and several other software and hardware "spares".
Its wish list includes database management software for volunteer, donor and client records; fund-raising software; better file sharing and file security, and centralised data back-up.
Buried in the list are improved organisational efficiency and hopefully better direct contact with its branches. (Some counsellors still send paper reports that are then typed into the clients' records at head office.)
The result is some possibilities Hope didn't know existed.
Organisational structure
Binary Business and Forward Media saw in Hope a problem typical of small businesses, that of IT management. Often small organisations see computers as necessary day-to-day tools rather than an opportunity to improve business and processes. And they can't see the possibility - or the means - to have a dedicated IT manager in-house.
Binary Business director
Walter Munro says the first step in any IT renovation should be to establish a management framework. This involves assigning responsibility and providing resources to allow that responsibility to be discharged effectively.
"We recommend Hope appoints an IT manager. The role will likely be assigned to an existing staff member with other responsibilities," Munro says.
Minimum requirements for the role would include formal recognition, senior management time and support, training and the ability to grow the "IT department" with the help of specialised volunteers.
"In our experience, where clients do not have any internal responsibilities assigned to IT management, 80 per cent of support calls (we receive) are extremely simple. Where a staff member is provided with responsibility and resources, these very simple issues are solved in-house, with the obvious associated cost savings," he says.
IT planning
The combination of small budgets, limited resources, second-hand equipment and semi-trained staff compound the difficulties and cloud the planning that IT demands.
Forward Media director James Ward says every organisation needs an effective IT strategy but first it needs to acknowledge the constraints and understand their effect on operational culture.
He says it is easy to spot businesses that have been persuaded by vendors to buy solutions that are inappropriate for their needs.
"If an organisation is not careful, all the money can easily be spent on the 'sexy' components, to the ultimate neglect of fundamental infrastructure," Ward says, citing highly visible hardware, office productivity software and corporate websites as examples.
"The best way to counter this tendency is to stay well away from the influential trade press and the infamous product launches and allow your IT strategy to be needs-driven rather than product-driven."
He recommends small businesses refrain from dreaming of particular software and concentrate on asking the questions "What are my real goals? What business processes and information flows do we need to achieve these goals?"
IT expenditure
Two groups suggested Hope's annual IT budget was inadequate. Binary Business recommended the internet be better utilised for marketing communication and fund-raising activities, saving on printing costs. Part of the printing budget could then be reallocated to IT.
Forward Media recommended the IT budget be based on a percentage of the charity's annual operational costs rather than on what it has spent on IT support in the past.
"We find in general that business processes, regardless of their sphere or nature, operate most effectively when 5 per cent of total running costs are dedicated to supporting IT systems and infrastructure," Ward says. "Not putting money aside can be self-defeating."
This means each Hope branch should allocate $1500 to $4500 a year to establish and maintain IT processes.
The UTS students recommended various office cost savings: retire two printers and share one laser-jet and one ink-jet connected to the server to conserve expensive ink cartridges; reuse spare memory from unused computers to boost the server; and better deploy existing Window XP functionalities (file sharing and storage, automated back-up) rather than installing new software for similar results.
Proprietary v open source
Ward says that when businesses define their goals and the processes needed to support them, they invariably arrive at the answer to the software question.
"Open source software can do the job just as well as the expensive name brands - especially for the entry-level organisation," Ward says.
He recommends Hope convert its server to a Linux/Samba platform and invest in staff training to achieve increased storage, file sharing, standard procedures and security.
"It's a dry message but they must understand that IT development will come over time. There is an extra investment in open source training but IT is so inseparable of process that you'd want to invest in training anyway."
Binary Business came to a similar conclusion.
"Any organisation with limited resources must consider avoiding the payment of significant software licence fees by utilising open source freeware, which does essentially the same job," Munro says.
Although they considered open source emulators to create a "Windows feel" at the desktop level, Munro's team recommended Microsoft software be used at the front end to minimise disruption to users.
"In our experience, few clients are prepared to put themselves and their staff through the training and adjustments required to adopt freeware applications at the workstation level," he says.
Hope's executive director, Joe Zammit, who is holding the IT job till a replacement for Dobbin is appointed, says he is quite comfortable with the open source suggestion and not worried about retraining, although he says he must further study each of the plans carefully before commenting further.
The IT students recommended Hope stay with Microsoft - the existing XP Pro for the server and new Microsoft Office 2000 or XP on client machines in order to save on upgrading the operating system - and reminded them of the software giant's Community Assistance Initiative, which donates free software to qualifying charities.
The program considers large and small community organisations for software donations that include Windows XP and Exchange. The Smith Family, Inspire Foundation and Starlight Foundation have already been helped by the scheme.
Immediate needs
Despite the constraints, all groups made recommendations on how to spend the allocated annual $1000 in the next three years.
The IT students recommended $150 be spent on more RAM and a larger hard disk for the server to increase memory and processing speed.
Drawing on their experience in testing network switches, they also recommended replacing the existing eight-port hub with an eight-port switch to link all user machines.
"Our tests have shown that a network using a switch operates at over four times the speed of the same network using a hub," says Lim.
Existing Norton Anti-Virus software on all machines should be updated online at no cost and better utilised by the server to increase incoming and outgoing data security, while a script executed to connect the network drive to the server and the creation of user groups would allow XP Professional to provide adequate internal file security.
Lim says two unused CD writers and a Zip drive should be installed on the server to provide data back-up using in-built Windows XP functionality.
The students offered to conduct all the suggested work at no charge over their summer holidays.
All groups strongly recommended IT procedures and documentation be developed, whether by volunteer IT workers, students or staff, to maintain operational standards and facilitate planning and troubleshooting.
Hope for the future
All plans provided much-needed advice and plenty of useful suggestions for the next three years. They will now be studied by the board of directors before an internal IT plan is devised.
Zammit says he will evaluate each proposal before making recommendations to the board of directors.
"I'm going to need some IT advice because whilst I use a computer and am up-to-date with most software, I'm not an IT person.
"But it's now up to me to progress this thing. I need to have a read of them and probably ask some questions. The board will rely on what I recommend," he says.
Tidy tips
"Finalise website and use it for marketing, fund-raising and eventually as an intranet access point for other branches and volunteers. Convert to Samba, load Apache and Mozilla (all open source software) to allow file and calendar sharing." - Binary Business
"Work within the strategic constraints and invest the $1000 budget and 10 hours a week over six months (240 hours total) to upgrade the existing file server and move it from the Windows platform to a Linux/Samba platform using inexpensive hardware, free open source software and to train internal IT staff." - Forward Media
"Query the internet-using sites like Microsoft Technet or one of many bulletin boards to develop (free) solutions for ongoing problems to save money on technical support call-out costs." - UTS students
Next is looking for small and micro-businesses for another IT renovation challenge. If you operate a company, community group or charity on a shoestring, and need help with a particular IT project, send details to email@example.com before February 25.


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Happy December! The holidays are just around the corner! Wrap up this months tasks before taking a week (or two?) off.
December's checklist was created using background B6155S and the fonts: LeHavre Sketch & Lady Renee.
Still struggling with theme ideas? Wondering how to make this year's book unique without breaking the mold entirely? Head on over and peruse the Pictavo Pinterest Boards for some inspiration. https://www.pinterest.com/Pictavo/


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Women Summer HeadWear Trends
No matter if you are at the beach or in the city, the unique charm of a hat is essential for the success of your look. This perennial accessory completes your outfit in a very stylish and mysterious way. So it is only normal for today's designers to pay so much attention to what we wear on our head this summer. This is why, the runaways have been overwhelmed by countless different new styles of head wear, some of them impress with their creative innovations while others focus on a simple and elegant design. So let the true essence of summer overtake you while you enjoy a sunny day at the beach with your brim artfully falling over your face.
Panama and Bucket Hats
In 2015, the beaches are populated by Panama and bucket hats wearers as these styles are in top of everyone's preferences. From designers to fashionistas, everyone loves these two types of hats and can't wait to show them off.
Boater Hats
Boater hats may seem unusual for a summer hat, but when it comes to a summer stroll on the beach, this style of headwear is the ideal accessory. The current trend reinvents the traditional look of the straw boater hat by using innovative materials and lively colors, with slightly masculine notes.
Floppy Hats
If you prefer a chic, feminine look then a floppy hat is a great choice. The best part about this type of hat is that it looks cool both at the beach and in the city. From oversized floppy hats to powerful prints, this style is very popular this summer.
All Forms of Caps
Indeed, if you want to enjoy the best trends of 2015 then you should add a few caps to your wardrobe. And you're in luck as the options are quite diversified- all kinds of materials, colors, shapes, prints, symbols and mixes are used to reinvent the classic cap as one of the most essential head wears in 2015.
Masculine Inspired Hats
When you are headed to the beach, do not hesitate to try a fresh and modern look complemented by a masculine inspired hat. Simply by mixing classic shapes with innovative colors and patterns, designers have created this season's most interesting hats trends.
Wide-Brim Sun Hats
Everyone agrees, wide-brim sun hats are fabulous, every year- not just in 2015. These chic beach hats have the great advantage of protecting us from the sun rays while defining a very stylish and feminine look.
Cavalier and Pirate Hats
You are definitely going to love this hat trend! What better way to create a fun and interesting beach outfit than by using a cavalier or pirate hat. This is such a great choice because designers have completely transformed the classic cavalier and pirate hats with luxurious details and modern lines.
Turbans and Headscarves
One on the most simple and chic way you can protect your head from the heat is by stylishly covering it with a turban or scarf. The best influences that we note at this year turbans and scarfs are ethnic, neo-modern and retro-inspired. The colors, patterns and fabrics are elegant and extravagant, evoking an uber feminine and bohemian look.