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- France
- Morocco
- Saint-Barth
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
1. Introduction
1. Groupe Lucien Barrière SAS runs the Hôtels Barrière booking site, www.hotelsbarriere.com. This website presents Barrière hotels run by subsidiaries of Groupe Lucien Barrière or companies affiliated with the Barrière brand. This website allows for the booking of rooms at Hotels belonging to Groupe Barrière.
2. The Customer declares they have obtained from Groupe Lucien Barrière and Barrière hotels all the necessary information for them to make a selection and a booking on this website.
3. All bookings made on the site www.hotelsbarriere.com assume the consultation and unconditional acceptance of these terms and conditions, as well as the sales conditions for the rate booked specifically mentioned in the description of the rate selected at the time of booking.
4. The Customer must confirm by ticking the box, to have acknowledged and accepted these terms and conditions and the sales conditions for the rate booked before committing to their booking; no reservations are possible without such agreement.
5. The Customer can save and edit these terms and conditions by using the standard tools on their browser or computer.
6. The following information is posted on the site:
• the legal notice that provides precise identification of Groupe Lucien Barrière, indicating the company name, head office and its individual VAT identification number,
• the basic features of the accommodation offered by Hôtels Barrière,
• the supplementary and optional services available,
• the prices inclusive of tax;
• the sales conditions at the time of booking,
• payment terms;
• the sales terms and conditions,
• the validity period for the offer and the price of it.
7. Prior to booking, the Customer declares that this reservation is for personal requirements. As a consumer, the Customer has specific rights, which will be challenged if the services booked are not for personal use.
8. All the information available on the www.hotelsbarriere.com site is in French, as well as other languages.
9. The Customer declares that they have full legal authority to commit to these terms and conditions.
2. Definitions
Hereinafter, the below terms have the following meaning:
"acknowledgement of receipt": email sent to the Customer by www.hotelsbarriere.com to advise them that their booking has been taken into account and summarising the services included with their booking,
"booking form": See Booking enquiry
"booking confirmation": an electronic document summarising the details of the services booked by the Customer on the site www.hotelsbarriere.com. This document precedes the acceptance by the Customer of these sales terms and conditions and the Customer entering their bank details for prepayment or a guarantee. Entering bank details implies acceptance of the booking confirmation by the Customer and has the effect of committing them contractually to the Barrière hotel booked.
"Customer": an individual acting exclusively for their personal needs.
"sales conditions at the time of booking": Price that applies to the date selected by the Customer for a category of room with or without breakfast, combined with payment terms and cancellation policy
"email": any message, comprised of text or imagery, sent via a public communication network, stored on a network server or in the recipient's terminal, until the latter retrieves it.
"booking enquiry (or booking form)": booking enquiry for a room at a Barrière hotel, sent by the Customer via the website www.hotelsbarriere.com.
"online booking": room booking at one or more Barrière hotels through the website www.hotelsbarriere.com, via the electronic booking form,
"service": Barrière hotel room booking, the main features of which are shown on the website www.hotelsbarriere.com.
"website": electronic service run by Groupe Lucien Barrière on the internet and accessed via the following address: www.hotelsbarriere.com.
3. Purpose
1. These terms and conditions explain the rights and obligations of the parties in the context of the online booking of services offered by Barrière hotels on the Groupe Lucien Barrière website www.hôtelsbarriere.com.
2. They govern all the steps necessary to book and track the booking between the contracting parties.
3. The Customer acknowledges and accepts these sales terms and conditions and the sales conditions at the time of booking available on the site www.hotelsbarriere.com.
4. Duration
1. These sales terms and conditions apply for the full period that the Hôtels Barrière services are available on the www.hotelsbarriere.com website.
2. Groupe Lucien Barrière reserves the right to make changes to these sales terms and conditions, temporarily or definitively shut down the website www.hotelsbarriere.com or online booking area, without prior notice or compensation. To this effect, you are encouraged to consult them regularly.
3. Groupe Lucien Barrière is not responsible for damage of any kind that may result from these changes and/or temporary downtime or even the definitive shut down of all or part of the site or services associated with it, such as the online booking area.
5. Booking
1. The Customer selects services from among those offered by Hotels Barrière and presented on the website depending on their needs.
2. The Customer acknowledges the nature, location and booking conditions of services available on the website and having sought and obtained the necessary and/or additional details to make their booking in full knowledge of the facts.
3. As an individual, the Customer can reserve a maximum of three (3) rooms in total per booking on the www.hotelsbarriere.com website. If wishing to book more rooms, the Customer can request a call from the sales team by clicking on the link provided for this purpose at the foot of the web page.
4. The Customer is solely responsible for their choice of services and their appropriateness for their needs, such that neither Groupe Lucien Barrière nor the selected Barrière hotel can be held liable in this regard.
5. The reservation is deemed to have been accepted by the Customer at the end of the booking process.
6. Booking process
1. The booking carried out by the Customer is made by means of an electronic booking form accessed online via the website www.hotelsbarriere.com
2. The booking is deemed to have been completed on receipt by the Customer of their acknowledgement of receipt sent by the hotel.
3. Prior to any booking, the Customer commits to filling out the mandatory details requested as part of the booking form or enquiry.
4. The Customer certifies that the information supplied is true and accurate.
5. The booking procedure notably includes the following steps:
Step 1. Searching for a hotel among the different Barrière hotels available on the website and choosing a room and sales conditions at the time of booking,
Step 2 Selecting one or more supplementary services, if need be,
Step 3 Checking the booking summary for the total price and sales conditions at the time of booking, which notably include payment terms and cancellation policy, changes if required to the choice of services (date, room, price, supplementary service),
Step 4. Provision of Customer contact details,
Step 5. Consultation and acceptance of the sales terms and conditions,
Step 6. Entering of bank card details if guarantee or prepayment required,
Step 7. Confirmation and Validation of the booking and payment by the Customer,
Step 8. Customer receives acknowledgement of receipt for their booking. This acknowledgement of receipt summarises the contract offer, services booked, rates, sales conditions relating to the rate selected, accepted by the Customer, as well as the address of the retailer's establishment, to which the Customer can address any complaints.
7. Cancellation or modification by the Customer
1. The Customer is reminded, in accordance with article L. 121-20-4 of the French Consumer Code, that they do not have the right of withdrawal referred to in article L. 121-20 of the French Consumer Code.
2. The Customer is also reminded that the sales conditions at the time of booking and accepted by the Customer detail the methods of cancelling and/or modifying the booking.
3. Prepaid bookings cannot be modified and/or cancelled. Amounts paid in advance constitute deposits and will not be refunded. This is mentioned in the sales conditions at the time of booking.
4. Where the sales conditions at the time of booking allow it:
• cancellation of the booking can be achieved immediately on the website www.hotelsbarriere.com through the "Your bookings" section;
• changes to the booking can be made with the Barrière hotel directly; phone numbers are provided on the acknowledgement of receipt from the Barrière hotel booked.
6. In the event that your stay is interrupted, the total amount for your stay will be charged. As for prepaid bookings, no refunds will be possible.
7. In the case of a no show, i.e. a booking that has not been cancelled, but for which the customer has not arrived at the Hotel at the beginning of their booking and when the booking has been confirmed by bank card, the Barrière hotel booked will debit the amount for one night, as compensation for loss suffered by the no show. If several nights were booked, the cancellation terms attached to the rate booked will apply.
8. Cancellation by the hotel: In the case of an exceptional event or inability to make the booked room available to the Customer, in the case of force majeure, the Barrière hotel booked will offer to accommodate the Customer at a hotel at least equivalent in standing, or if inferior, in a room superior to that originally booked, for similar services. All the potential extra costs attached to this displacement, for similar services, will be taken care of by the Barrière hotel originally booked, without paying any additional compensation.
9. All bookings are personal and can under no circumstances be transferred to a third party, with or without charge. All bookings made for others must be made in the name of the third party staying.
8. Staying at Hôtel Barrière
1. In accordance with current regulations in some countries, the Customer may be requested to fill out a form for the police on arrival at the Barrière hotel. For this purpose, the Customer will be asked to present some ID in order to verify whether or not they need to complete a form for the police.
2. Some Barrière hotels allow certain animals as long as they are kept on a lead or in a cage in all the common areas of the establishment (to check whether an establishment accepts animals or not, please see the hotel's information sheet at www.hotelsbarriere.com). For reasons of hygiene, animals are not allowed in dining rooms.
3. The Customer accepts and commits themselves to using the room and the common areas at their disposal responsibly. Any behaviour that goes against security and/or hygiene guidelines, common decency and/or public order will result in the hotel manager asking the Customer to leave the establishment without compensation and/or a refund if payment has already been made.
4. Any damage caused by the Customer in the room that they booked will be invoiced directly. Fines equal to the maximum rate for the booked room will be applied if the Customer does not comply with signage banning them from smoking in their room, where signage appears.
5. Some Barrière hotels have their own Internal Rules for Customers. The Customer accepts and commits to respecting said rules. In the event that the Customer fails to comply with one of the provisions of the Internal Rules, the hotel manager can ask the Customer to leave the establishment without compensation and/or a refund if payment has already been made.
6. Except as otherwise expressly provided, the Customer must leave the room by midday on the day their booking ends. Failing that, they will be invoiced for an additional night.
9. Guarantees
The Hotels are obliged to guarantee the conformity of services in the conditions laid down in articles L. 212-1 and s. of the French Consumer Code.
10. Liability
1. Photographs shown on the website are not contractual. Even if every effort is made to ensure that the photographs, graphics and texts used to illustrate the featured hotels give as accurate an overview as possible of the accommodation available, variations may occur, mainly due to changes in the furniture or possible refurbishment. The Customer cannot claim any compensation as a consequence.
2. In accordance with the laws and regulations governing intellectual property rights, the use and/or reproduction of all or some of the elements comprising the Barrière offers shown on the Website is strictly forbidden.
3. Groupe Lucien Barrière cannot be held liable for any indirect damage because of these terms and conditions, notably due to a third party, a Customer or Hôtels Barrière partners.
4. Hyperlinks can refer you to sites other than the Groupe Lucien Barrière site, which assumes no responsibility for the content of these sites or the services on offer. Groupe Lucien Barrière on one hand and Hôtels Barrière on the other have put in place measures to protect and secure their IT system against malicious acts. However, connection to the website and making a booking implies the Customer's knowledge and acceptance of the nature and limitations of the Internet, as well as the fact that there exists no protection for certain types of data against possible misuse or hacking or against viruses that may be circulating on the network. Groupe Lucien Barrière on one hand and Hôtels Barrière on the other are not responsible in the event of improper usage or accidents relating to the use of computers or any support allowing access to the internet, maintenance or malfunction of the website or any other technical connection or the sending of information to an incorrect address.
5. Any booking or payment that is irregular, ineffective, incomplete or fraudulent due to the Customer will result in cancellation of the booking at the expense of the Customer, notwithstanding any civil or criminal action that may be taken against them.
6. In accordance with the booking of their stay, the Customer commits to behaving responsibly and not interfering in any way with the Hotel's team members or third parties at the Hotel. Such behaviour will result in the Customer being ejected from the Hotel without the Customer being able to claim any compensation at all.
11. Rates
1. Rates relating to the booking of services are given before and during booking.
2. Rates given apply per room, for the number of people and date/s selected.
3. Rates are confirmed to the Customer including tax, in the hotel's trading currency and are only valid for the duration given on the site.
4. If the Barrière hotel bill is paid in a currency other than that confirmed in the booking, the costs will be covered by the Customer.
5. All bookings, irrespective of their origin, are payable in the hotel's local currency, except where special special arrangements have been made on site at the hotel.
6. Foreign currency conversion is purely intended as an indication and non contractual. Only the currency confirmed at the time of booking is guaranteed (if this currency is different to that used by the hotel, any expenses will be covered by the Customer).
7. If a rate implies that payment is taken at the hotel, coinciding with the arrival or departure of the Customer and the currency of the Customer is not the same as that of the hotel, the rate debited by the hotel is likely to differ from that communicated at the time of the booking, taking into account potential change in exchange rates between the date of the booking and the dates of the stay at the hotel.
8. Unless otherwise specified, supplementary services (breakfast, half board, full board, etc.) are not included in the price.
9. Tourist tax, indicated for each rate, is payable on site directly to the hotel, except in the case of prepayment online where this cost may be included.
10. Rates include VAT applicable on the date the purchase was made and any change in the rate of VAT applicable will be automatically reflected in the rates indicated at the invoice date.
11. Any alteration or introduction of new legal or regulatory taxes imposed by the competent authority will be automatically reflected in the rates indicated as at the invoice date.
12. When confirming the booking by the Customer, the total purchase amount will be indicated.
13. Rates may be increased by different taxes, depending on the city/country. These taxes will be communicated to the Customer at the time of booking, provided that the Hotel is aware of them at the time. Failing that, they will be displayed in reception at the Barrière hotel booked. The Customer is committed to paying the different taxes without dispute at the Barrière hotel booked.
14. Hôtels Barrière guarantee that the best rates are available on the website www.hotelsbarriere.com. If the Customer finds another site offering a lower rate than that available on the site www.hotelsbarriere.com for an identical service, the Barrière hotel booked is committed to offering said preferential rate plus 10% discount. The terms and conditions for benefiting from this are described in greater detail at the following address: https.//hotelsbarriere.com/fr/meilleur-prix-garanti-conditions.html.
12. Payment
1. Except for special conditions and rates, the Customer submits their bank details to confirm the booking by credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club…) by entering the card number, without spaces between the numbers, as well as the expiry date (cards must be valid upon arrival) and the security code for prepayment in the area provided for this purpose (secured by SSL encryption), using the SOGENACTIF secure payment platform. On arrival day at the Hotel, the Customer must present the bank card with which they secured the booking or prepaid with.
The Barrière hotel may also ask them to present some ID for the purposes of preventing credit card fraud.
2. Payment is taken at the hotel during the stay, except in the case of special conditions or rates when payment is taken at the time of booking (prepayment online for certain rates). This prepayment is considered to be a deposit. In the case of rates not prepaid online, the Barrière hotel can ask the Customer on arrival for a security deposit or authorisation to charge their credit card in order to guarantee the payment of sums corresponding to the benefits enjoyed on site.
3. Groupe Lucien Barrière and Hôtels Barrière have chosen a third-party provider (Payment Service Provider) in order to secure bank card payments online. The validity of the Customer's payment card is verified by this provider. A payment card may be refused for various reasons: stolen card, blocked card, limit reached, PIN error… In the event that there is a problem, the Customer must firstly approach their bank, then the hotel, in order to confirm their booking and method of payment.
4. When prepayment is taken, the amount debited at the time of the booking includes: the price of the accommodation, taxes associated with the accommodation, the price for food service if breakfast was selected, taxes associated with the food service and any other supplementary services selected by the Customer, excluding tourist tax and/or any other tax that may be due as a result of the Customer staying at the hotel.
13. Personal data
1. The personal data requested as part of your reservation, i.e. your title, surname, first name, your postal address, your phone number with country code, your e-mail address, your payment card details (Number, type of card , cardholder's name, expiry date and security code), in the event that they are transmitted to us, as well as any data communicated on our website or generated by your navigation constitute confidential data.
2. They are available to Groupe Lucien Barrière, to SFCMC and their subsidiaries, hereinafter referred to as "Barrière", as mentioned in our privacy policy, acting as data controllers, to enable the management of your reservation, respond to your requests and send you commercial offers.
3. Answers to questions marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory, otherwise, we will not be able to process your request or reservation. Your data will be processed by hotel staff, Barrière marketing teams and their data processors.
4. In accordance with the amended French Data Protection of 6 January 1978, you have the right to access, rectify, erase, and restrict the processing of personal data concerning you. You also have the right to oppose the processing of your data, provided you have legitimate reasons, and the right to object to the processing of your data for the purpose of commercial prospecting as well as the right to give us instructions on the fate of your data after your death. To learn more about the processing of your data and all of your rights regarding your personal data, please consult our privacy policy https://www.hotelsbarriere.com/fr/informations-legales/politique-de-confidentialite.html. To exercise these rights, send us an email at: firstname.lastname@example.com.
14. Convention of proof
1. Entering the required banking information, as well as the acceptance of these terms and conditions and the booking form or enquiry, constitute acceptance of the hotel contract between the parties, having the same value as a handwritten signature.
2. The computerised records saved on the computer systems belonging to Groupe Lucien Barrière will be kept in adequately secure conditions and considered as proof of the communications and payments between the parties.
16. Force majeure
Groupe Lucien Barrière and Barrière Hotels cannot be held responsible by the Customer in case of non-fulfilment of their obligations resulting from force majeure.
Likewise, the Customer cannot be held responsible by Groupe Lucien Barrière or Hôtels Barrière in case of non-fulfilment of their obligations resulting from force majeure.
Those regarded as force majeure or fortuitous events are those usually recognised by the jurisprudence of French courts and tribunals.
17. Applicable law
1. These terms and conditions are governed by French law.
2. This applies to substantive rules as well as procedural rules.
18. Completeness
1. These Sales Terms and Conditions, the sales conditions at the time of booking by the Customer and the acceptance of the form or booking enquiry confirmation express all the obligations of the parties.
2. No general of specific condition communicated by the Customer may be included in these terms and conditions.
3. The documents forming contractual obligations between the parties are, in descending order of priority, the booking form or request (including the specific conditions for the rate booked) validated by the Customer and these terms and conditions.
4. In case of contradiction between the booking form and the terms and conditions, the provisions contained within the booking form confirmed and validated by the Customer and found in the acknowledgement of receipt from the Barrière hotel will be the only ones applicable to the obligation concerned.
19. Development/modification of the online Terms and Conditions
These Sales Terms and Conditions may be modified and/or updated by Groupe Lucien Barrière at any time. If so, the new version of the online Sales Terms and Conditions will be put on the internet by Groupe Lucien Barrière. As soon as they go online, the new version of the online Sales Terms and Conditions will automatically apply for all Customers.
20. Mediation
If the Customer has contacted customer service but not received a satisfactory response within 60 days, the Customer may refer the matter to the French Tourism and Travel Mediation group, whose contact details are as follows:
Médiation Tourisme et Voyage (French Tourism and Travel Mediation group)
- Postal address: MTV Médiation Tourisme et Voyage BP 80303 – 75823 PARIS CEDEX 17, FRANCE
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Information: http://www.mtv.travel


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Break Free from Exercise Doldrums with Thrilling Martial Arts for Women
Many women feel the urge to break away from traditional, repetitive workouts that become boring and unmotivating. We want a proven, convenient, and interesting way to stay fit that isn't dull or routine. Repeating the same exercises every day can contribute to a loss of motivation and the enthusiasm to exercise consistently. At ATA Leadership Martial Arts in Westminster, Thornton, and Denver, women of all ages find Martial Arts classes exciting, fun, challenging, and most of all – effective! The mental and physical demands of Martial Arts training are both rewarding and encouraging to all students.
Not only do Martial Arts workouts improve our physical fitness, classes offer women more great features and benefits. Martial Arts training provides much needed stress relief, enhances self-esteem, and builds awareness and concentration that contribute to more confidence and more opportunities. Martial Arts classes in Westminster and Denver are even helping women keep our memories sharp and our bodies strong.
The classes at ATA Leadership Martial Arts in Westminster, Thornton, and Denver provide a wide range of health benefits. The programs designed by expert instructor Master Patty Lorenz and other friendly, experienced trainers are proven to increase cardiovascular health while strengthening, enhancing flexibility, toning vital muscles, and building coordination and balance.
Breaking free from an uninspiring fitness routine by training in Martial Arts at ATA Leadership Martial Arts in Westminster, Thornton, and Denver keeps women entertained, interested, and progressing toward our fitness goals while delivering a host of other life-changing results.

subset: commoncrawl


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What do we eat? Carbs mostly. It's true. I'm not proud of it, but we eat a ton of bread, pasta, and sugar. I rationalize it by saying at least it's whole wheat, but really we probably should cut back. We all love breads (and as I've mentioned before, crackers) and have some type of bread at every meal and snack. The babies have also all inherited my sweet tooth, I'm afraid.
Submitted for your approval - some random recipes from the Dolbi Collection:
Paige made these amazing chocolate chunk cookie ice cream sandwiches
Kara Cookies
1 C oats
1 1/4 C ww flour
1 t soda
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 C shortening
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
optional: 1 C chocolate or other chips or chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350*. Cream wet ingredients, add to dry ingredients, then add chips or nuts. Place about 1-2 T balls onto cookie sheets, bake 8-10 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
I usually make double or triple batches and shape it into logs and put it in the freezer so I can make a few cookies whenever the mood strikes (or, let's be honest, to just eat frozen).
What about that bread?
baked goodness
Today I used my basic recipe bread dough to make cinnamon rolls and hummus rolls. The cinnamon rolls are old news - wonderful, gooey, sugary, old news, but the hummus rolls, now that was a new idea; and a delicious new idea, if I do say so myself! That, my friends, is a terrifically awful run-on sentence with horrible punctuation, you're welcome!
So, rolls:
Basic yeast bread
8 oz soy (or regular) milk plus 8 oz water at 110* (just barely warm to the touch)
4t yeast
1/3 C sugar or 2T honey
mix above and let sit 5ish minutes (until the top is foamy), then add the following and stir.
2 egg yolks
2 oz oil
2 t salt
4C ww flour plus 2C ww flour
It is hard to say how much flour exactly, you are looking for a slightly sticky dough, but the exact amount changes with the temperature and humidity of the room and the attitude of the ingredients and the alignment of the stars and... and... I add 4 cups then dump onto a cup of flour on the counter and start kneading, adding more flour as I go, usually 6ish cups total. The dough is done when it can be kneaded without sticking to your hands too badly and the skin of it breaks and pocks when you push on it. That is a really poor description and I'm pretty sure that you shouldn't use the same words in a recipe as you might to describe disease, but there ya go; I did.
Put the dough ball in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel and put on top of the refrigerator (that's what the old women do and they know stuff) or in an oven with a proof setting (what the young, hip women, like myself use). Let it rise until it basically doubles in size (30-60 minutes) then dump it onto a floured counter. Now your dough is ready to become about 15 dinner rolls, two loaves, or 20 cinnamon rolls. Shape the dough for your desired application and let rise another 30-60 minutes. Why such a large time frame? Remember the stars and attitude and humidity and all that jazz? It messes with the rise just like it messes with how much flour the liquid will soak up. Come on over anytime and I'll happily show you how, it really is easier than it seems!
Now, the creative part:
For cinnamon rolls:
Gently roll out the dough into a large rectangle (roughly 16"x20") and slather it in softened butter or margarine. I mean, really slather, like twice as much as you think is enough. At least 1/2 cup, probably more, just don't tell your nutritionist. Then add about 1/2 pound (1/4 bag) of dark brown sugar (I'm sure brown sugar is healthy...) and a big time amount of cinnamon. We are cinnamon lovers here and use a lot, probably at least 2T, just sprinkle it all over. Go all the way to the edges! Then carefully roll up the dough, slice into about 1" slices and put in greased pans. I use a 9"x13" pan and put 15 in it and then put the rest in a loaf pan.
For hummus rolls:
I invented these today and I loved them. Paige hated them, Levi accepted them, Doug liked them.
I rolled out the dough, but divided it - half for cinnamon, half for hummus.
I sprinkled Colton's seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper over the dough, then layered hummus, spinach leaves, fresh cilantro, onions, and avocado chunks. If I had remembered that I had roasted tomatoes in the freezer, I would have added those. After I rolled and sliced, I topped them with chopped kalamata olives and italian dressing.
post-rise, pre-bake
There you have it, what we eat. :-)


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The regulatory activity developed by the Energy Regulatory Authority (ERSE) arises from the Law and is configured as an essential tool pertaining to the carrying out of attributions, namely those to: (i) protect the rights and interests of consumers in relation to prices, services and the quality of service; (ii) ensure the objectivity of the regulatory rules and transparency of commercial relations among operators and between operators and consumers; (iii) ensure the existence of conditions which allow, for the regulated activities, the obtaining of an economic and financial balance, in terms of a suitable and efficient management; and simultaneously (iv) contribute to the progressive improvement of the technical and environmental conditions of the regulated activities, namely stimulating the adoption of practices which promote energy efficiency and the existence of suitable service quality standards and the protection of the environment.
The approval and application of the Commercial Relations Code, the Tariff Code, the Access to Networks, Infrastructures and Interconnections Code, the Operation of Infrastructures and of Quality of Service Code are the responsibility of ERSE with an opinion having been given by the General Directorate for Energy and Geology (DGEG) and having heard the concessionaires and licensees of their networks that make up the Natural Gas Public Network, in accordance with applicable law.
The Underground Storage Code, the Reception Terminal Code, Storage and Regasification of LNG and the Transmission Network Code are approved by order of the minister responsible for energy, under a proposal from the DGEG, which during its preparation, must request an opinion from ERSE and proposals from the respective concessionary entities.
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For more information about Hippology contact our Division Chair Sarah Rinkle
What is Hippology?
Hippology is an activity that can enhance learning for 4-H members by letting them exhibit their knowledge and understanding of equine science and husbandry in a competitive setting. The term "Hippology" comes from the Greek "hippo", meaning horse, and "ology", meaning "the study of". Participants will be able to demonstrate their experience and knowledge gained in horse judging, quiz bowl, speeches, and practical horse management.
Washington State Hippology rules


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Friday, 25 July 2014
The RoboCup 2014 Final!
Guest blog Dr Daniel Polani, Adaptive Systems Research Group
We had played seven matches against the likes of Hamburg, Brazil and Indonesia and it was now time to face Japan's CIT Brains in the final.
It was tough as the Japanese team took the lead scoring three goals and we thought it was going to be a walkover of the Germany vs. Brazil kind. However, our robots fought back and we managed to score twice before the whistle blew. It seemed that our robots were better on the long run and had the game gone on longer, we might have equalized. But it was an exciting game, with a final score of 2:3 to the new world champions.
We are delighted to have got to the final, which follows on from our 2nd place at the RoboCup German Open (April 2014) and 3rd place at the RoboCup Iran Open (April 2014). I'd like to thank everyone for their support and I am delighted to say that Bold Hearts is Vice World Champion in RoboCup Kidsize Football!
Thursday, 24 July 2014
Hot off the press! Bold Hearts through to the Final of RoboCup 2014!
Guest Blog by Dr Daniel Polani, Adaptive Systems Research Group
|Bold Hearts just before the semi-final
Our semi-final at the start of Day 4 was against EROS, a strong team from Indonesia.
After only 40 seconds, we scored the first goal, then a nicely placed second goal from the right flank. But EROS came back with their powerful kick, and scored a goal from a distance.
The rest of the game looked more like wrestling than football, as our Bold Hearts robots became "tired". We're not clear what the reason is yet, whether it's failing batteries, or loosened screws.
Bold Hearts with EROS, their opponent
in the semifinals at the end of the game
But the Bold Hearts stood up to EROS well enough, and managed to defend the score.
The final score was 2 - 1 to Bold Hearts!
And now we are in the FINALS of the RoboCup 2014 Kidsize Humanoid League!!
Bold Hearts robots in Brazil - through to the semi-finals!
Guest Blog by Dr Daniel Polani, Adaptive Systems Research GroupFantastic news from Brazil! Bold Hearts, the University of Hertfordshire's robot football team, progressed through round 2 of the RoboCup World Cup, to the quarter finals, then winning that game to make it through to the semi-finals!
|Bold Hearts in Brazil
We won our first game 3 – 1 against RoboFEI-HT, from Brazil. And then lost 0 - 4 against CIT, from Japan, who was placed 4th last year. And, amazingly, we only scored one own goal!
Perhaps we could have scored a goal for ourselves if the ball had not rolled away from our robot due to the uneven surface of the field - so the result is much less clear than it looks.
This was an encouraging result for Bold Hearts, as it means that we are really edging towards being able to match the best opposition. In fact, we thought this game looked more like real football rather than glorified billiard with opponent obstacles. CIT was a very strong team - but we still see potential for improvement for Bold Hearts.
Our third and final deciding game of round 2, was played on Day 3 of the competition against Hanuman KMUTT, a team from Thailand.
We needed to win this game to progress through to the quarterfinals – and we worked through the night on our robots before going out onto the field to meet the Hanuman KMUTT team.
The quarterfinal match against MRL, from Iran, was a highly contested, tight game with lots of man-to-man (or in reality robot-to-robot!) fighting.
But our opponent, MRL, was experiencing similar problems as us - with their robots sometimes turning to face in the direction of their own goal.
We ruthlessly exploited the opportunity, but they came back with some dangerous attacks - one particular one was made easier for them because our goalie was taken out for being classified as an "incapable goalie". The goalie must react when the ball is nearby, and our one didn't. So MRL went on to score an easy goal! MRL robots are faster than ours but sometimes they overshoot...
But the crowd cheered for Bold Hearts. And the final result was 3 - 2 to Bold Hearts.
We are delighted that Bold Hearts is through to tomorrow's semi-finals, on Day 4 of the RoboCup competition!!
Wish us luck in the semi-final and that we score plenty of goals – in the opponent's goal of course!
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Did Bold Hearts make it through the RoboCup knock-out stage on Day 2?
Guest Blog by Dr Daniel Polani, Adaptive Systems Research GroupRoboCup 2014 World Cup in Brazil started with an intermediate knock-out match with our old friends the Hamburg Bit-Bots from Germany. This game will decide if Bold Hearts will continue in the competition or not. We were looking forwards to this match, but had hoped it would be later in the competition. And as is tradition whenever we play, we expect to have a long and heated set of penalty shots!
We know Bit-Bots well, and they fielded an interesting, self-built team.
After a nerve-wrecking game, it was 2 - 2 at the end of full time. Then in extra time, we scored twice, winning this game 4 – 2 and going through to round 2! But Bit-Bots had some near misses!
And yes – you know it already - every single goal in our game was scored by Bold Hearts. So it proves that we are a good goal scoring team! Just not always in our opponent's goal!
Our goal-detection system proved to be a problem. It had worked well in the trials and preparations before travelling to Brazil. However, there were a lot of visitors in the RoboCup venue on Day 2 of the competition, which may have changed the lighting a lot during the games - many of them were using cameras with flash during the games.
In addition, it did not help that one assistant referee was "streaking" – but not in the sense that we may know from other sports!
The assistant referee was walking barefoot which is strictly forbidden during games, as feet and legs often look like balls in the robot's colour detection. Black trousers and covers were only put on after threats by the main referee.
Anyway, great news that Bold Hearts is through to the next round-robin part of the competition - round 2. So Bold Hearts has more games to look forwards to.
And we are further than ever before in at the RoboCup Kidsize World Championship!
Day 1 results from our Bold Hearts robots at the World Cup in Brazil!
Guest Blog by Dr Daniel Polani, Adaptive Systems Research Group
Our first day of matches at the World Cup was filled with all the excitement that typically accompanies the Bold Hearts to the RoboCup!
|Bold Hearts in Brazil
This was solved shortly before kick off when one of the network engineers increased the power output of our field's access point, but by this stage we no longer had enough time to run all the tests we needed to run before the start of the game. So our first game against TH-MOS started and semi-organised chaos ensued. The halls were quite dark and the goals difficult to recognise for the robots – so we had problems in goal detection.
At half time we were losing 2 - 0, but we did manage to score in the second half, losing 2 – 1 at the end of full time. Our problem of "Own Goalitis" struck again – as we had scored all three goals of the game – which was great for TH-MOS who didn't manage to score goals for themselves and yet came out as the winners!
|Fields at the RoboCup World Cup in Brazil
Overall we're really happy with scoring eight goals in two matches, losing one game and winning one. Although we would have liked all the goals to have been scored in the opposition's goal!
But Bold Hearts is through to the next stage – an intermediate knock-out match with our old friends the Hamburg Bit-Bots!
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Perceptions of Pregnancy: From Medieval to Modern
A guest blog by Dr Ciara Meehan, School of HumanitiesOn 16 July, more than sixty delegates attended the three-day Perceptions of Pregnancy conference, organised by Dr Jennifer Evans and Dr Ciara Meehan of the School of Humanities.
|Ciara Meehan (left),
Jennifer Evans (right) & Joanne Bailey
The conference covered everything from conception to the birthing experience. Particularly striking was the paper from Anija Dokter (University of Cambridge) that featured sound-recordings of childbirth. The darker side of pregnancy was also explored and day two, for example, featured a panel on seduction, violence and supernatural hazards.
|Conference delegates
There were a number of timely contributions. Elaine Farrell (Queen's University, Belfast) and Ciara Meehan (University of Hertfordshire) explored the stigma of being an unmarried mother. Both made reference to the recent scandal in Ireland, which attracted international attention following revelations that the bodies of up to 800 babies had been uncovered at the site of a former Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway. With recent campaigns for gender equality in both the British and Irish parliaments, Claire McGing's (NUI Maynooth) paper, which gave recommendations on facilitating parenting for politicians, was particularly relevant.
|Ciara Meehan (left),
Jennifer Evans (right) & Elaine Farrell
Conference outcomes will include an edited collection and a special edition of Women's History Magazine. Although the event is now over, the conference blog will remain active. Another aim of the conference was to build networks and facilitate further conversations, and we see the blog as an excellent forum for doing so. We hope to develop it into a space for the community of researchers working on pregnancy and its associated bodily and emotional experiences to engage, exchange ideas and highlight their work.
The conference was generously supported by the School of Humanities at the University of Hertfordshire, the Social History Society and the Royal Historical Society.
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
University showcases research at the Royal Society Summer ScienceExhibition
|Dr Edwin Hirst and Dr Richard Greenaway
from the University's Centre for Atmospheric
and Instrumentation Research building the
instrument that will go on NASA's aircraft
This is what Aerosol Ice Interface Transition Spectrometer (AIITS) does and it is on show this week (1-6 July) at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition - which showcases the most exciting and cutting-edge UK science and technology.
|The AIITS mounted on the NASA aircraft
As the particles enter the instrument, they pass through a beam of light - scattering the light into complex scatter patterns. The scatter pattern depends on the shape, size and orientation of the particles and is like a thumbprint which can be used to classify or even identify the particles.
|Light scatter patterns from various particles in the atmosphere
Tropical storms in the West Pacific play a crucial role in the Earth's climate system. Starting above some of the warmest waters, they carry sufficient energy to punch through the boundary that separates the troposphere, the lowest layer in the atmosphere, from the stratosphere above. In doing so, they reach as high as 20km and carry air up from the Earth's surface. Chemicals in the air reaching the stratosphere can lead to ozone depletion.
The exhibit is based on an atmospheric research campaign headed up by the University of Cambridge and involving the University of Hertfordshire and also NASA, USA.
The week-long Exhibition starts today (Tuesday 1 July) and is arguably the most prestigious of its type in the UK, attracting over 10,000 visitors; including secondary school students, policy makers, MPs, leaders of industry, and representatives from funding agencies. For more information, visit the Royal Society's Exhibition website.
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text: BUSINESS Analyst Downgrades Dish Network Shares After $320 Million Blockbuster Bid 6:34 AM PDT 4/7/2011 by Georg Szalai FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Bloomberg/Getty Images Ahead of a court hearing on the proposed acquisition, Wunderlich's Matthew Harrigan calls the deal for the video rental firm "a questionable trade." NEW YORK - Wunderlich Securities analyst Matthew Harrigan on Thursday downgraded shares of Dish Network to a rare "sell," citing concerns about subscriber momentum and recent acquisition moves, including the proposed purchase of video rental firm Blockbuster. His stock call came ahead of a bankruptcy judge's 10am ET approval hearing here today for the Blockbuster deal. Harrigan has a price target of $21 on satellite TV provider Dish, whose stock had closed at $24.32 on Wednesday. His previous rating on the stock was a neutral "hold." "The Street is affording Dish a free pass in assigning nominal transaction valuations" to a recent $1.4 billion acquisition deal for a broadband provider and the proposed Blockbuster acquisition," said Harrigan in a report entitled "A Dog's Breakfast of M&A Activity." Calling the $320 million Blockbuster play "a questionable trade," he said reviving the video rental store business will be a drag on Dish's financials. "With an 8.6% same store sales decline in the third quarter of 2010, we are skeptical that the microeconomics of the more viable stores can be revamped simply by crossing-selling Dish Network or cloning Netflix's strategy," he said. Harrigan also cited risk to 2011 subscriber momentum. "Dish is likely vulnerable to any negative tipping point in the economy that affects the lower end consumer," which it tends to attract, he said. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Georg Szalai email@example.com georgszalai


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Solveig Gas Norway AS is a significant owner in Gassled (25,553%), the infrastructure for transporting gas from the Norwegian shelf to the European market.
Solveig Gas AS was established in the summer of 2011 and is based in Stavanger.
Our vision is that we will become recognised as the leading, most competent, and most reliable infrastructure partner in Norway.
Solveig Gas Norway AS is an active owner in Gassled. Gassled is a partnership which owns the integrated gas transportation and processing system on the Norwegian continental shelf. The infrastructure is one of the largest of its kind in the world, comprising approximately 8,000 kilometres of pipelines, along with various platforms and processing facilities.
Gassled transports gas through pipelines from the producing fields on the Norwegian shelf, delivering it to consumers on the European continent and in the UK. Gassled was established in 2003 as a joint venture through the merger of the majority of the pipeline consortia.
An important task for Solveig is to facilitate the continued safe and reliable operation of Gassled. This includes the maintenance, development, and improvement of infrastructure in accordance with the requirements of the customers (users of the system) and the Norwegian safety authorities. Our aim is to ensure that the business is operated in the most cost-effective manner.


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Multimedia Gallery of Special Projects
Below are some examples of other projects that I have worked on over the years.
Potter Park Zoo's Boo at the Zoo - Boo Tunnel Haunted House
Between 2006 and 2011 I had the privilege of designing and construction the Boo Tunnel haunted attraction for Potter Park Zoo's annual Halloween-themed fundraiser, "Boo at the Zoo". As you can see from the videos below, the attraction grew more and more complex and in-depth every year, as I worked to build new vignettes and update older ones. When I began the project in 2006, this tunnel as an abandoned train tunnel, formerly used by the zoo to house a miniature train that ran the perimeter of the zoo in the 80's and 90's. Since then, it had been used for storage and some previous attempts at a haunted attraction.We built this project from the ground up, beginning with painting the concrete black, eventually adding permanent electrical services, and more. By 2011, we had installed carpeting and made an ADA accessible attraction. More photos of these events are available in my photo gallery.


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We are so excited and honored to be
Top Performer on GigSalad 4 years in a row!
We are honored to have been awarded with the following awards & badges on GigMasters!
Brittany (owner/performer) earned a Bachelor of Arts in both Theatre Studies & Creative Writing with a minor in Dance at UCF in 2015. She's also a Harrison School for the Arts Musical Theatre alumni. You can find her performing at various theme parks in shows/events/parades. More recently she teaches dance at Barbara's Centre for Dance & Drama for ages preschool-8th grade at a local private school. She loves working with children and teaching them about the value of the arts! Her favorite characters to portray are the "Blonde Bombshell" and the "Warrior Princess."
Morgany (owner/performer) graduated from the Theatre program at Lowes Cowels Harrison Center for the Visual & Performing Arts. She's currently earning her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies at UCF. She's a national dance competition champion and was President of her troupe within the International Thespians Society. She loves performing and volunteering at her community theatre where she gets to work with children of all ages. Additionally, she's been the teacher for the drama class at a local private school. Her favorite characters to portray are "Polynesian Princess" and "Avalorian Princess."
Kitty (attendant/business manager) was in the opening cast of Southern Belle models at Cypress Gardens. She has been an ambassador for the arts all of her life and has even encouraged her children to pursue their dreams as performers. She is also well-versed in the business side of things, with over 30 years of experience in insurance and business management. Her favorite characters are "Ballroom Beauty" and "Be-Doop Girl."


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Cyndi began singing as a child growing up in a suburb of Detroit to the likes of Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, The Four Tops and a gambit of the Motown Scene. Her interest soared during a songwriting contest hosted by Kentucky Fried Chicken. She did not win the contest but discovered what has become a life-long passion. After nine years and a hundred songs later, she co-wrote "Lonesome Dove" with Garth Brook's debuting on his "Rope in the Wind" album. Cyndi enjoys writing and co-writing with artists and aspiring artists alike averaging two production-ready songs per month. As a singer, Ms. Torres is frequently hosted at Writer's Nights, Live Radio Programs, and a host of Nashville area musical venues. She and her guitar usually perform a set of three to twenty songs ranging in style from country to rock, folk to bluegrass, gospel, contemporary Christian and just a little bit of the blues. She is equally comfortable sharing her melodies and lyrics with a handful or hundreds. Her greatest pleasure rests in opening her heart to her listeners and inviting them to share in a bit of her life.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: April 13Benefit Concert Hospice of Cumberland County
Later Event: April 27Larry Scroggs


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"Do you allow for guest bloggers?" I got the email last night from my new friend, Julie, a possible (probable) PANDAS Mom. I said, "Yas. Less work for me. lol." Then I told her that it really was about the same amount of work minus all the experiences and writing it. I still have to set it and wrestle with WordPress, which can be a process sometimes. Omg.
Anyway, something struck Julie as her child was having a complete meltdown, and she started writing. I'm honored that she'd want to share it with Y'all here on PANDAS Sucks. Here are Julie's Words and her story:
The Blue Door Fiasco
I wish I could say that it started with the blue door, but it didn't. At about the age of 3, I lost my original daughter and she became a different human. Terrible threes is what everyone told me, and I believed them. It progressed from minor frustrations, to daily battles concerning clothing and cleaning. My first inclination something had changed, was the green pants. The green pants were never allowed to be washed. They developed holes, smelled terribly, and I lived in fear of the day the school would call me and inquire about why my child had literal knots in her hair and was wearing dirty clothing. Riding in the car was an epic battle as well. The car seat and then seat belt (when she was old enough to be in it) became a torture device. The reactions ranged from panic to rage and then to physical manifestations such as vomiting and urinating on herself. We dealt the best we knew how by going to Occupational Therapy with a wonderful therapist working on sensory developments that triggered her, adapting her diet, and beginning a homeopathic routine. Then things changed.
I'll forever remember it. At the age of 6 she brought a knife into the room I was in and told me she wanted to kill her body because she hated it. She didn't want to kill herself, but her body was making her crazy inside and she just couldn't take it. Fast forward a few weeks, and my husband and I found ourselves in the office of a beloved psychologist sobbing like babies. We hadn't realized the stress our whole family was under because of the eggshells we were walking on each and every day.
Did we give her the wrong cup to drink out of?
Did her brother sit in the wrong seat today?
Did anyone at all touch her clothes and therefore ruin them?
Will she be able to brush her hair today or will in continue to form mats?
Will she freak out because the tooth fairy lost her tooth and didn't leave it for her?
Will we speak too loudly?
Will we say the wrong things?
Will we breathe incorrectly?
THIS became our life. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon information that broadened my view of what our life has become. I wish I could say it was exciting to finally find a name for what she has been suffering through for the last 6 years of her life, but it's not. I was warned of the proverbial rabbit hole of information, but that warning could never have prepared me for what I would be doing each and every night. I find myself scouring articles, reading reviews on doctors, and scanning Facebook groups. The thousands I now stand with in solidarity.
So, what's up with the blue door?
Last night I painted the door blue. It's a beautiful color that's both warm and inviting. I proudly and deliberately made each stroke the same and finished with a smile on my face and excitement to show my family the work I had completed. This illness ruined that. The screams coming out of my daughter were that of someone being tortured.
"Put it back!"
"I HATEEEEE blue."
"Paint it white again."
This became her newest battle cry. I called for my husband, he worked to calm her, and after 20 minutes, she was feeling semi-better.
I retreated to the bathroom, cried, soaked up my sadness surrounding what this sickness has stolen from my child and our family, wiped my tears, and returned.
That's what we do. We return each and every time. We return to the screams, the battles, the unending fits of rage. We return as mothers and fathers. We return as wounded brothers and sisters, but we return.
Thanks to Julie for taking time to chronicle her Blue Door Fiasco for us. While Julie's daughter saw a blue door and wanted to paint it white, I have to post a Rolling Stones song here because it is relatable. In PANDAS/PANS, we see a Red Door and we want to Paint It Black (and White…since it's PANDAS), eh? The lyrics of this song are apt to the experience of PANDAS/PANS that may not be overtly obvious until you listen. And I Can't Get No Satisfaction is relatable too! Sympathy For the [PANDAS/PANS] anyone?..because PANDAS/PANS is certainly the Devil. Ugh.
I can relate to Julie's mention of all the walking on eggshells we do because of PANDAS/PANS. My husband also calls it "always waiting for the other shoe to drop". And it doesn't matter how well things are going either…anything that mess up a good day. I've said before that in PANDAS/PANS you never know what kind of day you've had until it's over. Basically, you need to ask me about my today tomorrow. And I'm the one that warned Julie about the "rabbit hole of information" you find yourself in when you discover PANDAS/PANS as a possibility as the answer to what has hijacked your child. Just when you think you might have part of it figured out…NOPE!…you find another puzzle that you need to solve. I think I might need to start calling it the black (and white) hole of PANDAS/PANS information since that makes sense too. Geez…PANDAS Sucks.
Thanks again to Julie for sharing. I asked her to complete the sentence "PANDAS Sucks Because…." She said, "PANDAS Sucks Because it is the very definition of fear. Fear that things will never get better. Fear that I found out about this too late. Fear that I'll never have my daughter back. Fear that the relationships between my children will forever be strained." Sigh.
Wanna write a guest blog? Click here. Wanna tell me why you think PANDAS Sucks? Click here. Do you have some good news and glimmers of hope and PANDAS Silver Linings you want to share? Click here. Or you can send me a note here. THANK YOU to everyone who participates in the PANDAS Sucks blog. I'm awed by your strength and your conviction and your dedication every day. PANDAS Sucks But PANDAS Parents Totally Rock!!!
Tell us why YOU think PANDAS Sucks. Click here.
We post these reasons in a blog series.
Have YOU found a PANDAS Silver Lining? Click here.
Want to write a guest blog? Click here.
Want to send a message to Sarah? Click here.
Sarah Jane Alleman is a PANDAS Mom to her awesome son, Jesse. She spends much of her time on Facebook, making to-do lists, and listening to music, especially Depeche Mode. She drinks a lot of coffee, likes a good red wine, and has been known to hide chocolate in her pantry. Sarah really thinks PANDAS Sucks (the autoimmune disorder, NOT the bears!). PANDAS Sucks exists to tell the collective story about PANDAS/PANS. Sarah wants to empower other PANDAS Parents and let them know they're not alone. She is also the Director of Kentucky PANDAS/PANS Support, which strives for more awareness, support, and understanding of PANDAS/PANS. Sarah was a Parent Contributor to the book "PANDAS and PANS in School Settings" and a volunteer and technical adviser for the PANDAS/PANS documentary "My Kid Is Not Crazy." Find PANDAS Sucks on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Note: Please do not ask for doctor referrals or specific medical advice. This blog/web site is for info and support purposes only. I'm not a doctor.
PANDAS Sucks™


text: Is there only good news from Lund? Of course not - this message is somewhat delayed, but on June 16th, two students from Helsinki received their degrees! Their names are Zejian Zeng (from China) and Tanya Milova, who is from Russia. Big congratulations to both of you; you can be proud! We wish you all luck with whatever future plans you have.


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Make your community into an even better place, with a little help from People's Help Trust.
It has just launched Active Communities in Eastern England – a funding programme for local people wanting to create fairer places to grow, live, work and age.
Using money raised by HealthCourage through The Health Lottery, PHT is looking to invest in projects that support people living in the most disadvantaged neigbourhoods in Luton and Bedfordshire.
Active Communities is a funding programme for not-for-profit groups with an income of less than £350,000 a year, seeking investment of between £5,000 and £50,000 for projects lasting up to two years.
The projects should take place within a small area for a small group of people, such as 20 or 30 streets or a couple of villages.
PHT chief executive John Hume explained: "We're looking to support ideas designed and run by local people which help create even stronger links and ties within communities.
"Whether it's a tenants' and residents' meditation group or computer skills for older people, we're interested to hear bout it."
Closing date for applications is February 18.
> To apply for funding visit www.peopleshealthtrust.org.uk


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Marvel Makes Mighty Return To This Year's BookExpo at NYC's Javits Center
Join blockbuster creators for a panel full of surprises and more!
New York, NY—May 31, 2017—This weekend, Marvel returns to New York's Javits Center for BookCon 2017, spotlighting how Marvel continues to branch out and bridge the divide between pop culture and book buyers, librarians, and book fans of all ages.
This Thursday, June 1st, join novelists Jason Reynolds (Miles Morales: Spider-Man), R. L. Stine (Man-Thing), and Margaret Stohl (Mighty Captain Marvel) as they are joined by some of the biggest names from the House of Ideas – as well as some surprise Mighty Marvel Guests! These blockbuster creators will discuss bringing their prose skills to Marvel's graphic fiction, bringing Marvel characters into the prose world, and the exciting universal appeal of Marvel's new wave of graphic novels.
Can't make it to the convention? Follow along on Marvel.com and @Marvel on Twitter, the best way to get exclusive photos and videos, real-time announcements from the convention, and up-to-the-minute panel news for all your favorite Marvel characters: Captain Marvel, Miles Morales, Squirrel Girl, Black Panther, and many more!
Trust us when we say that this is one panel no fan of Marvel characters or YA fiction should miss!https://www.firstcomicsnews.com/marvel-makes-mighty-return-to-this-years-bookexpo-at-nycs-javits-center/https://www.firstcomicsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Marvel-Logo-600x257.pnghttps://www.firstcomicsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Marvel-Logo-150x64.pngNews


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Mrs Obama started work on the kitchen garden with a gang of schoolchildren last month. Media coverage of the first White House food plot since Eleanor Roosevelt "dug for victory" in the Second World War garnered media coverage across the world.
But to the consernation of Big Ag, Mrs Obama has said the project will not use chemical products to tackle pests or give her plants a boost, the Times reports.
Shortly after the digging began, Mrs Obama received a letter from the Mid-America CropLife Association (MACA), which represents the companies producing the pesticides and fertilisers underpinning "conventional" American agriculture, the paper said.
Addressed to "Mrs Barack Obama", the letter congratulated the First Lady on "recognising the importance of agriculture in America". Farming is America's largest industry, generating 20 per cent of GDP and directly or indirectly employing 22 million people.
The letter avoiding the term "organic", highlights the role of technological advances - technologies that can see a single acre produce almost 20 tonnes of strawberries of 110,000 heads of lettuce in a season - in modern agriculture.
"Today, an average farmer produces enough food to feed 144 Americans who are living longer lives than many of their ancestors. Technology in agriculture has allowed for the development of much of what we know and use in our lives today," MACA wrote.
"If Americans were still required to farm to support their family's basic food and fibre needs, would the US have been leaders in the advancement of science, communication, education, medicine, transportation and the arts?
"We live in a very different world than that of our grandparents. Americans are juggling jobs with the needs of children and ageing parents. The time needed to tend a garden is not there for the majority of our citizens, certainly not a garden of sufficient productivity to supply much of a family's year-round food needs."
The carefully-worded letter also "respectfully" encourages Mrs Obama to recognise the role played by conventional agriculture in feeding America's growing population.


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The realization of the America's Cup and Euro Cup 2016 has made Facebook Messenger integrates a related game with the football in his chat window
Football has been added as one of the hidden games within the Facebook Messenger app . Introduce football to his selection of games Messenger is a smart move by Facebook , using the users concerned under the America 's Cup and Euro Cup 2016 , in order to attract the billions of sports fans around the globe.
You can play football directly from the Windows Messenger Facebook . As with the free games of chess and basketball , you start a conversation in chat with the person or group you want to challenge in a friendly game of football.
The basic steps to start playing football in Facebook Messenger :
- Select the emoji football and send it to the person you want to play.
- Start playing by clicking on the emoji to send it flying over the screen.
- Hold the orbit or circle repeatedly to keep it bouncing in the air.
- You can view the scores in the chat window.
The ball will keep bouncing on the screen very realistic, plus the game is interesting enough to keep you busy.The idea behind the new commitment of Facebook Messenger is basically a game where you have to keep the ball in the air. However, once you start playing, you'll notice that not as easy as it sounds, as there are several tricks that make the game more difficult.
Before you start playing, make sure you have the latest version of the app Facebook Messenger for iOS or Android.
Chess and basketball are the other two games "hidden" features that are pre installed on the Facebook Messenger app
Many times we get bored playing the same games on our mobile or just people do not have devices installed in their games. It may also happen that all we want at any given time is away from a boring conversation.
So whether the need to turn away or "kill" a little of our time, there are two secret games in the Facebook Messenger , these games are Chess and Basketball, also they are preset in the app, so do not require additional installation .
Thanks for reading .


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Since I now have two sick kids, today's post will be a short one.
- This weekend, Bill was making Sophia a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she's been going through a "peanut butter only" phase, but in recent weeks she has requested jelly as well. Since Bill was unsure he asked her "Soph, do you want jelly on your peanut butter sandwich?" She looked at him and responded "No daddy, I want jelly IN my peanut butter sandwich."
- A couple of nights ago, I couldn't get Olivia to get her clothes on after her bath. She kept putting her underwear on her head with the crotch part over one eye and wouldn't take them off. "Mama, I'm a pirate! Take a picture of me like this!" She kept saying over and over again. So, I did. I don't think she understands the future implications of said photo.
- Last week, I had to pick up my prescription birth control and tampons from the drugstore. Since the girls had been so good I told them I would get them a treat. They chose chocolate ice cream. I looked at my haul; tampons, birth control and chocolate ice cream. I looked at the cashier and said "Boy, I really am a walking cliche, aren't I?"
- We went out to lunch the other day and Olivia called something a "Butthead". I told her that was NOT nice and asked her where she had heard it from, she said "From TV!" which caused me to say "No, you don't watch that kind of TV, WHERE did you hear it from?" She was adamant that it was from TV, so I asked her "okay, which show?" She thought about it for a minute and said "Back to the Future!" Rut Roh. Guess who allowed Olivia to watch "Back to the Future" a month or so ago? Bill had to stifle his laughter because, while not bad, throughout the whole movie the term "butthead" is, indeed, spoken.
- Today Olivia was walking around with one of her play pots on her head. "Look, mama! I'm a pothead!" she proclaimed proudly as she laughed. Dear Lord I hope that is never a word used to describe that amazing girl.
They really do say (and do) the darnedest darndest things…(edit: I double checked and while both spellings are correct, it looks like 'darndest' is the one most associated with the phrase "darndest things" so I'm going to use that one. And yes, I am a freak.)


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Rubbish." "Hateful." "The worst programme on television." These are just some of the nicer criticisms vented in the general direction of Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps.
But can a programme about to start its eighth series really be that bad? "No!" Here are, 20 points in defence of Jonny and the gang...
1. Two Pints... is refreshing in its lack of cleverness. It doesn't try to subvert any forms, doesn't eat up time with metatextuality or clever references, doesn't do that irritating speedy-uppy camera thing that they do everywhere these days. It offers JOKES. For example...
2. Jonny (Ralf Little) on wedding dresses: "All I'm saying is if you pay a bomb for something, it needs to be used and used and used again until it breaks. Like Gareth Gates."
3. Louise, played by Kathryn Drysdale. Little, Will Mellor, Natalie Casey and Sheridan Smith may be the bigger names, but Louise is the comic genius - needy, self-obsessed and tactless to the point of psychopathology.
4. And she has, somewhere, an "Auntie Nigel."
5. It may not be the funniest TV show ever created, but it is substantially funnier than My Hero, The Kevin Bishop Show, My Family, The High Life, Waiting For God, Keeping Up Appearances, The Thin Blue Line, 3 Non Blondes, Touch Me I'm Karen Taylor, Plus One, Grownups, Little Miss Jocelyn, Early Doors, The Sketch Show, Outnumbered, The In-Betweeners, Katy Brand's Big Ass Show, Gimme Gimme Gimme, Hyperdrive, The Vicar Of Dibley, Ideal, Benidorm, and Still Game, and nobody bangs on about how bad they are. Except with Katy Brand's Big Ass Show, where it would be foolish not to.
6. 2003's musical episode was proper family entertainment. The Biscuit Rap was a bit rubbish, mind you.
7. Louise sniffing a card she has received from a mystery admirer: "Oooh. Who do I know who smells of paper?"
8. The cast of Two Pints... suffers not because of what it is (although it doesn't help that it is uniformly attractive, and heavily culled from Hollyoaks), rather what it is not. There's no respectable-name stand-up comedian, no veteran of acclaimed absurdist sketch shows. There's just Will Mellor.
9. Louise: "Jonny, do you think I have hairy arms?" Jonny: "No, I think you have perfect arms, like a work of art. Like the Venus de Milo."
10. A great deal of humour in Two Pints... comes from flatulence, overpowering male libido, the inherent squidgy unpleasantness of sex and alcoholic consumption, none of which sit well with British audiences. Put another way, if Two Pints... came out in France it'd be hailed as genius.
11. Bev Callard, as Donna's grotesque sexually rapacious mother Flo. Sample quote: "Apparently it's illegal to advertise yourself in phone boxes. Ask me why, I don't know. British Telecom do it."
12. Gaz's fear of sheep. Every night before bed he sings, "Bringing in the sheep, bringing in the sheep. What do we do before we sleep? We bring in all the sheep" to protect himself from sheep dreams.
13. Fact fans will be interested to know that the F-word only appears in every series once, always in the final episode, which, it could be argued, balances out the constant references to performing sex acts in exchange for cider.
14. The text vote at the end of Series four to determine whether or not Jonny should be allowed to survive made the show interactive way before it was fashionable. Regettably, we were never allowed to choose whether Will Mellor should be allowed to live...
15. Jonny on the possibility of fatherhood: "My daughter will want for nothing. She'll have dollies aplenty. And bears, but no clowns. They scare me. And on a perfect summer's eve, when the sun dances like... Michael Flatley... after our dinner of spaghetti hoops, we shall run like Billy-o himself, down to a sea so calm it would make Des Lynam look like a big, scary wolfman. She will be the most cherished little girl in the whole world. My little Ferrari."
Janet: "I'm not pregnant."
Jonny: "Oh, thank fuck for that!"
16. The endearing way in which Natalie Casey insists on hammily overplaying all of her funny lines. Of course she knows she's doing it!
17. Gavin And Stacey is praised for being "sweet" and funny. Well, in addition to not being especially funny, G&S could strain for a year for new heights of saccharine and never match the sweetness of the Two Pints... wedding dress-purchase episode.
18. Whenever actors are unable to film shows due to other commitments, their characters are simply killed in ridiculous circumstances.
19. Gaz on romance: "There's no such thing as a perfect couple. Well, except Chris Evans and Billie. Sat there getting pissed with an 18-year-old every day. How perfect is that?"
20. Most of the locations in Two Pints... are real, which means the sitcom won't just live on after it ends - which it is never going to do - but future generations who visit Runcorn will be able to do "The Two Pints Tour". And I'm willing to predict that your children will be on that tour. Jonny, Janet, Gaz, Donna, Louise: your message will live on.
• Two Pints Comic Relief Special, 9pm, Sun, BBC3


text:
Fried RiceFrom jegski 9 years ago
- 3 cups left over rice shopping list
- 1 medium sized onion shopping list
- 5 cloves garlic shopping list
- 1/3 cup butter shopping list
- margarine shopping list
- 1 PC carrot diced shopping list
- 2 eggs shopping list
- 4 PCS hot-dogs diced or ham shopping list
- 250g shrimp (shell-off) shopping list
- salt and pepper to taste shopping list
How to make it
- Set the frying pan to medium heat
- melt the butter
- saute garlic and onion
- add diced carrot, ham/hot-dog and shrimp
- stir fry until shrimp changed color
- set-aside in the frying pan
- break 2 pieces of egg
- mix it well then add the left-over rice
- add salt and pepper to taste
- stir fry for 15 minutes
- serve hot! good for me and my wife ^_^
People Who Like This Dish 5
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- clbacon Birmingham, AL
- jegski Aljubail, SA
- Show up here?Review or Bookmark it! ✔
Reviews & Comments 1
- momo_55grandma ate it and said... Was this review helpful? Yes Flag
The Cookjegski Aljubail, SA
The Rating3 people
luv fryed rice thanks for sharing high5momo_55grandma in Mountianview loved it


text:
Essence, magic, is much like the air that swirls around the mountains, sighs in the boughs of the forest and breathes through the bustling cities of men. It is ever present, usually hard to notice, but painfully noticed in it's absence. Whereas a Hellpit is a naturally occuring spring of negative forces, a Celestial lense is a gathering of positive energy. Unlike the fluidic nature of Hellpits and their negative energy, the Celestial Lense follows a more rigid form of light and air.
Much less common than hellpits, Lenses tend to be much larger affairs, generally covering an acre to a square mile of terrain. Lenses also tend to be cyclical in nature, rather than permanent features of a landscape. Thus, a certain lense might only flare to live during certain events such as a phase of the moon, a time of day or the like. The more common the event, generally the weaker the lense is. One that flares every morning with the rising of the sun will be much weaker than the Lense that flares once a year when during the Summer Solstice.
Areas that are host to a Lense are without fail affected by this blinding display of power. The most common side effect of a lense is the transmutation of rocks and soil to living metal. This has the downside of killing most vegetation in the domain of the Lense, though trees and other large plants in the area are sometimes also transmogrified into metallic versions of themselves. Lunar Lenses lean towards silver, while Solar Lenses are generally brass or gold. Sidereal Lenses yield a strange iridescent metal that most call starmetal.
Of Life and Limb
If the changes wrought by a Lense affected only plants and soil, there would be little to comment upon. Animals and men caught inside of a Lense during a flare are forever and irreversibly changed. In the case of men, the flare is an epiphany, one that often imbues clerical abilities upon it's survivors. Those who are of evil and chaotic spirit find a Lense to be a place of burning pain and blinding light. This has a side affect of reducing the ill-meaning person to a pillar of salt. Hermits and Holy men are likely to seek out Lenses for their ability to provide communion with the higher forces of the universe.
Creatures that are not blatantly evil, IE not zombies, undead, demonic minions, etc, are altered by the surge of positive axiomatic energy flowing from a lense during a flare. Coats and pelts take on metallic hues, while teeth and claws are changed into bright hard metal. The creature gains an increase in strength and stamina as well as an instinctive knowledge of good and evil. Predators remain predators, but will hunt evil as their prey, while herbivores become immune to poisons and such.
The Harvest
Those magi who do not mind the positive and axiomatic elements of a flare can use flare mutated materials, such as stones from the Lense, water gathered during a flare, or some other element in casting magic. Parts of animals can be used, but once the animal in question is killed, all of it's parts are rendered into inert organic matter. Naturally shed feathers, antlers and the like are generally preferred materials for this reason.
Water gathered from a Lense during a flare is automatically Holy Water, and as a bonus, this water if kept in a blessed vial will shed a small amount of light when placed in the dark.
The Golden Egg
The story of the Goose that laid the Golden Egg could certainly be a variation for the Celestial Lense. Such an animal could certainly exist as a result a Lense Flare, equally valid is the fact that the golden egg contained a plain yolk and if killed the insides of the goose are simply blood and guts.
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When we first started talking about having a baby we said the very same thing that so many hopeful parents say. Even just thinking it now sounds ridiculous.
Let's hold off another ______________ when we can afford it a little more.
Afford it a little more? And when might that be? Over two years after we first talked about having a baby and I don't think we can anymore afford it now than we could then. Face it, it can be very expensive to raise a child in the United States. For example, according to Parenting Magazine, it costs almost $200,000 to raise a child from birth to age 18. Notice that doesn't count from conception. We won't even go into the costs of 9-months of medical expenses plus labor/delivery costs. Other sources estimate the cost at $250,000 USD or more. For parents who agree to pay for their children to attend a public college, tuition can add as much as $10,000 USD or more to that estimate (and that is being generous, in my opinion).
Unaffordable, right? Seemingly so. But keep in mind that the cost of raising children is spread out over almost two decades. Divided equally by 18 years, to raise a child will cost you roughly $11,000/year. If you have two children, it will theoretically cost you about $22,000/year to raise them, and so on. However, keep in mind that the first 11 or 12 years of each child's life will most likely be more expensive than the teen years, because daycare expenses usually go away at age 12. I am already seeing a savings, are you?
Fortunately, many of these expenses are ones that smart families can avoid, dramatically lowering what it costs to raise a child. For example, the online calculator estimates an expense of $2,900 USD per year for a bigger home. That is with a 0% interest rate and using the Southeast region real estate market guide. If you can find a bigger home that suits your needs for only $700 USD more a year, it will drop the total expense down to $150,000. If you raise a child in the same size home you have now (or less), you'll spend nothing additional.
Likewise, the calculator includes an annual cost of $1,250 for a bigger car. In our case we did need a bigger car as we originally drove a 2-seat Ford Ranger extended cab. Even shopping for a new car we used Craigslist to find something we could afford and then negotiated a finance plan with a high down payment and low monthly payments with no penalty for additional payments or payoff prior to the 5-years of the loan. Most families can raise a child using the cars they already have, which saves around $15,000 over a period of 18 years.
Other costs of raising a child are negotiable, too. For instance, breastfeeding for the first year of your baby's life could save you a thousand dollars or more in groceries. (And yes, I fully understand that this is subject to the mother's ability to produce milk and the child's willingness to accept). Making your own baby food — which is actually quite simple — can also save you hundreds of dollars. Savvy shoppers (read: those who accept hand-me-downs and who don't over-purchase) should also be able to clothe their child for well under the allotted $600 per year.
And the list goes on. In fact, here are 5 solid ways to save money raising a child.
- Ignore registry advice. Store registries are heavily influenced by the baby product industry itself,. Babies only need a few things. Once you have a crib, a car seat, diapers and either breast milk or formula, everything else is more about making your parenting experience easier. Before giving birth or signing up for a registry talking to other mothers about what they found helpful and what they could have done without.
- Skimp on toys. Save the spoiling of your kids until they're old enough to appreciate (and truly benefit from) a toy. Most babies and even toddlers are as happy with wrapping paper, bows, and even dirt, as they are the latest, greatest, gift in the Christmas wish book! Look for a few simple toys with bright colors and interesting sounds that will stimulate baby and let you play, too.
- Network. Sounds odd, doesn't it? But in this age of Facebook and "Follow us on Twitter" a number of companies offer daily sales, freebies, and other promotionals. Follow them. Like them on Facebook. Sign up for their exclusive newsletters. Contests are also great ways to get something for nothing!
- Make your own baby food. It's healthier. It's cheaper. Need I say more? Making your own baby food is so cost effective. Take for instance the baby banana chewie thingees. In the grocery store they cost roughly $0.55 for a 2.5 ounce jar. But a pound (16 ounces) of fresh, ripe, bananas, costs just about $0.89.
- Teach your child to play outside. It sounds so elementary and even condescending. But the art of playing outside is lost on many children. Make them turn the TV off. Don't buy a Wii. Teach them to play outside and use their imagination. It is free and it is so educational!
So although at first glance it seems very expensive to raise a child in the United States, in reality, many of the costs are unnecessary. Many can even be avoided by cost-minded parents and parents who are eager to raise happy, healthy, babies far from the arms of the marketers and mass media conglomerates. By following the tips above, you should be able to cut the cost of raising a child nearly in half!