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At Ecopare we specialise in practical Energy Management solutions
Ecopare is a dynamic company that specialises in practical Energy Management solutions for industrial, academic and commercial organisations. Our core understanding of business processes, information technology and energy optimisation tools gives us the unique ability to assist in delivering energy efficiency projects.
We are based in The Surrey Research Park, Guildford and we have a regional office in Banbury, Oxfordshire.
Our teams of experts deliver a range of projects from energy auditing and analysis, ISO50001 implementation, and installation of energy efficient systems such as LED lighting.
We focus on three core ethos' for all our projects:
Customer First
Our customers and the way they would like to engage with us is always at the foremost of all the projects we deliver. We are always seeking ways to tailor our processes to meet our customer's values, culture and business rather than the other way around.
Rapid Innovation
A key attribute to the way that we deliver projects is the constant review and refinement we apply to all our processes. If we can find a way to deliver more value for a client then we will. We excel in helping make step changes in energy use performance.
Smart Delivery
We invest heavily in speeding up our ability to deliver value without compromising quality, safety or partnerships. This includes having our team members trained in the latest technologies and methodologies and ensuring the pre- and post- project documentation is relevant, accurate and value adding.


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From the 30th September to the 2nd of October The Keen Movement together with some grade 9 Groote Schuur High School students went green. As we become more aware of the value of our environment we realise the importance of looking after it and making sure it is sustainable for the future. Since one of our long term goals was to create some kind of garden at St Francis boys' home, which would be both practical-in its provision of vegetables, and serve as a way of teaching the boys how to look after the environment and live sustainably, when a teacher approached us from Groote Schuur High School we saw it as a wonderful opportunity to once again partner up so that greater change would be initiated.
As a team we envisioned using the run-down tennis court at St Francis and in a way upcycling it and other materials so that together with the Groote Schuur students we would be able to begin what is the first stages of St Francis' very own 'Peace Garden'. Various Keen members were there on different days of the project, supervising and getting involved with their group's activities.
There were an array of tasks to be done and all of these tasks were placed under four categories. The four main categories of tasks were painting- which included painting the wall which would serve as mural wall, painting on the tennis court floor which would become a checkers and noughts and crosses board and panting the wooden plant crates (once they had been completed),then woodwork- this consisted of building the wooden crates for the plants , making the wooden signs indicating the kind of plants as well as making benches, gardening- included trimming the grass around the tennis court, organising plants and compost and eventually planting; and lastly décor- this consisted of connecting the wire to the poles, making bird feeders and water jugs and then finishing off any other details like the plant signs which had not been finished on the first day.
It was a colossal task which required large amounts of energy and determination. Although working with teenagers presented its challenges; in the end their ability to push through the heat and a lack of energy once again showed the value of working together for good.
So much has been done already, but there is so much that we hope to still do with our Peace Garden. We have plans to add to it in various ways, some of which being planting trees which would have a greater green impact as well as adding shelter, so that it can be a place where the boys could escape to for some time out.
We do admit that none of this would have been possible without everyone who supported us and got involved; so a big thank you to our sponsors and the Groote Schuur helpers on the day. They showed us they were Keen, by getting involved. Be keen; get involved by donating, sponsoring or helping us out with our ongoing Green Project. You can contact us on our email email@example.com or drop us a message.
Be keen for change, go green, get involved![fbalbum url="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.695169873910099.1073741850.421986907895065&type=3″ slider="1″]

subset: commoncrawl


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Injection molded threaded studs with chamfer on both ends are available in several of the most popular sizes and lengths. Threaded studs are molded in natural Nylon 6/6 UL 94V2. These studs are resistant to most chemicals, electrically insulating, non-magnetic, lightweight, low thermal conductivity, vibration and abrasion resistant. May also be available in Nylon, PVC, Polypropylene, Phenolic, PTFE, G10, Kel-F®, Delrin/Acetal, Neoprene, Mylar, Glass-Filled Nylon, Peek, CPVC, ABS, PVDF / Kynar, Isoplast, Polycarbonate, Polyethylene, or Ultem®
Looking for standard sizes?
View Standard Threaded Stud Products


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Life of the Rev. Joseph Grafton :; Late Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Newton, MA
Boston: John Putnam, 1849. First edition. 213 pp, 12mo. Family presentation copy. Rubbing to spine ends & corners, spine head chipped. Spine sunned, mildly slanted. Two clipped ink signatures of Rev. Grafton affixed to frontispiece (engraving portrait, not original? - pasted to ffep verso). Offsetting to title pg opposite frontispiece. Light foxing, tanning scattered to pgs throughout. One leaf dogeared. Ink inscription to fpd: "This book has been in the possession of Elizabeth Hanshaw (sp?) for several years. In her last sickness she gave it to her sister Mary Coolidge who brought it from Leicester in 1866 & with the autographs presented them to the only person in this vicinity who wears the name of the good man, whose deeds are passing away, with the generation who hallow his memory. Joseph Grafton Coolidge, 1867." C. Item #11203
Price: $60.00


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"Thank you for the safe and professional transport of my loved one from Alexandria, VA to Bronx, NY. It made it easier knowing you were handling this transport. Thank you!"
- The Scott Family
Non-Emergency Wheelchair & Stretcher Transport throughout the VA & DC Areas
At MML Transport, we believe that every step makes a difference — which is why our services begin and end at the bedside. It's a simple (if rare) business model, but since our inception in 2006, it's made quite an impact on the lives of our clients and their loved ones.
We built a reputation for excellent in the Northern Virginia and Washington, DC metro area by providing the finest quality of care to all of our clients, from seniors and wheelchair-bound adults to people with special needs.
With us, you can expect:


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The effects of a DUI conviction are long-lasting and serious. Not only will you face jail time, fines and possibly community service or alcohol programs, but your car insurance and job will also be affected.
DUI & Insurance
If you are convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol in any of the United States, your DUI citation will cause a major spike in your car insurance premiums. The exact severity of the impact depends on the insurer's specific policies about DUI convictions. However, your insurer will learn about your DUI arrest, and may respond appropriately.
Auto insurance companies usually verify your driving record only once every three years or when you apply for a new policy. While every accident, ticket, and DUI may not always be reflected on your driving record, if your insurance company discovers a DUI conviction and categorizes you as a "high-risk driver," you should shop around, since rates vary widely.
For instance, you might find that your premiums increase. In fact, it is very likely that they will after a DUI conviction appears on your record. In some cases, the insurer may even refuse to renew your policy or might, at the very least, restrict some of the provisions of your coverage.
The increased premiums could be very expensive to you. In some cases, the payments could increase to double the amount that they were before. Typically, the worse the circumstances surrounding your case, the more expensive the premiums are. Your DUI conviction will immediately make you a high-risk target that your insurer needs to watch out for.
Additionally, if your DUI arrest and conviction were also accompanied by other high-risk actions, like an accident which resulted in injuries or fatalities, or if you have a long record of unpaid traffic tickets, and other traffic offenses, you might find that your insurer is no longer as willing to look favorably on you. Because of this, your insurance policy could be cancelled, or your insurer might refuse to renew it. In fact, many big name insurance companies do not insure high-risk drivers after a DUI conviction.
If that happens, you'll be shopping to find new insurance with the twofold disadvantage of a DUI conviction and an insurance policy cancellation on your record. Don't let this happen to you; if you're charged with DUI anywhere in or near Denver, consult immediately with an experienced Denver DUI lawyer.
Colorado compels a DUI offender to obtain an SR-22 from his or her car insurance company. It's a form which tells the state that you carry liability insurance, and requires your insurer to notify the state if your car insurance is cancelled for any reason. SR-22 forms are not insurance policies, but rather evidence that you legally carry insurance. After a DUI, you could be required to carry a SR-22 for up to five years.
However, some insurers don't offer SR-22; your policy could be cancelled or non-renewed because the company can't provide the coverage you now require.
To summarize: a DUI conviction will radically raise your auto insurance premiums, and those premiums likely will never sink back to the sum that you pay now. That's one reason it's imperative to have the counsel of a knowledgeable DUI attorney if you face any DUI charge in the Denver area. While there are no guarantees in any criminal case, a good DUI lawyer will make every effort to have the charge reduced or dismissed; if your case goes to trial, an experienced DUI attorney will advocate aggressively for your acquittal. It's your best hope for justice. Increased insurance premiums are only the beginning of the bad news if you're convicted; fines, jail, and the loss of your driver's license are among the potential penalties. If you face the charge in the Denver area – now or in the future – get the help you need and contact an experienced Denver DUI lawyer immediately.
DUI & Employment
There are a number of ways that a DUI conviction can impact your job. The conviction can have a devastating impact on your employment potential. If you are currently without a job, and need a car for job hunting and interviews, you will find it very difficult to get around without a car. Public transit simply may not work for you. For help after a DUI arrest, consult with a Denver DUI defense attorney.
Additionally, if you are without a without a license, you are unable to travel to your place of employment. One of the reasons why license suspensions have such a devastating economic potential for workers is the fact that many new places of work like manufacturing units are being located further and further away from the cities. That means that you need a car to get your place of work, and in the absence of a car, your ability to get to work is hampered.
Apart from license suspensions which prevent you from being able to get to work, there are a number of other ways that a DUI conviction can make it difficult to go to work, or to get a good job.
For example, some types of professional licenses like those for doctors or lawyers can require, that you disclose a DUI arrest and conviction to the licensing agency. In some cases, you may find that that you lose your professional license, as a result of the DUI conviction.
You will find it difficult to get employment as a commercial driver. Your employer may have no other choice but to fire you if your job manual or policy handbook expressly prohibits you from getting a DUI conviction while in service.
A DUI conviction will also likely show up when your potential employer conducts a criminal background screening check. Employers may not be allowed to come right out and ask if you have been arrested for DUI in the past. But they can conduct background screening checks, and if your DUI conviction comes up, then that makes it less likely that that you will land the job.
Besides, when you are convicted, you are probably likely to have to attend DUI education programs, or even spend a few days in jail. That means days lost off work and absenteeism. Your employer may not be very understanding about the fact that you are unable to come to work, because you were convicted of driving while drunk.
Speak to a DUI defense attorney in Denver about the consequences of a DUI on your professional license.


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If you just look all the way to the right column of my blog, or just let your eyes scroll that way, you will see a blue slim rectangular shaped box that will allow you to click on it. And it wont be located at the top of this page it will be more at the bottom of this blog post entry. If I'm not available the box will say "leave a message" From there you can just enter your name and e mail and the message will come directly to my offline e mail.
But should I happen to be available then the blue box will say "chat now" Please do not be distracted by it saying admin or the picture of the operator there. That girl is not me and is just a default that comes with the program that I'm using and I have no way to control or change it. Should I happen to not respond right away, just check my page here to see if I'm on a call.
I decided to ad this as a way for those who are looking to chat and possibly set up a call with me. And if I can excite and turn you on even more as a special surprise I could e mail you my private video with our call as a very naughty way to say thank you. That and the thought of you getting hard right now so much as you start stroking really gets me even more excited. I can't help but start thinking about taking my pretty little hand and touch and stroke if for you. Can I lick it and suck it too? I just love wrapping these soft pretty lips around your dick and driving it crazy. That's not the only thing I like sliding around it either. I can think of two more very tight and slutty holes that want to be stretched out by your throbbing hard cock. I know it certainly gets my pretty little panties very wet. In fact, I'm fucking my smooth pink pussy right now with my favorite panties and it feels soooooo good.
So if you are curious and wanna see if this messenger service really works, please feel free to try it out.
And if for some reason you are having difficulties figuring out where my chat box is located, feel free to e mail me at email@example.com
Or message me on AOL or AIM messenger. My screen name is:
Hmmmm I can't wait to hear from you...


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Written By:
David Curtis, iContact Multimedia Producer
A few weeks ago, iContact celebrated Customer Service Week as a way to show our awesome Customer Support team how much their efforts are appreciated.
As part of the team, I took part in the many fun activities throughout that week and taped them so I could share them with you. If you want to learn more about iContact's Customer Service Week, click here.
Enjoy the video!


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Local Information: Limerick City, Co. Limerick
This family-run hotel is just 10 minutes' drive from Limerick City, 12 miles from Shannon Airport. There is a pool and hot tub, free parking and free Wi-Fi.
Note: Map is an approximate indication ONLY. Please contact Greenhills Hotel Limerick for directions and precise location prior to your visit.


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Having spent four years reading about it from the pens of assorted culture junkies and hearing whispers on the wind from trusted heads and head-the-balls that it was the best festival in the country, my beloved and I finally got to dive into the Flatlake Literary and Arts Festival at the Hilton Park Estate in […]
- 'One more thing gets thrown up on stage and I'm leaving'… Meat Loaf in Ireland '89In 1989 Meatloaf was in a sort of rock 'n' roll
- NEW SITE COMING SOONThanks for the visit. There's a new site coming soon,
- Terry McMahon's Mullingar Patrick's Day paradeToday (Wednesday January 28) will see writer/director Terry
writing about…808 State Andrew MacManus Bell X1 Big Tom Come Taste the Band david kitt Declan Murray Declan Nerney Deep Purple Des Bishop Dire Straits Duffy Eric Bell Frank Byrne Greville Arms Hotel Hayseed Dixie HotHouse Flowers Joe Dolan Johnny Cash Joseph Arthur Kíla Luka Bloom Mary Coughlan Mike Scott Mojo Mullingar Mundy Paddy Casey Pink Floyd Rodrigo y Gabriela rte Saxon Sunday World The Aftermath The Blizzards The Frames The Jimmy Cake The Saw Doctors The Stables The Stables Mullingar The Walls Tommy MacManus TV3 U2 Watercress
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Samson Folarin
A nursing mother, Maoteen Yisa; her baby, Atamah Braimah; and a 10-year-old boy, Paulsu Akiyah, have reportedly drowned while fleeing from Lagos officials in Ilubirin-Oju Olokun, a riverine community on Lagos Island, Lagos State.
READ ALSO: Petrol tanker spills content on expressway, motorists groan in gridlock
PUNCH Metro gathered that officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit had invaded the community on Thursday.
The officials were alleged to have destroyed the residents' makeshift structures, as they chased them away from the area.
The victims, who were among 10 others in a boat, were said to be fleeing when their boat capsized.
While seven people reportedly swam to safety, the three were unaccounted for.
The corpses floated on Saturday and were recovered by their family members.
The traditional leader of the community, Simenu Peter, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Sunday.
Peter said the attack started three weeks earlier when some policemen attacked the residents.
He said, "Three weeks ago, the policemen came around 9am and said we should vacate our community. They said we were hoodlums and we said no. I told them that we were fishermen.
"Later in the night, the policemen showed up again and beat up two people who were sleeping. One of them is still in a critical condition. Property, including sacks of foodstuffs, of the residents, was taken away.
"Four days ago, the task force officials came and chased residents again. That was around 11pm. While some of them were running away in a boat, they had an accident. There were 10 of them in the boat; seven survived, but three died."
READ ALSO: Senator demands audit of National Assembly budget under Saraki
An official of the Centre for the Defence of Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, Maurice Fangnon, said the Dolphin Divisional Police Officer and Area A Commander had been informed of the first "unprovoked" attack on the community.
He noted that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, was also alerted to the incident, adding that the police leadership did nothing about it.
He said, "About 80 per cent of the people in Ilubirin-Oju Olokun are Egun. They have been facing persecution for a long time now and the situation keeps getting worse.
"After successive governments tried to remove them, we took the matter up with the National Human Rights Commission and wrote petitions on the unlawful killings, forced evictions and victimisation going on.
"There is an estate being constructed by the government in the area, which started with the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola, and was continued by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. The government had chased away some of the indigenes and fenced the estate. The indigenes left behind took refuge behind the fence.
"The bodies of the Egun lady, her baby and a 10-year-old boy were recovered from the water on Saturday, after the police attacked the community on Thursday, August 16, 2018, around 10pm," he added.
A statement by the Convener of Movement of Lawyers for Total Liberation, Ayo Ademiluyi and Fangnon on Sunday, said the task force officials also demolished houses and shops in Idasho community, in the Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area of the state.
"We give notice to the Lagos State Government and their acolytes in the Nigerian Police Force that this latest onslaught will not be taken lying low after eviction of over 20 informal communities in the past three years," the statement added.
The spokesperson for the task force, Taofeek Adebayo, said officials of the agency went to the community, adding that the eviction was without any incident.
He said, "The Lagos State Government, through the task force, went there to clear the shanties in the riverine areas. The illegal shanties had been given 72 hour notice for them to remove their belongings. A study conducted around the shanties showed that criminals and hoodlums had turned the place to a den. These are the people terrorising motorists on the Third Mainland Bridge whenever there is traffic. And the government would not close its eyes and allow criminals to take over the area.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 14-year-old home help arrested for killing septuagenarian boss
"Our intention for the place is to make the place safe for the populace. And majority of them honoured the notices that we served them. They had removed their belongings. It was only a few of them that refused to leave and when we got there, there was no resistance. Majority of them had vacated that place. We are not aware of any death; nobody drowned."
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All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]


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We are big Lands End fans — especially for their kids outerwear and boots. Every year, it's like clock-work at our apartment: every winter, around September or October, I buy the girls' winter jackets, snow pants, fleece sweaters and boots. In the Spring, it's time to buy their rain coats and rain boots. This has happened for 9 years now, since O was a baby. Luckily, Lands End quality is so good that we are able to keep a lot of O's outerwear and save it for S.
Three reasons why we Love Lands End:
- Quality – We have kept coats for FIVE years so that our younger one can wear the hand-me-downs. They are still as good as new…and the price? You can't beat the quality for what you pay for. All of their outerwear is also machine-washable so its easy to keep clean.
- Trustworthy – I know that when my girls are wearing Lands End, they will be kept warm and dry. It's just one less thing you have to worry about as a parent.
- Grow A-Longs – I love this feature. Most of their outerwear has this Grow-A-Longs feature where it is designed to "grow" are your child gets taller. Sleeves will get 1 1/2″ longer and pant legs get an extra 2″ longer. Which means that you can possibly wear the same outerwear for two winters in a row depending on how your child grows. We were able to use the same outerwear last year because I let out the hem (pretty simple to do — took me about 20 minutes per garment). Talk about value!
This year we plan on doing some skiing (crossing our fingers for snow). First stop: to Arizona for the Christmas holidays and hopefully some skiing in Flagstaff at the Arizona Snowbowl (YES! There is skiing in Arizona!). Instead of buying super-expensive ski gear at a sports apparel store, I head on over to Lands' End Kids Outerwear department and stock up on winter / ski gear. **Note that I bought the below before discovering Lands' End Kids Ski Gear, which they have on their site, so you should definitely check that out, too!
Kids Squall Waterproof Jackets: They get to wear this on and off the slopes and I just know that they are warm and take care of. Also, the girls like it because it is not a "heavy" jacket. What I love most about their jackets are the zippers — Lands End zippers are so easy to zip up that even my 5-year old can zip up her jacket with no help at all.
Kids Waterproof Squall Bibs: These are warm and comfortable and are perfect for snow playing, skiing or walking around New York City when it is 15 degrees out. There's extra room in the bottom part of the leg so that boots can easily be worn; it also has side zippers and elastic to protect from the snow from entering the pants. Lands End has snow pants versions (basically without the bib/overall part) but we find this to be easier to wear because they stay up.
Thermaskin Tops and Pants: These are your updated thermals from back-in-the-day. They are light, they keep them warm and dry with its special wicking properties, AND it has a special anti-microbial finish to keep odors down (great and EWW at the same time).
Girls Snow Plow Boots. Again, any of their boots are perfectly fine. They always keep my girls toes warm and comfy and I know that they won't slip and trip when its icy outside. I especially love the easy-on and easy-off as well as the toggle top that keeps snow out.
What do you wrap your kids in when the weather gets c-c-c-cold??


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Average Income Grows, But So Does Child Poverty
According to the latest data from the Department for Work and Pensions, average net income in the UK has grown to higher than it was before the crash in 2008.
The figures, which represent the 2014/15 tax year come from the department's report on Households Below Average Income (HBAI), which also includes data on income inequality and poverty levels.
According to the report, the average income per household before basic housing costs is currently £473 per week, which amounts to just under £24,560 per year. This is the highest level record by the Department for Work and Pensions, beating the previous peak of £469 per week set in 2009/10.
Inequality of income between the rich and the poor, which is measured by the Gini coefficient, is expressed as a percentage (where 0% is absolute equality and 100% means all income goes to just one person), and is at 34% for this latest report.
This has remained broadly unchanged for the last 12 years, bar a small increase to 35% between 2007 and 2012.
Despite this, the report did show that, by one measure, child poverty increased over the past year, with 2% more children now living in poverty than did in 2013/14.
The increase, which the report suggests is "not statistically significant" is in the number of children is "relative low income" households, a measure which is dependent on changes in average income across the country.
The report showed that "the percentages of children in absolute low income and in combine low income and material deprivation…remained unchanged a 17% and 13% respectively."
However, while the increase in children in 'relative low income' is likely largely down to an increase in the average income against which it is measured, this is not the only report that shows it to be increasing.
The Institute of Fiscal Studies reported earlier this year that, based on current projections, child poverty in the UK is likely to increase by 50% by 2020-21.
The chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group, Alison Granham, warned that the HBAI report shows that there is still much work to be done to tackle the problem of child poverty.
She commented on the Conservative government's recent decision to scrap household income statistics as acting as a measure of child poverty and presenting a legally binding target to be met.
She also warned that the government must not have all of its attention turned away from child poverty and towards Brexit, no matter how pressing the latter may be.
She said: "These grim figures reinforce projections from experts like the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Resolution Foundation that UK child poverty is set to rise by 50 per cent or more by 2020.
"Our children cannot afford for the Government to be distracted by Brexit and lose control of child poverty.
"A decade ago, when David Cameron became party leader, he promised that under his leadership his party would measure and act on child poverty. It's a tragedy that we are now talking about rises in child poverty, not falls.
"It's also hugely depressing that at a time when we're seeing rising child poverty the Government has passed legislation that eliminates its target to reduce child poverty, or even to report on the progress it is making.
"Child poverty isn't inevitable – the Government needs to invest in our children so we can all share the rewards of a stronger economy and a fairer society."
Stephen Crabb, the Work and Pensions Secretary, responded to the figures, saying: "There is of course still more to do and that is why our Life Chances Strategy will look at the root causes of poverty whether that is worklessness, debt or addiction, family breakdown or educational attainment. It is only by doing this that we can truly tackle poverty and ensure everyone succeeds in life."


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Worldware is a unique industry event directed at chief technical officers, development directors, product architects and other technical decision-makers who are responsible for setting the strategic direction of product development. In order to enhance the conference for these attendees, we feel it is important to present viable vendors that sell products and services that directly benefit these clients. Therefore, we have created an intimate exhibit hall with a limited number of booths.
Complete the exhibit registration form today to take advantage of this excellent opportunity.
Exhibit Booth Information
6′ x 8′ Exhibit Booth ($2,000) – Includes:
• Full conference admission for one person (value $1,250)
• Company listing and link on website
• Company description in printed program
• Rectangle table and two chairs
• Standard electrical connection
• Internet access
Exhibit Schedule
December 1, 2010: Exhibit registration opens
December 15, 2010: Deadline for priority space selection for sponsors
January 3, 2011: Space assignments will be announced
March 1, 2011: Registration for exhibits closes
March 15, 2011: Exhibitor set up
March 16, 2011: Exhibit hall hours: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
March 17, 2011: Exhibit hall hours: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
March 17, 2011: Exhibit take down: 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Conference Exhibit Manager
Chris Luxton
Worldware Conference
Phone: +1 608-826-5001
Across Systems Inc.
Moravia Worldwide
STAR Group
Translators without Borders


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The Team
Our Pre-K and K teachers are all seasoned professionals, holding a BA or Masters in Early Childhood Education, with experience in France, in the United States and/or other countries. Average years experience among FAA's Pre-K and K teachers is 12 years.
Our teachers are ready to play with children to fully engage them in the learning process.
To learn more about a day in preschool, click here.
Absent in the picture: Nadja, Jennifer, Christina
Our elementary teachers are highly credentialed educators, holding BAs and Masters in Education, bringing an average of 14 years experience to the classrooms. Involving students in projects that promote investigation and analysis is at the core of their teaching.
Bilingual teams are key to our mission. French and American teachers work independently, or hand in hand as co-teachers, to implement an effective and efficient bilingual curriculum.
Absent in the picture: Nadja, Richard, Florence and Cathy
To learn more about our elementary program, click here.
Middle school
Our Middle School team attracts French and American teachers holding CAPES, BA, Masters in their field of expertise. Highly credentialed and tenured, the FAA Middle School Team provides a unique environment promoting excellence, high expectations, independence, enthusiasm and creativity.
Absent in the picture : Richard
To learn more about a day our Middle School, click here.
The administration team is focused on providing the best education to your child. At the FAA, we believe in the principle of the academic triangle! What is it? To see your child blossom and grow in our school, teachers, parents and administration, the three angles of the triangle, will work together, creating a kind and nurturing atmosphere, bringing efficient tools, so that your child remains blooming in the middle of the triangle, reaching his or her highest potential.
Absent from picture: Deborah, Veronica, Frederic


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Former George Mason track star David Verburg makes US Olympic Team [Video]
On Sunday afternoon in Eugene, Oregon, David Verburg '13 qualified for Team USA by finishing third in the 400 meters at the US Olympic Trials with a time of 44.82 seconds. Verburg will join LaShawn Merritt (43.97) and Gil Roberts (44.73) at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next month.
.@LaShawnMerritt sets the WORLDS FASTEST TIME in the 400m final! 😯🎉😱
What an unbelievable race! 🏃#TrackTown16 🇺🇸https://t.co/dIqSAaKYiT
— U.S. Olympic Team (@TeamUSA) July 4, 2016


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Flowers are the most wonderful gifts, because they are not just a part of nature. Different flowers can express different things, making them the most meaningful gifts of any other gifts you could possibly think of. And if the occasion is someone's anniversary, you wouldn't find something better than flowers! It can be hard to decide which flowers to go for. So go online on our portal and look up for the various flowers we have available there to send anniversary flowers in USA! We're sure you'll find among them ones that'll best express what you want to say. We also send cakes to USA and anniversaries warrant the cutting of a cake, so look up for them online, and once you have decided what you want place your order to have us send anniversary flowers to USA!
Flowers can brighten someone's day, and hence are wonderful as a gift to anyone! They can also help you express your love to them! And if it is your anniversary, then flowers are a must for your spouse! To help you decide what to go for, we have a wide range of flowers that you can choose from according to their meanings. We also send gifts to USA so look up for them online, and once you select what gift you would like the best to give to your loved ones on this occasion, just place your order with us, and we will send same day anniversary flowers to USA with the gifts that you choose.


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Vangelis BagiartakisGreece
GrEEK Guild held its 2nd Boardgame Design Contest in Athens.
For those of you who don't know us, the GrEEK Guild is one of the largest guilds on BoardGameGeek. It was created in June 2007 right after the feature was added on the site, and it has been growing ever since. It has united all the Greek users of the site and we have formed a community where any of our countrymen can talk (in our native language) about board games, ask questions, discuss strategies and meet other people with similar gaming interests. During all these years our little community has evolved and we now regularly meet in a monthly basis (in more than one city!), organize trips, place group orders from online websites, have our own contests, etc.
In 2010, our Guild's creator (ManOfSorrows) had the idea of a boardgame design contest. Without a lot of organization but mostly in a friendly mood, we held the contest with four games participating. (You can find some details here but keep in mind the report is in Greek.) The event was a big success; everyone loved it and almost immediately we announced a second game design contest for one year later! The success of that initial contest was made even bigger when a few months later, the game that won – Souvlaki Wars – was accepted by the biggest Greek company in boardgaming, Kaissa Chess & Games, for publication. (The game will hit the shelves sometime within the next few months.)
As the deadline for the second contest approached, it was obvious that there was more interest this year and more willing participants. Moreover, from the sneak peeks that we were getting it was obvious that the level of the games — both in quality and gameplay value — would be higher than before. We realized then that we should organize the whole event better to make it a nice opportunity not only for the designers to show their creations to more gamers, but for new people to learn about our hobby and our online community. We started looking for sponsors and right from the start, Kaissa Chess and Games offered to help us. With their help, we reserved a hall in a well-known Greek hotel and we printed posters which were displayed in their retail stores. The posters were also displayed in other boardgame stores around Athens, like Fantasy Shop and Playscape.
Another thing that we realized had to change was the process of choosing the winner. In the first year, whoever had played all the games during the contest would vote for his favourite in four different categories, such as best game and most original theme. This year, after lengthy discussions we decided to have a jury which would play all the games and give an award for just a single category: Best Game. However, since we wanted the public to participate more actively in the whole event we decided to have another award, this time for the game that was most appreciated by the visitors of the event.
Initially we had eight games participating. However, a few days before the contest two of them had to drop out since they realized they weren't ready and more work needed to be done on their games. Thus, six games ended up competing for the award of the best game:
In Astrologica, Tony Cimino (BGG user: Diogenis) has the players trying to put some order in the Zodiac Circle, the planets' positions and the Zodiac Houses. A fast and easy game requiring good observations skills and smart combinations, with the art of Bruce Salter.
In Autokrator, a medieval wargame by Lefteris Iroglidis (BGG user: GREEK GAMES), the players take the role of the Holy Roman Empire, the Moors, the Saracens and the East Roman Empire (Byzantines) trying to expand their territories. Emphasis is given to historical accuracy while also having an interesting and original combat mechanic.
Briefcase is an economic deck-building game created by Sotirios Tsantilas (BGG user: sot07) and Nikolas Sakaloglou (BGG user: sakal). The players try to build their own business empires by acquiring various small companies and using them to acquire even bigger ones. A key-characteristic that separates it from all the other deck-building games is that here, with the "Buy" action, the players don't buy cards that go into their deck. They buy resources and companies that they place in front of them. When they activate those companies (using cards in their deck and resources they have acquired) they generate new cards for their deck, which later allows them to buy even bigger companies. It is an interesting variation and the end-result is a fast and addictive game that you will keep wanting to play again and again.
Drum Roll is a Eurogame designed by Konstantinos Kokkinis (BGG user: 3pod) and Dimitris Drakopoulos (BGG user: geremes) and it takes us to a circus during the middle of the last century. Actually not in only one circus, but in many since each player tries to manage his own! In order to achieve that he will have to hire the best performers (jugglers, animal trainers, magicians etc) but also try to equip them accordingly so that when the time for the show comes, they perform to the best of their ability! After three shows in cities around Europe, the player with the highest Prestige ( = victory points) is the winner. A very interesting game, rich in theme and with amazing artwork!
In George Zotos' (BGG user: GeorgeZzzz) Home Sweet Home we get to build the house of our dreams! Starting with just four rooms and with frequent visits to plumbers, builders, decorators etc we get to build new rooms, install central heating or alarm systems, buy appliances or participate in auctions for rare antiques. And what better way to enjoy our accomplishments than to throw receptions and make our neighbours (co-players) jealous??? (Also scoring us some VP in the process.) We have to be careful, though, as their jealousy will lead to accidents happening to us, capable of destroying what we worked so hard to build. The better house we have, the more bad things will happen, from burglars to short-circuits or even earthquakes! Undeniably the most thematically original game in the competition which led to a lot of funny moments during plays!
Finally, in Hunt for the Crown, a card game by Aggelos Vazaios (BGG user: aggelos), we go to medieval Italy and we take the role of noblemen. The king is about to die and soon one of us will be his successor. To ensure that the crown is ours we will have to convince lesser noblemen of various Houses to support us in our attempt. The main mechanism is bidding but apart from money the nobles can also be persuaded with titles, estates or even promises of convenient marriages! However there is a lot of intrigue in the court and the alliances shift constantly ensuring that nothing is certain up to the very end!
When the 13th of February came, we were very pleasantly surprised. The hall was full of people coming to try the games, most of them new faces that we hadn't seen before! Many of them told us that they were unaware that such a community existed, and they became members themselves the very next day! There were also many people who wanted to participate in the contest with their own games. Unfortunately, since we were informed at the last moment, it wasn't possible for them to be included. However we will be more than happy to see their games next year at the next competition!
In the end of the day, the winners were announced. The big "battle" was between Briefcase and Drum Roll, the two games that were considered to be the top contenders for the award. It was hard to select one out of them since both games' designers had done a very good job. In the end, after counting all the votes, the big winner in both categories (jury + public) was Drum Roll but with a very small lead over Briefcase, showing that both games were of almost equal value. (In fact, for the public award it went down to the last two votes since it was a tie between them at that point.) Luckily, both games' designers are planning to publish the titles before the end of 2011, so we will get to play many more games out of each one!
We would like to thank everyone who helped this contest take place, especially our sponsor Kaissa Chess & Games, the gaming club Espairos for the hospitality during the jury's test of the games, the coffee shop Playce where the first competition was held last year and whose owner provided us this time with the big prize for the winner, the online shop Boardgameguru.co.uk for also providing a prize, and the stores Fantasy Shop and Playscape for displaying our posters. Thanks must of course go to Fidel Lainez as well for letting us use his beautiful image in our poster.
We would also like to thank everyone who came by, played the games, talked with the designers and gave them valuable feedback. The feeling of seeing people having fun with something you have created is priceless and we can only feel it thanks to you.
Last but not least, we would like to thank BoardGameGeek without which none of this would have ever been made. Thanks to a feature that many users may not even be aware of (guilds) a community was built, has evolved, and now has managed to change many people's lives forever.
Thank you.
Stay tuned for the next competition, this time next year! We will try to be even better both in organizing the event and in game quality!
Oh, and for those planning to go to Essen in 2011, keep your eyes open! From what I hear, most of the designers plan to appear at the fair and if everything goes well, some of them will even have copies of their creations for sale!
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U.S. EPA modifies engine replacement rule in response to NGWA concerns
WESTERVILLE, OH -- U.S. EPA modified its final rules to allow the use of new exempt engines to replace failed engines in water well drilling rigs up to 40 years old.
'The revised rule is a major improvement over EPA's previous proposal,' said Denis Crayon, National Ground Water Association's DOT-OSHA Subcommittee chair. EPA's initial proposal required that a new engine meeting current emission standards be used in the case of engine failure on water well drilling rigs older than 25 years. Depending on the make and model, there are physical and performance issues in bringing specialized water well drilling equipment up to Tier 4 engine standards. NGWA estimates that approximately 30 percent of water well drilling rigs would have had problems meeting EPA's initial proposal.
'Through photos and other communication, NGWA was able to explain the inability, in some cases, to switch out old engines with new Tier 4 engines, and maintain transportation and drilling capability,' shared Fred McAninch, the Rig Doctor and an NGWA DOT-OSHA Subcommittee member. NGWA also explained to the agency that, unlike some other industries, the use of equipment older than 25 years is not unusual in the water well industry.
The ability to use new exempt engines as a replacement for failing engines in rigs up to 40 years old allows the water well drilling industry to improve air quality while maintaining business operations. 'We are very pleased that the agency worked with NGWA to revise its final rule so as to advance our mutual goals of improving air quality and meeting the nation's water supply needs,' stated Crayon.
A copy of the final rule is available by going to the Federal Register, Volume 79, page 7077. Industry members are advised to consult with applicable state rules, such as in California, for any additional state level requirements.
NGWA, a nonprofit organization composed of U.S. and international groundwater professionals — contractors, equipment manufacturers, suppliers, scientists, and engineers — is dedicated to advancing groundwater knowledge. NGWA's vision is to be the leading groundwater association that advocates the responsible development, management, and use of water.
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Hey guys! I know many of you have been anxious to see the results to the giveaway. ;)
Now, before I move on to announcing the winner, I'd like to digress onto the past week and some very important thoughts!
Is Greg trying to make me look bad?! As many of you may already be aware, Greg is NOT Korean.
He wrote my mom a card in Korean, and the penmanship is way better than mine. I actually have to admit, this is darn cute! The second I saw this note I melted and giggled. So did the rest of my family. :P
The more adorable thing is that he didn't write the typical "happy mother's day", but he wrote "It's mother's day" instead--probably because it was easier for him haha.
Last night we had some mean Asado feast going on! Greg and my bro-in-law spent a while in the drafty weather grilling the meat.
Asado is basically Argentinean style BBQ. YUM!
We all enjoyed this time pampering my mom with service-- something she never receives simply because she doesn't allow herself to receive. She just doesn't let herself rest. Ah, rest....such an unknown phenomenon in our rushed culture. Yet, such an essential aspect of life for every human being.
I mean, even God wanted to rest after calling everything into existence. Of course, He didn't rest because He was fatigued from a long day of work, but simply because He desired to marvel at His own creation! *gasp*
Everyday I pray for my parents that they'll know God's love. They've always been such busy people people without ever taking a vacation for at least 20 long years.
I love them so much, I truly do...I pray that they will know what it means to rest in God's arms, and my daily hope is that they will rest physically as well as emotionally.
We were all so glad that mom was willing to be served last night! I honestly think that her love language is the language of service, despite her never admitting the fact.
Like I often mention, rest is so precious.
Time with our loved ones is incomparable to anything out there, and like I've once heard someone say, "It's not about how long we live, but how full we live." And this entails how we love others as we love ourselves.
Serving others--whether they're people we know or people we've just met--is infinitely better than serving ourselves.
As Jesus clearly stated, "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many..." -Matthew 20:28-
This is how I want to live my life--at least to the best of my abilities! :D
Pheww....thank you for bearing with me as I divulge my scattered thoughts, and now onto the winner!!!
The winner of this giveaway is....
Sophia from ravenwaves!!! Congratulations Sophia, you lovely girl! (I'm sorry guys, I tried and tried to get the results on the screen, but for some reason I couldn't get it to work. Remember? I'm terrible with any techy-related stuff. You'll just have to trust me on this one)
Sophia, I will be emailing you soon.
By the way, I have a nut butter recipe to share with you soon. ;)
What makes YOU feel the most loved?
How do you like to show appreciation to others?
Guess what this nut butter is.
Ellie <33


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Wednesday, December 8, 2004 - Page updated at 12:00 AM
Movie Review
"Blade:Trinity" is too much fang for the buck
Special to The Seattle Times
Given that this is the third film in the series, I thought they'd be running out of ideas by now, but that isn't the problem with "Blade: Trinity." Just the opposite. There's too many vampire plots and subplots here, and each is given short shrift.
Put it this way: If you're going to resurrect Dracula, give him some room.
For those who haven't seen the first two movies or read the Marvel comic book, Blade (Wesley Snipes) is a Daywalker: a half-human, half-vampire, who has all the strengths (recuperative powers, pointy teeth) and none of the weaknesses (garlic, sunlight) of a vampire.
Vampires, of course, want to rule the world (who doesn't?), but Blade's been protecting humans for years with his martial-arts moves and high-tech weaponry, which shatter fleeing vampires into dust. In the beginning of the film, he's killing them with such dispatch I began to root for the vampires.
Turns out it was just a trap set by vampire-CEO Danica Talos (Parker Posey, vamping oddly). She videotapes Blade killing a traitorous human, a "smear campaign" is launched against him, and the FBI hunts him down.
At the same time, she resurrects the original patriarch, Dracula (an uninspiring Dominic Purcell), to battle Blade. Since Blade is already in custody, and drugged, and surrounded by agents who are controlled by Talos, one wonders what the point is.
But then Blade breaks free — ah, there's the point! — and the FBI is forgotten. Now it's all set up for the final Dracula vs. Blade showdown. Oh, except for the subplot involving blood farms of humans — which should remind moviegoers of "Coma" or "Aliens" for the few minutes it's on screen. Then it, too, is forgotten.
All three "Blade" films have been written by David S. Goyer, but "Trinity" is the first he's directed. It's certainly better than the second, and the script is often tongue-in-cheek funny. Since Blade is the silent, glowering hero-type, most of the best lines go to former vampire victim Hannibal King (a pumped-up Ryan Reynolds), who, along with ass-kicking hottie Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel), leads a young band of humans fighting the vampires.
But haven't we seen it all before? Blade jumps and lands in a three-point crouch. Whistler's daughter adopts a martial-arts pose and then waggles her fingers in a "come and get me" motion. A trio of heroes walk toward the camera in slow motion.
Our obsession with style over substance is becoming pathological. When are we going to get sick of this stuff?
Erik Lundegaard: firstname.lastname@example.com
Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company


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Tanner writes,
>I am trying to see whether I can come up with a consistent anthropological
>conception of religion (as I understand you to be doing with you notion of a
>human concern with origins). I am trying to avoid ethnocentrically assuming
>that the European forms of 'religion' must embody the 'essence' of religion
>everywhere. At the same time I do not want to abandon totally the common
>anthropological cross-cultural useage of the term 'religion', although I am
>prepared to abandon part of what has been called religion in order to arrive
>at a consistent concept.
>I begin by asking what do the various cultural forms of belief and behaviour
>that are generally labelled 'religion' by anthropologists have in common.
>Since I am not going to assume in advance that they all must have something
>in common, I begin looking for what seems to be most widespread. As we all
>know, one of the common definitional items has to do with belief in
>supernatural or 'spiritual' entities. Both these terms give problems when
>looked at from a cross-cultural perspective which is sensitive to the
>specific context of particular beliefs. The significance of the fact that
>religious entities are called 'spirtual' or 'supernatural' (or however it is
>expressed) is to be understood in relation to other explanity principles or
>forces in the same culture. I am suggesting what they may have in common is
>that they (as believed-in entities with some kind of explanitory force)
>always seem to be 'hidden' or 'obscure', in relation to other, more
>'ordinary' explanitory principles common used and acted upon by people of
>the culture in question.
Overall, this approach feels very congenial to me. But turning to details,
when we talk about "spiritual" entities, what are we talking about? Let me
reiterate, for the third or fourth time, I think, that a good working
definition is entities invisible to the observer to whom the person
involved in "religious" activity behaves as though they were sentient and,
thus, able to participate in social relationships. Admittedly, this is
still rough and ready. What am I to make, for example, of Internet
communication, when I step outside myself and observe what I am doing?
There is also the fundamental question of whether a "consistent concept" is
what we ought to be looking for. Suppose, instead, that we assumed, as
Victor Turner did on largely Marxist and Freudian grounds, that all aspects
of human behavior are shot through with conflict and contradiction. Could
we be chasing a red herring?
John McCreery
3-206 Mitsusawa HT, 25-2 Miyagaya, Nishi-ku
Yokohama 220, JAPAN
"And the Lord said unto Cyrus, 'Shall the clay say to him who moldest it,
what makest thou? Let the potsherd of the earth speak to the potsherd of
the earth." --An anthropologist's credo


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Durham County
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Durham policing to come to head at City Council meeting
The group calling for the Durham City Council to oppose police-training partnerships with Israel, Demilitarize from Durham2Palestine, will hold a rally at City Hall before the council meets tonight.
A majority of the City Council is expected to endorse a statement written by Mayor Steve Schewel on behalf of the council issued on April 5 that said: "The council opposes international exchanges with any country in which Durham officers receive military-style training since such exchanges do not support the kind of policing we want here in the City of Durham."
A memo from Police Chief Cerelyn "C.J." Davis referenced in the statement says, "There has been no effort while I have served as chief of police to initiate or participate in any exchange to Israel, nor do I have any intention to do so."
A petition from Demilitarize from Durham2Palestine asks the City Council to pass a resolution.
"We are members of Durham's community committed to peace and justice from Durham to Palestine," it states. "We want to live in a Durham that ensures true collective safety for all, and so we demand that the City of Durham immediately halt any partnerships that the Durham Police Department has or might enter into with the Israeli Defense Forces and/or the Israel Police."
The petition is supported by Jewish Voice for Peace, Durham for All, Abrahamic Initiative on the Middle East, Black Youth Project 100 - Durham Chapter, Inside Outside Alliance, Muslim American Public Affairs Council, Muslims for Social Justice, SpiritHouse, Students for Justice in Palestine at Duke University and Students for Justice in Palestine at UNC Chapel Hill.
But the council is not scheduled to vote on the petition, according to Monday night's agenda. The public can comment at the meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in Durham City Hall downtown.
And at the April 5 meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Jillian Johnson said: "It's important to note that Mayor Schewel's statement is significantly different from the original petition we received on this issue, which I signed. The original petition from the "Demilitarize Durham to Palestine" campaign included language linking violent policing in the U.S. to tactics of the Israeli police and military."
Johnson said she does not believe that "it is inherently anti-Semitic to criticize Israeli policies and practice, just as I don't believe it's anti-American to criticize the practices of the U.S. military and police, which I do often."
Anti-Defamation League, rabbis, police group response
Seven Triangle rabbis have told the council they oppose the petition, calling it biased and bad policy. It was signed by Rabbi Larry Bach of Judea Reform Congregation; Rabbi Zalman Bluming of Chabad of Durham and Chapel Hill; Rabbi Daniel Greyber, Rabbi Jerry Fox and Rabbi Steven Sager of Beth El Synagogue; Rabbi Lucy Dinner of Temple Beth Or and Rabbi Eric Solomon of Beth Meyer Synagogue.
After the April 5 statement, the council received a letter from the Anti-Defamation League's Washington, D.C., Regional Director Doron F. Ezickson who calls Jewish Voice for Peace "a small and unrepresentative group whose fiercely anti-Israel organizational views are overwhelmingly rejected by the larger Jewish community, its institutions, and leaders."
The letter also questions the petition's language.
"Far from training that 'helps the police terrorize black and brown communities,' ADL's law enforcement programs, including those in Israel, are designed to equip officers with the knowledge, understanding, and sense of accountability necessary to help safeguard all of our communities and ensure that our civil rights and liberties are rigorously protected," Ezickson wrote.
The Fraternal Order of Police Durham County Lodge #2 also wrote to the council stating its "profound opposition" to the petition, saying it serves "to push their anti-police agenda."
What council members say
Council members Vernetta Alston, Mark-Anthony Middleton and Javiera Caballero all said they plan to endorse the council statement at tonight's meeting.
Council member DeDreana Freeman said the statement is "very symbolic in a Black Lives Matter sort of way."
Council member Charlie Reece, in an email to a resident, said he agrees with Schewel 'that sending our police officers overseas to receive military-style training does not make Durham safer, no matter what country hosts such training." Reece also said that "contrary to what you may have heard, the city of Durham has no program for sending our police officers overseas to train with the military of any foreign country."
Also on Monday, the People's Alliance, which has a political action committee that endorsed Schewel, Reece, Johnson, Alston, Freeman and Caballero, sent a letter to the council supporting "the campaign led by Triangle Jewish Voice for Peace to preclude any collaboration between the Durham Police Department and the Israeli Defense Forces."
"We strongly support the message in Mayor Schewel's statement that 'The council opposes international exchanges with any country in which Durham officers receive military-style training since such exchanges do not support the kind of policing we want here in the City of Durham," the letter said.
The letter from the People's Alliance goes on to "ask the City Council to act on that message and pass a resolution that clearly expresses the city's commitment to pursue community safety without resort to the kind of military tactics used by Israeli police against Palestinians."
The rally at 6 p.m. at City Hall, called "The People Demand: Demilitarize the Police! from Durham to Gaza," precedes the council meeting at 7 p.m. The meeting will also include recognition of the N.C. Central University men's basketball team and public hearings on the agenda.
Look for a report from the Durham City Council meeting Monday night at heraldsun.com.


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"Movement" by Nancy FuldaMay 24, 2012 at 2:39 am | Posted in Short Stories | 1 Comment
Tags: Hugo Awards, Nancy Fulda
This is the third of five short stories nomianted for this year's Hugo award. Originally published in Asimov's, for now at least it is freely available on the author's web site.
The people around you say you have a mental disability and want to "fix" you, but you don't agree. That's a bad situation, and it serves as the premise of "Movement". Hannah is a girl growing up in the not-entirely-near future whose parents want to cure her of her sort-of-autistism. I say "sort-of" because the author has apparently invented an imaginary variant of autism for the story, something I feel weakens a story of this kind. No matter how successful the story is in making us reconsider our preconceptions about the character's condition, it will have only convinced us about "temporal autism", not autism as it actually exists. It's not easy to talk about a story like this, since I personally don't have any personal experience with autism and there are a lot of people online who do, including many who have reviewed this story already. Then again, I've seen examples of such people reacting to the story both very positively and very negatively. And as someone who rarely thinks about autism under normal circumstances, I suppose I'm really the intended audience for the story more than they are. Unfortunately I lean toward the negative camp.
My guess is that those in favor would say that stories that force us to confront issues like this, and especially those that enable us to empathize with those who think differently, are very valuable. I agree to a point, but any discussion of an autism cure makes me think of those families I have known dealing with schizophrenia. What do you do if a schizophrenic refuses to take anti-psychotic medication and cannot function as a result? The obvious objection here is that autism is extremely different from schizophrenia, and that's true, but saying that is acknowledging that the specifics matter, and that when you change the specifics (say, from autism to "temporal autism") then you might well change the answer.
Since I approach these questions this way, "Movement" left me cold, because the argument it makes is fundamentally an emotionally one. Viewed analytically, it actually advances two separate arguments. One of them is summed up metaphorically by the protagonist:
"No new shoes," I say. "I couldn't dance the same in new shoes."
What this seems to be saying is that who-I-am-now is me, and that if you change who I am, I am no longer me, I am someone else. This is problematic. It seems equally effective as an argument against treating disorders like schizophrenia or even intoxication. Worse, it's grounded in assumptions that are not true either biologically or philosophically. We are always changing, a fact repeatedly brought up in "Movement" but never taken to the obvious conclusion: there's no point trying to defend the status quo because the status quo is an illusion. Everything is changing, so we must weigh which changes are desirable and which are not, presumably by their anticipated outcomes.
The story's other argument is along these lines. Early on, a neurological specialist has this to say about the prospects of a patient with "temporal autism":
Without treatment, some children like Hannah develop into extraordinary individuals. They become famous, change the world, learn to integrate their abilities into the structures of society. But only a very few are that lucky. The others never learn to make friends, hold a job, or live outside of institutions.
At the end of the story, Hannah's monologue takes this as her final justification for refusing treatment:
I do not want to live small. I do not want to be like everyone else, ignorant of the great rush of time, trapped in frantic racing sentences. I want something else, something that I cannot find a word for.
If we take this argument further than the story's brief summation, it seems to be saying that Hannah's way of seeing the world is capable of generating unique insights, insights she would be denied if she was like everyone else. There's an implicit utilitarian justification that while the chances are low, the payoff is great, making it worth the attempt. Temporal autism is like a lottery ticket, apparently, and if you win, you become a world-historical figure. If you lose, though, you're not just out a few bucks, you live in an institution for the rest of your life. One is tempted to quibble with the specialist's assertion, for surely we all have some small chance of becoming famous and changing the world? But even if we take it for granted, it's a brutal argument. For those with the philosophical fortitude to relentlessly follow a utility function wherever it leads, it might make sense to seize on this small chance, but few live their lives that way. Most of us would rather avoid suffering the likely huge loss even if that means we miss out on that tiny chance of an even larger win.
There are probably excellent arguments against cures for autism, especially given the track record of "cures" in the history of mental health treatment, but I suspect most of them involve patient's rights, not low probability outcomes (deontological instead of consequentialist reasoning, if you want to be technical). As for "Movement", despite the fact I was unconvinced, it's both well-written and thought-provoking, which is at least enough to elevate it over the Resnick and Scalzi stories it shares the ballot with (separated from them by "No Award"). Although I've read all the stories already, however, I'm still undecided as to how to rank this story and the remaining two I have yet to review.
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Article by Ashley Fahey and originally appeared on Charlotte Business Journal January
The long-anticipated opening of the Blue Line Extension now has a date.
During Charlotte City Council's dinner meeting on Monday, Charlotte Area Transit System CEO John Lewis announced that the first day of revenue service for the light-rail line's second leg will be Friday, March 16.. The Blue Line Extension will open two weeks ahead of the Federal Transit Administration's grant agreement deadline of March 31 and will come in under budget, Lewis said.
The $1.2 billion Blue Line Extension is adding 9.3 miles and 11 stations to the existing north-south line. It will run from uptown to UNC Charlotte, starting from the 7th Street Station, then heading north into neighborhoods including Optimist Park, NoDa and University City before terminating at UNC Charlotte.
Federal grants are funding half of the Blue Line Extension's construction cost while local and state government are each funding 25%.
The extension, which began construction in 2014, has already spurred development along the line, similar to the real estate momentum seen over the past 10 years along the original 10-mile line from Pineville into uptown. About $350 million in development is so far completed, proposed or under construction along the extension, according to a November estimate from CATS.
Pre-revenue service testing is scheduled to begin the week of Jan. 21, including simulated service from the I-485 Station to the UNC Charlotte Main Station, according to CATS. Light-rail vehicles will stop at all stations during that time, but stations will not be open to the public until March 16.
Also this month, CATS will perform two emergency drills, including a bridge evacuation drill in conjunction with the Charlotte Fire Department and a full-scale emergency exercise.
The Blue Line Extension was originally expected to begin service in August 2017. But last February, Lewis told City Council that there wasn't enough time to complete all required testing to open the extension by the summer.


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Megan & Paul Hawkins
- When was the Wedding?
Friday December 18th 2015. The weather had been awful leading up to the wedding day, but on the day it was dry and quite mild for the time of year and the sun even shone for a little while.
- Where was the Wedding/Reception?
We had the whole day at Dudsbury Golf Club. Sarah the Wedding Co-Ordinator and her team were amazing. We had the ceremony, reception and evening do in Bentley's Restaurant and we had use of The Brabant Suite for the in between bits. The drinks were flowing, the food was delicious and then all the guests danced the evening away.
- How did you meet, and how was the Proposal?
We both worked for the same company, but in different branches. We met at a regional Christmas party. Paul was actually introduced to my friend, who was far too drunk to even realise Paul was stood in front of her. So I took pity on him and started to talk to him, and a week later I tricked him into asking me out. The proposal was on Good Friday 2013. I had been in Bath all day with my friends and when Paul picked me up from the train station, he told me he had done me an Easter egg hunt at home. There were several clues and Crème Eggs, but the last clue led me to an Easter egg that had "Meg will you marry me?" iced on it.
- What was your most exciting moment?
Just before I was about to walk down the aisle. The doors opened and I heard You Raise Me Up on the piano and that's when it hit me. It was a mixture of excitement and nerves.
- Where did you Honeymoon?
We haven't had out honeymoon yet. We are going to Disney World and Key Largo in the Spring.
- What gown did you wear? Which accessories did you have? and What Suits did the groom wear?
I wore a beautiful Victoria Kay ivory ball gown style dress. The skirt had several layers and the top layer was tulle. The top was tastefully decorated with lace and jewels and had a sweetheart neckline. I wore a Linzi Jay fingertip length veil and tiara. The veil had lovely delicate detail along the edge which went really well with the pearls and gems on the tiara. My shoes were navy blue, my something blue.
Paul wore the Peter Posh Hinstock tails suit, with the Beau Monde Silver Rhapsody waistcoat and navy blue cravat.
- Did you have a theme/colour scheme?
Our colour scheme was navy blue. We didn't have a theme but the room was decorated so beautifully, it looked like a magical winter wonderland.
- What was the size of your bridal party and what did they wear?
I had my two best friends, Katie and Emma as my Maids of Honour, my niece Olivia as my Bridesmaid and my niece Amie and our best friends daughter Ella, as my Flower Girls. Katie, Emma and Olivia wore navy blue, knee length chiffon dresses from Monsoon and Amie and Ella wore ivory satin and tulle dresses from BHS.
- For all the other couples tying the knot, do you have any advice?
It's your day! Make sure that both of you are happy, that's the most important thing. Make sure you take some time just the two of you to stand still and take it all in. I was given so much different advice by people, look here, do this, stand there etc. but on the day, all of that went out of the window and I just went with it. Try not to overthink things and relax – as much as you can!
- Tell us about your experience at Isobel's Bridal & Groom!
I first went to Isobel's in May 2014. I had been to several shops before and had tried on so many dresses. I picked out some dresses to try on but none of them were what I wanted, at this point I was starting to get a bit fed up. Amy picked out a dress for me to try on, and I knew it was the one when I walked out of the changing room and my mum cried! I stared at myself in the mirror for ages, I loved it!! Thank you Amy!
It was a long time before I went back for my first fitting, 17 months! But Amy still remembered me and that's when I met Linette who helped with my fittings. Both ladies were lovely, they were regular people. They weren't stuck up or snobby and made me feel really comfortable every time I went in.
We went straight to Isobel's when we were sorting the suits, Paul was particularly fussy about the waistcoat but Aron was great and was really helpful and patient. When the men had their fittings it was all so easy and straightforward.
Venue – Dudsbury Golf Club
Photographer – Dave Jackson Photography
Bridesmaids – Monsoon
Flower Girls - BHS
Flowers – Flaura's Boutique
Cake - Marks & Spencer
Invitations – Bride & Groom Direct
Hair & Make Up – Sally from Blushing Brides
DJ – Party Dexx
Pianist – Cornel Oprea Music
Rings – H. Samuels


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Needles in a IT Haystack
By: Matt Shanklin LinkedIn   |
Categories: IT Asset Management
Editor Note: This article was written by a guest author, Ilan Justh, a renowned IT Asset Manager and Software Licensing expert. Mr. Justh works with companies of all types and sizes, providing them with the advice and guidance they need to reduce risk, cut IT costs, boost productivity, and optimize the value of their technology systems.
What do you do when you have been tasked with finding all the needles in a BIG corporate haystack? You grab a strong magnet and get to work.
In 2004, I was hired as the first asset manager at a major art institute. My first task was to create a master CMDB of every technical asset owned. First, I had to determine what needed to be tracked. I met with the network team, a telecom representative, and my direct manager. We decided that peripheral devices like mice and microphones, as well as monitors, would not be included, since they were less expensive to replace than to repair if they broke down. That left only CPUs, printers, and select externals like scanners to inventory. While the telecom group opted out, the network team wanted us to log their servers, routers, switches, hubs, etc.
Some data did exist, but it was incomplete and inaccurate. However, it gave us an idea of how many computers we should expect to find, and how many desktop techs would be available to help. Luckily, our vendor contract included a clause that allowed us to run an annual inventory (I highly recommend this for anyone with a master contract, as long as the fees are not exorbitant).
Next, we needed to define what data should be collected as assets were found. Those working PCs that were connected to the network were already reporting their internal information (memory size and type, disk information, software applications and patching levels) via a software agent. This presented a HUGE time savings for us, since data would only need to be gathered from the few lab or non-networked units. We planned to accomplish this by creating survey floppies and memory sticks.
Presuming the data collected was accurate, we produced a CPU master list that included only Windows-based units. DOS, MAC, and UNIX machines would be manually added, due to limitations in our software inventory package. As stated earlier, assigned techs would boot up all stand-alone systems, and manually gather information using floppies and memory sticks. To avoid affecting end users, work was done over weekends with a four-person staff. We estimated it would take five minutes per machine (although many units would probably be completed faster), and hoped to avoid access issues by asking each affected area to clear away any toys, plants, and papers.
Since we already had an approximate count, I was able to create area sub-totals for the four survey sites. I was also able to create a master schedule/calendar, by determining how much work could be done (150 to 200 computers per day, 300 to 400 per weekend), and how to split that work up logically, to prevent traveling between buildings, or to and from sites outside home campus.
As the search began, each team leader received a master list that indicated what they would need to find in their region, in the allotted time. We also provided extra asset labels, in case they found items without tags, or tagged assets that weren't in inventory. Of course, both were found (in this scenario, I recommend investigating further to determine if the items were purchased without following protocol, so similar situations can be prevented in the future). For the sake of speed and accessibility, bar codes were printed on each label, and teams were given handheld scanners. We even got a few mirrors with extension wands, to see behind devices that were difficult to move.
Senior management had already signed off on this project. But now, information had to pass down to departmental managers, who – since we would be visiting every machine they oversaw – needed to know dates, effort, intent, risk and fall back, as well as who they should contact with questions.
We also got approval for our notification message, which instructed each user to turn their machine off, and provide their BIOS logins, network IDs, and other passwords (in case we had to turn the unit on). Systems for which we were not able to gather passwords would be accessed as needed via system administration tools.
Because we would be "touching" every single machine, we considered embarking on other activities (such as security assessments of lab machines that house highly sensitive data), but determined that the scope was too great and the risk too high. We simply noted those machines for management, with the offer to help with risk and security in the future.
Equipment was scanned, or manually read when necessary. Items without tags got new barcode labels, and were logged on blank asset report sheets. If they were already on the master list, they were checked off. Secondary devices were noted as child assets to parent computers. Printers had their physical locations shown and their queue names noted (when network-connected). We also kept blueprint maps, which came in handy during a follow-up printer-related project.
Data was then logged into our CMDB, to keep it as up-to-date as possible. We concentrated on correcting discrepancies, and establishing the associations between child and parent devices.
Months later, the process was complete. We discovered over 6,100 units, with 80 devices still not found. Our next task was to locate them. We wondered if they had been disposed of. After reviewing reports from our data disposal firm, many missing items had, in fact, been removed – bringing the number of lost devices to 40 or 50. Next, we looked at information we already had about those units, such as ownership or location. Users were contacted, and luckily, many knew what happened. In most cases, the users disposed of them on their own, or stored them as emergency backups. Since stored PCs would still be considered "deployed", and would count under our vendor contract, we informed the users that spares were already available for them. We then took the units back, and rendered them obsolete.
Now, we had just about a dozen missing units. We visited technician work areas, and discovered old machines stashed away. We marked these units as "stored", rather then "deployed".
My last attempt to find these missing items raised a few eyebrows! I performed a Google desktop search, looking through email archives and network storage. Be careful if you attempt this, there are privacy and security issues involved, and it can create a lot of network traffic. Sure enough, I learned that a few units had been taken by former employees, and one printer had been borrowed by a publicist in New York.
Ultimately, we were left with just seven lost devices. Fortunately, none of these were considered valuable – one was an ancient printer, and the rest were 15-inch monitors.
In the end, we created a solid baseline, ensuring that future inventory changes would be compared against an accurate database. We learned how many computers existed, and reduced our support contract. We identified all printers, so we could make smarter deployment decisions. And, we counted all notebooks and desktops, which improved our ability to track implementation and assess risk.
The data center team was amazed by the help it provided. Since they knew nothing about their servers (location, software, etc.), the advantages of our work were hard to quantify. We knew it would benefit backups, risk assessment, load balancing, contracts, and usage, but the dollar value of the knowledge obtained was something they had to see for themselves. Although it was scary that they didn't already have much of the information we delivered, the manager was extremely thankful. And me? I won an award for the successful completion of this project!
About Matt Shanklin
Read more articles by Matt


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Look! Enjoy! Take!
With several physical disabilities I have been pleasantly sidetracked creating fun and silly word art. I am having a blast and am excited to share! All of my digital artwork is free to anyone who would like to use it. I would love to see your creativity if you decide to use my art. Leave me a comment or email me at email@example.com. Please give credit to me if you use it on your blog. Donations are extremely appreciated.
Just click on pictures to download.
Make sure you check out my Terms of Use.
Just click on pictures to download.
Make sure you check out my Terms of Use.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
3 comments:
Wonderful WA- super cute. Thank you very much!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 12, 2010 at 11:38 PM
Thank you for freebies. Link on your post was added to Lori's freebie listReplyDelete
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Thank you! Your blog post will be advertised on the DigiFree Digital Scrapbooking Freebie search engine today (look for timestamp: 12 Jan [LA 09:37pm] - 13 Jan [NY 12:37am, UK 05:37am, OZ 04:37pm] ).ReplyDelete
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Under the Dome
Congressional Black Caucus starts new drive to diversify the tech sector
The Congressional Black Caucus this month kicked off a new effort to boost the number of African-Americans working in the tech industry.
"America has yet to unlock the full potential of innovation because of the lack of African American representation in the technology industry," Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a North Carolina Democrat and chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said at the CBC Tech 2020 launch in Washington.
Google's first diversity report, released last May, showed that only 2 percent of the company's workers were black, and that its workforce was heavily white (61 percent) and male (70 percent).
The company said when it released the report that it had a long way to go on diversity, and that going public with the numbers was part of an effort to "recruit and develop the world's most talented and diverse people."
Other diversity reports from the tech sector followed in 2014, showing, for example, that African Americans make up 2 percent of U.S. employees at Facebook, 1 percent of tech jobs at Twitter, and 2 percent of employees at Yahoo.
"We are confident that if the industry uses the same entrepreneurial spirit it used to make America the leader in innovation, tech companies can certainly implement innovative approaches to African American inclusion," Butterfield said at the event.
The Wilson, N.C., lawmaker said that there were many qualified African Americans with degrees in marketing, engineering, accounting, law and computer science who were ready to go to work in the tech sector.
He asked the tech company representatives at the meeting and others watching the event streamed on the Internet to take the "2020 Tech Pledge" on the new tech page of the Congressional Black Caucus web site, promising to hire more African Americans.
Butterfield said a first step would be for tech companies to host job fairs in "targeted CBC member districts to recruit people where they are."


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Dear reader,
A new year started and many people make new years resolutions. I think I never did. Probably because I'm a rather stubborn person who pretty much does what she wants on any given date, be it the 1st of January or the 18th of June.
And maybe because the winter time - according to the 5 Elements - is the time of deep sleep and recuperation, of inward looking, silence, resting and letting the chips fall as they may. Its the utmost Yin time of the year where nature is sleeping. There is very little activity - and for a good reason.
We live in a Yang enough world in which we always have to do things, achieve, be the best, push ourselves. And although this is necessary at times - and these impulses come quite naturally during spring and summer time - winter is the time to rest and let go. So you won't hear any 'Go get'em Tiger!' slogans from me at this time of the year! :)
However - one big thing has changed over the past few weeks: I decided to change the name of 'the thing I'm doing'. For the lack of a better word I have used the term Feng Shui over the past 12 years but always felt that the term isn't exactly accurate.
So - tadaaaa! - from now on 'the thing I do' is officially called 'Inner Space Design'!
In fact, Inner Space Design is a term I coined many years ago but never used it officially to describe my business. To my knowledge, there is no SEO so far with that term and I was afraid that I would disappear in the unfathomable underworlds of Google forever if I would use this term instead of Feng Shui.
Yet this term feels so much more accurate to describe my work. While I still use many tools from the classical Feng Shui (those aspects that make sense to me and my clients) I also incorporate a more analytical and holistic point of view.
Being a student of classical homeopathy for the past three years I am deeply drawn to the intrinsic nature of people. A home is always a reflection of its owner, her or his 'third skin'. As a homeopath I want to see WHY a situation is as it is. Why is it that a person feels he or she does not have enough money? Why does a person live in a unhappy marriage? Do you seriously think that placing a couple of love ducks in a specific corner will solve the problem of a troubled partnership? Or a three-legged frog will solve all your money problems? This may make you feel good for a moment and may give you hope (and there is nothing wrong with that!) but to me this is more like taking a pain killer which will work temporarily but wont resolve the actual cause of the pain. (I like the analogy of the red warning light in a car - unscrewing it may make you think the car is alright, but it won't be!)
There is always a connection, a red thread that is woven into our personal history. And when one learns to listen and observe, in kindness and respect for the other person, if one really wants to help the other person to connect important dots in their life and see the red thread, a lot of healing can happen.
So what exactly is Inner Space Design?
As a space is always a reflection of those who live in it, it tells me many things. Every house develops its own relationship with its owners. Our own energy is deeply ingrained into the energetic fabric of our home. our home breathes our energy! (It may also still breathe the energy of its former owners which can lead to problems sometimes - but that's another story that I am happy to write another blog about one day)
If our home doesn't work for us for some reason and we can't put our finger on it it is a bit like feeling unwell but we may not know exactly why. We may be constantly tired or we not sleep well. Many things could be the reason for this but one thing is for sure: popping a pill that makes us feel better for a few hours will not solve the real problem!
Similarly we may try to alter the energy of our space by buying the latest trends in kitchen design, that cool sofa that looked great on Pinterest or the new colour that ELLE Decor promised us was Le denier cri. And while there is nothing wrong with all these things, they won't make you happy unless they truly resonate with that core essence of YOU!
So who are you? What does your soul desire? What makes your heart jump or melt? Maybe its the early morning sun playing with the shadows of the leaved on the tree outside your bedroom window? The early morning birds that make you so deeply happy when you wake up and tell you 'this is a beautiful day!' Maybe there is a painting you have been feeling deeply drawn to but you thought was too expensive to buy. Maybe there is a very sensual person hiding inside which never got enough space to flourish? Or maybe you are living that side but feel that it is time to do some deep inner work?
Whatever it is - our home will reflect it - either as an energy that is already there or a lack thereof. Or maybe its an old part of you you want to let go of and that needs to leave your home too?
I hope that my new approach speaks to you. I have implemented quite a few aspects of it in my course program and am in the midst of developing a whole new program which will be called 'My Soul DNA' .
But for now I will finish this lengthy blog and thank you for your interest!
My very best wishes for you,


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No sooner had I finished the hedges, it was back up that ladder again – fruit trees this time. In the Walled Garden, we have a variety of espalier, fan-trained, pillar and free-
standing apples, pears and plums, some, we think, dating back to when the garden was originally planted around the 1850's. All have to be hand-pruned with secateurs each year, as otherwise their tops will become too heavy and they will succumb to high winds. They would also become less fruitful, putting their energy into growth and not flower, and I don't fancy teetering on yet higher ladders to reach the prize! That said, some varieties are clearly on more vigorous rootstocks than others, judging by the amount of growth they put on each year, ranging from almost none to 60cm plus.
Incidentally, we only do an annual winter prune, although the books tell you to do a summer prune too; time doesn't allow this, but it doesn't appear to affect the productivity of the trees.
And yes, it's fiddly and time-consuming, you get cold feet and hands even if you're wearing warm socks and gloves but it's worth it in May when they all come to life, one after the other – a mass of white and pink scented blooms followed by just the freshest apple-green foliage.


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Maxi Prep cDNA contamination - (Apr/01/2009 )
In our department here we have been setting up a PCR lab, for over a year now, and have run into a major problem with cDNA contamination-it just seemed to keep spreading and spreading no matter what we did, I have been reading numerous blogs here and getting tips and I think we finally have it under control.
The problem I have is that we prepared a Maxi-prep and I seem to have contaminated it with cDNA-we do what we call an 'elegant negative' where we do a PCR and use primers that shoudnt work on the plasmid, it worked a month ago but with the amount of contamination we had we wanted to repeat it before we took the next step. Is there anyway I can clean-up the plasmid without having to redo the Maxi-prep???
Try running your plasmid on a gel.
Extract it from the gel and then redo the PCR.
Given the sensitivity of PCR, I think it is unlikely that a gel purificaton will remove template contamination. Perhaps it is worth a try.


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No there is no way for a message to be lost or left in the queue. If there is a problem sending the messages between the instances then the messages will back log on the source instance until the problem is resolved.
Register Hereor login if you are already a member


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Retire? As a small business owner? Yes, this is entirely possible and easier than you might think with a little bit of patience and a lot of planning. Read to find out how you can feel confident about successfully retiring from your small business.
Retire? As a small business owner? Yes, this is entirely possible and easier than you might think with a little bit of patience and a lot of planning. Read to find out how you can feel confident about successfully retiring from your small business.
Are you uneasy about the thought of retiring? Whether or not you are planning on retiring from your business soon, life is unpredictable and you should have a retirement plan and healthy savings built up.
The road through life as an entrepreneur is bumpy and unpaved. You might not have the same path as people who work a 9 to 5 job, but you can still retire as a small business owner. This concept might seem strange and unobtainable for you, especially if you aren't as young as you used to be and haven't thought about how to be comfortable leaving your business.
Retirement as a Small Business Owner Might Look Very Different
As a business owner, there is no one above you to hold your hand. Unless you took over your business and started out as an employee with a retirement plan already established and you are confident it will continue to be profitable until you die, you'll need to develop an alternative retirement plan.
If you're particularly good with numbers and smart about gambling, you could learn to invest in the stock market and live off your earnings once you retire. You could also live off your social security and current savings. But these aren't reliable plans for everyone, so here are some more feasible retirement plans for entrepreneurs.
Set Goals For Yourself and Your Business
The easiest way to plan for retirement is to save money. You may not be 20 anymore, just starting out in the world with little financial responsibility and decades to save, but it's never too late to start. Determine how much you can realistically live on once you retire. Set savings goals with a financial advisor and start today.
Also set goals for your business. Set a timeline for retirement and how you plan on letting go. Do you have a younger business partner who can buy you out or take over? Do you plan to sell to a new owner? Will you pass on your business to family? Or do you want to just close up shop and sell your assets? Any of these are acceptable – decide what plan is best for you.
Decide Which Retirement Investment Plan is Best For You
There are many different investment options for you as an employer. From Simplified Employee Pensions (SEPs) to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and 401(k) plans, educate yourself on your different options and which sounds like the best fit for you and your company. The IRS has a handy comparison chart for all kinds of plans. They also have a guide for calculating your own contributions as a self-employed individual. Take a look and talk it over with your business financial advisor.
For information about Opportunity Fund's small business loans, please contact us at 866-299-8173 or email@example.com. For questions about your existing loan or other customer service questions, please contact us at 866-299-8173 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Loans are subject to credit review. Additional documentation may be required for credit approval. We are an Equal Opportunity Lender. Loans will be made or arranged pursuant to California Department of Corporations Finance Lenders License #6050609.
Opportunity Fund is tackling economic inequality so that hard work and perseverance means a shot at getting ahead, not just struggling to get by. Our programs are supported by a community of donors and investors whose contributions help to fund small businesses, support college students, and build stronger families and vibrant neighborhoods. Since 1994, the team has deployed $600 million and helped 20,000 families earn, save and invest in their own futures. Opportunity Fund has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent charity evaluator, for our commitment to accountability and transparency.
Visit us online at http://opportunityfundloan.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter


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The Ingredient: Sweet, Aromatic Soy Sauce (Fu Zhi Jiang You)
My friend Yu Bo sent me this recipe, after I begged him for it. The spices can be varied; Yu Bo told me many Sichuanese cooks would also include small amounts of licorice root (gan cao) and dried "sand ginger" (shan nai, more commonly called kaempferia galangal) but I like it with star anise and extra heat. I usually make a batch four or six times the size of the recipe, just to have it around. I use it as an ingredient in anything requiring sweet soy or as a dip for dumplings or roasted Chinese barbecue, or as a sauce for noodles. This stuff is meant to be played with in the kitchen and once you have it on hand, you will try it on everything. I even drizzle some on fried eggs. READ MORE »
See More of Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures
Related: Fast, Cheap & Delicious Asian Noodles
Favorite Chinese Dishes
Delicious Condiments


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YADI University / Music / Mixtapes / Curren$y – 3 Piece Set / A Closed Session
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Tagged: 3, a, closed, curren$y, currensy, piece, session, set
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Under the Dome
Farm Bill votes rise as 2nd District campaign issue
U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers' campaign is making a quick adjustment to face a new 2nd District challenger, her Republican colleague U.S. Rep. George Holding of Raleigh.
This week, Ellmers campaign spokesman Patrick Sebastian said the farming interests are important in the redrawn district, and brought up Holding's vote against the Farm Bill in 2014.
Holding voted against the Farm Bill because "special interests in D.C. told him to," Sebastian said. The bill passed both chambers, ending a two-year standoff.
Ellmers "voted for farmers," Sebastian said.
In an interview, Holding said he voted for the original House version, but voted against the conference bill that came back because the Senate had removed some of the "good" reforms, such as those to food stamp funding.
"I didn't have a single farmer tell me they were disappointed (in my vote)," Holding said.