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Strategic Move Will Build Upon Leadership Positions in Retail, Correspondent and Warehouse Lending
CALABASAS, Calif., Oct 05, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) —
Bank of America Home Loans will exit the first mortgage wholesale channel to focus more operational resources toward fulfillment capacity for its leading direct-to-consumer retail channel, helping existing and new customers obtain mortgage financing. Bank of America will also devote additional resources toward enhancing its leadership positions in correspondent and warehouse lending. The exit will be completed following an orderly transition of loans currently in process.
"By exiting the first mortgage wholesale channel, we can redirect critical operational resources to further enhance our capabilities in direct-to-consumer channels," said Barbara Desoer, president of Bank of America Home Loans. "This is an investment in strengthening our competitive position by delivering on the services our mortgage customers expect from Bank of America."
Bank of America holds a prominent share in retail mortgage originations, with 22 percent of the retail market in 2009, according to Inside Mortgage Finance (IMF). Bank of America's share of the first mortgage wholesale channel was 8 percent in 2009. Conversely, Bank of America was the leading participant in the correspondent mortgage channel, with nearly 26 percent market share, according to IMF.
"Bank of America remains committed to purchasing and financing loans from Correspondent Lending clients, including those approved to originate loans from mortgage brokers," said Doug Jones, president of Bank of America Institutional Mortgage Services. "We intend to build upon our leadership position in that market to provide enhanced liquidity to the smaller financial institutions and independent mortgage companies that supply mortgages as our correspondent clients."
Associates impacted by the exit from the first mortgage wholesale channel will have the opportunity for redeployment to other Bank of America Home Loans units, including direct-to-consumer operational units that are helping Bank of America customers take advantage of historically low rates to purchase new homes or refinance existing homes. Associates will also have the opportunity to transfer to other Bank of America Home Loans units, including Correspondent and Warehouse Lending, Retail Sales and teams serving the needs of distressed borrowers.
Bank of America will work closely with its first mortgage wholesale clients to ensure that loans currently in the pipeline are fulfilled and processed for consumers.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 57 million consumer and small business relationships with 5,900 retail banking offices, more than 18,000 ATMs and award-winning online banking with 29 million active users. Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in more than 40 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
SOURCE: Bank of America
Reporters May Contact: Dan Frahm, Jumana Bauwens or Rick Simon, 1.800.796.8448 firstname.lastname@example.com© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.


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The beautiful hill station Munnar is a crown for Kerala Tourism. It has been recently ranked Asia's second best travel destinations by renowned travel guide, TripAdvisor.
Online PR News – 15-May-2010 – – Lagging behind only to Japan's Tokyo, the serene hill station http://www.hillstationsinindia.com/ of Munnar has been voted as the second-best travel destination in the world, for the year 2010, by the Massachusetts-based research website & travel guide, TripAdvisor. This picturesque hill station of Kerala is followed by Siem Reap of Cambodia and Kyoto & Naha of Japan rounding off the top five spot in the Traveler's Choice Destination awards.
Surrounding by sprawling tea plantations Munnar ( http://www.hillstationsinindia.com/south-india-hill-stations/munnar.html ) is situated between three mountains; Nallathanni, Kundala and Muthipuzza. Its mountains, tea gardens, pristine valleys and cold climate have together made it a favorite Indian and foreign tourist destination.
Speaking on this occasion the Kerala Tourism secretary Dr Venu said, "Millions of travelers rely on the TripAdvisor for travel guidance. We are thrilled and at the same time quiet humbled that Munnar has been voted by travelers this year. This award is particularly meaningful to us since as they are decided by the travelers themselves."
While Munnar has been a favorite amongst both Indian and international tourists, the hill station has recently started attracting adventure travelers as well. The region's geographical topography makes it an ideal destination for trekking, paragliding and rock climbing. Apart from this, the Eravikulam National Park located in 'God's Own Country' is home to an variety of rare & endangered wildlife like the Nilgiri Tahr (ibex), the ruddy mongoose and over 120 species of bird.
For Kerala/Munnar Hill Stations Tour & Travel Services Call on 91-9212777223/24/25 or visit http://www.hillstationsinindia.com/ http://www.tourmyindia.com/states/kerala/index.html

subset: commoncrawl


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On Saturday 28 June, 2014, the dancers performed at Canary Wharf as part of the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival (GDIF). This fantastic event showcased the best of youth dance from across the Capital. The rain held off (just!) to enable the dancers to perform their contemporary/jazz piece, 'No Woman No Cry'. They also took part in high energy dance workshop (led by myself!) to learn the moves for a top secret Big Dance event taking place in London very soon!
We also had the chance to watch professional ballet company, Ballet Black, perform as part of the GDIF. They performed a beautiful excerpt from Two of a Kind, choreographed by Christopher Marney. A wonderful chance to see them perform again. Overall, a great day was had by all!


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We know you take meticulous care of your pearly whites. You avoid sugar-rich food, you brush your teeth unerringly twice a day, and you floss with almost religious fervor.
In fact, you could be a role model for many people out there who either partially, or worse, not at all follow the dental hygiene practices recommended by dentists.
While your oral hygiene routine may be commendable, if you are leading a lifestyle full of stress, all your good work with your teeth may be negated.
Well, let's quickly round-up a couple of facts on oral hygiene.
- How do you respond to unjustified criticism from your boss or a co-worker?
Most of us are content with a bit of jaw clenching and teeth grinding to give vent to our frustration. But if you are the type who worries too much about such things, you may be resorting to teeth grinding even in your sleep.
Ever wondered why your teeth are developing a flatter tip and you are often waking up with a sore jaw? Bruxism is the word used for habitual teeth grinding and jaw clenching. Teeth grinding is something we indulge in when we are asleep and have no knowledge about it upon waking up.
- Saliva is what keeps our mouth free of bacteria. Stress can dry our mouths out, robbing our body of its power of natural defenses against development of dental cavities. In short, our whole immune system is compromised when we are under stress.
So what's the way out?
Stress is a bad thing in any form or shape – and it can affect your health in more ways than one – your oral health included!
And oral health is nothing to be ignored, for, it is directly related to your cardio-vascular health and poor oral hygiene has been directly linked to heart disease and stroke. It's a vicious cycle with potentially far-reaching consequences.
We have seen how important it is to maintain oral hygiene to keep our immune system in excellent shape. We have also seen how stress can negate all our good work with our teeth. Mental stress and fatigue are a part of modern living. One either learns to deal with it effectively, or avoids it by making some fundamental changes to one's lifestyle. But one can hardly ignore it.


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Editor's Note: This article was originally published in 2015, but has since been updated to reflect the recent changes to Office 365 Groups.
An Office 365 Group comes with several things once created, but what are they exactly? Which should you use and when? It may seem confusing at first, but this is the new approach Microsoft is taking to tackle the Shadow IT issue in organizations, so you'll be hearing about it a lot.
Ok, maybe it's also to make sure your end users don't start subscribing to other random online tech that isn't by Microsoft. Still, you should know what you get when you create an Office 365 Group and how it can be useful.
The Office 365 Groups Series
- Office 365 Groups explained
- Office 365 Groups – what you get and what to use
- 3 ways to manage who can create Office 365 Groups (new!)
Refresh on the Basics of Office 365 Groups
Before you read on, I recommend you start with the basics.
It's important to understand that Groups are not a new product, nor do they compete with any existing Microsoft software.
At the very core, it is just an Active Directory object, very much like Security Groups. Users can be added within the Group, where they'll get access to folders and documents thanks to the permissions they are granted.
The big difference lies in the automated provisioning when a Group is created. Whether it's a SharePoint Site Collection or an Exchange Mailbox, they're all created and associated to that Group to provide a better collaboration experience for that team or project.
Now that we've covered the basics, let's see what you get when a Group is created.
Conversations Can happen in Multiple Ways
I think this is what confuses people the most, because there are many different options. Ironically, when visiting a website that has a forum, a chat and a contact email, we don't seem to be troubled by it.
The same with Facebook: Posts vs Messenger has never been an issue; we always know which to use and when. Same goes when you create an Office 365 Group, you get different options for your conversations.
Outlook Conversations
When you create an Office 365 Group, Exchange generates a mailbox for it. This gives the Group an email address to send and receive through Outlook, and enables the members of the Group to communicate openly using email as a conversation mechanism.
- A feed of email threads displayed as conversations
- Once you've clicked on one of the emails, you can see every email and reply that was sent in the thread.
What you should know about Outlook Conversations:
- Members of the Group considered as Guests, meaning they are external users outside of your organization, will not have access to this interface to browse the previous conversations.
- Outlook Conversations are always included in Office 365 Groups, except when created from Yammer. As mentioned before, a Group can be created from within SharePoint, Outlook, Planner, Power BI, Teams, Yammer and probably other products in the future as well.
- The mobile app is available on Windows Phone, iOS and Android.
- It's not available in Outlook for Mac (though it has been announced) – so Mac users should use Outlook Web.
Microsoft Teams Conversations
Microsoft Teams is a tool that allows you to create chatrooms, or live and persistent conversations if you will. Within these Teams chatrooms, you can create channels to isolate a specific conversation topic.
What's interesting about Teams is that the interface, especially the navigation, is well integrated with the concept of Office 365 Groups. If used, it will likely be considered the "Home" of an Office 365 Group.
On top of the live chat experience it provides, it opens up a world of customization with Bots. Bots are like the "apps" of chat services. For example, we created a bot to survey our organization.
- The name of your Team, which is also the name of your Office 365 Group.
- You get a channel called General by default, but you can also create your own. In this example, I created one called Logistics.
- Customizable navigation for the rest of the products that come with your Office 365 Group.
- Live chat, whether you want to type in plain text, rich text or even create an appropriate meme.
You can even host team meetings using audio and video, where all chat conversations are stored and available in the chatroom even after the meeting has ended.
What you should know about Teams Conversations
- When a Group is created through Teams, the privacy of the Office 365 Group is automatically set to private and cannot be changed.
- You can add a Teams chat to an existing Office 365 Group if it's set to private and has fewer than 600 members in the group. Note that this may change in the future.
- Teams cannot be added if the Office 365 Group uses Yammer for conversations instead of Outlook, as mentioned above.
There exists a mobile app, available for Windows Phone, iOS and Android.
- Teams can be extended with Bots and Connectors.
Yammer Conversations
Outlook Conversations are for emails; Microsoft Teams are to live chat and Yammer is for forum-like threaded conversations. Yammer conversations are a little different, as they are not always available with Office 365 Groups. To get an Office 365 Group with Yammer Conversations, you must create it from within Yammer and Yammer only.
If you decide to create a Yammer connected group, it's exclusive. You will not be able to use the Outlook Conversations, Microsoft Teams, or the Calendar.
Which conversations should you use for your Office 365 Groups?
That's the beauty of this Groups concept, when one is created, you're providing the members with a set of tools that they can choose from. Of course, it doesn't mean you shouldn't provide them with some guidance, to help them know and understand what those tools are.
I am often asked or told that there is too much confusion with three choices for conversations, but I tend to disagree. You don't need to be told when to use live chat, emails or a forum… You just know. It comes naturally. However, you should explain what each of them does and how it can be useful for users in different scenarios.
What Else Comes with Groups Besides Conversations?
We mentioned before that every Office 365 Group created comes with several elements. And this is always the case, regardless of whether the members choose to use them or not. You may want to start with a calendar for the team and eventually grow in a year or two to use the SharePoint Site or the Planner for task management.
A Calendar that Belongs to the Group
Although not available for Groups created with Yammer, this full-featured Outlook calendar allows you to manage events and appointments, like team meetings, without being linked to a specific individual in the organization.
Simple File Management when SharePoint isn't Needed
You'll notice a tab, or navigation item, called "Files." This is a full-featured Document Library in your SharePoint site, but surfaced directly within your Outlook or Teams experience.
- Create files right from this simplified interface
- Browse to the full-featured SharePoint Document Library
This is a very welcome experience, not everyone in an organization wants to deal with SharePoint for their project. Think back to all those times when all your team needed was a place to get the work done and work on a few files.
This is what Office 365 Groups are all about, allowing teams to grow… organically.
Full Featured SharePoint Site Collection
Regardless of how a Group is created, it will always come with a SharePoint Site. There, you can create Document Libraries and manage your Metadata through Content Types, Columns and even add Workflows. You can find out more about the new Modern SharePoint in a recent article we wrote on the subject.
You'll be able to create Mobile Apps using PowerApps and even create responsive pages to share information with others.
- Responsive Pages to provide Team News
- Group Classification and Privacy always on display, an indicator for external users will also show up here
- Jump to the Outlook Conversations or manage Group members right here
- Create something new: Document Libraries, Lists, Pages, etc.
And the list goes on; Planner to manage tasks using cards, a Power BI workspace to visualize your data and OneNote to provide a shared notebook for all members.
Office 365 Groups are about centralizing membership and policies in one place, while providing the best possible user experience for its members.
Stay in control, manage and govern Groups while empowering end users to get the work done.


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What is a gift day?
A couple of times a year, on top of regular giving we have what we call gift days. These are exciting opportunities for us all to stretch our faith, giving above and beyond our regular giving. At these times we'll give into specific situations and needs both locally and internationally.
In the past these have ranged from giving to the poor suffering from famine in Kenya to replacing the roof at the King's Centre. It takes resources to fulfil all that God has given us to do so let's ask God what we can do to play our part in giving to the work we do together at King's.
When are the gift days?
They will be at all three locations on the 20th and 27th November.
What are we giving into?
Toby explains where the money will be going in this video:
1. Community Empowerment Programme in Kenya
All the money from this years Relational Mission's Christmas appeal is going to the . We will be giving some of the money from the gift days into the Community Empowerment Programme in Kenya run by Edward and Frieda Buria.
In recent years we have been partnering with these guys both relationally and financially. It has been incredible to see how God is not only saving lives but also improving the quality of life for thousands upon thousands of people.
In this video Toby gives us a brilliant insight into how our giving in previous years has helped many people walk free from poverty.
2. Church Planting & establishing churches
We are part of a family of churches called Relational Mission. We have always been passionate about supporting churches relationally as well as financially. These gift days will enable us to do this with a particular emphasis on Gt. Yarmouth where we have been playing a more active supporting role recently.
3. Norwich Foodbank
Norwich foodbank supports local individuals and families who find themselves on the edge of disaster through the provision of emergency food supplies. These supplies take the form of nutritionally balanced emergency foodboxes to cover an individual or family's basic needs for 72 hours: the critical time gap before the Social Services safety net "kicks in."
They work closely with local care organisations whose professional care-workers identify people in crisis and give them a food voucher and refer them to one of our Distribution Centres. Here they are given a warm welcome, a hot drink and a foodbox and if they wish, a listening ear and help in finding other professionals who can assist them with the underlying problems that are causing their crisis.
How can I give?
You can give your gifts in person on the 20th and 27th November at all three of our locations.
Alternatively you can give easily electronically here. Please write 'Gift Day' in the notes.


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Rocktober Selections
Race Key: ↗Market Drift past our threshold of $8 (ie: should be NO bet)
👿=Bad Beat 🏆 = Units profit
Results based on betting to PROFIT 5 units per selection (with max outlay of 1.5 units).
Betting rule: We don't bet these if the price is OVER $8 (SP). Of course, it is hard to predict price movements, but if you DO bet late and the price has drifted OUT past this threshold, we suggest NOT BETTING. Official results WILL take this rule into account.
About These Selections
A totally NEW service and an industry first, we have been providing to our SSSS subscribers since October 3 2018, are our Rocktober selections.
These selections are derived from some inside intelligence we've gathered from speaking to fellow professional punters, some trainers and finally by painstakingly delving into our extensive database to see if our theory holds up.
It certainly does! Look at the profits that our theory has produced since we started the analysis.
These profits put most professional punters to shame! We are not sure how long this profitable theory will hold up for (as you need to keep evolving to be successful and things change in racing) but we are certainly making hay whilst the sun shines!
NB: Click on the image to access the video replay of the race
February Monthly Summary
Monthly Summary - Official Price - Outlay 11.34 Units. Return 9.05 Units. Loss 2.29 Units (20% LOT, 25% SR). Best Tote return / loss was 9.15 Units / 2.19 Units and Betfair 9.42 Units / 1.92 Units.
Selections were reduced this month compared to previous months due to the circumstances surrounding Darren Weir. Unfortunately we ended the month with a small loss.


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Latest Photos
Connect with us
Field visit to Guiuan and Tacloban
Tags: PHILIPPINES, ASIA, TYPHOON HAIYAN, TYPHOON, FISHERS, RESPONSE, ILO, ILO,
Dec 2013
Field visit to the Eastern Visayas Region (Region VIII) in the Philippines where FAO has a regional hub (based in Tacloban), and which was the region most affected by the typhoon.
The purpose of the trip was to have the opportunity to make observations of affected areas, meet with members of the FSA Cluster for Region VIII, and meet with key stakeholders (government counterparts, humanitarian agencies and members of the affected communities) for two projects to develop:
- A joint FAO, ILO and Save the Children DFID-funded project that will focus on affected small-scale coconut farming communities in the Leyte Province, and
- A joint FAO, ILO and UNDP project funded by Saudi Arabia to support fishing communities in Guiuan municipality.
Author: FAO/Sasha Guyetsky


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Estate Planning-Business Succession
For most people, every decision is based on the question 'what will best serve the needs of my family?' You can't afford to leave your family unprotected when you are gone.
At McKillop Financial Planning, we can assist you by providing a range of estate planning and business succession services including working with you and/or your solicitor to help you structure a tax-effective estate plan using testamentary trusts and other strategies (including appropriate structures such as trusts, superannuation and insurances) to help protect your assets from unnecessary taxation or the unwelcome claims of others.
If you do not have a lawyer, consider the services of McKillop Legal for estate planning services – such as wills, testamentary trusts, enduring powers of attorney and appointments of enduring guardians – and business and business succession planning – for such things as partnership agreements, shareholder agreements and buy/sell deeds. McKillop Legal also has a useful blog.
To arrange a confidential initial appointment to discuss your estate planning and business succession planning needs, please contact us by calling (02) 9542 2904 or emailing us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Fionne McKillop is a shareholder of McKillop Legal Pty Ltd and as a result, may receive distributions and/or other benefits from McKillop Legal Pty Ltd. Integrated Planning Systems Pty Ltd and GWM Adviser Services Ltd are not responsible for the advice and services provided by McKillop Legal.
Why use a
financial planner?
- making a lifestyle change
- reducing your debts and taxes
- improving your household budget
- preparing for a comfortable retirement
- saving or investing for something special
- protecting your wealth and those that are important to you
- buying or renovating a home, paying it off sooner or investing in property
- making the most of your retirement income and any government payments.


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Poynter associate editor Mallary Jean Tenore lists tips for online journalists to build an engaged audience online in her post "5 small steps journalists can take to build a bigger, more engaged audience."
The post provides great pieces of advice on getting the word out on your article like letting your news sources and people who may have a stake in your article know about the piece through the social networks. To be effective, Tenore suggests that you include their Twitter and Facebook names in the update so that they can be notified.
She also suggests linking to the work of other news sites and informing them about it.
Tenore also suggests engaging with others covering your beat and tweeting follow-ups "that help advance the discussion about your story."


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IKEA Living Room Ideas For The Impressive Living Room
Choosing the best appearance and also comfortable living room is not difficult if people have idea of the IKEA living room ideas. In this one, people will have a great appearance of the living room because of the furniture arrangement in this idea. The furniture in this one will show the impressive one based on the design and also the quality so that people do not worry to get this idea for their living room ideas.
The best one in the IKEA living room ideas
People will find the best quality in the IKEA living room ideas that can give the satisfaction one inside the living room. Many ideas are available in this one so that people will be comfortable with the furniture. Relating to this one, people can choose the idea of the ideas of IKEA living room with brown and grey sofa and wood dining. In this one, people will look the elegant appearance of the combination color in its furniture that gives the elegant environment inside the living room.
Furthermore, people also can find other styles in the IKEA living room ideas that can give the impressive environment inside the living room. Gaining this purpose, people can choose the style of the IKEA living room ideas Paul Wesley. In this one, people will find the amazing appearance inside the living room. This idea is also suitable for modern living room.


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The curtain fell and spotlights strafed the freshly painted hull of an aircraft named after tennis player Novak Djokovic.
The plane in question is an Airbus A319 that, at the end of October, became the first jet to bear the colours of Europe's newest carrier: Air Serbia.
As the applause of the guests echoed round the hangar at Nikola Tesla airport in Belgrade, two men looked on in mutual satisfaction – Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and James Hogan, chief executive of Etihad Airlines.
This was a rebirth moment – with a new national carrier rising from what was left of the once-proud Yugoslav airline, Jat. And it was also the latest example of how a still-juvenile Gulf carrier (Etihad was only established in 2003) is shaking up the airline industry.
Before the violent break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Jat had prided itself on being among the most stylish and modern operations in Europe.
But by this year its elderly fleet of Boeing 737s appealed only to those with a taste for planes with a patina, period typefaces and ashtrays in the armrests.
Service was gruff, and there was no on-board alcohol to soften the blow of the often unpredictable departure times. The airline's finances were correspondingly dire – and with Serbia's public funds in no state to support Jat any further, it seemed the end was nigh.
Etihad's entrance was timed to perfection. It took a 49% stake in Jat in August – and signed a five-year contract to manage the new Air Serbia.
'Different business model'
Mr Vucic is candid about how the Abu Dhabi-based carrier became involved.
"Sheikh Mohammed is my friend and I asked him to help," he told the BBC.
But the relationship between the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and Serbia's most powerful politician does not by itself explain why one of the world's fastest-growing airlines became involved with a "legacy" carrier on its last legs.
"Etihad's ability to make investments like this is unique," says Douglas McNeill, an aviation expert at Charles Stanley stockbrokers.
"It's a compliment in a way that they've gone for Air Serbia. There's no shortage of weak airlines they could have gone for – like TAP in Portugal or LOT in Poland. There are lots of competing opportunities."
Mr Hogan is not known for a sense of charity towards failing businesses. But he does have a track record of improving the fortunes of airlines. He turned around Gulf Air before joining Etihad in 2006 and overseeing a spectacular rise in both profile and business.
He told the BBC that he saw Air Serbia as a key component in Etihad's further growth.
"We have a different business model," he says. "We have demonstrated through our different aviation investments that we are creating a global airline – it's about connectivity."
Unusually, Etihad is not making its connections by joining a global airline alliance such as One World or Star Alliance, but by buying stakes in other carriers.
At 49%, the Air Serbia deal is the largest, but Etihad also owns considerable stakes in Air Berlin, Air Seychelles and Virgin Australia, as well as a small proportion of Aer Lingus shares.
Just this week, India's government gave the green light to Etihad snapping up a quarter of the country's largest carrier, Jet Airways.
For Mr Hogan, the attraction of adding Air Serbia to this "equity alliance" was obvious.
"The Balkans as a crossroads of the world has huge opportunity. The tourism business opportunity of the region is considerable – and we're going to be very well positioned to take advantage of that," he says.
"There are not only the Balkan and European markets, but with Air Berlin we can connect with the US – and with Etihad over Abu Dhabi we connect with not only Australia but the Middle East and South East Asia. We can position Belgrade as the gateway to the Balkans. We're very bullish."
Mr McNeill is rather more cautious about the Etihad approach. "The risk is that you end up with a collection of minority stakes – and if you don't have control you don't have anything. It's a questionable strategy."
Etihad points out that it has been successful in co-ordinating operations and consolidating costs. Air Berlin has ordered the same kind of aircraft as Etihad – right down to the interior fittings and details. And Mr Hogan says that Air Serbia will follow along similar lines, moving many of its operations to Abu Dhabi to avoid duplication.
Increased competition
Balkan airline industry analysts have seen the potential for an Etihad-powered Air Serbia to fill a potentially lucrative gap in the region.
The recently formed Association of Serbian Aerospace Professionals noted that there was a dearth of heavyweight carriers, which had left Turkish Airlines and the Lufthansa group to mop up on long-haul travel. An Air Serbia-Etihad-Air Berlin combination may provide competition on many popular routes.
Meanwhile, other carriers in the region are still facing the kind of financial struggles that afflicted the post-Yugoslavia Jat. Croatia Airlines is actively looking for a partner, while the national airlines of Bosnia and Montenegro have been in difficulties.
Hungary's national carrier, Malev, went out of business last year. A putative replacement, Solyom, has yet to get off the ground, despite rumours of investment from the Middle East.
So there is clear potential for Air Serbia to take advantage if it can get its act together. And Etihad is confident that with its management team in place, the new carrier will quickly turn a profit, pointing to its previous success with Air Seychelles.
Now the question is: what next for the most acquisitive of the Gulf carriers?
Mr McNeill suggests the next logical step might be to acquire a stake in a mainland African airline. Then Etihad's global equity alliance would cover most of the world – and make it a formidable player in the airline industry.
Originally Published on BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-24915846


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Why is Islam in Malaysia perceived as backwards?
By Zan Azlee
The reason for the perception of backwardness and archaic thinking of Malay Muslims in Malaysia is because they are too concerned with rituals and practices.
We fret about how to wash body parts, if we step into a mosque with our right foot or the left, or if we lean more of our body weight on our left leg while while sitting on the toilet.
And yes, we also fret about whether a wife is allowed to say no to sex with her husband on a camel, or whether a husband can 'pull out' or not in bed.
We think about all of this while the rest of the Muslim world are more concerned with bigger issues like the philosophical and intellectual development of it's people and religion.
In the other progressive Muslim societies outside of Malaysia, the study, discussion and comparison of different Islamic schools have encouraged better understanding of the faith.
Islamic thinkers around the world are actually constantly discussing the challenges of adapting and interpreting the religion to the times, understanding very well that Islam is for all times.
They discuss and debate different schools of thoughts and interpretations to understand the evolution of Islam better, hence able to mould the religion for current times.
The understanding that Islam is not a stagnant remnant of a time 1,400 years ago and is constantly evolving helps to encourage progressive thinking.
To think of it, the religion was constantly evolving from all the prophets right up to Judaism, Christianity and finally Islam (which is till the end of time).
So there we have proof that the religion is naturally something that can evolve and develop as times goes on. It is the responsibility of the practitioners to make sure it stays relevant.
Rarely will you hear Muslims outside of Malaysia talk about how many times you need to chew before swallowing like the prophet, as if that will determine if you will enter heaven or hell.
It doesn't help the matter when our own local religious authorities curb the spread of different Islamic schools of thoughts and interpretations that differ from the standard majority.
Any teachings or thoughts that go against the Sunni Shafie teachings are straight out condemned and banned without so much of an explanation to why they do so.
We do not encourage rational and intellectual thought when it comes to the religion because that is seen as a threat to what control the authorities have over the people.
This, to me, go against the entire concept of Islam as a religion of all time. And it is sad to see that the Malay Muslim society leaders themselves are the ones who are the cause of all this.


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Defending champion Matthew Fitzaptrick leads by one stroke in Dubai
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Defending champion Matthew Fitzpatrick shot a second straight 5-under-par 67 to secure a one-stroke lead halfway through the European Tour's season-ending Tour Championship on Friday.
At 10 under after two rounds on the Earth course of Jumeirah Golf Estate, Fitzpatrick was edging English compatriot Tyrrell Hatton, whom he beat by one shot to win the title last year.
Hatton moved into contention with a brilliant 9-under 63, a round soured only by a closing bogey on the par-5 18th hole.
In the race to win the Order of Merit, main protagonists Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose experienced contrasting emotions to their opening rounds. Fleetwood boosted his chances by rising into a tie for 11th at 6 under after a 65. Rose endured a three-putt bogey on the 18th to finish with a 70, and dropped on the leaderboard so he's just two shots ahead of Fleetwood.
U.S. Masters champion Sergio Garcia, the only other player with a chance to win the Order of Merit, stayed in contention by adding a 69 to his opening 70 to be one shot behind Fleetwood.
LEADERBOARD:European Tour Championship
More: Hudson Swafford feels at home at RSM Classic
Fleetwood needs to equal or better Rose's finishing position to claim the title. If Rose doesn't finish in the top five and Garcia doesn't win, Fleetwood will have done enough.
Fitzpatrick made two bogeys but eagled the 14th, and five birdies contributed to his 67.
He was helped immensely also by the 18th, where Hatton, Rose, and overnight leader Patrick Reed all made bogeys. Fitzpatrick birdied the hole for a second straight day with a 25-foot putt.
"I said to my caddie, we were putting really, really well all week so far," Fitzpatrick said.
"The thing is, you get so many fast putts around here, even uphill into the green, they are still running at 12, 13 even. You've just got to be really sort of careful. Every putt is effectively a two-putt. You've got to control your pace well and limit your mistakes, because it's easy to three-putt out here."
Rose, hoping to win a third straight tournament after triumphs in China and Turkey, was disappointed with his finish despite playing solid golf from tee to green.
"To make six (on 18) just ends the day on the wrong note, but other than that, I played really well on the back nine," Rose said.
"I was aware of the scores and who had done what today. But listen, halfway stage, I'd probably have signed up for that if somebody said on Wednesday you would be in this position after two rounds. It's a position you can build on the weekend."
Fleetwood resurrected his chances of winning the Order of Merit with a 65, eight shots better than his opening round. His only bogey of the day came on the seventh after an errant drive, but that was the only mistake on a solid day that saw him make eight birdies.
Fleetwood spent hours on the putting green after his first round.
"I needed a low one today for (a tournament win and the Order of Merit)," he said. "Luckily, I got a good score."
Gallery: 2017-18 PGA Tour winners


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Marriage Mentor Training - September 17
Do you have a passion for strengthening marriages? Become a marriage mentor! Married couples who are seeking to invest in the life of our church, are invited to come alongside engaged couples in their parish, utilizing a 6-session program, to provide support through the challenges of entering marriage. Visit trinitygracechurch.com/marriagementorship to learn more and apply for the training on September 17.
Back to All Events
Marriage Mentor Training - September 17
Marriage Mentor Training - September 17
Earlier Event: September 17Make Your Mark | Basketball Tournament
Later Event: September 18Sunday Worship Gathering


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Later in the evening and several drinks in, the woman of the couple started asking the moms there about being parents. She is a career-driven scientist and wants to have kids but is worried about being able to stay on her career path (that requires looooong days at work) and not feel guilty all the time about leaving her kids.
When I told her that I was a stay at home mom, she busted out with this: "You don't seem like a stay at home mom. At all."
I totally didn't know what to say to that. Thank you? Fuck you?
And what do stay at home moms seem like anyway?
I'm afraid I just gawked at her for awhile. Fortunately she was too tipsy to notice.


text: Halloween…ghoulish and glamour. Such is my almost-60 Halloween glamour make-over! Before—I look like my father and after I look like…well, you decide. In celebration of turning 60 next month I have decided to bare it all as an encouragement to all of us to celebrate our ages and be OK with exactly who we are. HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!


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In 2019, a winery in Moldova hosted a 10-km race in the world's largest wine cellar, which holds 2 million bottles. more...
November 19 , 1863 : The Gettysburg Address speech was delivered. more...
Learn something new every day
More Info... by email
Boerewors is a traditional South African sausage that was originally created by Dutch settlers using available meat and spices. The name of the food literally means "farmer's sausage", and it often was made by farmers from the animals they raised. The original recipes for boerewors used beef, pork and sometimes lamb mixed with spices and fat and then stuffed into pork casings. The sausage is intended to be used and cooked while fresh and does not age well, unlike a similar variety known as droewors, which is dried. When prepared, the sausage is usually grilled and can be served as a picnic food or included in a common dish with cornmeal porridge.
The standard meats used to make boerewors are beef, pork and lamb. When the popularity of the sausage began to spread, the variety of meats that were used increased and started to include more exotic varieties of local wildlife, such as ostrich. In the mid-20th century, certain producers started to use less expensive types of meats, including byproducts, offal and other fillers. Authentic boerewors is almost entirely meat. One final ingredient that is mixed with the roughly diced meat is spek, which essentially is diced pork or beef fat, although many recipes actually call for the use of chunks of diced bacon instead.
The meat in the boerewors is complemented by a variety of spices. The exact amounts are usually developed by the sausage maker and, in some situations, are kept as close family secrets. In general, the basic spices used are coriander seeds, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and thyme. They can be added raw to the mixture or can be roasted first to bring out a different flavor.
When boerewors started to be commercially produced, non-traditional ingredients were introduced. These included items such as cheese, garlic, tomato sauce and chicken. Although these varieties are still sold, they are not generally considered true versions of the sausage.
To make the actual sausage, the ingredients are chopped, combined and stuffed inside a pork casing. The most common shape for boerewors is a very long, continuous coil. It is not aged like some sausages and needs to be refrigerated to prevent it from spoiling.
Finished boerewors is normally grilled or fried. It can be served on a roll with onions or by itself with other vegetables. One classic dish uses the sausage diced and mixed with a very coarse cornmeal porridge called pap, which is similar to Italian polenta.
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Meet TeamJennz… This fun little purse is full of surprises!
Whether you are at the beach, on a picnic, or festival, just pour in your favorite beverage! No need for bottle openers or glass that can break. Toss in a couple of freezer packs, and the insulated purses keep your beverage the perfect temperature. Take the fun wherever you go!
Black microfiber purse with hidden spout flap in front with magnetic closure. Stylish grommets circle the top of the purse with a black and white "Vivajennz life with attitude…" scarf tied through. Secret zipper on the bottom unzips to allow the bladder to fit into the front of the purse. This is fully insulated and is easily accessible to clean and place cooler packs. Inside the purse, it is polyester lined with the sassy Vivajennz logo and two pockets to hold your cell phone and keys. Rolled leather like shoulder strap is cushioned for comfort. The 3 liter bladder is completely separated from the inside of the purse. Magnetic closure for the top of the purse as well.
Scarf is removable and additional colors and styles are available to match your mood.
They have the Vivajennz wine charm attached to the handle. Each purse comes with a 3 liter empty beverage bladder and plenty of room for either cooler packs or more personal items. This is also known as a wine purse. Dimensions are 12"h x 14"w x 4.5"d. Shoulder strap drop is 10″.


text: KIRKUS REVIEW A bit Kate Greenawayish, but not so charming, this tiny book about Sylvie Anne who paid a visit, and of how her gander, Alexander, made a ruction in the garden. A bit pretty pretty, but rather cunning. Pub Date: Sept. 28th, 1939Publisher: OxfordReview Posted Online: May 11th, 2012Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1st, 1939


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myUniApps - Section contents
myUniApps provides easy online access to software packages. These include general productivity applications and applications that may be relevant to your course.
Any device, any time, anywhere
myUniApps gives students online access to a variety of applications hosted by the University. It can be accessed via any web browser on any web-enabled device, including iPhone, Mac, PC, iPad, Windows Phone, Linux, Android and more.
Using myUniApps for the first time
When starting the myUniApps for the first time, you will be asked to install Citrix Receiver if not already present on your computer. Just follow the instructions on screen. Visit the myUniApps FAQ for more detailed setup instructions.
Please be aware that the applications may take longer to load on their first use.
You can access files as normal and print to your own printer or a University print queue.
If you are having trouble with your login, please try resetting your password.
If you are having a difficulty with a session in myUniApps, please call 13 MELB (136352) or visit Student IT.
For issues with a particular application, please contact your course coordinator or visit Student IT.
These applications cannot be accessed via the 'Apps' tab. To access these applications:
- Click the 'Desktops' tab at the top of the page
- Click the 'Start' menu from within a Desktop,
- Select 'All Programs'
- Select the required software icon
Useful links
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Please save your work! Regular saving of your work is essential when using myUniApps applications. Unsaved work may be lost.
Your feedback is welcome!
Once you have started using myUniApps please complete the anonymous survey here.


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The first annual "When We Were Young" Festival has been announced for the Observatory OC in Santa Ana, California for an April 8 and 9 date. The all day festival features a massive lineup from bands of various genres with Morrissey, AFI and Descendents at the top of the card. The rest are as follows:
Cage The Elephant
Taking Back Sunday
Alkaline Trio
Silversun Pickups
Dr. Dog
Streetlight Manifesto
Joyce Manor
The Get Up Kids
Saves The Day
Beach Fossils
Choking Victim
Mount Eerie
The Frights
Balance and Composure
David Bazan
Tijuana Panthers
Together Pangea
Sheer Mag
Set Your Goals
Sunflower Bean
Cat Signs
Moving Units
The Buttertones
Plague Vendor
No Parents
The Regrettes
The show is split up into two days with various ticket prices. Tickets are available now at a single day (Saturday at $100 or Sunday at $60), or a two day ticket ($175) price. More information at the link after the jump.
Post by Corey Kleinsasser
Who are you most excited to see? Comment below.
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We previously posted that Susan George's Town Manager Report to the July 22nd COWncil meeting stated that Susan is in discussion with a retired Planning Director who will serve as Interim Director while the recruitment for Hope's replacement goes on. At that time, she was "working out the details" but we certainly haven't heard anything more about this person yet!
Susan also reported that she has personally been "trying to fill in the gaps since the Planning Director position became vacant." She has been "providing support and direction, reviewing all ASRB and Planning Commission reports, and meeting with residents and their professionals to work issues out." Hmmm, our Town Manager is very hard-working! She should be with a pay increase of $185,000! Yes, that's right $185,000 plus a bonus, more on this later.
The last piece of information from the July 22nd meeting was in Item 11, the revision of the Code of Conduct – an interesting doCOWment. But for our purposes now, we only have one thing to point out. Despite the cow-and-pony show, about why the Town no longer requires an "Assistant Town Manager / Director of Community Design and Development" – and instead we will have the Town Manager, a Director of Planning and Building, and an Assistant to the Town Manager this revision still includes the position of Assistant Town Manager in its 'Appendix of Designated Positions.' These positions are determined to be subject to State Conflict of Interest rules and require the filing of Conflict of Interest declarations. However, this resolution notes that the disclosure categories have been revised to reflect the "new" position of Assistant Town Manager (along with Deputy Town Engineer and Senior Planner, and to delete the Development Services Engineer)! Apparently, even though we don't need an Assistant Town Manager, we need to include it in our Conflict of Interest Code? Kevin Bryant's prospects look brighter every day! We do hope history will not repeat itself in the future!
We don't have high hopes that the COWncil will learn from their – and the Town Manager's – mistakes, though. The lack of discussion of important decisions such as the changing the job classification and the authorization of a search for a replacement Director of Planning on the July 22nd agenda, despite the significant organizational changes and the obviously strained circumstances of Hope's departure, is very worrisome. The COWncil didn't seem to think it was necessary to discuss what they hoped to see in the Director of Planning or to provide any further direction to Susan George in terms of a more inclusive recruitment process. The replacement of a vital public official, whose whims and agendas can literally cost citizens tens of thousands of dollars, should merit more COWncil consideration and not just deference to Susan. After all Susan hired and defended Hope.
We hope that the COWncil expressed such concern in private, at least – but then, of course, that leaves us wondering just what directions they might have provided. While the circumstances of Hope's leaving are shrouded in impenetrable secrecy, the plans for her replacement should NOT be. After all Hope's departure resulted in a settlement agreement that cost the Town significant money. Which can only mean that someone, at least allegedly, made a significant mistake in dealing with Hope.
The eerie silence and lack of public dialogue with and accountability to the citizens of our Town needs to end. Both the COWncil and the Town Manager need to take significant steps towards openness and good government in order to restore the trust lost from years of unregulated mayhem in the Planning Director's office. As this process to find a new Director of Planning and Building to replace Hope goes forward, there should be a new, transparent, and fair reshuffling of the order here in Woodside. We echo the sentiment that a member of the public posted here on our website: "Better demand that council have an appointed citizen interview committee, particularly including practicing architects, resident and non resident, so we can get a true professional, ethical planning director."
Sounds good to us. Mayor Romines? Susan George?


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Ipstenu once again has a great article that covers some situations in which MultiSite is not the best tool for the job. If you're thinking that you need to use MultiSite to accomplish a certain task, make sure that task is not on her list.
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