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- 1 Installation
- 2 Quick Start
- 3 Introduction
- 3.1 What is WP Content Crawler
- 3.2 What is a CSS selector
- 3.3 How to open developer tools
- 3.4 How to find CSS selectors for an element
- 4 Sites
- 4.1 Category settings
- 4.1.1 Automatically adding category URLs
- 4.1.2 Finding post URLs
- 4.1.3 Removing unnecessary elements
- 4.1.4 Saving featured images
- 4.1.5 Finding next page URL of a category
- 4.1.6 Finding and replacing in the HTML at first load
- 4.2 Post settings
- 4.2.1 Getting list-type posts
- 4.2.2 Getting paginated posts
- 4.2.3 Custom meta selectors
- 4.2.4 Other settings
- 4.3 Template settings
- 4.3.1 Main post template
- 4.3.2 List item template
- 4.3.3 Find-and-replaces
- 4.4 Using customized general settings for a site
- 4.5 Importing/exporting settings
- 5 Tester
- 6 Tools
- 6.1 Manually crawling and saving a post
- 6.2 Deleting URLs
- 7 General settings
- 7.1 Post settings
- 7.2 SEO settings
- 7.3 Scheduling settings
- 7.4 Advanced settings
- 8 Understanding find-and-replaces
- 9 Lifecycle of events
- 9.1 Category page
- 9.2 Post page
- 10.1 What can it be used for?
- 1 Installation
It is very easy to install WP Content Crawler by following the steps below.
- Go to your WordPress admin panel and, using the admin menu on the left of the page, select Plugins > Add New.
- On "Add New Plugin" page, click Upload Plugin button.
- Next, click Choose File and find the zip file of the plugin which you downloaded.
- Then, click Install Now and wait a few moments.
- Now, when you see that the plugin is installed, click Active Plugin link.
- Then, go to Settings > Content Crawler License Settings from your admin menu.
- Finally, write your license key to the input area and click Save Changes button.
- Now you can reach all plugin features under Content Crawler menu in admin menu.
- Congratulations! You have completed the setup. You can now start crawling almost any site you want. Please read the following sections of this documentation to learn how to use WP Content Crawler, or watch our introduction tutorial. Thank you for using WP Content Crawler!
- Go to your WordPress admin panel and, using the admin menu on the left of the page, select Plugins > Add New.
- 2 Quick Start
Check out our introduction tutorial for a quick start. Watching this tutorial, you can learn how to open and use developer tools, how to use CSS selectors, how to create a site in WP Content Crawler and do its settings, and how to activate automated post and category crawling.
- 3 Introduction
- 3.1 What is WP Content Crawler
WordPress Content Crawler is a WordPress plugin that can get content from almost any site to your WordPress blog. It works with CSS selectors.
- 3.2 What is a CSS selector
A CSS selector is a text which is used to find an element in HTML of a web page. CSS selectors use attributes of HTML elements such as class and id. To be able to write a CSS selector for an HTML element, you should first see the source code of the web page. You can use developer tools, which are available in your web browser, to see the source of the page and find specific elements.
- 3.3 How to open developer tools
In Chrome:
View > Developer > Developer Tools
In Safari:
First, go to Safari > Preferences, open Advanced tab and select the checkbox next to Show Develop menu in menu bar option.
Next, go to Develop in menu bar, and select Show Web Inspector
In Firefox:
Tools > Web Developer > Inspector
In Opera:
First, select View > Show Developer Menu.
Next, go to Developer > Developer Tools
In Internet Explorer:
Press F12 or click Tools > Developer Tools
- 3.4 How to find CSS selectors for an element
To find a CSS selector for an HTML element, you should look at the attributes of the element, as well as the attributes of elements that contain the element. Let's see some examples.
WordPress
Here are valid CSS selectors for above element:
a.web-page-link .web-page-link

Content…

Here are valid CSS selectors for above element:
div#content #content

Next Page

Here are a few valid CSS selectors for above element:
.pagination .next-page div.pagination a.next-page .pagination a.next-page div.pagination a .pagination > .next-page div.pagination > a.next-page .pagination > a
You can learn more about CSS selectors here: http://www.w3schools.com/cssref/css_selectors.asp
- 4 Sites
Sites are special kind of posts which include settings for a specific web site. You can create a site for each website from which you want to take contents. You can create a site by visiting Content Crawler > Add New from the menu in the admin page of your WordPress blog.
- 4.1 Category settings
Category settings are required for programmatically collecting post URLs and featured images from the target site.
- 4.1.1 Automatically adding category URLs
You can either add category URLs of target web site manually, or use CSS selectors to automatically add them. To be able to add them automatically, you should go to the target web site's source code and find HTML elements that contain category URLs. Next, after filling the category page URL, you should write CSS selectors for the elements you have just found. Finally, click "plus" button next to the CSS selector input. You can see that the links are added to category map. After that, you can select a category from your blog for each category link, so that each post taken from each category is placed in a category you want.
- 4.1.2 Finding post URLs
If you want to programmatically check each category for new posts, you should write a CSS selector (or selectors) for post URLs in category pages. First, fill test category URL field by writing a full URL for a category from the target web site. Next, go to the category whose link you have just copied, and find CSS selector (or selectors) for hyperlink () elements that contain the post URLs. Then, write the CSS selector to an input field for category post URL selectors. You can use the test button next to each input to check if the CSS selector works properly.
- 4.1.3 Removing unnecessary elements
You can remove certain elements from the target category page by using unnecessary element selectors setting. If you write selectors for this setting, target category page will be cleared from the elements you specified by their CSS selectors. To use this option properly, please go and check the lifecycle of events.
- 4.1.4 Saving featured images
You can save a featured image for each post from the target category page. In order to do this, go to the source code of the target category page and find a CSS selector (or selectors) for featured image URLs. You should find image () elements. After you find the selector(s) and check save featured images option, you can add a new selector for featured image selectors option. You can check if the selector works properly by using the test button next to the input field for the selector. Finally, you should check if the post URLs come before the featured image elements in the source code of page. You should consider the start position of the elements when you do this. If the starting position of the post link comes before the image, then select the checkbox for "Post links come before featured images?" option.
You can also modify the image URLs found by the CSS selectors you provide. To do this, first, fill the test image URL option with the full URL of the image. Next, go to the find-and-replace setting and write what to find and with what to replace it. For more information about find-and-replaces, please check "understanding 'find and replace'" section.
- 4.1.5 Finding next page URL of a category
In order for WP Content Crawler to check all of the pages of the target category, you should provide a CSS selector for the next page URL. To do this, go to the target category page's source code and find a CSS selector(s) for the next page URL. This setting gets "href" attribute of found elements as default. However, you can provide a different attribute, as well. After you write the selector(s), you can use the test button next to the input fields to check if the selector works as expected.
- 4.1.6 Finding and replacing in the HTML at first load
Sometimes you want to change things in the HTML of the target page. You can do this by using this option. For more information about find-and-replaces, please check "understanding 'find and replace'" section. You should also check lifecycle of events section to get the most of this option.
- 4.2 Post settings
Post settings are for the post page of the target web site. These settings are applied each post taken from each category. Usage of the most of the options in post settings are the same as the ones in category settings. Hence, you can learn usage of more specific options here. For basics, please refer to category section. To understand the explanations below, you should know how to use CSS selectors, developer tools, writing CSS selectors for options and testing them. If you don't know these yet, please go and check the category settings section.
- 4.2.1 Getting list-type posts
Sometimes the posts on the target page are written as a list. You can get these posts as a list and provide a template for each list item, and reverse the list. To enable retrieval of the posts as list, you should select "posts are list type?" checkbox. When you do this, the options related to the list-type posts will be shown. You can read the information of each option by clicking the information symbol next to label of the options to learn more about them.
- 4.2.2 Getting paginated posts
If the target posts are paginated, you can save them to your site as paginated posts. To be able to do this, you should first select "paginate posts" checkbox. When you do this, the related options will be shown. Next, you should provide a CSS selector (or selectors) for the next page URL and/or all page URLs. If the target post has a next page URL, then you should definitely write a CSS selector for next page URL. On the other hand, if the first page of the post (or each page) includes all of the links for other pages, you can provide a CSS selector (or selectors) for those elements. For more information, please read the information of the options by clicking the information symbol next to the labels of the options.
- 4.2.3 Custom meta selectors
You can save something from the target post's HTML as value of a post meta key. Post meta keys are used to store information about posts in the database. This option can be handy if you use another plugin that has specific type of posts (such as WooCommerce's products). You can, for instance, write a CSS selector for the price that exists in the target post page, and save it as the price of to-be-created post (in this case, product). To be able to do this, you should learn what post meta keys are used to store the price of the product. This is one example of course. Here, the possibilities are endless.
- 4.2.4 Other settings
For other settings in the post configuration page, you can read the information for each option on the settings page, or the explanations in the category section. When you read the category section, you will be able to understand the basics of the settings.
- 4.3 Template settings
Templates are for you to put specific data into anywhere in the posts that will be saved to your site. You can use the buttons above the template editors to see what short codes are available and their explanations when you hover over them. You can simply click the buttons to copy the short code. Then, paste it anywhere in the template.
- 4.3.1 Main post template
To be able to save a post, you must prepare main post template, and place main content short code. You can place title, excerpt, content, source URL and the list inside the post in this template. If you expect a list from the target page, you must place the list inside the template. Otherwise, the list will not be shown. In addition, if you do not place the main content, nothing will be shown.
- 4.3.2 List item template
This template is used for each list item of the list-type post. You can place title, position and content of the list item in this template. If you do not place the content of the list item, the list item in the post in your site will not have a content.
- 4.3.3 Find-and-replaces
Please refer to "understanding find-and-replaces" section.
- 4.4 Using customized general settings for a site
You can use customized general settings for a site. To do this, go the main settings of the site and check "Use custom general settings?" option. When you do this, a new tab will appear among other tabs, named as settings. Go to that tab and configure the options. For further information about general settings, please refer to general settings section.
- 4.5 Importing/exporting settings
You can import and export settings of a site. Go to the import/export tab. You will se two things. One of them is an empty text area that you can paste the exported settings. The other one is a text area with settings inside it. You can copy the settings from this text area, go to another site and paste the settings into the text area for importing settings. Next, save the settings. You will see that all of the settings are imported.
- 5 Tester
Tester is a tool which helps you test category and post pages of a site. To test a site's page, go to the tester by selecting Content Crawler > Tester from the admin menu. Then, select a site, select type of the page you want to test, and write the URL of the page. Next, press test button.
If you test a category page, you will see the post links (if the CSS selector exists) with featured images (if the CSS selector exists) and next page URL (if the CSS selector exists). You can use test buttons next to each post URL or next page URL to test it.
If you test a post, you will see the template of the post. If you choose to save images to your server, the images will be saved to your server before showing you the template.
In each test, you can go to details section at the bottom and check other details. The details section will include the time spent and memory used for the test for both post and category pages. The details are more comprehensive for the post test. You can see meta keywords, meta description, meta keywords as tags, post title, post excerpt, next page URL(s), saved images and featured image URL. Note that the featured image will not be saved to your server for the test.
- 6 Tools
You can reach the tools by selecting Content Crawler > Tools from the admin menu.
- 6.1 Manually crawling and saving a post
You can manually crawl and save a post by providing the site from which the post will be taken, a category in which the post will be saved, and the URL of the post. After you filled these information, just click "crawl and save" button. After a while, you can see the link for the post which has just been saved to your site. Waiting time depends on whether the images will be saved or not, whether the target post is paginated or not, number of pages of the target post, target site's speed, and your server's capabilities. You can check how many milliseconds are required to save a certain post by testing the post using the tester and checking the details section after the test completes.
- 6.2 Deleting URLs
When the scheduling is active, target site's categories will be visited to collect post URLs. These URLs will be stored in the database, so that they can be saved when the time comes. You can delete these URLs by using this tool.
- 7 General settings
General settings are applied for all of the sites. You can reach general settings by selecting Content Crawler > General Settings from the admin menu.
- 7.1 Post settings
You can configure a few options for the posts that will be saved to your site. You can allow comments, directly publish the post or keep it as draft, select the type and author of the post, and set a password for it.
- 7.2 SEO settings
If you want to get meta keywords and description from the target site and save them as your post's meta keywords and description, you should provide the post meta keys under which these meta values are saved. These post meta keys depend on your SEO plugin. If you do not know these keys, you should ask your SEO plugin's authors/support forums. For the find-and-replace setting, please refer to "understanding find-and-replaces" section.
- 7.3 Scheduling settings
You can configure scheduling options here. Scheduling is good for automatically collecting URLs and saving posts from the active sites. When you activate scheduling, post URLs will be collected from active sites uniformly and saved to the database. In addition, when the time comes, the post URLs in the database will be visited and saved to your site as posts. You can select time intervals for URL collection and post crawling. You can also define a limit to the number of category pages to be analyzed. In addition, you can limit the number of pages to check if there is no new URL found. To understand this option better, please read the explanation of this option by clicking the information symbol next to the label of the option.
- 7.4 Advanced settings
In this section, you can set HTTP user agent and HTTP accept headers. You can also allow/disallow cookies when browsing the target page.
- 8 Understanding find-and-replaces
Find-and-replace options are major parts of WP Content Crawler. Using these options, you can manipulate HTML of the target page. If what you want to find does not exist in the page as you want, you can make it as you want. Moreover, you can change words to boost SEO. You can find and replace in two different ways, which are using plain text and regular expressions.
Finding and replacing by using plain text is straightforward. As you do in all of other applications, you can write what to find and with what to replace it directly. Note that, this option is case sensitive. So, you should keep this in mind when you use it.
Using regular expressions is far more powerful than using plain text. You can change the HTML however you want. For instance, if there is a pagination with page URLs inside it, but there is not any next page URL, you can find hyperlink next to the active element and add a "next-page" class to it. Next, you can write "a.next-page" as a CSS selector for the next page URL. This is just one example. Possibilities are endless. Regular expressions are too complicated to cover here. So, you need to learn using them from an external source. You can start by searching YouTube for "regular expressions".
You can check out the example above. There are three find-and-replace options defined. The first one is used to remove the links of images. $1 in the replace box represents the image element. So, if there is a link with an image inside, the image will stay, while the link is removed. The second one is to remove the p elements whose content starts with More info. As you can see, the replace box is empty, meaning that the found values will be replaced with nothing, i.e. they will be removed. Finally, the third one is to remove script elements from the post.
- 9 Lifecycle of events
There are several options to find and replace in the HTML of the target site and remove HTML elements. In order to use these options effectively, you should understand the lifecycle of the events. In other words, you should know which option is applied before or after which option.
- 9.1 Category page
- Find-and-replaces set from general settings page
- Find-and-replaces set from "Find and replace in HTML at first load" setting
- Removal of unnecessary elements
- Retrieval of post links
- Retrieval of featured image URLs
- Find-and-replaces for featured images
- Retrieval of next page URL
- 9.2 Post page
- Find-and-replaces set from general settings page
- Find-and-replaces set from "Find and replace in HTML at first load" setting
- Retrieval of next page URL or all page URLs
- Removal of unnecessary elements
- Retrieval of title
- Find-and-replaces for title
- Retrieval of excerpt
- Find-and-replaces for excerpt
- Retrieval of content
- Retrieval of list in post
- Retrieval of meta keywords
- Find-and-replaces for meta keywords
- Retrieval of meta description
- Find-and-replaces for meta description
- Retrieval of image URLs
- Find-and-replaces for image URLs
- Retrieval of featured image URL
- Find-and-replace for featured image URL
- Retrieval of custom post meta
- Template preparation
- Find-and-replaces for content
Frequently asked questions and their answers are in this section.
- 10.1 What can it be used for?
- - Create a personal site which collects news, posts, etc. from your favorite sites to see them in one place
- - Use it with WooCommerce to collect products from shopping sites
- - Collect products from affiliate programs to make money
- - Collect posts to create a test environment for your plugin/theme
- - Collect plugins, themes, apps, images from other sites to create a collection of them
- - Keep track of competitors
These are just a few examples. You can use WP Content Crawler for any purpose you want!


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Rapid Success! – Fast Timelines for Clinical Trials
Time is money! We have all heard this age old expression, but PharPoint Research takes this message to heart. Time is often a client's most limited resource, which is why PharPoint works diligently to deliver results faster than our competitors. The images below outline the fast timelines for a typical PharPoint study
Click Here to See PharPoint's Standard Timeline
Attachments: Rapid Success!
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subset: commoncrawl


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A MOTHER who founded a national charity for people with a serious genetic skin condition has died.
Phyllis Hilton, 81, founded DebRA, the national charity for people in the UK with genetic skin blistering condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), while living in Rochdale.
She was born in Bournemouth to a yeast manager and shop owner Archibald Keeling and his wife Florence.
In 1945, aged 17, she married Spanish soldier, Alfonso Pujol and they moved to Rochdale in search of work.
After giving birth to two children, Luis and Linda, Phyllis opened a shop in George Street, which she ran while her husband worked long hours in cotton mills.
Her caring nature included a love for animals and of those who in need. She would often rescue all types of animals, and help out with her neighbours.
Unfortunately the long hours the couple worked took their toll on their marriage and they divorced.
Phyllis later moved to Nixon Street, Castleton, and went on to remarry.
In 1963 she gave birth to Debra who was born with EB, a condition which affects about half a million people world-wide.
Doctors told Phyllis there was nothing that could be done and to take her daughter home and look after her the best she could until she died.
She discharged Debra from hospital and ignoring medical advice went on to find alternative methods of protecting her daughter's raw patches of skin from infection with little outside help.
Fifteen years later she was approached by a young woman who had just given birth to a baby with EB asking for help and advice.
Phyllis discovered nothing new was known about the condition and realised nothing would change unless she and other parents took action.
After writing hundreds of letters to magazines, radio stations, celebrities and hospitals she organised a meeting for those affected by EB.
Nearly 100 people turned up from all over the UK. It was from this meeting that the patient support group, DebRA, was founded in 1978, with Phyllis at the helm.
The charity, which was the first EB patient support group anywhere in the world, now has organisations in 35 countries, a worldwide research programme and strong clinical and nursing services.
After Debra died in 1980, Phyllis moved back to Bournemouth with her daughter Linda and granddaughter, Louise.
She continued her work for the charity, while working as a drugs and alcohol counsellor at Boscombe drop in centre.
She was also a devoted grandmother who was planning her fifth trip to Disneyland with her grandchildren in 2010, before her death in Bournemouth.
Phyllis' granddaughter Louise said: "She was loved by all her family. She was both a grandmother and a best friend."
She is survived by her two children, Luis and Linda and three grandchildren, Nathanael, Sarah and Louise.


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Call for Papers — Columbia University's Journal of Politics & Society
by COUNSELOR, UNDERGRADUATE - Friday, December 9, 2016, 12:03 PM
Columbia University's Journal of Politics & Society is currently accepting student papers for publication in the Fall 2017 Journal.
This is an academic journal of the social sciences and history, distributed nationally among academics on EBSCO, Google Scholar, and the Library of Congress.
In its 28th year of publication, the Journal features exclusively undergraduate work on political and social issues. We are seeking outstanding student research papers from seminars, upper-level electives, independent study and thesis programs.
The deadline for student paper submissions is January 8, 2017.
To download a Call for Papers PDF, please visit: http://www.helvidius.org/cfp
Or visit
Columbia University's Journal of Politics & Society is currently accepting student papers
Sunday, January 8, 2017


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A Family Business – in More Ways than One
The History of Craft Warehouse – a Pacific Northwest Business
Craft Warehouse began in the late 1970's when Jerry Williams and his wife Sonja decided to take what they'd learned from the experience of running Ben Franklin Variety Stores and open an all crafts supply store.
Having originally moved to Camas, Washington in the early Seventies to take over ownership of a local burger cafe, Jerry and Sonja opened their first Craft Warehouse stores in the late 1970's in the Oregon towns of Medford and Gresham.
The William's three sons became a part of the business early on. To this day all three brothers manage the eight locations and you'll frequently see them in the stores. Jerry and Sonja have since retired, but are still involved, and now a new generation, their grandchildren, are working at Craft Warehouse.
Inspiration and Fun
From the beginning Craft Warehouse was designed to be a store that provides inspiration and creativity. The Williams family learned early on that they can't be everything to everybody. They decided to fine-tune what categories they focused on and to make those categories as complete and attractive as possible.
Craft Warehouse focuses on providing quality components and supplies that the customer can easily transform to showcase their personal style. The Williams brothers believe in offering classes and events at the stores to provide skill sharing for their community. Each brother brings his own creative style to the aisles with projects and home décor ideas.
The Team
Ask anyone at Craft Warehouse about what makes the stores unique and they'll say the employees. Craft Warehouse team members are talented, creative people who design many of the projects highlighted and have first-hand knowledge about the products. They understand the customer's needs and the current trends and share this information with the buyers and managers.
Many Craft Warehouse team members have been with the company for 10, 15 or over 20 years. Ask these long-time employees about their place of work and they'll say that Craft Warehouse is like a "big family". The Williams family agrees. They're a family run business running a business that feels like family. It's not always smooth sailing, but it's an enjoyable ride and there's always something exciting and fun to see on the shelves.


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This is an awesome release from famed Victorian Shiraz producer, Mount Langi Ghiran. A nose of delicious red berry fruit and spice invites you in to a palate of awesome depth. There are gentle but firm tannins surrounding a lavish bowl of black fruits and red berries. The fruit is perfectly integrated and the wine has superb clarity and structure.
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In the event that you scrutinize even only a couple of sites and investigate the new buy prom dress fabric for 2017, you'll see an intriguing pattern this year with a considerable measure of the originators. One of the enormous things this year seems, by all accounts, to be dresses with vast whirling examples of shading. Those hues may comprise of huge blooms, or they may very well be wide brilliant streaks whooshing around on a streaming skirt with heaps of material. One Alisha Hill prom outfit even components huge paisley outlines in free bunches on an essentially white dress.
At the tissura.com site, you will see that there is a planner who has made extraordinary utilization of enormous hues for the new prom dresses for 2017. In any case, notwithstanding many dresses that gloat the extensive flower prints, this originator once in a while flavors it up much further by including a panther or other creature print, either as the fundamental shading component or as trim. Notwithstanding the more formal dresses, planner additionally adds spirit to shorter dresses, with enormous twirling blossoms and bunches of unsettles.
One originator who has truly gotten down to business on these brilliantly hued new prom dresses is texture wrapping up. In the event that you check the prom dress texture area on the tissura.com site, you see that the dresses that don't have the huge whirls of shading are in an unequivocal minority. One appears to have a Hawaiian flavor to it, with a touch of panther print blended in, while another is all emotional reds and blacks. A portion of the Jovani prom dresses are fun loving and swirly, while others are more rich, with the hues clearing here and there the dress in more curbed lines. This is one organization that is taking this pattern to the following level.
What the "enormous shading" dresses have done is to give numerous more other options to young ladies looking through the accumulations of texture prom dresses. The individuals who still need the all the more "high society" rich formal dresses will discover a huge number of such outfits accessible to them. The individuals who want to go short will discover no absence of shorter dresses. What's more, the individuals who still need to spruce up, yet need their outfits to be brighter and maybe more happy will discover what they're searching for too in the outfits with twirling shading.


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It's been a very busy weekend here in Dover, DE. The weekend was kicked off with Dover Police Department's inaugural Safe Trick-or-Treat 2016. Of course the whole family had to dress up as pirates for the costume contest. We had to leave the event early so we missed the winner being announced – but I am hopeful that somewhere in their hearts the judges had the kindness to overlook the two year old meltdown catastrophe they witnessed as me, Jimmy, and Grant approached them. If points could be awarded for cutest costumes coupled with the most dramatic meltdown – then we would have the number one spot locked up.
Saturday morning brought us to family activity number two – the Fordham and Dominion Halloween Hustle 10k. It's not every day that a 10k takes place in Dover. It's even rarer for a 10k to partner with one of Dover's jewels – Fordham Brewery. Of course as soon as I saw this Facebook event I signed up myself and Jimmy and then encouraged several of my friends to sign up as well. There was a team option available – and teams of ten or more that signed up by September 30th received a bonus 1 liter beer stein – in addition to the sweet finisher's mug and custom coaster (with a bottle opener on the bottom) that everyone received. Costumes were also highly encouraged for this run. This race benefited the Central Delaware Habitat for Humanity. Yet another reason why I love Fordham Brewery – they are a great community partner that is always willing help local non-profits.
The race started and finished at Fordham brewery. Plenty of free parking, race day packet pick-up, and unlimited free beer (or rootbeer at the end). It was a one loop course that took participants through the town of Little Creek. The Town of Little Creek is a charming Bayshore town with an interesting history. The Town of Little Creek, settled in the early 1800's, allegedly was first inhabited by pirates. The marsh and water views are beautiful.
In true Fordham style, the race after party was great. They had a live band, 4 cornhole board set up, food trucks, and adult size connect four games – in addition to unlimited beer (Oyster Stout, Copperhead Ale, Octoberfest, Baltic Porter, and Spiced Harvest Ale). Check out Fordham and Dominion's full beer selection here and don't forget their amazing sodas (Root beer is my personal fave). It was a great family event and Grant had a wonderful time. Plus, this was his first official 10K in the stroller!
This was a great inaugural event. I want to give a special shout out to all of Team 10Keggers who absolutely rocked it out there today! We came, we ran, we had fun, and some of us wore amazing costumes. Thank you Fordham for another great event.
Did you run in a Halloween theme race this weekend? If so, let me know about it! I am always looking to add some new and interesting races into my run rotation.


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I read many books and researched online before I decided to try homeschooling (due to a personal issue that arose). I wanted to teach my daughter successfully and my family were our biggest criticizers the first year we tried it! My family had never really been around many people who were homeschooled and couldn't imagine why I'd want to go that route.
My family worried most about Arianna not having any friends but whenever we go to a park, a doctor's office or playground, my daughter is the first to ask if the other child would like to play, so she makes friends, easily. I don't worry about this and she has a few friends through church, too.
Next, struggle was trying to convince them that she could learn from home. This was proven by her end of year test scores…and that surprised them the most!
This year, our family is quieter about our homeschooling and find some things interesting, even. We have a few criticizers left but most are from friends that are not originally from the US and don't get the whole reason why we homeschool. Their countries teach about Christ in the schools, where ours don't, on the normal. We are overcoming our hurdles with leaps and bounds…and we are having fun proving everyone wrong. )
If your family doesn't support your decision, try finding friends that do or your church family….if not, I'm here to support you. )
How have you dealt with criticism from homeschooling?


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Kasha's Reviews
Felicia S.
So friendly, great conversation, made our getting ready time easy and convenient and allowed us to relax with our family and chat!
Anna M.
Kasha made me feel so at ease on the morning of my wedding and was able to work well in my tiny apartment! My hair and makeup were everything I asked for—subtle and elegant, perfect for my civil ceremony.
Casey K.
Kasha is the best! xx
Nicole O.
Kasha was awesome! She arrived early, was friendly, accommodating, and did a fantastic job! I loved my hair and makeup and received several compliments during a semi-formal event I attended Saturday night. Thank you so much Kasha!
Jenny D.
Kasha was beyond amazing and made me feel beautiful :) She listened to what I wanted and provided outstanding results! I am hoping that I can get you to travel to Wisconsin to do makeup for my wedding :) I don't have a way to contact though! Please reach out to me!
Carolyn G.
Kasha was BEYOND wonderful. She showed up at 5:45 in the morning to help me with hair + makeup for a 7 am engagement shoot. She was incredibly friendly and fun to talk to, and her work was amazing—she gave me the exact glowing, natural look I wanted, with basically no direction. I would recommend her to every single one of my friends!!
Deanna G.
Kasha was amazing! On time and did beautiful work. Would definitely recommend.
Cheryl Z.
Kasha was AMAZING. She arrived on time, set up, and we talked about the look that I was going for. She was friendly and professional as she applied the makeup and had a very calm, centered demeanor that was just what this bride-to-b needed. I was absolutely ecstatic when she brought out the mirror - my makeup was exactly what I had in mind. And even though I had sat down feeling rushed and frantic when she started, I felt calm by the end. I honestly cannot say enough good things about my experience and I would recommend Kasha to anyone looking for a makeup artist.
Susan S.
Kasha did a fantastic job doing my hair and make-up for a 70s inspired event. She interpreted my inspiration photos well, and was lovely to chat with during the process. I recommend Kasha!
Lauren M.
Kasha was excellent! She did makeup and hair for my wedding- the makeup was absolutely gorgeous. And she did a great job making it look like I actually have a full head of hair- even though it's fine and thin. I hope to book Kasha again soon! Highly recommended.
Ellen B.
She gave me flawless skin (courtesy of artful airbrushing), sculpted cheeks and doe eyes - all as requested. She's incredibly sweet and professional and welcomes any suggestions/tweaks. True artist. I look forward to working with her again.
Rebecca K.
Kasha did an amazing job with my hair and makeup for a stage performance! She was very friendly and we had a good time while she was working. I looked incredible and got a million compliments! I highly recommend booking Kasha for any type of event! She is super talented and has perfect instincts for personalized styles.
Nicole N.
Kasha was absolutely wonderful. She was friendly and easy to talk to, listened to what I wanted, and then executed her own/better version of it. I was extremely happy with the entire experience!
Mary H.
Kasha was a pleasure to work with and did a great job on my makeup for a work holiday party. She is really talented, nice and very easy to work with. I would definitely recommend her!
Alli S.
Kasha was PHENOMENAL!! She nails the "no makeup makeup" look, and made me look and feel beautiful without being overly "done". Aside from her creative eye and passion for her work, she's an absolute sweetheart and was a pleasure to have in the house. I'm excited to find future reasons to hire her!
Julia K.
Great experience!
Katie K.
Kasha did an amazing job! She arrived ahead of schedule on a rainy, stormy night. Listened to what I wanted and gave me exactly what I asked for. I would not hesitate to utilize Kasha again for a glam look.
Gianna D.
Kasha is awesome! She was prompt, friendly, and so easy to work with! Our makeup and hair turned out beautifully!
Rachel M.
Kasha has the perfect combination of a calm demeanor and a ton of creativity. She was fifteen minutes early. Love that! Saw my dress and played it up with a beautiful makeup and hair look. She brought out the best of the style, and I got compliments all night long!
Rachel M.
Kasha has such a calm demeanor and a creative hand. It's the perfect combination to ensure a beautiful evening!
Sharon F.
Kasha did an amazing job and gave me exactly what I was looking for. She was so nice and fun and I can't wait for the next opportunity to book her.
Kristen W.
Kasha made me look awesome for my bridal shower. She was professional and lovely.
Chantal F.
Sublime on every level! From professionalism to warmth to results, Kasha was my fairy godmother of beauty. "You look stunning!" people told me at the charity event thanks to Kasha's magic. Will definitely book again.
Rachel M.
Kasha was outstanding start to finish! She arrived early, setup and was eager to please. I didn't have any specific ideas but showed her what I was wearing for the evening. She was creative, responsive and executed beautifully. I expected a very simply updo based on the fact that makeup seemed to be her "first" trade but she far exceeded my expectation. Her hair work was intricate and stayed up all night. As for makeup, she did a flawless job with my skin and then a little smokey eye and a pop of lip. I have never photographed better. I would highly recommend Kasha!
Jennie G.
Kasha was wonderful! She did an amazing job with my hair and makeup, but was also just a lot of fun to be with. Thanks, Kasha!
Kristen W.
Kasha was so fun and knew exactly what I wanted. I will most definitely hire her again.
Shelbi B.
I loved working with Kasha! I had a photo shoot scheduled for my life coaching website. Kasha showed up on time and was incredibly friendly. Her positive attitude and sweetness put me completely at ease. I am not accustomed to wearing much makeup, but she reassured me that I the photos would call for the kind of makeup she was doing. She was right, the photos turned out great! The makeup looked completely natural and flawless. The choices she made for my hair were also wonderful. I feel like she completely understood what I wanted for the shoot and delivered. I will work with her again anytime I need hair and makeup.
Rosey B.
Kasha was great and did an amazing job on my hair and makeup. Everyone loved it.
Rachel H.
She did a great job. My bridesmaids looked very pretty and I loved that they didn't look like they were wearing a ton of make-up.
Emily B.
Kasha was great! Came a few minutes early, very thorough and asked a lot of questions and delivered a great result! Looking forward to working with her on my wedding day!
Katie G.
Kasha was quick, friendly and did a fabulous job.
Saima S.
Kasha was fantastic, as always!!
Alex B.
Kasha was great! She was punctual, patient, and delivered exactly what we asked for.
Peggy K.
Kasha was amazing!! She was able to do my makeup very early in the morning and at the last minute. I gave her a general look that I wanted and she made me feel very beautiful. I would highly recommend her!!
Saima S.
I had another great appointment with Kasha!
Saima S.
Kasha was great! She came a little early to set up. Her work on my hair & makeup exceeded my expectations. I've scheduled another appointment with her!
Jessica Z.
LOVED Kasha! She took my thoughts and applied them exactly how I wanted to look but better! She is also so super sweet and great to work with. I will definitely use her again!
Rachel Y.
I needed an updo appointment at 6AM on a Sunday and Kasha was just perfect. She is really professional and arrived 10 minutes early. I showed her a picture of an updo I wanted and she was able to put it together perfectly, all while keeping my time crunch in mind. She was in and out in 30-40 minutes and was incredibly friendly the whole time (hard to be so cheerful at 6AM on a Sunday...). She was also on PayPal and was ok with a PayPal'd tip! I will be requesting another hair appointment with Kasha for my actual wedding (as well as the next round of photos...). Bonus: my hair was pinned so well it stayed up the entire day! Thanks, Kasha and THANK YOU thestylisted! I'll have to try her makeup services next (that's her specialty and she herself is gorgeous)


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Blackjack is one of the most popular online casino card games, and it's no exception in South Africa. Here's a guide about what you need to know about online blackjack. How to play the game, and bet, the terms, plus tips that give you an edge. So you can play – and with a little luck – win. You'll also find the best blackjack casino that works for you, amongst the many top choices on our recommended list.
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How to Play Online Blackjack
In Blackjack playing, cards adding up to 21, or at least closer to 21 than the dealer, will get you your win. Anyone who goes over 21 loses.
What does "Blackjack" mean?
If the first two cards dealt to you or the dealer is a 10 or face card, plus an Ace, that's called a blackjack. That blessed event, of course, is where the game gets its name. Not only is blackjack an instant winner, but unlike other outcomes, it pays you 1.5 to one. So if you bet 2, you'd get 3 back after a blackjack.
In the unlikely event that you and the dealer both draw a blackjack, it's called a push. In that case, no one wins the hand and your initial bet is returned. The same holds true for any "tie" outcome.
Card Counting and Deck Shuffling
Online blackjack is played with multiple 52-card decks. It some places a fresh deck is dealt for each hand. The reason is to prevent any chance players can "count cards". Smart players once learned that by counting how many 10-point cards have been dealt, you can estimate how likely 10-point cards will be dealt from the deck. That can help you decide whether to take an additional card or to stand pat.
Card counting ability is a gift for a player, but it is a danger to the casino's profit margin. In Hollywood movies like Rainman and 21, we see how seriously casinos take this threat to their profits. Online, however, card-counting is practically non-existent. Frequent shuffles or 6-to-8 deck shoes are sufficiently strong casino counter-measures. Counting online? Forget it.
Blackjack Card Values
- In blackjack, each card is worth its numerical value.
- Face cards – jacks, queens and kings – are worth the same as the 10 card.
- Aces can be valued either at 11 or 1: each player can decide at any moment which of these two options most helps the current hand.
Standing and Busting
- If the dealer's hand total is less than 17, the dealer must draw an additional card.
- Unlike the dealer, you can opt to 'stand' (not take any additional cards) on a relatively low card total of 15 or 16. Why? Instead of risking a bust yourself, you can hope or pray that the dealer will go over 21. However, if the dealer does not go bust, and your number is lower than the dealer's, you lose.
Online Blackjack Terms
It's not hard to be baffled by blackjack terms if you're new to the game. Here are some key terms every player should know:
- Hit – Ask for another card.
- Stand – Stop receiving cards.
- Bust – Your card total went over 21. You lost.
- Insurance – If the dealer has an Ace face-up, a player may be given the option to make a side bet that the dealer gets Blackjack, thus turning a loss into a win.
- Push – When a player and the dealer both have the same total card values, your bet is returned and no money is lost.
- Soft – A hand with an Ace. Such hands are flexible, because Aces can count as 1 or 11.
- Split – The option to split a pair of dealt cards in two hands. Each hand will get a second card to join the split pair.
- Double Down – The option to double your bet and get dealt exactly one more card.
- Surrender – If you don't feel you hold a winning hand, based on the first two cards dealt, you may get an option to lose half of his bet and the round.
5 Online Blackjack Tips
Blackjack is a blend of skill and luck, with strategy playing a greater role than most other casino games. Strategies and knowledge of the odds can increase your chances of winning. Here are five tips to help you on your way:
- Memorise blackjack hit tables. Math-loving poker players love crunching numbers. They have created tables about when to stand pat, when to take a hit, when to double down, and when to split. Knowing that table can improve your game big-time.
- Split a pair of 8s or Aces. Not all dealt pairs should be split, but a pair of aces and a pair of 8s are no-brainers. Two 8s sum up to 16, a miserable hand. But splitting them gives you a good chance to get a reasonable 18 or even 19 with an ace. A pair of Aces is even more attractive. Instead of totaling 2 or 12, you get a decent shot at two Blackjacks.
- Never take insurance. From a mathematical viewpoint, insurance is a sucker's side bet. The cost of insurance is not justified by the potential win.
- Let the dealer go bust. If the dealer's up-card is a 4, 5, or 6, be careful taking cards that might cause you to go over 21. If you have a soft hand, however, you are protected from busting and can take one or possibly two hits before standing and hoping the dealer will exceed 21.
- Try a live dealer blackjack casino. Top online casinos stream real-time feeds of blackjack tables from multiple cameras in HD video. There are live dealers, often distractingly attractive (that's probably the idea). It's an amazing experience you will want to check out for yourself.
Online Blackjack Strategy
If you want to go even more into the strategic dimension, we've put together an in-depth guide to blackjack strategy. As usual, we advise you to practice on the free to play version of the game. It's usually a no-download, instant play game, so learning the game is painless. Once you've decided you're ready to play for Rand, check out our recommended casinos.
Blackjack Bottom Line
It's no surprise that online blackjack has become a player favourite, across the world and in South Africa too. It's a casino game where skill and strategy play a large role. A player who learns the ins and outs of the game can cut the house edge to a bare minimum. Online blackjack comes in a wide range of variations. Experiment on free play practice games before you go for real money games at a recommended blackjack casino. Whatever you do, when you're ready, be sure to try out some live dealer versions of the game. You won't regret it.


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Never walk with bare feet or with just socks on, especially if your feet are numb, to reduce the risk of foot injury. Also, don't soak your feet unless you're instructed to do so; this can dry out the skin and increase the risk of injury and infection. Do not use commercial products to remove corns and calluses, strong antiseptics, or heating pads on your feet. All can cause irritation that increases the risk of foot complications.
Learn more about the health and medical experts who who provide you with the cutting-edge resources, tools, news, and more on Diabetes Self-Management.
About Our Experts >>


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|Some of my potentially lovely clothes
I've moved into a new flat again (which partially explains my long absence from the blogosphere), and again I'm hit by the fact that I own too much. I own too much fabric (no! never!), I have too many shoes (can I ever get enough?) and I have the wardrobe full of clothes that I don't use any more (one day I might want to use this / but I made that five years ago!). Unfortunately, it doesn't stop with apparel... This brings me to some issues regarding stash and scraps.
Zoe from 'So, Zo... What do you know?' already launched the Stash Bustin' challenge a year and a half ago and she recommitted recently, and it's been on the back of my mind for quite some time now (at least a year!), but trips to London or Copenhagen always softens my determination. But now, NOW! is the time. I will do as Zoe once did: I'm pledging to bust my stash and will not buy fabrics (unless they are absolutely necessary items like linings/interlinings helping me to stash bustin' pledge).
|More of my potentially lovely clothes...
I'm taking it a step further. I have decided that I will try not to buy any new clothes this year. Socks and underwear are excluded. And rainwear since I soon will start biking to work. When I packed down all my clothes, I realised that I have everything I need, seriously, although I'm missing some basic garments to complete my wardrobe. And if I only change my focus a little, and make more wearable and casual clothes (it can't be all about nice dresses with circle skirts...), I can have a self-stitched wardrobe! So I hereby also take the Closing the gaps project pledge launched by A Vintage Girl. I will close my wardrobe gaps.
I also realised when sorting some of my fabrics and sewing related stuff, that I find it very difficult to through away scraps and smallish pieces of fabrics. But for what? Tasia from Sewaholic also discussed the scrap problem, and there's a lot of good suggestions on what to do with it in the comments, like this super cute japanese coin purse. One of the best mini-projects I know of, is the zippered pouch with pocket and loop from Lisa Lam at U-Handbag. But how many pouches do I need? Have you got any good ideas for using you scrap?
I'm heading into my sewing stash now... hopefully I'll manage to go through it all, maybe sell some yardage and at least develop a good system.
|So many plans!
|...all my plans...


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How Jay likes to treat his cows
Lancaster procedure for giving a dairy cow a bottle of calcium (or other IV fluid):
(To learn about issues that may require an IV, click for our page on "milk fever" or "ketosis")
Disclaimer: We're not explaining via words how you can go "D-I-Y learn how to" give your cow an IV… rather we are explaining our method so that when you go to learn about IV'ing a cow, or when someone (a vet, a dairyman, etc.) comes to help you by giving your cow an IV, you will have an idea of how it's handled.)
Why IV and not Oral? Milk fever causes a cow's digestive system to shut down, so when people give boluses or gel after a cow is showing signs of milk fever, you won't get much, if any, benefit from them because her system will not be able to absorb the nutrients through the stomach. No digestion = No absorption! That's why IV is essential for milk fever, it gets into the blood and works immediately.
To start:
- Warm your bottle in a small container full of hot tap water (regardless of what you give a cow IV, warm it up to near cow body temp, about 90-101 degrees).
- Be sure the bottle is closed and upright so nothing spills out or gets contaminated.
- Get your IV tube ready (wash, uncap Calcium bottle, attach tube to bottle) and put a sterile 14 x 2 needle (not threaded on the cap end, just smooth) in your pocket.
- Take the container of water and bottle/tube out to the cow.
Securing the cow:
- If the cow is standing, you can tie her to a post and have one person on either side of her.
- If the cow is lying down, put on the halter and pull her head around to her belly (it may already be, which is a sign of milk fever) and loop the lead rope around her leg above the hock and tie a safety knot (one that will pull loose easily in an emergency). Do not leave much slack – the cow should be comfortable but unable to move around too much.
Getting the needle into the vein correctly:
- The person giving the IV should be on the most exposed side of the neck of the cow and the helper should be on the opposite side, with the supplies nearby.
- Find the jugular vein and rub to expose the vein.
- You can pinch off the vein a bit to get more of a bulge. (You can also give in the milk vein, but Jay's prefers jugular.)
- Uncap the needle and push it inward, then in the direction away from the head (needle pointed toward the heart, so in the milk vein, the needle would be pointed toward the heart & away from the udder). You kind of push straight in to get past the skin then move your hand and the needle in the direction of the head and down towards the vein, which will make the needle more parallel to the vein and push in further.
- Blood will come out the end of the needle in a steady flow, that's when you know you've got it.
Starting the intravenous injection:
- Your helper at that point should have the warmed bottle of calcium ready and in their hand, making sure the liquid is down to the end of the tube. You can just pinch off the end or use the clamp that some of them come with.
- Just before you insert the IV tube, undo the pinch/clamp and let the liquid flow to release any air in the tube.
- Attach the tube to needle.
- You'll then want to watch the bottle and make sure there are big bubbles coming up from the tube to indicate slow flow of liquid.
Administering the IV correctly:
- If you're not getting big bubbles or the bubbles are moving extremely slow or maybe no bubbles at all, then the needle might not be in the vein.
- You might also see on the skin near the needle where it is building up under the skin, which is sub-Q and not your intention.
- If that happens, just pop off the tube and pinch the tube or hold up the tube so you don't keep letting out liquid.
- Adjust the needle or take it out and try again in another spot. Even Jay has a hard time finding a good vein on some cows!
- The cow may fuss at the beginning because she's scared and loopy. Once you start the IV, she should settle down and act like she's saying, "Ahhh, thank you!"
Monitoring the progress:
- Once you get a good flow, just keep monitoring the bubbles and their speed. I would usually be the one holding the bottles, so for calcium, I'd rest my elbow on the withers of the cow and hold that arm straight up holding the bottle. You might have to lower your arm to just above the withers, but that gives you an idea of a range for how high to hold the bottle. Dextrose, you can hold the bottle practically straight up. It can go in pretty fast. With calcium, CMPK, etc., you just don't want to "overdose" the cow with the nutrients, that's why it needs to go in slower.
- When the liquid has reached the bottom of the bottle (at the end) and is starting to go down into the tube, remove the needle from the cow and hand the needle and tube end to your helper.
- A helpful tip…re-cap the needle right away so no one gets poked! 🙂
- You can rub the point where the needle went in a little bit.
- Remove the halter from the cow & anything you used for restraint.
- If her head's still turned toward her body, you can massage her neck a little to get her stimulated (plus, she might have a kink in her neck! And we all know how that feels…)
Watch the cow for signs:
- If a cow reacts correctly to the fluids, her body will start quivering. You may think it's like she's having more contractions, but it's really the calcium taking effect. Amazing stuff. You'll probably see her start doing this while you're giving the bottle. That's a good sign!
- She may take a bit to get back up and stand and she may still be somewhat wobbly.
- Keep some tempered molasses water nearby for her to drink.
- Get your best or most palatable hay and have some within eating distance.
- You'll hopefully see her pee or poo or both!
- She may belch.
- Those are all excellent signs her body is "starting up" again.
The end:
- Dump the water and throw away the bottle, capped needle, and any other waste.
- Thoroughly clean the tube and hang to dry.
- Wash any blood off your hands.
- Monitor the cow closely for at least a half hour. She should be up within minutes.
- Put the water and food in front of her if she needs stimulating.
- Fresh, warm, soaked beet pulp with molasses is an excellent "sick cow" meal.
- If all goes well, you should be safe to leave the cow alone for a while, just check back on her every hour or so to monitor her progress.
Does she need another bottle?
- Some cows need to be treated more than once. If she seems to be backsliding, consider a second bottle in the same exact manner.
- Jay gives a bottle of dextrose along with the bottle of calcium if you have to give the cow more than two bottles of calcium. He's a major fan of dextrose for energy. 🙂
- Your best way to avoid having to give a second bottle is to make sure she is standing, moving, eating, drinking, getting her system working again so digestion can take over for her energy/nutrient uptake.
- But some cows are just really out of it and may take a large number of bottles over a period of time before they are "off and running" again.
- For safety purposes, a new needle should be used each time, even if for the same cow. Bacteria multiply much faster than we realize!
I found a video that I added to my milk fever link. It's not the best, but gives you an idea of how the process of milk fever works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7zMD0_wjq0 (She used a too small needle, so the cow started moving during the process she took 20+ minutes to get the calcium in. If you work faster, like Jay does, the cow should not fuss too much while giving the IV, because she will not yet have started recovering much. In the video above, she talks about going slowly. Yes, that's important, but using a bigger needle like we use is just as safe and Jay does 6-10 minutes and it should all be in. You can put Dextrose in faster.)


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date a lot, as I date all of my personal notes, letters, whatever....
and it keeps returning the 'year' at the end of the string, which is aggravating for me.
Thu Sep 20 17:10:02 CDT 2018 is how it is being returned to my documents, and the forum also.
My preference would simply be
9/20/2018 as the time of day carries no significance at all a year from now, or even tomorrow. Such a change would probably effect the Command Line, er uh, Panel time display ....
so can I have two methods to show up?
1 for my shortcut for documents,
2 for the Panel to leave it alone as is?


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The Number 13 RoadSaturday 1 November 2003, 17:18
It's an old joke, you've no doubt heard it before. There's this young woman, and she's decided to kill herself by jumping off a bridge. So just as she's standing there on the railing looking down at the river below, a young man sees her and says, hey, so you've decided to kill yourself, huh? And she says yes, that's the way things are, and she's all expecting him to try to talk her out of it, to say come on, life isn't so bad; maybe he'll offer to listen to her troubles, maybe he'll get all weepy and beg her to call it off, all that kind of thing. But he doesn't.


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text: If you feel you feel you have been discriminated against or feel unsafe due to the colour of your skin or other characteristic, we may be able to help you. We will not disclose your contact or identity unless you give permission. Contact us on the details provided on the contact page. You can also ask a family member, friend or colleague to contact us on your behalf to ensure your call reaches us. The ZMT is an independent organisation which prioritises the voice of the victim to ensure robust and confidential support to circumstances of discrimination.


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Welcome to Consolidated Copier Services, the most awarded copier dealer recognized for service excellence, 96% customer retention, and more. We are proud to be a fellow Fayette Chamber of Commerce member! We've been a member of the chamber since 2017 and are proud to support this great community. We are an authorized dealer for Kip wide format, and Xerox copiers and printers.
Matt Wallace is our main representative with the Chamber and also our business consultant for Fayette County. Please feel free to contact Matt at (678) 289-5100 or firstname.lastname@example.com, or learn more about Consolidated Copier Services here online. Here are a couple of quick links to get you started:
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If you are not a member of the Fayette County Chamber, we encourage you to join this great organization. It has very much benefited our business throughout the time we've been a member. You can contact the Chamber at (770) 461-9983


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Dubai port firm announces $604 million 2013 profit
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dubai-based port operator DP World announced Thursday that its profits rose nearly 11 percent to $604 million in 2013 as the company opened new ports in Britain and Brazil and expanded its operations at home in the United Arab Emirates.
The gains reported Thursday came despite a 1.5 percent drop in revenue to $3.07 billion last year.
DP World, which is one of the world's largest seaport operators, credited last year's profits to its focus on fast growing markets alongside its operations in developed markets.
The company invested more than $1 billion in a range of new long-term assets last year, launching new projects in Brazil's Embraport and London's Gateway port. The company says it plans to expand its capacity this year at its main Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates and its Rotterdam port in the Netherlands.
DP World Chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem told reporters that the company has good liquidity to be selective about where it wants to be. He said the profits were helped by increased productivity and efforts to contain costs.
"We always look for emerging markets. We look for markets that will give us the best return or better return. And definitely deploying the proceeds into Africa, into Latin America, into areas where we know we are performing very well," he said.
The board of DP World is recommending a total dividend of $190.9 million, or a 10 percent increase, to 23 cents per share.
Sulayem said that the company faced some challenging market conditions in the first half of 2013 and that capacity was constrained within a number of its key locations.
DP World had lower reported gains from the previous year when separately disclosed items were taken into account. DP World reported separately disclosed items of $48 million, mostly relating to a $158 million profit on sale of businesses and $99 million on impairment of assets.
When factoring those in, DP World's profits last year were down 13.4 percent to $640 million from the $738 million the company reported in 2012.
DP World: http://web.dpworld.com
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The latest edition of the single most authoritative guide on dimensional modeling for data warehousing! Dimensional modeling has become the most widely accepted approach for data warehouse design. Here is a complete library of dimensional modeling techniques–– the most comprehensive collection ever written. Greatly expanded to cover both basic and advanced techniques for optimizing data warehouse design, this second edition to Ralph Kimball′s classic guide is more than sixty percent updated. The authors begin with fundamental design recommendations and gradually progress step–by–step through increasingly complex scenarios. Clear–cut guidelines for designing dimensional models are illustrated using real–world data warehouse case studies drawn from a variety of business application areas and industries, including:
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Inside Politics
Bill Clinton Tours Office in Harlem; Senate to Begin Investigation of Rich Pardon; Bush Stresses Missile DefenseAired February 13, 2001 - 5:00 p.m. ET
WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I called Hillary and I asked, my senator first, how she would feel about me coming to Harlem. And she loved it!
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Bill Clinton plans a move to friendly turf, which may help him ease one headache, even as his pardon problem gets worse.
BERNARD SHAW, CNN ANCHOR: Pressing on with his military theme of the week, President Bush goes nuclear.
WOODRUFF: Plus: we'll ask Senator Joe Lieberman if he has his sights on Mr. Bush's job in 2004.
ANNOUNCER: From Washington, this is INSIDE POLITICS with Bernard Shaw and Judy Woodruff.
SHAW: Thanks for joining us.
Subpoenas are being issued, and now, there is even a call for Bill Clinton to voluntarily testify about his pardon of financier Marc Rich. So on the eve of Senate hearings into the pardon, it seems easy to understand why the former president would take comfort among adoring crowds in Harlem and why he now hopes to open an office there instead of a pricier area of New York. We begin our coverage of the Clinton controversies with the former president, on the move. Here is CNN's Maria Hinojosa.
MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A president no longer, Mr. Clinton was still greeted in Harlem as if he was one. There was no campaign speech to deliver, but still he was almost smothered by supporters. Harlem's rebirth was fueled, Mr. Clinton said, by more money.
CLINTON: This is what my presidency was about. And it's a lot of what I want to do in my post-presidential years -- bringing economic opportunity to people and places who don't have it here at home and around the world. And bringing people of different races and religions and backgrounds together. This is what this means to me.
HINOJOSA: What it also means is that the controversy over his original pick for office space on West 57th Street, costing $700,000 a year, goes away. This space in Harlem rents just over $200,000 a year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This community is buzzing like I've never seen before.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It feels like he is actually coming back to the people who's been supporting him, and he feels comfortable around.
HINOJOSA: In fact, Harlemites were ready to start calling this office building, with an abandoned town house to the left, a new landmark. No former president has ever set up an office in a predominantly African-American, predominantly working-class community.
CLINTON: Well, I called Hillary and I asked my senator, first, how she would feel about me coming to Harlem. And she loved it!
HINOJOSA: Over the past few years, Harlem has been transformed with specialty chain stores and a massive cineplex. Amenities this community lived without for so long.
REV. AL SHARPTON, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK: The irony is, that some of the neighborhoods that didn't enjoy the Clinton years of prosperity will now be exposed because of his presence.
HINOJOSA: But Mr. Clinton's proposed new office space exposes another side of Harlem. This fully renovated building comes with a new marble lobby and private elevators.
HINOJOSA: Now, Mr. Clinton says he would like to use the office space in Harlem if he can work out the details. Those details may include satisfying New York's Republican Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who leased the same office space in December for the Administration for Children's Services -- Bernie.
SHAW: Maria, could the former president be hoping that this move to Harlem will take the sting out of some of his troubles?
HINOJOSA: Well, yesterday, when I spoke to Congressman Charles Rangel who had everything to do with getting the former president into Harlem. And I asked, do you think that this might ease some of the troubles regarding the pardon, and Charles Rangel said, we certainly hope so. So, I think that that is clearly on the agenda.
SHAW: Maria Hinojosa in Harlem. Thank you -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Clinton's office flap may, indeed, go away. But the stir over his pardon of Marc Rich seems unlikely to abate anytime soon. CNN's Bob Franken has an update, now, on that story, as the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to hold its hearing on the pardon tomorrow. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first witness, Roger Adams, U.S. Justice Department pardon attorney. Republican Arlen Specter is questioning whether the Marc Rich pardon is valid.
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R-PA), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: We will be taking a look at the pardons which were granted, the documents where President Clinton signed apparently on January 20th at noon, but the papers were not filled out until much later.
FRANKEN: Adams will be asked whether the fact he completed the paperwork after Clinton left office affected whether the pardon was valid. A Justice Department source tells CNN "it's not unusual" to finish the process later. In fact, an attorney who worked on pardons in the Reagan administration doubted it would matter.
JEFF HARRIS, FORMER DEPUTY ASSOCIATION ATTORNEY GENERAL: The law generally comes down to that -- if the president has the authority to do it, the fact that someone had to sign a piece of paper and that didn't get done 'til the next day, I don't think that will ultimately cancel the pardons.
FRANKEN: The House committee in hot pursuit of the pardons matter, issued subpoenas, seeking: bank records of Richard's ex-wife Denise, records from the Democratic National Committee detailing her contributions to the party, and records from the Clinton presidential library, where she made large donations.
The committee is trying to determine whether Denise Rich was used to funnel money from her ex-husband. The House Government Reform Committee has also sent letters to the National Archives and Secret Service seeking logs and e-mails related to Jack Quinn, the former White House counsel who successfully lobbied for the Rich pardon.
Rich fled the United States 17 years ago to avoid charges of massive tax evasion and illegally dealing with Iran. The House committee is consulting with the State Department over whether Rich continues to be a U.S. citizen. Despite his renunciation in 1982, an appeals court has ruled he remains one.
RICHARD BOUCHER, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: No, we don't dispute the court's decision.
FRANKEN: The citizenship question could determine whether he owes back taxes and whether he would be forbidden from making campaign contributions as a noncitizen. Meanwhile, the chairman of the judiciary committee says that before all is said and done, it may take the ex-president himself to put this controversy to rest.
SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R-UT), CHAIRMAN, JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: If I were President Clinton, I would want to testify. I would think so, and clear the air, and you're right, it would be very good if he cleared the air and just said, look, this is the reason why I did it.
(END VIDEOTAPE) FRANKEN: Mr. Clinton has taken steps to try and dampen the controversies over the office buildings and the gifts matter. This one shows no signs of going away.
WOODRUFF: So, Bob, do you believe that the Senate hearings are going to advance this story beyond where the House hearings left it?
FRANKEN: Well, Arlen Specter, who's going to be running these hearings says that what he wants to do is provide knowledge of exactly how the pardons process works. So in addition to having the pardons attorney, in addition to having Jack Quinn, and Eric Holder, the former deputy attorney general as the House hearings did, he's going to have experts on talking about how the pardons process works, and how it could be changed.
WOODRUFF: All right, Bob Franken at the Capitol. We know you will be there tomorrow. Thanks.
President Bush was asked today about the Congressional probes of Mr. Clinton's pardon of Marc Rich. His response: "Congress is going to do what they're going to do." but, Mr. Bush said he thinks it is, "time to move on." The president spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One. He also commented on allegations that Air Force One was stripped by people traveling with the Clintons on the day they left the White House. Mr. Bush said the allegations are simply not true.
SHAW: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton issued a challenge today to President Bush. In her first Senate speech, Mrs. Clinton urged the president to embrace new bipartisan legislation to create a patients' bill of rights. And, she noted the lesson she learned from her failed push for health care reform when she was first lady.
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: We were not successful then, but I learned some valuable lessons about the legislative process, the importance of bipartisan cooperation, and the wisdom of taking small steps to get a big job done. Across this aisle, and across our country, Democrats and Republicans are joined together in support of this patients' bill of rights. Say the word, President Bush, and we can make this bill a law.
SHAW: As she walked off the Senate floor, Mrs. Clinton told reporters she is excited about her husband's plan to move his New York office to Harlem. Let's talk more about the Clintons and the controversy that still surrounds them. We're joined by Robert George of the "New York Post" and Joe Conason of the "New York Observer."
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This is one day training programme based on Persona Global's methodology with objective to help participants recognize situations in which they don't handle stress in adequate way, and then help them adopt practical technques for improving this skill.
Very often, circumstances which put us into stress are out of our control. How we react in this situations, however, is totally under our control! In case we have strategy for comming out of stress, we have the oportunity to build higher level of resistence and even see some positive aspects of stressfull situations.
This training uses as a base set of skills which will enable us to become more stress-resistant. Model is called " Seven skills for managining stress". By enhancing this skills, we become able to overcome crisis in short period of time and become more flexible in facing challenges. These seven skills are:
- Purpusefulness – Clarity about what we have to achieve regardin life and business objectives
- Self-reliantness – Having self confidence and faith in our own capacities for acheiving success, despite chalenge
- Versatileness – Being flexible in a meter of effective adaptation on change
- Tough-mindness – Not giving up searching for solutions even under the hardest circumstance
- Connection – Having network of people for support and sharing ideas, concerns and emotions with
- Hopefulness – Trust in the positive outcome of future actions
- Self discipline – Ability to remain calm under pressure and manage emotions in adequate way
Resilience model
Training has two phases:
1. Preparation for training
Before the training, participants complete the assessment called "Resilience Profile", in order to get the insight into the level of resilience they already possess, and into the areas in which they should work on it's enhancing. Assessment is based on 49 questions, relating to 7 basic skills of stress management. Feedback report is followed by data, and each skill is presented grafically and described with the recomendations for further development.
2. Training
Second phase is a training created in a way to work directly on the aspect given in the results of assessment. In interactive environment participants are working on a set of seven skills – they learn and apply tools and techniques which are helping them to build higher level of resilience. Training can be organized in a way to fit whole developing program of organization.
Subjects on this training are:
- Understanding causes and background of stress
- Seven crucial skills in stress management – insight into characteristics and ways of enhancing
- Pressure identification
- ABC Model for stress prevention
- Enhancing physical and mental resilience
- Adopting and applying practical tools for managing stress
- Interpretation and evaluation of beliefs which lead to stress
- Relaxing techniques
Who should attend this training?
Training is specially useful for employees on management positions, and for those who are seen as role models and influence makers in organizations. It is also suitable for employees working in stressful environments, where lot of changes are happening, or are in some way insecure. It is also very useful for gaining skills of positive thinking and acting and could be applied successfully in challenging situations with difficult clients.


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|Venkatesh Krishnamurthy
|Type: Meet-up
|Date: 2017-02-08
|Start Time: 18:00
|Venkatesh Krishnamurthy
The Product Owner role in LeSS is conceptually the same as in one-team Scrum. However, at scale the focus changes slightly toward keeping an overview and ensuring the maximum return on investment (ROI) in the product.
The Product Owner needs to understand and work to improve five key relationships that are affected by LeSS adoption:
* Product Owner<–>Higher Management
* Product Owner<–>Teams
* PO and Teams
* Product Owner<–>Customers
* Teams<–>Customers
* Product Owner<->ScrumMasters
In this session, we will review these relationships and the need for PO to understand them.


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President Barack Obama is bypassing Congress to take a big swing at Big Coal — with the EPA announcing a sweeping new cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon pollution from power plants.
A 30 percent cut in emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 is a big number — less than environmental groups want but far more than the president can get via Congress, where climate change skeptics rule the House and the Democratic Senate so far avoiding bringing a climate change bill to the floor during Obama's presidency.
The Obama power plant rules are the most far-reaching policies in the "pen-and-phone" second-term presidency, with the impact touching every American who turns on a light switch. The president's counselor, John Podesta, has already boasted that there is "zero chance" Congress can rein in the president's climate change regulations , and that's probably true, despite the certainty that Republican leaders will force votes to block the regulations.
Ahead of the announcement, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was already promising a bill to block the new EPA rules.
"From what we have heard this is just the latest attempt at a national energy tax by the Obama Administration and yet another assault on Kentucky coal jobs and the Commonwealth's economy," the Kentucky Republican said in a May 30 statement.
Congress would have to override a presidential veto even if the Democratic-controlled Senate agreed to send either a resolution of disapproval or a new bill blocking the regulations to the president's desk.
Obama hasn't vetoed a bill since early in his first term, and hasn't had a veto overridden.
But like the president's other signature domestic initiative, the health care law, Obama's climate change rules will face a legal and political thicket.
McConnell has made the president's "war on coal" the centerpiece of his re-election campaign — and other Republicans are sure to use the regulations as fodder for the fall effort to take over the Senate. And the regulations will almost certainly be re-litigated in the 2016 presidential election.
The administration is avoiding mentioning the terms "cap-and-trade" and "coal" — even though they are at the center of the plan. The EPA rules mention coal 203 times in 645 pages, but the word "coal" isn't in the EPA's press release.
Obama also didn't mention "cap" or "trade" in his weekly radio address, which was devoted to the issue.
Republicans could press an appropriations rider prohibiting the EPA from spending any money to implement the regulation — but that would almost certainly precipitate another nasty government shutdown, with the president having little incentive to give in.
Assuming the regulations survive politics, they'll also have to survive legal challenges that are likely to end up at the Supreme Court.
A narrow majority of the court has been friendly to the EPA's ability to regulate carbon dioxide. But it will take years before any case reaches the high court.


text: Carrot Serving Dish Carrot Serving Dish Carrot Serving Dish 12th scale handmade food £3.20 Quantity: at £3.20 each Add To Basket Handmade Christmas Miniatures by Magpies-Miniatures 1:12 item 12th scale ceramic serving pot with removable lid, with wonderfully detailed carrot slices. Lovely detailed item, perfect for your Christmas and Thanksgiving scenes. Where shown, penny and fork are for size reference only. (Penny is very similar in size to US 1 Cent, and 1 Euro coin). Other items shown in the background (where applicable) are for scene-setting purposes only, and are also not included in sale unless stated in the item description.


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Related Links
Our Links page carries web links to useful sites that are relevant to the Liverpool Parks Police and to related historical sites in general that you might like to peruse.
If you would like to place a link on your website back to us, put the
following code into your HTML to link back to our Home Page:
Police Roll of Honour Trust
"The POLICE ROLL OF HONOUR TRUST researches and maintains the National Police Officers Roll of Honour and Remembrance."
"A record of the public service and sacrifice of British police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, since the earliest days of professional law enforcement."
National Association of Retired Police Officers
"NARPO are an organisation representing retired police officers of all ranks and police widows from police forces throughout England and Wales. They offer a range of services to members including advice on pensions and other issues affecting the welfare of their members."
The owners of this (Liverpool Parks Police) website would like to thank NARPO for their help and contributions to the content of this website.
The Liverpool Airport Constabulary
"The Liverpool Parks Police and the Liverpool Airport Police were operationally and historically linked. This article, by John Hutchinson (who served in both forces) provides a short history of policing Liverpool Airport, 1950s to 1990s."
Liverpool History Society
"Local history societies have existed in many of the towns and villages of Lancashire and Merseyside
for several years, but until the year 2000, there appeared to be no society in existence that was committed
to the study of the history of the City of Liverpool itself.
On 18th February 2001 the Liverpool History Society was born, committed to the appreciation and study of the history of the city and which would complement, rather than compete with the work of existing groups."
Liverpool City Police
"Liverpool City Police was formed in 1836. Over the following one hundred and seventy five
years and three name changes, Liverpool City Police, Liverpool and Bootle Constabulary (1967)
and Merseyside Police (1974) the force has gone from strength to strength, being now universally
recognised as one of the most efficient, groundbreaking and pioneering Police forces in
the United Kingdom, if not the world.
This has not happened by accident as the reputation and distinction of the current force is a consequence of the professionalism and dedication of officers from the past and the present."
Runcorn and District Historical Society
"The Runcorn & District Historical Society was founded in 2000 and maintains a growing collection of documents and photos of the Runcorn area. As at 2009, the society had 120+ members, and meets monthly for talks & events."
Old Liverpool
"Millions of people have passed through, lived, settled and died in Liverpool throughout history. This online collection of Liverpool snippets from old Liverpool newspapers and other sources documents some of that history."
Liverpool and SW Lancs. Family History Society
"The Liverpool & South West Lancashire Family History Society was originally founded as the Liverpool Family History Society in May 1976, and was set up to encourage the study of Family History and Genealogy in the area and to provide a forum for those interested, to meet and help each other."
Cathedral Constables
"Welcome to the Cathedral Constables' website. This site is dedicated to the ecclesiastical
constables who safeguard some of our great cathedrals.
We have done so for many centuries and have played a significant, if little known part, in the creation of the modern police service. We do not purport to be police officers, but seek to uphold the history and traditions of the cathedral constables who have gone before."
ParkCops website
"Welcome to the Parkcops Website dedicated to officers everywhere who serve as Parkcops."
Old Mersey Times
"Liverpool and Merseyside's life and times transcribed from old newspapers"


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Data is a gold mine for today's brands, enabling them to personalize offers, increase engagement, and boost sales. However, with so much data flowing from so many sources—orders, websites, email, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and more—it can be challenging for marketing teams to get a unified view of their customers. Additionally, getting value from that data requires applying complex predictive models that are costly to develop and run.
Custora brings all that data together in one place, enriches it with its predictive models, and unifies it into individual customer profiles. Then, it applies predictive models to surface preferences for products, price points, and discounts, as well as to delineate the customer lifecycle and identify those customers who are most likely to return products. The result is similar to traditional customer segmentation—just faster, more accurate, and more useful.
"Instead of sending out requests to the BI team and waiting weeks for results, we enable marketers to get insights and deploy campaigns immediately," says Jon Pospischil, cofounder of Custora. "We help them to earn more with what they already spend on marketing while increasing customer engagement and building lifetime loyalty." Custora's success speaks for itself: the company counts 7 of the 20 largest retailers in the United States among its customers.
Delivering the next generation of customer engagement requires highly scalable computing and storage to ingest, transform, and analyze massive amounts of data—which is why Custora's solution is built entirely on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Using Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) gives Custora the ability to ingest almost any amount of data, run sophisticated predictive models, and obtain results in minutes rather than hours or days.
The data Custora uses for its analytics come from retail point-of-sale systems, e-commerce websites, customer databases, and third-party systems, typically in nightly or weekly batches. A large cluster of Amazon EC2 instances performs Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) processes to normalize the data for analysis. Then, the data is pushed from a caching layer into a variety of analytics tools, such as Hadoop, Apache Spark, or Custora's custom predictive-modeling pipeline for analysis.
"Our predictive-modeling pipeline uses more than 20 different models, all operating on the same underlying data structure," says Pospischil. "There are a lot of computations that can be shared across all the different models. We built a caching layer that takes intermediate results and shares them across the modeling processes to increase compute efficiency."
Both the data-ingestion ETL pipeline and the analytics caching layer are foundational to Custora's ability to deliver its services. Both use massively parallel processing to speed results, meaning multiple Amazon EC2 instances need to be able to access data at the same time.
Initially, to enable parallel processing, Custora was using a self-managed RAID cluster of Amazon Elastic Block Store (Amazon EBS) volumes running Network File System (NFS) protocols. However, as the company grew, it found it had to regularly increase volume sizes, requiring it not only to set up new volumes but to replicate many terabytes of data. "Whenever we did those transitions, there was downtime," says Pospischil. "Additionally, replicating and resizing volumes required significant time from our operations staff."
The company decided to adopt Amazon Elastic File System (Amazon EFS) to address these issues. Amazon EFS provides a simple, scalable file system for use with Amazon EC2 instances. It scales elastically, growing and shrinking storage automatically. Because Amazon EFS uses the standard NFSv4.1 protocol, Custora was able to seamlessly integrate it with existing applications and tools. Multiple Amazon EC2 instances can access Amazon EFS at the same time, supporting the parallel-processing capabilities that enable Custora to speed results to its customers. With Amazon EFS, Custora has consolidated 81 TB of data into a single, unified solution.
"The major benefit of moving to Amazon EFS is the reduced operational burden," says Pospischil. "With Amazon EFS, we don't have to think about how much storage we have provisioned, even when we're taking on large customers." The company no longer has to overprovision storage or perform rigorous capacity planning, which enables it to use the fully managed Amazon EFS solution at a cost comparable to self-provisioned Amazon EBS storage.
Simplified operations lead to greater uptime because the company no longer has to stop processes to mount new volumes. "We initially considered mounting a new volume for each customer, but there was no partitioning strategy that worked for all our customers," says Pospischil. "With Amazon EFS, our file system scales to meet our needs."
This elasticity also makes it easier for Custora to try new things. "Amazon EFS enables us to be more experimental," says Pospischil. "If we were bound by volume sizes, we had to be more methodical about testing new things to make sure we didn't run out of space. Now, we can prototype whatever we want, and we know the storage will be there."
Learn about simple, scalable, and reliable file storage for the AWS Cloud.


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Whether at church, school, business or home, you are leading people and projects every day. You're leading in a culture that is constantly changing and redefining itself. Leadership takes perseverance, dedication and a commitment to stretch your mind, expand your heart and use your God-given gifts to impact your world in real and powerful ways.
August 10-11, 2017 you're invited to gather with thousands of leaders across North America for The Global Leadership Summit. Commit now to be a part of this annual event designed to stretch and challenge you with world-class speakers, interactive dialogue and practical training. We are pleased to host The Global Leadership Summit 2017.
Just click the "Register" button below to get connected. On the registration screen, make sure you answer the question for "Church/Organization Information" for your own organization and not for the host church.
If you are a Pastor/Church Leader and a member of the Nehemiah Network, have your Priority Registration Code ready and enter it on the registration screen.