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Michael Gove's approach to education reform is the opposite of open policymakingPosted: October 29, 2012 Filed under: General, Public policy and policymaking | Tags: consultation, education, Michael Gove, open policy, open public services, openness, policymaking, practitioners, professionals, research, teachers 2 Comments
Education Secretary Michael Gove has unveiled "rigorous selection" tests for trainee teachers in a move he claims will improve the status of the profession and raise standards in the classroom. It's a pity his own approach to policymaking doesn't live up to the same standards he's asking of teachers.
Announcing the policy, Michael Gove said: "The evidence from around the world is clear – rigorous selection of trainee teachers is key to raising the quality and standing of the teaching profession." Despite an apparent inconsistency with previous announcements – in July Gove declared that, like their private counterparts and free schools, academies in England could employ people who are not working towards qualified teacher status (QTS) – at least this policy was based on evidence and developed by a review group of headteachers and education experts. For many of his other reforms, Michael Gove seems to make policy in secret, ignore what teachers and other experts think, and go against the best available evidence.
For example:
- Provoking two members of the expert panel recruited to redraft the English primary curriculum to resign; one of them, Andrew Pollard, criticized Gove's plans for undermining teachers' professional judgment;
- Repeatedly overruling another expert panel established to advise on selling off school playing fields;
- According to the Deputy Prime Minister, not even telling Number 10 of his plans to scrap GCSEs in favour of the so-called English baccalaureate (EBacc), which less than one in four teachers support, which has been developed without any meaningful input from teachers, parents or young people, and which is unlikely to be properly piloted before being introduced;
- Ignoring that, alongside its academic rigour, the main characteristic of the International Baccalaureate is its inclusion of practical and vocational elements – much like the GCSE dismissed by Gove as 'dumbed down';
- Dismissing concerns that a stronger emphasis on exams as opposed to coursework could exclude young people with learning difficulties such as dyslexia;
- Extending academies despite government data showing that local authority schools with a similar pupil intake perform better, without any evaluation of the possible impact on the already highly segregated education system, further divorcing schools from local democratic control and effectively centralising a major tranche of government spending with minimum parliamentary accountability;
- Scrapping the Building Schools of the Future programme because there is 'no evidence' that it helps to improve attainment – even though his department knows there is;
- Accepting the lack of transparency of academies and free schools, and awarding half a million pounds of public money to the Free Schools Network (which is not subject to freedom of information requests) to promote his £600 million untested flagship project;
- Abolishing the Educational Maintenance Allowance despite independent evaluations finding that it significantly increased staying-on rates and attainment for young people in education;
- Using secret emails to bypass even his own departmental officials (using the alias 'Mrs Blurt');
- Turning a blind eye to his department's generally poor record on freedom of information and lack of transparency on who actually runs schools and what their status is.
Michael Gove's colleagues have committed the Government to open policy making as well as open government. The Civil Service Reform White Paper published in June 2012 contained a commitment announced that: "Open policy making will become the default. Whitehall does not have a monopoly on policy making expertise. We will establish a clear model of open policy making." Our project with The Democratic Society is currently examining how open policy making can be made a reality.
The Government has also promoted the evidence agenda, and is considering the case for new institutions that would perform an advisory role similar to the role that NICE plays for the NHS and the Early Intervention Foundation does for early years, to help ensure commissioners in central or local government do not waste time and money on programmes that are unlikely to be effective.
No-one seems to have told Michael Gove about either of these initiatives. No wonder teachers are starting to make their own education policy.
Best of the frontline bloggers (week ending 26th October 2012)Posted: October 26, 2012 Filed under: Frontline bloggers, General | Tags: A4e, carers, frontline, G4S, Outsourcing, payment by results, Policing Leave a comment
We love public and voluntary service bloggers. At their best, they capture the day-to-day reality of public services in a way that Westminster-commentators can't – and they have the real expertise and insights we need to improve social policy. Here's our selection of the best frontline blogs we've read this week. Do send us your suggestions for great posts we've missed – and those frontline bloggers we should follow in the future.
A4E? Who are they? What are they about?
From The Big Picture
Posted on 23rd October 2012
"What are A4E up to next? Well according to David Cameron they would make an ideal company, along with our old friends G4S, to become involved in the process of Rehabilitation… The scheme will see firms such as G4S and A4e, along with charities and voluntary groups, offered cash incentives to put offenders back on the straight and narrow. We already give these companies enough money, and now we're going to give them more? Do they have a proven track record?"
Retired and Angry, retired from the Metropolitan Police Service, examines the recent history of A4E – and doesn't much like what he finds.
From Ned Ludd Carer
Posted on 24th October 2012
"Surely, if the carers and service users find these services valuable, that should count for a lot. But in the world of cuts, they don't care what works, what's valuable. They just want the overspend caused by their own unrealistically low budget reduced."
Ned Ludd, carer, gets angry when ambushed by his local council's plans to cut personally valuable "getting a life services".
Social care
People with dementia need an independent voice
From The Age Page
Posted on 25th October 2012
"For a variety of reasons, most older people are unable to complain or express a view on the type and nature of care they need or want to receive. Worst of all perhaps, most are unable to influence the quality of service they have every right to expect or how or where to lodge complaints, if they have any."
Sarah Reed reflects on the ambitions in the Government's dementia strategy, and suggests this means we need to ensure that those who struggle to speak for themselves can be heard.
This much I know about…an alternative to the English Baccalaureate Certificate
From John Tomsett
Posted on 21st October 2012
"If Jeremy Hunt announced a backward-looking reform to appendix operations which would be hugely invasive and leave patients in hospital for a fortnight (such as I experienced in 1977), the medical profession would deride him. Why aren't we deriding Gove over his EBC proposals, which are the educational equivalent?"
Headteacher John Tomsett argues that educationalists need to begin an urgent campaign to provide an alternative to the Government's proposals for an English Baccalaureate Certificate.
Things to know about ED Hirsch and the 'Common Cultural Literacy' idea
From Laura McInerney (@miss_mcinerney) writing on lkmco
Posted on 23rd October 2012
"ED Hirsch's 'Cultural Literacy' has become quite popular in England this week due to him featuring on a Radio 4's Analysis and also being the subject of a blog by Daisy Christodolou, Managing Director of The Curriculum Centre. Hirsch is the man who wrote the book 'Cultural Literacy' which he followed by creating 'Core knowledge' an age-ordered curriculum with an emphasis on facts that, if taught correctly, he argues will give children the most important cultural knowledge. But to understand his work it helps to understand its American context, as the reason for his popularity in the States is really quite different to the way his ideas are being framed in the debate here in England."
In this post Laura McInerny describes Hirsch's model of 'cultural literacy' and its roots in the US – and questions how appropriate it is for the UK.
Re-offending – 'Payment by results' will not work
From Inspector Gadget
Posted on 22nd October 2012
"I have read the PM's plans for 'payment by results' in terms of the re-offending rates of prison inmates with interest. This will not work. A bit like trying to use the wrong gate, ministers need to listen to police on this one. I'm sure it will be shown to have worked, but it won't work for the simple reason that these days, criminals only go to prison in the first place if they are persistent offenders."
Inspector Gadget argues that the use of payment by results won't work to reduce re-offending. He speculates that this idea probably came from a think tank who in turn have been sponsored by an organisation with an interest in securing ex-offender rehabilitation contracts. Inspector Gadget argues that the most effective way to deter ex-offenders from re-offending is a lengthy stay in a closed prison, preferably far away from home.
'Re-inventing the wheel' or just 'Strapping two u-turns together'
From MinimumCover
Posted on 24th October 2012
"I want us to be bold and imaginative about transforming policing and the wider criminal justice system to save time and money and deliver a better service for the public. These are the words of our 'beloved' Home Secretary which she used to describe her latest improvement to the way Police investigate and prosecute offences. This bold and imaginative move introduces the power for Police to independently charge a number of offences that currently require consultation with the CPS."
MinimumCover welcomes reforms to charging powers – but questions whether Theresa May can call these proposals 'bold' or 'imaginative' when they return powers that the police used to hold previously.
If you're a frontline blogger, do send us your latest blogs on policy issues or posts from the past that you're particularly proud of, and they could be included in next week's round-up. Get in touch with us at: firstname.lastname@example.com or via Twitter @guerillapolicy and @guerrillapolicy
Built to scale: the Family Independence Initiative – Jane MansourPosted: October 17, 2012 Filed under: General, Public policy and policymaking, User involvement | Tags: crowdsourcing, Families, Family Independence Initiative, public involvement, public services Leave a comment
In this post our guest blogger Jane Mansour showcases the Family Independence Initiative in Boston, Massachusetts. The project is a good example of the principles of 'guerilla policy' in action. Jane is an expert and consultant in international welfare to work and the commissioning and funding of public services. She blogs regularly at Buying QP. Thanks to Jane for contributing the post, and we welcome your comments.
The argument for the benefits of user and staff involvement in policy making is considerably strengthened by numerous example of projects that have been successfully designed and delivered using this blueprint. These range from actual projects – of which FII discussed below is a great example – to the use of a crowdsourcing approach to gather solutions for identified and specific local needs. These raise questions about the extent to which this approach is scaleable, and how this can be done without losing what made them work in the first place.
This week I met Jésus Gerena, the Boston Director of the Family Independence Initiative (FII). FII families create support networks in their own communities rather than accessing help through a key-worker or institution. As an organisation it has impressive results – in the first six months of operation participating families in the Boston wing of the programme saw their incomes rise by an average of 13% and their savings by 22%.[1] These statistics and many others covering family finances, schooling (both adults and children) and health and activities are compiled monthly. The data is actively uploaded by the participating families themselves. They are paid for this, and for leading, counselling and facilitating the monthly groups they attend. These payments total in the region of $2000 a year per family.[2]
The FII was the brainchild of Maurice Lim Miller; he was honoured this week by the MacArthur Foundation with a 'genius award' which carries with it a grant for $500,000. It works by not helping people in poverty. No, that was not a typo. The FII do not help, staff can be (and have been) fired for doing so. What the FII does do is provide an environment in which people have opportunities to succeed. Families work together to problem solve, record their gains and losses and have access to resources should they need them.
There are the three fundamental values that underpin the organisation's approach. Firstly, the families are in control. Secondly, there is a formal feedback loop consisting of monthly and quarterly meetings and data collecting providing peer accountability. The process of recording information in and of itself, impacts positively on behaviour. Lastly there is access to resources to move forward. These resources are often in the form of matching or doubling the contributions participants make towards education, housing or business goals, but they can also be used to meet urgent practical needs (eg. a car or dental work).
Listening to Gerena's passion for the FII approach, it is difficult not to get excited about it, about the way that this organisation is not only challenging much of the way that social policy has been cast, but is succeeding in doing so. The scaleability of successful but reasonably small projects is fraught with difficulty. The world of public policy is littered with examples of innovative projects that are hailed, placed in the spotlight, enlarged and 'replicated', but that then fail to deliver on the bigger stage. This is then followed by a blame game that often focuses on delivery, sometimes on commissioning, occasionally on design.
In two years the Boston operation has grown from 35 to 200 families. Gerena thinks there is the potential to continue expanding to 1000 families but, and it is an important but, this expansion needs to happen organically through families introducing themselves and others – a combination of 'core catalyst families' and 'ripple families'. Scaling up fails when the guiding values behind success are confused within the method in which they are delivered, when the 'how' is mistaken for the 'why'.
There are broader public policy lessons to be learned from the work being done by FII. These are not that welfare savings can come from the wholesale removal of frontline staff, or that bids to deliver programmes should need to be scored on how often the words 'family' or 'social capital' occur, or that a new New Deal for Communities is the answer. The lessons are far more challenging than simply producing a shiny new programme.
Miller has written a brief paper identifying the changes he thinks necessary for substantial change in the outcomes for low-income families. It's worth reading in full. His final call to action identifies four changes that need to happen:
"1. We need to more accurately communicate the resourcefulness, capacity, and caring that is the true picture of lower income families and communities
2. Funders must allow for program approaches that provide help based on family and community initiative and strengths
3. Policy makers, funders and leaders must seek direct feedback from the consumers of programs they create and respond to that feedback
4. The target families must self organize and advocate for themselves and their communities"
As I sat in the FII office, it was striking that there are clear echoes in the UK – in terms of approach, positive outcomes, frustrations with the system, but also in the difficulty in capturing the wins and replicating them either regionally or nationally. Successful, sustainable ideas are evident in individual programmes but somehow the key to why they work gets lost in translation when 'reform' or scaling up occurs. Why is it that successful local programmes so often fail on the big stage? To what degree would this failure be mitigated by taking a different approach to both entrenched social issues and institutional frameworks? What impact would the following considerations have on policy design?
Long vs short-term investment: FII is aimed at the working poor – those who are increasingly ineligible for state safety nets, face significant marginal tax rates on any additional earnings and are in real danger of sliding back into poverty (cycling between work and benefits). It relies on the safety nets being there, it is an extension of benefits rather than a replacement for them – any savings to the welfare budget will only be felt in the long-term as people move up the income ladder. When the focus is on cutting spending rather than raising revenue, and results are needed quickly the long-term nature of many interventions is overlooked.
Look for 'A Duh' rather than 'A Ha' moments (Gerena's phrase). There is a tendency to look for exciting, new, revolutionary change but often small, practical, simple and obvious opportunities are overlooked. Users and staff are the key to understanding what these are.
It requires a significant power shift to trust in people to make decisions about their own lives, find their own support network and provide the resource to enable them to make positive changes. What could this look like and how can it be supported by the state?
The need to end funding silos for people with multiple needs has been much discussed. The introduction of the Universal Credit in the UK aims to streamline benefits. The focus is on simplifying the benefits people receive rather than on the way they live and how services they interact with are funded and delivered. Bringing funds for the latter into one pot (universal support?) would have a very different impact.
What and how do incentives work for middle and high earners? Can the rewards for initiative they receive be extended to benefit claimants and those on low incomes? Skills policy and funding is an area that immediately springs to mind.
Feedback and data are both vitally important and often overlooked. This involves a change in perspective, from the compilation of simplistic league tables of outcomes towards rich seam data mining of the information gathered on the journeys of individuals as they bounce around the system.
There has been a tendency in policy design in the UK and elsewhere to believe that successful programmes will only come from providing more intensive external support. The experience of FII is that the ongoing cycling between work and benefits can be prevented through the creation of long-lasting social structures and support networks, underpinned by feedback and resources. The challenge is in reproducing co-operative policy making and delivery on a regional or national stage.
[1] These outcomes have improved over time and the experience of the two Californian programmes is of an income increase of 20%.
[2] These sums are not included in the increased income calculations
Best of the frontline bloggers (week ending 12th October 2012)Posted: October 12, 2012 Filed under: Frontline bloggers, General | Tags: Big Society, Housing benefit, mental health, NHS, Policing, welfare 2 Comments
We love public and voluntary service bloggers. At their best, they capture the day-to-day reality of public services in a way that Westminster-commentators can't – and they have the real expertise and insights we need to improve social policy. Here's our selection of the best frontline blogs we've read this week. Do send us your suggestions for great posts we've missed – and those frontline bloggers we should follow in the future.
Cutting housing benefit for under 25s is indefensible, immoral and criminal
From DrTimCB
Posted 10th October 2012
"This week George Osborne outlined plans to slash housing benefit for people under the age of 25 in both his conference speech and a Daily Mail article. This is part of a wider £10bn cut to the welfare bill… I'm presuming the subtext here is that if you've never paid into the system, you shouldn't be able to take anything out. This shows such a profound lack of insight into the lives of many young people in the UK."
Dr Tim, a junior doctor working in Tower Hamlets, tells the story of three young people – Max (19), Bea (22), and Nelufa (19) – that he has worked with and who would lose out if proposals to reduce eligibility for housing benefit for those aged under 25 announced this week become reality. He argues that these reforms would leave vulnerable young people like these destitute, homeless and isolated.
Ruth Anim and Liam Barker – Different Disabilities, Very Similar Situations
From Same Difference
Posted 6th October 2012
"Exactly two weeks ago today, I heard and wrote about the case of Liam Barker. Eighteen years old, paralysed since birth, he breathes through a ventilator. His parents had just received a letter informing them that in order to receive Employment Support Allowance, he might have to prove he is unable to work by attending a Work Capability Assessment."
In this post Same Difference describes the experiences of two disabled people with complex needs, Ruth Anim and Liam Barker, who have been subjected to the Atos-managed Work Capability Assessment (WCA). Liam has received a letter informing him that he will need to undergo a WCA, while Ruth's mother has successfully appealed the findings of her daughters WCA which found that she was fit for work.
From Abetternhs's blog
Posted 5th October 2012
"I have written this because like many, perhaps most GPs I feel very uneasy about power. I aspire to a partnership with my patients, teamwork with my fellow health professionals and a more equal society. I feel very strongly that power is a privilege and medicine is a vocation and a public service, or as Iona Heath recently described it, 'a labour of love'. Usually medical power is viewed in negative terms, an unreasonable acquisition of privilege and abuse of patient trust and public respect for personal gain. Whilst I don't deny that medical power is abused terribly in this way, I am concerned that power is shifting away from professionals and democratically accountable government, and I am not sure that this is in our patients' best interests…"
GP Jonathon Tomlinson challenges the current orthodoxy in healthcare by considering the implications of the power that healthcare professionals hold. He argues that notions such as 'patient independence', 'self-care' as well as regulation and outsourcing, are reducing the autonomy of healthcare professionals and disempowering patients. He speculates about what this could mean for the future of healthcare.
High sounding words but privatisation marches on
From Mike Broad, on Hospital Dr's Dr Blogs
Posted 9th October 2012
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not blaming the private providers – indeed I'm not against the use of the private sector under certain circumstances. They're not snatching these cherries, they're being offered them by commissioners desperate to reduce costs."
Mike Broad argues that the Government is rushing to privatise parts of the NHS to ensure that its reforms can't be unpicked by any future incoming Labour administration. He outlines his concerns that the Government is not sufficiently addressing the risk that the private sector will cherry pick the most lucrative procedures under the policy of payment by results in health.
From PC Bloggs
Posted 5th October 2012
"Reading media reaction to Hillsborough, to Ian Tomlinson's death, to all the other negative news stories, is galling at a time when we also feel let down by our own management and the Home Office. I am sure many police officers up and down the country have been wondering just what we are doing it for."
PC Bloggs describes how the outpouring of grief in the wake of the untimely deaths of PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes has brought hope that the police service still commands public support in the wake of cuts and negative news stories. PC Bloggs argues that Big Society isn't a replacement for public services, and that recent events point to a very different relationship where public professionals are valued and respected for the contribution they make.
Criminal justice
From The Magistrates' Blog
Posted 9th October
"Off to court yesterday morning. Standard kind of court list, three CPS trials listed, 2 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon. The subject of the charges also pretty usual, a couple of Assault by beatings (Common Assault) with domestic violence overtones and a Harassment without violence. In we go at 10 am all fired up having had some Case Management Training on Saturday…sadly it all went downhill from there."
Bystander J, posting on the Magistrates' Blog, describes three cases where the trials could not proceed because of bureaucratic barriers and lack of joined-up working between the courts and the Crown Prosecution Service.
Mental health
On Northern Ireland Backing the WRB and David Cameron's cpc12 'Aspiration Nation' Rhetoric
From The World of Mentalists
Posted 11th October 2012
"This idea that claiming benefits is a lifestyle choice is as hilariously preposterous as it is bullshit. Who would even entertain the notion of choosing this 'lifestyle'? It's a horrid way to go through everyday existence, as I can wholeheartedly assure naysayers. …Are there scroungers out there? Yes. Do they need weeded out of the system? Yes. Of course they do. But not at the expense of the vast majority that claim due to genuine illness. And it is a majority."
To mark the passing of the Welfare Reform Bill by the Northern Ireland Assembly, The World of Mentalists spends the day listening to David Cameron's speech day "in a state of raw terror [and] guzzling diazepam" – but at least it produces a good rant.
If you're a frontline blogger, do send us your latest blogs on policy issues or posts from the past that you're particularly proud of, and they could be included in next week's round-up. Get in touch with us at: firstname.lastname@example.com or via Twitter @guerillapolicy and @guerrillapolicy


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subset: commoncrawl


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if you are entering from a command line you need single quotes around it:
CALL PRGM1 ('Inv')
if you are entering the Inv in a screen field, the field needs to be defined to allow lowercase; otherwise it will convert the parameter
Adding to the above, consider whether the processed information has actually been shifted to upper case. When you render the information, ensure the rendering command or engine is capable of displaying both upper and lower case.
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9 thoughts on "What's next?"
We've lost a lot of small shops too and I still miss them. When Home Depot showed up here in Walla Walla we lost two plumbing supply places and a lighting shop. The selection is not good even if you order ahead. My son calls them Ho Depot ;-).
Always sad to see the small shops going out of business. We saw another in our local shopping strip closed down today.


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Some of the strong young ladies served by Girls Inc. Photo from Facebook.
As the fall season approaches, there are lots of opportunities to attend events that support some really wonderful causes. Here are just a few great ways to have a great time for a great cause.
On Wednesday October 14th, all you have to do is dine out in the Mission to raise money for Mission Graduates. This is the seventh annual Food for Thought event, and more than 20 Mission District restaurants are participating. Each participating restaurant agrees to donate 20 to 50 percent of their proceeds from that night to the Mission Graduates program, so all you have to do is eat. The participating restaurants include Bissap Baobab, Cease & Desist, Destino, Foreign Cinema, Panchita's Pupuseria, Southpaw BBQ, and Hog & Rocks. Plus, there is a rockin' raffle, with prizes ranging from vacations to tickets to local cultural institutions. Raffle tickets are $10 each, three for $25, or six for $50. Locations and prices of individual meals vary by restaurant.
Well, this is a kick-ass celebration of girls and women you won't want to miss. Girls Inc. of Alameda County, an organization devoted to offering academic achievement programs and community service for girls in underserved areas, is throwing a benefit gala on Saturday October 24th called Taste 2015. Many of the Bay Area's best female chefs have come together to create a four-course dinner, with a side of female empowerment. Participants include Julya Shin (Pizzaiolo), Preeti Mistry (Juhu Beach Club), Sophina Uong (Revival Bar & Kitchen), and Jen Biesty (Shakewell). There will, of course, be beverages at the event too. Tickets start at $300 per person, with VIP options available. The event begins at 5pm and is being held at the Simpson Center for Girls, 510 16th St. at Telegraph, Oakland, 510-357-5515 ext. 233.
The National Kidney Foundation is hosting its Annual Authors Luncheon on Saturday October 24th at the Marriott Marquis. Authors include chef Daniel Humm and Will Guidara of New York's Eleven Madison Park and Nomad and non-food authors like Diana Nyad and Yeonmi Park, plus it's all emceed by KQED's Michael Krasny. The luncheon is from 10am-3pm. Tickets are $135 per person, tables begin at $1,200, and sponsorships begin at $2,500; register here. Proceeds benefit the National Kidney Foundation. 780 Mission St. at 4th St., 415-543-3303 for sponsorship information.


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The "Khmissa" is an arabic word coming from "Khamsah" which means "five", but also "the five fingers of the hand". "Khmissa" is also used to refer to a palm-shaped amulet popular throughout the Middle East and North Africa, and commonly used in jewelry and wall hangings.
Depicting the open right hand, an image recognized and used as a sign of protection in many times throughout history, the Khmissa is believed to provide defense against the evil eye. It is also known by the names of "Hamsa" (coming from the Arabic word: Khamsah, 5, خمسة) or "The hand of Fatima".
Receiving Time = Processing Time + Shipping Time.
Processing Time (The estimated time it takes to process your order): 3 to 7 days.
Shipping Time (The amount of time required to ship your order out of our warehouse based via Fedex International Priority Method): 2 to 8 days.
General care instructions for your precious Bohemian Gypsy Jewels:
Because of light problems during photographing process and screen chromatic aberrations, and because production batches are different, there may be slight colors difference between the product and the image shown on the computer. This is not a non-quality problems!
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Pakistan seeks US help to resolve Kashmir issue
Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif insists US involvement would help resolve tensions over Kashmir
Ahead of his meeting with President Barack Obama, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday sought US intervention in resolving the Kashmir issue.
"Though India did not want such (third party) intervention, but the world powers should get involved to resolve the (Kashmir) issue," he told reporters in London during a stopover.
Sharif is en route to the US, where he will meet Obama on Wednesday.
India and Pakistan both were nuclear powers and the region was a nuclear flash point, the state-run APP news agency quoted the prime minister as saying.
Replying to a query on Kashmir, Sharif said that during his US visit in July 1999 amid the Kargil conflict, he had clearly told then president Bill Clinton that if the US intervened, the Kashmir issue could be resolved.
"I told him if he spends 10 per cent of the time he was spending on Middle East, the Kashmir issue between two countries would resolve," he said, adding that president Clinton promised, but then things changed.
Even though Pakistan is keen for the US to intervene, Washington has repeatedly said that India and Pakistan should determine the pace, scope and character of their dialogue.
Sharif said that for the last 60 years both sides were entangled in an arms race.
"The situation can become dangerous. India has nuclear bomb, so do we; India develops missiles, so do we. There should be a limit to it. We all should think about it," he was quoted as saying.
The PM also said he will raise the issue of US drone strikes during his meeting with Obama.
Key bilateral issues besides the Afghan drawdown and Indo-Pak ties are likely to be discussed during his keenly-awaited meeting with Obama. This will be Sharif's first official bilateral visit to the US in his present term.


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https://www.simplychillout.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Logo_Simply_Chillout-Small-Custom.png 0 0 psarais https://www.simplychillout.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Logo_Simply_Chillout-Small-Custom.png psarais2015-11-22 11:56:492015-11-22 11:56:49Pette H., Le Chable (CH)
Pette H., Le Chable (CH)
The Villetta Chillout was absolutely perfect place for a great vacation in the southern Sardinia! The view was fantastic and everything was a real chill. The view of the sea is super nice and the best thing is that in this house you have basically everything you need for a week's vacation. And everything works, which is often not the case when you rent apartments or houses in Italy!! If we try to find something negative, I would mention that the wifi is quite slow. Especially with kids who want to watch movies and play games sometimes, the wifi doesn't really allow that. But, all in all, the house, the view and the location were all fantastic! Thank you!


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Posts Tagged 'Contractors'
Roofing Repair Contractors and Information
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Roofing Contractor – What to Look For
When selecting roofing contractor to perform your ceiling repair or even fix any kind of roof coolant leaks, you really have to go using the guys that have already the a good number of years from experience and so are the nearly all professional. Professionalism and trust of Ceiling Companies – Just as in most business owners that offer in development, there are a large amount of small fish available that would definitely just want to get give good results from anyone. In return for use on your cold income, they're going to offer you a down the page par employment.
Roofing firms are basically no different. You'll find guys nowadays who will require work just to generate a few additional bucks, and who will blame individuals? We're all getting by at the moment. Unfortunately, if he or she see a fairly easy target, they'll jump. Play how the actual roofing builder talks in hand, how individuals speak. Are individuals just selling you an item? Do they need well considered reasons powering what it's always they're stating? In broad, do individuals seem professional to you? If you may be left after dark about everything, and any local roofing contractor cannot seem to describe something to your, then your very best self-bet can be to look anywhere else.
Find a provider with an extended track record and also a successful history that they proudly take a position behind. Your roof covering contractor ought to have absolutely simply no qualms talking about anything in hand about an individual's roof. They should provide an individual with of the answers to all of the questions, it does not matter how large or small your responsibilities. Choose the roofing contractor which might supply you with prior referrals, who carries a long background of concluded jobs. You could ask to view pictures from the past operate. They ought to take satisfaction in explaining you the project that they have personally done previously this time and become more and then obliged available any request you've got. You're the debtor; you're small business should problem greatly to roofing contractor just in case they want the repair, they has no situation obliging to the terms.
What Questions ever ask so that you can get a different Roof? Utilization of things rather than references and even pictures that you need to check through to. For situation, does a roofing enterprise have worker's pay out? If they cannot, run. You are able to end in place footing a fairly large expense if any individual were to receive hurt. Exactly what is their insurance policies like? Not only do you need to make sure that they've insurance, but correctly. What them covers. You furthermore may want to ascertain how long this company has also been established and if they have had a comfortable address and cell phone number for consumers to phone.
Roofing Contractors – How To Hire The Most Reliable
With regards to remodeling your home, most people often neglect that roof of these houses. Nevertheless, it is very important to do not forget- the roof has become the most very important part of your property providing anyone with animal shelter and protection with the outer habitat. And it's the roof of the home that suffers the most effect with the environmental extremities along the lines of severe water, snow, wind gusts, dust as well as debris, causing typically the roofing materials to have more deterioration than every other the main house. It is without a doubt hence vitally important to make contact with reliable roof covering contractors who is able to efficiently offer you advice not to mention assistance throughout taking care of your property roof.
Let's talk of some with the factors you should consider even while hiring roofs contractors: Encounter: The most critical aspect you'll want to consider is how much experience your roofing contractor you wish to use has with the concerned discipline. It is very important that they already have several a long time of experience in the market of roofer and manufacture. In inclusion, it can also be important to be sure the type of specialization they have perhaps. For illustration, a service provider having broad experience through composite attics cannot possibly assist you to if you wish to remodel some sort of tile ceiling.
Reputation: You might find immeasurable roofing contractors on the market. Take the required time to find the right a particular. Ask your own neighbors, relatives and even friends when they have any sort of first side experience using a contractor or search on the internet to get online researches and search for customer testimonials and suggestions. It is very important to investigate the trustworthiness of a service provider and the caliber of services locations, the problem before most people hire these people, in order to prevent any forthcoming disappointments.
Prices: Make a summary of reputed ceiling contractors and require a cost calculate for all of them for your roofing services they might provide. Making an evaluation between the values quoted by each one of the contractors would assist you in choosing the best one would you suit your financial budget. Get complete information from their store regarding the caliber of products they might use and when they could provide other include services? It's also important to test if the merchandise and materials through use are generally warranted.


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Why do people feel embarrassed the morning after drinking?
There are dangers associated with alcohol. There are physical dangers and psychological dangers. However, I actually think the real danger with alcohol is it impairs your judgement. It clearly does this. It also impairs your performance – two reasons why you shouldn't get behind the wheel of a car after drinking.
"So you can do things – and say things, possibly – that when you weren't drunk you'd probably think twice about and would not do if sober."
So you can do things – and say things, possibly – that when you weren't drunk you'd probably think twice about and would not do if sober. I think the main thing alcohol is doing is acting on the part of the brain that controls judgement, the risk bit. So, yes, it might stop you from caring; it might encourage you to behave badly, but what I think is really key here is what your personality is when you're sober – are you normally risk averse or do you like taking risks?
The other thing to consider is that generally most people if they've done something that has caused acute embarrassment because they've been drinking, they'll learn from that. 'Ah, I did that, and I won't do that again', But there are other people who will think 'I really enjoyed that'. So it's to do with what each person's motivation is. What they want from alcohol and that is going to be different for everybody.


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With Ramadan this year coming at the heart of the summer, travel arrangements have been forcibly pushed back a bit. Nevertheless, hot summer destinations this year remain as plentiful as ever. With that in mind, eniGma has compiled a brief list of 2016's best vacation destinations.
Bocas Del Toro, Panama
Often called the green gold of Central America, Bocas Del Toro is a perfect destination for nature lovers. Consisting of a mainland and nine islands, the province is filled with jaw-dropping parks and natural preserves that are sure to enchant any visitor.
Folegandros, Greece
The beauty of Folegandros, a small Greek island by the Aegean Sea, is simply astonishing. The island's landscape is fairly varied, with some gorgeous cliffs and caves, as well as a stunning beach. To top it all off, Folegandros also boasts a fascinating folklore museum.
Antalya, Turkey
The eighth most populous city in Turkey, Antalya is also the country's largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Featuring a stunning array of Ottoman-era monuments, stunning beaches, and a burgeoning nightlife, Antalya is now emerging as one of Europe's top tourist destinations.
Zagreb, Croatia
Croatia's capital and largest city has anything and everything that one could possibly desire in a vacation destination. Zagreb's visitors will be captivated by the city's remarkable landscape, and they can enjoy its rich cultural heritage and diverse entertainment options.
Douro Valley, Portugal
Known for its production of high quality wine, Douro Valley's beauty is encapsulated in so much more than its delicious, fermented grapes. Douro is home to four stunning rivers and features a distinctly unique mountainous terrain that will take your breath away.
Kotor, Montenegro
Surrounded by gorgeous historical walls built by the Italians in the 16th Century, the Montenegrin coastal town of Kotor features a delightful contrast between its cultural heritage and its varied landscapes. Entertainment options can be found stationed around the breathtaking backdrop of the Adriatic Sea.
Placencia, Belize
Originally a fishing village in the calm Pacific setting of Belize, Placencia has been transformed into one of the world's top up and coming destinations in recent years. With its long expanse of white sandy beaches, the village offers one of the most unique, relaxing experiences to summer visitors.
Zanzibar, Tanzania
A semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, Zanzibar is composed of an enchanting archipelago off the coast of the Indian Ocean. With its outstanding natural sights and remarkable handicrafts, Zanzibar offers a truly unforgettable experience to all tourists.
Havana, Cuba
The capital and largest city of Cuba can really be described as three cities in one. Indeed, you can enjoy a relaxing day at the beach, visit some of the city's glorious historical structures, and embark on a wild outing in Havana's raucous nightlife all in the same day!


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My Wednesday post/commenting wasn't really working. I don't know what's going on... but oh well!
Ahhh, with almost half of our events over for the month I'm feeling much less anxious. YAY! I have been trying to keep our weeknight plans light. Our dinners easy (even if that's a bit boring!), etc. so that's helping my stress levels for sure!
I've been getting out of my reading rut, and that makes me SO happy! This week I particularly enjoyed We Are Okay and Seven Days of You! :)
This is a song that I keep meaning to post about and have not. It's fun and upbeat, perfect for summer.
Anyhow, I hope that this song made you smile, and I hope you are looking forward to a fun-filled but relaxed weekend!
What are you guys up to this weekend?!?!
This weekend for us is calm! Rejoice! We have a graduation game night on Sunday, which should be fun, but other than that we are free! & I'm hoping to keep it that way. We *might* go see Colossal (since we never did) if we feel up to it!
Other Posts This Week: Fourth Annual Kansas Food Truck Festival and Six Things You Don't Think About Recycling.
- #home
- #about
- #achieve
- #celebrate
- #eat
- #green
- #listen
- #read
- #style
- #thrift
- #travel
Friday, May 19, 2017
Have You Heard? // Coin - "Talk Too Much"
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|Crewmembers If you work on a ship or have in the past
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I want to work for a cruise line
Hello Everyone,
I need your help and advice really bad.
My dream is work on a cruise ship even if only for one contract. I have been applying on-line for three years with no luck. I am now 49 years old but look late 30's.
Anyway is it because of my age?
How do I get hired? Is there anyother way besides using the Cruise web sites.
Love to cruise
That is a little old for a first-timer, sorry to say. Most cruise line crew are in their 20s/30s.
If you are single, have no or grown kids, etc. then it is a possibility, but keep in mind there are plenty of younger, qualified, better looking people out there also wanting jobs on cruise ships.
I am guessing it probably is a factor - sorry! But it depends on what job you want as well. If you were doing future cruise sales, and were good at it, then they might take you. But you don't say what you are applying for...
Hi Kim,
There could be several reasons you're not getting picked up or called on.
1. Cruise lines do most of their hiring through recruiters now ... where are you located?
2. Are you being specific about the position you're applying for? What are you applying for?
3. Are you submitting both your Cover letter & Resume? Most resumes are not even looked at when they're not preceded by a Cover letter.
Not knowing all the details of your situation, I hope these tips help.
***Edited to remove commercial reference***
Last edited by Donna; September 19th, 2011 at 11:28 AM. Reason: removed hyper link
Thank you Paul,
I would give anything to sell Carnival Cruises but I would like to do it as a home based business. Cruising is my whole life, I think about it 24/7.
Love to cruise
Having worked on ships my entire adult life (and I'm far older than you), I can understand your situation.
Here are some bits of info that may help you:
Travel Agents are our biggest allies. They do most of the sales work for us. We will make any effort or sacrifice to avoid competing with them.
Our Corporate Offices are not set up for high volume sales. We will sell cruises there, but would prefer not to - especially if it is seen as competing with our travel agents.
We could spend many millions of dollars to construct sales centers, hire and train many thousands of sales agents, and fill our ships. But guess what? Our ships are already full, frequently with long wait lists. Our travel agent partners are doing it for us, and we only have to pay them small commissions. We don't need to compete with them, and we don't need to spend those many extra millions to do it.
Experience has shown us that employees working at home are not very productive. Did I mention that we do not want to compete - or appear to be competing - with our travel agents?
We do have sales agents working on our ships, but they are required to be very productive, are not paid commissions, and their sales (and resulting commissions) are usually transferred to the passenger's travel agent. I think you can guess why.
My company has nearly 20 ships in the fleet sailing itineraries all over the world. I have a very good friend who is currently a very sucessful travel agent, specializing in cruises.
She has taken hundreds of cruises on nearly every cruise line out there.
She has the same dream as you. She wants to work on one of our ships, selling cruises.
I can randomly name for her a cabin on any of our ships.
She can tell me the category of the cabin, the location on the ship, the layout, amenities, plusses and minuses of that location, pricing, and can usually give a better recommendation for the same price.
She can also tell me the ship's itinerary, with extensive port information, and can tell me if/when the ship will relocate.
She can also tell me when the ship had it's last drydock and when the next drydock is scheduled.
All this info come off the top of her head, with no assistance.
She can also compare ships and cabin categories between all the major cruise lines, giving accurate numbers to let you compare the differences.
My company won't hire her for sales, claiming she does not have enough knowledge or experience.
How do you compare to her?
If you really want a job like that, you will probably need to do an amazing amount of homework, and spend a great deal of money to experience all the different offerings.
Then you may get a chance (as she eventually will) to work onboard a ship 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for a very small salary.
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Our authentic vintage arcade is open and ready for you to smash some high scores on your favorite classics from both the golden and silver ages of arcade gaming, day or night.
From timeless favorites like Ms. Pac Man and Robotron, to 1990s hits like Street Fighter III: Third Strike and Neo*Geo cabinets, to incredibly rare games like Darius and an Atari Star Wars Cockpit, our curated and restored collection of games will transport you back to a better time when the games were hard, the competition was fierce, and the glow of CRT monitors blazed late into the summer night.
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|The Arcade (Grand Ballroom)
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NEOGEN DERMALOGY Real Ferment Micro Essence 150ml[International shipping available]
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|NEOGEN DERMALOGY Real Ferment Micro Essence 150ml
|NEOGEN DERMALOGY Real Ferment Micro Essence 150ml
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NEOGEN DERMALOGY Real Ferment Micro Essence 150ml
Minimum Order : 1 or more / Maximum Order 0 or lessSize Charts
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Discounted amount of your subtotal will appear when you place your orders.
NEOGEN DERMALOGY Real Ferment Micro Essence 150ml
- 93% natural ferment water smears deep under the skin, filling the skin with moisture.
- Contains niacinamide which brightens the skin brightly and clearly.
- Accelerates skin activities, tightening the sagging skin elasticity.
- Strengthens the skin with nutrition, protecting the skin from external harms.
How To Use
- Soak a cotton pad or take an appropriate amount on the hands, wipe or spread smoothly, and pat gently to help absorption.
Product Info
- Brand : NEOGEN
- All Skin Type
- Volume : 150ml
- Made in Korea
- none
We accept payment via PAYPAL. You can pay with your paypal balance or with your credit/debit card via paypal.
Shipping+ Tracking Orders
- Shipping Method : Selected by customer
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- Shipping Cost : International Shipping Fee
- Shipping Time : 10 - 30 days
- *Shipping Method: Korea Post (national postal service)*Shipping Area: Worldwide*Shipping Cost: FREE*Delivery time: 15-35 business days- 3 Shipping Methods1) ECONOMY SHIPPING : free, No tracking number2) STANDARD SHIPPING : $2.5, offer tracking number / free for over $40 order3) EXPEDITED SHIPPING (EMS): $22, offer tracking number / free for over $150 orderEconomy and standard shipping take 10~25 business days averagely and EMS shipping takes 3~7 business days usually. Please note the shipping time does not include the customs clearance, or other potential delays.- Customs and DutiesWe always declare as GIFT and lower value(like $7~$40 / depends on parcel size) on package to avoid that kind of situation, but we cannot guarantee it will not get caught on customs.If some charge occurred, it is buyer's responsibility since it is beyond of our control.
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We accept returns within 7 days after receive item. Returning item must be ORIGINAL and BRAND NEW condition.
Return shipping cost is buyer's responsibility. However, if any return caused by our fault, company will surely cover the cost.
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Why Testosterone Optimization?
Testosterone hormone is one of the most important hormones in a man's body. It oversees many benefits that give men their characteristic roles and sex traits, however it is also very important hormone that prevents a lot of ailments.
Testosterone hormone helps a man with energy, mental stamina, physical stamina, sexual stamina. With testosterone, a man has better moods, concentration, energy, cognitive function, muscle strength, libido. Testosterone defends against poor immunity, cholesterol buildup and blood pressure elevations, unnecessary inflammation, wear and tear of our connective tissue and our muscles. With the presence of testosterone men with diabetes, and heart disease have been able to better controlled their medical conditions with less medications and more therapeutic benefits from their own body. As far as social interactions, a man with testosterone has improved confidence, improved social interactions, more efficient work performance, and a more productive family member. These include social interactions can and will indirectly lead to promotions at the workplace, and happier family life.
Testosterone is a hormone whose normal levels are constantly changing as we age:
- Teenage years: between the age of 11 and 20 years of age, and adolescent male's testosterone levels increases proportionately every year.
- Adult years: between the age of 20 to 40 years old is where a man's testosterone level is at its peak and a plateau.
- Aging years: after age 40 testosterone levels decrease to decline slowly and steadily until the end of our lives.
- It is after the age of 40 which is that a man's normal testosterone levels will start decreasing therefore all the benefits listed above for testosterone start decreasing or reversing
- Therefore, men with lowering testosterone are known to feel the difference with the following:
- Depressing Moods
- Lowering Energy
- Lowering Sex Drive and Libido
- Lowering Concentration
- Lowering Cognitive Function
- Lowering Muscle Strength
- Increased muscle and connective tissue injuries
- Increased joint pain
- Slower recovery from illness
- Slower recovery from injuries
- Increasing fat tissue
- Increasing cholesterol and blood pressure
- Increasing insulin resistance and blood sugars
- Decreased sense of well-being
- Decreased confidence
- Decrease social interactions and work performance
- Increased heart disease
- Decreased sexual performance
- Therefore, men with lowering testosterone are known to feel the difference with the following:
- It is after the age of 40 which is that a man's normal testosterone levels will start decreasing therefore all the benefits listed above for testosterone start decreasing or reversing
I've been a police officer for decades and have sustained many injuries from the job. Seven years ago I underwent major back surgery and had intestinal and hernia complications. My body's production of testosterone abruptly stopped after the surgery. I've tried multiple replacement options. Not only were the gels expensive, but the product was wasted during the application and absorbed in the clothing. The daily use was time consuming. Dr. Kerendian's pellet method of hormone replacement resolved these issues. [Read more]
Testosterone Therapy in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood and Bakersfield
With all the above stated benefits and improvements with testosterone therapy, why wouldn't every man above age 40 be on testosterone supplementation?
This is because testosterone hormone is not something that could be easily taken without any monitoring. Furthermore, not every physician is trained or up to date with the different methods of how to administer and optimize testosterone levels. An individual should choose the physician appropriately as to their knowledge base and experience with testosterone optimization. Such physicians will have the appropriate questions, performed appropriate laboratory testing, along with any other necessary testing before starting patients on testosterone optimization therapy. They should have experience in different methods of optimization therapy such as transdermal creams, intramuscular injections, and even subcutaneous pellet implantations. There must be appropriate follow-up with the patient to monitor the progress of symptoms, and be alerted on possible side effects, along with a very frequent monitoring of laboratory values.
When under the supervision of a specialized physician experienced in testosterone optimization therapy, an individual can get the optimal and maximum benefits of testosterone therapy with avoidance of any side effects that may be possible. Most side effects that are linked to testosterone optimization therapy are easily reversible.


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LOCATION: 147 Bedford Ave @ North 9th Street, Brooklyn NY 11226 [L TRAIN TO BEDFORD AVE]
HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday though Saturday: 11:30am until 4am; Sunday: 11:30 until 2am
PAYMENTS ACCEPTED: Amex, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and Cash
DECOR: James Johnson
CHEF DE CUISINE: Ian Pasquer
SOUS CHEF: Racquel Oliveira
MENU STYLE: Locally sourced world cuisine
CONCEPT: Owners collaborated with artist James Johnson to pay homage to the former Williamsburg GoGo lounge, Belinda's, which inhabited the location in the 1980's. Chef Ian Pasquer created the menu based on fresh locally sourced goods, focusing on a shared dining experience.
DECOR: Internationally renowned artist James Johnson pays homage to the spaces past through recreating the building's plywood façade using trompe l'oeil signage emblazoned out of stained glass windows. The handcrafted bar, constructed out of glowing antique alabaster and intricately formed copper and zinc panels sets off the eclectic interior. Trix's elaborate top-to-bottom look features an angular metal ceiling, paintings of abstracted topless dancers and organically framed mirrors sprawling across the walls, handcrafted wood furniture, and lustrous multi-hued floorboards.
BEVERAGE: Award-winning beverage consultant Dushan Zaric developed the cocktail focused menu based on fresh ingredients and traditional preparation of prohibition and modern style drinks.


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The professional meat grinders for home may come with a lot more benefits than just grinding meat.
Want to make your own healthy food at home then buying a best meat grinder is good for you. Grinding your own meat can help you lower your grocery bills, reduce your consumption of dangerous additives, and allow you to enjoy some very tasty meals.
When it come to review a quality product for kitchen, our review expert can help you with it.
Now Lets put some light on what really meat grinder is?
A meat grinder (meat mincer) is a kitchen appliance which is used for chopping, mincing, raw or cooked meat, fish or other similar foods. For using a meat mincer what you need to do is to put some meat into a funnel of the machine, which is placed at the top of the grinder. From this funnel, the material goes down to a screw conveyor and ultimately gets minced.
You may currently thinking of buying a meat mincer and are not sure which meat grinder to buy? This guide will help you through the process by providing you a better understanding of grinders for kitchen and will put you in the right direction to pick the right grinders for your needs.
Best Meat Grinders in 2019
We can assure you that the list we made below; are the one the best and most popular American brands in 2019.
Looking for high quality and durable meat grinder online is not easy. There are plenty of option in a single meat mincer which may confuse you. So worry not we have explain every aspect of grinder you may looking for.
Norpro Grinder – Affordable Manual Meat Grinder
The Norpro Grinder is a versatile, unique, reliable and highly useful kitchen appliance that remains with you for so many years. The functionality of 3 different kitchen gadgets is combined in one compact product which is Norpro Meat Grinder.
With this meat mincer, you can grind chicken, beef, muttons and stuff like that for making homemade burgers or meatballs. You can also grind different vegetables, crush up beans and grind guts for making plates or spread at home with all the original taste. It also has an attached piece with it that allows you to make your own sausage.
The machine also has three pasta attachments with it so you don't need to buy a pasta maker separately. Now you can make homemade spaghetti, pasta, and linguine.
The blades of Norpro Grinder are powerful and corrosion resistant which is made up of stainless steel. This meat grinder also holds a reliable suction base and locking key so that the grinder will not move from its place on your kitchen counter while grinding.
Norpro Meat Grinder is perfect for individuals and small families. Yes, it can grind a lot of meat but if you are trying to grind hundreds of pounds in it then it will not work according to your desire. Then you need an electric grinder for that.
The greatest benefit of this grinder is that besides using it in your homes, you can also use it in remote areas which have no electricity connections. This grinder is very effective and easy to use. It does not have any complex mechanism to learn before using it. It is virtually impossible to break if you handle it with care.
Norpro mincer and pasta maker has a dimension of 8 x 5 x 5 inches, stainless steel blades and mincing plates. Made in the USA and includes sausage funnel, 3 pasta attachments, coarse and fine mincing plates. It is 3 in one kitchen tool as it minces, grinds and can also make tasty pasta from scratch.
Besides all of its functionality, it has a high impact plastic body which is highly durable, reliable and hygienic. It has relatively longer handle than other grinders which make grinding tough food easy. It is a manual unit, try to trim your meat before you put it in the grinder and avoid bones or tendons too for making the product last longer.
The Norpro Grinder is inexpensive, effective, easy to use and easy to clean. Though it is a manual unit once you try it, you get used to it because it is easier to handle and clean thus saves a lot of your time. It is a must-have appliance for kitchens. If you need a mincer which can tackle small jobs, Norpro Meat Grinder is for you.
Western 36-2201-W – Heavy Duty Manual Meat Grinder
Western 36-2201-W is one the most reasonable and affordable meat grinders. It is pretty easy to use on daily basis. If you want to cook the fresh ground meats, it is always better to grind them yourself. Western's meat grinder facilitates you in grinding up to 2 to 3 pounds of meat per minute. This manual meat grinder will suit your need best if you want to use it for grinding a small amount of meat every day.
Western is a trustable brand and manufacturing meat grinders for a number of years thus maintaining its quality and tradition. The solid body and design of this meat mincer, it will remain in your kitchen for a long time. This Western's manual meat grinder is reliable, durable and versatile. It is easy to disassemble thus you can easily separate its parts while cleaning. You can also hand wash its parts or can use a dishwasher for this purpose.
With its affordable price, it performs its function in a very simple and effective way without putting you in many difficulties of understanding the working of this product. If you want to remain in your budget and want a kind of meat grinder that can serve its purpose for a number of years, Western 36-2201-W is just perfect for your need.
An amazing feature about Western's grinder is that it provides much longer warranty period, so if you ever end up having problems with some of its part, you can always use the warranty to sort out the problem of the product.
The product offers features like two steel plates of 4.5mm and 10 mm, sausage stuffing kit with adapter, steel knife, spacer and three different kinds of the funnel for a variety of your needs. It has a hopper opening of 3×4 Inch with funnels having the size of 14mm, 19mm and 24mm.
The handle is designed in an economical way that makes the grinding of food relatively easier and efficient. Its stylish clamp can be easily attached to any of the counter-top having a thickness of ½ inches. It provides you finely ground meat with its adjustable burrs. This meat grinder is held in a way that it can be cleaned easily from time to time by dissembling its parts for quick and simple clean-up when required. It has rubber pads which prevents damage to delicate work surfaces while grinding meat.
Westren offers a high level of performance and quality at the same time in a compact size thus bringing for you the commercial grade performance to your home kitchen. It has an extremely powerful machinery that makes it smooth to handle almost any kind of food that you grind even if it is the boiled bones. It is a manual unit available at an affordable price which provides you the facility of grinding meat for homemade dishes with a whole lot of ease and efficiency.
STX-4000-TB2 – Turboforce 3-Speed Electric Meat Grinder
The STX-4000 is an electric meat grinder with 3 Cutting Blades, 3 Grinding Plates, Kubbe attachment and Sausage Stuffing Tubes. With its 3000 Watt engine, it gives you the versatility you need while grinding the meat.
This electric grinder is perfect for beginners and experts alike as it is easy to use right out of the box has a lot of additional accessories available with it. This unit combines power and style into one machine that outperforms all the others similarly priced grinders available in the market.
Like a cheaper coated meat grinder unit, it will not break and crack due to normal usage and you really have to rough it up in order to break it. With its reliable and long-lasting material, it provides Kubbe Attachment for people who need to have meat mincer which can provide more than basic grinding.
This grinder is fitted with hardened carbon steel gears inside the unit. These gears usually never wear out but still, the manufacturer offers you one year replace and repair warranty. As you know, manufacturers only offer a warranty like this when they create a product that they truly believe in.
When it comes to grinding, this meat grinder serves a heavy-duty purpose. Another amazing thing about STX meat mincer is that it only weighs about 12 pounds and that is why you can easily store and move it when not in use. Other grinders that offer these kinds of qualities and power are usually much heavy and almost weighs around 50 pounds approx.
The specifications of this grinder include 2000 Watt peak outlet power, three-speed engines, large size # 12 grinding plates, three grinding plates named as fine, medium and coarse, weighs only 12 pounds, three cutting blades, three sausage tube attachments, and one year fix or replace warranty.
According to its power and manufacturer, it is said that it can grind about 175 to 225 pounds of meat in an hour if you set it on its highest speed. It's just process any job that you have for it. It is very simple to put together and use. You just need to attach cutting blades with the grinder, set the speed you want to grind your meat and after that, you simply put the food in the hopper.
This grinder with its powerful engine can grind almost everything ranging from meat to vegetables and nuts. It is much simpler to use for even a person who's not much aware of the technology and its use. With its durable material and long time warranty, it can last for a much longer period of life.
This electrical meat grinder is easy to clean, easy to use and easy to store. If you need an excellent quality grinder at an affordable price, STX-4000-TB2 is the way to go. It is the right choice for your daily grinding needs.
Sunmile SM-G31 ET – Heavy-duty Grinder
There are some meat grinders available in the market which are quite expensive because of their high wattage motor and other costly accessories. In comparison to those grinders, Sunmile SM-G31 is an appealing and low-cost alternative with a small motor that performs all the grinding functions quite well.
This meat grinder provides an ideal balance between inexpensive consumer grade appliance and high output performance for most of the home users that require grinders for their day-to-day meat grinding activities.
This meat mincer comes with a lot of other accessories or attachments that help you to make a large variety of food in your home ranging from sausages to pasta noodles. In this affordable price range, the noodle attachment rarely comes but Sunmile Meat Grinder provides you with this facility too.
It operates with its pondle boiled bone and hard bone pieces but a lot of these bones can cause this grinder jam. It releases you and provides you comfort from a tough duty and heavy kitchen grinding job with its die-cast metal hopper which let you grind the considerable amount of portions of meat in a short period of time with so much ease and speed. This stainless steel meat grinder can work at consistently high levels for a long time if you clean its main components on regular basis.
Having a weight of 3.6 Kg, three cutting blades, grinder head made up of die-cast aluminum, 800W maximum locked power, cutting blades of stainless steel and a meat tray which is square in shape and is made up of aluminum so that it can be easy for you to hold the pieces of meat which are ready to be processed.
Sunmile G31 is a powerful meat grinder available at a competitive price in the market. The grinder is easier to use and clean and also provides a long term reliability so that you don't have to buy a new meat mincer after some interval of time. It also includes plenty of other accessories besides its main parts so that you can choose the one that fits best according to the meat or vegetable you are going to grind. Its accessories can be easily removed from its main body for your convenience.
Sunmile SM-G33 – Best Under Budget Electric Meat Grinder
The Sunmile SM-G33 is a under budget electric meat grinder that can handle heavy duty work load. Sunmile SM-G33 carries a lot of power as well as efficiency in a moderately heavy design body. This electric meat mincer is reliable and compact design. In addition to high quality, it is greatly preferred in the market because of its excellent performance which is almost thrice the functionality of a simple meat grinder.
It is a multi-purpose kitchen tool which is dedicated to top quality products with the excellent quality standards and it is also guaranteed to last a lifetime if it is handled with care.
This grinder is designed in a way that it can be handled conveniently and easily for the cleaning and drying purposes. Depending on the type of food preparation you want to have, you can attach the desired parts of the grinder with it.
This Sunmile SM-G33 holds several benefits over other meat grinders ranging from long-lasting endurance to prime performance. Sunmile G33 is designed with easy and handy parts that are much convenient to assemble or clean by hand. Sunmile offers one year warranty which includes replacement or repair of the defective unit in an organized and timely manner. It makes food production more efficient with better output quality and is strong or capable enough to perform three major functions like grinding, making sausage, and making Kubbe.
Kitchen Basics 3-In-1 – Cheap Meat Grinder
With the Kitchen Basics 3-In-1 Meat Grinder, you can easily manage your kitchen time better because it provides 3 different kinds of kitchen tools in its lightweight and strong body. This multi-purpose kitchenware will be able to grind meat and vegetables more safely and easily.
It is just a best kitchenware for any cook who wants to control his cooking experience in a better way. The Kitchen Basics 3-in-1 does not occupy much space on your kitchen counter because of its sleek and elegant design. It can be used to grind meat, vegetables, sausage stuffers and pasta.
After assembling the unit, fit the body with necessary attachments with respect to the kind of work you are going to perform with this grinder. Turn the crank or handle of the grinder to start its operation and you will see that the raw ingredient will turn into your desired food.
Kitchen Basics 3-in-1 meat grinder is a light-weight but completely functional tool. Because of its portable and handy design, it is ideal for camping. All of the parts of this grinder are easy to assemble and disassemble. It can precisely grind your meat and is also great for pureeing vegetables and fruits. The body of the mincer is designed with strong and long lasting material and this piece also carries a limited lifetime warranty.
LEM Products #10 Stainless Steel Clamp on Hand Grinder
It is a heavy duty meat grinder having all the construction of stainless steel with a clamp-on style handle. This meat grinder is the manual one performs all the functionality very well like an electronic meat grinder in a cost-effective price. As it is less expensive, it also helps you to save a lot of power consumption.
It has highly polished stainless steel material that makes this unit easy to clean, durable, reliable, rust-resistant and easy to clean and easy to operate. This grinder provides you with special knives and plates which are highly suitable for this device.
Having the product dimension of 11.5 x 8.3 x 5.3, it weighs only 8 pounds and easily fits your limited kitchen workspace. This meat grinder has a wide opening on the clamp that allows easy mounting on almost any countertop or table. It has two stainless steel plates which are Coarse 3/8'' and Fine 3/16''. It also has three stainless steel knives and set of three stuffing tubes that are of size ½'', ¾'', and 7/8'' inch respectively.
This meat grinder is very simple and easy to operate with a steady clamp-on feature. Being a manual unit, it saves a lot of electricity and also keeps things in place when there is just limited space available on your kitchen countertop. It holds durable and reliable cutting blades that let you grind meat in medium quantities at any time. With this meat grinder, you can control the thickness of meat according to what you need or desire for your personal taste.
Sunmile SM-G73 – Professional Electric Grinder
Sumile SM-G73 is perfect for those people who want to enjoy the perks of an electrical grinder but do not want to spend a lot of money in buying the bigger industrial meat grinders. Sunmile G73 is designed of heavy-duty industrial materials which include stainless steel and aluminum.
As the high-quality and reliable materials are used in this electric grinder, it is frequently designed to withstand daily use. You can expect this electric meat mincer to last a lifetime because of the quality and functionality it provides.
It is a medium size grinder and is a worthy tool to have in your kitchen, as it can grind 150 pounds meat per hour. The accessories that come with this meat grinder allow you to choose the perfect plate from the three grinding plates. The parts can be assembled in a simple way thus allowing you to use and clean the machine whenever you want.
Sunmile G73 high power motor that can operate at 800W max with its easy to ON/OFF switch and reverse function. The accessories that this meat offers include one stainless steel cutting blade, three different sizes of stainless steel cutting plates, three types of sausage attachments, and also one plastic food pusher. It is a medium sized grinder having a dimension of 14x7x14 inches and weighs only 7.9 pounds. It is an easy to clean equipment that saves you from a lot of health related problems because of its easy sanitation process.
This electric grinder is easy to operate as you just need to turn the switch ON for grinding your meat into desired thickness. This grinder also has a reverse function that makes the grinding operations simpler and much efficient. Its effective function allows you to shake down the trapped meat and prevent any kind pf clogging from happening. It is a highly-praised meat grinder with a stylish and sleek design as compared to most of its contemporaries.
STX-3000-MF – Best Electric Meat Grinder
The STX-3000-MF has a powerful motor and gives excellent results mechanically. Patented Cowl Air Induction System is available in this meat grander which is an industry exclusive meat grinder cooling system and increases the life of your machine.
STX International has been selling top quality and cost affordable products since 2007 and thus have a good image of customer satisfaction rating. STX International STX-3000 has an incredible rating of 99.8 percent customer satisfaction.
This meat mincer comes with many high-quality accessories. The grinding head, auger, locking cap and meat pan of the grinder are designed with 100% polished cast aluminum. The cutting blades are made up of stainless steel and can be easily washed in a dishwasher.
The attachments include 3 tempered steel grinding plates, juicer attachment, 3 stainless steel cutting blades, set of 3 sausage tubes and Kubbe attachment. It includes the 1-year fix or replaces warranty in which parts and labor are also included. This electric meat grinder is designed to offer a whole lot of ease and great performance with an excellent combination of power and efficiency.
The material and design of this electric grinder is durable enough to serve all your regular grinding needs. It offers maximum functionality and longevity. The STX-3000 comes in easily manageable size in order to make good use of space and also facilitate you in moving around it. It is extremely suitable for all kinds of home needs regarding grinding and is much easy to operate. It comes with many handy attachments and accessories all together and offers a great affordable price. An incorporated circuit breaker in this meat grinder prevents overheating and any kind of motor damage.
VonShef Digital Electric Stainless Steel Meat Grinder – Mincer Kebab Sausage Maker
VonShef offers a digital stainless steel meat grinder having a low noise motor and a powerful peak output of 500 W. It does not occupy much of the space on your kitchen counter and is best suited for all of your grinding needs. It gives perfectly ground textures of ground meat with its sharp blades that make grinding much faster.
This meat grinder is very much easy to use and can run continuously for a long time but also features a pause button that you can use when you need to adjust the input or output of the grinder. The grinder has a finest design with most thoughtful engineering and construction to ensure that every accessory and part of this meat grinder may work properly.
The stuffing with this meat grinder have their own compartment for storage so you can store them when not in use. It has a powerful and low noise motor of 1200 W with an ON/OFF switch and reverse functions. It holds a removable metal tray for easy cleaning of this meat grinder. This grinder also has detachable aluminum die-cast parts, a food pusher, sausage adapter, and a Kebbe attachment.
It also offers interchangeable steel cutting plates which include a Fine plate with 3 mm diameter, Medium 5 mm, and a Coarse plate with 7mm diameter. The manufacturer offers 2 years warranty with this meat grinder.
This meat grinder stands out among other meat grinders because of its excellent low noise motor. As it has smaller plates, thus this grinder works best for homemade sausage stuffing and provides you with a lean ground meat. Almost all the parts of this meat grinder are made up of stainless steel except food pusher which ensures that the meat will remain safe from any kind of discoloration. The meat grinder is designed in a way that all of its parts are easily detachable and also can be assembled simply for cleaning purposes. It is a highly versatile meat grinder that makes grinding much fun and easy.
Buying Guide for Best Meat Grinders
A meat grinder has become a vital necessary of every home these days. There are a variety of grinders available in the market today. You just need to understand what is available, what your specific grinding needs are! And most importantly what kind of meat grinder you want in your home? If you have your own grinder in your home, it provides you with a lot of flexibility to prepare hamburgers, sausages and other such food at any time of the day. You don't have to depend on someone for the ground meat in order to prepare a recipe that needs a finely ground meat.
Types of Meat Grinders
There are manual and electric meat grinders available that offer different kinds of functions and accessories. You need to purchase a unit that can keep up with your output requirements of ground meat. These grinders offer warranty period for their machines thus providing you with the facility of replacing and repair the damage.
Factors to Look in Meat Mincers
There are some points that you need to consider while buying a meat grinder for your home. Determine what size of meat mincer you want, how much meat you want to grind, what you want to grind in your grinder, how often you have decided to use it and how much you can pay for the grinder you want to have. Most of the meat grinders offer additional accessories like sausage attachments that help of making different kinds of sausages with the grinders.
Which Meat Grinder you should choose?
If you are confused between any two meat mincers, go for the one that offers a long warranty period so that you may have the option to replace or repair your device. Clearly check the cutting blades, plates, hopper and other attachments of the grinder before buying. A good meat grinder is classified as the one which has an excellent ability to grind meat without breaking down. A powerful motor, compact design and strong material of a grinder help it to last even a lifetime.
Putting money in the way of purchasing a meat grinder should be considered as an investment because whatever grinder you buy for your home needs, it will stay with you is a longer period. Thus, don't think a lot when you are investing money for a meat mincer.
What to look for while buying a Meat Mincer?
While buying a meat grinder, you need to consider several things.
- The first thing you need to consider is the size of the grinder. You need to determine that how big of a mincer do you need. You may have noticed a "#" symbol on the grinders and wondered what this symbol means. Actually, this symbol tells you the size of the meat mincer. The size of the meat grinder depends upon the grinder plates. A smaller grinder will have a smaller feeding tube and less power than a larger one.
- The second thing you need to determine in buying a meat grinder is how frequently you will use it. If you are planning to use your grinders infrequently and going to use the small quantity food for chopping, then you need a small inexpensive grinder.
- Third and the most important thing that you need to determine is your budget. How much you can afford. Try to choose the grinder which suits your budget. Don't forget that the money you spend for a meat grinder is an investment. Get a grinder that will help you in the long run because in this way you are going to save a lot of money.
How to choose a Meat Grinder?
There are several models of meat grinder that are available in the market. Every manufacturer claims that he is offering the best model. So, to decide which meat mincer to buy can be a bit tricky process.
While choosing a meat grinder, remember some aspects about the mincer. A good meat mincer should have the ability to offer great grinding without breaking down. Consider the motor of the grinder. Decide how much powerful meat grinder you want for your home. A good rule of thumb is to select a electric meat grinder. The electric meat mincer comes with powerful motor and saves a lot of your time by grinding more meat.
After that, you need to consider the included components of the meat mincer. Try to choose a grinder that has all the desired attachments you need. Also, consider the warranty of each meat grinder. You will receive a free replace or repair if your meat mincer breaks accidentally.
How to Clean Your Meat Grinder?
After using a grinder cleaning is very important . You don't want to occur bacteria inside your grinder. Hot soapy water and scrubbing with a small brush is necessary, dry for some time after wash.
Final Advice on Meat Grinders
We review different quality grinder for both home and professional use. Now it's up to you which one you want to choose to make and good healthy food for you.
When reviewing these grinder we decide to look for meat mincer that best work for home chefs rather than industrial. And most importantly we focus on quality features with price.
Almost all these are universal meat grinder which you can use for sausage making, Chicken Vegetable and deer grinding. Having affordable price that everyone can afford.
In this grinder reviews and buying we cover every point. If you still think we miss some, feel free to contact us or comment below your questions.


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Testimonial for Twist Sport Conditioning by Douglas Brooks- MOVES International, BOSU Presenter, Real Ryder Present, TSCC-GOLD
Training toys come and go, but Twist Conditioning seems to have a knack for identifying products that are here to stay, grounded in science and impact the quality of training we deliver as trainers, coaches and group fitness instructors. Twist and his sport conditioning methodologies have impacted me and how I train my athletes and personal training clients.Twister's down to earth, yet motivating, entertaining and infectious delivery style captivates and changes both world class athletes and common warriors in profound ways. Why? Because it makes sense! Improved performance--powered by knowledge and backed by science--is the bottom line result of "Twist Culture!" Thanks for making these types of products and cutting-edge education available!"
- by Douglas Brooks- MOVES International, BOSU Presenter, Real Ryder Present, TSCC-GOLD


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22 Then Saul ordered his attendants: "Speak to David privately and say, 'Look, the king is pleased with you, and his attendants all like you; now become his son-in-law.' "
23 They repeated these words to David. But David said, "Do you think it is a small matter to become the king's son-in-law? I'm only a poor man and little known." I Sam 18:22-23
David was on the rise. He had killed thousands in battle, starting with Goliath. People loved him. They followed him into battle. Everything he did was met with favor because God was with him. Yet he knew who he was.
I think we would be better off if we just realize who we are. Strip it all away and we are just poor men who are little known. The Bible is full of examples where God uses poor, little known people to do great things.
God, my desire is to serve you and make you great. If that means that I am poor and little known, I'll gladly take that as part of the deal.
[tags]I Samuel, David, Saul, Bible, Devotions[/tags]


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by Ralph Hannah:
be careful about the Cobreloa vs Tacuary game tomorrow – a Tacuary player was offered 60,000 dollars to lose the game! He reported it to the police and somebody has been arrested, but still probably safe just to avoid that game
Ireland » League Cup » Shamrock – Limerick
Shamrock was champions last season, won league and played in europe while is Limeric in 2nd league. Limeric played yesterday big game with manchester city (0-4). They played before tree days league game also
But hosts also with some problems:
Pat Sullivan (ankle ligaments) and Chris Turner (thigh) are both out of the game after picking up injuries in Friday night's game against UCD, while Daryl Kavanagh also picked up a knock and may be a doubt. Craig Sives is out of the game through suspension. Aaron Greene (knee) remains out of the Rovers squad and Graham Gartland is also out with a back injury.


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The NIST Mass Spectral Library — one of the world's largest, most widely used databases used to identify unknown chemical compounds — just got bigger. In June, molecular fingerprints from more than 25,000 compounds were added to the library, bringing the total to more than 265,000.
Among the compounds whose fingerprints are included in this update are many dangerous drugs, according to NIST. They include dozens of synthetic cannabinoids and more than 30 types of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that is driving an epidemic of overdoses nationwide.
Read entire article - https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2017/06/nist-upgrades-widely-used-database-molecular-fingerprints


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Sold out, sold out, sold out, fa la la la la, sold out.
Every time we pop by to look at Blank Theatre Company and dates for "The Santaland Diaries" we get but one message returned to us, and it is not "ho ho ho." Oh no.
It is sold out, because, we are guesstimating, 1) Nicholas Brendon, of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fame, and other fame, is in the lead and 2) David Sedaris penned this funny bit of seasonal sidesplittery.
Now for the fa la la portion of this post. Seven performances just got added, and the play is not sold out on some weekdays, it is looking like. Saturday you may be out of luck, but Wednesday, Thursday? Try. Click now. Go for it.
And if you are not familiar with "The Santaland Diaries," trust you'll never look at the man in red over at your mall the same way again.
The Blank can be found at the 2nd Stage on Santa Monica Boulevard near Wilcox. "Diaries" plays through December 20th.


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Associated Press reports that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger apologized Friday for saying during a closed-door meeting that Cubans and Puerto Ricans are naturally feisty and temperamental because of their combination of "black blood" and "Latino blood." He said the tape-recorded comments "made me cringe" when he read them in Friday's Los Angeles Times.
So, I don't get it. What the hell's wrong with being feisty and temperamental? And, as far as the mix of Latino and "Black" blood – what's wrong with that? They have way better sun tans and seem far more pure at heart. My feisty and temperamental nature comes from being an Aries Brit/Irish mix and I now make quarterly visits to the skin doctor to remove lesions which derive from too much sun, trying to look Black/Latino.
I'm not sure Schwarzenegger knows which end is up.


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No man (or woman) that has walked this earth is perfect–many are far from it. And that also holds true for our Presidents.
They are, for a time, the most powerful person in the world–and while they are held in high regard–we must also remember that they are human.
This last Friday evening we lost our beloved Papi Bush and we are reminded of many things–least of all political.
President Bush was beloved, not because of his titles and accolades but for who he was as a person.
He dedicated his life to service–to God, to his country, and to his family. And he held his values close and lives them out each day.
President Bush's values is the legacy he leaves for each of us–honesty, honor and humility.
We are a better country for having you at our helm.
Thank you for your service President Bush, as you now live among the angels.


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Spring-cleaning starts now, and the world's number one fashion and beauty magazine – Vogue, tells us that ENDYMED INTENSIF will help you get your best skin yet.
In the article New York City dermatologist Whitney Bowe, M.D., shares her four ways to get a glowing complexion, just in time for the new season ahead. ENDYMED INTENSIF's micro-needling technology features in her recommendations.
Drawing on the outstanding results from offering ENDYMED INTENSIF in her own clinic, Bowe tells us:
"Microneedling delivers a series of controlled "wounds" beneath the skin's surface, triggering its own natural collagen production. It's an amazing tool for pores, tone, and overall texture. Marrying microneedling with radio-frequency energy that heats up the dermal layer, it produces more significant results for a smooth and super-filtered look."
ENDYMED INTENSIF delivers radiofrequency three layers deep into the skin using unique, non-insulated gold needles and fractional pulse mode technology, creating fractional columns of coagulation and volumetric heating.
ENDYMED INTENSIF rejuvenates the skin from the inside out, delivering the ultimate treatment for deep lines and skin laxity, while remodelling the skin's underlying structure and restoring its vitality and radiance.
Click here for more information about ENDYMED INTENSIF.
Click here to read the full article: Vogue.com