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"Would you mind letting me have a look at your Battle Blood Formation?" Qing Shui said with a smile.
"No I don't, here!" Zhan Yu smiled and passed the Battle Blood Formation to Qing Shui.
Qing Shui immediately started to look through it. He discovered that this formation was mainly used as a kind of restraint to joint attacks. It increased the user's morale and circulated the strength of their blood. Somehow, it felt like a kind of strength of youth from his previous incarnation. It was filled with hot-bloodedness.
No wonder it was called the Battle Blood Formation. Of course, the positionings within the formation also coordinated with each other. All in all, it was a simple yet effective formation.
"Elder brother Zhan, this formation is really easy. Not to be offensive, but if you encounter a person with equal strength who happened to be proficient at setting up formations, you will fall towards the passive side if you can't defeat your opponent in one move. Once that happens, the whole situation will worsen." Qing Shui closed the formation and passed it back to Zhan Yu.
When it came to things related to formations, it has been an indisputable fact that Qing Shui was very knowledgeable at it. One look was all it took for him to realize the mysterious principles of the formation itself.
"Younger brother Qing, it seems that you are an expert in formations. Rumei was the one who gave me the Battle Blood Formation." Zhan Yu said with a smile.
Qing Shui was reminded of some of the decorations around Hua Rumei's courtyard. They all somehow foreshadowed some sort of formations. Furthermore, they were all very powerful. In comparison to the Grand Elder, her formation was equal, if not even better than his.
"Will you mind if I help you make some amends to the formation?" Qing Shui looked at Zhan Yu after thinking for a while.
After all, it was a formation given to him by Hua Rumei. He feared that Zhan Yu would disagree to it. There was a lot of people who would be unwilling to destroy things given to them by the people dear to them.
"Of course I won't mind. In fact, I couldn't have asked for more." Said Zhan Yu, carefree.
Qing Shui took out the Devil Slaying Formation. "Elder brother, why don't you first have a look at this and do some research on it? Brother Jin, you shall join too. I am going to do some research on the formation first. I will develop a better one as soon as possible."
Naturally, Jin Ci happily agreed to it. Zhan Yu nodded his head. He also summoned some of his most impressive subordinates from below.
In the meantime, Qing Shui approached Hua Rumei's tent. He had never expected for Hua Rumei to be Zhan Yu's fiance. He had not heard even the slightest news about it prior to this. However, it was not like there was a need for the others to tell him about it.
But in Qing Shui's opinion, Zhan Yu was truly a decent individual. It was just that he would not last longer than ten years with how he was now. If necessary, he would not mind helping him out a little so as to help him lengthen the time at which both him and Rumei would seem suitable for each other.
Upon entering the tent, Qing Shui realized that the Demon Lord was also in there. He was stunned and smiled, "Milady, so you are here as well."
"Yes, are you looking for her for urgent matters?" The Demon Lord stood up while speaking. She should be getting ready to leave.
"No, it's nothing that important. Why don't you give some suggestions as well? Let's investigate it together." Qing Shui said with a smile.
Once Qing Shui put it this way, she would naturally have to stay behind.
"I suppose the Battle Blood Formation was invented by elder sister. I would like to blend in other formations into it. Why don't you guys take a look at this formation first? In the meantime, also explain to me about Battle Blood Formation. Oh yes, elder sister, you won't mind, would you?" Qing Shui said with a smile.
"Did he tell you everything?" Hua Rumei said a bit embarrassingly.
"Tell me what?" Qing Shui asked seriously.
"Forget it, stop pretending. Alright, actually, this formation was invented by the me and the Palace Lord. It is intended for killing the opponents swiftly, in a spurt of energy resembling that of a tiger."
Hua Rumei smiled and looked at Qing Shui.
Qing Shui passed over the Devil Slaying Formation. He gave each of them one and said, "There are pros and cons to it. For example, they can't fight against people slightly stronger than them, nor will they be able to attack with a spurt of energy. Basically, they will completely be on the passive side. If the strength of their blood is weakened, the formation will basically be done for."
"We are aware of this as well. But it's too hard to add a formation into another formation. It's not possible. The requirement for it is too high, especially for high level formations of such." It's rare to see the Demon Lord taking the initiative to talk.
"I figure you both should know about the Nine Palace Positionings? Actually, it's difficult to add a formation into another formation. But there are also alternate ways to achieve it, Mystical Gate, Escape Arts, Nine Palace, Five Elements, they are all factors that can be made use of. After that, then only shall we try to solve those minor conflicts. Following time, they will blend into each other completely. This is the Nine Palace Eight Trigram Formation, this is the Nine Palace Eight Trigram Sword Formation, it may help for you two to take a look at them."
Following on, they began to research it and blend them together, although Qing Shui was still the one in charge of mostly everything. He came here to understand thoroughly about the Battle Blood Formation. Within four hours time, Qing Shui has already blended the basic part of Devil Slaying Formation and Battle Blood Formation together.
Devil Slaying Battle Blood Formation!
Devil Slaying Formation was an positioning formation. It had a fixed path which could help increase vitality and battle prowess. Most importantly, it could produce Devil Slaying Qi, causing the entire formation to be covered with a sort of blurry qi which could help to hinder the enemy's eyesight. It was capable of even hindering Spiritual Sense. If combined it with the violet Battle Blood Formation, the formation would help the user to draw out the full potential of their battle prowess and also increase their vitality by many folds.
The two girls were extremely surprised when they witnessed it. They had never expected for a person to be so knowledgeable in formations. Now, even the Demon Lord herself was surprised with Qing Shui. After all, he had too much knowledge for an individual. In addition to all the things he knew, he was an alchemist and a physician. It was more than enough for him to stand at such a high position.
The two girls were naturally able to understand the motive of Qing Shui doing so. Once Battle Pavilion became strong, the Demon Lord Palace would also become strong.
Both of the girls were experts in formations. Qing Shui did not hesitate to share the formations with both of the girls, nor did they reject it.
On the same day, Qing Shui and the girls managed to perfect the formation. When they had time, they would let the Battle Pavilion practice it.
Regarding the Battle Blood Formation, the people from Battle Pavilion have practiced it to the point of formation. Now, they only have to blend in the Devil Slaying Formation and add a few more positionings to it. Even though it was a bit difficult, all of these people had decent talents.
Cotton Pavilion chose the path of assassination. Qing Shui passed on his Nine Palace Step and Nine Palace Eight Trigram Formations to them. It wouldn't take long until they became like a tiger that had grown wings.
These people weren't idiots. Naturally, they were able to see through Qing Shui's hard work. They were aware of Qing Shui's relation with the Demon Lord, but they were unclear as to the exact nature of that relationship. They did not believe they shared the sort of boy-girl relation. But the fact that he was able to hang out with the Demon Lord and Hua Rumei already proved that he was definitely no ordinary person.
Now, Qing Shui would use Nine Continents Step to make haste to his journey everyday. He would use the remaining time to cultivate formations. This was the fastest method for him to increase his overall strength. At the same time, however, the set bar for the individual's talents and intelligence was also very high.
Whenever he had used Nine Continent Steps, there were a few times when he ran into Beast Tide. Among these Beast Tides, there were a lot which were of the Asian Dragon Species. Some of them were also enormous ancient demonic beasts. Without further hesitation, Qing Shui would continuously unleash his Nine Continents Steps. There were times when he almost got interrupted. This was happening in mid-air. In a Beast Tide, beasts were basically everywhere, in the air as well as on the ground. In comparison, there would be fewer of them in air.
This time he once again, very unfortunately, ran into such a place. But it wasn't a Beast Tide, it was just a herd of demonic beasts. Furthermore, this also occurred the last time he unleashed his Nine Continents Steps.
"Everyone, get ready for battle!" Hua Rumei's voice could be heard by everyone.
Ancient Golden Flame Demonic Bear!
This was a herd of Ancient Golden Flame Demonic Bears. Each and everyone of them were sized as huge as a small mountain. Qing Shui and the group has actually arrived right in the centre of the herd. They were surrounded by almost a hundred of these gigantic beasts.
Roar! Roar!
Its roaring noise which shook heaven itself caused the people to prostrate with fear.
These gigantic beasts had bodies resembling that of stones, except the stones were gold in color. Their golden bodies which were akin to flaring golden flames began to charge towards Qing Shui and the group.
The Ancient Golden Flame Demonic Bears were demonic beasts with two attributes, metal and fire. It had terrifyingly powerful physical body. Its attacks were accompanied with the sharpness of metal attributes and the violence of flame attributes. They were also capable of resisting against Spirit Energy quite well. Even Qing Shui was a bit speechless when he saw them.
Their only weakness was that they were very slow with their movements. Or else, this herd would have been unstoppable.
Emperor's Qi!
Qing Shui didn't hesitate to unleash his moves. He managed to weaken the overall strength of that gigantic bear by 20%. Now, Qing Shui wanted to lower down the opponent's speed.
Tidal Cloudwave Seal!
Seal of Xuantian!
Hundred Birds Worshipping the Phoenix!
Phoenix Battle Intent!
Right now, Qing Shui didn't dare to let down his guard. He immediately summoned the Dragon Slaying Beast. The beast should be able to move like a fish in water here. It was very fast and it was able to break through everything. Certainly, it was specifically used to counter against gigantic monsters like these.
Bloodthirsty Demonic Vines!
Qing Shui swung his hand and unleashed a number of Bloodthirsty Demonic Vines around the surroundings. He used them to halt the movement of the Ancient Golden Flame Demonic Bears.
The others had already set up their formations. The Demon Lord and Hua Rumei have also started their battles.
Their weapons were very terrifying. Each time they attacked, they were able to cut off one piece of the meat of the gigantic monsters, causing the beasts to roar in agony.
Golden Flame Explosive Strike!
Suddenly, an enormous Ancient Golden Flame Demonic Bear appeared right in front of Hua Rumei through some unknown means. Both of its palms were flaring with golden flame as it attempted to slap her.
However, Hua Rumei seemed as if she was dumbfounded. She stood there, motionless. This has caused a lot of people to panic.
This was the Heavenly Sure-kill Technique of the Ancient Golden Flame Demonic Bear.
Qing Shui was about to make his move. But right at this moment, a bloody red shadow suddenly bumped into Hua Rumei. As Qing Shui swung his hand, he instantly unleashed a golden aura. But this golden aura wasn't directed towards the Ancient Golden Flame Demonic Bear. It was directed towards the red shadow.
Zhan Yu!
Qing Shui aimed his attack at Zhan Yu! Zhan Yu was bombarded by the force of the golden flame and got staggered by the attack. He flew out like a kite which has had its rope cut off and spurted fresh blood out of his mouth. The blood which he spurted out settled down on top of the bloody red battle armor, causing the color of the armor to look even brighter than before.
"Zhan Yu!"
Hua Rumei has come back to her senses. She rushed to Zhan Yu anxiously. Tears could be seen sliding down of her face.
Qing Shui's figure charged towards the enormous Ancient Golden Flame Demonic Bear.
Phoenix Finger!
Both of Qing Shui's hands were already shining with golden light. He constantly struck the Ancient Golden Flame Demonic Bear with tremendous force. The entire scene looked really magnificent. At the same time, heaving and noises of collisions could constantly rang out.
Suddenly, Qing Shui abruptly thrusted out his fist. The next thing which came into his sight was the enormous Ancient Golden Flame Demonic Bear flying out backwards. When it fell onto the ground, it jerked a few times before stopping.
The enormous Ancient Golden Flame Demonic Bear suddenly exploded. The Dragon Slaying Beast had actually separated the limbs off the body of the gigantic monster.
The speed of Demon Lord's sword was becoming faster and faster. At the same time, she was also continuously unleashing the Heavenly Techniques.
The Old Turtle was already protecting the others. With its defense, it was still able to withstand the attacks. After all, Qing Shui had already weakened the opponents significantly. Not only that, he had even boosted the strength of the people on his side. That being the case, the situation would have been a lot different. It would have been able to barely withstand those attacks.
Qing Shui immediately tossed a Golden Fragrance Jade towards Hua Rumei, "Sister, let him take this pill. Everything is going to be fine."
Qing Shui communicated with the Dragon Slaying Beast and instructed it to strengthen its attack. As of now, the Dragon Slaying Beast was his most powerful beast. It's almost as if it could instantly kill the opponent once it spotted their weak points. The Dragon Slaying Beast was one of the most terrifying existence after it dominated in speed.


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Justicar Set
|This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title.
The following is a list of links to pages that might share the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
- Justicar Armor intended for Protection Paladins.
- Justicar Battlegear intended for Retribution Paladins.
- Justicar Raiment intended for Holy Paladins.

subset: commoncrawl


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This Level 3 Certificate in Principles of Business and Administration has been specifically developed to teach the knowledge required for students to work effectively, both as individuals and in teams within business. Being able to develop good business skills is crucial for any company and the skills we will learn can be used in many different industries and have a vast array of uses.
|Study time:
|260 hours
|Enrolment length:
|12 months
|Course format:
|Paper based pack
|8 written tasks
|Entry requirements:
|None specific
Unit 1: Principles of business
Having a sound understanding of how businesses work and the markets in which they operate is valuable for any employee. Knowing the factors that influence a company and the roles within a business that must be carried out, will give you a better appreciation for the marketplace. This understanding will also help you understand the reasons for decisions that are made. In this unit we will look at business innovation and growth, budgeting and financials as well as sales and marketing. This will give you a great insight into all the different aspects of a business that come together to make a company profitable.
Unit 2: Principles of business communication and information
Having a sound understanding of how to work in a business environment is valuable for progression. Knowing the documents and systems within a company and the roles within a business, will offer you a better understanding of presentation and negotiation. This understanding will also help you understand business communication models, systems and processes. In this unit you will learn how to how to develop and deliver presentations in a professional manner. You will also learn how to aid negotiations by providing clear and accurate bespoke documents.
Unit 3: Principles of administration
In this unit we will cover the main principles of administration. Under this heading comes many different areas. You will learn about office management and organisation. You will also learn the principles of meetings, whether in attendance or chairing, along with how to manage and supervise an administration team. Another part of administration is organising business events. These take a lot of planning and skill. This unit will take you through all the components of an event and how to organise them.
Unit 4: Understand how to improve business performance
This unit will cover techniques that can be used to help a business improve. Sometimes techniques and processes need to change for improvement to happen. These changes can effect staff and their morale. Unit 4 will teach you how to effectively manage change with as little disruption as possible to personnel.
Unit 5: Understand equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace
All businesses require a group of people to work together harmoniously in order to be successful. This means that a collection of individuals, all with different backgrounds, ages and beliefs, must be able to work in a way that highlights their strengths. In order for this to work each person in the business environment must have a strong understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion and how to respect others that they work with. In this unit we will look at equality, diversity and inclusion in depth and discuss the benefits of having a diversified workforce.
Unit 6: Understand how to manage performance and conflict in the workplace
In this unit you will learn how to manage performance and conflict in the workplace. To manage performance and make sure it is as high as possible, you need to understand how to manage it. This can be individual or team performance. Managing a team effectively is not easy. Managing performance with business is not always positive. You may have to deal with teams or individuals who are underperforming. A good manager has to know how to deal with both positive and negative performance reviews and how to combat negative performance. Within teams not everyone will get along. It is the job of the manager to deal with any conflict within the team. This must be done sensitively and without judgement.
Unit 7: Principles of leadership and management
The ability to make good decisions is highly sought after in the business world. Decision making is one of the key components of good management. Your ability to make decisions will directly affect your leadership style and skills. In this course you will learn how to make effective decisions and the different styles of leadership. Management is handled in a variety of ways. In this unit we will cover the role, functions and processes of management. This will directly related to helping your understanding of performance management.


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Follow This Company
Headquartered in Santa Barbara, AppFolio was started by a team of technology leaders with proven experience creating software that businesses love to use. AppFolio creates complete, easy-to-use, web-based solutions for multiple markets and the first AppFolio SaaS service (AppFolio Property Manager) was specifically created for residential property managers. AppFolio also provides RentApp the first free, online rental application solution. With investors including Cisco Systems, BV Capital and the Investment Group of Santa Barbara, AppFolio's rapid growth is being fueled by very happy and loyal customers.


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'SportsCenter' Avoids Staples Traffic
ESPN's 1 a.m. ET SportsCenter will return to the Bristol, Conn., mother ship overnight, to avoid the traffic nightmare created in Los Angeles by the Michael Jackson memorial at the Staples Center, close by the L.A. Live complex where the worldwide sports leader has been producing that edition of the flagship news program since April.
"We produce multiple SportsCentersfrom our Bristol headquarters daily and therefore have flexibility to make adjustments like this when needed," a spokesperson said when we inquired. (Thanks to Linda Haugsted for the suggestion to ask.)
As the Los Angeles Timespointed out today: "Not only was the area around Staples being sealed off, but the California Department of Transportation said it would close several ramps on the 110 and 134 freeways to keep traffic flowing as smoothly as possible."
Avoidance was the better part of valor clearly. Whether many TV viewers felt the same way — I've certainly seen some Facebook posters say they were steering clear of the coverage — will be seen in the ratings.


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30 Years of Healthcare Management
For more than 30 years PGM has been dedicated to offering healthcare providers a comprehensive answer to their practice automation, billing and collection needs. From the beginning as a single practice billing provider, we have grown to become one of the country's leading practice management and medical billing solution providers.
1981 – PGM incorporated with a focus on billing, practice management and electronic claims clearing
1988 – PGM is the first billing company in New Jersey to migrate from a mainframe-based computer system to a PC-based platform
1990 – PGM becomes an approved vendor for Medicare billing and service
1992 – First version of proprietary software for Medicare claims submittal is developed and PGM becomes one of the first companies in New Jersey to submit claims electronically
1993 – Second New Jersey location established in order to manage the rapid growth and success of the PGM product offering among N.J. physicians
1994 – PGM selected by BlueCross BlueShield as a beta counterpart for electronic claims submittal
2001 – PGM releases its first fully online product, providing physicians with the traditional benefits and methodology of practice management coupled with the speed and flexibility of the Internet
2008 – Corporate EMR partnership program established, adding CCHIT-certified EMR functionality to the PGM platform
2009 – PGM opens a third facility in Manhattan in response to a growing base of physicians and hospitals across the tri-state area
2010 – PGM acquires CMS Billing, strengthening its specialty specific service offering


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Untangle yourself from long extension cords and keep working when there's no electricity available. Cat® portable generators are built for long runtimes and simple, fuss-free operation. You can use a Cat Portable Generator to keep your business going on any job, at any location. Or you can keep the lights on and your critical appliances running in your home during bad weather. These easy-to-use, dependable generators are ready for any emergency.
You can also use the Cat Portable Generators for the fun times. Light up your campsite, charge your mobile devices, or keep your bouncy castle inflated. Use this portable power for your motorhome and camping fun. Our portable generators will keep you energized wherever you decide to roam.
Caterpillar engineers applied every bit of technical and engineering know-how that comes from producing the world's toughest machines when they designed the Cat Portable Generators. From the stable, all-steel construction to the compact, out-of-the-way wiring, the RP Series is built for portability, safety, and reliability.
Cashman Equipment has always had the big power you need, but now we have what you need for everyday life. The Cat Portable Generators are small enough to take with you to the jobsite, to go camping, or to store in the garage for weather emergencies, but these generators still have the big power you expect from any product made by Cat.


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It took a fair amount of effort to get me to go to Glastonbury. Just ask my other half, who roped in the aid of two outdoor activity instructor friends to convince me that spending several days in a tent and the rain was a good idea.
And you know what? I absolutely loved it. Despite a rainy start, it ended up being a glorious weekend with great friends, food and music. I had a sauna in a yurt, made a clay figurine penguin and living out my teenage dream of seeing Pulp playing Common People live. I discovered Pieminister pies and ate a lot of vegetarian food. I saw some acrobats and ended up sitting around a stone circle in the early hours of the morning with my pal who was dressed as a bear. I also managed to live without a smartphone for a few days, which will come as a surprise to many of those who know me.
The weekend culminated in seeing Beyonce playing the Pyramid Stage. She absolutely nailed it too, despite the usual low expectations which seem to accompany any non-rock act signed up for the main stage.
I took this photo on a tiny Canon Ixus 105 camera, the batteries of which I managed to make last a full weekend – proof that even the most basic of cameras can still capture something wonderful with some gentle coaxing. It remains my most highly viewed photo ever on my Flickr page. All in all, a fantastic end to a great few days.
Copyright Natalie Marchant/Tales From Taliena


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When fighting against those trying to silence our voices, there was a little trouble the first go around. The Internet Bill Of Rights petition (or #IBOR) is back in circulation. We wish to give a bump to this cause.
Email verification is required for your voice to be counted. Please sign, and help spread the word. You can sign the petition here: Internet Bill Of Rights


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May 1, 2015
May Goals...
Labels: Monthly Goals
4 comments:
ohhh more prompts! that's good. having options is always good.ReplyDelete
And kudos to you for getting through the Whole30. I think I love mcdonalds too much for that hahah.
Yay! So excited to see you blog every day in May. It's not an easy task, I know! I tried it in October and was SO glad to be done with it but also proud of myself for doing it. You go girl!ReplyDelete
On Moon Bitcoin you may recieve free satoshis. 290 sat. every 50 minutes.ReplyDelete
You need to remember that the best Bitcoin exchange service is YoBit.ReplyDelete
Thanks for the love! If you have a specific question please feel free to email me at krmathison@ hotmail.com
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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"Biology and Management of the Northern Bobwhite" was designed to teach students key science and math principles as they pertain to natural resources management and look at the decline of quail in our state. Information is provided in an online format.
Data collection, analyses, and interpretation are all critical skills and processes in the management of our natural resources. This lesson plan involves the high school student in all phases of this process using real world scenarios that occur across Texas.The material is organized into distinct lesson plans with background reading, lessons, and tests. In addition to the classroom aspects to this lesson, it is my hope that classes can participate in field exercises to put their classroom experience into action.
Thanks for your interest in introducing this pertinent and practical natural resource lesson plan to your students. If you are interested in the course please contact Dr. Jim Cathey, firstname.lastname@example.com
- Teacher: Caitlyn Calvert
- Teacher: Jim Cathey
- Teacher: Amanda Gobeli


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By April 10, 2017, Times of Israel
Comparing Israel to apartheid South Africa is all the rage again. A United Nations agency recently published (and the United Nations secretary general rejected) a report accusing the Jewish state of having "established an apartheid regime that dominates the Palestinian people as a whole." Campuses around the world are currently marking Israel Apartheid Week to "raise awareness of Israel's apartheid system."
The question of whether today's Israel is akin to the old South Africa was forcefully rejected by former anti-apartheid activist Benjamin Pogrund in an op-ed in The New York Times last week, once more triggering passionate discussion over the question.
The African National Congress, Nelson Mandela's revolutionary movement currently rules the country, endorses the Israel-apartheid comparison. In 2012, ANC chairperson and former South African deputy president Baleka Mbete accused the Jewish state of being "far worse than Apartheid South Africa."
But in recent months, a growing number of young black South Africans — including members of the ANC's youth division — have visited Israel and now forcefully reject the parallels drawn between the racist regime under which their parents suffered and the current reality for Palestinian Arabs — in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Prominent among them is Nkululeko Nkosi, a 23-year-old member of the ANC Youth League.
"Precisely because we South Africans know intimately what apartheid involved, we have a duty to question whether it is an appropriate term to be used in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Nkosi wrote in a recent article for a pamphlet published by "Africans for Peace," a group trying to change the narrative about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "Put simply, because nobody knows the pain of apartheid better than we do, we are able to guide the rest of the world on when to describe a situation using that term and when to avoid doing so."
Nkosi, who hails from Kathlehong township in Johannesburg and recently obtained an undergraduate degree in law, went on to argue that apartheid was about race, while the Israeli-Palestinian conflict encompasses both religious and territorial disputes.
Nkululeko Nkosi /courtesy)
"On my last trip to Israel, I found that unlike apartheid South Africa, there is no deliberate effort by the government to segregate a specific group in Israel," he wrote. "In day-to-day discussions with ordinary Israeli citizens, I learned from Arabs and Jews, and I sensed their burning desire to live together as harmonious neighbors. In apartheid South Africa, Afrikaners disdained black South Africans, these sentiments are still in evidence today."
Nkosi ended his article with a plea to fellow South Africans not to "steal" the term apartheid by inaccurately applying it to the Middle East.
During Israel Apartheid Week at Columbia University, pro-Israel students countered anti-Israel displays with a 12-foot-high Pinocchio doll meant to call attention to "lies about Israel," March 1, 2016. (Courtesy Students Supporting Israel – Columbia)
"For black South Africans, apartheid was more than just systematic discrimination against our people. It was a project that aimed to rob a specific race of its history, culture, dignity, and humanity," he wrote. "Those who apply the term 'apartheid' to the Israeli-Palestinian impasse are guilty of perpetuating that same theft, by denying the uniqueness of the racism and hatred that we faced."
Israelis and Palestinians may feel that one group hates the other, but this reality "is very different from the legally-blessed racism, based on the discredited idea of white supremacy, that once reigned in my country," he posited.
Nkosi, who once hoped to run for national office for the ANC but has been shunned by the party for his pro-Israel views, first learned about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2013, when a group of students disrupted a performance by a famous Israeli pianist.
"For a while, I held the view that Israel was an apartheid state and suspected that something was amiss when a couple of colleagues visited Israel only to face backlash here at home," he told The Times of Israel in a recent interview. "I then also wanted to visit Israel for myself and develop my own views on the matter. It was after my trip to Israel that I started to question a lot of things and sought more information and made comparisons between apartheid South Africa and Israel."
Even though the ANC officially discourages travel to Israel, thousands of South Africans visit the country every year. According to Israel's ambassador in Pretoria, Arthur Lenk, the number of South African tourists who visit the Jewish state "significantly" increased in 2016.
"Many are Christians who come as pilgrims, others are business leaders of all faiths looking to boost trade or tourists to discover Israel or to visit friends or family," Lenk said. "I am glad so many South Africans are seeing Israel for themselves instead of believing politically motivated rhetoric of some who gain from divisiveness."
Nkosi's all-expenses-paid visit to Israel in 2016 was organized and sponsored by the South African-Israel Forum, a nonprofit seeking to promote bilateral relations. "I got the opportunity to meet with Israelis and Palestinians," he said, recalling that he visited universities with "vibrant Arab student populations," as well as the Qalandia refugee camp.
In 2015, the ANC publicly denounced the South African-Israel Forum's work, calling it a "campaign by Israel to distort our stand on Palestine" that will put the party "in disrepute."
Ironically, perhaps, it was the ANC's encouragement to think differently that impacted Nkosi. "My view differs from the ANC's because I have been taught by the ANC to discuss and question everything," he said.
"I used to have hopes of ascending the ANC ranks," Nkosi told The Times of Israel, but its current politics "suggest that there may not be an ANC to inherit for young people like myself."
The disdain is mutual, as the party not only officially discourages travel to Israel but also publicly shames members who speak positively about the country.
'What is clear is that my political career in the ANC and youth structures is finished' Last week, the ANC Youth League's secretary-general issued a statement condemning a "certain individual [who] is parading around, on a pro-Israeli trip in the USA, claiming to be a youth leader of the ANC." He and "other foreign agents" who "advance the agenda of the imperialist Israeli regime," automatically lose their membership, according to the statement. Nkosi, too, has been insulted and intimidated due to his pro-Israel activism, it seems my trip to Israel and my subsequent views translate to the end of any [political] ambition."
And yet, Nkosi is optimistic regarding the future of Israel-South Africa relations. While he acknowledged that the ANC, which is closely affiliated with the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement, is unlikely to engage in constructive political dialogue with Jerusalem, he hopes that Pretoria's current economic worries will lead to some sort of rapprochement down the line.


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Everywhere else, Christmas is a time of joy, generosity and human kindness but for EastEnders, it's the biggest excuse for misery, carnage, death and tragedy on the calendar. And, as you'd expect, this year is no different.
As the Slater household is ripped apart by the revelations around Alfie Moon and Hayley Slater's baby, the resulting showdown ends in bloodshed. And revenge is the focus of other residents as Linda Carter fears that Mick has killed Stuart Highway while Mel Owen's plan to destroy Ray Kelly leads them both into serious danger.
Away from all of that carnage, there are at least some moments of hope in the form of Kim Fox-Hubbard giving birth and Whitney Dean realising that she may be pregnant.
Well, out with the old, in with the new, as they say!
1. Ian is enthusiastic about getting the Christmas dinner sorted for the Slater family and Jean is proud of him as they get closer. But in order to distract from her own dramas, Hayley exposes the relationship to the rest of the family.
2. It's the day of the long awaited carol concert and the likes of Karen, Honey and Jean are getting their singing voices ready, determined to stave off the bad luck of the festive season and bring about some Walford cheer. Good luck.
3. Another person determined to bring some happiness to proceedings is Alfie, who is going all out to execute the perfect family Christmas for Kat. And he even presents her with her wedding ring – but she makes it clear she hasn't quite forgiven him yet.
4. Kim is in the stock room of the Minute Mart and as Phil helps her, they suddenly get locked in and Kim's waters break. It's down to a very reluctant Phil to deliver Kim's baby for her and she is grateful for him being there.
5. As Bev continues to be cruel to Hayley, Kat has had enough of her on Christmas Day and launches her out of the house. But she won't necessarily be on Hayley's side for long as the baby secret threatens to come out.
6. Keanu has his hopes high for Sharon coming home but they are soon dashed and he is stung by a voicemail she leaves for him. As he mopes his way through the family Christmas, his heart continues to ache.
7. When Linda sees Mick speaking to Phil about recent events, she struggles as she worries that he may have killed Stuart. Fearing that her husband may soon be returning to prison, what will Linda discover?
8. Stacey and Max share a touching moment on Christmas Day following the events of last year which saw Max have a breakdown and become the catalyst for Abi's death. As Stacey and Max reach an understanding, his spirits are lifted.
9. A series of events in the Slater household explodes the secret that Alfie is the father of Hayley's baby and Kat is left reeling by the staggering bombshell. As her whole life is turned upside down, she and Alfie have a showdown.
10. Mick is determined to get things back on track and he announces his plans to sell turkeys while also dressing up as Santa and organising an karaoke event at the Queen Vic. But as Linda is troubled, is their marriage at risk?
11. Events in the Slater household spiral dramatically out of control and as a catastrophe unfolds, one member of the household is left with blood on their hands. Is a death about to leave the family ripped apart forever?
12. Karen is delighted to welcome Kandice for a Boxing Day meal but when Mitch also turns up wanting to make amends with Keegan, things soon turn awkward. Mitch fights his own corner but has he really changed?
13. Kim invites Phil round for dinner in order to thank him for what he did and they reach a new understanding. Denise can see that Kim is struggling without Vincent but she puts this to the back of her mind as she announces her new baby's name.
14. Bernadette is hurt when Tiffany ditches her for Evie once again and it's clear that her feelings are continuing to deepen for her friend. When Karen realises what is playing on her daughter's mind, she soon confronts Tiffany.
15. After Keegan holds out an olive branch to Louise, she attends the Taylor family meal but soon, she ends up getting closer to Keanu after misreading a gift and before long, she ends up kissing him.
16. Whitney confides in Halfway that she might be pregnant but she is taken aback by his surprise reaction. When she then does a test, what will the outcome be – and will she and Halfway share the same vision for the future.
17. After a series of awkward events, Louise asks Bex to buy her some booze and she is soon drunk and making a spectacle of herself by causing an embarrassing scene in front of Keanu and Ray.
18. It's the day of Mel and Ray's wedding and everything is in place for Mel to execute a devastating revenge. But soon the tables are turned and events spiral out of control, potentially leaving Mel in danger at Ray's mercy. Or lack of, as it may turn out.
The Soaps Newsletter
Includes exclusive content, spoilers and interviews before they're seen on the site. Find out more »


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I have been considering installing a portable high-pressure breathing air compressor in the dive trailer for a while now.
I have been looking at a few different models, including the Max Air 35-G with a Honda gasoline engine shown here which I decided on because if its price, portability, and features. This compressor with a Honda gasoline engine weighs just 85 pounds, so it can be carried by just one person.
I wanted either a gasoline or diesel engine model so that I would be able to fill scuba tanks away from electricity.
These new portable compressors are able to fill scuba tanks with the same grade of compressed air (Grade-E) as the larger machines at dive shops, just not as fast. With a portable machine, tank fills would take around 20 minutes versus 10 at a dive shop.
When you think about it though, 20 minutes really isn't that bad. If you are filling 3 tanks for the next days dives, in about an hour while you are cleaning you gear and getting it ready for the next days dives, your tanks are all filled and your ready to go — no trip to the local dive shop necessary.
You have to also consider fuel and maintenance costs of the compressor oil and the air filters which have to be changed out after every 10 hours of use, which would be about 30 filled tanks.
With the cost of fuel, maintenance, replacement filters, oil, etc, that would come to about $1 per tank fill versus the traditional $4 that the local dive shops here charge, saving me about $3 for every tank that I fill.
There have been several occasions when we have planned early morning dives at the last-minute the evening before, and the dive shops just closed. We were left with no way of getting tank fills for the early morning dives because we were planning to do the dives before the dive shops even opened. With a portable air fill station in the dive trailer, this problem would be a thing of the past.
I have been adding everything up, and a portable fill station like this would pay for itself within just over a year of use for me, which is an acceptable return on investment rate. After that time it would continue to save me money with every dive, not to mention the convenience of being able to fill my own tanks whenever and wherever I needed to fill them and being able to fill tanks for others on-site if necessary.
With the air compressor, spare air filters, compressor oil and shipping & handling the total came to just a little bit over $3,800.00 and should be here in about a week or so.
I have always considered myself to be a "self-contained" diver, meaning that I did not have to rely on anyone else for any of my diving equipment. Now I can truly say that I am completely self-contained. I will still get my Nitrox tanks filled at a local dive shop, but from now on I will be filling my own air tanks.
UPDATE: (7/1/13) I just found out that the air compressor was shipped out from the manufacturer in Texas last Wednesday the 26th and is scheduled to arrive here in Hawaii next Tuesday, July 9th. Hopefully I will have it operational by that weekend.


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Organiser: ZVEH and ZVEI
With the 'Smart Living Professional' award, the Association of the German Electrical and Information Technology Industry (ZVEH) and the Association of the German Electrical and Electronics Industry (ZVEI) seek to reward technically innovative projects relating to 'smart living'. The focus here will be on the application of internationally recognised standards for building services systems in homes and buildings and their contribution to 'smart living'.
Assessment criteria:
- User-friendliness, comfort and acceptability in relation to the users' needs
- The number of different trades involved in the project
- Contribution of the automated building to safety, security, comfort and energy efficiency
- Quality of the innovations in the applications
- Flexibility and broader applicability of the project
Award ceremony and presentations to the winners at Light+Building:
Monday, 19 March 2018, 2:00 p.m.
Joint stand for the electrical and electronic trades
Hall 8.0 Stand J60/K62
The winners can look forward to their project and their business premises being videoed. They will then be able to use the professionally produced film for marketing purposes. Moreover, the companies concerned will also be able to use the Smart-Living-Professional-2018 logo, awarded by the major German associations for the electrical and electronics industries, on their correspondence and marketing materials,
Together with the special exhibition 'Smart Living in an E-House', the winning projects will then continue to be on display for another two years at all relevant trade fairs, from Light + Building and IFA to all regional fairs featuring electrical and electronic technology.


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Open 7 Days a Week
252 Manomet Point Road,
Plymouth, MA
(508) 224 - 5700
Plymouth, MA
(508) 224 - 5700
Home-made lobster rolls and delicious chowder to go!
Steamed lobster cooking available!
Specialty items available upon request!
Retail Market
We specialize in Live New England Lobster from Chix to Jumbos. To ensure the highest quality, The Lobster Pound buys directly from fishing boats here in the Cape Cod area. The lobsters are transferred to our Federally Inspected and HACCP certified holding facility right here on Cape Cod Bay.
• Lobsters
• Lobster meat
• Clams
• Shrimp
• Scallops, Dry Seas
• Fish
• Chowders
Full line of fresh seafood available - when you want it!
• Lobsters
New England
All sizes, Chix to Jumbos
• Lobster meat
Mixed or Tails Only
• Clams
Steamers, Littlenecks, Oysters, Mussels and Quahogs
• Shrimp
Raw Shell-on, Peeled & Deveined, Ready-to-Eat,
and Special Occasion Shrimp Platters
• Scallops, Dry Seas
(Cape Scallops when in season)
• Crabs
• Fish
Haddock, Cod, Swordfish, Tuna, Halibut, Salmon (Farm and Wild),
and Specialty Seasonal Fish
• Chowders
Clam, Haddock, Seafood and Lobster Bisque,
Gluten-Free Manhattan Clam Chowder
If you don't see what you want, call us! Specialty items available upon request.


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Enterprise is now scheduled to be retired early, in 2013.
UPDATE: CDR Salamander on an interview with SecDef Gates:
Oh, one last thing from the interview. A little love for the 'ole USN.
He is the secretary of defense; he has to pick his fights. At one point in our interview, he noted that he's not proposing to cut the number of aircraft carriers. When I asked why not, he replied, "I may be bold, but I'm not crazy."
OK, maybe not a heart-felt love – maybe closer to fear; but I'll take it.


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Funding to be Used to Train Unemployed Rhode Islanders
New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) announced it has been awarded its second $2.5 million Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to expand the programs currently being offered to unemployed Rhode Island residents through the college's Shipbuilding/Marine Advanced Manufacturing Institute known as SAMI.
TAACCCT provides community colleges and other institutions of higher education with funds to expand and improve their ability to deliver education and career training programs that can be completed in two years or less and prepare eligible participants for employment in high-wage, high-skill , in-demand occupations. New England Tech is the only college in Rhode Island to receive this latest TAACCCT award.
This additional $2.5 million will afford NEIT the opportunity to offer five new programs through SAMI that will include Shipfitting, Pipe Welding, Sheetmetal, Pipefitting and Robotics. NEIT's employer partners have identified these occupations as having multiple opportunities in the current labor market. They also see the need for these skills trending upward over the next three years. More than 200 Rhode Island residents who are either unemployed, underemployed, TAA-eligible, veterans, and/or recent high school graduates will be served through the increased funding.
NEIT received its initial $2.5 million TAACCCT Grant in March, 2013, which was slated to train 400 SAMI participants with the technical skills needed in the shipbuilding/marine and advanced manufacturing industries throughout the three year life of the grant. In addition to the federal grants, New England Tech was awarded $440,000 from the Governor's Workforce Board and $50,000 from the Rhode Island Foundation to be used for SAMI programs.
SAMI participants also receive supportive services through case management, work readiness activities, intense hands-on industry based job skills and evaluation activities, OSHA 10 safety certification, and employment placement assistance. Today, nearly 140 individuals are currently enrolled or have completed SAMI's welding or advanced manufacturing programs. The majority of program completers have been hired by SAMI employer partners that include General Dynamics/Electric Boat, Senesco Marine, Blount Boats, Guill Tool & Engineering, Swissline Precision Manufacturing, RI Carbide, Pilgrim Screw, Aerotek Staffing Agency, American Welding, Rice Machinery, and Little Rhody Machine and Repair.
Steven H. Kitchin, Vice President, Corporate Education and Training at New England Institute of Technology, stated "Over the last four years, the U.S. Department of Labor has invested nearly $11 million in Rhode Island. New England Tech is proud to do its part in putting Rhode Islanders back to work by providing labor market driven training. These participants will acquire the technical skills needed to fill high demand jobs. To keep a pipeline of skilled workers available, New England Tech plans to develop degree granting programs for these occupations."
To learn more about the SAMI program and eligibility requirements, call 401-739-5000, ext. 3700 or visit www.samiri.org.
Under the leadership of President Richard I. Gouse, New England Institute of Technology is a private, non-profit technical college with an enrollment of more than 3,000 students and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. Founded in 1940, the college offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and on-line degrees in more than 40 technical and business programs. Each degree program is taught with a proven combination of technical expertise coupled with hands-on learning. For more information, call 800-736-7744 or visit www.neit.edu. Follow news of the college on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Instagram, and Tumblr.


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Many of the world's most elegant vistas are located in beautiful, yet destructive hurricane-prone regions.
The NanaWall Aluminum Framed Folding System SL73 provides homes, businesses, and condos with open views and is specifically designed and engineered to perform in harsh climates, eliminating the need for unsightly hurricane shutters. The SL73 received high ratings on both static and dynamic pressure water resistance tests, and is tested to meet the country's most demanding standards for preventing water, wind and debris from entering the building—not only at the ground level, but up to 15 stories.


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Diamond Earrings
$579.00 $434.00
14k white gold diamond threader earrings. The total carat weight of these diamonds is 0.15ctw*Prices are subject to change based on fluctuations in metal prices and currencies
Secure Hoop earrings have a saftey lock. Secure Hoop earrings won't stick to sweaters, won't get lost while playing sports, or while sleeping. Secure Hoop earrings won't wash off, won't get lost while camping, or doing house work. Secure Hoop earrings are great for active children and active adults.


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The NCPA Foundation Presidential Scholarship will be
made on the basis of the following priorities:
All pharmacy students
who are NCPA student members are eligible to apply
for ONE of the NCPA Foundation Scholarships
per academic year. The student must be enrolled in an
accredited U.S. school or college of pharmacy on a full-time
basis during the term that the scholarship is awarded. Note: Students may only receive this award
one time.
Children of NCPA Foundation Officers, NCPA Officers,
or NCPA Executive Committee members are not eligible
to participate in the program.
Please click here for deadlines, the scholarship form, and other details about the application process.
The scholarship is awarded
on an individual basis
and is non-transferable. Each recipient will receive
a check made payable to his or her school from the NCPA Foundation for $2,000 during the
NCPA Annual Convention. NOTE: The award recipient must
be present at the NCPA Annual Convention to receive
this award. Up to a $300 travel stipend will be provided along with a complimentary registration to the NCPA conference.
Transfer from one accredited school or college of pharmacy
to another is permitted, provided the academic standards
of the previous institution have been met at the time
of transfer.
Mail your application to:
NCPA Foundation Scholarship
100 Daingerfield Road
Alexandria, VA 22314


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Are you suffering from stiffness or soreness in your muscles? Have conventional drugs and other treatments not helped to relieve your pain? If you are tired of dealing with constant stiffness and soreness, it's time that you come to see me. Hi. I'm Dr. Derek Taylor, D.C., and I lead a chiropractic practice here in Torrance.
There are many causes for sore, achy muscles. Often, patients see me because they find that they are sore following an injury. Others are in pain just because they happened to move the wrong way.
Do You Really Want to Rely on Medication?
Often, when people experience muscle pain and stiffness, they tend to rely on over-the-counter and prescription medications, such as painkillers and muscle relaxants. Unfortunately, these can not only become addictive, but the more they are used, the less effective they become.
Instead of relying on medications to deal with pain for the rest of your life, why not make an appointment at my office? I have the experience and training to help you manage your pain and deal with its root cause—with the goal of eliminating it altogether.
Stiffness and soreness is something that millions deal with unnecessarily each and every day. If you are living in the Torrance area and are dealing with pain and stiffness in your muscles, see me, Dr. Derek Taylor, D.C., for a consultation. My office is conveniently located at 2800 Skypark Dr. in Torrance.
Receive FREE Consultation by calling (310) 891-0102 or click here: thttp://drderektaylor.com/reports


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The DC City Council has passed legislation to allow diners to leave restaurants with their unfinished bottle of wine from dinner!
In celebration, Proof restaurant is offering its guests free doggy bags to ensure the safe and legal transport of their wine. In accordance with the Council's legislation, Proof will reseal the bottle, attach a dated receipt and package the bottle in one of its wine doggy bags that have been outfitted with special adhesive seals.
The wine doggy bags are good news for patrons at this Penn Quarter wine-centric establishment who have come to enjoy Proof's selection of over 1,100 different bottles. While the law restricts customers to one partially consumed bottle of wine per person, it thus ensures that guests wishing to splurge on a special bottle of wine will be free to do so without pressure to finish off their purchase at dinner. Know of other restaurants in the area also equipped and ready to send guests on their way with a wine doggy bag? Let us know!


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Auto Elite Detailing required a website re-design that would clearly represent the quality paint correction services they supply.
We suggested that a much more graphical approach was required, including a full screen intro with some examples of their fineset work, which would immediately catch the eye. We also included a "my work gallery" representing everything they do.
We have since added a page about their brand spanking new detailing studio.
We also included "initial SEO/optimisation" and they can now be found on page 1 for various keywords: "paint correction Lincoln" and other related key searches.


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RDB wins a bronze medalat the China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market and launches a Chinese website
China is the biggest outbound tourism source market in the world with more than 100 billion US$ spent by 97 million travellers in 2013. How to attract this major market segment and how to turn Chinese visitors into satisfied customers who recommend destinations and tourism service providers to their friends and colleagues? COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute presented 15 answers to this important question in the form of 15 CTW Chinese Tourist Welcome Awards. -
4.) Internet/ Media
Rwanda Development Board – Bronze
Maldives marketing and public relations corporation- Silver
GBTimes- Gold- See more at: http://chinacontact.org/blog/cotri-press-release-ctw-chinese-tourist-welcome-awards-2014-showcase-best-practice-examples#sthash.JaSLonzt.dpuf
4.) Internet/ Media
Rwanda Development Board – Bronze
Maldives marketing and public relations corporation- Silver
GBTimes- Gold
See more at: http://chinacontact.org/blog/cotri-press-release-ctw-chinese-tourist-welcome-awards-2014-showcase-best-practice-examples#sthash.JaSLonzt.dpuf
A découvrir aussi
- Serena Kigali Hotel is the best Hotel in Rwanda in 2013
- Rwanda wins its 5th best exhibitor Award at ITBBerlin
- Rwanda confirms its presence for the INDABA 2014, in South Africa


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We didn't have a lot of time, so we didn't see everything. We'll have to go back some time so we can see more of the zoo.
One of the places we went to is the zoo's Tropical Rainforest exhibit. So cool! It's an enclosed area with two sloths, birds, and other animals.
Here are some photos from our visit.
I don't know what these are. Any guesses?
One of the sloths.
Yep. That's a sloth too.
One of the birds in the exhibit.
One of the sloths.
Such a pretty orange color!
Just a sloth hanging out by the window.
Yep. That's a sloth too.
More birds.
I'll share more pictures from our visit to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in future posts.
Thanks for stopping by!


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Ukraine's Hopes Riding on a Chocolatier
After a leading contender dropped out of Ukraine's presidential race on Saturday, the hopes of many Ukrainians and their Western supporters are now riding on a man known as the Willy Wonka of Ukraine, the billionaire owner of a chocolate candy company.
Petro Olekseyevich Poroshenko, 48, was the highest-profile Ukrainian industrialist to support the street protests that ousted President Viktor F. Yanukovych last month, and has for several weeks led in polls for the May 25 presidential election.
Known as a centrist who had previously worked for both pro-Western and pro-Russian governments, he became a strong advocate of integration with Europe after Russia banned imports of his chocolate.
On Saturday, the candidate who had been running second in polls, the former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, withdrew from the race, throwing his support behind Mr. Poroshenko and solidifying his lead.
The shuffle leaves Yulia V. Tymoshenko, a former prime minister and prisoner under the ousted government, as the remaining credible competitor to Mr. Poroshenko. She had been in third place according to a survey by four Ukrainian polling agencies last week.
A visual survey of the continuing dispute, including satellite images of Russian naval positions and maps showing political, cultural and economic factors in the crisis.
The former pro-government party, whose association with Mr. Yanukovych makes it a long shot, nominated Mikhail Dobkin, an oligarch with close ties to the former president, on Saturday.
Mr. Poroshenko, also known as "the chocolate king" for his ownership of Roshen, the Ukrainian chocolate manufacturer, won notice during the antigovernment protests last month for climbing onto a backhoe to prevent an angry demonstrator from driving it into police lines.
Until then, the man with the beefy face and mop of salt and pepper hair was hardly known for drama.
In a country where politicians tend to be flamboyant and boisterous, Mr. Poroshenko carefully weighs his words and speaks in measured, sometimes monotonous technicalities.
In fact, political analysts say, his staid manner may be part of his appeal in a country leery of further dramatic change.
Mr. Poroshenko might have remained merely a chocolatier with a modest political career if not for Russian actions that started last summer as part of an effort to apply economic pressure on pro-European businessmen to discourage the country from signing a trade deal with the European Union.
Russia banned his chocolate, ostensibly on the grounds that it posed health risks beyond the usual ones associated with candy, costing him millions in lost sales. Mr. Poroshenko reacted angrily. Rather than buckle, he financially supported the pro-European Union opposition, and won wide support for it.
In an interview in his office in Kiev, he highlighted the economic skills he said he brings from businesses that, aside from sweets, also include media, shipping, agriculture and automobiles, and explained the limits of possible compromise with Russia.
"I have experience in how to build up a new investment climate," he said. "I know how to build zero tolerance to corruption. I know how to build a court system. I know how to create a positive, absolutely new page of Ukrainian history."
For him to win, he will need to persuade Ukrainians to overlook their wariness of someone who has made a career of combining business with government.
A member of Parliament, he is also a former chairman of the national security council and a former minister of foreign affairs and of the economy.
He began his political career in 1998 as a legislator loyal to the ruling pro-Russian government, before throwing his support in 2001 behind the opposition politician Viktor Yushchenko, who would rise to power and win the presidency three years later in the pro-democracy Orange Revolution.
Though that government became mired in scandal, Mr. Poroshenko remained one of the most prominent and powerful opposition voices in the country.
Like other tycoons throughout post-Soviet countries, Ukraine's capitalized on the flawed privatization of publicly held assets to amass enormous fortunes. Mr. Poroshenko parlayed early profits from consumer goods trading to buy Ukraine's rundown candy factories for a pittance in the 1990s, and later moved into government positions.
"He bought his way in; that's the way it works in Ukraine," said Ivan Lozowy, the director of a policy research group in Kiev, adding that no real evidence of malfeasance had ever come out.
Mr. Poroshenko's reputation as a moderate who has tried to straddle the political divide between the Ukrainian-speaking west and the Russian-speaking east and as an economic modernizer has clearly intrigued Western governments, who have wagered vast sums of money and much national prestige on the proposition that Ukraine's teetering domestic politics can be stabilized, with a goal of thwarting a threatened Russian invasion and a new war in Europe.
Mr. Poroshenko, whose daughter-in-law is Russian, met last week with Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain, and his leading position in the race reportedly gave the International Monetary Fund confidence to agree to release an $18 billion aid package.
A leading position for a centrist could also elevate the chances of a negotiated resolution with Russia. Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of Russia are to meet in Paris on Sunday to try to forge a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Yet even as Mr. Poroshenko's political ambitions became clear, Russian authorities stepped up their economic pressure against his businesses, just this month raiding and shutting two Roshen chocolate factories in the Russian city of Lipetsk worth $200 million.
The problem in finding a resolution with Russia, Mr. Poroshenko said, is that while the Kremlin's military action in Crimea caused Russians to rally around the flag, it also did the same for Ukrainians, erasing any good will toward Russia. The chances of any candidate who openly endorses Russian proposals winning the election are vanishingly small.
Mr. Poroshenko, for all his moderate leanings, flatly rejected Russia's proposal for the federalization of Ukraine as allowing "somebody in the Russian government trying to tell us what type of governmental system we should have."
He cited polls showing Ukrainians who viewed Russia positively dropping to 20 percent from 92 percent after the Russian Army invaded Crimea this month.
Rather than agreeing to rewrite its Constitution, Mr. Poroshenko said, the Ukrainian government's response to Russian troops massing on the eastern border should be "if the aggression continues against the rest of the country, the Ukrainian Army will open fire."
Still, he has held up his experience running chocolate factories in Russia, along with his job as foreign minister, as proof he can work with the Russians.
In fact, before the Russian ban, his company had bet big on the Russian market, introducing a line of Russian Classic candy bars that revived Soviet brands like the Seagull bar, featuring a Social-Realist style beach scene on the wrapper.


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Yet another Flash generated character on the way and this time he is a villain in the Homestar Runner series. I am going to show you "how to draw Strong Bad" step by step. Strong Bad is a small bad guy that is one of the main characters in the animated internet Flash cartoon. He is red and kind of looks like a mini Power Ranger. The reason why he is the main bad guy is because he and his brother Strong Mad love playing pranks on other characters in the series. He also has a pet named "The Cheat" who aids in to playing pranks on others. Strong Bad's character has a mix of pop culture characters from the 70's, 80's, and 90's along with the rock music of the day. Strong Bad was also created by Matt and Mike Chapman, and college buddy Craig Zobel. The character is very easy to draw when learning from this tutorial on "how to draw Strong Bad" from Homestar Runner step by step. I have to go but I shall return. In the mean time try out this lesson and have fun drawing. Peace out peeps!
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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Last stop – Queenstown!
turned_in_not camp site, campground, car, christmas, hostel, new zealand, oysters, queenstown, semester abroad, sydney, Travel, traveling, travelling, youth hostel
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After a long and exciting trip through the South Island of New Zealand, I finally arrived at my destination and found some time and internet access to continue my travel blog. On Wednesday I'll gonna leave this beautiful country, take…


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By Muncie
I try to go every day to the Post Office on my Go-Go just to see the trees along the Levee on Front Street. What a glorious sight. I didn't realize how much I missed the view this past winter.
I actually took two 2 gallon watering cans with fertilizer mixed into the water and poured them on what I call my cottonwoods trees. I had to make 2 trips because there are 4 trees that I had planted. Two are planted on the Levee bank. One is for my Uncle Charlie who passed 2 years ago. The other is for my Sweetheart Wally in memory from his grandson Morgan. In memory of my brother-in-law the third tree is near the Shep statue. The 4th tree is my memory of Wally given by Kids and it is right on the corner.
I am telling you this story for two reasons. The first one is a hearsay story about Mr. Brown who lived in the big white house on Main St. between 19th and 20th St. It was said that he went out each morning in his night clothes to water the trees in the Old Fort Park. I assumed he did it because he loved the trees. No! Hearsay tells that his wife belonged to the Fort Benton Women's Club and made him water the trees. Thank you Mrs. Brown.
The second reason is to remind you that since there are no longer a Memorial Bench and Table program, a wonderful memorial is to plant a tree and place a plaque for your loved one. A tree may be there for over a hundred years or more. Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren should love knowing which tree was planted for their loved one. It is just a suggestion and I know that there are many other worthwhile organizations to donate but a tree is a beautiful thing.
The Center will be opening a week from Friday. That will be the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend. It looks as though the weather is warming up to enjoy the Memorial Day events. Enjoy the Old Fort Park and the Levee Walking Trail. It is so beautiful at this time of year. Take your family and visitors to the Museums, the Old Fort, the Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center, and along the Levee Walking Trail's historic signs and statues. It's a great history lesson.
Check Fort Benton weather reports on the Fort Benton site. I find that is more accurate than the TV stations.
Last Friday late afternoon, I spent time with 9 other people at the Pot Luck and Campfire sponsored by the Fort Benton Cancer Support Group. We were a group of brave persons who faced a lower temperature than we had been used to. However, we were not cold as the campfire was well feed and we had hot chocolate that helped keep us warm.
I am always amazed whenever I attend a Pot-Luck supper. There was not one single repeat of menu foods. We had bbq beef, rolls, potato salad, coleslaw, broccoli salad, oatmeal butterscotch cookies, and lemon bars. Yummy! I even had seconds of my favorite salad.
We were given a small cut piece of a log to write something on. We then threw it into the fire pit. I wrote "Hope" on mine in hopes that there would soon be a cure for cancer. I wish we had shared our writings. I really did not want to throw my piece of log into the fire and to make me happy; a member of the group gave me a piece to take home. I will add it to my collection of unusual rock collection on the dining room table. It is a precious keepsake.
The sun came out for a while and it was actually too warm because I had my long down coat on. Even after the sun was gone, it was wonderful just sitting around the campfire and everyone taking turns talking about whatever they felt like talking about. It was thoroughly relaxing.
This picnic event will now become an annual event. Hope to see you there next year.
This very special holiday is less than two weeks away. I have a special project I am working on. I am attaching a note to the wreath that is thrown from the Old Bridge to ask if someone finds it to call the River Press. I would like it to go all the way to New Orleans. Only once, that I have heard of, someone found a wreath near Wood's Bottom near Loma. That story is not verified as to when but if the someone who found it would call the River Press to verify, it would be exciting to me.
This story is a very personal one and comes to me from Caroleen Willets. This happened a couple of months ago. She and her husband Jim were on vacation in Yuma, AZ. They crossed the border to Los Algodnoes, Mexico for lunch with friends. As they were leaving the restaurant another couple also was leaving. Jim had on his Griz hat and so did the other man. They started chatting and sharing information. When Caroleen said they were from Fort Benton the other man asked if they knew Muncie Morger. This really boggles my mind.
There was another connection with the couple. Bill Miller a brother to John Miller, Lisa Morger Miller husband. Bill and his wife live in Libby and the Miller family will be visiting Fort Benton on or about July 10th.
When I first moved to Montana, I was very envious that you could not talk to anyone without finding you were related or that they knew someone that you knew. I came from an area of about 4 million people.
Raffle tickets were ordered and will arrive Wednesday. Be on the lookout to purchase your ticket to support Summer Celebration.
These two popular events will be this coming Saturday. Be sure to sign up for the Derby. If you do not fish, then just come on down to the Levee and watch the fun. Actually you can watch all along the Missouri. It is the thrill of a lifetime for the young fisher persons when there is that wiggle on the line and they pull in their catch. It is fun to watch too.
Remember to take your plants or any other items that have to do with plants, flowers, seeds, and containers to the Levee early Saturday morning. Every one that I ever talked to about this event loved it. Thanks to all those who do the organization of these events. It means a lot of telephoning again and again.
If this event sounds like something you would like to get your hands dirty for, volunteer. It will make you SMILE.
We used to get several invitations to Fort Benton Graduations every year for years. As the classes grew smaller, the invites became less and less. The last two years I did not get a single one. This year I received Hannah's and was amazed at the decorations and set ups for about 6 graduates at the Ag Center. It was an interesting and informative afternoon.
On one of the displays, the one that caught my eye was a sign that said "I'm Outta Here." I understand that perfectly but just wanted to say that you will be only too happy to get back here. There may be a few of you would will like the bright lights of the city. To others the hustle, bustle, noise, crowds, traffic, higher cost of living, and lack of family, may make you longing for home. My greatest wish is that there were jobs enough to keep you here if you wanted the Fort Benton life style.
Whatever your choice, the main things is to be happy. Do not stress and smile a lot.
"Sit in silence for 10 minutes every day."
GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR TROOPS and THOSE WHO PROTECT US.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
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I admit that this may be a netbook problem rather than a LyX problem, but I am doubtful since I have adobe and everything else in LyX is working fine. When I click the eyeballs in LyX, which usually allows me to view my work in PDF form on my laptop, I get this message on my netbook:
Is there a way to fix this in the settings? I've even tried to export the pdf, yet the same message appears.


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All successful modern sport stars train their minds as hard as their bodies these days. The public, too, understands that mental toughness is as crucial to results as the ability to run, hit or swim with speed, accuracy or duration.
Yet when it comes to injury, it's still more acceptable to break a leg than it is to fall ill with some sort of mental health problem.
No wonder then that England cricketer Jonathan Trott seems to have slightly fudged the reason for taking another extended break from the sport at which he excels.
Trott, who was forced to return home early from last year's Ashes tour of Australia with what has been termed depression – more recently adjusted by him to "burnout" – said in March that he was hoping to win back his England place.
But last week his Warwickshire team-mates were informed that he will take a break from all cricket for further treatment with no time frame set on a return, if indeed he ever plays again.
Sadly for Trott, commentators are suggesting his career at international level now looks over with the ECB highly unlikely to thrust him into a high-pressure situation that is causing him so many problems.
But he is facing criticism too – former England captain Michael Vaughn has said that if Trott's exit was not for mental health reasons as serious as then suggested, he for one feels "conned".
Trott's story apparently demonstrates many of the problems still surrounding mental health: the difficulty of labels, uncertainties about severity, the non-patient's need for a "cure" – all of which may be amplified when the patient is heroic – and highly successful.
Part of the problem is that mental illness, which affects one in four Britons, is wide-ranging: it encompasses a whole host of diagnoses from relatively short episodes of low mood (which may not need specific intervention, although support from loved ones is beneficial) to the sort of severe enduring mental illnesses such as schizophrenia with which the public is much more au fait.
Current medical orthodoxy is that mental illness, thanks to advances in talking therapies and pharmacology, can be treated or controlled. This is all good news. But perhaps our optimism goes too far?
Because the reality is that doctors can't always intervene and make our patients better – or control their condition – for good.
Actually, we know now that in some cases, mental illness can be a recurring illness with episodes – of depression, say – which come and go, regardless of therapy.
And although the public is much more aware of mental illness and more compassionate towards those with it, there really is a lot less sympathy for someone who just keeps falling ill.
It's understandable. If you knew someone who kept breaking the same leg in the same place, wouldn't you lose patience with them?
There is a theory that society can be understanding towards the sick as long as the sick play by the rules – in other words, if you get help, you must then get better. Fail to do that, or fall sick again, and you breach the rules, and society starts to turn away.
This is exacerbated in situations of workplace stress. "Stress" itself is a nebulous term – is it an illness, a symptom, a fashionable complaint? It is used indiscriminately.
How much worse this attitude is when the perpetual patient happens to be famous too – like an international cricketer. Here, we see a man who has a life so many of us aspire to (or did).
His inability not to get better – particularly from an illness that is neither defined or visible – can seem almost insulting to anyone whose own life or career is mundane. Why can't he try harder?
Yet, perhaps we should be using them as an example for why this type of unpredictable, difficult to diagnose, recurring metal illness should be considered more kindly. Elite athletes are put under incredible pressure – much of it financial.
They are aware of having dedicated thousands of hours to being good at one, often very narrow, skill. If that should fail, it is not just a match that may be lost, but an entire career. This in turn, piles on more internal anxiety.
Plus – unlike the teacher or doctor who takes time off for mental health problems with privacy – sports people are publicly exposed. We all feel some sort of ownership and the right to comment.
Thankfully, there are therapies that can help with performance-related anxieties, which are beneficial whether you are an England cricketer or run your own business.
I've found simple advice around work can help: pointing out that you can walk away from your current career to another which may be more enjoyable and successful has been liberating for some anxious patients.
Often if a patient feels it is OK to take a break, that can free them from anxiety enough to get back to work.
Indeed, we are getting better at accepting and understanding mental health issues – but Jonathan Trott's case shows that there is still a long way to go before the public can accept imperfection.


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Kansas City, Mo. Bill Self, who played in four Big Eight Tournaments in Kansas City's Kemper Arena, grew up as a fan of the event that precedes the all-important NCAAs.
"I like it," Self, coach of the No. 1-seeded Kansas Jayhawks and former Oklahoma State point guard, said of the conference carnival, which has upgraded to the shiny, new Sprint Center.
"My favorite part of it being in Kansas City is, it is a big deal to Kansas City," Self added of the 2011 Big 12 tourney. "How many places will you go where you'll get the crowd you'll get in this particular setting? Last year when we played K-State in the finals (in K.C.), it was an unbelievable setting. I think the biggest thing is the interest level here is so great."
How important is the Big 12 tourney to KU's fan base and even the Jayhawk coaches and players?
"Obviously to me, the conference tournament isn't as important as the regular season," said Self. He has led KU to seven straight regular-season conference crowns. "Everybody would agree, unless you are in a one-bid league. What it does is gives everybody hope, everybody excitement, everybody incentive to play."
KU today meets Oklahoma State in an 11:30 a.m. Big 12 quarterfinal in Sprint Center. A victory would mean a spot in Friday's 6 p.m. semifinals against either Colorado or Kansas State. The title game is 5 p.m. Saturday.
"It's not the most important thing as far as from our standpoint," Self said, noting the regular-season crown, attained over a two-month span, is more impressive than a weekend in K.C., Dallas, Oklahoma City or wherever the tourney might be.
"The NCAA Tournament ... this doesn't compare to that. Still, it is our league and our conference championship. Anytime you lace 'em up, you want to try to be the best. Any time you play, you might as well play to win.
"We are playing in Kansas City against our rivals that would like nothing more to beat us to enhance their situation. The biggest thing, going into the NCAA Tournament, we'd like to get a little bit better, play against quality competition and certainly have to grind out some games. I think that would be the best thing for us."
Self emphasized one of the best things about this tourney is it ends on Saturday. Prior to last season, the tourney ended on a Sunday, way too close to the beginning of the Big Dance.
"No matter what, you are (now) off Sunday. Everybody will take Sunday off," Self said. "You've got time to get scouting report (on first NCAA foe) and all that stuff done, so it doesn't affect next week's preparation.
"If you play Sunday and turn around and have to leave Tuesday (for a Thursday NCAA game), I'd say, yes, that could be a negative. The way the league is shaped, it's not a negative any longer."
Self said his team enters the 2011 Big 12 postseason event focused on winning the crown — not losing early, resting up and getting re-energized for the NCAAs.
"If you are going to play, you might as well do everything you can to win," said Self. "When I was at Illinois, we lost in the second round, which was on a Saturday back then. That helped our team rather than playing on a Sunday. But in this situation, it's our goal to go win the tournament, like it is every other team's goal, too."
KU junior Marcus Morris said the Jayhawks wouldn't overlook anybody, but insisted it'd be nice to have rematches against the teams that beat KU in a 29-2 regular season.
"If we win our first game and K-State wins, we'd get that rematch," Morris said. "If we win that game, I'm hoping Texas wins so we get that rematch. Definitely if we get Texas, I think it'd be one of the best games we play all year because we'd be so ready to play after what happened the first game this season (74-63 loss in Allen).
"K-State the same way," he added of KU's 84-68 loss in Manhattan. "I felt we overlooked those guys, and they are getting better."
As far as the strength of the Big 12 this year, many pundits figure six squads will receive NCAA bids compared to seven of a year ago.
"Some people have to do some work (but) there's opportunity for teams," Self said. "I don't want to say our league is better than last year. I thought last year's league was very strong, but look at it, can K-State get to the Final Four? Yes. Can Texas get to the Final Four? Yes.
"Are there are other teams that can make great runs in the tournament and have a chance to play the second and third weekend (in NCAAs)? Yes, there are. You've got to get hot at the right time. You can say that about any league in the country. I would put our league against anyone's."
Morris honored: KU junior Marcus Morris on Wednesday was named first-team all-district by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Players in 24 districts are now eligible for the State Farm Coaches' Division I All-America teams, to be announced on Saturday, April 2, in Houston. Morris was joined on the District Eight first team by Jordan Hamilton, Texas; Alec Burks, Colorado; LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor; and Tristan Thompson, Texas. Markieff Morris was named to the second team.
Players are ready: Kansas seniors Brady Morningstar and Tyrel Reed and junior Marcus Morris are enthused about playing in the tourney.
"It gives you momentum into the NCAA Tournament if you play well," Morningstar said. "It gives you good thoughts going into Selection Sunday and first-round games. It's a big weekend for us coming up."
"Obviously, it's close to Lawrence. Usually, it's a lot of Crimson and Blue over there," Reed said. "It's nice to have our fans be able to watch us."
"The fans who come ... we already have the best fans in the country. They are all going to be there," Morris said. "The fans support us like a sixth man. It's the best thing."
Sizzling: KU hit 56.3 percent the first half and 54.4 for the game in a 92-65 victory over Oklahoma State on Feb. 21 in Allen.
"Shoot, I don't want to say that. I don't want say that and jinx myself," Page said, when said the odds may be against KU shoooting that well again. "They were shooting unbelievable in Lawrence. We're just going to try to do what we can to stop that."
Physical play: OSU forward Matt Pilgrim had an ice pack taped to his lower-left back in the locker room after Wednesday's victory over Nebraska.
Asked how he had gotten hurt, he said: "From that 300-pound monster (Nebraska Andre Almeida) that I just pushed. That's a big guy. They've got (Jorge Brian) Diaz. It's like they've got a rotation that you just pound and pound and pound. It's fun, but it's just funny at the same time."
Pilgrim said he's not beaten down.
"We've got 24 hours. I've got ice and Gatorade and a room," he said.
Self is one smart coach! Great article on him & Dooley on recruiting. http://www.ncaatop25.com/jersey.htm
Great article. Thanks for sharing. It was really nice to know what had happened during the recruting process etc. Also, this article gave another view of Taylor's home/personal life, which, we as fans, often ignore, sometimes not realizing that these players are young kids/adults trying to get to the next level.
Wow, that was an eye opening article. Helped me know Tyshawn better and Dooley, too. I have even more respect now for both guys. Tyshawn's drive from KCI to Lawrence was funny. People from the east have always had stereotypes about the midwest. As far as our stereotypes about people from the east, the article helped embellish those. What a dog-eat-dog world.
Yes, thanks for posting this link. Much appreciated.
You're welcome. Glad you guys liked it. Did you read the article on Taylor? Shed more light on him. http://www.ncaatop25.com/taylor.htm
More on the twins. I enjoy this writer's angle - he personalized our players. http://www.ncaatop25.com/morristwins.htm
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Road to Beijing: Jason "Dadz" Morgan
Jason Morgan (6 October 1982) is a Jamaican discus thrower. On 6 Jun, Morgan set the Jamaican record in the discus throw at 68,19m. He won the silver medal at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games. He also competed at the 2007 World Championships and 2012 Summer Olympics without reaching the final.
Season bests:
Shot Put
2001 15.65m (51′ 4″)
2002 16.21m (53′ 2″)
2003 16.91m (55′ 6″)
2005 17.07m (56′ 0″)
2006 17.96m (58′ 11″)
2007 17.23m (56′ 6″)
2008 16.59m (54′ 5″)
2010 16.80m (55′ 1″)
2011 17.68m (58′ 0″)
2012 16.89m (55′ 5″)
2004 53.00m (173′ 11″)
2005 53.23m (174′ 8″)
2006 57.49m (188′ 7″)
2007 62.95m (206′ 6″)
2008 60.14m (197′ 4″)
2009 59.37m (194′ 9″)
2010 60.95m (199′ 12″)
2011 64.11m (210′ 4″) National Record
2012 67.15m (220′ 4″) National Record
2013 65.94m (216′ 4″)
2014 64.72m (212′ 4″)
2015 68.19m (223′ 9″) National Record
How has your training been going recently?
My training has been coming on good since i got back from all those series of meets in Europe in july.
What is the focus of your training schedule?
My focus is just to get back sharp and make my technique solid again like it was in early june. Steady progession for worlds.
Is there anything new you are implementing into your training?
I am just getting some rest now and let my mind and body recoop and recover from all those meets i did last month
What technical issues are you working on?
Im working on slowing down my speed out the back of the circle and more separation.
Who is your current coach?
Still me currently and physically here coaching myself.
Are you currently working a job? If so, what and how many hours a week?
I do have a full time job. 7am-3pm and go to practice after. If i am not traveling. I work daily. I DO NOT have a sponsor. I am still seeking financial assist to enhance my training. And can be able to afford a medical team to help my body when i am hurting. I do all rehab and recovery myself whenever i am hurt. People just dont knw when i am healthy i hurting. I just smile and throw. Its been All me since 2007. So who want to assit i will humbly accept and appreciate. smile emoticon
What competitions do you have planned?
I have the world championship in a few weeks. My aim is to throw far again this year and do it in Beijing.
When will you travel to Asia? When will you travel to Beijing?
I will leave this week for team jamaica camp. Then after that get into the athlete village.
Will any friends or family be travelling to Beijing?
No friends or family will be able to travel with me. But God and my fans will be traveling with me. In my heart smile emoticon Timeless!!


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Because they produce much less power, hunting ranges with airguns tend to be closer than when a firearm is used. A common question I'm asked is "how far can a hunter stretch out with any given airgun"? The answer depends on the type of airgun being used and what the intended target is. Popping steel plates at 150 yards is a lot of fun, and a miss is not a big deal. I recently participated in a big bore airgun competition where we were shooting out to 300 yards. While my results were only so-so, there were guys consistently nailing the steel rams way out there. As I mentioned in last week's post, at the upcoming Extreme Benchrest competition in Arizona shooters can use any gun in any caliber to shoot targets at 75 yards, and I am expecting to see some very high scores.
However, you don't want to shoot at game when the holdover is measured in feet rather than inches. My longest shot on big game occurred in South Africa several years ago when I took a springbok at 120 yards, dropping him cleanly with a Quackenbush .308. With small bore guns I've gone out to 150 yards on prairie dogs, and have found that a 40 fpe gun still has the energy to anchor smaller varmint with well-placed shots at these extended distances. As I've often stated, one of the attractions of airgun hunting is to get in close to the quarry, and that I believe airguns are primarily a close range hunting tool. But there are situations where your best (or only) option is a long shot.
Long Range Airgun Hunting
My definition of a long shot with an airgun is 50 yards or more with a spring piston gun and over 75 yards for standard caliber precharged pneumatic guns. There are several variables when it comes to big bores and I'll leave this topic for another time. Let me preface this discussion by saying that the gun and shooter have to prove themselves on the range before heading afield to hunt. Preparing for a prairie dog hunt recently, I took my gun to the range and shot groups at 10 yard increments from 50 to 120 yards, mapping the point of impact as a function of distance. This information was recorded on an index card and taped to the stock of my rifle so it was readily available while hunting.
I sometimes go out with the intention of employing long range shots; prairie dog, ground squirrel, or woodchuck hunting for example. These animals often live in terrain that doesn't offer much cover for putting on a stalk, which can make closing the distance impossible. When hunting tree squirrels or cottontails on the other hand, it's usually possible to get inside of 50 yards, so long range shots aren't always necessary.
Long Range Hunting Rig
When selecting the small bore gun to use for long range shooting, something that can generate substantial power and shoots well with heavy pellets is preferred. One of my recent favorites for this type of hunting is the FX Royale. This is a high shot count, powerful, accurate rifle that stores a lot of air in the buttstock mounted air bottle. It handles heavy pellets better than just about any .25 caliber rifle I've shot.
This rifle can print MOA groups at 100 yards, and I feel very comfortable hunting varmint at extended ranges with it. The two stage trigger is adjustable, crisp with a good tactile response and I have it set for about a 2 lb pull weight. When I shoot this gun off my bipod Gorilla sticks, I am going to hit my target out to 120 yards just about every time (if there's no wind). I've taken this gun out for prairie dog where I could get prone and shoot rested on my daypack, and when locked in to this position felt like I couldn't miss.
Precharged pneumatics are the guns of choice when the plan is to focus on long shots. With respect to caliber, I don't use .177 much as these small light pellets tend to shed velocity and energy more rapidly and are more susceptible to wind drift than the .22. In addition the .22 hits harder, makes a bigger hole, while the trajectory is still easily manageable. A .25 caliber can be used for small game at 100 yards, and though it hits like a hammer the trajectory is more of a challenge, yet still manageable. I'll use the .22 and .25 caliber on coyote as well, but only at close range.
Aother rifle that I used recently to snipe pigeons at long range was the Daystate Airwolf, and was really blown away by its laser like accuracy. This is a heavier rifle, but my-oh-my the trigger is truly superb. It was like I just had to think SHOOT and the gun responded. I have never shot a gun, airgun or powder burner that compares.
I always try a number of pellets to find what performs the best in a given gun, but when setting up for long range hunts stick to heavy or extra heavy, round nosed pellets. The reason for this is multifold; experience has shown me that heavier round nosed pellets have superior ballistics, retain energy down range and are invariably the most accurate pellet at greater distances.
My scope preference on a long range gun calls for a medium or large aperture with magnification up to 12x or 16x. High magnification is only advantageous when the rifle is solidly rested, but once that criterion is met it becomes invaluable for hitting small kill zones. I also prefer a mildot reticle configuration that makes adjusting for holdover much easier than a standard crosshair. Lately I've been using the Hawke scopes with the MAP reticle, combined with the companies Chairgun ballistic calculator program to pinpoint the trajectory. This allows the shooter to precisely calibrate the reticle as a function of range.
One of the most useful items in the long range shooter's kit is a range finder. If you've taken the time to check your POI at 10 yard increments, a range finder used in conjunction with your scopes mildots will allow you to adjust holdover rapidly, circumventing the need for multiple ranging shots. When shooting squirrels inside of 50 yards I don't always use my range finder, because the drop between 30-50 yards is far less than between 100 – 120 yards. But I get out for prairie dogs, I use it constantly.
Long Range shooting techniques
Unlike spot and stalk hunting in the woods where quick offhand shots are the norm, long range shooting almost always takes place in situations that allows the hunter time to set up in a comfortable position and use a rest of some sort. My preference is to shoot off either a bipod from the prone position or shooting sticks from the sitting position. I find this provides both a solid rest, but also allows movement and readjustment when required. In last week's blog post I discussed the different types of shooting sticks I use, and what works best for me.
It can be helpful to shoot with a buddy to call your shots, especially if there is anything more than a gentle breeze blowing. Even a powerful airrifle is operating at fairly low velocities, which leaves the pellet hanging out there for the wind to mess with. PCPs are virtually recoilless however, and it is usually possible to call
The decision to use an airgun to hunt at 75 to 150 yards should be predicated on having a range proven gun/pellet combination and taking the time to work out where the pellet will impact at these greater distances. Using the right adjunct gear such as a high magnification scope with mildots, a range finder, and a solid rest will go a long way towards improving your results. But most importantly, you need to put in the range time and be confident that you are able to hold up your end behind the trigger. Do that and there is no reason you can't be an effective long range airgun hunter!