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Somehow already a week of May has been and gone in the blink of an eye and I haven't wrote my blog about April yet! so here is my monthly tracker of how I did with my goals and intentions for the year during April.
My words for the year are: Love, Energy and Prosperity. done things towards all of those but nothing new to add here really or anything that stands out that happened.
specific intentions:
take my healing work to the next level- I went along to another South Part 1 medicine wheel training, I've already done part 1 so I came to shadow the teaching, I did get to gift the Harmony Rite of the Munay Ki to some of the students as well. I also had a mad experience with a past life journey I did where I felt all the emotions of letting it go..it was really intense and a little scary!
to be more empowered in more areas of my life- not sure anything specific
to be more visible- attended quite a few things
create new beginnings- paid some more of debts that need to be cleared before we can move.
to let go and allow flow more- I'm getting better at it!
and what I got up during April:
went to the south training I mentioned and had a really powerful weekend realising how much I've changed and developed over the last 6 months, plus I got to walk the labyrinth for the third time! (and every time is different)
had a visit from my friend Rae which was nice.
went to Miguel's current shamanic group as they did an activity we didn't do when I did the course which was a past life journey, it was very strong and epic.
went to a moot where Gareth was doing a talk about shamanism. I won a whole tub of crystals on the raffle so I was really happy, can't believe someone had been that generous.
went to Red Tent Rayleigh which was run by Tania and Juliette this month and we did a coaching style exercise which was really powerful and felt great afterwards. I look forward to this every month now.
I started a new women's circle in Southend again while I am still here and happy to say it filled up, I limited to 4 spaces but ended up having 5 people. we are going to be meeting on full moons. For the first one we took part in the Worldwide womb blessing and it was beautiful!


text: buy prednisone in the uk In a followup article to the Front Page Project Rebellion article, Ben Hurley from the Australian Financial Review has published a new story on an ongoing investigation by the ACCC into the activities of RealEstate.com.au and to a lesser extent Domain.com.au . Questions directed at some of Australia's leading real estate groups have seemed to focus on excessive price rises (see 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 ) of realestate.com.au and the effectiveness of competition in the real estate online classified space. Simon Baker, the ex CEO and substantial shareholder in REA has made some interesting comments on this blog recently regarding realestate.com.au prices : If the franchise groups were serious about competing with realestate.com.au or at least providing a competitive offering, wouldnt they first start internally and attempt to organise group buying of REA subscriptions for their franchisees? Imagine if all Ray White or LJ Hooker offices got together and negotiated as one for their REA subscriptions (and additional products)

subset: commoncrawl


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Having heard rumors that An Uptown Dandy's erstwhile European correspondent Jessie Butler had been sighted several afternoons in a row strolling along Barcelona's Passeig de Gràcia with camera in tow, I thought now would be a most opportune time to see if she might drop into the relatively new Carmina shop to snap a few photos and perhaps enquire about the mythical factory store on Mallorca.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Butler's dance card was more or less booked, due to previously scheduled private tours of the exhibits on display at Gaudi's La Pedrera, tanning sessions at Terragona, and a hike up the pilgrim trail to the Benedectine Abbey at Santa Maria de Montserrat (the latter was the basis for a particularly dastardly prank concerning the aforementioned Mallorca factory).
Our ever-elusive European correspondent originally provided this photo with the caption "View of our approach to Carmina's mythical factory store on Mallorca . . ." Alas, it was not to be - unfortunately for me, it was only a wonderful image of the Benedectine Abbey at Santa Maria de Montserrat.
I have yet to purchase a pair of the Albaladejo family's shoes; nevertheless the company seems to be doing fine without me and is developing quite a following. The quality of the shoes seems to have improved gradually and is now said to be on par with Grenson's Masterpieces and Crockett & Jones' handgrade offerings; as such, the current pricing is particularly enticing. More impressively, Carmina seems to be threatening to (if it has not already) supplant Alden and Vass as the pre-eminent shell cordovan shoe manufacturer. If I do end up in Spain in October, I plan on getting a closer look at the shoes and perhaps make a purchase or two.
But enough about me - on to the wonderful images. Many thanks to Ms. Jessie Butler for taking the time to provide so many great photos - there were so many that I'll probably supplement this post in the next few days with additional photos. Enjoy!
Suede offerings from Carmina. The shoe trees look substantive and
the shoe care kit looks equally impressive.
Always a sucker for a well-done spectator - these don't appear to be white suede;
nevertheless, lovely shoes. Extra points for the wonderful wallpaper!
Floor-to-ceiling Carmina.This sublime image speaks for itself -
but that Gillie in the bottom left is talking to me. . .
A close-up of the bottom left portion of the image above -
also known as The Uptown Dandy's "Wheelhouse."
After the variety of leather colors available, the rather elegant lasts are the next thing I noticed. Based on the photos, the patina/burnishing isn't as striking as Edward Green or John Lobb's museum calf, but then again, the leather tones are nonetheless impressive and one must remember that these shoes are being offered at a fraction of the price of those higher-end English shoes.
A close-up of one of the many Carmina offerings:
a plain toe brogue with a nice medallion and adelaide or u-throat.
This model was originally displayed at the 1929 World's Fair and speaks to the company's illustrious history. The image belies the actual dimensions - the shoe is actually about 3 feet long.


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News & Events
News & Events
Romania 2014
J.S. on
10/21/2014 at 1:52pm (UTC)
International Association of National Knight Orders "Ordines Internationales Pro Concordatia Populorum" has held its schedulled initiation of new knights and dames on September 27, 2014 in the Romanian city of Sfantu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy). Altogether six new knights were initiated. The organizer and hosting Order of this year ceremony was the PCO of Romania.
Photos from the event could be seen on the "Gallery" page.
The initiation ceremony in Montenegro
J.S. on
11/02/2013 at 4:20pm (UTC)
Cetinje, Montenegro - October 5, 2013
The traditional initiation ceremony of new knights of the Order was held on 5 October this year, for the first time in Montenegro - specifically its capital Cetinje, at the old royal parliament ceremonial hall. This time it six new knights were initiated (two Serbs, one Chinese, one Hungarian, one Romanian and one Montenegrin).
Among the dignitaries of fraternal orders, the guest of honor was His grace prof. Popper Gyorgy, Lieutenant General and Prime Minister KMFAP.
Prior to the beginning of the initiation, His Grace, prof. Popper handed over the high decorations of KMFAP to His Excellency Nedjeljko Gardashevich the Grand Master of PCO, and to His Honor Schleining Andrej the Grand Chancellor of PCO.
Furthermore, His Excellency Grand Master Gardashevich and the general Prefecture of Montenegro have organized a generous program for guests and participants of the ceremony, such as visiting natural and cultural heritage of this part of Montenegro.
In the evening, after the ceremony, gala dinner was held at the hotel "Vile Oliva" in Petrovac, in the vicinity of the historic town of Budva.
During the gala dinner, the significant amount of 1,500 EUR was collected as humanitarian aid for one poor family from Cetinje. The donation is collected through the sale of the icon donated by a painter and graphic artist Zorica Djordjevic, the dame of the Order, and through voluntary contributions of the present guests.
Photos from the ceremony and gala dinner can be seen in the gallery.
Recent humanitarian and donor actions of the Oder and its members
J.S. on
06/11/2013 at 5:23pm (UTC)
May, 2013
On May 18 of the current year, the Hungarian section of the International Association of National Chivalric Orders, in cooperation with TKTV-Szeged, has organized a Charity Concert and Ball in favor of Private Music School of the city of Makó, Hungary.
The Performer of the concert was a brass orchestra of Private Music School Mako. The orchestra was conducted by the schools' owner and principal maestro Dr. Csikota József.
In addition to the many spectators, the concert was attended by Mr. Birta János - the member of EU Concile and president of NORECI, Dr.Buzás Péter - the Lord Mayor of the city of Makó with city officials, His excellency Julio César Cancio Ferrer - the ambasador of Cuba, certain number of foreign guests, as well as many other local dignitaries and members of the Order.
The donor ball which followed immediately after the concert was attended by more than 120 persons, members of the order, as well as 14 guests from Serbia led by General Prefect of Serbia.
The distinguished role in the organisation of the both of the events have had our honorable brother Nagy Zoltán.
(The photos of the events can be viewed in the gallery)
Somehow at the same time, the newcomer to the Serbian general prefecture of International Association of National chivalric orders - Pro Concordatia Populorum, honorable brother Dušan Beić, the owner of BETEX company, crowned his joining the Order with a nice donor gesture .
Brother Beic donated set of 80 shirts and 50 track suits to the women's team of basketball club from the Serbian city of Ruma. The donation has been made at the right time because the women's team managed to qualify to the national championship and to win the third place.
Humanitarian actions of Serbian Order of "Societa-Ordine Pro Concordatia Populorum"
J.S. on
03/06/2013 at 8:19pm (UTC)
Belgrade, February 2013
On 24. February 2013 the Serbian Order of "Societa-Ordine Pro Concordatia Populorum" has donated the packages of pastry products to 60 severely disabled children who are members of the "Blue Shell" association, one of the largest Serbian association that takes care of these children.
Value of the donation was 1500 euro. This is made possible thanks to the owners of "Banini" and "Stark" plants.
The action was clearly well received by the press and public, and published in several newspapers. The description of the event can also be found on the web site of the "Blue shell" association. The children expressed their gratitude with the gifts that they made by themselves.
Also, on February 26, the Serbian National day of Book, the delegation of Serbian Order, led by its general prefect, honorable Mrs. Ljiljana Mihajlovic, accompanied by their honors prefect of Belgrade and prefect of Sumadija, visited children suffering from cancer at the Institute of Radiology of Serbia and donated them books. As a sign of gratitude the children staged short program, and gifted the general prefect with the dedication in very lyric maner.
The donation value was estimated at 1,500 euros. This donation also had a great echo in the local media, which means that The Order slowly became known in Serbia.
The photos of above events can be found in the Gallery site under Humanitarian actions of Serbian Order of "Societa-Ordine Pro Concordatia Populorum" title.
Laying of the wreath of International Association of National Knight Orders "Ordines Internationales Pro Concordatia Populorum" at the memorial park "Šumarice" in Kragujevac
J.S. on
10/30/2012 at 4:09pm (UTC)
Kragujevac, October 24, 2012
It has become a tradition for the International Association of National Knight Orders "Ordines Internationales Pro Concordatia Populorum" to lay a wreath at the monument of the victims of the pogrom made by Nazis in 1941 in Kragujevac.
This year, on October 21, in the memorial park "Šumarice", the wreaths were laid by president of Serbia Mr. Tomislav Nikolic, Serbian Prime Minister, senior representatives of state and local authorities, as well as by representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Serbia, and by representatives of various NGOs.
This year, for the first time, at the ceremony was also present the Ambassador of Germany, who laid a wreath on behalf of the government and the people of Germany.
The wreath of the International Association of National Knight Orders "Ordines Internationales Pro Concordatia Populorum" was laid by His Honor Andrej Schleining – the great chancellor of PCO and Her Honor Ljiljana Kaplarevich – Mihajlovich – the general prefect of Serbia.
Photos from the ceremony can be seen in Gallery folder under "Sumarice 2012".
Initiation ceremony at city of Arandjelovac - Serbia on September 15, 2012
J.S. on
09/19/2012 at 2:12pm (UTC)
International Association of National Knight Orders "Ordines Internationales Pro Concordatia Populorum" has held the initiation ceremony of new knights and dames and new dignitaries of the Order at the city of Arandjelovac – Serbia.
The Grand Master of the Order – His Excellency Nedjeljko Gardasevic has initiated new knights and dames. After initiating the new knights His Excellency also promoted several dignitaries of the Order such as one major, six new prefects and three new general prefects.
The newly promoted dignitaries of the Order are:
Zoran Djordjevic – as major,
Dragan Arandjelovic – as prefect of Sumadija,
Katarina Djordjevic – as prefect of Arandjelovac,
Karoly Fekete – as prefect of Vojvodina,
Aleksandar Markovic – as prefect of Belgrade,
Milorad Martinovic - as prefect of Cetinje,
Jovanovic Aleksandar - as prefect of the Coast.
Szugyi Gyorgy – as general prefect of Hungary,
Vladislav Popovic – as general prefect of Montenegro, and
Ljiljana Kaplarevic – Mihajlovic – as general prefect of Serbia
After the ceremony was completed several new candidates have expressed their wish to join the Order at the next initiation.
During the ceremony His Excellency Gardašević handed the commemorative plaque of the event to the owner of the restaurant "Alexander" and a newly promoted prefect of Arandjelovac her honor Katarina Djordjevic.
Since the foundation of the Order many decades ago, for the first time, the newly promoted knights and dignitaries were decorated with 18k gold plated insignias.
The ceremony was held at the exclusive restaurant "Alexander" - a former guest house of the royal house of Karadjordjevic, and was organized by general Prefecture of Serbia and supervision of her honor Ljiljana Kaplarevic – Mihajlovic the general prefect of Serbia.
The photos from the ceremony can be seen in the Gallery.
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The river birch (Betula nigra) is a medium-sized deciduous tree. Adaptable and attractive, the tree is best known for its strongly shredding bark, which peels off the trunk in thin layers of reddish-brown, cream and tan. While the river birch can grow on multiple trunks, it is most attractive and strongest when it is trained as a single-trunk tree, according to Edward F. Gilman and Dennis G. Watson, horticulturists with the University of Florida. The river birch is a hardy tree and requires only basic culture.
The river birch can be grown throughout most of the United States. In general, this tree thrives in United States Department of Agriculture growing zones 4 through 8. Most varieties grow best in hardiness zones 4b through 8. Some are cold-hardy enough to grow in zone 4a, while a few other cultivars, such as heritage, can grow in the subtropical conditions of 9a if they are well-irrigated.
Betula nigra can grow in full sunlight or partial shade. Plant the tree in a location where it will receive morning sunlight and afternoon shade if you live in one of the USDA warmer growing zones (8 or 9). Otherwise, locate the tree where it will be exposed to at least eight hours of sunlight per day, and preferably even more than that.
The river birch needs acidic soil or it will be choleric, which means it will not get enough minerals to produce good foliage. The leaves will turn yellow and may drop prematurely from the tree. Otherwise, the river birch can grow on just about any type of soil, whether clay or loamy, although it prefers loose, well-draining soil. This tree can tolerate periods of flooding, but do not plant it in an area where it will be underwater or in very soggy soil for most of the growing season, or it may contract root rot.
The river birch needs consistently moist soil. This is not a tree that you can let nature irrigate, unless you plant it near a riverbed or stream, or unless you live in a climate where you get regular rain showers. Maintain moist soil with regular waterings, especially during the tree's first few years of life.
Insect Pests and Diseases
The river birch is one of the hardiest types of birch trees you can plant, according to a guide on the river birch published by the University of Illinois. It is highly resistant to the bronze birch borer and to Verticillium wilt. The tree is often short-lived (around 30 years at the most) in urban areas, but this is probably due to inadequate watering.
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An empirical study on the effects of mobile telephony usage on livelihoods in Brong Ahafo region of Ghana
Meaningful use of mobile telephony can enhance human development and capabilities thereby empowering people to lead lives they value. They are enabling technologies to deliver human-centred development. This article explores the effects of mobile phone use on livelihoods of users in eight districts in Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. A mixed method approach was employed and qualitative research was used as a dominant paradigm. Interview questionnaires, focus group discussions and observation were used. The study showed that mobile phone ownership was high and their uses were characterised by greater uniformity across socio-economic groups and gender. Mobile phones enhanced traditional structures, facilitated business links, and face-to-face interactions as well as strengthening community ties. Users acknowledged the impact of mobile phones in their ability to deal with family emergencies. Poor network connectivity and power outages were major obstacles to mobile phone usage. The study makes original contributions to the knowledge of practical relevance in the ICT4D field as well as with respect to these under-researched Ghanaian regions and provides evidence for policy formulation to improve quality of services in Ghana and elsewhere. The participatory Field Research also provided space for in-depth engagement with local people to understand the technology in social and development contexts.
All material submitted to the Journal of Community Informatics is protected by and subject to the Creative Commons Public License "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International". Subject to the following conditions, all material submitted to the Journal of Community Informatics may be freely copied, distributed, or displayed, or modified:
- Attribution. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor.
- Noncommercial. You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
- Share Alike. If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under a license identical to this one.
See the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License for complete details.


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So, yesterday I shared the decorations for the wedding shower we hosted this past weekend. Today, I'll be sharing some details that make all the difference in hosting a Successful Dinner Party.
The first thing I do is write my dishes down on to post-it notes. That way I can label each platter I choose, but before then, I can arrange the food in an appealing manor, before actually doing it! (Did that make ANY sense??)
Here are a few tips for choosing
a buffet menu for a cocktail party:
1. Keep it simple!
2. Choose 6-8 items, nothing too fancy, and nothing that requires more than one hand.
3. When choosing proteins, go for a fish, a meat/poultry, and a vegetarian option. (Hummus is always a great option!)
4. I know it may seem lame, but everyone REALLY does love a veggie and fruit tray. These should be staples on any buffet line.
5. Arrange the table with hot foods first, ending with cold. However, it is best to choose items that can be served room temperature, so you don't have to deal with chaffing dishes and iced platters...
I like to add all the serving pieces I may need to the post-it. That way, if others arrive early to help, they know exactly what needs to go with it.
For the Chicken Satay, I needed a bowl for the sauce and a spoon. This post it was then placed on the platter that was used for serving.
Start with a blank table cloth. Be sure it is pressed well, and even on the table. You don't want to add all your decorations, then find out your cloth is off by a few inches on one side....
Now, add your decorations. I love using a long, clean line down the center of the table. One larger arrangement with a table runner keeps it uncluttered.
Candles always, always add elegance to any table. This runner was a twig runner, and very wobbly. Add in the evergreen branches also lining the table, and the candles could have been very hazardous. To avoid any issues, I used taller votive candle holders than normal. Making sure no wick was close to the top, or close to anything that could catch fire.
Now arrange your platters around. While using height can add a great aesthetic to your table, if it cannot be properly stabilized, you don't want to risk someone accidentally knocking a platter off..... If I want to add height, I will use odd serving pieces such as a cake platter for bread, or a tea tray full of veggies and fruit. This weekend, I kept it simple and didn't go out of the ordinary.
Set the plates and napkins at one end, being careful not to stack too tall. Also, arranging your napkins square, diamond, square, diamond helps your guests pick them up with one hand.
Add your food labels, and you are ready! Well, after you put the food in their coordinating dishes...
Do you have any tips for arranging a buffet table?


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We should do something together and be all like, woooow! Why didn't we do this earlier?
We would get coffee at that place you like so much and I would come because I would want to make a good impression, even tough i'm not really a coffee person and then i'd accidentally say "I love coffee!" and i'd have to learn to drink it so i'd brush up on my coffee-nese so I would be able to distinguish the difference between a Machiatto and a Latte and you'd be all impressed and I'd know it wasn't all for nothing even tough in the meantime i'd have developed a serious caffeine addiction. The lengths i'd go for you! Wow! Just…wow.
Like, really…wowzers.
Maybe i'm even too good for you? Did you think of that? Maybe I deserve a better non-existent hypothetical contact-page using person! Huh! Wadgethinkaboutthat! No wait, don't go. I was kidding. I'm not paranoid schizophrenic at all, that was just that one time. Those news articles are waaaaay gone by now. Wait, everything stays on the internet? Oh cra….
Phone: +32 485 06 76 86
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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|By PR.com Newswire
Article Rating:
|July 29, 2013 08:30 AM EDT
San Ramon, CA, July 29, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Avatier Corp., a leader in risk-driven identity management software, links a new state report to the need for more complex passwords in its blog, "Data in Danger: Leverage an Automatic Password Reset Tool to Protect Privacy." According to the blog, in excess of 2.5 million Californians had their personal information placed at risk by private companies and public agencies in 2012 alone.
"It's human nature to gravitate toward simple, predictable and memorable passwords and reuse them across a variety of accounts," said Nelson Cicchitto, chairman and CEO of Avatier. "Since enterprise password management strength hinges on complexity and unpredictability, it is critical to automate and enable self-service password reset as a way to enforce password policy."
Once a suitably complex password is established, the password management software should synchronize across applications so that an employee need only keep track of a single secure password, according to the blog. It continues by pointing out that if users forget their more complex passwords, they need secure self-service password reset capabilities that do not drain IT department resources. A self-service password reset tool gives users this capability while lowering costs and ensuring password policy to improve information security.
While there have been stringent laws around the proper management and disposal of paper documents, lawsuits, regulations and compliance requirements around safeguarding digital records are still in their infancy. "If the estimated rate of risk reported by the California Attorney General is anywhere close to accurate," Cicchitto added, "there is not much doubt that additional litigation, legislative and regulations will be coming. Companies and agencies shouldn't sit back and wait when there are enterprise password management solutions that will help them get ahead of the problem."
About Avatier
Avatier is the Identity Management IT Automation Company. Our software, consulting, and cloud offerings transform the business by standardizing all identity processes through a single actionable business service catalog that integrates with on-premise and cloud technologies while ensuring IT compliance. Our easily extensible identity management platform lowers operational cost, improves security and delivers an unrivaled IT governance solution.
Founded in 1997, the company is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area with offices in Chicago, Dallas, New York, Washington DC, London, Munich, Singapore, Dublin, and Sydney. For more information, please visit www.avatier.com and follow @Avatier on Twitter.
Gary Thompson
Clarity Communications for Avatier
Direct: +1-415-963-4082 x101
Contact Information:
Avatier Corporation
Gary Thompson
Contact via Email
Read the full story here: http://www.pr.com/press-release/506124
Press Release Distributed by PR.com
Read the original blog entry...
- NTT Com Asia Launches Global Virtualization Service in Hong Kong
- Storage Made Easy Announce the General Availability of Their On-Premise Enterprise File Share and Sync Product
- SKGOLD Marketing Ltd. Announces Trademark Registration
- IEEE ICC 2012 Opens Registration for Leading Wireless Networking Conference to be Held June 10 – 15 in Ottawa, Canada
- Cleantalk Launched Mobile Application to Control Sign-Up/Commentary on Websites
- Portable Experimenter's Platform, Powered by Raspberry Pi
- Report by California Attorney General Makes Case for Automatic Password Reset Tool: Companies and Agencies Putting Nearly 10% of State's Adult Population at Risk
- A Match Made in Heaven?: Cloud-Based MetaFlows Inc. Partners with Cybersift for High-Performance Network Security Monitoring
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- Responsive Web Design by Miami Web Developer Web3.0DesignMiami.com Adds Broad Accessibility to High Visibility for StreamlineSolutionsUsa.com


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Brody has been in the Fitness industry for 28 years, spending the first 15 years training himself in the gym, with his passion transitioning into a more professional role in the industry. For the last 8 years Brody has been a leading Personal Trainer in a Brisbane CBD gym. Brody's training beliefs form the view that lifting and moving well is more important than the number of repetitions or weight used.
Please select a club to see where Brody Wieff trains.


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As cardiac patients cycle through the continuum of care, the need and opportunity for hemodynamic assessment is created in each environment, and Inovise Medical has developed the AUDICOR technology, based on principles of Acoustic Cardiography, to fit with the specific needs in each those clinical settings.
Acoustic Cardiography combines the time-proven, classic concept of auscultation with state-of-the-art, proprietary techniques for simultaneously recording, documenting and analyzing contemporaneous digital ECG and cardiac acoustical data associated with normal and abnormal cardiac function.
Unlike other cardiac diagnostics that focus on either the electrical or the mechanical capabilities of the heart,Acoustic Cardiography analyzes both aspects of the heart function concurrently. The combination of recorded Heart Sounds and ECG data constitutes a set of diagnostically orthogonal data, which increases the value in diagnostic and prognostic assistance to clinicians. Further, Acoustic Cardiography allows continuous simultaneous recording of Heart Sounds and ECG data over short, intermediate and long periods. This permits the use of Acoustic Cardiography in a vast variety of cardiovascular monitoring modalities, and enables consistent guidance in in-patient, out-patient and ambulatory environments.
Accordingly, Acoustic Cardiography has demonstrated clinical utility by facilitating the assessment of left ventricular cardiac function in many areas of disease management, in particular, the clinically and economically challenging area of Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure. Through determination of key associated parameters, Acoustic Cardiography recordings have been shown to be accurate and cost effective tools for the diagnosis of decompensating Heart Failure; the prognosis of hemodynamic stability after discharge; and the titration of Heart Failure therapy options.


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Maitland-Smith offers a beautiful line of handcrafted home furnishings as well as many "limited editions" accessories. When you're ready to redesign your living room, dining room, or game room, Maitland-Smith has an elegant collection to browse, where you can find everything from formal living and dining room furniture to cocktail and console tables to home office furniture and stylish home accessories.
Read more and view the catalog on the Maitland-Smith website.


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Meet us on Saturday, 20th to Wednesday, 24th of January, Stand 49, Hall A1, at EXPO CENTER (Via Emilia, 155, 47921 Rimini RN, Italie) to experience the wonderful world of MONIN, get inspired by our variety of flavoured solutions and try our surprising products: Le Fruit de MONIN Pineapple, Le Sirop de MONIN POPCORN, Le Sirop de MONIN ORANGE SPRITZ.
International contests, technical demos, seminars and conferences are an integral part of what SIGEP has to offer and are perfect opportunities for communication and exchange between companies, trade members, media and trade associations representing the entire production chains and the sector's opinion leaders.
The MONIN Team, and their Beverage Innovation experts, Attila Molnar and Stephane Moesle are looking forward to seeing you there!
Get more information on the official website: http://fr.sigep.it/


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The man is accused of slandering Mr Kaczynski during a drunken outburst as police were questioning him at Warsaw's main train station last winter.
In Poland it is a crime to insult the head of state.
If convicted, the accused could face a maximum three-year sentence. He is believed to be in southern Poland.
The trial failed to start because nobody had been able to find the homeless man to tell him to appear in court.
Officers originally questioned him at Warsaw train station last December for being loud and abusive.
He allegedly made insulting and lewd remarks about President Kaczynski. The officers took him to a drunk tank to sober up, but instead of being released with a warning, a criminal case was started against him.
'Ridiculous case'
The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights group told the BBC the case was ridiculous and a completely disproportionate response on behalf of the authorities.
Cases involving defamation of the Polish president have been brought before, but none ended in a conviction.
If found guilty the homeless man could be imprisoned, but would more likely face a fine.
Poland's conservative president has proved sensitive to criticism lately.
He was incensed last month after a German newspaper published a satirical article which compared him and his twin brother Jaroslaw, Poland's prime minister, to a pair of new potatoes.
Most Popular Now | 56,514 people are reading stories on the site right now.";


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5 Tips to Make Your Online Banner Ad Design More Attractive and Effective
Posted by richmediadp
Online banner ads have varied in their popularity over the years, but in spite of that erratic popularity, static online banner ads are still the workhorse of online web advertising. It's a good idea to keep these general rules in mind when designing your banner ad or ads in order to gain effective results for your banner ad campaign.
1) Choose colors for your banner ad that get attention and will contrast to the background color of your website or landing page.
Keep the design simple. Make sure that you use relevant pictures associated with your small business. Many small business owners often make the mistake of emphasizing their logo instead of using pictures that immediately associate their banner ad with their business. For example, if you are a coffee shop owner, include a picture of your fantastic coffee drink with your offer. If you are a realtor, include a picture of a house and a small picture of yourself, something that will immediately associate your ad with the type of business you are in. As a general rule, only large well known companies such as Coca-Cola, Kellogg, Ford and other Fortune 500 companies who have spent enormous amounts of money in branding ad campaigns can afford to include solely their logos into their banner ads. It doesn't mean you shouldn't include it, it should not be the only graphic element.
2) Stick to brief, concise content for your banner ads.
Think snack sized content and make sure you provide a strong call-to-action (CTA). Try to emphasize one benefit and one call-to-action per banner ad. If you include too many call- to-actions then you stand a greater chance of confusing your prospective lead and your click-thru rate will suffer. This rule of thumb especially applies to static online banner ads. Remember, the effectiveness of your click-thru rate will rely on the message that you are conveying.
As a graphic designer it pains me to write this, but attractive graphic design is secondary to professional copy writing and a compelling call-to-action. Sometimes even ugly banner ads with compelling messages can perform better than beautifully designed banner ads. Ultimately, what is important is the design attracting the intended or target audience.
The following is an example, of what I would call an "ugly banner ad" because it breaks most design rules. However, I can suspect based on the placement of the following ad, (major newspaper websites) that great thought and demographic testing has gone into why this ad is effective for it's advertisers. In my opinion, this ad was designed purposefully that way, it wasn't the the work of a lousy graphic designer.
It's a perfect example, of the exception that breaks the rule. But for most small business marketers, it's better to consider your graphic design carefully and your target audience. While the graphic design may attract their attention, it's the strong message that is communicated that will improve your banner ad's effectiveness. However, if you have great graphic design as well as a compelling message the two combine to improve your ad's effectiveness and click-through-rate.
3) Use legible fonts…
…especially on smaller banner ad sizes since the area of a banner ad is small you will want to make sure that you use legible text. Verdana and Arial are very popular fonts for the web because they are easy to read. Stay away from script fonts for your call-to-action unless you are designing a larger banner ad or it is part of your logo. Keep in mind you want your prospective lead to read your message and ideally act on it. Don't make this process difficult by using hard to read fonts.
4) Provide interactivity to improve customer interaction and click-thru rate.
If your advertising budget allows, have your banner ad designed to ask your prospective lead to fill out a survey, answer a question, or participate in a poll. Studies have shown that some type of interaction in your banner ads will improve click-thru rate. There are simple interactive ads that you can have designed and there are interactive ads that are more complex that include surveys, video, etc. However, keep the interaction relevant to its purpose.
5) Try not to include animation for animation's sake.
The novelty of dancing monkeys, twirling circles, shooting stars, etc. without any tie-in to your ad has disappeared. As a general rule, this type of animation often turns off your prospective customer rather than motivate him or her to click-thru your ad. While some of these animations were barely tolerable in the wild, pre-Web 2.0 early days of the internet, with so many well designed banner ads on the web competing for an internet user's attention, they can look dated and cheap now. This gratuitous type of design in your banner ad will only diminish its click-thru rate and will ruin the overall appeal or message you are trying to make.
These are just a few tips to get you started with your banner ad campaign, if you'd like to know which banner ad size performs the best, you might want to read the blog post "Best Ad Size" to see which banner ad size is the top performer. Clue: It's square.
Furthermore, I've included a video that covers some of the actual design principles discussed in this article for three of the most popular banner ad sizes plus further tips and principles to keep in mind when designing your online banner ads. The business used in this video is a fictitious bakery business but it serves as an example of best practices for banner ad design that is applicable for small business marketing. I hope you find it informative and "Like" my article or leave a comment, if you find it helpful.
Photo Credit: Cupcake designed by Lazy Crazy
Related Post:
Adobe Photoshop CS5: How to Animate a Web Gif Banner
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About richmediadpI'm a freelance graphic designer working out of Orange County, CA - USA. I work with small and mid sized companies to develop creative solutions for their design problems from print collateral to online graphics.
Posted on September 2, 2011, in Banner Ads, Video Tutorials, Web Design and tagged Adobe Photoshop CS5, animation, color palette, fonts, graphic design, online banner ads, small business marketing, static banner ads, web design. Bookmark the permalink. 4 Comments.
Good article! It\'s nice to read information from someone that knows what they are talking about.
Kyle | July 16, 2012 at 7:14 am
Good article…one comment on the "good" ad example used in #2. The text at the bottom is extremely difficult to read with the pattern in the background. Text being readable is also important. The ad itself is very visually appealing, just difficult to read.
Kelley | October 28, 2012 at 2:03 pm
Thanks, this was helpful.
Great article ! Thanks !


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Friends, Family, and Future Friends :) We have been blessed for three generations with the most wonderful loyal customers, families whose traditions include celebrating with our baked goods. Many would not have it any other way and to them we want to say THANK YOU, for without you, we would not be here today almost 80 years later.
For those of you new to our family here at Rilling's Bucks County Bakery - WELCOME!!
We hope to become lifelong friends with you, too.
Let's start some new traditions today.


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I have a box with multiple users on it and I want everyone to be able to have full access to their home folders, but not be able to see the contents of /home/ or another user's home folder (I.E. bob has full access to /home/bob but cannot access or even see the contents of /home/john)
Right now users can see other user's home folders but can't modify what's inside.
How do I prevent them from seeing the contents at all?


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Mogg & Melzer is one of a few restaurants currently housed in what used to be Berlin's first Jewish school for girls. It flourished for nearly one hundred years until Hitler came and decided, well, he wasn't that into Jews, really, and it goes without saying that he wasn't that into their education either. By 1942, the school was closed, most of the children and their families shipped away, and the facility used as a military hospital until the end of the war.
Now people come here to eat pastrami sandwiches and drink white wine. In the hallway there are black and white photographs of what once was: girls playing games in a dirt courtyard, sitting at wooden desks wearing skirts and sweaters, dark hair done up in a 30s fashion. The bathroom still looks like a little girl's room with pink walls and swinging doors, a long mirror that people half my size likely passed in front of to wash their hands.
The restaurant is creamy blue and precious, with purple benches and communal tables, windows opened up to the street below. Food is prepared on the other side of the room, between a tiled wall and bit of glass. I feel like I'm in Brooklyn, though almost a better version of Brooklyn in a way, because there is so much space, so much room between tables. Berlin seems to have found a way to inherit the benefits of a cosmopolitan city without absorbing the costs (filth, a crushing populous, incivility).
"I could sit right there and read all day," I say, pointing to the corner where a man in glasses eats alone, save for the little dog sitting next to him.
Jonas' friends arrive and I have a horrible time remembering any of their names until about two hours later. I meet too many people, shake too many hands, hear too many names and rarely, if ever, do I expect to see most people after first introductions. Mine is a transient, friendly universe, built on intrinsic impermanence and a faulty-wired brain.
"I'm Jenny," I say. That's usually as far as I get.
But halfway through dinner, I make the point to remember, because everyone at the table is lovely and vibrant and from all over the world.
Lina, the birthday girl, is in town from Milan for meetings and a shoot. She's a photographer. Lina has thick wavy hair and bangs that nearly cover her eyes, a big smile and dimples that crease the places below her cheekbones. She and Jonas met in Munich a few years ago. Karen, another friend who has just arrived, met them all there, too.
Karen – blonde haired, blue eyed Karen – now lives in Berlin full-time. She just got back from a buying trip to Paris for a store she runs out here. Yesterday, she tells us, she woke up, walked into the bathroom and fainted, only to wake up on her tiled floor six hours later. The last twenty-four hours were spent stuck in a German emergency room until she couldn't stand lying down in a foldout bed any longer while Friday passed outside her window.
"I just pushed it too far," Karen says. She went a week straight in Paris, working all day and doing dinners until well past midnight, sleeping for four hours and then doing it all over again. Her body shut off in retaliation.
Lina's friends trickle in as the night continues, eating or not eating when they arrive, drinking from bottles of wine left on the table. It feels like I'm in school, eating in the cafeteria while my friends get out of class at different times, socializing around the table, at the table, smoking over by the window. "It's casual," Lina says, waving her hands.
One of fashion's famous gender-benders walks through the door wearing a white shirt tied up up up above her belly button, clinging to a pair of perky breasts. She's had a more successful career as a model than myself, despite having technically been born a boy.
With her is an energetic Italian named Eduardo, wearing a silkscreened shirt of his own design – orange snakes writhing and wrapped around neck like a snood or something royal and opulent but completely accessible. Like costume jewelry meets tee shirts. That would be my pitch if I were in PR. My brain works like this now. Sell sell sell. Buy buy buy. Fabrication and bottom lines.
I like Eduardo. He's got a big smile and a nice beard.
I end up sitting next to a guy named Brannon. He lives in Milan but he's obviously American. Ohio, he tells me. He moved fifteen years ago, plucked straight out of design school to work for a famous designer based in Italy.
Brannon has the inflections and intonations of an expat, a flourish reserved for people accustomed to talking to Europeans. It's like the way I say "yeah" after hanging out with my Australian friend for too long. Now, my "yeah" has a question mark at the end of it, pulling itself upward with some invisible string. "Yeah?" where there should be a good ol' American "Oh, really?" instead.
It happens.
"Where are you from?" he asks.
"Oh, yeah, you are," he says. "I can hear it in your voice. California girl." He sits back, crossing his arms, nodding his head as though he's just figured out the last word in a Sunday crossword puzzle.
For reasons owing simply to an obligation to defensiveness, I argue lightly with him, saying there is no such thing as a Californian accent. "People say I sound like I'm from the South," I say, as though that's better.
Los Angeles has never sounded exotic enough for me. The same goes for the San Fernando Valley, known mostly for ungodly summers and Ron Jeremy.
"Porn Valley?" Jonas asked when I told him where I grew up.
I argue this point, too, only to concede soon after, admitting that for a time in the late 90s, I lived across the street from a modern, boxy white house where they did indeed shoot porn films. Skanky girls with fake tans and huge breasts used to get dropped off in white limos and then disappear through a solid fence. All night, lights would shift blue and white and purple through palm trees. My mom didn't much care for that house.
Brannon tells me about his own fashion line, how he doesn't need to go to New York so much anymore, how his mother has since moved to Atlanta. He goes there, he says, for holidays.
Brannon from Ohio who moved to Italy and now travels to Berlin often.
Fashion makes these things possible. You can have a weird life. You can have a big life. You can travel the world and have dinner in Paris and dinner in Berlin and, if you need to, you can go to the ER and get an IV drip because it's all more than a body can take. You can wash your hands in sinks that soldiers used and walk down hallways that used to echo with the sound of bombs and shrapnel. If anything at all, modeling has afforded me this realization, this openness to the Possibilities of Weird.
And this, I think, more than makes up for the unholy rejection, days spent bored and bleary-eyed, nights spent falling asleep with cramped calves and an existential crisis.


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This pick comes directly from Mark; he reviewed the book last month, and he thought I'd enjoy it. He was right. I loved this book. After reading last year's The Shallows, I have been thinking of ways to wean myself off of the Internet. I loved that The Shallows made me more aware that so much Internet usage is problematic for our brains. Hamlet's Blackberry tackles the same problem, but with a different focus. Rather than showing how it affects our thinking, William Powers shows that hyperconnectivity affects our relationships and own deep thinking.
What makes this book unique is that Powers takes us through historical figures and their responses to the technology of the day. From Socrates and Seneca to Ben Franklin and Thoreau, Hamlet's Blackberry shows how these men reacted and responded to the latest trends, and how it added to their greatness. They were not "early adopters" and eager consumers; rather, these were men who thought deeply and protected some aspect of their lives from the frivolity that the latest and greatest brings. This book served as an interesting history lesson as well as a treatise on a fulfilling life.
Powers is not a Luddite who demands that you chuck your iMac into a volcano and dress in sackcloth and ashes. The premise of the book in a sentence is: don't let your hyperconnectivity take away from the moments that life is made from. It is a reminder that I can and should survive without constant access and obsessive checking email. I saw this in a small way this week on Spring Break. As I was watching my new son, Hudson, I was poring over Facebook reading comments by people I hardly know (and some I like even less). Here was my son playing with toys next to my chair, and I was missing it to comment on some nonsensical political jib-jab. It didn't take reading this book to point out my glaring hypocrisy.
William Powers is a gifted writer with many powerful passages about technology. His last chapter titled, "Disconnectopia" is one of the strongest chapters. In it, he lays out his plan for his family to have Internet Sabbaths each weekend. While he does not seem to claim Christianity, he understands that principle that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man made for the Sabbath. There is a passage that I thought was especially powerful in assessing my own screen time:
"Does your screen time help you think and work better? Does it deepen your ties to your friends? Does it help you find that much-needed distance and space? Do your explorations enrich your understanding of the world? Do you come away in a better state of mind than you were in to begin with? These are all interior questions. And the more time you spend in the digital crowd, the harder it is to answer them in the affirmative. Inner life becomes not deeper and happier but shallower and more unpleasant" (130).
I want to disconnect to think deeper, to spend more time with my wife and my son, to know friends better, to learn more about Jesus and spend my time being more like Him. I want to disconnect because I know that real life is not lived through screens. I want to disconnect because when I do spent an inordinate amount of time searching for T.V. commercials from the 1970s or scanning eBay for old Apple computers, I feel my life slipping away. Chances are, you feel it too. The Internet highlights how I'm "living a life of quiet desperation," as Thoreau stated. As a husband, father, and friend, that is not my calling. I am made in the image of God; I am not made to be merely entertained by images.
Hamlet's Blackberry and The Shallows are perfect companion books to address this topic. I am not alone in predicting that as our screen time increases as a culture and the more disconnected we become, we'll read more books on this subject. These two are a good starting point to avoid the rush.


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Health Careers Futures' (HCF) mission is to align the supply of and demand for workers in the regional healthcare industry by improving attraction, recruitment, and retention of quality healthcare workers; and by instituting research of relevant healthcare workforce issues.
Health Careers Futures has successfully:
- Assisted in the development and implementation of a U.S. Department of Labor Incumbent Training Project that trained healthcare workers for higher paying jobs in the healthcare sector
- Sponsored two Magnet Summits to show regional hospitals how to achieve Magnet Certification, a designation of the American Nurses Credentialing Center of the American Nursing Association
- Collaborated with Partner4Work, employers, and training organizations to provide training and education to incumbent workers
- Conducted research regionally and nationally on incumbent workers and current trainees in high-demand careers
- Provided technical assistance to Partner4Work and other organizations to develop projects and tools for the healthcare sectors
Health Careers Futures, along with the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative (PRHI) and the Women's Health Activist Movement Global (WHAMglobal), is a supporting organization of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF). Together, we develop and manage programs, research, training, and grantmaking to perfect patient care. We are funded by public and private sources, as well as the JHF endowment.
We act as a neutral voice focused on Perfecting Patient CareSM (PPC) for patients, workers and healthcare systems.
For the Patient, it is care that is kind, competent, customized, comprehensive, safe and efficient; addressing the needs of vulnerable populations, including:
- seniors (Community Health Workers, Skilled Nursing/RAVEN, Senior Connections)
- adolescents (Adolescent Behavioral Health Initiative)
- those who are approaching End-of-Life (Closure, Death & Dying Fellowship)
- persons living with HIV/AIDS (AIDS Free Pittsburgh, Minority AIDS Initiative, Fiscal Agent)
For the Healthcare Worker, it means that care is:
- informed and supported (Health Activist Network, Success Stories)
- incentivized (Fine Awards)
- prepared by training and coaching (Perfecting Patient CareSM (PPC), Fellowships, Champions Programs)
For Organizations and Systems, this focus includes:
- management tools to align an organization around quality measures (Perfecting Patient CareSM, Tomorrow's HealthCareTM)
- transformations and new models of care (Practice Transformation, Success Stories)
A more thorough review of JHF, PRHI, HCF, and WHAMglobal programs is available through the WINDOW newsletter, our magazine ROOTS, our periodical Branches, Executive Summaries, and Videos.


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Have you ever had a Swig sugar cookie? Have you heard of them?
I've heard of them but haven't ever eaten a real, honest-to-goodness cookie from one of their Swig Shacks. But I've made them. I don't know if this is how they really taste but these are THE BEST SUGAR COOKIES EVER! They're soft, yet substantial. They're buttery, and sugary. And the frosting! On these cookies, this frosting is so much better than butter cream frosting, which is what I usually put on rolled out sugar cookies. I beg you to not even think about substituting it out for your "favorite" frosting. These cookies absolutely must have this frosting. Swig cookies do have pink frosting but they don't have sprinkles (I think they look cuter with them, though).
Here's a little newsreel if you want to see what Swig and their cookies are all about:
I just learned that there's a Swig location near one of my son's home – I'm going to go get a cookie the next time I'm there visiting!
Are you ready to give them a try? Here's the recipe I use. It's a combination of about 3 or 4 that are floating around the web. It's seriously just about the most delicious cookie ever.
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup Crisco, butter flavored
- 1-1/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk (or water)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- (about 1/3 cup more of granulated sugar for the tops of the cookies)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- pinch of salt
- 6 to 6-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1-2 tablespoons milk (if needed)
- 1 or 2 drops of red food coloring
- In medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and Crisco until it's light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the sugar and powdered sugar and mix well.
- Add the milk and mix well.
- Add the eggs and mix well.
- Add in the flour mixture and mix until smooth and well-combined (but try not to over mix).
- Depending on the size of cookies you want, roll the dough into balls that are between 1 - 2 inches in diameter. (I like smaller cookies so I roll them into 1-inch balls.)
- Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray (or use a silicone baking mat).
- Place the 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl. Spray the bottom of a glass (or the cooking spray cap) then dip it into the bowl of sugar to get a light coating of sugar on the bottom of the glass or cooking spray cap.
- Press each ball down slightly with the sugar coated glass or cap to get that rough Swig edge. The cookies are best when thick so don't press them too thinly. Repeat for each cookie.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes, until the edges are just barely starting to brown. To keep the cookies soft, don't over bake.
- Cool on wire racks.
- Cream together the butter, sour cream, and salt.
- Add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and mix well.
- Add in the vanilla and mix well.
- Add in the milk, if needed, to make a creamy, yet slightly firm frosting that will hold it's shape when frosting the cookies.
- Add in the food coloring and mix well.
- Frost the cooled cookies.
- Enjoy!
{Click here to see where I link up.}
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GR 50: Rota do Medievo
Contact details
A Coruña
Federación Galega de Montañismo. Vigo
Tel.:+34 986208758
A GR Path that runs along the north of the province of A Coruña, from the leafy enclave of El Coto de Chelo, on the outskirts of Betanzos, to the apocalyptic landscape formed by the cliffs at Punta dos Aguillons, at the northern end of Cape Ortegal.
Through typical countryside, the route crosses valleys and low area of inland Galicia, where you will frequently see forests of oaks, chestnuts and pines, together with the green vegetaion of the damp areas of the banks that run parallel to the Galician rivers.Walkers often see the numerous examples of cultural and artistic heritage of the province:the monastery of Monfero, the monastery of Caaveiro in the Natural Park 'As Fragas do Eume',the castles of Naraío and Moeche and, almost at the end, San Andrés de Teixido, a pretty place and devote centre of pilgrimage at a dizzy height. The path ends in La Serra da Capelada, an area of wild nature with herds of wild horses and cliffs that drop down directly to the sea.
Route details
Departure point: Betanzos
Arrival point: Cabo Ortegal
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance (km): 90
No. of stages: 4
Betanzos - Pazo de Irixoa - Monastery of Monfero - Monastery of Caaveiro - Naraío - Moeche - Punta Candieira - San Andrés de Teixidó - cape Ortegal.
In all villages along the path.


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Groundbreaking technologies have changed the way that small businesses operate and how likely small business owners are to succeed. While technology as a whole has changed how all businesses operate, it is the newest and most innovative technologies that have benefited the small business community.
By leveraging the latest technologies, small business owners can compete with their gigantic competitors by appearing to be larger themselves and by running more efficiently. If you would like to level the sometimes-imbalanced playing field so that you have a fighting chance in your industry, here are some technologies that you can incorporate into your long-term plan.
Automate Basic HR Functions with a Human Resources Information System
Some companies will outsource their basic HR functions to reduce the toll that payroll, report drafting, filing and benefits management has on management. While outsourcing is an option, many small business owners are leveraging the latest Human Resources Information Systems to their advantage so that they can automate HR functions rather than outsource them.
Automating keeps the HR department within the organization but takes some of the basic functions off your plate to free up time for more complex functions. Not only do HRIS systems make managing your workforce, running reports and administering payroll easier, it is also extremely affordable compared to the monthly cost for outsourcing services.
Advanced VoIP Systems to Give Your Business a Bigger Voice
VoIP, which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, has evolved over the years to become an affordable option for small businesses who want a big telecommunications presence with advanced features. With a VoIP handset and a good provider, small businesses can look just as big as their competition with hold music, interactive call guides, extensions, call forwarding, talk-to-text email notifications, auto-attendants who direct calls and more. If you never want to miss an important call and you want your customers to reach the right person the first time, VoIP is an option that costs just a little and makes a big impact.
Improve Your Collaboration and Safely Store Files for Instant Access
You have probably heard of the cloud but really don't understand what it is until you start to use it. When you use cloud-based storage and collaborative web tools like Dropbox, you will be able to save your files in a large server that can be accessed remotely with a password. This frees up space on your systems, ensures you can collaborate with partners and managers, and also saves confidential documents so that they are never lost if you experience a system crash. Run more efficiently and do not remain at the mercy of a printer when you want to secure an account on the road.
Social Media Dashboard for Easier Marketing Management
As a small business owner, you need to be open to all of different types of marketing. You may use Facebook to communicate with your followers, Twitter to send short blurbs of information, LinkedIn to connect with other professionals, and YouTube for fun media marketing. Managing all of these efforts on your own can be tiring, but it is too expensive to hire your own marketing firm. One way to leverage technology is to use a social media dashboard so that everything is displayed on a single channel. You can post to each profile and even reply via this integrated dashboard.
Small business owners of today do not only need to be entrepreneurial at heart, they need to be technologically inclined. You can use your business acumen to analyze trends and to make smart business moves, but do not stretch yourself too thin. By incorporating some of the groundbreaking tech that has been developed into your business operations, you can save time and make more money.


text: Urgent Care Urgent Care Manhattan Beach Meet Torrance Memorial Urgent Care team in Manhattan Beach. Play Video Meet Dr. Brian Miura Meet Dr. Brian Miura, Medical Director of our Manhattan Beach Urgent Care location. Play Video Meet Dr. Gretchen Lent Meet Dr. Gretchen Lent, one of our Emergency Medical Physicians at our Urgent Care center Play Video


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PASS Summit 2009 Preview
Learn what the hot topics will be at this year's PASS conference, with speaker interviews, product news and more.
In November, hundreds of DBAs, developers and other IT professionals will gather in Seattle, Wash. for the annual Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS) summit. So what will be the hot topics at PASS this year?
Check out our PASS 2009 preview below for speaker interviews, product news and more, with details on the key topics that will take center stage at this year's conference.
Featured Content
Moving forward with SQL Server in the cloud
In this exclusive interview, Brent Ozar addresses the concerns most DBAs and developers have about cloud computing, and provides details on how the enhancements to Microsoft's SQL Azure Database could ease those worries.
Catch Brent's PASS 2009 presentation: Yes, I'm Actually Using the Cloud
Are data warehouses made for cloud computing?
Cost and scalability are just a couple of benefits associated with deploying cloud-based data warehouses. Still, issues with transferring data and Microsoft Azure's storage limitations could make some organizations think twice about "data warehousing-as-a-service."
Learn more at PASS 2009: SQL Server BI in the Cloud
Inside Projects Gemini and Madison for SQL Server 2008 R2
Formerly codenamed Gemini, Microsoft's PowerPivot for Excel and SharePoint is designed to provide self-service busieness intelligence for organizations. PowerPivot is expected to be a hot topic around the release of SQL Server 2008 R2, along with Project Madison, Microsoft scale-out data warehousing solution.
Learn more at PASS 2009: SQLCAT: Best Practices for PowerPivot for Excel
What else is new with BI in R2? Microsoft's Herain Oberoi discusses some of SQL Server 2008 R2's key business intelligence improvements, including changes to SQL Server Reporting Services and the addition of a new tool -- Master Data Services.
Learn more at PASS 2009: Introducing Reporting Services 2008 R2: Report Builder 3.0 and the new visualization capabilities
More on the next version of SQL Server
SQL Server 28 R2 is set for general availability in early 2010. In this tip, Ross Mistry provides an early overview of some of the key new features and improvements.
Learn more at PASS 2009: Self-Service Analytics with SQL Server 2008 R2
SQL Server 2008 plays nice with consolidation
We spoke with Rick Heiges from Scalability Experts to learn why SQL Server is traditionally more challenging to virtualize, and how features in SQL Server 2008 have put the DBMS on the path toward simpler consolidation.
Don't miss Rick's PASS 2009 presentation: Don't Wait! Consolidate on SQL Server 2008!
Career-minded DBAs look to the future
A good question for database administrators to ask themselves is "Where is my career going?" Business intelligence is one area with a lot of potential for growth, but it takes more than choosing a specialty to move up in the IT world.
Learn more at PASS 2009: Team Management Crash Course
Session Spotlight
BI Power Hour
An entertaining and educational BI crash course that will feature demos, various BI tips and techniques -- and (per the description) bad jokes.
T-SQL Tips & Tricks
Who couldn't use more T-SQL know-how? This session will cover advanced T-SQL techniques for SQL Server 2005 and 2008 -- like calculating non-deterministic row numbers and generating a large virtual auxiliary table of numbers -- as well as tips on solving other T-SQL problems.
Automating your Data Warehouse
A real time saver! Explores how automating all aspects of your back-end BI solution can simplify your day-to-day administrative tasks -- but still keep you informed on important statistics .
SSRS in the Enterprise - How to survive with a smile
Aims to answer basic Reporting Services questions and provide practical advice on how to deploy SSRS.
SQL Server Consolidation and Virtualization: Myths, Realities and Best Practices
Examines the various aspects of consolidation and virtualization projects, including which solutions to use, common oversights, and what really happens after you consolidate and virtualize.
What's new in PerformancePoint Services 2010
Provides a look into the latest version of PerformancePoint Services and shows you how to build KPIs, scorecards, reports and dashboards as well as information on migrating from the 2007 corporate management performance system.
Introducing PowerPivot for Excel
Gives a full business and technical background of PowerPivot, Microsoft's newest self services analysis product, formerly code-named 'Gemini'.
Manage Your DBA Career, Don't Let it Manage You
Being successful in your career boils down three things, according to Red Gate's Brad McGehee. See what they are and how you can use them to take control of your future.
SearchSQLServer.com Experts at PASS
Denny Cherry (Awareness Technologies)
Denny is currently one of our most prolific contributors. He's written numerous articles covering a wide variety of SQL Server topics, including performance tuning, high availability and database security. He also maintains a popular blog for DBAs -- SQL Server with Mr. Denny. Check out Denny's presentaion entitled Storage for the DBA at PASS 2009.
Ross Mistry (Convergent Computing)
Ross is a well-known author and speaker within the IT community. Recently he has written a short series on how Microsoft SharePoint and SQL Server work together. He will be hosting two "Notes from the Field" sessions at PASS this year, Securing and Hardening a SQL Server Implementation and Designing a Highly Available SQL Server Infrastructure. You can also follow him on Twitter @RossMistry.
Kevin Kline (Quest Software)
While Kevin no longer contributes regularly to the site, it's not hard to find the content he's left behind. For example, last year he hosted a popular four-part video series on using the Performance Monitor (PerfMon) utility with SQL Server. Kevin currently maintains his own blog, and will be hosting a session on The Ultimate Free SQL Server Toolkit at PASS.


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Catering, Full Menu, Events, Parties, and Celebrations
Alla Puttanesca caters for any type of event. Whether you're having a quiet dinner party with 10 of your closest friends, you're throwing a company banquet, or anything in between, we can offer you delicious Italian food. We've done events such as graduations, weddings, anniversary parties, birthday parties, bridal and baby showers, and bachelor/bachelorette parties. The number of guests we can accommodate is unlimited. You can reserve space in our restaurant or we can come to you. We offer appetizers such as baked clams, soups and salads, subs, pasta dishes, Italian entrees, and sides such as potatoes, vegetables, and pasta sides. Try our salmon! We also have pizza, calzones, and specialty desserts. Check out our full catering menu and talk to our chefs to personalize your menu for your next event today.


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Building Your Home Network Part 2: Wireless Networking
A wireless network is the same as a wired network, but cleaner in that it doesn't use cables to connect everything. Instead, the devices are connected using radio wireless connections or Wi-Fi. If you want to set up a WiFi network, check out these basic terms.
Access Point
The access point is a device that sends out the Wi-Fi signal. This signal is what allows different devices to connect to the network. You are probably already familiar with access points if you've ever connected to the internet on your phone. All those different Wi-Fi networks are different sources. Most are locked and require a password to connect. You can buy a switch to add Wi-Fi support to your wired network, but it is best to just buy a wireless router if you want a wireless network.
Wi-Fi Client
The Wi-Fi Client or the WLAN client is a device inside the device that can connect to the Wi-Fi network. Most new devices come with them already built-in. However, if you have older computers, you can purchase a device that connects to a USB and allows the computer to access the Wi-Fi network. The Wi-Fi client is like the network port and cables in a wired network, but they are invisible and use radio waves to work.
Wi-Fi Range
Wi-Fi can't stretch for miles. In fact, it is usually only good about 150 feet from the access point. So, while a wireless system is great if you have a laptop and don't want to stay in one place, you won't be able to take the network with you wherever you go. The further you move away from the access point, the worse your connection gets, and in some cases, it may get slower too.
Frequency Bands
Frequency bands is the term that refers to the radio frequencies that the Wi-Fi uses. The most commonly used frequency bands are 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Some devices come with both frequency bands, but most only come with one. 5GHz is faster than 2.4GHz, but 2.4GHz has a wider range.
Now that you know the basic terminology associated with wireless networks, you are on your first step toward creating your own network for your HOA.
To learn more about AtHomeNet, click here.


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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
This Week's Topic:
Ten Childhood Characters I'd Love To Revisit As Adults
Childhood Favorites
The Pevensie Family (The Chronicles of Narnia)
I know they'd be in Narnia, but I'd love to know what they'd be up to as adults!
The Baudelaire Family (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
I hope they'd finally have some peace and can be happy!
Lyra and Will (His Dark Materials)
I remember being heartbroken by the ending, which I can't really remember right off-hand. Maybe forgetting it was a coping mechanism?
Current Favorites
Eleanor Fitt (Something Strange and Deadly)
*throws self onto bed dramatically and sobs like a Disney princess* My heart. My heart...
Juliette (Shatter Me)
I'd love to know what she, Kenji, Warner, James, and Adam are up to after Ignite Me.
Katy and Daemon (Obsidian)
I know what has happened to them after Opposition, but I'd love to know what has happened after that, especially with Dee, Archer, Dawson, Beth, and everyone else!
Nora and Bram (Dearly, Departed)
There was supposed to be a third book, but it's not going to happen so I'll never know how things turn out! *sobs*
Ana and Sam (Incarnate)
Those two were just so sweet and I want them to have a beautiful life! I feel so bad for doubting Sam!
Everyone (The Lunar Chronicles)
I know that the last book only came out in December and Stars Above came out two months ago, but that wasn't enough for me and I need to know how everyone's life is post-TLC!
Everyone (mostly Ruby and Liam) (The Darkest Minds)
That trilogy put me through so much emotionally that it hurt to feel emotions afterwards. I just want Ruby and Liam to live happily ever after and have a perfect life! *sobs*
Well, this included a lot of sobbing. Emotions... those hurt. I just want all of my book babies to have their own HEA and to never hurt again! I need to know that they're happy and safe! *sobs eternally*


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Franchi handbags
Last Update: September 22, 2015
In this review we will tell you about the Franchi handbags, which are manufactured by FRANCHI. Read, see photos of the Franchi handbags which differ in shape and size, design and color schemes. Share with your friends!
Are you picking up a bag for your oufit? Look at Franchi handbags. These stylish, modern handbags will make you more stylish and will add some flavor to your image.
Choose Franchi handbags and be happy wearing these bags. Share this post with your friends!


text: Efficient transfection in sensitive cell lines. Endotoxin levels using QIAGEN Plasmid Plus Kits. Endotoxin levels using different isolation methods. High yields are ensured with QIAGEN Plasmid Plus Kits (QPP). Analytical chromatogram. Plasmid pCMVβ DNA was prepared using the indicated preparation method with standard and high-yield (HY) protocol for QIAGEN Plasmid Plus Kits. Huh-7 cells were transfected using 200 ng plasmid DNA and 0.5 μl Attractene Transfection Reagent or 300 ng plasmid DNA and 0.75 μl Attractene Transfection Reagent. Purification per pellet-wet weight (g/l) for midi prep using Buffer ETR is shown. QIAGEN Plasmid Plus Technology generally results in low endotoxin levels. Buffer ETR technology further decreases these levels. QIAGEN Plasmid Plus Kits result in lower EU content levels than kits based on silica and anion-exchange technology from other suppliers. For EndoFree Plasmid Kits, the EU content is below detection range. Comparison of plasmid DNA yields using different methods — QIAGEN Plasmid Plus high-yield protocol (QPP), QIAGEN Plasmid Plus standard protocol (QPP), QIAGEN Plasmid Kit (QP), Supplier I, and Supplier S — is shown. Microgram DNA/ml biomass is indicated. Plasmid DNA (100 μg) purified using the QIAGEN Plasmid Plus Mega Kit was analyzed using HPLC on an analytical anion-exchange column to detect non-plasmid nucleic acid contamination (i.e., RNA or genomic DNA). No contamination is present in the plasmid prep.


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Compliance Hotline: 1.800.324.5794
Media & News | Jobs | Families | Get Involved | Contact Us
In February, YAP's program in Arizona was recognized by Mercy Maricopa, their regional behavioral health authority. They had 100% compliance for all reporting quarters in 2016!
Congratulations to Program Director Nicole Sivesind and her team for making sure staff are taking online courses and meeting state and program requirements.


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Zenhiser's coming at you with full force and arming itself with a studio arsenal of epic drumstep proportions. Sounds full on, well it should be, Underground Drumstep is not for the faint hearted, it's a massive chunk of truly usable loops and hooks for Drumstep, Dubstep, Trapstep and even Drum & Bass. Totalling 450 sounds this sample pack is a must for all banging producers, it will deliver hook after hook for your tracks plus a stock drum kit that simply slams, bass hits that roar and fx that swing & slide perfectly. This is drumstep loops and sounds at it's finest.
Think a drumstep couldn't get any better, well we've thrown in a bonus drumstep kit of 54 sounds including more claps, fx, hats, kicks, percussion, rides and snares to super boost your drumstep sound collection. Honestly it doesn't matter whether you're knocking out banger after banger or just starting out 'Underground Drumstep' has something for everyone's deeper darker side.
We've added just a couple of beats, basslines, synths & fx in the preview and you'll hear just what a monster this sample pack is just from that, so if you're into Dubstep, Drumstep, Trapstep or D&B then this is the must have sample pack for you. Grab and arm yourself!
Underground Drumstep specs:
Drumstep Bass Hits - 16
Drumstep Basslines - 50
Drumstep Drum Beats - 150
Drumstep Drums - Hi Hats - 23
Drumstep Drums - Kicks - 23
Drumstep Drums - Percussion - 21
Drumstep Drums - Snares - 33
Drumstep FX - 30
Drumstep Synth Loops - 50
Bonus Kit - 54
All audio files within this Zenhiser pack are 24bit 44.1khz wav
As with all the latest Zenhiser sample packs, audio files display the bpm and key information (where applicable) within the file name
Please note: As with all Zenhiser packs, no samples are ever duplicated in our catalogue so each & every sample pack you purchase is fresh and new


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The warm summer months sure are fun, but they can also be dangerous. Heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses are of particular concern in children, who sweat less, create more heat per body mass, and have a harder time overall in regulating their body temperature to adapt to hot weather compared to adults.
One simple way to protect your kids from heat exhaustion or heat stroke is to avoid strenuous outdoor play or sports during the hottest hours of the day. Arrange your schedule so that outdoor fun takes place in the cooler morning hours, or choose indoor activities- like our inflatable indoor playground in the Hudson Valley Mall!
Of course, it's still a good idea to know the signs of heat exhaustion in your kids. Below are some tips for recognizing heat-related illness, from Nationwide Children's Hospital.
- Heat cramps, muscle cramps in the arms, legs, and/or abdomen, are caused by excessive sweating, which depletes the body of salt and water.
- If your child feels week, tired, or faint, they could be experiencing heat syncope, also due to a depletion of water and salt from the body.
- Cool, pale skin can indicate heat exhaustion, which is often accompanied by headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, chills, rapid pulse, strong thirst, and muscle cramps.
- If your child's skin is hot and dry, they could be suffering from heat stroke. This serious emergency condition causes incoherent speech, disorientation, nausea, rapid pulse or heart palpitations, and even seizures, loss of consciousness, and coma.
If your child is suffering from heat cramps, heat syncope, or heat exhaustion, get them to a cooler, shadier spot as soon as possible and provide steady intake of water in small sips. If they are displaying signs of heat exhaustion, lower their body temperature by placing them in a cool bath or misting them with cool water. Monitor your child's condition and if they do not show improvement after a few minutes, you may need to seek medical attention to get IV fluids for your child.
If your child is exhibiting signs of heat stroke, call 911 immediately while providing the care outlined above. This can be life-threatening, so acting fast is imperative.
When your kids need to get some energy out, you can always bring them to Fun-E Farm for active play in a safe, indoor environment! Our indoor playground is chock-full of exciting inflatable jumps, slides, and obstacles for kids up to 12 years old. Give us a call today to learn more, or sign up for our email newsletter to stay up to date on our latest deals and announcements!
Photo by Ray Bodden via Flickr (CC by 2.0)


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Out of all the Italians out there… I married the one that doesn't like pasta, go figure. I love pasta, meat and cheese, and together it's love like a sunny Sunday afternoon with no plans or errands to do. It is also is high in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. There are a lot better pasta and meat options for our hearts. So this is my take, a healthier version of one of my favourite foods, bolognese pasta.
Why is this a healthier option?
- Ground turkey vs. ground beef. I subbed this bolognese to have ground turkey instead of beef. Turkey holds a lot of flavours and is a great source of protein. It holds half the bad, heart clogging saturated fat than ground beef.
- Whole grain pasta vs. white pasta. Brown pasta is whole grain and enriched with fatty clearing fiber. It has fewer calories, less fat and more protein than white pasta. So it's a good option if you like a lot of pasta in your diet!
Skip ahead to the nutritional facts and printer-friendly version of this recipe.
1 lb lean ground turkey
half box of fiber rich pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 chopped white onion
2 chopped celery stalks
2 chopped carrots
handful sliced mushrooms (optional)
3 sliced garlic cloves
1/2 cup low sodium, vegetable (or chicken) broth
2 cups passata
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp chopped, fresh basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup fresh, chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese to serve
6 Easy Steps (Instructions):
Step 1: In a sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium high. Add onions, carrots and celery (and mushrooms if you opted in for that). Cook until onions are translucent. Approximately 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add sliced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add turkey and brown.
Step 3: Once turkey is cooked through, deglaze pan with the vegetable broth.
Step 4: Add tomato paste and passata. Stir thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
Step 5: Add oregano, basil and parsley and let it cook. The longer the better.
Step 6: When ready to eat, make the pasta by following directions on the box. Cook al dente. Before draining, reserve a cup of water. If your sauce is too dry you can add a bit of the starchy water.
Step 7: Once drained, return the pasta to the pot, mix with sauce and top with parmesan cheese.
Enjoy! Nutritional facts and printer-friendly version of this recipe here.


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Florida Appeals Court Slams Brakes On Sloppy Foreclosing Lender's Attempt To Enforce Mortgage Where Only One Of Four Co-Owners Signed The Paperwork; Rejects Assertion That Non-Signatory Owners Ratified Mortgage Through Their Conduct
In a recent ruling by Florida's Third District Court of Appeal, the court denied a lender's attempt to foreclose a residential mortgage that was signed by only one of the four owners of the home when the loan was closed.
In bringing the foreclosure action, the lender attempted to circumvent this problem (obviously caused by sloppy loan origination, closing and title underwriting procedures, and occurring at a time in recent real estate history - late 2005 to early 2006 - that the trial court observed was one where "everybody was hoodwinking everybody") by asking the court to establish the existence of an equitable lien against property interest of all four owners by asserting the legal doctrine of ratification, and then foreclose against them on the basis of that lien.
Quoting from Citron v. Wachovia Mortgage Corp., 922 F.Supp. 2d 1309 (M.D. Fla. 2013), the court described ratification as follows:
- "Ratification is conduct that indicates an intention, with full knowledge of the facts, to affirm a contract which the person did not enter into or which is otherwise void or voidable."
- Ratification of a mortgage by a non-signatory property owner has been upheld in Florida in two distinct types of cases: (a) when the nonsignatory owner has received the benefit of the mortgage loan proceeds; or (b) when the non-signatory owner has authorized an attorney-in-fact to execute the mortgage on behalf of the owner.
For earlier posts on the legal doctrine of ratification, see:
- NJ Appeals Court OKs Forged Deed Used By Hubby To Swipe Estranged Wife's Interest In Marital Home Where Her Subsequent Conduct (Coupled With Title Transfer To Bona Fide Purchaser) Was Deemed To Constitute Ratification Of The 'Dirty Deed',
- Voidable Or Void Ab Initio (Or "Void Unless & Until Later Ratified")?.
- Sneaky Lender Uses Loan Modification 'Pre-Negotiation' Agreement To Dupe Borrower Into Inadvertently Ratifying Void Mortgage, Waiving All Rights.
(1) From the court's ruling:
- A. Receipt of Benefit
The non-signatory's receipt of mortgage loan proceeds, or receipt of a benefit from the application of those funds, may cure the failure to sign the mortgage as a matter of equitable subrogation, see Palm Beach Sav. & Loan Ass'n v. Fishbein, 619 So. 2d 267 (Fla. 1993), or ratification, see Fleet Fin. & Mortg., Inc., 707 So. 2d 949 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998).
In the present case, however, neither the Parents nor the 3789 Property received a financial benefit from the loan proceeds. It is undisputed that all of the loan proceeds were utilized by the sole signatory to start the day care business. The Parents were not owners or employees of that business.
We find no Florida case extending the principle of ratification to a parent's expression of a general intention to help a family member secure a loan for purposes of benefiting the family member. At oral argument, this type of indirect benefit was advanced by Wells Fargo as a worthy rationale for binding the Parents to the mortgage loan procured by Maria. We see no legal basis for extending the legal principle of ratification in such an instance, and on this record. The Washington Mutual loan circumvented the institutional lending process whereby the property owners/mortgagors sign documents informing them of the terms of the transaction, including the amount of the loan procured, federal Truth-in-Lending rights, interest rates, monthly payment amounts, and subjection of the homestead to the mortgage loan—all in a transaction in which the non-signatory owners themselves and the mortgaged property have received no benefit.
Wells Fargo's reliance on the case of Citron v. Wachovia Mortgage Corp., 922 F.Supp. 2d 1309 (M.D. Fla. 2013), is unwarranted. In that case, Mr. Citron was a Florida-licensed mortgage broker. Mrs. Citron worked with him in a mortgage company, and the two had brokered some 47 mortgage loans for the lender that originally loaned money to the Citrons, World Savings. Wachovia Mortgage was the successor by merger to World Savings. The Citrons obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars of loan proceeds and invested those funds in a home later conveyed to their family trust.
The Citrons sued Wachovia Mortgage in an attempt to rescind the loan for Truth-in-Lending violations and other alleged defects in the loan documents. The trial court denied any such relief because (among a number of facts in the record) the Citrons had received and had not promptly disgorged all of the direct benefits of the loan. Additionally, the Citrons had made monthly payments on the loan for over a year after learning of the alleged defects in the loan documents. "Ratification is conduct that indicates an intention, with full knowledge of the facts, to affirm a contract which the person did not enter into or which is otherwise void or voidable." 922 F.Supp. 2d at 1321 (quoting Still v. Polecat Indus., Inc., 683 So. 2d 634 (Fla. 3d DCA 1996)).
In the present case, the Parents neither received loan proceeds, nor otherwise benefited from the application of those proceeds, nor made any monthly payments, nor acquired full knowledge of the material details of the mortgage loan.
B. Attorney-in-Fact
Section 695.01(1), Florida Statutes (2005), provides protection to creditors and purchasers who accept a conveyance or lien signed by an attorney-in-fact on behalf of a property owner (and then recorded), so long as the power of attorney itself is also recorded before the accrual of rights by "creditors or subsequent purchasers for a valuable consideration and without notice." Washington Mutual Bank could have required, but did not, such a power of attorney as a condition to the loan. And such a power of attorney is only effectual to the extent of the specific powers granted. Him v. Firstbank Fla., 89 So. 3d 1126 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012).
Execution of the mortgage by an agent "previously unauthorized" may also be subject to ratification in certain instances. Branford State Bank v. Howell Co., 102 So. 649 (Fla. 1924). In that case, however, the Supreme Court of Florida held: "No rule of law is better settled than this: That the ratification of the act of an agent previously unauthorized must, in order to bind the principal, be with full knowledge of all the material facts." Id. at 650. In the present case, there was no evidence that Maria (or anyone else) informed the Parents or Hubert of all of the material facts relating to the Washington Mutual Bank loan and mortgage.
Proceedings on Remand
We affirm the trial court's findings that (a) Maria Castellon signed the promissory note, obtained the loan proceeds, and remains liable under the terms of the promissory note, (b) the defective Washington Mutual Bank promissory note and mortgage did not subject the Parents' homestead property to the lien of the mortgage and to sale, and (c) Wells Fargo does have an equitable lien to the extent of disbursements for property taxes and reasonable costs of insurance paid by Wells Fargo during the pendency of the foreclosure action, recoverable when the 3789 Property is no longer the Parents' homestead.
We reverse that portion of the final judgment imposing and foreclosing an equitable lien for the principal or interest on the loan made by Washington Mutual Bank, with respect to the ownership interest of the Parents in the 3789 Property. On remand, the trial court should clarify that the Parents and Hubert are not personally liable for unpaid principal and interest due under the promissory note signed only by Maria.
Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded for further proceedings in accordance with this opinion.


text: Thank you for the very many messages we have received regarding the Lord Rookwood. We continue to work on getting this purchase finally completed and remain committed to getting this lovely old pub refurbished and reopened. The delay is frustrating for all concerned and we are really sorry that we still cannot provide a firm date as to when we might finally invite you all back to your local pub. We shall provide clarity as soon as we can and thank you for both your ongoing patience and support.


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I am a speed reader. I've taken an academic course designed to increase my reading speed and comprehension rate. I read leisure material at 500 to 800 words a minute. I can skim (which, technically, is not speed reading) at 1200 words per minute, and I can scan a bit faster than that (but not much).
Now before you think this is impressive, note I was one of the middle-of-the-road speed readers. There was one young woman in my class who left us all in the dust.
This class took an entire academic year, five days a week for an hour each day, sometimes more. The class consisted of technique (eliminating bad habits and pricing up good ones), vocabulary, and English language review such as sentence diagramming. There were also tests and quizzes, one every other day. It did not consist of the scientific equivalent of waving a rubber chicken at the full moon while dancing around a bonfire wearing a peacock feather tutu.
I can't teach you how to speed read in a blog post, but I can give you some tips to read faster. Like kissing your paramour, a little technique and knowledge goes a long way. Before we get into that (reading, not kissing), let's talk about what speed reading is not:
What Speed Reading is Not
Speed reading is not skimming. Skimming is the fine art of reading only pertinent data to derive at useful information retention. In other words, reading a written work to understand what the author is trying to convey without reading Every. Single. Word. On. The. Page.
Skimming has little applicability to leisurely reading. If you find yourself skimming a work of fiction or a bit of not-fiction picked up for fun, you either have ADD, the writing sucks, or you're bored. This could be a sign to move on, or take some meds.
Learning how to skim while increasing your comprehension rate is a learned technique.
Speed reading is not scanning. Scanning is the technique in which a reader searches text for a singular answer. All other text, even important text, is jettisoned. The goal is to answer a specific question.
Speed reading is not lowering your comprehension rate. Reading so fast that you can't comprehend the text properly is certainly not speed reading. That's being a dork.
The Easiest Way to Increase Your Reading Speed
How fast does your mouth move? How fast do your fingers and hands move? How fast can you talk? How fast can you scratch your nose when it itches?
No matter what the answers to these questions, unless you have an uncommon medical condition, the speed is much slower than the speed in which your eyes move. Your eyeballs are close to your brain for a reason. Not only do the muscles attached to your eyes flit them about your eye sockets at great speed, your eyes can focus and defocus, adjust the pupil size to compensate for light changes, and send an enormous amount of data to your brain faster than you can blink. Your eyes are fast. They are an amazing body part. Human eyes, biologically speaking, are über.
Knowing this singular detail is the basis of speed reading. Letting your eyes do all the work for you will instantly increase the speed of which you can read for leisure, assuming you're guilty of some bad reading habits. If you aren't, next week's blog post may be useful to you, so tune in next week!
To read faster, eliminate bad reading habits. A bad reading habit is relying on body parts other than your eyeballs:
The Don't List
- Don't move your finger along the page, or use your bookmark to guide your eyes. This artificially decreases the rate in which the eyes can process information. Most people don't do this, but some do. I've taught several introductory speed reading classes, and I've always found at least one person doing this, and they usually were not aware of it.
- Don't physically mouth words as you read them, either with your mouth closed or open. Not only will this dramatically slow your reading rate, it's completely unnecessary as you can get the same effect from simply subvocalzing. Subvocalizing is controversial, but can be thought of as "talking to yourself." We'll talk about subvocalization next week.
You think your tongue is fast? Well, I beg to differ. Your tongue is a piker, a piker compared to your eyes. Don't move it while reading to mouth words. Don't mouth words, at all.
- Don't fidget. Being a fussy-butt causes your brain to use other parts of your body to process information. The eyes are still faster.
- Don't read with visually distracting data in your peripheral vision. This is a sneaky one, but can really hammer on reading rates. Movement or intermittent light sources are distractions in the literal sense: your eyes leave the page or you have to expend effort in keeping them there.
Not to leave on a negative note, here are things that can increase your reading rate:
- Make a conscious effort to increase and retain vocabulary. If encountering a word for the first time that is unfamiliar, take the time to look it up. Encountering unknown words while reading is a rhythm killer. Learning the meaning of one word is cascading. Other little-encountered words become easier to decipher as your vocabulary improves.
- Read with good physical reading habits on a regular basis. Yeah, this is me channeling my inner piano teacher: practice.
- Lighting makes good video, it also impacts good reading. You can read in the dim because your eyes will adjust. However, there is one truism to light and reading: contrast. When the contrast between text and background falls below 4.5:1, most people have issues making out words. You can eventually figure it out, even quickly, but not as fast as a proper contrast ratio provided by good lighting. There are exceptions to this such as large fonts in big-print books, but it's a good rule of thumb.
(pet peeve: websites that break the well-documented 4.5:1 contrast rule)