text:
KBC discloses new ECB capital requirements
KBC's capital remains well above the minimum requirements
Wednesday, December 14, 2016 — KBC has been informed by the European Central Bank of its new minimum capital requirements, leading to a combined overall fully loaded CET1 requirement for KBC (under the Danish Compromise) of 10.40%.
At the close of the third quarter of 2016, KBC's fully loaded CET1 ratio came to 15.3%, well above the new CET1 requirement.
Following the Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process (SREP) performed for 2016, the ECB has formally notified KBC of its decision to set
- a pillar 2 requirement (P2R) of 1.75% CET1
- a pillar 2 guidance (P2G) of 1.0% CET1
The total ECB decision of 2.75% CET1 equals the decision of last year, but no split was made at that time between the P2R (which mandatorily restricts profit distribution and therefore is relevant for AT1/ Additional Tier 1 investors) and the P2G (which might affect dividend policy and hence is relevant for shareholders). The fact that the requirement is unchanged reflects KBC's low risk profile and its resilience to adverse economic conditions as demonstrated in the stress tests, the results of which were published on 29 July 2016.
The capital requirement for KBC Group is not only determined by the ECB but also by decisions of the various local competent authorities in KBC's core markets.
As a matter of fact, the Czech and Slovak competent authorities' decision to introduce a countercyclical buffer requirement of 0.5% in the first and third quarters, respectively, of 2017 corresponds with an additional CET1 requirement of 0.15% at KBC Group level. The objective of a countercyclical buffer is to counteract the effects of the economic cycle on banks' lending activity.
The National Bank of Belgium already announced its capital buffers for Belgian systemic banks last year. For KBC, it means that an additional capital buffer of 1.0% of CET1 is required for 2017, which is to be built up to 1.5% in 2018. Finally, the conservation buffer currently stands at 1.25% for 2017, building up to 2.50% in 2019. These buffers come on top of the minimum CET1 requirement of 4.5% under Pillar 1.
Altogether, this brings the fully loaded CET1 requirement (under the Danish Compromise) to 10.40% (11.25% last year) with an additional 1% guidance. KBC clearly exceeds this requirement: at the close of the third quarter of 2016, the fully loaded CET1 ratio came to 15.3%. Furthermore, since part of the requirements are gradually built up by 2019, the relevant requirement (under the Danish Compromise) for 2017 on a phased-in basis is at a lower level, i.e. 8.65% CET1 (10.25% last year).
Johan Thijs, KBC Group CEO, welcomed today's announcements stating: 'KBC welcomes the outcome of the ECB decision because it brings clarity for the group and its stakeholders. The new capital decision is more refined than the previous one and is a slight decrease. Our capital position is very solid. This sends out a reassuring signal to all stakeholders placing their trust in us.
KBC will maintain its policy of holding a dynamic management buffer above the regulatory requirements, which reflects amongst other things our view regarding possible adverse economic conditions, possible upcoming new capital requirements and our position relative to our peers. KBC will also continue to focus on its strong fundamentals of a dynamic client-driven bank-insurance business model, a healthy risk profile, a robust liquidity position supported by a very solid and loyal customer deposit base in our core markets, and a comfortable solvency position that enables us to continue to increase lending to our clients and actively support the communities and economies in which we operate.'
More details on the composition of the new capital requirements can be found in the brief presentation and table attached to this press release and published on www.kbc.com.


text:
Episode #1: "Born on the Fourth of July"
Debut: SUNDAY, NOV. 24 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: Nov. 24 (midnight), 25 (11:30 p.m.), 27 (midnight), 28 (8:00 p.m.) and 29 (10:30 p.m.), and Dec. 1 (6:15 p.m.), 6 (10:00 p.m.) and 11 (11:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Nov. 25 (10:30 p.m.) and 30 (9:00 p.m.), and Dec. 1 (8:10 a.m.)
It's July 4th at the Billy Barnes Extended Care Unit of Mt. Palms Hospital. On her first day of work, nurse DiDi Ortley (Niecy Nash) discovers feces on a lounge chair, and is torn between the conflicting orders of veteran nurse Dawn Forchette (Alex Borstein), who wants to file an "incident report" before removing it; temporary medical director Dr. Jenna James (Laurie Metcalf), who is in need of a stool sample for her medical study; and supervising nurse Beverly Raymes (Telma Hopkins), who has had endemic issues with floor cleanliness and wants the seat sterilized. In a heated argument with Nurse Raymes, Dr. James has a public meltdown and ends up permanently assigned to this dead-end job. Meanwhile, the staff tries to determine the identity of an Asian woman who was found wandering on a highway, and debate what to do with a deceased patient's birthday cake.
Teleplay by Mark V. Olsen & Will Scheffer; directed by Miguel Arteta.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The best Side of orlando seo
We be certain that the right enterprises and affiliations are linking to your website to assist enhance your Site's online authority.
For any questions on our expert services like Search engine optimisation, PPC, social websites, and Site development be sure to will not wait to make use of our contact us variety or phone us right now.
An suitable representation in the asked for source could not be located on this server. This error was generated by Mod_Security.
We use tools to measure a website's visitors, as quality backlinks from websites with targeted visitors can help travel rankings.
We will review your business's Internet site and make sure its web pages are optimized appropriately. Each site could be specifically specific to various keywords that you would like to rank for. Keep in mind results usually are not normally fast and usually takes a while to achieve. The more competitive a keyword is, the more difficult Will probably be, but this is unquestionably achievable and could take a several months right before observing sought after effects. It really is just A part of the game and perfectly worth it. We have established it repeatedly once again.
Right here are only a few of the several significant cities we rank in. We keep lots of positions on Page one from our Levels of competition. We could do precisely the same for your online business!
We enable it to be materialize for shoppers in Orlando, FL and across the globe. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a technique for having your internet site to rank superior during the natural and organic effects of serps, for example Google, Yahoo, and Bing. With qualified and strategic Orlando SEO – strategic, intelligent adjustments on your web site, you are able to enhance your internet site's organic and natural online search engine rankings and thereby increase its visibility and skill to catch the attention of and have interaction people.
We could't consider why you'd want to operate with everyone else, but just in the event that, browse more details on why we're terrific. And, for those who're thinking where by in the hereworld we bought the identify theSOULwithin, Click the link.
You will be able to land on the ideal placement in Google ranking that could allow your internet site obtain more. For a resident in Orlando, it really is your responsibility to ensure you obtain every one of the possible chances on-line by building your site rank up during the Google rankings. Right after a web site is rating perfectly, it's going to always accessibility more viewers that will rework right into a good deal of consumers which can be balanced for just about any business enterprise.
When setting up a Orlando seo campaign the keyword phrases and keyphrases you select are important, but Do you realize the where you posture these keywords on your own webpage is additionally important?
The good news is that it's not also late to vary this example. With excellent seo, you are able to enhance your web site's situation, supplying it the kind of visibility that could maximize on the web targeted visitors and, ultimately, bring about enhanced gross sales.
With the ever escalating availability of assorted online devices for instance laptops, telephones, tablets, ipods, and so on; building your website mobile helpful is usually a necessity any longer by the various search engines and can help immensely along with your physical appearance on the internet.
When you are seriously interested in utilizing Orlando Website positioning tactics, be patient. You'll likely not see instant success; it could just take months that you should recognize the benefits of your get the job done.
In regards to product sales, believe in issues. That's why our advertising and marketing gurus routinely get our customers into important publications:


text:
The move has come in the wake of directives from the Central Supervisory Board (CSB) of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, following which the health department of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) sent letters to IVF centres to implement it. The objective is to make sure that such centres are not misused for sex selection. CSB reviews and monitors implementation of the Act and advises the Centre on policy matters.
"Initially, CSB had directed us to register all IVF centres and keep a watch on them. Now, it has issued a directive stating that every IVF or ART centre should keep a separate record of women who have opted for pregnancy through IVF, including their full name, address, pregnancy date, delivery outcome and existing children, along with revised form F," said Vaishali Jadhav, assistant medical officer of health and the city's appropriate authority entrusted to ensure effective implementation of the PCPNDT Act.
Like sonography centres, genetic clinics and genetic counselling centres, PMC's health department keeps an eye on IVF centres to check for misuse. There are 14 IVF centres in the city. "Once registered, these IVF centres are duly inspected and monitored," Jadhav said.
The Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT Act covers four types of health centres ultrasound sonography centres, genetic counselling centres, genetic laboratories, genetic clinics and imaging centres.
However, IVF centres were out of its ambit of the Act till recently.
Doctors running the centres, however, have criticised the move. "We are missing the point. We are forgetting the main issue and going after increasing paperwork. The Delhi high court has also observed that government machinery is going after finding mistakes in paperwork to the extent that they do not have any time left to actually nab culprits," said senior gynecologist Sanjay Gupte.
Gupte also pointed out that it would be difficult for IVF centres to keep a tab on the outcome of pregnancy.who had opted for pregnancy throught ART. "Women come from various places and even from different states. After conceiving through ART, they go back to their own area for delivery. It would be difficult to keep a tab of their pregnancy outcome," said Gupte, who is also former national president of Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society of India, a pan-India body of gynecologists. in the country.


text:
Browsing all articles in Events
Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn't here.
Subscribe To Newsletter
Please Click Here to receive the digital version of The Post By The Lake, our award winning newsletter.
Welcome To Post 91
Commander Ed Leopold welcomes you to Albert E. Baesel American Legion Post 91… The Post By The Lake. Named after Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Albert E. Baesel, Post 91 is located at the corner of Albert E. Baesel Drive and American Legion Parkway in Berea, Ohio (20 minutes southwest of Cleveland). Click Here to learn more.
Post 91 Units
Post 91 News
Veteran News
- Ten things you didn't know about the National Guard
- Vehicle donations support Legion programs
- Posts without Auxiliary units encouraged to create one
- Oxford meets Taiwan President during Pacific, Far East diplomatic tour
- Legion generosity shown in new Membership Impact Report


text:
On November 22nd, Dassault Systèmes announced the 2017x release of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. What are the main improvements and how will it impact your business? I have had a first look, and am happy to share some of the main highlights from my point of view.
The new 3DPlay viewer is now made available inside 3DSpace, which means that it is time to say goodbye to the plugin-based viewer 3DLive Examine. This is an important move, as the support for browser plugins is about to be dropped from most of the major web browsers on the market.
3DPlay provide a consistent look and feel across all apps, and allow any user of the platform to view high-quality 3D models in the web browser, and to perform basic markup and redlining, sectioning and measurements. When used inside classical ENOVIA apps, like Engineering BOM, 3DPlay now supports "cross highlighting", to allow easy navigation from a line in the tabular BOM to the 3D-representation in the viewer (and vice-versa). 3DPlay runs entirely in the web browser, and has no dependencies to browser plugins or client-side Java.
Virtual Reality is a technology which has been hyped for more than two decades, yet the practical applications have been quite limited due to the massive hardware investments that have been necessary. Until now: During the last couple of years, a range of affordable VR-devices have been introduced in the consumer market.
To allow engineers and designers to benefit from this development, Dassault Systèmes has teamed up with HTC to support the latest generation of VR-goggles. The HTC Vive is probably the consumer VR device that provides the most lifelike experience today, offering a full HD head mounted display and precise motion tracking. As of 2017x, HTC Vive is now natively supported in CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE, allowing designers to instantly view their design in immersive VR, eliminating the need for exporting the model to specialized VR-tools or -formats.
A new rendering engine, borrowed from the high-end visualization solution 3DEXCITE, brings desktop visualization for designers to a whole new level, allowing designers to view their design in real-time with a photo realistic rendering quality which would previously only be possible through time-consuming batch rendering.
Combined with the VR capabilities mentioned above, the virtual product comes to life right on your desktop.
Behind the slightly cryptical name "Function-Driven Generative Designer", a set of very powerful modelling, simulation and optimization capabilities are brought together to bring the automation of the design process to a new level: Starting from a functional definition (loads, movements etc.), an optimal geometrical shape is calculated, saving weight and cost while dramatically reducing the engineering time. It doesn't feel right to call this "Computer Aided Design",
I think it is fairer to call it "Computer-Driven Design". In particular, when combined with the flexibility of additive manufacturing, the optimization algorithms can come up with shapes that are significantly lighter than a traditional design.
The 3DDashboard has been around for a couple of releases, allowing users to define their personalized working environment, where relevant content from across all 3DEXPERIENCE applications can be made easily accessible. Up until 2016x, the 3DDashboard was mainly targeted at presenting and visualizing information in a convenient way.
Now, with 2017x, the first real authoring apps start to appear on the 3DDashboard, allowing for a more interactive and "application like" user experience, as compared to the classic 3DSpace applications we are used to from ENOVIA.
One of the first apps to benefit from these new capabilities, is the Requirements Management Editor, where a requirements specification can be created and edited in a very efficient manner, providing a side-by-side view of the requirements structure and the document view where the requirements can be described in the rich text.
Another example is the new administration widget, which moves basic system administration and business logic definition from the Business Modeler to the 3DDashboard. This includes the definition revision schemes, number sequences and basic schema extensions (currently limited to adding new attributes).
With 2017x, it is more evident than ever that Dassault Systèmes is targeting a much broader audience for the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, far outside the traditional product development and engineering functions.
We have already witnessed the introduction of social tools like 3DSwYm and Netvibes. New in this release is the 3DDrive. A service for quick and easy sharing of files in a similar fashion to Dropbox, which is also available as a desktop app integrated to Windows Explorer (This feature is currently only available on the Cloud).
Furthermore, to facilitate the communication between all categories of users on the platform, a new feature called 3DComments, allow anyone to share their thoughts and perspectives, and to initiate discussions in the context of a product, document or 3D-model.
To complete the picture, the 3DNotifications panel keeps you informed about all notifications sent to you from any of the 3DEXPERIENCE applications, being a task assignment, a new discussion or a comment to any of your posts on 3DSwYm.
The 2017x release brings several exciting new possibilities and game-changing technologies that bring us a lot closer to the vision of actually experiencing the virtual product.
Also, 3DEXPERIENCE is now clearly positioned as a collaboration platform for the entire enterprise, available on every desktop and every device. The effort to harmonize and simplify the user experience continues at a rapid pace, and it has never been easier to get started creating, sharing and collaborating. We have an exciting journey ahead of us in 2017!


text:
Rhins of Galloway
Cairnryan Ferries B&B
A77 Coastal Road, Cairnryan, Stranraer, DG9 8QU
Telephone 01581 200294
Rhins of Galloway offers quality accommodation in Cairnryan, just 1 mile south of Cairnryan P&O ferry terminal and 3 miles south of Cairnryan Stena Line ferry terminal. We enjoy the benefits of out-of-town semi-rural surroundings, but are still less than a 5 minute drive to both ferry terminals, shops and eateries.
Our breakfast room looks out at the P&O ferries in dock, with the new Stena Line Superfast boats just visible beyond at their new Cairnryan dock. For departures prior to 07:30, we can provide a 'breakfast bag to go'.
For evening dining, there is a a choice of different styles of eateries to be enjoyed in the area.
We are not licensed, and are therefore happy for guests to enjoy their own purchases - there is no corkage charge and glasses and ice are freely available.
The premises are only open to guests staying with us, and we do not operate a 24 hour reception.
Once inside, all accommodation is on the ground floor, but there are several steps up to the main hotels entrance, and a single step into our Garden Suite.
The views from the building can be enjoyed from outside in all weathers from the shelter of the covered veranda that fronts the building, and take in Loch Ryan, Cairnryan ferry port and Cairnryan Lighthouse beyond, and beautiful unspoilt farmland and countryside to the sides and rear. Our placement makes us ideal overnight accommodation for travellers using the Stena Line ferries and the P&O ferries from Cairnryan, and provides a wonderful place from which to spend longer enjoying the unspoilt beauty of the area.
Officially opened by Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester in 1943, the building itself has had a variety of uses, boasting a history that can make a place feel very unique and special. Bedrooms have classic simplicity using contemporary furniture. Bedroom corridors and other communal areas are furnished with an eclectic mix where Versace sits alongside Victorian antique furniture, giving us a pleasantly distinctive character.
The entire building is strictly non-smoking.
Pets are not allowed
Wi-Fi is available free of charge within the entire building.
A dedicated computer for guest use is also available for checking emails.
Events in Cairnryan, Stranraer and the wider area:
For details of other forthcoming events, and other attractions in Cairnryan, Stranraer and beyond, see our Local_information page.
For information about ferries serving the area, look at our Ferries page, or http://www.lochryanferries.co.uk/.


text:
■ Mulch. Natural mulch, such as grass clippings and fallen leaves, helps retain moisture and adds nutrients to the soil, cutting the need for water and fertilizer.
■ Reduce grass. Lawn mowers account for 5 percent of our nation's air pollution, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Replace grass with flowers, bushes and trees to trim your work load, eliminate pollution and attract wildlife.
■ Xeriscape. Planting native, drought-tolerant plants helps cut water use and maintain soil integrity.
■ Catch rain. Using rain barrels saves water and money while providing a ready source of water for outdoor plants.
■ Go native. Not only do native plants require less fertilizer, water and pest control, but they also serve as pollinators and food for native wildlife.
Compost Compost Compost Compost Compost Compost Compost
This tip is brought to you by Janet Parker, the Grounds Supervisor at Grays Harbor College. Thanks Janet!


text:
Montenegro - Wild beauty of the Mediterranean
Montenegro - Wild beauty of the Mediterranean
There are many reasons why I decided to take a week off and come to Montenegro.
December 02, 2015 / Lifestyle
December 02, 2015 / Lifestyle
Photography by
Adrian Rosu
The Best Art Fair in the World? "It's the best art fair in the world, no doubt!" Two beautiful ladies just out of the "First Choice" VIP Preview of Art Basel 2015 say. I ask why (I was thinking that maybe Art Basel in Basel is the best art fair in the world?), and one lady says: "well...it's the art, and it's the whole thing around it too, the whole atmosphere!"
Despite all the glitz and glam that has surrounded the fair over the years, the team has never forgotten to fiercely cultivate Art Basel's main ingredient: fantastic art.
Art Basel Miami is global (267 leading galleries from 32 countries represent 4000 artist from allover the world), but also using all of South Florida's strengths in the art scene: leading museums and private collections time their strongest exhibitions of the year to coincide with the show. 20 parallel fairs (including Design Miami), private collectors free views in warehouses all around the city (check our video about our visit to the De La Cruz and The margulios collections); site specific installations; performance art - free and open to the public; a film sector (in addition to the Convention Centre) at the Frank Gehry-designed New World Center's SoundScape Park (which boasts a 7,000 square-foot projection wall to showcase video art) and an endless list of parties complete the offer. To New York's art worlders, Miami, champagne, beaches and fine art became synonymous to December instead of eggnog and mistletoe. The people, celebrities, artists, gallerists, collectors, curators, museum directors and VIPs participating almost become a part of the show.
A fashionable encounter: Me, Elle McPherson and my girlfriend Beatrice at Art Basel Miami Beach 2015. On the other photo you can see us with Eva and Adele: they chose to lead their life as living works of art.
So don't worry: you won't be able to do it all and see it all, in one week - pick some parts you like and enjoy. The show is officially open from December 3rd to December 6th 2015. December 2nd and the morning of December 3rd are preview days, exclusively open to art collectors and VIPs, by invitation only. We were there and picked some of the best that the fair has to offer.
It's also Miami Beach centenary, this year. Miami Beach's pioneer developer John Stiles Collins first dreamed of turning the area - a mosquito-infested mangrove swamp until it was cleared and dredged by migrant labourers - into the avocado capital of America. Collins and the car-magnate Carl Fisher then realised there was a fortune to be made in building.
If you are going, don't forget your Wallpaper Miami City Guide as well as a copy of Collecting Art for Love, Money and More
To make this huge event more manageable, the fair is divided into 5 sectors: Nova, Positions, Galleries, Survey and Edition.
Nova focuses on recent artistic production and Positions allows for the discovery of interesting new talents by providing galleries with a platform to present one emerging artist with one major project. So these are the two sectors to watch closely for new trends.
Figurative paintings, female artists, a high use of photography and, in general, a love for massive sizes are found in every sector.
I have some very strong preferences and literally react to a work of art I like. Each picture I took was the result of a choice or an emotion, and sometimes I had passionate discussion with Beatrice about what we liked or disliked. Who is right, and who is wrong, in art? Let your feelings decide and see if you agree with me that Art Basel Miami Beach is incredibly inspiring. Here are my choices.
You Must Go On. I Can't Go On. I'll Go On. At Dominique Lévy
The exhibition takes its title from the closing lines of Samuel Beckett's novel The Unnamable, and features works by Frank Stella, David Hammons, Robert Mangold, Agnes Martin, Senga Nengudi, Thomas Schütte, Rudolf Stingel, Günther Uecker, and Christopher Wool. It explores how, with Minimalist painting in the 1960s, the medium reached an endgame. After critics declared painting as dead, however, artists continued to create, to go on, pushing past the previously conceived limits of the medium. Frank Stella's retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art runs from Oct 30th to Feb 07 – and might be one of the reasons of Stella's popularity and ascending prices.
Paul Stolper Editions, Booth B22
Feeling Thankful – Mel Bochner says it better than me!
Photography by
Adrian Rosu
Comments (0)
Leave a comment
There are many reasons why I decided to take a week off and come to Montenegro.
Art Basel 2017 - World's Leading Contemporary Art Fair How sad I am not to attend the greatest art event in the world - famous Art Basel this year! It is actually the first year that I couldn't make it to go to Basel and enjoy at the prestigious art show.
Life is full of amazing experiences, which is great, as they make us grow, both physically and psychically. Some experiences are more difficult than others, but when there is a good goal, they are really worth going through!
After talking about how much I loved LUMAS' work earlier this month, I decided to pay a visit to their gallery next time I was back
There is undoubtedly a correlation between fashion and art. Both are ways of pushing boundaries, reflecting the culture and experimenting with styles to say something
Art Basel is probably one of my favourite art exhibitions to visit every year. Welcoming art lovers from all across the world, the show boasts 20th and
Let the party start: What happens when you put some impressive sponsors together? A party! And what are exactly the details? Where? In New York: at iconic Le
How did I get to the idea of flying to Pittsburgh from New York for the day and having the fun of my art life? To see The Andy Warhol Museum before the Le Cirque fund raising evening.
I recently had the chance to be part of MINI's new fashion project «Cinderella» and to test drive the new MINI Clubman at MINI's Pop-Up Store in one of the most amazing fashion boutiques in Zurich.
Fashion and hotels have always been closely connected. Not only because of the models traveling the world and staying in hotels. It is not just about that. It is about "crime scene" vibe which enhances the fashion itself.
Face - Mirror of our inner self Our skin is affected by so many factors, including environment, food we eat, sleep that we have (or sometimes- don't have), lifestyle we stand for and so much more.
Jewels and girls - an everlasting story There is a story we all know. It is a story about jewels and girls - an everlasting one since ancient times.
There are many reasons why I decided to take a week off and come to Montenegro.
Another month went by! I know, it is incredible! Honestly, when I stop for a second and think what has happened since last Monthly update, I just can say: Wow! Already!
Long Heritage of the Ritual of Hammam Out of many rituals that we accept in life, beauty rituals are definitely among the most important ones.
From time to time, I am getting on a road trip: leaving Switzerland crossing the alps on a sunny day, towards Italy, passing a breathtaking landscape with the view on the Mont Blanc peak, cruising down empty Italian highways at high speed, stopping at any of the gas stations where the cappuccino is better than in any of the Italian bars back home, until where the road arrives at the seaside down south.
Art Basel 2017 - World's Leading Contemporary Art Fair How sad I am not to attend the greatest art event in the world - famous Art Basel this year! It is actually the first year that I couldn't make it to go to Basel and enjoy at the prestigious art show.
As we are still enjoying spring days and nights, let's see what our favorite spring basics are for this season. Cheerful as it is, warm as it sometimes occur to be, spring offers lot of inspiration!
Minas Jewellery - The Story A friend told me about a place I had to visit when I was in Greece a little while ago - Minas Jewellery.
Darlings, Summer 2017 is coming! Faster then we think, we will find ourselves on the beach, in summer outfits, but how confident shall we be? How satisfied with our looks?
Have you ever been to the Chelsea Flower Show? Chelsea Flower show is a very prestigious show which offers lot of innovative and inspirational garden designs. No matter if you are a professional in flower arranging and garden design, or just an admirer of beautiful flowers, there just has to be something you will fell in low with here.
Who says that street style can't be classy and cool at the same time? Believe me, it can.
Life is full of amazing experiences, which is great, as they make us grow, both physically and psychically. Some experiences are more difficult than others, but when there is a good goal, they are really worth going through!
When thinking about Provence, I've always had an inexplicable feeling of some great beauty and peace. For me it sounded like a desired escape for
Being an entrepreneur sounds very desirable and even fashionable lately. There is a certain trend which is encouraging more and more people to try themselves
First thing to say my ladies - be careful with this kind of colour-game, you don't want to end up looking as a disco ball. But, if done right, this kind of make-up could bring you the well-deserved attention and create some mystery around you. Is it like art?
Spring has always been very positive and cheerful period. It is the time when we all wake up a bit and have lot of plans and activities for upcoming season.
The story starts with a health club. When I moved to London I wanted to join a sports club for two reasons: staying fit and getting to know people. Being new in town, it's usually easy to start a conversation when sharing a common interest.
Did you ever wonder how models get that shiny eye makeup looks in high-fashion editorial shoots? You definitely did and that's why we'll have to admit, there's just a right dose of runway vibe when having our eyes looking like this.
I can't even tell you how exited I am as there are so many impressions from Milan Fashion Week I want to share with you.
Each city has a story, and every single event generates some moments which are to be shared. Could you then imagine how many stories and amazing moments Milan Fashion Week provokes?
Recently I spent time in Milan for fashion week. In Germany, they celebrate so called 'Street Carneval' during this period of the year, and Milan compares a little bit to it.
What's the one word that comes to your mind when you talk about the Victoria Beckham's and Estée Lauder's makeup collaboration? PERFECTION. As a huge
I love a new collection launch, particularly one that combines both punchy and delicate fragrances with best selling lip shades. The newly launched Shadescents from
Being able to wear a casual outfit while I am at work is certainly one of the many pros about being a blogger.
After talking about how much I loved LUMAS' work earlier this month, I decided to pay a visit to their gallery next time I was back
There is undoubtedly a correlation between fashion and art. Both are ways of pushing boundaries, reflecting the culture and experimenting with styles to say something
I have been thinking about nostalgia a lot recently. It might be something to do with the time of the year.
It has been a busy year to say the least. With moving house, interning and working on my blog in my spare time, there has been a lot to do over the last few weeks – not to mention everything that comes with the hectic build up to Christmas.
Usually I take an Uber when leaving from home and I hail a black cab on my way back unless I can indicate a place
Everyone who uses skincare products is looking for the same thing: they want to have a fresh and youthful glow that makes their skin feel great.
There has always been a sort of tense relationship between the old fashion journalism and the new. This, as many are already aware, turned into a real war of words recently as US Vogue lashed out at bloggers describing them as "pathetic", "desperate" and "embarrassing". It wasn't just one writer but most of the main Vogue staff who participated in this name-calling including its news editor, chief critic and creative digital director.
I have been known to put some thought into what I wear when I go to work, when I travel or when I go to
One of the joys of moving to a brand new place is learning about the small cultural differences between your old home and your new one. I have only recently come to appreciate, for instance, just how big a deal Halloween is in England.
London has a thriving fashion scene with many designers showcasing clothing of all kinds. Recently I had the pleasure of meeting one particular designer whose
Don't you like to have some favourite spots in a city that you visit on a regular basis? It's like coming home, staff recognizes you
I am sure, all of you have already experienced a short notice cancellation of a meeting that you agreed on with a friend. In fact, that's now a common habit which is based on the assumption that everybody carries and checks his or her mobile phone on a regular basis when heading to the agreed meeting place.
London has forced me, in many ways, to live differently than I did in Switzerland. One particular way that I have had to adjust my lifestyle is in my fashion choices.
Living in London means you live at a pace unlike anywhere else in the world. It's proven by the fact that I'm moving home… again.
I am not an old school person. I believe that manners and dress codes are to be taken more loosely than in the past, but since I am in London I have become a convertite. If there isn't a dress code, people look rather misplaced and the German word "Fremdschämen" comes to my mind quite frequently.
Up to now one very important beauty topic has received little attention on my blog: eyebrows!
As you might know, dress code is still an issue in the more formal establishments in London.
You can never go wrong with stripes. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall, you name the season, stripes are always in fashion!
What's your activity when you're traveling on a plane or train, or just when you are on transit? Are you playing with your smartphone, reading newspapers, browse a magazine or just watch people?
When you arrive at the airport on Mykonos island you first think: great to be here, and your next thought is: will that ever work out?
Over the last few seasons, jumpsuits have really blew up on the fashion scene. With so many styles to choose from, jumpsuits are the perfect style staple to keep in your wardrobe for all temperatures.
As many of you probably get by now, I am a huge art lover. I love visiting different art exhibitions to see the latest work
When we think of Summer, we think of everything floral. The trees and flowers back in full blossom, the bright sunshine and blue skies. The season is full of colour, gorgeous scents and everyone always seems to be in a happier mood. Floral has always been a staple trend during the summer, returning to the catwalks every year for the Spring/Summer collections. Its fun, flirty and chic and can be styled to any occasion.
From time to time we want to add a little femininity to the closet. And what screams girly chic like that little pink dress? Yes. Exactly like the little black dress, but oozing both glamour and girly chic.
There's a lot of debate on the referendum in June. Wild speculations about what's going to happen with the UK depending on the outcome.
Art Basel is probably one of my favourite art exhibitions to visit every year. Welcoming art lovers from all across the world, the show boasts 20th and
Last week I've been to Venice for the Biennale. I am not romantic at all but the city has a surreal touch which is enchanting and fascinating at the same time. And if you manage to avoid being out on the streets between 9 in the morning and 9 in the evening you really start liking this Italian maze.
Overalls can be one of the easiest things to quickly put on when heading out after a lazy day on the sofa or for a snappy visit to the shops. They are great for an occasion, however, overalls can also be dressed up for those fancier occasions.
Roll necks are one of my favourite trends during the winter. Both practical and chic, roll necks can be teamed with almost anything! During this shoot I was on my way to PAD, London's leading fair for 20th century art, so I wanted to feel warm, comfortable and stylish for the day I had ahead of me.
The Best Art Fair in the World? "It's the best art fair in the world, no doubt!" Two beautiful ladies just out of the "First Choice" VIP Preview of Art
Let the party start: What happens when you put some impressive sponsors together? A party! And what are exactly the details? Where? In New York: at iconic Le
How did I get to the idea of flying to Pittsburgh from New York for the day and having the fun of my art life? To see The Andy Warhol Museum before the Le Cirque fund raising evening.


text:
Receive News & Ratings Via Email - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
The EU will unveil proposals for a digital tax on US tech giants on Wednesday, reported France 24. The special tax is the latest measure by the 28-nation European Union to levy fees on Silicon Valley giants and could further inflame a trade row pitting the EU against US President Donald Trump.
Receive News & Ratings Via Email - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
As the proposed digital tax would be applied on the basis and geography of digital users, Facebook (FB) would face levies, along with Alphabet's Google (GOOGL), and Amazon (AMZN), among others. Companies with annual revenue of less than $924 million may not face the new fees. EU Economics Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici will present proposals aimed at recovering billions of euros from mainly US multinationals that shift earnings around Europe to pay lower tax rates.
The new tax has been championed by French President Emmanuel Macron and will be discussed over dinner at an EU leaders summit on Thursday. The unprecedented tech-tax follows major anti-trust decisions by the EU that have set back Apple, Google and Amazon.
After a recent look, we have noticed that the Chaikin Oscillator is under zero for Six Flags Entertainment Corp. (SIX). Traders may be paying close attention to the stock and looking out for possible bearish momentum.
Investors have a few distinct options when approaching the stock market. One option is to follow the crowd and trade with the consensus. Another way is to go against the herd and adopt a contrarian strategy. When it comes down to it, the investor will typically have to make this decision with their best interests in mind. In general, no investor wants to miss out on a winning stock. Far too often, investors will be overcome with the fear of missing out and get into a stock way too late. Just because a stock has been over performing and seeing large gains does not mean that those gains are going to continue into the future. Investors may be too quick to get into a hot stock without putting in the proper time and energy to research whether or not it is still a good stock at current trading levels. Investors who take the time to do their homework for every trade may find themselves a step ahead of the crowd in the long run.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a momentum oscillator that measures the speed and change of stock price movements. The RSI was developed by J. Welles Wilder, and it oscillates between 0 and 100. Generally, the RSI is considered to be oversold when it falls below 30 and overbought when it heads above 70. RSI can be used to detect general trends as well as finding divergences and failure swings. The 14-day RSI is presently standing at 34.49, the 7-day is 25.67, and the 3-day is resting at 9.77.
We can also take a look at the Average Directional Index or ADX of Six Flags Entertainment Corp. (SIX). The ADX is used to measure trend strength. ADX calculations are made based on the moving average price range expansion over a specified amount of time. ADX is charted as a line with values ranging from 0 to 100. The indicator is non-directional meaning that it gauges trend strength whether the stock price is trending higher or lower. The 14-day ADX sits at 24.82. In general, and ADX value from 0-25 would represent an absent or weak trend. A value of 25-50 would indicate a strong trend. A value of 50-75 would indicate a very strong trend, and a value of 75-100 would signify an extremely strong trend.
Interested investors may be watching the Williams Percent Range or Williams %R. Williams %R is a popular technical indicator created by Larry Williams to help identify overbought and oversold situations. Investors will commonly use Williams %R in conjunction with other trend indicators to help spot possible stock turning points. Six Flags Entertainment Corp. (SIX)'s Williams Percent Range or 14 day Williams %R currently sits at -83.88. In general, if the indicator goes above -20, the stock may be considered overbought. Alternately, if the indicator goes below -80, this may point to the stock being oversold.
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. (SIX) currently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of -158.06. Active investors may choose to use this technical indicator as a stock evaluation tool. Used as a coincident indicator, the CCI reading above +100 would reflect strong price action which may signal an uptrend. On the flip side, a reading below -100 may signal a downtrend reflecting weak price action. Using the CCI as a leading indicator, technical analysts may use a +100 reading as an overbought signal and a -100 reading as an oversold indicator, suggesting a trend reversal.
Moving averages can help spot trends and price reversals. They may also be used to help find support or resistance levels. Moving averages are considered to be lagging indicators meaning that they confirm trends. A certain stock may be considered to be on an uptrend if trading above a moving average and the average is sloping upward. On the other side, a stock may be considered to be in a downtrend if trading below the moving average and sloping downward. Shares of Six Flags Entertainment Corp. (SIX) have a 7-day moving average of 43.94.
Managing the stock portfolio can be a very challenging task. To manage the portfolio successfully, it can take a lot of dedicated time, effort, and perseverance. Studying the market and being in tune with the economic landscape can help investors gain the knowledge that is needed to come out on top. Controlling emotions and consistently following a plan may be the keys to keep the investor on track. As many seasoned investors know, the stock market can be a wild ride full of many ups and downs. Being able to stay calm and focused during the rocky periods can assist the investor when making those highly important portfolio decisions.


text:
Phone: 907-451-7500 x27008
Degrees and Certifications:
Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education Master of Education, Reading National Board Certification, Early Childhood
Mrs. Jan Daniels
Welcome to kindergarten! I am excited to be part of your child's educational journey this year. This is my 9th year in kindergarten and I have also taught first grade. I am looking forward to partnering with you this year to make your child's school experience a successful one.
- All Categories
- Unassigned
- Weekly Assignment
- Select Month
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
- December
- Select Year
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
Current Assignments
Past Due Assignments
One Less Review SheetDate Due: 11/13/2015 Category: Weekly Assignment
Sight Word Homework-likeDate Due: 11/20/2015 Category: Weekly Assignment
December Calendar HomeworkDate Due: 12/04/2015
Teen Number CountDate Due: 01/08/2016 Category: Weekly Assignment
Our Stone Soup Friendship Feast will be on Wednesday, November 25th. Each student needs to bring a small lunch size baggie of chopped/cleaned veggies on Thursday, November 24th for when we make the soup. This feast is only for students, however, we need many items sent in for Thursday's great friendship feast. Please see the attached document below for items we still need, and let me know if you can send any of these in. Thanks!


text: We offer affordable moving service with experience movers, no job is to big or small for us. For the avid angler or beginners we have a Big Fish tackle shop that caters to all fishing enthusiast, and all home owners whether you are moving into a new house or thinking of giving your home a new look, then look no further as we have a wide range of imported hand made teak wood furniture for all you needs. Do drop by to see our tackle shop and our range of furniture or contact us for a quotation for all your moving needs.


text:
Nachos with Shrimp and Avocado Tomato Salsa
- Yield: 8 servings
- Salsa:
- 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
- 1 tomato, stemmed, seeded, finely diced
- 1 jalepeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
- 1/4cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2teaspoon salt
- Nachos:
- 8ounces tortilla chips
- 3cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 3/4pound medium shrimp, sauteed or grilled
- 2 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced
- 1/2cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed
- To prepare salsa, place all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
- Preheat oven broiler. Spread tortilla chips in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle half the cheese over chips. Arrange shrimp over cheese and sprinkle remaining cheese over shrimp. Broil about 6 inches from heat source until cheese is melted and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven and drop spoonfuls of salsa over nachos. Sprinkle green onions and fresh cilantro all over. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Info *per serving
- Calories 450
- Fat 29g
- Cholesterol 125mg
- Sodium 680mg
- Carbohydrate 26g
- Fiber 6g
- Protein 24g


text:
I know it sounds nuts but let's tune into the guessing game the internets is playing.
It starts with Charlie Cook, who writes:
A fellow who oversees lobbying in all 50 states for a major corporation recently told me about a certain Republican U.S. senator up for re-election in 2010, someone generally regarded as fairly conservative who might face a serious challenge from a very conservative fellow Republican. The incumbent has not been tainted by scandal, has never embarrassed himself by making a major mistake, is highly regarded in Washington, and is considered a very effective senator.
I was dumbfounded. Although it isn't hard to see why a moderate Republican such as Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter could face a conservative primary challenge, it is difficult to understand why a conservative Republican would be challenged from the right. This is a party in danger of cannibalizing itself.
At Kos, Brownsox goes through some process of elimination and narrows the list to:
• John McCain of Arizona
• John Thune of South Dakota
• Johnny Isakson of Georgia
• Chuck Grassley of Iowa
• Richard Shelby of Alabama
• Judd Gregg of New Hampshire
• Bob Bennett of Utah
The tea leaf reading continues in the comments and over at Swing State Project. Several commentators conclude that it is, indeed, our own Chuck, with the obvious challenger being Steve King.
I'm not buying it. King's crazy but not stupid, and why would he primary Grassley two years after walking away from a run against Harkin? But still: the religious wing of the party doesn't adore Grassley and has a chip on its shoulder about his fraud investigations touching some church-scam fundraising. Remember how Grassley was pointedly excluded from the national convention delegation? And primaryphobia would help explain his vote against Geithner in committee.
Some comments speculate that this is pressure on Grassley to retire. You all know my theory on that; he's staying one more term till his grandson, state Rep. Pat Grassley, is old enough.
Enjoy the amateur punditry in the comments. My guess is it's Roy "Ten Commandments" Moore taking on Shelby in Alabama; some of those Alabama Republicans have never liked ex-Democrat Shelby, who beat one of their own, Jeremiah Denton, in 1986 before becoming a turncoat the day after the 1994 election.
Meanwhile, Stuart Rothenberg rates the Grassley seat as "Clear Advantage for Incumbent Party." That's the lowest of the on the radar categories, but not "Currently Safe." My guess is that Rothenberg is not 100 percent convinced that Grassley will run.
And Greg Sargent writes:
An ad campaign blitzing a half dozen GOP Senators will be launched in the middle of next week by one such outside group, Americans United For Change, which will air ads for at least four days pressuring the Senators to back Obama's stimulus package.
"The ads will say, `Senator, you have a stark choice. Are you going to play politics as usual and embrace the failed policies of the past, or will you support the Obama plan?'" says a Democratic operative involved in the project.
Some or all of the Senators likely to be targeted: Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine), Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Judd Gregg (N.H.), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), and George Voinovich (Ohio).
Anyway, all the more reason for Democrats to recruit a strong candidate NOW.


text:
First off – so sorry for no post last night. I've apparently still got Eggnog brain (actually…no I don't…eggnog disgusts me)…so take two: I've apparently still got sugar plum brain and didn't even realize that yesterday was Monday. Oops.
With that being said, I hope that all of you had an amazing Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanzaa or whatever else you might celebrate. I hope you received everything you asked for.
Santa left me with a few extra presents that I didn't ask for…one being a little of his big round belly. Thanks for the poundage, Kris Kringle! Next year you're getting celery sticks and not cookies.
He also left me with a weird attitude. The right side of my brain is the new-found positive me. The left side of my brain is the old negative, condescending me. Why?! I thought the left side was gone. Maybe it's the weather. Maybe it's because I didn't get to sleep in my own bed on Christmas Eve. Maybe it's because I gained a little bit of weight. Who knows…I just wish it would go. This negativity scares me. I'll catch myself questioning whether or not I've truly made any progress. What the hell am I talking about? I've lost 50 pounds. Way, way more than I've ever lost at one time in my life. Why do I question my progress? Why do I discount myself? Why do I feel less beautiful today than I did a week ago?
Maybe my focus waned a little bit over the holiday and my fear of reverting back to my old ways is allowing some of this negativity in. I've got to wake up and stay focused on me. This whole journey is about me. This roller coaster ride of life is taking its toll. I've got to wake up and focus on what this is all about. I've got to wake up and focus on how far I've come. I've got to wake up and focus on the continuing to make progress. I cannot stop now. Wake up, Hannah.
Wake up.
There's a new day waiting for me and it's passing me by while I lay under the covers until the last minute every morning, wishing the world would go away. But the world's not going anywhere. The world always keeps turning, it's always spinning…the world doesn't care if it continues to move with me or without me. I've been in the dark so long that the world has just about forgotten all about me. Maybe it's time to make it remember.
It's time to get up and start moving.
Time to move toward my dreams. Time to move toward the life I know I want and deserve. I've wasted day after day, year after year, but it just doesn't matter. Yesterday is gone, and today is right here, so bright and beautiful and full of possibility but…
My life gets in the way. I've got deadlines and responsibilities. I've got conference calls and reports. I've got sales tracking and inventory inquiries. I don't have enough time to get everything done.
But wait…
Do I really think I'm the only one with deadlines and responsibilities, pressures and complications?
Sure, life is hectic, hectic, hectic, and there's never enough time to do everything. But, there's always enough time to do the most important thing, and right now the most important thing is for me to GET UP.
Get up and start moving.
Get up and start living.
I've been feeling sorry for myself so long that I think that's how I'm destined to feel.
Of course my life could be so much better.
So I've got to make it better.
It is within me to grab the reins of my life and take control. I have started to do so for the last 50 pounds. I cannot and will not stop now. There is still half the journey left to go. No, it won't be easy. Did I honestly expect it would be? But I know it will be worth it. I know that this isn't where I want to be, where I am meant to be.
I can lie where I am, feeling sorry for myself or I can get up and make something out of this beautiful day. I didn't get where I am overnight, and it won't get better in a matter of days… but it will get better. I know in my heart of hearts it will get better.
I've been hiding under the covers for far too long.
It's time for me to wake up.


text:
External committees
To reflect the diverse interests of various market participants, external committees are made up of a variety of stakeholders in Hong Kong's markets. The committees fall into two categories, namely advisory and regulatory, and play a significant role in the SFC's governance.
Advisory committee
The Advisory Committee was established under the Securities and Futures Ordinance to offer insight and advice on policy issues. It is chaired by our Chairman and comprises the CEO and not more than two other EDs, as well as a majority of external representatives appointed by the Financial Secretary under the authority delegated by the HKSAR Chief Executive.
Regulatory committees and nominations committee
These are SFC-established committees specialising in particular regulatory areas, eg, market supervision, investment products, and public shareholders' rights and interests. Members are appointed by the Board and include NEDs, EDs and a large external representation.
- Academic and Accreditation Advisory Committee
- Committee on Real Estate Investment Trusts
- Disciplinary Chair Committee
- Investor Compensation Fund Committee
- Nominations Committee
- Products Advisory Committee
- Public Shareholders Group
- Securities Compensation Fund Committee
- SFC (HKEC Listing) Appeals Committee
- SFC (HKEC Listing) Committee
- Share Registrars' Disciplinary Appeals Committee
- Share Registrars' Disciplinary Committee
- Takeovers and Mergers Panel
- Takeovers Appeal Committee


text:
Paired with a beautifully crafted retrospective, the House series finale, in its two-hour form, perfectly represents the best and worst of the series. Using Hugh Laurie to endear audiences to the behind-the-scenes production of the series, House entered into its final episode by presenting the perfect platform for audiences to not only enjoy the finale, but to also appreciate it from the point-of-view of everyone who worked on it.
Sadly, all of those fond memories and earned goodwill from the retrospective were all-but lost, as the lack of actual story, its poor, disjointed flashbacks and "twist" ending served to almost isolate this episode from the entity of the series. Perhaps a story viewers would be interesting in hearing - though not as the closing chapter.
Trapped in a burning building, much of the episode was spent trying to figure out what was actually occurring. Attempts at using familiar faces from series' past were a welcomed inclusion, if only in the most simplest sense (i.e. it's nice to see characters return).
Trying to find a connection between the House series finale and the emotionally charged story-arc that audiences have been enjoying for the latter half of the series, the almost decade-long invested viewership is insultingly asked to hinge the entirety of this episode's logic and existence on an elementary school stunt of flushing something down the toilet.
As the talk of consequences from vandalism was continuously used as an ill-thought motivator for House's change, all hopes for a competent conclusion to one of television's most compelling characters were embarrassingly thrown away, as the hopes for any type of definite ending took over.
And for five minutes, a definite ending was provided. In a mish-mash of illogical occurrences, House's attempt at redemption was met with his fiery death, completely visible to Wilson and Foreman. If one purely focuses on the act of killing House, an instinctual, emotional response is felt by those watching. However, that extremely thin veil is easily lifted once any type of logic is added and audiences realize that the death of lesser characters were more emotionally impactful.
Fortunately, those feelings only lasted for a few moments, as it was revealed that House had actually faked his own death. Absolutely proving to anyone watching that House has a direct connection to Sherlock Holmes, the House series finale insultingly believed that the best way to end one of television's most iconic characters with an ending that every iteration of Sherlock Holmes (film and television) used as their ending – and they did it months before the House series finale was written.
Almost winking at the audience, this disastrous ending followed the absolutely wonderful House retrospective, which spoke in-length about how the series was based on the doctor that inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. While showing that House isn't simply some clone of Sherlock Holmes, it does become laughable once you realize that the series finale turned out to be exactly that. A poor clone.
For whatever reason, this was the ending that the producers felt viewers deserved. Certainly not the ending they had originally planned (if they even had that figured out), one has to wonder how the finale would have been altered if certain things had played out differently in the series' history.
In the end, the House series finale is a careless, uneventful and almost pointless entity into the series franchise. Unfortunately, the series had reached a point where there were very few places left to go (or character movements to explore). So while this may not be the best ending to the series, it's an ending. And at this point, many will be satisfied with just that.
[poll id="319"]
[poll id="322"]
House aired Mondays @8pm on Fox
Follow Anthony on Twitter @anthonyocasio


text:
Lorlene M. Hoyt
Executive Director, Talloires Network
University of Pennsylvania, Ph.D. in City Planning
University of Pennsylvania, Master of City Planning
State University of New York, Master of Landscape Architecture
Pennsylvania State University, Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture
Professional Experience:
- Research Professor, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University, Present
- Associate Research Professor, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University
- Executive Director, Talloires Network, Tufts University, Present
- Director of Programs and Research, Talloires Network, Tufts University
- Associate Professor, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.)
- Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, M.I.T.
- Director and Founder, MIT@Lawrence Partnership
- Lecturer, University of Pennsylvania
- Co-founder and Member, Urban Revitalizers, LLC
Selected Honors and Awards:
President's Community Partnership Award, Massachusetts Campus Compact
Excellence in Advising Award, M.I.T.
Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award, M.I.T.
President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, Corporation for National and Community Service
Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement, New England Resource Center for Higher Education
Selected Funded Research:
- Principal Investigator for the "Youth Economic Participation Initiative" Global South University Demonstration Grant and Research Project. MasterCard Foundation
- Principal Investigator for the "Global Citizenship" Prize and Research Project. McJannet Foundation
- Co-principal Investigator for "Supporting African Higher Education Leaders' Participation in the Talloires Network Leaders Conference 2017" Carnegie Corporation of New York.
- Principal Investigator for "Deliberative Civic Engagement" International Workshops and Research Project. Kettering Foundation
- Principal Investigator for "Civic Education of College Students through Community Experiences Beyond Service Learning" International Workshops and Research Project. Kettering Foundation
- Principal Investigator for the "Faculty and Staff Professional Development Program." Pearson Foundation
- Principal Investigator for "MIT@Lawrence" campus-community partnership. United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and other sources
Teaching/Courses Taught:
Community Development, Planning, and Politics
Anchor Institutions and Community Revitalization


text:
About this item
The second volume of the Pulitzer Prize--winning biography that The Washington Post hailed as "an engrossing masterpiece"Charismatic, singularly determined, and controversial, W.E.B. Du Bois was a historian, novelist, editor, sociologist, founder of the NAACP, advocate of women's rights, and the premier architect of the Civil Rights movement. His hypnotic voice thunders out of David Levering Lewis's monumental biography like a locomotive under full steam. This second volume of what is already a classic work begins with the triumphal return from WWI of African American veterans to the shattering reality of racism and lynching even as America discovers the New Negro of literature and art. In stunning detail, Lewis chronicles the little-known political agenda behind the Harlem Renaissance and Du Bois's relentless fight for equality and justice, including his steadfast refusal to allow whites to interpret the aspirations of black America.


text:
Films = 2017 was a pretty good year for films. I also started my cinema subscription in April, so I've seen a much larger number of current year films than before, and a wider range of films full stop, which is nice. In roughly chronological order my favourites of the year are:
Life. Aliens in space, but a quite genuinely freaky story that is more horror than science fiction.
Ghost in the Shell. The much feared live action remake. It made some mistakes, but overall I felt it was a solid effort. Still not as good as the original animé though.
Logan. A great, dark superhero film.
Cure for Wellness. Light on story, but heavy on acting and atmosphere, and an unusual story to boot.
Valerian. I think I've already described it somewhere as a beautiful mess. It feels like a spiritual successor to The Fifth Element, albeit it doesn't have anywhere near the same panache or coherence.
Wind River. Dark depressing drama, but very solid.
Happy Death Day. Probably aimed at the intelligent teen demographic, but I had a lot of time for it.
Jungle. Another film that was a little light on story, but still a solid bit of drama, in an unusual environment.
Molly's Game. More in the way of solid drama, helped by being a true story.
Dunkirk. Inevitably depressing, but a supremely good depiction of three stories at Dunkirk. Amazing and unusual soundtrack.
Star Wars 8. Only surprises were some odd humour and the bum-numbing length, but on a second viewing I feel it's a solid entry in the canon.
Blade Runner 2049 was the big disappointment. As much as I would have loved a great Blade Runner sequel, it did finally confirm for me that Blade Runner shouldn't have sequels. For me it just paled into comparison with the original, and in places was downright rubbish. Probably an OK film overall, but I just can't decouple it from the original.
TV = An equally good year for TV.
The Tick. Amazon's take on the comic, which I felt was pretty good.
American Gods. OK, I'm not sure offhand if this was actually 2017, but I watched it this year. A really solid unusual supernatural story, chock full of characters and plot.
Parks & Recreation. This definitely wasn't 2017, but I managed to make it through 5, or was that 6, seasons. A bit samey, but the flipside being consistency, and very funny in places.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Same as Parks & Rec really, samey, but a reliable fun watch, with some hilarious moments. This was just the latest season, which was 2017.
Red Dwarf. At risk of repeating myself again, another solid effort from the boys from the Dwarf.
Electric Dreams. One of the two standout series this year, with Philip K Dick's short stories finally getting the treatment they deserve. Sadly not 100% faithful to the books, but the end result is still excellent. Second half of the season showing early next year.
Black Mirror. Season 4 just released, and the second standout of the year. Some dark but superb writing, and so consistent.
Music = I'm trying to remember if I listened to any actual 2017 music... to iTunes! Ah yes, of course I did.
Will Cookson's About Love EP. I have a feeling that Will Cookson was a new discovery in 2017, recommended by Tom Rosenthal. He has a folk-y feel to his music, but it also feels quite original. Melancholy though.
Tom Rosenthal's Fenn. Tom's latest album, named after his youngest daughter. It includes a song about his love for pasta, what more can I say?!
Jamiroquai's Automaton. A surprisingly great effort from Mr. Acid Jazz. A number of tracks have been on repeat across the year.
Amber Run's For A Moment, I Was Lost. I discovered Amber Run while awake at 5am, and searching for tracks with "5am" in the title. I love the serendipity of that. This is their second album, which I love. Plus I got to see them live for the first time, and they were excellent. Just a shame that standing gigs are so tedious.
Games = Not a big year for gaming, for me that is, but I did have a chance to play a few, so I won't leave it off this year. It helps that my eldest loves computer games, and I have a bit more time for myself.
Space Marshalls. Android/iOS game that borrows from those isometric realtime isometric shooters on the Atari ST and Amiga. Really fun, plus there's a sequel.
Slime Rancher. An unusual game where you get paid to sell the poo from farming slime creatures. It all started to get a bit complex, so I gave in after 10 hours play, but it was a fun 10 hours. Amélie loves it.
(Past faves from 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.)


text: Andrea Specht is the executive director of Artistry, a nonprofit producer of theater, visual arts, arts education, and creative placemaking programs that serve more than 80,000 people annually. Before joining the Artistry staff, Andrea worked in a variety of marketing and development positions for Girl Scouts and practiced law at Dorsey & Whitney. In the early '90s, she worked as a visual artist and maintained a studio in northeast Minneapolis. She is a board member of The Rose Ensemble and serves as program chair for the Bloomington Noon Rotary Club. Photo Credit: Petronella Ytsma.< Back


text:
This morning a post on a blog I enjoy following, aura-joon, was really wonderful. Spending so much time with my niece and nephews has taught me to appreciate kids' music...especially good kids' music that adults can stand...or more importantly, LIKE.
Pacing The Panic Room and others have put together a charity album for Littlest Buddy, who's been diagnosed with Smith Magenis Syndrome. All the proceeds will go to research for SMS.
So, for all you with youngsters, here is a worthy and quality purchase :)


text:
I'm thinking about getting myself a Kindle with my tax return (I mean, that interest-free loan I allow the government to take from my paycheck). Something to wean me off of internet feminism, you know?
Anyway, I just was reviewing the feminist theory category of available Kindle books on Amazon and, while I saw a few choice titles, I'm not really feeling inspired.
Do any of you feminists have a Kindle that you use for feminist-theory-reading purposes?
Do you know of other feminist titles that Amazon hasn't added to this list that I, or other feminists, might enjoy?
Do you recommend another e-reader that has a better variety of feminist themed works than the Kindle does?
Thank you in advance for any thoughts you're willing to share!!


text:
News: Celebrating over 10 years serving the creative community
/Twinke Masta-M3 shotgun(v_tfc_supershotgun) 12gauge - Model: FA team skin: fub /Spy's handgun - Model - TheLama UVMaps - Vee / Millenia Skin - Millenia/Grenades-i didnt do anything here so all belongs to original creators!/Nige111-AlyxGun like pistol for Railgun./RedSlug and TS Team-AK47 and scope for sniper/Renard-Pyros and Soldiers rocket launcher./HEV model-texture-H4wk model-RedSlug/Valve./RedSlug-Umbrella model./Saxon-LD shells/Grenade launcher - EdisLeado, HellSpike, Millenia, Flamshmizer/OP4 REDUX team-armor(me-edits)/HL:WE -flamethrower/Spanner-H4Wk and OP4 REDUX team and Nirvana-team change/M249 for minigun-Gearbox-model/textures.Nige111-compile.Me-ReCompile/Bullets-unknown author/Sentry-Q3 TF authors./Teleport-{LAF}SCARFACE~[AK]~/Crowbar- Credits Loyden -tWo-/Pipebomb-same creds as grenade launcher except no Flamshmizer/Supernailgun-CREDITSModel : SpezzSkin : pr0d!gyLaser model, skin : LonewolfFlashlight model, skin : Version_2, pr0d!gyRecompile on Gearbox animations-GhostSoldier aka Frost/medkit-original creators(A.I. i think)/gasmask-PARANOIA dev's/nailgun-Model and UVMaps by SchmungSkin by el maestro de graffitiAnimations-Gearbox(i think it was edited by RedSlug though)Recompile for TFC- Ghost Soldier aka Frost/knife Credits:Model/ UV-Map: Hav0k101Skin/ Compile: d0nnAnimation: Valve,Sprites-HUD is not done by me(nor is weapon icons),muzzleflash-Diamond/ruM.SoundLots of authors, nothing created by me.Background-LordShenlong
I wish I got to meet nerds IRL
Oh hey, never knew h4wk did a retex of redslugs HEV. Might have to start including that in future releases.
Quote from: The ghost of Christmas FALs on February 13, 2016, 01:36:40 AMOh hey, never knew h4wk did a retex of redslugs HEV. Might have to start including that in future releases.It was my shoddy attempt to make the Red Slug's model a bit more interesting. This pack's so old i'm almost tempted to create a better version if there's any demand for that. One that has much more quality control and looks alot more coherent.


text:
FC: Jadyn L. Washington 2-1-2010
1: Happy Birthday | Today Jadyn you are 2 What more can I say, You're becoming more special Each and every day, So blow out your candles One by one Enjoy your birthday Have lots of fun.
3: STINKER daddy's little girl!
4: JADYN LARAE | We Love You From your daddy & mommy!!!
5: Make A Wish!
6: Your big brothers love you with all their heart and soul. today they celebrate your place in this family....We love you Jadyn..... trey-trey and AaRon
7: Big Brothers are Cool!
8: I'm the best! 2-1-2010
10: I hope that for every candle on your cake you get a wonderful surprise.
12: Born to Party!
13: Hope you have the greatest Birthday ever!
14: It's time to cut the cake, make a wish and open presents!
16: Cut the Cake!
17: Make a Wish!
19: Hoping your wishes come true year after year. | Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday to you.. Happy Birthday to JADYN Happy Birthday Tooooo YOOOOOU!
20: I'm 2 Years Old!
22: Hope you have the greatest Birthday ever!
23: Wishing you everything happy for your birthday.
24: May this year be your best ever!
25: I hope all your birthday dreams and wishes come true.


text:
Businesses have built a rod for their back
A frequent complaint of management is the growing costs and resources involved in compliance. This is an area where organisations can generate substantial savings as well as delivering better information to decision makers. This is how Dacono's enterprise system delivers business value.
Through osmosis, organisations have typically built a range of disconnected and disparate specialist systems over the years to cater for a range of specialist needs. This has become a major headache for organisations:
Imaging the savings in cost and resources if we could bring all those systems together into one system. We would get rid of duplication of work, remove inconsistencies and deliver information to decision makers sooner. This is the approach that Dacono is taking.


text:
Wind power for homes is a scorching matter of dialog among the many many budget-minded. It's an environment friendly and low-cost method to power your personal residence all yr lengthy. Wind power will not be one factor new; windmills have been used to generate power for a whole lot of years. Within the current day, nonetheless, more and more extra individuals are discovering how wind might be utilized as an alternative of typical electrical power in residential homes. It's a good decision for anyone who needs to get off the grid, get financial financial savings, and help the environment.
Wind power for homes is taken into consideration to be very reliable, and it's easy on the environment, since no fossil fuels must be burned to generate it. Because of you don't have to rely on agency to generate wind power, your power funds will most likely be minuscule to non-existent, counting on must you go utterly off the grid or complement a number of of your power from typical sources. With in the intervening time's rising costs of virtually each factor, more and more extra individuals are seeing wind power because the reply they need to carry on prime of their funds.
The one issue that retains further people from using wind is the extreme preliminary value of buying turbines. However, that preliminary funding will current a great deal of future cost-saving benefits. The couple of thousand you spend now will most likely be returned to you a hundred-fold or further throughout the coming years. However, you don't have to buy a turbine to utilize wind in your own home. You'll actually assemble your particular person generator using frequently devices you'll uncover at any ironmongery retailer. This do-it-yourself method will scale back the value of placing in wind power into your personal residence from the a whole lot of to the plenty of.
Do-it-yourself plans for setting up wind power generators might be discovered on-line freed from cost. It's possible you'll as effectively get this data in any number of books. In case you occur to're really looking for to avoid wasting your self a fortune in power funds and help the environment throughout the course of, there's no larger method to start out than by setting up your particular person generator to harness the power of wind. The plans for setting up these generators are quite simple to adjust to, and virtually anyone can assemble one, even people with no precise technical info or talents.
There's nothing unsafe about wind the least bit. It is not toxic, it doesn't pollute, and its period doesn't have any environmentally unfriendly by-products. It costs little or no to indicate it into electrical power. By harnessing the power of wind, we're capable of protected the best way ahead for the planet for ourselves and our youngsters, and begin setting up a better financial future for our households, as properly. Wind power for homes could give us all of this.
Supply :


text:
"FSI Middle East, the region's leading facilities management solutions software provider, recently launched FSI Intuitive BI - a business intelligence dashboard solution, providing instant data visualisation and analysis of the information stored in FSI's Concept Evolution system.
"The Intuitive BI software supports the distribution of key management information to Concept Evolution users, in a manner that is both readily understandable and easy to act upon. Information is presented within simple graphical components that are combined into dashboards of related information. The dashboards can then be viewed via a normal PC browser, on a tablet, or by smart phone."
Information within the dashboard can also be restricted by the role or seniority of the user, for example a contract manager would only see information relating to properties in their contracts, and a maintenance manager would perhaps not see financial information. Similarly, suppliers would see only their task performance.
"Intuitive BI does not replace our existing dashboard, it is merely an advanced option which will allow non-technical users to 'slice and dice' and create from pre-prepared data extracts (datasets), as well as provide easy to understand graphical visualisation of data," explains Adrian Jarvis, General Manager of FSI Middle East.
Information is presented in simple graphical forms (trends, gauges, bar charts, pie charts etc.), called components, that are combined into dashboards of relevant information. The FSI Intuitive BI platform has the unique ability to reuse the same components and dashboards many times without incurring an additional performance or cost overhead, potentially slashing the time and cost for BI solution development and maintenance.
"Examples of customised dashboards include a customer portal which can show task performance and facility utilisation, and a supplier portal which shows real-time information on tasks assigned to them, and the customer satisfaction levels they are delivering. There is also an engineer portal which is able to show their outstanding tasks, and it is available on their smart phones/devices," added Jarvis.
There are currently eight distinct dashboards covering, the following areas, namely: helpdesk call analysis, customer satisfaction, finance, task analysis including supplier performance, as well as assets & PPMs, resource efficiency & workload, facilities booking, and management overview. Data can also be imported from sources other than Concept Evolution to provide an integrated dashboard solution for the organisation as a whole.
Comments are closed.


text:
Independent Lloyd's broker AFL Insurance Brokers Ltd. announced the launch of a commercial marine division, and the appointment of Alex Mott as director of Marine.
A senior marine insurance professional with 16 years of international experience, Mott previously managed the Ed marine broking team as head broker (from January 2016 to February 2018). His career as a Lloyd's broker and broking team manager has seen him specialize in multiple marine risks, including hull and machinery, disbursements, war risks and protection & indemnity (P&I) insurance.
Prior to his tenure at Ed, he worked as deputy managing director at Edge Brokers (January 2013 – December 2015), according to his LinkedIn profile. Between April 2007 and December 2012, he was broking director, head of hull, at Cooper Gay & Co. (the predecessor of Ed). He also worked as a marine broker at London Special Risks Ltd. from 2002 to 2007, said his profile.
"The launch of a commercial marine division is a logical step for AFL as we continue to grow the business into a full-service intermediary," said AFL Chairman Toby Esser. "We are responding to increased demand from clients for a modern, proactive approach to processing and placing Marine business, and are delighted that a skilled insurance professional of Alex's caliber is coming on board."
"Marine insurance is at the historic heart of the London market, but London's long-standing roots as a marine hub cannot be taken for granted," said AFL CEO Bob Finch. "We are committed to developing and adopting the latest technology and modernization initiatives to deliver efficiencies in processing and placing marine business, and maintain London's position as a global leader in marine insurance."
"Building AFL into a full service independent broker is a compelling proposition, and I am looking forward to leading the Marine division at this exciting time," Mott added.
AFL Insurance Brokers has been steadily building out its wholesale and retail capabilities, with recent growth including the appointment of Mike Almond to its corporate division, and the appointments of Barry Rowland and Chris Cavani as directors in the property/casualty businesses, the company said.
Source: AFL Insurance Brokers
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.


text:
Maine State Police say a Massachusetts man is dead after a high-speed crash in the town of Norway.
Police say 36-year-old William Stella of Stoneham, Massachusetts, died when his car slammed head-on into another vehicle and burst into flames late Friday night.
According to necn affiliate WCSH, witnesses told police Stella was doing "360 burnouts" in the parking lot of Crazy 8's bar in South Paris.
The latest news from around the state
People at the bar said Stella got agitated and fled. An Oxford County deputy had begun pursuing him. Police say the deputy had ended his pursuit of Stella, who took off at a high speed, before the 11:15 p.m. crash occurred.
Stella's car crashed into one driven by 42-year-old Jennifer Clough of Norway, who was hospitalized for treatment of what police say were critical but non-life-threatening injuries.


text:
The time evolution of the nondegenerate four-wave mixing polarization in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is investigated theoretically by solution of the semiconductor Bloch equations, including all the relevant scattering processes. The results are in direct agreement with recent experimental measurements, showing that a treatment of coherent and incoherent effects in SOA's on the level of a microscopic theory is highly desirable.
© 1998 Optical Society of AmericaFull Article | PDF Article
OSA Recommended Articles
J. M. Tang, P. S. Spencer, and K. A. Shore
Opt. Lett. 24(22) 1605-1607 (1999)
W. Schäfer
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 13(6) 1291-1297 (1996)
S. Hughes, A. Knorr, and S. W. Koch
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 14(4) 754-760 (1997)


text:
For so long this had looked like being Arsène Wenger's nightmare: first half good; second half not so good. Arsenal had entered the new year on top of the table after an excellent opening 19 Premier League matches and they had been consistently good throughout 2013. The last thing the manager wanted was a stuttering start to the season's second half.
But Arsenal got there in the end. Cardiff had defended for each other, showing their discipline, and they had refused to wilt in the face of mounting pressure. Yet Arsenal had the hero in Nicklas Bendtner, who appeared as a second-half substitute to provide the decisive moment.
The cameo was underpinned by drama. From Nacho Monreal's cross, Bacary Sagna forced the Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall into a save but Bendtner was on hand to lash the rebound high into the net. He promptly fell on Marshall, turned his ankle and was forced off. As he limped round the fringes of the pitch, he was afforded a gladiator's reception. The same crowd had booed him in the Capital One Cup against Chelsea on 29 October. Bendtner will be out for weeks, rather than days, according to Wenger.
Theo Walcott gave the scoreline a more presentable look with the second, a lovely chip over Marshall from the outstanding Jack Wilshere's flick, and Arsenal could exhale, as they jumped back to the summit. It was tight but they deserved it.
Cardiff gave their all, even if their offensive ambition was limited, but the action for them came in the directors' box, where Vincent Tan sat alongside Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the man he has wooed into becoming his new manager. He whispered into Solskjaer's ear and the most fun to be had during a boring first half was to guess what particular pearls of tactical wisdom he was imparting. Solskjaer looked suitably engaged.
Arsenal made a meal of their task, particularly in the first half when, Wilshere apart, they had no tempo to their play. There was an impression that not only those in the stands were contending with hangovers. Arsenal's passing was frequently careless.
Cardiff were compact, keen to protect rather than push, neat and tidy without quickening the pulse. Their wide midfielders dropped deep and there was chuntering from the home crowd about Marshall's perceived time-wasting as early as the 20th minute. The goalkeeper was eventually booked for the offence, on the hour.
They created precious few chances, with Jordan Mutch's 27th-minute effort on the counter-attack standing out. He escaped Laurent Koscielny's attentions to get his shot away from a tight angle but Wojciech Szczesny saved. At 2-0 Szczesny blocked from the captain, Steven Caulker, at close quarters.
Arsenal dominated in territorial terms and Wilshere worked to inject urgency but the end product was erratic. Walcott had three first-half efforts but none of them troubled Marshall, while Lukas Podolski, playing at centre-forward in place of the injured Olivier Giroud, struggled to make an impression.
He dropped deep in search of the ball, which did little to advance his candidacy as the leader of the line, and his performance was rather summed up when he got in the way of a goal-bound Santi Cazorla shot. He was replaced by Bendtner.
Wilshere had appealed for a penalty on 25 minutes after Gary Medel's challenge, while Cardiff felt aggrieved when Craig Noone's cross early in the second half clearly struck Monreal's hand on the very edge of the area. The officials were unmoved. Walcott later felt that Ben Turner had gone into the back of him inside the box. Turner and Caulker gave towering displays in central defence.
The second half was more impassioned as the home crowd came to confront the possibility of costly dropped points. Wilshere embossed his status as the game's most eye-catching player when he wriggled through to explode a shot off the outside of the near post before Per Mertesacker fluffed two glorious chances.
The first one was the howler and everybody connected to Arsenal did howl, especially the big German. Mertesacker was completely unmarked from Walcott's cross but he headed past the post. Minutes later, again unmarked, he rose to nod Walcott's corner off the outside of the post. Again he sank to his knees in disbelief.
Arsenal camped inside the Cardiff half and, when Caulker cleared Sagna's header off the line in the 83rd minute and Marshall then denied the substitute Tomas Rosicky, it seemed the visitors would hold out. Bendtner had other ideas.


text:
Today marks the anniversary of my foster brother's death. One year today without him and my heart still aches. I miss his laughter, his goofy smile, and our random conversations that had to do with nothing, but that were so important to us. He is missed by so many; in the twenty-five years that he was alive he made a significant impact in the lives of others. Clint I will always remember the impact you made in our lives. Rest in peace little brother I love
you and miss you.
May 4, 2012
One Year Later
2 comments:
My foster/adopted brother lives with me and he is 19 now I'd be lost without him!! Big hugs for you xxReplyDelete
I lost a sister at the age of 53 and that's been 12 years ago and it still hurts. I wrote about defining moments in life and my thoughts about her here: http://waldenbunch.blogspot.com/2012/04/defining-moments.htmlReplyDelete
I also have 3 adopted kids and 2 bio kids and our journey through the foster/adopt system has been heartbreaking yet fulfilling and God ordained. Have you written your story on your blog? I didn't know if you were adopted or your family did foster care or what. Sharing my story and my children's story has become a passion of mine. I do it through my blog AND through Project Life. Have a great day!
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
This is a fun story about sexy were-cats in space. Seems Earth's environment turned poisonous to the were-felines in Middlemarch of the future so they left this old rock and found a new home. The thing about new home planets, there are some creatures already residing there, and some aren't too friendly. It's a built-in conflict of survival. However, it's not necessarily reserved for survival of life, it's also of the mind. The guy cats are going nuts because they NEED some female cats and there's none to be had. What do about it is the second conflict and the main one that provides all the entertainment for a reader.
Things are very science fiction-ish in this tale. Saber is operating a space resort – or trying to. The first few chapters is spent setting up the world building and introducing a reader to the lingo, the issues and challenges, and the main players that will initially surround and help or hinder the hero, Saber. That includes the heroine, Eva, who is not of Earth but another planet altogether. Her planet has its own challenges and amazingly enough, greed and dysfunctional family squabbles follow human nature even into space. The heroine's issues present a third conflict for a reader to enjoy. There's no shortage of adventures, suspense or drama in this novel. Saber has his hands full in trying to woo and win his reluctant mate.
I was a bit overwhelmed in the beginning because of all the unfamiliar terms. My reading time slowed considerably because I spent time digesting the newness of the words, their meaning and their effect on the main protagonists. Once that was out of the way, the author focused on what she does so well – her characters and the romance. Once Saber and Eva are alone in the uninhabited part of the island, the tale became about him and her and their growing relationship provides the most entertainment value. Saber may have teeth and claws at times but there's something on the island that has talons 100% of the time and it's scary. I liked that. There are a couple of other surprises too that I felt were a nice touch. One was blue and the other hot with vegetables. You'll have to read it to find out what I'm talking about.
One aspect of books by Ms. Munro is the smoking hot sex that her characters experience between the pages. Readers will find many opportunities to use their personal fans as they follow the growth of Eva and Saber's physical attraction and culmination – numerous times. Erotic fans should be very satisfied. Obviously not as replete as Saber and Eva however, especially with that scene in the hut. Whoa!
I know in the blurb it mentions how reluctant Eva is to stay with Saber. That's an understatement. She makes some rather poor choices that I felt were totally stupid. What saves it is Saber. He let her know that they were stupid and then he chose action to express his viewpoint. It was very effective and another bit of hot writing. Ultimately, Eva regained my respect because she stepped back and realized something. She was CHOSEN. For her, that is absolutely huge and a pivotal moment. Readers will only understand how profound that is once they've read the story. I liked her best at that crucial scene. It made what came after real, hopeful and it justifies my belief in their happy ever after.
There are also plenty of humorous scenes, dialogue and interaction so the drama of survival is mitigated by the lighthearted banter and silly things Eva says. The author made me smile many times as I read the book.
Erotic romance readers should find a lot to like and enjoy in Snared by Saber. Ms. Munro consistently provides her fans with stories of love on the wild side, however this novel is a bit more wild than usual. I really liked it and would definitely recommend it to readers. I especially enjoyed the sci-fi aspect of it as it provided something refreshing and out of the ordinary for me. Sometimes, cats in space are a very good thing.
Editor's note: This article was originally published at Long and Short Reviews. It has been republished with permission. Like what you read? Subscribe to the SFRB's free daily email notice so you can be up-to-date on our latest articles. Scroll up this page to the sign-up field on your right.


text:
In addition to deciding whether to change the town's electoral system, Killingly voters in November will have the chance to delete outdated information from their town charter and give Town Council members more time to appoint the town attorney
In addition to deciding whether to change the town's electoral system, Killingly voters in November will have the chance to delete outdated information from their town charter and give Town Council members more time to appoint the town attorney.
A set of four proposed charter amendments is scheduled to be decided by residents on Nov. 5, including whether to elect four of the council's nine members at-large, with the remainder chosen from each of the town's five districts, and whether to get rid of the elected constable positions. But two other proposals were also approved by the Charter Revision Commission, one of which is more about the past than the future.
Commission members recommend eliminating language related to three town duties made obsolete years ago after changes were made to state law, including wording about jury committees. For years, the town elected three individuals who would compile a list of prospective jurors for jury duty. That job was later transferred to the state Judicial Branch, but the charter language was never removed.
The commission also recommended eliminating language concerning the directors of social services and income maintenance — essentially two job titles handled by a single person for years until, like the jury committee, its duties were passed to the state.
"It used to be when a resident needed financial assistance, such as food vouchers, help with rent or transportation, their first stop was the town," Town Manager Bruce Benway said. "Towns were allotted a certain amount in the budget to take care of those expenses and we referred them to the state for additional help. Now, their first call is to the state Department of Social Services."
Voters will also be asked to move the deadline to appoint the town attorney from Dec. 15 to Feb. 15 after each municipal election. Typically, the political town committee representing the majority party in place after a council election meets before December to decide who will serve as council chairman, and whether the existing town attorney will be reappointed.
Council member John Sarantopoulos, who brought the issue forward in 2007, said the impetus behind the measure was to give councilors — especially those new to the job — a chance to make an informed decision.
"I argued it's not appropriate to make an appointment like this during the first meeting of a new council," he said. "It doesn't give council members time to look at an appointment or reappointment by throwing it at you at a first meeting, without time to consider."


text:
Rainbow Mike began his outreach to youth in Kotido in 2005 with little more than a small mud building and feeding the children on the floor.
Rainbow has since started a family of his own. His wife, Mercy, is a determined young entrepreneur, working hard to help provide extra income for the needs of the family. Their two children, Newman (5), and Blessed (1), are important parts of the ministry and truly a blessing for Rainbow's family.
The support that is raised for Rainbow Mike and his family does not reach far because of the needs of the extended family and Rainbow's generous nature. Yet, God promises that "Those who water will themselves be watered," and this has been evident in their lives.
Rainbow Mike and his family in 2013