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New Year, New Career!
NOW is the time to take charge of your career! What career goals do you want to accomplish this year? Do you want to change companies, change job roles within your current company, ask for a raise or land that promotion? Maybe you are just looking to expand your sphere of influence. Figuring out WHAT you want to accomplish is the first step in making it happen!
What are some of your career goals for 2010?
Salary negotiation research tools
In my previous post I started discussing how to know if you're getting paid what you are worth. Today I will give you some tools to use in your research and some tips to help in your salary negotiations.
Find out what the position is currently paying for similar work in similar environments (including positions inside and outside the company) through —
* On-line job search engines (e.g. Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, TheLadders.com, etc.)
* Company websites (your company and others in the same industry)
* Business Journals
* Specialized Trade Publications
* Personal networking contacts
* Newspapers/Classified ads
* Published salary surveys
Below are five excellent reference websites that offer salary calculators and reference guides. You may be required to subscribe to the service in order to obtain accurate, high quality information:
http://www.salary.com (also look at link to Cost of Living comparisons if moving)
Once you have the salary data, the best indicator of the market place is to combine a number of different salary ranges set for the same job by at least a half-dozen employers rather than just relying on one company's salary range. Ideally, the more salary ranges for the same job in the same geographical area that you can compare, the better.
Then, add all the minimums together and divide by the number of salaries you're comparing. Do the same for the midpoints (the average of the minimum and maximum), and maximums. This will give you the range of the job's the market value.
Now you can determine where in the range your current salary is. The norm is that the midpoint (the average dollars of the minimum and maximum of the range) is ideally where you should be after 5 or so years in that position. This is not an absolute but more of a goal to assess your value.
And finally…
The second thing you need to understand (and this is more difficult) to determine whether you are at the high end or low end of the pay scale is that various companies may offer different salary ranges due to the company's internal salary policies and practices. There may be hiring policies stating that no matter how much experience you have, the best starting salary offer would be no more than a small percentage above the minimum starting point.
Of course, this is to help avoid internal salary issues. Also, despite your position and responsibilities, if the company has not kept up with the market movement for its current employees then they are not very likely to pay more to a new hire than they do for current employees. So even though a company may recognize and value your experience and skill-set, the salary offer may be minimal to avoid any potential internal salary issues.
After you have done your research and are more educated about your worth in the marketplace, it may be a good time to schedule a meeting with your manager to inquire about a potential pay raise! Now, go forth and prosper… and know your worth in the marketplace.
Are you getting paid what you're worth?
Let's face it, your paycheck has a direct impact on your quality of life. Yes, having a good boss, challenging work, and clients who pay on time are critical factors in your overall job satisfaction, but your salary, health benefits, 401k plan, and bonuses can tip your overall job satisfaction scale from being "very satisfied" in your current work situation to "I really got to get a new job RIGHT NOW!!"
So how can you know if you're getting paid what you are worth, and how can you negotiate a better salary?
Your salary is determined by three factors.
First, the company you work for. There are some companies who are known for paying their employees a beefy salary and benefits package. Fortune Magazine recently compiled a list of top paying companies.
If the company you work for is not on the list, don't worry. You might still be making a healthy salary based on your peers within the company, and even the industry. I recently spoke with Fred Cooper, compensation expert for a Fortune 100 company who gave some great strategies for determining your value in today's marketplace. So the question is —
How do you know if you're on the high end or low end of the market's going rate?
Cooper said that there are two key factors that determine your salary. One is what the market is currently paying for your skills, experience and areas of expertise. The other is the company's internal salary policies and practices.
"Research is key," says Cooper. "You must determine the value of the job that you currently have or want. There are a number of salary surveys where jobs are priced that can give you a salary range for the work as identified in the job summary or job description. Make sure that when you start your salary survey that you have a good job description and understanding of the job you are comparing. Do not use job titles for comparisons but get in to the duties and responsibilities of the work being performed."
"For example," Cooper explained, "an 'accountant' for one company may be a true accountant while for another, the title may be applied to accounting clerks, financial assistants or others performing 'accounting support' work. Combining salary ranges in this instance would not provide a true sense of the market value."
Before you go in to negotiate your salary with your new employer, be sure to schedule a career coaching session with me to help ensure you receive the best salary & benefits package possible! It's a small investment to make compared to what you could be losing out on if you aren't properly prepared.
In my next blog post I will share some of the best tools and web sites to help you with your research.
Getting a Raise in a Tough Economy
For those professionals employed right now, you may be wondering if getting a promotion, pay raise, or increased perks are even possible given this tough economy. The answer is "yes!" If you've added value and achieved results for the company in the past 12 months, then follow these five key strategies to help beef up your paycheck –
1. Focus on results. Many professionals make the mistake of focusing on how hard they've worked during the past year. Instead, you need to focus on results. State what you've accomplished to help the company save money, or generate new revenue.
For example, you may be able to say that you helped launch a new product that resulted in a 2-percent increase in market share. Or, that you implemented a new technology that saved the company $20-thousand a year.
Those are REAL results that prove you're adding value to the company's bottom line. When you're able to build a strong business case and prove that you're adding value to a company, you're much more likely to be financially rewarded.
2. Work with your manager. Many times, people see their manager as someone who stops them from getting a raise, when realistically your boss is your greatest ally.
The key is to get as much face time with your manager as possible, preferably weekly one-on-one meetings. Focus on the results your achieving, as well as making sure that expectations are aligned and that you're providing value on the right kinds of initiatives.
Also, when you meet for your year-end performance review, you can focus on what you've accomplished over the past 12 months (which is what most people do), but you should also set a vision of what you will be accomplishing in the next six months. This shows that you're a forward thinker, committed to the company, and that you're going to continue adding value to help the company be successful.
3. Clearly identify what you want. If you're working for a company that's doing well, then by all means you should ask for a raise! But if you're like most professionals working for a company that's struggling to stay afloat, then a pay raise may not be realistic.
Think outside the box of other perks that you could negotiate for yourself such as a few more vacation days, one day a week to work from home, or access to the company's box seats at the next sporting event. There are always perks you can negotiate.
Identify what you really want, clearly ask for it, and then make sure you walk away from the conversation with at least one great win for yourself!
4. Keep a good attitude. Right now it's a pretty tough environment to get a raise so don't get discouraged if your manager tells you "no". Keep a good attitude and respond positively no matter what.
A good friend of mine Laura Browne, author of "Raise Rules for Women" states, "The goal is to position yourself favorably so that when the economy turns around and the company starts making money, you'll be the first in line to get a raise."
5. Set yourself up for success. If your manager turns down your request for a raise, a smart response is to simply say, "Help me understand what I would need to do to get a raise." Try to get a clear action plan of next steps including priorities, goals, and milestones that will set you up for success. Then, make sure you follow-up by meeting with your manager every week, or at minimum every other week, to get feedback and help you stay on track.
All companies want to keep great employees. So no matter what the economy is doing, you should always prove how you're adding value to the company and at least ask for a pay increase. When you demonstrate that you consistently add to a company's bottom line, more than likely they'll do everything in their power to keep you on board.


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I'll admit it: along with everyone else in Hollywood I have serious strike fatigue. And I'm really hoping--or the sake of my favorite TV shows as well as for the Los Angeles economy--that we do NOT have an actors strike.
The Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of TV and Radio Artists contracts expire on June 30, and the two guilds were expected to bargain together. But just ahead of their Saturday meeting to approve a joint negotiating strategy they broke their alliance and are now bargaining separately. The result is complicated. The guilds have less power if negotiating separately, but that doesn't mean that they'll strike a deal with the media companies any faster.
The two guilds likely split over how eager they are to strike a deal. AFTRA is smaller (70,000 actors), and much more eager to settle its new contract and avoid a strike. It released a statement saying it plans to start talks with the producers association ASAP.
The Screen Actors Guild (120,000 actors) has been much pushier about making gains, and more vocal about being willing to strike. But SAG doesn't want AFTRA to make a deal that would set the precedent for its own agreement. So the head of SAG said it might have to "move much more quickly than we wanted to."
It seems inefficient to negotiate separately--the two unions have 40,000 people in common, and both unions are asking for the same thing--digital revenues the Writers Guild made gains on and more compensation from DVDs. It sounds like AFTRA starting talks should push SAG to start talks soon.
And despite all their bluster I just don't think SAG will really strike. Why? People will simply have no pity for movie stars on the picket lines. Big actors know that it'll only be bad PR if they're complaining that their multi-million dollar salaries aren't enough.
And without big names pushing for the cause, it'll be hard to pull off a strike. The real risk is that so many of SAG's 120,000 members are unemployed, which means they have little to lose from a strike. But even if they vote to authorize a strike, I bet SAG leadership will make a deal. Hollywood is struck-out.
Questions? Comments? email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Indian Jewellery holds a mirror to India's rich cultural diversity. The temples in South India, Varanasi, Rajasthan and other Indian States that are still preserved from hundreds of years ago give us a glimpse into the kind of beautiful jewellery that adorned the gods & goddesses, kings and queens of a bygone age. Some of these jewellery pieces are commonly worn even to this day.Classical Indian dance forms require the adornment of similar traditional jewelry to complete the physical transformation of the dancer. Each region in India is popular for a certain kind of jewellery. Gold jewellery is popular in Tamilnadu, Kerala, and Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh.Gold jewellery is precious evidently and is gifted to a bride at the time of her wedding.Kundan, Meenakari and Polki diamond jewellery are popular in North India.They draw inspiration from Mughal designs. Silver jewellery is particularly popular in the regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.Jewellery made from beads, stones and animal claws are popular in the North Eastern States such as Assam & Manipur.Traditional and contemporary jewellery are available in the most interesting and stunning designs in India the availability of a wide variety in Indian jewelry is mainly due to craftsmanship and intricate designs of a high order.At Shopkhoj, we have had an amazing journey through different cities, curating the best and most interesting jewellery shops in India and presenting them to you with reviews and ratings so that you can save time and money while shopping and also have an enriching experience in the process.We have categorized the shops as dealing in precious jewellery, silver jewellery & imitation jewellery.Below is the list of common jewelry items you will find in across shops in India. If you want to know where to find a particular item, just head to the Shopkhoj homepage and initiate a search!
Indian Jewellery
Silver Jewellery
Silver Jewellery in India There is a deep underlying connection between Indian women and Silver


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Toilet Paper Bride of Frankenstein Costume Photo 4 of 4
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This homemade costume for women entered our 2013 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Latoya, the 'Toilet Paper Bride of Frankenstein' costume creator:
I am wearing a costume made out of toilet paper and glue sticks. I decided that I wanted a different take on the Bride of Frankenstein, yet something that could be worn to work. I... Read more »
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A teenage girl has been injured after being struck by a car at Lenzie on the way home from school.
The accident happened on Kirkintilloch Road around 3.30pm on Tuesday.
Police said the 14-year-old was taken to hospital but her injuries were not serious.
They added that no one has been charged in connection with the incident.


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Although my initial reaction to this shoe was that it was too bulky and overly rigid, I slowly realized the advantages of the protection and durability of the New Balance Summit KOM/QOM ("King/Queen of the Mountain") on trails with sharps rocks, sloppy terrain, and other obstacles.
Key features, including a rock plate, solid toe barrier, and ample cushioning made these shoes feel impenetrable and comfortable over long efforts. I did not feel like these were shoes to PR in, rather they were built for the inevitable slogs during every training season.
True to its name – New Balance Summit "Queen of the Mountain" (or "King of the Mountain" for the men-specific version) – this shoe was built for the varied terrain from based to summit.
The Vibram outsole provided sufficient multi-directional traction in most environments that I tested these shoes on, including dirt trails, over rocks, grass, and snow.
Between the integration of a ROCKSTOP plate between the midsole and outsole and a Toe Protect forefoot barrier, these shoes were impenetrable to water, snow and mud, as well as guarded from sharp rocks and other impacts. These shoes are built to instill confidence in protection and durability through your longest and most rugged runs.
As aforementioned, the protection on these shoes are their most impressive feature – and you do feel like you can tackle the most rocky trail runs in these.
The ROCKSTOP rock plate proves effective underfoot. The upper is made of breathable synthetic mesh with a solid Toe Protect toe cap that truly minimized impact to even as clumsy a runner as myself.
My only complaint about the protection of these shoes is that tiny rocks that would get lodged between lugs and drainage holes in outsoles from running on gravel. While this wasn't an immediate issue, it did compromise drainage and tread and created the annoying task of having to pick out the tiny rocks after a run.
After over 50 miles on this shoe, the only significant wear is on the heel cuffs that have already split. The upper shows no other signs of tearing or fraying and are only cosmetically scuffed on the toe cap. The Vibram outsole shows minimal signs of wear after fifty miles.
Responsiveness & Speed
At 10.8 oz., I found this shoe to be heavier and more cumbersome than other trail shoes I have run in. I thought the RevLite midsole could have been more responsive.
The sole felt stiff, so my steps fell flat-footed, especially on the downhill. The multi-directional lugs facilitated efficient uphill traction overall, but the downhill did not always feel as secure to me on sloppier terrain (like mud or wet rocks).
When I ran through mud, the outsoles got caked in so much mud that it actually weighed the shoe down to the point that I had to stop and remove it.
Comfort and Fit
These shoes run smaller, and I had to re-order a half size larger than I usually do. Despite these shoe size running small lengthwise, I found the fit to be roomy enough to accommodate swelling the may occur over longer distance runs or a wider foot.
I did not experience any blisters or "hot spots" in these shoes. I did not find these shoes to be comfortable right out of the box. Despite the cushioned midsole and inclusion of the removable insole, it took about 10-12 miles before I got used to the rigidity of the shoe overall.
Additionally, the laces did not stay tied securely, which was often frustrating to me. I found the breathable synthetic and mesh upper combined with the Toe Protect to be a good combination for keeping my feet dry in snowy and wet conditions; however, the ventilation felt compromised on hotter days.
While the New Balance QOM would not be my first choice for a potential PR race, for a training run or race wherein I anticipated the hazards to be plentiful and potentially painful, these shoes would be a great option. I liked these shoes more the more I ran in them, especially for that extra sloppy terrain.
While I did not have an opportunity to trail run a 14er, I think the QOM would be the shoes to do it in. These shoes would be ideal for any trail runner looking for maximum protection in a true trail running shoe or a key inclusion in a trail running shoe rotation for more aggressive trails.
We purchased a pair of New Balance Summit K.O.M. from Running Warehouse using our own money. This did not influence the outcome of this review, written after running more than 50 miles in them.
This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


text: Send feedback Home Docs Compute Products Compute Engine: Virtual Machines (VMs) Documentation Guides Quickstarts Quickstart Using a Linux VM This quickstart shows you how to create a Linux virtual machine instance. Quickstart Using a Windows VM This quickstart shows you how to create a Windows virtual machine instance. Was this page helpful? Let us know how we did: Send feedback Except as otherwise noted, the content of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, and code samples are licensed under the Apache 2.0 License. For details, see our Site Policies. Java is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.


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Keystone species
Species whose influence on ecosystem function and diversity are disproportionate to their numerical abundance. Although all species interact, the interactions of some species are more profound and far-reaching than others, such that their elimination from an ecosystem often triggers cascades of direct and indirect changes on more than a single trophic level, leading eventually to losses of habitats and extirpation of other species in the food web.
Soule & Noss 1998 1 as referenced in United Nations (UN) 2013 2
Species that has a disproportionate effect on its environment relative to its biomass and whose removal initiates significant changes in ecosystem structure and loss of biodiversity.
International Finance Corporation (IFC) 2012 3
References & Websites
- Soulé M, Noss R (1998) Rewilding and Biodiversity as Complementary Goals for Continental Conservation. Wild Earth 19–28
- UN (1992) Environment and Development (Terminology bulletin: 344). United Nations, New York, USA
- International Finance Corporation (2012) Guidance Note 6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources. International Finance Corporation, Washington DC, U.S.A


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Does the Hotel offer wheelchair-accessible rooms?
Certain Deluxe Rooms have wide, wheelchair-accessible doors, lowered light switches, grab bars for the bathtub and toilet and roll-in showers. Please contact the Hotel directly to make special arrangements.
What business amenities do you offer?
The Hotel offers meeting venues as well as the Business Centre.
How can I plan a special event?
With two elegant ballrooms, seven breakout rooms, a formal boardroom and an innovative "Water-On-Water" outdoor venue, all these facilities can be tailor-fit to create an intimate setting focused for your event. Learn more on our Function Rooms page.
What are the parking options at the Hotel?
Our in-house guests enjoy complimentary valet parking during the whole period of stay. Other guests who consume at our restaurants or Spa enjoy three-hour complimentary valet parking, extra at MOP 40 per hour. A self-parking option is next to the Hotel at Venetian for MOP 20 per hour.
What activities or experiences do you offer for couples?
Couples are sure to enjoy specially tailored spa treatments in our couples' spa suite, complete with a private whirlpool, as well as Champagne and snacks. Private dinners can be arranged at our pool-side cabana. The Concierge will also be happy to arrange romantic trips in the city.
Do you have a pool(s) at your hotel?
We have five outdoor swimming pools (including two for children,) located on the lobby level with comfortable private cabanas equipped with TVs.
What are my travel options from the airport to the property?
The airport is about a 10-minute driving distance away from the Hotel. We can arrange a private transfer to the hotel at a nominal fee. Taxis are also a convenient option. Learn more on our Directions and Maps page.
What attractions are nearby? What is the best way to get there from the Hotel?
The Hotel is ideally located at the Cotai Strip, offering privileged access to the shops at Four Seasons, Venetian and Cotai Central. We are just steps from the Cotai Arena, and a short walk from the famous House of Dancing Water theatre and Club Cubic. There are many fantastic dining options in the Hotel, as well as nearby. The Taipa Houses Museum is also a short taxi ride away. A full list of nearby attractions can be found on our Destination page.
Do you have a fitness centre? If so, what kind of equipment does it have? What are the hours?
Yes, our exclusive Fitness Centre offers free weights, weight training machines and cardiovascular machines. The centre operates 24 hours a day with fitness attendants on hand from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm.
Does the Hotel provide special rates, packages, promotions or offers?
Yes, we offer promotions for different seasons or special activities and they can be found on our Offers page. Group planners may interested in our special event promotions, found here. We also provide various wedding packages for weddings held in the Hotel, which can be found on our Weddings page.


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Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Igor Ego
We admitted we were powerless over food, believed God could remove the insanity, decided to turn our lives and will over, inventoried, admitted, became willing, asked for defects to be removed, listed and made amends. We're through. We're not through.
A friend of mine wrote, "After 2½ months of abstinence I had just a bite of candy, one of those bite sized candy bas, and went many days. I pushed the recurring thought, "I can control this sugar" from my mind repeatedly. Well, soon I found I was binging on sugar. So I started over. I now have six days of abstinence. My boundary with sugar is no sugar at all."
I know exactly how she feels. I quit computer games cold turkey September 1, turned it over to God, and realized the immense relief and new time formerly spent wallowing in spider sol, Sudoku, Yubotu, Tetris, the game of the moment. Mid-December, my computer having crashed and the reboot having virtually nothing on it but an Internet connection, I opened a game. Shortly after, I got a new computer, loaded it with programs and my projects, had plenty to do. And weeks passed again. But the last couple of weeks, itty-bit by sneak-a-peek, I've let insidious games sneak in as a way to "think about" the project at hand. And itty-bit by sneak-a-peek, they've robbed me of my time.
Ego has surfaced. Igor the Ego. Igor Ego. God, save me from my character defects. Again. Bill Wilson in a speech said, "Ego deflation at depth is today a cornerstone principle" of the twelve step program. Igor, prepare for deflation.
We overeaters have ego problems. They may or may not show from the outside to the causal observer. We can be (and often are) egomaniacs with inferiority complexes, but ego reigns before we come into recovery. And even when we rid ourselves of the parts of ego that come out as resentment, fear, wounded pride, and rage, it springs back again. "I can handle this." "I don't need to be that strict." "Oh, for goodness sake, I've been good. I deserve this!"
Ego deflation happens when we need a new adjustment, a new infusion of humility and empathy. That takes restructuring over the long haul, not the quick fix we hope for when we come into the program. We need to build up the self that is the seat of God in our lives, to recognize we do deserve the very best—and stop settling for a piece of candy, a round of Sudoku, or a bite of birthday cake. We are still addicts, despite having worked the steps. But God willing and us keeping out of the way, we're addicts in recovery.
What can you do today to fine tune your relationship with God? How has ego wiggled back into your life?
Monday, January 21, 2008
My Truth, Not Hers!
God, grant me the humility to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen. So be it.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Send Leanness among the Fat
Therefore will the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory there shall be kindled a burning like the burning of fire. – Isaiah 10:16 (ASV)
God will send leanness among his fat ones, and under his glory kindle a burning like that of fire. A prediction of OA? Probably not. But what an image!
We read in the forewords to Alcoholics Anonymous of the amazing growth of AA in the early years, half never drinking again, another quarter becoming non-drinkers in time. This doesn't happen in the OA I know. Still, for me and countless others, the recovery found in OA is well worth all the misery before if that misery enabled the surrender to such glorious recovery.
I write with cold air around me, the thermostat set lower than my real comfort level, but I'm wrapped in warm clothing and an afghan. Outside cold reigns supreme and unchecked. My discomfort seems greater this year, but the knowledge it's caused in large part by a change in my metabolism and the lack of the blubber padding me for so many years makes tolerating the chill even enjoyable.
Inside me God's glory has kindled a burning like the burning of fire. John Wesley, founder of Methodism, told of his conversion experience:
In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter to nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death. - (John Wesley's Journal, May 24, 1738)
Strangely warmed, indeed. My heart's on fire with joy that God's in charge now, that my life finally has meaning and depth I could not have imagined before my "conversion experience" December 17, 2006.
In God's good plan, he sent leanness among his fat ones, including me! Thanks, God!
We tell of stories, what it was like, what happened, and what it's like now. Lest we forget, tell me. What was it like for you, what changed, what's it like now?
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Thorns in the Garden
Putting out of our minds the wrongs others had done, we resolutely looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest, self-seeking and frightened? Though a situation had not been entirely our fault, we tried to disregard the other person involved entirely. Where were we to blame? The inventory was ours, not the other man's. (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 67)
Monday, January 14, 2008
The God Kit
How, God?
Mama said when sis drowned, just four years old,
you needed her more than we did.
Uncle Jess said that tsunami was your doing,
an Act of God he called it.
Preacher says you sent Jacky to Hell
cause he messed up and shot himself
to keep from going to prison.
I can't do that third step thing, God!
That makes sense.
Who said that? Where are you?
Who were you talking to?
I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
—and David, Peter, Paul, Martin Luther, Mother Teresa….
Holy Shit!I mean Jesus Christ!
That too, in a circular kind of way.
Great God Almighty!
That works. I am who I am.
Wow! That's what you told Moses—
with a burning bush.Why don't I get a burning bush?
You started this conversation.
I didn't need to get your attention.
Oh. Yeah.
But you told him take off his shoes,
the Holy Ground bit.
You're not wearing shoes.
And the cultural meaning is gone, too.
These days I'd be more likely to
ask for clothes that cover.
But that's beside the point.
What point?
Like I said, you started the conversation.
I think the language is
"Made a decision to turn our will
and our lives over to the care of God
as we understood Him."
Oh. Yeah. I guess I was pretty smart aleck.
So, are you going to zap me?
Certainly not.
At least it's real, not just rote recitation.
You got my attention with your passion.
You care.
That means something.
Why did you need a four-year-old, then?
I need all my children,
but that doesn't mean I reach out and
pluck them from lives and families.
I would have chosen she have a long life,
that she experience more of the give and take
of being human.
But she died.
She died.
I know, and I felt your pain,
your parents',
I gave you all the comfort you could accept.
You could have closed the gate.
I'm not a puppeteer.
People have free will.
I watch, but I don't meddle.
I watch and sigh and hurt and wait for an invitation in.
Oh. And my griping was enough invitation?
Oh, yes. Anything real.
Anything thought and felt.
I'm honored.
Actually, I'm honored.
A real communication honors me.
Even gritching?
Even gritching.
So, what kind of God would you trust?
Oh, never mind. I can trust you.
You expect me to believe that?
You're not sure.
I've got to think about this.
There you go again.
What do you mean?
You don't find me by thinking.
You find me by knowing me,
by talking with me,
by walking with me.
Get out of your head and into your heart.
Okay. I'm talking with you.
I can't believe it, but I'm talking with you.
So, what kind of God would you trust?
One who knocks Jerry off his high horse and loves me.
Would you really trust that kind of God?
I guess not, I'd be afraid Jerry would start praying.
So, you want a God who loves you, what else?
How about one who makes me not react
when Jerry pushes my buttons.
That's doable.
Well, obviously I need a God with a sense of humor.
You're certainly that.
Yes. All the somber faces and resignation sadden me.
Well, I don't want you making me
do things like handing out pamphlets on street corners.
What else?
I'd like explanations with orders.
And respect my intelligence.
Don't treat me like a child.
Speaking of orders,
it sounds like you're doing that
rather than describing the God you want.
I don't want a God who sends people to Hell.
Tell me where the bible says that's what I do.
Preacher says so.
Lead me gently. Don't push.
I'm not a puppeteer.
Did you get pissed off at that Gideon guy,
not being able to figure out what you were telling him,
asking for proof? Three times!
Honest communication doesn't anger me.
Sorry. Anger you. It's not my usual vocabulary.
I know. What else?
Wise a…. Smart aleck.
Good choice.
Okay. What else?
Can I save some wishes for later?
Do I have to do it right now?
I'll be here.
How many choices do I get?
Are you kind of like a buffet line?
I can pick and choose and
come back and get more or something different?
Maybe a buffet line is a poor analogy
for a compulsive eater.
How about a tool box?
Yeah. Can you take away my binging in buffet lines?
could come into play as well.
I guess I need a God who gives abstinence
and wipes out my cravings.
No more buffets.
I didn't say that.
One day at a time.
One day at a time.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Your Father's Good Pleasure
Consider Luke 12:29-32 (KJV):
And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
"The Father's good pleasure." Isn't that neat? Fear not! How great is that? God knows we think about food and drink obsessively. He knows we desperately want to be able to control how much and what kinds we stuff into our bodies. He knows our illness, that our willpower, so strong in so many aspects, vanishes with craving creating foods laid out before us. He knows we need control and can't beg, borrow or steal the discipline we need. It's not for sale at any price and it's as rare as the everybody-must-have widget on December 24.
So what does he say? Don't look for it. Don't worry. Fear not! First, last, and always seek the kingdom of God, that special place where his presence is omnipotent, omniscient, and obvious. Walk in the garden with God. Relax. Let go. Forget the world, forget the deadlines, forget the donuts and fudge by the office coffeepot. Charles Austin Miles (1868-1946) captured it:
I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
You can't buy this peace. You'll never attain it by working for it. You don't earn it by being good and following all the rules. It's GRACE! It's divine love and protection granted freely by God. It's a favor for coming to the party! "For it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Wow!
When have you experienced God's grace?
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Comfortable Abstinence
Since Thursday I've been visiting my son and daughter-in-law. The occasion for the visit, by far my longest in their home to date, was my son's knee surgery. We arrived at the hospital before six Friday morning and stayed there until about 3:30. He is doing well, able to navigate around the house well, the biggest difficulty getting to his feet. He has a CPM machine to use six hours a day, two injections in his stomach twice a day, a breathing machine, leg exercises, and a bevy of pain and other medications, but he's doing well. Still, it's been a stressful weekend. My abstinence? Imperfect. But not for what I ate--for not getting in everything I needed to eat on my food plan.
My daughter-in-law was clipping coupons this morning and found one for Cold Stone Creamery. Pleased, she clipped it. I said I had intended to eat at the rather new Cold Stone Creamery in the town where I lived, but it wouldn't happen now. She said they were open on Sunday, and I answered it wasn't in my food plan. She and her mother discussed how wonderful Krispy Kreme donuts are when they're fresh. I never experienced that, know now I never will. And neither conversation even remotely triggered my longings. I found the weekend remarkable in the ease with which abstinence has become a way of life. What a difference in my life in every possible way! Wow!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Fear Facing
- I'm afraid of my husband's being mad.
- I'm afraid of stopping doing things just because my husband will be mad
- I'm afraid of my husband's controlling me.
- I'm afraid I'll put my very best out before the world in the best possible venue and it will be ignored.
- I'm afraid I'll succeed so much I don't know how to deal with it.
- I'm afraid I'll fall off the "water wagon" and gain it all and more.
- I'm afraid I'll be so successful I won't be able to tolerate my husband and his attitude and his eating.
- I'm afraid I'll be exposed. I'm not sure what that means.
- I'm afraid I'll be in the vise between what a nice girl does and what the emerging me needs/wants.
- I'm afraid I'll die of boredom.
- I'm afraid of my husband's being mad.
- If my husband's mad, what happens?
- he belittles me
- If he belittles me I lose my confidence
- if I lose my confidence I need affirmation from someone
- the only one I can get affirmation from is my husband
- If I make my husband mad, I'm a little child with nobody to guide me, care for me, protect me
- if my husband's mad I'm on my own.
- If I'm on my own I am responsible for guiding me, caring for me, protecting me
- if I'm on my own I have to rely on God or me and I might not rely on God.
- if my husband is mad I'm alone
- I'm afraid of stopping doing things that made my husband mad.
- If I stop doing what makes my husband mad, I'm being who he thinks I am
- if I stop doing what makes my husband mad, I'm nothing but his robot.
- If I stop making my husband mad I'm nothing.
- I'm afraid of my husband's controlling me.
- If my husband doesn't control me I'm alone.
- I'm afraid I'll put my very best out before the world in the best possible venue and it will be ignored.
- I'm afraid I'm nothing.
- I'm afraid I'll succeed so much I don't know how to deal with it.
- If I succeed I'll have crushed my husband and I won't be a nice girl and I'll be alone.
- I'm afraid I'll fall off the "water wagon" and gain it all and more.
- I won't be any better than my husband who lost weight and is gaining now.
- but I won't be alone. I'll just be nothing.
- I'm afraid I'll be so successful I won't be able to tolerate my husband and his attitude and his eating.
- I won't be a nice girl and I'll be nothing and alone.
- I'm afraid I'll be exposed. I'm not sure what that means.
- Obviously it means nothing and alone.
- I'm afraid I'll be in the vise between what a nice girl does and what Barbara needs/wants.
- I'm afraid I'll die of boredom.
- fear is volitional. self-reliance leads to fear.
- my fears area always a lie, my ego's way of keeping me in familiar territory.


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March 27, 2008
By Jeffery M. Leving & Glenn Sacks
Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley and Child Support Services Department Director Steven Golightly have announced a sweeping new campaign against "deadbeat dads". They say their new Most Wanted Delinquent Parent list is modeled on the FBI's fabled 10 most wanted list. On paper the 10 offenders owe over $2 million, but it's very questionable that Cooley and Golightly will be collecting much.
Golightly's action is particularly remarkable considering that the California Department of Child Support Services, which supervises the CSSD, issued a report in January that contradicts any possible rationale for this campaign.
According to the CDCSS, there are four primary factors in creating child-support arrearages in California: "high child -support orders established for low-income obligors"; "a limited number of child-support orders adjusted downward"; "establishment of retroactive child-support orders"; and "accrual of 10 percent interest on child-support debt". Over a quarter of these arrears is interest.
Unlike the Most Wanted Deadbeat Parent lists put out by most states and counties, the CSSD's list does not contain the occupations of the "deadbeats". One can understand why. Nationwide these lists are never comprised of well-heeled businessmen, lawyers and accountants, but instead of fathers who do low-wage and often seasonal work, and owe large sums of money, which they could never hope to pay off. It is rare to find a person with even a college degree on these lists.
In recent years there have been several highly publicized actions similar to CSSD's, generally coupled with arrests. For example, Virginia's Most Wanted list was topped by a laborer, a carnival hired hand and a construction worker, who collectively somehow owned over a quarter-million dollars in child support.
Similarly, Kentucky's list during its campaign sported only one obligor with an education, and the most common designation for occupation was "laborer". How do men of such modest means end up with such fantastic arrearages? The child-support system is largely impervious to the economic realities working people face, such as layoffs, wage cuts, unemployment and work related injuries.
According to the Urban Institute, less than one in 20 noncustodial parents who suffers a substantial drop in income is able to get courts to reduce the support obligation.
To Cooley's and Golightly's credit, they did explain that some of the "deadbeats" they're pursuing may be able to use California's Compromise of Arrears Program. COAP allows some obligors to settle their artificially inflated paper debts to the state for realistic amounts.
The problem is there has been little outreach done on COAP, so few obligors are aware of it.


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The Inbetweeners Movie has smashed the UK Box Office with first week sales of over £13 million.
The movie, the first big screen outing for the Channel 4/E4 comedy, has taken £13,196,422 from 455 cinemas, making it the biggest opening for a UK comedy ever.
The achievement knocked former biggest opener Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason off the top spot. Speaking about the success producer Chris Young said:
We are thrilled that 'The Inbetweeners Movie' is the biggest opening of all time for a UK comedy. We really want to thank all the cinema goers out there who have made the film such a huge success.
Capitalising on the strong opening day of £2.5m, the comedy didn't let up throughout the weekend, taking in approximately the same figure each subsequent day.
In an exclusive interview with NME.COM, the makers of the show said they thought much of The Inbetweeners success is down to the four young actors, with writer Iain Morris saying:
Those four men are four of the best comic actors of their generation, if not the four best. To get them all together in one show has been amazing.
You can read our take on The Inbetweeners Movie over at the Film Section, and watch our interview with the writers below.


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Our diving center with more than 150 square meters and terrace offers a modern and comfortable facility. We use equipment of leading brands such as Cressi and Scubapro. We have showers, a wet and a dry area for the equipment, shop and a terrace in front with seaview.
Want to become a diver? Do it with us!
This is the first course to obtain a level of diving that allows you to dive with a buddy (another certified diver) in open waters up to 18 meters depth. More info by clicking HERE. The course is divided in:
What you are doing?
- 5 modules of theory.
- 5 modules in confined water
- 4 dives in open water.
- Theory exam.
What will you learn?
- How much fun diving is.
- Learn about diving equipment and what to use in different conditions.
- How to plan and perform your dives.
- How to prevent and solve problems.
- Be 12 years or older (for the PADI eLearning you need to be at least 13 years because of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act).
How long it takes?
- Duration of 3 days.
Check our dive prices by clicking the following button:
With this course you can improve yourself with diving in 5 different Adventure Dives. Two of them are mandatory (Navigation, Deep) and the other three we can choose depending on the conditions (Night, Peak Perfomance Buoancy, Photography, …). This certification allows you to dive up to 30 meters. More info by clicking HERE.
What you are doing
- Navigation
- Deep Dive (usually in a depth between 18 and 30 meters / 60 and 100 feet)
- Three other adventure dives that we can choose together
What will you learn?
- Important characteristics of deep diving and the physical effects it has.
- Learn more ways how to use your compass.
- Navigate using fin kicks, visual references and the time.
- Intensify your dive planning with your own computer and dive planners like the eRDPML.
- The PADI Open Water Diver (or a same-level certification from another organisation)
- Be at least 15 years old (12 years for the Junior Advanced Open Water Diver)
How long it takes?
- Duration is 2 to 3 days
Check our dive prices by clicking the following button:
Did you ever ask yourself how it is to breathe underwater? If you would like to make this experience but you're not sure about booking a course, then this is the right thing for you! The try-dive allows you to find out if you like it. More info by clicking HERE.
What will you learn?
- Enjoy the feeling to breathe underwater and how easy it is to move down there.
- Discover how comfortable and easy you can explore the marine live.
- Learn some basic excersices underwater and important safety rules.
- For the try dive you need to be 10 years old or more.
How long it takes?
- Duration is 2 to 3 hours


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Utility Assistance
Emergency Energy Assistance
The Emergency Energy Assistance is available in all ten of NMCAA's counties through the Michigan Energy Assistance Program. There is assistance available for deliverable fuels and metered utilities used for home heating. To be pre-screened for eligibility, community members should contact the NMCAA office in their area.


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When I last posted about #mysteryskype, the 5th grade class was just getting started on preparing for their very first session with a class in North Carolina. Our first trial run through was a rough one, though necessary, and allowed us to figure out the kinks in our process. I finished drawing up plans for the regular classroom teacher, and left location challenges for his class to solve to practice for the actual Skype session. I wouldn't be back at the school until the Friday of our Skype date, so I was a bit worried that things might not actually work out as planned or go smoothly.
I checked in with the regular teacher on Friday morning, and he reported that things had improved greatly. I set up about putting together our setup while the students practiced one final time before the Skype session. Of course I would have issues with my computer running slowly, but the kids happily attributed that to the fact that it was Friday the 13th. I did get everything into place though and set up. The other class was ready before us, and we were able to get started about 15 minutes early. I had some issues getting the sound to work with the one system, so I had to switch over, but once that was taken care of, we were ready to begin.
Our class began with our introductions, and then we played "Rock, Paper, Scissors" to see who got to ask the first question. Unlike in our practice session, the students were armed with a first question in mind. We won the game, and got to ask the first question. From there, the session proceeded, with each class asking questions back and forth. Our setup allowed for two students in front to answer the questions asked/ask their classmates'
questions. Four students were message runners for areas of the room, and the rest of the students were using Google Maps and a laminated map of the United States to research and narrow down locations. Their teacher had helped them develop the "cut in half" strategy, and they had to work to cut the area left to work with in half with each question.
The North Carolina class figured out our location first by guessing our state. We had prepared our class to search as deep as a specific town, just in case. It only took about two more questions before our class figured out the state for the other class.
Then came the fun part- school, community, and state information! Without giving away the specific name of the school, each class talked about the makeup of their school, the type of day or special projects, the community around them, and then some state information. Our class had not had much time to research their information, but we really enjoyed what the other class did. They had a speaker for the school, the community, and the state, and broke their presentation down that way. It is something this class noted and may consider for future sessions. I made sure to record this part for documentation, and so that we could replay the video to the students in the future.
We then said our goodbyes and began our reflection on the activity. I was thoroughly impressed with the students' work and behavior on camera, as was their teacher. The students commented on this as well, and how well they worked together. The only improvement we really had for the students was that they needed to be faster in getting their questions to the question runner and then deciding which question to ask.
The students had been promised that they could do at least one more Skype session before the school year ended if they did well on their first one. I've set about contacting the two classrooms that wanted to set up sessions with us if our first session went well. We are scheduled to do our 2nd Mystery Skype May 20 in the morning. This time, we'll be working with a school from Missouri!
If you want to check out these teachers from our first session on Twitter, or get in touch with them for a Mystery Skype session of your own, contact @agcrilley or @MrsPageTurner. I'm sure they'd love to hear from you!


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North Atlantic Treaty Organization
AT THE END OF World War II (1939–45), Europe lay in wasted ruin with most industrial and transportation infrastructure damaged or destroyed. Some 40 million deaths had occurred in Europe and RUSSIA in the six years of conflict. Approximately 25 million displaced persons were stranded far from original homelands with little resources. The UNITED STATES and its allies were eager to return to a national lifestyle of peace and sought to rapidly demobilize the vast military might they had built up over the years of the war. Men in uniform wanted to return to jobs, education, and opportunities and those at home yearned for the hard won fruits that victory was promised to bring. The scars of war were evident across the landscape of Europe and the human costs of death, disruption, and dislocation cut deep into the heart of every nation. The Soviet Union declined to demobilize and decided to maintain the vast armies and military might that had occupied Eastern Europe and portions of Central Europe.
Efforts by the Allies of WWII to address the rebuilding and reorganization of Europe soon polarized. The Soviets encouraged government changes in areas they occupied to follow socialist or communist patterns. In the west, America, Britain, and FRANCE supported a return to democratic forms of government. Within the areas of Soviet influence, imposition of pro-Soviet undemocratic forms of government became the norm. By the end of 1947, Polish elections had been canceled, the elected prime minister of BULGARIA was forced out of the country, and the People's Republic of ROMANIA was formed. A call to worldwide communist revolution stirred fears of aggression from without and subversion from within.
Soon after the conclusion of the war, as Europe struggled to recover, political events boded ill for a lasting peace. The Soviets made demands of NORWAY, GREECE, and TURKEY that were seen by Western Europe as direct threats to these nations' sovereignty. BELGIUM, France, LUXEMBOURG, the NETHERLANDS, and the UNITED KINGDOM joined in the Brussels Treaty of March 1948 to build a mutual system of defense against ideological, political, and military threats to their national futures. The Soviet Union began a blockade of Allied-occupied Berlin in April 1948. Civil war in Greece and the elected government of Czechoslovakia's overthrow in a communist coup in June 1948 set an ominous backdrop.
Within a span of three decades, the United States had chosen to come to the aid of Europe in two major world conflagrations without any treaty obligations to do so. Now America was financially and politically committed to the rebuilding of Europe through the European Recovery Plan (Marshall Plan). The perceived threat of the Soviet Union moved the Western European nations and the United States to formalize their security relationship in the Treaty of Washington signed on April 4, 1949.
This, in effect, was the formation of NATO, the charter members being Belgium, CANADA, DENMARK, France, ICELAND, ITALY, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, PORTUGAL, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The treaty committed the 12 nations to collective defense, meaning that an attack on one was like an attack on all. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was seen as assurance against military conflict among the agreeing parties, a check to any aggressive German military resurgence, and a clear counter to the military power of the Soviet Union.
The early years of the NATO alliance were characterized by its growth as an institution, delineation of roles and responsibilities, and integration into the military establishments of the governments of Western Europe. The combined military strengths of the NATO nations were quantitatively inferior to those of the Soviet Union concentrated in Central and Eastern Europe. Consequently, NATO's nuclear weapons capability became a central component of its military and political strategy of deterrence and containment.
NATO expanded in 1955 by allowing the re-armed Federal Republic of GERMANY (West Germany) to join. The Soviet Union saw this as an overt threat to their security and countered by organizing a treaty organization of their own. The Warsaw Pact was signed by ALBANIA, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic (East Germany), HUNGARY, POLAND, Romania, and the Soviet Union. Now all the actors were assigned for this increasingly dramatic play of international tensions. In 1956, a popular uprising against the communist government in Hungary was quelled by invading Soviet forces. The United Nations condemned this response, but NATO took no actions.
In the 1960s, tensions grew in Europe with the building of the Berlin Wall and NATO began to publicly debate the requirement of NATO having direct control of nuclear weapons in the European theater. It was felt that this increased capability and responsiveness would add to the deterrence available to check Soviet-sponsored aggression. After the Cuban Missile Crisis between the United States and the Soviet Union, the Americans gave command and control of nuclear capable forces stationed in Europe to NATO. In 1966, France removed its forces from the military structures of NATO, citing the dominance of the United States in the organization. NATO continued to set the pace for Western military strategy and devised a "First Use" policy, which warned that NATO held the right to use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional military attack against any of its member states.
The 1970s saw a time of detente between east and west. The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) produced treaties that called for the drastic reduction of nuclear stockpiles. NATO played a critical role in the implementation of agreed-upon conventional forces reductions brought about by the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe. The end of that decade saw the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and a renewed interest by America to match Soviet actions with increases in military readiness, capability, and deployment. NATO sponsored the deployment of nuclear ballistic and cruise missiles into Europe.
During these times of increased military activity and general angst, Ronald Regean and Mikhail Gorbachev began a series of summits that changed superpower relations and opened the door to significant arms reduction talks. NATO again became a major implementing agency of these agreements and other confidence-building measures.
The late 1980s saw the collapse of Eastern European communist regimes as the Soviet Union withdrew military support and Gorbachev encouraged them to seek political and economical reforms. Long-term economic failures and the overall shift in political climate caused change to sweep across Soviet-dominated Europe. NATO takes credit for acting as a continuous deterrent to Soviet military aggression that finally allowed the breakaway of Eastern Europe and perhaps even the break up of the Soviet Union. The west declared victory in the Cold War as the former Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.
The decade of the 1990s saw vast political change in Central and Eastern Europe and the demise of the Soviet Union. Having watched its rivals dissolve, NATO now faced a redefinition of its role and responsibilities. Interim steps were taken to engage the former Warsaw Pact nations through the Partnerships for Peace program, which developed military relations with former adversaries. As Yugoslavia broke up into smaller republics ethnic violence erupted. NATO took on its first ever combat operations as it worked in line with United Nations (UN) resolutions to create conditions for peace in Bosnia by bombing Serbian military forces. NATO nations provided forces for UN-sponsored peacekeeping forces in the former Yugoslavia.
The defining of new roles for NATO continued into the new century. The terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001 were considered an issue of mutual defense and NATO elected to join America in its war against terrorism embodied in the invasion of Afghanistan. However, as the United States prepared to invade Iraq in 2003, Germany and France blocked all efforts made to gain the political and military support of NATO for the U.S.-led coalition operation. NATO took over command and coordination of the security in and round Kabul, AFGHANISTAN, in August 2003. This is the first mission outside the Euro-Atlantic area in NATO's history, and it raises new questions and concerns as to future of the organization.
NATO holds to its central concept that it embodies the transatlantic link of Europe's security and prosperity. It is the concrete expression of the ideal that the security of North America is permanently tied to the security of Europe. The expansion of NATO into Central and Eastern Europe with the new membership of the CZECH REPUBLIC, Hungary, and Poland ties the new identity of NATO to the new identity of Europe. What path that will take is unclear and the outcome remains uncertain. NATO continues to operate a robust organization that provides an unprecedented forum in which members can raise issues of concern regarding their security. It also maintains an institutional structure that supports consultation and cooperation between members in political, military and economic, as well as scientific and other nonmilitary fields.
For the foreseeable future NATO will continue to act as an intergovernmental agency that seeks to maintain integrated combined military capability to prevent war, manage crisis, and promote security cooperation in Europe and abroad.
NATO's structure consists of a military and civilian component. The civilian side has four primary components. The North Atlantic Council constitutes the executive body of NATO and is formed by permanent representatives from all members. Decisions reached must be unanimous. The Defense Planning Committee is a consultative body that focuses on development of military plans, it includes permanent members from all member nations except France. The Nuclear Planning Group is comprised of national defense ministers. The Secretary General is appointed by member states and acts as the Chair of the senior committees.
NATO's military structure is built on three areafocused commands. Allied Command Atlantic, Allied Command Europe, and Canada-United Sates Regional Planning Group share the military responsibilities. The United States provides the NATO Supreme Commander.


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October 26, 2011 in Education (E)
[prMac.com] Sophia Antipolis, France - L'Escapadou today is pleased to announce Word Wizard 2.0.1 for iOS, an update to their New and Noteworthy Education app that lets kids hear the sounds of letters and words, and provides spelling practice with a customizable Word List of more than 1,300 questions and answers. Featuring advanced text to speech capabilities, the app can pronounce an unlimited number of original words and spell-check more than 100,000 words.
Word Wizard has won many accolades including:
* Editor's Choice Award for Excellence in Design from Children's Technology Review
* "...Powerful language-learning tool that is ideal for a child learning to read" - The New York Times
* "...A fantastic app for young children" - GeekDad Blog, Wired Magazine
* "...I love the talking alphabet...I will certainly recommend it to early educators." Mary Ellin Logue, Ed.D, Early Childhood Education, University of Maine
* Featured by Apple as 'New and Noteworthy' for iPad and iPhone
There is no clear distinction between learning and playing. This is immediately apparent to the casual observer, who may witness young children enthusiastically engaged in the classroom. Clearly, not all classroom activities stimulate the natural curiosity of kids no matter how young they are. Word Wizard, however, nearly always attracts and holds the attention of children. It provides an expertly planned and exuberantly realized world in which children are encouraged to experiment with all the letters of the alphabet. There are two interrelated modes of operation: Movable Alphabet and Spelling Quiz.
In Movable Alphabet kids see all the letters in two rows at the bottom of the landscape oriented screen and hear the name or the sound of each letter aloud when they touch it. This multi-sensory approach, made famous through the writings of physician and educator Maria Montessori, engages the child completely. Each sense reinforces the other, and a wide range of cognitive styles is accommodated. Using the technology of the iPad/iPhone, Word Wizard enhances and amplifies the experience of seeing, touching, and hearing letters that young children have had in Montessori classrooms for more than 100 years. The app can be seen as taking the best of the Montessori method and making it still better.
The talking Movable Alphabet lets kids drag one letter at a time on to a grid (that automatically aligns the letters) or a blank page. As each letter is added to a word-in-progress, Word Wizard speaks the name of the letter aloud (or optionally, its phonetic sound) and then pronounces the proto-word, demonstrating how each additional letter alters the pronunciation of the whole. The child may never create a word in the English language, but he or she is completely free to get to know the building blocks of words on their own terms. When the last letter of a correctly spelled word is put in place, the entire word is surrounded by white light, all the letters grow to remove the spaces between them, and the word is clearly pronounced.
Touching any letter of the newly built word repeats the highlighting animation and pronunciation of the word. Add words to create a sentence, and touching any letter still repeats the animation and pronunciation of the word. But touch the Speak Aloud button in the top left, and the synthesized voice reads the sentence aloud, altering the inflection with which it reads some words so that they make sense in the sentence. This is natural language processing at its best (and the user's iOS device can now pronounce such random neologisms as "kjedrwy").
Talking Movable Alphabet Highlights:
* Spell checker highlights unrecognized words
* 2 American voices and 1 British voice
* Optional magnetic grid to ease letters placement
* Reads all the words as a sentence
* Uppercase or lowercase letters
* Phonics or letter names when a letter is touched in the alphabet
* 2 backgrounds
* Voice Transformer (speed, tone) for added fun
Familiar and at ease with letters, phonemes, syllables, words, and pronunciation, children can leave Movable Alphabet mode and visit Spelling Quiz, where they can put into practice all they have learned and play a semi-formal game with rules and scoring. Each spelling quiz consists of 10 words. Word Wizard prompts "Spell 'chair'," and the child drags each letter as they did before to spell the word. If necessary, they can touch the Hint button to receive hints one letter at a time. When all 10 words have been spelled, the app displays the number of correct answers and the number of hints used.
The Built-In Word List of more than 1,400 words is organized into 12 categories: Numbers, Colors, Animals, Body, Clothes, Family Members, Food, Sports, Nature, Shapes, 1,000 Most Frequently Used Words, and Dolch Words. Dolch Words are a list compiled in 1936 of 220 "service words" that are not easily sounded out but are essential to basic literacy (the list excludes nouns), e.g., "show," "six," "seven," "small," "start," etc.
Spelling Quiz Highlights:
* 189 Word Lists of 10 words: Dolch Words, 1000 Most Frequently Used Words, Body Parts, Family Members, etc.
* Create custom Word Lists by entering custom words and sentences, and even share lists
* Hints are available if kids do not know how to spell a word
* A variety of colorful animations are displayed when a word is completed
* Once a quiz is completed, a report is displayed and fun, interactive animations are available as a reward
Children, parents, and teachers can quickly and easily create custom Word Lists. Type in a list of words separated by commas, or even sentences. Though the word may not be in the app's Word List it will properly pronounce it and go on to score the quiz. This expansion capability makes Word Wizard a flexible tool for learning special vocabularies and terms, practicing words challenging to particular students, and challenging super-spellers with spelling bee favorites.
New Features & Options in Version 2.0 (as requested by users):
* QWERTY or alphabetic layout
* New voice added (3 voices available now), and a new version of the speech engine
* Keyboard emulation (dragging letters is now optional)
* 4 letter sizes available (allowing more letters on the board)
* Option to turn off the vocalization until the speech bubble button or a word is tapped
* New caps lock key to make typing capital letters easier
* 16 new Word Lists for beginners (CVC words)
* Recognition of words that break at the end of a line
* Erase All Letters button is now accessible on the board
* Add a friend's Words List
* Add custom words to the profanity list (Settings option to prohibit some words)
"The overwhelmingly positive response we have received to version 1 of Word Wizard has been very encouraging and gratifying," offered Pierre Abel. "We are very thankful to all those users and reviewers who made such useful suggestions, many of which have been included here in version 2."
Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
* Requires iOS 4.0 or later
* Universal app optimized for display on all iOS devices
Pricing and Availability:
Word Wizard 2.0.1 is only $3.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Education category. Review copies are available upon request.
Based in Sophia Antipolis, France, L'Escapadou is an award-winning, family, design studio dedicated to creating fun, creative, and educational apps for iPad and iPhone, and it was recognized as an Editor's Choice by Moms With Apps. Montessori Crosswords, L'Escapadou's top selling app, has won the Children's Technology Review Editor's Choice Award for Excellence in Design. Pierre Abel holds a PhD in computer science and has worked extensively on user experience design. His wife, a translator currently busy home-educating their daughters, helps in the design of their educational apps. Watching their kids - 5 and 8 years old - learn and play is their main source of inspiration for the apps they make. The studio was founded in 2010 after the launch of the iPad, with the belief that the iPad can be a great tool for learning and creativity. Copyright (C) 2010-2011 L'Escapadou. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod, and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.


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Time is quickly running out to sign up for the last Galloway Captiva Triathlon to ever be held.
Organized by the local non-profit corporation Southwest Florida Events, the annual event will take place on Sept. 15-16 on the grounds of South Seas Island Resort and the surrounding areas. First held in 2011, it helps to raise funds for Community Cooperative and the Healthy School Pantry program.
"Nobody was doing this," Angie Ferguson, race co-director with Kate Gooderham, said.
Article Photos
The annual event will take place on Sept. 15-16
on the grounds of South Seas Island Resort and
the surrounding areas.
She explained that the aim was to provide a special event to the community but also give back.
"We just felt there was a need in the area," she added.
In total, the event has raised $166,500 for Community Cooperative over the years.
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Gooderham noted that it will be the last year for the triathlon.
"The race is an incredible amount of work," she said, explaining that organizing the yearly event is complicated, putting it on takes a large number of volunteers and now there are other triathlons around the state. "A triathlon is many many more times difficult than pretty much any other athletic event."
And some things simply run their course.
"It was fun while it lasted," Gooderham said. "We wanted it to end on a high note."
The two-day event consists of a youth triathlon on Sept. 15, then an adult triathlon on Sept. 16. Both events are sanctioned by USA Triathlon, and participants must be members or obtain a one-day waiver. Information about purchasing the waiver can be found on the website when signing up for the events.
The youth triathlon is broken down into three age groups. For ages 6-8 and ages 9-10, the course includes a 100-yard swim, 1.5-mile bike ride and half-mile run; for those ages 11-13, it consists of a 200-yard swim, three-mile bike ride and one-mile run. The entry fee is $30 for youth to take part.
Ferguson noted that it is not a timed event.
"Our goal is to get every child out there to participate and have fun," she said.
The event starts at about 7:30 a.m., with the youth to take off in sets of waves.
Every child who crosses the finish line will receive a medal.
"We want to make sure all of the kids feel successful," Ferguson said. "We want to make sure this is a positive experience."
The following day, the adults will compete starting at about 7:15 a.m.
She explained that the "elites" - men and women who qualified based on their time - will take off first, followed by waves every three minutes. The course consists of a 440-yard or quarter-mile swim, a 9.4-mile bike ride, and a 3.1-mile or 5K run. The entry fees are $220 for teams or $95 for individuals.
Ferguson noted that an average of 750 to 800 people participate.
"Our lead athletes are going to finish in under an hour," she said. "Our first-timers or multiple generations can be out there for an hour and a half, an hour and forty-five minutes."
Gooderham explained the course is one of the things that sets the event apart from others.
The swim takes participants in the Gulf of Mexico, just offshore from the northern tip of the resort, followed by the bike ride along a paved island road, which will be closed to foot and motoring traffic.
"It's the length of Captiva Drive, down to the bridge and back," she said.
The run portion weaves along the Gulf, Redfish Pass and the golf course at South Seas on a combination of hard sand and paver. Gooderham noted that it goes around the golf course.
"It's a circular route," she said. "It's a pretty run."
Gooderham added that organizers are monitoring the water.
"It's been a challenge this year with the concerns about water quality," she said. "We're hoping that the Gulf of Mexico will be swimmable. If the water is not safe to be in, we will be a run-bike-run race."
Gooderham noted that the water will be tested prior to the start of the event.
"We want them to be healthy and safe," she said of the participants.
Ferguson pointed out other perks about the island triathlon.
"We are definitely a boutique race - we provide cooling towels and misting fans at the finish line," she said. "We just make it a very special event with all of the little extras."
High-quality trophies will be awarded to the top three finishers in each division.
"We hand-make all of our trophies," Ferguson said.
"And everybody who finishes gets a medal," she added.
The deadline to register is Aug. 30.
Spectators are welcome to come out and root on the participants.
"Parking is very very limited," Gooderham said, noting that parking on the north end of the resort is reserved for the athletes. "For everybody, we urge them to carpool - or bike or walk, if possible."
Spectator parking will be available at the south end.
"The resort will have shuttles to take them up to the north end," she said.
"The big important thing is they understand that the road closes," Gooderham added.
Both participants and spectators are reminded that Captiva Drive will close at 6:45 a.m., so they will need to be at the north end before 6:30 a.m. or they will be unable to take part in or watch the race.
"It does not open until 8:45 a.m.," she said.
Gooderham recommended that people hit the road early.
"Remember that traffic will be heavy," she said. "We have a lot of people driving in."
Organizers encouraged people to sign up or come out to watch.
"They'll never get to do it again," Gooderham said. "It's a beautiful fun event."
This year's title sponsor is Galloway Family of Dealerships. Lee County Sports Development is the sponsor for the adult triathlon, and Jason Gunter, P.A., is the sponsor for the children's triathlon.
For more information or to register, visit www.captivatri.org or "Captiva Triathlon" on Facebook.
Volunteers are still needed to help out. For more information, email email@example.com.


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The global steel industry is nothing if not proactive when it comes to providing information to the auto industry about how they, the vehicle manufacturers, can do a better job of applying steel.
Perhaps it comes as no surprise that the steel industry's newest conceptual vehicle design initiative (which is a technical way of stating that this vehicle exists only in math, not in, well, steel), ULSAB-AVC (Advanced Vehicle Concepts), shows how steel—particularly advanced high-strength steel (AHSS), which is used today in only a few vehicles (e.g., Honda Civic, Nissan Altima, Cadillac CTS)—can be used to great advantage by automakers who are looking for safety, fuel efficiency and production economy.
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A definition is in order regarding these "advanced" steels, especially as their use is limited. These are materials that are both strong and formable. Historically, as steels became stronger, they became less formable. But these new steels have what is known as "multi-phase microstructures," which means that they have a variety of iron phases (e.g., ferrite, martensite, etc.) within each type. Their development has been made possible by the ability to carefully control the cooling rate of the steel. As J. Paul Kadlic, executive vice president-Sheet Products, U.S. Steel Corp., puts it, "We have understood the superb attributes of advanced high-strength steels since the late 1970s, but it is only recently that we have been able to produce them in commercial quantity." Because these AHSS's are strong—higher strengths can be achieved through work-hardening (as in stamping) as well as through baking (as in paint ovens)—it is possible to use thinner gage AHSS in place of thicker HSS, so the resulting structure can be just as strong but lighter.
And a bit of background regarding the ULSAB-AVC. Back in the 90s, when the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) was initiated (1993), it seemed that steel was not going to be part of the equation when it came to developing the cars of the future that were roomy, fuel-efficient, and affordable (as distinct from being small, fuel-efficient and not particularly cost-effective either for the builder or the consumer). So the Automotive Applications Committee of American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) initiated the UltraLight Steel Auto Body (ULSAB) program, which was joined by a number of steel companies from other countries. Porsche Engineering Services (Troy, MI) went to work at engineering a new vehicle that was based on a holistic design (i.e., each element was developed to contribute to the good of the whole such that, in effect, the result is greater than the sum of its parts) and which used steels that were commercially available and manufacturing processes that were in use somewhere. Not only did they do the calculations to prove that an ULSAB vehicle was possible, but in 1998 they actually built a body-in-white to show that is was more than conceivable to cost-effectively build a car that is light (25% lighter than standard sedans) and which could realize significant fuel savings. There were other related studies conducted, looking at things from lightweight trucks to closure panels. PNGV—which was a program supported by the U.S. government and General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler—was something that the steel industry took very seriously. So they kept at it, and one of the results of their work was ULSAB-AVC, which was officially announced on January 30, 2002. On January 9, 2002, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced at the North American International Auto Show, "The PNGV wasn't cost effective and it wasn't moving a competitive automobile to the showroom. It certainly had a desirable goal—an 80-mile-per-gallon vehicle—but it wasn't at all clear this vehicle would appeal to consumer tastes." PNGV was referred to as "the old PNGV program" during that speech. It is now replaced by FreedomCAR, which is a public-private partnership, but more focused on the means of powering vehicles—fuel cells, in particular—rather that the materials and methods by which vehicles are built.
But when the ULSAB-AVC task force went to work in 1999 on behalf of 33 steel companies, PNGV was still viable. So when Porsche Engineering was given the ULSAB-AVC brief, it developed two vehicles: a two-door hatchback that fits within the European C-Class category (the participants are also interested in the European CO2 reduction program, EUCAR) and a midsize-sedan, which, because it is so much lighter than a conventional midsize, they chose to call a "PNGV-Class" vehicle, based on their target. (One interesting note: Because both were designed together and because there was a goal of commonality, the two vehicles have 50% common parts, which account for 22% of the vehicles' mass.) Diesel- and gasoline-powered variants were developed for each of the vehicles.
Let's look at some of the manufacturing processes/materials that would be deployed to manufacture the ULSAB-AVC's body structure and closures:
- 38% stamping
- 31% stamped tailor-welded blanks
- 13% stamping or sheet hydroforming
- 7% hydroformed tube
- 6% tailor welded tube
- 3% straight tube
- 2% other
Then there are the body structure joining processes that are anticipated for putting together the PNGV-Class vehicle:
- Laser welding: 100 m
- Spot welds: 814
- Adhesive bonding: 1.6 m
- MIG welding: <1 m
Finally, consider the steels for the vehicle. Overall, the body-in-white is more than 80% AHSS, with the remain-ing being high-strength steels. More specifically:
- 74% dual phase
- 10% bake hardenable
- 4% high strength IF
- 4% martensite
- 2% transformation induced plasticity (TRIP)
- 1% complex phase
- 4% other.
And it should be noted that the body structure consists of just 81 major parts.
Given some of the results that the ULSAB-AVC study shows, people in the industry—both accountants and engineers, alike—ought to give some serious thought to the benefits of taking these materials and processes and design approaches and replacing the old-but-standard ways and means. For example, every car manufacturer is touting its safety (or would like to). According to the computer simulations, both ULSAB-AVCs would receive "Five Stars" in the U.S. NCAP and SINCAP crash safety tests. The standards of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) would be met with flying colors. And they would receive a "Five-Star" rating in European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) tests.
This safety is matched with efficiency. It is calculated that the PNGV-Class vehicle would have a combined driving cycle fuel economy between 52 and 68 mpg (4.5L and 3.4L/100km), depending on specific configuration, and up to 78 mpg in highway driving.But then there's the cost. The Achilles heel of ULSAB-AVC? Quite the contrary. At least for those people who look at total cost. That is, compared to a reference structure, to build the body structure, the cost of the steel is $369. For the PNGV-Class model, the steel is more expensive, $468. If someone stopped there, obviously, ULSAB-AVC would be an interesting study in comparatively expensive steel. But the forming cost for the ULSAB-AVC is just $213, compared with the reference $282, and the assembly costs are $291, compared with $328 for the reference structure. The total body structure costs for the ULSAB-AVC PNGV-Class is $972, vs. $979 for the reference car. What's more, the tooling investment cost for the ULSAB-AVC is significantly lower: $40.3-million vs. $68.0 million. Overall, the manufacturing cost estimates range from $9,500 for PNGV-Class with a gasoline engine to $10,500 for one with a diesel engine.
2017 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD
The Mazda CX-5 first appeared on the scene in 2012, and for 2017, the vehicle has undergone some major transformations, to enhance what was already a notable small crossover.
The Lexus GX 470: You Want Me To Drive This Where?
According to Kunihiro Hoshi, chief engineer for the GX 470: "Three of my top goals were to create a body-on-frame vehicle with sweeping off-road performance and unibody-like on-road capability, and, of course, it had to meet the Lexus quality standard." He met his goals. But why would anyone want to bang this vehicle around on rocks?
5 Things about the Fiat 500e
Fiat is bringing a little more environmentally responsible fun to its lineup, an electric-powered 500.


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"Dhan" means wealth in English and 'Tera" is the 13th day. On this very auspicious day people buy gold, silver, jewelry or utensils.
Here, some Ethnic Indian Decor tips on 'Dhanteras' and Diwali or Deepavali....!!!....The Goddess is coming...:)....
Beautiful! happy Diwali!- Rekha
WOw..So beautiful.. love the glittery gold, copper, brass items and their stunning colors...!!! The laksmi feet with rice are so well done and pretty.. !!!!Happy Diwali to you too!!!!!
This is just beautiful! I really can't get over that brass tray, and the footprints are SO lovely!
Rekha,Purnima Laura~ wish you all a very happy Diwali :)
Happy Dhanteras to you too! Lovely photography. Just like always.
Lovely! Loved the "rice" footprints--what a pretty idea!
I'll hold on to happy diwali for tomorrow, but happy dhanteras!
Pree, GB~ Thanks girls!..Happy Dhanteras!
Happy Dhanteras to you too :-) Great photography!
Thanks a bunch Rachana!.. A very Happy Diwali to you too :-)
lovely images,sanghamitra.happy diwali to you too
Lovely arrangements with lot of positive energy, happy Diwali Sanghamitra!
@Lakshmi and Padmaja~ Wish you both a very Happy Diwali too :)
Beautiful......... love your decor!
very beautiful & traditional decor...!!
Your pictures are beautiful! Thank you for sharing your festival. It is very interesting to learn about someone's traditions.
Blessings My Friend,
Hi Sanghamitra, I love all your decorations and pics, cant let my eyes off from your blog.
Just a curious question do u keep all the decorations permanent as appear in the picture and how do you mange to do the cleaning part with such lovely decoration, please reply back.
Once again want to express that i have become addicted to your blog. Keep posting such ideas.
With lots of love and regards
Prabha Dash
Hi Prabha,
A very warm welcome to Rainbow! I appreciate your lovely words.
No, nothing is permanent in my home...everything changes as per my mood -:)
Well, regarding the cleaning part I try to spend at least 20mins every day to clean up the whole house....yes, every day...come what may...-;)
Also, I love the word 'de-cluttering'...this 'simple act' helps in a long way.
I saw your beautiful comment on my FB page..thanks once again.
Hope to see you on my little space more often -;)
Best regards,


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Well one thing I hope to do in the new year is make more sausages then I did in 2015, and hopefully share the recipes with my friends.
I believe I pinched this recipe from Len Poli's site. It's been my go to hot sausage recipe for sometime now. It has a nice heat level that sneaks up on you.
Here's the recipe
Ground everything through a medium plate, added the spices and water then reground through a fine plate. stuffed into 32-35 hog casings that were on the large side.
I ended up with about 7 lbs of links and 3 lbs of patties. I started to cold smoke them with pecan sawdust.
After 6 hours of not so cold smoke (smoker ended up around 120°f for most of the smoke) I pulled them and poached them to plump them back up a little.
After the poach I had to toss a few on the grill to taste test.
All in all the sausage came out great, and thanks for checking them out.


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The Alchemy Shop
Ahead of the Curve Necklace in Silver
This product is sold out
- Silver Plate
- 19 Inch Necklace
- 3 Inch Long Pendant with Curve
- 1MM Thick Pendant
We found a fantastic everyday necklace for the modern woman. Featured here is our Ahead of the Curve Necklace in a silver plate (also available in a gold plate). It's a very chic design that looks gorgeous and exquisite against the skin. It's only 1 MM thick for a very delicate look. The bar is 35 MM long and quite elegant. Plain silver jewelry like this is great because it will pair well with a variety of outfits. Bonus is that it can work with casual and formal looks. We can see it being worn on a date, or to a fancy work event. Versatile jewelry like this is a must for every woman because you end up getting tons of wear out of one purchase. You can also change up your look by wearing this silver bar necklace alone, or layering it with other pendant necklaces on our website. Happy shopping!


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If you're on the hunt for a more relaxed Christmas party in a traditional country-house setting, Beeston Fields provide the perfect party atmosphere. Celebrate the festive season with fantastic food and dance the night away with the company of your choice.
Enjoy a glass of prosecco on arrival, be seated for an exquisite three course meal and then celebrate in style until your carriage arrives at midnight.
Friday and Saturday nights in December
Subject to availability
£29.95 per person
£10 non-refundable or transferable deposit required upon booking.
Call 0115 9257062 to reserve your table


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|Queen Mathilde and King Philippe of Belgium pictured during the departure of the Belgian Royals for a state visit to Japan, Sunday 09 October 2016, at Melsbroek airport in Brussels. The visit is made for the purpose of developing "more friendship, good will and relations of cooperation in various fields". Also, that visit is made between October 9-15 in order to celebrate the 150th anniversary of beginning of bilateral relations between Belgium and Japan. Royal Couple of Belgium will visit Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka cities and attend an official dinner to be held at the Imperial Palace.
Queen Mathilde and King Philippe state visit to Japan
6 comments:
Lovely dress for Queen Mathilde!ReplyDelete
They both look very tired, the poor souls... :(Replies
Why do you think they are tired ?They are just leaving for Japan.Delete
This style suits HM. Straight lines, knee length, and a lovely subtle colour.ReplyDelete
I didn´t realise that leaving was a big deal. That´s quite the ceremony!ReplyDelete
Nice dress. Good colour and style on Mathilde.ReplyDelete
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Customized Holidays – With the in depth knowledge of all kind of travel products, team OTB is able to customize any tour package at any level also while being on tour that gives a unique experience to its customers and we are first choice of travelers now days.
Personalized services- We believe that customer is god – so we understand all customers at same level and try to serve best either it is before tour service or on tour service. Our dedicated team helps you 24x7 in each and every step of tour and try to make your holiday unforgettable.
Growing travel brand - We are working very hard to be a trustable travel brand and travel companion for our customers.


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February 2017
Good response to non-standard request
As domain name registry Easyspace responded under 24 hours and corrected an error produced by a third party's ISP shutting down a server, migrating to a new server, without providing prior notification. Thank you Easyspace for prompt correct reconfiguration.
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Our specialists take the headaches away and put you in control of your IT. We can help you setup your domain name, web hosting and website.
Find out how we can help
Our specialists take the headaches away and put you in control of your IT. We can help you setup your domain name, web hosting and website.
Or speak to us now on
0370 755 5088
Finde out how we can help
Our specialists take the headaches away and put you in control of your IT. We can help you setup your domain name, web hosting and website.
Or speak to us now on
0370 755 5088


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by Adobe
30 November 2011
User level
|Sample files
The Expense Tracker Reference Application is a sample application created with Flex 4.6. It will introduce you to the major updates in the Flex 4.6 SDK, and demonstrate best practices for designing and developing a CRUD-based experience for mobile, tablet, and web platforms. The three Flex 4.6 Reference Applications use the ViewNavigatorApplication class as an application base for screen management, the ItemRenderer and LabeltItemRenderer/IconItemRenderer classes for list controls, and the MultiDPIBitmapSource and RuntimeDPI providers as means to manage different DPIs on different devices.
Specifically, the Expense Tracker Reference Application will introduce you to the following features of the Flex SDK:
- Spark DataGrid
- ViewNavigatorApplication
- MultiDPIBitmapSource
- Camera
- IconItemRenderer
- SkinnablePopUpContainer
- RuntimeDPIProvider
- DataGridSkin
- GridItemRenderer
- CallOut
- SplitViewNavigator
The article that accompanies this reference application contains detailed information about how to best build applications targeting multiple screens using the Flex 4.6 SDK, and is intended to help shorten the learning curve for Flex developers. With Flex 4.6, there are powerful new tools at your disposal for mobile and multiple-device optimization. Jumping into working code is a good way to get up-to-speed!
Installing the app
Follow the steps below to install the app and jump into working code.
- Select File->Import...
- Open/Expand the Flash Builder folder in the Import dialog
- Select Flash Builder Project under the Flash Builder Folder
- Click Next
- Select the FXP you want to import
- Click Finish
Note: When you import an FXP file, it will also try to import a copy of the library it uses. If you have already imported the corresponding library, change the "Import Method" in the dialog from "Import New Copy of Project" to "Overwrite Existing Project: etc..."
Repeat for each Expense Tracker Reference Application FXP file.
Expense Tracker FXP Files:
- CRUDLib.fxpl (only need to import if you just want the library by itself)
- CRUDMobile.fxp
- CRUDWeb.fxp
- CRUDTablet.fxp