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This past summer I deliberately sought out trails I once considered boring. They lack the all-encompassing views from mountaintops, dazzling alpine lakes or dramatic waterfalls—all the reasons people visit or move to Colorado. But what these unexciting places lack in spectacular scenery they make up for in a wilder and quieter experience.
Last year more than 4 million people visited Rocky Mountain National Park, with most of the visitors arriving in summer. The roads are choked with traffic that comes to a complete halt every time someone spots a moose or elk near the road, and then tries to get as close as possible for a good photo.
The parking lots are packed, and the trails crowded. On the popular trails, I spend a lot of time stopping to talk to fellow hikers about where they're headed, how far it is, what the trail's like, and where they're from. I enjoy these interactions, but it makes for a different experience than being alone in nature.
At the popular alpine lakes, every available boulder with a good view is taken. At times you can't see the forest for the folks. Last summer, at one of my favorite spots, Mills Lake, I saw a man do a dramatic dive into the lake from a tall cliff and then perform handstands on a boulder that was visible from most of the lake: Was he craving attention or just celebrating nature in his own way? It's hard to know, but more and more there's a circus-like quality to the crush of humans on these trails.
So last summer and into fall, I've sought out the less-popular trails. These are places where it's quiet enough to feel nature's own rhythms, where the natural world operates on a different scale than that of humans. Even the most relaxed animals (and I think of the ground squirrels, right, that pose seemingly without a care in the world) are always on the alert, not just for predators but for food or any changes in their surroundings. Their survival depends on being constantly aware.
But we humans blithely enter this realm chattering away or listening to our headphones, intent on finding the best place to take a selfie. We subtly—or not so subtly---alter nature. As the number of humans fill up the wild spaces, we drown out the quieter and more attentive presence of nature.
When I left the beaten path last summer, I found trails where I passed no more than 10 fellow hikers, compared to the maybe 50-70 I usually encounter on the trail to Mills Lake. On these lonely trails, I found a rare orchid along a hidden stream that led to a tundra empty of people but full of wildflowers, and groves of aspens taller than what I usually see on the eastern side of the mountains.
One trail that I hadn't been on for at least 20 years follows a creek through dense pine forests so quiet and peaceful that the cry of a vireo can pierce the air, and the blue grouse (left), which usually blends into its surroundings, became visible. Best of all, I felt myself slowing down and becoming more alert to everything around me, aligning myself with the pace of the creek, the wind, the birds, the trees.
Even in the park, I've found trails that most visitors don't bother with. One ascends a hillside that provides views below of a wide meadow where a creek meanders back and forth among tall grasses.
Another park trail near my cabin, one bypassed by most people who instead aim for well-known waterfalls, puts you almost face to face with Mount Meeker (above); at the top is a hillside covered with aspens, where I can listen to the leaves in the wind or sit by the small murmuring creek without being disturbed by any voices except the chickadee.
Last month on a popular trail west of Nederland, I took the trail that diverged from one that goes to a popular lake. Instead, it leads to a wide open meadow (above) with views to the north of a cirque of bare, dark peaks and to the east toward hillsides of aspen. As I sat taking in the view and enjoying the silence, a moose emerged from the woods. There was no else to see it, just me, and when the moose wandered back into the forest, it was almost like it never happened.


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I'm a connoisseur of all things cheap, especially jewelry. I own a few key pieces of expensive jewelry, namely my wedding ring, but other than that I sort of don't see the point.
I'm probably wrong, but I buy gobs of cheap stuff wherever I can find it.
These earrings happen to be from Forever 21, one of my favorite cheap jewelry haunts. They were precisely $2.80, which is a lot less than most things in life.
I've owned these earrings for almost 5 years, which in cheap jewelry land is a very, very long time. They're light and I wear them everywhere and with everything.
I highly recommend picking up a pair of cheap earrings somewhere. Anywhere. On the street, in a mall, in a booth, in a stall.
Sorry, Dr. Seuss, I couldn't help it.

subset: commoncrawl


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$60 Million To Address Years Of Property Neglect
The Minister of Police, George Hawkins, announced today that the Government would invest $60 million over the next five years in capital works, including refurbishment and replacement of police stations.
Mr Hawkins was in Invercargill to announce funding of almost $3.2 million for the extension and refurbishment of the main Invercargill police station.
"It is great news for police throughout the country that we will be spending around $12 million per year for essential work over the next five years.
"The National government let police buildings fall into disrepair to pay for INCIS. Between 1996 and 1999, on average, they spent less than one million dollars a year on capital works. That simply wasn't enough.
"Last week, Mr Ryall shed crocodile tears over the appalling state of some police stations - but it was the National government which allowed it to happen. Yet again we are cleaning up the mess they left behind," said Mr Hawkins.
While in Invercargill, Mr Hawkins took the opportunity to congratulate police in the Southland District on their excellent work, which saw crime in the district fall by 7.5% last year, three times the nationwide drop. "The great work is continuing" said Mr Hawkins.


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ِARA News
Hasakah – An unknown masked group on Tuesday evening kidnapped Kurdish journalist and reporter of Welat FM radio station, Sardar Dari, in Syria's northeastern city of Hasakah after raiding his internet shop in the al-Mufti neighbourhoud in al-Hasakah city.
Dari was later found unconscious and heavily injured in the village of al-Khamael, 20 kilometres off Hasakah, the website of Welat FM said.
"Welat radio is following the details of this cowardly assault incident, to identify the perpetrators and seeks to reveal their identity. We demand the [Rojava] authorities to investigate the incident, and to hold the perpetrators accountable and bring them to justice as soon as possible," the Radio said in a statement.
Sardar Dari was found severely beaten and stabbed with a knife in his back, which caused an internal bleeding in his lungs. The journalist was immediately transferred to the al-Hasakah hospital, and his health situation remained critical, according to the Kurdish radio station Welat FM.
Dari previously covered the clashes between the Syrian government and the Kurdish Asayish and People's Protection Units (YPG) in August that lasted for nearly one week.
Welat FM is an independent radio station that broadcasts in the city of Qamishli. It also has reporters in other parts of the Hasakah province.


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Whether you are looking for the perfect bodysuit for your own baby, your nieces or nephews, or for a baby shower gift, look no further, Crazy Bros Tee's has got what you need! This "I Do Believe I Have Shat Upon My Pantaloons" baby bodysuit is printed on premium Rabbit Skins 5 OZ, 100% combed ring spun cotton. The babies might have no idea what is printed on their romper, but if they did, rest assured they would love it. Moms, we know that you love to your show your adorable baby, so this "I Do Believe I Have Shat Upon My Pantaloons" design is perfect for just that. This hilarious design is printed and packaged in the United States. It is recommended to wash this item in cold water; inside out. This baby one piece suit is a great gift idea for expecting parents and will have them coming back for more. Not only is this one piece 100% cotton, but it is also has
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Newborn, 6 Months, 12 Months
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N Purtova 'The Law of everything. Broad concept of personal data and the future of EU data protection law' Law, Innovation, and Technology 10(1) in open access here
N Purtova 'Do property rights in personal data make sense after the Big Data turn? Individual control and transparency', 10(2) Journal of Law and Economic Regulation preprint here
Graef, Inge and Gellert, Raphael and Purtova, Nadezhda and Husovec, Martin, Feedback to the Commission's Proposal on a Framework for the Free Flow of Non-Personal Data (January 22, 2018).


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If the recent sunny weather has inspired you to infuse some light into your home, you've come to the right place. At Zenith Home Improvements, we've compiled some top tips to help you brighten up your home for that light and airy feel.
1. Remove tall objectsThis may seem like an obvious tip, but it's surprising how many of us have tall objects or furniture blocking light coming into our homes. Removing these objects or pieces of furniture from beside or in front of your windows will allow loads of natural light to flood in, immediately brightening any room. Keeping these larger objects to the opposite side of the room and your window area clear is a great and inexpensive way of maximising the natural light flow.
2. Update your furnitureDark furniture looks beautiful, but if you are trying to create a lighter, airier room, sticking to lighter coloured furniture can make a huge difference – especially in smaller rooms. This may be as simple as a lick of paint, or if you've got a penny to spare, you could treat yourself to some new pieces. White is always a great way to create light, but similarly, light wood or bright colours (depending on how brave you are) will create a lovely bright feel to any room.
3. Get your paint brushes outThere's nothing like a nice crisp coat of white paint if you are trying to brighten a room. No matter what size or shape your room may be, a fresh lick of white paint is an easy and inexpensive way of creating light. If white isn't quite your cup of tea, why not try a light pastel colour like pale grey or green. All light coloured paints are very reflective so regardless of what colour you decide on, the end result will be a lovely light and airy space.
4. Mirror mirror on the wallMirrors are a very clever light reflecting tool. They efficiently reflect any light coming into your room, especially when positioned across from a natural light source. The bigger the mirror, the more light you will have flooding into your room.
5. Curtains and blindsUpdating your curtains to sheer curtains is a great way of allowing in extra light. Sheer curtains teamed with a pale coloured or white blind creates the perfect blend of light and luxury. Just imagine those floaty, sheer curtains swaying gently in a soft breeze, whilst filtering in beautiful soft light…bliss!
6. Light bulbsAnother obvious (or not so obvious?) tip, is to clean your lightbulbs. Can you remember the last time you cleaned yours? We can't either! This isn't a task that crosses our minds often, but it can make a huge difference to the light produced by your bulbs as dust and dirt accumulated over time…we'll just be off to grab a duster then!!
7. Floor lampsSticking with the lighting theme, investing in floor lamps aimed at the ceiling can also help in creating more light around your home, especially if placed in those corners that the natural light fails to reach.
Have you tried any? Or maybe you've tried them all for the maximum light around your home? Either way, we hope you liked these 7 top tips on how to brighten up your home.


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The following is an excerpt from the 2015 Astrological Almanac. This handy tome contains descriptions of every day, monthly summaries, an ephemeris, and more. Secure your copy today!
Venus Retrograde Basics
Venus goes retrograde approximately every year and a half. These retrogrades occur five times every eight years in approximately the same places, which, if mapped, form the five points of a pentagram. Over time, the points of the pentagram—the degrees which Venus retrogrades through—slowly move. If we looked at the cycle in an extremely sped up time frame, it would look like a starfish slowly inching forward, one arm at a time.
Thematically, every Venus retrograde highlights different issues, but they all share certain characteristics.
Venus' retrograde is akin, in many ways, to the better known Mercury retrograde, but with some important differences. Mercury is the planet of communications, and thus when Mercury is retrograde, communications often go awry. Mercury's retrograde also marks particularly key transmissions, the kind that take a little while to get right. Venus' retrograde operates on the same principle, but instead of disordered mental energy, it is the emotions which descend into temporary chaos. Deeply felt contradictions surface, and the passions' compass is set spinning. Yet, this confusion is a prelude to new connections, and perhaps more fundamentally, new ways of connecting.
When retrograde, Venus dwells in the same span of degrees for months at a time. The back and forth motion digs deep into the foundations of the patterns symbolized by each set of degrees, unearthing hidden layers of meaning.
As Venus makes her first pass over the shadowed degrees, energy retreats from the surface of pleasures, migrating back to the core. Patterns of desire and attachment become increasingly transparent as the planet edges toward her retrograde station.
The actual station is generally followed by an unsteady eruption of energy from the core, where deeply held feelings and emotional truths burble toward the surface, cracking the porcelain shell of existing patterns. These surges of emotional energy test existing patterns, highlighting their flaws as well as their excellences.
Venus' direct station marks the third phase of the cycle, wherein there is a recommitment to patterns and people which have passed the retrograde test, and the creation of new ways of relating deemed necessary during the retrograde period. It is a rebirth on an emotional level. It is interesting to note that Shukra, the Hindu deity associated with Venus, is specifically characterized by his ability to bring the dead back to life.
Such resurrections are not always internal. Venus' retrograde often brings old lovers back into people's lives, undead shades of affections past. Although often mistaken for fated confirmations of eternal love, such meetings are often meant to bring about closure, an opportunity to snip those heartstrings left unwisely bound.
The Venus retrograde which sets the skies of the third quarter of 2015 afire begins in the very first degree of Virgo, but soon retrogrades back into Leo, in whose terrain the vast majority of the action will occur.
Though the 2015 installment of this retrograde has some unique properties, much insight can be gained by looking back at the previous times that Venus has retrograded through Leo. The cycle being relatively orderly, it is as simple as looking back every eight years. It is thus helpful to consider the third quarter of 2007, 1999, 1991, etc. for previous experiences with this cycle.
The timeline for this year's installment is as follows. On June 21st, Venus enters the degrees she will later retrograde through. One July 25th, she stations retrograde, and then on September 6th stations direct. Finally, on October 9th, she exits the shadow of the retrograde. The most intense period is doubtless the time where Venus is actually retrograde, although the week leading up to the first station is often quite dramatic.
One feature of Venus' retrogrades is that they see her spend an unusual amount of time in a given set of degrees. There is thus a tremendous emphasis on the themes of the sign where this occurs. Although Venus' retrograde station occurs in the very first degree of Virgo, Venus will spend the vast majority of her retrograde cycle in Leo. It is thus worth the time to take a brief tour of the events and archetypes activated by Venus' time in Leo.
As an inevitable result of the process of wringing out the heart, all of Venus' retrogrades entail a certain degree of drama. This particular retrograde cycle, though, occurring almost entirely inside of Leo, should produce a number of exceptionally visible dramas. Leo is one of the most emotionally transparent and performative signs, and will thus demand that passions are not merely mulled over, but enacted with vim, vigor, and potentially—venom.
The retrograde's location in the feline sign is one indicator that this will be a particularly dramatic retrograde, but there are others, as well. The bright planet makes a variety of theatrical aspects to other bodies over the course of her retrograde. The first week of August is especially likely to help bring storylines to a string of fevered climaxes.
In addition to saying that there will be drama, we can also make some reasonable guesses as to what they might entail.
Queen Me
Upon even a minimum of contemplation, Venus in Leo yields a variety of royal female images—powerful, visible, loving, and wrathful figures.
Venus' retrograde through Leo is thus likely, on a cultural level, to highlight the issue of females in positions of leadership, as well as individual female leaders. In the United States, this will likely infuse the discussion of possible presidential candidates for the 2016 election. The lives of queens past are likely to weigh heavy on the collective.
On a personal level, people will wrestle with near-infinite variations on the image of the sovereign, loving, and wrathful feminine. Some may be drawn to it, others repelled. Some may seek to embody it while others will find their place in relationship to it. This psycho-spiritual complex intersects meaningfully with a variety of god forms and spirits. Lion-headed dakinis, feline Bast and Sekhmet, red Babalon and bright Amaterasu are all likely to make appearances.
The Heart
When the signs of the zodiac are mapped onto the body, it is inevitably Leo which is said to correspond to the heart. Although Venus' retrogrades always entail the exposure and reconsideration of relationship dynamics, this installment is likely to drive straight to the bloody, muscular core of matters.
Venus will seek the blazing center, the raw furnace of passions unmitigated by sober reflection and polite phrasing. It will entail the discovery of radical, raw interpersonal truths, and it is this gold mined from dark caverns upon which many of the stories' trajectories will depend. The degree of intimacy a relationship can sustain is directly proportional to the level of honesty present therein.
The Corona
Venus corresponds with the powers of attraction resident in each person, and Leo speaks to the images we project. Thus for many, Venus' retrograde through Leo will bring a series of questions about the issue of self-presentation. A series of looks into Aphrodite's mirror will reveal the array of internal images by which we identify ourselves, as well those that we project out into the world. A reckoning between what we see and what the world sees is thus inevitable. Venus' actions always speak to relationships, and the relationship we have with ourselves is no exception.
In addition to her action upon the relationships we have with ourselves and those close to us, Venus' work also speaks to collective relationships—the way that different populations and peoples relate to one another. Astrologer Nick Dagan Best's research exhaustively demonstrates a powerful linkage between Venus' Leo retrogrades and critical moments of race relations in the United States.
Venus' retrograde will begin with questions about your fiscal and physical health. The answers to these issues are likely to be found in your reservoir of creative energy. An analysis of what you're spending yourself on, and what kind of life you're getting out of that is likely in order. In addition to the expenditures of energy, there is also the question of your connection to the source of that energy. You may be blocking a bit of your own light.
Venus' third quarter retrograde begins by highlighting the inefficiencies in the way that you're budgeting your creative energy, but as Venus walks backward, shifts to a series of important questions concerning your family, home, and emotional foundations. This second and more consequential phase will highlight the importance of honesty and the need to be recognized for who you are. Acknowledge and try to make room for these needs.
Venus' retrograde is likely to begin with issues surrounding your living and family situation, but regress back toward the matter of your regularly scheduled activities. Disruptions to and dissatisfaction with your weekly grind are both likely to occur. The key will be finding a way to make more room for who you are in your sequence of regular activities.
Venus' retrograde begins in Virgo, where it is likely to highlight issues with your schedule, and illuminate some troubling cognitive patterns. After this initial station, though, the planet will retreat to Leo, and the subject will shift to matters of value—both your own self estimation, as well as the number attached to your bank account. What are you really worth?
Though Venus's retrograde begins in Virgo, with questions about your credit and the value of what you contribute, she will retreat to your sign shortly. This second and longer phase shifts the conversation to how you're managing your passions, and the status of your relationships, and it is around these topics that the most profound revelations and reversals are due to occur.
Venus' retrograde begins in your sign, likely highlighting bundled knots of emotional energy. As these are released and Venus strolls backward, however, the subject shifts to all of the needs you are so quick to disown. These are likely to include the very human desire to be seen for what and who you are, to take pride in who you've become, and to receive due credit from others.
Venus' retrograde starts somewhere in the back of your head, amidst the creaking gears and squeaky scales of your subconscious. This first portion offers insights into your invisible mechanics, but may trigger some temporary emotional instability. After the initial station, Venus retreats to Leo, where the subject will change to your social life, and standing in various communities. Who are you to people? Who do you want to be?
Venus' third quarter retrograde is likely to begin with social considerations. Some questions are likely to arise concerning your social status, as well as the role you occupy within communities. As Venus retreats back into Leo, though, the questions will slide toward your career, especially the importance of professional relationships.
Venus' retrograde begins in Virgo, which is likely to give rise to a number of questions surrounding professional relationships. As Venus falls back to Leo, though, the subject will shift back to your vision of the world and your understanding of your place within it. Venus' retrograde is thus scheduled to highlight a re-discovery of your fundamental passions and ask you how to yoke those wild horses to your little chariot.
Venus' retrograde begins in Virgo and a series of uncertainties about your beliefs and your trajectory through this world. After a bit, though, Venus returns to Leo, and there shifts the conversation toward the emotional energy you're receiving from other people, as well as what you're sharing with them. There is a tangle here, a knot that needs unwound.
The third quarter retrograde of Venus begins in Virgo, and there it highlights the details of the exchanges between yourself and others. Yours, mine, and ours may be in serious need of clarification. After the initial retrograde station, though, the topic shifts to the dynamics at the heart of your relationships. It is these personal truths, and the shifts they demand, which will comprise the core of Venus' retrograde for you.
Venus' retrograde begins in the virgin's sign. Here Venus is due to highlight crucial and likely neglected details of your relationships. After the initial retrograde station, however, Venus retreats back into Leo and will there highlight your habits, both good and bad. Of particular concern are those habits which exist to fulfill or cope with your emotions. Habits that affect partnerships are also likely to be dragged into the limelight. This retrograde may be hard on your health and finances, so keep an eye on them in the month leading up to it.
3 Comments
excellent writer! thank you!
this guide to life you have written is star-studded and now tear-stained.
Thanks to you Austin and to miss Beth Barrial for guiding me here.
[…] Photo Credit: Austin Coppock […]


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5000+ pickup points 90 days return policy
Neon LED Message Board
Highlight your message
Do you need to direct all eyes to your message? For instance because you want to shine an extra light on your restaurant menu or your bar beverage list? Why not present them through an exciting colour and light show, using the Neon LED Message Writing Board.
The board comes with white, green and pink markers for splashing your message across the surface. Using the different remote control modes, this message will light up in all kinds of colours! Each of the three colours reacts differently to the different settings. Put the light board on a cabinet, or hang it somewhere using the convenient wall clips on the back.
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- Multi-coloured neon LED message board
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Dimensions: 44cm(L) × 33cm(W)


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Search results
Graduate Exit Seminar- Tania Burgos Hernandez
carbon cycle. This step of utilizing Ohio State soils as a test bed for our research not only provides us ... Tania D. Burgos Hernández will present "Investigating Soil Quality and Carbon Balance for ... Ohio State University Soils" on Monday, Dec. 9 at 2:00 p.m. in room 245 Kottman Hall. Advisor: ...
EPN Breakfast- January 14, 2020 The Bourbon Barrel Connection: Revitalizing Appalachian Ohio economies and oak-dominated forests
management and research. Prior to joining Ohio State University Extension in December of 2000, he taught for ... for Franklin Soil & Water Conservation District and a research forester for the University of ... our multifaceted approach to sustaining oak-dominated forests across all ownerships. Join this ...
Ohio State Report Evaluates Options for Reducing Lake Erie's Harmful Algal Blooms
lake by 40%. Now, researchers have a better understanding of what management practices need to be ... lake comes from agricultural sources such as fertilizer runoff. To address this, researchers are ... the weather, researchers use watershed models to project how different management techniques impact ...
Digging in with Ohio's Soil Experts
a changing climate. Ninety-five percent of our food comes from soil and thirty-three percent of our global ... soils are already degraded (U.N. 2018). Restorative ecosystem management and regenerative agricultural ... University, and why soil matters to Ohio's conservation community from our state conservationist, Terry ...
Meet Morgan Dent: Humanitarian Engineer
a focus in soil & water. Morgan currently works with the USDA as a research assistant under Kevin ... King, in their water chemistry lab. She researches edge-of-field agriculture runoff. Studying abroad ... researching the different opportunities, Ohio State offers, she chose to go on the engineering service trip to ...
Registration now open for January!
Registration is now open for our January EPN Breakfast program, "The Bourbon Barrel ... and register for our Tuesday, January 14 event! https://epn.osu.edu/events/epn-breakfast-january-14 ...
Thanks to David Benfield- GEMS
our electrical fleet needs for our Campus. Thanks to Dave Benfield and his vision for future ... improvements we have been able to reduce our carbon footprint on this campus removing 6 gasoline-fueled ... vehicles from our service fleet. On average our electric vehicles can run a full week on one charge. We ...
Graduate Exit Seminar- Florence Becot
the forefront, my research expands and re-frames our understanding of the factors that shape farm ... social needs, social policy, and farm persistence in three research articles. A cross-national ... empirical case and for a new research agenda at the intersection of the family farm and social policy ...
New report estimates value of outdoor recreation
Natural Resources spends around $244 per acre of public land per year to manage public lands, suggesting ... to manage those lands. "Data collected by the Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Lab in the School of ... Ohio's citizens and its economy is available here for viewing. Faculty Research ...
Ohio State ATI Community Choir
the Wooster Campus. Dr. Elder (elder.48) has agreed to be our Advisor. We will be a 4-part harmony choir ...


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£8.00 £9.50
We'd take a Pornstar Martini over Tea any day! The perfect mug to get all our party gals through the week and ready to dance the night away come Friday.
FOMO? Sign up to receive the latest offers and exclusives straight to your inbox...
© 2019 Coconut Lane.


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Purple Maxi Dress, Long Maxi Dress,Kaftan Linen Dress
Regular price £45.95 Sale price
Unit price
This gorgeous comfortable Purple linen Summer Dress. The dress will be your MUST HAVE clothing style for the new season. So comfy and easy to wear, provided with a touch of stylish elegance.
- Made of gentle and soft 100% linen
- Suitable for maxi sizes.
- The model wears size M - 5,6' / 170 cm.


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Spruce up your photos with text and designs in UponPixels
UponPixels ($0.99) by taprrific, LLC is a fun app that allows users to add text and design elements to their images for sharing with others. With the holidays just around the corner, apps like this are a great addition to your collection. It is similar to apps we've already covered, such as Hipstify, Over, and Rhonna Designs.
Personally, I'm not too into the whole text-on-photos thing, but it is a popular trend on social networks like Instagram. With the holidays upon us, it's a fun way to spruce up your family photos, so I get the appeal. With UponPixels, it's never been easier to make something great with your photos.
The design of UponPixels is fairly simple, so it's intuitive from the get-go, especially if you've used other apps like this one. The home screen of UponPixels is beautiful and elegant, only showing users the basics and nothing else, so it's not cluttered. The rest of the app has a flat aesthetic that fits in with iOS, and the editing tools are clearly labeled and recognizable, so anyone can understand how to use the app.
There are two ways to get an image in to UponPixels: Photo Library import or a new camera capture. There is also the Lightbox, which is where all of your edits in UponPixels go automatically, and you can further edit them if you choose to.
Once you have an image, the fun begins. To add text, just double-tap on the starting text and write whatever you want. To save it, just tap outside of the text box. You can select the text again to move it, resize it, and change the font and color. There are a lot of fonts to choose from, so there will always be something to fit every occassion, without the need for in-app purchases. More refinements to the text can be made when it's selected and you tap on "Adjust," including kerning, leading, rotation, and more.
To make your image even more spiffy, there is a plethora of various design elements that can be added, which you can resize or move just like text, as well as change the color. There's no limit to how much text or design components you can add to a single image, so feel free to let loose.
In addition to the text and designs, you have basic editing tools for cropping and adjusting the overall tint of the photo. While the tinting feature is a bit limiting, there are a lot of crop ratios, so you are bound to find one that best suits your photo.
When you tap on Done, the image gets saved to the Lightbox automatically, so you can pick up where you left off later. There are also other options for the image, including saving it to the Camera Roll, sending it through email, sharing on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, or opening it in another app.
For the price, UponPixels has a lot of variety for users who are into decorating their images with text and fancy designs. It's fast and simple to use, so there's no learning curve. The design is also pretty slick, making it an enjoyable experience, and the Lightbox is a handy feature. It still feels a little rough around the edges with some things, but I'm sure that it will be improved over time.
I recommend giving it a look if you are into sprucing up your images in ways that don't involve slapping a filter on and calling it a day. You can find UponPixels on the App Store for the iPhone for $0.99.


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at a glance
- Broad selection of term and permanent life insurance.
- Quotes are not available online.
Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co. is owned by its policyholders, which means that customers who buy whole life insurance can share in dividend payouts when the company does well. The company set its 2019 dividend payout at $87 million. Founded in 1847, Penn Mutual sells life insurance through its national network of financial advisors and does not provide quotes online.
» MORE: The best life insurance companies
Find out more about each element that goes into our Penn Mutual review by clicking below. Note: Penn Mutual was not eligible to be included in NerdWallet's ranking of the 20 best life insurance companies because it was not scored in the latest J.D. Power consumer satisfaction survey.
A.M. Best financial strength rating: A+ (superior)
Penn Mutual's financial strength is "superior," according to ratings firm A.M. Best. It's important to consider a company's financial strength because it indicates an insurer's ability to pay claims.
Consumer complaints: Better than the median
Penn Mutual drew significantly fewer than the median number of complaints to state regulators in 2017, compared to life insurers of its size.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners calculates a "complaint ratio score" for insurance companies, which is based on the number of complaints to state regulators, adjusted for market share. The median score is 1, and a score of less than 1 means fewer complaints. Penn Mutual had a complaint ratio score of 0.06 for individual life insurance.
More about Penn Mutual
|Types of life insurance sold
|Other products and services
Penn Mutual Coverage Options
Term life: You can choose a term of 10, 15 or 20 years and can convert a portion or all of the coverage to a permanent life insurance policy. The annual price stays level through the term, but increases if you make the coverage permanent.
Universal life: Three types of universal life insurance policies are offered, including indexed universal life, which lets you base the cash value growth on an index, such as the S&P 500.
Variable universal life: The policy's cash value is based on investments you choose. You can build your own portfolio from a selection of 24 investment funds or choose one of five diversified funds to match your risk tolerance.
Whole life: Like all whole life policies, the cash value grows at a guaranteed rate. Because Penn Mutual is a mutual insurer, the policy has the potential to accumulate additional money in years when the company pays out dividends.
Survivorship life insurance: A couple can both be covered under one whole life or indexed universal life policy. The death benefit is paid after the second person dies.


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College Military Dating
Look through the listings of Member members that have joined Military Dating that are associated with College. Talking to others who have like minded interests is a great way to come up with ideas to do once you are dating. Create a Totally Free Profile to Date Tonight!
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County girl
County girl
Small town girl. Love music fishing and camping. I'm a psw student
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A nerdy community minded...
A nerdy community minded adventurer
Hey there! I'm really bad at these actually. Haha. I'm into horse back riding and enviromental sciences. I do alot of volunteer work in my community and participate in the occasional public speaking gig. If you want to know more feel free to get in touch. =)
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Don't step on my unicorn ????
Don't step on my unicorn ????
Shy, optimistic, dependable, good listener and funny (once you get to know me). I love traveling, going to amusement park, watching horror movies (despite getting scared), going on long walks and sleeping (duhh ????)
Hi there
Hi there
I am a very simple, Godd fearing, caring, talented, understanding, trustworthy and kind hearted human being. I believe in the motto 'Happiness is a choice'. I HATE liars and Cheaters. I am fun loving, down to earth and very much Optimist. I love travelling, sight seeing, listening to music,...
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Books and flowers are me.
Books and flowers are me.
scientifically driven, quiet and observant. I frequently wear flowers and long dresses— makes you feel like you are on the shorelines in Labrador. I passionately kill with kindness and knowledge. never been with someone before, and I am slightly socially awkward due to shyness. Appearances are...
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Hi happy to know you:)
Hi happy to know you:)
im simple women , that's loves read book and watching movies .. and love eating haha :)
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Looking for someone who is...
Looking for someone who is strong, fun, respectful...
I am a caring, friendly and attractive young woman. I love travelling and have previously lived in Europe so I can speak a bit of French. I love art, exercise and charitable activities. Feel free to send me a message.
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Looking for something real
Looking for something real
I like animals, reading, and watching movies. I am an honest loving person. I have one dog, I loving taking him for walks. I am a very shy person but I do better online.
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Looking for canadian forces...
Looking for canadian forces man :)
Attending College for Justice Studies but going to apply to Canadian Air Forces . I tend to laugh a lot , and enjoy life . Outgoing and looking for someone to share my humour with and just enjoy life with !
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Twenty two and loving life :)
Twenty two and loving life :)
I am a five foot two brunette with an outgoing personality, whose usually up for anything! People describe me as crazy sometimes because I usually do things on a whim, especially tattoos and piercings. Plans are not something I have frequently, I love to see where the day or night takes me. I...
Looking for friends...
Looking for friends...
My name is Joanne but I like to go by J.J., I have brown hair and hazel eyes, I'm Scottish, Irish, Cuban and Native, I have 8 piercings and 2 tattoos. I have 3 cats Midnight and Fluffy (3 year) and Gilbert (2 years). I like to listen to almost any type of music, swim, horse back ride, I also...
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Looking for love
Looking for love
Going to be taking a year and a half for myself to figure out what I want in life. After that I may join the army and do martial arts as my craft. I like to swim and be on a cycle and I will be getting my high-school diploma.


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The Stanton Knitting Group meets to knit for this charity - Wrap with Love.
Knitted wraps go to the charity's warehouse in Alexandria, NSW, and then to over forty non-denominational and non-political aid agencies who distribute them to those in greatest need across the world.
The Stanton Knitting Group meets:
in the Conference Room on Level 2 of Stanton Library.
Please bring 8ply yarn & 4mm needles.
Some materials and instruction will be provided for beginners.
Spare yarn donations gratefully accepted!
Tea and coffee provided.
2019 Knitting Dates:
15 January
5 February
19 February
5 March
19 March
2 April
16 April
7 May
21 May
4 June
18 June
16 July
6 August
20 August
3 September
17 September
1 October
15 October
5 November
19 November
3 December
17 December
The Crows Nest Centre also runs a weekly knitting group every Monday 10am-12pm noon, in the Pat Brunton Room. Wool & needles are provided but please feel free to bring your own. Tea & coffee provided. The Centre is at 2 Ernest Place, Crows Nest. For more information please contact Geoff Whiting, Activities Coordinator on (02) 9437 7510 or email@example.com


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Living on a Budget
If you are new to budgeting, managing your money may seem complicated and overwhelming. You not only have to be organized, but you have to make challenging decisions about how to spend your money. But there is good news for you. You don't need fancy financial apps on your phone or extensive spreadsheets with dozens of categories of spending in order to see how your money is being spent. You simply need to follow the 50-20-20-10 rule!
The 50-20-20-10 rule assists you in building a budget by using three spending categories.
- 50% of your income should go to living expenses and essentials including rent, utilities, groceries and transportation.
- 20% should go to savings, investments and debt-reduction payments.
- 20% of your income should be used for flexible spending. This includes everything you buy that you want, but don't necessarily need such as travel, going out to movies etc.
- 10% giving back – donating, volunteering, helping others out
Remember that the percentages for essentials and flexible spending are the maximum amounts you should spend. If you use less income in these categories, you will have more to put into your other financial goals.
Here is how to start the 50-20-20-10 budget. First, determine exactly how much money you bring home each month. This will be the amount you will base your 50-20-20-10 split on. Then track your spending. Every penny of it, from your rent payment down to the coffee you stop for on the way to work in the morning. As you are analyzing your spending, split it into the 50-20-20-10 categories. Once you see what you are spending where, you can make the needed adjustments to ensure you are falling into the 50-20-20-10 parameters. If you find you are spending too much on things that you want but don't need, that's when it is time to cut back.
The 50-20-20-10 rule works because it provides a simple way to track your spending so that you can pay your bills, add to your savings and have money left over for fun stuff. It keeps you on the straight and narrow so that you can begin to meet your financial goals. If you stay the course, you will eventually achieve financial stability.


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Stay Connected
About The Author
Myself Robin Gupta Director @ robingupta.comm, A leading seo services provider company. robingupta.comm was founded in 2007 with a vision of providing a comprehensive & well balanced Services, We have more than 350+ clients and still counting. We have helped thousands of websites into gaining their true potential. Our clients include many top companies from US, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy and Many European Countries. Currently we owns more than 1500 Websites.- Robin Gupta
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Google Shopping Placement
Google Shopping Placement – Seo Love
Google seems to be in the mood of revamping its Google Shopping results display, and the good news is that this measure undertaken by Google is welcomed by SEOs. In the process of modifying its shopping display, Google has switched to a paid model and also been trying several user interfaces as testing grounds. The bad news for the merchants of Google shopping is that they would not be getting


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There are few festivals as grandiose as Diwali. The day is often an occasion for nostalgia, bringing back fond memories of childhood—of colourful rangoli patterns traced on a background of red mud, of the air thick with an aroma of chaklis and karanjis, of fireworks that dazzle the night sky, and even more fondly, of gifts exchanged. While we continue to practice most of these age-old traditions, our ideas of gifting have long transcended the ordinary. Whether it is your little sister, spouse or a close friend, you now pay close attention to their needs, likes and dislikes, and zero in on a present after considerable thought. From customised food hampers to gift cards and beauty kits, here's a sneak peek at the latest offerings in the lifestyle circuit.
Premium Gourmet Chocolates from Choko la
Ditch the regular chocolate hampers and opt for a sophisticated range of delicious soft-centred bonbons, traditional mouth-melting truffles and an assortment of milk mendiants, dark chocolate honey comb, rochers, coffee crunchettes, and chocolates in exotic Indian flavours, lovingly handcrafted, using premium ingredients.
Price: Rs 395 onwards; Available across Choko la boutiques in Delhi NCR as well as Mumbai besides the online portal www.chokola.in.
Be it your father, brother or husband, buying a gift for your man is a daunting task. And yes, we all are bored of gifting them perfume bottles year after year. Come Diwali, gift your man a box that includes a pocket square, tie and cufflinks from Blackberrys. Why? Because you can never go wrong with presents that spell sophistication.
Price: Rs 3,295; Available at Blackberrys stores across India.
Wild Argan Oil Gift Cube from The Body Shop
Think luxury and a whole lot of love when you gift this extravagant box of Argan treats. Complete with luxurious Wild Argan Oil Body Scrub, Wild Argan Oil Body Butter, Wild Argan Oil Shower Gel and Wild Argan Oil Massage Soap, this delectable hamper is sure to pamper your loved ones.
Price on request; Available at The Body Shop outlets across India.
Healthy Indulgence with Sustenance
Handmade, without the use of industrialised methods, the artisan food trend is fast gaining popularity. And if you're looking for a unique edible gift tailored to individual tastes, look no further. Sustenance marks a departure from the traditional idea of gifting chocolate, dry fruits or sweets. From sinfully decadent chocolate hazelnut granolas and wholegrain mustard infused with honey and whiskey to sweet figs paired with rum to create a fruity jam, the brand caters to people who love to give or receive gifts that are healthy, delicious and elegant at the same time.
Price: Rs 400 onwards; Order online on www.sustenancefood.com, drop an email at firstname.lastname@example.com or call 9987888441/9820011132 to create a personalised gift box.
Back to school with Paper Boat
If you're in a mood to sip on your childhood memories with your best friends, get your hands on a multi-coloured gift box that captures fond memories of Diwali. Encased in a timeless sandook, the traditional concoctions from Paper Boat are sure to liven up the atmosphere at home.
Price: Rs 99 for a pack of three Paper Boat and Rs 220 for a pack of six Paper Boat; Paper Boat's gift packs are available across modern trade stores and exclusively on amazon.in.
A gift of wellness at Myrah spa
Choosing Diwali gifts for a copious bunch of cousins can be unnerving, also because they come in different shapes, sizes and age groups. And if they're mostly women, they'll end up playing the 'who-got-what' game. Wondering how to make everyone happy? Gift them an experience instead of cash. Let them get the much needed relaxation they deserve, leaving them feeling refreshed and rejuvenated with specially crafted facials, body treatments and massages at a tranquil urban retreat. The spa offers e-vouchers that one can buy or book for gifting.
Price: Depends on the treatment; Book your e-voucher on www.myrahspa.com
Cocktail cushions in pretty patterns. Chunky bracelets. Baby Owl Tealights. Doe Eyed Fox Mugs. Bobbleheads featuring super-cute characters: visit Chumbak, India's most loved and cherished lifestyle store to grab these vibrant offerings.
Price: Rs 295 onwards; Availability: Swing by a Chumbak store in your town or visit www.chumbak.com to order online.
MyGreens detox
Amidst all the merry-making and binging on sweets and fried food, you're bound to feel exhausted, sometimes guilty, especially after the festive high wears off. It's a good idea to gift yourself and your dear ones a detox package that will not only purify your body, but also help it bounce back with energy. A deliciously crafted hamper of cold-pressed juices like MyGreens will instantly cleanse your body and help flush the toxins out. What's more, these juices also provide significant amount of nutrition, minerals and enzymes.
Price: Rs 1,300 onwards depending upon the duration and types of cleanse; Availability: The package has 3 types of cleanses — beginners, intermediate and advanced and can be ordered at www.mygreens.com.


text: My son's father-in-law faced open heart surgery today. Open heart is a very serious event. Obviously, the entire family was there, I have met this wonderful Christian man many times and have great respect for him. His daughter is incredible with great beauty on the outside and on the inside. The father of 4 sons and 1 daughter and 5 grandchildren, had open heart surgery. He had been a good Pastor in his life time following in his fathers foot steps all his life. At 8 am 03/28/2018 he entered in surgery with prayer surrounding him by many in including the author. I am great full to GOD that he did very well. He is 69 year old Man.


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I recently read Kenneth Pollack's Ph.D dissertation on The Influence of Arab culture on Arab Military Effectiveness (which later became a book). It is a very fine piece of social science which, alas, I doubt any important member of either the Obama or Bush II Administrations has read. The burden of his analysis is that Arab culture strongly militates against having effective junior offices or tactical flexibility. Arab armies can be stubborn in defence (until breakthroughs happen), and can execute meticulously planned and rehearsed offensives, showing considerable individual bravery and unit cohesion. But they are typically very bad at any sort of free-style manoeuvre, innovation or coping with the unexpected. In particular, information flows can be stunningly unreliable, as people hide failure behind false reports.
Providing the Iraqi army with lots of American equipment and training still dramatically failed in the first military test in much the way one might have expected, if anyone in either the Bush II or Obama Administrations had read Pollack's dissertation. (Particularly the discussion of how the Libyan Army was defeated by Chadian forces.)
I used to describe cultural explanations as the last refuge of the analytically bereft. I am still dubious about cultural explanations which are not properly "fleshed out" but simply "thrown at" analytical problems as sort of analytical "silly putty"–something that can be used to fit any required (analytical) hole. But, as Pollack's dissertation shows, cultural explanations–done carefully–can be enlightening.
In his conclusion, Pollack makes the following observation:
It is a peculiarly American cultural trait that we dogmatically refuse to accept the importance of culture as an influence on behavior. Only Americans could assume that all men and women are purely rational beings upon whom societal values have only minor influence. For this reason, Americans have tended to dismiss culture as a potential influence on military effectiveness. We assume that any given state will conduct its military operations in exactly the same fashion as we would because we assert that our own behavior–at least in military operations–are governed entirely purely by reason and the objective conditions of our situation, but not by cultural values. As a result, we consistently misread the capabilities and intentions of foreign powers and are baffled when they consistently conduct military operations better, worse, or just different from our own (p.764).
This failure is not so surprising. Those who migrate to the US typically do so to play the game of being American, a game which is open to anyone to play. So, Americans see folk from many different cultures (14% of American residents are foreign born) coming to be Americans and learn to discount culture; or, rather, to expect a generalised "rationality" which cannot see its own emotionality and particularity. (Contemporary scholarship on the history of emotions–Australian centre here–has been revealing how Western post-Enlightenment concepts of rationality are somewhat more emotionally based and culturally particular than is often realised: Hume's dictum that reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them has great force.) Australians are perhaps a little more inclined to see differences–if only from an awareness of not being Americans–but some of the same effects apply, as Australia is even more (proportionally, 28% of Australian residents are foreign born) full of people coming to play the game of being Australian.
Cultural exasperations
Which brings me to South Asian call centres. Companies use them because South Asian labour is much cheaper than US, Australian or other Western labour and because modern telecommunication is so cheap, that the saving in labour costs dwarfs the expense in international calls.
There are, however, some (inter-related) problems with this. One is that South Asian labour is also less productive than Western labour. Second, the folk in the call centres simply do not have the same life experiences as the Westerners they are dealing with. Third, differences in culture can lead to very unhappy customers. The notion that one just pays South Asians to do "the same job" as would Westerners falls down if, for cultural reasons, they do not see things the same way as their Western customers: i.e. they do not share a common "commercial rationality". Such as not actually seeing "the job" itself in the same way.
Indian commercial mythologist/chief belief office Devdutt Pattanaik, in the course of a TED talk on culture (transcript here), says of culture that:
Culture is a reaction to nature, and this understanding of our ancestors is transmitted generation from generation in the form of stories, symbols and rituals, which are always indifferent to rationality. And so, when you study it, you realize that different people of the world have a different understanding of the world. Different people see things differently — different viewpoints.
He contrasts one-life cultures with many-life cultures:
Take a look. If you live only once, in one-life cultures around the world, you will see an obsession with binary logic, absolute truth, standardization, absoluteness, linear patterns in design. But if you look at cultures which have cyclical and based on infinite lives, you will see a comfort with fuzzy logic, with opinion, with contextual thinking, with everything is relative, sort of — (Laughter) mostly. (Laughter)
Reading Kenneth Pollack's dissertation happened to coincide with both my business and a friend having very annoying experience with two Australian telco's using South Asian call centres.
Telco non-communications
Case 1:
My business is part of a complicated arrangement with Optus. Last year, we moved our office. We have found it is apparently quite difficult to tell modern corporations your business has moved. Which leads to bills not being sent to where they will be paid, so they aren't. I had got some calls from Optus, and I kept telling them I was not the person to talk to, since I did not handle those aspects of the business. One Monday, my business partner spent two hours on the phone with Optus and was assured, at the end of the conversation, everything was now fixed.
The next day (Tuesday), Optus rang me while I was driving (so I did not pick up). I found later my phone had been cut off. I rang back (on another phone, since my would not connect to Optus), getting a nice lady who could not work out what was the problem, put me on hold and said she would get someone from the Finance area to talk to me: I was on hold for a while (too long, apparently) and dropped into another call centre person, who said the account as fully paid up and re-connected my phone.
The following Monday, Optus rang me while I was driving (so I did not pick up). I found subsequently that my phone had been cut off. I was on the way to a job, so could not deal with it. I got one of my fellow presenters to text my business partner and then, at lunch time, used another presenter's phone to ring my business partner who was very aware of the problem since his wife's phone had also been cut off (being part of the same plan), this while deeply personal things were happening and friends needed to be contacted. Our office manager spent a couple of hours on the phone with Optus and was assured at the end of that that everything was fixed. She rang me and told me that if I powered off my phone, it should be fine when I powered it back up. Verily, this was so.
The next day (Tuesday) Optus rang me. For once, I was not driving. We had a pointed discussion about telling them not to ring me and that we had been assured everything was fixed. I gave him my business partner's phone number, who later texted me back that he had a "pointed discussion" where he was assured everything was fixed (by my count the fourth such assurance in a little over a week) and he assured them that, if there was any recurrence, we were going to the Ombudsman.
So, our experience with a telecommunications company that apparently cannot communicate or handle communication. How much cultural issues played in the recurring screw-up, hard to say.
Case 2
Meanwhile, a friend of mine was moving between states. She rang her telecommunications company, Telstra, to tell them she was moving (and gave them the dates) and enquire about getting internet at her new (non-metropolitan) address. She later found her internet had been cut off (extremely inconvenient given how much information searching, ticket arranging, etc one nowadays does over the net). She rang Telstra and was told that it had been cut off because she was moving. She informed them that yes, but she had given them the dates and still needed internet access. After bouncing around South Asians who were not helpful, she finally got an Australian lady who reconnected her.
She subsequently found that, once again, her internet had been cut off. After more bouncing around South Asians at a call centre, where she had to explain the problem, over and over again, she finally got the same Australian lady who expressed puzzlement about what folk (in Telstra) thought they were doing, and reconnected her. So, in the middle of packing and arranging an inter-state move, she spent hours on the phone simply because her telco couldn't apparently cope with the idea of moving at a date they had been informed of. Another telecommunications company that apparently cannot handle communication.
But, of course, communication is more difficult when people do not have the same life experiences; not merely individually, but also collectively. (I am guessing that Indians moving probably do not do very much arranging matters over the internet.) What my friend found added an extra level of annoyance was that the call centre folk she talked to did not use the language of responsibility; she got no sense at all that they thought of themselves as representatives or agents of Telstra. She found talking to the Australian lady much more satisfactory, as she used the language of being responsible representative and then acted on the same.
Culture matters
But that is also a matter of life experience and culture; the things that affect the way you see the world and think about it, other people and yourself in relation to same. Devdutt Pattanaik again:
Indian music, for example, does not have the concept of harmony. There is no orchestra conductor. There is one performer standing there, and everybody follows. And you can never replicate that performance twice. It is not about documentation and contract. It's about conversation and faith. It's not about compliance. It's about setting, getting the job done, by bending or breaking the rules — just look at your Indian people around here, you'll see them smile; they know what it is. (Laughter) And then look at people who have done business in India, you'll see the exasperation on their faces. (Laughter) (Applause)
Remembering that even the concept of "the job" can be culturally specific. Kenneth Pollack defines culture as:
as the set of learned, shared values, patterns of behavior, and cognitive processes, developed by a community over the course of its history. … it is acquired behavior, learned by members of the community over the course of their lives (p.38).
Culture matters for individual behaviour because:
Culture influences an individual's preferences and priorities. By defining what the individual is likely to consider important, culture shapes an individual's preferred outcome in a given situation. … Similarly, culture will shape the courses of action and methods an individual is predisposed to employ to secure a goal. Culture has a tendency to suggest that certain ways of doing things are better than others, thus culture shapes both ends and means. Finally, culture may actually shape the way in which an individual thinks and how he or she approaches different situations.
In addition to its impact on the individual, culture also influences the behavior of groups by shaping interpersonal behavior. It teaches members of a society how to treat other people and how the individual should behave when part of a group. It establishes what is permissible and what is desirable behavior in public or within smaller groups (Pp38-9).
So culture establishes tendencies in behaviour rather than rigidly determining individual actions; tendencies that, as Pollack points out, will be clearer the larger the groups of people, and the longer the time frame, being examined.
Devdutt Pattanaik talks of one-life versus many-life cultures. But one can also talk of limited versus generalised morality, nicely defined by economists Avner Greif and Guido Tabellini as clan versus city (pdf):
In a clan, moral obligations are stronger but are limited in scope, as they apply only toward kin. In a city, moral obligations are generalized towards all citizens irrespective of lineage, but they are weaker, as identification is more difficult in a larger and more heterogeneous group.
Christianity and Buddhism encourage generalised morality, Confucianism and Hinduism encourage limited morality. Islam is a limited morality with universalised ambit. What folk in the West think of as "common sense" rests to a significant degree on generalised morality and putting yourself in the other person's situation. Limited morality cultures tend to not have the same "common sense".
A way to think about culture is a set of economising heuristics where the alignment of one's perspectives, expectations and preferences with those of others decreases cognitive effort and reduces social friction (i.e. transaction costs). The more said heuristics align with social success (marriage, income, reputation; i.e. have strategic complementarity [pdf]) the more they will be reinforced, and so persevere.
Conversely, persistent and socially significant shifts in pay-offs will lead cultures to change (as they do).
So, you hire folk who continue to live in their culture to deal with practical and personal aspects of people's lives who live in a quite different culture with quite different collective life experiences. How is that going to work out, in the customer satisfaction stakes?
Helping to create telecommunication companies that handle communication really quite badly, apparently.


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- 100% cotton T-shirt.
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- Available in sizes 6-12 months, 1-2 years, 2-3 years and 3-4 years.
Shirt looks exactly like the picture. Very cute!!
This shirt is absolutely the best. Good material, and no other child in town has it. Plan to purchase more!
I bought my son his first vests and tops from this website and now he's 2 I bought some more, they never fail to be the best! They fit him so well and the material and print is very high quality. Thank you for doing such a great job!!
Very soft right out of the package. The size runs a bit big, which was a pleasant surprise since that means it will fit longer. Very happy with this shirt!
Good quality, soft and looks adorable!


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FLORIDA TODAY / SEARCH: 1107 1st St S F Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
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Start you day with a great view of the ocean from your balcony or walk steps to the beach to watch the sunrise. Newly redone, furnished 2Bd/2Ba townhouse in Jacksonville Beach. Close to all the shopping, restaurants and entertainment Jax Beach has to offer. 1st level garage parking directly under the unit for 2 vehicles. Spacious, private master with ensuite bath on the 2nd floor. Large living space and fully equipped kitchen with washer/dryer combo. WiFi and upgraded cable TV included.
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Updated: 9th December, 2019 10:52 PM.
1107 1st St S F Jacksonville Beach, FL
Real Estate | Florida Today Powered by Placester


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abstract:A journalist friend called to set up an interview to discuss what I do. It reminded me of a speech I wrote that was intended for an audience at the opening of our town library and it has to do with the joy of reading and the place that book groups hold within that realm. In re-reading it, I decided to post it here and share it with all of you. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
"Joyce Carol Oates has said that she believes art to be the highest expression of human spirit and I have to agree. Literature in particular, enhances our perceptions and deepens our understanding of life. I treasure the solace of literature, its capacity to illuminate what is unique about an individual and what is universally human.
Stories transcend barriers --- of place, generation, class, race, faith and create gateways to understanding humankinds endless response to lifes challenges, joys and conundrums.
Literature describes more exquisitely than any other art form what it feels like to be alive, how minds shift through memories, emotions, thoughts, and sensations. It entices us into contemplating diverse traditions and divergent viewpoints. It awakens empathy and fosters a sense of connection with others.
I am forever falling in love with books.
If reading is the most solitary of pursuits what is the value and purpose and motivating factor of book groups?
Firstly, they create a forum to discuss the ideas and feelings and concepts brought out through literature.
Secondly, it provides a monthly goal that is not just for ourselves, but provides value to each member our insights, experiences and perspectives are so individual that in discussing literature there is no one right answer when interpreting a book. We all bring something to the table.
Thirdly, it forces us outside our particular reading tastes and habits. Some of the most astounding books Ive read were titles I was not particularly interested in or would have picked up on my own volition.
Fourthly, it elevates our level of examination of literature, our appreciation of writers and their craft and provides a reference point to which our own anecdotes and life experiences can be weighed."
article:October 25, 2010 — I urge you to join or form a book group. I've been in a book group of one form or another for the past 30 years; whenever we moved, I either started or joined a new one (and kept tabs on my old ones). My Vancouver book group "Between the Lines" has been meeting once a month for over 15 years. That means we've read and discussed over 180 books together. When my family moved to Whistler BC I started a villagewide book group open to the public called WHISTLER READS. That group meets every two months to discuss a new book alternating fiction with nonfiction and we create fun events around the book title that range from author readings to political skits to panel discussions to costumed themed parties. If there isn't a citywide book group in your town, why not start one?
Midway thru the 15th Century when books were first printed, a few hundred titles were published each year. Most of those were ancient texts and explications and commentaries on the Bible and Greek and Roman works.
Today over 300,000 new books are published each year in the USA and 25,000 books in Canada. How does a reader keep up with this? The answer is WE CANT. So what do we do? Well, one tactic is to read the book reviews in major newspapers with book editors. Rebecca Wigod is our Vancouver Sun Editor. Another way is to watch the various Literary Prizes around the world in Canada we have the Giller and the GG (Governor General Award), The Orange Prize was a prize created for women writing in the Commonwealth because it was believed (10 years ago) that The Man Booker prize was favoring males, and then of course there is the Nobel Prize awarded to an author for their body of work, and the Pulitzer Prize in America
the list goes on.
But what Ive discovered is that BOOK GROUP MEMBERS are one of the best advocates of titles they alone have read and discussed and researched titles and authors and so we are ourselves a strong resource. Who does one trust? A publishing company who is going to promote the hell out of the latest novel of a popular author or an editor that has been spoon-fed titles from various publishing companies? Or a fellow book group person who has read and enjoyed or been stimulated and experienced a lively conversation surrounding a well-crafted novel?
These are your choices. You can even register your book group with BookBuffet and have one convenient place for all your book group needs. See you online!


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LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – A California individual has filed a class action lawsuit against an online business loan company over allegations it contacted her without her permission.
Tenley Hardin filed a complaint on behalf of all others similarly situated on June 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Cash Fund LLC and Does 1 through 10 alleging violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that in April, the defendant contacted her on her cellphone in an attempt to solicit its services.
The plaintiff holds Cash Fund LLC and Does 1 through 10 responsible because the defendants allegedly used an automatic dialing system and contacted her without her prior express consent. She also alleges her cellphone number was added to the National Do-Not-Call Registry in 2008.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks $500 in statutory damages, $1,500 in treble damages and any and all other relief that the court deems just and proper. She is represented by Todd M. Friedman, Adrian R. Bacon and Meghan E. George of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman P.C. in Woodland Hills, California.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California case number 2:17-cv-04846-PA-FFM


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NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - March 15, 2013) - Whistleblower Brian Aryai represented by Robert Sadowski of Sadowski Fischer PLLC and The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York settled a False Claims Act qui tam case against Lend Lease (US) Construction LMB Inc. (formerly known as Bovis Lend Lease LMB Inc.) ("Lend Lease"). Lend Lease is an international construction company that worked on the Brooklyn Post Office, the World Trade Center Memorial and the former Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty Street.
According to the Complaint, from at least 1999 through June 2009, Lend Lease permitted union foremen to add to time sheets and paid to union foremen one or two hours per day of overtime, regardless of whether foremen actually worked those overtime hours. Lend Lease knew the time sheets were false because they reflected overtime hours that were not actually worked. Lend Lease also paid other sums to union foremen beyond the amount they were entitled to under applicable collective bargaining agreements and billed these amounts to federal agencies or other entities receiving federal funds. As a result, Lend Lease caused the United States to make additional payments beyond those required pursuant to contracts on federally funded projects.
Mr. Aryai was the former senior vice president of finance of Lend Lease. Mr. Aryai is a certified public accountant, certified fraud examiner, and a retired senior special agent of the United States Treasury Department, who is skilled in conducting forensic analysis and fraud investigations. In the course of his employment at Lend Lease, Mr. Aryai performed an investigation of fraudulent union payroll practices and confirmed that these practices were being undertaken by Lend Lease in connection with construction projects in the New York metropolitan area. Mr. Aryai first blew the whistle internally, expecting that Lend Lease would put a stop to the scheme. Instead, he was marginalized and realized that Lend Lease was covering up the fraud. He contacted federal authorities and then commenced this lawsuit. Subsequent to his discovery of this systemic fraudulent scheme and endemic corruption in the construction industry, Mr. Aryai and former Governor David A. Paterson founded Icon Compliance Services.
Mr. Aryai and Governor Paterson founded Icon Compliance Services and formed a team of professionals in the legal, construction, accounting, auditing and investigative fields to address the glaring paucity of genuinely credible monitoring organizations that are truly independent and are impervious to undue influence by the construction firms that retain them. Recent successful prosecutions are testimony to a long overdue change of direction in the abysmal state of construction monitoring.
Mr. Aryai's extensively publicized experience in discovering this construction fraud has been widely recognized, which resulted in the largest criminal settlement in the construction industry in the history of New York City.
Robert W. Sadowski of Sadowski Fischer PLLC represented Mr. Ayrai. Mr. Sadowski stated that "Mr. Aryai acted courageously and is a tribute to those who will not tolerate the misuse of taxpayer dollars."
About Sadowski Fischer
Sadowski Fischer is a litigation boutique focusing in the prosecution of financial fraud, Qui Tam (whistleblowing), complex commercial litigation, health care litigation, employment litigation, and bankruptcy litigation.


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Held July 3-7, 2019 at the Marin County Fairgrounds in San Rafael, the 2019 Marin County Fair, Over the Moon! will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing as well as some of the things we value most in our community: family, art, agriculture, and the environment.
Themed exhibit categories will include decorated moons and paper moons; exciting photography categories including moonscapes, barnyard buddies, and trees; new and innovative makers projects; baked goods, lively culinary contests, fine art, and much more.
On the Blue Ribbon Stage, we will feature a cheese of the day as an homage to the moon made of cheese in the Fair artwork. Returning Fair classics are traditional carnival rides, free concerts, and fireworks every night over the Civic Center's Lagoon Park.
"We developed the theme as an opportunity to honor the 50th anniversary of the landing on the moon, but also to showcase the feeling the Fair evokes from our entire community," says Director of Cultural Services Gabriella C. Calicchio. "Celebrating art, agriculture, and community are values we hold near and dear and we are literally 'over the moon' with excitement in the planning for the 2019 Fair!"
As always, the Marin County Fair prides itself on being the Greenest County Fair on Earth with its solar-powered carousel and stage, commitment to water conservation, and a record of over 91 percent waste diversion to compost and recycling.
The Fair poster was created from an original work of art by Marin County artist Debbie Patrick.


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Everyone's favourite season has finally come and I for one am very excited to spend summer with my friends and family. While everyone is busy planning what to do or where to go this summer, there's a burning question on everyone's mind: what to bring to your summer trip.
So for my first article on ClozetteINSIDER, I have decided to share my summer travel essentials and the top things that I pack for trips this summer!
At the top of my list are toiletries and beauty essentials. Whenever I go on my summer trips, I always pack my sunscreen and lotion first. These two are the most common essentials to protect our skin from the harsh rays of the sun. As for me, I always try my best to take care of my skin and just have the right amount of tan that I need for summer.
Next are my trusty sanitizer and wet tissue, just in case I need to clean up any messes during the trip and keep my hands clean before meals on the road. Another on my list is lip balm. When you are on the beach it is not necessary to have your lipstick around. So why not try a more natural look and protect your lips with a lightly tinted lip balm to soothe your dry lips.


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Politically Correct Alphabet:A is an activist itching to fight. B is a beast with its animal rights. C was a cripple (now differently abled). D is a Drunk who is "liquor-enabled." E is an Ecologist who saves spotted owls. F was a Forrester, now staffing McDonald's. G is a Glutton who says he's "food-centered." H is a Hermaphrodite skirting problems of gender. I is an "Ism" (you'd better believe it). J is a Jingoist - love it or leave it! K is a Kettle the pot can't call black. L is a Lifestyle not bound to the pack. M is a Mindset with bias galore. N was a Negro, but not anymore. O is an Oppressor, devoid of self-love. P is the Patriarchy (see "O" above). Q is a Quip that costs someone a job. R is the Reasoning done by a mob. S is a Sexist, that slobbering menace. T is a Teapot that's brewing a tempest. U is for Umbrage at the slightest transgression. V is a Valentine, tool of oppression. W is for "Woman," however it's spelled. X is a chromosome we share in our cells. Y is a Yogi for the easily led. Z is a Zombie, the differently dead.
Something To Think About:1. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it. 2. Age is a very high price to pay for maturity. 3. I doubt, therefore I might be. 4. To be intoxicated is to feel sophisticated but not be able to say it. 5. Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. 6. The older you get, the better you realize you were. 7. Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday. 8. If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done? 9. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day. 10. Women like silent men, they think they're listening. 11. If you ate pasta and antipasta, would you still be hungry? 12. If work is so terrific, how come they have to pay you to do it? 13. If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?
Understanding Medical Terminology:"This should be taken care of right away." (I'd planned a trip to Hawaii next month but this is so easy and profitable that I want to fix it before it cures itself.) "Let me check your medical history." (I want to see if you've paid your last bill before spending anymore time with you.) "Why don't we make another appointment later in the week." (I'm playing golf this afternoon, and this is a waste of time.) ---or-- (I need the bucks, so I'm charging you for another office visit.) "We have some good news and some bad news." (The good news is, I'm going to buy that new BMW. The bad news is, you're going to pay for it.) "Let's see how it develops." (Maybe in a few days it will grow into something that can be cured.) "Let me schedule you for some tests." (I have a forty percent interest in the lab.) "I'd like to have my associate look at you." (He's going through a messy divorce and owes me a bundle.) "I'd like to prescribe this new drug." (I'm writing a paper and would like to use you as a guinea pig.) "This may smart a little." (Last week two patients bit off their tongues.) "Well, we're not feeling so well today, are we...?" (I'm stalling for time. Who are you and why are you here?) "This should fix you up." (The drug company slipped me some big bucks to prescribe this stuff.) "Everything seems to be normal." (Rats! I guess I can't buy that new beach condo after all.) "I'd like to run some more tests." (I can't figure out what's wrong. Maybe the kid in the lab can solve this one.) "Do you suppose all this stress could be affecting your nerves?" (You're crazier'n an outhouse rat. Now, if I can only ind a shrink who'll split the fees with me ...)
Top 10 Signs You're Dating a Control Freak:10) Not only cuts up your steak for you, but numbers the pieces as well. 9) After you reach over to unlock his car door, he makes you do it again the *right* way. 8) He accedes to a romantic horse and buggy ride through Central Park -- provided they let him drive. 7) Becomes furious if you have on your Tuesday socks at 11:30 pm Monday night. 6) He's carrying a copy of "Men are From Mars, Women Should Just Do What I Say." 5) "You idiot! That's not how you send a submission to the Top 5 list! Here, give me that keyboard." 4) If you use the wrong fork at dinner, she jabs the correct one into your neck. 3) Swears she wouldn't correct you about your breathing if you weren't "doing it all wrong." 2) His TV remote has a PIN number. ....and the Number 1 Sign You're Dating a Control Freak... 1) She keeps telling you that even though you're just a humble boy from Arkansas now, if you stick with her, you'll be President someday.
Learnig English:A missionary who had spent years showing a tribe of natives how to farm and build things, in order to be self-sufficient, gets word that he is to return home. He realizes that the one thing he never taught the natives was how to speak English, so he takes the chief and starts walking in the forest. He points to a tree and says to the chief, "This is a tree." The chief looks at the tree and grunts, "Tree." The missionary was pleased with the response. They walk a little farther and the padre points to a rock and says, "This is a rock." Hearing this, the chief looks and grunts, "Rock." The missionary is really getting enthusiastic about the results when he hears a rustling in the bushes. As he peeks over the top, he sees a couple in the midst of heavy romantic activity. The missionary is really flustered and quickly responds, "Riding a bike." The chief looks at the couple briefly, pulls out his blow gun and kills them. The padre goes ballistic and yells at the chief that he has spent years teaching the tribe how to be civilized and kind to each other, so how could he just kill these people in cold blood that way? The chief replied, "My bike."
Thoughts for the Day:Clones are people two. Entropy isn't what it used to be. Microbiology Lab: Staph Only! Santa's elves are just a bunch of subordinate Clauses. Ground Beef: A Cow With No Legs! A mouse is an elephant built by the Japanese. A waist is a terrible thing to mind. Air Pollution is a mist-demeanor. Atheism is a non-prophet organization. Chemistry professors never die, they just smell that way! COLE'S LAW: Thinly sliced cabbage. Does the name Pavlov ring a bell? Editing is a rewording activity. Everyone is entitled to my opinion. Gene Police: YOU!! Out of the pool! Help stamp out, delete, and eradicate superfluous redundancy. I used to be indecisive; now I'm not sure. My reality check just bounced. Rap is to music what Etch-a-Sketch is to art. What if there were no hypothetical questions? Energizer bunny arrested, charged with battery. No sense being pessimistic. It wouldn't work anyway. Boycott shampoo!!! Demand REAL poo! My other wife is beautiful.
GM vs MS:At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated: "If GM kept up with technology like the computer industry, we would all be driving $25 cars that get 1,000 miles to the gallon." In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating (by Mr. Welch himself): "If GM developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics: 1. For no reason whatsoever your car would crash twice a day. 2. Every time they repainted the lines on the road you would have to buy a new car. 3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason and you would just accept this, restart, and drive on. 4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine. 5. Only one person at a time could use the car, unless you bought "Car 95" or "Car NT." But then you would have to buy more seats. 6. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, reliable, five times as fast, and twice as easy to drive, but it would only run on five percent of the roads. 7. The oil, water, temperature, and alternator warning lights would be replaced by a single "general car default" warning light. 8. Car seats would force everyone to have the same size butt. 9. The airbag system would say "Are you sure?" before going off. 10. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key, and grabbed hold of the radio antenna. 11. GM would require all car buyers to also purchase a deluxe set of Rand McNally road maps (now a GM subsidiary), even though they neither need them nor want them. Attempting to delete this option would immediately cause the car's performance to diminish by 50% or more. Moreover, GM would become a target for investigation by the Justice Department. 12. Every time GM introduced a new model, car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as an old car. 13. You'd press the start button to shut off the engine."


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Send en tip til MariaMiller
Jeg har lagt til et nytt bilde!
how about having fun playing now?).
how about to play now?).
wow it's hot today.
Do you want to try me?).
Hi dear, come to play with me, I miss and wait.
Today is the best time for hot talk and games.
Hello everyone)) mood to play and have fun.


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A proud independent funeral directors. A family based company who are now in our seventh generation of family ownership spanning nearly 200 years. We provide a caring bespoke service with full facilities and purpose built premises. Looking after families in Southport, Formby, Crosby and Liverpool areas in Merseyside.
To increase your confidence in our services, we are members of SAIF (Society of Allied Independent Funeral Directors) and NAFD (National Association of Funeral Directors) and comply with both codes of practice.
Our luxury chapels of rest provide a peaceful place for visiting loved ones. We are very proud of our service, vehicles, offices, reputation and accumulative experience and offer unparalleled care during one of the toughest times you will face.
We are now very proud to offer SAIF Care bereavement support to all our families, read more by clicking here.
Dean Brothers independent funeral directors were originally wheelwrights and operated from Kenyons Lane, Formby, establishing in 1827. His son (WIlliam) moved to Gores Lane trading as builders and funeral directors in what was then a small village community. Williams' nephew (Ellis) pursued a career in farming which was then situated at Deansgate Lane North, Formby.
Williams' sons (Ellis and William) formed Dean Brothers in 1946 registering the company as Dean Brothers (Formby) Ltd.
Williams' son Peter, along with his wife Joyce continue from the premises of his forefathers, today as funeral directors, they hope to serve the community for many years to come. In the time since Peter has been company director the premises have been extended twice and considerably improved to provide a high level of professional service, incorporating computerisation of all filing and administration systems. Peter and Joyce have also employed daughter Sharon, son Iain and daughter Samantha who all play vital roles in the maintaining of Dean Brothers' professionalism.
The immediate next steps in terms of what to do, who to call what's involved.
We offer some advice in coping with grief and helping others cope with grief, the normal feelings and experiences that may occur and links to professional organisations that can help you.
Dean Brothers are Golden Charter prepaid funeral plan representatives offering bespoke prepaid funeral plans
Downloadable maps to Crematoria, Cemeteries and Churches in the local region of North West England, Southport, Formby and Liverpool.
Call us first so that we can advise your best course of action.
Your funeral director will be able to give further advice relating your particular situation and relate how paperwork will move forward and what dates may be reasonable given your situation and who best to call next, to proceed.
There can be many various directions the paperwork can take and it is essential to have clarity with your funeral director so that everyone can achieve the funeral that you want, when you want it.
Southport: Town Hall, lord Street, Southport, PR8 1DA.
Click here to view a map using googlemaps
Ormskirk: 25 Derby Street, Ormskirk, L39 2WS.
Click here to view a map using gogglemaps
Waterloo: Great Georges Road, Waterloo, L22 1RB.
Click here to view a map using googlemaps
Liverpool: St George's Hall, St George's Place, Liverpool, L1 1JJ.
Click here to view a map using googlemaps
Southport: 01704 533 133
Ormskirk: 01695 585 780
Waterloo: 0151 934 3044
Liverpool: 0151 223 3004
Southport: 01704 531643
Liverpool: 0151 777 4286
Southport: 01704 533433. Southport Road, Scarisbrick, PR8 5JQ
Thornton: 0151 924 5143. Lydiate Lane, Thornton, Crosby, L23 1TP.
Liverpool Catholic Cemeteries: 0151 522 1017. Croxteth Drive, Sefton Park, L17.
0845 30 20 900


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Contests at work are becoming more and more popular and they play a very important role: they build teams. Joint participation in initiatives organised by the company creates its organisational culture and a sense of unity. Therefore, what lies behind the phenomenon of voluntary contests for those who partake in the company life? What form should contests have to engage a wide range of employees?
// Who needs a contest?
Among work incentives there are: sports and wellness programmes or private medical packages, or… contests. The latter are a perfect response to the need for team building and raising the sense of identity with the organisation. We take part in an event together, we discuss a common issue, whether on a daily basis we cooperate with each other or not.
Contest organisation faces some challenges. Undoubtedly, one of them is the very form of the contest. It will always enjoy support and suffer opposition at the same time. Every community may be divided into those who are keen on participation in contests – often without regard to their theme; into those who are active only selectively; as well as those who display downright dislike to such ventures.
// Better to ask the way than to go astray
Bearing in mind the key coaching principle, you may say: ask and get the answers. What is undervalued is the method of enquiring into employees requirements from new forms of team-building ideas. You must keep your eyes open as people from the organisation are the best source of ideas. Everyone will have a suggestion and some of them may prove unconventional or far from the mainstream. But remember: the more ideas, the bigger choice.
The right place, the right time
It is not unusual that a generally known event serves as an excellent pretext for organisation of a contest. A good case in point is betting on the scores of World Cup matches. Opportunity makes the contest, especially with quite a lot of employees being interested in world championships. In order to reduce the amount of resources you will need, it would be beneficial to take advantage of the ready-to-use applications for betting on sports results. You can also create a customised application – it will be an extra team-building element if you engage in this venture representatives of a few company departments.
// Idea is the key, not the budget
Every activity entails some costs. However, you should realize that the preparation of a successful in-house contest does not necessitate a huge budget. The key is in the idea and a creative approach to resources. For example, organising a contest for the best holiday photo means very small expenditures on the part of the company. The winner may be awarded with, let's say, an opportunity to exhibit his/her photos or to see a large size printout of the winning photo hanging in the office. The prize does not need to be costly to be of some value to a passionate photographer, in this case.
A contest will fail unless it attracts a group of enthusiastic people. What's more, a funny T-shirt or a cup as a token gift may give participants extra pleasure.
Variety is welcome
No one likes boredom. That's why there must be some variety added each time to the formula, even if it applies to the same activities. A sports contest organised for another time would be better with a focus on another sport discipline or with a changed form, for instance due to another season of the year. A novel element may act as an encouragement to participate as it may motivate someone to test themselves in other circumstances. And the more so when all safety precautions are implemented, because a contest is supposed to be sheer fun and as such it should be promoted. Variety may also apply to the line-up of contestants.
At work or after hours?
An in-house contest may well be organised after hours. What about the collection of plastic bottle caps where the heaviest individual collection wins? In this pretty simple way the company will not only donate the money from the sale of the caps to a specific charity organisation but it will also define some common objective by the way. What's more, the right channelling of information related to this topic may cause positive changes in employees, making their habits and attitudes more environment-friendly.
Keys to success
Voluntary participation is a prerequisite for an enjoyable contest. What else should you do to ensure the highest attendance possible? Can you organise an event which will be to the majority's liking? Judging from my experience, it is worth making a short staff survey on this topic. Let's ask those concerned what contest formula and theme would suit them best. You can ask a closed question, with options such as: sports, film, music, etc. By the way, maybe it would be good to check if in your organisation competition in small groups gives more fun, when the goal is not to land high in an individual ranking but to meet some collective target, e.g. number of kilometres? In every company this form of team building will be of another nature and will proceed differently.
// The more often, the better?
Dosing is a good practice, which applies to contests as well. Organisation of one or two events of this kind per year is a great achievement. Only by proper dosing of rivalry will some spice be added to the daily routine of a particular community and will the relations between its members improve. That's why working on the schedule of annual activities consider not only team-building events but also contests. You don't need a detailed plan; neither must you inscribe them once and for, long in advance in the calendar. It happens that out of the blue either you will have a brainwave or an employee will come up with some excellent idea.
Contests are gaining in popularity. They are a pleasant benefit for volunteering participants. If well-designed, they may meet a lot of company's needs, forge relations, foster active lifestyle, promote ecology or culture. Variety of forms is advisable, as more people are likely to be satisfied. The prize is not necessarily the biggest bait – it is just a nice form of distinction or acknowledgement. Unquestionably, contests are a good practice providing a massive amount of experiences and memories – and that Is what makes the team, isn't it?


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Tag Archives: Olympics
Blogging Task 2 – Cheer for a Champ
Medal Misery – Behind the News
This week's BTN report for Reading Rotations is called 'Medal Misery'.
Click on the link below to watch the report.
Your task is to create and answer comprehension questions using the question matrix.