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Domke F-5XB Rugged Wear Shoulder Bag
If you're anything like me you've never given your wife a hard time about the number of handbags that over-populate her wardrobe. Why? Because you probably have just as many photo bags and other canvass and leather transportable goodies. I was introduced to Domke bags back in the 90s. I spent two decades of my life travelling and working around the globe and needed a bag for my photo equipment that could take a severe beating and still look the part. I also wanted something that didn't look like a standard photo bag as I knew beady eyes were constantly scanning me, especially in countries where the colour of my skin didn't quite match that of the general population. When others used backpacks for travelling I'd long since learnt that a sports bag thrown casually across the shoulder attracted far less attention and made me considerably less of a target. In fact, in over 20 years I managed to avoid being robbed or mugged in close to 40 different countries. At the time I was using a Leica M6 TTL and had three or four lenses and a flash to accompany it. A good friend who was also well travelled showed me his Domke F-6 made from ballistic nylon and immediately I knew that was what I'd been looking for and within a day one was winging it's way west from the US. Since that day my photo equipment has been entrusted to no other brand but Domke and I'm guessing things will stay that way. I've since purchased an F-2, an F-1X and I still have my trusty F-6, so when I recently purchased the Fujifilm X100 it was time to do a bit of research and see which bag would suit. I decided to be a bit more open-minded with this purchase so I diligently read up about a plethora of bags from several manufacturers as this market area is not short of makes and models. After a week of reading, however, it was a Domke which, once again, seemed to cater to my exact requirements..
So what were my requirements? Well, it would need to be:
1. Fairly small and compact, circa half to a third the size of my current smallest, the F-6.
2. Tough as nails, made of the kind of material that gets better looking with age.
3. Well padded inside.
4. Spacious enough to accommodate the X100 with hood, half case and strap attached, the BX100 as well as filters, wallet, phone, cards, knife etc..
5. Equipped with good quality, secure fastenings.
6. Complete with a hard wearing and comfortable shoulder strap.
7. Sexy as a sexy thing to match it's new owner! 🙂
Enter the Domke F-5XB Rugged Wear. (click on any of the images for a larger version)
The , F-5XB is produced in either black, olive, sand or rugged-wear. It's really just personal choice but for this bag I preferred the latter, despite all my other bags being black.
In the above photograph the bag looks quite large in comparison to the X100 but in reality it's probably 4 times the overall size of the camera. The actually measurements are as follows:
External Dimensions = 254(w) x 114(d) x 184mm(h)
Internal Dimensions = 241(w) x 102(d) x 152mm(h)
The bag is made from the same kind of rugged, waxed material that Barbout jackets are made from and I have to say I prefer it to the standard Domke canvass type material, which is why I went for this rugged-wear version. The material is impregnated with wax, making it at least light rainproof and inside the bag you'll find an extra tin of that very wax, allowing you to apply more when you deem it necessary. Apparently, heat should be applied after re-waxing, though I'm wondering what my wife will say when she finds me perched on the bed blowdrying a man-bag..
The shoulder strap is soft but substantial, as strong as you'll ever need and then some and wide enough to be comfortable without the need for a shoulder pad.
At the rear there's a belt "loop" (for want of a better word) which will allow you to wear it like a front end belt pack. For me, it's a tad too large to wear like that and be comfortable and you'll certainly not be getting any dates with this thing strapped round your mid-rift. What I have found that "loop" useful for is holding a small table tripod..
The main flap over top is held in place via to pads of strong (and I mean "strong") industrial velcro. Once opened you're met with an equally industrial zipper with double zips. These open to reveal the main compartment which is big enough to hold the X100 in place and still provide another 60% overall space for your other "must carry" items.
Inside is the usual thick Domke padded compartment which can be partitioned into two sub-compartments using the included divider. The divider can be placed anywhere along the main compartment and is held firmly in place by the same kind of velcro used to fasten the main cover.
At the front you have a pocket that runs the width of the bag. It's not a particularly generous pocket and holds things firmly in place as a result. It's ideal for holding items about the thickness of a plastic filter case or iPhone with cover but don't expect to get anything much larger in there.
If this is the kind of size bag you're looking for then for my money it doesn't get much better than this. Your grandchildren will still be using this bag long after you've stood at the pearly gates, it look great yet subtle, isn't obviously a photo bag and has enough space to hold your X100 (or any other X series body) and your essential bits and pieces.
If, like me, you're an avid traveller, this is probably the perfect bag, especially if you plan on just taking your X100 with you during the day. The only real drawback I can see is the price. In the US you'll find them for around $75. In the UK and Europe be prepared to stump up £90 ($145). If you do, however, it'll be the last photo bag of this size you'll ever need to buy.
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text: This is the story of a bunch of good-for-nothing sextuplets, the Matsuno brothers, led by their eldest brother, Osomatsu. Despite each of the brothers being well into their 20s, they live at home and mooch off their parents, content to live as NEETs instead. In the rare occurrence that they try to look for employment, find a girlfriend or simply improve their social standings their unique personalities usually lead to their swift rejection - or grievous bodily harm.

subset: commoncrawl


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Chuck Cheesman (for media use)
April 2017
Chuck Cheesman's original songs are hopeful, loving, and sometimes satirical. He draws inspiration from the diverse traditions of American music to create authentic, soulful folk/rock songs. Of his music, Rich Warren of Sing Out! Magazine once said, "Chuck Cheesman deserves greater recognition among young singer/songwriters."
Chuck's latest recording ~ A Whisper in this Town (April 2017) ~ is a collection of original songs and instrumentals. The recording is in many ways a companion to his 2011 release Imagining Dancers, which received generous airplay on community, public, and college radio throughout the United States. Previous albums include Coming Home (2000) and Campfire (2006, out-of-print).
In addition to his work as a singer/songwriter, a significant part of Chuck's musical life is spent as an entertainer and educator of children. Beginning in the late 1990s as an instructor at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music, he has grown to become a popular performer at venues ranging from classrooms and farmer markets to outdoor festivals. His Dancing With No Shoes On (September 2011) is a whimsical children's recording that maintains high standards of writing, musicianship, and production.
Along with his friend Bob Neustadt, Chuck co-produced a compilation CD of music and spoken word called Border Songs (October 2012) to benefit the Tucson-based humanitarian group No More Deaths / No Más Muertes. The CD received contributions from nationally recognized artists including Amos Lee, Michael Franti, Calexico, and the legendary Pete Seeger. Now sold out, Border Songs raised almost $100,000 for humanitarian aid being provided along the US/Mexico border.
Chuck and his family moved from Northern Arizona to the Pacific Northwest in the summer of 2013. He currently teaches at Portland's Multnomah Arts Center, does educational outreach in partnership with Artichoke Music, and continues to make original music for and with people of all ages. He is currently collaborating on a new string band project called Loads of Toes.
photo by Gina Dazzo


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Likupang beach - Bitung - North Sulawesi, a very famous tourist obek with its natural beauty with the charm of a cozy beach and had a scene, found the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) are very rare.
likupangBersantai the beach of fine white sand beaches and clean, Diving and snorkeling can be done at this beach or continue travel on Bangka Island Marine Park, 30 minutes by motor boat or other kepantai Balubu Likupang ie, Lihaga, Masabora, Sahaung and Pulisang
Coastal locations Likupang in 48 km from Manado city, precisely in Likupang District, Northern District Bitung Most North Sulawesi.
Source: travel.okezone.com


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Breastpumps and Beyond offers high quality products for new parents. Below are our fabulous brands, selected specifically to create a better parenthood and happy children.
For Medela, innovation is essential to ensure future business success. Innovation is the result of intense basic research and the evaluation of customers' needs. Medela offers Breastpumps and accessories developed in Switzerland.
Bravado Design believes in making nursing bras infinitely more comfortable and stylish while supporting new nursing moms through all of the highs and lows of breastfeeding. Bravado designs offer the award winning Body silk Seamless Bra and the have recently introduced the fabulous Body silk seamless Yoga nursing Bra.
Upspring: Made with love, Backed with science. They focus on empowering you to parent with confidence, and to give you freedom to enjoy motherhood even more by finding innovative solutions to the everyday health and wellness challenges and frustrations that you face as the mother of a baby or young child. Milkscreen specifically offers mom's a way to test alcohol in their breastmilk with a 2 minute at-home test.
With EPI-NO you can optimally prepare for the birth of your baby by gently stretching your pelvic floor muscles and perineum to avoid injury associated with delivery. After your baby is born, the EPI-NO Delphine Plus is your ideal partner to help you recover the strength and tone of your over-stretched, weak and possibly injured pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic Floor Muscles protect and strengthen – for that all-round Good Feeling!


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The Gama line of hair dryers to give you the maximum in terms of energy savings without losing any professional performance.
Regular Price: €54.90
Special Price €39.00
- 29%
We know that being green and respecting the environment, improving energy savings in a salon or at home is increasingly important these days. Unfortunately, hair dryers are among the smaller appliances with the highest energy consumption, leading to the question of how to have the perfect style while saving energy? With the Eco hair dryer by Gama Professional! Eco is the energy-saving hair dryer with a performance of 2000 W, but with almost half the consumption - 1250 W. The performance is extremely high, thanks to a solid AC motor able to produce high air pressure, and to the special heating element, which is made in a material with a higher heat performance that mean less energy is needed to provide the same heat as a hair dryer with greater wattage. This is a smoothing dryer with a narrow nozzle, which helps you to concentrate air on a specific section, and to shape this to create the required style. There are 6 combinations of 2 speeds and 3 different temperatures: if you choose the maximum speed, you will have ultra-fast drying, even if you have long, very thick hair; if you select the lower temperature, you can treat your hair with the utmost gentleness. Eco is a hair dryer Made in Italy, a guarantee of quality and reliability. The green details that stand out on the elegant black design serve as a reminder to respect the environment around you!
At last you've decided that the time has come to buy a professional styler for your hair, so that you too can create fantastic styles, quickly and easily, and without spending a fortune. Take a look at the Offers on the Gama Professional website, where you will find a vast array of products to make your hair styling dreams come true! This section includes the best hair straighteners on special offer, to give you perfectly smooth hair or splendid waves that give you that perfect, fresh-from-the-hairdresser look. But that's not all. You will find best-price hair dryersfor quick blow drying that instead of damaging your hair, will leave it soft, shiny and full of bounce. And if you want perfect curls at affordable prices, then you can't miss out on our curling iron offer. Our online store also has a wide range of men's grooming products and some of these items may be included in special offers! The offers page includes hair clippers on offer,value beard trimmers and best-price multi groomers. Now it is possible to have the perfect look, created with top-quality equipment that will improve your hair's health and appearance, all at reasonable prices, thanks to Gama!


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WASHINGTON (AP) — The county government that owned the iPhone at the heart of legal battle between Apple and the Justice Department paid for but never installed a feature that would have allowed the FBI to easily and immediately unlock the phone.
The phone is central to a terrorism investigation into the shootings that killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California.
If the technology had been installed, San Bernardino officials would have been able to remotely unlock the iPhone for the FBI without the theatrics of a court battle that is now pitting digital privacy rights against national security concerns.
The service costs $4 per month per phone.
The only person who knew the unlocking passcode for the phone is the dead gunman. He was an inspector in the county's public health department.


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Cleanest Cities
Four cities ranked on all three lists of the cleanest cities in 2009-2011.1 That means they had no days in the unhealthy level for ozone or short-term particle pollution and were on the list of the cleanest cities for year-round particle pollution. Listed alphabetically, the four cities are:
- Bismarck (ND)
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers (FL)
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville (FL)
- Rapid City (SD)
Sixteen cities ranked as the cleanest for both year-round and short-term particle pollution, listed alphabetically:
Seven cities were on both the cleanest cities lists for ozone and for year-round particle pollution, listed alphabetically:
Ten cities made both the cleanest cities lists for ozone and for short-term particle pollution, listed alphabetically:
1 Note that the full metropolitan areas often include multiple counties, incorporated cities and counties in adjacent states, as the Office of Management and Budget defines them. Not all counties in any metro area will have monitors.


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The AFP – Greater Cincinnati Mentoring Program demonstrates a commitment to our members to provide value-added services to their professional development.
Program Goals
In advancing philanthropy through education, training and advocacy, the AFP – Greater Cincinnati Chapter aspires to the following:
- To promote collegial relationships between seasoned professionals and Mentees.
- To assist fundraising professionals in developing a network for professional guidance and creative fundraising.
- To strengthen the Mentees' skills through identification and focus on specific areas of practice.
- To enhance the professional abilities of both the Mentor and Mentee through shared effort.
- To offer an adaptable, responsive and accountable program.
- To respect confidentiality.
- To promote fun through shared experience and practice.
Mentee Application – 2017
Mentor Application – 2017
Memorandum of Commitment
*Applications due March 17, 2017
Questions?: contact Jay Browning 513-556-6153 / email@example.com or Aaron Bley 513-487-4233 / firstname.lastname@example.com


text: You've packed your bags, watered the plants (wait...did you water the plants?), and set your out-of-office email. It's holiday time! What are you waiting for? Oh, that's right. The plane is late! Your ride is stuck in traffic! The train had to halt for repairs! So many things can—and do—go wrong when you're traveling, and none of it's in your control. It's all fine, though, really. Just make sure you have one (or more) of these books with you.


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Address: 3A Bui Thi Xuan Street, City Center, Da Lat, Vietnam
Welcome to the Fortune Hotel (Dai Loi Hotel) where we are conveniently located near the city's center – Doi Cu 18 hole golf course and Xuan Huong lake.
All 50 rooms are elegantly designed and excellently furnished with modern amenities to ensure a splendid accommodation experience.
Fortune Hotel (Dai Loi hotel) rooms feature luxury and comfortable room amenities that meet the international three-star hotel rating. Hotel staffs are friendly, eager to service you during your stay at the hotel. Guests will enjoy various activities while staying at our hotel with wide range of recreation activities. Your satisfaction is our unique goal.
Fortune Hotel DaLat's Facilities
Fortune Hotel DaLat's Services
|Free! Wifi internet is available in the rooms / hotel area and is free of charged when using.
|Conference Facilities:
|– Spacious, accommodate up to 200 guests
– Menus can be customized to any budget and taste
Equipment & Services
Hotel Policies
These are general hotel policies for Fortune Hotel DaLat. As they may vary per room type, please also check the room description.
|Check-in time:
|from 14:00 until later. Sooner subject to room availability.
|Check-out time:
|until 12:00 or sooner
|Late check-out untill 18:00 will be charged 50% of room rate.
|Free! If cancelled or modified up to 4 days before date of arrival, NO fee will be charged.
|If cancelled or modified after 4 days before date of arrival, 50% of the first night will be charged.
|In case of no-show, 100% of the reservation will be charged.
|Child & Baby-cot:
|Free! 1 child(ren) under 11 years old stay free of charge when using existing beds.
|Free! 1 child(ren) under 2 years old stay free of charge in a baby-cot.
|Pets Policy:
|Pets are not allowed
|Room rates:
|All rates are subject to change without notice if booking is still not confirmed. These rates are available only for bookings made with EVIVA TOUR and NOT available from the hotel directly.
Supplements will not be calculated automatically in the total costs and have to be paid separately in the hotel.


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Yesterday I discussed the much-buzzed-about Stanford Atkins study…at length. As many of you know, I am very much in favor of a diet that is high in good fats, lean protein, and green vegetables – and very low in carbohydrates, particularly refined and grain carbohydrates.
"Atkins" and "low-carb" are controversial, attention-getting words because they tend to elicit images of bacon, butter and grease. While I am big on low-carb, I'm also big on doing it sensibly.
I think it's clear that those on low-carb diets do experience both weight loss and health benefits – confounding to conventional nutrition wisdom, but evidently true nonetheless. However, that doesn't mean a steady diet of sodium-stuffed sausage and chemical-laden deli meat is a sustainable or sensible path to health. If not done correctly, the Atkins diet is more of a vanity diet than a ticket to great health. (The good news: done properly, you can look good and feel good!)
Recently I talked about what I eat in a day, and though you might call it "low-carb", I think of it as simply eating the way humans should eat (humble, I know). The focus is on fiber from greens, lean meat, good fats from fish and certain vegetable oils, and yes, even some saturated fat. So long as fat isn't refined, I think much of our dread of saturated fat is overblown. (You all know how I feel about cholesterol – I think inflammation is far more deadly for humans.) I'm inclined to believe it's the proportion of "good" to "bad" fat that is more important than fretting over the amount of saturated fat in your steak.
The irony, of course, is that a "controversial" diet that doesn't worry about fat – even saturated fat – and proposes avoiding anything processed, refined or grain-based, is probably closer to nature's ideal design for the human diet than we've been in a long, long time.
If you live on bacon, you will lose weight. You'll also run the risk of kidney stones…and seriously annoying your friends. But grass-fed steak? Butter on your vegetables? A hearty omelet? I don't think there's anything remotely unhealthy in any of these foods. The allegedly healthy alternatives we've been sold on for years now – bran flakes, bread, fat-free egg substitutes – aren't any better for you than French fries, Lucky Charms and cheeseburgers, in my opinion.
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[tags]low-carb, Atkins, Stanford Atkins study, fiber, saturated fat, processed foods[/tags]
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Getting close.
Tomorrow we have a small audition set up for about half a dozen actors. We're still looking for our leads. Then on Friday we have a larger scale audition set up. Our submissions this time are way better.
To other filmmakers if you're doing audition and looking for a casting site to use. Nowcasting and LACASTING.com are great (free) tools. Also, Catz Casting studios is a great place to do auditions for small productions. *** brought you by catz, now and la casting.
I spent a little time organizing the call sheets. We're waiting on one last piece of info on the restaurant to solidify them. Tomorrow. The will be set in stone.
Now gotta read the script again….


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CNA-HTE's Sign Division is the leading signage fabricator in Vietnam, serving both local and regional customers. We take pride in providing signage made with emphasis on quality, creativity and aesthetics. Being an engineering-based sign producer, with experienced staff, all of our products are constructed based on our strong engineering back ground, accumulated over the years in the industry.
We provide and install a wide array of signs, inclusive of both indoor and outdoor signs, including:


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What a sunny & BRRR cold Thursday we are having. It has been wonderful to see the blue sky and sun shining...but the temps in the low teens and even single digits is just not normal for us. Several people I know have had their pipes freeze and one even had their furnace conk out. What a time to have that happen. Their house got down to 39 degrees INSIDE, but is it all fixed and should be warm and toasty now.
Today I have a few more Christmas cards for you. My intention was to have all handmade cards for this year...but it just isn't going to happen. I should have about a dozen for those extra special family & friends and the rest will receive cards I purchased. I will work on it for next year and not leave it to the end of November. What a silly girl I am.
I have been racking my brain to remember the name of the company where I purchased these stamps, but it is lost in the abyss. I did get them at a local stamping show held in our fairgrounds. I love the quilted look they have.
I added liquid glass to the ornament to give it some added texture and kept the layout the same for what I thought would be a more speedy way to make them. It was easier...but not as speedy as I had hoped. Just goes to show you I need to do this on a regular basis. Practice makes perfect.
Again I used a layout from Suzanne. She is just amazing and a real inspiration. I really enjoy all of her work & what a sweetheart. She is so willing to help all of us out. She gladly shares her knowledge and has made numerous videos that I watch over & over. You need to check out her site. Have a wonderful weekend & keep WARM!


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Become a Volunteer at Canadian Western Agribition!
Canadian Western Agribition has 22 volunteer areas and more than 400 volunteers.
Agribition's objective is to make your volunteer experience with us rewarding. Once we receive your completed application form, we can match you up with positions as they develop.
Volunteer Application Form
Volunteer Manual
For more information about becoming a volunteer, contact the office at:
E: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Cardoness Castle
Learn about the lawlessness of the McCullochs, for whom this elegant six-storey tower house was built.
Kildrummy Castle
Visit 'the noblest of northern castles' – even ruined, the stronghold of the mighty earls of Mar is a fine example of a 13th-century castle.
Kinnaird Head Castle Lighthouse and the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses
Explore a fine castle altered in 1787 to contain the first lighthouse built by the Northern Lighthouse Board.
Spynie Palace
Enter Scotland's largest surviving medieval bishop's house – residence of the bishops of Moray for 500 years.
Stanley Mills
Enjoy a hi-tech visitor experience at one of the Industrial Revolution's best-preserved relics.
Threave Castle
Watch Archibald the Grim's forbidding island fortress come into view as you cross the River Dee by boat.
Tolquhon Castle
Judge for yourself why this noble residence is said to be one of Grampian's most picturesque castles.
Whithorn Priory and Museum
Walk in the footsteps of countless others to reach St Ninian's shrine, one of Scotland's earliest Christian sites.


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Tonight in NYC: Pinter/Proust, Featuring RA Live On-Stage
(Sung to the tune of "Tonight" from West Side Story… with sincerest apologies to Leonard Bernstein and *especially* lyricist Stephen Sondheim!)
Tonight, tonight,
RA's on stage tonight
And all across the world hearts are light…
Tonight, tonight
He'll be on stage tonight
And many will be there for the sight!
Today the minutes pass like hours
The hours go so slowly
While waiting for tonight.
But then, tonight,
He'll step into that light
And he will shine toooooonniiiiiiiiiiiight!


text:
There's really no better place to spend the weekend with your family than at Corpus Christi's Play Extreme Sports activi...
Excessive Sports activities Life Insurance coverage
For those who're coming to our Houston paintball and airsoft recreational park, our Paintball General Admission Main Group is simply what you want for a day of enjoyable with a number of buddies or enjoying with others at our park. So, they conducting in-depth interviews with a variety of women and men from across the globe who participated in varied excessive sports activities. Two years later ESPN launched the first Excessive Video games, every week-long competitors that featured bungee jumping, mountain biking, skateboarding and street luge. Preparation will make extreme sports pictures a much more pleasant experience. Firstly, the risk-taking sports activities assist in growth of self esteem and independence.
Originally a technique used by spear-fishers and pearl-hunters, it is now an...Read More
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The best way to make sure your camping or caravan holiday is successful is to make sure you buy prime quality tenting and caravan equipment throughout your preparations. If you happen to buy from a retailer with out customer service or with insufficient customer service, when an issue arises (and points small and huge do arise when you find yourself coping with shipping giant items across the country) it may make your life miserable for a time as you try to take care of it. Let me offer you an example.
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From barrier breaking auto-racing to the calm and peaceable sport of golf, the world of games and sports activities has all the time been exciting. He also says there seems to be a link between good psychological well being and the acceptance of loss of life, something excessive sports people should acknowledge and a few of these actions are even being used to watch and possibly treat mental sickness and emotional issues.
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There may be another subject with snowboarding at Rohtang- if you are planning to go to Rohtang move on a rental automobile from close by cities (Delhi or Chandigarh or Shimla) – the automobile driver may or could not transcend Solang, and you may have to hire an area automobile which can cost upto Rs 500 per individual to take you to is because of the tips utilized by locals at the excessive altitude which forces the travellers to spend ad...Read More
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With a timer, a dual time zone operate, a day-date-month calender, and a fast drying strap, this watch is right for all conditions and 'extreme' sports activities...Read More
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There's really no better place to spend the weekend with your family than at Corpus Christi's Play Extreme Sports activities & Store, TX. Put together yourself for some publish-game soreness after a spherical of paintball at Play Excessive Sports activities & Retailer. UPDATE: Thanks to a clarification from fellow Hubber and Stop & Store employee, Bob Bamberg, I've been knowledgeable that points expire one month from the date they're EARNED. Very often the hardest part of exersizing is just not realizing exactly how long you've gotten been 'at it', therefore a sports watch is often a really useful gadget to have. Motion Excessive Sports activities, positioned in New Philadelphia, OH, gives the most recent and greatest in powersports merchandise...Read More


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For the first time, ICRE's Chief Residents are excited to announce the introduction of the Resident Networking Reception at ICRE 2017 in Quebec City.
This exclusive event is an opportunity for attending residents to participate in an evening of networking among colleagues and medical educators from around the world.
"We wanted to give residents attending ICRE the opportunity to meet some of the leaders of medical education, face-to-face, in a comfortable and fun setting," says Dr. Brie Yama, 2017 ICRE Chief Resident. "As ICRE Chief Residents, we get to interact with many of these great minds, and we wanted other residents to share in this experience."
In a casual setting, residents will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with peers and many of the ICRE presenting speakers and leaders in medical education.
The reception will take place on Thursday, October 19 from 18:00-19:00 in Foyer 2 of the Quebec City Convention Centre.
Tickets to the Resident Networking Reception are $20.00 and include:
- Two cocktails at the bar,
- Passed hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, and
- Exclusive networking opportunities with several of the most influential educators.
If you're a resident, this reception is not to be missed!
To register for the reception, click here.


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This week I got some new pretties.
First, a signed copy of Shadow and Bone arrived and when it did I did a little happy dance. I have Two Chicks on Books to thank for this pretty.
Awesome haul! I've heard Shadow and Bone is great. I really liked Brightest Kind of Darkness. Hope you enjoy all the books!ReplyDelete
Oh! What an amazing book week! Throne of Glass is SO STINKING GOOD! Read it soon :)ReplyDelete
You got books I'm so DESPERATE for! XD Awesome haul! :D
Fara @ Tumbling In Books
Omg I am soooo jelous! BEST. HAUL. EVER. I WANT Shadow and Bone and Cursed! They look amazing!!! :0
My IMM
OOh nice! I liked Cursed! That's the only one I've read from this haul! Hope you enjoy your reads!
Here's my STS
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
I've been wanting to read Shadow and Bone. And Throne of Glass! Congrats on the book haul.
Look what I received in the mail this week! Click here.
I have Throne of Glass, Cursed and Brightest Kind of Darkness, too. I have high hopes for them! Hope you enjoy them too. :)ReplyDelete
So jealous you got Throne of GlassReplyDelete
I loved Brightest Kind of Darkness! I really hope you enjoy it!!
Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it!
You have so many great books!!
Magen Corrie
Ohhh, signed copy of Shadow and bone, great! And Throne of Glass ^^
Happy reading :D
Awesome haul! I can't wait to read Throne of Glass and Cursed. I hope you enjoy. :)ReplyDelete
Ooooh, you got a signed copy of Shadow and Bone!! I am really envying you right now. :DReplyDelete
I love getting comments and appreciate every single one of them! It always brightens my day =]
This is an award free blog. I truly appreciate the thought but I simply do not have the time. Comments are an award all on their own =]


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Today I've got a few of perfectly practical tips for your floor.
1. If you have a stain on your carpet, mix 1 Tbs. vinegar with a 1 Tbs. cornstarch. Gently work the mixture into your carpet and leave it to set. After a couple of days, vacuum it up.
2. To remove those scuff marks from the floor, use a little toothpaste and an old toothbrush to lightly scrub the mark off of the floor. Wipe the area with a damp cloth to clean off the toothpaste residue.
3. Instead of using commercial carpet fresheners, why not try a natural one? Mix together baking soda and any of the following: ground cinnamon, ground cloves, bay leaves, or dried rosemary. Sprinkle on your carpets and leave for around 30 minutes. Vacuum up the mix and reap the benefits of lovely fragrant carpets.
As with all cleaners, the first time of trying, find an inconspicuous place to give it a go.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Perfectly Practical #54 - Floor Tips
Posted by Unknown at 8:59 AM
Labels: Perfectly Practical
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More tips on tipping: big-ticket wine bills and buffets
In the wake of Monday's $mart section story on tipping, I got a ton of reader feedback, including several variations on the same two subjects: How to tip on a meal that includes a big-ticket wine purchase, and how much to tip for buffets.
Here's what I've been telling folks.
In general, I tip 20 percent for good service. But there are limits to what I'll shell out when a big wine bill is involved. Example: Say you're Daddy Warbucks or have just won the lottery, and you treat yourself to a celebratory dinner. You decide to splurge on a vintage bottle of wine from deep in a fine restaurant's cellar. Let's say it costs $300. The bill comes and the total for food and beverage is $400.
Under the 20-percent rule of thumb, you would pay an $80 tip. But I think a decent argument can be made for a lower tip, and I'm no cheapskate. Here's my thinking: Wine service is the same for a $300 bottle as it is for a $30 bottle. The wine is brought to the table, presented, opened. A taste is poured, then the wine is poured all around. Same thing for all wine at any price.
Here's how I'd tip on that: I'd take the $100 in food costs, add an imaginary $50 of wine, and tip out $30-$35 on that $150. I think that's equitable, and doesn't short the waiter for his or her labor.
As for self-serve buffets, where diners fetch their own food, here are my thoughts: You still have a server who is on duty, and this person deserves a tip. If they clear your dirty plates 2-3 times over your return visits to the buffet line — and especially if they're pouring wine — tip them 20 percent. If you only make one visit to the line and merely sip a lone glass of iced tea with no refills, I think a 15 percent tip suffices.
But that's just me. Thoughts?


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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's office announced Thursday morning that the administration has hired outside legal counsel to help navigate an investigation into its role in lane closures on the George Washington Bridge last September.
The Christie administration hired Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, a large law firm, to help with an internal review and with the U.S. Attorney of New Jersey's inquiry into the matter. Last week, new documents revealed that one of Christie's top aides was involved in the decision to close two of three access lanes from Fort Lee, N.J., onto the George Washington Bridge.
Randy Mastro, a former federal prosecutor and a former assistant U.S. attorney, is leading the Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher team. Mastro also served as chief of staff and deputy mayor for operations under former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a close ally of Christie.
Here's the full statement from the Christie administration on the firm's retention:
"Governor Christie made clear last week that he will conduct an internal review to uncover the facts surrounding the lane closures in Fort Lee. His Administration is fully cooperating with the U.S. Attorney inquiry and other appropriate inquiries and requests for information. To assist in conducting that internal review and furthering that cooperation, the Christie Administration is announcing today that Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP has been retained as outside counsel. Their presence will bring an outside, third-party perspective to the situation, and they will be a valuable asset as we move forward. This Administration is committed to ensuring that what happened here never happens again. That's what the people of New Jersey deserve."
Christie has disavowed any knowledge of the decision to close the lanes, which Christie's political opponents have said was political revenge, motivated by Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich's (D) refusal to endorse Christie for re-election last year. Last week, Christie traveled to Fort Lee to meet with and apologise to Sokolich.
Along with the internal review and U.S. attorney inquiry, Christie is also facing an investigation from a New Jersey Assembly special committee. The committee, which is investigating solely the motive of the lane closures, is expected to issue a new round of subpoenas this week.
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|this story has to do with this yellowthroat
who has no tail and lived along North Haven
Road right at Folly Pond
Welcome to the mini-series VSR July 22nd, 2014
We appreciate VLT and MCHT as always
Quick/long story about a bird nest
Upcoming events – Thursday morning birdwalks continue – Thur. July 24th, 8am at Skoog. Good times for sure – lots to see out there – shorebirds, songbirds, smart birds, numb birds. See you there.
MCHT Elderbirds – Friday July 25th, 10am state beach. If you or someone you know would like to come on the bird walks but doesn't want to "slow the group down" ("whatever" by the way – bird walks are supposed to be slow!) or whatever, then this is the outing for you or someone you know. We'll have a few scopes and we won't go far. Not that we go far with the Thursday walks, but you get what I am talking about. If you need help getting a ride to state beach write to the VSR email – email@example.com – and we'll try to set something up. Groovy?
Cancelation – Thursday morning birdwalk – July 31st at 7am – has been canceled. We'll be looking for Blackbeard's treasure on isle o' shoals or whatever they are called somewhere south of here. Everyone should still go birdwatching. Thursday morning bird walks will start up again august 7th, at 8am.
What started out as a quick story……..Yellowthroat nest- At Folly Pond – Towards the end of last week's bird walk (7/17) a pair of Common Yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) popped up in some shrubbery really close to us by the beaver damn, right along North Haven Road. With bills full of insects the (hot) pair came within 5 feet or so of the group to check us out and they didn't appear to know what to make of us (have you seen us?).
|the yellowthroats were so close you didn't
have to use binoculars to see them
Their chipping was light at best though, more of a "honey, do you seen them"…."they are still there"…"do you think they can see us?" kind of action, rather than the "intruder alert!"…. "Get the hell out of here!!!!!!"…"they are after my babies" kind of chipping that yellowthroats are somewhat known for even when you are like 40 feet away from a nest! These guys (well, one male and one female actually) were loaded (bills) and mellow (two states that go so well together), and not that I have the largest set of personal data to go by, but they were the mellowest behaving pair of yellowthroats I have seen with young nearby (young yellowthroats).
They were so mellow that the group got back to talking about how we can tell there was a nest nearby. If those birds didn't have mouths to feed they wouldn't be flying around with food hanging out of their bills, simple as that. And with no "chasing and begging" fledglings in tow, the mouths they had to fill were in a nest. And since they stayed with us we knew it was close.
We discussed how Yellowthroat are warblers that nest low in shrubs and thick areas, sometimes on the ground – sometimes within 3 feet of the ground, but never too high at all. This was perfect habitat. Other than the road so close, but that didn't appear to bother them.
All I know (and it's not that much) is that within minutes as we discussed Yellowthroat natural history (fascinating stuff) the Yellowthroat pair flew across the path, and landed in a modest meadowsweet (not a steeplebush) shrub. The male went down, disappearing into the ground cover and grasses straight below with a bill full of food. Moments later (like really quickly) he came back up with no food. Straight and simple (is that offensive?), the nest was right in the grasses below that thinnest of meadowsweets (not a steeplebush) about 5 feet from the road and less than 2 feet from where the roadside had been mowed. It was right there.
I think we watched the female go down next, and after she reappeared and flew off – in search of more grub no doubt – I turned to the group and said "I'm going in". It was a straight and simple plan, and one that invoked several responses from the group none of which seemed to think it was a good idea. Folks were concerned with impact, with nest abandoning, with being part of something like that – all concerns we respect and advocate at the VSR. "But the nest is right there!" I pleaded like a pleader in a lame attempt to rally the gang, but no one was anymore the more convinced that this was a good idea.
"Well, I'm going to come back in an hour to check it out" I boldly stated. Which was the truth - the nest was going to be found – find me now, find me later. Might as well find it with this relatively small group (it was the 7am trip) so they can see it. Executive decision, and apparently I had decided I was an executive.
|finding an active nest is awesome
I told the group I was going in (again) and that I would bolt if things got dicey – like pissed off Yellowthroats or something - but I'd call them over if I found the nest. I marched up the road to the skeleton that was a meadowsweet (and not a steeplebush) and slowly (but quickly) pulled apart the grasses below the non-steeplebush and there were 4 little yellowthroats in clear view. The nest finding took no more 3 seconds. I called the group to hustle, and most folks hurriedly came over and took a gander at these cuties before booking it back to the dam area. In the meantime the male Yellowthroat returned to the area and called out our actions, once again not overly aggressive or upset in chipping tone (biased judgment) I would guess partly maybe because we were in retreat so quickly. "We're not messing around". The whole undertaking took less than 15 seconds.
The discussions took off then – how could they nest so close to the road? 5 feet from the asphalt probably, just a few feet from where the mower came by. Could a road as active as North Haven Road be a determent to predators like cats? I don't know, but maybe the road activity keeps things moving. How much impact does it take to make a bird abandon a nest?
This was a topic I have thought a lot about as I like to find nests and strive to observe them with the lowest impact possible. (And for all the nests I've watched I have never caused a bird to abandon a nest that I know of). Tolerance around as nest certainly differs with each species, with each nest and with each individual bird really. Sometimes it depends on where the birds are in the nesting process -when birds are first making nests they can be spooked easily and may bail, but that once all the eggs are laid and incubation starts – the investment is there -it is less likely that birds will abandon. They may fly off and scold, but they'll come back once the impact has moved on – as long as it isn't too long and too often (phrasing!). Once the eggs hatch it becomes even less likely that they will bail if a nest is found. All that said, we try to minimalize our impact so we never get anywhere close to "abandonment" – the goal is not to "not have them abandon" but to observe with the lowest impact, negligible preferred.
So why not leave the nest alone then? We can rationalize just about anything, and my rationalization with nests is this –they are a reward. Or they can be a reward. A reward for patience. The vast majority of nests I become aware of in the woods I never see – due to their location, or the amount of time I have, or displeased parental birds. But sometimes birds take you right to the nest (not to show you of course) as if they don't look at you as a threat. Or they wouldn't take you to the nest. These Yellowthroats didn't see us as a threat. This is all a rationalization, but the group had stood in that spot for a while watching baby wood ducks and an eagle. we were patient.
We figured the nest probably took a week or so to build, the eggs were incubated for at least a week, and that the babies were about 7 days old (good guess!). All in all, the Yellowthroats had used the area for roughly 3 weeks, and this is possibly the only 15 seconds of impact from humans they've had to deal with. "Negligible impact". Short of actually ripping out the nest or harming the young it would've be hard to make those parents abandon that scene. Everyone seemed to be on board at this point.
|there are only three in this photo
What's the point if you don't go back? – (7/18) – so of course I went back the next day to document growth – how could I not? And to my surprise when I looked at the nest 3 little heads were looking back at me. Where was the 4th? I heard one of the mellow adults coming back, so I took a photo and got out of there.
"Sh*t". There was no way it left the nest on its own, right? The young clearly couldn't fly (pin feathers seen in the photo), why would it leave the nest? Was the nest stressed yesterday and that's why the adults ignored the group and went in to feed with us standing about 15 feet from it? Was there a youngster teetering on the edge of survival after two days of pretty steady rain and possibly less food brought to the nest? Many observations in nature are due to wildlife being stressed (relax already). Nah though, they all looked good the day before. Only two things I could do – go back and read up on yellowthroats (which I should have done the previous night!) and then come back the next day (which I was going to anyway). Either way I was finding it hard to convince myself that our 15 seconds had anything to do with this. I wasn't trying too hard though.
Here's what we found in "Bird Behavior I" by good ol' Donny Stokes –
"Nestling phase - Both parents feed the young, but sometimes the male will bring the food to the female, who will then pass it on to the young. The young spend a relatively short period in the nest, leaving it, before they can fly, by hopping and walking into nearby shrubbery. 8-9 days. "
Sweet! I had caught them mid-bolt, mid-fledge. One gone, three to go….
|fecal sac present in the middle of the nest
(7/20) – And so it was no surprise that I found an empty nest the next day. The adult male could be heard mellowly chippin' in the vicinity, letting me know that 4 flightless yellowthroats were in the shrubs around – tread lightly. It will take three days for them to be able to fly – so right about now I guess they are taking their first attempts.
….and the nest wasn't completely empty – there was one last fecal sac in the bottom. A little message for the next pair of eyes (maybe 4 or 6 (with the sunglasses) eyes) that happen to look in? Or maybe it was scared scatless of leaving the nest? Or a final "never liked this place anyway" upper decker? I bet it just had to go.
Impact (a neutral word) – to influence, to effect – this topic has come up a few times in the last few weeks and I think we all understand that no matter how lightly we tread in the woods we have impact by simply being there. And when we are not there the trail still has an impact with edge effects and hardening of soils. It would be naïve of me to believe my peering or scoping into nests has no impact, and I guess the goal is to have "negligible impact". Taking kids ponds scooping or groups into the woods tracking increases impact exponentially (especially with some people!) if by nothing more than shear mass. But a certain amount of impact is expected and accepted for getting the folks out there exploring. Jogging or walking a dog on a trail, talking to a friend you are hiking with, chainsawing in the woods – all good things, all important thing, all impactful things. How much impact do you accept from yourself when you are in the woods? This is something I ask myself often – just not in those words usually. It's a personal thing. Not to get too personal.
Anyway – too long – thanks for reading.
Rock on!


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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The senior-laden line of Sean Malone, Tyler Moy and Luke Esposito combined for nine points, guiding No. 2/2 Harvard men's hockey (23-5-2) to a 6-4 win over Yale (13-14-5) in game one of their quarterfinal series Friday night at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center.
Malone registered a career-high four points, scoring the game's opening goal and then dishing out three assists the rest of the way. Moy scored once and tallied two assists to match his career-best with three points and Esposito scored twice.
Harvard's power play converted twice on seven opportunities, while the penalty kill unit was 2-for-3. Friday's win marked the second time this season Harvard won after entering the third period trailing and kept its unbeaten record at Bright-Landry intact at 12-0-2 this season.
Malone gave Harvard the lead 6:28 into the first period. Moy controlled the puck behind the net before finding Malone out front for his 15th of the season. Harvard doubled its lead to 2-0 1:20 into the second frame on Esposito's first of the night. Wiley Sherman cleared the zone and then Malone and Esposito played give-and-go on the other end with Esposito potting the puck to the left of Sam Tucker in the Yale net.
Yale fought back, scoring the next three goals over a 2:31 span midway through the second to take its first lead of the game. Joe Snively started the scoring with a power play goal at 8:03, and Mike Doherty and Luke Stevens following with tallies of their own.
Esposito responded with a power play strike of his own at 16:01 off another good pass from Malone through the Yale zone, splitting the defense. Yale, though, would retake the lead 56 seconds later on Snively's second and carry the 4-3 lead into the second intermission.
The third period was all Harvard, beginning with the equalizer from Moy 48 seconds into the frame. Moy knocked the puck down at the blue line and left it for Malone. Malone then hit Moy as he was looping to the net, setting his linemate up for his 17th of the season.
Senior Alexander Kerfoot provided what would go on to be the game-winner at 7:49. Harvard's power play worked the puck from side-to-side before Adam Fox at the point slithered a pass to Kerfoot at the right post for a quick tip-in over Tucker. Lewis Zerter-Gossage scored his 10th of the season at 12:10, hitting the top right corner with a snipe after Jacob Olson stole the puck in the neutral zone, giving Harvard a 6-4 cushion it would maintain until the final horn.
The series continues with game two Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bright-Landry Hockey Center.


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Although many emerging markets still have excellent growth prospects, they have been hammered in recent weeks thanks to a 'risk off' trade in equities. Broad funds targeting this space, such as VWO or EEM, have fallen sharply in this time period, declining by nearly 16.8% in the past quarter alone. While this may sound bad, it is nothing compared to the steep losses that some specific markets have been facing, especially those tied to natural resources. Russia in particular has been cast aside by many investors in this time frame, pushing shares of the economic juggernaut down by close to 25% in the past three month period.
While these losses are obviously significant, one has to question whether it is worth abandoning the nation entirely due to this significant bump in the road. After all, investors must also consider Russia's lousy demographic situation and the fact that the nation is still a one-trick pony whose economy is pretty much entirely dependent on commodity prices at this time. Yet, despite these legitimate concerns, investors still have a number of reasons to be bullish on the economy going forward. Although Russia is highly dependent on commodities, it focuses in on products that are vital to global growth and are unlikely to fall out of demand anytime soon. Furthermore, the country has greatly improved relations with a number of rapidly developing nations in both Europe and Asia, increasing its trade base for the future. Lastly, Russia has also made great strides to develop its technology and financial sectors, helping to further diversify the economy for the future.
Given these divergent trends, an investment in Russia could clearly go either way going forward. That is why investors need to be well aware of what caused the recent crash in Russian prices and some of the key events that could impact the country going forward.
Live And Die On Oil Prices
One of the key reasons for Russia's dramatic decline in the past few months has been oil's continued slump. Prices of Brent oil have fallen over the past few months and hopes for increased demand in Europe are low at best. As a result, Russia's oil industry, which is a key driver of the national economy, has been extremely hard hit in recent weeks thanks to these fears of slumping demand. In fact, Russia is actually the second biggest exporter and producer of oil in the world, while its natural gas exports lead the globe. Since Russia's economy is so thoroughly dominated by energy commodities, the weakness in prices for these key products, as well as fears for a global slowdown, undoubtedly helped to crash the economy over the past few months [see Three Country ETFs That Could Benefit From Triple-Digit Oil].
Putin Returns
Another item that investors need to be aware of is the likely return of Vladimir Putin to the Presidency of the country. Putin was president from 2000-2008 and is the current Prime Minister due to constitutionally mandated term limits. However, these limits only say that a person can't be President for three consecutive terms, so Putin looks to regain control of the nation in elections next year. While his record on human rights and the tilt towards a 'leader-for-life' situation are certainly troubling, no one can deny that he got results in the economy when he was President, helping to grow GDP sixfold during his reign. Beyond this, the return of Russia's strongman to the head role and the likely stability that this will bring to the country is likely to be good for markets in the long term [see Emerging Market ETFs: Seven Factors Every Investor Should Consider].
Given these trends, and the likely boost to oil prices if Europe can ever get its act together, investors have to believe that Russia's ETF can return to prominence in the next few months. In terms of gaining exposure to the country, options are limited in the stock space, but there are several ETFs that offer at least a few holdings in the nation. Beyond several BRIC funds that hold a decent amount of Russian securities, there are a few choices for those looking for direct exposure to the nation. Below, we take a brief look at some of the options investors have in this interesting space:
Market Vectors Total Return Russia ETF (RSX)
RSX is the gold standard for Russian ETFs as the product is by far the most popular and liquid fund in the space. The Van Eck product has close to $1.7 billion in assets while trading volumes are over five million shares a day. In terms of holdings, the fund is heavily concentrated in energy and materials companies as these two sectors make up 37.3% and 27.4%, respectively. Expenses currently stand at 62 basis points a year while dividends are slightly higher at roughly 0.7%. For performance, RSX is down close to 10.8% over the past month and nearly 28% in the past quarter alone, suggesting that weakness in oil and global markets have taken their toll on investors in this fund [see analysis of RSX here].
iShares MSCI Russia Capped Index Fund (ERUS)
ERUS is iShares' counterpart to RSX in the space, tracking the MSCI Russia 25/50 Index. The fund looks to follow the performance of equities in the top 85% of market cap range of securities listed on Russian exchanges. Much like RSX, ERUS' top holdings are to energy and materials although this fund has a much bigger tilt towards energy. In fact, close to 55% of total assets go to energy while about 15.6% go to materials and another 13.8% to financials. Expenses for ERUS are 65 basis points a year while dividends are 1.6% in 30 Day SEC yield terms. In terms of performance, ERUS is down about 9.2% in the past month and has declined by 27.6% in the past quarter [see charts of ERUS here].
SPDR S&P Russia ETF (RBL)
State Street's entrant into the Russia ETF space is far less popular than the other two products but it still offers an interesting slice of exposure nonetheless. The fund tracks the S&P Russia Capped BMI Index which is a float adjusted market cap index designed to define and measure the investable universe of publicly-traded companies domiciled in Russia. Much like its counterparts in the space, energy firms, at just over 50% of total assets, take the top spot and are trailed by materials at 18.8%. Financials also make up a double digit allocation while a smattering of other sectors comprise the rest of the fund. While RBL might not be the most popular, the fund is the cheapest, costing investors just 59 basis points a year in fees. For returns, RBL has lost about 10.5% in the past month and nearly 25.8% in the past quarter, in line with the other funds in the category [see more on RBL's Fact Sheet].
Market Vectors Russia Small-Cap ETF (RSXJ)
For investors looking for a different way to invest in Russia, RSXJ could be it. The product shuns large cap equities and instead investors in the small cap segment of the Russian economy, giving the fund a unique risk/return profile. Holdings are also vastly different, as the fund gives energy companies a weighting of 'just' 14% in the portfolio. Top weightings instead go to materials at 20.4% industrials at 18.8% and utilities at 16.9%. Although RSXJ does offer a unique slice of exposure, investors do end up paying for this with slightly higher fees as costs come in at 0.67%. Unfortunately, this exposure hasn't produced very different results over the past few months as this product is down about 10.7% in the past four weeks and close to 28% in the past quarter [see BRIC ETF Investing: Small Cap Edition].
[For more ETF ideas sign up for our free ETF newsletter.]
Disclosure: Long VWO.


text: If you're the self-serve type, then this is the option for you. Thinkstock By the editors of Kiplinger's Personal Finance Updated January 2015 A carefully selected broker can supply you with valuable investment information and make profitable investment suggestions.See Also: Full-Service Brokers If you feel comfortable making your own investment decisions and don't need or want a broker's advice, then there's no need to pay for such services. Instead, look for a discount broker. Today the offices of the major discount firms, such as Charles Schwab and Fidelity Brokerage Services, are virtually indistinguishable from the offices of their full-service brethren, complete with stock tickers, libraries of investment information, all-in-one accounts, plush chairs, and computer terminals for checking on the value of your holdings. But here you get execution of your order — no research, no handholding, no advice. (Most firms do make helpful literature available, often including research reports from other sources, such as Standard & Poor's, Value Line, and Morningstar.) Salespeople are paid a salary, not commissions. Most discounters also offer a long list of account services identical to those of the full-service brokers. Advertisement They can all save you money over the full-service shops. Which is best, though, depends on what you need. If the best price is what you're after, you'll have to look around to find it. But be aware that the firm charging the lowest fees may not be the best for other services you might want, such as issuing and delivering stock certificates (which you'd need if you wanted to enroll in a dividend reinvestment plan, for instance), or making mutual funds available with no transaction fees. Many discounters are members of the New York Stock Exchange, with offices in several cities around the country. They have toll-free telephone numbers for distant clients, and most offer online trading. Discounts, depending on the size of the transaction, can amount to as much as 80% of what you'd pay a full-service broker, although 20% to 30% is a more representative saving. You can commonly save about 50% on transactions in the $5,000 range. Some discounters operate through banks and savings and loan associations. The larger firms have walk-in offices in major cities. But before you sign on, find out whether there is a minimum charge. Some firms set a $20 to $45 minimum fee regardless of the size of the trade. On small trades, that could wipe out the savings you might be anticipating. Online Brokers A growing number of active investors are bypassing conventional brokerage offices entirely and doing all their trading online. The implications of this trend aren't lost on the discount brokers who have jumped into the field with both feet. All told, a couple of dozen firms offer trading via the Internet. Advertisement The attractions of online trading are price and convenience. Commissions for electronic trading tend to be the lowest around. You can easily shop for the best rate and can make your trades any time of day or night just by sitting down at your computer. Most firms will also let you trade by phone through a customer-service representative, though they may charge extra for that. Some full-service brokers have Web sites and offer information online but are reluctant to undercut their staff brokers by offering online trading. Opening an online account. It is simple enough to open an account with any broker by walking into the office, calling for an application, or submitting one online. Before you sign up on the basis of commissions alone, ask about annual service charges. Some firms, wishing to limit their business to well-heeled investors, levy an annual fee to keep the small ones away. It's important to shop around. A trade of one size may be cheaper at, say, Fidelity than at Siebert, while another transaction will cost less at Siebert than at Fidelity. A firm whose commission is calculated on the basis of the number of shares traded rather than the price of the shares should be cheaper for trading big blocks of higher-priced stocks.


text:
"Possessor of a strikingly beautiful voice" and "completely commanding on stage" are but two of the powerful phrases used by critics and writers to describe the voice and stage talents of Charles Robert Austin. Internationally acclaimed as a rising Wagnerian bass-baritone, he has an extensive operatic repertoire, including King Mark in Tristan und Isolde; Duke Bluebeard in Bluebeard's Castle; Rocco in Fidelio; Veit Pogner and Hermann Ortel in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg; Méphistophélès in Faust; Leporello in Don Giovanni; Daland in Der fliegende Holländer, Scarpia in Tosca; Klingsor in Parsifal; King Henry the Fowler in Lohengrin and Wotan in Die Walküre; performing with the Metropolitan Opera and the opera companies of Cleveland, Los Angeles, Madison, Michigan, Hawaii, Pittsburgh, Utah, Omaha, and San Juan. On the concert stage he has performed works including Walton's Belshazzar's Feast; Mozart's Requiem and Great Mass in C; Bach's Mass in
B Minor; Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Missa Solemnis; Handel's Messiah; Berlioz's Roméo et Juliette and Verdi's Requiem; with such ensembles as the Canton, Cincinnati, Minnesota and Seattle symphonies; Tokyo Philharmonic; and the New York Chamber and Cleveland orchestras. Austin's recordings include the benchmark recording of Menotti's The Consul, recorded under the direction of the composer at the Festival of Three Worlds in Spoleto, Italy; Shostakovich's The Execution of Stepan Razin with Gerard Schwarz and Seattle Symphony on the Naxos label; and Weill's The Eternal Road with the Berlin Radio Symphony for the Milken Archive.


text:
CLERMONT, Fla. – After a day off to enjoy the warm weather and sunshine, the Franklin College softball team was back on the diamond for two more games on Monday (Mar. 5) morning, taking on Wartburg College and Mount Union University.
The Grizzlies (6-0) remained perfect on the year, sweeping past both the Knights and Raiders in completely different fashions. In game one, the Grizzlies jumped all over Wartburg pitching early on their way to a 10-2 five-inning win. Game two saw Franklin use some late-game heroics to pull away from Mount Union, 5-3.
Game One: Franklin 10 – Wartburg 2 (5 inn.)
Franklin wasted no time getting the jump on the Knights, plating three runs in the first trip to the plate. Back-to-back doubles from Justice Carmichael and Alexis Tarver opened the scoring and later in the inning, Natalie Weber drove in two with a single to left field to make it 3-0.
Not satisfied there, the Grizzlies tacked on six runs in the second inning to blow the game wide open. Lexi Gaffney reached on a dropped third strike, stole two bags and came in to score on a throwing error to make it 4-0. The next two batters reached, setting the table for Tarver, who blasted a pitch over the center field wall for a three-run shot and a 7-0 Franklin lead.
The Grizzlies added runs later in the inning on an RBI ground out from Grace Paszek and a run-scoring fielder's choice off the bat of Taylor Bounin to make it 9-0 through two frames.
Wartburg got on the board with a pair of runs in the fourth, but Franklin would get one back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single from Morgan Burch. That proved to be all the Grizzlies would need as Olivia Paszek set the down in order in the fifth to close out the win.
Olivia Paszek (3-0) allowed three hits and two earned runs with two walks and seven strikeouts in her third complete game victory in as many starts. Tarver, Carmichael, Weber and Grace Paszek all went 2-for-3 at the dish.
Game Two: Franklin 5 – Mount Union 3
For the second straight game, the Franklin offense got right to work, plating three runs in the top of the second inning. Starting pitcher Danielle Wyse helped her own cause with an RBI ground out to open the scoring. With two outs and the threat still going, Franklin added to the lead with an RBI single from Emily Thompson and a run-scoring double from Shelby Mager to make it a 3-0 game.
Wyse rolled through the Raider lineup, allowing just three hits while keeping Mount Union scoreless through the first five innings. But her shutout bid was ended in the bottom of the sixth when Mount Union's Allie Goldy launched a two-out, three-run home run that tied the game with an inning to play.
But the Franklin offense would pick their pitcher up in the top of the seventh. Thompson started the rally with a lead-off single and stolen base. Later in the inning, Carmichael was hit by a pitch and Tarver was intentionally walked to load the bases for Weber. The freshman catcher showed remarkable plate discipline to draw a walk and force home the go-ahead run. One batter later, Grace Paszek added to the lead with an RBI ground out.
Kayla Selzer (3-0) slammed the door shut with a perfect ninth inning, picking up the win for 1 1/3 innings of scoreless work. Wyse allowed three unearned runs on four hits with four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
Franklin closes out their Florida trip on Tuesday (Mar. 6) morning with games against Finlandia and Wheaton. The action gets underway at 9:00 a.m.


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Malise and the Machine - Public Demo Release
We're proud to present the first public demo for Malise and the Machine!
You can download the demo at the following address: https://mega.nz/#!TZkBkDxL!jTmJD0kWaptB0yGH69CPM_plEqnJrGJo0rnZckQ6jzE
NOTE: The above link has been updated to the V0.0352 hotfixed version released on February 18, 2016.
Remember, this demo is meant to be shared! Share it, post it, seed it, stream it, whatever!
System Requirements
Malise and the Machine utilizes the RPG Maker VX Ace engine. To play, you must install the RPG Maker VX Ace RTP (run time package), which you can download and install for free from http://www.rpgmakerweb.com/download/additional/run-time-packages (click the blue button at the bottom of the page to download).
It's highly recommended that the first time you start the game you make a critical adjustment to the RPG Maker VX Ace settings to vastly improve performance of the game. To do this, press F1 after launching the game, then in the window that appears uncheck 'Reduce Screen Flickering', and then select OK.
Additional tips for improving performance if you find the game runs slow for you:
Play in windowed mode! RPG Maker's fullscreen mode is very inefficient, and we plan on eventually writing an improved version.
Well, the above is about it for this release. We had ways to toggle off some effects that can affect performance, however we've removed them so that they can be consolidated into a universal 'Performance Mode' which will be available in future versions.
Here are the recommended hardware specs for the game to be able to achieve a consistent 30 FPS:
Intel Core2Duo @ 2.4 GHz
512 MB Video RAM
Patch Notes
AltairPL has completely rewritten and overhauled the menu and title screen. We've designed it to improve functionality, performance, and to facilitate future system mechanics. The following are some of the changes made:
- Rewrote the various menu scenes and related code to improve transitions and performance.
- Replaced the 'Skills' menu with the 'Tetra' menu. You can inspect skills and items that are equipped to your characters' various Tetra panels (the command panels shown in battle) from this menu. While using an ARIS unit, you can equip new skills and items as well as change their positions on the Tetra panels. Note that skills can no longer be used outside of battle.
- Added armor damage icons to the menu and Status menu. Sections of these icons transition from white to orange as a character takes damage. Once a section of the armor is orange, it can be broken by certain enemy skills if the character's lust is high enough. Broken armor sections are shown in red.
- Gear can now be changed in the Equip menu. Note that the Body slot can only be accessed while using an ARIS unit.
- Redesigned and activated ARIS unit menu.
- Added a new entry to the Options screen to change the layout of the menu between 'Side' and 'Centered' layouts.
- Improved menu scene transition animations.
- Menu elements are now mirrored and symmetrical between the two characters.
- Added color coded icons for equipment and items.
- Redesigned list windows to use "tiles" that show an object's icon, name, and additional parameters based on the object type.
- Improved equipment list display conditions.
- Added icons to denote if a character has a certain piece of gear equipped.
- Added dynamic control notes to the bottom of various menu scenes.
- Added scrollbar functionality to list windows.
- Improved the layout and design of every menu scene.
- Added various confirmation prompts for Save/Load/Options scenes.
- Improved wallpaper background to remove banding and fix visibility issues for elements on the lower portion of the screen.
- Improved particle effect behavior and performance.
The following are some examples of performance improvements since V0.03 using AltairPL's PC as a test rig. Note that the FPS cap has been increased to 120 for these tests:
Main Menu: 90 FPS -> 120 FPS
Load Screen: 77 FPS -> 82 FPS
Save Screen: 88 FPS -> 98 FPS
Item Screen: 85 FPS -> 120 FPS
Status Screen: 60 FPS -> 105 FPS
- Malise has been added to the Access Tunnels content for the Public Demo. She doesn't affect the story/dialog, but is compatible with all enemies' H attacks.
- Rebalanced enemies for a party of two characters.
- Chest rewards have changed for the public demo.
- Significantly improved battle performance. A comparison test on AltairPL's rig shows an improvement of ~20 FPS from V0.03 (~70 FPS up to ~90 FPS).
- Added pause graphics for both the battle and map scenes.
- Enemy skills that summon spawns/appendages now have a unique skill name (for the Fleshfather, the 'Constrict' skill has been renamed to 'Tentacle') to differentiate it from the initial H skill that the spawn or appendage itself uses.
- Improved various mechanics related to enemy spawns/appendages.
- Added ARIS unit graphics for Malise.
- Controllers are supported once again.
- Pressing the Up arrow key while selecting a target will now confirm the action usage.
- Pause can now be assigned to a controller button.
- Changed 'Swap Character' key from 'C' to 'S' (for changing character graphics during the map scene).
- Added a 'Quick Swap' feature for quickly trading turns in battle. Pressing the 'S' key will cancel out of any process and immediately trade turns with the opposite character, under the condition that her turn is ready.
- Item names are now highlighted in dialog and in loot messages.
- Removed content from V0.02 and prior. No worries, this content will make a reappearance later in an improved form.
- Added various system and script related mechanics to facilitate future features.
- Fixed a bug where pausing during dialog scenes would cause some abnormal behavior.
- Fixed a bug where enemy spawns/appendages would sometimes initialize incorrectly, causing them to lose a turn.
- Fixed a glitch that could result in the wrong pose being displayed for a character during the battle victory scene.
- Fixed a discrepancy between displayed HP and HP recovered during character revival.


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Complete Details of Ampa Skywalk in Chennai
Ampa Skywalk, is one of the biggest shopping and entertainment mall in Chennai. As we all know Chennai has many shopping malls, there should be something extra-ordinary which attracts people. Skywalk is one such malls which has shops and factory direct outlets from major clothing and apparel brands, a seven screen multiplex of PVR cinemas and a food court which serves all kind off multi cuisine dishes. Its one best place for all age people to have fun and pass their time with shopping.
Ampa Skywalk is one of the Chennai's best place for shopping and entertainment. It is said o be the dream destination for shopping , where you can get all your needs under one roof. Satisfaction to your purchase and fun frolic entertainments which doesn't bores you, is one of the main motive of this shopping mall. Skywalk is only shopping mall which is fully fledged with all retails outlets and leading creeks of Chennai. It gives you the ultimate experience of shopping in Chennai. Skywalk has been rightly known as the Mall for All which stretches over 3.15 Lakhs Sq. Ft. of land area and is perfectly complemented with 3.50 Lakhs Sq. Ft. of parking facility ensuring a complete shopper's experience.
The mall is of three floors with complete retail experience of National and International brands factory outlets ensuring people all the category of products and the things required by a shopper and which is satisfied by the best of the brands available in the world. Each of the floor level is encapsulated with a zoning ensuring that the shopper has complete hassle free experience in his search for his requirement.
Shopping experience in Ampa Skywalk
Ampa Skywalk as by the name gives you the walk in the sky experience with all its shops and their designs and looks. The mall with lot of brands that are hand-picked for the ultimate shoppers' experience, which combines fashion trends and modernity with our unique and stylish traditional routes. The outlets are spread over all floors with an area of about 3 lakh sq. ft, and are categorized by each specific reasons on every floor for convenient shopping of the customers, that can be viewed with ease from the common single roofed Atrium. All this with more designs and exterior looks makes Ampa Skywalk, Chennai's most popular destination mall where shopping entertainment & leisure is at its best and satisfied and liked by all people.
Food Courts in Ampa Skywalk Chennai
F3 is the mall's themed floor which means Food, Fun, Frolic. This F3 is a wide food court which holds a capacity of 650 seats with a choicest of cuisine from the various finest of the brands. F3 rightfully called the Food, Fun, Frolic is a the place were you can experience and taste 19 different cuisines along with a gaming zone spread over 10,000 sq. ft with a Landmark and four row bowling alley and 5 fine dine restaurants. This shows all shopper's that Ampa Skywalk, the finest mall experience for one and all.
F3 is Skywalk Food Court with a difference that gives you the ultimate dining experience. In F3 you find some of the best F&B outlets that satisfies the taste buds of Chennai's people of all categories. With each and every cuisine that makes the food-lover to smile as they taste delicious and yummy foods, we proudly present an interesting spread to indulge in with your friends and family for best entertainments.
PVR Cinemas in Ampa Skywalk
PVR is the multiplex which is associated within the Ampa Skywalk. PVR came into being from the year 1997, it created a revolution which changed the face of Movies forever with its best entertainment. The film experience had lost its worth to outdated technology and shabby halls. PVR enthrobbed the audience back into the theatres by giving the whole experience a face-lift from each and everything's to their fullest enjoyment. Today more than a decade from its launch, it continues to be the trend setter by merging the market realities with its own uncompromising standard on providing clean and wholesome entertainment to people. This resulted on being that any PVR property can be benchmarked against the best in the world. As a result of which a decade after it both opened as well as defined the multiplex market, PVR continues to be well ahead in the race of firsts. Now the Ampa Skywalk has its esteemed pride to have PR under its roof were Chennai people can gear up for he best cinemas halls in Chennai.
Fun & Frolic in Ampa Skywalk
The fun is one the most important thing which everyone wants in life. And off course Chennai is not least under all to have its fun and entertainments. At Ampa Skywalk we doesnt want people to just stop with Shopping, Dining & the Cinemas, were as we want them to enjoy, have fun and frolic to core. So we try to give them the Chennai's best entertainment fun at one place. A number of outlets are aimed for just fun and entertaining like Games & More & Pandora ice Skating (Coming Soon) which makes Skywalk as one of the most fanned, happening, entertaining destinations in town for both the young and the old. Entertainment for the entire family is one of the aspects we strive in Ampa Skywalk.
List of F3 Food Court in Ampa Skywalk
Wangs Kitchen
Hot Chips
Hot Chips Chaat
Curry House
Just Parathas
Mr. & Mrs. Idly
La Boulangerie
Namma Dindigul Biriyani
Hog Dog
Milky Way
Starkes Burger Joint
Squeez Juice Bars
Kailash Parbath
CookieMan Ice cream
Other Eatouts/ Restaurants in Ampa Skywalk
Pizza Hut
Cafe Coffee Day
Kalmane Coffee
Cookie Man
Jus Booster Juice
Feugo Fusion Grill - By Star Gate Hotels
Retail stores in Ampa Skywalk
Tata-Trent's Star Bazaar - Chennai's First Hypermarket
Westside - Ground, First and Second Floor
Third Floor
Landmark - Book and Music store
Fun Center - Games, Bowling and More
Second Floor
Camera Citi
Satya Paul Bags and Sarees
Benetton Kids
Mustard Store
Gravity Collections
Flower Express
Naturals - Unisex Salon
Health and Glow
First Floor
Pepe Jeans
Apple iMagine
TieRack London
Ox Accessories
Allen Solly
Peter England
Cool Casuals
Laptops Plus
Archies Gallery
Jus Sportz
Planet Sportz
Lee & Wrangler
Ground Floor
RADO Store
United Colors of Benetton
Hush Puppies
Van Heusen
Zimson Swiss Premium Watches
Editions - Premium, Luxury and Limited Edition Pen Store
Louis Philippe
Wills Lifestyle
Color Plus
World of Titan
The Body Shop
Chemmanur Fashion Jewellers
PVR cinemas with 7 screens
Upcoming tenants
StarGate Boutique Hotel - 20 room boutique hotel by Auromatrix Hotels
Facilities in Ampa Skywalk
Multi - Level Car parking facilities up to 12 levels
Valet Service at all parking levels
Car spa at entry point
Taxi Services / CAR-on-CALL Facilities
Foreign Exchange Counter
Child Care area
Salon / Nail Bar Naturals
First AID, Ambulance & Doctor on call services
ATM Facilities
WI - FI zones
Florist - Flower express
Gift Wrapping services
SKYWALK Hotel
Wheel Chairs / Special Assistance for the physically challenged people.
How to reach Ampa Skywalk
Ampa Skywalk is located in Aminjikarai, which is under the vicinity to areas like Kilpauk, Anna Nagar, Egmore, Nungambakkam, Chetpet, T.Nagar etc. It is just connected by bus from all parts of Chennai. Since Anna Nagar is one of the main hot spot of Chennai, its easy to reach Anna Nagar from their you can get auto to reach Ampa Skywalk. The nearest railway station is Nungambakkam which just 1km from it.
Address Details of Ampa Skywalk
Ampa Skywalk
No.1, Nelson Manickam Road,
Poonamalee High Road,
Aminjikarai ,


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Campaign Now is a political advocacy direct marketing firm headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was launched in 2008 by John Connors, who set out to help political and nonprofits organizations reach their goals with high return on investment, direct marketing services. Since then, Campaign Now has been a rapid adopter of technology while developing an expertise in data-driven marketing. That specialization has enhanced traditional marketing and fundraising campaigns. Campaign Now is dedicated to delivering to its clients innovative and nontraditional services that are revolutionizing the response of voter contact, consumer and voter insights, digital and offline marketing, as well as donor and membership acquisition and cultivation.
Learn more about our team, and our unique services and grassroots approach. Feel free to contact us using the form below.


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MN TEC Retreat
TEC is an overnight retreat that empowers teens to integrate the joys, struggles, and epiphanies of their daily lives with the mystery of our shared Christian Faith.
Youth who go to TEC say that the TEC community is why they come back. For many it also becomes a foundational reason to go to Church beyond high school. One of our young people recently said it this way: "TEC helped me understand that my whole life is a part of God's story. God is in every high and every low. Everything I experience matters, and every moment is a chance to share Agape love with others."
Note: UltraCamp is our new registration platform. Everyone must first make or log back into their individual or family account. After that you can select a camp or retreat as a "session" to register for. Email email@example.com if you have any questions as you try to register.


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Netstal customers set a high value on the company's continuous drive to innovate, excellent service and efficient, high-performance engineering solutions, especially for the beverage, packaging and medical technology industries.
The Netstal brand, embodied by the Netstal company with its long engineering tradition in Näfels, Switzerland, has been part of the KraussMaffei Group since 1992.As an established Swiss company, for 60 years Netstal has been one of the world's leading suppliers of high-precision, high-speed plastic injection molding machines with clamping forces of 800 to 8000 kN. Netstal machines meet the highest standards in terms of process management, quality of molded parts and production performance, and are primarily employed in the manufacture of particularly complex technical and thin-wall plastic molded parts.
Netstal headquarters is located in Näfels in the Canton of Glarus. The site covers approximately 72,000 m² and is home to state-of-the-art production and assembly facilities, office premises for development, design, marketing and administration, as well as expansive customer service, training and application technology facilities.
The core values of the Netstal brand are:
Fascinating: As a result of the high level of enthusiasm of all employees for their own products and company. This enthusiasm has an attractive effect on our customers as a "loved brand"
Continuous: As an obligation to uninterrupted consistency, constancy and steadiness with regard to quality, reliability and longevity of man and machine
First-class: As proof of fast production with constantly high precision, which, combined with our innovative strength, determines the unique premium quality of our products and services
This results in a unique performance commitment for the Netstal brand:
Netstal Fascinating, Continuous, First Class - Engineering Excellence
Visit Netstal's Youtube-Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/NetstalMaschinenAG


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Responding in Pink
If you thought you saw a pink fire truck recently, you don_t need to switch to decaf. It was a part of the Pink Ribbon Tour organized by Glendale (Ariz.) Firefighter/EMT Dave Graybill."
It all started when a firefighter/EMT friend mentioned his department was going to wear pink shirts to show support for women with breast cancer. The next morning, Graybill expanded on that idea: He decided to cross the country in a pink fire truck. "It_s not just about cancer," he says. "It_s to honor all women on the planet."
He bought his first truck on eBay with a $13,000 check given to him by a woman in a Starbucks who heard his plan. The 2009 Pink Ribbon Tour made its first of about two dozen stops in North Las Vegas, where Captain Cedric Williams made arrangements to shut down the Vegas Strip for a procession of fire trucks with police escorts.
Graybill now has three pink trucks named after women who facilitated the tour. Firefighter/EMTs traveling with the trucks wear pink turnouts, donated by Globe Firefighter Suits. "I_d like see 100 pink trucks across the country and a ÂPink Heals_ fire station," says Graybill.
The money raised at stops stays in the community. Graybill and his fellow firefighter/EMTs are now accepting invitations for the 2010 tour. Learn more atwww.pinkribbontour.com.
An Ounce of Prevention
MedStar EMS in Fort Worth, Texas, has started a house call pilot program to cut down on "habitual clients" like the 21 patients responsible for 812 transports in 2008. One patient took 127 trips to the emergency department in one year.
To relieve the stress on the crews, community health paramedics are making house calls to enrolled patients. The calls may be to check a diabetic patient_s blood sugar at 6 p.m. to decrease the possibility of a 2 a.m. distress call, says Matt Zavadsky, associate director of field operations for MedStar. Other habitual clients have psycho-social issues, so a friendly face dropping by for a few minutes may also forestall a 9-1-1 call. "The plan is to send the right resource to the patient at the right time," says Zavadsky.
The community health paramedics respond in fly cars and are trained in crisis and psychiatric intervention. They also perform advanced assessments and detailed physicals and take comprehensive histories.
Zavadsky says the program will cost $500,000, but if it will cut back on the $750,000 not paid by habitual clients, it will be a good investment. We agree.
Over-Reliance on Technology
In September, a Maryland ambulance was lost for 48 minutes while en route to a call at a senior citizen_s center. News reports state the crew was using a GPS device that couldn_t find the address of the center, and they still couldn_t find it despite receiving instructions from an engine crew that had been to the address earlier. Luckily, the patient_s life was not in jeopardy, and a second ambulance transported the patient. According to an article posted on JEMS.com, spokesman Mark Brady told STATter911.com that it was "totally unacceptable.""
We, like the majority of the JEMS Connect members who commented on the story, think that this will be a bigger issue as we become even more reliant on technology. Every agency should consider providing its crews with a professional public-safety-grade computer navigation system and good old-fashioned maps, as well as training on how to use both.JEMS
Join the discussion athttp://connect.jems.com/forum/topics/overreliance-on-technology"