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"City Golf"
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Mention the term, "city services," to most people and what you get is a litany of complaints over missed garage pickups, killer potholes and bad cable TV, but one honest-to-goodness city service is making an impressive comeback in the most unlikely of areas, municipal golf courses.
Cities all over North America are investing some serious money in their city owned or operated golf facilities and the result has been increased profits, increased play along with some increased complaints over increased prices and the decrease of familiar layouts.
"When people talk about municipal golf courses, they almost spit out that word as in, 'it's just a muni course,'" said Houston director of golf operations Fred Buehler. "We're helping to overcome that image."
Houston's Memorial Park is one shining example proponents of upscale municipal golf like to point to when they talk about a city course smashed flat by the ravages of time and limitless play only to be brought back to life as a showplace by a multi-million dollar renovation.
Other courses which have received favorable makeovers in the last couple years are Dallas' Tenison Park West Course now known as Tenison Highlands, Westview in Quincy., Ill., Don Valley in Toronto, Canada and San Diego's acclaimed Torrey Pines Golf Course, which has been selected to host golf's prestigious U.S. Open in 2008.
"Our primary mission to provide affordable, public golf for the citizen of San Diego," said city golf director Jim Allen. "But we take city pride in the course."
Torrey Pines, a 36-hole facility which opened in he mid-1960s, fills the twin mission of being accessible to the citizens of San Diego, which comprise 70 percent of its play, and affordable with resident green fees at ranging from $29 to $45
"Here the situation is totally turned where people would play here than many of the private courses," Allen added.
Buehler admits when the Memorial Park project was first discussed in the early 1990s, nobody wanted to play there, unless there was absolutely no other option.
"The course condition had basically been status quo since it opened in 1938," Buehler said.
But Houston mayor Bob Lanier began to champion renovating the course to a true city asset and appointed a task force on the project. The committee recommended that the city spend $3 million dollars on course improvement and another $1.2 million on a new clubhouse.
The money was raised by selling on-course sponsorships. Memorial Park was closed for 13 months from September of 1994 to October of 1995.
"We still have people staying they'll never play Memorial because we raised the prices, but most people can't believe how nice we made it," Buehler added.
While the green fees were raised from $12 and $16 to $22.50 and $32, income to the city has more than doubled with revenues in the last fiscal year at $2.5 million on a $2.2 budget, compared to income of just $1.2 million before the renovation.
Up north on Interstate 45, city golf leaders in Dallas were paying close attention to the Memorial Park success story and decided to try much the same thing at the Tenison Park West Course in East Dallas.
They called on Dallas-based Golf Resources, Inc., and the project became a labor for native and lead architect Steve Wolford.
"I grew up playing those courses and the condition was really shocking how bad it was, but we just didn't have any other options back then," he said.
Dallas Parks and Recreation Director Paul Dyer said this project, budgeted for $5 million, had to receive city council approval, and initially there were plenty of skeptics.
"Some people were reluctant to close the course to do the work," Dyer said.
So much so, that a group of citizens were able to get an injunction to halt the work for nearly a year. But after addressing concerns over tree removal, environment and prices, renovations at Tenison began in October of 1999 and finished a year later.
"Some of those same people just said, 'wow,' when we got finished," said Dyer.
David Brown, vice-president and general manager of the American Airlines Center in Dallas freely admits he was one of the leading critics of the Tenison Park plan.
"I played there 50 times a year and it just got to be a part of the family. I just didn't think it made sense to upgrade the course if we couldn't take care of it, but Tenison Highlands has become everything I didn't think it could be.
"Now, I'm, a big fan of having such an asset just 5-7 minutes east of downtown," Brown said.
"When we have a Mary Kay convention downtown, there are thousands of spouses looking for something to do and it's crazy for them to have to go (suburbs) Plano or Lewisville or Frisco to play golf instead of right here in Dallas," adds golf resources president Sam Swanson.
Sometimes it's not big money, just tender loving care which has brought back city courses according to Toronto city golf director Dave Richardson.
"We used to have to hire (maintenance) workers on seniority, not ability, but now all city workers have to take a test on their golf knowledge before they can work here.
"We're charging $55 (Canadian) for a premier course where they would play $75 or $100 elsewhere. I'd put Don Valley up against public course in the Toronto area."
While the local municipal may never replace lush Augusta National on any best courses list, those involved say they're giving city residents a true service they can enjoy and appreciate.
"When done right, it shows just what city government can accomplish," said Buehler.
City Service
Top Municipal Golf Courses
- Torrey Pines
San Diego, California
Resident Green Fees: $29 and $45
Approx. 2002 golf rounds: 72,000 (South), 105,000 (North)
- Memorial Park
Houston, Texas
Resident Green Fees: $22.50 and $32
Approx. 2002 Rounds 65,000
- Tenison Highlands
Dallas, Texas
Resident Green Fees: $39 and $45
2002-2003 Golf Rounds: 47,294
- Don Valley
Toronto, Canada
Resident Green Fees: $45 and $55
2002 Approx. Golf Course: 50,000


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Terelj National Parkis one of the national parks of Mongolia, which connected by paved road, 70 km from city center of Ulaanbaatar. A small southern portion of the park is developed for tourists, with restaurants, souvenir shops, horses and camels for rent. However, most of the park is undeveloped and difficult to access. Attractions include Khagiin Khar Lake, a 20m deep glacial lake 80 km upstream from the tourist camps, and Yestii Hot Water Springs, natural hot springs 18 km further upstream. The park also has a Buddhist monastery that is open to visitors. Park wildlife includes brown bears and over 250 species of birds. The Tuul River flows through the park.
The park has many rock formations for rock climbers, and includes two famous formations named for things they resemble: Turtle Rock (Mongolian: Melkhii Khad) and the Old Man Reading a Book (Praying Lama Rock).

subset: commoncrawl


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UMAT dates for 2013 released
Important information about UNDERGRADUATE MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES ADMISSION TEST
Family Bulletin #4
Issue 4 – 21 March (newsletter attachment)
Swimming success continues at SATIS
The GYC swimming team had another great day at the SATIS swimming carnival on Tuesday 19 March.
ADF Officer Parent / Influencer and Student Supper
Currently-serving Officers from all three services will present on their experience as a leader within the ADF. An ADFA representative will also present on the Academy. Year 10, 11 and 12 students, their parents and pathway planners are invited to attend.
Family Bulletin #3
Issue 3 – 7 March


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Beginning not quite with the Thing being turned around. Read on.
Here's what happened yesterday and today in the world of turning a Wing-ed Bowl.
Yesterday: At 1145 or so, I did some more sanding. This is where a crack started really getting my attention. At 1215, I turned my attention to the end-grain areas. (Disregard the 1745 in the upper-left – it's wrong).
The crack must be dealt with. It can't get any longer. But it sure can open up. Methinks…I don't know. Let us find out what others have done.
Off to the WorldWideInformationSuperhighwayInternetWeb go I. This is where I spent the next four hours. I'm beyond help.
At about 1700, I decided to simply fill it with something. I must needs enlarge it, without making it straight, if you don't mind. So I take my 1/8" chisel, my sharpest carving knife, and begin excavating.
I clean it up with the power carver. After which, I dribble some low-viscosity Superglue to stiffen the fibers and to flow into the, still very thin, crack at the bottom of the 1/4" deep trench.
I've made up my mnd, such as it is, to fill the trench rather than try to bridge it.
With what shall you fill it, dear Woodsmith, dear Woodsmith? With what shall you fill it? With what?
Why, with ground Quartz, dear Echo. Fill it with ground Quartz.
Ignore the fact that the thing is mounted on the chuck by the foot in the second photo. That's coming. But first, some words. The first of these two shots was taken at 0100, and was where I left it til this morning.
The Thing, having multiple planes with which to concern myself about the flow of the filling agent, was removed from the spindle, still on the chuck, and placed on the #2 Morse Taper gripped in my face vise so I could be filling on a somewhat horizontal surface.
This was working out pretty well. I had already, as soon as I had completed the excavation, coated the trench with Superglue. Note that, at this point, I dribble some in, introduce the Quartz, dribble some more, more Quartz, more glue, more Quartz. Now, I have a berm, of sorts, covering the crack. A combination of 100 grit sandpaper and a stone bit on the power carver got it somewhat flush. I move on to the next section, tilting the Taper in the vise, and do it again. I repeat this process until I'm finally out at the area below the scorched line, and the Taper is pointing almost horizontal in the vise. I fill the crack and, when I get to where there's a berm of Quartz, I lay my plastic glue-spreader along the length of it, and press down. This is what I've been doing all along, to make sure that the last layer of Quartz is well-acquainted the last bit of glue. Well, sir. Riddle me this: What happens, when you push down on the end of something that's very poorly-supported at the other end? Not only did the Taper exit the vise, but, the chuck, and the wormscrew-attached Thing went to the floor with it. On impact, of course, the wormscrew left the Thing, taking a good bit of wood with it. Enough, in point of fact, that there's no way to re-insert it.
Fine. This is a good time to mount it by the foot.
Fine. I'll do that
(Hence, the position of the Thing in the chuck in that second photo.) Which appeared thusly from the top.
It's wobbling badly because, in turning the outside after turning the foot, wood moved. That's okay. Mebees, I can get away with re-turning only the area below the scorch line.
That went so well, I thought, mebees, I could re-turn the rest, thus making the filled trench look that good. A few days ago, I was watching I-Don't-Recall-Whom turning a piece. He pointed out that, in the progession of stages through the making of a Objet de Arte, there are points at which the Museum-Bound Earth-Shaker is simply butt ugly, and the Artiste thinks about just throwing it out. This was one of those points.
Yeah. Some popped out. I continue. I'm doing pretty-well, bringing it along. Then, I decide to take a break. I walk up the street for a twenty-minute visit with my therapists, Bonny and Clyde.
And, on the walk home, I make up my mind, such as it is, to re-excavate the trench. This time, I'll make some Butterfly/Bowtie-like bridges. I know I can do this, though I've never done it very well in the past.
But, that's what I'll do.
I approach the Thing with my little chisel and my mallet, and start tapping, ever so lightly away. When this happens.
The foot broke off.
[I'm a man. I can fix that.]
This is glue drying. And me, writing a Blog. I'll see how well it re-mounts, after dinner (or, before – I'm flexible), and proceed with the plan. First, Methinks, I must needs see how well I can divine some Bowties.
-- Mark


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Liegruppen is a family-run business involved in the management of fishing rigths, property development and various companies within service and trade.
In Liegruppen we are proud of our history. We respect for the culture and the values the business is built on throughout the ages. The affiliation to Liaskjeret and the local culture is something we want to preserve through our work.View our history
For recent news about Liegruppen - Like us on your Facebook!
Libas will become the first fishing boat with gas and battery propulsion
Liaskjæret marina is within 10 minute drive by car from Straume and Sartor Storsenter.


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The Dighton Library's Afternoon Book Discussion group is meeting on Thursday, December 29 at 4:00 to discuss The Christmas Train by David Baldacci.
From Novelist: "Tom Langdon, a weary and cash-strapped journalist, is banned from flying when a particularly thorough airport security search causes him to lose his cool. Now, he must take the train if he has any chance of arriving in Los Angeles in time for Christmas with his girlfriend."
Copies of the book are available at the library, and all are welcome to join the discussion. This book group typically meets on the last Thursday of every month at 4:00.


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Colon Free Zone: Panama debates land sale law repeal
Panama's National Assembly has taken the first step towards repealing a controversial law allowing the sale of land in Colon Free Zone, Latin America's biggest duty-free zone.
The assembly debated the law on Friday and is expected to hold a final vote on its repeal on Sunday.
The decision to abandon government plans to sell the land in the city of Colon follows a week of protests.
At least three people have died, including a nine-year-old boy.
On Friday, dozens of looters ransacked shops, smashed store windows and stoned vehicles in Panama City after protesting outside the assembly.
The police clashed with protesters in Colon too.
'Little acceptance'
President Martinelli, who was returning home from a trip to Asia on Friday, tweeted that the controversial law would be repealed in its entirety.
"The law sought the best for Colon but it had little acceptance", he wrote. "We will proceed with its definitive repeal."
The government had said the privatisation would boost development in Colon, but trade unions and residents argued it would cost jobs and push down wages.
Opponents of the law included trade unions, members of the Colon Chamber of Commerce and a variety of civil society groups.
The protests flared in Panama soon after president Martinelli signed the controversial law on 19 October.
Four days later he announced the government would scrap its plans to sell the land to private investors.
Mr Martinelli tweeted: "If the people of Colon don't want the sale of lands in the free trade zone, the sale will be repealed."
The president said instead that commercial rents would be increased and the money reinvested in the region, as protesters had been demanding.
The Colon region is the biggest duty-free zone in Latin America but is blighted by poverty and crime.
Panama's economy has boomed in recent years, but sections of the population remain excluded from its commercial success.
The city of Colon - one of the largest free trade ports in the world and in operation since the 1950s - sits at the end of the Panama Canal on the Caribbean, just outside the former Panama Canal Zone.
The canal, linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, is Panama's main source of revenue.


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This easy style top comes in a loose cut one-size fit with boxy shaping and features a striking diamond check pattern in black, grey and white. With a scoop neckline, dropped shoulders and a wide half-length sleeve. Crafted from a soft, light to mid weighted fabric with a subtle crinkle finish, and a mix of check and line patterning. This tunic is finished with a flat hemline which has a curve at the edge with short side splits.
Made in: Germany
Fabric: 60% polyester/ 38% viscose / 2% lycra
Care guide: hand wash only
Size guide and measurements.
All measurements taken with garment laid flat and are approximate:
Size: O/S One-Size
Width underarm to underarm: 30"/76cm
Width across hip: 30"/76cm
Length down centre back: 31"/78cm
Additional Information
If you require any additional help or information, please do not hesitate to contact our dedicated customer care team, Monday to Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm (GMT).
Customer Services Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
UK Customer Services Telephone: 01628 663950
International Customer Services Telephone: +44 (0)1628 663950
Enjoy same day dispatch on all orders placed by 13:00 GMT Monday to Friday.
UK Delivery
INTERNATIONAL Delivery
We accept all major credit and debit cards. Paypal is also accepted at the checkout.
We can also accept direct payment by bacs transfer, please contact our office directly for further details: +44 (0)1628 663950
Privacy and cookies
We will treat all your personal data as confidential (although we reserve the right to disclose this information in the circumstances set out below). We will keep it on a secure server and we will fully comply with the new GDPR law and all applicable privacy regulations and consumer legislation. If you'd like to read more on how and where we collect or how we use your personal data, please see our Privacy Policy
In the Privacy Policy, you can also find out how you can stop the use of your data for direct marketing.
Please see our cookie policy to learn more about what cookies we use, their nature, purpose and related usage of your personal data on idaretobe.com


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XPB Hollow Point Ammo: XPB Hollow Point Bullets Explained
The XPB series is a line of ammo created and distributed by Barnes Bullets (well known among reloaders), an ammunition manufacturer based in Utah. These bullets are only used in large caliber handgun ammo, from the .357 up to .500 S&W and everything in between. The Barnes XPB features various nose shapes, but one thing is standard across every bullet type – the hollow point. This allows for maximum expansion on impact and phenomenal stopping power, no matter what you're shooting. This particular style of ammunition is great for home defense, and is also fairly popular among handgun hunters who go after game like hogs and other handgun-friendly targets.
XPB Hollow Point Features
- Lead-Free: It can actually be a rather difficult task finding completely lead-free ammo. More than a few areas have banned lead bullets completely, and not just on the range or in public areas. You can get in trouble for using them on your own property, and for home defense in rare cases. Some people really dislike lead-free bullets because they can be pricey and don't perform the same way.
- Solid Copper: The solid copper bullet is formed in such a way by Barnes Bullets, that you get a tremendous amount of expansion comparable to how lead bullets perform. Copper is very resistant to corrosion, also making it extremely stable when put into your personal stockpile.
- Hollow Point: The hollow point bullet is famous for stopping power and expansion on impact. XPB uses that power to create a very devastating, large-caliber handgun bullet – while still maintaining its shape and weight. The bullet itself does not fragment like solid lead bullets tend to do, and this makes for a wider wound channel as opposed to several smaller ones.
XPB Hollow Point Uses
As with any hollow point, the XPB line is primarily for self-defense and home-defense use. When your life is on the line, that first shot really needs to count and you can't go wrong with the XPB. The expansion is nice and the calibers covered are second to none if you love large handguns. Some shooters have found this bullet to be a great choice for hog hunting, as the reliable expansion and weight retention of the copper bullet provide excellent results when hunting this tough-skinned game.
You will need to make sure hollow point bullets are allowed wherever you plan to shoot, as lead could be banned.


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Bringing Japanese pop culture all together into one fantastic festival, HYPER JAPAN 2014 (July 25-27) is a must for the Japan enthusiast! The festival is held over three days at Earls Court One, Warwick Road, London, SW5 9TA (nearest tube: Earl's Court).
For Japanfans who just can't get enough, and there are not one, but two, great after parties scheduled. Then, just as your nostalgia gently wanes, you can enjoy 15% off your total bill off yummy modern Japanese food at K10 Restaurant.
Highlights include:
- Stage Shows
- Hyper Fringe Market
- Hyper Game and Anime Park
- Hyper Kawaii!! – Japanese Street Fashion
- UK preliminaries for the European Cosplay Gathering (ECG)
- EAT-JAPAN Sushi Awards: UK Sushi Championship (£12 – separate ticket required)
- EAT-JAPAN Sake Experience (£15 – separate ticket required)
Buy your tickets online to save money. Kids under 10 are free, but must have a ticket.
HYPER JAPAN After Party #1
The first official Hyper Japan after party is hosted by The London Japanese Meetup Group in association with Dead or Alive promotions on Friday 25 July, from 7.30pm -11.00pm. For £5 on the door (over 18's only) this event is near Piccadilly Circus at The Comedy Pub, 7 Oxendon Street, SW1Y 4EE.
- Broken Doll
- Yanakiku
- Colours
- LAN CHEEKY DJs
HYPER JAPAN After Party #2
London's Largest Japanese Music Label Teams Up With the UK's Biggest Japanese Pop Culture Event for the Ultimate J-pop Party
JPU Records is proud to announce that it will be organising the official HYPER JAPAN after party on Saturday 26 July 2014. The event, celebrating all things J-pop, will take place at Namco Funscape in County Hall, Westminster, from 7pm and will be entirely free entry for all.
Line up:
- Broken Doll
- Yanakiku
- Kero Kero Bonito
- Kelsey Ellison
There will also be popular tracks from Japan spun by JPU Records to keep the party atmosphere buzzing, as well as arcade machines, a licensed bar, snacks, dodgems, bowling and more available at additional costs.
HYPER JAPAN Restaurant Offer
K10 – the modern Japanese kaiten restaurant is offering diners at their Appold Street restaurant 15% off their total dinner bill if they bring their Hyper Japan ticket with them on Friday 25th July and Monday 28th July – Friday 1st August (available between 5pm and 9pm at Appold Street only). The restaurant is open Mon-Fri only (not open weekends).
Location: 3 Appold Street, London EC2A 2AF
Nearest tubes: Moorgate, Liverpool Street and Bank
Opening Times:
Mon – Tues 11.30am – 3.00pm & 5.30pm – 9.00pm
Weds – Fri 11.30am – 3.00pm & 5.30pm – 9.30pm
Closed bank holidays


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Galapagos: Pin Button. (Argentinian Hard Rock Metal) Free for orders of £25+
In stock
Free for orders of £25+
Vintage Officially Licensed Pin Button
These badges were made many years ago, but are new and have never been used!
Size – 25mm 1 inch in diameter
SKU: YP-4748 Categories: All Genres, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Other Rare Items, Search by Media Type


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Wheelchair Access
The Oakland Museum of California is accessible to wheelchair users. An accessible ramp is located at the main entrance on Oak Street between 10th and 11th. OMCA offers a limited number of wheelchairs at the Ticketing Desk on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note, OMCA staff is not permitted to lift visitors or push wheelchairs.
Assisted Listening Devices
Assisted listening devices are available for the James Moore Theater and Lecture Hall.
Accessible restrooms are located on all levels. Gender neutral restrooms and a family restroom with an adult size changing table are available on Level 2.
An elevator is available inside the Museum for visitor use near the parking garage entrance on Level 2. The Elevator provides access to Levels 1, 2, and 3. The top-level roof gardens are not accessible by elevator.
OMCA's parking garage is located on Oak Street between 10th and 12th Streets and provides spaces on the upper level for disabled parking as well as a ramp into the Museum. Please note the vertical clearance of the garage is 6 feet 8 inches.
Special tour accommodations may be arranged with advance notice through the Docent office by calling 510-318-8470. The Museum is happy to provide a docent for visually impaired visitors. Please note that Docents and other museum staff are not formally trained to give descriptive sight tours, but rather can provide some interpretation and content information. Please contact the Museum a minimum of three weeks prior to your visit to make tour arrangements.
Tours designed for people with early stage dementia and their care partners are offered for free once a month through the Alzheimers' Association, Northern California. Visit the Tours page for more information on how to register.
If you have other accomodation needs, please contact OMCA at 510-318-8429 at least three weeks in advance of your visit.
Multilingual Resources
OMCA's wall text is multilingual (English, Spanish and Chinese) and reflects the voices of many Californians, providing different perspectives on the meaning of California art, history, and natural sciences.
Service Animals
Service animals are welcome at OMCA. Pets are not permitted.
OMCA's Website
In order to view PDF files found across this website, Adobe Reader 9.1 (or higher) is required. Adobe Reader is available as a free download at: get.adobe.com/reader/. Screen reader users and persons with low vision should use the "Read Out Loud" feature found in the latest releases of Adobe Acrobat Reader.


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We pride ourselves on being one of the finest storage facilities in the Fenland area, with plenty of space for all manner of items, including hard-standing areas for vehicle, caravan and motorhome storage, and brand new vented storage containers for dry, condensation-free space. We have plenty of space for even large property including boats, cars, horse boxes and more.
Our rapidly expanding storage facilities at Coleseed Business Complex are ideal if you're looking for a secure location to store personal or business items, with round the clock, drive-up access, and site wide, remotely-monitored CCTV offering you both convenience and peace of mind.
Our self-storage prices are extremely competitive, with storage containers for rent at the lowest rates in Cambridgeshire – just £100/month for our 20ft shipping containers. We'll have other sizes available soon. Our leases are easy in easy out, making Coleseed ideal for short-term storage as well as for longer periods.
24/7 Access
Safe and secure / Lock box fitted
Brand new & vented storage containers (No condensation)
Drive right up to your storage container
Remotely monitored CCTV
Prices from £60.00 per month
Unlike some cheap storage units, our clean, dry spaces are perfect for self-builders, DIYers and domestic declutterers alike. You can store almost anything (except livestock, flammable items and illegal goods), and our units make fantastic motorcycle storage, too.
Home movers love us, thanks to our easy access for removals lorries, and we're happy to liaise with removals companies and white van drivers to facilitate the smooth passage of your personal possessions to your new home.
Whether you're a tradesman or a market trader, eBayer or exporter, when your business needs room to expand, or to free up space in more expensive commercial premises, Coleseed's storage spaces offer a secure, low-cost solution on a temporary or permanent basis. As well as dry storage for goods, tools and other merchandise, we can safely store market trailers, catering trailers and burger vans during the off-season in our yard space.
We are available between 9am and 8pm Monday to Sunday.
Please feel free to call or email us if you would like any further information or to check availability.
Office - 01354 699 096
Robert - 07519 544 636
Marshall - 07826 242 866


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I don't know, this might be the most random of the random Macgyver posts. Hmmm. Personable cat (named Steve McQueen!) with Macgyver-like qualities? sounds to me like…WIN.
h/t Audey
Posted in Goofy, tagged awesomeness, cats, Fun, Goofy, Macgyver, Random Macgyver Post, video on January 27, 2010| Leave a Comment »
I don't know, this might be the most random of the random Macgyver posts. Hmmm. Personable cat (named Steve McQueen!) with Macgyver-like qualities? sounds to me like…WIN.
h/t Audey
Posted in Catholicism, Christianity, Music, tagged America, Catholic, Charity, Christian music, Christianity, Good works, Haiti, Men and women, Music, prayer, video, youth on January 26, 2010| Leave a Comment »
The talented Cory Heimann at Likable Art let me know about an awesome project to help Haiti that lets you get help to Haiti AND support Catholic musicians – a double win! The project is called (I think) United in Prayer and Cory has done another remarkable video (embedded below). Cory's video is a download–along with a dozen great songs from Catholic musicians–on Sampler Platter II from AfterMass Records. Musicians include Rich Dittus who (as you know) I LOVE. What a great way to try out some artists with whom you may not be familiar. Iguarantee in a non-binding legal agreement that you'll love Rich Dittus and the other musicians too.
So, donate money through your credit card or PayPal, get a full mp3 album of great music and videos, and help Catholic Relief Services on the ground in Haiti. If you are unable to donate at this time, there is a link for becoming united in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
Please support this great cause by clicking here now.
Posted in Catholicism, Christianity, tagged awesomeness, Catholic, Christianity, Faith, God's plan, Magisterium, Men and women, New Evangelization, Priests, sports, Year of the Priest on January 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »
From the Big League Stew blog, an awesome story unfolding:
Well, here's a story you don't see every day.
Grant Desme, a 23-year-old minor league outfielder in Oakland's system, is retiring from baseball to follow a calling into the Catholic priesthood.
The story was first reported by Fox Sports' Jon Paul Morosi — perhaps appropriately with that first name of his — and this isn't a case of a struggling player going through an early-life crisis. Desme was ranked the A's eighth-best prospect by Baseball America after hitting .288 with 31 home runs and 89 RBIs in A ball in 2009 and he was just named MVP of the Arizona Fall League.
Desme might have even been a late-season callup to the big league club in 2010. Our Y! Sports 2010 fantasy guide has him ranked the 40th-best minor-league prospect for near-term fantasy purpose. However, ESPN's Rob Neyer disagrees, saying that he didn't see Desme as a future star by the Bay.
Susan Slusser has more on Desme's decision to leave playing against the Padres and Cardinals so he can start praying with other padres and cardinals at a Catholic seminary in Orange County. He said the news came as bit of a shock to Billy Beane, but that the Oakland GM and entire A's system have been supportive of his decision.
Said Desme on a Friday afternoon conference call:
"I'm doing well in baseball. But I had to get down to the bottom of things, to what was good in my life, what I wanted to do with my life. Baseball is a good thing, but that felt selfish of me when I felt that God was calling me more. It took awhile to trust that and open up to it and aim full steam toward him … I love the game, but I'm going to aspire to higher things."
Desme spoke with Baseball America last year about baseball being only "a game" and we wish him success on his spiritual path. In a selfish age when churches struggle to recruit young male Americans, his sacrifice of possible riches is a very admirable thing.
Posted in Catholicism, Christianity, tagged Catholic, Christianity, Faith, God, Jesus, Media, sad on January 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »
By MICHELLE FAUL and MIKE MELIA, Associated Press Writers Michelle Faul And Mike Melia, Associated Press Writers
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Drumbeats called the faithful to a Sunday Mass praising God amid a scene resembling the Apocalypse — a collapsed cathedral in a city cloaked with the smell of death, where aid is slow to reach survivors and rescue crews battle to pry an ever-smaller number of the living from the ruins.
Sunlight streamed through what little was left of blown-out stained windows as the Rev. Eric Toussaint preached to a small crowd of survivors. A rotting body lay in its main entrance.
"Why give thanks to God? Because we are here," Toussaint said. "We say 'Thank you God.' What happened is the will of God. We are in the hands of God now."
As Catholic and Protestant worshippers across the city met for their first Sunday services since the magnitude-7.0 quake, many Haitians were still waiting for food and water and some took vengeance against looters.
Rescue workers were frustrated by the stuggle to get aid through the small, damaged and clogged airport run by U.S. military controllers, and to get it from the airport into town.
Doctors Without Borders said Sunday that a cargo plane carrying a field hospital was denied permission to land at the airport and had to be rerouted through the Dominican Republic — creating a 24-hour delay in setting up a crucial field hospital.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called the quake "one of the most serious crises in decades."
"The damage, destruction and loss of life are just overwhelming," he said before flying toward Haiti on Sunday.
Nobody knows how many died in Tuesday's quake. Haiti's government alone has already recovered 20,000 bodies — not counting those recovered by independent agencies or relatives themselves, Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive told The Associated Press.
The Pan American Health Organization now says 50,000 to 100,000 people perished in the quake. Bellerive said 100,000 would "seem to be the minimum."
At the roofless cathedral, elderly women worried the beads of their rosaries and prayed for the intervention of Our Lady Of The Ascension, to whom the 81-year-old church is named.
A military helicopter roared overhead, drowning out a hymn by the congregation. Above loomed the partially destroyed office of the archbishop who died nearby and another building whose blown-out walls had laid it open it like a doll's house.
An apparently demented elderly woman began preaching on the sideline of the Mass: "Where is our justice? Now the palace of justice has been broken down … we are all infected by disease. The end is near."
Amid the struggle for food, some turned to looting, infuriating people struggling to guard what little they still have.
Two suspected looters lay on the street in the Delmas neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, both beaten and with their hands bound together. Some in the angry crowd that gathered around them said they had been attacked by angry residents, others that police had caused their wounds.
One lay completely motionless, his dreadlocked hair stained by a deep pool of dark crimson blood. The other lay bleeding profusely but occasionally twitched his leg.
A few hours later, a reporter found both men were dead. However they got that way — whether vigilante justice or police execution — all agreed that they were criminals who had escaped from the destroyed prison.
There were also occasions of joy: An American team pulled a woman alive from a collapsed university building where she had been trapped for 97 hours. Near dawn, another crew rescued three survivors from deep in the pancaked ruins of a supermarket.
And a woman was pulled alive, dehydrated but otherwise uninjured, from the ruins of the Montana Hotel, to the applause of onlookers.
The son of co-owner Nadine Cardoso said he could hear her voice from the rubble. Twelve hours later, with more than 20 friends and relatives watching, she was lowered from a hill of debris on a stretcher.
"It's a little miracle," her husband, Reinhard Riedl, said after hearing she was alive in the wreckage. "She's one tough cookie. She is indestructible."
But the rescue was bittersweet for Cardoso's sister Gerthe: Rescuers had to abandon a search for her 7-year-old grandson after an aftershock closed a space where he was believed to be.
U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said 1,739 rescue workers in 43 teams with 161 dogs and high-tech equipment so far have saved more than 70 people.
The U.N. itself lost at least 40 confirmed dead — including its mission chief Hedi Annabi — with hundreds still missing. "For the United Nations, this is the gravest and greatest single loss in the history of our organization," Ban said.
But the U.N. secretary-general said the agency was already feeding 40,000 and hopes to feed 2 million within a month.
Florence Louis, seven months pregnant with two children, was one of thousands of Haitians who gathered at a gate at the Cite Soleil slum, where U.N. World Food Program workers handed out high-energy biscuits for the first time.
"It is enough because I didn't have anything at all," said Louis, 29, clutching four packets of biscuits.
The Haitian government has established 14 distribution points for food and other supplies, and U.S. Army helicopters scouted locations for more. Aid groups opened five emergency health centers. Vital gear, such as water-purification units, was arriving from abroad.
On a hillside golf course, perhaps 50,000 people were sleeping in a makeshift tent city overlooking the stricken capital and paratroopers of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division flew in to set up a base for handing out water and food.
As relief teams grappled with on-the-ground obstacles, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited and pledged more American assistance. President Barack Obama met with former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton in Washington and urged Americans to donate to Haiti relief efforts.
At the cathedral, the Rev. Toussaint described his own near-miraculous survival.
"I watched the destruction of the cathedral from this window," he said, pointing to a window in what remains of the archdiocese office. "I am not dead because God has a plan for me."
"What happens is a sign from God, saying that we must recognize his power – we need to reinvent ourselves,"
Others, however, were angry.
"It's a catastrophe and it is God who has put this upon us," said Jean-Andre Noel, 39-year-old computer technician "Those who live in Haiti need everything. We need food, we need drink, we need medicine. We need help."
Posted in Catholicism, Christianity, tagged Catholic, Christianity, Men and women, Request for prayers, sad on January 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Please pray for the people of Haiti, tourists, mission workers and others who are affected by the terrible earthquake there. The Archbishop of Port-au-Prince has reportedly died as well. They need our prayers and our support.
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged bonafide, Faith, love, Men and women, Personal, Winnie-the-Pooh on January 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »
It seems, doesn't it, that sometimes in our lives we allow ourselves to treat the people that we love–those most precious to us–rather carelessly, if not downright shabbily. The puzzle, the paradox and the wonder is that those people–our friends, family or spouses–continue to love us despite our inconsideration, and even when we drag them along, bump, bump, bump.
That's unconditional love.
Posted in Catholicism, Christianity, The Church in America, tagged Catholic, Christianity, Christmas, Epiphany, Faith, Fr. Tom, Gifts, homily, International, Jesus, liturgy, Mass, Personal on January 3, 2010| 1 Comment »
Today–when we celebrate Epiphany— is one of my favorite days in the liturgical calendar. It is the day I get to move the magi into the manger scene, and as a kid, I always loved rearranging, gazing on and meditating before the Nativity set we had under the tree.
In today's homily, Fr. Tom told us about a friend of his from Peru who had never heard of Santa Clause until he got here to America. (Santa Claus is a very European tradition.) His family did not celebrate Christmas Day in the way we do here. They gathered, went to mass and had a wonderful feast dinner. But it wasn't until Epiphany that they exchanged gifts. On the morning of Epiphany, the children would rise to find gifts from the magi who had been following the star searching for the Lord. The children would be told that when the magi came to the family's house, the magi found the love of Christ so strong, they were sure that the Christ child was there, so they left gifts for Him….and those of course became what we would think of as Santa gifts.
Fr. Tom gave us homework. He told us to make Epiphany a day of gift-giving "from the heart. A day to give something of our faith to those we love–a Bible, a spiritual book, Rosary, whatever." He said, "Wouldn't that be something?"
Inviting gifts of the season by having a Christ-centered, loving home. An Epiphany gift given from the heart. Wouldn't that be something?


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How to Use the Zacky Installer
In this video hosting tutorial you will learn how to use Zacky App Installer from your hosting control panel with us..
1. First you need to select the Zacky Installer section from the control panel.
2. The installer offers more than 50 scripts you can use to create a nice-looking web site. For this tutorial we will install a WordPress blog.
3. Select WordPress.
4. You can select a theme for your new blog before the installation begins and start blogging right away. Choose your theme and click "Next".
5. You can also install some useful plugins in order to customize your new blog even more. Select the plugins you want to install by clicking on the checkboxes and click "Next" to continue.
6. You can use an existing domain to host your blog or register a new domain or use a subdomain.
7. After you have selected the domain you need to enter your website title.
8. Choose an email address to which the confirmation email will be sent.
9. Enter login details – username and password. Click "Next" to continue
10. Make sure that all details have been entered correctly.
11. Click on the "Install Now!" Button.
12. The installation has been completed and your blog is now ready.


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Get Involved
Support Around the Americas Now!
Around the Americas is a non-profit venture to build awareness throughout the Americas of increasing threats to our fragile ocean environment and to mobilize North and South Americans to take action to improve the health of our oceans. We need the help of interested people like to achieve our goals and there are several ways you can help us.
Most importantly, if you would like to make a donation to Around the Americas, please click on this link and follow the prompts. All contributions will be meaningful and we appreciate greatly your support of our efforts.
If you would like to make a contribution of goods or services, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com and we will work with you to make an impact on the project with your generosity.
If you would personally like to volunteer to help on one of our stopover ports, send us an email at firstname.lastname@example.com
The managing partners for Around the Americas are Pacific Science Center and Sailors for the Sea.
Pacific Science Center has other far-reaching and exciting science education programs. If you would to learn more and support them, go to www.pacsci.org.


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With any mobile device, it's hugely important to make regular backups to prevent you from losing data such as photos, text messages, notes, voice memos, contacts and more should something happen to it. Here, we show you how to back up an iPhone using iTunes or iCloud so you don't find yourself without a way to retrieve that precious data. See also: iPhone 8 rumour round-up
How to back up an iPhone using iTunes
There are two main ways to make a backup of your iPhone. The first is through iTunes. All you need to do is connect your iPhone to the computer that you normally sync with using the USB cable, open up iTunes and then wait for your device to pop up in iTunes. See also: How to transfer your iTunes library to an Android smartphone or tablet.
In the 'Summary' field (which should be the default landing page when you click on your device), click Back Up Now. It might take a while, but when it's finished, you'll have a complete backup of your iPhone on the computer. It is well worth using the 'Encrypt backup' option because this will also save your passwords and other settings which aren't saved otherwise. You'll need to enter a password to encrypt the backup: don't forget this!
Now, if you happen to drop your iPhone down the loo tomorrow, or you lose it on the way home, you'll still have all of the data that was stored on that iPhone stored on your computer. You'll be able to plug in a new iPhone and restore all of that data onto the new device.
Backup your iPhone using iCloud
The second way to back up your iPhone uses Apple's iCloud feature. It will back up your device whenever you're connected to a Wi-Fi network, so there's no chance you'll forget to back up your iPhone, unlike the iTunes backup method. See: How to transfer photos from a computer to iPhone or iPad the easy way.
If you choose to use iCloud as your method of backing up your data, you'll need to go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup and then toggle the iCloud Backup switch on. Your device will now automatically back up your camera roll, contacts, iMessages and settings content when it is charging, locked and connected to Wi-Fi.
You only get 5GB of free storage in iCloud, though, so you may find that you want to pay a the extra to get additional space. These are the current monthly prices:
iCloud automatically backs up the following:
- Photos and videos in your Camera Roll
- Device settings
- App data
- Home screen and app organisation
- iMessage, text (SMS) and MMS messages
- Ringtones
- Visual Voicemail
Apple also stores the most recent 1,000 photos from your Photo Stream if you've turned on that feature. You can do so by going to Settings > iCloud > Photos and then toggle My Photo Stream. These photos don't count against your storage quota.
What isn't backed up with iCloud, though, is music and apps, though if you've purchased them from iTunes or the iOS App Store you'll be able to easily re-download them for free should you need to restore an iPhone from your backup.
If you find that you are running out of iCloud storage space, it's worth checking that you're not backing up anything you don't really need before you pay for more storage. Go to Settings > General > Usage on your iPhone and then scroll down to Manage Storage. This will tell you what's using the most space. Tap on your device, and go to Backup Options. Here, you can turn off backups for individual apps.
Backup an iPhone using Google Drive
Google has updated its Drive app for iOS so it can back up your iPhone data to the cloud in one go. This means you don't have to sync photos and videos to Google Photos, contacts to Contacts and calendar events to Calendar: it will do it all automatically for you.
Obviously this is far from a full backup of your phone, but if your email, calendar and contacts are already online (such as if you use Gmail and Google Calendar for these things) then there is no need to back them up.
Google Drive cannot back up iMessages, nor can it save any of your phone's passwords or settings, which is why an encrypted iTunes backup is the best option for most people. However, if you're switching from iPhone to Android, Google Drive is a very useful option indeed.


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Petpet Spotlight
Submit your petpet to the Petpet
Petpet Name: Fluffkins
Owner: umbreon133
Pet Name: Tappan
Breed: Plushie Babaa
About Fluffkins:
One day, Tappan was taking a stroll along a street in Faerie City to escape the breezy winter weather in Terror Mountain. She had been shopping for what seemed like hours on end, searching for gourmet foods that she still needed for a trophy she'd been working towards for months. Sadly, she hadn't had much luck, as most of the items would sell out seemingly instantly.
Her stomach began to grumble. It's hard to stay full when you are at the brink of starvation working for this trophy. But it's the price one must pay to be a champion! Surely one little snack couldn't hurt though, could it?
She made her way to the restaurant area, and noticed a small chalkboard advertising sign that read-
BEST CUPCAKES IN ALL OF NEOPIA THIS WAY ---no tags here-
With her mouth watering a little, she followed the sign. It led her to three more signs before she found the little shop. It was quaint, with little charming decorations cluttering the shop window, alongside all kinds of pastries, candies and various treats. Of note was a spectacular and sparkling multi-layered cake in the shape of the Hidden Tower. If there was one place that looked like it could boast about having the best cupcakes in Neopia, this could be it.
A bell on the door jingled as she opened it and walked in. The shop looked unattended. Tappan peered around for a service bell and entered the shop further. There were garlands of paper cupcakes strung about, and glass cases displaying the most imaginative cakes and cookies. She found the service bell atop one of the display cases and rang it.
Tappan looked around for the source of that joyous little sound.
Tappan looked around once more, albeit confused, as she still couldn't locate where it came from.
"I'm down here!", she heard a voice squeak. A miniature creature, no bigger than a basketball, skipped up to her. (Mind you, its head probably makes up more than half of its size.) At first she thought it was a ball of cotton candy floating towards her until she noticed it had a face and legs. She soon realized it was the smallest Plushie Babaa she'd ever seen. Nevertheless, its gleaming eyes and rosy cheeks cutely make up for its odd shape.
"Goodness, you're tall aren't ya? Well I guess most pets really seem tall to me anyway, I'm just vertically challenged!" it began to ramble at first, but it eventually came back on track and peeped "So glad you found my shop! Welcome to Fluffporium, what does your heart desire?"
For being so tiny, this little Babaa had a surprisingly large presence. Tappan wasn't sure what it was, but she certainly liked it.
"I'm here for the best cupcake in N--" Tappan exclaimed, but the Babaa jumped into action before she could finish her sentence.
"One BCN, of course! Those are my best sellers, come this way" she chimed, as she bounced onto one of the display cases. Tappan gleefully followed. "So here are all the flavors we have today, which one would you like?"
Tappan's eyes widened in awe. There were cupcakes in almost every color imaginable, all arranged in an aesthetically pleasing pastel rainbow array. "I don't know how I can choose!"
The little Babaa was staring curiously at Tappan. "Here let me help, I think you'll like this one" she offered Tappan a cupcake. It was uniquely shaped with the face of a cute koi and petite strawberry chunks scattered about the pastel pink icing.
Tappan unwrapped the baking cup and popped the cupcake into her mouth. It was simply scrumptious, easily the most delicious cupcake she'd ever had! The Babaa was looking at Tappan, proudly waiting for the great feedback she already knew was coming.
"This. Is. Amazing!" Tappan managed to get out between chews as she finished the cupcake.
The Babaa grinned, "And you'll be happy to know, it's a Strawberry Koi Cupcake" she explained.
Tappan couldn't believe it, a gourmet cupcake! It's like this Babaa knew exactly what I needed, she thought in disbelief. Her face must have given away her excitement, as the Babaa said "Just swing by once an hour and I'll give you a new gourmet cupcake! No need to thank me, hon, just spreading some sweet joy!"
"Wow, this is so kind of you, you can definitely consider me a regular now! I didn't even catch your name." Tappan was flabbergasted that someone would do this for her. It was so hard to come by gourmet foods at the main shops.
"My name is Fluffkins, dear" the Babaa did a twirl as she said her name.
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Our heritage policies
We have specific policies for heritage. They explain how we look after our information, objects and historical materials.
We aim to keep our historical documents and under our management, but still let people get in touch with our heritage, and at museums across the UK through our Connected Earth initiative.
The policies
Each policy is available to download as a PDF below.
Discover how we've publicly committed to protect our heritage and to help as many people as possible to enjoy it.
Explore our approach to public access to our collections.
BT Archives collection management policy
Learn about how we manage, improve and care for our collections.


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One of the most popular styles in makeup is, of course, the smoky style. And this summer's hit is the golden smoke. Here is how to prepare your own golden gaze.
Our advice
Choosing this most popular makeup fashion tendency is not always easy. Besides picking the right tones, you will also have to set apart some extra time for creating the perfect makeup. When choosing this style, you will have to take into consideration the occasion you are preparing for – sports, everyday activities, fancy restaurant, etc. In the following steps we will show you how to put on a smoky makeup for the summer.
When it comes to this summer's smokies, gold is the new black. The tones you pick must blend well with the natural tone of your skin. This is the first step towards a dashing golden look.
Choose foundation in lighter golden tones if your skin is pale and darker gold if your natural complexion is tan.
What is said above for foundation also goes for eye-shadows, but this summer you can enrich the palette with the warmer nuances of brown, yellow and metallic golden tones.
Don't forget that eyeliner has an immense effect on eye makeup and, consequentially, on your whole appearance. For this particular style and color of makeup, use black eyeliner on the lower, as well as the upper lid. To magnify the effect, add a slight dash of black eye-shadow on the lower lid.
Final touches
For the perfect conclusion apply black mascara. For the lips, use natural skin colors, or light peach and beige. Or, better yet, forget lipstick and go for a clear gloss.
Golden smoky makeup for the summer
One of the most popular styles in makeup is, of course, the smoky style. And this summer's hit is the golden smoke. Here is how to prepare your own golden gaze.


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Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber have been parading around their engagement bliss in Brooklyn, New York. The newly engaged couple enjoyed a date night in coordinated sporty outfits. While Justin opted for a pair of joggers and a Thrasher sweatshirt, Hailey took a styling cue from Kylie Jenner.
The supermodel showed off her abs in a white sports bra and leather joggers by Alexander Wang. She finished her look off with an oversize hoodie and white kicks. Keep reading to have a closer look at her sporty date night outfit and buy similar versions if you're feeling particularly inspired ahead.


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Photon Energy N.V. (WSE: PEN, the 'Company'), a global solar power solutions and services provider, today announced financial results for the third fiscal quarter ended 30 September 2018. The Company posted quarterly revenue of EUR 6.173 million, an increase of 25.8% from the year-ago quarter, and record profit before tax of EUR 1.543 million, up 74.8% compared to the prior-year quarter.
Building further on solid first half-year results, Photon Energy delivered an excellent set of financials in the third quarter of 2018. In the reporting period the Company significantly increased revenue and operating profit, made progress with its projects in Hungary and fully placed its EUR 30 million corporate bond.
The Company continues to see substantial growth in this quarter in many areas, including electricity production, development and engineering businesses and water treatment services. With revenue of EUR 6.173 million, up 25.8% against the prior-year period, Photon Energy, thanks to its new activites and a successful shift towards recurring revenue, recorded the seventh consecutive quarter in which the Company has posted an accelerated revenue growth.
"We have clearly momentum building across many areas of our business and we are relentlessly focused on finding every opportunity to better serve our customers and stakeholders. Our strong, predictable cash flows and healthy balance sheet provide us with the financial flexibility necessary to fuel these efforts and to make investments that will continue to drive growth," comments Georg Hotar, CEO of Photon Energy.
Consolidated EBITDA and EBIT increased at a slower pace to EUR 3.282 million (+4.5% YoY) and to EUR 1.371 million (+11.6% YoY) respectively, due to increased human resources and administrative costs. Compared to the first nine months of 2017, revenues increased by 28.6% to EUR 16.640 million, while EBITDA rose by 4.9% to EUR 7.692 million, and EBIT improved by 11.2% to EUR 3.022 million.
Reflecting the increased operating profit, the Company's profit before tax reached an all-time high of EUR 1.543 million in the third quarter compared to EUR 0.883 million posted in the year-ago period (+74.8%). On a year-to-date basis, Photon Energy nearly tripled its profit before tax to EUR 3.752 million compared to EUR 1.339 million in the prior-year period (+180.2%). This substantial growth was driven largely by successful development efforts in the Company's Australian business that resulted in a capital gain of EUR 3.074 million following a transaction signed with Canadian Solar in the first quarter of this year. Accordingly, the Company nearly doubled its net profit to EUR 1.217 million in the third quarter of 2018 against the prior-year quarter (EUR 0.613 million). Year-to-date, the Company's net profit rose to a record EUR 2.949 million compared to EUR 0.695 million in the year-ago period (+324.1%).
Results will be discussed on Friday, 9 November 2018, during a Q&A Chat conference call with Georg Hotar, CEO, hosted jointly with the Polish Retail Investors Association (SII) at 11:00 a.m. The chat will be webcast live in Polish and English on www.sii.org.pl.
Download this press release as a pdf.
Download the quarterly report here (pdf).
All our reports can be found on the Reports page in our Investor Relations section.
Martin Kysly
E email@example.com


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Sunday morning wake up call at 0:dark30. We flew out of Catania to Parma before loading on to a recliner "Pullman" bus for the 90 minute drive to Bergamo.
The northern portion of Italy is the economic hub of the "Boot", partly because of their fashion houses.
I had to go artsy for this shot at Parma's airport, the leopard skin coat caught my eye, but the boots... WOW, like something out of Munchkinland!
The Traditional Autogrill Pre-Game Meal Stop
Andrea Conticello, on the left is our videogapher, while his brother Riccardo, in the middle, is our starting cornerback. Our nose guard Corrado DiMartino is on the right chowing down. He actually made it out of the bathroom in time and did not miss the bus this week. Corrado and Riccardo both played VERY good games for us.
The Gulisanos
Tony, "Call me Pony" #31, started at Falcon for us yesterday and played much better in this game. His oldest son Eduardo is our team statistician. Two GREAT reasons to be an Elephant!
When your cash window is closed, just put up a pizza to go box, simple as that!
The Game
First a little historical perspective on our opponents. The Lions are in their 26th campaign as an organization. During their first 25 seasons they have won three Euro Bowl Championships and 12 Italian National Championships including the 2007 and 2008 titles. They are easily the team with which all aspiring franchises, like the Elephants, must be compared.
The weather again today was a factor as it was raining from the moment we got off the plane in Parma until we got back on the plane for the return flight in Milan 12 hours later. At least this week it was not anywhere near as cold and there was no wind to speak of.
Before the game, we greeted some of the referees as they arrived including Denny Morris from Ohio who is here on another exchange between Mid-American Conference official and their IFL counterparts. Somebody said they thought Denny is from the Big 10 Conference, I am not 100% sure.
With them was one of the very good Italian officials we had several times last season, Gennaro Brancaccio. When he saw me we exchanged a handshake, hug and the traditional Italian double cheek kiss, left cheek first but of course. I have never kissed a referee before or after a game until now.
Our WR Taber LeMarr was introduced to an Italian locker room staple, the toilet that isn't there. Part squat routine, part aerial bombing from a B-17, it left quite an impact on all of us.
One final pre-game note, Saturday night was the change in Italy to daylight savings time. Our starting Falcon did not get the word apparently and missed the flight, so it begins...
Catania takes the opening kickoff and is forced to punt.
Bergamo counters with a 15 yards scramble for a TD by their QB Littlejohn Bradshaw out of Morgan State. Lions lead 7-0.
The Elephants next possesion ends when a pass is deflected and is intercepted by the Lions.
Bergamo is stymied by the Elephant defense and is forced to punt after going "Three and Out".
Catania stalls out again and punts.
The Lion's Bradshaw connects on a 20 yards pass for a TD, Lions up 14-0.
Catania is forced to punt again.
The Elephants' LB Salvo Sicali recovers a Bergamo fumble.
After one period, the Lions lead 14-0.
The Elephants' QB Luke Tracy hits Claudio Mangano, who had a great game, on a 10 yards TD pass. The extra point is blocked but a great effort by holder Taber LeMarr buys time for Tony "Call me Pony" Gulisano to run down the potential two point return by the Lions at their 10 yard line. Bergamo leads 14-6.
Bergamo goes "Three and Out" and has to punt.
Catania's Iron Man, Larry Atkinson, returns the Lions' punt about 65 yards for a TD! Tracy hooks up with LeMarr for the two point play, the game is tied at 14-14.
The Lions answer back with Bradshaw sneaking the ball in from the one yard line. Bergamo regains the lead 21-14.
On the last play of the first half, Taber LeMarr makes a leaping catch of a Luke Tracy pass for a TD. Andrea Maninno drills the PAT.
The game is tied at halftime 21-21.
The Elephants use a squib kick to start the second half and it accidently hits the a man in Bergamo's front line. Salvo Sicali recovers his second fumble of the day.
The Lions defense responded to the challenge and Catania punts.
Lion QB Bradshaw breaks another big play this time from about 40 yards out for a TD, Bergamo now leads 28-21.
The Elephant's drive that started in the third quarter ends when the Lions stop the Catania drive deep in their territory on downs.
Bergamo's offense is again forced to punt.
Bergamo QB Littlejohn Bradshaw is now also playing Free Safety and picks off a pass that he returns 90 yards for a TD, Lions up 35-21.
The Elephants are intercepted again.
Bergamo is forced to punt or the fourth time in the game.
Catania's offense only has time for a couple of desparation plays as the clock expires.
FINAL SCORE: Bergamo 35 - Catania 21
Give credit to two athletes who played with great intensity in this game:
The Elephants' two-way star, Larry Atkinson who led the team in tackles, as well as for his punt return for a TD and several key offensive plays.
The Lions' Littlejohn Bradshaw accounted for all of the Bergamo touchdowns as he ran for three TDs, threw a TD pass and scored a TD on his interception return.
Up next for Catania is the home opener against the Bologna Warriors on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at the the Catania University Sports Complx (C.U.S.).
The Pecoraro Boys
Gabrielle on the left is a missionary in Madagascar, their dad and our outstanding OLB Gianmarco after the game.
Reunion Time
Jason Johnson and his bride Christie along with Matt Epperson made the trip down to Bergamo with their Swarco Raiders teammate Alex Hoad. The drive from Innsbruck, Austria took about three hours and it was GREAT to see them.
During our BYE week next week we are planning on traveling through Munich and the Bavarian section of Germany before swinging down to Innsbruck to see them again. It should be fun
Laurie Says: When arriving more than two hours before the game, which is appropriate for warm-ups, etc., I found myself in the rain under an awning with the Lion's head coach and a few players, as well as Katherine Bakos, the girlfriend of a new Lions DB #32 Eduardo Baptista. Katherine and I (as the only women) struck up a conversation (imagine that!). We got out of the rain in a small cafe attached to the stadium, where we passed the next hour and one-half. Katherine, a delightful person, is from Brazil and has been in Italy for five months. We had a wonderful time discussing our travels and football, which she is learning. We then moved to the covered (thank goodness) stadium, where we set up camp. Not long after the game began Christie, Jason, Matt and Alex, as George described above, joined us. After introductions, the conversation quickly changed to Brazil, as Jason had recently returned from Brazil, as you may know. Another international co-inky-dink.
All in all a long day, with good football and good friends -- old and new.


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The food availability dimension of food security encompasses issues of global and regional food supply, and asks the basic question: can we physically produce enough food to feed our population? There is a vast literature on past trends and future trajectories in the world's ability to feed itself which cannot be adequately summarized in the current chapter (Conway and Serageldin 1997; Dyson 1999), Nevertheless, any discussion of the effect of climate change on the global food supply must take into account current realities and trends in global and regional supplies of food. We therefore highlight three particularly important characteristics of the global food supply.
The first is that on an average per capita basis, the world today produces more than enough food to meet caloric requirements, and that this success has been based mostly on yield gains over the last half century. Perhaps first popularized by Thomas Malthus in the early 1800s, the question of whether the world can produce enough food to feed a growing population has been a perennial concern. Thus far, technology has mostly precluded Malthusian doomsday predictions of population-driven food shortages. Through the first half of the last century, the need for increased food production was met by expansion of cropped area. But beginning in about the 1950s, when population and income growth were adding increasing pressure to global food markets, large-scale sustained investment in crop productivity greatly increased yields of crops throughout the developing world. This so-called Green Revolution allows the world today to produce 170% more cereals on just 8% more cropped area than 50 years ago (Panel (a), Fig. 2.3) - certainly an incredible achievement. Furthermore, on a global level this productivity growth has more than kept pace with the large observed increases in population, and global per capita cereal production currently stands at almost exactly 1 kg/person/day - or more than enough, on average, to feed everyone on the planet.
These global averages, however, hide large regional discrepancies, and the second important characteristic of the global food supply is that there are stark regional differences in the magnitude and source of agricultural productivity growth - differences that provide important insights into the challenge a changing climate might pose. Panels (a-c) in Fig. 2.3 show area, yield, and per-capita production trends by region
over the last half-century. While most regions in the developed and developing world enjoyed somewhere between a doubling and tripling of yield since 1960, allowing them to increase their per-capita production of cereals with only minimal expansion in cropped area, Africa stands out as the continent on which progress has been most difficult. African cereal yields have grown at less the half the Asian rate, and despite an 80% increase in the amount of cropped area on the continent, total cereal production has not kept pace with population growth. As a result, the African continent is the only region where per capita production of cereals has declined over the last half century.
The potential for reversing this decline and for further boosting productivity elsewhere in world is at once promising and troubling. The promise for Africa and other low productivity regions lies in the large gulf between observed yields and potential yields - the so-called "yield gap" - much of which is explained by low adoption of modern agricultural technology and inputs. In theory, developing appropriate agricultural technology for these regions and providing the proper incentives to use it could rapidly close these substantial yield gaps and quickly raise productivity. But elsewhere in the world, particularly in the high-input systems in much of North America, Europe, and parts of Asia, yield gaps are much smaller, and achieving the sustained increases in yield observed over the past 4 decades will likely be very difficult without further increases in yield potential ceilings (Cassman 1999).
Furthermore, expanding cropped area, which is the alternative to increasing yield, is either difficult or unappealing throughout much of the world, either because of urban encroachment on agricultural land or because of the environmental costs of bringing new land into production. The FAO, which periodically assesses trends in crop demand and supply, envisages a significant expansion of cropland area in Africa and Latin America but little growth elsewhere, mainly because so little land in Asia remains uncultivated (Bruinsma 2003). Overall, most global assessments project that (1) crop demand will grow considerably over the next few decades, given the additive pressures of population growth (estimated to peak at 9.1 billion mid-century), higher incomes resulting in shifting food preferences, and potential development of large-scale biofuel production and the additional crop demand it represents; (2) the rate of demand growth, however, will be slower than observed in the past few decades, as population begins to stabilize; (3) and based on existing land, water, and fertilizer resources, crop production should be able to keep pace with the decelerating demand growth, but only with a formidable and sustained investment in yield improving technologies, cropland expansion, and input use.
The third important feature of the global supply situation is that food is now a truly global commodity, and the movement of food across borders plays an increasingly important role in meeting regional food demand. As Fig. 2.4 shows, about 10% of world cereal production is traded internationally, with some regions (Oceania, North America) exporting substantial amounts of what they produce, and other regions (notably Africa) importing up to a third of what they consume. Such food trade can either buffer or exacerbate the effects of a local food supply shock. A country experiencing drought, for instance, might make up for production shortfalls through imports, but cereal
importing nations would pay higher food prices on the world market when large exporting countries suffer similar shortfalls. In the event that such shocks happen simultaneously, poor importing nations would need to import when prices are very high, greatly increasing their difficulties in bolstering local food supplies.
So how might climate change affect global and regional food supply? As the rest of this book will show, climate change will have potentially large effects on both agricultural yields and potential cropped area, with global trade acting as a potential buffer when countries trade and when climate shocks are not uniform across space. But agricultural production and food availability are just one part of the food security story, and we now turn to the less frequently discussed potential effects of climate change on access and utilization.
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It hurts when I pee. Will this go away on its own?
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Pension and Employee Benefit Law
Gilbert & Sackman has represented employee benefit plans since shortly after it was founded in 1945. Over the years, the firm has established a national reputation for innovative plan design. For example, beginning in the 1980s, Gilbert & Sackman established the first multiemployer 401(k) plans to win IRS approval. Gilbert & Sackman has also obtained IRS approval to convert many collectively-bargained 401(k) plans into a new breed of 401(a) plans which permit employees to periodically elect the amount their employer contributes to their individual accounts. The advantage? Lower payroll costs for the employer with greater flexibility for the employee.
Over the years, the firm has established a national reputation for innovative plan design.
More than 20 years ago, Gilbert & Sackman established "non-covered" service rules that penalized employees for working in non-union employment and thereby competing with contributing employers, by denying or delaying a variety of pension and health benefits. The rules have survived challenges before the IRS, the DOL, the NLRB and the federal courts. See Atkinson v. Sheet Metal Workers' Trust Funds, 833 F.2d 864 (9th Cir. 1987).
Recently, Gilbert & Sackman pioneered the addition of vacation and savings accounts to 401(k) and other defined contribution plans. The vacation and savings accounts are funded by mandatory, post-tax, employee contributions. The advantage? Administrative costs that are much lower than free-standing vacation and savings plans.
Gilbert & Sackman was successful in persuading the California Supreme Court to reverse more than a decade of state court decisions
Gilbert & Sackman also pioneered the use of multiemployer Section 125(g) "cafeteria" plans, allowing union members to select from a menu providing a wide range of health, child care, disability, life insurance, and other benefits. The firm also created multiemployer plans providing retirees with periodic tax-free reimbursements of medical insurance and Medicare Part B premiums.
The firm is also nationally-renowned for its innovative collection litigation practice. Recently, for example, Gilbert & Sackman was successful in persuading the California Supreme Court to reverse more than a decade of state court decisions holding that ERISA preempts trust funds' use of California mechanic's lien laws to collect delinquent employer contributions. Betancourt v. Storke Housing Investors, 31 Cal.4th 1157, 8 Cal.Rptr. 3d 259 (2003).


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Situated in eastern Rajasthan, about 176 kms away from Delhi, and 50 km west of Agra, is the Keoladeo Ghana or Bharatpur National Park, one of the most spectacular bird sanctuaries in India, nesting indigenous water.
The Corbett National Park is located in the terai region of the state of Uttar Pradesh, straddling the undulating Shivalik foothills of the Himalayas.
Sariska, in Rajasthan, the erstwhile royal preserve of the rulers of Alwar, became a sanctuary in the year 1958. The sanctuary came under the Project Tiger in 1979 and became a national park in 1982.
The Gir National Park, was established on 18th September, 1965, as a Forest Reserve, primarily to conserve the Asiatic lion.
The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary at Thekkady in Kerala, is one of the 16 Project Tiger Reserves in India. About a century ago, a British engineer, Col. J.
© 2020 North India Tour Package. All rights reserved.


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No one of Tingatinga painters believed us that we will visit their ancestrial village Nakapanya in the Tunduru district in south Tanzania, near Mosambican border. Almost 1000 Km of which one third on rough roads. On a cheap chinese motorcycle all painted by their tingatinga paintings.
The first day we covered only 70 km south of Dar es Salaam to a small village of Mvuleni. It was very late at night but we knew a sculptor Thobias Lichanda was living ca 3 km down in the bush. The only problem was that Lichanda had no phone so we couldn´t comunicate with him before.We were greeted by pangas (local machetes) on the road in the bush. It was Lichanda with his two friends who were scared...But at last we got a good sleep in his special house
The next day I got a lesson in driving in sand. I thought it was our last day. We fell twice with motorcycle lying on our legs. Desderia got pain in foot. It was hot, the sand burning.
Driving in sand is fuel demanding. So we had to add more in the next village. Some of good smelling petrol was spilled on S.Omari´s leopard.
One of the photos depicting both Desderia and me. It was dificult to take interesting photos while using both hand to drive our Tingatinga horse. But whereever we came we draw big attention. Mzungu (white man) on tingatinga painted motorcycle. And Desderia with a fish helmet.
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Our trip to Nakapanya took 5 days. We arrived well at 4 PM on 29th December 2008. Soon we embarked on new adventure with Tingatinga painter Ajaba...which will be uncovered in coming articles.
Author: Daniel Augusta


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Compare at $285.00 USD
Named after the spanish word for "flat", plano features an oversized 36mm pane of glass made from hardened mineral, covering almost the entire front of the watch.
This lends it both an air of fragility and elegance all at once.our slimmest watch to date, plano stands a mere 6.7mm tall, but still manages to outperform it's thicker counterparts. The swiss 715 movement by ronda offers up a staggering 42 months of runtime with 3 hand readout and date indication.
Waterproofing has been improved and now withstands up to 5atm, so don't be afraid to leap into the pool with your clothes on next time, plano will function flawlessly even fully submerged. The dial offers precise and crisp readout via its 3 hands, and also gives you the possibility of reading the time straight from the hour hands inner index track.
Intersecting concentric circles, a trademark of squarestreet, emanate from the dial centre as well as the date hole adding an extra dimension of detail and the classic beauty.
* No Exchange, No Refund
Please note: Delivery takes 7-10 working days
All squarestreet watches are protected by our no-fuss 2 year replacement warranty. Should you suffer any mechanical or structural failure then we will simply replace your timepiece rather than make you wait while we repair it.
This is our way of saying "We stand behind what we make and expect the best from the instruments we develop and build".
The warranty covers all parts of the watch except for the strap and battery. Under special circumstances where it is evident that the strap or battery has prematurely expired exceptions will be made.
Return shipping cost will be reimbursed up to a maximum of USD 25 when sending back any defective items to squarestreet Ltd. For return address please go to the About Us page and send to the address listed there.
Shop with confidence. We've got you covered.
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Super smooth and good looking watch. No complaints and would love to try new models
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Here's a picture of the crew (including Jessica's friend, Michael)at the zoo.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Let's go to the Zoo
Here's a picture of the crew (including Jessica's friend, Michael)at the zoo.
Posted by Pampered Princess at 8:22 PM 4 comments
My Countdown
Posted by Pampered Princess at 8:16 PM 2 comments
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
I'm all done. I finished my 100 mile goal! (It took me one more day then planned, but who cares?!) Today I ran/walked 3 miles in 37:10 minutes. I'm currently walking 1 minute then running for 4 minutes. Rinse and Repeat. Well, just repeat... 6 times for 30 minutes. Today it took and extra rep. Can't wait to drop some pounds and be ready for the 10K!!!!
Posted by Pampered Princess at 2:02 PM 11 comments
Jared is next to me on the bed driving a Little Tikes red van filled with an unusual assortment of passengers: 2 Littlest Pet Shop birds and their flowered wagon, 2 Fisher Price bunnies, a "tender car" from Thomas the Tank Engine series, and a little Fisher Price girl wearing a pink dress (she's driving!). He keeps rolling the van back and forth saying "vroom, vroom." Unfortunately, the bunnies keep falling out and he says "uh-oh". He says it several times until I look at him, then he puts them back. He's so cute.
Posted by Pampered Princess at 11:21 AM 1 comments


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I just realized that I needed to do a quick catch-up post for those of you who are wondering what we've been up to since my last "update" style post. =) Soooo..... other than the specific posts I've made recently, what have we been up to? hmm...
- Working- Dale at the cemetery & me working online.
- Finishing up Aidan's first year of home-schooling (we have 5 weeks left until we take summer break. Yay!!! During summer break we're just going to do a simple reading program & Bible study program.)
- Aidan's 5th birthday and zoo trip (blog posts coming soon!)
- After feeling called to ministry for a while & strongly fighting it due to social anxiety and fear of public speaking- I finally said "Ok Lord, if that's what you want! But you're really going to have to help me out here!" I am now taking ministry classes online at night after the boys (Dale and Aidan) go to bed. I'm usually up from 10pm-ish until 2-3am ish 4-5 nights/week for school now. So I'm not getting a whole lot of sleep, but it's worth it. ;) So far I have a 4.0 GPA, and I'm hoping to keep it. =)
- My step-brother, Justin, graduated from his Drug Court Program. We're so proud of you Justin, we knew you could do it! Now keep it up!!!!
- We added yet another member to our family- we've adopted another male boxer, Rosco.
- Getting rain every.single.day since Aidan's birthday- trying to squeeze some trampoline time in (he got a trampoline for his birthday) whenever possible.
- And the basic everyday things...
If you're unable to view the slideshow above, try going here instead.
P.S. Please take a moment to comment on this post and SHARE it! To share, just click on the red "share" button below or look for the gray facebook/email/pinterest/twitter/etc icons below (depending on what type of device you're on.) Thank you so very much for your support!!! =)


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Discover New Zealand's future-focused city in the heart of the beautiful South Island.
Through our extensive network of business partners and local knowledge we can help ensure your event is a success.
Christchurch and Canterbury have plenty to offer those planning business events, including several brand new hotels and unique venues. Come and see for yourself the creativity and vibrancy of our wonderful small city, which Lonely Planet has singled out as one of the top 10 places in the world to visit.
These resources will give you some ideas and help ensure you have the appropriate tools when planning your next conference or event in Canterbury.
The ChristchurchNZ Convention Bureau works with the Christchurch City Council to provide a range of collateral material for business events held in the region.
We can help ensure your delegates have all they need to get the most out of their stay in Christchurch and Canterbury.
Please contact us for more information or to order any of our products. All items are subject to availability and a restriction on numbers and/or additional freight costs may apply to some items.
There are many amazing experiences to be had in Christchurch and Canterbury and no matter the length of your stay, the region will be sure to please. Take a look at the sample itineraries below exploring some of the amazing attractions and activities the region has to offer. These highlight just a small snapshot of what is on offer, contact us for further ideas.
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A cosy scene with a modern retro interior, dining and bar functions merge seamlessly at Uncle Chilli's. Distinctive facets include a dedicated cigar lounge, private dining areas and the main bar and dance floor, where you catch all the red-hot action. Watch skillful mixologists let their creative juices flow non-stop alongside party goers displaying their nifty moves in sync with chart-topping renditions by the hottest live band and DJ in the city.
The menu offers Western specialties, all time favourite comfort food and light bites. The extensive drink list boasts the widest range of bourbons and whiskies. Or go for the beers, cognacs, signature and classic cocktails.
No complaints here either. Loved the ice cream.
I have never really thought of Uncle Chilli's as a food place. The pricing is SURPRISINGLY reasonable for a hotel, with the burgers hovering around the RM20 range, and I think most mains are in the RM30 range. It's good to know though, that you can probably have a reasonably priced steak here.


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What I learned from UNRWA November 20, 2010Posted by Afflatus in Economics, Politics.
Tags: Gaza, Israel, UNRWA
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On Tuesday, I got the chance to see John Ging speak. He is the Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which operates the UN's humanitarian mission in Gaza. His 2010 budget is $450 million and he has a staff of 10,000. Here is a summary of what he said:
After the flotilla incident, Israel changed its Gaza blockade from a list of approved items to a list of prohibited items making almost all general consumer goods available for purchase in shops. The people of Gaza were already able to get these goods, but they acquired them on the black market after they had been smuggled through the tunnels on Gaza's Egyptian border. Anything that goes through these tunnels is taxed by Hamas agents, and the criminal traffickers are able to extract a higher price than market value in return for their services. As a result, Mr. Ging said this policy shift was extremely wise because it prevents Hamas and these traffickers from profiting off this illegal commercial activity, while it improves the access and reliability of these goods for regular Palestinians living within Gaza. It also enriches the legitimate business enterprises operating in Gaza to provide these goods. Ging said since this policy shift there has been an 80% reduction in commercial activity through tunnels.
Still, Ging reported that 80% of Gaza's population is dependent on food aid, and they cue for rationing daily. This food comes from the UN. 95% of the water in Gaza is undrinkable, but construction of new water facilities is prevented under the construction limitations imposed under the blockade. 84,000 m3 of raw partially treated sewage gets dumped into the Mediterranean Sea every day!
Currently Gaza's schools operate a double shift daily (one set of students attends 8am-2pm, then another attends from 3pm-9pm) Still, however, its schools are jam-packed and unable to accommodate everyone who wants to enroll. One reason there aren't more schools are the construction limitations under the blockade. UNWRA builds schools, but its pace cannot keep up with the demand for school facilities.
Ging understands the legitimate security concerns Israel has in relation to Gaza. He advocated for a legal and secure route for cement and building materials to enter Gaza. For example, he mentioned an idea that is often floated whereby a secure sea-lane would be established between Ashdod port and Gaza port. Israeli customs agents could thoroughly inspect the goods, and IDF ships could escort the commercial boats from Ashdod to Gaza after their inspection.
Ging also mentioned the Summer Games Program, which is a 10 week summer program meant to fill the void of boredom and frustration that many students in Gaza feel during their two and half month break from school. The kids participate in camp-like games and activities, and apparently the beach program is especially popular. This past year 250,000 participated. In comparison, Ging estimates that about 14,000 students spent their summer months in militant training camps. Not too long ago, said Ging, around 100,000 kids used to attend Hamas' militant training programs, and he was proud this number has been reduced so substantially. Still, it is 14,000 too high. Mr. Ging was frustrated that the Summer Games Program could not expand further because of a lack of resources. They have to turn kids away from the program every year.
Ging ended on a high note, saying that all hope is not lost in Gaza. Over half of the population is under the age of 18, and not necessarily prone to follow the violence advocated by Hamas.
One thing that became clear to me during the talk was that Israel needs to facilitate more humanitarian assistance to Gaza if it wishes to defeat Hamas. Hamas has historically attracted followers not through its militancy towards Israel, but through its charitable provision of social services to Palestinians. Israel can best undermine Hamas by providing large amounts of humanitarian assistance combined with an information campaign explaining how Hamas is harming the interests of everyday Palestinians. Israel's blockade of Gaza serves a short-term security interest for the state of Israel. But while the construction ban might prevent attacks in the short-term, it also prevents economic development from occurring which exacerbates Israel's long-term security problem. The blockade one of the main inhibitors to true social and economic development which is the only way for Israel to ultimately defeat Hamas, and normalize relations with its neighbors.


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Nothing too profound about that statement, but when applied to the products we use every day, it makes sense to ask, why hasn't it changed?
That's exactly what we did with the surfboard leash.
Here's a product that's essentially remained unchanged for the past 2 decades. Sure, it works in its current form, but at FCS we believed it could be better.
The cord used in the new FCS Freedom Leash is something new entirely, both visually and by the way its constructed. The over-braided design features a high tensile nylon yarn braided over an internal PU cord and creates a thinner, lighter, and ultimately stronger leash.
Every other component has been designed to complement the cord and enhance the user experience. We've implemented new manufacturing techniques, and streamlined all the working parts to make them more hydrodynamic. In doing so we've reduced the overall weight and the number of potential break points experienced with traditional leashes.
Being a high performance product, we've used a range of production techniques from precision laser cutting to more traditional hand finishing processes to ensure a high level of quality throughout.
Once the leash was designed, we then had to create new machines to not only construct each part, but to test for durability & strength.
Through these controlled tests, we could then accurately measure and understand how the leash would perform in extreme conditions.
The FCS Freedom Leash is not only lighter and stronger, but also reduces the amount of tangling and drag, ultimately giving the surfer more freedom to perform at their best.


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Choosing the right school for your child is an important decision. We want to help you ensure that you find the "right fit". Before applying, please feel free to contact us to obtain further information, learn about upcoming events, book a tour of the school, or to schedule a meeting.
2020/2021 Enrollment Now Open
We are currently accepting applications for new enrolments for the 2020/2021 academic year. Some grade levels are projected to be at or near capacity. We encourage prospective families to initiate the application process as soon as possible. This will ensure adequate time for us to answer your questions, review the application forms and arrange for a student visit prior to the end of May 2020.
2020/2021 Admissions Process
1. Initial Contact
Please feel free to contact us with your initial questions and to obtain information about our programs.
We encourage prospective parents and students to attend one of our upcoming Admissions Events (follow link for full details). Please register for events by emailing email@example.com or calling 902-454-6100, extension 1. These events are great opportunities to view our classroom environment, learn more about our school, meet with faculty and chat with existing parents and/or students.
If you are unable to attend one of these Admission Events we invite you to contact us to make making individual arrangements that best suit the needs of you and your family.
- If you are interested in our Pre-Primary program, please contact Ms. Leah Noonan, Head Teacher of our Pre-Primary program, to schedule a tour at email@example.com.
- If you are interested in Primary through to Grade 12 please contact Ms. Margot Louise, our Head of Admissions, to arrange a private tour and/or student visit at email@example.com.
2. Initiate Application Process
Once you have decided that Shambhala School is a good fit for your family, download the applicable application and recommendation forms at the bottom of this page.
3. Application
Complete and submit the Application Form and supporting documents to our Head of Admissions, Margot Louise at firstname.lastname@example.com. Application forms for Grade 1 through to Grade 12 enrollment should be accompanied by a Student Recommendation Form and Report Cards for the current year and one previous year.
4. Application Fee
After our initial review of each application, we will ask you to submit the $100 non-refundable application fee and the completed Teacher Recommendation Form.
5. Classroom Visit
Your child will be invited to visit the classroom or meet the teacher(s) for an informal assessment. Students in Grades 1 -12 usually join the class for the full day. Pre-Primary and Primary classroom visits are shorter. Alternate arrangements can be made for families applying from outside of Nova Scotia.
6. Notification of Acceptance
Within two weeks of the classroom visit, we will notify you of the classroom teacher's recommendation for acceptance.
7. Deposit
Pre-Primary – A non-refundable deposit of 1/12 of the Pre-Primary tuition
Grades Primary to Grade 12 – A non-refundable deposit of $500 (applied towards the commencement fee upon registration).
These non-refundable deposits are required within two weeks of acceptance to hold the child's place in class. This amount is forfeited if the child does not enroll.
8. Registration
Registration arrangements and financial contracts are due in June of 2020 for the 2020/2019 academic year. Registration arrangements for students accepted after June 2020 must be completed within two weeks of acceptance.
9. Before and After School Program
If you are registering a student in Pre-Primary – Grade 5 and are interested in our Before or After School Program, please refer to the separate fee schedule. Deadline for enrollment in our Before and After School Program is August 1, 2020, however we welcome early enrollment.
Application and Recommendation Forms
***To be updated for 2020/2021 academic year by the end of January 2020***
Click here for Pre-Primary forms.
Primary Application Form 2019-20
Primary Student Recommendation Form
Grade 1 – 12 Application Form 2019-20
Grade 1- 12 Student Recommendation Form
Click here for details of the admission process and admission forms applicable to International Students.


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Kazagromarketing - operator for financial rehabilitation of agribusiness entities
From August 2013 Kazagromarketing is the operator for financial rehabilitation of agribusiness entities. The main functions of Kazagromarketing as an operator are:
- Acceptance of documents from financial institutions;
- Convening and conduct of meetings of the Commission on financial rehabilitation;
- Contracts subsidy;
- Accepting applications of financial institutions for the transfer of subsidies;
- Monitoring reports provided by financial institutions;
- Monitoring compliance with the terms of the Rules of borrowers.
What is the essence of financial recovery of agribusiness entities?
Essence of the measures is reduction of credit loans of agribusiness entities that they made for their business development or acquisition of special machines and equipment, 7% in tenge and by 5% in foreign currency. As part of the financial recovery also it prolongs up to 9 years loan repayment period and deducted interest and penalties.
In the financial recovery of entities may participate agribusiness, received loans of up to 1 January 2014.
In order to make use of this measure of government support, you must apply to the financial institution, which received a loan. Financial institutions are the second-tier banks, credit organizations licensed to conduct banking activities, as well as credit unions in the agricultural sector.