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Festool VS 600 Dovetail Jig archive
Wednesday 29 May 2013
Rob Stoakley uses the Festool VS 600 dovetail jig to make a selection of plywood boxes
When I equipped my first workshop some years ago, funds were a little restricted and there was a necessity to make a limited amount stretch as far as it would go. To that end, one of my purchases was a small, blue, Bosch router with a 1/4in collet and very good it was too, serving me well for many years. With subsequent retirement came some rather nice, additional extra funds and a further chance to re-equip the current workshop with bigger capacity, more robust machinery, one of which was a replacement for my ageing blue Bosch router.
Leafing through the current online tool catalogues and after much pondering and sleepless nights - with continual comparison of specifications whirring round in my head - the choice of router eventually, by quite a large margin fell to the lime green and black tool from Germany - the Festool OF1400. This proved to be a revelation and a huge 'step up', a little like moving from a clapped out, smoky BMC Mini to a fat-wheeled, low slung, top-of-the-range Porsche.
So it was with a sense of imminent anticipation that I accepted an invitation from the editor to 'test drive' the Festool VS 600 dovetail jig, which was delivered shortly afterwards, together with a selection of finger templates and cutters for various jointing applications. The templates included one for dovetailing and two for making 6mm and slightly larger 10mm box joints, together with their respective cutters.
What it isIn common with many similar dovetailing jigs where a router is used, both parts of a dovetail joint are cut simultaneously, cramping one section vertically and the other horizontally. Box joints are cut with both pieces cramped firmly against the front pressure bar. The router is then set to the correct depth of cut and passed between the 'fingers' on the template to cut both parts of the joint at the same time.
Rather than make a series of test joints, I thought it would be useful to make a couple of boxes to fit under a unit in the workshop, one to hold my Wolf Sapphire power drill - possibly the best ever British made drill - and a second box to hold the various attachments for my Festool Domino. I intended to use the FZ10 template to make the parallel finger joints for the boxes. That's the theory and it works well enough, although in practice using the VS 600 proved an entirely different kettle of worms!
Preparing the routerEach of the templates supplied is provided with a specific Copy Ring, which is designed to fit between the protruding fingers of the template.
The Copy Ring is simply screwed into the base of the router and a conical mandrel fitted into the collet, which is there solely to make it dead central – a nice touch and one which ought to work very well. However, it became immediately apparent that the Copy Rings supplied with the templates were not intended to fit the OF1400 router as they were too small and the obvious conclusion is that the VS 600 jig is intended to be used with the much smaller OF1010 router. My suspicion is that any prospective buyer of a Festool router would opt for the more desirable OF1400 - as I did - with its powerful motor, bigger capacities and comfortable size.
At the time of my purchase of the OF1400, it wasn't supplied with an 8mm collet and as all the cutters for the jig were 8mm I was at somewhat of a loss in proceeding with the test. It was only the very timely and rapid intervention of Axminster Tool Centre -who sent me the requisite parts - that enabled me to continue the evaluation.
The new Copy Ring supplied for the FZ10 template was a slightly different pattern in that it clipped into place on the base of the router, rather than being screwed in position, meaning that the centring feature of the mandrel could no longer be used.
Preparing the jigThe jig is secured to the work surface with either a couple of screws or is clamped in place with some small 'G' cramps. A separate handle is supplied in the box which locks the main swivel segments of the jig in place and this must be fitted before use, though Festool, in their wisdom, fail to provide a suitable, thin walled, box spanner to tighten the Nyloc nut. I did manage it, but it took a long time. The correct tool would have made the task infinitely easier!
The template is fitted next by opening both clamping levers - one at each end - sliding it into position and then tightening in place with a couple of rotary knobs. The multi-function stops are then positioned at each end and turned to the appropriate setting, in this case FZ10, aligning the stops so that the arrows lie against the inner straight side of the notches in the template. The template is then raised and a splinter board - softwood or similar - inserted underneath and screwed into place. Once the splinter guard is secure and in the correct position, the template is pushed down and the clamping levers closed by lifting towards the vertical.
The jig is now ready for the insertion of the timber to be cut, but at this point something alarming happened because the whole template moved around 1mm to the right as the clamping levers were raised! As the stops effectively position the timber relative to the template they were now in the incorrect place and had to be repositioned again by eye after the template was cramped.
Positioning the timberWith everything now set up correctly, the timber to be cut can be positioned against the front pressure bar and stop so that both parts of the joint can be cut. In order to maintain a constant pressure, a similar thickness of material needs to be cramped at the other end, but if the thickness isn't great enough, the pressure bar engages on the right-hand side stop before the timber.
Prior to cutting the joints for my two boxes, I thought it prudent to have a 'trial run' with some very old and tatty bits of MDF and managed to produce a reasonable set of joints, after which I felt confident to proceed with the actual job.
The jig in useUsing the jig is fairly straightforward once every thing has been set up. To use, slide the router between each of the fingers to make the cut, having firstly set the correct depth of cut.
In using the OF1400 though, another slight, though irritating problem nonetheless was encountered as the router hit the fixing screws for the splinter board. The holes aren't countersunk, so the screw head sits proud of the template, with the consequent fouling. The only solution is to remove the screws and re-position them in another of the four available holes in the template. Although I was unable to verify it, it's probable that the smaller OF1010 router wouldn't come into contact with the screw heads.
Although in theory it would seem possible to cut two pairs of box joints at once - using the cramped timber at each end of the front pressure bar - in practice, very close examination of the instructions on page 24 of the leaflet reveals that this is not possible. Both parts of a corner box joint must be cut individually and the timber then positioned again against the appropriate stops.
The boxes were successfully made though not without some distinct problems in adjusting the jig. The intention was, in addition, to use the other cutters supplied with the VS600 to cut a set of dovetails on another box or drawer, but the mis-matching of the OF1400 and Copy Rings meant that I was unable to take the test to its ultimate conclusion.
I have little doubt that using the smaller OF1010 router would negate many of the problems I encountered with the jig with the exception of the ones I found. These sorts of jigs come into their own when a lot of dovetails - or box joints - need to be banged out quickly and accurately, but for the bespoke furniture maker producing an individual piece, traditional hand cut dovetails are always going to be preferable.


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Flowermate V5.0s
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The Flowermate V5.0s is designed for safe and conveniet use at a reasonable price. It is built from high quality components to provide best vapor quality. The herb chamber is made of ceramics for optimal taste. After 5 clicks on the button the device starts into stand by mode. After holding down the button for five seconds the vaporizer starts to heat up to the first temerature setting. Press it for another five seconds and the next temerature level is selected. The indicator light around the button glows green when the Flowermate V5.0s is finished heating up and is ready to use.
After 5 minutes the Flowermate V5.0s will jump back into stand by mode. The battery capacity lasts for 10-12 sessions. It is fully charged after 2,5 hours.
All Flowermate devices carry the mouthpiece in a compartment within the vaporizer case. Just open the bottom lid to retrieve the mouthpiece. It has a fine stainless-steel filter and a ceramic filter inside to cool down the vapor and catch small particles.
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subset: commoncrawl


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The sky's a funny colour and there's this big bright ball of light shining up there! Can we really be having such a lovely bank holiday?! These furry felines think so!
We've had a brilliant morning; full of sunlight, ladybirds, bumble bees, watering plants and taking our inside toys outside! I'm not sure what they think of my sun tan lotion though – I think they'd prefer eau de catnip.
Lovely to get some fresh air and roll around in dirt and dust and twigs and tall grass and chase insects… straight after I've carefully brushed you (that's right super furry Fogle, I'm talking to you!!!)
Well you didn't think you were the only ones having a holiday did you?! While their owners are off away gallavanting – we're having a great time enjoying ourselves. One of the lovely things about using a cat sitter is that your cats can still go outside while you're away. A shame for them to miss this weather after all!
And of course, there's still enough sunshine for me to have a lovely lunchbreak with my own balls of fluff! They get very cross if I don't give them the same attention I give to my extended family after all!
Hope you're all having a brilliant weekend, I know we all are : )
Rach x
(The Cat Whiskerer)


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The Global Risk Management Specialized Masters' Degree
Ranked No.1 Masters, MS, MBA Risk Management in 2014 (for the third consecutive year) by the survey of SMBG, training "Global Risk Management (MGR)," has always been part of the two best programs on risk, since the creation of the survey in 2008. It is certified Specialized Master by the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles and it was designed as a higher professional education of high level. It is co-accredited between École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers (which is the lead institution) and ESTP.
Since January 2015 the Master is now ranked at an national level (RNCP).
Risk management is an inescapable dimension of business management, in a hyper-competitive environment marked by many uncertainties. Companies need employees in line with these realities and with the skills that enable them to cope.


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Jacada Multi-Channel Agent Desktop for EMC and AIC
Add the finishing touch to your Avaya Elite Multi-channel (EMC) or Avaya Interaction Center (AIC) solution with a new multi-channel desktop and make your agents and customers smile
Your investment in the Avaya solutions such as EMC or AIC has provided your organization with a state-of-the-art customer service communication platform. Scalable, Robust and Feature rich, Avaya EMC and AIC provide everything you'd need to empower your customer service interactions. The only problem is, your customers are becoming more demanding. They're reaching out to you on multiple channels and are expecting quick, effective resolution to their problems. This places extreme demands on your agents to handle multiple customers over multiple channels, often simultaneously. Your agents need to be equipped with a desktop that incorporates all the channels into a convenient web based agent desktopdesktop.
What is it?
The Jacada Multi-channel Agent Desktop is a "drop in" replacement for the existing Avaya EMC or AIC desktops that offers you:
- Multi context –Agents are able to simultaneously manage multiple customers across multiple EMC/AIC channels from a unified desktop reflecting a single view of the customer and the channel in use for each and every call.
- Multi channel – unifies EMC/AIC channels (Voice, Email, Chat) onto a single, convenient desktop for an improved and competitive agent experience, and efficient handling of multiple customers from multiple channels at the same time.
- Thin client – A lightweight, highly performing user interface, ready to go "out of the box", and fully certified on the Avaya platform. The thin client solution installs in one hour and is maintained at a much lower cost than existing fat client technology.
Jacada Multi-Channel Agent Desktop for EMC and AIC
Sure it looks great and your agents will love it. But it comes with real benefits with a real ROI.
- Better usability - the interactive agent desktop with multi-context and multi-channel capabilities is designed exclusively to provide a more efficient agent experience while using EMC.
- User interface that displays a 360 degree view of the customer as well as the channel in use not only simplifies and improves agent experience, but also increases agent productivity without requiring long training sessions.
- Easier to sell - Thin client deployment gives Avaya a competitive edge by offering a competitive "like kind" desktop to beat competition (Cisco, Genesys). Can be used as an up-sell to the existing customer portfolio.
- Supervisor real time view of agent activity - Helps EMC to be sold into sensitive data environments and increases supervisor control and oversight of agents for better schedule adherence and productivity.
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Why do I need it?
The Jacada Multi-channel Agent Desktop completes your Avaya EMC/AIC investment by driving more efficiency at the agent desktop. Easily deployed as either a EMC or AIC replacement desktop or as an additional component, your agents will love the ease of use, and you're going to love the ROI.


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Elsah, Ill., Nov. 18, 2017 – The Washington University in St. Louis cross country program ran to multiple top-five finishes at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships hosted by Principia College in Elsah, Ill. during a cool and wet Saturday afternoon.
The Bears earned multiple top-five finishes at the National Championships for the second straight season and the fourth during head coach Jeff Stiles tenure (2011, '14, '16, '17).
The WashU women placed third overall to earn the 10th final-four finish in the team's history with 202 points behind Johns Hopkins University (96) and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (191). The WashU men totaled 269 points to place behind North Central College (57), University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (196), Christopher Newport University (221) and Amherst College (251).
Sophomore Paige Lawler placed 15th overall with a time of 21:07.30, her second best time of the year to earn the first All-American honor of her career. Senior Alison Lindsay earned her second consecutive All-American distinction placing 25th with a time of 21:22.90. Sophomore Sophie Watterson ran the course in 21:40.00 to finish in 41st place during her first experience at nationals.
Rounding out the Bears top-five scoring times were junior Lisa Gorham (112th), 22:16.80, and senior Audrey Western, 22:24.10 (123rd). Also racing for WashU was freshman Lara Rix, 22:32.80 (142nd), and junior Jeri Glicksman, 22:44.30 (167th) as the Bears placed all of their runners within the top-200 in a field of 279 competitors.
Senior David O'Gara led the Bears with the highest placement among the competition as he earned his second straight All-American honor by placing ninth in 24:36.50. Junior Peter Johnsrud claimed the first All-American honor of his career with a top-35 placement. He finished in 34th place as he crossed the finish line in 24:54.87.
Both O'Gara and Johnsrud had strong kicks at the end to jump ahead of several of the 279 challengers. Sophomore Nick Matteucci was next to finish for the Bears with a time of 25:31.09, while senior Kirby Simon, 25:35.28 (116th), and sophomore Marco Quaroni, 25:38.40 (121st), rounded out the Bears scoring lineup.
Graduate student Ben Rosenkranz nearly cracked the top-200 times as he fought his way to the finish line in 26:07.22. Junior Chris Blagg also ran to his third best time of the season when he posted a time of 26:27.61 to finish 238th among Division III's best.
Women – 3rd Place (21:46.22 avg. time)
15. Paige Lawler – 21:07.30
25. Alison Lindsay – 21:22.90
41. Sophie Watterson – 21:40.00
112. Lisa Gorham – 22:16.80
123. Audrey Western – 22:24.10
142. Lara Rix – 22:32.80
167. Jeri Glicksman – 22:44.30
Men – 5th Place (25:15.23 avg. time)
9. David O'Gara – 24:36.50
34. Peter Johnsrud – 24:54.87
101. Nick Matteucci – 25:31.09
116. Kirby Simon – 25:35.28
121. Marco Quaroni – 25:38.40
201. Ben Rosenkranz – 26:07.22
238. Chris Blagg – 26:27.61


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March 1, 1994, Section A, Page 1Buy Reprints
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin appealed to the Palestinians today to return to the suspended peace talks. But he warned them not to use the Hebron massacre to set unrealistic conditions, suggesting that he had taken the sternest measures he plans for now against Jewish settlers in the occupied territories.
But in words both lacerating and relentless, Mr. Rabin declared murderous settlers to be outcasts, alien to Israel and to Judaism.
"I am shamed over the disgrace imposed upon us by a degenerate murderer," he said.
"You are not part of the community of Israel," he continued, addressing the most militant settlers. "You are not part of the national democratic camp which we all belong to in this house, and many of the people despise you. You are not partners in the Zionist enterprise. You are a foreign implant. You are an errant weed. Sensible Judaism spits you out. You placed yourself outside the wall of Jewish law.
"You are a shame on Zionism and an embarrassment to Judaism." [ Excerpts, page A14. ]
The toughened policy on settlers, announced on Sunday, is aimed at a small group of Jews who preach the militant anti-Arab views of Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was assassinated in 1990. The P.L.O.'s Demands
Some Jews -- estimated at 40 for now -- may be stripped of their guns, arrested without formal charges or barred from the territories. The Government is also studying outlawing the Kach movement and other Kahane-inspired groups that produced Dr. Baruch Goldstein, who gunned down 40 or more Muslims on Friday as they knelt at a mosque. The Government is also including an Israeli Arab on a board set up to investigate the attack.
But these steps do not go nearly far enough for the Palestine Liberation Organization, which is under great pressure from enraged Palestinians. The P.L.O. is demanding that all settlers be disarmed, that flashpoint settlements like those in and around Hebron be dismantled and that an international force be sent in to protect people in the territories.
Mr. Rabin, seeming to turn down the P.L.O., told Parliament that he had "no intention of compromising even one iota" on security, including the protection of the roughly 130,000 settlers. He was supported by the United States, which called on the two sides to resume their talks in Washington to complete agreements already reached on the start of limited Palestinian self-rule.
That position reflected a concern that if issues like removing settlements were to be raised now -- instead of in two years, as originally planned -- the "declaration of principles" reached by Israel and the P.L.O. could unravel.
Nonetheless, there was a hint of compromise when Mr. Rabin said Israel might accept an "international presence" in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank town of Jericho, where Palestinian self-government and Israeli troop withdrawal are to begin.
A Rabin spokesman insisted that Israel was talking about an undefined civilian foreign presence and not armed forces. And he noted that the idea was not new; the September accords would allow "a temporary international or foreign presence."
The hope, one official said, was that the measures to control the settlers, the readiness to permit some foreign observers, the setting up of a special inquiry and the planned release of up to 1,000 Palestinian prisoners would combine to make it possible for the P.L.O. to return to the peace talks without seeming to cave in.
[ In a communique Tuesday, the Israeli Army said that it would begin releasing the first 500 prisoners within hours and set free another 300 by the weekend, Reuters reported. ] Although the focus was on how to keep the peace talks from falling apart, the massacre continued to take an emotional toll, stoking Arab rage and prompting many Israelis to look deep into their souls.
In an effort to buy cooling-off time, Israel put most of the 1.8 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza under curfew. But that did not end violent protests in many towns, including Hebron, and by day's end two more Arabs had been shot dead by soldiers, bringing the toll from clashes after the mosque attack to at least 21.
The Israeli Army also kept its cordon around Qiryat Arba, the settlement where Dr. Goldstein lived and where some neighbors admire him for what he did. But the closing was loosely enforced and settlers were able to come and go, except to Hebron. Legacy of Kahane
Among Israelis, shame and revulsion have been widespread, and those sentiments flowed through Mr. Rabin's speech today. His words were stunningly harsh, almost Old Testament in their damnation, describing Dr. Goldstein, who was beaten to death after the shooting, as a "villainous Jew," "a degenerate murderer," and a "Jewish Hamas member" -- a reference to the militant Islamic group.
As a reference by Mr. Rabin to a "foreign implant" suggests, it has not been lost on Israelis that Dr. Goldstein, like many Kahane disciples, was an American, from Brooklyn. Graphically reflecting this concern was a proposal in Parliament today to change the Law of Return to exclude exponents of Rabbi Kahane's views and other racists. Eli Goldschmidt, a Labor Party member, urged the change.
Now, the only way Jews may be turned away is if they have committed acts against the Jewish people, are judged a danger to public health or national security or have criminal records. The last reason was used in the 1970's to keep out Meyer Lansky, the organized-crime figure. "Was Meyer Lansky more dangerous than these people?" Mr. Goldschmidt asked.
It is still not clear exactly how many were killed and wounded in the shrine known as the Cave of the Patriarchs. The army has refused to give a precise number, saying the incident is to be investigated.
But the Israeli press quotes army officers talking about 39 dead. In Hebron, a hospital director said that he knew of 49 dead on Friday, but that included several Palestinian protesters killed by Israeli soldiers after the massacre. Officials here say the actual figure is likely to fall between 39 and 45. The total number of wounded is estimated between 90 and 150 or more.
Those questions and the broader issue of whether Dr. Goldstein acted alone, as the Israelis say he did, or was part of a plot by settlers and soldiers, as some Palestinians insist, are to be taken up by the investigators.
The head of the commission is Chief Justice Meir Shamgar; other members are Justice Eliezer Goldberg; Moshe Levy, a former army chief of staff; Menachem Yaari, a university professor, and Abdul-Rahman Zuabi, an Israeli Arab who is a district court judge in Nazareth.
Some Cabinet members also want to crack down harder on settlers considered dangerous, and force out several hundred Israelis from enclaves in predominantly Palestinian Hebron. But officials said that would create a political uproar, especially since settlements are not supposed to be touched for now under the September agreement.
In the end, the Cabinet played it safe. "Do those people have a right to be in Hebron? No," said Labor Minister Ora Namir. "But I don't think that it is an issue than can be brought up today."
Similarly, it was decided that weapons would be confiscated from only a small number of settlers deemed to be the most militant, not all settlers, as the Palestinians demand.
To the Palestinians, settlers are gun-toting menaces. But settlers argue that stripping all of them of their guns would put them in mortal peril. In particular, many feel they must travel armed on roads in the territories, where the risk of ambushes is the greatest. Inside the settlements themselves, the Israelis generally leave their guns at home. First, Find the Guns
For all the arguments, no one has yet had a weapon taken away, although officials said it will happen soon.
First, the authorities have to find the people. Over the weekend, for example, the army ordered the immediate arrest of five Kach leaders and their allies, but thus far only one has been captured, Shmuel Ben-Yishai. The other four have gone into hiding.
Still, while these measures are limited, they represent a significant shift in official attitudes toward Jews considered to be beyond the political and moral pale.
"It creates an atmosphere that is not friendly to fanatics," said Ephraim Sneh, a Labor member of Parliament and a former military governor in the West Bank. But it would be a mistake, he added, to make too much of this action, for some of the most militant settlers will hide their weapons and elude capture.
"They treat the Israeli Government, including the army, as a foreign authority," he said. "Ideologically, they don't obey and don't respect the Israeli authorities. We are collaborators with the Gentiles."


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One of my longtime creative dreams is to write and illustrate children's books. This week I've taken a bit of a departure from my knitting and etsy shop to focus more on this goal. I finished writing, editing and drawing art samples for two stories that I've been working on. And all in less than a week!
I'm a bit of a perfectionist and my first project took years for me to even consider sending it to a publisher. I have since sent it and other stories to many different publishers and like any beginning writer, I have begun my collection of rejection letters. It is an interesting business in that a rejection doesn't necessarily mean that the piece is horrid. It's all about matching the right manuscript with the right publisher at the right point in time. Overall it seems like a bit of a gamble, but it is something I enjoy so I think it is important.
I'm hoping that it's a bit easier to get stories published in magazines than it is to get books published. I just biked down to the post office to send off a story to a children's magazine. I feel pretty good about this one. Then again, I've felt good about all the others. We'll see. I do know that if you have a dream, you shouldn't give up on it. It's a bit cheesy, but it's true. And so, I will keep writing.
Here's one of my art samples who is now on her way through the mail hoping that some one will want to publish her!


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The DiRT series of games are some of the best ever made if you like your racing to be of the rallying type. Fans will no doubt be pleased to hear the series is set to continue with DiRT 3 getting a new teaser trailer included above.
It looks as though Codemasters might be shaking things up a bit with some more spectacular car stunts if you notice the jumping vehicle in the background. But what gamers will be most concerned about is the handling and detail in the game. If DiRT 2 is anything to go by we have nothing to worry about.
Expect a 2011 release date.
Read more at Rock, Paper, Shotgun


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Heath and Heaven
This is the edited version that appears on the Canvas piece.
The original piece had additional words considered 'too heartfelt about a previous broken heart'
Heath and Heaven
Five hundred feet is no distance to fall.
No distance to fall into the detail of our Peakland lives.
Passing over Mountain hare, and peaty grough.
Winter nostalgia and frozen feet
connect our passengers minds with the mortality
of moorland wilderness below.
Moments and personality appear on cockpit canopy.
Solitary pain on the Pennine Way,
torn tendons after 100 mile gambols
are relived, redrawn in our minds
Thwack, thwack, thwack,
The rotor blades cut the air
As timeless and as invulnerable as
the gritstone of Kinder downfall,
we see lovers and walkers, fencebuilders and farmers
at work, at play and engaged with life.
Carefully planned mapping finds destination
of expected and unexpected delight,
as fields and life unfold a journey
beneath their lofty aspirations of record.
Soaring into dreamt of heavens
greenscape and rolling dale reveal their
naked rawness and covert treasure.
Great needs drive the greater world.
Outside millstone plinthed boundaries
chaos and imbalance proliferate.
Below their feet pass castles and remniscences
of life's lived, of journey's travelled.
Great green carpets of joy and ecstasy,
champagne picnics and tea swiftly taken.
A million souls abide in and around its midst,
a minature example of a greater world
thrives, flourishes and sings with life.
A lesson to us all.
Banking steeply we ease past craggy outcrop
of prehistoric time and a sense of history
sparks great memory, great occasion.
Chatsworth is resplendent in her regal glow,
Formal garden and sculpted landscape sit comfortably
bethroned and majestic, ready to pass judgement
on more lowly subjects as the water that rises and fountains.
Our park was borne, the product of man's passion
to ease the grind of working life, white rose and red.
Slap, slap, slap.
The rotors bite into thin air as we turn steeply for a
second bite at Stanage's precious edge
and golden light leaves us in awe and quiet
Hovering over precipitous orange
and awkward millstone edge,
memories cross with the personal
adrenalin of climbed routes and sunsets.
Smash, Smash, Smash
The deafening noise reverberates.
We focus on village after village
of aerial mosaic and dendritic sprawl.
So can we see need for a place of even
gentle balance and restoration.
A place where love will grow and
The greater good will pass forward.
Our ancestors thousands of years
pre-park, revealed, point at us.
Unseen from the ground
to sacred places of healing
Five hundred feet is no distance to fall.
No distance to fall into the detail of our Peakland lives.
We see shopkeepers wave, children basking in the sun on heather
and we see our past creep up and wave on limestone shore.
Falls and tumbles leave us vulnerable
in need of warmth and compassion.
Mother park as timeless as the rock
is constant, is absolute, is love.
Quietly we pass over drunken night, folk song
and friends of yesteryear, we drift over uncomfortable
union, pain of conversation and passionate date.
Nothing is left unturned, our minds are naked.
Red wine has replaced the air now,
the roaches are steeped in glimmer and glow.
The colour of attention shouts out
take me, take me home with you.
And so we will, a day to remember a day for eternity.
An occasion where we met our greater souls
and without need to die, lived a life lived.
Just another day in the Park.


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Minority Quotes
You know, that's racist within itself. I mean, what you're saying is that if you're minority, you can't have a good school if you've got minorities, so you view minorities as a liability that you balance around. That is the underlying racist point when you start with that premise and say we have to balance minority numbers and diversity numbers, your premise that you start out with is that minority students are an inferior student and that's where the racist comment and thought pattern comes from. - Lindsey Tippins
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A BILL addressing the issue of 'trapped' home buyers without title deeds looks set to breeze through the House plenum this Thursday, following a final-hour consensus struck between the government and political parties.
The core of the government legislation addressed the cases of some 30,000 buyers for whose property title deeds have been issued but couldn't be transferred to the buyer despite them fully honouring the repayment terms of the sale agreement.
After discussions in parliament, the bill was broadened to also cover an additional 48,000 – also honouring the terms of sale – that had no title deeds issued. Foreclosure proceedings on these cases will be suspended, allowing sufficient time to have the deeds issued.
"It has been demonstrated that the government's policy was not about fast-tracking foreclosures en masse, which some used as scaremongering, but rather… about solving a long-standing problem for property buyers who, while being consistent with their obligations, saw their property remain in limbo and at risk because of the obligations of other parties or due to weaknesses in the system," Prodromos Prodromou of the ruling DISY party commented.
He was speaking shortly after Tuesday's joint session of the House interior and finance committees discussing the bill.
Main opposition AKEL said it will vote for the item, despite the fact it does not cover those who paid up to 80 per cent of the home's price but were not consistent with the remainder of the balance. These cases are not protected from foreclosure.
The party intends to table a legislative proposal extending by two more years the suspension of foreclosure proceedings for this category. The foreclosure exemption for 'trapped' buyers currently expires on September 5.
DIKO meanwhile plans to table an amendment next week whereby 'released' home buyers would be allowed to settle outstanding transfer fees in 12 monthly, interest-free equal payments, after the property has been transferred to them.
The government bill is meant to sort out the mess created by the failure to issue title deeds to people who paid for the property, either because the property was mortgaged by the developer, or the state could not go ahead with the transfer because of outstanding taxes.
Since developers' land and buildings are counted as assets that need to be offset against their debt to banks, this gives lenders a claim on people's properties that had been mortgaged by developers.
The bill grants the head of the land registry department the authority to exempt, eliminate, transfer and cancel mortgages and or other encumbrances, depending on the case and under certain conditions.
It covers transactions up until December 31, 2014.
The bill provides for the balance on a property sale price to be paid into a special temporary account, allowing the director of the land registry department to initiate the transfer procedure.
The elimination or transfer of mortgages and or other encumbrances will take place within 45 days of a notice sent out to affected parties, who have the right to appeal.
Mortgagors (typically property sellers) may request that the encumbrance be transferred onto other properties they own. If they do not own other property, they may request that the encumbrance be transferred onto the property of persons who guaranteed their loans.
'Released' properties will be transferred to the name of the buyer, who will bear all transfer fees. The buyer is subject to a 100 per cent penalty on the fees if he or she does not pay them within the specified deadline.
The director of the land registry department will strike any encumbrances on a property with a title deed before it is transferred.
Resolving the title deeds muddle is a 'prior action' set by Cyprus' international creditors for releasing the next bailout tranche.
Readers' comments
Comments on this article are no longer being accepted.
Fantastic result! As you have always said, the devil is in the detail but its certainly looking like justice for many.
I think you may soon be inundated with some well deserved plaudits coming your way.
Your tireless endeavours to keep the situation in the public domain have not gone unnoticed.
A sincere Thanks from me for sure.
Thanks for your comments scruffy, they are much appreciated. There are still some problems that need to be resolved. But after years of vacuous announcements by various government ministers it seems we're moving in the right direction at long last. I'm only sorry that it needed the island's economy to collapse. Had the government acted sooner Cyprus may have avoided the black hole it dug for itself – but the troika has done a good job in 'persuading' the Government to make changes for the better in return for the bailout loan.
Hi Nigel
I am not quite grasping this. I live on a site that has 7 properties. Our builder did a runner some years ago leaving the whole site incomplete. There is no road or footpaths, no street lighting and the sewage system is not to regulations although it seems to work fine. For obvious reasons there isn't any completion certificates for the site or any of the individual properties. Could we all apply individually for our title deeds now. Every property has been paid for in full.
If a development is currently incomplete but the residents work together to finish the development, will this new bill then cover them. That is, for the 2000 in question, is there potential to move forward. I understand there will be differing levels of incomplete.
Thanks Nigel, light at the end of the tunnel for 1000's I hope…..
Nigel good news for sure! any news on the 2000 cases that wont be covered, ? when 'they' mention not completed below what does that mean, half completed? or too soon to say again?
As pointed out by the Land Registry during the joint session of the parliamentary Committees for Finance and Interior, for the majority of the 48,000 cases for which title deeds have not yet been issued there are ongoing procedures to solve the problem as soon as possible with the exception, of around 2000 land developments, that have been licensed but never completed.
(Editor's comment: I read this article a couple of days ago. I don't know if it refers to 2,000 developments or 2,000 properties (which I think is more likely the case). Changes to the planning laws introduced in 2011 should allow properties on a development to be issued with Title Deeds even though the development has not been completed. We'll have to wait and see exactly constitutes licensed but uncompleted developments.
Update – the 2,000 properties relate to developments that have been authorized but not completed, or developments that are incomplete and will be unable to secure a title. )
Suppose they are at least looking at it
The views expressed in readers' comments are not necessarily shared by the Cyprus Property News.


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Last April 30, we visited BGC High Street Amphitheater to experience the McCormick Flavor Nation Festival, an event that was meant to launch their newest products, the Noodle Flavors.
At the McCormick Flavor Nation Festival
They had a pretty nice set-up and our first stop was the registration booth where the organizers gave us a passport which serves as our ticket to free noodles and other treats. In addition, we get a McCormick loot bag when we complete at least 3 out of 5 stamps.
Free Noodle Bar
Despite the immense summer heat, chefs for each of the 5 new noodle flavors was ready to serve in the noodle bars. The New McCormick Noodle Flavors included the following: Birthday Noodles, Chap Chae, Laksa, Pad Thai and (our very own flavor) Palabok.
There were a lot of people lined up so we picked 3 flavors to try. Our first stop was the birthday noodles. The servers included additional toppings like carrots, quail eggs and some kind of fish cake in addition to the new flavor mix by McCormick. This can be done when you actually create your dinner with McCormick's Birthday Noodle Flavor.
Our next stop was the Laksa bar coz we just love laksa. When we got our noodle box, it was just what we expected, spicy and creamy. It was a nice jolt of spice, doubled with the summer heat (hot, hot, hot!). They added mushrooms and shrimps which you can also do when you prepare your own serving with McCormick's Laksa Noodle Flavor.
Lastly, we lined up in the Palabok bar. It was nicely done with chicharon, onion leaves and egg toppings. Our favorite noodle sample was Laksa. I'll definitely try my own mix using the new Laksa Noodle Flavor.
We stayed for almost an hour at the venue while enjoying the free noodle samples and we were entertained by a couple of indie artist that generally makes up a great Saturday afternoon.
Other treats
Aside from the noodle bars, there are also food booths headlined by different chefs. The clear best seller was Master Churrero Jordi Barraca of Churreria La Lola's Churros con Chocolate. A must try dessert can be topped by Cinnamon or get a Chocolate sauce combo.
McCormick Avenue
Sabrina's Kitchen also provided a special dish, Laing with other McCormick flavors and green mango. It was a fusion of multiple tastes. There was also juice bar, with different choices of fruit teas and juices.
Special Dish from Sabrina's Kitchen
And a unique photo booth of a different kind of background.
It was a fun afternoon spent with McCormick's newest Noodle Flavors of Birthday Noodles, Laksa, Pad Thai, Chap chae and Palabok.


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Booty from Jaffa markets in Tel Aviv
Last week in Tel Aviv, I explored the markets in Old Jaffa. The olives and dried fruit made me drool, but it was overwhelming with so many to choose from. So, I confined my purchases to an olive sampling and some irresistable dried roses--that cost mere pennies--pictured below. They smelled divine, and now that they're smuggled home (Tel Aviv security either didn't see them rolled up in my t-shirt, or decided not to care), I'm not sure what to do with them, apart from making sachets for my lingerie, sock, and sweater drawers. I'm taking ideas!


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Santhi Soundarajan Tamilnadu athlete profile and biography
Get the details about Tamilnadu sports women athlete Santhi Soundarajan profile. Several controversies were made regarding her gender. Below I have covered all the details about her and her career.
Santhi Soundarajan profile
Santhi Soundarajan born in a small village Kathakkurichi located in the Pudukkottai District of TN. She won several medals in athletics. The highest target achieved by Santhi is silver medal in Asian championships conducted at Doha, Qatar on the year 2006. She won this prize for 800m race by reaching the target within 2 minute and 3 seconds. Soon after the race she undergone sex test to determine whether she has male qualities or female qualities. Unfortunately the test result was negative. It means she possess male characteristic. Then the asian championship origination withdraw the silver medal she won. Finally she was labeled as male and no prizes or medal for this Tamilnadu athlete. Santhi was awarded 15 lakhs cash prize by Karunanithi. This money doesn't helped Santhi in any way as her father has got debt from various people. At last Santhi made a suicide attempt due to severe pressure. This attempt was unsuccessful. She consumed poison at her home for her suicide attempt. The recent news I heard about Santhi is that she is working as labour with 200 rupee as salary per day. Her coach said that Santhi Soudarajan has talent to win in Olympics.
Santhi Soundarajan sex test result has gone negative. Chromosome test was made for Santhi and it showed the existence of Y chromosome which will available only for male.
Recently many officials from Indian sports corporation taken action to make Santhi to participate in upcoming athletic competition. They have asked the biodata and certificates of Santhi. Lets see what happens to Santhi in future.


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Preparing A Servant
Your self-sufficiency, your selfishness, and your intellectual pride will inhibit His coming to live in your heart because even God cannot fill what is already full. – Mother Teresa
October 18, 1998
All along, what I've thought I needed was attention, validation, and recognition. What I've really needed also was the ability to pay attention to, validate, and recognize the beauty in the people around me – not as a reflection of myself, but as a true perception of how much we're all the same. Beyond the opportunity to recognize our own value, life offers us the true kinship and joy of loving our neighbors as ourselves. I feel truly humbled; and awed. God and this tremendous transformative process never cease to amaze me.
As previous certainties desert us, we become vulnerable and open. – Brennan Manning
October 31, 1998
December 7, 1998
I have a greater understanding of "security." I can see that in the past, my security in relationships was based on dependency and need and then it shifted to being based on loyalty, trust, honor, and commitment. However, I'm beginning to see that the notion of "security" is an illusion when referring to anything that is visible. I need to give up all notions of my security having anything to do with Randy at all; no matter what it's based on. The only thing I need to be secure in is the understanding that God is working out my process for my highest good. God only knows what that means.
We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in the world to play the role He assigns. Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity. – Alcoholics Anonymous
December 20, 1998
I just realized that "sharing" your life with another doesn't mean living the same life – never being apart. To truly "share" is to have two separate lives that meet; and that meeting place is the nest of the heart; the place that is always with you – even in your lover's absence. When I go into my separate life, yet still have full awareness of Randy's reality, I have a window into a whole other world through him.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. – Kahlil Gibran
January 2, 2000
Rome was not built in a day.
Rome was not built in a week.
Rome was not built in a decade.
It's taking a lifetime to build Rome.
It's okay, though, because the experience of building Rome is what it's all about. That's the point of all creation … for God to experience Himself … for us to experience ourselves.
I guess I've always needed to believe I was accomplishing a lot in order to feel good about myself. Now, I'm beginning to see that I don't need to feel good about myself anymore. I can just feel good about being a part of this marvelous dance of life.
The journey really is a celebration of sobriety; which is really just another word for "conscious awareness." I used to dream of walking the "Master Path." Recovery is the Master Path because if you continue to take personal inventory and to make amends (which means to change) you get to shoot beyond the stars.
Twenty-first century, here I come!
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe


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The Examiner - The Jackson County Public Works/Environmental Health Division conducts inspections anywhere food is handled, prepared and served to the public for cities other than Independence.Blue Springs [...]
Local News Provided in part by:
Having Kidney or Bladder issues? Make sure you take care of yourself! Get checked out for possible cancer in the bladder or cancer of the kidney before it gets worse. Kansas City Urology specialists are here to help you.
Read the full article link below the following comments:


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As we enter a new Industrial Revolution, automation and digital devices are up-ending jobs, from cashiers to automotive assembly lines. Globally, career taxi drivers now compete for passengers with Lyft and Uber drivers, and new industries, like solar energy, employ more people than coal. Smart devices, ubiquitous data, and mobile technologies are dramatically changing industries and societies.
The MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy (IDE) believes that while technology can jettison existing jobs, it's also constantly creating new jobs, services, and conveniences never considered before. Bitcoin and Blockchain may ease financial transactions across national borders and regions. As noted by Forum for the Future, "smart ways of connecting our behaviours to the physical realms we interact with could improve the efficiency of systems such as energy, healthcare, and transportation, and our quality of life."
The grand challenge we face is how to accelerate the pace of job-creating innovation and the reinvention of sustainable work, while easing the transition for those whose jobs are lost in the process.
At the IDE, we've given a lot of thought to the future of work. We believe that the way forward is not to preserve the jobs of the past, but to create new paths for more people to share in the prosperity that digital technology creates. Last year, to put these beliefs into action, we launched the first Inclusive Innovation Challenge (IIC) to show that technology can build a future that works for more people—and it's that the future is already underway.
Awarding over $1 million in prizes, the IIC celebrates global organizations that are using technology to ensure greater economic opportunity. These organizations are addressing key questions such as, what skills will be needed in the future, and how do employees find jobs once they are properly trained? How can more people around the globe access and participate in the digital economy? We found that mobile devices and social media are linking global and rural communities as never before. Apps are helping farmers get better meteorology forecasts, artisans to sell their wares on global markets, and small businesses to access loans and financial assistance. Only a few may become data scientists, but thousands of young people will be trained in coding basics techniques so they can take part in the digital economy.
For our 2017 challenge, we have identified four basic areas where technology and jobs must better intersect. These comprise the categories for our Inclusive Innovators:
1. Job Creation & Income Growth
Simply put, we need to use technology to create new jobs that pay better wages. What might that look like? IIC 2016 Grand Prize Winner, Iora Health, has created an entirely new job category – health coach – for people who support patients directly and work as liaisons to medical professionals. The model simultaneously drives down costs. Using a proprietary medical record technology platform to gauge patient progress and success, Iora is providing job opportunities that merge human compassion with data-driven management. In 2017, the IIC is looking for more organizations like Iora that enable entirely new industries and jobs to flourish in the digital economy.
2. Skills Development & Opportunity Matching
It's critical to prepare people to succeed in rapidly growing job categories like robotics, coding, AI, and renewable energy. Moreover, once people develop these skills, they have to connect with appropriate job opportunities. Another IIC Grand Prize Winner, Laboratoria, works specifically with low-income women in Latin America to train and match workers and jobs. Once the women master critical digital skills, and are equipped as developers, they are matched with jobs in the tech sector. Digital boot-camps like Laboratoria, technology-driven approaches to scaling up education, hiring platforms that reduce unconscious bias, and labor markets that safeguard fair wages, are just a few of the technology-driven ways working people can succeed in and access emerging work opportunities.
3. Technology Access
In our increasingly digital economy, those with access to technology will prosper at the expense of those without access. Yet many people who are willing and able to work simply cannot 'plug in' to the digital economy. According to a 2016 Federal Communications Commission study, 39% of Americans are unable to access any broadband Internet services; surely a reason that rural America's economy has been so hard hit. Globally, a study of 32 emerging or developing countries showed that only 44% of the population accessed the Internet at all.
Innovative approaches are emerging that will empower people to engage more fully in the digital economy. For example, last year's IIC Winner, Jana, allows people from around the world to download specific apps on their smart phones. As compensation, Jana provides Internet access via smartphones getting millions of people and businesses online and on the job.
4. Financial Inclusion
Often, even with a job and an income, a family's financial stability can be tenuous. According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 27% of American households do not have bank accounts or have inadequate services. Two billion people worldwide are "underbanked" or "unbanked" and must conduct their transactions in cash―which can be difficult to manage and presents safety issues. As the economy incorporates more contract workers —fully 20-30% of the working age population in the U.S. and EU are independent workers —they usually have limited access to protections like unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, and disability insurance, according to a McKinsey study.
Technology can change this, however. Last year's IIC Winner, Destacame, developed an algorithm to allow individuals demonstrate their credit-worthiness by using alternative data, gathered from credit-like services such as utilities, telecoms, and suppliers. Other exciting new applications for blockchain, the technology underlying the digital currency Bitcoin, are being employed to provide a secure, reliable digital record-keeping system that can help the poor access financial services and bring them into the formal economy.
Societies can't go backward or stop the evolution and redefinition of work in the digital age. But we can encourage and support new mechanisms for job creation, skills development, technology access, and financial inclusion that will provide safety nets and sustainable paths for workers to adjust to the new realities ahead.
Devin Wardell Cook is Executive Producer of the MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge.
The MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge is now open and accepting registrations through June 7, 2017. Visit MITinclusiveinnovation.com to learn more about last year's winners and this year's challenge.


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Lots of life in the rue Faubourg Saint-Denis in Paris on this Sunday noon. The men were drinking Pastis on the terrace of the pub while other people were buying the food for the lunch. There are a lot of food shops in the rue Saint-Denis. Real French shops – they sell 'foie gras' – and, in the backstreet, only Indian shops and restaurants. On the street, a nice young woman asked me a coin. I gave her a few euros for a picture. At the end of the street, you see a few typical old houses of Paris.
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Halloween will soon be upon us, and over at the Lacy Sunshine Challenge Blog we are celebrating by having a 'Monster Mash' themed challenge. We want to see your spooky, scary, cute or fun (or any/all combinations of that) projects! You can find tons of images in the Lacy Sunshine Digi Shop which would be just perfect! For my project I am using Eleanor & Pickles Ve Vant Candy! Instead of making a card like I usually do, I decided to make an altered printers tray. I would love to know what you think!
The Copics I used are: skin - E000, E00, E11, E21, E93 & R11; hair - V09, V12 & V15; dress - YG17, YG21, YG23 & YG25; pumpkin - YR65 & YR68; frog - YG17, YG21, YG23 & YG25; capes - BV20, BV23, BV25 & BV29. The image is printed on x-press paper.
How cute are they?
To decorate the printer's tray, I used paper from WeR, stickers from Paper House Productions and Recollections, and ribbon. The chipboard embellishments I have had for ages, and do not know who they are from.
I used a lot of foam adhesive to add dimension inside the different sections. I also rolled some paper (see below), and stacked strips of paper mounted with foam adhesive in the upper corner.
I had so much fun with this one! It's now part of my Halloween decorations inside my home. Please help us celebrate Halloween by heading over to the Lacy Sunshine Challenge Blog and joining our 'Monster Mash' challenge. The DT has awesome projects to inspire you!
I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
Crafts Galore Encore - Halloween
Creative Fingers Challenge Blog - Anything Goes
Create and Inspire Challenge Blog - Anything Goes
Get Creative Challenges - Halloween


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From ornate traditional headings through to fresh contemporary headings, Bella Curtains offers a wide range of pleating styles to work with our wide range of fabrics. Finished off with a pelmet treatment, decorative pole or basic curtain track, Curtain options are limitless.
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You would think that a video game involving teddy bears would be for young children, right? That is not the case with Naughty Bear. This video game isn't like those cute and cuddly Care Bears we all know about. It's about revenge. It's about "naughtiness". It's about teddy bears killing teary bears.
Mahalo has made a video walkthrough series (or in text) that you can use to beat the naughty game yourself. It's jam-packed full of gameplay for Naughty Bear on the Xbox 360 (but the game is also available on the PlayStation 3). Remember, teddy bears, especially Naughty Bear, do NOT like to be laughed at.
Videos in this series:
01-05. Episode 1
06-10. Episode 2
11-15. Episode 3
16-20. Episode 4
21-25. Episode 5
26-30. Episode 6
31-35. Episode 7
36-37. Ending Credits


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Fronting the sophisticated and luxurious Oysho Lingerie Fall/Winter 2016 Campaign is actress and model Amyeline Valade.
Photographed by Thomas Lhor, the campaign is a mix of sepia and monochrome images, and gives a look at the delicate, feminine and romantic pieces Oysho has to offer.
Classic cuts are seen on the lingerie while subtle lace also adorns the garments meant for the classic lingerie lovers.
The collection is a mix of bohemian and nineties styles, and crochet and lace remain the most prominent pieces.
Mesh appliques, lace bodysuits and high-waist slips are also included, and the colour palette leans more on winter favourites such as olive green, russet and mink, and grey-blue.


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The Economics Department and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College contain one of the elite groups of faculty in international economics.
Click here to learn more at our main page for International Economics.
The faculty publish in leading academic journals, participate in public policy debates, collaborate to host ...[more]


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Dang, I wish mine did that. I do attribute in-general floating-on-a-cloud feeling to them.
The illustration is great. By the way, make sure to know your limitations in taking these pills.
In order for you to forget depression, divert yourself. Engage yourself to some activities like exercises. This will surely make you a better person.


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I believe that the answer would depend on how much speed you need. Most NAS that I have seen are copper ethernet and you can get up to GB speed. whereas a SAN can be ordered with FibreChannel connections to have fiber speed to the SAN itself which can make it much faster than GB speeds depending on how much money you want to spend. How mission critical are the apps you are going to be running? That can also answer your question but it usually depends on your finances.
another question is how much storage do you need? A SAN scales to many terabytes easily whereas if you used NAS you would have many NAS devices added to your network and once you started to scale up this would not be practical.
— Yuval —
A big difference betweens SAN and NAS is that a NAS provides its own filesystem, while a SAN provides block-level access. This makes it better for things like databases. SAN also allows you to do DR and load balancing by moving the VMs from server to server as needed. There's a bit more on the overall benefits of SANs at SearchStorageChannel.com's Hot Spot SAN tutorial (there's also a third part, going over SAN features and implementation details, that should be up in a couple days).
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Introducing WitBlade - Online Search Marketing Expert in Philadelphia
Introducing WitBlade - On...ng Expert in Philadelphia
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WitBlade on the World Wide Web
WitBlade on the World Wide Web
2018 SEO: What Businesses Need To Know
Search engine optimization (SEO) is an ever-changing game, and staying ahead in 2018 means not relying on what worked a few years ago, or even last year. If you want your business to succeed, you need to stay on top of the changes and evolution of Google's search algorithm and make sure you are doing everything right so your online presence stays strong.
While there was nothing as earth-shattering as some of the infamous "big time" update like the original Panda or Penguin, there have been some clear shifts and evolution in Google's updates that clearly point to where SEO needs to go to be successful and give Google what they want. Find a Philadelphia SEO agency that can help you optimize your website.
Above All Else: Content Truly Is King Now
Google has long stated that content is king, but they often weren't advanced enough to back this up. Between backlinks, manual reviews, and mathematical measurables they would try, but it was a system that could be gamed if you knew it well enough. Those days are gone.
Google's machines can tell if a piece of writing is clever or simple, straight forward or sarcastic, really high quality or fluff that doesn't really say anything of substance. That is an impressive positive evolution for the king of all search engines, and it brings home the fact that truly exceptional authoritative content will find its way to the top and cover up a wide array of other SEO features that are un-optimized.
Many webmasters have already noticed this. Sites hiring professional writers are shooting up through the ranks. Average or even just mildly good writing isn't getting it done anymore. Shoot to make every piece of content amazing, and Google will push you past the competition.
Go Mobile Or Go Home
By now everyone knows that going mobile is crucial, but websites really need to go even further and decided to optimize for mobile devices. Sites that go the extra step to be responsive to all mobile devices are getting rewarded accordingly. While the original "Mobile-geddon" warning might have been mostly overblown, there are clear signs that very well optimized sites are being rewarded with a bump - and at some point it makes sense non-optimized ones will receive that long promised penalty.
They Were Serious About Security
Many people thought the SSL movement was overblown and really wouldn't affect SEO that much at all. Early signs seem to indicate that Google was really serious about bumping up those websites, and there have been larger movements in some niches than most people expected. Google Chrome displaying "Website Not Secure" messages has had a heavy effect in and of itself, as well.
Google has already shown between two relatively closely related websites, the secured SSL site will get the nod in a tie breaker over one that doesn't. Go with an SSL.
Avoid Major Penalties
This sounds basic, but it's amazing how often someone will try to boost one part of their SEO by doing something gray or shady for just a little more juice. This is never worth the risk of a penalty. You don't have to be perfectly optimized anymore. If you can create amazing content, stay completely away from anything shady (thus avoiding major penalties), and even nominally take care of several other basics and you have the ability to beat most competition in most niches.
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WitBlade is a Philadelphia SEO company that was founded by Ryan Rodden in 2014. He is the premier search engine marketing consultant in the Philadelphia area. If you are looking to increase your online advertising efforts, attract more customers and increase your online web presence, then contact us today.
Now more than ever it is important to have a mobile optimized website as well as a superior user experience. We can assist you with web design, marketing, and app development.
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Founded by Ryan Rodden


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Just two days before the kick-off of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, students of the Madiba-a-Toloane high school install 26 120W solar panels on the roof of the school hall. These panels will supply a public viewing area in the hall where 600 people of the rural village of Jericho can watch the World Cup games. © Greenpeace / Nicolas Fojtu
Saying 'we need to use renewable energy more' is easy, but have you ever seen it in action? Watching a consumer object go from zero to fully powered simply because it's been put in reach of the sun's rays can fill most people with a sense of childlike wonderment.
To give young activists and volunteers this necessary visual understanding of what renewable energy can do, Greenpeace Africa is hosting two weeks of full-time solar training camps from 24 September to 9 October at the Baden-Powell Scout Camp in Morningside, Durban.
During the training camp, young scouts will learn how solar power (and other renewable energy) works, how solar panels themselves work, and how to install the panels.
There will be a special focus on Green Jobs, the future for our youth. Greenpeace Africa will take the opportunity to officially launch a briefing on the potential for green job creation in South Africa, entitled "More jobs and progress for South Africa: The Advanced Energy [R]evolution scenario and its impact".
Four high efficiency solar panels have been donated by SunPower, and will be installed by the camp attendees on two Greenpeace mobile showcase units. These will then be displayed at COP17 in November/December. Each unit will power multi-media technology devices, like televisions, laptops and sound systems.
On the 9th of October, family and friends will be invited to an open day where the trainees will get the chance to talk about, and demonstrate their new solar knowledge.
The course is set up to empower young people with skills and knowledge of solar energy, and to communicate the growing need for renewable energy solutions at COP 17, as voiced from the generation of tomorrow.
In the longer term, a training camp like this will also teach invaluable skills for a world where we will have to start relying on renewable energy more. It will also help develop communities to become self-sufficient and eco-friendly.
This work is just one of the ways Greenpeace is helping South Africa find solutions to the climate change problems our communities face. The future is ours - use renewables now!
How can you get involved?
South Africa has some of the best renewable energy sources in the world, but sadly they have been overlooked in the past. The sun and the wind are practically begging to be used more.
Join our Use Me More campaign to call on the government to use the sun and wind more.
Sign the petition and let's make sure the government realises the true potential of renewable energy.
For more information on solar and wind power, visit our sponsors' websites at www.sunpower.org or www.gwstore.co.za.
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