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What are the working opportunities within the village on a longer perspective?
These are the "working opportunities". we'll call them livelihoods (infinite 'working opportunities')
- employment with the Institute.
- employment with Kotare Commons (KC), a social enterprise developed to implement the infrastructure development, and economic development for the Kotare Community Land Trust (KCLT), plus develop livelihoods within the village.
The latter may stay within KC or be licensed out as self employment opportunities. Most of the economic development will be aimed at self-reliance in our needs and/or livelihoods.
- self-employment developed independently.
Some of these livelihoods are fixed in view (Institute jobs, self-reliance development) other will arise out of the passion of the settlers.
Can I sell my land for the price I paid for it? What about a price for any dwelling?
Can we eventually buy the land of the leased section?
The community land trust will own the land indefinitely. This is an American model for holding special land in perpetuity. Community ownership of land ensures permanent access, control and affordability for housing, farms and businesses. You will get a lease agreement and the leases are set for 34 years. (34 years is the maximum we can set in this region without a certificate of title) Every 10 years the land trust will renew the lease at no cost. We can't automatically re-new the leases because that would circumvent the law with regard to leasing of land without resource consent.
How much are the annual fees/ levies looking like being?
All lease holders are required to pay costs involved with holding that lease. These include:
- individual household rates to the Wairoa District Council
- property expenses of the Village, and
- a levy set by the Kotare Village Association.
The Uniform Annual Household General Charges
This is set by the Wairoa District Council, on each dwelling on a property. This charge covers items seen as benefiting all householders, and includes the following :
– The library
– All the Community Centres
– The Maori Liaison Committee
– The Economic Development Fund
At present this is $570/year/household. Incl. GST
Property Expenses
This is set by the Kotare Community Land Trust for the whole property and is proportioned amongst all the leaseholders. Property expenses will include:
– Rates to the Wairoa District Council (excluding the uniform charge above)
– Maintenance of water supplies
– Maintenance of roading
– Public liability insurance
– Pest control expenses (part of this is required by law by the Hawkes Bay Regional Council)
– Other
The Association Levy
This fee is set by the AGM of the Kotare Village Inc. and is used to fund the activities of the Association. The levy for 2016 has been set at $100 year.
(there is also a one off membership fee of $100 when becoming a member this is at the time of signing the lease agreement)
The Total: Rates, Property Expenses and Levy
The approx total per household lease site = $910 incl GST
I am interested in buying a plot of land but I am not a New Zealand Resident. What are the restrictions for a foreigner to buy land?
New Zealand's overseas investment legislation only affects transactions that include sensitive New Zealand assets, including land that is considered sensitive. Kotare Village land plots are NOT considered sensitive. Thus, there are no restrictions in purchasing a home site at Kotare Village if you are a foreign investor. If you would like more information click here to read about making oversea investments in New Zealand.
It seems to me that one of the limitations of other community groups living off the land has been the absence of a viable economic or business activity that can support their members. In your case, you are in a much stronger position with the Koanga Institute. Already you sell seed and provide education programs and I notice that you recently have diversified into retailing appropriate books, tools, fertilizers etc. My question is what other ways do you see the Institute expanding to create work opportunities for members?
We definitely see ways the Institute can support community members to earn a living, and we are very happy to see it do this.
We are a great marketing operation and we are known as a leading edge place to come to for 'sustainable' solutions and we see that in the near future 'appropriate technology' 'autonomous housing' and 'education' will be areas where, out of our research/apprenticeship/diploma programs, we can provide the knowledge to support community members to get their own small businesses up and running. There are obviously many other areas as well.
Business opportunities we can see waiting to happen, that the Institute could help market or provide direction and information to support their development…
a heritage fruit tree nursery,
heritage animal breeding for biological sustainable systems, including working horses, sheep, cows, pigs poultry
processed food eg lactic pickles, high quality broths, salami and sausages, hams, dried fruit, cheese. vinegar etc etc
appropriate technology eg grey water systems, rocket stoves, fibre earth housing, passive solar greenhouses, nonelectric fridges,
seedling production of vegetables flowers and herbs,
dried herb production …herbal creams and tinctures,
permaculture Design
crafts such as Scottish peg loom weaving felting
cloths making
harakeke weaving
healing centre to show people how to grow and cook Weston Price Food
wellness centre
teachers for all of the above and much more…
Keep in mind we are going for having around 50 families on the land within several years so just the community alone will provide a strong market for these goods and services without needing to go far!
We imagine the Institute will very soon open a shop of some sort on the land and maybe work with others to have a regular stall at the closest farmers markets.
We not only bring in potential customers but our mail order is a strong part of our business.
Your vision is much more comprehensive and prescriptive than eco-villages I've looked at – ultimately it is a self-sustaining village/farm supporting possibly 50 families, preferably NOT working off the site in eg a nearby town. This could be too ambitious for some people to commit to – and also cut off opportunities to earn much needed capital for those without much…young school teachers…nurses…builders etc who could find work nearby.
We agree, it will be too ambitious for some people to commit to, however we believe we need to get a lot clearer about the development supporting a local economy for residents. Within this there are several issues that need addressing;
1. There seem to be natural levels of numbers of people that best support a 'community organisation' The Hutterites claim that it is 150, and once they have reached this number they commit to splitting and a new community forming. We've heard this is also the number of an army company (another form of community organisation) We're sure there is not a fixed number and that different situations will effect the 'best' numbers. However the principle remains, and the issue what is a good number to aim for. We certainly believe that both Kohatu Toa and Otamatea would benefit from more people.
2. There is another issue around numbers, in any subdivision development it takes many titles just to pay for the infrastructure development. Then extra numbers generate a profit. In the case of the KCLT the profit generates an economic development investment fund, which in turn supports income generation for the residents. Unless the investment fund is sufficient community development will be slow. In the case of the Kohatu Toa Ecovillage there was no investment fund, in the case of the Otamatea Ecovillage there was a considerable investment fund, however they couldn't agree what to do with it so it was all given back to the developers (all the residents) – in both cases community development is at 'snail pace'.
3. If you were to sail away to form a 'new colony', you would want to gather some skills and roles that were needed for the job ahead. That is not to say you would plan all the people you would take, but you would definitely choose or attract some that you knew you would need. The principle applies the same, there needs to be some conscious attraction of certain skills and roles around the shape of our new 'colony' it wont necessarily work to let the 'invisible hand of the market' choose all your people.
I see what you are trying to do by controlling resale price so as to allow (young) new entrants with low capital – but what if an owner feels disenfranchised by the above structure – doesn't feel represented as an owner and wants to sell – then finds the village is confining him/her to a resale price well below market value. There is danger here of 'capture' by a small dominant group – possibly those with a great deal of experience in various (good) elements of the over-riding vision and principles.
This is definitely a tricky issue, because we are so used to having the idea of the market value, (and the assumed capital gain) as being a given. You have presented two issues which we are best to separate. Firstly lets address the one of capture. Within the Community Land Trust model the sale price of the land is controlled by a contract, a lease agreement, and isn't really open to capture by the directors without changing the constitution which would need to have 75% agreement of all the members (lease holders). In all our reading of CLT's this issue doesn't surface. There have been hundreds of such trusts in America for many years involving thousands of people.
With regard to the presumed loss of ability to partake in capital gain, this is a decision that people make when they buy into the scheme, when someone leaves the community and makes capital gain on their section – it is extracting value out of the community – those who join end up having less, those who leave take the capital gain with them – capital gain destroys community, and we are consciously avoiding it!
How will we earn a living in such an isolated area? Can we travel and be involved in activities which often take us away from the village?
We often get a sense that people perceive this place as isolated and restricting. Firstly let us emphasise, that what you do with your life is totally up to you, just as if you lived in any other village in NZ.
So, as long as you pay your rates, and conform to the rules around common land use, you can get on with living as a hermit or in the fast lane – your choice. There is no need to commit to anything. If you want to spend time travelling, doing business overseas, being a student, or paying off your debts in an Australian mine – that's fine. Of course, we do prefer it if people live here and engage in development here, but it's not compulsory.
Because we have made such an issue of developing self-reliance, many people interpret this as being that we will restrict our activities and development to our home. Maybe it will be that way for some, but voluntarily so. Others will be engaging in the world, through internet, phone, travel, business, education. The Kotare Community Land Trust will encourage any activities which strengthen our self-reliance. as well, a key aspect of the KCLT is to develop a model that can be replicated in NZ and around the world, we are keen to be involved in the outside world around us. we are fully aware that it will take generations to fully develop a resilient community, and this will only be fully done within the context of changes in our wider community.
We see that the best thing that the Kotare Community Land Trust can invest in is the "change" or "transformation" industry. This frequently involves selling ideas. We don't have to drive to work, or export commodities – we can host students, provide them with information, feed them, and sell them our products and services. Or we can provide high quality products and services to the rest of the world, or be involved in the production required to support those who are doing so. We are only limited by our imagination.
So, we can walk out barefoot in the morning and soak in the beauty of the cloud patterns, the mist and the resident wildlife, and after a great breakfast of home grown bacon and eggs and kimchi be sitting down to conversations with international visitors, exploring design on Google, or skyping with a business associate in New South Wales.
None of us need to feel shut off from the world, though some of us might choose to. We are confident that livelihood will follow initiative and enterprise.
The fear of isolation and restriction shouldn't be a barrier to coming here.


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AnnouncementsPosted: Friday, November 2, 2018
SUNY Emergency Maintenance: Blackboard Learn, Banner, DegreeWorks, SUNYConnect, Library Databases: November 3-4
Blackboard websites and other services such as Degree Works, Banner, and SUNYConnect will experience connectivity downtime from 10:00 p.m. Saturday, November 3, to 6:00 a.m. Sunday, November 4, during planned emergency maintenance by SUNY ITEC's internet service provider.
Actual connectivity downtime during this time frame is expected to be about one hour; however, it is not possible to determine exactly when interruptions might occur for various services during the eight-hour window.
If you experience any technical difficulties after the scheduled maintenance period, please submit a help request ticket through the Open SUNY HelpDesk web page. Always check the Buffalo State Alerts page when you experience a down system.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Renew Life DigestMORE - 90 Capsules Customer Rating 4 1 review £20.69 Was £22.99 saving you 10% 206 reward points Free UK delivery In stock -This product will ship on Monday if ordered today. Multi-buy discounts Buy 2+ Buy 3+ Buy 5+ 5% off7% off10% off 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 Add to basket 100% Secure Shopping G C W S D Product code: 8335 Description Contents Ingredients Usage Notes Reviews Questions Description DigestMORE is a plant based digestive enzyme formula designed for digestive problems which do not occur everyday or only occur with a specific type of food or quantity of food. Proper digestion is vital for good health and energy. DigestMORE is a powerful blend of digestive enzymes that help ensure the proper breakdown of food so that it can be utilized by the body. Taken with meals it can help with gas, bloating, and other signs of poor digestion. When DigestMORE is taken with a meal, it works to break down foods into their smallest usable components (nutrients). This allows the body to absorb the maximum amount of nutrients from your meal. When food is effectively broken down, the overall function of the digestive system is improved, including a reduction in the amount of gas produced. DigestMORE also contains ingredients that are essential to repair and soothe the digestive system. It is truly daily digestive support. Renew Life Renew Life`s mission is to empower customers with the knowledge to improve their overall health through optimum digestive function and superior nutrition. Contents 90 Capsules Content: Per Capsule: Ginger Root, Rhizome (Zingiber officinalis) 170mg L-Glutamine 100mg Amylase 9,000 DU Marshmallow Root (Althaea officinalis) 25mg Papaya Fruit (Cariaca papaya) 25mg Protease 20,000 HUT Pectinase 4.5 Endo-PG Malt Diastase 125 DP Lactase 1,250 ALU Lipase 900 LU Bromelain (2400 gdu/gm, 3600 mcu/gm) 10mg Gamma Oryzanol 10mg N-Acetyl D-Glucosamine 10mg Cellulase 250 CU Phytase 2 U Invertase 50 SU Ingredients Pectinase Enzyme*, Ginger Root, Rhizome (Zingiber officinalis), Vegetable Capsule Shell (Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, water), L- Glutamine, Amylase Enzyme*, Marshmallow Root (Althaea officinalis), Papaya Fruit (Carica papaya), Protease Enzyme*, Malt Diastase Enzyme*, Lactase Enzyme*, Lipase Enzyme*, Bromelain Enzyme*, Gamma Oryzanol, NAG (N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine), Cellulase Enzyme*, Phytase Enzyme*, Invertase Enzyme*. *Carrier agent: Maltodextrin. Usage Take 1 capsule just before each meal as needed. Notes Store in a dry place away from direct sunlight and heat. Do not exceed recommended daily dose. Keep out of reach of children. Contraindications: Contains ingredients derived from shell fish. Do not use if pregnant or lactating. Reviews Below are reviews of Renew Life DigestMORE - 90 Capsules by bodykind customers. If you have tried this product we'd love to hear what you think so please leave a review. Leave a review Score Comments Name Email Submit review Score 4 Date 30/09/2016 Posted by Sarah Comment Best enzyme used to date, and I have tried a few! Questions & Answers Below are questions that bodykind customers have asked us about this product. If you want to know more about this product please don't hesitate to ask us a question. Ask us a question Question Email Confirm Email Submit question


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Luella Van Wagoner Clyde Breinholt
Born December 18, 1890 - Midway, Wasatch, Utah
Died May 24, 1975 - Heber City, Wasatch, Utah
Daughter of John Van Wagoner & Margaret Ann Fausett Van Wagoner
Married 1- Robert Earl Clyde - June 2, 1915 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Married 2- Canute Peter Breinholt - January 2, 1947
Contributed on 7/17/06 by wasatchcemetery
Email This Contributor
Record #: 12342
Thank you for visiting the Utah Gravestone Photo Project. On this site you can upload gravestone photos, locate ancestors and perform genealogy research. If you have a relative buried in Utah, we encourage you to upload a digital image using our Submit a Photo page. Contributing to this genealogy archive helps family historians and genealogy researchers locate their relatives and complete their family tree.
Submitted: 7/17/06 • Approved: 7/17/06 • Last Updated: 10/22/12 • R12342-G12340


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A Social Network for Women in Business, Women Entrepreneurs, and Bloggers
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I was listening to the replay of LaShanda's Day 1 of 5 Boost Your Business & Holiday Sales Teleconference this morning on my way into Manhattan. The one thing that stood out for me, was my lack…Continue
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Hi, I'm Artiatesia Deal, Web Consultant, Speaker and Small Business Owner. Through my business ArtDeal Designs™, a boutique Web Design Studio based in Brooklyn, I work with Solopreneuers, Small Businesses and Bloggers to give their business an online presence. My specialty is creating, customizing, and maintaining WordPress Websites and Blogs. I fell in love with web design over a decade ago (14-yrs & counting) when I created my very first web page on AOL Hometown. Over the years I have created several personal sites and blogs, after teaching myself how to code HTML and CSS all by hand. I got my start with blogging the same way, doing it all by hand. When that became too much of a hassle, I moved on to blogging platforms such Greymatter, Blogger, and Movable Type. I even tried creating my own by learning PHP before switching to WordPress. [learn more...]
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Thanks for the add!!!
Sugar & Spice Cupcakes


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Fiji's military leadership on Saturday lifted emergency regulations it had been using to stymie the country's press since 2009, according to local government websites. Good news? Maybe. Yet the regime still restricts the media, and anyone else who dares to question the legitimacy of the 2006 coup that brought its leaders to power--suggesting they are more concerned about appearances than press freedom.
CPJ has been covering censorship enforced by the emergency regulations since they were put in place by Fiji's self-appointed leader, Commodore Bainimarama, in April 2009, when censors were posted in newsrooms to excise anti-government reporting before publication. The timing--Bainimarama's military-backed rule had been pronounced unlawful by top judges, who he subsequently fired--was blatant, and official spokespeople appeared unconcerned about how this appeared overseas: "You can say it is censorship," one told the press.
Supposedly a 30-day measure, the regulations remained in place even after a media decree was drafted and passed to replace them. That decree introduced penalties, including jail terms, for any reporting that a government authority deems "against the national interest," and altered media ownership laws to oblige the critical, then-Australian-owned newspaper Fiji Times to pass to local management. Meanwhile, the "emergency" censors stayed in place. Thanks to both of these measures, self-censorship is so firmly instilled that the repeal of the emergency, unsurprisingly, "has not led to a sudden blossoming of political debate" in the media, as Australia's ABC Radio reported this week.
So when an Information Ministry representative tells the Fiji Times that "Government will no longer censor the news," as one did on January 3, or Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum tells ABC Radio, "there won't be government censors in newsrooms," after January 7, it's difficult to feel optimistic. The media decree remains in force, and if that weren't enough, the lifting of the emergency laws was swiftly followed by the implementation of revisions to laws protecting public order, which strengthen prohibitions on public gatherings or challenging the actions of the prime minister. These are not the actions of a leadership inclined to foster free expression.
Sayed-Khaiyum has not responded to CPJ's emailed or faxed requests for comment. His remarks to ABC, however, and other official statements, reveal a concerted effort to minimize international condemnation by comparison with other countries. "Would you be able to stand in Australia, if you run a story on your news report and say that [Prime Minister Julia] Gillard is a crook?" he asked. The tone on the government's website is just as defensive:
No element of the modernization to the Public Order Act goes beyond what other countries have currently in place. In fact, as outlined below, Fiji is not as strict as many other countries.
The bold emphasis, which is in the original, may be the key to understanding what has really changed in Fiji.
To mark the five-year anniversary of Bainimarama's seizure of power in December, CPJ and several other groups, including Human Rights Watch, criticized press freedom restrictions and other human rights abuses that have occurred on his watch. It is reassuring that the regulations were lifted just a month later, because it suggests the regime is becoming more attuned to international opinion. But it is not enough. This week's changes merely present censorship in the more acceptable language of public security and media regulation. Bainimarama must scrap the restrictive media decree and encourage public debate if he is truly committed to restoring democracy, his alleged goal for the past five years. Until then, the international community should continue to call him what he is: A dictator suppressing the media to maintain his illegitimate hold on power.


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let me guess... (nina simone!)
so, to mix things up a bit, i added Diana Krall radio to the stores Pandora music shuffle..
those of you familiar know that this then gives you music by the specific artist and also a variety of others who fall in the same genre..
morning customer: "i love this music.. who is it?"
(me!): "not sure. let me look... i love it too....
Nina Simone... I want some sugar in my bowl.. essentials album"
afternoon customer: "great music.. who is this..?"
(me!): "you know I'm not sure.. I love it too.. let me go look..
Nina Simone... she's putting a spell on us..."
evening customer: "who sings this song? I love this song"
(me!): "I love this song too! -sing along all the time and have no idea who it is..
but I might have a good guess now...


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- abdigitalAsked on May 11, 2011 at 08:47 AM
Hi there, is there any way a jotform which produces an excel spreadsheet can be opened and further edited and saved back to the same excel report held on the jotform system? Then further forms just get added to the excel sheet as normal. The idea is there. My line manager wants to be able to view an up-to-date excel report to see what forms have been submitted, he wants to be able to add another field to each report called status where he can then change the status of the form as it progresses through the business. This will sinply be an extra field where he can type "pending" "actioned" "complete" etc etc. The status field is not to appear in the actual online form people fill out.
He wants to then be able to save the excel document back to where the report comes from so when he looks at the reports later, it has saved his changes.
- JotForm SupportliyamAnswered on May 11, 2011 at 09:13 AM
Hello abdigital,
Unfortunately there is no function in Jotform for your report to be extracted, edited, then uploaded back again. The report features purpose is for viewing only so it's either you can view it online, or extract it to a spreadsheet.
To modify your submissions, you need to:
1. Login to your account
2. Go to your forms list and select your form
3. Go to submissions page by clicking Submissions above the forms list
4. View and edit your submissions on your submissions page.
For your field which you wish that can be modified by you or your line manager, what you can do is:
1. Add a Hidden Box field in your form (this field is under Power Tools)
2. Insert a default value for it such as "pending".
3. Once you go to your submissions page, choose the submission that you wish to edit.
4. Modify your submission including the value of the hidden field.
Hope this helps.
- abdigitalAnswered on May 12, 2011 at 06:23 AM
Hi, I've tried this. I've added a hidden box called STATUS to all my forms and have then gone into the submissions page. I've selected edit form but cannot see the hidden box for me to manually edit. I've tried deselecting auto hide empty fields etc but this only makes the hidden box appear when looking at the submission, as soon as I select edit the field dissapears.
- JotForm SupportliyamAnswered on May 12, 2011 at 03:18 PM
Hello abdigital,
I've looked into your forms and I don't see any hidden box field in any of it.
To explain this further, you need to select the hidden box field under power tools
Here's a sample of what I did to my form:
1. I inserted a hidden box field in my test form. Notice that the hidden box field when inserted into your form, will show up a notice.
2. I have edited my form and renamed the hidden box fiield to Status. I also placed "pending" as a default status in it. Notice that when I saved my form and viewed it in a browser, it does not show up.
3. After making a test submission, I went to the submissions page to view the submission. You will notice that the hidden box with a field name "status" shows up
5. This is how it looks like when I try to edit it. The text box of the hidden box field looks like a textbox with its borders as dashed. I also renamed the pending status to completed.
Let me know if this sample helps.
- JotForm SupportliyamAnswered on May 12, 2011 at 03:37 PM
After doing some tests, I see what you mean.
So far you won't be able to modify submissions that is already in record after you added the hidden field. I will submit this issue to our development team and wait for their response.
Or ... another alternative is using an ordinary textbox like the one you have in your form right now and just hide it using CSS. If you need assistance with this, just let me know.
- serkanAnswered on May 14, 2011 at 09:15 AM
This issue has been fixed now.


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It's time I started beefing up this puny site. As I near graduation with my MA in Theology and prepare to enter the PhD program, it's time for me to really start digging into my field of research. And if you haven't figured that out yet, it's Supernatural Theology.
I've explained what Supernatural Theology is HERE, but the question I get more than that is…Why?
So that's my topic this evening…why Supernatural Theology? Allow me to explain.
The Christian belief is an extremely supernatural belief. And our Bible is an extremely supernatural book. If we claim to take the Bible as truth, then there are many supernatural things we must accept as truth. Examples of these are: miracles, angels, demons, the resurrection of Jesus, and the afterlife. We believe these things…and we take them for granted.
Christians don't know much about these supernatural things. Some people say we shouldn't question too much about things the Bible doesn't tell us. But the Bible DOES tell us lots of things about the supernatural, so that objection is pointless. Maybe, supernatural things scare us. I don't know. But it's there and it should be studied. I believe that a Christian should know all that can be learned from the Bible, and that includes the lessons it has to teach about the supernatural. I've also found that a lot of Christians are fascinated by the supernatural…they just don't want to tell anyone.
That's reason number one. The second reason why I want to study Supernatural Theology is to provide answers to non-Christians. We live in a society that is obsessed with the supernatural. Every television channel has at least one show about some sort of supernatural thing. How many ghost hunting shows are there now? How many crime dramas feature psychics or super powers or some other strange abilities? And don't even get me started on vampires. Geez. The supernatural genre is also the hottest selling genre of novels today. The bookshelves are full of them. For the most part, the supernatural as it's portrayed outside the Bible gets everything wrong.
So the world as a whole wants answers about supernatural things. Many Christians want to know, but don't think it's something they can study. Non-Christians are getting their information from fictional sources. I want to provide good solid answers to as many of these questions as I can. If someone has a supernatural question, and through my research and Biblical study I can provide an answer…don't I have an obligation to do so?
That's my belief anyway. We can't always play the "demon card" when someone cries ghost. Not if we haven't studied the situation. That's unfair and irresponsible. But the Bible doesn't talk about ghosts, right? As a matter of fact, there are at least four passages that describe people who have died appearing to the living. That's just one example of how our preconceived notions about the supernatural are not always accurate.
We can do better. We can be better stewards with the information given us about the supernatural aspects of our beliefs. We can provide better answers to a world that is obsessed with the supernatural.
And that is why I'm studying what I'm studying. I invite you to follow along with me as a share with you my findings and experiences.


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History and features of Sangiovese
The Sangiovese is classified into several varieties for bunch size and grapes, among which the two most important are Sangiovese Grosso and Piccolo Sangiovese, with the first being used in almost all major productions, more vigorous, productive and qualitatively superior. Sangiovese is vigorous but difficult to cultivate because, although it adapts well to different climates, it has some suffering for the cold and humid ones. Even from the point of view of the ground there are no particular needs but it seems to prefer those that are not fertile and limestone, where it provides the best results with hot temperatures and dry environments. The budding occurs in the middle ages, with late maturation. It is sensitive to chlorosis, and suffers excessive acidity if it matures too long. Generally Sangiovese has medium sized, very elongated and conical clusters. Grosso type acorns are medium to large, while the Piccolo size is clearly small, both. The skin has very high concentrations of wintry, with purple black tones. The other big family of Sangiovese is that of the Sangiovese di Romagna, cultivated in the neighboring region with good results but certainly not comparable to those obtained in Tuscany.
Our selection of Sangiovese
premi sul vino per maggiori informazioni


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Comet outburst sends fragments flying
Astronomers measuring the speed of fragments surrounding a comet that produced the largest outburst ever recorded, believe they have identified the source.
Comet 17P/Holmes presented spectacular viewing in October 2007, when the 3.6 kilometre-wide comet split open, creating a sphere of debris the size of the Sun. The comet brightened by a factor of a million, from magnitude 17 to magnitude 3, in less than a day.
Dr Rachel Stevenson of the University of California, Los Angeles and colleagues observed the comet over nine nights in November 2007 using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in Hawaii.
Their research was presented today at the European Planetary Science Congress in Potsdam, Germany.
The researchers used a digital filter, known as a Laplacian spatial filter, which enhances discontinuities within the image, enabling them to pick out faint, small-scale structures.
They discovered a number of small fragments spiralling from the comet's central nucleus at speeds of up to 450 kilometres per hour.
The brightness of the fragments revealed they were not rocks but rather 'mini comets' creating their own coma, a halo of dust and gas lit by sunlight, the researchers say.
Blast from within
Stevenson says this suggests the fragments were not blasted from the comet by a collision, but from its own internal pressure.
"There are not many ways to eject fragments to such high speeds, so the discovery of these fragments allows us to rule out some possible causes of the outburst, such as a collision with another object in space, or material being flung off as the comet spun rapidly," she says.
"We suggest that pressure from gas built up inside the comet and eventually was strong enough to blast away some of the comet's surface."
Typically a comet's surface is dark. But gas released from the comet's core as it is heated by the Sun produces a glowing coma. Dust and the effects of solar radiation produce the characteristic tail.
"Initially we thought this comet was unique simply because of the scale of the outburst," says Stevenson.
"But we soon realised that the aftermath of the outburst showed unusual features, such as these fast-moving fragments, that have not been detected around other comets."
Surprisingly, the comet nucleus survived the outburst, as it did during a similar event in November 1892. The short-period comet orbits the Sun every six years and is due to return in 2014.
Not unique
Comet hunter Gordon Garradd of the Australian National University's Siding Spring Observatory says the cause of comet outbursts is unknown, but could be a combination of solar heating and gravitational effects.
"Comets are thought to be very friable, fragile objects that are not held together very tightly," he says. "Solar heating disrupts the surface allowing fissures to develop with further outgassing."
Garradd believes Comet Holmes' behaviour isn't unique and expects most comets to exhibit similar behaviour.
"It can happen to any comet, there's nothing specific about Holmes."
^ top


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All are invited to the annual Memorial Mass in honor of Lt. Fr. Joseph Verbis Lafleur, hosted by St. Landry Church (1020 N. Main Street, Opelousas, 70570). Fr. Lafleur served as Chaplain in the United States Army Air Corps; this year marks the 71st anniversary of his death as a prisoner of war during World War II.
The Mass will be celebrated by Military Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D.


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The apartment seemed as if it was made just for me. I had a bed and two shelves. The apartment lacked bed and shelves but had everything else – tables, chairs, a sofa. My bed was exactly 1.6 meters in width – and the tiny bedroom a perfect match.
There were two things I didn't like. The first, of course, was the lack of a dedicated bathroom. The shower cabin was in the kitchen and the toilet in a small room off the balcony. The second thing I didn't like was the mirror in the bedroom.
It's not that I don't like mirrors. But in a room just barely big enough for the bed, with walls to all sides, there was something disturbing in having one of the walls as just one large mirror. It felt misplaced and odd like a lone, smiling stranger standing in the middle of a desert road.
The first night I was tired from the move, every muscle in my body seemed to be aching and my body was still sticky and sweating even after two showers and four hours since the last box. Still I first lay awake for two or three hours, rolling from one side to the other and hoping for the salvation of sleep.
When sleep came, rather than a salvation, it turned out to be a horror movie instead. In a pitch black imageless dream I felt myself being pulled apart, squeezed into tiny space, and pulled apart again, over and over again. The dream felt as if it lasted for hours on end. Nothing woke me, nothing in my dream could save me from the darkness stretching and compressing my being in an orchestra of pains I never felt before.
When I woke up in the morning, rolling slowly over to the side, I felt better about the mirror. It felt less threatening and more welcoming. I smiled at my disheveled hair and at my crazy looking eyes. The mirror sat like me, one arm on the bed, the other scratching the head. But my mirror image didn't smile.
In a fraction of a second the world returned to normal. I don't know if I blinked or not, but in that moment my mirror image smiled again.
At night my mirror image behaved normally. I experimented with quick or slow movements, unexpected facial expressions – but all was normal. I taped postcards over part of the mirror.
That night the nightmares came back. They were the same as before, painful darkness with a surreal pulling and stretching and pressing that made my mouth taste like iron. But they felt easier, calmer even. They also didn't seem to last as long.
In the morning I opened my eyes and saw that my mirror image had already opened his. He blinked twice when I didn't. My face must have been filled with shock, his spoke of contempt or exhaustion.
It took longer this time, nearly half a minute. That's when, with one snap that was so sudden that I felt as if I actually heard a snapping sound, my mirror image returned to normal. It mirrored me perfectly, without fault, no matter what things I tried.
That evening I spent an hour taping more postcards and even posters on that mirror.
It didn't help.
The nightmares were less intense. They felt softer the way a ride on a rollercoaster becomes less exciting and threatening the more often you ride it. You learn the bumps and sudden turns, you learn the feeling of something ripping your skin in seventy different directions and the sudden compressions of an elephant stepping on your chest, and somehow it becomes more like a chore than a torture.
In the morning the postcards were ripped down. He was there for nearly ten minutes. I tried to take a picture of him but the reflection that the camera recorded look just like I had looked. While, when I took the picture, he wasn't even standing in front of me anymore. He was walking through the apartment, randomly appearing reflected in the TV, the corridor window and then in the bathroom mirror. I watched from the side as he brushed his teeth. And then, somehow, he saw me.
It was in just a flash, his eyes were on the sink, he spat his toothpaste out, and he looked at the mirror. There was shock on his face. His eyes opened wide and his mouth even wider and he stepped back and scrambled out of the frame.
I searched for him for about two minutes. Once I saw him glancing through the bedroom mirror.
The snap left a high-pitched ringing in my ears. He was back. He was back to being me. He reflected everything I did.
That night I tried to stay awake. I had taped most of the mirror shut but I sat in a place where I could see my own reflection.
I stared at myself for hours. I felt tiredness but I would swear my life that I didn't fall asleep. Just, from one moment to the other, I was suddenly back in my nightmare.
It was still a nightmare, I felt the cold sweat and the pain. But it seemed less intense, less strong, as if whoever had pulled me apart had stopped trying.
When I woke up he was already there. He was screaming and slamming his fists from the inside against the mirror. I sat outside the bedroom with a knife in my hand. I watched him, watched his lips. He seemed to be screaming "let me in."
For more than half an hour I sat and he screamed and scratched and clawed and threw things against the inside of the glass.
The snap left a sickening pain in my ears. I felt nauseous for nearly a minute. My heart was beating fast. And he was back to being me.
That night I slept at a friend's place. I told Jack there was a rat in my apartment that didn't let me sleep. He just nodded, showed me the couch and gave me a fresh bedsheet. We had beer. I asked whether he ever heard horror stories about mirrors. He told me about his version of Bloody Mary.
"And you?" Jack asked.
"I don't know," I said. "Do you think mirror images can act on their own?"
He laughed. That was it. He just laughed.
In the morning Jack made me call the landlord about the 'rat infestation.' The landlord denied it all but promised to bring me traps the same evening.
That meant I had to go back.
The landlord came. I stuffed the traps in a corner and got fresh clothes to change into while at Jack's place. It was just getting dark outside.
I just stepped into the bedroom to open the built-in wardrobe. It cannot have been longer than a minute. I even avoided looking at the mirror.
Still the deep darkness took me. I felt myself falling on the bed and before my body hit the mattress it was already there.
This time it was smooth, easy. I still felt the pulling and stretching and pushing but the pain seemed somehow distant and numb.
I screamed involuntarily when I woke up. My mirror image was bleeding on both his hands. His fingers were covered in open cuts and his fingernails seemed to be torn off. His knees looked blue and purple and so did his forehead.
His eyes were red with tears. He kept hitting and scratching at the glass. And he kep screaming, without even the faintest tone.
"Let me in," he screamed. "Let me back."
I looked at him for nearly an hour. I brushed my teeth while he was there and clawed towards what must have been from his perspective my face.
He was still there when I left, hitting against the glass.
I saw him in the car mirrors and in puddles below my feet. Even in the bright reflections in the underground's windows.
I was so focused on seeing him that I barely noticed anything else just the bare minimujm to cross the road in safety and to find my way to the large beige building that held our offices.
I tried to play it calm. I tried not to let anyone notice.
Jack was already at work. He came over to my desk.
"You okay?"
"I guess so."
Something seemed wrong with the computer mouse. It was weirdly placed when I came, but when I tried to use it someone had reversed the buttons. Jack watched me struggle.
"What's wrong?"
"The mouse is acting weird."
Jack watched me for a moment, then he frowned.
"Since when are you left handed?"
I was holding the mouth in my right hand.
"I'm not," I said.
"Then why don't you switch to your right?"
In confusion I looked at my hands. The mouse was in my right.
"But I…"
I don't know how I didn't notice the keyboard before that. Or the calendar. Or that my desktop wallpaper and even the icons were reversed vertically.
It's been six months now. I even moved to another apartment but it didn't help.
It's surprisingly easy to get used to reading mirror writing. But I still use the mouth with my right – left? – hand and I still type slowly and with many mistakes.
Before I moved I tried to sit for days at a time in front of that mirror.
My mirror image too gave up on scratching and hitting. He copied me and sometimes I copied him. We are acting now as if we are one, and often we do the same things instantaneously, like real mirror images would.
On pictures it all looks normal. We tried a few experiments but all failed. It seems impossible to show him to anybody else.
But I still see him. Both of us found the same, mirrored, new place. Every day we sit opposite each other and try to talk but the conversation. We became good at lip reading but our conversations are unpleasant and boring. We know all the same things, all the same jokes and spontaneous ideas.
It seems we are stuck this way. With all of you the wrong way around.
I wonder why. And I wonder if there are others like me. Others that use the wrong hand.


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wtf: Syfy wants us viewers to create one of its Saturday night original films
Can it possibly get any better (ie: worse) that Stonehenge Apocalypse? The geek mind boggles… and eagerly awaits the results of Syfy's latest experiment.
From a press release (I wanted to cut it down, but it's all so horrifying and delicious):
New York, NY – June 22, 2010 – Want to create the next mega-Syfy Saturday Original Movie? Beginning Friday, June 25, Syfy and IGN.com will launch an imaginative, innovative online production site enabling fans a unique opportunity to build – from start to finish – a movie that will air on Syfy in 2011.
B Movie Mogul allows users to select everything from the movie concept, title, creatures, wardrobe, dialogue and promotional taglines to how a character gets killed – even the character's final words!
Online "producers" will also have access to development and production meetings through updates written by both IGN and Syfy executives, as well as being the first to see initial creature designs and artwork.
Kicking off before the Saturday, June 26 premiere of the highly anticipated Saturday Original Movie Dinocroc vs Supergator – produced by B Movie cult icon Roger Corman – B Movie Mogul begins with a six week voting period. Fans can choose among the following initial story concepts, which are major tenets of the science fiction genre:
When the President's plane goes down in the Bermuda Triangle, a rescue force discovers that the cause of unexplained disappearances is not an electromagnetic force or weather anomalies – it's a monstrous alien creature.
In 1947, something crash-landed in the desert near Roswell, New Mexico. Pieces of the strange craft were found, photographed and quickly confiscated by the U.S. government – but no one ever talks about the living creature that was recovered from the site.
On December 21st in the last year of the Mayan calendar, something thought long dead rises to live again – and that means trouble for civilization.
The winning movie concept will be announced during the Saturday, August 14 Saturday Original Movie. Once the movie has been chosen, fans will continue creating the movie by selecting specific details about character and plot, revising these broad concepts to provide a fresh perspective on these genre staples.
Titles! We need titles! A few suggestions:
Snakes on a Starship
Super Dinomansquioto
Wormhole Tornado Apocalypse
Atomic World Cup
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3 Tips To Facilitate The Bail Bonds Process
Posted on: 25 August 2017
Being arrested can be a stressful event. Many people who are arrested can be released on bail, allowing them to await a court date from the comfort of their own home. Navigating the bail bonds process can be challenging for someone who is being arrested for the first time.
Here are three tips that you can use to facilitate the bail bonds process, should you or a loved one be arrested in the future.
1. Begin the process as quickly as possible.
No one wants to spend more time in jail than is necessary, but it's important to recognize that the bail bonds process can take time. There is a significant amount of paperwork that will need to be completed and filed by your bail bondsman in order to secure your release.
Depending on how busy the jail is at the time of your processing, the amount of time required to complete the filing of this paperwork can vary. Be sure that you begin the bail bonds process as quickly as possible following your arrest to minimize the amount of time you spend behind bars.
2. Have the right information ready.
Another important tip to help you reduce the amount of time required to secure a bail bond is to have the right information ready when you meet with a bail bondsman for the first time.
In order to complete the paperwork necessary for your release, the bondsman will need to know the date of your arrest, the charges that you are facing, and the jail that you are being held in. Having all of this information ready prior to contacting a bail bondsman will reduce the amount of time required to secure your release.
3. Be prepared to provide collateral.
Since a bail bondsman is taking a significant risk in putting up money to secure your release from jail, being prepared to offer ways that you can minimize this risk could facilitate the bail bonds process.
You should be prepared to provide collateral that will help you secure a bail bond, especially if your bail amount is high. Assets with a fixed value (like automobiles or real estate) are often used as collateral for bail bonds, so be prepared to offer these assets to your bondsman if needed.
Being able to facilitate the bail bonds process will help you secure your freedom following an arrest. Make sure that you start the process early, provide your bondsman with the right information, and offer collateral when needed to reduce the amount of stress associated with posting bail in the future. For more information, contact a company like All Night & Day Bailbonds.Share


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Pronunciation: 'kyur
Function: noun
1 a : spiritual charge : CARE b : pastoral charge of a parish
2 a : recovery or relief from a disease b : something (as a drug or treatment) that cures a disease c : a course or period of treatment <take the cure for alcoholism> d : SPA 1
3 : a complete or permanent solution or remedy
It is unlikely SCI will ever see definition number 3. Can you work or go back to school? Knew a C-6 quad that had his Masters Degree and was working on his Doctorate. Have a friend that lives near by that is a C-4 and has a 4 year college degree and works from his home. Another C-6 down the road works 5 days a week for 4-5 hours a day.
Staying busy is the best "cure".


text: Home Resource Center Newsletters Newsletter Archives Coating Materials News 1996 to 1999 Coating Materials News Vol 7 Issue 4 Dec 1997 Coating Materials News Vol 7 Issue 4 October - December, 1997 Coating Ophthalmic Lenses Introduction: A large industry has grown up around the coating of ophthalmic lenses to reduce surface reflections. AR coated eyeglasses have been historically more popular in Asia and Europe than in the US by 4 to 1, but the trend is changing as people begin to appreciate the benefits of reduced glare. The majority of lenses in use today are of polymer composition rather than glass. The low temperature tolerance and mechanical softness of polymers presented the coater with a new set of problems. This article reviews some of the technology that has been in place for many years in this industry. The two most common polymers used in eyeglasses are injection molded polycarbonate and thermoset cast CR-39. Each has its advantages. The impact resistance of polycarbonate is well known, but it is less scratch-resistant than CR-39. Polycarbonate has a higher refractive index than CR-39, 1.586 vs. 1.503 respectively at 586 nm, so AR coating is easier. The higher reflection of polycarbonate is reason enough to apply an AR coating. Some of the technology required to bring AR coating of polymer lenses to a routine production process include the following: Surface cleaning / preparation Low temperature deposition Repeatability Low reflection and consistent residual color Adhesion and scratch resistance of the coating Environmental durability AR coatings are generally four-layer designs using silicon dioxide (n = 1.43) and titanium dioxide (n = 2.1) as the low and high-index materials. In recent years zirconium dioxide has been introduced for the high-n layer. Deposition is by electron beam or sputtering. Layer thickness control to achieve Ravg <0.75% and="" reproducible="" color="" is="" critical="" since="" of="" the="" layers="" is="" relatively="" thin.=""> Adhesion to Polymer Surfaces: The first problem that required solution was adherence to the polymer surface. A typical coating load of 20 lens pair imposes a surface area of nearly 5000 cm2 from which water and other volatiles can degas and either contaminate or reduce surface adhering forces. Since polymers absorb water and cannot be heated to temperatures sufficient to drive off absorbed or adsorbed water, the water must be either pumped away or incorporated in the coating in a benign combination. Lenses are generally heated above room temperature before loading into the vacuum chamber. Then they are pumped in high vacuum for a period of time to remove the weakly bond water. Often a cold surface is included in the chamber onto which water will condense. Following this partial dehydration, a thin adhesion layer, generally <50å chromium,="" is="" deposited.="" the="" cr="" reacts="" with="" residual="" water="" and="" oxygen="" to="" oxidize="" to="" a="" non-absorbing="">xlayer to which subsequently condensing oxide compound layers bond. This step is crucial in preparing the polymer surface for the TiO2 layer. An oxygen plasma can be introduced to promote adhesion through the formation of surface polymer-metal bonds. Pure argon plasmas do not promote nucleation, but adding at least 10% oxygen is effective in making the plasma reactive. Some metals nucleate well with nitrogen vs. oxygen plasmas. When used in excess, this technique can backfire by creating deeper damage and preventing strong bonding. Generally a minute of 5kV discharge at a partial pressure of ~10 µm is sufficient unless the surface is contaminated. This "glow discharge" cleaning step can also drive water and hydrocarbons off the surface. Both the plasma cleaning and the metal adhesor layer are often used to insure good nucleation, growth, and adhesion. Another technique that aids adhesion and final durability is to apply a chemical hard coating to the surface before AR coating. The material is an acrylic, and is applied by dipping or spinning, then cured through reaction with UV. The new surface layer is up to 7 µm thick. Formulations are available for the variety of polymers used in the optical industry. Deposition Techniques in Use: Sputter deposited coating of lenses in place of evaporated deposition has the advantage of minimizing the temperature of the lenses, thereby reducing thermal coefficient difference induced stress levels. Further, these depositions possess higher packing densities and are therefore more stable to wet exposure including erosion by skin salts and oils. However, sputter deposited layers often have higher intrinsic stress, leading to haziness due to microscopic crazing, especially if cohesive and adhesive strengths are marginal. This is one of the reasons evaporation is more widely used in the ophthalmic industry than sputtering (another is cost vs. volume throughput). As discussed in previous CMN issues however, sputter deposition lends itself to easier automation and thereby more consistent repetition of optical performance than electron-beam evaporation. In the latter, irregular erosion of the source material affects the deposition distribution pattern, and might thwart the randomizing ability of the rotation pattern to produce sufficiently uniform and repeatable thicknesses. It is important, therefore, that the source material in the e-beam hearth be properly prepared and remain consistent in form as well as composition. Uniform evaporation of the low index material, SiO2 , is particularly difficult to maintain. The starting silica material is in the form of small irregular pieces, and evaporation proceeds only from the surfaces where the e-beam is fusing the material. The e-beam must be swept at a high rate to create a source larger than a point in order to maintain a high deposition rate without drilling. Without consistent sweep, a tunnel will be drilled from which the distribution pattern will leave in a narrow beam. All of the titanium oxide compounds available for vacuum deposition have been investigated in the search to provide a material form and oxidation state that will produce low absorption films at deposition rates appropriate with volume production. The meltable compounds Ti2O3 and Ti3O5 are favored starting compounds for forming TiO2. The evaporation rate of titania layers is easier to control because the material melts into a pool. Mixtures of titania with zircionia and tantala have been developed as substitutes for pure titanium oxides. They produce a more consistent composition and crystal state, thus leading to homogeneous films. Deposition Parameters: Specifications for eyewear include low reflection and high transmission as well as good durability. It is important therefore that the coating layers have low absorption in addition to good adherence and hardness. Low absorption is not a problem when coating glass where the temperature of the substrate can be increased to near 200º C to insure complete oxidation and high packing density. The conditions for coating polymer surfaces are more demanding since the benefits of high temperature are not available. Typical deposition parameters for growing the silica layer are oxygen partial pressure near 2 x 10-5 Torr, evaporation rate 2-5 Å/s. The parameters will vary with coating chamber geometry and possibly with time as water is degassed. A shift in color and average reflectance will be experienced upon venting into the microstructure of the film layers. Processes that increase packing density, such as ion assist or sputtering, will decrease the stabilization time. The designer must anticipate and accommodate the shift in the production process. Coating Durability: Resistance to scratching is a requirement for eyeglasses. The customer often does not exercise care in cleaning, and succeeds in scratching the coating. The AR coating, in spite of its composition based on oxides, is not as durable as the bulk materials or as coatings deposited on glass where the temperature can be increased. Coatings on plastic substrates are soft because they possess lower packing density (with the exception of sputtered films). The chemical hard coat mentioned previously increases the scratch resistance to a certain level. Layers of silica have been applied directly to CR-39 to increase scratch resistance using plasma enhanced CVD. At 3µm minimum thickness they have proven very effective. The cost penalty for this process is not always justified. Typical AR Design: The following is an illustration of a 4-layer silica / titania design on CR-39, and its computed performance. The residual reflection is placed in the green-blue region for cosmetic appeal. The thin layers require accuracies in thickness and refractive index of <5%. material="" properties="" and="" evaporation="" process="" control="" must="" be="" very="" repeatable="" to="" ensure="" high="" yield="" production.=""> Computed performance of the design showing a green residual reflection. Average R over the visible region is ~0.5%. Tinting of Eyewear: Apart from the residual color from the AR coating, lenses are sometimes tinted to produce a fashionable color. As mentioned above, one method of increasing the durability of lenses is to deposit a thick layer of silica directly on the CR-39. If a few percent by weight of metals such as gold, silver, copper chromium, etc. is added to the silica, selective absorption of the metal ion will produce coloration. Projected Advances: Scratch resistance improvement of polymer lenses is one of the major areas needing attention. This will come about through advances in materials and deposition processes. A factor driving the eyeglass market is the added expense of coating, which is a large fraction of the manufacturing cost of the lens itself. Batch coating helps the problem, but technology exists for increasing batch sizes at low risk. Stripping the coating off in the event of errors is possible, but costly. Another durability issue is chemical resistance, where the user often does not or cannot clean his or her glasses with the care the deserve. Partial solubility of the coating, made worse by the presence of pinholes, is a concern because the coatings are not fully dense and impermeable. Again, economical techniques and materials need development. Sputter AR coatings provide advantages in durability, but at a greater expense. Harder oxides such as ZrO2 and Nb2O5 are being explored as substitutes for TiO2. But increased stress experienced, which reduces durability. Conclusion: This summary article serves to aquatint the reader with the current status of ophthalmic coating, and with some of the challenges yet to be conquered. Dr. Ervin Colton, Editor CERAC, inc. P.O. Box 1178 | Milwaukee, WI 53201 Phone: 414-289-9800 | FAX: 414-289-9805 e-mail: email@example.com Samuel Pellicori, Principal Contributor Pellicori Optical Consulting P.O. Box 60723 | Santa Barbara, CA 93160 Phone/FAX: 805-682-1922 back to top ©Copyright 1997, CERAC, inc. All printed, graphic and pictorial materials made available on this website are owned by CERAC and protected by Federal Copyright laws. None of the materials, in whole or in part, may be reprinted and distributed or otherwise made available to others for any purpose without CERAC's prior written consent. Phone: 414-289-9800 / FAX: 414-289-9805 / firstname.lastname@example.com


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Category: Blog
How Important Is a 5 Star Reputation?
admin 0 Comments Blog
Reputation Marketing became an important element to online marketing in June of 2013. It was at this time that Google started suggesting reviews for all niches being searched. Google decided that reviews would be more important than any other tool used with online marketing.
Those using the search engines became serious about reviews, saying they would trust an online review as much as a personal referral.
If I don't have a negative review that is good, right?
Studies Show that as little as a half star improvement can increase your business
Berkley Study on Yelp reviews for restaurants, half star change can increase sales by 19{82b48e0ac82c8259e9c8004fcd9505a66a24b06cfcdff4031dbdaed4a4a3c80c}
Harvard Study on Yelp reviews showed a difference in 1 star can increase sales more than 9{82b48e0ac82c8259e9c8004fcd9505a66a24b06cfcdff4031dbdaed4a4a3c80c}
Volkswagon study showed that dealerships with average 4 star rating or higher get 32{82b48e0ac82c8259e9c8004fcd9505a66a24b06cfcdff4031dbdaed4a4a3c80c} more traffic than those with 2 stars and below.
Cornell University's Hotel School showed a hotel could raise it's price 11.2{82b48e0ac82c8259e9c8004fcd9505a66a24b06cfcdff4031dbdaed4a4a3c80c} with a 1 star higher rating and not affect sales.
Other Review Tips
Range – Your reviews should be directed to multiple directories to help them be visible in different areas.
Real – Make sure the reviews are from your customers, keep it real or you could be banned from Google.
Recent – More recent reviews weigh heavier in the search engines. Keep your clients/ patients actively reviewing often.
Quantity – The goal would be to have 2-8 clients/patients share a review each week.
Quality – 5 star reviews are the goal, but it is ok if a 4 star sneaks in their once in a while, don't panic, it helps your company look human.Read More


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|About this Recording
2.110334 - MUSICAL JOURNEY (A) - BRUCKNER, A.: Symphony No. 4, "Romantic" (with scenery and sights of Austria) (NTSC)
A Musical Tour of Austria
Carinthia: Hochosterwitz Castle • Styria and Carinthia: Landscape
Burg Hochosterwitz, the castle of Hochosterwitz, in Styria (Steiermark), a region of Lower Austria, is remarkable in its siting, set, as it is, on a rock at a height of some 540 feet above the surrounding valley. The castle was built by Georg Freiherr von Khevenhüller in the third quarter of the 16th century on the site of an earlier building dating from the 9th century. There are fourteen gates on the road winding up to the castle, before the entrance itself is reached, and the castle itself preserves historic weapons and other reminiscences of its past. Styria is adjacent to Carinthia, regions of the south of Austria.
Music Bruckner: Symphony No 4 'Romantic' – I. Bewegt, nicht zu schnell
Anton Bruckner was born in Ansfelden, near Linz, in 1824, the son of a schoolmaster and organist and descendant of a longer line of Austrian schoolmasters. He was originally destined by his father for the same profession and was admitted as a student to the Augustinian monastery of St Florian as a chorister. Three years later, in 1840, he went to Linz to train as a teacher, and the following year became an assistant village schoolmaster. In 1845 a vacancy was found for him at St Florian, and six years later he was appointed organist there, later to become organist at Linz Cathedral and undertake further musical study in Vienna, where he eventually assumed teaching duties at the Conservatory. His remaining years were spent largely in Vienna and were not without troubles and disappointments. His admiration for Wagner aroused the antipathy of that composer's enemies, champions of Brahms, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra refused at first to play his symphonies, although the opposition of the musicians was eventually overcome. These setbacks led Bruckner, never too certain of himself, to undertake revisions of his work so that the symphonies now exist in several versions. Bruckner's Symphony No 4 in E flat major, was written in its first version in 1873 and 1874, further revisions, as always, taking place in the following years. The opening theme is one that we should do well to remember in listening to the first movement, contrasted as it later is with a more gemütlich Viennese style of melody. The critic Eduard Hanslick, a supporter of Brahms, writing of Symphony No 8, remarked on the repetition of short chromatic motives again and again, higher and higher in the scale and on into infinity. The organist's improvisatory device of sequence is, in fact, also used here by Bruckner to great cumulative effect.
Ansfelden • St Florian • Styria and Salzkammergut: Landscape
Born at the village of Ansfelden, where the house of his birth is preserved in his memory, Bruckner is buried in the crypt of the Abbey of St Florian, where he had his early training, served for some years as organist. His memory is preserved in a portrait, his piano, and pages from his compositions. The abbey building, erected on the site of earlier foundations, dates largely from the early 18th century on Baroque plans by Carlo Carlone, succeeded by Jakob Prandtauer. Outside is the courtyard Eagle Fountain and in the Abbey Church is a historic 18th century organ by Franz Xaver Krismann.
Music Bruckner: Symphony No 4 'Romantic' – II. Andante quasi allegretto
The second, slow movement opens with a flowing melody in the lower strings, to which others soon have something to add, against a plucked bass accompaniment.
Linz: Hohenbrunn Castle and Hunting Museum • Upper Austria • Salzburg
Hohenbrunn, a dependency of St Florian, is a Jadgschloss, a hunting-lodge, and exhibits trophies of various kinds associated with hunting and shooting, in a Hunting Museum.
Music Bruckner: Symphony No 4 'Romantic' – III. Scherzo: Bewegt
The Scherzo follows, with a hunting-song, in the 1880 version of the work here recorded, contrasted with the horn motive of the gentler pastoral Trio. The movement is, of course, prolonged to a length commensurate with the proportions of the whole symphony, conceived on a massive scale.
Vienna: Schönbrunn Palace • Belvedere: Festival Hall and Marble Hall • St Florian • Upper Austria: Landscape
Originally a hunting-lodge, then lying outside the city of Vienna, the Palace of Schönbrunn dates from 1730, the favourite residence of the Empress Maria Theresia. The Gloriette, with its open portico, on a slope in the surrounding park, was built for Joseph II and the Empress, his mother, in 1775. The Neptune Fountain dates from 1780 and the Palm House was built in 1882. The Belvedere, consisting of two Baroque palaces, was built in the early 18th century for Prince Eugen of Savoy, whose victories against the Turks are commemorated in reliefs and frescoes. Bruckner, Court Organist, was given quarters there by the Emperor for the last sixteen months of his life. The Sala Terrena has four Herculean statues supporting its ceiling. After the death of Prince Eugen in 1736, the palaces were sold off by his heir and eventually acquired by the Emperor, used, as now, to provide the public with an art gallery.
Music Bruckner: Symphony No 4 'Romantic': IV – Finale: Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell
The Finale is the longest of the four movements of the symphony and the weightiest. It has something of the steadiness of a march in its rhythms, soon to be interrupted by more lyrical ideas, those Viennese intrusions into what is, on the whole, a more serious world. At a later stage Bruckner suggested programmatic titles for the movements of the symphony. These are of such banality that they are best ignored, as they do nothing so much as trivialise the music, whatever personal associations it may have held for this most unliterary of romantic composers.
Keith Anderson
Royal Flanders Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Günther Neuhold [Naxos 8.550154]
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On Wednesday 18 September, to mark one year to go until the Scottish Referendum, we put up a display looking at this contemporary debate, and how it could be one which would have lasting effects on all living in the UK today.
As part of this, we conducted our own poll, and asked visitors the question Scottish residents will be asked in 2014; Should Scotland be an independent country? The display proved to get our visitors talking, with a total of 119 people casting their vote in just over a week.
We provided visitors with voting slips asking them the above question, and gave them the option to tell us their nationality, which was entirely optional. We hoped this would give us an idea of the spread of voters, and whether one country was more likely to vote a certain way than another- we were especially interested in how our Scottish visitors would vote!
So, without further ado, here are the results. The majority (53%) of our visitors believe that Scotland should not be an independent country, that we are 'Better Together' and voted that they stay within the United Kingdom. This is opposed to 31% of visitors who believe that Scotland should be an independent country and voted with the YES Scotland campaign. 13% of our visitors posted voting slips with no vote on at all, whether this was because they were left undecided, whether they wanted to make a stand against the referendum, or perhaps they merely wanted to post something into our lovely ballot boxes without taking part in the vote, we can never tell, so we can't gain a great amount of information from these votes.
The remaining 5% of our visitors left no vote on their slip, but did write a comment to express their views. One visitor interestingly wrote 'It's up to them' when faced with the question, asserting that it should be up to Scotland alone to decide whether they should be independent of the UK.
A further few visitors made their vote, but then left comments after it to attest to their feelings on the matter. One voter put a cross in the 'No' box, but further remarked "But I'd still get rid of Westminster", while another voted 'Yes' then commented "Then Shetland and Grampian will go-it alone with their oil!".
As previously mentioned, visitors were given the option to tell us their nationality upon voting. The uptake on this was not as great, but this is to be expected when this is not a traditional part of a voting slip. An interesting observation can be made from these results, that the majority of 'No' voters have defined themselves as British, whereas the majority of YES voters have defined themselves as either English or Scottish. This is of course to be expected, but it does suggest that many people already see themselves as living in separate nations, regardless of whether that is legally confirmed or not.
What do you believe? Do you agree with the majority of our visitors and think that Scotland are better staying within the UK, or do you think they should go-it alone? Cast your vote now on our online poll at the bottom of the page! Whatever your view, this debate has proved to spark diverse reactions from our visitors, and will prove to make an interesting referendum in 2014!


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Talent, drive and enthusiasm - that's what makes a Kirkland & Ellis attorney. We believe in creative solutions fueled by teamwork, and we are dedicated to providing our clients with superior results. With lawyers coming from the world's finest law schools, Kirkland & Ellis is known as an industry leader in recruiting, retaining and advancing the brightest legal talent. Our reputation for excellence is recognized globally.
Key Facts
2,500+ Attorneys
100+ years of experience
15 Offices Worldwide: Beijing, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, Palo Alto, Paris, San Francisco, Shanghai, Washington, D.C.
Our Core Practice Areas
We try cases. Our trial lawyers are the experienced courtroom advocates that clients demand. We handle the most challenging cases, and our success rate at trial is among the best in the country.
We cover the full spectrum of complex corporate transactions important to global businesses, including private equity, M&A, debt finance, capital markets, private funds, tax, executive compensation, real estate, and technology and IP transactions. Our attorneys don't just understand the market — they often "move the market" with innovative solutions.
We have one of the most respected intellectual property litigation practices in the country. With decades of experience, our IP litigation attorneys have achieved extraordinary results in patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret misappropriation and advertising matters, and they excel in large-scale, bet-the-company cases.
Our market-leading restructuring group provides a broad range of business advisory and crisis management skills to navigate clients through the turmoil of situations involving financially troubled companies. We represent some of the world's largest companies and creditors in high-profile, complex and often contested multijurisdictional restructurings.
Firm Recognition
Kirkland consistently makes the top list for workplace rankings and awards, and we take pride in our accomplishments. Kirkland's website has a complete list of Firm awards, media mentions and press releases. Here are a few of our recent accolades:
Top 10 Most Prestigious Firms
Vault, 2019
Recognized in North America Innovative Lawyers Report
Financial Times, 2018
"A-List" Firm
The American Lawyer, 2018
Tier 1: 10 categories
Chambers Global, 2018
Tier 1: 20 categories
Chambers USA, 2018
Best Law Firms for Women
Working Mother, 2018
Pro Bono Hot List
National Law Journal, 2018
Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality
Human Rights Campaign, 2018


text: SHARK Rocket HV320UKT £149.99 Manufacturer: shark Model: HV320UKT Colour: Silver Sorry, this product is out of stock. Product Summary Key Facts Specifications Product Summary Don't let the vacuuming become a chore with the Shark Rocket HV320UKT Bagless Vacuum Cleaner. No loss of suction Your new Shark Rocket Vacuum is sure to keep cleaning your home efficiently for longer thanks to no loss of suction technology. On top of this, it's rated 'A' for energy efficiency, meaning it will help to keep your electricity bills down. Illuminated cleaning Powerful LED lights clearly display the area where you're cleaning, so you can get the vacuuming done in no time and pick up those fiddly, annoying pet hairs or bits of dust you may have missed before. Lightweight, ergonomic design The Shark HV320UKT Rocket is packed full with helpful features and functions to make your chore list vanish in no time. An 8 metre power cord lets you clean multiple rooms in one go, without having to plug into another socket. Key Facts HV320UKT Capacity: 0.9 litresWeight: 4.0 kgIdeal for pet ownersCarpet performance: BNo loss of suction Specification HV320UKT OVERVIEWType Upright bagless vacuum cleanerPower - 500 W- No loss of suctionCapacity 0.9 litresDetachable handheld unit YesManufacturer's guarantee 5 yearsPERFORMANCEAppropriate power 73 aWPower regulator YesFloor types - Carpet- Hard floorFilter type Foam filterFEATURESEasy steer technology YesTelescopic tube YesOperating radius 1.19 mIntegrated handle controls YesHeight-adjustable handle YesQuick release wand YesGENERALColour Bordeaux / silverBox contents - Shark HV320UKT Rocket Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner- 18 inch fixed crevice tool- Dusting brush- Dust away attachment with pad- Turbo brush- Upholstery tool- 8 m flex- Instruction manualPower cord storage YesPower cord length 8 mDimensions 830 x 293 x 253 mm (H x W x D)Weight 4.03 kgEnergy efficiency class AAnnual energy consumption 19.3 kWhCarpet cleaning performance class BHard floor cleaning performance class DDust re-emission class CSound power level 85.5 dB 5 YEAR GUARANTEE !!


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[Survey Results] What's the REAL Problem with Learning Bird Photography?
Last week I conducted a very simple survey to understand the real problems with learning bird photography.
The questions were based on my experience talking to numerous students over a period of several years. The survey was very simple and would only take a minute or two to complete.
2,594 readers opened my mail
2,594 readers opened my mail, hopefully, read the content, but only 170 readers responded to the survey. I would have loved to get responses from 2,594 readers as it would have helped me immensely to know what are the real problems.
What I think is a REAL problem is not necessarily what you think
Many a time, I have realized that what I think is a real problem is not necessarily what you (or my students) think. There seems to be a gap in understanding. This is true in all fields. The experts think this is the real issue, but amateur photographers think otherwise.
This gap can mean an opportunity for the experts to know the real problems. But how would an expert know what's the real problem unless the amateurs say it? Agree?
Reason for this Survey
I conducted this bird photography survey because I am coming up with a course for bird photographers. I have spent lots of time in understanding what are the true needs of the bird photographers, but it's never sufficient. The more I know about your issues, the better I can serve you.
So, if what I believed are the real problems, matches with what you think, then we have a win-win situation. The course that I design relies heavily on these factors. I don't want to make yet-another-course that's not so useful.
The new course is radically different from any other course. It follows a scientifically proven way of learning skills. It's practical. It's simple. You'll get to decide if these claims are right or wrong in a few weeks time.
Do you think you can help?
If you think you can help me in this regard, all that you need to do take the survey. There are only nine checkboxes each representing the actual problem a bird photographer faces day-in-day-out.
The results from one hundred seventy readers prove that I am on the right path to designing a course that solves your bird photography problems. Your vote might either reinforce that belief or steer me in the other direction.
I need at least 500 votes to be 100% sure that I am working on the real problems of the bird photographers. So, your vote counts.
The Results Are in…
Here's the survey result from 170 readers. I would like to thank them for taking this chance to help me understand their real problems with bird photography.
In the end, all that matters is…
…your vote. Why not take this survey right now? Thanks in advance.
Take Care!


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Too Faced Glamour Gloss is a high pigment lip plumping gloss that comes in a variety of nice shades. I gave two shades a try and was quite impressed with the level of pigment in this non-sticky gloss. Many lip plumpers are more on the oily and sheer side, so some high pigment color is nice to see! I found that the plumper had a decent amount of tingle, and enough to notice a bit of plumping, but it wasn't overbearing. Keep in mind that the best pumpers will tingle some. Personally I like the sensation.
Here is what Too Faced cosmetics has to say about their Glamour Gloss and then a couple of swatches are below that.
A super shine lip gloss collection with a natural plumping and cooling action. Our richly pigmented shade is a chic choice for today's glam girl.
- Pain Free, Pretty Plump: An innovative and luxurious feeling gloss formula provides the plumping results of Lip Injection with a sensual cooling sensation.
- High Color Impact: A wide range of long-wearing, sexy shades offer color-rich, true pigment payoff.
- Flawless Brush-on Application: Custom tapered tip is designed to follow the natural lip shape. High quality Taklon bristles resist fraying and dispense the optimal amount of gloss.
- Natural Plumping System: Natural rice lipids and dehydrated marine spheres work directly with the body's hydration system to collect moisture and plump lips.
- Firming and Anti-Aging: A combination of Omega 3, 6 and 9, Natural Vitamin E, Jojoba and Avocado oils hydrate and moisturize lips for a youthful appearance.
Below are swatches of the shades Pillow Talk and Peek-a-Boo:
Disclosure: this post is based on products provided to me by a representative of the company.


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Compare costs, features and more on the products and services your business wants. You will obtain a free service suggestion and price quote based on your business needs. Market research gives you exact particulars of how your rivals are operating and increasing their business. It is better to make a properly-planned business strategy earlier than beginning a business or making an investment.
Maintenance and Restore: Do not forget the repairing half, after you start a vending machine business. The web sites' administration has the fitting to delete comments made in languages apart from the language of the majority of the websites' content material. In many nations, it's difficult to compile all of the laws that may have an effect on a business right into a single reference source.
Chase Service provider Providers provides you with a safer and handy method to do business by giving your clients the flexibleness to make purchases nonetheless they choose with added security that protects their accounts. When businesses need to boost cash (called capital ), they generally supply securities for sale.
In addition, a business that wishes to boost cash on a inventory market or to be owned by a wide range of individuals will often be required to undertake a particular authorized kind to take action. The administration has the correct to block a consumer's entry to the page or delete a consumer's account with out notice if the consumer is in violation of these guidelines or if conduct indicating stated violation is …Read More


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CHP Leader Kılıçdaroğlu's assessment of the current condition of absence of the rule of law in Turkey:
1. CHP is opposed to the institution of martial law and its ramifications in the form of State Security Courts (DGM) and Specially Authorized Courts. Such courts belong to extraordinary periods. They do not deliver justice; they obey orders from those in power. They act as extensions of those holding power.
2. Prosecutors and judges of these Specially Authorized Courts have been carefully hand-picked by the ruling political party so that they would carry out the party's orders.
These courts and their assigned judges have kept their positions as long as they distributed injustice. Those judges who were just and who ruled according to the principle of supremacy of law, and who listened to the voice of their conscience, were removed from the system. They were either assigned to lesser positions or penalized.
3. The judges executing the dictates of the ruling party are also in violation of the Turkish Constitution. They have consistently ignored Article 90 of the Turkish Constitution that stipulates: "In the case of a conflict between international agreements in the area of fundamental rights and freedoms duly put into effect and the domestic laws due to differences in provisions on the same matter, the provisions of international agreements shall prevail." These judges failed to observe Article 90 of the Constitution in case after case and adopted decisions that are not in compliance with the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.
4. The key feature of these litigations is the fact that they are under the control of the ruling political party. On July 15, 2008 Prime Minister Erdoğan remarked, "I am the prosecutor of this case."
5. The litigation has developed according to a process that had been planned step by step. Whatever the prosecutors and judges needed to sentence the accused, the government provided. The Government passed the laws in order to direct the proceedings of the courts.
6. In most of the cases, the judgments were based solely on the statements of the anonymous witnesses. In Ergenekon case 44 unreliable individuals with dubious pasts were introduced as anonymous witnesses. An individual formerly convicted as a terrorist, was the anonymous witness who accused the Chief of General Staff. The accused were prevented from asking questions to the anonymous witnesses. In Ergenekon case, the same person acted as a witness, anonymous witness and accused. Based on his statement which he denied subsequently, the prosecutor linked the shooting at the Administrative Court to the Ergenekon Case and concluded that "the use of force" condition for overthrowing the Government has been fulfilled and asked for imprisonment for life.
7. For the first time ever, in these litigations, a Chief of General Staff was arrested for being a member of a terrorist organization.
8. In these trials, individuals who have never come together in their lives, who have never spoken to each other on the phone, were grouped together as members of a "Terrorist Organization".
9. For justice to prevail, witnesses need to be heard. Yet, key witnesses called upon by the arrested were not allowed to testify in the court in clear violation of the relevant provision of the Turkish Criminal Procedural Code.
10. The accused were given up to thirty years in prison because of their defense at court; they were barred from attending hearings.
11. In Balyoz case, despite strong indications that the evidence is forged, the court denied the defense requests to a point an independent expert to verify the evidence. The court also refused to recognize the findings of the defence's experts, whose analysis revealed many anachronisms and inconsistencies rebutting the evidence allegedly obtained from the confiscated computer files. Moreover, the court omitted the assessment of the evidence stage of the trial and thus the defense was denied the opportunity to prove the evidence was fabricated.
12. The defense attorneys' rebuttals were restricted. They were blatantly harassed during the hearings.
13. As a result of these restrictions, the Istanbul Bar filed a law suit against the Silivri Courts. The response was an attempt to bring down the Executive Board of the Bar. However, on Sunday March 17, 2013 the reply of the General Assembly of the Bar was a slap in the face for the Silivri Courts.
14. During the process of the trials, many detained individuals were left to die. During the proceedings 7 suspects died before they were able to testify. 7 suspects developed cancer. Denied treatment by the courts, Kuddusi Okkır, the alleged treasurer of the so-called Ergenekon organization, died of cancer while in custody. His family could not even find the money to take his body to İstanbul. This was the sad end of the supposed "treasurer of the organization". A great number of accused, deprived from proper medical assistance may be facing the same predicament.
15. The Turkish Parliament passed a law to prevent the use of "Cliché judgments for continuing arrests". This law has been totally ignored by the Courts. Judgments with cliché statements continued unabated. Moreover, long period of arrests sometimes more than four years continued without judges examining whether there is a risk of absconding or destroying the evidence. The lawyers objecting long period of arrests, cannot have access to the file due to the secrecy of decisions. The accused therefore can not exercise their right of "habeas corpus" which is a blatant violation of Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
16. The fact that 8 elected members of the Parliament are in detention, although it is perfectly possible under the law to release them while they are being tried, is a violation of the right to elect and to get elected.
17. High Court of Appeal convicted Silivri judges to pay indemnity, ruling that they decided continuation of the arrests unlawfully. Yet these judges kept their posts.
No respected, honorable judge who is convicted in a case initiated by the accused could continue to judge the same accused without impairing his impartiality.
One of the so-called judges reprimanded Mustafa Balbay, an elected member of parliament: "Didn't you say you were not thinking of becoming a member of parliament? Weren't you not supposed to go into politics?" The judge was questioning Mr. Balbay's basic right to stand for elected Office. Moreover, the Government immediately changed the law so that the judges convicted by the High Court of Appeal to pay indemnity were not made to pay these fines. Instead the state would pay their indemnity.
Our taxes are used to finance injustice and arbitrariness. Thus, the message was: "Have no fear, the Government is backing you." It was a manifestation of collaboration between the judiciary and the government.
18. Yet this is not the only example. The AKP Government did the same thing in the Lighthouse Case (Deniz Feneri). In that case, the judges who protected the ones who embezzled the contributions of the faithful were again provided shelter by AKP.
19. CHP Member of Parliament, Prof. Mehmet Haberal is a devoted democrat and an internationally renowned transplant surgeon. The late Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit had asked Professor Haberal to be their presidential candidate. Haberal declined the proposal saying that he respects the Parliament and that the President should be someone from within the Parliament. Yet these judges, declared Haberal as a coup planner; the prosecutor asked for imprisonment for life.
20. The Ergenekon litigation began with the testimony of a man called Tuncay Güney. Recently Güney made a statement saying the case was a fabrication and that the planned operation had reached its goal.
21. In a TV-interview, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan shed crocodile tears saying he and his party wished for İlker Başbuğ to be released by the court, pending the outcome of the trial. Erdoğan made this remark but did nothing about it. Yet, it was he who, with the speed of lightning, hastily passed a law to protect the Undersecretary of MIT (National Intelligence Agency) when he felt that he too may also get personally entangled in the case.
22. The Court asked the MIT Undersecretariat, Office of the Chief of Staff, General Directorate of Security, and the Gendarmerie General Command if there were a terror organization by the name of Ergenekon. Should the answer be positive, the court demanded the pertinent information and documents from these state organizations. All four replied that they had no record of such an organization. None of the more than 3000 suspects ever mentioned the name Ergenekon. Yet the prosecutor claimed that a terror organization called Ergenekon existed.
In the files of this case, there are 120 million Word documents. Which prosecutor, which judge has properly read these 120 million documents to sentence the suspects? It is estimated that a person would need 228 years just to read these documents.
It is because of all these reasons that this court is not a court of justice. It has not brought justice, it can not and will not bring justice.
We want the judiciary to be independent; we want justice to prevail.
A judiciary that is not just, is like dynamite at the foundations of a state. If justice is damaged in a country, the state is damaged. If you eliminate justice, you destroy the state. Without an independent judiciary, there is no protection of individual rights and freedoms.


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The ACLU is our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country. Since its inception 40 years ago, the ACLU of Montana has been working vigilantly on behalf of all Montanans to defend, preserve, and advance civil liberties.
- The ACLU, established in 1920, chartered the Montana affiliate in 1972.
- In 1980 an office was established in Billings, staffed part-time. Since its inception, the ACLU of Montana has impacted public education, litigation and legislation.
- In 1988, Scott Crichton was hired as the ACLU of Montana's first full-time executive director.
- In 1989, the ACLU of Montana Foundation was incorporated with the Montana Secretary of State and was granted its 501c3 status by the IRS.
- In 1991, a full-time administrative assistant was hired.
- In 1997, the staff expanded to three employees with the addition of a staff attorney. In 2003, the ACLU moved operations from Billings to Helena. An additional half-time position of intake coordinator was added the next year.
- In 2006, the Montana affiliate was selected as one of five ACLU state affiliates for special consideration as part of the Strategic Affiliate Initiative (SAI) to provide additional resources and staffing. Montana was selected because we demonstrated a track record of being ambitious, accountable, collaborative, disciplined and strategic.
- Today we have 10 employees at two offices – one in Helena and another in Missoula.
Historic Litigation
Langford, 1995: Class action suit on behalf of inmates at MT State Prison following 1991 riot, challenging numerous areas of mistreatment, including lack of medical care, training, rehabilitation and work programs, and failure to comply with ADA.
Old Person, 1996 (further legislation 2003): Fought to create majority minority legislative districts to see that Indian voting strength was not diluted in a statewide redistricting plan.
Snetsinger, 2004: Legal victory that established access to health insurance for same-sex partners of Montana University System employees.
White et. al., 2005 (monitoring continues): Suit brought alleging widespread unconstitutional deficiencies in the public defender system. Settlement led to systemic reform to create for the first time a statewide public defender system.