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A few months ago, our client had a 'Compliance' team visit. It was a nightmare. Worse than the general guff Marketing / Sales Departments come up with… or those nasty little changes that are all designed to improve the user experience (you know the ones; where you have to turn some design or code on its head, just because the users are apparently totally unable to understand 'X' or 'Y'*). Anyway, I'm not exactly sure what we were meant to be complying to, but some of the changes were so arbitrary that we could not think of a single justification for them.
Case-in-point. We had to change our screen where customers sign their agreement. Some of the changes I suspect were for the better. But the one we could never get our head around was the addition of a field for the customer to enter their mother's maiden name. This was, apparently, going to be a security feature.
Just in case anyone is reading this from outside the Western culture, a 'Maiden Name' is most usually a woman's family name before / if she got married, and thus it really can't change**. Another, more explicit term is to use the phrase 'born name'; that is to say, the name that she had when she was born.
Now the first bit of suck about this change was that there was no way we could verify it on first input. So… first time round, people were prevented from entering nothing, but we could only do extremely basic tests to check that something had been entered (no digits, or whatever). If the customer entered 'testingonetwothree' we probably would have accepted it.
Of course, the next time round, we were told we should naturally cross-compare their input on this field to what they had input before. Now it seems our client is receiving numerous calls from customers who are unable to sign an agreement, as they don't remember what they entered last time. Because of course, they didn't trust us to enter their actual mother's maiden name! So they tried something else, forgot all about it, and bugger me then they realised that they'd need to remember it – all too late, of course.
I'd speculate that some customers are choosing not to enter their mum's name because it is their own surname and thus might seem obvious. Some might not enter it because they know other people know it. Some people may not understand why you need it, so choose to enter a 'password' instead (I know one of my friends has done this in the past). And some may literally be trying to defraud you, so they won't want to put real information in either. And finally, perhaps this 'Maiden Name' concept does not exist across the globe, and in our multi-ethnic country, maybe not everyone even understands what a maiden name is?
So, considering that we could not check the input on the first time, it was deeply flawed to implement it in that way in the first place. Instead, I feel we would have been better off to implement a 'secret question'. Give the user a choice of questions, let them pick one, and enter an answer, and then you can use that later on to verify something personal about them. Now that, of course, would be equally unverifiable at first, but would be substantially more direct in terms of security and personal identification later on.
Anyway. A couple of days into the new feature being live, and just out of interest, I thought I'd check if this facility had been used at all. I hasten to add, it was not a change I made… but like they say; if one of us loses, we all lose.
So, wait for it, the most common name change is…
Person's Mother's Name is changed from to
Now that is something we can't blame the client for… and another little piece of me dies inside.
* Of course, I really do believe in making a usable system. Making a foolproof system. And yes, doing stuff in code to prevent people making mistakes and making life easier for them. But sometimes these changes come when you're in the wrong mood!
** I guess potentially a woman could remain unmarried, have a child, bring that child up, then change her surname by deed-poll, and have a child willing to honour their mother's wishes and change their preferred new surname. Possible, but a little unlikely.


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"For the execution of any movement, it is necessary to use action and position:
action is the result of the force that drives;
position is the normal weight distribution necessary for the requested movement.
If the action and position are right, the movement is also."
~Baucher on his second manner (translation Craig Stevens).
These are the physical and psychological components to working with the horse. Consider that they are born of the mind and manifest in the body. The common consideration is only to examine the physical. That is a mistake.
Kindness brings a favorable position of the mind and action is the impulse to dance in harmony with the motion of the horse/rider ensemble. This is simple enough, and so basic it is forgotten.
Always train the mind first.
~Craig Stevens

subset: commoncrawl


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Steve Jobs
"Computers themselves, and software yet to be developed, will revolutionize the way we learn."
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Office 365 Migrations Made Simple.
February 17, 2016We all know as IT Admins that it can get a little complex when the boss turns to you and say's, I want office 365 you know the online thingy that gives us office. We both know that he has no clue and ...
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IMPORTANT RECALL ADVICE – Microsoft Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, and certain Surface Pro 3 devices
January 27, 2016Important Safety Recall From Microsoft Affected Products: • Surface Pro: 9th February 2013 – 15th March 2015 • Surface Pro 2: 22nd October 2013 – 15th March 2015 • Surface Pro 3: 20th June...
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Top 5 Tips for cPanel Beginners
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text:
After a few cockstrong weeks of advertising sales, the president of the company caught wind of our numbers. He had a meeting in Philly, so he decided to rent a car and swing by Bethlehem for a little visit to see what we were up to. I alerted my team via text that he was going to be there for the evening meeting:
(304): Yo Mark and Kyle. The president's coming to our evening meeting LOL.
(304): Haha yeah I know right? You heard from Kyle? I texted him like half an hour ago.
(610): No
Mark and I convened at our evening meeting place around 5:30 to find Kyle waiting awkwardly with the president. The president was occupying our single broken chair and staring up at Kyle, who was sweating. Upon seeing us, the president jumped up.
President: "Hey guys! How'd it go out there today?"
Mark: "Not too good."
Robbie: "Bitchingly."
The president gave me a funny look.
President: "I'm sorry?"
Robbie: "BITCHINGLY. It means good." I said, smiling confidently. Kyle nodded in agreement.
President: "Oh… sure. Can I take you boys out to dinner?"
(304): LOL, gay.
Mark: "Sure."
(610): Goddamnit.
So I'm not too sure about proper etiquette, and don't really give two shits about it. But here's a quick lesson on what not to do.
We sat down to eat dinner at the Bethlehem Brewworks, famous for their micro-brewed beer. I had just turned 21, so when the waitress asked what I wanted to drink, I obviously asked for the most alcoholic beer available. My teammates followed suit. Then the president asked for a Coke. Fuck. One 13% alcohol beer per teammate later, it went from a nice dinner with the president to a night on the town with the boys. Mark, Kyle, and I painfully faked sobriety while "the big P" as we were now referring to him via text shared stories about visits he had with other teams.
After my infamous queef joke bombed, I tried to recover by mentioning that I had read How to Master the Art of Selling. The Big P mentioned that he had read it, but that the book he most often refers to is How to Win Friends & Influence People. Intrigued, I playfully touched his arm. He politely shook his arm in disgust.
(267): R u hitting on the big p?
(304): think he's gay. i'll play gay and try to get us a bonus
(267): sounds like a horrible idea. go for it
President: "I tell you, that book is filled with some of the most important, but basic points. I take a look at it almost every night before I go to bed."
Robbie: "Is there… anything else you might be interested in taking a look at before you go to bed?"
President: "I'm not sure I understand…"
Robbie: "Let's just do what feels right." I said with a blink.
President: "Are you hitting on me? And why did you just blink at me?" His phone buzzed. "Just a minute." He glanced down with a puzzled look.
President: "This is weird. It's a 304 number…"
(304): "U gave me a raise ten minutes ago 😉 nudge nudge"
It buzzed again.
(304): "That means an erection."
My leg slowly caressed his from under the table. He stood up angrily.
President: "What the fuck is wrong with you? I don't give a shit how much you sell, you guys need to get away from me."
Kyle: "Get this man another Coke!"
(610): So drunk. And i'm thinking he's not gay
(304): Worth it
The next day I ran to my local Barnes and Noble to pick up "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. As homosex as the president was, he knew his books. It's really good shit.
Also, I got a bonus at the end of the summer.


text:
A former 27-year veteran of the Arizona Department of Public Safety has been found guilty of aggravated assault following a drunken collision with a motorcyclist who lost his leg.
George Aguilera faces five to 15 years following today's jury decision, says the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. Click here for the office's PDF news release. The disgraced state trooper had been drinking off-duty on May 3, 2007 before slamming into the back of a motorcyle on Interstate 17.
Mark Streech, (seen at right in an image uploaded -- apparently by a family member -- on an Internet forum for motorcyclists), was left seriously messed up and later lost one of his legs.
The collision shows how dangerous riding a motorcycle can be -- especially with careless, impaired drivers in the traffic mix: Judging from the pictures of the crash from various news reports, it looks like the victim might have suffered nothing more serious than whiplash had Aguilera rear-ended the typical Valley SUV.
If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.
You have successfully signed up for your selected newsletter(s) - please keep an eye on your mailbox, we're movin' in!
Drunk or not, motorists need to do a better job watching out for two-wheelers.


text:
Thank you for choosing Maryland Hillel to be the home-away-from-home for your child! We are here to provide our Terps with warm food, meaningful guidance, incredible opportunities, and enriching experiences that nurture their Jewish souls during these next 4 years (and beyond). Maryland Hillel relies on you, the parents, to be our supports, our ambassadors, our CHAMPIONS. We are looking forward to our journey together here at Maryland Hillel…Go Terps!
If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, please reach out to us. You can contact our Parent Liaison directly, Rashel Maikhor, with your request. Please explore our Parent pages to find ways you can connect and play a part in your child's Maryland Hillel story.


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Corporation VS Locally Owned Dentistry
Nov 03, 2016
The world of Dentistry as seen a large up-tick in corporate dental practices appearing across the nation. While some businesses can see benefits from being a part of a corporation. Ultimately, the customers are the one suffer in the change. Corporations have one goal - make profit for stakeholders. When this becomes the primary goal of a dental practice clients suddenly become numbers, and dentists start to care more about how many clients they can push through in day.
At Mile High Dental Centers we are locally owned and operated by Dr. Malcom E. Boone II. Who has lived in Denver since 1976. Dr. Boone opened the first Mile High Dental Implant Center location in 1979 that is almost 40 years of high quality experience at work! Dr. Boone serves on the board of directors of the Dentists Professional Liability Trust as President and is Chairman of the Colorado Dental Associations Peer Review Council. To learn more about Dr. Boone click here
Locally owned dental & implant centers like Mile High Dental & Implant Centers can provide better customer service, and provide more personal care and higher quality of service than a corporately owned dentist.
Add Pingback


text:
IoT Enabling Mining Businesses to be More Competitive
The pressure to reduce product prices, rising labor costs, and difficulty to find high-quality deposits in lower sovereign risk countries, is compelling the mining industry to adopt IoT technology to gain a competitive advantage. The numerous ways in which IoT can assist the mining businesses to remain competitive are as follows:
1. Remote monitoring ensures enhanced efficiency and security due to better traceability and visibility.
2. Automation of machine operation and maintenance that leads to novel collaboration models with OEMs for monitoring purposes.
3. Increased safety of man and machine through optimization and coordination of mining operations.
4. Standardization augments agility and novelty in business models at the operations level.
5. Possibility of Predictive maintenance enables the reduction of costs and promotes rapid response to events. Spare parts of machinery or manpower can also be ordered/prepared advance.
6. Real-time data and analytics with 3D visualization tools and sensors are used by geologists, mine planners, supervisors, drilling teams, and pit controllers to measure oil temperature, contamination, engine speed, tire and brake pressure, frame rack, bias and pitch, and vibration. Such data aids in scheduling maintenance and alerting workers about potential problems.
Check Out: Metals and Mining Review


text: Blog Home Recent Posts in the Mold in Panama City Category The Danger of Toxic Mold Jun 20, 2012 When most of us think about mold, we picture having to throw away bread, cheese, or other food items that have sat in our kitchen too long. However, ... Posted By The Pittman Firm, P.A. Continue Reading Callaway Mayor Dies Due to Toxic Mold Exposure May 30, 2012 Our Panama City injury attorney understands that there are many health ailments that could have been avoided if companies and individuals took their ... Posted By The Pittman Firm, P.A. Continue Reading Page of 1


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Check out this week's 2 Minute Download.
Growing Tech/Info Jobs in Counties Across America
Last week, the Progressive Policy Institute released their 2015 tech/info job rankings measuring how many jobs counties added from the technology & information industries within the last few years relative to the size of their local economies.
PPI has found a strong link suggesting that the counties adding the most tech/info jobs also had more jobs added in unrelated industries.
Main Street Entrepreneurship
Check out this year's Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurship providing interactive maps and rankings of small business entrepreneurial trends by state and in 40 metropolitan areas. The report found that 49 out of 50 states saw increased small business activity.
Abrams Tours for Kinship Care Support
NewDEAL Leader & Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams just completed a series of forums around her state exploring kinship care.
Read about the unique challenges too often faced by relatives trying to adopt and raise young extended family members, and what states can do to help families navigate bureaucracy and provide support for families trying to stay together.


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Gear 12/03
This story appears in the December 2003 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
In Living
Printing in black and white doesn't always express the vibrancy of your company. Kyocera Mita's FS-C5016N laser printer delivers 17 full-color, letter-size pages per minute, delivers 600 x 600 dpi resolution and holds up to 2,100 sheets of stock. It's also network-friendly, with 10/100Mbps Ethernet connectivity as well as USB 2.0 and bidirectional parallel port options. For another $419, you can make a wireless connection. Even better, its ECOSYS toner technology eliminates cartridge waste.
- Kyocera Mita
- (973) 808-8444
- http://usa.kyoceramita.com
- Street Price: $2,356
Five in One
With so many DVD read and write formats out there, how can you be sure that a disc is compatible with your DVD drive? Get LG Electronics' GSA-4040B, a DVD recorder that supports all five DVD formats. Its 2MB buffer makes it fast, recording at speeds of 3X for DVD-RAM discs, 4X for DVD-Rs and DVD+Rs, 12X for CD-RWs, and 24X for CD-R discs. And whatever your DVD application-backing up data, recording training videos or creating a product catalog-the portable GSA-4040B makes recording a snap.
- LG Electronics
- (201) 816-2000
- www.lgeus.com
- Price Range: $142 to $233
Rebel With a
Canon's EOS Digital Rebel is a full-featured SLR digital camera ripe for those looking for professional quality and flexibility. The Digital Rebel's 6.3-megapixel CMOS sensor delivers 3,072 x 2,048 pixel images in RAW and JPEG formats that are stored on CompactFlash Type I or II cards (not included). The Digital Rebel also delivers speed- to 2.5 frames per second, in blasts of four pictures at a time. This 19.7-ounce (minus the battery) camera features a 1.8-inch LCD display and supports all Canon EOS series lenses.
- EOS Digital Rebel
- Canon
- (800) 652-2666
- www.usa.canon.com
- Street Price: $899


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Zurich, Switzerland – 22 March 2016
The Zühlke Group, a service provider for innovation projects, today announced results for 2015. It was a successful financial year which saw revenues increase by 5% to GBP 84 million, and the number of employees rise by 4% to 730 compared to 2014. With these results, the group was able to maintain its growth of recent years.
Digital transformation services proved to be particularly popular in 2015. The Zühlke Group had recognized the increasing demand in this sector early and successfully positioned itself as an innovation partner that assists companies with their digitization initiatives from the initial idea through to implementation and operation. During the year there was a particular focus on projects in the areas of industry 4.0, the Internet of Things, data analytics and portal solutions. On account of the growing importance of such connected possibilities for people, machines and the Internet, the interdisciplinary teams of Zühlke were in strong demand. In the equipment and device market sector, Zühlke was especially active in the development of medical devices. The company also enjoyed considerable success in the area of value engineering, which assists clients with reducing their manufacturing costs.
Philipp Sutter, CEO Zühlke Switzerland, reported:
"The whole group performed very well in 2015. We were able to keep growing in Switzerland as well, thanks to the development of new services. We managed to do this despite the market environment being challenging; we noticed that the industrial and medical sectors, in particular, were very cautious because of the abolition of the minimum euro exchange rate."
The Belgrade operation of Zühlke also saw strong growth. The number of employees increased significantly in 2015 and is expected to continue growing in the coming years. As this model has proven the value of cross-border cooperation, Zühlke plans to establish a second development center for hardware engineering and mechatronics later this year. In order to support customers in other locations Zühlke opened two new service centers last year, in Manchester and in Stuttgart.
In the ventures business the Zühlke Group has now been actively financing startups for the past five years, with the companies continuing their development and growth. At the same time, Zühlke continued to expand its expertise and networking opportunities in the field of high-tech innovations. This resulted in the latest addition to the company's portfolio: "Rent-a-Startup" enables large companies to benefit immediately from the agility and innovative power of entire Zühlke teams and to "import" a startup mentality from outside the organization.
Zühlke believes that the current investments in digital transformation will continue to increase in every sector. Therefore, the demand for services of Zühlke that enables increasing shifts to doing business online will grow in tandem. In the coming months, Zühlke will give particular attention to the topic of "Customer Experience". "The end user experience is becoming a decisive success factor. We have already achieved a lot in this area, but we still want to expand our expertise much further," says Philipp Sutter. Zühlke will also continue to invest in the provision of services in the field of digitization and will develop platforms that allow a more rapid implementation of connected solutions.
Zühlke Engineering AG
Pascal Urscheler, Head MarCom
Phone: +41 76 349 58 28
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
About the Zühlke Group
Zühlke is a service provider for innovation projects. By combining both business and technology expertise, we create solutions that satisfy our customers. We develop financially successful products, services and business models for today's digital world – from coming up with the initial idea through to the implementation and operation. We can achieve this by drawing on the experience of over 730 in-house experts and of more than 8,000 successful projects. We have local teams in Austria, Germany, Serbia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In 2015, Zühlke generated GBP 84 million in revenue.


text:
Vision TV
Extreme Clergy Episode Nine
"HOLY SHIELD" He shields a marked man of the people
Friday, July 11 at 10:30 pm ET/7:30 pm PT
Monday, July 14 at 3:30 pm ET/12:30 PT
Father Bob Holmes – Santa Rosa, Colombia
Christian Peacemaker Father Bob Holmes travels to the gold mining community of Santa Rosa where he becomes a human shield for the new union leader whose predecessor was assassinated by the army three weeks earlier.
Starting May 16th, Vision TV is airing a twelve part documentary series following dedicated clergy to potentially dangerous places in the world. Four of the episodes focus on Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) members Fr. Bob Holmes and Rev. Bill Baldwin working with CPT projects in Colombia and Palestine/Israel, as well as CPT friend Rev. John Fife working on the Arizona/Mexico borderlands where CPT has also partnered in justice and violence-reduction work.
Award-winning foreign correspondent Rick MacInnes-Rae is the voice of Extreme Clergy. Filmed in hotspots around the world, Extreme Clergy offers a rare glimpse of challenges faced and met by spiritual people struggling to better the lives of the poor, the embattled, and the desperate. Vision TV camera crews followed these extreme clergy during times of crisis and moments of hope. Executive Produced by Robert Sandler (Exhibit A: Secrets of Forensic Science, 72 Hours: True Crime) co-Produced by Sandra Whiteley.
Rebecca Johnson
Administrative Coordinator
Christian Peacemaker Teams Canada
Tel: 416-423-5525
© Fontbonne Ministries, Sisters of St. Joseph, Toronto | Privacy/Legal Info | Contact Info | Website by Poverello Media


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PerformerTrack: treat your acting career the way you should…like a business
Here's the deal. This is a business, like it or not. You certainly don't need to treat it as such to do your own art, but if you want other people to see it, or get on tv, or get paid, then you have to. If that bothers you, then get another career.
Here's the good news: this is a business. There are insane amounts of resources for you to be your own business person. My favorite one for performers (and anyone in entertainment really) is called Performer Track. I use it every single day to do the following:
- Track all of my expenses! — Basically ANYTHING you do for your career is tax deductible, and this is by far the easiest way to keep track of it all.Example: Did you know you get 55 cents for every mile you drive to auditions, callbacks, etc.? This help you track it all…it adds up.
- Keep track of all my auditions, call backs, etc.
- Keep track of what I wore, the details of the project, what headshot I submitted, where I go the audition, and so much more
- Maintain a master contact list
Performer Track is online and super easy to access. Oh, and it was created by actors so it's super actor-friendly. Their website also has a lot of resources, and they do cool seminars in LA and elsewhere to introduce people to their product. Check out their site for details.
By the way, I don't work for Performer Track or anything, they're just the shiz. To sign up go to their website and use coupon code FRBW9 to receive 2 months free off your first year of PerformerTrack (full disclosure: I get a tiny referral fee when you use that code, but I'd pimp this software 'til I die even if I didn't. For serious.)
Update: To get a sense of Performer Track and what it can do for you, check out their free webinars, or their promo videos.
Ben Whitehair is the Los Angeles contingent of this blog. Find out more information and view his materials on his website, or read the rest of his blog posts.
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Shh ... vintners turn down the heat, quietly
Reducing alcohol in wine can be as simple as adding water during fermentation. However, there are other more high-tech solutions, and they are more widely used than most wineries might admit.
Clark Smith, owner of Vinovation in Sebastopol, created a reverse-osmosis process for removing alcohol in the early 1990s. A rival company, ConeTech of Santa Rosa, uses a different process, a column of spinning cones.
"Between the two of us, we do about 45 percent of the wine made on the North Coast," Smith says.
But there's a stigma, partly as a result of stories decrying the end of "natural processes" in winemaking. Smith points out that a technological development of the 1800s -- refrigeration -- changed winemaking far more than his system.
"It's easy to demonize technology," Smith says. "New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is only possible because of modern technology like refrigeration and stainless-steel tanks. Nobody complains about that. They say it tastes fresh and natural."
Smith, 54, has been characterized as a tech wizard, but he speaks like the onetime folk musician he is. He maintains that alcohol reduction is more akin to music than mathematics. He can reduce a wine's alcohol to practically any percentage the winery wants. But he says each wine has a number of alcohol-percentage "sweet spots," akin to the tuning of guitar strings, where the wine tastes best. Until samples at different alcohol levels are produced and tasted, there's no way to predict where the sweet spots will be.
His demonstration of this theory is impressive. He uses a Syrah made at Fresno State that was originally 18 percent alcohol.
He produced test bottles at a range of different alcohol percentages, from 13.35 percent to 15, and used a panel of 22 judges to decide which were best.
I was surprised by how different the test bottlings tasted; how adjusting only the alcohol percentage could change the wine.
I most liked the slightly tart, blueberry character of the 13.35 percent version; I also liked the more leathery, black-fruit character of the 13.75 percent version. But when we combined the two, the mixture tasted more astringent and unpleasant than its components -- we had left the sweet spot.
Smith's method of reducing alcohol, while expensive, is simple conceptually. Wine is slowly pumped past a membrane. Some alcohol and water passes through the membrane, while other molecules stay in the vat. The solution that is removed is then distilled to remove the alcohol, and the de-alcoholized water is added back in.
Vinovation sells the nearly pure alcohol to producers of port and wine coolers. Ironically, if you drink a product like Seagram's Ice, the alcohol may have come from a $100-a-bottle Napa Cabernet.
ConeTech's process, derived from German heavy-water experiments during World War II is more complicated, and involves removing the aroma and flavor compounds from the wine through the use of "cold steam" before reintroducing them. ConeTech's process removes more alcohol than Vinovation's and is cheaper, and is thus more popular with large companies.
Most clients of Smith's prefer to remain anonymous. Barrels of wine at Vinovation's warehouse are labeled with a lettering code, rather than the winery's name.
Mark Lyon, winemaker for Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery in Sonoma, is open about his belief in Smith's system. It would be hard for me to argue: I tasted more than 100 California Merlots for a story last year, and the voluptuous, blueberry-character 2000 Sebastiani Sonoma County Merlot -- just $15 -- was my favorite of all.
Lyon says he believes the best way to make a delicious wine is to let the grapes hang to develop flavors -- "We probably pick later than most people," he says -- and then reduce the alcohol through reverse osmosis.
"We're doing very well with that style of wine," Lyon says. "Picking on the ripe side has really helped with Cabernet, with more ripe berry flavors, moving away from green veggie flavors. But I don't want to go higher than 15 (percent alcohol) because I don't want to make that style of wine."
Randy Dunn, well-respected for his Dunn Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, is another producer not afraid to admit that he uses alcohol reduction.
"In the old days we used to wash out the gondolas really well," he says with a laugh; "washing" is a good way to add water. "There are things that are worse for wine. I hate high-alcohol wines. There are food wines, and there are wines that are like cocktails. They're not made to drink with dinner."
While Lyon and Dunn try to hit the sweet spots, not every winery uses reverse osmosis for that reason. Because wines at 14 percent alcohol and below are taxed at a much lower rate, large wineries sometimes reduce the alcohol just to save money.
"Sometimes the CEO will discover just before bottling, when the winemaker's not around, that the Chardonnay is at 14.06 percent alcohol," Smith says. "They'll have to pay a quarter of a million dollars more in taxes. But what if the wine is at its sweet spot at 14.06? They'll cost themselves a lot more by making an untuned wine."


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In the news that was a bit surprising to our office full of people who broker home loans in Rockingham, Kwinana and Baldivis, WA State Government has proposed some changes in the budget due to take effect on 15 September, 2013, that has a lot of people up in arms.
First Home Owner Grant (FHOG)
The value of the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) will be increased from $7,000 to $10,000 for first home buyers who choose to purchase new homes. However, for those who choose to purchase established homes, the grant is decreased from $7,000 to $3,000.
The outlook for first home buyers isn't as bad as it sounds, though. They will still be exempt from stamp duty on both new and established homes up to $500,000, while those who buy vacant land will be exempt up to $300,000. Turning the numbers, that means that an established home that costs $500,000 will be exempt from approximately $17,000 in stamp duty, while a block of land purchased for $300,000 will yield a savings on stamp duty of around $10,000.
Supplemental assistance for first home buyers is available from the Home Buyers Assistance Account. This provides a grant up to $2,000 to first home buyers for incidental expenses, as long as they buy their home from a licensed real estate agent and the house costs less than $400,000.
Significance to First Home Buyers
So, what does this actually mean to first home buyers? REIWA is up in arms about the decrease for established homes. According to a previous REIWA statement, 70% of first home buyers will be negatively impacted by the changes. Treasurer Troy Buswell said that he expected less grant money to go out overall, due to less first home buyers purchasing new houses than established houses.
While REIWA is not in favour of the changes to FHOG, the Master Builders Association is happy about the announcement. According to MBA Housing Director Gavan Forster, the increase in the grant for new houses could mean an many as 900 more new houses built than without the changes.
Potential Jobs for More People
In addition, Forster thinks that as many as 5,000 new jobs could be created due to the increase in construction, not counting all of the peripheral jobs created in industries that serve the construction industry. Forster projects that as many as 5,000 more jobs will be created in this fashion.
While we can never make blanket statements because every buyer's situation is different, we think it can be safely said that it has just become more advantageous for first home buyers who can afford to do so to buy a new home than an established home.
The Options for First Home Buyers
However, that doesn't mean that it is impossible for potential first home buyers to actually buy homes and doesn't mean that the market for established houses is going to sustain a lot of damage. What it does mean, though, is that it is more important now than it has ever been to choose both your homes and your financing properly.
A motivated first home buyer who wants to find a new home has myriad choices, as many developers are competing to price homes in the first home buyer range. Sometimes, people who never thought they could afford a new house are surprised to find that they can.
Since the grant has been raised to $10,000 for new houses, it could, indeed, create a sub-market of new homes designed for first home buyers. It is worth keeping an eye on.
How We Can Help You
Our area of expertise as mortgage brokers is home loans, specifically in the Rockingham, Baldivis and Kwinana markets. We believe that it is even more important now than it ever was to find the right loan with the right terms for your house. Increments as small as a quarter of a point can add up to thousands of dollars over a 30-year mortgage.
That is where Smartline Mortgage Brokers Rockingham comes in. We have spent years establishing relationships with virtually every lender in Australia and we know who has the right product for most situations. We can compare products for you from multiple lenders and help you determine which is the right one for your situation.
In the mortgage industry, one size doesn't fit all. Your "home" bank or even your favourite lender might have plenty of great products that are perfect for many people but nothing that really works for you. At Smartline Mortgage Brokers Rockingham, we have access to thousands of different loans and a knowledgeable crew that keeps on top of all recent developments in the home loan industry.
We are Within Reach
Call us on (08) 9527 1800 today. Make sure that you are getting the right loan for your needs.


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The double-edged truth
had the exoticism. The blood was
in air. A blue bird draws
a red line, indulging in spiritualization
of a gray design. The testosterones
chart the trajectory in the flame
of the forest.
You deploy your army in zero
hour. Colored leaves start casting
the spell. You listen to the rustling
of skirt. Moon was walking in.
A pink sword and sharpened
claws. After the vulture hit,
the death wil swoop down on you suddenly.
Satish Verma


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Philadelphia Fire Department Paramedic Ken Lee was playing goalie during an ice hockey game on June 9, 2004 when an opposing player collided into him, causing him to lose his balance and fall on the ice hard enough to leave a mark on his mask. Within hours, Lee was in the critical care unit (CCU) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) — attached to a machine to assist his heart and on the list to receive a transplant.
When Lee fell, fellow player and paramedic Mark DeFilippo, skated over to help. Lee couldn't move his legs, and DeFilippo immediately assumed Lee had a C-spine injury and took appropriate action. Lee says that had he been the paramedic responding to this call, he might not have done an ECG, but fortunately DeFilippo did."When the ambulance arrived, the crew wanted to transport Lee to the local community hospital, but DeFilippo insisted that the patient be flown to HUP, where DeFilippo worked as an emergency department (ED) paramedic.
The next thing Lee remembers was being taken from the helicopter to the ED. He still couldn't move his legs and was complaining very loudly, which was out of character for him, about shoulder pain. The X-rays didn't show any spinal damage (and Lee wouldn't remember anything for the next 10 days).
Physicians discovered that Lee had an 11% ejection fraction, which had led to profound hypoxia and the lower extremity paralysis. In addition, he had a viral infection of the heart, which led to a massive myocardial infarction. Surgeons completed a coronary artery bypass graft, but it wasn't effective and Lee was placed on the heart transplant list.
The first thing Lee remembers was someone walking into his CCU room and telling him, "I have good news. We found you a heart."
He quickly responded, "You have the wrong room." But they did have the right room, and Lee received a heart transplant on June 26 — just 17 days after the incident.
He experienced some complications, including an infection of his sternum, but returned to work eight months later. He continued to work as a paramedic for 15 months before transferring from the fire department to the City of"Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office.
Heart Transplant Patients
Dr. Christian Barnaard performed the first successful human heart transplant in"South Africa in 1967. Today, tens of thousands of Americans have received heart transplants, and more than 93,000 are waiting for organs — 2,817 of them await a heart and 145 await both a heart and lungs. Approximately 2,000 heart transplants are performed each year in the"U.S.; less than 50 heart-and-lung transplants are performed.
The one-year survival rate for heart transplant patients is 85%, and the five-year rate is more than 65%. The vast majority of morbidity and mortality for post-transplant patients is infection because the anti-rejection medications that keep the patient's immune system from rejecting the new organ also depress the ability to fight infections.
The"EMS provider needs to understand the differences between a patient with a transplanted heart and the rest of the population to provide better care to the heart transplant patient. Signs and symptoms of a heart attack in a transplant patient could be very different than in a non-heart-transplant patient. A transplanted heart isn't innervated, so the heart transplant patient is"not likely to have chest pain.
A heart transplant patient's sympathetic nervous system can't increase the heart rate based on an increased demand for oxygen, such as when walking up a flight of stairs. Because the transplanted heart isn't innervated, the primary controls for the heart rate aren't used. Atropine will be ineffective at increasing heart rate.
When Lee plays ice hockey now, he exercises on a stationary bicycle for a few minutes first so that his heart is ready for the increased demand. The age and condition of the heart transplant patient will have an effect on how well the patient's heart will respond to changes in oxygen demand.
Care & Treatment
ED visits for heart transplant patients tend to fall into one of three categories: rejection, infection and renal dysfunction.
Rejection:The average heart transplant patient has one to two rejection episodes a year. Most are minor and treated by adjusting the patient's level of medications. After immediate post-surgical care, heart transplant patients go on long-term, anti-rejection medication regimes, normally cyclosporine (an immunosuppressant), azathioprine (which alters antibody production) and prednisone (a steroid).
Infection:The most common infection in heart transplant patients is bacterial followed by viral, then fungal.
Renal Dysfunction:Cyclosporine can be toxic to the kidneys. For this reason, the patient's dosage is closely monitored. In the acute setting, this nephrotoxicity can lead to fluid overload, in turn increasing the heart's pre-load and after-load, leading to congestive heart failure.
Prior to ED arrival,"EMS providers should approach a heart transplant patient the same way they would with any other patient. Ensure the scene is safe, take body substance isolation (BSI) precautions, assess the patient's level of consciousness and assess the ABC's (with C-spine precautions as indicated). Treat any life-threatening findings as you go. Once the"EMS provider becomes aware that the patient is a heart transplant patient, they should place the patient on a cardiac monitor and perform a 12-lead ECG. For these patients, native P waves may be present and non-conducting in addition to conducting P waves from the transplanted heart. This can lead to a confusing looking ECG. Because some heart transplants aren't able to transplant the SA node, the patient may have a pacemaker.
Blood pressure and temperature can be important indicators of the heart transplant patient's condition. A high blood pressure may be indicative of renal dysfunction. A fever may be a sign of rejection or infection. In the event of hypovolemia, be cautious in providing IV fluid boluses to the patient. As with any immunocompromised patient, be extremely vigilant to use an aseptic technique when initiating an IV on a heart transplant patient.
An 18-day-old neonate was the first pediatric patient to receive a heart transplant in 1968, but only lived for five hours. Pediatric patients make up approximately 10% of all heart transplants performed each year. The four main reasons for pediatric heart transplants are malformations of the heart, cardiac tumors, infections and toxins.
Most pediatric heart transplant patients suffered from idiopathic cardiomyopothy, whereas congenital heart problems are very rarely treated with heart transplants, says Charles Murphy, MD, board certified in pediatrics and in pediatric emergency medicine.
In addition to the same concerns for rejection, infection and renal issues, pediatric heart transplant patients face some other challenges and their parents are told to bring the child to the emergency department any time they get a fever.
Pediatric hearts don't become available as often as adult hearts, and a pediatric heart transplant patient commonly will receive a heart that's smaller than the one it's replacing. The pediatric patient's transplanted heart will continue to grow with the patient, and these patients generally do very well.
The issues in treating a pediatric heart transplant patient in the prehospital setting are the same as those in an adult heart transplant patient, such as being judicious when administering fluids. In the ED, these patients are treated with vasopressors earlier than regular pediatric patients. The prehospital provider may find it helpful to contact o-line medical command early in these cases.
John Wildermann, MBA, NREMT-P is the lead operations supervisor with Cetronia Ambulance Corps in"Allentown,"Penn. and has been involved in"EMS for 17 years. He also serves as an Army reserve captain. He can be contacted at"[email protected].
Ken Lee," NREMT-P can be contacted at"[email protected].
- United Network for Organ Sharing."www.unos.org/data/default.asp
- The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network."www.optn.org/latestData/rptData.asp
- eMedicine."http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic786.htm
- American Journal of Critical Care."http://ajcc.aacnjournals.org/
- eMedicine."http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic786.htm
- eMedicine."www.emedicine.com/ped/topic2797.htm


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Ultra-wide Angle 1080p Video Recording Sunglasses
SunnyCam Sport Edition Sunglasses feature a 150° wide-angle full HD 1080p video camera right between the eyes.
Don't miss the moment! The SunnyCam Sport is a true 1080p HD camera that uses Micro SD cards to store upto 64gb of video data. Perfect for recording on the move or when performing any activity requiring the use of two hands. The lenses can be interchanged so you can choose between clear or dark lenses depending on the conditions.


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XHTML is a rewrite of the HTML (hyper-text mark-up language) as an XML application. Now in English: XHTML uses the basic HTML vocabulary while requiring a well-structured document. But what are these buttons?
Each of those buttons takes the URL from the pages upon which they reside (in this case, it's http://www.veiled-chameleon.com/xhtml11.html) and sends that URL to a validation form located at w3.org which checks the structure and the syntax of the page to verify whether it is or is not a valid XHTML 1.1 document.
For me the answer is a simple one: it forces me to take a more disciplined and more professional of an approach toward creating web pages than is taken by the amateur population.
But there are better reasons:
If you happen to click one of those buttons on this site and it doesn't validate as XHTML 1.1, please let me know. I'll appreciate your input!


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Ticket office: 01243 755055
Win a priceless experience at the 2020 Festival of Speed when you purchase any type of admission ticket with your Mastercard.
Behind the scenes tour of the First Glance Paddock for up to 4 adults as well as access to the Sponsors Enclosure for superior viewing of all the action. In addition, you will receive a Hillclimb passenger experience for one adult in your party.
Simply pay with Mastercard and tick the opt in boxes to enter the prize draw after you check out.
Our current Gift card supplier has taken the decision to cease trading and therefore online redemption will be unavailable from 19th November 2018. If you wish to redeem your gift card, please call Customer Sales on +44(0)1243 755055.
Beautifully styled, The Lookout offers a charming chic and members club vibe. Enjoy nibbles, small plates and the private cash bar with uninterrupted views over the paddock and Chichester beyond. Nestled within the Richmond Enclosure, once you've made your selection from your paddock-side balcony, you can watch your horse storm to victory in our premier grandstand.


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100PercentBronx Blog is read by the political influencers and community activists of the Bronx. Get your message seen by this unique and powerful audience by advertising on the 100PercentBronx Blog. We have the capability to accommodate all types of advertising, from static banners to flash to video to text. If you are interested in advertising with us we would like to hear from you. We offer the lowest rates among other similar online media.
Please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.


text:
The Padders Carmen are an extra wide fitting slipper that will provide your feet with warmth and comfort about the house and their fit means that they are ideal for those with swollen or painful feet, or in fact a wide range of foot conditions.
The soft and fleecy lining of this slip-on slipper has a lovely, warm feel and the innovative Padders memory foam insoles will help to relieve any painful pressure points, as the memory foam will actually mould to your feet.
A non-slip sole is included to reduce the possibility of slipping.
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- Home
- Social & Humanitarian
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- Donate
REUTERS/Doron Keren/IDF/Handout
January 13, 2009
(lubavitch.com) The fighting in Gaza hit very close to home today when IDF Corporal Nechemia Rubin and his commander, IDF Combat Officer Aharon Karov, were wounded early Tuesday morning when a mine exploded in a house they were searching for terrorists. Nechemia is the son of Rabbi Yehuda Rubin, director of Chabad of Alon Moreh.
Nechemia and Aharon were standing next to each other as they cleared a house outside Gaza City when a mine went off and shrapnel filled the air.
"It's just miraculous that his injuries are moderate considering how close he was to a mine explosion," said Rabbi Rubin who has four other sons in the army.
He is being treated at Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva where he underwent emergency surgery to remove shrapnel from his eye and was treated for burns on his face and arms. Nechemia Rubin's bride of two months, Meital, and his mother Orlin are at his bedside.
Aharon, who left the Gaza front to get married and returned to fighting the next day, remained in critical condition at the same hospital.
"One of the soldiers told me that after the boys were hurt, the first and only thing Aharon asked was 'is everyone okay?'" said Rabbi Zev Karov, Aharon's father.
Rabbi Rubin asked everyone to say pray for Aaron Yehoshua ben Chaya Shoshana and his son Nechemia Shalom Dovber ben Orlin.
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Bill Koenigsberg, CEO of Horizon Media, was probably right when he recently pointed out that the old agency model is broken. But it has happened for many reasons that are not only associated with approximately $30 billion in client billings now in review.
Mike Drexler
Mike Drexler is currently a Managing Partner at Drexler/Fajen & Partners, a media agency review firm that works with advertisers to evaluate their agencies' performance. He was previously Founder and Principal of Drexler Geller Associates, an execu… read more


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WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9, 2008 - John Farmer (Import with a "cavallino rampante" logo)
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Relative difficulty: Medium
THEME: Calendar - 7 theme answers all contain three circled squares, which form abbreviations for the days of the week, SUN thru SAT (bonus - the three circled letters are the first, middle, and final letter of the theme answer in every case)
A fine puzzle from Mr. Farmer. I have seen a variation on this theme before (days of the week), but the structure here is quite elegant, with internal symmetry adding a strangely Classical dignity to a puzzle whose fill, by contrast, is highly modern and playful. I was most impressed, however, with the structure of the west coast of this puzzle, and the northwest in particular, where I had all kinds of plausible wrong answers for a time. Deceptively simple answers mix with the most improbable of consonant combos to create a great northwest adventure. This puzzle also features some fantastic cluing, a spate of TV and pop culture answers, and at least one word I have never seen before (or do not remember having seen, at any rate).
Theme answers:
- 18A: Blindly (S ight U nsee N)
- 23A: Have as a focus of one's studies (M aj O ir N)
- 32A: Weekly founded by Walter Annenberg (T vg U id E) - what I like about this answer is the gaudy consonant run at the beginning; a little showing off (TROUNCE would have worked there, for instance)
- 36A: Club choice (W hole wh E at brea D)
- 45A: People of Burundi (T he H ut U) - by far the most insane answer, if only for the "THE"
- 55A: Import with a "cavallino rampante" logo (F er R ar I) - that must mean "horse rearing up"
- 59A: Expose, with "on" (S hine A ligh T)
The California region of the puzzle was also thorny, even though I got THE HUTU with no problems. Couldn't remember exactly what insane, vowel-ridden Southern name went at 43A: Neighbor on the 1980s sitcom "Mama's Family" (Iola), and couldn't make much sense of 38D: Sub in a tub at first - felt strongly it had to be OLEO (and it was) but it took me a while to figure out why (OLEO is a "sub"stitute for butter). This section also had the hard-to-parse TO ORDER (54A: Customized) - all-in-all, a worthy patch of toughness.
Check out the cavalcade of pop culture:
- LINNEY (53D: Actress Laura) - at some point in my life she replaced Teri Garr as my Biggest Celebrity Crush - probably the moment I first saw her on screen as Mary Ann Singleton in "Tales of the City"; oh, and then there was "You Can Count On Me," which is near perfect ... I could go on, and on. Love her! (PS I still have a huge crush on Teri Garr and always will)
- ADIA (29D: 1998 Sarah McLachlan hit) - remember this one; you'll need it again
- "I LIE" (35A: "Would _____ to You?" (1985 Eurythmics hit) - so much better than [Netman Nastase])
- LAHR (39D: Bert who sang "If I Only Had the Nerve") - good clue for this common answer
- "I TAW" (24D: "_____ a Putty Tat" (Friz Freleng short))
- SANT (22A: Filmmaker Gus Van _____) - perpetrator of horribly unnecessary "Psycho" remake
- ARIANA (52D: Sister of Albus Dumbledore, in the Harry Potter books) - hard core. I've read them all and I couldn't retrieve this one
Love the stacking of IRISH (67A: From Cork, e.g.) over CELTS (70A: Boston five - the most favorite team of my youth is Finally playing like a professional basketball organization again, and I'm so happy). Let's see, what else do we have here...?
- 15A: "You know ... it's ... um .. like this ..." ("I mean") - not sure what this clue is going for. Wouldn't ["It's like this"] work just as well? Or are we meant to imagine someone saying only "I mean..." as if he can't think of anything else to say? Odd.
- 69A: Wry faces (pouts) - which meaning of "wry" am I forgetting? People with "wry" senses of humor do not POUT, do they?
- 2D: Blood lines (aortae) - one of the pesky quirks of crosswords is that they can swing arbitrarily between English and Latin (or Greek) plurals. ULNAS / ULNAE etc.
- 48A: Language family that includes Finnish and Hungarian (Uralic) - whoa. Yikes. My linguistics knowledge is rusty. URALIC would seem to refer to a mountain-dwelling people of Russia. But no.
- 25D: One of the Low Countries: Abbr. (Neth.) - winner of the first daily ECUA prize for crappy country abbreviation.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
Today's other puzzles:
- LAT 5:55 (C), Paul Guttormson
- NYS 6:33 (C), Edgar Fontaine, "I-Catching Names"
- CS 4:57 (C), Patrick Blindauer, "C-Span"
- Newsday 3:57 (C), Norma Steinberg, "The Basics"
- Onion AV Club 5:39 (C), Matt Jones


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Foodie tourism should be a draw to the South Bay, where the Mexican markets are absolutely fun to roam. I've already talked about some of the delights in National City along Highland Avenue. Today, I go down a little further south to Otay Mesa, Chula Vista and San Ysidro.
Otay Farms
People on Yelp call it a "hood" market because it's along a busy corner. Others say it's the "bomb-dot-com." However you want to adore this place, most importantly — GO. They are a market, but they also have a hot food buffet with a seating area as well. Best of all, everything is fresh, fresh, fresh!
They make their own tortillas. They've got a fantastic carniceria with marinated meat that can go right on your grill. There's also a panaderia with Mexican desserts. The Mexican cheese and crema is divine as are the amazing prices for fruits and vegetables, including nopales. Here are two recipes for how to cook these cacti: Lentil and Cactus Soup and Nopalitos with Tomatoes and Onions.
Don't just walk through the aisles and then leave. Stay a while and enjoy their hot buffet. For breakfast they offer Chorizo con Huevo and for the rest of the day you can get Carne Asada, tortas and soup.
La Bodega
This place has been around since 1967 when it was first opened by Leopoldo Lopez Sr. His sons and daughters then opened additional store locations. The prices are excellent, but don't go for only that reason. They have nopales as well as big wheels of queso. They are most famous for their top grade meat cut up in front of you by butchers. Their tortillas and bread are also prepared fresh daily.
On their website, you can check out email savings, weekly specials and the different things they are doing for their community. I, of course, like their recipes the best. And if you live in the South Bay, then you know I'm just going to have to post one of the recipes in Spanish!
¡Hacer un platillo tradicional mexicano es fácil! Aquí te dejamos una #receta sencilla de unos riquísimos "FRIJOLES CHARROS".
1 cucharadita aceite de canola
2 pieza diente de ajo picado
1/2 pieza cebolla picada
100 chorizo de pavo en rodajas
2 rebanada tocino de pavo gruesas
3 pieza tomate (jitomate) saladet en cubos chicos
2 pieza chile serrano en rodajas
4 taza caldo de frijol
100 chicharrón
1 cantidad necesaria cilantro lavado y desinfectado
3 taza frijoles bayos cocidos
Calienta el aceite en una olla un poco profunda, saltea ajo y cebolla, casi cuando cambien de color, agrega el chorizo y el tocino, fríe hasta que dore un poco. Añade el tomate y chile serrano; mezcla bien, tírale los frijoles junto con el caldo donde los cociste y deja que suelte el hervor. Sirve caliente, acompaña con un poco de chicharrón troceado y cilantro al gusto.
For location information check: La Bodega and Otay Farms


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New Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Samuel Adegbuyi, has vowed to sustain peace in the state, warning criminals to stay off. Speaking at the Governor's Office in company with the immediate past Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, on Monday, Adegbuyi said, "No one should take the peace enjoyed in Oyo State for granted as Oyo is not a state for criminals to dwell." He appreciated the support of the state government in providing crime fighting equipment and communication gadget, calling for the continuation of joint efforts of all stakeholders in fighting crime.
"We will work hard, double our efforts towards prevention of crime and detection of crime, where it could not be prevented. I will take my time to study the crime situation to reengineer the logistics required in sustaining the peace that is already in existence in the state," Adegbuyi said.
Adegbuyi was second in command at the Maritime Command in Lagos State and a former Commissioner of Police in Edo State.
In his remarks, Governor Abiola Ajimobi prayed for the success of the new CP, while assuring him of government's support for the police force, noting that the police had fortified government's commitment to peace and security in the state.
Ajimobi also praised the "commitment, ruggedness, professionalism, intellectualism and doggedness" of the immediate past commissioner of police. He specially lauded Oyebade's efforts in restructuring the "Operation Burst" team, addressing farmers/herdsmen clash and unravelling the persons behind the recent killing of member of the state House of Assembly, Honourable Gideon Aremu.
the outgoing Commissioner of Police of Oyo State Leye Oyebade described his successor Samuel Adegbuyi as a crime fighter, renowned for fighting cultism.
Meanwhile, the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, has pledged his co-operation and that of Ibadan chieftaincy institution to security agencies in fighting crime to a standstill.
The monarch gave the pledge while receiving the new Police Commissioner, Oyo State, Mr Samuel Damilola Adegbuyi, in his palace at Popoyemoja, Ibadan.
Oba Adetunji stressed that the pledge had become necessary as the mandate of the police towards crime prevention and maintenance of law and order could not be carried out without the cooperation of the citizenry.
He lauded the outgoing police commissioner, Mr Leye Oyebade, for his impressive record of performance at the Oyo State Police Command. He expressed the hope that his successor would follow his footsteps.


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diy valentine's day mason jar
Make beautiful doily luminaries using recycled jars, doilies and a little burlap and twine 15 valentine s day crafts to make you feel the love. Perfect for weddings, holidays, or just for some added beauty set the mood with these heartfelt, handmade crafts. DIY 40 DIY Valentine's Day Gifts They'll Actually Want 25+ valentine s day home decor ideas. Decorate a mason jar, fill it with lemon drops, and it's time to pucker up valentine's day is coming up fast, but there's still plenty of time for you to spice up your home with the spirit of love! with valentine's day less than two weeks away. Check out this post this valentine's day mason jar gift is perfect for so many people in your life! looking for a unique valentine s day gift? try these diy mason jar valentines! fill with favorite candy. ID 7 comments on diy mason jar valentine 4 tatertots and jello. Valentines Day Mason Jar DIY (MASON JAR DIY) CANDY Mason Jar DIY Omg I can t believe valentine s day is almost here diy decorating and crafts. I am crazy when it comes to crafting tatertots and jello; my home. Categories: Candy | Craft | DIY | Valentine s Day 1905 cottage;. 9 Responses to "DIY Valentine's Day Mason Jars & food ideas relating to valentine's day, you impress me week after. Download these free simple printable coloring pages express your love and affection by making your own valentine s day gifts this year. Each printable coloring page is available for your own personal use courtesy of Make and Takes we have creative diy valentine s day gifts for him and her: home projects, diy. Click on each home tours, diy project, city guides, shopping guides. Last week I shared a TON of Inexpensive Mother's Day gift ideas with you diy valentine's day projects. Yes, most could easily be made for under $20, some under $10, but today I want to share best of. These lovely Valentine s Day Mason jar ideas will set your heart on fire i never had the need to do something for valentine's day. Type 70 diy valentine's day gifts & decorations made from mason jars. 25 Valentine s Day Mason Jar Ideas That check out these diy valentine's day gifts & decorations. Previous easy diy valentine's day mason. 25 Cute DIY Valentine s Day i love easy and quick handmade gift ideas and it is not different when it comes down to valentine's day gifts. i fueled my passion for diy into the 36th avenue. Valentines Day mason jar crafts with valentine s day approaching, make the perfect diy mason jar gift for teachers with a free printable label. Valentine's Day Goodies diy valentine's candy mason jar gift for teachers. Valentine's Day Mason Jar Treats fillmorejarswithgoodthings diyvalentinesday DIY Valentine s Day mason jar gifts diy mason jar crafts. You could even type up a personal note or a teachers name if you plan to use them as Valentine's Day gifts mason jar valentine s day gift for teachers. 20 DIY Ideas For A Priceless Valentine's Day Gift baby food jars baby jars baby foods diy mason jars diy mason jar crafts mason jar christmas. You can turn your old mason jars into romantic V-Day vases for i decided to try that with mason jars for valentine's day. you can create your own DIY love mug which 24 cute and easy diy valentine's day. 25 Creative and Useful DIY Ideas with Mason Jars glitter mason jar candle holders for valentine's day. There are so many things that you can make with mason jars celebrate valentine s day with these do it yourself valentine s day decorating and gift ideas from diynetwork. Vases for home decoration, planters, candles for outside com. We are featuring some of our absolute favorite Valentine's Day Mason Jar ideas f; t; p; g; i; app;. More Valentines Gift in a Jar valentine s charm 04:20. notes and jokes DIY Valentine's Day Pillow how to make pink mason jars for valentine s day. About Christina pink mason jar diy for valentines day. Christina is a crafty mommy to three little girls, a wife to one handsome hubby, and they all live in a home they built themselves in rural Alberta these jars are great for your valentine s day roses. 15 Valentine s Day Crafts to Make You Feel the Love


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Archive for May 2013
Gun Designer Tony Knight, 1945-2013: An Appreciation
a href="https://hoveysmith.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/c5-1-tony-knight-2.jpg">
Although not the first to invent what became known as in-line muzzleloading, Tony Knight's vision was to produce muzzloading rifles that would function reliably, shoot accurately, offer improved performance and were easier to clean. He developed his interests in guns/hunting by going after the flashy cock pheasants and scampering squirrels on the family farm as well as hunting some of the growing numbers of deer populating the hills of northern Missouri. Although pheasants are fewer now than they were, squirrels are holding their own and deer have prospered to the point that deer deprivation permits are provided to nearby farmers.
All of us are differently gifted, and Tony had that rare combination of simultaneously being an inventive visionary, meticulous worker and entrepreneur. Most of us must be content with possessing one or two of these abilities, and it is unusual indeed to have all three. He was always interested in building things, and this progressed to the point where he worked for 20 years as a railroad machinist. In the 1980s the nation's railroads were in a stage of consolidation, cost reduction and downsizing. His position was considered "redundant," and he found himself out of a job.
(A video about Tony that shows many of his gun designs is attached at the end of this post.)
His natural inclinations towards guns, hunting and firearms led him to open a gunsmithing and archery shop on a piece of family-owned property 16 miles west of Kirksville, Missouri. With all due respect to Tony and his family, the word "Nowheresville" comes to mind. His trade area was so sparsely populated that despite his skills, there was not enough walk-in trade to sustain a viable business. However, this personal contact with customers was valuable, and he listened to what they had to say.
Muzzleloading guns were being made or imported by Thompson/Center Arms, Dixie Gun Works, Traditions, Connecticut Valley Arms (CVA), Navy Arms, Lyman and others. Simultaneously, increasing numbers of states were offering special muzzleloading seasons and more hunters were taking on the challenges of hunting with front-loading guns. Their guns were traditionally designed, or inspired, versions of the Pennsylvania flintlocks, Civil War arms or Hawken-style plains rifles. The more dedicated hunters became members of the National Muzzleloading Rifle Association and learned how to shoot their guns by attending local, regional and national matches. Most primitive-season rifle hunters were not NMLRA members, but only wanted a reliable gun that they could take out for a week or two during the season that would consistently kill their deer, elk or bear.
These new muzzloading hunters were having trouble with their replica rifles, particularly when they took them to Colorado after mule deer and elk. True enough, properly chosen calibers were powerful enough to take the game at close range; but all-to-frequently the animals were further than they thought they could reasonably shoot. They had reservations about their equipment because of the amount of bullet drop and wind deflection of these large, slow bullets and/or the poor terminal performance of these round balls and huge slugs. They wanted flatter-shooting guns using modern expanding bullets that would give more penetration and faster kills. In short, Tony's customers told him they wanted muzzleloading guns that looked and acted more like the bolt-action centerfire rifles that they used during the regular season.
Like most gun enthusiasts of the period, Tony followed the firearm-cartridge advances made by Roy Wetherby, the rise of increasing numbers of magnum cartridges and the advances in bullet technology made by Nosler, Barnes and others. He ultimately asked, "Can I make the equivalent of magnum cartridge gun in a muzzleloading platform?"
He did. His first striker-fired gun, the MK-85, was simply designed, relatively easy to make, shot well and received good reports from his customers. Guns using this striker-fired design are still sold as the Big Horn rifle and TK-2000 shotgun, although the Hawkeye pistol is no longer made. The striker mechanism remains the simplest, easiest to operate and most trouble-free of all in-line designs. Production increased with demand. Soon orders rose to the point where he could not make all of the guns, and he borrowed money and built a modern factory near Centerville, Iowa, about 50-miles north of his original location.
He often invited gunwriters to go on hunts using his guns. This print exposure combined with his efforts to get his guns accepted in more states as legal muzzleloading firearms greatly expanded his business. Although the striker-fired guns were successful, he still wanted to make a bolt-action rifle. These efforts culminated with the DISC bolt-action, which was introduced in 1997. Not only was this a novel bolt-action design, it used a plastic holder for a 209 shotgun primer which was easier to handle than either percussion caps or bare 209s. You dropped the DISC into the bolt race, it self-indexed into position as the bolt closed and the gun was ready to fire. This bolt-action, and a later version that did not need a disassembly tool, quickly became identified as the signature Knight rifle. The gun was made available in .45, .50 and .52-calibers in synthetic, wooden and custom stocks.
Successful sales of these rifles allowed Tony to design other muzzleloading rifles such as a T-bolt design, the falling-block Revolution and Knight Rolling Block. The T-Bolt did not last long, as black-powder fouling jammed the bolt after only a few shots. The Revolution and Rolling Blocks also had brief production lives. Although sound designs, their steel receivers and complex parts made them expensive to produce and they did not make much of an impression in the market. As more of the muzzleloading market was moving towards ever-more-simple drop-barrel designs, Tony introduced the KP-1. The KP-1 was offered in all the Knight muzzleloading calibers as well as with interchangeable barrels for seven rifle calibers ranging from .17 caliber to 300 Winchester Magnum. There was also a less expensive muzzleloading-only drop-barreled gun called the Vision that had a different design.
Tony sold his company, but was still associated with it as a spokesman. Unfortunately, the new owners made a series of ill-advised expenditures and in 2009 started looking for a buyer. PI, Inc., a manufacturer of plastic products located in Athens, Tennessee, purchased the company, moved manufacturing operations to Tennessee, and is again producing striker-fired and bolt-action Knight rifles such as the TK-2000 shotgun and Long Range Hunter bolt-action. Their newest model for 2013 was a Kevlar-stocked Knight Ultra-Lite bolt-action rifle that weighs 6 1/2-pounds.
For more about Tony Knight and the details of my hunts in North America and Africa with his guns see Chapter 5, Hunting with Tony Knight in my Book "X-Treme Muzzleloading: Fur, fowl and dangerous game with muzzleloading rifles, smoothbores and pistols" as well as Books 1-5 of my Muzzleloading Short Shots E-book series. Books 1-3, "Muzzleloaders for Hunting," "Buying Used Muzzleloaders" and "Shooting and Maintaining Your Muzzleloader." All print and E-books are available on Amazon.com and soon will be on all major E-book outlets. Book 4. "Hunting with Muzzleloading Shotguns and Smoothbore Muskets," has considerable materials on the TK-2000 12-gauge shotgun and in being readied for publication. All of this plus a video "Tony Knight, 1945 – 2013, An Appreciation" may be seen at http://youtu.be/4KoXNn8szwI and an annotated Pinterest Board on Tony Knight is also available.
Wm. Hovey Smith
The Backyard Sportsman
New Book "Shooting and Maintaining your Muzzleloader" is now available
Whitehall Press – Budget Publications
Wm. Hovey Smith
1325 Jordan Mill Pond Road
Sandersville, Georgia 31082
(478) 552-7455
Click on the iBooks image to order Book
Shooting and Maintaining your Muzzleloader
How to make your muzzleloader most effective and keep it working under almost any conditions.
Sandersville, GA., Shooting and Maintaining your Muzzleloader is the third of Wm. Hovey Smith's eight E-books in the Muzzleloading Short Shots series to be published in 2013. The 50-page book is now available on Amazon.com as a Kindle title for $5.99. Within three weeks it will also be sold by Barnes & Noble as a Nook Book as well as from Apple's iBookstore, Sony, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker & Taylor, eBookPie and eSentral for the same price. For those who do not have E-readers, a pdf file that may be read on any computer and many E-connected devices can be ordered via PayPal from the author's website www.hoveysmith.com for $7.00.
In the book the author discusses modern muzzleloading powders, percussion and flintlock ignition systems, shooting a matchlock, percussion revolvers, muzzleloading bullets, appropriate charges for different classes of game, the accuracy of muzzleloading guns, cleaning, muzzleloading accessories and concludes with a chapter on "Getting your muzzleloader ready to hunt in one day."
The book's 17 chapters offer practical information based on the author's 50 years of experiences hunting with these guns in North America, Europe and Africa. In addition, he also participated in many National Muzzleloading Rifle Association matches.
Although some information in this book has been previously published, much appears here for the first time or is from publications that are no longer accessible. Smith's exploration of this topic is an on-going process as he is the Corresponding Editor for Black Powder for the Gun Digest Annual, a frequent blogger and has posted more than 220 YouTube videos on outdoor topics.
Taking advantage of the E-books unique capabilities, live links are provided to videos and other resources. Additional resources include up-to-date suppliers' websites and contact information.
Not every shooter will own every gun featured in this book. However, Shooting and Maintaining Your Muzzleloader provides a unique look at modern replica guns and information on many models that have been discontinued, but are available on the used gun market.
Click on the iBooks image to order the book
Books already published in the Muzzleloading Short Shots series are Book 1. Muzzleloaders for Hunters ($4.99) and Book 2, Buying Used Muzzleloading Guns ($4.99). Book 4. Hunting with Muzzleloading Shotguns and Smoothbore Muskets, is now in progress. Also planned for release in 2013 are Book 5. Hunting Big and Small Game with Muzzleloading Pistols, Book 6. Hunting with Muzzleloading Revolvers, Book 7. Muzzleloading Guns for Self Defense and Book 8. Building or Restoring Your Own Muzzleloader. All of these titles will be available from the same E-book outlets.


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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using a stand mixer or a whisk, mix together both sugars, flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the pumpkin puree, eggs, olive oil and water. Mix until everything is incorporated, but don't over mix. Add in the walnuts if using a stir to combine.
Pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake for approximately one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool and enjoy.
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Vative's Business Analysis and Strategy services provide clarifying insight into where a business' best productivity improvement will come from. Vative deliver an unbiased, outside perspective on your business that will guide you in making the most accurate decisions to prepare your business for growth through improvement in people, processes and productivity.
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Last week, we had fun learning via the them of March: In like a lion and out like a lamb. Well, we are almost half way through the month, and I am ready to round up to the lamb side of the equation.
So, we had a blast painting and learning all about the colors of the rainbow (ROYGBV: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue & Violet). On Friday, we got our paints out and the kiddos LOVED painting the colors of the rainbow. We had teams of 2 so the kiddos could share paint pallets. Each kiddo loved painting by color!!! We needed to let our artwork dry, and will we be ready to put the finishing touches on our Cloud Rainbow!!! The kiddos can not wait to see their hard work displayed!!!
Once we have our Rainbow Clouds put together, we have the perfect transition to learning via the Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow!!! So, we are going to bring on our Shamrock Learning into the classroom with a little help from our tricky Leprechaun friends!!!
We have lots of fun St. Patty's Day Learning in store for our kiddos this week. The kids will enter the room with their names on shamrocks for them to locate, read and write. We will be sorting beads (green - of course) by Shamrock numbers (Click below on each page for a FREE printable version). We will be playing a Shamrock Hunt game were Shamrocks around hidden around the room with each kiddo's name on it. I LOVE this exercise as the kiddos use their cognitive skills to hunt and search for hidden objects. It is also a great team building exercise as they work beautifully together to help each other read the names and find all the shamrocks (p.s. - Jesus gets a shamrock too :) The excitement and giggles in the room during this exercise are priceless!!!!
Finally, we will be vertical coloring our Shamrocks. I LOVE to tape the coloring pages to the wall, a flipped over table, cabinet, you name it!!! It switches things up, the kiddos think is is awesome and it is SO good to work on both those fine and gross motor skills!!! This is such an easy tip to try at home when you need just a few more moments of quiet, crafting time for your littlests. I divided my class into teams of 2 and they worked together by sharing their crayons and helping each other 'read' the colors. The kiddos LOVED this exercise and the classroom was full of fun and learning!!!! Once they were finished, I asked them to flip over the paper and draw their family underneath a rainbow!
We have lots more fun tricky, tricks in store as our Leprechaun friends help us learn throughout the week. -And our kiddos will most certainly be in for a surprise on Friday when I have a very strong feeling that our tricky, little friends will most likely pay a visit and make a MESS!!!! Can't Wait!!!
Finally, (but most certainly not least) we have 'Donuts with Dad' bright and early on Wednesday morning!!! The kiddos are beaming with pride to show off their fabulous pre-school, friends, creations and more to their dad, grandpa or special guy fellow!!!! Can't wait to see you all there!!!!
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Mrs. Myers
As a mom, I love to know what my children are discovering during their days at school and I am sure you do too! Stop by here anytime to see what fun & learning we are up to!
May 2018


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June 2017 News and Legislative Update
State budget season at the State House draws to a close this week with some progress on the housing front. The capital budget includes $2.5 million for the Affordable Housing Fund and the operating budget includes full funding for homeless shelters and an increase to the Homeless Housing Access Revolving Loan Fund. The Governor is expected to sign both budgets.
In Washington DC, the focus is on the FY 18 budget for HUD and USDA Rural Housing programs. Following Trump's budget proposal that included draconian cuts to housing programs, Housing Action NH will be joining advocates from the New England Housing Network at meetings with key congressional appropriations staff on Capitol Hill to discuss the importance of these programs and the impact of any cuts.
Finally, be sure to visit the new Resources on Supportive Housing in New Hampshire's Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Program (DSRIP) here.
April 2017 News and Legislative Update
State budget advocacy has been the major focus of housing proponents this legislative session, advocating for a capital budget appropriation into the Affordable Housing Fund and ongoing operating fund support for the state's homeless shelters and programs.
At the federal level, there is growing concern in New Hampshire and across the country regarding the severe cuts to HUD and USDA rural housing programs proposed in both the FY 17 and FY 18 budgets that would have adverse impacts on thousands of New Hampshire residents.
January 2017 News and Legislative Update
A severe and growing shortage of housing choices in New Hampshire promises to divert business investments, exacerbate workforce shortages, and limit business growth. While several state and federal housing policy proposals are worth our attention in 2017, New Hampshire's Affordable Housing Fund provides an opportunity to help change this trajectory. Advocates are now preparing to make our case to the Governor, who called housing one of the state's economic drivers in his inaugural speech this week, and to the legislature. More details on this and other items follow. http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=6f449eb054f9419b0f5fcee35&id=d24aca6c3e
Housing Action NH Seeks Engagement and Communications Manager
Housing Action NH is currently accepting resumes for a contract Engagement & Communications Manager. Click here for details on the position and how to apply.
New Resource: NH Business Case for a Supportive Housing Services Benefit
The New Hampshire Business Case for a Supportive Housing Services Benefit documents the cost savings that can be achieved by providing supportive housing services. Housing Action NH and the NH Coalition to End Homelessness worked with CSH to analyze the 2015 Medicaid claims data of NH residents experiencing homelessness. The analysis shows about 70% of individuals in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) are now enrolled in Medicaid, 4,296 people. The analysis suggests that increasing pre-tenancy and tenancy support services would have a significant positive impact in decreasing public costs for this population. State and federal savings for the top decile who received supportive services are $287,798. The full report is now available.
New Resource: State of Homelessness 2016
This annual report, published by the NH Coalition to End Homelessness, analyzes and contextualizes data from this year's Point in Time count and the Dept. of Education's count of homeless NH school children. Link to the report here.
Looking for more state and federal data? Find our sector's most important reports, containing data you can use to advocate for more affordable homes and ending homelessness under the "Data Resources" section of our website.
RFPs for Supportive Housing: Deadline March 3, 2017
New Hampshire Housing has posted two new Requests for Proposals for supportive housing. These RFPs stem from allocations to the NH Affordable Housing Fund and the National Housing Trust Fund.
RFPs Offered:
1) Supportive Housing For Persons with Substance Use Disorders (source: NH Affordable Housing Fund). The purpose of this RFP is to commit the remaining $700,000 from the 2016 allocation to the NH Affordable Housing Fund, to be used for the creation of affordable supportive recovery housing.
Full details and RFP linked here.
2) Supportive Housing for Persons with Special Needs (source: National Housing Trust Fund). This RFP makes available up to $2 million for projects that serve those earning less than 30% of the Area Median Income with housing that incorporates services for residents. There will be a preference for projects serving the Chronically Homeless, as defined by HUD. This RFP will also be used to award Project Based Vouchers (PBVs) to allow funded projects to serve an extremely low income population for the duration of the 30-year minimum affordability period.
Full details and RFP linked here.
Register for New England Housing Network Federal Forum Dec. 16
October 2016 News & Legislative Update
Congress' anticipated Continuing Resolution will fund federal housing and homeless programs at FY 2016 levels until December 9. At the state level, housing advocates are sharing the alarming data released in the annual Residential Rental Cost Survey indicating a severe shortage in the supply of affordable rental homes, generating workforce challenges and undermining economic recovery for New Hampshire families. Click here to read the October Update.
Economic and Housing Market Update Conference October 19
Registration is open for the annual Economic and Housing Market Update, sponsored by NH Housing.
The conference takes place Wednesday, October 19, 8 am – 12 pm, at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester.
Douglas Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae, will keynote. Click here for more details and registration.