text:
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #YourTaxCash #CollectiveBias
To stretch your tax refund is a way that we can pay necessary bills while also making some family memories.
We've always been a very frugal family. I was raised on a dairy farm, where money was short, but life was good. I learned many valuable lessons in frugality from my Mom. Once I married, we became a single income family. As we added more children to our family, it became more important than ever to be frugal and pinch pennies.
We have some bills that are always paid with our tax refund. There is generally a little left over and that's what we use for our family memory splurges. Living a very frugal life can sometimes make one feel that he is missing out on the extras. One way that we combat that feeling is a once a year splurge. At tax refund time, we set aside a small amount for a few nice extras that are typically not affordable the rest of the year.
We pay the major bills first, of course, and then decide how much we have for our family memory splurge account.
The items that we pay help all year long, so it's a great feeling knowing that those bills are paid in full.
Here are our top 15 uses to stretch your tax refund:
- Property insurance- since we have a small farm, this is a pretty big number.
- Property taxes
- Restock pantry
- Restock freezer- meats, cheeses, butter, nuts, etc
- Replace glasses/contacts
- Vehicle repairs- any issues that have not been addressed throughout the year
- Pay ahead on utility bills- I realize this may not be the best use of the money, but it is a comfort having a credit with the electric company!
- Replace appliances or large items- washer, dryer, tv, etc
- Medical checkups- dental visits, optometrist, etc
- Gym membership for the year- OBVIOUSLY if you won't go to the gym, don't spend this money. My husband is a faithful workout guy and goes three times per week. This is his only real hobby. Money well spent- no monthly fee and we save by paying a year at a time.
- Buy gift cards for gifts- they are easier to mail than gifts. Choose stores that your recipient enjoys. Or, buy Amazon gift cards and use them to purchase and send gifts directly to your recipient.
- Buy gift cards for date nights- it's so much easier to plan a date night when the meal is already paid for!
- Add to your IRA- admittedly, we don't do this as often as we should, but it's an important one.
- Add to your savings account
- Family memory splurges!
For our family memory splurges, we don't have a set amount that we spend, but it generally works out to be $50-100 per person. It's fun to decide which items on our splurge list we get to buy!
For these splurges, we have only one rule:
It has to be a memory-maker OR has to have a lasting use
Download your own copy of this worksheet!
I think that we have chosen some great items this year! We have both memories and lasting use items for our children.
Rebecca is almost 24. For her birthday, she requested a family trip to the Huntsville Botanical Gardens. That's what we'll do. I look forward to the memories we will create on this day trip!
Thomas is 21 and has a truck of his own now. It is need of some new parts, so that's where we've chosen to splurge for him. These parts will make his daily work commute safer and more enjoyable. A double win for this Mama!
Natalie will be 18 later this year. She is making plans to move out on her own. She will need some household items for this move. We are planning to splurge on a few home necessities for her. A shopping trip will be coming soon. We'll be looking over this list of quality kitchen tools to see which items are most important in setting up her first kitchen.
Mary is 14 and is taking art and sewing classes and will begin dual enrollment college classes later this year. She is the only member of the family currently without a cell phone. Since she'll be away from home, it's time to get her this item. We've already purchased this item and she's having a blast setting up her new Samsung Galaxy On5! I love that Mary will be able to keep in touch with us when she is away from home.
We looked at Walmart Family Mobile phones the last time we were at Walmart doing our regular shopping. I just love the convenience of one-stop shopping. I felt confident in choosing WFM since Natalie is still quite pleased with her service with the WFM phone we bought for her last year when she started working.
We chose the Samsung Galaxy On5 for Mary's first phone. It only cost $69.00 on rollback! Set up was fast and easy. Even I could do it, and I'm not that technically-minded.
I don't have to worry about a surprise huge phone bill with the Walmart Family Mobile Plus Plan. The Plus plan includes Unlimited Talk, Text, & Data which includes up to 10GB of 4G LTE then 2G plus a free VUDU movie credit every month ($7 value- which is the same as a new release rental!) per line for only $49.88.
Getting started with Walmart Family Mobile Plus Plan is simple. Since Family Mobile bills you later, you only have to pay $19.88 when you sign up. Once you choose your phone, grab the SIM Kit and you're ready to go! Managing the bill online is a breeze too!
The free VUDU movie credit included with the Plus Plan allows us to watch a new movie on our smart tv each month. I'll share more about that fun service in a future post.
What will you do to create some fun family memories? I'd love to hear what you have planned!
Disclaimer: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to the Family Mobile Hub or your local Walmart for current pricing.
Read more on this topic with these posts!
- Make Your Own Recipe Binder -
- Homeschool Planning Printables with HP -
- Back to School Dual Enrollment Student Planner -
- 40+ Instant Pot Recipes for Your Summer BBQs -
- Easter Time Bunny Huts -
- Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches -
- 5 Satisfying Yet Simple Snacks -
- 5 Ways You Can Help a Grieving Mama Celebrate Special Days -
- It's Not Worth It- Don't Drive Distracted -
- One Big Yet Simple Step for Quality Sleep -


text:
Allied Bolt, Inc. a manufacturer of installation and poleline hardware used primarily by telecommunication and electrical utility providers announced today the development of an Integrated One Piece Drop Wire Clamp that accommodates flat fiber optic drop cable as well as copper twisted pair drop cable. The new clamp has been assigned part number 992.
The Integrated Clamp simplifies the installation of drop wire clamps. Drop wire clamps typically function to secure a cable, intermediate at its ends, to a span clamp, pole attachment, or house attachment. Prior designs incorporated three or more components whereby installation became craft sensitive and components, especially shims in three piece designs, could get lost or dropped prior to installation.
The new design functions as a one-piece integrated design that features a Stainless Steel Insert with aggressive protrusions molded directly into the mating wedges of the drop wire clamp. The clamp also incorporates a standard tail wire that accommodates standard span clamps, pole attachments, and house attachments.
Allied Bolt's president, Glen Malin, said, "We are very excited about our new one-piece fiber drop clamp. The clamp simplifies installation as well as reduces the chance of future service calls caused by down fiber drop cables.
Allied Bolt has posted products details on part number 992, on its website, http://www.alliedboltinc.com
Contact an Allied Bolt distributor or local representative for more information.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
SMIX Programming Library
Last modified: June 13, 1998
SMIX is a freeware programming library that will play up to 8 simultaneous sounds. The sounds are mixed in real time and played on any Sound Blaster compatible sound card. It provides transparent support for a variety of sound cards and will used auto-initialized 16-bit output if possible. A contribution is requested if SMIX is used for commercial for-profit use.
Up to 8 simultaneous sounds
Sampling rate of 22050 HZ (changable at compile-time)
Auto-initialized DMA prevents clicking
16-bit sound output increases quality
Supports volume control in protected mode versions
Provides transparent support to all Sound Blaster compatible sound cards
Sounds stored in extended memory, saving valuable conventional memory for your program.
Works under Windows NT 3.5 and OS/2 Warp
Sound resource files allow you to store all sounds in one file
Official versions:
SMIX v1.30 - Turbo Pascal real mode
SMIXC v1.30 - Borland C real mode
SMIXW v1.30 - Watcom C DOS/4GW protected mode
SMIXB v1.23 - Borland C DPMI32 protected mode (no public release)
SMIXT - TMT Pascal protected mode (unofficial release)
Download SMIX v1.30
(155,218 bytes) (97/6/6)
Download SMIXC v1.30
(161,253 bytes) (97/6/6)
Download SMIXW v1.30
(181,435 bytes) (97/6/6)
Download SMIXT
(14,846 bytes) (98/6/13)
Release notes:
SMIX (Pascal) 1.30 - mixtest demo program plays a sine wave instead of a jet engine. This is due to two calls to LoadSound(Sound[0],...). At or around line 80 in mixtest.pas, remove the second call by deleting the code "LoadSound(Sound[0], 'SINE');". If you like the sine wave better, delete the call to load the jet. If you leave both, you will have a memory leak, though it will not be persistent unless XMS sharing is disabled. (97/6/24)
Third party versions:
These are versions of SMIX written by other people for compilers that I do not support. Since I do not have or use the compilers for which these versions are written, I cannot support them. I am making them available for your convience, but support is the responsibility of the author.
SMIX for Microsoft Quick C and Microsoft Visual C
Version 1.20 by
Fu-Min Wang
WWW Page
Download SMIXM120.ZIP
(86,178 bytes) (95/8/18)
SMIX for Microsoft C
Version 1.30 by
Rob Weyrk
Download MS-SMIX.ZIP
(14,327 bytes) (97/12/25)
SMIX for Borland Pascal 16-bit protected mode
Modification of version 1.27 by
Joan Albert
Download SMIX_PM.ZIP
(41,465 bytes)
SMIX for Borland Pascal 16-bit protected mode (another version)
Modification of version 1.27 by
Christian Schneider
WWW page
Download SMIXP.ZIP
(122,590 bytes)
SMIX for Symantec C DOSX
coming soon
Back to Home Page
Ethan Brodsky <email@example.com>


text:
This book is a collection of 75 clay figurines inspired by Grimm's fairy tales, theatrically photographed and accompanied by short excerpts from each story.
The Singing Bones takes it's title from a Grimm's fairy tale about the bone of a slain boy that, once carved into a flute, sings of fate and injustice. It's a theme that runs through many European fairy tales, and reflects the generational memory of oral story-telling – as dark as it is playful – leading to Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's 1812 collection Children's and Household Tales. Interestingly this work was not intended for children, yet became a source of persistent fascination for readers of any age and the inspiration for many artists and illustrators over subsequent centuries. My own book features 75 sculptural works that I constructed and photographed between 2012 and 2015. They originally grew out of the German project Grimms Märchen, a retelling of 50 classic tales by Philip Pullman, published by Aladin in 2013 – a terrific book, only inaccessible to readers who don't read German.
Naturally I was very keen to bring my illustrations to readers in other languages, but other editions of Pullman's Grimm Tales for Young and Old precluded this (and worked perfectly fine without them). In any case, there were also many other stories I wished to illustrate so I continued making more sculptures, drawing upon such tales as Thumbling, The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids and Snow White and Rose Red, as well as others less well known. Given the original tales are in the public domain, I decided to make my own book. I enlisted the help of acclaimed fairy tale academic Jack Zipes, who I'd met a couple of times during international travels; a very friendly guy whose enthusiasm for folk tales is highly infectious. Jack offered editorial advice as well as an enlightening introduction touching on the history of visual interpretation of Grimms fairy tales, and Philip was kind enough to write a wonderful foreword for the Australian edition, acknowleding the link between the two books.
The book was launched in Melbourne in October 2015, and accompanied by a complete exhibition of my sculptures and No Vacancy Gallery. Visitors were also invited to make their own Grimm-inspired sculptures from plasticine on a large table, as much visited by adults as children (the children's work was definitely the scariest!).
For more commentary more about this book, click here.
To visit Allen & Unwin for more information and purchase details, click here.
'Yes,' his wife responded with a sigh. 'If only we had a child, just one, even if it were tiny and no bigger than my thumb, I'd be quite satisfied. We'd surely love him with all our hearts.'
The farmer did not know what to do with the turnip, nor did he know whether it would bring him luck or misfortune.
She had such big teeth that the maiden was scared and wanted to run away. But the old woman cried after her, 'Why are you afraid, my dear child? Stay with me, and if you do all the housework properly, things will turn out well for you.'
'If you hire yourself out to me as my servant,' the devil said, 'you'll have enough for the rest of your life. There's just one thing I've got to tell you: you're not allowed to wash yourself, comb your hair, trim your beard, cut your nails or hair, or wipe your eyes for seven years.'
'Oh, we know you found the Water of Life,' said the two wicked older brothers, 'but we're the ones who've received the reward for all your trouble.
'Oh, Mother Trudy, I was so petrified. I looked through the window and didn't see you, but I saw the devil with a fiery head!'


text:
After nearly three decades in service to people living with multiple sclerosis — the past seven of those at the helm — Joyce Nelson retires as President and CEO of the National MS Society today.
Though my diagnosis with MS came in 2001, it wasn't until 2004 that I reached out to the National MS Society for help. That was the year Ms Nelson took over at NMSS. I have only known the organization under her leadership.
Under her leadership, the people living with MS have, once again, become the center of focus for the organization. This might seem like an obvious concept — putting the people you are hoping to serve at the center of your organizational structure. It can be said that before Joyce, it had not always been the feeling if not the actual case.
Her tenure will not go into history without its errors. The Society's initial reaction to CCSVI, for instance, was far too paternal and opened the organization to continued accusations from those who believe that the NMSS is a bit too close to Pharma.
Three major research initiatives were launched under her auspices, culminating in the $250 million No Opportunity Wasted (NOW) campaign currently underway.
There are now six Pediatric Centers of Excellence for MS due to her efforts. She organized Fast Forward as a separate holding in order to drive potential therapies toward clinical trials faster. She directed a new effort in public policy which resulted in the first ever line-item funding of MS through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP). And the list goes on.
But, for all the big and small, Joyce Nelson kept firm to her early workings with the Society as Read-a-Thon coordinator at a chapter in San Francisco. She remembered that it was the people living with MS who looked to the Society for help, but also for leadership and a voice.
Though running a massive organization, she would take time to personally answer e-mail questions from people living with MS at every opportunity. That kind of leadership is all too rare today.
The West Wing gave us a fictional president with our disease, but Joyce Nelson has been a president for our disease and for all of us with MS.
On a personal note, I have had the opportunity to meet and speak with Joyce at a number of MS events and I thank her for her time and attention on each occasion. She's always been a class act.
On behalf of all who follow the Life With MS Blog, Joyce, we are…
Wishing you and your family the best of health.
Don't forget that you can also follow me via our Life With MS Facebook page and on Twitter. Check out our bi-monthly blog for the UK MS Society.


text:
True tale of a Tamil Tigress-4
After joining the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formally the two friends Shenuka and Nirmala were lodged at the house of a widowed mother of three daughters by senior tiger leader Murali. This lady was an aunt of Bharathan Rajanayagam who was then in charge of the LTTE 's TV and photographic unit.
Bharathan's father Rajanayagam master was a respected progressive citizen of Jaffna. I have been to his house in Thirunelvely a few times in 1986 to visit HN Fernando the teachers trade union activist and brother in law of former JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera.HN was a friend and one of my earliest contacts from the time I was a reporter on the Tamil daily "Virakesari".
Comrade HN had fled Colombo to escape the Jayewardena Govt crackdown and was staying with the Rajanayagam family.
Those were interesting times when Sinhala progressives fearing the UNP regime found a safe haven in "semi-liberated"Jaffna. Tragically in 1987 this situation changed and many Sinhalese in Jaffna were killed by the LTTE in revenge for the deaths of 12 tigers including Kumarappa,Pulenthiran, Nalan and Abdullah.But HN and other Southern progressives had moved back then due to the peace ushered in by the Indo-Lanka accord.
Bharathan's family was highly politicized. One of his sisters Kunthavai too was a member of the LTTE "Freedom Birds" .His brother Bharathi is a well –known Journalist in the Tamil media. Bharathan's aunt in whose house Shenuka and Nirmala were staying had three daughters. Two of them bearing the noms de guerre "Chithra and Ruby" were members of the LTTE women's wing "Suthanthirapparavaigal"(Birds of Freedom) and obtained arms training.
Meanwhile the families of both Shenuka and Nirmala were shattered by the news.Girls of their family background joining the LTTE was something new then and this development was something sensational in the circles they moved in.Many sympathized while some gossiped that the girls had "eloped". Shenukas father working in the middle-east was informed but he could not suddenly take leave and come to Sri Lanka due to contractual obligations.
Interestingly one of the first to meet the two girls and lash out angrily for having joined the LTTE was "Razaak" who was an uncle of a classmate of the two girls at Chundikuli Girls College.Despite being a tiger himself ,Razaak wanted the girls whom he knew well through his niece to quit and return to normal life. But the two girls starry-eyed with the dream of Eelam refused and managed to get him to convey a message to their families.
The girls had not brought any spare clothes or extra under garments or toilet accessories. They had simply dropped everything and just come away. Shenuka being a bookworm had only brought some of her books along. While this was proof of their unbridled enthusiasm it was also a manifestation of their naïve, romantic idealism.
So Razaak informed their families and brought back some clothes, under garments and toilet accessories.The two mothers however rushed to the LTTE main office near the Jaffna University to meet their daughters. They were allowed to do so. In later years the LTTE would not permit new recruits to immediately meet families.They could meet only after training was over.
But in this case the LTTE in 1987 seems to have been very lenient and easy going. The mothers of Nirmala and Shenuka were allowed frequent visits to see their daughters. The meetings would take place at the LTTE main office opposite the Varsity. Cadres would fetch the two girls living in close proximity to the office. Despite maternal pleading both daughters had refused firmly to return. So the meetings became simple conversations although the reflection of sorrow in the eyes of the two mothers was clearly discernible.
It appears that the LTTE leaders of the time were somewhat reluctant to tear these two girls away from their doting families and absorb them into the LTTE as armed fighters. These daily family meetings were encouraged perhaps to discourage the new tigress recruits.
It may also have been a test to gauge the extent of their commitment and resolve. Shenuka and Nirmala in spite of the many meetings did not waver or falter.After some days these meetings ended as the girls were relocated elsewhere. Perhaps they had passed the "test" with flying colours.
During the preliminary phase of her "tigress" life Shenuka as was her nature used to ask many questions some of them rather irreverent. She was soon put in her place by Thileepan and Murali. Shenuka was told that she was now in a militant organization and subject to military discipline. She was not supposed to raise questions but simply obey orders unquestioningly. Like Tennyson's "light brigade" hers was "not to reason why "but simply "do or die".
It was during their stay with Bharathan's aunt that the two SOLT (Students organization of Liberation Tigers)members interacted closely with the "Birds of Freedom" women's division of the LTTE political wing. The "freedom Birds" co-founder and head was the be-spectacled ,matronly Gayathri known as Gayathri Akka to the girls.
Both Shenuka and Nirmala met and made new friends through their interaction with other members of "Freedom Birds" many of whom were on the waiting list for arms training. Among these new friends and comrades were Gayathri Akka,Chitra,Ruby,Mithila, Bamini and Kunthavai who was Bharathan's sister. Both Nirmala and Shenuka were referred to by others as the "SOLT Pettaigal" (girls from SOLT)
One of the main duties of these Birds of freedom was to cook food,wrap food parcels and deliver them to LTTE cadres manning various sentry points. The food was generally puttu (pittu) and Paruppu(dhal) or Soru(rice) and payithangaai (snake beans). The parcels were delivered to sentry points at 11 am (breakfast)4pm (lunch) and 10 pm (dinner).
Apparently Shenuka who had shunned cooking at home because of her self-perception as Bharathiyar's "Puthumaippenn"(nouveau woman)hated these tasks.The freedom birds were also given basic training in administering first-aid.
It was during this time that LTTE political commissar for Jaffna Rasiah Parthiban alias Thileepan who was in overall charge of the Birds of Freedom inducted Shenuka into the editorial board of the monthly journal "Suthanthirapparavaigal". Apart from editorial duties she was asked to write poems for the magazine.Thileepan knew that the "Tamil Tigress" author had a flair for writing poetry.As a student at Holy Family Convent (HFC)she had won awards for poetry in 1984 and 85 and also won a Jaffna district competition for Tamil poetry in 1985. She had also won a poetry award at Chundikuli Girls College(CGC) and published her poem in the College magazine.
Shenuka had also maintained a crimson coloured notebook in which she inscribed her poems.Later this book assumed a life of its own.One of her relatives "Ravi Anna" was a medic in the Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front(EPRLF)known as "Dr.Benjamin". In 1986 December he had borrowed the book from her to read. Shortly afterwards the LTTE launched a fratricidal onslaught on the EPRLF.
"Benjamin" was also detained by the LTTE. Sadly he was among the scores of detenues executed in cold blood by LTTE senior commander Aruna in 1987. Aruna had gone berserk after an attack on his close friend, former Jaffna commander Sathasivampillai Krishnakumar alias Kittu. He had mowed down these members of rival groups being held under LTTE detention.
The red poetry book was seized by the LTTE from Benjamin. It was not returned to the author but kept in the LTTE media office. The author of "Tamil Tigress" as a student used to write heroic poems and drop them off in the LTTE complaints/suggestions boxes. The tigers were extremely curious about the mystery poet but were unable to find out the true identity. But now with the book in their possession the tigers were able to compare the mystery poems written in beautiful handwriting and discover the truth.
But the saga of the red book of poetry did not end there. When hostilities broke out between the Indian army and the tigers the LTTE media office was raided by the IPKF and among the material seized was the poetry book. The Indian army then came to Shenuka's house on Rakka lane and interrogated the family. Her sister was asked to read and translate the poems into English.
It later transpired that the Indian army officer who asked the sister to translate was a Tamil by ethnicity. He later revealed he was a Tamil and that he could understand the meaning of the poetry very well. He praised the quality of the poems and said they helped make him realize the sense of oppression felt by Tamils and the reasons for their taking up arms. The poetry book was taken away by the Indian officer and may perhaps be in his possession still.
Shenuka's creative impulses continued even after she lost the red book. She had now started writing poems in an ordinary exercise book. She wrote even during her arms training period and during the fighting with the Indian army. Once again she lost the poetry book on December 1st 1987 to the Indian army after a raid on the place she was hiding in with her comrades. What happened to the poetry book is unknown. But she stopped writing Tamil poems after that.
So it seems obvious that Thileepan got her to write poems for "Suthanthirapparavaigal" magazine with full knowledge of her creative talent. During her short stint at the editorial board she wrote three poems for the magazine.Two were published under her nom de guerre Shenuka and one as Nirmala ,her friend Ajanthi's nom de guerre.
Two of Shenukas poems were also published in the Jaffna daily "Eezhamurasu" which had been taken over from its owner Mayil. Amirthalingam by the tigers and was being run as a LTTE newspaper.
After some weeks at Thirunelvely both girls were sent by Thileepan to stay in a very poor neighbourhood in Navaaly,Manipay. This was shortly before "Operation Liberation" was launched by the Sri Lankan armed forces on May 26th 1987. The military operation in the Vadamaratchy region did not affect normalcy in other parts of Jaffna peninsula.
The relocation to Navaaly was a test to expose the middle class girls from a comfortable background to squalid surroundings and harsh conditions. Here the two friends slept on the bare floor, washed and bathed at an open well and used a squat bucket toilet. It was a new experience.
However both Shenuka and Nirmala were regarded as "special" by their hosts and neighbours. They were referred to as "Nalla kudumbathup Pillaigal" (Children from good families) and treated like royalty. They were overfed despite protests and the overfeeding stopped only after Nirmala threw out after an "enforced" heavy meal.
During this time the girls went to a hospital in Manipay where injured tigers were being treated. The sight of maimed,limbless cadres at the hospital moved both girls immensely.
Signing of Indo-Lanka accord
It was while they were in Navaaly that India conducted "Operation Poomaalai" on June 4th 1987. Indian planes violated Sri Lankan airspace and threw down food containers over Jaffna. It was a strong signal conveyed by New Delhi to Colombo.President JR Jayewardena understood the implications and caved in to Indian pressure thus paving the way for the signing of the Indo-Lanka accord.
Shenuka and her friend Nirmala were recalled to Jaffna town by Thileepan shortly after the Indian air drop. They were now assigned sentry duty at the Jaffna Fort vicinity. The Sri Lankan army was expected to move out en masse from the Fort camp and the tigers were ever vigilant. Assigning sentry duty to the girls also gave them exposure to the frontlines.
Six girls Chithra, Sanjika, Thuvaraga,Bhanu, Shenuka and Nirmala were grouped into one unit and assigned sentry duty. They stayed at Chithra's house in Thirunelvely and cycled to and from the Jaffna fort area. There were male tiger cadres also on sentry duty. Shenuka and the others were on duty at the Telecommunications building vicinity.
Jaffna Fort – in Jun 2010 – pic courtesy of: Gane
The duties of the girls were of a supplementary nature. The actual sentries were the male cadres. The six girls were there on a stand –by basis. They had to simply observe and wait in readiness with first –aid kits. The sentry posts assigned to them were NO 2 ,3 and 6. The six girls were placed in pairs to each sentry post. Venthan was in charge of Sentry post 6 and Muthu of Sentry post 3.
Chithra whose real name was Tharany and Shenuka were placed in Sentry post no 2. Rangan also known as Kuberan was in charge here. Little did Shenuka realize that Rangan was there for a purpose and that the God of love " Manmathan" was firing his five flowered arrows in the midst of war and death.
Rangan whose real name was Rajasooriyar had had an "eye" on Shenuka even as a schoolgirl and tried to draw her attention many times. But she apparently was unaware of his interest. After Shenuka joined the LTTE Rangan renewed his efforts. Incidently Rangan is referred to as "Roshan" in the "Tamil Tigress" book.
Despite the strict disciplinary code forbidding intra-tiger romances, many cadres of the LTTE found ways and means of circumventing them. Not even hard core tigers could curb natural impulses and resist that "many splendoured thing called love". Their great leader Prabhakaran too had fallen in love with Madhivadhani Erambu of Pungudutheevu and even amended the LTTE rule book to get married to her. Others like Kittu,Kumarappa, Pottu Amman, Mahathaya and Soosai had also fallen in love and married.
Rangan who had set his sights on Shenuka made his desire known to many comrades at arms.Since "all the world loves a lover"many in the LTTE began helping him quietly to woo Shenuka. Rangan who was attached to the LTTE camp on Temple road was suddenly "transferred" to sentry duty at the Jaffna Fort when Shenuka was assigned duty there. Moreover Shenuka and Chithra were placed under him at sentry post no 2.
Since Rangan had a hidden agenda his interaction with the two girls at his sentry post were different to that of his colleagues Muthu and Venthan. Shenuka unaware of Rangan's intentions then complained that she and Chithra were not learning anything whereas their friends at no 3 and 6 were being taught new things.
Rangan then began instructing the two girls about firearms while on sentry duty. He taught them the finer points of different fire-arms and how to dismantle , assemble and load guns.They were also shown many firing positions. They would also discuss many things about different aspects of various firearms.
After two weeks, sentry duty was over for the girls. To her surprise Shenuka found Rangan too ending his sentry duty at the Fort and returning to the Temple road camp. This made her suspicious that Rangan being stationed at the Jaffna Fort while she was there may not have been entirely a coincidence. Her doubts were further strengthened by the conduct of her friends
Her comrades and friends now began to tease her about Rangan.They cracked jokes and passed hints. The biggest match-making effort was by none other than the "Suthanthirapparavaigal" head Gayathri akka herself. She and Rangan's elder sister Rathy had studied together at the Jaffna university and were friends. Gayathri akka would often refer to their family in general and Rangan in particular while conversing with Shenuka.
Gradually Shenuka too began developing a soft corner for Rangan. But the mutual "crush" never flowered into a budding romance. There was no significant forward movement because of the LTTE code forbidding romances among cadres. Also Shenuka was inhibited by another factor. Rangan was a Hindu while she was a Christian. Since her parents were from different religions and this had caused some tensions , the girl was wary of of crossing religious lines.
Rangan however continued expressing his feelings for her in many bizarre ways . He was a good driver and would often drive LTTE vehicles. Whenever he saw Shenuka cycling on the road he would drive fast pretending to drive her off the road. He would drive at break neck speed over pot holes and rock the vehicle tooting his horn
It was Rangan who drove former tiger deputy –leader Gopalaswamy Mahendrarajah alias Mahathaya and the LTTE's ex-political adviser Anton Balasingham to the Palaly army camp to visit the detained LTTE leaders Pulenthiran and Kumarappah in October 1987. It was then that Cynaide was surreptitiously passed to them by the Mahathaya-Balasingham duo. Their suicide was the flashpoint of tension that triggered off the fighting between the Indian army and the LTTE.
After Shenuka's arms training period was over and she returned home for a few weeks Rangan began visiting her . He would sit in the front verandah and chat with her. Though Shenuka liked Rangan and talked to him often she did not encourage his attentions seriously. This was because of her reluctance to fall in love due to the LTTE disciplinary code and the religious factor.
There was also another incident which illustrated the depth of feeling and concern in Rangan for Shenuka. This was after the fighting had begun with the Indian army. After the abortive attack on the Jaffna University premises by Indian paratroopers the varsity was subjected to intensive artillery shelling. The LTTE also stationed many sentries in and around the campus anticipating a second assault.
Shenuka and some of her friends were also posted as sentries on campus precincts.Shenuka and Kanchana were in one building while Nihintha and Nirmala were in another. Kanchana and Shenuka were scribbling on a blackboard and having fun when a shell exploded on the building causing both to hit the ground.
None sustained serious injuries but a piece of shrapnel had struck Shenuka's foot. The LTTE medic a 3rd year medical student named Ranjan administered some first aid putting cotton wool and a bandage.Later when Rangan/Kuberan came to see Shenuka he found blood oozing through the bandage. He got upset and frantically got down a civilian medico friend of his to attend to the wound and treat it. Rangan's worry that day was an index of his feelings. Shenuka carries the scar on her foot to this day.
Shenuka's final meeting with Rangan was not very pleasant. He was wearing a sarong and this irritated her for some reason at that time. So she began admonishing him and there was a heated argument. Neither one knew then that this meeting in October was going to be their last. As the war escalated both had different duties to discharge and went their separate ways.
Nearly two years later during the peace interlude when Ranasinghe Premadasa was the President , Rangan went to the up country in search of Shenuka but she was then in India. A year later after the Indian army departed and war erupted with Colombo again,Rangan quit the LTTE.He then went to India to make travel arrangements and leave for Europe. Shenuka had by then left India and gone to Australia.
While Rangan was in India making arrangements to travel abroad, fate played a nasty trick on him. The LTTE assassinated former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in Sreeperumpudhoor on May 21st 1991. One-eyed" sivarasan was the alleged mastermind. Unfortunately for Rangan while in India he had met his old acquaintance Sivarasan who had asked him to drive his vehicle on a few occasions as a favour. Rangan who was fascinated by fast vehicles obliged him.
When the Indian authorities cracked down on the LTTE in Tamil Nadu Rajasooriyar alias Rangan was also arrested.
To strike a personal note Rangan's brother in law who is a friend of mine contacted me.He was then living in Norway. I helped in a small way by putting him in touch with Bhakthavatsalam the Chennai-based Civil rights lawyer to watch Rangan's interests.
Rajasooriyar alias Rangan described as an "ace driver" by Indian officials was indicted for the Rajiv Gandhi murder and intitially sentenced to death. Subsequently the sentence was reduced to a term of imprisonment. After serving his sentence Rangan was released but confined to a refugee camp in Tamil Nadu for a while. Later he left India and sought a new life elsewhere.
This then is the brief tale of the " budding romance "between Rangan and Shenuka. It was a mutual "crush" and never ever became a serious love affair. The amorous arrows of the Roman God Cupid and Greek God Eros failed to strike bulls eye here.
Nevertheless the short episode demonstrated that love springs eternal amidst war and death and that even two legged felines cannot be insulated from experiencing romantic pangs.
DBS Jeyaraj can be reached on email@example.com


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Scalp Acupuncture With Movement In Treatment Of Headache
181 cases suffering from different kinds of headache were treated by the authors with scalp acupuncture with movement. The results of instant an d long-term therapeutic effects show that the scalp acupuncture with movement is a simple and effective skill. The instant therapeutic effects: the headache in 163 cases disappeared; in 9 cases the effect was quite obvious; and in 7 cases it was effective; the total effective rate amounted to 98.9%. The long term therapeutic effects: 135 cases(74.6%)were cured. The total effective rate was 77.2%.
Scalp acupuncture with movement Headache Observation of therapeutic effect.
Headache is a frequently encountered disease, it mostly happens around for ahead, vertex, temporal and occiput. In clinical practice, we find scalp acupuncture with movement not only has an obvious instant therapeutic effect but also has a good long-term effect.
The concept of scalp acupuncture with movement is that while the doctor manipulates the needle, the patient should move actively or passively under the help of other people. In this way, this method can activate the latent energy from both the doctor and patient so that it can improve the therapeutic effects by quickly acquiring the Channel qi and letting the Channel qi arrive at the suffered area. The authors had successfully treated 181 cases of headache by means of scalp acupuncture with movement and done the primary discussion on mechanism of scalp acupuncture with movement in treatment of the headache and the function of patient's active or passive movement when doctor manipulating the needles.
Among total 181 cases in this study, there were 97 males and 84 females. The age s of the patients ranged from 17 to 61. The average age is 33 years old. The duration of disease was under one month in 32 case; 87 were between one month and 2 years; 62 were between 2 years and 8 years. Therapeutic standards: Refer to Th e Practical Internal Medicine published by The People Health Publishing House in 1983.
Selection of stimulating the belts: Middle belt of forehead (0.25 cun wide on both sides of the line which is 1 cun long from GV 24 straightly downward a long the Du meridian), middle belt vertex (0.5 cun wide on both sides of the line directly connecting GV 20 and GV 21), occipital belt of vertex (0.5 cun wide on both sides of the line directly connecting GV 20 and GV 17), basic belt of cranium (0.5 cun wide on both sides through Du meridian, gallbladder meridian, and sanjiao meridian). Needling method and therapeutic course: Lifting and thrusting method with small amplitude was used. Therapeutic course: When the doctor stimulates the needles, the patients should relax on mind and mind concentrating on his Dantian. When the doctor manipulates the needles on the occipital belt of vertex, the assistant should press and mass age the exterior and middle one-third of basic belt of cranium. After that, the assistant should find the Ashi point and press for more while. When the doctor stimulates the needles on the middle belt of vertex, the assistant should gently knock at the scalp of headache. If the location of headache is on t he anterior side of temporal, the doctor should add anterior oblique belt of vertex-temporal (0.5 cun wide on the both side through Du, Foot Taiyang bladder meridian)(the same side of along the headache, the same as below). When the doctor manipulates the needles, the assistant should press the local area of the anterior side of temporal up and down by three fingers. If the location of the headache is in the middle of the side of the head, we should add the posterior oblique belt of vertex-temporal (directly connecting GB 4 and GB 6, 0.5 cun wide on both side and connecting with Du, Foot-Taiyang bladder and Foot Shaoyang gallbladder meridian) and press the Ashi points . If the location of the headache is on the back of occiput, we should add occipital belt of vertex or lower-lateral belt of occiput (directly connecting GB 9 and TE 10, 0.25 cun wide on both sides and belonging to Foot-Taiyang bladder meridian). If the headache is complicated with nausea, the doctor should use both sides of belt II lateral to forehead (1 cun long from GB 15 straightly downward along the meridian, and 0.25 cun wide on both sides and belong to Foot-Shaoyang gallblader). When the doctor manipulates the needles, the patient should press the stomach and take a deep breath and hold it for a little while. After finishing manipulating, the patient takes abdominal respiration. If the patient's headache is caused by liver-qi depression, or ascendant hyperactivity of liver yang, or vigorous liver fire or blood stasis, the doctor can add needles on the left side of the middle one-third belt of forehead-vertex (directly connecting GV 24 and GV 21, 0.5 cun wide o n both sides, which belong to Du meridian). If it is caused by phlegm turbidity clouding the upper clear orifice, the doctor can add right side of the middle one-third belt of forehead-vertex. All of above, we use the reducing method. If the headache is caused by deficiency of the kidney, the doctor should add the lower one-third of belt of forehead-vertex. It should be treated by the reinforcing method. If it is caused by the deficiency of qi and blood, we add needles in the middle one-third of belt of forehead vertex.
(1) Criteria of the therapeutic effect
Cured: Headache with all the complicated symptoms are vanished. Follow-up for one year shows no relapse.
Markedly effective: Headache with all the complicated symptoms are basically re moved, though the headache relapse again in one year, the symptom is greatly reduced.
Effective: The headache is markedly reduced. The interval between two attacks of headache is prolonged. The lasting time of headache is reduced.
Ineffective: It has no change of headache.
(2) Result of the treatment. Among the total 181 cases treated for 1 or 3 therapeutic courses, 135 cases (74.5%) were cured. 28 cases (15 .5%) were greatly effective. 13 cases (7.2%) were effective; 5 cases (2.8%) were ineffective, the total effective rate was accounted for 97.2%. The instant therapeutic effects after treatment are also very good. Among the total 181 cases, 1 63 cases were cured, accounting for 90.1%. 9 were greatly effective, accounting for 4.9%. 7 were effective, accounting for 3.9%. 2 were not effective, accounting for 1.1%.
Mr Lin, 35 years old, an office worker, was admitted on July 20, 1997. He had a history of headache for 7 years and aggravated for 1 year. The headache happened once around a month, and the pain lasted for 5 or 7 days. The patient had to take the painkiller to stop the pain, he has visited many doctors, but the results of treatment were not satisfied. The patient's headache extended from the right temporal to his vertex. The right eye was red and he had a feeling of protruding. His mother also has such history of headache. When the doctor pressed on the middle one-third of right side of basic belt of cranium, the patient felt very painful. It was diagnosed as "the common headache��? He was treated by the scalp acupuncture with movement. The chosen belt was middle belt of forehead, middle belt of vertex, right side of anterior oblique belt of vertex-temporal, the upper one-third of occipital belt of vertex, the middle one-third of basic belt of cranium, the left side of belt II lateral to forehead. Manipulation: When the doctor stimulated the needles on the occipital belt of vertex, firstly the assistant should massage the middle one third of right side of basic belt of cranium. Then, the patient gently pressed his right eye. When the doctor stimulated the needles on the middle belt of forehead and middle belt of vertex, the assistant should knock at the right side of the patient's head. When the doctor stimulated the needle on the anterior oblique belt of vertex-temporal, the assistant should press the affected area where is 1 cun behind the Taiyang point. When the doctor stimulated the belt II lateral to fore head, the patient should press both sides of hypochondria by his hand. After stimulating, the patient deeply kept down his breath. The doctor repeatedly manipulated the needles until the headache disappeared. At last, upper obliquely inserting one needle on the middle one-third of basic belt of cranium, the doctor did the electric needle together with the needles on the anterior oblique belt of temporal. When the patient visited the doctor for the second time, the headache has obviously reduced. He needed not take the pain-killer for stop the pain. After three times treatment, the patient told the doctor that the headache had disappeared. After another 13 times of treatment, the patient never complained the headache. No relapse was found during the following one year.
The concept of scalp acupuncture with movement is that at the same time of stimulating the needles on the head, we should move the patient's suffered area (including the active and passive movement). Clinical practice proves that moving the suffered area while manipulating the needles on head can improve therapeutic effects of the scalp acupuncture, especially on the speed of achieving effects. To its mechanism, there is not any detailed report until now. As an example of scalp acupuncture with movement in treatment of headache, we want to make a preliminarily inquiring into it. Firstly, why the scalp acupuncture has an obvious effect on headache. As we know, the suffered area of headache is on the head. The points and belts used in scalp acupuncture are also on the head. There are eight channels directly running along the head among the twelve regular channels and the eight extra channels. Another four channels can arrive at the head by their muscle regions or divergent channels. The channel qi stimulated by scalp acupuncture can directly arrive at the suffered area by these channels. All of them can more easily have the functions of freeing the stasis of qi and blood, regulating the yin and yang, strengthening the body resistance and eliminating the pathogenic factors. While stimulating the head, the patient's active and passive actions include the exhale and inhaled one by himself and the knocking, tapping, massage done by the assistant. All the se action will have certain function of regulating the flow of qi and blood, dissipating the transport of channels and collateral, nourishing the heart and quieting the spirit, The actions such as pressing or massage can further improve the body's function quickening the flow qi and blood, dissipating the transport of channels and collateral, relaxing tension and stopping the pain. We may consider the mechanism of the function of scalp acupuncture with movement as follow: The active and passive actions can promote part of channel qi on the suffered area. When this part of channel qi together with the channel qi promoted by scalp acupuncture run toward the location of headache, they can have a cooperated effect. The strengthening channel qi can more quickly arrive at the suffered area and have the function of stopping the pain by dissipating the channels and collateral. To some patients with long course of disease or severe conditions, the actions such as knocking, pressing or massage can more powerfully dissipated the pathogenic qi and stasis of qi and blood. The actions can also make the channel qi promoted by scalp acupuncture more easily run along the suffered area. The channel qi can better play full function of dissipating the transport of qi and blood. Also, the action of pressing on the suffered area can instantly make the painful feeling increased. The increasing pain sensation can not only more powerfully promote the self regulating function of patient's channels and collateral but also concentrate the patient's spirit-mind on the suffered area. The concentrated spirit mind can have the therapeutic function by guiding the channel qi promoted by scalp acupuncture quickly arrive at the suffered area.
Category: Acupunctur for Headache Treatment, Acupuncture Papers, Acupuncture Treatment
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The Arrow is a Thunderbolt 3 Desktop Audio Interface with class leading conversion, 2 Unison Preamps and 12 fantastic plugins powered by the built in UAD-2 Solo processor. With the Arrow you have everything you need to create professionally polished tracks right out the box!
As one of the smallest and most affordable options in the range, this desktop interface is perfect for singer/songwriters, guitarists, Electronic music producers, voice over artists and on the go engineers. The Arrow Interface offers album-quality recording in a compact, affordable unit, and the perfect entrance into the world of Universal Audio.
The UA Sound - For Less
Universal Audio have some of the best sounding professional audio interfaces available right now. With their clean clear preamps, professional audiophile AD/DA conversion and industry leading plugins, a UA setup is near the top of many producers and studio owners wanted list! Yet most of these units are powerful rack-mount systems designed for professional studios that need external power to run; not great if you want a compact and portable setup.
The Arrow features Thunderbolt 3 connection to both Mac and PC. This ultra fast connection offers near 0% latency recording and can fully power Arrow from your laptop without needing a separate power connection.
With a lean and mean feature set, you get all the best elements of Universal Audio interfaces for a more affordable price.
Record with legendary gear using Unison preamp technology.
The Arrow comes with 2 of Universal Audio's Unison Preamps, as found on the flagship Apollo interfaces. Similar to plugins recreating classic EQ's and Compressors, Unison technology enables you to record with the tone, touch and "feel" of the world's most sought after mic preamps and guitar amps with Universal Audio's detailed emulations. To make this happen, the Arrow features unique hardware-software integration, which adjusts the impedance of its instrument and mic preamps to match the emulated hardware. The result is an authentic analogue sound that stands out against its competitors.
In this price bracket, you'll struggle to find anything that comes close...
Realtime UAD Plugin processing
The Arrow comes with a fantastic collection of Universal Audio's prized plugin emulations, featuring classic emulations like the 1176 compressors, Pultec EQs, a Marshall Plexi amp and much more. These plugins sound sound so good that you'll want to put them on all your tracks!
With most interfaces you would be worried that using too many plugins will clog up the speed of your computer, so you would have to start committing and bouncing down tracks to fresh audio files.
The Arrow however features built-in UAD-2 Solo processing that handles the extra workload without stressing your computer. This means you can record worry-free with near-zero latency tracking using your new plugins.
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Arrow Includes the "Realtime Analog Classics" UAD Powered Plug-Ins Bundle
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- RealVerb Pro


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GRIMSBY FIELD LOCATIONS (click on link for Maps & Directions)
Southward Community Sports Park ; 84 Mud Street West, Grimsby, Ontario, LOR 1M0
Southward Field Map
Smith Fields & Grimsby Main Clubhouse ; 10 Oakes Rd, North, Grimsby, Ontario, L3M 4B1
Clubhouse phone number 905-945-0355.
Grimsby Field Locations Map (PDF)
Smith School - Main Clubhouse - Fields #1 to #5 (PDF)
Four fields numbered #1 to #4 west to east (#3 and #4 with lights) and the clubhouse. One field (#5) adjacent to Oakes Road.
Forty Mile Field
One field -- adjacent to Forty Mile Creek. Field is lower than street level, at the corner of Ontario Street and Olive Street.
Parking lot is at street level, off the west side of Ontario St. The entranceway is just north of the Olive St. intersection.
From the QEW or Regional #81 take Ontario St. north to the field.
Angelo Giglia Memorial Field @ Peach King Centre (formally known as Peach King Arena Mini Field)
Two Mini-Field adjacent to Grimsby Peach King Centre. Parking at the Peach King Centre
162 Livingston Ave., L3M4G3.
Below is a list of all current soccer fields used by the Lincoln Soccer Club.
Get Directions
Beamsville High School
Fields are located behind the pool.
4317 Central Ave., Beamsville, Ontario, L0R 1B0
Tintern Church
4357 Springcreek Road, Beamsville, Ontairo L0R 2C0
Corner of Springcreek Rd and Spiece Rd
Beamsville Lions Community Sport Park - Field Layout
Corner of Mountain St. and Fly Rd., Beamsville, Ontario
5162 Fly Rd., Beamsville, Ontario, L0R 1B0
Great Lakes Christian College
The soccer field is behind the school.
4875 King St., Beamsville, Ontario, L0R 1B0
Lincoln Town Hall
4800 South Service Rd, Beamsville, Ontario, L0R 1B1
Heritage Christian School
The fields are located behind the school. No parking on the grass.
2850 Fourth Ave., Jordan, Ontario, L0R 1S0
Jordan Lions Park
Multifacility Community Park.
2789 Fourth Ave., Jordan, Ontario, L0R 1S0
Jordan Public School
2831 RR#81, Jordan, Ontario, L0R 1S0
Smithville Leisureplex
Smithville Leisureplex is used for tournament, travel and house league games (interlock divisions only).
2543 South Grimsby Rd. 6, Smithville, Ontario, L0R 2A0
Rock Street Park
Rock Street, Smithville, Ontario, LOR 2A0
Vineland Public School
Field is behind the treeline to the left of the school parking lot.
4057 Victoria Ave., Vineland, Ontario, L0R 2E0
Grimsby Town Youth Soccer Club


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Daisy had her first trial today and had her first Q and third place finish in Jumpers.
She had a great run - only one fault - a back jump - which is allowed in CPE level one!
This was the last run of the day.
Her first run was great - fast and clean - Fullhouse. Had plenty of points...all set to Q, etc. HOWEVER,
Daisy decided when she was leaving the ring to party early and she took off right before we got to the gate and
had a zoomie fest by her self, which earned her an NT and we lost all those points and were politely excused from that run.
She was soo bad - it took like 10 people to track her down - I thought we were going to get excused from the trial nevermind just the run.
Her second run was standard...and that was very bad. Jimmy lost her from the beginning - she just decided to run around and sniff, another NT.
Her third run, Colors was very good - had nice control of her she was running well, and clean, pretty much until I forgot the course and made her take an obstacle twice because I forgot what I was doing. Can't really blame her from that - so I blamed my instructor LOL.
All in all a good day - I'm posting videos of our runs on Facebook, until I can find another host to post them on here.


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Taking Lives is a dark and dreary would-be thriller that may have you taking your own life before the final frame.
Yeah, folks die during the course of this movie, but things are pretty lifeless from the start: The characters don't so much arc as they careen violently to the ground.
Judging by the poster for Taking Lives the real stars of this movie are Angelina Jolie's lips – the upper leading one and the lower best supporting one. Fortunately, these lips aren't guilty of a crime – unless flamboyant disregard for proportionality is illegal.
Taking Lives is set in Montreal, where French and English collide like Angelina's career collides with a tree.
See if this sounds familiar:
There's a serial killer on the loose!
And the cops need help!
So they call in Angelina Jolie.
Why? Because whether you have an unsolved murder or the den needs painting, if you need help, who wouldn't call Angelina Jolie.
And so Angie goes to Montreal.
"Normally," says one cop, "finding lips that big in Montreal, means visiting the local boulangerie and placing two loaves of French bread under your nose."
Evidently reconfigured as the new Ashley Judd, Angie is a crack FBI profiler who, like the CBS prime-time viewing audience, is obsessed with forensics. There she is, reclining in the hole where a body was just exhumed, looking radiant, as porcelain-perfect as a J C Penney mannequin.
As countless movies have taught us, serial killers collect mementos of their crimes: They tie straws into little people-shapes, they store urinal filters in the bathtub, they stow bodies in the ceiling, they collect tribal knives, they wear their loved one's blood around their neck, they canoodle with their brother at awards shows…
Hey, wait a minute!
Ethan Hawke presumably witnesses the killer in action (duh, can you see where this is going?). Ethan waits for his "investor" – who may be the killer – in a nightclub, when he sees a napkin on the bar that says "Meet me in the men's room." Hmm. Yes, another one of those men's room meetings with investors – let's hope somebody's investing in a condom.
Wait, is Angelina falling for Ethan? "I might be having a reaction to my witness that would cloud my judgment," she says. Trust me, Angie, your judgment's been sleeping with the fishes since 1999. You could have picked a better movie if you had wandered into a wedding video in Pasadena.
After a few moments of forensic flirtation, Angie and Ethan land in bed, and by "bed" I mean up against the wall of her hotel room. Look, if I want to watch Angelina Jolie have an orgasm, I'll consult my vivid imagination.
Thanks to Ethan's alleged eye-witness description, a sketch of the presumed killer is prepared, and even people who have never seen Keifer Sutherland know this is the image of Keifer Sutherland. Never ones to miss a clue, the Canadian cops put out an all-points-bulletin for Donald Sutherland circa 1979.
The chase is on! Angie swings into action, zooming after the alleged perp down the wrong side of the highway – and doing it with the added burden of stylish sunglasses on a gloomy day.
Olivier Martinez, Diane Lane's boy-toy from Unfaithful, proves he can't act with clothes on any better than he could act with clothes off. Olivier doesn't deliver dialogue so much as physical postures with words attached. Not that you can understand the words: "Vowel-vowel-vowel-vowel-vowel-BULLSHEET!" Together, Olivier and Angelina are too beautiful for the same planet, let alone the same room.
This is a case of a murderer who kills folks then assumes their lives and identities. In other words, the killer is out to create an outcome both familiar and derivative. Likewise, the filmmakers have dredged a familiar harbor and, predictably, come up with a derivative stiff.
I can only hope against hope that this movie is Hollywood's final copycat killing. We have our Silence of the Lambs. Now how about some silence from the hams?
Photos Copyright ©2004 Warner Bros. Pictures


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Don't get too excited - YouTube isn't about to start paying everybody for their videos. But it has reached a landmark revenue-sharing deal with a US regional news broadcaster. And this could influence the deals it strikes in future.
The agreement means local broadcaster Hearst-Argyle Television will receive a small payment whenever one of its news videos is clicked upon. The company, which owns 29 local US TV stations, will share revenue on news, weather and entertainment footage.
Like other YouTube broadcasters such as the BBC , Hearst-Argyle will have a dedicated channel on the website. Neither party has said how the cut will be decided, but other broadcasters are sure to be watching closely.
It's the latest in a long line of content deals that Google-owned YouTube has struck in recent months. Only last week it reached an agreement with EMI to show music videos. This pact may lead to EMI recordings being able to be legally used as the soundtrack to user-generated videos.
YouTube still faces legal action from MTV-owning media giant Viacom as well as the Premier League, which objects to the site's streaming of football clips.


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Did Watchtower Lie to Elders and Members About Reappointment of Child Molesters?
In January of 2007 silentlambs was contacted by an elder that stated a new BOE (internal body of elder letter) was read to elders in the congregation about re-appointment of child molesters. The elder commented that the new BOE closed the opening for child molesters to ever be appointed to any position of responsibility in the congregation. While this is encouraging, we sent word out for a copy of the letter to confirm the observation. Silentlambs has yet to receive a copy of this letter but it is important to note that if so, this could represent a significant change to current policy in these matters. To understand this you have to go back into the history of the policy on abuse in order to understand it more clearly.
The policy of the Service Department (administrative office for elders) has always been to allow the reappointment of a child molester after twenty years. This policy has been in effect for decades. Members were led to believe in the January 1, 1997 Watchtower article, "Let Us Abhor What is Wicked" that policy had changed, it read,
"For the protection of our children, a man known to have been a child molester does not qualify for a responsible position in the congregation. Moreover, he cannot be a pioneer or serve in any other special, full-time service.—Compare the principle at Exodus 21:28, 29."
Was this true? Apparently not, for just three months later in the March 14, 1997 Body of Elder letter the following was stated to elders dealing with a fellow elder that was discovered to be a molester.
"Who is a known child molester? The January 1, 1997, Watchtower article "Let Us Abhor What Is Wicked" mentions on page 29 that a man "known to have been a child molester" would not qualify for privileges in the congregation. An individual "known" to be a former child molester has reference to the perception of that one in the community and in the Christian congregation. In the eyes of the congregation, a man known to have been a child molester is not "free from accusation" and "irreprehensible," nor does he have "a fine testimony from those on the outside."
Did you catch it? The word "known" creates a Watchtower loophole that can appear to be one thing but in practice be something very different. Silentlambs has been contacted by numerous Jehovah's Witnesses expressing outrage when we state that molesters are reappointed. They say the 1997 Watchtower clearly indicates they (child molesters) would never be appointed and that we are besmirching God's organization for saying otherwise. How do we know that a "known" child molester could be reappointed after twenty years? Well the first clue is with the PR Statement given by the WT PR (Public Relations Department of Jehovah's Witnesses) website on their policy regarding child abuse. Note this comment,
"In a few instances, individuals guilty of an act of child abuse have been appointed to positions within the congregation if their conduct has been otherwise exemplary for decades. All of the factors are considered carefully. Suppose, for example, that a long time ago a 16-year-old boy had sexual relations with a consenting 15-year-old girl. Depending upon the U.S. jurisdiction where he lived when this happened, elders may have been required to report this as an incident of child abuse. Let us say that 20 years have passed. The child abuse reporting law may have changed; the man may have even married the girl! Both have been living exemplary lives and they are respected. In such a rare case, the man could possibly be appointed to a responsible position within the congregation."
As you will note not only is the reappointment of molesters mentioned but the actual number of years is stated as well. Read the information closely and you will see an error, then ask yourself: Is an accurate WT definition of a "Known child molester"?
Note the direct definition given in the March 14, 1997 BOE,
If you read the information closely you will see the example offered in the WT PR Statement is not by their definition a "child molester". In the letter a child molester is defined as, "an adult brother or sister has been guilty of sexually abusing a young child or has been sexually involved with a nonconsenting minor who is approaching adulthood."
The example given is of two "consenting minors" thus by their definition this individual would have no need to wait twenty years to be appointed but instead be treated as any other typical transgression of sin.
Why then did WT PR work so hard to present a fictitious situation to show how a child molester could be reappointed? The facts show they indirectly wanted to show the twenty year policy in writing as a long standing policy on child abusers. Do you really believe that consenting minors that have sex would not be appointed for twenty years? It would certainly be a very cruel rule to follow and one that has never been followed by the organization to date. If it were applied as a hard fast rule most current elders would not qualify for appointment as a result.
What about the policy that after twenty years a child molester can be reappointed? Was it really a full twenty years? An elder discussing this matter with the Service Department in 2000 was told that if the victim forgave him and he had the respect of the congregation, a confessed child molester could have privileges after fifteen years. From this information it appears twenty years is not a hard fast rule in all cases. To back this up note the comment in a "form" body of elder letter that is sent when a elder or ministerial servant are removed after it is discovered they have a recent history of molestation. The following comment is made at the end of this letter,
"After a number of additional years have gone by, you may wonder whether certain privileges can be extended to this brother. If he has continued to build a commendable record, if there are no complaints either by his victim(s) or by relatives, and if the body of elders concludes that no one would find fault with his being given extra privileges of a minor nature in the congregation, you may write the Society and make known your observations and recommendations, indicating how you feel he can be used in the congregation. Explain clearly what the current feeling is toward him on the part of the one(s) he wronged and by relatives, and how the congregation views him now. Direction from the Society should be obtained before certain privileges are extended to him."
So what does this tell the reader? If the victims are forgiving, along with the relatives, then he could be approved to be used for privileges in the congregation. We know this to be the case for in a letter sent to all elders in the United Kingdom dated 06/01/01 the following is stated,
"There is one exception to the above direction: The elders may have written to the branch office and given full details about a former child abuser who is currently serving as an elder or ministerial servant. In such a case, if the branch office has decided that he can be appointed or continue serving in a position of trust because the sin occurred many years ago and because he has lived an exemplary life since then, his name should not appear on the List, nor is it necessary to pass on information about the brother's past sin if he moves to another congregation unless contrary instructions have been given by the branch. If therefore, such an appointed man moves to another congregation a letter confirming the move should be sent, addressed to the Society's Legal Department."
So here we have clear evidence that child molesters are in fact serving as "elders" and "ministerial servants" in the congregation and are provided with a clean slate of no record following them to new congregations they may move to.
Is this a good policy? If the average Jehovah's Witness understood the application of "known" child molesters and special confidentiality approvals given to men that hurt children, how would they react? In addition to this what about "unknown" child molesters, that is those men that have their past hidden or do not have "two eye witnesses" to back the victims testimony against them? What is the answer? They are serving in their appointed capacity in a congregation near you.
Perhaps the more important question is in fact, with the writing of the 01/07 Body of Elder letter, is there now a new policy that stops this practice by leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses? Recently silentlambs received an email from a disturbed person that had been a Jehovah's Witness for many years. An adult friend of the family that was molested as a child had a message sent from her molester.
The woman as a child was molested by this older relative.
Now many years later some of the family started pressuring her to write a letter of forgiveness because according to them, "The molester really "needs" this appointment."
Recently in the message, she is informed that the molester is coming to town to speak with her directly. She was looking forward to a confrontation, but instead, he sends a relative to her place of business. The relative hands her an envelope. Inside a request for her forgiveness (in letter form) and..... cashiers check for several thousand dollars.
So now we see in practice that WT policy on the reappointment of child molesters is alive and well. Remember the earlier comments about forgiveness of family and relatives? Well in this case an extra kick of money was added to seal the deal. The woman ignored the offer and in this one case a child molester might be prevented from being a leader in the congregation and having further access to young girls. How would you feel about a newly appointed elder that molested a child. Would you want him providing spiritual guidance to your children? This practice is well known among those affected by it. In another example, a current missionary was married and had a child many years ago. After divorcing his first wife he became a Jehovah's Witness and remarried. They were both pioneers but when they applied for Gilead he was given an assignment. You see, though he paid child support he did not have anything to do with his daughter. The Watchtower Service Department informed him that he must get a signed statement that his daughter "disowns" him as her father and rejected him to be part of her life before he could be approved as a missionary. He obtained the statement and was happily admitted to Gilead. A few years later his daughter died from a medical reaction to the first time she took drugs but that did not stop him and his new wife from serving for over twenty years as special pioneer missionaries in Guatemala as fine examples in Christian living. When their parents got in bad health is it any wonder that they were immediately placed in nursing homes by their loving missionary children? Just another example of how WT policy protects abusers while harming innocent people.
So based on the information considered the facts show that Jehovah's Witness child molesters are still protected by the pedophile paradise polices of the organization. As a child molester you can go door to door to find new prospects, have all records of your activity with children erased, in a few years be reappointed, and of course have the full legal and financial backing of the billion dollar Worldwide Work donation fund to assist you in court if you are ever accused.
So for any Jehovah's Witness reading this, perhaps you were not lied to directly but instead you were simply misled as to the facts. You thought child molesters would never have privileges in the congregation, but what Watchtower really meant was "known" child molesters. All those elders, pioneers, and ministerial servants that are unknown or forgiven may be conducting bible studies with your child or taking them out in service this week.
Remember if you do not support policies like this, refuse to donate to the Worldwide Work until they change the protection of pedophiles through the policies of this organization.
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By Bernard Wainaina
I'm a strong believer that men gain a huge amount from feminism.
A man gotta be a man in all circumstances that face him,be it wild animals,"wild" women feminists,war,starvation,disease-name it.
You are not a man when you avoid a the distasteful experiences,but more of a man when you thrive in spite of them!
But, let's face it, you don't make omelettes without cracking a few eggs.
In this case, the eggs are the
forms of power and privilege that we, men have traditionally
In the past, we men only had to compete with half of humanity for most jobs.
Now, we have to compete with all of humanity.
At night, men got to relax, go out with friends, or pursue our careers, sports or hobbies while our partners
(even if they worked outside the home) did most childcare and domestic work.
Now, we're expected to do our fair share.
Some workplaces were straight out of locker rooms.
Now, with sexist behaviour challenged, for some men,work just isn't as much fun.
No matter our personal abilities, society automatically valued us.
Some religions said we were closer to God.
We were automatically seen as
stronger, more rational, and leaders.
In relationships we got cooked for, shopped for, cleaned up after, and emotionally stroked.
We could (if we so chose) have power in getting sex.
Now, we can get put in jail for things that not long ago were seen as men's rights (think of marital rape and wife battering).
In some families and relationships, we were the ultimate decision-makers.
Now, we have to share power and decision-making.
In other words, some men are afraid of feminism because it challenges forms of men's power and privilege that one-half of our species foisted on the other about 8,000 years ago.
Giving up is hard to do.
Being a Man is Hard to Do for weak men in our midst who are always whining about women gaining more ground.
Here's the strange thing: many men also fear feminism because they fear they're not "real men."
I've meditated a lot on this, what I call "men's contradictory experiences of power."
What this means is that the ways we set up our male- dominated societies not only bring men power and
privilege but, paradoxically, is the source of pain for men.
One source of this pain is that we set up impossible ideals of manhood:
You know: always strong, fearless, in control, etc. etc.
Of course no man can live up to these ideals.
The best way to go about it is to acknowledge our own limitations as ordinary and mortal human beings,just like women are.
But so long as we had uncontested male-dominated societies, we could
pretend to ourselves and each other that we did.
Because we could contrast ourselves to the other half that clearly did not.
Now that women are asserting their strength, power, smarts, and sexuality, now that women are saying that anything a man can do, they can do as well, it takes the air out of the sails of many men.
If deep down they didn't feel like real men before, now those feelings are unconsciously multiplied.
Changing Ideas is of course hard to do.
In spite of amazing changes that are benefitting most women and most men, the ideas associated with male domination still cling hard:
Religions and traditional beliefs have a life of their own and a deep staying power.
Especially in a time of economic, political and social upheavals when the future seems tenuous, some men (and women) cling to old ideas.
Old ideas continue to morph and adapt.
You might think that right-wingers are against women's equality.
But actually, many of their current ideas would have been seen as crazy feminist ideas forty years ago:
A woman can be president or prime
minister? Women are as smart and capable as men?
Women have as much right as men to pursue careers and education? …
In other words, feminism has actually had a big impact even when it seems there is still huge opposition by some men and women to it.
Parts of the media have continued to do a remarkable hatchet job on feminism.
Ask people in many countries about the specific issues associated with
gender equality or violence against women.
Man (and in some countries, most) will take a feminist stance.
But ask if they agree with feminism and they'll bring out their stereotype of who or what a feminist is and say "No!"
Finally, feminist women and pro-feminist men haven't done a good enough job of transforming the
If we truly believe our ideas are just and are right, then everyone should subscribe to them!
We should not be afraid of working in the mainstream.
We should not be afraid of differences among us, but rather we should find ways to work with those who we don't see as natural allies, and agree to disagree on specific issues.
We should not be afraid to make mistakes or to not be perfect.
Note; The writer is a senior self-styled bachelor by choice.
"The African Story as told by Africans".©African News Digest®


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Leslie Charteris was the author of The Saint and one would expect that his CV was thoroughly researched and widely known. Not so. I was surprised to discover whilst reading The Saint and Leslie Charteris by W. O. G. Lofts & Derek Adley, that Charteris's earliest stories had yet to be discovered. The Lofts & Adley book I read many years ago, but it would seem that
Charteris was born May 12, 1907, at Straits Settlements, Singapore, the son of Dr Suat-Chuan Yin, a wealthy Chinese surgeon, businessman and civic leader who claimed he was a direct descendent of the emperors of China in the Shang dynasty, and an English mother, Lydia Florence Yin (née Bowyer). He was christened Leslie Charles Yin, but later changed this name legally by deed-poll to Leslie Charles Charteris in 1926; when he became a naturalised American citizen in 1946 he officially became Leslie Charteris. He chose Charteris after Colonel Francis Charteris, a founder-member of the Hellfire Club.
By the time he was twelve he had travelled around the world three times with his parents, and had learned Chinese and Malay from servants before he could speak English. The Yin family lived in England for some time where Leslie and his younger brother Roy were taught by a tutor, Emily Fleming who returned with them to Singapore in 1914.
Around that time, aged 7, he began writing and at 10 years old was given his first typewriter and was "writing and editing a one-man magazine to which my relatives had to subscribe under discrete blackmail." He sold his first poem to The Straits Times, where it appeared when Yin was only nine years old. Another poem, "The Battle of the Figures", appeared in the February 1919 issue of Boy's Own Paper under the byline Leslie C. Bowyer-Yin when he was only 11.
Mrs. Yin split from her husband and came to England with her two sons in 1919 where Leslie attended Falconbury School near Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex, and Rossall School in Fleetwood on the Lancashire coast.
As a child, Charteris's favourite reading was Chums. To quote Lofts & Adley:
His biggest treat at Christmas was the red-bound annual volume of Chums, which contained the whole of the year's issue of the magazine. The greatest joy was that he could read the serials stright through and did not have to wait in suspense for next week's thrilling instalment.Lofts & Adley also revealed:
His first successful magazine sale, at the age of sixteen, was a story set in the Pacific, concerning a pearl, which is now unfortunately not traceable. This was written while he was still at school and the resulting cheque from a publisher, for a few guineas, convinced him more than ever that writing was easy...Bill Lofts & Derek Adley compiled an extensive bibliography of Charteris's work for their book, which they introduced by reiterating that:
Another story, probably his second effort, was published in Hutchinson's Sovereign Magazine in January 1925 featuring a detective, and was entitled "One Crowded Hour". It was written under the nom de plume of 'Leslie C. Bowyer'—the latter being his mother's maiden name.
Leslie Charteris wrote his first story in 1924 whilst still attending school at Rossall. This story, despite exhaustive research, has never been traced, but it probably appeared in one of the Hutchinson group of magazines, the majority of which are unfortunately missing from the files of the British Museum. This story concerned a pearl and was set in the Pacific.Here Bill, Derek and I part company, because I think Charteris sold his first story to his favourite story paper, Chums. This is, of course, pure speculation, but my money is that Charteris's first sale appeared under the title "Pearls of Price" under the nom de plume Saville Hall in Chums 1720 (30 August 1925). There's no direct evidence, but I do have the following circumstantial evidence: it is from the right period and it concerns pearls and is set in the Pacific. Also, it is in the author's favourite boyhood paper. Although the evidence is slim, it is still a pretty good fit.


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SHEIKH HAMDI BEN AISSA studied Islamic Sciences in a traditional milieu in Tunisia with his Father, a Zaytuna University-trained scholar, and later with Habib Umar in one of the spiritual capitals of Islam: Tarim, Yemen. Habib Umar is Sheikh Hamdi's Guide; upon granting Sheikh Hamdi his degrees in Islamic knowledge, Habib Umar asked Sheikh Hamdi to serve the community in Ottawa. In addition to teaching, Sheikh Hamdi works as a chaplain in Montreal-area institutions. He is available for spiritual counselling, mentorship, and advice.
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IMAM YASIN DWYER was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba to parents of Jamaican heritage. He has served as a faith-based chaplain with the Correctional Service of Canada for the past 12 years. During that time Imam Yasin has also worked as a consultant and advisor with the Queen's University chaplaincy team. He lectures extensively on topics of traditional Islamic spirituality, interfaith dialogue and the history of Muslims in the West. Imam Yasin offers counselling and mentorship as well as workshops and seminars on important social issues.
USTADHA HUDA has a degree in Sharia from the University of Damascus. She studied sacred knowledge with some of the most eminent scholars of Syria, and is qualified to teach Shāfiʿī jurisprudence (fiqh), Islamic theology (aqīda), Quranic sciences (tafsīr and tajwīd), the life of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him (sīra) and classical methods of spiritual growth (tazkiya).
USTADHA SHEHNAZ KARIM has studied with the foremost scholars of Syria, including Ustadha Tamara Gray. She received her ijāza in the recitation of Quran from the late Shaikh Muḥyī al-Dīn al-Kurdī in 1999. Ustadha Shehnaz has a degree in education from the University of BC; her expertise includes curriculum design and pedagogy from a holistic spiritual perspective. Ustadha Shehnaz is an instructor at our yearly women's retreats.


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The Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board (GRRB) is a co-management board composed of representatives selected by: The Gwich'in Tribal Council, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, The Canadian Wildlife Service, and The Department of Environment & Natural Resources. The GRRB was established under the guidance of the Gwich'in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement (GCLCA) to be the main instrument of wildlife, fish and forest management in the Gwich'in Settlement Area (GSA).
The GRRB is responsible for working with Gwich'in communities and the public to ensure renewable resources in the GSA are managed in a sustainable manner. The GRRB reviews all land use and research authorizations from the Gwich'in Land Administration (GTC and corresponds weekly with the Renewable Resource Councils.
Please follow the links for information on the GRRB's partnerships
with the above organizations:
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About the GRRB
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(As of December 2008)
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- +
- Looks and feels well made.
- −
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Published on: 04 December 2019
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Recalls have been issued for two popular grocery items due to a risk of personal injury. The products in question are SpaghettiOs believed to have not been adequately heated during processing and Marie Callender's frozen dinners posing a risk of salmonella.
Both recalls were announced on June 17 by the Department of Agriculture. ConAgra Foods is issuing a recall for all Marie Callender's brand cheesy chicken-and-rice frozen meals after they were potentially linked to an outbreak of salmonella in 14 states. Campbell Soup is issuing a recall for 15 million pounds of SpaghettiOs with meatballs because of a malfunctioning cooker at one of the company's Texas plants.
According to ConAgra, the recall for the Marie Callender's meals came after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention informed the company of a possible link between the meals and 29 illnesses. Eight of the people who were sickened say they consumed the product in April or May.
All of the meals, which bear the label "Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken & Rice: White Meat Chicken and Broccoli Over Topped With Rich Cheddar Sauce" are under recall by ConAgra, regardless of the date of production. The product was distributed to retail outlets across the U.S.
The most common salmonella symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. The illness can be life-threatening, especially to those who have weakened immune systems.
No illnesses have been reported in connection to the SphagettiOs under recall, but Anthony Sanzio said the company is issuing a recall for certain lots of the product manufactured since December 2008 "out of an abundance of caution" due to officials not being certain when a cooker at the plant in Paris, Texas malfunctioned.
Due to the cans not being sufficiently heated, Sanzio said, they could potentially be ripe for bacterial growth and the product could spoil before its use-by date.
Sanzio said the recall likely affects around 35,000 cases of SphagettiOs currently on the market.
Three varieties of the product often consumed by children are under recall: SpaghettiOs with Meatballs, SpaghettiOs A to Z with Meatballs, and SpaghettiOs Fun Shapes with Meatballs (Cars).
Sanzio says the company has currently not received any complaints from customers.


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6 Things You Need To Include In Your Contracts As A Freelancer
A lot of freelancers when they first start just do any work given to them right away. They never even think about contracts and ways to protect themselves till it's too late - I was one of those people, luckily I didn't get ripped off.
But every freelancer out there should really set out a contract for each of their clients which sets same rules and ways to protect themselves if anything were to go wrong. Some clients don't treat us as humans, they think we're some sort of machine which is just told what to do.
Many think that a contract should include very complicated language and words which are unheard of in everyday life - trust me, the simpler your contract the easier it is for clients to understand what they're signing, so you won't be asked a billion and one questions about what this and that means.
1. Only talk to one person, the person in charge of the project
Whenever you take on a project make sure you're making the decisions with just one person, mainly the person who is in charge of the project. By doing this, you are then limiting your contact with the one person.
The reason for this is that if you are talking to two or more different people who are in the project and they both request different changes and give you different feedback, there will inevitably be conflicts. Then you may have to revert any changes which you have spent time doing.
2. Rates & Payments
Make your rates clear from the beginning. You don't want to get halfway into a project, tell them how much you're charging and then for the whole project to be cancelled. You'll be wasting your time and the client's time.
Make sure to make it clear how you are charging, whether it be by the hour or by the project.
If you're charging by the hour, include a minimum and maximum amount of hours you'll be charging for. For example - You think the project will take a minimum of 10 hours and will be charging at least for that amount, even if you finish the project early - protecting yourself. But then you include a maximum of 15 hours, so even if you spend more time on it, you'll only be charging for 15 hours - giving protection and assurance to the client.
Set in the contract how you would like to be paid and in how many instalments. Maybe set out instalments of 50% at first, then the other 50% once the project is finished. You could even do 50%-25%-25% - something like that would work really well in big projects.
Make sure to set the exact dates you would like to be paid. And maybe apply a fee if they do not pay by that date (this one is risky, but a lot of freelancers I've found have benefited from it).
Once you've agreed with your client and they sign it off, they then can't go back and pay you less than what you asked for, protecting yourself.
3. Set a fee if the project were to be cancelled
One of the biggest nightmares with projects is when they get cancelled. It might not be a client's fault and can be beyond your control. That then most likely means you won't be paid.
If you like, you can include a cancellation fee - maybe 50% or 25% of what was originally estimated for how much the whole project would cost.
4. Changes and revisions
With any design project there will most likely be changes and revisions a client would like.
If you are in web design you can offer maybe two or three designs max, so that you're not made to make five different designs just to make the client happy.
Then there may be changes required in the design. If you're charging by hour you can just add the hours on at the end of a project. However if you charge per project, include some sort of clause where you cover yourself if the client were to ask for a whole load of changes.
This is a life saver in a contract because you're either saved from carrying out extra work, or are paid for the extra work you have done.
5. Protect your work
Make sure to set out in the contract how the copyrights behind your work will work. Maybe state how they only own the work once it is completed and fully paid for. But always make sure to state the original creator of the work was you, not the clients.
One other huge way to protect yourself is by not sending the actual work till it's been paid for. Maybe you could copyright it if it were a poster or picture. Or if it were a website, not give them access to the code, design or anything else to do with it.
6. Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines
Every project will usually have some sort of deadline. Whether it be the client's deadline or one you have set, so you can get onto other projects afterwards.
By having a deadline you'll be able to schedule your work and your workload. It protects both you and the client. You could even add leeway just incase you were to go over the deadline date - it does happen.
It'll also be a form of assurance for the client because they'll know when to expect the work. And won't keep nagging you, asking if it is done yet.
All the 6 points listed should be included in most, if not all, of your freelance contracts. Contracts help protect you from any dodgy clients who may try to rip you off. Thankfully most clients are genuine and great to work with, but there will always be one or two who either don't understand what they're doing wrong, or are just trying to do you over.


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- on Hobby & Modelling
- Published in issue 12/2002 on page 0
Carnival Glasses
By now we know that circuits that generate light effects or sound effects can always count on a large group of interested readers. Consequently we present here yet another simple running-light display, this time designed such that it can be fitted into a pair of 'carnival glasses'. This means that the party lovers among our electronics hobbyists have something to satisfy their interests. The details of the actual implementation are naturally a question of personal taste, but for the prototype we thought it a nice idea to distribute the total of 16 LEDs over the frame such that the running lights move in mirror image over the two halves of the glasses (D1 on the left, D2 on the right, D5 on the left, D6 on the right and so on).
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