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Maximilian I of Mexico
The Vestiges of the Habsburgs in Mexico and the Southwest
By Peter Pabisch
When looking at the Southwestern part of the United States and Mexico there are some remaining vestiges of the Spanish Habsburg Empire of the 16th century and the Emperors Charles V and Philip II. Known then as the Viceroyalty of New Spain, it was a part of the Empire where "the sun never sets." Later, when Mexico had become independent, another member of the Habsburg dynasty made his mark on the history of the country.
The younger brother of Emperor Franz Josef, Ferdinand Maximilian, ruled as Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico from 1864 - 1867 during the "Second Mexican Empire," a time of rapid political change in Europe and the Americas.
Habsburg Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria
The Camino Real or Royal Road was built under the Habsburg Emperors Charles V and Philip II and served as the primary route from Santa Fe to the former capital of New Spain - Mexico City. It was not only a historic trade route but a symbol of those diverse influences contributing to the cultural evolution of the country. Among such influences which have contributed to this cultural phenomenon are those surrounding the Habsburgs.
At the end of the Mexican-American war of the late 1840s the United States acquired more than half of Mexico, part of California, all of Arizona and New Mexico, and Western Texas. During Ferdinand Maximilian's reign such world events occurred as Italy's independence in 1866, the Franco/Prussian War of 1870/71 and the American Civil War. In the 1860s Mexico was occupied by the French. Using Mexico's failure to repay its foreign debts as a pretext and his own desire to revive the Mexican monarchy, Napoleon III placed an empereor on the throne in 1864, Habsburg Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria. Embroiled in its own civil war at the time, the United States government under Abraham Lincoln did not intervene.
Ferdinand Maximilian
He was born in 1832 as the first of three younger brothers of the Austrian and later Austro-Hungarian Emperor, Franz Josef I. Noted for his particularly clever and curious nature, he was the favorite of his Bavarian mother Sophie. In February 1853, he married Princess Charlotte of Belgium and took up residence in the Austrian-held parts of Northern Italy. There he became a popular leader who represented Austria well before his acceptance of the imperial crown of Mexico in 1864.
Originally brought to Mexico by France as a figurehead, the young Maximilian proved to be quite independent. Unlike his conservative brother, Franz Josef, he was a liberal and saw himself as Mexico's Emperor, not a mere tool of the French government. Confronted initially by huge debts incurred by France, including the upkeep of the French troops, he nevertheless enjoyed their support and even had an Austrian volunteer regiment.
All of this contributed to the success of the first two years of reign. His primary interest was that of Mexico and the welfare of the Mexican people and, he attempted to govern in a manner which would resolve national disputes. He hoped that his liberalism would foster reconciliation with the republican opposition; however, his throne remained in danger because he failed to understand that they viewed him primarily as a French puppet.
When the French realized that they had been unsuccessful in their occupation, and faced with Mexican resistance and U.S. opposition following Lincoln's death, they withdrew from Mexico in 1866. Since he refused to give up his throne to return to Europe, Maximilian was left behind without support.
"The Execution of Emperor Maximilian"
(Edouard Manet, Musee du Louvre, Paris)
Confronted with a civil war and the republican forces led by Benito Juárez, he felt his influence was rapidly eroding. With the growing reality of a return of the Juárez regime he was able to hold out for less than one year before his troops were overrun in Querétaro. On June 19, 1867 Ferdinand Maximilian was executed by firing squad. He was 35 years old. His body was returned to Austria where it lies in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna.
Vestiges of Maximilian's Reign
What remains of this historical episode today? We know that long before he accepted his throne in Mexico, the younger Ferdinand Maximilian tried to do everything to show loyalty to his brother Franz Josef, on whose life an attempt was made. To remember this event, Maximilian had the 'Votivkirche' erected, a church which is one of Vienna's landmark buildings on the 'Ringstraße,' the city's grand boulevard surrounding the innermost district. In this Neo-Gothic church one finds a corner dedicated to Maximilian and Mexico and large stone plaques were set up after Maximilian's tragic fate in Querétaro. Franz Josef also had a larger-than-life statue of "Ferdinand Maximilian, Erzherzog von Oesterreich, Kaiser von Mexiko," erected near Schoenbrunn Castle in 1871. It is rarely noticed today.
The Votivkirche, Vienna
Most characterizations of Maximilian and his ambitious, beautiful wife Charlotte show them as civilized, even parliamentarian aristocrats, but fail to go beyond immediate national concerns of Mexico and the Southwest. Franz Werfel's film script, Juárez and Maximilian, became a prominent film in 1939, with Bette Davis in the role of Charlotte. In the early 1950s, the film Vera Cruz, with Gary Cooper as a former confederate officer and Burt Lancaster as a freelance mercenary playing the main roles, portrayed Max as a friendly, often funny, but ultimately absolutistic leader who wanted to rob Mexico of its gold and democratic freedom.
The Maximilian Mystery
The historical record shows that Ferdinand Maximilian was executed by Benito Juárez and the rightful Mexican government. To further add to the mystery surrounding his final days, a recent account by Johann Georg Lughofer claims that Maximilian was not killed, but because the bullets were blank, he survived, fled to San Salvador under a pseudonym and enjoyed a long life. His freemason "brother," Benito Juárez, was supposed to have made his escape possible. There is, however, no serious proof to verify this amazing story. [Johann Georg Lughofer, "Des Kaisers neues Leben. Der Fall Maximilian von Mexiko." Vienna: Carl Ueberreuter, 2002.]
Puerto Vallarta, a Mexican city of culture and tourism on the Pacific Coast, became widely known when film director John Houston chose it as his film location for Tennessee Williams' "The Night of the Iguana." In the center of town it the Restaurant & Café Kaiser Maximilian named after the unfortunate Habsburg. Owner Andreas Rupprechter-Angleberger, a native Austrian from Kitzbuehel, offers the most exquisite Austrian cuisine, and his skills as a gourmet chef are coupled with his interest in Kaiser Maximilian's brief reign. Pictures and memorabilia of Ferdinand Maximilian decorate the restaurant which is located in the hotel, Los Arcos.
Cafe Maximilian
Peter Pabisch, Professor Emeritus of German and European Studies at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and co-founder (1975-76) and co-director of the German Summer School of New Mexico located in the village of Taos Ski Valley, is writer of lyric and poetry and has also published numerous academic titles on German authors.


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DENVER, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- The Colorado Rockies have advanced to baseball's post-season playoffs for the third time in club history and look to better their 2007 effort next week.
Their unlikely wild-card berth occurred with a 9-2 rout of Milwaukee Thursday and followed an 18-28 start start to the season that led to the May 29 firing of Manager Clint Hurdle.
The win over Milwaukee gave the Rockies a single-season franchise record 91 victories, making Hurdle's replacement, Jim Tracy, a likely Manager of the Year candidate.
"It's not the end of the journey," General Manager Dan O'Dowd told MLB.com. "We've got some more steps that we want to take."
"This is my most special moment in 33 years in baseball," Tracy told The Denver Post. "Nothing can match it."
The Rockies face either National League Central champion St. Louis or Los Angeles Dodgers, the NL West winner, in the NL Division Series.

subset: commoncrawl


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My wife has been sick as a dog the past few weeks. At first, she was sick just like any other time, tired, headache, fever, etc. But then, after healing up for a bit, she felt great aside from a sore throat and nagging cough. I tried getting her to go to the doctor for most of a week, but she insisted that she was fine. Finally, after consulting people on the internet and asking for advice on if I was crazy or not, she relented and went to Urgent Care.
Strep. (I'm holding off on the "I Told You So's" until she feels better, or at least until she isn't contagious.)
Now, my wife is the person who asked her oncologist how soon after chemo she could have a whiskey, so you better believe that right after the strep diagnosis came back, she asked the same question. The doc told her that was fine. It wouldn't affect anything if she had whiskey.
Now while she had been refusing a doctor's care, she was more than happy to accept an old-timey sort of cure for a sore throat. A Hot Toddy. Warmth and honey for the throat and bourbon for the spirit. After a bit of trial and error while waiting for her to go to the doctor, I finally hit upon what I think was the best recipe of the week, and now I'm going to share it with you.
Winter Citrus Hot Toddy
- 1.5 Ounce of Bourbon (I used Wild Turkey 101)
- 1 Ounce of Fresh Mandarin Juice (Cuties, Halos, whatever brand your local grocer carries is fine, you'll probably need the juice of 2-3 fruits)
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Grapefruit Juice
- 1 Tablespoon of Honey
- 6 shakes of Homemade Orange Bitters
- 1/4 - 1/2 Cup of Boiling Water
I mix everything else together before adding the water so that it stays nice and hot.
I originally tried this without the grapefruit juice, and it was way too sweet. Lots of honey and a sweet juice will do that sometimes. After futzing with all the variables for a bit, I decided that everything was fine, it just needed some more complexity. The addition of grapefruit was just the thing to make this something you didn't need to be sick to enjoy.
UPDATE: Because I run out of fruits, sometimes I need to experiment. I only have limes in the house right now and though bourbon and lime aren't the best of friends, rum and limes get along quite nicely. Tonight I found that if you do white rum in the measure above, use lime juice for all of the citrus juice and use 2-3 shakes angostura bitters you get a pleasant daquiri sort of hot toddy. And it is really quite tasty. The point is that this is a pretty flexible recipe and please experiment with it. Booze, citrus, honey and hot water are the necessary elements. Like a sour, just mix and match them until you get something tasty.
BourbonGuy.com accepts no advertising. It is solely supported by the sale of the hand-made products I sell at the BourbonGuy Gifts Etsy store. If you'd like to support BourbonGuy.com, visit BourbonGuyGifts.com. Thanks!


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Gracewear Shield of Faith Pendant
The Gracewear Collection is based on Ephesians 6:10-18 in which God calls us to 'spiritually dress' for the battles that we face every day. The Shield design represents the Helmet of Salvation, the Sword of the Spirit, the Belt of Truth, the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace, and the Breastplate of Righteousness.
Rhodium plated 2" Shield of Faith. Packaged in the Gracewear signature green leather pouch with enclosure card with information about the unique design.
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Sometimes I wonder… Why do we make such surprising, seemingly unreasonable decisions sometimes? We have our reasons, all the time, but God has His, too.
This is the view from where I sit to work on my assignments. Our lovely hydrangea and thyme plants!
Just about a month ago, I began my Maymester course. It was a short but intense course, involving 15 hours of class per week, and spanning four weeks in all. This meant also, that all assignments would have had to be completed within those four weeks too. On top of this, I had my culminating Masters "Capstone" project to deal with. This would be due about two weeks from the end of the Maymester course.
I'm sure you'd guess that my classmates and I wanted the class to be a breeze, and for the assignments to be easy. This makes good sense, doesn't it? But I found myself deciding on the tougher option, only to later discern a divine hand in the whole matter.
This is a course for both masters and doctoral students. This means that while the doctoral students attend the same classes as us, their assignments are more demanding. In this case, the doctoral students were required to write a research proposal, as though for a dissertation project, as their final assignment. In the course syllabus, it was stated that masters students were offered this choice too. However, the other available choice for us was (simply) to write a lesson plan. During our first class, the professor informed us upfront that the masters students would do the lesson plan option, while the sole doctoral student would do the research proposal. I think she was quite right to assume that no masters student would sensibly choose to do the hulking task of writing a 25 page research proposal within a two week period and with the Capstone hovering in the background the way it was.
Somehow, though, I found myself drawn to the research proposal task. Generally, I had my good reasons:
- The M.Ed. program I was enrolled barely deals with how to conduct research at all; I felt this would alleviate that weakness somewhat, in a 'something is better than nothing' kind of way
- The research proposal would be for a qualitative study – a topic of fascination to me
- I anticipate that I'll be needing to do research in my future work
- I had the seed of an idea for the research study
And so, I wrote the professor, and asked if I could possible take on the research proposal option. At that point, it was all quite hypothetical. I just thought, oh well, I might as well explore this…
But the professor came back saying that yes, she thought it would be great if I did the research proposal! And immediately, I was struck with a serious case of ice cold feet. It was partially the sheer expected length of the paper in the short time frame. It was also my awareness I have had no prior experience writing research proposals in an academic setting, and wouldn't be familiar with the style and vocabulary that should be used. What did I just get myself into? This was the fear-filled refrain that hauntingly echoed in the background at that time.
The most crippling thought, however, was worse. You're simply not a doc student, and so you won't be able to do it! Spot on, I thought. I am definitely not a doc student. Nowhere close.
I did contemplate backing down. After all, we must all make an accurate assessment of our own abilities and resources before embarking on a task. It is simply good sense to do so. No one would argue otherwise.
And so, one day, I remember coming back from class, discouraged by something or other and deciding, okay, I'll do the lesson plan instead. And so I settle down with my books to begin the day's readings. The readings turn out all to be about how to conduct the exact type of research I was planning to do. The kind of research I had just given up on writing. In fact, they were models of the kind of research I had in mind. Okaaay. Perhaps I shouldn't give up yet.
And so I don't. But it's hard. And one night (You'd remember the short time frame – so this would have to be maximum two or three nights later), after spending the whole day turning the ideas around on paper and in my head, I hit a dead end, and lying on my bed that night, think, okay, I'll just do the lesson plan. Rightos. Goodnight.
But when I awake, I realize that having come so far, it would make little sense to give up just like that. And so I take the task back on, and head out to school. Who would know, but class that day is all about conducting research – yes, including the kind my research proposal would be on. I feel goosebumps, at the uncanny timeliness of this provision of exactly what I need.
And so I keep at it, day after day. Nearing the end, I even get to share my ideas with my doctoral student classmate, who shares his excellent resources with me, and helps me out with all that terminology I lack for expressing my ideas. And just like this, it got done. It's now with my professor, waiting to be graded. It wasn't the easy option, and I'd be surprised if it was just I who was involved in choosing this option, sticking with it, and bringing it to pass.
The truth is, it wasn't me. At the end of this experience, I simply have God to thank for encouraging me at all those crucial moments when I was just about to give up, through providing the very thing I needed to take the next step. It wasn't that He provided all these resources all at once in the beginning. If that were the case, knowing myself, I may have been overwhelmed instead! Having everything provided in bite-sized portions the way they were saved me the need to organize and search for my resources. They truly were right there, by divine appointment.
Sure, I had to put in a great amount of effort, still. There was a price to be paid in terms of the sheer number of hours I spent working on the paper. There were other resources I'd had to search out. But it felt like those crucial parts, without which I would not be able to complete assembling the piece of furniture, were specially handed to me. Of course, everything proceeds from God's providence. But, is it fair to say, I felt like there was a special kind of providence at those moments when I needed help to even stay the course?
It's so easy to breeze through an assignment, using those God-given resources like analytical and critical thinking skills, information synthesizing skills, and writing skills, without paying much attention to the fact that they proceed from God's gracious (and miraculous) provision. It is familiarity that is to blame, as He's provided these to us for a long time now, and we've gotten used to using them. But I believe that my decision to take on this task beyond my reach was precisely God's instrument for awakening me to this miracle of His provision.
The archway I walk through on the way to classes. Walks to school are often a time to pray.
So I'd like to confess: God's hand is indeed in my assignments, and I'm very thankful for that. And, no, my identity is not in being a masters student, or a doctorol student. I am simply a child of God, doing what He's entrusted for me to do for now, with the resources that are available to all His children, doctoral student or otherwise. Where God guides, it is He who provides.
Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?
- Robert Browning


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It's been over six months since I released Coyote out into the wild world to fend for itself. It hasn't exactly set the internet on fire. It's just another book in a sea of books competing for your eyeballs.
But some people have actually read Coyote, and they've had some pretty damn nice things to say. Best of all, most people who reviewed the book seemed to get what I was going for. I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon, I've got to say that I'm glad I published.
To celebrate, I'm giving away some signed copies. Sign up to win below.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
by Bran Gustafson
Giveaway ends July 16, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Also, if you have read Coyote but haven't reviewed it yet, please do. Even if you didn't like it, I'd love to know your honest opinion. And, you'll help me find the right readers.


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Solo Travel is Trending – Here's Why
In today's modern world, people come from all kinds of backgrounds and upbringings. They come from different communities and ways of life.
One thing that helps to give us perspective is travelling alone. You tend to learn more when you travel abroad solo, because you alone are in charge of your experience. You can choose when and where you go. You've come to a fork in the road? Left or right – the choice is yours and yours alone. There are no distractions of travel companions. Not that travelling with someone else is necessarily distracting, but inevitably when you travel in pairs or larger groups, it takes more time to accommodate each individual's needs. You also end up yielding to others' desires that you might not choose if it were just you by yourself.
When you travel alone, you're free to stop and talk with whomever you please and do so at a leisurely pace, slowing down and really taking things in. If you want to stop and rest and watch the sunset for an hour or more, you can. You can do this without delay or negotiation or debate. Travelling solo is also cheaper in many cases, more sustainable, and easier. It's much easier for just one person to hitch a ride or score the last ticket on a plane, switch a reservation, find a seat…so many things. You can book a single bed in a hostel or hotel room.
Sunday Express, a UK publication, recently published an article detailing that the trend of solo travel is expected to rise to prominence next year. They cited Evan Hung, CEO of the solo travel app Zipskee. He said, "There's something very special about connecting with people on a one-on-one basis while exploring the world. People become the best version of themselves when they travel alone — they're more willing to try new things, let their walls down and push their boundaries." According to the app's founders, this newfound popularity is thanks to the ease of information access and the chance to experience uninterrupted personal growth.
This idea makes a lot of sense. As someone who has done my fair share of solo travelling, I can attest to the fact that the internet is a life saver. Whether you need a tow truck, a map, a ride, emergency services, or just somewhere to stay or eat, having internet access in your pocket is like having the world at your fingertips.
Solo travel is also a great way to tackle your fear of the unknown. People are people no matter where you go. There are good and bad people out there, and we all want to avoid the bad ones. So even in a completely foreign environment, you really never need to be too intimidated or afraid, because most people of the world are good people, and they will treat you with respect if you do the same to them.


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Not everything will be teen-tiny skimpy outfits at the Wore Couture Fair, you can in fact find stuff that will fit for every style..not that there's anything bad with skimpy at all, I run around it it quite a lot myself :P
Buut, just saying, here's something a lil more casual I pieced together.
Skin: [ Al Vulo! ] – [ Polly ] – [ Natural Porcelain ]
Hair: TuTy's GENIUS high ponytail – Black
Eyes: .ID. Creature of the Night – White Hot Fury
Piercing: ::[annaA]:: Face Piercing " Whore " (WCF)
Earrings: <Toxic Bish> Black Dream (WCF)
Necklace: *** Just You Jewels *** Necklace Give Me Love (WCF)
Bra: <Toxic Bish> Black Dream (WCF)
Shirt: *X*plosion InFlagranti Outfit S.E. (Skull) (WCF)
Pants: *Epic* -WCF- Supa-Dupa-Lo Bell Bottoms {Deep Black} (WCF)


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- Publisher: KA Books
- Available in: epub, mobi, pdf, paperback
- Published: September 9, 2015
Valor duology #1
He'd give his life to protect the president's son. But he never expected to risk his heart.
Growing up gay in the White House hasn't been easy for Rafael Castillo. Codenamed "Valor" by the Secret Service, Rafa feels anything but brave as he hides in the closet and tries to stay below the radar in his last year of college. His father's presidency is almost over, and he just needs to stick to his carefully crafted plan. Once his family's out of the spotlight, he can be honest with his conservative parents about his sexuality and his dream of being a chef.
It's definitely not part of Rafa's plan to get a new Secret Service agent who's a walking wet dream, but he's made it this long keeping his desires to himself. Besides, it's not like Shane Kendrick would even look at him twice if it wasn't his job.
Shane's worked his way up through the Secret Service ranks, and while protecting the president's shy, boring son isn't his dream White House assignment, it's an easy enough task since no one pays Rafa much attention. He discovers there's a vibrant young man beneath the timid public shell, and while he knows Rafa has a crush on him, he assures himself it's harmless. Shane's never had room for romance in his life, and he'd certainly never cross that line with a protectee. Keeping Rafa safe at any cost is Shane's mission.
But as Rafa gets under his skin, will they both put their hearts on the line?
This gay romance from Keira Andrews is the first part of the Valor duology and features a May-December age difference, Jane Austen levels of pining, forbidden love against the odds, and of course a happy ending.
Buy the ebook:
AMAZON.COM | AMAZON GLOBAL | BARNES & NOBLE | GOOGLE PLAY | iTUNES | KOBO | SMASHWORDS
Buy the paperback:
"You know that feeling when you finish a book and want to turn around and start it all over again? Well, this book will give you that feeling—and how! 5 stars."
~ The Blogger Girls
"This book had a little bit of everything, was impossible to put down, and left me with a craving for more when it ended."
~ Prism Book Alliance
"I had to force myself to put it down to sleep, then practically had grabby hands as soon as I woke up. Recommended!"
~ Gay Book Reviews
"It's hot, emotional and completely engaging, proving forbidden romance is something Keira Andrews does very, very well."
~ 3 Chicks After Dark


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Airline tickets are high-value items, and therefore very appealing to fraudsters. However, simply ramping up anti-fraud measures is not the answer. Genuine bookings are rejected unnecessarily and demand on fraud personnel increase, meaning higher costs. It is critical that the right balance is struck between accepting legitimate customer bookings and stopping fraud.
Enter South African Airways, the national flag carrier and the largest airline in South Africa. Although they had a layered defence system in place, they were unable to confirm fraud with card issuers and had no way of verifying suspicious transactions. Torn between possibly letting fraud slip through and insulting good customers, they decided to take action and join the Ethoca Network.
Stop Fraud – Today and in the Future
Ethoca Alerts provides South African Airways (SAA) with confirmed fraud intelligence in days, hours or even minutes, rather than weeks. This lets them stop fraud today before it is too late. Ethoca Alerts also empowers SAA to perform link analysis using customer names and gives insight into travel agency bookings, which is extremely beneficial in stopping the fraud that they would not have otherwise detected. All alerted transaction details such as IP, email addresses and customer names, are used to greatly enhance negative lists. Finally, by analysing Ethoca Alerts over time they are able to identify trends and modify business rules currently used in their other fraud prevention tools. The end result? Less fraud today, less fraud tomorrow.
Improve Sales Enablement – Ethoca Alerts are your Parachute
SAA, like all online merchants, was looking for ways to make the sales process easier for customers. By having Ethoca as an additional layer of protection in their fraud prevention toolkit, they are able to confidently accept payments from customers without making them jump through additional hoops – knowing that Ethoca Alerts will capture any fraud that slips through.
Ease of Use and Powerful Results
Using Ethoca Alerts is easy. As soon as SAA get an email notification, they quickly log on to the secure web portal and review the alert. Because it is confirmed fraud, they have total confidence and are able to take swift and decisive action. The transaction is stopped, the booking cancelled and – in certain cases – airport security is warned and the fraudster apprehended.
What has proven to be the primary benefits of Ethoca Alerts?
"Definitely a reduction in chargebacks and fraud losses. Aside from the immediate fraud-stopping power of each alert, the tool enables us to perform link analysis using customer names. This lets us stop the fraud that we would have missed otherwise."
How is Ethoca Alerts enabling you to provide a better customer experience?
"With Ethoca Alerts catching the fraud that sometimes slips through our other defences, we can confidently accept more payments from customers without creating friction at checkout."
How has Ethoca Alerts improved your fraud rules and models?
"By analysing the alerts we receive, we have been able to identify trends and modify the business rules that are currently used in our fraud prevention tool – strengthening its effectiveness."
Benefits for airlines
• Lower fraud losses (recovery of goods and services)
• Reduce fraud levels through link analysis
• Reduce future fraud through improved fraud screening (adding data to negative lists)
• Reduce dispute resolution processing expenses
• Because alerts are confirmed fraud, accuracy is ensured
• Issuing more refunds promotes higher issuer acceptance and improves the customer experience.
To learn more about Ethoca, visit www.ethoca.com
About Keith Briscoe
With more than 20 years of experience in the payments industry, Keith leads Ethoca's global product and marketing strategy and day-to-day execution. This includes the product development and go-to-market programs for Ethoca's core product – Ethoca Alerts – as well as a new generation of fraud mitigation and transaction acceptance innovations that leverage Ethoca's global card issuer-merchant collaboration network.
About Ethoca
Leveraging a growing, global network of hundreds of card issuers and thousands of ecommerce merchants, Ethoca is the leading provider of collaboration-based technology. Their innovative solutions enable both issuers and merchants to increase card acceptance, stop fraud, recover lost revenue and eliminate chargebacks from fraud and customer service disputes.
The Paypers. All rights reserved. No part of this site can be reproduced
without explicit permission of The Paypers(V2.7).


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Water & Drought
Sacramentans keep saving water despite end of conservation mandate
Get water-wise garden help at State Fair
Sacramento area residents continued to save water in June despite the end of state-ordered drought restrictions.
The Sacramento Regional Water Authority, an umbrella group representing water agencies in a five-county area, said Thursday that the region's residents cut water usage by 22 percent last month compared with June 2013, the baseline month. The results were calculated from data submitted by the region's 22 water agencies to the State Water Resources Control Board. The statewide tally isn't yet available.
Area officials said the results were impressive, given the state board's decision in May to end the mandatory cutbacks ordered a little more than a year ago. Despite the lifting of the state mandate, most agencies in the region are still asking residents to conserve.
"The June savings rate is absolutely remarkable," said Amy Talbot, water efficiency program manager at the regional authority, in a prepared statement. "State-mandated conservation has ended, and yet residents are continuing to use less water."
Dale Kasler: 916-321-1066, @dakasler


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Northern Irish breeders were to the fore in the pre-sale show at the Scottish National Sale, Lanark, with both the male and overall championship and the reserve male championship taken by lambs from the province.
Claiming top spot were John and Richard Currie with Tullagh Yandel, a Milnbank Womaniser son out of a dam by Gruig Outlaw.
Judge Bruce Renwick then tapped out his female champion, the Bennett family's gimmer, BFE1505078, as his reserve overall champion, with this one having taken the female championship a little earlier.
Standing reserve male champion was the leader from the performance recorded ram lamb class, Millar's Yankee from Cyril and Martin Millar. This one, also bred in Northern Ireland, is by Halbeath Victorious and is out of a Stainton Real McCoy daughter.
Reserve in the female championship was the second prize gimmer from John Mellin and family, MJH1504937. She's by Garngour Vodka and is out of a dam by Sportsmans Terrific II.
Class Results
Shearling Ewes
1 – Messrs Bennett's BFE1505078
2 – John Mellin's MJH1504937
3 – Ryan Bradley's BYK1500169
4 – Robert Pierce's PRE1500586
5 – Brian Hanthorn's HBN1501199
Shearling Rams
1 – Harry Griffies' Cairngryffe Wolverine
2 – Hugh Jackson's Boat Wonder Boy
Novice Breeders Ram Lambs
1 – Patrick Donnelly's Donrho Yokel
2 – Charlotte and James Nicolson's Knockem Yabba Dabba Doo
3 – Michael Mennie's Westside Yukon Gold
4 – Andrew Renwick's Blackhouse Yogi
5 – Lisa Jayne Timmis' Lisa's Texels Your Highness
Open Ram Lambs
– J and R Currie's Tullagh Yandel
– Boden and Davies' Sportsmans Your a Winner
– Procters Farm's Procters Yabba Dabba Doo
– Ben Vernon's Charben Yorkie
– Ian Gilmour and Sons' Humeston Yankee
PRT Ram Lambs
1 – Messrs Millar's Millar's Yankee
2 – Claybury Texels' Claybury Yosemite
3 – Procters Farm's Procters Yeah Man
4 – J D Houghton's Tophill Yamamoto
5 – K, A and R Campbell's Yogi Bear
Group of Three
1 – Messrs Innes
2 – James Miller
3 – Richard Henderson


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Stylist Michael Burton: find a good tailor at Picasso Tailoring and Nick's Tailor Shop
Don't skimp on the suit
Matt Louv 4 p.m., Sept. 19
'Cork is random," observes Michael Friedman, CEO for Oneo Closures North America. "It's a plant. When you punch a cork out of a piece of bark, it's very unusual to get one that's absolutely perfect, with no veins and no lignine. That's the part of cork that's less desirable — it's harder, doesn't have the same elasticity, and is less able, mechanically, to come back into shape" after it's been deformed. (It's this elastic character, and the tendency for cork to return to its original shape, that make it such an effective stopper: the compacted cork is forever straining to expand to its original size, pushing against the neck of the bottle and creating a tight seal.) "What you're looking for is called suberine — the spongy, elastic, semiwaxy fiber in cork."
A little less than 20 years ago, says Friedman, Oneo came up with a solution — art perfecting nature. "We grind up the cork into 2-millimeter particles and put them on a densometric sorting table — it's basically a giant Shaker table. It takes the lighter stuff — the suberine — and moves it over to one side and moves the other stuff away. We actually burn it to generate power for our plant. Then we put the granules into individual molds and, using a food-grade binder, put them back into a cork shape." It's not a perfect process — a little more art is called for. "When you put the cork back together, you end up with gaps between the granules. We fill those with microspheres. They're made for us in Sweden — polymers filled with an inert gas. When they're heated and put under pressure, they expand hugely and fill those little gaps in the cork."
And by varying the proportion of cork to microspheres, "We can determine exactly what the permeability of the closure will be — how much oxygen can permeate the closure over a given period of time. (With an actual cork, if you have one little vein or structural defect, it could allow oxygen to just get in randomly.) Right now, for wines that are intended for immediate consumption, we have a cork with lower levels of microspheres, allowing more oxygen exposure. And we have a very tight cork for longer-aging wines. The right amount of oxygen over the right amount of time is your friend."
Micro-agglomerate corks like this also aid in the fight against TCA — the cork-borne compound that causes cork taint in wine. According to Friedman, "You cannot use steam effectively on a punched cork, because it deforms it to the point where it's mechanically unable to be a cork." And steam is the most effective way to remove the chemical components that may combine to form TCA. Or, at least, it was.
"Our director of research and development comes out of the food world," explains Friedman, and it was in that world that Oneo found its answer: supercritical fluids. "Basically, if you have something like water or carbon dioxide under very high temperature and pressure, you get this state that's sort of between a liquid and a gas. It becomes a solvent." (The Oneo literature puts it this way: "It has the unique ability to diffuse through solids like a gas, and dissolve materials like a liquid.") "This process has been around for many years," continues Friedman. "It was used in the '30s to concentrate flavors. In the '60s, the Russians were using it to extract essential oils. Then, in '67 or '68, Nestlé started using it to extract flavor characteristics from coffee to add back into decaffeinated coffee. It's also used to remove the bitter components from hops in high-end beers and for extracting fragrances from flowers for perfume."
Oneo's idea was to use it to remove potentially damaging chemical compounds from cork granules. "We worked with the French Nuclear Atomic Energy Commission to develop protocols for this — they have a facility called the Fluid and Membrane Lab. We just needed to adapt an existing process." The result was the DIAM cork, "the only cork closure available on the international market today which is guaranteed to have TCA at levels below the detection thresholds of one half of one part per trillion." Now, "We have our own plant in Spain, on the same site as our traditional cork-processing plant. We take the granulated cork, process it through the supercritical carbon dioxide cycle, and pump it back to our traditional facility," where it gets molded into shape.
That's where Friedman comes in. Oneo wanted some help in selling DIAM to the world, and they decided he was the man to help get the job done. Friedman, for his part, liked what he saw. "I've always been around brands," he explains. "One of the things this company invented years ago, without really understanding that it had done so, was the idea of putting their name on a cork. Taking an agricultural commodity and putting a name on it, because there's a technical advantage to it, the process by which it's been made. As a marketing guy, I found that very interesting."
For starters, Friedman ramped up the company's emphasis on the DIAM brand, pulling Oneo's screw-cap closures from the U.S. market and scrapping conventional cork production altogether. Then he set about working his contacts. "I've been in the wine business for 30 years. I was a general manager at Fetzer for 7 years, and before that, I ran the import business for the parent company, Brown-Forman. I have relationships at pretty high levels of major wineries, and I'm tapping into those relationships, building programs to design specific protocols for them. One of the largest wineries has asked us to develop a custom version of the DIAM cork, one with a specific degree of permeability. Another wine group owns 29 brands and 12 wineries, and we're now in half their brands. London is the largest export wine market in the world, and we are the dominant closure there. Tesco is the number-one wine retailer in the U.K., and the only approved closures in Tesco are screw caps and DIAM corks."


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The Trilogy 100 provides clinicians with an array of treatment options by delivering Volume Control Ventilation or Pressure Control Ventilation through either noninvasive or invasive methods with advanced leakage compensation. This built-on flexibility makes the Trilogy ideal in treating a wide range of respiratory conditions or those with respiratory conditions that require frequent changes to the patient's prescription.
Trilogy 100's versatility allows you to deliver portable or in-home patient therapy using an AC power source, an external battery, a detachable battery or the device's internal batter. The detachable battery provides up to three hours of portable therapy while the internal battery delivers three additional hours of cordless operation.
Another of the Trilogy 100's powerful features is DirectView – a highly sophisticated reporting software system. DirectView allows logging and recording of events and treatment actions and is easy to use for both physicians and caregivers.
For adults and children (>5kg)
Volume and pressure modes
Invasive and non-invasive capabilities
Lightweight design (11lbs)
Internal and detachable batteries
Easy-to-use interface
DirectView reporting software-ready
Dual prescription settings
AVAPS (Average Volume Assured Pressure Support) technology
Digital Auto-Trek
Removable Air Path


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Now in his third decade in the Senate, Dodd, 58, is good on television, has deep experience on both domestic and international issues, and brings a well-developed political network from his days as Democratic Party chairman. With the Senate looking as though it could stay in Republican hands for the near future, those close to Dodd say he is restless there. But he's wrestling with the toll that a presidential bid could take on both his Senate career and his role as father of an 18-month-old daughter.
Advisers say Dodd is also concerned that he may be too late to join a field that is already crowded with fellow U.S. Senators. The list includes not only Lieberman but also John Kerry of Massachusetts and John Edwards of North Carolina. Florida's Bob Graham is moving ahead with plans to run, despite his recent heart surgery, and will decide by March 1. Nor has Delaware's Joseph Biden ruled out a presidential bid. All of which means that Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, who earlier backed off an expected run, could find it pretty lonely in the Senate cloakroom next January.


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Accounts Payable…What, How and Where it's Used
The Accounts Payable department is responsible for entering invoices received from vendors and then paying those vendors. In SAP Accounts Payable, there are two methods for entering invoices and two methods for paying vendors.
First, there are direct invoices. This method is used for invoices such as BPA purchases, credit card invoices, petty cash and change fund reimbursements, employee travel expenses. The other method is called the Three Way Match method. It starts in Procurement with a purchase order being created. Next, a goods receipt is posted once the goods are received. The final step is the invoice verification (also called MIRO in SAP). Vendors are paid by two different methods in SAP. The first is by check. This process is done at the individual regions. The other method is by electronic fund transfer (EFT).
Three-way Match Overview
Procuring items on a SAP purchase order is part of the three-way match process. In order for a purchase order to be paid, three things must occur:
- The Procurement Technician must create the purchase order in SAP. In this step there is no accounting impact, although PO items are coded to the appropriate general ledger account and cost center, or asset.
- The Accounts Payable Clerk/Receiving Agent must enter a goods receipt (GR) into SAP. In this step, the goods receipt will match up the information that was entered on the purchase order. If
this is a partial shipment, the clerk may modify the quantity, which will leave the GR open until the rest of the shipment is entered.
- The Accounts Payable Clerk receives the invoice. Invoice Verification is the last step of the three-way match process. Transaction code MIRO is used to enter the purchase order number and verify that the amount of the PO that appears on the screen is the amount being invoiced. MIRO must match what was entered at the purchase order level and goods receipt.
This document on SAP Accounts Payable covers SAP Training on direct invoices, credit memos, parking invoice documents, deleting and posting of parked documents, reversal of individual documents, three-way match overview, understanding three-way match process with respect to goods receipt and logistics invoice verification, analysis of GR/IR and freight clearing accounts, manually clearing vendor line items and resetting vendor cleared items.
Understand in-depth about all the basic processes in this Beginners Guide to Accounts Payable (PDF) and there is also a quick reference on it Accounts Payable and presentation on Accounts Payable.
Acquisition Integrated with Accounts Payable Accounting
If you are also using Accounts Payable Accounting, you can leverage the integration options and directly post an asset to a vendor when you acquire an asset (without reference to a purchase order). This means that the asset acquisition and corresponding payable are posted for a vendor in the transaction. This reduces the time and effort required to enter the data as well as the scope for errors. Account determination enables the system to automatically determine the relevant general ledger accounts in Financials.
This means that when you create a fixed asset transaction or transactions you do not need to manually enter general ledger accounts. In this window, you can display the existing account determination types and make the necessary settings for locating general ledger accounts.
Understand more about it in this document on Acquisition Fixed Assets
Important Transactions to remember in Accounts Payable
- Vendor Document Posting – F-43
- Vendor Document Posting (One screen) – FB60
- Vendor Credit Memo – F-41
- Vendor Credit Memo 9One Screen) – FB65
- Vendor Invoice Parking – FV60
- Vendor Credit Memo Parking – FV65
- Document Reversal – FB08
- Clear Vendor Transactions – F-44
- To view Vendor Document – FB03
- To view Vendor master record Line items – FK10N
- To view Vendor Master Records – FBL1N
- Post Outgoing payment posting – F-53
- Post Down payment Posting – F-48
- Automatic payment Run – F110


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Your website images should have a voice
someone is listening to what your website is saying!
Funnily enough Google can't SEE your website. It doesn't know the difference between a wedding venue in NYC and Orange County ... it doesn't know if a bouquet is made of red roses or pink peonies ... unless you tell it that. Google and all search browsers index your website based on many factors ... and one of the key factors these days is with image optimization. Image optimization works to bring organic traffic to your website and it also increases your online ranking.
Over the course of 8 years I was able to see metrics on what brides are searching and what they care about. I use that knowledge to develop a clear strategy for my clients when I optimize their images for their websites. There are specific 'coded phrases' that need to be added to each image of your website and blog to make sure you are reaching the RIGHT audience. This is what I do for the clients of The Editor's Touch.
My optimization packages include lots of great tips and secrets that I have collected over the last 9+ years. I have tricks up my sleeve to create a bigger increase in traffic from all over the web - including your Pins. My clients see tremendous growth (400%+) within 30 days of having their images optimized.


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President To Name Nominee For Court
Monday, October 31, 2005
President Bush planned to announce a new Supreme Court nomination today, moving quickly after a weekend of consultations to put forward a replacement for the ill-fated choice of Harriet Miers in hopes of recapturing political momentum, according to Republicans close to the White House.
Judging by the names the White House floated by political allies in recent days, Bush seems ready to pick a candidate with a long track record of conservative jurisprudence -- one who would mollify the Republican base, whose opposition to Miers's nomination helped scuttle her chances. Several GOP strategists said the most likely choice seemed to be federal appeals judge Samuel A. Alito Jr., with judges J. Michael Luttig and Alice M. Batchelder also in the running.
Any of the three would draw support from many conservative activists, lawyers and columnists who vigorously attacked Miers as an underqualified presidential crony. At the same time, the three have years of court rulings that liberals could use against them. Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said yesterday that he has already warned the White House that nominating Alito -- who is often compared to Justice Antonin Scalia -- would "create a lot of problems."
Republican lawmakers and strategists said a swift nomination with a consolidated party behind Bush would represent an important first step for the president in a strategy to pull himself out of a political ditch. With the withdrawal Thursday of Miers's nomination, the mounting death toll in Iraq and the indictment Friday of top vice presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Bush has hit an all-time low in public approval ratings and wants to start a new chapter in his troubled second term.
"Presidential problems aren't going to be solved overnight," said a GOP strategist with ties to the White House, "but a Supreme Court nomination is a big event . . . and moving forward with nominating someone consistent with what the president talked about in the last two campaigns is part of" the solution.
Bush spent the weekend at Camp David huddled with Miers, who remains his White House counsel and is therefore in charge of the judicial selection process, along with Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr., who originally advocated Miers as the choice to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. As the three talked, White House officials contacted prominent conservatives to test the reaction to various candidates.
One group consulted was the Concerned Women for America, whose decision to oppose Miers last Wednesday became one of the final blows to help kill the nomination. Janet M. LaRue, the group's chief counsel, said it received a call from the White House on Saturday and liked what it heard.
"Alito and Luttig have always been at the top of our list," she said in an interview. "We think either of them would be a supreme pick. There isn't a thing stealthy about them. They've got a long, proven record of constitutional conservatism."
Other conservatives yesterday also embraced Alito, in particular. "Alito, Luttig -- all these people are solid conservatives," Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said on CBS's "Face the Nation." On CNN's "Late Edition," Gary L. Bauer, president of the conservative group American Values, described his criteria for a Supreme Court justice and added, "Certainly, Judge Alito fits those characterizations."
But Senate Democrats, who largely kept quiet during Miers's nomination to enjoy the Republican civil war it spawned, signaled they would come off the sidelines in the case of a more vocal conservative nominee.
"If he wants to divert attention from all of his many problems, he can send us somebody that is going to create a lot of problems," Reid said of Bush on CNN. "I think this time he would be ill-advised to do that. But the right wing, the radical right wing, is pushing a lot of his buttons, and he may just go along with them."
Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), a liberal member of the Judiciary Committee also speaking on "Face the Nation," held out the possibility of a filibuster "if it's going to be a nominee who is way, way out of the mainstream, who wants to use the courts to change America."


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Community Garden Project
Community Garden Project
Awardee: Sacramento Native American Health Center (SNAHC)
Location: (Sacramento, CA)
About Sacramento Native American Health Center
The Sacramento Native American Health Center (SNAHC) is a community-owned and operated non-profit Title V Urban Indian Health Center located in the center of downtown Sacramento serving more than 5,000 patients representing over 200 tribal nations.
About the Project
Project Goal:
To improve access to fresh fruits and vegetables using a multigenerational approach and collaborating with American Indian owned businesses and community partners to offer community and home gardens. Both adult and youth American Indian/Alaska Native patients will be able to reconnect with the land through gardening with a special emphasis on those living with a chronic condition.
"A cultural component should be added to the strategies. For our community, culture is prevention and traditional eating is healthy."
Opportunities Communities Face
- Whole movement to change the relationship AI/AN people have with food
- Food should not make people sick but instead to heal and nurture bodies
- We are seeing small changes with families with their conscious decisions to eat less and introduce new fresher items
- There should be a cultural component added to the strategies
- For our communities culture is prevention and traditional eating is healthy
- Be aware of historical trauma and how it relates to food choices and higher level of stress leads to higher BMIs
- Culture should be added as a strategy
Adapting the CDC Winnable Battles to Our Nation's Needs
- Utilize traditional methods in planting and harvesting traditional plants and local produce
- Purchase seeds and supplies from American Indian/Alaska Native-owned businesses
- Consult with a traditional person to support the implementation of the garden
- Garden site is a cultural hub for American Indian/Alaska Native people and the community
We talked about how gardening is a form of exercise and that is a traditional way, and that it is communal to be in a space with your whole family. The story of the three sisters garden was used with respect to the unique culture and traditions of the tribes in California.
Our Impact on the Community
- Community Involvement
- 42 community members completed a five-part "Healthy Food Series" workshop series – Interactive Cooking Class at Sacramento Natural Food Co-op, Farmers Market Class with Alchemist, Gardening 101 at Sacramento Food Bank, Traditional Foods Demonstration, Gardening 102 with Sacramento Natural Food Co-op
- Created a collaboration between medical and social services programs at the health center
- Sacramento Food Bank allowed us to use their teaching garden and provide information to our patients regarding their food bank
- Community Garden Project
- Worked with local community college to provide free seeds from the agriculture department
- Individuals who completed 3 classes received farmer's market voucher
- Worked with a gardening organization to provide "grow your own groceries" workshops targeted towards young families, hypertension, and diabetic patients
- Future Plans
- Promoting physical health through gardening and providing the skills so families may start their own gardens at home
- Multidisciplinary team of employees has been meeting bi-weekly for 2 months – plan for a five-part series
- Working with the Alchemist to negotiate a Farmer's Market Voucher to participants and in conjunction a Veggie Rx program for patients in medical
Lessons Learned through Implementing this Program
- Projects that seem simple actually can take a long time to get started.
- Remain flexible and not get fixated on one idea or solution
- Multidisciplinary team positive for planning and creative purposes, we are engaging leaders who represent certain communities
- If we create a program regarding gardening, our community members will participate.
- The traditional foods workshops were by far the mot popular due to the tie of culture.


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Rooftop Gardens
Let us transform your unused space into an oasis. The blissful experience of unwinding surrounded by high quality plants on an elevated platform quickly becomes a staple in your daily routine when you have a space designed by Living Green. Set aside the environmental and humanitarian benefits, a garden on your roof is the perfect way to keep yourself surrounded by nature even in the middle of the bustling city of San Francisco. Living Green has vast experience and knowledge in creating purposeful, gorgeous rooftop and terrace gardens, that would make even the most sophisticated Parisian jealous. Can you smell the fresh air yet? See our portfolio for more of our creations, or contact us to set up a consultation.
our Recent Rooftop Gardens
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Landscape Design & Execution · Water Feature Assembly · Delivery and Installation · Outdoor Lighting and Nightscaping · · · Rooftop Gardens · Terrace Gardens · Pruning Services · Temporary Installments · Vertical Gardens · Exotic Plants and Flowers · Difficult to Maintain Gardenscapes · Plant Maintenance · Creative Gardens · Unique Garden Techniques · Gardens For Small Spaces · and more!


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This Artist's Take On Harry Potter Is Definitely Not For Kids
For many who grew up with the Harry Potter phenomenon, this series was almost a religion, shaping their whole vision of the world. While plenty of adults shared this obsession, some kids who grew up with Potter are having a hard time finding a place for the iconic character in their adult lives.
Now drawn to more mature, adult-oriented, even rebellious culture, they're struggling to remain connected with the squeaky clean, parent-approved franchise that defined their youth. Fortunately, artist Dylan Pierpont has found a way to express this inner turmoil in a new series of posters that imagines a more terrifying, R-rated take on Harry Potter.
Pierpont is quick to acknowledge that the Scary Potter series grew out of his unavoidable nostalgia for the series. "A while back I was thinking about a few of the stories and characters that had a big influence on me growing up," he wrote on Facebook. "And while Harry Potter was by far and away the most age appropriate of the group, I couldn't help but think about how dark some the themes became over the course of the series. So why not push some of those themes to the front and see what we come up with?"
With a little help from Pierpont, here's a guess of how these unnamed art works correspond to the seven entries in the Harry Potter series:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows


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Top-Down Workforce Demand from Energy Scenarios - Alternative Demand Scenarios
In all previous analyses, the so-called '20% nuclear electricity' (officially called 'Delayed CCS') scenario of the EC Energy Roadmap 2050 was applied to determine the HR requirements. This scenario was selected because it leads to the highest penetration of nuclear energy and will therefore be most demanding for the assessment of HR requirements. However, over the past years, this rather optimistic scenario for nuclear energy demand was often questioned. Therefore, it was decided to study the effect of less demanding alternative scenarios. For consistency, it was decided to extract both alternatives from the same EC Energy Roadmap 2050 report. However, the two alternative scenarios result in completely different shares of nuclear, both significantly less than the reference '20% nuclear' scenario. The first alternative scenario is the so-called 'energy efficiency' scenario. Within this scenario, obviously, the emphasis is put on efficient use of energy. The resulting energy demand scenario leads to a relative high penetration of renewables but also still a significant share of nuclear. Within the so-called 'low nuclear' scenario, the main assumption is that public acceptance of nuclear is extremely low. This means that new build projects which are in the planning are cancelled.


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Football Garbage Time NFL Podcast – New Head Coaches, Divisional Playoff Games & DFS Strategy!
By Ha Kung Wong, Ryan Whitfield and Joey Alibro Ha Kung Wong, Ryan Whitfield and Joey Alibro of Football Garbage Time discuss new Head Coaches for the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets, their thoughts on the Divisional Round Playoffs, DFS strategy for Draft Kings and FanDuel and MUCH MORE!!Read more


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Exclusive Bonus 1: 10 Premium PowerPoint Video Templates
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* You will receive Royalty free license with these 10 Premium PowerPoint Video Templates, you can use them in your personal and commercial projects. You cannot resell or distribute these templates.
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Our client, Listerhill Credit Union, is in the throws of searching for their second Young & Free Alabama Spokesperson to find a worthy replacement for Chris Anderson.
A major part of Listerhill's on-going growth strategy centers around building and nurturing its reputation with the students at the University of Northern Alabama campus in Florence. To further this goal, Listerhill recently opened a UNA campus branch at staffed with students who got the job through a recruiting contest.
It's through these efforts and long-term relationship building that they were able to pull off this amazing Young & Free Flashmob yesterday. Check it out!
The marketing team at Listerhill may be small, but they are mighty! This is an excellent example of low-cost guerilla and word-of-mouth marketing.
A hat tip must go to Innovations Credit Union for orchestrating the first credit union Flashmob and providing the inspiration for the T-shirt reveal at the end.


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Ten Month Ban for Ryan Lochte Following Brazil Gas Station Incident
U.S. swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte has been suspended for 10 months as a result of the incident that occurred at a Brazil gas station during the 2016 Olympics. In addition, Lochte will be banned from the 2017 world championship meet in Budapest next July.
The ban arises out of an incident in which Lochte and several other American swimmers fabricated a story about being held at gunpoint and robbed while they were out by men they believed to be police officers. In fact, it was later revealed that the swimmers had vandalized the restroom at a gas station and security guards simply made them pay for the damage they caused before they could leave.
FINA, the international governing body for swimming, has said in a statement that it was satisfied with the sanctions and would not seek additional bans. In its statement, it asserted "now that the key facts have been established, FINA considers the sanctions applied as proportionate, adequate, and sufficient," and that "[i]n light of these measures, FINA will not apply additional sanctions and will implement those now imposed on the swimmers at all FINA events."
However, the punishments announced are largely symbolic, as Lochte was hardly a lock to qualify for the 2017 world championship and, while the swimmers are barred from United States Olympic Committee facilities, it is at a time when they would be unlikely to use them. In addition, Lochte loses his $3,500 a month USA Swimming stipend and will be required to perform 20 hours of community service. Brazilian prosecutors are still weighing whether or not to bring formal charges against Lochte for providing false testimony to the police regarding the incident.


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While financial uncertainties were influencing gold prices, we have lately seen geo political uncertainties giving the yellow metal's safe haven appeal a further support if not permanent a temporary one. The failed military coup in Turkey did manage to shake the markets.
Spot gold prices turned higher, reversing earlier losses in late trade on Friday in New York after Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said a group within the country's military has attempted to overthrow the government. For several hours overnight on Friday violence shook Turkey's two main cities, as the armed faction which tried to seize power blocked a bridge in Istanbul and strafed the headquarters of Turkish intelligence and parliament in Ankara. But the coup attempt crumbled as Erdogan rushed back to Istanbul from a Mediterranean holiday and urged people to take to the streets to support his government against plotters he accused of trying to kill him. The government declared the situation under control, saying 2,839 people had been rounded up, from foot soldiers to senior officers, including those who formed "the backbone" of the rebellion.
Earlier on Thursday, spot gold price crashed down to a two-week low of $1,320.45 after the Bank of England's (BOE), contrary to expectations, kept interest rates unchanged in its Thursday meeting. In a somewhat surprising move, the Bank of England (BoE) decided to keep rates steady despite fear over the health of the UK economy following the Brexit vote.
Holdings in Global Gold ETF's rose on Friday but lost about 10 tons in total over the week to 2002 tons, which was the biggest decline since March/April this year.
Gold continues to trade range bound between USD $1,320 - $1,340, however participants are still looking to play on the long side and we are likely to see moves lower well supported.
I largely see the spot gold price supported at the $1,300 level due to a post-Brexit global economic uncertainty and possibly lower US interest rates and given this critical situation at Turkey, precious metals prices are expected to move higher as they have always been influenced by geopolitical uncertainties.
Thank You!
You may follow me on:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prithviraj.kothari
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/prithvirajrsbl
- Website: http://www.rsbl.co.in/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PrithvirajKothari
- Google+: http://www.google.com/+PrithvirajKothari
The primary purpose of this article by Mr. Prithviraj Kothari is to educate the masses of the current happenings in the Bullion world.
Previous blog:
Bullish direction of Gold and Silver prices: RSBL - http://riddisiddhibullionsltd.blogspot.in/2016/07/bullish-direction-of-gold-and-silver.html
Photo courtesy: Google


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Kashmina Blanket
Kashmina Blanket
from 233.00
Kashmina Blankets are woven from pure 100% Egyptian cotton and brushed until it has a high loft and snuggly soft feel that keeps you cool and dry in summer and warm and cozy for winter. The blankets are bound with a twill tape trim and can be washed at home in cold water to retain the size, and a no heat dryer for fluff. Kashmina Blankets are the ultimate in softness and cozy comfort.
- Twin size: 72" x 92"
- Full/Queen size: 92" x 98"
- King size: 112" x 98"
This item is usually ships within 2 - 3 weeks.
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Brad Stadler has been a tech recruiter at the executive search firm he founded, True, for more than 10 years. He tells TechCrunch's Danny Crichton that he's seeing some crazy startup recruitment strategies that resemble 1999.
One particularly over-the-top story Stadler relayed to TechCrunch was about a near-IPO company that was willing to pay an executive-level candidate a $1 million signing bonus — and got turned down.
From TechCrunch:
This year, a startup with revenues of $10 million wanted to find a new chief executive following its Series B raise and offered $450,000 in compensation (5% of revenues). Another startup, quickly growing and approaching an IPO, did a search for a CEO to lead it onto the public markets. In addition to a hefty compensation package, the board of the company is willing to put up a signing bonus of $1 million, to be delivered in two tranches over a year, for a vetted candidate willing to step up and sign the paperwork. Their offer is turned down.
Stadler says massive signing bonuses used to be rare, but they're becoming a more common recruitment tactic among startups. Another stat he and TechCrunch dug up: "In the time period between 2013 and July 2014, salaries for CEOs increased by 11%, with chief financial officers and VP of Sales receiving a 14% and 13% increase in compensation respectively," TechCrunch writes. "Notably, the salaries of VPs of Engineering have been flat over the same period."
Large companies have seen some eye-popping payment packages while recruiting executives. Henrique de Castro, for example, was lured to Yahoo for a fleeting period by Marissa Mayer, who offered him a $62 million package over four years. The package was comprised of a $600,000 salary, $540,000 bonus, $36 million in stock awards, $1 million in cash, and $20 million more in stock. But two years later when de Castro left Yahoo, he walked away with about $109 million instead.
At a startup or pre-public company, a $1 million signing bonus may be another example of irresponsible cash-burning that has a number of investors concerned about the state of the industry.


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Life is so temporary in the physical universe, we have but a small grain of sand from the hour-glass of time to spend. We tend to waste a lot of our time forgetting how tiny our piece of time is .We waste so much time feeding our useless EGOS and feeding our petty and temporary desires we tend to leave very little time to appreciate the really important and wondrous things in life. We take love for granted along with the blessing of having life itself. We take those we care about for granted as well.
We go running through life tripping over and passing up many of the blessings we have been given. We don't even see them because we are so much in a hurry and when we do we quickly glance and move on with little thought and without even being thankful. It's a shame how fast we live our lives, how we speed through life and miss the wonderful thing called life and those we share it with..
God has given us this life not only to serve him but also to enjoy the blessings he has given us within it. It is a sad thing we fail to appreciate many of those gifts and miss most of them because we run right by them blindly. So remember where your strength comes from, remember where your blessings originate and be thankful for both those you have found and those you have missed due to running too fast through life. We need to slow down and appreciate the life God has blessed us with, we need to open our eyes and see the blessings all around us and show thanks for them all.
If we have such a short time to live, then why do we rush through it so blindly and miss out on all the blessings within it? Do you think its time we slow down and enjoy the ride or shall we continue to race to our life's end.? ~ Raymond Barbier


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First off, Happy Thanksgiving. We've scoured the Net and have a fair few offers and savings to mark the start of the shopping season, many are only open for the next couple of days so make the most of them. To start with we've found some pretty sweet deals on Apple merchandise:
Save 11% off Apple's Mac Pro prices. Only $2,235 after discount & mail-in savings. ends on 11/23
Save up to 9% off Apple's Mac mini starting at $544 after discount & mail-in savings. ends 11/23


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Shopping Bag
Regular price
Sold out and we are unable to reorder.
Select a size and enter your email address to sign up for a restock notification.
Travel comfortably in this cute top! It's a solid black top that is a closet staple! It has a relaxed fit and super soft fabric that will keep you comfy from day to night! Throw it on with leggings and sneakers for your next adventure!
Kim is 5'6" and a size 12/14. She is wearing the 1X.
1X- Bust: 52" Length: 31"
2X- Bust: 56" Length: 32"
3X- Bust: 60" Length: 33"
*This top has an over-sized fit. For a fit that is true to size, we recommend sizing down.
The Perks: exclusive offers, restock alerts, new arrivals & more!


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Product Returns
Dear tWS site visitor,
Thank you for taking the time to read our Returns & Exchanges Policy. The purpose of this document is to set the framework upon which return & exchange claims and transactions will be handled. Reading it will inform you about your rights should you decide to return an item purchased from us, as well as the procedures to be followed.
Right of withdrawal
You have the right to return an order purchased from tWS within seven (7) working days from the date you received it without stating the reason for the return. The product will have to be shipped back to us, in mint condition and original packaging, within 30 days of the purchase and at the customer's expense. In the case of withdrawal, tWS will refund the value of the order less shipping costs and credit card or paypal fees.
Quality issues
tWS products, packaging and shipments undergo meticulous quality control. However, should you receive items not in accordance with your order, tWS shall refund shipment costs as well.
Eligible return items:
We accept unused / unworn, unwashed and undamaged merchandise with the original tags attached for a full refund or exchange within fourteen (14) days from the day you received them. To be eligible for a refund or exchange all items must be returned in the original packaging and in original condition with all shipping materials intact.
Non-eligible returns:
- Returns of damaged or worn goods cannot be accepted.
- Returns of goods with broken seals cannot be accepted.
- Returns of goods lacking Returns Form, packing list or receipt cannot be accepted.
- Orders that were shipped more than fourteen (14) days ago are not eligible for return / exchange and will not be accepted.
- Sale items cannot be exchanged as sufficient stock may not be available.
Shipping cost of returns & exchanges:
In case of return, the cost of shipping to tWS shall burden the customer.
Products lost during returns will not be refunded.
Return Guide:
1. Download and fill out our Returns Form here.
2. Note the quantity and reason(s) for return on your return form.
3. Pack your return securely, in the original package and include your completed packing list and receipt.
4. Email the Returns Form to tWS at email@example.com (forms without filled in required fields marked with * will not be considered valid).
Please send your return in the original packaging to:
the White Santorini
Agion Saranta 32, Nea Erythraia
Athens, 14671
You will be notified by email as soon as we receive the items.
All returns are thoroughly inspected by tWS. Returns are accepted only upon approval on behalf of the company. Should your return be accepted, the exchange or refund will be completed within a maximum of 15 days.


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The Dog Squad's Frosted Sno Leopard Minkie Binkie is a faux fur blanket that you and your dog will love!
The super soft blanket comes in multiple different colors in sizes S (20×30), M(30×36), and L (36×58).
There is also a square shaped Minkie Binkie available in one size, 16.5×16.5.
Machine or hand wash in cold water with like colors and lay flat to dry.


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30 December 2016
Diane Maxwell: The cost of NZ Super is growing faster than GDP. Today NZ Super costs $30m a day. In 20 years, it will rise to $98m a day. With an optimistic lens we can say that Super will remain low as a proportion of GDP, relative to many OECD countries, but the argument ignores the other government costs that will increase, including health and aged care. Stuff.co.nz. More>
19 December 2016
Maxwell, who has a statutory duty to advise Parliament every three years on retirement income policy, thinks people should have 25 years as an "ordinary resident" in New Zealand after the age of 20 before they qualify for NZ Super, though they would qualify for emergency benefits if they fell on hard times before that. Stuff.co.nz. More>
12 December 2016
The right to suspend payments to KiwiSaver schemes should be reduced from five years to one and the so-called 'contributions holiday' should be renamed a 'savings suspension' to "remove the positive connection... Businessdesk.co.nz. More>
12 December 2016
Retirement Commissioner Diane Maxwell is calling for measures to tackle ageism before raising the age NZ Super is paid from to 67. Stuff.co.nz. More>
9 December 2016
Today we are releasing the first of two sets of recommendations for change, which we are presenting to the government. But you won't find them buried in a traditional policy document. CFFC.org.nz. More>
23 September 2016
Jacqueline (not her real name) has $90,000 in her KiwiSaver account - but she's angry she has no idea how fees charged by her provider have affected her eventual nest egg. NZ Herald. More>
23 September 2016
Many asset classes, both at home and overseas, ran into heavy weather over the past month, principally because markets started to confront the reality rather than the distant prospect of more-normal monetary policy in the United States. Many asset valuations had made sense only when interest rates looked likely to remain very low,and thus were vulnerable when the tide started to turn. From RaboDirect. More>
23 September 2016
Carmel Fisher: I wonder how many parents would consider fund management as a worthy career for their sons and daughters? I would, but then I've enjoyed being part of the fund management industry for nearly thirty years and seen its impact on people's lives. From RaboDirect. More>
21 September 2016
A working group has already begun to look at ways that KiwiSaver fees could be reported with more transparency. CFFC group manager of investor capability David Boyle said there was clear consumer demand for fees to be presented in an easier-to-understand way. Goodreturns.co.nz. More>
14 September 2016
Advisers and the advice industry have a challenge to get clients to understand that financial advice is not a free good and that they will need to pay for it in some way, AMP's director of sales and advice, Blair Vernon, says. Goodreturns.co.nz. More>


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Auburn Hills Easter Gala Event
The Auburn Hills Easter Gala Event is one wild egg hunt that you just CANT miss. The gala event is held in Auburn Hills, Michigan which is part of Oakland County, annually on April 20, 2014 since 1980. The event brings in people from all over the world. The city has many to be proud of and many festivities to be proud of. But if you asked average citizens in Auburn Hills, MI what they look forward to, they would tell you Auburn Hills Easter Gala Event without hesitation!
Dates of The Auburn Hills Easter Gala Event
The dates generally have been on April 20, 2014 but in past years the event has rotated the days depending on venue availability. Please check up or update your event's official times or pass along any update to this event. This event is missing needed date and times for this years event.
Republicans can't stop the fun
If you are worried about the celebration being shut down by the Republicans like the government, don't worry.. Republicans and the GOP have been given a lesson in Messin! The great people of MI don't need to worry about the GOP crashing the party and making sure nobody has fun.. not on our time! The Auburn Hills Easter Gala Event is here to stay!
Trending today: Auburn Hills
Top Twitter trend phrases of the day:
No man can serve two masters
@festivals4fun @viveta_athens
Be sure to check out Michigan's top gala events
Auburn Hills Easter Gala Event Festival Packages for vendors
Each year there are millions of Americans that enjoy going to events across the country like The Auburn Hills Easter Gala Event. These events not only are great for the community, these events are great for businesses and entrepreneurs.
The Auburn Hills Easter Gala Event on April 20, 2014 is the best in state!
Auburn Hills Easter Gala Event


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Despite ongoing weak building conditions in Europe, lower impairment charges and an improving construction market in the United States have driven a more than doubling in profit for the world's biggest trade distributor of plumbing and heating products.
In its latest announcement, Switzerland-based Wolseley Plc unveiled an increase in net profit before tax from £174 million in the year ended 31 July 2012 to £377 million in the financial year (to July) just passed.
Furthermore, while most of the improvement is related to a more than halving in charges relating to impairments and exceptional items, the Group's trading (underlying) profit before tax of ongoing businesses still grew by 10.7 per cent from £665 million to £725 million.
In a statement, Wolseley group chief executive Ian Meakins said the results were driven by strong growth and record margins in the US as well as solid performances in Canada and Britain, albeit with the company having been forced to slash jobs in Europe to counter ongoing weakness in that market.
Looking forward, Meakins says revenue growth rates in the new financial year have thus far been similar to those of the fourth quarter last year and that momentum in the US market was set to keep going while an improvement in the UK operating environment was 'encouraging.'
"However, economic conditions in Continental Europe are very challenging and we expect them to remain so for the foreseeable future," he said.
Originally based in the UK, Wolseley changed its residency to Jersey, Switzerland in 2010 to take advantage of lower effective tax rates in that country.
Operating across both the US and Europe, it has 17 brands which occupy a top three position in their respective markets.
Around the world, the market for plumbing supplies is expected to be boosted in coming years as rising urbanisation in China and other nations that are becoming industrialised in Asia and Africa underpin greater demand for investment in sewerage systems (albeit with Wolseley having no exposure to these markets) and the construction recovery in America continues.
Over the five-year period to 2016, research firm ReportsnandReports expects overall compound growth across the globe in this area of 6.7 per cent, with the market reaching a value of nearly $US 80 billion by this time.


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The year 2015 doesn't seem to bring much good news for the Russian economy as the rouble crisis continues in the wake of staggering global oil prices. If this trend continues, Mr. Putin is facing an imminent threat of both recession and internal inflation, similar to something that happened in 1998.
All events that have happened in the past year or so have contributed to the rouble's worst downfall since the financial crisis 17 years back. What actually set things in motion is a debatable issue, but most would agree that it was a combination of both political turn of events and the economic conditions. A series of events, both in and out of the country has led the soviet on the brink of this complicated situation of recession and inflation simultaneously.
Dollar debt-ridden domestic oil and gas firms: The 9th largest economy has always looked upon its oil exports, which form two thirds of the country's total exports, as a source of dollars into the economy. Many of these hydrocarbon exploration and refinery firms are either owned by the state or indirectly funded via state managed banks. These firms, however, have also acquired foreign debt better known as dollar debt. Moreover, many European companies and investors have major stakes in Russian energy giants which exposes them to the risk faced by the firms themselves. For example, British Petroleum Company Ltd., has a 20% stake in Rosneft, the largest oil producer in Russia (25% of the total annual production) will also be exposed for Rosneft's liabilities in that proportion.[sociallocker]
Global Oil Price War: The US oil and gas firms have added almost 700,000 barrels/day to their last year's production levels to reach an output level of 9.3 million barrels/day. Newly found shale gas reserves and almost double oil production in US compared with last year has triggered a price war due to global oversupply of crude oil. The crude oil prices have been sliding consistently since last June hitting the lowest in last five years in January when it was almost $50/barrel (down by 55%). The OPEC has refused bluntly to cut production even if prices drop to $20/barrel, making the situation even more competitive. The Saudi Arabian oil minister Ali Al-Naimi is determined to persist with the production, adding to the woes of countries like Russia, dragging the rouble further down as profitability margins erode.
Inefficient Central Bank Policies: The Central bank of Russia steps to stop the spiraling down of the rouble, some even desperate like the midnight hike in interest rate by 650 bps and increasing the yield on government offered bonds, neither of which worked as much as they would've liked. The recent bailout package to provide 1 trillion roubles has considerably weakened the foreign reserves to $338 billion from $511 billion in a year. Although fundamentals of the banking system remain strong, now it's not about the number game anymore. The sentiments, of both the foreign and domestic investors, is turning foul causing constant leakage of dollars out of the country. Mr. Putin, inspired by Malaysia who faced a similar situation in 1998 during the great East Asian Financial Crisis, is determined to introduce capital controls in the country which limits the amount of currency citizens can carry out of the country. So far, however, all those measures are proving to be either ineffective or impractical.
Ukrainian Problem: On political front, the more concentrated form of economics, the picture is even murkier. U.S. and European Union has imposed various sanctions on Russia, for violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine, making it extremely difficult for Russian firms to borrow from abroad. Ukrainian army have also been sanctioned arms and other defense equipment from U.S. which will only intensify the conflict with the Kremlin. All foreign investors, especially the British and other European countries are fleeing from Russian oil companies, selling their stakes, further draining dollars from the economy. While the President is blaming the U.S. and the West for its condition, he has denied any speculation of creating an empire within Eurasia.
"The USA, which has implemented sanctions against Russia, is sawing at the branches, upon which they are sitting," President Putin
Faltering economy: Inflation at an all-time high of almost 11% in December, S&P's rating of Russian credit as "junk", contracting GDP (almost 5.5% in 2015) and increasing deficit has brought the Russian economy to its knees even though Mr. Putin and his financial advisors may claim otherwise. Ban on imports of food-grains, beef and fish in response to US sanctions has cut down on the import bill but encouraged people to buy more dollars to protect their earnings. The gold and forex reserves have fallen by almost $15.7 billion since June 2014. The problem on the streets of Moscow is such that, the shopkeepers are adjusting their prices of goods frantically to offset any fluctuations in rouble dollar rate adding to the chaos of everyday lives of people.
Reviving the Rouble: All efforts so far to stop the rouble from falling further have proven to be ineffective. Central bank's decisions of overnight increase in rates by an exorbitant rate from 10.5 to 17%, informal capital controls which limit the amount of currency that can be carried out of the country by its citizens and other methods have done little to pick up the rouble from almost $80 in mid-December to stabilize at around $65 in January. Russians might have to bite the bullet in order to see a stable and strengthening rouble in the future.
Although the fundamentals of the Russian economy and Central Bank of Russia remains strong, it is the sentiment of investors and stakeholders which has taken a beating in the recent times.
Many unfavorable factors like geopolitical tensions and falling crude oil prices have caused the rouble's downfall and it is too much, even for the staunch will of Mr. Putin, to battle on two fronts simultaneously while people steadily lose their money and confidence. Russia has to seriously consider its political stance towards Ukraine issue as it is difficult to negotiate anything else while U.S. and Russia stand at cross purposes. The best alternative may be to introduce strict capital controls and changing the Government bond yields to absorb much of the dollar outflow. It may prove difficult to abide by given the state of things, but it is necessary nonetheless to put a stopper in the constant leakage of dollars out of the country. Regaining investor sentiments is another issue which needs to be sorted to help the economy out of the current situation. Indeed, ministers have presented Putin with a $21 billion anti-crisis plan in the form of subsidies to agriculture, medicine, small industries along with regional tax breaks. These funds are arranged from the National Wealth Fund in order to revive the rouble which has apparently hit a support level of 65/dollar.
"It seems that we've touched the lower boundaries of those risks which we came up against at the end of last year. The adaptive potential of Russian businesses and sectors is starting to show." said Russian Economy Minister, Alexei Ulyukayev
It is a difficult road ahead of President Putin to maintain his reputation and prevent another major setback for Russia and will take considerable efforts on his part for making the right and timely decisions.
Business Insider http://www.businessinsider.com/r-russian-government-presents-putin-with-21-billion-plan-to-tackle-crisis-2015-1#ixzz3PdFyHO49
World Bank Database https://www.data.worldbank.org
U.S. Energy Information Administration http://www.eia.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=rs
International Business Times http://www.ibtimes.com/russias-gdp-estimated-contract-55-2015-impacting-armenias-economy-moodys-1785574[/sociallocker]
You will love reading: Where is Apple heading. Must read article The architect's take.


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Research is a feature primarily aimed at the iOS version where drag/drop and copy/paste between a browser and iThoughts is not really practical (or even possible.) It does work to a certain extent on Mac/Windows versions (scroll to the bottom.)
Tap on any topic or select any piece of text and one of the options presented (after Cut/Copy/Paste) will be Research. This will take the text and 'Google it' - using a browser built into iThoughts. You can then press and hold on images, text and links on the page and have them turned into topics in the map. This makes it easy to quickly collate information from the web - without requiring a whole load of copy/switch app/paste type operations.
The feature is not forced to use Google as a source, it can default to using any of the following:
- Wikipedia
- Bing
- Yahoo
- WolframAlpha
- Google Scholar
- MedlinePlus
- NCBI Entrez
- Baidu
- Yandex
NB: It is also possible to configure up to 5 'user defined' sources (see later in this article for a description of how to setup a user defined source.)
See below for the 'Research' option presented when tapping on the central 'Dickens' topic in a new map.
This will launch a browser with 'Dickens' already entered into Google. In the following case the first result was selected which took us to Wikipedia.
#1 - Long press on the next/back toolbar buttons to present the page history list.
#2 - By tapping on the title of the web page (as below) we get options to:
- Copy Link (to the clipboard - so you can paste it in later)
- Make Topic (make a new topic with the page title and hyperlink already set)
- Save Page (will download the page and images into a .webarchive then attach it to a new topic.)
- Open in Safari (as you'd expect)
#3 - Tap on the 'compass' toolbar button to change search providers (e.g. Bing, Yahoo etc.) The search term (e.g. Dickens) will remain the same.
#4 - Long press on a link and you'll get options to:
- Copy Link (to the clipboard - so you can paste it in later)
- Make Topic (make a new topic with the page title and hyperlink already set)
#5 - Long press on an image and you'll get options to:
- Save Image (into the iThoughts 'image library')
- Copy Image (to the clipboard - so you can paste it in later)
- Make Topic (make a new topic with the image inserted)
#6 #7 - Select some text and you'll get the options to:
- Make Topic(s) (each line of text will be made into a topic.)
- Add to Note (append the text to the note field of the selected topic.)
Up to 5 custom search providers may be configured in the System Settings (menu under the gear toolbar button.) Tap on one of the 'CustomX' fields. The syntax for a new engine is as follows:
Display Name,URL
The URL should include the placeholder text <SEARCH_TERM> which iThoughts will replace with the actual text. An example entry for Wikipedia is as follows:
On Mac/Windows versions, it is still possible to select text or topic and CMD/CTRL R to search for the term in a browser. However, the only option is Google and because the browser is a separate app, the options to turn text/image/link into an entry in the mind map is not available. It is assumed that Mac/Windows users will use Copy/Paste/Drag/Drop to get the researched information back into a map.


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At Home With... Ruth Daniell
Writer, editor and contributor Ruth Daniell talks snowy winters, clean sheets, and family...
Where is home for you?
I recently re-located to the Okanagan Valley in BC, Canada and this place is beginning to feel like home. Previously, I spent 10 years on the west coast but I grew up in the much snowier northern interior. Home, for me, is overwhelmingly wherever my family is. When my husband and I wrote our own wedding vows years ago, mine included the promise that I recognize a kind of home for me within my husband and that I will make space to be a home for him. I still believe that home is often less about the place and more about the people.
If you could choose to live anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Realistically, I think I'm probably going to live my whole life in BC, my home province—it's just so vital to me to be near family and almost all my family is in this (admittedly very large) province. I would, however, love to live short-term in eastern Canada, in Scotland, in France, and in Germany!
What smells remind you of home?
Sawdust. Cedar. Lake water. Hot sun in long grass. A fire in a wood stove. Mown grass. The smell of a candle burning inside of a pumpkin. Frost. Clean sheets. That particular scent of freshly-fallen snow.
And, oh, the smells of food! If home is really about relationships with people, it's easy to see how home would be so firmly linked with food: relationships are formed and sustained by sharing food together. For me, that includes the smell of fresh banana oatmeal muffins, buttermilk pancakes cooking on a griddle, my grandmother's chocolate cake baking in the oven…
What makes you homesick?
Nothing makes me feel more homesick than spending winter, especially Christmas, in a place without snow. I love snow.
Read Ruth's poem 'Love and Impatience' in our BODY&SEX issue and her gorgeous short story 'Daily Bread' in EAT. Submit to our upcoming HOME issue here!
Ruth Daniell is an award-winning Canadian writer and the editor of Boobs: Women Explore What It Means to Have Breasts (Caitlin Press, 2016). Her poems and stories have appeared in journals across North America and elsewhere, including Arc, Event, Grain, Room Magazine, The New Quarterly, and previously in Synaesthesia Magazine. She lives in Kelowna, BC.