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Voter Apathy
As I reflect upon what tomorrow's Election Day might mean, I am becoming more and more disillusioned about the State of the Voter in this country. Let me say this, up front, whichever party wins, very little of substance is going to change. The K Street lobbyists are already MAKING PLANS FOR A GOP CONGRESS and experience with 2010 should show us that the GOP has a big hat (or tent), but very few cattle (or acts). And while the same is true of a Democrat Congress, the simple fact is that this is the government we Voters apparently want and desire.
We the People aren't doing our job, but here's the thing, neither Party wants us to do it. An engaged, interested and involved voter is a danger to the political elite. Lower voter turnout is exactly what the Power Politicians want. That's why they spend so much time and money on "Voter Registration" schemes. It's easier to fool person once than it is to developed a "Voter relationship," and to have to explain to a voter why they should support a politician who failed to deliver on anything except purging the public treasury… again. Combine that with the 20% or so of Americans who are consistent voters but can be counted on to support their particular party no matter what (this would be the category Conservatives and African-Americans fall into) and you have a perfect storm for the death of an actual system of elections as the Framers wanted, replaced by a political oligarchy controlled by money interests.
Whether those interests are Charles Munger or a Public sector Union is not relevant. Their money changes elections because Voters are stupid enough to listen to them.
Voters respond to negative attacks. Why? Intellectually you know that every negative attack ad is nothing more than spin. It takes some single instance, usually out of context and presents it in the worst possible light. Then they tell you that they will "be different." Two great local examples are Michael Eggman's "I'm going to change Congress" ad and Jack Mobley's implication that he wouldn't take the Assembly's per diem. Both are complete bovine crap. But both play in Peoria because people are tired of the abuse of the trappings of power by Politicians. Trust me on this and carve it in stone – if either of these two win (and they will not), they will (a) not change Congress and (b) will accept the benefit.
The bigger question is why can't we see through the ads and ask ourselves what the real truth is? What advantage does the Valley gain with either (not-a) "Local Farmer" in office? Other than abortion – which isn't going to change – what is the functional difference between the two? For "Law and Order" Republicans, what des it say to you that despite Munger's thousands being poured into Mobley, Law Enforcement leadership (non-union) is solidly behind Adam Gray? Does it occur to you to ask "Why?"
All this to say that I am very disillusioned about this particular election. As my compatriot in this business, Rush (and others) says, there is nothing in this slate to vote FOR, only against. There is no vision for tomorrow, no shining City on a Hill, no oceans to recede, no frontiers to conquer.
Just liberty to lose.
By the by, I came across that magnificent quote above in a book (of course). But not a history book; not a book full of Founding Fathers quotes or even a philosophical work about the status of liberty. In Baltimore last week, waiting to board the CENTRAL VALLEY HONOR FLIGHT home, I was picking up some T-Shirts for my daughters when I noticed a new book by my favorite author on the shelf. He writes lots of books, with several different series going on, I follow only one of them, mostly because I just don't have time. But a new one of the one I follow was out, so I bought it.
On the plane I immersed my very uncomfortable wedged-into-a-window-seat-aboard-the-hated-MD-80-aircraft flying self into the pages of another Dirk Pitt adventure, and eventually found myself on a beach near Havana, Cuba with my all-time favorite literary character. One of the highest highlights of my career in radio was getting to interview Clive Cussler on the 40th anniversary of the first published Dirk Pitt novel. And now, on a plane high over America, the character who is the reason I wear the watch I wear today, found himself battling the forces of oppression and evil yet again.
And in a moment of reflection on the plot at hand, Dirk Pitt said that quote you read at the top of this article.
I kept going back to it, reading it over and over again, even underlining it in red ink. Then I circled it and folded the page at the top to make sure that I could always find it.
And now I share it with you to pass on what I have received as of first importance. We are in a fight against ALL political power.
It's a fight we'd better start fighting with our hearts and our minds, not just by voting for whoever has the most money.
Posted on November 3, 2014, in News & Notes and tagged 2014 Election, Adam Gray, Clive Cussler, Dirk Pitt, Jack Mobley, Jeff Denham, Liberty, Michael Eggman. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.


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My opinions on matters of the day that, generally, have pissed me off.
Being described as a 'Surly Curmudgeon', by those who meet me on a good day, I have a poor regard for the human species.
This is my place for my free speech- not bloody yours. Crap under your own rock.
Conneticut yankee in King Athur's court reminds me of the first meddlars in time - Jason W.
great minds think alike ;-)
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zoobie 03:50 28 May 2007
Seems BIOS doesn't see D drive now either and is reporting only my others. Perhaps I've the whole shabang hooked up wrong or perhaps the D is failing. What's the recommended hookup with 2 hard drives with a CD and another DVD drive (4 drives)?


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That might sound simple, but it isn't all that easy, which is why we've spent our best university years learning how to do it, and the rest of our working lives to perfect it. Most healthcare researchers we've met were either science graduates, linguists or economists. In other words, they were good at understanding either your product, your brand language or your business, but had to pick up their people skills as they went along.
We did it the other way around. We are people experts who've picked up marketing and business skills over the years. And, as social scientists, we are still focused on the people, because they are what we get excited about. Sure, we will engage with your business issue, but we're ever more interested in helping you to engage with the people who represent your customers.


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To celebrate the birthday of their lovely mate Marky Mark (also the nachoman photo model of this very website), our favourite Melbourne duo Broads are returning to the SVM stage for two sets of sheer bliss and wonder. Free entry. Only the foolish would miss this gig.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: September 16Harriett Allcroft & Marty Hicks + Eaglemont
Later Event: September 18Emi Day + guests


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Jane's Meat Sauce for Spaghetti
This is my mom's meat sauce recipe. She used it for spaghetti, ravioli and for her amazing homemade fettuccine. It isn't fancy and it certainly isn't bolognese, but it is homey, comforting and simple. I hadn't made it in forever, but our "cold" weather has been making me crave comfort food, so I cooked up a batch. This made enough for 2 adults to eat for dinner (and I think we each had seconds), with some leftovers (pictured) and some for the freezer. Yay! It's so good. I don't know why I don't make homemade spaghetti sauce more often.
Jane's Meat Sauce
1 tablespoon bacon fat
1 strip uncooked bacon
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 smallish carrots, diced
2 cloved garlic, peeled and crushed/chopped
1 pound lean ground beef (I use 96/4 ground beef. Turkey works too, but is a tiny bit less yummy)
2 cans diced tomatoes (unseasoned)
dried oregano/basil/parsely or italian seasoning (about 1 tablespoon total, less if that is too strong)
salt & pepper (to taste)
- Use big saucepan or pot and cook the bacon in the bacon fat until delicious and crispy. Remove bacon slice from pan. (I know! So decadent! If you don't store your bacon fat, and you should, use two pieces of bacon.)
- Add the onions to the the bacon fat and cook over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes until onions get translucent, stirring occasionally No need to brown the onions.
- Add the garlic, carrots, celery and a dash of salt and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Turn up the heat a bit and add the ground beef. Cook until browned. Chop the bacon and add back to the pan.
- Add the tomatoes (undrained), and the herbs and spices.
- Stir and let simmer (probably on low depending on your stove) for 75-90 minutes until sauce is thick and dark. The texture of the sauce will be mostly meaty and not so much tomato-saucy. Check periodically and add some water if the sauce is looking too dry. I do about a quarter of a cup at a time, especially if I might be leaving it on the stove for awhile. You can't overcook this sauce, but it can run dry.
- Serve over your favorite pasta/noodle/ravioli type thing. Delicious!
I know it takes a long time, but it's worth it. Some of the prep can be done while the other stuff cooks which saves some time here and there. Put the bacon in, cut the onion. Put the onion in, cut the celery and carrot. And the hour or two on the stove just requires a stir now and again.
Tags: homemade pasta sauce, meat sauce, spaghetti


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5 Ways To Deal With Unmet Expectations
Want to know a major component to achieving results, maximizing your potential, having a high-performing team, and being fulfilled in your life?
Sure you do.
You have to know how to deal with unmet expectations.
You have been and will be frustrated. Things don't always go as planned. Someone has let you down, and others will in the future. Results may not be what you hoped for. You will have times in your life that what you want and dream of doesn't come to fruition.
Simply put, we all have unmet expectations.
Here are the 5 strategies to effectively dealing with unmet expectations:
- Manage your expectations. Make sure you set realistic goals and expectations. Stretch yourself, sure, but set a course that is attainable. Know that you will do your best, but the final outcome will have many variables.
- Realize and accept you are not in control of everything. Accept that fact. You cannot control everything, or everyone, so stop trying to do so…but read number three.
- You are in control of many things. Know what you can control. You can control your emotions, your words, your actions, your thoughts. You can control how you respond and rebound to situations. Stop being a victim. Take ownership and get back to work on what you can do to make a difference in a situation and your life.
- Look in the mirror. Learn from your mistakes and unmet expectations. Ask yourself, "What can or could I do to change this outcome moving forward?" Sometimes, we see new methods and opportunities when we take the time to reflect on the past.
- Move on to greener pastures. If in the end a situation or person is cancer in your life, then the solution may be to remove it. No time for stinkin' thinkin'. Surround yourself with positive, uplifting people that are interested in you, your goals, and your success. Not only will you feel better, but you will do better, and you will have way more fun along the way.


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Dr Muhammad Raza Hakim
BDS Karachi 2001
Dr Raza graduated from Karachi Medical University, Pakistan in 2001, completing his training at the Punjab Dental Hospital in Lahore. He went into private practice for four years whilst completing his Certification in Orthodontics.
In 2005 Raza moved to the Middle East to work in the Oral Surgery and Orthodontics departments of a specialist dental centre. Four years later he moved to London, working as the Senior House Officer Oral at the Barnet and Chase Farm Hospital Trust and Maxillofacial Surgery department. Before joining Total Dentalcare in June 2016, Raza spent time in a dental practice in Southampton and finished his post graduate Certification in Endodontology from the University of Chester.


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- Super Bowl Sunday is the greatest gambling day of the year, with tons of wagers available to bettors, ranging from standard to absurd.
- Prop bets have grown exponentially in popularity in recent years, and they often cover action off the field, including the national anthem, the halftime show, and commercials that will be shown during the broadcast.
- Below we navigate 23 of the strangest prop bets you can make at online books for Super Bowl LIII.
- Check out all of our coverage of Super Bowl LIII here.
But it's not just a compelling contest as a football fan — it's also the greatest gambling day of the year.
While Las Vegas offers plenty of prop bets for gamblers interested in specific on-field action, the online books that are a bit less regulated can get downright weird. Sites like Bovada, BetDSI, and more have booked bets on everything from the national anthem to the halftime show to the number of tweets President Donald Trump will send out on Super Bowl Sunday.
Below we break down 23 of the wildest prop bets you can find on Super Bowl LIII.
The pick: Under 107 seconds ($115 to win $100)
The logic: This is a significantly lower total than we've seen on the national anthem in recent years, but Knight shouldn't need a ton of extra flourish to make it her own. She has the pipes that will leave her rendition a bit shorter than some singers who have gone before her.
The pick: No ($200 to win $20)
The logic: Prop bets about potential protests were popular at online books last year, and they can still be found this year at some outlets despite the conversation around the national anthem largely dying down. Outside losing this bet on a technicality — a fist raised in triumph as opposed to protesting, let's say — it feels safe laying the extra cash on no protest.
The pick: No ($350 to win $50)
The logic: Players kneeling during the anthem has faded from the forefront of football fans' minds. While some players might think the Super Bowl is the perfect place to once again raise the issue of racial inequality within the justice system, the Rams and the Patriots don't feel like teams looking to cause a stir.
The pick: Over 95 seconds ($115 to win $110)
The logic: Whereas Gladys Knight is already music royalty, the R&B duo Chloe X Halle will be introducing themselves to much of the world with their rendition of "America the Beautiful," and they may be tempted to put a little extra mustard on the song. Just a guess.
The pick: Under 44.5 ($115 to win $100)
The logic: It feels a little crazy to take the under on what is the most watched American television broadcast every year, but in this case it seems like a smart bet. The Nielsen rating for the Super Bowl has now dropped for four straight seasons, landing at 43.1 last year between the Patriots and the Eagles. With the Patriots returning to the big game for the third straight year and facing a Rams team that just moved to Los Angeles two seasons ago, it's unclear where this game finds new interest.
The pick: Yes ($130 to win $100)
The logic: It's impossible to tell the story of how these teams got here without mentioning the missed pass-interference call from the NFC Championship. Unless the NFL expressly forbade CBS from mentioning the no-call — a very real possibility — it will almost undoubtedly be featured in the broadcast.
The pick: Yes ($10,000 to win $100)
The logic: OK, for the record, please do not bet $10,000 on this, as it would be the worst way to lose $10,000 in the history of gambling. That said, Nantz opens every call by inviting the audience in with a simple "Hello friends," and there's no reason the Super Bowl would be any different.
The pick: No ($500 to win $100)
The logic: Plenty of praise will be heaped on Tom Brady throughout the game on Sunday, but the use of the term "GOAT" feels a bit too casual for Nantz and a bit too on the nose for Romo. They may call him the "greatest ever to play the game" or something similar, but throwing around "GOAT" as if it's an ESPN debate show doesn't seem likely.
The pick: Yes ($100 to win $200)
The logic: "Hotlanta" is the perfect silly word to bet that Nantz or Romo randomly peppers into his call of the game. For Nantz, it would hold a bit of wink-wink, nudge-nudge, I-know-it's-corny-but... energy, while Romo might literally think it's the name of the town they're in. With the weather looking somewhat chilly for kickoff, it's a broadcast-booth joke that writes itself.
The pick: Yes ($300 to win $100)
The logic: There has been a bit of controversy surrounding the halftime performance, with artists like Cardi B, Rihanna, and Jay Z reportedly turning down the opportunity to play the show and citing Colin Kaepernick's unemployment as a reason. I was initially leaning "No" on this prop, but the juice is so high in the direction of "Yes" that it feels as if someone knows something. Maybe one of the artists decides to make a statement and honor both Kap and those who turned down the gig.
The pick: "Makes Me Wonder" ($100 to win $100), "Moves Like Jagger" ($50 to win $300)
The logic: "Makes Me Wonder" opening the show dropped all the way down to even odds, again giving the sense that someone who knows something is pushing the lines a bit. But I like "Moves Like Jagger" as a sleeper pick — it's a poppy, dancy opener that brings the right nostalgic energy to the show.
The pick: Yes ($220 to win $100)
The logic: Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants, died last year, prompting some fans to start a petition that he receive tribute with the song "Sweet Victory" during the halftime show. The petition now has almost 1.2 million signatures, and Maroon 5 is teasing that the song will be a part of the show. With the purpose of Super Bowl commercials and performances now focused on engineering viral moments, it would be shocking to see them pass up on a easy win.
The pick: Blue ($50 to win $375)
The logic: Blue was listed as the long-shot odds for the Gatorade bath this year at +750, but the Patriots have already been seen pouring blue coolers over Belichick in previous Super Bowls, and both teams feature the color prominently in their color scheme. Clear and lime green/yellow are the favorites, but there's value in blue.
The pick: No ($2,500 to win $100)
The logic: Again, don't actually bet $2,500 on this, but Brady has already said there's zero chance of his retiring immediately after this game, and he has long expressed his desire to play until age 45 (he's 41). Nothing in his play this year gave anyone reason to think he'd be hanging up his cleats just yet.
The pick: No ($5,000 to win $100)
The logic: The Chick-fil-A in Mercedes-Benz Stadium is never open on Sundays, same as all other locations. Instead, the restaurant converts into another concession outlet for the stadium. Unless that counts as some sort of technicality, this is a lock.
The pick: Yes ($200 to win $100)
The logic: The "Dilly Dilly" ads feel like a long time ago, but Bud Light will have at least four or five spots throughout the Super Bowl, and it's hard to imagine it not mentioning the phrase at least once in passing.
The pick: Under 7.5 ($115 to win $100)
The logic: Everyone loves watching Tony Romo predictions, and in the AFC Championship it became clear that CBS had handed him the reins a bit after having him tone down his football Precog abilities for much of the regular season. Still, Romo calling eight plays is a big ask, and he usually is pretty selective about his spots. Everyone seems a bit too excited about this one; Romo will probably keep it to three or four predictions.
The pick: Under 3.5 ($440 to win $200)
The logic: This is your prop lock of the week. Rams "get-back" coach Ted Rath went semi-viral last week after NFL Films put together a short video on him and his job wrangling Rams head coach Sean McVay on the sidelines. It's a fun video and easy to see why people would enjoy him, but there are zero reasons for him to be mentioned during the broadcast once, let alone four times.
The 31 best prop bets you can make on the greatest gambling day of the year — Super Bowl Sunday
Almost everybody is betting on the Patriots in the Super Bowl, but Las Vegas sportsbooks aren't panicking yet
The Rams spent more than $300 million to follow the newest method of team-building in the NFL, and it worked perfectly
Super Bowl MVP odds: Breaking down 15 players chances of being named Super Bowl MVP


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(Communicated by the IDF Spokesman)
Now released for publication: In a joint IDF and ISA arrest operation overnight at the Bal'a village near Tulkarm, Omar Jabar, head of the Hamas terror organization in Tulkarm area, was arrested. Jabar has been sought since 2002 for his direct responsibility in carrying out the suicide attack at the Park Hotel in Netanya on Passover, March 27, 2002, in which 30 Israeli civilians were killed and 143 were injured.
Jabar recruited the contact that dispatched the suicide bomber, introducing him to the head of the Hamas in Tulkarm at the time, Abed Sayad. Sayad admitted in his investigation that the connection with Jabar had already begun in 1994, when the two were imprisoned together.
Since 2002, Jabar was directly involved in recruiting militants to Hamas secrete terror cells and in the past year was involved in their combat training.
In recent years, while hiding in the Tulkarm area villages, Jabar used his own family members to transfer encrypted messages to Hamas terror operatives, in order to lead the Hamas terror organization in Tulkarm, finance his and other militants' terrorist activity and purchase weapons.
Following clashes between Hamas and Fatah in the Gaza Strip in January 2007, Jabar worked to establish and finance a Hamas operational cell in Tulkarm. He purchased weapons and recruited terror operatives, intended for the establishment of a Hamas cell similar to operational cells active in Gaza.


text: QSI International School (map) 64 Karloveská Bratislava, 841 04 Slovakia ✚ gCal ✚ iCal The QSI International School is performing Into the Woods, Jr. It is a one-hour musical comedy that teachers from our congregation have been involved with. It is free and a good event for the whole family.Check out the featurette:QSI International School of Bratislava will be preforming the adaptation of the classic musical Into the Woods. Come check it out! May 26th, 2016 6:00 pm @ Iuventa Theater *This video was made for educational purposes


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Four Oaks Care Ministry
At Four Oaks, we desire to care for the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs of our church and community through a number of different ministries listed below.
Community Groups are groups of people who do life together, particularly committed to the core functions of discipleship, care, and mission. They are led by trained lay-leaders who are given ongoing support and oversight by our pastors and elders. Community groups are required for members, but are open to anyone. For more information, click here or contact Pastor Scott.
Redemption Groups are designed to serve as a place of restoration for people who are experiencing brokenness, sin, suffering, crisis, or are just kind of stuck in their relationship with God and need a catalyst for change. In our large group teaching, we walk through gospel principles based on a book called Redemption and then break up into gender-based small groups for counsel and care led by trained, qualified leaders. These groups launch over a weekend and then meet 8 Monday nights, taking place each fall and spring and are open to anyone. To sign up for our next round of groups, contact Pastor Scott.
Pastors and Elders are available to provide wise counsel to those in need of care, particularly in times of crisis or "big decisions." We also welcome you bringing a person/couple with you to these times of counseling so they can help with ongoing accountability and encouragement. Complete the Care Request Form to request counsel.
Our CARE Mobilization Team seeks to mobilize people and resources in our church to best care for a person or family in need. While needs are quite diverse, typical requests include employment assistance, handyman repairs, moving help, and financial counseling & assistance (led by our benevolence team). Once the Care Request Form is completed, a care mobilization member will contact you within 24-48 hours to review information on the form, ask for more details where necessary, and provide a timetable for follow-up.
If you would like to serve on one of our ministry teams, please complete the Skills & Talents Questionnaire. Then a deacon or staff member will follow up with you.


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Identical builds with full versions of Windows 7 Home with the exception of the build on the right that has an SSD. See for yourself the difference. [embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaZcdRiP4lo&hd=1[/embed]
Official System Installer
Assassin HTPC is proud to announce that we are the only licensed system installer in North America!
Officially Licensed Installer for Mediabrowser!
What does that mean for our customers? Mainly that we purchase officially licensed versions of Mediabrowser.
Media Browser requires a specific amount of donations to unlock core plugins, in System Builder installations there is no such requirement. Core plugins (Pearl, Coverart, Trailers) are available and users will not see any donation required message.
Custom Build: Leon in New York
Mid tower custom build completed for Leon in New York complete with software installation and configuration. Sandy Bridge i3 CPU, 4GB DDR3 1600 RAM, 64 GB SSD SATAIII, 2TB Green Drive, Modular PSU, Bluray
Testing MakeMKV
Example of Assassin HTPC screen
Wall E 1080p DTS-HD
Guide: Makemkv Made Even Easier
MakeMKV made easier (even though its already pretty easy) by "assassin"
One of the drawbacks to Windows 7 is that is does NOT support playing back bluray discs natively. What this means is that you can't just pop in a bluray and expect Windows 7 to play it because it just won't happen. To watch bluray discs on Windows 7 you have 2 options. The first is to buy an expensive piece of software like TotalMedia Theatre 5 ($100) or PowerDVD 11 Ultra ($100). The second way is to rip your bluray disc to your hard drive in a MKV format where it can then be played by Windows 7 for free. You will not lose any quality in either video or audio by using the latter option.
So how can you do this? By using a great little free program call MakeMKV. Please note that MakeMKV is free while in beta (now) and can be tried free for 30 days but will eventually cost $50 (DVD decryption will always be free).
So what are some of the features of makemkv? A quick overview:
- Reads protected DVD and Bluray discs
- Direct conversion of all video and audio tracks with no loss of HD Audio/Video quality
- Includes all chapter and metadata information
- On an Assassin HTPC the speed of transfer is only limited by the speed of your drive --- your hardware is plenty to perform this transfer
- No additional software is needed --- everything else you need is already included when you purchase an Assassin HTPC
- Available for Windows, Linux and Mac should you want to try this out on another PC
- As stated above all of this is free while it is in beta (now) but at most will cost only $50 in the future
The Tutorial:
- Download and install MakeMKV
- Insert your Bluray disc into your bluray drive
- Open MakeMKV.
4. Next click the "Disk to Hard Drive" button in the center of the screen. The bluray disc will be analyzed for just a few seconds.
5. Next is perhaps the biggest part of why I love MakeMKV. You are able to select just specific tracks to be ripped which can really make your movie collection more precise and specific. For example
you can select just the main movie and leave all the extras, foreign languages and previews behind. This saves you a ton of time and space on your Assassin HTPC. As you can see in this example just the main movie, non-HD audio and English subtitle tracks are selected. If you wanted the HD audio track you would select the DTS-HD track instead.
6. Now its time to tell MakeMKV to rip your disc to the hard drive. As you will see above there are two areas highlighted. Click on the large button to the right of the screen.
7. As you can see your bluray is now being ripped to the hard drive! That's it! You just ripped a Bluray to your Assassin HTPC! How easy!
As I have stated above this will create a exact quality copy of your bluray on your Assassin HTPC. This whole process should take less than 30 minutes for most movies.
Assassin HTPC Trick: Did you know that you can compress your MKV files to make them smaller? Some people like to do this to save on space. You will lose a little picture quality but most users swear they can't tell a difference if compressed slightly. If you are interested in experimenting with compressing your HD bluray MKV files I would recommend a great little free program called HandBrake. Please note that this process can take many hours to complete.
Guide: How to Download Torrents
Also added to the "Guides" section of assassinhtpcblog.com
How to Download and Add Torrent Files to Your Assassin HTPC by "assassin"
Torrent files are a very popular way to download files to your Assassin HTPC. In this guide I will show you how to download and add torrents to your HTPC to expand your library. (What are torrents?)
Legal Disclaimer: Assassin HTPC in no way endorses or condones the acquisition of illegal or copyrighted material. Downloading these materials is at your own risk and we take or assume no liability for these actions. By reading this guide you agree to this disclaimer.
Downloading torrents is extremely easy. You will need 2 pieces of free software.
- uTorrent which is a a tiny and efficient bit torrent client.
- Peerblock which blocks "known bad" computers from accessing yours and vice versa. As the makers of peer block state this "can help protect you from the bad guys"
After downloading and installing these 2 programs make sure that peerblock is running in the background. It is a good idea to update peerblock at least once a day -AND- before you begin any new downloads.
Now let's open uTorrent and view its main screen.
Next let's tell uTorrent where you want to save your completed torrent files. Go to "options" and select "preferences".
Here you can tell uTorrent where you want your files saved. Pick a location on your Assassin HTPC where you want to store your torrent data. Click on the button labeled "1." to select where to store your new torrents. Click on the button labeled "2." to select where to store your completed torrents. I like to select my largest hard drive and make a folder called "Torrents" with a "New" and "Completed" folder inside. I then review the torrent before moving it to my Assassin HTPC library (HD Movies, Movies, or TV Shows for example).
Since this is a tutorial we will select torrents that are very easy to locate. If you have a favorite torrent site you can select a file from there as well.
So try out uTorrent with peerblock running in the background.
First make sure that peerblock is running in the background. To do this click on the "show hidden icons" in the bottom right corner near the clock on your desktop. Click on it and update it before you begin downloading. Its icon is am orange or blue block as seen below.
Now lets go back to the main screen of uTorrent and click on "New Apps!" on the left panel which will take us to an area with easy access to torrent files.
Let's click on "Pioneer One" which is a television show that we can download and watch. Click on install located under their icon.
Next click on "Episode 1" on the left and click on "Download Episode One" on the right.
You are now downloading the first episode of this TV show! Wasn't that easy? Now select "Torrents" in the left panel and you will be brought to the main downloading screen of uTorrent.
On this screen we can see a few important pieces of information.
- The file(s) that are downloading located under "name".
- The size of these files.
- Percent done of the download.
- Status (Downloading vs Done/Sharing)
- Seeds (Very Important: These are the people actively sharing the files. The more sharing usually the better resulting in more reliable and higher speed downloads)
- Leechers (Very Important: These are the people actively downloading the file from the seeds. You typically want a high seed to leecher ratio.)
- Upload and Download Speeds: This will depend on the speed of your connection and the seed/leecher ratio as well as the seeds' connection speed
- ETA: Estimated time of arrival (how long the download has before completion)
Once the download has completed and you are finished using uTorrent right click on the file from the uTorrent main download screen and select "remove". This will remove it from uTorrent which will allow you to move it on your Assassin HTPC to its new folder.
After removing it from uTorrent let's go to where you told uTorrent to store your data. You should now see it in your folder. Right click on the file and select "Cut" - this will move it to its new location and delete the old file in the previous folder.
Since this is a TV Show lets go to your Assassin HTPC "TV Shows" folder.
Make a new folder named "Pioneer One". Inside the "Pioneer One" folder make another folder named "Season One". Now inside that folder left click and select "paste". This will move this file into your new folder. I usually re-name my media at this point. Since this is the first episode of season one we need to rename it "s01e01".
Its that easy! You just added a new TV show to your TV Shows folder!
Now follow the steps included with your Assassin HTPC tutorial to add this file to your media library. The software on your Assassin HTPC will do the rest! The end result should look something like this:
There are a lot of websites out there to use to search for media for your Assassin HTPC. Good luck torrenting!
First Pics of Assassin HTPC Mini-ITX
Here are the first pictures of our first line of HTPCs - The Assassin Mini-ITX. This model has the following specs. This is another one of our "no cut corners" builds:
- Intel 2100t Sandy Bridge i3 CPU
- Mini-ITX Motherboard with USB 3.0, SATAIII, eSATA, AHCI capable, Digital Audio Optic Output
- 2TB Hard Drive
- Bluray Drive
- Case and PSU
- Windows 7 OS installed
- Bios Configured
- HTPC software setup and configured to be used out of the box
Assassin Mini-ITX and 32" Samsung test HDTV
Kill-a-Watt Meter at Idle: 30-35 watts
Kill-a-Watt meter while playing Avatar 1080p
Avatar 1080p playing on test HDTV
Assassin HTPC Screenshots
These are some screenshots that I took on an actual Assassin HTPC once it was setup and loaded with some of the owner's media. All Assassin HTPCs come configured with very simple instructions. All you have to do is add your media to a few folders (which we create for you as well) and then follow a few steps in our included guide. The HTPC does the rest. HTPC made much much easier!
Mediabrowser Appearance Guide
Mediabrowser Appearance Guide by "assassin"
The following is completely optional but will allow you to change the look of your Assassin HTPC by adding a theme called "Pearl" and a plug-in called "CoverArt". Unfortunately these excellent additions cost a few dollars to pay the developer but in my opinion are worth it. Currently Pearl is $6 and CoverArt is $4. Or alternatively you can purchase the "Classic Bundle" for $10 which includes both of these plug-ins and trailers.
One additional download you will need is BAS Skins manager which has dozens of skins that you can use for the Pearl theme. This is free.
There are other components and software that you will need to make this work but fortunately as an Assassin HTPC customer this was already installed an configured for you!
1. Install Pearl, CoverArt and the BAS Skins manager and select Pearl as your theme. Choose "cover flow" in the settings inside mediabrowser to display the folders like I have them shown.
2. For BAS Skins I currently use "dnicks Orange clear" although you can experiment around with the different skins and see which one you like the best.
3. Next let's setup mediabrowser using the configurator. This is the way that I have my folders structured but you can structure yours however you like. Here you can see a custom logo that I made. Assassin HTPC customers have default folders that have been created but can alter this scheme to fit their needs if desired.
4. Here are more of the settings that you can use. For weather enter your zip code instead of the Yahoo ID. Assassin HTPC customers will have these settings already configured.
5. This is how my main screen looks with artwork that I added. Assassin HTPC customers will have a custom "Assassin HTPC" wallpaper as their background.
6. There are thousands of other possible setting combinations and Assassin HTPC customers will have these pre-configured and optimized for their HTPCs. Finally inside mediabrowser configurator select the plug-ins and configure the cover art plug-in. These are my settings in coverart.
8. Now close mediabrowser if you have not already done so and right click on the mediabrowser active app icon which is running in the folder at the bottom right of your desktop screen (under hidden icons by the clock on your desktop). Once you are inside here click to clear the cache including images. This will delete all images stored in mediabrowser forcing them to reload with your new settings.
9. Now restart mediabrowser. If your new images did not load click on the wrench in the upper right screen to enter the menu (this is easily done with your remote control if you purchased one for Assassin HTPC).
10. Once inside the menu click on "Update Library". This will force mediabrowser to update it again this time from inside mediabrowser.
Assassin HTPC Trick: Did you know you can manually refresh an individual folder by pressing "Ctrl" and "R" at the same time? Try it!
The finished product:
MakeMKV guide now available under the "Guide" tab


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PCB Screen Printing Machine
Understand PCB Assembly Capabilities of MOKO Technology
MOKO Technology is one of the several prime PCB designers and manufacturers in China. The company produces Circuit Boards of various types, and from different materials. In this article, we are going to go over the capabilities of MOKO Technology.
Circuit Board Assembly Capabilities
Following are our Circuit Board assembly capabilities, which make us one of the most innovative and leading producers of Circuit Boards:
Ball Grid Array (BGA) Assembly
The BGA assembly is usually employed when there is a need to get rid of overheating issues. This assembly has a superior heat dissipation features, which helps steer clear of getting too hot of the circuit.
Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Assembly
In this assembly, components are mounted right on the Circuit Boards. We have the capability of manual, and additionally automatic SMT production process. Our SMT assembly capabilities comprise of BGA, small chip packages, package-on-package, etcetera.
Through-Hole Assembly
In this assembly, the component leads are inserted through the pre-made holes. Later, they are soldered for protection. We can provide you with two types of Through-Hole assemblies – hand-operated through-hole assembly and automated through-hole assembly.
Quick Turn Assemblies
We notice internationally recognized Circuit Board standards and guidelines. This is a value added service, which allows you to get hugely trustworthy quick turn PCB assemblies at fast turnaround times. A lot of our shoppers employ this service which we provide.
Circuit Board Prototypes Manufacturing
Circuit Board prototypes aid you in getting a better idea about the final PCBs, or how they're going to be. With a outstanding experience to back us up, we provide the unparalleled prototype manufacturing services to our patrons. These PCB prototypes are UL approved, and we endeavor to get them delivered to you as quickly as possible.
Low-Mid Volume Production
MOKO Technology is dedicated to offer their service, which helps you assemble low volume PCB prototype orders. We maintain ourselves updated with the most recent technologies to stay up with the ever changing requirements of our purchasers.
MOKO Technology is renowned for its PCB assembly capabilities ranging from a primary Though Hole PCB to a standard Surface Mount (SMT) PCB assembly. We employ a group of hard working experts who have helped us deliver top quality services and products to our customers from a lot of industries.


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If you're grieving, any kind of grief, I can almost guarantee that you've suffered from shoulda-coulda-woulda at some point along your journey.
I'll let you fill in the blanks:
The problem with this, is that it brings you out of the present moment. It brings you into the past and into the future where you are trying to re-write what actually happened. And, while doing that, it often puts your nervous system into a state of fight, flight or freeze - increasing your stress levels and decreasing your body's natural ability to heal.
Disclaimer: If you find yourself in shoulda-coulda-woulda, please know there is nothing wrong with you. This is a perfectly natural part of grieving. I've been there myself many, many times. So please be kind to yourself. Tell yourself that it's okay that you're feeling this way before moving on to the next step. When we allow whatever is happening to be okay, we relax a little and that alone can be deeply healing.
Now, here's what you can do about it.
Bring yourself back into the present moment - where you are safe. There are many simple ways to do this. Try taking a deep breath, looking around the room, and noticing 3 things that you can see in this present moment. The chair you're sitting in. The flowers on the mantle. The tea you're drinking. This simple practice is enough - as is.
If you'd like to take it a step further:
Here is a free audio meditation that focuses on the 5 senses. It's a very simple practice that will bring your awareness into the present where you are safe. Where you can relax and allow your healing mechanisms to kick in with much more ease.
Be gentle with yourself. Be kind. Healing is a process. You are doing a beautiful job.
With LOVE,
Nicky xo
Join my mailing list to receive tips, tools and inspiration to find inner peace - even when you're grieving.
Receive tips, tools and inspiration to find inner peace - even when you're grieving.


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- Home
- Leveled Sets
- Leveled Set H
- Spider's Dinner - Level H/12
Product Description
Guided Reading Level H
Reading Recovery Level 12
Genre: Fantasy
On the Back: "Spider is hungry. What will Spider have for dinner?"
180 Words, 12 Pages, 7.5"X5.5"
Downloadable Teacher Resource contains a lesson plan, reading practice page, and oral reading assessment.
Single Copy 1SD $4.99, 6-pack 6SD $28.99, Teacher Resource TRSD $1.00


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Star Trek has just turned 50 years old, and to celebrate, we're listing our top 10 video games of the franchise.
The list below is in chronological order, with oldest first.
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (PC)
Developed by Interplay and released in 1992, it's a safe bet that any Star Trek fan has booted up 25th Anniversary at one time of another.
Gameplay was split into two modes: a third-person view when controlling an away team on a planet, or a view from the bridge when taking part in space battles.
Combined with Star Trek: Judgment Rights, these two Interplay games essentially detailed the fourth and fifth years of the U.S.S. Enterprise's five-year mission, after the original Star Trek was cancelled after its third year.
You can grab this game on Steam, right here.
Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Final Unity (PC)
This is, hands-down, my personal favourite Star Trek title.
Developed by Spectrum Holobyte and published in 1995, this point-and-click adventure remains the game that's most like an actual episode of the series. That's Next Generation or otherwise.
Away team missions were full of intrigue. Space battles were hard-fought. Exploration was also possible; head to the Conn station and set whatever course you felt like; the Enterprise could go there.
Sadly, it's a bit difficult to find the game and play it today… but those of us who really want to can find a way. Or two.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (PC)
Developed by Interplay and available in 1997, Starfleet Academy is the first game in the franchise to let you try the infamous Kobyashi Maru scenario.
You don't fare much better than anyone other than Kirk did, by the way.
Set in the original series timeline, the space battle simulator was one of the first to receive an expansion. "Chekov's Lost Missions" provided seven new scenarios to play through, alongside new multiplayer modes.
You can grab Starfleet Academy on Steam here.
Star Trek: Armada (PC)
A real-time strategy title involving ship-to-ship combat, Star Trek: Armada was developed by Activision and released in 2000.
Set in the Next Generation timeline, and after the events of the Insurrection feature film, Armada let you choose to play as one of four races: The United Federation of Planets, the Romulan Star Empire, the Klingon Empire and the Borg.
I fondly recall Armada and its sequel as the first PC games I ever modded, adding in new ships and weaponry thanks to the efforts of a robust community.
Like A Final Unity, Armada's also a bit difficult to find and play today. Still, there are ways.
Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force (PC, PS2)
If nothing else, Elite Force was amazing because it let you walk around the U.S.S. Voyager for as long as you wished, checking out every single little detail you wanted to.
The 2000-based first-person shooter was originally developed by Raven Software, the studio who's now working on Call of Duty and Destiny, and released on PC.
Elite Force tied into Voyager perfectly and also beat Enterprise to the punch with its own version of a MACO; the titular Elite Force was a dedicated commando unit designed to tackle tough Delta Quadrant threats. It also spawned a sequel that took place on the Enterprise-E.
Sorry about the above video — you might want to turn down the narration. Elite Force is currently on GOG's wishlist.


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Beenie Man recently came under fire for dissing Popcaan's mother, Ms. Rona, in a video that is making its rounds on Instagram.
The video, which was taken in Trinidad last weekend, showed a jovial discussion among a few dancehall acts, including Shenseea and Christopher Martin, when the legend interjected with a jab at Poppy.
"The other day Popcaan sing a song saying 'remember when me use to buy three sardine and one pound a rice from shop,'" the Doc said. "Three sardine and one pound a rice? pu**y you never go a shop yet, go s*ck your mother. Three sardine and one pound a rice? a man know how much for three sardine."
The video caused a backlash for the King of the Dancehall, as Popcaan, and even some of his very own fans have blasted him for his statement.
See video below:


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Embedded Artistry is now an organization on Github!
In the future, all Embedded Artistry related repositories and projects can be found here.
Also note that both embedded-resources and ea-jenkins are now moved to the new location. The old links (under my user phillipjohnston) will still work.
Have a wonderful day!


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DENSHAW Men's Belt - Black Bridle
DENSHAW Men's Belt - Black Bridle
The DENSHAW is a heavy duty casual belt made from full grain vegetable tanned leather with a solid brass buckle.
This version features a traditionally treated bridle leather that is waxed and oiled to form an extremely hard wearing surface on the leather.
3.5mm full grain vegetable tanned bridle leather
Solid brass hardware
Burnished and waxed edges
38mm width
Union Jack emboss
Belt Sizing
See here for help determining your belt size.
We aim to ship items within 2 days of ordering.


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High School Sports
Boys' soccer: Henry Clay dominates in 1-0 win; Dunbar also advances in region semis behind Clemente's hat trick
RICHMOND — One goal was enough for Henry Clay, but Paul Laurence Dunbar needed more to advance Thursday in the semifinals of the boys' 11th Region soccer tournament.
Amie Mabika's goal with 10:53 left to play gave Henry Clay a 1-0 victory over Madison Central.
Ricky Clemente's hat trick helped Dunbar come from behind to down Woodford County 4-2.
Finals are set for Saturday. The scheduled noon start will be adjusted to a later time because of ACT testing that day.
No. 4 Henry Clay 1, Madison Central 0: The Blue Devils did everything but score for nearly 70 minutes.
Then, Mabika found the range off a free kick from Collin Rose.
Set up on the back post, the 6-foot-5 Mabika presented a big target.
"Really, I would say we had most of the possession in the game and we just couldn't put one away," Mabika said. "... We have to take advantage of set pieces. I'm the tallest one on the team and the coach has been getting on me to get on one, so I had to put one in the goal.
"I trapped it with my thigh and then I finished it."
Henry Clay (18-1-2) won its seventh match in a row and dominated possession throughout, outshooting the Indians 23-5.
However, Central had the best opportunity to score in the first half, on a counter.
Peyton Netherton took the shot, from the top of the 18, and was on target. Blue Devils keeper David Vasquez was able to deflect the ball over the end line.
"We've been through, luckily and fortunately, some games throughout the season where some teams have done similar type things," Henry Clay Coach Tim Bernardi said of Madison Central packing things in on defense. "We felt like we had some opportunities; we just missed some opportunities in the first half and we've just got to keep shooting. Something will go in. Fortunate enough that one finally got the back of the net."
Henry Clay had plenty of looks in the second half, culminating with Mabika's shot.
It just took a long while.
"We started getting nervous a little bit," Mabika said. "But with the quality of the team that we have, you know that we're going to get one sooner or later. And we got one."
Central's Indians (17-5-1) had a six-match winning streak snapped.
"We felt like we dominated possession from start to finish," Bernardi said. "We just couldn't get the goal. They kind of sat back on us and hunkered down and played some really tough defense all over the field. They compact(ed). They set about eight guys back. Trying to work the ball through that wall, they did a phenomenal job of really making us earn the one goal we did get."
Vasquez got the shutout in goal.
"We executed our game plan," Indians Coach Evan Sutherland said. "At halftime it was like 'we've just got to come out and be brave; we've got to come out and play.' And really in the second half we did. We defended really well. The keeper came up with some big saves.
"But we're a young team, and (Henry clay) is an experienced team with juniors and seniors. We've got mostly juniors and sophomores, and playing quite a few freshmen. So for us it's good experience coming back for next year."
No. 3 Dunbar 4, No. 7 Woodford County 2: The Yellowjackets (14-5-1) took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Christian Ramires just over five minutes into the game.
It stayed that way until 42 seconds remained in the half.
Clemente got hauled down in the box and was awarded a penalty kick, which he nailed.
Then he put the Bulldogs up 2-1 with 37:42 left, cleaning up a carom after the goalkeeper dropped a long ball.
"It helped a lot," Clemente said of his penalty kick, "because going into halftime tied 1-1 really helped us out."
Of his second goal, he added, the goalkeeper "just dropped it, so had to take advantage any way we could."
Harrison Grabmeyer scored what would be the game-winner with 331/2 minutes left.
Ramires countered for Woodford with 24:28 left to make it a 3-2 game.
But Clemente clinched things, assisted by Tyler Joy-Brandon, with 11:48 to go.
"We got very fortunate. Woodford County, they're a very good team," said Todd Bretz, coach of the Bulldogs (16-4-3). "They're very well coached. They took it to us the first part of the game. Finally we got our feet underneath us and we were able to get some passes connected and finally get a little bit of momentum."
"First half, they had the better of the play," Joy-Brandon said. "Second half, me and the midfield, I think we really defended them nicely, which is all we needed to do, and those turned into counterattacks which gave us goals."
"We played very well except for maybe we were a bit naive on a couple of plays," Yellowjackets Coach Fonyam Atanga said. "And then on another few plays, we were our worst enemy. ... We still have the mental strength, after going down 3-1, to fight back. And then another mental mistake, leaving the one guy you don't want to leave unmarked in our box for an easy goal.
"I'm proud of the way my guys played, but I think for another season, a second season in a row, we've underachieved."
Henry Clay 1, Madison Central 0
Goal — HC: Amie Mabika. Goalkeepers — MC: Levi Knutson; HC: David Vasquez. Records — Madison Central 17-5-1; Henry Clay 18-1-2.
Dunbar 4, Woodford County 2
Goals — WC: Christian Ramires 2; PLD: Ricky Clemente 2, Harrison Grabmeyer. Goalkeepers — WC: Servando Becerra; PLD: Travis Shuler. Records — Woodford County 14-5-1; Dunbar 16-4-3


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From hospitals to dentist's offices to mental asylums, medical locations have long been a popular setting for some of the scariest horror films out there. It makes perfect sense when one thinks about it, as unless one works there, the chances of being at any of those establishments for a positive reason are fairly small. Also, medical problems remind people of both their own inevitable mortality and the fact that as one ages, one's own body can no longer be relied upon to perform correctly.
The new psychological horror film A Cure for Wellness, appears to tread some familiar ground in the realms of medical horror, but in a setting not often employed in the sub-genre: a health spa. It's fair to say that just about everyone needs a little physical and mental rehabilitation every now and again, and health and wellness centers offer a place in which to do that while also being observed and treated by trained professionals. Or, at least that's what one hopes would happen at such a place.
A Cure for Wellness has received its first trailer, and the treatments offered by this particular spa seem anything but standard, and are probably worse than the ailments they're designed to help patients deal with. Check out the full trailer above, which promises to take viewers for a horrific journey of the mind - all while the lead character (Dane DeHaan, The Amazing Spider-Man 2) tries to survive a terrifying trip that seems all too real.
One of the most interesting aspects of A Cure for Wellness actually has nothing to do with its mind-bending plot, as the film represents the long-awaited return to horror of director Gore Verbinski. Probably most famous for directing the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy starring Johnny Depp as the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow, Verbinski arguably made his first big mark in Hollywood directing 2002's The Ring, starring Naomi Watts. A remake of the Japanese film Ringu, The Ring was a huge hit with both critics and audiences, and is generally regarded as one of the most genuinely creepy films of the 2000s.
In addition to DeHaan - who plays a young executive sent to retrieve his boss from the aforementioned sinister wellness center - other cast members include Mia Goth (Everest), Adrian Schiller (The Danish Girl), Celia Imrie (Bridget Jones's Baby), and Harry Potter franchise veteran Jason Isaacs. An American/German co-production, A Cure for Wellness was actually filmed almost entirely in Germany. Here's hoping Verbinski still possesses the ability to get under viewers' skins that he demonstrated with The Ring.
A Cure for Wellness arrives in U.S. theaters on February 17, 2017.
Source: 20th Century Fox


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Yesterday I experienced my second Turkish Bath – Hamam. Travel can be stressful and a sauna, soak, scrub, and massage sounded soothing. Hamams in Istanbul are inexpensive and the one I visited – Vezneciler Turkish Bath – in Fatih District is said to have "curative water" – yeah!
Ottoman Ruler Sultan Beyazid II built the small traditional Hamam in 1481. Renovated in 1950, the private bath opened to the public to provide income for the madrasa.
Why take a Turkish Bath?
The benefits of a Turkish bath include:
- Deep cleansing the skin
- Discharging toxins from the body
- Accelerating blood circulation
- Stimulating the immune system
- Improving muscular and arthritis pain
- Helping heal respiratory issues by expanding air passages
- Diminishing inflammation
The woman who helped with my Hamam was gentle, but it's an extremely thorough process which I'll try to explain below. I highly recommend having a Hamam – but parts of the procedure are not comfortable. The result – feeling clean, rejuvenated, and refreshed – is well worth any discomfort.
Turkish Bath Procedure
Loosening Up
The first step is relaxing and "loosening up" your body. It's important to sweat during this process. After undressing and wrapping myself in a Turkish towel, I proceeded to the marble Hamam room and the heated central marble platform. No one else was in the room, and it was totally silent. I laid flat on my back on the heated platform for about 15 – 20 minutes. I was looking up at a large circular ceiling dome with small holes where the sun was shining through in golden beams. For me, this part of the process was meditative and special.
"The loosening up part of the Hammam process is a perfect time to visually explore the architecture of a Turkish bath. In most cases, it's an impressive room completely covered in marble featuring a big dome, decorative water basins, and an impressive göbek taşı – the central, raised marble platform above the heating source."
As I slowly "baked" on the marble slab and wondered how long it would take to become well done – the attendant magically came back to save me. She led me into an adjoining room with an extremely hot sauna where I remained for another 15 looooooong minutes. If the marble slab seemed hot – yikes for the sauna!!! I tried to relax, but just as I was about to wimp out and escape the sauna, the attendant came back, handed me a cool bottle of water, and led me to the "scrubbing" room.
Soaking and Scrubbing
The soaking, scrubbing, and washing part of the Turkish Bath process took place in a small room off the göbek taşı next to an ornate water basin. The attendant soaked my body with soap and warm water. While slippery and wet, I received a "peeling" with a rough cloth mitt (kese) used to scrub and exfoliate the skin. A finer, less abrasive mitt was used for the face and neck.
Washing, Rinsing, Cooling, Oil Massage
The vigorous scrubbing was followed by a second more thorough lathering with a sudsy cloth swab and a wet full-body massage – head, face, and hair included – then a refreshing rinsing with cold water! After the bath, I sat in the tea room covered in Turkish towels and sipped a cup of green tea followed by a 30-minute oil massage – absolute heaven!
The Hamam sends a driver to your hotel to pick you up and then takes you home afterwards – an excellent idea since at the end of a Turkish bath you'll be feeling a bit rubbery and spaced out. Ladies should lose any thought of maintaining their coiffure or makeup during the process…
There was no opportunity to take photos, so I've attached media shots from the Vezneciler Turkish Bath website. In comparison, the experience was like the first Hamam I had in Cappadocia Turkey several years ago. It's a lighter version of massages experienced at an Ayurvedic spa in Kerala South India about 10 years ago. Those intense body cleansing treatments and deep tissue massages have no rival!


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Presentation of departments
General Secretariat
This organ coordinates and manages all daily activities of the Council with respect to the constitution, legal and administrative regulations. It also has the mandate to implement decisions made by CPR organs towards achievements of the CPR vision and mission.
This presentation highlights the CPR vision, mission, core values, and organizational structure.
Finance, Administration and Investment department
This department focuses mainly on effective stewardship and accountability over financial and physical resources of CPR. It is in charge of financial budgeting and budget monitoring, reports, audits. The department take care of building capacities of church member staff, e.g accountants, as well as other related programs and actions.
Finance, Administration and Investment department
This department encompasses education, social services and development. Education has been one of the most important pillars of CPR since its creation in 1963. Through its National Office of Protestant Education (BNEP) – "Bureau National de l'Enseignement Protestant" the département is mostly involved in training programs that improve quality education for the benefit of protestant schools leaders and teachers. Principals of schools and theirs deputies in charge of studies are trained in participative management.
Teachers are trained in Participative and Active Pedagogy (PAP). The department collects data and analyzes information about education in protestant schools, (school statistics). It backs up churches to eliminate illiteracy, and to teach Christian and positive values to children and youth. It supports initiatives to reduce poverty in the community by strengthening entrepreneurial spirit and increasing investments which generate income to people. The gender, HIV and counseling service is under this department portfolio. More information on the Education Social Services and Development department can be found on the website ( www.bnep.org )
Gender HIV and Counseling Service
This service is under the portfolio of the Education Social services and Development department. It aims at promoting family values in the Church and building capacity for women. Education to fight HIV and support to the HIV positive people is also part of its mandate. Currently, the service runs an important project in counseling which started in April 2015. The project came as a response to post genocide trauma problems among the Rwandan community and focuses on training experts In psychotraumatology, coaching pastors, school managers,and local leaders. The program provides counseling services in CPR centres situated in Kigali city, Kayonza (Eastern Province) and Musanze (Northern Province).
Mission and Church mobilization
The department deals with coordinating and mobilizing evangelical tasks of member churches by closely working with local pastors and CPR decentralized units. It implements these tasks through the services of communication, evangelism, Radio Inkoramutima bradcasting and church growth programs. The département also facilitate services of advocacy, Peace and Reconciliation among the community.


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Re: second submission, unsolicited.
"…there are some really wonderful lines here, and the flow from one to the next is quite breathless. I had to read it several times to really appreciate the poem." – "I do like the cycles of the last poem, and the images improve greatly; so does the music to my ear."
If there's no reward in rereading, then I have come up far short as a writer.
* * *
Re: first (and only) submission, unsolicited.
"…the details were interesting, but the poems seemed too carefully sculpted to come to life."
Let me clear: without any knowledge of my relation to language and the work I do, this editor opted to cite my own words in her response (as one of three poems I submitted addresses a particular sculpture). Is she fit to judge what ekphrasis calls for? "Who knows what forms desire?"
The prejudice here would seem to favor shoddily constructed poems. Of course, poetry is not sculpture. We still don't have room for complacency. How could I not be bothered by the sheer, overwhelming lack of craft in so much contemporary poetry—along with the absence of vision, far-reaching claims?
What burden? Let us at least recall Pygmalion's devotion, how "[h]e laid her on a couch spread with cloths of Tyrian dye, and called her his wife, and put her head upon a pillow of the softest feathers, as if she could enjoy their softness."


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healthy little wonders...
I have always been a pretty active person but it wasn't until this past year that I really took control of my well being. After all, these are the most important years of my life and I want to live each day to the fullest. This requires me to pay careful attention to the food and products I consume, along with nutritional supplements to keep me feeling my best. And believe me, I've done all the Yo-Yo diets, the Juice cleanses, etc but none of those daily dietary plans seemed to last.
I wanted to make sure to include my "Go-To" products in the blog because it is just as hard for me to lose weight and eat clean as the next person (I am not a size 2). Follow along with these amazing products and places that help me maintain a clean lifestyle without letting go of my favorite fancy feasts. It's true what they say, You are what you Eat!
Katie xo
Health & Beauty List


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O Positive
O Positive
36x36 inches - 2019 - photo on Plexiglas - Only 12 copies signed by the artist
Get this artwork (as shown - 36x36 inches), or get it in a different size (18x18 or 47x47 inches).
Free shipping USA & Canada
It is through volunteer art workshops that I give to young teenagers in my neighbourhood that I discovered this technique, and I truly love it. Originally, I wanted to give a photography seminar to the teens, but keeping in mind that I needed to keep their focus quickly and that the activity had to be short and with quick results, I decided to ask them to create "something" with what they saw in the kitchen, as simple as that: soap, oil, lemon or cake coloring, whatever...
The results were surprising.
I then created a laboratory in my studio, I emptied the corner grocery store, and after hours of experimentation, I allowed myself to keep my favourite creations a secret.
Another premise that I cannot wait to see its evolution in a few years.
Guy Hamelin


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As India is marching towards being a Pan-Technology country, there are hurdles which are either without any solution or with a debated one. Cyber crime is rising with the accelerating advancement in the use of technology in the Indian subcontinent, and so are privacy concerns.
With the convenience that social networks like WhatsApp, Facebook, Google Talk, Skype, WeChat etc offer, they remain the top choices for businesses as well as common people to communicate. We share vital information over these mediums, without giving a thought to the privacy of our conversations.
A new concern for the Indian users comes in the form of a policy from the government where the government has decided to "regulate WhatsApp and all similar services in India."
Let us know about it in detail.
Privacy Concerns in India
Since India is newborn in the tech world when compared to other countries, it has majorly been focusing on discovering new possibilities and exploring the internet based world. However, in the past five years, India has seen an explosion in the Internet user-base. Fascination to social networks has engulfed the users and privacy had been taken into oblivion. It is only recently that the users in India have started questioning the lack of privacy of their information.The reason why privacy has jumped to the front seat from the back seat includes changing family structures and lifestyles in India and mass media explosion. And, Privacy concerns are major.
Government's Take on Privacy of Information
It may blow your mind, but India's constitution certainly does not guarantee a right to privacy to its citizens. To add to the misery, it lacks any defined data protection law in order to guard the users against the misuse of their personal information.
Official Announcements
The Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha on Friday in The Supreme Court asserted that, "The court is currently hearing a case related to WhatsApp sharing its data with its parent company Facebook and the privacy risks such a move may have for WhatsApp users". Narasimha revealed that not just Whatsapp, but all such social networking services will be regulated. However, the limits of regulation policy are the discretionary power of the court.
The Delhi High Court, a couple years back had legitimated WhatsApp's move to share data with Facebook.
Lawyers in India are of an opinion that, "Every individual has the right to a private life, and anyone seeking to abuse that must be brought to account in law"
Know about the New Policy
Regulation may be an ordinary word, but it has a deeper meaning attached to it. Enormous amounts of information about us will be collected and stored, needless to say, without our permission.
However, this vital decision comes in the wake of rising crimes in the country that are largely mediated through these social networks. No such networking site confirms the authenticity of the user, therefore making it an easy option for the wrongdoers. Thus, the government aims to keep a track of any sensitive data being exchanged through these service providers. It also limits sharing/selling of data between two providers. For example, it is speculated that Whatsapp shares its data with Facebook i.e. collects and shares horrendous amounts of data about our lives with parent company Facebook.
Though whatsapp in its privacy policy offered "end-to-end encryption", it is possible that its users' information is shared to Facebook, since both social networks are owned by a single entrepreneur. Regulation of these networks will limit such exchange of personal information.
In lay man's words, these networks keep an eye on all your personal data exchanged over these networks i.e. intrude into your personal conversations.
It is an issue of concern as it violates a citizen's right to life under Article 21.
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Aloha, beautiful people of the Inter-webs! Today, I am back with another 'Top 3' post. I haven't posted one of these in a while, so I am back with my 'Top 3 Favourite Perfumes'! All of these are 'high-end', but I don't think I own any 'drugstore' perfumes. Perfumes are one of the things that I wan to save up some money and splurge on, as you can see in this post.
1. La Vie Est Belle by Lancome
I first found out about it when it was gifted to my mum by a family friend. It has this really florally-sweet scent to it, which is mostly what I go for. It is, hands down, the most blissful, fresh scent I have smelt, and most of the time, I will reach for this before I leave the house more than any other perfume. It is quite expensive, but as I said above, I do save money and splurge on perfumes. It lasts a good while on the skin, and I think that's it.
2. Miss. Dior by Christian Dior
The word that pops into mind when I smell this is: xformal. I love this scent because it is so strong yet delicate. It has that beautiful sophisticated floral scent that I love. I really like Christian Dior's perfumes because you have such a wide variety of scents to pick and choose from and this is one of the best perfumes I have tried from them.
3. Esteé Lauder Pleasures Flower
I have mentioned this in a couple of my pervious posts including my March favourites. As the name suggests, it is a floral scent. Words that come to mind when I spray this are: spring, fresh, and garden. It has a beautiful blend including orange blossoms, peony, roses, and jasmine. If you spray this on, it is almost impossible that you will be down or in a bad mood. It is in general a very preppy perfume.


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I stop and stare and wonder why!
What brought you to this time and place?
Music from his soul whispers a sigh,
Shelter of stone in this homeless space.
I snap the shutter with silent regret,
An image framed in sad neglect.
His inner light a distant star,
A silent prayer echoes from afar.
The homeless man and the passerby,
There but for the grace of God go I.
And who am I to judge this poor man?
His soul knows more sorrow than others can.


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Sister Janepha discusses technology before returning to Tanzania
Anne's first visit to Tanzania, meeting with Sisters who are trained health care workers
In Tanzania, less than 20% of children go to secondary school (UNESCO, 2006)
Girls are passionate learners
Girls Education Collaborative (GEC) was incubated within the Buffalo Tanzania Education Project (BTEP), a university-community initiative of the University at Buffalo's Center for Educational Collaboration. In order to broaden and deepen the good work BTEP was already doing with the Immaculate Heart Sisters of Africa and their girls education initiative in Tanzania, members of BTEP were invited by Dr. Mara Huber (BTEP founder) and Anne Robinson Wadsworth (girls education advocate) to consider the formation of a separate, partner organization. As data was collected, models explored and inventory taken of who was doing what, it became clear there was a desperate need for more engagement at the grassroots level. The year was 2012, and despite the growing global conversation and the emerging yet compelling data on the impact of educating girls, relatively few organizations were working directly with communities to support the creation or strengthening of educational opportunities for girls.
Being sensitive to the understanding that the world does not need another organization without a compelling reason for its existence, interested BTEP members first became a "thinking group." They explored the need, options and logistics and it became clear there were huge spaces to be filled in supporting the education of girls. That group become a more formal Steering Committee and launched GEC as a non-profit corporation in January 2012.
In March 2012, the Board of Directors was expanded from the original three trustees, founder Anne Wadsworth was named Executive Director and the Peter C. Cornell Trust Fund became the first funder. In its first year, GEC leveraged that first small seed grant and raised almost $150,000 in gifts and pledges toward the Kitenga School for Girls.
Media coverage includes an interview by Eileen Buckley on NPR affiliate WBFO and a feature by Jerry Zremski in the Buffalo News.
Kitenga is GEC's first project and the intent is to support, enhance and accelerate the work and vision already being generated by our partners, the Immaculate Heart Sisters of Africa (IHSA). A Tanzanian faith-based community, the IHSA is dedicated to improving the quality of life for its extended neighbors, especially women and girls. An order of about 150, they primarily serve the Mara Region of Tanzania and are based in Musoma, along the shores of Lake Victoria. They have a track record of successfully advocating for and providing services to the most marginalized. Examples of their work in education include having run one of the highest performing secondary schools for girls in the region and currently managing a school for deaf, mute and mentally disabled children. For more than 20 years they have operated an agricultural project, health clinic and primary school in Baracki, a village similar to Kitenga.
Almost thirty years ago, the Sisters were granted 1,000 acres by the Government of Tanzania for a community development project. The Sisters' goal was to 'empower the local women' by creating a residential school for girls. Over the years a health clinic was established, vocational programs were run and a kindergarten program for boys and girls was started. But the Sisters struggled to build and open their dream of a residential school to serve the region's marginalized and vulnerable girls. Seven years ago, GEC joined hands with the Sisters to help make their vision come true. Through the development of a deep partnership and collaboration, and after five years of hard work by all, the Kitenga Secondary School for Girls was launched in 2017.
We are fortunate and honored to be working with the Sisters and joining them in their vision to empower the women of Kitenga and improve lives for all through the power of education.
Please join us in creating better futures for the world's girls. Securely donate using a credit card by clicking Give Here.
Or you can mail a check to:
Girls Education Collaborative
640 Ellicott Street
dig at the Innovation Center
Buffalo, NY 14203
Become a part of what we do.
Join our mailing list to receive updates, learn more and participate in the conversation.


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To read part-2 of this series click here.
In the last 2 years I have been able to attend the two "Big Data in Healthcare" conferences run by Phacilitate. From these conferences it has become apparent that the potential for Big Data to change the way we conduct and manage clinical trials is disruptive to say the least. But big change will only occur if we, the clinical trial community and the regulatory agencies, embrace the digital age in which we exist.
Big Data definition: Big Data is not, as many people might think, just datasets that are larger than standard datasets. Big Data is defined by being large on four dimensions, aka the 4 V's: volume, velocity, variability and veracity. Classic clinical trials are "barely there" by this definition (perhaps some very large programs where many different data sets are being collected from a large variety of sources, such as the anti-Nerve Growth Factor Compounds). With the huge and rapid availability of incoming Big Data, there is a loss of the ability to clean the data in the classic sense. As such, we end up with significantly more data points but they are not "clean" which generally means that they either lack structure and/or are incomparable or contain irrelevant data points, sometimes called "noise". The upside is that we can spot trends and evaluate interventions closer to 'real life' rather than having to stop and ask the subject every few hours how they are doing by whatever variable we are recording.
Wearable devices are now becoming mainstream in clinical trial data collections. This provides us the ability to monitor subjects continuously and for longer and longer periods of time. With this ability comes large volumes of data, however the data that we receive cannot be cleaned in the usual sense. Mainly because of the volume, but also because of the veracity and velocity of the incoming data. One of the speakers at this year's "Big Data in Healthcare" conference commented that Medidata spent 2 weeks at the GSK human laboratory using the state of the art wearable and 24hour monitoring. As a result, the team gained more data in that time than their database had acquired from all the previous studies combined!. If we are receiving this level of information in a 'lab' in 2weeks, consider the data we can obtain from a 12month study.
Long term this will change the way we conduct larger Phase III and Phase IV clinical trials. The way we develop the hypotheses or objectives will become more sophisticated, however that is only if the regulatory agencies allow this new input. In much the same way adaptive clinical trial design is allowing more complexity and providing more insight, the acceptance of Big Data will change the face of clinical trials, likely very much for the better.


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South Africa
Africa & Middle East
|Date joined:
|20 June, 2013
Company Profile
The Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank) is a development finance institution whose mandate is to support, promote and facilitate the development and transformation of the agricultural sector. From its inception in 1912 until 1936, the bank provided mortgage loans to emerging and commercial white farmers. At the dawn of democracy, the democratic government promulgated the Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa Act (Act 15 of 2002) that was meant to address inclusive needs of the South African society in the agricultural sector.
The Bank is wholly owned by the South African government and is a key financial player in agriculture. It provides retail and wholesale finance to the nation's development and commercial farmers.
As a key agency of government in the agricultural sector, the bank contributes strategically to rural poverty reduction, sustainable economic performance and drives development and transformation in the agricultural sector.


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If you're a talented video producer with a tendency toward scathing, sarcastic attacks, this appears to be your year.
The 2012 presidential campaign has become a battlefield of mocking, rhetorical missiles, many of them delivered in the form of cheap, quickly produced videos posted to the Internet and publicized by the campaigns on Twitter and Facebook.
But do they go too far, risking a backlash even as they go viral?
President Obama's campaign and his Democratic allies are testing that thesis with a series of videos and TV ads that have made fun of Mitt Romney's off-key singing, his awkward lapses into corporate-speak and even his wife's beloved dancing Olympic horse.
That last one has already blown up in their faces.
In two videos produced by the Democratic National Committee, Mr. Romney's words were juxtaposed with images of Ann Romney's horse, Rafalca, performing the Olympic sport of dressage, or horse ballet, with a top-hatted man in the saddle.
"Do we really want a president who dances around the issues?" asks the video — which has been viewed 61,440 times.
Mr. Obama's supporters clearly thought the video was funny. Mrs. Romney apparently thought otherwise. And it turns out that mocking the very serious hobby of a candidate's wife — especially one who is extremely popular — is not a particularly good strategy.
The Democratic National Committee quickly apologized, saying that the "use of the Romneys' dressage horse was not meant to offend Mrs. Romney in any way, and we regret it if it did."
Perhaps the committee should have listened to Mr. Obama's own advice, delivered earlier this year after a Democratic strategist criticized Mrs. Romney as never having worked a day in her life. In a television interview soon after, Mr. Obama suggested staying away from spouses.
"I haven't met Mrs. Romney, but she seems like a very nice woman who is supportive of her family and supportive of her husband. I don't know if she necessarily volunteered for this job so, you know, we don't need to be directing comments at them," he said.
But if Democrats are backing away from the horse images, they are by no means abandoning the posting of biting videos to drive home their message.
In a video released by Mr. Obama this week, a handful of people can be seen reading a transcript of Mr. Romney's answer to questions about when he left Bain Capital, the private equity firm he founded two decades ago. The voters trip over his awkward phrasing, making the video seem more like a segment on "The Daily Show" than a campaign ad.
"He says 'entity' a lot," one person says, looking a bit confused.
Mr. Obama's campaign also produced a television ad shown in nine battleground states that shows Mr. Romney singing "America the Beautiful" — badly. The idea was to contrast the song with images of the Cayman Islands and Bermuda, where Mr. Romney reportedly kept money in offshore accounts.
Senior advisers to Mr. Obama said they believed the ad did not go too far. They said they were confident that voters would see it as a lighthearted way to make a point about Mr. Romney's finances.
The Romney campaign disagreed, and quickly issued a statement accusing Mr. Obama of making fun of a great American song. "It is sad and shameful that President Obama would mock 'America The Beautiful,'" the statement said.
The use of sarcastic videos is not limited to Mr. Obama's campaign. Mr. Romney and his Republican allies have produced their fair share of attacks intended to become sensations on the Internet.
One recent video by the Republican National Committee shows Jay Carney, Mr. Obama's press secretary, saying that the president has "a lot on his plate." The video then goes on to show that Mr. Obama has golfed 10 times and held 106 fund-raisers in the last six months, while his jobs council has not met once.
The video then shows a fancy-looking dinner plate with $100 bills and golf balls on it.
In another golf-themed video (lest people forget that Mr. Obama plays a lot of golf), the Republican National Committee shows a golfer repeatedly missing the final put, while showing headlines about Mr. Obama's economic policies.
This is not the first election to feature snarky videos. In 1988, video of Michael Dukakis wearing a helmet as he rode in a tank came to epitomize his awkwardness. And in 2004, an ad of John Kerry windsurfing was used by Republicans as a metaphor for his flip-flopping.
But it does seem as if a cadre of Democratic and Republican video producers have been busy for months creating a mountain of these attack videos, just waiting for the moment to unload them on the voters.
That moment seems to be now.


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A shower is available should you like after your massage. There is no cost, but we highly suggest you reserve our shower when you book your appointment to make sure it is available for you.
When you book 3 or more services in one day, we offer a 10% discount. Massage is a great way to round off a day of transformative self-care.
Please note: As we are primarily a float and cryotherapy center, we do only have one massage room and one massage therapist at any given time. We are not able to accommodate couples massages.


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Home > South Carolina B&Bs > Columbia Bed and Breakfast Inns
Columbia Bed and Breakfast Inns
Chesnut Cottage B&B
Columbia, SC
Songbird Manor
27 miles N Winnsboro, SC
Thee Matriarch Bed & Breakfast
38 miles SE Orangeburg, SC
Wingate Inn- Columbia SC
Columbia, SC
The 1425 Inn
Columbia, SC
Honeysuckle Acres Bed & Breakfast/Reception Salon
28 miles N Winnsboro, SC
The Inn at Claussen's
Columbia, SC
Inn at USC
Columbia, SC
| Amaryllis Inn Our records show that this inn is closed.
Columbia, SC
| Richland Street B&B Our records show that this inn is closed.
Columbia, SC
| Rose Hall Bed & Breakfast Our records show that this inn is closed.
Columbia, SC
| A Camden, SC Bed & Breakfast Our records show that this inn is closed.
36 miles NE Camden, SC
| Greenleaf Inn Our records show that this inn is closed.
36 miles NE Camden, SC
Bed and breakfast inns near Columbia
Bed and breakfast inns near Columbia
Columbia Bed and Breakfast InnsColumbia bed and breakfast travel guide for romantic, historic and adventure b&b's. Browse through the iLoveInns.com database of Columbia, South Carolina bed and breakfasts and country inns to find detailed listings that include room rates, special deals and area activities. You can click on the 'check rates and availability' button to contact the innkeeper.
The capital of the state of South Carolina and also the biggest city is Columbia. Columbia offers many recreational opportunities to its visitors with its amazing parks and many arts and leisure centers. In this town you can find Finlay Park which has been the venue for activities such as festivals and rallies of almost all types including road races and church services. Columbia is actually ranked as one of America's 25 best places to retire making it a great destination. Other parks of interest in Columbia are Memorial Park which is a 4-acre piece of land in between the river and Main Street, Granby Park where you can go canoeing and fishing in many spots located along the river banks. Also try one of the many Columbia bed and breakfast inns. By The 1425 Inn.
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Hair transplant surgery is a major cosmetic surgery procedure. It is now very common for both men and women to look at hair transplant surgery.
Hair transplant surgery – where to go?
There are many great hair transplant surgery clinics in the UK. The major cities in the United Kingdom seem to have a few to choose from but when you look into it very few are actually based in the city they claim. London seems to be the only exception seems to be London where there are many to choose from, if you are looking at other cities we have chosen a few to look at below;
https://hairtransplantmanchester.co.uk/ https://hairtransplantliverpool.co.uk/ https://www.kerrshairlossclinic.co.uk/
There is also a few in Belfast and again we have looked at https://evanshairlossclinic.com/ so if you do live outwith London and are looking at hair transplant surgery check out the hair transplant surgery clinics above.


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About Matre
Matre is a well renowned provider of products, systems and services for the global maritime and offshore industry, focusing on firefighting solutions.
Your People
Our pride and commitment lies in engaging ourselves in creating a safest possible environment for the employee during helideck operation, as well as work where the safety of the employee is at risk.
Our promise
Our commitment extends to understanding and being concerned with the safety of the individual and their immediate family. Through innovation, experience and knowledge within the market, we promise that we will continue our 60 years' engagement in product development keeping safety to the employee in first place.
Our History
By emphasizing quality and development since 1953, as well as following our strict program for testing guided by our ISO 9001 quality assurance system, we will continue working to secure our partners and clients expectations with a local affiliation.


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With social feeds saturated with rock-hard abs, sculpted butts and digitally-enhanced looks, there's no wonder why so many women feel discontent with their own natural beauty.
But body-positive blogger Kathleen Tyler wants to make change. After conquering her own eating disorder and learning to love herself wholly, she's using Instagram as a platform of encouragement.
Her profile is filled with realistic body shots, all kinds of tasty treats, cheerful selfies and incredibly powerful statements. Sharing a series of photos of herself from all angles, Kathleen told 15,000 followers: "Think of someone you know and love inside of your mind, and then allow your thoughts regarding them to flow freely throughout your brain.
"Now try to convince yourself to say some of the horrible things we say about our own bodies but make it about them.
"It's a miserable concept to even ponder because when you have had the chance to truly experience the beauties inside of another person's soul, physical traits no longer hold very much ground in your opinions of that person.
"But what I find most interesting about this concept, is that often times people don't realize that this phenomenon applies to how they view themselves as well. Once we really know ourselves, we begin to accept that we have worlds of beauty inside of us."
Since the post, Kathleen's following has increased to more than 26,000 people. But before embarking on her "journey of self discovery," she admits her past was filled with self loathing and self harm.
"I was the outer shell of a girl who had been hurt. I was my scars and the discolorations on my stomach. I was my stomach rolls and my thighs that touch," she wrote in a post.
"I now know that while these things are a part of my body they are not the only thing that makes me beautiful. So yes, I do have stretch marks, scars, and stomach rolls (which believe it or not also contribute to my beauty), I am so much more as well…
"I am my radiant smile. I am my heart that yearns to help others. I am my mind that never gave up even during the toughest of battles."
Tell us what you think by tweeting @YahooStyleCA!


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Author(s): Neil Perryman
Neil loves Sue. He also loves Doctor Who. But can he bring his two great loves together? And does he have the right? In January 2011, Neil Perryman set out on an insane quest to make his wife Sue watch every episode of the classic series of Doctor Who from the very beginning. Even the ones that didn't exist any more. And so, over the next two and half years, Sue gamely watched them all: William Hartnell (the Miserable Git); Patrick Troughton (the Scruffy Drunk); Jon Pertwee (the Pompous Tory); Tom Baker (the Mad One); Peter Davison (the Fit One); Colin Baker (the Court Jester); Sylvester McCoy (the Crafty Sod) and Paul McGann (the One-Night Stand). The result was a wildly successful and hilariously revealing blog called Adventures with the Wife in Space. But the adventure continues. From awkward years at school, terrified of giant insects, Daleks and rugby players, to even more awkward years as an adult, terrified of unexpected parenthood and being called a Whovian, here Neil tells the all too true story of life as a Doctor Who fan. Funny, honest and surprisingly brave, he also captures perfectly the joys - and fears - of sharing the thing you love with the people you love. Adventures With the Wife in Space is, at its heart, the story of Doctor Who, and its fans, seen through the eyes of two people - one who knows almost nothing about the programme and another who knows way too much.
'This is a very, very funny book; touching too.' Jenny Colgan
All Doctor Who fans and their spouses should buy this book. It will save them years of expensive therapy. -- Matthew Sweet Affectionate, accurate and funny - you will want to be their friend. -- Toby Hadoke, creator of Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf Hysterically funny and also surprisingly moving, it's a definitive celebration of how fantastic Doctor Who is, even when it's a bit rubbish. -- Joseph Lidster, writer of Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures Neil Perryman's book is simply a delight - the genuinely funny and rather moving memoir of much more than an obsession. Anyone who has been a child, or tried to make a relationship work, or been embarrassed by a personal passion will find much to love. And if you know what a zeus plug is, or how to reverse its polarity, then you'll be happy, too. -- A L Kennedy
Neil Perryman fell in love with Doctor Who when he was 3 years old and 40 years later, he still can't stop thinking about it. Neil has also been responsible for a number of popular websites over the last 10 years, including 'Adventures with the Wife in Space', 'Tachyon TV' and 'Behind the Sofa' (which is still listed under the Guardian's TV & Radio blog's "Site We Like", even though it hasn't been updated for two and a half years).