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Maria Chambers is a member of Firefly who has volunteered at the two projects Firefly supports, Project Hope in Palestine and Svitac in Bosnia. She and another volunteer, Jemma, describe the importance of international volunteers to these locally-led organizationsRead more
Photo Project with Teen Drop-Outs
While volunteering as a photography instructor with teen drop-outs, Valerian Mazataud discovered that teaching at Project Hope was not a one way process but rather an exchange, a unique way to better understand Palestine and a rare way to evolve in his photographic practice. (French and English versions posted.)Read more
Tawfiq Abdalrahim, from Nablus, talks about his experience joining Project Hope first as a volunteer in 2008, then working as an employee on several projects in computer technology and then what Project Hope does for his community.Read more
One of two Sydney ESL teachers who traveled to Nablus to volunteer with Project Hope in October 2013 writes about her experiences teaching English, and particularly the challenges of working in Balata Refugee Camp.Read more
Sport in Nablus – Sport à Naplouse
Tangui Léziart blogs about his excellent experience volunteering teaching sport in Palestine with Project Hope at 19.Read more
Adorable Kids
In the Spring we featured a blog by American volunteer Alycia Kravitz reflecting on her experience teaching. Here is a gallery of some of the adorable kids she taught!Read more
Fast Times in Palestine
Pam Olson has no intentions to travel to Palestine in 2003 – it seemed complicated and dangerous. After meeting two Project Hope volunteers in Jordan, she traveled to the West Bank and volunteered as an English teacher in Palestinian town of Jayyous. This began a rich life experience that would include working as a foreign press coordinator for a Palestinian presidential candidate and writing the book Fast Times in Palestine.Read more
Retired and Volunteering with Project Hope
Abe Qutub talks about the rewards he experienced volunteering with Project Hope several times after his retirement.Read more
An Eye-Opening Experience
Beau talks about his eye-opening experience as a volunteer teacher with Project Hope in Palestine.Read more
A Beautiful and Welcoming Place to Volunteer
I volunteered with Project Hope in April of this year for one month and it turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in my life.Read more


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The ETS Achievement Recognition Award is given annually to recognize excellence in service to ETS. The recipient must have made either (1) sustained contributions toward attaining the goals of ETS, or (2) a single, significant contribution that has resulted in a positive impact upon the work of the section.
To nominate someone, please use this nomination form to send the nominee's name, contact information, and brief statement of why the nominee has met either of the above criteria to the award committee chair.
Anyone who wishes to nominate an ETS Section member for the award should do so by December 9, 2016.
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Recent Recipients
2016 – Beth Boatright, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
2015 – Debbie Bezanson, George Washington University
2014 – Anne Houston, University of Virginia
2013 – Nancy A. Cunningham, University of South Florida
2012 – Carolyn S. Larson
2011 – Linda Keiter

subset: commoncrawl


text:
In the Olympic stadiums of Moscow and Los Angeles you thought you had seen the last word in the lapsed genius of British middle-distance running.
In the Olympic stadiums of Moscow and Los Angeles you thought you had seen the last word in the lapsed genius of British middle-distance running.
You saw Steve Ovett and Seb Coe fighting their greatest battles in Moscow in '80 and sharing the spoils and then, in a hot and muggy Los Angeles there was Coe putting his mark on history, winning his second gold for 1500 metres and, in the moment of victory, turning to mock his critics in the stands.
Nothing could supplant the authority and the brilliance of that run. Jim Murray, an ageing maestro of American sports writing, said it was like taking some elixir of youth. He said that Coe was the young, haunting Lord Byron of the track.
So how could you beat that? Only by doing what Kelly Holmes did here on Saturday night. Only by running into the historic company of just four other athletes: Albert Hill of Great Britain in Antwerp in 1920, Peter Snell in Tokyo in 1964, the Russian Tatyana Kazankina in Montreal in 1976 and her compatriot Svetlana Masterkova in Atlanta eight years ago.
Only by producing the astonishing powers of recovery to win the 800m and the classic 1500m within the space of five days.
Hill's chances of doing it were considered utterly remote, almost as far-fetched as Holmes' when she stunned her team-mates by saying, at the age of 34, she would take on the challenge just a few days before the entry list for last Monday's shorter race was closed.
Hill was considered far too ancient to have a serious chance of winning either of the races at the age of 31, which of course was three years less than the age Holmes carried into the supreme moments of her long and often haunted athletic career this last week. But the First World War veteran spreadeagled the field in both races. The Russians Kazankina and Masterkova were dominant mistresses of the track. The Kiwi Snell was considered arguably the greatest middle-distance talent of all time.
So how did the perennial nearly girl smash her way into such company? How did she turn the past scrapings of bronze and silver into one of the most glittering triumphs in the history of the track?
Yesterday she gave us a great hotchpotch of explanation. There was the kissing of dog-tags. A clutter of other superstitions. A breathless phone call to a former coach to report dazzling lap times in training in Cyprus. The one she didn't offer was a breath-taking commitment, against heavy odds, to redeem a career wrecked by injury and the pain of going so close, but finishing so far, from the ultimate glory.
Holmes, of all athletes after her long and frustrating years in the sport, knows that no such eruption of extraordinary performances can be traced across a clear-blue and suspicion-free sky.
Once, in the pique of defeat, she was immersed in controversy when she declared - and then later retracted the implications - that at least her performance, win or lose, was "clean". But that for everyone in track and field is the price of competing in waters that have long been muddied. Holmes also knows that all you can do is perform to your outer limits - and let the praise and the acceptance settle where they may.
Here in the Olympic stadium her undying legacy was proclaimed in a performance of authority and timing that was simply stunning. No one, not Snell nor Hill, nor Masterkova nor Kazankina took hold of a race any more masterfully than Holmes did on Saturday night.
First she toyed with the field, then she destroyed it. She ran wide and at the rear. Whatever the Russians, Tatyana Tomashova, Natalya Yevdokimova and Olga Yegorova did, Holmes suggested she had an answer. It was as though they were attached by string to the mistress of the marionettes, the runner who for so long had operated under the shadow of injury and sometimes athletic despair. And then, when we came to the decisive phase of the last final straight, there was only one runner on the track, eating up the ground, dismissing the idea of a challenge.
Tomashova and the Romanian Maria Cioncan offered what passed for resistance but it was swept away easily enough.
When Holmes won her first gold early in the week her reaction was one of the abiding images of the Games: a look of surprise and delight that could only been matched by a five-year-old operating from a jumble of wrappings beneath a Christmas tree.
Now, the expression showed a subtle change: now it was the face of a winner - one of the greatest in the history of the track. Suddenly, Seb Coe and Los Angeles seemed a very long time ago.
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Lincolnshire Council's consultation gets into further hot water … and has national implications
Lincolnshire Council appear to be producing a masterclass in how not to introduce cuts to a library service. First, they announced a raft of closures as close as possible as they could away with to minimum provision while presenting no options other than closure or unpaid labour. Then the consultation itself appears somewhat skewed and has been called "a complete joke" by campaigners and five famous authors. Then some consultations for the libraries were arranged in places more than ten miles away from the threatened libraries themselves … and now we have the news that the "consultation" meetings themselves are little more than sessions being held on how users can volunteer in their libraries, complete with a facilitator from the University of Sheffield to help them to do it. Why this matters is that there is a legal requirement for a genuine consultation before changes are made to a library service. Even the supine Ed Vaizey repeatedly has mentioned the need for one as a sign that a council is complying with legislation. Given what has been seen so far, Lincolnshire are sailing especially close to the wind in meeting it.
On the other hand, a councillor has appeared on ITV to say he can foresee the possibility of more "libraries" at the end of the process than at the beginning, due to the semi-forced use of volunteers, while saving £2 million for the Council. If the consultation stands and the cuts go through, that's the sort of result that other councils will take notice of, much to the detriment of public libraries nationwide. Whether they get away with it or are called in for judicial review remains to be seen. It's the sort of thing that in another era would have had the attention of the Libraries Minister but the current one, Ed Vaizey, will doubtless continue his policy of inaction, seeing how things play out on the ground and leaving it to cash-strapped locals to do what he has consistently not done himself. It's worth noting that some CILIP members are not entirely happy with Ed for his past record on the subject and have set up a website to encourage a vote of no confidence in him at that organisation's AGM. Of course, he may not listen to them as well but there comes a time when one has to make a stand on something … and the terminal decline of the local public library presided over by uninterested politicians seems to be as good a place as any to start.
- Barnsley – 6 libraries to be run by non-council groups or changed to other purposes (still counted as under threat as may no longer be libraries), 10 libraries to have reduction in hours, 2 to have increase.
- Cambridgeshire – Cherry Hinton Library has community room added to it (£14k) in joint county/city council venture.
- Salford – Leisure, Libraries and Culture merged into Salford Community Leisure Ltd in 2010.
- Worcestershire – Bewdley Library may move into new health centre/pharmacy building.
- Stoke on Trent – Geocaches hidden at libraries.
- Birmingham's new library; Naturally 7; killer whale film Blackfish – Radio 4 / Front Row (around 10 minutes in, after item on killer whale). Conversation with director of library and Jonathan Coe (writer of Rotters Club), Includes a Victorian library room physically transported from old building plus cafe and archive. Will become biggest library in Europe with a forecast "with a fair degree of confidence" of 10,000 visits per day. Budget almost entirely paid for by council. ery positive review.
- 'Frictionless' ebook lending from public libraries – Shelf Free. Ken Chad looks at proposals for e-lending and looks at what the terms mean/imply inc. patron driven acquisition, national service and payment to publishers/authors.
- How to avoid crazy people in the library – Brooklyst (USA). Handy tips: like stay out of the toilets.
- Is that gross breadsticks or net breadsticks? – Question Everything. "The great line of Cicero that politicians are not born, they are excreted was surely meant for Ed and his conduct over libraries. I take my hat off to Jo Richardson and Tom Roper for putting forward the no confidence vote in Vaizey, they have stepped up and shown great courage and integrity in putting this motion and I hope all their colleagues can back them to the hilt, it would be very wrong to lobby on the side of Vaizey"
- "Library dystopian" type- blogs – Genebrarian's outreach (New Zealand). Argues that it is lack of funding in UK etc, not change, that is causing decline in UK usage and in other areas and that councils are then using this vicious cycle to close libraries.
- National Library of Wales fire: Company working on roof in liquidation – BBC. "The company which unintentionally started a £5m blaze at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, has gone into liquidation." Due to £4m bill being given them by the Library – company says that NLW should have insured themselves. Library now discussing monies with liquidators.
- Nobel laureate Suu Kyi launches Myanmar's first mobile library – Hindu Business Line (Myanmar). "Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi launched Myanmar's first mobile library Saturday to highlight her policy of spreading education in the country. "Now, it's only a bus with a room, but if our people use it correctly it may be great benefit for our country," Suu Kyi said "
Local news
- Barnsley – Council 'will not close any libraries' – Barnsley Chronicle. "Barnsley Council says it is not intending to close any libraries following a consultation on making the service more efficient. However, the council stresses it faces 'difficult' savings targets and will have to regularly review services." but "Neighbourhood libraries in Darfield, Dodworth, Grimethorpe, Monk Bretton, Thurnscoe and Worsbrough would be 'more likely to be run by partner organisations or developed into different bodies with local people.'", 10 libraries to have hours cut, 2 increased.
- Bradford – MP Philip Davies visits reprieved Wilsden library – Telegraph and Argus. "The joy of books and reading is alive and well in Wilsden where the community library run by volunteers is thriving 15 months after surviving the threat of closure. And Shipley MP Philip Davies showed his continuing support for keeping libraries in his constituency by visiting it."
- Bristol – Petition: Retain Bristol Central Library – Bristol Council. "We, the undersigned, call on Bristol City Council to register our concern and opposition to the proposed conversion of two lower ground floors (not open to the public and currently used for reserve stock / offices) to accommodate a new primary school. Furthermore, we wish to record our disappointment that the Council has chosen to simply ignore the positive recommendations made over six years ago by the Libraries Select Committee, which specifically called upon the Council to recognise the unique role of Bristol's Central Library". 190 signatures so far.
- Bristol – Will we ruin library for sake of 30 private school places? – Post. Council plans to move Cathedral School into Bristol Central Library criticised for being inconsistent with the actuality – space is well used by library and takeover by private school will have detrimental impact on users. Council claims examined, and demolished, in detail.
- Cambridgeshire – Community room to open at library – Cambridge News. "The Cherry Hinton branch will be shut between Monday and Thursday to allow for the creation of a new community room which will allow for more events and events to be hosted. It is hoped community groups will use the space for their meetings. The project is costing £14,000, with the bill being shared between Cambridge City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council."
- Camden – Award-winning novelist Zadie Smith defends Camden's libraries at Swiss Cottage talk – Ham and High. "Ms Smith read a short passage from NW – which explores the lives of four friends in north-west London – to a captive audience at Swiss Cottage Library before opening up about her school years at Hampstead School, Cricklewood, life in the US, and her love of libraries."
"When you have money, you don't realise the importance of places where you don't have to buy anything," she said. "Apart from churches and mosques, there is nowhere else to go." Zadie Smith
- Doncaster – Legal Challenge to Doncaster Mayor's Decision to Reduce Library Funding wins Permission to Appeal – Public Interest Lawyers. "In a hearing in London today, the Court of Appeal granted Doncaster resident Carol Buck the right to appeal a High Court judgment of August 2012 in a case seeking to prevent the Mayor of Doncaster from going ahead with swingeing cuts to library services in the area. The decision means that a full appeal hearing will now take place in the Court of Appeal before June this year. "
"I am very pleased that we have been given permission to appeal by the Court of Appeal. I am only sad that the Mayor has ignored local protests and failed to resource the libraries in the way the Council intended." Carol Buck
"The democratic mandate of the Mayor does not extend to trampling the democratic mandate of the full Council when it has specifically provided for the funding of highly valued services such as Doncaster's libraries" Public Interest Lawyers
- Hertfordshire – Time capsule marks community milestone – Hertfordshire Council. Borehamwood: "The new multi-purpose building, which is due to open in the autumn, will showcase a library, youth services area, museum and community rooms and contribute to the regeneration of the Elstree Way corridor area of Borehamwood. The project is a partnership between Hertfordshire County Council, Hertsmere Borough Council, Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council and All Saints Church which is next door to the new development."
- Lincolnshire – Protestors wanted public hanging claim – Guardian series. "A consultation held in Spalding to discuss the future of the district's library service turned into a "public hanging". Protestors waved 'Save Deepings Library' banners outside and continued to disrupt the start of the meeting, with claims the document outlining criteria used to identify libraries threatened with closure is "littered with inaccuracies". They said the 2001 census used to identify libraries under threat did not reflect growth in the area – and the meeting was nothing more than a seminar to discuss how they could volunteer to run their facilities."
- Lincolnshire – Consultation into library closures to be held in Skegness – Skegness Standard. "Campaigners have urged residents to attend the meeting and oppose the changes as if it was 'the closure of their cottage hospital'." … "Mr Hussey and five of the UK's best selling authors -Ian Rankin, Michael Morpurgo, Neil Gaiman, the children's laureate Mallory Black and Val McDermid- have lent their support to the Save Lincolnshire Libraries campaign, branding the process a 'complete joke'."
- Lincolnshire – Row over library closures – ITV. 2 minutes video. Protestors not happy. Councillor says 21 out of 30 threatened libraries have interest in working unpaid to keep them open and thinks there may be more libraries at the end of the process than at the beginning with £2 million saved for the council.
- Rochdale – Libraries are spared axe: but they must offer more – Manchester Evening News. "Rochdale council bosses are expected to back a 'no-closure' policy next week, pledging none of the borough's 17 branches will be shut down. But libraries will be expected to widen the range of services they offer and become 'integrated community hubs'." … "while the number of people using libraries had 'increased significantly' since 2008, those going to borrow books had 'fallen significantly'. The surge in numbers is down to people using libraries to access the internet, get advice and take part in activities."
"local libraries have became the face of the council in many areas and it needs to reflect that in the types of services it offers."
- Sheffield – Steve Ayris loves Ikea: hates libraries – Star / Letter. " I do not think any of us need lectures from Steve Ayris overbusiness sense or libraries. This is the same Steve Ayris who tried to close Hillsborough Library in 2010 and then seemed hurt when we in Hillsborough got rid of him in 2011. This is the same Lib Dem Steve Aryis who failed to get elected in 2012 whilst standing for Beauchief and Greenhill as the voters deserted him and his Dodo party. It would now appear that Steve Ayris is trying to get his claws into Graves Park."
- Stoke on Trent – Trentham Library – Geocaching. "A geocache hidden at Trentham Library, Stoke-on-Trent. We hope you enjoy finding our cache and seeing what Stoke-on-Trent Libraries have to offer! You don't need the library to be open when you come to find this cache. The geocache is small clip box with a log book and a few items to swap inside. To find out more about Stoke-on-Trent Libraries you can visit our website at www.stoke.gov.uk/libraries"
- Wolverhampton – Work to start soon on new Wolverhampton library hubs – Express and Star. Community centres and libraries to merge, "Seven hubs are being introduced in Wolverhampton in the first phase of the scheme, which it was first envisaged would cost £3.3 million. But costs have since swollen to £4.1m after chiefs identified extra repairs were needed. The move will save £1m a year in utilities bills for buildings which have since closed and in staff costs."
"When plans were first unveiled they sparked controversy from critics who said they would 'rip the hearts out of communities' as library buildings closed. Council chiefs however said the project provided a guarantee no library services would be lost across the city, in stark contrast to other councils across the country."
- Worcestershire – Find out about plans for Broadway Library – Cotswold Journal. "People can drop in any time to view the feedback results and discuss future plans with officers and anybody who is prepared to volunteer in the library are welcome. The option to set up a constituted Charitable Community Group to take on the running of the library building and for volunteers to support staff in the library is the County Council, Parish Council and Local Member's preferred option. Worcestershire County Councillor for Broadway, Liz Eyre, is encouraging as many people to come along as possible and hear how the library service in Broadway can be maintained and developed in the future. There are no plans to close Broadway Library, but the council needs to find a solution to reduce costs."
- Worcestershire – Bewdley Library could be moved to health centre – Kidderminster Shuttle. "library could be moved into the town's proposed health centre and pharmacy development. Worcestershire County Council will launch a 12-week public consultation on the proposal, which would see the library, currently based in Load Street, become part of Bewdley Medical Centre's planned move to the Dog Lane carpark site."
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Bury Council ( Lancs) took the decision last Summer to reduce the floor space of our Central Library by more than half to allow for a brand new Sculpture Centre to move in. The number of service users for this Central Library is 25,869 and in indeed very central to the borough, near the bus and metrolink stations. Two thirds of the books have gone and you could not swing a cat in the cramped reading area. People are very angry at what's happened.
The option to reduce the floor space of the Central Library was never mentioned as an option in the Library Review consultation questionnaire but £75,000 of tax payers money was quickly approved by the (Labour) Council to refurbish the vacant floor space for a would-be Sculpture Centre.
Over 2500 residents and library users signed the "Save Bury Library" petition against the plan, but whilst being " listened to", the Council would not be persuaded of the errors of their ways.
A Reinstated Bury Central Library committee is now studying positive developments in Lincolnshire.
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Find library changes and recent news near you
From 1st January 2017, 25 libraries are under threat (11 in Bury, 4 in Liverpool, 10 in Plymouth).
109 libraries and 7 mobile libraries under threat since 1st April 2016 (Birmingham, Derby, Dorset, East Riding of Yorkshire, Gateshead, Greenwich, Gwynedd, Herefordshire, North Lanarkshire, Lancashire, Moray, North Somerset, Plymouth, Powys, Redcar & Cleveland, Torfaen, Walsall, Warrington).
Since 1st April 2015 to end of March 2016: CIPFA reported 121 libraries closed, bringing the total to 3850 libraries.
(April 1st 2015 to end of March 2016) 211 static and 39 mobile libraries (Aberdeen, Bracknell Forest, Bradford, Brighton & Hove, Cambridgeshire, Central Bedfordshire, Ceredigion, Croydon, Darlington, Dorset, Enfield, Falkirk, Fife, Greenwich, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, Kirklees, Lambeth, Lancashire, Lewisham, Neath Port Talbot, Norfolk, Nottingham, Orkney, Oxfordshire, Pembrokeshire, Reading, Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Ayrshire, South Gloucestershire, South Lanarkshire, Staffordshire, Stockton, Swindon, Telford & Wrekin, Walsall, West Berkshire and Wiltshire) have been put under threat
In financial year 2014/15, there was a decline of 106 public libraries, (with 260 static libraries were put under threat of closure/passing to volunteers. 9 mobile libraries under threat in the same period). .
There are currently 3850 libraries in the UK (CIPFA figures for 2015/16). There were 4023 in 2013/14, 4482 in 2009/10 and 4622 in 2003/4.
The complete list is on "Tally by Local Authority" page as are other changes to budgets such as cuts to hours, bookfund and staffing. CIpfa have calculated that 121 service points lost in 2015/16, 106 service points were lost in 2014/15, 49 were lost in 2013/14, 74 were lost in 2012/13, 201 in 2011/12, 33 in 2010/11.
For a list of new and refurbished buildings see this page,
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- Minutes of the Library Campaign Conference 22/10/11
- Old-fashioned libraries are what we need? Thoughts on the Battle of Ideas public libraries debate, 19th October 2014
- Speak Up For Libraries Conference 23rd November 2013
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- Consultations
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- General Election 2015 and Public Libraries: statements from Conservatives, Greens, Labour and Lib Dems on libraries
- Legal
- Meetings
- Options
- A glimpse of Tokyo library life, by Sue Charteris
- Efficiencies
- 29 examples of public libraries working together
- Efficiencies: Back Office / Front Office
- Efficiencies: Co-location
- Efficiencies: Other
- Efficiencies: Self Service
- Increasing income
- Privatized Libraries / Outsourcing library services
- Trusts
- Volunteer-run libraries
- 2010-2014: From Community Library to Community-run library: a look at the impact of volunteers
- Cons: reasons against volunteer "community libraries"
- Council assistance for volunteers
- Further reading
- International
- Practicalities
- Pros: reasons for volunteer "community libraries"
- Practitioners
- 3D Printers and Maker Spaces in Libraries
- Careers
- E-Books in public libraries
- Ideas and innovations in public libraries
- Library management systems
- New Libraries
- Practitioners: What senior managers think 27/3/12
- Promotional techniques and Marketing
- Customer service: welcome the complaints and damn well enjoy yourself
- Dogs in public libraries
- Fun Palaces in Public Libraries: What, How and Why … the case study of Lambeth
- Geocaching and public libraries
- Lego in libraries
- Minecraft in public libraries
- Public libraries and social media: as local and as useful as your fingers
- Stock management – A complete beginners guide
- Welcome emails
- Thema: Graham Bell describes Thema, the new subject classification for the global book industry
- Useful
- Users
- A little less conversation: Nick Poole from CILIP writes about the problems with public libraries and action needed
- Glossary of common library terms
- Nick Poole on what can we learn from the past to inform the future of public libraries
- Transcript of Michael Rosen's "Our Libraries: The Next Chapter" on Radio Four
- Trends in libraries: BBC "The Library Returns" May 2012
- Websites for library users
- What do public library staff do?
- Why libraries?
- A vision for public libraries
- Further reading
- Myth busting
- Reasons for libraries: Educational
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House Speaker John Boehner said he is "nudging" former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to run for president and he wants to take up immigration reform legislation in small pieces, starting first with border security.I took that picture about 6:45 AM the other day at my local Kroger. I drew the arrows because some people looking at that picture wouldn't otherwise understand that there was something very wrong there.
Boehner made the remarks at the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce during a question-and-answer session with the editor of Texas Tribune.
Boehner, when asked whether the House would take up immigration reform this year, said it would depend on whether he can "bring my members along," and he acknowledged that one group of GOP lawmakers has no interest in taking up the issue during an election year.
"There are some members of my party that just do not want to deal with this," Boehner said. "It's no secret. But I do believe the vast majority of members of our party do want to deal with this, and they want to deal with this honestly, openly and fairly."
Question: What kind of person won't roll their shopping cart a few extra feet so that other people have a place to park?
Answer: people who don't care about anybody but themselves. The kind of people who let the government pay for what they carried out of Kroger in those shopping carts. They're the kind of people who leave their trash on the public park picnic tables. They're the kind of people who expect somebody else to clean up after them, to do their work for them. These people have no sense of responsibility. They have no character. They don't belong in civilized society, because for them civility is a one-way ticket. It's never given, only received.
In case you were wondering who these people are, they're the ones who voted for Barack Obama twice. They're the ones with too many kids and not enough job. They're the ones who took out a student loan, borrowed enough to pay for a house, and then majored in Woman's or African-American studies. They're the ones who went to Chick-Fil-A for the free water. F**k these scumbags! And F**k You Speaker John M.F. Boehner. How I despise them. How I wish they'd finally get what's coming to them. They're ticks sucking the last drops of blood from America's veins, and when it's all over they'll be the neon-blue-green flies laying their maggot eggs in her rotting corpse.
One hundred and fifty years ago we had a war over the question of slavery. The question was answered by the winners of that war and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was their answer:
Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.Today, some working Americans will spend half-a-year or longer laboring in involuntary servitude, so that the rest of the year they'll be able to pay their mortgage, insurance, utilities, and put food on the table. Oh, but they say taxes are not involuntary servitude because if we wanted to, we could quit our jobs and join the other 47% of working age Americans happily living off of the fruits of all that
Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.[1]


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The three-time Ballon d'Or winner is considered the finest dribbler in the game today but he has turned over possession 279 times so far this season
The Argentina international is considered the finest dribbler in the game today but has conceded possession 279 times so far this season.
Second and third place on the list are occupied by Espanyol duo Didac Vila (251) and Joan Verdu (241).
However, Messi's importance to Barca is underlined by the fact that the Catalans have won 89 per cent of the games in which he has scored.
The champions have won just 52% of the matches in which the Argentine, who has had more shots on goal than any other player, has failed to net.
Messi has scored 141 goals in 197 Liga games for Barca since making his debut back in 2004.


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• The report provides market analysis, information and insights into the UK pension insurance business.
• Provides a snapshot of the market's size and segmentation.
• It analyzes drivers and the outlook for the market.
• It provides information on distribution channels for pension products in the UK.
• Deals, news and regulatory developments.
• Detailed analysis of competitive landscape and pension scheme types.
Browse complete report with TOC: http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis-details/pension-insurance-in-the-uk-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2017
Executive summary
The defined contribution (DC) pensions market recorded a growth of 9.0% in terms of new business premiums in 2010, expanding at 5.6% and 7.7% respectively during 2011 and 2012. The growth was attributed to the declining membership of private-sector occupational defined benefit (DB) schemes, improving stock market returns and labor market conditions, as well as a rise in the minimum pension age and the state pension age (SPA).
New business premiums paid into individual and workplace pension DC schemes declined by 11.7% in 2008, dropping further by 17.9% in 2009. The recession severely damaged the ability of individuals to save for retirement. Employers were further discouraged to make contributions on behalf of their employees as they recorded a contraction in their finances. High charges eroding the value of pension pots and low annuity rates continued to serve as disincentives to save into a pension. The DC pensions market remained resilient, however, posting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.45% during the review period (2008 and 2012).
The market faced opposing dynamics as individual personal pensions new business declined at a CAGR of 6.1% between 2008 and 2012, whereas new business premiums paid into workplace DC pensions schemes grew at a CAGR of 7.7% over the same period. The growth in workplace pensions was attributed to the increased popularity of group personal (or contract-based) pensions (GPPs), far less onerous to run than occupational (trust-based) schemes.
To Download Sample Report Visit: http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/191265
• This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the UK pensions market.
• It provides historical values for the UK pensions market for the report's 2008–2012 review period and forecast figures for the 2013–2017 forecast period.
• It offers estimates of new business premiums paid into individual and workplace pension defined contribution (DC) schemes.
• It analyses the key features of individual and workplace pensions.
• It provides an overview of market dynamics and market drivers.
• It discusses various distribution channels for pension products in the UK.
• It profiles top pension providers in the UK and outlines the key regulatory changes affecting them.
Reasons to buy
• Gain an understanding of the UK pensions market size.
• Explore the market dynamics across individual and workplace pension categories.
• Learn about the performance of market drivers and distribution channels.
• Understand the competitive landscape and key pensions propositions.
• Find out more about key deals and recent developments in the market.
To Buy the Copy of this Report Visit: http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/191265
Key highlights
• Pensions market shows signs of recovery despite continued economic uncertainty.
• The market is set for growth as auto-enrolment rolls out to include smaller employers.
• Advisers are best placed to support SMEs through auto-enrolment.
• Pension providers may face an auto-enrolment capacity crunch.
• Premium growth is expected to settle at 2.5% by 2017.
Table of contents
1 Executive Summary
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
2 Introduction
2.1 What is this Report About?
2.2 Definitions
2.3 Methodology
2.4 Market Size
2.4.1 Individual personal pensions (IPPs), new business premiums
2.4.2 Workplace pensions, new business premiums
2.5 Membership of Personal Pension Schemes
2.6 Active Members of Occupational Pension Schemes
2.6.1 Active membership of occupational pension schemes, by sector and benefit structure
2.6.2 Active membership of occupational pension schemes, by status and benefit structure
2.7 Workplace Pension Scheme Membership
2.7.1 Employees with DB and DC workplace pensions, by size of employer
2.7.2 Employee membership of a workplace pension, by contracted out status
2.8 Contribution Rates in Private Sector Occupational DB and DC Schemes
2.9 Market Drivers
2.10 Market Outlook
2.11 Distribution Channels
3 Competitive Landscape
3.1 Best Performers of 2012
3.2 Pension Insurance – SWOT Analysis
4 Porter's Five Forces Analysis
4.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers: High
4.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers: Medium to High
4.3 Barriers to Entry: Medium
4.4 Intensity of Rivalry: High
4.5 Threat of Substitutes: Medium
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Published by Random House on September 8, 2015
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 288
Format: ARC
Source: Bought
Buy on Amazon
"A literary knockout with the loudest of beating hearts."
John Corey Whaley, Printz Award winner of Where Things Come Back
Olivia has spent her whole life struggling to escape her dead mother's shadow. But when her father can't even look at her because Olivia reminds him of her mother, and her grandmother mistakenly calls her "Lillian," shaking a reputation she didn't ask for is next to impossible. Olivia is used to leaning on her best friend, Jamie; her handsome but hot-tempered boyfriend, Max; and their wild-child friend, Maggie, for the reality check that her small Louisiana town can't provide. But when a terrible fight between Jamie and his father turns deadly, all Olivia can think to do is grab her friends and run.
In a flash, Olivia, Jamie, Max, and Maggie become fugitives on the back roads of Louisiana. They're headed to New Orleans, where they hope to find a solution to an unfixable problem. But with their faces displayed on all the news stations, their journey becomes a harrowing game of hide-and-seek from the police—and so-called allies, who just might be the real enemy.
Shalanda Stanley's breathtaking debut novel explores the deep ties between legacy, loyalty, and love, even as it asks the question: How far would you go to save a friend?
This is one of those books that's really hard to review. It's not that I didn't like it or that I loved it, it's just kinda right there in the middle. Drowning is Inevitable is definitely a strong debut but it's one of those books that will appeal to some people but not at all to others.
Shalanda Stanley's writing is beyond stunning. She's one of those authors that could write a phone book and make it captivating. I wish I still had my ARC of the book so I could share some quotes but just take my word for this. Her style of writing is extremely lush and descriptive. It's perfect for the setting of a small-town in the south and New Orleans.
Olivia is a hard character to like. She's spent her whole life in the shadow of her dead mom and she's come to accept that she is not her own person. It takes some extremely drastic measures for her to finally realize that she is an individual who makes choices of her own and has a life ahead of her that is all her own. Even after she starts living her own life, she doesn't make the best decisions. She's completely loyal, though. I will give her that. She loves Jamie with all her heart and can't, even for a second, see that there might be something bad in him. Personally, I couldn't see the bad in him either. He made a bad decision that affected him, his family, and his friends, but he did it out of love and terror. As for Max and Maggie, I didn't have many feelings for them, one way or the other. Max was not the smartest guy out there and he was extremely jealous of how close Olivia was with Jamie. That doesn't mean he wasn't willing to do whatever it took to see Olivia and Jamie safe.
The story is a lot more slow moving than I expected from the synopsis and the start of the book. Things take off early but from there they fizzled out a bit. Jamie, Olivia, Max, and Maggie go on the run and things only get worse for them from there. They don't know who they can trust and they don't always trust the right people. Family means nothing to these kids' actual families. They are more family to each other than any of their parents. They were pretty much on their own and they did whatever they had to do to protect one another.
As much as I could see things coming, I couldn't stop reading. This book is very much like a train wreck. You know it can't end happily but you just can't look away. Even though they may have been in less trouble if they'd turned themselves in early, you know they can't completely get away with what they've done. They either take their chances on the run (which they do) or they take their chances with the law. It was a lose-lose situation from the start.
While the story really does center on these 4 teens while they are on the run, it's also a story about Olivia and her mom. Her mom committed suicide shortly after she gave birth to Olivia and that death defined the beginning of Olivia's life. Her dad couldn't stand to look at her because of the similarities to her mom and her grandmother only saw the similarities between Olivia and her mom. Then there was the fact that everyone in town expected her to follow in her mom's footsteps. Olivia's life wasn't her own for most of the book and it took this crazy trip for her to finally start to see that maybe she could make her own decisions and her own mistakes.
Overall, Drowning Is Inevitable is a stunning debut novel that will take readers by surprise. It's a story full of layers that continued to take me by surprise.
What others are saying about Drowning Is Inevitable:
Emily Reads Everything's review: "This book was both heartwarming and heartbreaking."
The Book Hookup's review: "Drowning is Inevitable perfectly captured life in all its complicated glory."


text: State Dept. Official Tells 'Morning Joe' She Won't 'Take A Mulligan' On ISIL (VIDEO) February 18, 2015, 10:30 AM EST State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Wednesday that she was standing by her argument that the U.S. can't just "kill its way out" of war with the Islamic State terror group without also tackling economic disparities in the Middle East. Read More →


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Andrew Cuomo Throws Haymaker at Bankers, Ducks Paterson Jab
State attorney general Andrew Cuomo this morning reached to take the first post-TARP scalp, accusing former Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis of pulling a massive fraud on both taxpayers and shareholders.
"Egregious and reprehensible" were two of the kinder words Cuomo used in unveiling a civil lawsuit under the state's Martin Act -- the wide-ranging law that gives the AG power to probe financial crimes.
It's the first charges brought against any of the major players involved in the massive 2008 federal banking bailout -- a move that is sure to play well before political audiences everywhere other than Wall Street.
With federal TARP watchdog Neil Barofsky at his side during a morning telephone presser, Cuomo charged that Lewis and former CFO Joseph Price concealed massive losses at Merrill Lynch in December, 2008 in order to accommodate the B of A merger with the ailing investment firm.
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According to Cuomo's tick-tock of the alleged scheme, Lewis and Price first hid "disastrous actual losses" by Merrill Lynch of $16 billion in order to gull shareholders into approving the deal. They then doubled back and "threatened" federal officials that they could go belly up ala Lehman Brothers if they didn't receive emergency federal aid. "As a result of their efforts, Bank of America received $20 billion in taxpayer aid," charged Cuomo.
Lewis called the lawsuit "badly misguided."
Asked why it's a civil, not a criminal case, deputy AG David Markowitz left that door open. "We have an ongoing investigation, we are only announcing civil charges today."
While tackling the bankers, Cuomo had to duck a couple of questions about mundane political matters, such as his pending candidacy for governor. A few hours before the presser, David Paterson -- the current governor who would like to remain as such -- told John Gambling on WOR that would-be candidate Cuomo was hiding, using the old "rose garden strategy" to avoid weighing in on tough questions. What did the AG think about that? asked the Daily News' Glenn Blain.
Cuomo promptly hit tune G2 on the AG jukebox: "I am Attorney General of the State of New York. I was elected to do a job. I get paid to do that job. That is the job I am doing. I am confronting the issues. Today is a good example of this. This is tax dollars we are talking about.." etcetera.
The only one to squarely tag the elusive Cuomo was NY1's Grace Rauh who asked a question squarely on his beat: Did he think the KSM terror trial should be moved? The AG responded with a slight dodge -- "It's a federal decision" -- followed by an actual answer: "Security would be highly problematic. It is advisable to seek another venue."
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Inside the new edition is a major shoot and interview with the super talented Joey Bada$$, created as a documentary style interview and shoot, the story is set out in chapters: Hip Hop 101, Past, Present, Future, plus Joey's Ten Essential Tips on How to Make Everything Happen. Here's an excerpt:
Interview & Photography: Sarah J. Edwards
It's an overcast day in London, outside Hotel Cafe Royal on Regent's Street and at bang on midday, Pro Era's Joey Bada$$ and Kirk Knight are walking towards me. Strikingly, Joey is hidden beneath a skeleton face mask and BAPE hoodie, which is complimented with black trench and waxed black jeans, Kirk is in a marl grey hoodie, black jeans and flashing his winning smile. Fresh out of Brooklyn, our London streets are familiar territory for these much loved talents, yet this is our first ever meeting. Right away Joey and Kirk are friendly and inquisitive, grateful and humble. Confident.
It's kind of magical what the small equation of a few words and rapport can do and within moments we all click brilliantly. We spend the day talking hip hop stories, photography, magazines, morals and fashion, by the end of our shoot Joey and Kirk couldn't be more appreciative. Kirk paid a compliment to Sally and I that stayed with me, he stated the fact we have remained tight with certain influential figures in the industry for many, many years 'says a lot about you.' That even crossing Kirk's mind makes you realise how these gents are wired.
Fresh out of his teen years, Joey has already delivered a catalogue of work that has put him on the same path as his role models. He's added value to the meaning of being a young MC, hip hop and the culture in the 2010's: authenticity and perspective. This Bed Stuy baby knew from childhood he wanted to succeed in music, embracing words, concisely gathering knowledge and the necessary essentials to embark on his journey. He co-founded his Pro Era collective in a classroom at Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn. Joey surrounds himself with...
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Category: Marvel
The All Time Greatest One Shot Comics: X-Men #205!
Over the years we all have enjoyed and sometimes hated the giant "epic" multi title crossovers and mini-series that are so damn popular these days. However some of my personal favorite comic book stories are short and sweet. They often times have nothing to do with the major story arc you're currently reading in that title and especially back in the 70's & 80's these self contained stories that had a beginning and end to them all in one book were sometimes more heavy hitting than any crossover could ever be. So I'll be showcasing some of my favorites and the first one that came to mind might be my favorite of them all.
Flash back to 1986 when X-Men #205 hit the shelves. This issue is easily one of the best Wolverine stories of all time, and it's all in just one issue. A brilliant epic crafted by Chris Claremont and Barry Windsor Smith remains one of the darkest and most brutal issues of X-men to date. Let me clarify that this was during a time when Wolverine was rarely seen in solo adventures and the character was still deeply mysterious.
The story was called "Wounded Wolf" and featured Lady Deathstrike's first appearance as a super freaky ass cyborg as well as her three Reaver mercenary minions. It also featured Katie Powers from the mutant kid team 'Power Pack' who during a snow storm encounters Wolverine who's beaten to a pulp, covered in blood and nearly naked. Soon the two of them are both on the run from Lady Deathstrike and her cyborgs who're out for bloody revenge. It reminds of a Wolverine movie storyboard Ridley Scott might have anticipated directing in the 80's. Continue reading
Is Marvel Comics Exploiting Diversity?
I've been seeing an increase of stories recently online & on social media about Marvel Comics and it's continuing sales slump. Most of the articles bring up the hot topic of diversity, some say that Marvel's record low sales of their comics books are simply because of rising cover prices & lack of fresh new ideas for their characters. Others say that it's directly due to it's attempt at diversifying it's star characters by changing their race, gender & sexual orientation. Most of their popular character's titles have had a bit of a revamp lately, for instance Wolverine is now female, so is Thor, so is Iron Man, Cap is black, the Hulk is now Korean-American etc. etc. You get the point. Could these changes really be the reason why sales are down? Do people just simply hate diversity in the Marvel Comics titles?
I really doubt that it's really that simple, though rising cover prices and lack of fresh ideas definitely doesn't help their low sales. What I see personally happening is a bit of a trend within Marvel Comics that feels a bit insincere. I honestly don't really mind that the traditional characters have been replaced but I do feel Marvel's move to make all these changes to their most popular titles feels as if they've been exploiting diversity to make a quick buck. What I'm saying is that it feels like Marvel is just trying way too hard to be current on these topics rather than crafting interesting stories. I don't believe you can simply take all of your money maker superhero titles, simply change their identities and expect them all to suddenly bring you boatloads of cash because you finally decided to make them more diverse. It's just not that simple folks. Continue reading
Netflix: Why You Should Watch 'Hap & Leonard' & The Final Verdict on 'Iron Fist'!
Ok so I wanted to take a minute to briefly comment on Netflix's 'Iron Fist' as I FINALLY finished the whole damn thing. So at first I admit I thought the series wasn't too bad but as I completed the finale it was clear that this show just didn't deliver much of anything interesting. Now I'm not saying it deserves a 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes but hey let's be honest it kinda sucked. The show was pretty damn boring and I admit EVERY one of the Marvel Netflix shows reach a point where this becomes the case. There's simply way too many episodes, way too much exposition and it just gets to be a bit of a LOOOONG ass process trying to get to the end of these shows. Some of these Iron Fist episodes felt like they were hours long. Combine that with the terrible meandering plot of 'villains' Harold and The Hand and the corporate board room BS and it just drags on and on.
I really wanted to like this one but god damn am I glad it's just over with. One thing this series excelled at was being totally consistently mediocre. Even the finale was a bonafide snoozefest. He barely ever even used the 'iron fist' at all throughout this damn show but damn was he hyped on telling everyone he was "the Iron Fist" every damn chance he could. I even kinda liked Finn Jones as the clueless, largely directionless, tantrum throwing rich brat superhero. And to be clear Danny Rand was most definitely not a "white savior" in any respect in this series. He actually was more of a "white screwup" – so to all of the people who had their undies in a bundle I suggest watching the show before you throw your online tantrums. Iron Fist could and should have have been great, pushing the kung fu action to crazy new levels, sadly I give this one a solid D+. Oh well let's hope they get it right in The Defenders!
On the brighter and more exciting side of things I did start a relatively new series on Netflix last night called "Hap & Leonard" it hooked me right away and I ended up watching three of the six episodes last night. SIX episodes thankfully NOT thirteen!!! I had to mention this one because it's got some damn good things going for it & here's a few reasons why you should check it out. First it's based on the Joe R. Lansdale book series based on these characters. He's responsible for writing some incredibly cool stories that have been adapted to film like 'Bubba Ho-tep', 'Incident On and Off a Mountain Road', 'Cold in July' & 'Christmas with the Dead' to name a few.
Next the directors Jim Mickle & Nick Damici have done some cool flicks like 'Stakeland', 'Mulberry Street' & 'We are What We Are'. There's a big horror connection to this series but so far it really doesn't quite fit into any genre really. Instead I see aspects of horror, mystery & adventure all crammed nicely into this series. Another plus for me is that it takes place in 1988 and damn do I love the eighties. It's got some real interesting characters as well, Hap's a poor rugged private investigator and his best friend Leonard is a gay, black, conservative cowboy who finds more in common with Elvis than Martin Luther King. Both guys are also martial artists and into getting into all sorts of mayhem in the backwoods of east Texas.
It also stars Mad Men's Christina Hendricks (who's a total babe and a great actor) as Hap's ex wife who's sent them on a wild goose chase to find a sunken getaway car supposedly filled with a million bucks somewhere on the bottom of a alligator infested river. There's also a weird ass serial killer duo on the loose, one of them is Pollyanna MacIntosh who's known for her intense role in Lucky McKee's horror flick "The Woman". She's just as wild n' crazy in 'Hap & Leonard'.
Yeah it's a breath of fresh air after Iron Fist that's for sure. Check it out, it's a thrill so far and full of surprises!! I'm thrilled this one's got a second season as it appears there's plenty o' crazy source material for out there already from Mr. Lansdale!
Did Netflix's 'Iron Fist' Really Deserve All The Hate?!
Ok so I'm eight episodes in on Netflix's 'Iron Fist' and I'm honestly not quite sure what all the crazy hatin' on it is all about. I liked all the Marvel Netflix stuff so far, Daredevil being the best, then Luke Cage and so far I'm feeling like Iron Fist and Jessica Jones are pretty much on the same level. I remember being a bit bored during ALL of the 'Marvel Netflix' shows at some point or another, they are ALL about 3-5 episodes too long. I think keeping them around an 8 episode affair would easily be the best structure for these shows.
Iron Fist does move a bit on the slow side from the start, but like the previous Marvel series they all take waaaaay too long to get to the real meat n' potatoes of it all. The fight scenes range here from good to sloppy, nothing mind blowing but they feel in line with what we have seen thus far from Marvel for the most part. Check out the "nunchucks" scene below, it's clear Finn jones is definitely no Bruce Lee! It would have been really cool if they had really took the opportunity to amp of the kung fu to something truly mind blowing. Not sure why they didn't go that route but if they had this show could have been spectacular. As far as crazy martial arts / action I think Daredevil has succeeded most and remains the best of the bunch. Overall though as much as I do enjoy watching the Marvel Netflix stuff I think all of it ends up a tad on the bland side of things still. The street level realism is personally getting a bit boring in my opinion. They're better executed than the movies and have definitely had better villains than the theatrical stuff but still there's something missing. In my opinion 'Logan' has set a new standard for the live action superhero stuff.
That being said Iron Fist I think is actually an OK series. I was really prepared for something truly horrendous but I've actually had a fairly fun time with the series so far. the amount of shit this show has gotten has reached laughable levels online, like the other Marvel Netflix stuff was The Shawshank Redemption or some shit. The writing is indeed not award worthy but I've kinda enjoyed it for that. It's a bit ridiculous at times with characters their odd "motivations", Danny Rand is certainly quite a bit different in the way he acts and deals with things. But kinda I dig that aspect of the show. Rand is pretty naive and seems quite often a bit clueless. I'm guessing that it's because he spent the last 15 years training in the mystical city of K'un-Lun with monks in another dimension. He's basically new to the real world, as he went missing when he was tween. He's a bit bratty, he's got a crazy kinda weird unpredictable temper and though he's supposed to be "enlightened" he's a bit of a spoiled privileged poser. Hey those people really do exist, I've met a few in my time.
He throws tantrums and really hasn't much of a clue what to do with his business and his insane inherited wealth. I like his 'flaws', he kinda acts a bit like a clueless rich white teenager who's got a good heart but is a bit of a dipshit. Rand's got some realism to him, that maybe wasn't the show's intention but I'm kinda glad he's not a carbon copy of Matt Murdock. This could all be due some bad writing but in this case it kinda actually works in the series favor. I also thought Colleen Wing was pretty cool too, she steals the show from Danny Rand quite often and is just as much of main character here. I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up getting her own series with Misty Knight, 'Daughters of the Dragon' anyone?
There's a lot I would have done differently here with this show. It should have a TON more crazy kung fu action, it shouldn't have been 13 episodes and it most definitely should have had the costume dammit!!! That alone would have set this apart from the last two series, we need way more of a superhero presence in these shows, this one was one I was certain was going to deliver on that front. I could easily see this character come up with a bit of a cheezy flashy classic inspired Iron Fist costume and it making perfect sense. Danny Rand should be the one kinda clueless dude who sports a questionable "superhero" costume.
Marvel should play off of that aspect of the character and let Iron Fist go over the top. They hopefully up the ante' ten fold with his kung fu escapades when we see him next. That being said we definitely DON'T need anymore rich white superheroes. Or anymore weatlhy superheroes for that matter. Let Rand be the last of em'. I'm glad they chose to go with a character based more on his comic book counterpart, I think it was a good choice and it raised some good controversial conversations that perhaps needed to happen in the ever changing spectrum of modern pop culture. Again we also see some pretty piss poor villains, why can't Marvel get this shit right? This "street level realism" is getting a bit old, bring out some crazy costumed villains already. Even the movies suffer from this, The shows are the perfect place to build excellent villains, they have the time to develop them and I'm not quite sure what Marvel is afraid of. They did a good job with the Kingpin, tried their best with the Purple Man but still they were too afraid to make the guy actually purple!
I also don't see the show as 'racist' after viewing it thus far and I think that whole aspect of things was way blown out of proportion by critics. Iron Fist is proof if anything that Marvel needs a new formula, if they go for a season two with Iron Fist I've got a feeling it'll be quite different with all the flaws everyone has been pointing out. Let's hope the Defenders brings something truly unique to the table…
Is Netflix's 'Iron Fist' Really Rooted in Racism?
It's a hot topic here the past couple days surrounding the upcoming Netflix series 'Iron Fist' online. The series starring Finn Jones as the legendary kung fu playboy vigilante has come under fire for it's supposed racist roots and just plain shitty all around reviews. It's been slammed pretty hard by the critics calling it "boring" and "racially uncomfortable" with it's white male lead. Apparently Finn Jones shut down his Twitter because of the online backlash from people who're calling him out personally as part of the problem.
Now I'm not sure whether the show really sucks or not, I haven't seen it. I'm curious to see if it's indeed as bad as critics are saying or if perhaps this racial controversy is really the root of all the negative reviews. I thought the previews looked ok but the whole set up looks a bit too familiar. The problem seems that people are upset that the character, who is a white male in the original comic books, should have been recast and played by an Asian actor in the new series. Then it was stated that many were against the idea of a recast because having an Asian actor in the role of the "martial arts guy" played too strongly into racial stereotypes. A bit of a double edged sword it seems. Continue reading
My One Big Problem With 'LOGAN'!
Holy Hell! I've got to make some time here to give some props to Hugh Jackman's "last" run as Wolverine! I know everyone and their mom, dad & parakeet are talking about how great this movie is and yeah I agree it's a glorious final chapter. They finally took the gloves off and let Wolverine be Wolverine. I find it funny how damn long it takes Hollywood to figure out what us comic book fanatics knew way back in the year 2000. We want our Wolverine to be a savage lil' a-hole and you just can't really do it with a PG-13 rating. So as you know by now obviously Logan is bloody, gritty and tonally different than any of the other movies. It's a no BS affair, it's personal and it has real heart. There are no giant CG robots or even a weak ass version of Sabretooth anywhere in sight. Nope Wolverine here is a cussin', drinkin', pissed off SOB and it's great to finally see him the way he was more or less supposed to be all along. Sure he's older and weaker here but hey I'll take what I can get dammit!
Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier is amazing and so is Dafne Keen's X-23. They both nearly steal the thunder from Logan time and time again throughout the movie. By now you've likely heard it ALL and probably seen the movie. It's great and I'll see it again, soon. BUT, yes there is a but here and it needs to be addressed (SPOILERS AHEAD). My biggest problem with 'Logan' was it's villain/villains. That's not to say I didn't dig Donald Pierce and his Reavers, they were forgettably fine but let's be honest they could have been AMAZING. When I heard that they were going up against Wolverine in this final flick I was fucking thrilled. The Reavers could have and should have been a seriously scary force to be reckoned with.
Sure Donald Pierce had a dinky lil' cybernetic hand but he could have been a lot more like his counterpart from the comics with four cybernetic limbs & superhuman strength. They failed to make him a truly deadly opponent and the rest of The Reavers should have been modeled after the legendary comic book team. Imagine the original Reavers with an even deadlier Lady Deathstrike back again looking more like comic book counterpart. It should have been Logan and co taking on serious threats more similar to 'The Terminator'. That would have been amazing. They missed an opportunity to really bring us the psychotic cyborgs we deserved to see. They gave us a lot of throwaway soldiers for him and x-23 to mow down sure, but none of them served any other purpose than just that.
The real threat here was X-24, a villain that to me felt as about exciting as "Deadpool" from X-men Origins: Wolverine. I was really disappointed to see a Hugh Jackman 'clone' as the big bad muscle of the movie. That was a serious mis-step in my opinion. I only say this because we could have gotten any number of amazing Wolverine villains in his place. Imagine for a second that their secret weapon was Omega Red?! Or Cyber? Daken? Razorfist? Heck even a bigger badder version of Sabretooth would have been welcome.
My point being we really didn't need any of them, we already had Donald Pierce and The Reavers. They could have supplied us with all sorts of frightening cybernetic mayhem. Instead they went the overused "fight your clone / fight yourself" route. Ahhh well what can I say, I am a picky comic book bastard. It just irritates me that they got so close to me having to just shut the fuck up and admit perfection. At least they finally got ol' Wolvie right. It took them seventeen years to figure it all out and I'm damn glad they did. This is clearly a groundbreaking movie that'll change the way comic book movies are made from this point on. Don't get me wrong I give 'Logan' a solid A-, but in the future though let's give the same care to the villains as we do to the heroes cuz a hero's only as good as his villain! Oh yeah one more thing I highly doubt this is the last time we'll see Mr. Jackman in the role of Logan, this movie is a box office smash and we all know money talks…why stop now anyway when you finally figured it all out?!!
Extra! Extra! A Collection of Superheroes Punching Nazis!
Punching Nazis is all the rage these days! It's never been a more popular thing than right now and while I really don't want to condone punching anyone, I'll admit that I'm not particularly saddened when I find out that it happens! This whole punching Nazis thing is nothing new, especially in comic books. So here's some great images to satisfy that urge to kick some Racist Nazi booty! Take a scroll down and get it out of your system for the moment! Again I don't condone violence, but hey what's not to love about seeing a good nazi knock out in the comics?! Yeeehaw lets go!


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The master at his scarifying best! From heart-pounding terror to the eeriest of whimsy - tales from the outer limits of one of the greatest imaginations of our time! Trucks that punish and beautiful teen demons who seduce a young man to massacre; curses whose malevolence grows through the years; obscene presences and angels of grace - here, indeed, is a night-blooming bouquet of chills and thrills.
"Not Bazaar, but still The King"
Unsure of what a personal mission statement is? A personal mission statement is a compass to guide your life. Though the terrain of your life can change rapidly, using this compass will ensure you always find happiness and success. Am I an expert in this field? I may not have letters like Ph.D. after my name, but I have discovered the secrets of creating personal mission statements and the amazing power they have to change lives. I have made my own and use it.
Lawyer Robert Tarza is surprised when his young, beautiful and wealthy French girlfriend, Tess, proposes marriage. It's not that he doesn't love her, but even after five years, there's a lot about her he doesn't know.
"Back to Form for Tarza and Company, Great Novel"
The Ouija board continues to be a popular means of entertainment for a wide variety of people: paranormal thrill-seekers, adventurous adolescents, temperamental teens, tipsy party guests, and even curious skeptics. Most of the time, those who dabble with the Ouija experience nothing out of the ordinary. But many times that's not the case. And many times that extraordinary experience isn't just strange, but downright awful.
"Interesting, with some scary parts!"
Siddhartha is a novel by Hermann Hesse that deals with the spiritual journey of an Indian man named Siddhartha during the time of the Buddha.
"A beautiful masterpiece and an excellent narrator"
Retired Maine Game Warden John Ford has seen it all. He's been shot at by desperate prison escapees, been outwitted by wily trappers, and rescued scores of animals. As a tenacious and successful warden, he was always willing to spend the time needed to nab violators of the state's fish and game laws.
"Short Homespun Vignettes of a Game Warden"
The occult is many things to many people. For some, it is a path to enlightenment. Others find it a source of personal transformation. And still others consider it a doorway to the devil. While distinctions can be drawn and argued all day, what can't be argued is this: the occult is dangerous. It opens channels that are best left closed. It attracts entities that don't play by the rules. And it demands more - always more - than what was bargained for.
"False advertisement!"
Far from the catchy television spots and sleek magazine spreads are the comparatively modest ads that pop up on websites and in Internet searches. But don't be fooled - online advertising is exploding. Growing at a compound annual rate near 20%, it is now the second-largest advertising channel in the United States. Part history, part guidebook, part prediction for the future, Targeted tells the story of the companies, individuals, and innovations driving this revolution.
"Dense Language, Mediocre Narration"
The passionate account of a young man's growing awareness of his own identity, of his involvement in the secret and dangerous world of petty crime, and how, influenced by a precocious schoolmate, he rebels against convention and discovers not only the great joy of independence, but his own new powers for good and evil.
"i came here because of kpop"
The author has compiled the voices and testimonies of historical and contemporary practitioners to develop a devotional theology of encounter. Specifically, Brad Jersak challenges us to meet and welcome Christ in human form from society's margins to the banqueting table of God.
"Thought Provoking Book"
Some call him a Russian Mark Twain. And with his special blend of comedy, social commentary, and fantasy, Nikolai Gogol paved the way for his countrymen Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. This sampling of Gogol's works includes the increasingly fantastic entries of The Diary of a Madman followed by the wonderfully surrealistic The Nose in which the title character embarks on some unlikely activities when separated from its owner's face. Rounding out the collection are the woefully comic tale of a clerk's acquisition of The Overcoat and Ivan Fyodorovich and his Aunt, in which the title character retires to his country estate, managed by a wily Aunt.
Christians are rarely "still". They are too busy fulfilling their responsibilities with family, church, and community. Their dedication tends to foster stress, which at times can lead to prolonged anxiety. In this self-help book, psychologist Victoria Anderson and writer Lois Brown define stress and anxiety, explain the causes behind the two conditions, and share forty ways to effectively manage them by focusing on a person's physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions.
"A must have for anyone suffering with anxiety"
You're about to discover a series of proven strategies on how to study and learn more effectively that will turn you into a genius. The content within this book is super powerful if applied and I guarantee that all the resources, tips, and tricks within will give you the motivation to up your game, smash through any exams or hurdles that stand in your way to success, and live a better life.
"To obvious and short. Doesn't give good details. Just glances over Topics"
Can dolls really become haunted? Can demons take possession of people's playthings? According to a large number of paranormal investigators, exorcists, and demonologists, the answer is a resounding yes. Not only are such phenomena possible, they happen fairly often, with dolls being one of the most frequent targets of spirit attachment. Sometimes those spirits are benign, or at the most mischievous. But many are outright evil and dangerous.
"Same old stories, and poorly written."
This is a revelatory audiobook that Bill Vincent has released to be a help to those who want a deeper hunger for the things of God. Desperate for God's Presence is sure to stir up all who take it and apply it to their lives. Everywhere we look, the Church is in desperate need to get a passion for God's presence. After writing a five book series on the presence of God, Bill has learned that there is always more.
A proven, step-by-step method to curing posttraumatic stress disorder once and for all. Discover how to overcome posttraumatic stress disorder and be free of anxiety, depression, and be able to live a happy, fulfilling life!
"Read by a computer?"
This book contains proven steps and strategies on how to make money using bitcoins.
"Waste of money"
From devilish dolls and haunted Ouija boards to witchcraft disasters and doomed demonic deals, True Tales Trilogy covers a wide spectrum of occult encounters that end in horror, hardship, and tragedy. If there's one theme that runs throughout this compendium, it's this: If you play with fire, you're going to get burned.
Maggie Smith and Jonathan Pryce star in William Wycherley's raunchy Restoration comedy. Considered too obscene to be staged in its original form for nearly 200 years, William Wycherley's bawdy comedy tells the tale of Mr Horner, a notorious rake who spreads the false rumour that he is impotent in order to gain free access to other men's wives. When he meets the young, innocent Margery Pinchwife, the 'country wife' of the title, the scene is set for scandal.
"better than I expected"
Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, a collection of narratives written between 1387 and 1400, tells of a group of 30 people from all layers of society who pass the time along their pilgrimage to Canterbury by telling stories to one another, their interaction mediated (at times) by the affable host - Chaucer himself. Naxos AudioBooks' third volume presents the tales of six people, here in an unabridged modern verse translation (by Frank Ernest Hill, 1935).


text: Welcome home to Green Lake's latest modern home pairing thoughtful design with a comfortable, yet unique floor plan, ideal for today's active lifestyle. Open concept kitchen will be "Center Stage" of the home with gorgeous cabinets, stone counters & island overlooking great room with gas fireplace. 3rd floor FR offers separate wine bar & 680 sqft roof top deck with views of Mt Rainier & Seattle skln. Large master suite, 2 car garage, 95+efficiency furnace & 98+ H20, high tech wiring & much more!


text: Items (GK1HD) Category page 596pages on this wiki Add New Page Edit Classic editor History Talk0 "The Manila Envelope is an item in Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers - 20th Anniversary... Manila Envelope Pages in category "Items (GK1HD)" This category contains only the following page. M Manila Envelope Retrieved from "http://gabrielknight.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Items_(GK1HD)?oldid=7450" Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you've made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Categories: GK1 20th Anniversary Edition Add category Cancel Save


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Norway - Strategic and business development advice to support Iraqi oil E&P operations and wider Middle East business.
International Oil Company 2013 - Study on the East Mediterranean gas industry:supply-demand balance and forecasts, regulation and politics.
Egypt 2014
Egypt 2014 - Expert testimony for client ative in the Egyptian gas business, in support of legal action over LNG exports, including a study of the Egyptian gas supply-demand blance.
Capital 2014-15- Regular analysis of Middle East oil and gas markets and related political issuesExpert testimony for client ative in the Egyptian gas business, in support of legal action over LNG exports, including a study of the Egyptian gas supply-demand blance.
2014-15- Advice to investors on Middle East oil and gas developments
2015- Advice to investors on Middle East oil and gas developments
Danske Capital
2015- Advice to investors on Middle East oil and gas developments
European Commsions
2011-12- Study for European Commsion on EU-Iraq energy cooperation, incuding studies of Iraq gas production and export potential and forecasts for gas production per field and use per class of consumer
JP Morgan
2014-15 - Advice to investors on Middle East oil and gas development
EU-Regular analysis of key global issues of concern
EU-Business development support for carbon capture and enhanced oil recovery in Abu Dhabi and MENA region
Germany- Overview of the UAE energy sector; advice on oil & gas business development opportunities
UAE- Provide strategic energy advice, market analysis and relationship management with the Iraqi oil authorities, on issues of Iraqi oil pricing
UK- Commercial studies and market/strategic analysis of the Middle East energy sector and impacts of global developments
Spain- Study of E&P opportunities in the MENA region
USA - Technology Gold Partner Development of Oracle / J2EE information technology and enterprise systems and solutions for petroleum exploration and production
France-Assessment of a Middle East liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant's operations
Germany -Study of Middle East gas export options.
USA-Regular analysis and reports on energy sector risks in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
USA-Business development, strategy implementation and operations support in the MENA region, specifically the UAE; interface with relevant national oil companies and ministries.
Comprehensive study of Middle East gas supply/demand balance
- Seismic acquisition business development, strategy implementation and operations support; interface with ADNOC and Iraq Ministry of Oil.
- Study on Nodal Seismic Systems in Iraq.
- Local operational support, site surveying, local content and business process outsourcing support.
USA- Full lifecycle business process outsourcing to support UAE based Middle East and Asia operations.
- Study of the market for hydraulic fracturing services in the MENA region.
- Research on the market & requirements for oil well pressure measurement tools.
Assessment of Middle East petrochemicals industry, feedstocks and downstream product chain (ongoing)
International: Study on the East Mediterranean gas industry: supply-demand balance and forecasts, regulation and politics
Credit Suisse
Switzerland - Study of Iraqi oil and gas industry and forecasts for production.
Kuwait Energy
Kuwait - Study of privatisation in the MENA oil & gas industry
Kuwait Energy
Kuwait - Study of gas pricing in the MENA region
Assessing environmental, demographic, community and political Issues


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The conspiracy theories surrounding Princess Diana's death in a Paris car crash have resurfaced, with a top
British defence lawyer claiming she was murdered after attempts to frighten her into dumping boyfriend Dodi al-Fayed failed.
According to Michael Mansfield, the Princess of Wales' and Dodi's deaths in the fatal car crash in the Alma Tunnel in Paris in 1997 were the result of a carefully orchestrated plot to "end their relationship violently". "I think there was a plan, and the plan was to disrupt and terminate the relationship and that was going to be achieved by some kind of incident which would be violent.


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Dads, don't pretend you're only here because the title caught your eye. We all know the truth.
You're curious to see if your favourite pasta sauce is getting a little bit of limelight. And to your credit there's a high chance that it very well is. To find out keep reading.
Perfect Piccata
If you're a Piccata kind of dad, well done! Perfect for many reasons, Pasta Piccata is an amazing meal for any family and if you're a dad who knows how to make it, he's way ahead of the game. Simple and straight to the point, this incredible meal is all about the quality of your chicken, because it's such a major focal point in the dish.
The Ultimate Dadsta
Not to take away from the other amazing meals dads cook, this Smoky Bacon and Chilli Pasta should be every dad's go-to option. Can you smell it already? The smokey aroma of the bacon mixing with the chilli, red peppers and carbonara sauce – it's a serious treat. Make sure you serve yourself the biggest bowl of this possible.
The one he taught himself in his first year at university, and he never lets you forget it, just like he never forgets the recipe. Chicken Alfredo, dad's favourite midweek meal. It has everything a man could want and possibly more thanks to the vegetables. But believe us, when you're looking back through your life at the moments that made your childhood fantastic, this is the one that will stand out in your mind.
His New Fave
Heard of Basil, Lemon and Garlic Chicken Pasta? Maybe dad's made it for you, maybe he hasn't. If he has you would definitely know. So if he hasn't make sure that tonight you are every reason he needs to do so. It's a flavour-packed pasta delicious enough to convince you that dad's cooking credentials can challenge the very best of them. Watch out Jamie, here comes dad.


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You can replace the VMCA root certificate with a third-party CA-signed certificate that includes VMCA in the certificate chain. Going forward, all certificates that VMCA generates include the full chain. You can replace existing certificates with newly generated certificates. This approach combines the security of third-party CA-signed certificate with the convenience of automated certificate management.
The first step in replacing the VMCA certificates with custom certificates is generating a CSR and adding the certificate that is returned to VMCA as a root certificate.
After you have received the signed certificate from the CA and made it the VMCA root certificate, you can replace all machine SSL certificates.
After you replace the machine SSL certificates, you can replace the solution user certificates.
If you decide to use a new VMCA root certificate, and you unpublish the VMCA root certificate that was used when you provisioned your environment, you must replace the machine SSL certificates, solution user certificates, and certificates for some internal services.
During upgrade, your environment might temporarily include both vCenter Single Sign-On version 5.5 and vCenter Single Sign-On version 6.x. For that case, you have to perform additional steps to replace the VMware Directory Service SSL certificate if you replace the SSL certificate of the node on which the vCenter Single Sign-On service is running.


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Preferred Lenders
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Maple Tree Funding - Maple Tree Funding is a New York State Registered Mortgage Broker. We provide excellent programs for Home Purchases and Home Refinancing. We work with numerous banks to get you the most competitive rate and program. Visit today for a free credit evaluation and pre-qualification. Call us at 518-782-1202 to get started. Think Mortgage… Think Maple Tree!
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