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The agricultural conversion of natural habitats is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. In the ∼2million km2 Brazilian cerrado biome, a global biodiversity hotspot, vast areas have been converted into croplands and cattle pastures. Because the cerrado biome is overwhelmingly contained within private lands, Brazil's environmental legislation should serve as a decisive instrument in protecting these natural ecosystems. We assessed the role of Legal Reserves (LRs), legally defined as the minimum proportion of private landholdings set aside to protect natural vegetation, in the conservation of the cerrado biome. We assume that the property-scale allocation of LRs is primarily based on economic decision-making, creating a bias against cerrado protection. We therefore assessed the area ratio between forest vegetation (FV) and grassland vegetation (GV) areas across LRs within 48,762 landholdings, 9 formal protected areas (PAs) and 34 Indigenous Lands (ILs) within the cerrado (sensu lato) of the 903,357-km2 state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. We show that there are 7.26ha of forest lands for each hectare of native grasslands within private RLs of the cerrado biome within Mato Grosso, a ratio almost three-fold larger than that found in formal PAs and ILs. ILs protect in absolute values (hectares) six-fold more native grassland vegetation than PAs. We discuss the policy relevance of this severe land-use bias in maintaining the heterogeneity of cerrado habitats for biodiversity conservation within private properties, which account for 90% of the entire cerrado biome.
Rapid agricultural conversion of natural vegetation is arguably the greatest driver of local extinctions worldwide (Hansen et al., 2013). Conversely, protected areas (PAs) have become the cornerstone of conservation strategies in zoning the large-scale spatial structure of biodiversity loss (Watson et al., 2014). Globally, there has been an overall increase in cropland area from 265million ha in 1700 to 1471 million ha in 1990 and an additional amount of natural vegetation conversion for livestock pastures from 524 to 3451 million ha over the same period (Goldewijk, 2001). Throughout the tropics, cropland areas, mainly for soybean and maize cultivation, have expanded by 48,000km2 each year from 1999 to 2008 (Phalan et al., 2013), with agricultural conversion rates often higher in non-forest areas (e.g. tropical savannas) than in forest environments (Goldewijk, 2001).
Brazil is both the world's leading agricultural power in the tropics and the top-ranking nation in terms of tropical terrestrial biodiversity (Hopewell, 2013; Brandon et al., 2005). Much of this biodiversity is contained within the ∼2 million-km2 within the cerrado biome, which is often referred to as the "Brazilian savanna". The cerrado biome (sensu lato) accounts for over 20% of the Brazilian territory and encompasses a broad spectrum of vegetation types within landscape level macromosaics, including forests, savannas and native grasslands (Ribeiro and Walter, 1998). The cerrado contains the world's most diverse flora in terms of savanna environments (Ratter et al., 1997; Klink and Machado, 2005) and is considered one of the 'hottest' global biodiversity hotspots (Myers et al., 2000). Despite this biological importance, the cerrado has lost over 40% of its total extent to croplands and planted exotic pastures in recent decades (Sano et al., 2010), with an annual deforestation rate higher than that reported for the Amazon (Klink and Moreira, 2002). In relation to patterns of land use, conversion into croplands induces greater cerrado habitat fragmentation than livestock pastures (Carvalho et al., 2009; Grecchi et al., 2014). Yet only 2.85% of the Brazilian cerrado is currently comprised of formal protected areas managed by federal or state agencies, such as national parks, state parks and biological reserves, and an additional 4.1% of the total area is encompassed by Indigenous Lands (MMA, 2018; Klink and Machado, 2005). The fate of cerrado biodiversity is therefore inextricably linked to environmental protection within working landscapes managed by private landholdings, which dominate 90% of the entire cerrado biome.
More than half (53%) of Brazil's remaining natural vegetation cover is now within private lands (Soares-Filho et al., 2014). The protection of these natural areas is carried out through legal provisions sanctioned by the Brazilian Forest Code, which include both Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs) and Legal Reserves (LR), which are required to be set aside within private landholdings. PPAs are defined by specific set-aside geographic regulations such as steeply sloped terrains and vegetation along riparian areas along rivers and streams. The proportional area legally designated as LRs depends on the biome where the private property is located (Law 12.727). The state of Mato Grosso is largely located within the "Legal Amazon" political region, where private landholdings within the cerrado phytogeographic region are required to set aside at least 35% of their rural properties as Legal Reserves (Law 12,621/2012). The role of LRs include "… ensuring the sustainable economic use of natural resources of each rural property, assisting the conservation and rehabilitation of ecological processes and promoting biodiversity conservation, as well as sheltering and protecting wildlife and native flora" (Law 12.621/2012). The exact location of any given LR site within a private property is, however, determined by individual landowners, and is often defined as areas of lower agricultural value (Delalibera et al., 2008). Open-habitat areas of natural vegetation therefore succumb to greater rates of agricultural conversion compared to forest environments, not least because they may be easier to clear, this conversion may be less detectable to satellite images, and they are more compatible with higher-revenue economic use (Durigan, 2005). A choice of spatial allocation of property-level set-asides based on logistic or economic factors alone may, however, systematically degrade the biological integrity of otherwise pristine cerrado areas, because high levels of both local and beta diversity are associated with landscape-scale heterogeneity of both forest and non-forest habitats, whose complementarity typically safeguards different sets of species (Mares et al., 1989; Silva and Bates, 2002; Piratelli and Blake, 2006).
The 903,357-km2 central Brazilian state of Mato Grosso is now the world's leading subnational unit in terms of soybean and beef production. Natural vegetation within this state has been rapidly converted into farmland, particularly soybean monoculture and cattle pastures (Silva Junior and Lima, 2018). Here, we summarize the current status of different vegetation types within the cerrado region (sensu lato) of Mato Grosso. We assume that formally designated protected areas, including federal and state reserves and Indigenous Lands, retain an adequate baseline habitat heterogeneity in terms of the cerrado natural habitat macromosaic, including the background ratio between forest and non-forest environments, thereby ensuring high levels of habitat and species diversity. In contrast, we hypothesize that Legal Reserves within private properties will retain proportionally smaller areas of naturally open cerrado habitats compared to formal protected areas, not least because of decision-making rules based on land-use revenues. We therefore assessed the total area of forest cover that has been retained for each corresponding area of native grassland vegetation within Protected Areas, Indigenous Lands and Legal Reserves located within the entire cerrado biome of Mato Grosso. We disregard riparian PPAs as a spatial zoning instrument to protect lowland forest in this assessment because their location is predetermined by the baseline spatial distribution of the river/stream network of any given landscape, rather than decided by the landowner. Finally, we discuss the effectiveness of Legal Reserves in protecting cerrado habitat and propose alternatives that can enhance existing legislation governing countryside conservation planning.Methods
This analysis focused on the state of Mato Grosso in the epicenter of South America, and central-western Brazil (Fig. 1). The cerrado biome occupies the central portion of this state, bordering the Pantanal to the south and Amazonia to the north. We considered land cover data provided by MapBiomas (http://mapbiomas.org/), a highly credible source of classified and georeferenced land-use data based on LANDSAT that is available for the whole of Brazil at a 30-m resolution. The MapBiomas classification is generated from annual land cover and land use maps from an automatic classification routine applied to satellite images with 88.3% accuracy for the entire cerrado biome (http://mapbiomas.org/pages/accuracy-analysis). According to the MapBiomas (collection 2.0), the Classification of Dense Forests (class 3) is dominated by a continuous canopy tree formation (riparian forest, gallery forest, dry forest and cerradão). The Classification of Open Forests (class 4) contains arboreal and shrub strata defined as Cerrado Strictu sensu (including Cerrado denso, Cerrado típico, Cerrado ralo and Cerrado rupestre vegetation). The non-forest natural formations are native grassland formations (class 12) where a herbaceous stratum is most prevalent and consists of campo rupestre, campo sujo and campo limpo. Anthropogenic use such as exotic cattle pastures (class 15) are areas of planted pastures and cropland use, for which it was not possible to distinguish between pasture and cropland (class 21). In order to summarize the current status of the cerrado macromosaic within the entire state of Mato Grosso, three broad and mutually exclusive vegetation classes were considered (forest, savanna, and native grassland). To assess the ratio between forest and nonforest areas these land cover classes were further coalesced, whereas non-forest vegetation was represented by native grasslands (sensu stricto). All land cover data was extracted on the basis of imagery available from the year 2016.
(a) Location of the wider study area in the Brazilian cerrado biome within the 903,357-km2 state of Mato Grosso, Brazil; (b) and the spatial extent of the cerrado biome within Mato Grosso. Protected areas under the Brazilian National System of Conservation Units (SNUC) and Indian Lands are indicated by green and orange polygons, respectively. Light green contours indicate Legal Reserves within 48,762 private landholdings. (For interpretation of the references to color in this sentence, the reader is referred to the web version of the article.)
Protected area (PA) polygons were obtained from the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment website (http://www.mma.gov.br/areas-protegidas/cadastro-nacional-de-ucs/dados-georreferenciados). For this study, nine (9) protected areas were considered (Serra das Araras Ecological Station, Águas Quentes State Park, Araguaia State Park, Dom Osório Stoffel State Park, Serra Azul State Park, Águas do Cuiabá State Park, Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, Corixão da Mata Azul Wildlife Refuge and Iquê Ecological Station). We also considered all Indigenous Lands (IL) embedded within the state of Mato Grosso, whose polygons were obtained via the Fundação Nacional do Indio website – FUNAI (http://www.funai.gov.br/index.php/shape). In total, we considered data for the following 34 Indigenous Lands: Enawene-Nawe, Menku, Nambikwara, Pirineus de Souza, Tirecatinga, Utiariti, Paresi, Juininha, Estivadinho, Rio Formoso, Figueiras, Bakairi, Marechal Rondon, Ubawawe, Chão Preto, Merure, São Marcos, Areões, São Domingos, Urubu Branco, Tapirapi Karaja, Jarudore, Tadarimana, Parabubure, Pimentel Barbosa, Karajá de Aruana II, Krenreh, Irantxe, Maraiwatsede, Parque do Aripuanã, Sangradouro Volta Grande, Teresa Cristina, Taihantesu, and Vale do Guaporé. We also considered all Legal Reserve (LR) areas within a total of 48,761 private landholdings within the cerrado biome region of the state of Mato Grosso, which were obtained via the Rural Environmental Registry of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture website (http://www.car.gov.br/#/). We considered only the cerrado (sensu lato) area within all PA and IL polygons that partly straddled the boundaries of a neighboring biome (e.g. Amazonia and Pantanal). The Legal Reserve (LR) polygons were originally extracted for each of the 173 municipal counties of Mato Grosso overlapping the cerrado biome, and then were coalesced into a single geographic database (Fig. 1).
Mutually exclusive vegetation classes were extracted from the cerrado raster for each of the polygons of interest (PAs, ILs, and LRs) using the ArcMap 10.2 software. Using the attribute table of each land-use category, it was possible to count the number of forest, savanna and native grassland pixels retained as of 2016 within each polygon. The values obtained for PAs, ILs and LRs for each vegetation class were initially extracted as the total number of pixels and then converted into hectares (each pixel≈0.09ha). After obtaining the number of hectares of forest and non-forest grassland vegetation for each PA, IL and LR, we extracted a natural habitat ratio by dividing the number of hectares of forest vegetation by the number of hectares of grassland vegetation. We therefore obtained data on how many hectares of forest vegetation are available for each hectare of grassland vegetation for the combined areas of Protected Areas, Indigenous Lands and Legal Reserves within private landholdings within the widely accepted cerrado biome of the entire state of Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Based on the data provided by MapBiomas, we also evaluated documented changes in land use within the cerrado of Mato Grosso. We converted all pixels to their absolute values in hectares of forest (dense forest), savanna (open forest), native grassland (grassland vegetation), planted pasture (pasture) and cropland for the years 2000 and 2016 and subsequently we obtained the percentage values of either loss or gain of each land-cover class of interest during this 16-year time frame.Results
The cerrado of Mato Grosso encompasses a total area of 36,602,975ha which is comprised of 27% of forest, 20% of savanna, 11% of native grasslands, 22% of planted pastures, 17% of annual croplands and 3% of rotational pasture croplands. Considering the three conservation governance types of interest in this study, Legal Reserves contain 48% of forest, 28% of savanna, 10% of native grasslands, 10% of agricultural use and 4% of any other use. Indigenous Lands contain 43% of forest, 30% of savanna, 21% of native grasslands, 4% of cropland use, and 2% of other uses. State and federal protected areas contain 50% of forest, 16% of savanna, 28% of native grasslands, 3% of cropland use, and 3% of other uses. These values were converted into hectares for the three vegetation types of interest in this study (forest, savanna, and native grassland) within the three sampling units in the cerrado of Mato Grosso – LRs, IL and PA (Fig. 2). When we assessed how much of the three governance types evaluated in this study represent across the total cerrado area of Mato Grosso, private LRs represented 22% of the total area, whereas ILs and PAs represented 12% and 1.6%, respectively. Of the remaining 64.4%, 41% has now been allocated to agricultural use.
The distribution of the three main vegetation categories throughout the cerrado biome within the state of Mato Grosso (top horizontal bars), compared to those in the three protected area governance types, including Legal Reserve set-aside within private landholdings; Indigenous Lands managed by FUNAI; and Protected Areas managed by state and federal agencies. Values inside horizontal bars correspond to the total extent (in hectares) of each land cover type.
For each hectare of open grassland vegetation (GV) within Legal Reserves of the cerrado of Mato Grosso there are 7.6ha of forest vegetation (FV). In non-private conservation areas, however, this ratio is reduced to 3.35ha of FV for each hectare of GV in Indigenous Lands and 2.38ha of FV for each hectare of GV in formal protected areas managed by either state or federal agencies.
Between the years of 2000 and 2016 the cerrado of Mato Grosso underwent severe transformations in land use, a geopolitical process that historically began four decades earlier with the central relocation of Brazil's capital city from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília. Over this 16-year period, there was an overall reduction of 16.5% of forest and 22% of native grassland, and an increase of 4.1% of open forest, 14.9% of planted pasture and an impressive increase of 111.1% of mostly monoculture croplands. Considering only those vegetation classes that had decreased in total area, absolute values were ∼1,958,289ha of forest (equivalent to a mean conversion rate of ∼122,393ha/year) and ∼1,131,519ha of native grassland (or ∼70,720ha/year) transformed into other land uses, and at that mainly cropland (Fig. 3).Discussion
Almost 20% of the all native grassland of the entire Brazilian cerrado biome is located within the state of Mato Grosso. This state also hosts the most aggressive and rapidly expanding agricultural frontier in Brazil, accounting for most of the Brazilian growth in beef and soya exports over the last three decades (Lapola et al., 2014). We should therefore be at least aware of the legal framework protecting cerrado vegetation within Brazil's third largest state. Our results show that more than half (52%) of the entire area of Mato Grosso native grasslands is protected within LRs, ILs and PAs. Among these three protection denominations, Indigenous Lands have the largest importance for the maintenance of native grassland in the cerrado of Mato Grosso, as these areas still retail 26% of all native grasslands remaining in this state.
Our results corroborate our working hypothesis, confirming that currently recognized Indigenous Lands and more formal Protected Areas (under the SNUC Protected Areas Law) represent the best existing model in terms of the remaining habitat heterogeneity within the cerrado of Mato Grosso, as ILs and PAs safeguard a more balanced ratio between native grassland and forest areas (1/3.35 and 1/2.38, respectively). In contrast, the ratio we uncovered between native grassland and forest vegetation within Legal Reserves (1/7.6) across nearly 49,000 rural landholdings reinforces the notion that landowner selectivity of property areas to be set-aside as LRs is based primarily on economic decisions. This non-random anthropogenic 'truncation' of the natural habitat matrix homogenizes the structure of cerrado vegetation, severely biasing against native grassland vegetation. In fact, this higher than expected systematic replacement of naturally open vegetation environments – including prairies and open savannas – with agricultural areas, rather than being unique to the Brazilian cerrado, reflects a long-standing global trend that is often driven by rural enterprises (Stevens et al., 2017).
We present clear evidence that 22% of all native grasslands in the cerrado of Mato Grosso were lost in the 2000–2016 period. This land use substitution was overwhelmingly due to anthropogenic habitat conversion (Grecchi et al., 2014). However, any possibility of avoiding conversion of natural areas into planted pastures and croplands have been largely neglected. Technological improvements in the bovine livestock sector have shown substantial increases in productivity per unit area and replacing existing planted pasture areas by higher-revenue croplands pave the way to a scenario of zero deforestation, as recently proposed (Sparovek et al., 2018). Annual rates of native grassland conversion into agriculture show that an area equivalent to all native grassland available across all PAs of the cerrado of Mato Grosso is converted into other land uses in less than 3 years. We document an increase of 111% of cropland and 14.9% of planted pasture areas over 16 years in the cerrado, corroborating other studies that evaluate the land use transformation in this biome (Grecchi et al., 2014; Beuchle et al., 2015; Garcia and Ballester, 2016). We can therefore categorically confirm that cropland and planted pasture expansion of commodity-oriented land use – in arguably the world's largest agricultural frontier – has clearly advanced relentlessly at the expense of natural cerrado areas.
This prioritization by forest environments within Legal Reserves of private landholdings overlapping the cerrado biome can lead to significant loss of biodiversity. Measures that include the protection of native grasslands within private properties through Legal Reserves are necessary, since the total number or total area of protected areas alone are insufficient, and fail to reach 10% of the cerrado biome (Klink and Machado, 2005; MMA, 2018). In addition, protected areas are originally designed and sited non-randomly, and their location is based on economic factors, often located on nutrient-poor soils and/or dissected by steep topography (Pressey, 1994). Tubelis and Cavalcanti (2000) evaluated the bird community of the cerrado and proposed an increase in Permanent Preservation Areas, thereby including marginal grasslands and savanna areas. This measure would ensure the maintenance of the habitat heterogeneity required by bird communities of the cerrado. Batalha et al. (2010) showed the importance of naturally open-habitat areas in retaining the functional diversity of cerrado birds, reinforcing the importance of creating mechanisms that can ensure the protection of these environments. In general, adequate protection of non-forest environments has been widely and systematically neglected in Brazil (Overbeck et al., 2015), and new policy mechanisms should be urgently implemented to hold on to much of the remaining open vegetation areas in the country.
A critical issue in terms of maintaining open natural habitats is fire suppression and management (Bond and Parr, 2010). Fire is an important management tool for protected areas in Africa, thus avoiding the directional transformation of savanna areas into forest environments through ecological succession (Bond and Archibald, 2003). The cerrado vegetation is widely considered to be a fire-climax ecosystem (Simon and Pennington, 2012) and when this vegetation no longer experiences episodic fires, it is gradually transformed from open habitats into more forested areas (Moreira, 2008; Geiger et al., 2011; Durigan and Ratter, 2006). The cerrado avifauna, for example, is adapted to wildfires (Cavalcanti and Alves, 1997), and the same can be said about much of the cerrado biota. Fires can, for example, increase the diversity of food items consumed by birds (Reis, 2015). Abreu et al. (2017), evaluating the effects of fire suppression in the cerrado over a 30-year period, found that 27% of plant species and 35% of ant species were extirpated. Despite existing legal restrictions, management measures using controlled fires can maintain the natural heterogeneity of the cerrado, and this should be taken into account in managing protected areas and legal reserves within private properties (Durigan and Ratter, 2016).
The conspicuous absence or poor representation of grassland environments in Legal Reserves can compromise cerrado biodiversity persistence, since many taxonomic groups are strictly dependent on this environment. This habitat dependence is described, for example, for plants (Furley, 1999), dung beetles (Silva et al., 2010) and birds, for which Silva (1995) classifies 27.4% of the entire cerrado avifauna as open-vegetation species. Given these shortfalls, the Legal Reserve mechanism of the Brazilian Forest Code fails to properly ensure the protection of open environments and its specialized biota because private landowners systematically prioritize protection of forest environments. In addition, a Legal Reserve area consisting of grassland environments can gradually transition into a forest environment, if fire suppression practices are consistently deployed over the years (Durigan and Ratter, 2016).
The failure of Law No. 12,727 of the Forest Code, which encourages a systematic bias in overprotecting forest habitats, could be adjusted through state-level laws and decrees. However, according to Complementary Law No. 592, dated 26 May 2017, and Decree No. 1491, of 15 May 2018, there are no provisions for the specific maintenance of the heterogeneity of cerrado vegetation. Moreover, considering Legal Reserves in open grassland environments, a maximum of 50% of exotic vegetation is permitted for the restoration of these environments whenever necessary, according to article 75 (paragraph 3) of Decree 1491. Yet another legislative threat to cerrado grassland environments has therefore been sanctioned by the current state legislation of Mato Grosso. This legal provision allows the widespread introduction of exotic species, resulting in further biodiversity loss in grassland environments (Tubelis and Cavalcanti, 2000; Klink and Machado, 2005; Almeida et al., 2011).
We conclude that the protection of cerrado grassland environments within Legal Reserve set-asides by thousands of private landowners across Mato Grosso and 10 other Brazilian states containing portions of cerrado vegetation cannot be ensured by existing legislation in Brazil. Despite critical reviews of the current version of the Forest Code (e.g. Brancalion et al., 2016), it is necessary to address specific issues related to non-forest environments (Overbeck et al., 2015), which in Brazil have always been considered synonymous with potential farmland. Despite our simplistic analytical approach, our results can inform the elaboration of more effective environmental policy that consider the full spectrum of vegetation types within the greater cerrado biome. These conclusions add to a global pattern of high conversion rates of grassland environments to crops and planted pastures (Goldewijk, 2001). To maintain global biodiversity, native grassland environments cannot continue to be neglected (Bond and Parr, 2010; Parr et al., 2014; Murphy et al., 2016), and effective enforcement of appropriate environmental legislation should reconsider this important habitat.Funding
To CAPES for the doctoral scholarship in Brazil (JB) and the PDSE/CAPES program for the sandwich doctorate scholarship at the University of East Anglia – UK (JB, FRT).
This research was funded by the Research Network for the Sustainable Use and Conservation of the Cerrado (ComCerrado) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Mato Grosso – FAPEMAT (EDITAL UNIVERSAL 003/2014, no. 156666/2014).
JB thank to CAPES for the doctoral scholarship in Brazil and the PDSE/CAPES program for the sandwich doctorate scholarship at the University of East Anglia – UK. FRT thank to FAPEMAT for the doctoral scholarship in Brazil and the PDSE/CAPES program for the sandwich doctorate scholarship at the University of East Anglia – UK.


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Materials ? physico-chemical methods of thier study.Supervisor: prof. Ing. Peter Šimon, DrSc.
|Basic information
This page shows details on the project. The primary projects are displayed together with a list of sub-projects.
|Project description:
|The project is aimed at the development of methods of materials study and their use for real systems. The experimental work will be focused to the study of processes exhibiting the induction period, e.g. thermooxidative processes and phase transitions, using thermoanalytical methods. Non-stabilized and stabilized polymers and other materials will belong to the main objects of the study. From the measurement of residual thermooxidative stability, the equivalency between accelerated ageing tests and natural ageing of materials will be determined. The method will be applied for the life-time prediction of materials under extreme conditions, i. e. in automotive industry and nuclear power plants. Experimental results will be interpreted using theoretical models involving kinetics, thermodynamics and statistical thermodynamics of processes with the implementation of modern mathematical approach, such as the fractal theory and neural networks.
|Kind of project:
|Department of Physical Chemistry (IPC FCFT)
|Project identification:
|Project status:
|Successfully completed
|Project start date :
|01. 01. 2006
|Project close date:
|31. 12. 2008
|Number of workers in the project:
|Number of official workers in the project:

subset: commoncrawl


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Tammy is incredible. I could not have made it through the planning process or the wedding day without her and her team. Tammy talked me off the ledge on more than one occassion, and was there for every curve ball that came our way as we planned the wedding. (Change of musician, change of officiant 1 week before wedding day, change of guest list at the last minute, etc). She was beside me every step of the way. Not one detail went untouched. Thank you Tammy!!!! You took my vague vision and created my reality. The day and night was perfect. We both loved the ceremony and the reception. The hotel was beautifully decorated, romantically lit,..everything we wanted. You're the best. I'm already wondering what sort of party I can plan next so that I can hire Tammy.
Judy – MoB
Tammy and her crew were wonderful to work with. We had an outdoor wedding on a very rainy weekend. Tammy helped us make some last minute changes to accommodate 220 guest. We were able to have a beautiful ceremony and kept everyone dry. She also made the reception under the tents wonderful. A great time was had by all.&
Rachel – Bride
Tammy and her staff were absolutely stellar! They assisted me in planning and then took over the execution of our wedding day. I honestly didn't have to think about a thing on our wedding day except getting glammed up and arriving on time! Tammy and her team took care of every detail. Our wedding day was perfect…and the perfect reflection of us as a couple thanks to Special Moments! You are crazy to hire anyone else!!!


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"Etruk offers a home biodiesel processing plant so you can make your own cheap, cleaner burning (60% less CO2) renewable fuel for your vehicles. The company also offers training to make sure you get it right. For those what don't know, biodiesel is biodegradable and can be made from waste vegetable oil (from restaurant chip fryers for example) or animal fats etc."
Make your own BioDiesel - cheap legal engine power on tap - The Red Ferret Journal


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The artists from YG Family are known for being very close to each other and for their love of doing funny things. They recently began their world tour, and have already begun posting pictures from funny moments on Instagram. Check some of them out below:
Will you attend any of their concerts? Have you already been to one? Let us know!
Source: Instagram
Article by: Ingrid Schmidt
Edited by: Angelspatience
- Excited
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Bored
- Sad
- Angry


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Best practice for Agile development: educate and encourage a 'top down' Agile mindsetJanuary 13, 2016
We have learned at Daitan Group that the extent to which Agile is embraced relies on cultivating a fully Agile mindset, from a project's executive sponsors, through client engineers and extended team members. Success increases if a project's team members, from the top down, are educated on the benefits that result from the Agile 'method.'
Agile principle:
Customer satisfaction by early and continuous delivery of valuable software
Why do we see this as critical? Because key sponsors and project decision makers need to move beyond what may appear, superficially, to be a level of uncertainty about a project. When an executive sponsor cannot get a clear answer to the reasonable question: "when will it be ready, what will the whole product look like, and what will it cost?" concerns can understandably arise. Trust must be built to overcome this. Trust that what will be delivered, both during, and at the end of a project is software that will deliver the right result: a happy customer.
Agile principle:
Regular adaptation to changing circumstances
When working software is delivered, at a regular cadence, in chunks that can be tested with a customer and adjusted for success, overall ROI increases.
Agile should not be confused with quick. But, when implemented correctly, it can result in a faster overall time to market for critical customer features. Appreciation of this benefit should be included as part of the education process.
Agile principle:
Working software is delivered frequently (weeks rather than months)
We also recommend that educating the key business stakeholder is just the start. We have seen project team leaders do well when they educate the wider team on Agile methods as well — beyond just engineers. In addition to C-suite business stakeholders, is worth talking to finance, purchasing, and legal about Agile principles because those teams will all be involved to some capacity on an outsourced project, from a funding, support and facilitation standpoint. We recommend spending time with those teams helping them get to an understanding on how Agile milestones are met, so they can understand how to observe the progress and outcome, and how the relationship with the outsourced Agile team will work.
If you're interested in learning more about our Agile best practices, then take a look at the white paper below. This White Paper defines five best practices we have learned in making Agile software development successful as an outsource vendor, and how we build an Agile-centered relationships with our clients.


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A Catholic Bible Study designed to deepen one's spiritual life through reading and sharing responses to the word of God. It focuses attention on one book of the bible at a time. Groups meet on Monday evenings from 7:00pm - 9:00pm or on Thursday mornings from 9:15am - 11:15am.
Thursday Mornings:
- To learn about upcoming morning sessions, contact Peg Frieden at 817.991.6729 or Click Here to Email.
Monday Evenings:
- Next Study - Biblical Hospitality
- Dates - TBD
- Material Cost - TBD
To learn about upcoming evening sessions, contact Kevin Sink at 817.915.3397 or Click Here to Email.
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During my thirty years of practice I have watched the "relationship" part of the doctor-patient relationship evaporate. Corporate run health agencies, insurance policies, and even governmental regulations have driven a wedge between the doctor and the patient. Under our current model, patients are lucky to spend five minutes with a physician for their visit are limited to diagnostics and therapeutics based on insurance company determined "bottom line" decisions. The frustration is palpable between patients and their doctors.
The paradox is that in our age of accelerating technology and information exchange, there is a better opportunity for the doctor and patient to partner in health care decisions. Based on our genetic landmines that can now be determined through simple testing, medical care can now be personalized. Because access to medical care is now sadly limited, most people turn to the Internet as their first source of medical information. This is extremely dangerous since so much of this information is anecdotal and generic. The headache that John complains of may have no reference to the same symptoms that affects Mary. The Internet helps one decide when to call the doctor; the hard part is finding the doctor.
Letter to Patients ›
The Paradox of Healthcare Today
The Doctor/Patient Relationship ›
Colleagues I Know and Trust ›
Patient Advocacy
Individualized Heath Plans
Treating the Entire Family
Treating Addiction
Concierge Medicine
© david kipper m.d. 2006 |
+site by lightray


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Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum is a museum which houses the Chinese ancient tombs in Luoyang of Henan Province. It is located at the Mang Hill in the north suburb, about 8 kilometers from the center of the city. It is said that the ancient emperors, princes, generals and other public celebrities always chose Luoyang to be buried after their death. With the building area of over 8,200 square meters, the museum is composed of Tang-and-north Wei-styled construction. Between two buildings, the various trees and flowers are planted, so that the museum can be considered as garden museum. Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum was opened to the public in 1987.
The museum consists of tombs area of different dynasties, emperors' tombs area of North Wei Dynasty (368AD-534AD), murals hall.
The tombs are of different dynasties lies in the southern part of the museum. This area are subdivided into overground and underground parts. In the over ground part, you can find white marble gates, "Taixu" Hall, model of distribution of the ancient tombs, etc. In the underground, there are four halls to display the relics according to the sequence of dynasties from Han(202BC-220AD) to Tang(618AD-907AD) and Song (960AD-1279AD) dynasties. The four halls are connected with long passageways. The 25 ancient tombs are situated on the sides of long passageways. With different styles and shapes of the tombs, these 25 ancient tombs also present the architectural arts of ancient China.
The emperors' tombs area of North Wei Dynasty (368AD-534AD) is in the western part of the museum with the building area of 600 square meters. The North Wei-styled building, centering on the mausoleum of Xuanwu Emperor, help you to know the basic shape of the North Wei emperors' mausoleums and the burial customs. In this area, a celestial painting with over 300 stars drawn is precious document to study the ancient Chinese astronomy.
Murals in mural hall described people from all works of life from emperors to the common people. The murals cover the themes of astronomy, geography, customs and others, which owns high historical value compared with other recoding documents.
Admission Fee: Free of charge
Opening Time: 9:00 - 18:30
How to get to: Take No.83 Bus at the Luoyang Railway Station


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The agency has been appointed following a four-way pitch organised by director of communications Mark Oakes (PRWeek, 9 August).
The register is seen as vital in improving the reputation and public confidence of the profession, as those signing up must adhere to a strict code of conduct.
There are an estimated one million care workers in the UK who must pay an as yet undisclosed fee if they want to register. Oakes said: 'It's important there is a focus on seeing those who register as customers. We want to keep them on the register and to do that we are looking into benefit packages.'
The agency has also been hired to work on a separate project to develop a three-year strategy for the body.
The H&K team is headed by senior associate director, corporate and business, Suzanne Prance.
The body, created by the Care Standards Act 2000 and headed by chairman Rodney Brooke is also due to start a recruitment drive as it seeks to strengthen its in-house team.
Nine extra staff, including a PA manager to head media, stakeholder and government relations, as well as being Oakes' deputy, are being sought to bring the team to 11.
The account win for H&K consolidates work it is already doing in the field of social work regulation.
Last week it was appointed to handle PR for the National Care Standards Commission, the watchdog that monitors care facilities and homes (PRWeek, 20 September).
Work being undertaken by the agency includes regional campaigning to promote reports on around 40,000 care facilities across England and the commission's online register, which is currently under development.
The NCSC was also created under the Care Standards Act.


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The Duchess of Cambridge has, in the past, taken a special interest in mental health and in the well-being of children everywhere. Now, with two children of her own, the young mother is striving to make both of those concerns her focus. Just like Diana, Princess of Wales, Kate wants to establish herself as a crusader in charity work that is near and dear to her.
While her late mother-in-law concentrated mainly on victims of AIDS and landmine issues (that's now Prince Harry's terrain), Kate plans to do similar work with children's mental health issues.
Now that Kate has wrapped up her maternity leave, she plans to devote more time to her royal duties. "The Duchess of Cambridge spent a large chunk of last year on maternity leave," an aide told the Daily Mail. "She will continue to focus on her family but this year she will be doing more engagements and mental health is going to be a big cause."
First up is the charity Place2Be –of which Kate is patron– which provides integrated school-based mental health and emotional support services to kids and parents in the U.K., . Will's wife will be the face of a major campaign they are kicking off in February.
According to the Mail, Kate will make a rare video appeal to promote Children's Mental Health Week in the U.K., which starts on February 8.
Like Diana in the past, Kate does much of her charity work away from the spotlight so the focus can remain on those in need. The Duchess has been having private visits with children affected by mental health issues, hoping to teach young people the importance of "bouncing forward from life's challenges."
So for all those who think the Duchess hasn't been pulling her weight in the royal duties department, we think 2016 is going to be her year.


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Catch the Waves
Our unique and effective learn-to-swim program teaches children how to swim and how to be safe in and around the water. Children are curious, capable, and have a remarkable ability to overcome obstacles like pool fences. At Catch the Wave, we empower them with the skills to potentially save themselves if they find themselves in the water alone. Our swim program provides the safest and most effective survival swimming lessons in the area.
Visit our site by clicking here!


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Category Archives: Economics
Money Sense – Primary financial literacy
The Money Sense series provides an effective way to build a strong financial literacy foundation for primary aged students to address learning outcomes in HASS and Mathematics. Each title introduces young readers to basic economic concepts and vocabulary in an … Continue reading
A Guide to Entrepreneurship series
Start-Up Starts Now: A Guide to Entrepreneurship is a series of four titles that directly support 7-10 Economics in HASS in the Australian Curriculum as well as current national directions to encourage innovation. Titles include an overall introduction to entrepreneurship … Continue reading
Posted in Digital Technologies, Economics, Secondary, Sustainability Tagged 7-8, 9-10, entrepreneur, environment, finance, innovation, Technology Leave a comment
Finance & Economics: Big Brands
Titles in the Big Brands series explore the stories behind some of the world's most fascinating, iconic businesses: Amazon, McDonald's, Minecraft and Samsung—how they started, their successes and failures, and how they have changed the global marketplace. The contemporary companies … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Secondary Tagged 7-8, business, companies, finance, food, money, Technology Leave a comment
Finance & Economics: Consumer Nation
Consumer Nation: How to Shop and Change the World asks readers to look behind the shiny front of retail consumerism to consider the role we, as individuals, have to play in regard to influencing consumerism. Find out how the things … Continue reading
Posted in Digital Technologies, Economics, Secondary, Sustainability Tagged 7-8, business, fashion, finance, food, money, toys Leave a comment
Finances & Economics: Urban Entrepreneur
This series showcases a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs drawn from a predominantly US geographic base. Inspire students to create their own success stories. Large print and prose writing style with chapters but no sub-headings. Look inside. Urban Entrepreneur: Comedy … Continue reading
Finance & Economics: Economy and Culture Storybooks
This unique picture book series introduces economic concepts, as well as history, geography and culture through well-written stories evocatively illustrated by artists from around the globe. Each story is set in a different country and to introduce an appropriate economic … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, History, Primary, Secondary Tagged 5-6, 7-8, agriculture, banking, finance, industrialisation, money, trade routes Leave a comment
Finance & Economics: Searchlight – How Do We Use Money?
This series helps primary students build critical thinking and financial literacy skills in order to make financially sound decisions about how they use money and prepares them for making more complex decisions into the future. Topics covered include earning, budgeting, … Continue reading


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There's something to be said about the power of nostalgia in colouring perceptions of the past.
Things were better in my day, the guys were tougher back then, the sport was purer back in our time.
Any of these statements could apply to Muay Thai or any other sport with a hallowed past. And ironically, you don't get more hallowed than the fight business.
Muay Thai, like other popular sports, had a golden age.
From around 1980 to 1995 there was an explosion of talent, money and competition. Countless incredible fighters were produced, pushing each other beyond their limits in thrilling bouts.
Put on almost any video of a fight from that time period and prepare to be entertained by fighters giving it their all from the first bell. Add to that the incredible skills fighters displayed against other elite opponents and even the uninitiated know they're watching something extraordinary.
But what made the fighters so good? Why was this specific period of time so special?
Many of the people who lived though or studied the era have their own explanations. The common threads in their stories help piece together the socioeconomic conditions in Thailand and the daily lives of the fighters outside the ring.
Thailand was a much tougher place to live in back then. Putting food on the table, or more commonly the floor, was a much more difficult task than it is today. Hunger is a great motivator and fighters are driven by desperation and poverty.
A tough, desperate life breeds tough, desperate people. And the promise of money, food, and a better life propels many young men to lace up. Men who have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
In this way, Muay Thai is similar to its counterpart Western Boxing which saw an explosion of young men joining the sport during the Great Depression. Slums and underdeveloped regions are rife with the kind of people looking for an escape.
While the poverty may have been deep, the Thai economy had been booming for decades. Unfortunately, this wealth was mainly concentrated in Bangkok and its environs. The countryside, the breeding ground for Thailand's greatest fighters, was economically neglected. It's the classic story; lack of education, job opportunities, and resources funnel young men in one direction.
From Isaan to the South, fighters fought in that direction to spots on cards at the major stadiums in Bangkok.
Central Thailand has been the seat of power in the country since the days of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and the best fighters from all over find themselves invariably journeying there. It's the promise of the big pay days, from a Bangkok flush with cash, and eternal glory in the ring that draws them. A heady mixture of money and fame for the prizefighters who are considered lo-so or low society in Thailand.
The great Muay Thai stadiums, Rajadamnern and Lumpini, were consistently filled with top tier talent. Getting a fight at the venues was harder and only the best of the best competed there. The fighters also greatly appreciated the opportunity to ply their trade at the twin Meccas of Muay Thai.
It's a far cry from the ease with which fights can be arranged there now. Many low level fights, that would have never have been scheduled, have become commonplace at the stadia today.
It's not easy to imagine, for people who have seen how hardscrabble many Muay Thai gyms in Thailand are, but things were even rougher in the Golden Age.
Training was more difficult back then, no soft padded ground, no good running shoes. Thin gloves, hard bags, and no modern equipment meant fighters with hardened bodies.
All these factors combined to create fighters who were physically and mentally hard.
One of the biggest changes however, is the effect gambling has had on the sport. Go to any fight in Bangkok, even at the temple fairs, and you'll find the majority of ticket buyers are gamblers. This lopsided power dynamic means they have an outsized influence on the outcome of fights.
Rotnarong Daowpaedrew, former Rajadamnern Champion and still endlessly energetic Golden Era legend, notes how this influence has affected the way fighters fight. The fighters take fewer risks and focus on powerful techniques that please the gamblers.
"Back then, a single sweep wasn't enough to sway the gamblers."
Fights don't get going until the third round these days. The fighters take it easy the first two rounds to give gamblers a chance to assess them and lay down their bets.
"We just fought. When the bell went we fought, we fought until the end, never knowing what being tired felt like," declares Rotnarong, confidently contrasting himself with this latest batch of Nak Muay.
Many Golden Era fighters and Muay Thai purists lament the watering down of the sport.
"These fighters today are all sissies," was how Lou Stillman summed up fighters in the late 50's when he sold his iconic New York boxing gym. It's almost unimaginable to think of the Western boxers coming up then as soft.
It's just as hard to consider the young Thais who're coming up in Muay Thai today as soft as well. Their lives are difficult in different ways and poverty remains.
But there really was something special going on during the Golden Era. Something probably impossible to replicate.


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Birthday Parties
Party Tricks From The Penguin
Looking to get creative for your child's birthday party this year? Dry ice is the perfect accessory to incorporate into several popular party themes. Whether you're creating a winter wonderland with Elsa or mixing potions with Harry Potter, The Penguin has you covered!
Elsa's Winter Wonderland
As one of the most successful movies of all time, it's no surprise that Disney's "Frozen" has become a popular theme for parties. Now you can create a winter wonderland just like Elsa with Penguin Brand™ Dry Ice! Place baseball-sized chunks of dry ice in buckets of water around your house. This will create a snow-like effect across the floor. For tips on how to create long-lasting fog effects, consult our Safe Uses and Handling Guide.
Harry Potter's Potions Party
Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's Potion Class – step inside Professor Snape's dungeons to learn how to brew potions just like Harry!
What you'll need:
- A large plastic or metal cauldron
- A plastic or metal container small enough to fit inside the cauldron
- 1 – 2 gallons of hot water
- 2 – 3 pounds of Penguin Brand™ Dry Ice
- Gloves
- Hammer/ice pick
- Towel
Fill the container with hot water and place inside the cauldron. While wearing gloves, wrap the dry ice in a towel and use the hammer or ice pick to break the dry ice into baseball-sized chunks. Place the dry ice into the water-filled container and watch what happens! Add drops of food coloring to create your own unique potion.


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Experience a style that defines your look with this stunning drop dead gorgeous outfit in beige and blue. It features a viscose beige chanderi top with shantoon inner, blue kota doria lehenga with shantoon inner. On top of that, you will find canvas stitch all over and a beige soft net dupatta with this lehenga.
Dry Clean


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366 Days of Me: Days 364 – 366
This is it! My last three days of gratitude for the year. It came around quickly. I'm going to take a week or two off, then start a new daily photo project where each month I focus on one subject/type of photo/idea.
But more importantly, here are my last three gratitude photos:


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KEEPING THEM CONTAINED: Victoria Minicucci, a shelter volunteer, had the enviable role of a referee, which basically meant she got to cuddle the puppies that tried to escape from the turf field enclosure in the heat of their playing. SUPER MOM: Leslie more
Col. Rick Rathbun may take some time to settle into his new role as police chief in Warwick, and that's according to his own words. "I'm getting used to it. It's been a little strange," … more
By ETHAN HARTLEY | 2/5/19
By ETHAN HARTLEY The New England Patriots pulled off the victory that rendered all their hard work throughout a year following the crushing disappointment of a Super Bowl loss last February worth it - and they did it by playing lights out defense for a more
By ETHAN HARTLEY | 2/5/19
By JOHN HOWELL Chuck Lanigan had his suspicions when the State Police pulled away from the hangars on Airport Road. Why would they be leaving when the Patriots were due to arrive any minute? Lanigan's intuition paid off Monday afternoon when south of the more
By JOHN HOWELL | 2/5/19
SHOPLIFTING On January 28 at approximately 8:35 p.m. Officer Anthony D'Abrosca was dispatched to the Bald Hill Road Macy's for a report of a shoplifting. At the store he met with a loss prevention associate who stated that approximately 7:30 p.m. she more
A group of citizens have made plans to thank Col. Stephen M. McCartney for the nearly 20 years he served at Warwick Police Chief at a reception in his honor and start a fund to benefit the department. The reception will be held Thursday, March 14 from more
By JOHN HOWELL | 1/31/19
By JOHN HOWELL When the City Council approved a resolution calling on the General Assembly to approve legislation giving the city $900,000 in payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) as the host city of Green Airport, the immediate reaction of the Rhode Island more
By JOHN HOWELL | 1/31/19
By ETHAN HARTLEY The relationship between the Warwick School Department and the City Council has seen better days, and school department officials are now concerned about being able to fund needed capital projects for the next two summers within a more
By ETHAN HARTLEY | 1/31/19
By ETHAN HARTLEY Rhode Islanders will have a hometown hero represented in the world's biggest game this Sunday (Feb. 3) for the second year in a row. He won't be catching passes from Tom Brady or pressuring the high-powered offense of the Los Angeles more
By ETHAN HARTLEY | 1/31/19 | 1 comment
By JOHN HOWELL St. Kevin School, which was forced to close after a burst heating pipe filled the building with steam and water cascading from a second-floor restroom during the Thanksgiving Day weekend, is buzzing again - only now with workmen in place more
By JOHN HOWELL | 1/31/19


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When someone walks into a room for an event maybe a wedding for example one of the first things they notice is the look and feel and decoration. We are sure you are busy planning all of this and that is why we offer table linen hire in Northamptonshire and other areas too to make your day look as good as it possibly can do. There are no limitations to what we can do, maybe just your creativity and we can help with this too by showing you examples of past events we have done.
Our items come in all shapes, all sizes, all colours and in a vast range of fabric. We can work with any table shape and any number, from small intimate events to large grand occasions. We will always have the perfect style you are after. The finish feel of the fabrics can be satin, chiffon, damask and more. All available in many colours too.
Why not view our table linen hire gallery for ideas and maybe to get your creative juices flowing. If you can't think of anything or maybe you just need help then we can offer some ideas too. See what colours work and what goes together. We have many examples for you to view. Maybe even pop into our showroom and see for yourself and for an informal chat.
Our showroom is located in Sywell in a small village and is jam packed with ideas and examples for your big day. See beautiful decorations and lighting, sets that show how things look too. We can chat over a cup of tea or even a glass of bubbly on what your dreams are for your big day. Book an appointment online and come say hi. Or you can simply fill in the form and we will be in touch to discuss all your requirements.
Table linen hire can transform the look and feel of a room no matter what the size. We know all the little tricks to make it look fantastic. We work with all colour schemes too and supply and fit as well. Our reasonable rates means you could save money too and we know how this can help when planning your big day. Speak to us about your needs and we will offer free advice and a no obligation quote at all times too.
Here at Gem Celebrations we have the experience you need. All our products have been carefully chosen to be of the highest quality and to look amazing. We have been experienced in this industry since 2010 and know all about the hospitality industry. At the heart of our business is making our clients happy and producing amazing results. Speak to us today about table linen hire in Northamptonshire and surrounding counties and how we can make your day look amazing.


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America's greatest fall festival is back, as the NFL kicks off it's 2012 campaign this morning. While I haven't had time to write much in the way of previews, predictions or anything much off the diamond this year (where I'll actually be during most of these games), there's always time to make the weekly prediction sprint around the league.
I missed the Dallas/New York game, so I can't count that one, so the season will be short one in the end.
Season Record: 0-0
Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears: Andrew Luck has a tough spot to debut in, but he'll get plenty of chances to air it out, as the Bears should run up the scoreboard, air and ground. Bears win.
Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns: The Browns enter the regular season still working on roster like it's the preseason. But it's go time now, and the Eagles have a lot to prove this year. They'll get started today. Eagles win.
New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans: The Pats weren't the steadiest they've ever been in the preseason, but Titans don't have the pass rush to shake them. Patriots win.
Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs: Going to be closer than it would seem, if only because of Arrowhead. But it's the regular season and the Falcons have more firepower. Falcons win.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Minnesota Vikings: This should be a matchup of the two of the best backs the game has in Adrian Peterson and Maurice Jones-Drew, but with both curbed for the most part, it won't be much of note. But the Vikings still have a bit more, so they open with a W, and some hope from AP. Vikings win.
Washington Redskins at New Orleans Saints: NOLA isn't the most hospitable place to visit, football-wise, on a usual week. However, with the Saints reveling from the justice handed down via the overturned suspensions this week, and emotions at a high, expect a rough intro for Robert Griffin III. Saints win.
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets: The Bills bettered their rush and are a team that has started quick out the gates the last few years. The Jets have been more circus than serious so far. Bills spring one on the road to start up the year fast again. Bills win.
St. Louis Rams at Detroit Lions: The Rams are starting two rookies on the outside at corner. They'll get baptized into their post-college life by Megatron. But at least it can go nowhere but up from here, even if their record doesn't. Lions win.
Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans: With or without Arian Foster, this should be the beating of the week. Texans roll and Matt Schaub makes a triumphant return from injury. Texas win.
San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers: Game of the week easy, with the league's toughest defense taking on its most dynamic offense. This will be a tough go for both sides, but Aaron Rodgers in Lambeau isn't what you want to try to start a year off that ended so startlingly for the Niners back in January. The Pack wins late in the fourth.
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals: The two teams with the most shocking QB decisions of the preseason tie up in week one. While it isn't an attractive matchup on paper, this could be still be a tight one. Seahawks pull it off late.
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Bucs: Cam Newton had a hell of a debut as a rook, and his sophomore start shouldn't be too bad either. The Bucs aren't anything exciting on D, while the Panthers could have one of the most improved offenses in the L. Panthers win out.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos: It's time to see what it's going to be regarding Peyton Manning's return, and the Steelers are about as gritty of a test as you'll get. But these Steelers are slowing and shorthanded on D, running by committee and still jelling at receiver. For all of these reasons, the Broncos get the W.
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens are problems at home, major problems. And the Bengals will have to deal with being a target instead of a surprise this year. The Monday Night stage awaits them, and a 0-1 start does too. Ravens walk.
San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders: The Chargers are without Ryan Mathews (or anything else on the ground) and are walking into an extra-hostile Oakland for the Monday Night week one finale. The Raider defense has some issues, and Philip Rivers can stretch the field with or without a run support. Chargers win.


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Mr. Nguyen Do
Chairman – VietCham
Partner – YKVN LLP
Nguyen is a member of YKVN's International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution practice. He specializes in commercial dispute resolution, with the focus on construction, international trade, and oil & gas. He also provides advisory work in contract drafting and negotiation.
Member of both the Washington State Bar Association and the Hanoi Bar Association, Nguyen is among a handful of international lawyers who are also qualified in Vietnam. In his practice, Nguyen has represented state-owned group and entities, multi-national enterprises, and private companies in the various forum including US Courts, Vietnamese Courts, as well as VIAC, SIAC, ICC, UNCITRAL and GAFTA arbitrations.
Mr. Jason Ng
President & Chief Executive – VietCham
CEO & Executive Director of VCG Partners
Mr. Jason is currently the CEO and Executive Director of VCG Partners Pte Ltd, the Singapore office of VinaCapital Group. He is also the Chairman of the London Stock Exchange mainboard-listed VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund (VOF) investment committee and also a member of the investment committee for the London AIM-listed VinaLand fund. Concurrently, he is also an investment committee member for the Luxemburg domiciled, open-ended UCITS Fund (Forum One VCG Partners Vietnam Fund). With over 20 years of work experience and valuable knowledge of the financial, banking and investment industry, we believe that he and his team will be able to help establish an industry-specific platform to connect professionals working in this industry and therefore facilitate more business opportunities for financial institutions in both Singapore and Vietnam. We welcome volunteers to contribute their time and energy to help us organize networking events and activities for our industry members.
Mr. Dang Khai Minh
Partner & Head of Singapore Office – YKVN LLP
K. Minh Dang is the senior partner of YKVN and has more than 30 years of experience in a wide variety of international transactions including acquisitions, joint ventures, public and private financings and restructurings. He regularly advises international companies and funds investing in Vietnam and Vietnamese companies investing internationally. Minh has been active in Vietnam oil and gas matters since the mid-90's.
Minh also heads up YKVN's international arbitration practice. He advised PetroVietnam in a successful Singapore arbitration initiated by a consortium of three international oil companies. Minh focuses on complex projects and disputes where YKVN is lead counsel coordinating with other firms brought in by YKVN as co-counsel.
Minh has been recognized by Chambers Asia and the Asia Pacific Legal 500 for many years. Chambers 2016 calls him "a very sharp lawyer with great strategic visions." Chambers 2015 refers to expertise as "spanning the full gamut of corporate issues including joint ventures, restructuring, and M&A." The Asia Pacific Legal 500 2015 describes Minh as "a very experienced deal lawyer, who combines excellent market knowledge in Vietnam and Southeast Asia with a top tier US law firm approach to quality and client serviceí".
Ms. Vu Thi Bich Thu
Chief Representative – J.S.C Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam, Singapore Representative Office, Singapore
Deputy Managing Director – Financial Institutions Group – Vietcombank Head Office, Vietnam
Ms. Thu Vu is currently Chief Representative of Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam in Singapore (Vietcombank Singapore) managing portfolio of FDIs and FI clients. She is also the Deputy Managing Director of Financial Institutions Group of Vietcombank Head Office. With 13 years of banking experiences, she has successfully supported FDIs and FIs through a variety of either standard or customized commercial/investment banking products and services during their journey to Southeast Asia region, especially those to Vietnam market through consultancy, business matching, and networking events. Headquartered in Hanoi with total assets of USD 40 billion and 500 branches and transaction offices nationwide, Vietcombank prides itself on being the primary choice of Foreign Direct Investment Companies, especially of Singapore based ones. Joining VietCham as a Member of Board of Director, Ms. Thu believes her contribution to VietCham will help unlock Vietnam – Singapore business potentials, lifting the mutual relationship to a higher level.
Mr. Vo Hoang Hai
CEO – Epsilon Mobile
Mr. Thng Tien Tat
Executive Director – UOB Venture Management
Mr. Chan Wai Cheng
Director of Marketing and Distribution – Bunge Asia
Chan Wai Cheng is the senior director of strategic development in Bunge Asia Ltd. He is currently overseeing Bunge's businesses in Vietnam as well as the development of new businesses in South East Asia. WC Chan has 29 years of working experience in the feed industry and has been working in Bunge since 1999. Over these years, he had been serving in various capacities including procurement, marketing, trading, industrial and general management in different countries across South East Asia.
VietCham Singapore is a Member-driven organization: the supreme authority of VietCham is vested in the General Meetings of Members. The main organs and officers of VietCham are:
(a) The Members in General Meetings;
(b) The Board of Directors, comprising of no less than five (5) persons, each elected directly by Members at the General Meetings, or appointed or co-opted by the Board pursuant to the Constitution and by-laws;
(c) The President, elected by the Board of Directors among themselves;
(d) The Chief Executive, elected by the Board of Directors among themselves;
(e) The Executive Committee, appointed and headed by the Chief Executive; and
(f) The Advisory Panel, nominated by the Chief Executive with the Board's approval.
The organisation is led by the Board of Directors, and advised by the Advisory Panel. The daily operation of VietCham Singapore is run by the Executive Committee.


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Race and the Medical Profession: How Increased Diversity Could Influence the Way White Americans View Black Doctors
An unpleasant experience I had many years ago on an airplane initially left me angry. But it has since come to shape my thoughts on race and how increased diversity in the medical profession could influence the way white Americans view black men like me. When I was 20, I boarded a flight from St. Louis to Houston for a trip home from college. The temperature was cool, so like a typical student I was wearing sweatpants and a hoodie. Shortly after finding my seat, a middle-aged white woman sat next to me. We exchanged pleasantries, as strangers on a… Full Story


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Residential Moving Reviews
Magic Moving & Storage Customer Reviews
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22 reviews
SAVED THE DAY! I cannot thank the folks at Magic Moving enough! We had so many problems with our other moving company contracted to do the packing portion of our long-distance move. Of course there were a lot of items left unpacked and work not yet finished, an angry mgr/owner who was completely stressed out and unprofessional! Dave and his team came in like the 'Cavalry'! They organized everything, packed all the remaining items, wrapped literally everything with blankets and loaded a semi trailer in less than 6 hours. Everyone on his team we're so polite friendly and extremely professional! After moving over 12 times in the military this team and Magic truly were MAGIC and the best I have ever seen! You GUYS ROCK! Thanks so much again! I will refer you to everyone I know... shout out to David who saved my day😊
Absolutely best move ever! We shopped around and felt comfortable hiring Magic Moving. We hired three guys to move 2 full apartments into one house. Not only was this a lot of stuff but they also did some packing of TV's, lamps, pictures that we had not finished yet. They were amazing, efficient and professional! They always kept moving and everything came in one piece place right where we wanted it in a timely fashion. Will definitely hire again Magic Moving. Great experience and highly recommend them.
I found these guys online and as a frugal shopper they were certainly not the cheapest however they were so knowledgeable and polite on the phone I continued to ask questions. I also thought that her follow up and courtesy calls two days before the move was especially professional! They obviously care about their customers!
Nothing else needs to be said, but I will share my experience. I also rarely if ever write reviews but I was so blown away by this company I feel I must share my experience!
The moving crew was just awesome!! Careful, very professional. they put blankets around and covered wrapped everything!! All of my stuff arrived in great condition and they were very courteous to carefully place things promptly where I wanted them. I had some last minute packing i did not finish but the crew quickly helped me with no problem! Steve and his team were VERY experienced and friendly.
The company is very well managed and a delight to work with!! Thank you again Magic for making my moving experience a positive enjoyable one! I Will definitely refer you guys and use you again in the future!!
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Quick info
Beautiful apartment in the area of El Terreno, a quiet area a few minutes from the city center and the promenade of Palma. It is a house that will be completely renovated with the best materials and with the characteristic Scandinavian style. The surface of this property is 90 m2 approx. distributed in 2 double bedrooms one with dressing room, 2 bathrooms and a large living room with open kitchen. The house has huge windows through which light enters all day and a private patio.
In addition, the building will be equipped with a pool area in the attic with spectacular views of the sea and the city.


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Select your vouchersView All Vouchers View All Vouchers
Get 35% off Jia Xiang Sarawak Kuching Kolo Mee (Marina Square) by purchasing this voucher today!
Satisfy your Kolo Mee cravings at Jia Xiang Sarawak Kuching Kolo Mee where ingredients are air-flown daily from Sarawak. Dig into an aromatic bowl of springy and firm noodles that's balanced with tender char siew.
If you're up for something new, try the Black Pepper Smoked Duck Kolo Mee that features peppery and delicious smoked duck, a surprisingly scrumptious fusion blend that has been well-executed. With a variety of dishes on its menu, there's something for everyone here!
How to enjoy this deal:
1. Select your preferred deal and click "Buy Now" to purchase.
2. You will receive an e-voucher through the Chope App (Under Profile > My Vouchers) or via email.
3. Simply present your voucher before ordering at the restaurant to enjoy the deal.
6 Raffles Ave
#02-220A to 222A
Marina Square
Singapore (039797)
Mon-Sun: 10am-10pm
This is essentially the works- char siew, minced pork, wantons and prawns, all atop a bed of fragrant and homely noodles that'll leave you content.
A unique blend of KoLo Mee and Smoked Duck, sink your teeth into the tender meat that goes well with the springy noodles, providing a satisfying bite.
Looking for more of a crunchy KoLo Mee experience? You'll want to order this crispy and tender fried chicken that balances the firm bite of the noodles.
If you're ready to turn up the heat, the Curry KoLo Mee offers a good kick, complete with potatoes, flavourful chicken and noodles generously drenched with curry sauce.
Craving a bowl of piping hot soup? Warm your stomach with a hearty bowl of fish soup packed with fresh ingredients that'll satisfy and fill you right up.
Sorry we are unable to fulfill your request.
You can only add to the bag.


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Leading Injection Mould Toolmakers for over 30 years
Amey Plastics have been a toolmaker for over 30 years, creating injection mould tools for the injection moulding industry.
In addition to in-house workshop, we have a network of specialist UK injection moulding toolmakers that we have audited and approved for meeting our own high standards of excellence.
We provide high quality injection mould tools, designed and manufactured within the UK at competitive prices and lead-times.
Need more information on our plastic injection moulding toolmaking services? Get in contact with us here.


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Building plot to buy with sea views in the Punta Brava clifftop estate
- Bedrooms 0
- Bathrooms 0
- Size 2,522m²
Exclusive second line building plot in one of the most exclusive residential estates in the Costa Brava, boasting extraordinary sea views.
2,522 m² building plot with a buildable area of 756 m² located in one of the most exclusive residential areas of the Costa Brava; the Punta Brava estate. It is just 5 km from the nearest amenities in the coastal town of Sant Feliu de Guixols. The plot offers spectacular sea views and is on the second line from the sea.
An excellent opportunity to acquire an exclusive plot and design your dream home.
- Sea views
The building parameters in the area are
- Maximum buildable area - 30% (756 m²)
- Maximum footprint - 20% (504 m²)
- Maximum height - 7m
- Ground floor + 1
Building plot in the Punta Brava clifftop estate. 5km from Sant Feliu de Guixols (nearest shops, restaurants, market and marina), 150 metres from the sea, 20km from Girona airport and 105km from Barcelona City.
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2,079m² Plot for sale in Lloret de Mar / Tossa de Mar
- Plot size 2,079m²
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Large building plot for sale in S'Agaro, on the Costa Brava
- Plot size 1,302m²
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- Built size 1,900m²
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Enjoy the best taste with the sweet potato and cauliflower soup. Heat before serving and garnish with some broccoli pieces.
½ Cauliflower Head, diced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Sweet Potatoes, diced
1 Onion, minced
1 Tbsp Garlic powder
2 Goody Chicken Stock Cubes dissolved in 7 cups of Water
Salt and Black Pepper to taste


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Designed to be more than just another base layer, the Core Lightweight Hoody is the foundation that all our SITKA systems are built from. High-performance polyester construction moves moisture through periods of high aerobic activity while drying quickly during low periods spent sitting, glassing or calling.
Weight: 6.6 oz. // Size: L
Body and Hood Fabric: Quick-Dry, Lightweight Comfort Stretch Knit (100% Polyester)
Facemask Fabric: Quick-Dry, Lightweight Stretch Mesh (88% Polyester/12% Elastane)
Polygiene® Odor Control Technology safely neutralizes odor caused from sweat.
Stretch Thumb Loops: Shed layers with ease without compromising your foundational layer.
Built-In Ultra Breathable Mesh Face Mask: Conceal your face on the move and increase your success rate.
Same Product, other uses
Why We Made This
We found that the majority of base layers offered zero technical features, requiring hunters to carry additional pieces of gear into the field to meet the demands of the pursuit. Our solution was to create a high-performance next-to-skin layer that includes technical features to improve concealment and utility. By optimizing breathability and moisture management and adding features not found in traditional base layers, the Core Lightweight Hoody can be used as a standalone piece in hot weather or as the foundational baselayer into any SITKA system.
Product Comments
24 Reviews
order this for spring turkey in TN from start to finish of the season, never had one issues with rips or tearing from being caught of trees and other objects. the hood has plenty of room to wear a hat and cover it and the built in face mask is a plus, it doesn't hold smell and keeps its form and stays tight agaisn't the face and has enough to cover all the way up to the eyes. i order the ascent pants along with it and it was a great match. lightweight and very breathable
Great product, love the hood and face mask. Came in really handy for quick concealment and kept the sun off my face!
This is my go to next to skin layer. I can wear this as an outer layer during early season. The hood is great when you're moving through the thick stuff, it keeps things from going down your neck. I love how deep the chest zipper goes, it works nicely for hike outs and dumping heat. The chest pocket is my go to call holder.
Only complaint is the price is high for what it is but it's one of my favorite tops.
This is one of my favorite basic pieces from Sitka. I run this from my early season mule deer hunts into the late season cold weather hunts. The hood is nice and light, perfect for very slight breezes, chilly mornings, or even to keep bugs off my neck/head while glassing. I'm tall/skinny/goofy looking, but the fit is great with sleeves and torso plenty long. I like the longer neck zipper, as compared to the older model with no zipper (I have one of those, too). Easy to dump heat. Again, I love this piece and it's the baseline of most of my systems.
I wasn't sure how this would hold up. I took it our for a north Idaho archery elk hunt. Whoever has hunted that area knows that it's some of the thickest, steepest, nastiest terrain in the lower 48. For 6 straight days I took this piece through fire and back. It survived everything I threw at it. Thick, awful brush, steep climbs and descents out of creek bottoms, temps in the low 40's-upper 60's. It simply didn't matter. I was honestly shocked at the durability with how thin the material is. I had brought some merino base layers with me but found that they couldn't regulate my temperature nearly as well as this could. I used it for 5 of the 6 days we were out and I wish I had used for all 6. It's become the favorite piece in my arsenal. Can't recommend this thing enough.
Ordered this for an early season dove and teal hunt in Texas and it was seriously like wearing nothing and will also make for an awesome base layer under the new Dakota hoody for when winter hits! You get what you pay for and that's no different with this awesome gear!
Love this hoody! Great to wear on them warm hunts and the facemask comes in handy!!
I own two of these and am thinking about a third. Hands down my favorite piece of Sitka gear. Light and breathable. The hood is just enough for some extra camo or to slow done some bitey insects. The face mask didn't grab me at first but after using it while hunting turkey and deer, I am sold.
This is a dandy lightweight base layer- it utilizes a very light fabric which does a great job of moving moisture away from your body. The material also dries very quickly. I have similar base layers form Patagonia and Outdoor Research, but no one as far as I know offers a base layer in this light fabric with a hood (or camo!).
I utilized the hood almost every morning and evening of elk season. Hiking well before daylight in cool to cold conditions my upper was just the Core Lightweight and a windshirt- if moving didn't get me warm enough, the hood would go up. Repeat in the evening on the way out.
This is a great base layer for active hunters!
I bought this Hoody to serve dual purposes for me so I could ditch the need for a beanie while in the back country. It definitely did that and so much more. The thumb loops are nice when layering which is a nice perk that my previous base layers didn't have. I was skeptical of the "Polygiene" odor control but after wearing the shirt for several days during the heat of early elk season I'm a believer! I now tend to gravitate towards this base layer over all others. My only mistake was in buying just one!
Definitely my favorite base-layer to wear. I like the fact that the hood isn't restricting but offers just enough coverage to keep the cool breeze off and also protects me from the sun on those long mid-day hikes. I usually paired this piece up with the Jetstream vest and was the perfect combination to get me through most of September here in Colorado
Love this piece of gear, by far the most versatile piece of clothing I have. I actually used the light weight gear for an elk hunt early this September in Colorado. This light weight hoody was worn for 6 days straight and was perfect. The hood was great in the mornings to keep the chill of my neck then in the afternoons I would wear it as my only shirt. The only complaint and it is a minor one, is that the material snags fairly easily when bushwhacking. However since this is not what the piece is designed for it is hard to complain. I will defiantly purchase more at least 2 more.
A PHENOMINAL addition for early season Western hunting! Wore mine four straight days on an August archery bear and deer hunt in Arizona.
Hood kept 'skeeters and gnats away and the thumb loops kept sleeves tight for no bowstring contact or bunched up cuffs.
If you hunt in warm climates, get this piece!!!
I just ordered another one!
Such a versatile piece from Sitka. The hood inserted face mask is an awesome feature. The prime whitetail rut dates here in the Midwest were fairly warm this year. I paired this hoodie with the lightweight base layer on warm hunts. I also wore it under my fanatic lite jacket on the colder hunts.
This is a premier warm weather hoodie. I would normally wear hot weather offshore fishing tops and hoodies until Sitka released this item. It will protect you from early season insects and on through midseason chill as a baselayer.
Great item. Nice and cool when needs to be and surprisingly warm when paired with 90% jacket. Was comfortable with just those two items in mid 30* with blowing wind...I couldn't believe it either! Wore it straight with no washing or even rinsing for 4 days and no stink at all. Hood was much better than I thought as it did a good job keeping my neck protected from the wind in the cold, and from the sun in the heat. To me, this would be the only hunting/backpacking shirt I would have if sitka would have made it with the 1/4 zip. No idea why they did not, I would have gladly pay the extra $5-$15 to make this a fully functional warm weather piece. As is, it is very good, with a zip, it would be about as close to perfect as I could imagine.
A great base layer as well as early season top layer. Here in Va the summer can linger into Nov with temps in upper 70s and low 80s on freakish days. This hoodie works great and provides additional concealment. Great product!
I have a thing for hoodies and light weight clothes. Biggest problem I have with light weight/warm weather clothing throughout the industry is it just doesn't hold up to my abuse! After a grueling track on a pig through crazy thick brush with the core hoodie and ascent pants on I thought for sure my clothes were going to be shredded. I'm not sure how it happen but there wasn't a strand out of place on any of my clothing. My mind was blown!! Moral of the story core hoodie and ascent pants = truth.
I love this base layer. I have wore it on every hunt so far this year. The fabric breathes very well and light breezes pass right through to cool you off very quickly on hotter days. The fabric wicks moisture as good as anything ive ever seen and it dries out faster then anything ive ever used. The hood is super functional and doubles as a face mask when you forget yours at home. the hood will actually move away when you draw your bow to allow for uninterrupted locking point on your bow. Sitka has hit a home run with their new baselayers. the only con I have is that it is not that durable and the fabric will pill if any burrs or stickers come into contact. But I have never been more comfortable. I always tell people who haven't used Sitka before to just try out there baselayers and they will see a complete difference in what they are using. I have turned a lot of my friend over to Sitka and they couldn't be more happy.
Super comfortable and wicks extremely well. The new fabric for this year's Core garments is much superior to the old Core shirts and underwear. I love the hood, it easily stretches up and over a cap. The only downside to it is this: it is cut in a particular way so that the fabric almost forms a face mask, but with a little movement (like your head side to side looking for deer) that part will hang down enough that your face is exposed. You'll still need a face mask IMO.
Another win by Sitka. This hoody is perfect for a base layer. It has excellent wicking ability, dries out fast when it gets wet, and is very versatile. On a warm day, it's perfect for a next-to-skin layer paired with a jetstream vest. The Core Hoody is my favorite hunting shirt. I need 5 of them.
Air moves through the shirt well, nice fit in the shoulders and arms!!! The hood is the best feature, overlaps and goes up over a ball cap, almost eliminates the need for a face mask. Don't hesitate ordering up one size, but it is stretchy material too. Either way you are good to go!
I have always worn base layers, but have never truly put them to the test out in the field. I wore the Core L/S for an entire August day tearing down fence posts/barb wire, placing treestands and more in 85 degree weather. My body was bone dry, not a single damp spot on the garment and I felt comfortable/cool the entire day. Needless to say, the garment did its job beyond expectations and I could not recommend it more!
Great shirt. I like the idea of the hood, as even when it is not on my head, it still keeps the back of my neck covered. Something I was not aware of when I order the shirt was thumb loops, not cut out of the sleeve, but actual loops sewn it. If you do not like the loops, don't worry, they are pretty much unnoticeable. I ordered an XL, but usually wear a large. The shirt fits loose in the body as I wanted. I am thin at 6'2" and 180 lbs. Breathes very well in heat and is extremely light.
Kristen A. Schmitt | Photos: Brett Seng - 07.11.2019
Knocking on Doors
Gaining access to private land can be an intimidating hurdle for most hunters, but it doesn't have to be. In fact, knowing how to ask permission can be a hunter's secret weapon, especially when it comes to accessing public land drainages only reachable via private land or, even, opening up a door to private land access for years to come.READ MORE


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Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced another tool in the fight against "sanctuary cities" Thursday.
According to the press release, participation in the Justice Department's Public Safety Partnership (PSP) program will be limited to those jurisdictions that "show a commitment to reducing crime stemming from illegal immigration." This is yet another measure aimed squarely at reining in so-called "sanctuary cities" with federal pressure.
In an accompanying statement, the attorney general said:
By protecting criminals from immigration enforcement, cities and states with so-called 'sanctuary' policies make all of us less safe. We saw that just last week, when an illegal alien who had been deported twenty times and was wanted by immigration authorities allegedly sexually assaulted an elderly woman in Portland, a city that refuses to cooperate with immigration enforcement.
By forcing police to go into more dangerous situations to re-arrest the same criminals, these policies endanger law enforcement officers more than anyone. The Department of Justice is committed to supporting our law enforcement at every level, and that's why we're asking 'sanctuary' jurisdictions to stop making their jobs harder. By taking simple, common-sense considerations into account, we are encouraging every jurisdiction in this country to cooperate with federal law enforcement. That's what 80 percent of the American people want them to do, and that will ultimately make all of us safer—especially law enforcement on our streets.
The requirement for PSP participation will now include local jurisdictions taking certain measures to cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security, including allowing federal authorities to enter jail facilities and committing to providing 48 hours notice before suspected illegal aliens are released. These criteria are similar to those in so-called 287(g) agreements with local jurisdictions like 18 counties in Texas entered into this week.
The news comes on the heels of the final announcement that Byrne Grants, a major means by which the Justice Department supports local law enforcement, will also be denied to non-compliant sanctuary cities.
"These policies are driven by politics and do not protect their citizens. We will fight them with every lawful tool available," Sessions said of continued resistance.