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Product Design Courses in India
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Nowadays products are the most important part of our life, our living spaces and our culture are depends on the various type of products and their structure. Designing a product is an art, it is the making of objects of useful worth to people. Function of any products is the main part that manages larger systems, and why so the responsibility of product designers is continuously rising as she/her realizes the better insinuations of products, and the interactions with users.
The Product Design Programs is specially design that provides the students to understand the variety of approaches, processes and mechanism to deal with human requirements by designing tangible products. In the various courses of product designing that the candidates study, the importance is on learning-by-doing (practically knowledge) and so that complete methods of designing a product is given to a candidate with producing, marketing a product and systems & services.
The syllabus comes in this Program make the students with the understandable concepts of various facts like design research, design ethnography, Ergonomics, Strength of Materials, Design Process, History of Design, sustainable design, Green Design and System Design. Product design courses in India is full with lots of career opportunity, it opened up numerous career options for the candidates. All the products, systems and services created by a professional product designer are used in homes, institutions, workplaces, places of leisure and outdoor spaces for public interface.
Career Scope after Product Design Course
After completing graduation or post graduation in product designing course candidate can works in various sectors such as consumer appliances, healthcare, transport, retail and packaging.
Other market segments for the Product Design discipline graduates
- B2C (Business to Commerce) – This is the organization that dealing with customer Durables, Automotives, Consumer Electronics, Personal Products.
- B2B (Business to Business) - Under this market dealing with infrastructure and facilities like Water treatment, waste treatment, thermal management, building Technologies are comes.
- SME - Small to Medium scale enterprises
- Design Studios
Instead of searching jobs one could also become Entrepreneurs by joining hands with the other graduates such as design disciplines or other professionals like engineering, marketing.
Degrees in Product Design Course
There are two degrees available in this course first is graduate degree and second is post graduate degree. After doing degree from product designing course or engineering candidates can also join post graduate program in Product design course.
Eligibility for GDPD (Graduation in Product Design):
For this program candidates have to complete their Higher Secondary or 10+2 or equivalents like AISSCE/ IB/ ISC during the academic year of admission. Eligible candidates can for GDPD by selecting one college or university for product design course.
Eligibility for PGDPD (Post Graduation in Product Design):
For this degree program, graduate in Design, Engineering, Technology or Architecture, OR Diploma in Design (under 10+2+4yr) candidates can apply.
Courses Outline
- History of Industrial design
- Product technology, material and construction
- Elements of product design and human ergonomics
- Prototype making and 3D modeling with the help of software
- Product graphics, display & control design
- Techno aesthetics details and system design thinking
- Form semantics & package design
- Production, planning & industrial organization
- Design sustainability and interaction design
- Industry internship and design management
Career Thought
Students that want to do this course must recognize ergonomics, material, 3D design, branding, marketing, manufacturing process, lifestyles, trends etc. The products can be from business such as designing sanitary wares, ceramic design work, light fittings, decorative porcelain, material for electrical, pottery and other industries.
Program Contents for PGDPD
Semester I
- Creativity & Innovation
- Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Processes
- GD&T and 3D CAD
- Elements of Design - I
- Media Investigation & Communication
- New Product Development
Semester II
- Elasticity, Plasticity and Finite Element Analysis
- Design for Manufacture & Assembly
- Elements of Design - II
- Human Factors in Product Design
- Mechatronics
- Studies in Form
- Product Design
Semester III
- Group Project
- Seminar - I
- Systematic Innovation
- Detailed Design and Industrial Case Study
- CAE and Rapid Prototyping
- Design Management
- Design of Experiments, Reliability Engineering and Optimization Techniques
Semester IV
- Project
- Seminar - II
Equipments used for this program are:
- Rapid prototyping machine
- 3D digitizer
- CNC machines for turning, milling, spark and wire erosion
- Conventional workshop machines like lathe, drilling machine and milling machine
- Injection molding machine
- Power press for stamping
- General Metrology equipment
- Special software for industrial design
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The transition back to reality and a daily routine is always a bit rough after vacation. However, adjusting my training after a week in Hawaii turned out to bed significantly easier than I had expected. After a successful 10 mile run before the week began, I was feeling more adjusted and motivated than usual after … Read More
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The Best of Runnin' for Sweets in 2018
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Indianapolis Monumental Marathon Recap
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Marathon Training Week 18 + Detroit Half Marathon Recap
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Rock n Roll Half Marathon + Marathon Training Recap: Week 5
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
I woke up Sunday morning,
I looked up on the wall.
the skeeters and the bedbugs,
were having a game of ball.
The score was two to nothing,
the skeeters were ahead.
The bedbugs make a homerun,
and knocked me out of bed.
I'm singing eener, meaner and a miner moe,
catch a whipper whopper by it's toe.
And if he hollars, hollars, hollars don't let him go,
I'm singing eener, meaner and a minor moe.
I went downstairs to breakfast,
I ordered ham and eggs.
I ate so many pickles, (pickles is said in a high voice)
the juice ran down my legs
I went upstairs from breakfast,
to see what was the score.
the bedbugs scrambled thru the night,
to make it 5 to 4.
Date Submitted: 2007-07-05 21:12:48
» Return to Main Page


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The dreaded Chargeback - a topic that some know very little, or (unfortunately) too much about. It's something that every business can face, so I thought I would share with you a bit of information on what it is, how to handle it if you are faced with one, and how to avoid them if possible.
To put it simply, a chargeback is when a customer contacts their bank to dispute a charge on their bank card. This ultimately results in a refund to their card (if the dispute is won), and a withdrawal of the funds from the company that took those funds, to send them back to the customer.
This option exists to protect customers from getting charges they did not authorize, or know about.
A customer can dispute a charge on their bank card under a few categories
Shopify has a great guide which walks you through each of these in more detail - feel free to check that out here!
This is really important information to know as a business owner, as any customer has the ability to place a chargeback against an order on your shop. Especially as a dropshipping store, where shipping times can be long, and product quality is not always handled directly by you.
Not to fret though, as a business owner not all chargebacks result in a refund taken from you - so let's run through the process in a bit more detail.
Here is what typically happens:
If you win the chargeback, those funds are sent back to you, and the payment processor will also typically send you back any chargeback fees they took as well.
If you lose the chargeback, those funds that are in a pending state get sent to the customers bank, and you are out the funds from that order, and likely the product you sent out too.
Keep in mind, this decision is entirely made by the bank who files the chargeback- and not something Shopify, Oberlo, or any other party have any control over.
What to do if you've received a chargeback
If you have already received a chargeback, your best bet is to first reach out to the customer. Send them an email or call them if possible, and ask see if there is any way for them to reverse the chargeback. Perhaps they want a partial refund, or a new item sent out if it was damaged. Or maybe they didn't recognize the charge, forgetting they purchased something from your shop - in which case you could easily resolve it by passing on their order details to them.
Either way, it's always best to reach out to the customer to see if there is a way for them to remove the chargeback, and resolve it together.
If they do not respond, or do not want to cancel the chargeback, it's important to gather all the evidence you have against it. The evidence will differ based on the type of chargeback you receive, but you could collect things such as:
After you gather that, send it off in your response to the chargeback, and give the bank time to make it's decision. Heads up, it can sometimes take banks 90 days to review and decide on a chargeback ruling
How to protect yourself from future chargebacks
If you have not received a chargeback yet against any of your orders, it's still important to be well versed in how to avoid them / better protect yourself. As a business grows, and more customers / orders start rolling in, your chances of receiving a chargeback can increase. Here are some things that I found have helped me prepare myself for this type of situation.
Pay attention to these warnings, and take extra precaution in fulfilling orders that are risky. Even a "Low Risk" order can receive a chargeback, so take these warnings as you wish. A breakdown of Shopify's fraud analysis system can be found here.
Essentially, any order you do not feel comfortable fulfilling - it might be best to cancel and refund.
Though not all customers will feel comfortable sharing this personal information with a store owner, if they are purchasing a high value item, you can assure them it is standard procedure for your shop to gather extra verification before accepting orders. Most customers are okay with this, knowing you are trying to protect them and their order.
This way you have proof of authorization for the order, as well as evidence verifying the customer to that payment method. You can keep this info handy incase it is ever needed in a chargeback dispute.
Small tip, if you are selling items in person - grabbing a signature from the customer authorizing the order is always a good idea as well.
Use a chargeback protection app! One other thing you may want to look into is Signifyd- it's an app you can install on your Shopify store, and they work as chargeback insurance essentially. You get the app to review your orders, and it will give you the "go ahead" to fulfill them or not. Then if down the line, a chargeback was to come through, I believe they cover those costs 100%. So if you are looking for extra protection in these situations, it might be a good idea to explore an app like this!
Be transparent. I can't stress this enough, make sure you are clear about your store policies with customers, as this can save you a lot of headache in the long run. Have an easily accessible shipping policy page, and add the shipping details to the product page and checkout if possible. Have an easy to reach contact section - and answer your customers as promptly as possible. Have clear return and refund policies. Pass this information to customers any chance you can - have the this information available in the footer of your site, send details on this to customers in their order confirmation emails, and update them on shipping details throughout the process. Being transparent about policies, and keeping the customers up to date on their purchases can help alleviate chargebacks from rolling in, whilst also providing you evidence you can use in the event of a chargeback.
All this to say, make sure to check over your orders for any risk warnings associated with them, only fulfill the orders you feel comfortable with, and do extra digging if needed. Make your policies clear to customers, and inform them of these whenever possible. Lastly, protect yourself further with apps like Signifyd.
I know chargebacks can be a scary thing to come across, but as long as you are prepared they don't have to be! Chargebacks are not a common occurence, so you may never run into one on your shop - but you can sleep sound knowing you are ready to tackle one if a chargeback happens to stumble your way.
To wrap this up, I also wanted to provide some additional details about chargebacks that I think are important to note. Here is my list of extra tips and facts to remember!
In most cases, chargebacks are ruled in the customers favour - but not always! Following the proper steps can better your chances of winning the chargeback.
Having a high chargeback rate on your shop can affect your payment gateway, and them accepting you as a client. With Shopify Payments for example, they allow a 1% chargeback rate. If your shop exceeds the 1% chargeback rate, the Shopify Payments team may reach out to you about this - ultimately leading to removal from their gateway if not fixed. It's just something to be aware of, and keep in mind.
Different gateways have different procedures and fees, so be familiar with what regulations are in place with your payment gateway
IMPORTANT: Chargebacks can happen on any order - even partially refunded orders. What I mean by this is if you refund a customer a partial amount of the order, the whole order amount is still eligible for a chargeback.
Let's take this situation as an example - a customer orders something from your shop. They are unhappy with the purchase and reach out to you looking for a refund, threatening a chargeback. Or perhaps they have placed a chargeback already, and you reached out to see how you could resolve this. In either case, a refund is wanted. You agree to refund them 90% of the order- let's pretend the order was for $100. You send them $90 of the $100, thinking the issue is resolved. Not so fast - the customer could pull a fast one and still place a chargeback against that order. In this event, it would still be for the full $100 - so they could have received a $90 refund from you, and now also win a $100 chargeback dispute, totalling their funds to be $190.
Because this exists, always make sure if you are refunding a customer to refund them for the full amount. If a refund is issued for the full dollar amount, there is no way a customer can dispute the charge.
This also applies to when a customer says they want a refund, but for you to send them funds through an alternate payment method (etransfer, cheque, etc). Don't do this either, as they could receive funds from you outside of this payment transaction, and also dispute the charge through the initial payment method.
All in all, I hope this gave some insight into the world of chargebacks, and how to protect yourself against them. If you have any tips and tricks you have found helped in past situations, please do share those with us below! I think we can all learn from our past experiences - and better prepare ourselves as merchants for situations like these.


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What better place to get to know your customers than on the golf course.
I specialise in small group corporate afternoons of between 3 and 7 players.
Allow me to organse and run a golf day for you and your most important customers and make their experience one that they will not get elsewhere.
For more information please email me on email@example.com


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– Great speakers who'll inspire you to try new things?
– Networking/new business opportunities?
– Fun, cool stuff to try, see and do?
If it's a yes to all three, then the INNOCOS Summit is definitely for you.
Come to mingle with the Leaders of beauty industry and hear them discussing Eastern impact on Beauty largely represented by Asia, multicultural consumer, eCommerce, innovation in formulation, AR, AI, etc. This summit is tailored for leaders in beauty industry who enjoy high quality networking and learning from peers in exclusive, friendly and luxury environment. The agenda will mostly feature case study presentation from the most innovative beauty brands and retailers.
Don't leave it too long to book though – tickets are selling fast and don't want you to be left out in the cold!


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24 Hour Help Line
A toll-free telephone service offering counselling and support services to 380 000 children and their families for all issues including the facilitation of child protection services.
The Childline Gauteng Help Line is toll-free (from Telkom landlines and mobile phones) and accessible to all children, families and community members in Gauteng. We are linked to Childline services throughout South Africa. We operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.
The Call Centre service facilitates a child rights and responsibilities culture, through counselling regarding any child-related issue. This allows for the early identification of and practical intervention in children's problems, which averts the exacerbation of problematic situations and serves as a preventative measure.
The Help Line focuses on four specific areas of intervention:
- crisis intervention
- facilitation of child protection
- a referral and advisory service
- counselling
Trained counsellors provide support, information and appropriate intervention including risk assessment, in the preferred language of the caller on issues such as: the physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect of children; adult survivors of abuse; perpetrators of abuse and sexual offenders; trafficking, abduction and commercial sexual exploitation of young boys and girls; exposure and witness to domestic and criminal violence; internet pornography; sexuality and gender discrimination; poverty, homelessness, begging and referrals for social grants; behavioural problems; family relationships and parenting skills; legal issues, maintenance, divorce, corporal punishment; bullying and school-related problems e.g. bursaries and school fees; disabled children at risk; physical health e.g. anorexia and emotional health e.g. depression and suicide; substance abuse; HIV/AIDS, child-headed households and bereavement; foreign nationals and refugee children.


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Brief Description:
Brief Description:
— James McBride, New York Times
Review Quotes:
" The Source of Self-Regard speaks to today's social and political moment as directly as this morning's headlines… Morrison tackles headfirst the weighty issues that have long troubled America's conscience… profoundly insightful."
"Clearly we do not deserve Morrison, and clearly we need her badly…In this collection of nonfiction written over the past four decades, the revered (and sometimes controversial) author reinforces her status as a piercing and visionary analyst of history, society, literature, language, and, always, race… the book explodes into pure brilliance… [It is Morrison's] definitive statement."
–The Boston Globe
"Dazzlingly heady and deeply personal–a rumination on her literary career and artistic mission, which is to reveal and honor the aching beauty and unfolding drama of African American life… Have there been many minds more intriguing, or writers more sublimely challenging? The Source of Self-Regard excavates Morrison's vast well of knowledge. Open its pages and receive."
–O Magazine
"In an era when complex ideas are reduced to slogans and tweets, when language is dumbed down and truth so often debased, The Source of Self-Regard moves with courage and assurance in the opposite direction. What a gift."
–The Tampa Bay Times
"Brilliantly incisive essays, speeches, and meditations considering race, power, identity, and art… Powerful, highly compelling pieces from one of our greatest writers."
–Kirkus (starred review)
"Morrison turns a critical eye on race, social politics, money, feminism, culture, and the press, with the essential mandate that each of us bears the responsibility for reaching beyond our superficial identities and circumstances for a closer look at what it means to be human."
–Booklist (starred review)
"Some superb pieces headline this rich collection…Prescient and highly relevant to the present political moment…"
–Publishers Weekly
- Library Journal Prepub Alert 09/01/2018 pg. 41 (EAN 9780525521037, Hardcover)
- Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2018 pg. 138 (EAN 9780525521037, Hardcover) – *Starred Review
- Publishers Weekly 12/03/2018 (EAN 9780525521037, Hardcover)
- Library Journal 01/01/0001 pg. 76 (EAN 9780525521037, Hardcover)
- Booklist 01/01/2019 pg. 31 (EAN 9780525521037, Hardcover) – *Starred Review
- Library Journal 01/01/0001 pg. 76 (EAN 9780525521112, Other)
Contributor Bio: TONI MORRISON
is the author of eleven novels, from The Bluest Eye (1970) to God Help the Child (2015). She has received the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize. In 1993 she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. She lives in New York.


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Vodafone Greece
|Chalandri, Greece
|Mobile telephony
Wireless broadband
Fixedline telephony
Broadband internet
|€224.2 million (2013)
|Vodafone Group
|Vodafone Albania
|www.vodafone.gr www.vodafonecu.gr
Vodafone Greece (officially known as Vodafone-Panafon Hellenic Telecommunications Company S.A) is the Greek subsidiary of Vodafone. Its headquarters are in Halandri - one of the northern suburbs of Athens. The Display name of Vodafone: vodafone GR,VODAFONE GR or vf GR
Vodafone Greece was established in Greece in 1992 under the trade name Panafon – with the participation of Vodafone Group Plc., France Telecom, Intracom and Data Bank, and was officially renamed to Vodafone in January 2002. In December 1998, the company listed its shares in the Athens and London stock exchange, while in July 2004 it de-listed from ATHEX. Vodafone Group Plc. is the company's major shareholder with 99.8% of Vodafone Greece shares.
Subscriber numbers issued in Greece by Vodafone begin with the 3 digit prefixes 694 and 695 followed by a unique seven digit combination. However, not all such numbers necessarily belong to Vodafone subscribers because of number portability for mobile telephony networks.
As of 2003, Vodafone has had an exclusive contract with popular pop musician Sakis Rouvas as the spokesperson for the company in the Greek advertising campaign. Rouvas has completed multiple commercials for the company as well as advertising the brand within his music videos and albums. Likewise, Vodafone is the primary sponsor to his large concerts and recordings. While other record labels and artists do advertisements for other mobile companies as an exchange for sponsoring, Vodafone is the only Greek mobile company to be advertised primarily by a sole artist, with Rouvas' effort being a major marketing ploy to youth and young adult consumers.
At the end of June 2010, the number of subscribers to the network was 5,500,000, making Vodafone the second largest mobile network in Greece.[citation needed]
Vodafone CU is prepaid sim card specialized for those who turn 18 to 24 years old in which it offers discount prices. It also serves those who are 25 years and older the website of Vodafone Cu can be found on the top*. Vodafone CU is completely owned by Vodafone Greece and doesn't have the same offers as Vodafone


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- No
- No
- 2
- No
- 4
- Quiet
Holiday Accommodation & Location Details
Apple Lodge is one of two holiday lodges at Barrow Farm in North Wootton near Shepton Mallet in Somerset. The lodge sleeps up to four people and has two bedrooms and weekly prices are from £331. Inside Apple Lodge is beautifully furnished and very well equipped for a self catering holiday.
The lodge has large bi-folding doors to ensure you make the most of the lovely views from this great setting in the Somerset countryside. Below are some additional details about the Apple Lodge:-
- Open plan living/dining and Kitchen area
- 2 Bedrooms
- 1 5ft double with ensuite shower & toilet
- 1 twin bedroom
- Bathroom with Shower over bath & toilet
To ensure you have a comfortable stay at Apple Lodge there are plenty of additional features for you on your holiday. The lodge has two Freeview TVs, smart TV and a playstation 3. There is a fridge/freezer, electric cooker, microwave, washing machine & dishwasher.
If you like to keep up to date on the web then the WiFi will come in handy and there is a lawned garden area with terrace and a sitting area with furniture. Parking is available for two cars and the weekly stays are from Friday to Friday. The lodge also comes with underfloor central heating and all the electricity, bed linen and towels are included in the price of the holidays.
Apple Lodge is on a 50 acre farmland which is traditionally run and guests can enjoy these surroundings, there is also 2.5 acres of natural grounds as well. The location is perfect for exploring some of Somersets best loved attractions such as Bath, Glastonbury, Wells and Cheddar Gorge. If you enjoy the outside life while you are away then the Somerset Levels and Mendip Hills are the ideal place to enjoy walking or cycling.
One unusual aspect of staying at Apple Lodge is the chicken coop outside the accommodation which guests are welcome to help themselves to eggs. Within a mile of the lodge is a restaurant and pub and around 3 miles is a shop. Apple Lodge is a charming self catering log cabin in a great location to enjoy a weekend getaway, short break or holiday in Somerset.


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Tuesday, December 8, 2009
We are going to Texas for Christmas. Each time we talk with Alex she will ask "Gamma have you packed your bags yet?" What a sweet girl! She is so excited about seeing us again and I am so thankful for that! I have not done any shopping yet. With us flying we are limited to what we can take. Also, we give our kids gift cards which we all love so all we have to do it buy for the Granddaughters. Two things we want to get for the girls are a digital camera for Alex who just turned 9 and a small bike or skooter for Maddie Pie who will be 2 on the 20th. I love to cook and have just finished my menu for the week. I am sure I will be in the kitchen all day, every day cooking everyone's favorite dishes and loving every minute. I remember how it was to work all day and come home and have to work half the night getting dinner on the table and school work done. I'll try and cook extra's in order to freeze it and let them enjoy it later. Here is a picture of my Grandbabies that Ashley had taken in November. I love these sweet girls!!
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Absence of Love Brings out the Beast in LeBron
It is hard to get by without Love, unless you happen to be LeBron James, who resurrected the Cleveland Cavaliers from a two-game deficit at the beginning of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, carrying the team to a deciding game 7 against the Boston Celtics. Playing without Keven Love, King…Read More
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LUMI-CON is excited to bring you the AMV contest you deserve!
Borrowing a little from the Oscars and Emmy format LUMI-CON wants to give you the opportunity of a lifetime!
Dress your best, Walk the red carpet, sit in special seating, hear your name be called and then take the stage by storm winning a category in our Anime Music Video Award Show!
Do you have a story you want to share? We can't wait to see it!


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Airport Phone: +60 3-8776 2000
Hotel direction: 57.8 km NW
Head southwest on Klia Departure/Route 26. Continue to follow Route 26. Follow Lebuhraya Klia Extension/E6 and ELITE/AH2 to Lingkaran Putrajaya/E6. Exit from ELITE/AH2/E6. Get on Lebuhraya Kuala Lumpur - Putrajaya/E20 in Cyberjaya. Continue on Lebuhraya Kuala Lumpur - Putrajaya/E20. Drive to Jalan Damansara in Kuala Lumpur. Take the exit toward Masjid Negara/Dataran Merdeka from Jalan Damansara. Follow Jalan Damansara to Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin.
On-site parking, fee: 15 MYR daily
Valet parking, fee: 40 MYR daily
Valet Parking MYR 40nett per day. Self Parking MYR 15nett per day
0.7 km W from hotel


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Kevin has been Fly Fishing and Tying flies for Steelhead for over 10 years.
His fly fishing travels has taken him from Ontario to Alberta, Manitoba, Montana, and BC's Northern most regions.
His jet boat allows him to access and fish areas locally and afar that most can't reach by foot.
During this session, he will be tying and demonstration effective steelhead patterns for local use.
See HERE for one of Kevin's past Guest Presenter Sessions here at TFC.


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- Design House: Burberry
- Fragrance Notes: A marvelous blend of almonds, limes and pears, with soft florals and vanilla.
- Year Introduced: 2003
- Recommended Use: daytime
Enjoy the fragrance of a traditional British scent with Burberry Brit, a daytime perfume created by Burberry with a blend of almond, lime and pear notes. The initial fruity scent of this 2003 women's perfume gives way slightly to a white peony undertone that helps balance the sweet starting scent. Further balance is achieved with the use of vanilla, amber, mahogany and balsamic tonka bean, creating a slightly heavy scent that can be used all year long.


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Vietnam Vet Gets Killed By Police After Shooting Home Intruder!
The man who was fatally shot by police after he allegedly shot a man breaking into his home has been identified by a family attorney as a veteran of the Vietnam War. Posted by Abdul
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... I know. I know. It's been way too long since I have given you guys anything fun to read. My last post was before Valentine's Day, which was ages ago! But as soon as I finished that, I spent all of my free time in February studying for my WSET case study exam. Then … Continue reading Mani femminili: the hands of women in Piemonte
Category: Italian Archives (2010-2016)
The very original theme! All parts of the enotecaMarcella blog related to Italy, written before 2017.
I heart Italian Pink Bubbly
February. It's the month to love, right? Well people love to hate Valentine's Day. Did you know the day after is officially National Singles Day? As if in revolt! I don't mind it. I don't really care actually. What's wrong with a day (or a month) to think about how much you love the special … Continue reading I heart Italian Pink Bubbly
Grojean Vigne Tzeriat Pinot noir
My ongoing quest for the month of January is to find pretty Italian red wines to pair with all of my winter "cleansing" foods. I'm sticking to a kind of "you can have your cake and eat it too" mentality. My first contender, and the wine that gave me the idea for this, was the Burlotto … Continue reading Grojean Vigne Tzeriat Pinot noir


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If anyone knows how hot the State of Origin cauldron will be for Queensland rookie Cameron Munster next Wednesday night, it's the most maligned halfback for NSW.
Munster is poised to become the first playmaker to debut in a State of Origin series decider since a 19-year-old Mitchell Pearce was thrust into that pressure-cooker environment in game three of the 2008 series.
Pearce ended up missing a tackle on Johnathan Thurston that resulted in the series-winning try for Billy Slater.
It was the start of a Blues career that has been forever under scrutiny as the Maroons extended their dominance in the interstate arena.
A decade on and Pearce concedes that, in hindsight, he wasn't ready for his 2008 call-up.
"I was too young," Pearce said.
"I remember, I was a bit different. I was 19 so I didn't think too much at that stage. It's probably less pressure back then because you haven't been a part of a series and all the rest of it."
However Pearce believes 22-year-old Munster will be far more comfortable, thanks to the close presence of influential Melbourne teammates.
The Storm's star playmaking trio of Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith will all be alongside the man asked to wear the jumper of injured champion Thurston.
It is arguably the most celebrated jumper in Origin, also following in the footsteps of Maroons legends Wally Lewis and Darren Lockyer.
"If we're talking about Munster, he's a great player and I think he'd be really comfortable around their spine that they've got there," Pearce said.
"Obviously Johnathan Thurston's one of the greatest of all time so he brings a whole other dimension to their team. I don't think they'll be changing too much."
Pearce, who is the Blues' second-most experienced Origin player with 17 games, again finds himself under pressure to deliver the Blues a series win in his seventh year in the arena.
However the 28-year-old insists he's grown accustomed to the hot seat.
"I'm pretty relaxed right now. There's always pressure. We're here to prepare as a winning team and go out there and do our best to win the series for NSW," he said.


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Jonathan Klinsmann improved after 'Too American' critique - Hertha coach
Hertha Berlin goalkeeping coach Zsolt Petry has praised Jonathan Klinsmann four months after criticising the player's work ethic.
In March, Petry blasted the United States youth international -- son of former Germany captain and U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann -- for being "too American" and lacking work ethic.
However, Petry told reporters that the 21-year-old, who is under contract until 2019, has improved his position at the club after accepting the criticism and working on his weaknesses.
"Jonathan has shown the right reaction," Petry said. "He now saves balls he did not save before. He invests even more time in his body, spends more time in the weights room, puts in extra units. I am impressed.
"He reflected himself instead of victimising himself, that's a good sign. He might have been mad at me because of my strong words, but it's my job as a coach to clearly show him how he can get better."
Klinsmann joined Hertha from college in California, and is one of six keepers under contract at the capital club.
Alongside 19-year-old Dennis Smarsch, who signed his first professional contract this week, he competes for the position as the club's third-choice behind the two experienced goalkeepers Rune Jarstein, 33, and Thomas Kraft, 30.
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Cargasacchi "Cargasacchi Vineyard" Pinot Noir 2012 Red Wine
- Retail Price:$50.00
- Your Price:$41.99
(You save $8.01)
- Brand:Cargasacchi
- Availability:In Stock
- Current Stock:1
Cargasacchi "Cargasacchi Vineyard" Pinot Noir 2012
Sta. Rita Hills, CA
Peter Cargasacchi creates exceptional Pinot Noirs; his family estate vineyard is farmed by none other than himself. He planted Cargasacchi vineyard in 1998 when virtually no one, or at least the very few bold experimenters, would have thought of planting in such a cold, windy and inhospitable area. Deep and dark, the 2012 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir has a nose to die for. Rich and aromatic with spices and fresh tilled earth tones, this wine is very well balanced with the right amount of tannins and acid, with fruit that blends evenly. There is a lot going on in this Pinot! You will enjoy the layers and wonderfully long finish. This wine is the perfect expression of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA and is a tried and true favorite of ours as well as many Wine Factor patrons!
Viticulture: The wine is made with 100% Dijon clone 115, the most widely planted scion selection in Burgundy, France. (Origin, Morey St. Denis.) The 115 scion was grafted onto two rootstocks with distinctively different influences. The first, 3309 Couderc, is deep rooting but with poor tolerance for limestone tending to influence for darker, earthier and more tannic wine character. The other rootstock selection, 420a, is limestone tolerant but extremely low vigor due to the effect of a shallow rooting nature and tends to ripen earlier and to influence for fruitier wine character. As planted, both rootstocks devigorate and decrease cluster and berry size. Cargasacchi vineyard soils are shallow, calcareous and extremely high in free lime. Trellis is VSP (vertical shoot position.).
Winemaking: The fruit was hand harvested and destemmed but the whole berries were not crushed. Destemming was followed by a five days cold soak with dry ice prior to fermentation in 1-ton fermenters. Fermentation was allowed to begin with native yeast, and then inoculated with Assmanhausen yeast to assure complete fermentation. Raised in small 228 liter barrels consisting of tight-grained, French sessile oak, the wine completed malo-lactic fermentation and was racked once during elevage.
Vineyard & Appellation: The Cargasacchi Vineyard is at the western end of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation and exposed to severe maritime climate influence. The prevailing northwest onshore marine pattern sweeps inland off from the Pacific and across the broad Lompoc plain between the Santa Ynez Mountains and La Purisima range. The winds are channeled and accelerate through the narrow maritime throat of the Sta. Rita Hills.
In the Sta. Rita Hills, California's southernmost Pinot Noir growing region, the shorter, temperate summer days combine with the extreme marine influence that is further focused by topography, to produce the coolest mesoclimate and longest growing season for Pinot Noir in the world.
Wine notes: The saturated purple hue is opaque with distinctive pinot noir perfume of red and purple berries and violets. In the mouth this is a luscious, richly textured wine that balances fruit, hints of soy, spice and tannin. Exhibiting layers of blackberry and small dark fruit flavors woven with firm, ripe, tannins for a fruit driven, persistent, mouthwatering finish.
14.7% alcohol


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Indonesia, Asia & Worldwide
Examine for up-to-date information on arrivals and departures, together with weekly schedules for international flights, and hyperlinks to all carriers. Worldwide flight booking has became a lot simpler nowadays with the assistance of on-line travel portals. The regular flights operated by Iberia Airways provide links to international locations in Asia, Africa, North America, South America and Europe. The Barcelona-El Prat Airport is situated south of the town and is only a short travel from the port area.
Most of South Africa's outbound international flights are routed by way of Johannesburg International Airport. Before you pack up your bags and leave your property, make sure to check the most recent weather, as it isn't a good idea to tour across the country through the rainy days.
When you've got traveled to one of many nations in the epidemic zone it's possible you'll require vaccination prior to taking additional worldwide flights. If you wish to test in on-line, prepare your trip by reviewing laws, get information on touring with youngsters, or learn how to rent a resort room or a automotive as soon as arrived at your destination.
Discover Price range Airlines and Full service Airlines in a single display screen. 1. …


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Brenda Rose Tharp
Brenda Rose Tharp, age 62, a resident of Laredo, Missouri, passed away on Wednesday, August 8, 2018, in Spickard, Missouri.
A graveside service will be held at a later date at Richardson Cemetery, Laredo, Missouri. Memorial contributions may be made to Cancer Action of Overland Park, Kansas, and may be left at or mailed to Lindley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 47, Chillicothe, Missouri 64601. Online condolences may be made atwww.lindleyfuneralhomes.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of Lindley Funeral Home, Laredo, Missouri.
Cleo Thomas
Cleo Marjorie Thomas, 92, of Chillicothe, passed away Wednesday, August 8, 2018 at the Baptist Home in Chillicothe.
Cleo was born on July 2, 1926 in Wheeling, the daughter of Arley Devila and Gladys Maude Harvey Mace. She was a graduate of Wheeling High School and became a Licensed Practical Nurse, working many years at Hedrick Medical Center. Cleo married Max Thomas on June 22, 1978 in Chillicothe.
Cleo was a lifelong servant of the Lord at the Wheeling Baptist Church. She enjoyed many things in her full life such as sewing, reading and most of all her time with her kids and grandchildren.
She is survived by her children, Gary Brenneman (Susie) of Meadville; Jo Anne Trump of Trenton; Rick Brenneman of Bucklin; Beth Lindahl (Rodger) of Kidder; grandchildren, Angie Hamilton (David) of Meadville; Aaron Brenneman of Platte City; Christie Scott (Dale) of Valdez, AK; Dr. Michael Trump (Melinda) of Overland Park, KS; Chris Stuver (Ellie) of Carrollton; Brent Stuver of Rosehill KS; Kelsey Ehmke (Chris) of Columbia; Charley Lock of Columbia; great grandchildren, Jacob Hamilton (Ashley) of Chillicothe; Kellie Hamilton of Meadville; Buddy Scott of Fairbanks AK; Angela Weaver (Caleb ) of Valdez, AK; Nik Stuver of Rosehill, KS; Carter Stuver of Rosehill KS; Josie Stuver of Carrollton; Lucy Belle Ehmke of Columbia; great great grandchildren, Luke Hamilton of Chillicothe; Sammy Weaver of Valdez, AK; Lunabelle Weaver of Valdez, AK.
Cleo was preceded in death by her parents, Arley and Gladys Mace; husband, Max Thomas; son, Robert Brenneman; grandson, Nick Trump.
Memorials in honor of Cleo may be made to Wheeling Baptist Church or the Baptist Home in Chillicothe and can be mailed to or left at Heritage Funeral Home, Chillicothe, MO. 64601. On line condolences can be left at www.heritage-becausewecare.com
A visitation will be held Sunday, August 12, at Heritage Funeral Home in Chillicothe MO. from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
A funeral service will take place on Monday, August 13, 20108 at 10:00 a.m. at the Wheeling Baptist Church, in Wheeling MO.
Burial will take place at Wheeling Cemetery, Wheeling, MO.
Arrangements are under the care of Heritage Funeral Home, Chillicothe, MO.


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by Mungpi
Thursday, 27 August 2009 22:41
New Delhi (Mizzima) – The palpable tension between Kokang and Burmese troops, finally sparked a clash on Thursday with at least three separate gun battles taking place along the Sino-Burmese border.
The first clash, according to border sources, occurred at about 7 a.m. (local time) near the town of Yan Lone Chai on the Sino-Burmese border. In another incident, the Peng Jiasheng led faction of the Kokang Army ambushed government troops which were trailing them in the jungle. Later in the evening, the two armies skirmished near the town of Chin Shui Haw along the border for more than an hour.
"The battle has begun between the Kokang and the junta's troops," said Sino-Burmese border based analyst Aung Kyaw Zaw.
On Tuesday, he told Mizzima that fighting seemed imminent as tension between the two groups was building up.
According to Aung Kyaw Zaw and other observers, tension began to mount between the Peng Jiasheng led Kokang rebels and Tatmadaw soldiers after the Kokang, like many other armed ceasefire groups, rejected the junta's proposal of transforming their army into a Border Guard Force to be controlled by the regime.
Unable to persuade the ceasefire groups to transform, the junta had extended the deadline for the groups to decide on the proposal to October.
Though Peng and his loyalists had rejected the proposal, the junta exploited fissures in the Kokang force as Bai Xuoqian, deputy to Peng, was keen to comply with the junta's proposal.
Meanwhile, government troops have been infiltrating Kokang Special Region (1) under the pretext of drug eradication, setting up a Regional Operation Command in Lao Kai.
Government troops and police raided Peng's residence in Lao Kai on August 8 and again on August 21. But Peng evaded both the raids.
Following the raids, the Lashio police station on August 22 served a summons to Peng and three other colleagues, including his brother, to appear before the court. But the four did not show up and as a result the court issued an arrest warrant for Peng and his group.
On the wanted list of the Burmese junta, Peng and his troops, as of Tuesday, moved out of Lao Kai to the north, having lost control over Kokang's capital.
On Tuesday, sources said government troops reorganized the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and installed Bai Xuoqian as their leader.
But Aung Kyaw Zaw said, "Most of the Kokang troops have joined Peng and only a few remain with Bai in Lao Kai. Bai does not really have an army with him."
Once members of the powerful Burma Communist Party (BCP), MNDAA, or the Kokang Army, broke away from the BCP in 1989 and signed a ceasefire agreement with the ruling junta the same year. The ethnic Chinese Kokang, following the ceasefire pact, enjoyed special privileges and were allotted several business concessions.
Mizzima's correspondent on the Sino-Burmese border added, "Peng's troops are now literally breaking away from the ceasefire agreement and are hiding in the jungles."
Phoe Than Gyaung, spokesperson of the Burma Communist Party, on Thursday said he is aware of the ongoing conflict and tension in the Kokang area and feels sad that they have also fallen victim to the junta's old and devious trick of divide and rule.
"It is the junta's tactic to always divide the groups. Though the Kokang has broken away from us, we consider them our good friends and it is sad that there is a conflict amidst them," Phoe Than Gyuang elaborated.
But he hoped that the Burmese junta might not come down heavily on the Kokang Army as they are busy with plans for the 2010 general election and handling the internal political situation revolving around the sentencing of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Aung Naing Oo, a Thailand-based analyst, on Wednesday told Mizzima that the Kokang case is another classic example of the junta's tactics in action, and other ceasefire groups including the United Wa State Army (UWSA) can start preparing for their turn.
The UWSA and Kokang Army both broke away from the BCP, once a powerful group that posed a direct threat to the Rangoon government. But the loss of the UWSA, Kokang Army and other groups drastically weakened the BCP to where it is, today, almost non-functional with only a few remaining members.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Fighting breaks out between Kokang and government troops
Posted by Mizzima at 11:26 AM 0 comments
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Welcome to My Blog
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Where Does Bad Journalism End And Fake News Begin?I'm sure we've all heard criticism from the US President, and others, of the New York Times, and because of the era we're in, we dismiss that criticism because of who it's coming from. Should we? On May 24th the New York Times ran a story, an exclusive, with details about the Manchester bombing. That article can be found here. Found at the Scene in Manchester: Shrapnel, a Backpack and a Battery The Author, C.J. Shivers, is no new-dog-on-the-block. Shivers is a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist – but wow did he get this one wrong. Now, the title of this blog questions when poor journalism becomes fake news. So, the part in question is towards the end of the New York Times article. Currently it reads as this: It is not clear from the law enforcement images if the object was a simple plunger switch, or included a timer or a receiver that could be operated remotely via radio signal – or some combination, or something else. Such redundancy, if the object was the switch, could give the bomber or a cell more than one option for deploying the device, and suggest that the bomb was not as simple in design as many terrorist devices, which often are crude and prone to failure or haphazard effect. However, this was not the original text as posted. When the New York Times article went live originally, it included the following section: (the differences are in bold) It is not clear from the law enforcement images if the object was a simple plunger switch, or included a timer or a receiver that...
Sinn Féin have been barking up this tree before. And caved before tooMany commentators have been quick to make the point that Sinn Féin are hanging their hat (and the future of the devolved Northern Ireland institutions…) on getting agreement to implement an Irish Language Act, but yet no such red line was drawn in previous post-election talks. Not so. This Belfast Telegraph article from the late Liam Clarke highlights what has transpired previously. This was written 2 weeks before the Stormont House Agreement was signed. Sinn Fein has set out a list of demands – ranging from millions of pounds in Stormont funding to an Irish Language Act – it wants to see movement on before signing off on any deal on welfare reform and the budget. Conor Murphy MLA (then an MP), said: It (the government) has failed to implement commitments such as Acht na Gaeilge (an Irish Language Act), the Civic Forum, an all-island Consultative Forum, North South implementation bodies and a Bill of Rights…The British Government has also refused to address its role and responsibilities in dealing with the legacy of the past. One observation I would make here is that in 2014, Conor Murphy seemed to accept, from the above language, that the responsibility for an Irish Language Act lay with Westminster and not at the door of the DUP. Following Sinn Féin laying out their stall in 2014 (as they have once again…), the DUP's Gregory Campbell MP infamously said that the DUP would treat Sinn Féin's entire wish list as "no more than toilet paper." As it transpired, Sinn Féin signed up to the Stormont House Agreement with no guarantee on an Irish Language Act –...
Nationalism, Unionism, and a lack of PragmatismI would consider myself a unionist, if other unionists didn't make it so fucking hard. Mike Nesbitt said, somewhat bravely, that he would be transferring to the SDLP, his fellow opposition party, in the 2017(a) Assembly Election. Thus bucking the typical, 'transfer to other unionist' instruction that has become an ever-present feature of tribal election literature. (And of course, on the nationalist side) Bravo Mike, bravo. This is the first act I've seen from Northern Irish political-unionist leader that has ever made me stop and think, "maybe… just maybe, there's hope for them…" Of course, it's full of nuance – in Nesbitt's voting constituency, East Belfast, Andy Allen (UUP) isn't exactly odds on to be re-elected, and even if he is, by the time he gets passed, the SDLP's Séamas de Faoite will have been eliminated hours earlier, it's an irrelevancy. But it's the symbolism. The UUP voters that do listen to Mike or think like he does, will likely than transfer back inside the unionist club. (Although again, it's not unlikely that Andy Allen won't get re-elected, and if he does it will almost certainly be as the last candidate over the line.) The Northern Ireland Executive will be headed by a unionist party, and a nationalist party. Mike has made the pragmatic decision that he would rather that the nationalist party was the SDLP – and why the hell not. I have no doubt that the DUP would much rather that the largest nationalist party was the SDLP as well. Pragmatism: the quality of dealing with a problem in a sensible way that suits the conditions that really...
NI Waiting Lists are costing me my visionOn the 5th of April 2016 I had eye surgery. Quite a horrible procedure actually, for an eye disorder called Keratoconus. The plan pre-surgery was for me to have an operation on one eye, and then approximately six weeks later, to have the operation on the other. It's now the 10th of February 2017, and when I called the Royal Victoria Hospital today, I was told "there's no date for you yet, but I'll email again and ask if there's a rough estimate for you." I'm not filled with confidence. A little background: Keratoconus is a degenerative disorder of the eye, where the cornea warps into a cone shape, rather than the perfect curve which most people have. The lower eyeball in the graphic above shows what happens when light hits my eyes. Instead of it being focussed on my optical nerve, it bounces around, causing some problems. I get photophobic very easily. I wear sunglasses a lot, even indoors, and often at twilight when driving, because lights from cars just play havoc with my vision. I get headaches because of light sensitivity and in general my vision is getting bad. Five years ago, my vision was perfect… I mean like Legolas in Lord of the Rings perfect. Then i noticed my left eye was rapidly becoming harder to see clearly with, so i went along to an opticians who said it looked like I had Keratoconus (KC) and I should seek a referral to an Opthalmologist. Which I did and it was confirmed. In my left eye, it had progressed quite a lot, in my right eye though it...
DUP, RHI, Twitter Suspension, Censorship, and OpticsUpdate: 31/1/17: my account has been suspended again. For the same reason and for the same tweet. Appeal 1 was rejected. So far. Update: 30/1/17: following 7 appeals through twitter support, all rejected; I contacted a number of senior Twitter figures. One of them responded and engaged, they took the time to listen and to actually care. Thanks to them, they saw that the complaint against me had absolutely no basis in fact and was against no rule. As such; I was immediately reinstated and the contested tweet remains. Victory. However, it shouldn't be THAT hard to get a fair hearing. I am currently suspended from twitter. My account, www.twitter.com/belfastbarman, is visible to people, however I am unable to access it. On Friday 27th at around 10am, I was using the Twitter app on my iPhone, when it suddenly switched to the following displayed message. Not understanding what had happened, at all – and I truly mean, at all. I clicked, 'Start.' Which presented me with the following message. At this point, I believed I knew what the issue was. So let me explain. The DUP, Northern Ireland's largest political party, far-right conservatives, staunchly Christian-fundamentalist, and currently embroiled in the, 'Cash for Ash,' scandal, also known as RHI. The DUP announced a candidate for the East Antrim constituency who runs a company called, 'Stephen Ross Boiler Services & Repairs. Stephen Ross is also currently an elected Councillor in Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council… in light of the, 'Cash for Ash,' scandal, I believed that announcing Cllr Ross as a candidate was deeply ironic and had terrible, (pardon the political term…)...
Donald Trump Appears To Be So Desperate For Cash That He Is Breaking The LawAs someone who was born in the UK and lived almost exclusively here since birth, with a brief period in Canada, I was quite surprised that Donald Trump was asking for my help in his campaign to become president. What could I do that the hundreds of millions who actually are American could not? As someone who makes a big deal out of being rich, why does he need $35 from me? And is that even legal? No. I've never registered support for any American presidential candidate. There are two plausible options as to how I got this email. Trump or one of his team randomly entered my email address into their database. Trump or one of his team has bought mailing lists in bulk from some marketing company, now he is sending mailshots to people who have no involvement whatsoever in Trump's campaign, the Presidential campaign in general or even have nothing to do with America and AREN'T AMERICAN. But I definitely did not 'opt-in'. I mean, I've not registered support for either candidate… of course I think that Trump is an evil runt of a man who might in fact be being controlled in a Lord Voldemort/Professor Quirrel-esque way by Dougal from The Magic Roundabout who has become symbiotically entwined with Trump's brain… But ultimately, until the Dougal theory is proven, Trump is potentially in breach of Federal Election Commission legislation governing who can and can't donate to an American Presidential campaign. He is DEFINITELY trying to persuade ME to act in breach of the FEC legislation.. Can non-US citizens contribute? Foreign nationals are prohibited from making...
The Makings of a Homeless TeenagerI've been meaning/wanting to write this for a while but keep talking myself out of it – I'm reasonably sure the catharsis of putting in the effort will either be beneficial or ruin me; we'll see. I also don't want it to seem self indulgent, it absolutely isn't. That's the caveat out of the way. Many times now I've spoken about my experience of being homeless, through this site, Slugger O'Toole, BBC and others. I'm always acutely aware how these tend to be reduced to a specific angle or a particular soundbite, I wanted to share a less filtered account. I became homeless because my mother and her partner drank instead of paying rent; it's that simple really. A long, long time ago in a land kinda near here my mother and I moved to England to be with a guy she had met; seems reasonable enough. He seemed an OK kinda guy, he had one of those Nokia Communicator phones, big and brick like but opened length ways and became like a palm pilot – he also had a laptop he let me play on, command & conquer was the only game… I was grand with that. We'd been on the south coast for about 3 years I think when we ran into difficulties, I would have been maybe 14. She had job after job (they never seemed to last long) working in most of the pubs in the area (it seemed that way anyway). Ending up in a basement flat in a village called Hassocks (we ended up here after being kicked out of our previous house...
Spotlight, Spotlight & Jamie BrysonWatching BBC Northern Ireland's Spotlight program tonight, regarding the NAMA sale and Frank Cushnahan, among others… something occurred to me that suddenly lifted a cloud of misunderstanding. When Jamie Bryson first wrote his blogs where he named certain individuals, political leaders among them, I watched eagerly, waiting to see the evidence… there appeared to be none. I, and many many others gave him some serious amount of shit for being a bullshitter… I think at this point, most people engaged with current affairs and politics in Northern Ireland, assumed there has to have been some level of truth behind it, but the lack of evidence was just galling. We wanted him to be right, and he just flunked it. Or did he… I spoke some months ago with an MLA who had seen what evidence Bryson submitted that day to the committee, they told me that there was, "definitely something there, but it was outside of our terms of reference, it's been passed on to the relevant authorities." MINOR SPOILER ALERT FOR THE MOVIE SPOTLIGHT. I watched the Oscar winning film, 'Spotlight' yesterday, if you haven't seen it, there's a fantastic part where the Spotlight (of the Boston Globe) team are trying to get some documents revealed by a court, documents that were legally, "under seal," – and it's a struggle they seem to be losing at the time. There is a reveal moment where a lawyer involved in the case says that he applied to the court to depose a priest who had been guilty of child abuse, a lawyer for the church filed against this. At this...
Kindness Drawers – A New Innovation in GivingOn New Year's Eve, when many of us will have been socialising with friends, maybe having a few drinks and waiting for the Official Announcer of The Years, Jools Holland, to tell us that 2016 has arrived, some wonderfully compassionate fellow Northern Irelanders were installing the Kindness Drawers in the centre of Belfast. The idea is so simple it's almost embarrassing… Created by the people who brought Belfast the Homeless Pod, Common Law NI, a year before, a stack of 2 shelving columns where people who have things to donate, can leave items – and homeless people who are in need of items, can get them. There are a plethora of groups doing great work in Belfast on supporting and helping the homeless and a dearth of people willing to help however they can – I saw a great number of initiatives over the Christmas period where people were organizing giving to help people in need… this is in the same vein, but with no fuss – you can fill a shoebox and give it to an outreach organization, of course you can, and more power to you… Or, if you're so inclined, you can drop it yourself when you're able to, directly into the Kindness Drawers yourself, no need to wait for a local group to start an initiative… help how you can, when you can. There's definitely something to be said for people who are homeless being able to help themselves. Obviously, this stuff is donated… but instead of having to go to a charitable group or wait until and outreach organization comes along and asks if...
#OccupyQUB ended as it started – not with a bang, but a whimperThe, "Civil Rights Movement," has ended… (their words… not mine – Civil rights defines as – "the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality." Quite how occupying a building and saying "we're not leaving unless you do something we tell you to do" fits into social freedom and equality, I'm unsure). #OccupyQUB "took over" a couple of cubicles in the finance office of the administration building of Queens University Belfast, their demands? Fossil Free QUB had been campaigning for some time to encourage QUB to divest from fossil fuel companies such as Shell, BP, Gazprom and others – in fairness, this is a noble cause and one that I and many others will support. The problem arises when ultimatums are brought into the arena – "Do this or else." Who responds well to that kind of activity? Prior to the, "Occupation," – such as it was, Queens had said there will be a workshop on the issue on the 6th of January, they had also pledged to review their investment policy (which would take between 6-9 months). Queens released the following statement, Queen's statement "At its meeting on 14 October 2015, the University's Investment Committee agreed to carry out a comprehensive review of its Investment Policy. The review is expected to take 6 – 9 months and will be informed by best practice in the area of 'Socially Responsible Investment.' "As part of this review the University has engaged directly with students from Fossil Free QUB. To help inform the investment policy review, a workshop will be held in early January 2016 (6th...
An Open Letter To Refugees Coming To Northern Ireland…I consider myself an average Northern Irish citizen, and as such I'd like to extend a warm welcome to any and all refugees coming to Northern Ireland to escape persecution, war and conflict. Hello and welcome to you all – Dia Daoibh agus Céad Míle Fáilte Romhaibh. The difference between where you're from and Northern Ireland is probably quite massive, so I thought it might be handy to write a wee (little) guide for you to refer to. 1: You may think you know English… disregard all of that knowledge, it's outdated… we may technically speak English but it's mostly unrecognisable to the outside world. This blog from Sarah Arnold may help. 2: You should perhaps start taking anti-cholesterol medication as soon as possible, our standard diet will destroy you. 3: Vegetable roll is not for you. 4: Do not… repeat, DO NOT try to go to Primark on a Saturday. 5: Ask NO questions about Daniel O'Donnell, it's best left alone. 6: Make sure, before you go into a shop, that it is in fact a shop… some of our shops aren't real, they're just there for decoration. 7: Larne isn't as bad as people make out it is. 8: But still, don't go to Larne. 9: You may have heard of the 'Emerald Isle', you should also become accustomed to the phrase 'Gray Skies'. 10: Don't be confused by the 'Westlink', despite the name, the road runs pretty much North-South. 11: If you will be driving, you should acquaint yourself with the following places and avoid them: Black's Road, Grosvenor Road, Chichester Street, Ormeau Road, Sandyknowles, Short...
Tragedy Whataboutery – And Why Resonance Is KeyRaise your hands if you've seen something like this doing the rounds lately… It reminds me of one of my favourite stand-ups, Glenn Wool, who during a great set on religion mentions Islam and follows it up with, "but I have to criticise ALLLLLL religions equally otherwise you'll be branded an Islamophobe." This is definitely worth a watch if you're interested in a bit of inoffensive religious humour… So I guess the question is, why does it matter? I don't claim to speak for 'everyone, everywhere', but I'm pretty confident that I'm in the same mindset as a great many people here… I don't think anybody should be murdered. I think terrorism is bad. I think a terrorist who attacks Paris, London, New York, Coleraine or Walmington-on-Sea is just as much of an asshole as a terrorist who attacks Beirut, Damasak, Mamasapano, Gush Etzion or Hebron. I think the victims of a shooting in all those places are just as missed as each other, their deaths should equally be mourned and justice should be pursued with equal fervour. I've never been to Beirut, Damasak, Mamasapano, Gush Etzion or Hebron, I'm not sure I know anyone who has – and that's not the fault of anyone, I just don't. I've been to Paris, I've friend's in New York, I've lived in London, I'm writing this article from Coleraine and I was a big fan of Dad's Army as a kid so Walmington-on-Sea holds a special place in my childhood. It doesn't mean I care less, it means attacks on the second list don't resonate as much as on the first...
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