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These handmade pincushions are easy to make, but also make a special and charming gift for anyone who likes to sew. -Joelle
Circular Template – Your finished pincushion will be about half as big as your template. I made the tiny pincushion with a 5 1/2-inch circular template from Creative Grids. The large pincushion was make with a dinner plate that measures 8 1/2-inches.
Fabric – Wide enough to accomodate your circular template. The fabric used for the tiny pincushion is a 19th Century Reproduction Fabric from Windham Fabrics. The fabric used for the large pincushion is a lovely print from Yuwa Fabrics.
Wool Felt – We have a wide selection available here.
Fabric Scissors – For cutting the fabric, I used my beloved 8-inch Gingher Dressmaker Shears, but of course you can use any kind of sharp scissor.
Fabric Marker – For tracing circle onto the back of your fabric. I always prefer to use a sharp pencil to mark my fabric.
Hand Quilting Thread – Hand quilting thread is very strong so you can pull the top of the pincushion very tight without worrying about your thread breaking.
Embroidery Thread – This should match or compliment your wool felt. I used Valdani's Pearl Cotton #12 because it has a beautiful sheen and comes in the perfect colors.
Sharp Embroidery Needle
Stuffing – I used Natural Cotton Stuffing which works very well for pincushions because you can get the cushion to be very dense and solid with it.
1. Trace circle on back of fabric with pencil. Use your fabric shears to cut on drawn line.
2. Turn edge of circle about 1/4 inch to the wrong side and secure it with a gathering stitch. (A gathering stitch simply goes in and out of the fabric so that when you pull the thread you create gathers.)
3. Pull the thread as you go.
4. Once you've gone all the way around, pull thread taut, but leave an opening in the top. Leave thread on the needle, do not tie off.
1. Stuff pincushion as firmly as possible. I prefer to use Natural Cotton Stuffing because you can get the cushion very firm, which makes it nicer to use.
2. Pull thread taut, tie off end of thread. (Note: your pincushion will not be completely closed).
1. Cut out a small circle of wool felt for the pincushion topper. It should be large enough to cover the opening of your cushion by at least 1/4-inch in all directions.
2. Thread embroidery needle with an 18-inch length of embroidery thread. Tie a knot in the opposite end.
3. Pull needle and thread through felt so that the knot is on the wrong side. Place felt on top of cushion.
4. Push needle back down through the topper and out of the bottom of the cushion.
1. Wrap embroidery thread around the top of the cushion, underneath the topper, and back around to the bottom. Catch the needle in the thread coming out of the bottom of the cushion. Pull thread taut. Wrap embroidery thread around the cushion two more times, catching the needle in the thread coming out of the bottom of the cushion and pulling the thread taut each time.
2. Tie a knot in the thread as close to the bottom of the cushion as possible. Push needle down through bottom and out about 1/4-inch away. Pull thread taut to pop the knot inside the cushion. Trim thread end.
1. Thread embroidery needle with an 18-inch length of embroidery thread. Tie a knot in the opposite end.
2. Insert needle into the opening of the pincushion underneath the topper. Push needle up through pincushion fabric and out of the topper (about 1/8-inch from the edge of the topper). Pull needle through.
3. Stitch topper to pincushion fabric all the way around.
4. Once you have stitched all the way around the topper, tie a knot in the thread as close to the pincushion as possible, push needle through fabric right next to the edge of the topper and back out again about 1/4-inch away. Pull thread taut to pop the knot inside the cushion. Trim thread end.
These simple pincushions make a sweet gift for anyone who likes to sew. Make the gift extra special by including a box of Clover's Glass Head Fine Patchwork Pins (my favorite!). — Joelle

subset: commoncrawl


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|"He is definitively not off the table"
Last year dictator Vladimir Putin was held on Finland's criminal blacklist (although he was later removed from it). Now it is time for both Finland and the rest of the Free World to put him back where he belongs - the sooner, the better:
"As the White House has made clear, we don't usually start off by sanctioning heads of state, but imposing sanctions on Putin is an option," the spokesperson said Thursday after the publication of Newsweek's cover story on sanctions. "He is definitely not off the table."--
If blacklisted, Putin would join a handful of other heads of state who have been sanctioned over the years, including former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Saddam Hussein, the former ruler of Iraq, and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
Read the entire article here


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Beat the Streak Report: Weekend, Aug. 21-23
Today's recommended picks
Jason Bay, OF, Red Sox
.444 AVG (12-for-27) since '04 vs. Yankees starter Andy Pettitte
David DeJesus, OF, Royals
.500 AVG (6-for-12) lifetime vs. Twins starter Nick Blackburn; Blackburn: .296 AVG against in '09
Matt Kemp, OF, Dodgers
.500 AVG (6-for-12) lifetime vs. Cubs starter Randy Wells
Saturday's recommended picks
Freddy Sanchez, 2B, Giants
.545 AVG (6-for-11) lifetime vs. Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa
Ichiro Suzuki, OF, Mariners
.429 AVG (6-for-14) lifetime vs. Indians starter Aaron Laffey
Joe Mauer, C, Twins
.421 AVG (8-for-19) lifetime vs. Royals starter Kyle Davies
Sunday's recommended picks
Hanley Ramirez, SS, Marlins
.526 AVG (10-for-19) lifetime vs. Braves starter Derek Lowe
Chipper Jones, 3B, Braves
.526 AVG (10-for-19) lifetime vs. Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco
Yunel Escobar, SS, Braves
.538 AVG (7-for-13) lifetime vs. Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco
BTS all-time leader: Michael Karatzia, 49
MLB all-time leader: Joe DiMaggio, 56
Yesterday's results
With a couple of BTS heavy hitters having recently fallen from the top, the contestants in the next wave of leaders are looking to prove they have the staying power to reach 40 games and beyond.
Current top dog nicklarsen84 pushed his streak to 34 games with a 1-for-4 game from Ichiro Suzuki. Motorhead went with the hot-hitting Hanley Ramirez (1-for-4) to remain one game behind, while third-place fan diamondmike recived a 2-for-4 effort from Nick Markakis to move up to 32 games.
Yesterday's Top 5 most selected players
1. Hanley Ramirez (FLA): 14.5%, 1-for-4
2. Ichiro Suzuki (SEA): 10.0%, 1-for-4
3. Albert Pujols (STL): 7.4%, 0-for-4
4. Carl Crawford (TB): 5.4%, 1-for-5
5. Joe Mauer (MIN): 4.5%, 1-for-4
12 Comments
Ichiro will be a big pick tonight you watch.
Ichiro will be a big pick tonight you watch.
Tulowitzki not starting vs. Giants tonight … look for the PH, one AB death-syndrome.
Ichirio looks good for Saturday too.
Conventional wisdom told me not to take Ichirio today – so I took him!
1/3 of players today took Ichirio or Mauer.
The leader board will look like a sunami hit it if these two do not get hits.
I've got a good feeling about the "The Little Magican" again today.
How about that Yankee – Sox game yesterday? No one told me that they were going to be playing football! Even with another touchdown and two point conversion the Sox would still have come up short 🙂
Wow…if I had Jeter right now, I would be really **********!
The Yankees pinch-hit for him to start the 7th when he was 0 for 3. Jeter's spot in the order will get 2 more AB's.
43 people at 22 games or higher lost streaks. I was going to go all the way down to 20 games, but over 200 people were active with 20 alone, so I decided to stop at 22.
The following list is the breakdown of the length of everyone's streak:
1 32
2 31
2 29
1 28
1 27
2 26's
2 24's
8 23's
24 22's
Wow…that word was not even that bad. No idea why it was censored, but you should be able to tell by context what it was. It was 2 words actually.
It looks to be all over for this year. I warned you guys about THAT day when nobody comes through. Statistically, something like this is guaranteed to happen. If you look at all the hot hitters, they were all rolling on a huge hitting streak. They were all due for "off" day. BTS God will clean the board either little-by-little each day or in one shot. It looks like she is going with major Hoover suction today.
I went with Sandoval today, BTW. He hit De La Rosa well last time and he has been killing lefties all yr and this month. I survived today but who knows about tomorrow…
I bet Tanner is sitting home with a smile on his face.
Oh well. I'm done and all I'm going to say is I had a crappy year. My highest streak all year was 11 and that sucks. I hope to make at least 20 but wait til next year.
Ichie and his DAY streak. Incredible. I counted on that plus the fact that he was 0-for yesterday. That is double Ichie points. I had my doubts though. I was thinking I should have gone with Hanley because maybe this was the start of Ichie's slump or something. He has not had a bad patch of slump this season. And that maybe out of all the BTS luck, this is the time that Ichie will break both of his rules and go 0-for. Breathing sigh of relief now.
btsplayer – How long is your streak now?
How about making a post before the games of the day start for Monday 8/24/09? Who do you like?
FYI – I went with Hanley R. today.
I am not very happy with myself. I was up to 13 going into Saturday and lost with Ichiro and his 0 for 5.
However, I was very close to picking Miguel Cabrera, but I shied away because the Tigers only had 6 hits the night before and the Mariners had scored 9 runs, so I figured Ichiro had a better chance of getting 5 AB.
Well I was right. Ichiro got 5 AB (6 plate appearances) and Miguel Cabrera got 3 AB (4 plate appearances.) Except Ichiro went 0 for 5 and Cabrera went 1 for 3.
It seems like after Saturday, no one is going to post here anymore, but I think we should all exchange e-mails and stay in-touch over the offseason?…especially for the post-season contests, since Beat the Streak is regular season only???


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"Irresistible — there will indeed be miracles."
—The New York Times Book Review
"Charming, warmly affecting. . . . As comfy cozy as can be."
—The Philadelphia Inquirer
"A fitting part of the tiny miracle the entire series has been."
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—Entertainment Weekly
Praise for The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series
"Alexander McCall Smith's big-hearted Botswanan stories [allow] his readers to escape into a world of simple, picturesque pleasures and upstanding virtues."
—The New York Times Book Review
"The best, most charming, honest, hilarious, and life-affirming books to appear in years."
—The Plain Dealer
"Utterly enchanting… It is impossible to come away from an Alexander McCall Smith 'mystery novel' without a smile on the lips and warm fuzzies in the heart."
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—Los Angeles Times Book Review
"Delightful… Millions of readers around the world seem to hunger for the kindness, dignity, and humor McCall Smith celebrates in Mma Ramotswe."
—The Oregonian


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Pope Francis is offering "words of strength, courage and hope" as the world begins a new year.
That was his emphasis in a homily during Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday morning.
The Catholic church dedicates Jan. 1 to the promotion of word peace. Francis said there was "hunger and thirst for justice, peace and God" in the world.
U.S. & World
In his first year as pope, Francis has charted a path for what he calls a "poor" church attentive to the needy and a "joyous" one reaching out to others.
The Argentine-born pontiff urged Catholics worldwide to follow an "itinerary of faith" that promotes a joyous Gospel "without borders."
Copyright AP - Associated Press


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By Walter Geiger
Someone - I think it was a college professor - once explained to me that society's collective view on things swings from side-to-side like a pendulum but never stays in equipoise for long.
Equipoise is the state of being equally balanced in favor of both sides of an issue or argument.
Certainly, the pendulum has swung too far to the left with regard to guns in schools.
image: capgunstore.com
Sometimes the pendulum swings too far
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Dreams of Glory
This piece carries a variety of bombastic, uplifting, and inspirational emotions, guiding the listener on a journey filled with hopes and dreams!
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- Compatible with commercials, advertisements, sports events, news broadcast, films, openers, video games, and new media!
Please kindly rate this project after purchase!
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text: I've been in the community for a few weeks now and I've been starting to notice the shipping of Robbie and Sportacus, it's kinda odd.. Is there any other ships you guys wanna discuss? I mean Bessie and the Mayor have one...? I don't know I thought it was an odd topic. Feel free to reply with any ships or your thoughts on Lazytown ships.


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Stylin: Nicki Minaj Picks Out Styles For Her New Jean Line "Minaj"! + Nicki Minaj's Manager Is A Trip! (Gets Real Freaky With Mannequins)
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Beat the Streak Report: Wednesday, June 17
Today's recommended picks
Pat Burrell, OF, Rays
11-for-16 (.688 AVG) lifetime vs. Rockies starter Aaron Cook; .362 AVG lifetime at Coors Field
Marco Scutaro, SS, Blue Jays
11-for-29 (.379 AVG) lifetime vs. Phillies starter Jamie Moyer; Moyer: .313 AVG against in '09
Mark DeRosa, INF/OF Indians
4-for-11 (.364 AVG) lifetime vs. Brewers starter Jeff Suppan; .368 AVG over last 10 G
BTS all-time leader: Michael Karatzia, 49
MLB all-time leader: Joe DiMaggio, 56
Yesterday's results
There's no slowing wildtanners, who extended his BTS season-high streak to 39 games yesterday. He was right on the money with his pick of Joe Mauer, who knocked four hits in the Twins' victory.
But while wildtanners continued to run wild, second-place contestant gregnewprague saw his luck run out. Carlos Beltran was unable to come through with a hit in five at-bats, ending gregnewprague's streak at 36 games.
The next five fans in the standings all had the Wright stuff with their selections, as the Mets third baseman continued his hot hitting with a 2-for-5 night. That enabled richdempc — who was featured in yesterday's blog entry — to remain in a tie with the aptly named wolfenstein35 at 35 games. trkmn94 moved up to fourth place, at 34 games, and paulcmoss84 rounded out the Top 5 at 33 games.
Yesterday's Top 5 most selected players
1. David Wright (NYM): 10.5%, 2-for-5
2. Ichiro Suzuki (SEA): 10.4%, 0-for-4
3. Derek Jeter (NYY): 7.2%, 0-for-3
4. Brian McCann (ATL): 4.7%, 2-for-4
5. Mark Teixeira (NYY): 4.2%, 1-for-4
Fan profile
Under the user name of gregnewprague, Gregory Allan Lindahl of New Prague, Minn., rung up an impressive 36-game streak before receiving a 0-for-5 game from Carlos Beltran yesterday.
A lifelong Minnesotan, Gregory roots for his hometown Twins and their superstar catcher, Joe Mauer, but he also admits to keeping tabs on the Yankees and Reds.
Gregory is a new kid on the block in the BTS world — he says he first logged on to play in April, after a friend told him he heard Twins broadcaster Dan Gladden mention the game on the radio. If Gregory can put together such a lengthy streak after only a few weeks, then it's likely we'll be seeing him back on top of the BTS leaderboard before long.
9 Comments
I'm leaving this post twice to make sure somebody sees it. According to the rules "If for any reason a player you select does not play during the Game Day for which you selected him, your streak will NOT end. A hitting streak will also NOT end if each of the selected player's plate appearances (one or more) result in a base on balls, hit batsman, defensive interference or a sacrifice bunt. A hitting streak will end if the player has a sacrifice fly and no hit." So somebody explain to me why my streak ended when Jeter went 0-3 with a walk (base on balls) in the fourth last night.
Nick Green is my man today. I'm sitting on a six-game streak.
Boston 5th best team with 65 hits in the past 7 days.
Florida 4th worst pitching giving up 455 hits in the past 30 days.
Nick Green 8 hits in the past 7 days.
Nick Green 2 hits yesterday.
I also picked Jason Bay yesterday, but he mustered just one hit, although he is sitting on 9 hits the past week vs. Green's 8 hits. I like to mix it up.
Jeter was still 0 for 3 though. The rule is meant for a line of 0 for 0 with 4 walks. Then your streak would stay intact.
How long was your streak?
"each of the selected player's plate appearances "
Keyword = each
A streak of 28 came to an end because no pick was selected. D'oh!
If your selection makes 1 official plate appearance, it doesnt matter what happens after that. In this case Jeter made 3 plate appearances and was 0-3 with a walk. You're out of luck and the streaks starts over.
Congratulations to wildtanner who became only the 20th player in history to reach the 40 day mark!
17 days away from $1,340,000!!!
I wonder if he will intentionally pick players who are hurt or whatever to stall for enough time to max out the jackpot?
I got Joe Mauer he might pinch hit. Damn


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Our upcoming Kyiv Intensive will be awesome !
Thank you, Ukraine DDI Team, for your amazing work !
We are very excited as we are all working on our Annual Intensive, which will happen in Ukraine this year. It's only 2 more months. Our Ukrainian team has done such a mind blowing job in creating a hosting environment that we simply have never witnessed before. Although I am prone to overpraising our teams, in this case I am actually understating it. Thank you, Yuliya Filippovska, Антон Ермоленко, Anastasiya Leukhina Svetlana Kolodi and Анна Ермоленко (Anna Yermolenko) for your incredible work.
So people, over these next weeks, follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DeepDemocracyInstitute to get updates of the content of the course, videos of Kyiv, interviews with past Intensive participants, highlights of the course, and news about the Open Forum on Ukrainian Russian relationships and a Round Table on Deep Democracy and civil society, corruption, security and economics.


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|Officially, to help our Latin brethren in their time of need. Unofficially, to get the hell out of here before things get any worse. See what we can steal down there.
|—American Army Captain
The American Army Captain is a character in Red Dead Redemption.
Nothing is known about his background. However, he has been sent to help deal with the undead invasion.
He is seen in the mission American Imperialism. After being saved with his team by John Marston, they head for the border in a train. When they hit the border, the bridge has debris blocking it. The Captain orders the team to clear it, but they get attacked by a horde of undead. During this, he called the mission "suicide" and proclaimed that it's "every man for himself" and retreats.
He is not seen again but has most likely been killed.
- "Come on!"
- "At the back!"
- "Hold the perimeter!"
- "Conserve your ammo!"
- "Look out, they are on the train!"
- "They are gettin' on board. Gun 'em down!"
- "Look out, there's more of 'em!"
- "Make sure they are dead!"
- "Don't let 'em get too close!"
- "We're ready to move, everybody back on the train."
- "You did real good soldier."
- "These degenerates are only good at whoring and drinking."
"Let's roll out!"
- "God willing."
- "Officially, to help our Latin brethren in their time of need. Unofficially, to get the hell out of here before things get even worse. See what we can steal down there."
- "Reload, here come more of 'em!"
- "What's that up ahead?!"
- "Road block!"
- "Alright, everyone of you clowns, get down and clear the debris off of the track. Let's go, let's go!"
- "Come on, we ain't got all day!"
- "........ Fight, fight, fight!!!"
- "Get back here and fight! What are you, yellow?!"
- "Here come more of the bastards! Open fire!"
- "This is suicide, run, every man for himself!"
- "This is suicide, retreat!"
- He has a similar rank and strikingly similar appearance to the American Army Captain and Jan Booth, though his mustache is longer.
- When you first board the train, his conversation with you will be about going to Mexico. If you get killed and have your conversation again, it will be about killing Dutch.
- He is similar in appearance to the multiplayer character Jan Booth.
- He will sometimes throw Fire Bottles at the undead while on the train.
- He is quite possibly a career officer since he leaves his men to do most of the fighting and work, and acts somewhat cowardly when fighting alongside his men during their suicidal last stand.
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Just point and shoot and this slim, attractive 16 Megapixel IXUS with Smart Auto will take care of camera settings for you - so you can enjoy beautiful Canon quality photos and HD movies every time.
- Enjoy Canon quality results with a slim, stylish IXUS
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Take a look at a more detailed look into the Canon IXUS 145
Capture every detail in IXUS style
Slim, compact and stylish the IXUS 145 captures superb quality, detailed images that are perfect for large-scale prints (A3+) or creative cropping - thanks to a 16 Megapixel sensor and a powerful DIGIC 4+ processor, which offers improved speed, performance and functionality for brilliant fast results.
Shoot far and wide
Shoot every moment with ease using the flexibility of a 28mm wide 8x optical zoom lens. Get nearer to distant subjects using the 8x optical zoom or get even closer without any loss of quality with 16x ZoomPlus.
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Anyone can effortlessly shoot high quality photos or movies with Smart Auto, which detects the scene and automatically selects the right settings from 32 variables. Press the Auto button to return instantly to Smart Auto from any other mode. Use the Help button for quick, easy-to-follow guidance on using your camera and its functions.
Easy framing, Live View control
Frame and view your shots with ease and enjoy sharing them with friends using the 6.8 cm (2.7") LCD screen. You can experiment with picture settings such as brightness and colour intensity and preview the results while framing using Live View Control.
Instant HD movies with movie button
Instantly record high quality HD movies (720p) with optical zoom by simply pressing the dedicated movie button.
Great people shots
Enjoy great people shots with Face Detection technology. It detects multiple faces in a single frame making sure they remain in focus and with optimum brightness. Face Detection White Balance ensures natural skin tones even in unusual lighting conditions.
Fun and creative effects
Experiment and have fun with a range of creative modes such as Fish-eye Effect, Super Vivid, or Monochrome. Miniature Effect makes scenes in stills or movies look like miniature scale models.
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Capture more shots from a single battery charge with Eco Mode, which reduces battery consumption.
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Find out more about the Canon IXUS 145, its features and what it can do.
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Zoom to 16x with great quality
Powerful DIGIC processing
Auto mode with 32-scene detection
720p movies
Optimises people shots
Instantly capture movies
Energy saving for more shots
Instant help


text:
Images Powered by Leonardo
In June, July and August, be prepared for temperatures at or above 90 F/32 C and humidity that equals that of the Amazon. Pace your sightseeing if you go at that time, drink lots of water and dress appropriately—the humidity can be exhausting.
Hurricane season generally runs June-November, with August and September historically the most active months. Evacuation plans usually go into effect about 48 hours before a storm is expected to strike. The good news is that unlike tornadoes and earthquakes, hurricanes are usually known about well in advance—you should have plenty of time to leave town.
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Mill fans will discover over 100 windmills and watermills along the Lower Saxony Mills Route that runs for approximately 260 km between the North Sea and the Elbe and Weser rivers. Let this route be your guide to the region's many hidden treasures.
The Lower Saxony Mills Route runs through medieval towns and meanders over the valleys around the source of the river Ilmenau through the sleepy heathland villages of the Hohe Heide, the forests of the Südheide, the district of Celle and the Allerniederung nature reserve. It even covers part of the Cuxland in the district of Cuxhaven. Just as rich and diverse as the surrounding countryside are the mills and their history.
Impressions of mills
On this route you can see windmills and watermills, mills in museums that are still fully operational and long-dormant mills where time has stood still since their last day of operation. Lovingly restored "windmill houses" and modern mills are also to be found in equal abundance. In the old mills you can follow the flow of energy from the sails or the water wheel right into the sack of flour, and will be left in awe by the technical skill of the old millwrights. You're sure to find the windmills' construction and technology fascinating, even if you're generally not a fan of technology.
Once upon a time...
For our ancestors, there was nothing romantic about mills, they were just a part of everyday life. From the early Middle Ages, mills were widespread throughout Europe and made a deep impression across wide swathes of working life. Grinding corn, milling cotton, pressing oil and pounding rags to make paper were just some of the activities carried out by mills. In fact, mills were the ancestors of the very first factories.
Fairy tales, sagas and legends
Sagas and legends surround many old mills. These legends tell of a mill run by dwarves or a beautiful miller who creates mischief when she transforms into a black cat. There is also the fairy tale about Puss in Boots or the tale that recounts the sudden demise of Max and Moritz. The mills are often ancient, secluded and are always found near to a source of water or wind. On the Lower Saxony Mills Route, fairy tales and stories are quite literally in the air and it's so easy to let your imagination soar.
A road map to the mills
The Lower Saxony Mills Route connects over 100 mills. What's more, the variety of paths along the route give visitors the option to tailor their itinerary according to their own individual interests. One truly unmissable detour is to the International Windmill and Watermill Museum in Gifhorn, the only one of its kind in the world. Whether travelling by bicycle, car or on foot, new insights and discoveries await you at every turn, making a trip along the Lower Saxony Mills Route a truly amazing experience.
Length: approximately 260 km
Theme: mills, countryside, culture
Aurich: the Stiftsmühle windmill
Burlage: ground-sailer windmill
Buxtehude: motorised mill
Cloppenburg: post mill
Dornum: trestle windmill
Gifhorn: the International Windmill and Watermill Museum
Haren/Ems: mound mill
Heiligenthal: watermill
Hoyersvörde: round galleried Dutch windmill made of stone
Jork-Borstel : galleried Dutch windmill
Övelgönne: watermill
Rinteln-Exten: Unterer Eisenhammer Industrial Museum
Stade: galleried Dutch windmill, trestle windmill
Dve uporabni bližnjici za povečavo v brskalniku:
Povečava: +
Pomanjšava: +
Dodatna pomoč vam je na voljo pri ponudniku brskalnika. Do nje dostopate s klikom na ikono:


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European immigrants will only be able to claim benefits for three months unless they have serious job prospects under plans outlined by David Cameron.
The Prime Minister insisted the change would make it clear to migrants that they cannot get "something for nothing" in Britain and further address what he claims is the "magnetic pull" of the benefits system.
The plans will build on changes announced in January that mean European migrants have to wait three months after arriving in Britain before claiming out-of-work benefits.
PM misleading public over NHS
Labour will accuse David Cameron of misleading the public over his plans to privatise the NHS in England and call for contracts putting the service "up for sale" to be frozen until after the general election.
Andy Burnham will claim the Prime Minister was "not upfront" about his intentions for reform during the 2010 campaign, leaving voters with no say.
In a speech in Manchester, the shadow health secretary will insist that forced privatisation is being pushed through "at pace and scale" and warn that contracts being signed now will bind the next government.
PM to meet plane crash families
David Cameron will meet the families of British victims of the downed Malaysia Airlines plane today as officials push for far-reaching economic sanctions against Russia.
The Prime Minister will meet the families at Downing Street to express his condolences and to discuss the international response to the plane's crash in eastern Ukraine earlier this month.
Mr Cameron, along with US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, are also hoping EU ambassadors can push forward towards stronger sanctions on Russia, widely seen as shouldering some of the blame for the apparent shooting down of flight MH17.
Israeli bomb blast continues
Israel's bombardment of Gaza has continued with missile strikes on a Hamas-run TV and radio station.
At least two major explosions hit a media complex in central Gaza City housing the offices of Al Aqsa television and radio. The building also houses offices of a number of Arab satellite television news channels. A loud explosion was also heard within the Abu Khadra government complex in Gaza City.
The strikes came during a heavy night of bombardment, with Israeli illumination flares and repeated explosions lighting up the Gaza skyline and turning it orange.
Bankers should adopt ethics oath
Bankers should have to swear an oath of good service in the same way as doctors, a think-tank said today.
Rather than solely focusing on rules or macro-economic issues, regulators need to consider the personal conduct of bankers, said ResPublica, an independent think-tank that looks at social, economic and cultural problems.
The call for stronger ethics in banking comes after a series of scandals such as the mis-selling of payment protection insurance, Libor rate rigging, mis-selling of interest swaps to small businesses and even money laundering.
Royal's revel in Games gold rush
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will be hoping the gold rush continues as they return to the Commonwealth Games today to support the home nations.
The trio soaked up the action at Glasgow 2014 yesterday as they watched gymnastics, boxing, hockey and swimming.
They rounded off their day by enjoying success for the home nations at Tollcross Swimming Centre where they saw Jazz Carlin win gold for Wales in the women's 800m freestyle final.
Modest running can build health
Running for just a few minutes each day can reduce the risk of dying from heart disease, research has shown.
Lazy jogging at slow speed also has potentially life-saving benefits, say scientists.
The findings, from a study of 55,137 adults aged 18 to 100, suggest that healthy exercise does not necessarily have to be exhausting or time-consuming.
Diesel drivers pollution penalty
Drivers of diesel cars could have to pay more in road tax or face additional levies to travel into city centres in an effort to tackle pollution, it is reported.
Major cities around the UK are considering bringing in low emission zones to force out older diesel vehicles that are responsible for higher levels of fumes, The Times said.
Almost all diesel vehicles driven into central London will trigger a £10 charge under plans being considered by Mayor Boris Johnson, who will also reportedly lobby the Government to increase road tax on diesel cars to encourage motorists to move to cleaner vehicles.
Coe pulls out of BBC Trust race
Sebastian Coe has signalled he has pulled out of the race to become the next chairman of the BBC Trust.
The London 2012 supremo, who is chairman of the British Olympic Association, was reportedly the Government's preferred candidate for the role but told the Daily Mail he did not have the "capacity" for the job.
The 1980 and 1984 1500m Olympic champion said: "I did allow my name to go forward to give myself time to properly analyse whether I had enough time to do the job to the best of my abilities."
Bake off is honest, says Mary Berry
Baking queen Mary Berry has criticised other cookery shows, saying that they appear not to be entirely honest with viewers.
The 79-year-old Great British Bake Off star is back next month for another series of the hit BBC show with fellow judge Paul Hollywood.
But Berry told Radio Times magazine that it appeared that on other culinary shows, judges were selecting certain winners to tick boxes.


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This set is one of Lego's best. I never owned it, but my older brother did. We would fight for days, my guys based at my Kings Castle, my brother from his BFF. I eventually discovered chem warfare (marbles dipped in peanut butter and fired from a catapult) which allowed me to claim eventual victory.
As a set I like the design... typical 80s Lego Castle, good fortress. The keep with some Tudor style is nice too.


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I am trying to import my face from Mass Effect 2 (which was originally from Mass Effect 1) and I get the following error:
Mass Effect 3 cannot successfully determine the face code used by this imported save game. Please update your character's appearance.
Is there any reason or fix for this? I no longer have Mass Effect 1 or 2.


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The eldest sister of Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee has joined that exec's brother in filing suit against him over an inheritance from their father.
Lee Sook-hee has filed suit with the Seoul Central District Court, claiming that her father left shares in Samsung Life Insurance and Samsung Electronics for all of his children to inherit, not just Lee Kun-hee, Korean news agency Yonhap reported.
The chairman's brother, Lee Maeng-hee, is also suing over their father's inheritance, claiming that Kun-hee incorporated 8.24 million shares in Samsung Life Insurance and 20 stocks in Samsung Electronics left in a trust into his own stockholdings after his father's death.
The chairman's brother wants the court to order the chairman to return the Samsung Life shares, worth around 716 billion won ($636m, £404m), the stocks in Samsung Electronics, and 100 million won ($88,800, £56,427).
Their sister is demanding 2.23 million shares in Samsung Life Insurance and 10 preferred stocks in Samsung Electronics from the chairman.
Lee Kun-hee was once chairman of the whole Samsung group of companies, after inheriting the bulk of it after the death of his father in 1987.
After being convicted of a number of illegal financial dealings, he was removed as chairman in 2007, but was subsequently pardoned and returned to Samsung to chair the electronics business.
When news of his brother Lee Maeng-hee's suit broke two weeks ago, Samsung said the issue had nothing to do with the firm.
"This is a civil suit and therefore the company has no official comment," Samsung said in an emailed statement. ®


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FACETIME- Mrs. Manners: Civility School not tea and crumpets
Growing up an only child in Winchester, Robyn Jackson was taught manners at cotillions, tea parties, and dance classes. But it was the empathy her parents instilled in her upbringing that recently led her recently to open The Civility School.
"Manners were a really important part of growing up," says Jackson, 44, "but all of that is really empty unless you have the empathy behind it. I learned how to ballroom dance, but I've never been to a ball; I've never been to a tea party."
So Jackson– who spent a career as a French teacher and guidance counselor for high-risk youth in city schools– cleaned out her basement, recruited children of close friends, and opened her doors to the idea of instilling civility in everyday interactions.
"We've tried so hard over the past twenty years to instill self-esteem in children that we have cultivated a narcissism," she notes. "There's more focus on self-esteem than self-control, so learning to put others first brings it back to a better balance."
Rather than focus on possibly-antiquated do's and don'ts of etiquette, Jackson's civility criteria is centered on that key word of her upbringing: empathy.
"The message I want them to get is that, although children are naturally self-centered, thinking about the comfort and convenience of others," she says, "enriches their lives."
With her fall sessions– eight one-hour classes for $180– just beginning, Jackson has seen an influx of students, ranging from pre-school to high school. By keeping class sizes small and customizing each lesson based on parent and student input, Jackson has found a way to incorporate old-fashioned skills into everyday usages. Even that stale chore of writing thank you notes can be modernized, according to Jackson– as evidenced by the prompt thank you email she sent after this interview.
"A lot of the skills she teaches are important life skills that are easy for parents to forget about– how to answer the phone, how to introduce people," says parent-of-a-graduate Carolyn Schuyler. "It's sometimes easier for kids to hear these things from someone other than their parents."
As class sizes bulk up through word of mouth support, Jackson hopes to expand her school in the coming years into city and county classrooms. But until then, she has enough on her hands instilling in her sons, ages 14, 10, and 5, those same lessons her parents ingrained in her.
"The 14-year-old hates the idea of this, and would love to sabotage it," she laughs. "The 10-year-old always wants to be the first one with his hand raised, and the 5-year-old is very proud and excited for his class this fall."


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Sunday, April 29, 2012
I definitely go through phases when card making, do yo? Sometimes it is graphic and modern, sometimes it is shabby and vintage, and other times fun and cute. Sometimes my phases are introduced through a new stamp set or product or tool. Sometimes it is because I've seen something and just want to reproduce it. Always, no matter what phase I'm in, I still think I keep things clean and simple and still true to me. Anyway, thank you for everyone that comes for a visit, even if what you find here is what might not have originally drawn you in.
So this card I made while still in my shabby and vintage phase. And the I am loving the ink distressing tool phase. And the ooh this picture is so pretty phase. And the I just discovered how easy the lovely May Arts silk ribbon is for making big, full bows phase. And last but not least, I just got the Market Street Stamps Sweet Lace stamp in the mail the other day phase. I first misted a piece of kraft card stock with Partridge in a Pear Tree Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, then stamped the lace with white craft ink and then sprayed the cards stock once more, with a little bit lighter misting this time.
Market Street Stamps is having a Block Party, thought I'd join in on the fun! And I'll also be linking up to the Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes too!
41 comments:
Whatever the phase...Lovely card, Karen! :)ReplyDelete
This is so pretty, love that bow!ReplyDelete
Beautiful Karen! Love the layered ribbon/bow.ReplyDelete
Karen, I adore your style...you do always keep it CAS which you know I love, but wow...do you teach me so much with your techniques. This is so soft and feminine! Gorgeous my friend.ReplyDelete
PS I hope you are submitting lots for the misting/stamping for the Nov/Dec PC...because you certainly rock your mists!!
Wow, this sure is a pretty card, Karen! I loved reading all the "phases" you used to create this beauty! :)ReplyDelete
your misting/stamping in white is gorgeous! love the effect it gives.ReplyDelete
Gorgeous dearie!!!ReplyDelete
Karen, that card is absolutely stunning. I don't think there is any style you can not do!ReplyDelete
I love your insight on "phases". It really struck a chord with me. It's nice to know we don't have to put ourselves in a box, but still have our personal style. This card is gorgeous!ReplyDelete
gorgeous card. love your different styles. I want to do some other styles but could not put it together. Second what Lynn said about your misting/spraying magic.ReplyDelete
Whatever phase you're in Karen, it's a joy to visit your blog.... I tend to go through product phases especially when new stash arrives :0)ReplyDelete
The lace stamp is gorgeous...just like a fancy pair of patterned stockings stretched over a piece of card!
Love the flowing bow too as a contrasting texture :0)
Jenny x
Phases keep things interesting but you always are true to your style no matter what!! another lovely card :) very pretty!ReplyDelete
Beautiful card Karen!!!ReplyDelete
I'm with you - a bunch of phases!!! I like that I try different techniques too and just don't stay with ONE type of cardmaking!!!ReplyDelete
This is gorgeous!!! Love the brown/ivory mix! and wow on that bow!!!!!!
You rock at misting Karen and I love your cards and style no matter the phase :)ReplyDelete
Gorgeous card Karen. i like all your phases...lol.ReplyDelete
So stylish and beautiful!ReplyDelete
I'll keep coming no matter what the phase! You do it all so well! That lace pattern is so soft and delicate, and the ribbon is gorgeous. Love the blingy button you added, too.ReplyDelete
I love your CAS take on shabby chic, Karen! The sweet trim on your ribbon softens this design beautifully!ReplyDelete
This is really pretty...love the bow/ribbon!ReplyDelete
Hi Karen...ReplyDelete
The lace stamp and that bow are so pretty!!!
And honestly ... what draw me here is your clean and simple style!!! I truly enjoy each visit!!! Thanks for that... hugs...xoxo
Any style mood you're in is ok by me, they're all fabulous! Love the pretty rich brown on this card and the ribbon treatment is amazing!ReplyDelete
This is so increibly pretty and classy!ReplyDelete
your CAS style always inspires me :)
I adore that background paper!ReplyDelete
As you have visited me for awhile now, you know that I am an eclectic creator. I craft by mood, inspiration, product, and sometimes just by what's on my desk. I think wherever the creative process takes the creator is alright no matter what as long as it's fun and enjoyable!ReplyDelete
Your card is beautiful and the ribbon treatment is stunning!
This is one of my all time fave as far as backgrounds go! And I try my hand at different card styles and wish I could master some but I'm just not that good :(ReplyDelete
Gorgeous, Karen! That big bow is just amazing! Thanks so much for linking up with us this weekend at Market Street Stamps! - angelicaReplyDelete
This is absolutely beautiful!ReplyDelete
This is absolutely beautiful!ReplyDelete
That background is amazing, Karen!! (i first thought it was patterned paper) As is the bow, the distressing, etc :)ReplyDelete
such a beautiful and subtle background. i adore those may arts silk ribbons!!! =) love seeing your work with all the different phases. you are an inspiration, Karen!ReplyDelete
Oh my I love this clean elegant card, looks like everyone else did as well. Just so elegant!ReplyDelete
love the look of that background!ReplyDelete
Very pretty card!! :-)ReplyDelete
So this is probably the only background stamp of theirs that I don't own and you're making me really regret that situation! :) Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!ReplyDelete
Oh wow! Love the subtle background stamping. Such an elegant card Karen! :)ReplyDelete
this is gorgeous...I love that amazing background and that ribbon is so perfect...lovely card...ReplyDelete
Wow! I love how all those phases came together here- beautiful!!!ReplyDelete
I love all of your phases and this is so stunning!ReplyDelete
I like! So subtle it comes across as soft and pretty.ReplyDelete


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Hi All... not sure what I'm seeing here. I started playing Scenario #5 - Montcalm Colonial Faction and at the start of the scenario, several of the Objective Cities seem to be blinking the wrong color when I select the Strategic cities map filter. Specifically, Ft. Duquesne, Frontenac and Fortresse de Louisbourg are all blinking "red" as if to indicate British control. But, all 3 are flying the French flag and when I roll the tooltip over each one, they correctly indicate French control. Is this a bug or am I missing something?
Additionally, the following Strategic Cities are colored orange (?) when I apply the map filter:
New York
Again, the tooltip indicates British control for all, but the color is orange. What does this mean?


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Friday 25 January
|Ephalophis (1)
A venomous species (4) (5), the north-western mangrove sea snake (Ephalophis greyae) is a relatively small, slender sea snake (3) (6) (7) with a small head and a downcurved tail (7). This species is not commonly encountered (1), and is the only species within its genus (3).
The upper surface of the north-western mangrove sea snake is pale cream, grey or pale olive-brown (3) (6) (7) (8) and is marked with a series of dark grey or black blotches which extend to the flanks (3) (7) (8). These blotches, sometimes described as being incomplete bands which do not meet on the underparts, are widest on the upper surface of the snake (7), and often fuse to form an irregular, interrupted zig-zag pattern down the back (3) (6) (7) (8). Black skin is visible between the scales on the body of this species (8). Juvenile north-western mangrove sea snakes are mostly light grey or almost white in colour, making the dark patterns on the back far more conspicuous than in the adults (7).
A characteristic feature of sea snakes is the vertically flattened, paddle-like tail (9), which in the north-western mangrove sea snake is very shallow (3), marked with six dark grey rings, and has a white tip (8). The body scales of this species overlap each other and are smooth along the front and sides of the snake (6) (8), but on the back and towards the hind part of the body the scales have distinctive, blunt keels (3) (6) (7) (8) and often sport darker edging (7).
Drifting with the rising tide (6), the north-western mangrove sea snake can be seen foraging among goby burrows and crab holes (1) (6), and is known to search for its prey out of the water on salt flats during low tide (1). This fish-eating species feeds mostly on gobies (1) (6) (10) and their eggs (1), and like other snakes it swallows its prey whole (10). It has been suggested that the north-western mangrove sea snake may have an extremely specialist diet, and may not eat any fish species other than gobies (11). Although a venomous species (4) (5), the north-western mangrove sea snake does not produce venom as toxic as that of many other sea snakes (5).
Despite being an air-breathing animal, the north-western mangrove sea snake is capable of remaining underwater for up to two hours at a time, before surfacing to breathe again. Its single, elongated lung, which extends for almost the entire length of its body, is highly efficient for gas exchange, and sea snakes are also able to absorb oxygen through their skin when underwater. As in other sea snake species, the north-western mangrove sea snake has specialised valves which block off the nostrils while underwater (6).
Living in the marine environment poses several other challenges, and like other sea snake species, the north-western mangrove sea snake has a specialised gland under its tongue which enables it to excrete excess salt from its body. A sea snake sheds its skin approximately once every two to six weeks, by rubbing its lips against something hard such as coral until the loosened skin is anchored there. The sea snake then crawls forwards, leaving the skin turned inside out behind it. By shedding its skin so frequently, a sea snake can get rid of the many marine species, such as algae and barnacles, which become attached to it (6).
Like most species of sea snake, the north-western mangrove sea snake is viviparous, meaning that it gives birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Mating in sea snakes is a lengthy affair, and the males are unable to disengage from the female until copulation is complete. There is no information available on the breeding season of the north-western mangrove sea snake or the number of young produced by this species (6).
The north-western mangrove sea snake is endemic to the coast of north-western Western Australia (1) (3) (6) (7), only occurring in a fairly remote area (1). Its range is restricted to parts of the western shelf (2), where it is found from the Kimberley Region to Shark Bay (1).
The north-western mangrove sea snake inhabits shallow coastal flats (1) (6), where it can be found in estuarine mudflats (1) (2) (3) and, as its name suggests, mangroves (1) (2). This species tends to show a preference for areas with relatively compact or sandy mud, where crab and mud-skipper holes are present (6).
The north-western mangrove sea snake is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1).
Little information is available on the possible threats to the north-western mangrove sea snake (6). However, it is believed that it may potentially be affected by coastal development in certain parts of its range, given that it is a mangrove-associated species. Future industrial activity within the north-western mangrove sea snake's habitat, including salt extraction, mining and infrastructure development for shipping, has also been identified as a potential threat (1).
Prawn trawling is known to pose a major threat to sea snakes, as the reptiles get caught as bycatch in the trawl nets and often drown or become crushed by the weight of the catch (6).
Although there are currently no conservation measures in place specifically for the north-western mangrove sea snake (1), this species, along with all other sea snakes in Australia, is nationally protected through its listing under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (1) (6).
Marine Bioregional Plans have been developed for four of Australia's marine regions to improve understanding of Australia's oceans, identify the conservation values of each marine region, and set out broad biodiversity priorities and objectives. As part of these plans, the north-western mangrove sea snake has been identified as being of conservation value in the Northwest Marine Region (6).
It is believed that industrial activity, including salt extraction and mining, is likely to occur in the north-western mangrove sea snake's habitat in the future, and it has been recommended that this should be carefully monitored (1).
Find out more about sea snakes:
Learn more about marine conservation in Australia:
Find out more about conservation in Australia:
This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
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© Greg Harold / Auscape International
Auscape International
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Tel: (+61) 2 4885 2245
Fax: (+61) 2 4885 2715
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Friday 25 January
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The list of celebrities practicing Transcendental Meditation is long, very long. Most of them are doing the practice for themselves, in their private life, and therefore the TM organization respects their privacy. Yet there are more and more celebrities who do not mind that the public knows about it. Here some of them.
Famous TM practitioners (click on the link for more info and/or video clips, if applicable)
Film directors: David Lynch, Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorcese, George Lucas
Actors / Actresses: Russell Brand, Hugh Jackman, Jerry Seinfeld, Gwenneth Paltrow, Heather Graham, Eva Mendez, Liv Tyler, Naomi Watts.
Singers: Moby, Katy Perry, Paul Mccartney, Ringo Starr, Eddy Vedder (Pearl Jam), Sheryl Crow
Presenters: Oprah Winfrey, Howard Stern (radio), Ellen Degeneres
Supermodels: Raquel Zimmermann, Ali Stephens
Doctors: Dr. Oz
Politicians: William Hague, Dilma Roussef (President of Brazil), Joaquim Chissano (former president of Mozambique), Juan Manuel Santos (President of Colombia)


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From a rich heritage of native culture preserved for eternity in museums, to the contemporary bustle of festivals and local events, British Columbia offers a year-round pageant of history, arts and lively entertainment. Plan your holiday celebrations with our extensive content of British Columbia's attractions, affording you the opportunity to sample the sights, sounds, and traditions of many lands. British Columbia…where nature is cherished and history comes alive!
- Attractions in Victoria and Vancouver Island
- Attractions in Vancouver, Coast & Mountains
- Attractions in Whistler, British Columbia
- Attractions in the Thompson Okanagan
- Attractions in the Kootenay Rockies
- Attractions in the Cariboo, Chilcotin, Coast
- Attractions in Northern BC & Haida Gwaii


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Po River cruises travel through the fertile Po Valley in northern Italy, home to nearly a third of the country's population. This ancient river -- known to the Romans as Padus -- winds through charming towns and breathtaking scenery.
The river flows eastward and empties into the Adriatic Sea near Venice, one of the world's most romantic cities. Here, explore Piazza San Marco and its famous Basilica or enjoy a gondola ride through the city's canals. In nearby Padua, visit the university where Galileo taught or view Giotto's frescoes.
You'll also visit Verona and see its renowned balcony, from which Shakespeare's Juliet listened to the pledges of love-struck Romeo. Sail into Serravalle and enjoy a walking tour of Byzantine mosaics in nearby Ravenna, or disembark in Polesella to sample pasta in Bologna, northern Italy's culinary capital.
The day-to-day details are handled by an experienced cruise director, making our cruises hassle-free and relaxing. At each stop, sightseeing guides reveal local history and culture. Sailings are easy to budget, too, as accommodations, onboard meals and sightseeing are included in the upfront price.
River cruises are rated according to the quality of the vessel and its accommodations, the number of included amenities and activities both on and off the ship, the class of hotels used for land portions of itineraries, and the level of service delivered. The river cruises below are categorized according to the industry rating scale (budget, first class and deluxe). Click any cruise name for the itinerary, dates and prices.
Copyright © 2020 by Vacations To Go. All rights reserved. CST 2072920-50


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The Preakness is, let's face it, the dark horse on the nation's party planning circuit.
After all, the second leg of the Triple Crown is squeezed between its more challenging and prestigious cousins, the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. And, it's held in proudly fashion-averse Baltimore.
Nonetheless, there are a few pioneering socialites and trailblazing doyennes living in states such as Kentucky and Pennsylvania and New Jersey. For them, the Preakness' underdog status practically demands a celebration — and the more fancy hats and black-eyed Susan centerpieces the better.
"The Preakness is sort of the forgotten race," said Cristie Ritz-King, a New Jersey resident, self-avowed party planning fanatic and author of the blog therighthandmom.com. "People are supposed to have Kentucky Derby parties, not parties to watch the lesser-known 'baby brother' race that follows. We think people should treat the Preakness with the same respect."
And a few hardy souls are doing just that.
A couple from Lexington, Ky., for instance, has been throwing an annual Preakness party for the past quarter-century that is currently attended by more than 100 friends and neighbors.
For the eighth year in a row, a community college in Virginia will hold a gala celebration Saturday night, complete with a big hat contest and a black-eyed Susan-themed decor.
Preakness fundraising events will be held this weekend by a group of young professionals in State College, Pa.; by a Florida farm that uses horses as therapy for people with disabilities; and by an arts council in North Carolina.
An online article can be found at ehow.com titled "How to Throw a Preakness Dinner Party."
"Have a keg at your party and label it 'Kegasus,' contributing writer Jane Ellis suggests. "If you want to be a little more creative, create horse-like legs out of cardboard tubes, add a tail, and attach them to the sides of the keg. You can also serve the black-eyed Susan drink."
Ritz-King may be a Garden Stater now, but she grew up in Silver Spring. When her plans to throw a Preakness party conflicted with an event at her children's elementary school, she begged administrators to reschedule.
"We had the party all planned out," she said. "I was going to introduce our Jersey friends to Maryland culture. It was going to be the anti-Derby party. We were going to serve Natty Boh beer. I was going to dress in the colors of the state flag and have big hair."
When school administrators turned Ritz-King down flat, she was forced to put her Preakness plans on ice. At least for this year.
"My husband and I have sort of made it our mission to introduce Old Bay, the Preakness and real crabs to New Jersey," she said. "It's all part of the same culture. We try to explain to people that you have to wade through a lot of goo before you get to the beautiful center."
Perhaps not surprisingly, Maryland and the race receive a bit more attention in bluegrass country — though, at times, the locals have been forced to fudge the details.
For the past 25 years, Steve and Debra Willett Hupman have thrown a Preakness party for a crowd that now exceeds 100. Two other couples host gatherings for the Derby and Belmont Stakes.
But duplicating an authentic Maryland atmosphere, not to mention its seafood-based cuisine, has proved a challenge.
"You just can't get fresh crab around here," Hupman said, "so my husband grills salmon instead. But, we do the Preakness punch and the Preakness salad, and people can bet on the races. One year, I couldn't find black-eyed Susans for the centerpieces. So, I bought yellow daisies instead and colored the middles with a black magic marker."
In Kentucky, it's not unusual to celebrate every event of the Triple Crown. But galas thrown in honor of the Preakness — and only of the Preakness — can be found in other states.
For instance, Virginia's Rappahannock Community College is preparing to host its eighth annual Preakness party, its biggest fundraising event of the year. Not only do the 450 tickets sell out two months in advance, the gala raises more than $50,000 each year for scholarships and educational programs.
Victor Clough, Rappahannock's dean of college advancement, said the party planning committee never even considered scheduling the gala to coincide with the Derby or Belmont.
Was the deciding factor the school's proximity to Baltimore, just 165 miles to the northeast? Did administrators fall for the quirky charms of the citadel on the Chesapeake?
"Not really," Clough said. "We made the decision based on the weather."
It seems that the fundraiser is held outdoors and on the grounds of historic mansions. In early May, when the Derby is held, the Virginia weather is still unreliable. By the time the Belmont is run in June, it can get hot and muggy. But the third weekend in May?
"It's in the small window for great weather," Clough said.
The genesis of other Preakness parties was equally accidental.
For example, when Penn State shifts its weight, everyone in Happy Valley jumps. When graduation weekend moved this year to the first weekend in May, the State College Young Professionals knew they would have to rethink their annual Kentucky Derby party. The service organization was left scrambling to come up with a theme for its annual benefit for PAWS, an animal-welfare organization.
As event organizer Kristen Connolly tells it, the sports bar that had been booked for the party happens to be decorated in the Pittsburgh Steelers colors of yellow and black. Someone noticed that those coincidentally are two of the three colors on Maryland's state flag.
"'Preakness for PAWS sounded good," Connolly said. "We started thinking, and things just started falling into place."
And, before you could say, "Pimlico," another Preakness party was born.
Baltimore Sun reporter Richard Gorelick contributed to this article.


text:
counsel about
counsel (someone) about (something)
To advise one on a particular topic or issue. Since you used to handle this project, can you counsel Joanne about it?
See also: counsel
counsel someone about something
to give advice to someone about something. Will you counsel George about which tires to buy?
See also: counsel


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Our Daily Photo #2092 comes from the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, who are back at the Orpheum Theatre!
Every day we publish a Vancouver photo from the Instagram hashtag #vancouverisawesome shot by you and your friends in this great city of ours. If you'd like to have the chance to have your photos featured simply tag your pics. And don't forget to follow the @viawesome Instagram account!


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The National Geological Materials Collection (NGMC) includes the core, palaeontology and petrology collections.
Onshore boreholes, including hydrocarbon, mining, stratigraphical, geotechnical.
Offshore boreholes, vibrocores, gravity cores, grab samples.
UK Continental Shelf (offshore) hydrocarbon wells.
Material collections are described in the metadata system.
Many items are individually located in their own section in the GeoIndex.
Where a digital index has not yet been created, specimens can be located using the registers together with the locality card index. The Leeds Registers and Keyworth Registers are by 50k map sheet and can provide a useful entry point, but the London and Scottish Registers and the Museum and Donations Registers do not.
The card index may be searched by locality name, donor, seller, and county. It will list all appropriate Register entries, and each must be searched. A given entry should include the range of specimen registration numbers, any identifications, locality & horizon details, together with the collector/donor and the date of collection/donation.
The card indexes and registers should be consulted through the Collections staff in either Keyworth or Edinburgh.
If you have any queries, please contact the NGDC. They will be happy to help with any searches.


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Whats Happening This Week
There is much more to explore in our calendar. Find other important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, each with related lessons and resources.
Looking for age-appropriate book recommendations, author interviews, and fun activity ideas? Check out our podcasts.
Home › Classroom Resources › Calendar Activities
April 30
Celebrate El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros (Children's Day/Book Day)!
|3 – 8
|Calendar Activity Type
|Holiday & School Celebration
Developed under the leadership of author Pat Mora, El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros focuses on providing children with books in many languages and making reading an integral part of their lives. El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros is supported by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and REFORMA, an ALA affiliate that provides library and information services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking community.
Celebrate El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros by having students write and share their own multilingual stories:
- Read a book with parallel stories with the class, such as La Llorona: The Weeping Woman or The Day It Snowed Tortillas / El Dia Que Nevaron Tortillas, both by Joe Hayes. With students, examine the way that the books tell the story in two different languages.
- Arrange students in mixed multicultural groups and explain that together the groups will compose an illustrated, bilingual, or multilingual children's storybook to share with younger students.
- Return to the parallel stories read by the class to model how students will compose their own stories.
- Spend time exploring and creating the different parts that make up a professional book: title pages, acknowledgements, and dedications.
- Use the Book Cover Guide to discuss covers and dust jackets. Have students design these additional parts of the book.
- Students can use the Book Cover Creator to make the polished covers.
- Once the books are assembled, students can deliver them to their intended readers for a celebration of Día!
- El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros
The official ALA site for El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros includes a state-by-state list of Día events, library programming ideas, a Día fact sheet, and downloadable Día brochures.
- El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros -A Day for Bilingual Literacy
Pat Mora, founder of El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros, provides background and celebration suggestions on her personal website.
- National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking (REFORMA)
This Día-sponsored website features bilingual story time resources, a Spanish story time plan for preschoolers, and online resources for librarians working with Latino children. The site also includes guidelines and information on the Estela and Reforma Award, established to promote El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros.
- Pura Belpré © Medal Winners
This is the webpage for current winners of the American Library Association's Pura Belpré© Award, which is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.
- Parent & Afterschool Resources in Spanish
ReadWriteThink.org offers a collection of tips and activities translated in Spanish to support literacy learning at home.
Grades K – 2 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Let's Read It Again: Comprehension Strategies for English-Language Learners
Help Spanish-speaking English-language learners unlock the mysteries of their new language by using a bilingual book to recognize unfamiliar words and construct meaning from the text.
Grades 3 – 5 | Lesson Plan | Unit
My Family Traditions: A Class Book and a Potluck Lunch
After analyzing Family Pictures/Cuadros de Familia by Carmen Lomas Garza, students create a class book with artwork and information about their ancestry, traditions, and recipes, followed by a potluck lunch.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Color of Silence: Sensory Imagery in Pat Mora's Poem "Echoes"
Pat Mora's poem "Echoes" demonstrates that our senses are powerful tools for literary analysis and comprehension as students use their senses to discover new ways to read and write.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Nature Study Outdoor Treasure Hunts (with Spanish language option)
Students take a walk on the wild side when they research an animal and create a scavenger hunt activity for their classmates.


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We recently discussed a settlement of allegations of deceptive marketing practices and kickbacks by pharmaceutical company Boehringer-Ingelheim (here), a US congressional report alleging deceptive influence by Medtronic marketers over ostensibly scholarly publications (here), a study of documents released after litigation that appear to show how Pfizer had a systemic marketing campaign that used controlled trials as deceptive marketing vehicles (here),
Now three separate settlements by device/ biotechnology company Orthofix have come to light.
Settlement 1 - "Phony Consulting and Royalty Agreements," and Prostitution as Kickbacks, and a Sales Representative as Stripper
A Bloomberg article outlined Orthofix's two latest settlements. The newest seems the most audacious, or bodacious,
Orthofix International NV, (OFIX) a maker of spinal implants, agreed to pay the U.S. $30 million to settle claims that a subsidiary paid illegal kickbacks and provided prostitutes to doctors in return for orders.
The subsidiary, Blackstone Medical Inc., paid kickbacks to spinal surgeons in the form of phony consulting and royalty agreements, and travel and entertainment to entice them to use its products, the U.S. Justice Department said in a statement today.
This case adds to the mounting pile of evidence that many of the financial relationships among physicians and health care academics and drug, device, biotechnology and other health care corporations are not merely conflicts of interest incidental to innovation. In particular, Bloomberg reported,
[Whistle blower Susan] Hutcheson alleged that officials of Blackstone, purchased by Orthofix in 2006, violated kickback and false-claim laws by setting up a system to compensate doctors under sham consulting agreements and phony research grants, according to court filings. The sales executive said the company also offered lavish travel opportunities to doctors who implanted its products, the filing said.
Some doctors were paid as much as $8,000 a month under the fictitious consulting agreements, Hutcheson said in her suit, filed in federal court in Massachusetts. Orthofix's U.S. unit is based in Lewisville, Texas. Some also received phony research grants for as much as $18,000, the suit added.
Then there was this colorful detail,
Blackstone salespeople also were urged to take surgeons out for expensive dinners, escort them to strip clubs and pay for liaisons with prostitutes to get their business, Hutcheson said in the suit.
One female sales manager in Dallas agreed to disrobe and join strippers on stage at the request of two surgeons to whom she was pitching the company's products, Hutcheson said in her suit. The sales manager was demoted, not fired, over the incident, Hutcheson said in the suit.
We often hear from drug, device, and biotechnology companies that their sales efforts are all about providing needed information to physicians, information they could not otherwise obtain. In this case, the information appeared to be rather anatomical, but also rather personal.
The AP coverage of this store (here, via Businessweek) also noted that the settlement involved a corporate integrity agreement. Neither story mentioned any admissions made by the company. As far as I could tell, no corporate executives suffered any consequences as part of this settlement.
Settlement 2 - Fraud, Obstructing the US Government, and Less Colorful Kickbacks to Promote Bone Growth Stimulators
The article did nor provide any helpful photographs, but it did note that Orthofix recently made a second settlement.
The settlement's approval comes after Orthofix officials agreed to pay $42 million to resolve a separate whistle-blower suit and a criminal probe of allegations it paid kickbacks to doctors who used its bone-growth stimulators.
One of its units will plead guilty in federal court in Boston federal court to a single felony count of obstructing a U.S. government audit and pay a $7.8 million fine, according to a June 7 regulatory filing. Orthofix also will pay $34.2 million to resolve whistle-blower claims that the company defrauded the federal Medicare program over bone-growth stimulators, which patients wear after surgery to speed healing.
Amazingly, unlike the first settlement, and unlike most settlements we have discussed,
Five Orthofix employees have pleaded guilty to criminal charges in connection with probes of the kickback allegations. Thomas Guerrieri, an Orthofix vice president, pleaded guilty in April to violating the federal anti-kickback statute by setting up fake consulting agreements for doctors who used the company's products.
Note that we discussed a surgeon who pleaded guilty to accepting kickbacks from multiple device companies, including the Blackstone subsidiary of Orthofix, here in 2008.
Settlement 3 - "Chocolate" Bribes to Mexican Government Officials
Finally, the AP story noted in passing "the recent resolution of a federal Foreign Corrupt Practices action" against the company. I could not find any news coverage of that, but in July there did appear a SEC press release.
The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Texas-based medical device company Orthofix International N.V. with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) when a subsidiary paid routine bribes referred to as 'chocolates' to Mexican officials in order to obtain lucrative sales contracts with government hospitals.Also,
The SEC alleges that Orthofix's Mexican subsidiary Promeca S.A. de C.V. bribed officials at Mexico's government-owned health care and social services institution Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS). The 'chocolates' came in the form of cash, laptop computers, televisions, and appliances that were provided directly to Mexican government officials or indirectly through front companies that the officials owned. The bribery scheme lasted for several years and yielded nearly $5 million in illegal profits for the Orthofix subsidiary.
Orthofix agreed to pay $5.2 million to settle the SEC's charges.
Orthofix also disclosed today in an 8-K filing that it has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to pay a $2.22 million penalty in a related action.
So the box score here includes settlements of legal actions alleging bribery and kickbacks, a corporate integrity agreement, a guilty plea by a company subsidiary to obstructing the US government, and multiple guilty pleas by company executives. The bribes and kickbacks were provided in various colorful forms.
The variety of unethical behaviors unearthed suggests a company with a seriously deranged corporate culture. Whether the various actions taken against it, including the very unusual punishments meted out to some of its apparently mid-level executives will change its behavior, or serve as a lesson to other companies and their leaders is not clear. Whether they are sufficient to suggest anyone should trust this company, its leaders, or its products seems questionable.
This story adds to our various compilations of legal settlements and tales of crime, including bribery, kickbacks and fraud involving major health care organizations which suggest serious, deep afflictions within the culture of our commercialized health care system. Yet almost nowhere, except here on Health Care Renewal are there calls for serious reforms to restore trust in our health care organizations and their leaders.
As we have said endlessly, up to now, such legal settlements seemingly have had no effect on the bad behavior of big health care organizations, while they continually erode trust in these organizations and their leadership, and trust in physicians to put patients ahead of personal gain.
Furthermore, these cases seem to be part of a larger social problem. It seems that nowadays the leadership of large, powerful organizations feels free to promote their own interests using psychologically sophisticated but deceptive marketing and public relations strategies no matter what their effect on the public welfare.
Again as we have said all too many times before, we will not deter unethical behavior by health care organizations until the people who authorize, direct or implement bad behavior fear some meaningfully negative consequences. Real health care reform needs to make health care leaders accountable, and especially accountable for the bad behavior that helped make them rich.
Maybe after all the election hoopla dies down here in the US, we can finally have a serious conversation about health care reform that will make our health care system more trustworthy.


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A search by wildlife officials on Wednesday turned up empty for a venomous cobra that slithered its way into a Southern California neighborhood and attacked a resident's dog.
The albino monocled cobra was last seen in the 1300 block of Rancho Lane in Thousand Oaks, according to the LA County Department of Animal Care and Control.
"I came up the street and here's this white thing slithering across," said neighbor Rick Eddy, who spotted the snake on Tuesday. "I just thought it was a piece of rope, but as I passed, I realized that's not a piece of rope, that's a snake."
U.S. & World
Eddy watched the snake move back and forth near a fence, but left it alone because he had no apparatus to catch it.
A dog named Teko (pictured) was attacked by the cobra while on his owner's property about 6:30 p.m. Monday, the owner told NBC4. Initial reports said Teko had been bitten by the snake, but a veterinarian who treated Teko told NBC4 that his injuries stemmed from when the pooch tried to escape during the attack.
Earlier Wednesday, LA County Animal Care officials said the dog was in critical condition at a veterinary hospital, but the owner said the dog was recovering at home. According to the veterinarian, Teko did not have signs of envenomation.
"We would see clinical signs in a dog, really I think within 20 minutes, we start seeing the early signs of kind of losing consciousness, and getting nauseous," Dr Evan Antin said. "There's always signs of envenomation."
Dr. Antin refers to himself as a "snake nerd," a globetrotting snake expert who last year went searching for cobras in Indonesia. He said that the chances of finding a cobra in this environment are not good, but that the snake's color may help.
"Being white is typically not ideal in nature, and there's a reason why we don't see all white animals, so he will stick out like a sore thumb," Antin said.
Neighbors were skeptical about the possibility of a cobra in the area until they saw photos of it.
"Low and behold, you see the big white hood in the back, and you're like, he's not kidding, this is a cobra," Zack McMillen said.
Neighbors looked for the cobra after not being able to reach Animal Control on Labor Day.
The fire department responded Monday but couldn't find the snake after an hour-long hunt. Animal Control and Fish and Wildlife officials came to help Wednesday, but a day-long search turned up empty.
"We're kind of dependent on somebody seeing it again," Fish and Wildlife Officer Dennis Rosenberg said. "I mean, we might never see it again."
Residents are being warned not to approach to try to touch the snake, and to make sure children do not play near animal burrows or pipes where snakes may linger.
The albino monocled cobra is native to Southeast Asia and is illegal to own. The cobra's owner has not come forward.
If anyone sees the snake, they should not try to kill or capture it. Instead, they are advised to call 911 and alert the Department of Animal Care and Control or the California Department of Fish and Wildlife immediately.
Residents can call:
- Los Angeles County Agoura Animal Care Center: 818-991-0071
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife: 909-899-0659
The monocled cobra can be active at any time of day, but officials said it is most active during the morning or evening when it is cooler. It will strike if cornered.
Gadi Schwartz and Samia Khan contributed to this report.


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October 2016 by Paula Fasseas
Audience: Executive Leadership, Shelter/Rescue Staff & Volunteers
Video Length: 1:08
Could your animal shelter use 5,000 volunteers? That's the size of the dedicated volunteer force at PAWS Chicago, a shelter that includes a state-of-the-art Adoption Center that finds homes for nearly 6,000 pets annually; the Lurie Spay/Neuter Clinic and the GusMobile, which spays and neuters 18,000 pets each year for low-income families; and, on top of all that, PAWS Chicago also has a cutting edge shelter medicine and behavior program. How do they do it? With a dedicated staff, and a huge volunteer base!
Join PAWS Chicago founder Paula Fasseas for a webcast on volunteer recruitment, training and retention. The free on-demand version of this webcast is now available.
In this free webcast, Paula will cover:
- The role of volunteers and their impact
- The importance of a formal volunteer program
- How to recruit and retain volunteers
- What makes the "volunteer culture" of an organization so important
- How to create a "volunteer culture"
- Insights from the PAWS Chicago experience
This course has been pre-approved for Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits.
About Paula Fasseas
Paula Fasseas founded PAWS Chicago in 1997 and has built a No-Kill national model for animal welfare. Only 17 years ago, PAWS Chicago was an all-volunteer, grassroots organization. Today, its mounting impact reflects PAWS' reputation as a dynamic and innovative nonprofit.
With her business background, Paula developed a solutions-based plan to address the plight of homeless pets and raise public awareness on the staggering number of pets that were being killed in silence at traditional shelters. Since then, the number of homeless pets killed in the city has declined by 80% from a high of over 42,000 pets euthanized in 1997.
PAWS Chicago continues to receive inquiries from small shelters throughout the United States and works diligently to assist them in improving their business practices and strategies. PAWS Chicago received national acclaim through Oprah Winfrey who featured Paula on her television show and has adopted her last three pets through PAWS Chicago.


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Tagged As: Seedweddinginvitation
A Week of Wedding Colors: Vibrant Orange Seed Invitations
Fun and flamboyant orange radiates warmth and energy. It has a bit less intensity than red, but is calmed by the cheerfulness of yellow. This color is fantastic for both summer or autumn weddings, as it can easily signify a summery citrus fruit, or the changing leaves of fall... Read more
A Week of Wedding Colors: Sunny Seed Wedding Invitations
Yellow is sunshine. A warm and bright color that brings cheer to all those around. Such a fitting color theme for a summer wedding if you ask me. A perfect pairing of this color is mixing it up with a subdued cool palette of blues and greys, or use a lemon yellow with an orang... Read more
A Week of Wedding Colors: Bring on the Blue
Welcome to another edition of A Week of Wedding Colors! Today we explore a true blue. This calming color embodies tranquility, optimism and better opportunities. Not to mention, it is one of the most beloved colors around the world. Having your Big Day by water, a lake, or an ... Read more
A Week of Wedding Colors: A Glimpse into Green
Welcome to A Week of Wedding Colors! This week, Botanical PaperWorks is featuring plantable wedding invitations by color to match your wedding themes. Every day, we pick a popular color and show you the many seed paper invitations we offer. Today, we look at green, a color of ... Read more


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Flex developers: Secure your applications with the Flexible Chimp project and Spring BlazeDS Integration project. Ryan Knight and Jon Rose show you how in their article, Enterprise security for Flex.
If you want to learn more about ActionScript programming in Adobe Flash CS4 Professional, you'll want to watch Doug Winnie's recent ActionScript video tutorials. In these videos, Doug teaches designers how to code interaction and animation, as well as basic programming concepts. Also be sure to check out the Components Learning Guide for Flash CS4 It will help you reduce your development time and effort by using building blocks for creating rich interactive applications on the web.
For the more advanced crowd, ActionScript expert Colin Moock's Lost ActionScript Weekend turns a fireside chat with friends into a series of real-world lessons about ActionScript 3.
To get e-mail updates of our new content, subscribe to our newsletters: News Flash, The Edge, and the ADC update. You can also visit the Adobe Developer Connection to check for new content.


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Visit Our E2 Forums | Education | Financial Services | Government | Healthcare | Manufacturing | Retail
Loyalty & the IT Skills Gap
Andrew Froehlich, Network Engineer & IT Consultant | 3/20/2012 | 38 comments
Unfortunately, the blame often falls on both sides of the table. But for us to get back on track, I feel that management needs to make the first move. A recent article detailing a CompTIA research report shows that 90 percent of IT managers are struggling to find workers with the desired skill sets but are unwilling to train their in-house staff to meet their needs. Instead, they continue to look for external consultants to fill the knowledge gap.
And why is management looking to outsourced employees as opposed to their existing staff? I believe there are two primary factors.
First, employers want IT staff that already have the desired skills as opposed to taking time to train someone they already have. Cloud computing skills are a great example, as the cloud boom hit the IT industry fast and hard. Companies that wanted to get into cloud computing early didn't want to wait until their staff got caught up to speed. They chose instead to outsource cloud computing skills to consulting companies that had technical people on the cutting edge.
The second reason managers look to outsourcing as opposed to training in-house staff is the concern that once an employee is trained with a hot new skill, he or she will immediately look for greener pastures and leave the organization, which doesn't get to use the skills it paid for. This goes back to the lack of trust between IT employees and their employers. It's also one of the factors contributing to the supposed tech skills gap we've been hearing a great deal about lately.
While all of this is great news for highly trained consultants who are in high demand, it spells disaster for companies and their employees. Outsourcing can be great when added manpower and knowledge is required in a pinch, but it shouldn't be thought of as a long-term solution. In the end, external consultants move on to their next project and leave the organization with a brain-drain. Instead, the real solution would be to proactively train your employees and be continuously evaluating their value to the company. If you're training your employees with skills that are in high demand, it makes sense that you would have to pay them more in order to keep them.
The days of annual salary reviews are over, and instead a much more dynamic method should be put in place. Your employees will appreciate both the skills training and monetary recognition when it is determined that they offer added value to the company. This, in turn, will rebuild the employee loyalty that has been lacking in IT for so long. And while it sounds expensive, in many cases, it will likely end up being cheaper and more efficient in the long run to have a well-trained and loyal staff. I believe that profit can be made through loyalty; we just need to create an environment that encourages it.
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