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All Saints CE Primary School offers an innovative curriculum. Regular and punctual school attendance enables every pupil to achieve to the very best of their abilities within a welcoming, stimulating and safe learning environment. The Attendance policy, written by the Governing Body, provides further information.
Grant of Leave for Absence Request

subset: commoncrawl


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Press release March 27, 2019
Crimea: Arrests Aimed at Silencing and Marginalizing Crimean Tatars Should Be Investigated
The recent harassment and arrests of civic activists from the Crimean Tatar community represents yet another serious abuse of power.
Following the detention of dozens of Crimean Tatar civic activists in Crimea on March 27, 2019, Freedom House and Civil Rights Defenders released the following statement:
"Today's house searches, harassment, and arrests of civic activists from the Crimean Tatar community are yet another serious abuse of power by the de facto authorities, transparently aimed at striking fear into a community that has suffered severely during Russia's occupation of Crimea," said Marc Behrendt, director for Europe & Eurasia at Freedom House. "We urge the EU, US, and international bodies to insist on fair and thorough investigations of harassment and arrest of Crimean Tatar activists and others who suffer repression because of their ethnic identity, religious belief, or political and civic activity. The targeted searches and detentions of individuals in compact communities strikes a chilling resemblance to tactics used by Russian forces in their campaigns in Chechnya."
"The persecution of the Crimean Tatar community in Crimea, especially those who choose to publicly express their opinion, practice their faith, or maintain cultural traditions, is an ongoing reminder of how respect for human rights and democracy has precipitously declined in Crimea," said Ana Furtuna, Programme Director for Eurasia at Civil Rights Defenders.
According to media reports, at least 20 civic activists associated with the Crimean Solidarity movement have been detained following searches of dozens of homes in several villages of Crimea. The detained are accused of affiliating with the non-violent international Islamist movement Hizb ut-Tahrir, considered extremist and banned in Russia but not in Ukraine. Following the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, allegations of membership in Hizb ut-Tahrir have become a common pretext for criminal prosecutions there, and is one of many abuses of anti-extremism legislation against civic activists and others.
Crimea is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2019. Ukraine is rated Partly Free in Freedom in the World 2018 and Partly Free in Freedom on the Net 2018.


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There are many options available for massage and spa in Beijing. The foot bath massage is Beijing's specialty. Nothing could be more enjoyable than a foot reflexology after a whole day travel. For this, the feet are soaked in a warm bath infused with special minerals and herbs. The masseuse then rubs the feet, using principles of reflexology. It's believed that each organ in the body is connected to a specific reflex point on each foot though an intermeriary of 300 nerves. Specific areas of discomfort on the foot tell the masseur a great deal about the health of the patients internal organs. In this way, the masseuse is able to relax the entire body by only touching the feet. Traditional treatment from a blind masseuse can still be found in several places in Beijing. Many other forms of massage are also available including full body massage, traditional ear massage, and full spa treatments. Here is a list of some of the best massage and spa centers in Beijing:
Oriental Taipan Massage and Spa is a high end massage center providing an excellent massage service for total relaxation of the body, mind and soul. Take a break from city life and pamper yourself with the fragrance of essential oils, relaxing music, and health-conscious cuisine, a soothing massage or facial by their staff of masseuses and cosmetologists is sure to leave you more than satisfied. Address: Sunjoy Mansion, No.6 Ri Tan Road, Chaoyang District. Telephone: 65025722 Business hours: 11:00am-12:30am Average cost: RMB300 per person
99 Massage & Spa Center provides aromatic oil massage, body massage, foot massage. Brand-new decoration, single and double rooms, 24/7 housecall services are available. Address: 703E-Tower, Guanghualu, Chaoyang District. Telephone: 6501-0799
Dragonfly Retreat: Chinese, Japanese, aroma oil and oriental foot massage are available as well as manicures, pedicures and waxing. For a truly relaxing head and foot massage, be sure to try their Top-to-Toe massage which features two therapist at once. Address: 1\F, Eastern Inn, 6 Baijiazhuang Lu, Sanlitun, Near Chaoyang Hospital. Telephone: 6593-6066 Open Hours: 10am-1am
Aixin Massage Keep-fit Center: For just RMB80 per hour, guests can indulge in a relaxing tradtional Chinese massage by a professional blind masseuses. Nails, hand and foot treatment and aromatherapy are all available. Address: Rm.202, 2/F, Bldg 1, Fulihuayuan, 40 Maizidianjie, Sanyuanqiao, near Sheraton Hotel. Telephone: 6504-6490 Open Hours: 11am-11pm
Aibosen Blindman Massage is known among foreigners for their deep massages at a mere RMB88 per hour. For a real deal, purchase a membership card and receive ten massages for RMB700 or 55 massages for RMB2,750. Address: A11 Liufang Beili, Yonghegong. Telephone: 6465-2044, 6466-1247 Open Hours: 10am-1:30am
Beijing Liangzi Health & Fitness Center is one of the most famous massage centers in Beijing. With many branches in Beijing, Liangzi Massage has been a large-scale chain enterprises integrated fitness, health care and leisure. Address: East 3rd ring road, Baijiazhuang, CBD, Chaoyang District. Telephone: 010-65156666 Open hour: 10:00 am-1:30am
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Former Disney actress Bella Thorne announced she was directing her first film.
Thorne partnered with Pornhub to produce her first film, which just happens to be x-rated, according to a report published Tuesday by the New York Post.
"My initial idea was to create a Christmas horror movie, but instead I made a beautiful, ethereal film," Thorne said in a promotional video for the film.
The film explores "this relationship between a male and a female and this fight over dominance," Thorne said. Abella Danger and Small Hands star in the porno and switch off in the roles of dominant and submissive. (RELATED: Bella Thorne Posts Her Own Nudes After A Hacker Threatened To Release The Photos)
"'Her & Him' is a modernistic, sexually explicit Romeo and Juliet-like depiction of two star-crossed lovers who have unbridled sexual longing for each other," Pornhub Vice President Corey Price said.
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Ur bitch never edits she refuses. And I feel so much prettier when I don't do it. I'm not in my head about like how this or that looks better w a little help. That always made me feel worse so I put a ban on editing photos of me. Mags kinda didn't like it at first but they got used to it and so did every Photgrapher I work with. So stick to your guns folks!! #thelifeofawannabemogul
Thorne is really out here doing her own thing and figuring out where she wants to take her career. I kind of praise her for this. So many people have put her in the box of being a Disney star, but she's clearly showing up that she can do whatever she wants.
"The process of shooting was quite interesting because we had real life f–king on set which I had never shot before at all," Thorne said. "It is quite a fun environment."
I can only imagine.


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Turning in Your Lease
With a Red Carpet Lease, you have the option of purchasing or returning your vehicle at lease-end. Below are some helpful guides to returning your vehicle to Planet Ford and if you have any additional questions regarding this, please ask for *Noel Prout* or *James Haba* at 281.719.3700.
Returning Your Lease
Vehicle Inspection Information
Noel or James will conduct a vehicle inspection near the end of your Red Carpet Lease. Click here for a check list and more information on the inspection process.
What is Considered Excess Wear and Use?
Your lease vehicle is expected to be returned in good condition. However, Ford Credit allows for normal wear and use. To help avoid any Excess Wear and Use charges, we recommend necessary repairs be made prior to your vehicle return. These would include broken or missing parts, insufficient or poor quality repairs, mechanical or electrical malfunctions or tires that are not an appropriate match for the vehicle.
Some vehicle damage otherwise considered Excess Wear and Use may be covered by your vehicle insurance. Be sure to allow sufficient time for claim processing and repairs before you return your vehicle.
Ford Wear and Use Evaluator Card
Click here for a guide to what is considered normal or excessive wear, as well as useful guidelines to aid inspection of your vehicle's condition. This might help you avoid lease-end charges.


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The History of Cinco De Mayo
May 12, 2016
The fifth of May celebrates the defeat of of France's army by the Mexican army in 1862. Prior to the defeat, a new leader in Mexico came to power, Benito Juárez, a liberal leader who had financial debts from Europe. France, Britain, and Spain sent forces to demand reimbursement. After negotiating between Britain and Spain, the countries retreated. France, ruled by Napoleon III, decided to carve an empire out of Mexican territory. After French forces landed in Mexico, President Juárez and his government retreated. Napoleon III thought that the territory was an easy win, marching 6,000 troops to Pueblo, Mexico. President Juárez rounded up 2,000 loyal men to stop Napoleon and his forces. After six years, France was defeated. President Juárez was also aided by the U.S. after its civil war.
Now Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in Mexico and in the U.S. Most of the celebration happens in the city of Pueblo. Mexico celebrates with recreations of the battle, military parades and other festivities. For many, however, the day is like any other. Cinco de Mayo is not considered a federal holiday, so school and banks are still open. In the U.S. the day is interpreted to celebrate Mexican heritage and culture, especially in areas that are populated with substantial numbers of Mexican-Americans. People raised awareness of the holiday in the 1960's, with a deep connection to the Mexican victory. Today Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing, and delicious foods like tacos and mole poblano.


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Textile care offers attractive and manifold careers
The textile-care industry is constantly reinventing itself. The ongoing development taking place in mechanical engineering, washing and environmental technology and logistics, plus constant changes to regulations and guidelines, are having consequences for the qualifications required of employees in all specialisms. With a focus on training and careers, Texcare International (June 11-15, 2016 in Frankfurt, Germany) fulfils the role expected of it as a pioneering and leading international trade fair.
One of the main features of the textile-care industry is the variety of the jobs it offers. This is due to the numerous processes involved in the treatment and distribution of textiles. Consistent, future-oriented development of techniques, technologies and entrepreneurial strategies is extending the work involved even further to include ever new areas, providing employees with many-sided challenges and opportunities for advancement. These are interlinked with comprehensive further training, which supports lifelong learning, and expands and encourages the abilities of skilled workers.
Textile expertise opens doors
The name of the textile-care industry is its programme: the aim of laundries and dry cleaners is to treat textile products in a suitable and professional way, in which process textile-service businesses link them to additional services. So thorough background knowledge is important in the industry, says Professor Lutz Vossbein, Vice Dean of the Textile and Clothing Technology Department of the Polytechnic of the Lower Rhine in Mönchengladbach. "Expertise, from fibre to clothing manufacture, is needed across all levels of the industry. In the textile-supply industry it is a prior condition for the design of commercial laundry which can be successfully leased, of highly robust work clothing and of protective clothing as required by law. In detergent chemistry and mechanical engineering it is the basis for the development of an efficient and effective process technology. And on the part of the textile-care industry knowledge is needed at all levels, from procurement and processing to quality management", says Vossbein. "The industry offers numerous career possibilities to trained textile cleaners, textile technicians and graduates in Germany."
Quality, the environment and sustainability need management
Laundries, dry cleaners and textile-service businesses must meet a large number of regulations and laws on hygiene and safety. To cope with these tasks, companies have quality-management and environmental-management staff. They regulate the implementation of regional, national and European standards and ordinances governing product safety and ecology. "Textile service supplies hygiene and safety products for the market. Quality management takes care of that, by setting guidelines for all relevant processes", explains Vossbein. These run from the procurement of CE-compliant products, to customer-led provision, to proper professional treatment using validated processes, consonant with the assessment of threat established. Environmental management, on the other hand, is concerned with all ecologically relevant matters. "As the industry becomes increasingly committed to corporate social responsibility (CSR), these tasks will be expanded in future to include sustainability management", Vossbein thinks.
Digital future for logistics experts
Logistics and vehicle-fleet management are core tasks in the textile-care industry. They undertake the planning and organisation of distribution and optimise them to improve their ecological and sustainability-relevant parameters. They implement legal regulations and changes in their companies and ensure the continued training for service drivers required by law. New tasks are already awaiting them. With the advent of laundry tracing through RFID technology and the digitalisation of services, the industry offers specialists an interesting area of work.
Discovering professional potential
The supply industry, too, stands for interesting job prospects. Mechanical engineering, detergent producers and research institutes are developing tomorrow's textile care with the help of specialists in chemistry, process engineering, mechanical engineering and plant construction. Sectors covering every aspect of the processing and distribution of textiles will be represented at Texcare International, the leading international trade fair. This makes it the ideal forum for professionals who are looking for a future career in an innovative but underestimated industry. The Texcare forum on Saturday has taken as its motto, "Training and career – the next generation of professionals." Experts will be talking on subjects such as the dual training system and its opportunities, and careers in textile care. At the fair itself a job exchange will enable visitors to find information about what is on offer in the industry.


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Round 4
By Richard Hubbard
When he takes the few short steps towards the ring apron on Saturday night, don't be surprised to see Liam Walsh – as well as his two brothers – take a little glance skywards.
It will represent a quick moment of remembrance for their late father John – a man clearly never far from their thoughts – who passed away five years ago.
It was John who transferred his boxing passion onto his offspring and the motivation behind them gloving up as toddlers. If childhood arguments resulted in fisticuffs, John insisted that hands must be bound in leather.
Success for Liam in his IBF world title challenge against Gervonta Davis at the Copper Box would represent the fulfilment of a collective dream for the Walsh Pack.
For John, it wasn't so much a dream, more a conviction and one he regularly imparted to young Liam.
"This isn't only my dream and it is another weight or burden on the fight because my dad always used to say to me 'promise me you will become a world champion' from the age of five, six or seven," revealed the now 31-year-old who celebrated his birthday along with his twin Ryan on Thursday.
"Half the time he'd had a few beers when he used to sit me down on his knee and I would say 'dad, I will do my best'. I was forever saying I will do my very, very best.
"It is what I say to people when they mention the fight, I will do my best and I can't do any more. If that isn't good enough, then it isn't good enough, because I never guarantee that I will win, all I guarantee is that I will give my all. That is all I can do."
Liam admits he will be mulling over his dad's words as judgement night looms, imagining what wisdom would've been passed from father to son ahead of such a momentous occasion.
"All the time, not only in boxing, I try and think what he would advise or what he would've said. I'm sure on the night, if he can help in any way, he will be there, that is for sure.
"Nothing in the world would please me more than to win the world title and say 'we did it dad'."
Should that news pass his lips and a lifelong ambition is indeed realised, Liam is offering no guarantees over making an attempt to reign supreme over the super featherweight division.
Dethroning Davis could be his end game.
"It could be the end also, honestly," he conceded. "I can't guarantee I will carry on and I've even said to my brothers that it could be the last fight I ever have.
"Once I have achieved my dream that could be it because I never set out in boxing to become a multi-weight world champion.
"If I lose it will certainly not be my last fight. For me you can only judge a man after he has fallen and gets back up. When it is all going rosy everyone is good and we are all brilliant.
"When a man has been beat or come through adversity, then judge his character. There is no way if I got beat that I could retire, I couldn't. My dream is to be world champion, so if I didn't win, I am still on that path, without a doubt.
"If I win, I honestly can't sit here and say to you I will definitely fight again.
"I'm not motivated by money. I need money like everybody else, but I don't live an extravagant lifestyle and being happy is my motivation in life – and having a healthy family."


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Folding Options: Pluses and Minuses
We often get asked what strategy a customer should use when designing the fold of a brochure. The way we see it, there is no right answer; rather the creative needs to drive the decision. Here are a few marketing and creative ideas that should drive your decision on folding, and Kickshout Communications stands ready to help you with whatever design best fits your strategy.
We think of the letter-fold/roll-up fold as the "one-two-three" option. This option, aka the three-panel (or however many panel) brochure works best when you have a strong question you are posing on the visual, with the answer/call-to-action appearing on the right panel once you open the brochure. Finally, the more complete story can appear once the brochure is entirely unfolded across the three consecutive panels on the inside.
If there is a drawback to the letter-fold, it is that the cover panel needs to be compelling to draw the reader in. A really strong image and/or question needs to motivate the reader to take the next step.
The gate-fold is a great option for creating a design that has features a compelling, graphical set of information. Think of the gate-fold as also featuring three levels of information: A compelling cover, a two-page call-to-action with the first unfold, and then four panels to tell your story once completely unfolded. Consider using it when there is a lot of information to convey, as in a multiple product comparison or a long, organized list of options.
Of course, the gate-fold option may increase cost slightly since the flat-size of the gate-fold brochure is larger than a typical half-fold or letter-fold.
Z-folds unfold naturally in the reader's hands, making this format perfect for charts, maps, large graphics or photographs, or even a map or directions. Try using large text that requires the reader to open the brochure to see what it says.
While z-folds can have a strong impact, once again your cover better be compelling because you have only one shot to draw the reader in.
Half-folds give you many options. Consider using a half-fold for a product guide, since the larger panel size can mean a stronger area for displaying a product shot without a fold appearing in the middle of that larger image. You can also rely on a half-fold for side-by-side product comparisons, as the two panels on the inside can naturally accommodate this need. Finally, they are also useful for any information that needs to be listed, such as a menu-style brochure of food dishes.
Because half-fold brochures are wider than the others, they can grab the reader's attention with a larger image. Their size, however, may not fit in brochure racks that accommodate visitors and tourists, where the rack may be designed for a three-fold size. This characteristic may also increase the mailing cost, however, because a typical half-fold brochure may not fit into a standard #10 envelope. Consider designing your brochure as a self-mailer for this option.
Feel free to call Kickshout Communications to brainstorm on your design options when creating your brochure. We'd be happy to help!
Ingredients of a Great Brochure
While there are many uses for a brochure, their purpose is plain: to increase sales, to entice customers to act on a call-to-action, to get folks to take the next step. Here are some critical ingredients to include when whipping together your next brochure.
Compelling Visuals
They say a picture's worth a thousand words, and these days getting the customer to read those thousand words may be more difficult than ever! With strong graphics or photos, you can quickly tell your story, convey your benefits and communicate your call-to-action in ways that text alone will never accomplish.
Gotta-Read-More Headline
Your headline should grab the reader's attention either through a compelling offer, a strong, you-can't-do-without benefit, or an this-is-really-news announcement. Combined with great graphics, the headline is what pulls the reader into your brochure.
Act-Now Offer
Give the reader a reason to take the next step. Consider an act-now price break, a free guide or whitepaper that drills down into the subject, or an interactive calculator that determines ROI. The offer should compel the reader to take whatever you want the next step to be. Make sure your offer is prominent, like in a call-out that is larger or bolder text, or in the first paragraph of your copy. Of course, color is a great way to make the offer stand out.
Features to Define the Benefits
Don't fall into the trap of droning on about all of the nice features of your product or service. Rather, highlight the key benefits that the reader will enjoy because of a given feature or set of features. Remember, features are all about you, while benefits are what is in it for him or for her.
What is the next step you want the reader to take? Filling out an on-line form, perhaps via a form that features a personalized URL? Making a purchase? Requesting more information? Using an on-line calculator to determine ROI? Coming to the retail store for a big sale or seasonal product introduction? Make sure you know exactly what you are looking for in terms of the one key action that you want the reader to take, and make sure your offer compels them to take that action. Don't try to accomplish too much; it just waters down your message.
Ice It with Printing and Finishing
Let's face it: The better the quality of your brochure's design and printing, the better the reflection on you. Consider using full color, great visuals, and to protect your brochure, a varnish or UV coating. That will keep your message free from scratches or scuffs that may occur if it is mailed, for example. Kickshout Communications stands ready to help you, whether it is conceptualization, content review, or of course printing!


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Our accounting partner
Kreston Reeves are a forward-thinking firm of Chartered Accountants in Sussex with experience in community and charity projects.
Kreston Reeves, and their predecessor firm Spofforths which merged in 2016, provided a full range of services to Brighton i360 during its development and construction phase. From bookkeeping, payroll and management reporting through to End of Year accounts and tax, they provided daily advice to the Brighton i360 team. Research & development tax credits were claimed on the innovative technology and methods used on Brighton i360, together with identification of complex capital allowances claims. After the opening in summer 2016, the accounting and associated controls were handed on to the in-house team, with training given and advice remaining in place, Kreston Reeves helping with the need for greater capacity at busy periods.
Our Brighton office provides advisory and governance advice to civil society entities established as charities, not-for-profits and community based organisations, and has experience in working with central and local government to provide reporting and assurance to funders and stakeholders. Accounting for public funding and the public interest requires an established firm of reputation. Naturally, our Brighton office also enjoys developing friendly, collaborative and long-term relationships with our clients; our aim is straight forward talking and cutting through the technical language of accountancy and tax so that clients feel in control.
The firm holds workshops and seminars at Brighton i360, in concert with ICAEW South East, to promote thought leadership and conversations with businesses and charities; the venue is ideal for getting away from the office to think and talk openly in an inspiring and confidential environment.
At Kreston Reeves we have a choice of online accounting options, so you can be assured that you have the right software, whether you are a start-up business, an SME, or larger business. You can be assured that our team will be on hand to help with your accounting needs, and provide systems design, advice and guidance on accounting, VAT, business tax, and payroll services. With the Digital Advisory Business Solutions from Kreston Reeves Brighton, you can get support from an experienced team of young and energetic accountants.
Alison is a partner and head of our Brighton office and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW). The team have a wide portfolio of clients, including many multinational groups of companies, owner managed, charities and start-up businesses.
- Accounts and outsourcing
- Audit and assurance
- Business Advisory
- Corporate finance
- Financial planning
- Forensic accounting and valuations
- Online accounting
- Restructuring
- Taxation
- Wealth management
Alison Jones FCA
Kreston Reeves Brighton Office
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Tel: 0330 124 1399


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Target allocations when fully allocated
Anticipated participation in rising markets and prone to losses in bear markets
Historically, equity investments have offered investors the best opportunity to achieve long-term portfolio growth. However, they carry significant risk and are vulnerable to debilitating portfolio losses when exogenous shocks to the market occur. Toews' goal is to help protect core assets from extreme losses without sacrificing participation in rising markets investors rely on to achieve long-term, above-inflation growth .
By attempting to exit growth stocks and moving into defensive equities when prices decline, we aim to produce out-performance with diminished whipsaw risk.
Target allocations when fully allocated
Potentially the most robust loss avoidance among our stock strategies, but vulnerable to under performance in choppy markets
Intended to minimize losses in significantly declining markets, our risk-managed strategies may move from tracking stock and bond indices to cash or fixed income instruments as prices start to move lower. The strategies attempt to re-enter markets once they start to rebound.
Target allocations when fully allocated
Designed to adapt to negative market environments
Enable investors to potentially increase yields by tactically allocating a portion of assets to high yield bonds. These portfolios may move to defensive positions in cash, short duration bonds, or inflation protected bonds to attempt to reduce risks from rising interest rates and inflation.


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For students ages 8 – 14
$180+ $15 Lab Fee
Monday – Friday, June 26 – June 30, 2023, 9am – 12pm
This class will allow students to explore a variety of art techniques and media in the presence of the rescued animals who call River's Wish home.
Students will also spend time in the garden at River's Wish, learning about plants while drawing them.
Our Sanctuary Based Education provides a peaceful setting for creating, reflecting and connecting with the residents of River's Wish while fostering compassion and empathy.
Closed toe shoes are required for all classes at River's Wish Animal Sanctuary.
This class meets at:
River's Wish Animal Sanctuary
11511 W. Garfield Rd
Spokane, WA 99224
*Pre-registration is required for Art School classes; classes will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Students will be registered ONLY on receipt of payment. Enrollment requirements for all classes: 3 students minimum. Classes with low enrollment are cancelled 48 hours before the class is scheduled to begin.
Refunds and Cancellation Policies: If a class is cancelled due to low enrollment, a full refund will be issued. Refunds or class credit will not be issued for any other reason than cancellation of a class due to low enrollment.


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[HELP] [HOW-TO] Add another shipping service
Guest posted a topic in Technical HelpHi CubeCart Community! Bothering your asking for some help, I want to add to my shop the shipping service that I will use and it is not listed, it is mexican and it is named "Estafeta". I hope there is a way to add it to the list in the Control Panel and obviously activate it, it is going to be the default service for shipping my shop will use. Hope you can help me, thank you in advance.


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Commercial Pest Services
We understand the importance of a pest-free business.
Our services are individually tailored to the needs of your business. We will schedule a meeting to speak with you, ask some questions, answer your questions, gather some information about your concerns and your business and perform an inspection.
Next we will tailor a service specific to your needs and present our recommendations and service offerings. Most of the time we can save you money compared to your current service and provide a more comprehensive and effective service.
We can provide service for restaurants, schools, offices, nursing homes, warehouses, stores, hospitals, processing plants and just about anything else.


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Entertainment › Cine News › Arun Vaidyanathan's thriller to have Arjun, Bobby Simhaa, Prasanna, Varalaxmi
The cast of filmmaker Arun Vaidyanathan's yet-untitled next Tamil thriller has become bigger. After action king Ar...
"I am excited to have these stars on board and there are ongoing talks with some more renowned artists for the project," Vaidyanathan said in a statement.
While Arjun plays a policeman in the film, Prasanna and Varalaxmi will be seen essaying the roles of detectives.
National Award winning actor Simhaa will be seen playing a prominent role, while Vaibhav Reddy has also been roped in for a key part.
The project is set to go on floors soon. The technical cast comprises of Aravind Krishna for camera, Naveen for Music and Sathish Suriya for editing. The film is produced by Passion Film Factory who bankrolled Kappal.


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From the outer reaches of space to the backwoods of southern Georgia, the hunt comes home in Shane Black's explosive reinvention of the Predator series. Now, the universe's most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before. And only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and an evolutionary biology professor can prevent the end of the human race.
Directed by: Shane Black
Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Alfie Allen, Thomas Jane, Augusto Aguilera, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski
In Theaters September 14


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Burberry Ltd. History
London, E9 6LP
United Kingdom
Telephone: (44) 208 985 3344
Fax: (44) 208 985 2636
Website: www.gusplc.co.uk/burberry.html
Founded: 1856
Employees: 2,500
Sales: £230 million ($366.1 million) (2000)
NAIC: 31523 Women's and Girls' Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing; 31522 Men's and Boys' Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing; 44814 Family Clothing Stores
Company Perspectives:
Burberry is an international luxury brand. Its globally recognized name, trademark, and signature trenchcoat have been synonymous with quality and enduring style for over 150 years. Key Dates:
Key Dates:
- 1856:
- Thomas Burberry establishes his first shop.
- 1891:
- Burberry begins selling clothing under the Burberry name in London's Haymarket section.
- 1909:
- The firm registers the "Equestrian Knight" trademark.
- 1915:
- Burberry ships its raincoats to Japan.
- 1966:
- The firm becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Great Universal Stores.
- 1994:
- The company begins using well-known model Christy Turlington in its ad campaigns.
- 1996:
- By now, Burberry has accumulated a record six Queen's Awards for Export Achievement and ranks among Great Britain's leading clothing exporters.
- 1997:
- Rose Marie Bravo is hired as CEO.
- 1998:
- The Asian economic crisis causes financial problems for the firm.
- 1999:
- Burberry launches the Prorsum collection.
- 2000:
- Burberry breaks ground on a new flagship store in London.
Company History:
Burberry Ltd. is a manufacturer and marketer of men's, women's, and children's apparel, as well as accessories and fragrances. The Burberry name is virtually synonymous with the tan gabardine raincoat pioneered by the company more than 145 years ago. Writing for WWD (Women's Wear Daily) in 1989, Andrew Collier described the garment as "a mainstay in outerwear worldwide, that symbolizes all that is Britain: sturdy and unassuming, equally at home in fine hotels and muddy lanes." In 2000, Burberry operated 58 company-owned stores, and its products were also found in department and specialty stores around the world. In 1999, the firm launched the Prorsum designer collection as part of its efforts to reinvent Burberry's luxury brand status. An icon of classic clothing, Burberry has utilized licensing and brand extensions to appeal to a younger generation of fashion-conscious customers. The company is a subsidiary of the United Kingdom's Great Universal Stores plc, the very closely held $9 billion credit reporting, mail-order, and retail apparel conglomerate.
19th-Century Origins
Founder Thomas Burberry was born in 1835 and apprenticed in the drapery trade, establishing his own drapery business in Basingstoke, Hampshire, in 1856. A sportsman, Burberry was dissatisfied with the then-popular rubberized mackintosh raincoat, which was heavy, restricting, and stifling, and thus unsuitable for extended outings. Inspired by country folk's loose "smocks," Burberry designed a tightly woven fabric made from water-repellent linen or cotton yarn. Although sturdy and tear-resistant, this "Burberry-proofed" cloth was lightweight and allowed air to circulate, making it considerably more comfortable than the heavy mackintosh. The tailor trademarked his cloth "Gabardine," a Shakespearean term that referred to shelter from inclement weather. Burberry developed five different weights of gabardine: "Airylight," "Double-Weave," "Karoo," "Wait-a-bit," and "Tropical." He even patented "Burberry-proofed" linings made from silk and wool.
Burberry was a shrewd marketer, employing trademarking and advertising to great benefit. Illustrated advertisements touting the clothing "designed by sportsmen for sportsmen" drew customers to Burberry's retail outlet, which was established in London's Haymarket section in 1891. Having used a variety of labels to distinguish its garments from imitations, the company registered the "Equestrian Knight" trademark in 1909, an insignia used continuously through the mid-1990s. Also employed in the corporate logo, this image represents several Burberry ideals. The armor signifies the protection afforded by the outerwear, the "Chivalry of Knighthood" reflects the company's own standards of integrity, and the Latin adverb "prorsum" ("forward") referred to Burberry's innovative fabrics and styles.
Although the gabardine name was used under exclusive trademark by Burberry until 1917, Britain's King Edward, one of the first members of the royal family to don the gabardine coat, has been credited with popularizing the Burberry name by requesting the garment by name. Burberry garments have enjoyed a loyal following among royalty and celebrities around the world ever since. The company's clientele has included Winston Churchill, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Humphrey Bogart, George Bernard Shaw, Al Jolson, Peter Falk, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Norman Schwarzkopf, and Paul Newman. The company also boasts warrants (endorsements of quality) from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and H.R.H. The Prince of Wales. Considered a "rite of passage" by some commoners, a Burberry coat was a prerequisite to a first job interview.
New Products for the New Century
By the turn of the century, Burberry offered an extensive line of outerwear for both men and women. The company designed hats, jackets, pants, and gaiters especially for hunting, fishing, golf, tennis, skiing, archery, and mountaineering. The garments' time- and weather-tested reputation for durability helped make them the gear of choice for adventurers of the late 19th and early 20th century. Balloonists and early aviators wore specially made Burberry garments that let neither wind nor rain penetrate. Captain Roald Amundsen, Captain R.F. Scott, and Sir Ernest Shackleton wore Burberry clothing and took shelter in Burberry tents on their expeditions to the South Pole in the 1910s.
Burberry established its first foreign outlet in Paris in 1910 and soon had retail establishments in the United States and South America. It exported its first shipment of raincoats to Japan in 1915. It was World War I, however, that brought widespread acclamation and fame to Burberry. First worn by high-ranking generals during the turn of the century Boer War in South Africa, the Burberry coat soon was adopted as standard issue for all British officers. With the addition of epaulets and other military trappings, the garments came to be known as "Trench Coats," so named for their ubiquity and durability through trench warfare. One Royal Flying Corps veteran wrote a testimonial noting, "During the War, I crashed in the (English) Channel when wearing a Burberry trench coat and had to discard it. It was returned to me a week later, having been in the sea for five days. I have worn it ever since and it is still going strong." The company estimated that 500,000 Burberrys were worn and, perhaps more important, brought home, by veterans.
Rainwear became so important to Burberry that the company soon whittled its lines down to little more than trench coats and tailored menswear for much of the 20th century. The notoriously conservative manufacturer stuck primarily to its well-known raincoats until the 1960s, when a fluke led Burberry to capitalize on the garments' trademark tan, black, red, and white plaid lining. It all started with a window display at the company's Paris store. The shop's manager spiced up her arrangement of trench coats by turning up the hem of one coat to show off its checked lining, then repeated the check on an array of umbrellas. The clamor for the umbrellas was so immediate and compelling that Burberry's made and quickly sold hundreds. This experiment eventually led to the introduction of the cashmere scarf, also a perennial best-seller. By the 1990s, Burberry offered six different umbrella models and scarves in eight color schemes. This turning point in the company's merchandising scheme notwithstanding, rainwear remained Burberry's single largest line into the late 1970s and early 1980s, and menswear continued to dominate.
Emphasis on Exports and Women's and Children's Apparel in the 1980s and 1990s
Burberry's export business increased dramatically during the 1980s, fueled primarily by Japanese and American craving for prestigious designer goods. By mid-decade, exports constituted two-thirds of the British company's sales, with more than one-fourth of exports headed to Japan and another 15 percent sold in the United States. By 1996, Burberry had accumulated a record six Queen's Awards for Export Achievement and ranked among Great Britain's leading clothing exporters. Overseas sales continued to grow by double-digit percentages in the early 1990s.
Realizing that "A fine tradition is not in itself sufficient today," Burberry sought to broaden its appeal to a younger, more fashion-conscious female clientele. Acknowledging that "The first thing people think of when they hear Burberry is a man's trench coat," U.S. Managing Director Barry Goldsmith asserted in a 1994 WWD article, "That's the image we're up against." One result was the Thomas Burberry collection, first introduced in Great Britain in 1988 and extended to the United States two years later. The new merchandise was priced 15 percent to 30 percent less than Burberry's designer lines, bringing a blouse down to $90 versus the normal $150 to $225, for example. Yet it was not just the price tags that set this "bridge line" apart from the brand's more traditional garb. The collection emphasized more casual sportswear, as opposed to career wear. "Updated classics" included youthful plaid mini kilts, jumpers, and snug "jean fit" slacks. U.S. advertising executive David Lipman called the line and its model, Christy Turlington, "modernly relevant, yet classically beautiful." At the upper end of the scale, Burberry launched a personal tailoring service for the ladies. The company's women's division grew 30 percent from 1994 to early 1996 and was expected not only to overtake menswear, but to constitute more than 70 percent of total annual sales by 1999.
Although it continued to manufacture 90 percent of its merchandise in British factories, Burberry also started licensing its name, plaid, and knight logo to other manufacturers. By the mid-1990s, the Burberry name added panache to handbags and belts, throw pillows and boxer shorts, cookies and crackers, and fragrances and liquor. Childrenswear, stuffed toys, watches, handbags, golf bags, and even a co-branded VISA credit card sported the Burberry check.
Burberry's efforts at product and geographic diversification appeared to be paying off in the mid-1990s. Sales (including a small sister subsidiary, Scotch House) increased by more than one-third, from £200.9 million in fiscal 1994 (ended March 31) to £267.8 million in 1996. Net income before taxes grew twice as fast, from £41.1 million to £70 million, during the same period.
Focus on Strengthening the Burberry Brand in the Late 1990s
Despite diversification efforts, it became clear to company management that the Burberry brand did not have the spark it once claimed. In 1997, Rose Marie Bravo was elected CEO of Burberry. Her expertise in brand management fit in with company plans to strengthen the Burberry brand throughout the United States and Europe. Bravo began focusing on product and design development and hired creative director Roberto Menichetti to head up this initiative.
While the company focused on positioning itself among leaders in the fashion industry, it began facing problems caused by its over-dependence on Asian customers. Sales decreased by 7 percent in 1998 and profits tumbled in its retail and wholesale sectors due to the Asian economic crisis. As a major exporter, Burberry also was hurt by the strength of the pound. The company also began to slow down its shipments to the Asian grey market--a market in which its products were sold cheaply or re-imported back to Europe and sold at a discount--and shut down three production facilities in the United Kingdom. Whereas this decision hurt the firm's profits in 1998, management felt it would, in the long run, protect the Burberry image.
In 1999, the company profits continued to falter. Sales decreased by 19 percent as the firm battled its Asian-related problems. Amidst its financial struggles, however, the company continued to focus on brand development and aggressive marketing. Under the leadership of Bravo, Burberry was once again re-emerging as an international luxury brand. The company launched its Prorsum collections in 1999, a new designer line that was part of Bravo's strategy. According to a June 1999 Daily News Record article, the launch was, "The latest step in the Bravo-directed makeover of the brand. Over the last 18 months, she's trimmed its distribution, cut the number of licensees, and ramped up marketing and advertising. The goal is to turn the Burberry name into a brand as hip as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, or Prada."
Success in the New Millennium
As Burberry entered the new millennium, its financial results improved dramatically. The Asian market recovered, its European and American markets grew, and its new brand strategy began to pay off. Trading profits increased 103 percent over the previous year and sales rose by 11 percent. The company also closed nonprofitable stores and opened new stores in Las Vegas, Nevada and in Tokyo. Burberry also opened a new three-floor flagship store in London that was 16,000 square feet in size and featured new product lines including lingerie and swimwear. A new licensing agreement was signed with Mitsui in Japan, securing a greater share of profits from that region, and the firm acquired its Spain-based licensee--Spain was the firm's second largest market after Japan.
Burberry's parent announced in late 2000 that it was planning an initial public offering (IPO) of the company's stock. Great Universal Stores did not consider the company one of its core businesses, and in light of Burberry's recent successes, it considered an IPO much more lucrative than selling the firm. In 2001, Burberry management continued its aggressive brand strategy and focus on its potential in the United States and in European markets such as France and Italy. Burberry's repositioning as a leading luxury brand left its management confident that it would remain successful in the future.
Principal Competitors: House of Fraser plc; Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation.
Further Reading:
- "Burberrys Goes Casual," WWD, December 21, 1993, p. 8.
Burberrys of London: An Elementary History of a Great Tradition, London: Burberry Ltd., 1987.
- "Burberry's Women's Lines Thriving," WWD, May 15, 1996, p. 7.
- Collier, Andrew, "Burberry Toasts Its History with Museum Exhibit," WWD, February 14, 1989, p. 10.
- Emert, Carol, "Plaid in Dispute Concerning Sale of Burberry's Items," Daily News Record, August 8, 1995, p. 5.
- Fallon, James, "Bravo on Burberry's Luxe New Digs: `A Big Strategic Move,'" Daily News Record, August 23, 2000, p. 1.
- ------, "Burberry Considers Offering," WWD, November 17, 2000, p. 2.
- ------, "Burberry Profits More Than Double in Year," Daily News Record, June 9, 2000, p. 1B.
- ------, "Burberrys in U.S. to Get New Line," Daily News Record, August 23, 1990, p. 3.
- ------, "Burberrys' Next Generation; Company Revamps Thomas Burberry Line to Appeal to Younger Customer," Daily News Record, November 26, 1996, p. 3.
- ------, "Prorsum From Burberry: More Revolution Than Evolution," Daily News Record, June 21, 1999, p. 5.
- Gray, Robert, "A Green and Pleasant Brand," Marketing, July 20, 1995, pp. 22-23.
- Gray, Robert, and Arthur Friedman, "Finally, Some Sunshine for Rainwear," WWD, April 16, 1996, pp. 7-8.
- Heller, Richard, "A British Gucci," Forbes, April 3, 2000, p. 84.
- Pogoda, Dianne M., "Tipping the Sales," WWD, May 4, 1994, pp. 8-9.
- Porter, Janet, "Burberrys Weathers Dollar Fall," Journal of Commerce and Commercial, February 26, 1987, pp. 1A, 6A.
- "Stretching the Plaid," Economist, February 3, 2001, p. 7.
The Story of the Trenchcoat, London: Burberry of London, 1993.
- Underwood, Elaine, "Check-ing Out," Brandweek, December 11, 1995, p. 32.
- Woolcock, Keith, "The Great Universal Mystery," Management Today, November 1994, pp. 48-52.
Source: International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 41. St. James Press, 2001.


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In case you hadn't seen the onslaught of photographs on social media over the past couple of days, we recently experienced a blood moon lunar eclipse. The total eclipse was visible from North and South America, Europe and western Africa. Central and eastern Africa, as well as Asia, got to see a partial eclipse.
But one lucky astronomer, Jose Maria Madiedo, got to see something that nobody's ever captured on camera before. An asteroid hitting the Moon's surface during an eclipse. You can see the video of the event above.
Madiedo has spent more than a decade pointing telescopes and cameras at the Moon during eclipses, hoping to record just such an event. And now he has. It's a very quick, brief bright flash in the top left corner of the frame, which impacted the moon at 4:31 am UTC on January 21st (11:41 pm Eastern on the 20th), during the totality phase of the eclipse.
He's part of a project called the Moon Impacts Detection and Analysis System (MIDAS), created in 2009 to monitor and identify the flashes produced by the impact of meteoroids on the surface of the Moon.
Gizmodo reports that the team haven't analysed the data yet, but their early guess is that the object had a mass of around 10kg (22lbs).
How did your eclipse photos turn out? Did you see the meteor impact?
[via Gizmodo]


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A personal health application (PHA) is a consumer-centric information system that helps improve healthcare delivery, self-management and wellness by providing clear and complete information, which increases understanding, competence and awareness.
The objectives of a PHA are to inform, empower and enable consumers to make better decisions and act responsibly. This includes enabling consumers to:
- Be helpful and proactive in managing their health, rather than passive and reactive.
- Make wise decisions when agreeing to specific treatment options and living health lifestyles
- Carry out strategies for remaining healthy longer
- Comply with plans of care when ill to speed recovery, avoid complications, and achieve the best possible quality of life
- Deal effectively with personal problems and life stressor to maximize one's overall well-being.
Implications of PHAs
- Incorporate sick-care data currently found in electronic health records (EHRs) used by healthcare providers and personal health records (PHRs), and add well-care data focusing on prevention, self-management, and emotional well-being
- Give a high-definition, big picture, whole-person view of a person's physiological & psychological risk factors, current health, health trends, and projected health status.
- Reveal the interventions that are effective for an individual by integrating and analyzing a lifetime of data about health status & quality of life, conventional and complementary & alternative medicine (CAM) treatments received, and the clinical outcomes of that care.
- Enable the exchange of patient data with providers' EHRs, as well as obtaining data directly from lab, pharmacy or hospital systems.
Whereas today's PHRs present narrow views of a person's general health information, PHAs would provide clear, comprehensive views of the whole person-mind, body, spirit and environment-showing risk factors, current health status, health trends, and projected one's future health status. Revealing such trends and predicting one's health condition under different scenarios can be powerful motivators for health living, as well as offering important clinical insights for healthcare providers.
Furthermore, PHRs do little to inform a person about treatment efficacy and the value of CAM approaches. PHAs, on the other hand, would provide this information by collecting and analyzing a lifetime of detailed health data to show what works for the person and what doesn't.
PHA Functionality
The personal health record is a legacy term which soon will be replaced with Patient centric health information system. The modern patient has more to do than keep records. Information technology holds great promise in empowering patients to manage their health, but the patient must become the focus of the design if the technology is to be used in a manner to improve the coordination of care.
Functional Domains-
Steele, Min and Lo described eleven functional capabilities of PHR. They are-Access control(including privacy and security), Health data integration with patient health records, Interoperability and data exchange, Data availability at the point-of-care, Audit management, Information sharing on demand for research or statistical purposes, Accessibility of information(knowledge)/Help for medical, health and computer readability, Health behavior management, Secure communications, Fault tolerance, Data management, storage, sustainability, backup and recovery.
Functional Levels
Dr. Krist and Woolf have described the functionality of patient centered health information system at five levels. LEVEL 1 Collect patient information, such as self-reported demographic and risk factor information (health behaviors, symptoms, diagnoses, and medications). LEVEL 2 Integrate patient information with clinical information through links to the electronic medical record and/or claims data. LEVEL 3 Interpret clinical information for the patient by translating clinical findings into lay language and delivering health information via a user-friendly interface. LEVEL 4 Provide individualized clinical recommendations to the patient, such as screening reminders, based on the patient's risk profile and on evidence-based guidelines. LEVEL 5 Facilitate informed patient action integrated with primary and specialty care through the provision of vetted health information resources, decision aids, risk calculators, personalized motivational messages, and logistical support for appointments and follow-up.
User Perspective
An ideal system helps patients to manage preventive and chronic care, collects relevant demographic and risk factor data from patients at the first level and clinical data from electronic health records at the second level, interprets the findings in lay language and an attractive user interface at the third level, personally advises patients of tests and other services recommended for their risk profile by the US Preventive Services Task Force and other major groups at the fourth level, and provides reference information from reputable sites, and adds tailored, motivational messages—all with the imprimatur of sponsoring primary care practices at the fifth level.
Proposed Solutions
Dr. Yasnoff has proposed that system to be a patient-centric community health record banks (HRBs). Health record banks are community organizations that put patients in charge of a comprehensive copy of all their personal, private health information, including both medical records and additional data that optionally may be added by the patient. The patient explicitly controls who may access which parts of the information in his or her individual account. Assumptions about the community-wide deployment of required technologies such as hardware, software and internet accessibility are implicit in the architectural selection of PHRs and these dependencies have not been fully appreciated. There are significant infrastructural implications of PHRs that can influence the selection of PHR architecture and design. Functional requirements of PHRs such as access control, data sharing and integration, data exchange and information search may depend on a PHR's architectural design and its infrastructure, for example, web-based and online, standalone or hybrid.
In essence, PHR system should be a combination of data, knowledge and software applications; rather than simply a static patient data repository. The most valuable function that patients need in the PHR system is the ability to compile readily understandable and useful health knowledge that is related to their health in addition to having the existing basic and advanced functions described above.
References- 1 Krist AH, Woolf SH. A vision for patient-centered health information systems. JAMA. 2011;305(3):300-301. 2 Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. US Department of Health and Human Services. Nationwide Privacy and Security Framework for Electronic Exchange of Individually Identifiable Health Information 2008. 3 Ammenwerth E, Schnell-Inderst P, Hoerbst A. The impact of electronic patient portals on patient care: a systematic review of controlled trials. J Med Internet Res. 2012 Nov 26;14(6). 4. Personal health record architectures: Technology infrastructure implications and dependencies: Steele, Robert Min, Kyongho Lo, J Am Soc Inf Sci Tec Volume 63, Issue 6, pages 1079–1091, June 2012
Submitted by Ajay Dhawan
Future applications
PHAs also bridge well-care and sick-care:
- Sick-care focuses on the treatment of diagnosed physical & psychological problems
- Well-care focuses on preventing serious illnesses and complications, and increasing people's well-being and quality of life through self-management and healthy lifestyles.


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Friday, March 31st, 2006
Cherry Blossom Girl
I have to admit it's a complete mystery to me how I can get an internet connection in a little traditional Japanese hotel on a mountainside, but not in a huge Western-styled one just outside of Kyoto. The mind boggles.
On day three we bid farewell to Nara and began the rather long trek towards Kyoto. First there was a stop in Uji City, on the outskirts of Kyoto, for a visit to the Byodoin Temple. This complex comprised several buildings, the main of which is Phoenix Hall, home to statues of another giant Buddha and 52 attendant Bodhisattvas on clouds. We didn't actually go into the Hall itself as it was an extra charge on top of admission to the grounds, but that's not a really big deal since there were replicas of everything in the temple museum (Hoshokan), which didn't cost extra.
After the Byodoin, we attended a traditional tea ceremony almost next door and then it was back on the bus for lunch in Kyoto proper. We went to an Ochaya-san and were treated to a rather elaborate performance from a Maiko. After that we hightailed it to make an appointment for a tour of the Suntory brewery, but were running so behind we had to settle for the abbreviated version (paraphrased – "This is the water, barley and hops. These are large machines that make beer. Have some beer". For refreshing time, make it Suntory time indeed.
Side note – driving a large tour bus through the streets of Kyoto is slow going. Just in case you were wondering.
The next stop was downtown Kyoto and a chance to actually experience a bit of Japanese urban life – a nice change from all the austere and historical-ish temples and shrines we'd seen thus far. I spent most of the time trying to track down a 3-prong to 2-prong plug adapter and was happily successful, finding one in a most peculiar sort punk rock department store. Yeah, that's what I said. Otherwise I wandered about a couple of large retail avenues and just soaked in the atmosphere.
The final stop of the day before the hotel was the Gion quarter, which we were told was exciting because of its role as a location in Memoirs Of A Geisha. I guess that's exciting. It was kind of funny watching all the tourists camped out in the street, cameras at the ready, hoping to catch a Geisha passing by. Efforts for which they were eventually rewarded (I saw three) but it just seems strange to make such an event out of someone simply walking to work.
The massive and opulent, yet internet-less, hotel we're staying at is just outside Kyoto on the shores of Bitwa-ko, Japan's largest lake. This place is built like a castle. And oh yeah – it snowed. SO not part of the original deal.


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Ci dessous un sommaire en français...
News from CLC in Europe and Euroteam
- Thanks to the former Euroteam
- Introduction of the new Euroteam
- European Assembly in Vilnius : "CLC as an Experience of Discernment. Five years of journeying with the Young" (7th to 11th of June 2019)
- Training on Indifference
- CLC Syria
- Migration Network
- Final Document
We are preparing a short final document from the Assembly, which you'll receive in the autumn.
Some words from the world ExCo …
- To be decisive or not to be
(Fernando Vidal - Eurolink in the World ExCo )
And the National communities…
- Special Encounters At the Frontiers
- D-A-CH – Holidays on the Lake Constance
- International Hiking retreat in Biviers/ France
- Spiritual Days in Lebanon - an encounter between European and Arab Christians
- Holidays in Sweden (CLC Sweden and CLC Germany)
- Meeting of presidents (CLC Poland/ CLC Lithunia)
You are invited ! (sessions, international retreats, gatherings)
- Scratch Card – Poland
- Université d'été – France
For further information
- Newsletter
We will try to send you this newsletter more or less regularly in order to provide information about the work of the Euroteam and CLC communities. These newsletters offer the possibility to share events between national communities. So please send us the information you want to share.
- CLC-CVX in Europe homepage
We are currently having some problems with our homepage – it has to be rebuilt. So don't wonder if there are no updates. But we try to post regularly on Facebook (Christian Life Community in Europe). Please don't hesitate to send us links and other information you want to share.
- Contact details
Check the e-mail addresses in the document


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Dear Families,
Mt. High has closed "temporarily" for the season. There is a possible reopening after March 10 but we need to prepare for the worst case scenario.
I will provide training opportunities if people are interested for the remainder of the season but only on a RSVP basis. You must communicate your intentions to train with me or I will not arrange the training sessions.
I was very pleased with our Kids that raced at China Peak this past weekend and Mammoth. We had some great results and the kids had fun exploring and discovering a new mountain. I am already making plans for next year and have added some coaching for the world cup kids. I know it has been a tough year for these kids mostly due to inadequate snow depth and weather. I would like to have a weekend if there is interest where we can ski as a group in Mammoth. I will keep you posted on possible dates but it will be in April.
Please follow the website so that you will know details for the team party.
All training at other mountains will be a la carte. You will be responsible for tickets and training fees. I will work with the resorts to minimize the cost.
Please email me or text me your intentions for the following schedule.
firstname.lastname@example.com, 951-440-5125
The remaining race schedule is as follows:
March 6-7
Training at Snow Summit or Mammoth
March 11-13
U10/12 Mammoth Big G and Super G
U14 Performance Camp
March 19-20
Training at Snow Summit
March 24-27
U10/12 Champs at Alpine Meadows
Training for U14 at Snow Summit or Mammoth
March 31 -April 3
U14 Champs at Sugar Bowl
April 9-April 12
U16 and older (plus Second year U14)
Champs at Squaw
April 19-24
U16 and older
Speed Week at Mammoth


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Waterfall - Chrome bathtub pilar tap
Waterfall - bathtub pillar tap Chrome
It will refresh your senses and originally combine practical functionality with aesthetic value. The bathtub is filling - watch its refreshing stream merge with the perfect beauty of the tap and its fall on the surface with a vitalizing energy. The product is available in traditional chrome or trendy black.
Energy of Water Element
Refresh your senses by filling your bathtub from a tap on a stand in the style of a waterfall. The original combination of practical function with added aesthetic value will make your bathtub waterfall a unique experience. When the bathtub is being filled you can watch the refreshing stream of water married with the beautiful perfection of the metal fitting and falling on the water surface to bring in life-giving energy.
Unique Experience
The visual and audio sensation of filling the bathtub from a waterfall combine into a unique experience that you will always look forward to.
Design Matching the Bathtub
You can choose the tap stand according to the design of your bathtub, whether naturally rounded or minimalist. The bathtub tap stand will always be an experience and will not disturb the ceramic wall tiling.
Switching from Bathtub to Shower
You like filling the bathtub with the waterfall but do not want to skip showering? You do not have to! The bathtub waterfall is provided with a switch that will allow you to shower.
Technical details
- Cartridge (diameter, material): 35 mm, ceramic
- Design: With a set; (180 cm long shower hose; stainless steel design)
- Bathtub taps installed on bathtubs with sufficiently wide and straight edge – 3, 4 or 5-hole.
- Tap guarantee: Five years
- Suitable for the following bathtubs: Gentiana, NewDay, Rosa, Rosa II, Rosa 95, LoveStory II, Asymmetric, City, City Slim, Freedom W, Formy 01, Formy 01 Slim
To create a compact bathroom design, we recommend combining the Chrome tap with the other Chrome products and RAVAK accessories. We recommend using RAVAK Chrome Cleaner for cleaning external surfaces.
When installing the products, ensure future access to the faucets so that they can be serviced.
Price list
|Order number
|CR 025.00CR Chrome waterfall with hand shower
|CR 025.20BL Chrome waterfall with hand shower


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Virginia first prohibited felons from voting shortly after emancipating its slaves. It expanded that restriction into a lifetime ban for anyone convicted of a felony in 1902. After the latter policy was passed, in a package that included poll taxes and literacy tests, one state senator wrote:
This plan will eliminate the darkey as a political factor in this State in less than five years, so that in no single county of the Commonwealth will there be the least concern felt for the complete supremacy of the white race in the affairs of government.
Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe invoked this history on Friday, when he announced an executive order restoring voting rights to all ex-felons in the state who have served their prison time and finished parole or probation.
"I have long struggled with the question of whether Virginia can fully address Lincoln's call for a government by the people, of the people, and for the people, when we cut out so many people from full citizenship," McAuliffe told reporters from the steps of the state capitol. "This is the essence of democracy. Any effort to erode it dilutes it for all of us. So I believe it is time to cast off Virginia's troubled history and restore the rights of these men and women."
The order will enfranchise more than 200,000 Virginians, the vast majority of them people of color.
Virginia had been one of four states — including Kentucky, Florida, and Iowa — with lifetime voting bans for all ex-felons. In 38 other states, ex-felons automatically recover voting rights upon the completion of their sentences. In Maine and Vermont, felons never lose the franchise, even while in prison.
Virginia's Republican Party denounced McAuliffe's order as "political opportunism" and "a transparent effort to win votes." The charge isn't wholly unreasonable. The newly enfranchised voters will be disproportionately African-American, and African-Americans vote disproportionately for Democrats. According to the Upshot's back-of-the-envelope math, the order could increase the Democratic share of Virginia's vote by a half-point this November.
On the other hand, the ban on ex-felon voting was itself enacted for political reasons. Perhaps, McAuliffe's motives are impure. (He is a longtime ally of Hillary Clinton). But if the repeal of voting restrictions — that were explicitly designed to defend white supremacy — is inopportune for your party, well, you deserve to suffer that disadvantage.


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Good morning my friends! I hope everyone had a great week last week. To kick off the new week on the positive, this is the Workout of the Week, from GoodAttitudeFood.com. This is The I Got a Gym Membership Workout.
I decided it's too cold to keep trying to workout outdoors. I also want to have more options for the workouts. A HUGE consideration in choosing a gym was the cost. The post this week will talk about my choice of a gym; how and why I picked the gym I did. The Food this week is a fun kitchen experiment with my crockpot, pork stew. I am skipping a music section this week. The workout will include step goals, workout schedule for the week, a great full body gym routine, and more!
Picking a Gym
The biggest factor for me in picking a gym was the price. I need something that fits my budget. I have put off getting a gym membership for a long time because I didn't want to spend extra money. After price shopping several gyms, I found one with a membership price that is tough to beat.
Planet Fitness gym membership is only $10/mo in the town where I live.
Yep $10/mo!
Now is some small print to consider and if you cancel the membership there is a charge, but it is a month to month commitment only. If you're interested in an inexpensive gym membership and there is a Planet Fitness in your area they might be a good choice.
Other Gyms are More Expensive
Other gyms in my area that I checked out all cost $40/mo or more and most wanted a year commitment with a membership. Many gyms in my area cost much more than $40/mo as well.
I was able to find one other gym in the area with a $10 membership. That gym is Xperience Fitness. One benefit they have that Planet Fitness doesn't have is a pool. I am not a big swimmer so this is not a selling point for me. If you are reading this and you are, Xperience Fitness could be a good option for you.
I went with Planet Fitness because of the location. Xperience Fitness is located in Apple Valley. Planet Fitness is in Bloomington. I live in Bloomington. I will be more likely to stick with going to the gym because it is a convenient location for me. It's almost on my way home from work.
One Other Thing To Consider
One last thing to consider about Planet Fitness is they do not have a lot of free weights. They have some free weights, but they do not have bench press free weights, deadlift bars, and I don't think they have any squat racks. I am not big on those particular exercises so not a big deal for me. They do have weight machines for almost everything.
Time To Take It Up a Notch!
Now that I have a gym membership it is time to take advantage of it. So far I have been there for four workouts in four days. I have done some bike work, treadmill work, core work, and used the rowing machines.
The Food – Pork Stew
The Food this week is an experiment. I am making a "pork stew" type of thing in my crockpot. Pork roast was on sale at the grocery store so I picked one up and kind of came up with this recipe on the fly while strolling through the store.
First I cooked the pork roast for about 4 hours on the 4-hour cook setting in my crockpot.
Then I added a pre-chopped mirepoix mix. If you don't have this, chop up an onion, celery, and carrots. I added more carrots and just roughly cut them up. Then I added a can of chicken broth, a packet of pork flavored gravy, and some other spices. I also put in some mushrooms and a can of black beans.
After adding all of that I cooked this for about another three or four hours on the 4-hour setting. Cook it long enough to pull the pork easily.
#EasyButtonMeal #PorkStew #slowcookin #crockpot
The Workout
7-k steps – 4 days or more. Nothing fancy here, just get walking! 7,000 steps or more, four days or more this week.
Counting up to 1,000 miles walked. Last week the miles walked total was at 359.66 miles. This week I added 24.61 miles to bring the total up to 384.27. I am getting closer to 1,000 miles, one step at a time!
Since it's so cold out in MN I will be getting steps in at the gym on the treadmill as well as walking where and when I can.
I don't know for sure yet but I might start adding my miles biked and miles rowed on the machines at the new gym too… maybe. Not sure yet. Stay tuned!
Gym Workout
Fight Tips Warm-up
ALWAYS warm-up! I do the dynamic warmup routine from FightTips before every workout.
Start With Abs/Core
After the warm-up, I start with two rounds of my Tabata abs routine with a minute break between each round. Interval times set to 8 X 20×10. After the first 8 intervals, take a one-minute break, then repeat.
Here is the routine:
- Flat plank, on elbows and toes.
- Side plank left
- Side plank right
- Crunches
- Full sit up
- Sit up twists and touch the opposite toe, alternate left and right.
- lay on back, push pelvis up to "bridge" and hold
- Flat plank in a push-up position, on hands and toes with arms extended
Cardio Time
Bike – Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Treadmill or walking outdoors – walking with weighted gloves – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
PF Spin Bikes
Planet Fitness has ok spin bikes. They are not perfect. They are difficult to use out of the saddle. The seats are very wide and not super comfortable. However, they work. You can adjust the resistance up and down easily for interval workouts.
I love spin bike workouts and while the bikes at PF are not perfect, they are still better than no bikes at all. Spin bike is my go-to, feel-good workout! I love doing intervals. You can use an interval timer. Or you can make the bike into a cheap Peloton and ride along with a GCN YouTube video like this one on your phone or tablet. The bikes at PF have a place to put your phone or laptop, works perfect! Costs way less than a Peloton! GCN bike videos are free on their YouTube Channel. They have tons of online content. Doing these videos changed my life! You don't need to spend big bucks on bikes or bike workouts!
I try to get about 30 minutes on the bike. I usually spin the legs for 5 minutes before starting a video and 5 minutes after finishing a video.
The Row Machine
I tried out the rower machines and really like that exercise. It engages the legs, arms, abs, back. I like to do Tabatas with it. I have been doing 16 intervals of 20X10 – all out max 20, full rest 10, repeat.
Cool Down and Stretch
It is important to cool down a little after a tough workout. I like to walk around and alternate between high knees, toe tips, and front kicks as I cool down. Then I like to stretch my legs and run through two DDPY style Diamond Cutters.
Make it a Great Week
Thank you so much for reading! Thank you to GCN for the awesome bike videos. Make it a great week!
So far Planet Fitness is a great priced gym for my needs. It has the stuff I want to do and more. I might try to fit in their circuit workout sometime this week as well! Either way getting a gym membership was a good step towards getting back on track with my fitness goals. If you read the post last week I called myself out. I have followed that up with action – getting a gym membership. This week I take another step towards being the hero in my story and will get a lot of gym time in!
Be happy and healthy my friends! Be the Hero in your story! Maybe that means breaking down and getting that gym membership your hero (heroine) character has been putting off; as mine did for way too long!


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A New Value in Low-Priced Home Phone Service Launches Today
BasicTalk Now Available Online and at Walmart Stores Nationwide for $9.99 per month, every month
14 May, 2013, 05:29 ET
HOLMDEL, N.J., May 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BasicTalk™, a new easy-to-use, low-priced home phone service is now available for purchase at BasicTalk.com, with a complete online sales and service experience. Consumers can also buy BasicTalk at Walmart stores nationwide. Walmart is the exclusive retailer for BasicTalk.
BasicTalk provides extraordinary value in low-cost home phone service at a flat rate of just $9.99 per month, every month (plus taxes and government fees). BasicTalk offers unlimited calling(1) throughout the U.S. with no upfront costs, no contract, no hidden fees, no renewal charges, no cost to keep an existing home phone number and no compromises on quality.
"We learned from multiple pre-market tests that despite increasing cell phone usage, there remains a strong desire for a simple, low-cost, domestic home phone service," said Jo Ann Tizzano, Director of Communications for BasicTalk. "BasicTalk gives consumers everything they need in a high-quality home phone service for one low monthly rate. We are delighted to partner with Walmart to bring this valuable service to consumers nationwide."
BasicTalk runs over an existing high-speed Internet connection. It is a reliable alternative to other low-cost brands and costly home phone service offered by traditional phone and cable companies, with an average annual savings of $430(2). BasicTalk provides high-quality sound and the basic features that customers need the most: voicemail, caller ID, call waiting and 911 emergency service. And, there's no cost to keep your number.
For more information, please visit www.BasicTalk.com.
About BasicTalk
BasicTalk is a unique brand designed to meet the low-cost calling needs of consumers across the country. To follow BasicTalk on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/BasicTalkPhone. To become a fan on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/BasicTalk. To find us on YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/BasicTalkPhone. BasicTalk is owned by Vonage Holdings Corp.
Unlimited calling is based on normal residential, personal, non-commercial use. A combination of factors is used to determine abnormal use, including but not limited to: the number of unique numbers called, minutes used and other factors. See BasicTalk's Reasonable Use Policy and Terms of Service at BasicTalk.com.
Savings claim is based on the average monthly recurring charge for an unlimited U.S. calling with voicemail plan from major phone companies and cable phone service providers. Comparison excludes any promotional pricing, fees, surcharges or taxes and is current as of Q1'13. Assumes a customer already has broadband Internet service from home.
SOURCE BasicTalk


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Former Vice President Joe Biden said in a CNBC interview on Friday that an economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic looks "a long way away."
He also condemned President Donald Trump's handling of the crisis, blaming him for lost lives and economic ruin.
In the interview on "Squawk Box," the apparent Democratic presidential nominee criticized the 2017 Republican tax cuts and questioned how the U.S. could use the lost revenue as it tries to lift a devastated economy. More than 38 million people have filed jobless claims since states started widespread lockdowns to slow the pandemic, and GDP is expected to go into freefall in the second quarter.
"Imagine if we had that $2 trillion now as we go into, God willing, a recovery which is a long way away as I see it right now," Biden told CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin.
He spoke during an unprecedented presidential election where the pandemic and economic collapse — and Trump's response — have overshadowed any other issue. The virus has forced both major party candidates to stop in-person events for more than two months as the incumbent tries to defend a virus response that critics such as Biden have called sluggish and inadequate.
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) speaks about the Coronavirus and the response to it at the Hotel Du Pont in Wilmington, DE.
Michael Brochstein | Barcroft Media | Getty Images
"His slowness is costing lives and costing jobs and costing our ability to rebound," the former vice president said Friday. Biden said he would make a coronavirus vaccine free for everyone in the United States.
In a statement responding to Biden's remarks, White House spokesman Judd Deere said Trump "has provided state and local leaders with data-driven guidelines to reopen their communities in safe, responsible ways, helped states ramp up their testing capabilities, and surged critical [personal protective equipment] and other supplies where they are needed." He added that the president has taken steps to "ensure we emerge stronger than ever before."
The U.S. has reported more than 1.5 million Covid-19 cases, and the disease has led to more than 94,000 deaths nationwide, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The Trump administration's preparedness for the outbreak and efforts to ramp up testing came under particular scrutiny as cases in America quickly outpaced any other country this spring.
As states battered by business closures and unemployment start to reopen their economies, some still have not seen their infection rates decline. In Washington, policymakers are divided over whether to forge ahead with partial restarts while focusing on testing or send more federal relief to states, businesses and individuals while taking a more cautious approach to lifting lockdowns.
While the president and many of his GOP allies push to restart businesses now to boost growth, Biden said "the way to fix the economy is get the public health response correct."
Trump's rival in the 2020 election condemned the president's party for its reluctance to send more relief money to state and local governments, some of which could struggle to pay first responders or teachers as they face higher expenses and lost revenue. House Democrats approved nearly $1 trillion in aid to states and municipalities last week, but Senate Republicans have no plans to pass the $3 trillion rescue bill.
Biden also contended the government has favored larger businesses over smaller ones as it doles out the more than $2.5 trillion in taxpayer relief money approved in March and April.
In the interview, he also said e-commerce giant Amazon "should start paying their taxes." Amazon has said it pays "every penny we owe."
In detailing the economic policies he would implement if he won the White House, Biden said he would "repeal the $2 trillion tax cut for folks making over a million bucks a year" and hike the corporate tax rate to 28% even during a recovery period. He added that as the U.S. moves closer to rebounding from the crisis, he wants to push for an infrastructure overhaul and other job-creating measures.
Among his virus response plans, Biden has called for short-time compensation, under which companies would keep workers employed with reduced hours and the government would pay for the difference in wages. He has pushed for better safety standards and a pay boost for employees deemed essential who have to work on-site during the crisis.
Averages of recent polls in swing states such as Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania show a tight race with Biden holding a narrow edge.


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Cunning Cashmere
Cunning Cashmere is a luxurious fingering base to treat yourself or your most knit-worthy recipient. With 400 hand-dyed yards in each skein, this soft yet sturdy yarn is a gem for shawls, gloves, scarves and stoles.
Content: 70% Merino Wool, 20% Cashmere, 10% Nylon
Weight: 115 g (4 oz)
Yardage: 365 meters (400 yards)
Care: Hand Wash Cold. Lay Flat to Dry.
Crochet Hook Size: 2.25 - 3.5mm (B-1 - E-4)
Crochet Gauge: Approx. 8-11sc = 10 cm (4")
Needle Size: 2.25-3.25mm (US 1-3)
Knit Gauge: Approx. 27-32st = 10cm (4")


text: September 2020 Healthy News from Spinal Care Clinic: Cox Technic Relieves Back Pain due to Disc Extrusion with Spondylolytic Spondylolisthesis and Eat an Apple! Cox® Technic Delivers Back Pain Relief for a Challenging Case: Disc Extrusion with Spondylolytic Spondylolisthesis Extruded discs by themselves are painful and many times deemed surgical issues. Spondylolytic spondylolisthesis alone is a disabling, painful condition and many times thought to be a surgical issue needing fusion. Combine the two of these in one patient and the Burlington and Hamilton chiropractic patient and the treating physician like your Burlington and Hamilton chiropractor encounter a challenge that calls for gentle, skilled care. A newly published case report of a patient with a disc extrusion – one that has escaped its outer bands and settled into the spinal canal space – and spondylolytic spondylolisthesis – involving separation of the pars interarticularis – detailed how just 9 visits in a month brought about pain relief. The patient who rated his pain a 9 out of 10 (a 10 indicating the worst pain) on the first visit rated it 0 out of 10 on visit 9. Follow-up at ten years revealed that the patient showed no orthopedic or neurological issues and reported no recurrence of the earlier symptoms. (1) What was the treatment plan? The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management, the same care offered at our chiropractic clinic. Spinal Care Clinic welcomes challenging Burlington and Hamilton back pain cases like this! Listen to this PODCAST with chiropractic back pain specialist, Dr. Casey Bearden on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he presented how spondylolisthesis with disc bulges positively responded to his treatment using the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management. Burlington and Hamilton CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: Enjoy This Apple Season! Feed the gut. Lose some weight and raise your bone density to help your spine. Reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Protect the brain. How? Have an apple! Apples are amazingly healthy! They have hardly any calories, good pre-biotic pectin that nourishes the good gut bacteria, plenty of fiber and water to make you feel full, lots of polyphenols in the peel which are antioxidant, acetylcholine-level-preserving features to protect the brain, and flavonoids that may reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and stroke risk. (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) Apples supplement a healthy chiropractic approach to life! CONTACT Spinal Care Clinic Arrange your next Burlington and Hamilton chiropractic appointment today with Spinal Care Clinic. We are ready for challenging back pain and neck pain cases and eat apples, too! "This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."


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The Bachelor franchise may discriminate on the basis of race, weight, hair color, and employment (personal trainers and "registered" nurses to the front, please), but no one can accuse the longstanding dating competition of ageism. This year's surprise bachelor is Arie Luyendyk Jr., a throwback contestant from Emily Maynard's Bachelorette season.
Way back on The Bachelorette's eighth season, Luyendyk Jr.'s notorious make out skills earned him the dubious honor of bachelor nation fan favorite. Of course, in the five years since, we've seen a whole lot of six-packs attached to a whole lot of chiseled faces. That's why The Bachelor's decision to pull Luyendyk's headshot out from their binders full of white men came as something of a shock, especially to the ex-race car driver himself.
Luyendyk Jr.'s disbelief is a leitmotif of his season's premiere episode. Of course, incredulity isn't an unnatural feeling to have when picking your future wife out of a televised lineup. In between montages of his life as an aging race car driver/recently accredited real estate agent, Arie discloses that, "This is the most important race of my life." Rev up your engines, ladies, because there are a whole lot more racing references where that came from.
Arie wants you to know that while you may have forgotten crucial aspects of his Bachelorette heartache, he certainly hasn't. He reminisces on his on-screen relationship with Maynard. "I just remember thinking in that moment that Emily really loves me, and I'm definitely going to marry her," he explains in one particularly brutal voiceover. Arie thought wrong, as the sadists over at ABC remind us with some brutal clips of Emily dumping Arie in what appears to be a rainforest. Luckily for us, after five years wandering in whatever godforsaken corner of the Amazon the Bachelorette producers left him to die in, Arie has found his way back to his one true love: reality dating competitions.
(Also, I learned during this crucial background segment that Arie left his Bachelorette journal on Emily's doorstep after their season ended, and she never even read it.)
Luyendyk Jr. proceeded to put all of his pain and heartache into racing (that's a loose quote, but rest assured I could not make that shit up). As he explains to past Bachelor Sean and his wife Catherine, who have ostensibly been flown down in lieu of real-life friends, "It's been five years…since then, I haven't really been in love." Throughout the episode, Arie really emphasizes this point—likely a response to the number of exes who have come out of the woodwork to criticize the race car driver turned real estate broker in the wake of his Bachelor crowning.
According to Reality Steve, the internet's most reliable purveyor of Bachelor franchise spoilers, Luyendyk Jr. is "the biggest dog they've ever cast as lead in Bachelor history." According to one Reality Steve source, Arie may have dumped his girlfriend of over a year in order to star on The Bachelor. While Arie has since deleted all of his photos with his ex, the woman, Sydney, is keeping hers up. She also tweeted, "The show would be perfect for @ariejr up until it comes to choosing just one." Other exes have also claimed that Arie is a cheater; one woman, Jenna, wrote, "Should've watched it before I dated him for over three years. While he continued auditioning behind my back."
Arie appears to have conveniently erased these women from his romantic history, instead referencing The Bachelorette repeatedly as "proof I can fall deeply in love." And with that, we're off to the mansion, where Chris Harrison welcomes us to a new season and a new star: "Arguably the best kisser we've ever had on the show."
Chris Harrison is so, so gross.
Luckily there's no montage of Arie swapping spit—just in-depth profiles of some of the contestants the producers are clearly rooting for (or betting on to flame out fantastically in the first episode). These ladies are fitness-obsessed, predominately white, majority blonde adrenaline junkies. Chelsea is a single mom and a real estate executive assistant. Caroline is also in real estate—"He's a realtor so we have that in common"—plus, she "grew up around cars." Caroline, sweetie: we all did. Tia is from Weiner, Arkansas, and gifts Arie a little toy penis to remember her by. Kendall plays the ukulele and has a real passion for taxidermy. Marikh owns an Indian restaurant with her mom and hopes that "Arie's ready for my spice." Krystal is an online health and fitness coach who volunteers for the homeless on account of a sad personal backstory. Bekah is an adventurous nanny.
Then it's the moment we've all been waiting for, as limos full of Instagram fitness girls and social media managers cue up for first impressions. The intros are off to a relatively normal start, aside from Arie's tendency to whisper "she's so beautiful" to himself every time he meets a particularly toned blonde. The only problem is, once the peroxide wave starts, it never stops. Soon the mansion is flooded with not three but four Laurens—"Shut the hell up, you're Lauren too?!"—and tensions couldn't be higher. Chelsea complains that, "The hair is down and the boobs are out," but no one forced Chelsea to wear a black turtleneck dress on The Bachelor. By the time Bekah the nanny pulls up driving a classic red sports car (I'm sorry, bachelor nation, but I refuse to learn anything about cars in order to recap this show), we can hear another contestant mutter "that bitch" from the window.
Everyone keeps talking about how "mature" Arie is—code word for "old"—and The Bachelor franchise has definitely changed in the five years since his debut. For example, in past seasons there were never this many social media managers. One of them, Jenna, gets out of the limo and immediately tells Arie that, "I'm actually pretty happy with the way that my life is going right now." Because gloriously well-adjusted millennials often sign up to compete on national television for the love of a 36-year-old retired race car driver.
As interminable as this episode feels for all of us, it's important to remember that these women were sitting around that mansion for hours with nothing to do but talk about Arie's hot bod and down magnums of champagne. Some of the women—many of whom probably put themselves on starvation diets in preparation—get wasted quickly, and then their bitchy ramblings are preserved in the ABC archives forever. Still, a silver lining is remembering that drunk Bachelor contestants mostly just side-eye other women's outfits and sexually objectify the bachelor—which is way less creepy than drunk Bachelorette contestants, who wax philosophical about how their soon-to-be fiancee will make the perfect, classiest wife and occasionally punch each other and/or the wall.
Chelsea has obviously been cast as the "aggressive" one—she grabs the first one-on-one time with Arie, and then insists on a second round before some of the other contestants have even had their first. Bekah pulls away from the pack with a generally hilarious and chill demeanor. Brittany scores the first kiss and brags that Arie's "lips are like clouds." Kendall breaks out her ukulele. As one Lauren astutely points out, "As the hours pass, people are only gonna get more crazy."
Two standouts from this premiere are the girl who dresses up like "the kissing bandit" and wears a mask the entire episode, and Jenna. "Let's talk about Jenna," Arie solemnly intones. "She is a little bit wild." He continues, "Does she do social media? Does she run a pedicure shop? She's never been on a plane before…but I'm intrigued." The confusion is warranted: somehow, Jenna has gotten her hands on a portable foot spa and is manhandling Arie's feet.
As the night progresses, we continue to tightrope walk the fine line between manic pixie dream girl and just plain manic; one contestant hands Arie a detailed black and white portrait of the Bachelor driving a car, and we do not spend nearly enough time learning why/how this blessed portrait came to be. Quickly flashing between conversations, fated fan favorite Bekah finally gets her five minutes. There's a surprising amount of chemistry between these two, even after Arie lists "excitement and pizza" as two of the three things that make him feel excited to be alive. Despite the fact that Bekah is cool and different—she has short hair—Arie ultimately awards the first impression rose to Chelsea, because men are predictable and dumb. Quickly rising to the challenge of her villain edit, Chelsea announces, "I'm not competitive by nature, but when I see something that I want, I go after it." After a decisive rose ceremony, 21 contestants remain in the running.
And we're off!


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Home ownership is the great American dream... financing it shouldn't be a nightmare. Kimberly Guider is a dedicated mortgage professional with experience in all types of loan programs. Whether you are a first time homebuyer or are refinancing your home, Kimberly is ready, willing, and able to guide you through the loan process with unparalleled customer service. You'll see why Kimberly's customers are customers for life. Thank you for choosing Regions Mortgage and Kimberly Guider to assist you with your mortgage lending needs.
Mortgage Videos


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Bank of the Islands gives to Community Church
Bank of the Islands recently made its latest non-profit donation through its "We Love Our Islands" program. The lucky winner, Garry Decker, was spotted with a "We Love Our Islands" decal on his vehicle, winning him the right to select which local non-profit organization would receive a charitable contribution from Bank of the Islands. Decker chose to donate the bank's $100 to the Sanibel Community Church.
"Bank of the Islands is proud to be a longstanding supporter of our island community through this program, volunteering and other sponsorships," said Willy Ocasio, Bank of the Islands Vice President and Sanibel-Captiva Office Manager. "We congratulate Garry on his choice. It's a great way to show how much we appreciate being your island bank!"
All islanders are invited to visit the bank's Sanibel or Captiva office to learn more about the "We Love Our Islands" program and how you and your favorite charity can become our next lucky winners.
Bank of the Islands, a name synonymous with island community banking since 1974, is located at 1699 Periwinkle Way, at the corner of Casa Ybel Road, on Sanibel. The Captiva office is at 14812 Captiva Drive, next to the Captiva Post Office. As the oldest locally owned and managed community bank on the islands, Bank of the Islands is proud to be the winner of 41 "Best of the Islands" awards since 1999, including being chosen the Best Island Bank for 20 years straight.