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"You hunt them where they live"
There's something interesting about a community that can simultaneously urge the need to talk constructively about failure and also gloat endlessly about its possibility. Where the National Theatre is concerned, the stakes feel considerably heightened and following a summer that contained the divisive Salomé and Common, sadly you could almost feel the knives being sharpened in advance for Saint George and the Dragon.
Two contrasting viewpoints from two contrasting people, to be sure, but you wonder how open-minded people are being, particularly when the start to this press night was delayed by 30 minutes or so adding fuel to certain people's fire. But all this dancing around is doing, is delaying the inevitable, in that I found Rory Mullarkey's new play really quite tough-going and had it not been for an effortful performance from John Heffernan keeping it afloat from the front, it would have been worse.
The Olivier is an unforgiving space and seems to provoke a certain kind of writing that longs to be suitably epic. But whether it is the writers being over-awed or the commissioning process not being rigorous enough, the new writing being showcased here isn't quite hitting the mark. Mullarkey uses the legendary figure of St George to explore English life and its people, how it and they have changed from medieval history to current Brexited times.
This he does by splitting his play into three but populating them with the same people. So Heffernan's George is first seen as a weary knight who saves the woman he loves from a dragonish baron, inspiring the villagers as he frees them all. He's called away and upon his return, it is now the Industrial Revolution and the dragon has returned in the form of an invasive capitalism. Heroics are performed once again but on the next return to the modern day, the dragon has seeped into the bones of society itself.
There's plenty of good ideas in here but none of them really come to fruition in the way that is needed in Lyndsey Turner's production. The pace sags too often during an overlong running time and there's nowhere near enough humour. And for all the delicious bit of design from Rae Smith (the first dragon battle is entertainingly done), the amusing notion of how the cross of St George came about and Julian Bleach giving his ripest of villains as the mutating dragon, it's a play that needs the patience of a saint.


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NEW YORK: Greg Hughes, former president of Sedan Communications, was named SVP of communications by NBC Sports Group.
Hughes, who founded Sedan in 2007, will report to Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Sports Group. Hughes will manage all communications and media outreach efforts for the company's broadcast, cable, regional, and digital sports networks, such as NBC Sports and the Golf Channel. He will also focus on major upcoming events, including the Super Bowl and the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
Prior to launching Sedan Communications, Hughes served as an SVP at Turner Broadcasting.

subset: commoncrawl


text: COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government on Sunday blocked social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram after declaring a nationwide public emergency and imposing a 36-hour curfew ahead of a planned anti-government rally over the worst economic crisis in the island nation.The move is aimed at preventing masses from gathering in Colombo to protest the government's failure to provide relief to the public suffering from shortages of food, essentials, fuel and medicine amidst hours-long power cuts, the Colombo Page newspaper reported. 90614073NetBlocks, a watchdog organisation that monitors cybersecurity and the governance of the Internet, confirmed the restriction of multiple social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Viber and YouTube in Sri Lanka after midnight on Sunday.NetBlocks, reported that real-time network data collected from over 100 vantage points across Sri Lanka show the restrictions coming into effect across multiple providers from midnight.Metrics corroborate user reports of service unavailability across the country, showing that all of Sri Lanka's major network operators including Dialog, Sri Lanka Telecom, Mobitel, Hutch are covered by the measure, the report said.Fully or partially impacted social media and messaging platforms include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TokTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger, it said.Earlier, NetBlocks tracked a significant decline in connectivity levels on internet provider Dialog from March 29, coinciding with the onset of the protests.The island nation braced for country-wide protests on Sunday against the government's poor handling of the ongoing economic crisis where people currently endure long hours of power outages and scarcity of essentials. The imposition of curfew would prevent citizens from holding protests.President Gotabaya Rajapaksa issued a special gazette notification late on Friday night, declaring a public emergency in Sri Lanka with immediate effect from April 1.The government also imposed a 36-hour curfew with effect from 6 pm Saturday to 6 am Monday (April 4).A Sri Lankan man on Saturday alleged that his son, who is a social media activist, has been abducted by the police.Anurudda Bandara's father said his son was taken away by someone from the north Colombo police station of Modera on Friday night.According to the police, he was wanted to be questioned over his social media activities. On Sunday, he was released on bail.Sri Lanka is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in history. With long lines for fuel, cooking gas, essentials in short supply and long hours of power cuts the public has been suffering for weeks.Rajapaksa has defended his government's actions, saying the foreign exchange crisis was not his making and the economic downturn was largely pandemic driven where the island's tourism revenue and inward remittances waning.


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It's a big night for rising Australian rapper Masked Wolf: He'll be making his world TV debut this evening.
Masked Wolf — born Harry Michael — will perform his hit "Astronaut in the Ocean" on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. The song is currently top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has racked up more than half a billion streams to date.
Harry dropped his debut track, "Speed Racer," in 2018. After two additional releases, he put out "Astronaut in the Ocean," which became a smash on TikTok to the tune of more than 350,000 views. The song also got a look when Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes put it in one of his Instagram posts.
Masked Wolf's debut album will be out later this year.
(Video contains uncensored profanity.)
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


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Some of our most complex and beautiful designs are made on manual knitting machines. These machines are run by hand and do not require electricity, which allows the Artisans to create intricate patterns without having to rely on a source of power—an expensive and often unreliable resource. Because they require a high level of skill and detail to produce, our pieces are crafted in a workshop setting. The Artisans not only receive guidance on their craft, but also have a safe place to come together to socialize while they work.
May 19, 2014


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Our efforts to honor human differences cannot succeed apart from our effort to honor the buzzing, blooming, bewildering variety of life of earth. All life rises from the same source, and so does all fellow feeling, whether the fellow moves on two legs or four, on scaly bellies or feathered wings. If we care only for human needs, we betray the land; if we care only for the earth and its wild offspring, we betray our own kind. The profusion of creatures and cultures is the most remarkable fact about our planet, and the study and stewardship of that profusion seems to me our fundamental task.
Scott Russell Sanders
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Sunday - Saying Yes to the World
resting easy in: belonging, earth, saying yes to the world
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What is ESPNU?
ESPNU is a sports television channel owned by the ESPN Network that covers college sports. It is usually referred to as "The U" channel and had its roots from ESPN's Regional TV Network.
The U channel was formed to compete with an upstart channel, CSTV or CBS Sports Television. It was formally launched in March 2005 at the Oklahoma State University Campus. Its first live broadcast was a basketball game between Southeast Missouri State University and Eastern Kentucky University with the latter team winning the game. Aside from basketball, The U network also covers college athletics. To increase its presence on the web, ESPNU partnered with XOS Technologies for its online broadcasts. By August of 2006, the ESPNU website was born with features specially tailored for the college sports fan. Besides live video streaming of games and events, the website also features podcasts and clips from the ESPNU studios.
Various other college sports events are being covered by ESPNU. College football is among the most watched programs, along with basketball and baseball. But ESPNU does not only cater to mega-spectator sports, coverage is also extended to other sports like volleyball, tennis, golf, and even water polo. In fact, it also broadcasts water polo games live. The first such live coverage of a college water polo match happened in March of 2009 featuring a ladies match between Bucknell University and Princeton University.
ESPNU is continuing to grow its presence in college sports activities. In 2009, it partnered with Comcast, DirecTV, and the Dish Network to include the college sports channel to its digital cable lineup. ESPNU also produced a spin-off of SportsCenter for its college sports news reviews. This show is called SportsCenterU. By 2008, ESPNU HD or high definition channel was launched. Today, more and more college sports fans tune in to ESPNU as demonstrated by increasing viewership, especially on live events.


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My recent "poker break" has ended prematurely. I didn't exactly adhere to my original rules of not doing anything poker related for a week, nor my "only freerolls" rule. I did, however, cut down on my poker playing considerably during this time. I think playing less helped me go back to appreciating the game again.
On the topic of gambling and side-games, play money at PKR Casino is enough - I think - for my gambling urges. Blowing $6,200 in play chips is a lot less stressful than $285 of my poker bankroll. I've also noticed that after playing casino hold'em, blackjack, or slots for a while I go on auto-pilot and take more and more unnecessary risks. Thus I will stay away from those games permanently except for play money. Lesson learnt, the house always wins.
My first game of the day was a PLO Tournament. Finished 488/1360. Lost one hand because I forgot about having to use two of my hole cards, and my last hand my opponent hit their broadway straight on the river (I had a lower OESD that didn't hit). I need to learn to let go of draws that don't have multiple ways of completing.
Next up, a PKR Points tournament. Finished 25/134. Last hand was all-in with KQo against QJo. Guy hit a jack on the river. Had I not been aiming for 1st I would have folded. Oh well.
Time for some SNGs.
- First SNG finished 5th. Lost a coin-flip (AKo against QQ).
- Second SNG finished 6th. Lost another coin-flip (QQ against AKs).
- Third SNG finished 2nd.
- Forth SNG finished 2nd.
- Fifth SNG finished 6th.
$1 Multi-Table Tournament
Whilst playing the second SNG I registered and started playing a $1 MTT with a total of 114 entrants. One thing I know is that I usually have a better chance of getting ITM in a tournament when there are 1,000+ entrants.
On the 5th hand though, I was dealt AA and it held up against JJ and AKo. I trebled up making me chip-leader in the tournament (for a few hands anyway). I've never cashed in one of these tournaments even though I've played a few of them. I think that's the reason I usually avoid them and only play MTTs that are freerolls and for points.
At the half way point, I was ranked 12/58 (top 15 pay). I hadn't had many hands since the AA hand and since I play TAG my chips were starting to whittle down - had approximately 20BB left with blinds at the 100/200 point. I won a hand with AKo against 64o, but that was a short-stack so didn't gain that many chips. Maybe I should think of these situations as narrowing the field. More chance of cashing because I knocked out someone else and got his chips instead of another medium stack.
After the first break I was looking at QQ with one all-in in front of me (6BB raise). I pushed and another short-stack (2BB) called. Originally raiser had QTo. Other guy had A2o. Flop was 722 rainbow, turn A and river 5. Small stack won but I got the side pot which pushed me back up to 13/34.
In the end finished 23rd. A6o in the BB against KQo in the SB. Was ahead until he hit a straight on the turn. Still haven't cashed in one of these tournaments.
Upcoming Tournaments
I've pre-registered for the Pokerstrategy Titan freeroll for Sunday and need to remember to register for it once registration is open - and remember what time it starts. Also on Sunday is the PKR Member freeroll for which registration isn't open yet.
There's a $10,000 Pokerstrategy Titan freeroll on April 5th (also a Sunday) that's restricted to those that make a deposit in March. Although I haven't planned on adding any more funds to my Titan account, I'll probably add some just to be eligible for the freeroll.
Today's Progress
|PKR Points
|Start of Day
|End of Day
|−$0.60 (−0.5%)
|−160 (−0.8%)


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After rape allegations were made against The Voice alum Melanie Martinez, many have asked about Melanie Martinez's sexuality. She has been accused of sexual assault by an aspiring musician. So, is Melanie Martinez a lesbian? Is Melanie Martinez gay? Keep reading if you want to learn more about the claims made against the "Pity Party" singer.
Melanie Martinez and Timothy Heller
Timothy Heller, a Los Angeles-based musician, accused her former friend of rape, via Twitter on December 4.
"I have kept this secret for years, convincing myself that it wasn't a big deal and I wasn't hurt by it," wrote Heller, who is an aspiring musician.
Heller continued, "The thought of accepting that my best friend raped me seems insane. Even typing that doesn't feel real to me. … It's hard to say someone you loved raped you. Someone you STILL love. … I can honestly say she let me down completely. During the most difficult time in my life, my rock bottom. Her power and control over me grew and grew. And I was silenced. [sic]"
In a tweet attached to her story, Heller wrote, "When I wrote this story about my assault, I initially wasn't going to make the abuser. But I think it's important for you all to know this is about Melanie Martinez. [sic]"
Heller also claimed that Martinez, 22, performed oral sex on her without consent and that Heller had experienced sexual abuse before Martinez. She also claimed that Martinez made her apologize for having a panic attack because it ruined the night for her and wrote that their relationship was codependent.
"I never said yes. I said no, repeatedly," she wrote. "But she used her power over me, and broke me down. … Girls can rape girls. Best friends can rape best friends. Friendship does not equal consent."
Melanie Martinez Responds
Martinez was raised in New York and is best known for being on Adam Levine's team on season 3 of The Voice in 2012.
If you don't like pop surrealism you probably won't like me. If you can't understand that visual art has a deeper meaning and you only look at it for face value you probably won't get my work. If you can't understand that crybaby is a character, that the first record is representative of her childhood, and If you sexualize female pop artists on the daily you'll say I "sexualize babies." If you can't understand why someone would bring up mental health, growing pains from childhood to adolescence , family issues, and other uncomfortable topics we never hear about in pop music, you will probably just throw my music and art away as something that "glamorizes mental health issues" even though most of the people that resonate with my work Deal with these things on a day to day and someone needs to be there for them. So here I am. If you have issues with my music and art and judge it so harshly to the point of making up your own reason as to what my intentions where when making it, you should just stop watching it. Because quite frankly, you. Just. Don't. Get. It.
In the wake of the sexual assault allegation, Martinez denied the claims made against her by her former friend.
"I am horrified and saddened by the statements and story told tonight by Timothy Heller," Martinez said in a statement on her Twitter account on Tuesday, December 5.
Martinez continued, "What she and I shared was a close friendship for a period of time. We came into each other's lives as we were both starting our careers as artists, and we tried to help each other. We both had pain in dealing with our individual demons and the new paths we were forging, but I truly felt we were trying to lift each other up. She never said no to what we chose to do together. And although we parted ways, I am sending her love and light always."
Melanie Martinez's Instagram
If there's one thing this year has been known for, it's the number of sexual abuse claims that have been made so far. It started with disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, but it didn't end there.
Many people have spoken out, and the issue has started polarizing debates about consent and blame. And, many have taken to Martinez's Instagram account to either support or condemn her.
One comment said, "she basically admitted to it [sic]"
Meanwhile, another comment read, "Yep, let's all believe some Tweet and then treat Melanie fans like they're worthless. That's gonna solve everything! [sic]"


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Hallo, Hallo dear hearts,
I was approached by my featured author today to read her debut novel – however, in discussion with Ms Woods about the particulars of "The Process of Fraying" – I knew it was one novel I would have to pass on reading. It isn't that I didn't believe in the story it is that I knew within our conversation about the story itself, it was one story I would not be able to handle reading. We all have our list of things we have to be careful of whilst reading – certain triggers (ie. subjects, inclusions, graphic depictions or overtly strong language) can wreck our own mental health whilst we're reading which is why it is best to not just remain open-minded about what we seek out to read but to become cognisant of our personal limitations.
Although I knew it wouldn't be a good fit for me personally, I also knew I wanted to champion the novel if and when it were to go on a featured blog tour and/or other promotional blogosphere journey. I happily encouraged the author to seek out Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours as I knew the scope of the book bloggers who participate on Ms Bruno's tours would happily find a wicked good reading within these pages – if not, personally affect them if they drew closer to the context of the story due to personal experiences. I wanted to do what I could to help promote a novel I knew would become an important read to a lot of readers – even if I knew I couldn't personally read it myself.
Thus, I opted instead to happily discuss the novel through this author interview and help champion the Historical writers who are continuously and tirelessly giving us convicting fiction set in the historic past. I would classify this one equally spilt between an important Historic narrative on Mental Health practices with a Feminist Historical perspective combined within the breadth of a Historical Women's Fiction novel.
I hope after you've had the chance to digest the information Ms Woods shares within this conversation you'll know if this is a novel you will be able to read yourself and/or mention it to someone else you know will appreciate knowing about the book being published.
Be sure to brew your favourite cuppa
& settle into a comfy chair whilst you enjoy this interview!
The Process of Fraying (Interview)
by Jess Neal Woods
Violet is a pillar of hospitality and compassion within her community. As a farmer's wife and mother of a large brood, she is resolute, thrifty, and charming. The life that is woven between the land and her family is one of harmony and beauty.
When she begins to struggle with depression, her demeanor changes. At first, the change is subtle, but it becomes increasingly problematic as Violet struggles with bouts of incapacitating depression and anxiety and visions of self-harm. A candle flame offers a way to feel, even if it is the pain of a burn. Her beloved creek becomes ominous as it beckons to her. Having no real understanding of what is happening within her, Violet turns to both the religious and medical communities for guidance. Both fail her. With her identity stripped away and her family reeling from the aftermath, Violet must determine if she can make peace with the changes within herself before she is consumed by them.
The Process of Fraying is a historical family drama that explores the social, religious, and medical stigmas surrounding mental health in the 1940s.
Places to find the book:
Published by Self Published
on 7th January, 2019
This is a Self Published novel
Converse via: #MentalHealth + #HistFic or #HistNov
as well as #WomensFiction and #HistoricalFiction
Available Formats: Trade Paperback and Ebook


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By B. John Zavrel
Europe speaks one language: the language of art. The exhibition poster of the traveling exhibition "Dalí's heirs paint Europe", designed by Ludwig Angerer the Elder.
New York/Perpignan (meap) The legendary 'Dalí railroad car' once loaded with surrealistic art works by Salvador Dalí, will soon leave the railway station of Perpignan, France. The destination? Bavaria, for the first ever visit to Germany.
This time, the 'Dalí railroad car' contains the works of 11 high-ranking European artists who paint in the phantastic style reminding of Dalí. "The theme of the exhibition is 'Dalí's heirs paint Europe'. Europe speaks one language, and it is the language of art", said the architect and painter Ludwig Angerer the Elder. He is the artistic advisor for this event. His painting "Hommage á Dalí" is the signature piece for the exhibition, and is also used on the exhibition posters.
The following participating artists will all meet in the town of Wolnzach in Bavaria (between Munich and Regensburg), when the Dalí-waggon arrives on October 14, 2005: Angerer the Elder (Germany), Claude Bertrand (France), Laurence Caruana (France), Marc Desmullier (France), Andre Janout (Austria), Michael Maschka (Germany), Pierre Peyrolle (France), Peter Proksch (Austria), Viktor Safonkin (Russia), and Reinhard Schmid (Germany).
Dalí himself once designed the 'Railway station of Perpignan' as the "center of the universe", and immortalized this railroad car in a giant painting, which can be seen in the Ludwig Museum in Köln. So now the town square of Wolnzach, where the railroad car will be exhibited for 4 weeks, will also a 'center of the universe'--in any case, at least the fine arts center of Bavaria.
Opening on October 14, 2005. The exhibition continues from October 15 to November 11, 2005. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission free. Location: Deutsches Hopfenmuseum, Elsenheimer Strasse 2, 85283 Wolnzach, Germany.


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Examples of Jury Nullification Throughout History
The Barons of England compelled King John to sign the Magna Carta and trial by jury was established. The King thereafter had to seek permission from the people before he could take someone's freedom away.
The jury ended the absolute power of kings.
William Penn and William Mead were prosecuted for preaching the Quaker religion which was against the law in England.
The judge instructed the jury to return a guilty verdict since the men were plainly guilty.
Four jurors, led by Edward Bushell, refused to return the guilty verdict. The judge ordered the jury imprisoned. For two days, the jury refused to return a guilty verdict. The judge ended the trial and ordered the jurors imprisoned until they paid a fine. Bushell refused and spent months in jail. He was eventually released after his habeas corpus petition prompted the Court of Common Pleas chief judge to rule that a jury cannot be punished for their verdict.
Penn and Mead went free and this precedent established freedom of religion.
The Salem Witch Trials began in 1692. After a 100 percent conviction rate and the execution of 33 witches, in 1693, juries decided the court of Oyer and Terminer had gone too far. The next 52 trials ended in hung juries or acquittals. Frustrated, prosecutors ceased bringing cases to trial. Juries made it impossible to kill witches in Salem.
John Peter Zenger's newspaper criticized the Governor of New York. It was against the law to criticize the government in Colonial America. The Brits charged Zenger with seditious libel. At his trial, Zenger's lawyer, Andrew Hamilton, admitted Zenger broke the law but asked the jury to acquit because Zenger told the truth.
Chief Justice James Delaney disagreed. "The truth is no defense," he ruled.
Hamilton told the jury they "have the right… to determine both the law and the fact." He said if jurors cannot nullify laws, then "juries (are) useless . . . The next step would make the people slaves."
The jury found Zenger not guilty and established freedom of the press in America.
This verdict and the transcripts of the trial were widely published and encouraged literature critical of England by Franklin, Paine and others which spurred the revolution. If Zenger's jurors obeyed the judge's directions, America might still be under British rule.
The fugitive slave law was enacted to help keep slaves who were illegally running away from getting help from abolitionists in the North.
In Syracuse, N.Y., 24 people were indicted for helping a slave escape from jail. A federal judge in Buffalo called the defendants "disturbers of society." Four jury trials ended in three acquittals and compelled the government to drop the charges.
In 1851, a crowd broke into a Boston courtroom, grabbed a slave named Shadrach Minkins and turned him loose. The judge called the defendants' actions in that case "beyond the scope of human reason."
President Millard Fillmore demanded prosecution. A grand jury indicted three people. After one acquittal and several hung juries, the government was forced to drop all charges.
Because of juries, a network of people organized, knowing northern juries would not convict them. The Southern States seceded. Civil War followed, then the Emancipation Proclamation. If northern juries had followed the law as judges directed, African Americans might still be human property in accordance with federal law.
In Springfield, Mo., Davis Tutt engaged in a one-on-one pistol, quick draw duel with William Hickok. Tutt was killed. Hickok was charged with manslaughter. Mutual combat was against the law.
Witnesses claimed both men fired, but Tutt was the initiator and aggressor. Hickok claimed it was a question of honor. Had Hickok not fought, he would have been branded a coward.
Judge Sempronius Boyd instructed the jury that a conviction was its only option under the law, but added that the jury could call upon a more ancient law, the unwritten law of the "fair fight" and acquit.
The jury acquitted Hickok, who became better known as Wild Bill Hickok.
The US Constitution was amended to prohibit the sale of alcohol because a majority who did not drink wished to impose their morals on the minority of citizens who did. Juries however nullified alcohol control laws about 60 percent of the time. The fact that most juries would not convict on alcohol control laws made the use of alcohol widespread throughout Prohibition. Ultimately jury nullification led to the adoption of the 21st amendment repealing Prohibition.
If juries had obeyed the judge's instructions that "the law is the law," alcohol might still be illegal today.
In the late 19th century, prosecutions on "conspiracy" charges against striking union workers were quashed by jury nullification and gave unions the right to organize, assemble, and go on strike.
The rights of unions were safeguarded in America by juries.
|Niagara Falls Reporter - Publisher Frank Parlato Jr.


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Chicken with lemon sauce
A simple Chinese dish that will get your taste buds tinglingRead more.
Vegetarian Singapore noodles
These Singapore noodles from Woks of Life are so easy to make that every night can be take out night.Read more.
Kung po chicken
This spicy chicken stir-fry is a popular Chinese takeaway dish that is so easy to make at home.Read more.
Chinese five spice spare ribs
Chinese spare ribs takeaway style. Your friends won't believe that you made them yourself!Read more.
Salt and pepper ribs
Marinated pork ribs with a spicy salt and pepper seasoningRead more.
Egg fried rice
The perfect accompaniment to a Chinese mealRead more.
Stir fried noodles with chicken
An easy dish that can be served as a main course or part of a Chinese buffetRead more.
Rhubarb and ginger sauce
The sharpness of rhubarb combined with the sweetness of stem ginger makes a perfect accompaniment to duck or goose.Read more.


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New work on leading wave power
A technology that is adapted to the special conditions for wave energy places the wave energy technology from Uppsala on the absolute cutting edge in the world. In his dissertation, Rafael Waters presents the findings from the experimental facility located in the sea outside Lysekil, Sweden, in which he has played a leading role in designing and constructing. He is publicly defending his dissertation at Uppsala University on December 12.
For nearly three years, a wave power plant has stood on the bottom of the ocean a couple of kilometers off the west coast of Sweden, near Lysekil. Rafael Waters, from the Uppsala University Division of Electricity, designed and built the facility as part of his doctoral project. The station is uniquely durable and maintenance-free thanks to its simple mechanical construction, which was engineered at the Division.
"Instead of trying to adapt conventional energy technology to the special challenges of wave energy, we developed a technology that is adapted to the ocean from the start," says Rafael Waters.
The generator in the wave power facility in Lysekil is very special. It is a so-called linear generator that generates electricity apace with the slow movements of the waves. An ordinary generator transforms rotation energy to electricity, and it needs to turn at about 1500 rpm to be efficient. It is then necessary somehow to convert the slow wave movement to a rapid rotating movement.
"This means that a wave energy station with an ordinary generator needs energy transmission systems such as gearboxes or hydraulic systems and other complicated details that wear out and require much more maintenance than a linear generator," says Rafael Waters. "Our generator has functioned without any trouble every time we started it up over the years, even though it has received no maintenance and has sometimes stood still for months."
Rafael Waters and his colleagues are busy determining parameters such as power output and buoy size in order to attain the best results in the long term.
"With smaller buoys and lower power output, there is less stress on the wave power station. On the other hand, the goal is to produce as much power as possible. This is ultimately an economic consideration, and we want to understand how to optimize the construction."
Next year the wave power facility in Lysekil will be complemented by two more plants and connected to one of the world's first wave energy parks, which will be capable of supplying household electricity to about 60 homes. In a few years' time, the park will include some ten plants.
In the long term, wave energy should be able to supply Sweden with about 10TWh of electricity per year, comparable to 12 nuclear power plants.
"But other countries have much more potential,"
says Rafael Waters. "Norway's waves, for instance, contain ten times as much energy as ours, and Norway's total potential is more than ten times higher than Sweden's."
Source: Uppsala University


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Help keep One Green Planet free and independent! Together we can ensure our platform remains a hub for empowering ideas committed to fighting for a sustainable, healthy, and compassionate world. Please support us in keeping our mission strong.
Doesn't it seem sometimes like animal ingredients are in everything? The more you start looking and analyzing labels, the more you realize that animals suffer needlessly so we can have more stuff in our lives. As awareness of the cruelty factor involved in eating animals becomes more widespread, more and more people are turning to a plant-based diet. That's all good, and it leads to the next step – realizing that this is only one part of how we use animals.
The more animals we kill to eat the more non-edible parts there are to dispose of. Rather than allocate such massive amounts of by-products to the waste facility, we have found creative ways to use them. These ingredients are not better than non-animal ingredients, they are just more readily available and cheap. Let's consider the beauty industry. Are you aware that animals could be lurking in your lipstick, moisturizer and nail polish remover? When you think about buying a lipstick, for example, chances are good you think about what color looks good and how easily it glides on. Maybe you consider whether it stays on for hours or disappears quickly. Is the packaging pretty, useful, or recyclable? Rarely, except for the new awareness around controversial ingredients that might be unsafe or an allergen we want to avoid, do we scrutinize the list of ingredients.
Is it important? Yes! Does it make a difference? Yes! Every time you make a purchase you make a statement about what is and what isn't okay with you. It is heartening to see that cruelty-free, vegan beauty products are popping up with more frequency, and to keep this trend going, we need to continue to Support it as it grows. How do you do that? Review the list of ingredients on your favorite products and look for ones that have come from an animal. Let's start with a few ingredients that might surprise you:
1. Lanolin. Lanolin is excreted sheep sebum (oil) and is used as a lubricating agent and emulsifier in many beauty products including lipstick. The popular thinking here is that it comes from sheep's wool, right? So what's the big deal? Something that comes from sheep's wool seems benign enough until you learn about how often sheep are bred to have excessive folds (to unnaturally produce more wool), how they can be eaten alive by maggots when flies get into those folds, how they have flesh cut off their back ends (a practice called mulesing) to avoid the maggot infestation, and how they are shipped off to slaughter when they no longer produce enough wool. Since lanolin is a by-product of this industry, it is definitely not a cruelty-free ingredient.
Want a great alternative? Try Sevi's Vegan Mineral Lipsticks.
2. Squalane/Squalene. The squalene in your cosmetic products can come from sharks or vegetable sources such as olive oil. There is a movement towards more and more plant-extracted squalene but shark squalene is still in use. It has great benefits because it is a natural, oil-free moisturizer but deep sea sharks are being greatly overfished and their population is dwindling. Choosing only products that use plant-based squalene will help Support and protect the deep sea sharks' survival. Would you like the benefits of the moisturizing properties of squalene without the cruelty?
Try Sevani Beauty's Serum Vitale.
3. Gelatin. Gelatin pops up in the obvious foods like jello and puddings as well as marshmallows, gummy bears and capsules for vitamins and drugs. But, did you know that it is even in nail polish remover? Who knew! It's just another reason why reading labels is so important. Supposedly, it is in there as a nail strengthener but considering the caustic effects of acetone, it's unlikely it is doing much. And, even if it is, when you consider that it comes from reconstituted bones, connective tissue and even intestines of animals it is clearly a huge by-product of the meat industry where suffering exists on a massive scale. The good news is that there are great alternatives.
Try SpaRitual's Lacquer Remover.
It removes your polish quickly, does not contain DBP, formaldehyde and toluene and includes botanicals to condition your nails. It is so easy to take beauty habits and products we've been using for a long time for granted. The good news is that habits can change. The next time you apply lipstick, moisturizer or use nail polish remover, take a quick peek at the ingredient list and see if there are animals lurking there. If so, these alternatives can give you cruelty-free, effective results. It's a win-win!


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Scent Description
This is a scent that says, "I've seen every episode of Matlock and I'm proud of it!" Inspired by English Leather.
Beef Tallow, Stearic Acid, Distilled Water, Castor Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Vegetable Glycerin, Fragrance Oil, Almond Oil, Shea Butter, Coconut Milk, Lanolin, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lactate
Shave Jar: ~5.8oz
Refill Puck: ~4.5oz
Sample Puck: ~1.0oz


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Need a versatile and vibrant collection to brighten up every kind of page? The Imagine That! collection will be your go-to for celebrations, travel, everyday adventures, kids' school and sports activities and more. The bold graphic elements and comic-book-superhero vibe are so fun to play with. Let's make some borders!
To create these borders you'll need:
- Imagine That! Paper Pack
- Imagine That! Variety Mat Pack
- Imagine That! Layered Embellishments
- Imagine That! Stickers
- Black and White Cardstock
- Banner Flag Punch
- Playland Mini Trio Punch
- Original Border Maker System with Star Banner Chain, Picket Fence and Midnight Star Cartridges
- 12-inch Trimmer
- Custom Cutting System with Circle Patterns
- Tape Runner with Repositionable Tape Runner Refill
- Foam Squares
Shop products by clicking your country's icon below:
Dream BIG Border
- Cut a 2-1/2″ x 12″ strip of striped patterned paper for the base. Cut a 1-1/4″ x 12″ strip of circle patterned paper and adhere to the top of the base.
- Using the Midnight Star Border Maker Cartridge, punch a border with Black Cardstock. Trim to 1″ wide and apply to the border, 1/4″ down from the top edge.
- Using the Star Banner Chain Cartridge, punch a border with both Black Cardstock and blue patterned paper. Adhere the black border just underneath the midnight star piece and then the blue border just above and overlapping the black one as shown.
- Add the "dream BIG" and yellow tape stickers with Foam Squares, as well as the shooting star layered embellishment.
FUN Border
- Cut a 2-3/4″ x 12″ strip of blue plaid patterned paper for the base.
- Using the Picket Fence Border Maker Cartridge, punch a border with Black Cardstock. Trim to 1″ wide and adhere to the base, 1/4″ in from the right edge.
- Cut a 1-5/8″ x 12″ strip of confetti patterned paper and adhere to the base, overlapping the picket fence piece slightly. Adhere the circle border sticker to the right side of the border, overlapping the picket fence piece on the other side and creating a "bars" effect.
- Apply yellow, black and blue scribble bar stickers along the lower half of the confetti piece with the "FUN!" layered embellishment in the middle as shown. Add mini trio bursts cut from variety mats with Foam Squares.
Snap Border
- Cut a 3″ x 12″ strip of black dot patterned paper for the base. Cut a 2-1/2″ x 12″ strip of shooting star patterned paper and add to the base, topped with a 1-3/4″ x 12″ strip of camera patterned paper.
- Back the stars border sticker with a 5/8″ x 12″ strip of Black Cardstock and add to the base, aligned with the top of the camera piece.
- Using the inside of the medium Custom Cutting System Circle Pattern and the Green Blade, cut a circle with White Cardstock. Using the Red Blade, cut a circle with a black variety mat. Mat the white on the black and adhere to the left side of the border using Foam Squares. Top with the camera layered embellishment.
- Punch four flags using yellow and blue variety mats and the Banner Flag Punch. Add to the border underneath the camera with Foam Squares, forming a semicircle. Add "snap" with ABC/123 stickers and embellish with enamel stickers.
An adventure scrapbook layout is not complete without a border that packs a punch. Thankfully, the Imagine That! collection is made with colors and designs that pop on the page, making it perfect for creating eye-catching borders. What types of ways have you been using the Imagine That! collection? Let us know in the comments below!


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Even though the stamp-duty holiday, which has meant properties under £175,000 have been exempt from the levy, ends in the next couple of weeks, there has been some good news for those looking to get on the property ladder.
Yorkshire Building Society has this week launched a new range of mortgages for first-time buyers with a deposit of 15 per cent or more. Its three-year fixed rate of 5.84% with no fee is a market-leading deal and includes £500 cashback, a free survey and conveyancing. This is not only good news for fist time buyers but also lawyers on the Yorkshire conveyancing panel .
The "free conveyancing work" only covers basic conveyancing costs and does not cover search fees and land registry charges.
Sunday 13 December 2009
Conveyancing Yorkshire Style
Posted by Simon Seaton at 07:57
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By Heather Raffo
Directed by Cynthia Levin
The Jerome Stage
February 15 – March 2, 2008
A portrait of the extraordinary (and ordinary) lives of a cross-section of Iraqi women: a sexy painter, a radical Communist, doctors, exiles, wives and lovers. This work delves into the many conflicting aspects of what it means to be a woman surviving on the front lines of a war zone. A timely meditation on the ancient, the modern and the feminine in a country overshadowed by hostility.


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My friend Noah got Tased for an article on Wired. I've been hit with stun guns and with a very very very early version of a Taser which I'm sure is nothing compared to the X3 he got hit with. He got a 1 second shock and it took him out and made him scream. You can follow the link and watch the video, but this is the best part of his article and something I think should be asked more often:
By the company's estimate, Taser-wielding police and troops have blasted more than 750,000 men, women and children. On average, they received a five-second shock. Which means I got off relatively easy: Mine was just a one-second blast, at 19 pulses per second…
What I keep wondering is: Who would inflict that kind of pain? And under what circumstances? We all know that our tools change our behavior. Give us cars, and we'll go new places; give us iPhones, and we'll check our e-mail way more often. So when we hear stories about grandmothers and kids and handcuffed prisoners and even runaway sheep getting tased, I asked Smith, what does that say about the stun gun's impact?
The question wasn't answered, but I think enough research has been done with things like the Stanford Prison Experiment to indicate what happens when one person has power over another. I know from my own experience being a bouncer that when you know you have the authority and can get away with anything because everyone else on staff will back up your story, the rules and what is "legal" get very gray and flexible. It's not a pretty situation and I think tools like Tasers are not the deterrents they are touted to be, I think they give people who are already a little drunk on power the excuse to hurt other people and get away with it pointing to policy and "non-lethal" tools at their disposal. Billy clubs leave marks and break bones, guns have the potential to kill you. Tasers are seen as a much safer option than those to, but because of that they are used much more often. When people are forced to think about the long term results of their actions they are more cautious, when they aren't… well, they aren't.


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MONSTA X's Hyungwon Showcases His Muscular Physique In New Photoshoot
Gone are the days of the skinny MONSTA X's Hyungwon!
Hyungwon's visuals have always been outstanding.
Yet, with his recent transformation, his body proportions have fans going crazy. Not only does he still have a slim waist, but his shoulders are broad.
His arms are muscular, so he makes even a plain white T-shirt look sexy.
Hyungwon has been working out a lot lately. Even his gym is so impressed by his progress!
the gym where monsta x work out posted a video of hyungwon
"compared to 7 years ago, no matter which field it was, you've progressed: endurance, musicality, physical energy^^ # broadshoulders # chaehyungwon"
**the post was posted yesterday but edited 2 hrs ago. pic.twitter.com/vQDXN0C7yl
— ᯅ̈ 劉基賢 (@kihyunbread) April 16, 2021
So, now Hyungwon is showing off that hard work with his latest photoshoot…
Hyungwon is featured in the October issue of the magazine Dazed Korea. The pictorial features him in a few different outfits.
Most of the concepts are very sexy. In one, he is seen in bed…
In another, Hyungwon is in a bathtub. While fully clothed, his shirt comes up to reveal some of his abs.
Though technically he is wearing a shirt in all the photos, he wears a Moschino baroque print short sleeve shirt completely unbuttoned. So, he bares his well-defined chest.
All the members of MONSTA X have been working out lately, and MONBEBEs are admiring the results.
you know what monsta x…ENOUGH pic.twitter.com/ow4HXdRzQ2
— a (@bigmonstas) September 15, 2022
Recently, Joohoney bared his abs to reveal not only his abs but his tattoo. Check it out below.


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Kids Old Skool Velcro Shoes (4-8 years)
ReviewsRated (4.5) out of (5) stars (Reviews)
The Kids Old Skool V reimagines our iconic sidestripe shoe by swapping traditional laces for double hook-and-loop closures. Featuring durable suede and canvas uppers, this low top style maintains its classic appeal while providing an easy, secure fit that will keep you comfortable all day. The Kids Old Skool V also includes re-enforced toecaps, supportive padded collars, and signature rubber waffle outsoles.
• Vans' iconic low top, sidestripe shoe
• Double hook-and-loop closures
• Durable suede and canvas uppers
• Re-enforced toe caps
• Supportive padded collars
• Signature rubber waffle outsoles
In Store Availability
Please enter your "Postal Code" to find stores
STORES - Available as of 10 December 2023 20:49:08 EST


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When Marlee Matlin walked away with an Academy Award for her heart-wrenching turn as a deaf custodian in 1986's romantic drama Children of a Lesser God, it seemed as though film had finally encountered a definitive depiction of a deaf individual and the often tenuous relationship between the hearing and the deaf worlds. Television has lagged behind; nearly 30 years later, most TV shows still typically shove deaf characters into the background or use them as props as part of a hearing person's story.
Switched at Birth reverses that course. On the surface, the teen soap, which launched on ABC Family last summer, appears to revolve around two teenage girls (Vanessa Marano, Katie Leclerc) who discover that they were switched at birth as their families—a wealthy white couple (D.W. Moffett, Lea Thompson) and a Latina recovering-alcoholic hairdresser (Constance Marie)—attempt to untangle the emotional Gordian knot in which they've found themselves.
Unexpectedly, the show delves deep. Created by Lizzy Weiss (Blue Crush), Switched at Birth—which airs Tuesday evenings at 8 p.m.—offers a deft and intelligent take on the way in which we form our identities through self-expression, whether that be street art, spoken/signed communication, texting, or open dialogue among family members and individuals, as well as the communication gulf between the hearing and deaf/hard-of-hearing communities. It's also a show that doesn't pander to its presumed audience. Semantics—"deaf" and "hard-of-hearing" are OK; "hearing-impaired" is not—and ethical implications, as well as morality and choice, are discussed frankly and without preaching.
"I heard a This American Life episode about two women who were switched at birth and found out in their 50s," said Weiss, over breakfast at a West Hollywood café. "I was pregnant and it was just such an emotional time. I thought it would be so universally compelling … ABC Family suggested making one of [the girls] disabled in some way. I didn't know what they meant exactly. I don't think they did either. But then I said, 'What if one is deaf?'" (ABC Family does like to home in on issues for their dramas; The Secret Life of the American Teenager, for example, tackles teen sex and pregnancy.)
Over the course of its first season, Leclerc's Daphne—who lost her hearing at age 3 after a bout of meningitis (Leclerc herself is hard of hearing, suffering from an inner-ear disorder called Ménière's disease, the symptoms of which include fluctuating hearing loss, vertigo, pressure, and tinnitus)—found herself enmeshed in a love triangle with her best friend, Emmett (Sean Berdy, who like the character he portrays, is deaf), and the girl living the life that was meant for her, rebellious and privileged street-artist Bay (Marano), who has since become Emmett's girlfriend.
Berdy's Emmett is described on-screen as a "deaf James Dean," a motorcycle-riding drummer and avid photographer who quickly became the show's breakout character. Emmett's mother, Melody, is played by Academy Award-winning deaf actress Marlee Matlin; their interactions—and frequent arguments—form the basis of one of the most compelling and unique dynamics on television today, one that kicks up some of the ethical questions facing the deaf community: cochlear implants, speech therapy, romantic relationships with hearing individuals.
"We have developed a great bond together and that makes the characters real," said Berdy of Matlin, via his interpreter, James Foster. "This is a real mother-son relationship in the deaf community."
Matlin concurred. "No one puts deaf kids in their homes and closes the doors," she said, through Jack Jason, her interpreter. "It's a new perspective and it's interesting and different. Sean and I have a very good rapport because we're both deaf and we both identify … It's so comforting to use my language without thinking who is interpreting for me, and it's so natural as an actor for me now."
Throughout her career, Matlin has had her signed dialogue reiterated by co-stars on screen, whether it's Jennifer Beals paraphrasing her on The L Word, or William Hurt in Children of a Lesser God, or her character, Joey Lucas, having an interpreter on The West Wing. The ability to have her own words, to retain her own sense of agency and language is a revelation for Matlin, and Jason, who has worked as Matlin's interpreter for nearly 27 years, said it's been a transformative moment for her as an actor. "I've never seen Marlee so comfortable, because now she doesn't have to worry about anybody saying anything for her," he said. "Marlee says, 'I don't have to speak?' 'Nope.' 'Nobody's translating me?' 'Nope.'" Or as Matlin put it: "It's my world, it's my language." (Matlin, meanwhile, has an ASL iPad app, Marlee Signs, coming out this spring.)
That's also what makes it bracingly authentic: Melody and Emmett's conversations are enacted entirely in ASL, their words subtitled onscreen. "It's such a noisy world," said Weiss, who studied American Sign Language in college. "People are watching TV [while] on their iPads. You have to look up and concentrate on those scenes."
The success of shows like Lost and Heroes—which featured characters speaking in their native tongues with subtitles—paved the way for Switched at Birth's ASL scenes, and the network was only too willing to turn off the sound, as it were. While there is still some ambient noise in the background (a gurgling fountain, birdsong, a car passing), it puts the attention squarely on what's being said and the emotion embedded within such exchanges, as well as the subtle differences between the characters: between those who have signed their whole lives, those who are learning, and those who don't sign at all.
Switched at Birth is the first American television show to feature multiple deaf characters and deaf actors front and center, not relegating them to the sidelines or to procedural subplots. Most important, the deaf characters aren't portrayed as saints, and are just as realistically flawed as their hearing counterparts, landing in trouble with parents, teachers, or even the law.
"My favorite thing about Daphne is that she's a normal teenager," said Leclerc in an interview on the show's Santa Clarita, Calif., set. "She struggles with boys and teachers, and the affection and love of both sets of parents, and the multitude of different small nuances that make her who she is ... No deaf person sits there and says, 'I am only deaf.' I think a lot of shows would have pigeonholed Daphne into that corner."
In fact, it was essential that the show didn't do that. "It's very much about self-expression and different ways to express yourself, whether it's ASL, whether it's dialogue, whether it's street art," said ABC Family president Michael Riley. "What you see is millennials and adults alike expressing themselves on a spectrum of communication opportunities."
Leclerc agreed. "Most Americans do not realize that American Sign Language is the third most common language in the United States," she said. "Most hearing people have never met a deaf person or had a conversation with a deaf person."
"It really starts to show the broad spectrum of the deaf community," she continued. "That's one of the things that I'm very proud of: that we can come into a hearing audience members' home on a weekly basis."
The last time a deaf person was in the television spotlight (other than on reality TV, such as with The Amazing Race's deaf contestant, Luke Adams) was 20 years ago, when Matlin starred in Reasonable Doubts, a short-lived NBC procedural drama that pitted her deaf district attorney with an ASL-speaking cop (Mark Harmon). But Matlin was quick to point out the differences between the two shows, not least of which was the fact that Harmon's character often spoke aloud for her.
"No offense to NBC, the producers, or the writers of Reasonable Doubts, but there is a new generation, a new understanding of diversity out there," said Matlin. "Lizzy [Weiss] and the network have a better understanding of what is authentic, and it shows that a lot has changed in 20 years … This show allows people like myself to be portrayed in a variety of ways that we've not seen before."
In the United States alone, it is estimated that there are 35 million deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals (along with roughly 2 million users of ASL, though because the U.S. Bureau of Census does not recognize ASL, an accurate count is not available), a vibrant and thriving community with its own distinct culture, history, and language. (Even within the English-speaking world, there are linguistic barriers within the deaf community: in the U.K., British Sign Language is spoken, while in Australia, there's Auslan. And within the U.S., there are lexical variations among region, race, and age.) Switched at Birth gives deaf viewers something to hold on to, said Berdy.
"Deaf people are struggling to find their favorite show or something that represents them," he said. "It's hard. There are some examples of shows that have a deaf storyline in one episode, like Cold Case, or another show where they are focusing on the cochlear implant or the medical aspect. But nothing that shows a deaf individual as part of a community or a culture, except for this show … I have deaf friends and family and they love the show, they worship the show, and say, 'It's about time … Finally, a show about us, for us.'"
Of course, it's not just members of the deaf community who have been watching—it's averaging 2.6 million viewers per episode. Switched at Birth was the highest-rated new cable series last summer in adults 18–34, women 18–34, and females 12–34, and ABC Family gave the show a huge vote of confidence, picking up a back order of 22 episodes that brings its first season total to 32 installments, proving this is a show that goes behind a niche audience.
"There are two worlds, the deaf world and the hearing world," said Berdy. "There are some people in the deaf community that feel that hearing people look down on us. I hope this show builds a bridge between the two communities."
Leclerc expanded on that idea. "I think that Switched at Birth explodes those expectations and really takes it upon itself to show the truth. People's expectations of a deaf person could be less … but my expectations of a deaf person are higher, because—and we say this in the show, too—one represents all, to most. You need to be aware of your actions and how that reflects upon the group."
"There's a very famous saying in the deaf community," said Leclerc. "The only thing deaf people can't do is hear."


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Digital experience refers to an interaction between a user and an organization that is made possible because of digital technologies. Websites, mobile apps, e-commerce sites, social media content, and smart devices, all provide a digital experience to the customer, partner, or employee that is interacting with an organization.
A customer's journey can begin and end digitally, so creating a cohesive, contextual digital customer experience that addresses customer needs is more pressing than ever. With an ever-expanding number of digital touchpoints, digital experience management has become a difficult task, but one that can help engage new users, differentiate your company and inspire customer loyalty. It is important to think of digital experience as a complimentary part of the overall customer experience (CX) and user experience (UX). Understanding digital experience allows your business to be more proactive when it comes to creating personalized experiences that better engage prospective customers, satisfy current users, and enhance employee experiences.
A digital experience platform (DXP) is an integrated and cohesive suite of tools designed to enable the composition, management, delivery and optimization of digital experiences across multichannel customer journeys. These tools offer a meaningful way to both speak to users through created content and listen to their needs through collected data.
Digital experience platforms help disseminate content across websites, email, mobile apps, social platforms, e-commerce sites, IoT devices, digital signage, POS systems, and more. Beyond simply delivering content for each of these channels, digital experience platforms help enable marketing automation and develop a consistent digital experience, leading users towards a clearly defined outcome.
There are a number of tools that can be used to create digital experiences that benefit you and your users, such as:
Digital twin - A digital twin is a virtual representation of an object or system that spans its lifecycle, is updated from real-time data, and uses simulation, machine learning and reasoning to help decision-making. Organizations can develop digital twins that replicate entire company environments, offering insights into all touchpoints of an organization. These digital replicas give an organization the potential to simulate, analyze, and optimize customer journeys and employee experiences, thus creating a more cohesive and personalized digital experience.
Content Operations (or ContentOps)- ContentOps is your organization's infrastructure, including personnel, process and technology that make it possible to produce, deploy, and maintain cohesive content across multiple channels. Well-defined ContentOps integrates with marketing automation and takes into account authoring environments, inventory, asset management, project management, scheduling, publishing tools, analytics, reporting and more.
Omnichannel & headless CMS- A headless CMS delivers content to various channels using APIs. This allows content creators the tools to create content for websites, social media, digital signage, e-commerce, mobile apps, and smart devices. By managing your content from a unified hub, you can centralize content creation, and track and measure customer engagement across various channels.
AI & cognitive computing- Artificial intelligence (AI) is unleashing a new approach for customer experience (CX) and digital experience strategy, design and development. IBM Watson® deploys a portfolio of business-ready tools which leverage AI to quickly access insights, automate campaigns and processes and so much more. Because AI systems can see, talk, hear, and learn from their interactions (CX) teams are entering a new era: creating AI-powered digital customer experiences that feel like natural human engagement.
Customer data platform- A customer data platform (CDP) is software that collects and unifies customer data from multiple sources to build a single, coherent, and complete view of each customer that is accessible to other systems. CDPs allow you to better understand your users, complement marketing strategies, marketing automation and develop personalized customer journeys.
IBM iX® is one of the largest digital and design consultancies in the world, leveraging a network of strategists, designers, and developers.
IBM, Red Hat and Adobe joined forces to further advance experience transformation across the customer journey within hybrid cloud environments.
The IBM® Digital Twin Exchange is a resource for asset-intensive industries, including organizations managing enterprise-wide digital assets.
AI services from IBM can help you drive smarter reinvention of your workflows and technology and accelerate AI integration across your enterprise.
A full stack cloud platform with over 170 products and services covering data, containers, AI, IoT, and blockchain.


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Terms and Conditions
When you make a booking you are entering an agreement with us. Please read our terms and conditions of booking below.
The price of the accommodation includes the following:
Electricity, Linen, Cleaning, Hot water, Central heating and Wifi
Pets are not permitted due to livestock on site
Cancellation & Insurance
Once you have booked your holiday, our agreement is a legal contract and your deposit is non-refundable. If for whatever reason you cannot take your holiday and the booking cannot be re-let, you are still liable to pay for the booking in full, even we have not yet received your balance. If we do succeed in re-letting the booking, you are no longer liable for the balance, or we will refund it to you if you have already paid it, £75 administration fee. Please note that your deposit is not refundable under any circumstances. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you take out cancellation insurance, which is inexpensive and can be obtained from any good broker.
Non-availability of accommodation
We would only cancel your holiday if your accommodation was unavailable for reasons beyond our control. We would attempt to offer you alternative accommodation, however, if this was not possible, or unacceptable to you, then we would refund all monies paid by you for the holiday. Our liability would not extend beyond this refund.
Your accommodation will be available to you from 2.00pm on the day of arrival unless otherwise arranged. Please try not to arrive earlier –we will still be busy preparing your accommodation, and won't be available to welcome you.
Please be ready to leave the accommodation by 10.00am on the day of departure, unless otherwise arranged. Please try to leave the accommodation as clean as possible. If you have made use of any further service for which payment has not been made during your holiday, we will provide you with an invoice which is payable on departure.
Damages & Breakages
Please take care of our properties. You are responsible and liable for any breakages or damages which you cause to the accommodation or its contents. Please report these as soon as they occur. We do not normally charge for minor breakages, but we may send you an invoice for repair or making good if the damage or breakage is significant, and we may make an additional charge should the damage prevent future bookings being taken while repairs are undertaken.
We do not accept any liability for any damage, loss or injury to any member of your party or any vehicles or possessions unless proven to be caused by a negligent act by ourselves or our employees or contractors whilst acting in the course of employment.
Any data collected during the course of this booking may be stored on a computer. We look forward to welcoming you to The Ryeland Barn.
For all bookings we require a deposit of £75 to confirm the booking this can be done via Paypal. We will send you an email letter confirming the booking and letting you know what the outstanding balance is. The balance must then be paid on or before the start of the holiday. For holidays which are to take place within 2 weeks of making the booking, the full balance is due on booking.


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The VTech Kidizoom is the perfect gift for budding preschool aged photographers. The Kidizoom works much better in natural light, so take it outside. It comes with 16 megabytes of built in memory but there is an included SD slot to expand that to a size large enough to hold tens of thousands of pictures. Imagine the fun you'll have down the road when you can upload a month's worth of your child's memorable photos and look at them together.The VTech Kidizoom Multimedia Digital Camera is a fairly substantial, tough looking piece of work. There is an optional camera bag, but it's most likely only for show because this thing certainly doesn't look like it needs any extra protection.Oh, and it's surprisingly large, its dimensions being 13.5 x 6.1 x 8.5 cm. It comes with a 1.8″ (4.5 cm) colour LCD screen and includes photo editing software so your child can edit the pictures in camera, which is an especially nice feature on long car trips.It's also outfitted with a flash, though again its quality may not be that of your DSLRs. This Vtech Kidizoom camera would make a great gift for a younger child just getting in to photography, assuming it's actually as tough as it looks.The Kidizoom comes with a handy carrying strap for keeping it safe on the move, a CD-Rom with creative workshop, and cables to link it to a TV or computer. You also get 16 MB of built in memory, which can be expanded with an SD card (purchased separately).
Category Archives: Media
Blog Marketing Tips – Using Multimedia to Engage Your Readers and Drive More Traffic | clothingfullcircle.info
For those of us that run our online business through our blogs, we're constantly looking for ways to make our blog more interesting. Yes, you've got to write well and get your readers actively engaged in what you're writing, but there's a lot more to do at this point than just write a good blog post.You want your readers to be more engaged, so it's your job to do something that many people just have big problem with doing. You've got to entertain your readers! Give them something to look at and, often times more importantly, hear on your blog. Some people would much rather listen to or even watch your blog posts!Now, I know that you may be feeling a little uncomfortable at this point, because you're probably thinking to yourself, "This probably means that I'm going to have to make a video or record some audio!"And you're right!There really is nothing more powerful than having a video on your website, especially one that features you. This gives your readers a chance to really "see" you, probably for the first time. It creates a "human" connection with your blog visitors that words on a computer screen simply can't reproduce.Creating a video requires a little time and some investment of cash, but it really is much easier now than ever before. Most modern digital video cameras record directly in a format that can be uploaded to YouTube or other video sharing sites. Go out an buy a camera (and your digital camera may have a video feature already!), set up a tripod and record yourself! You can talk about whatever you were going to say in your blog post, just tell it to the camera.Talk to your readers like you would an old friend. Let your natural self shine through the video. You'll be pleased with the results you see.And, if you just can't seem to get over your fear of getting in front of a camera, then record an audio message. You can get a decent quality microphone for your computer and use any number of pieces of software to record an audio message. Then, just upload it to your blog for a multimedia experience for your readers.And don't think you have to have a well-produced, super professional audio or video recording. Your readers already want to hear what you have to say, just say it to them using a different medium. Provide great content and you can worry about high production values later.And you'll have a blast doing it! Getting more creative with your blogging is the first step to growing your readership. When your visitors see the type of content you can produce, in many different formats, they'll start spreading the work for you about your blog to their online friends. Soon, you'll have a flood of traffic that you won't be able to stop!
Red Sony Ericsson W995 – High End Multimedia Supports With Ultra Modern Connectivity Competencies! | clothingfullcircle.info
The Sony Ericsson W995 Red comes packed with a huge number of up to date features which make it the cynosure in the mobile market. The device incorporates an exquisite design with a perfect finish. The red casing of the phone makes look even more beautiful which catches the attention at the very first sight. The key inputs are facilitated by the slide out key pad that. The screen TFT screen of the phone stretches up to 240 x 320 pixels which dominates the front of the gadget. The accelerometer sensor results in a enhanced sophistication as it proves very helpful while browsing any website. The reason lies in the fact that, the vertical and horizontal rotations of the screen let the users adjust to the different lay outs of the websites. Interestingly, one does not need put much effort to enjoy this sophistication, just hold the handset horizontally and enjoy the landscape mode. The display of the phone promises a wonderful display as it has got the supports of almost 256K of colours.The Sony Ericsson W995 Red delivers an appreciable experience in the multimedia aspects. A 8.1 mega pixels camera takes well care of the imaging interests and the needs of the users. The high definition camera produces a high resolution of image and that too enriched with natural colours and contracts. The features like Geo-tagging, face detection and image stabilizer bring quality to each and every picture, and at the same time other features viz auto focus LED flash allow the users to snap well lit images even when the lighting conditions are not favorable. The camera captures great quality videos at the speed of 30fps, that is unhesitantly a commendable capacity of the lens. One won't have to get disappointed on the thought of video calling, as this 3G phone is equipped with a secondary camera which lets it capture videos while on the call.When it comes to the music aspects of this device, one cannot question its music producing capabilities as its a walkman phone adorned with the walkman 4.0 player. The additional features of the music player include Shake control, SenseMe and trackID recognition. The shake control allows the users to control the playback just with a shake, give it a shake and the current song will change. This music player can sense the music propensities of the users as it can make play list depending upon the songs stored and played. It separates the songs on the grounds of tempo and mood. Then the trackID music recognition brings the information about the songs, be it about the artists, albums, genres anything else.The W995 Red ensures that the users do not make any complaint on the data and connectivity speed of the phone. Its brings an enviable speed at web browsing as it is supported by a host of high end technologies. All in all, it is a well balanced gadget.


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Posts Tagged 'Mountain Destination Wedding'
A Modern Mountain Wedding in Vail, Colorado
From the bride, Lindsay: Tim and I grew up skiing and snowboarding, hiking and camping in the mountains. We have always loved the mountains and knew we had to get married surrounded by the place that truly felt like home. The rustic, yet elegant feel that you get when you are in the Colorado Mountains is like nothing anyone can explain.
We really wanted our wedding to express our love for the mountains as well as our personalities.
The sun was shining and there was not even a cloud in the sky when I walked down the aisle to "Here comes the Sun" by the Beatles. It was truly the most magical day to get married.
We truly felt like we were on top of the world!
For the décor, we wanted the mountain modern feel expressed with touches of the clean white Aspens and bright yellow and grey patterns. We also thought that the mint green of the succulents brought out the little extra touch of modern that we loved!
All of our signs were made from real aspen trees. We used a wood burner to personalize each detail including the bride and groom drinks, guest book, favors, and our "Mr. and Mrs." Chair signs.
The Jewish Horah was truly memorable and being tossed in chairs by our family and friends is something we both will never forget!
We made our favors for each of our guests. We had a Lindsay spice and a Tim spice. Each one was personalized with a note with cooking ideas. They turned out wonderful and had a spice of love to them!
One of my most memorable moments was sitting with our wedding party next to the fire pit realizing how lucky we are to be surrounded by the most amazing family and friends on a perfect day!
My advice: Do not be afraid to make your dream wedding come true and always remember the reason why you are getting married.
Lindsay's RECOMMENDED VENDORS
Event Planner: Revel + Bloom // Photographer: Brinton Studios // Florist: Sweet Pea Flowers // Ceremony Site: Vail Wedding Deck // Reception Site: Donovan Pavilion // Event Design: Pink Monkey Solutions // Caterer: Footers Catering // Cake: The Bundt Shoppe // Wedding Gown Designer: Justin Alexander from The Bridal Collection // Bridesmaid Dresses: Jim Hjelm // Men's Wear: Ralph Lauren // Band: Jonny Mogambo Band // Videographer: Pure Cinematography // Photo Booth: Shutterbooth // Guest Lodging: The Arrabelle at Vail
Honeymoon Location: Thailand
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An increase in the packaging targets has been proposed by Defra and the devolved governments that will last up until 2017.
The proposed new targets are:
- Increase the steel recycling target by 1 per cent per year, from 71 per cent in 2012, to 76 per cent by 2017
- Increase the aluminium recycling target by 3 per cent per year from 40 per cent in 2012, to 55 per cent in 2017
- Increase the plastics recycling target by 5 per cent per year from 32 per cent to 57 per cent by 2017 and
- Increase the overall packaging recovery rate by 1 per cent each year, from 74 per cent in 2012 to 79 per cent in 2017.
The proposed targets would also see glass recycling split into sub-categories to boost the amount of glass that is re-melted rather than sending for use as an aggregate. The consultation proposes that there should be a limit on the amount of glass which can be recycled into aggregates and this should be counted towards the UK targets at its 2008 level, which is approximately 565,000 tonnes.
The targets have been drawn up following recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Packaging and a consultation on the new targets will run for eight weeks until 10 February 2012 with a final decision announced in the 2012 Budget.
Under the proposals, the Government has put forward three different options regarding the level at which targets should be set for the period 2013 to 2017.
These are:
- Option 1 – keep all packaging recycling and recovery targets to the minimum required to
meet EU targets until 2017
- Option 2 – Higher recycling targets for aluminium and plastic (respectively 1% and 2% increase/yr from 2013, through
a) Statutory targets
b) Statutory targets to EU minimum plus voluntary responsibility deals
- Option 3- Higher recycling targets for aluminium, plastic and steel with glass recycling split by end use (respectively 3%/yr, 5%/yr, 1%/yr increase and 1% change/yr from 2013) through
a) Statutory targets
b) Statutory targets to EU minimum plus voluntary responsibility deals
c) Statutory targets to EU minimum plus introduction of deposit return system
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: "Christmas is a time when more than ever, we all notice the amount of packaging that comes with the things we buy. An alarming amount of this is still going to landfill.
"These new ambitious targets will deliver real environmental and economic benefits. They will give a new incentive to companies to cut down on excess packaging and increase efforts to have their materials recycled."
Alupro executive director Rick Hindley welcomed the higher targets for aluminium packaging, as well as the reassurance this would give to the Packaging Recovery Note market.
He added: "The consultation represents a chance to raise targets and maximise recycling performance for aluminium and all other packaging materials.
"The continuation of static targets will not help the aluminium packaging industry. New, more challenging recycling targets are needed to ensure we make the most of the aluminium and wider metal packaging industries' investment which has under-pinned continued year-on-year improvements in recycling levels.
"The industry's desire to maximise recycling performance is as strong as ever and industry-led programmes have already achieved some significant results. In 2010 Every Can Counts saw over 27 million drinks cans captured from workplaces around the UK for recycling while MetalMatters, the new programme managed by Alupro, is proven and has the potential to significantly improve kerbside recycling volumes by boosting capture rates for metal packaging and indeed other materials too.
"In addition, we welcome the significant proposal to bring the measurement of our recycling performance on to an equal footing with all other EU countries. Aluminium used in composite or laminate packaging that cannot be mechanically separated for recycling, should not be counted as aluminium packaging as defined in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive.
"The consultation represents a much needed chance to raise packaging recycling targets and we look forward to working with Government to maximise recycling performance."


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Volta Automatic Double Watch Winder with Rotating Base (Rosewood)
This Volta double (2) watch winder features a high gloss rosewood finish with an ultra-soft gray microfiber suede interior. The inside portion of this winder is lit by 4 white LED lights that beautifully showcases the watch that is mounted onto the winder. The winder sits on a ball bearing base that allows the winder to rotate 360 degrees with ease. This winder can be locked using the supplied key to ensure the safety of your prized possessions. Each of the watch mounts is powered by its own high quality and ultra-quiet Japanese Mabuchi motor with a belt-less construction which will allow you to use your winder for many years. The winder is powered by a supplied 110/240v adapter. To control the motors of the winder, you will find an LCD screen on the inside of the winder. Using the buttons to the right of the screen, you can control the revolution direction and the speed (TPD) of the winder. You are able to select a clockwise setting, a counterclockwise setting, or a combination of clockwise and counterclockwise revolutions. With this Volta winder, you are able to select a speed (TPD) setting of 650, 900, 1350, or 1800 revolutions, so you will definitely be able to find the right setting for your specific watch. This Volta winder features speed winding and sleep mode options. The speed winding options is available for those instances when your watch has completely died and you need to re-power it. The sleep mode option allows you to mimic normal day to day wear as the winder will not work for a period of up to 16 hours per day.
Exterior Color : Rosewood
Interior Color : Charcoal Microfiber Suede
No. Of Watches : 2
No. Of LCD : 1
LED Color : White
Dimension: 10.5" x 8" x 7.25"
Payment & Security
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.


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Hello from Team Nestor! Our team consists of: Maggie from Rhode Island, Ali from Brooklyn, Kayla from Wisconsin, and Sarah from Virginia.
Today was opening day in the village of Kpintalga! We arrived in the village a little before noon, distributing the rest of the safe storage containers (SSC). Though our opening day was previously planned for Tuesday, but we had to push it back until Thursday due to an unexpected death in the community and the metal stand which held the polytank collapsing. This was a devastating event for both us and our entrepreneurs since it caused us to empty out our FULL polytank. But Saha has definitely taught us that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, so we were prepared.
But Team Nestor persevered and after a couple of incredibly hot and tiring days of distribution, we were ready for opening day! Our women entrepreneurs, Arishetu and Alima, were just as enthusiastic as us and ready to run their business.
The first safe storage container (SSC) the entrepreneurs filled was the Chiefs', a great honor ritual we got to experience. Then, as we blasted some American tunes, sang some Girl Scout songs, and played some rough games of soccer, the clean water business of Kpintalga was officially open! A total of 35 out of 40 distributed SSCs made an appearance, and many of the women (especially the kids) were very excited to try the clean water. A huge highlight of the day: no leakages in our SSCs!
All of the women and kids could carry them on their heads without any water dripping down their faces.
While Nestor helpfully translated for us, Kayla was responsible for all the pictures (giving credit where credit is due, obviously). All the pictures you've seen from Team Nestor is all because of Kayla's hard-work, photography skills, and iPhone X. All the kids were incredibly excited and jumpy whenever the iPhone was pulled out of Kayla's pocket, ready to snap a memory into permanence. Ali took the administrative role, counting all the SSCs that came to the business and interacted with many of the women. She kept track of the finances and marked off the women who arrived so we could follow up with those who hadn't, and definitely was the glue that held the group together today. Opening day would have been much more chaotic and far messier if Team Nestor didn't have Ali in our group. When she wasn't holding a sleeping Mohmin or tickling Yousseif (we call him Mr. Giggles), Maggie was hard at work, cleaning all of the SSCs. It is really important that SSCs are cleaned often in order to prevent a reemergence of bacteria and dirt. Maggie played a huge role in making sure the new water in Kpintalga was clean and healthy by removing all dirt possible and making sure everyone received healthy and safe drinking water. Sarah, who may be the muddiest of us all, did what she usually does: keep the children entertained and out of the way of the adults. She gave all the kids tons of high fives, taught them new hand games, and shouted Girl Scout songs at the top of her lungs while running around the open field with the kids.
However, the day would've gone flawlessly even without our help as Arishetu took complete charge and did an impeccable job serving her community.
Overall, not only did Team Nestor have a great opening day, but also a fantastic week. We are very grateful to have a translator like Nestor, who is a natural leader and incredibly enthusiastic about team spirit. We are also very appreciative that we were assigned such a great community that welcomed us with so much hospitality and excitement. Team Nestor has loved every minute in our community and although our journey is coming to an end as we finish up with monitoring households and clean water school education, it is only the beginning for the community. Though we are thrilled that the loving village of Kpintalga has clean water, we are sad to see our time in Ghana come to end. This experience has opened up our eyes in ways we can't imagine and we will never forget the people of Kpintagla and the memories we have made.


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The City of Gainesville, University of Florida (UF), and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) have formed a partnership to develop a 'smart testbed' for new and evolving advanced transportation technologies and equipment.
This will be the first such program in Florida to involve a city, a university, and the state DOT. It will also involve industry partnerships to facilitate the development and operation of testbed. The initiative aligns with the UF and City of Gainesville Strategic Plans by helping to turn Gainesville and UF into a proving ground for solutions that challenge cities nationwide; testing and implementing transportation alternatives for the community; and providing technologies that highlight UF as a preeminent university and the City of Gainesville as a New American City.
FDOT is funding the early research efforts of the initiative. Officials with the UF Transportation Institute (UFTI) are currently reviewing literature and other testbed applications around the world before setting an official date to begin local tests of new transportation technologies.
Advanced technologies, such as connected and autonomous vehicles, smart devices and sensors will be tested on the UF campus and surrounding highway network. Goals for the testbed include:
Improving mobility and safety on the UF campus and around Gainesville;
To facilitate the incorporation of UF invented technologies;
To quantify how people engage with automated vehicles;
To collaborate with businesses to test and enhance their own technologies;
To become a national and international model for the use of technology to enhance transportation.
"We are very excited to be working with our long-time partners, FDOT and the City of Gainesville, as well as the UF administration in the development and use of advanced technologies on our campus," said Professor Lily Elefteriadou, lead researcher and director of UFTI. "UF is an ideal location for such testing, as speeds are relatively low, there are lots of pedestrians, extensive bicycle facilities, scooters and mopeds, and one of the most heavily-used transit systems in Florida."
Teresa Scott, City of Gainesville public works director, noted, "As changes in technology and infrastructure shape new opportunities for cities, we are excited to join this unique partnership, and look forward to pursuing new approaches that will benefit our community and residents."
City of Gainesville manager Anthony Lyons added, "This is just one area that the city and university are collaborating to solve problems using more productive, creative and efficient methods than those used in the past."


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Nothing is Impossible
Regular price$49.95
- In stock, ready to ship
- Inventory on the way
Nothing is Impossible
A Glider Pilot's Story of Sicily, Arnhem and the Rhine Crossing
Author:Victor Miller
Dimensions:6" x 9"
Photos:100 illustrations
Publisher:Pen and Sword Aviation
Item No. 9781473843660
Battle is the severest test a man can be called upon to undergo; it can bring out the best in a man – and the worst...The author of this book, Victor Miller, joined the Queen's Royal Regiment, at Guildford, upon the outbreak of the Second World War. He volunteered for the elite Glider Pilot Regiment upon its formation and passed, with above average marks, the RAF pilot training program.From here, he was to take part in three of the most iconic airborne operations of the entire conflict. The invasion of Sicily, the Allies first attack in to Europe, where he was wounded and temporarily taken prisoner; Arnhem, where the 1st Airborne Division struck sixty-four miles behind enemy lines only to clash with two SS armored Panzer Divisions resulting in 80% losses in nine days; and the assault crossing of the Rhine, into Germany proper, with 'only' 30% losses.This remarkable story, jotted down shortly after each operation when the events were still vivid in the author's mind, is an astonishing record of skill, bravery, comradeship and resourcefulness which represents a fitting tribute to many fallen friends and colleagues. The book was published initially in 1994, before the author's death. This posthumous edition comes with brand new supplementary content, drawn together by the author's sons and family.


text: Atlantic Physical Therapy is currently booking individual rider assessments, clinics and seminars for late winter and early spring, performed by our USEF Certified physical therapist, Jennifer Mitchell. Get a jump on your 2018 show season–look at yourself as an athlete in the saddle and OUT of the saddle! Schedule a session with @equestrianpt Jennifer Mitchell, PT, USEF Certified Human Sports Science Medicine Practitioner. Rider asymmetries and imbalances affect performance; give us a call or email for more information and to schedule!


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George Washington Sword Letter Opener
Original price $45.00 - Original price $45.00
Original price
$45.00 - $45.00
Current price $45.00
Eighteenth-century gentlemen wore small swords as part of formal civilian attire for social and ceremonial occasions. George Washington owned several of these jewel-like, lightweight weapons. This superbly crafted letter opener was adapted from a sword of Washington's which is depicted in Charles Willson Peale's 1772 portrait of Washington as a Virginia colonel. Washington is also believed to have worn that sword when he resigned his commission as commander in chief in Annapolis in 1783 and when inaugurated as our nation's first president on April 30, 1789. View the original Smallsword.
The 9" letter opener has a sterling silver finish and comes in a gift box lined with blue velvet fabric.


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The Ontario Court of Appeal's recent decision in Bennett v. Bennett Environmental Inc. has clarified the entitlement of a director to indemnification from a corporation under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA).
Bennett Environmental Inc. (BEI) is a publicly traded company that provides high temperature treatment services for the treatment of contaminated soil. John Bennett served on the board of directors of BEI and was a member ofits disclosure committee.
In June 2003, BEI announced that it had entered into a contract for a significant soil remediation project. In August 2003, the validity of that contract became questionable as a result of protests by a competitor of BEI. In June 2004,BEI entered into a second contract with respect to that same project but for much smaller volumes. In July 2004, BEI announced that shipments under the first contract were "highly unlikely," and that it had entered into the much smaller second contract.
In 2006, Bennett was reprimanded by the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) for violating the disclosure requirements of applicable securities laws. Bennett admitted in a settlement agreement with the OSC that the existence ofthe dispute about the first contract in August 2003 constituted a material change and that BEI had failed to disclose that change in accordance with applicable securities laws. He was fined $250,000 and ordered to pay $50,000 in costs.
In December 2006, Bennett sought indemnification from BEI for the fine and the costs he had incurred in the OSC proceedings.BEI refused to indemnify Bennett, claiming he had not complied with the good faith and lawful conduct requirements contained in paragraphs 124(3)(a) and 124(3)(b) of the CBCA. Those provisions prohibit a corporation from indemnifying a director unless (a) the director acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the corporation, and (b) in the case of a criminal or administrative action or proceeding that is enforced by a monetary penalty, the director had reasonable grounds for believing the director's conduct was lawful.
The court held that the corporation had the onus to show that Bennett did not act honestly or in good faith with a view to the best interests ofthe corporation, and that Bennett did not have reasonable grounds for believing his conduct was lawful. This onus made sense, the court held, because the corporation "will most likely have the advantage of unrestricted access to corporate documents relevant to the indemnification proceeding." The court also affirmed that the good faith test under paragraph 124(3)(a) is a subjective one.
The court agreed with the conclusion of the lower court that BEI had failed to establish that Bennett was not credible in showing he had acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the corporation. The surrounding circumstances indicated that Bennett's belief in his good faith conduct was informed and the honesty of his belief was supported by the absence of any motive to withhold disclosure.
The court also concluded that BEI did not meet its onus to establish that Bennett did not have reasonable grounds to believe his conduct was lawful. Bennett honestly and reasonably believed that the first contract signed in June 2003 was not in jeopardy, so there was no basis for himto have believed he had a disclosure obligation under applicable securities laws.
The Bennett decision provides comfort to a corporate director that the corporation will not be prohibited from indemnifying him or her in advancing the interests of the corporation unless the corporation can establish that the director acted in bad faith or that the director did not have reasonable grounds for believing he orshe was acting lawfully.
McCarthy Tétrault Notes:
One interesting point raised in the judgment was whether a director had to have legal advice regarding the lawfulness of his or her conduct to be entitled to indemnification. The court stated that reasonable legal or professional advice is not a prerequisite to indemnification, but that having obtained such advice will establish reasonable grounds for beliefthat the director's conduct was lawful.