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Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
He most often claps when he's eating. He's been on solids and rice cereal for about a month (actually, he started on my birthday, so it's easy to remember). He likes bananas best. Then sweet potatoes. Carrots finish dead last. Yuck, says Cory. Anyway, he likes to take a bite, then suck his thumb (the only time he does that), then clap. Then another bite. So funny. We started him on cereal after six months, whereas Iain started at four. There's a huge difference in the learning curve. Those extra two months really gave Cory a boost; he already eats like a pro.
Here's a before and after of Banana Boy.
Cory likes drums, just like Iain. I think I'll have a houseful of drummers. :) Cory mostly likes to grab the bass drum pedal, pull back, and release. Or just chew on it.
Here's the little guy learning to drive...
Tell me this isn't one of the sweetest fellows you've ever seen? And what funny faces he makes!


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A tangy, sour, fermented milk drink may not sound like a likely candidate to move from health food stores to mainstream supermarkets, but that's exactly what kefir has done. The beverage is steadily gaining fans convinced of the health benefits -- proponents tout its purported ability to help cure cancer, reduce high cholesterol and treat high blood pressure -- yet the scientific studies to support the claims are still few.
Kefir's closest cousin is yogurt, also made by fermenting milk with bacteria. But kefir is fermented with more and different types of bacteria, in addition to yeast, which means the final product has more of the beneficial microorganisms, or "probiotics," that first made yogurt a popular health food. Probiotics can control the growth of harmful bacteria and aid digestion, and some even manufacture vitamins in the gut.
The drink is a good source of calcium, protein and potassium (and less desirably, in its fruit-flavored forms, sugar).
Whether the drink is any more immune-boosting than, say, spinach, or any other nutrient-dense food, remains to be seen. Claims that kefir can help cure cancer stem from findings that the drink, or some of its components, hindered tumor cells in test tubes and lab animals. In vitro, kefir has been shown to slow the growth of breast cancer cells. In mice injected with cancer cells, it has slowed the development of tumors and increased the activity of such immune system cells as so-called natural killer and T-helper cells. A 2007 Japanese study suggested the drink may do the same in humans: 19 adults who drank kefir daily for three weeks had unusually active natural killer cells.

subset: commoncrawl


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The PARTNERSHIP FOR PHILANTHROPIC PLANNING (PPP) is committed to offering programs and services that help its members to succeed in business and develop as professionals. The following are some of the reasons why top professionals in planned giving and philanthropy join The PPP:
The PPP provides a business forum for suppliers and distributors by organizing, promoting and operating the only trade shows exclusively serving the product fundraising industry. The national PPP Convention and Trade Show – held every January – is the industry's premiere event. The PPP Product Showcase (held in the summer) provides an ideal setting for taking care of business before the busy fall season. All supplier members are required to exhibit at the Convention & Trade Show, ensuring that distributor attendees will be exposed to the widest variety of quality fundraising products, programs and services available.
The PPP helps members improve and increase their planned giving skills by sponsoring stimulating seminars, workshops and meetings that address topics such as gift planning, market trends, gift options and best practices.
PPP keeps members informed of, and prepared for, important issues, trends and events affecting the product fundraising and planned giving industry. The PPP newsletter is distributed quarterly and supplemented by frequent member bulletins.
PPP is the most-recognized source of information about planned giving and philanthropy. A majority of estate planning attorneys, financial advisors, educational institutions, hospitals, insurance professionals, arts and cultural organizations, along with a myriad of not for profit organizations look to the PPP for trends and resources influencing planned giving locally and at a national level.
PPP furnishes -- through educational meetings, committee participation, and other means -- a forum to discuss issues affecting the planned giving and philanthropy industry. It provides members the opportunity to network, share information and exchange ideas.
PPP members have access to the PPP membership directory which lists the most successful and influential planned giving and philanthropy professionals in the greater Dayton area and nationally.


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UNFI Foundation Announces 2015 Impact
February 3, 2016In 2015, the UNFI Foundation awarded $623,200 to 43 nonprofit organizations in support of organic agriculture and food systems. This year's grant recipients are working tirelessly to increase organic acreage and develop new organic farmers for the betterment of our food system and the planet. We are honored to support and celebrate their work through our 2015 Annual Report! Click the banner below to view our 2015 Annual Report!


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Just in case you don't recognize the name, James Holmes is the guy who shot up the movie theater in Colorado Friday. His act goes a way toward revealing a couple of American fallacies.
One of the results of his murderous spree is the howling from the juvenile fantasists comprising the gun culture in the United States, particularly those like Russell Pearce, the state Senator in Arizona, who claim that a) it was the victims' fault for not stopping Holmes, and b) if everybody were armed in society this sort of thing wouldn't happen.
As for a) Russell Pearce would probably have crapped his pants if he'd been in the theater. He's a loudmouthed, ignorant bigot who authored Arizona's Latino Bigotry Act.
As for b) if everyone in that theater had been armed, including of course the little six-year-old who was killed, then James Holmes would not have had to shoot anybody. All he would have had to do was pop a couple of smoke bombs, fire a few shots into the ceiling, and walk away. Then all the armed jackasses could have committed a greater slaughter than Holmes did by himself. The upside is that there would then be fewer armed jackasses walking around.
Of course the NRA nutcases claim that gun owners are properly trained, take safety courses, and understand when it's appropriate to use a gun, and so on and so forth ad nauseam. Which is pure bullshit. The only people 'properly trained' for high stress panic situations are a few elements of the military, and a few elements of big city police forces. A few hours of NRA bullshit won't get you through an Aurora situation. More likely you'll shoot yourself in the foot or you'll kill innocent people.
Another aspect of the Holmes shootings is that it was frankly a waste of a psychopathic or diseased mind. Holmes planned his attack for months, if the current information circulating in the media is true. He took months to purchase his weapons, his explosives, his armor, and to plan the attack. He put a lot of thought into it, and apparently a lot of skill and planning. But why waste all that intellectual power on a theater full of people who didn't matter outside their sphere of family and friends? With some more work and planning he could have done the world some good: he could have taken out some dangerous politicians in the Senate or House, or even in some state legislatures, some sellout Supreme Court justices, the Pope, or at least some archbishops, or some of those fundogelical bigot preachers, or at the very least some known animal or child abusers. But no, he had to waste all that effort on powerless people who were only out to have a good time at the movies. Hell, if you're going to commit some serious killings, at least make it matter. But what can you expect from a crazy person? (Crazy in this instance defined by the act, since we don't know if Holmes is in fact insane.)
And speaking of fallacy and crazy, how about all the religious nonsense surrounding this event? All those people out there whose piety and love of some god or other that the media is showcasing. Right now the 'public' is wallowing in religion, many thanking god or whoever that so many were spared from the 'evil'. God is good, god is great, blah blah blah. Well where the fuck was god during the several months that his creature James Holmes was assembling his arsenal, buying his ammunition and explosives, buying his body armor, and making his plans for the murders? The only answer the religious zombies can come up with is 'It's part of god's plan' or something similarly vapid and mindless. Religious people are delusional or stupid or both, often both. But that's all we hear and read now about the incident. All the religious hokey pokey from a citizenry that worships celebrity, prefers mind-numbing television to active mental pursuits, bows down to money in the belief that it confers special powers, and ignores the facts of reality. Some twenty percent of Americans believe the sun revolves around the earth. Over half believe a god created the world and that evolution is false. These morons put plenty of energy into protesting gay marriage and virtually zero energy into understanding and doing something about the global warming that is killing them.
But now we'll be inundated with religious crap, with preachers going on about 'evil' and all the usual religishit about god's plans as they try to understand why Holmes did what he did. All of that is utter nonsense. Holmes cracked, whether from some emotional pressure or from a psychotic break or physical brain disease. There's no 'evil'. There's just a kid living in a culture that glorifies violence, that worships fame and celebrity, that wallows in ignorance and superstition and is proud of it, that thinks money is the highest value, and that rich and powerful people are demigods and should be given deference. There's no 'evil' here. There's simply the inevitable effect of a purulent society on unstable minds.
And what are the two most common solutions being passed around society today to deal with the problems of society that lead to the Aurora or to Columbine or the other mass killings?
More guns.
More religion.
Holmes is the logical result of a sick society.


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Vacation rental condominium. Sleeps 8, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. No pets allowed.
15625 Front Beach Road
Panama City Beach, Florida 32413
United States
Beautiful end unit with wrap balcony. Gorgeous views with enchanting sunsets. Very private location.
Stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, tile floors and very comfortably furnished.
A great place to relax and enjoy all the amenities of AQUA!
Living Room - Queen Sofa Sleeper
48" Flat Screen TV/DVD
Master Bedroom - King Size Bed -
32" Flat Screen TV/DVD
Guest Bedroom - King Size Bed -
32" Flat Screen TV/DVD
Bunk Alcove - Day Bed (2Twins)
Free internet
Click calendar to set checkin/checkout dates. clear calendar
Select/Confirm the number of travelers to get a rate quote.
To request information about booking this vacation rental, please fill out the form below.
Aronov - Aqua Condominium Association 15625 Front Beach Rd Panama City Beach, FL 32413 866-635-9333 email@example.com
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With all the "make America great again" rhetoric continuously flying around, it seems now more than ever American shoppers are paying more attention to where their products come from. After all for a certain kind of shopper nothing shows one's passive commitment to patriotism like a T-shirt bearing a "Made In U.S.A." tag at the collar. Jussayin. Though what many shoppers may not know is that mark of origin doesn't tell the whole story.
As dug up by How Stuff Works, approximately 8 in 10 American consumers would rather purchase American-made goods than something imported, according to a 2015 Consumer Reports survey. The report also stated that more than half of these consumers would pay more for American products.
And while a Made In U.S.A. label sounds pretty cut and dry, this is when things can get hairy. How Stuff Works broke down the real story behind such labels as, Made In, Assembled In, Manufactured In, and Processed In U.S.A. Apparently those labels offer just an abbreviated story to a much, much larger journey. "The standard for products being labelled 'Made in U.S.A.' requires that 'all or virtually all' of a product is made in the U.S. That can mean different things depending on the product's manufacturing process," said Scott Paul, president of Alliance for American Manufacturing in an interview with HSW.
For example, imagine the pair of shoes you're wearing. To qualify for a coveted Made in U.S.A. birth story, the sole, laces, and metal grommets might come from, say, three different countries. However, because the bulk of the material is from the U.S. and it was partially assembled in the states, then a Made In U.S.A. label is sewn on with no problem. Rarely are products 100% made from the ground up entirely in the U.S.A. And considering the fact that many American companies are reinvesting in American-made goods, this is pretty good to know.
Things can get complicated behind the seams.


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Ten years ago, BRECO launched two optimised products in 15 mm pitch, BRECOFLEX and BRECO-ATS15. In comparison to the AT20, the ATS15 timing belts have a lower polygon effect due to the pitch, and a higher number of meshing teeth with an almost 30% increased tooth shear strength. So the market has these two products, the only thing missing being absolute stiffness.Now the BRECOFLEXmove timing belt AT15 and BRECOmove timing belt AT15 offer this missing property (BRECOmove timing belt AT15 is available from October 2018). In addition to the familiar high tooth shear strength of the ATS15, the tension members used in the AT15move permit an approx. 40% higher belt stiffness with comparatively low minimum number of teeth, and smaller diameter with and without contraflexure. The AT15move timing belts are much stiffer than the ATS15, AT20 and ATL20 timing belts of the same width.Please contact our distribution partner for more information.
On Thursday 16 November 2017, BRECO will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding. Rudolf Breher founded BRECO as a tool making and plastics processing company with a staff of five employees and a production area of about 100 square metres, laying the foundation stone for the success, which continues today. The tool making can be regarded as the nucleus of the company. The first products were injection moulding dies for plastic parts and steel flanges, extrusion coated with polypropylene for the chemical industry.Rudolf Breher was an innovator with an entrepreneurial instinct, who tried out new ideas, found new solutions and knew how to successfully implement them in innovative manufacturing processes and products. In 1968, the manufacturing process for producing open length timing belts from polyurethane (thermoplastic) was developed and filed for patent. This was followed seven years later by the patent for the extrusion process for manufacturing endless BRECOFLEX® timing belts. Success was underwayIn 1968, BRECO joined Mulco, and in close cooperation with the individual member companies, BRECO® and BRECOFLEX® timing belts were successfully established as high-quality and versatile drive elements. The company continued to grow due to shrewd investment in personnel and machines. Now BRECO employs a staff of 270 on a production area of about 12,000 square metres.Specialising in the development of individual drive solutions, BRECO established a leading position in the market for polyurethane timing belts from the beginning. We will continue to defend and strengthen our leading position.
Since March 2017, BRECO has been branding new ads in the media with the title"... .was scarcely seen".Hidden behind this mysterious headline is the task of our toothed belts:In the background, as well as invisible to the eye their services reliably to settle. Whether it is the BRECOprotect, which is particularly suitable for the high requirements in contact with foodstuffs,the BRECOmove, which can transmit higher forces without problems, the BRECOgreen, which is produced to 37% of renewable raw materials, or the BRECObasic, which is a cost-effective alternative for simple applications. This is movement.
After the successful market launch of the endless timing belt BRECOFLEXmove AT10, BRECO supplement the "move" product range with an open length version.The BRECOmove timing belt AT10 demonstrates its strengths, in addition to high power transmission, particular in linear technology applications. The very high stiffness of the belt is the basis for excellent dynamic behaviour with short settling times and high positioning accuracy. This makes BRECOmove an excellent alternative to comparable standard timing belts as the AT10, ATL10 and the AT20. The available belt widths are 25, 32, 50, 75 and 100 mm.
The product line BRECOprotect® currently includes the timing belt types AT10, AT15 and T10 in open length (BRECOprotect® M) and joined versions (BRECOprotect® V). The belt widths 16 (only T10), 25, 32, 50, 75 and 100 mm are available. This range will be extended by adding the timing belt types AT5, AT20, T20 and the flat belt F3.
BRECO® PinLock is the name of a timing belt lock that is quick and easy to install. The high-precision water jet cut finger-type contour allows simple joining of the belt ends on site and guarantees excellent flexibility and smooth running. The optimised finger contour ensures uniform distribution of the load throughout each cross section and thus a high load bearing capacity of the connection. Stainless steel slotted set screws are used as pins and can be screwed in using the supplied bit and a cordless screwdriver without any special devices.
With BRECOFLEXmove AT10, BRECO has created a new high-performance belt that offers a 30% higher transmittable peripheral force than the standard BRECOFLEX-AT belt. With the same boundary conditions it offers 30% higher reliability and can be reduced in width by 30% compared to the standard version, allowing a more compact design and offering additional cost benefits.
"Simple, good, reliable." This will also apply to the BRECObasic® open length TK10K13 BAS as of October. With this addition to the range, BRECO is offering a conventional transport belt with V-groove guidance in the basic price segment. The TK10K13 BAS is available in the widths 32, 50 and 100 mm and as 50 or 100 m rolls. The coating materials offered in the BRECObasic® catalogue - T version, T-groove, PU yellow basic, Supergrip basic and PAZ coating - are also available for this type.
Thanks to the consistent use of high-quality materials, excellent cooperation with our raw material suppliers and the continuous improvement of our manufacturing processes, numerous tests have proven that our BRECO® andBRECOFLEX® timing belts with AT profiles are even better than specified in the catalogue.Due to the successful improvements in product properties achieved over the past few years, BRECO can now permit a 20% higher specific tooth load bearing capacity for AT profiles used in high-speed drives compared to the previous catalogue values; this applies with immediate effect. The respective values have been updated in the calculation program "belt pilot" the updated PDF versions of the printed catalogue can be downloaded from our Website.
Climate and environmental protection and a conscientious use of natural resources are global issues that affect all areas of our lives. Now, BRECO emphasizes its innovative strength not only in the area of manufacture of high quality products, but also in the area of environmentally responsible management of the raw materials used. Decreasing availability of natural resources, increasing CO2emissions and an increased strain on energy supply have prompted us to optimise our use of materials. We are relying on renewable resources, recycling and optimisation of our consumption as well as the modernisation of our production facilities. Energy-saving production facilities cut energy consumption, safeguard our shared natural resources and reduce both our costs and yours.As the most innovative supplier in the field of polyurethane timing belt technology, we now offer all companies, particularly those who have firmly embraced sustainability as part of their policy, timing belts made of polyurethane that is produced from renewable raw materials. Even with a renewable raw material content of 37%, this material is equal in strength and resilience to that of a comparable, petrol-based thermoplastic polyurethane.In 2011 BRECO was awarded the distinction ÖKOPROFIT-Betrieb (ECOPROFIT organisation) of Minden-Lübbecke.For further information about the BRECOgreen product range please contact our distribution partner.
The range of products offered by BRECO under the banner of the "BRECObasic®" brand is an inexpensive alternative for simple applications that require less than the full potential strength of standard-type BRECO® timing belts. The range is designed for applications that do not come with special demands relating e.g. to restricted tolerances, particular durability/ resilience requirements or further processing options for the timing belts.
The BRECO®-fix clamping elements are used in linear systems. Clamp connectors and clamp plates optimally adapted to our timing belts are available for diverse areas of application. Both elements are used to fasten the belt ends on the machine frame or on the moving unit.While the clamp connectors only enable simple fastening of the belt ends, the clamp plate can also be used for setting the pretensioning force via a clamping unit. The different variants A, B, and C specially optimised to the load are available to the user within a complete clamp plate system for the individual belt types and belt widths. The different variants and subcategories ensure absolute clamping reliability together with optimum handling and assembly thanks to their design. Providing a complete system comprising base plate, if necessary toothed insert, upper plate, clamping unit and standard part accessories spars the user awkward assembly and coordination of the individual parts. In addition, using the toothed inserts made from high-strength polyamide in the clamp plates of variant B allows production costs to be optimised. This results in a system with a very good price-performance ratio overall.
BRECOprotect® timing belts represent timing belts with tension members fully embedded in polyurethane. The selection of the material for the timing belt fulfills FDA conformity. The blue colour consequently meets the current requirement of the foodstuff industry.BRECOprotect® product range: AT10, AT15 and T10 The polyurethane used meets the conformity criteria of the FDA regulations CFR § 177.1680, the European directives (EC) 1935-2004, 2002/72/EU, as well as the EC directives 90/128/CEE und 96/11/CE.For further information, please contact your sales partner.
BRECO has been informed that, despite patent protection, a Chinese manufacturer has been producing ATN type polyurethane timing belts with counterfeit BRECO logos imprinted on the tooth side and exporting these imitations to Europe.Luckily, quality cannot be copied, only comprehended.We are warning our customers not to use these imitations. These are belts of inferior quality, which do not even come close to meeting our quality standards. Though these imitations are difficult to distinguish from the original at first glance, the tension members and polyurethane are of poor quality and the ATN pockets do not have the same dimensions as ours, so that problem-free operation and long service life are not guaranteed. If you did not purchase your ATN timing belts directly from one of our authorized sales partners, please verify your purchase source and contact us immediately should there be any doubts about the authenticity of the product.It cannot be ruled out that other timing belt types with our BRECO logo have also been counterfeited. For this reason, we expressly warn against purchases of alleged BRECO products from Asian countries.We will use every means at our disposal to put a stop to this misuse and hope for your continued full confidence in our products.BRECO AntriebstechnikBreher GmbH & Co. KG
Pretension is one of the few parameters the user of timing belt transmissions has to set. Pre-tension is intended to guarantee a minimum tensioning force at the slack span side to ensure smooth tooth meshing into the driven pulley. As such, it considerably influences the operating behaviour and the longevity of the entire drive. The new fully electronic span measuring device BRECO TSM alpha 1 allows the reliable checking of the set pre-tension force of the timing belt transmission.The Advantages at a glance:• easy-handling• contactless measurement with one-sided belt touch• measuring on all belt types including all different types of tension members, e.g. steel, kevlar, glasfiber• reliable measuring results that are highly reproducible• connection for external sensor for measuring hard-accessible parts• an LCD indicating how full the battery is• optical and acoustical indication necessitating a change of battery
At the beginning of 2009, the BRECO Group extended its customer service activities in North Rhine-Westphalia and in the North of Rheinland-Pfalz. Our subsidiaries Walter Rothermundt GmbH & Co. KG in Mönchengladbach and Anton Klocke Antriebstechnik GmbH, with headquarters in Bielefeld, are the new contacts for some of our end customers in the above regions for BRECO® and BRECOFLEX® polyurethane timing belts and components. In line with company philosophy, the qualified staff at these two drive specialists are continuously in touch with us as the manufacturer and provide service and consultation with the common objective of offering quality to the customer as the best solution.Top quality is guaranteed by consistent use of high-quality raw materials and continuous exchange of knowledge with our raw material suppliers regarding the requirements of our end customers. This quality which users have come to appreciate over the decades is reflected in our BRECO® and BRECOFLEX® timing belts, whether as custom-designed premium products or standard products for a variety of applications.The BRECO Group would like to thank you in advance for your trust in our products and our sales partners.To find out which sales partner is responsible for your postcode area, please go to the menu "Distribution" and enter your postcode. The search program will immediately provide you with the respective contact details.BRECO - keeping things moving
Our objective to convince our customers with the most extensive offer of polyurethane timing belts in the market for all possible applications will keep our partners and ourselves constantly on the move. Be it for simple standard applications or for individually adapted product solutions, we want to be your contact partner worthy of your trust.The goal of our internet presentation is to convey what the name BRECO implies: a company permanently in motion that is market oriented, grows with new tasks, responds flexibly and surprises with innovative ideas.To put it in a nutshell: Keeping things moving


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- Birthday:
- Aug 15, 1971 (Age: 47)
- Location:
- BC Canada
- Occupation:
- Security Guard
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Evrgrn Mercury
Senior Member+, 47, from BC Canada
- Evrgrn Mercury was last seen:
- Feb 14, 2015
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- Birthday:
- Aug 15, 1971 (Age: 47)
- Location:
- BC Canada
- Occupation:
- Security Guard
- Number of horses:
- 2
- Horse breed(s) you own:
- Canadian Cross, Standardbred
training and riding my 10yr old Half Canadian.. I am proud of what Merc and I have accomplished and no one is going to get me down. Less than a 100 pounds left to go for me .
- Free Entry:
- Mercury is a 10 yr old Half Canadian that has fleet Avatar, Wodan, Blue Peter, Lorenz on his dam's side plus Man O war and Northern Dancer. Ben is a 18 yr old Standardbred and my ordament, but riding partner to my husband.
my cat's, reading, riding, showing, walks, listening to music
SignatureA positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
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I had a wonderful day yesterday celebrating my Mom's birthday with shopping and lunch.
Of course we had cupcakes with the 5 year old after school.
Happy Birthday Mom !!!
My Mom likes a good bargain just like me.
She had seen a plate at Dillard's that she really like.
It was on clearance but she wasn't able to get it.
So yesterday we went to the store near me.
And did we score !!!
Not only did she get the platter she wanted.
We got a few more.
Clearance was an additional 50% off
I fell in love with the pattern
This is my new kitchen inspiration.
My Kitchen is white.
Well.... off white really.
Mom bought me three of each of the plates.
I love my Mom.
I am so excited about these.
I need to work on coming up with some new ideas.
Pinterest here I come !!!
I love Pinterest too.
Have you ever had that one thing inspire your decorating ideas?


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July 5, 2010
Target date funds designed to steadily re-allocate away from equities and into fixed income investments as time goes by-- in order to adjust the risk to ones age-- miss the mark on three counts. First, the average conservative fund with a date of 2010 lost 23% in 2008, wich indicates the risk is not being properly managed. Different fund companies have different allocations and use different stratgies and there is no standard mix of stocks, bonds and cash on a year by year basis. Second, target date funds do not take into account risk tolerance, only age. The psychological impact of a bear market is just as important as long-term risk management, because the majority of investors sell at the bottom if they are not prepared for the downside and, the downside was not properly disclosed going into 2008 resulting in a stampede out of target date funds later that year. The third problem with these funds is their expense: a proper mix of cheaper index funds would trounce the return of most corresponding target date funds, and a simple rebalancing every year would supplant an active fund manager and thereby boost returns by reducing costs. Therefore, the SEC should prescribe a mix between equity index funds and bond index funds that should be rebalanced each year going into retirement. All "Target Date" funds" should be compelled to follow the course. In addition, a maximum downside loss should be displayed per year in a table for each allocation set and the table placed on the first page of the prospectus, most importantly in the enrollment material given to 401k participants. Thirty percent of plan participants select a target date fund, not knowing what risks they really own. It is time the SEC and the DOL did something about that before those investors are shocked again.


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Chandler Communities:
East Valley Living on the Cheap
Chandler offers a wide variety of rental homes that will surely not break your budget! Live a life of comfort and luxury without living beyond your means. On the MLS, there are currently 32 affordably priced homes for rent from which you can choose. With such a wide variety, you are sure to find a home with which you immediately fall in love. Live even more economically when you lease one of the affordable Chandler rentals that also offer eco-friendly features like Low-E Windows or Energy Star appliances. Do your part to contribute to a healthier environment and at the same time realize significant savings on your monthly utility bills. Take the money you save and treat yourself to a fun weekend outing!
Enjoy a Wide Variety of Activities in Chandler
As a resident of Chandler, Arizona you'll love taking advantage of the city's multitude of great activities. Take a drive to the Chandler Fashion Center Mall and explore its fabulous stores and restaurants. Purchase comfortable recliners at the La-Z-Boy Furniture store. Or, outfit your home's bathrooms at Linens-N-Things. Once you've worked up an appetite, stop into the Outback Steakhouse for a hearty meal. Afterwards, see a new release at the Harkins Theaters. At the end of the day, you'll look forward to the comfort of your gorgeous new rental home!


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FORMER MP Greg Mulholland is to perform at this year's Rawdon Village Show.
Mr Mulholland, who previously represented Leeds North West, will appear with his band Summercross. Mr Mulholland, who lost his seat in last year's general election, first sang with the five piece acoustic folk band in 2014.
The village show will be held at Micklefield Park, New Road Side, from 2pm to 5.30pm on Saturday, June 30
Application forms for a variety of competitions are available at Rawdon Community Library.
A spokeswoman for the show said: "If you can bake it, make it, grow it, paint it then there will be a competition for you. There will be lots of Paddington Bear themed categories for younger children."
The Show will be officially opened by the Lord and Lady Mayoress of Leeds, Graham and Pat Latty.


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By Buckmasters Online
Photo: Beautiful blossoms on beautiful trees have an ugly, invasive impact on native trees.
Spring tree-planting is a great family activity, and it's fun to watch the tree you've planted grow through the years.
You may even know the kind of tree you want. It'll be the first to flower in the spring, its leaves will turn into a fantastic blaze of orange and red in the fall, it'll grow quickly, and have a beautiful shape.
But, if you're thinking about a Bradford pear tree, please stop. It is a beautiful tree, but it's also an invasive menace, and the menace is growing.
Arborists, foresters and natural resources scientists strongly discourage planting Bradford pear trees, even though some tree nurseries continue to sell them.
The trees have been banned in the state of Ohio and two American cities—Charlotte, North Carolina, and Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Most states list it as an invasive species.
Why? It's another tragic story of good intentions gone wrong.
So many Bradford pear trees have been planted since the U.S. Department of Agriculture introduced it in 1964, they are crowding out native trees in half of the United States.
Twenty-five states are currently battling this dangerous reproductive tree. It's impossible to ignore the thousands planted in urban and suburban neighborhoods to create photogenic entrances and boulevards.
Once considered a sterile tree (producing no fruit), scientists since have learned it cross-pollinates with other trees and other species, creating genetic damage to native trees.
Arborists have also discovered Bradford pear offspring revert to their ancient Chinese Callery pear origins, and many now produce wicked 4-inch and larger thorns. Of the various cultivars planted, some cross pollinate and produce viable seed.
Birds eat the fruit and distribute the seeds across the landscape. Because Bradford pears leaf out early that helps them compete with native grasses, wildflowers, shrubs and young trees, according to Wendy Sangster, an urban forester for the Missouri Department of Conservation.
The Bradford pear is adaptable to many soil and shade conditions and has a high tolerance to drought. "But, it's not a good tree because they're not strong," Sangster explained. "They don't stand up well in storms and limbs break easily."
Structural weakness is not its only flaw. Those beautiful spring blossoms emit a strong rotten fish odor.
The trees have a relatively short lifespan of 20 to 30 years, and in many areas of the country, if they haven't been removed, they will need to be replaced. That's why property owners and managers are being asked to use native alternatives when they plant new trees this spring.
"Over time different varieties of pear have cross-pollinated in our urban areas, allowing them to spread rapidly to our natural resources," says Megan Abraham, director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Entomology and Plant Pathology.
Carrie Tauscher, urban forestry coordinator with the Indiana DNR Division of Forestry, says the evidence of the trees' rapid spread is easy to see.
"Just take a look for glossy leaved, egg-shaped trees in highway interchanges," she said. "It's common to find them in unknown areas under utility lines and in lots and fields initially cleared for construction that are then left fallow."
Like other invasives, the introduction of the Bradford pear in America began as a way to combat a problem—fire blight in the common pear tree in the Northwest. In the early 1900s, the fatal disease was being spread by pollinators, severely damaging almost all of the pear crop.
Growers began to look for root stock resistant to the blight and found hope in the seeds collected by explorers and missionaries who traveled in China. After a couple of decades of growth and field tests, Callery pear stock was introduced to growers as a good solution to the fire blight problem.
The tree's original purpose as breeding root stock was successful, so successful that following years of research, the Unites States Department of Agriculture began promoting the ornamental Bradford Pear. That was 1964, and the tree had been renamed for a horticulturalist at the USDA Plant Introduction Station.
As the tree's popularity grew, nurseries developed their own cultivars, all making them highly tolerant and able to flourish in urban locations. In 2005, one Callery cultivar was named the Urban Tree of the Year by the Society of Municipal Arborists, now a regrettable choice.
Two decades of growth revealed the invasive nature of the tree in newly restored wetland prairies. Currently, arborists offer advice on Bradford/Callery pear tree removal and how to stop regrowth.
The task now is to spread the good word about the bad results from planting a Bradford pear tree.
Resources: Missouri Department of Conservation, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Invasive Plants Council, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, BioScience Vol. 57, Issue 11, Culley and Hardiman, The Beginnings of a New Invasive Plant: A History of the Ornamental Callery Pear in the United States.
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Month-End Portfolio Data Now Available for Federated Investors' Closed-End Funds
Dec 15, 2010, 03:01 ET
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Federated Investors, Inc. today announced that monthly fund composition and performance data for Federated Enhanced Treasury Income Fund (NYSE: FTT), Federated Premier Municipal Income Fund (NYSE: FMN) and Federated Premier Intermediate Municipal Income Fund (NYSE: FPT) as of Nov. 30, 2010 are now available in the Products section of FederatedInvestors.com. To order hard copies of this data or to be placed on a mailing list, call 800-245-0242 x8079, email email@example.com or write to Federated Investors, 1001 Liberty Avenue, Floor 23, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222.
Federated Investors, Inc. (NYSE: FII) is one of the largest investment managers in the United States, managing $341.3 billion in assets as of Sept. 30, 2010. With 134 funds, as well as a variety of separately managed account options, Federated provides comprehensive investment management worldwide to approximately 5,200 institutions and intermediaries including corporations, government entities, insurance companies, foundations and endowments, banks and broker/dealers. For more information, visit FederatedInvestors.com.
SOURCE Federated Investors, Inc.


text:
Listen to Morning Sunrise, the latest track from Young Rook. The cut dropped on Monday, October 24th, 2011. Young Rook's future brightens with every new release, and Morning Sunrise certainly isn't an exception. It's a fitting addition to a solid catalogue that Young Rook has been developing since stepping foot in the game. We're excited to hear more.
Hear more of Young Rook on So Good (Prod. by C Ballin). Check out Young Rook's profile page for the most recent info, news, songs, and mixtapes.
What do y'all think of this joint?


text:
Cameroon: Access Now & local civil society urge telecommunications companies to restore internet access
Following government-ordered internet shutdowns targeting Anglophone regions of the country, Access Now and local NGOs urged telecommunications companies to restore internet access. We invited Orange, MTN and Nexttel/Viettel to respond. Orange's response is below; we will indicate here whether MTN and Nexttel/Viettel respond. The story also includes statements by GNI, a company-membership organization.
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New Report Reveals the Economic Costs of Internet Shutdowns
Author: Global Network Initiative
The Global Network Initiative today launched a new report: "The Economic Impact of Disruptions to Internet Connectivity," which highlights the significant economic damage caused when governments around the world deliberately shut down or disrupt Internet services. The report, which was prepared by Deloitte and made possible by funding from GNI member Facebook, lays out a framework for measuring the costs of shutdowns in terms of the daily gross domestic product lost in countries with varying levels of Internet connectivity. Based on this approach, the report estimates that an average high-connectivity country stands to lose at least 1.9% of its daily GDP for each day all Internet services are shut down. For an average medium-level connectivity country, the loss is estimated at 1% of daily GDP, and for an average low-connectivity country, the loss is estimated at 0.4% of daily GDP. "Governments should recognize the serious consequences of disrupting network access and see shutdowns through a human rights and development lens, not solely through a political or security lens," said GNI Independent Board Chair Mark Stephens, CBE..."Shutting down the Internet undermines economic activity and chills free expression," said GNI Executive Director Judith Lichtenberg. "The economic and human rights harms of network shutdowns reinforce each other, and are of particular concern in developing countries, emerging and fragile democracies, and jurisdictions with weak rule of law."
Global Network Initiative and Telecommunications Industry Dialogue Joint Statement on Network and Service Shutdowns
Author: Global Network Initiative
The Global Network Initiative and the Telecommunications Industry Dialogue are deeply concerned by the increasing number of government orders to shut down or restrict access to communication networks and related services around the world. Government-mandated disruptions of communications networks, network services (such as SMS), or internet services (such as social media, search engines, or news sites) can undermine security and public safety, threaten free expression, restrict access to vital emergency, payment and health services, and disrupt contact with family members and friends. In some countries, the orders frequently occur at politically sensitive moments, during unrest or in the lead-up to elections, restricting the free flow of information. Disruptions also negatively affect a broad range of economic activity, preventing financial transactions, stalling e-commerce and undermining business operations. Even temporary disruptions may complicate the provision of medical care and education, which increasingly rely on the sharing of digital information. "Government-ordered disruptions of communications networks and services are on the rise. The consequences of such orders can be as dire as the security threats they ostensibly target," said Mark Stephens, CBE, Independent Chair of the GNI Board. "They cut off citizens from essential information and contact with loved ones, impede the work of emergency and security services, and undermine economic activity," he said.


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Modernities of Chinese art
- Responsibility
- by John A. Clark.
- Imprint
- Leiden, The Netherlands ; Boston : Brill, 2010.
- Physical description
- xii, 347 p. : ill. (chiefly col.) ; 28 cm.
Available online
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- Author/Creator
- Clark, John, 1946 November 8-
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 301-334) and index.
- Publisher's Summary
- This publication presents John Clark s collected writings on modern and contemporary Chinese art. Almost thirty years of pioneering empirical, in-depth research dedicated to modernities of Chinese art, is now for the first time conveniently brought together in one volume. Taking up issues not handled much at the time by academic or curatorial writing, John Clark wrote articles on a wide range of separate topics, some of which anticipated future discussions. These articles fall into a coherent series of closely related examinations on the problems of 'modernity' in Chinese art. Most of the essays published previously elsewhere have therefore been adapted for this publication, while others, e.g., the first hand observations of Beijing and Hong Kong in 1981, appear in print now for the first time. Chapters often include unique interview material, and much other information not found elsewhere. Including illustrations of over 200 art works in color with biographical appendices of Taiwan and Hong Kong artists, extensive chronological materials in thematic categories on Chinese art and an extensive bibliography, this is an essential reference work for anyone interested in modern Chinese art.
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text:
Limiting tax increases with caps and creativity
Opinion: Columns
Most Oak Park property owners have seen tax increases of 20% over the last two years. For the average single-family homeowner, this corresponds to an increase of $1,875. At a time when inflation has been less than 2%, these double-digit tax increases have given rise to great community concern.
Under Illinois' tax cap law, tax increases by local governments are not supposed to exceed the rate of inflation. But Oak Park governments have raised additional revenue over the years through voter-approved tax referendums and various other exceptions and loopholes in the tax cap law. The cumulative result of these efforts is that local tax levies have increased by more than three times the rate of inflation since the year 2000. For a community that aspires to be open to people of diverse backgrounds and income levels, this is not a sustainable path.
Large tax increases are especially problematic under a property tax system that makes few distinctions between those who can afford higher taxes and those who cannot. Some Oak Park residents have seen 20% tax increases even if they have retired, lost a job, or gotten sick over the last two years; many more have seen large tax increases without equivalent increases in their incomes. If we made greater efforts to limit tax increases to the rate of inflation, we could reduce the harm caused by these regressive elements of the property tax system.
Conventional wisdom in Oak Park, however, suggests that top-notch public services require periodic tax increases that are well above inflation. This point of view has led Oak Park's largest local governments to increase their tax levies by more than 20% over the last two years.
But the financial record of Oak Park's smallest government raises doubts about the conventional wisdom. Oak Park Township provides high-quality public services, yet its tax increases were just 2.4% in the last two years, and have been significantly lower than any other Oak Park government to this point in the 21st century (See chart). In addition, the township has no debt, and its pensions are 93% funded, the highest of any local government in Oak Park.
Notwithstanding the township's positive financial record, some have suggested that local taxes could be reduced by consolidating the township with the village. But there are reasons to doubt this. Research indicates that when governments with two pay scales consolidate, salaries at the lower-paying government (the township) tend to rise to the level of the higher-paying government (the village). This is one of several reasons that I am skeptical that consolidation would result in any meaningful savings for taxpayers.
Rather than trying to eliminate the township, we should instead seek to emulate it, as the township's financial record points to a sustainable path for community taxes. The township has not pursued a tax referendum in four decades, which has forced it to operate under the restrictions of the tax cap law. This has sometimes been difficult, as government expenses can increase by more than inflation. But the township has overcome the difficulties, using the tax cap's exception for newly-built properties to raise some extra revenue, while containing costs with creative, cost-effective policies.
Employee compensation is the largest expense at the township and most other local governments. Prompted by the tax cap, the township has adopted an overall limit on salary increases that closely tracks the rate of inflation. My salary of $34,217 falls under this policy. Last year the pay for my part-time job rose by $238, matching the applicable rate of inflation. Although I could probably earn more working elsewhere, I and many of my colleagues have chosen to work at the township because its culture of public service provides rewards that aren't reflected in our paychecks.
The limitations of the tax cap have also encouraged the township to collaborate with other local governments. For example, the shared missions of Oak Park and River Forest townships have led them to join forces to provide high-quality services for at-risk youth and senior citizens. By working together, both townships have achieved money-saving economies of scale.
Finally, with ever-increasing taxes, the Township Assessor's Office has seen significant increases in requests for help with tax appeals. Instead of hiring more salaried staffers to do the extra work, however, we have found well-qualified people willing to work on a temporary, part-time basis during appeal seasons. Since such employees only work as needed, this is an efficient way of providing services.
Oak Park is a big-hearted town that uses local government to promote a vision of a better community and a better world. The challenge is to find a way to achieve this vision without raising taxes by so much that Oak Park becomes prohibitively expensive for large segments of the population. But if we embrace the tax cap as a catalyst for finding new, cost-effective ways of providing services, I believe we can meet this challenge.
Oak Park Town by wednesdayjournal on Scribd
Reader Comments
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Tom MacMillan from Oak Park Facebook Verified
Posted: June 19th, 2018 2:41 PM
With ever increasing taxes, how about we just get rid of the Township. Life will go on without it.
Bruce Kline Facebook Verified
Posted: June 19th, 2018 12:51 AM
John, maybe in the interest of government consolidation and fiscal prudence we could abolish the VOP and move it into the township. I wonder if we could do such a thing via referendum? That would be great: eliminate a spendthrift taxing body, and consolidate village/township management into one prudently run, fiscally responsible governing body. Ah ... just dreaming ... I know.
John Kehoe from Oak Park Facebook Verified
Posted: June 18th, 2018 6:20 PM
Gotta love Ali Elsafar. If our other taxing bodies would take a lesson from the Township, maybe it wouldn't be necessary for so many to flee Oak Park. Do not contaminate the Township office with your over-taxing, over-spending ways. Yes, I'm speaking to Dist. 97, 200 & the VofOP!
Kevin Peppard from Oak Park Facebook Verified
Posted: June 15th, 2018 3:40 PM
Bruce K.: Teachers, being in the stagnant portion of the economy (re productivity), are nonetheless vital, and must have their compensation grow with other professionals, if we are to keep them in the labor force. Consider the "progressive" sector of the economy: Henry Ford could give large wage increases, while reducing the price of his Model T, because he made his workers very productive. It is that "progressive" sector that pays for the Cost Disease, and for "Mission Creep". But there have to be productivity increases in the economy, and they have to be shared with workers, not just retained by business owners. Look at the Employment Cost Index for Total Compensation across many occupations, and you'll see that people's standard of living is not increasing very fast. OPRFHS is way out of whack, but then it has that huge cash balance, which allows it to be very sloppy. I should have pointed out that from that eight year period, FY2010 to FY2017, with seven years' of growth, Operational Cost per Pupil grew more than 23% over the Consumer Price Index. The Feds predicted that Cost per Student, deflated by the CPI, would have remained flat over that period, because teachers, across all 14,000 public school districts measured, are NOT growing in CPI-adjusted compensation at this point. Worker growth in real compensation across the economy is low, and schools are not adding to their missions at the old rates. There is no point in the High School forming a new permanent commission on this until someone with knowledge defines the issues. To solicit people's resumes will not accomplish that. We will again having the blind leading the blind. If there are people who understand the economics of this, why haven' they written the papers or the school? The last Financial Advisory Committee was a farce, and could not agree on fundamentals, but that was papered over.
Bruce Kline Facebook Verified
Posted: June 14th, 2018 6:17 PM
Kevin: But if I understood Baumol correctly (which I doubt) he implies that labor costs must rise substantially as other costs come down i.e like TVs and computers and iphones. That means teacher salaries and benefits (as well as administrator salary and benies) must continue to climb??
Kevin Peppard from Oak Park Facebook Verified
Posted: June 14th, 2018 4:37 PM
Bruce K: What if forgot to add is that the Operating Expense per Pupil (OEPP, reported by the State Board) at OPRFHS was $23,966. And that figure is a year out of date.
Kevin Peppard from Oak Park Facebook Verified
Posted: June 14th, 2018 4:34 PM
Bruce K; The fact that government costs will often grow beyond the CPI doesn't mean they can't be controlled. OPRF under Supt. Don Offermann and his subordinate Frank Danes used to be very open-minded, as was later Board President John Phelan. Then the institution became a "circle-the-wagons', "not-invented-here"syndrome place. I know more about school finance than anyone there, if only because I have painfully learned it over the years. There is a wealth of economic insight into what drives school costs, and plenty of data from the Feds and State. Here is something that should astound you: The Operating Expense per Pupil (OEPP, reported by the State) at OPRFHS rose at a compound average annual growth rate of 4.7% per year over the seven years of growth from FY 2000 to FY 2017. Over that same period, the Consumer Price Index (adjusted to fiscal years ending on June 30) rose at an average annual compounded growth rate of 1.7%. What accounts for rising 3 points above the CPI, year in and year out?. Overspending. The Feds report nationally on past cost per student, deflated by the CPI, and project it into the future. Over that same period, the actual and the projected data essentially predicted that deflated costs would remain the same, and not rise by 3 points a year (see Projection of Ed Stats to 2026 by NCES). The school doesn't even know these stats exist. How much does the US Dept of Labor say people's compensation increased over that period, after deflating by the CPI? 4/10ths of a percent per year for all workers, and 1/10th of a percent per year for professionals. Boom times are gone. Although OPRF has limited salary increases at times to freezes or some index tied to the CPI, they have forgotten to control health care benefits, which they have allowed to explode. If General George Patton were still alive, and he walked into an OPRF Finance Committee meeting, he'd start slapping faces.
Bruce Kline Facebook Verified
Posted: June 13th, 2018 11:26 PM
As usual a thought provoking comment from Mr. Peppard. And yes I had to google William Baumol. And yes, he seem to be a giant in regard to labor theory and cost. So Kevin, please explain the bottom line. How does all this play out in regard to our rapid rise in property taxes? Given Baumol's insights, can anything be done, right here is Oak Park? Or is all action futile?
Kevin Peppard from Oak Park Facebook Verified
Posted: June 13th, 2018 7:55 PM
El Saffar, when he speaks of a 20% increase in property taxes over two years, is glossing over the very thing he has in a foot note: OPRFHS, when it "bounced back" from its ONE-TIME decrease in taxes, accounted for more than 1/3 of that. The most important thing he neglects in this analysis is that government costs naturally rise faster than than Consumer Price Index, and we pay for that out of what economist William Baumol called the "progressive sector" (such as microelectronics, the Internet, manufacturing, etc.) which can offer huge productivity gains. There are also mission enhancements we we keep demanding from government, which add to costs. Are we going to get rid of Title IX Girls Sports, or Special Ed, or better building security at schools? That doesn't mean we don't have all kinds of waste in local government. Until we understand the ECONOMIC underpinnings of local government finance, there is no point in the High School forming yet another financial advisory committee. The most respected local public official we have re finances, Ali El Saffar, does not understand that Tax Caps routinely have to be exceeded, as part of basic labor economics. His own taxing body has grown faster than the CPI -- look at his table. The CPI (Consumer Price Index) is not a good measure of government cost growth, and there is no such thing as generic, monolithic "inflation". The ECI (Employment Cost Index, using total compensation) is a much better measure, since local governments tend to labor-intensive, with few means of improving productivity compared to the private sector. The number of people who understand public finance in this town can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and that is from someone who held a hand grenade too long.If the High School is to form a meaningful finance committee after the unceremonious departure of its current business officer, it should not seek resumes from people who need on-the-job training. It needs someone with a governing context.
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Well Wes, that is why I always say "we are on our...
By Bruce Kline
Posted: February 17th, 2019 4:16 PM
What an awesome program and team OPRF has. The coaches...
By Tom MacMillan
Posted: February 17th, 2019 11:56 AM
isn't it interesting that people are getting...
By Ray Simpson
Posted: February 17th, 2019 11:54 AM
Have all management officers "teach" their...
By Brian Slowiak
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Plot offense by time and location over the course of ...
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Posted: February 17th, 2019 9:37 AM
Barbara you seem to get restorative justice already...
By Wes Gathings
Posted: February 17th, 2019 4:57 AM
@ BK: A great leap forward and Mao, stated in a...
By Brian Slowiak
Posted: February 16th, 2019 8:26 PM
Brian: Your idea - as you can tell from all the...
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Posted: February 16th, 2019 6:56 PM


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If you think the top end property slow down won't affect you, think again.
Monday, March 30, 2015 by
If you think increased taxation on high end properties doesn't affect you, then think again. We should all be grateful that the Budget didn't further raid one of the nation's biggest piggy banks, because when the top end of the property market suffers, it has a trickle down effect; pretending otherwise is a dangerous exercise in head-burying.
Figures over the last few years have confirmed that those who have property here spend a lot in their local area and have a major impact on businesses beyond just those associated with property. Recent figures from the Office for Budget Responsibility show a projected reduction of £600m in stamp duty land tax (SDLT) take this year, £1.7bn next year and £2bn less in 2016/17. If you assume that the top one per cent of taxpayers contribute over 25 per cent of the total amount, it's not rocket science to extrapolate that these reductions will be coming from the lack of transactions at the top end of the market.
No one is saying that the property industry can't contribute more, but I lament that divisive "class" rhetoric coming from the left – and sometimes even the right – has blinded politicians to more sensible ways of raising revenue. This all came from the misguided notion that London is being bought up by "foreigners" who leave their properties empty. This is demonstrably not the case; most rent them out or use them regularly. The small number of "billionaires in £140m apartments" have been blown out of all proportion by Ed Balls, leading to unnecessary paranoia. There simply aren't enough super rich buyers out there to turn Chelsea into an empty fortress.
Overseas buyers live here and they are spending their money here; you only have to walk down the King's Road to hear the kaleidoscope of accents. My own feeling is that all these extra taxes have pushed Prime Central London beyond the tipping point and are starting to make these huge contributors to our economy feel unwelcome. Once the election is over, let's hope there's a return to a more balanced debate.


text:
And the year is nearly done !! Welcome to December and a new challenge here on Pixels and Paper. This one is easy - we had to celebrate the silly season!! As always please find inspiration for your entry from our inspiration photograph.
Lots to play with here - the bright and happy colours, the Christmas theme, the stockings or Santa or making of Gingerbread men. Maybe a tree or two ...
Whatever your inspiration we would love to see your take on this photograph - please share your work with us this month.
Our team has some really creative takes on the inspiration this month ...
I was inspired by the red and green and the Christmas trees and the striped candy canes.
I had some very busy bright Christmas paper which was difficult to use, some I punched it into squares and mounted them onto a plain panel. This technique would work with many other busy papers too. Looking forward to see your December entries, and enjoy the festive season.
I was inspired by the cookies and colours (red, white and green)
Christmas is what this inspiration photo screamed to me when I saw it! Finding a photo is what I was screaming about. I wanted to use green and red on my page. I found this wonderful photo of my mom from Christmas 2005. My mom hates having her photo taken. Thus this page in my photo album will be a real treasure.
I was firstly drawn to the beautiful bright green and red colours, and to the chocolate and the gingerbread. I also wanted to incorporate the overall Christmas theme of the bikkies into my layout!
I took inspiration from the Christmas theme. I don't have a lot of 'special' Christmas photographs, but I found some shots from a 2012 Christmas gathering at our local fire brigade and created a photo montage. I bought the felt ornaments at a sale last year, and finally got around to using them!
I was inspired by the Christmas cookie theme because every year when my kids were growing up I baked a bunch of small gingerbread houses and had a decorating party for them and their friends.
In spired by the red and green (naturally) and the overall Christmas theme.
Please upload the DIRECT link to your actual entry to the link tool on the LEFT by 11.55pm on December 31st.
You are welcome to submit traditional paper layouts, art journals, divided page protectors, smash books (etc). Digital entries are welcomed and encouraged. All entries must be new for this challenge and no back-linking please.
I am happy for you to combine with two other challenges but the essence of the Pixels and Paper inspiration must be clear in your work. Combining with a sketch and technique/product challenge would be preferred. Please include our inspirational picture as well as provide a link back to Pixels and Paper on your blog post and don't forget to tell us how you were inspired. International submissions are welcome.
This year we will have two main prize packs - one will be selected by Creative Team vote and the other purely by random draw - so anyone could be a winner, no matter your style or your level of experience. All these prizes will be available to anyone, no matter your country of residence. We will also offer one entrant a chance to guest with us for the following month and they will also receive a small prize.
Please come back on the 8th when we will announce our winners for November.


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It is Steve "The Gute" Guttenberg's 58th birthday today so let's all pretend we are the rapey shadow looming over him in bed this morning, okay? Okay!
Get ready for your birthday spanking, Stevie! In all seriousness though, this scene - like so much of the entire strange Police Academy series of movies - is so thick with homoeroticism one can barely breathe from the stench of lube and regret. There's also a weird race thing going on, which is also a deeply prevalent theme in these films...
Of course they have to end the scene with
a rather, let's call it "loaded," visual...
And then there is the car...
That'll show them racists!
There have been papers written on these movies, right?
Do me right, Film Studies students.!


text:
|Aint an ant
This morning, I found this ant-like chap on the wall. Anyone who does not look carefully might pass it off as an ant but anyone who knows a bit about the elbowed antennae of the ant family would know it was not. But what was it ?
It had a slender neck and the long rostrum suggestive of a Reduviid of which this could have been a nymph but how wrong can one be !
Turns out that this is Dulichius inflatus, a bug of the family Alydidae. And it is not a nymph, but an adult and it is (nearly) wingless!
"Some ant like forms are the most remarkable, and Mr Wroughton recently exhibited to the London Entomological Society an Indian Coreid which associates with the Ant Polyrhachis spiniger and is furnished with spines on the pronotum &c., resembling almost exactly those possessed by the Ant" - W L Distant, Rhynchota, Fauna of British India
|Elbowed antennae ?
Looking up the entry in the Fauna of British India, one learns that it was described by W F Kirby. And a later specimen produced by R C Wroughton of the now largely defunct Bombay Natural History Society was described as Dulichius wroughtoni which became a junior synonym. Wroughton notes that the species is commonly found under rocks along with colonies of Polyrhachis spiniger (which seems to be synonym of P. lacteipennis) and that the spine structure varies widely across individuals !
|A real Polyrhachis
Mr. Kirby has had the kindness to send me a copy of his work on the Heteroptera and Homoptera of Ceylon (Journ. Linn. Soc. XXIV, pag. 72—176, with 3 plates). The author says in the introduetion, that he has thought his paper "would be rendering a real service to science". I think no serious hemipterist will be of the same opinion. As the author is assistant in the British Museum, one schould expect to find informations on the real systematic position of the many dubious Hemiptera deseribed from Ceylon by Walker, and it is therefore with great regret we find Mr. Kirby's work to be entirely in Walker's style and almost without any scientific value Mr. Kirby further says, that he will not create many new genera, 'until those already proposed have undergone a thorough and much-needed revision, which at present I have no time to "attempt".' It is to be hoped, that Mr. Kirby never will find time to a such revision, as it seems to be unknown to him, that the genera of Hemiptera have already undergone a thorough and most excellent revision by Stäl.
Happened to visit one of the websites where photographers dump their pictures and found some rather excellent photos in the chaotic pile. Interestingly one from Bangalore seems to have been taken around the same time. Seems like the rains might be important factor for some aspect of their life cycle:
Photo 1
Photo 2
Also discovered a photograph of a Polyrhachis that I had taken - here sitting, perhaps in a defensive posture, on the spadix of a pink Anthurium - now added above.


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I found about 10 different sized picture frames that I plan on using to decorate the Drama Workshop room at church. When the weather gets nicer, I will set up shop on the back patio, sand these frames down and paint them black. Here's some pictures I found online that inspired me.
I also found a bunch of skirts for $3 each. That means that I have a lot of fabric to make a lot of cute accessories with. I was so excited about all the possibilities that I gave into my impulses to cut and sew and glue. I went to bed way after midnight still with ideas floating around my head of things that I want to create.
At the top of my list of things to create: jersey t-shirt necklaces! I've been wondering how to accessorize outfits in the summer without scarves, so I believe that this will be a much "cooler" alternative. I will be happily cutting and snipping away at old t-shirts this afternoon in an attempt to stay awake while I simultaneously watch NASCAR and KU Basketball. Here's an example of one of these fabulous necklaces.
And, to close out the post, here's another Target outfit. However, the scarf was given to me as a gift. The scarf was given to me anonymously from someone in church. There was a note attached saying that they had noticed how often I wear scarves and that this one would be a great addition to my collection. Very sweet.


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At Emblem, you'll find one- and two-bedroom homes with modern interior features such as open floor plans, 11' ceilings in first-floor homes, stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops. And Emblem's community amenities are unmatched, too: Work out in a club-quality fitness center, enjoy the resort-style pool and relax with friends in the social lounge.
Read about Emblem's 5-star experience from real residents here.
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Month: January 2012
Stickers !!!!
For the last few months, I was thinking of ordering the personalised stickers for Yuvan so that all his books and belongings can be labelled before he started P1 in the way I wanted!!!. I went googling and reading reviews (the typical "me") to find a an affordable yet quality wise acceptable to my standards "someone" to order the stickers. I found Muakids listed and recommended in one of the very famous forums. I went ahead and placed an order.
What I liked with them is the way that I could mix various forms of stickers as a package and the little icons and the nice decent colours.I was so anxious about how they will actually look like and was waiting to receive them…
Guess what ?? They surprised me by sending a mock-up to my email to confirm whether this was what I meant!!! I said "Yes" and I also requested them a change in my text in on of the labels and they readily agreed as the labels had not gone to print yet!!! and Yes, I received an email notification that my order has been shipped and I received it in the next two days.. properly packed and delivered into my post box!!!
So Did I Like them ??? Overall, I am really satisfied with the quality of the stickers and their service plus the fast delivery.. I have already ordered from them twice and received them long back… so this is a post that was long due and I am about to order my third one:) I wanted to record this in my blog here because this is Yuvan's first ever personalised stickers…
I personally like their little icon's and their Dot labels which comes really handy .. but unfortunately I have used up all and you can't find it in the photos….
But you can always see clear examples on their website 🙂
Muakids.. Muaahhhhh to you!!!!
Reflections 2011 – 6th Birthday – Part One
Yuvan as always had a double whammy celebrations.. First at School , on the 15th of November, much earlier than his birthday,that falls on the 26th of November.
Yuvan had chosen the Diego cakes for both his celebrations this year, chocolate sponge with fresh cream…
Dad couldn't make it for the school celebrations and it was a Mom, Son, friends and teachers affair !!!!
Yuvan was so happy and excited when his friends surrounded him to sing Happy Birthday Song, and it was lot of conversation with his friends as most of them know me as Yuvan'z mommy…
The kids enjoyed eating, cracking jokes, posing for pictures and I hope they loved the return gifts too:) It was a Happy Happy Day!!!!
Reflections – 2011 – Yuvan'z K2 Graduation
All I wanted over the last few months, was to blog back like before.. But I wasn't able to… Yuvan had a blast Holidays starting from his Graduation Day:)
23rd October was the Day, our little boy graduated from K2!!!! It was a great feeling to see our little son wear the graduation gown, with the little graduation hat!!!
And little did we know, he did a major performance role in the graduation concert together with his good friend Eleanor:) We were pleasantly surprised to see too many pictures of him displayed for order and he did awesome great on the stage. The good thing about Yuvan is, he enjoys completely what he does:) It was a day to remember !!! and Well done my Dear Boy!
Just before they entered the Graduation Hall, Yuvan as usual joined with his friends of 3 years starting from his Montessori Days….
Yuvan will continue and cherish their friendship forever:)
Two of the many Graduation Keep Sakes 🙂


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Ghaith Abi Ghanem and Jad Melki were already making waves as architecture students at the American University of Beirut where they were both recipients of the Areen Award for Excellence in Architecture. Informed by subsequent stints at Raëd Abillama Architects in Lebanon and at Herzog & de Meuron in Switzerland, the duo are now behind experimental projects that give particular importance to the design process, with a focus on material and context.
In 2016, House of Today launches The Shop, in partnership with WallpaperSTORE*, to coincide with its third biennale exhibition, 'Jungle Protocol, traditional & etiquette', to promote Lebanese designers.


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Video game store looking web designer jobs
...need a new website. I already have a design, I just need you to build my online store. Hi Web Designer/Builders, Looking for a high quality, fast and inexpensive web-site that has the following: Ideally use WordPress with SALIENT Theme (I have). For Sci-Fi Video Game with BLOG, MAIL LIST (MailChimp), FORUMS AND SALES SITE Site built with 4...
...designers have been making well above fixed price on successful campaigns. The contract will be between the client and the designer and cover such items such as agreed % of net revenue received. The contract will also ensure the designer receives first funding from the campaigns to ensure he/she is paid in full as agreed in contract. If you agree to this
...professional web site for [login to view URL], a fully integrated content distribution company specializing in the distribution of films, music, music videos, video games/software and applications. The original protype for the website is already devloped and up on the domain name which was designed to give you, the designer, a better idea
We are looking for a graphic designer to design the front-end for a new website. We require front-end design only, no coding is necessary. In other words, we'll give you the parameters and a general idea, and you'll provide us with a PSD file(s) with a site concept, including a header and color scheme. In a designer, we're looking for someone who is
We need someone to create a website to help us advertise an MMO computer game that is being built. I've attached a document to this bid request with all of the details about what we want the site to include. It will require that the designer be skilled with Toon Style graphics. You must also be able to work with FLASH and be skilled with HTML. Ultimately
I am looking for a web designer/illustrator/flash animation expert to meet the following client requirements. High quality work is more important than price. You will be required to submit examples of your illustration and flash animation work you have done. This project is for the Flash Animation and Logo creation only, not the entire website


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Brihadeeswarar Temple
|Peruvudaiyaar Kovil
|Other names
Brihadeshwara Temple
Big Temple
|Proper name
|Peruvudaiyaar Temple
|தஞ்சைப் பெருவுடையார் கோயில்
|Tamil Nadu
|Primary deity
|Lord Shiva
|Important festivals
|Maha Shivaratri
|Architectural styles
|Dravidian Architecture
|History and governance
|Date built
|11th century AD
|Raja Raja Chola I
The Peruvudaiyar Kovil (Tamil: தஞ்சைப் பெருவுடையார் கோயில்) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva that is located in the city of Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is an important example of Tamil architecture achieved during the Chola dynasty. It is also known as Periya Kovil,[1] Brihadeshwara Temple, RajaRajeswara Temple and Rajarajeswaram,[2] It is one of the largest temples in India[3] and one of India's most prized architectural sites. Built by emperor Raja Raja Chola I and completed in 1010 AD,[4] Peruvudaiyaar Temple, also popularly known as the 'Big Temple', turned 1000 years old in 2010. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples".[5]
Thanjavur Periya Kovil stands amidst fortified walls that were probably added in the 16th century. The vimanam (or temple tower) is 216 ft (66 m) high[6] and is among the tallest of its kind in the world. The Kumbam (Kalasha or Chikharam, the apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is carved out of a single rock and it weighs around 80 tons.[7] There is a big statue of Nandi (sacred bull), carved out of a single rock, at the entrance measuring about 16 feet long and 13 feet high.[8] The entire temple structure is made out of granite, the nearest sources of which are close to Tiruchirappalli, about 60 km to the west of Thanjavur. The temple is the most visited tourist attraction in Thanjavur and the state alike.[9]
History 1
- Construction 1.1
Temple complex 2
- Main temple 2.1
- Temple Deities 2.2
- Adjoining structures 2.3
- Features 2.4
- Murals 2.5
- Temple personnel 2.6
Millennium commemoration 3
- Bharathanatyam Yajna 3.1
- Commemorative stamps and coins 3.2
- Popular culture 3.3
- 2015 Car festival 4
- See also 5
- Notes 6
- References 7
- External links 8
The Brihadeshwarar temple was built to grace the throne of the Chola empire by the Tamil emperor Arulmozhivarman, popularly called Rajaraja Chola I, (Tamil: இராசராச சோழன், Rājarāja Choļan ) in compliance to a command given to him in a dream.[8] One of the first great Tamil Chola building projects, the temple's foundations were laid out in 1002 CE.[10] An axial and symmetrical geometry rules the temple layout.[11] Temples from this period and the following two centuries are an expression of the Tamilars (Chola) wealth, power and artistic expertise. The emergence of such features as the multifaceted columns with projecting square capitals signal the arrival of the new Chola style.[12]
Intended to display the emperor's vision of his power and his relationship to the universal order, the temple was the site of the major royal ceremonies such as anointing the emperor and linking him with its deity, Shiva, and the daily rituals of the deities were mirrored by those of the king. It is an architectural example showcasing the pure form of the Dravida type of temple architecture and representative of the Chola Empire ideology and the Tamil civilisation in Southern India. The temple "testify to the brilliant achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting."[13]
The esteemed architect and engineer of the temple was Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja Perunthachan as stated in inscriptions found at the temple. The temple was built per ancient texts called Vaastu Shastras and Agamas. The temple was built using a measure of 1 3/8-inch called an angula (24 units equalling 33 inches called a hasta, muzam, or kishku). This is the same measure found in ancient Lothal and other sites in the Indus Valley dating back 4000 – 6000 years. This same measure is used to build structures compliant with the Vaastu Shastras and Agamas today. While some builders use a different measure this is considered a standard due to its antiquity.
The solid base of the temple raises about 5 metres (16 feet), above which stone deities and representatives of Shiva dance.[14] The big Nandi (bull), weighing about 20 tonnes is made of a single stone and is about 2 m in height, 6 m in length and 2.5 m in width.[15] The presiding deity of lingam is 3.7m tall. The prakaram (outer precincts of the temple) measures 240m by 125m.[15] The outer wall of the upper storey is carved with 108 dance karanas – postures of Bharathanatyam, the classical dance of Tamil Nadu.[15] The shrine of Goddess was added by Pandyas during the 13th century, Subramanya Shrine by Vijayanagara rulers and the Vinayaka shrine was renovated by Maratha rulers.[15] There were significant additions from the Thanjavur Nayaks.[16]
Temple complex
The temple complex sits on the banks of a river that was channelled to make a moat around the complex's outer walls, the walls being built like a fortress. The complex is made up of many structures that are aligned axially. The complex can be entered either on one axis through a five-story gopuram or with a second access directly to the huge main quadrangle through a smaller free-standing gopuram. The massive size of the main Vimanam (Shikhara) is ca. 60.96 meters high, with 16 elaborately articulated stories, and dominates the main quadrangle. Pilaster, piers(a raised structure), and attached columns are placed rhythmically covering every surface of the Vimanam.[17] The gopuram of the main entrance is 30 m high, smaller than the vimana. It is unusual in the dravidian architecture where the gopurams are generally the main towers and taller than the vimanam.[18]
Main temple
A first rectangular surrounding wall, 270 m by 140 m, marks the outer boundary.[18] The main temple is in the center of the spacious quadrangle composed of a sanctuary, a Nandi, a pillared hall and an assembly hall (mandapas), and many sub-shrines. The most important part of the temple is the inner mandapa which is surrounded by massive walls that are divided into levels by sharply cut sculptures and pilasters providing deep bays and recesses. Each side of the sanctuary has a bay emphasising the principle cult icons.[11] The karuvarai, a Tamil word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, is the inner most sanctum and focus of the temple where an image of the primary deity, Shiva, resides. Inside is a huge stone linga. The word Karuvarai means "womb chamber" from Tamil word karu for foetus. Only priests are allowed to enter this inner-most chamber.[19]
In the Dravida style, the Karuvarai takes the form of a miniature vimana with other features exclusive to southern Indian temple architecture such as the inner wall together with the outer wall creating a pradakshina around the garbhagriha for circumambulation (pradakshina). The entrance is highly decorated. The inside chamber housing the image of the god is the sanctum sanctorum, the garbhagriha.[12] The garbhagriha is square and sits on a plinth, its location calculated to be a point of total equilibrium and harmony as it is representative of a microcosm of the universe. In the center is placed the image of the deity.[11] The royal bathing-hall where Rajaraja the great gave gifts is to the east of the hall of Irumudi-Soran.
The inner mandapa leads out to a rectangular mandapa and then to a twenty-columned porch with three staircases leading down. Sharing the same stone plinth is a small open mandapa dedicated to Nandi, Shiva's sacred bull mount.
Temple Deities
The "moolavar" or prime deity of the Brihadeeswarar Temple is Shiva. All deities, particularly those placed in the niches of the outer wall (Koshta Moorthigal) like Dakshinamurthy, Surya, Chandra are of huge size. The Brihadiswarar temple is one of the rare temples which has idols for "Ashta-dikpaalakas" (Guardians of the directions) – Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirṛti, Varuṇa, Vāyu, Kubera, Īśāna – each of whom was originally represented by a life-sized statue, approximately 6 feet tall, enshrined in a separate temple located in the respective direction. (Only Agni, Varuṇa, Vāyu and Īśāna are preserved in situ.)
Adjoining structures
Surrounding the main temple are two walled enclosures. The outer wall is high, defining the temple complex area. Here is the massive gopuram or gateway mentioned above. Within this a portico, a barrel vaulted gorpuram with over 400 pillars, is enclosed by a high wall interspersed with huge gopurams axially lined up to the main temple.
A widely held belief is that the shadow of the Vimana never falls on the ground. .[20] However, several photographs exist showing the shadow on the ground.[21] The temple is said to be made up of about 60,000 tons of granite. The capstone itself is made of four pieces of granite and weighs about 20 tons.,[22] on top of the main gopuram is believed to have been taken to the top by creating an inclined slope to the height of 66m to the top of the gopuram.
The temple has Chola frescoes on the walls around the sanctum sanctorum potryaing Shiva in action, destroying demonic forts, dancing and sending a white elephant to transport a devotee to heaven.[14] These frescoes, discovered in the 1940s by S. K. Govindasami of the Annamalai University, portray the mythological episodes of the journey of Saint Sundarar and the Chera King to heaven, the battle scene of Tripurantaka (Lord Siva) with Asuras (demons).[24] The Chola artists have proved their mettle by portraying even the Asura women with a sense of beauty.[24] Some of the paintings in the sanctum sanctorum and the walls in the passage had been damaged because of the soot that had deposited on them. Owing to the continuous exposure to smoke and soot from the lamps and burning of camphor in the sanctum sanctorum over a period of centuries certain parts of the Chola paintings on the circumambulatory passage walls had been badly damaged.[24] The Tanjore Nayak kings replaced them with a few paintings of their own, about 400 years ago.[24] The Archaeological Survey of India, for the first time in the world, used its unique de-stucco process to restore 16 Nayak paintings, which were superimposed on 1000-year-old Chola frescoes.[24] These 400-year-old paintings have been mounted on fibre glass boards, displayed at a separate pavilion.[24]
Temple personnel
Since its consecration in 1010 CE by Raja Raja Chola I, the temple maintained a staff of 1000 people in various capacities with 400 being temple dancers[15] Besides the Brahmin priests, these included record-keepers, musicians, scholars, and craftsman of every type as well as housekeeping staff. In those days the temple was a hub of business activities for the flower, milk, oil, and ghee merchants, all of whom made a regular supply of their respective goods for the temple for its poojas and during festival seasons. Moreover, as evidenced by the inscriptions that found in the compound wall of this temple, the temple had always served as a platform for dancers who excelled in the traditional dance form of Bharatnatyam.[25]
Millennium commemoration
Built in the year 1010 CE by Raja Raja Chola in Thanjavur, Brihadeeswarar Temple popularly known as the 'Big Temple' turned 1000 years old in September 2010. To celebrate the 1000th year of the grand structure, the state government and the town held many cultural events. It was to recall the 275th day of his 25th regal year (1010 CE) when Raja Raja Chola (985–1014 CE) handed over a gold-plated kalasam (copper pot or finial) for the final consecration to crown the vimana, the 59.82-metre tall tower above the sanctum.[26][27][28]
Bharathanatyam Yajna
To mark the occasion, the state government organised a Mumbai, Pune, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Singapore, Malaysia and the US danced in concert to the recorded 11 verses of divine music Thiruvichaippa (ninth of Thirumurai) composed by Karuvur Thevar (the guru of Raja Raja Chola) named Tiruvisaippa. The small town turned into a cultural hub for two days beginning 26 September 2010 as street performers and dancers performed throughout the town.[29][30]
Commemorative stamps and coins
On 26 September 2010 (Big Temple's fifth day of millennium celebrations), as a recognition of Big Temple's contribution to the country's cultural, architectural, epigraphical history, a special ₹ 5 postage stamp featuring the 216-feet tall giant Raja Gopuram was released by India Post.
The Reserve Bank of India commemorated the event by releasing a ₹ 5 coin with the model of temple embossed on it.[31][32] A Raja, Cabinet Minister of Communications and Information Technology released the esteemed Brihadeeswarar Temple special stamp, the first of which was received by G K Vasan, Cabinet Minister of Shipping.
Mumbai Mint issued Rs 1000 Commemorative Coin with the same picture as on the Rs 5 coin. It was the first 1000 Rupees coin to be released in the Republic of India coinage. This coin was a Non Circulative Legal Tender (NCLT).[33]
On 1 April 1954, the Reserve Bank of India released a ₹ 1000 currency note featuring a panoramic view of the Brihadeeswarar Temple marking its cultural heritage and significance. In 1975, the then government led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi demonetised all ₹ 1,000 currency notes in an effort to curtail black money. These notes are now popular among collectors.[34]
In 2010, the then Tamil Nadu chief minister, M Karunanidhi renamed Semmai Paddy, a type of high productivity paddy variant, as Raja Rajan-1000 to mark the millennial year of the constructor of the temple, Raja Raja Cholan.[35]
Popular culture
Kalki, a renowned Tamil novelist, has written a historical novel named Ponniyin Selvan, based on the life of Raja Raja Chola I.[36] Balakumaran, another Tamil author has written a novel named Udaiyar themed on the life of Raja Raja Chola I and the construction of the Brihadeeswarar temple.[37]
2015 Car festival
The Car of this temple rolled out on its trial run from opposite to Sri Ramar temple on West Main Street and travelled through the main streets on 20 April 2015. This trial run was witnessed by a large number of residents of all ages, who had turned op to see this unique event.[38] Nine days later, the maiden procession of the temple car was held, with the deity's idols on top, on Wednesday, 29 April 2015. A large number of devotees took part in this inaugural run. This was the first such procession in this temple held in the past hundred years.[39]
See also
- ^
- ^ South Indian Inscriptions – Vol II, Part I & II
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^ Middle Chola Temples, S.R.Balasubrahmanyam
- ^
- ^ a b Encyclopaedia of Political Parties By Ralhan, O. P.
- ^
- ^
- ^ a b c Thapar 2004, pp.43, 52–53
- ^ a b Mitchell 1988, pp. 145–148
- ^
- ^ a b Man 1999, p. 104
- ^ a b c d e Various 2007, pp. 65–66
- ^ – via JSTOR (subscription required)
- ^ Ching 2007, pp. 338–339
- ^ a b http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/250
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^ http://www.varalaaru.com/design/article.aspx?ArticleID=38
- ^ a b c d e f
- ^ Written in stone – Big Temple's inscriptions reveal a King's passion, T.S. Subramanian, CHENNAI, 24 September 2010, The Hindu
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^ Trial run of Big Temple car, Rolls; out after 100 years; maiden run on April 29, The Hindu, 21 April 2015
- ^ Big temple chariot festival held after 100 years, The Hindu, 30 April 2015
External links
- Photos on art-and-archaeology web site
- Unesco Great Living Chola Temples
- EngvarB from March 2014
- Use dmy dates from July 2015
- Coordinates not on Wikidata
- Articles containing Tamil-language text
- Subscription required using via
- Pages containing links to subscription-only content
- Commons category without a link on Wikidata
- World Heritage Sites in India
- Hindu World Heritage Sites
- History of Thanjavur
- Tamil architecture
- Hindu temples in Thanjavur
- 11th-century Hindu temples
- Chola architecture


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The Ghost Trail
About The Ghost Trail
As you drive into sunny L'Agulhas you might be surprised, possibly alarmed, by the ghosts painted on signboards, rocks, and lamp posts. The white spooky marks are the pointers on the Ghost Trail (Spookdraai Trail). For those looking for more than gorgeous views, fresh air and a bit of holiday exercise, the Ghost Trail adds a whole new element to hiking! It will take you through winding streets, along the coast and up a zigzagging path over a hill and down again. The trail takes approximately two hours and is suitable for all fitness levels. Although the trail boasts breathtaking scenery with panoramic views over the merging of two great oceans and a myriad of fynbos wildflowers at your feet, there are some ghost stories that give the trail that edge.


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Age: 59
Number of Cruises: 6
Cruise Line: Norwegian
Ship: Pride of Aloha
Sailing Date: November 6th, 2006
Itinerary: Hawaii
Norwegian Cruise Lines America
Pride of Aloha Cruise Review
Sharon Harrison
We were pleasantly surprised with our most recent cruise. I had read disturbing reports of other cruisers concerning this cruise. My husband and I have wanted to visit Hawaii for sometime and just decided we would go and enjoy the islands and not expect pampering. To our surprise we found that for the most part, the service was good and the staff very friendly. The Captain's party was a real treat. We ate early and did not have to wait long. The last night of our cruise we were late getting to dinner and did wait a long time, so my advice is to dine early. It was so neat that the captain turned the ship so the passengers could view the lava flow of the volcano at night, it is quite a sight! One of the highlights of our trip was going on a tour of Kaui with a man named Eduardo Valencia. We found him on the web at his website http://www.tresbros.com. He really went the extra mile and gave us such a great history of the island and took us to so many beautiful places that the ships tours did not. I would also recommend renting a car and driving the road to Hana on Maui. It is really a WOW and the road has been re-done and is not bad to drive. It is so beautiful!
Our room was smaller than we were used to but was always kept clean and well serviced. We used the hand sanitizers each time before dining and were not aware of any illnesses on the ship. I think this is a great way to visit the islands of Hawaii.
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Here's my new visual experiment, Almost9.
I like very much to photograph at night and under the rain, my camera probably don't share my taste of pouring water over it but I don't mind, so I decided to test the low light capabilities of the EOS7D on a rainy night.
I recently have watched some Wong Kar Wai movies and I belive they inspired me in some of the visuals of this little movie.
The capture was made with a Canon EOS 7D, ISO 800 / 1600, EF24mm f2.8 and EF100mm f2 USM lenses, 1920×1080, 24 frames, edited in Premiere Pro.
The music was made with loops in Garage Band.
All the best,
Armando Vernaglia Jr