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I love cruising! I have personally been on three cruises now, two of them with Royal Caribbean, and one with Celebrity. Cruising is by far my favorite way to travel! When you are on a cruise ship, you are on a floating city with all the food, drinks, and entertainment you could want! Here's the thing though. That "all-inclusive" price you paid to book your cruise doesn't exactly include everything. Cruises also typically come with a hefty price tag. So I thought it would be nice if I shared some tips with you on how to save money before booking your cruise and once you board. Here are 16 tips to help you spend your money wisely while cruising.
Finding The Best Price For Your Cruise
Many of the people I've met on the cruises I've been on have told me they did not pay full price when booking their cruise. A wonderful woman we met on our last cruise recommended PriceLine and Cruiseonly when looking for your next cruise. These sites offer some fantastic discounts. A woman I met on my second cruise, told me she had booked her two week cruise with Norwegian for around $200 because she waited until 2 weeks before the boat was scheduled to leave to book her trip. If you can wait to plan a vacation, I recommend doing this to save you a HUGE amount of money. Now I have not personally used either of the above sites for booking a cruise. Let me know if you have experience using them!
Picking Your Room
It's no secret that the more money you spend, the nicer your room will be. However, when you are on a cruise ship you are on a floating resort. Ask yourself how much time are you going to be spending in your room? Do you really need that peephole called a window that will let you see the same water you could see from an upper deck? I would recommend saving the money you would have spent on a suite, or a balcony and putting it back into experiences at the places you will be visiting instead.
Be Prepared
On this last cruise I just went on, we decided to only bring carry-on luggage so as to avoid extra luggage fees during our flight. We knew we wouldn't be able to bring full-size bottles of bug spray and sunscreen with us so we had to spend some time finding smaller bottles of these items. Once you are on the boat or in a tourist destination, the prices of these items is going to be much higher. On Royal Caribbean's private island, Coco-Cay, the price of sunscreen was literally $24!!!! No joke! Make sure to buy these items and any additional necessities you may need prior to traveling. You will save a lot of money if you do!
Bring A Camera
Before you are even on board the ship, there are going to be professional photographers everywhere asking to take your picture. Yes it's great to feel like a celebrity and to get your picture taken in front of all these awesome backgrounds. However, once you see the photo lounge your jaw will drop at the price. The cost for one picture usually starts at $19.95. Just for one picture! I strongly recommend bringing your own camera or borrowing one from a friend and taking your own photos to avoid this extra cost.
Bring An Empty Water Bottle
It wasn't until my third cruise, that my husband recommended we bring an empty water bottle with us to us on the islands. The cool part about bringing an EMPTY water bottle with you, is that the airplane won't make you throw it away before passing through security. So having an empty water bottle handy allows you to fill up your water bottle from a fountain instead of purchasing a bottle of water at the airport, on the boat, or at one of your destinations.
Before boarding you have the option to pay your gratuities ahead of time. I recommend doing this, so that you don't have to worry about another expense at the end of your cruise. Keep in mind though when you are ordering drinks or extra items, gratuity is usually added to the check automatically. While I recommend being generous and fair with your tips, I also don't want you to tip without realizing you already had.
Turn Your Phone Off
While cruising, odds are you are not going to have cell service. If you do, you will most likely be hit with roaming charges with your next bill. I suggest avoiding any potential charges and fees altogether and either put your phone into "airplane mode" if you plan on using it to take pictures or simply turn it off.
This is very similar to your smart phone, but you will most likely not have access to WIFI while on board. Many cruises offer the internet, but streaming services can be over $20 per day! I would recommend enjoying your vacation away from social media and the internet. You may find it's kind of peaceful!
Beverage Packages
Keep in mind, that while your cruise is "all-inclusive" it does not include sodas or alcohol. If you would like to not have to purchase these drinks individually I would recommend taking advantage of one of the beverage packages the cruise offers. Now I will warn you these packages are expensive, so I would recommend figuring out how many drinks you would have to drink to make these packages worth-while. One of the alcohol drink packages I was considering getting during our last cruise would have required me to drink 8 drinks a day to break even at a cost of $11 per drink. Crazy right? So I decided to just purchase my 2-3 drinks a day instead to save some money.
Every cruise ship offers excursion options for you to choose from when in port. Often times these excursions are a bit pricey, but they also have advantages. The advantage to booking excursions directly through your cruise ship is that they are required to wait on you if your transportation is late or if something happens to where you can't be back in time. The advantage of booking an excursion once you're on the island, is that you can often find the same deal but for a much cheaper cost. However, if you decide to purchase an excursion outside of the cruise, you have to be really careful. There are scammers and companies that will take your money or are not concerned with making sure you get back to the ship on time. I've personally used excursions through the cruise and on the island and I have had great experiences every time.
Spas, Shops & Specialty Restaurants
Most cruise ships will have a spa and a few specialty restaurants on board. Many of these activities will be deeply discounted when a ship is docked, to entice you to stay on board and spend money. The shops are going to have huge sales on the last day of your cruise, and the specialty restaurants will have planned discount times so just be sure to ask ahead of time when making a reservation.
Avoid Impulse Purchases
When you are on a cruise, you will notice there are tons of opportunities for you to spend your hard-earned money. There are shops, a casino, contests and games (like Bingo), specialty restaurants, room service, a spa, and so many others. Now I realize you are on vacation, so it's perfectly fine if you want to do these things. My recommendation would be to budget for these activities if you really want to play Bingo or try your hand in the casino. But make sure you stick to that budget, and don't go over it.
You will most likely find a laundry service on board your cruise. Let's be reasonable though. A cruise is usually no longer than 2 weeks and typically averages 5-7 days. Pack an extra outfit or two in case something gets dirty, and save your dollars instead of using this very expensive laundry service. I also recommend bringing a Tide White Pen so you can try to avoid any stains on your nice clothes.
Child Care
If you are a parent and decide to bring your children on the cruise with you, you will find that many of the ships offer fantastic youth programs that have free planned activities for your older children to participate in. Now if you want, there are child care services available but they are usually an added expense. I would recommend either spending the time together as a family, or letting your child participate in the free activities if they are old enough to participate.
Avoid Fitness Classes
Most cruise ships have a gym that is free to use which is great if you want to try and work off some of the food or beverages you may consume while on board. These gyms also typically offer fitness classes, metabolic testing, weight loss wraps, etc. Unfortunately, all of these things cost extra so I would recommend just sticking to the free work out equipment during your cruise.
There are so many beautiful items you can purchase on a cruise ship. However, you are more than likely going to be able to find something cheaper at one of the islands or destinations you are visiting. Try to get away from the touristy section where your ship is docked and really dive into some of the local shops in the area. Or better yet, let your pictures and videos be your souvenir!
I hope these 16 tips help you to save money while planning your cruise and spend your money more wisely once on board. Just remember to also take time to enjoy your vacation and know that it's okay to spend money on those activities you love in order to make memories for the future. I hope you have a wonderful time and I can't wait to hear where your cruising adventures take you!
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This is my first time of using yogurt in my chiffon cake baking. I read this recipe from Happy Home Baking and very attracted by her lovely Cranberry Yoghurt Chiffon Cake. Since I have yogurt sitting in my fridge, it is the good time to bake with it. I omit the cranberry as my family prefer chiffon cake without any filling. I added some vanilla extract instead. I like the outcome of this recipe. I definitely will bake again.
Adapted and slightly modified from Happy Home Baking, Cranberry Yoghurt Chiffon Cake.
4 egg yolks
20g sugar
40g vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
20g sugar
40g vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
80g yogurt
80g cake flour
4 egg whites
50g sugar
4 egg whites
50g sugar
1. Pour egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Whisk till sugar dissolves.
2. Add in the rest of ingredients (A) and stir to combine.
3. Fold in sifted flour. Mix till smooth.
4. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites till frothy. Add sugar gradually and beat until stiff. Fold in 1/3 of the whites into the yolk mixture till well incorporate. Pour in the remaining egg whites and fold gently till well combine.
5. Pour into 20 cm chiffon mould. Bake at 160C for 40 minutes.
6. Immediately invert it after removal from oven. Leave to cool. When cake is cold, remove from mould.

subset: commoncrawl


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TORONTO — A Toronto court will hear arguments Monday on an attempt to bar the Cleveland Indians from using their team name and "Chief Wahoo" logo in Ontario.
The legal challenge by indigenous activist Douglas Cardinal comes on the same day the team plays the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series in Toronto.
The long-standing logo, which appears on some team caps and jerseys, depicts a grinning, red-faced cartoon with a feather headband.
Cardinal's lawyers will ask the court Monday to bar the usage of the name and logo by the team, Major League Baseball and Toronto team owner Rogers Communications, which broadcasts the game in Canada. Justice Tom McEwen will hear the challenge early Monday afternoon. Michael Swinwood, one of Cardinal's lawyers, said the judge will rule before Monday night's game.
Cardinal believes the team shouldn't be allowed to wear their regular jerseys, the logo shouldn't be broadcast and the team should be referred to as "the Cleveland team."
"It's quite obviously a derogatory, cartoonish representation of an indigenous person," Swinwood said. "The whole concept of how it demeans native people is essentially his concern."
Swinwood said the legal challenge is a high-profile opportunity to bring awareness to the racism aboriginal people face in North America.
Indians spokesman said Curtis Dansburg said the team is focused on the playoffs and "will not comment any further on matters that distract from our pursuit on the field."
Rogers Communications spokesman Aaron Lazarus said his organization understands that the Cleveland name and logo is a concern for a number of Canadians but said the playoff game is important to baseball fans.
"Punishing fans by blocking the broadcast of the games doesn't seem like the right solution and it would be virtually impossible to broadcast the games without seeing the Cleveland team name and logo on the field, in the stands and in the stadium," Lazarus said.
The Indians dropped Wahoo as their primary logo two years ago, switching to a block "C'', and reduced the logo's visibility. However, one of the caps the Indians wear at home has the "Wahoo" logo on its front and Cleveland's jerseys remain adorned with the Wahoo logo on one sleeve.
Mark Shapiro, a former Cleveland Indians president and current Blue Jays president, worked on building up the other logo, the simple C. He said last week the Wahoo logo "personally bothered" him but said the people of Cleveland thought differently. Shapiro was asked about it after Blue Jays broadcaster Jerry Howarth said he refuses to use the team name after getting a letter from an aboriginal person saying such terms were deeply offensive.
The NFL's Washington Redskins have received harsh criticism for their nickname, and many universities and high schools have made changes to logos, mascots and nicknames that depict Native Americans, a once common tradition throughout the U.S.


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Recent Studies Explain Why Vitamin D Supplementation is Helpful for MS, Autoimmune and Chronic Inflammatory Conditions 03/14/12
It is estimated that 1 billion people around the world are vitamin D deficient. A recent experimental study helps explain the many anecdotal reports of patients being helped by Vitamin D supplementation in cases of MS, autoiummune, and/or chronic inflammatory conditions. The study published by Zhang Y and fellow researchers, in The Journal Of Immunology (2012), showed that Vitamin D activates immune cells (e.g. macrophages) in a way that suppresses the release of inflamma...read more


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Event Lighting Long Island
Please contact vendor for prices and availability
- Based in:
- Based in MEDFORD,NY
As a world-class event company, we provide professional quality lighting for your specific event of choice. Our lighting services will brighten up your event's ambiance.
As a world-class entertainmentpany, we provide custom lighting fit to brighten the ambiance of your party.   We offer our services to a variety of events, including bar and bat mitzvahs, corporate events, Sweet 16 parties, themed parties, and private parties.   We offer quality lighting at various settings, including LED dance floors, intelligent lighting setups, and illuminated bars and tables.   Our professionally-made equipment will engage your guests with amazing visuals and elevate the visual energy of the party at hand.   Our professional lighting equipment includes plasma screens, an illuminated dance floor, laser lighting, and atmosphere lighting.   In addition to professional lighting equipment, we offer a number of rentals, decor, photography and video service, DJs, MCs, live bands, dancers, models, and wait staff.
Among other cities, Event Lighting Long Island may serve the following areas: Great Neck, Hicksville, New Hyde Park, Port Washington, Westbury, Garden City, Muttontown, Babylon, Farmingdale, Rockville Center, Rockville Centre, Uniondale, Valley Stream, Central Islip, East Hills, Floral Park, Hauppauge, Hempstead, Holtsville, Huntington Station, Melville, Roslyn Harbor, Smithtown, Upper Brookville, Amityville, Brookville, Islandia, Jericho, Lake Success, Lakeview
Pics don't really show any lighting
If you call yourselves a lighting company thend do some actual lighting and SHOW pictures of lighting!


text: I need help. 5 days ago I got a cut on tree of my toes. I put a fabric band aid. Few hours later I had this horrible rash with blisters and a terrible itchiness. I can't walk because anytime I put my foot on the floor or inside a shoe I get more itchy! I am using Phernergan tablets and cream together with MyloCort cream, but it does nothing just make me sleepy. I try to cover it, to keep it clean and nothing. I am so desperate, because I have a busy toddler.


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on Sunday I ran the ridiculously hilly Washington Heights 5K. I went in with a goal of 26 minutes or less but unfortunately did not make it. I'm actually disapointed with my self because when I finished the race I noticed I did not give my all. It more felt like a practice run, I wasn't breathing hard nor was I tired. I felt like I ran harder last year, which was my first race ever. Lately, I feel like I psych myself out way too much when running. I'm anxious yes, but when I run I'm constantly looking at my watch or telling myself to slow down or stay on pace with someone else. This thinking has made running rather annoying and sad to me. Before, when I would just go for a run without any goals, thoughts or excuses I would get pretty awesome times. Now, I feel like I am regressing. I know I have to change this way of thinking or else my times/results will get even worse.
Although I did not PR I did have an awesome time at the 5K. This is like the only race where you get to run so close to the pros. I actually was dumbfounded at .75 miles into the race. The pros blast by us to finish the whole route. I think the fastest time was around fourteen minutes. Yeah, I know that's less than 5 minutes a mile (krazy endurance right???). Also, along the race route bands were playing some awesome music. Ain't nothing like hearing some Neyo while running up a hill.
|Please don't judge me, the DJ was playing Willow Smith.... I whip my hair back n forth :)
Plus, in honor of St. Patty's day they handed out green bagels as the post race snack.They were actually pretty tasty and cool.
All in all this 5K was a great experience and an eye opener into my negative thinking. Welp, back to training.
Until next time fitties.


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Hello everyone and welcome to the Martin Hospitality Blog Tour! Today I have a special Author interview with Abigayle Claire. If by any chance you don't know who she is let me give you a small introduction
Abigayle has been inspired to write since she could spell her own name. Her passion wasn't completing the stories (she did that twice and decided it wasn't for her), it was jotting down the ideas.
But in 2015, a story grabbed her-one she had to finish. Inspired by crazy dream in a genre she no longer reads, Abigayle set off on a journey to write her first novel and she hasn't looked back since.
Writing is her ministry, freelance editing her job, and reading her pastime-all of which proves that God really does know what He's doing when He inspires a 6-year-old with a pencil and her left hand.
More about Abigayle can be found at The Left-Handed Typist
More about Abigayle can be found at The Left-Handed Typist
I recently had the opportunity to submit some questions to the author for the interview being held here. But get this, she deiced to answer the questions in the form of a vlog (how cool is that?) So without further ado here is that video!
Wasn't that cool? But that's not all, Abigayle is also holding this wicked giveaway so make sure to check it out!
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Martin Hospitality
by Abigayle Claire
Giveaway ends February 28, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Images and Gifs used are not mine and I don't clam them as my own. All created goes to their rightful owners/creators


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Indianapolis-based Miles Brinson Brown, also known as MB2 Advertising, is opening an office in Chicago Sept. 1.
MB2 will be represented by Account Coordinator Victor Tinnish in the Chicago market area. Operations there will be supervised by Account Executive John Miles Jr., who will lead local account-management and new-business-development efforts in Chicago and northwestern Indiana.
MB2, which was founded in 2001, now represents clients in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Nashville and throughout Indiana. The advertising and marketing firm is growing fastest in Chicago, according to MB2 officials.
"It only makes sense that we should base an office where we are having the most growth and new business success," said MB2 CEO John Miles.


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CBeebies Fun Activities October 5, 2012Posted by Gareth in : Foundation Stage, Various Subjects , trackback
The Grown-ups section of the BBC's CBeebies website is a convenient way to browse the large selection of material for young children. You can filter activities by age of children, learning area, theme and which TV programme it's linked to.
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Redmi 1S
Ren Alcantara
Smartphone manufacturers have always had consumers by the short hairs. Smartphones are just a sneeze away from being an absolute necessity, but they cost a significant of money to produce, market, and sell. For a long time, cheap phones were cheap. Things have changed. At the forefront of the charge is Mi. Their mid-range model, the Redmi 1S, was a hotly-anticipated model in many markets including ours. We got our hands on one for review, and here's what we think.
Design: 3.5/5
The Redmi 1S is beautiful in a utilitarian sort of way. There are no bells and whistles, just the way I like it. It has a nice heft to it, tipping the scales at a beefy 158g. It's also a little on the meatier side, at 99mm thick. These give it a really great, solid feel in your hand, and feels like it could survive more than its fair share of drops.
The power button, along with the volume rocker, is situated on the right edge of the device, giving you easy access to both with either hand. Apart from that, there's a microUSB charger on the bottom, and a 3.5mm jack up top. There aren't any other buttons or ports aside from those. To access the SIM slots, battery and microSD slot, you have to pop the whole back panel off, which is achieved easily thanks to a notch on the lower left side of the rear plate. Both SIM slots are of the mini-SIM variety, so if you have the smaller micro- or nano-SIMs, you may want to grab a SIM adapter.
Hardware: 4.5/5
Man. How do we even start? This is a midrange smartphone, yes, but it's a beast of a midrange phone. The screen, which is a nice, roomy 4.7 inches on the diagonal, is an IPS LCD panel with a pixel density of 312 PPI. It's a 720 x 1280 deal, and has great colors and viewing angles. The panel is protected by Dragontrail glass, which is about at par in strength as the slightly more popular Gorilla Glass. Inside, though, is where the phone really shines.
Running underneath the admittedly plain exterior is a Qualcomm MSM8228 chipset, a quad-core A7 processor running at 1.6GHz, and 1GB of RAM, plus an Adreno 305 GPU. This might seem like it means anything, but take our word for it when we say this is a lot of power for its class. This spec is capable of blowing almost every other smartphone in its segment clear out of the water. It does, however, only come with 8GB of storage, so a microSD card is a must.
It runs MIUI V5, which is a Mi'd-up version of the Android 4.3. App compatibility is broad, and it has a very healthy community behind it, with updates happening regularly.
User Experience: 4.5/5
When we first came across this device, we knew it could perform amazing things. We weren't disappointed. The MIUI experience is very pleasant, with so many optimizations and conveniences included. TO be fair, my other device is capable of doing the same things, but only because I bought apps that let me. I loved MIUI so much; I actually went and installed the ROM on my work phone. There's hardly any adjusting necessary, so you can jump right in. The OS even has extra functionality that makes using two lines simple. You can choose which line sends messages and calls as you send them out.
The phone has more than enough power to handle everyday tasks. Everything just happens so smoothly, you don't really lose any attention paying attention to how the phone works. It just does. Letting the system handle multiple tasks works fine as well. There's enough horsepower available to let you do what you want, without having to worry about a drop in performance.
Gaming, which is inevitable on the phone, was also a pleasant experience. It benchmarks on Antutu above 20,000 points, and even the more recent, resource-intensive games run just fine. Modern Combat was smooth, and immersive, without the skipping that makes playing a chore. You don't have a whole lot of memory available though, so you might want to try your best to keep just a few titles installed at a time.
Battery life was impressive. The Redmi 1S comes with a 2000mAh battery, and even though it is a dual-SIM device, it had enough power for more than one whole day of use, with data on. Running a hotspot will, as expected, drain the battery pretty fast, though. You're going to charge at the office should you go that route.
Value for money: 4.5/5
It isn't often that a phone like this comes along for a price this low. It retails online at about PHP 5,600, and is worth every Peso. Every other smartphone in its segment is left in the dust, and it even outpaces devices that are almost twice its price. To say that you get bang for your buck in this case is a gross understatement. It's so aggressively prices, some other brands have been pushed to re-evaluate their own pricing, which is a great thing all around. If you have a little spare cash and need a great-performing dual-SIM phone with 3G connectivity, try to find a friend with one of these, and give it a try. We're sure they're not that hard to find.
What's hot:
Amazing value for money
Stellar performance
Solid build
What's not:
Standard-sized SIM cards
No LTE
We're just waiting for the next sale to hit.
Connectivity: GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
SIM: Dual SIM (Mini-SIM, dual stand-by)
Dimensions 5.39 x 2.72 x 0.39 in
Weight 158 g
Screen: 720 x 1280 pixels, 4.7 inches (~312 ppi pixel density), Dragontrail Glass
Storage: 8GB internal, microSD slot
Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8228 Snapdragon
Processor: Quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A7
GPU Adreno 305
Camera: 8MP Main, 1.6MP Front


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Possibly the shortest post I'm ever going to write. Mainly cause I'm pooped… I've been flat out so that FAQ-Tastic Lite version 1.0.7 can be released.
So, here's what you get:
- A new FAQ-Tastic website devoted to FAQs.
- FAQ-Tastic Lite 1.0.7 – updated with some really funky features.
- A new FAQ-Tastic user manual.
- FAQ World Project
- 5 great tips when you subscribe to the mailing list (more to be added!)
- FAQ-Tastic now compatible with WordPress 2.5 – the new site runs on WP2.5!
Okay… I'm done. Got to get ready to join a kid's parade now.
Oh, I nearly forgot the link – you probably want to check out the new FAQ-Tastic Lite website. Apologies for the rest of the site – the Pro version is next!
I'd just like to take a moment to thank Michel Fortin for the favourable review he wrote around a year about the original FAQ-Tastic plugin. That review really spurred me on. FAQ-Tastic is much more than that now!


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S.1606 - Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act110th Congress (2007-2008)
BillHide Overview
|Sen. Levin, Carl [D-MI] (Introduced 06/13/2007)
|Senate - Armed Services
|Latest Action:
|07/25/2007 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (All Actions)
This bill has the status Introduced
Here are the steps for Status of Legislation:
- Introduced
Subject — Policy Area:
- Armed Forces and National Security
- View subjects
Summary: S.1606 — 110th Congress (2007-2008)All Information (Except Text)
Shown Here:
Reported to Senate with amendment(s) (06/18/2007)
Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act - Title I: Policy on Care, Management, and Transition of Servicemembers With Serious Injuries or Illnesses - (Sec. 101) Directs the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs (Secretaries) to: (1) jointly develop and implement a comprehensive policy on the care and management of members of the Armed Forces (members) who are undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, are in medical hold or holdover status, or are otherwise on the temporary disability retired list for a serious injury or illness (recovering members); (2) jointly update the policy on a periodic basis (at least annually); and (3) jointly and separately review all policies and procedures of the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that apply to, or are covered by, the comprehensive policy. Requires such review to be completed within 90 days after the enactment of this Act. Directs the Secretaries, in developing the policy, to take into account specified findings, recommendations, and practices, including those of the Independent Review Group on Rehabilitative Care and Administrative Processes at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center.
Requires the policy developed to include: (1) mechanisms to ensure responsibility for recovering members in medical hold or holdover status or on the temporary disability retired list; (2) processes, procedures, and standards for medical evaluations and physical disability evaluations of recovering members; (3) standards for determinations of the return of recovering members to active duty; (4) standards for the transition of recovering members from care and treatment by DOD to care and treatment by the VA before, during, and after separation from service; (5) VA access to military health records of recovering members; and (6) surveys and other mechanisms to measure patient and family satisfaction with the DOD and VA provision of care and services.
Requires a report from: (1) the Secretaries to the defense and veterans committees on the policy developed, as well as on policy updates; and (2) the Comptroller General (CG) annually to the defense and veterans committees assessing DOD and VA progress in developing and implementing the policy.
(Sec. 102) Requires the Secretaries, in developing and implementing the policy, to: (1) take into account and fully address any unique needs of women members and women veterans; and (2) include a description of such needs, and the manner in which they are addressed, in any reports required under the previous section.
Title II: Health Care - Subtitle A: Enhanced Availability of Care for Servicemembers - (Sec. 201) Entitles any recovering member and any former member with a severe injury or illness to medical and dental care in any military medical facility or through any civilian health care provider authorized by the Secretary of Defense (Secretary) to provide health and mental health services, including services for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Authorizes such medical and dental care for three years beginning on the date: (1) of enactment of this Act, for those whose injury or illness was incurred on or after October 7, 2001, and before the enactment of this Act; and (2) on which the injury or illness is incurred, for those whose injury or illness occurs on or after the enactment of this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to waive any limitation on the provision of such care if considered appropriate to assure the maximum feasible recovery and rehabilitation of the member or former member. Prohibits the Secretary from providing such medical and dental care after December 31, 2012, if the Secretary has not provided such care to such member or former member before that date.
Entitles members with a severe injury or illness to rehabilitation and vocational benefits from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned to reimburse recovering members and former members with a severe injury or illness for certain expenses incurred in connection with the receipt of required medical care.
(Sec. 202) Requires the Secretary to provide reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses for follow-on specialty care and related services of a former member who incurred a disability while on active duty in a combat zone or in combat-related operations, is entitled to retired or retainer pay, and requires follow-up care, services, or supplies at a specific military treatment facility located more than 100 miles away from the member's residence.
Subtitle B: Care and Services for Dependents - (Sec. 211) Makes a family member of a recovering member eligible for medical care at a military treatment facility if the family member is: (1) on invitational orders while caring for the member; (2) a non-medical attendee caring for the member; or (3) receiving per-diem payments from DOD while caring for the member. Makes a family member who is eligible for medical care under (1), above, for more than 45 days during a one-year period also eligible for job placement services offered by DOD. Requires a report on the need for additional employment services and job protection for family members who are placed on leave or displaced from employment while caring for a recovering member.
Subtitle C: Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - (Sec. 221) Directs the Secretary to report to Congress one or more comprehensive plans for DOD programs and activities to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, treat, and otherwise respond to TBI and PTSD in members.
(Sec. 222) Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a protocol for the predeployment assessment and documentation of the cognitive functioning of a member who is deployed outside the United States, in order to facilitate the assessment of the postdeployment cognitive functioning of such member; (2) conduct up to three pilot projects to evaluate various mechanisms for use in the protocol; (3) report to the defense and veterans committees on the pilot projects; and (4) after completion of the pilot projects, establish the appropriate mechanism for use in the protocol. Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 223) Requires the Secretary to establish in DOD a center of excellence in the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of TBI and PTSD. Requires reports on the establishment and operation of each center. Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 224) Directs the Secretaries to jointly: (1) conduct a comprehensive review of the need for mental health treatment and services, and the adequacy of existing treatment and services, for female members and veterans; (2) report on the review; and (3) develop a comprehensive policy to address the treatment and care of female members and veterans who experience mental health problems and conditions, including PTSD.
(Sec. 225) Authorizes appropriations to DOD for FY2008 for activities related to the improved diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of members with: (1) TBI; or (2) PTSD.
(Sec. 226) Requires a report from the Secretary on progress in implementing requirements under the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 relating to: (1) a study on TBI incurred by members participating in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom; (2) enhanced mental health screening and services for members; and (3) early diagnosis and treatment of PTSD and other mental health conditions of members. Requires an annual report to such committees, during 2008 through 2013, on amounts expended by DOD for the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of members with TBI or PTSD.
Subtitle D: Other Matters - (Sec. 231) Directs the Secretaries to: (1) develop and implement a joint electronic health record (joint record) for use by DOD and VA; and (2) accelerate the exchange of health care information between the two departments. Establishes the Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Interagency Program Office for a Joint Electronic Health Record, with a Director and Deputy Director. Requires the Office to develop and prepare for deployment by September 30, 2010, a joint record which complies with applicable federal interoperability standards. Authorizes the Secretaries to carry out pilot projects of various technological approaches to the achievement of the joint record. Requires: (1) annual reports from the Office Director to the Secretaries and the defense and veterans committees on Office activities (to be made available to the public); and (2) semiannual reports, until joint record implementation, from the CG on DOD-VA progress in developing and implementing the joint record. Provides funding.
(Sec. 232) Allows the Secretary to exercise any DOD authority for the appointment and pay of health care personnel in order to provide or enhance DOD capacity to provide care and treatment for members who are wounded or injured on active duty, and to support ongoing DOD patient care and medical readiness, education, and training requirements. Directs the military department Secretaries to: (1) develop a strategy of best practices for the recruitment of such medical and health professionals within their department; and (2) report on such strategy to the defense committees.
(Sec. 233) Requires the Secretary to: (1) recommend to the defense committees legislative or administrative actions to address shortages in health care professionals within DOD; and (2) implement programs to recruit qualified individuals to serve as health care and mental health care personnel.
Title III: Disability Matters - Subtitle A: Disability Evaluations - (Sec. 301) Authorizes the retirement or separation for disability of members on active duty for more than 30 days if the member has six months or more of active service and the disability was not noted at the time of the member's entrance into active duty, unless compelling medical evidence or judgment warrants a finding that the disability existed before the member's entrance into active duty.
(Sec. 302) Requires the Secretary concerned, in making disability determinations, to utilize (without deviating from) the schedule for rating disabilities in use by the VA. Authorizes the Secretary concerned to utilize criteria other than the VA schedule if the criteria will result in a determination of a greater percentage of disability than in the use of the schedule.
(Sec. 303) Directs the Secretary to establish within DOD the Physical Disability Board of Review to review disability determinations made by DOD physical evaluation boards of members who, during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, and ending on December 31, 2009, are: (1) separated from the Armed Forces as unfit for duty due to a medical condition with a disability rating of 20% disabled or less; and (2) found to be ineligible for retirement. Authorizes the Secretary concerned to correct the military records of such individuals in light of any Board of Review findings.
(Sec. 304) Directs the Secretary to carry out pilot programs on the revision and improvement of the disability evaluation system for members. Requires under one of the pilot programs that: (1) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs assign a member a VA-schedule rating of disability, upon which the Secretary concerned shall make a disability determination of the member; (2) disability determinations are made utilizing joint DOD/VA-assigned disability ratings; and (3) the Secretary establishes and operates a single Internet website for the DOD disability evaluation system that enables participating members to utilize such system through the website. Outlines related pilot program purposes. Requires the Secretaries to jointly incorporate any findings and recommendations arising under the pilot programs when updating the comprehensive policy on the care and management of recovering members as required under section 101. Requires: (1) each pilot program to be completed within one year after its commencement; and (2) an interim and final report on the pilot programs from the Secretary to the defense and veterans committees.
(Sec. 305) Requires quarterly reports from the Secretary, until March 1, 2009, on the implementation of DOD corrective measures with respect to the physical disability evaluation system in response to the report of: (1) the Inspector General of the Army on that system; (2) the Independent Review Group on Rehabilitation Care and Administrative Processes at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center; and (3) the Department of Veterans Affairs Task Force on Returning Global War on Terror Heroes.
Subtitle B: Other Disability Matters - (Sec. 311) Increases from 12 to 19 the maximum number of years of service authorized to be used as a multiplier to determine military disability severance pay. Provides minimum years of service for purposes of such determination. Prohibits any deduction from disability severance pay due to payments received as veterans' disability compensation in the case of disability severance pay received by a member for a disability incurred in the line of duty in a combat zone or in combat-related operations as designated by the Secretary.
(Sec. 312) Directs the Secretaries to jointly develop and implement a mechanism to provide for the electronic transfer from DOD to VA of any DOD documents necessary to establish or support the eligibility of a member for benefits under laws administered by the VA at the time of the member's retirement, separation, or release from service.
(Sec. 313) Requires the Secretary and the CG to report an assessment of the continuing utility of the temporary disability retired list in satisfying the purposes for which it was established.
Title IV: Improvement of Facilities Housing Patients - (Sec. 401) Directs the Secretary to establish standards for the accreditation of medical facilities with respect to DOD military medical treatment facilities, specialty medical care facilities, and military quarters or leased housing for patients. Requires that such standards be uniform and consistent across such facilities and across DOD and the military departments. Directs the Secretary to specify a deadline for standards compliance for each facility and report on actions taken to carry out this section.
(Sec. 402) Requires quarterly reports, until March 1, 2009, on implementation of the action plan of the Army to correct deficiencies identified in the condition of facilities, and in the administration of outpatients in medical hold or holdover status, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other applicable Army installations.
(Sec. 403) Directs the Secretary to: (1) assess the feasibility of accelerating the construction and completion of new facilities required to facilitate the closure of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, as directed under the 2005 round of defense base closures and realignments under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990; (2) develop and carry out a plan for the construction and completion of the replacement facilities; (3) submit such plan to the defense and appropriations committees; and (4) make certain certifications to such committees with respect to the plan submitted.
Title V: Outreach and Related Information on Benefits - (Sec. 501) Requires the Secretary to develop, maintain, and update at least annually in handbook and electronic form a description of the compensation and other benefits available to a member (and his or her family members) upon the member's separation or retirement as a result of a serious injury or illness. Directs the Secretary concerned to furnish the handbook to a member (or, if incapacitated, their next of kin) as soon as practicable following such an injury or illness.
Title VI: Other Matters - (Sec. 601) Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for a study on the physical and mental health and other readjustment needs of members and former members who deployed in Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom (and their families) as a result of such deployment. Requires the: (1) NAS to report to the Secretaries upon the completion of each of the two phases of such study; (2) the Secretaries to develop a preliminary and final DOD-VA plan to address the NAS report findings and recommendations; (3) Secretaries to report each plan to Congress; and (4) CG to submit to Congress an assessment of each plan. Authorizes appropriations.


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Islamabad: Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's mother Shamim Akhtar vows to go behind the bar if her son gets arrested.
Akhtar, in a video message, said that she would not let Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Captain (retired) Muhammad Safdar go to jail.
"They are coming home and I would not let them go to jail. If they will be sent to jail, then I will also go with them," Sharif's mother said.
She further asserted, she has faith that all the three are innocent.
"Even the court's verdict states that the charges of corruption have not been proved against them. Then why are they being punished?" she asked, adding that her children are being punished for their loyalty towards the nation.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed in Lahore ahead of Sharif and his daughter's arrival from London
As per Duniya News, the National Highways and Motorway Police have been directed to close all the major entry and exit routes, for preventive measure.
All the arrangement to shift the convicts in Adiala jail through helicopter have been completed and even the accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir has been asked to reach there on July 13.
Nawaz Sharif and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, are set to return back to Pakistan on July 13.
On July 6, Nawaz was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of eight million pounds was slapped on him in the Avenfield reference case, while Maryam was sentenced to seven years of jail and fined two million pounds, by the Pakistan Accountability Court.
Nawaz's son-in-law, captain (retired) Safdar was awarded one-year jail term. (ANI)


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Volunteer tour guides are sought by operators of Surrey Art Gallery.
The guides, known as docents, are needed to lead weekday school groups through the contemporary art exhibitions at the public art gallery, the second largest in Metro Vancouver.
"Our docents come from all walks of life but many are retired," noted Chris Dawson-Murphy, the gallery's volunteer program co-ordinator. "It's a role that appeals to life-long learners and those who like working with children.
"The New Year is always a good time to re-evaluate commitments and perhaps try something new," he added.
Docents work to encourage students to explore a variety of art mediums, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, textiles, videos and sound art.
Experience is not required for this volunteer position, and new docents receive training. New recruits accompany senior docents on tours for the first month.
Also, ongoing training orients docents to new exhibits through lectures and workshops taught by curators, artists and educators.
"There is always something new and exciting happening," stated Ev Zaklan, a volunteer docent at the gallery for more than 17 years.
"You're meeting artists and getting to spend time with the other docents, who are diverse but have similar ideas. My art knowledge has improved immensely. There is the social aspect as well – I've made a lot of friendships."
The next training session begins Feb. 1, and the application deadline is Monday, Jan. 8. For more details, including a list of responsibilities and qualifications, visit the "opportunities" page of surrey.ca/artgallery, or contact Dawson-Murphy (email email@example.com or call 604-501-5198).
Looking ahead, the gallery's new winter exhibit, called Many Visions, Many Versions: Art from Indigenous Communities in India, will open on Jan. 20 with a talk by co-curator Aurogeeta Das, starting at 6:30 p.m. The exhibit features the work of 24 contemporary artists from four major indigenous artistic traditions in India: the Gond and Warli communities of Central India, the Mithila region of Bihar, and the narrative scroll painters of West Bengal.
Also this month, the gallery's satellite venue, UrbanScreen at Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre, will feature Toronto artist Alex McLeod's Phantasmagoria digital art exhibit starting on Jan. 25 and continuing until April 29.
"His art uses digital software to render imagery that moves between two- and three-dimensional space, dissolving the façade between our own physical word and the imagined possibilities of elsewhere," says a post at surrey.ca.
"In a constant game of elaboration, McLeod's subjects remind us of the rules which govern our reality before breaking them in a colourful display of artifice."


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Search The Catalog
Seed Library
Seed Library
Our goal is for every household in Fergus Falls to grow fresh food. Try a windowsill, container or square foot garden. We provide free seeds and education to create a more resilient local food system and healthier community.
Free Seeds
Borrow up to 5 packets of seeds per person (they're free)! Learn "How to Grow and Save Seeds" both for your own garden next year and to return some to the seed library in the fall.
Donate Seeds
Fill out our donation form to contribute your seeds or bring in unused seed packets.
Square Foot Gardening
Thursday, April 12, 6:30-7:30pm
Square foot gardening is the simple practice of planting vegetables in a 4' x 4' raised bed divided into 16 one foot squares. By planting a certain amount of seeds in each square, you can grow twice the amount of food in one-fifth the space, resulting in less work, less watering and more production. This method was created and perfected by Mel Bartholomew.
Local garden enthusiast Jason Bergstrand will discuss how to make a square foot garden during a public education seminar on Thursday, April 12 starting at 6:30pm.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced gardener you will learn new techniques that will make your gardening experience more enjoyable and productive. This seminar is free and open to the public.


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You may not go to such extremes; you may get your melted cheese fix in another, less orchestrated way. Perhaps wresting the dome of caramelized mozzarella from the top of a pizza. Or liberating the crunchy layer of grated Parmesan or Fontina from atop a baking dish of pasta.
But the joys of melted cheese don't have to be stolen. Melted, grilled or baked cheese is a terrific dish in its own right, justly celebrated in many cuisines, where crispy discs of melted Parmigiano-Reggiano or Monterey Jack or caramelized slabs of haloumi (a Cypriot sheep's milk cheese) are served, gasp, right out in the open, even given center stage.
Walk into Jimmy Shaw's Lotería Grill in Hollywood and you can order a plate of chicharrones de queso, a burnished sculpture of grilled shredded Monterey Jack. Think Richard Serra's idea of cheese. Served with a napkin of warm house-made corn tortillas and bowls of salsa verde and guacamole, you break up the cheese and fold it into a tortilla, like a taco. The result is terrific, satisfying and unexpected, like a quesadilla in reverse, with the cheese crisped instead of the tortilla.
The Monterey Jack, a bland and often innocuous cheese, is transformed utterly by a few minutes on Shaw's flattop grill -- or, at home, in a nonstick pan -- into a richly flavorful treat, nutty and crispy as a potato chip or as the fried pork rinds the name recalls.
Pair the chicharrones with any sauce you have on hand, or make a tart, crunchy salsa with tomatillos, radishes, cilantro and cucumbers -- and a healthy dose of jalapeños. You may never eat quesadillas again.
(Shaw likes to melt cheese. In addition to the chicharrones, he has two other melted cheese dishes on his menu: queso fundido, a mixture of Monterey Jack and Muenster that he puts under a broiler until it's gooey and caramelized, then serves with warm tortillas; and queso panela, a seared rectangle of panela, a Mexican cow's milk cheese, that comes topped with spoonfuls of nopales salad and salsa verde.)
Italy's fried cheese
In Italy, similar disks of fried cheese are called frico. The rustic treats are a specialty of Friuli, in northeastern Italy, and are traditionally made with grated Montasio, a cow's milk cheese. When made with Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is more readily available in the United States than Montasio, frico is nutty and cracker-like, with a satisfying saltiness that makes them terrific nosh food.
Eat them out of hand like chips (watch out, they're seriously addictive) or use them as an element in a dish. Top a fennel-apple slaw with a pretty frico, the salt and crunch of the cheese a perfect contrast with the pale, cool reprieve of the salad. Break up a frico and use it like croutons, or place a delicate disk beside a bowl of soup.
With some cheeses, you don't even need to find your grater. Hard, salty cheeses such as haloumi, kasseri and some types of feta are perfect for grilling just the way they are. The interior of the cheese softens while the outside caramelizes, and after a few minutes you'll have a terrific snack.
Claudia Roden, in her updated classic "The New Book of Middle Eastern Food," writes of how fried cheese is a common street food, served in Cairo cafes in hot pans straight from the fire, with a bit of bread and a squeeze of lemon.
Try tossing other things into the skillet along with the cheese, like the sliced pears and spiced dates in Ana Sortun's recipe, from her cookbook "Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean." Sortun uses haloumi, a terrific "grilling cheese" that's mild and salty at once.
Cooking cheese is a very simple procedure, but there are a few important tips, the most important of which is what kind of pan to use. Nonstick pans work the best. The cheese won't stick to the skillet, and you won't have to use any extra oil or coat the cheese with flour, as some recipes call for. Just be sure to use a wooden or plastic spatula to lift or turn the cheese, because you don't want to scratch the pan's coating.
Crispy Monterey
For the chicharrones, simply sprinkle the Monterey Jack onto the pan and cook over medium-low heat for about 7 to 8 minutes, spreading the cheese thinly across the pan as it melts. You don't even have to turn the cheese over; it will crisp, from the bottom up, into a lovely golden disk. (Shaw sprinkles a bit of minced cilantro and onion over the top at this point.) When the cheese is cooked, use a paper towel to blot up the oil it's released and then lift the cheese out of the pan with a spatula and make a free-form shape. Use a spatula or your fingers or -- the cheese will be pretty hot -- just drape the cheese over a rolling pin. You don't have to shape the cheese, of course, but it's fun and looks impressive.
You can make frico in a pan too, but getting them as thin as you want them is far more easily accomplished in the oven. Spread mounds of about 3 tablespoons each of finely grated Parmesan into circles on a lightly greased sheet of parchment. After about eight minutes in a hot oven, they'll be done. Carefully lift the warm frico from the parchment and cool on a rack. The beautiful golden disks are delicate, but they're not as fragile as they look, and you can store them at room temperature in an airtight container for about a week.
Cooking haloumi is just as easy: brown slices of the cheese in a nonstick pan, turn them over and brown the other side. If you want a simple snack, just stop there and serve the cheese with some toasted bread and a squeeze of lemon. Sortun goes a step further, finishing off the haloumi in the oven with caramelized pears and spiced dates quickly cooked in a separate pan. After a few minutes in the oven to blend the flavors and further soften the cheese, take the pan out of the oven, pour in a little ouzo (an anise-flavored Greek liqueur) and set it aflame. (This is a really fun party trick, but be careful when you light this, or anything else, on fire in the kitchen.) The brief flambé burns off the alcohol, adds a glorious sweet note that complements the salt of the cheese, and gives one last bit of caramelization to the dish.
Of course, you can still sneak the extra toasted cheese from your grilled cheese sandwiches -- but once you get the hang of cooking cheese on its own, you might not need to.


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December 27, 2012
Academic medicine has major economic impact on the state and the nation
A report released this week from the Association of American Medical Colleges shows that its member medical schools, teaching hospitals and healthcare systems had a combined economic impact of more than $587 billion in the United States in 2011. The firm Tripp Umbach conducted the economic measurements and analysis.
The not-for-profit association represents 133 accredited medical schools and 255 major teaching hospitals and health systems in the United States, including Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers.
Washington was among the 25 states with the highest economic impact from academic medicine, which encompasses three interwoven missions: training physicians and biomedical scientists, conducting research, and providing patient care.
UW Medicine is one of the largest members of the Association of American Medical Colleges in the country. UW Medicine includes four hospitals (UW Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, Northwest Hospital and Valley Medical Center), the University of Washington School of Medicine; UW Physicians, the largest physician practice plan in the Northwest; UW Neighborhood Clinics; and Airlift Northwest.UW Medicine also shares in the ownership and governance of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and Children's University Medical Group.
The total business volume economic impact of association members in the state of Washington was more than $5.7 billion, an amount that placed Washington 25th in the nation. New York, California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Texas had the highest total business volume impact.
UW Medicine has more than 21,000 employees. Nationally, the Association of American Medical Colleges-represented institutions included in the study employ more than 1.9 million individuals. In 2011, one in every 40 wage earners in the United States worked either directly or indirectly for a U.S. medical school or teaching hospital, the report found.
Although not included in the total $587 billion contribution to the national economy for 2011, a previous analysis by Tripp Umbach found that publicly funded research by association members added nearly $45 billion to the nation's economy in 2009 and accounted for one in every 500 jobs. An appendix on the research findings is included in the full 2012 report. In calculating the state business volume impact of publicly funded research conducted at the Association of American Medical Colleges-member institutions in Washington state, Tripp Umbach ranked Washington ninth in the nation at nearly $1.8 billion in 2009. California ranked No. 1, Massachusetts was No. 2 and New York was No. 3.
Washington state's association-member institutions also generated more than $309 million in state tax revenue.
In addition, the institutions generated nearly $165 million in out-of-state visitor-related revenue (not including charges for medical services) for Washington state. This includes spending in local communities by out-of-state patients and their friends and families. It also includes local community spending by those attending meetings and conferences sponsored by the institutions.
The study team noted that nationally, Association of American Medical Colleges members have "substantial economic and social impacts on their multi-county regions and within the counties and cities where they have operations. … Communities in all regions of the country typically rely on these institutions for job creation, high-quality medical care, advanced research, new business development and education of medical professionals."
The full report is available here.


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We are starting to use Limo Live 24 to handle over flow call and after hours / holidays. The Limo Live team has been great. Ring Central on the other hand has not been so helpful. We have used RC for about 4 years now with very minimal problems. I am having problem get the phones to forward from a queue. This is because when you accept a queue call in RC you have to press 1 to accept the call. Well RC is not handing the call off to Limo Live.
So long story short... Is there anyone that uses both of these services? If so any help or ideas on how you have your system set up is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance for any help
Gary Cooper


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Virginia DH Emphasizes Importance Of Vaccinations
As cases of measles, chickenpox and other vaccine-preventable diseases are reported across the country and in the Commonwealth, the Virginia Department of Health is urging residents to ensure that they and their families are vaccinated.
Measles, a highly contagious but preventable disease, is transmitted through coughing, sneezing, and contact with secretions from the nose, mouth, and throat of an infected individual. The virus can live in the air for several hours after a cough or sneeze.
Especially at risk of infection are children under the age of one year, pregnant women, people who have not been immunized and people with compromised immune systems.
Seven measles cases have been reported in the metropolitan Washington region, including one in Northern Virginia. Several exposure sites in Virginia associated with these cases are listed at the conclusion of this news release. Additionally, several cases of chickenpox have been reported in local schools in Page County.
"The existence of measles in a populous area such as Northern Virginia at a time of the year when people tend to increase their travel throughout the state should be a cautionary signal to all residents. The safest and most effective way to protect you and your family against infectious disease is to ensure that all vaccinations are administered at recommended times and are up-to-date," said State Health Commissioner Karen Remley, M.D., MBA.
Measles' symptoms include rash, high fever, cough, a runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Those infected with chickenpox develop fever, fatigue and an itchy, blister-like rash. Those experiencing such symptoms should immediately call their health care provider. Calling ahead allows health care providers to take proper infection-control measures prior to a patient's arrival.
Vaccines against measles and other preventable diseases are available through primary care physicians and local health departments. Learn more about the recommended vaccine schedules for children, teens, adults and travelers at www.immunizeva.org .
All Virginians should review their immunization records and ask their health care providers to vaccinate them against measles and other preventable diseases as appropriate.


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However, I have recently been quite impressed with the thinking of others on this subject. Firstly, I came across Hazel Owen's blog. Her post on the hypothetical Chan Sook paints a very clear picture of the mindset of our young (and possibly not-so-young) students. Probably others could add equally competitive Web2.0 applications to her list, impressive as it already is. Her mindmeister mind-map is really something to browse. However, I took the liberty of producing an A4 'compression' of her map which is just about readable.
At the other end of the spectrum, I am very grateful to Paul (see comment on 'Cloud Computing?', below) for the link to a most comprehensive 26-page document from Sun Microsystems. If other readers have good documentation or links please respond by commenting.


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The Magenta Book
HM Treasury guidance on what to consider when designing an evaluation.
The Magenta Book is guidance on what to think about when designing an evaluation. It explains how results can be interpreted and presented, and what should be considered in this process.
The Magenta Book outlines how thinking about evaluation before and during policy-making can improve the quality of results produced to evaluate that policy.
The guidance is mostly used by central government, but is also useful for policy-makers in local government, charities and the voluntary sectors.
The book is divided into two parts. The first part is designed for policy-makers. It sets out the benefits of good evaluation and steps that people can take to make sure their policy will produce good quality results for evaluation.
The second part is more technical and goes into more depth about planning and undertaking an evaluation. It is aimed at analysts and policy-makers and explains how to answer evaluation research questions using different types of approaches. It also discusses different ways to approach evaluation evidence.


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Hey guys!
Today I have a swatch and review of the new Essie Summer 2017 collection.
This collection is SPONSORED to me by Essie, but everything I write about it is my honest opinion.
First off is Éclair My Love, which is a pink-leaning red creme.
The formula on this one is amazing and it is a dream to apply - it has the perfect thickness and it is opaque in one or two coat depending on your application. I applied two coats on the picture below, as it had a few dark spots after the first coat. It also dries a little darker than it is in the bottle.
Next up I have Blue-la-la. Blue-la-la is a sky blue creme.
The formula on this one was great as well - a little on the thin side, which is why it needed two to three coats to be opaque (depending on the application). The shade is so worth it though - such a stunner!
Next up is Baguette Me Not - a pink creme with a strong purple undertone.
This polish was such a joy to apply - it is a little on the thin side, but it is easy to apply nonetheless. It needs two easy coats to be fully opaque.
This shade is my favorite from the collection! It is so beautiful!
Time for some S'il Vous Play, which is a metallic pink foil.
The formula on this one is amazing. It needs two thin layers to reach full opacity as it has a few bold spots after only one coat. The dry time is incredible and it quickly dries down to a matte finish.
The only downside to this polish is that it is a pain to remove, but the shade is really unique so it is totally worth it.
Close up!
Next up is Sweet Soufflé - an off-white polish with a few drops of bluish grey and a golden shimmer.
This polish is the only one in the collection that was hard to apply. It needed three runny layers to be completely opaque. The dry time between the layers was good though.
The shimmer was so hard to capture on camera, but you can see it in the close up shot.
Lastly I have Fondant of You, which is an orange polish with a beautiful golden shimmer.
The formula on this shade was good and the dry time between the layers was great. It needed three coats to be fully opaque, as it had a few dark spots after only two coats.
The golden shimmer in this shade looks the same as the shimmer in Sweet Soufflé.
And here's a closer look, where the shimmer is really in your face! So pretty!
My favorites from the collection is Baguette Me Not, Blue-la-la and Éclair My Love, which is the most stunning creme shades for summer!
What do you guys think about this collection? Let me know in the comments.
Stay polished.
- Louise


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As the new legal year starts in London, we're running a short series of posts covering developments and cases you might have missed over the summer. This first post in the series looks at the UK and EU position papers on Judicial Cooperation in Civil and Commercial Matters.
Since the Brexit Referendum of June 2016, there has been uncertainty as to how the current conflict of laws regimes concerning civil and commercial matters will change. (Other civil matters are outside the scope of this brief note.)
Until recently, there had been no indication from governmental levels as to the proposals both for the wind-down of the current regime and for the future basis of judicial cooperation (if any) between the UK and EU Member States. This summer saw the publication of position papers by both the EU and the UK. On 12 July 2017, the EU published its Position Paper on Judicial Cooperation in Civil and Commercial Matters. On 22 August 2017, the UK published its paper entitled "Providing a cross-border civil judicial cooperation framework: a future partnership."
Both papers set out proposals for the "wind-down" period. The EU paper makes no proposals for any new relationship between itself and its former member, the UK. The UK makes some high level proposals in this regard. Continue reading


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Child On A Leash
from the album "Mr. Buechner's Dream"
Music by Daniel Amos, Words by T. S. Taylor
©2001 Zoom Daddy/BMI
I'm asking you why
I never get inside the place
that I belong
Whenever I
Think I've got a hold of you
that's when
You're gone
And I'm feeling like a child on a leash
Theres a hand just outside of my reach
Theres a light on in another room
I'll arrive too late and leave too soon
I just die
Whenever I get sight of you you're
Movin on
I wanna cry
When I think I've got it right
and then it goes
All wrong
Where would I go?
(it's always back to you)
Where would I run?
(it's always back to you)
What would I do?
(it's always back to you)
Forever back to you
Forever back to you
And i'm wondering why
I just die
I just die
I just die
I just die


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Sarasota™ Pool Fence - 4' High
Quick Overview
Our Sarasota™ 4' vinyl pool fence provides the safety and strength you expect in swimming pool fencing while also adding beauty to your yard. Its alternating picket sizes and your choice of color combine to create a unique and beautiful addition that you won't find with other 4 ft. vinyl pool fencing.
Also available in the following height:
Height: 4' & 5' (has Mid-Rail)
Picket Style: 7/8"x3" & 7/8"x1.5"
alternating (1.7" picket spacing)
Color: White, Tan, Khaki
Installation Instructions
This classy fence offers a combination of two different size pickets creating a unique and destinctive look. All fence sections are pre-routed for quick, on-site assembly. Both top and bottom rails are "notched" so when you insert them in the posts they will not come out and the bottom rail has an aluminum insert for extra strength!
Customer Reviews
Likely to RecommendGreat Experience Review by Anonymous / (Posted on August 24, 2015)I would just like to say that my shopping experience with USA Vinyl has been great. The product that I ordered was of very good quality and better than any box store can offer. I would definitely recommend them for any project you may have that encompasses fencing.
Likely to RecommendVery Satisfied Review by Anonymous / (Posted on August 6, 2015)Very satisfied with merchandise; speed in receiving items is extraordinary. Thank you
Likely to RecommendGreat To Work With Review by Anonymous / (Posted on May 19, 2015)[Sales Associate] was great to work with and very helpful when working through an on site issue that saved us money and time. Will be ordering again in the Fall when we do the rear deck as well.
Likely to RecommendReview Review by Anonymous / (Posted on November 17, 2014)Excellent products! Very high quality.
Likely to RecommendReview Review by Anonymous / (Posted on September 10, 2014)Great product and service.
Likely to RecommendA+ Review by Toney Livingston, AR / (Posted on February 17, 2014)My buying experience was A+. My [Sales Associate] was very knowledgeable and quick to respond. I received my product promptly and it looks great!
Likely to RecommendPleased Review by Joe Vancosky, PA / (Posted on July 17, 2013)I could not be any more pleased with the customer service I received before and at the time of the sale, the support after the sale, and the quality of the products I purchased. I look forward to doing business with your company again and again. You bet I will recommen you to others. Thank you!
Likely to RecommendReview Review by Anonymous / (Posted on July 11, 2013)ON A SCALE OF 1-10 I GIVE YOUR STAFF A 12


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Summer Jam XX didn't disappoint with some great performances (Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang) and some er, surprise guests. In case you weren't in the tri-state area or missed the live feed, we decided to put together a gallery of the kicks your favorite celebs were rocking on Sunday. Hit the jump to check out What Sneakers Celebrities Wore At Summer Jam XX and let us know who you thought brought the best heat.
RELATED: Sneakers That Famed Sneakerheads Will Un-Deadstock This Summer
RELATED: The Best Sneakers Worn at Hot 97's Summer Jam the Past 10 Years


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There are 21 stands at the exhibition area of the conference which are buzzing with energy and enthusiasm conveying the core of eTwinning: collaboration, innovation and creativity. There are stands that promote working with colleagues of different disciplines and teaching backgrounds, such as the projects that put different sciences together and those that celebrate creativity and the formation of strongly bonded school teams.
It is worth visiting the stands of the winning projects where you can find out more about the process of their creation and the benefits they have had on the students who worked on them!


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Philippines --An ancient bone discovered in the Philippines suggests that humans have been living there for a lot longer than previously thought.The tiny foot bone was found near a cave in the northern part of the country. It's believed to have come from a 4-foot tall pygmy-like adult.
Previously, the oldest human remains in the Philippines were from 47,000 years ago. The archaeologist who has it says this bone is much, much older.
"With the dating, (it) goes ? roughly 67,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest Homo sapiens remains in Asia Pacific," Dr. Armand Salvador Mijares said.
That would pre-date the other bones by some 20,000 years. However, more testing still needs to be done to confirm the age.


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SU College of Education schedules fall Teacher Job Fair
Southern University's College of Education, Arts and Humanities will host a fall Teacher Job Fair, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sept. 17, in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.
The Job Fair will be held in conjunction with the university's fall 2014 Career Exploration Day that will also be held at the same site and time.
Recruiters from districts in Louisiana and across the country have been invited to interview interested candidates in all areas of certification. All teachers, current and prospective, as well as school counselors are invited to attend.
For more information, contact: Ronnie Foster at 225-771-5272, email@example.com; Thunder Thomas at 225-771-2290, firstname.lastname@example.com; Deborah Washington at 225-771-2291, firstname.lastname@example.com; or visit firstname.lastname@example.com.


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A year ago I started to work in my personal project, my painting book.
24th October 2013 I decided the beginning of my new future, a new goal in my career.
Well, I had the idea but would it be possible?... what do I need?
First of all, IDEA
Yes, I had a lot of ideas on my head and I wanted a good book , a new
approach, Infinity has a stunning universe, Gutier Lusquiños is a great
writer so I read the Infinity background, it gave me inspiration, I
wanted conversions, busts and new world.
Second point, FINANCING
self financing or private financing, easy question, I decided to finance my book myself.
I don't like Kickstarter, banks,etc.... this one is an easy way and I really prefer the effort.
"working hard and you'll get rewards" these words were said to me for a
good person years ago so I worked hard and I got to save money for my
Third place, TAX ADVICE
If you someday makes a project, this point is very important.
I have an amazing tax advice team, they said to me if this project was
possible, if it was profitable,market study, advantages and
disadvantages about this one,etc......
I really appreciate their help.
Fourth point, TEAM
If you want to make a good project, you HAVE to HAVE the best team.
The choice of team was so easy, on my head I knew who were those people
so I talked to them and they said to me, yes Angel!, we can!, thanks so
much guys
Fifth, COLLABORATORS
when I had my book planned, I presented this one to Corvus Belli and
Acrylicos Vallejo because I want to sell this book around the world and
these two companies can do it.
I work in CB since 2003 and each day I
enjoy painting their models, possibly in some years CB will be the
number one in the miniature's world.
With Acrylicos Vallejo I
collaborate since 2010 and I just can say they have the best paints,
Game Air, Model Color, Brushes etc.... so good.
I just have words of thanks, I really appreciate their confidence in this project.
And last, YOU
This book was written for you
You can learn how I paint Infinity models from A to Z, colors list, techniques, tricks so on.......,
I hope you like it.
In a few weeks I'll finish my book and the translators's team will
start with the translation so I think that the book will be printed in
the last week of December.
Also I'm receiving many questions about
this one but, keep calm guys,the day is closer and in a few months I'll
publish all information about how you can get my painting book!
Angel Giraldez


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1970 Chevelle SS454 LS6
Juan Carlos and Son's 1970 Chevelle SS454 LS6
Here is a photo of Juan Carlos's and son Josh's 1970 Chevelle LS6 on delivery day after a no expense spared nut and bolt frame off restoration. This Chevelle won "Best in Class" and "Outstanding Chevrolet" at it's first and only car so so far.
The car is 1 of 4 special factory order LS6 cars with Hugger Orange paint.
Juan Carlos and Josh already have another '70 SS454 LS6 in the works that will actually get driven!
Send your pictures with a story to:


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Have you ever thought your house was older than the date listed on your property report? Find it odd that many property reports list 1900 as the year built? Perhaps everyone in Iowa City had house-building fever at the beginning of the 20th century, but the more likely reason is that this date was the generic date used for anything built around 1900 when the files were moved to an electronic version. (There are other theories on these dates and if you have one, please let us know.) If you need a better estimate than "old," there are a few resources you can turn to at the Iowa City Public Library and online.
Melody discussed one of them, city directories, in a recent blog post. You can look up by address and trace your house that way. They offer interesting information about who lived there as well as employment.
Following the Civil War, the Sanborn Company started drawing detailed maps of buildings in urban areas to indicate fire hazards. The bonus, unintended consequence is that we have a great resource in observing cities develop, as well as changes to a specific property. They are available for over 12,000 locations throughout the United States, including Iowa City. On microfilm, ICPL has Iowa City maps for the years 1883, 1888, 1892, 1899, 1906, 1912, 1920, 1926, and 1933. Iowa City is about halfway through each reel. The image to the right is from the 1892 map of the corner of Market and Gilbert (the current block of John's Grocery). The old high school is in the bottom right corner, where a parking garage for Mercy is currently located. (Our new microfilm reader allows you to crop and edit images, as well as print, email, or save your information.)
Johnson County GIS Property Information Viewer
If your house was built between 1930 and the present, you can view aerial maps of your property on the Johnson County GIS Property Information Viewer website. Some images are clearer than others (the image below is from the 1960's and is clear enough), but it is interesting to see how your house, as well as the property around it has changed. It also allows you to layer attributes to the map, including elevations, flood hazards, and zoning.
Happy searching!


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Be more efficient and comply with driver fatigue laws to keep your drivers safe
Map and track your vehicles, communicate with drivers, and maximise fleet productivity
Increase fleet revenue, decrease fleet costs, and minimise compliance fines
The road ahead. Learn how to keep your drivers safe and your business compliant
Learn about DIRECTOR's features and benefits
Learn how to improve fatigue management with EWDs
The data you need to build a stronger fleet.
Successful fleet management starts with powerful telematics.
Learn how GPS fleet tracking supports fleet management.
"We immediately noted changes to company efficiency with significant increases in productive hours with drivers, workshop technicians and mechanics and office staff. Teletrac Navman is helping us to trace production hours daily and enhancing our ability to have accurate and timely accounts issued." — Gore Earthmoving
"For an organisation like ours, being able to gain further efficiencies in our fleet system means we are able to focus more of our time, energy and resources where they should be – engaging directly with the people and communities we are supporting. Teletrac Navman has done a great job of understanding our business needs and supporting us to find the best solutions." — Life Without Barriers
"Since installing the Teletrac Navman/iCOS LIVE online transport management systems has grown by 35%. Two years ago we were struggling to complete 20 to 30 jobs a day, while now we are consistently delivering between 55 and 80 jobs per day. It's a demonstration of track and trace at its best." — Scuzztrans


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For our SC Challenge #86 Marianne has made another great SKETCH for you to play with :)
Bunny Zoe's Crafts has sponsored us with one last great price this month, and the DT has made some beautiful samples for you to have a look at (as always), so check out the SC Challenge Blog :)
I've made another card using one of the cutest Cuddle Buddly digi-images - hope you enjoy it :)
Folding: Easel-Card
Ink: Archival Ink - Jet Black, Distress Ink - Pumice Stone.
Stamps: Cuddly Buddly - Toby Tumble "Special Friends" (digi-image), Whimsy Stamps - Raindrop Echo "Treasured Moments Tickets".
Colouring: Prismacolor Premier Pencils.
Papers: MME - Stella Rose "Hazel", Bazzill - bright pink & ivory cardstock, copy paper 280g.
Tools: Spelbinders - Nesting Classic Rectangles, Whimsy Stamps - Shapeology "Ticket Die".
Embellishments: Wild Orchid Crafts - Cherry Blossoms, Open Paper Roses 20 mm, 15 mm & 10 mm, Rosebuds 4 mm, Wild Rose 25 mm, Self Adhesive Pearls.
I'm entering these challenges with this card:
Paper Sundaes - Anything Goes
One Stop Craft - Easel Cards
Hanna and Friends - Anything Goes
Southern Girls - Anything Goes
Some Odd Girl - Colour Challenge
Digistamps 4 Joy - Anything Goes
The Paper Shelter - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - Punches/Dies
Scrap Creations - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Creature Comforts
By The Cute and Girly - All things bright and beautiful
Creatalicious - Anything Goes
Thanks for looking - have a great week!
Hugs, Lena Katrine


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"Bow In My Presence" has a light turquoise tinted glitter base with larger, mulitcolored hex glitter (2 layers shown):
"Jewels For Your Highness" (the one that I lost, tragically, in my last trip) has a pink-lavender base with the same larger, multicolored hex glitters:
"Speak When Spoken To" has a blue base with multicolored larger glitter pieces:
I then put just one layer of "Born Into Privilege" over this. I love the combination! It reminds me of mermaids and the ocean:


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Boise ● Meridian ● Eagle ● Nampa ● Caldwell ● Kuna
* 10% Off for All First Time Customers *
(208) 949-9680
Professional Plumbing Services at a Fair Price.
Hi, I'm Michael, owner of Knight Plumbing. As a family-owned and operated business, we take great pride in our quality of work. We specialize in all phases of plumbing and flood restoration. Our highly trained staff will locate the root of your problem and provide you with professional service of the highest caliber at a fair price.
Knight Plumbing provides commercial and residential plumbing services to the entire Boise, Idaho / Treasure Valley area including Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Kuna and Eagle. In addition, we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for any plumbing emergency.
Customer Satisfaction is Our #1 Priority.
5 Star Service Guarantee
"These guys are the most professional hard working friendly plumbers in Boise. We called another plumbing place and they tried charging me double what I payed from Knight plumbing. Very satisfied customers. We will definitely use them again for all our plumbing needs."Urwin YolandaGoogle Review
More Customer Reviews From Google
These guys are awesome. They were here in a timely manner and very professional. Their work was perfect and decently priced. Highly recommended. Thanks Knight Plumbing!Tamara TeagueGoogle Review
They helped us out of a bad spot. We had a pipe bust in the night and woke up at 6am to a nasty mess. These guys answered the phone and immediately came out. They were very professional and didn't overcharge us. We will use Knight for all our future plumbing and restoration needs! Thanks guys!Amber MarloweGoogle Review
These guys were fast, courteous, affordable, and did a really great job. I will recommend Knight Plumbing to all my family and friends.Michael SorensonGoogle Review
My main water line recently started to leak and I had to have my water turned off on a Saturday. I was able to get 3 quotes for my issue, one of them being from Mike at knight plumbing. I decided to go with knight plumbing because he was honest and didn't try and push me into replacing the whole water line like the other companies wanted to do. The prices are fair and I never felt like I was being overcharged... His price was less than half of what Mr. Rooter wanted to charge me for the repair. I was able to get the leak fixed and water turned back on the next day. Great service and great pricing. I would highly recommend this company.Rachel StrangGoogle Review
Knight Plumbing answered the call from our insurance. The willow tree roots damaged the main line to the house. They were cheerful even when the leak spotter put them 6 foot off the leak and needed to dig another big hole.. They sawed many roots some as big as 4 inches across and worked in freezing and muddy conditions at times. Courteous always. Cleaned the area up when done. Highly recommend them to all. Thank You.Cheryl ScottGoogle Review
Locally owned and operated. We don't pay franchise fees and we pass those savings on to you.
(208) 949-9680


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Martin Scorsese is finally filming "Silence" a film based on the book by Shusuku Endo about the persecution of Japanese Christians under the Shoguns. (This story recently made the news because someone was killed in an accident on the set.) Scorsese has talked about making this film for decades. (The book has already been adapted to a film in Japan.) Shusuku Endo was a Japanese Catholic Christian.
In this book, Endo chose to tell the story of persecuted Japanese Christians through the perspective of European missionaries. I felt that it would have been better to tell the story through the perspective of the Japanese, as Endo does in "The Samurai" about Hasekura Rokuemon Tsunenaga (or "Francisco Felipe Faxicura", as he was baptized in Spain) who crossed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in a failed hope to bring the Gospel and global trade to Japan, and in "Final Martyrs."
It would be interesting to see the story of Amakusa Shiro (as told in "The Nobility of Failure" by Ivan Morris). Anakusa Shiro was a teenage Samurai who fought to protect Japanese Christians from persecution. The revolt of Japanese Christians against the oppression is called the Shimabara Rebellion (which took place in the 1630s). Eventually, he was captured and executed. Many Japanese Christians consider him to be a saint. (However, although he died as a martyr, Shiro threatened to return in one hundred years to exact vengeance for his death. Interestingly, Chinese Nestorian Christians also accepted the idea of reincarnation. They preached that Christ freed the believer from the cycle of reincarnation.)
Japan was being won to Christianity through the efforts of Catholic missionaries. The English and the Dutch then convinced the Shogun that the Catholics represented a threat to his rule. (As the result of their Calvinistic beliefs, the British and the Dutch believed that the Japanese were non-Elect and as such, Jesus did not die on the cross for them. The British had strictly financial and trade interests in the East and at the time had no interest in sharing the Gospel with the local peoples, at that time. They viewed the success of Portuguese missionaries as a threat to their economic interests. At this time in history, Catholics engaged in missionary work and Protestants did not. In fact, William Carey was not allowed to Evangelize in British India and the British allowed barbaric customs such as suttee, in which the widow was thrown into her husband's funeral pyre, to persist for decades under British rule.) As a result, the Shogun brutally suppressed Christianity and closed Japan from any foreign contact (sakoku) until Commodore Perry forced Japan to open up to the rest of the world in 1852-1853. Until that time practice of Christianity was a capital crime.
The long sustained persecution of Japanese Christians devastated the church-however, it did survive. One of the fascinating things about the Japanese is that Japanese Christianity survived underground for centuries.
The Japanese who retained the Christian beliefs and practices, often in garbled forms are called the "Kakure Kirishitan" meaning the "Hidden Christians. (They attempted to write down the Bible stories as best they could. The Kakure Kirishitan scriptures are a very interesting read. It is admirable, how these people maintained their Christian beliefs the best they could, without access to the Bible or missionaries.)
Approximately 30,000 secret Christians, some of whom had adopted these new ways of practicing Christianity, came out of hiding when religious freedom was re-established in the mid-19th century, after Perry's visit.
(Note: America dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, one of the centers of Japanese Christianity. In fact, ground zero was very near the Urakami Cathedral, which was destroyed in the explosion, but subsequently rebuilt. Many Americans believe that it was necessary to use the atomic bomb to bring a swift end to a long and terrible war. My personal feeling is that, while it may have been necessary to develop the technology for the bomb, lest the Nazis or Communists gain that knowledge first, it should never have been used, especially on civilian targets as it was. I respect other peoples' opinions, but in mine Hiroshima and Nagasaki repent crimes against humanity. Of course, the Japanese committed many war crimes, as can be seen in the book and the movie "Unbroken," but a "Christian" civilization should be held to a higher standard. The Japanese who committed atrocities against Mr. Zamperini and others and at the Rape of Nanking should have been arrested and punished. Unfortunately, the man who tortured Mr. Zamperini was able to get amnesty.)
After Japan was opened again to the West, Nicolai Kasatkin was able to found the Japanese Orthodox Church, which flourished until the Russo-Japanese War, but endured through, and survived the conflict. This was due to the respect that Saint Kasatkin was held in by the Japanese. (The Nichorai-do, or Holy Resurrection Cathedral, founded by Saint Kasatkin still stands in Tokyo.)
Endo often wondered why Christianity has never been able to gain ground in Japan. It seems like the one opportunity to win Japan to Christ was blunted by the British and the Dutch. Today, Japan is less than 1% Christian.
Christianity has had several starts in China as well. It thrived in the Nestorian form under the Chinese and Mongolian emperors. Nestorian churches still stand in China. They look like typical pagodas. But this is an example of how Christianity is able to adapt to different cultures. The Nestorian Church declined and endured as a persecuted minority until the small and dwindling Nestorian Chinese were converted to Roman Catholicism. It is interesting that later a form of Christianity almost took over China.
Hong Xiuquan claimed to be the brother of Jesus Christ and led the Tiaping Revolution (which took place roughly the same time as the American "Civil" War). His new religion could be described as perhaps a Chinese equivalent to American Mormonism. The story is told in "God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan" by Jonathon Spencer. Hong Xiuquan tried to pass the state test in order to become part of the Chinese bureaucracy. He failed, as did all but 5% of those who took the test. (At the time, China portrayed itself as a meritocracy in which anyone who passed the state tests could rise in government.) In the height of his power, Hong Xiuquan ruled over 30 million people. However, at least 20 million people in the Tiaping revolt. The Manchu government was able to crush this quasi-Christian revolt, with the help of the British and the French. (So we see that the British were instrumental in crushing Japanese Christianity, and in crushing a large professed Christian movement in China.)
The Chinese government currently holds that the Tiaping revolution did bring needed social reform, such as sexual equality and social justice for peasants.
It is fascinating to see how China and Japan have responded to the Gospel.
Endo's "Life of Jesus" is a retelling of the story of Jesus from a Japanese perspective. Endo feels that the reason that Japan has been resistant to the Gospel is because of the way it is presented from the patriarchal Western perspective. According to Endo, it is the matriarchal approach that the Japanese would find more appealing. This is surprising seeing that Japan has been a strongly militaristic culture in the past. Endo's "Life of Jesus" is based on serious historical research. It isn't as though Endo has created a new Japanese Zen-Buddhist Jesus, in the way that Jesus is seemingly presented as a Taoist sage in some of the "Jesus Sutras" Nestorian Chinese literature.
The movie "Silence" could be effective in telling the story of the terrible persecution that Japanese Christians suffered, a story that many in the West are unfamiliar with, and perhaps encourage people to read Endo's other works, such as his life of Christ, and look at the Gospel message through a totally different, and non-Western perspective.


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We support the statement that "Council has committed to stepping up its action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions" ( Intro para., page 1) .
Lighter Footprints suggests that:
- To achieve the "Low Carbon Future" target of 30 - 40% reduction in GHG's by 2020 (Corporate target) , the Council needs to set a Performance target of 3 to 4% reduction each Budget over the 10 years from 2010 to 2020. (reference page 65 of SSC Agenda 21 June 2010, and also p.29 of DRAFT Budget 2010-11).
- Council consider engagement of a consultant to do an extensive energy audit of all Council facilities and one who can work collaboratively with Council stakeholders to develop the required 'Performance target' roadmap. (for example consultants with expertise in Energy Efficiencies Opportunities for major businesses - Federal legislation)
- Council accelerate its "Buildings Sustainability" program in 2010-11, by adopting specific measures (such as 6-star standards) to provide assets that will be assets rather than legacies, in a 'low carbon', 'low rainfall' future.
- Council adopt a fiscal approach whereby the additional 10% building cost is seen as an investment. An investment that ensures Council assets will be cheaper to operate for the next 25 years. The 10% capital cost for 6-star assets could be covered by phasing of cashflow in budget cashflow terms of one building 6 months later. For example, Hawthorn Library, Hawthorn Town Hall Arts Precinct and Camberwell Library & Office projects will cost $12.8m.....in order to achieve 6-star with 10% on-cost of $1.2 million, one building would be delayed 6 months.
The GHG target be achieved by a strategic & systematic approach to :
- Energy efficiency of buildings, particularly for new and re-development capital projects ;
- roll-out of Cogen projects;
- modernize HVAC (heating, ventilating, air-conditioning),
- Procurement Policies e.g. Vehicles with low emission (including diesel), bikes, etc;
- Eco-buy procurement forum;
- T5 street lighting; Behavioural awareness training of all employees;
- carbon-storage in form of trees and soil, other generated from comprehensive energy audit.
Michael Nolan, on behalf of Lighter Footprints


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Located in the centre of Farnham in Surrey, Borelli's is a contemporary wine bar and grill set in the historic Borelli Yard, one of the best locations in Farnham.
The olive green and white walls, polished wood and tiled floors help to create a warm and welcoming space at night, while the big windows let in plenty of sunlight during the day.
The main menu offers a great variety of seriously good chargrilled range of beef and chicken dishes, salads and starters. Dining al fresco during the warmer weather in the spacious courtyard is very popular.
The venue offers two bars, the wine bar provides a vibrant atmosphere, the first floor bar being more relaxed and suited to dining. The friendly service and comprehensive wine list, with many wines available by the glass, make Borelli's a local gem you'll undoubtedly visit more than once.
Please Note: As per tastecard rules failure to pre-book and mention tastecard prior to dining will result in discount not being applied. Borellis Wine Bar & Grill are advertised as offering the tastecard discount to a maximum of 2 people per tastecard booking and do not accept multiple cards, larger parties will not be accepted. We encourage members to drink 'paid for drinks' at this restaurant and not just tap water; this encouragement reflects the idea that the scheme works for everyone. The discount is on the a la carte menu only, does not include weekly specials, fixed priced meals, the Light lunch menu. As per tastecard rules, tastecard is never in conjunction with any other offer.


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Degrees and Certifications:
Mr. Kevin Curry
Hello!My name is Kevin Curry. Currently, I am teaching my eighth year of specialeducation. I graduated from Hedgesville High School in 1999. I continued myeducation to West Liberty University, in Wheeling. While at West Liberty Iplayed golf for the Hilltoppers. I also completed my master's degree inEducational Leadership and Public School Administration from West VirginiaUniversity. I am also a high school umpire in baseball. In my spare time Ienjoy playing golf and pretty much any activity outside.