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Last night, my friend Darren and I attended the TechCrunch Seattle Web 2.0 Party. The event was sponsored by local startups: Redfin, Farecast, and TripHub. It was the expected shmooze-fest of young, un-profitable new businesses, established big-guns chatting and hinting at their grand plans, and plenty of regular folk all wanting a piece of the pie. Here's the summary of the few demos saw and various conversations we had…
- The entire event was very Redfin-centric. They were the biggest sponsor, their brand was most prominent, and they also launched a redesign of their site the same day, as well as expanding their service to the San Francisco area.
- Redfin launched "Redfin Direct� in Jan/Feb for direct purchasing of houses online. They've gotten some attention for cutting into real-estate agents' territory. They take a much smaller commission themselves and "refund� the standard commission back to the homebuyer.
- Redfin seems far from profitable, but they actually have a developing business model, unlike some of the other startups represented.
- "Redfin Direct" or house-buying online is clearly a disruptive technology that has the potential to do serious harm to the antiquated beast that has become of typical real estate.
- Their proprietary algorithm "predicts� when the best time to travel and buy airline tickets is, based on historical fare data.
- The demo of their site was very pretty, with clear graphs displaying the high/low trends of ticket pricing. (drop me a line if you want one of my 25 invites to the private beta)
- They have funding, but their business model seems rather weak. They don't actually sell tickets through their service, they simply link off to individual airline sites, or to an Orbitz affiliate site. They're also pursuing licensing of their algorithm to airlines or other sites.
- The least impressive of the bunch, although they found themselves some funding somewhere.
- The idea is that they are a central place to plan group trips. Adding friends' information, you can share invitations and plans with people for family reunions, group vacations, etc.
- They do not sell hotel reservations, or airline tickets. They simply link to Hotels.com or other services for the actual purchase process.
- Their service basically boils down to a glorified e-mail list.
- Zillow had a large attendance at the party, I'm sure partly due to their competitor Redfin sponsoring, as well as their hefty 100+ local staff (compared to Redfin's lean ~25).
- Zillow's Maps: Chatted with one dev about their mapping. It looks very much like Google Maps, but is an entirely custom built interface, from a similar map provider as what Google uses.
- Zillow vs. Redfin: Judging from this event, and Redfin's brand new features, the winner seems to be Redfin. Zillow's business model is ad-supported (definitely not a bad idea), but they merely offer a house value comparison/searching tool.
- Lots of Microsoft attendance (of course, being in MS's backyard and all). I didn't talk to anyone directly, but as always they have plenty of things developing, and they're keeping a close eye on the Web 2.0 space.
- Amazon Web Services is launching and will be heavily promoting their Web Services with IMDB. The developer we talked to was very excited at the buzz around IMDB applications.
- The marketing manager for Rhapsody (Real Networks) was there handing out free trial cards. They are also releasing their web services in the next couple weeks. Unlike Amazon, he just wanted people to make "cool stuff� using Rhapsody Web Services. What aspirations!
- Only saw a couple Googlers (Google Earth?)
- Chris Pirillo is very small
So, Web 2.0? At this event: A lot of hype, a little bit of funding, and shaky business models. All-in-all it was a good time, and we had some good conversation, listened to marketing pitches, and laughed at the buzz and lingo. What a great place to play Buzzword Bingo.


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Emily Jane White – They Moved In Shadow All Together (2016)
320 kbps | 103 MB | UL | OB | BF | TB
The title of Emily Jane White's fifth album, "They Moved in Shadow All Together", is a play on the opening line from Cormac McCarthy's novel Outer Dark.
The 11 songs focus conceptually upon the symptomatology of trauma, a pattern of experiences marked by a fragmentation of the self. These songs contend with the impact of trauma on individual and collective identity – the shattered pieces within the psyche left to cope after tragedy, and the dissociative co-habitance of belief and disbelief that results. White wrote "The Black Dove" in support of the anti-racist struggle against police violence. In "Womankind" she mourns the continuing epidemic of violence against women, and the silences that suppress the truths of survivors.
White's new body of work recounts for us the terrain of her empathic inner world. The breadth and depth of her maturing voice are evident. Her layered vocals effect a sense of camaraderie, a space populated with voices, angelic perhaps, definitively ethereal. She studied classical singing while working on this album, which enabled her to broaden her vocal range. Throughout the recording process, she experimented extensively in the echo chamber at John Vanderslice's Tiny Telephone studio in San Francisco. She used the room as her instrument, wherein she gave herself permission to roam free, exploring every capability and constraint.

subset: commoncrawl


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Bay Bridge ospreys' nest removed; birds rebuild
ANNAPOLIS – A pair of ospreys whose nest had been removed by state transportation workers because it was blocking a traffic camera rebuilt the nest, only to have it removed again.
The back-and-forth between the migratory birds and the Maryland Transportation Authority began Friday when the state agency tried to move the nest on a pole that holds a traffic camera on the Bay Bridge.
Agency spokesman John Sales said officials got permission to move the nest from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The nest did not contain eggs or young birds.
The transportation agency said workers tried to move the nest, but it fell apart.
Sales told WTOP that on Monday, workers found that the birds had built a new nest on the same spot. Workers again removed it.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Leave a Comment:
18 comments
I just want to thank you for your work. This website is a fantastic resource.Reply
I sincerely appreciate hearing that. It's my pleasure.Reply
RE: Gut permeability… gelatin may be useful for that as well as a number of other inflammatory issues: http://chriskresser.com/5-reasons-why-even-vegetarians-need-gelatinReply
The only time I have a problem with depression is when I read your other blog.
Where is the RSS feed? With an RSS feed, roguehealthandfitness would pop up in my news aggregator, and I would not have to go looking for it. Studies have shown that being a big fat guy is highly correlated with laziness.Reply
Here: http://roguehealthandfitness.com/feed/Reply
There's a software program that might help some. It's called f.lux. Works like programmed blueblockers. It changes the screen on your computer to be more red and less blue at night. You can change the redness and timing.Reply
Omega-3 supplementation might be worth a try. Avoid omega-6 as well.Reply
[…] Rogue Health and Fitness – Depression is an Inflammatory Disease […]Reply
[…] much of my adult life I had struggled with depression, anxiety, and anger issues. In my mid-20s with young children I had little patience. The anger was […]Reply
I love these articles connecting the dots… i.e. depression and other diseases so prevalent today connected to inflammation. I would only mention here that "take care of your teeth and gums" is a bit of an oversimplification. One thing I've learned and anecdotally observed in myself is that healthy teeth and gums comes from within. This was observed throughout Dr. Weston A. Price's work outlined in Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, where cultures who didn't have access to modern foods with highly refined flour and sugar didn't have dental caries (cavities). I've noticed that I brush my teeth substantially less now than I used to, sometimes going days between brushing, with no cavities and very white teeth. My teeth have seemed to "remineralize" and become stronger, resisting staining for how much I like to drink tea, coffee and dark tannin-rich red wine. Teeth and gums are living organisms, so they respond to healthy interventions and reflect our bone health and the health of our gut flora very directly.Reply
Thanks, Aaron. I agree. The fact that there's a separate specialty, dentistry, for our teeth, and that everyone needs to have regular checkups and/or tooth repair, doesn't seem to have made people notice the problem there.Reply
[…] serotonin "imbalance" doesn't cause depression, what does? Depression is an inflammatory disease. Anything that fights inflammation will fight depression: exercise, weight loss, low-carbohydrate […]Reply
[…] Depression is a physical sickness that manifests as a mental illness. We know this because of the physical signs and symptoms that accompany depression: fatigue, insomnia or hypersomnia, significant weight loss or gain, and others. It follows that treating the physical aspects of depression can alleviate the mental aspects. Here are five ways to fight depression. […]Reply


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When I was introducing shapes to my 1st grade students I this year assumed that they did know many of their shapes due to their kindergarten and 1st grade math curriculum. But I didn't want to assume they were all on track without a quick assessment. I choose 6 simple shapes (circle, oval, triangle, rectangle, square and rhombus) to ask student to become the experts with and teach others. I gave each class a bag filled with manipulatives that they were asked to develop and then share with the rest of the class what the shape was, and how it was made.
As you will see in the video below I asked the students to go from table to table to learn about the shapes from their peers. When this 20 minute lesson was done we created and learned about more shapes using shaving cream (see previous post).


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So I gave the Max Factor Pan-Stik a try, and this is my review:
First, this is a full-coverage foundation, so it'll cover any redness/acne you have on your skin, which is a plus for me and my eczema! The foundation also has an old lady smell to it. However, you can't smell it once you've applied it to your face.
When you first apply the foundation, it's beautiful and flawless. I love how it makes my face look! Enjoy it while it lasts, though. Three hours later it'll all be sitting in your pores, will easily come off your face and make every flaw visible. Needless to say I am unimpressed with this foundation, and am once again foundationless. *SIGH*
The next foundation I buy will be Laura Mercier's Silk Creme Foundation! It's a full coverage foundation specifically made for dry skin, so this would be perfect for my eczema, methinks. And Sephora has a great return policy, so I'm not too concerned if it ends up not being my cup of tea. 🙂


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Newspoint Bureau
Batote, November 28
Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh convened a meeting to review the functioning of Municipal Committees of Batote, Ramban and Banihal areas at Batote today.
Legislators, Neelam Kumar Langeh and Vikar Rasool, Commissioner/Secretary Housing and Urban Development, Hirdesh Kumar, DC Ramban, Mohammad Aijaz, Director ULB, Jammu, Soujanya Sharma besides other officers were present on the occasion.
The Deputy Chief Minister announced Rs 20 lakh each for the three municipalities and directed the officers to make judicious use of funds for the implementation of various schemes launched by the Government so that the benefits of such schemes percolates down to the needy people. He also called upon the officers of these Committees to take concrete steps to make the functioning of these bodies more vibrant and result-oriented so that they become self-sustained. He asked them to explore possibilities to develop some income generating assets for the smooth functioning of various Municipal Committees.
The issues pertaining to the establishment of Solid Waste Management plants, removal of encroachments from roads for widening, de-congesting the town, construction of community sanitary complex and IHHL units, identification of land for establishing auto stand and creation of sufficient number of parking areas, status of building permission cases, identification of garbage collection points, details of various assets created, creation of cattle ponds for stray animals and progress of Swachh Bharat Mission- Urban were discussed. The Deputy Chief Minister directed the concerned to give focused attention on these areas. Dr Singh directed DDC Ramban to identify land at Chanderkote for dumping the solid waste and construction of Community Hall at Batote on priority basis.
He issued instructions for a comprehensive proposal for the overall development of Batote town in view of its importance on various aspects.
Dy CM reviews functioning of Local Bodies at Ramban
Newspoint Bureau


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Update: Introducing the DPD Cart API
- Jason@DPD
- December 5, 2012
- No Comments
Today we've released our first public API for getting data out of DPD. The DPD cart API is intended for programmers who want to integrate 3rd party systems with DPD.
The DPD API is a read-only window into your DPD account. It gives you access to storefronts, products, purchases, and subscriber data. The API does not support modifying any data at this time.
Along with the API we've released reference documentation and a sample PHP Library to get you started.
DPD API Information:
Let us know if you have any feedback for the API. It's a new feature and a work in progress so we welcome your input!
Other Fixes and Improvements in this update:
- Added required option for custom field checkboxes
- Updated support tab to include knowledgebase search
- Fixed a problem with creating bundle purchases using the customer import feature
- Fixed a problem that caused duplicating products to not duplicate the product image


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You may have detected of the Placebo Effect in medicine, where on earth a medical doctor gives his unhurried a phony drug, such as as sugar pills or salt river injections alternatively of the true article. The aim for this is because he may cognisance that the complaints have no physical spring and do not judicial writ the stocky medicine the longanimous desires. In fact, the medical doctor knows that salt answer is 70% as decisive as analgesic in reaction pain, for example. The medicament building complex because the uncomplaining believes that what he/she is winning will confidence the stomach-ache. In new words, the patient's expectations in actuality weight the body's chemical science (after all, the body and cognition are reticulate) and physiological changes in the endocrine gland set in motion cathartic endorphins, which are our natural, grand painkillers.
Therefore, if you admit hard adequate in the treatment, it will sweat. Studies have shown that in the order of 50% of the worth of medicinal drug drugs is due to the medicinal drug upshot. People social contact winning medication beside thought better, so even a "fake" medicinal drug will be as of assistance.
When causal agency comes for psychopathology to hard work through problems, half the job is just now through with when the patron walks through the door. In fact, their conclusion that they will see progress helps in the medical route. The psychoanalysis medicinal drug result is method.Post ads:
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Pileated Woodpecker . . .
In the new and deep snow on the ground where he dropped the block of suet.
The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest breed of woodpecker in the United States .. I would say that the pair living in my woods are about the size of a raven .. very big. This is the first year they have decided to make my yard their home. I enjoy watching them and find some of their stunts amazing and others annoying … ie: they know how to open up my suet cage and take out the whole block. Thus making them a bit annoying, too. They are also pecking some of the younger trees to the point I am not sure they will survive.
Pileated woodpeckers are commonly mistakenly called a "red-headed" woodpecker .. which they are not. The red on the head is obvious and bright, but they are not "red headed" woodpeckers. They are called "pileated" woodpeckers. It makes sense if you know that "Pileated" means "crest" and the crest on their heads is very red. The whole head and neck is red on a "red-headed" woodpecker (which do not live in my area).
Hairy woodpeckers are numerous in my yard this winter (working on getting a picture). They like to peck on the log corners of my house, it sounds like someone knocking at the door. Hairy woodpeckers are small black and white birds with a small dot of red at the back of their head. Not sure why they are called "Hairy" although the feathers on their bellies do look very soft and fluffy. Woodpecker names are very confusing as there is also a "red bellied" woodpecker .. who has no red on its belly, just a stripe down the back of its head. And, Flickers are considered woodpeckers, too.


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Every pond owner is happiest when the water is clear and healthy in their feature, but what happens when the suspended algae or other particles turn the water green and lessen the enjoyment of the pond? Good news, this can be overcome by integrating a UV Clarifier into your current pond system - ideally in combination with your filter.
The UV light cleans the green out of the water. If the water is then routed through a filter then any residue or debris that remains will be captured into the filter's foams. The result is that the pond water exiting the filter will be clean and clear.
The UVC bulbs should be changed annually at regular intervals ideally in spring before the season starts, to guarantee the full capacity of the UVC output.


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Phil Hunter
Honorary Treasurer
Phil spent his whole career in horticulture. Initially working in local authority Park's Departments and studying at Writtle and ILAM's Colleges he went on to teach horticulture at a Community Home for teenage boys.
From there Phil moved to Dorset to develop a nursery and garden centre which would enable people with a disability (mainly cerebral palsy or an associated disability) to work and train in horticulture. This was an unusual facility during the 1970's but partly due to the work of the organisation Horticulture for All of which Phil was a council member and treasurer for over 10 years this kind of provision grew rapidly. It is estimated there are now over 1500 similar horticulture projects in the country.
Taking early retirement in 1999 Phil became a trustee and treasurer of the Sensory Trust and later a trustee of People and Gardens, a new social firm based in St. Austell, Cornwall that enables disabled people to access horticultural work.
Phil was recently made a Fellow of the Institute of Horticulture for his services to the profession.
Phil is the Sensory Trust's honorary treasurer.


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AGIOn (Agency for Infrastructure in Education) manages the subsidy landscape for private, local and provincial education. As employees managed thousands of paper cases every year, there was a need for extensive digitalisation to help with the quick and efficient processing of cases. That is why AGIOn and LoQutus jointly started the 'ALPHA' project in 2010: AGIOn Launches a Procedural Revamp with Ambition. The objectives? An optimised process, a quicker case processing time and a smaller error margin.
AGIOn deals yearly with more than 1000 cases and this is a complex situation as, very often, multiple schools, construction sites and contractors are involved in the same case. To start with, there is the need for every contractor and invoice to be assessed. This is then followed by a basic agreement that determines the subsidy. For this procedure, AGIOn has to respect the laws and regulations of the Flemish Government regarding the quality standards for calculating subsidies and rules of financial audits. Every case, therefore, consists of different sub-cases with their own processes that have to be strictly adhered to. The agency only has limited budgets and, as a result, the cases end up on a waiting list for some time and are then processed in batches. The manual processing of these cases is a consuming full-time job for AGIOn's case managers. Further, answering questions from a school, the Parliament or a Financial Inspection Department makes the procedure even more complex as this requires extra research work that adds up to the many updates, changes and reports.
The agency also calculates the subsidies manually. A third sore point is that, because of a lack of standardised letters, people have to deal with a lot of different letter templates, which greatly compromises communication consistency. In short, it was time to move away from paper cases and to fully embrace the sophisticated world of digitalisation. It was time for ALPHA!
LoQutus coached and supported AGIOn in every step of the procedural revamp. Four developers, two architects, an analyst and a project manager from LoQutus fully embraced AGIOn's processes and procedures and further improved the ALPHA project over a period of three years in close consultation with AGIOn's core team. The procedural revamp took place in three phases. The first phase addressed the processing of a standard case from the application to the final approval. The second phase followed up and further processed the case's approval. Finally, the last phase consisted of seven distinct procedures.
It soon became apparent from the analysis that the management process was not sufficient to support the management of the cases. This was due to unforeseen events taking place during a case and the mutually divergent angles of each case. Based on a number of concepts from Adaptive Case Management (ACM), LoQutus was able to offer solutions such as a central dashboard showing the status of a case, expert consultation with other AGIOn departments and case manager training to become 'knowledge workers', etc.
Each of the sore points gets addressed. For example, the process of opening a case is now the same in all cases. AGIOn uses electronic formulas via Microsoft InfoPath Services. The case manager contains more than 100 letter templates that include contextual information and personal contact data for any outgoing communication. The incoming communication, in turn, is digitalised and gets added to the case. Accessible and efficient.
ALPHA provides the Head of Department with a current and transparent online view of the waiting list, including the exact figures and budgets. Previously, he had to capture, approve and pay the subsidy manually, this is now done via a direct interface with the existing accounting package. Smoothly and correctly.
ALPHA also handles the complex calculation of the subsidies. This is a great advantage for the case managers, as every step of the calculation can now easily be referred to. Finally, AGIOn can now also manage and amend the calculation rules. Transparent and flexible.
Over 20 check lists, composed in total of more than 200 different checks, guarantee the adherence to the standards and the regulations, irrespective of changing laws or procedures. Flawless and up-to-date.
The architecture of the solution is designed as a Case Management Platform for case management and grafted on AGIOn' specific needs. From now on, every case will be opened in a standardised manner and there is a choice of more than 100 letter templates that include contextual information and the case manager's personal contact data. Each case is added to the waiting list and can, at any time, be viewed online by the Head of Department. The smart integration between Microsoft SharePoint and Excel helps the easy processing of dozens of difficult business folders by managing the extremely complex calculation of the subsidy. It is also possible to add exceptions and extra calculation rules on an ad hoc basis. AgilePoint provides for process support and manages both the manual and automatic tasks.
Many of the dispatched documents contain sensitive information. That is why people opt to sign payment certificates and overall endorsements electronically with the electronic identity card (e-ID).
Through further trainings, AGIOn will also be able to create reports, without the intervention of an external partner.
With its strong knowledge and experience in the processes of application-integration, LoQutus successfully lets all the components communicate seamlessly together.
ALPHA is also more to AGIOn than a mere procedural revamp. Its increased transparency and individualised reporting has meant that the agency has been able to fully opt for a world of sophisticated digitalisation.
This has also opened perspectives for future developments. An electronic office window can easily be opened to support the customer and provide an overview of his current case at any given time. As a result, case managers are able to improve the efficiency levels, as it allows them to reply to phone enquiries about key information faster.


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Author, E. Van Lowe is back with his Hollyweird Trivia Challenge, and this time is is tackling Romantic Comedies.
You don't have to enter today-you have 6 days, so that's plenty of time to figure out the anawer (Although I guarantee it's an easy one) winner gets a$10 amazon Gift Card!
All you have to do to enter is visit his blog.(E's blog) the direct link belowto the post is here: http://vanlowe.blogspot.com/2011/02/hollyweird-tuesday-trivia-challenge-6.html
it also helps if you spread the word: blog about it, Tweet, shout it from thr rooftops (well, ok, you don;t have to do THAT one)
and the trivia question? well, you wil have to visit E.'s blog for that.
Good Luck!!
Lasergirl Lisa
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
E. Van Lowe has a new challenge for YOU!
Posted by Lisa Mason at 11:40 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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In Theaters
It seems unlikely that we can hope for anything like the pretty spectacular disaster of After Earth this weekend — in large part because the mainstream offerings are less ambitious. Let's face it, no one really wants the second week of their big shiny release going up against next week's Superman re-boot. Still, there are two mainstream titles this week — and three art titles.
It's unusual that we get three new art/indie titles in one week, but that's the case this week. The Carolina is opening The Sapphires and The Reluctant Fundamentalist and the Fine Arts is opening What Maisie Knew. That's a pretty heavy duty line-up. As is usually the case — since the art film world places a higher value on reviews — I've already seen all three of the movies and reviews are in this week's paper. All of the films are worthy, but you'll notice that I singled out The Sapphires for this week's top film. Actually, that was a very close call — and it almost could have been The Reluctant Fundamentalist, which is a much more ambitious work — possibly too ambitious.
The Sapphires is a much simpler film — even an old fashioned one — but its simpler aims are more effectively achieved. The fact-based story of an Aborigine singing group getting their moment in the sun singing Motown tunes to the troops in Vietnam in 1968 is really nothing more than a pretty standard show-biz story. But it's a show-biz story that's given a freshness by virtue of its real-life underpinnings and its energetic and largely unknown cast (the closest thing to a star is Chris O'Dowd). It's of the shameless, uplifting crowd-pleaser category — and with the bonus of a killer soundtrack. But there's nothing inherently wrong with that — especially when it's done this well. It's the kind of film that will probably appeal to the same audience that so took to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel last summer — and that's an audience that's been rather underserved so far this year.
Of course, in addition to this there are the week's so-called big releases.
The first of these is The Internship — a slightly mystifying attempt to cash in on the previous pairing of Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, which was Wedding Crashers eight years ago. Not only is this a pretty hefty wait between pictures, but the logic of following up a hugely successful R-rated raunchy comedy with a more "viewer friendly" PG-13 one seems a little fuzzy. And while replacing Wedding Crashers director David Dobkin isn't necessarily a bad thing — after all, the man subsequently gave us Fred Claus and The Change-Up — replacing him with Shawn Levy is another matter. One might note that Levy did direct the fairly pleasing Date Night (2010), but that was after a run of some of the most dismal comedies of the 21st century — Just Married, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther, and both Night at the Museum movies. The signs are just not good for this little opus about Wilson and Vaughn as overaged interns at Google. Equally gloom-inducing is the fact that there are no reviews at this point.
The other offering is James DeMonaco's The Purge — a futuristic bit of sci-fi/horror about a society where all crime is legal for 12 hours once a year. Setting aside the questionable nature of the film's "high concept" concept, it should be noted that DeMonaco's work (mostly writing) includes Jack (1996), Assault on Precinct 13 (2005), and Skinwalkers (2006). I don't know about you, but this doesn't fill me with anticipation. This one seems to be more than a little influenced by Assault on Precinct 13 — right down to casting Ethan Hawke. The surprising thing about The Purge is that the British press — it opened in the U.K. last week — have been fairly supportive of the film. At the same time, the word from horror-centric reviewers (presumably the core audience for a film like this) has been much less rosy. I guess we can find out on Friday.
Despite the arrival of five new movies this week, we aren't actually losing anything. That's not so surprising when you realize the number of screens last week that were taken up with multiple copies of the same movie. Throw in the fact that the Fine Arts split Renoir and Mud (which still has a full set of shows at The Carolina) and the status remains the same.
Special Screening
This week the Thursday Horror Picture Show is running Ti West's The House of the Devil (2009) at Thursday, June 6, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge at The Carolina. World Cinema is showing Lindsay Anderson's If…. (1968) on Friday, June 7, at 8 p.m. in the Railroad Library in the Phil Mechanic Building. The Hendersonville Film Society is screening Lech Majewski's The Mill and the Cross (2011) Sunday, June 9, at 2 p.m. in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing in Hendersonville. The Asheville Film Society is running Alfred E. Green's Union Depot (1932) Tuesday, June 11, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge at The Carolina. More on all titles in this week's Xpress with complete reviews in the online edition.
On DVD
The surprisingly good "zombie rom-com" Warm Bodies is the best of this week's offerings, but, if you must, we also get A Good Day to Die Hard and Identity Thief.
Notable TV Screenings
It's hardly surprising, but it's always worth noting — James Whale's Bride of Frankenstein (1935) is showing on TCM on Thu., June 6 at 8 p.m. On Friday night, starting at 8 p.m., TCM has an all night run of movies that have their basis in the writings (both literary and for the screen) of Dashiell Hammett. First up is Roy Del Ruth's original version of The Maltese Falcon (1931). It's followed (at 9:30) by Rouben Mamoulian's City Streets (1931). Then we have W.S. Van Dyke's After the Thin Man (1936) at 11 p.m., Stuart Heisler's The Glass Key (1942) at 1 a.m., John Huston's version of The Maltese Falcon (1941) at 2:30 a.m., and William Dieterle's downright strange version of The Maltese Falcon, Satan Met a Lady (1936) at 4:30 a.m. There are worse ways to lose sleep.


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Lobby group UK China Visa Alliance (UKCVA) and West End landlord Shaftesbury are ramping up pressure on the government to accelerate planned Chinese visa reforms in the wake of the Brexit vote.
They want Whitehall to bring forward plans to extend the current two-year visa for Chinese nationals visiting Britain to a 10-year multiple entry visa.
It comes amid a drop in spending by Chinese tourists to the UK following the introduction of Schengen biometric visa requirements, which have made it more difficult for them to secure travel permission.
Read more: Chinese tourists help Hugo boss the market
UKCVA and Shaftesbury also want the existing "one stop shop" visa partnership with Belgium to be replaced by a larger Schengen partner which can process the application for both visas.
While Britain isn't part of the Schengen area, which enables borderless travel between 26 European countries, last year it announced a partnership with Belgium to allow Chinese travel permits for Britain and Schengen states to be processed in the same centre.
The group also called on the government to ensure negotiations on customs agreements for Brexit should not deter Chinese visitors from shopping in the UK.
Read more: Liberalised Chinese visas are a boon for the UK – now what about Indian tourists?
"The UK has a lot to offer Chinese tourists with destinations like Chinatown being seen as a home from home, and we know that their spend across shopping, hospitality and leisure would significantly increase if we could attract more Chinese visitors," UKCVA and Shaftesbury said.
"However, to date the UK is yet to reap the full benefits of outbound Chinese travel — despite being relatively more efficient than Schengen at processing visas, the number of applications being processed in comparison with Schengen is much lower."


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Stand Number: 564
5D Coaching
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Our Mission is to energise thousands of business leaders. To inspire them to discover their potential and change their worlds. Collectively we will create a positive global impact.
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Sign up for our free Five Dimensional Leadership webinar, or book a 30 minute 1-2-1 Leadership consultation with one of our Executive Coaches.
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While marketers, agencies and publishers agree that Web advertising must get more efficient, there is disagreement over who should create the guidelines and if guidelines are the right way to go.
The turmoil stems from a proposal issued Oct. 3 by the Coalition for Advertising Supported Information & Entertainment, an ad industry group. The document called for creating six banner sizes and positions placed according to a grid system on a Web page.
The goal is to eliminate the dozens of banner sizes that exist today and thus decrease the amount of time agencies spend resizing ads to fit sites' specifications.
CASIE last week began polling Web publishers about the idea.
The timing of the proposal surprised the Internet Advertising Bureau, a group representing sellers of online ad space. IAB is concerned that its effort to establish banner ad guidelines will be overshadowed by CASIE's proposal.
"The last thing we need is to have two different points of view out there," said Rich LeFurgy, acting chairman of the IAB and VP-director of advertising and marketing at Starwave Corp.
Agencies want to include other kinds of ad modules as standards. New York-based Poppe Tyson is pushing its "personal button," which downloads multimedia content in the background, so a user doesn't have to jump to a separate Web site.
With so many factions arguing, it's doubtful the industry will come to a consensus anytime soon.
If the ad community adopts CASIE's proposal, many publishers will have to redesign their sites to accommodate the ads.
"We're a little apprehensive with the CASIE standards because we get higher click-throughs on unusually sized links and creative," said Paul Debraccio, VP-advertising for GeoCities, a conglomeration of content sites.
Other publishers feel differently.
Some agencies have "passed on responsibility [for sizing banners] to the site they're sponsoring," said Sarah Chubb, director of Conde Nast Publications' Conde Net, an IAB member. "It costs all of us time and money."
There is still a large faction of the Web population that claims any attempt to impose rigorous definition on the open standards of the Web is wrong.
"I don't think [the CASIE proposal] is a good idea," said Jeff Dachis, president-CEO of Razorfish Digital*Design, New York. "This isn't going to be the kind of medium where standards are going to be around very long."
But most believe standards are necessary to get more advertisers involved.
"Our view is that we're absolutely willing to conform to [ad] sizes that are standardized, and to do that so it will free up more money for more productive enterprise," said Martin Nisenholtz, president of The New York Times Electronic Media Co. and chairman of the CASIE committee that oversaw the guideline proposal.


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FMCG Corporation,a sister company to Agrani Holdings Group Limited was incepted on January 01, 1974, and started its journey by distributing the product of Organic Harvest. This company started with 06 people currently employs approximately 4000 people.
The mission of FMCG Corporation is to provide excellence and quality through innovation, integrity, and a forward-thinking approach. We live by this everyday, engaging with diversity, utilizing technology, and innovation through collaboration in order to excel industry standards. FMCG Corporation transcends multiple industries. This allows our organization to utilize best practices from multiple industries to be creative in the way we approach meeting our goals, mission, and values.
FMCG's vision is to be an industry leader in every business venture and to build customer and stakeholder value. Our organization aspires to change the way you think about the service & manufacturing industry. Superior customer service, innovation through collaboration, and always striving for excellence and quality will give you the best experience.
FMCG Corporation's values drive our actions and leadership. They reflect what is significant to our company and inspires our employees to perform meaningful work. Each day, we live by our company values through
We bring optimism, initiative, innovation and dedication to our work, displaying confidence in our ability to succeed. We continually raise our expectations for what is possible and encourage a constructive dissatisfaction with our results. We believe in applying our learning to the future, using both our successes and our failures as stepping-stones to continued success.
We take our responsibilities seriously as a corporate citizen, always aware of how our actions can benefit the community and sensitive to the needs of the environment. We make decisions at all times understanding our responsibility for enhancing profitability and serving the interests of our shareholders. As a service & manufacturing company whose success is rooted in the satisfaction and performance of our people, we take responsibility for furthering the professional development of our employees at every level of the organization.
Provide service of such excellence that customers prefer Agrani to be their supplier regardless of the brand or product they select.
Support manufacturers who actively assist in satisfying our customers' needs to the benefit of all.
Create a safe, satisfying and rewarding environment for our employees by encouraging initiative, teamwork and pride in the achievement of our business objectives.
Consistently achieve financial performance above both industry average and the minimum expectations of our shareholders.


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54 years ago today MLK writes Letter From a Birmingham Jail. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"… twitter.com/i/web/status/8…—
Ari Berman (@AriBerman) April 16, 2017
Posts Tagged 'birmingham
54 Years Ago Today
Tags: birmingham, Injustice, jail, Justice, letter, Martin Luther King Jr., MLK Jr., Political And Funny Tweets, tweets
Rise and Shine
Tags: asia, Barack Obama, birmingham, Climate Change, economy, epa, immigration, Immigration Reform, Lehmann, Lehmann Brothers, Obama, Political And Funny Tweets, President, putin, smartypants, syria, tweets
SmartyPants: Trust Vindicated
I don't mind being called an Obamabot that much. Just like the President decided to embrace the label "Obamacare" that was initially meant as a slam, I suspect history will vindicate that supporting this administration was the right call. What I've typically reacted to negatively is the idea that I blindly trust President Obama because the fact is – I have my eyes wide open and am watching a fascinating presidency unfold. Over time what has happened is that when I don't see the whole picture yet, I've learned to slow down my reactions and wait until I get more information. I also remind myself of who this man is that we've elected twice and how he's handled things in the past…..
More here
50 years ago today, these 4 girls -- Addie Mae, Carole, Cynthia, Denise -- were murdered at a Birmingham church http://t.co/wLcxbT1SlL—
Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) September 15, 2013
ICYMI: Liberals Without A Conscience: thepeoplesview.net/2013/09/libera…—
Spandan @ TPV (@thepeoplesview) September 14, 2013
The People's View: Liberals Without A Conscience
You may think that by 'liberals without a conscience,' I am talking about people on the supposed Left who laughed at, dismissed, or shrugged off the children gasping for breath from the Syrian government's chemical attacks, and you'd be right. You may think that I am using that term to refer to elected officials who pick and choose which humanitarian catastrophes we intervene in depending on who the president is, and you'd be right. You may think that by 'liberals without a conscience,' I'm digging at people on the Left that have suddenly found the anarchist Rand Paul and the statist Vladimir Putin to be their concurrent heroes, and you'd be right about that, too.
I have been coming to this realization for the last four years. I'm talking about people who stand in the way of progress, loud and proud, because they argue the progress isn't enough, or refuse to recognize it as progress at all…..
More here
Pres. Obama's list:
2008 and 2012 election ✔
ObamaCare ✔
DADT Repeal ✔
Deficit Reduction ✔
Bin Laden ✔
Saved GM ✔
Syria ✔
Media: 0—
Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) September 14, 2013
Jim Stuart's New Blog: We Have A Deal
On balance, most of us in the US and elsewhere have a binary view of conflict: if you win, I lose, and vice versa. And we are completely immersed in the consciousness of scarcity, resource conflict, and fear of the other. Clearly, Gandhi, Mandela and King operated from a different level of consciousness, where abundance, peacemaking, and trust were the qualities seen first, and were part of each leader's basic operating system. Developmental psychologists call this level of consciousness integral, and tell us that less than 5% of the world has attained this consciousness level. Obama, I believe, is part of this small percentage of people who see things whole; who trust the complexity of events to reveal deep structures and patterns, not single point answers or finite solutions; who know with absolute conviction that truth is found not in resolving paradox, but living in its tensions; that flow and generative action requires letting go of ego; and that all people, at every developmental level have something important to say, even your adversaries and enemies, because the brain is not capable of 100% error….
More here
The People's View: How Putin "Outsmarted" Obama: By Completely Surrendering To All Of His Demands
In certain parts of the world wide web – whether it be the "liberal" The Nation or any of the conservative outlets – the narrative is that Russian president Vladimir Putin "outsmarted" President Obama by coming up with a peaceful solution to Syria's use of chemical weapons.
So let's review, shall we? The United States gets a full disarmament of Syria – verifiably, completely, and and transparently. Russia, which until the G-20 refused to even talk about consequences for Syria is suddenly on board. Syria can't act fast enough to show and turn over the chemical weapons that until last week it didn't even admit it had. Chemical weapons? What chemic… here you go! (credit: Stephanie Miller) And to boot, the United States got Russia to agree to govern this agreement under the part of the Security Council documents that covers military action, even if Russia is still putting up a front against it…..
More here
President Obama gets more done in a 20 minute pull-aside at G-20 than Congress in 5 years.—
meta (@metaquest) September 14, 2013
Michael Wines: E.P.A. Is Expected to Set Limits on Greenhouse Gas Emissions by New Power Plants
Following up on President Obama's pledge in June to address climate change, the Environmental Protection Agency plans next week to propose the first-ever limits on greenhouse gas emissions from newly built power plants. While details of the E.P.A.'s proposal remain confidential, experts predict that it will include separate standards for carbon dioxide emissions from plants fired by natural gas and by coal. Plants using comparatively clean gas would be permitted to emit perhaps 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour, a ceiling within easy reach using modern technologies.
Coal-fired plants, meanwhile, may be allowed to emit as many as 1,400 pounds per megawatt-hour. But coal is so heavily laden with carbon that meeting even that higher limit would require operators to scrub carbon dioxide from their emissions before they reach the smokestack, and then pump it into permanent storage underground.
In his June climate action plan, Mr. Obama ordered the E.P.A. to propose new greenhouse-gas rules covering existing plants by next June, and to issue final standards by June 2015.
More here
#ObamasAmerica: E.P.A. Expected to Set Limits on Greenhouse Gas Emissions by New Power Plants nytimes.com/2013/09/14/us/… http://t.co/woBSP6rKs8—
Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) September 14, 2013
Jim Kuhnhenn: Obama To Use Lehmann Anniversary To Cite Progress
President Barack Obama is marking the fifth anniversary of the Lehman Brothers collapse by trying to lay claim to an economic turnaround and warning Republicans against moves that he contends would risk a backslide. His message to the GOP: don't oppose raising the nation's debt limit, don't threaten to close down the government in a budget fight, and don't push to delay the health care law or starve it of federal money.
The economic emphasis, after weeks devoted to the Syrian crisis, begins coming into focus in a series of events kicked off by a Rose Garden speech Monday. The White House argues that a better capitalized and better regulated financial sector is extending more credit, fueling an economy now able to withstand headwinds such as spending cuts and tax increases.
"You can draw this straight line from the health of the financial system to the ways the financial system impacts the economy," said Jason Furman, the chairman of Obama's Council of Economic Advisers. Obama can point to a growing economy, rising housing prices, 35 straight months of hiring, a rebounding stock market and other signs of recovery. Five years after the federal government stepped in and infused banks with $245 billion in taxpayer money to avert a financial meltdown, the government has been paid back nearly in full.
More here
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden wait with members of the economic team in the Oval Office before a statement in the Rose Garden of the White House, Sept. 15, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Daily Beast: Oh Look, There Goes The Deficit
A funny thing happened on the way to the debt-ceiling battle: a big chunk of our annual budget quietly melted away. Daniel Gross on the good news you didn't see coming.
…. we've long argued that we live in a Golden Age of Deficit Reduction. The August Treasury Monthly statement, released Thursday, and a Congressional Budget Office report released earlier this week, show just how far we've come in the space of a year.
In August, revenues were $185 billion, up 3.4 percent from $178.9 billion in August 2012. Spending was $333 billion, down 9.7 percent from $369 billion. The result: the deficit for the month of August was $147 billion, down 22 percent from $190 billion in August 2012.
More here
Bo, the Obama family dog, lounges in the West Garden Room of the White House, Sept. 15, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
USA Today: Obama Travels To Asia Next Month
President Obama travels to four Asian nations for three economic summits between Oct. 6-12 … The stops are in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines.
From the White House: "In Indonesia, he will attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders meeting … The president will then travel to Brunei for the U.S.-ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit (EAS) and to meet with the Sultan of Brunei….
"In Malaysia, the president will meet with Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia to highlight our growing bilateral ties with Malaysia, and will deliver the keynote address to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit…..
"The president will then travel to the Philippines, the fifth Asian treaty ally he has visited during his presidency. He will meet with President Aquino to reaffirm the strong economic, people-to-people, and security links between our two countries."
More here
First Lady Michelle Obama and Darden Restaurants chef Julie Elkinton greet diners following an event at an Olive Garden restaurant in Hyattsville, Md., Sept. 15, 2011. The First Lady joined Darden Restaurants and Partnership for a Healthier America to announce the company's committment to reduce its calorie and sodium footprints, and to provide greater choice and variety to families through changes to its kids' menus. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
Bryce Covert: California Poised To Raise Its Minimum Wage To $10 An Hour
After a bill to raise California's minimum wage to $9 per hour as of July 2014 and then $10 by January 2016 was approved by both houses of the California state legislature on Thursday, it now heads to Gov. Jerry Brown's (D) desk for signature. Brown voiced his support earlier in the week in a press release, saying, "This legislation is overdue and will help families that are struggling in this harsh economy."
When voters are asked to vote on whether to raise the minimum wage, they almost always approve it with substantial majorities, as was the case in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and Ohio in past years. Eighty percent of Americans support a national raise to $10.10 an hour, including two-thirds of Republicans.
More here
President Barack Obama talks with New York Times photojournalist Joao Silva in the Oval Office, Sept. 15, 2011. Silva lost both his legs when he stepped on a mine while accompanying U.S. soldiers on patrol near the town of Arghandab, in southern Afghanistan, Oct. 23, 2010, and was at the White House on assignment to photograph Dakota Meyer receiving the Medal of Honor. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
The President has no public events scheduled
3:0 EDT: VP Biden delivers remarks at Sen. Tom Harkin's 36th Annual Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama wait with Dakota Meyer in the Blue Room of the White House before the start of the Medal of Honor presentation ceremony in the East Room, Sept. 15, 2011. Meyer, then a Marine Corps Corporal, received the Medal of Honor for his actions on Sept. 8, 2009, while serving in the Kunar Province, Afghanistan. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
The Day in Images
Tags: academy, alabama, birmingham, bombing, congressional, dances, gold, kerry, medal, Michelle, naval, Obama, photos, President, savoy, school, us, videos, washington
President Obama congratulates Alexis Marisa Werner with open arms during the US Naval Academy commencement ceremony in Annapolis
Text of the President's remarks here
First Lady Michelle Obama visits Savoy School, one of eight schools selected last year for The Turnaround Arts Initiative at the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, May 24
Text of the First Lady's remarks at Savoy Elementary School here
President Obama signs a bill in the Oval Office designating the Congressional Gold Medal to commemorate the four young girls killed during the 1963 bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, as (L-R) Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, Birmingham Mayor William Bell, Dr Sharon Malone Holder, Attorney General Eric Holder, Rep Terri Sewell (D-AL), Thelma Pippen McNair, mother of Denise McNair, Lisa McNair, sister of Denise McNair, Dianne Braddock, sister of Carole Robertson, Rev Arthur Price, Jr, pastor 16th Street Baptist Church, and former U.S. Attorney Gordon Douglas Jones look on. The medal, the highest Congressional civilian honor, was given posthumously to Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair who died September 15, 1963 when a bomb planted by white supremacists exploded exploded at the church
Catching Up
Tags: 16th, 1963, alabama, baptist, Barack, birmingham, bombing, california, church, congressional, gold, medal, Obama, obamacare, President, speech, Street, success, terrorism
Later Today:
1:10: President Obama returns from the United States Naval Academy to the White House
2:15: Signs a bill designating the Congressional Gold Medal commemorating the lives of the four young girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing of 1963
The Hill: President Obama will sign a bill Friday awarding the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to the four girls killed in the 1963 Birmingham church bombing, the White House said Thursday.
The bombing at the church, which civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ralph David Abernathy used as a meeting place, by members of the Ku Klux Klan proved a pivotal turning point in the push for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The dynamite blast killed four girls — Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Denise McNair — and injured an additional 22 others.
The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award bestowed by the legislative branch…
More here
"These children, unoffending, innocent, and beautiful were the victims of one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity," said the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in a eulogy for the four children–Addie Mae Collins, 14, Denise McNair, 11, Carole Robertson, 14, and Cynthia Wesley, 14. "They died nobly. They are the martyred heroines of a holy crusade for freedom and human dignity."
More here
Paul Krugman: Obamacare Will Be A Debacle — For Republicans
… the biggest test case was always going to be California …. well, the preliminary numbers are in – and they're looking very good, with costs coming in below expectations. At this point, it looks as if this thing is indeed going to work.
….. the whole political calculus was supposed to be that Republicans in red states could point to the horrors of Obamacare and ride them to political victory. Instead, it looks as if we're going to see blue-state residents reaping the benefits of a functional health care system, while red-state residents are denied many of those benefits, for what looks like no better reason than mean-spirited spite – because what's going on is, indeed, mean-spirited spite.
Predictions that Obamacare will be a big political issue are probably right – but not in the way gleeful conservatives imagined.
Full post here
CNN Money: Health insurers in California will charge an average of $304 a month for the cheapest silver-level plan in state-based exchanges next year, according to rates released Thursday by Covered California, which is implementing the Affordable Care Act there. But many residents will pay a lot less than that for coverage.
Rates will vary by region, age and level of coverage, and many lower-income Californias will qualify for federal subsidies that will greatly lower the premiums…..
…. Oregon and Washington recently posted their rates, as well. They were also lower than some had expected.
"Many people will see rates similar to what they're paying now, or in some cases, lower – and with substantially better benefits," the Washington Insurance Department wrote in a blog post. "We're definitely not seeing the huge rate increases that some insurers had predicted."
More here


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WFA Celebrates 30+ Years
The Westport Fishermen's Association continues with the
same goals as when it was founded in 1983: to preserve, protect and improve the water quality and marine habitat of the Westport River, marshes, tributaries and all surrounding water.
The Westport Fishermen's Association is dedicated to advocating for a healthy Westport River system that supports high quality habitat for marine life. We advocate for projects that reduce pollution, preserve aquatic habitat, improve fish passage and more.
The WFA provides scholarships for up to four years for college bound students. We also provide funding to local schools for ongoing shellfish aquaculture programs.
The WFA is actively building awareness and encouraging action on the issues facing the Westport River, its tributaries and greater watershed.
Highlights of our 30 + years of work include:
- Funding successful legal action to eliminate pollution into the Westport River coming from a cattle feed lot;
- Restoring and maintaining the herring ditch into Cockeast Pond;
- Working on dam removal to restore fish passage;
- Supporting shellfish propagation;
- Establishing a data bank on oyster propagation;
- Providing college tuition scholarships for high school seniors and continuing education scholarships;
- Providing guidance and support for local schools on marine environment and shellfish propagation;
- Erecting a memorial for lost fishermen;
- Preserving the maritime history of Westport and making it available to the public at our Historic Horseneck Point LifeSaving Station and Visitor Center and
- More!
Give us your feedback! Email us with your comments on the issues facing the Westport River. We look forward to hearing from you!


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And now on to sparkly polishes!
Aqua daisy is a fabulous seller on etsy. Her holo polishes have received a lot of love and for good reason...they are stunning! I tend to steer towards sparkly glitters and I bought these gorgeous polishes.
|Watermelon Splash
|Beauty School Dropout
|Purple Heart
|You're a Firework


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~ C.S. Lewis
How about you: Do you try to write a story nobody else has written, or would you rather put your own spin on a plot that's been done before? Do you even think it's possible to write a story nobody else has written?
Crusader Challenge Heads-up
I'll be holding my final Crusader Challenge on Friday, April 22nd. The theme of the Challenge will be related to the letter S (it has to be "Show not Tell" of course!), so A-Z Challenge entrants can combine both posts if they wish to enter my Crusader Challenge as well. Those who aren't Crusaders are very welcome to take part. This month's Challenge is just for fun, so there won't be any judging or prizes.
I've posted the Challenge below, so you have a few days to come up with your entry. All entries should be posted on Friday, April 22nd. As soon as you've posted, pop back to Rach Writes... and leave the direct link to your entry in the Linky Link tool, which I'll include in my April 22nd post.
Show Not Tell Crusader Challenge: In 300 words or less, write a passage (it can be an excerpt from your WIP, flash fiction, a poem, or any other writing) that shows (rather than tells) the following:
- you're scared and hungry
- it's dusk
- you think someone is following you
- and just for fun, see if you can involve all five senses AND include these random words: shimmer, saccadic, substance, and salt.


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Story Night: The Messiah
The seminar as described by Sheikh Omar Suleiman:
For two thirds of the world's population, the Messiah, the son of Mary, is the awaited savior. His place among God's Messengers is unique because it isn't just his incredible past that is a source of inspiration for the faithful, but also his future. Join us for an evening of insights and discovery into his amazing legacy and an in depth look at what his anticipated second coming will look like.


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So I want you to give me a pat on the back for trying on these two beautiful River Island vests yesterday and then walking away empty handed!!!
Ok, pat done?! Thank you!
Now, I want you to lead me astray and tell me that I NEED to go back and purchase them because they are exactly what my wardrobe was built for.
Pretty please!!!
I really like them and nope, I just can't get them out of my head. In all honesty and as far as fashion goes, these two little numbers are very simple. Beaded vests, hardly anything unusual about that. The shops are churning them out ten a dollar at the moment, I probably try four or five embellished little tops on a month and have maybe fifteen already
Both tops are of a single colour. I do love a nice crisp white vest (esp. under the black cropped cardis that I'm so often found in), you can never deny that white brings a purity and freshness to a look that no other colour can replicate. At the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the grey. Now grey is a colour that can go both ways on me. Too light and I might as well not bother, it draws any colour I have and makes me look so feeble. Eurgh, not a good look. However, there is some depth to this grey which is only enhanced by the substance of the fabric (nothing flimsy about this one) and this warms it all up a bit and it actually seems to bring a bit of life to my face. Also grey kind of fits in with the seasonal mode (drizzly and drab, boo!) over here in England at the moment.
Both of these tops also fall at a length which flatters me, one which is not too short nor one which swamps me. They just fall below the hip in a lovely flattering manner.
And finally we have the sparkle, I love the bead detail. The majority of it can be found lying along the bottom of the vests and it has the potential to catch the eye (Crucially for me, the placement means this is true even under a cropped cardi). The pattern, remniscent for me of flowers and butterfly wings, they lie in makes the vest that little more feminine too. The beads that sparsely lie higher on the top just maintain the twinkle factor without sparkle overload. The hems are also cut out and have that whole scalloping vibe about them which just makes the vests that little bit more interesting.
Honestly you look at one of these tops from a distance paired with jeans and think, cute top then you come closer and take the top in, suddenly you think what a beautiful little piece at a fab littleish price (£18) so please, why didn't I snap one (or two) of them up?!!
Tell me, about your latest high street buys or yearnings? Is there one type of garment that you will buy hundreds and hundreds of even if you already had a thousand? I know for some this would define their obsession with shoes. Well, me, I do believe I'm obsessed with little sparkly vest tops. Have you got any more to link me to? Have you any reasons why I have to frogmarch back to River Island and buy these (pretty pretty pretty please, help a girl out!)? Do you like River Island?
The grey vest can be found here.
The white (I say white, River Island say cream) vest can be found here.
Images from The River Island website.


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Of course I went directly to my collection of trade beads, and took out my lovely African Christmas beads. No matter what, just looking at these beads always lifts my mood. The chaotic combination of colors and the organic shapes are so essentially beady, and I'm always reminded just how much I love working with this medium. The stripes don't hurt, either.
My next pick is one of my current favorite finishes in Japanese seed beads. I've really been missing working with TOHOs lately. Although Czech seed beads offer a great value so I don't have to worry about quantity, I really love the hefty shape of Japanese seed beads, and the exotic color combinations. I might have to think of a great project just for these black-lined blue beads and see if that can steer me back to my beading groove.
Finally, my favorite thing in my stash right now is Fireline. I usually wait to purchase new beads until I'm running out of Fireline, then fill out my order with whatever beads catch my fancy. My budget hasn't been big enough for that in a while, but I was lucky enough to snag a roll each of Smoke and Crystal with a gift card recently, so I know I won't run out of thread any time soon. I just have to find the right beads in my stash to get things rolling again.
What kinds of beads are you most inspired by right now?
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Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading


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Sharing custody of a child means figuring out more than pickup and dropoff schedules and where the child will stay on holidays. You also have to negotiate which parent will claim the child as a dependent in which years. If you both pay for child care, you'll want to take advantage of the Child and Dependent Care Credit. The IRS addresses these challenges with guidelines for parents who are partners in raising a child, even if they don't live together.
Child Care Credit
The Child and Dependent Care Credit allows you to deduct some of the expenses you pay for child care from your taxable income. Unlike a deduction, the credit directly reduces your adjustable gross income. To qualify for the credit, you must pay for child care so that you can work. You can't make the payments to your spouse or to the child's parents. You must have earned income and your filing status must be married filing jointly or head of household. You also need to provide the name, address and Social Security number of the person or child-care facility you pay to look after your child.
If you share custody of a child, you and your spouse can take turns claiming your child as a dependent on your tax return. You can stipulate this in your divorce decree, with one parent taking even-numbered years and the other claiming the child in odd-numbered years. However, even if you claim the child as your dependent, you still may not be able to take the Child Care Tax Credit. The IRS rules for taking the credit are separate from the rules for claiming your child as a dependent. If you meet the IRS definition for custodial parent, you could claim the Child Care Tax Credit even in a year in which you're not claiming the child as a dependent.
Custodial Parent
The IRS says the custodial parent is the parent with whom the child lived more than 50 percent of the time. If you have shared custody and your child lives with each of you half the time, the IRS says the custodial parent is the parent with the highest Adjusted Gross Income. Even though the tax code allows you and your ex to take turns claiming the child as a dependent, you can't trade off claiming the Child Care Tax Credit – the credit always belongs to the parent who meets the IRS definition of custody.
How to Alternate Claiming the Credit
In order to take turns claiming the Child Care Credit on your taxes, you and your ex need to agree to switch off custody each year. You do this by altering the number of nights your child spends at each house, so that one year he's with Dad more than half the nights, and the other year he's with Mom more than half the time. This takes coordination – or having everything spelled out in writing in the divorce decree – but if you both contribute to child care expenses, it's one way to make sure you get the deduction you're entitled to.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
- Tax Benefits of a Custodial Parent
- Can I Enter Head of Household if I Have a Child but Live With a Parent?
- I'm the Head of Household: Can I Still Claim My Child as an Exemption?
- Tax Deductions for Expenses Paid for Children Not Claimed as Dependents
- Does Paying for Health Insurance Count for the Child Care Tax Credit?
- Can Two Different People Claim the Same Dependent in Different Years?
- What Is the Age Limit to Declare Dependents on Income Tax?
- What Do I Do If Somone Claims My Dependents on Income Taxes?


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The Legal Intelligencer, Nov. 24, 2014: PA Superior Court Throws Out $19.5M Med Mal Verdict
by P.J. D'Annunzio, The Legal Intelligencer
The state Superior Court has reversed a $19.5 million verdict awarded to the husband of a woman who died from complications related to polyp-removal surgery.
A three-judge panel ruled the Philadelphia trial court erroneously denied the defendant's motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict because there was not enough evidence to support the jury's award to plaintiff George Pomroy, executor of the estate of his wife, Mariann Pomroy.
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Mary Colins originally ruled the now-deceased defendant, Dr. Ernest F. Rosato, a surgeon at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania—by way of his estate's executor—failed to show that Rosato did not breach the standard of care in performing colon surgery instead of an endoscopic procedure on Mariann Pomroy.
However, Superior Court Judge Jack A. Panella wrote in the court's opinion that it was George Pomroy who failed to support his assertion that Rosato should have persuaded his wife to opt for a saline endoscopy procedure.
"Appellees had to prove 'but for' Dr. Rosato's failure to insist upon the saline method endoscopically, that Mrs. Pomroy would have rejected the surgical option, and rather would have elected the colonoscopic method," Panella explained. "After careful review of the record, we agree with Dr. Rosato's position that no evidence was offered to prove that Mrs. Pomroy would have changed her mind and pursued saline endoscopy if Dr. Rosato had refused to provide her with the surgical removal option."
After Rosato performed the surgery, Mariann Pomroy experienced an "unusual" amount of blood loss, acute pain, an infection, altered mental status and a collapsed lung, according to Colins' opinion. Pomroy's deteriorating condition necessitated a second surgery Nov. 2, 2008, to address abdominal sepsis.
Later, Pomroy received a tracheotomy and was fitted with a feeding tube and colostomy bag. She was transferred to a long-term care facility, but returned to the hospital because of continued internal bleeding. In total, Pomroy spent 305 days in the hospital.
In the months after the surgery, Pomroy suffered a stroke, kidney failure, full-body infection, delusions that required her to be restrained, severe incontinence, and several other ailments. According to Colins, Pomroy died Aug. 12, 2010.
George Pomroy filed suit against Rosato and the hospital Oct. 22, 2008. The jury returned its verdict Feb. 25, 2013, broken down into $10.5 million in wrongful-death damages and $9 million in survival damages.
Colins, who upheld the verdict, said, "Taking into consideration all the facts and circumstances of the extent and duration of Mrs. Pomroy's injuries, this court will not find that the jury's large verdict was unlawful,"
Panella said, however, that Mariann Pomroy was properly informed of the potential risks of both procedures and made her own decision. Additionally, Panella said Pomroy was especially concerned about the risk of colon perforation associated with the saline procedure.
"After having been advised of the risks independently associated with both of her treatment options and, knowing those risks, Mrs. Pomroy elected to have the surgery," Panella said. "Furthermore, she preferred the surgical method in order to avoid having to undergo emergency surgery should she have elected to choose the colonoscopic method."
Panella reiterated that there was no evidence whatsoever that Mariann Pomroy would have chosen the saline endoscopy over the surgery.
Furthermore, Panella said George Pomroy failed to assert a valid standard of care for the medical malpractice claim.
This is because the plaintiff's expert, Dr. Michael Drew, gave three conflicting definitions of Rosato's standard of care during testimony, Panella said.
Drew's three analyses of the standard of care, according to Panella, were that Rosato should have offered to pursue the saline method; in failing to pursue the saline method, he deviated from the standard of care; and despite having received Mariann Pomroy's consent to do the surgery, Rosato should have still pushed for the saline procedure.
Panella said Drew's definitions would put doctors in a legal no-win scenario.
"The physician could refuse to treat the patient according to the patient's wishes, leaving that patient at an increased risk of developing cancer, but apparently insulating the physician from malpractice claims. In the alternative, the physician could treat the patient according to the patient's expressed preferences following an informed consent, but then be exposed to malpractice claims even though there are no criticisms of the surgery itself. We decline to create such a trap for medical professionals, and we find no precedent in Pennsylvania law to support this standard," Panella said.
The plaintiff's attorney, Laura Feldman of Feldman & Pinto, did not return a call seeking comment.
Defense counsel Charles A. Fitzpatrick III of Rawle & Henderson said, "We're very pleased with the court's decision and are very happy for the Rosato family. ... There was never an issue as to whether Dr. Rosato gave informed consent and there were no issues as to the way he performed the surgery."
P.J. D'Annunzio can be contacted at 215-557-2315 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @PJDannunzioTLI.


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There's no point in discussing the semantics of advertising here, because it's highly likely if you're using a WordPress enabled blog or website you already have various advertising schemes running. In this tutorial we will not discuss basic use of Google AdSense code either, but if you would like further information on integrating Google AdSense ads into your WordPress blog please visit our related tutorial.
Advertising can sometimes break up the visual aesthetics of a WordPress theme or ruin the layout, which means users are often stuck finding alternative ways to display ad banners and listings. One of the coolest ad display ideas involves placing advertisements (in this case Google AdSense adds) directly after the first blog post. This method helps keep the overall layout and theme clean and simple, while also displaying the advertisement right at the top of the page. This also keeps the ad highly accessible, exactly how Google wants it to be.
The Code to input Google Ads after the first post is quite simple. Open your theme "header.php" file by using either a standard text editor, admin web editing tool or the integrated WordPress appearance editor.
After doing so find the following line:
<?php endwhile; ?>
And add the code segment above/before the located code:
<?php if(!$show_ads){ ?> Insert AdSense Code Here <?php $show_ads = 1; } ?>
Obviously you must input your individualized Google Adsense code where it says "Insert AdSense Code Here".
After that is all done you can save your "header.php" file and go check out your new blog advertisements! Congratulations your Google AdSense ads will now display ONLY before the first blog post on your page.


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Bigger, Better Brandwatch: An Update on the Brandwatch/Crimson Hexagon Merger
By Giles PalmerFeb 18
Published May 16th 2017
It's been an exciting month for Brandwatch customers.
They have got their hands on enhanced APAC data, the most complete access to Twitter data and a huge increase in Instagram data,. If that wasn't enough, many joined us for two days in Denver for our third Now You Know conference.
Quite a lot for one month.
But, indeed, there's more.
Before jumping in and talking about the update, I want to take the time to explain why we're carrying out all this work.
If you had to pick one benefit from social listening, it would be the ability to add structure and meaning to the billions of conversations happening online every day, to answer important questions.
Our customers use social every day to answer questions like this (click the links to see the answers):
Although Brandwatch has always been able to answer these questions, the strength of the answers is always influenced by the volume and quality of the conversations you collect.
That's why we've spent the last six months making considerable improvements to our data (or simply put, conversation) coverage.
Today, we're happy to announce a huge boost in Brandwatch's European coverage.
This includes new sources from blog sites, news sites, message boards, and forums. The coverage improvements aren't just for western Europe, we've covered all 38 countries from the region.
We're also getting additional data for French, Spanish, Portuguese and German globally, which will give a boost in any countries that speak those languages too.
This includes:
This boost to European data is available to all Brandwatch customers at no extra cost.
If you're a customer, please log in and try it out.
Not a customer? Schedule a demo and we can show you how Brandwatch can help your business get the most valuable insights from European data.
Sign-up to receive the latest insights into online trends.
By Dr. Paul SiegelJan 23
By Gemma JoyceDec 19 2018


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Is Netflix really this scary? Image source: Getty Images.
Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) is always a controversial stock. When share prices aren't flying sky-high, the stock is crashing hard instead. Over the last 52 weeks, Netflix shares have soared as high as $133.27 and dipped all the way down to $79.95.
Continue Reading Below
Is Netflix too risky to touch at today's prices? Let's have a look.
Business risks
More From Fool.com
The biggest risks facing Netflix today fall into three broad categories:
- Competition
- Market saturation
- Price sensitivity
The first group of worries gets the most press. Netflix is competing head to head with Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) in a few key markets, including the domestic one. A few other streaming video names pop up in various spots around the globe, including Alphabet's (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) paid video service YouTube Red and studio-backed alternative Hulu. All of these services are more or less comparable to what Netflix does, but always with a few key differences. We'll get back to that discussion in a minute.
Competition is always growing, too. Content production king HBO, a division of Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), is expanding its own streaming service to new markets. Now that Netflix works on a global level, the company is also running into local heroes in places like Britain and Indonesia.
With such a plethora of rivals at the table, many investors see the crowded streaming video market undermining Netflix's future prospects.
The market saturation problem builds on the competition issue, adding a limit to Netflix's market reach in any particular geography. So far, this worry is mainly confined to the domestic market, where critics expect the raging subscriber growth of recent years to fade quickly. Similar hockey-stick curves of the negative kind are expected to follow in international markets as they mature.
Once competition and market saturation have drawn up solid limits for any particular market, Netflix must eventually raise prices if it wants to continue growing its revenues. Here, the worry is that current prices are about as high as Netflix customers are willing to go. In that case, any pricing increases would drive down the paying subscriber numbers with an iron fist. Some saw evidence of this in the recent second-quarter report, where subscriber growth disappointed because of pricing-related changes.
Beyond these issues, the company must also grapple with data caps and weak payment systems in many countries. Low bandwidth caps -- often coupled with slow connection speeds -- will limit the real-world value of a Netflix subscription. Credit cards and online payment options are rare beasts in some countries, which makes it hard to sign up for Netflix services in the first place. These issues rarely come up in negative analyses of Netflix's investment value, but management points them out on occasion.
Unique strengths
Netflix tends to fight all three of the core risks in the same way: Find out what consumers want, then deliver exactly that thing to the best of your ability.
It's a deceivingly simple formula. On the face of it, you'd expect that every company is following some version of the same creed. And yet, nobody else does it like Netflix.
The "finding out" bit gets a great assist from Netflix's bulging data collection vaults. With nearly two decades of viewer habits to analyze, and a significant boost in detail and quality once the actual viewing moved online, the company can run deep analysis on those numbers to figure out what to do next. The most famous example of this is the original series House of Cards, which was commissioned based on intersecting fandoms of Kevin Spacey, political dramas, and characters breaking the Fourth Wall.
Crucially, Netflix goes all-in when it finds a good-looking idea. Seasons of Netflix original shows are not doled out week by week, but dropped in fully formed entire-season batches. New shows don't need to prove their worth with a traditional pilot episode, and they sometimes get orders for a second or third season before the first one has even aired. You won't find commercial breaks in Netflix's streaming service, nor ad banners on the website. Nobody uses the "advanced search" tool? Heck, let's remove it -- too much choice leads to a land of confusion.
Let me dig deeper into one of these policies. None of the rivaling services have sworn off advertising entirely. In particular, Amazon bends over backwards to get Amazon Prime Video viewers to pay up for non-free video streams, pay-per-view style. The complete lack of advertising may actually be the tastiest ingredient in the secret Netflix stew, but those ad pennies look like easy money to the old-school industry players. So, nobody follows Netflix's lead.
NFLX Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts.
Valuation and profitability
Investors who stick closely to traditional tools such as price-to-earnings rations and discounted cash flow analysis are not Netflix fans today. Management has chosen to keep earnings low and cash flows negative as it invests in extreme growth. We have been told that Netflix will probably take on more debt before the end of 2016, taking advantage of low interest rates to boost an ambitious content production slate.
The stock trades for 285 times trailing earnings and 103 times forward estimates. And if you look at more forgiving metrics like price to sales, Netflix still looks more than twice as expensive as Time Warner. Any analysis based on backward-looking figures will reach similar conclusions.
But things will change. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has promised to take his foot off the accelerator next year, finally reserving a bit of the incoming revenues for investor-friendly earnings and maybe cash flows as well.
Of course, we don't have any firm target sums for this promise yet. Analysts aren't helping much, either. The average Wall Street company sees Netflix delivering just 12% of earnings growth in 2017, culled from 23% higher sales. That's not in line with management's high-level forecast at all, and I would expect Netflix to grow earnings much faster than sales in 2017.
Wrapping things up
Netflix sure looks like a risky stock today -- as long as you rely on reported numbers and ignore the growth that lies ahead.
Revenue will continue to grow quickly for years to come as the huge international push starts to pay off. As earnings emerge from bulging sales and expanding margins, P/E ratios will come crashing down. By the middle of 2017, all of these trends should be crystal clear.
In my view, Netflix has solid answers to all of its major risks. The biggest risk of all might be to stay on the sidelines as the stock grows into its breeches. Netflix is already the largest holding in my real-money retirement portfolio, and for good reason. The stock looks near-certain to rise in 2017 as the bigger picture becomes clear, and I would hate to miss that springboard moment.
A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early, in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.
Anders Bylund owns shares of Alphabet (A shares) and Netflix. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A and C shares), Amazon.com, Netflix, and Time Warner. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.
We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Come celebrate spring and the spring migration at the annual Oshkosh Bird Fest! Saturday, May 6th, 2017, 2pm to 6pm in Menominee Park.
The Oshkosh Bird Fest precedes International Migratory Bird Day (May 13th and 14th in 2017) with a full schedule of avian activities. You'll meet live birds of prey, see a bird banding demonstration, learn how to "birdscape" your yard, and much more!
A number of experts will be on hand to answer your questions on a wide range of bird-related subjects. The real stars of the show, however, will be the birds. Both those visiting the festival with handlers as well as those in the wild. You will definitely want to bring along your binoculars to fully enjoy this event!
In fact, one of the more popular activities at the event – The Big Sit – asks you to bring a comfortable chair and binoculars. The Big Sit is sometimes described as a tailgate party for birders: participants sit inside a big circle observing and listening to wild birds. The Big Sit is lead by a local bird expert who will inform you about the birds that you see and hear.
The Live Birds of Prey presentations offer a different kind of opportunity to observe birds. Instead of little birds off in some tree or bush, however, these are owls and hawks up close! There will also be local vendors selling native plants that are beneficial to birds and well suited to the area.
2017 Oshkosh Bird Fest Schedule
6am to Noon – The Big Sit, a unique way to bird
7am to 10:30am – Bird Banding Demonstration
Beginning at 8am – Bird Walks
8am to 2pm – Informative Exhibits; Concessions
11:45am – Presentation: Birdscaping with Native Plants
10am to 2pm – Live Birds of Prey, Presentations at 10:15 and 12:45
Native Plant Sale
While most of the Oshkosh Bird Fest events and attractions take place at Menominee Park, not all of them do!
New to the fest this year is "Bird Fest Under the Dome 2017," at the Oshkosh Public Library. This amazing exhibit, sponsored by the Oshkosh Photography Group in the Waters Building, features wild bird photography from 23 different photographers from across the state. A Downtown Gallery Walk takes place between 6pm and 9pm, a Student Bird Art Exhibition is at the Masonic Center, and there will be many related events and sales at local businesses.
Wisconsin loves birds and Oshkosh is one of 50 "Bird Cities" in the state. The "Bird City Wisconsin" program is similar to that of the "Tree City USA" program: a conservation program from The Milwaukee Audubon Society aimed at wild birds. If you love birds, don't miss the 2017 Oshkosh Bird Fest!
Oshkosh Bird Fest 2017
Saturday, May 6th, 2017 – 2pm to 6pm | Menominee Park, Oshkosh
Visit www.oshkoshbirdfest.com for more information and a schedule of attractions that is still being updated.
Oshkosh Bird Fest Lodging
Brayton Bed and Breakfast, just one block from historic downtown Oshkosh, offers five richly decorated and inviting rooms to the discerning guest. Our boutique-style lodging and casual elegance provides the very best aspects of the B&B experience without all the doilies. We're happy to offer you the kind of amenities you'll never find at a hotel, along with an opportunity to put your feet up and sit a spell. Book your stay at Brayton Bed and Breakfast today!


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The MS- award 2015
MS-forbundet tildeler meg prisen for min kamp for at norske multippel sklerose-pasienter skal f� tilbud om autolog stamcelletransplantasjon.
Jeg ble overrasket og glad da jeg mottok denne beskjeden.
Det er hyggelig � f� en formell annerkjennelse av min innsats for denne saken og jeg er forn�yd med at vi er mange som jobber for dette n�.
The text ms.no:
This is stated by the general secretary of the MS-association, Mona Enstad, on behalf of the Board.
After referral from a Norwegian neurologist Hanna Vesterager had autologous stem cell transplant performed at Karolinska sjukhuset in Stockholm in 2011.
At this time she was on sick leave, today she is back in fulltime work. Here is the Board's decision: "
Hanna has given individuals, the academic community and the MS- association in Norway knowledge about the international experience with this treatment. Through her open struggle for autologous stemcell transplant, she has personalized all patients who struggle to get this type of treatment, while there is little knowledge in Norway about this. Hanna applied to have her stemcell treatment paid by the Norwegian healt-authorities. This was rejected and Hanna paid her own treatment. After she had completed her stemcell transplant, she sued the Norwegian state to be reimbursed for her treatment costs. She won in the first court, but the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court declined. The MS- association thanks Hanna for her tireless struggle for the Norwegian MS-patients to get access to autologous stem cell transplant. "
The MS-award was instituted in 2004 by the MS- association board and is a statuette by the Dutch artist Corrie van Niekerk Ammerlaan. The MS-award will be awarded Hanna at the MS- association inspiration conference in Lillestr�m, November 7.
Here is the MS- association?s press release about HSCT:
Stem cell transplantation for MS must be established in 2016 In 2016 research-based stem cell therapy for people with multiple sclerosis must be established.
This is especially important for those who have no good effect of the current preventive medications.
The treatment costs of autologous stem cell transplant is 550,000 NKR. A year of preventive medication costs 200�000 NKR.
This cost will continue as long as the patient has a relapsing disease.
A majority of those who receive stemcell transplantation, no longer need preventive treatment.
Stemcell transplantation for MS thereby provides significant savings for the state and improved quality of life for the patient.
More than 50 Norwegian MS patients have been treated abroad and paid for it themselves. Some mortgaged their homes. Fundraising is conducted several places in the Norway in order to raise money for the treatment.
The MS- association is impressed by the commitment and generosity, but these are tasks our health care system should solve - not the individual.
The experts at Haukeland University Hospital are ready to offer the treatment to 25 MS patients annually, while they do research on the treatment and results.
Health politicians must seize the opportunity now and make sure this is not stranded due to capacity and economy.
The expenses will be earned in a few years, and give Norwegian MS patients new hope.
Mona Enstad, Secretary General of the MS- association