text:
:: Daniel's MK2 1.9 Golf GTi RoadRacer ::
The bodywork was excellent and it had been resprayed well at some point in the original white. The fact that it was 14 years old was irrelevant as it was far better than any of the later ones we had seen. The only flaws were a couple of warn steering/suspension parts and a tired driver's seat (the owner liked her pies and she said that the previous owner was also a rather horizontally gifted chap). A deposit was paid and the car was picked up the following week, by which time the inevitable plan had already started to hatch.
The plan was to strip it down and do it up from scratch. In the meantime numerous parts were acquired and stashed in the loft awaiting the conversion. Unfortunately the 5 dr GTi began playing up and although not serious, a fuel leak was the last straw. Si fixed this for the cost of a new £5 fuel hose but flogged it the following weekend. This meant that Si had to get from A to B in C6 SRB. Oops, this wasn't part of the plan….back to the drawing board where a new idea was formulated. Sadly the Audi RS2 blue re-spray went kicking and screaming out of the door and we decided to do the car up gradually. The cost of getting a decent paint job was so high that we thought the money would be better spent elsewhere [especially as the paintwork was already in such good nick]. Si also could not afford for the car to be off the road for the length of time required to paint it properly.
:: Suspension ::
First job was to replace the wheel bearings and ball joints as these were knackered. Whilst at it we decided to replace all the 15 yr. old bushes with poly items. Fitting these proved a fair nightmare as Si had purchased one piece Bonrath items rather than the two piece Powerflex ones. They had a distinct allergy to going into the relevant holes but once fitted it became apparent why this is a popular mod. Even with the std suspension the steering response became far sharper, feedback was better and the overall handling became sharper. Next up was the suspension itself, and we set about fitting the Boge sports kit which we had picked up previously at inters. Having fitted the kit Si was fairly disappointed as it hardly lowered the car and was pratically as soft as the STD suspension… Off it came before the car had even turned a wheel and a rethink was the order of the day. At this point Si swore that throughout the project he wouldn't cut corners and would go the whole hog on everything. Therefore a set of adjustable Konis with 60mm lower Spax springs jumped onto the car the next weekend, mated to poly rear top mounts and lowered poly front top mounts. The handling was instantly transformed and we would recommend this combo to anyone. The car is agile and develops a grip level far in excess of what the laws of physics say it should. The adjustability of the dampers has also meant that we have been able to set the balance of the car up to perfection and as such it will understeer or oversteer on demand rather than when it wants to.
We are of the opinion that wheel choice will make or break the
appearance of a car and in this case we are fairly confident that Si's wheel
choice has 'made' the cars appearance. A set of deep dish 15 inch Mim
rims were picked up from Elite for £450 all in which seemed a bargain
as they suit the car perfectly and fill the arches under the aggressive
lowering job.
Another part of the car which was begging for an upgrade, was the wafer thin front discs. These were replaced with a complete 16v drilled and grooved set up [including all new hubs, ball joints, bearings, wishbones...] Combined with a VR6 master cylinder and brake bleed, stainless braided hoses and new MK2 rear calipers, braking is now really something to behold both on and off the track.
:: Cosmetics ::
The car was now handling like a roller skate on steroids but was
still looking its age. A cosmetic make over was well
overdue. First up was a spot of paint, the big bumpers which had been
stashed in the loft for 4 months were painted and fitted whilst at the
same time a late spec rear panel [with roundel] was fitted to the
The rear wiper was laid flat and some M3 style rear lights went on. At the front the grill was ditched in favour of a single headlamp de-badged item with the obligatory eyebrow. Clear indicators and side repeaters were fitted on along with a pair of factory Hella fogs in the front bumper [switched with a bespoke relayed loom for maximum brightness]. The wing mounted aerial found its way to the bin in favour of an under-dash aerial . The only other changes to the outside have been the removal of the black go-faster stripe and the application of bucket loads of polish!
By this stage winter was upon us and so things slowed down a bit. The only notable changes were the addition of a bespoke Powertorque stainless exhaust finished in a reasonably modest single 4-inch tail pipe. This sounds the nuts and combined with the induction roar produced by drilling the air-box and fitting a Jetex filter made the car an absolute treat. Echo-filled underpasses and unsuitably low gears are now the order of the day.
Winter seemed to linger so instead of grovelling around under the car we decided to turn our attention to the inside and primarily the stereo which was previously non existent. Out came the interior and the carpets along with some damp and rotten sound deadening which was a victim of the all too common leaking MK2 syndrome , which seems to befall every MK2. In went some new undercarpet sound deadening along with some 'Dynamat' in the front doors. The door membranes were also painstakingly replaced to prevent any further leaking The stereo is 'sensible' rather that OTT as we were keen not to weigh the car down. It therefore comprises of a set of four Kenwood components in the std mounts (dash and rear shelf trim) backed up by a 12inch alpine sub and a V12 amp. All of this is fronted by a single slot pioneer CD player.
GTi inters came along and Si picked up a full Corrado interior, a second hand Momo top power steering wheel and some leather gaiters and door handle inserts for the not unreasonable sum for £180. That was the easy bit. Fitting the Corrado rear bench properly was another story but eventually three days later it was all in place and boy what a difference it made. It completely transformed the interior not only making it look smarter but also adding something slightly out of the ordinary. The interior was fitted with some late 8v door cards, which by fluke match the Corrado seats rather well. These door cards had been in the loft for several years having been surplus to a previous project so it was nice to finally use them. The seats provide much more support than the old worn-out items and the tiny steering wheel gives a race car feel to back road driving as well as building up the biceps when parking.
Also purchased at inters was a Jabbasport quickshift which cost a paltry tenner. It has given the gearchange a far sportier and more positive feel even if at 70% travel reduction it makes stop start traffic a pain. This knocked a consistent few tenths off the standing quarter time when tested at the Santa Pod GTi festival. Not bad for a tenner.
:: Engine ::
At inters Si gave the car a few runs down the strip (peer group pressure) which whilst great fun proved that it was not as fast as all that. Soon after as the weather got hotter and petrol prices went up, the car began to pink a bit [even on LRP] so Si fiddled with the mixture and timing and sorted the problem [but at the expense of performance]. Rather than suffer depleted performance Si talked himself into thinking that having done 72K the engine would benefit from being removed and binned in favour of a larger one. A few weeks later a plan was being hatched and it wasn't long before a brand spankers 1900 cc engine was sitting in the garage with a ported and polished head, piper 285 cam, and vernier pulley.
Si spent the next month accumulating parts and soon a pair of polished and ported manifolds were 'under the bed' along with a V-SAM pro to help get the best out of it all. The engine was fitted in a weekend along with a new clutch and some 16v engine mounts and the painful running in process began. Once run in the car was taken to C&R to be properly set up and have the V-SAM pro 'mapped'. This not only maps an ignition curve but also boosts the fuel available and maps it across the rev range. Currently the car is set to run 10% extra fuel at idle (with the hairy cam the word idle is a slight contradiction) going up to 100% extra on full throttle. Remarkably the fuel economy is still excellent for such a highly tuned car and turns in 31mpg under normal conditions falling to 27mpg when pushing on. The engine gets better and better with every mile it does and in our eyes is the best part of the car.
Having been set up well and mapped properly it sounds sweet, revs smoothly to the red line and produces bags of torque and power from 2000rpm all the way up to 6200rpm (below 2000rpm the cam causes it to run on a random number of cylinders as it produces a high degree of valve overlap).
Prior to fitting the engine the car was taken for a thrash round Castle Combe which proved great fun even if it did tear shreds out of the tyres. This showed the need for a front upper strut brace as it seemed that despite running slight negative camber at the front, it was the outside of the tyres that were taking the battering!
The mods have slowed down of late, with the most notable change being a swap to Yokohama A539s tyres. These provide awesome levels of dry grip and are also far better than expected in the wet. The main plus point is that when the limit is reached they break away in the most perfectly predictable and consistent way possible so when combined with the suspension mods they make the car perfectly composed at any chosen angle of attack.
:: Tech spec ::
Insurance: Insurance by Adrian Flux
Engine: 8v K-jet with 1.9 conversion, ported and polished head, Piper 285 cam shaft, flowed and matched inlet manifold, ported and polished exhaust manifold, vernier pulley, Jetex response air filter, Powertorque bespoke stainless exhaust, Racelogic V-SAM pro, 16v engine mounts, Bosch 3 prong plugs.
Gearbox: Std 8v with new clutch and 70% reduction quick shift
Brakes: Front - 16v hubs and callipers, 256mm drilled and grooved discs, Pagid fast road pads. Rear - Plain discs, New calipers, Pagid fast road pads. Goodridge braided hoses all round, Dot 5 fluid, VR6 master cylinder.
Suspension: Koni adjustable shocks, Spax 60mm lower springs, Poly bushes all round, poly rear top mounts, lowered front Bonrath top mounts, Polished alloy front upper strut brace.
Wheels/Tyres: 15 x 7J Mim alloys, 195/50/15 Yokohama A539's
Interior: Corrado seats inc rear bench, Momo top power steering wheel, Leather gear and handbrake gaiters, leather door handle inserts, late 8v door cards, dynamated front doors, sound deadened floor, Pioneer CD head unit, Kenwood front and rear components, Alpine V12 amp, Alpine 12 inch sub in ported enclosure, flamebeater fire extinguisher, factory central locking.
Exterior: Big bumpers, Hella front fogs, single h/lamp debadged grille, colour coded eyebrow, clear indicators, clear side repeaters, deleted aerial, debadged late-spec [with roundel] back panel, delocked near side door handle, deleted rear wiper, clear/red rear lights, factory green tinted glass, resprayed in stock VW alpine white.


text:
Cyber attacks are becoming more organized and structured
Trustwave released the 2018 Trustwave Global Security Report which reveals the top security threats, breaches by industry, and cybercrime trends from 2017. The report is derived from the analysis of billions of logged security and compromise events worldwide, hundreds of hands-on data-beach investigations and internal research. Findings depict improvement in areas such as intrusion to detection however, also showed increased sophistication in malware obfuscation, social engineering tactics, and advanced persistent threats. North America and retail … More

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Barcrest's Crown Gems
Barcrest's Crown Gems can be played for Real Money at the following sites:
Top Recommended Online Casino:
Crown Gems is a simple video slot game catering for both the casual slot player and the serious gambler thanks to its Hi Roller mode.
The game itself is powered by Barcrest software and is under license by Reel Time Gaming. On the standard game you play with 10 win lines over 5 reels, the game allows you to bet from as little as 10p per spin right up to an eye watering £500!
There are no features or bonuses on Crown Gems, the game is designed simply to pay lots of paytable wins from the various card values, Gems and Crown symbols. To keep the wins frequent, all wins pay adjacent meaning you can win from 3 matching symbols or more on an active payline from both left to right and right to left, also in the middle. The highest combination on a payline is achieved by landing 5 Crown symbols, this awards a cool 5000x your line bet. Also landing a full screen of Ruby symbols will pay 500x your stake just like on the land based version.
Overall the standard Crown Gems game is a simple and relaxing slot to play, the graphics are sharp and the sounds are calm to the ear. If you're looking for a simple and easy game to play which offers a good jackpot then try out Crown Gems below. The expected payback for this game is 95.05%. If you're looking for a little more action on Crown Gems, there is always the Hi Roller mode!
Hi Roller mode:
Designed for the hardcore gambler with bucket loads of cash that is looking for the most action and more importantly ... to win big!!
Hitting the purple button activates the Hi Roller mode, you now have the chance to play between 20 to 50 win lines on Crown Gems, albeit at a price!
Actually it could be considered good value as you're given 5 Hi Roller spins each time you place a bet. £20 will play 5 spins with 20 lines, £30 will play 5 spins with 30 lines, £40 with 40 lines and of course £50 (which is the max) will play 5 Hi Roller spins with the maximum of 50 paylines. All the winning lines information can be found by hitting the blue help button. When playing the Hi Roller spins there is just so many more winning combinations. If you're looking to play these increased wagers, we highly recommend checking out the demo game below to see how it plays. If you do decide to play for real its important that firstly, you can afford these Hi Roller spins and secondly, you have a big enough bankroll to ride out short term variance. By playing the Hi Roller spins long term you also have a slight edge compared to the standard spins, the long term RTP is now 96.08%.


text:
The Alkacon OCEE Accelerator provides additional high performance caches to accelerate the data access and delivery. Using the Alkacon OCEE Accelerator, an OpenCms system can respond faster to database requests. High – traffic sites will especially benefit from this feature.
Some screenshots:
Click on the image for a full size version
The Alkacon OCEE Accelerator Statistics page shows detailed information about the cache efficiency, the capacity and the cache load, broken down into the Online and Offline projects.
We have compiled a PDF document that contains an overview about all our available OCEE products, OpenCms training courses and OpenCms support options.
May 17, 2018
Alkacon OCEE 5.5.4 fixes some issues for the LDAP Connector, the Cluster Manager and the Replicator.
Do you want to take a quick test drive of OpenCms to get an impression of its great features? Try out the OpenCms Live Demo website available at http://demo.opencms.org
© Alkacon Software GmbH & Co. KG - http://www.alkacon.com - Terms of use - Impressum - Privacy policy


text:
Other sites
Email Alias @Home.co.nz
The Garden Centre Limited
Chomp Fishing Products Limited
The majority of businesses globably and within New Zealand have websites and use email for communication with customers and suppliers.
Finding these businesses on the internet is like trying to find a needle in a haystack....until Now!!
www.SearchEngine.co.nz has been created as an online directory of New Zealand Businesses. This SearchEngine is accessed globally by customers with ease due to our unique name and .co.nz domain specific for New Zealand Businesses.
We accept both FREE and Chargeable Ads from all New Zealand Businesses and Global Businesses who wish to trade within New Zealand.
Globaly businesses utalise SearchEngines as means of marketing and presenting their business and website to a wide audience of people searching for goods or services.
Businesses list into this SearchEngine with either a Free or Chargeable advertisement to appear in the search results pages.
This is an ideal place to advertise and promote your business to the thousands of people visiting this site to search for businesses, goods and services available within New Zealand.
The free and chargeable ads can be edited by the advertiser after registration at any time using the Edit button, password protected to ensure that the information presented is up-to-date and secure.
Free ads are displayed below all other chargeable ad formats and these customers receive an automated email every month with a link to enable them to upgrade to a chargeable ad format.
Chargeable ad formats are available from $7.95 + GST per year and are listed in the order of ad type and registration date per category. These various ad formats display more company information, some display logos, can have have email or website links or links to Shopping.co.nz virtual mall.
The sooner you add in your business, the better your position within the results pages. Improve your ad type to get the higher position in the results pages.
Chargeable ad customers receive automated emails after 11 months to renew their subscription online for the next year. If the ad is not renewed by the due date the ad format reverts automatically to the Free ad format and placement within the results list is lost.
Chargeable and free ad customers can upgrade their ad during the year to improve their placement within the searchengine search results pages. This is very useful to re-gain priority placement if a competitor takes a higher ad to move ahead of your placement.
www.SearchEngine.co.nz is a division of the Company www.Shopping.co.nz Limited which operates the virtual mall of Shopping.co.nz for the promotion and marketing of businesses and e-commerce retailing within New Zealand. These two website databases are linked.
This means that to obtain priorty placement within www.SearchEngine.co.nz the business has to rent a shop within the www.Shopping.co.nz virtual mall. The annual charge may be more than a standard ad but included in the price is several prominant links which makes this an affordable business investment. The payments can be made monthly or annually in advance.
With Shop rental the business receives the priorty placement within the www.SearchEngine.co.nz results pages, the rented shop within the virtual mall of Shopping.co.nz with another direct link to the website, the shop can have the business name in text format or display the company logo or an image of a product or service offered, the editable mouse roll-over-text which appears as a shopper moves their mouse over the shop. The direct link from the shop to the businesses website and a banner ad when supplied is loaded into the automated company banner management system to randomly displayed on the page headers of all of the companies divisions homepages. All of this for only $20.00 or $30.00 + GST per week.
Other advertising available includes banner ads, buttons, links from the sites homepages and links from the Other Sites drop down menu.
For further information regarding advertising email your request to
To list your business within www.SearchEngine.co.nz take the link below:
Click Here
To Rent This Space
$5,200.00 + GST per year
($100.00 + GST per week)
Market your company on this site....providing effective, affordable online marketing solutions.


text: Peep Book is a cautionary tale for the networked society. Ellis Johnson takes Michael Powell's infamous movie about voyeurism and retells it through a digital lens. Who is watching you? Would you meet them? Would you bed them? If not, why not? Louise is a bored 40 something. Joshua Spleen is a web designer looking through a glass darkly. Together they are on a collision course for sex, murder and mayhem. Cathy Collis is a distinguished peer and knight of the realm. Monteray is a hippy pathologist working in the newly out sourced Upatho of Jeremy Hunt's wet dreams. Cutting corners where crime solving is concerned can only lead to the kind of carnage that Peep Book relates. Maybe it's best to leave your smart phone at home!


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Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide, Disrespect for Elderly & Others
Also see: Eugenics, Population Control, Abortion, Family, Human Value
- Freedom of conscience vs. global population policies (Part 10) (Updated: Dec. 20)
- Freedom of conscience vs. global population policies (Part 6)
- Commentary on Brave New World by Aldous Huxley – Part 11 – Conclusion
- Overview of the Power Structure – Part I
- So-called Brain Death, organ harvesting and the horror of an empathy-free "scientific" world without respect for human life and the silent suffering of donors: views presented by Dr. Paul Byrne
- UK Column Live June 13 – Bilderberg aftermath, new financial scandal, suicide clusters, bail-ins, NLP, change agents, Belgium pushing "right to commit suicide" for children
- Infanticide is already happening – babies born alive after abortions – what do they do to them?
- James Holmes (Aurora suspect), "truth drugs", and how the CIA hid the MKULTRA mind-control program – also: psychiatry, eugenics, euthanasia
- Toronto senior died after waiting three hours for ambulance – is it eugenics? – is it discrimination based on age and productive capacity?
- Obamacare having trouble hiring "experts" for death panels
- Japanese government minister wants the "tube people" to "hurry up and die"
- 45-year-old identical twins euthanized in Belgium
- "Hospitals" in U.K. dehydrating babies to death, elderly too, all ages subjected to brutal euthanasia, hard to believe this is happening
- Cutting Through the Matrix: Savile paedophile scandal, euthanasia in hospitals, Theodor Adorno, Yuri Bezmenov, cultural degradation to the point of necrophilia, economic degradation, hurricane lies, New Age deception
- Cutting Through the Matrix: tax slaves, face of the monster in Spain, why are gender issues a priority, Plato's Republic, eugenics, symbology, reincarnation, Gnostics
- Hey, did you know the UN managed human population levels? And it involves vaccines. Interview with World Bank demographer John F. May
- Human Life Value
- Health Care
- Euthanasia
- Eugenics
- Eugenics and euthanasia quotations
- The Despicable George Bernard Shaw
- Big Brother monitoring families, privacy & gadgets, euthanasia, swine flu (July 29, 2009)
- Eugenics on the Rise (April 14, 2009)
- More about Terri Schiavo (April 10, 2005)
- Schiavo Case: Government's Role in the Disposal of Disabled Family Members (March 20, 2005)
Videos to "Help Choose" End of Life Care
"Report warns doctors snub families of the terminally ill amid growing use of 'death pathway' " by Daniel Martin (dailymail.co.uk) – Sept. 15, 2009.
Euthanasia, Elderly: Death Row Drug fed to Scottish Pensioners by National "Health" Service
Euthanasia Billboards Australia
Euthanasia: Greens Push for Pro-Euthanasia Laws
Holland Champions Next Stage of Government Approved Euthanasia-by new Professional Terminators
"Luxembourg says 'yes' to euthanasia"
A Duty to Die?–Elderly Pushed to Edge
Urns From Suicide Clinic Dumped in Lake
Montana-Doctor Assisted Suicide
"RCN neutral on assisted suicide" (news.bbc.co.uk) – July 25, 2009.
"Suicide teenager urged to jump by baying crowd"
Related: "Care" Homes for Elderly-Must be Fitted With Abdominal Feeding Tubes for Admission
Related: US Organ Transplant Network–New Rules for Recipients–Middle-Aged or Older Need Not Apply


text:
Egypt: Young Professionals in the Mediterranean Offshore Conference
The 4th Mediterranean Offshore Conference and Exhibition took place in April in Alexandria, Egypt. The conference attracted high-level technical experts, key industry professionals, specialists, and decision makers in the upstream, downstream, and petrochemical sectors of the petroleum industry.
Osama Taha (Pico Oil), Tamer El-Rayes (EDF), and Mohamed Ali (Halliburton-Landmark) from Egypt's YP program attended, helping design and prepare posters for the exhibition and working in the SPE booth, welcoming visitors and explaining the benefits of SPE to both young and senior professionals. Many visitors, especially young professionals, showed interest in SPE and YP Programs.
Sameh Fahmy, Egyptian Minister of Petroleum, visited the SPE booth and was very interested to hear more about the YP activities in Egypt and the Middle East region as well as future plans. He said that the YP-Egypt team is welcome to meet him in his office in the near future to discuss how the ministry can support YP activities.
YP-Egypt members were successful in delivering several messages to the YPs through the SPE booth over the 3 days of the exhibition. This included the importance of the SPE website, the benefits of the e-Mentoring program that helps YPs develop their careers with the aid of other professionals, Applied Technology Workshops, Technical Interest Groups, and local monthly SPE meetings that host industry leaders.
Egyptian Petroleum Minister H.E. Mr. Sameh Fahmy, third from left, visits the SPE booth. (Above)
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text:
Nov 18, 2013
This week Ciran Join the triple J threat to talk about Black Library Live as well as talk about those pesky fluffy lists. There is also a great interview with BattleScribe. So download the episode and check it out!
Episode 139: Get your Fluff on
00:00 -20:11 Introductions and news
20:11-1:22:00 Fluffy Lists
1:22-1:55 Battle scribe
1:55-2:13:35 Black Library
Total 2:13:35


text:
Back in 2007, I made a special devotion to St. Therese of Lisieux. I asked her to ask Jesus a special intention and He answered me. Since then I always run to her when there's extra special request. For me she's like a spiritual sister I never had. Someone who share the same love for Jesus as I am. And I know she always confided to Jesus on my behalf. I really wish if God permits I enter Heaven I want to spend my eternity doing good on earth with St. Therese.
I was 19 when I first came across St. Therese. I remember writing in my journal I wanted to achieve something big by the age 24. St. Therese died at the tender age of 24 and during her short period of time living here on earth, she has touched so many hearts and souls. So I made promise 6 years ago I would do the same. Next week, I'll be turning 25. I'll be living a year longer than one of my favourite saints.What have I done so far? Have I did enough? These questions clouded my mind as I approach my birthday. All I know for now, my work here on earth has just started. I still have long way to go.
The Story of a Soul is St. Therese's autobiography. I've read half way through and sentence after sentence touched me. I knew years ago that I relate so much with St. Therese but reading her autobiography affirms everything. Here I am sharing quotes from the book that I could identify with or touched by.
"… Our Lord has deigned to make me understand that by simple obedience I shall please Him the best."
How often I declined a simple task that given to me? How often I went all defensive when I was approached for my disobedience? Now I'm trying my best to remind myself that being obedient to simple task I shall serve and please Him the best,
"… God's love is made manifest as well in a simple soul which does not resist His grace as in one more highly endowed."
So doesn't matter how deep is our faith or simple our souls are, manifestation of God's love are the same in all.
"… in order to become a Saint one must suffer much, always seek the most perfect path and forget oneself."
Weeks ago, sanctity became our topic of conversation when the Wallbangers and I gathered again in Kuching. Each of us possessed the desire to be holy and canonized yet we know we are far from achieving it. This quote is a personal reminder for me that if I truly want to become a saint, I must be selfless.
"… there are many degrees of holiness, that each soul is free to respond to the calls of Our Lord, to do much or little for His love – in a world, to choose amongst the sacrifices He asks."
Again, a reminder for me. I discerned a lot this year about my true calling. I am willing to go far to prove how much I love Him. How much I am willing to leave everything for Him. Yet, in the same time I knew He has different plan for me. I am willing to submit to His plan. I am free to make any sacrifice that I choose. But I choose to make a sacrifice that I know He wanted me to make. And this sacrifice is harder than I expected. To stay and serve the outside world. I know that it would be a luxury for my soul if I choose to stay nearer to His home. I'm trying my best to be selfless. I used to think to sacrifice worldly things and serve Him fully in religious life was hard. Now personally for me, to stay in this worldly world, secretly watching out for people that need prayers and pray for them, to feel the pains and sadness first hand, in the same time fighting spiritual warfare and worldly temptations, this is suffering and hardship. I am willing to do this for Him.
St. Therese of the Child Jesus


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Personal interest. Personal interest is not deductible. Examples of personal
interest include interest on a loan to purchase an automobile for personal use
and credit card and installment interest incurred for personal expenses. But
you may be able to deduct interest you pay on a qualified student loan. For
details, see Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education.
Limit on itemized deductions. Certain itemized deductions (including home mortgage
interest) are limited if your adjusted gross income is more than $139,500 ($69,750
if you are married filing a separate return).
Amount Deductible
In most cases, you will be able to deduct all of your home mortgage interest.
Whether you can deduct all of it depends on the date you took out the mortgage,
the amount of the mortgage, and your use of its proceeds.
Fully deductible interest. If all of your mortgages fit into one or more of
the following three categories at all times during the year, you can deduct
all of the interest on those mortgages. (If any one mortgage fits into more
than one category, add the debt that fits in each category to your other debt
in the same category.) The three categories are:
1) Mortgages you took out on or before October 13, 1987 (called grandfathered
2) Mortgages you took out after October 13, 1987, to buy, build, or improve
your home (called home acquisition debt), but only if throughout 2003 these
mortgages plus any grandfathered debt totaled $1 million or less ($500,000 or
less if married filing separately).
3) Mortgages you took out after October 13, 1987, other than to buy, build,
or improve your home (called home equity debt), but only if throughout 2002
these mortgages totaled $100,000 or less ($50,000 or less if married filing
separately) and totaled no more than the fair market value of your home reduced
by (1) and (2).
The dollar limits for the second and third categories apply to the combined
mortgages on your main home and second home.
Limits on deduction. You cannot fully deduct interest on a mortgage that does
not fit into any of the three categories listed above. If this applies to you,
see Part II of Publication 936 to figure the amount of interest you can deduct.
General rule. You generally cannot deduct the full amount of points
in the year paid. Because they are prepaid interest, you generally must deduct
them over the life (term) of the mortgage.
Investment Interest
If you borrow money to buy property you hold for investment, the interest you
pay is investment interest. You can deduct investment interest subject to limits
However, you cannot deduct interest you incurred to produce tax-exempt income.
Nor can you deduct interest expenses on straddles.
Investment interest does not include any qualified home mortgage interest or
any interest taken into account in computing income or loss from a passive activity.


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Starting off the week after losing an hour (for most of us) is tough business! Even still, I hope you jumped out of bed, ready for a new week, motivated to be FIT and nutritionally fulfilled.
When you have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning, or motivating yourself to just do you workout, I want you to think about how you feel after a good workout. Do you feel as though you accomplished something, that you did something good for yourself? I hope so. Completing a good workout, a workout where you left nothing more to give is so refreshing. Yes, daunting at times, but so worth it. If you aren't to that point yet, you will be. Keep working at it.
Everyone feels like they are dragging when they first begin a workout routine/regimen. You will be amazed at how quickly your body adapts to pressures put on it. The human body can accomplish amazing things and our mental state can help propel our bodies or hinder them or keep them on a plateau. Keep your mind in a positive mental state. Sometimes that means taking your mind off the workout. Not forfeiting form, just going to a different mental state. Try it on your next workout, especially if you know you can push yourself but haven't broken through that barrier. Music, talking with friends, thinking about your summer vacation...whatever it is that helps you push harder, longer, farther.
Exercise is the best medicine to keep us in a positive mental state. So go for it today!


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Very few problems come from winning 73 games. Here's one of them: when winning comes so easily, how motivated would any team be to experiment with alternative styles of basketball, just in case?
Right now, the Warriors are getting absolutely blitzed in three areas: rebounding, fast breaks, and free throws. The trio is actually fairly interconnected. If the Warriors got more rebounds, the Thunder would have fewer fast-break opportunities. If the Thunder had fewer fast-break opportunities, the Warriors wouldn't have to foul them so much in desperation. But as it stands right now, Oklahoma City has been able to push the pace at will, and as the Warriors don't yet have an answer for Russell Westbrook, their only means of defending him as he barrels towards the basket like a goddamn avalanche made of fire.
So the following three stats seem somewhat relevant:
- The Thunder have 29 more rebounds in this series than the Warriors.
- Golden State's two best rebounders, by total rebounding percentage, were Andrew Bogut (18.3%) and Festus Ezeli (18%).
- Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli played two minutes together throughout the entire regular season.
You know what? Let's throw a fourth stat on there:
- Golden State's third-best rebounder, Mareese Speights (15.3%) played only 10 minutes throughout the entire regular season with Andrew Bogut.
And here's a fifth stat for good measure:
- Speights and Ezeli played only 62 total minutes together throughout the entire regular season.
There's a trend to be sensed here. The Warriors were so good while ignoring rebounding that they never bothered to prepare for a time when they might need rebounding. At no point in the regular season did Steve Kerr say, "you know? This game is over, let's see how we look with Bogut and Ezeli together just in case we need it." It never came up, because the Warriors won 73 games.
And it's almost hard to blame them. How could the team that played the league's second-fastest pace have envisioned a scenario in which they'd want to slow down? Why would the league's most popular team expect to shoot 29 fewer free throws than their opponent through the first four games of a playoff series? Why bother looking for an answer to a question that's never been asked?
The numbers and common sense both suggest that a bigger Golden State lineup could actually do fairly well against the Thunder. Bogut and Ezeli actually have a higher cumulative rebound rate than Steven Adams and Enes Kanter (36.3% to 35.5%), and that pair has barely played together this series.
If Andre Roberson is on the floor, the Thunder simply don't have the shooting to make Golden State pay for playing two lumbering centers. In fact, it could actually simplify their defensive scheme quite a bit. Rather than switching everything as they normally do, the Warrior big men could simply zone up behind Russell Westbrook's pick-and-rolls, waiting for him at the basket and daring him to shoot mid-range jumpers or else face the two-headed Bogut-Ezeli rim protecting dragon. Stephen Curry could rest on defense by covering Roberson, hopefully helping him on the other end. Draymond Green wouldn't be wasted as a rover, and with just a bit of effort Curry could cut off Roberson's cuts to the basket without expending too much energy.
The one question mark would be Draymond Green guarding Kevin Durant, and that's not a horrible question to have. Durant's length would create a mismatch and it could get Draymond into foul trouble, but more smaller, physical defenders like Tony Allen have had plenty of success against Durant in the past and that's a formula Green could replicate.
If the Thunder responded by going small, as they often have in this series, it would arguably makes things even easier for Golden State. The smaller they play, the less rebounds they'd get, and the less rebounds they get, the fewer transition opportunities they'd have. Ironically the Thunder have to play big to play to play against a bigger Golden State lineup. Defensively, Stephen Curry would have to be able to guard Dion Waiters and Klay Thompson would still be on Westbrook, but Ezeli could hide on Roberson without much worry.
The trouble would come offensively, but the Thunder have managed to generate points with far less spacing. In fact, their super-sized Durant-Westbrook-Kanter-Adams-Dion Waiters lineup which features exactly one three-point shooter in Durant has scored an insane 1.53 points per possession in the playoffs (over an admittedly tiny 79 possession sample). If the Thunder can find acceptable spacing with only Durant as a shooter on the floor, why can't the Warriors with Curry and Klay Thompson, arguably the two best shooters in basketball?
The point of this argument isn't even necessarily to say that bigger lineups could serve as the same fix-all small-ball did in the Finals last year for the Warriors. It's to wonder why the Warriors never bothered to try it in the regular season. It's an option, one Golden State probably wishes it had more experience with right about now.


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Set 1, Grades K-1
Let Learn to Read emergent readers and coordinating products take your students on the road to reading success! This series is designed to provide maximum support to emergent readers with repetitive, predictable story lines, and illustrations and photos that match the text. Engaging stories promote reading for meaning. Easy and fun activities inside the back covers extend learning. Written by popular children's author, Rozanne Lanczak Williams, these popular books are the perfect complement to any emergent reading program! Also, see Learn to Read Set 2, Grades 1-2.
Order Form and Instructions for Ordering
3 easy ways to order: fax, phone, or mail! P.O.s welcome.
For custom orders, please call or email Rozanne
Book Levels
Gr. K Levels A-C
Gr. 1 Levels C-I
Gr. 2 Levels H-M
Gr. 3 Levels L-P
Assorted Pack #1a
1 book each of top 12 books
Assorted Pack #1b
1 book each of bottom 12 books--$41.88
Set 1: Boxed Kit
#3267 - The Best of Learn
to Read, Set 1 - $469
Boxed kit includes:
* 144 student readers (6 of each book listed on this page)
* guided reading resource guide
*2 Read-along CDs
* 24 divider tabs with title and guided reading level
Back to the top of the page
Back to Bookshop Front Page
Assorted Pack #1a: 1 book each of the 12 books below, $29.80
Level A: 8 pages
3522 I See Colors
Level A: 8 pages
3639 How to Make a Mudpie
Level A: 8 pages
3640 I Can Read
Level A: 8 pages
3641 I Can Write
Level A: 8 pages
3715 I See Shapes
Level A: 8 pages
3724 Our Pumpkin
Level B: 8 pages
3516 See How It Grows
Level B: 8 pages
3521 Buttons Buttons
Level B: 8 pages
3924 I Am Special
Level B: 8 pages
3919 We Can Share at School
Level C: 16 pages
3540 Who Lives Here?
Level C: 16 pages
3662 Cat and Dog
Assorted Pack #1b: 1 book each of the 12 books below, $41.80
Level C: 8 pages
3918 How Can I Help?
Level D: 16 pages
3543 Round and Round
the Seasons Go
Level D: 16 pages
3544 What's the Weather Like Today?
Level D: 16 pages
3548 What's In My Pocket?
Level D: 16 pages
3945 Families Share
Level D: 16 pages
3541 The Seed Song
Level D: 16 pages
3740 Five Little Monsters
Order Form and Instructions for Ordering
www.rozannewilliams.com * phone: (714) 404-9060 * fax: (562) 493-1887
Home | About Rozanne | Author Visits | Book Shop | Literacy Tips | Book Levels | Contact Rozanne


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Sept. 30 - If you'll pretend I didn't post anything yesterday, so will I. I can at least hope my gradual meltdown into borderline incoherence was an enjoyable spectacle in itself.
* * *
As for Molli, she seemed perfectly normal all day yesterday, except that she was a little extra fussy from time to time and hardly slept a goddam wink all day. Seriously. Two forty-five minute naps, and almost every other moment of the day she demanded constant attention. Play with me. Talk to me. Look at me. Pick me up. Show me Willie the Cat. Get Willie the Cat the hell away from me. Give me tea. Give me a boob. Take me for a walk. Get me inside. Entertain me. Amuse me. Drop everything and devote every fiber of your being to me.
And we did, happily but exhaustedly.
Finally, and mere italics are not enough to do justice to the significance of that adverb, finally Molli began getting drowsy at about 9:30, and by 9:45 we had her in her crib. She made her usual fussy little noises for about 15 minutes, but by 10pm she was at last asleep. Within minutes—seconds?—so were we. Neither of us had slept more than five or six hours out of the last 36. The full night now lay before us, and the odds were good that Molli would stay down for most of it.
But we are political junkies. So I had set the alarm clock to go off at 2:50 am, and by 3am Trine and I had both dragged ourselves quietly out of bed and into the living room, and turned on the television to watch—Larry King Live?
"Where's the debate?" Trine asked.
"I don't know," I said. "It's after three, it should have started already."
It didn't take long to realize we were 24 hours early. We'd completely lost track of which day of the week it was. We shook our heads at our own stupidity and shuffled back to bed, wondering miserably if we'd even be able to fall back asleep.
We were. But I didn't feel any smarter when I woke up.
So tonight I'll leave my alarm set for 3am.
I noticed Molli's cheeks were bright red yesterday, and I thought, "What an adorable little red-faced cherub!"
Trine noticed them too and said, "What's wrong with her cheeks?"
"She's a healthy little baby with chubby red cheeks," I said.
Trine didn't share my enthusiasm. "It looks like a rash," she said.
"It's a healthy glow," I said.
"It's a rash," she said.
I Googled something like "bright red cheeks baby," and once I filtered through all the spanking-fetish sites I found some pediatric websites with information on "Slapped Cheek Disease," also known as "Fifth Disease." It's a very common, very harmless virus whose final symptom is rosy red cheeks (that look as though they've just been slapped). The more I read, the more convinced I became that this is what Molli had been working through over the previous 24-48 hours—from her crankiness Monday night through her sleepy Tuesday and vomitous Tuesday night and right into Wednesday. The red cheeks could last weeks, the sites informed me. Or even months.
Her rosy red cheeks are gone this morning and I don't know whether to worry or what. Probably "or what." The joy of a newborn is never having time to worry about anything but what's right in front of you—which is usually more than enough.
There was a kid I went to school with who used to brag about her family having come over on the Mayflower. It irritated more of us than it impressed, I think, but she was a proud little brat and wouldn't leave it alone.
As I've gotten older, I've met and learned about a lot of other people whose ancestors came over on the Mayflower. It's always a point of pride for them. "My people were here ages ago," they seem to be saying, "way before your lousy people."
Fair enough. But it seems to fair to ask what kind of people we're talking about. Because getting to America isn't in itself anything to brag about. Lots of murderers, rapists, and lawyers have come to America. The descendants of John Billington, for example, probably don't brag too much about the fact that on September 30, 1630, that pilgrim distinguished himself by becoming the first Englishman in the colonies to be hanged for murder.
But then, my family's just a scrappy bunch of 20th-century immigrants. What the hell do I know?
On September 30, 1955, teen idol James Dean was killed in a car accident that probably could have been avoided if he had had his car inspected and tuned up regularly, obeyed all posted highway signs, and driven only when alert and sober. On the other hand, if he had survived, today James Dean would probably be tottering aimlessly around celebrity golf tournaments, pimping life insurance or antacids, and writing tell-all memoirs.
On September 30, 1927, Babe Ruth hit his 60th home run of the season. (Mark McGwire was born on October 1, 1963, however, so this no longer matters.)
Today is the birthday of Fran Drescher (1957), Johnny Mathis (1935), Angie Dickinson (1931), Elie Wiesel (1928), Truman Capote (1924), and Buddy Rich (1917).
It's Independence Day in Botswana.
Happy Thursday!
© 2004, The Moron's Almanac
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text: I run usually two-three times a week using a customized program from The Running School. I almost exclusively use the real time screens on the Stridalyzer app. When I'm running on the treadmill I'm using the Stridalyzer app to see the weight distribution of my foot in real time. It help me improve my running technique since I know precisely how my weight distribution is at any given moment in time and I can then adjust my running technique when needed.


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It is a well known fact that there is a direct link between stress, exercise, your fitness levels and the condition of sleep apnea. Many people have also not heard of the condition termed as Hypnagogic Hallucinations, which is another form of sleep disorder. Your state of health and fitness can have an effect on both these sleep disorder conditions. Consequently we have listed below some very helpful recommendations that will enable you to stay fit and healthy and enjoy a good night's sleep.
Your Best Health & Fitness Recommendations
Try dive bomb pushups for an exciting exercise twist. The starting position for the dive bomb is similar to that of a standard push-up. Start face-down with your palms and toes on the floor, but arch your back. Once in this position, bent at the elbows and move the top half of your body forward and down. Then, move the torso backwards to the original position. Doing push-ups this way gives you a much more intense workout in the chest.
Bone up on your volleyball contact skills. An unconventional way to improve those skills is to play foosball. Excellent hand-eye coordination, and other keen skills, are needed to be successful in a game of foosball. The same skill-set that is cultivated with Foosball practice is vital for volleyball players who want better contact skills.
Take some breaks through the day to reduce your risk of deep vein thrombosis. Take a short walk about every 20 minutes. If you can't leave your office or cubicle, then try some simple stretches. Making sure to incorporate light exercise daily will significantly change your fitness level.
Think of fitness as one of your primary concerns. You should see exercising as something that should be done daily, just like taking a shower. Schedule time to exercise and if you miss this time, find time later in the day. Just make sure you exercise at some point. This way you know you accomplished your exercise goals for the day.
Start easy on your fitness plan by walking your dog. Your furry companion loves to go for walks and he will not easily get tired of daily walking trips. Start off with something simple. Begin by walking a block or possibly two; then, build your distance on that. Daily walking exercise is a good perk as a dog owner.
To give your body fuel for workouts and to raise your fitness level you should have a balanced intake of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. You should want to get 20% fat content, 35 carbs, and 45 protein. If you aren't eating protein at every meal, you're missing an opportunity to build muscle.
Get fit with some yard work. Yards constantly need maintenance, and working in them is a great way to move around. Choosing to perform yard work will provide you with the aesthetic reward of having a prettier yard while achieving daily exercise goals. try improving your space once per week to get some physical exercise. You might even lose track of the time and end up having a nice yard and a nice body.
Get exercise along with your pet. It is vital for pets to have good exercise as well. Recent research has shown that around 35 percent of beloved pets are overweight. When you and your pet exercise together, you get twice the bang for your buck. A walk is a simple way to improve the health of you and of your pet.
A good trick to practice is to press your tongue to the top of your mouth while you do sit-ups or crunches. By doing this the muscles located in your neck area will stay involved which results in the correct alignment while you are exercising your abdominal muscles. You will avoid injuries and strains.
Avoid eating just before your workout. Exercising immediately after eating can disrupt the digestive process. This may then lead to nausea and possibly even vomiting and diarrhea, as well. As an alternative, exercise first and then proceed to eat a small meal with water.
As you have read in the above article, it is feasible to reach a high level of fitness, and one you will be proud of. You no longer have to be embarrassed of your out of shape body. If you follow the advice you have found here, you'll be on track to completing your fitness goals.


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come back soon
Ever since its inception in the year 1978, Central Academy Education
Society has held a towering presence, making way and thus upholding the Society's
motto to provide "Quality and Accessible Education".
Central Academy branches at Jodhpur and Pali are a feather in our Cap.
|C-17, Shastri Nagar, 342003, Jodhpur
|Working Hours
|Week Days: 09:00 AM - 06:00 PM
Sunday Closed


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PALMDALE (AP) — Federal aviation officials say a small aircraft with four people on board has crashed north of Los Angeles.
The Federal Aviation Administration says a Cessna went down Sunday at the Brian Ranch Airport in the unincorporated community of Llano, about 75 miles north of Los Angeles.
There's no immediate word on the condition of the pilot and passengers.


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Chelsey + Robert: Wedding Trailer
Chelsey and Robert were married at the beautiful St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Marksville, LA followed by an elegant backyard reception at the bride's childhood home. Rachel Henry with Truly Haute coordinated the day while Catherine Guidry captured the day in photographs.
Ceremony: St. Joseph's Catholic Church; Wedding Coordination: Truly Haute; Photography: Catherine Guidry
Rachel + Jared: Feature Film
Rachel and Jared were married at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church and their reception was held at The Board of Trade in New Orleans, LA. Before the ceremony they prepped for their big day at The Roosevelt Hotel and The Omni Royal Crescent. Mojeaux provided the entertainment for the afternoon. The whole day was expertly planned by Christie LeBouef with Mis En Place Events and photographed by Mark Eric.
Prep: Omni Royal Crescent, The Roosevelt Hotel; Hair and Make-Up: Up'Sa Daisy Hair Studio, Makeup by Meggan; Ceremony: Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church; Reception: The Board of Trade; Entertainment: Mojeaux; Photography: Mark Eric; Wedding Coordination: Mise En Place Events
Kaylea + Beau: Trailer
Kaylea and Beau were married at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Greenwell Springs, LA with a reception that followed at Forrest Grove Plantation in Denham Springs, LA. Complete Media provided the entertainment for the afternoon.
Ceremony: St. Alphonsus Catholic Church; Reception: Forrest Grove Plantation; Entertainment: Complete Media
Mary + Kerby: Trailer
Mary and Kerby were married at the historic St. John's Catherdral in Plaquemine, LA with a reception at Nottoway Plantation in White Castle. Hours before the ceremony, Verde Beauty Studio prepped our bride at the salon on Nottoway's grounds. Stormy provided the entertainment for the afternoon and we provided the photo booth. Click here to see pictures of all of the fun!
Ceremony: St. John's Cathedral; Prep & Reception: Nottoway Plantation; Hair and Make-Up: Verde Beauty Studio; Entertainment: Stormy; Photo Booth: High Rise Productions
Nichole + Joseph: Feature Film
Nichole and Joseph were married at St. Louis Cathedral in the heart of the Jackson Square. In true New Orleans fashion they second lined through the French Quarter and to Pat O's on the River for their reception. After 8 provided the entertainment for the evening. We enjoyed getting to once again work with Heather of Dark Roux photography.
Ceremony: St. Louis Cathedral; Reception: Pat O's on the River; Entertainment: After 8; Photography: Dark Roux Photography


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Switching up the high ponytail with Bold and Bright yaki braid extensions by Darling Hair
Darling hair recently launched their limited range of Bold and Bright yaki braid colours. Read all about it here.
We sprinkled some colour to Kay's signature ponytail up-do and she switched it up with her favorite lip colours. Here she shares three ways to rock a high ponytail.
Royal purple on purple
Electric blue and pink
Olive green and orange
Thank you so much Kay
(Visited 225 times, 1 visits today)


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MaryEllen Odell is playing games with the Putnam County budget. The ramifications could be costly!
Budget Hijinks
by Bernie Kosberg
Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell, supported by her close-knit team of Republican Party cronies, unveiled her proposed County budget for 2016 at the Putnam County Golf Course a few weeks ago. An appreciative crowd of "party faithful" listened admiringly as Odell described the primary strategy she'll use to keep taxes below the state-imposed tax cap and enable homeowners to continue to qualify for their state rebate. Odell plans to raid the county's general fund to the tune of about $8 million, thereby depleting that stand-by reserve of better than 40% of its value in one fell swoop.
Incredulously, not one discerning question or comment was made by the audience regarding this questionable practice of spending down reserves, or the lack of a cogent plan to deal with future budgetary shortfalls. After gaining taxpayer confidence by staying within her budgets and keeping yearly increases low over the last several years - in spite of the excessively wasteful spending and fraudulent practices committed at Tilly Foster and the PC Golf course - Odell now offers the truly outrageous: She proposes to balance next year's budget by appropriating reserve funds which are legal savings that are almost always entrusted for investment in capital improvements, such as infrastructure needs, equipment, and emergency essentials.
By law, Putnam County is legally required to pass a balanced budget each year. But a budget that is balanced isn't always one representing a healthy spending plan. At the most basic level, a justifiable operating budget is one in which normally-occurring revenues are equal to regularly-occurring expenditures, and extraordinary sources of revenue should only be used for one-time expenditures.
Regularly-occurring expenditures not only encompass the daily expenses of salaries and supplies, but also include long-term liabilities like retiree healthcare, benefits payments, and annual infrastructure maintenance.
For 2016, Odell plans to use better than $4 million of the reserve fund to pay for general operations. Yes, general operations! That's like you and me using our hard-earned savings for everyday expenses and then patting ourselves on the back for our prudent budgeting.
Odell also plans to use almost $4 million of the reserve fund to reduce pension debt incurred by the county's underfunding of pension liabilities several years ago. This one-time $4 million payment will, she says, "get this monkey off our back." Why make this huge payment now from the reserves? The interest rate on borrowed money today is extremely low. Why spend $4 million in one bulk payment when there's scant chance it'll ever be replenished and available when truly needed?
For some time now, Putnam County has been accused of deferring maintenance on its infrastructure. We see this in the condition of our facilities, in the weakening performance of our roads and bridges, in our lack of investment in business development, and in the scarcity of services for those in need. Unlike underfunding pension liabilities, which will become the next generation's problem, the reality of deteriorating programs and infrastructure is apparent today.
Reserve funds provide a degree of financial stability by reducing reliance on indebtedness to finance capital projects and acquisitions. During a significant economic downturn, the reserve could be used to moderate the need to cut services or to raise taxes. But, at present, our local economy is stable. This money is not needed for current purposes and is being used, it seems, to prop up the current administration, which is at a loss as to how to create industry and foster economic development.
Accumulating cash for future capital expenditures and other allowable purposes is good practice. However, under the Odell administration, we appear to be bonding one project after another, putting off till tomorrow what good practice says should be paid for today. A strong reserve fund is best used to protect the budget against known risks: lawsuits, storms, or even gross financial mismanagement.
Is the Odell administration putting Putnam County in a precarious financial position by not carefully considering all of the risks this county needs to be protected against and indiscriminately spending down this reserve to foster its own best interest?
Odell's budget also offers few solutions to some significant problems. Putnam County has stopped growing. Overall population is decreasing, while the percentage of senior citizens on fixed incomes is growing dramatically. Economic development is almost nonexistent, as is small business creation. The commercial tax base is stagnant. The underemployment of women and young adults, and a sparse influx of new jobs into the county, is impacting family size; so is the cost of housing. There are almost no higher education and job training opportunities. As our population decreases, school enrollment and the state's per-pupil funding does as well, affecting the quality and quantity of educational services rendered. All of these factors influence the value of real estate, creating a domino effect.
As financial resources dwindle and our reserves disappear; as mandates imposed by the state increase and employee benefits swell - pension costs, contracted health care, salary and step increases - we can anticipate significant reductions in public services in order to keep pace. This, coupled with a county government rife with cronyism, inefficiencies, and unsophisticated management practices predicts trouble ahead. Is an insular county government - with no avenues for healthy discourse - what the residents of Putnam County really want as we face a challenging economic future?


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Money may be tight but Clare Williams is looking forward to an exciting – and ground-breaking – few months for Hijinx Theatre.
As well as launching an innovative touring project, which will take 'bitesize' pieces of drama into the community, the Cardiff-based company is making its debut at the world-famous Glastonbury Festival.
While most actors, directors and writers would give their eye teeth to have this kind of global platform, for Williams and her team it's perhaps even more important as it's another essential step for them in flying the flag for inclusive theatre.
During the course of three days, they will be hosting three performances of two short works – Snooks Brothers Bank and Snooks Brothers Aquatic – which will feature both able-bodied actors and those with learning disabilities.
"The pieces have toured extensively in Europe where audiences are more used to inclusive performance – in the UK it's still something quite new and surprising," admits Williams.
"I hope this will be the start of a long relationship between Hijinx and Glastonbury. The company's very excited that we can reach a huge mainstream audience which may have never seen disabled actors on stage before.
"On a traditional tour our audiences will have already made a decision while sitting at home to buy a ticket to see a show which stars someone with a disability – they've already been converted to our work.
"Our ambition is to get hundreds of thousands of people who would have traditionally never bought a ticket to see someone with a disability perform. Now they will see our show at Glastonbury and hopefully love it and not have to think twice again.
"Hijinx is a hugely-loved company with a very loyal following both in Wales and the rest of the UK but we need to reach new audiences. We can't afford to sit still. We need to convert people to the brilliance of seeing the world through the eyes of someone with a disability."
Williams, who took up her post as executive director with Hijinx last year, is clearly passionate about spreading the message – and she's not letting dwindling finances stop the team.
When the Arts Council of Wales published its controversial Investment Review in 2010, Hijinx was one of the companies which lost considerable revenue funding so it had to make a number of cutbacks.
In the past, the company has toured one major show a year but now Williams is taking a new approach to touring – by offering venues a 'pick and mix' of bitesize productions known as Hijinx Pods. They will be able to choose two out of five productions to be performed as a double bill. As well as the two Snooks Brothers shows, which are already part of the repertoire, there are three new plays – The Waiting Room, Flossie & Jet and Snoutology For Beginners.
"Touring has become prohibitively expensive of late," says Williams, who was previously director of the Cultural Olympiad project Cauldrons And Furnaces.
"Last year Hijinx made a substantial loss on touring in the traditional way so we decided to look at how we could tour and reach audiences who love our work and find new audiences but do it affordably."
With just two actors – one able-bodied and one with a disability – in each of the five Hijinx Pods and minimal sets and props, it means that touring is considerably cheaper. And it will also give actors with learning disabilities the chance to experience life on the road.
The shows also play to the strengths of the actors involved.
"We're creating the pieces about them really and for them. For example, we have an actor with Down's syndrome called Kirsty Rosser who has a real affinity with masks – put her in a mask and she's transformed. So we've created a piece (Flossie & Jet) about her being a masked character and we've matched her up with Clare Parry Jones who is an expert at working with masks. We've devised a piece about two sisters who were living in a stateley home but are now homeless – it's a beautiful non-verbal piece of theatre."
With shows between 25 minutes and 50 minutes in length, Williams hopes they will be the perfect introduction to new audiences. Industry professionals will get the chance to see the new work during showcases in Cardiff and Birmingham in the coming weeks and there will be free public 'taster' performances in Aberystwyth and Caernarfon this weekend when audiences will be asked for feedback.
As well as its theatre work, Hijinx – which is based at the Wales Millennium Centre – runs a training academy for actors with disabilities and it is hoped it will be taken to more areas of Wales in the near future. And the company hosts the annual Unity Festival in Cardiff Bay – a major showcase of inclusive theatre from across the globe. There will be a break this summer so that there is more time to plan an even bigger event for 2015. There is also its inclusive community theatre company Odyssey for amateur actors.
"I really hope that Hijinx is at the forefront of changing people's perceptions of disability," adds Williams. "For the first time, the RSC and National Theatre are auditioning people with learning disabilities and I really hope that Hijinx has played a part in welcoming inclusive theatre. I'm enormously proud of the pioneering work we're doing."
Free tasters of Hijinx Theatre's Drama Pods will be at Aberystwyth Arts Centre today at 2pm and at Galeri, Caernarfon tomorrow at 2pm. For details of the company, visit www.hijinx.org.uk


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Saints of the 14 of april
Saint Lidwina of Schiedam
Patron Saint of chronically ill patients who want to take advantage of their long illness to pay for their sins, convert sinners and get a great reward in heaven. The Decree from Rome declare her saint saying she was "a marvel of human suffering and heroic patience".
- Saint Asacus
- Saint Benedict of Avignon
- Saint Bernard of Tiron
- Saint Frontón
- Saint Juan of Montemarano
- Saint Lamberto of Lyon
- Saint Pedro González Telmo
- Saint Tomáide
- Blessed Isabel Calduch Rovira


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|This Week's Topic…
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Moisture Control
The single most important aspect of bagpipe maintenance is the issue to moisture control. An instrument that varies with respect to moisture can never be stable or reliable.
Water traps, desiccant systems and pipe bags must be chosen to be suitable for the climate in which you live and the proper considerations for maintaining an appropriate moisture level.
Moisture absorbed into a reed makes it both heavier and more flexible, so the native pitch of a wetter reed is different (generally lower) than that of a dryer one. If the pitch changes as you play, you'll have a problem. If the level of moisture in the bag is too high, the reeds will become wet in the short term and will mildew in the long term. (Mildew is evidenced by a black color on the reeds.) For this same reason, the pipe chanter should never be left inside the bag when not in use. It should be kept outside the bag with a reed protector in place. I'd also recommend swabbing out the chanter stock after each day's playing to remove water or saliva that may be absorbed into the wood. Swab out the drones and chanter stock on cold days.
Condensed moisture in the drones results in funny noises, instability and eventually drone "shut-down". It can swell hemp leading to frozen joints. If it soaks into the wood, it can cause cracks. This moisture comes from the passage of your humid breath into the drones where it hits cooler ambient air. When the extra moisture content coming from your breath is more than the ambient air can hold, you'll get condensation. A "little" condensation can be tolerated, but at some point, you're in trouble.
The amount of condensation depends upon the air flow through your drones (lots of moist air flow = lots of condensation), the relative humidity of that air (desiccated air contains less moisture than non-desiccated = less condensation) and the ability of outside air to accept the extra humidity going up the drones (lower relative humidity in the outside air and/or warmer temperature = less condensation).
I'll wager you've never seen your breath come out the chanter or drones - even when the water condenses on the cool surfaces inside the drone. That's because of a fairly high mixing ratio of ambient air and your breath in the drones.
This is a good place to bring up the fine point that, on a given day, plastic pipes may have more condensate than non-plastic pipes. The thermal conductivity of plastic is higher than that of wood, so when you are playing on a cool day, the bore of a plastic pipe will be losing heat faster than a wooden pipe and will be colder than that of a wooden pipe. A colder bore represents a surface for more or earlier condensation.
OK, so where does that leave us? We know that the air leaving our pipes has some amount of moisture in it. That moisture needs to be absorbed into the ambient air. If it cannot be absorbed at the temperature in the bores, the moisture will condense in our drones. On Saint Patrick's Day, even with a moisture control system I end up POURING water out of my drone reeds. The water runs down the drones and into the drone reeds shutting them off.
There are two major forms of moisture control systems, 1) water traps and 2) desiccants/absorbents.
Moisture traps deal mostly with spit (yes spit!). The first thing they do is divert the spit away from the chanter reed toward the back of the instrument. This is usually done with an elbow a tube. If the trap has an elbow, then the larger water/spit particles will be knocked out because they aren't carried along in the flowing stream of air. The medium sized "bits o' spit" will fall out of the air stream and collect in the tube. This is an aerodynamic issue in which particles obey "stoke's law". This law says that big particles fall faster in a viscous fluid and that small particles will remain suspended longer. The slower the fluid is moving, the more efficiently the particles are removed. This is best done in a large diameter, long tube so that the air is moving slowly and you catch most of the particles that fall out. There are obvious practical there are practical limitations. In particular, very small particles of water will remain suspended for a long time and will go through the trap.
Desiccants and absorbents are materials which have the ability to attract moisture from the air. If desiccant is dry, has a high surface area and the flow rate is slow, the relative humidity of the air can be significantly reduced before it reaches the reeds. Desiccants do have limitations in that the humidity of the air passing over the desiccant will increase as the desiccant becomes more and more laden with moisture. Hence, you should use "dried" desiccant on those cold damp days when you know you need it. The ability of a desiccant to absorb moisture is also a function of temperature.
Which ever system you choose, controlling moisture is part of pipe maintenance and will dramatically effect how your pipes play.


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Powell Hut, Mt Holdsworth (twice)
Last weekend took me and some friends up Mt Holdsworth. After climbing to the summit we stayed at Powell and then In the morning I headed up again to see if there was any snow.... unfortunately
nothing really, but there was ice, and it was cold.... and there was
plenty of white stuff (cloud)Again Hughie was smiling on us and we got
much better weather than was forecast.
Labels: hiking, tararua range, tramping


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A common roofing problem for people in Houston is algae.
The warm, humid climate here in Houston presents the perfect conditions for algae growth, but you shouldn't just ignore the algae. Not only does algae growth look bad, it can actually be very damaging to your roof. Algae prevents your shingles from properly drying out, which can drastically speed up the aging process of your roof. Algae can also prevent water from running off of your roof properly, which can lead to roof leaks and even internal damage in your home. So how do you rid your roof of algae? Our roof repair experts have come up with the following guide to help:
#1. Read your roof's warranty.
The last thing you want to do is void your roof's warranty, but unfortunately, some cleaning methods will do just that. Before you attempt to clean the algae off of your roof, read your roof's warranty thoroughly to ensure you won't be voiding the warranty.
#2. Don't be afraid to call in an expert.
Cleaning algae and moss off of a roof can be very dangerous, as moss and algae will make your roof very slippery. Stay safe by hiring a professional! If you do decide to attempt to clean your roof on your own, start from the top down. You should avoid using a pressure washer or chlorine bleach on your roof, as these can be damaging.
#3. Keep your trees trimmed.
If you have any branches hanging over your roof, you are more likely to see algae and moss growth. Keeping your branches trimmed not only helps to prevent algae and moss from growing, but it can also prevent other serious roofing issues.


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Essay About Cause And Effect Of Smoking
The modern marketplace is now requiring for each and every individual to get exemplary proficiency of essay writing who is shopping for employment. Relationship will be the period where females may modify their labels to that of their spouse. People usually want to transform their label after divorce towards the name before these were married they had. As an example, people should transform their name it may cause a bad influence on their organization also although somebody within their marketplace gets the same name-but features a terrible name.
Marriage will be the period where girls might modify their brands to that particular of their partner. Individuals usually desire to change their name towards the label before these were committed, they'd after breakup. As an example, people may want to change their label although someone inside their industry has the same name-but has a bad name also it might cause an adverse effect on their enterprise.


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Our team of engineers and technicians have installed a range of Renewable Energy Solutions across Southern Africa. Central to our strategy is to showcase projects which use quality products and materials that are in line with the latest technology available.
Responding to various needs in the market, we demonstrate some of our installations over the past years. We pride ourselves on the quality of our service and ensure that our experience will benefit our present and future customers.
Grundfoss RSI 18KW DC VSD Inverter
60 x 330 GCL PV Panels
20KW Ground Mount Frame
2 x Grundfoss SQ Flex 3A-10 VSD Pumps
Combiner Box
14 x 330 GCL PV Panels
5KW Ground Mount Frame
1 x 25KW SMA Tri-Power Inverter 75 x 330 GCL PV Panels
1 x SMA Home Manager 2
25KW Roof Mount Frame
Location: Riversdale, Overberg Installation Time: 10 Days
4 x 25KW SMA Tri-Power Inverters 330 x 305W Pv Panels
1 x SMA Energy Meter
1 x SMA Cluster Controller
Roof Mounted Panels
Location: Caledon, Overberg Region Installation Time: 10 Days
Description: 1 x SMA Sunny Tri Power 5000
15 x JA Solar 330W PV Panels
SMA home Manager with Energy Meter 2.0
Installation Type: Flat Roof Mount
Installation Time: Two Days
Constantia Cape Town
Location: City Bowl, Cape Town
Description of System:
1x Victron Multiplus 5000W
15 x 330W JA Solar Panels
5.12 BYD Lithium Batteries
1 X Color Control GX
1x Victron BMV 700 Battery Monitor
1 x 75A Charge Regulator
Installation Type: 3KW Photovolatiac System with 5KW Battery Backup
Installation Time: Two Days
1 x 8KW SMA Back Up and Home Manager
1 x STP SMA 8000TL Inverter
32 x Renesola PV Panels
Roof Mounted
Location: Blouberg Strand, Western Cape
Installation Time: 3 Days
1 x 5KW Victron Multiplus Inverter
8 x 260ah SonX Deep Cycle Batteries
Location: Hermanus, Western Cape Installation Time: 1 Day
Location: Khayelitsha
Description of System:
3 x 6KW Sunny Island Inverters
48 x 2V MIL15 Batteries
Installation Type: Battery Back-up System
Installation time: One Week
Comments: The Commercial Back-up System is for a school with an exisitng 17KW PV System.
Location: Farm, Nieuwoudtville
Description of system:
4 x 25KW SMA Inverters
400 x Renesola Photovoltaic Panels
Expected annual production 180MWH
Installation Type: Ground Mount
Installation Time: Two weeks to install
Location: Robertson
Description of System:
2 x 7KW Sunnyboy Inverters
90 x 240W Qixin Photovoltaic Panels
Electrical Boxes:
Supplied and Installed 1 x DC fuse box and
1 x AC DB Board
Installation Type: 21.6KW Photovoltaic System
Installation Time: Four days
Location: Lutzville
Description Of System:
4 x 25KW SMA Inverters
400 x Renesola Photovoltaic Panels
Installation Type: 100KW Corregated Roof Mount set on frame.
Installation Time: One Week
Location: Gosforth Business Park
Buildings: 3 DC Warehouse Buildings of 8000-20000sqm with 1000-3000sqm of offices in each.
Description of the systems:
Total Installed capacity:- 90KWP
3 X 15KW and 1 X45KW Grid-Tie PV Systems
380 X 240W Photovoltaic Panels
6 X SMA Sunny Tri-Power Inverters 15000
Sunny Web Box for each array to provide comms for Sunny Portal On-line Performance Monitoring
Installation Type: Grid-Tie Photovoltaic System
Comments: Due to the phased completion of the various warehouses in the building precinct, the installation of the PV Arrays took two years to complete.
Location: Longmeadow Industrial Park, Johannesburg
Building 8000M/@ Warehouse 2000m/2 Offices
Customer Requirement: To Provide a Matered PV Electricity Supply to the current tennant. To provide a portion of the power needs of the Office component
Description of the System:
15KW - 65 x 230W PV Panels (Grid Tie Designed with High Voltage)
1X SMA Sunny Tripower 15000 (3 Phase Grid Tie Interver consisitent with EU specifications)
1 X Sunny Web Box (For online performance monitoring)
Performance and Design Parameters:
Roof Area coverage 130 SQM
Type of Roof: Kalzip Brownbuilt sheeting
Annual Power Production 26000 KW
Carbon Emissions Savings 28000 KGS
Comments: The project was part of a new development. Despite being faced with delays in the construction process, we were able to utilize some of the construction infrastructure which made our installation time much quicker than expected.
Location: Benoni Industrial Park off N12
Building: 1000 m/2 Warehouse and Office mix with consistent load from roof-mounted Chiller HVAC system.
Customer Requirement: Massive fluctuations in summer and winter tariffs combined with consistent base load of 30KVA. Landlord strategy to reduce KWH and KVA electricity base load on the building and improve control of collections from electricity invoiced.
Description of the System:
17.2KW System
72 X 240W PV Panels
1 X Sunny Web Box (Online monitoring)
1 X Elster 1140 meter (independent usage reading)
Performance and Design Parameters:
Roof Type: Corrugate, base aluminium framing system, connected to purlin bolts to ensure waterproofing, PV framing attached.
Roof Coverage: 140 SQM
Annual Power Production: 30.5MWH
Comments: PV system installed successfully in 3 days. Independent Eslter meter has proved effective in creating a secure, secondary performance monitor. Concerns for load shedding outages on the grid and on cellular network outages provided challenges to consistent monitoring. Tenant was completely unaffected by installation and has been invoiced for all power produced to date.
Location: Brackenfell, Cape Town Building: Warehouse
Customer Requirements:
Description of the System:
40 X 24 Tube Solar Collectors (Evacuated Tube) were positioned on a flat roof
1 x 500W Stainless Steel Pump
1 x 50mm HP Stainless Steel Pump 60 Degress Celcius
All piping was insulated to avoid heat losses & improve efficiencies.
A non-roof penetrating framing system was used for the Solar collectors (using Close Cell Expansion Foam)
The system was designed to produce a constant water temperature of 55 degrees.
Location: Longmeadow Industrial Park, Johannesburg
Building: 2000 m/2 Offices and 1000 m/2 Warehouses
Customer Requirement: To install a PV array as an Energy Intervention measure creating metered electricty savings for the building.
Description of the System:
216 x 235W PV Panels (Grid-Tie Designed with High Voltage)
3 x SMA Sunny Tripower 17000
1 x Sunny Web Box (For online performance monitoring)
Performance and Design Parameters:
Roof Coverage area - 400 SQM
Type of Roof: Kalzip Brownbuilt sheeting
Annual Power Production: 92000 KW
Carbon Emmissions Savings: 117000 KGS
Comments: The project was part of the company's Energy Efficiency Program to install Grid-Tie PV Arrays on a number of its commercial and industrial buildings. The focus was to have a verifiable reduction in the building's electricity consumption. This was demonstrated by providing screen snapshots of the PV Production in the reception area with the intent of setting a benchmark trend with their building management portfolio.
Location: Bedfordview, Johannesburg
Building: Apartment Block, 209 Units, 9 Floors, 1000 Residents
Customer Requirements: The Body Corporate was looking to radically reduce its Hot Water Power consumption from the centralised element heater boiler. They were concerned about the impact of the Solar Collectors on the roof and insisted on a non-penetrating framing system.
Description of the System:
50 X 24 Tube Solar Collectors (Evacuated Tube) were positioned on a flat roof with 10 X 11 KW Heat Pump Systems.
Water was conduited through the building from a Centralised 32 KiloLitre Boiler System in the basement.
All piping was insulated to avoid heat losses & improve efficiencies.
A non-roof penetrating framing system was used for the Solar collectors (using Close Cell Expansion Foam)
The system was designed to produce a constant water temperature of 55 degrees.
The body Corporate had limited finance for the project, so they entered into a partnership for the project. A portion of monthly revenue derived from the supply of hot water would be directed to the installers.
Location: Kenilworth, Cape Town
Building: 4 Bedroom Victorian House
Customer Requirements: To reduce electricity bill by means of Grid Tie
Description of the System:
Inverter: 2.5 KW SMA Sunny Boy inverter
PV Panels: 12 x SolarWorld Sun Module 200 Watts
Installation Type: North-facing roof mounted
Total Installation Time: 2 days
Production Parameters:
Surface area of PV Generation 20.4 m2
Max current of PV Generation 7.1 amps
Annual Energy Yield 4006 KwH
Annual Savings in 2011 R5980
Monthly Savings R500
Comments: North-facing roof was well positioned for maximum solar energy yield. Client reported radical reduction in electricity bill, as his hourly yields usually were equal to or less than his solar production during the day. His peak loads were further reduced by his solar hot water system, geyser timers, and metering devices.
Challenges: Requirement to place the inverter close to the distribution board. This was overcome with careful design of DC cable conduiting through roof and ceiling structure.
Location: Vereeniging, Gauteng
Building: Freestanding House and guesthouse
Customer Requirements: To reduce power load and lower electricity costs
Description of system: 31KW Ground Mount PV System
Inverters: 2 x 17KW SMA Tripower inverters
PV Panels:132 x 235W Renesola Panels with Solar Frame and Lightning protector
Installation Type: Ground mounted panels
Total Installation Time:1 week
Client had underfloor heating installed in guesthouses on the property which used a substantial amount of electricity. He installed the PV Panels to substitute the load requirement and generate savings for the property.
As the roof was an unusual shape and the propery grounds were large, it was decided that a ground-mounted system would suit the client best.
Location: Northern Namibia
Building: Farm and Guesthouses
Customer Requirements: To provide Grid Tie connection to local authority and Off Grid capacity where generators are being used.
Description of the Systems:Multiple Systems with Grid Tie and Off-Grid PV Designs, as well as Solar Hot Water.
Inverters: SMA 3000, 7000 HF and Victron 5KW Multiplus
PV Panels:Thinfilm
Batteries: Sonix 260A/H Deep Cycle Gel Acid
Installation Type: Pitched roof
Total Installation Time: 4 weeks
Production Parameters:
Max current of PV Generation: 140KW
Comments:Installation was during December, so the team had to work early morning and late afternoon.
Requirement to offer support for the correct wiring of meters with local supply authority for accurate Grid-Tie metering after installation.
Location: Cederberg, Western Cape
Building: Freestanding House
Customer Requirements: System to supply power for lighting, small appliances and hot water
Description of system:
Inverters: Victron 5KW Multiplus
PV Panels: 8 x 240W Renesola panels
Batteries: Sonix 260A/H Deep Cycle Gel Acid
Generator:5KW Generator Honda
Charge Controller: Victron 70amp
Installation Type: Flat roof
Total Installation Time: 3 days
A Green building requirement was for the panels not to be visible from the surrounds.
Specialised framing system designed.
LED Lights and double walling to maintain internal ambient temperatures.
Cool air from the heat pump was used to cool the batteries.
Bi-directional inverter supplies power to the batteries from PV panels during the day and, if required, extra or top-up power to batteries supplied by inverter at night.


text: The shoe is so comfortable to wear. The sole is so firm yet soft at the same time which makes running a lot easier. It feels as if i am running on water, light and refreshing. what makes this product so intriuging is the fact that it is super affordable! Definitely would recommend this product!


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NRL: What's Eating Jarryd Hayne?
It's official, Jarryd Hayne returns to the NRL joining the Gold Coast Titans as their new member.
The 28-year-old claimed that he signed with the Gold Coast team due to 'political instability' at Parramatta. Interim Parramatta chief executive Bevan Paul has made the decision to move forward from Jarryd Hayne and has vowed to improve the team's protocols after police have investigated the team for match-fixing allegations.
The prodigal son of Parramatta Eels has received backlash from fans and the media including comments and criticisms about his 'betrayal'. Hayne responded back stating that the Parramatta club had nothing to offer him and even calling his fans, 'clowns' for being influenced by the media.
Adding to Hayne's infamous archive of on-field AND off-field drama, it has been reported that Hayne was not charged for making contact with a Warriors' referee, Gavin Reynolds during his game on Sunday. Hayne remains adamant towards the controversial event, insisting that it was accidental. Hayne continues to brush off his actions claiming he "couldn't understand" the charges being made and that "referees have a pretty tricky job because they stand everywhere."
The former Eels player may face suspension and find himself sitting on the sidelines if he's found guilty.


text: Aaron Traffas Band5 May. 2012 |Live at Tragedy to Triumph...5 Years Later in Greensburg, Kan. Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal Facebook Twitter Previous post Aaron Traffas and Lucas Maddy in Fairbury, Neb. on 23 Dec. 2011 Next post Aaron Traffas in Sun City, Kansas on 4 Feb. 2012 Leave a Reply Cancel reply


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This morning we head off to Seattle for a few days. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, especially Ethan who's visiting for the weekend. We'll celebrate Mom's birthday a week early on Sunday, with the whole family gathering at her house.
On the way we'll detour through Tacoma, to pick up an end table that matches the coffee table that I got a couple of months back. The guy has listed it on craigslist a few times (without a buyer ) though the price hasn't changed.
While we're there I'll spend a day cutting out a quilt at Mom's house. She wants to do a one-block-wonder so I'll walk her through cutting and beginning that project. I will start the one for little Richard out of the tattoo fabric at the same time.
I also want to go see Where the Wild Things Are at IMAX . It should be a nice relaxing trip.


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Our preparation leading up to this competition was aggressive, but his qualifications were minimal with only having run two Intermediate horse trials prior to the 2**. We knew that Billy probably needed more practical experience in the "real world" with more runs under his belt to be competitive at this level, but I have already admitted that we weren't competitive, haven't I? Nonetheless we were qualified, and the two runs that he had at Intermediate were clean, albeit painfully slow, so we entered the CIC 2** with the idea that he was ready for the challenge and it was smart to get the qualification in sooner rather than later.
|Billy looking handsome at the trot up
We did not disappoint when it came to the Dressage arena. As promised, a proper warm up routine was found for Billy, and he was focused and rideable in our test. We only had one clear mistake in the first counter canter, but otherwise, it was a career best for us and we scored very well to be in second place at the end of that phase.
|medium trot
|Billy being a professional in an electric atmosphere
|Our test was truly a pleasure
|Triple bars are our "feel good" fences!
|We like oxers too.
The (new) plan was to be ahead my FIRST minute, mistake number one. I did not settle into a comfortable rhythm out of the box, but instead ran like a banshee on fire and at the faster speed Billy was a little unsure if we were jumping cross country or fleeing from a Warmblood-eating monster fond of flashy blacks with white blazes. He was a little out of sorts and I put him to a few uncomfortable distances at the second and third tables on the way to our first combination, a pair of airy oxers with ditches under them. I rode him forward (mistake number 2!) after the third fence to set the tone and get him in gear in anticipation of the first tough question. To my delight, he did not even look at the first ditchy oxer at all (maybe because we were running at top Warmblood speed?) and flew right in to the combination. I kept the hammer down and it looked as if we were on our way to making the notoriously long three stride to the next and more narrow of the ditch oxers when I realized we ran right by it. WHAT??!! Wait a minute, I am NOT the shark in this story?? I quickly whipped around in a small turn and popped over it without a second thought and galloped down to the table-coffin combo.
|Our second attempt at the B element of fence 4
After that jump I had a long gallop to mull things over. I had become the seal in this scenario, the victim! But unlike the poor seal, I was just being the victim of my own stupid riding! I needed to get my head clear and salvage this ride to give Billy the experience he required or I just needed to put up the white flag. Time to be the shark, no more mistakes! I resolved to think about what my horse needed to make it around the rest of the course since I already had used up my allotted two stops before ever reaching fence 7. Of course, the next jump had a ditch under it, so I would know soon enough if I was going to have a short day at the office.
Fence 7 proved to be understandably a little impressive to Billy after our ordeal, but he trusted me and went like a helicopter over it. We managed to get into a rhythm and ended up having a very positive ride over the remaining fences on the course, with strong encouragement from me over the rest of the ditches. There were several advanced questions and he answered them with a yes. We ended up on the same page the rest of the way and finished the course and crossed the finish line.
|Billy was not going to come close to touching fence 7
|The one stride into water after fence 7. We were getting our mojo back.
|the very advanced normandy bank
|Dropping off the normandy bank.after one stride across.
|We had four bending strides to a corner after the drop.
|The corner following the normandy bank.
So there you have it, our first CIC 2** experience together. A whole lot of growth, learning, and maturity. It's not always what you hope for, but this sport of Eventing serves up a lot of "unexpected". The great thing about it is that the journey is so remarkable, the end result can be almost insignificant.
|Billy forgives his bad driver with enough cookies