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- kidslifeAsked on October 07, 2014 at 12:35 PM
Good afternoon,
Is it possible to change settings so that a form can't be accessed/submitted on Sundays (or whatever day).
- JotForm SupportMike_TAnswered on October 07, 2014 at 02:28 PM
Thank you for contacting us.
Yes, we can do this. There are conditions available based on the 'Is Equal to Day' rules. Please see the next video:
If you need any further assistance on this, please let us know.

subset: commoncrawl


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Art Bead Scene October Challenge!
Title: Madame De Pompadour
Date: 1756
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Date: 1756
Medium: Oil on Canvas
The Necklace ~
I purchased this lovely, handmade, ceramic shoe from a French bead maker named Valerie of PoppyBis, some time last spring. It was really just so perfect for this challenge!
First, I added a row of glass pearls to a hammered bar, then wired layers of Czech peach flowers using individual headpins. I knew I wanted to do flower clusters all around the ornate shoe, but I had never done that type of wiring before, so I was on a learning curve. I really had to concentrate on keeping a clean and smooth look on the back.
Here is the back, to show you the wiring. It 's very smooth and as tidy as I could make it. I love that "Poppy" signed her pendant, that makes it all the more special.
The earrings ~
Beautiful ceramic earring charms by JosephineBeads; two shades of glass pearls; AB crown spacers. It's hard to tell but the charms have raised areas that are accented in a silver finish.
I always learn something new with each challenge! Can't wait to see what others did!
I will close my post as Valerie or "Poppy", always does with me~
*Kiss ~ Loralee
...so French! :)


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- About Hunger
- How to End Hunger
- Our Impact
- Get Involved
Spread joy and share your commitment for a world without hunger by sending Bread for the World Christmas cards. Multiple designs available.
Washington, D.C. – Bread for the World has launched its annual Offering of Letters campaign. The campaign encourages churches and other groups to write letters to Congress to protect programs that help people struggling with hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world.
The launch falls as the Trump administration has released its fiscal year 2019 budget.
"As we saw in the president's budget proposal, programs that provide help and opportunity to people in need are under threat in Washington," said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. "Through the Offering of Letters, tens of thousands of faithful advocates will call upon Congress to maintain funding for programs that help hungry and poor people in our country and around the world."
President Trump's budget would make massive cuts to programs that help people experiencing hunger and poverty, including domestic nutrition programs such as SNAP and aid to countries on the brink of famine.
"Budget cuts are now the biggest threat to people struggling with hunger and poverty," Beckmann said.
The name of the letter-writing campaign, "For Such a Time as This," references Esther from the Old Testament – who saved her people from destruction through advocacy (Esther 4).
During an Offering of Letters, participants write letters, usually as a group, and present them as an offering to God before mailing them to Congress. Hundreds of Offerings of Letters campaigns are held each year across the country, resulting in hundreds of thousands of hand-written letters and personalized emails to Congress.
"Just as Queen Esther from the Bible was called to stand up and advocate on behalf of her people, we are called to stand up and advocate for families who are struggling now," Beckmann said.
These fact sheets provide a snapshot of hunger and poverty in the United States and in each state plus Washington, D.C.
We cannot end hunger in the U.S. without raising the minimum wage.
Better nutrition is a necessary component of a country's capacity to achieve development goals such as economic growth and improved public health.
Dear Members of Congress,
As the president and Congress are preparing their plans for this year, almost 100 church leaders—from all the families of U.S. Christianity—are...
This devotional guide invites deepened relationship with and among Pan-African people and elected leaders in the mission to end hunger and poverty.
Thank you for inviting me to preach here at Duke University Chapel. And I especially want to thank the Bread for the World members who have come this morning.
Bruce Puckett urged...
Bread for the World and its partners are asking Congress to provide $150 million for global nutrition in the fiscal year 2020 budget.
These fact sheets provide a snapshot of hunger and poverty in the United States and in each state plus Washington, D.C.
In 2017, 11.8 percent of households in the U.S.—40 million people—were food-insecure, meaning that they were unsure at some point during the year about how they would provide for their next meal.


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DALLAS (CBS.MW) -- Oil stocks let early gains slip away Thursday amid weakness in blue-chip issues.
The Philadelphia Oil Service Index OSX, +2.36% dipped 1.4 percent to close at 105.78 after hitting a high of 107.37, and the CBOE Oil Index OIX, +0.74% shed 0.5 percent to close at 363.32. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average also closed in negative territory.
Shares of Dow component ExxonMobil XOM, +0.51%, which earlier touched a new 52-week high, retreated and closed down 19 cents at $45.27.
However, energy futures rose following news that oil companies in Norway are threatening to lock out unionized workers on Monday. See story.
August crude closed at $37.93 a barrel, up 36 cents, on the New York Mercantile Exchange. July unleaded gasoline jumped 2.04 cents to settle at $1.2219 a gallon, while July heating oil rose by 2.92 cents to settle at $1.0227 a gallon. See Futures Movers.
At the pump, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $1.925, down from $1.93 a gallon Wednesday, according to AAA's daily fuel gauge report.
July natural gas rose by 7 cents to settle at $6.485 per million British thermal units.
The Energy Department reported that U.S. natural-gas stocks rose by 85 billion cubic feet for the week ended June 18.
Enercast.com, an energy-forecasting firm, expected an increase of 87 billion. Total stocks now stand at 1.845 trillion cubic feet, up 280 billion cubic feet from the year-ago level, but down just 1 billion cubic feet from the five-year average, the government data said.
Among the benchmarks tracking the performance of energy-related stocks, the Amex Natural Gas Index XNG, +1.16% was up 0.3 percent at 246.90.
In sector news, Halliburton HAL, +1.48% said its subsidiary won a three-year contract from Norsk Hydro to provide drilling services and products for operator's projects in the North Sea.
The contract is worth about $120 million. Halliburton shares fell 11 cents to close at $30.51.
And Royal Dutch/Shell said it hired a new chief financial officer to replace Judith Boynton, who stepped down in April as one of several executives to leave after the company reduced its proven oil reserves. See full story.
U.S.-traded shares of Royal Dutch RD and Shell Transport & Trading SC, -0.70% each closed higher by 0.8 percent.


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A New Brand for a New Food Movement
By Gretchen Schisla
Wouldn't it be amazing if we could consume less meat and create amazing changes in our body and for our planet?
When I heard about a new movement called 'Reducetarianism' earlier this year, I was excited — and eager to learn about the energetic organization that's expanding on 'Meatless Monday.' With an engaging dialog, Brian Kateman's TEDx talk received a lot of attention and quickly became a popular book, The Reducetarian Solution. He founded the Reducetarian Foundation to spread a simple message — reducing the amount of meat in our diet can transform both our health and the health of our planet.
Recently, Enrich was asked to develop the visual brand for the first Reducetarian Summit in Manhattan. I wanted these amazing and powerful facts to speak for themselves, so we created a cohesive identity for the whole conference that helped to spark enthusiasm and ignite activists. We wanted attendees to leave saying "YES! I can do this. How soon can I get started?"
We were tasked with capturing the attention of diverse audiences: individuals passionate about the environment, animal welfare, food, health, investments, philanthropy, technology, education, the arts and government policy. Regardless of their motivation, our goal was to draw people in and get them revved up.
The graphics spell out how our branding process flowed, and in this case, why using infographics was a smart solution to tell the story quickly.
Concept 1
Concept 2
We researched statistics related to reducing meat consumption and developed a series statements and illustrations to use on banners for the event and in social media graphics.
Key facts that we featured were:
- A small change with a big impact.
- It takes almost 20 times less land to feed a plant-eater than it does to feed a meat eater.
- Just one person's decision to cut out meat could free up the water needed for up to 445 people.
- Plant eaters have a 75% lower risk for hypertension than meat eaters.
- 99% of farm animals in the U.S. are raised in factory farms.
- Consume less. People will be healthier. The air will be cleaner. The earth will provide more. Animals will be happier. New markets will grow.
The physical location selected for the summit, New York University's Law School posed a unique challenge with its multiple rooms and traditional decor so the Enrich team devised a plan to unify the event in different rooms and spaces. All materials were budget-friendly and reusable — a series of portable pull-up banners, a photo op backdrop stretched over a canvas frame and wayfinding signage. Extending the imagery and messaging to social media graphics and posts created a sold-out event.
With over 500 attendees, the sold-out Reducetarian Summit can brag that it was the first conference to gather people from a variety of industries and discuss reducing meat consumption. The number of passionate people singing about making our world a healthier place is reaching a high note these days, and I couldn't be happier about it!


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Common Pricing Mistakes
Check out the above infograph and avoid these common pricing mistakes and get your home sold as fast as possible!
How to go about not getting your pre-approval revoked.
WIth a pre-aproval in hand, it's time to go forth and find your dream home... and the *worst* time to buy a car or tell your boss where he can stick...
Tips for improving your credit score
Whether you have good credit, mediocre credit, or your credit score needs rebuilding from the ground up, these steps can help you give your credit...
15 Home Selling Myths You Need To Stop Believing
For whatever reason, most information related to home selling that can be found online (and offline!) is taken at face value, and even though...
Updated: 18th October, 2019 10:34 PM.


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Newport Golf Club now benefits from a fully integrated system
Newport Golf Club has recently installed the EPoS system from Open Solutions, and now runs a fully integrated package of website, administrative and accounting software.
One of the top inland courses in Wales, Newport already used Croft's accounting system and a website designed and hosted by Golfworking. Following a recommendation to the club's treasurer from Croft as the ideal way to integrate the club's accounting software with its Electronic Point of Sale (EPoS) system and other major applications, club manager Ray Chilten approached Open Solutions at the GCMA National Conference last November.
Chilten explains: "We were running different software applications: one package that combined our membership and subscriptions, handicaps and competitions, and EPoS, then another for our club website, another for our accounts and so on. This meant we were operating three different databases. We knew we needed one membership database to drive all the administrative and till applications, and that the solution was to install a fully integrated package of software.
He continues: "Open Solutions confirmed they could set us up with a package that answered all our requirements, and we now run their EPoS system, HandicapMaster for handicapping and competitions, Croft for membership, subscriptions and accounting, and our Golfworking website as one fully integrated package. More importantly, it all uses one membership database, avoiding any duplication errors."
Besides managing Newport Golf Club Chilten is also the 2018 Captain of GCMA Wales. He added: "Along with the technical solution, the level of support available to the club was very important, and I think our new team of technology providers is doing just that. As is always the case when you change software, you go through a steep learning curve but the level of support we've received from our new providers has exceeded our expectations, so we're very satisfied we made the right decision to move to Open Solutions."


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You may make a secure unrestricted donation or a donation to support our financial aid program. Every gift made to Price Schools is tax-deductible as we are a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. For more information on making a gift to Price, contact the Development Office at 323-758-3777 ext. 4137 or email us at email@example.com.
Ways to Give
Check or Cash – Click HERE to download a PDF donation form to give by check or cash. Once completed mail to:
Frederick K.C. Price III Christian Schools
Development Coordinator
7901 S Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90044
Credit Card – These gifts can be made securely through our website, or by calling the Development Coordinator at 323-758-3777 ext. 4137. Price Schools accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
Recurring Gifts – To set up a recurring gift, complete THIS dedicated form and email or mail it to the Development Coordinator at email@example.com or
Frederick K.C. Price III Christian Schools
Development Coordinator
7901 S Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90044
Matching Gifts – You can double or triple your gift to Price Schools by requesting a matching gift from your employer. Many businesses and corporations match gifts of their employees, spouses, and retired employees. Check HERE. to see if your employer has a matching gift program. If so, your company's personnel office will be happy to provide you with information about its matching gift program.
While Shopping – You can support Price Schools by registering for Ralphs Rewards (Organization # YH495) and Food 4 Less (Organization # AW418) Rewards. Price Schools also participates in Box Tops 4 Education. So you can send us or drop off box tops clipped from hundreds of products (See a full list HERE)."


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#ValleyNights3 Recap!
**Before I start this recap, I want to say this** - I booked the first two shows of the #ValleyNights series in the hospital while I was bedridden. Literally booked the first two shows within 5 days -- I knew what this series was capable of. The #ValleyNights series will ALWAYS be my baby. If there is any legend of the #VeliBrand that has started or will start -- make sure you bring this up first.
**Now onto the Recap**
The third installment of the #ValleyNights series was themed as a live band/Rnb edition. How it turned out, was EXACTLY how it was imagined by #VeliBrand. The genuine and positive atmosphere filled Bourbon and Branch and the energy from the artists gave the crowd exactly what they came for! The crowd was warmed up to the evening by the duo, Mew3 Crew. As a late add to the bill, they provided the soulful sound needed to start the event off right. Ending off by covering Mario's "Let Me Love You", the duo had the audience involved and engaged -- looking forward to the rest of the show. Following them, was one of my most favorite live bands in the area --- ReLive. I've booked this band one time before, it was a music stage I had in Harrisburg this past August. Also, I saw the band again at the Mount Airy Street Festival in September -- and both times I had been blown away by their ability. This time was no different, as their manager came up to me after the show telling me that this was the best set they had ever done! The Hip Hop and Soul mesh in this group makes them unique, if they stay together they can definitely make their mark in the city.
Now, if you have been keeping updated with the #VeliBrand and the shows -- you'd know that typically there is a blend of various sounds that uphold at my shows. With female group Tomboy, this "blend" held true. Following ReLive, Tomboy kept the energy up -- reminiscent of 90's hip hop -- from the attire to the words and gave #ValleyNights3 the urban feel. Now, next up was probably fan favorite (and personal) favorite, Kinyon Maestro and his band, My Funky Brethren. Managers -- Kinyon is an older fellow, however, he gives a great live performance and has a GREAT fan base -- someone should look into him! Normal Gene is another one who is under looked -- her personality comes alive on stage, and she delivered yet another great performance on the #VeliBrand stage! The evening's headliner, Dante Kennedy closed out the night very smoothly. For those who don't know, Dante is close with Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, remember this song? Yeah, classic! Anywho, in addition to that, Dante has performed on the Ellen show, Queen Latifah's show, along with performing with Lil Wayne and Robin Thicke -- need I say more?
It has been a GREAT year/run for the #VeliBrand, platform after platform, sold out shows and packed crowds. #ValleyNights3 was the PERFECT way to end the year, and I can not wait to continue these independent platforms in 2016! 10 shows later, we have came a long way and I thank every artist and fan who performed and attended!


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So when I turned on my computer and saw all the comments I got from you guys, I had a big smile on my face, and thank you to Renee Rose for nominating me for the META Awesomest Blog Unicorn award. How sweet! Thank you for thinking of me, and thank you Rosie at Fresh 'n Wild Sassafras for mentioning me too. What a lovely bunch of bloggers I have found!
Award Rules
2. Answer 10 questions you have about yourself.
3. Nominate 10 to 12 blogs you enjoy. Or you pick the number.
4. Pay the love forward: Provide your nominee's link in your post and comment on their blog to let them know they have been included and invited to participate.
5. Pay the love back with gratitude and a link to the blogger(s) who nominated you.
2. DH called yesterday on his way to the train and told me he got a bonus on top of a bonus! He was soo happy! Before ttwd, he would always say: "You gone give me a blow job now?" And get all passive aggressive about it because of his ex-wife. Apparently any money he brought into the house, she felt the need to make disappear as quickly as possible. So whenever he said that, I would tell him I am not her and I am just happy for him. So, my new rule for him is, any bonus he gets, he gets to keep all to himself, without me making him feel bad or anything. I always make sure he knows I mean it too!
3. DH did get his blow job last night, and even finished in my mouth. Just talking about it this morning, he got hard again. :D
4.I love finding blogs that mention me. Isn't that shallow? It feels shallow, but it was just so nice to read what Rosie said: I don't usually comment because I don't know that I have anything extra to add, but I love to read this blog. Their story is one of fairy tales, and it's like peeking into Cinderella's life after they ride off in the white pumpkin! Life and DD may not always sit first chair in their lives, but they seem to be such a strong couple that it's wonderful to read. Isn't that just nice?
5. Our summer is over again.
6. My academic counselor called yesterday and told me I am on track to graduate with honors. Sweet!
7. I am looking for historical spanking stories. Any suggestions?
8. I drive a minivan, and can't wait for the day I don't anymore. Is that wrong?
9. After what happened in Colorado, I am a little scared to go to the movies, and I love going to see movies.
10. I almost got a spanking last night, but my step son was still roaming the yard and house, so no spankings for me. :(
Now to nominating blogs. Well. If you are on my blogroll to the left, that is because I love reading your blog! These are the blogs I always try to make it too, even if I don't really have time for blogging.
Renee Rose, Riley, Christina, Stormy, Rosie, Dee, Conina, SNP, Tess, Kitty, and Susie!


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Northern Ethiopia and trekking Circuit (Agape-025)
TOUR CODE : Roots – 025
Tour Title : Northern Ethiopia and trekking Circuit By flight
Duration : (18 NIGHTS, 19 DAYS)
By Minibus up to 6 pax and coaster bus above 6 pax
DAY 1: arrive at Addis. Night stay at Addis. Accommodation: O/N hotel
Day 2: Fly to Bahirdar and visit the Blue Nile Fall and Lake Tana's monastery. O/N hotel
Day 3: drive to Gondar and visit Royal palaces and castles of 17th century kings and a church of Debre Birhan Silassie (Trinity in the mount of light). O/N hotel
Day 4: Safari to Semein Mountain Park. Overnight camping at Sankaber.
Day 5: Morning trek to Gech viewing plant species and animals such as Gelada Baboon. Overnight camping at Geech
Day 6: Trek from Gech through the very beautiful scenery of Semien Mountain to Chenek; overnight camping at Chenek
Day 7: Trek Chenek – Ambiquo via Buahit; overnight camping at Ambiquo.
Day 8: Trek Ambiquo – Ras Dashen – Ambiquo. Overnight camping at Ambiquo.
Day 9: Trek Ambiquo – Sona. Overnight camping at Sona.
Day 10: Trek Sona – Mekarebia. Overnight camping at Mekarebia.
Day 11: Trek Mekarebia – Adi Arkay and drive to Axum. O/N hotel
Day 12: Visit of Axum.
Day 13: Drive to Hawzien through the Adwa Mountains. on the way visit the Temple of Yeha and Debre Damo Monasteries. O/N hotel
Day 14: Visit surrounding rock churches near Hawzien. Drive from Hawzien to Mekelle. Visit some rock churches near Hawzien and on the way to Mekelle. O/N hotel
Day 15: Drive from Mekelle to Lalibela. O/N hotel
Day 16: Full day visit of the rock churches of Lalibela. O/N hotel
Day 17: VISIT OTHER group of churches near Lalibela town. O/N hotel
Day 18: Drive from Lalibela to Kombolcha through the scenic massifs and Mountains of Wollo. O/N hotel
Day 19: Drive from Kombolcha to Addis , fare well dinner in traditional Ethiopian Restaurant. Departure to home.
Note: Hotels will be books according to your budget, Availability and your wishes.


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Wilton Single Family Homes Jan. 1 – August 31, 2017
Average List Price: $890,777 Average Sale Price: $851,883 Average Days on Market: 136 Number of Houses Sold: 163
159 Homes sold during the same time period last year resulting in approximately a 2.5% increase in the number of home sales in Wilton. Of those homes sold last year, the average sale price was $861,013 while this years average sale price is $851,883. Sales volume have increased, and home values in Wilton have decreased by 1.1%.


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Lucy Hale Announces 2015 Tour and Talks 'Blood, Sweat and Tears' of 2014
The 'Pretty Little Liars' star plots her first ever road trip in support of her debut country album
Get The Magazine
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Sign up for our newsletter and go inside the world of music, culture and entertainment.
The 'Pretty Little Liars' star plots her first ever road trip in support of her debut country album
See exclusive backstage and onstage photos from the actress-turned-country singer's iHeartRadio show
Watch the 'Pretty Little Liars' star's "Lie a Little Better" video, filmed at the Grand Ole Opry
Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood on the set of their video shoot for "Something Bad" in […]
Actress opens up on the thrills (and nerves) of revisiting her first love
Bigger Picture Group, home to Craig Campbell, ceases operations


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Louisville Metro Councilman Vitalis Lanshima, D-21, told Insider Louisville on Monday that he is considering a run for the House of Representatives in Nigeria, after being asked about his website and Facebook page identifying himself as a candidate for that office next year.
Lanshima was born in Nigeria and immigrated to the United States to attend Bellarmine University in 2000, which he graduated from. He was appointed in December to replace Councilman Dan Johnson in District 21 after he was removed from office, but lost the Democratic primary for that seat in May to challenger Nicole George.
Both the campaign website and Facebook page clearly state that Lanshima is running for the House in Nigeria as a member of the All Progressives Congress, the party that controls the majority of that chamber. The detailed website has a long explanation for why Lanshima is running for the office, as well as pages that cover issues related to the country.
Lanshima's legislative aide and the spokesman for the Democratic caucus of the council both told Insider that they were unaware of him running for office in Nigeria, though Tony Hyatt said that Lanshima spent several weeks this summer in Nigeria after he lost his primary.
But when asked to confirm that he was running for office in Nigeria, Lanshima first replied: "Nigeria?"
Lanshima later stated that he was not hacked, but suggested that other people created the website and Facebook page, which his own personal Facebook page shows that he is the manager of.
"Obviously (some) people in Nigeria believe I have something to offer in next years election," wrote Lanshima in a Facebook message to Insider. "It is a page created to advocate for me to run. I was in Nigeria visiting in July."
Asked for clarity on whether or not he is running for office in Nigeria, Lanshima said he is "seriously considering it," but would not answer questions asking if he planned to spend any of the remaining months this year campaigning in the country.
Lanshima will remain the District 21 councilman until December, when the winner of the election for that seat in November is sworn in. Democrat Nicole George and Republican Bret Shultz are running in that race.
Reposted from https://insiderlouisville.com/government/councilman-lanshima-considering-running-for-house-in-nigeria/


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"25x-NBOMe" type molecules - Available information on the diffusion of a class of NPS in France
Memo, OFDT, 25 p.
June 2017
Within the vast category of new psychoactive substances, 25x-NBOMe or NBOMe represents a group of compounds in the phenethylamine family, which mainly has a hallucinogenic and psychedelic effect in particular.
These compounds, which are sometimes sold and used instead of LSD, have emerged on the French market over the past five years.
Based on the different activities carried out by the TREND-SINTES schemes and the I-TREND European project, this summary attempts to explain how 25x-NBOMe were able to attract obvious interest among certain users. It describes the way in which these substances have established a presence in France, according to a relatively symbolic diffusion pattern for new hallucinogenic substances. This analysis also focuses on the prospects for changes and the limits of their presence on French territory. Lastly, it presents and describes their inherent challenges and problems, particularly in relation to health.
Authors : Magali Martinez, Agnès Cadet-Taïrou,Thomas Néfau with the TREND network coordinators
Download the PDF file (518 Ko)
Drugs in Europe
2019 EMCDDA European Drug Report
What do the latest data tell us about the European drug market? What are the new trends in drug use among European adults and school students? What are the harms associated with drug use and what is being done to counter them? These and other questions are explored in the 2019 EMCDDA European Drug Report.
Country drug reports 2019
Developed by the EMCDDA, in cooperation with the Reitox national focal points, these graphic-rich reports cover: drug use and public health problems; drug policy and responses and drug supply.
The European Union and the drug phenomenon
The European Union & the drug phenomenon : Frequently asked questions, joint publication between the EMCDDA and the European Commission, october 2010, 12 p.


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We're on a mission! Each day we're on a mission to share the love of Jesus with our children and families, but this month we're on a specific quest to help us fulfill our mission: We Need To Find Quality, Christian Teachers!
If you know of anyone who loves children and might be interested in a FULL or PART-TIME position here, please pass the word along!
We are looking for both lead teachers and loving people who could work a few hours here or there. Please contact the ELC if you are interested in a position!


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|Site Map
About Us
Established in 2000 and located in Idaho's capital city of Boise, just fifteen minutes from the Idaho Public Archives and Research Library, we still believe every client deserves friendly, individual and personal attention and service.
Our word is our bond, and we continually strive for customer satisfaction in all we do. Believing that a satisfied customer is our best advertising, we will provide the best genealogical products and services available at the most reasonable cost. Since your project is unique, we tailor our work to meet your needs, your budget, and your goals. We guarantee our services! We're not satisfied until you are!
Please make use of our vast selection of genealogical resources, many of which are free. But if you need professional assistance we are here to assist you. If we are unable to help you with your research, we will do our best to find someone qualified who can.
We offer the following services:
Carter's Affiliations
Questions or comments about this web site? Send mail to the Webmaster
Copyright © 2002 - 2016 Family Research Group
4705 N Brookview Terrace - Litchfield Park AZ 85340
(208) 853-7567
Last updated: 26 Apr 2011


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Loading Map....
When: Monday, Feb 15, 2016 8:30 pm - 11:30 pm
Where: Funhouse at El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle
Odell Fox (Jenner Snow Fox '14 and Raphael Odell Shapiro '12) and local Yalie band Side Chain will be playing alongside two other local acts (James Anya & the Current, and Casey Dubie).
21+. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door, and can be purchased here.


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Road to Hope in South America, Asia and Africa
This year, the Thanksgiving Eve offering at College Church helped support three projects in three different regions of the world--rural villages in the Amazon basin, pastors and church leaders in Southeast Asia and the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. All three projects have the same end goal: to proclaim hope of Jesus and his Word to all people, everywhere. Find out more about all three projects and how you can give.
Watch the following videos about the projects in the Kenya and the Amazon basin.


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Hanover House by Brenda Novak
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hanover House is EXACTLY what I was in the mood to read, and the cover played a big part in piquing my interest. I love the black and white photo and striking red text. The structure itself, presumably Hanover House, is just creepy enough to intimidate without being too obvious. While the building resembles the manner in which haunted houses are portrayed, the reality of what–or who–will be housed there is much scarier than anything supernatural might be.
Dr. Evelyn Talbot has worked tirelessly to create a facility in which to not only incarcerate, but also study, psychopaths who have committed especially heinous crimes. Thus, this 40,000-word prequel sets the stage for future installments by contextualizing the doctor's interest in psychopaths, establishing her relationship with a few of Hilltop's townspeople, and giving readers a glimpse into what dangers might accompany her endeavor. In doing so, author Brenda Novak lays sufficient groundwork for suspense in addition to a potential romance: the perfect blend for satiating my reader's sensibility.
I, for one, can't wait for the release of Her Darkest Nightmare in 2016, as the prequel has me interested, invested, and impatient for more. Hanover House has successfully hooked another reader.
*Copy generously provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*


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The MATT OBLIVION origin continues… So a couple years ago my old friend MATT RISNES and I decided to celebrate his birthday the old-fashioned way–by seeing a film together. This might not seem too special, but in this age of family and time commitment, having a few free hours to spend with an old friend is increasingly hard to find. Anyway, Matt and I decided to take in the then fairly new (and totally awesome!) HELLBOY 2. I was short on cash (as per my usual) so for Matt's present I decided to make and frame him an original drawing. In line with the theme for the day I was going to do him a Hellboy fighting C'thulhu (to me Matt is synonymous with C'thulhu. That, and I had just finished the PLUNGER-MAN short with RYAN DOW.) But as I sat down and started drawing out the body shape, I got it in my head that perhaps instead of Hellboy, I should have a Hellboy-ish Matt fighting old 'hulhu. So that's what I did…and I think it turned out pretty sweet (INSERT IMAGE HERE. …oh…I don't have that…Matt does….nevermind).
Before I handed the drawing off to Matt my brain started racing–how could I work this monster-fighting Matt into the MANLY TALES canon??? Well the first thing he needed was a proper name, and in honor of one of Matt's favorite films–VIDEODROME–MATT OBLIVION seemed appropriate. Second, a back story–what about a REVERSE Hellboy (see yesterdays post)?! And finally, where the heck could I work him in? Well as it turned out I had finished the script for MANLY TALES #6 several weeks earlier, and to say I was unsatisfied with it was an understatement. So as I do in these situations I set the script aside and left it up to my subconscious to do the heavy lifting. AND LIFT IT DID! Adding MATT OBLIVION to this issue, and making him the opener, was just what this issue needed. The opening was good–and in fact I lifted it word for word and made it the opening of issue 7–but in line with what the rest of the issue is about I felt it needed more. And MORE Matt Oblivion provided. So I hope you enjoy Mr Oblivion in this issue…I have a suspicion he'll be around for a while.
ALSO: Today's Daily Goal Sketch is GALACTUS. My client had added Galactus' name to the ever-growing list of characters to draw pretty early on, and occasionally as he reviewed the list to see what was coming up in the following weeks and months he'd ask me a question of troubled concern: "HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FIND A SHEET OF PAPER BIG ENOUGH TO DRAW HIM ON?" I'd assure him it wouldn't be to scale, and that seemed to both satisfy his worry and disappoint him all at the same time. I should also note that this was the first DGS I did after both my client and I had returned from our conflicting vacations (it was the first new DGS drawing I had done in 3 weeks). At this point I knew I was going to be leaving that job in 2 weeks, and made him aware of that. I also decided F-IT!– From there on out, these Daily Goal Sketches were going to be super awesome.


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Keyport, NJ - Governor Chris Christie signed the Hackensack Meadowlands Consolidation Act (S3969) into law today without mention of the negative impacts it will have on Liberty State Park.
Governor Christie added language to a Meadowlands Consolidation bill that had nothing to do with Liberty State Park and neglected a great opportunity to correct his mistake. Park advocates simply request that Liberty State Park be planned, implemented and administered by NJDEP Parks and Forestry, as is every other park in New Jersey. It is not geographically in the Meadowlands District, nor is it an economic development district, so it should not be in any way under the auspices of the Meadowlands Regional Planning Commission.
By placing Liberty State Park's sacred public space under the control of a politically directed economic development commission, we feel as if Governor Christie has pulled the chair out from under the Statue of Liberty and all for which she stands.
Once again, this stinks even for New Jersey politics. We are extremely disappointed with Governor Christie's neglect for environmental concerns.


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CENTERVILLE - Pauline "Polly" Porkka, 84, of Centerville, passed away on Thursday, September 22, 2016.
She is survived by her son Robert Coggeshall and his wife LuAnn of Ankeny, Iowa; her grandson, Robert Joseph of Texas, 2 great grandsons, Mason and Liam of Texas; and several nieces and nephews.
Pauline was preceded in death by her parents, Cora and Chester Coggeshall, her 11 siblings, Lloyd, Hilda, Stuart, Forest, Marion, Alice, Chester, Cook, David, Richard and Dwight, her husband, Unto Porkka, and her two daughters, Marion Alice and Beth Ann.
Pauline lived on Cape Cod her entire life and was a member of the South Congregational Church in Centerville. During her lifetime she worked at Rotary Auto Body, Miracle Ear and at the Centerville CVS.
Visitation will be Monday, September 26, 2016 from 10:00 to 11:00 am at John-Lawrence Funeral Home, 3778 Falmouth Road (Route 28), Marstons Mills, with a funeral home service beginning at 11:00. Burial will follow at Beechwood Cemetery in Centerville.
In lieu of flowers and her love of animals, especially her cat, Cozy, donations can be made in her memory to MSPCA Cape Cod, 1577 Falmouth Rd. Centerville, MA 02632
For online guestbook and directions, please visit www.johnlawrencefuneralhome.com.


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Do you recognise any of these phrases?
- Here is my complete Business Plan now I'm ready to start
- I just need to find someone to lend me money
- This is what my solution will do
- My market is huge – nearly everyone
- If you have 10 minutes I'll tell you about my idea
- I can't tell you about my idea in case someone else does it
- I am working part time on my idea but don't have any funds
I have met with hundreds of entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs over the past 5 years to hear about their business idea and what help they are looking for. It's a great job, one that I love, but I often despair when I hear the same mistakes being repeated over and over again.
I feel privileged when an entrepreneur is happy to share their business idea because a common mistake is keeping an idea a secret and not sharing with anyone. Unfortunately some entrepreneurs are so worried their idea will be stolen by someone else, that they keep it secret for too long. Seasoned entrepreneurs know that most ideas are not truly original and the real challenge is bringing them to market. This is best achieved by sharing with other people (potential customers and partners) what the problem is that you are solving – although not necessarily how. There is a lot of really good help available for entrepreneurs to reduce risk and increase success so you shouldn't try to do it on your own.
I despair when an entrepreneur presents me with their comprehensive Business Plan. The Business Plan should not be written until it is validated that there is a market, that the market is attractive, and that there is a business model that will deliver value to the customer, and capture value for the entrepreneur. A Business Model Canvas is a useful tool for mapping out the key elements of the business at an early stage and this can later be developed into a full Business Plan.
Another common mistake that people make is they don't validate their idea or don't ask the right questions. Invariably if you tell someone about your product, they will agree with you that it's a great idea. This feedback is not helpful and can result in false confidence. The challenge is to ask questions that inform you about the problem you are solving, who has the problem, and how they currently get around it. This will lead to insights that help the design of your solution.
I love business ideas that focus on a small niche market that is not well served. Many entrepreneurs try to target as broad a market as possible, especially when offering a platform technology or service that goes across industries. Most successful platforms have started in a very small niche (yes, even Facebook) and after dominating that niche have expanded into other market verticals. Investors in startup are very wary of entrepreneurs who claim 'my market is everyone'.
It is worth spending time to clarify what problem or pain your business will solve for your customers. The better you understand their pain, who has the most pain, and how they get around it, the better informed your solution will be. If you can't describe what problem you solve or what need you are satisfying, then you will struggle to bring your idea to market. Good communication is important to sell your idea to others, to build a team, to attract investment, and to find partners.
It takes time and effort to develop a succinct statement of what your business does and why people want your product – the Value Proposition. Put yourself in the shoes of your customer and think about the benefits of your product or service. Too many entrepreneurs I meet cannot state clearly in less than a minute what their business will do. It is a common mistake to only describe your product. Again, I recommend the Business Model Canvas as a tool for clarifying the essential elements of your business idea. If you are at the idea stage, then use the Lean Business Model Canvas.
Finally, starting a business also takes time and effort. People who think they are entrepreneurs and do not commit their time and funds to their idea, will likely fail slowly. You can start a business these days with very little funds but you do need some cash and you need lots of time.
The best way to avoid these common mistakes is to use a start up methodology such as Lean Startup. Using the Business Model Canvas can help people with ideas to focus on the right things at the right time and avoid mistakes. The ecentre has an online course for New Zealand entrepreneurs to do in their own time at their own pace and to apply methodologies like these to their own business idea. For more information click here.


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The state of the American Union
The state of the American Union is both polarised and ironic. Moderated presidential messaging is needed if there is a chance to become more united and avoid perpetual acrimony
The state of the American Union is both polarised and ironic. Moderated presidential messaging is needed if there is a chance to become more united and avoid perpetual acrimony
Trends in technology, geopolitics and geoeconomics have dramatically transformed the global energy scenario in the last two years. This means favourable conditions for import-dependent India, which must use the opportunities available to reduce its vulnerability to high energy prices. The jump in oil prices past the $60 mark suggests that India must act with alacrity. India's Energy Footprint Map offers a profile of India's global trade and investment in energy, and indicates what India can do to access cheap and reliable supplies
Despite major political change in Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela due to global economic tumult, it may be premature to speak of a rightward shift in Latin American politics. Yet, developments in these democracies need to be monitored carefully as India has a stake in their political stability.
Despite the Venezuelan opposition's victory in the December 6 legislative elections, 2016 will likely see a rise in political confrontations and a deepening economic crisis in Venezuela. The India-Venezuela bilateral will remain mostly unaffected and continue to be focused on oil.
China's influence and presence in Latin America has grown rapidly in the form of trade and investment. China's growing presence is both a concern for Latin America and the U.S., which creates a window of opportunity for India
The Indian government has undertaken a massive financial inclusion scheme to bring bank accounts to the poor. But poverty alleviation needs to be addressed at multiple levels for which the Latin American example of using targeted and customised conditional cash transfer programmes can help India
The fall in oil prices is creating new complexities for the energy exporting economies of West Asia. With smaller profits, these countries may not be able to buy off political dissent at home and fund client governments and rebels abroad. Lower energy prices could also mean a renewed chance for peace
Latin America's economic growth has slowed down in 2014. But the region's fundamentals are relatively strong, and have the resilience to absorb external shocks and increase growth in the coming years. However, Argentina and Venezuela face continuing uncertainty and deterioration.
The sharp Latin American response to the Israeli bombings in Gaza, on the back of solid support from the U.S., is attributable to the memory of the atrocities committed by past Latin American military dictators with similar U.S. backing. Their strong response is also a sign of the increasingly independent and assertive Latin American voice on the global stage
'Latin American Unification: A History of Political and Economic Integration Efforts' is an objective and optimistic narrative by Salvador Rivera of the region's attempts at consolidating its collective strength


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As a leading metal powder supplier for additive manufacturing, and as part of our growing involvement and commitment to the aerospace industry, LPW Technology has joined The North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA).
LPW Technology move to new premises
LPW Technology has moved to a new 20,000 sq. ft. (1858 m²) office, production, and manufacturing facility. The move represents a significant step forward for LPW, and reflects the requirement for larger premises due to the continued growth of the business.


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Vashon Cycling Map
We've always had a fascination with maps of all varieties but especially hand-drawn maps. In 2014 we joined the Cascade Bicycle Studio for a spirited ride around the Island of Vashon, a 20 minute ferry ride from Seattle's West Seattle neighborhood.
We had just moved to Seattle from Chicago and it was part of the Rapha Festive 500 where cyclists around the world participate in cycling 500 km over the Christmas holiday. Our trip around Vashon was part of our 500km so we thought it was map worthy, especially if we could draw it by hand.


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London, July 2018 – Target Group Limited (www.targetgroup.com), the business process outsourcing and operational transformation provider and Telrock Systems Limited (www.telrock.com), a leading global provider of modern SaaS-based technology solutions in the collections and digital engagement markets, have partnered to deliver best in class collections solutions to Target Group's servicing clients.
As part of its broader business process outsourcing and transformation services, Target Group provides cost-effective and compliant outsourced collections services to a number of UK banks, utility companies and other credit providers. With growing demand for solutions capable of delivering increasingly effective and compliant treatment strategies, coupled with the need to service increasingly mobile consumers, Target Group searched the market to find a modern collections platform capable of delivering optimum performance and supporting its future collections services growth.
"We were impressed with the Optimus solution from Telrock" commented Andrew Simpson, Business Development Director at Target Group. "It was clear that substantial design, collections domain and compliance expertise had gone into the development of the Optimus solution and its integrated digital channel and consumer self-serve portal capabilities are a differentiator."
"Entering into this partnership with Target Group represents a very exciting stage in our growth" said Dale Williams, CEO at Telrock Systems. "Target Group's deep experience in providing outsourced collections services coupled with Telrock's leading edge Optimus collections platform represents a strong fit for both companies."."
About Target Group
Target Group is a leading provider of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and operational transformation for over 50 major financial institutions across the globe, including clients such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, Barclays and Shawbrook Bank.
Our leading fintech platform manages assets in excess of £25 billion, enabling our clients to become more effective through leveraging our best in class business process outsourcing and operational transformation. We create value through partnering with our clients to transform their customer journey and operations. Target systems currently process over 19 million accounts and collect £3billion of direct debit payments each year on behalf of both private and public-sector clients.
In August 2016 we were acquired by a global multi-national specialist in digital transformation Tech Mahindra. Joining with £4bn Tech Mahindra enables us to bring wider propositions and service our clients.
About Telrock Systems
Headquartered in London, England and Atlanta, USA, Telrock is a global technology provider of SaaS-based solutions for enterprise-wide integrated collections and recovery and digital channel customer engagement throughout the credit lifecycle. Our clients include major banks, Utility companies, other credit providers and Business Process Outsource companies in Europe and North America. Solutions include Optimus, a new enterprise-class integrated collections and recovery platform with integrated compliance management and digital channel and consumer self-serve capabilities, SmartCollect, an intelligent self-serve collections portal with integrated digital channel messaging and SmartService, a lifecycle digital engagement platform for marketing, account servicing, fraud case management, consumer alerts, payment card related one-time passwords and other similar services. All solutions are SaaS-based, built on highly scalable modern, open-source technologies and are deployed in secure, PCI compliant data centres. For more information see www.telrock.com.
Telrock Systems:
Laura Harrison – Head of Business Development and Marketing – Europe
Tel: 07841 632 764 Email: email@example.com
Target Group:
Andrew Simpson – Business Development Director
Tel: 07887 583143 E-mail firstname.lastname@example.com


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San Francisco nurseryman Flora Grubb has converted gardeners, designers, and urban planners in California and worldwide to her cause of making lavishly beautiful landscapes that require minimal water and chemicals to maintain. Her artful Bayview district nursery, Flora Grubb Gardens, has become a gathering place for design-driven gardeners who are committed to the wiser use of resources.
House and Garden named Flora a tastemaker in 2007, and in 2008 she was included as one of the "Hot 20 under 40" in 7x7. In 2012, she was honored as part of Martha Stewart's American Made Awards. Flora Grubb Gardens has been profiled in numerous publications, including Sunset, Garden Design, Travel & Leisure, Domino, and Dwell magazines, and in The New York Times.
Flora came of age as a gardener in Austin, Texas, during a drought. Dazzled by the flora of the Bay Area, she moved to San Francisco in 1999, started a landscaping business, and later opened the neighborhood nursery that would grow into Flora Grubb Gardens. Gardens are her passion, and the daily practice of tending her own garden at home in Berkeley is her happiest pastime.
It's been almost six years since Flora and her son, Greyson, moved in and started planting, and while their original vision for this peaceful, low-water sanctuary remains intact, the architecture of the garden has changed as the plants have established themselves and matured.
Flora's home is a perfect example of how watching a garden's evolution over time can be one of life's deepest joys. So much of the fun of gardening is in observing and adapting to a garden's changing personality. If you're willing to embrace the wildness and unpredictability of nature, then the challenges that arise as your plants mature can feel like beautiful surprises.
Flora spends at least fifteen minutes each day pruning and maintaining her garden, observing how the plants assert their natural hold on the space and constantly adjusting her own vision in turn. One of her earliest design choices was to create a gently curved path leading from her front gate to the door, with careful plantings that would complement the undulating shape. Over the years, billowy Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt' began to overtake the beds along the path—but Flora loves the movement and texture that the dominant acacia brings, so she decided to let it do its thing, relocating some its smaller neighbors to the backyard.
To Flora's surprise, her gorgeous, silvery Brahea clara, a favorite fast-growing palm, has established itself so happily and become so full that it's now almost an architectural feature, serving as a kind of natural wall that divides the entry garden just behind the street fence from the more private living space beyond.
A garden's furnished spaces tend to evolve over time, too, as you learn how best to enjoy the light and shade in different seasons. Flora's gardens—both the manicured front yard and the wilder, more free-form backyard—are designed to allow her and Greyson to follow the sun throughout the day, with sitting and lounging areas sprinkled everywhere.
Flora loves covered spaces because you can use them spontaneously, without having to sweep or mess around with the furniture much. Blankets, pillows, and rugs make these spaces feel like additional rooms of the house, to be used just as comfortably and as often as the indoor rooms.
What better way to enjoy the cool Bay Area evenings than a hot outdoor bath? Plantings around Flora's backyard soaking tub have grown in beautifully over the years, creating more privacy and a peaceful lushness. Graywater from the bath feeds the surrounding beds of drought-tolerant plants.
For most new gardens, three years is about how long it takes for the plants to mature enough for the design to begin to hang together. These photos show Flora's garden now, while the 2016 photos below show the garden as a baby, just a couple of years after it was planted. Scroll down to see how much has changed! And yet, with Flora's flexible and curious approach, the garden has retained its essential character as a calming and richly textured hideaway.
At Flora Grubb Gardens we try to help our customers plan their gardens with this same flexibility and curiosity. Our staff can help you ask the right questions about your plants, to consider and enjoy your garden's evolution over time. How large will a plant get, and how fast? How big should it be, to complement your vision and design? Planting a garden is a journey, and we hope the journey of Flora's garden inspires you! Just for fun, here's what the outside of her house looked like before:
For more inspiration and some helpful tips, you can read about the different stages of Flora's garden in Martha Stewart Living, from 2016, and in last year's Sunset Magazine cover story.
For more of this kind of inspiration, delivered to your inbox, join our mailing list.


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I want to smack myself when I think about the fact that I never actually planned on shooting this show. I had so much stuff going on in the first week of October that I didn't think I'd be able to shoot Melanie Martinez and had other things that I'd rather do. But, when the opportunity presented itself, I took it, and I'm so glad I did. These photos are some of my favorites I've taken this year. Melanie's lighting and stage setup was gorgeous, her outfit was adorable, and her live presence was amazing. All of that together made for a great show and a bunch of fun photos! The opening band, Handsome Ghost was really good, though I was sad because I didn't get many great photos of them.
But this show was so much fun. I met some great people up on the barricade, and got to be one of only two photographers there!


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Aloft Dulles Airport North
22390 Flagstaff Plaza
Ashburn, VA 20148
(703) 723-6969
On the Web | Reservations
Located just 5 minutes from Dulles Airport, Aloft Dulles Airport North is a refreshing alternative to typical hotels. Aloft Dulles Airport Hotel North offers 136 guest rooms designed for today's on-the-go and in-the-know travelers. Travelers come to meet, mix and mingle with friends and colleagues at the popular W XYZ Bar. The hotel also features Tactic, Aloft Dulles Airport North's 540 square foot meeting room to host business meetings, social gatherings and family affairs.
Situated in Loudoun County, DC's wine country, this Virginia Green Hotel is located just 5 minutes from Washington Dulles International Airport and offers the perfect alternative for tech savvy and social travelers. Step into energetic spaces and the high-tech amenities preferred by those visiting Dulles's expanding "Technology Corridor" which is home to major international corporations including Airbus, Orbital Sciences and Verizon. This hotel offers easy access to nearby attractions like the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum, the Dulles Expo Center, Sully Plantation and more. Great shopping is minutes away at Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets, Reston Town Center, and Dulles Town Center Those looking for a quick day trip can visit Washington DC, just a 40 minute drive away.


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EEREM recruitment 2016
EEREM recruitment 2016
The department is all set to hire new candidates for the year 2016. All the educated and eligible candidates who are interested to apply for the job can do so as early as possible. No of vacancies are less so hurry up!!
Have a glimpse of Energy Efficiency Renewable Energy Management Centre (EEREM recruitment 2016) Jobs Notification.
Hiring Organization – Energy Efficiency Renewable Energy Management Centre
Total No. of Vacancies – 05 posts
Monthly pay and total grade pay – INR Rs. 35,000/-(post 1), Rs. 15,000/-(post 2).
Employment Type – Contractual
Location – Delhi
No. of Posts & Their Name –
1. Project Engineer – 04
2. Trainee – 01 posts
Age bar for EEREM recruitment 2016 – Candidates upper age limit should not exceed 30 Years (post 1), 25 Years (post 2) As On 01-06-2016. Age relaxations will be applicable as per the rules. For Postwise Age Details Go To Detailed Advertisement.
Educational Qualification – All Interested Candidates should have completed Graduation Degree in Engineering or its equivalent qualification from a recognized Board/University. For Post Wise Qualification Go To Detailed Advertisement.
Selection Procedure – Interview
How to apply for EEREM recruitment 2016- All Eligible job seekers Can Download application Form through official websitehttp://delhi.gov.in. After Filling The application form, candidate must send hard copy of application along with relevant testimonials (Mentioned In Detailed Advertisement) to the following Address before or on 25-07-2016.
Address -Department of Power, Govt of NCT Delhi 2 ND Floor, E-Wing, Vikas Bhavan-II,Civil Lines , Delhi-110054
Official Website –delhi.gov.in .
Important dates to keep in mind-25-07-2016 is the last date to apply.
Link- http://delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/a13c19804d3cc73a8943fdd1e963ea50/01+PE+Advertisement+%281%29.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&lmod=-276071204


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Mariners Insider Blog
Pregame: Lineups, Rowland-Smith's return date, chat with Jones
Ryan Rowland-Smith will throw a bullpen tomorrow. He'll pitch again on Friday for the Rainiers against the Reno Aces at Cheney Stadium. He will then start on Friday, June 11th in Baltimore against the Orioles.
Meanwhile Roy Corcoran will throw a simulated game tomorrow. Sean White is also battling a little bit of a tired arm as well.
Obviously David Aardsma will not be available tonight after pitching four days in a row. Mark Lowe will handle the closing duties.
When asked manager Don Wakamatsu said he hoped to give Aardsma two days off ideally.
"We'd like to give him two days off," he said. "But who knows, he could come in tomorrow and say he feels 100 percent. We'll see. He's thrown a lot, but he probably still will anyway."
Somebody also asked about Carlos Silva (not certain why). Wakamatsu said he's progressing nicely but no timetable is set for his return -- which is probably good news for most Mariners fans.
Talked with Adam Jones briefly. He was cordial and from the people I've talked to around the Orioles, he's really taken a step forward in terms of being more of a leader and his maturity is growing.
As expected, and has he said last year, he holds no special feelings for coming back to Seattle.
"None," he said.
He was asked about facing the pitcher he was traded for - Erik Bedard -- tomorrow and he was indifferent.
"Not really," he said. "I knew that question was going to be asked. It's going to be fun to face him. I know he's still one of the toughest pitchers you can face."
As for his progress and growth from last season to this season, he said it was simple.
"I've just matured as a baseball player," he said. "I figured out my role and I'm not trying to do too much. I'm just playing the way I know how to play it, and the results are there."
Orioles 23-28
Brian Roberts 2B
Adam Jones CF
Nick Markakis RF
Aubrey Huff 1B
Melvin Mora 3B
Luke Scott DH
Matt Wieters C
Nolan Reimold LF
Cesar Izturis SS
LHP Rich Hill (1-0, 6.14 ERA)
Mariners (24-27)
Ichiro RF
Yuni Betancourt 2B
Adrian Beltre 3B
Mike Sweeney DH
Russell Branyan 1B
Jose Lopez 2B
Wladimir Balentien LF
Rob Johnson C
Franklin Gutierrez CF
Jarrod Washburn (3-3, 3.45 ERA)


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Revenant Bound - Chapter 2: Introductions
The transport pad solidifies around them, the world of the vessel slowly resolving out of a field of light and fel-glowing green.
As dark as the Revenant's exterior is, the interior is equally bright. The walls are made of some substance the color of ivory that is inlaid with a bright silver metal at joints and high up near the ceiling, forming traceries along the surface like veins or circuitry. The room is bulbous, shy of rectangular and devoid of right angles, organic, with a high archway over the open door and two floor-to-ceiling ribs along two extremes of the space that look as much like sinew as structure.
Off to their right, a control panel sprouts from the floor, equally white and formed as if by stretching taffy and molding a flat, crescent-curved surface into its top. A conduit of clear fibers lit within by fel-green energy runs along its pedestal from floor to panel, the bundle alive with pulses, crackles and sparks all safely contained within. A colorful assortment of gems of all shapes and sizes populate the panel at its terminus, their vibrant tones a distinct contrast to the muted colors of the six-armed shivarra demoness who mans them.


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Goop published eight photos of Gwyneth Paltrow completely clad in J.Crew. Moments later, the internet exploded. Seems the very appearance of Gwynnie sparked an 8% increase in J.Crew's website traffic. Yep, the lady's got power. (Women's Wear Daily)
Girls teases us with a 30-second clip quickly featuring all those characters we love. For anything longer than 30 seconds, we'll all just have to wait 'til January. Sigh. (Styleite)
In its ongoing counterfeit dilemma, Chanel has been ordered to pay its former knitwear supplier, World Tricot, £161,000 (about $270,000). On the one hand, it's better than the millions they were originally supposed to pay. On the other hand, Karl may have to get a slightly smaller iceberg for his next show. (Fashion Telegraph)
Lady Gaga's recent launch party for her Fame fragrance had doting, leather-clad men galore — therefore, it's fitting that her United Nude shoe collaboration features male figurines climbing all over some mammoth (and we mean mammoth) platform heels. (HighSnobette)
Are you one of those people who had your eyes on the nail art instead of the dresses at Fashion Week? Well, you're in luck — this awesome video shows you how to copy all the gorgeous manicures (to match your couture, of course). (Polished)


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When I produce a story, the first thing I do after collecting interviews is to transcibe them. I'll listen to the tapes, little by little, and type out the interview into a Word document. From there, I'll plan out the story structure and cut the raw audio into clips which I'll rearrange Frankenstein-style into my final piece.
Transcription, the process of writing out the interviews, is a long and slow process. Painfully so. An 60-minute interview can take me weeks to finish transcribing. It's absolutely horrible.
So when Transom.org, the go-to site for NPR-type audio production, published an article on tape logging and transciption, I was all ears. Or eyes. Whatever.
It's an awesome article, featuring ideas developed at Radiolab, Snap Judgement, and other great shows. But I noticed something down the article a bit. The Radiolab method was spreading out to other shows, like Reply All and Invisibilia, because former Radiolab interns who did the transciption work branched out to do their own shows. It made me think about the connections between various shows...
- ... I discovered Radiolab, The Moth, The Truth, 99 Percent Invisible, and Planet Money through This American Life
- ... Planet Money is a co-production of TAL and NPR News
- ... Moth veteran Elna Baker now scouts stories for TAL
- ... Invisibilia and More Perfect branched off of Radiolab
- ... Snap Judgement and 99 Percent Invisible have producers in common
- ... It appears that ex-Planet Money's Chana Joffee-Walt might end up replacing Ira Glass should he ever retire
- ... Many of the above shows appear to all come out from either NYC or Oakland
- ... Jessica Abel did the rounds with most of these shows for Out on the Wire
- ... Transom has interviews with staffs from most of these shows
That above list may appear to be the beginnings of a conspiracy theorist's manifesto, but it points to a bit of groupthink I may have trapped myself into. About seventeen years ago or so, I started listening to This American Life. Over the years, TAL introduced me to several different shows. I started listening to them, and then started listening to other shows those new shows presented. Over time, it appears that there's this group of maybe 50 producers and other production staff that I listen to through their podcasts, and they all know and work with each other from time to time. Maybe 50 is too small an estimate, but holy crap, my listening experience is apparently a bit insular!
(Keep in mind that all these podcasts are top notch. And all have their individualities. Jad Abrumand's use of sound differs from Leon Morimoto, but to me, the basic ideas of what makes quality audio seems to pervade all of these shows).
Now, I do pepper my listening on occasion with some other work, like Random Tape and Everything Is Stories. And HowSound does feature up-and-coming producers outside the NYC-Oakland vortex, though these folks come out of the Transom Story Workshop, which teaches elements of this style of storytelling.
But I wonder if I need to take a break from the NYC-Oakland vortex and start listening to other folks outside of it. And start looking for writings of producers who aren't part of what might be some sort of assembly line.
Everything is Stories is the podcast that captured my imagination enough to take this plunge with Random Waves. Well, this episode and this story from the BBC. I first heard about EIS from an OKCupid date. The date wasn't great, but the podcast was.
Maybe I should go on more OKCupid dates.


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Project M
Dubbing for trailer
FEATURE FILM – Four astronauts are launched into orbit for 1000 days to test the feasibility of a three-year mission to Europa one of Jupiter's moons. 900 days in, they witness massive explosions on Earth's surface. Abandoned in space and cut off from all communication, the crew comes to realize that Earth is in the middle of all-out nuclear war. Their own battle for survival leads to a startling discovery – one which could afffect the future of humanity. A stunning futuristic psychological thriller, Project-M reminds us that in a world where science fiction and reality are so clesely entwined, ingenuity is still our greatest weapon and hope remains the ultimate key for the continuation of man kind.


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Areas of Practice
- New York
- J.D., Boston College Law School, 1977
- B.A., Williams College, 1974
Case Studies
Thomas J. Douglas, Jr.
Thomas J. Douglas joined Cullen and Dykman in 1977 and became a partner in 1984. He was Managing Partner of the Firm from 2002 to 2015, having previously served as a member of the Executive Committee and head of the Banking Department of the Firm. He currently is counsel to the Firm. . His practice focused on financial institutions, advising clients on stock offerings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and a wide range of regulatory matters.
Areas of Concentration
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Corporate Governance
- Regulatory Matters
Representative Experience
- Advising boards and senior officers on corporate governance matters
- Whole bank sales and acquisitions
- Stock offerings
Professional & Community Activities
Thomas has served on many boards and committees supporting not for profit and community service organizations in the New York metropolitan area and beyond. He also served as General Counsel of one of the Firm's Banking Clients from 1984 to 1986.


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What is our Mission?
"Unlocking purpose, through Serving."
Activating families to serve regularly like Jesus in the flow of life with a very simple but intentional plan, and then walking with them as a coach to do it.
What is our Map or Plan?
With each family, we will walk with them through a very simple track:
Starts with one simple 2 hour serve with OM3 at a great local ministry we set up. See calendar of Serving Events below and sign your family up now.
Family then does a debrief around a meal, on their own, about the power of serving.
OM3 follows up with the family to coach them into serving regularly on their own. It can be back with the ministry we introduced them to, or preferably some type of serve that they discover on their own. We will supply a huge list of ideas.
What are our Measurable Goals?
12 Families per Month x 12 months = 144 Families Serving in one year!


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Roberts Small Animal Clinic is located in Moss Point, MS. We offer excellence in veterinary care and a variety of different services to meet your pets' healthcare needs. We look forward to exceeding your expectations.
Our mission at Roberts Small Animal Clinic is to treat each client as the most important person of the moment and to medically treat their pet with the level of care desired. We wish to not only be your veterinary staff but your friends...
Quality Dental Care
Your pet's dental health is an important part of his overall health. According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have oral disease by the age of 3. It is the most frequently diagnosed health problem in pets. Dental disease is an often unrecognized source of pain in pets.
Our Location
We are located at 3825 Main Street in Moss Point, MS. Dr. Allen Roberts began this veterinary practice over 30 years ago and continues to deliver the most up-to-date and affordable veterinary medicine available today. We accept walk-ins for wellness visits and sick days.


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Guitar Making Tip Number 222 is about trimming your top and back plates. In order to make your arch, the plate needs to flex. Getting rid of the excess will help, and thankfully it's an easy process with power or by hand.
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Guitar Plate Arching
Most guitar plates are at least somewhat arched. The top plate has a slight dome and the black plate has a little more pronounced dome. This is done by altering the internal braces before they are glued.
The bottoms of the braces are sanded or planed to have an arch, and then they are glued to the plates. The thin plate flexes to match the curve of the braces, and you have an arch.
When you do this process, the closer your top is to final size the better. It will bend easier, and take shape better. Here is what you need to do to make this happen…
Trimming the Plate Excess
After you draw out your guitar shape, there will be a lot of wood that is outside those lines. You need to remove that wood, and it will allow the plate to flex better. If you are making a custom guitar, my 25 Simple Ways to Customize Your Guitar Without Altering the Tone is a helpful post.
The excess around the outsides of the plates causes problems sometimes because it is just more wood that needs to bend. The doming shape is already a little restricting on the wood pieces, so the less you have in the way the better.
Free Woodworking Tips Every Monday!
Removing the excess is easy, just make sure that you leave yourself some margin so that you can make adjustments when you attach the plates to the sides. The last thing you want is to come up short.
How to Remove the Waste From the Plates
A band saw or a coping saw are the perfect tools for removing the excess, and the only difference is how long it will take. If you have a band saw, that is the tool I recommend, because the process will be really quick.
Mark out our final size on the top and back plates, and then give yourself at least half an inch of margin all the way around. At the top and bottom of the back plate, you can use more like an inch, because bending the back plate will eat up some length.
Use the saw of your choice and cut away the excess material. Be careful when making this cut, because the flexible plate will lift to bend. If you catch it on the saw, it can crack. This is more likely on the coping saw, but you can minimize it if you make the cutting stroke the down stroke, because they table will absorb the energy.
For more tips, my 25 Guitar Making Tips for Beginners is a good read that can help you make better guitars.
Your Homework
Your homework is to trim your plate excess the next time you dome your top. Do this before you glue down the braces, and the top plate will flex better. It's a simple change in your building process, but it makes the top bend better.
The back plate really benefits from this process, because if you want, you can put a stronger bend in place. I really like the look of a heavily domed back plate, and on a lot of my guitars, I really bend the plate to give it a strong look.
Free Woodworking Tips Every Monday!
After trimming the excess wood with a saw, start gluing your braces. The pieces will go on easier, and the plates will bend easier. See if you like the new method, and if you do, you can keep doing it as you build more guitars.
Guitar Making Tip No. 222 Wrap-Up
The top and back plate are domed, and this is a common feature in most guitars. The plate are stronger, and the arching process is pretty easy. If you trim the excess on your top and back plate, you can make it even easier.
Use a band saw or a coping saw to trim the excess. Mark out your final size, and then around half an inch of margin to make sure that you still have some wiggle room. On your back plate, give a little more space at the top and bottom of the guitar.
Now, trim the plate excess to the margin line, which leaves you some material to make adjustments later as needed. Trim carefully, because the plates are thin. A good catch, and you can lift the plate, causing a crack. Work carefully and slowly.
If you have any questions about Guitar Making Tip No. 222, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer them. Also, please Subscribe so that you don't miss out on anything new. Happy building.
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I just remembered when something dear happened to me causing myself to cry myself to sleep. I remember that I wanted to say happy Thanksgiving to my best friend that I loved but failed. I was hurt because I really wanted to say it but choose something more selfish. That night I feel asleep hurting and crying. Than that Sunday I think was when I got to actually get confidence to text him saying happy late thanksgiving. After that we talked for a while and then he told me that he was ultra happy to see me that he actually wanted to hang out. It was just the two of us so I didn't know if it was a date or just hanging out. But that didn't matter because we had fun and talked about our future jobs. It was really fun and he even let me take home the rest of the pizza which I shared with my family :D. We are still best friends now but I'm happy that God let me see my best friend again :D.
Truth #13 God Will Bless You When You Least Expect It


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Jostling against each other like spirited siblings, Soho and Mayfair are as distinct as you could wish, yet you can stagger between them in moments
Zeren Wilson is a food writer and restaurant wine consultant (Smoking Goat, Kiln, Coombeshead Farm), and has written for publications including Christie's, Noble Rot, The Guardian, The London Magazine, Completely London, Caterer, Ocado, and the Evening Standard food magazine. He joined the retail wine trade with Oddbins in 2003, has sold wine to Michelin-starred London restaurants, and worked as a sommelier. He runs his own restaurant review site www.bittenandwritten.com.
Jostling against each other like spirited siblings, Soho and Mayfair are as distinct as you could wish, yet you can stagger between them in moments
Shoreditch or Hackney? Both are magnets for hipsters, but which really cuts it as the culinary centre of modern London? Zeren Wilson pokes in a fork
London sparks with openings, from the rough end of Regent St to the badlands of Lewisham. Zeren Wilson unfurls his serviette
Has London's culinary landscape ever been richer or more exciting? Zeren Wilson doesn't think so Hey London, you're looking mighty fine, aren't you? Eating and drinking in London has never been this good, this exciting, this full of energy and crackling creativity. Such is the confidence of the scene here, that after years of expecting cities like New York and …
The World Travel Guide (WTG) is the flagship digital consumer brand within the Columbus Travel Media portfolio. A comprehensive guide to the world's best travel destinations, its print heritage stretches back 30 years, with the online portal reaching its 15-year anniversary in 2014. Available in English, German, French and Spanish versions, the WTG provides detailed and accurate travel content designed to inspire global travellers. It covers all aspects, from cities to airports, cruise ports to ski and beach resorts, attractions to events, and it also includes weekly travel news, features and quizzes. Updated every day by a dedicated global editorial team, the portal logs 1 million+ unique users monthly.


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News Ticker
- NPAs under PM Modi's Mudra scheme jumped 126% in FY19
- shows RTI
- RTI query reveals banking frauds of ₹ 2.05 Trillion reported in the last 11 years
- 509 per cent rise in cases under child labour law: Study
- The Central Information Commission has allowed disclosure of file notings on the mercy petition of a rape and murder convict, rejecting the government's contention that the records cannot be disclosed as these are privileged documents under Article 74(2) of the Constitution.
- Electoral bonds worth over ₹5,800 crore were bought by donors to fund political parties between March 1, 2018 and May 10, 2019, a Right to Information reply has said.
- Don't pay 500/- for answer sheet now- Supreme Court says if Answer sheet is asked under RTI, RTI Fees will be governed
RTI News-Bank with Amit Shah as a director collected highest amount of banned notes among DCCBs: RTI reply
momita, in RTI in Media
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By momita
Mumbai: A district cooperative bank, which has Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah as a director, netted the highest deposits among such banks of old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes that were abruptly demonetised on November 8, 2016, according to RTI replies received by a Mumbai activist.
The Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank (ADCB) secured deposits of Rs 745.59 crore of the spiked notes - just five days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the demonetisation announcement. All the district cooperative banks were banned from accepting deposits of the banned currency notes from the public after November 14, 2016, - five days after demonetisation - on fears that black money would be laundered through this route.
According to the bank's website, Shah continues to be a director with the bank and has been in that position for several years. He was also the bank's chairman in 2000. ADCB's total deposits on March 31, 2017, were Rs 5050 crore and its net profit for 2016-17 was Rs 14.31 crore. Right behind ADCB, is the Rajkot District Cooperative Bank, whose chairman Jayeshbhai Vitthalbhai Radadiya is a cabinet minister in Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani's government. It got deposits of old currencies worth Rs 693.19 crore. Interestingly, Rajkot is the hub of Gujarat BJP politics - Prime Minister Modi was first elected from there as a legislator in 2001.
Incidentally, the figures of Ahmedabad-Rajkot DCCBs are much higher than the apex Gujarat State Cooperative Bank Ltd, which got deposits of a mere Rs 1.11 crore. "The amount of deposits made in the State Cooperative Banks (SCBs) and District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) -revealed under RTI for first time since demonetisation - are astounding," Manoranjan S. Roy, the RTI activist who made the effort to get the information, said. The RTI information was given by the Chief General Manager and Appellate Authority, S Saravanavel, of the National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD).


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EVENT / Oslo Design Fair
Oslo Design Fair September 2018
Panafold stopped by the Oslo Design Fair to see what's new in Scandinavian interiors. The Fair has a relaxed vibe and the theme was "Moment" -- we interpreted the theme as a pivotal moment when the Fair is becoming more international (with Danish vendors such as Hay and Fredericia) and more open to the public. That being said, all the written materials and talks are in Norwegian.
High-profile companies such as the Danish House Doctor showed up well, but new and lesser-known firms also caught our eye. In the Husfliden area were remarkable ceramics, notably the work of Ingrid Kristine Lund of ingridk keramikk. Warning - her website does not do her work justice.
Finally, we were delighted to see up-and-coming Norwegian designers such as Hallgeir Homstvedt, Kristine Five Melvaer, NoiDoi, Lars Tomøe, and Vera & Kyte. Included in this group was Runa Klock (image above) who we have profiled here. Klock gave a talk on her multi-faceted design projects, and offered a glimpse of fine new blankets she is designing for Røros Tweed.
We plan to spend a day at the Design Fair next year, too.
More photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/155920359@N03/
A contract furniture company that also showed well was Stellar Works. It prides itself on Asian aesthetics and traditional craft. Like Lund's website, Stellar Work's self-description did not describe what we saw.. Think sturdy, elegant chairs, barstools, bookcases, tables and more made of beautiful wood and textiles, or more rugged materials, equally at home in an urban apartment or the workplace.


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Two news organizations have acknowledged that they knew about the negotiations between the United States and Iran over a prisoner exchange that included a Washington Post reporter before the arrangement was announced. But they chose not to publish information about the talks.
The Huffington Post wrote on Saturday that it did not run an article about the prisoner-swap negotiations though it had learned about the talks in the fall from a State Department official who spoke on the record. The Huffington Post also wrote that American government officials had said earlier that reporters from The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal were withholding details about the talks as well.
The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post declined to comment on Saturday.
CNN said in a statement that it had been "aware of the ongoing negotiations," adding that it "did not report on this information in order to avoid any possibility of interfering in the negotiations."
The Huffington Post published its article about its decision soon after Iran's announcement that it had released four Iranian-Americans, including Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post reporter, as part of a prisoner-swap arrangement with the United States.
This is far from the first time media organizations have wrestled with the question of whether to report news or hold back to protect the safety of those involved. The New York Times, for instance, withheld information about the kidnapping of David Rohde, then a Times reporter, by the Taliban until after he escaped in 2009. Bill Keller, then the executive editor of The Times, said at the time: "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages."
He added: "The kidnappers initially said as much. We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same."
The New York Times declined to comment about the Iran exchange.
Joel Simon, the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said on Saturday that withholding information for any reason goes against journalists' instincts. But when lives are at stake, he added, "there have to be other considerations."
The Huffington Post wrote that it had become aware of negotiations between the United States and Iran on exchanging prisoners in the early fall from a State Department official, whose understanding was that the talks had fallen apart. The Huffington Post said that although it found that the negotiations had not collapsed, it did not publish a story for fear of jeopardizing the talks.
"For years, a journalistic convention has held, more or less, that hostage and prisoner swap talks ought not to be reported on if doing so risks upending the negotiations," The Huffington Post wrote. Just as other news organizations had not published articles that "would lead to imminent harm for a specific individual," it added, "we, too, would decline to publish a story that would cause serious harm to specific individuals unjustly held in Iran."
While CNN said in its statement that it had withheld information "following a request from the U.S. government," The Huffington Post said the decision not to publish an article about the negotiations was its own and was not the result of direct pressure from the American government.
The Huffington Post added that it felt it had made the right decision.
"All the talk of principle and truth-seeking is only talk until you're confronted with the very real possibility that your truth-telling could get a colleague executed," it wrote. "So we held the story, and are writing this one instead. We're glad we did."


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Film Review: 'Jurassic World'
Opened: 11 June 2015
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, B. D. Wong, Irrfan Khan
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Producers: Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley
Rating: ★★★½
"Oh, yeah. Oooh, ahhh, that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and um, screaming…" – Ian Malcolm (The Lost World: Jurassic Park, 1997)
And there's plenty of running and screaming in the new addition to the franchise, one that was stuck in production hell and development for over fourteen years. Director of just one feature film, Colin Trevorrow takes the reigns and sportingly carries forward the burden of adding to a franchise, that's remained stagnant for a while, and nudges it in the right direction, which is a relief given the travesty that was Jurassic Park III.
Jurassic World will never be a classic. It's wasn't designed to be. But as a standalone summer film that takes its inspiration from the original and as a film that doesn't take itself too seriously, it more than makes up for its discrepancies, including a cheesy, wafer thin plot and virtually zero emotional connect with its core characters.
To be fair, Jurassic World hasn't had the easiest ride since its first trailer landed. 'The special effects are ropey….The CGI's cack…. Oh it's not as good as the original.' I was always a fan of the original, but was always on board to at least give this film a chance.
And I'm glad I did. Jurassic World, with all its cheeky (and fun) nudge-nudge-wink-wink nods to the original isn't perfect but it delivers enough (PG) thrills, chills and (blood) spills that loyal fans of the original will appreciate.
What viewers forget is that with Jurassic World, Trevorrow has to entice an entirely new generation of cinemagoers – one that's been exposed to excessive CGI, one that's more cynical than we were as kids, and one which now takes technology for granted. I loved the sequences where despite the wonder of nature unravelling right in front of their eyes, tourists are busy tapping away on their phones, and completely losing out on the experience that the park has to offer. Very current and very spot on.
Jurassic World's plot unfolds twenty-two years after the events of the first film with Isla Nublar now a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, unsurprisingly called Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. What's different this time round is that the park doesn't really exist to make a huge profit, but rather as more of a biological preserve. At least that's what its owner Masrani (Khan, good even if a little stereotyped) intended it to be, despite operations manager Clare Dearing's, (a stiff and frigid Dallas Howard, who gets better as the film progresses) repeated pleas to take note of the establishment's dwindling profits.
Added to the mix are shady antagonist (D'Onofrio) who plans to use Raptors as a biological weapon, and Clare's doe eyed nephews who get caught up in a weekend getaway from hell.
Pratt meanwhile, plays park ranger Owen, who's conducting behavioural research on Velociraptors and trying to "figure out the limits of the relationship between these highly intelligent creatures and human beings." His services are called upon when the park's most terrifying, genetically modified hybrid monstrosity (that 'ate its sibling' and created purely to boost revenue) escapes its pen, and runs amuck causing chaos (Malcolm would have had a field day with this one) and all round bloodshed across the island.
There's enough wow factor here to entice the kids, and some of the dino-scenes are undoubtedly awesome, but at times Jurassic World, fails to shake off that 'been here, done that' air about it, especially in the film's latter sequences, which despite the requisite plot twists, some of which completely fail to engage and some unnecessary melodrama, its pace drastically drops.
That and a complete lack of chemistry between the film's leads a burly and rugged Pratt (who's easy on the eye and eminently likeable) and Dallas Howard, who's character progression is utterly unconvincing, and a caricaturish villain in the form of D'Onofrio, who's otherwise terrific as the Kingpin in Netflix's Daredevil, are bound to leave a few viewers disappointed. To be fair though, the fact that they sportingly let the badass dinosaurs take centre stage at the expense of their own arcs massively works in the film's favour.
Those flaws aside, Trevorrow does a decent job here (he co-wrote the film) and Jurassic World, which serves as a direct sequel to the first one, is easily the best sequel, by a mile (not that its predecessors were up to much anyway). The film raises some pertinent questions about what happens when man tries to play god and Trevorrow addresses these with maturity, rather than making Jurassic World a Michael Bay-esque headache that relies solely on visuals to see it through. That said, the special effects in the film have massively improved from the iffy CGI in the trailers and both the dinosaurs and a few jumpy sequences in the park are standout terrific, and will undoubtedly raise cheers – at a few points I found myself literally wanting to throw my popcorn at the screen! The Indomnius Rex is truly terrifying, as are the smarmy, but somewhat endearing Raptors, and a cameo by the much loved T-Rex from the original is so well timed in the climax, it leaves you wanting more.
In all, despite its very obvious flaws, Jurassic World makes for a worthy summer blockbuster and is entertaining popcorn fodder that's a whole lot of fun, but ultimately, entirely forgettable. I'm going with a decent three and a half stars.


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Oddities of Finnish road trips
We were all the way up in Kuusamo (almost-Lapland) for Jeremy's race two weeks ago. Here are some oddities of a Finnish road trip.
1. You don't have to do a road trip in your car! On the way up to Kuusamo, we took a Car Train. It's a sleeper train from the big southern cities up to Rovaniemi. You load your car on the train and then spend the ride in a sleeping compartment. I really liked spending the night on the train and letting it do the driving for us! It was like magic to wake up and arrive in Rovaniemi with our car.
2. Road trips in other countries mean eating cold lunches in the car - sandwiches, carrot sticks, you know. In Finland, it's common to get a hot lunch at midday, even on a road trip. Most towns and even some gas stations will have hot lunch buffets available.
3. Speed limits are so variable and that kind of sucks. One of the joys of an American road trip is setting the cruise control at 65mph and leaving it there for hours. Here in Finland, most of the time you'll be driving 100kph with significant stretches at 80kph, dipping down to 60kph in towns. And there are speed cameras everywhere.
4. There are no rest areas as such, but lots of pull-outs without services, signposted ahead of time. Instead of rest areas, there are travel plazas every once in a while with gas, a buffet restaurant, maybe a small supermarket, and sometimes a random attraction tacked on. We've been to travel plazas with an attached rock garden, an old train car, and - our favorite - bouncy castles and a trampoline.
(We stumbled upon the bouncy castle/trampoline stop last year and I immediately saved it in our car's GPS so we could go there again this year. It is the best! I still can't believe a business here put up a trampoline and bouncy castle and just...lets people jump on them.)
5. On spring/summer road trips, it never gets dark. Never. This is lovely and safe but it makes it weird for the kids because there's no cue to go to sleep. We got home from our Kuusamo trip a little after eleven pm last Sunday and the kids were all still awake. It was...fun.
I've really enjoyed our road trips in Finland, and the Car Train was a positive new experience!


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Lake Mac Sports Awards are open for nominations
Date posted: 7 December 2018
Local sporting stars who want to add their name to the City's long list of esteemed athletes can now nominate into the Lake Macquarie Sports Awards.
Council's Acting Manager Community Planning, Andrew Bryant, said the awards celebrate exceptional sportspeople and hard-working administrators of Lake Macquarie City.
"Our City is home to extraordinary sportspeople and administrators who dedicated themselves to achieving outstanding results as they represent Lake Macquarie, the state, and our country," Mr Bryant said
"We want to recognise these special people who inspire others to participate in sports and work hard to excel in their chosen field."
Elite sportspeople can join the ranks of athlete Erin Cleaver, cliff diver Rhiannan Iffland, and V8 Supercar driver Aaren Russell as winners of the Lake Macquarie Sports Awards.
Council is calling for nominations from people who live in the Lake Macquarie area in the following categories:
- Junior Sportsperson of the Year
- Sports Administrator of the Year
- Lake Macquarie Sports Scholarship Award for Athletes with a Disability
- Masters Sportsperson of the Year
- Sportsperson of the Year
The winner of the International Children's Games Fair Play Award will also be announced as part of this year's Awards.
All winners will be announced at a special event to be held on Friday 22 February 2019.
Nominate now!
Article by Lake Macquarie City Council
Page last updated: 7 December 2018