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As part of our whole school approach to encourage all children to enjoy reading and make outstanding progress, we have recently purchased more than £24,000 of new Oxford Reading Tree (ORT) books.
These books begin at Lilac ORT level 0 and continue to Brown ORT level 14. Once the children reach this ORT level they then become a Free Reader. To help them choose appropriate reading books above this level we have now purchased Tree Top books that continue up to ORT level 20.
Throughout the new reading scheme, your child will read through a series of stories, which are listed on the back of the book. We will try as much as possible to read books in this order. You may find that different colour bands cross over each other, for example a blue or red book might be in the story series as part of yellow book bands. This cross over is vital to reinforce key words and build upon their confidence as a reader. Reading higher level books will also challenge them further.
In the child's reading record you will find a list of the books within the colour band. Once the child has read the book, an adult in school will tick to acknowledge the child is ready for the next book in the series. You may find that your child has already read a book in this series, please hear them re-read these books to help with fluency and understanding.
I am thrilled with the range of new books now in school and this week your child will get the opportunity to start bringing these books home to read. Please can you encourage your child to respect the books they bring home and to return them in the same condition. There will be a small charge for damaged books.
We are encouraging every child to read daily at home for at least 10 minutes. Please can you write a comment and sign to say you have listened to your child read in their Reading Records.
Have fun reading!

subset: commoncrawl


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The Hidden Keys To Unlocking Business Success
Everyone has their own idea of what it means to build a business. For me, building a business involves firstly having a passion for a certain industry. Be it for sneakers (trainers for us in the UK) or books, your passion must be genuine and it must make you want to find out more. Moreover, I believe that building a business involves lots of preparation and hard work; it is essential to prepare business and sales strategies, especially if you want to have continuous and long-lasting success. These, however, are just the basics and everyone does them. That is what makes the business world a seemingly hostile environment; everyone is just so prepared, knowledgeable and passionate about their trade. In spite of this, there are certain things that a lot of companies have failed to take notice of in the past. These elements are like hidden gems and can help propel any new business – be it big or small – towards the success that they dream for. I, for one, have noticed how lots of innovators have recently picked up on these hidden gems and have reaped the rewards for doing so. I would, therefore, like to explain what I believe to be the hidden keys to unlocking business success. I would also like to point out that they are on offer to each and every business owner out there, so make sure to use them as much as possible!
The first thing that I feel that lots of brands have missed out on – and are currently catching up on – is how they can use social media as a tool for marketing. Social media allows one to post and reach a whole range of people ranging from teenagers to adults. This means that social media would allow one the opportunity to appeal to a wide range of consumers who may be interested in your product and, henceforth, share it with their friends. By using social media as a marketing tool, a business is able to reach consumers who wouldn't have otherwise found out about their brand, therefore allowing them to generate more interest. Social media, however, needn't only be used as a source of attracting interest. It can be used as a stage for selling your good or service. It can be as basic as having your link in your bio, or having the option to swipe up and purchase your service; in doing so, not only are you attracting more attention to your brand, but you are also gaining potential sales and revenue. Social media can be used to generate leads, attract customers and create sales – all it requires is consistent content and proactivity.
Another thing that people are latching onto is the whole idea of personalised marketing whereby they customize their marketing approach for each client. I feel that this is a great way to attract the attention of a customer and a great way to form a personal relationship with a client. If a client or consumer feels like you are directing your message to them, I believe that they are far more likely to consumer or invest in what you are selling. By building a special relationship with a client in which they feel that you value them, you are far more likely to retain their interest in the future, therefore meaning that you are likely to reap the rewards in the long-term.
An example of personalised marketing and branding was the Coca Cola "Share a Coke" campaign where the infamous brand switched up its logo; instead of having its regular logo, Coca Cola opted to have various names on their bottles. These names corresponded to some of the UK's most famous, therefore allowing consumers to buy bottles for their friends. Here is an example of a marketing method with a personalised aspect to it. Not only did it build relationships between the brand and consumers, it allowed consumers to build on relationships with their closest ones. We see, therefore, that the marketing technique played on emotions (via its personalized method) which made it a huge success.
There are, of course, many other methods of unlocking business success. One of them is allowing influencers to do their thing. The day of controlling an influencer to act in the way that you want is long gone because consumers realise that it is simply just another brand deal. Instead, companies ought to let consumers appeal to their audience using their own subtle techniques which they know that their audiences love and which are authentic to them. In this way, companies are allowing their brand to be transformed for different audiences which will allow them to gain more followers and customers. A large proportion of influencers will promote products online, therefore meaning that brands also improve their online presence which is an added bonus.
In summary, if you are not already using these savvy business tactics, I highly advise you start to do so. In this day and age, it is highly important to build a relationship with your consumer so that they feel that you really care about their desires. An easy way of doing this is through social media because it allows you to boost your online presence and appease a whole range of people. Social media is your platform for personalised marketing and lead generation; use it to the best of your ability so that you can unlock your full business potential.


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Great, thanks for that effort! I'm not seeing any pull request against the master in github, would you mind creating a pull request for your commit? Thanks again!Raul [ThE KuKa] wrote:"PR" Spanish translation ready.
I'm planning to re-design the output HTML for the TimeAgo string, making the HTML string element layout adjustable via the control panel. This will solve in particular the problem where "Ago" should be prepended not appended to the values when ES (or any other lang) is used.
I'm working to finish another project this week, but I plan to work on TimeAgo this coming weekend. Version 1.3.0 should be ready before next Monday.


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On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down... Amos 9:11
This profound and prophetic verse hidden in the Old Testament will now be recognized as one of the most important scriptures in the next shift in corporate worship. Though we don't perceive it prominently, worship is presently being overhauled and will be shifting into a completely new and more authentic expression. In the last decade we have seen churches subtly and dramatically change how they worship. Some churches have fostered a compromise of traditional and contemporary worship styles at different times. Others have embraced the seeker friendly stage and lights approach. Still others have determined to maintain some traditions while updating the presentation and adding more energy. Churches everywhere are trying not to become more relevant by ensuring that the technological and aesthetic modernity is found in their worship experience so as to attract the new generation with things that they can identify with. However, in most cases non of these things are causing G-d to be the focus nor are we causing the atmosphere to be divinely infused with His presence.
My concern is that we are not aware of the season that we are moving into and what must be done in order to host the Presence of the Almighty. As I write you today I am convinced that we are at the end of a 500 year era of time. Scripturally speaking, though we don't recognize it, there are many 500's that can be interpreted in the same way. In particular, the two that stand out are the Mosaic tabernacle era and the Temple (Solomon's) era. Both of these represent a season and era of a particular type of corporate worship in Israel's history. As great as those eras are, G-d does not say that He will raise up one of these eras again in the last days, He says that He will raise up the very short and unrecognized era of David's tabernacle and restore it as in the days of old! Amazing!
As I mapped out the last 500 years of modern Christian history I found it amazing that almost 500 years ago Martin Luther was instrumental in the last monumental shift to hit the church. This means that all of what has come out of that last move is about to be discarded for an even greater move to be revealed. This next move can be reconciled in the context of Amos 9:11 which is also quoted in Acts 15:15, that the attributes, the qualities, and the authenticity of that Davidic worship is about to be renewed by YWHW himself in the days of our lives...expect everything to CHANGE!


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Students Protest for Climate Change Action
Climate change and environmental protection is one of the hot topics ahead of the federal election. Last Friday saw thousands of students in up to 50 locations around Australia go on strike to protest our Government's inaction on climate change. The strike was mirrored across the world as hundreds of thousands of students joined the growing global movement, demanding leaders act on the biggest problem they will have to face.
What are the demands of the students? In Australia it is stopping the Adani coalmine, ensuring no new fossil fuel projects, and having a 100% renewable energy supply by 2030. I commend the students for organizing and taking part in the rally to fight for a better world that we are currently failing to protect.
Liberal MP Craig Kelly, after the first School Strike 4 Climate held in late 2018, said that if the children were serious about combating climate change, they would forgo ice-creams and hamburgers. This is because, as he well knows, the agricultural sector – in particular the beef, lamb and dairy industries – contribute more to global warming than our coal industry. Which begs the question why none of the political parties – except for the Animal Justice Party – are promoting the significant environmental benefits of shifting to a plant-based diet. However, the students have listened Craig Kelly's criticism and there was a meat-free BBQ, plus the superb Greek vegan food van Staazi & Co, waiting for them after their march from Parliament House to Tardanyangga.
The idea of a democracy was developed in ancient Athens; Aristotle thought a democracy was all citizens having a shared responsibility for the way society develops and the form that it takes. We vote on election day, consider where we want to head as a collective, and hope the average of our votes will lead to a fair outcome for all. While this seems reasonable, there are large groups whose futures are shaped by elections who don't get to vote, for example those who have not yet reached voting age – which of course is why these school children are rallying.
A true democracy relies on us considering the needs of all in our society including children and others who cannot vote. Children inherit our legacies and deserve our special attention. Consider asking the under-18s in your life what they care about, what they hope for the future, and perhaps keep this in mind at the voting booth during the federal election.
Louise Pfeiffer, Stirling
Happy New Year everyone
January 2019
Happy New Year everyone, I hope all the Weekender Herald staff and readers enjoy a 2019 filled with purpose and joy. Living in the beautiful Adelaide Hills is a great start!
I personally hope this is the year we start taking our impact on the environment seriously, and see some real action from our political leaders. I was initially thrilled on learning that the Minister for the Environment and Water, the Honourable David Speirs, announced a proposal to ban the use of single use plastic in SA; for which a discussion paper has been made available for public comment until 22 February. I thought, this is a great start, our politicians are doing something! A focus on the reduction of single use plastics will see less ending up in our waterways and oceans, reducing the suffering of our precious and vulnerable sea-life, which is one of the key motivations behind this proposal.
It's a good start, but is it the best we can do? For example, if we are so concerned about our aquatic life and ecosystems, why has the government just approved seismic testing in order to identify the oil and gas deposits in the Great Australian Bight? The last time seismic testing was undertaken, it was linked to the deaths of up to 6 whales and had a painful and debilitating impact on the marine life that rely on sound to communicate (i.e. most of them). Why we are even contemplating extracting fossil fuels when we need to be reducing our carbon emissions doesn't make sense.
In addition, Australia's waste management – by global standards – is better and more sophisticated than most other countries. Per person, our litter and mismanaged plastic is about 1/3rd of that of a person in the United States, and the United States is 1/14th of that (on a per person basis) of someone in China!
Compare this with our energy management and carbon pollution. Australia, at around 22.6 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per person each year, is still one of the top polluters on a per capita basis out of all the countries in the world. So while a ban on single use plastics is something I support and applaud, it is in my view a distraction from other, larger issues that are of concern in our country. Excellent at waste management already yet sadly punching above our weight in contributing to climate change, significantly more needs to be done to become an environmentally sensitive, sustainable country.
Louise Pfeiffer, Stirling
Year of many highlights. (Weekend Herald Dec 20th)
December 2018
It has been a big year for me with many highlights. Running as a candidate for the Animal Justice Party in the SA state election held in March, I learned more about the issues facing residents in and around the hills, meeting many thoughtful and motivated people along the way. I feel grateful that our country has such an organised system of voting and democracy, throughout all tiers of government. Importantly, I've learned more about how to influence and advocate issues that I care about namely: animal rights and sustainable eating choices.
Over the course of this year I have written in this very newspaper about duck shooting, bow hunting, jumps racing, greyhound racing, factory farming and the live export trade. Activities that each lead to unnecessary suffering for animals. I am thankful for the opportunity to shine a light on these industries, to be a voice for those who have no say in how they are treated.
Highlighting the environmental damage that animal agriculture causes is a topic I wrote about in June. The University of Oxford revealed this year that we can reduce our carbon footprint by up to 73% through adopting a plant-based diet. As a community we need to be encouraging dietary practices which are sustainable: the impact we can have collectively is huge yet still mostly untapped. I encourage readers to learn more and take environmental matters into their own hands through their food choices – we can all be leaders in this space.
Excitingly, 2018 was the year that vegan food came to life. Earlier this year Hungry Jacks introduced a vegan cheeseburger, selling out in the first week. Sports stars such as Peter Siddle, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams – among many others – attribute their improved performance, their kinder and lighter environmental footprint, to plant-based eating.
2019 is shaping up to be an even better year for animal advocates. The Live Export trade is firmly on the agenda for the upcoming Federal Election. Plant-based foods such as meat-free burgers, sausages, dairy-free cheeses abound in our local supermarkets. Social media continues to be an effective platform to spread important messages on big issues. And if you too are interested in trying out plant-based or vegan eating in the new year for yourself, join the expected 300,000+ individuals signed up for Veganuary (Veganuary.com) … what a terrific way to start the year! Thank you for reading and best wishes in 2019 to all.
Louise Pfeiffer, Stirling
Duck Hunting: A sport whose day has come
South Australia's lakes and waterways are some of the most beautiful and serene places around our state. Earlier this year between February and June this peace was disrupted, smashed by gunfire, carnage and cruelty of the annual duck hunting season.
Duck hunting is, for some, a recreational activity to simply pass the time. Presumably, some macabre enjoyment is felt through the thrilling metaphorical chase of the innocent, shotgun in hand. The powerful against the powerless, the odds are stacked against these poor birds. Yet that they can legally be shot at all as a recreational activity, no less, remains curiously protected by law.
More than 40,000 ducks each year are estimated to be killed in South Australia each year. Around the same number are wounded, shot by a shotgun while in flight, the spray of pellets missing vital organs. These wounded birds await a slow, painful death; unable to find food if their beaks are damaged or left without the ability to escape from other predators.
For duck hunting to be banned, our government needs to step up. The Animal Welfare Act 1985 states that ill-treatment of animals occurs if they are killed in a manner which 'does not cause death to occur as rapidly as possible'. The multitude of eyewitness reports and duck-rescuers from animal groups cannot be ignored, there is little doubt that immense and unnecessary suffering occurs during each duck hunting season.
SA Premier Steven Marshall is more than aware of the brutality that transpires each year. In 2011 he is on record calling for a parliamentary inquiry into duck hunting, citing the likely breach of the Animal Welfare Act. As someone who now has the political power to establish the inquiry, will he achieve what he sought as an MP many years ago?
The majority of South Australians, on learning about the suffering of wounded ducks, support a ban on duck hunting. Nobody likes cruelty to animals. The number of duck hunters is few, the sport outdated and senseless.
In Queensland, when banning duck hunting more than a decade ago the then-premier Peter Beatty said, "it was not an appropriate activity in contemporary life". I remain optimistic that Premier Steven Marshall achieves what he set out to do in 2011, bans this barbaric activity which has no place in civilised society and is quoted saying similarly progressive words soon.
Louise Pfeiffer, Stirling
SA Vegan Festival #1 in the World
October 2018
Last weekend the City of Adelaide sponsored the Vegan Festival held in Victoria Square (Tartanyangga), a growing annual event said to be the best in the world. Organisers were expecting over 18,000 people to stream through the gates to enjoy food, entertainment and stalls that celebrate a vegan lifestyle; embracing better health, a lower environmental footprint, and compassion toward animals.
"If we could live happy and healthy lives without harming others… why wouldn't we?" This is the simplest argument for veganism that I've heard, and it was said by Pam Ahern, founder of Edgar's Mission in Victoria. Edgar's Mission is a sanctuary for animals saved from a squalid life followed by a brutal death at a factory farm. I visited the sanctuary in 2011 and seeing animals such as dairy cows and chickens for the first time not as commodities, but as living, breathing creatures with their own personalities and interests, was a humbling experience.
The first vegan festival I attended 7 years ago was held in the Melbourne suburbs with around 1,000 people attending. No gates, a handful of stalls, a little haphazard. Move forward to 2018 and Adelaide's very own world-class festival is right in the centre of town, covered by mainstream press, teeming with people from all walks of life.
People are embracing a plant-based, or vegan lifestyle, for several reasons: for their ethics – there is no humane way to kill an animal who doesn't want to die; for their health – a whole food plant-based diet has been shown to prevent or even reverse many chronic diseases such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and even some cancers; or out of concern for the environment – animal agriculture contributes more to greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transportation combined.
Earlier this year the Canadian Government announced a $150 million investment into plant-based protein production. This in turn has stimulated private investment into this industry. With billionaires like Richard Branson and Bill Gates also investing into plant-based protein start-ups, the time is ripe for our policy makers to incentivise more agriculturalists and businesses to transition into this industry. Our own government has not yet noticed the opportunity, and I and the growing numbers of tax-payers embracing a plant-based way of eating think that they should.
The plant-based movement – the vegan movement – is growing. South Australians should be proud of our grassroots Vegan Festival being ranked #1 in the world and its role in promoting local SA produce and entrepreneurs.
Louise Pfeiffer, Stirling.
Strathalbyn Abattoir Protest
October 2018
In September, 23 activists occupied the rooftop of the Strathalbyn abattoir for 17 hours, forcing the business to close its operations for the day. Adelaide Animal Save and Aussie Farms were the two groups behind the protest, held to raise awareness of how some animals were slaughtered following footage released weeks earlier showing horrifying cruelty being inflicted on animals being slaughtered at this very location. Local and national media covered the protest, and vitriol was hurled against the activists on social media for the disruption.
Sharing a meal is a great thing to do with family and friends. I challenge you to sit down with your family and watch the footage that led to this protest which you can view online at www.strathmeats.com. The footage is just under 6 minutes long. How much do you think you can watch? Pigs being boiled alive, cows hanging by one leg from the ceiling while still alive, sheep and pigs being electrically stunned, pigs being drowned to death in front of other pigs. Keep in mind this isn't happening in the Middle East, in some poverty-stricken slaughter yard, but in our very own Adelaide Hills. This footage is not one of the great things happening in our state that make SA Great.
Animals have always had their suffering hidden from us, and animals like sheep, cows and pigs raised for food are not protected by cruelty laws in the way that the family dog or cat are. The activists in this protest were trying to shine light on what is happening under our noses, to show to the world the institutionally condoned practices causing others pain. While the protestors were lambasted for their behavior, I feel their frustration and it's worth considering how we would want others to act if we were the victim.
Despite what we have been taught to believe, we do not need meat for brain health, or for protein. All the proteins needed can be found in plants, as is evidenced by the many meat-free multi-generational families around the world. Further, there is no such thing as 'food' animals, and these animals are just as terrified, powerless and scared as the family pet would be if they were sent to slaughter.
Sir Paul McCartney said in the 1970s that if slaughterhouses had glass walls everyone would be vegetarian. These activists are trying to show us what really goes on so that we can make informed choices as to whether this is the kind of world we want.
Louise Pfeiffer, Stirling
NSW and half of QLD is in drought
September 2018
Currently all of NSW and half of QLD is in drought. This is devastating for farmers who are having their livelihoods challenged, and for the animals who are bred into these farms who suffer from hunger and thirst during extended periods of no rain. We can and should help those who are in need, and it's heartwarming to see local schools and community groups in the Hills band together to raise funds to send to those affected. Yet, fundraising and bailouts are currently estimated to occur 7 out of every 10 years – and our collective helping hands have amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars over the past decade. It's time to prevent this from happening, and one way to do this is to closely look at whether the farms repeatedly impacted are viable at all.
Animal agriculture is taking its toll on our environment. It takes 3,000 litres of water to produce one beef hamburger – which is the equivalent of one person's showers for 2 months. Livestock and their bi-products are responsible for over 50% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock are also responsible for 65% of nitrous oxide emissions – a greenhouse gas which is 296x more destructive than carbon dioxide. Droughts are predicted to increase in their frequency and intensity, and perhaps this is nature's way of telling us to do something else, to farm something else: to think carefully about our choices and their impact on our planet. Why the National Party is not talking about packages to transition farmer's to more sustainable, drought resistant agriculture is bewildering. Why animal agriculture's impact on climate change is not being discussed by the major political parties – not even the Greens – is simply wrong.
The Animal Justice Party cares deeply about our country's food security and the welfare of rural Australians. We also care about animals and the environment. While the country suffers from drought, the Federal Government is again considering bailing out those working in animal agriculture only to allow for the problem to continue. The AJP, on the other hand, has policies to give these farmers a long-term solution by investing in sustainable plant-based products that are drought resistant. This will lead to jobs being created through R&D, manufacturing, processing and growing. It's time to stop gambling on the lives of animals, the environment, and the livelihoods of farmers: it's time for sustainable solutions.
Louise Pfeiffer, Animal Justice Party State Committee Member
Cow's Milk unnecessary for human health
August 2018
In 2018 ideas are spread quickly and easily through social media. 20 years ago, only the staunchest animal activists and those who had studied animal rights were aware of what goes on in the Australian dairy industry. Today – influencers such as Erin Janus whose YouTube video "Dairy is Scary", with nearly 5 million views, are growing awareness that we don't need to drink cow's milk at all.
At school we were taught as our bones contain calcium, foods with lots of calcium should be good for our bones. But scientists are slowly unravelling the secrets of bone health and food is only a small part of the story. They are beginning to understand why a 12-year Harvard study of 78,000 women, found that those who drank milk three times a day actually broke more bones than women who rarely drank milk. And why countries with the lowest rates of dairy consumption have the lowest rates of hip fractures.
We have been fed a myth that cows are happy to be milked due to uncomfortably full udders and brainwashed with images of cows in green fields waiting for the bell to ring to be milked by the farmer. Yet this is not the reality that many cow's face. The truth is that, just like human mothers, cows only produce milk if they are pregnant or breastfeeding. For the industry to make money, cows need to be producing milk constantly, which means that after giving birth they are impregnated again and again. Their male calves are taken away from them within days after birth and sent to a slaughterhouse, with over 400,000 being killed each year in Australia, so that humans can drink breastmilk from their poor mothers. Cows are distraught and bellow for days when their calves are taken – one of the most distressing sounds I've ever heard. The artificial cycle of birth and death leaves these dairy cows depleted, at which point they themselves are slaughtered at an unnaturally young age.
The sales of almond, coconut, and oat milk growing each year, hitting $212m in 2017 sales in Australia alone. Social media is raising awareness of the cruelty involved in producing cow's milk. Dairy farms in other countries are closing down and the Australian $4 billion-dollar dairy industry will also face decline. I feel for the farmers who have invested heavily in their dairy farms and call on the government to start exploring ways to help them transition to more viable trades.
Louise Pfeiffer, Animal Justice Party State Committee Member, Stirling
The Mayo bi-election
July 2018
The Mayo bi-election is two short weeks away, and while some of us groan at the thought of going to the polls on a citizenship technicality, I'm excited about what we can do on voting day.
I often reflect on how lucky we are being able to vote at all and the dignity that comes from living in a democratic country which happens to be second wealthiest country on this planet (as measured by wealth per adult), second only to Switzerland. This gives us tremendous freedom in our choices, leads to our extraordinary quality of life, and provides us with a safe place to live and raise our families. We have 'made it' as a country, and this should give us the confidence to help those in need, give a fair go to those less fortunate than ourselves, those who may be suffering through no fault of their own.
In their capacity to suffer, farmed animals are just like the family dog. Yet 'companion animals' (dogs, cats and the like) have been given rights to be protected from harm and cruelty. Farmed animals, however, are not given the same rights if acts of cruelty occur in the ordinary course of business. This arbitrary awarding of "rights" to some animals and not others means that the live export industry is legal and is endorsed by the very political party who holds power in this country today – the Liberal Party. Profits are given a higher weight than kindness, compassion, and decency.
3 million live animals are shipped each year from our shores to other countries and suffer in ways that could only be dreamt up by the devil. Sheep, cows and goats are exported in distressing conditions which lead to suffering for all, illness and death for thousands. Impacted farmers can and will make money in other ways, and a good government would ban this trade on moral grounds while buffering any economic fallout. The Mayo bi-election is your opportunity for to say 'not in my name' to live animal export by voting for Rebekha Sharkie of the Centre Alliance, Major Sumner of the Greens, or Prof Reg Coutts of the Labor Party, whose parties are all against live export. If you, too, want to see live export banned please put them first on your voting ticket and Georgina Downer last.
On 28 July 2018, let's demonstrate kindness and benevolence befitting of a wealthy nation by preferencing those parties who want to ban live export.
Louise Pfeiffer, Adelaide Hills, Animal Justice Party Committee Member
Sustainability, Climate Change & The Environment
Buzz words of the millennia, and for good reason. The planet is warming at a frightening rate and some scientists have very dire predictions for its future. Climate change is alarming, and for good reasons. The actions of our Government are slow and frustrating, and because of this lots of people are taking matters into our own hands and doing what we can to reduce our individual carbon footprints.
Many of us unaware of the impact that animal agriculture has on our environment. A massive study by researchers at Oxford University was published in the journal Science on 1 June 2018. The researchers collected data from nearly 40,000 farms in 119 countries on 40 major foods covering 90% of agricultural products produced globally and looked at how each of these impacted the environment by analysing climate change emissions, water pollution, and air pollution.
The analysis shows that meat and dairy production provides just 18% of calories and 37% of protein yet uses 83% of all farmland globally and produces 60% of agriculture's greenhouse gas emissions. The new research shows that by going meat and dairy-free our individual carbon footprint could be reduced by up to 73%. This news is exciting and – importantly – empowering for environmentally conscious individuals.
The lead author of the study Joseph Poore said "A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use. It is far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car," which only reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "Avoiding consumption of animal products delivers far better environmental benefits than trying to purchase sustainable meat and dairy," he added.
What about farmers? I think that the average voter would approve of any measure that helps impacted farmers transition to more sustainable crops. I also think that our savvy farmers will adapt to supply and demand and will soon learn to farm something else.
Take note, there are already whole sections in local supermarkets dedicated to vegan food, recipe books abound, and the internet is flourishing with recipes. The time to take action and choose something else to eat is now as there is no Planet B. And for those of us who can't completely give up meat, cutting back goes a long way toward helping the environment.
Louise Pfeiffer


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John Nash's Life After 'A Beautiful Mind' Came Out Included Published Works & Other Successes
John Nash, a Nobel-Prize winning mathematician who was the subject of the film A Beautiful Mind, died in a car crash Sunday with his wife, Alicia Nash. The film chronicled Nash's battle with schizophrenia during his time teaching at Princeton University. Nash developed a world renowned game theory that won him the 1994 Nobel Prize for Economics. And he hadn't slowed down or given up: Nash was busy after A Beautiful Mind was released in 2001.
Specifically, Nash's most famous theory, published in 1950, provided a simple but useful tool for analyzing competitive situations, which could include corporate rivalries or legislative decision making, according to The New York Times. The "Nash equilibrium" theory is used widely throughout economics, the social sciences, and even evolutionary biology, to name a few. Economist Roger Myerson of the University of Chicago compared the impact of the Nash equilibrium on economics "to that of the discovery of the DNA double helix in the biological sciences," according to the Times.
During the height of his mental illness, Nash declined a prestigious appointment at the University of Chicago because he thought he was in line to become the next emperor of Antarctica, according to The Washington Post. He also searched numerals for hidden messages, traveled abroad and attempted to give up his U.S. citizenship, or considered himself to have different identities such as a Japanese shogun, the Biblical figure Job, or a Palestinian refugee. He also apparently tried to give a student an intergalactic driver's license, according to the Post.
Some of these struggles and more were chronicled in A Beautiful Mind, where Nash was portrayed by Russell Crowe. After the release of the Oscar-winning film, Nash remarried his wife, Alicia, whom he had divorced in 1963. Alicia continued to care for Nash throughout his struggle with schizophrenia, and the two later became mental health advocates, according to the BBC.
In his biographical sketch, Nash wrote that his return to rational scientific thought was "not entirely a matter of joy as if someone returned from physical disability to good physical health," according to the Post:
Without his 'madness,' Zarathustra would necessarily have been only another of the millions or billions of human individuals who have lived and then been forgotten.
Nash was a senior research mathematician at Princeton since 1995. He conducted research and taught classes in logic, game theory, cosmology, and gravitation, according to his website. In a Quora article, past students wrote about what Nash was like as a professor. One student said his tests were so difficult that students often couldn't do them. A student named Joseph Kohn said Nash gave them a test once with four questions, and the first question was "What is your name?" despite the fact that there was a space for a name on the front of the test booklet. But if you didn't answer the question, then you got 25 points off your test grade. The remaining three questions were "fairly hard" mathematical questions.
In 2007, Nash published a book called The Essential John Nash, which revealed Nash's work "in his own words." The book includes all of Nash's contributions to game theory, but also his numerous works in "pure mathematics — from Riemannian geometry and partial differential equations — in which he commands even greater acclaim among academics," according to the book's description. The book includes nine of Nash's most influential papers, most of which were written between 1949-1959.
Nash and his wife were actually returning from a trip to Norway before the car crash, where Nash and Louis Nirenburg, a mathematician from New York University, had received the Abel Prize from the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters, according to the Times. He received the prize for his work in partial differential equations, which are used to describe basic laws of scientific phenomena, according to Princeton's news release about his death. Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber released a statement about the loss on Sunday:
We are stunned and saddened by news of the untimely passing of John Nash and his wife and great champion, Alicia. ... John's remarkable achievements inspired generations of mathematicians, economists and scientists who were influenced by his brilliant, groundbreaking work in game theory, and the story of his life with Alicia moved millions of readers and moviegoers who marveled at their courage in the face of daunting challenges.
Images: Getty Images (2)


text: Impervious cushioned flooring system, designed for a wide variety of commercial and industrial applications. This system is tintable allowing you to create a wide range of coordinated appearances and attractive finished looks. Cold, wet poured into a one piece monolithic surface, it is an extremely durable yet flexible flooring and walkway solution. TREAD KOTE™ is made with crumb rubber (from recycled tires) and a special ELASTOMERIC bonding agent. It complies fully with the Nationwide Protective Coating Manufacturers, Inc. standards for Green Product Technology. TREAD KOTE™ provides excellent traction for added safety. The cushioned surface also makes for more comfortable walking with less wear on legs. It is an easy to clean surface that requires minimal maintenance promoting a hygienic environment.


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Featured Event
Experience a Paranormal Lock Up at the Historic SDG Jail in Cornwall, Ontario. Spend an evening filled with historical and paranormal intrigue in a nearly 200 year old jail!
About The Jail
The Historic SDG Jail was constructed in 1833 and was active until 2002, serving as both a minimum and maximum security facility throughout it's history.
Constructed in 1833, the Historic SDG Jail holds plenty of local history. It was the site of many escapes, it served as an asylum, as a house of refuge and also was home to a notable courthouse.
Inside the Prison
Designed to hold around 35 inmates, the Jail was often overcrowded. The conditions of the jail were at times gruesome, at other times fair. Sometimes the jail would even be home to the family of the inmates.
Deathly tales
The Jail was the site of many deaths, whether it be by hanging, illness, suicide, or sometimes even violence. Not to mention the numerous unclaimed bodies buried in the exercise yard.


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TDM News Room
We are the news you need.
Latest posts by TDM News Room (see all)
- Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition Officially Launched for Nintendo Switch and Steam - October 19, 2019
- [Kingdom Under Fire 2 News] Introducing the Elementalist Character Class - October 19, 2019
- NIER Alliance Raid Gameplay Debut in FINAL FANTASY XIV Patch 5.1 Trailer – Out October 29th - October 19, 2019
This is a press release by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc
DRAGON BALL FighterZ & DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2 Update Extravaganza
DRAGON BALL fans rejoice! Today we're sharing two big updates for both DRAGON BALL FighterZ & DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2.
First up…
New DRAGON BALL Super characters will be joining the fight in DRAGON BALL FighterZ with Beerus, Hit, and Super Saiyan Rose Goku Black being officially added to the games roster.
DRAGON BALL FighterZ will also present special dramatic cinematic cutscenes from numerous points in DRAGON BALL history – such as the first time Goku took-on his Super Saiyan form – when certain team character combinations are chosen or specific finishing moves are performed.
We're also sharing details about the "Shenron System" by which players who string a specific number of combos during battle will collect Dragon Balls on-screen. Once all the Dragon Balls have been collected, Shenron will appear to grant the player one of four wishes:
1. Restore my health: Restore your character to its full health (the one that you're controlling)
2. Bring back my ally: Revive your lost ally to 50% health
3. Give me the ultimate power: Boost your Ki gauge to MAX
4. Make me immortal: Health will be 50% restored, and auto-restoration for energy gauge.
Check out Beerus, Hit, and Super Saiyan Rose Goku Black and the Dramatic Scenes in a new action-packed DRAGON BALL FighterZ trailer (ready for embedding) at the following link: https://youtu.be/4LRFxs1BEFk
We also want to update everyone on the DRAGON BALL FighterZ open beta dates and times; the open beta will commence during the following times:
Day 1 – Access begins on January 13, 2018 at 12:00am (midnight PST) through 11:59pm (PST) – for those with early access who digitally pre-ordered the game for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Day 2 & 3 – Access for everyone begins on January 14, 2018 at 12:00am (midnight PST) and ends January 15, 2018 at 11:59pm (PST)
Next up…
A mysterious new teenage character named Fu will be joining DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2 when the Extra Pack 2 contents are released in February 2018. Little is known about Fu other than he carries a ninja sword for swift attacks and he's constantly smiling mischievously. Additional Story Mode contents will also be part of the Extra Pack 2 release. Players will embark on Time Patrol missions with their Master, more crazy adventures are sure to ensue.
Players who love to customize character avatars will also be pleased to learn that they will now be able to customize Dragon Ball characters within DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2. Characters' attacks and costume colors will be adjustable. Lastly, some special characters will have new outfits such as Goku sporting Journey to the West garb.


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Feeding Blues
Created by Parentune Support Updated on Oct 27, 2015
Parentoon is a lighthearted expression of day-to-day situations faced by parents. It is a comical rendition of these situations--sometimes funny, sometimes ironic, and sometimes innocently silly--narrated by the parents themselves.
| Jan 01, 2016
Funny :)
| Nov 28, 2015


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CIMA Executive Board 2018-2019
Lisa Logutenkow
Position: Chair
Lisa Logutenkow began working with Bedlam Management in 2005 following six years as a tour manager. Less than two years later she took over operations of Dine Alone Records and Bedlam Management, expanding the label's roster with Grammy and JUNO Award winning artists, including critically acclaimed artists such as Bedouin Soundclash, City and Colour, Alexisonfire, Arkells and many more.
Shauna de Cartier
Position: Vice-Chair (Past Chair)
Shauna de Cartier founded Six Shooter Records in 2000, maintaining a steadfast commitment to fostering artistic excellence and to the development a distinct community of Canadian-based artists with international careers. Along with her sister artist management company, Shauna has overseen the production and release of almost 100 albums from an artist roster which includes Whitehorse, Amelia Curran, Good Lovelies, Deep Dark Woods, Danny Michel, Luke Doucet, Melissa McClelland, NQ Arbuckle, Tanya Tagaq, and many others. Six Shooter is the founder of two new festivals: Sleepwalk Guitar Festival in Toronto with Luke Doucet, and the Interstellar Rodeo, in Edmonton.
Shauna lives by the Six Shooter motto that Life is Too Short to Listen to Shitty Music.
Chris Moncada
Position: Vice-Chair (Government Affairs)
Born and raised in Toronto, Chris Moncada (GM Last Gang Records/eOne Music Canada) is a nineteen-year industry veteran. He started in the mailroom at Universal Music Canada in 1998, when Napster was still just an idea, and the recorded music world was on the brink of a massive sea change. His career path at both Universal and Warner in Canada took him through various stints in marketing, publicity and 360 rights development before leaving Warner for Last Gang in 2015 to take on the role of General Manager. In 2016, after the acquisition of Last Gang by Entertainment One, Chris took on the additional role of GM at eOne Music Canada. The rosters between both labels include Canadian artists such as Death From Above, Emily Haines, Stars, The Wild!, The Standstills, Jesse Cook, Cadence Weapon and many more.
Jake Gold
Position: Vice-Chair (Export Development) & Secretary
Jake Gold is one of Canada's most successful artist managers and has been an active force in the Canadian music industry for over 30 years. In 1986, Gold started his own artist management company The Management Trust Ltd. and shortly after began transforming The Tragically Hip into national stardom. Gold currently manages the careers of Adam Cohen, Crash Karma, Scarlett Jane, and Common Deer as well as music producers Moe Berg, Russell Broom, and Laurence Currie. Gold has been recognized by the annual Canadian Music Industry Awards as Manager of the Year in 1991, 1993 and 1994. He has been a member of the JUNO Awards Television and Talent committee since the 2003 awards broadcast in Ottawa-Gatineau. In 2009, Gold was elected to the board of CIMA (CIRPA). Jake recently has been elected again to Vice-Chairman for CIMA. He is also a board member for the MMF (Music Managers Forum) and is the 2013 MMF Honour Roll Award recipient for his lifetime work in the field of Artist Management. He also sits on the music advisory board of the OMDC.
Justin West
Position: Vice-Chair (Global Affairs)
Justin West is the President of Secret City Records and Secret City Publishing, both of which he founded in 2006 in Montreal, Canada. Today, after 12 years of operations, Secret City's active roster of 15 artists now includes, among others, Patrick Watson, The Barr Brothers, Basia Bulat, Leif Vollebekk, Shad, Alexandra Stréliski, Richard Reed Parry, Owen Pallett, and Suuns – its artists have earned three gold record certifications in Canada, a Polaris Music Prize (and 10 additional Short List nominations), and multiple JUNO and Félix award nominations. Justin currently sits on the board of directors of MERLIN, a global digital rights agency for the world's independent label sector, and is the Chair of the board of directors of the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN), a global forum for the professional independent music industry. He is also currently on the executive boards of directors of both the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), a trade association representing Canadian independent music companies, and the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent On Record (FACTOR), a public/private partnership that administers funds to provide assistance toward the growth and development of the Canadian music industry, as well as recently being elected to the board of directors of ADISQ, a trade association representing Quebec independent music companies. In the summer of 2016, Justin was the sole representative from the music industry appointed to Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly's "Expert Advisory Group", which is tasked with providing advice and ongoing feedback as the Canadian government examines how to strengthen the creation, discovery, and export of Canadian content in a digital world.
Kieran Roy
Position: Treasurer
As President and Co-Owner of Arts & Crafts, Kieran plays a key role in the development of many of Canada's leading independent artists. He is responsible for the overall strategic vision and direction of the company's record label, music publishing, artist management and events divisions. In addition, he serves as artist manager to several of A&C's key clients. With more than fifteen years of music industry tenure, Roy carries a wealth of knowledge, entrepreneurial experience and a wide professional network. Prior to joining A&C, Kieran spent six years at Sony BMG as an artist marketing manager, and two years before that as a business strategy consultant.
CIMA Directors 2018-2019
Peter Cardinali
Peter Cardinali has been involved in the music industry for almost fifty years as a bass player, arranger, composer and producer. He started Alma Records, an independent music first label, and its publishing arm, Cardster Music Co. in 1991, and has had success with artists like Myriad3, Hilario Duran, Monkey House, Ian Thomas, Steve Gadd, Joey DeFrancesco, Phil Dwyer, Michael Kaeshammer, Puentes Brothers and more.His long list of credits include Anne Murray and Ray Charles, and his years of work with the Motown record label produced many hits for the likes of Rick James and Teena Marie, to name a few, and earned him the widespread recognition of his peers.
Pegi Cecconi
Pegi Cecconi is QOFE of The Anthem Entertainment Group Inc. (home of the Original 360 Deal), one of Canada's leading full service entertainment firms, located in Toronto. Active in the international and national market for over 35 years, Ms. Cecconi draws upon diverse knowledge and experience in the publishing, legal affairs, touring, merchandising, management, recording and video production fields. Ms. Cecconi currently sits on the board of directors for CMRRA.
Tim Des Islets
Tim Des Islets is the founder of the Canadian artist management company Noisemaker Management. With achievements in cultivating Canadian talent that has reached audiences both at home and abroad, Noisemaker manages an award-winning roster of artists that includes The East Pointers, Poor Young Things, Sun K, Megan Bonnell, The Once, and Tim Chaisson.
Tim has helped develop artists and establish these artists into Canadian music canon. Tim's expertise in artist management has created incredible talent that helps solidify Canada as a major player in the music scene.
Tim also runs the DT Concert Series in Paris, Ontario.
Gord Dimitrieff
Gord Dimitrieff has been in the independent music business his entire professional career; as a college radio DJ, road manager, label owner and publisher. In 2000, he founded Aporia, an integrated label-publisher that has released near 70 albums from a roster that includes The Grapes of Wrath, Julie Doiron, Dearly Beloved, Kinnie Starr and many others. Placing songs in film and television has been at the centre of Gord's strategy from the beginning: over the years, Aporia has licensed music to productions on every major Canadian and American television network, the largest Hollywood film studios and such global brands as Adidas, Chevrolet, Toyota, Mazda and Virgin Mobile.
Matt Drouin
Mathieu Drouin is an artist manager, entrepreneur and investor.
After selling a technology start-up he co-founded in high school by the age 19, he spent a year circumnavigating the globe on a tall-ship and then joined the Donald K Donald Entertainment Group, one of Canada's largest independent music companies, as an unpaid intern at age 20.
By 23, Mathieu had risen to the position of president and become a partner in the company, on behalf of which he co-founded numerous successful new ventures including Last Gang Records and Arts & Crafts International.
In 2006 Mathieu co-founded Crystal Math Music in an effort to assist management client Metric self-release their next album 'Fantasies' without the backing of a traditional label.
In 2009 'Fantasies' became a precedent-setting success, selling over 500,000 albums and 1,000,000 singles worldwide and made history when Metric became the first band in history to have their first ever top 20 hit at US commercial radio without the backing of a label, earning Mathieu a spot on Billboard's esteemed 'Top 30 under 30' list of 'Music Industry Power Players'.
Today Crystal Math works with a small group of artists including Metric, Grimes, Half Moon Run, Purity Ring and Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton. In parallel, Mathieu is incubating a new technology start-up he founded called Kritick, while simultaneously continuing to function as an investor and advisor to a variety of start-ups, both on his own account and on behalf of the family office of technology entrepreneur and investor Sean Parker (Napster, Facebook, Spotify, Founders Fund), through the vehicle Strange Loop Ventures.
Companies Mathieu has invested in or advises include Modern Meadow, Mediachain Labs (exit to Spotify), Vrvana (exit to Apple), Layer 6 AI (formerly Milq, exit to TD Bank), Potentia Solar (exit to Power Corp), Nura, SoundBoks (Y Combinator), TrendMD (Y Combinator), OpenFan (Launch), Sustainitech and Tunemoji (Emoticast).
Rob Lanni
Rob Lanni co-founded Coalition Music in the early 1990s. A full-service management company with true artist development as the lynchpin to its endeavors, Coalition Music helps artists to build globally successful careers. The current client roster includes artists Our Lady Peace, Simple Plan, USS, Tom Cochrane, Scott Helman, Justin Nozuka and others.
In 2010, Coalition Music purchased and renovated a 12,000 square foot building in mid-Toronto (a former convent) that houses their management and record label offices, rehearsal and production suites, showcase room, recording studios, education spaces, their not-for-profit arm (Canada's Music Incubator) and their charity arm (TEMPO). Lanni is a former member of the Board of Directors at FACTOR and currently sits on the CIMA and MMF Boards as well as the Toronto Music Advisory Committee.
Simon Mortimer-Lamb
Simon is a seasoned executive with over 18 years experience working in highly entrepreneurial businesses operating in industries undergoing rapid change. As President and COO of the Nettwerk Music Group, Simon leads the Group's operational and business development strategies. Leveraging Nettwerk's 35 year history, Simon is helping build a truly sustainable and successful international music group that views challenge as opportunity and artists as partners.
Sandy Pandya
Sandy Pandya is a true pioneer in the Canadian music industry and has always walked to the beat of her own drum, forging a unique path for herself and the artist's she represents. Sandy began her career by booking and marketing artists in her hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan, before routing herself to Toronto, where she landed positions with leading indie label, Attic Records and BMG Records. Sandy followed that up by working at the booking agency Celebrity Talent International (Barenaked Ladies, Moxy Früvous, The Pursuit of Happiness, Skydiggers) before eventually forming a management firm with like-minded music veteran, William "Skinny" Tenn. Next up, Sandy aided singer songwriter Hayden in developing and running his own indie label, Hardwood Records, and signing a publishing deal that some have touted as legendary. This model paid off as it lead her to secure Tegan and Sara their current record deal as Neil Young's inaugural signing to his Vapor Records label. Sandy's next task was establishing her own company, Pandyamonium Management, where she managed and developed Hawksley Workman into a multi-brand personality for nearly a decade. From 2005 - 2010, Sandy steered the career of Juno Award winning singer Jully Black. Jully surpassed Gold sales on her Universal released record, Revival, in a time when that isn't so easy to achieve. Sandy's current client, Serena recently had a Top 10 hit at Triple A radio in the United States, and had songs placed on ABC's "Private Practice" and the CW's "Gossip Girl".
Tim Potocic
Tim Potocic is co-owner and president of 20-year old Sonic Unyon Records. He has received a Canadian Music Industry Award for label of the year and a Hamilton Entrepreneur of the Year award. Tim currently sits on the boards of the Hamilton Arts Council and the Cobalt Arts Service organization. Sonic Unyon has released over 150 recordings by acts such as Aereogramme, Ghost Is Dancing, Hayden, Suicidal Angels, Treble Charger, Teenagehead, Tricky Woo, Young Rival, and Voivod.
Michelle Szeto
Michelle Szeto got her first taste of the entertainment industry at an early age in her hometown of Hong Kong, working in concert production for international superstars such as Oasis, Celine Dion, Boyz II Men, and Prodigy.
Today, in her role as Artist Manager at Paquin Entertainment Group, Michelle personally manages award-winning artists Donovan Woods and Lindi Ortega; continues to lead global marketing and press initiatives for management clients, including iconic artists Buffy Sainte-Marie and Randy Bachman; and works alongside Paquin Artists Agency division in international talent acquisition.
Iain Taylor
Iain Taylor began his career at indie label, Electric Distribution, as Ontario Sales Manager where he helped launch NWA, and Nine Inch Nails in Canada. This led to joining Universal Music Canada where he worked for 20 years in a variety of positions, ultimately as Vice President, Sales & Marketing. Iain joined Maple Music Recordings in 2015 as President & CEO, where they restructured the company and rebranded it as Cadence Music Group, with the intent to broaden the company's focus on signing and developing artists on a global level. Cadence is home to 4 labels (Open Road Recordings, Physical Presents, Pheromone Recordings and Cadence Music) as well as its distribution company, Fontana North, which represents over 100 independent labels and artists.
Anne Vivien
Executive Vice President of Development and Music since February 2017, Anne Vivien is responsible for the management and global vision of Musicor and Distribution Select.
She has spent the entirety of her professional career in the music industry and has remained a very active member of the Canadian music scene. Anne Vivien has held several management positions in Québec, giving her the opportunity to export her skillset abroad, including in New York and Europe. From 1994 to 1996, she was the first director of the Montréal community radio CIBL. She later joined the renowned company BMG Canada as Artistic Director, Artists and Development until 2004. She then joined the management team at Musicor from 2004 to 2009, acting as the label's manager. Her wealth of experience then allowed her to establish her own consulting and management firm, Viktoria Music. Through this company, she played an instrumental role in the rise of Florence K and other young artists.
Since 1996, Anne Vivien has also distinguished herself as artistic director to many artists such as: Muzion (Félix Meilleur Hip Hop album of the year 2000 and 2003), Andrée Watters (Félix Meilleur 2004 and 2006 Rock album), Marie-Élaine Thibert (Félix Album best seller in 2004 and Juno Album francophone in 2005), Marie Mai (Félix Album Rock 2008), Florence K (Felix World Music Album 2007 and 2009), Mario Pelchat and Michel Legrand (Felix Album Jazz Performance 2009), Marie-Ève Janvier and Jean-François Breau (5 nominations at the 2014 ADISQ Gala) and Yoan (two-time winner of the Canadian Country Music Association Award for the Top Selling Canadian Album of the Year in 2015 and 2016).
Holding a degree in international economics, Anne Vivien is a member of Sacem (Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music), a member of the Music Managers Forum of Canada since 2013, in addition to sitting on various committees of the Québec Association of the Recording, Concert and Video Industry (ADISQ).
CIMA President
Stuart Johnston
Stuart Johnston joined CIMA as President on March 7, 2011.
Previously, as Vice President of Policy and Government Relations with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Stuart was responsible for liaising Ontario business leaders, managing provincial government relations, and responding to issues in finance, intellectual property, transportation, trade, education, and energy issues. In 2008 Stuart was honoured with the James Gordon Carnegie Memorial Award for his leadership and mentorship within the Ontario chamber network.


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The Walking Dead's season 7 trailer, which dropped at San Diego Comic-Con last week, played into the nail-biting nature of the question of who Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) "beat the holy hell out of" in the season 6 finale and remained frustratingly vague on that note. But now the actor behind the bat himself has revealed a few key names that we might just be able to cross off the list of who got his lethal Lucille treatment.
Morgan spoke at Comic-Con, alongside actors Steven Yeun (Glenn Rhee), Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon), and Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) and confirmed with a smile that the victim list from his staggering intro scene included "no one sitting here." He could've been joking, to be fair, but if not that perhaps shockingly eliminates not one but two of the major fan suspects for who was/is at the receiving end of his barb-wired swing: Glenn and Daryl.
Glenn, of course, was the one whose fate was literally written to die in this moment in Robert Kirkman's comic version of the scene, but a lot of viewers also pointed to fan-favorite Daryl as the likely victim, given his physical proximity on Negan's left and the fact that his death would be a true shake-up, the likes of which this show has yet to know.
Rick, meanwhile, has already been signaled as safe (baseball pun intended) by Robert Kirkman himself, who revealed to The Walking Dead Magazine that the death of whoever it is will have a great impact on "Rick and the rest of the survivors … so, it's not Rick."
So, he might have been totally serious and just dropped a mega-spoiler on everyone (cue the maniacal Negan laugh), or he was just joking to lead everyone astray, or he was cheekily referring to the cast members themselves, who would, technically, not be the victims even if their on-screen alter egos were (which would be just cruel but who knows). One thing's for sure. We'll find out once and for all whose mug is now mush in the season 7 premiere episode. And it'll probably make us cry just like everyone else who's watched it so far.
Meanwhile, Andrew Lincoln also dropped a pretty interesting note about the show's future as a whole going forward when he revealed that showrunner Scott M. Gimple is potentially planning to conclude the television version of The Walking Dead at the same time as Kirkman's comic series.
"The comics are still going, and Scott Gimple said maybe there was opportunity to finish the comics and finish the TV series at the same time, so that would be cool."
Considering what Kirkman has previously said about wanting to do at least 300 issues of his comic series, alongside what producers have revealed about the show being mapped out until at least season 12, Rick & Co. may still have a long row to hoe after dealing with their new Negan problem.
The Walking Dead season 7 premieres Sunday, October 23 @9pm on AMC.
Source: IMDb


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31 Days Of Fear: The Fall Of The House Of Usher
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Words: Brody Rossiter Twitter: @BrodyRossiter THE PERFECT CRIME? There are many different ways in which you can process David Fincher's Gone Girl. On the surface it appears to be contemporary murder mystery – a sleek, stylish "who done it" of the highest order. Those initial press shots of lead protagonist Nick (Ben Affleck) comfortably resting […]Read More


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Also found in: Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Dor·drecht(dôr′drĕkt′, -drĕKHt′) also Dort (dôrt)
A city of southwest Netherlands on the Meuse River southeast of Rotterdam. Founded in the 11th century, it is a railroad junction and river port.
Dordrecht(Dutch ˈdɔrdrɛxt)
(Placename) a port in the SW Netherlands, in South Holland province: chief port of the Netherlands until the 17th century. Pop: 120 000 (2003 est). Also called: Dort
Dor•drecht(ˈdɔr drɛxt)
a city in SW Netherlands, on the Waal River. 108,041. Also called Dort.


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The Celebrate Community Partners are proud to support these nonprofit groups through cash donations administered through the Legacy Fund. Once a year every spring, the Partners review applications from nonprofits for brick and mortar projects that come with naming rights. Operating costs or staffing needs are not intended for these funds.
2017 Legacy Fund Recipients
Giant Steps Equine Therapy – An Independent Rider Lift
Julie Larson, Gary Buffo (Pure Luxury Transp.), Meghan Farley, Odee 1
Jennifer Hedgpeth, Julie Larson, Gary Buffo (PL), Jennifer Buffo (PL), Odee and Jen McWherter
Roseland University Prep – Building Campaign
Jenn del Rosario, Brett Martinez (RCU), Andres Orozco, Nancy Trejo, Giselle Gonzalez, Amy Jones-Kerr, Ellen Silver (SRJC), Steve Falk (PD), Jennifer Hedgpeth
New Dining Room at Roseland University Prep School
Santa Rosa Community Health – Building Campaign
New 1300 N. Dutton Ave. Health Clinic L-R: Sara Brewer (Site Dir.), Jennifer Hedgpeth (CCP), Naomi Fuchs (CEO, SRCH), Steve Falk (PD), Laurie Lynn Hogan, SRCH Donor Relations Dir.
In Process:
Luther Burbank Home & Gardens- Garden Signage
Habitat for Humanity- Building Campaign
Pediatric Dental Initiative (PDI)- Purchase of a van for transport
Social Advocates for Youth – Celebrate Community Occupational Scholarship Program
2017 Celebrate Community Ad Recipients
American Heart Association
American Red Cross
Becoming Independent
Boys and Girls Club of Central Sonoma County
California Parenting Institute
Canine Companions for Independence
Caring Strangers
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
Center for Well-Being
Children's Museum Sonoma County
Chops Teen Club
Committee on the Shelterless ( COTS)
Council on Aging
Disability Services and Legal Center (DSLC)
North Coast Opportunities
Pediatric Dental Initiative (PDI)
Rebuilding Together Santa Rosa
Redwood Empire Food Bank
Roseland University Prep
Santa Rosa Community Health Centers
Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation
Secret Santa
Social Advocates for Youth (SAY)
Sonoma County Medical Association Alliance Foundation
Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation
Stewards of the Coast
Sonoma County Task Force for the Homeless
The Living Room
The Salvation Army
United Way of the Wine Country
Volunteer Center of Sonoma County
West County Health Centers
World Affairs Council


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The following is one of my all-time favourite quotes from Dr. Maria Montessori, because I feel like it really helps explain our Montessori Program's evolution to where we are today.
Five years ago, our program began a major shift in how we offer the Montessori Method, including our decision to merge it with the Developmentally Appropriate Practices for the Preschool Child.
When I joined SJMS, I was constantly being amazed by the beautiful symmetry between the Montessori Method and DAP's, and began thinking about how I could merge them, to increase the quality of education offered to each student. This began the transition to merging the two methodologies, and was the rebirth of SJMS.
As new Educators joined our new team, including Haley and Tuesday, we built a core educational team that not only saw the vision, but together - built it into reality.
At the time, we received a lot of negative feedback about this decision, mostly from fellow Montessorians, which revolved around the idea that we are no longer offering a "traditional" or "authentic" Montessori classroom. And it is a comment we still receive to this day.
Hearing this always makes me pause, as from my own exploration of Maria Montessori - her background, her first experiences teaching a class, and what she learned through that journey - I believe our program is more in line with EXACTLY what Maria spoke about than many others, who advertise "authentic" Montessori programs.
She was first and foremost a scientist, a doctor, and an observer; she spoke passionately about the NEED to continue evolving and adapting as educators, and that the Montessori Method is NOT a "curriculum" to be followed by future educators; it is a set of observations and learning materials, that must be used with purpose and intent, based on when each child was ready.
It was never intended to be a "checklist" of Lessons, that the educators would Present, then "tick off" a list. She provided the education world with ideas, suggestions, and materials that she observed worked for children, and noted that children learned best when they were engaging all of their sense.
She then urged others to use, adapt, and most importantly - to EVOLVE their teaching methods to meet the needs of each student in their care.
I truly believe that Maria would approve of our program merging Montessori with DAP's, as she was an avid proponent for the continued search for new understandings of a child's development. I believe she would embrace the proven child development domains that Early Childhood Educators know to be valid; that the Preschool Child requires stimulation and opportunities for growth in all Four Domains: Physical, Cognitive, Social, and Emotional. I believe that Maria, like us, would see the beautiful symmetry between the Montessori Method and DAP's.
One of the biggest concerns from Montessori parents who need to enroll their child in traditional elementary and secondary schools after Montessori programs is the difficult transition their child encounters, as they leave one environment, and enter into another. But through the act of merging these two styles, we have been able to support each student in this transition, through the dedication to teaching Kindergarten Readiness Skills.
As Maria said in the above quote, it is our role, our RESPONSABILITY, as educators to look at a child's entire educational journey; from preschool through University. This means we MUST be open to including the skills each student will need during their upcoming educational transitions and settings, while also building the foundations of intrinsic self-motivated learning with our Montessori lessons and environment.
This doesn't mean you incorporate random methodologies into your program; as the quote says, we cannot seek new methods for the arid transmission of knowledge. But there ARE many methodologies that science has proven best meet the needs of the Whole Child (such as DAP's), and the responsability is on us as educators to research, research, research - and if, after careful reflection, we see merit to the methods - find ways to use them in your program, and enhance your students experiences in your care.
In my honest opinion, Montessorians need to be willing to set their egos aside, and allow themselves to consider that alternative teaching methods can hold educational merit for their students. And be willing to incorporate those meaningful methods into their classrooms.
Maybe this will make others call you "nontraditional", or "not authentic Montessori". But at the end of the day, you will be TRULY meeting your students' needs.
And I'm pretty sure Maria would approve.


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Driving the ministry of Visalia Rescue Mission by turning your donated vehicle into a resource for life-change.
Is there someone I can speak with over the phone?
Call (559) 429-8777
What if my vehicle doesn't run?
No problem. We'll come pick it up.
What can I donate?
At this time, we are accepting cars, trucks, vans, RVs, travel trailers, hauling trailers, boats, and motorcycles.
If you have something not on this list, give us a call.
What do I need to do to donate my vehicle?
Provide us with the title and keys to the vehicle. If you do not have title papers call us anyway; other arrangements can be made in most instances.
How is the value of my car determined?
We can refer you to IRS Publication, which sets forth the manner in which the IRS requires you to determine the value of your donated property. You can review this publication on the IRS web site. If your donation is worth more than $5,000, you may need an appraisal for tax purposes.
How do I find out what my car is worth?
Visit Kelley Blue Book or NADA Guides to get a general idea of what your car may be worth. Please bear in mind that this is only used as a general guideline and does not indicate the kind of tax deduction you will receive.
What is the process to donate a vehicle?
Once we receive notification that a donor would like to donate a vehicle, a mission representative will call to collect information and make an appointment that is convenient for the donor to pick up the vehicle. When the Vehicle is picked up the title will be signed by the current owner signifying release of ownership and liability. In addition, a DMV Form 262 will be filled out and a donation slip will be offered. After all the paperwork is complete your vehicle will be loaded up and hauled away.
Is my donation tax deductible?
The mission is a 501 (c) [3] all donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.
Where can I read about IRS information?
View IRS rules on donated vehicles or go to www.IRS.gov


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TAPIN offers free computers, laptops and tablets to disabled folks and low revenue households and people. Right here you can uncover the best Desktop Computer systems in Amazon Very best Sellers, and locate the leading 100 most well-known Amazon Desktop Computer systems. Most of our computer systems on sale come with a Windows 10 upgrade , so you can access the very best Microsoft operating technique offered. I usually linked to the web site from craigslist and slowly I seemed to be spending much significantly less time attempting to make sales. There are many qualities to be considered while hunting for laptop computers for sale The processors or the CPU are 1 of the primary elements of a pc. For this, it requires intense study and that is only feasible with the aid of computer systems. Replaced computer systems have to go via a decommissioning procedure (generally 14 days) just before they are eligible for acquire.…


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Chicago Offers VDA For Cloud Products
In June 2015, the Chicago Department of Finance adopted Ruling #12 which sought to provide guidance on the taxability of "nonpossessory computer leases." which the City interprets to include software as a service products and electronically delivered information services. An exemption exists for a non-possessory computer lease where the customer's use or control of the provider's computer is de minimis to the information being provided. How the City defines de minimis has been an area of controversy. Ruling #12, seeking to provide clarification, expanded the scope of products subject to the lease transaction tax to include most online or electronically delivered products.


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MEXICO CITY — Mexico has started letting American agents carry guns on its soil. A special Mexican unit trained by Americans has been revived after stalling because of mistrust and a sense of national pride. American agents are working with Mexican soldiers to seize guns, and the two nations just agreed on a plan to tackle the heroin epidemic.
Even before Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the infamous drug trafficker known as El Chapo, tunneled out of Mexico's most secure prison over the summer, the Mexican government had begun rebuilding its strained relationship with the United States. But the drug lord's stunning escape shrank that distance even more, creating a sense of shared urgency that had not existed in years.
"It has been complicated in the past," said John Kirby, the State Department spokesman. "But more and more, we're finding common ground and common cause."
Mr. Guzmán managed to evade one of the largest manhunts in Mexican history for nearly six months before being recaptured on Friday — and even then, he almost escaped again. He slipped out of a heavily defended compound as Mexican soldiers barreled in before dawn, ducking into an escape route hidden behind a closet and sneaking into the sewers before he was finally caught, officials said Monday.
But long before Mr. Guzmán's embarrassing escapes, the Mexican government had been under pressure to do more against drug violence and impunity.
A jump in homicides last year, including the deaths of eight soldiers after a little-known gang fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a government helicopter, made President Enrique Peña Nieto's policy of keeping the Americans at arm's length on security matters much harder to uphold, especially given his plummeting approval ratings.
In particular, the unexplained disappearance of 43 students at a teachers college riled the nation and made international headlines, drawing ire and scrutiny of the president's attempts to switch the conversation to economics and away from security.
"On the security side, there was initially a nationalistic movement to reset the agenda in Mexico's terms," a former American official said. "But it shifted to one of greater pragmatism because the risk of getting it wrong was simply too high."
Shortly after Mr. Peña Nieto came to office in 2012, Mexican and American officials say, there was a shock within his administration's ranks at how deeply their predecessors were collaborating with the Americans, including the use of American drones and manned surveillance flights over Mexican soil to track suspects.
"To some extent, they were horrified when they got into office," a current senior American official said. "It was like: 'Wow, the Americans are really into everything. Not just in our bedroom, but ruffling through our underwear drawer.' "
Instead of focusing on security, catching kingpins and intercepting drugs, Mr. Peña Nieto wanted to make trade and economics the priority. His administration pushed changes in the energy and telecommunications spheres meant to mirror the free-market efforts of its neighbor to the north. At the same time, there was a sudden halt to the level of security cooperation that had existed under his predecessor, Felipe Calderón.
Mr. Peña Nieto's government, uncomfortable with what it saw as American agents and officials interacting with its people at every level, demanded that all information sharing and collaboration be centralized, choking off lines of coordination with American law enforcement agencies.
His government suspended a Mexican unit trained by American agents. It stopped allowing local and state officials to use an American database of illicit firearms, even though 70 percent of the guns confiscated in Mexico came from the United States, according to a report issued Monday by the Government Accountability Office.
From the beginning, Mexican and American officials say, the Mexican attorney general, Jesús Murillo Karam, made it clear to his American counterparts that there would be a severe drop in extraditions to the United States.
Mexico was rebuilding its judicial system, Mr. Murillo Karam told several American officials, and drug lords and others should pay for crimes committed in Mexico inside the Mexican system. Extraditions to the United States dropped by nearly half.
"There was a deep frustration with the direction things were heading," said the senior official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official did not have the authority to talk to reporters.
But violent crimes, initially down during the Peña Nieto administration, began to climb again. The strategy of smashing cartels and targeting gang leaders was causing them to fracture into more deadly and unpredictable gangs. Violence engulfed parts of the country.
In meetings with government officials, Mexican businesses began complaining about Mr. Peña Nieto's strategy of ignoring the security problem and keeping the Americans at bay.
"The titans of Mexican business were saying to government officials that they better get a handle on the security situation or their economic reform would be a footnote," the American official said.
Mexican officials also recalled hearing that the constant negative news was affecting not only the country's reputation, but also its businesses.
Last February, Mr. Peña Nieto swapped out his attorney general, Mr. Murillo Karam, who had boasted that Mexico would hold onto Mr. Guzmán in Mexican prisons for "some 300, 400 years" before it ever consented to extraditing him to the United States.
In his place, the president put a former senator, Arely Gómez González. Mexican and American officials said that Mr. Peña Nieto had instructed Ms. Gómez to fix the relationship with the Americans, and that she had set to work doing just that.
She met with the American attorney general, Loretta E. Lynch, in an effort to reset the troubled ties. American and Mexican officials say it worked. Paperwork to extradite Mr. Guzmán, which had been collecting dust while Mr. Murillo Karam was in office, was sent to Mexico.
But only weeks later, Mr. Guzmán escaped by slipping through a hole in the shower of his cell, which led to a mile-long tunnel 30 feet below ground. It was the second time he had escaped a Mexican prison, humiliating the president and causing him to further rethink the relationship with the United States.
"The big trigger for the sea change was the second escape of El Chapo during this administration," a former high-ranking Mexican official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid angering the government.
American officials shared intelligence with their Mexican counterparts, who took the lead on the hunt. Though initially reluctant to accept the offers of help, the Mexican government quickly conceded, and the two nations began working together once more.
Mexico soon sent several other top suspects to the United States, breaking with the stance that holding them in Mexican prisons would demonstrate the country's sovereignty. And once Mr. Guzmán was recaptured, Mexico announced almost immediately that it would extradite him, too.
Cooperation has increased on a number of other fronts, according to R. Gil Kerlikowske, the commissioner of United States Customs and Border Protection.
Mr. Kerlikowske, who was the White House drug czar from 2009 until taking over the border patrol agency in 2014, said that despite the stumbles after Mr. Peña Nieto was elected, the relationship had begun improving long before El Chapo's escape.
He pointed to a legal change the Mexican government made last year that will permit American agents to carry sidearms on Mexican soil. Mr. Kerlikowske said that an American customs facility in Mexico would be his agency's first use of that new arrangement, which is aimed at speeding up trade.
Officials in Mexico still resent America's direct role in the violence here. As the new Government Accountability Office report makes clear, the guns that Mexican cartels get from the United States are shipped through the same routes and tactics that traffickers use to smuggle cash and drugs across the border.
But after the friction of previous years, joint efforts between the two countries "have been bolstered and are gaining momentum," the report found. Meetings to share information have started up again, it said. Information is flowing more freely. The Mexican unit trained by Americans has been rekindled. But that newfound spirit of cooperation is hardly universal, officials warned. While both sides were eager to catch Mr. Guzmán, that is far from true in every case.
"If it's someone they also want you to look at, the doors fly open and the cooperation is amazing," said another senior American official. "If not, we get the same stonewalling."


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Invisible, Inc. – INVINC 09LP
6 Track Vinyl, LP, Album .
Inner sleeve has on one side a poem by Jon Keliehor, ink drawing by Benjamin Hierro and quote from Hermes Trismegistus.
FREE SHIPPING For orders above 100 euro within The Netherlands / 150 euro Europe / 200 euro Worldwide
The other side of the inner sleeve has a photograph with sleeve notes as follows :
"The Beginning
In one sense the music of The Beginning of Time appears as a real-time soundscape that unfolds within different landscapes of nature. Yet here time and space seem altered, stretched into complexes of sonic layers, sound horizons and ever-widening boundaries. Curled-up and unfolding shapes in this domain suggest symbolic meanings yet language has been surpassed. The music is a reminder of ritual significance, shamanic journey, binding relationships between humans, nature and planet. While the question of Time and its beginning can offer a discussion on the nature of origin, perhaps even on the rise of humanity, words become inadequate. Instead we are directed to look at the magnetism of our own nature, the mythology surrounding Time. When did we actually begin?
During these recordings music has been made directly in response to the sounds of nature. I see these field recordings as elements that are integral to the music itself. Here nature sets the pace. Rhythmic and tonal aspects of rivers, ocean waves and nature-life guide and shape the music elements. Nature's vitality and motion provide impulses and signals not different from those of human biology, micro-molecular patterns, cells sending messages to other cells. These ambient source recordings have come from widely diverse nature and industrial locations. I have hoped to reconcile the balance and harmony that music has with nature, listening for chance interactions, investigating relationships between primitive and refined attributes in sound, as well as these qualities in instruments themselves. The music instruments used are primarily acoustic
It is a unique challenge to combine live and often primitive instruments such as those heard on these recordings into the mysterious wholeness of music. Yet with all the inconsistencies and imperfections of sound that acoustic instruments have, we find a relief from the perfectly sampled music sounds and repetitive loops in much of today's music. Now it becomes possible to enter the more fluid world of subtle acoustic tones, to discover the living ambiences and spatial coordinates that exist around sounds, and see the performer's ability to engage in these aspects.
Encounters in Nature: Pacific Ocean, Scottish Rivers, Hoh Rainforest, Venezuelan Rainforest, Auric telemetry fields.
Rainforest Creatures: Frogs, Toads, Peepers, Hieroglyphic and Lyric cicada, and many types of crickets.
Instruments: Burmese, Javanese and Chinese gongs, Wind Gongs, Antique bell sets from Turkey, China, America & India, Rattle bells, African log drums, Frame drums, Darbouka, Roto Toms, Venezuelan bell plates, Balinese Guntang and Suling, Noah Bells, Nepalese Kyezee, Berimbau, Ektara, Bowed cymbals and metals, Tibetan bowl sets, Roulette Wheels, Tension wires, Bumblebee hummers, Miniature Harmonicas, Spring Can, Glass tones, Plastic horns, Animal flutes, Whistles, Acoustic Harp, Marimba, Zithers"
Artwork [Ink Drawing] by Benjamin Hierro
Artwork, Design, Sleeve by Gordon Mackinnon
Photography by Jon Keliehor


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Mortgage rates eased again this week according to a survey by Freddie Mac, as fears about the economic impacts of turmoil in the Middle East helped depress yields on long-term bonds, including those that fund most home loans.
A separate survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association showed demand for refinancing and purchase loans rebounding last week as borrowers sought to take advantage of the reversal in mortgage rates.
Rates had been marching steadily upwards this year on expectations of continued economic growth and fears that government borrowing will fuel inflation.
Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 4.95 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending Feb. 24, Freddie Mac said, down from 5 percent last week and 5.05 percent a year ago. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit a low in Freddie Mac records dating to 1971 of 4.17 percent during the week ending Nov. 11.


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Transportation, warehouse, and logistics services provider Hanson Cold Storage has changed its name to Hanson Logistics, effective Feb 1, 2005.
Established in 1954, the Benton Harbor MI-based firm built its reputation for temperature-controlled warehousing mainly in southern Michigan. It acquired and expanded a Lafayette IN deep frozen distribution center in the late 1990s as its base for consolidation and less-than-truckload (LTL) distribution services.
In 2004, Hanson formed a separate logistics division and began offering outbound transportation from its eight warehouses, which have a total of 32 million cubic feet of space. It will start providing scheduled temperature-controlled consolidation and LTL distribution throughout the Midwest early this year.


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Products to Uplift Your Spirits (and Get You Through Blue Monday!)
It was Blue Monday this week, supposedly the most depressing day of the year. Christmas and new year are well and truly a distant memory, payday can't come soon enough, and the winter chill is biting through to the bone.
But did you know, Blue Monday was actually a marketing ploy created by a holiday company in 2005?! And they didn't conduct any particularly in-depth research! So don't feel too down, spring is on its way (it will be here before you know it), payday is just around the corner, and we've got some wonderfully uplifting products to see you through till the sun has got its hat on once again!
Here are our top three products to improve your mood come rain or shine -
First up, Alba Botanica's Hawaiian Exfoliating Papaya Body Wash. How could something so brightly coloured not make you feel instantly better. We feel happier just looking at the bottle. But open it up and your senses are hit by a scent reminiscent of summer holidays - fruity and fun. The body wash itself is gentle product, and the foam feels creamy and luxurious. The end result will cheer you up too; natural fruit enzymes from papaya and mango smooth the skin, removing impurities and unveiling healthy, bright skin.
Next up, Faith in Nature Chocolate Shower Gel and Foaming Bath. If you love chocolate and baths, then this product is heaven sent for you! It's dark and cold outside, but let the dark, chocolatey, mysterious aromas from this product fill your bathtub with bubbles to help warm up your body and mood. For optimum enjoyment, best served with a dark chocolate square and a glass of red.
Finally, FOM London's Orange Blossom Body & Hair Oil, a treat that is versatile as to how and when you use it. We've been applying lightly to our hair as a hair perfume day in day out, using as a hair treatment, a drop or two in our body wash, applying as a body oil, and even using in the bath. We've just given ourselves an idea - mixing the two aforementioned products for a chocolate-orange experience! Orange Blossom, otherwise known as neroli, possesses calming and relaxing properties, but has also been used to treat stress-related depression.
What are your go-to uplifting beauty products?
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We'll give you hint: Toyota dominated this study.
Automakers love it when a consumer trades in a car for one of the same brand. This means an automaker has a loyal customer who will continue to buy their products. Companies try to measure how loyal their customers are, and Edmunds recently published its 2018 Loyalty Report, detailing the brands and segments with the most loyal customers. It may come as no surprise to our readers, but SUV loyalty has skyrocketed (surpassing truck loyalty), while car loyalty has plummeted.
A whopping 75 percent of SUV owners trade for another SUV. Comparatively, 74 percent of truck owners and just 57 percent of car owners trade for the same body style. In terms of country of origin, Japanese cars had the strongest loyalty with South Korean and American cars ranking second and third respectively. In the mainstream segment, the loyalty rankings go as follows: Toyota, Subaru, Honda, Ram, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Ford, Mazda, Jeep, Volkswagen, GMC, Buick, Mini, Fiat, Mitsubishi, Dodge, Smart, Chrysler. Subaru showed the largest gains over the last decade, while Mazda has also shown improvement. FCA is ranked near the bottom, aside from the Ram and Jeep brands.
On the luxury side, the rankings are: Lexus, Audi, Land Rover, Mercedes, Porsche, BMW, Cadillac, Acura, Lincoln, Volvo, Jaguar, Infiniti. Unsurprisingly, Toyota dominated the mainstream and luxury segments in terms of customer loyalty with its strong reputation for reliability. Brands with a strong SUV presence have been doing well in consumer loyalty, so we'll continue to see automakers pumping them out to keep customers satisfied.