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50 Universal Steps Of How To Write A Blog- Make Every Blog Post Count
Starting your own blog is a matter of seconds these days. So, everyone gets a blog to share their expertise, ideas or point of views.
However, very few understand how to write a blog post that can impress people.
Blog writing is not about adding large chunks of sentences on a page. There is a huge blogging market out there. You need to establish a unique place, so people don't forget you easily.
Every blog post has to have certain elements of presentation that impress readers as well as search engines.
So, if you are thinking about starting blog writing, check out:
How to write a blog post categories
Category #1 Blog niche selection
Category #2 Finding blog writing topics
Category #4 Writing blog post titles
Category #5 Designing blog post subheadings
Category #6 Creating a dazzling introduction
Category #7 Blog SEO during post writing
Category #8 Writing your blog post
Category #9 Editing for high readability
Category #11 Blog SEO after writing the post
Category #12 Publishing and promotion
Let's begin!
Blog niche selection
How to choose a profitable blog niche?
- Find your expertise: Make a fine list of blogging ideas that match your area of interest. Whether you want to write a travel blog or desire to create a personal blog?! All these questions are important in the initial stage of blog writing. Give yourself freedom to add 10, 20 or maybe 30+ niches. You can short this list down later.
- Know your competition: Make a separate list of top 5 competitors in every blogging niche you have chosen. This will give you a chance to learn blogging and prepare for potential competition at the same. See what kind of content pieces are making them successful. Also, understand their promotional and marketing tactics.
- Look for a market gap: While you are analyzing competitors, look for a market gap. A market gap is a lack of excellence that you can fill with your expertise. This is the part when you generate uniqueness in your blog writing. Read more and more blog posts and shortlist niches that have high demand but low-quality blogs to read.
- Think long-term success scope: You will be writing posts for years, hence, long-term scope of the niche matters. Even if you are starting a personal blog, think about how you want to present yourself in the long run. A dedicated housewife, a mother, a traveler or any other category. Choose categories that are evergreen and allow you to stay fresh every time you sit down to write a blog post.
Combine all the above-mentioned steps to short down your list of niches to top 5. Then, ask yourself how to write a blog post for every niche. Judge your writing ability and topical knowledge and align with success scope. This will help you choose a perfect blog niche.
Finding blog writing topics
How to create unique blog ideas?
- Understand your audience: Analyze what and how your audiences like to read. Internet already has all kinds of blog posts about everything. But different audiences like different bloggers in the same niche. So, blog topic generation is more about presenting information in a unique way. Cover topics that excite your target audiences.
- Match topics with your blog niche: It is obvious but really important that your blog writing stays within your niche. Every time you are selecting a topic for blog post, find a niche-focused idea.
- Focus on trends: Research is a big part of life as a blogger. Tools such as BuzzSumo, Google Trends, and forums like Quora will keep you connected with the hot topics in your niche. Use these tools to make yourself aware of the trends and create fresh content for maximum outreach.
- Look into competitors' posts: Read your competitors' blog posts as if you are having a conversation. Understand what those posts convey and present similar topics with your point of view added to it. Make sure you are not copying their idea, but getting inspired to create your own post. It is important that you respect others' work if you want them to respect yours.
- Pick topics from social media: A wide range of blog traffic comes from social media. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and even LinkedIn have become ultimate content marketing grounds for bloggers. Just type your core blog idea and search for most-shared topics on social media.
Without in-depth topic research, you can never understand how to write a blog post. So, combine trends, competition, social media and your audiences' interests to pick successful topics for every post. Make sure you stay ready for your next post before the current one ends.
Pre-post blog SEO
How to prepare for SEO blog writing?
- Find relevant keywords: Choose keywords that are RELEVANT to your topic. Not as easy as it sounds! Sometimes keywords can be so interconnected that they confuse you. So, you should conduct a thorough keyword research to have a huge list available. Use Google Keyword Planner and other paid tools to find keywords. This leads us to the next important SEO step.
- Evaluate SERPs: Type your keywords into Google Search one-by-one to get SERPs. Now, evaluate the top 10 results to find out- used keywords, dominating user intent, length of content pieces, and authority of domains. You can use MozBar to find domain authority. Don't skip user intent analysis as knowledge of user intention helps a lot in keyword and content SEO.
- Arrange keywords is decreasing order of importance: Now, here are the most important blog SEO tips you need to remember- Divide your keywords' list into two categories. One category will contain your core keyword. You can choose one or more core keywords depending on the length and concept of your blog post. Then, in another category, you can add all the assisting keywords such as longtails and LSIs. Core keywords will obtain more frequency in a post, while assisting keywords will empower subheadings and anchor texts.
Pre-post SEO sets the foundation on how to write a blog post. You become aware of competitor content pieces and obtain keywords to send correct signals to search engines.
Writing blog post titles
How to write blog post titles?
- Simple words, strong emotions: Write down the core message of your blog post in one sentence. Focus on benefits rather than the features of that post. This will allow you to write a rough title for your blog.
- Combine SEO and promotional traits: Adjust title in a way that core keyword appears at the beginning. Along with that, pick interesting adjectives to make that title look appealing. This blog writing tip will prepare your post to shine on search engines as well as social media.
- Follow popular title formats: Some title formats never go out of fashion. You can choose among "Top tips…", "How to…", "Secrets to..", and others. But, make sure that the selected format is capable of highlighting your content idea.
- Keep it crisp: With keywords and adjectives, your title may look too long in the beginning. So, it is important to finish post title with editing. Try different ways of writing until you achieve a crisp form.
A perfect blog post title includes SEO properties and promotional traits in a crisp manner. This is the most important part of how to write a blog post. Your CTR, rankings, and social shares depend on how engaging your post title is. So, follow the mentioned steps to present your post with a dazzling title.
Designing blog post subheadings
How to create a blog outline?
- Write down your post concepts: Use your topic and keyword research to create concepts you desire to cover. Remember your competitors when doing this. You have to do better than posts in targeted SERP.
- Develop comprehensiveness: A comprehensive post is the one with all associated concepts explained thoroughly. However, it is impossible to explain a topic thoroughly in one post. So, you need to carefully select concepts that clear the idea of what you are trying to say. Classify your topic into genuinely helpful concepts that people look answers for.
- Arrange in increasing order of complexity: You have to explain every concept in a systematic manner. Start by explaining definitions and introductions. Then, move towards different segments that are more complex. This way of blog writing makes your post easily understandable for readers.
- Connect every concept with the previous one: Every subheading should incorporate the knowledge of previous one. Use what you have already explained to prove your current point. Also, set a foundation for the next subheading as well. This will create an interconnection in every subheading you write.
- End with a call-to-action: Think about what you need from your readers. Do you want them to engage via comments?! Or, want them to share your content on social media! Ask for it in the end. The right way of creating CTA is to blend it with a purpose. For example, you can write- "Share this knowledge with your colleagues and friends to help them out."
Along with that, use longtails and LSIs to make your subheadings effective in terms of Blog SEO. Practice with more and more writing. Eventually, you will get a hold on how to write a blog post with a comprehensive outline.
Creating a dazzling introduction- POS (Problem, Opportunity, Solution) theory
Tips for writing a blog introduction
- Highlight a Problem: Highlighting a problem gets you the attention of readers. You connect via their problems, which creates an interest in the post. Always begin your blog writing by highlighting a problem. For an oven cleaning post, one can write "How difficult it is to clean your oven?!"
- Present scope of Opportunity: After talking about the problem, you can present opportunities to diminish that problem. For the same oven cleaning post, one can say- "Knowing right tools and techniques can make oven cleaning a matter of minutes." This way, you show your readers a chance to get rid of that problem.
- Offer a Solution: Finally, you present a solution to persuade your reader towards reading the whole post. For oven cleaning post, we can write- "Here are all the resources and tips to help you clean oven on your own."
You can use single lines like the examples mentioned-above, or multiple paragraphs in the same POS format. Explaining introduction in this given order is essential to know how to write a blog that engages readers from start.
Blog SEO during post writing
How to prepare your blog post for on-page SEO?
- Drop target keyword in the introduction: Your target keyword needs to appear once in the first 100 words of introduction. Your post title already contains that keyword. You just have to place it in the introduction in an organic way. Don't make it look like a forceful stuffing. Blend it with overall topic explanation through POS theory.
- Use longtails in subheadings: Long tail keywords work best in subheadings. In fact, they give you better ideas on how to write subheadings. These placements will empower your core keyword and make your post more relevant for targeted positions. However, it is important to not compromise blog writing appeal to fit keywords. Give time and multiple trials to find a correct way to balance subheadings' appeal with keyword placement.
- Match keyword frequency with post length: For every 1000 words, you can include your target keyword 4 to 5 times. Place in proper intervals, so they don't occur in one confined area of the blog post.
- Highlight phrases for internal and external linking: Blog writing is the best time when you can easily highlight phrases for internal and external linking. Manual work will allow you to choose suitable anchor text for every link you plan to create, for a post.
Ongoing SEO steps save you from struggling after post completion. This is something that many bloggers miss when thinking about blogging.
Writing your blog post
General Blog post writing tips
- Keep changing sentence length: Too long sentences are never good for blog writing. The right combination is mixing short sentences with medium-sized sentences. This creates a smooth flow of reading and doesn't let readers feel bored. However, you don't have to force this method on yourself. Give this idea some time and let it become a part of your writing style.
- Write in short paragraphs: This one is important for every blogger. A huge traffic comes from mobile devices these days. So, you need to optimize your writing style for those small screens. Write really short paragraphs to ease reading for mobile users. Otherwise, your blog will look like a large chunk of words on mobile phone screens.
- Decide image locations: When you are writing, designate places where you need images and screenshots to explain your point. Highlight what sort of images you want in those particular places. This will help you at the time of image search and selection.
- Avoid passive voice: Active voice writing feels more engaging and effective. You should avoid passive voice completely if possible. However, one or two sentences won't make a big difference.
- Target long word count: Try crossing at least 2000 word count with every post you create. Most top ranking content pieces have long word counts these days. However, the length is only useful if the topic provides quality content. Hence, choose topics that actually deserve long form post creation.
Follow these general tips on how to write a blog post. It will make every post a meaningful experience for your readers.
Editing for high readability
How to edit your blog post?
- Re-evaluate post's intro: Read post's intro and make sure that you have gotten POS theory perfectly. Eliminate fluff words to make it crisp and simple-to-understand.
- Tighten up subheadings: Go through the subheadings again and see how they feel when reading. Remove any odd sounding word if it doesn't belong to your keyword. Test and edit subheadings to get a sync between each one of them.
- Add bullet lists: Choose different bullets to highlight steps, tips and other valuable points you have explained. This will upgrade your blog writing format for readers who desire a quick read.
- Bold important phrases: Read your blog copy to find sentences or phrases you want to highlight to readers. Bold them.
- Proofread: Use Grammarly to discover and remove grammar issues. Then, proofread manually to edit sentences that feel odd. Improve adjectives and remove fluff words.
With the mentioned steps, you achieve quality and high readability in a content. This is why every blogger should learn these editing skills to write a blog post in a meaningful manner.
Image creation
How to create images for blog posts?
- Find meaningful images: Image creation is also an important part of blog writing. You can head to Pixabay for free images with no copyright restrictions. Download images that offer meaning to your blog post topic.
- Customize for your post: After getting those images, you can use your PowerPoint skills to customize them. Use your post title or a tagline to make an image more suitable for your post. Try different fonts and colors to get a perfect image finally.
- Get screenshots: Depending on your topic, you may or may not need screenshots. If required, make sure you crop those screenshots before adding.
- Include in appropriate locations: You have already highlighted places where you want images and screenshots. So, include them in the right locations.
Knowing writing skills is not enough if you can't create meaningful images. Don't just add images for the sake of completing a formality. Spend time in selection and customization, so that, you get more social shares and likes.
Blog SEO after writing the post
Completing on-page SEO after post completion
- Write evergreen URL: Use your target keyword and most necessary adjectives such as Tips, Benefits and Advantages in URL creation. Don't include numbers or current year, as you might want to update your post in future.
- Provide headings tags: Include your post title in H1 heading and subheadings in H2 format. If needed, use H3, H4 and others too. However, try not to create too many headings. It can confuse your readers. Focus on getting a neat look with your heading selection.
- Create click-worthy meta description: Write about 250-320 characters when creating meta description. This would take about 3-4 lines, in which, you should include target keyword. Use meta description as a summary or promotional message for your post. This will help you get high CTR on SERPs.
- Add internal and external links: Writing a blog post is incomplete without internal and external linking. You need to provide value to your post by linking to relevant posts inside and outside of your blog. Create about 4 to 6 external links to authoritative web pages for every 1000 words you write. Also, sprinkle internal links to generate a flow of traffic in your own blog. This way, you can reduce bounce rate to a great extent.
- Optimize images with keywords: Use focus keywords to create ALT text of your images. This optimization step will present more chances of getting found in Google Image searches. Hence, you will receive more traffic from image sources as well.
So, those were the final SEO steps to write a blog post. Every post will become ready in terms of writing quality and SEO if you follow the given steps. Now, you need to know just one more process.
Publishing and promotion
How to automate content promotion?
- Find content promotion tools: You can choose Buffer, Flipboard or any other tool to promote your blog content.
- Schedule your promotion when publishing: At the time of publishing a blog post, you can use a post-scheduling tool to automate your social media promotion.
- Design promotion strategy for coming months: It is a continuous process of promoting that gets you more and more backlinks. You can't just write a blog and move to another. So, design a strategy to promote your content in coming months. Promote every week on social media during the month of publishing. Then, promote once in 15 days for next 3 months. However, you can modify this strategy according to your audiences' behavior.
How to use these blog writing steps?!
Now, you know how to write a blog post successfully. Use this article to improve your skills or help your team of bloggers to get better results with an upgraded and effective writing style.


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|Sun 5 Mar 2017, 4:00pm
|Sun 19 Mar 2017, 4:00pm
|Sun 23 Apr 2017, 4:00pm
In the courtyard - special guest DJ's and maybe a beer special or two…
Keep an eye on our FB page for details.
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Write, erase and re-write correct scores. No mess, no smudge, no fuss, easy to use. Once you have finished writing your score just use the velcro pen holder to put your pen away.
Write, erase and re-write correct scores. No mess, no smudge, no fuss, easy to use.
Stainless Steel Water Bottle Midnight blue colour
Sharpen you putting skills.
Each 2 inch strip adds three swing weights to your club. Easy dispense roll
Deluxe shoe bag holds one pair of shoes and accessories. Mesh sides for ventilation Comfort-grip rubber handle Inside accessory pocket
Detachable target helps improve your aim 9' Wide x 7' Tall hitting net Quick set up Fiberglass frame
Complete iron protection Soft and Durable Versatile design fits right or left handed clubs Set of 10. 3-9,P,S,W
Fits 460cc size head
Privacy Policy - Product Warranty - © Golf Works 2016


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Are you able to see patterns in your life experience? I discovered this concept in Richard Bach's Book "One." At the time, frankly, I didn't get it, but I was in my thirties and didn't have the maturity unfolded to see them. Discovering patterns takes a bit of maturing along with the experiences that make maturity unfold. I was okay with that.
Seeing the patterns in life is helpful if you're a stay–at–home mom, a teacher, an entrepreneur, or perhaps work in the medical field, because this understanding helps you move from subjective emotions to objective peace of mind – that state of rest and joy we all crave and enjoy when it happens.
Each one reading this article has the identical quality of life within – pure goodness – within the core of her being. It takes a while to discover this. Initially, we live via comparisons: comparing where we live to where others live; comparing what we wear with what the cool girls wear; comparing our scholarly accomplishments with those of our peers; and trying like crazy to keep up with our older sibling's accomplishments. Remember?
If we're not told how good we are by our parents, family, friends, teachers or ministers, how is it possible for a growing–up mind to encompass these ideas? If you received parental approval growing up, you were most lucky. Some have to dig a bit to discover it by herself. Having this level of acceptance helps us to avoid the self–questioning doubt which weakens our sense of Self. We crave "being normal" but we know we are not. We want to be "in" with the normal crowd. We become sensitive in our not fitting in and it's most uncomfortable. We ask ourselves "What's wrong with me?" "What did I do wrong?" We want to know and embrace our own individuality and know that this is normal.
If you are a seeker, working to become comfortable with yourself, an individual human being, you may have chosen some paths toward self–discovery:
· reading self–help books
· joining self–help groups
· changing religions
· becoming a rebel
· group therapy
· drugs
And experiences. Lots of experiences. You prefer not to discuss your choice of experience with family or friends because you know they'd disapprove, and you crave the learning these experiences bring to you. You might have been the sort of woman to adapted to the nurturing, serving, mothering role, but eventually you discovered the I of You wasn't included in that model! You knew that you weren't being served. You felt challenged in asking yourself questions such as:
· "What do I want?"
· "What can I do?"
· "Where do I want to go?"
· "How can I accomplish this?"
You had a history of "accepting the way it is." It is possible to go along to get along for a while, but eventually, your Self questions continued to throb inside you, demanding answers, and you could see clearly that your demands a fresh look, maybe a do–over.
There are four questions you can ask yourself when you reach this point:
· Sez who?
· How old was I when I decided this was the right way?
· Is my decision still valid?
· What would I like to change?
Once you recognize these patterns in your life, there is only one thing required for improvement and that one thing is your approval. Why not? Based on the intrinsic goodness within your being, all that you have experienced, all that you have thought, all the doings that you have done have some 'good' within them because they brought you to this place where change now seems imperative.
Because of your life experiences, you have strengthened your virtue set. You might not be conscious of it, but look at courage. Haven't you become more courageous over the years? Are you not more self–sufficient than you were twenty years ago? Do you not love the good more than you ever have before? Can you see the role patience is playing in your life? What about purity and morality? And reason? Are you now a more careful thinker than you've ever been? Your virtue set is now ready to support you in your next life endeavors, those strong desires you really, really want to manifest in your life.
The only limitations around what you now desire in a new way of life are those you create yourself. Goodness (remember, it's within you) has no limitations, so don't make any up! Move forward for yourself. Know that you can, because you can! Get busy and create some new patterns.
Pat Matson's path of life's unfoldment has led her into the world of copywriting where she lends her expertise to the writing of blogs, ezines, curriculum and articles with a common sense message for entrepreneurs, especially life coaches or spiritual coaches. Pat loves to bring the story inside her clients representing their businesses out into the world that needs it so. In addition to her copywriting, Pat is a Walter Method Teacher of metaphysics where she helps illuminate Life's Laws for her students. Pat's Write Mind is her home base.


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The players from Griffeen Valley Table Tennis had a fantastic day!
Mia won both the U18 and U15 girls tournament, while Art took 1st place in the U13 and U15 boys event. Dillon took 2nd place in U13 and 3rd place in U15.
Omar came 2nd in the U18 boys plate while Ravi took silver in the U15 boys plate. Tim and Masem met in the U13 boys plate final with Tim winning the plate.
In U11 girls Sadbh came 1st, Aine 3rd and Anna 4th. In the Under 11s Paul and Joe both won some matches and went home with medals
Well done to all our players for taking part.
Congratulations to Mia on her selection to represent Ireland in the individual event at the Senior Six Nations in Lisburn November 13th-15th - Good luck!


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WONY student radio and the Department of Communication & Media are proud to announce the premiere of a student-created documentary radio/podcast series, ONEONTA VOICES. A bi-weekly news and public affairs program, the half-hour show is produced entirely by SUNY Oneonta students Joshua Colon, Jesse King, Roe Krassner, and Collin Ungerleider with supervision from Dr. Andrew Bottomley. These student media-makers are doing all the work, from choosing the episode themes and pitching the story ideas to conducting the interviews and editing all the audio.
The basic premise of ONEONTA VOICES is to capture a cross-section of life and experiences at and around SUNY Oneonta by highlighting various current events and social, cultural, political, and economic issues impacting the college's students, faculty, and staff. The aim is to represent campus life in all its complexity, the show serving as a platform for elevating the diverse voices of the college community. The debut episode centers on the theme of first-year experiences, including student reflections on their introductions to SUNY Oneonta and information about navigating the new Excelsior Scholarship program. Future episodes will address themes such as cultural diversity, gender and sexuality, mental health, and commencement. Each episode also features a spotlight on a student artist or performer.
ONEONTA VOICES broadcasts on SUNY Oneonta's student radio station, WONY 90.9 FM, every Saturday at noon, after which it'll be distributed online as a podcast. The premiere episode debuted on Saturday, February 10. It can be heard online at:
If you're interested in learning more about ONEONTA VOICES or you have a story you'd like to share, please email the producers at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Quintrex 420 Hornet Trophy video
Everyone should own a fun little traditional tinnie like the Quintrex 420 Hornet Trophy, complete with a two-stroke outboard motor like the 40hp Vortex. Watcht his video to see what the experts said.
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Medium (6%)
medium risk
* Always check the full terms & conditions on the betting website Switch Odds type: percentage / example / decimal
Stats for the Nordavind and ALTERNATE aTTaX as they've appeared on Tipify
A list of recent matches this team has played, green indicates a win and red a loss. Blue is a draw/cancelled
Current Roster
The Norwegians from Nordavind managed to qualify from a very difficult group stage for them to the playoffs of OGA Counter Pit and they will be facing their highest rated opponent tomorrow.
Nordavind has added the veteran 'RUBINO' in their roster going into OGA Counter Pit but the results in this tournament are mediocre at their best. The team had problems against EURONICS and were beaten by FNATIC Academy and Epsilon, teams that are far from being great names in the scene.
ALTERNATE aTTaX however only felt to pro100 who has been playing very well for the whole tournament. They came as one of the favorites and shouldn't have problems to reach the grand finals especially as the ever consistent 'syrsoN' keeps performing well.
In this best of three we expect to see Overpass, Nuke and Dust2 as the maps played. Although Nordavind has a fair chance in Overpass, ALTERNATE aTTaX is clearly the better team in Nuke and Dust2.
My odds for this match: Nordavind 31:69 ALTERNATE aTTaX
Medium (6%)
medium risk
Don't waste money on this match.
Recommended team:
Stake Size:
We'll track your performance and you could win prizes each month
Select Team:Nordavind2.31ALTERNATE aTTaX1.56
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Every month we give out prizes to the top community tipsters
You can get involved too, just use the bet tracker on the left to make your prediction for this match.
Compete against 1,000s of other tipsters from all over the world and see how you compare.
See this month's Leaderboard
Recommend rules for betting:
Max: 20%, Large: 15%, Medium: 10%
Small: 5% & ICB: 1% or lower


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Do you find it a struggle to put money away every month? What if there was a way to save money automatically in such small amounts that you would hardly notice? Take a look at this Plum review to see how useful it can be for you and if your money is safe with Plum. Plus, I'll show you how you could earn £25.
Let's be honest, for the majority of us, saving money can be tough. We often start with good intentions, but by the end of the month, your account is hovering around the 0 mark. You think that you'll give it a try the following month only for the same thing to happen.
It's quite scary when you think that over 25% of UK adults have no savings at all. What do you do if you have an unexpected bill? Or the worst case scenario… how long could you stay in your house if you were to lose your job?
This is why it's so important to have some money saved away. Retirement may be 30 or 40 years away, but you never know what's around the corner.
Start saving
Don't think that you suddenly have to put £100's into an account straight away and give-up eating for several months. One great trick to start your saving is by doing it in small amounts. A couple of pounds here and there every week is something you will probably not notice. And within a couple of months, you'll soon have a nice little sum growing. This is what Plum is all about.
Who is Plum?
Plum launched in October 2016
Taken from their website:
Our mission is to help people save money without even lifting a finger.
We've always hated saving money, but we wanted to change that. We decided to make Plum so that there would be an easier way to save money to spend on things we want, rather than the things we need.
How does it work?
Unlike other firms that offer a similar service, Plum doesn't have an app. Instead, they use Facebook Messenger to help you save.
All you need to do to get started is to visit the Plum website (see the link below). From there you will need to fill out some personal details and then connect to your Messenger account. Finally, you connect your bank account and you're ready to start saving.
Plum analyses the money going in and out of your account to determine how much you can afford to save. Plum guarantees that you will never go into your overdraft when they transfer the money into your savings account. However, if that did happen, they promise to refund any fees. Unfortunately, they won't refund fees if you go on a big spending spree after the money leaves your account.
Through Messenger, you can easily tell Plum whether you want to increase or decrease the amount you're willing to save. You can also check your Plum balance or get some handy insights about your current account. You can get summaries for how much you have spent over the last week, month or by category.
Is my money safe with Plum?
Taken from Plum's FAQ's
When Plum sets money aside for you, it is moved from your bank account, to a protected bank account by our partner MangoPay, which is regulated to hold your money as an 'Authorized Electronic Money provider'. This bank account is not FSCS protected, but is subject to strict European regulation, meaning that in the unlikely event that Plum, MangoPay, or the bank should go bust, you will get all of your money back.
What interest rate do you get on your savings?
0%. That's right nothing. If you want to start earning some returns, you will need to start investing with Plum. Investing is purely optional though. Some people prefer just to save for short stints and then withdraw their money at the end of the month.
Plum offers several options for you to earn a return on your money, mainly through investing in stocks and bonds. There are several funds in which you can invest, all offering different rates of return in the region of 5-23%. This is pretty impressive when you think of the interest you would get if you placed the money into an ISA.
Plum doesn't invest the money themselves but uses Vanguard investment funds which are an investment manager with more than $5.1 trillion worth of funds.
However, as with any kind of investment of this type, these returns aren't guaranteed and there is a chance you could lose your investment. Generally, the bigger the return, the higher the risk.
Investment isn't free either. You will be charged £1 per month for each fund, plus there is a small management fee. That means you don't want to just put £10 in and leave it, as the fees will soon see your investment wiped out.
Another way to earn money from your Plum account is through lending. Plum works with RateSetter which is a peer-to-peer (P2P) lender. In short, they lend your money to other people and you should see around a 3% return. Before you jump straight in though, you need to consider that there is no FSCS cover which means any money you put in could be at risk.
Is it worth investing with Plum?
I am not a Financial Advisor, so I can't give you any advice. However, I have invested and seen better returns than I would from an ISA. My dad always told me not to invest more than I can afford to lose, so this is the mentality I have adopted with Plum.
I have managed to save over £700 without noticing, and made £39.39 from my investments.
My Plum review conclusion
Plum really is an excellent method to use if you struggle to save and very easy to use. It's certainly worth signing up for. There's even an active Facebook page for investors and savers to discuss all things Plum. And if you manage to refer 3 friends to sign-up to Plum and you can earn yourself £25.
Click below to find out more. It's free to join, so you have nothing to lose!
If my Plum review hasn't convinced you, why not take a look at Chip? Chip offers a similar service to Plum but uses an app instead of Messenger. They pay a minimum of 1% interest up to a maximum of 5%. Although returns aren't potentially as good, they are steady. Take a look at my Chip review.
Please note that this post contains an affiliate link to Plum. All views are my own.


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Looking for innovative, engaging ideas for Canadian Patient Safety Week (CPSW) activities and events? Here's a list to get you started.
Have a great idea you'd like to share with others? Simply email firstname.lastname@example.com with a brief description of your activities or events. Feel free to submit photos, links to websites, or PDF files to help illustrate your idea. Remember, together we can do big things!
Prepare a patient safety week display
Movie break
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Talk by ALEJANDRO PARRA, PhD
This is a past event
4 people went
Alejandro Parra is an Argentine psychotherapist and parapsychologist. He was President of the Parapsychological Association from 2011 to 2013 and is the author of books and articles in Spanish and English. Details of the speaker's career, qualifications and publications are given below.
He will give a talk about research carried out in Argentina and about the clinical approach to paranormal/spiritual experiences based on his experience as a psychotherapist. It will be an academic lecture and will look at psychic experiences in an objective way.
Members of the Scientific and Medical Network and members of the public are invited.
As regards members of the public it will be especially relevant to those who are training to be mediums or are working as counsellors.
The psychologist Alejandro Parra received his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from the Universidad Abierta Interamericana (www.vaneduc.edu.ar/uai), where he is now a teacher and associated researcher. He received his PhD in psychology from the Universidad de Ciencias Empresariales y Sociales (www.uces.edu.ar). His doctoral dissertation, which was conducted under the auspices of Dr. David Maldavsky (his major advisor) and three other committee members (Dr. H. Losinno, Dr. A. Cayssials, and Dr. B. Nante) was based on the theme, Percepciones Imposibles: Alucinaciones y otras experiencias anómalas [Impossible Perceptions: Hallucinations and other anomalous experiences]. He is licensed in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Mat. #[masked]), where he serves as a psychotherapist in general clinical psychological practice in the Clinical Area of the Institute of Paranormal Psychology. He conducts therapy groups and uses an historical approach in his continued research into parapsychology, dreamwork, and mediumship. In a counseling setting he also conducts workshops with psychics and mediums on their paranormal/spiritual experiences. His clinical research is based on cognitive-experiential and humanistic/Rogerian-oriented approaches with groups of people who have had paranormal experiences and dreams.
Attendees (4)
Go to Attendee List


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Community Forums
Getting Started
Learn Movie Maker 2
Capture Video
Improve Video Capture
Saving Projects
Video Editing
Video Trimming
Video Effects
Using Transitions
Adding Sounds
Adding Music
Adding Narration
Multiple Audio Tracks
Controlling Volume
Taking Pictures
Making Slideshows
Advanced Titles
Photo Story
Saving Movies
CD-Rom Backup
Create a DVD
More Articles
All Articles
Maker 2 Review
Movie Maker Tutorials
What are Codecs?
Streaming Video
Create a Movie CD
Using Photo Story 2
MM2 Newsletter Archive
Digital Media Books
About: Utilities,
IrfanView and Movie Maker (with mini-tutorial)
This week's higher level topic is the interactive use of other utilities
to supplement Movie Maker project work. What better utility to illustrate it with than IrfanView,
a universally acclaimed image viewer. More than that, you can edit images directly in IrfanView
to produce a variety of effects.
In the tutorial, I'll start with a single video clip, move it to IrfanView,
and manipulate each of its frames... and then return to Movie Maker to put the frames back together
and finish the revised clip.
I'm using the latest version 3.91 of IrfanView. If you don't have it
yet, or want to update your version, it's a free download (for personal use) from:
The clip I'll use is a digital camcorder one from last weekend's trip
to the beach at Saugatuck, Michigan, a 49 second clip of a paddle-wheeler and sailboat passing each
other. It was just after sunset, I was on the beach about a mile from the boats using a 20X zoom
on my camcorder (10X optical and the rest digital). I captured the clip from the camcorder as DV-AVI
type I, using MM2. The clip was shot at a standard 4:3 aspect ratio.
I'll explore how I can use IrfanView to help turn the clip into a more
interesting one.... my self-imposed ground rules this week are to use only Movie Maker and IrfanView.
I'll say it again in the conclusion, you can probably do the same thing a lot easier with a utility
such as Virtual Dub. Don't take this a guidance to use IrfanView if you have an easier or better
tool to use.
Here's a snapshot of the frame where the two boats are starting to
pass each other.... pixilated and poor color due to part of the higher zoom being digital, and the
low-light conditions. One good thing is that I was using my tripod, so what footage I got isn't
Sailboat and Paddle-Wheeler Passing
... and here's a link to this starting clip. It's about 4 MB and runs
for 49 seconds:
Before getting into it, here's a few notes about things going on...
• The first round of editorial comments about the hacks for the new
O'Reilly book are in.... the good news is that my 14 advanced Movie Maker hacks
were hacked only slightly by the editors. But it will mean I'll have to put some efforts into re-working
some of the hacks over the next few weeks.
• Justin Murphy is starting to solicit people on Rob's Windows Movie
Makers forums for interest in some sort of online Movie Maker film festival. We'll
see how it goes; if you're interested, make a post to the forum and jump in.
I know such things are fun and constructive. I submitted a couple videos
last year to the Neptune Movie Maker contest and won a second place. I also organized a 'one-minute
shooting east' collaborative video project at SimplyDV.com later last year, and then participated
in a similar New Year's Eve project. But I also know there's a lot to be considered and done when
it comes to actually pulling off such an event.
Justin's efforts are just another point that shows, once over any startup
hurdles, it's about imagination, creativity, and fun.
....on to the topic of the week
Utilities and Movie Maker
IrfanView, Virtual Dub, and TMPGEnc are some of the utilities you
can use in conjunction with Movie Maker. I use about a dozen such utilities and I'll occasionally
feature one of them in a newsletter.
There are lots of features in IrfanView.... most
of which I'll skip over to focus on those that relate to Movie Maker.
Gather Clips for the Tutorial
To prepare for the tutorial, I used MM2 to capture some of the camcorder
tape from last weekend's trip to the beach. The capture session resulted in a single 3-1/2 minute
DV-AVI clip (748 MB).
I manually split it in the collection and looked closer at 3 smaller
clips with the most potential to work with, saving each as a new DV-AVI clip and deleting the initially
captured one. That left me with the 3 clips in this list to consider further.
Newsletter 13 Potential Clips
.... the 3 clips of interest total 442 MB, so by discarding the original
before I even start the next step of the project, I'm saving almost half of the disc space used
so far.
After studying the 3 clips more, I picked the 49 second 'Two Boats
Passing' one for the mini-tutorial. It had the most appeal.. 2 different kinds of boats, some seagulls,
and the paddle-wheeler changing direction. At first I was going to string all 3 clips together,
but we don't learn any more by using 3 clips than we do by using just one.
Note: IrfanView
needs a type II DV-AVI file to extract frames from, so I opened the clip in MM1 and saved it as
a new DV-AVI file to make it type II.
What can I do with IrfanView?
At this point, I'm not yet planning specifically what to do... it's
more just thinking of the possibilities. What can I do with my self-imposed constraint of using
nothing more than Movie Maker and IrfanView?
1 • enhance colors and sharpness... maybe go bizarre,
bold and daring in colors??
2 • crop the top off, dropping some of the almost
too-much boring sky area, focusing more on the area of interest
3 • resize the clip to change it from a normal 4:3
to widescreen 16:9, which would tie in nicely with cropping away some of the sky
4 • add text such as my website URL, placing it exactly
where I want it on the video. For me, a URL is better than a copyright symbol and name.
5 • add some kind of special effect, something I
can't do with Transition Maker 2, Pixelan, Rehan, or standard effects.
IrfanView is a super viewing utility for still pictures, but it has
a multimedia player that can extract frames from a video clip, and has batch controls to work on
a set of pictures.... maybe it can whiz through each frame and do something special to it, and I
can put all the frames back together in MM2?
After a little thougt, I picked items 2, 3 and 4.... and not 1 and
5. When it comes to color enhancement, my color deficiency makes me not good at it.
Some Notes About Pixel Dimensions and Snapshots
Get ready to do some arithmetic.... or at least follow what I do.
To change from standard mode to widescreen, and do it by manipulating still pictures, will require
scratching your head over one of our perennial issues - the appropriate image pixel dimensions.
It's one of a number of confusing items in video work. Let's ease into it with a few notes now,
and put off the number crunching until the tutorial.
All DV-AVI files (NTSC) are 720x480 pixels. Strange but true, the
pixel count for both standard and widescreen aspect ratio clips is the same. What happens is that
Movie Maker tags the file as standard or widescreen, the player reads the tag and squeezes it into
the 4:3 viewing ratio or stretches it into widescreen 16:9.
The size of an MM2 snapshot taken from a DV-AVI clip
in the collection will depend on the tag in the file. A snapshot from a standard 4:3 aspect ratio
clip will be a JPG image of 640x480.... if the clip has a widescreen tag, then the snapshot size
is 853x480. My arithmetic is often guided by these snapshot dimensions.
IrfanView and Movie Maker
Using IrfanView.... let's extract all the frames from the selected
clip, crop and resize each frame to more focus on the area of interest, change the frames from standard
to widescreen, and add some text.
Extracting Frames from a Video Clip
Per IrfanView's Help file, it's an image viewer.
But one of it's optional add-ins is a Multimedia Player which can play both types I and II DV-AVI
files, and extract frames from a type II file. It saves the extracted frames in BMP format.
This figure shows IrfanView's Multimedia Player viewing the clip for
the tutorial. I've highlited the menu icon that starts the frame extraction feature.
IrfanView Multimedia Player and Frame Extraction Icon
With a type II DV-AVI file, IrfanView knows the size of the frames
and the other info needed to extract the frames... 1,460 frames for this clip.
Frame Extraction Feature
You can tell IrfanView which frames to extract, from the starting
frame number to the ending one. If you just want some from the middle of a clip, tell it which ones...
I'll do all 1,460 frames from my clip..... it took 4 minutes and used 1.4 GB of hard drive space.
Each frame is a BMP image of 720x480, the same pixel dimensions as the source file.
Here's the list sorted by file name. You can see the numbering pattern
used by IrfanView.
Frame Numbering Pattern
At this point, I'm thinking more specifically about what to do to
in IrfanView with each of the 1,460 frames. I'll have to put them back together into a video clip
using MM2.... IrfanView can't make a video clip from a set of images.
Batch Conversion (Cropping and Resizing) to Widescreen
Here comes the tricky part with the arithmetic. Instead of running
separate cropping and resizing batch processes, I decided to do both together in one batch process.
it probably cost me more time than it saved, but it was all for the learning experience.
Use File > Batch Conversion from the main menu of
IrfanView to get to this window.... at the upper right, go to the folder with the set of frame images.
I selected 'Add all' to fill in the left part of the window from the list in the upper right. Having
all the pictures in a single folder helps when it comes to saying 'Add all'.
Note that I created a new folder as the output directory for the new
set of images. IrfanView will take the pictures from one folder, process them and put the new ones
into the output folder.
Batch Conversion Feature
Check the 'Use advanced options' box at the lower right and press
the 'Set advanced options' button.
Now comes the math. Our goal for still images to
feed back to Movie Maker is something with an aspect ratio of 16:9. The 480 pixels in height remains
fixed from standard to widescreen so let's start with that. Depending on what you're doing, the
width varies from 640 to 720 to 853 pixels.... so use the height first.
480 pixels high divided by 9 is 53-1/3 pixels.... and 53-1/3 times
16 is 853-1/3... We'll round it to 854 to get an even number. Movie Maker seems to prefer even numbers
over odd. So I'll set the size of the final images to 854x480 pixels.
Our starting images are 720 x 480 and we want the new set to
be 854 x 480, so here's the equation. Read it as you learned in school "854 is
to 480 as 720 is to what?":
854 720
----- = ----
What is X? Get your calculator out and see that it's almost
405 pixels.... so the selected cropped segment of each frame will be 720 pixels wide by 405 pixels
high, with the extra 75 pixels being taken off the top and discarded - all from the all too many
pixels of the sky that I got.
The 'Set Advanced Options' window of IrfanView will
look like the figure below after the entries are posted. Check the cropping and resizing options
and enter the data to do the conversion as a one step process, cropping first and resizing the cropped
area second.
In my entries I'm telling IrfanView to do the cropping
by starting at the left edge of the images, skipping the pixels from the top of the images to the
75th pixel down from the top, and cropping the 720x405 segment of each frame.
On resizing the cropped area, I'm saying that I want
the new images to be 854 pixels wide by 480 high, to align with an MM2 snapshot of a widescreen
Advanced Batch Conversion Options
I didn't run the crop and resize batch yet because I also wanted to
put my URL on each frame. I ran a test batch to be sure the cropping and resizing results were as
I wanted.... they were.
I checked some the before and after pictures.... you can run more
than one copy of IrfanView at a time.... to see the same frame numbers side by side.... the new
set shows as 854x479 pixels, close enough. Here's part of frame #500 from the before and after batches,
each shown at full size. In addition to taking some of the sky away, the results show the two boats
as if they are being zoomed into further. I'll take it and move onto adding the text.
Partial Frames - Before and After Images
Adding Text to the Frames
From the IrfanView batch conversion window select Add overlay text
and press the Settings button for it. You'll be here, where I'll add my website URL to the upper
left area of each frame. Enter X and Y coordinates for the upper left corner of the area used for
the text.... and generously estimate the width and height. Check the 'Text is transparent option
or the text will end up inside a colored rectangle.
Adding Text Overlay
The actual batch process to create the new set of frames took 8 minutes...
to process 1,460 picture files. And it used another 1.8 GB of hard drive space. But we're used to
big space needs for video work.
The image below shows what the new frame #500 looks like... widescreen
mode with the added URL.
Frame 500 - Cropped/Resized With Added Text
Because I'm working with bit-mapped images, there isn't any generational
losses, as there would be if I used a compressed format such as JPG.
Back to Movie Maker 2 to Put All the Frames Together
In your file browser, go to the folder with the batch of new frame
images. Do a Control-A to select them all, and drag/drop the full pack into a new collection in
In MM2, go to your Settings > Options and make the default picture
duration as low as you can go, to 1/8 second. And while you're there, change the working aspect
ratio from normal 4:3 to widescreen 16:9.
With the clips in the collection sorted by name so they're in numerical
order, do a Select-All and then down to the timeline with the batch. The 49 second original clip
now shows as 3 minutes and 3 seconds in the timeline.... because we're seeing 8 frames per second
instead of 30.
Remember how many still images the project has.... 1,460. Let's see
if MM2 can render that many as a DV-AVI file... there aren't any transitions or effects, so maybe
the project complexity is still reasonable. As I do these exercises for the newsletters, I share
with you info about what happens, the good and the other stuff. We can learn from both.....
.... a long time later, overnight. I had let it go, running at a CPU
of 100% trying to save the movie with all the frames. No luck... it was sitting in the same place
in the morning. The complexity factor got to it. I can understand it not rendering, but I don't
understand what it's doing with all those CPU cycles, running all night at 100%. Maybe just making
To get over the complexity limit, I made a new set of DV-AVI clips
with 100 frames in each, and then put the 15 clips together into the larger one. It took a few minutes
to render each, but I was back in business. With the image duration being at the minimum setting
in MM2 of 1/8 second, the playback of the new clip was too slow.
So another pass with the single clip to apply the 'speed-up' 385%
effect to jog it back to normal speed. You can download the XML file for the speedup 385% effect
from the Editing > Video > Reverse Effect page of my site.
Note: I just saw on the site and in the XML file that I say 375% in
some places and 385% in others, something I'll have to go tweak.... a check of the final clip shows
it with a duration of 48 seconds, close enough to the 49 second duration of the clip I started with...
keep making these kinds of checks at each step before you discard the work from the previous step,
so you can redo a step if needed.
File Review
I've done a number of things..... let's take a look at main
files involved. Here's the list in my file browser, sorted by time of creation from the
oldest to the newest.
A quick review shows the 3 starting DV-AVI clips
from my camcorder footage... I selected one of them for the tutorial and converted it to type II
with MM1 (guess I could have captured it from the camcorder using MM1 in the first place and saved
the conversion step).
The type II was needed to extract the individual frames in IrfanView.
The folder of frames at the top of the list contains the 1,460 BMP images for each
frame. The 15 sub-clips named A to O are the 100 frame ones used as stepping stones to reassemble
the clip. The next to the last file is the combo of the 15 sub-clips that needed speed changing
as it ran about 4 times too slowly. And the last in the list is the final speed-adjusted widescreen
clip... ready for further editing in MM2.
Through all these steps I stayed in DV-AVI and BMP formats so as not
to lose quality due to compression.
Now to add some audio and text overlays in MM2, and
it'll be done....
Extracting the frames, processing them and putting them back together
will strip any audio you start with. You can either add the original audio back in when doing your
final pass, or add different audio. My captured audio wasn't good so I opted to add something else.
In a folder of downloaded sound effects from Sound Dogs,
I found a foghorn, ocean waves in the distance, seagulls, and a tug boat horn. I played
with these a bit to fill the timeline and align them with the video.... then another rendering to
a new DV-AVI file, this one containing sounds.
Back in MM2 with the newest clip, it's time to add background
music and some overlay text...
.... after the music and text, it's finally time to save the movie
as a WMV type appropriately sized for your online viewing. Here's the link to the final clip, in
full size widescreen mode:
The processes of cropping, resizing, and adding text might be much
easier to do with a utility like Virtual Dub. I'm not recommending that you use IrfanView. What
I'm doing is learning more about what I can do with IrfanView, and sharing it with you. It's just
an exercise in getting to know your utilities a bit more.
The complexity issue bit me.... maybe I'll go back to that set of 1,460
frame images and do some further testing to see if I can correlate the number of frames to the limits....
maybe not.
I look forward to comments and discussion about this and the other
newsletters on the forums at
Have a great week!!!
Movie Maker 2 -
Photo Story 2 -
Products and Services
I'm involved in many things that support users of Movie Maker and PhotoStory,
and adding more daily. Here's a list of what is available to the public. Some are free and others
are reasonably priced.
Movie Maker 2 - Do Amazing Things
(with its online companion on
Movie Maker 2 - Zero to Hero (with support on the Friends of Ed forum)
The 14 hacks that I wrote for a new O'Reilly book about Windows Media
Hacks are in the editing phase.
When ordering these books or anything else from Amazon, I'd appreciate
you using the links on the main page of
- I get some income from Amazon that way, and it doesn't cost you any more. It'll help keep most
of my services free.
Movie Maker 2 -
- two goals: to help you solve problems, and to be the online companion to the Do Amazing Things
book... and currently thinking of another goal of movie making and editing styles.
PhotoStory 2 -
- a full tutorial about using it. It's not a problem-solving site.
Online Support - Forums and Newsgroups:
I'm a regular at many online forums and newsgroups, the main ones
Movie Maker 2 and PhotoStory 2 forums at
Movie Maker 2 forum at SimplyDV.com
Movie Maker newsgroup at microsoft.public.windowsxp.moviemaker
PhotoStory newsgroup at microsoft.public.plus
Weekly Movie Maker 2/PhotoStory 2 newsletter. Subscribing is free
via the link on the main page of
Tentative topics for upcoming newsletters (subject to change): A series
of primers about utilities used in conjunction with Movie Maker and PhotoStory.
#14 - A Primer on Using Paint to Make Text Images for PhotoStory
#15 - A Primer on Using Virtual Dub with Movie Maker
#?? - Windows XP SP2 and Movie Maker 2.1 (the week it is released,
whenever that is)
#16 - (Open)
Older newsletters are archived by Rob Morris, with a few weeks delay,
Transition Maker 2
(TM2) - a utility to make the ultimate in personal and custom transitions for Movie Maker 2:
TM2 is a joint effort by Patrick Leabo, the programmer, and myself.
I routinely beta test the Pixelan packages and think
very highly of their people and products: Their SpiceFX packages of additional transitions and effects
for Movie Maker 2 are available at:
Fee-based services:
If you can't save a movie because your project has become too
complex, e-mail it to me and I'll divide it into manageable sub-projects for you, and provide
detailed instructions to render the parts and assemble them into your final movie. $49.95 - for
details, see the sidebar on the Problem Solving > Can't Save a Movie page of
Movie Maker 2/Photo Story 2 training and support services
start at $50 per hour - email
email@example.com and I'll help you determine your needs, and work with
you to plan and implement them.
PapaJohn's Movie Maker 2 and Photo Story 2 Newsletter Index
About John 'PapaJohn' Buechler from Microsoft.com
newsletter is republished with permission of John "PapaJohn" Buechler. To subscribe
to PapaJohn's Movie Maker 2 and Photo Story 2 newsletter click here:
Subscribe to PapaJohn's Newsletter. Please note that this is an archive of newsletters
and some information may become outdated. PapaJohn, and the webmaster of this site,
provides this information"AS IS" with no warranties.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.


text:
The Doom of Megozi IV is a straightforward story about The Doctor and the TARDIS as rescue for people in trouble. He answers the distress call from a planet that has gone critical and he, Susan and Miche have a hard day's work looking after the people they rescue.
All well and good until they get to the Hall of Worship of the Temple of Aphan, on the side of the mountain of Aphanfut, and The Doctor comes up against Galicus Eph- Anepha. With the planet dying around them, the followers of Galicus wait for the miracle he has promised them. And The Doctor has to convince them that HE is the miracle.
The joke about the man in the floor has probably been around a few years now. I first heard it on an episode of The West Wing, told by the President to illustrate some crisis situation. I can't remember which episode or what the context was, but when I came to write this story I recalled the joke and realised that it fitted this situation perfectly well, too. Not recognising a miracle when they see it is a problem I think a lot of people have, though not always with such potentially tragic consequences as this.
The orange juice being provided by the TARDIS in copious amounts may seem just a bit Deus ex Machina. But that is because we rarely see the TARDIS living up to its fully potential on TV. It is not only infinitely huge, but semi-sentient, and capable of providing for the needs of those aboard, and even those in need that The Doctor seeks to help. A cupboard that suddenly appears full of orange juice just when people are desperate for a cold drink is something the TARDIS should easily be able to do.
Then why did The Doctor talk about stopping off to
buy milk in The Empty Child? Well, for one thing, The Doctor has a wry
sense of humour. For another, the TARDIS doesn't make things EASY.
The Doctor is perfectly able to buy his own milk so it makes him do that.
These people NEEDED the orange juice so it rose to the occasion.


text:
Language Language
E Recruit E Recruit
Window Cleaner - Hilliard, OH
40 hours if willing to work nights and weekends. Otherwise 25 hours per week for days Tuesday thru Friday. Working primarily at private homes and businesses. No high rises. 2-3 stories max. Must pass background check and drug test
Keywords: window cleaning, janitor, home cleaner
Job ID:
Hilliard, OH
Job Type:
Full Time, Career Position
Contact: email@example.com
Apply for this Position
Window Cleaner
City, State or Zip Code: Hilliard, OH
Position Type: Full Time, Career Position
Date Posted: 3/17/2019


text:
Quaranta, M. 'The meaning of democracy to citizens across European countries and the factors involved.' Social Indicators Research 136.3 (2018): 859-880
What do citizens think democracy is and what factors contribute to its meaning? Previous works on the public understanding of democracy have shown that, overall, citizens see democracy in 'minimal' terms. However, advanced democracies are complex and encompass several elements other than elections and freedoms. This article uses the European Social Survey module 'Europeans' understandings and evaluations of democracy' and multilevel item response theory models to build a measure of the meaning of democracy in terms of multiple attributes and to account for individual- and country-level variation. The findings show that the meaning of democracy can be seen as a continuum, and that middle-aged educated men who are interested in politics, have extreme ideological positions, and are engaged in civic organizations include more elements in their idea of democracy, and that the cross-country variation in the meaning of democracy mostly depends on democratic performance.
Back to publications


text:
South Africa Will Impose Carbon Tax
February 28, 2012 Taxation in South Africa
PRETORIA – South Africa will soon impose a new carbon tax, although the measure will only apply to less than 40 percent of all carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
The government of South Africa recently released its latest budget plan, which, amongst other measures, unveiled a proposal to instate a new carbon tax which would be levied on polluters from all sectors of the economy.
The new tax will be implemented in the 2013 – 2014 fiscal year, and will be charged at ZAR 160 for each ton of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, and the levy will increase by 10 percent each year until 2020.
In order to minimize the adverse economic effects of the proposed tax, a maximum of only 40 percent of an enterprise's total emissions will be subject to the new system. The emissions threshold is a temporary measure and will remain in place until 2020. Companies that are not operating in the power production industry may also apply to lower their limit.
The Treasury Department of South Africa is expected to publish draft legislation of the new carbon tax within a few months. Prior to the new tax being enacted it would still need to be approved by the parliament of South Africa.
According to the government of South Africa, the new tax will provide enterprises with greater incentive to utilize green technologies and clean energy. The move is also expected to result in a gradual decrease in the country's reliance on coal based energy production.
Photo by MIKKO ITÄLAHTI


text:
Tenuta di Aljano lies nestled in the rolling hill country of Reggio Emilia. The estate is the dream come true of Modenese entrepreneur Vittorio Ferioli, his wife Giulia and son Marco, given their long-standing passion for wine and their appreciation for the typical local fare of the Emilia region. The estate of Aljano dates all the way back to medieval times. Here, people are passionate about their vineyards and winemaking is an age-old art. This land, where agricultural roots run deep and which is mentioned in documents dating back to the year 1000 A.D., was once carpeted by the vineyards of his Serene Highness the Duke of Modena and Reggio. The fertile soils of Jano, Figno and Montericco have been renowned since Medieval times for their abundance of "wheat, maize, beans, fodder, spelt, chestnuts, chestnut flour"; and just as important were figs, mulberries, olives, fruit trees and vines.Peasants were legally bound to plant at least ½ biolca (an ancient measure of land) of vine every year "ut habeatur maior boni vini copia" (to ensure a greater quantity of good wines).*Today this ancient land spawns a new dream, which has already produced its first excellent results.
*From the Modena and Reggio Emilia State Archives
At 250 metres above sea level, the typically hilly nature of Tenuta di Aljano lends the wines produced here good body and complex bouquets. The subsoil is made up of sedimentary rocks comprising sandstone, marl, clay and gypsum (very important for the production of grapes for sparkling wine). The story goes that the Duke of Este mined from the quarry on the agricultural estate: after separating the gypsum from the sulphur, the gypsum was then used in the preparation of lime while the sulphur, mixed with charcoal and saltpetre from the Duke's stables, was used to make gunpowder.


text: Nearly 200 pages in and no gretoues sex and there is a more of a plot. Maybe LKH is turning over a new leaf. This is mostly outshined by LKH total devoution to have her pro Polyamory message on every single page. I'm a live and let live kinda girl, but seriously I don't care to read a defenise of poly lifestyle every single page. In the words of Phil Collins "I don't care anymore."I'm unsure who has the most angst the characters in this book or me reading it.


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One question, eight experts, part six: William Dachs
To gain a better understanding of how innovation in public-private partnerships (PPPs) builds on genuine learning, we reached out to PPP infrastructure experts around the world, posing the same question to each. Their honest answers redefine what works — and provide new insights into the PPP process. This is the question we posed: How can mistakes be absorbed into the learning process, and when can failure function as a step toward a PPP's long-term success?
Our sixth response in this eight-part series comes from William Dachs, Chief Operating Officer of the Gautrain Management Agency in South Africa.
The ability of a national PPP program to apply lessons learned from one project to the next is dependent on factors such as the documentation of case studies and the use of a central repository of information in a PPP unit at the national level, where such lessons can be distilled and applied to the next project in that jurisdiction.
There are plenty of good examples of such programs that learn from and apply lessons. But how are individual PPP projects able to absorb mistakes and still meet the original objectives of value for money for the users of the services and the taxpayers who may ultimately bear the risk of the project failing?
It is impossible to predict the range of possible risks and to allocate these with precision over 20 to 25 years in a complex and changing environment. As such, the key to achieving long-term value from a PPP does not only lie in the quality of the feasibility and procurement phases, but also in how the balance of risk and rewards is established and applied in the PPP contract so as to be able to survive significant changes over a long period of time.


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Raksha Bandhan, meaning "Knot of Protection" is one of the most important Hindu festivals celebrated by throughout the world. The festival stands for the beautiful relationship of love, care and affection between siblings. The innocent bond of love between a brother and a sister is one of the deepest of all human emotions. This thread, which pulsates with sisterly love and sublime sentiments, is rightly called the 'Rakhi', sisters tie the sacred rakhi string on their brothers' right wrists, and pray for their long life. This ritual is observed on the full moon day of the Hindu month of shravan.
Social Binding: This ritual not only strengthens the bond of love between brothers and sisters but also strengths the whole family.
Friendly Knot: It won't be wrong to say the friendship band in vogue today is an extension of the rakhi custom which turns a friendship relationship into a sisterly one or vice versa.
Auspicious Full Moon day: Different part of India celebrates raksha bandhan day with different names- in northern India, rakhi purnima is also called as kajri purnima, the time of the year when wheat or barley is sown by farmers, and goddess bhagwati is worshipped. In Western India, the festival is called nariyal purnima. In southern India, shravan purnima is an important religious occasion, especially for the brahmins. Other known names for raksha bandhan are vish tarak – the destroyer of venom, punya pradayak – the bestower of boons, and pap nashak – the destroyer of sins.
Thus, Raksha Bhandhan symbolizes all aspects of protection of the good from evil forces. Even in the great epic Mahabharata, we find Krishna advising yudhishthir to tie rakhi to guard himself against all evil energy. In the ancient puranik scriptures, it is said that King Bali's stronghold had been the raakhi.
Hence while tying the rakhi this stanza is usually narrated "Yena baddho Balee raajaa daanavendro mahaabalah , tena twaam anubadhnaami rakshe maa chala maa chala". The meaning of Raksha Mantra is- "I tie you with the same Raksha thread which tied the most powerful, the king of courage, the king of demons, Bali. O Rakhi, do not falter throughout the year"
Festival like rakhi, there is no doubt, help ease out various societal strains, induce fellow-feeling, open up channels of expression, and give us an opportunity to rework on our role as human beings and, most importantly, bring joy in our routine lives.
Sapna Oswal


text: This Amazing Home Has Two Full Large Bedrooms, Each With Their Own On-Suite Bathrooms Along With A Bathroom Downstairs For Guests. The Home Has Been Remodeled And Looks Stunning Inside. The Newly Laid Carpet Along With The Freshly Painted Walls Makes This Home Stand Out Among The Best! New Water Heater Was Just Installed As Well. The Backyard And Patio Are By Far One Of The Largest Of Any Townhome/Condo In Valencia!!! A Yard For The Kids, Patio For Entertaining, And A Side Entrance Gate In The Backyard To Access The Entry To The Paseo Trail With A Private Locked Gate With Keyed Entry. The Two Car Garage With Entry Into The Kitchen Is A Huge Convenience. Come See What Makes This Home So Special!!!


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To mark the Children's Day in a special way, ITC's Savlon Swasth India introduced the unique Savlon ID Guard aimed at the hand hygiene of school children. The innovation offers a simple solution to hand hygiene for school children. An ID card imaginatively redesigned with a multi-use handwash sachet, thereby introducing the unique Savlon ID GUARD. Since ID card is an integral part of a school kid's daily routine it will be helpful in reminding the children of the importance of hand hygiene.
Earlier under Savlon Swasth India Mission to fuel a culture of innovative enablers, it had launched Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks- a set of unique chalk sticks infused with cleansers like soap. The chalk sticks are designed to engage children in primary schools and emphasise the importance of washing hands before eating. Education in some schools in rural India is still through chalk and slate. The genesis of this idea stems from the observation of everyday habits of these school children. Most of them use their hands to write as well as erase their slates. Their hands are usually full of chalk powder at the end of their lessons. The lessons are followed by a meal break and washing hands is sometimes limited to a quick water wash under a tap. Access to basic hygiene may at times be a challenge and washing hands with cleansers like soap before a meal is yet to become a widespread habit.
With Savlon Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks the chalk powder on the hand turns into a cleanser like soap and generates lather as soon as it is placed under water. The chalk dust forming lather on washing with water is a unique experience that engages children and educates them on the importance of cleaning with cleansers.
This year the mission expands its objective of encouraging behavioural change towards washing hands amongst children through various engaging and entertaining educational initiatives in schools. With the invention of the Savlon ID Guard, designed with the unique multi-use Savlon handwash sachet, Savlon Swasth India Mission takes a step forward to become an enabler.
The simple yet effective idea stems from the fact that access to handwash or cleansers like soap are often limited. The inconvenience of carrying a soap or a handwash bottle adds to this limitation especially for children in the primary schools in India. Parents find it very difficult to ensure that children are following proper hand hygiene practices in school too. The innovative multi-use handwash sachet not only enhances convenience and comfort for parents but also is an effective way to induce children into the habit of washing hands with soap. With 3 refill sachets, it is designed to take care of hand hygiene for more than a month for all children. The initiative has been piloted in 32 schools and will be rolled out in 1000 schools over the next six months.
Sharing his thoughts on hand hygiene, Sameer Satpathy, Chief Executive, Personal Care Products Business, ITC, said, "Savlon ID Guard harnesses the power of design-thinking to encourage and enable hand hygiene."
Savlon Swasth India Mission has already been rolled out in more than 3700 schools since last year. The school programme has reached more than 1.7 million children in states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Karnataka.


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Fresh Air Technologies' multi-disciplined solutions for commercial and industrial clients stems from ten years working within the environmental consulting industry and the accumulation of over fourteen years of indoor air quality, energy management and technical cleaning services to building owners and facility managers located throughout the southeast.
Commercial HVAC Coil Restoration & Cleaning Services
Fresh Air Technologies has partnered with environmental firms from across the country to develop the most effective HVAC coil restoration and optimization services in the Charlotte area. Our use of a proprietary probiotic cleaner and high pressure steam allows us to get even the most inefficient, contaminated and underperforming coils running like new.
Charlotte Cooling Tower Cleaning & Restoration
Properly cleaning cooling tower fill and HVAC coil cleaning is the key to effective cooling and energy efficiency. Our HVAC & cooling tower maintenance program routinely save our clients thousands of dollars in equipment replacement costs while saving them thousands in energy consumption.
Commercial Dry Ice Blasting
Fresh Air Technologies offers environmentally safe, dry ice blasting services for commercial and industrial clients through North & South Carolina. Dry ice blasting is a form of heavy abrasive cleaning used for removing contaminants from mechanical and industrial machines, parts and other technically difficult to clean equipment.
Commercial Air Duct Cleaning
Regular Commercial Air Duct Cleaning is an important part of any commercial indoor air quality management program. Cleaning commercial air duct systems is much different than cleaning residential air duct systems. Our team can read and understand mechanical drawings so that we can locate and protect the sensitive airflow monitoring equipment and dampers.
Commercial Aeroseal Air Duct Sealing
Aeroseal duct sealing is a patented breakthrough technology that tackles leaky ducts from the inside out. It was developed in the 1990's at U.C. Berkeley with funding from the United States Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and California Institute for Energy Efficiency, and Electric Power Research Institute. Additionally, the Department of Energy declared Aeroseal as one of the most beneficial energy technologies for American consumers.


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Browsing Bush's email from his time as governor, which he has publicly released and placed online, I found something I really liked. After his reelection, Jeb sent the following message to a list of people that includes Peggy Noonan, Joe Scarborough, Karen Hughes, Roy Barnes, Connie Mack and others, people whose opinions it looks like he valued. Here is the message:
Tuesday, December 31, 2002 6:02 PM
Next Tuesday, I will be inaugurated to serve as Governor of Florida for four more years. I want to make the most of it. What suggestions do you have for a Governor willing to take risks and try to make a difference. I have my own ideas but I respect your thinking very much and am sincerely seeking your thoughts.
My interest is in service to the citizens of Florida. I am asking your advice not to advance my political career since I don't view my job that way. What reforms would you suggest I advance? What causes should I embrace?
I hope you and yours have a prosperous and joyful 2003.
Jeb Bush
Here is Karen Hughes's reply:
I think the whole Trent Lott mess raised the prospects for an interesting discussion on race, where we stand, how far we've come and how far we still have to go — and it strikes me you are uniquely positioned to deal with this issue in an engaging and sensitive way, because of your inroads in the African American community, because of one-florida, because you are married to a Mexican American — for all these reasons you are uniquely able to deal with this issue in a new-generation, new Republican way. I think many of the people our age are ready to put racial divisiveness behind us, but not quite sure how to go about it…
And here is Peggy Noonan's:
Hello Jeb, thanks for your letter and happy new year to you, too. I am on vacation in Mexico and I've been reading Thomas Cahill's "Pope John XXIII." In it he quickly recounts the history of all the Popes, some of whom were doozies, as you know. But one fascinating Pope, seemingly a very good man, was, if I recall correctly, Benedict. Late middle ages. He was considered a great relief as he followed an austere and greedy one. Benedict became famous for doing something amazing. He walked the streets of Rome and had talks, sometime quite lengthy, with whoever came up to him. Once a slightly crazy monk came up all agitated and told Benedict that the Antichrist had been born. Benedict listened politely and asked how old he was. The monk said, "Three!" Benedict replied, "Then I'll let my successor handle him." Witty guy, and for a good while very popular. Anyway, I'm sure you're a great walker and I'm sure your instincts and conversation are fully egalitarian, so why not spend a day a week just walking around, or sitting in a little cafe on a small street, and having coffee, and trying to help people with their agency and bureacratic problems. It might make people feel they could talk to the top guy and get a break and actually get something from government: the attention and assistance of the governor. So off the top of my head that's my idea. Go to less meetings, too. Everyone thinks government happens at meetings but only Boring happens at meetings. Send your aides, let them brief you, save time, walk. Happy New Year. Peggy Noonan
Basically, be good. Good advice. Jeb's reply to Noonan:
Very cool! I do a thing called citizens hours where I (and the lt governor) go to smaller towns around florida, sit in a room and take on all comers. Some want to come to say they have met the governor, some want to advance a cause, some want the government to get off their backs, some are looking for help. It is perhaps the most rewarding part of my job.
Three word mission statement ….. no more meetings!
Happy New Year. Any other thoughts will always be appreciated.
Jeb Bush


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John Eric
Mission High Mission, TX Class of 1995
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Our reef collective departed the safety of our unnatural barriers to cast off one of our own today. We ventured into deeper waters away from the reef, out into the flow of things in an effort to give our friends' remains every best possible advantage to move along and mix & mingle with the elements not familiar with our normal surroundings. With a quiet ceremony amongst close friends standing upon various platforms, he was gently distributed into the great ocean.
Words were spoken and thoughts were silently directed towards him and his life. The shear permanence of the sea shrunk our souls and his into a tiny place in time which will eventually be lost, but not without hope, our hope that for this one moment we recollect how important his spirit proved to be amongst our own spirits which have yet to be finished.
So it goes without much pomp and ceremony that one spirit leaves us but not without our confirming the importance of his brief cohabitation with ourselves upon this reef we all share for the moment anyways. 8 bells, taps and a lapping wave along the hull bring us to the end of a life and the beginning of a memory. Fair winds Gregg.


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Snapshots From Home
The other week I made the decision to finally invest in a DSLR. I'd been trying to work out which to choose, and saved up my money for a while before finally deciding on the Canon 100D after a recommendation from a friend and thorough research. I'm not the type of person to spend money lightly and I often save up for a purchase whether I have the money already or not, that way when I buy it I don't feel like my savings are depleting rapidly. I also like waiting and thinking about a purchase for a while, and that way if I've waited too long and something sells out I know it wasn't 'meant to be'. I know it probably sounds silly, but I find it really helpful and if I'm still thinking about that pair of shoes or whatever a few weeks or so later then I know I actually want it rather than it being an off the cuff decision which I might later regret, or never wear. I've been trying to get to grips with manual mode and I think I'm slowly getting there. For the most part I've been practising by taking photos of things around the house whilst trying to work out ISO, aperture etc. So I thought I would share the few photos that I have taken so far. We've had some really lovely light through the windows on some of our sunnier days and evenings which makes the house feel so peaceful and still. We're hoping to get our living room painted before the end of the year as it's starting to look a little tired, plus it's such a dark room that a fresh coat of paint will hopefully help to brighten it up! There's also plans to make some new curtains for the room and dye our sofa throw a different colour. I've also been having a look for a nice rug to go on the floor in front of our sofa to help cosy and brighten the place up.
We've been living in this house for almost 3 years, I think, so it's about time that we started making a few changes here and there (it also helps that we know the landlords well and they are very amenable folk!). I really love this house as it has so many happy memories connected with it. It's the house I share with Robert, the house that helped me recover from heartbreak and the house that is there for me when I come home at the end of a long day. We've experimented with growing vegetables in the garden, we've moved the furniture around countless times and now we're without house-mates it's time to start making it really 'ours' and our home. I might occasionally get frustrated with the lack of light in some rooms or how awkward the layout is, but it's my home and I love it and it's where we're both learning together.


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Hey! Whats Trending?
On the WhatsTrend website you get your daily fashion shot from all the different bloggers like Mode Junkie, Mode d'amour and The Styleograph and now there is the chance to become one of them! I know I just started blogging, but what a great oppurtunity to have a chance to be in such great company as a newly blogger =)!
So.. why should I be the next WhatsTrend blogger? I should be the next WhatsTrend blogger, because I would love to inspire people with what inspires me and this doesn't necessarily only means fashion, but also beauty and lifestyle. I know that I get inspired by watching other bloggers post and now I would like to "give" back.
Do you wanna know more about the competition? Visit COTTDS and learn more! If the link doesn't work, you can copy paste the link here -->


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Pour les Amis
The perfect wine to share with friends!
- Vintage 2015
- Producer Château Gilbert & Gaillard
- Country France
- Region Languedoc
- Composition:
Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre
- Winemaker Notes The Syrahs have had small yields but are very fragrant and very concentrated. The Grenaches that produced more, are cooler and bring a nice balance. The Mourvèdre has a lot of depth with a chocolate side.
- Tasting Notes Characterized by a dark purple color. The nose is intense red and black fruit, all part of a discrete mineral background. The palate is smooth with a pleasant fruity and spicy intensity, supported by the freshness.
- Press 88 Gilbert & Gaillard
- Vineyard The terroir of the Gilbert & Gaillard Castle is quite exceptional. The environment is heavily in the scrub, rich in thyme, rosemary, juniper, wild fennel, and pine forests.
- Surface: 16 Ha
- Soil: Clay and limestone hillsides between 150 and 200 meters
- Average age of vines: 25 years
- Climate: The Mediterranean climate here ensures plenty of sunshine, ample rainfall especially in autumn and the frequent presence of the North Wind
- Vinification
- Harvest: Hand and machine depending on the plot. Done by gravity, so as to preserve the maximum amount of grapes that are sent to the tanks. Grapes are destemmed.
- Fermentation: Approximately 3 weeks, with gentle extraction by pumping during the fermentation phase. Some of the grapes vinified in whole bunches, with barrel aging directly after racking


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Terry Davenport
Glencliff High
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Thank you for considering Washington & Lee Catering for your next event. Our staff takes pride in ensuring your event is a success from setup to cleanup, we will be sure your needs are met. We have a large array of pre-designed menus from our Executive Catering Chef that we are sure you will enjoy.
This system is here to make your ordering requests as easy as possible. If our online ordering guide seems to be missing something, please let us know. Our desire is to serve you a truly memorable meal. If for any reason you have problems navigating your way through the site give us a call at the Catering Offices.
Derrick Smith - Director of Catering Services, Assistant Director for Dining
Alvin Wheeler - Assistant Catering Manager
We look forward to making your event, a special event!


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- Roller blinds
- Wooden blinds
- Roof blinds
- Aluminium Blinds
- Vertical blinds
- Roman blinds
- Panel blinds
- Blackout blinds
- Temporary blinds
- Water resistant blinds
We went for some gorgeous options on our blinds and they look stunning, thank you
How to Install Blinds
Homestyle Blinds installation guides
Whichever range of blinds you choose from Homestyle Blinds, one thing they all have in common is simple to follow installation instructions.
To see just how simple our DIY custom blinds really are, simply click on the relevant product PDF below and you can read how to install our blinds. Instructions also come in every package we send out to customers too, so you will not be without help. If you do get stuck and need a hand, we're only too happy to help - please call us on 0845 519 8969 and we will assist however possible.


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US M1913 "Patton" Cavalry Sabre
The US cavalry saber, Model 1913, was the last saber issued to the U.S. Cavalry. The designer was Lt. George S. Patton, Jr. At the time of its design, Patton was "Master of the Sword" at the Mounted Service School at Fort Riley, Kansas. The design was strongly influenced by Patton's extensive training in France, where the philosophy of sword fighting stressed the use of the point rater than the edge. For this reason the blade of the M1913 is straight, however, it still includes a double edge for the cutting stroke. The sword incorporates a large blued steel basket guard with broad ribbed knuckle bow. The grips are of checkered hard rubber. The blade is 35" long and made of .042" thick steel with a central fuller running to within 4 3/4" of its point. The scabbard is of treated hickory and covered with waterproofed olive drab canvas. Original production of the M1913 was by Springfield Armory, but when the US entered WWI an additional 93,000 were contracted with Landers, Frary, & Clark of Connecticut. This example in fine condition with blade stamped "US" with eagle head and "NO. 13" on one side and "L.F.&C./1918" with a flaming bomb on the other. Blued steel hilt with only minor wear marks. Grips are about excellent. Original scabbard with 100% intact canvas cover (some staining and color has faded). Blade generally bright and smooth with clear markings; one area of light pitting about midway and the flaming bomb is a weak stamping. Overall length 42" (not including scabbard), weight 2 pounds 13 ounces without scabbard, 4 pounds 7 ounces with scabbard. A very nice example of this much sought-after American sword.
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A West Coast dairy farm must pay $21,009.80 for serious employment breaches relating to two migrant workers, following an investigation by the Labour Inspectorate.
White Developments Limited was ordered by the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) to pay $5009.80 in arrears to the two employees and $16,000 in penalties for failing to pay minimum wage or holiday pay, provide employment agreements, or keep wage, time, holiday or leave records.
On 21 March 2016, the Labour Inspector issued an improvement notice giving the Hari Hari based farm until 22 April 2016 to pay the two employees what they were owed and fix their employment practices.
White Developments Limited repeatedly assured the Labour Inspectorate they would meet their obligations, and was granted an additional seven weeks to meet the conditions of the improvement notice.
It was only on 30 June 2016 the Labour Inspectorate lodged an application at the ERA, with White Developments Limited having failed to produce any evidence of the arrears being paid or of compliance with their minimum employment obligations.
"It doesn't matter whether you're in Bluff, Cape Reinga, Westport or anywhere in between - every employer in New Zealand must provide their employees with at least the minimum wage for every hour worked," says Labour Inspectorate regional manager Natalie Gardiner.
"Employers obligations to keep records of wage, time, holiday and leave records are important not only because they are a legal requirement, but because of the protection they offer to both parties if anything does go wrong.
"There are simply no excuses for failing to meet your obligations as an employer to keep records and provide employees with their minimum entitlements. These are long standing requirements of New Zealand law, which every employer must meet."
In addition to the penalties, White Developments Limited will be placed on a stand down period of 12 months restricting their access to migrant labour.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment encourages anyone concerned about their employment situation, or the situation of someone they know, to call its contact centre on 0800 20 90 20, where their concerns will be handled in a safe environment.


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Shoot Dates for Shady Creek Shootists 2016
Weather Forecast
New Cooks This Year, No Breakfast
CLEAN UP-SETUP DAY April 9th!
First Shoot Of The Season Sunday April 24th-
May 1st-------------------Shady Creek Shoot----------Regular Match
May 15th ----Proceeds to St Judes
May 20th, 21st & 22nd---------------- Charity Shoot,------- Milan, IL.
June 5th--------------- Shady Creek Shoot ---------- Regular Match
June 26th-------------------Shady Creek Shoot---------------Regular Match
July 3rd ------------------Shady Creek Shoot---------Regular Match
July 23rd ,24th ------Shady Creek Shootout-----ANNUAL MATCH!
August 7th--------------Shady Creek Shoot -----------Regular Match
August 28th---------Shady Creek Shoot-----------Regular Match
September 4th------------ Shady Creek Shoot----------Regular Match
September 18th-----------Shady Creek Shoot----------Regular Match
September 23td, 24th & 25th -------------------------- Milan Fall Roundup
October 2nd-----------------Shady Creek Shoot------ -------Regular Match
October 23rd-------------Shady Creek Shoot -----------------TWISTED SISTER !


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- Our Work
Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda
With an average yearly urbanization rate of 3.5%, slums have become dominant settlement types across Africa. Identifying local, environmentally sustainable and affordable building materials is a priority. Therefore, INBAR implemented "Development and Promotion of Bamboo Housing Technology in East Africa", with the goal of assessing bamboo's potential to meet regional housing needs in a low-cost, eco-friendly manner. This project built one conventional and one modern bamboo building in both Kenya and Uganda, trained over 60 people on bamboo cultivation, management and construction, and conducted feasibility, value chain and sustainability studies on Ethiopian bamboo construction. This increased civil society awareness on bamboo's potential as a construction material; two universities adopted bamboo construction in their curriculums. We also found that mid/low-income urban bamboo housing and tourism lodges can be economically viable in Ethiopia.Project partners