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dassra, dussehra, festival, fiction, good over evil, lanka, laws of manu, metaphor, raavan-dahan, rama, ramayana, ramlila, ravana, ravana effigy, Story, ten heads, vandalism, vijayadashami, writing
This Dussehra, like every year, Ram was to destroy the ten-headed villain Raavan again.
In Tarun Nagar neighbourhood, they had designated a resident politician's young grandson as Ram. The demon Raavan, obviously, being the two-storey high effigy that was being erected on the grounds. Two days later, it would be burnt down while people watch with pride, bringing with some deliberation to their conscious minds that they are, indeed, celebrating the victory of good over evil. Ram over Raavan. Tarun Nagar over Gandhi Nagar. Everyone in the small neighbourhood boasted of how much grander, taller, more expensive their Tarun Nagar Raavan was.
The metaphor of the ten heads has not trickled down well through the three yugas that followed Lord Ram's, which was when the Bull of Morality, as it says in The Laws of Manu, stood on three legs, which wasn't nearly as bad as the present Kali yuga, when the said bull is pretty lame. The hero's victory is celebrated as Dussehra- the day he killed the multi-headed demon who held captive the former's wife, Sita, on the Lankan island. Today this is just a cool mythological tale, heard and enacted for entertainment; an excuse to allot a day for eating a grand traditional fare, including sweet, gram-flour stuffed puran-polis.
Tarun Nagar people were proud of their two-storey high Raavan. It rested in the middle of the ground- multicoloured, tethered to small posts that otherwise held up practice nets for cricket. Close to a hundred residents swarmed around, working on parts of the giant like Lilliputians around Gulliver. It was being stuffed with firecrackers. Elderly Mr. Khanna fashioned its painted hay moustache on his own. A handful of teenagers rested with newspaper scraps shielding their faces from the October sun. They had stayed up the previous night working on the effigy.
Mouth-open and eyes narrowed, Ved placed the last square of tinsel carefully on the Raavan's crown.
He ignored the excess glue oozing from under the cardboard joinery, the badly cut paper on the Raavan's clothing, the bad paper cuts on his own soft seven-year old's fingers. He beamed at his creation. Paper scraps, sticks and vibrant material lay strewn all over the room and around him. There he stood picking at the dried glue on his chubby hands with satisfaction, putting an occasional bit into his mouth. Then, he gingerly lifted his masterpiece and brought it out into the hall, heart pounding. 'Dad.'
His father looked up from the garland of orange marigold and mango leaves he was making. Finally, he thought with pride and relief, happy for the shine in Ved's eyes. 'Much better than the giant on the ground.'
'What do you think?'
Ved giggled. Dussehra, celebrated ten days before Diwali, held more charm for him than Diwali itself. Ramayana fascinated him. Not the hero God Ram as much as the villain with ten heads. Ved was an unwanted volunteer on the neighbourhood ground, where the cool boys ruled. 'Cool' meant you either owned a bicycle, or had progressed from being a mere fielder in the neighbourhood cricket gang to a batsman. Ved was neither. Tired of being told not to interfere in the making of the community effigy, he had decided to make one of his own in a burst of emotion.
And now, his father's praise was a merit badge on his small chest. Mother scolding him for cutting up one of his notebooks for the demon's clothing also proved worth the trouble. She hugged him and said she was proud to have their personal Raavan to set fire to, that Dussehra.
Ved had a field day. His circle of friends loved the small Raavan. No one else had made one. He couldn't wait for his grandma, aunt and cousins to see it. The wait was hard. Evening stood hours away.
Then around lunch-time, Ved decided not to burn the Raavan because it was so pretty and he had worked so hard on it.
A little later, he decided to burn it when Grandma, Auntie Gauri and a handful of cousins would turn up in the evening to celebrate with them. Afterall, it was meant to be burnt.
The very next minute he reconsidered it.
The evening before on the community ground, Mohit Joshi, a love-struck teen on the grounds had held a giggly Prachi's hand, behind the Raavan's third head. Ved, preening the giant's many eyebrows could not hear what the bully told the girl with his nose in her oily hair. Ved found this both disgusting and stupid-
They sprang apart. Mohit jumped up and grabbed Ved's ear.
'Out. Out of here, now.'
'But why, Mohit dada?'
'Because I saw you ruin the Raavan.'
'I saw you stick the wrong coloured paper on the giant's hem. It's not supposed to have an amber border. Don't you know? And I think you stole some firecrackers from his crown.'
'That wasn't me! Must have been Janak.'
Mohit watched Prachi walk away in a huff. He bent down to look into Ved's large, unblinking eyes.
'We don't need useless, meddlesome volunteers like you.' Ved winced as Mohit gripped his arm hard. 'Don't want to see you around here, get it? Go away.'
So Ved had asked Mr. Khanna, while he smoothed his abundant moustache, if he needed assistance with the Raavan's.
'But of course not. You think I can't do it? Go stick paper on the hem, now.'
'But Mohit dada said…'
'Go away.'
He approached Nirmala auntie, while she painted the giant papier-mache feet. She told him to go home and thank you, because he was such a sweet child to have offered help.
'I won't spoil anything. Really. I am good at craft. At school, Miss Gautam says…'
She waved the paintbrush, and Ved got speckled with skin-toned paint that smelled of acetone. 'Go home, kid. Don't you have homework?'
It was barely past lunchtime on the day of the festival when the hooligans turned up. Ved was halfway through a ghee-coated puran-poli when a gang disturbed the neighbourhood with loud honking on speeding bikes. Some said they were from Gandhi Nagar and were here because some boys from their own neighbourhood had probably fought with the rowdy lot. Whatever the reason, by the time the vandals left, shocked Tarun Nagar residents were closing their ears to an unexpected din magnified by the afternoon's silence.
A rider on a Thunderbird, the last in the long line of supposed Gandhi Nagar vandals, had hurled a flaming torch in the middle of the ground. Only that morning, the Raavan had been pulled up to stand- a two-storey giant, decked in paper finery, stuffed with firecrackers for the evening's celebrations.
The Unofficial Tarun Nagar Circle of Important People summoned a representative from Gandhi Nagar.
'Why would we do it? Are you aware that some of us actually donated money for the Tarun Nagar Raavan?'
The host party was stunned. 'But who asked people from your locality donations for oureffigy?' asked Nirmala auntie.
'We didn't know it until yesterday. We are a large colony. Not everyone knows everyone. This teenager- a tall chap, curly haired, came around last month, ringing bells for money. Most of us gladly complied, assuming it was one of our volunteers.'
The Circle looked at each other. Who?
'Then, when the total from receipts did not match the amount on our account book, we discovered this. A schoolmate of his lives in my block. The boy can confirm who the curly-haired culprit is, if you like. But not today. The festivities are about to start.'
'Oh yes. Thanks to the crooks your locality harbours,' said Mr. Khanna. 'We aren't even left with anything to feel festive about.'
'See, we are not too pleased either. And, we are livid for the unethical money collection that happened from your side. But that does not mean we burnt down your Raavan.' He rose. 'Though Ram knows, we had the right to.'
There happened to be two teenage, tall chaps sporting curls in Tarun Nagar. Both accused the other of being the thief. Mohit Joshi versus Kiran Gokhale, Kiran Gokhale versus Mohit Joshi. Residents watched as the families joined in to exchange choicest Marathi abuses, some unheard of, perhaps invented on the spot. Joshis told the Gokhales that their children were not raised right. Gokhales pointed out the Joshis as a blight on the Konkanastha Brahmin community.
Tarun Nagar watched the referee-less match on the ground until the sun settled on the charred bunch of bamboo poles. Their Raavan's skeleton.
Custom demands the exchange of gold leaves, along with good wishes. Thousands of Apatitrees go naked every Dussehra, sources of the said leaves which, when held at a certain angle, shine an ethereal gold in the sun.
Poeple carried sulky expressions along with the leaves that evening, spoke less of good wishes and more of the unfortunate event.
By eight, autumn stars dotted the sky. Faint cries of 'Jai Sri Ram' preceded pops of firecrackers from the Gandhi Nagar direction. A rumble of applause followed. The colourful fireworks could even be seen from Tarun Nagar.
Mr. Khanna, for one, did not believe the Gandhi Nagar diplomat. Whether over an unfair act of obtaining donations from a different neighbourhood or not, it was still an anti-social act. He called in people from the local paper.
The local politician whose young grandson was to burn the effigy had thrown a grand tantrum.
Meanwhile, Nirmala auntie had a brainwave on one of the leaf-exchange visits.
'That sweet boy of yours,' she told Ved's mother at the latter's home. 'He tried to help us so much. Alas…' She eyed the tiny effigy planted in their front yard again next to the holy basil. 'Oh, now when did he craft that wee demon?'
The decision was no longer Ved's.
'I don't want to burn my Raavan.'
'Well it was going to be burnt anyway, wasn't it?' asked his visiting cousin.
'What do you mean no?'
'No!' Ved burst into tears, running to his room.
His father knew the neighbourhood wanted to burn the tiny Raavan for the sake of showing fake goodwill, for putting up a show of being brave in spite of having such unfairness thrown at them. Everyone wanted to put Ved's labour of love high up on a pedestal in the middle of the ground, next to the burnt Raavan. A hurriedly organized ceremony would state how they were not affected.
'Gandhi Nagar people may have a grand Raavan, but Tarun Nagar folks will have something more meaningful,' said young Mr. Fadke.
'Even if it's minisc– small,' Mr. Garge added from next to Ved's Raavan. The entire Unofficial Circle was in Ved's house, trying to convince the small boy and his adamant parents. Grandma occasionally interrupted the cacophony with 'don't force him,' and 'leave my poor boy alone.'
'Not daunted by the act of vandalism, we aren't,' recited the resident politician to the news people. The grandson prince now wanted to set fire to Ved's Raavan himself. He bawled, ruining his blue make-up and blue Ram costume. Meanwhile, the news people tried to convince Ved, and all they managed was ample footage of a seven-year old crying, sitting on his cot cross-legged, throwing cushions at the camera.
'Your son is a spoilsport. Where is the good, giving nature you should have instilled in him by now?' Nirmala auntie asked Ved's parents. Grandma asked her to leave in a tone not too polite. The news people had already left. The small crowd of Tarun Nagar people that had accumulated to convince Ved dispersed. The politician's grandchild was promised a new bicycle and that stopped his tears.
The metaphor has not trickled down well through the yugas. First, there's ego- the biggest, most central, most domineering. Then there's pride, the first of the other nine, the first step towards them. Ego and pride together prod us to become infatuated with infatuation, fall in lust with lust, be overly passionate about passion. But they do not make us hate hatred, become angry with anger or be envious of envy. They feed greed to selfishness. Ego, the pivot, arranges them all in one neat row. The ten heads glower down at us ever more oppressively.
'All those people have left, son. You can now set fire to your Raavan all by yourself. Come. Grandma is waiting for you. She is proud of the little demon!'
'I am not a little demon!'
'I said the little demon. Your Raavan. And she is proud of you for making such a beautiful paper statue. Now come out, your mother has cooked some more puran-polis. Just for you.'
'Dad, I don't want to burn it. It took me two days to make it.' He buried his face in the tear-soaked pillow.
'That's the point. See, that's why we should burn it. So next year, you make a bigger, better one.'
Ved frowned. 'And burn that one too?'
'Yes. So the year after that, a bigger one can follow. And a bigger one after that. All the way till you make one as great as the one that was on our ground. Who knows, maybe yours will even be taller than two-storeys. I'm sure you can make one. I'm sure you will.'
'And what happens after I make the tallest Raavan ever?'
'The day you make a Raavan as tall as you possibly can and burn it, you will have truly conquered it.'
Ved considered this. 'Like Lord Ram?'
'Like Lord Ram.'
The family stood around the holy basil. Ved approached the Raavan carefully with Grandma, a sparkler alight in his hand.
Everyone cheered when the hem caught flame. Ved stepped back, holding Grandma's hand. His cousins clapped.
A handful of neighbours joined in on hearing the peppery sound of small crackers that Ved had diligently planted inside the giant's cloak. The group watched the fire creep up the villain from the inside. Soon the Raavan's furrowed face lit up with a final raging glow against the surrounding darkness.
In less than ten minutes, it was gone.
© vaidehi


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Former Key Theatre favourite Michael Cross will don his best frock once more as he returns to the panto stage later this month.
Michael will be reunited with old pal and fellow Key collaborator Simon Aylin in Dick Whittington & His Cat - written and directed by Simon - at the Stahl Theatre in Oundle on Saturday, December 19, and Sunday, December 20.
Michael, Peterborough's dame of dames for almost two decades until a couple of years ago, said: "I loved Simon's production last year, beautifully staged and full of all the traditional elements that make pantomime such an important part of Christmas.
"The Stahl is a fabulous, intimate venue and provides the perfect setting for a show where audiences play such a vital part of the action."
Michael plays Sarah the Cook in the show which also stars Louise Russell and Pippa Higgs in the classic story which sees Dick and his loyal cat head off for a rags-to-riches magical pantomime extravaganza
Dick is off to London to seek fame and fortune, but he'll need your help to cheer, hiss and sing along with him and his lovable sidekick Tommy. Will he defeat the evil King Rat and his terrible gang of vile vermin?
Will he win the love of the beautiful Alice? And will he find the fortune he's after? With a bellyful of laughs served up by Simple Simon and Sarah the Cook, and a sprinkling of magic dust from Fairy Bowbells, this is one adventure that is guaranteed to be a hit with the whole family.
You can see the show on the Saturday at 4pm and 7pm, and the Sunday at 1pm, 4pm and 7pm.
All tickets are £13.50 (plus a £1 booking fee).

subset: commoncrawl


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We love getting a bit muddy here at Tayberry, especially if that getting muddy involves a big, gooey chocolatey mud cake. After countless bake-off inspired discussions we thought it was time to do our very own.
One Rule: It has to be Tayberry themed.
First up was Helen and her mud cake - A heavenly layered chocolate cake, smothered in a delicious fudgey icing. Some naughty little critter had been circling the top in his wellies, he was definitely hoping for a spoon full.
So after many hours of watching the clock to see if it was teatime yet, 4pm finally arrived and with it brought a pot of tea and plates and napkins (We were going to need them for this mud feast.)
So with our hands firmly on our mugs of tea, we had our forks and wellies at the ready to delve in.
We have decided on one a week to save us from rolling out of the office on a Friday, tea and cake for the next 6 weeks doesn't sound too grueling, I think I could get used to this.
All this chocolate talk is making my mouth water, Lucky I have some sweet smelling brownies cooking up a sugary storm in the oven.
I planned this one well.


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Avalanche Energy
We design minimalist solar products that are efficient yet affordable and accessible to the average homeowners and small businesses.
- Stage Product In Development
- Industry Clean Technology
- Location Boston, MA, USA
- Currency USD
- Founded November 2013
- Employees 1
- Website avalanche-energyinc.com
Company Summary
Solar energy has had limited adoption in the US commercial and residential sectors due to high installation cost and orientation requirements. At Avalanche Energy, we believe that clean energy should be affordable and accessible to everyone. Our company designs and supplies minimalist solar energy product that are highly efficient, compact, and economic for residential and commercial small-scale applications.
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Gary Schall, WilmerHaleLawyerUnconfirmed


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Market Research - The Key to Positioning Your Book
The Underutilized Secret Weapon in Your "How to Get Published" Arsenal
Market research is a "secret weapon" because so many people neglect to do it. Knowing your book's potential market can help distinguish you as a writing pro versus an amateur.
Thorough market research helps you look good to agents and editors and can help your book successfully reach its target audience. If you understand exactly how your book fits into its marketplace of readers, you are ahead of the game in getting your book published.
To clarify – this isn't about the research needed for the writing of the book. This is about the research needed "position" your book in a query letter or book proposal or to help you target readers for a self-published book.
Book Market Research Makes Sure You're Current
I'm not alone in thinking far too few people do their market homework. In an interview with children's literary agent Elizabeth Harding, I asked the Curtis Brown Vice President, "What would you tell writers who aspire to write children's books?" She replied without hesitation, "I'd ask them: 'Have you read any lately?'"
Her point was that it's not enough to have a creative impulse. Book publishing is a business and, like every media business, there are traditions, conventions, hot topics and trends that change constantly. If you are serious about being an author, it's your business to know what's current and where your book fits into those.
Luckily, the Internet makes it easy to do research. For example, searching on Amazon.com will even give you books that are publishing in the future a bit, so you know what's coming. And the go-to industry Publishers Weekly and its various organs can help keep you up-to-the-minute with news on what's going on in publishing and in the bookstores.
Book Market Research Tells You Who Your Competition Is
What's out already there? Is what's out there selling well?
My own first book was with co-author Janice Fryer about cookie decorating. We'd both been good bakers and I'd been in the cookbook publishing business — but when Janice (who is in book sales) asked me to suggest a cookie decorating book for design inspiration, I couldn't think of a single one.
I started to research the topic and, as it turned out, there were two robust cookie decorating books available at that time and a number of books that had some cookie decorating content, but nothing seemed quite what we were looking for in our own baking efforts — and we realize there might be a hole in the cookie decorating market.
Book Market Research Helps You Position Your Book
What does your particular book idea bring to the marketplace that similar titles don't? This is the question you need to ask yourself.
Competition isn't a bad thing - a number of books on the market mean there's actually a market. But your goal in knowing the competitive books inside and out is to be able to spell out in your query letter or book proposal why the book you will write is different and better than what's already out there. Chances are you'll need to get your hands on the actual book from a bookseller or a library.
If you're a genre novelist, you need to know who else is writing in your paranormal / mystery / romance space. This is because a whole host of people in publishing companies and on book blogs are going to want to compare your work to someone else's so that readers get an idea if you're "for them."
Book Market Research Steers You to Appropriate Agents
Researching the current literary agent market is prudent and highly advised. You want to make sure that the person you approach represents the kind of book you're writing, and that he or she is properly credentialed.
Use literary agency websites and social sites like LinkedIn will help you research the agents and editors who are most likely to respond to your work for when you send out that brilliant query or bulletproof proposal.


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A Silver win for Digitata Insights
Digitata Insights has won global recognition and a Silver award at the recent Festival of Media Global Awards, for the "Sunlight Smart Water Savers" mobile game it developed for Unilever's Sunlight two-in-one campaign. The win is further evidence that gaming is an increasingly effective way for marketers to engage with audiences for longer than they would in the case of a traditional advert, in a novel way.
Digitata Insights conceptualised the campaign, "Sunlight Smart Water Savers", based on a brief from Unilever as a means not only to increase awareness for its Sunlight laundry brand, but also as a way of contributing to drought relief efforts in the Western Cape by encouraging an interactive way to save water, which would have a positive impact on global communities, as well as society at large.
The campaign, which was covered by Redzone earlier this year, highlighted the benefits of Sunlight's re-engineered 2-in-1 washing powder. Digitata Insights chief marketing officer Henk Swanepoel says that to communicate the benefits of the washing powder, as well as drive awareness around the importance of saving water, the agency developed a mobile campaign based on gamification that would educate consumers around the brand values and, in an entertaining and interactive way, also get them to proactively think about saving water.
"It's an ideal platform to impart this type of communication," says Swanepoel. "Through gamification, consumers are engaged for longer than they would be when viewing a traditional advert, which means that the brand can incorporate multiple messages over a longer period of time." Swanepoel admits that it hasn't been easy to get most agencies to buy into the concept of gamification, but says that clients are beginning to see the benefits, which include the production of accurate data that is easily measurable – a huge plus given the current preoccupation with return on investment.
The big take-out
Gamification can be an effective way of influencing consumer behaviour and engagement.
Ultimately, gamification is a fun way for a brand to engage with consumers. Swanepoel points out that the Sunlight Smart Savers campaign created a way for consumers to enjoy themselves while learning to save a precious resource at the same time. Digitata Insights developed the campaign to be Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) based, so that it would work on feature phones. It made use of five of SA's vernacular languages and was free to play on Vodacom and MTN. A Web-based solution was developed for smart devices and desktops.
Ultimately, the campaign shows that gamification can be used to effectively entrench behaviours within those who engage with the platform and can be used to create a social impact.


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Father Allegedly Kills Son In Enugu
Spokesman Ebere Amaraizu said in a statement yesterday that the incident occurred on March 28 at Ameke Enu village in Oduma community of Aninri Local Government.
He said the son, who Ajah allegedly killed after a disagreement, was identified as 38yrs old Kenneth Ajah.
Amaraizu said the suspect had a misunderstanding over some issues with his son.
"It was learnt that following the alleged misunderstanding, there was a fight between father and son, resulting in the father hitting the victim on his head with an object.
"The son became unconscious and was rushed to a nearby hospital. He was later confirmed dead by a doctor on duty,'' he said.
The spokesman said the body had been taken to Awgu District General Hospital mortuary, adding that a manhunt is on for the fleeing father.
Posted by Olu Famous at 6:40 AM


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This week we will be training and cleaning up messes, hooray ;) It may not be all fun and games, but it is for sure a way to beat the holiday let down. I mean how can you frown looking at that little face?
Since we will be playing with this little guy so much I am keeping my menus simple this week. Tonight I am trying a quick salmon recipe (if successful I hope to share with you), and then we will do some take out and this crock pot chicken and dumplings. Which if you like chicken and dumplings (or even if you don't), you have to give this a whirl. Last time when I made it I stirred in some peas and a handful of fresh spinach at the end: so delicious, so easy, so comforting. Try it I dare you!
Sincerely Loving Food,


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Because this is a home site for a group that I own -
Elrond: Lord of Heaven- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/elrond_lordofheaven/. This section is devouted to the fanfiction that are
based on any of Hugo's characters. It WILL NOT be haveing any real person fiction on it. So check out these authors and their
Kirina (unfinished)
Jane Doe
The HugoNet
[ Join Now | Ring Hub | Random | << Prev | Next >> ]


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Recently, at the launch event of her Maxim cover Bollywood actress turned global icon Priyanka Chopra addressed the media. She talked about her career plan and said that she is very secure about her career and looking forward to her Hollywood projects.
Priyanka said,
There are many actors who have taken sabbatical. I don't think we need to force ourselves on Indian audience. I am not an insecure person in life. I will do a film if I like it and have time. I have a show coming every weekend. Baywatch will have a huge release in India. I intend to bring the cast here. We will have a world press junket."
During the press conference, she also spoke about the wage disparity amongst male and female stars,
As much as there is huge pay disparity between male and female, it is in the society in general. The day a woman's film grosses like a male star, we will get paid more. Audience should watch the movie for its content. Not for male or female. It is unfair for it to be a pressure on a female star that your film isn't doing well. It will happen soon. Men need to stand up for feminism."
Well said PeeCee!!


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Court Sentences Man To Death For Killing Wife Who Infected Him With HIV
Justice Raliatu Adebiyi of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja yesterday convicted and sentenced a man, Katungi Phillips, to death for stabbing his wife Justina James, to death for allegedly infecting him with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
Justice Adebiyi handed down the verdict after she found Phillips guilty of a charge of murder brought against him by the state government.
The prosecution team led by Mrs. O. R Ahmed-Muili, had told the court that the convict committed the offence at 3.21am on July 26, 2014 at his residence at Pako House, Oniru, Lagos.
Ahmed-Muili had also informed the trial judge that the convict who had been married to Justina for two-years stabbed her all over her body with a kitchen knife after discovering that she had infected him with HIV.
The lawyer stated, "After discovering that she had infected him with the virus, the deceased allegedly wanted to leave him for another man.
"He stabbed his wife a kitchen knife during the ensuing argument and he also attempted to kill himself by stabbing himself in the abdomen with the knife," she said.
Phillips was arraigned in court on Feb. 8, 2016 and during the course of trial, the state called four witnesses: three police officers and the sister of the deceased wife testified at the trial on behalf of the prosecution.
In his testimony, Insp Alexander Onoja, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) claimed that the defendant confessed to the police to have stabbed his wife.
Onoja said, "He confessed that he murdered his wife because he discovered they were both HIV positive and he was infected through her.
"He alleged that she informed him that she was leaving him for another man," he stated.
The IPO further testified that when the police visited the crime scene Justina was already deceased and her body was in a pool of blood while Phillips was lying beside her corpse with a knife wound to his abdomen and "his intestines hanging out".
Philips, while testifying in his own defence, used the defence of provocation, claiming that his wife was stabbed while they were arguing over his missing mobile phone.
The convict said, "We were arguing over my missing phone, she stabbed me with the kitchen knife, I grabbed the knife from her hands and stabbed her once."
Justice Adebiyi in her judgment held, "The prosecution were able to prove by cogent circumstantial evidence that the defendant intended to kill the deceased.
"I hereby find the defendant guilty of the murder of Justina James.
"In view of the mandatory sentence for murder in Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
"The defendant Katungi Phillips is hereby sentenced to death, may the Lord has mercy on his soul," Adebiyi said.
The judge rejected Phillips defence of provocation, maintaining that the multiple stab wounds inflicted on Justina by Phillips were excessive in comparison to the single stab wound the convict sustained.
Justice Adebiyi said that based on the evidence before her, the defence of provocation was not plausible and that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
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Pregnancy & Postnatal Massage & Remedial Therapy
For most women who have children, the time when they are pregnant and the time after they have given birth is a very fulfilling and happy time. It is also, however, a time when significant demands are made of the body. While the body is amazing in the changes it goes through to facilitate the development of a new life, it also brings along with it some aches and pains, and muscle tightness due to changes in posture, hormones, etc.
Unfortunately this also coincides with a period of time where it often becomes quite hard to find someone qualified and willing to give a pregnant or early postnatal lady a massage.
Kelly is qualified to massage ladies during the stages of pregnancy (we tend to recommend waiting until the end of the first trimester, once the pregnancy is well established). She has also undertaken extra training specifically focussed on aiding physical recovery for the postnatal mother, including issues which can arise from a caesarean section delivery.
Benefits of Massage in Pregnancy & the Postnatal Period:
- Stress reduction, which can aid sleep and improve hormonal and gastrointestinal systems
- Reduction of aches and pains, e.g. backache, headaches, shoulder and neck pain.
- Reduction of joint pain from tightened muscles, e.g. pelvis, hips
- Relief from Sciatic pain
- Increase of blood circulation and lymphatic drainage
- Boost to the immune system
- Reduction of fatigue
- Reduction of swelling associated with water retention, e.g. in lower legs and hands (a factor in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome)
- During the postnatal period, massage therapy can help reverse some of the postural changes which occurred in pregnancy and may improve healing rates by encouraging blood and lymph flow to areas of injury.
- Provides precious 'time out' for the new mother / mother –to-be during a demanding phase of life.


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Saturday-Plus subscription
Beeline Reader
We're constantly looking for innovative ways to improve the Springwise experience, and so we're now introducing BeeLine Reader, a new technology that helps you read more quickly and efficiently. To learn more about BeeLine Reader, an award-winning startup funded by Intel Capital, see BeeLineReader.com.
Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant recently introduced a clever Saturday-Plus subscription. 'Plus' subscribers receive a paper version on their doormats on Saturdays, while on weekdays they have access to the (full) digital version. Which mirrors the lifestyle of more and more readers: no time to read the paper version from Monday to Friday, combined with little desire to leave the home early on Saturday mornings to get the still-popular paper weekend edition. Very astute, not just from a publishing approach, but from a behavioral, process and service angle as well. On Saturdays, this is where you lose dedicated reading time! Opportunities…
Spotted another good idea???
Join our network and earn rewards


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Creator: Steve Lightfoot
Cast: Jon Bernthal, Amber Rose Revah, Ebon Moss-Bachrach
After the murder of his family, Marine veteran Frank Castle became a vigilante known as The Punisher and revenge is on his list.
The punisher was introduced in the second season of Daredevil which now has his own series. And the Punisher after seen his family murdered decided to avenge them and to kill everyone involved. He discovers that his family was not murdered randomly and it links back to his actions when he was in the military. And no he has no super power well he knows how to use a gun. In the title role, Jon Bernthal is fantastic and embodied his character beautifully well. He his on a revenge path but also became a psychopath capable of killing anyone and everyone, and beside behind strong he has also a charming side. The series is making human at times a human who has feelings. The series has a conspiracy thriller and it works here very well. Yes there are the occasional flashback so you can see where he came from. And Yes the Punisher has a big success on Netflix therefore they will be a second season.


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With it getting close to the end of the year, also the end of my time here at Purdue, I have been doing new things because I know that my window of opportunity is closing.
Attending a Purdue Baseball game was never something I had thought about doing, but when a few friends brought up the idea to me, I didn't want to miss out.
I am so glad I went because going to the game and enjoying the living atmosphere, not to mention the hot dogs, created such a happy memory.
After attending my first Purdue Baseball Game, I put together a video for you to watch and get the perspective of other Purdue students as well. Enjoy.


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kLink (Secure Document Transfer to and from your Users)
kLink is a Customizable Online Server for the IBM i. It can be configured to do many things including: Document distribution, secure file transfers (upload and download), and receive submitted Interactive PDF Forms data. kLink also includes programmable buttons for performing many other custom business processes.
kLink uses two HTTP Servers to transfer documents to and from any browser or mobile device, including iPads, iPhones, and Android devices. One kLink server is for your employees (those with User-ID's) and the other kLink server is for your customers or agents (those without User-ID's).
Try kLink for Yourself
You can click the kLink Icon (below) to connect to our kLink server. You can login as a guest to try out some of the features.
To log on as a guest
Username: guest
Password (case sensitive): guest
kLink has built in security to prevent hacking and to allow easy transfers of private content to and from the appropriate authorized end user.
For Employees, kLink adheres to standard IBM resource security for the IFS. For all users, kLink will only access the directories that you specifically configure for them to use.
kLink uses its own built in security to share public and private content only to the correct users.
Customer Sign-In
When connected, the Sign In screen will appear:
Public Directories
The users will only be shown and have access to the appropriate directories in the IFS. Any Public directories that you define in the kLink System Setup will be presented to the User.
Private Directories
Links are made for each of the User Accounts. A Link is the name of a Private Directory in the IFS that contains a user's private content. As an example, the Invoices Directory (shown below) contains lots of Private Directories. This particular user has I522 (which is their customer number) added as a Link to their account, therefore that directory is the only one presented.
Online Registration
To simplify and speed the registration process, you can set up kLink to allow online registration. New users are led through a series of validation and security questions so that they can be automatically authenticated. With online registration, users can add private Links to their accounts only after the server's validation program verifies their answers.
The kLink accounts can also be maintained by an administrator within your company.
Employee Sign-In
A second kLink server may be used by your own employees, who sign in using their normal User Profile and Password. It will deliver content that the IBM resource security allows for their user profile, within the IFS directory path that you define in kLink.
kLink Extensions
kLink Extensions are programmable buttons that provide automated mobile communications between a company and its users (employees, customers, agents). Each Extension that is configured will add a button to the top of the user's screen while browsing with kLink. In the example below three Extensions have been added titled: Outstanding Invoices, Sample Online Orders, and Sample Extension.
Extensions Screen
Extensions are configured by defining input and output objects to appear on the user's screen. The user fills out or selects items from the screen before submitting it. Prefill programs and Exit programs are used to prefill screens and process the input data coming from your users. The programs return messages back to the user, as it monitors their progress. Any external process can be called for or triggered by the Prefill and Exit programs to prefill and validate the users input, save the input data, process an order, or to perform any desired process.
Validation Program
You will define up to 3 different validation questions to be asked of new users to authenticate them. A customized program is used by kLink to verify the answers to your questions, by checking the answers against data found in your own master files. This program will only allow the appropriate users to register new accounts and to add Links to their accounts.
Adding Content to a Link
KeyesPDF, KeyesMail, and KeyesArchive all have the capability to automatically burst spooled files, generate PDF documents for each part and store the results in the appropriate private directories in the IFS. Files can also be placed manually onto the IFS for distribution.
System Requirements
Any model IBM i (i5, iSeries, AS/400 (RISC only)) Computer
OS/400 Version 5 Rel 3 or higher
All prices are per Logical Partition.
(All Models IBM i (i5, iSeries, AS/400))
Multicopy discounts
Quantity Discount
2-4 10%
5-9 15%
10-19 20%
20+ 30%
Annual Maintenance
The first year of maintenance is free. Thereafter, an annual maintenance fee of 20% of the current price will keep your system current and bug free.
Live Software:
Download to a PC and double click, then view the included Readme.txt.
Version 5 live software, V6R1M0 or higher
Version 3 live software, V5R3M0 or higher
Version 5 manual
Version 3 manual
Version 5 brochure
How to add an SSL Certificate for kLink
How to create an SSL Application for kLink
Date Uploaded
Date Uploaded
Date Uploaded
Date Uploaded
kLink - Version 5 V6R1M0 or Higher
To try kLink free for 30 days, use the link below to download the software to a PC and then double click to extract a Readme.txt with further instructions. Contact us or use the form below to have an activation code sent to your email.
Contact Form:
Version 5 live software, V6R1M0 or higher
Date Uploaded
*If you do not know your Serial Number or Lpar Number, install kLink on your IBM i from the download link first, and then use the following commands to display your Serial Number and Lpar Number:
chgcurlib kllib
kLink - Version 3 V5R3M0 or Higher
To try kLink free for 30 days, use the link below to download the software to a PC and then double click to extract a Readme.txt with further instructions. Contact us or use the form below to have an activation code sent to your email.
Contact Form:
Version 3 live software, V5R3M0 or higher
Date Uploaded
*If you do not know your Serial Number or Lpar Number, install kLink on your IBM i from the download link first, and then use the following commands to display your Serial Number and Lpar Number:
chgcurlib kllib
Apple iOS:
kLink Mobile can be found in the Apple App Store HERE.
kLink Mobile is a free application that can connect users to your kLink server. It allows mobile users on Apple iPhones and iPads quick access to servers they have been grated access to, allowing them to download (and upload, if uploads have been turned on) any file to your kLink server.
kLink Mobile provides a file system on the user's device where any file, regardless of whether or not the device can open it, can be stored. Saved files of types that can be opened by the device or by other applications within the device can then be accessed and used at any time, even when offline.
kLink Mobile integrates with your device to allow you to save files to the app's file system from email or text message, as well as send files into your file system from those and other locations as well.
kLink Version 5.0
12/09/2015 - Add a Date Picker
A new type of input field has been added to the kLink Extensions. A Date field will allow a user to select a date from a calendar. As of this writing, this new input field type is supported by Chrome, Opera and iOS. Other browsers will hopefully add this support some time in the near future.
10/21/2015 - Shows the Full Path for Employee Server
The full IFS Path will be shown on the kLink Browser screen for the Employee Server.
08/18/2015 - Added Screen Codes for Extensions
Screen Codes can be used to create a series of screens for an Extension. You may code as many screens as you wish, by specifying a one or two character Screen Code for each of the additional Extension screens. A new field called Next Screen is used to specify which screen, in the series, to display next. You can set the Next Screen code as you define each screen and can change the Next Screen programmatically, using Exit Programs.
08/18/2015 - Added Prefill Programs for Extensions
You can create Prefill Exit programs for your Extension screens. This will allow you to programmatically set Default values for Input fields or change entire Object Lines to different values.
08/18/2015 - Added Buttons, Files and Graphics Object Types to Extensions
New Object Types can be defined for your Extension screens. Buttons can be used to define your own processing buttons on the screen. Files can be used to display multiple columns of data across the screen. Graphics can be used to display images on the Extension screens.
With these new object types it is easy to generate any type of Order Processing screens with kLink.
kLink Version 4.0
06/09/2015 - Increase Maximum Size of Uploaded Files
The maximum size of Uploaded files, through the kLink server, has been increased. The previous maximum size was 16Mb. Now, you can upload files much larger. The new maximum size of uploaded files will be the size that you set in the Employee or Customer Server setup, in the "Max Uploads" parameters.
kLink Version 3.0
04/22/2014 - Edit Program for submitted PDF data
Source code for an Exit Program that can be used to edit PDF Forms data, has been added. The program will perform a live edit of the PDF Forms data as it is submitted by a user. If the data is rejected, it will not be recorded. The user will be able to correct the Form and resubmit the data to the kLink Server.
03/24/2014 - Receive submitted PDF Forms data
The kLink server will accept submitted Interactive PDF Forms data from your users. The data will be placed in a Source file that allows for easy processing on the IBM i. An .FDF file is also saved in your IFS. This allows you to open the original PDF with all of the Interactive fields filled out - just as the user had submitted the Form data.
12/17/2013 - Modify Upload Capability
The Upload feature has been moved from Extensions and placed in the base system. This will make Uploading data much easier to implement and control. The Upload capability can be turned ON or OFF for individual Employees and Customers.
kLink Version 2.3
12/04/2013 - Add Delete Capability
The ability to delete files from the IFS has been added. Each of the two servers (Employee and Customer) can have this function enabled or disabled in the kLink Setup. If Enabled, Employees or Customers will only be able to delete files that are within a directory that they have been given access to. The Delete capability can be turned ON or OFF for individual Employees.
11/15/2013 - Employee Server Log File
A Log file has been added to Log file viewing and file upload activity for the Employee server.
11/15/2013 - Employee Server Directory Enhancement
More options have been added that will allow a company to set different Root Directories for each Employee to access the IFS.
11/15/2013 - Fonts made 50% bigger
All of the fonts that the kLink server sends to browsers and mobile devices have been enlarged. This was done to make the display on small mobile devices easier to read.
kLink Version 2.2
09/06/2013 - Add Upload Files Capability
A new Object Type has been added to kLink Extensions. The new Object type allows you to add the ability for a user to upload files to the IFS.
kLink Version 2.1
08/07/2013 - Add Two Purge Programs for IFS
Add two purge programs that crawl through the IFS removing old files from Customer or Employee directories. These purge programs can be used to clean up the IFS directories used to disseminate documents through kLink.
08/02/2013 - Add Sort by Date to kLink
Add the ability to sort the IFS files by Date or by Name. Each user may select either sort order. Date order will put the newest entries first.
kLink Version 2.0
07/17/2013 - Add Extensions to kLink
kLink Extensions are used to provide automated mobile communications between a company and its users (employees, customers, agents). Each Extension that is configured will add a button to the top of the user's screen while browsing with kLink.
Extensions can be used to create an on demand system for delivering documents and data or they can be used to get additional information from users.
kLink Version 1.0
06/18/2013 - Add Home Directory Substitution into Employee Paths
You may code ¬H within the Root or Default Path for the Employee Server. This will be replaced with the Home Directory as it is recorded in the employee's user profile as they sign onto the kLink Employee Server. For example, if you coded "¬H" in the Path - kLink will start the employee in their own Home directory.
06/04/2013 - Do not allow QSYS to be accessed
The Employee server does allow the setup to select the Root directory in the IFS for display. QSYS is accessible from the Root directory. We have altered the Employee server so that it will not display or work with the QSYS directory from the IFS.
05/28/2013 - Add User-ID Substitution into Employee Paths
You may code ¬U within the Root or Default Path for the Employee Server. This will be replaced with the User-ID of the employee that signs onto the kLink Employee Server. For example, if you coded "/Home/¬U" in the Path - kLink will start the employee in their own directory within the Home directory.


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My wedding photographer, posted this today and I wanted to pass it along. It is a very amazing and touching story. Please see the link below.
A Wedding to Remember
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Incredible Story
Posted by Dani Leigh/Sweet D! at 2:49 AM
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Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Hey lovelies, hope your Eid was amazing. Dropping by to share glimpses of July as it comes to an end. Since most of the pictures I took from my camera were of food, I know:p, here is the Instagram version for this month instead. Enjoy!
The mosque got festive as Ramadan began. Loved the odd evenings before Iftar2 when the husband was taking a nap and Anya was down for the night. Peaceful bliss as I read my Quran3.
Seattle summer kicked off with some hot hot days as the month began and then some not so warm ones like one morning of 4th of July crafting at Gymboree's Play and Music.
It was hard to get through the 18+ hour long fasting days at home. And many a cooking sessions at her new play kitchen (Her gift for finally going diaper-free:p) kept us occupied as did walks around the neighborhood when the day just wouldn't end. Every night ended with some chai with the hubby after Anya went to bed.
Decorated up the house a little for Ramadan with our advent calendar which was updated every five days or so:p. Baked cookies every Friday evening with my little girl, to take to our sweet friends hosting our tradition of Potluck iftars2.
As the heart ached for the oppression happening a world across, we stood for all the lives lost.
There is something about Ramadan. Despite the lack of energy, the hunger and the thirst, it brings you closer to the deepest parts of yourself. It makes way for self reflection, for compassion, for empathy, for a desire to be a better person. And its beautiful. For the past couple of years, amid the excitement of Eid, I find the faintest sadness for the end of another Ramadan1. Why does praying, empathy, kindness, every little good deed become so much easier in Ramadan1 and then harder as you get used to your old life?
As Ramadan1 ends, lets all try to continue the good habits we started. Lets change even one small thing about ourselves or our lives for the better. Lets not let the good we earned go in vain.
How was your Ramadan?
Thanks for stopping by and lots of love.
1Ramadan in Arabic is the month of fasting. Muslims all around the world abstain from food etc from dawn to dusk. It is a month of spiritual awareness, compassion and kindness and ends with the celebration of Eid ul Fitr.
2Iftar is the meal Muslims eat to open their fast at sunset. Different cultures have different traditions to open their fast but most consist of dates and water and then traditional meals.
3Quran is the Islamic sacred book, the word of God as dictated to Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel and written down in Arabic.


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BMA is an independent global management agency specializing in brand strategy and design in fashion, luxury goods and art industries.
The Agency has set standards with new strategic and creative approach for established and new brands and companies.
Our team has a deep understanding of the dynamic cultural landscape, combined with an intuition that anticipates industry innovation.
Our approach makes brands emotionally distinctive, sets them apart from their competitors and drives sustainable growth.
We collaborate with our clients to re-imagine possibilities for their brand, and then develop design solutions rooted in strategy.
We have strong experience in Marketing, International consulting, Event management, Buying, Production.
We work with international brands in Fashion, Luxury Goods, Art industries.
We are based in Paris, and we have strong relations with our partners all over the world.
We provide individual approach to every client and respect his needs and expectations.
Our flexibility permits us to adapt our business-propositions to your budget, to the peculiarities of your product and market.
The responsibility obliges us to take care of all the details, to guarantee the quality of our services and carry out our commitments.


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|Colored Innocence by Asghar Gonchehpour.
One of the things I love best as the editor for Artist Daily is getting to know the artists in our community. A few weeks ago, I saw a mixed media portrait in the Member Gallery that caught my attention. The painting–a girl with wild, colorful hair and a tranquil expression on her face–looked like some kind of punk-rock angel. The contrast of bold colors in the figure's hair–red and blue–and her sweet, tender face were startling and lovely.
I contacted the artist, Asghar Gonchehpour, to ask about the inspiration for the work, and I want to share his artistic background and acknowledge the strides he's made in his artistry. I plan on reaching out to more and more of the many great artists in our online community in the future. In doing so, I admit that I'm going to be one busy girl, but it's one of the things I look forward to most in my job. And who knows–maybe next time I'll be able to feature you!
Artist Daily: How long have you been a painter?
Asghar Gonchehpour: I have been painting for 17 years. I finished high school in graphic design and got a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting and drawing from Bahonar University in Iran. As my whole income is from commissioned paintings and teaching art and painting techniques, I could say I am a full-time artist. Plus, I do photography, sculpture, and write poetry.
AA: Tell me about the mixed media painting, Colored Innocence. How did you make it?
AG: It's one of those works inspired from a photo, a simple black and white photo of a beautiful girl with an innocent look. The colored sketch was done with Photoshop. On canvas, the materials are mainly oil color and acrylic, and gesso for ruffled textures that I added late in the process. The toughest part of this painting was balancing the harsh change in her hair color with the calm emotion of her facial expression.
|This work is from Asghar's Kitchen series.
AA: Why do you call your website, Art for Heart?
AG : Romanticism is my favorite movement in art and literature. I like the way they imagined the world with love and passion.
AA : Do you work from your imagination, or from life, or from photos?
AG : I am used to watching movies and seeing photos a lot. Sometimes a photo is a good pretext for inspiring me. Sometimes for accomplishing the details of a simple imaginary sketch I ask a model to pose for me. Sometimes my entire work ends up without any references and only by my imagination.
AA : Can you tell me about your different series–Kitchen and Sufi Dance?
AG : There is a dreamlike atmosphere in the Kitchen series, where we observe a woman who lives in her kitchen, or it might be better to say she is stuck in there with her pans, concerned with cooking duties and all the routines that affect her normal life. Sometimes she just kneels there, gray and thoughtful, or in another scene drowned in the kitchen floor, unconscious. My intention was to create a female protagonist stuck in life's isthmus; her feminism is more about the soft side of the human essence.
The storyline in the Sufi Dance series is inspired by Rumi's poems. You see a figure who is being released or is about to be, whirling in a mystical dance and heading toward light.
|A painting from the Sufi Dance series.
AA: Why did you join Artist Daily?
AG : I just wanted to be a part of this beautiful and artistic world. The ability to upload works directly and get feedback from real artists is so amazing. Receiving the latest news and articles from the website is also useful.
Asghar mentioned that even after more than 15 years as an artist, he seeks out instructional resources on drawing and painting techniques, which is why a subscription to The Artist's Magazine could be a perfect fit for him–and you. It can inspire even a seasoned artist and give you insights into methods and processes that have been used by Old Masters and contemporary artists alike. Enjoy!


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Dimitrios lives in Greece and works as an external expert at Interactive Media Knowledge Transfer - InterMedi@KT. He regularly volunteers in various UNOV projects. He holds a Master of Arts in Economic and Political Governance in South-Eastern Europe, as well as a Master of Arts in International Relations. He is interested in foreign policy, conflict resolution and European studies.
About his motivation for contributing to the project:
"This project is an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and not just for the sake of it. It enhances our mutual understanding and can inspire changes – we face common problems and we need to find common solutions through cooperation. What is more, OneEurope brings us together and empowers the sense of being European, the fact that we are members of a greater family. In a word, it empowers our European identity".


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Facebook Live - Ghost Stories
Chris and Laura Trostel of TheIntuitiveCouple.com sat down with Steph Brady, a ghost hunter in Texas.
We asked her what got her in to this ghost hunting profession. Steph described a paranormal experience from college. Her boyfriend died and after that she saw an opaque figure three nights in a row that blocked her from getting up. She was convinced it was him. Ever since then she has been interested in the paranormal and ghost hunting.
Steph and her team venture in to the houses and conduct research on the ghosts or spirits that reside there. They then proceed to clear the house. She says they do this in one of three ways.
When asked when her team gets calls from people she told us it most likely happens when people actually start to get scared. She said people start to get pulled from their beds at night, they feel heavy pressure on their chest, noises and other unexplained events.
We asked how these spirits get in to the home and it seems any number of ways. From inviting them in through the Ouija board and seances to them simply following you home because you are comforting to them.
She believes heavily in protection and cleansing. Using sea salt, sage and other blessed objects to accomplish both.
Watch the video for the full interview and let us know your own ghostly encounters!


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While the Prime Minister's demonetisation move has grabbed the mind-space of Indians in recent days, one government-driven programme that has enthused citizens in recent months is the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), which aims at making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019.
SBM has allowed India to focus on the Sustainable Development Goal of securing sanitation for all, to be reached by 2030. Currently, 2.4 billion people across the world do not have access to safe sanitation, and sadly, nearly a third of this number is in India.
Making quality toilets requires interventions on linking supply chains for the toilet-building materials, and financing arrangements bridging the period till receipt of the government subsidy.
While there is some understanding of the impact on health (especially with regard to children and vulnerable groups) stemming from the lack of proper sanitation, the social and economic impact is less appreciated. Sometimes, women wait all day to go outside, after dark, to have privacy. Girls miss school every month unable to manage menstruation when schools do not have proper facilities. Children miss school because of the spread of disease caused by the absence of basic sanitation. Lack of proper sanitation not only affects the health of such people, but also their futures.
A recent audit report on CSR expenditures in water and sanitation programmes (by Samhita Social Ventures) shows that 75% companies were supporting programmes related to creating infrastructure, with little focus on behaviour change communication (BCC). Only 15% of the sample reported including toilet maintenance, and only 20% included BCC in their programmes.
The next few years will see widespread installation of sanitation systems. However, this will not solve the problems of health, social dignity and the impact upon earnings, unless interventions are made across the sanitation value chain.
Behaviour change communication must tackle the mindset that supports open defecation, not only in generating the demand for building a toilet, but also towards ensuring that all members of the household use the facility, day after day. This can only happen through a consistent effort at using every tool available—Community Led Total Sanitation, leveraging the persuasive power of school children and community-based institutions, testimonials and endorsements by role models and thought leaders, continued exhortation by the PM and administrative machinery, et al.
Organisations such as Tata Trusts that are focused on sanitation use extensive ethnographic research to develop behaviour change communication to bring about sustainable change by encouraging usage rather than merely construction of sanitation units.
As SBM lays down designs and construction norms to be eligible for the government subsidy (₹12,000 in rural India), there is an urgent need to build capacity across this part of the value chain, covering government functionaries all the way down to masons. Leveraging the power of technology (using virtual classrooms, linked to an expert imparting training from a central location) for basic and refresher courses can tackle the requirements of quality, speed and scale. The mission of making quality toilets quickly requires interventions on linking supply chains for the toilet-building materials, and financing arrangements bridging the period till receipt of the government subsidy. Large institutions and foundations with expertise in sanitation can play a significant role as development support partners of the government.
Africa is replete with examples of small- and medium-sized businesses creating value to "toilet resources" that have been used to produce biogas for energy, charcoal briquettes and organic fertiliser.
Having a toilet will not be enough for the user if there is no effective removal of the waste. A senior functionary from BRAC in Bangladesh recently shared with me that Bangladesh (which has achieved phenomenal success on being near ODF) now faces the huge challenge of waste disposal, as many of the pits linked to the toilets are filling up. The last big challenge to be tackled will be managing the waste.
Africa is replete with examples of small- and medium-sized businesses creating value to what was referred to as "toilet resources" at a recent international conference on sanitation held in Mumbai—these resources have been used to produce biogas for energy (by Safi Sana in Ghana), to produce charcoal briquettes (by Sanivation in Kenya), and to produce organic fertiliser (by Sanergy in Kenya).
India has few examples to show as yet of value creation from "toilet resources"—Samagra in Pune renovates and maintains public toilets in slums, with the operations partly subsidised by revenue generated from an internet kiosk (set up near the toilets) providing internet-based services to the community. I believe such organisations will show the way to many other entrepreneurs to successfully build businesses around sanitation.
While each of the aspects elaborated above has its own relevance in bringing about systemic change, true irreversible impact can only be achieved when all cogs work in unison to enable an open defecation-free India.


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Schroder, Bob
We are collecting all sports cards, memorabilia and any photographs of Bob Schroder. He is a graduate of St. Aloysius High School in New Orleans, LA. He appeared in 138 games, largely as a second baseman and shortstop, over four seasons (1965–1968) for the San Francisco Giants. Schroder signed with the Giants in 1964 after attending Loyola University New Orleans. After a partial rookie pro season spent in the low minor leagues, Schroder was promoted to San Francisco's 40-man roster for 1965 and stayed with the MLB team all season. Under the amended 1962 bonus rule, Major League clubs were compelled to keep players like Schroder on their 25-man roster for their first full season in baseball or risk losing them to another team. Schroder, 20, got into only 31 games and had only ten plate appearances for the contending 1965 Giants. He then split the 1966–1968 campaigns between San Francisco and the Triple-A Phoenix Giants. In 1967, he played in 62 games for San Francisco and logged 135 at bats, his MLB career highs. All told, he batted .217 during his time with the Giants; his 48 hits included five doubles and one triple.
To see our Bob Schroder want list, visit this link to it on The Trading Card Database. This is a free website. The Trading Card Database is an archive of trading cards and all things trading card related. It is maintained via crowdsourcing whereby visitors like yourself pitch in to add items with the goal of having a shared resource that not only preserves the hobby and its history, but also benefits collectors across the globe. The database is fully searchable by year, card manufacturer, player/character name, or team and is growing by the hour. You can add items to the site or use the database to track your personal collection by registering.
To see what we have for trade, visit Sportlots to view our inventory.
Click here to go to our Bob Schroder Gallery and see what we have in our collection.
Please like us on one of our Social Media platforms.


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01 Jan NEW HORSE FOR SYNDICATE WITH TRAINER CHARLIE WALLIS
Posted at 11:59h in News & Results
Jeanie's Place, a four year-old filly by Compton Place, will run in the Club's colours in 2017 due to an agreement reached with young trainer Charlie Wallis at Ardleigh, Colchester.
A winner on her debut as a two year-old, and lightly-raced, the filly was purchased from the Tattersalls December Sales and should be an interesting addition to the club's horses, with races at Chelmsford City Racecourse a target. Shares are now available – details on request.


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|Who decides when litigation is frivolous?
|Saturday, 16 December 2017 13:35
Curbing the tendency of various govt departments to endlessly litigate a case is easier said than done
Given around 45% of the 3.1 crore cases clogging the country's courts are from government departments—usually appealing the judgment of a lower court—various governments have talked of the need to curb frivolous litigation, and a National Litigation Policy was put in place in 2012 to fix this. According to a report in The Economic Times, modifications will be made to the policy and officers will be penalised for needlessly litigating a case—so, if the government loses a case in court, the default response should not be to simply appeal this in a higher court. The problem, though, is that it is not clear who will decide what is being excessively litigious. And if a bureaucrat decides not to appeal a particular court decision, what is to prevent the CBI from, several decades down the line, knocking on that bureaucrat's door, accusing him/her of favouring someone by not appealing the decision—recall the ongoing HC Gupta case. So, if this policy is to stand even a small chance of working, the Prevention of Corruption Act has to be changed immediately—the government has been trying to change it for several years, but has not managed to do this so far.
Also, keep in mind, decisions on not appealing cases aren't easy to take. In the Vodafone case, the government won in the High Court but lost in the Supreme Court—given cases can swing 180-degrees, had this been the other way around, should the government have appealed the case? And given that the government lost in the Supreme Court, should it drop the case now? Or take the Docomo case, where both the government and RBI believed Tatas could not be allowed to honour their agreement with the Japanese telco. When Docomo went in for overseas arbitration and won, RBI challenged the award in a local court. Under the new plan on frivolous litigation, should RBI be allowed to challenge an arbitration award? Expecting individual officers to decide on whether litigation is frivolous or not is unfair; if this is to work, various government departments will have to come up with rules, and instances, of what litigation is to be allowed and what is not.
And, as a general rule, if the original demand/stance of the government is an incorrect one, this is what needs to be fixed. If an income tax official finds it all right to issue a tax demand, on say a Vodafone or a Cairn, then it is too much to expect other officials to not appeal the case when they lose; in the Docomo case, once the government/RBI had taken a decision that the agreement was illegal, they simply had to keep challenging it. How important it is to fix things at the source can be seen from the fact that while tax collections rose 1.83 times, from `7.9 lakh crore in FY11 to `14.5 lakh crore in FY16, disputed tax claims rose 3.6 times, from `1.9 lakh crore to Rs 6.8 lakh crore. As any quality-control manual will tell you, you have to fix a problem at the manufacturing stage; expecting the problem to be fixed by strict testing at the end of the assembly line is not a substitute


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Greek Sector Contractors
Please fill out this form when you would like to share names of companies your house contracts for ANY services (i.e. lawn care, pest control, kitchen staff, caterers, cleaning services, security company, plumbing, painting, general services, etc.).
By sharing information here, you will be helping out those within the Greek community at Georgia Tech to hire the best and most efficient companies to help maintain the community - this is the GT Greek version of "Angie's List". There will also be the option to NOT recommend a company if your chapter has had negative experience. You may list up to three services in one form submission at a time - if you would like to rate the services of more than three companies, simply reopen the form as many times as needed and continue to submit. If you are looking to request information for a specific service or a summary of these findings, please contact the GNA Chair of your council or the Office of Greek Affairs.
Thank you for sharing!


text: LIFESTYLE Watch: How To Style A Classic Breton Top 3 Ways You can't get more classic than the striped Breton top. It's something that's been a style staple since the traditional cream-with-navy-stripe 'La Mariniere' was made the official uniform of navy seamen in Brittany following the 1858 Act of France. In this video see how to take a Breton top from work to evening to weekend with ease. More Videos Watch: How To Make Avocado Bread Watch: The Fastest And Easiest Way To Prep Garlic What Makes You An Introvert Or Extrovert Watch: The Easiest Way To Clean Your Dirty Pans Watch: 7 Reasons Why It's Okay To Pee In The


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Reminder! Break for one week! Classes begin again 23/02/15
By mellowburnyoga, Feb 11 2015 02:21PM
Hello Yogis!
I can't believe I am nearly at half term and have been teaching for a month already! Just to remind you that classes break after tonights class for a week during school holidays but we're back in business Monday 23rd February for the 9.45 class at Green Ark Community Centre, Lido Road, Guildford. GU1 1HB
Hope you all enjoy the week and look forward to seeing you on the mat for some more feel good factor
Mel x
Web feed
Copyright, all rights reserved 2016


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Ultra White Collar Boxing (UWCB) returns to Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) on Saturday 26th November.
The UWCB experience takes individuals with no boxing background through an eight week training programme; before taking to the ring in front of a 2, 600 strong crowd in AECC's GE Oil & Gas Arena.
This year AECC is not only hosting the event, a member of the venue's support team, Danny Thomson, is taking part!
Danny is one of 240 participants taking part in the charity event, which sees 120 fights taking place across three rings on the night. The event is part of a series aiming to raise £10million for Cancer Research UK.
The charity is close to Danny's heart after losing his grandfather to the disease eight years ago, he commented: "I chose to take part in UWCB to do something positive and raise money in memory of my Granda. Having seen the event in action when it was at AECC in September, I knew it was something I wanted to be involved with; raising money for a good cause and getting fit at the same time!"
Graeme Cumming, Interim Managing Director at AECC commented: "It is great that Danny is taking part in the second UWCB to be held at the venue; as a company, giving something back is important to us and we support our staff in their charitable work both through our charity of the year and through their pursuits out-with the workplace."


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Article first published as A Traditional Italian Family Christmas on Technorati.
When I was a child, Christmas was without a doubt the biggest event of the year. Even though I come from Switzerland and spent a good part of my life in this country, the influence of my Italian Grandmother, a Piedmont native, won over. Our Christmas celebrations, year after year, had a definite Italian shine to them.
First of all, there was none of this splitting the family at Christmas or gathering in different houses. The whole family met in my Grandmother's home for three days in a row. Extra tables and chairs were brought from our neighbouring houses, allowing everybody to sit and eat comfortably. The white table clothes and napkins came out of their cupboard, and the three long tables were prettily decorated. Numerous presents were carefully piled under the colourful Christmas tree so that the crib would not be disturbed. Us children had real trouble going to sleep the night before when our favourite day was so close.
On Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, serious action happened in the kitchen under my Grandma's orders. New recipes were tried every year on Christmas Eve, and I cannot recall one time when we thought one of the dishes was only average. The food was always delicious. We would start the festivities by some of the adults going to the early Christmas mass with the children, then come home and unwrap the presents while enjoying the aperitif. There was many a scream of delight as we discovered one of the toys we had so wished for. Once the excitement had died down a bit, it was time to eat and enjoy the warm family atmosphere. After the feast, the adults who had stayed home earlier would then go to the midnight mass, while the children collapsed into bed, exhausted.
Christmas Day saw the slow roasting of a massive turkey. The bird would be stuffed with a filling featuring chestnuts and the aroma made you feel hungry well before it was time for lunch. Sometimes black truffles would also be used, and I have this distinct image of incredibly thin mushroom slices being inserted in cuts in the turkey. Once out of the oven, the delicate truffle taste had perfumed the meat exquisitely.
Of course there was always far too much food prepared over these two days, which is why it became the tradition to all meet again on Boxing Day. Leftovers would then be eaten in a convivial manner. When there was not that much turkey left, the meat would be used to make a Bolognese sauce and homemade gnocchi then featured on the menu.
It has been a while since these childhood Christmases, but still today I cannot eat gnocchi without thinking about the lovely times we had.


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Some of your most commonly asked CLC World FAQs, answered:
What is CLC World?
CLC World started off as a family-owned company which has grown to have a presence in Spain, the USA, the UK, Turkey and Austria. In business for nearly 35 years, it offers a wide array of differing holiday products and services, so you can take the type of holiday that's tailor-made for you. It offers everything from overnight city breaks, relaxing weeks in the sunshine, private yachts, sea-going cruises, spa breaks, chill-out canal pleasure and leisure cruises and much, much more.
Who are CLC World?
CLC World's award-winning resorts have made it into one of Europe's leading independent operators of hotels and resorts in some of the world's most desirable locations including the theme park heaven of Orlando in the USA; the Canary Islands; the endless sunshine of the Costa del Sol; coastal resorts on the Aegean; the winter wonderland of Austria's Alps and holiday retreats in Cornwall and Scotland.
CLC World is built on the belief that everyone holidays differently. For that reason, we have provided tailor-made holidays for CLC World's long-time members and first-time clients since 1984. We strive towards one thing: to always exceed your expectations!
How does CLC World work?
Before becoming a member with CLC World, we offer different ways of holidaying that we'd like you to try. We fervently believe that if you have a fantastic holiday with us – even if you choose not to become one of our members – you will tell your family and friends about us and hopefully, they will want to try us out too.
How much does CLC World cost?
We operate many different types of holidays, as we've said, so there's no one answer to that question. You wouldn't expect there to be, but to give you the fullest reply to that question, simply contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com and see for yourself.
Where's the catch?
As the saying goes, 'there's no such thing as a free lunch, right?' It's the same phrase people use about cons. Well, your holiday accommodation is free, even if your lunch isn't! One of the best ways we've found to advertise ourselves is to give you a week-long free-accommodation taster. You can find out for yourselves what we're about in a presentation that takes up either a morning or an afternoon. And that's it.
For us it's word-of-mouth advertising: if you swim in the pools, eat in the restaurants and relax on our resorts, there's no better way to spread the word. A simple photo on Facebook of your holiday at CLC World or a mention on Twitter gets our name out there. Tempted? Then put us to the test.
Becoming a CLC World member means making a financial commitment to enjoy your holidays how, when and where you want! If you sign up and something happens to change your mind, no worries. There's a cooling off period that protects us and you. It's as simple and as straightforward as that.
CLC World – is it really 'free'?
If you go to one of our Travel Centres – in London, Manchester, the Cotswolds or Milton Keynes – you'll see for yourself everything we have to offer in one 90-minute presentation. By way of a thank you for your time, you'll receive a voucher that entitles you to a week's free accommodation at one of several CLC World resorts. While you're with us, as said before, we ask either a morning or an afternoon of your time to show you just how great holidaying with CLC World really is.
CLC World – good or bad?
Come and see for yourself. We're confident in what we do and how we do it after nearly 35 years in the holiday business, that we're certain you will be too.


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Licensed Medicare Part D agents represent virtually every insurer in the United States. No one knows the rules and regulations of the Medicare industry better than the local insurance agent.
Why Prescription Drug Coverage?
Who are the Real Beneficiaries?
Prescription Drug Insurance is for the benefit of the senior citizens of or above the age of 65 years. It offers a lot more than the original government Medicare program & helps you get the best value for your money. It has various plans & programs which provides you with extra help or 100% coverage, if you qualify for the low income subsidy.
Reasons for signing up to a Prescription Coverage:
- » A cost effective method when you are on a regular drug process.
- » Saves money when you go through an unexpected drug expenses.
- » Medication coverage at a very low premium.
- » If income is low, you don't need to skip the medicines as you get an extra help in the coverage plan.
- » There are a various private companies with different plans, so you have an option to choose the best needed plan.
- » Part D insurance providers have a big network of pharmacies & few offer services like home delivery options etc.
- » Private companies do not have any extra rates or hidden cost, offering better services with no unknown deductions.
- » Part D program offers various plans which can be easily understood & your physician can help you out in choosing the right one for you.
- » No other program [Government Original Medicare Program] provides coverage over drugs.
- » Plans under Part D provide flexibility to the beneficiaries.
- » Prescription coverage excludes the drugs which come under Part A & Part B, allowing you to involve in a better plan by opting for other medications.
- » Enrolling in Part D is easy if you are entitled to Part A or enrolled in Part B Medicare Program.
- » Monthly Premium is very low offering both, the generic & the branded drugs to choose from.
- » You have an option to stop using the plan you are enrolled in at any time of the year.
- » If you have a genuine reason to stop the plan, you are then allowed to enroll in another plan immediately.
- » There are many brokers in almost every city & state to help you in understanding the plans deeply & choose the right plan for you.
- » You have to pay a very low co-payment every month to the insurance company for the drugs you buy.
- » Staying up to date with the Medicare program can help you save a lot of money.
- » Part D is the lowest premium insurance providing best coverage over the drugs.
- » There are many programs & services which provides you coverage in Donut Hole period also.
- » For 2012, high spending in donut hole period makes you eligible for a rebate of $250 & if you enter the donut hole in 2012, you will be entitled to a 50% discount on branded medicines.
- » During emergency, help can be provided to you even if you are out of the network of the coverage area.
- » You have 4 easy options to pay the premium for the part D plan.
- » If you are not sure that you can qualify for extra help, you can easily apply as you won't be charged for it.
You have various reasons to take the Medicare Part D plan into consideration seriously as it will help you save a good amount of money that you are to spend in a year on your medicines.


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Supporting Teens on the Edge
You are not alone.
This is the message Rabbi Greg Harris of Congregation Beth El in Bethesda, Maryland, believes everyone should hear, especially after the recent suicides of two local teens. Family and friends may never know what led Jordana "JoJo" Greenberg and Thomas "Tommy" Silva to take their own lives, but the deaths of these two 16-year-olds touched the lives of many: from loved ones, to classmates who didn't know them, to parents who wonder whether their own child might be grappling with the same dark thoughts.
Rabbi Harris is part of an interfaith clergy group that is holding services and community meetings following the deaths of Greenberg on Nov. 27 and Silva on Dec. 3. Although he didn't know either teen, since learning of the tragedies he has spoken twice from the bimah (podium) to break a taboo that he believes causes people to stay silent about the depression plaguing themselves or a loved one.
"It's incumbent upon people to ask for help and for others to hear them," Rabbi Harris said.
Greenberg's parents, Sonya Spielberg and Jonathan Greenberg, and sister, Carina Rose, described JoJo in her obituary as "a vivacious, loving, and warm ray of sunshine, who brightened the lives of all she touched."
Greenberg attended Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda. She enjoyed acting, painting, volleyball, animal rights, and yoga, and had worked in a hair salon. While others knew of her infectious joy, she "fought a hard battle against depression for years," according to her obituary.
Silva was a member of both the wrestling team and the gaming club at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda. He was active in scouting and was working toward the rank of Eagle Scout. He loved camping, hiking, and fishing. He is survived by his mother, Patricia Silva, of Rockville.
"Suicide, depression, and anxiety are still taboo issues," although less so than they were 10 to 15 years ago, said Heidi Cohen, a licensed certified clinical social worker. Cohen is a clinical team leader in mental health for the Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA). She joined the Dec. 11 community-wide interfaith event at Congregation Beth El to provide guidance and answer questions about depression, suicide, grief, and support.
"Many factors can cause a young person to feel overwhelmed and see no future for themselves; from bullying, in person and on social media, to pressure to get good grades and be admitted to the right college," said Cohen. "Being on social media all day and seeing how happy, popular, and successful their friends are can cause teenagers to think everyone is enjoying life more than they are. When that happens to people struggling with mental health issues, it can deepen their depression."
It's important for everyone to be proactive, she said. Even if children seem happy and never knew the teen in their school who died by suicide, they were probably still affected by it. "Kids have such imagination," she said.
"My number one message is talk to your kids. Don't show any judgements. The only way we are going to take away the stigma is to talk."
Watching for Signs
While Jewish law prohibits taking one's own life, suicide is widely understood to be a result of mental illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide was the second leading cause of death in 2015 for people ages 15-24, claiming the lives of 5,491 young people. (The leading cause of death, at 12,514, was unintentional injury.)
This number doesn't fully capture the scope of suicide among teens and young adults, however. Some deaths are incorrectly listed as accidental or drug overdoses. Additionally, according to the CDC, more young people actually survive an attempted suicide than don't, further distorting the perceived scale of the problem.
Susan Rosenstock watched as her son, Evan, went from an effervescent young man to another teen suicide statistic. The Winston Churchill High School basketball star injured his back and had to step away from basketball and varsity athletics, his passions. No longer able to identify as an athlete, he began treatment for depression. He took his own life in 2013; he was 16 years old.
Since his death by suicide, his mother has held fundraisers, spoken at schools and community meetings, and operates the website UMTTR.org (You Matter) for anyone in distress to learn where to go for support.
When Rosenstock heard about the recent deaths by suicide, she said, "I think about the parents, the friends. I feel terrible. It's just sad."
Peers can play an important role in reducing the number of suicides, she said. "Friends are more likely to notice signs that parents don't see or are reluctant to grasp."
Stacey Meadows, LCSW-C, manager of child therapy services at Jewish Community Services in Baltimore, pointed out some common warning signs of children considering suicide, including sudden changes in personality, distancing or disengagement from activities or people that once were valued, giving away important or meaningful personal items, changes in eating or sleeping habits, and changes in moods. Other indicators include writing goodbye letters and researching ways to self-harm or die by suicide.
Sometimes, signs can be hard to recognize. Hormone changes in adolescence contribute to emotional volatility, and as children age, they become more independent and more likely to keep thoughts and activities from their parents.
If people have concerns about someone, Meadows recommends they talk to the person, "and if necessary, seek professional help. One of the strongest supportive factors [factors that reduce risk] is connection to others," she said. "It's better to seek help for someone who doesn't need it than to neglect the need and lose a friend to suicide," she stressed.
Two months ago, Montgomery County launched "BTheOne." It's a local version of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's "#BeThe1To" public education campaign, which is designed to curb teen suicide and drug abuse. Posters at bus shelters, public service announcements, and a website let people know where they can get help. The county also has a 24-hour crisis center that can be reached by calling 240-777-4000.
Additional local resources include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255 or text the word ANSWER), EveryMind (301-738-2255), Washington D.C. Access Hot Line (1-888-793-4357), and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (nami.org).
By Suzanne Pollak
Suzanne Pollak is the senior writer/editor at Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington. She was a reporter at The Courier Post in New Jersey and The Washington Jewish Week, and she now writes for The Montgomery Sentinel.


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Creating a nurturing environment that supports the early development of our children is essential. It builds the foundation that each child needs to stand on later in life when he or she must overcome the challenges that they will encounter. Our staff is committed to making this foundation solid.
Kay Doremus
We are currently interviewing staff that will fulfill this pledge.
Additional information about the staff is available upon request.
For more information, email us!