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A REAL Cultural Melting Pot
Not too long ago I posted on another yachting website that I wanted to have a "cultural melting pot" on board and that I was looking forward to a global perspective beyond that which could be offered by "a lot of ethnocentric Americans."
Several other forum members took me to task on my post and even called me a bigot for my prejudice against Americans. On this website, there have been posts by others complaining about prejudice against other nationalities, like South African, or a favor towards hiring Australians or New Zealanders, etc.
Although my desire to hire an international crew has not changed, I would hope that the "cultural diversity" that I'm seeking will go beyond just nationality and that my captain will not overlook possible crew members of different ethnicities, social classes, age, and sexual orientation.
I think back in my life to all the friends, associates and people that have made a difference in my life and have contributed to my life experience—I would sorely miss all those that were not like me. Besides, that is one of the greatest perks about being a liberal, is that I can have all kinds of friends and no one can hold it against me. So, beyond the topics of discrimination over ageism, and nationality, where are all the Hispanic, Asian and African crew? Is there actually a gay crew member, captain or another gay owner out there? It's almost as if the yachting community of 2009 is stuck in the culture of June and Ward Cleaver in the 1950s. Certainly, it's not because these ethnic backgrounds have no interest or experience in yachting—although it wouldn't surprise me to learn that no self respecting gay man would be caught dead in Dockers and those silly epaulets. I've ran a search for gay on several yachting websites and every single search has come back with absolutely no results—not even one! It's as if gays and lesbians don't even exist in this community. That seems a little odd to me.
Plenty of successful gay entrepreneurs own yachts. I'm not aware of any gay crew but I'm absolutely confident that gays are working at all levels in the yachting industry. As far as crew diversity. I would not go all starry eyed and change the world when putting together your team. Crew are not yacht decoration or chess pieces they are work units. The proper way to operate a yacht is to match your crews diversity and talents to the task you propose. For instance , If your cruising in Central American its not possible to operate effectively without key Spanish speaking crew. This holds true in Europe or any other area in which you plan to cruise. When I come next to a boatload full of say Australians , who cant speak a foreign language and who don't understand the culture, guiding a yacht thru a foreign cruise schedule, I always notice that their movements are constipated, simplistic and totally reliant on agents and third parties outside of thier control. Crew with local knowledge are what separates the world class superyachts from the lightweight, Lonely planet guide superyachts and provide you, the owner with the best, most indepth experience.
Diversity is critical. Use diversity to match crew to the cruise you propose. We are enroute to the Black Sea, I have a russian crewmember
[Comment deleted by moderator]
Please keep in mind that the country that has helped make you who and what you are in life has a bit more depth socially and creatively compared to a lot of other nations out there. And if we had more Americans in this particular industry, I, for one, am certain that we would have more diversity among crew.
The longer everyone tolerates English internationals displacing other nationalities/ethnicities especially by way of illegal immigration/gainful employment in this biz, the longer it will stay FLAVORLESS.
You and other American yacht owners/cpts seem a bit narcissistic when it comes to putting American crew down. Get over yourself and embrace the fact that there are more Americans who retain their flavor. Americans have shown more embulience and persona than their English international counterparts...i.e., when it comes to guest service and life in general. Yes, there are some bad apples, but they all come from different parts of the world, not just America. As if I need to explain this to a grown up from the States.
If anyone is curious, check out this Youtube vid on the link below. Before you click: bare in mind that I'm not saying ALL think in the same way over America. Please, of course not. But this video on youtube is an ACTUAL documentary.
The narcissistic spew and [almost juvenile] rhetoric from these people equivocates to the kind of ignorance and narcissism from America's rednecks, thugs, drug cartels....and Me Generation teeny boppers. I feel as if I'm watching some stupid sitcom on some Brit channel...but it's a doc.
Purely pathetic, but kind of amusing all the same.
"Crew are not yacht decoration or chess pieces they are work units. The proper way to operate a yacht is to match your crews diversity and talents to the task you propose."
Very good advice. It never occurred to me to bring on "regional" crew for cruising in their local waters just for the duration of our time in their waters. That's an excellent idea. This would also help solve the problem of crew rotation since we could bring on new crew without having to fly them half way around the world.
I did have a similar idea regarding the chef aboard where we would have a "guest" chef to help bring all the rich culinary traditions and flavors to our table.
"There was one very large yacht looking to hire crew that had a gay owners and all of the crew was gay as well because the owner felt more comfortable that way (gay men and gay women.)"
There was a time in my life when I sought out the "gay ghetto" and most of my social friends and events were centered around that community, but for me, those days are long past. I have a lot of great memories from those days but now days my life raising a teenage son is much more ordinary with far more community, school, other families and family events filling our social calendar.
If the past is any indication of the future, I'm sure what will happen is that we'll end up with a larger percentage of gays and lesbians applicants who are seeking work with a crew (in the past a company) that is less likely to discriminate against them—something that I hope we can offer to all of our crew.
The owner of this thread seems to admit that he was once prejudice against Americans [prejudice against Americans is one WAY to be deemed a bigot-- btw]. After reading what appears to be this person's main focus which is discussing gays in the biz more than anything else, I can't really think of anything more hypocritical than a Gay American yacht owner who dislikes to hire Americans or gays in groups.
And to the poster who mentioned that a lot of Americans are suckers when it comes to accents, you're of course right. A good reflection of [many] Americans being those kind of "suckers" is the many reality shows[realadramas] that seem to involve Brits in leadership roles..i.e. Chef Ramsay of Hell's Kitchen.
I'm wondering if Chef Idiot'say would treat his fellow Brits like that. He's horrible and just plain dumb. Some of you think I'm rude? Well, try watching this show for about 10 minutes. The guy acts like he's on drugs with some kind of mood disorder. So why do American media and audiences tolerate this kind of crap...that and those dumb nanny shows by a Brit who's never had kids? It's because Americans have become a growing, fat culture of naive nit wits. But at least more Americans can admit these kinds of flaws from time to time, such as those in THIS biz.
Speaking of which, we as yachties hardly hear or read about Brits/Aussies/SAs/Kiwis putting each other down at ALL. I've certainly met some undesirables from those parts. Why the silence, hmm? Is it because the ball seems to be in thier court? They have the jobs...so who cares? I wonder if the tables would turn if Americans were flying to Britian and Australia taking thier jobs away from them during the summer season. Hmm.
Dear yacht owner Stevenpete, First of all, may I comment that it is refreshing to actually have an owner posting on one of the blogs of our industry sites. It shows your genuine interest in your yacht and passion for your new adventures on it and that you consider your crew to be a very important part of your experience onboard. I agree with the idea of seeking diversity in your crew. I also agree with the point about choosing the correct diversity for the regions you will be visiting due to visa constraints and of course also for having the advantage of crew onboard who speak the language of the region to be visited. In addition the choice of crew should take into consideration their experience levels and demeanour in order to form a more cohesive "team". All of these are prudent choices and in a good combination could make for a great team onboard your yacht.
As a female captain (American) I welcome diversity in crew choices. One reason for me may be because I prefer to open the opportunity to those who have not received the chance to get the job due to certain stereotypes and criteria that many captains or owners tend to use to choose their crew. I am personally familiar with this scenario. Glad to see that you are open to this diversity onboard. Much appreciated by many of us. By the way, if you are seeking a captain I am available and would welcome speaking to you in more depth about this. And for the great professional crew who have had a hard time getting that dream position onboard due to your lack of that certain stereotypical criteria that we all know about, send me your CV. Regards, Denise email@example.com
I have seen where a food business needed a good rating and the rating could only be
obtained by the non-straight persons, could not get straight persons to clean-up, follow
rules and be on time...this was a place in North Carolina, a college town. Of course after
saying that, I am sure one has many other examples to the opposite. But it is true that when
a person finds what course they are on....They can focus more on the profession and they
are a real profit factor to the over-all business.
Last thought - Crew on a vessel is a cross section of the world and good rules of command
only include what it takes to get the job done, in a safe manner, and hopfully some good money.
"You get what you pay for!"
Penguin: "America, a country of immigrants. That's pretty diverse. I think when we look outside ourselves with glasses looking for 'diversity' we are looking within ourselves for discovery. … But get to know your crew, any crew and I assure you, you will find a VERY DIVERSE crew. Please don't go outside yourself for your answers, your lessons are awaiting within, thank you."
Penguin, I love the diversity that America offers. I've lived most of my life in communities that were a broad mixture of race, socio-economics and cultures. I never realized how much I liked the diversity of my home town until I went to a private university where almost everyone was white, middleclass and conservative. Since then I always seriously doubted the quality of education they can offer when everyone is so alike. I love our diverse America.
I like what you said about getting to know your crew. Anonymous (the first post) gave me the feeling that the Up Stairs/Down Stairs divide was deeply entrenched in yachting and that it would be intrusive of my to ever expect to really get to know my own boats crew.
"The first part of the 80's there was a movement to rid yachting of the GAY stigma by designing yachts with co-ed crews quarters so everyone could work male or female. Once one learned that a certain boat was gay all on board was gay [whether] or not they were, most were married with family's but talk was talk. Now that we are more liberal we tend to think than react. I hope now we can look at crew as crew and not hate."
Oh yes, the infamous 80s. Thanks to the fear of AIDS and Pres. Regan, the 80s will now go down in US History as the most homophobic decade in US history. It was a very dark decade for the gay community when they became the scapegoat for everything wrong with America. I didn't come out until the mid-90s so I'm fortunate to have missed most of nightmare but the survivors still talk about the 80s with a deep sorrow.
Bridgewatch: "…it is refreshing to actually have an owner posting on one of the blogs of our industry sites. … By the way, if you are seeking a captain I am available and would welcome speaking to you in more depth about this. And for the great professional crew who have had a hard time getting that dream position onboard due to your lack of that certain stereotypical criteria that we all know about, send me your CV."
I post on a few other yachting websites that have a lot of owners that are actively involved. They've been incredibly helpful in my quest for knowledge about the industry. It's been interesting to see the different POVs from those websites to this one. In fact, I was referred to this website by an owner, and I'm aware that many other owners read the website as well.
Denise, I'll certainly keep you in mind. I'm a few months out before I hire a Captain.
"On an international yacht, it's pretty much impossible to be a gay crew. Or, better stated, it's impossible to be openly gay. The western world is liberated, educated and always working towards a society free of discrimination. Unfortunately many parts of the world that yachts visit have not reached this level of development. We visit places with the yacht that are dangerous to openly gay crew. The only gay internationals that I know of on the yachts are ultra discreet."
It is true that there are certain countries that don't make it onto very many openly gay peoples itinerary. Unfortunate for me, many of these countries are ones that I would like to visit. In the past I've received many letters to repent sent by well meaning Christians and only a few of them threatened violence. But, I suppose the zealots in other societies may be a far greater threat to my safety then the zealots in America, so I really should be careful. Who knows, maybe I'll have to hire a beard to pose as my wife/girl friend during those travels.
Captcary: "A culturally diverse crew is a nice target but you need to understand one issue. These people don't just work together and go home at the end of the day. They live together 24/7/365 if they make it that long. A happy crew is one that gets along well together. This is the Captains responsibility to hire these people. They work for him, not you. You should find a Captain that shares your same beliefs and policies and start from there."
That is very good advice and something to remember about my relationship with my Captain's crew. Some of my son's friends are recent immigrants to the US and in their homes they continue to eat the cuisine of their native countries. For them, the food we serve at our house is foreign. Although it's been a lot of fun to introduce them to many new foods, I imagine it could be difficult for a yacht chef to continually please everyone with very diverse ethnic backgrounds. And, like you inferred, that's saying nothing about ALL the other cultural differences.
I've taken the easy route for this and choosen to be Anonymous, (i'm job hunting) as a young gay crew i've never felt any reason to explain to people my lifestyle, certainly while squeezing homosexual between non smoker and full driving license might get me one job i'm sure many captains would simply discard me and more as it would rasie the question of 'why does he need to tell me this'. I've been fortunate for the last five years that the boats i've worked on have not affected my life some crew knew some don't (or might do but just never said) and i've always been happy with the atmosphere onboard. I'm not sure how at an interview I would take being questioned on my sexuallity as it certainly doesnt affect my ability to perform professionally.
As for multinational crew I've worked with some great people (austrailians, kiwis, americans, spanish, british, irish, canadians argentinians) and outside work met some terrible ones from everywhere, coming form Northern Ireland i've a good understanding of the problems caused by a cultural clash, yet without it I wouldn't be the person i am now. Perhaps physics holds the answer, when creating alloys its by mixing precise amounts of very different materials to a common base that a product that performs better than any of its constituant parts is formed, mix it incorrectly and you create an expensive waste. Get the right Captain and let him/her add the best elements and you'll have a strong crew who might even have some longevity.
Good luck with the selection
CaptainMason: "Stevenpete, most of the above is correct but the main reason gay crew may not be hired goes back to the accommodation situation, who do they share with? The opposite sex or same sex, either could cause the Capt. problems he does not need …"
I think you might be onto something here. But isn't "…could cause the Capt. problems he does not need…" the exact same reason why Stewardesses are wrongfully fired when they complain about being sexually harassed by other crew or even the captain himself? From what it sounds like on many of the posts on this very website, the reason many crew are let go, with little or no notice, is because they have caused a problem, knowingly or not, that the "…[Captain] does not need…"
In fact, isn't that the very reason that many people in all societies simply tow the status quo and resist any change, which of course includes every single important civil rights decision our society has had to make since the civil war, like freedom of the slaves, woman's suffrage, protections for the working class under the robber barons, etc. etc?
Of course any sexual predator onboard, weather gay or straight is going to cause problems for their prey, and whether or not the Captain accepts his responsibility to mitigate and to show dignity and respect to ALL his crew is another story. Sadly, from what we've seen, that in itself is a whole other problem and quite frankly—that is a shame. Whether it's the issue you mentioned above or any another, like the Catholic Church in Ireland, it's always wrong for those in authority to skirt their responsibility for protecting and respecting those in their care. Whether from laziness, ignorance or open contempt, the results are the same and innocent people, whether gay or straight, are being hurt.
Isn't it about time that the Captains of our crews began to take full responsibilities for their actions!
With all due respect, I believe you are not getting it. The problem with having some gay crew is.....
Crew are usually distributed 2 to a cabin and share a bathroom. It is common practice to put girls together and boys together. Not for purely sexual reasons, but for reasons of privacy/modesty. If you have a gay deckie, the straight deckie will most likely not want to bunk with him. The straight stew, will not want to share a cabin with a guy most likely, so where does that leave you? Hire another gay male? Will they bunk together? what if they are not an item? One one yacht I worked on, due to crew accomodations, the mate and stew had to share a cabin. The owners of this yacht were very religious and did not want unmarried people of opposite sexes to share a cabin, so they hired a male steward. Well Surprise!!...he was gay! Now you had this gorgeous young guy sharing a cabin with an old "Flamer" it was probably Not what the owners had in mind and the mate left the boat almost immediately. See what I mean? So generally, you go all gay or all straight, it doesn't really work otherwise


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Murder of Du'a Khalil Aswad
|Du'a Khalil Aswad
Du'a Khalil Aswad
دعاء خليل أسود
c. 7 April 2007
Bashika, Ninawa, Iraq
Du'a Khalil Aswad (دعاء خليل أسود)(c. 1989 – c. 7 April 2007) was a 17-year-old Iraqi of the Yazidi faith who was stoned to death in an honor killing.[1] It is believed that she was killed around 7 April 2007, but the incident did not come to light until video of the stoning, apparently recorded on a mobile phone, appeared on the Internet.[2] The rumor that the stoning was connected to her alleged conversion to Islam prompted reprisals against Yazidis by Sunnis, including the 2007 Mosul massacre.[3][4]
Some reports claim that Aswad was murdered for having converted to Islam to marry an Iraqi Sunni Muslim boy.[1][5] It is disputed whether or not she actually converted to Islam; some reports say the Sunni boyfriend has denied that she had.[1] Other sources instead indicate that Aswad was killed in punishment for being absent from her home one night.[6]
According to a reporter who interviewed Yazidi sources on site,
After Du'a's death, the international media widely repeated a claim made on a number of Islamic extremist websites that she had been killed because she converted to Islam, but local reports do not concur. Some people tell me she had run away with her Muslim boyfriend and they had been stopped at a checkpoint outside Mosul; others say she had been seen by her father and uncle just talking with the boy in public and, fearing her family's reaction, they had sought protection at the police station. Either way, the police handed Du'a into the custody of a local Yezidi sheikh.— Freedom Lost by Mark Lattimer, The Guardian, December 13, 2007[7]
Asylum and return
Some news agencies reported that Aswad was being sheltered by a Yazidi tribal leader in Bashika in fear of her life until her family persuaded her that she had been forgiven and could return home.[6] Other reports indicate that she was instead given asylum by a local Muslim Sheikh.[2] It is not known whether the same members of her family that convinced her to return home were responsible for her death. It is not clear from the video whether she was ambushed while returning to her home, or if the mob stormed her home and dragged her into the street. Estimates of the number of attackers range from hundreds[7] to one thousand[2] to two thousand[8] men.
The incident took place in Bashika, a town in Ninawa Governorate, and was filmed on mobile phones and widely distributed throughout the Internet.[9]
Aswad was taken to the town square;[7] according to reports she was stripped naked to symbolize that she had dishonored her family and religion.[2] In the video, though stripped from the waist down, she is wearing an orange sport jacket and black underwear, and at least some of the crowd tries to keep her lower body covered with what looks like another jacket. During the stoning, which lasted approximately 30 minutes, Aswad can be seen in the video attempting to sit up and calling for help as the crowd taunts her and repeatedly throws a large chunk of rock or concrete on her head.[2] After her death in the town square, Aswad's body was tied behind a car and dragged through the streets.[7] She was buried with the remains of a dog, to disrespect her.[10] Eventually, her body was "exhumed and sent to the Medico-Legal Institute in Mosul so that tests could be performed to see whether she had died a virgin."[7]
Response and retaliation
A protest in Arbil against Aswad's killing attracted hundreds of Kurds who called for an end to honor killings.[11][12]
It is believed Aswad's murder sparked, or was used as a pretext for, a reprisal attack on 23 April in Mosul claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq,[13] in which 23 Yazidis were killed.[4] The same day also witnessed another reprisal attack claimed by Ansar al-Sunna by a suicide carbomb attack targeted the village of Tel Isqof killing 25 Yazidis and Assyrian Christians.[14][15] Both her murder and the reprisal were condemned by Amnesty International[6] and by the Kurdistan Regional Government which asked the federal government to investigate.[16] Authorities in Northern Iraq have arrested four people in connection with the killing.
The devastating terrorist attacks on the Yazidi towns Kahtaniya and Jazeera in August 2007,[3] allegedly carried out by Sunni Muslims and killing almost 800 civilians are said to have been claimed by the killers to be a response to the stoning.
See also
- Stoning of Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow
- Genocide of Yazidis by ISIL
- Murder of Farkhunda
- Femicide
- Honor killing
- 1 2 3 "The moment a teenage girl was stoned to death for loving the wrong boy". World news. Daily Mail. 2007-05-03. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Ahmady, Kameel; Mina Rojdar (2007-04-25). "Video Captures Stoning of Kurdish Teenage Girl". Assyrian International News Agency. Retrieved 2007-05-20.
- 1 2 Survivors of bombs left to die in rubble by Ayhem Omar, The Times, August 19, 2007
- 1 2 "Yazidis Ask Iraqi Government for Protection" April 23, 2007 (retrieved May 7, 2007).
- ↑ "Iraq: Amnesty International appalled by stoning to death of Yezidi girl and subsequent killings". Amnesty International. April 27, 2007. Archived from the original on June 6, 2008.
- 1 2 3 Iraq: 'Honour Killing' of teenage girl condemned as abhorrent (May 2, 2007). Amnesty.org.uk. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Freedom Lost by Mark Lattimer, 13 December 2007 in The Guardian.
- ↑ "Stoning to death of girl provokes wave of killings". Retrieved May 19, 2007.
- ↑ Video footage of Iraqi girl's stoning released on Internet The Brunei Times, 6 May 2007 (retrieved 7 May 2007).
- ↑ "Honour Killing" Sparks Fears of New Iraqi Conflict Institute for War & Peace Reporting (retrieved 21 May 2007)
- ↑ Kurdistan: Demonstration against public stoning (Retrieved May 21, 2007)
- ↑ Yazidi girl's murder sparks widespread condemnation (Retrieved May 21, 2007)
- ↑ "دولة العراق الإسلامية, تنفيذ حكم الله في اليزيديين عبدة الشيطان ثأرا للشهيدة دعاء خليل (رحمها الله) (2007)". archive.org. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
- ↑ استشهاد أكثر من خمس وعشرين شخصا في انفجار تللسقف. Zahrira (in Arabic). 23 April 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
- ↑ "ansar el-sunnah, martyrdom operation in iraq". archive.org. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
- ↑ "Statement: KRG condemns murder of Dua Khalil Aswad", May 1, 2007. Retrieved May 7, 2007.

subset: commoncrawl


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text: Andrew de Quincey wrote: > On Thursday 16 June 2005 12:45, Johannes Stezenbach wrote: >>On Thu, Jun 16, 2005 at 02:10:10PM +0400, Manu Abraham wrote: >>>Is service_id supposed to be unique in a bouquet too ? or is it only in >>>a transponder ? >>ETSI TR 101 211 says (4.1.1 Network Information Table (NIT) information): >> >>"The SI uses two labels related to the concept of a delivery system, >>namely the network_id and the original_network_id. >>The latter is intended to support the unique identification of a >>service, contained in a TS, even if that TS has been >>transferred to another delivery system than the delivery system where it >>originated. A TS can be uniquely referenced >>through the path original_network_id/transport_stream_id. >>A service can be uniquely referenced through the path >>original_network_id/transport_stream_id/service_id. The >>network_id, thus, is not part of this path. >> >>In addition each service_id shall be unique within each >>original_network_id. When a service (contained inside a TS) is >>transferred to another delivery system, only the network_id changes, >>whereas the original_network_id remains >>unaffected." >> >>However, in practise you cannot rely on this. > > Is it worth supporting bouquets in the file formats do you think? None of the I think if we were to support Bouquets, the config would be become larger, but we can have them cached in memory only rather than write out to file .. ? What do you think ? Manu


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Claremont, New Hampshire
|This article is a stub. Help us to expand it by contributing your knowledge. For county and town page guidelines, visit U.S. County Page Content Suggestions.
Claremont is a town in Sullivan county, New Hampshire. It was formed in 1764. Its parent county/ies is/are Cheshire. For more information, contact the county at 58 Tremont Sq., Claremont 03743. On the attached map, Claremont is shown as 7 in Sullivan.
For information about the state of New Hampshire see New Hampshire Family History Research.


text: Environment Geo answer The World March 06, 2009 For our Geo Quiz we wanted to know the birthplace of the astronomer Johannes Kepler. He was born in Weil der Stadt in southern Germany in 1571. NASA is launching a space mission named after Kepler tonight. The World's David Leveille reports.


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United has the most seats and the most nonstop flights between Hawaii and the mainland, and we'll fly you to any of our seven hubs from four different islands.
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The largest city in New England, Boston (BOS) is known as one of the best college towns and home to many significant U.S. historic sights. One day exploring this charming city will reveal why Boston is one of the most popular destinations in the United States.
Baltimore (BWI) is a great city to visit year-round. Shop the historic waterfront area of Fells Point in the summer and try local seafood, including Baltimore's famous blue crabs.


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Wesley York, son of Dolores York of Westbrook, Maine and the late Wesley York, married Robert Scrofani, son of Emanuel Scrofani of Fairfield and the late Jean Scrofani.
The Aug. 29 wedding was performed by Justice of the Peace Peggy Villani at the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens in Stamford, where a reception followed. A wedding song composed by Mr. York was performed by soprano Beverly Blanchard, and accompanied by Mr. Scrofani on piano.
Best men were Dean York of Vadnais, Minn., brother of Mr. York; and Gary Scrofani of Monroe, brother of Mr. Scrofani.
Ushers were Gary York of Candia, N.H., brother of Mr. York; Richard Scrofani of Derby and Steven Scrofani of Monroe, nephews of Mr. Scrofani.
Mr. York graduated from Watkinson School in Hartford. He received a bachelor's degree in English literature from Clarke University in Worcester, Mass.; and a bachelor's degree in music and a master's degree in music composition from The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He is administrator of the Aaron Copland Fund for Music in New York City.
Mr. Scrofani received a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Connecticut in Storrs. He retired after working for 27 years as a computer software developer and IT Support Analystat at UST Inc. in Greenwich and Stamford.
The couple honeymooned in Las Vegas; they reside in Norwalk.


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#1 Kellen Thornton
|6' 8"
|RS Sr.
|Illinois State
Major: Human Performance and Sports Science
2012-13 All-OVC Second Team
2013 All-OVC Tournament Team
2011-12 OVC All-Newcomer Team
2012-13 - Redshirt Senior Season
Played in all 33 contests for TSU, starting 31… Played the second-most minutes on the team with 1025… Led the team with a 53.7 shooting percentage… Made 21 of 64 three-point attempts for a 32.8 conversion rate… Was a 70.8 percent free-throw shooter… Led the team with 266 rebounds and averaged 8.1 per game… Tallied 35 assists, 22 blocks and 31 steals… Was first on the team with 523 points… Had nine doubles-doubles on the season… Scored in double-figures 25 times… Was TSU's leading scorer in 14 games… Was TSU's leading rebounder on 14 occasions… Pulled in a season-high 16 rebounds against Monmouth on Nov. 21… Dished out a career-high three assists in TSU's win over UT Martin (Jan. 10)… Blocked a personal-best three shots at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Feb. 20… Scored a career-high 29 points at home versus Morehead State on Feb. 28…
2011-12 - Redshirt Junior Season
Made the 2011-12 Ohio Valley Conference All-Newcomer team...Third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.6 points per contest...Grabbed 143 rebounds (4.5 per game) for second best on the team...Collected 18 steals, dished out 17 assists and recorded nine blocks...Finished second on the team with a 52.5 field goal percentage (115x219)...Scored a season-best 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the loss to Murray State on Feb. 23...Tallied five straight double-figure performances from Jan. 19 until Feb. 4...Knocked down a season-best seven baskets in the loss to North Carolina (Nov. 22)...Registered 33 minutes in the overtime victory over Jacksonville State on Feb. 14.
Transferred from Illinois State University...Sat out entire season due to NCAA transfer rules.
2008-10 at Illinois State
In two seasons started 1-of-57 games played...Shot 47 percent from the floor (58-of-124) averaging 2.6 points per game scoring 148 total points...Hit 11-of-41 from the three-point arc (.268) and 21-of-29 from the free throw line for an average of 72 percent...Collected 134 rebounds (52 offensive, 82 defensive)...Recorded 12 assists, 14 blocks and 15 steals.
Brewester Academy
Averaged 9.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game on a team that featured seven NCAA Division I signees...Helped win the 2008 New England Class A Championship and advanced to the National Final Four, finishing with a school-record 31 victories (31-4).
Hillcrest HS
2007 McDonald's All-America nominee...Senior year averaged 14 points and nine rebounds per game...Rated No. 28 in Illinois' Class of 2007 by Chicagohoops.com...Two-time All-South Suburban Conference selection and Two-time Daily Southtown All- Area honoree.
Son of Keith Thornton...Born December 24, 1988.


text:
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The Specktator is thrilled to have European Street Cafe as title sponsor of the online calendar!
As one of my favorite places to eat, drink and socialize in the the city, "E. Street" (as the cool kids call it) makes the perfect partner to help promote the best events happening in the city.
NOTE: This is a "curated calendar," meaning I have personally reviewed each event and consider it to be of interest to the general public and/or something particularly compelling. It is important to know that businesses cannot buy a calendar entry. That said, if you have an event you would like considered for the calendar, send the pertinent information to email@example.com.
And by the way, be sure to change the view from "month" to "stream" below. Unless you like being really annoyed.
Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies 7:00 pm
Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies @ Sun-Ray Cinema
Jan 11 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
From Facebook: Exclusive advanced screening of the award winning film ATTACK OF THE SOUTHERN FRIED ZOMBIES, live Q&A with actor Moses Mosely (Walking Dead) and Executive Producer Daniel Wood. The kudzu covered hills of Charleston,[...]
Hamilton Day 12:00 pm
Hamilton Day @ Jax Makerspace
Jan 13 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
From event website: Celebrate Alexander Hamilton's 260th birthday and the Broadway musical, Hamilton. The man Alexander Hamilton himself will be in attendance; test your knowledge during trivia with Kerry Speckman (aka The Specktator); show off[...]
Hyperion + Chill – Chili Cook Off 12:00 pm
Hyperion + Chill – Chili Cook Off @ Hyperion Brewing Company
Jan 21 @ 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sundays are for Hyperion + Chill. Join us for our weekly Sunday ritual where we unwind and relax together. This event we'll be hosting a chili cook off starting at Noon; more details below.[...]


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|laziness, impatience, and hubris
comment on
|( #3333=superdoc: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
Surely with both the logic and presentation changing the best thing is to have them both seperate. As long as the interface is well defined then the two can be changed with minimal interaction
Agreement to the Nth power! Especially if the presentation maintainers and the logic maintainers are different groups of people.
With shifting requirements it's best to try and keep everything decoupled from everything else.
(Update: Not that this is a pro-Perl, anti-PHP statement. You can mangle the code and presentation together just as easily in Perl.)
In reply to Re^3: Nirvana through the templating yin yang (TT2 / CGI.pm)
by adrianh


text:
Berkshire Hathaway and Buffett Whale Hunt: Acquiring Heinz for $28 Billion
Warren Buffett is out on another whale hunt acquisition today. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A) and 3G Capital are acquiring food giant H.J. Heinz Co. (NYSE: HNZ). The terms are listed as being $72.50 per share, for a value of $28 billion if you include the debt. Heinz had a market cap of $19.4 billion, based on a $60.48 close on Wednesday.
Heinz is of course known best for ketchup, but there is much more to the company than meets the eye. Other brands are Classico, OreIda, Smart Ones, Fridays and more. Heinz also is a leader in infant nutrition, frozen potatoes, frozen entrées and sauces. Its products are sold in more than 200 countries across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and other regions.
The transaction will be financed through a combination of cash provided by Berkshire Hathaway and affiliates of 3G Capital, rollover of existing debt, as well as debt financing that has been committed by J.P. Morgan and Wells Fargo.
Heinz shares have traded in a 52-week trading range of $51.51 to $61.18, and this buyout represents an all-time high. Heinz's common stock dividend yield was listed as 3.4% as of yesterday's closing bell price.
One firm had an unlucky timing on a downgrade. UBS downgraded Heinz to Neutral from Buy on Wednesday.
Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Buffett, Food, Mergers & Acquisitions, Mergers and Buy Outs Tagged: BRK-A, BRK-B, HNZ


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Connect Roshambo
This game of Roshambo (aka: Rock, Paper, Scissors) will help you settle all of your in-meeting disputes. Any two participants can click the Player button to join a game. Each participant selects either rock, paper, or scissors. Rock beats scissors, paper beats rock, scissors beat paper. A reset button on the bottom is available to reset the game.


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The place is Devon, in England's West Country. The year is 1914, and the Great War is breaking out across Europe. Young Albert Narracott is distraught when Joey, his horse, his beloved friend and his companion, is sold to the military and sent into battle in France.
Joey is plunged into a life of peril, violence and disease, and makes an extraordinary journey through the war, ultimately finding himself serving on both sides of the terrible conflict. On the way he encounters and befriends another war horse, Topthorn, and is caught up in enemy fire.
Back at home in Devon, Albert can't forget about Joey. Although he is too young to enlist, he bluffs his way into the army and sets out on a life-threatening mission to find his horse and bring him back home before it's too late.
This bona fide theatrical gem, based on the children's book by Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo breaks free of London's reins and finds a new northern stable at the Lowry.
With eye-popping on-stage puppetry that mimics a living, breathing horse, this tender and moving tale is made all the more believable by its highly-skilled performers. You've heard about it. Stephen Spielberg's filmed it. Now come and see for yourself what makes War Horse on stage so special.
Although its original London premiere took place in 2006, such is its tremendous appeal that War Horse has continued to garner awards in more recent times. The London production was nominated for the 2010 Olivier Audience Award for Most Popular Show, while its Broadway counterpart won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play.
War Horse: Salford is not available to book, please sign up to our newsletter for updates and offers on forthcoming and available shows.
Running time
2hrs 40mins
Latecomers will not be admitted until 40 minutes into the performance.
Find out more about the venue for your show: Directions, Transport options and facilities.


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And Some Things Stay The Same
Posted by Chic Aeon in comment on Saturday, June 30, 2012
I do like the new height meter which seems much closer to what Linden Labs believes is our height. I also did my own test by building a 2 meter cube (phantom) and standing inside it. We were indeed the same.
And as a post script. I am taller than my 2 meter (6 foot 6ish) size in the top photo as I added shoes. We want to be stylish as well as accurate!
And now to answer some questions.
- How has the introduction of mesh affected your SL, if at all? Are you open to wearing mesh often or do you still shy away from it?
- Have you changed your shape to fit into mesh? If so, did you go bigger or smaller?
- Do you think the mesh deformer will resolve a lot of the issues people seem to have with mesh and will it encourage you to wear mesh more often, if you don't already?
Pose by: EverGlow
Sprucing Up
My very cute mesh dress is from Sleeping Koala on the Taste of SL Hunt which has a couple more weeks to run.
Pose by: aDORKable
Lucky Letter D
While I was looking for the boots, I spied some very nice garments and such as well as two lucky chairs. Making a note to return later in the day, I did just that to find a "C" on the chair. Yeah! That was followed by a "D", an "S" and two more "D"s. So my friends and I did well. Sami has a very pretty shrug that can be modern as well as medieval and Divine came away with a closet full of very vintage outfits. Each prize actually consisted of several versions of the same garment, a bargain.
KnickKnack. Find the lucky chairs in the courtyard along the shop wall -- one on either side. There are shoes and props for prizes as well as clothing.
Poses by: LAP (nla) and aDORKable
Water Flight
Posted by Chic Aeon in hair
The things photographers go through to get "the shot" *wink*. So pretty, I simply had to post this. The new hair is Water-Love from EMO-tions. My mermaid outfit is an oldie from Yasum Designs.
You will be looking for a sculpted lettering sign that says Femboy. This is a $2 hunt so you may want peruse the photos before you start hunting. There is no "train", but all stores are linked from the hunt blog page. This is the Morgan shape (5 feet 8) from $10 Shapes. It is indeed a chameleon and looks good as a gal, guy or true androgyne. I like this look with the ~Tableau Vivant~Noctis Group Gift skin the best I think. Look back in the posts a couple of days for more info.
tomoto shop. It comes complete with sandals and while it doesn't work well on a traditional gals shape, it is impressive on a more boyish one.
My posting spot for the morning is Japan Kimono Street. According to the rental notecard, the sim reproduces Sakai of Osaka in 1574. It is serene here and very beautiful. The rents are average for both shops and homes.
This is what the prize object looks like.
Have fun hunting.
Poses by: Focus Poses (current MHOH prize)
Dark Belly
Posted by Chic Aeon in new releases on Thursday, June 28, 2012
New from AD Creations, Dark Belly. Part skirt, part pants; many buckles and plenty of detailing, it definitely makes a statement in black. Find it at The Couturiers's Docks @ SaliMar_Art Sim. The set includes a strapped hat reminiscent of the early days of aeronautics as well as printed nylons. I opted for some black leggings and was disappointed that I couldn't find a hair that would would work with the hat :D.
I had to smile as I wore this around to day. Bra or pasties are definitely in order unless you are a very brave gal. It's that mesh lag phenomenon where you are naked for a few seconds upon arrival. Surprising when you are not used to it - LOL.
Pose by: ANA-mations
Dance Fever
Posted by Chic Aeon in new releases, props
Some days we just need to have a bit of fun. And this was one of those days. Woot!
(*chanimations has a new stage set out. Lots of lights and glow and neon.
I actually recognized this set, or the precursor of it, as the one Chandra used in her first public burlesque routine. I was in the audience. The set was a standout for sure.
According to the website (I admit to not trying out this feature):
The walls and screens are individually color scripted and allow toHonestly, I was too busy playing and the default colors worked just fine for me, this time anyway. Read more about the particulars here.
mix-and-match the following colors:
• black,
• white,
• yellow,
• orange,
• red,
• pink,
• purple,
• mint,
• green and
• blue.
Poses by: Diesel Works, Behavior Body
Denim and Pearls
Posted by Chic Aeon in freebies, new releases
It's been a very tough morning in SL. Three crashes, odd viewer issues, alpha layers from hell. Ah yes, the joys of our virtual life. Since "I" didn't make any changes I am guessing it will all work out eventually. Meanwhile I am happy to have taken these photos, so here is your morning post.
First up a very pretty Serenity Set (includes earrings not shown) from Addiction Jewelry is found exclusively at the ZombiePopcorn Carnival. You have a couple more days to visit the Carnival as well as lots of other venues. It has really been a busy month in SL. Lots of hunts are ending too, so scroll back in the posts to make sure you didn't miss any goodies.
Speaking of goodies, this nicely made mesh dress which while denim is still pretty dressy *wink* is on a dollarbie promo from Soulglitter on the Marketplace.
Now, as you might guess seeing that "I" am not "me" in this photo, flat chested girls with no hips need not apply. But if your shape follows the standard sizing numbers, you are in luck.
I am actually wearing the medium size on Marti from $10 Shapes who is a standard size S. But what's in a size letter? It fits perfectly.
SL9B is over and I ventured over this morning to take my build down. The dream jar was a very big hit with tons of folks taking them home. I hope their wishes come true, one by one.
Poses by: Diesel Works, aDORKable
Posted by Chic Aeon in hunts on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
The Ikebana - Simplicity Orchid (primmy but lovely) and the sleek plant stand (one prim) is from Geisha Dreams, a very serene place to visit with lots to see.
Poses by: Diesel Works
Midnight Drama
Posted by Chic Aeon in hair, hunts, new releases, skins on Monday, June 25, 2012
So there's this skin. It is free. It is definitely unique. I, unlike many of you am not a skin ho *wink*, but a long list of circumstances lead me to this free group gift skin from Tableau Vivant . I friend saw a post that lead to another friend's investigation that lead to me venturing over to the shop. I was extremely impressed with the androgynous skins there and of course wanted to stay in the loop.
My equally dramatic hair is a new release from EMO-tions, Water-Love.
Sassy on the Hot as Hell Hunt (group entry required; you need to apply). Ginkgo Earrlings from KOSH, tattoo from Endless Pain (current hunt item) shoes from Kalnins.
Pose nla
Chameleon Breezes
Posted by Chic Aeon in hunts, new releases
These board shorts are from Ostentatious on the Summer Breeze Hunt. A gal's mini dress in the same print is the prize for the ladies.
Another very cute prize is this lifeguard chair complete with beach grass, preserver and board.
Various poses let you choose what works best for you.
Find it at Lustre/Shoreman Designs.
Click for a larger photo.
Poses by: LAP (nla), aDORKable
This swimsuit is one of three color choices from Just Take It.
And now here's an interesting tidbit of info for you. Guy and gal in this photo shoot are the same new shape, Casey.
The androgynous shape comes with minimal bust and two foot sizes.
I have been taking vendor photos for Sami this morning and that got me inspired to do this post. It really is amazing what the chameleon shapes can be. I spent a long time finding what I thought were good skins and hair for these guys (used in the vernacular).
I personally like the more male look for this shape; on another I preferred the more female look. It all depends on what you are after.
So it was a challenging and fun morning for me. I made sure Sami had the shape up at the $10 Shapes shop before I finished up this post.
Hair by Dura, shoes by Duh!, male skin AKERUKA Damien Shaved Light, Female skin gift (nla).
Places - Isle of Amras
Posted by Chic Aeon in places on Sunday, June 24, 2012
My outfit is an oldie from Firefall and may still be in the lucky chairs; things haven't changed there much of late. Happily the outfit is standing the test of time well. I waited a long time to garner this beauty and have worn it often.
Poses by: Vista Animations
More Breezes
The oh so pretty banner lofting in that summer breeze is one of a pack of four colors from Spyralle . They come in sea, gold, rose and silver colors; all are lovely. The originals are mighty large (think wide open waters and quarter sim lots, but with a tiny bit of builder know how you can size them down to more homestead size *wink*. And I have enough prims to add one to my deck. How cool! Find that sand shovel and you will have yours too.
In the new release category, I present the Temple of Light earring set from Addiction Jewelry . This lovely design has a matching necklace, but as a minimalist kind of gal I opted for a smaller statement.
I was tardy telling you about this, but find the set out for Lazy Sunday RIGHT HERE.
Click the photo for a larger, close up view.
Poses by: LAP (nla)
Summer Breezes
PRIME. It comes with a variety of single and couples poses, adjustments and the ability to swap positions. The pilings are very long so even hillside lots could use this.
Paris Metro and comes with the butterfly tattoo as well as a nice Panama straw hat and these glasses. I am wearing the Zombie Hunt hair from dDx that I showed you yesterday. I zipped over to NN City this afternoon and watched folks killing zombies. Not my thing but they seemed to be enjoying themselves.
WilDsOul. They come with an easy to use hud and happily one of the programed skin colors worked nicely for my tone. Yeah! You can add tints from the palette to find tune if needed.
Click the photo for a larger photo.
Poses by: aDORKable, Diesel Works
Free To Be
Posted by Chic Aeon in freebies, hair, new releases, skins
*LpD* Make up - *LpD* Skins - *Nessuno mi Puo Giudicare* MakeUp
[AD] Mesh hat - [AD] Nessuno mi Puo Giudicare * Hat
and yes, it is a cooperation. I have no other info but I am betting you can find the set at AD Creations and possibly at *LpD*. If you have trouble discovering its whereabouts, IM one of the designers Aliza Karu or Nevery Lorakeet.
Hair is one by Truth still in the subscribo.
Poses by: Lauria's butterflies (nla)
Hunting at SL9B
Posted by Chic Aeon in hunts on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Get over to SL9B and get your hunt on.
My shape is Adam from the Adam's Apple Hunt courtesy of $10 shapes. Skin by Akeruka, Neo, a new release.
Pose by: Diesel Works
Girls and Boys with Guns
What I did want to show you is this really cute hair, one of the prizes from Discord Designs. Mackenzie comes in a color pack. There is another prize choice called Stampede available if you are more into the punk - Mohawk scene. Either way, journey on over this weekend to score some points and choose from some great prizes.
Poses by: LAP (nla), aDORKable
MHOH7 - A New Look
I did something new this hunt. Since it seemed that most of the prizes came in folders, unpacked, I decided to go through my winnings while I hunted. Happily there is the "add" feature now for most of us, so worrying about nakedness is not so much of an issue. And that was way fun. My outfit merged and melded and there are plenty of things that I will be keeping that don't show up in this post, but here is the final all new look. Everything but eyes are new.
Akeruka Nando Full Tan. Very nice. The final best shape (and there was another that worked for me) is from R-STYLZ. Skins and shapes are of course VERY personal, so my picks may not be your favorites. Be assured you will have many to choose from.
Amacci won hands down for me in the hair department as I love guys in pony tails. This -K!NG- Steel Necklace fits very nicely and definitely makes a fashion statement.
I can't say that I was thrilled with the clothes; there were some nice things, just not my style or fit as the case may be. That being said, their is a great jacket set from Poison. I have shown a similar version of that in a post awhile back, but if you never won on the Midnight board, pick up its brother (black and chartreuse). GIRLS this means you too! Happily there is a ladies size in the pack.
I chose this jeans and tank outfit from [TK] C Co. as part of the look of the day. My biker boots are from MayCreations and fit perfectly with the slightly bad boy look.
Muism are my favorites. Wow! So this post wouldn't be complete without a big thumbs up for those.
MHOH7 isn't for beginners. There are plenty of tiny mars symbols as well as some larger ones INSIDE cases and in very cramped space (visible but tricky to click).
In most all cases you will need a MHOH group tag to garner your surprises.
Click the photo for a larger picture.
Poses by: Stakey from the hunt.
Free Finery
This photo was taken at LEA17, The Returning - by Marcus Inkpen, which just opened. A gorgeous build, it is very laggy. I have tried a few times and filming seems out of the question. It may be the forest of trees as I have noted issues with them in my productions. Nevertheless, visit if your connection is a good one. It is lovely.
Poses by: Diesel Works
Posted by Chic Aeon in places
Less than a month to Hair Fair! Always fun; I am personally picky about my hair -- in RL too. So exploring new looks and possibilities is always welcome. And then there are the builds, often very creative in that minimalist way (the lag thing).
There is a photo contest going on of course. The theme is freedom. Wondering how to portray the idea and not be terribly obvious, I settled on this shot. It also gave me an excuse to return to Kingdom of Sand (adult but not age verified) which I hadn't visited since it rebuild. A little tricky getting down to the ground (think of it as a hunt; follow the red footprints and read floating text), but visitors are welcome with a tag on.
I am wearing one of the beautiful Arcane Dancer Silks from Deviance. The shape comes with the set and I admit to slapping that on rather than adjusting ALL those prims. This by the way looks fantastic on Chandra who apparently wears it quite often in her off hours. Now and then we teleport to meet and I find her in dancer mode *wink*. My hair is Valentina from EMO-tions (currently off-line for Tuesday restarts it seems).
Poses by: Juxtapose
What Happened to Words?
Posted by Chic Aeon in new releases on Monday, June 18, 2012
Those were some of the first words I learned to read long ago.
As I wander through the feeds today I note that most posts are missing the strings of alphabet letters twined together to give us ideas. There are only mentions of designers and sometimes, if we are lucky, links to their stores.
I have to admit this disturbs me somewhat. It either indicates that the typists in question can't put together a sentence or are simply lazy. OK. I admit I am prejudiced. I actually like to hear what the people writing their blogs think. It is a great new release? How does it fit? Will it stay forever in their virtual closet? That sort of thing. It is easy just to look through the photos and forget about the information. I, however, LIKE information. That's my comment for the eve.
AND here are my thoughts on one of the new releases from JANE. There are a bevy of just released styles, all similar, out just now. This was my personal favorite. If you are into girlie or retro -- or especially "girlie and retro" *wink*, this is for you.
This is the Rachel dress in chili. I love that color name, "chili". It is hot and steamy and fun. Going for a retro styling, I added some hair from Dura, a Runway Perfect hunt item, a bangle from my stored files of Baubles and analyst glasses from Deco.
It's a cute look. It may be YOUR look. If so, get over to JANE and try out the demo!
Poses by: aDORKable
Coco and Cream
Posted by Chic Aeon in new releases, sneak peak
The new Coco Mon Coeur outfits from deviousMind remind us of those long ago days. Luckily we don't need to actually breath in our virtual world and we can have that hourglass figure without the accompanying pain.
Poses by: Diesel Works and aDORKable
Taste of SL and Moving In
I saw a couple of posts on this hunt featuring the same items. I have no idea if that was because they were review copies or if they just loved those items :D, but no review copies for me. I did all the work. It was fun really!
I have a few outfits from the hunt that will appear in the coming days, but here is one that I thought was summering and might be of interest.
Off the shoulder belly shirt by J.P.D. (Hmm. Blogger in its wisdom has changed the way links are added. Not fun or helpful for me. Apologies if things are wrong. Hopefully they WILL fix this.)
[Atooly] Anna Skirt Polka Dots (another print comes in the pack too). I should let you know that the small version of this skirt was too large for me and the extra small way too tiny, so a big difference between sizes; not necessarily standard.
.evolve. hodgepodge.satchel (different versions including unrigged - mesh of course)
Juxtapose which I visited yesterday on another hunt. Had to smile at that. This girl has attitude!
I am taking photos in my new bedroom -- color coordination is always high on my list. I moved into a house with a 500 prim allowance. Now I mostly wanted those prims for building and filming, not so much for housing. But what's a gal to do when faced with a free house -- and a very BIG one at that (about 40 x 40 two story).
Well the trick of course is prim value. And I want to say that my decorating yesterday taught me a LOT about mesh and its value. I currently have the whole house and yard (we must have trees) decorated using 179 prims. Most of my furniture is mesh. Now I knew mesh LOOKED great and yes, I knew that it is often low prim. But until faced with the challenge of filling this huge space while leaving lots of creative prims in my coffers, I really didn't get it. Most of my furniture is from Trompe Loeil. Happily I made it onto the blogger list somewhere along the way. It is always a pleasure to unpack and photograph even if I never have the occasions to use the lovely items. But today I did.
And much to my glee, I found a mysteriously returned folder called "backups 2010" which disappeared a year ago and it in my so loved rock fountain kit from Trompe Loeil, now happily a showcase piece in the atrium office area.
Anyway, I just wanted to mention that mesh can be a huge help to your prim budget, just in case you haven't really understood that :D.
Poses by: the bag and Juxtapose


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Understandably, the parent of a child with special needs does not want that child's future inheritance to reduce or interfere with governmental benefits the child is, or will be, receiving.
Do-it-yourself estate plans, or those which are prepared by uninformed attorneys, "disinherit" the disabled child by giving that child's share of the estate to other children with the expectation that the sibling will segregate the disabled child's share and use it for the disabled child's benefit.
Unfortunately, this frequently fails. What if the sibling dies before the disabled child? Where will the money intended for the disabled child go? What if the sibling's marriage fails? Will the divorcing spouse wind up with some of the money intended for the disabled child? What if the sibling falls into financial difficulties or has creditor problems?
All of these very real situations can jeopardize the assets intended to benefit the special needs child.
In New York, one can provide for a disabled beneficiary by creating a Supplemental Needs Trust ("SNT") which is specifically intended to supplement but not replace the benefits provided by the government, to enhance the beneficiary's quality of life.
The goal is to ensure that the assets will be used to provide quality-of-life enhancements such as special furnishings or equipment, a specially equipped van, a computer, an entertainment center, vocational training, a vacation or other recreation. By redirecting the disabled beneficiary's inheritance to an SNT, ordinary testamentary goals can be achieved without any of the risks.
The sibling can be named as a trustee without jeopardizing the plan. The trustee's death, divorce or creditor problems do not invalidate the trust or place the trust assets at risk. A successor trustee can assume the responsibility of administering the trust if a trustee dies or cannot otherwise serve. The assets in the trust are insulated from a trustee's divorcing spouse or the trustee's creditors.
It is very important to have your estate plan reviewed by an attorney who is familiar with this type of planning. While you can modify estate plans that do not meet your goals during your lifetime, there will unfortunately come a time when the plan can no longer be changed. Do not let this happen to you.


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Although, I have made some political forecast on this blog, this blog has never been political. One of the latest 'political' forecast I have written is about the 2016 Philippine presidential elections. Both my forecast regarding the presidential and vice – presidential results both came true. As I have said, those are forecast and although it is about politics, the nature of the post is not political.
Today, however, I'm going to write about something that may be perceived as highly political. I want to write about the plight of the Lumads. If you are a Filipino who have watched or been up to date about the current political situation in the Philippines, you would have heard about the Lumads. In fact, the Lumads has supported President Rodrigo Duterte in the last election. However, recently just before the State of the Nation Address (SONA) one of their leaders has come out and blatantly said that they regret supporting PDuts and that it was a wrong decision fro them to do so. Consistent with the President's personality, if you criticize him, he will attack you, and so he did and said that he will bomb all the Lumad schools because they are run by NPAs. Since the announcement, the DND Secretary has since announced that no such move will be made.
After the SONA, I have heard of people attacking the Lumads, but upon probing they seem not aware of who the Lumads are and what are their plight. And so I have decided to write about Lumads and their sad plight. Please note that some parts of the post might be perceived as critical or as highly political. The truth is as much as I want to avoid being political there are truths that can't be avoided and I do have to write about it, these truths, unfortunately, are political in nature.
So here's a brief on the struggle of the Lumads.
Lumad is a generic term for all Mindanaoan tribes but I think this excluded all Muslim tribes. .
As tribes their ancestral lands have been threatened many times, on different issues, and by different groups.
Their usual struggle are with loggers, big and small scale, mining companies, big and small scale, etc. To put it simply, any group or anybody who threatens their ancestral lands is also a threat to the Lumads. For years they are being driven out of their ancestral lands to the point that they no longer have stability and peace. Different groups now reach out to the tribes – religious groups (Catholic and Protestant), International and Local NGOs. Government agencies are not as aggressive in helping, if not totally not felt.
Education is also a challenge because DepEd does not put up schools in remote communities. They expect the IPs (Indigenous People) to walk kilometers on end, and expect them to blend with non IPs.
Aside from the fact that DepEd's curriculum is not IP friendly. It does not have special subjects on culture, tradition, and other IP related issues, which are very important to help them maintain their identity and culture.
Being so, different groups, in different areas different groups have opened IP schools, with volunteer teachers being given "allowances" only. Some teachers are really LET passers that doesn't have the privilege of having backers at the DepEd and are unable to get a job. So instead of working as cashiers, store clerk or house maids, etc, they'd rather teach even if they only go home 1x, 2x a month and receive only allowance.
The curriculum in these schools are more sensitive to IPs. Of course, there's emphasis on environmental protection like it's not proper to cut down trees, and one should take care of rivers, seas, and mountains.
There are ares where the oppressors are aggressive. Mining companies that have driven out IPs maintain PAGs or Private Armed Groups which co exist with the local Phil Army. PAGs have high – end ammo, sometimes they are even than what the army carries. Several of my friends has seen some of them carrying AK -47.
In areas of Davao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, mining companies are trying to explore "other" sites, which are ancestral lands of the Lumads. These are also the sites where the oppressors are more aggressive.
Lumads doesn't have any weapons, unless bolos are counted, but they only use it for their daily life like chopping bamboos.. Lumads are generally peaceful tribes or people. They're not warriors like the Tausugs. So when threatened, they NEED to look for help. So when they become vulnerable because of a threatening situation, they don't have much choice but to ACCEPT the help of the NPA. The Lumads also admit that there are a few 'renegade' Lumads that are being recruited by the PAGs. Of course, in situations like this, money is involved. These renegade Lumads turn their back on their tribe.
As mentioned Priest and Nuns also help the Lumads. The nuns who sells Turmeric Powder, they usually get it from the Lumad communities.
Of course, each group has it's own approach. The church usually helps in education, livelihood and spirituality. The NPAs provide protection and security.
At this point I would like to make it clear that there is no way I condole violence and support the ideology of the NPA.
2 years ago, a foreign owned mining company that seems to have ties with a Congressman from Visayasdrove out and burned a community in Surigao which they have been wanting to EXPLORE but the Lumads have tried so hard to protect. Because of this the PAGs killed the executive director and 2 volunteer teachers in Surigao IN FRONT of the whole Lumad community. PAGs with the local Army (of course they denied), gathered the whole community, separated the men, women, children they then slit the throat of the ED, then gun down 2 teachers in full view of the shocked Lumads.
Governor Pimentel (although some say he is also connected with Mining companies) took the thousands of Lumads and housed them for over a year at the provincial sports complex. He challenged the national agencies (NBI, PNP, AFP) to arrest and disarm the PAGs.
The national agencies said, why didn't the police of the Governor arrest them? But according to the governor the .38 caliber of their police is literally rusty, how can they fight with PAGs with AK47!
Anyway, no apprehension was ever made.
It is sad that lately the Lumads are evacuating the area again because they are being harassed either by PAGs or the Army.
This problem has been existing for quite some time, and it is difficult to put the blame on a single administration. However, it is also clear that mining is one of the main reason of this attrition. But so far, mining continues, despite of the pronouncement that the administration is against it, it does continue to these days. Gina Lopez was supposed to be the hope and savior of the Lumads, but her efforts were put to an end when the Commission on Appointments didn't approved her, and it is perceived that the president didn't put pressure on CA to have her approved.
Anyway, so every so often, this is what happens to the Lumads. PAGs will threaten Lumad communities, the church will help, but when violence erupts it really are the NPAs who help them.
The Army is said to hate the IP schools because IP kids become more intelligent and know their right because of the IP schools.
Before I end this post, I would like to state that this is how I understand it, but please feel free to learn more about it by doing your independent research. I would like to stress here, I don't mean to put what the NPAs are doing in a good light, neither do I support any form of violence, be it from the rebel or from the government. I also don't support the ideology of the NPAs.
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Robyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar. Coming to prominence in the late 1970s with The Soft Boys, Hitchcock afterward launched a prolific solo career. His musical and lyrical styles have been influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Syd Barrett. Hitchcock's lyrics tend to include surrealism, comedic elements, characterisations of English eccentrics, and melancholy depictions of everyday life. He was signed to two major American labels over the course of the 1980s and '90s, but mainstream success has been limited. He has maintained a loyal cult following and has often earned strong critical reviews over a steady stream of album releases and live performances.
March 3rd, 1953 in London (Age 67)
Last Changes
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Hurricanes Threaten Haiti
Quake victims continue to recover with the help of Catholic agencies.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNA/EWTN News) — The situation of earthquake victims in Haiti continues to improve, but cholera is still a problem, and the upcoming hurricane season poses a "major threat."
"Historically, we know that Haiti is disproportionately vulnerable to hurricanes and that even tropical storms or just heavy rain can cause serious damage — in areas unaffected by the earthquake as well as in the camps, which are acutely vulnerable," Jean Daniel Lafontant, Catholic Relief Services' Haiti communications officer, told CNA on June 3.
In late April, unexpected heavy rains and strong winds flooded parts of metropolitan Port-au-Prince, damaging or destroying more than 1,550 emergency shelters and tents.
During the hurricane season those living in camps are also at greater risk of cholera, which is mainly spread through water.
While cholera is increasing in some departments of Haiti, the overall caseload continues to "decrease or stabilize." At the end of March, hospitalizations for the illness stabilized at about 2,000 per week. As of April 19, 280 cholera treatment facilities and 760 oral rehydration points were working throughout the 10 departments of Haiti.
"The relief effort continues to gain momentum," Lafontant said. "The number of people living in tent camps has decreased."
Relief agencies are helping families resettle into their communities by providing transitional shelters, water and sanitation services, and business assistance.
CRS has been preparing for hurricanes since the first weeks of the earthquake. It has assessed at-risk camps and neighborhoods, dug drainage channels, sandbagged hills and moved the most vulnerable populations to more secure areas.
The agency has started to stockpile emergency supplies and has created an emergency-response team of 45 experts.
The "relative tranquility" following the national elections helped CRS teams make good progress in providing transitional shelters for hundreds of Haitians, many of whom have been living in tents since the earthquake. The agency completed 806 transitional shelters in April alone, while also starting on the demolition of uninhabitable homes in Port-au-Prince neighborhoods.
Meanwhie, Mayor Wilson Jeudy of Delmas City in the Port-au-Prince area has begun clearing out some of the camps on the grounds that they have become staging areas for crime.
The January 2010 earthquake left about 1.5 million people homeless. While the Haitian government put the number of dead at 316,000, an unreleased draft report from the U.S. Agency for International Development puts the death toll at between 46,000 and 85,000, The Associated Press reports. The study says no more than 375,000 people are still living on the streets, though other estimates range as high as 680,000.
However, the State Department said the report has "inconsistencies" and was not ready for release.
Lafontant said that there are 12 Caritas member organizations working in Haiti, including CRS and Caritas Haiti. Eight organizations have their own staff and operations.
"There is a strong history and presence of the Catholic Church in Haiti," he explained. The Church has been a "mainstay" in sponsoring education, and up to half of Haitian primary school children attend Catholic schools.
The Church also operates numerous hospitals and health centers.
"Catholic Relief Services supports the Haitian Church structure in many of the health, education and justice initiatives," he said. "Please keep the people of Haiti in your prayers."
The agency has a special website discussing its work in Haiti and how to support it at http://hopeforhaiti.crs.org.


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Product Information
- Description
An image of original factory product key code will be delivered via email to your provided email address for your convenience. Upon request the keycode and / or the original packaging with Certificate of Authenticity can be mailed to you. SoftwareMedia stores your keycode which can be accessed anytime under My Account in case you ever need to authenticate the purchase of a genuine license. For more info check out our FAQ PageWith Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008 organizations can provide more secure access to centralized applications or desktops (and other resources from the Internet) by using HTTPS without needing to provide access via a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or opening up unwanted ports on firewalls. This reduces the complexity needed to provide secure remote access to applications and data for users partners or customers. And for deployments with several servers new load-balancing features provide a simple way to ensure optimal performance by spreading sessions among the least-loaded available resources. These Terminal Server User CALs permit five users (using any device) to conduct Windows Sessions on any of your servers.
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Greatest Hits Map:
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Poppa Bush grinning about grassy knoll event at Ford's funeral
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Kissinger's Depopulation Views From 1981
"Henry Kissinger re-tools Global 2000 as the US national security doctrine. Kissinger supervises a rewriting of the Carter administration's Global 2000 report in order to sell it to the Reagan White House and the American public as "national security doctrine,"… … Continue reading
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The ridge trail starts in Altenberg close to the border with the Czech Republic. We head west and, 289 kilometres later, reach our destination of Blankenstein. This is also the end of the Rennsteig Trail.
Hiking on a ridge trail means hiking at great heights, almost as if you're in the clouds. We climb the Fichtelberg, the highest mountain in Saxony with an elevation of 1,214 metres. Our ridge trail unveils vistas sprawling across the Ore Mountains, Vogtland and Bohemia in the Czech Republic. We hike through Oberwiesenthal, a winter sports resort and the highest town in Germany at 914 metres above sea level.
We find several attestations to the centuries of mining in the Ore Mountains during our hike. Mining significantly shaped the region, and a diverse and traditional man-made landscape developed as a result. We also discover the precious Schneckenstein boulder, the only topaz outcrop in Europe, on our travels. The Schneckenstein is so valuable that it has been put under 24/7 surveillance.
Manuel Andrack, editor, presenter, author and hiking blogger:
"Folk art typical of the Ore Mountain region – nut crackers, Christmas angels, Schwibbogen (decorative candle holders with five candles) and Flügelpyramiden (Christmas pyramids) – is created in the demonstration workshops in Seiffen."
At a glance: Erzgebirge-Vogtland Ridge Trail
Starts: Altenberg/Geising
Ends: Blankenstein
Length: 289 km
Number of stages: 17
Altitude variation: lowest point 415 m, highest point 1,131 m
Terrain: 40% unmade, 15% asphalt, 45% other, e.g. farm tracks
Certified quality hiking trail
Две полезни комбинации от клавиши за мащабиране в браузъра:
Увеличаване: +
Намаляване: +
По-нататъшна помощ ще получите от доставчика на браузъра чрез щракване върху иконата:


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I woke up and there was freaking snow on the ground. Seriously! On the ground, on the cars, on the rooftops. Snow! A fairly thin dusting, but still! That means only one thing: Time for more stew!
– The great 30 Bucks a Week blog linked to this New York Times recipe for Andalusian Cabbage Stew w/Polenta. The picture alone makes the article/recipe worth investigating, but it also further proves my theory that I don't cook/eat cabbage nearly enough. Plus, this recipe gives me a good excuse to continue my experiments with polenta. Win/win!
– Kerry at Click and Cook has piqued both my stew and spice interest with her Indian Meatball Stew with Curried Cucumber Yogurt. A vibrantly colorful stew, I love how this mixes hot and cool flavors. Hmm, I wonder if it would work with lentil-balls…
– There are many dishes that I can't really imagine as vegetarian or vegan, and Brunswick Stew is one of them. If you're a meat-eater and are feeling like a ton of protein, check out a version of the recipe on Tales From Twisty Lane. Make sure to add the okra!
– Rock your roots! Dreamin' It Vegan celebrates the last day of Vegan MoFo with the root vegetable extravaganza, Frosty Stew, a recipe borrowed from From Animal Crackers to Wild West Beans, a vegetarian cookbook focusing on recipes for the whole family, babies and children included. Ooh, and vegan peanut butter cookies too! These look especially delicious.
– Finally, thanks to Forever, Matryoshka because she reminded me of the terrific chopotle stew from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan with a Vegeance. The Matryoshka blog version is Buccaroo Stew, and it's definitely worth a hoot and a holler.


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Oh look! A fancy banner thing!
I hope you've been donating, because I'm not bloody well doing this just for the sake of sore wrists, misery and exhausting a month's worth of topics in a single weekend.
Anyway, I hate to break the levity, but one thing that has been very significant to me this past week, and has triggered a lot of painful thinking on my part, albeit not in the ways you might expect, has been the recent emergence of accusations of rape directed towards trans activist Ira Dalton Gray.
Ira and I don't have much of a history, but we have e-spoken a couple times, and you may remember him as one of the trans men making accusing me of racism in response to my statements that spiritual faith is a universally dangerous thing, which ended up being the motivation to include some paragraphs on race in my God Does Not Love Trans People post (paragraphs which, in an interesting catch-22, were then used to accuse me of racism by others for doing exactly what Ira Gray accused me of racism for not doing).
That's really neither here not there, of course. What happened was that over the last week or two (not quite sure on all the details), someone stated that she felt Ira Gray had raped her (in the sense of the acquaintance rape, or even more specifically, rape within the context of a relationship; her consent and boundaries were not respected). Shortly afterward, at least one other person emerged corroborating the accusation, and stating that they too felt Gray had not properly respected boundaries and consent.
It's not my place to speculate on the veracity of the accusations, but corroboration by two independent parties of a trend in his behaviour is certainly something that demands attention. But what was most damning of all was Ira Gray's own response, his "apology", in which he indicated very, very creepy attitudes, and demonstrated some very, very creepy behaviours.
For instance, Ira Gray spoke of the mental health of the individuals involved. Carefully prefaced as "I don't want to smear them", he then nonetheless proceeded to use their mental health issues against them, suggested it invalidated their interpretation of events, and carefully positioning it as an excuse for his behaviour. Here's the thing: when you're engaging in a sexual relationship with someone, and they inform you of mental health issues (or you become aware of such issues), that means you should be extra, super-duper careful in terms of respecting their boundaries, consent, needs, etc. It means you have to take on extra responsibility for their well-being (and your own) before you go ahead and start having sexy times. It is NOT an excuse for irresponsibility, nor is it something you file away for later to use against them in the event they call you out on having behaved irresponsibly, cruelly, abusively or…well…having sexually assaulted them.
But what was particularly noticeable in Gray's open letter was the admission that he didn't practice "100% good consent". He claimed that "100% good consent" was impossible, and that the best any of us can do is just fumble around with ambiguities and make our best guess.
That is NOT an acceptable way to approach sexual consent.
There is no such thing as "77% consent", or "52% consent", or even "99% consent". You either have "100% consent", where you are certain that your partner(s) are comfortable (and enthusiastically so) with whatever it is you're going to do. At the bare minimum, there should be a clear, unambiguous consent framed BEFORE the sex begins in which some kind of clear system is set up where both parties can be aware at all times that the others are enjoying what's currently going on, providing permission to explore or try things out or go further, want you to slow down or take it easy but not fully stop, or want you to fully, immediately stop as they've become uncomfortable.
It is our own responsibility to pay attention to our own feelings, and what we are or are not comfortable with, and to stop ourselves from going along with something we're not comfortable with, no matter how much we might be embarrassed, or worried about seeming wimpy, or worried about hurting their feelings, or worried about not being a satisfying partner. And we have a responsibility to communicate our comfort levels and needs clearly. But our partner ALSO has a responsibility to pay very close attention to our comfort levels, the signs and signals that we might be uncomfortable with something, the suggestion that we might be uncomfortable but scared to say so, to never EVER pressure us (even in subtle, "gentle" ways) to do something we don't want to do, and to stop the second it becomes ambiguous as to whether enthusiastic consent is really, fully there.
If Ira Gray repeatedly found himself in a situation of ambiguity, where it wasn't quite clear whether or not his partners were really okay with what was going on, and decided to go ahead and do it anyway…. yeah, that's sexual assault. And it's NOT OKAY.
This is really really important. I want all of you to ALWAYS remember this:
No means no, but yes means MAYBE.
But remember the painful questions that came up from this?
Well… here's the thing…
What Ira Gray seems to have done is clearly not okay. And is clearly a violation of his partner's rights. And is clearly sexual assault. And clearly needs to be talked about. But is it rape?
Sometimes we hear people say things like "Yeah, but it wasn't RAPE rape!" And when people say that kind of thing, people get really angry. It's a valid anger. Is there really a line to be drawn? Is rape EVER more or less okay than other kinds of rape?
No, of course rape is never okay. It doesn't matter if it's between a married couple, acquaintance rape, date rape, "not 100% consent" rape, etc. It's always fucking horrible. It's always a deep violation of another human being's rights and body. It's always a form of violence.
I worry that sweeping all instances of sexual assault under the same word, and the same admonition, might be dangerously erasing some very important distinctions, might be very dismissive of some meaningful realities, and might also have some very creepy motivations that are political in nature… and potentially exploitative, and tied to race, class, gender, sexuality and other axes of privilege and oppression.
To be continued next hour…


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throw a birthday scavenger hunt in
Oklahoma City
Looking for an awesome idea for a birthday party? You can select a birthday theme to your game and make Operation City Quest scavenger hunt the perfect birthday bash. During your birthday scavenger hunt, you'll seek out items around the city with friends and family. With Operation City Quest birthday parties, you'll receive six additional birthday challenges in your game, in addition to the hundreds of other items you'll be looking for during your scavenger hunt.
Recommended Starting Location
Oklahoma City Operation City Quest
201 Robert S Kerr Blvd
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Time: About 2 hours
Distance: About 2 miles
Suggested Transportation: Walking
How to sign up for a birthday hunt
Less than six players
If you have less than 6 players, head to our ticket order form first to purchase your tickets. Once you have your tickets, you can register and schedule a day and time to play. Don't forget to purchase the Birthday Specialty add-on to get your special birthday scavenger hunt!
six or more players
If you have more than six players, you can purchase a Group Event package from our website. Check out our Group Packages to decide which package is right for you. Don't forget to purchase the Birthday Specialty add-on to get your special birthday scavenger hunt!
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Operation City Quest offers more than just birthday scavenger hunts. Check out all the ways Operation City Quest can help you with your scavenger hunt outing!


text:
not sure if this is the right place to ask the question but I'll try.
We're a little HSP in France with several little customers.
Many of our customers might be interested by Zimbra but :
- I don't want to manage a separate Zimbra platform per customer
- most of our customers have less than 10 employees (a Small Business licence per customer would be very expensive)
So I have a few questions 8)
- Is it possible for someone like us (HSP) to have _one_ Zimbra implementation used by several customers (several domains) with full separation between customers (mostly thinking of calendars here) ?
- can the Small Business licence be used for such a thing ?
- can both the OpenSource release (mainly for customers not needing Outlook) and Small Business licence can be used together on the same platform ?
Thanks in advance