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Writing a persuasive essay is very simple and easy to do. It allows the author to express their point of view on a topic by providing strong and supported statements as evidence. There is a step-by-step process to follow when writing a persuasive article, but it is flexible and still allows the writer to be creative with their work. Knowing how to write a persuasive essay can be helpful in your career as a student or writer, but it can also help you in any situation where you have to debate a topic and show support for your position.
The first step in writing a persuasive essay is to make an outline, which is a way to organize the different key points of the paper. The persuasive essay outline format is pretty flexible, however you should always start the outline with a thesis statement at the top, and then branch out to cover all of the separate ideas that you want to express in your paper. A thesis statement is something that ties all of the elements in your paper together; it expresses your purpose and provides direction for the audience. Your outline should consist of at least three different strong points, along with supporting evidence to help prove your position. While you do not want to write your entire outline on your paper, it is sometimes helpful to have complete sentences in your support section. This gives you a foundation for when you start writing a persuasive essay.
The next step in putting together a project such as this is to take the small fragments of your outline and piece them together into coherent and understandable sentences and paragraphs to form the introduction, body, and conclusion of your persuasive essay. The introduction paragraph should catch your reader's attention and explain to them what type of topic you are writing about. The body paragraphs should present your argument followed by the supporting evidence that you have found in favor of your argument. The conclusion summarizes the entire article, and usually gives the author something to think about in relation to the topic.
Finally, you want to edit and revise your paper. This includes checking for grammar and spelling mistakes, as well as making sure that your sentences flow easily into each other. It is suggested that you have a friend or family member read through your paper, as they may notice things that you have missed. You should also read it out loud to hear how your words sound.
A persuasive essay is one of the easiest essays to write because it is about the author expressing his or her thoughts and feelings on a subject. Producing a successful essay starts with the persuasive essay outline format. The persuasive essay ouline is an important part of the essay because it becomes the foundation for your paper. It holds your thesis and your supporting evidence organized by topic. Having a great persuasive essay outline will lead to a great persuasive essay.


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Due to renovations, the Grand Rapids Community College Bookstore has been relocated to the Farside Room on the first floor of the Student Center.
"We're hoping to be back in the bookstore by Tuesday, June 6," said Jen Rockafellow, Bookstore manager.
GRCC administrators are coordinating with Follett, the company that operates the GRCC Bookstore. Follett is covering all costs of the bookstore renovations.
Planned renovations include changes to the display walls and the register counters as well as an overall cleaning. The textbook selection area will also be condensed.
There will be a limited selection of merchandise available to students in the Farside Room, but bookstore staff members can retrieve textbooks from the bookstore as needed.

subset: commoncrawl


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My Organization would like to be able to change their Print Layout like what is in ArcMap Desktop. They would like to be able to move the Legend, adjust the North arrow, or change where all the items are position. Currently, I either create and upload a Print Template, or they download the map into Desktop and go from there. The only issue we have with downloading it into Desktop is that we plan on removing access to Desktop here shortly.
Does anyone have a fix for this?


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Música de Cinema
L'Auditori Lepant 150, 08013 Barcelona
Violin classical music home
Director José Roda directs the famous ensemble as they review some of modern cinema's most famous and memorable tunes. Gone With the Wind, West Side Story, Indiana Jones or Star Wars are just some of the classic films whose theme tunes are re-visited on a long-winding trip down cinema's memory lane.
L'Auditori Lepant 150, 08013 Barcelona
Concerts & Live Music


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A Framework for Stochastic Finite Element Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Beams Affected by Reinforcement Corrosion
|A Framework for Stochastic Finite Element Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Beams Affected by Reinforcement Corrosion
|Baingo, Darek
|Corrosion of reinforcing bars is the major cause of deterioration of reinforced concrete (RC) structures in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and many coastal regions around the world. This deterioration leads to a loss of serviceability and functionality and ultimately affects the structural safety. The objective of this research is to formulate and implement a general stochastic finite element analysis (SFEA) framework for the time-dependent reliability analysis of RC beams with corroding flexural reinforcement. The framework is based on the integration of nonlinear finite element and reliability analyses through an iterative response surface methodology (RSM). Corrosion-induced damage is modelled through the combined effects of gradual loss of the cross-sectional area of the steel reinforcement and the reduction bond between steel and concrete for increasing levels of corrosion. Uncertainties in corrosion rate, material properties, and imposed actions are modelled as random variables. Effective implementation of the framework is achieved by the coupling of commercial finite element and reliability software. Application of the software is demonstrated through a case study of a simply-supported RC girder with tension reinforcement subjected to the effects of uniform (general) corrosion, in which two limit states are considered: (i) a deflection serviceability limit state and (ii) flexural strength ultimate limit state. The results of the case study show that general corrosion leads to a very significant decrease in the reliability of the RC beam both in terms of flexural strength and maximum deflections. The loss of strength and serviceability was shown to be predominantly caused by the loss of bond strength, whereas the gradual reduction of the cross-sectional area of tension reinforcement was found to be insignificant. The load-deflection response is also significantly affected by the deterioration of bond strength (flexural strength and stiffness). The probability of failure at the end of service life, due to the effects of uniform corrosion-induced degradation, is observed to be approximately an order of magnitude higher than in the absence of corrosion. Furthermore, the results suggest that flexural resistance of corroded RC beams is controlled by the anchorage (bond) of the bars and not by the yielding of fully bonded tensile reinforcement at failure. This is significant since the end regions can be severely corroded due to chloride, moisture, and oxygen access at connections and expansion joints. The research strongly suggests that bond damage must be considered in the assessment of the time-dependent reliability of RC beams subjected to general corrosion.
|Thèses, 2011 - // Theses, 2011 -
|Adobe PDF


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Get in Your Business: Anonymous is upset that his best friend has been acting funny and hanging out with new people. Instead of having a man to man conversation, anonymous slept with his best friends baby mama. He said that she had been trying to…[Listen Below]
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Staying on my current obsession with small towns in the Pacific NW, I don't think this series would be complete without mentioning Ashland, Oregon. When living in Medford (about 10 minutes North of Ashland), the town of Ashland was always synonymous with the college (Southern Oregon University) and it was… Read more
The Best Small Towns in the Pacific NW: Silverton, Oregon
A few weeks back, our realtor was doing an open house at our townhouse and we needed to get away for the day. So we decided to explore someplace new and different, someplace that we'd never been before and since we only really needed to be gone for a few… Read more
The Best Small Towns in the Pacific NW: Mt. Angel, Oregon
For most of my life I've craved being in a city, the rush of energy, the access to everything, the great food and the quick paced life. But I'm a woman of contradictions and as much as I still love the city, I either love being in the center of… Read more


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Dictionary of English Pieces - Cupboards and Wardrobes
Cupboards and Wardrobes. Cupboards for the storage of clothes and linen were made from the fifteenth century onwards; until the late seventeenth century they were usually of oak and with the doors divided into panels. They are rare, as are the walnut ones made about 1700. Mahogany cupboards and wardrobes are more plentiful, but being large in size they are not greatly in demand for use in the smaller rooms of present-day homes. The eighteenth-century wardrobe often had the upper part with sliding shelves enclosed within doors, and the lower part with drawers.
In this form it is called today a Gentleman's Wardrobe, and in many instances the insides of the drawers and the upper shelves have been removed to make hanging-space for clothes. In the later years of the century, the mahogany cupboards were inlaid, and others were veneered with satinwood or made of pine and painted.
Court cupboards of oak were made in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They
consist of open shelves with supports at the corners; the front ones carved. Hall or
livery cupboards were made during the same years, and have doors to the upper and lower
parts. For many years there has been confusion between court and livery cupboards, but at
the moment of writing the above descriptions are the accepted ones.
Corner cupboards of three-cornered shape and with flat or bowed fronts, were made in the eighteenth century. They exist in oak, walnut, mahogany and pine; the latter painted or lacquered. Many are decorated with inlay, but rare specimens have carved and gilt ornament.


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Brain Energy supplies essential nutrients carefully formulated to provide nutritional support for increased brain energy and neurological functioning.
Contains: 60 Capsules
1 Vegetarian Capsule Contains
DL-Phenylalanine ……………………………….. 300 mg
L-Tyrosine …………………………………………. 200 mg
Rhodiola rosea extract …………………………… 75 mg
(standardized to contain 1% rosavins)
L-Methionine ……………………………………….. 60 mg
Octacosanol …………………………………………… 2 mg
Do not use if you have Phenylketonuria (PKU). If you are pregnant, nursing, or taking any prescriptions medications or have Parkinson's disease, consult with a physician before using this product. Use of DL-Phenylalanine should be limited to less than 2 grams per day.
WARNING: If pregnant or lactating discuss use with your physician before taking product.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.
Douglas Laboratories' logo, text, graphics, and photo images are the property of HVL LLC dba Douglas Laboratories and are used with permission. Copyright © 2018


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TERRY, Ellen. Letter signed. Montreal, April 9, 1907. Single original letterhead leaf (measures 8-1/2 by 11 inches) in manuscript, signed, with original letterhead envelope addressed in manuscript with canceled stamp, framed (total measures 10 by 12-1/2 inches). $450.
1907 letter signed by Ellen Terry—"the greatest actress in the world" (Sarah Bernhardt)—written from Montreal during Dame Terry's last American tour playing Lady Cicely in Shaw's Captain Brassbound's Conversion, signed by Dame Terry within weeks of secretly marrying her leading man, young American actor James Carew, framed with the accompanying postmarked envelope.
"Sarah Bernhardt called Ellen Terry 'the greatest actress in the world" (New York Times). The year before the date of this letter, signed by Dame Terry, "the rarest talents in the theatre gathered in London's Drury Lane to honor Terry in her 50th year onstage… For Terry, the day's best gift was the knowledge that she still had a role to play at night… the talkative Lady Cicely in George Bernard Shaw's comedy, Captain Brassbound's Conversion." Virginia Woolf wrote of Terry's performance in the play: "She filled the stage and all the other actors were put out, as electric lights are put out in the sun" (Auerbach, 3, 16). In the 1907 of Brassbound, her last American tour, "From late January to early May 1907. Ellen Terry visited 15 cities (including Toronto and Montreal)" (Shaw, Theatrics, 74). Only weeks before this April 9, 1907 letter from Montreal during that tour, boldly signed by Terry, she married her young leading man, American James Carew, a marriage that lasted two years. At her death two decades later, Terry was eulogized as "the reigning queen of England's stage" (New York Times).
Written in an unidentified manuscript hand on the letterhead of Montreal's Corona Hotel, signed by Dame Terry, the letter reads: "April 9, 1907. Dear Mr. Isaacs I am sorry I cannot accept your invitation for to-day as I have an engagement. I also have an engagement for Friday, but I will try and come in for a moment that day as I would much like to see the Papoose christened. Believe me. Yours faithfully Ellen Terry." Accompanying the letter in the same frame is a letterhead envelope of the Corona Hotel, with a canceled 2-cent stamp postmarked "Apr 9 CAN." The envelope is addressed in the same unknown hand: "J.B. Isaac, Savoy Hotel, Montreal."
Signature bold and clean, lightest soiling so edges of letter. About-fine condition.


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South African based mobile telephone company, MTN, has refuted allegations that it has collided with the government of Cameroon to violate consumers rights in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon.
This comes after denizens of the two English speaking regions of the country which happens to be the strong hold of MTN took to the social media complaining of the fact that the mobile company has joined the regime of 84years old Paul Biya to sabotage networks and even block some numbers so as to limit the broadcasting and sharing of information concerning the strike action ongoing in former Southern Cameroon.
It should be pointed out that most of the English speaking Cameroonians identify with MTN network and for some time now, a handful of them complain of their numbers either not being able to receive or make calls, being blocked or their internet bundles get extinct in less than no time. Matters came to a climax last weekend as on Saturday after the Ghost town was declared hundreds of subscribers of the network storm the Bamenda and Buea regional head offices asking for answers as to why their numbers were block and their inability to surf the internet. It is equally worth nothing that the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications have been circulating messages via mobile networks in Cameroon warning citizens against the effects of spreading false information on the social media.
They back what many have described as "empty threat" by stating that such acts are punishable by the penal code ranging from 5years imprisonment and fines estimated at Millions of FCFA.
Responding to these allegations which has since the incident seen MTN losing most of its customers to rival networks, Philisiwe Sibiya, chief executive officer of MTN in a statement made public states that "over the last couple of days, there has being reports and comments on the social media suggesting that MTN embarked on communication to subscribers intended to curtail customers rights and violate customers privacy." Adding that "…as a responsible corporate citizen, MTN Cameroon will in no instance engage in activities that go contrary to the corporate values of the MTN Group and our license and concession obligations." While refuting allegations of tempering with their service, the CEO added that "all our services remain accessible to our customers, we remain fully committed to provide quality service to all our customers and to building the special relationship that we have enjoyed for close to 17 years with the Cameroonian public and communities in general and those of the South West and North West Regions in particular." A section of the statement dated 14 January and signed by Philisiwe Sibiya read.
Despite all attempts by the service provider to redeem its image, Cameroonians of the North West and South West regions who since November of last year have being on strike continue to criticize the company for siding with the government at the detriment of the population.


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Saints Team Stats
- Snaps: 57 – Run (43.9%), Pass (56.1%)
- Plays Inside the 5: 0 Run (0%), 1 Pass (100%)
- Offensive Line Yards Before Contact Per Attempt: 1.15
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Fall Schedule*
Session 2: Nov 2, 9, 16, 23, Dec 7, 14, 21
(no classes November 30)
Recommended for Travel Team GK's ages 9-11. Instilling the technical foundations in each player required for this specialized position. GK:Club will focus on footwork, diving, reaction saves, distribution and communication. GK:Club will offer all players of every level and ability, the opportunity to receive professional goalkeeper training and generate a true passion for this truly specialized position. Group Session (eight to twelve goalkeepers).
Times: 10am-11am


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Jean-Michel Basquiat: ambitious but not money-focused, he 'fought his way to the top'
A recreation of the legendary Canal Zone party of 1979 that helped give the artist's career a rocketing boost is being held in Abu Dhabi tonight
"In the 1980s, if you wanted to see the real art," said curator Jeffrey Deitch at Louvre Abu Dhabi last night. "It wasn't in the galleries. It was on the streets and on the subway cars."
Deitch was reunited on Wednesday with Leonard McGurr, the graffiti artist better known as Futura, for a discussion about Jean-Michel Basquiat, the breakaway star from the wild style graffiti years of New York in the late 1970s and early 80s.
The city was then recovering from bankruptcy, violence was at a high, and the downtown scene had turned into a crucible of creativity and imagination.
"You can compare it to what was happening in Paris at the turn of the century," Deitch continued, adding: "You had a mix of art forms coming together. You had wild style graffiti, Steve Reich, new wave, no wave, hip hop, breakdancing." He paused. "But rougher."
From homeless to world famous
Basquiat took the cut-up and sampling aesthetics of hip-hop and brought it into his paintings, mixing the language of graffiti from the street with powerful, primitive forms and a direct, childlike symbolism. He wasn't appropriating street style, though: Basquiat began as a graffiti artist, writing concrete poetry on the downtown streets under the alter ego "Samo".
"We didn't know who he was but we knew Samo," explained Futura, an artist who also made the leap from tagging subway cars to selling paintings in galleries.
"He went from homeless on a park bench in Tomkins Square Park — and I don't know if you know New York, but that's real New York — to being one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century."
Basquiat became a fixture on the downtown scene: he dated Madonna, who was then just a New York newcomer, hung out with Andy Warhol at the Factory, and appeared in the video for Blondie's single Rapture. These nightlife appearances aren't just celebrity fodder: the social spaces of New York, from the Mudd Club in lower Manhattan to Fashion Moda in the South Bronx, were key to the creativity of the era, where dance, art, and music forms mixed.
"The connections were very social," Deitch says. "I remember once I got to meet Maja Hoffman, a very important patron, who was very young then — I took her up to the South Bronx to see Fashion Moda. A lot of this history is just personal." Deitch wrote the major review of the Times Square Show in 1980, where many of these formerly underground artists were introduced to a wider public, and he also brought them to a show in Hong Kong.
Though now Deitch has worked with blue-chip names and went to Harvard for an MBA, it is notable that when he made the leap from New York gallerist to head of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, in 2010, his first major show was the blockbuster "Art in the Streets", of graffiti art.
"I've been trying to get this work into museums for 30 years," he notes. "It just took a while."
Read More
It seems strange now that anyone would have fought to get Basquiat's Cabra into the museum: the painting punches at such a high level it seems destined for hallowed halls.
Dominated by the image of a red bull, it shows the importance of the symbol of the bull to Basquiat: as an identification with Picasso, for whom the icon was also crucial; throughto famous boxer of Muhammed Ali, who, like Basquiat, wanted to be the greatest.
"He looked so sweet and innocent, but he was as an ambitious as artist as I've ever met," commented Deitch. "He was very conscious of his position as a young black man who had to fight his way to get to the top."
'It wasn't about money for him'
LaBouvier, who moderated the talk as a guest curator, underlined the significance of Basquiat being the first black artist to make it to the upper echelons of the art world without being pigeonholed as a black artist.
"That has endeared him to us," she said, talking about the last appeal of his work. "So much of global pop culture is black American culture, and that has allowed people to connect with him."
Futura, who collaborated with him and other now famous graffiti names, such as Keith Haring, was just a friend. He told the audience a story of buying some of Basquiat's postcards for $500 after he happened to have money after a gig in London. (If $500 for a few postcards seems high, keep in mind that in 2017 Basquiat broke the record for the highest price for an American artist at auction, with Untitled (1982) at Sotheby's, which went for $110,487,500.)
A few years later, when Basquiat had begun selling his work, "he reimbursed me," recounted Futura. "I said no, but he knew I needed the money. And I did! It wasn't about the money for him. That wasn't his reward. He just wanted to make the work."
Updated: April 18, 2019 03:55 PM


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IICT Chromepet, Chennai provides real-time and placement focused AJAX training in chennai . Our AJAX course includes basic to advanced level and our AJAX course is designed to get the placement in good MNC companies in chennai as quickly as once you complete the AJAX certification training course. Our AJAX trainers are AJAX certified experts and experienced working professionals with hands on real time multiple AJAX projects knowledge. We have designed our AJAX course content操逼小视频 and syllabus based on students requirement to achieve everyone's career goal.
Our AJAX training center is equipped with lab facilities and excellent infrastructure. We also provide AJAX certification training path for our students in chennai. Our AJAX course fee is value for money and tailor-made course fee based on the each student's training requirements. AJAX training in chennai conducted on day time classes, weekend training classes, evening batch classes and fast track training classes
AJAX Internals
XML Http Request Object
AJAX UI Tags
Div Tag
Submit Tag
Anchor Tag
Tabbed Panel Tag
操逼小视频Auto Completer Tag
1. Why Should i learn Courses from IICT ?
操逼小视频 Courses at IICT is designed & conducted by MNC experts with 10+ years of experience in the all domain Only institution in Chennai with the right blend of theory & practical sessions In-depth Course coverage for 45+ Hours More than 15,000+ students trust IICT Affordable fees keeping students and IT working professionals in mind Course timings designed to suit working professionals and students Interview tips and training Resume building support Real-time projects and case studies.
操逼小视频2. Will IICT Help Me With Placements After My Course Completion?
We are happy and proud to say that we have strong relationship with over 600+ small, mid-sized and MNCs. Many of these companies have openings for all the courses which we conduct. Moreover, we have a very active placement cell that provides 100% placement assistance to our students. The cell also contributes by training students in mock interviews and discussions even after the course completion.
3. How many students have been trained by IICT up till now?
操逼小视频 We are proud to state that in the last 10+ years of our operations we have trained over 25,000+ aspirants to well-employed IT professionals in various IT companies.
操逼小视频4. How Equipped Are The Courses Faculties At IICT?
操逼小视频 Our Courses faculty members are industry experts who have extensive experience in the field handing real-time application and completing mega real-time projects in Courses in different sectors of the industry. The students can rest assured that they are being taught by the best of the best from the Courses industry.
5. Will I Be Given Sufficient Practical Training In Courses ?
Our courseware is designed to give a hands-on approach to the students in Courses. The course is made up of theoretical classes that teach the basics of each module followed by high-intensity practical sessions reflecting the current challenges and needs of the industry that will demand the students' time and commitment.
6. What Are The Payment Modes Accepted At IICT ?
We accept Cash, Card, Bank transfer and G Pay.
7. How old is IICT ?
操逼小视频 More than 10 years we are into Courses Training domain. We are doing training across Chennai.
8. What certification will I receive after course completion?
操逼小视频 You will receive IICT globally recognized course completion certification.
9. What will be the size of a Course batch at IICT ?
We at IICT believe in giving individual attention to students so that they will be in a position to clarify all the doubts that arise in complex and difficult topics. Therefore, we restrict the size of each batch to 5 or 6 members.
10. How about group discounts (or) corporate training for our team?
Yes, IICT provides group discounts for its training programs. To get more details, visit our website and contact our support team via Call, Email, Live Chat option or drop a Quick Enquiry. Depending on the group size, we offer discounts as per the terms and conditions.
操逼小视频Final Year Project Training in Chennai with the best Final Year Project course Syllabus by experienced Final Year Project Experts with vast experience.
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Tally Training in Chennai with the best Tally Syllabus by Tally MNC Expert with vast domain experience. Best Tally Training in Chennai.


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Name:Zhe lee
Address:TianMa Student Dormitory ,HuNan University
Employment Objective:
To be a successful lawyer in at most eight years.
Bachelor of Law in HuNan University. 2013
Gained schorlarships twice in HuNan University in 2010&2012.
Won the honour of "Excellent Student" of Legal Clinic in HuNan University. 2011
Professional Interests:
Member, Yuelu Legal Professionals Association.
Student,Legal Clinic in HuNan University.
Volunteer of the Federation of Trade Unions,helping poor ones who need legal assistance.
National mandarin test class one of level 2. Have the ability to listen, speak, read, and write mandarin in a fluent way.
CET English grade six exhaustions.Got a high grade:552.
Employment Experience:
I should be grateful for your reply soon.Thank you!
Dear Sir or Madam,
I read your advertisement seeking supervisory personnel for your company.Please consider this letter as my application for a supervisory position.
My name is Lei Lei.I was born in beijing on may 1, 1979. I'm now living in the NO.5 ,DongZhiMen Street. Presently I'm a student of Beijing No.1 school.In july this year I will be graduated ,and I have learned English for six years.The enclosed resume gives a brief outline or my training and experience.Interested in English, I especially good at spoken English and typing with a minute to 100 words.As for me, I'm proficient in computer technology and make internet programme.What's more it is pretty convenient for me to surf the Internet.
Enclosed is my resume to detail my backgrounds and qualifications.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I would like to discuss career opportunities and my qualification with you personally.
Li Lei
My name is Li Hua, 16 years old this year. The first secondary school in Jinan, graduated in June of this year. Parents in the local operating a small travel agency, summer vacation will be there to help. High 1:00 moving house, attending a new school, she met many friends. I like music, also participated in the school's gymnastics team. I think about the future development of talent to become a translator. To improve language skills, want to go to Cambridge University to study


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Voters of Britain join the Voters Revolt
Brief Summary
Britain is embroiled in an almighty battle between "us" and "them" - the voters of Britain versus the new ruling class which ignores our views. Our elected representatives are under the thumb of the political establishment. The forces of bureaucracy and political correctness are throttling the rights and liberties of the people.
Slowly we are being herded into a police state from which it will be hard to break free. We must act now. We must force the parties to reform the system and give power back to us.
The British people will not tolerate this attack on their liberty. We must leave the political establishment in no doubt that at the next general election many will vote for the party which is most committed to giving power back to the people.
They won't want to listen. They will fight to keep the power they have taken from us. We must therefore stand firm and use the power that STRENGTH IN NUMBERS gives us. We must send the politicians a very clear message that their lives are about to change!
Why not take a quick visit and suport the Voters Revolt


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Here's a thing that's equal parts twee, charming, and—at times—darkly funny: Real Life Lines. Started by illustrator Charly Clements, the parameters of the project are simple. Clements draws a few basic illustrations and adds a couple of lines of text to a photo of a real-world object. She then documents her surprisingly human work on her reallifelines Instagram account:
It's a natural continuation of Clements' illustration work, which frequently features anthropomorphized objects. But the real-word connection really steps up the whimsy.
Although the drawings look adorable, Clements lets her darker sense of humor shine through on many of them.
All in all, it seems like that live-action Beauty And The Beast really should have called her when they were trying to figure out how to anthropomorphize a clock and candelabra.
[via Laughing Squid]


text:
"I said stay down!" Ithirael fired an arrow of light into the gaping creature's jaws. As she traveled through the cities below, she noticed the humans had been transformed into all variety of monster. "I wonder if the letters have anything to do with this mess..." Realizing the foolishness of her own question, she redoubled her efforts to spread news of the coming calamity and help the gods prevent further chaos.
See (Sally Forth) Holy Courier Ithirael
Name originEdit
Additional InfoEdit
- Final stage of a 4-stage evolution.
- Artwork by NOX.
- Renewed Version of (Lightbolt) Holy Courier Ithirael.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


text:
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Jade Thirlwall says Little Mix are enjoying being 'single, independent women' despite having a boyfriend
The singer has been dating Jed Elliott since the start of the year
SHE has been in a relationship since the start of the year but Jade Thirlwall seemed to completely forget about Jed Elliott when quizzed about her relationship status.
Discussing if the band wanted to be single or coupled up next year, Little Mix singer Jade: "We're just enjoying being single, independent women."
Perrie meanwhile told Star magazine that she 'didn't really care' if she met someone or not, while Leigh-Anne joked: "I'm hoping me and Jesy are still going strong."
It seems The Strutts rocker Jed may have slipped Jade's mind as the pair have been forced to spend three months apart because of their conflicting schedules.
But yesterday Jade - who is currently the only member the group who is in a relationship – was finally reunited with her man.
Related Stories
Sharing a picture of them looking loved up, she wrote: Three months apart and several jaeger bombs later...💙"
The Sun first revealed that Jade and Jed were dating in February of this year and by May she was publically declaring her love for him.
Celebrating his birthday she wrote: "Just got off my flight to Japan so I'm a tad late Happy Birthday @jedstruts I really, really wish I was there to celebrate with you but I guess a soppy drunken Tokyo karaoke video in approximately 24 hours from now will have to do. I love you petal."
Jed has been more coy about the romance but his bandmate Luke Spiller was more than happy to spill the beans, saying previously: "I think it's brilliant. It's nice to see Jed really happy and all-schoolboy giddy and it's really nice and lovely to witness.
"Obviously it's really genuine so it's nice to be able to watch it unfold."
Meanwhile Jesy is currently single after splitting from her fiance Jake Roche, while Leigh-Anne has been single since her break up Jordan Kiffen.
Perrie has recently started dating Arsenal player Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain following her split from fiance Zayn Malik.
Got a story? email firstname.lastname@example.com or call us direct on 02077824220.


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India-Kashmir: At least eight people including a junior level officer of India's paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were wounded Saturday in a grenade attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir. "Suspected militants today threw a grenade towards a CRPF bunker near Ganta Ghar-Lal Chowk (red square) in Srinagar, which exploded outside it wounding eight people including a sub-inspector of CRPF," a senior police officer said.
Comment: On Friday, terrorists attacked in the Arnia area near Jammu in the southern part of Jammu and Kashmir State. The grenade attack sends the message that the separatists still have a presence in Srinagar, but it is a weak message. Nevertheless, India will blame Pakistan for supporting the terrorist. The attacks are achieving their primarily political objective of ensuring continued hostility between India and Pakistan.
Afghanistan: The police chief of Kabul, General Zahir, resigned today after a surge of Taliban attacks on foreigners and foreign interests in the city during the last two weeks.
In the attacks in Kabul last week, two US soldiers were killed on Monday and two British embassy workers were killed on Thursday. Dozens of Afghans have also been killed and injured.
Saturday's attack was on a building used by the Partnership in Academics and Development (PAD), a small US education group. The director of the NGO, his son and his daughter were shot in the head by Taliban gunmen. Several staff members were injured in that attack which include a bomb.
General Zahir resigned after he spoke to the press about this attack. The Taliban claimed the attack hit a secret Christian missionary group.
Comment: General Zahir did not state his reasons for resigning, but the timing suggests it is related to the deterioration of security in Kabul. Terrorists have made nine successful attacks against foreign interests in the last two weeks. Kabul is supposed to be the best defended city in Afghanistan.
Syria: Fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) reportedly have surrounded Kobani, according to Kurdish officials. In the latest development, ISIL attacked the border crossing to Turkey and some ISIL fighters attacked southward from Turkey for the first time.
Turkey denied the reports. A statement from Prime Minister Davutoglu's office said Turkish security forces have taken "all necessary precautions" along the border.
A Kurdish official and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a vehicle used in a car bombing in Kobani had crossed over the border from Turkey.
Comment: Kobani is inside Syria sufficiently that ISIL fighters and bombers could get behind it and appear to have come south from Turkey. Several news analyses made that point.
The more important point is that the US bombing campaign has failed to prevent Kobani from being surrounded. The air support presumably was intended to keep the last line of communication open to Turkey.
This development, assuming the reports are accurate, is curious because the Canadian press reported that Canadian combat aircraft flew no missions last week because there were no targets.
End of NightWatch
NightWatch is brought to readers of Townhall Finance by Kforce Government Solutions, Inc. (KGS), a leader in government problem-solving, Data Confidence® and intelligence. Views and opinions expressed in NightWatch are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily represent those of KGS, its management, or affiliates.
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An inspirational little girl who is battling leukaemia has made her mum don her gym kit for the first time since she left school.
At one point, four-year-old Anna Robinson was so weak she could not open her eyes. But the Acklam youngster fought on and is now in the second, less intensive, stage of chemotherapy. It is hoped that maintenance chemotherapy will be completed next year and Anna can get on with the rest of her life.
Mum Heather, 29, said: "It's been a struggle but she has coped really well."
Her courage has inspired Heather to run the 5km Race For Life on June 22 around the grounds of Ormesby Hall to raise money for cancer research. To sponsor Heather, go to www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/runforanna


text: Since we're a month from the season 4 premiere, I thought this would be a good time to reinstate my nerdtastic fashion/tv mash-up series Game of Threads. I'll be posting these weekly throughout the duration of the season. If you have ideas of which houses, characters, or groups you'd like to see portrayed, feel free to inspire me in the comments!


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OK, I'll admit it, this post doesn't have anything to do with outdoor play equipment. But once I'd written up some Halloween craft ideas, and Halloween games to play, I was really in the mood for some party food.
In no particular order, here are my top ten terrifying treats the team at Wicken will be snacking on this week.
1. Eyeball Biscuits Cover a digestive biscuit with white icing, then add a coloured Smartie onto the centre. Stick on a tiny piece of black liquorice, or use a black food colouring pen to make the pupil. Then add strawberry shoe laces as bloody veins radiating out to the edge of the biscuit.
2. Mummified Hotdogs Cut white bread into strips approximately 1cm wide and spread sparingly with tomato ketchup. Use the strips as bandages to wrap up the sausages. Don't be too neat and tidy about it as the effect is better when ketchup splurges out, and you can see the fleshy coloured sausage between rows of bandages.
3. Dead Fly Biscuits The easiest Halloween food of them all. Simply arrange a packet of Garibaldi biscuits on a plate and tell the children that they're made with dead flies. Delicious.
4. Oreo Spiders A perfect excuse to eat Oreo cookies. Push sticks of liquorice in either side to make the legs, and drop on a little icing for the eyes.
5. Gingerbread Patients Attack a box of gingerbread men with tubes of writing icing and adorn them with injuries and stitches of all different colours.
6. Marshmallow Ghosts Use a food colouring pen to draw eyes and a screaming mouth onto an upside down white marshmallow. For added gruesomeness, partially melt it onto a biscuit.
7. Candy Apple Slices Coating apples in toffee or chocolate is not easy, as often the sugary goodness slips right off before it's had time to set. It's much easier to slice the apple into chunks, then dip it into melted chocolate / toffee, and let it dry on a piece of wax paper. If you want to make it really pretty, sprinkle on hundreds and thousands while the covering is still wet.
8. Pancake Ghosts Instead of pouring your batter into a neat circle, make it into an irregular tear drop shape. Once cooked, decorate with chocolate buttons for eyes, as the heat from the pancake will melt the chocolate a little so the buttons stick on.
9. Zombie Cake Make a normal cake batter, but add a drop of yellow and blue food colourings to get a green sponge. Bake as one large cake, or smaller cup cakes and decorate with whatever facial features you like.
10. Haunted Bananas Dip half a banana into melted white chocolate, then use chocolate buttons to make eyes and a mouth. This looks more effective if a lollipop stick is pushed into the bottom of the banana and it is eaten as a variation on the toffee apple.
Most of these ideas came from Pinterest, where you will find loads more fantastical food. If in doubt, simply add two white chocolate buttons for eyes, and top with chocolate drops for the pupils, and just about any food will look scary.


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Drop an Online Course
All drop and withdrawal requests must be received in our email inbox by 5:00 p.m. on the "Last Day to Drop with a W" deadline. Requests received after the deadline will not be processed.
- Check Important Dates to find "W" days for your class session.
- Complete the Schedule Change Form below.
- Send an email with the completed form attached from your myLoneStar email account before the 5:00 PM deadline to firstname.lastname@example.com
How to open the Schedule Change Form:
- Right-click the hyperlink below and choose "Save Target As" or "Save Link As" to save the file to your computer.
- Navigate to the saved file.
- Double-click the file.
- Fill the file out and save.
Financial Aid Impact
If you have any questions about how dropping a course may impact your Financial Aid, you can contact Financial Aid personnel by phone at 281-290-2700. See the Financial Aid page for more information and a link to Live Chat.
All schedule change requests must come from your myLoneStar email account. Enrollments and withdrawals cannot be processed from a personal email account.
To Drop a Traditional or Hybrid Course
The Schedule Change Form is for online courses only. Contact an advisor at the campus to drop hybrid or face-to-face courses.


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Over fifteen years ago, I went to school in England and Austria. During the lectures I would often make doodle drawings. These are the pages from those days. Sometimes I would glue magazine cut outs. I think I've been art journaling for years but didn't know it.
Every once in awhile I find a good notebook and start drawing doodles again. I think I find it relaxing and inspiring, and every time I pick it up again I tell myself I should do it more often.
Apparently, I was interested in drawing feet.
Most of my art journal books are random doodle drawings.
If I analyze the pages carefully, it seems like most pages were drawn after I got a new pen or set of pens.
Here is my latest sketchbook (from Michael's). I love the small size (3.5″ x 5″) and hope I remember to bring it with me more often.
In the following images, you can see my recent doodles. I think my style hasn't changed much in 15 years, which is interesting. But I'm hoping to experiment more now. Some of the art journal techniques I'd like to experiment with include sewing on pages, stamping (including making my own stamps), paper cutting, and collage.
Above is the my first page in the new art journal. You can see my One Little Word for 2014: dwell.
Below, I'm experimenting with my hand lettering. I really like Lisa Congdon's hand lettering style.
I wish I had written (even brief) explanations in my old journals and hope to include that in the future. Things like, why was I drawing feet?
Do you ever compare your creative projects from your past with what you're making now?


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October 23, 2017
I grew up loving the smell of Gain. I used it for far too long as an adult before I realized all that scent and blue-green color was actually just a mask for any residual smell or fading of color and white brightness, as well as bad for the environment and my own health.
With eyes opened, I bravely delved into the world of making my own laundry detergent; first powdered, then whipped.
That was exhausting and time consuming, if I'm being honest. And while I liked the way the clothes turned out, I don't think I loved the way they turned o...
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1. Natural Ingredient Cleaning Recipes
2. What to do in your Garden and When
3. Why to decorate with Natural Materials


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Sarah manages KBO's bird monitoring work on the Trinity River Restoration Program in northwestern California. The goal of this research is to determine how changes in habitat structure associated with river restoration are related to bird abundance, diversity, and demography.
Results are used to inform and assess riparian restoration activities, using birds as indicators of a functional riparian ecosystem.
Sarah joined KBO in 2013 after completing her doctorate at the University of Maryland and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, where she studied the ecology of the endangered Kirtland's Warbler. She earned her B.A. in Biology and Environmental Studies in 2002 from Kalamazoo College, in her home state of Michigan.
Sarah has worked on many avian research projects, with field sites in such picturesque locations as Hawai'i, Venezuela, northern Arizona, central California, the South Carolina Low Country, and northern Michigan.


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This classic collection was designed with fall break trips in mind. But don't worry you don't need to go on a magical trip to wear these! This is for all little ones who love our magical Mouse Friends.
Applique, 100% cotton
Peter Rabbit Dress
Regular price
$ 36.00
Peter Rabbit Girls Bubble
Bunny Dress
Regular price
$ 33.00
Zoo Friends Bishop Dress


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In some little village off the M5 she took off 3 car door mirrors. It couldn't have been easy driving on the wrong side of the road. I'm not sure I would have done any better, but as the passenger on that left side, my knuckles grew snow white with the first impact. I cried out in hysterical laughter at the second. Was incredulous at the third.
"What?" she cried. She didn't feel that!? A little further down the road came the second. Then the third. It was not a very wide road, and cars were parked on both sides.
"Marcy!" I yelled. "You just took off those car mirrors!"
"You just HIT those cars!!! THREE CARS!!"
"Oh. Well. My god look at how all these cars are parked! The road isn't wide enough to begin with, and I mean…these cars are just begging to get hit."
Begging to get hit. Begging to get hit! That statement was every bit as rich as her claim to the rental car agency that she could drive a manual transmission. "No problem", she said. "I've driven manuals other friends have had." Much as I loved Marcy she had a way of overestimating some of her abilities. So each time she lifted her foot off the brake of the shiny black luxury Ford sedan, we got one inch closer to the garage's concrete wall. Declining the rental car insurance was probably not such a smart idea.
"I can't figure out this damn shifter. It just won't move."
I retrieved the agent who helped us with the car paperwork, and he showed my friend that one must lift up and then slide the shifter to desired gear, all while maneuvering the pedals. Since I don't have a clue on how to drive a manual transmission auto this was educational for me, even if it didn't make me helpful in the endeavour. After the lesson we moseyed on. Really moseyed. The Ford kept stalling. Three times before we even reached the gate to the outside world. Once the gate lifted and we began the ascent to the street, smoke billowed out from under the hood, and we stopped moving even though Marcy continued to press the gas pedal. Metal grinding. An awful sound. Smoke entered the car from the heating ducts. Out the back window I saw three men running towards us, waving their hands in the air.
"Stop! Stop!"
"Shut the car off!"
"Miss, please shut the car off." Said guy number three, after lifting the hood. "It's likely the engine is going to catch on fire. We need to you to get out of the car and remove your belongings."
Two and half hours later, after my napping on top of our bags in the garage and after Marcy had signed another stack of paperwork, we drove off in another black shiny Ford sedan. Only this one was an automatic. I plugged in the GPS which had been loaded and programmed with England maps. It was a little after noon time. Surely we would arrive at our B & B in the tiny town of Dinder, on the west side of the country by dinnertime. But after two hours of driving past fields of brilliant yellow and emerald green, and more stone walls and sheep than I had ever seen, I noticed that the routes and street names on the GPS were NOT matching up to those we passed. Marcy pulled in to a small convenience store gas station so I could verify our location, and gave me instructions on what to bring her for snack and drink.
"Excuse me, I'm hoping you can help me. I'm trying to get to Dinder, near Bath….I've got a GPS, but I'm just not sure it's working right."
"Dinder. Dinder. Well, I don't know as if I've ever heard of Dinder, Miss, but if you're trying to get anywhere near Bath you're right clear on the other side of the country."
Silence. Muffled laughter and a stifled smile peeking out from underneath this man's greying, receding hair. And pity. What pity. I just wanted to cry.
He came back with an atlas which I bought for 2 pounds, and then showed me exactly where I was relative to where I should be. Instead of being on the west near Bath, and a hop, skip, and jump from Wales….we were actually almost on top of Cambridge. Which meant that we had at least four hours of driving before we would reach our destination.
I returned to the car stiff with the kind of fury that only a person who has just wasted two hours of travel time on account of a worthless techno gadget can be, and handed Marcy her crisps and bottled water. Four hours of me white knuckling the atlas and the car door handle as Marcy veered into the left lane of traffic narrowly escaping collisions with oncoming vehicles or hitting the road curb. Four hours of roadside pee spots when the roundabouts turned us wrong. (Roundabouts, FYI, deserve a story of their own….)
How could I do four hours of this? I pondered a lot about the fact that England has raised curbs on both sides of the road, even on major highways. My heart missed beats every time we hit one or sailed over one. Perhaps it was meant to have the same effect on drivers like Marcy. But I can tell you, she was just oblivious.
How is it that a person can't FEEL when they have hit a car!?
In all, three cars were hit on the drive. Three mirrors lost, rolling out in the middle of the road. Three people who, next morning went out to their autos and probably said "what the FUCK!" I'm guessing there had to be scratched paint and dents of various sizes, too.
At 9PM, we finally passed through Shepton-Mallet, and ended up in another small town whose name I can't remember–right outside a fish and chips take-a-way. After candy bars and crunchy hula hoops, that fresh fried fish and chips with vinegar was like manna from heaven. We were also lucky enough to run into an older gentleman who happened to be friends with the owner of the B & B we were staying at. Marcy used his cell phone to call the B & B, and let them know that our traveling had been fraught with difficulties but we would soon be on our way.
After a long drive up a dirt road with tall hedges on both sides, we arrived at Crapnell Farm. And I was only too relieved to get out of that car for the night. It was taking up two spots in the driveway rather than one. And because it was dark I could only feel the dents on my side of the car.
*This is a piece I wrote in 2014, a year after the fact. Marcy is a pseudonym to protect the not so innocent.


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2300 Mt. Werner Circle 628/630/632 Qiv, Steamboat Springs
Luxury living at a fraction of the cost! The Porches is a 16 acre neighborhood located at the base area of the Steamboat Ski
Resort. This Blue Spruce floor plan is just over 4000 SF and offers 2 living areas, 5 bedroom suites including a bedroom on
the main level and a spacious bunk room, 3 fireplaces, central air conditioning, owners storage while not in residence and
an attached 2 car garage. Sold fully furnished / turn key, this 1/8 ownership allows over 40 nights per year plus unlimited
"space available" stays. The HOA dues covers all furnishing replacements, appliances, and interior and exterior
maintenance. The Porches is also a member of The Registry Collection, an exclusive collection of properties around the
world. Your family and guests will enjoy the top-notch staff and all the amenities such as the clubhouse, fitness center,
steam room, outdoor heated pool, hot tubs, and year-round door-to-door shuttle service. Sleeps 14 people very
comfortably and is the perfect place for family and friends to relax and enjoy Steamboat living. Hassle free living like
nowhere else in Steamboat! This available fractional ownership is in our PET FRIENDLY HOME.
Steamboat Mountain Real Estate.
1315 Turning Leaf - Fractional Deed A Court
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Dryer, Dishwasher, Microwave, Oven, Refrigerator, Range Hood, Washer
Forced Air, Natural Gas, Radiant Floor
Gas Log, Living Room, Master Bedroom, Recreation Room
Metal Siding, Stone, Wood Siding
Terms and Conditions: The content relating to real estate for sale in this Web site comes in part from the Internet Data eXchange ("IDX") program of METROLIST, INC., DBA RECOLORADO® Real estate listings held by brokers other than Steamboat | Sotheby's International Realty are marked with the IDX Logo. This information is being provided for the consumers personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any other purpose. All information subject to change and should be independently verified.
Copyright 2020 METROLIST, INC., DBA RECOLORADO® -- All Rights Reserved 6455 S. Yosemite St., Suite 500 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 USA
Listing information last updated on September 19th, 2020 at 4:31pm MDT.


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Welcome to the magnificent land that hosts the famous pyramids! The Ancient Egypt video slot game is powered by Pragmatic Play and is a treat to the eyes.
The slot game is played on 5 reels with a fixed 10 payline structure. The reels are designed in a manner that oozes opulence as the artwork of the hieroglyphs on display does. The entire game is based on ancient Egypt's culture. The slot game has an RTP of 96.13% and can be played at Jackpot Mobile Casino for 10p a spin.
Ancient Egypt Game Symbols
On the higher end, expect to find the eye of Ra that pays out 500 times your bet, the Ankh that offers you 2,000x your stake while Anubis and Cleopatra pay out a massive 5,000 times your wager for landing 2, 3, 4 or 5 of these symbols on active payline.
The low-value symbols are represented by the playing cards of A, J, K, Q, 10 and 9. These symbols could land you between 5 and 150 times your wager.
The scarab beetle will double as the game's wild as well as the scatter and it offers handsome payouts. If you get 3, 4 or 5 of the beetle symbols at random on the reels for a single spin, you will be awarded 1, 10 or 50x your total bet.
Exciting Features
Bonus Round
This round is activated if you get 3 or more scatter symbols on the reels. After that, you will be taken inside a pyramid where the antechamber resides.
There are 3 chests available and you will be required to select 1 of them. Inside are the following:
- A small cash prize,
- A large cash prize of up to 500 times your stake or
- 10 free spins including a mystery expanding symbol
For the last reward, one of the symbols will be selected to act as the expanding wild. After the 1st payout, the special symbol will expand to populate the entire reel and another payout will follow.
This symbol awards like the way scatter do. At least 3 scatters will give you an extra set of 10 free spins which takes the total to 20.
To Sum Up
Pragmatic Play takes ancient-themed slots to a whole new level in Ancient Egypt. The slot's stunning graphics bring out the desired atmosphere while the soundtrack playing in the background accompanies the theme.
The Bonus Round acts as 3 in 1 feature that could see players earn a handsome amount. If you are the type that loves explorations, Ancient Egypt is just perfect.


text:
Chill music 24/7, come and listen to the best Chillstep radio station on the internet while looking at amazing nature photos. Come listen to our personally picked collection of high quality Chillstep on our radio station 24/7.
Chillstep FM
If the player above doesn't start correctly you might want to reload the page. Looking for a free radio player for your web site? Read how to add any online radio station to a web page using HTML only!


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- This event has passed.
Current Issues in LGBT Equality (Grand Rapids)Date:
June 8, 2016
The Sweet House
254 E. Fulton
Grand Rapids, MI 49503 United States
Get Directions
Organized by:
Jennifer Beahan
Phone: 616-698-2342 x801
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
One year after the Supreme Court finally legalized marriage equality for all citizens, many challenges still remain for LGBT individuals. Mike Hemmingsen will discuss several pressing issues facing the LGBT community including the challenges Transgender people face through employment discrimination and their general acceptance in society.Meetings are open to the Public
After the meeting, join us at Vitale's Restaurant, 834 Leonard NE, Grand Rapids, MI to socialize. View Map
About Mike Hemmingsen
President, Board of Directors, Grand Rapids Pride Center
Mike Hemmingsen has a professional career that includes Sales and Operations Leadership within the Technology sector. He has been an LGBTQ activist and volunteer for nearly 2 decades including his current role as Board President for the Grand Rapids Pride Center (formerly known as The Network). Mike is married to Jacob and they have two boys (Conrad and Declan).


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St. Paul's Church has a number of outreach programmes:
St. Paul's Home
Via its Board of Management. Currently, St. Paul's Home owns seven homes (including the original Tower Road building) in residential areas, within which specialized programs for troubled youth take place. Most of these homes serve as small group home residences for youth who would otherwise have nowhere to live. Phoenix Centre for Youth is an exception, and consists of a walk in center for street youth who require services and are trying to exit the street.
FISH Coffee House
The FISH Coffeehouse was established in 2002 and serves the downtown community of Halifax with patrons of all ages coming from throughout Halifax and Dartmouth. It provides a quiet place to enjoy coffee, snacks, games and conversation. It is located in St. Paul's Parish House. Saturday evenings 6-8 PM! All ages are welcomed.
The Rector's Lunch
During the unusual COVID days, our Lunch Team has been preparing take-away lunches (sandwiches, home-made desserts, drinks). People line up outside and wait for their invitation to enter (please wear a mask before coming in the building, we have disposables if you have none). The Rector is on-site as well to greet people and chat.
The Rector's Lunch has been a part of parish life and one of the parish missions of St. Paul's Church since the summer of 2007. The only advertisement it has ever posted remains at the church porch, announcing the weekly time—and an invitation with the words, "There is such a thing as a Free Lunch! No cost. No sermons. No strings attached." But the word has gotten around. In fact, the rector of St. Paul's is hardly the centre of the Rector's Lunch, though he treasures the seat he is guaranteed as its host, every Wednesday at noon in the church's Memorial Room, just after the 'firing of the noon gun' on Citadel Hill above St. Paul's.
Currently in Recess: Newcomers Sponsorship Committee
St. Paul's Parish Council formed a Refugee Sponsorship Committee to proceed with plans to bring a refugee family to Halifax. The motion was coupled with commitment and support for the task. We have all become aware of the plight of refugees in several nations, but most especially from Syria, now in the fifth year of a brutal civil war. The UN tells us that there are 4 million refugees outside the country with little hope of returning to Syria safely. Half of these uprooted are children who have been traumatised by war, robbed of an education, forced from their homes and living in exile.
For details about any of our Outreach programmes or other occasional outreach events,
please contact the parish office at


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Why You Should Plan Your Zero Waste Christmas In January
Planning a Zero Waste Christmas requires thinking ahead so you aren't stuck last minute trying to figure out how to pull it off.
Here's why you should be planning your Eco-Friendly, Zero Waste Christmas in January AND how to to do it.
You will have plenty of time to collect items you need and make any home made gifts and food items with much less effort.
Why Start Planning Christmas Early?
Anyone else planned loads of DIY gifts, or a homemade advent calendar only to find there was not enough time left?
Argg, i had soooo many great ideas that didn't happen!
Creating a zero waste event takes time and a bit of creativity. The more time you have, the easier it is, so planning for Christmas at the beginning of the year is perfect.
Don't worry, you won't be spending all of 2019 working on this!
If you happen to be reading this January, July or November, don't stress, there are plenty of items in this post that will help you go zero waste on the day.
Early in the year, Christmas is still fresh in your mind and is the BEST time to plan for a better one this year.
Did you have far too much trash, overspent, had food waste, too many gifts, not enough reusables? Write a rough list of things TO DO and NOT DO this year.
The following ideas will help you plan your zero waste Christmas well ahead of time so you can start collecting items, growing things, upcycling and make the best use of what you have without the stress.
Keep in mind, I'm not suggesting you do ALL of the things, but simply pick and choose from what is most important to you.
Things To Start Now, For Next Christmas
Plant a Natural Christmas tree
Purchase a small starter tree at your local nursery for your very own natural, zero waste Christmas tree. Instead of a pine, you might want to consider a small native tree that flowers around December. This is cheaper than purchasing a well grown tree and you will have the entire year to watch it develop, and of course enjoy it for years to come as it isn't disposable.
Plant Rosemary
Rosemary is used in many recipes and makes a beautiful festive table decoration or plant gift. Repurpose containers to grow from seed, or place some cuttings in water and plant when roots have formed. It's a hardy plant that requires very little care.
Gift Wrap & Consumables
Save wrapping, cards, gift bags and ribbons. Fold and store items that can be reused as well as those that will make useful craft supplies. If you have favours from Christmas crackers, store them up to make your own this year.
Broken Decorations
Repair broken Christmas decorations or separate for future craft projects. Broken or damaged baubles for example make cute upcycled wreaths.
Add a few silica gel sachets to any salt dough ornaments to keep them in good condition. Egg cartons are useful for storing tree decorations.
Power Down
Turn off that second fridge and take down the party lights. Remove batteries from any items that won't be used until the end of the year so they don't get wasted. Make a swap to rechargable batteries, or make a plan to before Christmas if you haven't already. Set a Budget
Plan your budget for holidays, experiences, gifts and anything else you want to do around the end of the year. You will have plenty of time to save as well as consider thrifty, zero waste options.
Start a Happy Jar
Set aside a BIG jar or tin (of course a repurposed one is perfect).
Throughout the year, write notes on what you did as a family, fun events or anything you would like to remember. Christmas eve is a great time to pull them out and re-read all the great things that happened in 2019 that had nothing to do with buying or owning items.
Set Up a Photo File
As you snap photos during the year, put the best into a separate file. Put onto a USB or create an annual photo album to enjoy over the festive season or create thoughtful gifts.
Make a Wish List
This may sound counter intuitive, but stick with me.
Create a list of items you needed (or wanted) and didn't have for your zero waste Christmas. When you visit an op-shop, garage sale or somebody asks what to get you for your birthday, you will have a ready made list to refer to.
My best friend decided to switch to reusable cutlery this year for their family gathering (so proud of her!). She was clever enough to mention to her family that if they were getting her a gift, a set of the cutlery (which came in a 4 person set) would be the ideal gift - Now she has the perfect amount for family gatherings AND avoided receiving unwanted gifts!
Make a Gift List
Make a rough draft list of names and ages for people you will likely be gifting to, including the number of hostess gifts or teacher gifts you usually need. You don't need to know exactly what the gifts will be, just an idea of how many. This is going to help you save money, have less waste and be super prepared.
(Read on, You'll see why this is going to come in handy).
Things To Do During The Year
Collect Jars
Jars and containers are incredibly useful. From gifts, table decor, upcycled Christmas decorations and food storage.
Starting your collection early, means you can save jars rather than recycling and gives you a chance to collect the ideal size. Set aside a box or shelf in your kitchen to store them out of the way. Here is how to remove stubborn labels.
Collect Pinecones and Banksia Pods
When you head out to the park or stroll around the neighbourhood, keep an eye out for natural items. Pine cones, Banksia pods, Gum Nuts and other items make gorgeous decorations, fun nature crafts for kids and can even be used as natural essential oil diffusers.
Hit The Op-Shops
Op-shops, garage sales and online second hand items are so handy for creating a zero waste Christmas.
This is an activity that can be done anytime of the year, and starting early (using your wish list) there will be plenty of opportunity to collect matching glasses, serving-ware, cutlery, linen and other items you may need to avoid disposables.
January and February are great times to find festive themed items that people have donated post Christmas.
Start looking for Non New Gifts
Gifts can be second hand, but also unwanted gifts that people have donated to the op-shop or are selling online. Refer back to your gift list and if you find the perfect thing, make a note (so you don't double up) and store it away.
Mid Year Things To Do
Get a Head Start on Handmade Gifts
Homemade preserves, jam, wine, beeswax wraps or maybe potted plants make beautiful thoughtful gifts. They also take time to plan and prepare. So refer back to your gift lists and check the time frames needed for your projects so you can have them complete before December.
Having winter in July, it is my favourite time to do cross stitch in front of the telly and heater. Think about what you may be able to do while hibernating throughout winter. (If you're a Christmas in July fan then you'll be even more inspired).
Bake To Freeze
Many food items can be baked ahead, like rum balls, apricot bites, cakes and other yummy foods. Set aside a day on a weekend (or over a few weekends) and bake, cool and freeze a couple of batches. You will be well stocked for bake sales, bring-a-plate parties and other events. Doing this 3-4 months ahead is ideal to avoid freezer burn.
Plan to Eat Local and Seasonal Foods
Research local seasonal produce and begin brainstorming how these could be used on Christmas Day. Set up a pinterest board, or note it down with paper and pencil.
Don't forget to google a few farmer's markets near you that you can visit closer to the day.
Local specialty foods can seriously reduce food miles and support local business. You will need to order ahead for items such as cured meats.
Grow Your Own
While researching local, seasonal produce, you might want to look into growing some of those items for the family table. If you're in Australia, think about cucumber, zucchini, watermelon, lettuce, tomatoes and other summer edibles. You will want to plant some in September going through to early December depending on the time til harvest.
If edibles aren't for you, how about growing native flowers for the table to reduce your environmental impact of bought flowers AND you'll be creating a fabulous landscape for native birds, bees and butterflies.
Over Christmas and New Year, op-shops are usually inundated with donations and may turn some away. If you've started watching Marie Kondo's series on Netflix then chances are you have a pile of things that don't 'spark joy' and need to get rid of them.
Donate good, useful items throughout the year. This will keep you on top of the clutter and enable items to be put to good use rather than overload the charities. For example, winter (not summer) is a fabulous time to give jumpers, blankets and beanies to homeless shelters. Clearing out children's toys each season can be super helpful too.
Bulk Shopping
I'm mentioning food a LOT, but we are talking about Christmas here!
Planning your bulk whole foods shopping ahead of time means you can take advantage of bargains and stock up on flour, dried fruit, nuts, olive oil and household items.
If you're making gifts, this gives you the opportunity to buy that 20kg bag, a giant tub of epsom salts or whatever items you will be using a lot of. This means less packets and more reusable containers. Don't forget to get your herbs and spices in bulk for mulled wine.
Don't overbuy, and remember to refer back to your lists for gifts and cooking to make sure you keep track of the items you need and have.
Get Some Cooking Practice In
Never try to make a new recipe Christmas eve.
If there is something you want to try making from scratch this year, give yourself loads of time. Cookies can be made and shared any time of year along with salad dressings, dips, marinades and more.
Doing this task during the year will give you yummy food and allow you to develop recipes you are comfortable making before there is any pressure.
October & November Tasks
If you're reading this later in the year, DO NOT PANIC - the list above can be tailored to a shorter time frame and you can skip over the more long term items like growing your tree, or simply adapt them to suit.
Have a conversation with family about gifts
Less presents means less waste. Openly discuss with family and friends if you will be exchanging gifts, doing Kris Kringle or aiming for experiences rather than toys.
The past couple of years we have opted for minimal gift giving and this has been fantastic. No stress about what people need or want, no kids complaining about what they received, AND hours of shopping has been cut out completely.
If you're family is having trouble adjusting, figure out what arrangements you want and slowly work towards it, making small changes each year.
It's very important to be upfront - if you're not giving gifts or don't want to receive gifts - be sure to tell people several times and give them plenty of warning.
If you're not sure about this one, I know it is a challenge and a big change from traditional gift giving. Have a read of this article about how one family made no-gifts work for them - Why We're Not Giving Our Kids Christmas Presents this Year and Why It's OK.
Food Drives
Get ready for local food drives by clearing out items from the pantry you can donate. Tinned food, pasta, noodles, biscuits as well as soft drink are often requested. Put them aside until it's time to give. This is a great way to pass on food that you haven't or won't get around to eating, while sharing it with people that need it.
Online Zero Waste Christmas Shopping
There is nothing worse than ordering the perfect gift, only to have it delivered AFTER Christmas day. October and November are the best times to shop online for guaranteed delivery (and not getting charged express shipping).
Refer back to your gift list and keep an eye out for sales like Green Friday.
Here's a list of Australian online stores that not only stock sustainable products but ALSO ship zero or low waste.
Purchasing ahead means you will feel so much more organised, can take advantage of bargains AND get zero waste shipping without stressing about delivery cut off times or no stock.
If you're yet to decide on gifts, and want them to be eco-friendly, here's a fun list I wrote that might give you some ideas - Sustainable Gifts For People That Don't Give A Sh*t About The Environment.
Plan a Zero Waste Santa Visit
Have a chat with your kids about Santa's new eco-friendly efforts. Whether it's reusable fabric gift wrap, less presents, or a focus on experience gifts. Figure out how you will explain it and manage their expectations (and avoid disappointment).
Homemade Pudding
Got a family recipe for the best Christmas pudding? You'll want to be making this 5 or 6 weeks ahead of Christmas day. cloth wrapped hanging puddings make cute festive decorations too, so take full advantage if you're cooking from scratch.
Take Stock
Go through items you have collected, purchased and made as well as decorations, gift wrap supplies etc. This is important to avoid last minute and impulse purchases during the lead up to Christmas day. Make sure you have what you need and note down items still required.
December Last minute things
By now, you should be super organised and not really have much to do or stress about. You have collected decorations, partyware, maybe grown herbs, have a natural tree, finished your homemade gifts and have a few make at home recipes up your sleeve (and everyone hates you for being so organised!).
Whatever you haven't done, do it now or cross it off your list all together.
Here are some ideas of things you may want to add to the To Do List:
>Decorate the Tree
>Find your rechargeable batteries
>Book the kids into school holiday activities
>Clean the house
>Shop for local produce and fresh foods
>Do some fun crafts
>Deliver some gifts
Mindfully Waste Some Time!!
You've done the hard work, you can avoid shopping malls completely and pack away your crafty crap.
Now you have some time up your sleeve to mindlessly scroll Facebook, play with the kids, watch some movie, read books and take a nap. The end of the year is usually busy for us and I always crave some down time BEFORE Christmas day.
If you're working over the Christmas break, you will really need some R&R time, schedule it if you need to.
Warning - your friends and family may hate you a little bit for pulling this off and be so chilled out while they frantically rush around.
Whatever you do, don't preach to them about plastics or whatever trash they have or are buying. Feel free to share with them what you did to make it less wasteful and more meaningful.
I doubt I will achieve ALL of the things in the list, but it's a fabulous starting point for ideas on planning your Zero Waste Christmas ahead of time.
What will be your biggest step to cut the waste this year?
Wishing you a merry trash free Christmas and hope you have a lot of fun with these suggestions.
Have I missed something? Let me know below!
Don't forget to save this for later, and share it with your friends and family that want to celebrate a greener Christmas.


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Publishing details
Social Sciences Research Network
Authors / Editors
Loumioti M; Vasvari F P
Publication Year
We investigate whether managers of Collateralized Loan Obligations (CLOs) engage in discretionary activities to meet regular portfolio performance tests required by their investors. We focus on CLOs' overcollateralization tests (OC tests) which bind CLOs' loan portfolio values to be greater than their liabilities. We document that CLO managers inflate loan fair values and strategically rebalance their portfolios to avoid violating the OC tests. Strategic portfolio rebalancing involves selling high quality loans that trade above par, delaying the sale of underperforming loans and selling loans to affiliated CLOs. While these trading choices facilitate the compliance with the OC tests in the current month, they lead to lower subsequent portfolio performance. We also find that discretionary activities to avoid OC test violations are more pronounced for CLOs with more diverse and less liquid portfolio structures and for older CLOs. In addition, CLO managers are more likely to exercise discretion when they receive higher performance-linked compensation, are preparing to launch new CLOs or are not closely monitored. Our study provides unique evidence on how CLO managers use discretion in the valuation and rebalancing of syndicated loan portfolios to meet monthly performance thresholds.
Collateralized loan obligations; CLOs; Syndicated loans; Securitization; Managerial discretion; Fair value accounting; Strategic trading; Asset disposition
Social Sciences Research Network


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My whippet and I went for a walk in the snow this afternoon. Both of us are coastal born and raised, so this white stuff is both a treat and a hardship. A treat because, well, *look* at it. It's beautiful!*
A hardship because we're not fully prepared with proper boots – my wool socks are drying as I type and she did a bit of feet cleanup upon our return. After she has dinner, I'll check 'em over and see what kind of damage she incurred. And give her an anti-inflammatory. I'm going to have one, too.
The intensity of this past week's storm snuck up on all of us. Over the day it hit, I watched the forecast increase from 5 inches of snow to 8" and then 11 or 12" or something like that. I stopped checking because the electricity went out and I wanted to save my cell phone battery in case things turned bad. And, frankly, all of this has taken so much energy that I'm forgetting some of the details. Just like coping with someone's impending death or grieving that they aren't available the way they were when they were in their body.
And, just as with coping and grief, the snow just kept on coming. There were moments of beauty – kind of like when we think of the one we love and cherish the times we've had together. Then the reality hits: How cold will it get here if I don't have electricity? How long will I be crying over my animal companion (or human)? How can I *do* this?!
Now, the snow is taking forever to melt. Just like it feels when we're caring for aging, injured, or ailing animal companion (or human). Just like our grief feels.
When the snow won't stop and you don't know *how* you will make it through, you've got to trust that it will. You've got to lean on those who will help you. You've got to figure out how to get your needs met, ask for help, *and* be willing to receive help.
And then, as the snow melts, find a way to enjoy a walk in it, if only for a short while. Those times will get longer as the snow melts and the trail becomes easier. I promise.
If you're caught in an unexpected storm, or one that's unexpectedly fierce, remember to trust that it won't last forever. Lean on those who will help. Figure out how to get your needs met. Ask for help. And be willing to receive help.
Count me as one of those who can help you. I may not be your best guide through a snowstorm, but I'm an excellent guide through facing death and through grieving a death or other loss.
(ETA: not in this photo, but in the country, away from the roads.)


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2018 Museum Leadership Myths and RealitiesPosted: August 27, 2018 Filed under: Leadership, Leadership Development, Museum, Nonprofit Leadership, Organizational Values, Professional Development | Tags: Leadership, Leadership Matters, museums Leave a comment
Thinking about leadership is something even adept leaders don't do often enough. As we work on the revision of Leadership Matters (2019), Anne and I are pondering how museum leadership has changed in five years. Just for fun I scrolled back to the beginning of this blog (2013). There we talk a lot about the need for the museum world, particularly the history museum world, to make leadership a priority.
Leadership Matters opens with "10 Simple Myths," where we outline the myths that frame the museum world's professional narrative. Sadly, many still ring true, like "We don't have to make money, we're a nonprofit," or "Building collections takes precedence over building talent," or a favorite on these pages, "Compensation is secondary because the work is its own reward."
There is one myth, however, that suddenly feels like it might be at the end of its shelf life: "We are the source of our own best ideas." In describing why this sage-on-the-stage mentality isn't such a great idea Anne wrote, "Their [museums] implacable deference to hierarchical decision making insulates them from ideas and solutions flowing between and among sectors."
We could be wrong, but it feels as though in the last five years engagement, both intellectual and actual has mutated from something only the education department thought about to something more all-encompassing. Organizations are actually reaching out, and not in the give-me-your-stuff way, more like in the work-with-us-to-tell-your-story way. Not everyone and not all the time, but it feels like a sea change. Finally, history museums and heritage organizations realize that trying to force feed communities the life stories of American furniture and tools isn't compelling. In fact, a quick scan of leadership positions on AASLH's and AAM's job boards yields the following phrases:
- .….Fosters connections with local community and history in relevant and sustained ways by building beneficial partnerships, raising the level of civic dialogues …..
- The director is responsible for developing positive community relations and partnerships with national, state, local organizations and for developing strategic initiatives in areas of community outreach, educational programming, exhibits, public history and tourism.
- The Museum's new leader should embrace its deeply held values, especially the active practice of diversity, inclusion, engagement and the critical representation of our multiple communities, their histories and current issues.
But….apart from engagement, many of our 10 myths are still alive, healthy, and posing as the truth. And, it's 2018 not 2013, and there are new conundrums and problems for museum leaders. Here are five that we think need some work:
- That understanding community is more than an anecdotal exercise. It is data-driven. Read Susie Wilkening and Colleen Dilenschneider to see what we mean.
- The digital world is here to stay. Museums–even tiny ones–need to get a grip.
- Museums are community partners. They build, they renovate, they employ, they use utilities, they sell things. Non-profit doesn't mean money doesn't matter. Just because you're not paying shareholders, doesn't mean you can't be a downtown anchor.
- Maybe, just maybe, there's a recognition that an all-white, all-privileged field is not such a great thing and creating a more diverse field means making it a better paid field.
- That leadership can be learned, and organizations can invest in it just like they invest in anything else; building talent is as important as constructing a new wing.
So what do you think? What leadership sectors do you think the museum world needs to work on?
Joan Baldwin
Image: Burke Museum, Seattle, WA


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Here's a holiday treat from Opera Orlando. Children can attend Sunday's performance of "Amahl and the Night Visitors" for free.
The child-friendly opera tells the story of a young boy who is visited by three men on an important journey during the first Christmas Eve.
The performance, presented in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida, will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, at the Roper Ballroom, 146 W. Plant St., Winter Garden. Those wishing to attend should make a reservation by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com or calling 407-512-1900.
Tickets for adults are $25; go to operaorlando/amahl for more information.


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Above: the best OS Microsoft ever wrote
Microsoft is dead. Vanity Fair has written its obituary. I'll have a link to its obituary a little later in this post.
I actually can remember a time when I did not hate Microsoft. It was 1983, when I bought a TRS-80 Model 100 portable computer. Microsoft wrote the Model 100's operating system. It was pretty good. But that was 1983, and the Model 100 was a pretty simple little device.
Since 1983, at home and in my job as editorial systems director for three different newspapers, I've used computers running on many different operating systems — AT&T's System 5 Unix, DEC PDP-11, Tandem, Linux, Sun Solaris (the most highly evolved Unix, in my opinion), and of course lots of Macintoshes. I never touched a Windows box unless I had no choice. Not only were Microsoft operating systems primitive, but they were designed to promote Microsoft's monopoly, to force you to do things Microsoft's way. Windows 95 even refused to support the emerging TCP/IP standard (which now runs the Internet), because Microsoft — always fighting standards — hoped to kill TCP/IP and replace it with something from Microsoft. Microsoft did not innovate. They simply tried to extend their monopoly and to force people and corporations to upgrade to the next version of Microsoft's crap. Sure, some people loved Microsoft. But that was because they'd never known anything else, and because they'd bought a bit of Microsoft stock.
No monopoly lasts for forever. Sooner or later it was inevitable that someone would bury Microsoft. The big moment was in May 2010, when Apple's market capitalization exceeded Microsoft's. Microsoft is now a zombie, stumbling around stupidly until the day comes when its head is finally smashed.
But zombie or not, we do now have its obituary, in the August issue of Vanity Fair. It's a must read for anyone who wants to dance on Microsoft's grave. Don't miss some of the comments by the Microsoft apologists, who still can't believe that Microsoft has lost and still don't understand why, since they've never known anything but Microsoft.
Steve Ballmer had a great deal to do with the death of Microsoft, mainly because he's not a technology person but rather a salesman, aggressive to the point of evil. The Vanity Fair piece reports on an outburst by Ballmer when Ballmer learned that a Microsoft employee was going to Google:
He threw a chair against the wall. "Fucking Eric Schmidt is a fucking pussy!" Ballmer yelled, according to the court document. "I'm going to fucking bury that guy! I have done it before and I will do it again. I'm going to fucking kill Google."
That is a very succinct distillation of Microsoft's business strategy — use its monopoly power to kill the competition. Microsoft software was that very attitude converted to code.
Contrast this quote from the late Steve Jobs, who created Apple and made Apple the enormous company that it is today:
Most interesting, however, is that Jobs put the ultimate blame on Bill Gates: "They were never as ambitious product-wise as they should have been. Bill likes to portray himself as a man of the product, but he's really not. He's a businessperson. Winning business was more important than making great products. Microsoft never had the humanities and liberal arts in its DNA."
There you have it — a CEO talking about the humanities and the liberal arts as the key to success in business and technology. That's worth meditating on. And let's also hope that, now that Steve Jobs is dead, Apple never forgets.


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- 02/07/2019 by She Plans Dinner
- Blog Cooking Tips
- kitchen tools
25 Essential Tools for a Minimalist Kitchen
Essential tools or a well-equipped kitchen? Are these conflicting ideas?
I must admit…I have some minimalist tendencies. Less is always more.
Also, I love to cook.
However, I have a very small kitchen. It is 10′ by 10'…max. And that includes the footprint of my cupboards and appliances. This limits not what I can cook, but what tools I can use.
And I must have the right cooking tools to get the job done efficiently. It's a constant balancing act to keep the right tools as well as to not overwhelm my small kitchen.
I keep a minimalist kitchen, fulfilling my goal to own and utilize only the tools that I need to cook in a way that achieves maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.
Here is my list of 25 Essential Tools for a Minimalist Kitchen:
Essential tools: Utensils
- Spatulas. Indispensable. I have large, medium, and small. I use them for scraping, for sautéing, and for stirring.
- Sauce spoon, slotted spoon, flipper, ladle, wire whisk, pasta fork. I have one of everything. I love the Oneida brand. They look pretty, and are super sturdy.
- Knives-3 Wusthof knives, to be exact. I use a long serrated knife for cutting bread, cake and tomatoes. My go-to knife is my chef's knife. I'm always using it for chopping vegetables, cutting meat, and crushing garlic. A paring knife is kept on hand for peeling fruit. My bff has been giving me Swiss Army kitchen knives, (they are a thing…and they are awesome too) one by one.
- Vegetable peeler. Great for peeling vegetables, and making chocolate curls. I have had several, but I finally landed with an Oxo peeler. It is the best, and definitely worth the price.
- Can opener. I have this one and I love it! Good for both big and small cans, and it leaves that nice, not sharp edge. Someday, when I have a huge kitchen, I am going to get one of the counter top openers. The ones with the handles that you push the can against and then ram the handle down to bore a hole in the top. And then crank, crank, crank-its open. A girl can dream…
Essential tools: Additional Utensils
- Tongs. A good pair of tongs is very convenient-for frying and serving. These are colorful and get the job done.
- Thermometer. It's just a good idea when cooking meat. My bff also gave me this one. (Obviously, the secret to cooking is to have a BFF that gives you great tools…)
- Pampered Chef flipper. The black handled cake flipper thing. I use this for getting cookies off the sheet, and for serving desserts. Its small size is perfect for a whole lot of things.
- Scissors. They are just handy to have in the kitchen-opening packages, cutting herbs.
Essential tools: Equipment
- Metal measuring cups and spoons. Such a satisfying kitchen sound. A knife tamping down ingredients in metal is aesthetically pleasing to my ears. These are more expensive than their plastic counterparts, but they provide lots of bang for your buck. (pun intended)
- IKEA metal mixing bowl. I have their huge bowl. It runs around $15, and it is very handy. I used it to mix up bread dough when I didn't have a mixer. I use it for big quantity things.
- Glass or plastic mixing bowl.
- Pepper mill. There is something very high brow about pepper mills. And they are fun. Plus you can't beat the flavor of freshly ground pepper.
- 2 frypans or heavy cast iron skillets. I've found that having both a big and small fry pan is sufficient for all my needs. Of course I love Le Creuset, but those are certainly investment pieces.
- 2 saucepans. I use my 4 quart pan and 2 quart pan all.the.time. I have stainless steel Farberware. They were a wedding gift, and I use them daily.
- 1 big soup pot. A soup pot would hold anywhere from 6 to 12+ quarts. My soup pots are also Farberware. Part of their classics line.
- Four cup liquid measuring cup. Two cups is good, four cups is better. You can mix and pour a lot of things in a four cup measure.
- Salad Spinner. Not exactly necessary, but definitely makes for a dryer salad.
- Juicer. Makes it convenient to use fresh citrus fruit for cooking. This one is a classic.
- Cutting Board. I have a composite board, and a plastic board. Both are good for different reasons.
Essential tools: Appliances
- A crock pot/slow cooker. I am such a fan of crockpots, so I use mine at least once a week. I have a stream lined version with just 3 settings- high/low/off.
- Rice Cooker. Steamed rice is the best. Plus it save hands on time. It can work for you while you are doing something else.
- Immersion Blender. This saves a ton of time when making creamed soups. Most importantly, it's far safer to put this tool into the soup pot, than to pour boiling hot soup in and out of your blender.
- Hand mixer. Kitchen Aid, hands down, every time. Mine is my work horse. I've had it for almost 18 years, and it shows no signs of giving up the ghost.
- Blender. Always helpful for making pestos and hummus. I use this model. It is definitely on the pricier side, but it's worth it.
These 25 essential tools will streamline your process as you cook your She Plans Dinner menus. Which ones do you still need to add to your kitchen repertoire?kitchen tools