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Report Roundup
Teacher Recruitment and Retention
The Denver-based Education Commission of the States has distilled research findings from 91 studies into a report offering practical answers to policymakers' questions about teacher recruitment and retention.
The report offers research-based advice on how teachers' compensation and working conditions can affect schools' ability to attract and keep them, whether graduates of alternative-route programs teach as well as those who take more traditional career paths into the profession, and whether induction and mentoring programs keep new teachers on the job longer, among other issues.
Vol. 25, Issue 13, Page 18Published in Print: November 30, 2005, as Teacher Recruitment and Retention


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Surly's Spook Show
with Stacey Earley
Terror! Thrills! Chills! Surly's Spook Show robs the graves of punk, garage, early r&b, and metal to curse you with the unspeakable horror of the bone shaking harder edge of rock n roll.
Delve into the dark side of rock n roll with Surly's Spook Show. Every week your horrific host Surly will spook RFL listeners with the creepiest, scariest, witchiest examples of the devil's music. Raiding the tombs of the harder edges of rock, Surly will chill you to the bone with horror-themed songs and bands ranging from punk, garage, metal, early r&b, and more. If it's scary, it's Surly. You'll hear music and clips from the obscure end of the horror movie genre, too, as well as the occasional special guest straight from the depths of hell. Surly's Spook Show: listen...if you dare!

subset: commoncrawl


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I was out to dinner last night with some friends, and the topic of snakes seemed to keep coming up throughout the evening. Normally, whenever I think of snakes, my initial thought is "gross", but when I saw this image in Elle Decor a few months back, I had a different reaction.
Maybe it's just me, but I'd never thought of a snake as beautiful until I saw that photo. The artist is Guido Mocafico. Here are some of his other snakes:
I actually really love these photographs and wouldn't mind having one hanging in my house one day, so I guess snakes are OK with me, provided they are one-dimensional and stuck behind a glass frame. What's your vote??


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Simpson Springs Campground
Type: Campground – Salt Lake City UT Phone: (801) 977-4300 Email (If available): email@example.com Description: Elevation 5100 feet. Campground at the foot of the low (8200 feet) and remote Simpson Mountains. Horse corral with water .25 mile west of the camprgound– horses not allowed in the campground proper. There is running water in the campground but it is not potable unless treated. Directions: From Vernon, go 5 […]Read more


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Daily News Article - September 6, 2017
1. The first paragraph of a news article should answer the questions who, what, where and when. List the who, what, where and when of this article. (NOTE: The remainder of a news article provides details on the why and/or how.)
2. What provocative actions has North Korea taken over the past few months?
3. What warning did U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis issue to North Korea in statement outside the White House on Sunday?
4. How did the Hill reporter characterize North Korea's recent actions?
5. What statement did the White House issue Sunday night following President Trump's phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe?
6. Ask a parent: Do you agree or disagree with the Trump administration's threat of military retaliation should North Korea attack us or our territories or allies? Please explain your answer.


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Give a live olive tree as a gift from Lindsay Olives
By Guy Keeler,
You can give the symbol of peace and goodwill this holiday season — and help needy people around the world — by giving live olive trees to the green thumbs on your Christmas list.
Lindsay Olives, a division of Bell-Carter Foods Inc., is offering manzanilla olive trees to gift givers through the end of December. The two-year-old trees, which are 3 feet tall and come wrapped in burlap, are available for $50 plus shipping.
Proceeds from tree sales go to the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is combating world hunger and improving environmental conditions by planting edible fruit trees and plants. The trees, ready for immediate planting in warm weather areas, come with planting and care instructions. Most will begin bearing fruit when four or five years old. The olive branch long has been regarded as a symbol of peace. In the biblical account of the flood, a dove sent out by Noah returned with an olive branch, indicating the end of God's anger. The flag of the United Nations features a map of the world surrounded by two olive branches.
To order gift olive trees, call (800) 765-2029 or go to www.lindsayolives.com.
[Source] Click here


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Presidents usually call football players after their team wins the Super Bowl. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins got a phone call from the White House on a Sunday after a winning a game that moved his middle-of-the-pack team to 3-2.
Actually, Cousins made the call, after getting word from his agent that the President was trying to track him down.
"My agent just texted me and said, 'Hey, call this number, the White House reached out to me and just wanted you to call this number,'" Cousins told reporters on Wednesday, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "I said, 'Are you serious?' Thinking it was a joke. I was going to call some prank number. And he said, 'No.'"
So Cousins dialed the number.
"I just called him on the bus heading to the airport and I didn't know," Cousins said. "I was just calling the White House and they said, 'Hold for the President.' It was just a 30-second call saying congratulations. . . . Very out of the blue. Very random."
Cousins, who golfed with the President in 2017, didn't hesitate to talk to him.
"When the President calls, I don't care who it is, left, right, whatever, down the middle," Cousins said. "And if he says call me, I'm going to give him a call and see what he wants."
There's plenty of ways we could wrap this one up, in light of recent news made during other phone calls. But we'll just stick to football.


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The Holy Name Annual Memorial Mass will take place on Friday, November 2nd at 5:30p.m. All are welcome, but in particular, if you have lost loved ones within the past 12 months, we encourage you to attend.
Month: October 2018
All Saints Day
ALL SAINTS DAY is Thursday, November 1st, and is a Holy Day of Obligation.
Masses are at 8:15a.m. and 5:30p.m.
Halloween Party
Please join the C3 Forest Park Police Unit for our Annual Halloween Party on Friday October 26, 2018 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 pm. at the Holy Name Social Center, 53 Alderman Street, Springfield MA, 01108. Trunk or Treat begins at 5:00 p.m. till 5:45 and the party follows from 5:45 till 7:00 p.m. There will be lots of pizza, popcorn, cake, and candy. Bring out your best costume for a chance to win the costume contest and your dancing shoes for the dance contest. We are in need of trunk or treat hosts, so if you would like to volunteer, kindly contact 413-787-9955 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Vendors Wanted
Thanksgiving Baskets
We are now collecting food items for our Thanksgiving Baskets, and will also be accepting monetary donations for turkeys. Your donations help to provide baskets for our parishioners and families within our zip code area who are in need. Your kindness is very much appreciated.
To keep the baskets more consistent, we ask that you only bring in the foods listed below. Foods other than those listed will go to the Open Panty. Please leave donations in the sacristy by the exit doors. Asking for donations by last name will enable a more fair and even distribution of food. Because we are asking for all fresh potatoes this year, please do not purchase them before November 14th (one week prior to Thanksgiving). Monetary donations can be checks made out to Holy Name or cash, and can be brought or mailed to the rectory, or for convenience, put into the collection basket in a plain envelope marked "Turkey Donation".
A, B, C Canned fruit, stuffing
D, E, F Canned vegetables, turkey gravy
G, H, I Potatoes, brownie mix, boxed cookies
J, K, L Tea, coffee, hot cocoa, cranberry sauce
M, N, O Canned vegetables, stuffing
P, Q, R Potatoes, turkey gravy
S, T, U, V Cranberry sauce, tea, coffee, hot cocoa
W, X, Y, Z Canned fruit, brownie mix, boxed cookies
Interested in Becoming Catholic?
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
Are you interested in becoming Catholic, or already a Catholic who wishes to receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and Euchartist? Then RCIA is for you! Please call the rectory at 733-5823 with your interest.
St. Jude Novena
Our Annual St. Jude Novena will take place October 20th through October 28th. Please join us weeknights at 5:30p.m.
Note: The Novena Prayer will be prayed at all Weekend Masses.
If you are unable to make the entire Novena, please come as many nights as you can. All intentions remain on the altar throughout the Novena.


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Mayors unite against anti-Semitism
Washington, D.C.—A two-page American Jewish Committee ad in June 6's Wall Street Journal lists the 508 U.S. and European mayors and municipal leaders who have signed on to its Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism initiative, pledging to combat the rise of anti-Semitism.
There were 35 mayors in Florida who signed, including two from Central Florida: Apopka Mayor Joe Kilsheimer, Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn, and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.
"Bravo to those urban leaders from cities, big and small, across the U.S. and Europe, for their courage, conviction, and commitment," said AJC CEO David Harris of the 189 European mayors from 31 countries, including 26 of the 28 EU member states, and the 319 mayors from all 50 states and the District of Columbia who have so far joined what could be the most far-reaching transatlantic campaign of its kind ever against anti-Semitism.
"Only a few European mayors refused to sign, disappointing as their stance obviously was," Harris added.
The AJC initiative, calling on mayors to publicly address and take concrete actions against anti-Semitism, was launched last July, following AJC's groundbreaking strategy conference, "A Defining Moment for Europe," held in Brussels in May 2015.
"Anti-Semitism is not compatible with fundamental democratic values," the Mayors United statement asserts. "As mayors and municipal leaders, we have a special responsibility to speak out against the growing menace of anti-Semitism."
Three of the mayors who signed will discuss the initiative at the AJC Global Forum 2016 in Washington, D.C. They are Mayor Setti Warren of Newton, MA, who helped conceive the idea; Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who also serves as President of the United States Conference of Mayors; and Mayor Yiannis Boutaris of Thessaloniki, Greece, who wore a yellow star at his inauguration in memory of the more than 96 percent of Thessaloniki Jews deported to Nazi death camps.
The Mayors United statement emphasizes that "in a world of global communications where anti-Semitic ideas can and do spread quickly, the impact of the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe does not stop at Europe's borders."
It affirms a core set of principles, including the condemnation of anti-Jewish hatred in all forms; rejection of the notion that anti-Semitic acts may ever be justified by one's view on the actions or existence of the State of Israel; a declaration that anti-Semitism and any other prejudices due to religious differences are inconsistent with core American and European values; and the belief that the promotion of mutual understanding and respect among all citizens is essential to good governance and democratic life.
The signatories pledge to work within and across U.S. and European communities to advance coexistence, and affirm that anti-Semitism is incompatible with fundamental democratic values.


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Glenn Billingsley finds solace from his bipolar disorder in carpentry work. (Rose Baca/Staff Photographer)
Glenn Billingsley sat in his beat-up Grand Marquis on the side of the highway, somewhere past Weatherford, overwhelmed by the present, scared of the future and drawn to his past.
He'd just learned he would be kicked out of his Knox-Henderson house in six months. He would lose his wood shop and the calming influence carpentry has on his bipolar disorder.
Billingsley paced alongside the road, traffic flying by, trying to untangle his options.
When he was younger, Billingsley would sometimes slip into the woods for months at a time, foraging for dandelions and sleeping on the ground, finally emerging in a new city to start a new life.
Now, at age 54, he'd spent the last seven years in Dallas trying to break the cycle of five decades of mental illness, turning to his woodworking for stability.
For decades, Billingsley had no name for his disease, one of the most commonly misunderstood mental illnesses.
He now receives help from Metrocare Services, which treats about 12,000 people with bipolar disorder every year.
This week, Metrocare is hosting its second conference on the disease at the Communities Foundation of Texas, and correcting misconceptions about bipolar will be a key focus.
For example, experts say bipolar patients are far more likely to be a danger to themselves than anyone else.
"If you have bipolar disorder, you're more likely to be a victim than be an aggressor," said Judith Hunter, a forensic psychiatrist for Metrocare.
What's more, Hunter said, the disorder isn't linked to any specific group of people.
"Bipolar is not a respecter of social class or income class or intellect," she said. "It's equal opportunity."
As many as 62,000 locals are believed to suffer from the condition. Some, like Billingsley, end up on the streets.
Starting over — over and over
It wasn't until he was 47, living homeless downtown, miles from the wilderness where he's most comfortable, that he found the help and the diagnosis he needed.
"I could spend months by myself in the woods, but being alone in downtown Dallas was hard," Billingsley said. "No one really gives a damn."
Billingsley's illness always interrupted whatever life he tried to build, luring him away from society and into the wilderness.
He first tried to settle down in Richland Hills. He married in his 20s, had a baby and held down a job as manager of a fast-food restaurant.
But paranoia crept in. He had delusions of mind reading and was certain his life was an unsolvable maze.
So he walked away from his wife and his daughter, not even 8 months old and destined to grow up never knowing who her dad was.
He would stay in the woods — often the Rocky Mountains — for as long as six months at a time, sleeping under leaves, setting up traps to catch food.
But he always made his way back to Dallas to be near his family.
Each time, it was harder and harder to rebuild, to reconnect with the people he loves.
"You disappear every two years, you go off in the woods … you've cut ties so many times that they stop tying them," he said.
Nowhere but up
After years hopping from Colorado to Texas to Louisiana, Billingsley moved back to Dallas sometime around 2007. He had nowhere to live and no experience of urban homelessness.
In Dallas, 40 percent of homeless adults are severely mentally ill, like Billingsley.
He sometimes stayed in shelters. But mostly he avoided people and stayed on the streets or under bridges. He didn't bathe. He scavenged for food in trash bins.
He reached rock bottom when someone saw him digging in a trash bin behind the downtown McDonald's and called the police. He said the officers argued over who would have to drive him to a hospital because he smelled so bad.
But from that low point, he started to bounce back.
After he was picked up by the cops, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. It was the first time he was given a diagnosis that made sense.
He was finally diagnosed with dual-cycle bipolar disorder at age 47.
Billingsley's bipolar disorder is somewhat more extreme than other cases because he also experiences delusions and paranoia. But knowing what ails him is a comfort.
His therapists helped him develop a routine, which keeps him in check. They taught him how to take a step back from his manic thinking and see reality. They gave him a place to live.
Billingsley has been in the Metrocare housing program since 2011. Counselors regularly check in with him, and he even served on the nonprofit's board.
He earned a peer mentoring certification, which he hopes to use to teach woodworking to others like him.
For the first time, he felt like a regular member of society.
Building a foundation
The last seven years are the longest stretch of stability in Billingsley's life. His paranoia and mood swings feel more like challenges rather than crises.
Billingsley has assembled a patchwork family in Dallas, through church, the housing program that helps him live here and through his trade.
He's now known in his circles as the soft-spoken man who offers handiwork in exchange for tools and knows his way around a bathroom tile job just as well as a garden bed.
"I know everyone's talking to him asking for his advice on flowers," said Mary Goodenow, who suggested Billingsley rent the house next door to hers after a friend in University Park recommended his services.
But last fall that peace of mind was threatened when he was told he had six months to find a new home.
He wouldn't have a place for his woodworking, which has become part of his identity, his connection to his neighbors and crucial to his sense of normalcy.
So one day in October, he just left. He hot-wired his Grand Marquis — it won't start with a key — and headed west.
His counselor called. He pulled over and listened to the advice: come home, get checked out, look at new housing options.
After he hung up, Billingsley got out of his car and walked along the side of the road. It could've been an hour. It could've been longer.
Then he went back to his car, wired the engine on and turned back, headed east to Dallas.
This month, he was told he could stay in his home.
Source: Bipolar disorder led Dallas man to wilderness, but now he's out of the woods, off the streets


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So this is Christmas. We are divided, between those who are easily swayed by the mob mentality (Chrrriiiistmas they scream, eggnog drunk), and those who deem this season a massive waste of time and money. I would fall in to the latter (because I hate spending money and group projects are the absolute worst) except... Continue Reading →
Be the Bear, and Other Mantras to Get You Through Winter
If you could hibernate through winter, would you? Find a nice cave, fill it with biscuits, put on a jumper, and sleep? Sleep lavishly. Slumber in an absolutely unreachable state. I know I would. I've written before about my annual sad feelings which always come around just in time for Christmas, and the things that... Continue Reading →
The Wonderful Life of Mary Hatch
Christmas is here, season of goodwill and morning drunkenness. It's my favourite time of the year. Everyone wears wool. We all eat pastry a lot more than usual, and take a moment now and then (lackadaisically dusting pie crumbs from our jumpers) to think of those less fortunate than ourselves. So let's do that. Join... Continue Reading →
Christmas: It Has Begun.
I always tend to go a bit wild with my Christmas making and do-ing... making my own cards, wrapping things 'innovatively' ('weirdly'), crafting elaborate things with pastry for no reason whatsoever. I suspect this is because I have no kids to slowly but surely drain me of the will to live around this time. This... Continue Reading →


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Tumblr's updated Android app gets a new a new lick of paint and more features
Tumblr released a new version of its Android app on the Android Market on Tuesday. For version 2.0, the app is rewritten from the ground up, says the company, and it sports a new look and many more snazzy features.
Clad in spiffy new veneer, the app now allows you to sign up for a Tumblr account from within it and manage all your Tumblr blogs easily, so you can post funny pictures of your cat on one blog while speculating on the future of mankind on another. You can also manage your drafts, post queues and followers right from within the app.
You can go through the messages you've received and reply to them and find more people to follow by having the app scour your address book for existing Tumblr users. Finally, it also includes a new widget that you can keep on your home screen, allowing you to quickly post to Tumblr whenever you get the itch.
The app is free, as it always has been, and is available for download on the Android Market.
Read next: Taiwan wants to end Samsung's AMOLED dominance, calls for HTC, Asus and Acer alliance


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Should you have students looking down the road at law school, it's probably never too early in high school to use this context clues worksheet on the verb litigate–it's used both intransitively and transitively–with them.
If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.


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Kim Kardashian shared a photo of newborn son Psalm West to Instagram, potentially revealing his middle name in the caption. Source link Read More »
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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's Surrogate Has Gone Into Labor
On Thursday, Kourtney Kardashian revealed her sister Kim Kardashian's sister had gone into labor. The reality star will soon be a mother of four. Source link Read More »


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The reuse of water is becoming an increasingly central focus of attention. This reuse presents companies with important opportunities to reduce their dependence on the available water sources. By demanding less water from sources such as rainwater, drinking water or surface water, some players, such as (processing) industries, can moreover strengthen their public acceptability. Other important drivers behind water reuse are the associated cost savings, both in terms of water and energy. KWR draws on a comprehensive network and extensive experience to bring together all the required knowledge and stakeholders related to responsible water reuse, thus bridging knowledge and practice. An overview follows of a number of current activities, from techniques applied in practice to knowledge networks and futures studies.
Water fulfils innumerable functions for a wide range of users: from drinking water to source of recreation, from ingredient to means of cooling or transport. Growing water demand and shrinking water supply are exerting great pressure on the freshwater provision. For many industrial companies, the availability of water into the future is one of the key issues faced by their production processes in the time ahead. The reuse of water is becoming an increasingly central focus of attention. Water reuse presents companies important opportunities to reduce their dependence on the available water sources. By demanding less water from sources such as rainwater, drinking water or surface water, some players, such as (processing) industries, can moreover strengthen their public acceptability.
Network of knowledge and stakeholders
Water reuse however also has consequences for the water system, and for water quality and quantity. It therefore calls for evidence-based decisions and proven techniques. Moreover, when it comes to the large-scale and meaningful reuse of water, one needs to bring together the different stakeholders who could make use of each other's water or wastewater. KWR collaborates with various stakeholders and knowledge organisations, and has a broad network of players who have knowledge, experience and an interest in the field of water reuse. By collaborating with KWR, companies can share in this experience and benefit from the opportunities offered by this network. Here are a few current examples.
Future scenarios
Within the Joint Research Programme with the water utilities, KWR is today exploring current developments and future scenarios for the further use of treated industrial and municipal residual water as a source of freshwater. Using an integrated framework, the effects of water reuse on the freshwater system are being systematically quantified, in terms of opportunities and risks, for today and for the decades ahead. The research focuses on developments around the reuse of effluent by different players and in different sectors, from industry to Water Authority, and from farmers to drinking water utilities. What are the positive and negative effects of the choices made in one sector on the availability of water – in terms of both quantity and quality – in another sector? What are the opportunities and risks associated with increased water reuse under different future scenarios?
The results of the Joint Research Programme project will also be widely disseminated upon its completion; the results of the present project, which will conclude in early 2020, will also certainly be of interest to the industrial stakeholders.
Built-up experience
Over the last ten years, KWR has built up extensive experience in the field of water reuse in various projects concerning the reuse of residual water from the food industry in agriculture, or the internal reuse of water within industrial companies. KWR also collaborates in research projects with several knowledge and other partners within the TKI Water Technology programme. This work focuses on new treatment concepts for municipal wastewater, such as CoRe Water (Concentration, Recovery & Reuse), in which the treated water of very good quality is, and can be, used as process water: the WWTP as sustainable water factory.
European network
To further reinforce its network, KWR recently became a member of Water Reuse Europe (WRE). This branch association of Europe's rapidly growing water reuse sector was launched in 2016, and has since attracted 18 members from all over the continent. WRE's channels and activities will allow KWR to further extend its network in the field of water reuse. At the same time, other WRE members can benefit from the knowledge and activities of KWR in the area of water systems, water technology, governance and the efficient management of energy, resources and of water itself.
IWA Conference
With regard to the scientific network, several KWR researchers will this month be attending the twelfth international IWA Conference on Water Reclamation and Reuse in Berlin, titled 'Overcoming Water Stress by Water Reclamation and Reuse'. They will be happy to share their insights after the event with you!


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This article was first published on LinkedIn on May 28, 2019.
In mid-May billionaire Robert F. Smith pledged to pay off the student loans of the graduating class at Morehouse College. The gift was compelling not only for its generosity – it's worth about $40 million – but also for its directness. The money goes to actual people to relieve them of debt. Smith and the benefactors can meet each other now, follow each other over the coming decades, and jointly appreciate the impact of this monumental gesture.
Health care philanthropists should take a page from Smith's giving strategy. They should embrace creative ways to provide funds directly to patients to make giving more targeted and more efficient. There are a few reasons why philanthropy, in both education and health care, needs to evolve.
First is need for more clarity about where the money goes. Education and health care are the sectors that receive the most philanthropic gifts. Most of the recipient organizations are not-for-profits, and their traditional operational philosophy is not about using resources efficiently. It's about raising money and spending it. It's hard for a donor to give a university or a hospital an unrestricted check and understand, specifically, how the funds are being utilized to benefit students, faculty, patients, medical staff, etc. That's why we're seeing more donations, like Smith's, get earmarked. Just last year, Michael Bloomberg committed $1.8 billion to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins, to be used for financial aid.
More importantly, gifts made in education and health care must overcome a troubling problem: they can perpetuate their industry's inefficient operations. This is a challenge with Smith's gift. The typical student debt of a Morehouse graduate is between $35,000 and $40,000 a year. Why? Because tuition has skyrocketed. The College Board notes that tuition at four-year, not-for-profit private colleges – like Morehouse – has doubled in the last 30 years. And a major culprit in the rise in tuition is bloated administration. By simply paying off the debt, Smith is de facto supporting the inefficient operations that are responsible for generating so much debt in the first place.
Health care has a similar problem. One well-cited study indicates that at least a third of costs in the health care system are attributable to administrative expenses. When donors give money to hospitals, community organizations, etc., a chunk of it goes to stabilizing – or even growing – the heavy overhead that is driving up health care costs in America.
Then there's the issue of moral hazard. Donors must appreciate that their dollars may not go to the neediest or most deserving simply because there are always "bad actors" in the system. The United States has one of the least healthy populations in the world, especially in the context of our incredible wealth. Many Americans engage in behaviors that negatively impact their health. When money is given to patients who have not made an effort to care for themselves, then their poor behavior is, unfortunately, rewarded.
In fact, this is one of the oxymoronic elements of the pre-existing conditions clause in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA prohibits insurers from discriminating against individuals based on pre-existing conditions. One the one hand, this is wonderful, because it provides coverage for those Americans who really need it. But it is also potentially harmful. For some, there's no incentive to be well because coverage is available regardless of why someone may have a pre-existing condition.
And to bring it full circle…put yourself in the shoes of a Morehouse graduate's parents whose child had no student debt. Some of these parents had sacrificed financially for years so they could save enough money to ensure that their child would start their career financially unburdened. No doubt some were angry that those who hadn't saved and could have were given a hand-out from Smith.
How can donors give their money, especially in health care, without perpetuating the inefficient system we have? Please listen to my podcast, "Transforming Philanthropy in Health Care," to learn about some news ways donors can get the most out of their contributions. My show, The Powers Report Podcast, airs bi-monthly. I cover strategy, technology and policy in health care, always offering up alternatives that help us all be as healthy as we can be.


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- Summary:
- IaaS as Oracle's largest cloud market? Larry Ellison has Amazon in his sights as Oracle beats Wall Street expectations for its third quarter.
Oracle CTO Larry Ellison put Amazon and Microsoft firmly in his sights as the company turned in better-than-expected numbers yesterday, pleasing Wall Street with a 62% year-on-year increase in cloud revenues.
As ever, it's necessary to put that in context. Total cloud-related revenues across SaaS, PaaS and IaaS was $1.2 billion for the third quarter out of total Oracle revenues for the period of $9.3 billion. It also needs to be noted that the cloud numbers are boosted by the NetSuite acquisition.
So there's some way to go yet to reach what could reasonably be termed a tipping point, although CEO Safra Catz reckons that's not that far off:
We continue to see outside growth rates in our cloud business, especially when compared with our key competitors who're all seeing slowing growth. But more importantly, the increase in revenue from our cloud business has overtaken new software license business decline on an annual basis. Next year I expect our cloud revenue will be larger than our new software license revenue.
Stats of note from the quarter:
- 1,125 new SaaS customers and 908 expansions.
- 210 customers who bought SaaS also bought PaaS.
- 480 new CRM customers and 586 expansions.
- 206 new HCM customers and 217 expansions.
- 564 new ERP customers (excluding NetSuite) and 120 expansions.
In the ERP space, it was noted that 50% of new ERP cloud customers were not Oracle ERP users before. Ellison talked about a shift happening in the sector:
Our ability now to service much smaller customers than we could have serviced in the past is because the cloud allows you to deploy ERP in much, much lower costs. You don't have to have ERP. You don't have to build the data center. Obviously, you don't have to hire programmers. You don't have to hire a bunch of data operations people.
We do all that for you, and therefore the available market has at least doubled what it used to be. And we're also beginning to see, SAP customers moving their ERP and some very, very large SAP customers looking very closely at our ERP systems. So, we expect to have some big wins in the SAP install base
IaaS ahead
Against Ellison's sabre-rattling in Amazon's direction, a breakout of IaaS numbers shows Oracle generating $178 million against Amazon's $3.5 billion in its most recent quarter. But that's where the challenge lies for Ellison, who declared:
SaaS and PaaS are large, rapidly growing businesses for us. Together SaaS and PaaS grew 85% this past quarter. But soon infrastructure as a service will be growing even faster and before long infrastructure as a service will become Oracle's largest cloud business.
He cited the Oracle database footprint as key to delivering on this boast:
We have a very, very large database business. We have hundreds of thousands of database customers and we have millions and millions of applications that run on the Oracle database. Most of those databases and most of those customers will move most of their databases and most of these workloads to the cloud. Right now, we have a huge technology lead over both Amazon and Azure with our new Generation 2 Infrastructure-as-a-Service. We can deliver ultra-high performance.
It will be a five year migration to get databases to the cloud, he added, but predicted that the rate of migration will accelerate:
Our application business began to move to the cloud several years ago, but that's a little bit different. We built all new applications and [customers] migrated from an old application, either an SAP application or an old PeopleSoft application or eBusiness Suite, and they migrated to our new Fusion ERP suite. That's very different than simply lifting up an Oracle database workload and moving it over to Oracle.
The application goes to Infrastructure-as-a-Service and then the database goes to Platform-as-a-Service. That's the faster process, but a much larger install base. My estimate is that…the majority will move over the next five years and that's going to give us enormous growth rates over that five-year period.
My take
No mention of 'first to $10 billion'. No mention of Salesforce. A passing reference to Workday. A nod to SAP. The competitive messaging coming out of Oracle yesterday was somewhat different to that we've become accustomed to. It's Amazon and Microsoft in the sights now, particularly the former.
At this stage, Ellison's declarations sound incredibly ambitious, but then once upon a time his ambitions for relational databases were dismissed by the likes of Cullinet.
What is of note is that his pitch for Oracle's IaaS future is based firmly on functionality and technological superiority. In a world of Amazon-pricing, that's approaching the IaaS market from a different front to the main rival. Will Oracle be ready to get into a price war if necessary?


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Keynote Speeches:
- The 12th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence MICAI-2013, Multi-Agent Ontology Mapping Framework for the Semantic Web. Mexico City, Mexico; November 24-30; 2013.
- The 13th International Congress of Computer Science CORE-2013, An Approach to Knowledge Integration Applied to a Configuration Problem. Mexico City, Mexico; November 24-30, 2013.
- The XXXVIII National Mexican Congress of Mathematics, Mexico City, Mexico 24-28 October 2005.
- The International Engineering Week , Tecnologico de Monterrey Campus Santa Fe, Mexico, October 22-29 2004.
- The XXXIV National Mexican Congress of Mathematics,Toluca, Mexico, 8 October 2001.


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One of the factors that drew me into being a Montessori guide was, and still is, the self-reflection that comes with the "job". Being a Montessori guide calls for self-reflection, and with that, self-improvement, because the children look to you to imitate and emulate. There is much to learn and grow in this area and that is what makes a Montessori guide's work interesting and challenging.
Without doubt, the mixed ages of the children also offer a variety of interesting experiences for the guide and was another factor that drew me into being a Montessori guide. I get to see a young 21/2-year-old child, learning to separate from his/her mother, and years later, that same child at age 6, confident and independent, ready for the next phase of growth; or a confident and independent 6-year-old, and years later, an intelligent and witty 12-year-old on the cusp of adolescence. It is with such joy and satisfaction to see these little ones blossom that this could be said to be the sweet rewards of the "job".
Finally, an equally important factor that sealed the deal for me in being a Montessori guide is the philosophy behind the Montessori method. The Montessori philosophy is such a gentle and respectful philosophy that supports the holistic developmental growth of children at all ages and in all levels. I do believe that anyone who has gone through an AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) training would never look at another way of educating children. It is the only educational philosophy I know that formulates the education of children from birth to 3, 3 to 6, 6 to 12 and 12 to 18 years of age.
Qualities we look for in our guides
When we started Lodestar Montessori School, and now, Lodestar Montessori Preschool, we wanted to offer Montessori education to children in its original form, without dilution with other philosophies.
AMI certification
To do this, we wanted to get only AMI-trained guides as we could rely on the authenticity, quality and rigour of the training. The AMI organization is a bastillion or keeper of Dr. Maria Montessori's works. It was set up by Dr. Maria Montessori herself and her son to safeguard her work and it offers training to adults who would like to work with children at the various age levels. Over and above the required training, we also look for the following qualities in a Montessori guide:
Willingness to learn and grow
This is an important quality. We, as guides, need to be open to learn from other adults and from the children. Montessori has always said that "Education is an aid to life", so education begins from our birth till our death as we can never exhaust learning about our world, our universe and new skills. Even now, at the ripe old age of 51, I am inspired to learn more about music and the arts so that I can introduce these to the children! We can learn from the children, the youth and other adults because there will always be something that someone can teach us if we are open to it. Humility to acknowledge that we do not know everything and that we are not right all the time is essential to inner growth.
Gentle and respectful
We are the examples the children see so it is of no use to tell them about respect if we do not show respect to those around us. Being respectful extends to all we come into contact with. How can we be respectful? Being gentle in speech, slow to anger, using one's authority over others humbly, and following the golden rule- treating others how we would like to be treated. One can get one's point across politely and respectfully without resorting to anger, threats or put downs. Dag Hammarskjold expresses it nicely: "Your position never gives you the right to command. It only imposes on you the duty of so living your life that others can receive your orders without being humiliated."
Having said that, we have to be firm when children or adults start pushing the boundaries and do not know how their actions affect others. We can always remain gentle and polite yet unwavering in our decisions.
Global view
We have to think about our community of children and act with the good of the group as a whole. Rules must apply to the community for fairness and equality. There will sometimes be exceptions to a rule, and the guide is called to step in to explain to the community when exceptions have to be made, the underlying factor is always mercy over justice.
Belief in the Montessori philosophy
This cannot be emphasised more. If, as a Montessori guide, I do not wholly believe in the Montessori philosophy, then how can I be a Montessori guide in the first place? I can only be an effective guide if I truly believe in the Montessori philosophy.
This is the ability to not take oneself too seriously all the time, and to be able to laugh at oneself. Read this article which expounds on the ability to laugh at oneself.
Sense of adventure
By this I mean to find joy in simple pleasures and to see adventure in the ordinary, like making a trip to the supermarket can be an adventure with the children. A sense of adventure will keep one excited about life and open one up to learning.
Team player
This is an important quality sought after in most job types and certainly no different for a position as a Montessori guide. The Montessori guide works with the other adults (the assistant, the language guide, etc.) in the environment and presenting a united and cohesive front to the children is paramount. Children are very intelligent and they will test boundaries. If the Montessori guide and her team are not in sync when it comes to the boundaries set, the children will immediately pick up on it.
This quality underpins a guide's dedication and outlook on his/her work with the children. Being responsible means not needing a contractual work obligation to determine when you leave school, but rather, leaving at the end of the school year, because you want to minimise disruption to the children's educational journey. Being responsible means putting in your best in anything that you do, because that is what you expect of the children and that is what you must expect of yourself.
The list does seem like a tall order or a job for an extremely evolved person, does it not? The truth is being a Montessori guide has been beyond a "job" for me. What started as an interest at the beginning has become for me a passion and a journey. As the saying goes "Every journey must begin with a single step" and being a Montessori guide is a work-in-progress; we know what we should be, and we have to continually introspect and work on ourselves. Knowing what we should be is not meant to overwhelm us into despair, but rather, keeping our eyes on the goal, we must continually work on ourselves one day at a time, and one step at a time.


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Every company director needs to be aware of the risk of personnel liability under the new Act.
The risk of serious damage to businesses as a result of corruption has increased significantly in recent years. Globalisation has not only opened up opportunities for businesses, but also exposed them to greater risk of corruption (whether due to the range of markets they operate in, activities they are involved in or third parties they work with).
In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of corporate bribery and corruption investigations, often involving high profile companies such as AON, Amec Plc, Balfour Beatty Plc, BAE, Mabey & Johnson and Innospec.
With the advent of the Bribery Act 2010, the UK Serious Fraud Office is now determined to demonstrate its authority in this area. Seemingly innocent gifts, benefits or payments, where linked to improper performance over work related function, may be a criminal offence, attracting stiff penalties of up to 10 years in imprisonment for individuals and unlimited fines for corporate entities. The reputational cost can also be dramatic and long lasting.
It is clear that the UK business community including those within the plant industry must take anti corruption measures very seriously.


text: I'm in! Silver Love Cufflinks by Nicola Hurst Designer Jewellery £102$187.18€115.72$136.63 Made to order Favourite Favourite Ask Seller View your favourites PRODUCT DETAILS made in britain gift wrapping available Unusual silver cufflinks featuring a couple together holding hands. These solid silver cufflinks are a couple united in love, together they stride through life holding hands. Due to the strong significance they will make a perfectly beautiful wedding, anniversary or Valentine's gift. Made from sterling silver on bar fittings, whenever possible these cufflinks will be laser hallmarked with the London Assay mark. All jewellery made by Nicola Hurst is posted by a next day delivery service and can be gift wrapped if you choose. made from: Solid sterling silver. dimensions: Approx 2.5cm tall. product code: 216028 see more see less DELIVERY This product is dispatched to you by Nicola Hurst Designer Jewellery. RETURNS You have 28 days, from receipt of cancellable goods, to notify the seller if you wish to cancel your order or exchange an item. Please note: goods that are personalised, bespoke or made-to-order to your specific requirements, perishable products and personal items sold with a hygiene seal (cosmetics, underwear) in instances where the seal is broken are non-refundable, unless faulty. Read more about our returns policy.Should you choose to return or exchange your order you will need to deliver the item(s) to the UK, where this seller is based. gift wrappinggift wrapping (required)Yes (+ £1.50)Nogift wrapping (required)Yes (+ $2.75)Nogift wrapping (required)Yes (+ €1.70)Nogift wrapping (required)Yes (+ $2.01)No quantity personalise


text: Black Opium Floral Shock Eau de Parfum is a newer edition of the hugely bestselling Black Opium and brings a shock of citrus freshness with a delicious floral sensuality. That addictive coffee note is still present but in an 'iced' form – a love bite of oriental freshness. Be warned you'll want this on first sniff so save those pennies, its definitely worth it especially with that rock chic glitter bottle. Composition includes head notes of lemon, bergamot, pear and freesia. The heart includes gardenia, orange blossom and a solar floral accord. The base ends with iced coffee, white musk, mineral accord and woody amber. This good projecting and long-lasting perfume's most predominant notes are pear, gardenia and coffee. The fragrance is available as a 30, 50 and 90 ml Eau de Parfum.


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Essential for Dogs & Cats
Vaccinations protects your pet from serious diseases and bacteria. Here are five of the most trusted vaccinations, and how they protect your pet.
Vaccines for Dogs
Vaccines for Cats
Distemper Vaccies (DHPP)
Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calcivirus and Panleukopenia (FVRCP)
Protects agains four diseases; Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus.
This combination vaccine protects against Distemper and highly contagious respiratory viruses.
Rabies virus fatal and can be spread to humans. Most states require this by law.
Rabies virus is fatal and can be spread to humans.
Bordetella ("Canine Cough")
A vaccination for Bordetella, an upper respiratory infection, is often required by boarding facilities
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is a common tick transmitted disease. Affected dogs may exhibit recurrent lameness due to joint inflammation as well as a lack of appetite and depression.
Corona Virus
This virus infects the intestinal tract and is very common in the southern United States
Feline Leukemia (Felv)
Feline leukemia virus adversely effects the cat's body in many ways. It is the most common cause of cancer in cats, it may cause various blood disorders, and it may lead to a state of immune deficiency that hinders the cat's ability to protect itself against other infections.
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
FIV is a viral infection transmitted among cats through close contact.
A vaccination for Bordetella, an upper respiratory infection, is often required by boarding facilities.


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CARPET CLEANING Carpeting in Your home is a major investment in regular carpet cleanings are necessary to keep it looking new. Accumulated soil and spills contribute to reduced carpet life. They also enable destructive and health harmful dust mites and bacteria to thrive unnoticed. Carpet Cleaning costs are minimal when you consider the replacement costs … Continue reading Carpet Cleaning
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Getting an app off the ground is an exciting endeavor. Ideas are translated from thought and put on paper. Once seemingly distant concepts start to coalesce into a singular design and the mobile app starts to roughly take shape. At this point, mobile app idea owners (clients) lacking the coding and design skills to continue usually engage a development company. However, before the first wireframes hit the paper or scope is discussed, the mobile app must first be defined.
What's a Benchmark?
When a mobile app development company benchmarks a mobile app idea, the company compares different apps (competitors) and other interesting initiatives related with the client's app. Usually, this process takes place right after the idea and before the RFP (Request for proposal) or Wireframes.
Why is this useful? When benchmarking a mobile app, you compare equally all the other apps or projects similar to yours or your client's so you can take decisions on what your future app must have, must not have, add or take features the client thought the app should have, etc.
Developers can more efficiently tackle an app when it has been given a more definitive shape. Placing the app in a category goes a long way towards achieving this. By comparing the app idea with existing and successful mobile apps in the marketplace, both developers and their clients are able create a roadmap on how to proceed.
The benchmark, a useful tool
Skipping this step only amounts to compounding frustrations down the road. What looks like a simple compare and contrast exercise between apps actually leads to the creation of a solid game plan towards the mobile app development and launch of a successful app.
This helps us to understand the current market trends when we launch the app.
We always start the development process with a careful analysis of the basis of the project and we consider benchmarking to be a very important part of this phase. No great app can be done without an in-depth analysis of current market conditions and the target audience, and benchmarking can bring a huge dose of inspiration at every step of a project. It is especially useful when our clients give us only a general overview of the project and it is our role to provide them with proven solutions that have biggest chances to succeed on the market.
There are several reasons to benchmark a mobile app idea before jumping into the development process and hit the market. First, analyzing the market will give you information about your competitors, their strategy, their strengths and weaknesses.
Benchmarking also helps you to define the success of your future application. Looking at other similar apps gives you the ability to set goals effectively so they are realistic and achievable and probably unlocks new ideas in terms of features that will differentiate your mobile app in a crowded market. Finally, benchmarking is useful to give a perception of which apps are doing well in terms of revenue. This will be extremely helpful when deciding the most effective monetization model.
Including the benchmark within the budget
Imagine planning to get from point A to point B on a map, but not paying attention to the roads in between. That is what it would be like to create an app without first benchmarking. It would be difficult if not impossible for a developer to make an app without this step, which is why anyone looking to have a mobile app built should be skeptical of mobile app development companies who opt to skip this crucial phase of the development process.
In our opinion, each project has to begin with an in-depth analysis of the requirements and possibilities. That's why it is vital to search through the market and find out what is working and what's not as well as to get to know where some great opportunities for improvement can be found. When we approach a new project, one of our developers is always responsible for a research on possible benchmarks and reporting the insights they've found to the whole team.
If the client wants only a prototype, then we can only do the design of the app. Sometimes clients ask for an MVP of project to launch in the market with the core features of the app.
No matter the stage of the project, we always make sure we benchmark our work or ideas with what's out there in the market. It's a systematic and continuous process that despite having more emphasis in the initial stage of any given project, it remains constant throughout all stages, even after the first version of the mobile app is completed and launched. If possible (and this highly depends on the client's budget) the most important thing is seeing the progress over time, so it is always good to run at least two benchmarks so there is a term of comparison.
Hours spent on the benchmark
It is important to understand that the benchmarking process differs on a case by case basis. Various parameters of the app must be taken into consideration and then each must be held up against those of similar or comparable apps. Benchmarking is not an exhaustive step (but it is better if it is), however it does not need to post definitive comparison figures and result in the formation of a general direction that will be taken to bring the app to fruition.
There is not a precise duration for benchmarking. The length of it depends on the scope of the project. If we're talking about a complex mobile app with high number of features or with a fierce competition in the app market, we'll probably spend more time gathering all the information we need. However, despite the time constraint and the size of the project, there are always essential dimensions we make sure are analyzed.
It depents greatly on the specific project. Are similar applications available for a certain platform? How elaborate is the project? Does the client has his own benchmark ideas or do we have to do the whole research ourselves? A safe answer is to dedicate about a couple of hours for the benchmarking process.
It depends on the functionality of the application.
Key aspects to compare
Competitor analysis can be tricky if a mobile app developers are not sure what they are looking for. Knowledgeable and experienced development companies often employ both a wide and narrow approach. Wide looks at the general specifications and performance of apps. A narrow approach delves into an apps specific features and functionalities. When comparing competitor apps it is prudent to consider almost all aspects.
To find a good benchmark, one has to search for both successful and high-quality apps. Quantitative variables like the number of downloads and average rating are our first hint, as they show, whether an application is appealing enough that users want to install it and support it with good reviews. We also pay close attention to qualitative variables. In this case, design and UX are very important factors for our developers.
Most app ideas have a certain dose of innovation so appreciated in start-up industry. That's why strict comparison of two different apps is often impossible. Our strategy is to compare the general picture of a mobile app first and then to focus on specific features that need further research and development.
Mobile apps are our passion so we check new solutions available on the market everyday and share our feelings and insights among coworkers. It is not uncommon that, while creating a strategy for a new app, we use the solutions that one of us has seen in apps or games he uses himself. They are not necessarily from the same app category as the app we are working on because good solutions can be adjusted to a lot of app genres.
The data we analyze usually depends on the industry in which the app is related to. However, the benchmark process is more focused around several key metrics such as:
Although the benchmark is mostly in quantitative terms, it is not limited to it. Our benchmarking process includes some qualitative items such as the usability and aesthetics of similar apps. We always try to compare in terms of separate features, it provides better insights.
For basic quantitative metrics, we usually focus the comparison process with apps from the same industry and category. For more qualitative items, we check apps from different categories. We're aware that looking outside the box might bring some new fresh ideas.
We review user flow that is UX. Most of the applications get success because of the UX and designing part. We review how features are implemented and their flow. We also compare similar features, interface and core features of our apps. We try to make easy user flow. So when users download the app, they do not need to learn how to use it. They can easily understand it and start using it.
Generally, we check applications of the same categories because they have similar features. We can take reference of other categories apps for design [UI-UX] purpose.
The client's influence on the benchmark
Communication is key throughout the entire app development process and benchmarking is no different. More often than not, clients are more informed about their apps competitors and where it is supposed to fit in the market place. Not sharing this information would only be detrimental to the mobile app development process and so developers usually like to involve their clients particularly when it comes to the benchmarking process.
For the benchmarking process we need the client's involvement till UI-UX process. So we will have a clear idea of the app flow after the UX is completed.
We are convinced that our clients know their market best as they are experts in their own branch. That's why we often ask them to tell us everything they know about the market and their main competitors, so that we can truly understand their needs as well as chances and obstacles to the project.
Many clients do a great work here, digging really deep not only in their industry and competition, but also giving us some benchmarks to follow. Some clients find it even easier to describe their app idea by giving us a benchmark that inspired them to create a certain app. We always consider such insights to be very valuable and pay careful attention to them. But we always do our own in-depth banchmarking analysis as well and suggest clients possible solutions.
That always depends on the client, if they want to be more involved with the benchmarking process we're happy to accommodate that. We have our own benchmarking process and our team can handle it without any external help but we're totally open to listen to our client's ideas and suggestions. It's extremely helpful if the client brings their own list of competitors and items they would like us to check, it shows strong motivation and willingness to collaborate.
Similar mobile apps
There are literally hundreds of thousands of mobile apps across different platforms. Needless to say it is an industry full of noise. Trends rise and fade quickly but there are categories of apps which see a lot more competition than others. On demand, dating and photosharing apps are but a few categories that witness a huge competitor pressure.
Food apps, taxi apps, chat apps, deals/offers apps are some mobile apps with more competitors.
We think that the most competitive apps areon the games, education and lifestyle categories.
Every app is different. Judging from our experience, many clients decide to develop a mobile app that is somehow connected with communication between people, e.g. social app or messenger app. Apps that gather offers or products and allow to simply find a desire thing are also popular, as well as tools designed to solve specific problems.
The hardest benchmark
As previously mentioned, the benchmarking process can drastically differ from client to client and from project to project. However, there are times when a considerable amount of effort and resources must be committed to setting a benchmark. Our top mobile app development companies share some of their experiences with these quasi-monumental endeavors.
GL Deals and Bounty Star apps have represented the biggest efforts in benchmarking process for our company.
We are developing mobile apps for many different branches and for various platforms, including wearables, so we sometimes face a situation that we make a certain app type for the first time. That's a great challenge but it also takes more time and effort to develop such an app. Hopefully, we already have experience in so many different branches that this scenario happens less and less often and we can provide our clients with many valuable benchmarks that we've already developed ourselves.
We have developed mobile apps for different categories and industries and each of these projects presented unique challenges in terms of benchmarking. Unfortunately, as most of our projects are under NDA agreements we're not able to share which one has represented the biggest effort.
In this day and age, the importance of benchmarking cannot be overstated. Developers and mobile app creators should do their best to go through this step in as much detail as possible. A benchmark sets the tone towards the completion and launch of the app. It is easy to say that benchmarking is merely a comparison of two apps, but it is more than that. It is the creation of a blueprint towards bringing an idea through the app creation process and breathe life into it.
Are you a mobile app project owner? If you are looking for the right place, publish your project and check our top mobile app development companies worldwide directory.
If you have some doubts about what mobile app development company to hire, read our blog post with the steps you have to follow before hiring the best company for your mobile app project.
If you want to know more about mobile app development, join our forum discussions.


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Hello and Welcome
to the web offering of the Montgomery County School System. You will find that we are a small but progressive school system in the east central area of Georgia and the performance of our school system is impressive. Students have opportunities in the classroom, athletics, and cultural activities, as well as academic competitions. Montgomery County students and staff work to bring academic and extracurricular excellence to our school and community.Please accept my invitation to look around and see for yourself that our school system and our members strive for excellence.
As for our community, you should know that the quality of life is second to none. We are fortunate that we are the home of Brewton-Parker College and the academic and cultural activities that a private college community can offer. There are opportunities for sporting events and activities and we are home to one of the best golf venues in the state. If golf is your thing, there is plenty to experience in a twenty mile radius of our community. Shopping and worship opportunities are plenty and varied. Our community is part of the annual Vidalia Onion Festival that celebrates Georgia's official vegetable, the Vidalia Onion®.
Join us as we seek to improve and enrich the quality of life of our students and entire community. Welcome to Montgomery County


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Biosecurity reflects a variety of measures and best practices relied on by U.S. egg farmers to assure hens are healthy and to prevent disease from entering egg farms. Egg farmers have put an array of biosecurity protocols in place on their farms; from limiting visitors and setting up perimeter zones to monitoring flock health and sanitizing vehicles and equipment.
While the biosecurity process is complex, egg farmers' dedication to disease prevention is rigorous. To help customers and the public understand the stringent biosecurity standards implemented on U.S. egg farms, United Egg Producers has prepared a new animated video about the processes and protocols being used.
Click below to watch and learn more.
Small but powerful, eggs are an international sensation. On World Egg Day Oct. 13, events around the globe will celebrate the nutritious goodness of eggs – and the families who produce them.
Eggs play a vital role in feeding people around the world, in both developed and developing countries. Providing excellent hen care is a fundamental part of producing eggs. They are an excellent, affordable source of high quality protein. Eggs' protein, vitamins and minerals are essential for fetal development, healthy brain development in young children and improved concentration at school, work and play.
World Egg Day is celebrated in more than 40 countries, from Australia to Zimbabwe. Last year the campaign was embraced by organizations as diverse as international charities to premier league football clubs. A giant egg salad was assembled in India, setting a world record at 814.58 feet long. The dish used 7,000 boiled eggs and was prepared by more than 300 people.
Eggs are enjoyed with unique flavors from diverse cultures. Check out international recipes such as Huevos Rancheros, Indian-Style Scrambled Eggs, Hot and Sour Egg Drop Soup and more at IncredibleEgg.org.
A fun twist has been added this year by the World Egg Organization, which has sponsored the annual observance since 1996. Young and old alike are invited to "crack them up" by sharing their funniest egg jokes through social networks and using #WorldEggDay.
"Over the past 22 years, we've communicated the positive impact that eggs can have on our lives," said Julian Madeley, Director General of the World Egg Organization. "They are not only universally beneficial to our health; I've also discovered that they're universally funny! In both developed and developing populations – a high-quality source of protein is a fundamental requirement; and that's a very serious message. However, we also want engage with the widest possible audience, by encouraging children and their parents to share the more humorous side of the humble egg."
You can explore some of the flavorful ways eggs are enjoyed around the world – such as Huevos Rancheros, Indian-Style Scrambled Eggs and Hot and Sour Egg Drop Soup – and more recipes at IncredibleEgg.com.
Eggs are an excellent, affordable source of high quality protein, with the potential to feed the world. That's reason to celebrate World Egg Day!
Follow the fun – and submit your egg jokes – on Facebook @WEggDay, Twitter @World_Egg_Day and Instagram @World_Egg _Day.
For more information about eggs and the egg industry please follow the links below.


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Creamy Cantaloupe Pops
I make these delicious pops when the melons are ripening quickly in our cantaloupe patch.—Deanna Richter, Elmore, Minnesota
Total TimePrep: 10 min. Cook: 10 min. + freezing
Makes8 servings
- 1-1/2 cups cubed cantaloupe
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 8 Popsicle molds or plastic cups (3 ounces)
- 8 Popsicle sticks
- Place cantaloupe in a blender. Cover and process until smooth; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the cream and sugar. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in pureed cantaloupe. Pour 1/4 cup into each mold; insert the Popsicle sticks. Freeze until firm.
Nutrition Facts1 each: 162 calories, 11g fat (7g saturated fat), 41mg cholesterol, 14mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (15g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.
Recommended Video
Jul 3, 2017
Creamy and delicious. The hardest part is waiting for them to freeze! I used 1/4 cup sugar and they were perfect for us. I suggest tasting for sweetness.Taste of Home Volunteer Field Editor
May 17, 2014
So good and easy. I made these with cantaloupe, but these can also be made with strawberries, watermelon, etc. I will be making with coconut.
Jun 22, 2013
No comment left
Feb 5, 2013
No comment left
May 19, 2009
This is the tastiest and refreshing pop. I tried it years ago and have been looking for this recipe since.


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This aquafornia news has been archived and may contain content that is out of date.
Aquafornia news Ventura County Star
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Currently, the city has two significant environmental impact reports, which CEQA requires, making their way through the development process. One is for a plan to build a 7-mile pipeline to tap into Ventura's long-held investment in state water. … The other project would capture effluent from Ventura's wastewater treatment plant, treat it and turn it into drinking water.


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By Todd Cohen
CHARLOLTTE, N.C. — Community Health Services expected to serve 25,000 clients last year who could not find or afford health care.
That was at least two-and-half times the number of clients the nonprofit agency served five years ago, growth that reflects a nagging social problem, says Jen Algire, executive director.
"It says people don't have access to affordable health care," she says.
With a staff of 21 people, plus four contract workers, the agency serves as a "preventive-services safety net" for Mecklenburg County, Algire says, supplementing basic health services the county provides and connecting its clients to primary care.
Grants, private fundraising, fees for services and funds from United Way of Central Carolinas each accounts for roughly one-fourth of the group's annual budget of $1.7 million.
Over the past five years, based on a shift in its funding strategy, the agency has reduced its reliance on United Way funding and increased its private fundraising, Algire says.
For the current fiscal year, to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Community Health Services plans to raise $300,000, Algire says.
Those dollars support six programs, and new initiatives also are in the works, Algire says.
The agency's three nurses and nurse practitioner, for example, provide hands-on care, specialty care, education and support at 22 community centers and nonprofits.
The agency also provides physicals, immunizations and preventive screenings, mainly for people who lack access to primary care, in a new clinic at its offices in the Children and Family Services Center uptown, which houses 10 nonprofits serving families and children.
A third program provides free dental care to 500 children, and dental education and prevention programs to another 1,000, and aims to double those numbers in the fiscal year that ends June 30.
In August, the agency launched a new program, known as "Reach out and read," that combines children's visits to pediatrician offices with the distribution of free books to promote developmental screening and literacy.
In another new program, funded with the agency's first grant ever from the public-private Smart Start early-childhood-development program, agency nurses visit child-care centers and perform assessments to help the centers improve their health-and-safety ratings.
And under a contract with the Mecklenburg County Medical Society, the agency manages and serves as the back office for Physicians Reach Out, a program in which over 900 physicians volunteer to provide free care to clients with no health insurance.
Community Health Services screens clients, determines their eligibility and assigns them to physicians.
Now, the agency is planning to expand its clinic programs for people lacking primary care or a regular source of care.
It also is conducting a marketing campaign, using billboards and radio ads, to promote good oral health and dental care.
While Community Health Services has worked hard to keep up with rising demand, Algire says, that is not the kind of progress it should be making.
"If we're doing our job well, like all safety-net providers, we should be able to put ourselves out of business," she says. "But instead, every year we just get more clients."


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It's never a pleasant surprise to receive a voice message from a debt collector but in some instances, how and when they leave a message to you can be a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and you have legal standing to defend yourself.
It is a violation for collectors to contact you before 8:00 AM and after 9:00 PM, local time at your location. What happens if they left you a voice mail (at any permissible time) at your shared residence? If you live with your family or a roommate and are sharing the same telephone and that person had listened to the voice message in which the debt collector had mentioned your outstanding debt, the collector may have violated the prohibited act of communicating with third parties without the consumer's consent (regarding your debt).
Has something like this happened to you? Do you want to see if you have a qualifying FDCPA case? Contact our Orange County consumer protection attorneys to evaluate your case today. Due to the statute of limitations, you only have up until one year to file.


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Photography & Video Services
The price for our starting session is $250 for an hour of photography and or Videography and you get all the images and or video from the session as hi resolution digital images and raw continuous video with no edits. We process the photos so they will be ready to use. The video is ready for use but it will need to be trimmed down to the parts you want to use. If you want to add extra photo or video time to your session it's $175 per half hour.
Photoshop & Video Editing
Advanced editing is available for an additional fee. Photo retouching is $25 per image or $50 per hour.
Video editing is $50 per hour. We will provide a quote based on the amount of editing you want done.
We are a mobile photography and video company. We can rent a studio space if required but most of the time that's not needed. I know many studios in town and can rent space depending on your needs. I can setup a mini 4′ studio backdrop in your home or office or we can go on location anywhere in the city and use a natural environment as a background. For casual outdoor type shoots I typically take people downtown to the Arts District where there are many varieties of background options. See the samples below
During an hour session we can usually do 2-3 different looks in an hour.
Here's link to some samples I put together from recent shoots downtown where I like to go for casual shoots. This will give you an idea of scenery and type of shots you would get. These are all client images pulled straight from their photo sets.
You can see my portfolio of work here https://waynewallacephotography.com


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Hull Barrett obtained a successful defense verdict for a multinational manufacturer in a products liability case. A federal jury ruled in our client's favor and against the plaintiff who was seeking actual and punitive damages and claiming defects with a dental care product.
Learn More About George R. Hall and our Products Liability, Personal Injury & Torts Team


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The Media Council of Papua New Guinea President Alexander Rheeney said: "Journalists need to be equipped to effectively cover Papua New Guinea's development challenges. The one-week training by Thomson Reuters will go a long way in enabling them to appreciate those challenges and the role that they can play – as journalists – to contribute to public debate and create positive outcomes for the affected people. The selected journalists are privileged to be undertaking this training, thanks to the United Nations. "
Selected journalists are from different media outlets including the National Broadcasting Corporation, EMTV, TV Wan, the National, Post-Courier, Sunday Chronicle, Wantok Niuspepa, FM100, PNGFM, and Loop PNG. Training takes place between 29th August and 2nd September in Port Moresby.
For further information, please contact:
Chika Kondoh, Communications Specialist at the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office (UNRCO)
(675) 321 2877


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The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition, or ICD-10 is a coding system that went into effect in the U.S. healthcare industry on Oct. 1, 2015. It is used to standardize codes for medical conditions and procedures. The ICD-10 codes have enabled more accurate medical billing by offering many more classification options compared to those found in its predecessor ICD-9.
For thousands of physicians and other clinicians in the United States, the change from ICD-9 to ICD-10 was a major concern demanding time, preparation, and a lengthy period of adjustment. MTBC has proven to be an ideal ICD-10 compliance partner and remained fully committed in meeting all applicable time frames for ICD-10 compliance prior to October 2015.
We have worked closely with our clients to ensure their smooth transition to ICD-10. To find out more about ICD-10 and its latest updates, please visit the CMS site.
Our streamlined business processes and technological solutions seamlessly accommodated this coding shift. By October 1, 2015, the ICD-10 modifications to our practice management and EHR product suite were completed and fully functional. This has helped guarantee our clients' successful and hassle-free transition to ICD-10.
Our ICD-10 coaching services encompassed the entire ICD-10 lifecycle from initial assessment to testing, and post-transition/implementation support. To simplify the coding transition, our HIT specialists:
"The navigation is very intuitive. It helps us retrieve information very quickly."
- Dr. Richard BabkesWatch Story
"Due to enhanced services, our clients receive more sophisticated technology and increased billing resources."
- Joy SchareWatch Story
"I have found that it definitely helps me to be able to keep up with my patient load and to keep my charts timely."
- Kelly CollinsWatch Story
"I really like the responsiveness. When I asked a question to the team, somebody got back to me within 24 hours."
- Dr. LevineWatch Story
"The MTBC EHR provides a very efficient infrastructure for the entire practice."
- Fern BabkesWatch Story
"I've been using MTBC for 4 years. It has made a huge difference in my life."
- Dr. Nancy GryniewiczWatch Story
"After selecting and reviewing multiple systems, we chose MTBC because of the amount of flexibility they had."
- Tracy BrionesWatch Story
"They worked with us to make sure the process was an easy one. Everyone we spoke to was nicer than the next one."
- Cathi LottiWatch Story
"I am a customer for life! As long as talkEHR™ is around, I am going to be with talkEHR™."
- Karla BallewWatch Story
"I would recommend talkEHR™ to any provider looking for a feature-rich, affordable EHR."
- Dr. Cynthia GoWatch Story
MTBC is a healthcare information technology solution provider that offers physician practices a comprehensive product portfolio of fully integrated talkEHR™, revenue cycle and practice management solutions and other related business services including transcription and data management.
We started our operations in 1999.
All states.
MTBC's corporate headquarters is located at: 7 Clyde Rd, Somerset, NJ 08873.
From submission to follow up, rejection handling, denial management to appeal, payment posting, we make sure our clients get paid. It's an end to end service we offer to our clients.
Yes, we provide patient help desk service.
Yes, apart from a knowledgeable billing team, you will have a dedicated account manager assigned to your account.


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Former Governor of California Arnold Attacked in South Africa
Schwarzenegger was attacked on Saturday by a man who kicked him in the back at a sports event in South Africa that the action hero was hosting.
The bodybuilder and former politician was chatting with fans at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg when a man took a flying leap and kicked him high in the back.
"Thanks for your concerns, but there is nothing to worry about," Schwarzenegger, 71, said on Twitter.
"I thought I was just jostled by the crowd, which happens a lot. I only realized I was kicked when I saw the video like all of you. I'm just glad the idiot didn't interrupt my Snapchat."
And if you have to share the video (I get it), pick a blurry one without whatever he was yelling so he doesn't get the spotlight.
By the way… block or charge? pic.twitter.com/TEmFRCZPEA
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) May 18, 2019


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This take-anywhere Commuter features a luxe soft-touch texture that's easy to hold for sipping on the go.
Outfitted with a convenient pop-top and ergonomically designed to fit snuggly in your hand, the Commuter is ideal for splash-free sipping on the go. This 16oz keeps beverages cold for 24 hours and hot for 6.
- S'well Commuters feature triple-layered, vacuum-insulated construction, designed to keep beverages colder or hotter, longer than all the rest.
- Made from stainless steel
- Copper wall layer creates a condensation-free exterior that won't sweat on your hands or in your bag.
- Features a wide mouth and thick rim for easy drinking. Ice cubes fit effortlessly inside.
- BPA/BPS-Free and reusable.
- Hand-wash only.
S'well 16 oz Commuter - Matte Black


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- What genre are your books?
My main series P.A.W.S. is Young Adult Fantasy, although I also like to experiment in other genres, such as science fiction and horror, in short stories.
- What draws you to this genre?
I love fantasy both to read and write. I think it's probably because I love to dream – I want to believe that magic is real and we just have to discover it and by creating my own fantasy world I'm halfway there.
- What project are you working on at the moment?
I'm currently working on two projects. The first is book 3 of my series and the second is a children's picture book, Adana the Earth Dragon.
- What's it about?
Well in book 3 of P.A.W.S. we get to travel to Israel (a country I lived in for 8 years) with Miri while she searches for the story hidden in the mysterious book she picked up in book 2.
Adana the Earth Dragon is the story of a small brown dragon who thinks she is boring compared to the other dragons who have the powers of water, air, and fire, but when a giant comes into the land of the dragons and starts destroying the flowers, Adana discovers that even a small brown dragon is capable of doing great things.
- Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is special?
Miri (my main character in P.A.W.S.) has powerful magic that emanates from the silver cat charm that she received from her grandmother on the day before she died. Apart from her shapeshifting abilities she has the power of empathy. She can read the emotions of others, amplify them, and return them. Her power can be used to help or as a weapon depending on the situation. But the P.A.W.S. saga is not just the story of Miri, rather it weaves the tales of many shapeshifters and spans generations.
- Have you written anything else?
Apart from P.A.W.S. I've written a number of short stories that are published in anthologies and also created a puzzle book, Paws 4 Logic, that I put together with my son, Joey.
- What are your ambitions for your writing career?
My main goal is to finish my series. I'm not sure how many books that will entail, somewhere between 4 and 8. I know where the story is leading (I've even written the epilogue of the whole series). However I'm not clear how we'll get there, but am enjoying the journey.
- Which writers inspire you?
JK Rowling, Neil Gaiman, Cornelia Funke, Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett.
- When did you decide to become a writer? Why do you write?
I write because I need to write. I've been doing it ever since I was a small child, but I only started taking myself seriously as a writer a few years ago. At the time I'd had a terrible year: my father had passed away and I'd been going through chemotherapy for breast cancer. I'd always wanted to write a novel and had started plenty but never finished. I felt I had all the time in the world to do that. Maybe later after the kids had left home, maybe then? But cancer made me realize that I wasn't immortal that if I wanted to write and be published I needed to do it now.
- Do you have a special time or place to write?
No, as a mother I tend to fit in writing time whenever I can.
- Where do you get your inspiration?
From anything and everywhere. Although I write fantasy there's a lot of real stuff in there: people I've known, places I've been. I also love to people watch and can create whole stories from a look and a caught fragment of conversation.
- Do you work on an outline or do you prefer to see where the idea takes you?
I don't outline. I have a basic idea where my series is leading, but I'm just as surprised as some of my readers as to where it takes me. I'm excited to keep writing because I want to know what happens!
- Do you ever get writer's block? How do you overcome it?
Two things help. Showers (lots of ideas come when I'm in the shower) and walks outside. I think it's inevitable that the best ideas come when you don't have a way of writing them down!
- What is the hardest thing for you about writing?
Distraction, mainly from the internet and Facebook in particular. When I really need to work either on my writing or my puzzles I sometimes turn off the wifi altogether and won't let myself go back on until I've completed a certain amount of words or finished writing a particular puzzle.
- How do you market your books? Why did you choose this route?
This is the bit I don't like so much, but generally I try to stay low-key with my promo. I also try and do stuff that's fun, so for example I attended a local sci-fi con (Archon) last fall and participated in a panel and in the dealer room. My thoughts are that if I'm going to spend money on promo I want it to be something that if I don't sell books, that's OK, I still had fun. Marketing is a time-suck and distracts you from creating content, so you have keep tabs on it.
- How much research do you do?
As much as is necessary for each story. For the first book of P.A.W.S. that was very little, but for Argentum (book 2) I researched some really odd things including exactly how long it would a hawk to fly from Vienna to Wales and the history of the tea bag!
- Do you write on a typewriter, computer, dictate or longhand?
Computer mostly, but occasionally I'll write longhand if I'm out somewhere and my muse demands it.
- What are some of your favorite books/authors?
All of Harry Potter (but particularly book 3), Douglas Adams – Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett and Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman are some of my absolute favorites.
I've also read a lot of fantastic indie authors in the last couple of years including Misha Burnett, Michelle Proulx, M.A. Ray, Jen Ponce, and Fiona Skye.
- Are you currently reading any books?
I'm currently reading a graphic novel (a departure for me), the first in Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. I was fortunate to pick up this copy for just a couple of dollars from the dealer on the next table to me at Archon.
- How can readers discover more about you and your work?
Blog: Paws4Thought: http://debbiemanberkupfer.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebbieManberKupferAuthor
Twitter: @CiciCat42
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Debbie-Manber-Kupfer/e/B00DHPNJ5I/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7142164.Debbie_Manber_Kupfer
Book links
P.A.W.S. http://amzn.com/B0129GG6YQ
Argentum http://amzn.com/B00OVEA52E


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grizzly mma
Try a Free week Gym pass
Sign-up Fees
Welcome to Grizzly MMA. We are the premier Mixed Martial Arts Gym in Alamosa, Colorado. Whether you're looking to compete on the jiu jitsu mat, in the cage or just want to get in the best shape of your life, Grizzly MMA is here for you. We are located at 510 Bell Court and can be reached at 719-580-6658. Come and check us out today!.
brazilian jiu jitsu
Brazilian jiu jitsu is a martial art that places its main focus on ground work and submissions. Brazilian jiu jitsu relies on a wide variety of joint locks and chokes. It is considered by many professionals to be the most effective martial art when it comes to self defense.
Kickboxing is a combat sport that incorporates both kicking and punching. It can be used for self defense as well as for general conditionin. Kickboxing places a heavy emphasis on the stand up aspect of fighting and self defense.
cardio kickboxing
Cardio kickboxing classes combines kickboxing techniques along with fast paced cardio techniques. This is a great class for anyone looking to lose weight, improve their cardiovascular sysem, and is a great option for those that do not want any physical contact in their exercise routine while still getting many benefits of kickboxing.
"We have only been to 2 classes now, and are so thankful to have found this place! My boys are 3 and 6, and both loved trying out Jujitsu! These coaches are amazing with the kids they work with, and I am anxious to get to more of the adult beginner classes!"
"Awesome team to train with! Great people and good vibes!"
grizzly MMa
Gym H0urs
Grizzly Kids Monday-Thursday: 5pm – 6pm
Adult Jiu Jitsu Monday-Friday: 6pm – 7pm
Cardio Kickboxing Tuesday & Thursday: 4pm-5pm
Kickboxing Friday: 6pm – 7pm
Open Roll Saturday: 1pm – 2pm
Sunday: Closed


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Cook tortellini according to package directions, and reserve 1 cup pasta water.
Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat and add garlic. Cook until golden, about 1 minute. Add shallots and cook about 3 minutes. Add asparagus and red bell pepper, and cook until soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes.
Add cream cheese and cook until melted. Add reserved pasta water, lemon zest and juice, and salt, stirring to combine.
Turn heat to medium-low. Add artichokes and tortellini; cook until heated through. Just before serving, stir in baby spinach, just to wilt it. Serve with grated Parmesan.


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A reflection on a topic of special interest in Sierra Leone by the Patriotic Vanguard's Deputy Editor Abdulai Bayraytay. Bayraytay, who lives in Toronto, Canada, has a background in journalism, political science and human rights activism.
By Abdulai Bayraytay
As Sierra Leone recuperates from one of the most brutal and vicious wars ever unleashed in the post-colonial history of sub Saharan Africa, efforts at both local and international spheres at rebuilding that tiny West African country are still Herculean, to say the least.
Some of the reasons attributed to this are very obvious: whilst a cross-section of politicians both in the ruling party and opposition are show-casing their oratory in some desperado effort to retain or capture power come the much publicized 2007 elections, yet majority of the unsuspecting citizenry continue to wallow in abject poverty. It would have been wonderful if the energy so far exerted would just have been used to find solutions as to why majority of my five million or so kith and kin would go to bed without food, suffer deplorable medical conditions and as to why the mass of youth are neglected.
Of course, the political mantra usually advanced by the Kabbah-led government was "my fellow citizens, this is your duly elected president speaking to you. As you may all be aware, we inherited a vicious war created by the All Peoples' Congress (APC) Party, and you have to bear with us.... We will surely complete the Lungi Bridge as soon as possible and food security for all will be a reality come 2007. In fact, the Chinese have just provided us with two tractors...my fellow citizens, blah, blah, blah..." Sure, all the masses could do was to be glued to their rickety radio and TV sets as one monotonous trumpeted speech followed another.
Meanwhile, whilst the government is uttering reassurances of food and human security, its human rights record is on the dive. Nothing could be more scandalous than the minister of Justice and Attorney General's indication that he could not bring to justice those thugs who beat up the erstwhile and late editor-in-chief of the For di People newspaper, Harry Yansaneh because pathologist Willoughby's report had no direct link with the editor's death.
So, if by any logic one agrees with the supposition that indeed Harry's death was as a result of his "failing kidney" as the AG wanted us to believe, does that mean madam Sierra Leone Peoples' Party (SLPP) honourable Hassan and her thuggish West Side kids should go scot-free?
Yes, this is Sierra Leone where selective justice is gradually becoming the norm rather than the exception leading to the bastardization of the independence of the judiciary. Can you imagine the lightening speed with which the opposition leader of the Peoples' Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) Charles Margai and co were charged with "attempt to assassinate the vice-president? In contrast, passport thieves and brutal killers like Eldred Collins and NPRC criminals have all been given a red-carpet welcome by no other than the SLPP in order to foster political clientelism and patronage.
One can only wonder whether the government is really serious about reconciliation, taking into consideration its struggle to meet most of the demands of the amputees but could bring into its fold the very perpetrators of the carnage as the new "leaders"?
No wonder former chief spokesman of the notorious Revolutionary United Front (RUF) Omrie Golley Jr. has called for the presence of international observers in his trial for treason because, according to him, the judiciary is a sham and in a precariously useless situation.
This further brings to the limelight the continued detention of former Kamajor boss and deputy minister of Defence, Sam Hinga Norman. The vexing question here is, can someone like Hinga Norman establish a civil militia group that would legally operate within the sovereign confines of the country without the tacit approval and support of the incumbent government? If not, then why was he still in government and not prosecuted after the restoration of the government? On the other hand, if the response is in the affirmative, then to whom was Hinga Norman answerable and from where was he getting his weaponry and financial support during the fight to restore the Kabbah government? Was Norman the almighty boss that was not answerable to anyone?
Interestingly, the UN Special Court has a big fish in its net and must in the first place justify its very existence since other notorious indictees like RUF leader and field commander Foday Saybana Sankoh and Sam Bockarie aka Mosquito are dead, whilst erstwhile Liberian president and alleged chief financier of the RUF is basking in opulence in Nigeria. Indeed, a devastating blow to the Special Court was the recent pronouncement of newly elected president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf that the Taylor issue is not a priority to her but the restoration of electricity to her war-ravaged country.
Africa's political stability depends to a very large extent on the honesty of her leaders wherein they are obliged to not only curb corruption but also have to deliver social services like affordable housing, medical care, job creation especially for the youth, the mostly vulnerable and belligerent in the continent's notorious conflicts, coupled with a respectable infrastructure.
If not, according to the American writer David Lamb in his "The Africans" political questions that could be amicably resolved through peaceful means would blossom into uncontrollable violence because of frustration. And, since early warning for preventing conflicts in especially Africa's fragile democracies is a respectable module, human rights, good governance, ethnic tolerance, gender equality and a pro-active civil society should have space in the political spectrum. If not, the challenges for post-conflict peace-building, reconciliation and reconstruction will remain a chimera dressed in tasteless political speeches for the consumption of the usually gullible and unsuspecting masses.
Photo: Dr. Fatmata Hassan