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To house the new restaurant, in connection with the main foyer of the Como Social Theater, we recovered rooms located in the ground floor and the back courtyard.The internal surface panelling refers to the theater world, using the purple-red color like the tipical curtain. To create an exciting contrast with the still white surfaces of the walls and vaults, the pannels winks to the textures of the traditional curtain, creating a rithm of matt and gloss surfaces. Faced to one of the main square of Como, the three spaces are connected each other by the intermediate floor and the same cladding draws a peculiar linear lounge.The leather chairs, the red curtains, the spotlights: all these elements of the stage evokes the mistery and the kind of surreal state of a famous scene of "Twin Peaks", movie directed by D.Lynch.The idea of "two faced" and of "mirror" involves the project of the bar counter. This volume is faced from one part to the new lounge zone, from the other to the old foyer, junction between the new space and the old rooms.The trick is more evident in the corridor that take to the courtyard, used as an optical instrument:a geometrical form flashes at the beginnig of the corridor, created by the red cladding, anamorphosis of a rotated rectangle, and she crashes dinamically, walking forward to the back white part of the restaurant.The intermediate floor is identified by a deep railing, that perceptually, with the same high of the dining tables, enlarges the room and provides to give privacy from the lower main lounge.On the back side, inside the courtyard, a new dinner-room is leant against the medieval walls like an extention of them. Is possible to open the big window toward the outside, giving to the courtyard all the character of an open air stage.
Status: Built
Location: Como, IT
Firm Role: Project, work direction
Additional Credits: Marco Longatti, Luca Ambrosini with Lorenzo Guzzini, Tomas Caloprisco. Photo by Marcello Mariana


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Many analysts predicted the UAE's real estate market would bottom out by the middle of 2017, but this has not proven to be the case.
Market updates for the third quarter – the most recent available – from consultancies such as JLL, CBRE, Core Savills and others, have shown a continued slide in sales and rental rates in the residential market in particular, while commercial markets were flat or witnessed small declines. The country's hospitality market, meanwhile, also suffered another disappointing year.
The industry faced numerous headwinds in 2017, including low oil prices, a fight for affordability by budget-conscious residents and widespread corporate consolidation, which led to shrinking office requirements and forced landlords to offer lower rentals and increased incentives, creating a 'tenant's market'.
In the residential sector, average apartment rents in Abu Dhabi plummeted 13 per cent year-on-year in the quarter and 6.2 per cent in Dubai, although villa rents were more stable, with drops of 1 per cent and 2.1 per cent respectively, according to JLL.
Average office rents remained flat in Abu Dhabi year-on-year in the third quarter, and dropped by 1.6 per cent in Dubai. Average daily rates (ADRs) in Abu Dhabi fell 8 per cent year-on-year in the quarter and in Dubai by 4 per cent, as hoteliers slashed prices to lure visitors.
"2017 was a year of uncertainty and lacked market direction," said David Godchaux, chief executive of Core Savills (interview, below). Residential and office rents are expected to slip further in 2018 as prolonged economic headwinds take their toll. "Given the range of complex factors hindering the market's ability to turn around, rents in Abu Dhabi are expected to end the year 10-12 per cent lower than at the end of 2016," said Faisal Durrani, head of research at Cluttons. It had initially forecast an 8-10 per cent fall in rents for 2017.
Nevertheless, 2017 was also a busy year, with notable project launches and sales milestones achieved, pointing to stronger industry sentiment in 2018. Several mixed-use schemes were launched, heralding a tentative return of the Dubai 'mega-project' that crumbled during the recession. These included 'District 2020', the legacy masterplan for Dubai Expo 2020, Dubai Properties' Marsa Al Arab project, Union Properties' Motor City masterplan, and Arada Development's Aljada, which set a new Sharjah record for number of homes sold in one day.
Read more:
[ Union Properties to IPO unit in second half of 2018 ]
[ Abu Dhabi rental correction to continue into 2018 ]
In both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, developers reported strong sales at the annual Cityscape conference, including Aldar, which sold out the second phase of its Water's Edge scheme, and Azizi Developments, which sold out the first phase of its Riviera project in Meydan.
The total value of transactions of existing residential properties (excluding land) in Dubai in 2017 was up 28 per cent year-on-year, JLL noted, and off-plan sales accounted for the bulk.
"The most notable event with regards residential sales in 2017 was the amount of off-plan sales," said Lynnette Abad, partner and head of the Property Monitor database at Cavendish Maxwell. She said 67.7 per cent of the year's sales were off-plan as of December 12.
There was also a dominant proportion of 'affordable' properties. 'Mid-market' was the only price category of the Dubai residential market for which online searches on marketplace Dubizzle.com rose this year, indicating strong demand for cheaper housing. "The most significant changes in the structure of the market during 2017 have been the growth of off-plan sales and a continued focus on the affordable or mid-income sector amid flat market conditions and increasing supply," said Craig Plumb, head of research at JLL Mena.
This is likely to remain a key feature of the 2018 UAE real estate market, while appealing off-plan projects with attractive sales prices and payment plans have "transformed the residential market" over 2017, reviving market sentiment and opening new options for first-time home buyers, Ms Abad said.
However, the danger of a potential over-supply on the back of sales achieved through attractive payment terms is increasing. "Although attractive to investors, it could result in a future 'real estate bubble'," JLL's market update warned.
On the investment side, 2017 was a year of consolidation for many – take the public listings of real estate entities Emaar Developments and Emirates NBD REIT. "This was also a year of joint venture activity across large masterplans leveraging off the increasing strength and reputation of some of the region's largest developers," said Simon Townsend, head of valuation, advisory and consulting at CBRE Middle East.
Figures from CBRE put future residential supply at upwards of 92,000 units between the end of 2017 and 2020, around 87 per cent of which will be apartments and 40 per cent of which is expected to be delivered in 2018. The market is set to remain soft into 2018.

subset: commoncrawl


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Network Technology Glossary
This glossary contains network technology terminology present on our webpages and in our marketing and support documents.
This glossary contains network technology terminology present on our webpages and in our marketing and support documents.
Access Control List; policies that determine which LAN endpoints can place and receive calls.
American National Standards Institute; the primary organization for fostering the development of technology standards in the United States.
Abstract Syntax Notation One; a language that defines the way data is sent across dissimilar communication systems. Ensures that the data received is the same as the data transmitted by providing a common syntax for specifying Application layer (program-to-program communications) protocols.
Address Resolution Protocol; protocol to automatically map IP addresses to hardware MAC addresses.
Command Line Interface; a user interface in which you type commands instead of choosing them from a menu or selecting an icon.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol; a protocol that assigns unique IP addresses to devices, then releases and renews these addresses as devices leave and rejoin the network.
Domain Name Server; a system for converting hostnames and domain names into IP addresses on the Internet or on local networks that use the TCP/IP protocol.
A backup operation that automatically switches to a standby database, server, or network if the primary system fails or is temporarily shut down. For example, if the master active500EM goes down, a backup active500EM in the cluster mode will take over the functions of the unit that is no longer operational.
Fiber Distributed Data Interface; a set of ANSI and ISO standards for data transmission on fiber optic lines in a local area network (LAN) that can extend in range up to 200 km (124 miles).
Fully Qualified Domain Name; the portion of an Internet Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that fully identifies the server program that an Internet request is addressed to. Includes the second-level domain name (such as ?whatis.com?) and any other levels (for example, ?www.whatis.com? or ?www1.somesite.com?). The prefix ?http://? added to the fully-qualified domain name completes the URL.
File Transfer Protocol; an application layer protocol that uses TCP to transfer data ?les between machines or hosts.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol; protocol for transferring Web pages.
HTTP over SSL; protocol enabling the secured transmission of Web pages.
Internet Control Message Protocol; extension of the Internet Protocol (IP) used to generate message and control packets.
Internet Key Exchange; an IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) standard protocol used to ensure security for virtual private network (VPN) negotiation and remote host or network access.
Internet Protocol; a packet-based protocol for delivering data across networks.
Internet Protocol Security; protocol used to secure traf?c across an IP network.
A worldwide federation of national standards bodies from some 100 countries, with one standards body representing each member country.
Local Area Network; a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line or wireless link. Typically, connected devices share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building). Usually, the server has applications and data storage that are shared in common by multiple computer users. The network may serve as few as two or three users (for example, in a home network) or as many as thousands of users (for example, in an FDDI network).
Media Access Control address; a unique numeric code that is permanently assigned to each unit of most types of networking hardware, such as access controllers, by the manufacturer at the factory.
Management Information Base; a hierarchical database used by the simple network management protocol (SNMP) to describe the particular device being monitored. MIB objects are identi?ed using ASN.1 syntax.
Network Access Server; a gateway device that acts as the single point of access to a resource. The device references an authentication server to determine if access is granted.
Network Address Translation or Network Address Translator; the translation of an Internet Protocol address (IP address) used within one network to a different IP address known within another network.
Network Time Protocol; a networking protocol for clock synchronization between computer systems over packet-switched, variable-latency data networks.
Open Shortest Path First; a protocol for exchanging routing information within a network.
Power over Ethernet; a protocol to provide power to devices like IP cameras and wireless access points via an Ethernet connection.
Point-to-point protocol; a computer network protocol used to transfer a datagram between two directly connected (point-to-point) computers.
Quality of Service; techniques used to assure a given level of performance as measured by the transmission rate and error rates.
Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service; a client/server protocol and software that enables remote authentication of users attempting to log in to the unit.
Routing Information Protocol; protocol for exchanging routing information within a network.
Real-Time Transfer Protocol; an Internet protocol standard that specifies a way for programs to manage the real-time transmission of multimedia data over either unicast or multicast network services.
Security Association; used by IKE and IPsec to determine how data is encrypted, decrypted, and authenticated by the secure gateways.
Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA); a standard algorithm that makes a larger (60-bit) message digest and is similar to MD4.
Simple Network Management Protocol; protocol to monitor and control devices in a TCP/IP network.
Simple Network Time Protocol; a simplified version of Network Time Protocol (NTP) that is used to synchronize computer clocks on a network.
Secure Shell; a network protocol that allows data to be exchanged using a secure channel between two networked devices.
Secure Socket Layer; Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a commonly used protocol for managing the security of a message transmission on the Internet.
Maintains the last known or current status of an application.
Transmission Control Protocol; a set of rules (protocol) used along with the Internet Protocol (IP) to send data in the form of message units between computers over the Internet.
Protocol that provides remote terminal connection service.
Trivial File Transfer Protocol; a technology for transferring files between network devices.
User Datagram Protocol; a communications protocol that offers a limited amount of service when messages are exchanged between computers in a network that uses Internet Protocol (IP).
Virtual LAN; a logical subcomponent of a physical network. It functions as a separate network to isolate its traf?c from the rest of the network.
Voice over Internet Protocol; technology that allows telephone calls to be made over computer networks like the Internet. VoIP converts analog voice signals into digital data packets and supports real-time, two-way transmission of conversations using Internet Protocol (IP).
Virtual Private Network; a network that uses a public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet, to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organization?s network.
Wide Area Network; communications network that uses such devices as telephone lines, satellite dishes, or radio waves to span a larger geographic area than can be covered by a LAN.
Also known as the World Wide Web or www; the collection of sites accessible through the Internet.
Web browser
A client program that initiates requests to a Web server and displays the information that the server returns.


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New Hampshire Representative Daniel Tamburello introduced legislation to exempt virtual currency users from Licensing of Money Transmitters. This legislation is similar to the Model Legislation I proposed on this blog in August of last year.
Another proposal before the New Hampshire legislature would "requir[e] the state treasurer to develop an implementation plan for the state to accept bitcoin as payment for taxes and fees." The text of this legislation is not yet available, however, I oppose any legislation that mandates a government entity to do something that would increase the cost of operation.
It's possible that other states will take up legislation to wither regulate or codify the use of bitcoin and other virtual currencies. Last year, in California the legislature repealed a law that stated, "No corporation, social purpose corporation, association, or individual shall issue or put in circulation, as money, anything but the lawful money of the United States." And there is speculation that the California Legislature could consider legislation to regulate bitcoin.
There are no guarantees that any legislation will pass preventing governments from regulating virtual currencies. However, I believe it is beneficial for legislators, and the public at large, to have a conversation premised around preventing regulations of what is left of the free market.


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My initial impression of the Azerbaijani capital is that of a giant modernisation project, one where the old and the hyper contemporary vie for attention. The city actually feels a bit… undecided.
Baku is a crossroads in every sense: between Europe and Asia, between conventional and modern, between traditional Middle Eastern culture and nouveau riche. There's winding ancient narrow stairways and vast shopping centres; rugged sandstone houses and towering skyscrapers; rambling B&Bs and luxurious hotels. A half-kilometre long 12th century wall encircles Içeri Şəhər (inner city = old town). In Bayır Şəhər (outer city), state-of-the-art constructions, many designed by world-leading architectural firms, very visibly represent the country's rapid economic growth.
The city is home to Art Nouveau, Baroque and Gothic architecture, as well as space age structures which makes me wonder. Is this a new Dubai in the making? In between, remnants of the more recent past emerge. Brutalism. Soviet chic. I like the diversity, and hope there is room for all to coexist.
As always in times of prosperity, people move to the cities. Of Azerbaijan's 10 million inhabitants, about half now live in metropolitan Baku. Traffic is heavy, especially along main street Neftchilar Prospekti, which runs parallel to the seaside promenade. Pollution levels are high, including noise from construction work as well as traffic (blaring car horns seems to be a national sport).
That aside, after four days in Baku, I'm left with an impression of generosity and a high level of trust. I like that in a city. For the entire stay, my bags were lost somewhere between Frankfurt and Baku. Or in Timbuktu, for all I knew. Nothing for it, shopping had to be done. Upon hearing my story of misfortune, a kind shop manager gave me a 'be careful or you might fall in love with me'-t-shirt for free. An equally kind random stranger bought me a hoodie at the Hard Rock Cafe shop. You just don't run into that all that often.
Now that you're all set to go – 'cause you're going, right? – here are a few suggestions to get the most out of your Baku break.
11 Baku things to do
1. Old town, Içeri Şəhər
I arrive late on a pleasantly balmy, summery, quiet, mid-week night and decide to spend a night or two inside the old city walls. Taking that initial, exciting exploratory wander around, I hear talk, laughter and clinking of glasses emanating through wide open windows. Walking in the old city feels quite safe, even late at night, all by myself, with nary a soul about. Restaurants have entire wine racks placed outdoors with no one watching over. It's very atmospheric; like I've taken yet another time leap.
Next morning, daylight brings with it a different atmosphere: still pleasant, but very much in the present. Cobbled streets, narrow alleys and stairways turning this way and that, courtyards, small shops and taverns, little (almost indistinguishable) mosques, caravanserais, bathhouses and gardens. Yet the old town is very much living and breathing, with children playing, mothers hanging clothes to dry, grandfathers playing backgammon and dominoes in the shade.
The old town offers great views. You can see the landmark Flame Towers, Soviet housing projects and ever more construction.
If you look at your Azerbaijani currency, you'll see that the manat notes have the 12th century Maiden Tower on them. This structure is one of the most famous in Baku. Most famous of old Baku, at least. Why 'Maiden Tower'? Some believe it's because the tower was never destroyed by enemies and thus remained a 'virgin' tower. I prefer a different explanation:
During a siege in ancient times, the enemy was intent on smashing the fortress and kill or enslave all those within. Many die in the tumults, no food passes through, water supply is cut off. Priests are praying. Enter flame-haired maiden who defeats the enemy commander in a one-on-one face-off. She saves the day, the tower and the city from death and destruction.
There's actually a rather silly ending to that story, about flame-hair and the enemy commander falling in love. I don't believe it. This girl would not fall for someone who thought it was OK to leave people to die of thirst and starvation. 10 manat will take you to the top for magnificent views of old and new Baku.
Next is the Palace of the Shirvanshah. You'll see that on the new 10 manat bank note. From the 9th to the 16th century, Shirvan was a region in the eastern part of the Caucasus in present-day Azerbaijan. The shah was ruler of Shirvan, and when earthquakes and enemy attacks became just too prevalent, he moved the capital to Baku where he built a palace at the city's highest point. What this palace was used for through the centuries? Theories abound, evidence does not. We do know that the complex was used as military HQ during the Russian occupation in the 19th/20th century. 10 manat to enter here as well.
Old town art
There's much more to see inside the old town – including an adorable miniature book museum (possibly the only one in the world) and several art studios. Visit everything – or just wander around and soak up the mood. That's what I did, mostly.
2. Haidar Aliyev Centre
Hopping a few centuries into the future, take the metro to Nariman Narimanov, then walk for 10-15 minutes for a look at what is perhaps the most extraordinary amongst Baku's cutting-edge structures, the Heydar Alijev Centre. Inside you'll find various exhibitions, or you can just see it from the outside (we did). From 2012, the centre is designed by one of the world's great architects, Zaha Hadid, whose work I've admired ever since I first saw her Nordkettenbahn in Innsbruck seven years ago.
3. Baku funicular railway, Dağüstü Park and the Flame Towers
Take the funicular (cable car) up the mountain to Dağüstü Park and the emblematic Flame Towers, a relatively recent addition to Baku's skyline.
While you're up here, have a look at the Alley of Martyrs, a memorial cemetery for fallen soldiers from the war with Armenia. Also, enjoy the city and sea views. Sunset is lovely seen from the many viewpoints up here.
4. Four Seasons Baku
If you're in town on a baking hot summer day, step inside the cool, beautiful lobby at the deliciously luxurious Four Seasons Hotel Baku to relax with a drink or a cuppa. Perhaps a shisha in the garden? Or splurge on dinner at Restaurant Zafferano. Don't miss the silver bar!
5. Baku Boulevard
Quiet afternoon on the prom
The Flame Towers are hard to miss, wherever you are in town.
Boating in the promenade park
From 1909, Baku Boulevard, locally known as Dənizkənarı Milli Park is nearly 4 km long along the Caspian Sea. Plans are afoot to extend this seaside promenade to 26 km; it just might become the world's largest park. I strolled back and forth along the boardwalk many times. Cosy cafes, Bakuvians out strolling, kids running around, dogs playing, couples kissing.
6. Carpet Museum
UNESCO has inscribed Azerbaijani carpet weaving on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. If you're at all interested in local arts and crafts, you'll want to visit Azərbaycan Xalçası Muzeyi, the carpet museum. As you walk along the seaside boulevard, you can't miss it. It's designed as, you guessed it, a partially rolled-out carpet.
7. Race car driving
Carpets not your thing? Well, perhaps Formula One is. Azerbaijan is one of the newest race grounds in the F1 circuit. The second annual Azerbaijan Grand Prix takes place at the end of this month (April 2018). At just over 6 km, the Baku City Circuit is the second longest in this world of speed. Somehow, it's difficult to imagine 340 km/h through the city streets here.
Norway and England winning F1. This is how that could look.
When we visited in July 2017, the race had just taken place a few weeks earlier. Except for the occasional sign left remaining, the city was well cleaned up.
8. Fountain Square, Fevvareler Meydan
Locals and tourists (not that you're likely to meet many in Baku) gather at Fountain Square and the surrounding streets. It's Baku's see-and-be-seen spot. You'll find shops and cafes, fountains, public art and you can even catch a festival or public celebration here.
It's an easy place to hang out. I sat at the fountains or in one of the many cafes for hours, scribbling notes, writing postcards, watching life, whiling away time.
9. Azerbaijani food
Azerbaijani food includes (but is by no means limited to) excellent salads, kebabs, hummus, lots of fruits and veg – and strawberry jam in your tea. Well, why not? Try one of the many çayxanalar (small tea houses) that you will find in nooks and crannies outdoors, some of them with fantastic views. Not a great fan of Nutella myself, but if you are, you'll be happy to learn there's an entire cafe devoted to the sweet,
gluey gooey stuff in Baku: Nutella mousse, Nutella burger, Nutella waffles… the list goes on.
10. Shikhov beach
About 10 km south of the city is Shikhov beach, a favourite hangout for locals on sunny days. The water isn't much for swimming here (although some don't seem to mind), as it's polluted and dirty, and you can see why. Do go and have a look, though. It's a bit surreal to see the oil installations just off the beach, like some futuristic wasteland. If you absolutely want to swim in the Caspian Sea, there are better spots along Azerbaijan's 500 km coastline, e.g. on the Absheron Peninsula, north of Baku.
11. Day trip to Gobustan
The one-hour trip out of town to Gobustan is well worth your while. 40 000 year old petroglyphs, mud volcanoes you can get up close and personal with, and there are old Ladas to drive! More on all that in this post here.
Baku practicals
- Several airlines fly to Baku from various European and Middle Eastern cities, including Frankfurt, Istanbul, Vienna, Riga, Budapest, Moscow, Doha, and more.
- To and from neighbouring Georgia, there's an overnight train. If you can face 60 hours on a train, there's also one between Moscow and Baku. Busses go to and from Turkey, Iran and Georgia.
- A rickety ferry crosses the Caspian Sea between Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan and Baku daily (or at least a few times weekly). There isn't a set schedule, takes 12 – 18 hours, costs about USD 50.
- Busses, cheap taxis and an even cheaper metro (about 10 cents pr journey) takes you around the city. Baku is easily – and most delightfully – covered on foot, though. Just beware of traffic and use the underground pedestrian passages. Otherwise you might not make it.
- Money: 1 euro = 2 manat (AZN)
After four days in Azerbaijan, Ingunn and I take the midnight train to Georgia. We only buy tickets the night day before and the only available bunks are in the open cabin. That turns out to be an adventure in itself with many interesting people, including a Georgian fashion designer who later shows us his workshop in Tbilisi and takes us to dinner along with heaps of his friends. A Sex and the City-kind of experience. Maybe I'll write that story one day.
Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Here are more UNESCO World Heritage sites from around the world.
Disclosure: For parts of my stay in Azerbaijan, I was a guest of Four Seasons Hotel Baku. As usual, this has no bearing on what I write – or even if I write anything at all. That's the way it's got to be. Otherwise, this makes no sense.
PS: In case you're wondering about my seemingly random use of 'I' and 'we' throughout this post, it's because I was on my own at first, then joined by my two fave travel mates, and on the final day by my daughter's friend's mum/practically neighbour/good friend.


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Roger Federer sees off German star Oscar Otte at the French Open on World Otter Day
ROGER FEDERER bashed an Otte at the French Open – on World Otter Day!
The Swiss superstar booked his spot in the third round with a 6-4 6-3 6-4 victory over German ace Oscar Otte with the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd chanting his name in wild celebration at the end.
The 20-time grand slam champion looks in fine nick on clay despite missing the past three tournaments here.
The No.3 seed wore trainers emblazoned with the Eiffel Tower and "2009" – the year he won his one and only French Open singles crown.
Ironically May 29 is celebrated internationally as World Otter Day in an attempt to save all the otters all around the world.
Well, for one day only, Federer did his best to cull Otte and continue his progress in the second slam of the year for the foreseeable future.
Otte, 25, who appeared in the main draw as a lucky loser, has a unique claim to fame.
His sister Luisa is marrying the son of Mark Benson, the former English Test cricketer, and tennis umpire.
If Federer needed a reminder that he is getting on a bit then he will feel it in his next match.
Federer's next opponent, Casper Ruud, is the son of ex-Dane tennis star Christian Ruud, who played in the 1999 French Open – the tournament where Federer made his slam debut!
If it goes with form and seedings, then Federer knows he might have to play the formidable Rafa Nadal in the semi-finals.
And the defending champion looks unbeatable once again, dropping just seven games across three sets as he beat German Yannick Maden 6-1 6-2 6-4 on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
The Spaniard was shunted out to the second main court here in Paris but he only needed two hours or so to see off the world no.114.
And Nadal has warned the rest of the field that he will only get better as the tournament goes on.
The 32-year-old plays Belgian David Goffin next and he said: "There are always things to improve. I've had two good matches. Now I have a very tough opponent in front, a player who plays very well against top players, too. He's a top player. He had some injuries.
"Good thing is I have good feelings, and I hope to be ready to play at the level that I need."
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Source: Read Full Article


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How to save on college: Do it in high school
Amassing credits can cut years of tuition, but some worry about what students miss.
One student is reading Dante's "Inferno" - for pleasure. Others are planning internships for next summer at law firms and hospitals. Everyone carries a college ID.
Welcome to the freshman year of high school.
Here at a specialized new high school on the west side of Houston, students can take courses at an adjoining junior college as early as their sophomore year. It's one more example of the "dual-enrollment" programs that are popping up at high schools across the nation.
And for many students, the motivation for starting calculus and Cicero so early is economic: Colleges are expensive, and getting more so. Completing as much as two years of college credits before high school is even over can cut down drastically on the bills.
"Eighty percent of the parents I've spoken to light up when I talk about two years of free education," says Justin Fuentes, dean of students here at the Challenge Early College High School.
But while some herald accelerated college as a creative solution to skyrocketing tuition, other educators are concerned by what it might mean to the college experience. They worry that the days of taking classes as impractical as Swedish literature or glass blowing could be dwindling. And that one consequence might be a narrowing of the American mind.
"It's vital in a democracy that people have the time to be educated with a sense of the broader connections among fields outside their own profession," says James Engell, a literature professor at Harvard University.
For students like Richard Araiza, however, such concerns seen abstract compared with the crushing reality of tuition bills. The Challenge High School freshman first realized he needed to think creatively about his education after talking with his sister's boyfriend, a student at the University of Houston.
"He told me how much his books cost and how much his tuition was, and I knew I couldn't afford that," says Richard, whose spiked black hair and all-black wardrobe belie a quiet and cheerful demeanor.
So his sisters surprised him by arranging an interview for Challenge. While half of the school's 150 students have enrolled to take advantage of the Challenge's small class sizes and strenuous curriculum, according to Principal Ann McClellan, Richard is among the other half who are clearly here for financial reasons.
It's not the school's aesthetics that entice them. Challenge High School is only two large warehouses partitioned into classrooms, with a broad deck holding green lunch tables in between. But the school's curriculum allows students to take junior- college courses beginning with the second semester of their sophomore year.
It's a structure politicians and policymakers across the country are promoting. This summer, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner announced a plan to expand college curriculum into the state's high schools. Bill Gates's charitable foundation is funding the creation of 100 "early college high schools," 23 of which will be up and running by the end of this year.
California, Georgia, and New York all have scores of dual- enrollment schools, and Utah now offers to pay 75 percent of the final two years of college for anyone who earns two years of credit during high school.
"Getting students through the pipeline quickly with a degree is getting to be very important to the universities," says Terese Rainwater, a policy analyst with the Education Commission of the States, a nonprofit research group.
One incentive for colleges: The largest graduate class ever will finish high school in 2007, and many states, like California, have only about half as many seats in their universities as they'd need for all the students they've pledged to accommodate.
At the same time, budget cuts have forced many public universities to raise tuition. Nationwide, undergraduate tuition is rising at twice the rate of inflation. North Carolina recently raised tuition 5 percent at all of its public universities, and Massachusetts instituted a 28 percent hike. Here in Texas, tuition at the University of Houston and Texas A&M University will rise this January 21 and 10 percent, respectively.
"Tuitions are going to continue to rise over the next few years, which will only continue to drive interest in dual-enrollment," says Katherine Boswell, an education policy consultant in Salt Lake City.
At Challenge High School, the promise of enormous savings is attracting students who clearly expect their education to vault them as quickly as possible into the workforce.
"In our admissions meetings, half the students already knew what they wanted to be," says Principal McClellan. "They are a pretty serious bunch."
Such focus and ambition may be laudable, but many educators believe a turn toward academic expediency could threaten one of the nation's chief institutional assets: its four-year colleges.
In terms of test scores, students in the US historically catch up to Asians and Europeans only during college, primarily because of America's excellent higher-education system.
"If we reduce the experience, we will be giving our students less time to blossom and develop, which is a strength of our country," says Professor Engell.
Others say students learn more effectively as they mature emotionally - a process that can't be accelerated.
"Phases of life and the experience of education are arranged in ways that shouldn't be gotten out of whack," says Alvin Kernan, a retired literature professor at Yale University.
Even upperclassmen, Professor Kernan notes, often have barely enough life experience to understand why Prince Hamlet was so frazzled.
But that's not an issue that worries too many students at Challenge High School, where even those here mostly to save money are eager to jump into complex classics.
After the "Inferno," sophomore Roger Cruz plans to pick up Homer's "Iliad."
"I'm into old-time literature," says Roger. "And history is a phat class."


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Integrated Media
Spring 2023
Taught By: Matthew Melucci
Section: B
Credits: 3
This course primarily focuses on digital media. Students will work with various digital applications including, but not limited to, digital imaging, video and audio and various presentation platforms to represent concepts and processes. The course is a hands-on introduction to various software applications. The different class exercises comprise print and web and aim to integrate theory and practice.
College: Parsons School of Design (PS)
Department: Integrated Design (PUIC)
Campus: New York City (GV)
Course Format: Seminar (R)
Modality: In-Person
Max Enrollment: 16
Add/Drop Deadline: February 5, 2023 (Sunday)
Online Withdrawal Deadline: April 16, 2023 (Sunday)
Seats Available: Yes
Status: Open*
* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 9:42pm EST 12/3/2022


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As you get ready to decommission legacy Exchange servers after the transition to Exchange Server 2007 or 2010 you might be concerned about any remaining devices or hosts that are using the server for SMTP traffic.
It has been my experience that no matter how well managed or documented an environment is, there is always some application or device that nobody thinks of that is relaying email through the Exchange server. Whether its a custom app that some developer is running on his workstation, or a printer that does scan-to-email, something is bound to break when you remove the Exchange server.
Fortunately you can just about eliminate this risk with a little log monitoring on the Exchange 2003 server. This is best performed after you have migrated all data and known services away from the server, to minimise the amount of potential traffic you pick up in the monitoring.
The first step is to enable logging of SMTP traffic on the server. Open Exchange System Manager and navigate to the SMTP Virtual Server.
Open the properties of the SMTP Virtual Server. Tick the box to enable logging.
Leave the log format as "W3C Extended" and click the Properties button. Take note of the log file directory, and I also always enable local time for log naming and rollover
Click on the Advanced tab and enable at a minimum the Client IP Address. I also include the Date and Time, and depending on your environment there may be other extended properties that you should enable.
Click OK, OK, etc to apply the new configuration. You can now wait for as long as you deem necessary to capture any remaining SMTP traffic that is traversing the server. I aim for 48 hours but in some environments a longer period would be appropriate.
Once the logging has been enabled and allowed to run for a while you'll have one or more log files in the log file directory.
If you look in a log file you'll see a list of IP addresses that have connected to the server for SMTP. A typical SMTP session will generate more than one line of logging, so this means potentially hundreds or thousands of lines of logging, maybe over multiple log files, that need to be consolidated down into a list of unique IP addresses.
This consolidation is made easy thanks to Logparser. Download and install Logparser, and then launch it from the Start Menu.
A very simple query to extract the unique IP addresses from the SMTP log files looks like this:
C:Program FilesLog Parser 2.2>LogParser -i:IISW3C "SELECT DISTINCT c-ip FROM 'C:WINDOWSsystem32LogFilesSMTPSVC1*.*'" ------------ 192.168.0.2 192.168.0.101 192.168.0.110 Statistics: ----------- Elements processed: 8181 Elements output: 3 Execution time: 0.09 seconds
You have now got a nice short list of IP addresses that are using the server for SMTP communications and can go and investigate the applications or device configs that are causing it, before you shut down the legacy servers for good.


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Kanye West is such a pleasant guy, isn't he? After the whole "Imma let you finish" saga at the 2009 VMAs, he and Taylor have had a rocky relationship. But just when it appeared they'd smoothed things over, what with Taylor being gal-pals with Kanye's sister-in-law, Kendall Jenner, and all, Yeezy has only gone and brought the whole thing back to life again.
Last night, Kanye had a pretty humble, quiet event to celebrate the launch of his three-times-renamed new album, The Life of Pablo. He invited a couple of friends round for some tea and cake, and had a natter while the album played quietly in the background.
Just kidding, he took over Madison Square Garden in New York, hosting some kind of musical performance/art installation/fashion extravaganza for thousands of screaming fans, in which he did live performances of most of the new album's tracks, as well as a lot of thank you speeches.
He is the Greatest Rock Star On The Planet™ though, so cut him some slack, would you?
Anyway, back to Kanye vs Taylor. One of the songs on the new album contains some lyrics about Swifty. To be a little more specific, on the track Famous, he raps: I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/ I made that bitch famous."
Warms your heart, doesn't it?
And needless to say, Taylor wasn't best pleased. A spokesperson for the Wildest Dreams singer confirmed that Taylor had not approved the inclusion of her name in the lyrics, and that she wasn't aware she would be called a "bitch" in the song, either.
Speaking to the Mail Online, her spokesperson said: "Kanye did not call for approval, but to ask Taylor to release his single Famous on her Twitter account. She declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message.
"Taylor was never made aware of the actual lyric, 'I made that bitch famous'."
Although Taylor herself hasn't made any public comment on social media about Kanye's latest provocation, her close friends and family are certainly doing a good job of standing up for her.
One of her squad, Gigi Hadid, who was in attendance at the Yeezy show yesterday, tweeted to declare her loyalty to Taylor:
And actress Jaime King, who made Taylor godmother to her youngest son, Leo, also tweeted about how "sad" and "disappointed" she was to hear Kanye's lyrics.
But perhaps the best reaction of all came from Taylor's brother, Austin, who posted a brilliant video of him throwing his Yeezy trainers in the bin as a sign of defiance against the rap star. He hilariously captioned the video: Getting a head start on some spring cleaning. Here we go again."
God, Kanye could start a fight in an empty room, couldn't he? Your move, Taylor.
Follow Cat on Twitter.


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UPDATE: this tutorial is now available in my Patreon pattern library.
I've just sent out this month's freebie for my pattern newsletter subscribers - a tutorial for sewing a felt fox brooch.
This is another old design that I used to sell in my shop which I'm now sharing as a pattern. I'm really enjoying revisiting these old projects and I hope you guys are enjoying sewing them!
There's still time to get this tutorial for free, just sign up to my newsletter before the end of the month (July 2019).
Click here to read more about my newsletter and subscribe!
If you sign up to my monthly pattern newsletter you'll recieve a free project from me in your inbox once a month, and you can also sign up to hear about what's new on my blog and in my shop.
Click here to visit my tutorial archive for lots more free patterns and project ideas.


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Can safer cars also be more sustainable?
We're doing our part to help car manufacturers build lighter, stronger and more fuel-efficient vehicles
By producing aluminium, we're doing our part to help car manufacturers build lighter, stronger and more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Aluminium's use by the automotive sector is set to go up a gear, as auto manufacturers intensify their quest to design vehicles with ever-better fuel economy, safety and performance.
"Aluminium remains the fastest growing automotive material over competing materials," said Abey Abraham of research firm Ducker Worldwide. "[It's] entering its most unprecedented growth phase since we've been tracking the shifting mix of automotive materials."
Design evolution
The average amount of aluminium contained in lightweight cars and trucks in North America was 397 pounds (180kg) per vehicle in 2015. In a recent study, Ducker is forecasting that quantity to increase by more than 40 per cent by 2028, to 565 pounds (256kg) per vehicle. At that point, aluminium is expected to represent 16 per cent of total average vehicle weight.
Aluminium remains the fastest growing automotive material over competing materials. Abey Abraham, director of Automotive and Materials, Ducker Worldwide
Light yet strong, aluminium has become an essential material for automakers seeking to push the weight of vehicles down, while ensuring they remain safe and durable. For every ten per cent reduction in the weight of a vehicle, fuel economy improves by seven per cent, saving the consumer money and benefitting the environment. Using one kilogram of aluminium to replace heavier materials in a car of light truck can save a net 20kg of carbon dioxide over the life of the vehicle.
An emerging design trend among automakers is also driving aluminium's increased market penetration into the sector.
"To further improve fuel economy, battery range, safety and overall driving performance, automakers no longer default to a single material," said Abey. "Instead [they] are pursuing a multi-material design approach where the best material is chosen for the best application."
This is seeing aluminium increasingly being selected for vehicle doors, the lids of hoods and trunks (otherwise known as bonnets and boots), the body, bumpers and crash boxes
Metal for good
As well as reducing the weight of vehicles to provide energy and greenhouse gas emissions benefits, aluminium can offer intrinsic sustainability advantages compared with other materials.
As well as reducing the weight of vehicles to provide energy and greenhouse gas emissions benefits, aluminium can offer intrinsic sustainability advantages compared with other materials.
Producing aluminium remains an energy-intensive process, but by pursuing alternative power sources and new technologies, improvements are being made. Rio Tinto has reduced its greenhouse intensity from aluminium production by 39 per cent since 2008. Almost 80 per cent of the Aluminium group's total power needs are supplied by low-carbon sources, with 55 per cent coming from self-generated hydropower, compared with 35 per cent for the industry.
Rio Tinto also produces RenewAl™, the world's first certified low-carbon dioxide aluminium, with a 65 per cent lower CO2 footprint than the industry average.
Innovation drives demand
Half a century ago, US brewer Coors introduced the first all-aluminium beverage can – an invention that went on to transform demand for the metal. Today, the automotive industry is the most important growth sector for aluminium since the arrival of that iconic drinks can in the 1950s.
"On top of 40 years of uninterrupted growth, the aluminium industry is experiencing a level of growth not seen before in any market or product sector," said Heidi Brock, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association.
"However the true winners of this change are consumers who can choose next-generation cars and trucks that are high-performing, efficient, safe, sustainable and more fun to drive."
Heidi Brock, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association
"Aluminium is the natural ally of efficient and sustainable transportation," said Jim Dickson, director, Global Automotive Strategy for Rio Tinto's Aluminium commercial division. "We expect that regulatory issues around fuel efficiency and emissions – and continuous innovation – will support significant growth for automotive aluminium in North America and other regions.
"New and emerging automotive trends, such as electric and autonomous vehicles, and higher expectations related to safety and performance, all bode well for aluminium."
In safe hands
Pound for pound, aluminium can absorb twice as much crash energy as steel. It can also be engineered to fold predictably during collision so the vehicle absorbs much of the crash energy, before it reaches the passenger compartment.
By reducing vehicle weight, aluminium can help drivers avoid a collision in the first place, since lighter vehicles have a shorter stopping distance than heavier models.
In fact, every aluminium-bodied car or truck ever crash-tested by US federal regulators, including recent models of the Ford F-150, has earned a perfect five-star safety rating.


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Her name is Rino's Tuscan Grill and, according to Balzano, this fine dining establishment is "gonna be successful." Balzano should know; he's been feeding people around Broward County for nearly two decades. In 1990, he opened Il Tartufo on Las Olas (now the home of Chima Brazilian Steakhouse) and Coral Springs-based Il Porcino in 1987. He still remains a business partner for Louie Louie on Las Olas and is the big cheese at Rino's Ristorante on Sample Road in Coral Springs.
If none of these restaurant names rings a bell, perchance you had the opportunity to meet him at a celebrity-studded event on the arm of Demi Moore, Oscar de la Hoya, or Robert De Niro. Balzano says they have all called on him to cater private parties and create spreads for movie sets when they work locally. If you don't believe him, just look at the wall by the host stand -- he has the photos to prove he moves in those circles.
He has fans too. With his thick-as-tomato-paste Italian accent, Balzano told me, "The people I know are very happy I'm back. What I did in the past was good."
According to our server, Gabriel, the restaurant had its grand opening nearly two months ago, and supposedly about 450 people were in attendance. Where they all fit is a mystery to me. This place sits only about 60 people inside and 50 outside. However, the times my guests and I dined there, once outside on a balmy eve, the other inside on a chilly night, the place was virtually devoid of customers.
But Rino's Tuscan Grill sits on some pretty prime real estate, which is a big part of why Balzano believes he will triumph. The front entrance faces Las Olas. To the east is a canal, and to the west is the vacant shell of what used to be Bistro Las Olas. Inside Rino's, wooden tables are set with polished silverware and candles, while blond wood and brick cover the narrow walls and bar. A not-so-stylish transparent plastic curtain protects outdoor diners from the elements. Though it takes away a bit of the romance, Rino's employs a tall heater to keep your tootsies toasty.
The menu, which is attractively encased in a cork cover, is small but teeming with Tuscan influence. (Balzano is actually from the Amalfi coast, but let's not quibble over details.) Besides the obvious clues to its Italian inspiration (most dishes end with an o or an a), there are more subtle hints like the use of extra virgin olive oil and rosemary. Plus, as is to be expected at any Tuscan-themed restaurant, a costata alla fiorentina (a.k.a. T-bone steak prepared in extra virgin olive oil with salt and pepper) is featured ($36).
Since the menu suggests that diners ask the server for a list of specialties, I did just that. "My, aren't we in a hurry?" he answered with scorn. Shame on me. The man wouldn't describe the specials until he asked our water preference (flat, bubbly, or tap), delivered the glasses, then returned with a petite plate of olives, small pickled peppers, and shaved slices of parmesan.
So we took our sweet time perusing the impressive wine list, which offers a multitude of selections by the glass ($7.50 to $19). After this, at least ten pages of bottled wines follow -- all of which are from Italy ($25 to $250) -- with a page of champagnes and a page of California vintages rounding out the offerings. My guest that night was a wine aficionado whose eyes bugged out when he noticed a 2001 Lakoya Cabernet Sauvignon priced at $59. After we drank the bottle, he called a buddy, who confirmed that we had hit pay dirt with our selection. The bottle usually sells for about $92.
We needed something to soak up the wine, but no bread arrived. So we chatted with our server, who kindly popped in Balzano's CD for our listening pleasure. Yes, it seems the owner not only cooks and hobnobs with celebrities but also sings opera for fun.
Later, when some bread finally arrived, we were taken aback. It was a bulbous, big-as-your-head, hollow balloon of chewiness decorated with a pool of olive oil and shaved parmesan. In other words, it was fun to look at and play with but also greasy and not very filling.


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Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven (Windows)
Published by
Developed by
ESRB Rating
Not an American user?
DescriptionAfter the corrupt Guardian Sheltem was defeated, the seemingly never-ending war between the Ancients and the alien Kreegans entered a new phase. Meteor-like spaceships populated by the Kreegans fell onto the technologically less advanced planet Enroth. The local king, Roland Ironfist, plans to attack the demonic-looking aliens, but is betrayed by a mage named Sulman and gone missing. Xenofex, the king of the Kreegans, establishes a cult teaching people that the Ironfist dynasty has lost its Mandate of Heaven to rule the realm. Meanwhile, the town of Sweet Water is invaded by the Kreegans, and four adventurers become involved in the battle and the search for the missing king.
The Mandate of Heaven is the sixth installment in the Might and Magic series, and the first one with the playing area done with a real 3D engine, allowing free exploration of the terrain (as opposed to the grid-based movement of the previous games) and camera rotation. Characters and many objects are represented by 2D sprites. The gameplay follows the formula of the predecessors with several changes, the most notable of which is the option to fight in real time. Real-time combat allows free movement, while the traditional turn-based one is stationary.
Character creation is somewhat more restricted: there are no other races but humans to choose from, and the party contains only four adventurers. Six classes are available: Knight, Druid, Paladin, Cleric, Sorcerer and Archer. A new skill system has been introduced, allowing the player to manually raise character skills (e.g. proficiency in specific weapon types) when the character levels up. Characters also gain access to skills of most classes, regardless of their original class designation.
Promo Images
Alternate Titles
- "魔法门VI:天堂之令" -- Simplified Chinese spelling
- "魔法門VI ─ 奉天承運" -- Traditional Chinese spelling
- "Меч и Магия: Благословение небес" -- 2003 Russian spelling
- "MM6" -- Common abbreviation
- "Might and Magic VI : Le Mandat Celeste" -- French title
- "Might and Magic VI: Boskie Prawo" -- Polish title
Part of the Following Groups
- Fantasy Creatures: Dragons
- Fantasy Creatures: Dwarves
- Fantasy Creatures: Goblins
- Gameplay feature: Alchemy
- Gameplay feature: Auto-mapping
- Gameplay feature: Character development - Skill distribution
- Gameplay feature: Paper doll inventory
- Might and Magic series
- Might and Magic universe
- Physical Bonus Content: World Map
User Reviews
Critic Reviews
|Aug 12, 1998
|9 out of 10
|Feb 23, 1999
|90 out of 100
|Computer Gaming World (CGW)
|Aug, 1998
|Power Unlimited
|Jun, 1998
|9 out of 10
|PC Games (Germany)
|May 06, 1998
|88 out of 100
|Game Revolution
|Jun 05, 2004
|Gaming Entertainment Monthly
|Jun, 1998
|80 out of 100
|PC Play
|Jul, 1998
|80 out of 100
|Aug 08, 2001
|7.16 out of 10
|Jun, 1998
|7 out of 10
|# Posts
|Last Post
|MM6 guide
|Rain Ungert (1)
Jan 18, 2014
Hidden dungeonThere is a hidden easter egg dungeon in the game. More information can be found in the tips & tricks section.
ReferencesIn the town of Ironfist there is a not-so-subtle reference to Star Trek; the Original Series - when you leave the temple you are told to "Live long and prosper", a common Vulcan greeting. In the Tomb of Varn there is another original Star Trek reference; unfortunately it would be a major spoiler to reveal it here!
AwardsMight and Magic 6 was voted #39 overall (tied with Curse of Monkey Island) in PCGamer Magazine's Readers All-Time Top 50 Games Poll (April 2000 issue).
- Computer Gaming World
- April 1999 (Issue #177) – Runner-up as Best RPG of the Year
- PC Gamer
- April 2000 - #39 in the "All-Time Top 50 Games Poll" (together with The Curse of Monkey Island
- Power Play
- Issue 02/1999 – Best First-Person RPG in 1998
Related Web Sites
- Mandate Mania (Colored maps and a whole lot more, including spells, artifacts, tips...)
- Might & Magic VI: Mandate of Heaven Prima FastTrack Guide (featured on IGN)
- Tennessee Ernie Ford's Guide to Enroth (A comprehensive site covering all aspects of the game. Includes strategies on party formation, spell casting, training, and combat. Includes extensive charts on all monsters, loot, and spells.)
DarkTalon (162) added Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven (Windows) on Jan 31, 2000
Credits (83 people)
74 developers, 9 thanks
Created By:
George Almond, Jeff Bigman, Rebecca Riel, John E. Gibson IV, Louis Henderson, Thomas Howell, Tracy Iwata, Steve Jasper, Brian S. Kemper, April Lee, Adam McCarthy


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We work hard to keep our Residents Happy
Too many landlords and property managers in Charlotte NC create adversarial relationships with their residents. At Alarca we work hard to provide our residents with homes and services that they deserve. Since 2005 we've been providing housing to residents right here in the Charlotte area. We're not a large investment fund or some national property management company that's just here to make money. We live, work and play in the neighborhoods we serve.
Rental Listing: Available Properties
Alarca Property Management provides some of the best housing values in the Charlotte area and our properties are rented quickly.
If you don't find a home that meets your needs, please contact us to tell us what you're looking for. You should also check our site on a regular basis since the list of our available rental homes is updated frequently.
Efficient Charlotte Rental Home Applications
Time is of the essence once you find a home that you like. Other potential residents might be considering it as well, so don't waste any time filling out an application and submitting the required documentation for review. If you're organized, transparent, and willing to work with us throughout the process, we will work hard to get you approved and ready to move into your new home in no time.
Resident Resources
I had been looking for a home to rent. My nephew told me that his wife was working for a property management company. He gave me her number to call & I found the perfect house to rent. Small & cozy. Application was easy & quick. I have been in this home for a few months & I love it!
Property Management Company in Charlotte, NC and the metropolitan area.
Got Questions About Property Management?
2015 Ayrsley Town Blvd, Suite 202
Charlotte, NC 28273
104 Main St
Huntersville, NC 28078
106 Langtree Village Drive, Ste 301
Mooresville, NC 28117
57 Union St. S #1046
Concord, NC 28025
Mail To: 428 South Main St, Ste B, Unit #1016 Davidson, NC 28036
Office Hours: By Appointment Only at all locations


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Isaac Cruikshank, The New South Sea Fishery or A Cheap Way to Catch Wales, published by H. Humphrey, 4th January 1791.
This print by Isaac Cruikshank was one of the last political satires to have been published on the subject of the Nootka Sound Crisis. The crisis erupted in the spring of 1790, when news of Spanish authorities summarily expelling British traders from the area around Vancouver Island arrived in England. Britain and Spain had been tussling over possessions in the New World since the sixteenth-century and tension between the two nations escalated rapidly, with London demanding the immediate return of the confiscated trading posts and Madrid insisting that its officials had every right to enforce Spanish sovereignty in the region. Within a matter of weeks it appeared as though an incident that had begun with a scuffle in a distant outpost on the far side of the world, was about to precipitate a major European war.
However as both nations began to prepare for conflict it became apparent that Spain lacked the means to successfully face Britain alone. While the British had been able to immediately mobilise a fleet of 40 ships of the line for action, persistent shortages of money, men and supplies had left Spanish authorities struggling to adequately fit out a fleet of 30 warships. Spain had initially assumed that France could be relied upon to enter the conflict on her side, thus tipping the balance of naval power against Britain, but failed to reckon on the changes brought about by the revolution in Paris the previous summer. When the new revolutionary regime finally announced that it had no intention of upholding the terms of the old alliance between the French and Spanish monarchs, Spain was left with little choice but to make a humiliating u-turn in the face of British threats. In October 1790 she signed the Nootka Sound Convention, promising to restore the confiscated British outposts, acknowledge Britain's right to fish off the Pacific Northwest and essentially relinquishing her own claims of sovereignty over the area.
The references to fishing rights which were inserted into the Convention may have confused some; this was after all a document designed to settle a dispute over fur trading posts on the Canadian coast, not access to deep sea fisheries. Nor had the issue played a big role in Anglo-Spanish relations prior to the outbreak of the crisis over Nootka Sound. So what had changed? The answer is that British foreign policy had been effectively hijacked by lobbyists representing the nation's whaling industry. During the course of the crisis they had managed to convince ministers that the whaling grounds off the northwest coast of America represented a vast source of potential wealth for the nation which should be seized from the Spanish at the first opportunity. Their arguments worked: British diplomacy was re-arranged to reflect the demands of the whalers and the references to fishing rights were inserted into the draft of the documents which were to be presented to the Spanish.
While the British government had been able to rely on an outbreak of bellicose patriotic sentiment to carry them through the Nootka Sound Crisis without too many questions being asked, the catcalls of criticism from their political opponents began to grow louder as the threat of war receded. Members of the Whig opposition rushed to point out that mobilisation of the armed forces had cost the nation £4 million, a sum which dwarfed the value of the trading posts at the centre of the dispute and any revenues currently being derived from whaling in the Pacific. Whether the government had or had not managed to secure access to a lucrative fishing ground was irrelevant – fishing rights had not caused the rupture with Spain and the Spanish had never attempted to curtail the activities of British fisherman in the Pacific. At best, they concluded, the crisis had been a pointless waste of large sums of public money, and at worst it was a deliberate scheme which had been cooked up to further the interest of the whaling industry at the public's expense.
This print reflects the view of those opposition critics. It was published in early January 1791, shortly after several heated Parliamentary exchanges on the subject of the Nootka Convention. It depicts William Pitt and his crony Henry Dundas as whalers, lurking beyond the ten league markers denoting the area of the American coast in which Britons now had a right to fish. Despite the fact they are the only fishing boat sailing in an otherwise empty sea, their activities are overseen by the presence of a British warship named 'Convention', its presence serving as a reminder of the huge costs associated with securing the profits of a few whaling firms. Pitt has baited his line with a bag of gold worth £3 million, while Dundas stands ready to supply further quantities of cash should additional lures be required. The speech bubble coming from Pitt's mouth reads "I fear Harry this fishing will never answer", while Dundas replies "Never mind Billy, the Gudgeons we have caught in England will pay for all". The label 'gudgeon', which was the name of a small fish often used as bait, was commonly applied to a dupe or someone who could be relied upon to swallow anything. Its use here is clearly intended as a dig at politicians and members of the public who unthinkingly rushed to offer their support for a needless and expensive war against the Spanish.
The rhyme beneath the image reads:
The Hostile Nations view with glad Surprise / The Frugal plans of Ministers so Wise / But they they Censure of the World despise / Sure from their faithful Commons of supplies / Convinced that man must fame im(m)ortal gain / Who first dare fish with Millions in the Spanish Main
The print was produced by Isaac Cruikshank for Hannah Humphrey and published on 4th January 1791. Its design was probably influenced by a similar caricature entitled Billy and Harry fishing whales off Nootka Sound which had been published by William Holland on 23rd December 1790. The delay between the two publication dates can possibly be accounted for by the differing political outlook and markets of the two publishers. Holland was a committed radical and one of the few publishers to have been critical of the Tory government from the outset of the crisis. He would have wasted no time in producing a print which heaped further ignominy on Pitt's head and could presumably have been confident of selling copies of the design to his likeminded clientele. Humphrey's political prints were generally more moderate and conservative in their outlook. It seems plausible that she would have waited until criticism of Pitt's handling off the Nootka affair became more mainstream before being confident of purchasing the plate from Cruikshank.


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Renaissance Mumbai Hotel
The Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, a Marriott Luxury and Lifestyle Hotel, offers a luxury retreat in the heart of India's most vibrant cities. Perched on the banks of Lake Powai, a short distance from Mumbai's domestic and international airports, our hotel features winding walkways, lush gardens, and 600 beautifully designed rooms and suites. Our rooms offer sweeping views of Mumbai. Upgrade to the concierge rooms and enjoy access to the 12, 500 square-foot Executive Lounge - the largest of its kind in the country, featuring a sun deck terrace and a central bar. Dine a range of global cuisines at our on-site restaurants, or spend a day pampering yourself at our luxury spa. Meetings and weddings at our hotel are unforgettable occasions; we offer 230, 000 square feet of versatile indoor and outdoor spaces and an easily accessible location to Mumbai's airports. We invite you to experience modern luxury and unparalleled convenience here in India at the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel.
CEPSI 2006 conference, exhibition : proceedings : the 16th Conference of the electric power supply industry : 6-10 November 2006, Renaissance Mumbai Hotel and Convention Centre, Mumbai.
Book (Council of Power Utilities)


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Yoga during pregnancy is very beneficial. Yoga helps you relax and adjust to the mental, emotional, and physical challenges of pregnancy. Yoga is very safe, as long as you chose a good prenatal yoga program specifically designed for pregnant women.
Avoid doing hot yoga, inverted yoga poses, and poses that stretch your abdominal muscles too much.
During each trimester, yoga is very useful but not all yoga poses are allowed. For example, you want to avoid poses that block the blood flow to your uterus and that overextend your joints.
A good prenatal yoga program will teach you how to breathe properly and how to practice specific yoga poses in preparation for labor.
Starting from your second trimester onward, your growing belly shifts your center of gravity, making your yoga balance poses more challenging. During your third trimester you should use props and modified yoga poses. You can use a chair for support or the wall.
The best tool to use in late pregnancy and during labor is the yoga ball. The use of the birthing ball during childbirth can make your labor faster and prevent medical interventions, like episiotomy and C-section.
Pregnancy Yoga Poses List
During pregnancy, yoga daily practice helps you battle mood swings, fatigue, leg cramps, lower back pain, poor digestion, etc. Prenatal yoga poses also help you prepare for natural childbirth.
These yoga poses can be practiced by every Mom-To-Be, even if you have not done yoga before. They are also suitable for all three trimesters of pregnancy.
Yoga Postures During Pregnancy You Should Avoid
Most yoga postures during pregnancy are safe, but others should be either modified or avoided.
There is no doubt that yoga helps you stay healthy during your pregnancy, but you should always be cautious when doing yoga while pregnant.
Avoid back bends, forward bends, headstands, balance pose, down-facing poses, fully reclined poses, and any pose that puts pressure on your belly.
Benefits Of Yoga In Pregnancy
Yoga during pregnancy is very safe and beneficial to help you stay fit and healthy.
Yoga helps improve many symptoms of pregnancy like morning sickness, constipation, lower back pain, headache, anxiety, stress, insomnia, mood swings, and sciatic pain.
Prenatal yoga also helps you improve physical strength and stamina. Special yoga poses also help you prepare for natural childbirth and connect with your baby before birth.
Yoga In Pregnancy: Prenatal Yoga For Healthy Mom and Baby
Yoga during pregnancy can be practiced at home by following a prenatal yoga DVD program, specifically designed for pregnancy women, who want to use yoga to stay healthy and fit.
Each trimester has its requirements, so your yoga practice has to adjust to the challenges of your growing belly.
Pregnancy is a time of mental and physical nurturing. Yoga teaches how to listen to your body and take care of yourself.
Yoga Ball Workout Videos
These 4 yoga ball workout videos show you how you can use the yoga ball during pregnancy to stay fit and to prepare for natural childbirth.
The yoga ball provides you with so many benefits when used during pregnancy because it allows you to do many supported poses that you could not otherwise do.
Sitting on the ball is the easiest and most comfortable pose you can do on the ball. This pose helps you maintain a correct posture to allow room for your baby.
Birthing Ball Exercise To Prepare For Labor
Each Mom-To-Be should begin using a yoga ball as soon as she enters her second trimester.
Now is the time to begin thinking about your birth and prepare for it. Learning how to use a yoga ball helps you prepare for labor physically and mentally. Pelvic rocking on the birthing ball helps ease contractions.
Yoga Ball For Pregnancy: Floor Exercises
It is best to avoid doing sit ups during pregnancy, especially in you are in your second and third trimester.
Doing birth ball exercises on the floor helps you keep your abdominal muscles strong.
These floor exercises will help you stay fit during your pregnancy by strengthening your abs, hips and legs.
Easy Pregnancy Yoga Ball Workouts
The following yoga ball workouts are designed to help those pregnant women who want to keep fit during their pregnancy using a yoga ball.
Make sure you check with your doctor or midwife before doing any type of physical activity.
If you are during your third trimester, make sure you have support by holding onto the wall or a chair if you feel unstable.
Incredible Results From Our Moms!


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For performance Lenovo Legion has a lot better performing processor. HP TG01 Pavilion has more memory.
The computers have different operating systems, TG01 Pavilion has Windows 10 Pro and Legion has Windows 11 Pro.
For displaying graphics Legion has a lot faster graphics card.
TG01 Pavilion is thinner and smaller in size.
|HP TG01 Pavilion (328K8AA)
|Lenovo Legion
|Processor (CPU)?Central Processing Unit is the heart of a gaming PC and is responsible for running games.
|Intel Core i5-10400F
|Intel Core i5-11400H
|Memory (RAM)?Memory increases the general speed of a gaming PC.
|Graphics card (GPU)?Graphics Processing Unit calculates 3D graphics and is essential for gaming and heavy programs.
|Radeon RX 5300
|GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER
|20.6 lbs (9.34 kg)
|Size (length x width x height)
|13.28 x 6.12 x 11.97 inches
|15.5 x 8 x 16.5 inches
|(33.73 x 15.54 x 30.4 cm)
|(39.37 x 20.32 x 41.91 cm)
|Operating system (OS)
|Windows 10 Pro
|Windows 11 Pro
|Release date
|November 22, 2022
|April 30, 2022
|Amazon.com List Price
|Amazon.com Lowest New Price
|Buy on Amazon.com
【Powerful Performance with Intel Core i5-10400F 6-Core】 10th Gen Intel 6-Core i5-10400F processor, 2.9 GHz base frequency, up to 4.3 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 12 MB cache, 12 Threads
【Customization】Seal is opened for Hardware/Software upgrade only to enhance performance. Upgrade to 32GB 2666MHz DDR4 Memory | 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD + 1TB 7200 RPM HDD| No Built-in DVD
【Connectivity】Realtek Wi-Fi 5 (1x1) and Bluetooth 4.2 Combo, 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN
【Input/Output】1 x SuperSpeed USB Type-C 5Gbps signaling rate, 4 x USB 3.1 SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate, 1 x Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack, 1 x 3-in-1 memory card reader, AMD Radeon RX 5300 Graphics GDDR5 3GB (1 x HDMI, 1 x Display Port, 1 x DVI-D), Customizable LED lighting in Omen Controll Center
【Rock eDigital Enhancement】Upgrade to Windows 10 Pro, USB Keyboard and Mouse Included, 13.28 x 11.97 x 6.12 inches, 13.15lbs, 310W Gold efficiency power supply, Black, w/ Rock eDigtial 32GB USB3.0 Flash Drive
【Upgraded】 Seal is opened for Hardware/Software upgrade only to enhance performance. No Display ; 802.11ax Wifi, Bluetooth 5.2, Ethernet LAN (RJ-45), No Webcam, Wired Keyboard, .
【Powerful Performance with Intel Core i5-11400 Hexa Core】 11th Gen Intel Core i5-11400 2.60GHz Processor (upto 4.4 GHz, 12MB Cache, 6-Cores, 12-Threads, ) ; NVIDIA GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB GDDR6 Dedicated Graphics, .
【High Speed and Multitasking】 8GB DDR4 DIMM; 400W Power Supply, Air Cooling CPU Cooler; Raven Black Color, .
【Enormous Storage】 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD + 2TB HDD; 4 USB 3.2 Gen1, 2 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI, 2 Display Port (DP), USB 3.2 Type-C Gen2, No Optical Drive, 1 x Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack., Windows 11 Pro-64., 1 Year Manufacturer warranty from GreatPriceTech (Professionally upgraded by GreatPriceTech)
Includes Dockztorm USB Hub(Special Edition Portable Docztorm Data Hub;Super Speedy Data Syn Rate upto 5Gbps)


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Join the Nature Journal Club for a 1.5 hour workshop to sharpen and enhance your drawing, observation, and journaling skills. Each month we feature a new topic that will be repeated at seven venues throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Watch this site for updates on the topic of the month.
All ages and experience levels are welcome. No registration necessary,
$20 suggested donation.


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Giant structures made from canned goods are on display at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport through Saturday, November 9.
Local architectural and engineering firms made the structures, which are on display in the baggage claim level in Terminals B/C. After Saturday, the cans of food will be donated to the Arlington Food Assistance Center.
Thanks for visiting Stuck at the Airport. Subscribe to get daily travel tidbits. And follow me on Twitter at @hbaskas and Instagram.


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I have mixed feelings on this craftucation project. It sure is cute and colorful and what a clever idea to upcycle a milk carton. No, it wasn't my idea. You know me...the creative imitator. The idea is from here. I like this tutorial because it comes with a template to cut the milk carton, instructions, and a video. I'm just unsure if a) a pouch like this is useful, and b) if my milk carton was just too thick for the project - cutting and folding my milk carton was much trickier than the video demonstrated. Maybe it was just me.
At any rate, you will need to save, clean, and dry your favorite milk cartons in order to prepare for the project. Then, you will need two monkeys, like Lil O and Cousin A, to assist you.
See what you think of this project and post your comments below. If you think your pouch turns out well, post a photo on Upcycled Education's Facebook page, ok? The jury is still out for me.
Good luck,


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Low-FODMAP Diet Shows Clinical Success
A change in diet can improve the lives of those diagnosed with a common but hard-to-treat gut disorder.
That's the result of research by the University of Michigan (U-M) Health System, presented at Digestive Disease Week, which studied for the first time in the United States the result of following a carefully controlled diet to improve the symptoms and quality of life for those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
"This is the only methodically rigorous clinical trial to show that diet-based therapy can not only improve symptoms but also quality of life in patients with IBS," says Shanti Eswaran, MD, a U-M assistant clinical professor and gastroenterologist who researches the role of diet and food in functional bowel diseases such as IBS.
IBS can be highly debilitating, if not virtually paralyzing, and affect work, sleep, and personal and family relationships.
Most treatments initially rely on medications that are often expensive, usually ineffective, and frequently cause unwelcome side effects. And unfortunately, there's no cure.
Many practitioners and patients have turned to diet as a possible treatment, but many of the dietary recommendations haven't been backed by clinical trials.
The study, the largest of its kind, measured the degree of relief from a low-FODMAP (fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols) diet, which is frequently recommended. This diet excludes many compounds found in wheat, certain fruits and vegetables, garlic, onions, and sugar substitutes.
Over a six-week process, RDs educated and monitored the progress of more than 90 IBS patients. Roughly one-half followed a prescribed low-FODMAP diet, and one-half were a control group that used a common-sense regimen, cutting down on large meals, binges, and known irritants such as caffeine and alcohol.
The results were impressive: More than 50% of the patients on the low-FODMAP diet had major improvement of their abdominal pain, compared with 20% of the control group. There was also more improvement of other bothersome symptoms compared with the control group, including bloating, diarrhea, and stool urgency.
At four weeks, the proportion of patients with a meaningful improvement in IBS quality of life was significantly higher in the low-FODMAP group compared with the control group—61% vs 27%.
While the results are highly encouraging for IBS sufferers, there are a few important caveats, Eswaran says.
Because of the many unknowns about the chemical causes and triggers of IBS, the list of "bad" foods is exhaustive and elusive, and help from a dietitian is highly recommended."Low-FODMAP is not a new treatment, but we are now convinced that it really works," she says. "Our next step will be to more precisely determine the underlying chemistry of how and why particular foods can yield dramatically different results for different people. Meanwhile, we strongly recommend that IBS patients work with their physician and a registered dietitian to navigate the low-FODMAP diet to take control of their IBS symptoms."
— Source: University of Michigan Health System


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Boise State Football: Chris Petersen's Best Recruiting PitchJanuary 3, 2013
Boise State Football: Chris Petersen's Best Recruiting Pitch
Boise State has an excellent head football coach, and those in the college football world realize that. However, what many don't know and can't seem to figure out is what makes him tick.
Year after year coach Chris Petersen coaches his team to double-digit win totals. He has also led his team to several conference championships, and many of his former players now play on Sundays. He is 84-8 since taking over as head coach for the Broncos in 2006, and he has won five of seven bowl games, which includes two Fiesta Bowl victories.
Yet, coach Petersen defies some critics and continues to stay in Boise when so many other excellent coaching jobs are available to him. Yet, Boise isn't all that surprised.
If Chris Petersen is anything, he is a man of his word. People in Boise trust him, but even more important—his players do as well.
In a day and age of superstars, loud opinions, saying one thing and doing another, coach Petersen stands out. He seems to be a modest, humble and very intelligent man who keeps his word and cares for others.
It is those qualities along with others that make him a successful coach, motivator and recruiter. With that in mind, let's look at what might be coach Pete's best recruiting pitch.
Become a Better Player, and a Better Man
Coach Petersen is all about making people better. However, he doesn't seem to be interested in just making his players better at the game of football. He also wants them to become successful in the game of life.
Parents must like it when coach Pete lets them and their talented son know that he is going to help the young man become a much better football player. However, those same parents must love it when Petersen lets them know that he is also interested in making them better men.
Chris Petersen wants his players to become great football players, great students, great husbands, great fathers and successful in whatever they do on the field and beyond it.
It is certainly an attractive recruiting pitch, and many parents and players seem to appreciate that approach.
Education is certainly a staple in most head coaches recruiting bag. However, with Petersen it is at the top of the list. Coach Pete makes sure that every recruit knows how important it is and that they will not be able to slide by on mediocre grades.
Proof of this is the fact that for three years in a row Boise State's football program has finished in the top three of every FBS school in academics. In 2010 the Broncos were second only to Stanford, and in 2011 they were second again behind only Penn State.
Parents, no doubt, love this kind of pitch, but dedicated recruits do as well. Those who are not serious about education need not apply to play on "The Blue."
The Winning
One of the most successful recruiting pitches someone like Petersen is sure to have is the overwhelming number of wins his team has experienced.
Everyone loves to win, but not everybody does it.
Chris Petersen, as mentioned in the introduction, is 84-8 as the Boise State head coach since 2006. He probably doesn't even have to mention this, but you have to think any recruit that pays attention knows that the Broncos make winning a habit.
He Cares About the Players
Coach Petersen believes in three values that every coach should have.
First, he wants to build up his players and make them feel good about what they do on and off the field.
Second, he looks at ways that he can "add value" into every player's life.
Lastly, he wants his team to enjoy the game. Not only that, but he wants his players to learn how to win, but to help each other along when things don't go so well.
These values help Petersen be the excellent coach he is, and they no doubt help motivate recruits who want to play for a coach like him.
National Exposure
Boise State has become a regular fixture on television for many years now. The blue turf has been seen many times, and players recognize that. Again, this is probably a pitch Petersen doesn't have to throw out there, but recruits certainly know all about it.
Petersen knows the value of exposure, and with the new television deal for the Broncos in the Mountain West Conference, it appears that media exposure won't end any time soon.
He Asks for Commitment, but Gives It Too
When coach Petersen enters a living room of a potential recruit you have to believe parents and players want to know if he is going to stick around.
With all the rumors of Petersen leaving and going elsewhere, it has to be nice when Petersen looks them all in the eyes and says that he is committed to staying at Boise.
Some might be skeptical, but year after year, he holds true to his word. His commitment has to be inspiring and encouraging for any recruit thinking about playing at Boise State.
His Best Pitch
After all is said and done, the best pitch Chris Petersen has when recruiting players is simply himself.
Players and parents know that Petersen is genuine from the first time they meet him. They know he cares and that he can be trusted. They also know that he will help to make every player into a better player and a better man.
Parents understand that education is important to him and that he cares about every aspect of their son's life. Petersen is committed and players and parents know he won't promise them one thing and then bolt for the first opportunity that comes his way.
The winning and exposure speak for themselves, but in the end it's the actions of Petersen that speak loudest.


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Next week I'll be starting another holiday Mazatlan. It will be a special holiday too. I am heading to Mazatlan for Carnival. I've heard the celebration is the third largest in the Americas (Rio, New Orleans are 1,2), now I'll finally know first hand. Therefore as part of my preparation I reviewed my images from […]
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Sunset Sunday – A Stop for a Holiday In(n) Mazatlan
by Craig Zabransky on February 3, 2013 in Mexico Travel, Sunset Sunday
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Roasted Chestnut is a true little weakness for me. It means all at once festivities, holidays, coziness and treats. It's a seasonal wonder. As soon as I'm travelling within the good season, I always look around me when I walk on the street in hoping to find some stands where they roast some on the spot. It makes me so happy to buy my little bag of chestnut and eating them walking in a new country, exploring at the same time. The last time I ate some during a trip we were in Porto. What a lovely memory!
So here we are … back in the cold Quebec City. To warm my heart, I decided to make me some house made roasted chestnuts. Of course, as you start to know me now … I love butter A LOT so, I put some! Why? Because butter is LIFE!!
- 1 Kg Fresh Chestnuts
- ¼ cup melted unsalted butter
- Fine sea salt
- Soak the Chestnuts in a bowl of hot (almost boiling) water for 30 minutes and after that drain them. It will help to roast perfectly without burning too fast.
- With the rack in the middle position, preheat your oven to 400 F.
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the shell making a linear incision on the round side or make an x-shaped on the lower side. The result is almost the same except for one thing, if you make the cut on the round side, it they will be easier to peel.
- Place the chestnuts in a bowl and then add the melted butter. Mix well and put them on a baking sheet with culinary parchment. Sprinkle with fine sea salt. Put in the oven for 25–30 minutes until the shells curl up.
- Let cool down just a little bit and there you are! A total blessing!
Love you!
Cooking with style surely is a thing and don't worry, I got you covered! This is a selection of tools, kitchenware and other cool stuff to make this recipe or just to complete your personal collection.


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September 24
In spiritual direction today i talked about how i worry little lately about finanical or physical needs. the older i get the less i seem to want and need. i remember when i was younger i deserpately wanted stuff, but now i need less and less. i find that what every i have will be enough.
styx still recovering from major abscess. did outreach until midnight, prepared food for tomorrow and bed early. deo gratis! thanks be to God!


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The recent suspension of 13 North Carolina football players who sold exclusive, team-issued Jordan III shoes has college athletic departments across the country, including at the University of Kansas, on high alert.
"You don't have to be a Jordan school to be alerted," said Jim Marchiony, associate athletic director for public affairs at Adidas-sponsored KU. "We all learn from each other's experiences, both positive and negative. So when something like this happens, believe me, it spurs discussion on every campus."
According to Marchiony, KU's reaction to the Carolina incident — ESPN recently reported that Marquette and Michigan also have announced investigations into whether their football players sold Jordans — has followed standard practice and taken place both in the compliance office and among the equipment staff.
Marchiony deemed both branches of the KU athletic department "educated and educators," adding that the KU student-athlete population is informed of the dos and don'ts associated with team-issued gear at different times throughout the school year, with the first such meeting taking place each August.
"Just like everything compliance-related, the first step is education," said Marchiony, who noted that the rules were explained on a team-by-team basis. "The whole effort starts with thoroughly educating the student-athletes and the equipment staff, and then, there are proactive, preventative measures that the equipment staff takes to try to ensure that this does not become an issue here."
While KU's pending apparel deal with Adidas (14 years, $191 million) is one of the richest in college athletics, it's more the Jordan brand — cultural icon that it is — that led to the latest issue at North Carolina.
According to reports, three of the UNC players who sold the exclusive, team-issued shoes to footwear stores raked in more than $2,000 apiece, while two others who sold to boutiques made more than $1,000, price tags that likely only rose that high because of the association with Jordan.
The closest thing KU has experienced to Jordan brand-type hysteria during the past decade came in March, when Adidas surprised the members of the KU basketball team at the Final Four with Yeezy 500 Blush shoes a few weeks ahead of their release to the general public.
But in that instance, the Yeezys were not KU-exclusive and retailed for just $200-$250 per pair when they did become available.
Administrators at Marquette and Michigan recently indicated that they ask student-athletes to sign forms acknowledging their understanding that selling equipment could jeopardize their eligibility. Both programs also now are stitching names and/or numbers of players into the shoes, with Marquette going one step further and mandating that their athletes wear the shoes multiple times, which, in theory, decreases the value and makes them less tempting to sell.
To date, four college football programs (UNC, Florida, Michigan and Oklahoma) and seven college basketball programs (UNC, Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Marquette, Michigan and Oklahoma) are sponsored by Jordan brand, a division of Nike.
What's more, Marchiony said he had little doubt that the UNC athletic department educated its student-athletes in a manner similar to what goes on at Kansas.
UNC football coach Larry Fedora confirmed as much when the suspensions were announced, saying, "These young men knew the rules and are being held responsible for the poor choices they have made."
Added Marchiony: "We believe in what we do. Having said that, there are no guarantees. So whenever something compliance-related like this happens, it raises flags on every campus. It's a reminder about why we do the things we do here. That's where a lot of the discussion is and it's also just a good time to assess what you're doing."
For God's sake, pay these kids for what they bring into the universities bank accounts!!!
Yeah...that will solve all the problems...not.
Ever hear the old saying that you never have enough. Paying these athletes money doesn't guarantee they still won't sell their school issued gear. People will always want just a little bit more...
The same excuse used by opponents to a minimum wage increase.
If we pay them, let's do it right. Make college basketball a professional sport. Eliminate scholarships. They're no longer students and don't have to go to class. No more free housing or meals. They can opt in to and pay for an insurance plan. Put them on salary or make them paid contractors. They're free to go to work elsewhere any time they want, unless their contract says otherwise. That's almost where it is now, so let's make it official.
That's a 180 approach to the student-athlete concept that sounds too radical to even consider. But college sports, at least football and basketball have made a mockery of the academic part of the equation to the point where such an idea should be considered. I can see the upside to this but what is the downside?
Well, 180° is only halfway and you know what they say about half measures. We should do a complete 360° circle finishing up back where we started.
If the equipment is free but they don't trust it as much as their comfort zone footwear then let them get rid of it. I never wear nike.
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