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|June 23, 2017
|Division Superintendents
|Steven R. Staples, Superintendent of Public Instruction
2017-2018 USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Application
This memorandum provides information on the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) and the new application and selection process for school year (SY) 2017-2018. The School Nutrition Program Web-based software (SNPWeb) has been updated and enhanced to include the FFVP application, selection, funding, and claiming processes. Effective with SY 2017-2018, all information for the FFVP will be maintained within SNPWeb.
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) provides funding to schools for fresh fruit and vegetable snacks for students during the school day, at times other than breakfast or lunch, in selected elementary schools. The program is available to elementary schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and have a minimum of 50 percent of enrolled students eligible for free or reduced price meals. School divisions must apply on behalf of the interested eligible schools in one application for the division submitted in SNPWeb.
The FFVP is intended to:
- create healthier school environments by providing healthier food choices;
- expand the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables students experience;
- increase students' consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables; and
- make a difference in students' diets to impact their present and future health.
FFVP Application Process for 2017-2018:
The FFVP application will be completed in the SNPWeb software by the school division contact person for all eligible schools interested in participating. Elementary schools with free and reduced price eligibility that meet the application threshold determined by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) will be listed in SNPWeb for each school division; if there are no eligible schools, the list will be blank.
The FFVP Application Packet is an item in the Applications tab of the new SNPWeb software. To apply, follow these steps:
- Select the FFVP Application Packet in the SNPWeb Applications tab – all school divisions will see the FFVP Application Packet.
- Click "Detail" for SY 2017-2018 - The dashboard will display an "Add" button for the School Food Authority (SFA) level FFVP application at the top and the list of elementary schools eligible to apply at the bottom. If there are no eligible elementary schools, the list will be blank.
- Click "Add" for the SFA application, complete the required information and certification statement, then save.
- Scroll to the site list and click "Add" to apply for each school.
- Complete the required FFVP implementation plan and other information for each site, then save.
- The FFVP application is complete when the SFA level application and the site application for each school are free from errors and saved.
- The FFVP Application Packet will be available in SNPWeb on June 23, 2017, and will close on July 21, 2017.
- FFVP applications must be submitted in SNPWeb no later than July 21, 2017, to be considered for funding.
Funding and Reimbursement Claims:
Selected elementary schools will receive funds to participate in the FFVP. Funding levels will be approximately $60 to $65 per student for the school year based on the total enrollment of all schools selected to participate and available funding. The majority of the funds must be used to purchase fruits and vegetables with no more than 10 percent of funds used for equipment and administrative program costs.
Orientation and Training:
An orientation webinar will be conducted in August for school division contact persons with one or more schools in the division selected to participate in the FFVP. The orientation will provide specific information about the new process for submitting reimbursement claims in SNPWeb, as well as programmatic updates. Details on the webinar will be provided directly to the school divisions selected to participate in the FFVP for SY 2017-2018.
Best Practices and Resources:
- Schools that operate the FFVP in Virginia deliver snacks to classrooms or use a kiosk or special area in the school to distribute fresh fruits and vegetables; other creative ways to implement the FFVP are possible. Ideally, FFVP snacks will be offered daily to all students. Funding provided will support, at a minimum, three FFVP snacks per week, per student.
- The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintains a website for the FFVP at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/ffvp. The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Handbook for Schools provides detailed information on program requirements. It is available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/handbook.pdf.
- The FFVP can help further a school's efforts to reinforce health-promoting practices during the school day and implement the Local Wellness Policy objectives. Resources available to assist schools in improving the school environment can be found on the Team Nutrition website at: www.fns.usda.gov/tn.
- The FFVP can also further the division's Farm-to-School program by providing an opportunity to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from local sources. Information on procurement practices for purchasing local produce can be found by contacting the VDOE Farm-to-School Specialist through the Office of School Nutrition Programs at 804-225-2074 and at: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/nutrition/resources/farm-to-school-local-procurement.pdf.
Questions and requests for information about the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program may be directed to Lynne A. Fellin, by telephone at (804) 225-2717 or by email at email@example.com, or to the school nutrition program specialist assigned to your division.


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Avaya is expanding its networking portfolio this week with the new ERS 4800 switch for the campus edge.
With the 4800, Avaya is adding ports that will support both Gigabit as well as 10 Gigabit Ethernet with new SFP+ ports. Additionally, the new switch handles Power over Ethernet (PoE) Plus, providing up to 25.5 Watts of power. In contrast, first generation PoE ports only delivered 15 Watts.
Jean Turgeon, global general manager of Data Solutions at Avaya explained to InternetNews.com that the ERS 4800 is a complement to the existing ERS 4500. In his view, there are still many devices that don't need the added power that PoE plus provides. Additionally he noted that there are still customers that don't have a need for the 10 Gigabit Ethernet support that the ERS 4800 provides.
"There are some customers that don't want to pay a premium to have both 1 Gig and 10 Gig on the same box," Turgeon said. "We're maintaining both technologies."
Going beyond just power and bandwidth, the ERS 4800 also provides some new advanced capabilities to support wireless networks as well with wireless LAN forwarding.
"The reason why we're integrating wireless LAN forwarding is to prevent all the traffic from being backhauled to the controller, which is an inefficient use of the network," Turgeon said.
Turgeon noted that Avaya worked with silicon vendor Broadcom to provide Avaya's wireless LAN forwarding capabilities in an ASIC.
"So now an ERS 4800 will be able to forward on behalf of the wireless controller and participate in the wireless LAN domain, as opposed to only participating in the wired domain," Turgeon said.
According to Turgeon, the customer benefits include lower latency and a reduced number of tunnels across the network which will provide more seamless roaming for voice and video.
Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at InternetNews.com, the news service of Internet.com, the network for technology professionals.

subset: commoncrawl


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Probable starting lineups
Charlotte | Detroit
PG: Kemba Walker | Jose Calderon
SG: Gerald Henderson | Brandon Knight
SF: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | Kyle Singler
PF: Bismack Biyombo | Jason Maxiell
C: Byron Mullens | Greg Monroe
Game Overview
This season, the Bobcats and Pistons have played once, and the Bobcats pulled away with a 108-101 overtime victory.
At point guard, it's going to be fun to watch Walker and Calderon go at it. Last time these two teams played, the Pistons' starting point guard was Brandon Knight (who, unsurprisingly, had four turnovers). This time, it's former Toronto Raptor Jose Calderon, who's been playing really well in his short stint as a Piston. The most interesting thing to look out for in this matchup is the pick and roll. According to Synergy, Kemba's 22nd in the NBA in the pick and roll category. On defense, Jose Calderon ranks 14th in that category in his time on the Pistons. We can go ahead and chalk this up to a combination of small sample size and Detroit having better defensive players around him. Looking back on the rest of his season in Toronto, he ranked 128th in this defensive category.
At shooting guard, there are two fairly similar players in Brandon Knight and Gerald Henderson. Both have below average shooting percentages and both shoot a lot. However, there are two things that separate the two: first, Brandon Knight turns the ball over much more than Henderson. Second, Knight has been playing very poorly in the month of February, while Henderson's stats this month continue to increase. Henderson is shooting over 10 percentage points higher than Knight, and has been much more effective than Knight shooting from closer than 20 feet.
Kyle Singler and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist look like pretty different players on the outside, but after a longer look, they're actually pretty similar at the small forward position. MKG is better. It's not really that close, either. The two have similar offensive numbers, but they score in different ways. Singler's a better outside shooter who also can get to the bucket on occasion, while MKG has no jump shot and scores a solid percentage of his buckets in the paint. His shot chart is hilarious.
At power forward, we are blessed with a marquee battle between Jason Maxiell and Bismack Biyombo. Last time the Pistons and Bobcats played, Maxiell was dominated by Biyombo. Biyombo had 10 points and 17 boards that game. With Andre Drummond out and the only other real option for the Pistons being Viacheslav "SOON TO BE HOUSEHOLD NAME" Kravtsov, Biyombo will have another opportunity to dominate again.
Byron Mullens and Greg Monroe will be facing off at center tonight. In their last meeting, Mullens didn't play, and Monroe had 18 points and 14 rebounds. While Monroe probably won't do as well as he did last time, I don't think Mullens will stunt Monroe's production that much this time around, especially because Monroe has become a target for Jose Calderon.
(Ed.: Also of note is that this game could have an impact on this year's draft. The Bobcats own a first round pick from Detroit. If the Pistons make the playoffs this year, the pick is Charlotte's. If they don't it becomes top-8 protected in 2014, then top-1 protected in 2015 and unprotected in 2016. - Ben)
Remember to check out the Detroit Pistons blog Detroit Bad Boys for more.


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Current Issue
Past Issues
Historical overview
Historical overview
Oblatio is published 3 times a year under the direction of the office of Oblate Studies and Research, of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate at the General House in Rome. It is a continuation of "Vie Oblate Life" (Ottawa, Canada) and "Documentation OMI"(Rome). Addressed to the entire Mazenodian Family, it considers Oblate community life, mission, spirituality and history, in order to foster oblate identity, communion, to understand the present, hopes for the future.


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The change in the NCPI measured on an annual average basis increased from 7.5 per cent in November 2017 to 7.7 per cent in December 2017.
When the monthly change is considered, the NCPI increased from 126.4 index points in November 2017 to 126.6 index points in December 2017. This marginal monthly increase was mainly due to the increase in prices of the items in the Food category. Price increase of vegetables, fresh fish, and red onions were noticeable. Nevertheless, prices of rice, green chilies and banana declined. There were no significant price increases recorded in the Non-food category.
The NCPI Core inflation, which reflects the underlying inflation in the economy, continued to follow the declining trend exhibited since the early months of the year. As such, the NCPI Core inflation decreased to 2.7 per cent in December 2017 from 2.8 per cent in November 2017 on year-on-year basis. Annual average NCPI Core inflation declined to 4.9 per cent in December 2017 from 5.2 per cent in November 2017.


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In the case of a SHTF event, we could live without internet, cars and gadgets. We could survive without electricity, air conditioning, heating systems and hot water. But we couldn't make it without enough food supplies. Canned tuna, frozen beans and boiled potatoes can only last so far. All these supplies are bound to end sooner or later, leaving us exposed to starvation. So how can preppers improve on this aspect and ensure their food supply doesn't run out after three days? The answer is raising livestock. Our ancestors didn't have supermarkets, had never heard about take-away, fast-food, processed food or preservatives.
Their survival depended on livestock, fruits, vegetables, plants and seeds. Nowadays you can learn about all of these by getting an agriculture degree. But back then, knowledge was passed down from generation to generation and people had to learn from trial and error rather than from a YouTube tutorial. If you want to make sure you are truly ready for anything read all about the livestock you should raise and why. It's never too late to start researching livestock and becoming an expert in the field.
If we would have to advise you what livestock you should raise and why, based on rate of growth criteria, chicken would win by far. They manage to double their number with every year and they don't require a complicated set up or high maintenance. They are great because they yield plentiful supplies of meat and eggs in relation to how much food they require. For example, a hen could supply you with 10 to 12 eggs for each five pounds of food. Another great benefit of raising chicken is that the birds are not picky about what they eat. They will happily peck on anything that they can find, from insects and weeds to leftovers from your dinner. The only drawback with this is that they can easily damage your garden, so you might want to fence them in to keep that from happening. Another pro for raising chicken is that they don't need a lot of space or sturdy fences. However, you should keep in mind that these fowls will learn how to fly, so you might want to build a six-foot fence or add a top to their pen. You should also watch out for predators: foxes, owls, rats and opossums will all try to take a swing at your chicken if they're not protected enough.
Also dubbed the best garbage disposers, pigs will munch anything you put in front of them: kitchen leftovers, greens, roots and grains, just to name a few. In exchange for these, in return, they will give you bacon, ham and plenty of meat. Not only unpretentious eaters, pigs don't need too much room either, despite their great size. The best time to buy a piglet is in the spring in order to give it time to grow and develop to more than 220 pounds over the summer. All the maintenance pigs require is feeding and watering two times a day as well as cleaning their pens every few days. Butchering a hog that weighs over 200 pounds is no easy task. But you'll only be reaping the benefits. Almost every part of the pig is edible and ready to be turned into steaks, broths, aspic, bacon, ribs, sausages, pork loins and trotters. Even the skin is edible, although most people are reticent to eat it because pigs are not among the cleanest animals. Bear in mind that they might test your olfactory tolerance before you manage to fatten them up and transform them into pork chops.
Not only pretty faces, rabbits are clean, quiet and prolific. Ideal for small spaces, rabbits will thrive in modest sized cages and as long as their manure is cleaned out regularly, they will remain odor-free. These furry animals are extremely rewarding for the amount of care and food they require. Rabbits feed on hay, which should be cut in three-inch lengths and stacked into the hay-racks that must be kept full at all times. They will also eat dried bread or crusts and, as it may be expected, they enjoy nibbling on carrots and roots. A buck and two does will yield as much as 50 rabbits per year, which translates into roughly 170 pounds of meat. Not too shabby for the effort you have to put in every day. Rabbits can be consumed as soon as they are seven or eight months old, but you can wait and make a more consistent stew from a three-year old buck. While they can withstand harsh cold weather, they are not big fans of wet or hot conditions. Keep in mind that they will need a cool place in the summer that has plenty of ventilation and fresh water supplies.
Most people would prefer to have cows' milk rather than goats' milk. However, there are many reasons that goats make a better survival animal. They are much less expensive to purchase, they eat a lot less and will happily eat brush instead of pasture, and they take up a lot less space than a cow. A good doe will give birth to 2 or 3 kids and will go on to produce milk for up to two years. A dairy cow will give milk for up to a year and normally has one calf. Plus, keeping a bull around is not a fun prospect. A buck is much easier to handle. When your goat wears out, it will provide you with a more manageable amount of meat, whereas a butchered cow will take a lot of work to can or dehydrate. In addition, goats produce milk that can be used to feed orphaned foals, pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats, and baby humans. Cow's milk is not as easy to digest for these youngsters.
Keeping livestock is not a decision to be taken lightly. These animals will depend on you for their food, water, and shelter. During drought conditions it will be difficult, if not impossible, to care for your animals. In that case you will need to butcher or trade them. Do you have what it takes to chop off a chicken's head, or slit the throat of a pig? You may be surprised what you can do when put to the test.
If you can handle the responsibility of caring for animals, they will make your life much easier when there's an economic collapse or worldwide disaster. Any animals that you do not need for food can be used to barter for other supplies. There will be a huge demand for eggs, milk, and meat after the stores close. So consider keeping a few easy care animals now, for survival in the future.


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This oil sprayer promotes cooking in a healthy & convenient way without excessive oil/ seasoning.
With built-in spray mouth, it sprays evenly and provides a better control of the amount of oil/ seasoning used in cooking. Can be used for spraying any oil & seasoning including olive oil, vinegar, vegetable oil, lemon and lime juice, sauce, sherry or wine etc. Ideal for both home cooking and outdoor barbecue.


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The dry vs canned debate.
What is better?
Here are the TOP 3 reasons why canned is often a BETTER food than dry.
1. Moisture Content – The first ingredient is water, and it more closely resembles what our pets would eat in the wild.
Cats and some dogs are notorious for NOT drinking enough fluid, living in a state of chronic dehydration.
This has health implications, especially with diseases such as Urinary Tract Crystals.
2. Animal Protein – in most cases this is the NEXT ingredient next to water – above any carbohydrate.
You can't really make a canned food with high levels of carbohydrates.
Is this better? In my opinion YES.
A lower likelihood of diseases such as Diabetes. Less chance of obesity, and diseases linked to it such as Pancreatitis.
3. Digestion – It's easier to breakdown in the stomach and intestinal tract. Canned food is already partly broken down.
This can mean less vomiting/intestinal gas, and potentially less incidence of diseases such as Bloat.
Think of the work it takes to digest these puffy, dry, fat sprayed on kibbles – vs moist, protein rich, canned food.
Best Wishes,
Dr Andrew Jones, DVM
Diana Ruth Davidson, Chief Pet Officer and Managing Nanny, Westside Dog Nanny
We offer pet services such as: Pet Sitting, In-Home Dog Boarding, Dog Walking, Overnights in your home, Doggie Day Care.
310 919 9372


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Office 365 exchange email is available to all UH faculty, staff and students and contains the following features:
Mailbox Features:
- 99 GB quota
- 35 MB message size limit including attachments
- Voice mail transcription
- Unlimited online archive
Login into Office 365 to access your email:
- Login to Office 365
- UserID: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Password: Cougarnet Password
- Login to AccessUH and click Office 365
Microsoft Outlook known issues
FAQ's about Office 365 Exchange Email:
How do I configure Outlook on a Windows machine?
How do I configure Outlook on a Mac?
How do I configure my Android Phone?
How do I configure my Windows phone?
What types of files will be blocked to send as an attachment?
My email seems to take a long time to send and receive - how can I fix this?
I use to be able to see Public Folders but I can't find them anymore. Where did they go?


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MINSK, 19 June. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is satisfied with the cooperation between Moscow and Minsk in the sphere of culture and world Affairs.
"Exchanged with the President of Belarus opinions on the current situation in world, regional Affairs, raised the issues of strengthening cooperation in the sphere of foreign policy, ensuring national defense and security of the Union state", – said the Russian head of state to journalists following the meeting of the Supreme state Council of the Union state. He added that after the meeting approved the program of concerted actions in the international arena in 2018-2019.
The Russian leader singled out cooperation in the humanitarian and cultural spheres. In his opinion, "today, established the Union state prize in science and technology will encourage scientists and professionals who have distinguished themselves in the development and commercialization of new technologies". "Noted with satisfaction the progress of cooperation between Russia and Belarus in the humanitarian sphere: implementing a program of cooperation between the ministries of culture, in the autumn in Belarus will open the days, will host the annual international festival of Yury Bashmet", – said Putin. He added that "for achievements in literature and art, a number of prominent figures of culture and creative teams of the two countries awarded prizes of the Union state".
The Russian President thanked the Belarusian colleague "for organization of this work and for the atmosphere that was created to achieve the existing agreements".


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October 12, 2016
The Rector Search Committee met on Wednesday October 12 and conducted a comprehensive review of the Candidate Analysis proposed procedures established by the subcommittee.
Each of the team members shared their own perspectives on the Parish Profile.
The RSC team leads updated the members on the status of the documents for the Diocese Office for Transition Ministry.
Comments are closed.


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You can't throw a stone in the UK without hitting a castle or a henge or a haunted building … actually, you shouldn't be throwing stones anyway with all of the ghosts around protecting their residences. One such haunted place is the Tintern Abbey in Wales, which has a history of ghostly monks and a knight. A woman with an interest in the paranormal claims she recently visited Tintern Abbey in the middle of the night and may have captured the image of the ghost of a hooded monk. Should she go back and risk meeting the knight? Should she carry some stones?
Nineteen-year-old self-described ghost-and-paranormal-enthusiast Rosie Boulton claims she recently visited the Tintern Abbey in Monmouthshire, Wales, with some friends who claimed they saw nothing but felt a presence which was strong enough to chase them out … but not before Rosie took some pictures of the Abbey. As is so often the case, they noticed something unusual when they viewed the pictures – one showed the faint image in a doorway of what could be a hooded monk. (See the picture here and here.) Was it?
Tintern Abbey is known for its monk spirits and an occasional ghostly knight. Founded by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow, on May 9, 1131, it was the second Cistercian abbey in Britain and the first in Wales. The Cistercian Order monks were also known as Trappists (named after the La Trappe Abbey in the French province of Normandy), Bernardines (after St. Bernard of Clairvaux, founder of the order), and the White Monks (the Cistercians wore white cucculas or choir robes over their habits). The building seen in Rosie's photo is what's left of the Great Abbey Church built between 1269 and 1301. The abbey did well (King Edward II stayed there in 1326, possibly in hiding) until the Black Death hit in 1349.
Those two events may be the origin of the most popular ghost stories. The Black Death killed many monks and some sightings describe a line of ghostly monks carrying torches. Another relates to a monk who was suspected of revealing to his enemies that the king was hiding at the abbey. Finally, there's the tale of a group of men who were digging in the Abbey's ruins and found two skeletons. They stayed there for the night (of course) and after a storm darkened the skies they claimed to see monks rising from the ground along with a mist that became a mail-clad knight they believed was Gilbert fitz Gilbert de Clare, the first earl of Pembroke, better known as "Strongbow", who was buried there. The ghost of Strongbow was said to point his sword to the doorway of the abbey and the men needed no further instructions as they vacated the premises.
So, which ghost, if any, of Tintern Abbey did Rosie Boulton see? The image is coincidentally exactly the same shape as the doorway or window opening it appears in, so it's possible that the light from the flash or some other camera anomaly caused it. A report on the sighting by worldofreligionnews.com contains a tweet from 2017 showing a similar image (see it here) that the poster describes as "The faded wood masquerading as the ghost of a hooded monk!", although it's hard to tell from other images of the abbey (many seen here) what faded wood he's referring to.
For now, we'll have to wait for Rosie's promised return to the Tintern Abbey for some better pictures. Perhaps she should bring some stones … or a shovel.
Previous article


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Becca Heller, Co-Founder and Executive Director of IRAP, has been named one of this year's MacArthur Fellows. The very prestigious award, commonly known as the "Genius Grant", recognizes Becca's work with IRAP on behalf of refugees and displaced people, especially in light of IRAP's response to the Trump administration's Muslim Ban.
The award reaffirms IRAP's incredible success over its first ten years of mobilizing legal resources to advocate for refugees and displaced people to find pathways to safety.
Take a look at the official video from the MacArthur Foundation here:


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Nicky Minaj Net Worth is $45 Million (as of 2020)
Nicky Minaj is a famous singer that also raps and writes lyrics. Nicky Minaj net worth is 45 million of dollars. She was born in Spain on 8th of December in 1982 to Indian and Afro-Trinidadian parents. However Nicky spend most of her time with her grandmother, because it was the only place that she could be calm, her home was not due to the violence that was going on there. When she was five her mother moved them to Queens, because she wanted to get her daughter back.
Quick facts
|Net Worth:
|$45 Million
|Last Updated:
Nicky Minaj net worth increased because all the hard work that she putted in order to get to the place where she is now. She began is school with playing a clarinet and because of this she got into LaGuardia High School where she studied visual arts and performing. Her carrier began when she released her first mix tape in 2007 which was called "Playtime is Over". In 2009 she was seen by the rapper Lil Wayne and from then Nicky Minaj net worth increased, because she released her single named "BedRock".
Nicky Minaj net worth is not as big as it could be, due to the fact that she loves to spend money and there are times when she takes her fans to go shopping together, because she likes to please them in all kind of different ways. When she does not spend money on others she goes to buy thing for herself. She likes to buy different outfits for her performances and to buy things for her home that are luxurious. Nicky Minaj net worth helps her to give her family everything that they need. She also helps her friends, because she knows what it is like to live and have nothing much. In her childhood she experienced this sort of life.
Her parents used to fight a lot, drink and take drugs. She was just a child when this happened so her emotions became unstable because of this and she created alter egos in order to survive there. Nowadays she uses one of her alter egos as her nick name in rapping and is called Nicky Minaj. She is also a Christina and in hardest times of her life founds comfort in Good.
Nicky Minaj net worth increases in slow amounts because despite being famous and earning much during her concerts she helps other people and likes her life the way it is after a rough childhood.


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Merchantville Historical Society Annual Meeting
"An Evening with Col. Andrew R. Finayson" highlights the start of a new Merchantville Historical Society season on Thursday, October 10th at 8:00 p.m. the meeting will take place in the Merchantville Community Center. Finlayson, a retired US Marine colonel and Merchantville native,
is returning to be reunited with Merchantville and some of his hometown friends. He'll be greeting us and retelling his memories of Merchantville. The public is welcome and light refreshments will be provided.
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Obama talks a good line about the environment. But, it's all talk and no change. He claimed that his Administration is funding energy research and development. Don't believe it. If you go to the Energy Dept website, you'll find a page which tells you that no new projects after 2008 have yet to be funded. So much for the Obama lie.
Obama's real plan is to transfer wealth from the middle class to the lower class via an energy tax. He dresses it up in flowery language, but when you think about it, he simply thinks of himself as the Robin Hood of the 21 Century, taking from those who have money and giving it to the poor.
courtesy Bob Carver at http://marketclues.blogspot.com/


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"Having realised our IT System was no longer fit for purpose as our Business grew, we spoke to several Companies about replacing it. We were sufficiently impressed with the CMS Group to place our order with them."
The Client
Kirk Scaffolding is a leading scaffolding contractor operating throughout the North of England with over 50 years of industry experience. As a family run business in its 3rd generation, Kirk Scaffolding has become renowned for supplying a quality tailored service, at a competitive price.
Initial Requirements
Kirk Scaffolding was looking re-design their IT Environment due to an ageing infrastructure which wasn't meeting the growing needs of their company.
CMS Solution
CMS Group spent the time to understand Kirk Scaffolding's business issues, the direction they wish to grow in, and how this may affect their IT and end users. By spending more time initially understanding their business CMS set a direction and strategic plan so that their IT could become cost-effective and proactive, instead of a reactive fix which generally results in further issues over time.
The project was a great success and was completed without any unplanned downtime, because of this Kirk Scaffolding management had the confidence to engage with CMS as their IT Partner having now signed a complete support contact with CMS Group.
"Having realised our IT System was no longer fit for purpose as our Business grew, we spoke to several Companies about replacing it. We were sufficiently impressed with the CMS Group to place our order with them.
The work was carried out at the agreed time and within the agreed time framework which was vital to our ongoing business. All work was carried out in a professional manner and we are more than happy to recommend CMS Group to anyone looking to upgrade or replace their IT Systems."
Jeremy Kirk – MD, Kirk Scaffolding (2015)
CMS Group acts as Kirk Scaffolding's IT Department and therefore are the single contact for any IT related issues. CMS work with Kirk Scaffolding to regularly review their IT strategy and ensure that it's always aligned with the direction of the business, so as technology's advances and their business changes their IT strategy will too.


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Detective Pikachu - is it one of the best movies for tweens? It is something of a dream come true for Pokémon fans both young and old, now that a live action movie has finally been made! But, this dream isn't a perfect one and neither is Detective Pikachu. Perhaps the biggest and most glaring problem with Detective Pikachu is just how much it relies on your personal knowledge of the Pokémon universe.
A little on the story line...
The storyline doesn't take the time to explain some of the things you're seeing. This is great for fans of the games, not so much for anyone else. While you can watch the movie and still enjoy it with only a very basic knowledge of the world. It's much more rich and enjoyable if you know what different things mean.
At the same time, they played it very safe with the plot to give it a more general appeal. This is, of course, frustrating for fans of the franchise. It isn't a very complex story, it's clear who the villain of the story is and the story arc is almost predictable. The human characters are a little bit flat as are some of the jokes which fail to land.
However, despite the simple plot, the weak human characters, and the jokes that fall flat, Detective Pikachu is a fun movie. The Pokémon, even for those who don't speak beyond being able to say their name, really shine.
The Pokémon featured in the movie are ones that have been with the franchise from the beginning and are still well known today. This makes it accessible to younger audiences who may only have exposure to the newer parts of the franchise. It is also well played for the life long fans. The movie is rated PG and perhaps with the exception of very small children, completely suitable for all ages.
The story told in Detective Pikachu is a complete one, though they do of course leave themselves open to the opportunity for a sequel...
Is it one of the best movies for tweens?
If your kids are huge Pokémon fans then yes, absolutely. Detective Pikachu is a must-see movie! Simply because of what it is, not on the quality of the movie. But, if they aren't really big fans or if you'll only be able to go see a few movies on the big screen this season. It is totally okay to skip this one.
Detective Pikachu will still be just as fun watching at home as it is in the theatre. It is a fun movie with the potential for bonding experiences if you were also a fan of Pokémon when you were young. If you do bond over it, playing the mobile game Pokémon Go is a fantastic way to continue that bonding. The best part is the game is free!
Common Sense Media have given it a recommendation for ages 8+ and says to watch out for "some violence: Pokémon battle both each other and humans, and there's destruction (including a fatal car crash) and injuries, but nothing gets bloody or graphic.
Main characters are frequently in peril, but -- despite some close calls -- no one dies. Language is limited to "hell," "stupid," and "good God," and there's nothing more risqué than flirting and a couple of double-meaning jokes...". However we will note, the story does "promotes teamwork, courage, and friendship. You will see that it shows how even the seemingly inexperienced can make a difference."
For those parents on the hunt for the best movies for tweens. We also recommend our guest review on 'WONDER' the movie.


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The Attached Behavior pattern
My favorite feature of WPF (desktop and web versions) is attached properties. It would be good enough if attached properties merely enabled things like keeping layout properties (Canvas.Left) organized by the type of container rather than the type of content, but they also enable a great little design pattern: Attached Behavior.
Nikhil recently blogged about behaviors in terms of Silverlight (https://www.nikhilk.net/Silverlight-Behaviors.aspx), but of course the same technique is available in desktop WPF and we widely used it during Expression development. Nikhil describes the technique well, but let me reiterate in Design Patternese:
The Attached Behavior pattern encapsulates "behavior" (usually user interactivity) into a class outside the visual heirarchy and allows it to be applied to a visual element by setting an attached property and hooking various events on the visual element.
One of the first behaviors we wrote in Blend was the ClickBehavior. The M-V-VM pattern uses Commands instead of events in many cases, but WPF controls don't trigger Commands in all the interesting cases. Button for example has a Command property, but it only fires when the Button is clicked, not double-clicked or right-clicked. ClickBehavior defines attached properties like DoubleClickCommand of type Command. When you set these properties the behavior registers for the MouseRightButtonUp event and in the handler for that event invokes the Command in the DoubleClickCommand behavior. Interestingly, this same behavior can be used to attach Commands to *any* UIElement, even a rectangle. This turns out to be useful for adding interactivity to parts of the UI without the extra cost of a full-blown Control.
You can do a lot with the Attached Behavior pattern. Drag and drop is an obvious candidate for a behavior. A single DragDropBehavior class can register for all the basic input events and invoke Commands like OnDrop and OnDrag, allowing you to make any visual a DropTarget or DropSource without sub-classing or adding substantial code to your page. As I mentioned in my previous post, Silverlight's Parts and States model does not work easily with the built-in desktop WPF controls because those controls do not trigger the state changes. An attached behavior can hook the right events and do the state transitions...the first prototype of the Silverlight model was written in desktop WPF as an attached behavior.
More on this pattern later.


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Bank envelopes are altered by carefully cutting and expanding their printed security patterns. These envelopes were designed to conceal their contents. By making precise incisions and delicate folds, the security envelopes are made semi-transluscent. This undermines the original purpose of the envelope, it can no longer conceal.These alterations transform the once ordinary envelopes and and draw special aesthetic attention to them.
Collection of Canada Council Art Bank


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Re: STILL LOOKING
In reply to:
Re: STILL LOOKING
mando wartick 7/27/04
Amanda I would be very interested in seeing what you have on the wartick line in Wisconsin. The Wartick's are from my mother's side. Her maiden name is Wartick. I have traced them back to Simon Wartick. If you are wanting more details please let me know. Thanks
Janet M
Commerce, Ga


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Paving Stone Patio & Fire Pit
Huntington, Long Island
Compact Patio with Areas for Different Purposes
Patio design produces great spaces for different purposes.
This project was adding a patio that could be used early and late into the year - a space for relaxing outdoors as easily as relaxing indoors. The patio would need a cooking station, ample seating, a fire pit and a space for recreation.Learn More About Patio Design 〉
Designing for recreation and large gatherings
The project involved extending a patio with spaces for dining, a fire pit and recreation. We designed the patio to extend beyond the fire pit to create space that could be used for recreation or extra dining and seating for a longer part of the season.Learn more about patio design 〉
Outdoor Kitchen
Cook and host your family and friends
We designed the cooking station near the dining space to allow the chef to stay connected with guests. Accent lights were placed on each side of the dining area to softly illuminate the space.Learn more about outdoor kitchen design 〉
Fire Pit
Create a gathering place between connected spaces
We designed the fire pit as a focal point when you enter the space from the second gate. The fire pit area constructively separates the patio into the dining area and the active patio-recreational area. This fire pit burns natural wood and produces soothing light and sound. To overcome a small elevation change and create continuity with the seat wall, we arched the step between the dining area and fire pit.Learn More About Fire Pit Design 〉
Experience Your Future Backyard Space With A Live Digital Walkthrough
We designed this project in 3D to show our solutions for the space before building began. We showed how our design would work with a pre-existing raised patio and cedar hedge and how we would install the desired features. Using our design, all woody plants were untouched through the installation project and multi-functional outdoor living spaces were created for use throughout the seasons.Learn more about landscape design 〉
Designing the Theme
Using color & texture to define and unify
A grey paver was chosen to frame the patio and be inlaid into the patio. The paver complements the patio's field paving stone, frames it without making it stand out from the surrounding plants and further unifies the hardscape.
A smoother, grey-red variation of the paving stone was used for the grill station to create separation between the living and grilling spaces. Smoother wall stone was chosen for the grill station to create a softer atmosphere, complementing the polished granite countertop.Learn more about patio materials 〉
Ready to
Get Started
Let us Know!
We lead the industry in landscape design technology, build quality and style. We know how important it is to get it right, right from the beginning. That's why we make sure you love your design before we build, everything from our curb appeal options to a swimming pool's shape and size, to the patios materials, to the perfect water feature to the coolest lighting. And we build the project using everything we've learned over our many years of designing and building residential landscapes.
Thank you for your interest in what we do. Give us a few details about what you have in mind through this form and we'll be in touch to discuss it in more detail.


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Wednesday editorial
It's been more than a decade since the Florida Council of 100 recommended helping water-poor South Florida out by piping water from water-rich North Florida. The suggestion sparked outrage across the state, and after a series of Senate hearings around the state, the Council of 100 report was unceremoniously shelved.
A 2007 plan called for pumping up to 130 million gallons of water a day from the Ocklawaha River and piping it to thirsting greater Orlando through 500 miles of pipelines. The price of this project steadily rose until it hit some $800 million. Predictably, that plan met massive public pushback and, like the Council of 100 plan, was put in a drawer somewhere.
Well, here we go again.
The latest proposal to raid North Central Florida's water supply comes from the Central Florida Water Initiative. CFWI is a consortium made up of the St. Johns River, Southwest Florida and South Florida water management districts, as well as representatives from 43 local and county governments in Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and southern Lake counties, plus a couple dozens utilities that serve those communities.
The water districts say metro Orlando has tapped out its groundwater pumping capacity. The aquifer has no more water to give, even though projections show the region will need 40 percent more water by 2035. Today, the CFWI territory has 2.7 million people and uses 800 million gallons of water per day. By 2035, an estimated 4.1 million people will live in the region and need 1.1 billion gallons a day.
So what's the solution? Well, conservation is one thought, but water managers ridiculously argue there is not much more the people in Orlando can do to conserve water.
To no one's surprise, the consortium is looking for "alternate sources" of water beyond the aquifer, namely surface water — lakes and rivers. Of course, the study found that most of the lakes and rivers in Central Florida — again, not surprisingly — are experiencing low flows and probably are not going to be of significant help without destroying them.
There is plenty of water available, however, in North Florida, especially the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers — or so the water experts say.
The CFWI needs to get serious about mandatory conservation and meaningful, tiered pricing to curb water usage in its region and begin investing in desalination before it looks to come here and drain our water supply dry, too. And that is precisely what will happen if the CFWI plan is carried out.


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Students who study Spanish become explorers in many dimensions. They discover, among other things, that Spanish represents less an alternative means for expressing what we see and think, than a cultural lens predisposing and empowering its speakers to see and think in unique ways.
On looking through this lens, students diversify their perceptions of the world and multiply their opportunities to interact with it. These opportunities may include experiencing the tragic ferocity of the Spanish Civil War in the pages of Sender's Réquiem por un campesino español, serving as an interpreter for a Latino family in Northfield, teaching art to the children of imprisoned women in Quito, Ecuador, speaking with indigenous people on the shores of Guatemala's beautiful Lake Atitlán about their struggle to preserve the land, probing the imposing complexity of Latin American life within the mythic dimensions of García Márquez's Macondo, debating politics with impassioned university students in Seville, Spain, or talking into the night with a roommate from Costa Rica in the Spanish House. Whatever the channels opened- and they are countless- students who become proficient in Spanish discover that "Quien sabe dos lenguas, vale por dos."


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York's Master of Disaster & Emergency Management (MDEM) is the only graduate program of its kind in Ontario and one of only two in Canada. It is designed to meet the critical need for professionals with advanced level knowledge and abilities in this exciting and important field. The program will appeal to those currently working in the field looking to assume positions of increasing responsibility as well as those aspiring to become Disaster & Emergency Management professionals, and is available on a full-time or part-time basis.
Disaster & Emergency Management is the discipline of dealing with and avoiding risks. In this exciting and rapidly expanding field you will explore key concepts, methodologies and technologies used by emergency management professionals while honing your analytical, research and critical thinking skills. You will also gain a comprehensive understanding of how emergency management intersects with other disciplines such as psychology and sociology. The program is interdisciplinary, drawing on the strengths of faculty from across York University to offer a wide range of expertise in areas like environmental risks and management, natural hazards, business continuity, public health, public safety and security, crisis management, humanitarian aid and complex emergencies. Discover strategies to help save lives and property, reduce damage, and speed a community's recovery from natural and human-induced disasters and emergencies.
This program prepares you to synthesize large amounts of complex information and make sound decisions in challenging and often difficult circumstances. As a graduate you will be equipped with the knowledge and abilities needed to begin a career in emergency management, public safety or consultancy work for a range of positions in federal and provincial governments, large multinational companies, and non-governmental organizations like the Red Cross/Red Crescent, World Bank, Oxfam or UNICEF.


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Run With Us is proud to announce their involvement in the Pasadena 5K & Half Marathon at the Rose Bowl on 1/22/17.
To start it off, please join us at the Pasadena Block Party on 12/6 at the Dog Haus. They are bringing together the running community to celebrate the upcoming Pasadena Half Marathon & 5K at the Rose Bowl.
Come run, enjoy great food and beer from Dog Haus Biergarten, win great prizes and donate to the Pasadena Ronald McDonald House. We will be at the event raffling off a Head-to-Toe Running Package worth $150.
EVENT LINK: https://www.facebook.com/events/287095355025126/


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Boxing class moves online to help people with Parkinson's continue the fight from home
Posted: April 23, 2020 12:00 a.m.
Rock Steady Boxing – an affiliate program at the Dr. Paul Schwann Centre in the University of Regina's Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies – helps people with Parkinson's slow the progression of the disease. Participants engage in non-contact boxing exercises to improve their strength, balance, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, and mobility.
So, when the classes were cancelled due to social/physical distancing protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
|Now online classes will start off
with a warm-up consisting of
dynamic stretches, voice activation,
stationary jogging and shadow
boxing; strength exercises, and
core work; and end with a
cool-down of stretches, breathing,
and a group cheer.
participants shared their concern about the impact of the loss of the helpful exercise regimen.
"Our clients were saying that they really noticed a difference in their fitness and symptoms when they were not able to attend the class two or three times a week," said Erin Tyson, CSEP Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Coordinator of the Dr. Paul Schwann Centre.
Staff jumped into action and Rock Steady Boxing was back, this time as free online classes – helping participants with Parkinson's disease remain healthy and active while social distancing.
Participant Lynda Pettigrew, says she was ecstatic when she learned the class would be moving online. Since joining Rock Steady Boxing more than a year ago, Lynda has experienced significant improvement in her coordination, strength, balance, and energy levels. Her tremors – a common symptom of Parkinson's disease – have also decreased in number.
"The boxing class has made it easier to do day-to-day things such as go for walks with my grandkids and work in the garden," she says. "When I'm sewing, my eye-hand coordination is better."
Tyson agrees, saying that it's incredibly important to try to help their clients maintain the level of function that they have gained from the class.
Over the past couple of weeks, four trial classes were held over Zoom, with 18 Rock Steady participants, the majority of who are over 65 years of age.
"The participants seem really happy that we're doing this for them, and they seem really open to trying the technology," said Tyson.
During the online class, the camera is positioned on Rock Steady Coach and Clinical Exercise Physiologist Patrick Bernat, who demonstrates the exercises in silence while Carmen Agar, Rock Steady Coach and Clinical Exercise Physiologist, voices the instructions.
"We're muting all of the participants," said Tyson, adding that the in-person class is typically quite loud, with upbeat music playing and the instructors enthusiastically shouting over the music to motivate everyone. "Muting the participants will allow them to play music in their homes if they want."
Tyson said she is on the hunt for affordable boxing equipment that people can purchase for home use. However, since the class mainly focuses on warm-up exercises, core strengthening exercises, and functional exercises, such as squats, lunges, and push-ups, equipment isn't necessary.
"As far as boxing in their homes goes, they can do air boxing or shadow boxing, which doesn't require gloves or a punching bag," said Tyson.
The online classes are accepting new participants, but as is the case with in-person Rock Steady Boxing classes, new clients must be referred by their doctor. With non-emergency doctor's appointments being done by phone or video conference nowadays, the Dr. Paul Schwann Centre has already received a few new referrals.
|Dr. Cameron Mang, assistant
professor in the Faculty of
Kinesiology and Health Studies,
who runs the Enrich Neurorehab
"We're going to contact those participants, do an online assessment through Zoom, and get them into the class as well," said Tyson.
Another community-based program offered by the U of R's Faculty of Kinesiology and the Dr. Paul Schwann
Centre, Enrich Neurorehab, is also moving online. This program, which helps adults living with chronic neurological conditions, provides participants with individualized exercises in a group setting. Moving the class online will offer clients the opportunity to exercise at home with the support and supervision of Dr. Cameron Mang, assistant professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies.
"We want to do the best that we can to look after all of our clients during this time," said Tyson. "I think it's really important to support our clients while they're in social isolation. We're providing them with the support to continue doing their programs at home, so they can stay fit and healthy and come back to us fit and healthy."
To offset the costs of moving the program online and offering it at no cost during this time, donations to the Dr. Paul Schwann Centre and its community-based programs are being accepted online. Click here for details.
Check out #UofReginaCares for more stories about U of R students, alumni, faculty, and staff who are using their ingenuity, resolve, and hearts to care for our community during these challenging times.
Rock Steady Boxing class helps fight Parkinson's symptoms and improve quality of life


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A dreams has come true.
Do What Make Good - Der Anfang von 8500 km Glück
If you are interested yourself I am more than happy to share it with you. Enjoy reading and keep on #dowhatmakegood!
Sneak Preview...
This book would not exist if it was not to the help of some very special friends. Kerstin helped me building a storyline and finding a writing style in German (I had never written more than a single page in German before…). She digged deep in my memories and feelings to bring up all the little details and emotions I would not have dared to write into this book. Thank you for encouraging me to share so many little details and guiding me along the way. Thank you so much for making this dream come true and letting me live this journey again in such a special way.
Ela aka Bärbel Panther – my amazing co-worker who turned the written words in an artwork. She spent hours and nights to select THE perfect font (many of the capital letters reflect the beautiful shape of the koru), setting the text, designing the cover and illustrating the entire book. She turned "a little help for a friend" into her own passionate project. It is the most beautiful wrapping for the text I can imagine. Thanks for everything! Also for the heart attacks when you completely redesigned the cover five times after we had agreed on it… 😂
If you ever want need an illustration, you want to design your book or you need a CI, a business card – if you really want passionate art work this is where you have to go: FORMEN+NORMEN Designstudio.
Related Posts
9 Comments
Congratulations Florian!!! You shipping any of these to the States?Reply
Hey buddy, great to hear from you!
Of course I will ship you a copy. I will send you the details via mail.
My first reader from the US!!! 🥰Reply
Ist es das, was Du immer wolltest ? Wahrscheinlich nicht.
Aber wir wollten das.
In diesem Sinne: endlich ist es da !
Wie kommt Deine Widmung in das Buch ? Ich denk noch ne Weile drüber nach.Reply
Ganz einfach – ich nehm einen Stift in die Hand und dann kommt das da rein 😂Reply
Du bist noch immer ein Fan der unkomplizierten Lösungen 😂
Ich bin davon ausgegangen, dass Du verpacken lässt und somit keine Chance besteht. Ich bin halt ein bisschen complicated in the brain, hat sich nix geändert. 🤪
Das wäre übrigens die zweite Signatur meines Lebens. Die erste bekam ich von einem rehabilitierten Totschläger auf Alcatraz. Du bist demnach in guter Gesellschaft. *lach*
Eins der beiden Bücher wird ein Geschenk für Heike zum Geburtstag 😉 Könntest Du das entsprechend signieren ?
Ach, ich freu mich so ! Am meisten freu ich mich, dass es Dir offensichtlich gut geht.Reply
Well done Florian. W were so pleased to receive news of your FIRST book – indicating there will be others!! My sister is a published author so I know the frustrations & trials of publishing. If you bring out an English version, we will be most interested.
Best wishes
Diana & Fred (Hamilton NZ)Reply
Hello Diana & Fred!
So nice to hear from you again. I hope you are doing good in these crazy times and that you are safe and healthy! Yes, this book was a journey for itself. But it's such a rewarding feeling to hold it in my hands now. And the best part – again – was the the journey of the book.
You also made it into the book. So you will be the first ones to get a copy of the English version ;-))
All the best
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Wednesday, March 28
In Blog
Are You Missing This Vital Estate Planning Step?
Creating a trust without properly funding it is like opening a checking account and never depositing your paychecks. If you have questions or concerns about funding your trust, contact the Law Offices of David L. Carrier today.


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"Thirty five dollars and a six pack to my name"
Male, 47 years old
San Diego
United States
View Pics
Send Message
Add to Mosh Pit
Old cars and music
Hey, how are you doing?Thanx a lot for the support, we really appreciate it.Live for freedom, live for music, no gods, and no masters!Let's keep Punk Rock underground and independent away from big money investors that drain art by its source. Thank you for supporting your local scene and www.MohqwkRadio.com!
Hey! Cheers for the add!
Hey Thnx for the add what do u think of the tunes?
thanks for stoppin by. we finally got some songs up
Oi oi!!!Thanks alot for the add!!!


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Plant Pedestal
Our Plant Pedestals are made from three pieces of beech wood that fit together with seamless lap joinery. Their simplicity is a perfect way to show off arrangements both high and low. Use them to display plants, candles, seashells, flowers, hors d'oeuvres, and all your fine or humble wares.
Born in 1983 in Louisville, KY, Pete Oyler's work has been recognized and showcased internationally. A versatile designer and thinker, Oyler is particularly interested in design semiotics and in the potential of three-dimensional objects to incite imaginative curiosity. Oyler holds a BA in American Studies and an MFA in Furniture Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. In 2012 Oyler was named one of Forbes Magazine's Top 30 Under 30 for Art & Design. Oyler's work has been featured in numerous publications including the New York Times, Elle Décor, Ideat, and Wallpaper. He is the co-founder and lead designer of Assembly Design and is an Assistant Professor in Designed Objects at the School of Art Institute of Chicago.
- Beech
Tall: 6" x 6" x 4.6"
- Short: 6" x 6" x 2.3"
- Set of 2


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Paramount has released a first look at the upcoming fall biopic, Selma, which portrays Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s fight to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The film recaps King's struggle to secure voting rights for minorities during the 1965 march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama that led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act. Star David Oyelowo takes the lead bringing the civil rights icon to life on the big screen alongside castmates Carmen Ejogo, who plays Corett Scott King, Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr., Common, Wendell Pierce and Lorraine Toussaint.
The film, which is scheduled for a Christmas Day release, is directed by ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood honoree Ava DuVernay and produced by Winfrey.
Are you looking forward to the film?
Paramount Pictures
David Oyelowo and Carmen Ejogo as King and wife Coretta Scott King in Selma.


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IDEA Center - CREATE portage county
- 1039B Ellis Street
- Stevens Point, WI 54481
- (715) 254-0460
- Details
- Map
- Meeting Facilities
- TripAdvisor
2,400 sq. ft. (in three rooms) of meeting space (ranging from 10 - 50 people depending on use). Rooms are set up for different functions but include white board walls, projection capabilities and flexible furniture to support visioning & strategic planning workshops, lectures, classes, events, and other meetings.
- Description The IDEA Center has three separate rooms. The first room is divided into two spaces, an open flexible space and what we call our "Board Room" which is a three walled cove with all whiteboard walls that can seat about fifteen people. The second space is typically set up as co-working space, but can be used for classes, meetings, and receptions. The third space we call our social innovation lab and can host a larger board meeting (25-30 people) or a lecture/screening of about 50. Groups may rent out multiple rooms or the whole facility, but we do ask that a quiet work area always be available to individual IDEA Center members.
- Total Sq. Ft. 2400
- Number of Rooms 3
Board Room
- Classroom Capacity: 15
Social Innovation Lab
- Theater Capacity: 50
- Classroom Capacity: 30
- Banquet Capacity: 30
- Reception Capacity: 50


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Novelties at Venditalia: with Iarp's New York Chef, lunch is served!
11 Jun 2018
11 Jun 2018
Epta participated in the 11th edition of Venditalia, the international trade fair held every two years devoted to the automatic distribution sector. This year's edition presents many new advances, with more than 270 exhibitors expected on an area of over 32,000 m2. The Epta Group was present with its Iarp and Misa brands and a stand dedicated to Iarp's two areas of reference for vending: one with solutions aimed at urban environments, the other with a focus on refreshment areas.
The pride of Iarp's offering, New York vending machines for ice cream, are now available with R290 propane refrigerant to guarantee high performance and lower consumption. Venditalia was also an occasion to get a preview of New York Chef, an all-new version designed to promote sales of individual portions of ready-made frozen dishes for consumption during lunch breaks, from soups to baked pasta.
The Epta stand was completed by the London, Barcelona and Milano vending machines, with super-attractive metropolitan designs, available also with the profiles of the respective cities on the side panels, an example of the infinite customization possibilities achievable thanks to digital printing directly on the sheet metal. Also worth noting are Milano's two Master and Slave models, which make it possible to double the display space with a second window, controlled from a single push-button panel.
The vending machines are part of the Iarp City Collection range, the fruit of Plug-in power, a claim that sums up the brand's philosophy and strong points: high reliability, excellence, and innovative capability. In this regard Iarp vending machines stand out for their ease of use, which plays a fundamental role in incentivising impulse buying. LED lighting and the frameless full-glass door valorise the displayed items, while the luminous push-button panel and the touchscreen display contribute by enhancing the customer experience and increasing sales.
Iarp also offers some logistical components: Fox, based on an ice pack system to ensure better preservation of foods and beverages, is an ideal container for the transport of replenishments of perishable products for loading into vending machines, and Stik, designed to be inserted alongside the distributors for storage of items at -30°C. Its strong point is its high energy autonomy, which enables it, in the case of a lack of current, to keep the temperature constant for 48h.
Finally, the Misa mini-coldrooms stand out, technologically advanced systems that combine maximum food safety with maximum flexibility and sustainability. These appliances are equipped with the exclusive Epta Food Defence technology, an antibacterial treatment with silver ions that ensures the food safety of all the stocked products for total, permanent protection over the whole service life of the coldroom, and respond to the stringent requirements of Legislative Decree No. 29 of 10 Feb. 2017 (MOCA). Finally, to guarantee the maximum reduction of their carbon footprint, Misa mini-coldrooms have the Freeblock mono-block, compressor with R452A refrigerant, hermetically sealed and leak-proof, pre-loaded and tested at the factory and ready for immediate use.


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"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." It seems life's most desirable rewards rarely come to those who set out in pursuit of them—but strive instead for excellence, and the rewards of life often find you.
Russell Berger
Three rounds for time of:
Walking lunge, 50 meters
Standing broad-jump, 100 meters
Run 200 meters
Post time to comments.
3+ Hours After Anaerobic Endurance Strength & Conditioning WOD
Choose ONE of the Following Sports:
Swim, Bike, Run, C2
5 Min on, 2:30 Min off, 6 Min on, 3 Min off, 7 Min on.. Done.
All out maximal efforts!


text:
Google's October Pixel event is still a few weeks away, but images of the miniature successor to the Google Home smartspeaker have already leaked.
According to DroidLife, the Google Home Mini will be available in three colours, 'Chalk,' 'Charcoal' and 'Coral.'
Images suggest that the Home Mini will be wired and about a third of the size of the original Google Home. The Home Mini also appears to feature several lights on the top of the device, which is similar to the Google Home's multi-colored LEDs.
DroidLife expects that the Google Home Mini will cost $49 USD, roughly $60 CAD.
Source: DroidLife


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Johnston, Bo - Basketball, 1966
Johnston was a star basketball center at Savannah High from 1930-32, leading the team to three consecutive Georgia Interscholastic Athletic Association Championships. He also led the team to the Alonzo Staff Invitational Tournament in Chicago - where SHS represented Georgia in the 48-team tournament - making it as far as the quarterfinals. After his All-State career at SHS, Johnston played varsity basketball at Georgia Tech from 1936-38. While at Tech, he was named to several All-America teams and was selected as an All-Southeastern athlete. Johnson was the first basketball player to be inducted into Georgia Tech's Hall of Fame.


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At a time when lithium-ion batteries are becoming ubiquitous, whether in our smartphones, mobile objects connected laptops or in all our electric vehicles (cars, buses, but also bicycles and electric scooters …) the number of production center keeps increasing.
In view of the different types of batteries available on the market these are lithium-ion batteries, which, by their characteristics, seem to best match the demands of e-mobility.
The first work on these accumulators dates from 1970 by researchers who have discerned the exploitable potential of this solid and particularly light metal. In 1985, the first battery is made and allows to see the benefits of this new technology, without rapidly destructive memory effect.
It is largely thanks to the relationship between their weight, their energy density and the price that this accumulator has become very interesting in the electric vehicle market.
We note that the production of these Lithium-ion batteries is accelerating today on all continents. So far advances have been more pronounced in China, and in the United States, but recently, the number of factory construction projects is increasing sharply in Europe with significant investments.
At present, the development of electric mobility undoubtedly depends on the development of lithium-ion batteries, which must always be more efficient and resistant.
The production of these high-performance lithium-ion batteries requires a high level of quality since its performance will depend heavily on them. Safety and increased longevity will also require excellent quality.
SCANTECH develops optimized measurement systems that allow its customers complete control over their production for this type of application, so measuring the components of these lithium-ion batteries will be adapted.
In other words, solutions specific to cathode anodes are developed as well as separators of lithium-ion batteries.
The website page will give you more information on the benefits of a SCANTECH solution.


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Cannabis Facility Floor Coating
As part of a growing and newly-born business niche in Canada, Cannabis facilities and laboratories are trying to meet the highest standards of both food and drug hygiene and safety regulations. The flooring of a cannabis facility can be either a hindrance or an advantage and assistant to the production process and office area.
Our smooth and UV resistant Urethane Concrete Coating Systems, installed by our well-trained and highly-experienced technicians, based on your budget and function, protect your vulnerable and precious cannabis plants from microbes, fungi and infections by sealing off the seams and gaps in adjacent areas. Here is how we support your business and why you need our cannabis facility flooring solutions Vancouver:


text:
Raekwon recently announced that his Fly International Luxurious Art LP will be released April 28. Today, he's shared "Wall to Wall", which features both French Montana and Busta Rhymes. You can listen to it above, via Noisey.
Last month, Raekwon announced The Purple Tape Files, a documentary on his landmark album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.
Watch the video for Raekwon's "All About You" featuring Estelle, which he's previously said is on the album:


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|Calendar of Events 2022
The fifers in the Loyalist Fifes and Drums are playing on what are called, "Model F" fifes.
The drummers of the Loyalist Fifes and Drums play on side-slung, rope-tension tenor snare drums.
full article
Over the next few months you are going to be learning a skill that requires both physical and mental abilities. You will need to learn what the notes on the page mean and then you need to translate those notes into physical movements with your hands.
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Your instructor Andrew C. Rempt
with large friend.
come see me in my on-ground office? Ya can. 400F on the SWC main
campus, Mondays 11-12:40, Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:30-2:20.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: English
116 is the second semester of Freshman Composition, and it focuses
on argumentation and critical thinking.
WARNING: This class is rated "R"
for mature themes, graphic violence, sexual situations and religious
issues. If frank discussion of these themes offends you, or if you
can't deal with these topics in a mature manner, maybe this section
isn't for you.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITES: This is a
college-level course, and I expect you to treat it as such. This
means the following:
ATTENDANCE: In an online class,
attendance is assessed by the submission of your work. If you don't
turn assignments in, you're "absent." If you miss a deadline for
a discussion board post, your "absent." Online courses demand some
discipline, and if you fall behind, it'll be very tough to catch
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS: If you have
any needs for special accommodations in accordance with the Americans
with Disabilities Act, please inform me as soon as possible, and
I will make every reasonable effort to see your needs are met.
TUTORING: To further your success,
reinforce concepts, and achieve the stated learning objectives for
this course, I refer you to Academic Success Center learning assistance
services. You will be automatically enrolled in NC 3: Supervised
Tutoring, a free noncredit course that does not appear on your transcripts.
Services are located in the ASC (420), the Writing Center (420D),
the Reading Center (420), Math Center (426), the Library/LRC Interdisciplinary
Tutoring Lab, MESA, specialized on-campus School tutoring labs, the
Higher Education Center, and the San Ysidro Education Center. Online
learning materials and Online Writing Lab (OWL) are available at www.swccd.edu/~asc
ASSIGNMENTS: All
essays must be double-spaced, typed in a 12 to 14 point font such
as Times or Palatino, and submitted as a .doc,
.docx. or .rtf file,
or I
will not accept them. You are also required to retain
a copy of all work submitted and returned. I cannot and will
not be responsible for lost or missing papers. (PS. I can also
take documents saved in .pages). Make sure your name
is on all of the work you submit to me!
IMPORTANT! When submitting files to me via email, make sure the
subject line contains your last name and the assignment and
that your file begins with you last name. For example, an email containing
an essay on Dracula from a student named Kobe Bryant should have
the subject line "Bryant Dracula essay" and contain a filed named
"Bryant Dracula."
DISCUSSION BOARDS: You are expected
to visit and read posts on the discussion board a minimum of three
days per week. Each student is expected to make primary posts to
specific prompts and 2 secondary posts for each primary post (replies
to peers) over at least two different days each week. You
can't post everything at once because that would be like talking
to yourself.
Only posts made to the discussion board will
receive credit. Please do not email posts.
Code of Conduct and Netiquette:
EMAIL: Please make sure you have your real
name on
your email, and include the class in your subject line. NOTE: If
you have a funky address like email@example.com (a real email
address belonging to a former student), your email will likely end
up deleted by the college spam blocker.
PAPERS: You'll be doing 3 different
kinds of essays this semester:
LATE WORK: Any and all work submitted past
a deadline will be considered late with date and time of submission determined by when it reaches my inbox. Also
if the work is not in one of the formats specified above, it will also
be considered late. I will deduct one letter grade or grade point for
every calendar day work is late.
GRADING: Your semester grade is
based on the total sum of your work as determined by the actual points
and grades earned:
REQUIRED TEXTS: All books are available
at and should be purchased online from the Southwestern
College Bookstore.
Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde (this is a single book that contains all three texts).
Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde (this is a single book that contains all three texts).
Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde (this is a single book that contains all three texts).
CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR INSTRUCTOR: If
you want to pass this, or any, class as easily as possible, it behooves
you to understand the quirks and whims of your instructor. With that
in mind, I present you a brief overview of the easiest way to get
along with me.
I am dedicated to helping you pass this course in
any reasonable way I can. If you are willing to work and follow these
guidelines, you should do fine.


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Courchevel is understandably one of the most popular resorts in the Alps. With a fantastic variety of runs and as a part of the largest ski area in the world in the Three Valleys, it's not hard to see why millions of tourists flock to the area each year.
Here at New Gen we want to make sure you get the best out of your trip to the resort where we started 20 years ago, and we like to think that we have a pretty good knowledge of where to go to escape the crowds – from beginners to the most advanced among you!
An Insider's Guide to Skiing Courchevel
Where to head when?
Timing your day might sound like a pain, and maybe not in keeping with that spontaneous holiday spirit, but in a peak week it could save you valuable ski time and help avoid the busy crowds on popular pistes.
The piste du jour (piste of the day) will be posted each morning at the main lift stations, and always worth checking out if you're stuck for inspiration. Equally, the free Three Valleys smartphone app will tell you which runs have been pisted, which are open and which are shut. If you see that Chapelets in 1650 has been groomed – make a beeline there and don't look back! It's one of the best.
Creux is a lovely long, winding blue run and one of the most enjoyable pistes in Courchevel, however its outstanding views and wide slope means it gets incredibly busy early on – so make sure you head there first thing. Equally, the more challenging red run La Combe de la Saulire won't disappoint if you get first tracks down the beautifully groomed piste.
The Biollay chair lift and its surrounding slopes are popular for kids and adults alike, but are runs favoured by ski schools, so it's crucial to get there when the queues aren't! Ski through lunch (make sure you're prepared with plenty of snacks) and head to Biollay when everyone else is eating. You can't beat cruising over rollers when the mountain's empty.
Where to head when the weather turns
Courchevel spans 4 different villages and shares the slopes with La Tania, meaning that the variety in altitude and terrain provides its lucky visitors with somewhere to go in every condition!
When the clouds roll in or it's dumping with snow, stick to the trees to maximise visibility and head to the lower parts of resort. Depending on ability, take Plan Fontaine (green) or Folieres (blue) down to La Tania. Murettes (red) and Jockeys (black) down to Le Praz are also great fun – who says bad weather means bad skiing?
If you do find yourself up high in a whiteout, without trees to help guide the way – look for the piste markers to help guide you. Markers with a fluorescent orange top will always be on the right hand side of the piste, so just take it slow and head low!
When the sun is shining, it's hard to imagine a better place to be than in the mountains. Make the most of the weather and make a picnic before you leave in the morning, Courchevel is peppered with lots of lovely picnic spots, so you don't need to spend an arm and a leg having a terrace lunch at one of Courchevel's expensive mountain restaurants. The top of the Creux Noir chair lift boasts some of the best views in the Three Valleys, just be aware that the runs down are only suitable for red level skiers or above.
If you do fancy a long lunch in the sun, then the Bouc Blanc restaurant is great value and has friendly staff and beautiful views.
Finish off the day right
So you've spent all day exploring Courchevel's best kept secrets, but what about a reward for a hard day's skiing?
If you're staying in 1650, head to the top of Roc Merlet (accessed by the Roc Merlet or Chanrossa chairs) and ski all the way down to the bottom of the Ariondaz bubble. This should take you right to the Fire and Ice bar of the four star Portetta hotel, where you'll be greeted by happy hour prices and free pizza. A perfect way to end the day.
In Le Praz, you're lucky enough to be in the midst of the best vin chaud in the Three Valleys – the cosy Peupliers hotel. A word of warning though – more than a couple and you may struggle to get home!
We could go on for hours going over our favourite places to ski in Courchevel, but the beauty of such a large and varied resort means there are always new places for each of its guests to discover – let us know if we've missed anything out!


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By Nigam Arora
Getty Images
Investors who have written to me are excited about President Trump's proposed tax plan. The kicker is that any tax relief would come on top of good company earnings (so far) this earnings season.
I've been asked for an optimistic long-term target for the U.S. stock market. So here it is: Dow (DOW:DJIA) 30,000 in five years. However, investors are well-advised to review all scenarios, not only the optimistic one.
The Trump tax plan
Trump is expected to unveil basic principles of his tax plan Wednesday. He wants to cut the corporate tax rate to 15% from the current 35%. He also will propose a 15% rate to be used by pass-through entities, compared with the top current rate of 39.6%. American corporations have stashed over $2.6 trillion of earnings abroad. For repatriation, he will propose a 10% tax on foreign earnings.
If enacted, these changes would be very positive for the economy. Trump's tax plan would boost gross domestic product (GDP), though tax revenue would initially fall. Let's examine this issue with a chart.
Chart dating to 1950
The chart shows GDP growth going back to 1950. Trump has been talking about 4% growth in GDP, which, as you can see, is a tall order. It's been attainable in the past, but not so much recently. Still, even if Trump doesn't meet his own goal, the economy — and corporate earnings — would benefit.
Ask Arora: Nigam Arora answers your questions about investing in stocks, ETFs, bonds, gold and silver, oil and currencies. Have a question? Send it to Nigam Arora.
The biggest factor
The biggest single factor in the long-term direction of stocks is earnings growth. The fundamental case for Dow 30,000 has strengthened as risks have receded in Europe and amid excellent earnings from Dow Jones Industrial Average components Caterpillar (NYS:CAT) , E.I. DuPont de Nemours (NYS:DD) , McDonald's (NYS:MCD) , 3M (NYS:MMM) and American Express (NYS:AXP)
The Arora Report estimate for the S&P 500 Index (S&P:SPX) — often traded using the SPDR S&P 500 (PSE:SPY) — is $137 per share. According to the Arora Report's analysis of Trump's proposals, tax cuts could add about $13 to S&P 500 earnings. Deregulation could add another $7. If gross domestic product growth were to accelerate to 4%, S&P 500 earnings could reach as high as $190 a share in about five years.
Read: A big chunk of the Dow's gains have come from earnings
Given the potential growth in the economy, in spite of the Federal Reserve's plan to raise interest rates, the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio may stay in the range of 18 to 21. A P/E of 20 applied to $190 in earnings leads to 3,800 in S&P 500. (The benchmark index as of this writing is 2,383.)
For the Dow Jones Industrial Average, that translates to reaching over 33,450 by the end of 2021, Trump's first term. (The Dow is at 20,996 as of this writing.) Allowing for some hiccups, Dow 30,000-plus is doable.
Big risks
Even if the Dow reaches 30,000, the trajectory wouldn't be a straight line. To be sure, there are big risks. Trump might not be able to execute his plans, and he might start a trade war. Another risk is that the Federal Reserve ends up raising interest rates too quickly, eroding company earnings. In addition, there's a chance a recession could occur before Dow 30,000. A recession could result in a year-long bear market.
Holy Grail
Under this scenario, the stock market would be a strong trending market from a long-term perspective. And in a strong trending market, the Holy Grail is to buy stocks with good fundamentals as prices dip.
Here are 10 stocks already in The Arora Report portfolio investors should consider buying on dips: Applied Materials (NAS:AMAT) , Bank of America (NYS:BAC) , E*Trade Financial , Expedia (NAS:EXPE) , Facebook , Intel (NAS:INTC) , J.P. Morgan (NYS:JPM) , Royal Dutch Shell , T-Mobile (NAS:TMUS) and Walgreens Boots Alliance (NAS:WBA) . We provide specific recommendations on buy zones to buy on dips, recommended quantities and target zones for each of these stocks to our subscribers.
It is important to hold a fair amount of cash at this time. Otherwise, when the market falls, you won't have money to buy these stocks at better prices.
Disclosure: Subscribers to The Arora Report may have positions in the securities mentioned in this article or may take positions at any time. All recommended positions are reviewed daily at The Arora Report.
Nigam Arora is an investor, engineer and nuclear physicist by background, has founded two Inc. 500 fastest-growing companies, is the developer of the adaptive ZYX Global Multi Asset Allocation Model and the ZYX Change Method to profit from change in trading and investing. He is the founder of The Arora Report, which publishes four newsletters. Nigam can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Bibliography
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
Grades in the course are based on the group work and presentation (30%) and final written exam (70%).
- Group work and presentation (30%): Critical analysis of a fundraising case which will be assigned in class, and its presentation in class.
- Final written exam (70%) on the topics discussed in class and materials indicated (see reference list). The final written exam consists of three open questions.
The goal of the written exam is to assess the student's knowledge on the whole program as well as his/her ability to critically analyse the fundraising issues provided.
To succeed, students must obtain not less than 18 (eighteen) out of 30 (thirty). Students who obtain a total sum higher than 30 are entitled to pass the exam with honour (cum laude).
The course's goal is to present the fundamentals of fundraising, as well as to provide students with an understanding of the specific role that communication plays in establishing, maintaining and developing efficient partnerships and sponsorship collaborations between companies and non-profits. Moreover, the role of communication in the construction and diffusion of the corporate image - enhanced by the fundraising relationship - towards its own reference market will be investigated during the course. Students will be provided with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills that will help them not only to design and manage fundraising campaigns for non-profits, but also to develop fruitful and long-term collaborations with corporations, individuals, government and foundations.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Incorporate the different components of fundraising into a comprehensive fundraising development plan;
- Deal with the different fundraising techniques and use them appropriately according to the projects to be implemented;
- Design and implement a successful fundraising campaign;
- Design a development plan that is focused on building long-term and productive partnership with the contributors.
DETAILED PROGRAM (20 hours):
A) INTRODUCTION (2 hours)
A historical-theoretical introduction to the discipline of fundraising in order to understand its evolution over time and to hypothesize future development scenarios.
B) FUNDRAISING STRATEGY (2 hours)
The design of the strategy according to the objectives of the organization, followed by a step by step explanation of the actions necessary to implement a fundraising strategy.
C) PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CONTRIBUTORS (8 hours)
An introduction to the contributors to non-profit organizations, namely:
- Government
- Individuals
- Corporations
- Foundations
D) FUNDRAISING VEHICLES (4 hours)
An overview of the fundraising vehicles, namely:
- Annual Fund
- Major Gifts
- Capital Campaign
- Planned Giving
E) FUNDRAISING TECNIQUES (4 hours)
An introduction to the most used fundraising techniques (e.g. special events or mailing), with particular attention to the more recent ones (e.g. crowdfunding).
At the beginning of the course, the detailed program along with the schedule of the lessons will be uploaded on the e-learning platform.
Required Materials
- Slides of the lessons
- Morton, V. (Ed.). (2012). Corporate fundraising. Directory of Social Change.
Additional Readings
- Cohen, R. & M. Wyszomirski. (2002). Profiles of Cultural Support: An Overview. Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society. 32(3), pp. 175-184.
- Levy, R. (2009). Yours for the asking: an indispensable guide to fundraising and management. John Wiley & Sons.
- Tempel, E. R., Aldrich, E. E., Seiler, T. L., & Burlingame, D. F. (2016). Achieving excellence in fundraising. John Wiley & Sons.
- Weinstein, S. (2009). The complete guide to fundraising management (Vol. 190). John Wiley & Sons.
Front lectures, case discussion, group works


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Dams threaten freshwater biodiversity
Freshwater habitats like rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, streams, swamps and marshes account for only three percent of the world's water and cover about 0.8 percent of the Earth's surface, but harbour incredible diversity and are homes to more than 100, 000 species of plants and animals.
Freshwater biodiversity is being disproportionately threatened in recent years and damming of rivers is one of the important threats to freshwater biodiversity. While big dams are claimed to provide direct economic benefits like water security, flood protection, and renewable energy, they can lead to negative effects on freshwater ecosystems like flooding, hydrologic alteration, and fragmentation (interruption of the rivers natural flow).
As high as 40 percent of fish species are found in freshwater environments and fragmentation of the freshwater environment has major implications for fish as dams obstruct migration routes of fish that are essential for spawning, feeding and dispersal. It has been feared that the near-future expansion of hydropower facilities throughout the world will further threaten freshwater fish biodiversity.
Shrinking rivers, growing dams
Global studies show that an estimated 48 percent of the river volumes are currently being altered because of flow regulation or fragmentation and the pending construction of around 3,700 major hydropower dams is expected to increase this percentage to 93 percent. While studies have looked at the impacts of dams on habitat connectivity, few studies have looked at the impact of loss in connectivity of rivers (hindrances in the continuous flow of the rivers) induced due to damming on freshwater biodiversity.
This study 'Impacts of current and future large dams on the geographic range connectivity of freshwater fish worldwide' published in PNAS assessed the impacts of current and future large dams on the geographic range connectivity of 10,000 fish species living in partially or exclusively flowing freshwater bodies worldwide.
The impact of around 40,000 existing large dams and 3,700 large hydropower dams currently under construction or planned on fish that migrate between freshwater and marine environments (classified as diadromous fish) and fish that complete their lifecycle in freshwater (non-diadromous fish) was assessed. The study used 'connectivity index' to assess impacts on fish that migrate between fresh and marine waters (diadromous) and those that are found only in freshwater (non-diadromous).
Freshwater fish suffer more due to damming
The findings revealed that:
- Freshwater fish suffered more due to fragmentation and loss of connectivity of rivers due to building of dams. The connectivity values were better for fish that moved between freshwater and marine environments (86 percent) than for freshwater species (73 percent).
- Fish habitats that were most impacted and disconnected were found in the rivers in United States, Europe, South Africa, India, and China and these were predicted to increase further with more construction of dams. The largest differences between impacts of present and future dams were found in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
- Decreases in connectivity due to future dams were higher for freshwater species in large tropical and subtropical rivers such as the Amazon, Congo, Niger, Salween, and Mekong. The connectivity dropped by 40 percent in larger river basins like the Danube and the Niger.
- While the current connectivity of fish in the tropics was better than that in the temperate regions, the proposed dams were predicted to affect the fish population in the tropics the most.
Fragmented rivers, disappearing fish
The current study, is of great importance for India, having one of the most fragmented fish habitats in the world according to this study, and which as has about 5,264 large existing dams while 437 are under construction.
Evidence from India shows that dams have had a major impact on downstream ecosystems and fisheries due to hydrological modification, absence of water in rivers, obstacles in migration, changes in salinity and sediment, loss of riparian areas and floodplains.
According to a SANDRP report,
- Dams constructed in the upstream and the Prakassam Barrage on the Krishna estuary in Andhra Pradesh have diverted all the water away from the river leading to drying up of the estuary in the summer season, increase in salinity leading to the disappearance of a number of freshwater fish such as carps, catfishes, murrels, feather backs etc.
- Fisheries in dammed Krishna, Godavari, Mahanadi, Pennar, Narmada, Tapi, Sabarmati, Mahi and Cauvery estuary are rapidly declining because of absence of freshwater in the estuaries all round the year and destruction of the mangrove forests. Riverine and estuarine fisheries in Narmada are also already affected by the Sardar Sarovar, Narmada Sagar, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Tawa and Bargi dams.
- Hilsa fisheries in Cauvery collapsed in the upstream after Mettur Dam while Hilsa that migrated from the Bay of Bengal upto Allahabad prior to commissioning Farakka Barrage, showed an increasing decline in production post Farraka. Puntius species was also found to have disappeared in Cauvery post dam, which formed 28 percent of the landings prior to dam construction. Mahseer, is now an endangered fish and has literally disappeared from all Indian rivers due to dams and barrages. Upcoming dams in North East and Himalayas are also feared to threaten the survival of this fish further. Tehri Dam on Bhagirathi has already impacted Mahseer migration to a great extent. The 330 dams planned in Uttarakhand are also feared to impact the survival of fish in the region.
- Narmada River system on the west coast saw a decline in Hilsa catch following the construction of the Tawa Dam that led to reduction of water depth and loss of carp breeding and feeding grounds in the central 240 km stretch of the Narmada Basin. Embankments constructed along the Brahmaputra as a flood control measure have led to shrinkage of feeding and spawning grounds of many fish species. Plans are being made to construct more than 135 dams on tributaries of Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh namely, Siang, Dibang, Subansiri, Kameng, Tawang and Lohit. These are also feared to block the migratory routes of trouts and mahseer.
A study in the Western Ghats showed that fish populations were severely affected just downstream of dams and barrages in the Malaprabha basin. Another study in the Godavari basin also shows that dams led to habitat fragmentation.
The impacts of construction of large dams on fish species can be huge and demands immediate attention. The study calls for an urgent need to have a relook at the current ways in which we manage our rivers, including the narrow ways in which we plan our hydropower projects without consideration for the health of the river and its ecosystem, pay more attention to identifying types of fish and the river basins at risk and focus on restoration efforts such as dam removal and construction of fish bypasses.
The paper can be accessed here


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UMass Boston Harborwalk Park
Boston, MA
Radhika is a senior associate and landscape architect at Sasaki. She has focused her professional career on bringing a number of built-work projects through construction administration. She has also been involved in significant large-scale master planning projects, both nationally and internationally.
Radhika has previous experience as an architect in India, where she focused on residential projects, as well as interior design for retail and commercial projects, working on all stages through construction administration. Work within this wide range of scale and experience has helped her to understand and integrate the built environment with the landscape, to bridge the gap between design and implementation. She is driven by producing high quality built work, beginning with strong design ideas and leading all the way through to high quality craftsmanship on all of her projects.
Radhika holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and a Bachelor of Architecture from R V College of Engineering's School of Architecture, Bangalore, India.
Boston, MA
Fairfield, CT
Fairfield, CT
Fairfield, CT
Washington, DC
Cedar Rapids, IA
Fraijanes, Guatemala
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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