text:
We think there is no better place for students to learn about the great outdoors than on the world's largest sand island - Fraser Island.
Bursting with natural and cultural history, geology and unique flora and fauna, Fraser is the perfect choice to take learning out of the classroom and into the outdoors.
Home to the Butchulla people who have lived on the island for over 5,500 years and originally called the island K'gari (meaning paradise), Fraser Island is filled with a rich cultural history, which is evident in its archaeological sites, middens and ceremonial bora rings.
European history credits its discovery to Captain James Cook who sailed by in May 1770.
The island was later named after Eliza Fraser who was a survivor of the Stirling Castle, that was shipwrecked on the island in 1836.
Fraser Island was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1992 in recognition of its outstanding natural universal values including complex dune systems that are still evolving; perched dune lakes (the second highest concentration in Australia) and rainforests that grow in sand - the only place in the world where they do this at elevations of 200m.
Fraser Island has been two million years in the making and combines mangrove forests, wallum heath and peat swamps, eucalyptus woodland, sand dunes, coastal heaths and rainforests into an area just 1840km squared. Perched, barrage and window lakes are in abundance and silent running fresh-water creeks, fed from a natural aquifer that takes 100 years for the water to filer through. The two rocky outcrops, on Fraser's eastern beach, were formed by volcanic activity 80 million years ago.
Whales, dugongs, dolphins, birds, dingoes, reptiles, amphibians and fish – the island is home to a diverse array of native terrestrial and water fauna. The island's flora is equally diverse from mangrove colonies to open woodland and dense subtropical rainforest growing completely in sand. Fraser Island's famous Satinay trees were used to rebuild the London Docks (after the war) and the Suez Canal.
Fraser has it all.


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Well, no sooner do I announce that I have become a Welshman than everybody wants in on the act. Now it is being reported that Bob Dylan is considering playing a gig in the city of Swansea, Wales, during 2014, to honor the centenary of the birth of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.
This is a little bit of a turnaround for Bob, as he used to push back aggressively at the idea that he took his name from Dylan Thomas. However, he seems to have relaxed about that whole thing, even reading some Dylan Thomas poetry on his "Theme Time Radio Hour" show a few years back. Yet, Dylan Thomas might stand as one of the few poets Bob has never actually "borrowed" from (unless I've missed it along the way). Their work doesn't share much in the style department. I take as accurate Bob's account (I think in Chronicles) that he was set to name himself "Bob Dillon," but then it occurred to him that spelling it as "Dylan" just plain looked better. And I think we'd have to acknowledge that he was right about that.
Bob may not have been a particular fan of Dylan Thomas's poetry back then, but that has little to do with whether he is one now. Another intersection of their lives was the Chelsea Hotel in New York City, where Bob Dylan spent a fair amount of time in the 1960s, and where Dylan Thomas, sadly, spent his final days in 1953.
I like them both, both Dylans, and, for that matter, almost anyone named Dylan, because I am, after all, a Welshman now.
If Bob does play Wales for the Dylan Thomas centenary, the odds are very good that he'll just do the same gig he always does and leave without any special acknowledgement of the occasion. At least half of those attending will walk away going, "What the hell was that?" and some displeased reviews will be written. Should Bob wish to avoid this—although I don't think he cares to avoid it at all—let me give him some advice, as I have been Welsh now for several weeks and I know a little about these things.
Bob can have the crowd in the palm of his hand should he sing the old Welsh tune "Cwm Rhondda." The melody was written by John Hughes, and it is most commonly sung with a lyric in English (by William Williams) known as "Bread of Heaven." All Welshmen know it well (I know it myself now like the back of my hand) and if he wants to utterly vanquish the audience and be coronated on the spot he'll bring on the Treorchy Male Choir to sing it with him. (Only he'd better turn his own microphone up a fair bit.) See below for a clip via YouTube of the choir in action with this very song (though here actually with a Welsh lyric).
You can also listen to this beautiful song (in English) by such as Harry Secombe and Cerys Matthews.
However, if learning "Cwm Rhondda" is too challenging for Bob, then I would suggest at the very least a duet with Tom Jones on "What's New Pussycat?" It has never been known to fail.
And with that, I've offered all the advice this newly-minted Welshman can give.


text:
mercoledì 29 maggio 2013
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With UK Wool Week officially kicking off today, we bring you 6 fabulous knitted jumpers to invest in now. Whether you pair with a lether pencil skirt (bang on trend) or skinny jeans/ankle boots for a more casual weekend look, a knitted jumper is the key piece to get your mitts on this season.
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The 4th Banchory Guides took part in Girlguiding's Growing Guiding.
As part of the challenge they planted up bowls of hyacinths which have been given to the Library and various Banks and shops in Banchory to promote Girlguiding.
The local group is currently looking for a leader (aged 18 to 65) to join the team at Tuesday Rainbows (girls aged 5 to 7 yrs).
No previous experience is required as Girlguiding provides a training programme.
For further information go to www.girlguiding.org.uk or call Caroline on 01330 823071.


text: thaw \thaw\ (th[add]), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Thawed} (th[add]d); p. pr. & vb. n. {Thawing}.] [AS. [thorn][=a]wian, [thorn][=a]wan; akin to D. dovijen, G. tauen, thauen (cf. also verdauen to digest, OHG. douwen, firdouwen), Icel. [thorn]eyja, Sw. t["o]a, Dan. t["o]e, and perhaps to Gr. th`kein to melt. [root]56.] 1. To melt, dissolve, or become fluid; to soften; -- said of that which is frozen; as, the ice thaws. [1913 Webster] 2. To become so warm as to melt ice and snow; -- said in reference to the weather, and used impersonally. [1913 Webster] 3. Fig.: To grow gentle or genial. Compare {cold}[4], a. and {hard}[6], a. [1913 Webster +PJC]


text:
Video: Brazilian coach brawls with radio reporters
Goias Coach Emerson Leao, a Brazilian goalkeeping legend and former national team boss, objects to the line of questioning from radio reporters following a 2-2 draw at Vitoria:
Steve Goff
July 22, 2010; 10:57 AM ET
Categories: Brazil | Tags: Brazil
Save & Share: Previous: Sal Zizzo to Chivas USA
Next: Soccer TV listings: MLS, friendlies, Mexico
SIR, but Mr. Najar is now making the British papers.
He's the third player listed. Not that there's any credence to this report (if he's been invited for a trial w Arsenal, wouldn't Goffinho have heard?) but I would think it would dash our dreams of Najar pulling on the national team shirt if he leaves the US before he's eligible for the team.
Oh, and I love that they take every opportunity to bash American soccer. Wankers.
Posted by: daandre3 | July 22, 2010 11:13 AM | Report abuse
I don't speak Portuguese, but I'm pretty sure that the announcers said the military police were doing "absolutely nothing" to defuse the situation. The announcers would be right.
Posted by: hungrypug | July 22, 2010 11:19 AM | Report abuse
Gotta love the sucker punch by the random player. Probably good for TV ratings though...
Daandre... Ives had a report up yesterday in which Najar's agent denied that any plans have been made for the offseason.
I honestly do not understand this Najar to USMNT hype. It is such a long shot and most likely completely improbably. Let's just enjoy his talent while we can.
Posted by: grubbsbl | July 22, 2010 11:34 AM | Report abuse
Even the radio reporters dive and embellish.
What a sport. I guess it was bound to happen once they're permitted onto the field. Isn't there a post-game press conference room that would create a better, less tense and more controlled interview area?
Posted by: tab5g1 | July 22, 2010 11:37 AM | Report abuse
I don't get it either grubbsbl, unless he goes with the US because he knows that means certain qualification each WC cycle. but he doesnt strike me as the kind of kid who would do that.
Posted by: VTUnited | July 22, 2010 12:04 PM | Report abuse
If that's Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, I'm sticking with Tae Kwon Do.
More fodder for the soccer haters. And they'll have a point, unfortunately.
Posted by: Rand-al-Thor | July 22, 2010 12:11 PM | Report abuse
I don't speak Portuguese...
Posted by: hungrypug
I don;t either, but I'm pretty sure that Emerson said "Playoffs? Playoffs?
Posted by: I-270Exit1 | July 22, 2010 12:32 PM | Report abuse
A happy soccer video:
Posted by: csd1 | July 22, 2010 1:40 PM | Report abuse
I too am in the camp of folks who think that Najar to the US Nats is a pipe dream we should leave alone. Where did all the hand wringing and wishing get us with Subotic or Rossi? I've yet to see or read of an interview with Andy where he shows a firm grasp of English or even a desire to learn. Call me old school, but if you've been here 3 years and aren't speaking English yet I'm not feeling the whole capping you thing.
The kid has a twitter right? If someone really wants to know go twitter the kid and find out who he'd really rather play for...
You could mention that he may have more of a chance playing for the US in a World Cup if he plays for the Stars and Stripes, but mention he might want to start working on his English so he can at least pretend he knows anything about these United States.
Posted by: DadRyan | July 22, 2010 2:30 PM | Report abuse
@I-270: as a DC United fan, I am saddened by the word "playoffs" (spoken in any language).
Posted by: hungrypug | July 22, 2010 2:36 PM | Report abuse
Maybe if our coach showed a tenth of that passion we might actually win some games!
Posted by: mizage | July 23, 2010 9:44 AM | Report abuse
So if Onalfo attacks Goff, then DC United will win games?
Posted by: OWNTF | July 23, 2010 10:06 AM | Report abuse
The comments to this entry are closed.


text:
On Saturday night us Iida-blockers headed north to Myokokogen ski resort in Niigata-ken. We stayed the night in the same dorm place last time. The evening consisted on onsen, karaoke, drink and food. My rendition of 'Take A Look Around' by Limp Bizkit left something to be desired, although I nailed 'Handle With Care' by the Traveling Wilberries.
After a good nights sleep we were ready to hit the slopes on Sunday morning.
The day was awesome. It always catches me unawares how high up you really are - we took the lift to the higher reaches of the resort, where the sky was blue and the sun bright and warm, and then snowboarded down into cloud below. You couldn't see more than 20 yards ahead of you, and fast-moving shadows quickly materialised as skiers, before flying past and simply disappeared into the gloomy abyss ahead (think Stephen King's "Fog", but with less terrifying and people-eating creatures). It was good fun, made better by the warmer weather and the fact I didn't manage to injure myself like I have done in recent snowboarding trips - ending up with your head stuck in the snow like a cartoon ostrich will put a dampener on your day.
Afterwards we headed back to Matsukawa to soak our bones in the onsen (stopping at Starbucks on the way, hell yes!*), and then on to Aruru for amazing food! Fantoobulous.
*In the Japanese inaka Starbucks are rarer than rare, much like decent, strong coffee. This more than warrants a "hell yes."
The snow has started to turn to slush, but the scenery is still lovely.
The fog awaits us...


text:
MCS Lady Knights win 3rd championship crown
16 Mar 2017
- By James Sablan - firstname.lastname@example.com - Variety Junior Reporter
THE Mount Carmel School Lady Knights prolonged their supremacy earning their third straight championship title in the 2016-2017 Commonwealth Coalition of Private School Sports Association Middle School Basketball League girls division defeating Seventh Day Adventist 17-10 last Monday held at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym.
The MCS Knights' aggressive efforts on the defensive end closed out all the lanes denying SDA any chance. Their strategy worked like a charm as they forced a handful of turnovers as they gave SDA's ball handlers no room to breathe leaving them completely scoreless.
But SDA geared up for a stronger offense until they brought the ball down past half court and put up several attempted shots but only connected two buckets to take control 4-0.
More of the same was seen throughout the second canto as MCS Knights pressure defense remained effective.
Kaia Travilla and Gia Hemley took advantage of each successful steal finishing with two points each to extend the deficit alongside Fiona Bucalig's consistency carrying the team with six points.
SDA finally snapped out of the cold spell during the third quarter.
They had better ball movement and took more shots putting up all 10 points.
But even with SDA's sudden burst, the MCS Knights regained their defensive output at the final quarter leaving them scoreless once again while draining a couple more shots to secure the win and the championship title 17-10.


text: Hello all. I've noticed through the playing of my new bass that the A and D strings are noticeably quieter than the other strings. At first I thought this was because of the pickups, but after looking at the bridge, the strings look slightly higher up than the others, creating something like an arc. I'd like to adjust the height, but how do I go about doing this? I would imagine it would require adjusting the bridge, but how?


text:
Reese Witherspoon's Fave Affordable Find: Her $24 American Eagle Bag!
Reese may be a major a-lister, but her latest style obsession is totally attainable — and affordable!
Reese Witherspoon was spotted shopping in Brentwood, CA on Jun. 28, where she brought along a roomy canvas tote — and the best part is, it's under $30! The beach bag, which retails for $24.50, has both a shoulder strap and sturdy handles — it definitely isn't just for hitting the sand, and the stars shows that off here.
Available at AE.com, you can easily recreate Reese's look without breaking the bank. We love when stars show off their super stylish and budget friendly side, way to go Reese!
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Get More On Reese Here!:
- Quiz: Jen Aniston, Kim Kardashian & More — Which Star's Fitness Style Is Best For YOU This Summer?
- Reese Witherspoon 'Showing Her Age' By Calling Out Blake Lively For Naked Pics, Joe Francis Says!
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About us – Over 40 years in Microfilming & Scanning equipment
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That is fricken awesome!!..
A link to Just the dance... which is going to my sig now.
you HAVE to see this....
watch the beginning and then go to 3:00. I laughed my butt off!
ignore John. he has happiness issues.
Sweet Jesus...
How did you get involved in this?
SB, stop posting on here, other people are slowly sneaking there way in.
Although, Happy Happy Joy Joy is an awesome song.
Ill teach your grandmother to suck eggs indeed!
did you start twitching and foaming at the mouth halfway through it?
Happy Happy Joy Joy
Happy Happy Joy Joy
No, it was for pointing out the problem with saying "If we can't prove a specific religion than we can't rationally accept any of them." Even though he tries a comeback on that one, his OP stresses it heavily and openly and you are the only one so far to call it on the carpet.
Mathematics is quite fun, imo, lol. Thanks for the rep.
a chaweenie? Seriously? THAT has to be the weirdest thing I have ever heard of. I mean...I've heard of labradoodles, cockapoos, and maltipoos. NEVER heard of a chaweenie. LOL. Be sure you take a picture of that dog. I HAVE to see it.
Well, J absolutely adores him (named Capt Jack Sparrow...I promise, I had NOTHING to do with the name). he sits in her tea tray and rides around the house. He even watches her while she's playing in the tub. He's her best friend. I think your kids would love an animal. Just be sure to really research and find out what's right for you. And go with what's in your heart. If that little voice is saying now is not the time...listen. LOL. And you can always pray about it. We prayed to find the right cat...and while he's a bit crazy..he's perfect for our family.
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Since this issue is all about money matters, let's talk about the importance of investing in your health. Naturopathic medicine not only treats illnesses, but can also help prevent disease, saving you money, time, and energy. Let's face it; being sick can drain us both physically and financially. A study in 2007 found that over 62 percent of bankruptcy cases in the US were due to medical problems. Many of the most common diseases in the world are related to lifestyle and are actually preventable, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Outlined below are three simple steps we can take to invest in our health and reduce medical costs in the long run.
The first step is to increase our consumption of fresh produce. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) low consumption of fruits and vegetables contributes to 1.7 million (2.8 percent) of deaths worldwide. That's a significant number! In a statement the WHO has written, "Moreover, insufficient intake of fruit and vegetables is estimated to cause around 14% of gastrointestinal cancer deaths, about 11% of ischaemic heart disease deaths, and about 9% of stroke deaths globally." I may sound like a broken record, but I can't emphasize enough the importance of these foods! Imagine if 50 percent of our diets were composed of fresh produce? We would likely have more energy, more regular bowel movements, and a clear contribution to achieving a healthy weight while preventing life threatening diseases.
The second step is to incorporate movement into our daily lives. Yes, you read correctly. Moving helps prevent disease. Stationary postures such as sitting or standing for long periods of time are linked to the development of conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, and acute traumas such as heart attacks and strokes. So even if you don't have time to go to the gym, be active throughout the day.
The third step is to see a naturopathic doctor. Naturopathic medicine uses individualized treatments for each patient, and can be focused on preventing specific conditions. As a naturopath, I take a lot of time with each patient to understand their lifestyle habits, their family and medical history, and everything that may contribute to ill health in the future. This allows me to provide a treatment plan that is customized to each patient's unique condition. My job is to also help patients implement lifestyle changes, which helps ensure success. Unfortunately, naturopathy is not always covered by insurance. For some people this can be a deterrent to seeking naturopathic care. However, I believe investing in our health can actually help us save money in the long run. Making a visit to a naturopath is money well spent.
In day-to-day life, preventing a problem is considerably easier than fixing it. Our health is no different and if we follow the steps outlined above, it can be as easy as one, two, and three.
This article originally appeared on page 18 of the September 2016 Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact email@example.com.


text:
LordGeovanni wrote:
ShadowLugia wrote:
Ash_Anne wrote:
I think they should update the service so that it stops inappropriate content from being sent and allow the people who didn't abuse to continue to use the service.
This is what I was think as well. Make the pigs suffer D:<.
I think it would be FAR better if Nintendo sent out a message to parents saying everything that is needed to understand how to control the Parental Settings and then also allowing parents to forward any bad messages to Nintendo so that they could redirect it to the police where the system is located. Not to mention finding a way to brick online communications for that Friend Code...
That would be ideal but how many parents are really going to read something on their children's system? There are still many parents that are not tech savvy or they just don't really care that much. My bf works at Gamestop part-time just to get the discount and he couldn't believe how many mothers bought their small child (like 8 year olds) GTAV. Some of them brought it back the next day but most of them sadly let their kid keep the game.
3DS Friend code: 1203-9222-1363
Twitter: Ash_Hose


text:
Tanzania mourns ferry crash victims
Jul 19 - The bodies of passengers killed in a ferry sinking are gathered in Stone Town, Zanzibar, but rescue workers still do not know how many have survived. Sarah Sheffer reports.
Rescuers help survivors of a ferry that capsized and sank near the coast of Zanzibar on Wednesday, killing at least 31 people. The ferry had left Tanzania around midday for Zanzibar, a popular tourist destination, with more than 250 passengers on board. So far, at least 145 have been rescued but it is still not known how many have drowned. Zanzibar's president Ali Mohamed Shein has declared three days of mourning and has called for national unity following the tragedy. More than 200 people were killed when a crowded ferry sank in September last year, in the worst maritime disaster in Zanzibar's history. Sarah Sheffer, Reuters


text:
Watch & wager on the LA County Fair race meet at Los Alamitos Race Course at Top of the Park and Finish Line Sports Bar & Grill. For more information, please call (714) 820-2800.
With 180° panoramic views of the fair and scenic surroundings, there's no better way to enjoy fine cuisine than at the Top of the Park. At this altitude, all of the sights and sounds of the LA County Fair are amplified as you peek down at the energy and excitement below. Enjoy live horse racing wagering.
For more information call: (909) 865-4120
Drop by Finish Line Sports Bar & Grill with new inter-track wagering screens, state-of-the-art TVs & sound system and the all-new Club Lounge for top-notch full-card thoroughbred racing from major racetracks around the world. Watch & wager on live racing at the Los Alamitos Fall Race Meet at Top of the Park and Finish Line Sports Bar & Grill. It's your horse racing gambling destination for good food, good times, VIP amenities and easy accessibility.
*Subject to change. Check back for updates.
©2019 LA County Fair All Rights Reserved.


text: What is a GIFTaway? To us Christmas is about the joy of sharing what you have with others, so this year we decided to run a slightly different Holiday contest: The Christmas GIFTaway! Instead of just having a regular old sweepstakes, here you're gifting this prize to someone else (and hopefully if they win they'll bring you too). What will [read more]


text:
It may be news to many outside of Dixie, but there is a flag that has long been associated with people of Ulster ancestry in the New World. This flag is the lone star flag, which dates to 11 September, 1810. After the American Revolutionary War, Spain regained control of the territory of West Florida, which is located today in the states of Mississippi, Alabama, and the panhandle of Florida.
above West FloridaAnglo-Celtic settlers flooded into this area and most of these families were of Irish, Scottish, and Welsh ancestry, with the majority being of Ulster ancestry. These people are described as Anglo-Celts by some historians, but are know in popular history as the Scots-Irish. They resented rule from Spain and took action to remove themselves from it.
On 11 September, 1810 a troop of West Florida dragoons set out for Baton Rouge (Red Stick) to join republican militia to launch an attack on the Spanish fort there. The Scots-Irish forces overcame the Spanish garrison in Baton Rouge and unfurled the flag of the Republic of West Florida. Alas, politics being what they are, the Republic was only to exist for 90 days before the growing United States gobbled it up.
The flag was a single white star on a blue field. The flag unfurled in 1810 was made by Melissa Johnson, wife of Major Isaac Johnson, the commander of the West Florida Dragoons. The flag is called by two names commonly, the Bonnie Blue Flag and the Lone Star Flag. It saw use in the 1820s and 1830s as the Scots-Irish pushed into Texas and beyond. The state of Texas incorporates the Lone Star into its state flag of course.
On January 9, 1861 the convention of the People of Mississippi adopted an Ordinance of Secession. With this announcement the Bonnie Blue flag was raised over the capitol building in Jackson, Mississippi. Harry Macarthy was so inspired that he wrote a song entitled "The Bonnie Blue Flag" which became the second most popular patriotic song of the Confederacy.
the Bonnie Blue Flag
The Lone Star/Bonnie Blue flag has been in constant use from 1810. It is frequently seen today across the US South and beyond. The Bonnie Blue flag today is as popular as ever and still conveys the same spirit as the original lone star flag and it is part of Scots-Irish heritage.


text:
Trattoria Tosca in Linden Hills
Editor's Note: Trattoria Tosca is now closed.
If restaurants were trains, think of Trattoria Tosca as the Little Engine That Could. Since Harvey McLain, who also owns the adjacent Turtle Bread bakery, opened this Linden Hills restaurant two years ago, patrons have witnessed a revolving door of chefs pass through its Italian kitchen — Landon Schoenefeld, now of HauteDish, who left before its official launch; Adam Vickerman, now executive chef at sister restaurant Cafe Levain; and Ryan Zander, who departed for Duluth's JJ Astor Restaurant after just a few months. But now under the leadership of chef Ian Gray, Tosca's longest-serving head chef with 11 months on the job, the cozy and comfortable neighborhood spot has settled into a groove and boasts a menu that should draw in fastidious diners from the greater metro area.
Should is the key word here, because on several recent visits, despite the top-notch food coming from Gray's kitchen, Tosca's dining room wasn't nearly as full as its menu merits. This is a shame, considering most of the dishes sampled rivaled the quality at Broders' Pasta Bar and Parma 8200. Yes, it's already April, but let's make a collective resolution as food lovers in 2011 to put Trattoria Tosca on our must-go-there-now lists.
Because when you go, you'll get to experience one of the rarest dishes in fine dining — the properly dressed salad. Whereas so many restaurants — good restaurants, not just the Olive Garden and company — drown their salads in vinaigrette, Tosca offers three that barely glisten with dressing but still pack the necessary flavor punch to make the vegetables dance. The green salad ($7, lower right), featuring goat cheese-topped dates and almonds, benefits from a careful drizzle of sherry vinaigrette, which ties together the crunch of the nuts with the sweetness of the dates. The vegetable salad ($8, upper left) offers the promise of a long-awaited spring with its fresh-tasting combination of fennel, celery root, frisee, red onion, and caraway vinaigrette, as does the kumquat salad ($7, upper right) with hazelnuts and aged goat cheese. Also drawing raves was the beet carpaccio ($9, lower left), with a sprinkling of sea salt balancing the sweetness of the tender spheres of blushy beet, the tang of the pickled onions, the creaminess of the avocado, the crunch of the arugula, and the soft bite of the pecorino.
The justified restraint in dressing carries over to Tosca's pasta dishes, available as half and full orders. When alfredo sauce is listed as an ingredient, many times diners can expect a platter full of noodles swimming in gloppy sauce, which makes the tagliatelle with chicken confit ($8 / $15) even more of a revelation. With just enough sauce swirled into the pasta to coat each strand and a sprinkle of buttery breadcrumbs, the dish is just rich enough to make you swoon but light enough that you won't feel like you ate a brick after your plate is whisked away. The arugula fettuccini ($6 / $11) barely sports a sauce — just a splash of fruity olive oil, which nicely offsets the bits of green dotted throughout the pasta and the generous shake of black pepper and grana padano atop it. The spice of the tomato sauce that accompanies the green orechetti ($9 / $16, above) would overwhelm the palate if not for the cooling dollops of lemon mascarpone that slowly melt into the bowl and add a luxuriousness to a vegetable-driven dish.
Gray's understanding of flavor balance may be best demonstrated in the ham hock ravioli ($10 / $18), which uses a sweet but not syrupy port reduction to bring together the saltiness of the ham and the juiciness of the mission figs.
The secondi and contorni also provide notable bites. The mild seared striped bass ($27) is the perfect foil to the zesty harissa dressing, and the avocado, blood orange, and radish salad added a welcome burst of citrusy crunch to the plate. The short rib ($20, above) delivers on its promise of fork-tenderness, but it needs a pinch more salt and pepper to rally a strong finish, and its bed of mushroom risotto lacks the creaminess that turns plain old rice into something spectacular.
But whatever disappointment the risotto brings is quickly forgotten once you dig into the bowl of Brussels sprouts ($6 for a half order, $9 for full), which become addicting after the first bite with their tantalizing coating of garlic, shallots, and balsamic vinegar. The fingerling potatoes ($5 / $9) boost their creamy factor with a dive into the crème fraiche sauce, and the mushrooms ($7 / $10) taste even more earthy with a sprinkle of truffles.
The dessert menu's brevity — just four dishes — still offers enough for everyone's preference, whether it be chocolately, fruity, or carb-centric. With its deep cocoa flavor and silky texture, the amaretto chocolate custard ($8) makes you forget that Jell-O pudding cups even exist. The whipped cream may seem superfluous on paper, but you'll want to swirl it into the chocolate cream and savor every spoonful. The lemon crème brûlée mirrored its chocolate companion's smoothness, though it could have benefited from a crunchier caramelized shell, and the accompanying shortbread cookie was utterly forgettable. Cinnamon banana bread pudding ($7) stuffed so much fruit and nuts into its dense folds that it could have passed for a fruit kugel. But the parsnip cake (below) presents the biggest surprise, with the carrot's paler cousin succeeding in a fluffy cake layered with sweet cream and coconut.
The reasonably priced wine list features varieties from around the world, favoring Italy, of course, but also remembering American, Argentinian, French, and New Zealand vinos. Be sure to inquire about the daily specials offered by the glass and bottle. The viognier and nivuro recently sampled were immensely enjoyable, and the server admirably described both wines to a T. It's easy to be intimidated by a wine list, but with such expertise to guide you to wines that meet your preferences, Tosca takes much of the guess work out of the drink menu. Such attentive service seems to be rule rather than the exception here, and when one order for coffee had to go unfilled due to an unexplained spat with the folks at Turtle Bread next door, the server graciously offered an espresso gratis.
Trattoria Tosca may not have had the smoothest start in the restaurant business, but it certainly has hit its stride with craveable meals and a friendly atmosphere that welcomes young families, couples on Saturday night dates, and everyone else who comes through the door. But it shouldn't just be your second choice whenever the wait is too long at Broders'. Tosca deserves a visit on its own merits, and you'll find plenty of reasons to turn that initial meal into the first of many.
BEST BET: Start with the beet carpaccio ($9), order a full serving of the tagliatelle with chicken confit ($15), add a side of Brussels sprouts ($9), and finish with the amaretto chocolate custard ($8).
Trattoria Tosca
Italian in Linden Hills, Minneapolis
Rating: (Excellent)
3415 West 44th St
Minneapolis, MN 55410
Sun-Thurs 5-9pm
Fri-Sat 5-10pm
CHEF / OWNER: Ian Gray / Harvey McLain
RESERVATIONS / RECOMMENDED: Yes / No
BAR: Beer and wine
VEGETARIAN / VEGAN: Yes / No
Facebook Comments
7 Comments
I definitely recommend the mushrooms, usually in the Contorni section along with the Brussels sprouts! They are saturated in flavor, if you want something a little heartier than brussels, try the mushrooms! Tosca is a great restaurant. It's very quaint, yet chic. My husband and I go there all the time! Birthdays are cute there too, they put a little candle in your dessert.
I had an opportunity to work with Ian in the past and know him to be creative, gracious, passionate and driven chef. I couldn't be more pleased to see he's doing great things @ Tosca and have another reason (along with Tilia) to pay a visit to that neighborhood soon.
Congratulations Ian, this looks terrific!
Ian is a humble and talented chef, and I would pay to eat his food any day of the week. I would not, however, give Mr. McLain one cent of my hard-earned paycheck. It's too bad guys like Ian and Adam have to work for someone like Harvey.
I am from S.D. and take every opportunity I have to dine at Tosca's. All the dishes and desserts I've tried have been delicious and unique! Bravo Trattoria Tosca!
We're locals who love Tosca. In the secondi category – don't overlook the pressed chicken. With the exception of our Valentine's day visit, I haven't been able to order any other entree in my last three visits because it's just that good. Of course, I ALWAYS start my meal with the orchete – a full order hoping we'll have enough to bring home (though we never do). One thing that I miss from previous chefs is the polenta. I used to order anything served with that polenta, it was unbelievably good. And my favorite dessert at Tosca was the first one I ever had – the panna cotta with a sweet and tart cherry sauce and almonds. Despite the absence of these last two dishes it's still a delicious menu as described above. And we never get dirty looks when we bring our 8-month old son, which is nice.


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A Wakefield College student who took up wheelchair rugby when he broke his leg has helped England win a European championship in the sport.
Tom Helliwell also finished as top scorer with 102 points at the International Wheelchair Rugby League European Championships in Medway, Kent, last month.
Mr Helliwell, who is a student with the college's rugby league development centre, is now trying to promote wheelchair rugby as a more mainstream sport.
He said: "I became involved with wheelchair rugby after I broke my leg a couple of years ago and started playing with Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Wheelchair team.
"This then led me to being called up for trials with the national team, which eventually resulted in my participation in the European championships.
"Initially I was quite nervous but then took everything in my stride and really enjoyed the whole experience. I really want to see the sport become more mainstream because anyone above the age of 16 can take part."
Wheelchair rugby is a five-a-side indoor sport that involves tagging opponents. It is open to both wheelchair-bound and able-bodied players.
Mark Applegarth, head coach of the college's rugby league squad, said: "As a college we're immensely proud of Tom and his participation in the wheelchair rugby league competition.
"For him and the team to perform as well as they did is something very special indeed.
"We will continue to support Tom in his endeavours and hope his achievements put wheelchair rugby league in the spotlight and encourage more people from college to participate."


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How to Make It
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Bake walnuts in a single layer in a shallow pan 7 to 9 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
Step 2
Meanwhile, whisk together olive oil and next 4 ingredients; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3
Cut beets and carrots into thin slices, using a mandoline or sharp knife. To prevent hands from being stained, hold beets with a paper towel or wear rubber gloves while slicing. Toss arugula with a small amount of vinaigrette. Arrange arugula on a serving platter. Toss beets, carrots, and parsley with desired amount of vinaigrette. Top arugula with beet mixture; sprinkle with walnuts and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with any remaining vinaigrette.


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Ticket Services Associate
Job description
Working Title: Ticket Services Associate
Position Type: Hourly Wage
Department: Department of Athletics
Location: Charlottesville
Posting Date: 03-23-2018
Posting Summary:
The University of Virginia is a highly competitive Division I program committed to academic and athletic excellence. The Department of Athletics at the University of Virginia is now accepting applications for the position of Ticket Services Associate to support the Athletics Ticket Office.
The Ticket Services Associate position (part-time, hourly wage, 20-25 hours per week) exists to perform customer service, sales and administrative duties in a focused effort to maximize ticket sales revenue and increase attendance to athletic-related events.
We're looking for motivated candidates with a drive to learn and provide the best possible customer service to the many individuals the Ticket Office serves. On a daily basis, Ticket Office employees interact with a diverse group of customers which include donors, season ticket holders, alumni, University staff, students, student-athletes, members of the Charlottesville community, and fans from all over the country. Our staff works with these individuals through a variety of channels, including answering inbound phone calls, making outbound sales and reminder calls, answering emails, responding to online chat requests, processing mail orders, handling customer issues in person at the Ticket Office windows, and other duties as assigned, including customer recordkeeping. In doing so, the Ticket Office works to achieve the stated goal of the Department of Athletics: Uncompromised Excellence.
This is a part-time position with work shifts scheduled during regular office hours (Monday-Friday, 9 am to 5 pm). Varied hours may include some weekend and evening hours for event purposes. Preference will be given to candidates available to work all home Football games (September-November, usually Saturdays), most Men's Basketball games (November-March), and other events as needed.
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of good customer service practices and various administrative functions.
E-mail a Friend: jobs.virginia.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=84172


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Hockey owners and players are throwing gloves-off haymakers at each other in a brawl worthy of an overtime game. In an attempt to bring "cost certainty" to a sport that has been running big losses--a claimed $224 million during last season, for example--National Hockey League owners locked the players out in September. For the first time in ten years the league's 30 rinks are empty. The season won't start, the owners insist, until the players agree to limit their pay to $31 million per team. Last season the average team payroll was $41 million.
Deeply skeptical about claims of owner poverty, the players have offered to roll back their salaries by 5%, as well as make other concessions, which would reduce team payrolls by $4 million on average.
Who's right? FORBES' figures show that hockey teams are indeed losing money but not nearly as much as the owners claim. The 30 teams in the NHL lost a combined $96 million (before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) on revenue of $2.2 billion during the 2003-04 season, with 17 teams posting a loss. The prior season the NHL lost $123 million on revenue of $2.1 billion.
The difference between what the league is stating as losses and our figures has to do with what's included as revenue. For instance, the NHL included only half of the $17 million the New York Islanders got last year for their cable broadcasts. For Islanders owner Charles Wang, who paid $188 million for the team and its cable deal in April 2000, the economic value of owning the team certainly includes the entire cable deal.
But for purposes of reporting team results, the league has wide discretion in deciding how much of the off-ice revenue should be included. William Wirtz, who owns the Chicago Blackhawks, also owns half of the United Center, where the team plays. The arena's 212 suites pulled in $15 million last season, none of which is included in the league's numbers. While the United Center is a separate corporate entity from the Blackhawks, the building and team are part of one equation for Wirtz.
Why the inconsistency? Neither the NHL nor former Securities & Exchange Commission Chairman Arthur Levitt Jr., who compiled a report on the league's finances for the owners, would speak with FORBES.
In determining team values we include all collateral revenue sources, such as real estate, broadcasting, cable, sponsorships and concessions. Those teams going up in value despite big losses are worth more because their owners have smartly been using their teams to make money off the ice.
That's why hockey franchises are now worth an average of $163 million, up 3% from last year and 31% higher than when we first valued them six years ago. The last four expansion teams--the Atlanta Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators--went for $80 million each in 1997.
These teams are now worth an average of $130 million, according to our analysis. In 2002 George and Gordon Gund, who paid a $50 million expansion fee for the San Jose Sharks in 1990, sold their team and the right to operate HP Pavilion to Kevin Compton for $147 million.
Perhaps the best example of using your hockey team to create wealth is the Los Angeles Kings. Billionaire Philip Anschutz bought the team for $113 million in 1995. He used the Kings, which lost $5.3 million last season, to get the go-ahead to build Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles; it was completed in 1999 at a cost of $400 million.
Anschutz also bought a stake in the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association in 1998 and rents out his building to basketball's Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League. When you add in tennis, gymnastics, concerts and other events, Staples Center is busy almost every day or night during the year. Premium seats for corporate fat cats are cross-marketed for the teams and events. Documents related to a bond offering on the building show that bankers estimated Staples Center would generate operating income of $50 million last year, only a fraction of which shows up on the Kings' P&L statement.
Now Anschutz is planning on building a $1 billion project around Staples Center that would cover 26 acres and include a 7,000-seat theater, a 1,200- room hotel, restaurants, offices and luxury condos. Timothy Leiweke, who runs AEG, the holding company for Staples Center and the Kings, does not return calls. But in 2000, in a reference to the development around Staples Center, he was quoted in the Downtown News as saying, "If it wasn't for the Kings, none of this would have happened."
Last December the Phoenix Coyotes moved into a new building in Glendale, Ariz. Like Anschutz, Coyotes owner Steven Ellman is trying to leverage his new hockey arena and team into a real estate bonanza. Ellman, who has hockey legend Wayne Gretzky as a partner, is developing Westgate, 223 acres of freeway frontage near the new hockey building that will house cinemas, shops, hotels, offices and condos.
The Coyotes lost $7.8 million last season. But Ellman, who paid $127 million for the Coyotes in 2001, stands to get a lot of gravy from Westgate, assuming things go according to plan. As noted in a private placement memorandum by investment banker Allen & Co., next year the real estate and hockey venue should generate operating income of $27 million, excluding hockey games.
Ellman should make several million dollars a year from hosting nonhockey events at the arena and from selling food and beverages. We now value the Coyotes, who control their new building, at $136 million. The memorandum projects that the Coyotes could sell the naming rights to their building for an additional $50 million and that by 2005 the value of the team should be $155 million.
Building cable properties is another way moneylosing hockey teams make money for their owners. Last season the Philadelphia Flyers lost $4.1 million. The team is 66%-owned by cable operator Comcast. The Flyers were in the red despite pulling in more than $8 million from SportsNet, a cable channel majority-owned by Comcast.
The real value for Comcast is that it has used the Flyers to build SportsNet into a powerful regional sports channel. Internal Comcast documents show that for the 12 months ended June 2003 SportsNet had operating income before depreciation, amortization and charges of $13.5 million, $7 million more than it had two years prior. The Flyers are worth $264 million, the third most in the league and $114 million more than Comcast paid for the team and their building in 1996.
Cablevision Systems has used the New York Rangers, who lost $3.3 million last season, in a similar vein. Cablevison shows Rangers games on its MSG sports channel. We estimate the value of the Rangers cable deal at $18.4 million last season. That's the second-richest cable deal in hockey, just behind the Toronto Maple Leafs. But packaging is everything in today's sports world. That's why a better measure of the value of the Rangers is Cablevision's Madison Square Garden unit, which primarily includes Madison Square Garden, the MSG Network and professional sports teams. Cablevision's SEC filings say the MSG unit had operating income of $57 million last year. The Rangers are the most valuable team in the league, worth $282 million.
A big advantage Comcast and Cablevision have over smaller market team owners: Both own pro basketball teams as well--the 76ers and the Knicks, respectively. That helps build advertising revenues, says sports banker Robert Tilliss, chief executive of Inner Circle Sports.
"The cable channels are worth much more with the hockey programming than they would be without it," says Tilliss. No surprise, he adds, that Stanley Kroenke, who owns hockey's Colorado Avalanche and the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, has started his own regional sports channel, which will broadcast his two teams.
It certainly hasn't been all smooth skating for owners. When teams have lost value, it is usually because the owner has not leveraged his asset beyond hockey. In June, Puck Holdings sold the New Jersey Devils to Jeffrey Vanderbeek for $125 million, $51 million less than Puck paid for the team in 2000. Puck was an affiliate of YankeeNets, which wanted to use the Devils, who lost $13.9 million last season, as programming for the fledgling YES channel when the team's current cable deal expired after the 2006-2007 season. Puck was also hoping to move the Devils into a new, revenue-rich building in Newark that would be largely financed by taxpayers.
But YES, which is controlled by New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and shows mostly Yankees programming, took off without the Devils. So when the plans for the move to Newark hit a political roadblock, Puck decided to unload the team at a fire-sale price.
We wouldn't want the players, who average $1.8 million in compensation, to get any grand ideas. But if there's any hope for hockey to return to the ice this season, the league is probably going to have to show a little more transparency and disclose all of an owner's sources of revenue.


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Architectural work is characterized by a sequential or staged flow of activities.
This flow comprises 6 stages
that feature prominently in project planning and apportionment of fees.
The responsibilities broadly associated with each stage along the flow of work trajectory are listed below. It is significant that all architectural work, from the smallest and simplest, to the largest and most complex, can be managed according this flow of work and its elemental stages. The standard architectural professional's scope of service and the architectural professional's functions in performing this service for each work stage are set out below.
- • Assist in developing a clear project brief
- • Advise on the procurement policy for the project
- • Advise on rights, constraints, consents and approvals
- • Advise on the other consultants and services required
- • Assist in defining the consultant's scope of work and services
- • Determine availability of data, drawings and plans relating to the project
- • Provide necessary information within the agreed scope of project to the other consultants
- • Assist in developing a project program
- • Agree the documentation program
- • Prepare concept design based on the client's brief
- • Consult with the other consultants and incorporate their input
- • Discuss design concept with local authorities
- • Clarify and confirm the project space norms to optimize functional
and operational efficiency in terms of scale and relationships of area
- • Co-ordinate design and cost interfaces with the other consultants
- • Select general construction materials and intended finishes
- • Prepare and submit the site development plan to the local authority for approval where applicable
- • Liaise, co-operate and provide necessary information to the client, other consultants
- • Review anticipated costs of the project
- • Review project program
- • Review the documentation program with the other consultants
- • Incorporate the client's detailed requirements into building design
- • Incorporate and co-ordinate the other consultants' designs into building design
- • Liaise, co-operate and provide necessary information to the client, and other consultants
- • Obtain detailed project specific requirements of the local authority in order to ensure understanding thereof
- • Prepare design development drawings {including draft technical details) and outline specifications
- • Provide sufficient drawings and information to the quantity surveyor for the completion of detailed estimates of construction cost where applicable
- • Review the design, costing and program with the other consultants
- • Confirm the scope and complexity
- • Review the design and consult with local and statutory authorities
- • Develop the design, construction system, materials and components
- • Incorporate all services and the work of consultants
- • Obtain clients authority to prepare and submit drawings to local authority for approval
- • Prepare specifications for the works and agree preambles with the quantity surveyor when applicable
- • Co-ordinate services and prepare necessary services co-ordination drawings
- • Review cost estimate with the quantity surveyor
- • Provide working drawings
- • Liaise, co-operate and provide necessary information to the other consultants
- • Complete construction documentation and proceed to call for tenders
- • Obtain the client's authority to prepare documents to procure offers for the execution of the works
- • Obtain offers for the execution of the works
- • Evaluate offers and recommend on the award of the building contract
- • Prepare the contract documentation (and arrange the signing of the building contract)
- • Contract administration
- • Hand over the site to the contractor
- • Issue construction documentation
- • Initiate and/or check sub-contract design and documentation as appropriate
- • Inspect the works for conformity to the contract documentation
- • Administer and perform the duties and obligations assigned to the principal agent
- • Receive, comment and approve interim payment valuations
- • Witness and review all tests and mock-ups carried out both on and off site
- • Check and approve subcontract shop drawings for design intent
- • Update and issue the drawings register
- • Issue contract instructions
- • Review and comment on operations and maintenance manuals, guarantees, certificates and warranties
- • Inspect the works and issue practical completion and defects lists
- • Assist in obtaining statutory certificates
- • Receive, comment and approve relevant payment valuations and completion certificates
- • Prepare and / or procure operations and maintenance manuals, guarantees and warranties
- • Prepare and / or procure as-built drawings and documentation
- • Issue the works completion certificate


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2016 VSM Collectors Survey Results
Posted by James Wolfensberger on
Our thanks to more than 800 VSM (vintage sewing machine) enthusiasts who took the time to respond to our 36 survey questions during the summer of 2016. We hope you find the results interesting.
International Demographics
Survey respondents were overwhelmingly in the United States.
|84 %
|7 %
|Great Britain
|2 %
2 %
|Other nations combined
|5 %
Domestic or Industrial
Question: Are you most interested in domestic VSMs (originally intended for home use) or industrial VSMs (intended for commercial sewing)?
|Domestic VSMs
|83 %
|Industrial VSMs
|0.75 %
|Equally interested in both
|16 %
Level of Knowledge
|37 %
|57 %
|3 %
|Professional (Retired)
|0.25 %
|Professional (Active)
|1 %
Number of Years
- The average length of time that a respondent has been a VSM enthusiast is 9.6 years.
- Nearly half of respondents have been interested in VSMs for fewer than 5 years.
- 26% indicate that they have been enthusiasts for 10 years or more.
- 19% indicate that they have been VSM enthusiasts for 20 years or more.
Performing Maintenance
Respondents were asked to select each item that was true for them.
|I do not perform any significant maintenance to my own machines.
|27 %
|I am comfortable disassembling and reassembling my tension adjustment control.
|54 %
|I am comfortable diagnosing, disassembling, and reassembling significant areas of a straight-stitch machine.
|I am comfortable diagnosing, disassembling, and reassembling significant areas of a zig-zag machine.
|24 %
|I am comfortable correcting electrical wiring issues, including replacing wiring and electrical components.
|25 %
|I am comfortable disassembling and repairing a belt-driven motor.
|17 %
|I am comfortable disassembling and repairing a potted motor.
|11 %
|I am comfortable disassembling and repairing an internal motor.
|8 %
|I am effective at reconditioning the cosmetics of at least some models of VSMs.
|51 %
Work Area
- 46% of respondents have a designated area that is always ready and accessible for working on VSMs.
- 54% indicated that they have "an area where I must put everything away when I am finished."
Amount of VSMs Owned
Our survey respondents own 13,463 vintage sewing machines total among them, with the number per respondent ranging from 0 - 400. Only three respondents indicated that they currently do not own any VSMs.
- The average number of VSMs owned is 17.
- 58% own up to 10 machines.
- 24% own 20 machines or more.
- 7% of respondents own 50 or more vintage sewing machines.
How Many VSMs Will Be Kept?
We asked respondents to tell us how many VSMs they expect to own once their collection is complete.
- 53% indicated 10 or fewer VSMs would ultimately comprise their collection, while 25% indicated they expect to have between 11-20 machines total.
- 11% expect to own 21-30 machines, with the number of respondents expecting to own more than 30 machines being nominal.
- Only 2% expect 100 or more machines in their final collection.
Key Interests
Respondents could indicate all topics from the list below which appealed to them. Responses to the various types of vintage machines seems fairly balanced, indicating that most collectors find the general categories of VSMs to be of comparable interest.
Electric machines are a little more popular than treadles, while interest in hand cranks then falls behind a bit. Straight-stitch machines are nearly 20% more popular than zig-zag machines. Only toy VSMs (39%) and industrial VSMs "designed for specific types of sewing" (21%) dipped significantly when compared to other types of vintage machines.
|Treadle VSMs
|80 %
|Hand crank VSMs
|68 %
|Electrical VSMs
|85 %
|Straight-stitch VSMs
|81 %
|Zig-zag VSMs
|62 %
|3/4 VSMs (i.e. Singer 99k)
|65 %
|Toy VSMs
|39 %
|VSMs dating previous to 1930
|68 %
|VSMs dating from the 1930s and 1940s
|75 %
|VSMs dating from 1950-1970
|70 %
|Industrial VSMs designed for specific types of sewing
|21 %
Sewing on VSMs
We asked survey respondents how often they sew on a vintage machine.
- 27% use a VSM occasionally, but also sew on a modern machine.
- 47% sew frequently on a VSM, but also use a modern machine.
- 24% sew exclusively on a vintage model machine.
- 2% do not sew at all.
Time Spent Online Re: VSMs
Time spent online researching, browsing photos, and gathering information regarding VSMs topped out with two respondents admitting 80 hours per week. That's basically half the hours available in a week per individual, but we applaud the honesty - and - we kinda get it.
We also had seven people indicate that they spend zero (0) hours online for the purpose of their VSM interests. Puzzling, since this survey was promoted only online, in Facebook posts and blog articles - but we can imagine a few explanations for honest answers indicating zero hours. Those persons may have taken the question to mean hours specifically seeking VSM material online, while stumbling upon an occasional item of interest wasn't considered valid time to them.
With no responses removed from the equation, the average amount of time spent online weekly for VSM interests is a fraction beyond 8 hours. Even if we remove the "80 hour" responses, and do not factor the seven "zero" responses, we're still left with no more than 8.2 hours spent online as an average. The polar-extreme responses do not impact the average in a meaningful way.
13% browse online for VSM material 20 hours a week or more, which means of course that 87% browse for fewer than 20 hours a week.
78% browse online for VSM material for 10 hours a week or less. (Whew. Sanity!)
Machine Brands & Models
We asked an array of related questions to determine popular and desired brands and models, as well as the machines about which respondents feel most knowledgeable. This is a tremendous amount of data thanks to 804 respondents indicating thousands of models.
These are the essential conclusions:
Singer, Singer, Singer. In every question, the iconic Singer brand was the overwhelming choice. Not surprisingly, the Featherweight models are the most desired, but the other common classics all ranked well: 66, 99, 300 series, 400 series, 500 series. Survey respondents significantly consider themselves most knowledgeable on Singer models.
Other brands with a strong showing included Bernina, Kenmore, and White.
Pfaff and Elna were not indicated in large numbers, but were noteworthy.
Brother, Morse, Necchi, Wheeler & Wilson, and Wilcox & Gibbs were represented in very small percentages. Other brands' showings were so slight that they were statistically inconsequential, such as Davis, Domestic, Husqvarna, New Home, and Viking.
Buying & Selling
- 64% of respondents collect but do not buy and resell VSMs.
- 33% say they occasionally sell VSMs privately, not professionally.
- A mere 3% indicate that they sell VSMs frequently but not professionally.
- Less than 1% sell VSMs on a "professional scale."
Shipping VSMs
Shipping VSMs can become a sore subject for both sellers and buyers. Proper packing is a constant concern for all, and careful packing plus reliable shipping methods add considerable cost to the transaction. Many have paid as much or more for shipping than the cost of the machine itself. Still, 44% of respondents indicated that they are willing to purchase machines that must be shipped to them.
Traveling for VSMs
- 87% of survey respondents indicated that they would travel distances no further than 300 miles to pick up a coveted VSM. Meanwhile, 44% of all respondents would expect to travel no more than 100 miles.
- 13% of respondents would travel beyond 300 miles.
- 2% would travel 800 miles or more.
- Three respondents indicated that they would travel 2,000 - 2,500 miles to pick up their most desired VSM. Five individuals would travel between 1,000 and 1,500 miles.
Gifted Machines
Within the VSM community, gifting machines is a frequent topic. Most collectors willing to give up a machine do not expect "top dollar," and more significantly, about half of collectors have been a party to a gifted machine. That's an exciting statistic in characterizing the VSM community - many are happy to not only share knowledge, but to share the very gems that we all love.
- 58% of respondents have received a free machine from someone other than a family member.
- 51% own an heirloom machine that was passed down to them from family.
- 49% have gifted a machine to another person.
Availability of VSMs
Question: How would you characterize the availability of VSMs within 200 miles of your city?
|Availability seems low compared to other areas of the country.
|35 %
|Availability seems similar to other areas of the country.
|50 %
|Availability seems better than other areas of the country.
|11 %
|Availability seems significantly better than other areas of the country.
|3 %
Pricing of VSMs
Question: How would you characterize the pricing of VSMs within 200 miles of your city?
|Pricing seems low compared to other areas of the country.
8 %
|Pricing seems average compared to other areas of the country.
|52 %
|Pricing seems high compared to other areas of the country.
|35 %
|Pricing is outrageous compared to other areas of the country!
|5 %
We asked survey respondents to indicate their favorite resources and reference material for VSMs. The following were mentioned frequently.
- The Sewing Machine Master Guide by Clifford Blodget.
- The Featherweight 221 and I by Dave McCallum.
- How to Select, Service, Repair & Maintain your Vintage Sewing Machine by Connie McCaffery.
- Those Fantastic Featherweights (DVD) by Dave McCallum.
- The Secret Life of the Sewing Machine with Tim Hunkin.
- Still Stitching - our own documentary on the passion for vintage sewing machines available as DVD or on-demand.
- April 1930s Featherweight Specialty Shoppe
- The International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society (ISMACS)
- My Sewing Machine Obsession
- Needlebar
- Nova Montgomery's Featherweights & Quilting
- Sewalot
- Sewing Machine Mavin
- Singer Sewing Info
- Still Stitching (Facebook Page)
- TreadleOn
- Victorian Sweatshop
- Vintage Sewing Machines (Facebook Group)
- The Vintage Singer Sewing Machine Blog
- VSMLife (Facebook Group)
- YouTube to search topics related to VSMs
Please note: There are abundant specialized groups on Facebook and Yahoo. If uncertain how to find a group specific to your type of machine or preferred brand, feel free to ask in the comments below, on our Facebook page, or at VSMLife.
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6 comments
Chris – it's definitely unfortunate and frustrating to a lot of collectors that parts seem to cost more for even the most common machines, than the machine itself – unless perhaps if it's a motor that has been truly reconditioned to "good as new." I know the topic surfaces in many groups online, but some parts sellers point out the effort they make to acquire the items, stock them, and manage their sales online. If they can't make some cash, I guess it wouldn't be worth it for them to offer the parts so many of us seem to need. My personal approach is that if I need a part for a machine that is common, I just find another one of the machines cheaply. I think the challenge for many is that they aren't able to effectively seek out their own "parts machines" to cannibalize. Thanks for your input!
I have 11 machines from 1889 to 1935 so far every one I have acquired has needed parts or surgery, I am retired so have time on my hands, I find it mildly ridiculous that you can pay more for say a motor and footpedal, than for a complete working machine, I know of one person, there are probably many more, who buys the machines strip them down and sells the parts, so far from a machine he bought for £25 about 28 $ he has realised £105 and he still has the main body,
We observed the trends beginning with 100 responses, all the way through 800 response. Essentially, nothing changed in the ratios no matter how many additional responses there were. No percentage on any particular response fluctuated in a meaningful manner.
As for wanting more responses – we agree. The survey was offered to groups of tens of thousands of VSM enthusiasts, naturally. It was posted many times throughout 5 weeks across social media. We did what could be done, but given our observation of only the slightest changes in percentage ratios from 100 to 800 respondents, we feel that the survey data is a fair representation primarily of U.S. collectors. Given that the average number of VSMs owned is 17, we also feel comfortable that the represented cohort indeed qualify as collectors.
Good to know there are so many others like yourself and the list of sites and references is appreciated! Would be interesting to know the regional breakdown of the answers on availability and pricing, if at all possible. Thanks for the effort and info in initiating the survey!
800 people is a very small percentage of the vintage sewing machine community. I wish the survey would have been presented to a larger audience.


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Product Details
Altura Vortex Compact Seatpack
With its 6 litre capacity, this bikepacking-inspired waterproof saddlebag carries more cargo than the majority of cycling seatpacks.
Altura call this bag 'Compact' to differentiate it from their 12 litre Vortex Seatpack.
- Perfect for bikepacking, commuting and general tooling around
- Constructed in lightweight, waterproof Altura Shield fabric with reinforced Hyperlon where the bag is most stressed
- The welded seam construction and roll top closure further ensures your cargo reaches its destination clean and dry
- Hook & loop (like velcro) straps for fast mounting and detaching
- Top lash points
- Kross side release buckles
- Reflective detail


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Fostering A Sense of Community
We don't live in Asheville by accident. In fact, we love to brag about it as much as we can. Whether it's hiking and biking in the mountains, catching a show and a bite downtown, or sipping one of our town's famous brewed beverages, Asheville literally has it all – including an incredibly diverse range of neighborhoods and housing alternatives. Yes, Asheville is popular with tourists. But there is also an unrivaled sense of community at its core built by those of us who live here. We take pride in supporting our local entrepreneurs and farmers and by giving back and supporting local organizations like United Way, Manna Food Bank, and Habitat for Humanity. When you add all that up, it's why people like us are proud to call Asheville home.
Asheville & Western NC
We don't have to sell Asheville to you; it's why you found us. We can go on and on about the thriving restaurants, the arts scene, the spectacular outdoor recreation, and so forth. But the truth is we can't say it as well as others have. Take The New York Times for example, "the paper of record" as they say. Did you know that the Times has written several articles about Asheville in the past few years alone?
There was the two "36 Hours" pieces that appeared here (http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/travel/30hours.html) and here (http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/travel/24hours.html) as well as the story about our booming riverfront arts district here (http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/travel/05asheville-headsup.html?_r=0).
Heck, even President Obama has made stopping in Asheville a priority. (http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/48HoursIn/president-obama-vacations-asheville-art-galleries-restaurants-history/story?id=10434607)
For a list of other accolades awarded our fair city, click here (http://www.exploreasheville.com/press-room/press-kit/accolades-and-media-praise/)
What are you waiting for? Come on and join us!
What Clients Say About Us
"We are extremely happy with our home purchase experience. Tad went above and beyond his duty as our Realtor to help with our transition to North Carolina. We could not have done it without him."
– R. Sherwood, Fairview
"Mukunda not only found me a house in less than a week, the property already had an offer in on it. However, because of his strong network in the industry I was still able to get it!"
– P. Pinholster, Owner/Founder at Eagle's Nest Outfitters, Inc.
From our first conversation with Holly she was very thorough and stayed in touch with us often. This was important because we had many questions since our purchase involved moving to Asheville from out of state. She was priceless as our eyes and ears from a distance, and had lined up over a dozen properties to view when we visited town. After we found our home, she was an immense resource in helping us navigate the waters of everything from documents, financing, inspections…basically everything we needed. We never had to worry about how things were progressing with our purchase. Most importantly she walked us through this process with patience, professionalism and an empathic ear when we needed a sounding board. I can't imagine going through this process without her.
Holly was wonderful! From our first meeting to our closing she was easy to communicate with, quick to answer our questions, and helped make our entire home- selling process as smooth and stress-free as possible!
– Jeff & Sara, Asheville
John made this sale an easy process, even though we live out of town.
– Phyllis J., Asheville
PRICE- Search for Properties


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Patna: After nearly four decades, the Durgawati reservoir project in Bihar is finally ready in realisation of the dream of thousands of farmers to get their land irrigated in the Maoist-affected districts of Rohtas and Kaimur.
"Finally, the work of the Durgawati reservoir project has been completed. It would be formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi soon," Water Resources Minister Vijay Choudhary said Sunday.
This was the dream project of legendary Dalit leader and then union water resources minister Babu Jagjivan Ram, who laid the foundation stone in 1976.
The project was delayed for decades for want of funds and the objections raised by the central government over provisions of the Forest Conservation Act.
Choudhary said the Durgawati reservoir on the Sone river was a dream for farmers of Rohtas and Kaimur for years.
Work on the project started in 1976 but was delayed on one pretext or the other.
Officials said 33,467 hectares of land would be irrigated when the project is operational.
"The cost of the project has gone up from its initial estimate of Rs.25 crore to Rs.1,096 crore now," officials said.


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I love this identity for Sculptivate, an environmental design agency in London. Playdoh was pushed through a stencil to create an identity that can be used across a wide range of print and digital platforms. Love how it feels like you can reach into the letterhead and feel the edges of the stencil. Perfect branding for a company focused on tactile kinds of design and so wonderfully creative and colourful.
(photography by michael hedge)


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Beachfront Jomtien Residence
Beachfront Jomtien Residence
Jomtien Beach Road, Najomtien, Sattahip. Chonburi 20150 Thailand
This Condominium has been completed for Q2 2014
The information displayed within this web page is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate and can change at any time. if you are the developer of this condominium please contact us to find out how you can claim this page and correct any errors in the information shown.


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Somehow if you're a 3D artist, you always end up looking for wood textures. Whether you are a student or a professional or a hobbyist, you just always run into a need or want for that wood texture. You may go on Google and search up some imagery, you can always go to some texture resource website and dig some textures up. Very cool. But what about making your own?
Important note: Now I'm going to be using a program called Filter Forge 3, this is a fantastic piece of node-based fiter/generator creation program you can use to make all sorts of stuff. In this case I'll be using it to make the wood texture I'm talking about. Though let me tell you one thing: you don't always need Filter Forge to do this tutorial. It kinda takes skill but you can essentially do almost the same thing in programs like Adobe Photoshop with a little bit of creativity and understanding. So it's really not just for Filter Forge users. 🙂
Another Important Note: This is a very very simple tutorial. I didn't include specific numbers because I think you… can really just find out those numbers yourself. 😉
The Idea
Here's the resulting texture of the wood we're making.
Alright so it's pretty generic but we have lots of fine details, and some patterning going on. So what's happening here? The basic idea is this: I basically have this in 3 layers which produces the effect.
Lets Break it Down Further
Alright I want this whole thing to be as basic as possible, given that some people think this is hard. No, it's easy. Actually very very easy. So let's begin our journey through this texture.
The first layer is just a perlin noise pattern, the second is a perlin noise pattern with a zebra-like profile, the final layer adds the thin, noisy grains. That's our basis for the texture. The point here is that we're using perlin noise generators to create much of the basic look of it. And by layering them, we achieve the apperance. The rest of the process is coloring the combined noise textures in a way to convey the wood feel.
Here's how the wood texture looks without its color.
This black and white image can become several things: it can be a bump map or a map for colorization. But we'll skip that for now and take a look at the core construction of this texture.
The first base layer looks like this a general stretched perlin noise:
Yup. That's the basis. Now the second layer:
There's a bit more going on with this layer. You can see the "zebra effect" I'm talking about here clearly. The last layer looks like this:
Alright, so those are the 3 key layers and when combined they basically give you that black and white image map you saw earlier.
Because I'm using Filter Forge, generating these kinds of noise patterns isn't that complicated. It does take a bit more using programs such as Photoshop though and I encourage you to experiment methods in creating those noise patterns you see above. I figure though, I'll also make another experimental / tutorial post on how you can make those textures right in Photoshop without 3rd-party-plugins in the near future.
In Filter Forge the node structure would look like this:
Not that hard right? Alright, we can do a little bit of optimization here. Since I know that I can control the profile of the perlin noise patch, I can feed a curve to simulate the threshold node, hence removing 1 step of the process.
It's really up to you on if you want to do it either way. But of course, the more optimized the faster your filter will run. Pretty simple.
Coloring the texture is super simple. It it only takes 2 components: the profile gradient and elevation gradient.
And that's really all there is to this texture! I tried to keep this tutorial as simple as possible giving you the really basic idea of how you'd go about producing the look you desire. Of course, if you want more details, you can add more grain, you can add more roughness via the perlin noise components, but ultimately what it comes down to is the layering and breaking it down into those core components. Once you define the basics, you can then move on to create elaborate, detailed textures you want.
Here's what my wood generator looks like with all the rest of the components and controls.
Sure it's a little more involved but most of it is just a chain of alternative styles and looks just so I have a bit more control over my end result. You may be looking at this and going "that's … complex" but really the basic idea hasn't really changed and the additional chain of components you see get switched on or off by a switch component.
So there you go. A very elementary tutorial / introduction on how you can produce the wood texture from absolutely nothing. 🙂 By the way, because Filter Forge can make this texture seamless so this can become a nice tiling texture for your 3D scene or object.
If you have any questions or commentary just write as a reply. I'll try to respond to them and also I may follow up with another post too.


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Swell Studio Nashville has five instructors available to teach private sessions, duets or trios. Private sessions are scheduled by filling out the form below or calling the studio at (615) 352 1100.
Private Pilates Sessions
A 50 minute private pilates session is highly recommended for all new clients to go over the basic principles and techniques, and to introduce the mechanics of the apparatus. This one-on-one training is ideal and allows the instructor to provide the client with their full attention and direct focus to the clients specific needs, addressing any injuries or weaknesses. It is very important to understand the basics and any necessary modifications before entering a group or class setting. From there, the instructor can discuss an appropriate exercise regimen that works best for the clients needs.
Duets and Trios
Duets and Trios are a nice option if you have a friend or two friends, loved one or co-worker that is interested in doing sessions with you. Two or three people work at the same time with one instructor so you'll still get a great amount of personal attention.


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In the era of internet and digital revolutions, it is challenging for libraries to choose mediums to promote services to support learning, teaching and research. Digital and social developments are changing the expectations and demands of users on the traditional library. One of the interesting digital developments was the trend of mobile tagging through the use of the QR codes which enables users to access digital contents on their mobile devices. Another trend is the use of the flipping book technology which is being used increasingly by many libraries worldwide.
The IIUM Library has adopted these trends for its Muslim Scholar's profile collection. The collection consists of 168 Muslim Scholars profile in 23" x 15" printed poster format exhibited at the Islamic Intellectual Heritage Gallery at level 2 of the library building. The profile contains the biography and contributions of the various scholarsin the Malay Archipelago. It is an essential reference for research in Islamic history and civilization. However, access to this valuable information is limited as it is available in printed format only. The project to digitize the collection was established to increase awareness among users, researchers and external members to the collection.
QR code is Quick Response or 2D bar code that can be read by downloadable smart phone readers with camera-scanning capabilities. The information encoded in the code may be text, a URL and other data.To resolve the difficulties in reading information in the printed posters due to their location which is higher than eye level, QR codes are pasted to each of the Muslim Scholar profile posters. Each QR code represents unique information on individual scholar. Users need to download the QR reader software which is available free to their smart phone and activate their IIUM Wi-Fi. When the code is scanned with the QR reader, the search will reveal a link that redirects to the Muslim Scholars profile.
Flipping book, on the other hand, is a form of an electronic book consisting of text, images, or both, readable on computers or other electronic devices. Flipping book is specifically a book with a series of pictures that vary gradually from one page to the next, so that when the pages are turned rapidly, the pictures appear to animate by simulating motion or some other change. The technology provides readers a realistic and enjoyable experience as though they are actually looking and flipping a hard copy newspaper or book.
IIUM Library started the digitization project of Muslim Scholars profile in July 2013. Each flipping book contains 8 profiles and there are a total of 21 digital books available for the 168 posters.The workflow in digitizing the Muslim Scholars profile collection can be seen in the enclosed picture. However, the full-text information can be accessed via intranet within campus only due to copyright issues. Access is via the Kiosk at Islamic Intellectual Heritage area, level 2 and the Library Homepage ( http://apps.lib.iium.edu.my/mscflipbook ).
Since the activation of the flipping book system from September 2013 until February 2014, the number of users accessing the system has risen from 35 users per day to 168 users per day. The Library believes that this figure will continue to increase with the promotional activities conducted via various channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, library's website, email, posters, etc. A Customer Satisfaction Survey conducted also indicated a large percentage of the respondents believed that the service is user friendly, fast and accurate.
The IIUM Library's initiative in implementing the new marketing tools through QR codes and flipping book has successfully achieved its target to provide a personalized library services to users. The Library users, mostly from Gen-Y, are more interested to access the library resources via their mobile phone. IIUM Library is always striving towards excellence in delivering services to its users. The Library through its continuous development efforts constantly looks at new and creative means to ensure its services and facilities are in sync with the latest trend in technology to delight its customers.


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about us
New England's Favorite Jewelry & Crystal shop!
Village Silversmith is a family owned business that started in the historic seaside village of Rockport, MA. The life long interest of minerals, fossils, stone cutting, and silversmithing ran through the Bajoras family and lead to the opening of their first retail shop on the North Shore.
Within ten years of opening their doors in Rockport, Village Silversmith has opened seven additional locations. Now, Village Silversmith has another Rockport store location, equipped with workshop, a location on Main Street in Gloucester, Massachusetts, our largest store at the Northshore Mall in Peabody, Massachusetts, our seasonal store right on the boulevard in Hampton Beach, NH, a store in the historical port, Portsmouth, NH, a store on State Street in Newburyport, MA, and our newest location in the historic witch city, Salem MA. Each one of our retail locations has varying specialties and their own distinct feel created by our store design and knowledgeable staff.
Village Silversmith also sells at over twenty-five trade shows and festivals a year. We provide a large wholesale and retail inventory with an incomparable selection of our famous quality stone cabochons and beads.


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"Color is the fruit of life." -Guillaume Apollinaire
So said French writer and art critic Apollinaire of the early 1900s. Painting in France was experiencing an infusion of color, after earlier painters like Corot had used a subdued palette. The ballet dancers of Degas introduced lovely hues of aqua and orange. Renoir and Mary Cassatt were not shy in using more intense color in their paintings and so the flow of the "fruit of life" moved from a small stream to a full blown river throughout the 20th century until today.
There is a term, "joie de vivre" which means exuberant enjoyment of life. This is how I paint with color. Painter Marc Chagall connected color with emotions like love and musical vibration. Delacroix said "Everyone knows that yellow, orange, and red suggest ideas of joy and plenty."
Yet, in order to see how colors "sing", we painters must introduce elements of a darker, even moodier side. So we mix in grays, browns and other neutral hues, even white and black to create an overall balance. We don't want to make a painting that screams "circus" or advertising bill boards. Nature is our teacher.
So when you respond to a painting that expresses a sense of joy in you, look closely. In order for joy to stand out in our lives, we can see another side of emotion. There is a contrast to be found. Happiness springs out of some sadder times. It's all part of the wholeness of being a human. When I paint, I love to infuse life with joy, and color is my chosen instrument!
For more paintings, please visit http://www.karengillistaylor.net


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MyEyes Opticians - designer spectacle frames and prescription designer swimming goggles; also eyecare vouchers, eye examinations and contact lenses, 68 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QP
MyEyes - Opticians, Designer Frames, Prescription Designer Swim Goggles, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 4QP
My Eyes
68 Exmouth Market
London EC1R 4QP
My Eyes Opticians now has a beautiful boutique styled store to complement their website.
The new shop makes it simple and easy to get all your designer and prescription eyewear from contact lenses and designer sunglasses to prescription swimming goggles and sports eyewear. They have a wide range of disposable contact lenses.
So for brands like Dolce and Gabbana, Jai Kudo, Diesel, Freudenhaus, Beausoleil, Silhouette, Oakley, Rayban, Gucci, D&G, DKNY, Donna Karan, Face a Face and Alain Mikli with excellent value for money prices on these and many other designer frames -
© 2002-2019 21stcenturyvillage.com Ltd


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[ Inscrivez-vous ]
09 Juin 2018
Port Louis, Mauritius, June 9 (Infosplusgabon) - The Mauritian Health Ministry has on Saturday indicated that no fewer than 205 cases of measles have been identified to date in the past four weeks in several parts of the island.
It said this highly contagious disease is cause for concern and it has been found that it is not only young children who are affected but also people aged 15 to 40 years.
A medical doctor in Port Louis said the Ministry has started an awareness and vaccination campaign throughout the island, including pre-primary, primary and secondary schools, as well as in the most affected areas. He said adults also are affected.
According to the ministry, some 3,000 people have been vaccinated. It said measles is a very contagious disease and if a person has not been vaccinated, the disease can spread easily across the country.
"This is the reason as to why we call on parents to vaccinate their children who have never received a measles vaccine or have received only a dose as soon as possible," the ministry said.
Vaccination against measles is done free of charge in several parts of Mauritius.
© Copyright Infosplusgabon


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Irving is Proud to Sponsor the Residential Category for the Premier's Awards for Energy Efficiency
Irving Oil has partnered with other New Brunswick organizations to sponsor the third annual Premier's Awards for Energy Efficiency. The awards will showcase some of the best practices in energy efficiency in New Brunswick. The Awards were developed by Efficiency NB to recognize companies, organizations and individuals for their innovation and achievement in the field of energy efficiency.
The award recipients will be honored in Fredericton on May 12, 2011. Efficiency NB is now accepting nominations for awards in a number of categories which encompass a wide range of energy users including large and small companies, public sector organizations, community groups and individuals.
Posted on March 21, 2011


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Bold-A-Thon Starts Friday
Published: 25 June 2018
Due to rights restrictions this show is currently unavailable to watch on web, but can be enjoyed on tenplay's apps and platforms.
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tenplay prepares to kick-off its exclusive four-day Bold-A-Thon to bring viewers up to date with the US.
The wait is almost over! From 5.30pm Friday 29 June, tenplay begins its Bold and The Beautiful marathon, giving fans 15 gloriously sudsy episodes of their favourite soap to bring them in line with the States.
Then from Tuesday 3 July, tenplay will air fast-tracked B&B episodes day-and-date with the US, meaning no more waiting to see what drama befalls the House of Forrester next.