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Wow, what a month! I had one sewing fiasco after another in trying to get a couple of competition skate dresses done for my daughter. I had to make her Figures dress THREE times! The first time, the points in the front were too low- scratch! The second time, I spaced the fact that I was sewing with velvet and steam pressed the zipper and it went through to the front and ruined the velvet- scratch! By this time I was out of Royal Blue velvet and had to order more from New York and do 2 day shipping. The fabric arrived on Tuesday so I spent Tuesday cutting and sewing the new dress and then from Tuesday evening to Wednesday gluing the rhinestones on the dress. This takes a while because you have to glue each stone individually and then you have to wait for the area you're working on to dry before moving to the next area. It was cold here so it took the stones a loooooong time to dry. By the end of the day on Wednesday I was done stoning the dresses :-). On Thursday morning I packed and off we went to Chicago for the Meet. After four days, we were ready to get home and we arrived last night at 11:09 p.m.- home sweet home!
I had three cards that I had made while waiting for either fabric or rhinestones to arrive, but because of all the trouble I had with the sewing, which I've never had trouble with sewing until that Figures dress (!), I didn't have time to get them posted. I did get one posted before the fabric arrived, so will be posting the other two today and tomorrow. I won't get to stamp for a couple of days because I have a lot to catch up on- laundry, house work, grocery shopping, etc. I got sooooo behind working on skate dresses. I am looking forward to going back to my stamping room and just relaxing with some stamps, ink, and paper! In the meantime, here's one of the thank you cards I made.


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Chris Christie's image among New Jerseyans has become stunningly bad.
A Monday poll from Monmouth University found Christie's approval rating at an all-time low — worse than the negative ratings respondents gave the state Legislature.
That survey comes weeks after a Quinnipiac University poll found that Christie had the worst approval rating of any governor in nine states surveyed by its polling institute over the past six years.
More than two-thirds of New Jerseyans also responded that they believe Christie endorsed presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump only to improve his chances of obtaining a federal appointment.
Christie's approval rating in the Monmouth poll stood at a dismal 27%, while 63% disapproved of the job the governor is performing. That's a tick worse than he did in the historically bad Quinnipiac survey, in which his approval rating was 29%. When registered voters were isolated in the Monmouth poll, Christie's approval dropped from 27% to 26%.
The approval rating was a record low for the governor in the Monmouth survey. The state Legislature, of which 30% of New Jerseyans approved, stood better than Christie's rating for the first time in his six-plus years in office.
"It's really saying something when the legislature, which rarely manages to get its rating above water, is seen as more effective than the governor," said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.
About 80% of respondents in the Garden State, meanwhile, said that Christie was more concerned with his political future than governing New Jersey. And 68% of New Jersey residents said that the prospect of a future federal appointment was the reason he endorsed Trump.
"Despite his statements to the contrary, the vast majority of New Jerseyans seem to believe that Christie's main concern right now is figuring how to get out of the state as soon as possible," Murray said.
In the Quinnipiac survey, voters in the state, which holds its primary on Tuesday, made it clear that they don't want Trump to select Christie as his running mate when they said, by a 72% to 18% split, that the Manhattan businessman should steer clear of their governor.
"Christie-for-president was a flop and, as far as the local folks are concerned, so is Christie-for-vice president," said Maurice Carroll, the assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll. "Forget local pride, New Jersey voters say overwhelmingly; they don't want their Gov. on a Trump ticket."
"It's a drastic decline in popularity for a governor who once looked like a strong choice for president," Carroll added.
Christie is in consideration to be Trump's running mate, as the business mogul told The Associated Press in May that the New Jersey governor was on his short list of remaining contenders.

subset: commoncrawl


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Vampire Diaries season 7 is all set to bring blood, romance and vengeance that would lead Mystic Fall to plummet into evil-filled darkness as Lily and her heretic family have seized the town. The first promo released by CW suggests that the city has plunged into complete chaos.
Lily brings her 'bloodthirsty family' to the Salvatore mansion, which irks Damon, who questions his mother's actions. "Are you gonna tell me who the hell you are bringing to our house," he asks his mother.
But it looks like his younger brother Stefan will convince him that the vampires and the heretics can still stay together as he has struck a deal with them."We don't mess with them, they don't mess with us," the younger Salvatore vampire tells his brother who answers him back saying 'bad idea'.
The trailer suggests that the brothers may remain in grave danger as Lily offers them 'motherly advice' over phone to run. From the beginning of season 6, the vampire mother has shown her immense love for the heretics whom she calls her family. Previously, there were hints from the show producers that she would try to create differences between her sons.
Meanwhile, Caroline rejects the so-called truce deal with the blood-thirsty lunatics and encourages Stefan to fight back. "Are we making a huge mistake handing over our town for a bunch of supernatural terrorists?" she asks him, to which the younger Salvatore brother answers: "Yeah, probably."
In the promo Stefan can also be seen making out with a girl who resembles Caroline suggesting lots of steamy Steroline moments in the upcoming season.
"There's constantly life and death stakes thrown at them, they're thrust together in a storyline," show producer Caroline Dries told TVGuide. "So as much as much as there's chaos around her, every time she looks at Stefan, she gets butterflies." She added that there may be "massacres here [and] bombs there," but "it's only a matter of time before it's like... 'You make me happy.' So, we'll see them get together soon."
The Vampire Diaries season 7 premieres on 8 October on the CW network.


text:
- Research
- Open Access
Serum antibodies from Parkinson's disease patients react with neuronal membrane proteins from a mouse dopaminergic cell line and affect its dopamine expression
© Huber et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2006
- Received: 16 November 2005
- Accepted: 20 January 2006
- Published: 20 January 2006
Evidence exists suggesting that the immune system may contribute to the severity of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). The data presented here demonstrates that antibodies in the sera of patients with IPD have increased binding affinity to dopaminergic (DA) neuronal (MN9D cell line) membrane antigens in comparison to antibodies in sera from healthy controls. In general, the degree of antibody reactivity to these antigens of the mouse MN9D cell line appears to correlate well with the disease severity of the IPD patients contributing sera, based on the total UPDRS scores. Surprisingly, the sera from IPD patients enhanced the DA content of MN9D cells differentiated with n-butyrate; the n-butyrate-differentiated MN9D cells had a greater concentration of DA (DA/mg total protein) than undifferentiated MN9D cells, especially early in culture. Although the IPD sera did not directly harm MN9D cellular viability or DA production, in the presence of the N9 microglial cell line, the amount of DA present in cultures of untreated or n-butyrate-treated MN9D cells was lowered by the IPD sera. The results suggest the involvement of antibodies in the decline of dopamine production and, thus, the potential of immune system participation in IPD.
- Human Seron
- Control Seron
- MN9D Cell
- Neuronal Antigen
- Substantia Nigra Region
Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) is a progressive neurological disorder that affects approximately 1 million people in North America [1, 2]. It is characterized clinically by a loss of motor control as evidenced by muscular rigidity, resting tremor, bradykinesia, and gait dysfunction with postural instability [1, 2]. Pathological features include, predominantly, the degeneration of dopaminergic (DA) neurons within the substantia nigra (SN) and intracytoplasmic inclusions (Lewy bodies) within surviving neurons [3]. To date, the cause of this disease remains unknown [4]; however, certain gene mutations, e.g., alpha-synuclein, parkin, DJ1, LRKK2, PINK1, and ND5 have been implicated [5]. Expression of any of these mutated genes may enhance the likelihood of IPD by itself or after an environmental insult.
Although potentially only a consequence of IPD pathology, abnormal immune activity has been considered a possible cause of IPD based on post-mortem analysis of IPD patients' brains [6–8] and utilization of mouse models of parkinsonism [9–12]. Specifically, roles for both the innate immune system, as evidenced by increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines [10, 13–16], and the adaptive immune system, in the form of increased levels of neuron-specific antibodies in the sera of IPD patients [17–24], have been posited.
To date, the strongest evidence for specific immune involvement in the development of IPD was published by Chen et al. when they reported a selective loss of DA neurons within the SN region of rat brains upon administration of immunoglobulin (Ig) G from sera of patients with IPD [25]. Furthermore, in later studies by the same group [26, 27], in vivo and in vitro models demonstrated an important contribution of Fc receptor-bearing cells in the induction of TNF-α, which, in turn, resulted in a reduction of DA neurons as evidenced by decreased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity [26]. However, there have been no reports detailing the specific reactivities of IPD sera with neuronal cell membrane antigens.
In this study, we set out to examine the interaction between antibodies in sera from IPD patients and DA neurons. We determined that serum IgG from IPD patients react with membrane proteins from mouse MN9D neuronal cells to a greater extent than serum IgG from healthy control individuals. Additionally, we found that IPD sera have differential modulatory effects on DA expression by MN9D cells cultured in the presence and absence of N9 microglia. The observed interactions and their possible implications are discussed.
Sera and IPD patients
Clinical Data of IPD patients with High (H), Intermediate (I), or Low (L) Relative Western Analysis Values
Western Value*
Age at onset
H&Y Stage
UPDRS (total)
Cell lines
The MN9D cell line (provided by Dr. Alfred Heller, Department of Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences, University of Chicago) was derived from rostral mesencephalic tegmentum (RMT) of the 14-day-old embryonic mouse employing somatic cell fusion techniques [28]. This clonal hybrid cell line expresses a high amount of DA, which is efficiently depleted by N-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+), the active metabolite of the neurotoxin N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). The N9 microglial cell line (provided by Dr. P. Ricciardi-Castagnoli, Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca) was derived by retroviral immortalization of day 13 embryonic mouse brain cultures; they are similar to primary microglia in that, upon activation, they produce proinflammatory cytokines [29] and nitric oxide [30].
Cell viability
Cell viability was assessed in the separate culture and co-cultures of the MN9D and N9 cells in the absence and presence of the human sera. Viability was determined by a MTT assay as described [31] or by exclusion of propidium iodide assayed by flow cytometry [32].
Membrane protein isolation
Membrane proteins from MN9D cells were obtained using lysis buffer containing 1.5% Triton X-114 (Sigma, St. Louis, MO), 1 mM MgCl2 (Fisher Scientific Co., Fair Lawn, NJ), 5 μg mL-1 each of RNase (Sigma) and DNase (Invitrogen Corporation, San Diego, CA) in cold phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as previously described [33]. Briefly, cells were treated with this mixture for 15 min on ice with vortexing, and then centrifuged at 27,000 × g for 10 min at 4°C to remove nuclei. The supernatants were collected and placed at 37°C for 4 min and centrifuged at 400 × g in a swinging bucket rotor for 10 min at 25°C. The pellet containing membrane proteins were resuspended in 200 μL of 10 mM Tris•HCl, pH 7.5, and protein was quantified using the BCA assay (Pierce, Rockford, IL) using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a protein standard.
ELISA 96-well plates (Corning, Inc., Corning, NY) were coated with 10 μg mL-1 MN9D membrane protein in PBS. Plates were washed with PBS containing 0.1% (v/v) Tween-20 (PBS-T), blocked with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) in PBS, washed again, and then sera was added at a 1:100 dilution in 20% normal goat serum in PBS. Plates were again washed, and alkaline-phosphatase-conjugated goat anti-human IgG (H + L) (Jackson Immunoresearch Laboratories, Inc.) (1:10,000 in 10% FBS-PBS) was added. After washing, 1 mg mL-1 p-nitrophenyl phosphate substrate (Sigma) in buffer (0.1 M glycine (Sigma), 1 mM MgCl2 (Fisher), 1 mM ZnCl2 (Fisher), pH 10.4) was used to measure reactivity. Plates were read at 405 nm on a CERES UV900C microplate reader (Bio-Tek Instruments, Winooski, VT). Sera from 27 individuals, including 19 IPD patients and 8 controls, have been analyzed. ELISA for IL-1β, TNF-a and IL-6 were run as previously described [34] with DuoSets of capture and detection antibodies purchased from R & D (Minneapolis, MN).
Western blot analysis
MN9D membrane proteins (100 μg) were resolved by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis on a 12 % polyacrylamide gel (single 67 mm loading well) for 2.5 hr at 100 v. The proteins were transferred to a PVDF (Millipore, Bedford, MA) membrane (30 min at 20 v) and blocked with 5% (v/v) fish gelatin (Sigma) in PBS containing 0.05% Tween20 (PBS-T). The blot was washed with PBS-T, and affixed to a slot-blotting apparatus (Bio-Rad) that allows multiple sera to be screened simultaneously. Sera from 17 IPD patients and 2 controls (1:50 dilution in 5% normal goat serum in PBS-T) were applied in separate slots and incubated overnight at 4°C while rocking. The blot was then washed with PBS-T, and incubated with biotin-conjugated goat anti-human IgG (gamma chain specific) (Tago, Inc., Burlingame, CA) (1:5,000 dilution in 5% normal goat serum in PBS-T). The blot was again washed with PBS-T followed by addition of HRP-conjugated streptavidin (1:20,000 dilution; Pierce, Rockford, IL). After a final wash with PBS-T, Super Signal West Pico (Pierce), a chemiluminescent substrate was added. Reactivity was observed with a Fuji LAS 1000 system (FujiFilm Medical Systems USA, Inc., Stamford, CT), and analyzed using ImageGauge software (FujiFilm Medical Systems USA, Inc.).
Cell culture conditions
MN9D and N9 cell lines were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium with L-glutamine and 4500 mg L-1 glucose, without sodium bicarbonate (Sigma). Importantly, this medium contains pyridoxal•HCl, which is required for the survival of the MN9D mesencephalic cell line [28]. This medium was supplemented with 10% FBS (Hyclone, Logan, UT), 50 U mL-1 penicillin and 50 μg mL-1 streptomycin (Invitrogen Corporation), 3.7 g L-1 NaHCO3 (J.T. Baker Chemical Co., Phillipsburg, NJ), and 50 μM 2-mercaptoethanol (Sigma).
Cell culture conditions were set up and analyzed as previously described (Le et al., 2001), with minor modifications. In 24-well tissue culture plates (Corning Inc.), 2 × 104 N9 cells were seeded for 24 hr at 37°C under 5% CO2. After 24 hr, medium was removed, and MN9D cells (4 × 104) in fresh medium were added in the presence of individual human sera (1%) samples. The N9:MN9D ratio was maintained at 1:2, as previously described (Le et al., 2001). Cells were co-cultured for three days.
Differentiation of MN9D cells was performed as described [28] by culturing 4.6 × 104 cells per well in 4 mL medium in 6-well tissue culture plates (Corning). Cells were exposed to 1 mM n-butyrate (Sigma) throughout the seven day culture and designated wells were harvested daily, beginning with day 2. Medium was replaced every 48 hr with fresh medium containing 1 mM n-butyrate.
Co-cultures of differentiated MN9D cells were established by culturing 9.2 × 103 MN9D cells in 24-well tissue culture plates (Corning Inc.) in the presence of 1 mM n-butyrate (Sigma) and 1% human sera. After 48 hr, the medium was removed, and fresh medium supplemented with 1 mM n-butyrate and 1% human sera was added. Twenty-four hr later, medium was again removed, and cells were washed twice with 1 mL PBS. Indicated wells received 4.6 × 103 N9 microglia and 1% human sera in n-butyrate-free medium. Cells cultured in the absence of N9 microglia received 1% human sera in n-butyrate-free medium. Cells were co-cultured for three days.
Quantification of DA expression
At the end of the specified culturing period, plates were centrifuged at 200 × g for 10 min at 4°C, medium was removed, and cells were washed with 1 mL PBS. Cells were exposed to 1 mL 0.2 M HClO4 and sonicated as described. This mixture was then centrifuged to remove proteins from the samples, and DA expression was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical sensors, and quantified using Waters Millenia software (Waters, Milford, MA), as described [35]. The protein pellet was resuspended in 50 μL 0.5 M NaOH, and protein was quantified using the BCA method with BSA as a standard.
To assess if the observed interactions between IPD sera and neuronal antigens correlated with any adverse effects on neuronal cells, in vitro assays were performed. This analysis revealed that, compared to control sera, IPD sera had no significant effect on the levels of DA regardless of whether the quantification was calculated as ng/well or ng/mg protein (approximately 10 ng/well and 160 ng/mg protein).
The results reported here reveal the binding interactions between IgG antibodies in the sera of IPD patients and neuronal proteins of a mouse dopaminergic cell line. These associations were examined using ELISA and Western blot techniques, and significant binding of IgG antibodies to DA neuronal antigens was observed. Additionally, there were no adverse effects of the IPD sera in MN9D monocultures, but the IPD sera did significantly decrease the dopamine content of the MN9D cells when N9 microglia were present within the cultures. While there was no evidence that these two activities correlate with any particular antibody specificity, these results suggest that interactions between IPD sera and neuronal cell constituents occur, hinting that antibodies may play a role in IPD. The magnitude of the impact is, as yet, undefined. Furthermore, it is not clear whether these antibodies are involved early in the elicitation of IPD symptoms or arise only after substantial DA neuronal death has occurred.
The reactivity seen between IPD sera and neuronal membrane proteins is striking. The significant differences observed corroborates previously reported data suggesting immunoreactivity between sera and CSF from IPD patients with cellular constituents within the SN of rat brains [17, 19–22, 24, 27]. In fact, the reactivity with the SN was reported to be present in as many as 78% of the CSF samples taken from IPD patients [23]. Surprisingly, aside from a single report describing reactivity of IPD sera with a protein modified by DA oxidation [18], there has been no indication that IPD sera reacts with DA neuronal protein antigens, as is provided in this report. Furthermore, analysis of this reactivity by Western blot revealed a number of proteins that were potentially reactive with both IPD and control sera making it difficult to pinpoint specific proteins that were related to a diseased state. However, the discovery of a number of proteins in the 40–60 kDa range that reacted to a much greater extent with IPD sera than with that of controls further limits the prospective candidate proteins that need to be evaluated.
Previous reports have revealed a specific destructive effect of IPD sera on DA neuronal cells, both in vivo [25, 27] and in vitro [26]. This destructive effect in vivo was specific to the SN region of the brain and was only seen when IPD IgG was injected into the SN of rats [25, 27]. In vitro utilization of a co-culture system to address the effect of these interactions revealed that microglia, activated in the presence of IPD sera have the ability to specifically alter DA neuron function. Induction of TNF-α was previously reported to be the microglial factor involved in the loss of DA [26]; however, we did not observe an increase of TNF-α or any other proinflammatory cytokine in the co-culture supernatants with the IPD sera. It is possible that additional inflammatory microglial products, e.g., nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide, are responsible for the loss of DA. These small oxidative molecules are likely toxicants and have previously been reported to cause neuronal cell death [36].
Surprisingly, monocultures of the n-butyrate-treated (differentiated) MN9D cells had increased levels of DA when exposed to IPD sera compared to control sera. A possible explanation for this increase is that there is a "damage" signal induced within these neurons upon binding of antibodies to certain MN9D antigens, which are less expressed in the non-treated MN9D cells since they were not affected by the IPD sera in the absence of N9 cells. This positive signal may induce a hyperactivity of the "stressed" differentiated neurons, resulting in increased DA production. Alternatively, antibodies to select surface proteins on the differentiated MN9D cells may directly trigger induction of DA production.
Differences between the non-treated and n-butyrate-treated MN9D cells also were apparent in the presence of the N9 microglia. Significant reductions in DA levels were induced by the IPD sera with co-cultures of non-treated or n-butyrate-treated MN9D cells with N9 cells, when DA was calculated on a ng/mg protein basis. When DA was calculated as DA/culture the non-treated MN9D cocultured with N9 microglia and IPD sera did not have significantly lower levels of DA. This difference is likely due to the fact that the non-treated MN9D cells are proliferating to a greater extent and producing less DA per cell, as suggested by the kinetic analyses shown (Figure 5). Thus, the results with the n-butyrate-treated MN9D cells would more closely represent the in vivo situation since normal DA neurons would not be proliferating. The negative microglial effects on DA neurons corroborate the results of Le, et al. [26]. It is hypothesized that the antibodies could cross-link the MN9D cells to Fc receptors on the N9 cells leading to release of neurotoxic factors by the N9 microglia.
The positive effect of IPD sera on MN9D monocultures and the negative effect on the co-culture of MN9D and N9 cells with regard to DA production do not address the specific MN9D antigens involved in these processes. However, it is clear that the specificity of the antibodies play a more important role that the amount of antibody, in that when some individual sera were assayed for binding by ELISA and for function (DA levels), there was no correlation. This indicates that the specificity (or possibly isotype) of certain antibodies in the IPD sera and not their concentrations are responsible for altering DA production. This emphasizes the need to further delineate the specific DA neuronal antigens being affected. Analyses are currently underway to isolate and identify the DA neuronal antigens bound by the antibodies, which cause the observed DA changes. In addition to IPD serum antibodies, it is also possible that the IPD sera may contain additional factors affecting DA production, e.g., tetrahydroisoquinolone, β-carbolines. A number of potential toxins could be present in some of the IPD sera [37]. However, this possibility seems unlikely in that the sera were only inhibitory in the presence of the N9 cells.
While attempting to understand the role of the immune system in IPD, we have addressed a number of critical parameters. First, we have shown that there is specific reactivity of sera from IPD patients with multiple membrane proteins expressed by a mouse DA neuronal cell line. Second, we have found neuronal antigen bands of specific reactivity, most notably in the 40–60 kDa range that may lead to further understanding of what neuronal proteins are involved in the antibody-induced alteration of DA production. Finally, through in vitro analyses, we show that there is a specific effect of IPD sera on co-cultures of MN9D neuronal cells and N9 microglia, suggesting an interaction between the serum factors and the N9 cells.
This work was supported, in part, by an American Parkinson Disease Association Fellowship (VCH, N1402031) and DOD grant and U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Neurotoxin Exposure Program Award No: DAMD17-02-1-0173 to RFS.
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- Cao L, Lawrence D: Suppression of host resistance to Listeria moncytogenes by acute cold/restraint stress: lack of direct IL-6 involvement. J Neuroimmunol. 2002, 133: 132-143. 10.1016/S0165-5728(02)00371-5.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
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- Wang J, Shum A, Ho Y: Oxidative neurotoxicity in rat cerebral cortex neurons: synergistic effects of H2O2 and NO on apoptosis involving activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and caspase-3. J Neurosci Res. 2003, 72: 508-519. 10.1002/jnr.10597.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
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This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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Axel Botte
Protectionism rocks markets
26.06.2018 - Axel Botte
Read weekly markets analysis by Axel Botte, Ostrum Asset Management's senior strategist
• Politics weigh on equities, Bund yields close to 0.30%
• US protectionism extends to technology sector
• Italian debt spreads are wider before a tough July
• CDS market indices on shy grounds
• Stabilization in emerging debt space
Axel Botte is Strategist at Ostrum Asset Management.
He began his career in 2000 at AXA Investment Managers as strategist producing both geographical and regional equity allocation recommendations.
In 2007, he was named Head of the Fixed Income research within the Investment Strategy department managing 2 fixed income strategists.
He joined Ostrum Asset Management in October 2010 as Strategist. He provides top-down analysis of fixed income markets in close relationship with fund management teams. The research covers interest rates, developed market government bonds, sovereign debt allocation, global inflation-linked, credit and structured credit.
Axel Botte is a graduate of the University of Cergy-Pontoise. He holds a Advanced Studies Diploma (DEA) in Analysis of Financial and Industrial Strategies.


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Florida - Venice
The Lift Church SUM "cohort," located in Venice, Florida, operates in partnership with SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary to enhance the distance education that SUM provides. SUM is a fully accredited Bible College that is training men and women to proclaim Christ throughout the cities of our world! At the Lift Church SUM cohort you will be able to gather with like-minded SUM students in a dynamic classroom environment while fulfilling the SUM experiential ministry and spiritual training requirements via the practical hands-on ministry training and transformational mentorship provided by Lift Church SUM.
Here is what sets Lift Church SUM apart:
Visionary Leadership
Steve's goal is to involve everyone in the church in ministry, providing opportunities to serve Jesus Christ through service to others, both in and outside the church. He and his wife, Mary Beth came to Lift Church in May, 2014, having served with The Assemblies of God in Michigan.
They have two grown children, Brianna. who moved to Venice with them, and Weston, who stayed in Michigan to continue his involvement in worship ministry. In his "spare" time, Steve enjoys the beach, golfing, and movies. He enjoys vacationing "anywhere tropical." His favorite Bible verse is Psalm 37:4, "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Cohort Advisor
I have an optimistic heart that always looks for the best in people and has a goal to make everyone feel like family when they walk through the doors of Lift Church. I believe that there should be no one that feels left out or unwelcome at church. The verse that has helped shape my ministry and personal life is 1 Corinthians 9:22 "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some."
I started attending Lift Church in 2011 after attending Cincinnati Christian University to pursue his degree in Ministerial Leadership. He received his Associates Degree through our Leadership program with Central Bible College and has recently received his Bachelors in Ministerial Leadership through Southeastern University. He joined our staff on September 6, 2015.
Lift Church
695 Center Rd.
Venice, FL 34285
Phone: (812) 584-5973
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: liftchurch.com


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Karposh Sokoli Wins Macedonian Basketball Cup for first time
Karposh Sokoli from Skopje has won the Macedonia Basketball Cup. The team beat Feni Industry after managing to break the resistance of the Kavadarci team.
Following the first 30 minutes of battle, Karposh Sokoli managed to triumph over Feni with 80:69, thus winning their first trophy.
The half-time result was 42:37, but things started changing, when Stajic scored three-point field shot, so Feni Industry came to 52:55. But the last 10 minutes were obvious that Feni lost their strength, so the Skopje-based team increased the difference of 11 shots and triumphed the match.
With this, Karposh Sokoli marked their first Cup victory, and the first title ever for the club.


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In Defense of Thanksgivukkah
By this point everyone knows that Thanksgivukkah is occurring this Thursday. By some accounts, this is the greatest culinary event in history; by other accounts, it's a horrible occurrence that needs to be ignored. Almost every possible article has been written about it, even The 8 rules of Thanksgivingukkah Sex (just click on it now, we know you're going to. We can wait ..questionable content for work). While there are some valid reasons to want to separate the two holidays, many of the arguments, such as those presented by Allison Benedikt, are overblown.
First, let's get the obvious out of the way. When dealing with any event that is several centuries or even millennia old, certain liberties are going to be taken with the story. Much like a plot twist in Homeland or 24, facts can get in the way of a good story. Historical purists would probably take umbrage with the way both stories are told in elementary schools. However, the underlying principles of the holidays are both commendable. Personally, Thanksgiving is about gratitude and being thankful for what we have. Hanukkah is about overcoming adversity against challenging odds, it's not about presents.
But Allison Benedikt's complaints go far beyond historical critique, and her article needs a response because there are not enough face palms in the world to express my disdain for it. Why Slate chose to publish this is beyond me, because she is someone who appears to have a very limited understanding of Judaism as a whole and whose love of Judaism is itself questionable as shown in her own writings. Let's proceed:
I don't want my kids to think Thanksgiving is a "present holiday."
This shows a complete lack of understanding about Hanukkah. If you think Hanukkah is a presents holiday, you are doing it wrong. This woman has completely secularized and commercialized Hanukah so, to her, it has little value beyond a night to give kids gifts and maybe eat fried foods. She has already lost the true meaning of Hanukkah, the continued struggle of the Jewish people against unmistakable odds and violent attacks that was overcome by our community's famous strong will. It's true that with the recent exception of Black Friday hysteria, Thanksgiving has largely escaped the commercialism that plagues so many other holidays. She should try to keep Hanukkah free of commercialism as well. Also, her failure to teach her kids about the story behind Hanukkah, rather than just presents, demonstrates her own misunderstanding of Hanukkah and deficiency as a parent.
Combining the Holiday foods is an awful idea.
First, if you don't think sweet potato latkes sound amazing or think pastrami with Brussel Sprouts (since bacon is out of the question) is awesome, I can't help you. More amazing Jewish fusion food for me! Due to Hanukkah's connection with oil, basically anything imaginable on the Thanksgiving menu can now be justifiably deep fried like a state fair. Fried foods are better than their regular counterparts; this is an inarguable fact of life. Anyone who disagrees should probably just pack up and move to North Korea. . Our food is one of the things that bind us as not just a religion, but as a culture, and we should embrace the culinary hybrid of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah.
Jews should not feel ashamed to be different.
I spoke with two individuals whose parents were intermarried and they mentioned they liked Thanksgiving because it didn't highlight the differences in the two sides of their family. Those of us from dual Jewish parent homes can still relate to the awkwardness of the holiday season. As Jews we often can feel like outsiders and Thanksgiving is a bonding time where regardless of our religious differences we are like everyone else in the Country. These differences are most obvious during the Christmas season. There are holiday parties which are, to be honest, Christmas parties at work and with our friends. Our desire to socialize and celebrate with friends and coworkers can often be in conflict with our religious roots. As the incomparable Kyle Broflovski says, "It's hard to be a Jew on Christmas", but on Thanksgiving it doesn't matter.
Hanukkah's rise and specifically its association with gifts is at least partially related to our exclusion from Christmas activities. In the realm of religiously important holidays, it's not particularly high. We spend our holy days not eating, while others get a Federal holiday to celebrate their biggest religious occasion. However in our desire to fit in, we shouldn't ever be afraid to embrace who we are and the addition of latkes to the thanksgiving table shouldn't alarm anyone. We can still appreciate Thanksgiving as a secular American holiday even if we happen to give it a Jewish twist this year.
This is the only chance in our lifetime where the first day of Hanukkah will occur on Thanksgiving. Something fun and unique is happening in the Jewish world, and we should embrace it.
Happy Thanksgivukkah,
Jon Halperin
The opinions reflected in this article are that of the author and do not represent the views of Gather the Jews or its staff.


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Glass Hour is a pop-rock band from Montreal. With a generous incorporation of piano combined with a signature guitar sound, their music ranges from massive arena rockers to intimate soul-warmers. Their debut album - entitled Minute Hand - released on August 18th, 2017.
Prior to Glass Hour, singer, pianist and guitarist Keegan Boulineau wrote music and performed as a solo artist for over 10 years, gaining over 4000 subscribers and 280,000 video views on YouTube. The band was born after Keegan began writing an abundance of music following the closure of a long-term relationship. Meeting in 2015 at McGill University in Montreal, the band soon released their first single, Quiet Road. The debut single combined folk and piano-pop-rock elements and was released to high praise from new fans. Their second single, Back to the Ocean – an upbeat piano ballad featuring a luscious string arrangement – was released in summer 2016 to high acclaim from listeners, and remains a fan favourite in live performances.
Glass Hour's third single and album title track, Minute Hand, was released on July 4th 2017 along with a live performance 360º video on Facebook and YouTube. Burn, the fourth and final pre-album single was released on July 28th 2017, followed by the album Minute Hand on August 18th 2017.
Glass Hour is: Keegan Boulineau, Joey Reda, Evan MacDonald, Caleb Smith, Will Bennett


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Controlling Board Home
About Us
Agendas / Minutes
Meeting Schedule / Deadlines
Search Approved Requests
General and Specific Lists
Controlling Board Manual
Contact / Tech. Support
2019 Schedule & Submission Deadlines
2018 Schedule & Submission Deadlines
Submission Deadline - Requests requiring approval by the Controlling Board must be submitted to the Controlling Board Office on or before 9:00 AM on the designated deadline submission day. Exceptions to this policy must be arranged with the Controlling Board President prior to the deadline.
Revision Deadline - Revised requests must be approved by OBM by noon ten days prior to the meeting.
Agenda Published - The Controlling Board meeting agendas are published on the designated dates.


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Our Partner – TSO Host
Because we partner with an outstanding local company, we can guarantee outstanding support by phone or email. TSO Host provides 24/7 support (phone 9am to midnight), and email at any time.
If you're having trouble with your service or wish to seek advice before buying, then this is the best way to get in touch. Manned 24/7 by UK staff, we pride ourselves on responding to queries quickly and efficiently.
Note: Our average ticket response time is well under an hour and we will ensure that all tickets are replied to within 24hrs. All ticket submissions will receive an automatic email confirming that the ticket has been received successfully and the assigned ticket reference.
Additional Support Services
AV Consultancy is able to provide additional support by way of:
- Skype
- On site training
- Video training


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Way back when I started this blog, I made the claim that it wasn't just about roleplaying, but about gaming of all sorts. I have talked about other gaming topics in the past, but I find roleplaying extremely provacative, so I talk about it quite a bit. Anyway, I'm going to spend the next couple of posts talking about something different: CCGs. I bet you're excited.
One of the most compelling things about Customizable Card Games (CCGs), at least to me, though I assume it's generally appreciated, is the deck design phase. There's a significant portion of play which centers around selecting which parts of the rules you're going to employ. (Note that this understanding of deck design is based upon the fact that each card contains certain rules. If a given card is not in play, then its rules do not impact the game.)
One of the reasons that this is so interesting is that it makes a game out of game design. In selecting the rules you are doing something similar to what a game designer does when designing a game. You are constructing the specific interface that you will play under. While your choices are constrained to the cards available in the game, they are much wider than most other forms of gaming.
This design-level game is an important and compelling part of CCG play, and it has a lot of implications for design in other arenas too. Which is what I'm hoping to talk about over the next couple of days. For now, I just want to point out that, in some senses, this part of CCG play is a sort of poor man's design. It's also a form of competative design. Similar to a game like Mao or Nomic in which part of the game is selecting the rules best suited to gaining you victory in future play. This game-within-a-game effect generates some very interesting social effects.
Tags: Snippet-post, Theory


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Westland Flea Market is an indoor and outdoor flea market conveniently located off of I-270 on the west side of Columbus, Ohio near the new Hollywood Casino.
Offering a nice mixture of new and used merchandise, you can easily buy from our friendly dealers in a comfortable, climate-controlled indoor space and also browse outside on the blacktop where we usually have up to 80 additional vendors.
Free Parking
There is ample parking available on the paved lot on three sides of the building and you can enter the building from any direction. Handicap spaces are also available.
Major Credit Cards Accepted
Many of our dealers can accept credit and debit cards directly. If a dealer isn't able to process your card, you can use your card to purchase a gift certificate at the front desk to pay for your purchase. We also have an ATM available.
Large Selection of Food and Beverages
We have a large dining room with a television where you can enjoy a sandwich, snack or drink, or just take a rest from shopping. Some of our dealers also sell a variety of food options, offering Mexican snacks, popcorn, dipped ice cream, snow cones, and cotton candy. There is also a taco trailer near the main entrance with excellent authentic Mexican food.
Handicap Accessible
The building is barrier-free; however, we do not have power entrance doors yet. We have six rest rooms and four of them have handicap toilet stalls.


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Lauren Marie joined our family on December 15th at 5:03 in the evening. She was my biggest baby at 7lbs 8oz... She came out healthy and strong and I came out of the delivery with no complications which was a HUGE blessing!
I can't believe she is a month old already. It's been quite a trip adjusting to 3 little ones! But fun too - I'm so much more relaxed than I was with Karen and feeling so much better than I did after Megan that there is NO comparison!


text: Register Register For This Site Username E-mail Confirm E-mail First Name Last Name About Yourself Share a little biographical information to fill out your profile. This may be shown publicly. Address Postcode Home Phone Mobile Phone Are you disabled or do you have a long term condition? NoYes Are you a carer or advocate? NoYes Are you representing an organisation? NoYes How did you learn about SDN? A friendSDN eventSDN memberPress or radio A password will be e-mailed to you. Log In Lost Password


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The news that Trader Joe's had filed papers with the Colorado Secretary of State's office to start doing business in Colorado -- specifically, atBoulder's Twenty-Ninth Street
project -- has fans of the California-based, German-owned store salivating, extolling such Joe's specialities asJalapeno Blue Cornbread Mix
andOld Fashioned Cinnamon Grahams
But Trader Joe's newbies might be disappointed by what they see once the store opens at Twenty-Ninth Street.
If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.
You have successfully signed up for your selected newsletter(s) - please keep an eye on your mailbox, we're movin' in!
Says TJ:
I think there will be a whole lot of disappointed people when one does finally open. TJ is not as great as it is made out to be. And since Denver has the Sunflower markets, I think people really are going to wonder what all the fuss was about.
Plus, they almost always build where there is parking and traffic blows.
Say it ain't so! Is Trader Joe's really a shopping mecca? Or a shopping mess?


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I love Fall and with an upcoming move I've decided to have a little shop sale! There are several already discounted items and everything in my shop is 20% OFF! Simply use the code "PUMPKIN" during checkout to receive the discount. You MUST enter the code to receive discount and the sale ends this Friday 10/18/2013 at midnight.
Visit my shop here: www.nimasprout.etsy.com


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Decision Making and Guardianship
Scott Conference Center
6450 Pine Street
Omaha, NE 68106
Presented by Michelle Chaffee, Nebraska Public Guardian
Participants will learn about supported decision making and how to best support individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Participants will learn about alternatives to guardianship and other less restrictive forms of assistance including advanced directives, representative and protective payees, veterans administration fiduciaries, powers of attorney, and conservatorship. Participants will also learn about the types of full guardianship, guardian powers and expectations, application and reporting processes, and the role of the Office of Public Guardian.
This workshop is intended for direct support professionals, service providers, EFH providers, paraprofessionals, foster parents, supervisors, individuals with disabilities, and anyone who works with individuals with disabillites.
Cost: free
to register, please go to
If you have questions, please contact Leslie Kankovsky at
or 402.397.9866 ext 109
- Log in to post comments


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- About Us
- Electrical
- Technology
- Energy
- Featured Projects
- Working at CSI
At CSI Electrical Contractors, every project is a fresh challenge -- a chance to solve a puzzle, craft a solution, and delight a client.
CSI Electrical Contractors is a full-service firm founded in 1990 with offices in Los Angeles, Palmdale and San Jose. Our growth has been guided by a vision to build an electrical construction company that blends the analytic rigor of a consultancy with top-notch engineering and project management capabilities, and a craftman's pride in a job well done.
The Enthusiasm of CSI's People is Matched by Our Clients' -- More Than 90% of Our Customers Choose to Work with CSI Again
Although CSI Electrical Contractors are well recognized for our expertise in electrical construction, over our 25 years of award-winning service we have expand our expertise to include service in renewable energy and technology solutions. Everyone on our talented team works equally hard to maintain CSI's reputation for delivering on our promises -- and We Do.
It's the attitude of the CSI electricians that made the Kravis Center a successful project.
- Bernards
CSI's commitment to safety and workmanship are both very apparent and I want to let you know that your extra efforts definitely made the difference.
- Chevron
Your team did an outstanding job on my project for the network upgrade. CSI is unmatched by anyone else and I will surely look forward to working with CSI again.
Once again your team has impressed me.
- Northrop Grumman
When I rate people and companies, the tiers I consider are fair, good, great and exceptional (top 3%-4%). I can only rate our experience with CSI as exceptional.
- Swinerton Builders
On behalf of DPR Construction SoCal, we wanted to thank you for all your help and collaboration in the sustainable design and construction of our Newport Beach Office.
It has been such a wonderful place to work this last year and a half. Enclosed is a certificate commemorating our LEED CI-Gold Certification. Thank you for all your hard work to get us here!
- DPR Construction
Just a quick note to let you know what a class operation you run. The UPS A change-out here was a seamless transition from concept to final commissioning.
The project manager was on top of the whole project and the field supervisors not only laid out and managed the job perfectly, they also had time to shoe-horn in the new UPS B battery cabinets. All considerations were made to accommodate a very picky and demanding client.
- CB Richard Ellis
I appreciate all your hard work to complete this project on time! I was impressed by the clear communication during the project and willingness to provide solutions to other issues that came up along the way. The structure looks better than I expected and our customers are raving about it being in place. It's been a pleasure working with all of you!
- City of San Jose
I'm not sure how many great guys can work for the same company but I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for assigning them to our project. Your manager's professionalism, personality and knowledge was an important asset to this installation, and SCE was more than pleased.
- Perera Construction
Now that this project is wrapped up I wanted to say thanks to you and your crew for putting in the extra effort to help us make our schedule. You did a great job of managing the site and delivering a quality product while complying with our safety standards and processes. I was very impressed with how smooth the job ran, the level of professionalism and attention to detail throughout.
- Solar City
The bottom line was that these guys "just get it". They are knowledgeable, skilled, and have good attitudes. They don't hesitate to do whatever crazy request comes their way. They are efficient, safe, and easy to work with. They only have to be asked once, and if they say they will do something, they do it.
- Wells Global
Emerson College
Location: Los Angeles, CA Market: Education Size: 211,000 sq. ft. ..


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293. Before and After - clonetool
292. Australien + Julia Trotti
Right now, neither the motivation or inspiration big for me, has dropped myself a little and do not really know how to take me foreward. Feels like I'm stuck in an invisible step, and therefore I do not know nor the next. The weather does not contribute to any direct help and how am I going to find it again?
I go in on facebook and see that Julia Trotti has made a new post, I take a look at her beautiful pictures and the light disappeared glimpses a little before my eyes, but that is not the motivation to go out or to stand in front of the camera in my room that lights up to ... This is the motivation to take me where I once like and take me to the lifestyle I have so long dreamed of. It strikes me that I'm not really interested in that people without clothes and fashion, to framhöva the product and obtain a sense of pictures. I am interested entities in the photographs. Nor attracts Sweden weather or climate, I want somewhere I can find the magic day after day. I know it's surreal to say so, to make me believe that I, Moa, could take me there by the thousands with the same dreams.
I know very well that magic can be found in Sweden, it is everywhere, where you least expect it, but something light within me and I want to Australia, would like to see these beautiful environments and work there. I want to wake up in a summery Australia but still know that I have Sweden as a plan B. Maybe it's not the country, or Juliet's photographs, perhaps illuminates only the light of hope and faith ... Or it illuminates only the love of photography again and I realize how much I really like it, even if it is in Sweden, Australia or wherever I now find myself. I do not just shoot in the future, I will, no matter how much I may struggle.
Sorry for the bad english, translated it on Google.


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SAN LEANDRO, Calif. -- San Leandro police said Thursday they arrested two suspects allegedly responsible for a shooting that attempted to kill an 11-month-old boy in a McDonald's restaurant on Monday.
No one was struck in the shooting, which occurred around 2:30 p.m. in the McDonald's at the downtown San Leandro Plaza at 1287 Washington Ave.
The suspect's have been identified as Antioch residents Marcel Brooks and Adanna Ibe.
Brooks is the father of the baby and he also has a 5-year-old child with Ibe.
After further investigation, police are certain that the intended target was the baby.
"In my opinion, it's a miracle that she was missed," San Leandro Police Department Lt. Isaac Benabou said.
ABC7 News contributed to this story.
San Leandro police ID man, woman accused of trying to shoot baby
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Simply put, an annuity denotes a financial instrument sold by insurance firms that enable you to save money, have it increase yearly without being taxed. The amount then attracts a continuous future payment on some structured schedule you have control over. However, the payments are subjected to tax, just like any other ordinary income. Contrary to an IRAs, an annuity provides no limit as to the amount of income you can put on it.
Basically, there exists two types of annuities; immediate and deferred annuities.
- An immediate annuity- in this contract, you start receiving payments as soon as you make your first investment. An example includes an immediate annuity bought as you approach the age of retirement.
- Deferred annuity- it's an arrangement in which your money is invested over a period of time when you are ready to start making withdrawals, usually in retirement.
- Fixed/varied- immediate/deferred annuities can either be variable or fixed. This depends on the mode of payout; whether fixed sum or tied to the performance of the market or a combination of both.
Annuity Selling Options
Note that you have options in selling your recurring payments. Following are potential options at your disposal:
- Partial sale: Entails only selling a portion of your payments while continuing to receive payments. Partial sale for a period of time incurs no payments until the lapse of the sale period. Another option entails selling a portion of each and every payment, in which case you will still be entitled to continual payments, in proportion to the remaining portion after the sale.
- Entirety option: The options entail clearing out all your settlement or investment annuity at once through the sale of annuity payments through the entire term of the contract. This terminates your regular schedule of payments. However, you will be left with a certain lump sum to use when you deem necessary.
How to sell Annuity payments
The sale of an annuity begins by finding a potential buyer, whether an individual or company and speaking with one of their specialized representatives. This can be done online or through establishing a physical meeting with the company representative. Your representative will require some information about the annuity and will, therefore, ask you some questions. A good representative should try identifying your financial situation in order to figure out the most suitable way possible to help your meet your goals.
After understanding your distinct annuity goal, the company will develop a few options for you. This will be offered to you by your representative and may include an entire sale of your term payments or simply selling a part of each payment while leaving you with some regular payments.
However, the choice of the sale will be yours. After educating you about various option implications, you will select decided how you will sell your annuity payments. The company will then get together all the paperwork and send them to the insurance company managing your account. You will have to provide the company with a signed copy of the annuity agreement, together with a contract authorizing the company to seal the sale. Once the buying company receives all the documentation and acknowledgment from the annuity issuance company, it will directly deposit the cash into your account. This can be done electronically or by sending you a check.
Reasons to sell your annuity payment
Although the specific situation and reasons for selling annuity payments are unique and inherent to the holder, below is a highlight of common reasons for such a sale;
- Need for change in your investment/estate planning strategy
- When you realize that your initial reason for investing in annuity no longer exists or applies.
- Need for immediate cash for a home improvement or down payment
- When the annuity was of inherited and you wish to earn a cash lump sum rather than monthly payments
- Need for business investment
- Intending to invest in the stock market, real estate, or retirement funds
- Wish to acquire a lump sum to settle off a debt from a financial institution or credit card
- Obtain lump sum to cover medical bills
Despite the reason, your potential buyer will carefully analyze your financial situation and take you through the available options. All in all, ensure to meet your annuity selling goals.


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What does a REALTOR do for you?
Here is a good video provided by the Ontario Real Estate Association on what a REALTOR can do you for and provides some information on the importance of a Buyer Representation Agreement when working with a real estate professional.
If you're thinking about buying or selling your home please feel free to contact me for a list of available properties or a free home evaluation.


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Lifts for chandeliers.
Lifts for chandeliers. Safety, speed and easiness of chandelier's service!
Autolifts for chandeliers
Do you have beautiful designer inspired chandelier, but you still don't know how to get to it? If it's time to make clear-out and you're imagining yourself climbing up the ladder to clean it. And when the lighting bulb is burned out and in order to change it you need to swarm up to chandelier. Lifts for chandelier are the best solution of this problems.
Power Project company suggest you to make clever even chandelier. You can control placement level of the main lighting source with special lift or winch. Your room now is not only very practical. But it's going to be more stylish and unique, because they make its own distinction. You can bring all Your design ideas to life.
To control the chandelier, you need just to push the only button and it will go down to the perfect level. If you want to impress your friends, make it with disco ball, which you can put down or up at any level during the cool party.
Why Power Project?
We are on the automation market for 10 years, that's why it worth to work with our company. We install lifts of american company "Aladdin", because they are reliable and endurable. This lifts are easy to install and operate. Our specialists will calculate required height of winch, according to your room size, and required lifting capacity, according to your chandelier.
You can be sure, that your chandelier is de-enegized, when it's coming down. Special mechanism will disconnect it and chandelier will be hanging just on the de-energized cable. You can set a lower limit, if you want be sured in your chandelier safety. So, your chandelier will be not crushed by accident.
Advantages of lifts for chandelier
- Distance control
- Great range of weight characteristics
- Lower limit
- De-energized cable, when putting down
Automated lift cost
Order the call-back or ask your question to online-consultant and you will get the price of lift for chandelier. You can also get with us in touch with phone numbers below.


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Hannibal Hospital Foundation Sweetheart Swing Feb. 14 [Interview]
An event that has become a popular way to celebrate Valentine's Day and to raise money to help fill the healthcare needs of the area is coming.
The Hannibal Regional Hospital Foundation's 5th annual Sweetheart Swing comes to the Quality Inn & Suites in Hannibal on Friday, February 14. The evening features dinner and dancing to the music of the Gateway City Big Band. This year, proceeds from the Sweetheart Swing go to the HelpingHearts Fund, which assists the Hannibal Regional Hospital Cardiology Department in purchasing equipment and services for patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation.
Reservations are required for the Sweetheart Swing. The cost is $50 per person or $300 for a table of eight. For more information or to make your reservation, call 573-629-3577 or go to www.hrhf.org.
Wendy Harrington is the President and CEO of the Hannibal Regional Hospital Foundation. She was a recent guest on KHMO's Talk Back:


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MIAMI — All those texts, Tweets and subliminal messages from friends, family and fans were answered by the Miami Heat this time.
Sure, they trailed at halftime for the ninth straight game Friday night against a Detroit Pistons team still searching for its 24th win of the season. But that didn't stop the Heat from cruising when it mattered most, at winning time, on their way to their 25th straight win, a somewhat methodical 103-89 disposal before an appreciative AmericanAirlines Arena crowd.
Instead of the heart attack finishes they've been delivering recently, Boston Monday night and then Wednesday in Cleveland, they simply ran away from the Pistons late in the third quarter and into the fourth. And it was a welcome sight for guys like Shane Battier, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.
Never mind the fact that they're eight games from the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers' NBA record 33-game win streak, and all of the pressure that comes with chasing that mark. Sometimes you just want to take the edge off for family and friends whose emotions rise and fall with every double-digit deficit incurred and every heart-racing comeback.
"My parents, they're great fans and a lot more emotional than I am about this than I am," Battier said. "I told them 'sorry, we're working on playing better.'"
At least they could keep the TV on for the game against the Pistons. The win in Cleveland, when the Heat rallied from a 27-point deficit behind huge shots from Battier and James in particular, was too much.
"They didn't turn the TV off but they were close," Battier said. "They're a little older so they were close to going to bed."
Just finding ways to win games sounds reasonable enough for the Heat. But lost in the haze of their streak is the fact that they are taking the best shot the rest of the league has to give basically every night.
The Pistons came into the night on the complete opposite end of the standings spectrum, having lost nine straight games. But if you were one of the folks in town for the Ultra Music Festival and wandered into the arena by accident and watched the first half, you would have been hard-pressed to identify the team on the losing streak from the team on the second-best winning streak in NBA history.
"Everybody wants to win by 30 every night," Wade said. "Sorry guys, it's not possible."
They aren't crazy. They realize that they are in the midst of a stretch — against the Cavaliers, Pistons, Charlotte Bobcats (Sunday) and Orlando Magic (Monday) — where a team 50 games over .500 should have no trouble handling its business against the lottery crowd.
"Win the games we're supposed to win," Wade said. "Right now we're playing teams that we are better than and we are winning games we're supposed to win."
That's easy to do when you always have an advantage in the, as Wade put it, "games within the game." An 11-point deficit with James and Wade there to dig you out of it looks completely different when you are hoping that Jose Calderon and Greg Monroe rescue you.
Heat coach Erick Spoelstra isn't overly concerned about the sluggish starts, but he is by no means dismissing them.
"It's on the radar," he said. "There's no question about it. We need to put together complete games. Now it has been three games in a row where we haven't gotten off to the energetic start that we're looking for, so we'll have an opportunity to get back to it on Sunday. But no excuses. We are not making excuses for ourselves."
The Heat don't have to make excuses for winning all the time, especially not with James dominating on both ends the way he did against the Pistons. He finished his night with 29 points, on 12-for-15 shooting from the floor, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals.
Catching and passing the Lakers is not one of the career milestones James had on his bucket list. So while he's honored to be a part of a team chasing that historical ghost, he said he feels no pressure to pacify others who are caught up in the hype of what this team is doing right now. And that includes anyone texting after games about their blood pressure spiking at the end of games like the one in Cleveland.
"Right now we are taking each and every game as its own," he said. "We need to prepare for the next one, which is Sunday. I am not going to sit here and downplay it and act like I don't know what the record is. I know it's 33. But we don't get caught up and say, 'okay, eight games until we get it.' We just play our next game and see what happens."


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I was very sad to read about the death of Charles Braithwaite and he will be greatly missed.
I first met him when recording local history for the Archaeological and Historical Society.
Charles was very welcoming and very knowledgeable about the town's fantastic history.
His postcard collection is second to none and he was always helpful with local history enquiries.
Charles was born in Scarborough in 1929 and went to the Friarage Infants School.
His father was in the army and his mother had to move council house several times. Charles grew up on the Edgehill estate with 300 other families in what he remembers as a friendly neighbourhood where everyone looked out for one another.
Front door keys hung on a piece of string behind the letterbox and there was no theft because there was little worth pinching! It was very rare that anyone could pay the rent man in advance.
Charles gained a scholarship to Scarborough Boys High School and during the war remembers carrying a suffocating gas mask. Discipline was tough with regular use of a cane across the palm of the hand.
During the winter months, Charles went to school through the snow with a piece of cardboard inside his shoe to cover a hole in the sole. He also remembers feeling embarrassed at his clothing as his mother could not afford any better. When Charles left school he worked at the train goods yard in Gallows Close. One or two trains a day brought a dozen wagons loaded with hundreds of deliveries for all the local traders.
They worked six days a week to operate the complex system of collection and dispatch for British Railways. Horsedrawn carts made the deliveries but were later replaced by flat bed trailers drawn by three wheel cabs. It is wonderful that Charles was willing to share his memories of growing up in a different time, lest we forget.
Mark Vesey
Royal Avenue


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|I rip my hair out daily. Yeah, I know. I gotta get my gray roots done.
|On a perfect day, outside of the hospital is one my most treasured memories. Photo Credit: Shannon Ho Photography
|Our "normal". The beginning of an 18 month battle in the hospital.
Big Dog is scared as you know what and I'm a deer in headlights.
|We were in isolation so these two brothers had to interact through a window while in transplant.
|Mason was doing well enough for up close and personal play with Parker.
|With Mason back at Camp Grandma, here we are on our trip to bring Lauren home.
|I know, right? Deliciously cute! I was going to get the coordinating Christmas PJ's picture if it killed me.
|Consider yourself lucky to see me in my gigantic-prego state. I became much, much larger.
"Scary large" as Big Dog says.
|I think Mason's expression says it all. "Oh dear! What has mom done now? Now there's more of us".
|A family that squeezes together stays together. We have since upgraded to a larger couch. We are still together.


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Tacky Xmas
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Freeplay brand wind-up radio works by turning a crank on the side. They tried using Andy
Rooney but even the South Africans thought he was just too annoying.
Think about it: a simple product that in one fell swoop eliminates the need for messy
dating services, embarrassing personal ads and the Hair Club for Men while letting us hear
soothing music, informative commercials and Howard Stern trying to guess Richard Simmons'
cup size. The Nobel Prize is a lock.
At the moment the Freeplay, as the radios are called, is only
available in South Africa. While South Africa isn't usually thought of as a consumer
product test market, this isn't a first. They tested apartheid (didn't like it), Paul
Simon (didn't need him) and Bishop Desmond Tutu (won a prize for him). They may not have a
lot of electricity, but you can't say they don't have good taste.
The Freeplay brand wind-up radio works by turning a crank on
the side. They tried using Andy Rooney but even the South Africans thought he was just too
annoying. This cranking action was originally developed for the Model T Ford and was later
adapted for use on Jack-in-the-Boxes everywhere. Cranking the Freeplay winds up a
mainspring which drives a little dynamo which in turn generates enough electricity to
power the radio for a half an hour. This is more than enough time for the South Africans
to enjoy listening to AM and FM stations, the BBC, and the Voice of America, which
contrary to what Rush Limbaugh thinks, is not him.
This points up
an interesting cultural difference between their country and ours, for if this were true
here in the United States I'd have five wives: one in my bedroom, one in the living room,
one in the car, one in my office and one wherever my boom box happened to be.
Unfortunately this isn't to be. Polygamy is illegal in the United States, except of course
in parts of Utah for religious reasons and most of West Virginia because they can't be
prosecuted for anything they can't spell.
In France, on the other hand, a wind-up radio isn't a
prerequisite for conjugal involvement. Obviously neither is regular bathing nor a good
attitude. To put it bluntly, French women couldn't care less about whether a man owns a
wind-up radio or not. A recent survey by romance publisher Harlequin France (motto: Our
quivering flesh thinks your pulsating throbness is disgusting.) found that only 1
percent of French women wanted an ambitious man, less than 5 percent thought professional
success was important and just 2 percent thought a perfect body was crucial. You'll notice
a wind-up radio wasn't anywhere on the list. So what do French women want? It turns out
they're all looking for a man with a sense of humor. This may help to explain why they
adore Jerry Lewis, Ronald McDonald and Louis XIV furniture.
This pre-nuptial
agreement (hereinafter referred to as 'ridiculous') covers virtually everything the couple
does during their waking hours and even a few they do while asleep. It states how many
times they'll have sex (three to five times a week), how much gas there will be in the car
(never less than half a tank) and yes, what time they'll go to sleep (11:30 pm on
weekdays). It also declares how the rest of the world will refer to them ("luckily
not married to me").
All of this makes me long for the simplicity of life in South
Africa, where a simple wind-up radio can still get you a wife. Hmmmm, I wonder what I can
get for this nice VCR?
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Navigate. Persevere. Succeed
Endeavor Property Group involves itself in a variety of markets to find opportunities for developing residential and commercial properties. Currently we've targeted senior housing that includes independent and assisted living with investment opportunities that substantially grow your capital.
Often times, the zoning and land development approval process is long and tedious. While this may discourage some companies from acquiring land that requires extra approvals, it doesn't scare us away. Get involved in backing one of our projects today and take part in our Opportunistic Investment Program.
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Borrowing on the firm's principals combined experience of over 50 years in the regional real estate market, Endeavor's accomplishments range from the development of several award winning residential developments in Lower Merion Township that include a mixed-use residential development consisting of 53 apartments and 31 luxury townhomes, the award-winning transit-oriented development, Woodcrest Corporate Center a 500,000 square foot global headquarters for Towers-Perrin's Administrative Solutions Division located at the Woodcrest Corp. Center, Cherry Hill, New Jersey to the current Paoli Intermodal Center project that will consist of approximately 850,000 SF of mixed-use including approximately 500 residential units located at a brand new state of the art Paoli Transportation Center.
The Management team and entire staff at Endeavor pride themselves on the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of the development process from design to the finished product resulting in long lasting value which preserves the architectural gems of our past, transforms the mundane into exciting new landscapes creating beautiful and dramatic developments for the future.


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|Al Bello - Getty Images
Coming into tonights Metropolitan matchup, the Penguins were trailing the Islanders by just three points. A win gets them within one point of the Isles. A loss means they'll be five points out with New York having two games in hand.
The Pens walk away getting the raw end of that deal.
An Islanders goal with a handful of minutes left in the game gave New York the 2-1 lead. However, Pens defenseman Kris Letang was thrown to the ice by Islanders left winger Anders Lee as he also deflected a puck that would sneak past Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
No call was made on the play by either referee Kevin Pullock or Francis Charron. Letang was incensed about the play. Rightfully so.
Anders Lee should have been penalized for interference and the goal should not have counted as Lee clearly got the advantage on Letang by throwing him to the ice in front of the Penguins net.
The Penguins had ample opportunities to tie the game in the final 8:55. Specifically on a man advantage with four minutes remaining in the game when Islanders goaltender Jaroslav Halak got injured and had to leave the game. The Isles put a cold Thomas Greiss in net and the Pens went unsuccessful on the man advantage.
Even Phil Kessel couldn't take advantage of Greiss being caught completely out of position when a pass found him with hardly a soul to be seen. The Kessel shot found the leg of Travis Hamonic and went wide.
With that, the Penguins road to the playoffs gets that much harder.
13 of the remaining 16 games are against Metropolitan division teams or teams that the Penguins are battling for one of the two Wild Card playoff spots.
If the Penguins are going to have any hope of not just making the playoffs, but getting a remotely favorable playoff position like the third and final Metropolitan division playoff spot, they are going to be need to put together consistent performances.
Too many times this season Pittsburgh has turned around from great performances only to fall short in the following contest.
Most recently, the Pens responded to a 4-1 win at Consol Energy Center over the occupants of second place in the Metro division, the New York Rangers, on March 3rd by dropping it's following game 4-2 at home against a Calgary Flames, a team that lost seven straight games, just two days later.
To be considered contenders, or to just even qualify for the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Penguins are going to need to prove they can put together a string of consistent performances. Until they do, there is much to worry about in Antartica.


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Travellers stay on the ground at Sydney Airport as economy weakens https://www.afr.com/business/infrastructure/airports/travellers-stay-on-the-ground-at-sydney-airport-as-economy-weakens-20190522-p51q58 With QF generally being the most expensive...19 hrs, 51 mins ago
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The Möbius Collection
Geek Romantique
Art and mathematics are beautiful together. A Möbius strip is a mathematical construct – a surface with one continuous side. It represents eternity, everlasting love.
The Möbius Collection consists of rings, pendants, and earrings made of sterling silver and karat gold brought to a high polish. The collection also includes sterling silver Möbius earrings and pendants with genuine gemstone birthstones.


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When you hear the phrase "Jello shooter", do you immediately think of an Animal House-inspired toga party? Think again.
We're not talking about the nasty, day-glo, red dye #40 Jello … Read More
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Well, I did it. I just finished my very first meditation! I had high aspirations to be sitting in a secluded spot outside in nature and really doing it right but apparently the Universe had other plans. After a very long (54 hour) work week and a bout with a flu bug, I decided I needed to try it now. There's no time like the present, right? So I gathered myself to a nice little chunk on the floor of my apartment and set my timer for 10 minutes. Not really sure what to do or expect, I tried to focus on breathing. The first thing that I noticed was that my mind sure is loud. There is so much going on, running about in the background, and I never even had a clue.. No wonder I am tired all the time! Sheesh!
I tried to clear my mind and focus on breathing once again. Sitting with my back straight and my head held high I tried to consciously relax my body and just breathe. The most ridiculous thoughts were popping into my head. "I am breathing to heavy." "Is that how I sound all the time?" "Am I breathing right?" Am I breathing right?? Seriously? I have been breathing my whole life and my brain chooses this moment to ask if I am doing it right? Wow, Jen. Just, wow. Focus.
Once I got the hang of breathing normally, I was able to focus more on myself as a whole. I tend to carry my stress in between my shoulder blades and decided that I wanted to remove that stress. I tried to focus my thoughts and tell myself to release that stress down through my body and into the floor to be absorbed. I know this sounds crazy, but I felt it move. Seriously. I could feel the fiery sensation that typically manifests between my shoulders, moving down the center of my back. And me, being easily distracted, got excited! I lost focus and had to start from the beginning again. I'm not entirely sure what to think of that, but I know it happened. Call me crazy if you wish, but I know what I felt.
Before I knew it, my timer went off! I lasted the whole 10 minutes without opening my eyes or giving in to my distractions. It was pretty cool. I learned that not only is my mind is incredibly loud and messy, but also beautiful and powerful. Did I totally heal my body and relieve all the tension? No. But I sure as heck feel a lot better now than I did before I started. I will most definitely be trying this again. Here's to hoping I can find my sweet spot!


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If you haven't noticed, it's writers' conference season! If you have never attended a writers' conference, I hope this inspires you to seek one out to attend.
Here are just a few reasons for attending a writers' conference:
1) Access to industry professionals
There are numerous opportunities to meet with editors, agents and published authors. The opportunity to network and establish connections and relationships will prove to be of great value. Most writers' conferences afford you the chance to meet one-on-one with agents and editors to present your proposal and ask questions.
2) Classes and workshops
You will find classes and presentations tailored for just about every phase of your writing life – from the 'just getting started' to the 'seasoned veteran author'. You'll discover classes and workshops that offer instruction in the many facets of the craft of writing, how to build and strengthen your author platform, current trends in publishing and so much more.
3) Fellowship with like-minded people
Writing can be a solitary endeavor. It's a good thing to have an opportunity to be in the company of others who share your passion for writing, even if for just a day or two. For those in the Christian writing community the time to fellowship with others is very precious.
4) Energizing!
Or exhausting – or both! You will come away from a good conference with a renewed and refreshed vision for your writing goals.
5) Provide an edge
The knowledge that you come away with from a writers' conference is invaluable. Today it's so vital that you know as much as possible about the publishing industry. A growing knowledge of this business helps you to not just be competitive, but to also prioritize, set the right goals and continue taking the strongest steps in your writing life. This knowledge can help you from making poor and un-informed decisions regarding your writing and what is needed for you to be published.
Writers' conferences come in all sizes, from small one day events to large ones that cover several days. But no matter the size of the conference you attend, you will always find something of value. A couple of years ago I had the chance to attend a small one day conference, in a small town, and the keynote speaker was the publisher of a small publishing house. But the information that he shared on the craft of writing was huge and the few dozen that attended more than got their money's worth that day.
Here are just two things that will help you prepare for a conference:
1) Do your homework
When considering a writers' conference look carefully at their curriculum and faculty. Target the classes and appointments that you want to take advantage of.
When deciding on the agents and editors with whom you wish to make an appointment, make sure that what you write matches what they are looking for. If you see that they are not looking at romantic suspense, it's not a good idea to go ahead and pitch your romantic suspense anyway. Know who is looking for what before you even arrive at the conference.
Let me stress how important it is to be fully prepared for an appointment with an agent or editor. In most cases you will only have 15 minutes, and those minutes go by surprisingly quick. Be ready to ask specific questions.
Also note if an agent or editor prefers to see a paper proposal, or one on a flash drive. Traveling can make it difficult to collect printed proposals to take back to the office. For me, electronic proposals are just easier to deal with. Which leads to the next point:
2) Get your one-sheets, proposals and business cards ready
I can't over emphasis how important it is to be prepared with a great proposal and one-sheets. If you have not already done this, find resources that will help you prepare your proposal. It will be worth it.
Sometimes an agent or editor is willing to take a one-sheet from a writer who was unable to schedule an appointment with them.
I've had writers come to an appointment who did not have a proposal, for various legitimate reasons. But they came prepared with questions! And most of the time they were the right questions and hopefully they left with new information to help them in their writing journey.
If you've been able to attend writer's conferences, what have you found to be of the most value?


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Answer: They are, according to the International Labour Organization, the only four nations on the planet with no paid maternity leave.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports, countries not run on twisted draconian principles of 19th Century capitalism, are debating whether to increase government mandated paid maternity leave. Imagine. The UK is considering an increase from nine to twelve months. Sweden offers 480 days of paid parental leave.
The FT considers the 'cost to employers' argument that some 3rd World countries (and these United States) claim is too burdensome, but concludes:
"Maternity leave provides clear benefits to society. Apart from the advantages of babies spending their early months with their mothers, breast-fed children have lower rates of infections, childhood diabetes, eczema, obesity and asthma.
Companies benefit from maternity leave by allowing women to return to work when their children are a little older, rather than forcing them to resign if they want to be with their babies. Employers hold on to people and escape the additional costs of having to replace those who leave".
Little wonder President Obama saluted "the hardest-working people on Earth" in his recent address to Congress. With family values like these, Mom has no choice.