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Archive for the 'Design' Category
Does Design Matter in Web Development
Last week, I was asked to make a change to the sign up form on the "Spend Smart. Eat Smart." web site. After making this change, I was asked why I took the red bar out of the footer. My response, the change I made should not have effected the footer.
After digging into the problem, we discovered that the change that had cause the red bar to go away had actually happened 6 days prior. This means that the design was broken for almost a week before anyone noticed. If someone had noticed, it wasn't important enough for them to contact us. And this is a site that gets fairly regular updates, at least a couple each week.
When people come to us to develop a new web site, the conversation is usually focused on how the home page will look. It seems to me like we should spend a lot more time on content, and less on design. I'd love to work on sites where we talked about the content pages first, and then how that content flows up to the home page, rather than the other way around.
Most of the articles I've found (search for web design vs content) say that design is important in that a site should look professional, and should not distract from the content. They also say that content is what usually drives people to your site, and the content on your site is what people want to see.
To be clear, I am not picking on the Spend Smart. Eat Smart. web site. I think they do a better job with content than do many of the sites we work with. I especially like their related blog, and that they are using blogs posts as content on their main site. We are trying to duplicate these concepts on a Managing Tough Times web site, which is in the middle of a soft launch, with the hard launch coming in a couple of weeks.
Do your web sites incorporate the right balance between design and content?
FireFox Add-on – Web Developer Toolbar
The Web Developer Toolbar is the reason I started using FireFox. A couple years ago, I was just getting started with cascading stylesheets (CSS) and web standards, then Matt Heerema showed me this tool. I was hooked.
Web Developer Toolbar inserts an additional toolbar in Firefox. One of the cool things it lets you do is change the CSS your browser uses to display a page. To do this, select the CSS menu in the toolbar, and select edit. You can then change any of the styles on the page. This is much easier than changing the stylesheet on your web server and reloading the page.
I use this feature almost daily when working on web pages. Once I get something working in my browser, I'm able to copy the CSS, and paste it into the real stylesheet on the server. Not until this step will other people see the changes you're making.
Another thing it will do is outline certain elements on the page. For example, you can have it outline tables, or depreciated html tags, or a host of other elements. This can be invaluable when helping others troubleshoot issues on their web pages.
The last feature I'll mention is the tools menu, where you can do things like verify that your CSS is valid, that the HTML is valid, and that your page passes Section 508 validation. You can also get a speed report for your web page.
I've just scratched the surface of what the toolbar can do for you. If you work on web pages, either as a developer or designer, I think you'll find the Web Developer Toolbar has many useful options for you.
Resizing Images
On Monday, I received a call from an author of one of our county CMS pages. He was trying to upload a PowerPoint file, and the CMS was not accepting it. He was trying to upload a file that exceeded the 5MB per file limit. The primary reason for this limit is that most of the users of our web pages probably don't want to wait for that big of file to download.
I suggested a few options that would allow this PowerPoint file to be uploaded. These included:
- Save it as a PDF file.
- Resize the photos used in the PowerPoint file
- Do a Save As…
- Split the file into part A and part B
About an hour later, I receive an email saying that he had resized the photos, then did a Save As to create a new PowerPoint file. The new file was 856KB, down from 6.5MB. This new file was easily uploaded into the CMS.
By doing a pretty simple process, he drastically reduced the file size, therefore making the file download a lot faster for the people that want to use this file. And the best part is, he did not have to compromise the quality of the presentation. Instead, he used photos that were appropriately sized for the way he was using them.
We typically tell people to do the resizing using Picture Manager. This is a utility that comes bundled with Office 2007. Here is a document that talks about how to use Picture Manager.
Although he was using a the photos in a PowerPoint file, the same principle also applies to web pages. Resize your photos before including them putting them on your web pages. The alternative is to set the display size in your HTML code, however, the browser still needs to download the whole image.
As a side note, we have been looking for a good solution to be able to dynamically resize images at runtime. We'd like to be able to upload the full image into the CMS, and have the CMS resize it when serving up the page. If you are doing this, I'd like to hear about it.
Master Pages in .NET 2.0
One of the big improvements with .NET 2.0 is master pages. A master page is a template that you use to build the structure of your web pages. You use it to do things like branding, top navigation, side navigation, footer, etc. Anything that you want repeated on every page can be placed in a master page.
Before .NET 2.0, we would build things in user controls, and add the user controls to our pages. This worked reasonably well, until you wanted to add a new feature, such as a search box to all your pages. If you didn't have a suitable user control on your pages, you'd create a new user control, then add that to every page in your web application.
With .NET 2.0 or later, you can add the search box to the master page, and every page using that master page will automagically get the search box. This can save a huge amount of time. I learned this a few weeks ago, when I had to modify project that was created in .NET 1.1.
On master pages, in addition to the branding and navigation elements, you provide one or more content ares. These content areas are where the individual pages are responsible for populating the content. However, the content page does not have to populate every content area, you can pick and choose which content areas to use. For example, if your master page has an area for a sidebar, but your page doesn't have content for the sidebar, you simply leave that area off your content page. It is an error, however, when your pages implement a content area that is not on the master page.
SharePoint makes extensive use of master pages, so this is a concept I will continue working with and expanding my knowledge.
QOTD: Jeff Atwood on Usability
Usability is something everybody on your team– not just the designers– should be thinking about throughout the lifecyle of your project.
Jeff Atwood (Coding Horror)
The Peanut Butter Theory of User Interface Design
Well said Jeff.
Book Review – CSS Mastery
"CSS Mastery (Advanced Web Standards Solutions)" by Andy Budd, Cameron Moll, and Simon Collison, is a good resource for how to use web standards and CSS in designing and laying out web sites. Although it's by different authors, it is a good followup to the book "Web Standards Solutions".
This book takes a task, and explains in detail how you might handle it. For example, chapter 5 is on creating navigation bars and chapter 7 is about site layout using CSS. We use many of these techniques in most of the web sites we develop.
Other useful chapters are on troubleshooting problems with your CSS, and hacks to deal with browser incompatibilities. We have Microsoft to thank for many of these hacks. IE 7 is much improved over previous versions. It is still good to be aware of these techniques.
Here is a link to the publisher's web page for the book.
The two Web Standards Solutions books give a good starting point for people that want to learn more about CSS. In addition, there are thousands of web sites that offer help with CSS. I also recommend having an expert you can ask questions, thanks again Matt.
Recently, I was asked if I know of any training on using CSS, so I'm looking for recommendations. If you know of any professional development opportunities on learning CSS, either online or traditional, please post a comment.
Using DIV Elements for Formatting a Page
Floyd asked me to post an example showing some formatting on a
 element. I built a test web page using the code from "Which to Use – div or span?" and some text borrowed from a recent ISU Extension News Release. Without any formatting, the page looked like this.
By adding a couple of styles, it was easily changed this to look like this.
Remember that the
 element had an id="message" and the  tag had class="date". These hooks are used by the styles.
#message { width:185px; float:right; border:solid black 2px; margin-left:10px; padding: 0px 10px; background:red; } #message .date { font-weight:bold; color:blue; }
This is just a very simple example that touches on what can be done by styling
 and  elements. I recently worked on a web site using this technique, but can't show it here because the site is password protected.
Using styles with
 tags is one of the major factors that allow us to layout pages without the use of
 tags. It takes a more
 tags and styles than I wanted to show in this post, but can be fairly easy to accomplish. Let me know if you want to see more about how we do tableless layouts.
BTW – I'm a firm believer that
 tags should only be used for tabular data, not for laying out web pages.
Action Buttons on Web Forms
Today I read an article titled "Primary & Secondary Actions in Web Forms". They tested 6 forms where they changed the location and/or appearance of the primary and secondary action buttons, ie "submit" and "cancel".
It surprised me that the users finished the form quickest when the two buttons had the same appearance. I would have thought that by having the submit button stand out more, it would have been faster because it would pull the user to the correct button. However, when tracking the eye movement, users had more fixations when the buttons had different appearances.
Although it was slightly slower, users said they appreciated the visual effect of having the submit button stand out more than the cancel button. It made them more confident that they were clicking on the right button.
The article also made the point that many forms do not need secondary actions. Don't include them unless they serve a real purpose.
This article is an interesting read, and will be a part of a book by Luke Wroblewski titled "Web Form Design Best Practices". After reading this article, I am looking forward to reading the book once it come out in early 2008.
Which to Use – div or span?
When I'm writing code for web pages, I normally have to stop to think when to use a
 tag, and when to use a  tag. The big difference is that
 is a block-level element while  is an inline element.
Block-level elements usually contain other elements, including text, inline elements, and other block-level elements. You can think of them as boxes. They are normally displayed with space before and after this box, unless you modify this behavior with CSS.
Inline elements usually contain text or other inline elements, and are displayed where they occur. They are usually used to give your document more semantic meaning.
Here is a simple example:

The current date is August 28, 2007. Labor Day is just around the corner.

Notice how the
 tag surrounds a chunk of content that contains a
 tag, which is another block-level element. The  tag simply surrounds text within the content.
With these tags in place, we have plenty of hooks for CSS to use to format this content. By having the date in the  tag, we can do special formatting on the date if we choose.
Firefox Add-on – IE View Lite
Last week, I was talking with Lynette about a problem she was having with a web page. During the conversation, she said she usually uses Firefox, however there are a few pages in which she needs to use IE. I told her about a Firefox Add-on I use called "IE View Lite".
When you have IE View Lite installed, it adds an option in the right-click menu for "View This Page in IE". This makes it very easy to switch to IE when you run across a page that doesn't work in Firefox. Simply right click on the page, and select this new option in the dropdown menu. If this is a page you need to use a lot, you can configure IE View Lite to always use IE for that page.
While useful for normal users of the web, I consider this tool a must have for web developers/designers. It allows you to use Firefox for your development, then easily switch to IE to find out what IE breaks.


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MODERN INDUSTRIES manufacturing Agricultural Implements parts, in particular HAMMER FORGED TILLER/CULTIVATOR TINES & TILLER/CULTIVATOR SPRINGS has come a long way with its new name in the year 1999 (Group industries inception started in 1978). Its a technology time and we are drifting to soil preparation implements as per buyer`s need.
Company details
237/3, HSIIDC , Karnal , Haryana India
- Business Type:
- Manufacturer
- Industry Type:
- Agriculture - Crop Cultivation
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)

subset: commoncrawl


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We wrapped up another beautiful day in the neighborhood by making our way down to the Olympic Sculpture Park. There is a small rocky beach surrounded by driftwood, creating this amphitheater for watching the sunset. There is something so magical about the the change of color that happens as the sun sinks into the horizon.
I went with my favorite everyday dress in navy, it's perfect for everything. Flattering, easy, and neutral I can dress it up or down. Today I paired it with periwinkle tights overlain with a fabulous burgundy Missoni print. The big cozy scarf comes from my husband, I gifted it to him a few years back and he never wears it… somehow it keeps creeping its way into my wardrobe. I stacked a pile of vintage bangles with our Innovat Bracelet, and I have a Key Necklace and pair of crystal earrings from my personal stash. Lastly a pair of pumps I scored at June a few years back.
Photos by Garrett Born


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Availability: In Stock
This product is not sold individually. You must select at least 1 quantity for this product.
Warning: Last items in stock!
Availability Date:
Mighty Tastybone Rubber Dog Toy Large Bone
Mighty Bone has proven durable and resilient, even to the strongest of dogs. Mighty Bone is virtually indestructible and can withstand rough and tough playtime. Twist it, bend it, shape it, Mighty can take it.
• Durable, strong, resilient to damage and lasts much longer than similar dog toys
• Pliable material that will bounce erratically for engaging play
• Floats, just perfect for splashing around and water-based retrieve games
• Easy to clean, simply wash with soap and water
• Size large: 17cm (H) x 6cm (W) x 2.5 (D)
Note: In the unlikely event that a fragment of mighty bone breaks away, it is safe to ingest - small fragments will pass through your dog's system harmlessly. Replace Mighty if it becomes small enough for your dog to swallow whole. As with all dog toys, supervision is recommended.


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CTS. The Silent Killer! - Unspoken of for too long, an insidious killer lurks in our midst. A silent affliction, mainly affecting older men, it gradually overwhelms, so slowly yet so comfortably that the victim is blissfully unaware of his own impending demise.
Though warnings have been issued from time to time, the disease exhibits such benign symptoms that victims are overcome before anyone even realises the threat is present.
Dating back to circus world, early Chaplin movies prove it's early existence, the condition has now become widespread throughout much of the western world.
Until recently it was thought that the condition was spread through contact at elderly persons meeting places, such as bowling clubs and bingo halls, but not all were convinced. A team of crack research scientists have been investigating the condition since the early seventies, and now believe we are closer than ever to unravelling the mystery of this appalling killer.
Shockingly, CTS is now believed to be spread via an international cartel of fabric manufacturers. For many it is admittedly difficult to believe that such evil should exist in the garment trade. We are now, however, in a position to reveal exactly how and why this condition is being spread.
It has recently been unearthed through the Freedom of Information Act, that around a century ago, following the early deaths of circus clowns and silent movie comedians, the condition of CTS, or "Creeping Trouser Syndrome", was identified by the authorities but kept secret to avoid alarming the elderly and causing mass panic. However, the secret was leaked to the Guild of International Trouser Sewers (GITS), who, armed with this knowledge, have been able to reap huge profits from the sale of large high-waistband trousers.
The scheme is disturbing in its simplicity: Men, generally but not exclusively, find that as they age they prefer a trouser with more room. Over the years, manufacturers have gradually increased both the size and height of the waistband, thus selling far more fabric than would normally be the case. The one downside to this nefarious scheme has been that the waistband eventually gets so high that the victim is smothered by his own trousers.
It is only through a combination of the authorities' cover-up and the public's naive faith in the garment industry that this awful truth has been unknown for so long. After all, why would trouser makers wish to kill their own customers? Recently, after a plea bargain by an ex-manufacturer, we know that some years ago OCRT, or Optimised Creeping Rate Technology, has secretly been integrated into fuller-fitting trousers. This fiendish technology senses when the wearer is close to the end of his purchasing life and mercilessly closes the waistband over his head, ending the victim's days in his own comfortably enclosed tomb.
So beware out there. Never permit waistbands to approach the lower ribs. It is the beginning of the very comfortable end. (CPS in USA)


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Valentines Party, Big Hearts for Little People is returning for its third year—and we couldn't be more thrilled to be sponsoring such a worthy initiative. The Valentine's Party is part of a three year initiative to raise £500,000 to fund new ensuite single bedrooms at Great Ormond Street Hospital, offering more privacy and dignity for young patients and their families.
This very special day will take place on Sunday 5th February from 3 – 5:30pm at the Lindley Hall (London SW1P 2QW). Children will be entertained with an array of activities including t-shirt printing, model building, fossil digging, jewellery making, cupcake decorating and much more.
There will also be an exclusive opportunity for adult partygoers to bid on the luxury silent auction, buy scratch card raffle tickets and pledge donations towards specialist equipment at the hospital.
This event is so close to our hearts, that we've got two tickets to give away (one adult/one child, worth a total of £225)!
To enter the draw, simply 'like' us on Facebook and comment on this post, and/or like us on Instagram and comment on this post! Help us spread the word about this worthy cause!
The winner will be announced on Wednesday 1st February.
You can find out more information about the event here.
Tickets are limited and are available to purchase now at £150 per adult and £75 per child. To purchase ticket please email firstname.lastname@example.com or visit www.bigheartsforlittlepeople.com
Our little home dedicated to sprinkling some 'Down Under' Sunshine in the lives of London families and nannies ☺
We're a social bunch. We love to get outside with the kids and welcome new people to London and our community.


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Inclusive Skating provides International, national and local competition in Figure Skating. There is a wide range of events to choose from within the competition structure. There are Free, Pair, Dance, Figure and Synchro events for duets, trios, quads, teams from 5 to 10 skaters and super teams with 11 to 16 skaters. These allow for the inclusion of skaters with all forms of disability and support needs, including those that use a harness, frame, balance facilitator or wheelchair. We aim to provide an opportunity for everyone to participate.
Skaters do not need a diagnosis to be included. The assessment of the skater's needs and abilities is undertaken functionally during classification. Skaters with mental illness are also welcomed on a unified basis. All Skaters, Inclusive and Unified alike, receive all necessary support and facilitation to meet their needs.
A supportive environment is provided with extensive accreditation of the Inclusive Skater's care givers. This policy is implemented through the Announcement and competition entry process. All accredited persons must comply with the Code of Conduct for Officials.
Facilitation to meet the skater's needs can take many forms and is approved during classification. The Inclusive Skating Classification Handbook 4th Edition provides examples. This Technical Handbook provides the competition rules that authorize the use of facilitation.
Inclusive Skaters with a classified impairment have an impairment compensation added to their skating score. Skaters who do not, skate as Unified Skaters and have no impairment compensation added to their score. This Technical Handbook provides the rules that authorize and determine the addition of the impairment compensation to the skating score.
Skaters skate once at the Level of competition they enter and obtain a skating score with the addition of any impairment compensation and medals are awarded according to the age and level of the skater. This ensures that all skaters have a development pathway and that recreational skaters or skaters new to the sport can be successful too.
Additional results from the same performance score are provided for Championship results and partnership events. The Inclusive Skating Championship results are calculated by amalgamating all the results across all the levels. An adjustment for time is made for fairness.
Disability specific events can operate on a cost-effective basis within this structure. Inclusive Skating has hosted Special Olympic events since 2012 and British Blind Sport Events in 2016. In 2017, the Inclusive Skating for Genes British Championships was founded. This is the first event specifically for children with genetic disorders. Inclusive Skating will continue to pioneer the development of ice skating competitions for Inclusive and Unified Skaters.
The Inclusive Skating Technical Handbook therefore provides information on the events that are available, their operation, the technical elements, the scoring and the judging system.
The rules of competition for Inclusive Skating therefore seek to provide fair rules of competition on the following matters:
1. The competition is governed by the Announcement of the Event and the Inclusive Skating Technical Handbook with some modifications to take into account classification procedures and the needs of the skaters.
2. The competition is fair for skaters with a permanent impairment and how that impairment is established.
3. The role of the Classification Handbook and the Code of Classification for Inclusive Skating.
4. The responsibilities of participants.
5. The scoring and results system.
Please may we at Inclusive Skating extend a warm welcome to everyone.


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Inver Hills Ranked #7 Nationally for Adult Learners
Inver Hills was ranked as one of the best schools for Adult Learners in the country by Washington Monthly magazine. Read more about it on Inver Hills News!
This degree program was designed for you, the adult learner. If you have five or more years of work/life experience past high school and are working toward career advancement, this is for you. The Associate of Science program is intended to provide you with the opportunity to develop a specific focus in an area that is related to your world of work.
In addition, the degree option allows you to use previously earned credits along with the ability to earn college credit for the knowledge and skills you have gained through your work and life experiences. These options allow you, the adult learner to earn your degree in a more cost effective and expedient manner.
Program Information
The IPS degree was developed in consultation with leadership from corporate, non-profit, and educational organizations. These leaders helped shape the program and are in agreement that this type of program is needed in all facets of the world of work. Their direction validated the program's credibility.
IPS Features
- Save time and money by earning credit for prior learning
- Faster degree completion
- Maximum use of previously earned credits
- Seamless Transferability to four year college of choice
- Educational degree planning with personal attention and support
- Be with other adult learners like yourself. The average age of the students in this program is 41.
- Military/Veterans – Learn how to utilize Military College Credits in your degree plan
- Become a member of ASAP- Adult Success through Accelerated Programs.
Associate of Science (A.S.) in Individualized Professional Studies – 60 creditsCoursework Program Planning Guide
Individualized Professional Studies – 30 credits
All courses must support stated degree objectives, but may come from any discipline including liberal arts.
|Course Number
|Planning courses - highly recommended (0-4 cr)
|Educational Planning and Assessment
|3 cr
|Prior Learning Assessment Development
|1 cr
Liberal Arts – 30 credits
|Course Number
|Writing and Research Skills
|4 cr
|Interpersonal Communication OR
Public Speaking OR
Small Group Communication
|3 cr
|Math or Lab Science
|(MnTC Goals 3 or 4)
|3 cr
|History/Social Science/Behavioral Science
|(MnTC Goal 5)
|3 cr
|Humanities/Fine Arts/Literature
|(MnTC Goal 6)
|3 cr
|MnTC Goals 7-10
|any course
|3 cr
|Liberal Arts Electives
|(MnTC courses only)
|11 cr
|Total Credits:
What You Will Do In INTS 1010 (Educational Planning And Assessment) And INTS 1011 (Prior Learning Assessment Development)
- Learn how to be an educated consumer of higher education. Research careers, two year and four year degree options as well as what knowledge and skills you have that can translate into college credits.
- Make sense of your prior college credits, national certifications, military experience, and other training you have received for creating your educational plan.
- Develop your individual two and/or four year degree plan with strategic course selection to validate your current career, prepare for a new career, and ensure easy transfer to a four year college.
- Your program area courses in the IPS degree are created with an area of focus/concentration. Specific student examples include:
- Human Resource Management
- Sales and Marketing
- Youth Advocacy
- IT Communication
- Learn how to translate your knowledge and skills to earn college credits through Prior Learning Assessment.
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Program
It's real college learning that you have accomplished on your own. Combine your practical application and bridge that knowledge with new learning on concepts and theory in the subject area. Whether your knowledge was learned through work, volunteer or personal experiences, they are valuable and should be validated. You can do this via the PLA program and this will save you time and money towards achieving your academic and professional goals. PLAs are commonly completed in (but not limited to) Business, Communication, Computers, Office Systems, Human Services, Sociology and Interdisciplinary Studies.
PLA Benefits
- Prior Learning Assessments can be utilized in your liberal arts curriculum, major and core curriculum, and/or additional credits for transfer purposes.
- You will save money and time by earning college credit for your knowledge. You can cut your time for degree completion (two and four year) by 75% compared to students who do not take advantage of this opportunity developed especially for adult learners.
- There is no limit to the number of credits you can earn through prior learning. It all depends on your knowledge and skill base.
- Prior learning credits are transferable to four year colleges like Metropolitan State University, Saint Mary's University, Concordia University, and The College of St. Scholastica.
Reasons To Choose An IPS Degree
- Job Validation: Have your focus area of your plan mimic what you truly do in your job/career.
- Promotion: If you cannot move forward without an achieved degree, this is for you.
- Career Attainment: Use your current skills in combination with new courses that lead you to a change in your career.
- Personal Reasons: Did you always want to complete your degree, but life got in the way? Do you want to be a role model for your children to prove how important education is at any age? Are you inspired to accomplish a life goal? This is for you.
- Transferability: Build your degree plan to prepare for transfer.
Common Transfer Options
The A.S. in Individualized Professional Studies is intended for transfer to all four year colleges with accelerated adult degree completion programs for earning a bachelor's degree. These include, but are not limited to:
- Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
- Concordia University – St. Paul
- The College of St. Scholastica
- Augsburg College
- Metropolitan State University
Adult Success through Accelerated Programs (ASAP)
For more information call, e-mail or visit:


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The Toy Dolls formed in Sutherland in 1979 as a part of punk rock's second wave. Centered around lead singer and skilled guitarist Michael "Olga" Algar, the band has long been a cult attraction, their hyperactive anthems to the absurd earning them a dedicated following. Let Them Eat Vinyl offers up a deluxe colored vinyl reissue of the band's 1995 album Orcastrated featuring distinct covers of the Small Faces "Lazy Sunday Afternoon" and the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat number "Any Dream Will Do."
No interest if paid in full in 12 months
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text: Why decorate with holiday garland? Using fresh Christmas garland for your holiday decorations should increase holiday spirit by adding natural beauty and fragrance to any home or office decor. We currently offer three types of fresh holiday garland: Cedar Garland, Douglas Fir Garland and Mixed Garland. When you buy Lynch Creek Farm garland you'll be buying some of the freshest most lush garland on the market for a price that's tough to beat.


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About BBA
Shaping space, moulding the enviroment in which we live, breathe and work... Making it truly unique, memorable. BBA Design Consultants has been bringing incredible synergy to spaces for over 30 years. Along the way, they have created some of the most coveted spaces on the continent. Led by their Principal and Founder, Sharon Bortolotto, the talented Design Team at BBA listens to their Client's needs and understands the strengths and limitations of each project. They then proceed to deliver designs which exceed expectation and are regularly recognized by their peers as exceptional.
BBA remains relevant and not only current, but looking forward. The Design Team develops award-winning spaces ranging from destination hotels and resorts to corporate offices, retail spaces, and multi-family and private residential projects.
Clients benefit not only from their skills, but the relationships BBA has forged over the years with select sources who provide innovative architectural elements, custom millwork, furnishings, unique products and services.
Together, we change something into somewhere... Incredible.


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October 9th Update
[Glow] Version
[Glowless] Version
Also, a few announcements:
- I'm thinking of re-uploading the whole packs as single zip files, so that you can access all the 1300 icons up until now at once.
- I uploaded a list of all the icons in the packs, so be sure to check it out if you want to confirm if an icon is there or not. I'll be updating the list when more updates are up, and I'm also gonna try and credit those contributors there too.
- I'm really thankful to all those who upload and share the icons they made, and I'm gonna credit them as much as I can. I have to ask you to upload the icons in both versions (or to upload the glowless version only, so that I can later add the glow myself) though, as to avoid creating inconsistencies between the two versions,and to upload them in zip or rar files, to make the download easier, especially if you made many.Thank you
As always, request here the icons you want made or remade.
Fell free to tell me if an icon doesn't seem that iconic and representative of the show, and you want an alt version, I'll be more than happy to comply.


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It was just me and the strange voice of this very over-the-top character. And magic happened. I wasn't rushed. My headache left. There was no time limit; I could read one word or all of them without a gauge to pressure me into reading one more percent. No option to have it read to me while I did the dishes. I was forced to hold it and turn the pages.
And I did.
Between the editing, research, critiques, drafting, rewriting, studying... I forgot what it was like to read for pure enjoyment. I didn't add it to Goodreads. I didn't give it a review. I just read it and put it back on the shelf.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading on my Kindle or my computer, and I can get by in a pinch on the tablet-thingy my kids like, but it always feel like... writing-related work. Even reading new books with hardcovers and turning new pages with new smells feels like checking what's hot and what's not.
This didn't matter to my writing world, it was me cracking open the past and peeking in. The writer had different views and beliefs than me. Yet it was a timeless story told by a master storyteller.
Do you find a difference between old and new books? How do you balance ebooks in your life?


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Half Term Bach to Baby Family Concert in Bromley
Event details
- Date
- Tue 28th May 19
- Location
- Bromley United Reformed Church, 20 Widmore Road, Bromley BR1 1RY
Get directions
- View website
Programme: Victoria 200!
Featuring: Philip Smith, baritone and Siobhain O'Higgins, piano
This spring, celebrate the 200th birthday of Queen Victoria with Bach to Baby! A marvelous musician and mum of nine, step into Her Majesty's palatial plimsolls and hear music from her favourites: Mendelssohn, Strauss, and Gilbert & Sullivan at the Savoy!
Doors open 30 mins prior to the concert, giving you time to ditch the buggy, grab a coffee and catch up with friends before the performance.
Adults £8 ~ £12, Children FREE
E-tickets group/multibuy offers (£28.5 for 3 tickets, £40 for 5) available at https://www.bachtobaby.com/bromley-music-concerts-for-baby-and-family
Sign up for e-updates on all the Bach to Baby concerts in your area: http://www.bachtobaby.com/eupdates
Bach to Baby is the critically acclaimed classical concert series for babies, toddlers and their carers.
Tots dance, roam about and revel in the wonder of live music, while you take a moment out of your busy day to hear top notch performances by outstanding musicians, with your young babes in tow. No concert is complete without feeding, crying and nappy changing!
- Tuesday
- 10:30am to 11:30am
Contact details
- firstname.lastname@example.com
We advise that you check these details are up to date before planning a visit.


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Here are ten things you should know about Cork ARC Cancer Support House
1. It is a Registered Charity - No. 20049881.
2. It was established as a Trust and is governed by a Board of Trustees.
3. The Board meets monthly to review all operations and plans.
4. It has a Strategic Focus and a revolving 3 year Operational Plan.
5. It has strong financial control and produces Annual Audited Accounts.
6. It has written Policies and Procedures encompassing all activites.
7. It complies with the Governance Code recommended for charities.
8. It is indebted to a large team of Volunteers to enable its function.
9. It has a small team of committed, professional staff.
10. All of it's services are available free of charge.


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Are Chromebooks good for gaming? For most, this is one of the first question that comes into mind when you get a newer device. This question is a lot more relevant in this context because Chromebooks are new and not known to many.
I mean we all know about Windows, Mac, and Linux. We know that Windows has the best support for gaming and that you can find some games for Mac and Linux. However, Chromebooks, on the other hand, is something entirely new.
Therefore, the question isn't just about are Chromebooks good for gaming or not. The question is whether Chromebooks can support gaming at all.
To answer this question, you first need to understand what a Chromebook really is.
What are Chromebooks?
Simply put, Chromebooks have a very weak hardware. They have limited processing power, limited memory and no dedicated graphics card. They do not even have ample storage. Does this sound discouraging?
Well, don't be discouraged. There is a very good reason why Chromebooks are the way they are. This is because Chromebooks rely mostly on Cloud Computing. Chromebooks are laptops that are designed to utilize the Cloud to its maximum potential.
Therefore, from storage to work, everything is done on the cloud. This is the reason why you must have a stable internet connectivity in order to use Chromebooks to their full potential.
With this definition, Chromebook utilize the resources of the services. Therefore, it does not need to have a powerful hardware within. From photo editing to gaming, you do all of this entirely on the internet. The services are responsible for having a powerful server.
Can You Game on Chromebooks?
Now that you understand what a Chromebook is, the next questions is whether you can game. The answer to this question is a bit complex.
If you are a gamer, and I mean a true gamer, then the answer is simply 'No'. You cannot game on Chromebooks. Chromebooks do not have support for installation of games. Forget about every playing the AAA titles on Chromebooks.
It is simply not possible. However, there have been news that some innovative companies are trying to offer gaming on the cloud. Meaning, you will pay a monthly fee to use the remote server resources. It will be like streaming the game via the internet.
Read about GaaS (Gaming as a Service).
That is an idea for the future. Whether it is sustainable is yet to be seen.
With that said, there are certain games that you CAN play.
For those of you who are familiar with Google products would be quick to point out the famous Chrome Web Store.
Gaming on a Chromebook
Everything and anything available on the Chrome Web Store is accessible from the Chromebook. Meaning, most of the games supported by a Chromebook are a just a click away.
Fortunately, with the advent of HTML5, WebGL and hardware accelerated browser and web based games, the definition of online game has changed drastically.
Most of the web-based games are highly advanced featuring fantastic graphics and complex gameplay engines.
The great thing about these games is that most of the them are Free. Even the ones that cost are very cheap.
Our Recommended Games for Chromebook
Here are some of the games that we recommend for Chromebook.
The first thing you will notice from this list is that there is no mentioning of games like Call of Duty, Skyrim, Overwatch etc.
Therefore, keep your expectations at a reasonable level please.
- Agar.io: Chances are that you may have already heard of this insanely famous web-based game. It is a game you play with people all over the world. Your objective is to eat your competitors, grow bigger and bigger in size. Just try not to get eaten by other players bigger than you. There is always a bigger fish in the pond.
Polycraft: This game is what happens when you combine Minecraft and Tower Defense together. It is an experience unlike any other.
- Angry Birds: Really needs no introduction. You shoot your arsenal of birds to kill the invading pigs hiding in their castles. Simple as that.
- Arcane Legends: This for all you WoW fans out there. Although it is nothing near WoW in terms of complexity, it is still a fantastic MMO RPG to play for Free.
- Crimson: Steam Pirates: Fighting with battleship and formulating strategies to defeat your enemy is just one of the characteristics of this wonderful game. Plus, who doesn't like pirates.
- Entanglement: If there is any puzzle game that has won the praise of many, it is this. It costs a mere some bucks.
This is just a very short list of all the games that are available. As more and more IT moves toward Cloud Based services, we can expect more complex games in the near future.
So Are Chromebooks Good for Gaming?
Coming back to the question, are Chromebooks good for gaming? The answer depends on how you define gaming. If you are a casual gamer and a social gamer, then yes, Chromebooks are great for gaming.
If you are a hardcore gamer who plays AAA titles day and night, this probably is not the best system for you.
Related Articles
You can learn a lot more about Chromebooks here:


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Keeping Troop Documentation
Troops usually need some kind of documentation of accomplishments and endeavors. A written documentation can be used or computer documentation.
Benefits of Newsletters
A newsletter comes in handy for leaders and parents. Newsletters are also a fun way of enhancing your child's communicative ability when they are given the option to help create it.
Developing Communication Skills
By producing an informative and accurate newsletter, the young Girl Scout can pick up on important communication skills that come in handy in life. The Scout leader or one of the parents can hold the role of a publisher as a service to the troop.
Here are some tips for creating a newsletter:
- Find a template that is appropriate for the newsletter. If your computer has word processing software then this is an easy option for you. Word processors like Microsoft Word usually have various templates for various formats and newsletter formatting is one of them. If that is not helpful, you can check online for other free templates to use.
- Take time to gather the necessary information from the Scout leader, the parents, volunteers and the Girl Scouts themselves. It is important to gather as much needed information as possible then decide what should go into the newsletter later.
- While gathering the information, have a list of who gave you info so that it will not be hard to track them in case of the need for a follow up question later.
- While publishing, include the information about the purpose of Girl Scouting while praising the program for empowering the girls. Add the troops number, motto, where the meetings are held along with phone number of the publisher in the newsletter.
- Other items you can include are the scout emblem, information about upcoming meetings, events and pictures. The pictures may be of events and meetings; they should be of variety so that you can pick some candid pictures along with posed pictures.
Does your troop create and distribute a Girl Scout newsletter? What are some of the items you include in the news? Please leave a comment! We would love to hear from you!


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Email to a Friend
Subscribe: Email, RSS
Posted on Thu, Aug 24, 2017
Join us on September 10th!!
The first Children's Choir practice of the season will be on Sunday, September 10 from 12:15-1:15. We will begin with one of our favorite events - the Pancake Flip! Come hungry and ready to sing!
There will be a parent info meeting at the same time (sorry, no pancakes!).
Hope to see all former members and some new friends as well!
Contact Mr. Thom for more information: firstname.lastname@example.com
Discussion: First Practice / Pancake Flip!
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The sun had barely risen when Waverly came busting through the Community Center's front door, yelling, "Boss! You gotta come see this!"
Dag Potter frowned, fighting the impulse to cuss the kid out for disturbing his breakfast. Okay, so it was only a bowl–a big bowl–of plain oatmeal with a dash of milk from one of the town's few goats they hadn't eaten yet, but his old man had always said breakfast was the most important meal of the day. He'd said that right up to the morning when his nine your old son had shoved a rusty medieval collector's piece, a wide-bladed dagger, into his considerable gut and up through his diaphragm. A great day, that had been, all kinds of birds whacked with the same rock. That one stroke had meant no more whippings with the equally medieval razor strap Jefferson Potter had kept hanging behind the woodstove, it had put an end to bullying at school, and it had been done early enough in life to guarantee he wouldn't be tried as an adult.
It had also given him a new name, of course. "Dagger" Potter, long since shortened to Dag.
Ah, what the hell; the oatmeal was already cold anyway. That sniveling bitch Wanda would have to be reminded not to let that happen again.
"Whaddya got, Wave?" He lifted his ponderous bulk from the former Mayor's chair, curiosity beginning to stir. Getting down off the stage to head for the door usually meant going around by the stairs, but this might actually be something worth seeing. He sat near the edge, turned to swing his legs over the edge, and dropped the short distance to the main floor. Not much of a drop, but he still felt it. Really should think about getting back in shape, he realized. Not that he'd ever been anything close to an athlete. Most of his life had been spent in one prison or another. It didn't take a lot of conditioning to submit to the assholes who did work out constantly.
"I can't hardly believe it," the lookout replied. "There's a truck coming this way."
A truck? The youngster must be hallucinating. But no; he could hear it now, a sound he'd thought was gone from the world forever. Not loud yet, but it must be getting close.
It was. Potter stepped out on the sidewalk, shading his eyes out of habit rather than need. The newly risen sun was directly behind him, bathing the oncoming vehicle in golden light. A sure enough by all the witches in the West pickup truck, loaded with three men in the cab and five, six…eight men crammed into the back. Another dozen men followed on horseback in a column of two's, their mounts trotting to keep up with the unhurried pace of their leader. The column pulled to a halt on the far side of the street. The driver stepped out, mirrored sunglasses shading hiding his eyes. That jet black hair and handlebar moustache…there was no mistaking this man's identity. Quentin T. "Dagger" Potter began to sweat. He didn't need the deep-gold painted SHERIFF on the side of the truck or the uniforms or the badges to tell him he was in deep shit.
The law had come to town.
Waverly asked softly, "Is that–?"
Potter replied out the corner of his mouth, just as quietly. "Sheriff John Penney, kid. In the flesh." How this could be, he had no clue. Penney should be dead. He'd been reported dead, dammit! No law left in the whole damn county, that's what he and every other Derringer resident had believed. Had he thought for one second this day would come, that The Man with his badge and his umpteen deputies would show up here, of all places….
"Quentin Potter, I presume?" The Sheriff's deep voice rolled across the street, grabbed the man he was addressing by his fleshy neck, and froze him in place. What could he do? Duck back inside, quick like a bunny? He'd never make it; every one of those deputies had eyeballs of ice that pierced the head of the Derringer Defense Association to the quick. If he tried to turn and run, even the few steps to the doorway, he'd get a dozen bullets through his back. And even if he did make it, would his men fight? Forty-seven of them, twice the numbers of the lawmen, but of course they wouldn't fight. Not against these men, this uniformed, organized, terrifying police force.
No. It was over.
"Yes sir," he said, surprised at how calm he felt. "That would be me."
The subsequent arrests didn't faze him at all, neither his own nor those of seventeen of his people. Not that they were really his people; they'd only followed his orders because he'd put them more or less in power. That, and because he'd had a few knifed in public to get the point across to the others. Couldn't be wasting good bullets on something like that.
He was, however, startled right out of his shorts–or would have been, had he owned any shorts–when the charges were read against him. The deputies had been short of handcuffs, but the Derringer Eighteen were well secured with a homemade coffle put together by what's-his-name, the welder. They weren't going anywhere until Sheriff Penney decided. Chain gang, Dag thought. I'm ending up on a freaking chain gang. That was unexpected, sort of, but then Derringer didn't have a jail. Nor, once he and his fellow felons were properly secured, did it have the presence of a Sheriff. Before the sun had reached its zenith, John Penney stood up on the stage that had been Potter's own personal seat of power for these past months–the finest months of his life, for sure–and made a speech to the assembled townspeople.
"You all know me," the Sheriff began, "from before, when my face was on every TV in the county, sometimes on the national news. You know this is a big county, we've got a big war going on, and we've got big troubles. That means I can't stay–"
He paused as an uneasy murmur swept the room. After going through the entire winter with no legal structure to give them guidance, nothing but Dag Potter's opportunistic tyranny, they were none too happy to see this symbol of authority talking about leaving them again, mere hours after his arrival.
Penney held up a hand. His deputies were positioned around the great room, with a few on the stage. All of them were hard eyed and heavily armed–but it was the Sheriff's personal charisma that quieted the gathering.
"I can't stay," he continued, "but neither will I leave you without law enforcement personnel in place. In each town I visit, I select one good man to serve as my Chief Deputy for that town. It's not always worked that way; usually there has been just one Chief Deputy for the entire County. But the old ways have to bend a little. Now, I talked to a number of citizens from this area, asked them who they'd nominate, and came up with a good man. Let me present your new Chief Deputy for the town of Derringer…Hiram Jacobson."
That startled Dag Potter right down to his smelly toes. Hiram strode out from stage left, joining his new boss. The man no longer looked like a stick figure out of Auschwitz; in his crisp new uniform–somehow tailored to fit his long, lean frame–he looked like…a gunfighter. An icon of the Old West. Okay, so his sidearm was a square-muzzled Glock with double triggers, not a single action black powder Colt Peacemaker, but he radiated confidence, authority, the works. His eyes swept the crowd, unsmiling, serious.
"I don't believe this shit."
"Nothing, Ray. Just talking to myself." Potter shook his head. This could not be good.
An hour later, the Sheriff was gone for real, with some but not all of his deputies. The deputies who stayed, it turned out, were locals recruited by John Penney before he'd let the town know he was in the area. Not from the town itself; word of that would have leaked. From outlying ranches, mostly, the Nestossin place and others.
Somewhere around midafternoon, things got worse. Much worse. Jacobson was already throwing his weight around, appointing people to set up the blasted kangaroo court that would without a question convict Dag. Again. Oh, it'd probably convict most if not all of the other seventeen sitting along the wall in chains, too, but who gave a bony rat's ass about them? It was every man for himself. Potter pondered–heh, he thought, Potter pondered. Potter the pitiful ponderer. Potter–stop that! There had to be a way to weasel out of this. Really. How tough could it be?
His misplaced optimism shattered into a million pieces when Jacobson called the next meeting, somewhere around three o'clock. That scrawny girl, Holly whatever, seemed to be acting as Court Clerk. At least, she was taking notes.
"I've got a few announcements," Hiram said, "relating to the trial we're going to give the Derringer Eighteen. Um, well, trials. There will be more than one. I'm pretty sure everybody in this town knows we need to decide what's to be done with Dag Potter, specifically, before anything else."
"Just hang me and be done with it!" Dag's outburst hadn't been planned. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he found himself wishing he could take them back.
"Hanging is a possibility," the Chief Deputy replied. "Most certainly, the death penalty is on the table. If you're convicted, though, the form of execution is still up for grabs. Not lethal injection; we're obviously not set up for that. But there are a number of ways to go about it without reverting to the barbarism of, say, impalement or crucifixion."
"Say what!" Again, Potter couldn't help himself. He was not having a good day.
"Or drawing and quartering. Skinning alive should probably be out, too, though in your case I'd be tempted to vote for an exception. Disembowelment, now…." He trailed off, letting the images hang there, and he did it with an absolutely straight face.
The room fell silent. Nobody really knew if Hiram was joking or not. Some few were clearly mulling it over.
"Basically, there are three realistic options. If the death penalty is applied, either to Potter or to any of the others, then yes, we could hang him. Or we could use a firing squad; there's still plenty of ammunition lying around. Or we could use a squad with bows and arrows, which would be economical because we could retrieve the arrows. Or behead him. Or hang him upside down from a tree limb and simply cut his throat, let him bleed out like a stuck pig."
No one objected to this line of thinking. You could see the people were considering it. For the first time, Potter felt sick; he really didn't want to be bled out like a stuck pig. Pigs squealed when they were dying like that. He'd always thought that was pretty funny, but not if he was going to be the pig.
Nosiree. Not funny at all.
When Deputy Jacobson announced the appointments of the Officers of the Court who would be determining his fate, Dag finally vomited. Not much; after all, he'd never gotten around to eating breakfast and they'd overlooked feeding the prisoners at noon. But some, with plenty of bile. He had reason. Former DHS Superintendent Walt Norcross would be the hanging judge. Harrison Polson would serve as prosecuting attorney, with café owner Marcus Grady–who was in uniform, sporting a deputy's badge–acting as bailiff.
Potter was doomed. Still, cornered rat that he was, lessons tendered by his former jailhouse lawyer cellmates surfaced, forcing him to protest. "Grady should be right here in chains with the rest of us! He killed Derringer men when we went out there to ask him to share a few things with us, gunned us down when we were all peaceful like–"
Hiram's raised hand shut off his rant, just like that. "Marcus Grady had every right to defend his café," he pointed out, "but that wasn't him shooting at his fellow citizens that day. That was a group of five heavily armed Chinese, flyboys who'd been shot down and got the drop on Marcus. Prosecuting Attorney Polson can verify that; he helped Grady wipe the Chinese out a few days later. And, in addition, I've seen the bodies. They were definitely Chinese military."
That was the end of it; Dag Potter had no comeback for that.
"Frankly," the newly minted lawman continued, "yes, Dag, I do expect you to die. I don't know where we're going to find anybody willing to argue in your defense, so you and the others are likely going to have to plead your own cases. You'll at least get the chance to do that much; Judge Norcross and I and Prosecuting Attorney Polson are agreed on that. Finding an unbiased jury of twelve will be impossible; we're going to have to wing it when it comes to jury selection. But we will follow standard legal procedure as best we can.
"So, people, it's getting late in the day. We have eight temporary deputies to back me up until the trials are over. This building will have to serve as a holding facility–we'll keep armed guards here in shifts–and as a courthouse. Dag Potter's trial for murder, rape, arson, and about a hundred other charges will begin on Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Judge Norcross tells me it will be an open Court; anyone is welcome to sit in and observe. Weapons, except for law enforcement and Court officials, will not be allowed inside the door, mostly so nobody decides to pass sentence on these men before they've had their trials."
Not that I heard any of what was said after Sheriff Penney left town, but Holly's notes reported it all verbatim.
I asked Tori, "Where's that acetone?" The fake moustache had stayed in place just fine, but the leftover glue was irritating my skin something fierce. Thankfully, the black wig had simply sort of snapped onto my head, leaving me with a ringing headache but no extra necessary cleanup work.
"Here, Master. It was on the kitchen counter."
"Thanks. We'll leave the Sheriff's truck in the garage and the uniform in the truck. Never know when I might need to play Sheriff John one more time." Although hopefully not; we wouldn't want anyone to start wondering why Sheriff John and Prosecuting Attorney Polson never showed up together. "And babe?"
"Your seamstress work on those uniforms was outstanding. Especially considering we didn't really have material that matched the original official uniforms. But people see what they expect to see."
"There's a bit of makeup still there on your cheek. Want me to–?"
"No, I got it. Ah. Can't believe I forgot to get rid of these soggy cotton balls. They did fill out my cheeks, but they're just plain nasty."
By the time we got the horses saddled, they were more than ready to hit the road. Home was, for them as for us, the Quonset area. We didn't make it before dark, though; by the time we started into the second switchback, we were navigating by starlight. With the forest flanking us on both sides more often than not, there weren't any too many stars to be seen.
Thankfully, the white crescent on Moon's rump provided a right handy beacon for Dolly Parton and Tori to follow. They followed it closely, too, the mare's nose mere feet from the gelding's tail. At least the road had dried out during the ten days we'd been down country, planning our takeover of Derringer and rounding up those who would serve as deputies while Tori used Marcus's old sewing machine to create uniform after uniform.
We were pretty chilled by the time we made it home, brushed our mounts down while they were munching oats, and turned them out with Tex. The little stud was beside himself; he could survive alone in the wilderness, but he was more than glad to see his companions return to the pasture. Surprisingly, he even seemed friendly toward Moon.
A true blessing, that.
For our part, Tori waited just inside the Quonset's front door while I unlocked and ran a routine inspection of our home, our ship in a bottle. The first part of that involved a trip around the house, designed to flush out any varmints–human or otherwise–who might be lurking on the premises. Tori's part in this was important; she stood with pistol drawn, watching to see if anything or anybody came out under the overhead lights. If I did flush an intruder, she was to yell and take cover in front of the backhoe.
No surprises. Then it was time to do the same thing for the inside of the house, checking every closet and yes, under every piece of furniture that could harbor anything larger than a mouse. Again, no surprises. The place was ours.
"I'll get the furnace going," I said. She simply nodded. The big Timberlands wood burner was something she could feed efficiently enough once it was going, but her fire starting skills were not quite there yet.
Thursday night.
With the place warming up, Tori headed for the propane cookstove–we had a wood-fired version, too, but it was late and we were tired. As careful as we were, the big propane tank would give us two, maybe three more years of service. After that, barring a whole cluster of miracles, there would be no more propane. It would be wood fuel only. Which was fine by me; that was part of why I'd situated the Quonset deep in the forest in the first place.
"Soup, hot dogs, or venison steak?"
"Just one hot dog for me, hon," I replied. "That's quickest and easiest, and I don't really have much appetite." Besides, I was thinking.
Come Saturday morning, I was still thinking. My slave girl joined me in my study around 10:00 a.m., settled into her favorite chair, and waited. I could tell she was waiting. There's something about a woman with something on her mind that puts out a vibration like nothing else on the planet, or at least it seems that way to the man who pays attention.
Eventually, I lifted my head from the book I'd been reading. "What?"
She twitched a bit, startled. "It's that obvious?"
"To me, Little One. What's on your mind?"
Nodding, she took her trademark deep breath and got right into it. "It's not what's on my mind, Master. It's what's on yours. You haven't really noticed I'm even here, not since we got home."
I raised an eyebrow. "Not enough sex?" That was no idle question. Any slave, properly mastered, becomes far more needy in that area than does the average so called free woman…and come to think of it, I hadn't had her once since we'd been home.
"No." She shook her head decisively. "That's not it."
"You're not horny?"
"Hey, I'm always ready!" She laughed, genuinely amused. "But that's not what I'm talking about. Its…I feel like something is really troubling you…and I want to help."
It was my turn to sigh. "Well, I might as well let you try. I don't seem to be getting anywhere on my own. I'm worried, Tori. It's all been too easy lately."
I stopped to gather my thoughts and she jumped into the breach. "Easy? We don't know what the future holds, the trials may decide on killing a bunch of Derringer people, the Highland West bunch could show up at any time, we're back to a low tech society or at least headed that way in a rush…what do you mean, exactly?"
"That's just it, babe. I'm not quite sure what I mean. I don't even have to go to town for jury selection; that's being handled as we speak by Norman Nestossin as my Assistant Prosecuting Attorney. I haven't argued a case in a courtroom for decades, but I've got my old lawbooks here–you've seen me browsing through them–and there's no reason to think we'll be facing any ugly surprises on Monday. Plus, having a few days between the appearance of Sheriff John Penney and Prosecuting Attorney Harrison Polson should help keep the average citizen from connecting the two of us. There's no visible reason to be any more worried than usual, not that I can see. But I am. I just am."
"So-o," she said slowly, drawing it out, "what's that book you're reading now?"
"Pondering the Imponderable, by Ennis Freeman."
"Don't know that one."
"No reason you should. Freeman lived in the 21st century. He became known primarily as an organizer, a man who could put things together, make things happen, but never one to step out into the limelight himself. Some authors credit him with being the primary force behind President Ingrid Yeoman's election in 2046 and also with being her most trusted, albeit mostly secret, advisor during the War of Attrition. Pondering the Imponderable is the only book he ever wrote, at least that I've been able to find, but it's a classic. Let me read you the passage I've been staring at for the last half hour."
"For years, but more intensely these past months, I've found myself doubting my course of action. I delve into politics, become by any definition of the word a political activist, and find to my astonishment that I am exhilarated by the work, by the toil and trouble it takes to assist an ethical, honorable, talented public servant to high office. This stretches me, and I find nothing but joy in the stretching.
"And yet, am I following the proper muse in this matter? As an ordained priest of Currus Dei, do I not owe it to my Church to bend my efforts in that direction? To teach the Five Great Tenets, those of reincarnation, karma, Soul travel, the Living Master, and of course the Hu? Should I not be assisting with the various classes, joining in the public Hu songs, helping to set up Seminars, things of that nature? Currus Dei does not dabble in politics; who am I, then, to do so?
"Ah, but therein lies the rub. I do not want to do these things. I would prefer to be invisible to the outer Church, to those members who have never been able to understand my joyful immersion in the day to day workings of my country, this great nation called America, cursed by many, loved by many, ignored by so many of her own.
"And I find myself distressed, torn inwardly. Do I follow Love, or do I follow Duty? Or do I even know, truly, which is which?"
I stopped reading and looked to gauge Tori's reaction. She sat quietly for a long moment, one hand cupping her chin, deep in thought.
"Hang on a sec," she said suddenly, bounding out of the chair and heading toward the wall completely covered with shelves full of books. Few people owned a regular library these days, having long relied on electronic reading and storage devices. I'd done an awful lot of that, too, but even so, there were more than a thousand books on those shelves.
Tori found what she was looking for, a big red binder I recognized as one of my scrapbooks. I couldn't remember what I'd put in that one, though.
"I was looking through this a couple of months ago," she explained, turning pages. "Ah. Here it is." She brought the binder over, turned it to face me…and I got it. I was looking at a photo I'd taken of a billboard I'd seen during a trip to Denver some years back. Who had erected the sign, or who might have been its intended target, I had no idea. I did remember that I'd been driving along, doubting myself (again) about a very deep and personal issue, not unlike Ennis Freeman's anguish in the passage I'd just read out loud…and the wording had slapped me right in the face.
"Huh," I remarked sagely, grinning at my girl. "I'd forgotten about that one. I really had."
"I hadn't." Her voice was soft, her blue eyes full of trust. "Ever since I found it, I come in here to look at it every so often. And I think, hey, that's right. As long as we're together, what matters most is safe."
Oh, good one, girl. Right to the heart. "Come on," I told her. "Let's go to bed."
Which we did, and of course I felt better afterward. Duh.
But by the time we'd made it back to the down country house on Sunday afternoon, the self-doubt had returned. Something is wrong. I still couldn't put my finger on it, but the knowingness was there.
As a result, when we all began gathering at the Community Center in Derringer for Dag Potter's trial, I approached Deputy Jacobson. "Need a favor, Hiram."
"You got it," he replied. "You know that, Harrison."
"I'd like to have Tori recognized as my assistant."
"No problem. I don't think you need my approval for that."
"No, but I do need you to know why."
"Okay-y…." The tall young lawman gave me a serious look; he knew something was coming.
"I've got a feeling. Could be nothing, but the place is packed; anything really could happen. And I don't want my woman unarmed in here. If she's my assistant, she'll count as an Officer of the Court."
"She's going to pack openly?" Hiram wouldn't say no to me, but he looked alarmed.
"No. Boot gun only. Same for me; the only thing I'm keeping on my hip is my folding knife. You know I'd just feel plumb naked without that."
He chuckled, relieved. "I do know that. Glad you won't have guns out in the open. The table for the defense is set over there, see, a bit of an angle so no one in the audience can come at Potter without either me or Marcus having a clear shot at 'em, but your table has the audience right behind you."
I shrugged. "Yeah, I figured you'd need to watch Potter's back. And no, we don't want one of our own guns grabbed so some vigilante can use it to kill Potter. Not that I'd blame anybody in this room."
"Nor I, Harrison. Nor I." He clapped me on the shoulder and went to his seat, situated to one side of the judge's bench up there on the stage. Hiram would be my first witness called against Dag, but he had more than one role to play here today. It was important for him to be seen in his uniform, calm, confident, exuding an air of quiet authority. Amazing what gaining twenty pounds and putting on a badge can do for a fellow.
The trial would start in minutes. Tori and I took our seats, ignoring the buzz of conversation from the hundreds of people packed into the Center. I made a couple of notes, passed Tori a folder with a few key pieces of paper and more than a hundred photographs gathered from Derringer residents–and suddenly felt an arm snake around my neck.
There was no time to do anything but duck my chin a bit; the man behind me didn't get the chokehold locked in. I could still breathe…for now. Whoever it was, he was a big bastard; his wrist filled my left hand, and my hands aren't small. There was no way to spin out. My knees were effectively locked in between the table legs, the table being a small one but heavy and sturdy, made of oak or some such.
Marcus and Hiram, on opposite sides of the stage, were on their feet with guns drawn–but they couldn't fire. I knew it, and my assailant knew it. No matter how accurate Marcus might be, any bullet he fired from his sidearm could well go through the bad guy and take out bystanders behind us…and Hiram couldn't possibly be sharp enough to be sure he wouldn't hit me instead.
I clawed back over my shoulder, going for my enemy's eyes, but he had his head tucked, expecting the maneuver. Strong. He was strong enough to lock in the hold sooner or later. I had to act soon.
Which I did. I began waving that same left hand wildly in the air, purely as a distraction, while my right moved surely down my right hip, unsnapped the case, retrieved the Brocken folding knife with the thumb hole in the blade for easy opening. Felt the blade lock in place. Rolled the knife end over end in my hand–a thousand times I'd practiced this move, though I'd never before needed to use it–so that three inches of razor sharp stainless steel extended toward the rear, as it would be held for an overhead stabbing…
…and hunched my shoulder as hard as I could, ripping the blade back, up, and deeply into the man's leg. I felt the tip touch bone, ripped it back out. The arm pressuring my chin flew away as if by magic, powered by the scream that like to split my eardrums.
Now I could shove the chair back and did, spinning around in a fighting crouch, ready to kill.
I needn't have bothered. The thirty-something year old man who'd attacked me was indeed a big one, Teddy Staten, son of Cameron Staten, both of them principals in Staten and Staten Auctioneers.
"What the Hell?" I wondered, straightening, staring at the six foot three fool lying on the floor, clutching his bleeding leg. My blade had hit the outside bottom corner of his right leg quadriceps muscle, not an artery slice but effective all the same. He wasn't exactly bleeding like a stuck pig, but he was definitely bleeding. And squealing.
I stooped and wiped the knife clean on the cuff of his jeans without thinking.
"Get away from him!"
Straightening, I decided not to put my weapon away just yet. Cam Staten had bulled his way through the crowd and stood over his fallen son like a wolf at bay, snarling. There was rage in his eyes.
Which I met with a cool stare of my own. There wasn't anything to say right then. Not really.
Marcus and Hiram had a different opinion. "Why'd he do it, Cam?" Hiram asked the question calmly enough, but there was heated steel behind the words. The elder Staten took it from the uniformed Deputy where he'd never have taken it from me. The rage in his eyes simmered down a bit. It didn't exactly disappear, but he answered the lawman.
"Damfino, Hiram."
"Well," Marcus interjected, kneeling to cut the leg from Teddy's jeans so he could start treating the wound, "he won't be walking on this leg for a while. I can stitch him up, he's bled enough to clean it out good, and Potter's hoard of antibiotics will come in handy. I say if you can get your son to man up a touch so's he's not piercing every eardrum in the building, we should be able to get on with the trial shortly. Interrogation can wait until court's out of session."
"Interrogation?! Inter–!" Cameron Staten sputtered. Looked like he might explode, all purple in the face and everything. There wasn't a resident in Derringer who didn't know Daddy Warbucks Staten, possibly the richest man in town before the shit hit the fan (not counting me, but I lived out of town), had pussified his only son from infancy, ignoring complaints from those the big fellow had bullied in school and later, buying him pretty much anything he asked for, etc. In other words, the usual; it certainly wasn't a unique story.
Could be, I thought, that one Quentin T. "Dagger" Potter had found a way to capitalize on the younger man's weakness. I was betting the interrogators would find out Teddy Staten thought ol' pea-pickin' Potter was the best thing since sliced bread.
Cam didn't get his boy to shut up, but he did get it down to a sniffle-and-whine by the time the Statens left the building. The lawmen didn't feel like forcing them to stick around; the squealer was way too distracting. Besides, where was he going to go?
Not that they cleared the premises without one last bit of drama. Cam did his best to appeal to the crowd for volunteers to help him carry Teddy home on a litter, but the townspeople were having none of it. Most of them, I strongly suspected, were secretly tickled to see Terrible Teddy get his comeuppance, or at least a portion of it. Besides, going with the Statens would mean missing part of the trial. No way.
In the end, Cam lugged Teddy out in a fireman's carry. Daddy Staten stood three inches shorter than his son, but he probably weighed more, and most of that weight was muscle.
"Think that was it?" Tori was at my elbow. I knew what she meant.
"Could be." I thought for a second. Action did always clear my head. "Either way, we've got a trial to win."
"All rise!" Marcus intoned from the stage. How had he gotten back up there so quickly? "All rise for the Honorable Judge Walter Norcross!"
Walt came striding in from stage left, looking for all the world like a prewar real life no joke judge. He'd even found a robe somewhere, or what passed for one. I thought it might have had a previous life as a blackout curtain in somebody's home. He settled in, said, "You may be seated," and we all sat. I checked my watch. Eight twenty-seven a.m. plus seventeen seconds. Not bad. Here we'd had some major extracurricular action in the courtroom right near kickoff time, yet we were starting the trial less than half an hour late. Back in the days of high tech and political correctness, that little dustup would have shut things down for days at least, maybe even tainted the jury and required a complete do-over. Not so, these days.
We don't mess around in the New West, I thought, and found myself smiling inwardly.


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Bryan Hitch Goes Indie with AMERICA'S GOT POWERS
Bryan Hitch has been one of the most popular and influential artists in modern comics history, and in 2012 he decided to step away from the stodgy heroes of Marvel and DC in favor of creating his own. Partnering with talk show host turned comics writer Jonathan Ross, Hitch's premiered his first creator-owned creation earlier this month with the Image miniseries America's Got Powers. Taking the ever-popular talent show format and infusing it with a superhero twist, America's Got Powers debuted earlier this month in a double-sized first issue that our reviewer Aaron Duran dubbed "compelling."
And while Hitch is working furiously on the upcoming issues of the series with #2 primed for release on May 16, Newsarama did manage to pull him away from the drawing board for a quick chat about this superhero competition, his upcoming DC work, and his bold choice to break away from the Big Two and create his own future.
Newsarama: This has been a long time coming for you, Bryan. What's it like to step out from work-for-hire and do true creator-owned work with Jonathan here with America's Got Powers?
Bryan Hitch: It's a joy. It HAS been a long time coming and something I've wanted to do since Mark and I were on Ultimates. He was able to jump off and do Wanted, etc way ahead of my having time to do likewise but, certainly for the last two or three years, it's been an absolute intention to concentrate on my own or co-creations.It also has had its difficulties. There's no company and editor in the same way. Image, Publisher Eric Stephenson, and Image partner Robert Kirkman and the terrific crew there have been beyond fantastic in helping us put this thing together but it was down to us to work things out, organize inkers, letterers and colorists etc and pull everything together as well as market and promote the project. It's been far more work than I'd anticipated; a job in itself really. Getting that first issue out and on time was both a profound personal achievement and lesson in humility! I suppose, like anybody else ignorant of what was involved, I didn't realize how tough the editorial side could be and it left me with a newfound respect for all my editors and the feeling that I must owe them a thousand apologies! Nrama: Speaking about the series' story itself, you two both hail from England where many of America's big reality contest shows got their starts, but why did you decide to set this series in America?
Hitch: Well, America is the home of super heroes really and it would've looked pretty durn daft calling it America's Got Powers and setting it in France, wouldn't it? I'd love to do a big book set in London or even small town England but to my inner child, super hero comics are American through and through. I grew up on a cultural diet of American comics, TV and movies and its part of who I am. One of the characters I'm best known for is my work with Captain America. Not too shabby for a Brit.We did take it out of New York though, the more traditional U.S. super hero city. You always want a lovely setting though as that becomes a character in itself and here we chose San Francisco. It's a wonderful place to draw, full of such rich visual interest. The idea of the super hero fit quite well there too.
Nrama: From time to time I've seen you ink your own work, especially in covers. I was halfway hoping to see that in America's Got Powers but noticed you deferred that to long-time collaborators Paul Neary and Andrew Currie.
Hitch: Yeah, I started to but with being co-creator and the editorial concerns, there just aren't enough hours in the day. When it comes down to it though, I'm more interested in telling stories than drawing pictures so I'd rather use the time to do more pages, more stories and more projects than ink my pencils. I'm not fast enough to do everything so having to choose, it's the inking that goes.Nrama: When this was announced you two planned on releasing two issues of America's Got Powers in one month, but right before release you deferred to doing a double-sized first issue continuing what would have been #1 and #2. Why was that?
Hitch: Initially it was just to offer a huge kick of momentum and realizing that our first issue was getting so big it was best to split it into two. That's changed now though as we felt that was unfair, to ask readers to pay for it that way so we edited it a little and now instead of two issues in April it became a REALLY big one. It's 38 pages of story and still only $2.99. That seemed fair to us, a huge chunk of story and still cheap when others are charging $3.99 for twenty pages.
Nrama: Let's talk about your creative collaborator here. Jonathan's still a newcomer when it comes to comics creating, but he showed a lot of progress just in the few issues of Turf. Bryan, since you've worked with the top creators in comics, how'd you measure him to be someone you'd like to spend the next few months working on a project with?
Hitch: There's no measure; he's a tremendous creative partner and we're having a great time. I've been very fortunate these last fifteen years and had great creative or working relationships with writers and it's no exception. Jonathan brings a huge passion to the project and he works very hard indeed. We are having such a good time working with each other it's clearly going to last well beyond this project.Nrama: You've been one of the most in-demand artists in the past decade, and you've just stepped out of your exclusive agreement with Marvel to do this. I saw you popping up doing covers for DC too. What's going on?
Hitch: Chris, I'm doing a load of covers for DC but it's not building to anything beyond that right now. Just having great fun playing in my childhood sandbox!
I have LOTS of plans and it's a mind-blowing list of writers too. Just like Mark is doing by his writing for the biggest artists in comics, I'm clubbing together with a wish list of the biggest and best writers. Yes, obviously Mark and I will collide for something massive soon and there's more with Jonathan. I'm writing some myself and then there are these four other guys. Your minds will blow.
Yes, there are certainly plans...Got a comment? There's lots of conversation on Newsarama's FACEBOOK and TWITTER!


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Bullwinkle: "THIS TIME FOR SURE!" Rocky: "Oh, that trick never works."
Been struggling with weight loss for years. But this time it's going to be different. Really. It really is going to be different. Honest.
Showing posts from February, 2007
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I just had a dream where I was a clown and I was outside the Manhattan Louis Vuitton store. Somehow I was using Louis Vuitton to further my own ends, which were kind of vague in the dream but had something to do with the support and development of clowning. So far Louis had made a window display with clowns wearing his clothes, and the clincher was a mass demonstration of clowning outside the store. Some people really got into it and I began clowning for them. The way I can tell this wasn't a lucid dream is that I was terrible as a clown. I was doing the cheesiest, least athletic things possible, none of which I've never seen a clown do. But the people loved it, and the lesson I got while in my dream was that if you try your hardest people will eat it up.
Not quite sure what to make of that one.


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The senior web developer will have a strong command of web design best practices, software architecture and a good understanding of computer networking. They will be responsible for professional web design, developing custom web applications, interacting and working with business units, working with graphic designers, interfacing with networking and information security teams, and contributing to software architecture. The senior web developer will contribute to business software specifications, develop and enhance computer software programs, and perform business analysis and quality assurance testing.
In order to be considered for this position, please include the following information when contacting us. Submissions that do not contain the requested information and duplicate submissions will not be considered for employment. If you are interested in multiple positions, please only submit your information once and be sure to include specific details about your relevant work experience for each position.
- A cover letter explaining why you are a good fit for this position
- Your current resume
- Your requested salary range
Please note this position is located in the Point Pleasant Beach, NJ office and Teknicks does not offer relocation assistance or telecommuting options at this time.


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It's just as important to get your points across in a question-and-answer session as it is during your speech; if you don't, you lose an important opportunity to persuade and lead your audience. You've got three interdependent objectives to keep in mind at all times when taking questions. The objectives are hard to separate from each other, and you will stay in control of the question-and-answer session only if you keep all three in mind.
Maintain your credibility and control, no matter what happens. Any time you are not believable, you cast doubt on your entire presentation. And if you get angry or defensive, you lose control. Repeat the question—your audience needs to hear it clearly—and hearing it in your own voice will calm you down.
My definition of assertive is knowing what you want and getting it effectively while you consider the rights of others. The key to success through assertiveness is staying calm, not being defensive, and being courteous. A powerful speaker is one who keeps control of a situation. If you lose that control by losing your temper, you'll never be able to reassert yourself with your audience.
Satisfy the questioner. But remember, you don't have to answer the question fully. Don't spend too much time with one person. Unfortunately, most of us want to see that look of total approval and acceptance in the eyes of our questioners. But if you spend the time necessary to achieve that look, you will lose the rest of the audience. Answer in a way that makes your best point in relation to your overall objective, break eye contact, and move on. Saying "Jennifer, you've asked an excellent, complex question. Because we have many other people asking questions, this is the way I can answer it in a limited time" is a polite, honest response that keeps things moving along.
Keep the rest of the audience on your side at all costs. Consider the entire audience. You have to let people know you're always considering their time and patience. If you're asked a multiple question such as, "How can I cope with not enough staff, not enough space, and a boss who gives me no real authority?" you might say, "You've asked me three very good questions. Because there are other people in the audience with questions, let me answer one and come back to the others if we have time." That way, you partially answer and still keep the audience with you. The audience will respect you for not letting the questioner monopolize the little time you have to spend with them.
If you get a question out of left field, pause and ask, "Does anyone else here have a similar concern?" If people don't, answer the question briefly and tell the questioner you'll be happy to stay and speak with him or her after the presentation. This technique also works well with hostile questioners.
In addition to never be boring, and never say "in conclusion," here's another never: Never ask, "Did that answer your question?" This is often a trap and one that is very difficult to escape. Do you think an argumentative person is going to say yes? A dynamic or argumentative questioner will try to hold on to the spotlight and ask for more clarification. Remember that there is no law that says you must answer every question fully. In a training session you should certainly try, but there are times when it is not possible. The most important of the preceding three objectives is to keep the rest of the audience on your side—too much time with one person will reduce your credibility and effectiveness with the rest of the group
Keep these objectives in mind and you will do fine. All revolve around consideration for members of your audience; and the more considerate you are of them, the more they will be on your side.


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1: Gangtok.
Pick up from Bagdogra airport or New Jalpaiguri railway station and transfer to Gangtok "The Capital of Sikkim. This picturesque hill station is popular for its Buddhist monasteries. Check into the hotel and relax for the day. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 2: Gangtok.
Today proceed for a day excursion to Baba Mandir . It was built in memory of a soldier in Indian army who was drowned in a stream near the spot. Legend says Baba Harbhajan Singh appears the dreams of the fellow army men, foretells the dangerous activity on the border and safeguards the force.Visit Tsomgo Lake- a very sacred lake by the local Buddhists and the Hindus. Lake extends to 1 km in length, deepens to 15 meters and happens to be oval in its shape.The evening is free for you to relax. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 3: Gangtok- Pelling
Today proceed for a half day local sightseeing tour of Gangtok covering Enchey Monastery, Handicraft Centre, Jhakri Waterfalls, Flower Show, deer park, view point and Research Institute of Tibetology- world famous centre for Tibetan studies and research. Then proceed to Pelling. On the way visit Ravangla , a smoll tourist town which act as the starting point for the trek to maenam la wildlife sanctuary. Check-in to your hotel on arrival. Rest of the day free or at own. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 4: Pelling
After breakfast embark on a sightseeing tour of Pelling covering - Darap Valley which is around 6 kilometers from Pelling, Rimbi Water Falls, Rock Garden, Kanchenjunga Falls, Khachoedpalri Lake. Continue sightseeing tour covering Pemayangtse Monastery one of the oldest and premier monasteries of Sikkim which follows the Nyingma Order of Tibet Buddhism and controls all other monasteries of that Order in Sikkim . Thereafter visit Rabdantse Ruins and , Helipad Ground. Return back to hotel and evening is free or at own. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 5: Pelling - Darjeeling
Today check out from the hotel and proceed to Darjeeling The queen of the hills. It is noted for its tea industry and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Check into the hotel and rest of the day is free for you to relax. Overrnight stay at the hotel.
Day 6: Darjeeling
Today morning visit Tiger Hill which is situated at an altitude of 2590 meters, to view the mesmerizing sunrise over Mt. Khangchendzonga - Worlds third highest peak and then proceed to visit Ghoom Monastery and Batasia Loop. Later embark on a sightseeing tour of Darjeeling covering Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Zoological park, Tea Estate, Ropeway, Tensing - Gumbo Rock, , Tibetan Refugee selfhelp Centre , Natural History Museum, and Japanese Peace Pagoda. . Evening is free or you can go for a shopping. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 7: Leave Darjeeling
Check out from the hotel and proceed to Bagdogra airport or New Jalpaiguri railway station for your onward journey.


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BASIS Independent
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Auxiliary Programs Manager
at BASIS Independent
Job Description
Auxiliary Programs Manager
|Administration (Staff)
|New York City Metro Area
|New York City, NY
BASIS Independent Schools is seeking qualified candidates for an Auxiliary Programs Manager!
Who We Are
BASIS Independent Schools is a network of PreK-12 private schools raising the standards of student learning to the highest international levels. In five years, we have established five leading private schools in some of the world's most dynamic regions, including New York City, Silicon Valley, and Northern Virginia, with more campuses opening in the coming years. BASIS Independent Schools is building a team of talented, passionate, and hard-working educators to ensure our students receive the best education in the world. Join us!
What We're Looking For
As the Auxiliary Programs Manager, you are responsible for supporting the Operations team on logistics and administrative detail. The Auxiliary Programs Department manages non-academic aspects of school activities including (but not limited to) after-school programs (clubs/sports) and summer programs. In this role, you must comfortably wear many hats and embrace the opportunity to grow and expand your skills in a dynamic, fast-paced, entrepreneurial organization.
Your Primary Responsibilities
- Collaborate with the four main departments (Auxiliary Programs, Facilities, IT, and Front Office) under Operations to assist with their daily objectives
- Orchestrate the coordination and logistics of seasonal extracurricular offerings, based on the demands of the student body
- Analyze student participation in extracurricular offerings and the financial impact
- Negotiate contracts with external vendors
- Organize competitions/bees
- Organize and assist with internal events -- ensure proper execution and be on-site when needed
- Facilitate and assist with building rentals, and being on-site when needed
- Coordinate, market, and manage summer programs
- Other tasks and duties as needed
Position Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree
- Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills and a collaborative working style
- Ability to look at situations from several points of view and creatively problem-solve on the fly
- Willingness to work evenings and weekends as needed
- Strong work-ethic and desire to help wherever and whenever needed to make the school successful
- Must be a self-starter and a supportive team player
- Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
- Passion for education
- Microsoft Office (Word, PPT, Excel, Outlook) skills are essential
- Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends
- Experience with retail or property management preferred
Additional Qualifications
- Possess superb organizational skills
- Have excellent communication skills
- Have a willingness to work as a team and cross-departmentally
- Have a positive attitude and excitement for work tasks
- Be detail-oriented
- Have a growth mindset
- Have the ability to multi-task
- Have the ability to give presentations to students/families
- Have experience working with elementary students
The Nitty Gritty
Benefits and Salary: Salary for this position is competitive and dependent on education and experience. BASIS Independent Schools offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes:
- Career Growth - We believe our people deserve every opportunity to utilize and expand their knowledge and skills, and to share their passions. From our classrooms to central operations, our culture is one of continuous learning, mentorship, and professional advancement in our schools or across our network.
- Retirement - Your future financial well-being is important to us. Even if you don't contribute to your 401K, we will contribute 3% and will match up to 9% after five years.
- Health Insurance - We want you to have the care you need. We offer three PPO medical plans to choose from, as well as dental and vision insurance.
- Flexible Spending - Because health, childcare, and travel expenses can add up, we offer an FSA that allows for pre-tax dollars to cover medical, dependent care, and transit.
- Student Tuition Remission - You help us create a world-class program for our students. To show our appreciation, we offer your children significant tuition remission to attend our schools.
Note: BASIS Independent Schools, LLC (BINS) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants for employment and employees are provided equal employment opportunities, including in recruitment, hiring and assignment, without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion and religious creed, sex (including pregnancy and related conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital or familial status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, military/veteran status or any other classification protected by federal, state or local law. BINS expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee or student harassment or discrimination.


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United States Library of Congress Map Collections
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