text:
healthcare provider. Additional unknowns must also be addressed, such
as whether the plaintiff is expected to maintain his current health insurance,
or what the future costs of the needed procedures are anticipated to be. 94
D. Secondary-Payer Status of Public Insurance ProgramsA further complication to the task of calculating claimants' future out-of-pocket expenses is that Medicare and Medicaid are entitled to recover theirfuture medical payments from claimants' tort recoveries. 95 Medicare andMedicaid by statute are secondary payers. 96 Secondary payers are only re-quired to pay for care that is not paid for by other sources. 97 Furthermore,secondary payers have a statutory right to be reimbursed by individuals theycovered who also received funds from other sources to pay for future care. 98In 2011, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) stated thatMedicare intended to assert its right to reimbursement for future medical ex-penses in liability cases.99 In 2012, CMS issued an Advanced Notice of Pro-posed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking input on how Medicare should ensurethat it received the payments that it was due.100 Since then, the Office of Man-agement and Budget has withdrawn the proposed regulation.101 However,
94. Id.
95. See Medicare Secondary Payer and "Future Medicals" 77 Fed. Reg. 35917, 35919
(June 15, 2012) (to be codified at 42 C.F.R. pts. 405, 411); Salvatore G. Rotella, Jr., Solving
the Medicaid Secondary Payment Puzzle, COMPLIANCE TODAY 32, 32-33 (August 2012),
96. See Medicare Secondary Payer, CTRS. FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVS.
Benefits-and-Recovery-Overview/Medicare-Secondary-Payer/Medicare-Secondary-Payer.html (last updated January 30, 2014).
97. See Medicare Secondary Payer for Providers, Physicians, Other Suppliers, and Billing Staff, DEP'T OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVS. 1 (Feb. 2015), https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNProducts/downloads/
98. See Fagel, supra note 14, at 3 (stating a claimant on Medicare, for example, may be
required to establish a "Medicare Set-Aside Trust" from which Medicare can seek reimbursement for its future expenditures on behalf of the claimant. In the case of a Medicaid claimant,
compensation for future medical expenses from a settlement or jury award is placed in a Special Needs Trust so that the claimant can continue to qualify for Medicaid despite the recovery,
and if funds remain in the trust at time of the claimant's death, Medicaid is entitled to obtain
reimbursement (via a lien) for medical expenses that it paid.); see also John J. Campbell, Preserving Public Benefits in Physical Injury Settlements: Special-Needs Trusts and Beyond, 2
99. See 42 U.S. C. § 1395y(b)( 2) (2011) (Medicare law only provides for reimbursement
for future medical expenses specifically associated with workers compensation claims).
100. See Medicare Secondary-Payer and "Future Medicals," 77 Fed. Reg. 35917, 35917
(June 15, 2012) (to be codified at 42 C.F.R. pts. 405, 411).
101. See Sara Hansard, CMS Withdraws Medicare Secondary Payer Proposed Rule,
MEDICARE REP. (Oct. 22, 2014), http://www.bna.com/cms-withdraws-medicare-


text:
How Stephanie Overcame
The following story was shared directly from one of the mothers you support through HRI's Children First program. Stephanie is the... Read More
A Special Message from HRI
Please click below to watch a special message. Thank you for your partnership in 2018. Have a wonderful holiday season,... Read More

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Product information
Scotland's Outer Hebrides. An eagle takes flight. Will the Discovery guys get the shot? Tough in this rain. It's make or break. Craghoppers ultra–light Womens Discovery Adventures Stretch Jacket breathes and allows you to move with ease. It relishes a challenge. Sorry, Scottish weather bombs don't even register on its danger scale.
Product features
- Fabric:
- Outer: 92% polyester, 8% elastane
- Lining: 100% polyester
- Waterproof & breathable
- Pit zips
- 2 zipped waterproof pockets
- Zipped waterproof chest pocket
- 2 zipped inner (1 fits O/S Map)
- Attached hood with adjusters to front & back
- Waterproof full length zip with inner stormflap
- Inner drawcord hem adjusters
- Cuff adjusters
- Reflective detailing
- Elbow darts
- Centre back length: 28"
- Active fit
- Weight: 595g
Product Code: A4115758


text:
[Vanessa's Story] Study Tips
When I first arrived in Seoul, despite having studied Korean for quite some time by myself and with a private teacher, my level was too low and I did not even have the courage to speak out loud. Coming to Korea definitely changed everything and I can now have small conversations with locals and understand what is going on around me (the only exception is when old grandmas are chatting, that is impossible to follow!).
Just a few weeks ago this would have been impossible.
I have classes only three hours a day so I must say self study is playing an important part in my improvement. Everyday after lunch I go to a café to review the grammar, vocabulary and excercises covered in the morning. Some cafés open until late (1 AM) but of course there are 24 hours chains for people who want to spend longer hours at night. I prefer the little, unique shops visited by locals. I always hang around Gangnam, but I found many beautiful cafés around Yeonnamdong and Konkuk University too. My favourite one is hidden behind a park and because it is not very busy the barista and I became friends.
Most Koreans can understand and speak English, even though they are shy about it, so it is really easy to bypass speaking Korean if you are feeling lazy. I try to avoid that as much as I can. No matter how funny and ridiculous I may sound I try to speak Korean with everyone, in my class and outside. I think gaffes are part of the process and help you learn faster.
If you feel shy to talk with your friends I would suggest talking with shop assistants and baristas. I sometimes walk in a store just to ask some questions about products I do not really care about and practice my listening skills. If I do not understand what they are saying it is not a big deal, sometimes I just grasp one word. If I do not understand nothing as all I just not and smile, simple!
My favourite thing to do is talk with the old ladies who work at those small Korean restaurants. If they are not too busy they are always happy to stop and answer my questions, and they are really kind.
Real life situations are totally different and a lot more difficult, but it is better to practice in order not to sound too scholastic. Sometimes books are too old or teach you terms that people do not usually use in daily life, so it is always better to practice with real people. Watching TV and radio shows is also really helpful. I downloaded some podcasts and listen to them even when I am walking around the city. Let's see how fast I can improve!
Author: Vanessa
Hello readers! My name is Vanessa, I am 26 years old and I recently moved to Seoul to study Korean.
Recent Traveller Stories
- [Louise's Story] Seoul Neighbourhood Guide: Ewha, Sinchon & Hongdae 20 November 2019
- [Louise's Story] Seoul Neighbourhood Guide: Dongdaemun & Myeongdong 12 November 2019
- [Louise's story] Unexpected cultural differences in Korea 17 October 2019
- [Louise's Story] Tips for making local friends in Korea 26 September 2019
- [Louise's Story] Korean hospitality and the importance of food 03 September 2019


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We're improving your VCL documentation experience! Check out the future home of our VCL reference at the Fastly Developer Hub.
TLS and HTTP VCL features
Fastly has added several variables that expose information about the TLS and HTTP attributes of a request.
- h2.disable_header_compression() — Sets a flag to disable HTTP/2 header compression on one or many response headers to the client.
- h2.push() — Triggers an HTTP/2 server push of the asset passed into the function as the input-string.
- fastly_info.h2.is_push — Whether or not this request was a server-initiated request generated to create an HTTP/2 Server-pushed response.
- fastly_info.h2.stream_id — If the request was made over HTTP/2, the underlying HTTP/2 stream ID.
- fastly_info.is_h2 — Whether or not the request was made using HTTP/2.
- tls.client.cipher — The cipher suite used to secure the client TLS connection.
- tls.client.ciphers_list_sha — A SHA-1 digest of the raw buffer containing the list of supported ciphers, represented in Base64.
- tls.client.ciphers_list_txt — The list of ciphers supported by the client, rendered as text, in a colon-separated list.
- tls.client.ciphers_list — The list of ciphers supported by the client, as sent over the network, hex encoded.
- tls.client.ciphers_sha — A SHA-1 of the cipher suite identifiers sent from the client as part of the TLS handshake, represented in Base64.
- tls.client.protocol — The TLS protocol version this connection is speaking over.
- tls.client.servername — The Server Name Indication (SNI) the client sent in the
ClientHelloTLS record.
- tls.client.tlsexts_list_sha — A SHA-1 digest of the TLS extensions supported by the client as little-endian, 16-bit integers, represented in Base64.
- tls.client.tlsexts_list_txt — The list of TLS extensions supported by the client, rendered as text in a colon-separated list.
- tls.client.tlsexts_list — The list of TLS extensions supported by the client as little-endian, 16-bit, unsigned integers, hex encoded.
- tls.client.tlsexts_sha — A SHA-1 of the TLS extension identifiers sent from the client as part of the TLS handshake, represented in Base64.
When using these variables, remember the following:
- These variables are currently only allowed to appear within the VCL hooks
- Requests made with HTTP/2 will appear in custom logs as HTTP/1.1 because those requests will already have been decrypted by the time Varnish sees it. Specifically, the
%rvariable will not accurately represent the type of HTTPX request being processed.


text:
Health Logo Design required
Jose Vazquez paid $199 for a new Logo Design and received 230 designs from 102 Designers.
" The amount of submissions we received and the creativity of those who submitted logos to our competition was amazing. I expected a few responses but received over 200+ way too many to reply to everyone. The amount of talent made it really hard for us to pick a winner but using the poll made it easier to pick the best logo. I definitely recommend designhill and we are very happy with the results. Jose "
Health Logo Design required
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Over 100,000+ business have used Designhill to source high quality graphic designs. There are two ways by which you can get a professional graphic design at Designhill:
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text:
What would it be like going to the theatre knowing the people about to step on stage have never acted before? How would you, the audience, judge this group of people? How would you feel if it was you on stage?
These are the sorts of questions behind Artwork, a new show by provocative performance group Branch Nebula. It challenges the notion of performance and an audience's role within it. It's anti-theatre, if you like; or theatre at its purest – impulsive, unpredictable and risky. No two shows will be the same, as a fresh group of performers is used each night. Anything is possible.
The concept of Artwork came about through Branch Nebula works such as Concrete and Bone Sessions, introducing audiences to "non-conventional virtuosic performers": people of non-theatre or dance backgrounds who aren't necessarily professionally trained but are nevertheless consummate performers.
"Skaters, parkour, b-boys, they're highly trained but in a very anarchic way," says company co-founder Lee Wilson. "After that we thought about what it would be like to work with people who had no [specific] skills."
For Artwork, online ads asked for casual workers for research sessions, with no mention of art or performance. That group was then refined based on gender, age, cultural background and geography to ensure a diverse representation.
Branch Nebula won't meet the group until the evening of the performance, when they are given specific tasks to perform on stage. Wilson and his co-founder Mirabelle Wouters are reluctant to reveal the show's structure, pointing out the audience's ignorance is integral to the show.
So far in development workshops respondents have included the homeless, a former inmate and a 72-year-old lady who needed to sit for most of the rehearsal.
"What's really fascinating is they are there as themselves. They're not being paid to be a pizza delivery boy, which is all you would see if they came to your door. You really look at them, as them," says Wouters.
The unpredictability is what lends the show its dramatic edge.
Non-performers have been a feature of Sydney shows of late: last year Belvoir invited 25 performers on stage each night for Oedipus Schmoedipus; Belgian outfit Ontroerend Goed let the audience control the action via handheld devices in Fight Night; and for The Blind Date Project actor Bojana Novakovic invited a different unsuspecting actor to perform opposite her each night in a two-hander that never produced the same show twice.
"The experience is possibly the most dramatic you can get," says Wilson. "It's high stakes, almost to a Shakespearian level."
Artwork runs from August 5–8 at Carriageworks.


text:
Former Los Angeles Jr. King Cole Guttman was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Rookie of the Week for the week ending Jan. 13 after ringing up four points in the University of Denver's two-game sweep over the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Guttman played a key role in Denver's wins over the Mavericks as he had a hand in both game-winning markers in a pair of one-goal victories to push DU's win streak to seven games.
In Friday's 1-0 shutout win, the Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick dished out an assist on the lone goal in the second period while finishing with a plus-1 rating.
The next night, Guttman, who played his junior hockey with the United States Hockey League's Dubuque Fighting Saints, scored the game-winning goal early in overtime to break a 2-2 tie. He also fired three shots on goal and was plus-2 in the Pioneers' triumph, earning First Star of the Game.
Guttman, who was also tabbed the NCHC Rookie of the Week for the week ending Oct. 21, completed the series with a goal and an assist along with four shots on goal, one blocked shot and a plus-3 while also winning 13 of 23 faceoffs (.565).
In his final season with the Jr. Kings in 2015-16, Guttman helped the program's 16U AAA team capture a Pacific District championship.


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CNN needs to have their press credentials removed immediately! They are nothing but spewers of propaganda and disinformation for the globalists.
A video released a day after the Islamic terror attacks in London show a CNN crew staging a scene with Muslims holding signs saying "ISIS Will Lose".
The same crowd was used for the following AP post it appears – note the man with green around his neck in both pictures. This is how fake news spreads.
CNN caught staging news!
They even brought "peace group" printed out papers and props.
Video courtesy of @markantro pic.twitter.com/jkxf3nb2W9
— Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) June 4, 2017
CNN's Abu Dhabi Managing Editor, Becky Anderson's original video was posted to her official Twitter account where she called the London terrorists a 'handful of twisted fools hell-bent on taking lives'.
Multiple photos and video of the CNN production crew setting up the scene on link.


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Are you one of those people that literally drags themselves out of bed in the mornings? Yes? Well, what if we told you that you didn't have it to leave it behind anymore? That you could take it with you wherever you go from now on?
In what might be the most bizarre fashion item we've ever come across- even crotchless jeans don't come close to this- River Island has launched a sleeping bag coat that is basically a big pink duvet with sleeves. We're not kidding.
The design comes as part of the brand's collaboration with Ashish, and it's basically the best thing since sliced bread.
SEE: What To Buy From River Island Right Now
'Kay, it's a bit extreme. And you'll probably get a few funny looks in the street, but that's a small price to pay if it means bringing your bed to work and feeling all kinds of snuggly for the day, isn't it?
Coat, £180, River Island x Ashish
If pink's not your thing, the sleeping bag coat comes in khaki too, but neither are cheap. Each will set you back £180 which, to be frank, is slightly steep for a coat- designer or not- in the shape of a sleeping bag, but we just can't overlook how cosy it must be.
Seriously. Just imagine. Wind, rain, snow- ain't nothin' gonna bring you down in this baby.
Latest Stories
And while it may look slightly impractical, the sleeping bag coat comes complete with double arm holes and zips so you can switch between one or two according to how hungover cold you are.
What do you think? Have we totally lost it? Or is this an ingenious idea that'll change the way we live forever? We vote the latter.


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Holland (NNDC) – A malfunctioning commercial deep fryer caught fire for a short time this morning in the kitchen of the American Legion Hall on Main Street (pictured).
Holland VFD Assistant Chief John Hemmer says there was no actual damage to the kitchen area as the fire self-extinguished when the unit was shut down by kitchen staff before the first firefighters arrived on scene shortly before 11AM.
Firefighters were on scene for about 20 minutes.


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Man in the empty suit / Sean Ferrell. First published 2013.
Man in the empty suit is a Vonnegutesque book about time travel, identity, and some other things.
It's also a murder mystery, kind of.
It's kind of confusing.
Brief plot description
Every (subjective) year
Hiro Protagonist a time traveler attends his birthday celebration, held in an abandoned hotel in the year 2071. While en route to "The Convention", the 39 year-old version of the time traveler discovers something shocking: the murdered corpse of the 40 year-old version of himself. Encouraged to solve the mystery by his older versions, the time traveler has one (subjective) year to solve the mystery of his own murder, or else he will become the victim.
So how is it?
It's a more intellectual sf novel than many of the ones I've reviewed here. It's a novel with a cast of hundreds, all of whom are the same person (with one exception). I described it as Vonnegutesque above largely because the sf genre trappings are simply there to facilitate Ferrell's themes. Ferrell also blends humor and serious drama in similar ways. It takes itself a little more seriously than Vonnegut, with much less sentimentality and scatological humor.
The time traveler is not a particularly likeable character. His younger selves (called "Brats") are alcoholic fratboy pranksters, while the elderly versions ("Grumps") are withdrawn, self-destructive alcoholics. As is probably evident from the fact that he is the only guest at his own birthday party, he's something of a narcissist as well.
Man in the empty suit plays with questions of fate and free will that are practically mandatory in any work that even tangentially involves time travel. The time traveler has to address these issues explicitly, since they are pretty important to his continued survival:
Since the time traveler has seen the corpse of his 40 year-old self, doesn't that mean it is impossible for him to solve the mystery?
If the time traveler is murdered at 40, why are there so many elderly versions of himself?
These questions are answered in the narrative, though obliquely, and in a fairly interesting manner.
In addition to tackling the standard time travel story tropes Man in the empty suit also examines the nature of self-knowledge, the impact of our experiences on our self-development, and other similarly introspective questions. It's an interesting take although somewhat hampered by how confusing the whole thing is.
It's a book that requires an engaged reader. It's certainly not light relaxing reading, and attempting to read it that way will almost certainly end in disappointment. It requires actual effort to unpack what is going on and by the end it's still not exactly clear what is actually going on.
It's not your standard sf book, and it's about as far away as its possible to get from planetary romance or space opera. It's good, but demanding and for me it required a short break from similarly exhausting novels. C.J. Cherryh, Ursula K. Le Guin, and to a lesser extent John Scalzi and Lois McMaster Bujold all manage to weave deep thematic elements into a story that can still be read as an escapist adventure. Ferrell's Man in the empty suit can't be read that way, and whether that's a strength or a weakness is an open question.
Bottom line is, Man in the empty suit is a book with its head firmly planted up its own ass, but as long as you are willing to deal with that it can be a rewarding experience.
Man in the empty suit is a tough one to recommend – it's too demanding for most of the sf readers that asked me for recommendations while I was working public services, but it's also a little out there for readers of Capital L Literature. It's good, but in a very specific way. I've recommended it to a couple of people, none of whom have actually read it yet.
It's the lovechild of Kurt Vonnegut and Philip K. Dick. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys both authors, and I'd consider recommending it to someone who only enjoyed one of them depending on what I knew.
I think my recommendations below might give a better sense of what I mean. All of these are on my list of titles to review, I'll probably fast-track them so that all of these mind-altering sf novels end up together.
These are all books that demand more active engagement with the text, on a rising scale of how much effort they take:
The world of the end / Ofir Touché Gafla– not actually all that demanding but shares some thematic connections with this one.
Annihilation / Jeff VanderMeer
A highly unlikely scenario, or, A Neetsa Pizza employee's guide to saving the world / Rachel Cantor
The quantum thief / Hannu Rajaniemi – It wasn't until I was finishing the second book in this series that I figured out some important things that were kind of key to understanding it.
Self-reference ENGINE / Toh EnJoe
Man in the empty suit is about equivalent to A highly unlikely scenario, or, A Neetsa Pizza employee's guide to saving the world on this scale.
I also have to recommend these two:
Slaughterhouse-Five, or, The children's crusade : a duty-dance with death / Kurt Vonnegut
So coming up expect reviews of all of the above. After that I'm planning on doing some YA reviews to balance that out. Those'll focus more on contemporary and historical fiction than sf or fantasy.


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Another Giddens brother detailed in Memoirs of Florida was Henry Clay Giddens, who was born and raised in Berrien County, GA. His parents were Elizabeth and William Giddens.
Rerick, Rowland H. (1902) Memoirs of Florida: Embracing a general history of the province, territory, and state; and special chapters devoted to finances and banking, the bench and bar, medical profession, railways and navigation, and industrial interests.The Southern Historical Association, Atlanta, GA. Vol II, Pgs 525-526.
Henry Clay Giddens, a worthy business man of Tampa, was born in Berrien county, Ga., November 2, 1863. His family is Southern, his paternal grandfather having been a native of North Carolina, and his maternal grandfather of Virginia. His father, William Giddens, was a planter in Georgia, a county judge and a soldier in the Confederate army; his wife was Elizabeth Edmundson Giddens, also a Georgian. Henry C. is the tenth of eleven children and the youngest of nine sons. Eight of these children are still living. He is one of the four brothers who settled in Tampa, where the are among the prominent citizens: Marcus F., Isbin S., county treasurer and member of the firm I. S. Giddens & Co., wholesale grocers, and Dr. John A. Giddens, a well known dentist. Henry C. Giddens was reared and received his early education in his native county. He took a course in the Eastman business college, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., where he graduated in September, 1885. At the age of twenty he came to Tampa and clerked one year in the store of C.L. Friebele, and for six years was bookkeeper and general manager for E. A. Clarke & Co. November 1, 1891, he embarked in the clothing business as the partner of W. B. Henderson, one of the leading men of Tampa. Mr. Giddens has been treasurer of the Building and Loan association ever since its organization ten years ago. He is a member of the Board of Trade and of the order of the Knights of Pythias, and is one of the pillars of the Presbyterian church of which he is deacon. He was married June 27, 1887 to Sallie M. Graham of Tampa, a native of Alabama, and they have two children, Henry Chalmers, born August 22, 1895, and James Graham, born July 10, 1891, died April 27, 1901.
An updated sketch of Henry Clay Giddens was published in Men of the South in 1922.
Moore, Daniel Decatur. 1922. Men of the South: a work for the newspaper reference library. Southern Biographical Association. New Orleans. Pg 272.
Henry Clay Giddens, retail clothier, of clothier, of Tampa, Florida, is a native of Berrien county, Georgia, where he was born November 2, 1863.
Mr. Giddens attended the common schools at his home and then took a commercial course at the famous Eastman Business College, Poughkeepsie, New York.
He located in Tampa, in 1883, at the age of twenty, when that city was a mere village and when there were only two or three mercantile establishments in the town. He "looked for a job" and found one with C.L. Frieble, one of the pioneer merchants of the place. He was later employed as a clerk by E.A. Clarke & Company and was soon promoted to manager of the store.
Six years after his arrival in Tampa, Mr. Giddens found himself established in his own business, Henry Giddens & Company, his partner being the late W.B. Henderson. This business has been continuously in operation ever since and, with the growth of Tampa, has become one of the largest retail clothing establishments in the State, occupying the corner store of the Giddens building, at Franklin and Lafayette streets. The firm has been incorporated as the Henry Giddens Clothing Company.
Mr. Giddens is a member of the Board of Trade, one of the most active directors of the Young Men's and Women's Christian Associations and the Old People's Home, and always alert in the interest of Tampa. He served on the City Council four years and on the Board of Public Works four years and is now president of the Board of Trustees of the Tampa Public Library, to which he gives much time and attention.
Mr. Giddens married, in 1887, Miss Sallie Graham, and they have one son, H.C., Jr., who is vice-president of the Henry Giddens Clothing Company.
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text:
Homeless people
Michal Miko
Homeless people
Michal Miko
videoMichal Miko to the Czech Regional Development Minister: Live in a container yourself, then we will see what you think of it21.4.2018 11:51 The proposal of the Czech Regional Development Minister to build 55 000 "container" units of housing has outraged various civic activists. Michal Miko, project coordinator for the Slovo 21, z.s. NGO, has taken an unequivocally negative stance on the issue: "The fact that the Government wants to adopt a law making it possible to build 'container' apartment units is unacceptable to me as a civic activist." full story
Czech Caritas says changes to housing benefit may launch an avalanche of homelessness29.11.2017 8:16 Representatives of Caritas Czech Republic are criticizing recent restrictions on housing benefits for people living in so-called areas with an "increased incidence of undesirable phenomena" and in residential hotels because the new rules could lead to an increased number of homeless persons. The organization is one of the biggest aiding those in need. full story
Turkey: Roma Families in Istanbul Face Continued Gentrification23.6.2017 13:45 Civil society organizations have been reporting that over the past decade, Roma families in Turkey have been forced to repeatedly uproot their families in search of new residences. These migrations have occurred in response to an unparalleled boom in construction that has replaced small homes in Roma neighborhoods with apartment blocks created to serve clients with higher incomes. full story
Italy: Children and Pregnant Romani Women Left Homeless15.6.2017 17:10 Unlawful demolitions of Romani property in Italy are rendering members of that community homeless, including newborns and pregnant women. Most recently Romani people were driven from the Germagnano informal settlement in Turin two weeks ago, according to the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), based in Budapest. full story
videoUkrainian villagers collectively blame Roma for murder, destroy their homes, revoke their residency30.8.2016 8:34 Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported yesterday that local authorities and media in Ukraine say a village there has decided to expel dozens of Romani families because of suspicions that a member of their community may have been responsible for the murder of a child. Police have arrested a 20-year-old Romani man on suspicion of murder. full story
Czech Labor and Social Affairs Minister meets with homeless people27.6.2016 6:55 On 23 June an active group of homeless people from three Czech cities met in Prague with Czech Labor and Social Affairs Minister Michaela Marksová and a representative of the Regional Development Ministry, Housing Policy Department Director Jiří Klíma. Roughly 40 people gathered to discuss the planned law on social housing. full story
Bulgarian Helsinki Committee: Opportunistic politicians evicting Roma for political gain13.10.2015 20:39 On 9 October, Kaloyan Stanev of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee published an opinion piece through the Open Society Foundations about the evictions of Roma that have been ongoing there. He describes police giving families one hour to leave their dwellings before they are bulldozed. full story
As evictions continue in Albania, Romani women reach out to local elected officials7.10.2015 21:58 Activist Ola Tare in Albania has contacted the Roma Virtual Network to report the planned eviction of Roma families living in an informal encampment near a man-made lake in the capital, Tirana. The municipality reportedly announced the eviction on 2 October because of redevelopment plans and alleged that the families were "harm[ing]... the environment and their [own] health." full story
Central European artists and politicians call for solidarity with migrants18.9.2015 20:51 Agence France-Presse (AFP) and the Associated Press (AP) report that Czech film director Jiří Menzel and former Czech Prime Minister Petr Pithart are among hundreds of artists and politicians from Central Europe who have called on the citizens and representatives of their countries to demonstrate solidarity with asylum-seekers. The AFP reports that Central European citizens frequently are antagonistic and sometimes hostile towards migrants coming to Europe. full story
European Roma and Travellers Forum calls summer demolitions of Romani dwellings "unprecedented"3.9.2015 22:03 The European Roma and Travellers Forum has released a statement called "Evictions Unlimited" on what it calls an "unprecedented upsurge" in the demolition of Romani housing and eviction of Romani people both in EU Member States and in countries such as Albania. Whether the demolitions and evictions have involved the use of force or not, the ERTF says they have all been "marked by the policy of rejection". full story
France: Roma immigrants evicted, travelling community kept from halting24.8.2015 21:22 British newspaper The Independent reported on 16 August that a shantytown known as Samaritain in La Courneuve suburb north of Paris was slated for demolition "within days". The 80 families living there, most of them Romani, were not scheduled for rehousing by the local council full story
videoBulgaria: Romani dwellings demolished in Varna21.8.2015 22:13 Radio FOCUS in Bulgaria reports that houses built illegally by their Romani occupants in the Maksuda quarter of the Mladost municipal department of the city of Varna began undergoing demolition yesterday. Residents reportedly threw rocks at police and attempted to attack them during the demolition. full story
Albania: Romani neighborhood demolished for road, residents likely homeless11.8.2015 1:09 The Roma Virtual Network has published a message from Brisilda Taco, a self-identified Romani activist in Tirana, Albania, about recent home demolitions there. The activist reports that on 23 July, the Albanian Government began to demolish Romani-occupied houses in Selita. full story
France: Human rights organizations protest forced evictions of Romani people6.8.2015 23:35 The European Roma Rights Centre and the Ligue des droits de l'Homme (LDH), a French human rights organization, issued the finding last month that up to 4 000 forced evictions of Romani people have taken place in France during the first half of 2015. The organizations say the confiscation of the Romani people's property during these incidents is even worse for them than the displacement is. full story
Ireland: Roma immigrant challenges state's refusal to award her welfare22.7.2015 0:35 The Irish Times reports that a Roma citizen of Romania with two young children is suing Ireland's Department of Social Protection for refusing to award her various welfare benefits, claiming the refusal is a violation of EU law. Her counsel, Derek Shorthall, told the High Court that the case raises "very weighty legal issues". full story
Bulgarian NGO to sue over ongoing forced demolition of Romani homes in Garmen8.7.2015 20:49 News server novinite.com reports that the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) has issued a press release stating its objections to the ongoing forced demolition of buildings in the "Kremikovtsi" Romani quarter of the village of Garmen. The 29 June demolition rendered four families with a total of 15 children homeless and more demolitions are scheduled for 13 July, according to the Amalipe Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance, which also reports that 124 of the quarter's 134 houses are slated for demolition. full story


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Discover the charm of the "Pink City" during a long weekend or for your next holiday! Toulouse is easily accessible by train (Matabiau station) and by plane (Blagnac airport). There are many different accommodation options for visitors to the city: hotels and accommodation in the city-centre, or guesthouses and gîtes on the banks of the Canal du Midi for a stay in the countryside. With its busy public transport network (bus, metro, tram), getting around the city is quick and easy, allowing you to benefit from the rich heritage of Toulouse.
From the Cité de l'Espace (Space City theme park) to the Jacobin church, the Basilica of St. Sernin and the rich collections of the museums (les Abattoirs for contemporary art, and the Musée des Augustins for Romanesque and Gothic sculpture), the iconic attractions of Toulouse will allow you to travel back in time and to experience a magnificent journey through the centuries. Toulouse is one of the capitals of opera in France: in the evening, you could visit the majestic Place du Capitole for an opera performance or the Halle aux grains for a classical music concert. The bars and restaurants which surround the beautiful Place Saint-Georges allow you to discover the flavours of southwest France, in the typical festive atmosphere of Toulouse.


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Update: he won. :-) But I managed to get my plane on the ground without moving any large piles of rock, so it was a win/win. :-)Fun times, guys -- thanks for the consideration of putting this informal gathering together & having the foresight to let us know about it! Looking forward to more like it!
We hope you can join us for a $100 hamburger in our event, Wednesday, and I hope we see you in many future events.


text: We serve a full English Breakfast which is served in our dining room or on the sun terrace. We serve breakfast between 8.30 – 9.30 but more than happy to do an earlier time if you are an early riser. Please let us know when you arrive. We cater for vegetarians and vegans, please let us know your dietary requirements when booking. All breakfast items are cooked to order so it may mean a little wait if everyone decides to come down together. An indication of your breakfast time would be extremely helpful when you arrive.


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Well, you can find out here.
Some creative person got permission to erect this waterfowl in a pocket park on South Grand Boulevard. It is made of scrap cardboard, tape and varnish. What's it all about? A writer once said that a poem should not mean, but be. Same thing here. The artist intends to let it stand until it falls apart through weather or vandalism. (No sign of the latter, happily.) Another reminder of impermanence.


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Wednesday, December 29, 2010
happy new year - 2011!
I think I may have an addiction to Boggle. Have you ever played? The old-school version was a tray with a removable lid. This new version that I got for my brother for Christmas is twistable, so the lid lifts but doesn't come off. You shake the letters, then twist it back down again. Then you have three minutes to make words out of the letters. You form lines to make the words, and letters have to be next to each other, or diagonal. You can't use the same letter twice in one word. Here, you could make POO, LOO, OPT, SLOE, SLOT - and many more. No proper nouns, no abbreviations. It's so addictive! My family and I have been playing for hours and hours. Time goes by super fast when you're playing - and each round is over quickly. "Oh, just one more," we say. Before we know it, hours have gone by.
It's time for some hope, some good news, some cheer. Yes, the holidays have been difficult for me this year, and I'm not entirely sure why. (Although I have some ideas.) But - although that's life - it's not fun to read about. At least, not all the time. (I try to write somewhat about mental health issues - because I really believe that we should all remove the stigma from it, as much as we can. But it's also very personal - so I work to strike a balance between what is interesting to readers, what I'm comfortable with sharing, and what's relevant.)
I've remembered a tattoo that a friend of mine got once - dum spiro spero. "While I breathe, I hope." While I am here, alive, while there is breath in my body to go forward with, I will go forward. I will hope, I will believe in the goodness of people. In surprises, the surprises that life always has in store.
2010 - was the year of getting my first car. Driving to Halifax all by myself. Getting the job at the marina. Leaving the library. Writing more - but also realizing it was time to end the Writers' Group I had started, and continue on with three other writers as a smaller, private group. For the first time since leaving university three years ago - and taking time to recover from illness - I had a full-time job again. In fact, I got quite busy working two jobs, and had to learn to set my limits. As always. These lessons - they keep coming back.
2011 - where will it take me? I have no idea. I've got some hope - some interesting ideas. Looking for some direction, trying to be open. I suppose whatever happens, I'll keep you posted!
Also, December 18th marked the eighth year I've had this blog. That seems a bit nutty. I was 18 when I started it, and I'm 26 now. I feel like so much has changed - I look back on my 18-year-old self thinking, "My god, I was so young!"
But yeah - thanks to you readers, for reading. For leaving comments. I get so much from your feedback and from knowing I have an audience.
May the New Year bring you many, many good things - peace and happiness and downtime and love. See you there!
Labels: anxiety, depression, holidays, my photography
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August 10, 2014 at 2:47 pm 16 comments
Compassion is a heavy word…it is about humanity…being a true human. Feelings and actions of sympathy, empathy, virtue and consideration. Compassion is a human action of thought and feeling. Other animals seem to show compassion, too. Isn't it about being, then? Existing in harmony with ourselves and others.
Why consider compassion?
As Pilates teachers or pilates enthusiasts, we must consider compassion for those you are working with and compassion for yourself. I'm not talking selfless vs. selfish or being a good teacher or a well-mannered student, though these are important things to consider. I'm talking about seeing humanity in others and yourself. I'm talking about putting yourself in another's shoes (empathy) and caring. Stepping outside of yourself to see yourself…as someone who deserves care, too.
Let's begin with compassion for others.
As a Pilates teacher, we must develop our hearts for our clients. Our clients come to a session to learn, to achieve a goal (physical, emotional or other), to move… Do they always find the task of Pilates easy? No. Our dear clients can often feel awkward or confused. Learning and growth happen best when we as teachers anticipate the needs of our clients by catching awkward or confusing moments before they happen. You know how it feels to be confused. It's doesn't feel good. You feel diminished and powerless. Some will be scared. Of course, you don't desire this for yourself then in turn, you will not want this for your client. Ah, the compassionate teacher will work hard to avoid confusion. Being a positive teacher means more than saying "good" and being encouraging. A positive teacher also works to teach in a way that is clear, well structured and avoids confusion.
With great import, let's seek to remember what it was like to be a client ourselves. Each new exercise might have been exciting to you! However each or some might have been scary for you. And, let's also recall that no two people are the same. In the act of compassion, we must be empathetic and seek out what our clients are feeling…which may be very different than anything that we might have felt. Fun and thrilling to you might be very frightening to your client. Easy for you might be difficult for her. Obvious to you might be completely shrouded in mystery to him.
It's OK to share with your client that perhaps you used to have a difficult time with a particular exercises, too. I recall being a student and feeling downtrodden that my teachers didn't seem to show any kindness in my struggles. Negative cues and demeaning phrases. One in particular that I found really rude from a famous teacher "You have a power-studio {as in studio apartment}, not a power-house." and that was when I was just learning. That was diminishing. Why not say something akin to "You are getting stronger…and one day will be far stronger!" or don't say anything at all!
Another place you can practice your compassion with your clients is in the way that you think about them or talk about them with other teachers. I have spent time around teachers who talk down about their clients or gossip about them. How weak a client is or how uncoordinated a client is. The teachers often roll their eyes or make snide remarks. There doesn't seem to be any room for this behavior in the book of humanity or compassion. People are trying hard. They want to achieve. Your negative thoughts are nasty. These people are coming to you for help and are paying your rent. You can show greater kindness to their efforts.
Along with this, I see notes on forums all of the internet where people laugh at clients who fart or who have difficult times doing what seem to be basic exercises. Again I ask: where is your heart? Some clients will fart or sweat excessively or have bad breath or bad body odor. This is going to be. That doesn't mean that they don't deserve your best. Maybe they deserve even more of your kindness. Do they deserve your cruelty with gossip in the teachers room or teachers forums? No…of course not.
Let's broaden our opportunity for teaching with compassion for our clients. Our clients whether clearly open for anything or seemingly shut down lie on a mat in front of us and seek our assistance. That is what they are doing. Even those who challenge you and make seeming-steam come out of your ears…even that client is on the mat asking you for aid. Open your heart, remember why she is there and your promise as a Pilates teacher. Remember why you are teaching in the first place.
Compassion for our clients.
Now…what about compassion for ourselves as teachers? That is vital, too. We are often hard on ourselves. Too hard. Perhaps in all of life, but we'll talk of the Pilates studio here. I have received messages from many-a-Pilates teacher sharing a hard day and asking if it's OK that this horrible session happened or a difficult mat class or any number of things. Of course it's OK. We all have bad days. We all make mistakes. We're only human. If we don't see the humanity in ourselves…we have very little we'll be able to share with our clients.
As much as you'll seek to anticipate issues, you will run into problems big and small. You must forgive yourself for this. Immediately. If you're not used to being kind to yourself, it does take practice. You deserve it.
Though my rule is that we must anticipate issues and never have even one repetition of pain for a client…well…that doesn't always happen. We must do our best, and if we certainly have, release ourselves from guilt if we do not succeed 100% of the time. While we work for a 100% retention rate of clients, we also must do our best and then, again, release ourselves from guilt if we do not keep all clients all of the time.
Are you changing your schedule and cannot accommodate everyone? That has to be OK.
Do you need to put more people into semi-privates and not all into privates? That also has to be OK. (Not to mention it is better for them and better for your business. A topic for another article: teaching-mixed-level-semi-private-sessions-guidelines )
Did you have to cancel a day because you were sick? That has to be OK.
Did you just have a bad day? That has to be OK.
With practice and great self-awareness, each session, each day can be extremely successful no matter what is going on in your personal life or in the moment, but even the most practiced can have a hard day or moment. It has to be OK. We must release ourselves from the pressure of "every moment has to be perfect". Nothing is perfect. All is practice. It's a practice this life.
Compassion for yourself.
Now…there is another compassion that we must discuss. That is compassion for your fellow teacher. There's a lot of chit and chat across the web with people cutting others down. Personal attacks. Why? Certainly because they are insecure to such an extent that they attempt to raise themselves up by trying to discredit others. It's difficult to find compassion for people who are hurtful to you in these ways. I can speak for myself and tell you that I am pained when someone attacks me in one way or another. I see it for what it is: that attacker's fear and self-loathing. My compassion is limited for those people, it is true. Hurtful actions are not-ever OK. Still, it brings me to recognize the need for some sort of compassion. I will not reach out to that person to try to see eye to eye, but I will remember that this person is hurting and sad…deeply. I will not fight the person who is trying to bring me into her own personal struggle, but I will recognize that this is his struggle, not mine. I will not engage, but I will attempt to humanize this person rather than demonize. Oh…it's difficult. I tell you. It is difficult. However…let's seek to humanize.
Let's be true teachers. Let's see our clients, ourselves and our fellow teachers as humans. Let's practice Compassion.
***Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you have any comments, please feel free to post them below. And if you ever have any questions related to any aspect of Pilates or biomechanics, know that you can always leave them in the comments or email me directly at firstname.lastname@example.com ***
I have created a teaching technique that is very successful for Skype. Please email me if you'd like to set up a session.
Group Classes:
Every week we have 2 group classes on-line!
Live-stream and recordings!
Here's info: https://www.theverticalworkshop.com/workouts
The list of current live/in-studio workshops is posted in the column to the side.
Full info is here: https://www.theverticalworkshop.com/schedule
Workshops at your studio?
Sure…just ask: email@example.com and I'll be glad to discuss the details!
Entry filed under: Uncategorized.
16 Comments Add your own
This article was beautiful and heartfelt. Thank you! Amy
In Seattle 2006, our paths kept crossing while attending a 3 day workshop. This was my first experience with the leaders in the field of Pilates. You were my inspiration that there was a reason why Pilates should be a part of my life. Your unspoken kindness gave me the courage to pursue this new movement experience. I continue to read your blogs and the subject of "Compassion" is why helping others as a Pilates' instructor is my passion at this stage of life.
Thank you,
Kathy Sagmiller
Thank you Shari. Once again you brought attention to another extremely important topic. Remembering compassion helps us all grow together as equals in the Pilates profession. As we work on ourselves and with others- colleagues or clients- we need to consider feeling. This applies even as we consider science in the Pilates method, from a humanitarian point of view, there is a strong relation between feeling and theory. "Theory cuts off its roots, loses its connection to reality when it ignores feeling". Quote from one of my favorite artists/activist, M. Stevens.
Just wrote an extended comment to this that disappeared into the ether. To summate: Totally agree with all three areas we need to show greater compassion and empathy and you are clearly more evolved than those who seek to tear you down!
Thank you Shari!
Being compassionate with your clients,putting yourself in their shoes,trying to feel and see things the way they feel and see makes one not only a better Instructor but first of all a great person.
Great Blog Shari.
Check this out holly, and her workshops.
Sent from my Windows Phone ________________________________
Thank you Shari, such beautiful and compassionate words. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou from Australia.
WOW, as always you are sooo insightful! Really makes me look at myself and strive to be compassionate in all aspects. I am so glad you are in my life. You inspire me! Thank you.
Heart touching post
Well, it was an informative post about pilates and I would say that in my practice, that encompasses Pilates for self as well as others, mothering, being a wife and just plain existing etc. kindness is one of my constant guiding light that always helped me.
Thanks for this beautiful article. Compassion is the ability to understand the emotional state of another person or oneself. It improves our health, well-being and relationships. Many scientists believe that compassion may even be vital to the survival of our species, and they're finding that its advantages can be increased through targeted exercises and practice. If we can learn to treat our bodies with compassion we can greatly improve our physical and emotional well-being.
Beautiful article. Thank you.
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Automotive Digital Cockpit Market by Services,by Application
Onshore & Offshore and by Region - Global Trends & Forecast to 2023
Digital Cockpit market will register a xx% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global
market size will reach US$ xx million by 2023, from US$ xx million in 2017. In
particular, this report presents the global revenue market share of key
companies in Automotive Digital Cockpit business, shared in Chapter 3.
This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares and
growth opportunities of Automotive Digital Cockpit market by product type,
application, key companies and key regions.
a sample of this report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/2421015
The report also presents the market competition landscape and a
corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendor/manufacturers in the
market. The key manufacturers covered in this report: Breakdown data in in
Chapter 3.
Harman International
This study considers the Automotive Digital Cockpit value
generated from the sales of the following segments:
Segmentation by product type: breakdown data from 2013 to 2018,
in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2023 in section 10.7.
Segmentation by application: breakdown data from 2013 to 2018,
in Section 2.4; and forecast to 2023 in section 10.8.
Luxury Cars
Mid-Segment Cars
Browse the complete report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/global-automotive-digital-cockpit-market-growth-status-and-outlook-2018-2023
This report also splits the market by region: Breakdown data in
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United States
Southeast Asia
Middle East & Africa
South Africa
GCC Countries
In addition, this report discusses the key drivers influencing
market growth, opportunities, the challenges and the risks faced by key players
and the market as a whole. It also analyzes key emerging trends and their
impact on present and future development.
Research objectives
To study and analyze the global Automotive Digital Cockpit
market size by key regions/countries, product type and application, history
data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2023.
To understand the structure of Automotive Digital Cockpit market
by identifying its various subsegments.
Focuses on the key global Automotive Digital Cockpit players, to
define, describe and analyze the value, market share, market competition
landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.
To analyze the Automotive Digital Cockpit with respect to
individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total
To share detailed information about the key factors influencing
the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers,
industry-specific challenges and risks).
To project the size of Automotive Digital Cockpit submarkets,
with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).
To analyze competitive developments such as expansions,
agreements, new product launches and acquisitions in the market.
To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively
analyze their growth strategies.
Place a purchase order of
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107.8 Radio Jackie - Bulletins aired each hour
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Care homes need to do more to make sure residents get "real choice" at mealtimes
That's the message from Healthwatch Surrey.
Research by the campaign group has found some care home residents are too afraid to speak out about bad food when staff are busy.
It visited 20 homes across the county, speaking to 237 residents, visitors and staff about how enjoyable they found mealtimes to be.
posted by Radio Jackie News Team @ 2:34 pm
Top of Radio Jackie News page here.
of many reasons why we are so useful to South West London...
our very own news team bringing you stories that are relevant to you
and your area.
If you have a press release
or would like to send in news then pop off an e-mail to [email protected]
Follow Jackie News at twitter.com/jackie_news.


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This week's 4.5 mile circular walk takes in two of Hampshire's famous chalk rivers, The Test and The Anton as well as Cow Common, site of special scientific interest, which separates the two delightful villages of Chilbolton and Wherwell.
Please note, there is one v.steep slope down through a field towards the Anton pastures.
We will car share to the start point at Chilbolton and cars will depart the Bell Street Car Park promptly at 7pm.
It is customary to offer the driver £1 towards petrol.
If in doubt call Nick on 07913 104536 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
Event Details
|Bell Street Car Park


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SALINAS — Marlon Alveranga, a former deputy with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, was arrested Tuesday and booked into county jail on charges of forcible rape, five counts of sexual activity with a confined adult, and one count of sexual battery dating back to his time working at the jail.
The Sheriff's Office arrested Alveranga, 33, in October 2018 on multiple charges including inappropriate sexual contact with a woman confined in the Monterey County Jail. In a press release announcing the arrest last year, the Sheriff's Office stated an inmate walked into a supply room where she witnessed Alvarenga engaged with another inmate in a sexual encounter. The inmate notified jail staff of the incident.
The Sheriff's Office placed Alvarenga on administrative leave as the investigation continued. The Monterey County District Attorney's Office reviewed the original case and declined to file charges against Alvarenga at that time. According to the Sheriff's Office, Alvarenga "separated from employment with the Sheriff's Office" shortly after he was arrested.
The investigation into Alvarenga continued and led to interviews with multiple witnesses and potential victims across California and in Mexico.
The Sheriff's Office said numerous new victims were identified but it is restricted in what information it can release due to the sensitive nature of the case. The victims were all inmates at Monterey County Jail while Alvarenga served as a deputy sheriff assigned to the jail.
In a press release, the Sheriff's Office said the people in county jail are in its care, calling it a solemn responsibility and noting they are innocent until proven guilty.
"Under no circumstances should they be subjected to any act that puts their health and safety at risk," the press release stated.
It went on to explain the investigations division of the Sheriff's Office pursued any potential leads seeking other victims or crimes over the past year.
"As I said last year, we will arrest and pursue justice against anyone who so callously disregards our code of ethics, and in this on-going and exhaustive phase of this international investigation it should be clear we will stop at nothing to see that justice is served," Sheriff Steve Bernal said in the press release.
The Sheriff's Office said the arrest does not necessarily mean the investigation is over. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Detective Arras Wilson at 831-759-7203 or Detective Sgt. Bryan Hoskins at 831-755-3773.


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When you say the word "sky", there is some kind of sweetness to it. Or "appreciation", if that's not the correct word. Whether it's good or not, your memories are often associated with it. Maybe that's because the sky is something you look up to.
But when fly on a plane, the sky can be something you look down upon. At least you don't look up to find beautiful clouds you want to shoot with your GR as you do on the ground.
Whether it's train, bus or plane, every time I travel, I try to reserve a window seat so that I can enjoy the view and, of course, take photos at the same time. I always use my GR to do this because it's compact and quiet.
Before the GR Digital and even at the time when you were not allowed to take photos during takeoff and landing, I used my trusty GR21 because it was analogue and did not send out any signal.
I love to do it very much because I see colors and views I never see on the ground. There's something magical about it. It makes me feel like I'm here by miracle.
Here are some examples.


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Before Christmas, I was asked by a very good friend to write a letter of recommendation for a mission trip she is going on. Now usually when asked to write these kinds of letters (hey, I get asked) I cringe and get out the Thesaurus...looking up new and different ways to say interesting and loves a challenge (code for psychotic and a trouble maker). This time however, it was a very simple task....I didn't have to LIE...mostly ;)
Nancy, who I have known for ...ahem ...25 years, is someone I am proud to call my friend....truly. She is talented, funny, selfless, sarcastic (love that part) dedicated, faithful and an all-around great gal. If I run out of gas in the middle of nowhere (which actually exists about 7 miles from our house) she would be the third call I would make (let's be honest, my hubby and sis top that list....they HAVE to come get me :)
Plus I combine it with my walks around town...I ride back with Nancy to the school where she teaches and walk home from there (less than a mile....small town).
Once in a while I bring my camera.
Once in a while I bring my camera.
...pantry post tomorrow, I promise :)


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Parrett Copse, Banwell, North Somerset. 2.71 acres of mixed mature woodland in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, 15 miles from Bristol. £29,500 (freehold) [#F1323]
An outstanding parcel of established hard and softwood species within a wider historical woodland, benefiting from excellent access. High amenity value and perfect for nature enthusiasts.
2.71 acres
£29,500 (freehold)
OS Landranger Series Sheet No: 182
Ordnance Survey Grid References:
- Roadside gate: ST 407 593
- Centre of wood: ST 406 587
Nearest postcode: BS29 6PQ
This postcode will take you to the local area but may not take you to the woodland. You will need to use the location plan and directions as well.
Parrett Copse is a charming small woodland, consisting of a mixture of species of mainly broadleaf trees, and forms part of a larger ancient woodland. It is situated on the southern edge of Banwell Hill, which is found not far from the village of Banwell in North Somerset. The access tracks have been recently upgraded to form a hard-running surface meaning you can access your woodland in a two wheeled drive vehicle year-round.
Mature oak and ash form the greater part of the canopy, but amongst these you will also come across European larch, Lawson cypress, wild cherry, the occasional holly shrub and on the southern boundary, a line of coppiced hazel trees. Although it is suspected a few of the conifer trees were planted by hand, the broadleaves have self-seeded providing a natural look and feel as you walk under the canopy.
In spring, the woodland floor is carpeted with bluebells, creating a sea of purple and blue on a backdrop of green, replaced by a swathe of white wild garlic flowers later in the year; a truly amazing time to wander through the woodland. Dotted throughout, you will also find primrose, wood anemone and a variety of mosses.
As you would imagine, the woodland attracts and is home to a variety of animals and birds, and a keen eye will see plenty of signs of foraging badgers, foxes hunting, and the tracks of the local roe deer population. Flying in amongst the treetops, you may find the rare lesser horseshoe bat - although it has been noted to roost elsewhere in the wider woodland, it most certainly hunts throughout it.
Parrett Copse is found on deep and fertile brown earth soils, on a south facing slope, and has views out towards Wavering Down and Crook Peak that form the North Somerset boundary. The woodland slopes down towards the southern boundary but levels out with a nice relatively level lower section where you will find a soft track running east to west. This could be an alternative route to extract timber utilising the convenient Forestry Commission thinning licence that is already in place.
If It Were Mine
I would fell a few trees nearer the top of the woodland, install a bench or seating area and enjoy the views out to the south.
I would also start harvesting some of the ash in the woodland to keep my wood stocks at home full during the winter months.
To View This Woodland
You are welcome to view this woodland at any time during daylight hours. We do ask that you download a copy of these particulars and take them with you, mainly so you can correctly identify the boundaries and access points.
Residential Planning Permission
You are extremely unlikely to get residential planning permission for this woodland.
This video is of the larger woodland as a whole and is not representative of any specific part of the woodland.
Directions & Access
- From Banwell village, head east on the A368 towards Sandford.
- After approximately half a mile, you will see a layby on the right-hand side with a double wooden gate set back and Wood4Sale sign (point A on the plan below).
- Please park safely in front of one of the gates, ensuring there is clear vehicular access through the other for key holders (sorry, we do not provide keys for viewings).
- Climb the gate and turn immediately right, continue along the track and up the hill.
- After roughly half a mile you will reach a T junction (point B) with the ruins of a cottage set back to the right.
- Turn right, passing a turning to the right down to the cottage and within a short distance you will see a line of wooden stakes painted white (the first post having both green and a bit of white on it, (points C - D), this is the northern boundary. A little further on is a layby, this is the entrance into the woodland.
- The north boundary is indicated by green paint on wooden posts on the northern edge of the track.
- The south boundary is the low earth bund with fields beyond.
- The east boundary is indicated by white paint on trees and wooden posts.
- The west boundary is indicated by pink paint on trees and wooden posts.
Sporting Rights
The sporting rights are owned and included in the sale. They are not let.
Mineral Rights
The mineral rights are owned and included in the sale except as reserved by statute.
Rights Of Way
- There is a right of way granted at all times and for all purposes over the route ABC on the plan below.
- There is a right of way granted at all times for forestry purposes only over the route BGF.
- There is a right of way reserved to others for forestry purposes only over EF.
- A right of way is reserved to others over the route CD.
- A shared maintenance clause covers all the rights of way with liability according to use.
- There are no public rights of way in this woodland.
Fencing Liabilities
There are no known fencing obligations.
Tree Preservation Order
The woodland is designated as an Ancient Woodland and is subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). This does not prevent appropriate tree felling. However, the agreement of the local Tree Officer must be obtained in advance.
Restrictive Covenants
There are some restrictive covenants to protect the woodland and the environment. Please click on the button below to view these.
How To Buy
This woodland is being sold on a fixed price basis. We require the following information in writing before we mark a woodland as sold and take it off the market (please ensure you are in a position to fund the purchase before doing this):
- The name and price of the woodland
- Confirmation you have viewed the woodland
- Full name (including middle names), address, phone number and date of birth of all legal purchasers
- The full contact details of the solicitor who has been instructed
Please click on the button below for more information.
Maps & Plans
Plans, areas and particulars are for reference only. They have been carefully checked by us but we cannot guarantee their accuracy and they do not form a part of any contract. Prospective purchasers must satisfy themselves, and we will give as much help as possible with all information we have available.
Woods4Sale Interest
Woods4Sale Ltd hereby give notice under section 21 of the Estate Agents Act 1979 of their interest in the land being sold.
Woods4Sale Ltd
4 Church Farm Court
Capenhurst Lane
Phone: 01248 364 362
Company Number: 4657216.


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The Xfuzzy 3 development environment
The Xfuzzy 3 development environment
Xfuzzy 3 is a development environment for designing fuzzy systems, which integrates several tools covering the different stages of the design. The environment integrates all these tools under a graphical user interface which eases the design process. The next figure shows the main window of the environment.
The menu bar in the main window contains the links to the different tools. Under the menu bar, there is a button bar with the most used options. The central zone of the window shows two lists. The first one is the list of loaded systems (the environment can work with several systems simultaneously). The second list contains the loaded packages. The rest of the main window is occupied by a message area.
The menu bar is divided into the different stages of the system development. The File menu allows to create, load, save and close a fuzzy system. This menu contains also the options to create, load, save and close a function package. The menu ends with the option to exit the environment. The Design menu is used to edit a selected fuzzy system (xfedit) or a selected package (xfpkg). The Tuning menu contains the links to the knowledge acquisition tool (xfdm), the time series prediction tool (xftsp), the supervised learning tool (xfsl), and the simplification tool (xfsp). The Verification menu allows to represent the system behavior on a 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional plot (xfplot), monitoring the system (xfmt), and simulating it (xfsim). The Synthesis menu is divided into two parts: the software synthesis, that generates system descriptions in C (xfc), C++ (xfcpp), and Java (xfj); and the hardware synthesis, that translates the description of a fuzzy system into VHDL code (xfvhdl) or a Simulink model for Xilinx's SysGen tool (xfsg). The Set Up menu is used to modify the environment working directory, to save the environment messages in an external log file, to close the log file, to clean up the message area of the main window, and to change the look and feel of the environment.
Many options on the menu bar are only enabled when a fuzzy system is selected. A fuzzy system is selected by just clicking its name in the system list. Double clicking the name will open the edition tool. The same result is obtained by pressing the Enter key once the system has been selected. The Insert key will create a new system and the Delete key is used to close the system. These shortcuts are common to all the lists of the environment: the Insert key is used to insert a new element on a list; the Enter key or a double click will edit the selected element; and the Delete key will remove the element from the list.
For comments, patches, bug reports, etc contact us at:


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Explorer's Club - Age Of Impact
Year of Release: 1998
Label: Magna Carta
Catalog Number: MA-9021-2
Format: CD
Total Time: 53:29:00
Just by virtue of who is in this band, I should be loving this disc to death. Unfortunately, I'm not, but I don't think it is the fault of the music, but rather a fault of the origin of the music coupled with the fact that it's a "supergroup" and seems to lacking an identity of its own. Read: you must love Magellan to love this disc. I'll keep saying that throughout the review to remind you of what I actually mean when I say certain things. Bear in mind, that I loved the first Magellan disc, Hour Of Restoration. The second disc, Impending Ascension, was too chock full of Yessian riffs and vocal lines for me to grasp onto as much. Their latest, Test Of Wills, is just too experimental for me. Certainly, I just carved out the definition of "progression," and Magellan surely signifies what most prog fans love about the genre; change. An avid supporter of change, but I do have a sticky foot when it comes to some changes, and this is one of those times. Read: you must love Magellan to love this disc. Being an avid fan of keyboards in my prog metal also qualifies me to have much love for Explorer's Club, but the long, drawn out instrumentals and "jam" sessions just overdo it for my liking. Throw in a host of names like Bozzio, Petrucci, Cooper, Howe, Sheehan and on and on and one would almost instantly think "masterpiece." To some ears, it may be. To these ears, it's a bit on the repetitious side.
Well, take Magellan, and throw in the influences of the above mentioned musicians, add in just a touch of darkness, and you have Explorer's Club. However, take into consideration that the disc is 53:00 long, and divided into 5 "impacts" or passages, clocking in from 8:45 up to 16:00. Still sounds great, but most of that time is taken up by long, drawn out jam sessions and guitar solos that quickly lose the excitement, and that's saying a lot given the talent of the players. There are lots of keyboards, tons of guitars, and a short book of lyrics to go with it, just like Magellan, but to be honest, a Magellan disc might do a bit better for me than this one is. The music ends up sounding like a smorgasbord of the influences of the many players in the band, and after awhile I start to lose track of the identity inside the music. At times I'm hearing Dream Theater, others I'm hearing Magellan, mixed in with a ton of different styles. It all becomes to overwhelming in the end. The music is totally progressive, never stopping to let you breathe for one moment, with as many guitar solos and tempo changes as one can handle. I will admit that the constant barrage of changing tempos did start to wear upon my senstitive ears, but overall I found that the lack of identity of the music was harder to handle than the tempos. I'm all for the tempo changes, as long as I know who is playing them, and with this disc, it's virtually impossible to tell where it's going next. I really don't see prog metal fans going crazy over this one as much as prog rock fans. There is nowhere near the "metal" sound that everyone might think considering the player caliber here. Yes fans will probably get a jolt out of this as well.
Rather than try to dissect who is playing what in this band, here is a list of who actually plays on the disc, and you can decide from there what the talent level of this project is like.
Terry Bozzio / Billy Sheehan / Trent Gardner / Wayne Gardner / Bret Douglas / Matt Bradley / James LaBrie / DC Cooper / John Petrucci / Derek Sherinian / Matt Guillory / James Murphy / Frederick Clarke / Brad Kaiser / Michael Bemesderfer
A true who's who of incredible talent, but please bear in mind: you must love Magellan to love this disc.
I immediately thought that this would bear an incredible performance in the sound area, given the players and the label. However, I did find the sound to be a bit on the muddled side. Maybe due to the amount of instruments being jammed into one session, I'm not sure, but the sound is just a bit on the muddy side. Sure, you can hear every instrument and every word being sung, but the quality of the sound is just not there. I could take a guess at any combinations of problems, but I hear that one might be the lack of drum punch needed to drive this style of music. The drums seem to take a back seat to either the bass or keyboards, which give off a constant drone throughout the music. The keyboards don't shine through like they should, and again, I surmise that too many boards are being used at once? I don't know, but whatever it is, it's there. I'd like to have heard cleaner keys, and heavier guitars given the amount of solo time they're given. The vocals are clean and clear, and just a bit back in the mix. When you have LaBrie and Cooper singing on the same disc, I'd like to hear just a bit more of their vocal cords, ala Royal Hunt's Paradox or Dream Theater's Awake. Muddled is the word that keeps coming to mind, and yes, you need to love Magellan to love this disc.
When you have singers of the caliber of DC Cooper and James LaBrie singing on your disc, you really don't worry if they're going to sound good or not, it's the level of greatness that you measure. Add in Bret Douglas (Cairo, I think?) [Yes, that's correct - ed.] and Trent Gardner and you have a vocal supergroup all on its own. This crew can sing me church songs all day and I'd enjoy it. Don't forget, you need to love Magellan vocals in order to love this disc.
While there is no denying the quality of musicians on this disc, it's the quality of the music that seems ot be lacking, for me at least. The long, drawn out, musical passages quickly become irritating and repetetive, and the guitar solos become emotionless and hollow. I would not recommend this disc to metal fans, as you will be highly disappointed in the lack of guitar sounds, again, given the players. I do recommend this disc to all prog rock fans and Yes fans that love anywhere from 9-17 minutes of long, drawn out, instrumental passages. If you are a lover of this style of music, then you've found a home. If you are looking for any type of music that any of these players have created in the past, you will be disappointed. They are merely a substitute for Magellan style riffings and song structures. Not a bad thing, if you love Magellan. The disc really takes the word "progression" to a new level, and you're looking for what the genre itself is all about, look no further. However, if you're looking for emotional, catchy, easy to follow music, look elsewhere. It's a very good disc despite my attempt to pull out the carpet of victory out from under the band's feet, but from my perspective, you need to love Magellan to love this disc, and I only like the first disc, [track? ed.] so I'm certainly biased here. Otherwise, it's a very competant, well played disc, with some of the best players in the business.
Impact 1 - Fate Speaks (16:00) / Impact 2 - Fading Fast (8:45) / Impact 3 - No Returning (8:20) / Impact 4 - Time Enough (9:15) / Impact 5 - Last Call (11:10)
Terry Bozzio - drums
Billy Sheehan - bass
Trent Gardner - keyboards, trombone
Wayne Gardner - electric and acoustic guitars, additional bass
Bret Douglas, Matt Bradley, James LaBrie, D.C. Cooper, Trent Gardner - vocals
John Petrucci, James Murphy, Frederick Clarke, Steve Howe - guitars
Derek Sherinian, Matt Guillory - keyboards
Michael Bemesderfer - flute and wind controller
Brad Kaiser - additional midi programming
Age of Impact (1998)
Raising The Mammoth (2002)
Genre: Progressive-Power Metal
Origin VA
Added: July 25th 1999
Reviewer: Larry "LarryD" Daglieri
Hits: 1217
Language: english
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Do you know what that means about tomorrow?
Honors students know that one of the first things to do in May is enjoy the Honors Student-Faculty Dinner! Have you purchased your ticket yet?
Do you know what that means about tomorrow?
Honors students know that one of the first things to do in May is enjoy the Honors Student-Faculty Dinner! Have you purchased your ticket yet?
Avoid the crowded rooms in Gelman, the noise of your roommates, and the distractions of the bustling world during finals season. Starting Thursday, Honors students can study in the UHP town house in Foggy Bottom!
Students use the upstairs Club Room optionally as a group study, while the basement is always quiet study. And don't forget — studying makes you hungry, so we'll provide plenty of brain food (snacks and coffee) to help you power through!
Most weekdays it's 9am-10pm, weekends 12pm-10pm with only the following exceptions: Continue reading
As a member of the UHP's intellectual community, junior program officer William Chandler offers book recommendations beyond your syllabi.
Fans and followers of my book reviews can breathe a sigh of relief – Curious George gets better! I recently stomped and chewed on "Curious George and the Puppies Lap Edition" and enjoyed it thoroughly for its storytelling and its structural integrity.
The following post is written by Honors Professor Mark Ralkowski. —
Two UHP seniors who are majors in the philosophy department, Iaan Reynolds and Katie Hurrelbrink, are publicly defending their theses Friday, May 3 in Phillips 411, from 2:00 until 4:00. They will each present their work for twenty minutes, and then answer tough questions from faculty for ten minutes. The Philosophy Dept. is also holding a reception for them afterward. This is very exciting for everyone in the department because Katie and Iaan both received fellowships to write their theses.
Along the same lines, Iaan has had some success with his research. He recently published part of his thesis in an international undergraduate journal called Paideia. His article is called "Motivating and Imagining an Ethics of Adjacency." This is his abstract:
Heidegger gives us a compelling reason to reject metaphysics entirely. Upon a close examination of metaphysical inquiry, Heidegger arrives at a troubling conception of ontology. To Heidegger, ontological inquiries can only take place under certain 'ontotheologies', which are shared understandings of what and how beings are. While most of Heidegger's project can be read as an attempt to do ontology despite this major obstacle, he remains strangely silent on the question of ethics. Here I formulate the first piece of a Heideggerian ethics, based on the 'fundamental ontology' he writes in Being and Time and elsewhere.
Professor Christov is accepting applications for an Elliott School student to assist him with a research project during either the summer or the fall semester, or *both* summer and fall semesters. The position is open to current (non-graduating) Elliott students and carries a modest research stipend. If you are interested in applying, please contact Prof. Christov immediately <firstname.lastname@example.com >, but no later than this Thursday, May 2. Please include the following information: 1. Name; 2. Elliott School major; 3. GWID number; and 4. Contact information along with student's availability to meet on Friday, May 3.


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So we hear all the time that the future is all about taking people out of the food chain when getting products to the consumer, and in some cases we would agree with that. However, we are still huge fans of the traditional model of brands supplying retailers via distribution and everyone in the chain working with a common aligned aim.
In April of this year, we reached an agreement with Snakebyte GMBH https://mysnakebyte.com/en/service-menu/home.html to consult with them on the best way to address the UK and Irish market. Having had success of our own a couple of times over with 4Gamers, Big Ben Interactive and Exspect, we felt pretty well placed to advise on the retail and digital landscape as we saw it.
Like most sectors, the market had changed but the fundamentals of product, price, service, innovation, availability and trust are still as true now as they ever were.
Our plan focused on talking to the major retailers at a senior level and really understand the needs of them and their buying teams. Once we had this feedback we were able to present a strategic plan back to our client, designed to give them what they were looking for, which was long term sustainable retail and digital presence in a very important market for their future plans.
We are really delighted to announce that we were able to secure listings with a number of key retail partners which include Argos and HMV but, in addition by working very closely with the team at Centresoft we are ranged in Selfridges Store in Oxford Street.
As you can see from the images this is an outstanding showcase opportunity for Snakebyte to be associated with the finest brands on offer in the video games market, so a big shout out to the team at Centresoft for your support on this project and we look forward to a very positive 2018.
We know there is pressure on everyone to justify our positions in the route to market but, this is a great example of brand, agency, distributor and retailer all creating real value to ensure a great execution for all concerned. Our position in all of this is having our all around market insight utilised to make great decisions and creating the most valuable connections for our clients.


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Friday, December 28
VIDEO: The Powerful Golf Swing of Open Champion Ted Ray
TED RAY OF GREAT BRITAIN was one of the greatest golfers of his era. Ray won the 1912 Open Championship and the 1920 U.S. Open. He also won more than 40 professional titles and was involved in the famous three-man playoff with amateur Francis Ouimet and the great Harry Vardon at the 1913 U.S. Open that Ouimet won.
Ray was a large man who hit the golf ball prodigious distances in that day of homemade hickory golf clubs. His swing is long and untidy, but pause the video at impact and perhaps you'll notice what he has in common with other golf legends.
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Aluminum is an excellent option for windows for an array of reasons. They come at an affordable price and can be tailored to meet your specific needs. If you are on the fence about installing aluminum windows, then this read will convince you why you should certainly consider the type.
With so many options in the market for window frames i.e. vinyl, composite plastic, wood and fiberglass, it can be hard to pick the right one. However, only aluminum windows offer the benefits discussed in this read, making the first choice for both homeowners and businesses.
keep reading to figure out why you should consider aluminum windows for your home or office:
Aluminum does not crack, swell, split, warp, or shrink as the humidity levels or weather changes. This allows it to last for decades. Aluminum is ideally resistant to corrosion naturally, and so, you do not have to worry rust. Ideally, it's not susceptible to rot, fungus, mildew, or termite attacks like wood.
The durability of the material, whether powder coated or anodized, is the reason it was used for windows and doors in the first place, and that's why it is still a popular option.
Low Maintenance
Mostly due to the reasons mentioned above, aluminium windows do not call for a lot of maintenance. In comparison to wood, which has to be sealed and painted on a regular basis in order to protect against water damage, aluminum windows are something that you install and simply forget.
Flexible Design Options
You can leave aluminum in its condition when it was installed, but you also have the option to anodize or paint it to complement your style. Just pick your color, and the window frames will soon be looking as fabulous as the rest of your home.
Another advantage in regards to design is the amount of light that these types of windows allow to pass through. Since aluminum frames are half as thick compared to plastic and other materials, you enjoy the benefit of larger windows with more light.
Aluminum ideally features profiles that can fit double or triple glazing. When it comes to double glazing, aluminum windows matched with internal blinds are the go-to due to the inherent benefits. Aluminum can be used in both traditional or contemporary homes with profiles suitably-picked to suit both the interior and exterior aesthetics.
Energy Efficient
Compared to plastic and wood frames, aluminum can minimize heat loss by about 60%. This enables you to save a lot of money in energy bills. The exact amount that you'll save depends on an array of factors including:
-The amount you are currently spending
-What type of windows you had before
-Whether you use an electric or gas heating system
-What kind of glass you intend to install with the aluminum frames.
Some homeowners have reported saving over 200% of their monthly energy bills, which is certainly a huge return on investment.
Matching Hardware
Aluminum is widely used in doors and windows as the ideal material for the framing. As such, there has been a rise in the availability of matching hardware in the form of seals, slides, hinges, locks and more. The hardware matches the frame and gives a harmonized appearance. It is ideally easier for the supplier to get matching hardware when you order your windows with internal blinds.
If you currently have single glazed windows and watch to move to double glazed panes with internal blinds, chances are the supplier will utilize aluminum as the frame to hold the panes in place. The retrofits blend in with the already existing framework without looking weird.


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Whoopie pies are kind of a New England thing. I remember going to a slumber party when I was in 5th or 6th grade where the highlight of the evening was the group of us girls baking whoopie pies with a little help from my friend's mom.
Earlier this year, my mother made the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies that were in the Food Network magazine and raved about how good they were. One weekend, when I was looking for something sweet to make, I searched through my magazine basket for the copy of Food Network Magazine that had the much-lauded whoopie pie recipe.
The recipe was pretty easy though it did leave a pile of dirty bowls and spoons behind…but the resultant whoopie pies were so good that it was well worth having to wash all those dishes.
psst, my whoopie pies aren't quite as red as they should be since I didn't quite have enough red food coloring on hand. 😉
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
(from Food Network Magazine)
makes 18 sandwich cookies
- 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 ounce milk chocolate, chopped
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped
- Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine the semi-sweet and milk chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50 percent power until melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth.
- Whisk the melted butter, sour cream, eggs, vinegar, vanilla, and food coloring in a bowl until combined.
- In another bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in four equal batches, whisking each batch completely before adding the next. Stir in the melted chocolate.
- Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets and smooth the tops with a damp finger. Bake until the cookies spring back lightly when pressed, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the filling: beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer until smooth. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla seed. Sandwich a heaping tablespoonful of filling between 2 cookies; repeat with the remaining cookies and filling. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.


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by Ed Juline, CPMR, CSP, Mexico Representation
The selection of manufacturers' representatives can be one of the most overlooked yet critical activities that a sales manager or leader can undertake. Once the decision is made to include the use of reps as an alternative or supplement to an internal sales force, the process for the evaluation and selection of the reps must be as meticulously designed and followed as any process for hiring a full-time internal resource. A year or more lost with a rep can set a company back even longer when considering the time required to train and replace the rep.
As a global director of sales with responsibility for reps, agents and distributors worldwide, who also used to be a full-time rep and still owns a rep firm, my approach to the question of "what manufacturers value in their reps" truly comes from an evaluation of both sides of the coin. To be asked by one of your principals to become their global director of sales based on the work you did for them as a rep is quite an honor and when your belief in that company and its products is strong enough, you're faced with a predicament regarding your dream to own a business and the opportunity to help a principal do something spectacular. In my case, I was able to retain ownership of the firm and by hiring a sales manager who admittedly might be more capable than I am at running the rep firm, I was able to take the opportunity.
Although knowledge of a manufacturer's product line or industry can be valuable, I have trouble including it as it varies from industry to industry and isn't always absolutely necessary. Relationships and knowledge of a specific territory can also be valuable but with today's turnover among purchasing, engineering and production people and the advent of the millennial employee, those relationships seem to need refreshing and can be originated much faster than in the past.
Three of the universal cultural values or firm personality traits that I always tried to present to our principals and that I look for in reps and agents are as follows:
- Hungry fighters — One of the best job descriptions for a salesperson I've ever read, to quote Harvey Mackay, "Nothing can ever beat a hungry fighter with a positive attitude." It's short, simple and describes perfectly what a manufacturer needs from its reps. The interesting part is that this one simple description can easily ferret out the bad or underperforming reps by simply asking them to give a specific example of why they are a hungry fighter with a positive attitude. The good ones can do it without blinking an eye.
- Patient and persistent — It's the rare case that a manufacturer will use reps when the sale is a simple or repetitive process. This is the perfect example of when to use an inside sales force. Therefore, an outside rep is employed when the sales cycle is long or the touches infrequent and thus patience and persistence need to be key traits of the rep. Once a manufacturer sees a rep losing patience with a deal or wanting to give up at the first adversity, the red flags should be going up.
- Sales process — Although the rep firm does not have to follow our sales process or a standard sales process, I want to know that they have a process. How do they identify potential customers? How do they make contact with those customers? How do they qualify those customers? How do they get the customer to trial or get an RFQ, and how do they then convert to a sale? Whenever I hear a rep talking about the next step in the process or even two steps ahead in the process, I know we are in good hands.
Each manufacturer will value different things in their reps, but each manufacturer decides on a few core characteristics to value and typically sticks to those with the selection and retention of reps.
Ed Juline, CPMR, CSP, has been working in manufacturing operations and sales in Mexico for 15 years. When IBM decided to move the manufacturing from North Carolina to Guadalajara, Jalisco, they needed someone to lead the project. Juline raised his hand and said "I'll do it!" After a successful transplant, he wasn't quite done with Mexico, taking the severance that a non-manufacturing IBM was offering and going on to work for Nypro as the Dell Business Unit manager and then Pertek-Erler as plant manager. When MacDermid Autotype wanted to get into the Mexican market and searched LinkedIn for the keywords "Mexico Plastics Appliances," Juline's profile was at the top of the list. The transition to sales led to solicitations for representation from a number of companies wanting to sell into Mexico and Mexico Representation was formed.