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With today's rise in technology, you have access to tools that can make just about anything in your life easier. So why not take advantage of the benefits that practice management integration has to offer to make paperwork at your eyecare practice easier.
Adopting, replacing or upgrading to a practice management system may seem scary to some, but it is absolutely worth it. Gone are the days of lost patient files or calling your labs to fix errors! Efficiency is vital to your practice and a PMS can make your day-to-day paperwork process convenient and organized.
What are the benefits of a practice management system?
Practice Management systems save you time and money in a long run. Key benefits include:
- Practice Management ordering integrations: Most practice management systems have the capability to integrate with online ordering services like VisionWeb. This will help save time by using the information in your system to create and submit orders directly to your suppliers. You also have access to up-to-date order statuses online, which means less time calling to chase down lab orders and being put on hold.
- Reduced duplicate data entry and potential entry errors: Since these systems are able to integrate with online ordering services, the patient's order only needs to be submitted once. The data that was entered into the practice management system will be used again to complete the online order automatically. Not only does that save your practice time by not having to type in information again, but it also reduces the errors made in the practice. You can be assured that your order is accurate every time you send them out to your suppliers.
- Centralized system: If you have not upgraded your practice with a PMS, chances are that you have paperwork stacked in different piles labeled "Orders," "Billing," "Appointments," etc. While that system might have worked for you in the past, it not only takes up a lot of space physically, but important documents might be lost in the shuffle or misplaced in the wrong pile. A practice management system consolidates processes into one centralized location and you can practically run your entire practice from your desk (without all that paper clutter).
What should I expect when I switch?
- Lots of patience: Change can be hard, especially those that affect the entire practice. Mistakes are bound to happen in the early stages but you need to give your staff and yourself time to adjust and get used to the change.
- A good implementation plan: The entire process will not be an overnight change. You will need adequate time and a detailed plan to make sure that everyone is on track with the progress. If you've been using paper, there will be a lot of information that will need to be manually entered into the system before you begin. You will need to foresee such activities and plan ahead by allotting an appropriate amount of time to work on these changes.
How do I get the most out of a practice management system?
- Explore all the features: Many practices fail to take advantage of purchased features, and ultimately miss out on opportunities to save time, save money, and improve patient care.
- Find other service integrations: Apart from integration with ordering services, electronic claim filing practice management system integrations can also be made. That's even more time saved with the same system.
- Train all your staff: Thorough training during the initial stages will get your money's worth out of your PMS investment. When staff members are not adequately trained, they will be reluctant to use new features, more prone to mistakes and less efficient in general.
As you can see, there are many benefits to investing in a practice management system. With these tips, time and effort you will start to see exciting changes and improvements in your practice!


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Podcasts have been around since iPods had click wheels, but the platform has exploded into a renaissance over the past few years. From politics to art, it seems like there's a podcast for just about every topic you could think of.
"Epic Film Guys" is a podcast about movies, run by Nick Haskins and Justin Esquivel, two Binghamton area natives, who discuss the latest films, award shows and actors every Monday and Thursday.
Before starting their podcast, Haskins and Esquivel published on a different popular platform: YouTube. Like the podcast, their channel was also focused on movies, and their connections in the Binghamton area helped them build a following and lay the groundwork for what would later become their podcast. One of their most popular videos on the channel features the pair at the annual Zombie Walk in Downtown Binghamton in 2014, where they talked to attendees dressed as the undead about the zombies in film and TV.
"Justin probably knows everyone in the Southern Tier, which started us off on a really good foot," Haskins wrote in an email. "If you can think of some business or some creative/artistic type in the area, odds are Justin has had direct contact with them or collaborated directly with them. At least one of us popped up at various locations whenever someone famous descended upon the area. We collaborated with a local filmmaker and started doing higher-production-value pieces like the Zombie Walk 2014 video or the Halloween video."
The YouTube channel came to an end after Esquivel moved from the Binghamton area to Washington, D.C., in 2015 and the distance made it nearly impossible to continue creating content for the channel. Starting the "Epic Film Guys" podcast served as the perfect way for Haskins and Esquivel to continue to share their takes with their movie-loving audience because they could connect remotely.
Not only did the podcast serve as a solution to the distance, it introduced the men to a community of other like-minded creators.
"Once we got the podcast moving in the right direction, I took to Twitter — back then we had like, 85 followers or so — and started searching for other podcasts," Haskins wrote. "#PodernFamily was something I kind of just got swept up in back in December of 2015. I wasn't there when it first started, but the core group of shows basically came together and decided that we'd be stronger together as a community working for a common goal, and that we could achieve better exposure this way."
Last May, the "Epic Film Guys" used their following to spearhead an event called "Livestream for the Cure." The 12-hour livestreamed show raised money for the Cancer Research Institute and included interactive games for listeners, collaboration with other creators and the hosts' usual banter about movies.
"Cancer has affected my life a number of times, from losing a good friend who was only in his early twenties, to losing my mother-in-law last year," Haskins wrote. "This year, I wanted to go for double the goal, but decided to make the event span the entire weekend! So, this year we're doing 30 hours from May 18 to the 20 to raise money for cancer research and I want to top $5,000."
The podcast has come a long way since 2015. Today, the pair boasts over 14,000 followers on their Twitter account and the podcast is approaching its 150th episode. Despite their show's growth, Haskins said that its roots are in the Binghamton area.
"I'd also love to do live episode recordings at a local bar or brewery as well and get the crowd involved in the fun," Haskins wrote. "Binghamton always be our 'PodHome,' as it were. I'd love to grow our local footprint even more, so please: come check out the show! Listener discretion is advised; we are not safe-for-work."

subset: commoncrawl


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It is interesting to see how a world famous garden looks in this drab season when most of our gardens are collapsing and falling asleep for the winter. Beth Chatto is deservedly renowned for her artistry in dealing with, not just colour, but texture, shape and form. Even on a dreary day in early winter there were pleasing vistas and plenty of interesting plant combinations.
The beautiful, deciduous, swamp cypress, Taxodium distichum with its lovely bronze foliage was looking marvellous by the pond. I love its knobbly knees like little mini-sculptures all around its base. I read that it used to be thought that these knees are to help it 'breathe' as it grows in swampy waters but it is now thought they are to provide stability to the tree.
By the pond there is a fine stand of the red stems of Cornus alba 'Westonbirt' and in front of it masses of the beautiful, blue, autumn-flowering Crocus speciosus 'Conqueror'
The ponds here look wonderful all year round but I love them in winter with all the russet colours and the lovely shapes . The royal fern turns a lovely colour before it disappears.
I love ferns all year round but some of them really come into their own in winter. Can anyone tell me the name of this lovely little bronze fern which contrasts so well with the foliage round it?
The evergreen Polystichum setiferum is gorgeous all winter. The photo is of Polystichum setiferum 'Wollaston' which is like a lovely pea-green shuttlecock with lacy feathers.
Plants which keep a pleasing shape and colour are invaluable for winter.I love this little Saxifraga dentata with its pinked edges.
Bergenia is a wonderful plant for winter, especially if you get one of the forms which turns red in winter. 'Bressingham Red' and 'Eric Smith' have a wonderful winter colour but it is best to choose them in winter to pick out the colour you like.
I'm not sure which Bergenia this is but I think it looks great with the grass. Grasses are of course wonderful at this time of the year I love this Pennisetum alopercuroides with its furry bottle brushes.
I'm not sure which the next grass is, maybe someone will know. Is it perhaps a Molinia? It needs lots of space to look its best. Behind it is a Melianthus which will collapse when we have a really hard frost but looks wonderful at the moment.
There are of course many trees and shrubs looking good in this wonderful garden and I will finish with just one of them : Malus hupehensis. I love this whole genus because they make lovely shaped trees, they have beautiful blossom in spring, (in this case white), and then of course you get the wonderful fruit. Malus hupehensis is one of my favourites but I also adore Malus tranistoria and Malus coronaria 'Charlottae'. As you see Malus hupehensis has masses of small red fruit. This tree is particularly graceful.
As you can imagine I didn't come away from my visit to the nursery empty-handed. Well, be fair, who would? Tomorrow I'll tell you what I bought.


text: Pawleys Island, South Carolina, Geothermal A lot more people in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, are looking into the advantages of geothermal heating and cooling. Their direct resource? That's us: J & J Air. Our specialty is the service and installation of industry-leading WaterFurnace geothermal systems. So the "ins and outs" of geothermal heating and cooling are no mystery to us. Pawleys Island residents understand we're glad to share what we know about the subject, too. For instance: Geothermal heating and cooling systems give unbelievable comfort throughout the year, despite changing temperature extremes. Geothermal energy is a renewable resource – about as "green" as you can get! The frictionless operation and energy effectiveness of a geothermal heating and cooling system can save Pawleys Island homeowners big money on their energy bills. (Use our Geothermal Savings Calculator to see roughly how much.) There's a lot more we can tell you about the advantages of geothermal. And when you're ready to try them yourself, we'll offer the installation and service you need to maximize the potential of your own WaterFurnace geothermal heating and cooling system. Contact J & J Air today.


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Unless city commissioners give Andre St. Juste a reprieve, he is going to lose his house because he never fixed a code violation.
He refused to get a $30 permit to re-roof his house in the 400 block of Northeast 14th Avenue five years ago. Now St. Juste owes the city $330,000, resulting from a $200-a-day fine.
Mayor Jerry Taylor says St. Juste's case is an example of what has been wrong with the city's code enforcement. The case has dragged on for five years, forced the city into a messy court battle and prompted St. Juste to file bankruptcy so he wouldn't have to pay the costly fine.
Taylor said city officials never wanted to harm St. Juste, they just wanted him to live by the codes the city has ordered to keep up property values.
"The city has given him every opportunity to work things out," Taylor said. "But he has refused to work it out. I think [this case) is definitely going to send a message. We need to let people know that if they don't comply with the codes, they are going to pay."
In April 1990, St. Juste was repairing the roof on his 14th Avenue rental unit when a code enforcement inspector saw him. When the inspector learned St. Juste did not have a $30 permit for the repairs, he was sent a notice that he was violating city codes.
St. Juste ignored the letter, records show. So inspectors brought his case to the Code Enforcement Board, which said he needed to get a permit and show that the work was done correctly before July 1990 or face a $200-a-day fine. Again, St. Juste ignored the warning.
He still has not complied with the city's order.
St. Juste could not be reached at his home or by phone this week, but he entered several statements into court records for the foreclosure lawsuit.
"I am not guilty," St. Juste said in a sworn statement during the lawsuit. He claimed some of the roof repairs the city ordered were there when he bought the house for $45,000.
The judge disagreed.


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Recently, our creative director Yolanda Edwards got to do 100 squats, pushups, and burpees with world-famous trainer Kayla Itsines, founder of the beloved Sweat workout app that has almost 10 million followers on Instagram. After she collapsed post-workout, she got Itsines to reveal her secrets for staying fit on the road—even if you haven't packed athletic shoes.
How do you stay healthy on the road?
My flights are always long, so when the flight attendants are giving out cups of water, I just ask if I can have the whole bottle. Obviously, getting enough sleep is important, so I suggest taking your own pillow. I also always go for a walk when I get off the plane—I think it's important to touch the earth! If you can, take a walk on the beach, or along the city streets, and if you can't do that, go to the hotel gym and do the treadmill on low intensity (I recommend the cityscape training). Hydration is key—if you can, take electrolyte tablets.
What about alcohol on the plane?
Oh no, I don't drink alcohol at all.
At all?
I haven't drunk alcohol since I was 19 years old. Honestly, I had a few drinks and wasn't interested. I think I'm allergic.
On a long-haul flight, do you go back to the galley and do stretches or any exercises in your seat?
I'm always uncomfortable on flights, so I try and do stretches forward in my seat—stretching my glute muscles out, bringing my knee up, bringing my knee across, trying to stretch my back muscles a little bit. When we're sitting, we tend to cross our legs a little bit and then our hips start getting sore or we get pins and needles. It's all about moving your legs around; I feel like fidgeting is good.
What about doing heel raises in the galley?
That's more of an exercise move, which can leave you [feeling] hot, but moving around and getting blood flowing is good for circulation if your ankles swell.
Okay, where do you go to relax?
My grandparents' house. It feels like Greece—you can smell the herbs. Plus, there are no computers, no internet, and my Yaya even has a rotary dial phone. There are birds and animals, too, so it just [feels] like a sanctuary. No matter if it's winter or summer, we sit outside and have Greek coffee and a cake. It's so nice. I'm actually more normal than people think I am. I stay in my house, cook, clean, and work out. I don't drink, I don't go out, I don't party.
Do you have gear you always travel with?
Last year I traveled with ankle weights and a foam roller, but I got caught in customs in London because the roller had metal in it. So, now I travel with just my ankle weights—they weigh about two pounds.
Is there anything you've changed in your routine that you're excited about right now?
I'm now doing BBG stronger, which is the new program that I've brought out. I've been doing the 12 week challenge on it with the girls, so it incorporates the machines in the gym into the exercises we did today.
Do you have a workout that helps with jet lag?
Your body's just not ready for it to be sitting down for so long on a flight, so walking does everything. It increases your blood flow without increasing your heart rate. Go for a walk outside, walk on the treadmill, and then do a stretch. Just get all that blood flowing—it will help with ankle swelling. Another good exercise is the butterflies: place your bum against the wall, bend your legs out, and let all the blood and toxins flow back down rather than keeping them in your ankles. It's like putting your feet up, but you're actually lying on the ground and up against the wall.
That's great. Do you ever do—I think it's more of a pilates move—where you put your legs over your…
When you fold yourself back over yourself? After the plane that's a good stretch, but it takes your feet off the ground. Do the walk, get that blood and oxygen flowing—after breathing in plane air you want to clear your system—and then do feet up after. Clear your system, have a nice stretch, and you'll feel so much better.
Try to complete the exercises one after another in a circuit style workout. After completing all of them, have a 30-second break before starting again. Aim to complete each exercise three times.
Mountain Climbers
Place both hands on the floor shoulder-width apart and both feet together behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. Keeping your left foot on the floor, bend your right knee and bring it in towards your chest. Extend your right leg to return to the starting position.
Keeping your right foot on the floor, bend your left knee and bring it in towards your chest. Extend your left leg to return to the starting position.
Continue alternating between right and left, inhaling for four mountain climbers, and then exhaling for four mountain climbers.
Complete a total of 40 repetitions (20 each side).
Jump Lunges
Plant both feet on the floor shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and propel your body up into the air. Land in a split stance with your left foot forward and your right leg back, ensuring that your feet remain shoulder-width apart. Immediately bend both knees to approximately 90 degrees. When done correctly, your front knee will be aligned with your ankle and your back knee will be hovering just off the floor.
Extend both knees and propel your body up into the air. Land in a split stance with your right foot forward and your left leg back, immediately bending both knees to approximately 90 degrees. Once again, ensuring that your feet remain shoulder-width apart.
Continue alternating between left and right for a total of 20 repetitions (10 each side).
Burpee and Push-Up
Plant both feet on the floor shoulder-width apart. Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, and place your hands on the floor directly in front of your feet. Keeping your body weight on your hands, kick both of your feet backwards so that your legs are completely extended behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. Your body should be in one straight line from head to toe. This is called push up position.
While maintaining a straight back and stabilizing through your abdominals, bend your elbows and lower your torso towards the floor until your arms form a 90 degree angle. Push through your chest and extend your arms to lift your body back into push up position. Repeat this push-up movement again to complete two repetitions in total.
Jump both of your feet in towards your hands, ensuring that your feet remain shoulder-width apart. Propel your body upwards into the air. Extend your legs below you and your arms above your head. Land in a neutral standing position, ensuring that you maintain "soft" knees to prevent injury.
Complete a total of 10 repetitions.
Split Squat
Plant both feet together on the floor. Bend your knees slightly and propel your body upwards into the air.
Reposition your legs so that your feet land in sumo (wide) squat position. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are parallel with the floor, ensuring that your back remains between 45- and 90-degrees to your hips.
Propel your body upwards into the air again. Reposition your legs to bring your feet together and land in a neutral standing position, ensuring that you maintain "soft" knees to prevent injury.
Repeat for 15 repetitions.
Start by placing your forearms (wrist to elbow) on the floor and extending both of your legs behind you, resting on the balls of your feet.
Release your right forearm to place your hand firmly on the floor directly below your right shoulder and push up onto your right hand. Release your left forearm to place your hand firmly on the floor directly below your left shoulder and push up onto your left hand. Ensure that you keep your core activated to prevent your hips from swaying.
Release your right hand and lower your forearm to the floor, then release your left hand and lower your forearm to the floor to return to the starting position. Repeat this exercise, starting with your left arm.
Continue alternating between right and left, completing a total of 16 repetitions (8 each side).
Straight-Leg Raises
Lie on your back on the floor. Extend both legs and engage your abdominal muscles by drawing your belly button in towards your spine.
While keeping your legs extended, slowly raise your legs upwards until they form a 90-degree angle with your hips. Slowly lower your legs to return to the starting position, but without lowering your feet to the floor.
Repeat for a total of 15 repetitions.
Tuck Jumps
Plant both feet on the floor shoulder-width apart.
Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are parallel with the floor. Ensure that your back remains between 45- and 90-degrees to your hips.
Propel your body upwards into the air and tuck in both your elbows and knees.
Extend both your legs and arms to land in squat position. When landing, ensure that you maintain "soft" knees to prevent injury.
Repeat for a total of 10 repetitions.


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Dear readers,
Last week I took a few days off (work, hubby, wifi, blogging and warm weather) and went to visit my dear friend Ester who lives in the La Rioja wine region up north.
I've already been there several times, you can read about my previous visit here.
On our first day we went to visit Eguren Ugarte, a medium size family-run winery in Laguardia.
We picked up Ester after work in Elciego, she finished earlier that day in order to be able to have lunch with us.
We visited Bauza, a small winery in Elciego where we had a delicious lunch afterwards. The friendly Irene made sure we had enough wine to accompany the home-made dishes.
Ester's brother in law works at Pagos del Rey, a huge winery that looks more like a factory. These huge metallic fermentation tanks always make me think of the war of the worlds.
We were able to see the cleaning of the wine barrels in action. It's usually done every 6 months, after the process the barrels are left to dry naturally and then filled again.
Stage 1: the barrels are picked up by a robot arm and placed on a conveyor belt.
Stage 2: they go into the washing machine where they are sprayed with hot water.
Stage 3: they go through a second cleanse using a vapor steamer.
This is the aftermath of our visit, all the empty wine bottles we left behind for Ester to recycle.
Just a quick click on my camera to capture the local fauna. It was freezing cold outside but the kitty cats were looking quite content.
On the following day we visited Bodegas Riojanas in Cenicero. It's a huge winery where you still can feel a bit of the history hidden within the 19th century-old walls.
That night we had dinner at Marqués de Riscal in Elciego. I posted several pics of the dishes we had on Instagram so, if you're curious to see how delicious they all looked you can follow me there.
Seriously, how can a building be this gorgeous? Thank you, Frank O. Gehry. It's amazing how it changes colour depending on how the light hits the titanium roof. It looks beautiful at any time of the day or night and during any season. Ester calls it the space shuttle, lol.
This is the aftermath of our visit, all the empty wine bottles we left behind for Ester to recycle.
Just a quick click on my camera to capture the local fauna. It was freezing cold outside but the kitty cats were looking quite content.
To end this post I'll leave you with two different selfies: the first one to show you how I look when I've overslept and had no time whatsoever to put make up on or style my unruly hair. In the second I'm looking a bit more put together although I didn't bother with my hair either and just put it up in a bun.
Hope you have a great week.


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Our durable moisture-wicking Dry Zone polo-now with UV protection. An exceptional value this breathable mesh polo also resists snags. Colors coordinate with our Core Classic Pique Polos and Carefree Poplin Shirts. 4.5-ounce 100% polyester double knit pique UPF rating of 30 Tag-free label Flat knit collar 3-button placket with pearlized buttons Set-in open hem sleeves Side ventsDue to the nature of 100% polyesterperformance fabrics special care must be taken throughout the printing process.
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We use ultrashort optical pulses to excite and detect vibrations of single silica spheres with a diameter of placed at the surface of an acoustically mismatched substrate. In addition to the photoelastic detection of picosecond longitudinal acoustic pulses propagating inside the bulk, we detect gigahertz acoustic resonances of the sphere through probe beam defocusing. The mode frequencies are in close accord with those calculated from the elastic vibrations of a free sphere. We also record a resonant enhancement in the amplitude of specific modes of two touching spheres.
© 2009 Optical Society of AmericaFull Article | PDF Article
CorrectionsT. Dehoux, T. A. Kelf, M. Tomoda, O. Matsuda, O. B. Wright, K. Ueno, Y. Nishijima, S. Juodkazis, H. Misawa, V. Tournat, and V. E. Gusev, "Vibrations of microspheres probed with ultrashort optical pulses: erratum," Opt. Lett. 35, 940-940 (2010)
OSA Recommended Articles
T. Dehoux, T. A. Kelf, M. Tomoda, O. Matsuda, O. B. Wright, K. Ueno, Y. Nishijima, S. Juodkazis, H. Misawa, V. Tournat, and V. E. Gusev
Opt. Lett. 35(7) 940-940 (2010)
R. Ma, A. Schliesser, P. Del'Haye, A. Dabirian, G. Anetsberger, and T. J. Kippenberg
Opt. Lett. 32(15) 2200-2202 (2007)
A. M. Zheltikov
Opt. Lett. 34(5) 575-577 (2009)


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Hello Luciana
JVL Introduction
Shaun Lawson expresses his disappointment with Luciana Berger.
Absolutely in solidarity with her against the disgusting abuse she has received, he finds her general politics simply inadequate to the needs of our time and believes she is only motivated by a desire to bring Corbyn down….
Reposted with permission of Dorset Eye.
This article was originally published by Dorset Eye on Thu 14 Nov 2019. Read the original here.
Hello Luciana
Hello Luciana.
You have my absolute solidarity and support re: the disgusting abuse you have received and documented. It's vile and unconscionable. Beyond that, however, here's what I think.
I don't think you joined Labour to change the world or achieve real social justice. I think you joined Labour because of personal ambition. That's borne out by your being parachuted into a safe seat regarding which, at the time, you knew nothing.
It's also borne out by your extraordinarily weak record on challenging the Israeli government on more or less anything; and your desire to ignore the very real problems with several of the IHRA examples, and misrepresent Labour's code of conduct.
In 2015, through Corbyn's election, Labour changed. Suddenly, it was no longer a party in which you and your fellow 'centrists', like Chuka, could expect to one day lead. You've had no idea what to do with yourself since – other than oppose Corbyn and try to get rid of him.
A fairly remarkable position, given the enormous amount of funds, members and energy which Corbyn has brought to the Labour movement: which was bankrupt, broken and without a clue before he was elected. Indeed, that's a large part of WHY he was elected.
Right now, the UK has its worst government in living memory – maybe, ever. This government is doing unspeakable things on a daily basis to the most vulnerable people. Socialists fight for those people and stand up to such a government. You prefer smearing Corbyn instead.
In that regard, the Tories must love you. I highly doubt most of your constituents do, though. If you feel unwelcome, I'd suggest it's because you've done little other than undermine the leader and the movement he's delivered at each and every turn. Helping the Tories, not Labour
I write, incidentally, as a Jew and grandson of a Holocaust survivor. I know precisely where antisemitism can lead. Which is why I'm happy that Labour held an investigation, reported on it, then developed an excellent code of conduct. Which you chose to misrepresent.
In that, you've only done the same thing as many many others. But sadly, it means I doubt your integrity. I think you WANT to make this whole thing much bigger than it is; I think you're only motivated by a desire to bring Corbyn down. That saddens me, greatly.
I wish you well because I wish all people well. But I, like many more British Jews than is commonly assumed or reported, stand with Corbyn who is not a racist, nor an anti-semite. And who actually wants to improve the lives of the British people. Shame on him for that, huh?


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We got a chance to sit down with Evilos and ask him about this great creation. Here is what he said:
DV: What inspired you to create Aviator Mickey?
Evilos: My latest creation, "Aviator Mickey" was mostly inspired by the movie Red Tails, a movie loosely based on the famous Tuskegee Airmen fighter group from World War Two. I wanted to pay some sort of tribute to them and both my grandfathers who also fought in the great war. Mickey being such an iconic image and Walt Disney's involvement with the conflict also made it a complete package for me as an artist. Its truly a personal piece inside and out. I made 12 of these Mickey's because I knew the interest with collectors would be so high that just one would not satisfy demand for such a personal historic work of art. Most are already sold out with collectors looking to get their special number out of 12.
DV: Tell us a little about the clothing accessories. Was the jacket custom made for a 9″ Vinylmation? Can the goggles come down over Mickey's eyes?
E: First I would like to say the accessories are the most significant part to these Aviator Mickey's. Each piece has an authentic WW2 circa 1941-1945 sweetheart wings pin shown on Mickey's left jacket pocket. Also each will have replica brass Army Airmen Propeller wings attached to the Right pocket and Right flap of the flight helmet. I really love to bring a simple design, yet meaningful details to each one of my customs. Mickey comes with a Bomber Jacket, White Scarf, Flight Helmet and working Goggles that can be placed over Mickey's eyes when he's ready to take the pilot seat (See photo). Everything used was pre-existing but modified to work with the 9″ Vinylmation. I'm very happy how this one came out, I'm sure my grandfathers who laid down their lives for our country would feel the same.
DV: Where can people go to see a catalog of your work?
E: Anyone interested in my work can follow me on Twitter @EvilosArt Thank you!


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Smartphone Casino Apps – Android
Smartphone Casino Apps – Android
With the boom in users, using android devices so was there a shift for software and gaming developers to start focusing on these for casino apps. If you love to gamble then there are many android smartphone casino apps to choose from that you are able to download onto your smartphone Android device.
Smartphone Casino Apps
1. Slot Machine
In 2011 and 2013 this casino app was voted the Best Casino Game by the Best App Ever Award. There are more than 10 million downloads which proves how popular this casino app is among Android players.
There are plenty of slot machines including multi pay line and progressive slots. There are also six casino games that you can enjoy with this casino app. The casino games are video poker, super derby, turkey smash, lucky pot of gold, scratch cards and super spinner.
2. Roulette Royale
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$2.7 million European-style mansion has private guesthouse
Elevators, wine cellars and six-car garages are among the luxurious features in this week's priciest home sales in metro Phoenix.
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$2.7 million European-style mansion has private guesthouse
At 124 feet, the world's tallest single-family home is in Prescott. The architect and real-estate agent take us inside the home, which is up for auction starting at $750,000.
Elevators, wine cellars and six-car garages are among the luxurious features in this week's priciest home sales in metro Phoenix.
Craig Stull, founder and CEO of Pragmatic Marketing, and his wife, Elaine, paid cash through their trust for this mansion in north Scottsdale's Silverleaf. The 11,397-square-foot estate has six bedrooms, eight-and-a-half bathrooms and is adorned with 4,000-pound hand whipped lighted beams, chandeliers, marble and wood floors and sunken bars throughout. The automated doors make the house perfect for indoor/outdoor entertaining. The chef's kitchen is fitted with custom cabinetry, artisan back splashes, and Wolf and Subzero SS appliances. The master suite is its own private getaway, with marble floors, a tranquil sitting area with personal wet bar and an automated 90-degree opening to a private spa, vaulted ceilings, his/her closets and a coordinating outdoor shower. The home also features a fitness room, game room with full bar, home theater, private office a six-car garage with storage tower, a full wine cellar in the basement and a private guest house with custom design and private balcony. The backyard is primed for entertaining, with an eight-seat pool with oversized spa, multiple patios equipped with two kitchens, three grills, water and fire features and three outdoor bathrooms. Debra Lux-Young sold the home through her trust.
John Bergman purchased this mansion in Phoenix's Royal View community in Camelback East. The 8,635-square-foot European-style estate has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms and has custom ceiling designs,wood beams with iron accents, wood flooring, granite, marble, and canterra stone fireplaces throughout. The chef's kitchen features a showpiece kitchen island kitchen as well as a wine cellar. The home also features a private guesthouse and four-car garage. The home also features a wet bar, large detached office and a full basement. The resort-style backyard features a private pool, lush manicured lawns, several covered patios with fireplaces and pristine mountain views. Ali Ghazanfari, a surgeon practicing in Gilbert, and Kojasteh Ghaziaskar, a pediatrician practicing in Mesa, sold the home.
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Check out the newest features on Street Scout. We launched additions to our website that help you find a place to live and thrive, whether you are buying or renting.
Kevin Lau and Karen Tan purchased this custom mansion in Scottsdale's Mirage Crossing community. The 6,418-square-foot Santa Fe style-estate has five bedrooms and eight bathrooms. With more than an acre of Arizona living, this 6418 sq. ft. home, guest house and gym showcases spectacular views of a lush tropical backyard with deep Hacienda style covered patios. The home is filled throughout with private sanctuaries, including an outdoor living room, bar and billiards area, gourmet barbecue station, spa, peaceful water features and green tropical landscaping. The gourmet kitchen is fitted with two refrigerators and two dishwashers. The private master suite feels like a spa with the large steamer shower, jetted tub and direct access to the large outdoor hot tub and fire pit. The private guest house has a sauna, ballet bar, workout room and separate bedroom and bath. The backyard is its own oasis, with three outdoor fireplaces, a resort-style salt water pool, palm trees and fruit trees and Hacienda-style covered patios. Richard Bernert, a pathologist practicing in Scottsdale, and his wife, Catherine, sold the home.
Karen Howard paid cash for this 5,169-square-foot contemporary home in Paradise Valley's Village at Paradise Reserve. Situated on a cul-de-sac lot with picturesque Camelback Mountain views, this two-story home boasts a stunning great room with gas fireplace, dining room with telescoping doors opening to the courtyard for indoor/outdoor entertaining, a refined media room, loft and an elevator. The chef's kitchen features high end appliances, stone counter tops and custom cabinetry. The resort-style backyard features sparkling pool and spa, private balconies, a private casita with fireplace, covered patios for relaxing and built-in barbecue. Casa Verde AZ LLC, an Arizona limited liability company, sold the home.
William Van der Werf, a transplant surgeon at Banner Health, purchased this home in Phoenix's Charnwood community. The 4,738-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-bathroom custom home sits on a cul-de-sac in a quiet Arcadia neighborhood. The chef's kitchen is fitted with custom cabinetry, a large island with granite counter tops, gas cook top, oversized pantry and bar seating. The house is fitted throughout with solid wood doors, wood casing around the windows custom wood cabinetry in each unique closet. The backyard is primed for entertaining, with a built-in barbecue kitchenette, private pool with slide, oversized covered patio and unobstructed views of Camelback Mountain. Michael Stanley, CEO at CIS Group LLC, sold the home
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$3.3M PV home features 1,100-bottle wine cellar
Shaq's former home sells for $2.9M
Train depot turned into Phoenix home for sale $1.05M


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If you have plans to head for Vietnam and Cambodia, a 15-day itinerary isn't long enough for first time visitors to explore these two little hearts of the South East Asia. However, this essential itinerary will turn your treasured time to an unforgettable experience by discovering the harmony of mesmerizing scenery, rich culture and overwhelming hospitality.
Starting from the amazing S-shaped country, you'll gain yourself a plenteous experience spanning from the impressive northern Vietnam to the restful Middle region before heading for the hustle and bustle attractions in the South. Following the breath of life along the Mekong Delta into Cambodia, you'll get lost in the mysterious Angkor Kingdom of truly ancient masterpieces and uniquely rustic tranquility.
This two-week itinerary in Vietnam and Cambodia includes numerous wonderful world-famous landmarks as well as long-established local traditions and customs. So, feel free to base your vacation with the itinerary below regardless of whether you're an action-packed traveller or a chilled out one.
Page Contents
- Day 1: Hanoi Arrival
- Day 2: Hanoi City Tour
- Day 3: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Overnight on cruise
- Day 4: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Flight to Da Nang
- Day 5: Hoi An Half Day Tour
- Day 6: Hoi An Free Day
- Day 7: Hoi An – Da Nang – Flight to Ho Chi Minh City
- Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City
- Day 9: Ho Chi Minh – Cai Be – Can Tho
- Day 10: Can Tho – Cai Rang – Chau Doc
- Day 11: Chau Doc – Phnom Penh
- Day 12: Phnom Penh Half Day City Tour – Siem Reap
- Day 13: Angkor Wat Complex Full Day Tour
- Day 14: Siem Reap Free Day
- Day 15: Siem Reap Departure
- Best Cities For Digital Nomads To Work In
- 10 Hippest Saigon Cafes in Ho Chi Minh that are Definitely Worth a Visit
- 11 Fun, Spontaneous Things to do in Da Nang, Vietnam
- All the Things to Do in Hoi An, Vietnam Without Missing A Beat!
- Things To Do in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam That Won't Break The Bank
- Essential 15-Day Vietnam-Cambodia Itinerary For First Time Visitors
- Travel Vaccines You Should Absolutely Know About
- How Many Days Should You Spend on a Vietnam-Cambodia Tour?
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival
Landing at the Noi Bai International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed to the elegant Hanoi and transferred to the hotel in the central city.
Unfortunately, most hotel rooms aren't ready until 2 pm, and an early check-in would be guaranteed with a surcharge. Hence, you should choose an appropriate scheduled route or take your time at leisure.
Must try activities
There is a diverse array of charming sites and hidden alleys to uncover in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. Depending on your priority, you shouldn't neglect the two out-of-the-world traditional performances which are found nowhere else in Vietnam.
The first recommendation is attached to Water Puppet Show where adorable puppets are performed by talented puppeteers on water stage in theme of folk music. This kind of traditional art presents inspiring ancient tales, folklores and daily life in Vietnamese countryside.
Water puppet show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
The other choice could be Tu Phu (Four Palaces) Show, which features a uniquely ritual spirit practiced in the Vietnam indigenous religion with vibrant music, colors and lively dance performances. If you're fond of these shows, there are multitude travel consultants offering tickets at the best price.
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour
The second day goes for a half-day city tour with a flexibility of departure time (morning or afternoon) and means of transport (motorbike or bus) based on your interests and availability. The routes can change subject to your preference, but we highly recommend these city attractions below.
The first stop should be the Temple of Literature, established in 1076 to be the first university in Vietnam. Quoc Tu Giam was initially constructed within a temple to educate the Vietnam's royalty, mandarins and members of the elite. Continue with a visit to the one of the most iconic temples in Vietnam, called One Pillar Pagoda. Then take your chance to visit the nearby Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, where the historic father figure of modern Vietnam rests in peace and his modest house on stilts settled.
At the end of the excursion, the 6th century Tran Quoc Buddhist Pagoda await with its impressive history line of over 1500 years and the picturesque West Lake sightseeing. After visiting, treat yourself a meal at an authentic Vietnamese Restaurant and enjoy the rest of the day on your own.
Must try activities
The Quintessence of Tonkin is an outdoor spectacle showcasing traditional Vietnamese culture in a contemporary and innovative way. The skilled local farmers perform a mesmerizing set of six magical elements including Poetry, Buddhism, Nostalgia, Music & Painting, Joy & Festivities and Peace & Harmony. Spending a couple of hours witnessing the artistic celebration, you should lay your eyes upon the open air in the reminiscent of the Northern Vietnam's glory days.
Location: Baara Land, Da Phuc Village, Quoc Oai District, around 20km west from Hanoi Time: From 8 pm to 9 pm every day, except Mondays Price: The tickets range from Silver, Golden to Platinum Section with the prices between USD34 and USD51 per adult.
Day 3: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Overnight on cruise
Being voted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Halong Bay is gifted thousands of islets scattering from pristine beaches, limestone caves to floating villages. To fulfil your adventure, it is worth experiencing an overnight cruise and beholding the awe-inspiring natural beauty of "Dragon descending to the sea".
Hit the road from Hanoi, it takes 3.5 hours to get to Halong before embarking the junk heading to the emerald waters of Halong Bay.
The suite life on deck offers a plenty of exciting activities like enjoying on-cruise feasts, joining cooking lesson on making Vietnamese traditional dishes and other beach activities like kayaking, sightseeing and visiting impressive grottos.
After dinner, you might need your own space to enjoy tranquil atmosphere of the ocean.
Day 4: Halong Bay – Hanoi – Flight to Da Nang
Waking up in the sounds of the ocean, you must be an early bird to greet the breath-taking breaking dawn over the ocean. Spend the last half-day exploring more of glorious caves and distinctive rock formations of extraordinary natural ecosystem in Halong Bay.
Lunch is time for cruising back to the mainland and transferring to Hanoi for a short flight to Da Nang. On arrival at the airport, you will take a forty-five-minute ride to Hoi An where you settle at a hotel in the end of the day.
Genuinely, you will find this day a little rushing because of the long-haul excursion from Halong Bay, Hanoi, Da Nang to Hoi An. So, take a rest to save your energy for an amazing discovery on the next day.
Day 5: Hoi An Half Day Tour
A half day tour will give you the comprehensive understanding of the appealing ancient town with 850 heritage-protected colonial designed buildings. Beyond a maze of narrow streets and old-aged houses, there are few historic temples, museums and well-preserved sites indicating the blend of diverse cultures from Vietnam to Japan, China and Europe.
Getting around the old quarter is simply walking or cycling along the narrow streets. You'll be amazed at exquisitely unique architecture, pleasant tranquility and overwhelming local people.
The guide will show you several historical sites such as Japanese Covered Bridge and Fujian Assembly Hall of Chinese.
After the tour, you could tarry for a while at a street-side coffee shop. It's time to refresh and savour the authentic taste of Hoi An on your tongue with a fresh cold glass of traditional herbal drink.
If you have spare time, take a stroll passing by couples of handicraft stores as well as clothing and souvenir shops where you can take some of them back to your hometown.
Recommended activities
Hoi An Memories Show is a music cultural performance offering multitude breath-taking effects and intricate choreography by skilled dancers. This show will definitely feast your eyes a glimpse of how Hoi An developed from a farming village to a vibrant destination. For those in search of deep spiritual concept, you will have a chance to travel back in time while exploring the traditions 400 years ago.
Location: Hoi An Impression Theme Park, No 200 Nguyen Tri Phuong, Cam Chau, Hoi An, Quang Nam Time: From 7:30 pm to 8:45 pm every day, except Tuesdays Price: The prices vary from USD22 to USD35 per adult, depending on three different zones. Children above 1m have to half of the adult's tickets.
Day 6: Hoi An Free Day
Spending one day in the world heritage listed in Hoi An, you may like to wander the Central Market and the street stalls selling paintings, woodwork, ceramics, lanterns and much more. The real Hoi An in unexpected moments is a back street, a turning down a sudden valley or nested art galleries in hidden nooks and crannies.
Your itinerary would be incomplete if you don't take a boat cruising on the Thu Bon River to sink in the laid-back riverside and let the colourful lanterns drift along the stream.
If you're in search of more adventurous experience, there is a range of alternative options to uncover the new wonderland out of the tranquil old quarter.
Firstly, a half-day trip to My Son Sanctuary is highly suggested, which is home to a collection of Champa ruins nestled amongst the mountains in a geological basin of the Quang Nam province. The elaborate World Heritage-listed temples reflect the rich cultural traditions of the Cham civilization.
For those engaged in rural atmosphere, it's great to take a tour to Cam Thanh village and experience the farm life. You'll get to know how the Vietnamese villagers prepare and fertilize the land as well as their daily working routines thanks to their guidelines.
Lastly, a cruise along the Thu Bon River, a trip to the nearby Cua Dai Beach or a Hoi An Vespa tour is wonderful experience depending on your travel purpose.
Day 7: Hoi An – Da Nang – Flight to Ho Chi Minh City
Leaving for Hoi An after breakfast, you'll head for Da Nang Airport to take a fight to Ho Chi Minh City. Once you set foot in the vibrant Saigon, you will be overwhelmed by the hustle streets full of motorbikes and cars.
Don't spend the rest of your day in hotel room; go out exploring a variety of the enduring historical architecture and modernized buildings.
Get a taste of the top specialties like Bun mam, a type of noodle soup flavoured by fermented fish sauce, tamarind juice and sugar and Hu tieu, a subtler version of pho noodles which offers various assortments of pork, pork rib, shrimp, squid or fish depending on your taste. This Saigon flavour can be found at both street stalls and restaurants
Read: 10 Hippest Saigon Cafes in Ho Chi Minh that are Definitely Worth a Visit
The city is famous for its lively nightlife, especially in Bui Vien Street. Once the sun goes down, the street comes alive with walking areas, food stalls, street performances and a mass of coffees, beers and bars.
Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City
Engaged in a half day tour package, you have an opportunity to sightsee the top landmarks of French colonial architecture and the Vietnam's turbulent in past at the museum. Starting from the Reunification Palace, you'll take a look a beautifully enduring palace which is used to be the residence of the Republic of Vietnam's President. This palace is a historic site witnessing the American War victorious event on April 30th 1975.
Afterward, visit the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral which is a remaining stronghold of Catholicism constructed in all-red brick façade Romanesque architecture and the Old Post Office, one of the most iconic buildings in classical French colonial architecture.
The end of the tour stops at a local market where you can find plentiful types of souvenirs and practice your bargaining skills with the friendliest, liveliest and most convivial people here.
Recommended activities
A O Show is a vibrant artistic performance where you experience marvelling at visual illusion and awe-inspiring acrobatics. With a view to indicate the evolution of rural Vietnam to the modern-day landscape, the show is a convergence of talented artists performing gravity-defying acts with diversity of props such as bamboos, woven baskets and ropes.
Location: Saigon Opera House at No. 7 Cong Truong Lam Son, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City Time: 6pm and 8pm everyday Price: The prices depend on three different zones, which range from USD30 to USD70 per adult and a half price per child.
Day 9: Ho Chi Minh – Cai Be – Can Tho
Escape from the bustling city, you'll continue to immerse in the incredibly fertile region of the Mekong Delta, where food production makes up approximately half of total agricultural output in Vietnam. The most fulfilled way to get deeper insights of the real Delta life is taking an organized tour cruising around the winding rivers and canals.
It was perfect to savour the blissful scenery from boat views to the unspoiled sightseeing of the Mekong waterways as you tour the orchards, paddy fields, swamplands as well as floating fishing villages and exotic fruit farms. Cai Be is known for a rice paper, a coconut sweets manufacturer and its Cathedral representing the French Gothic style in the early 20th century.
Not only a sightseeing but also a net fishing activity will give you an unforgettable memory immersing in the local life. You can either sit on the bank with the fishing rod or get muddy and learn to be a fisherman since you do everything with your hands through traditional equipment.
Surely you'll never forget these Mekong Delta steps into the pages of your travel journal.
Day 10: Can Tho – Cai Rang – Chau Doc
Spending a night in Can Tho after your trip in Cai Be yesterday, you can find nothing more boosted than a morning junk trip along Cai Rang floating market. The market converges hundreds of wooden rowboats with everything from rice, clothing to plentiful exotic fruits and vegetables. Let's taste seasonal fruits, chat to friendly locals and feel the fresh vibrant market.
End up heading for the Cambodian border, next destination to the northwest of Can Tho is the ebullient town of Chau Doc, the heart of the Mekong Delta. The opening of the border here has brought a steady stream of travellers on the way to Phnom Penh.
Despite a little sleepiness, Chau Doc is a wonderland to learn more about the local hospitality and the real essence in some high spots like the ethnic Cham village and Sam Mountain offering a welcome undulation in the surrounding plains.
Day 11: Chau Doc – Phnom Penh
The morning departure starts from the Chau Doc port where you'll take a speed boat to Phnom Penh. After few hours of excursion, you'll set food on the land of majestic Angkor Kingdom around noon time. Transfer to hotel for checking in and eat at some of the best Khmer food in the city, you are free at leisure for the rest of the day.
Getting around to overview the lovely French-built city, you are totally secured because of the naturally friendly attribute here. The Cambodian capital has been well preserved with huge slices of its French colonial allure in riverside streets.
Read: 11 Reasons To Visit Cambodia While You're Young
Adding the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek and notorious Tuol Sleng S21 to your itinerary, you'll have a chance to discover the country's profoundly sobering history. The next destination should be Wat Phnom after which the city was to be named. This sacred site is worth climbing the stairs to the top hill for fabulous views of the city.
Day 12: Phnom Penh Half Day City Tour – Siem Reap
After breakfast, get ready for a heritage tour experience!
Visit the Independence Monument, the 20-metre high monument in shape of a lotus which can be frequently seen at Angkor and other Khmer historical sites. The monument was built to celebrate Cambodia's independence in the past, and today it is the site for celebrations of formal national ceremonies.
Continue the tour to Royal Palace Compound, one of the most impressive colourful Khmer-style palaces and Silver Pagoda, the Emerald Buddha Temple displaying numerous Buddha status made of diamond, emerald, gold and silver. The last stop is at National Museum, the distinctive red building in a stunning Khmer architecture since 1917. This site contains more than 5000 art objects made of sandstone, bronze, silver, copper, wood and others.
Upon arrival Siem Reap, you will get to Borei Seang Nam station in the late afternoon and transfer to check in at hotel for refreshment. Siem Reap is the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Angkor Archaeological Park which is roughly 7 kilometres away.
There is a variety of Khmer massage and spa treatments or even fish massage. So, put your feet up as you prepare for your visit tomorrow.
Day 13: Angkor Wat Complex Full Day Tour
It is worth spending all day at the should-not-miss Angkor Wat Complex, a source of inspiration and national pride of Cambodia. The Angkor sites resemble the epic proportions of the Great Wall of China, the detail and intricacy of the Taj Mahal along with the symbolism and symmetry of the pyramids.
Your morning visit starts with the jungle Ta Prohm Temple, which is embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers. Transfer to the antique capital of Angkor Thom, where the exploration kicks off at the South Gate with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk.
Behind the Gate, the Bayon Temple awaits you to uncover its 54 Khmer-decorated towers which illustrate over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara. The rest of Angkor Thom includes a Hindu temple in Khleang style called the Phimeanakas; the Royal Enclosure which housed the palace complex of the Angkor kings; the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.
In the afternoon, it's time to discover the heart and soul of all temples on the plain, the Angkor Wat. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing.
Every eyewitness who once speculated the real Angkor Wat will understand why its 5 distinctive towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian national flag. It's truly a masterpiece of the prime classical Khmer art and architecture.
Before leave the Angkor Wat, don't forget to behold a marvellous sunset view from the complex or anywhere possible.
If you're on a tour package, you'll have a pleasant time for buffet dinner while being entertained by a Khmer Traditional Dance Show at a restaurant in Siem Reap.
Day 14: Siem Reap Free Day
This is the only day for you to freely pursue your own interests. So, list some worth-visit destinations beyond the Angkor temples to accomplish your Cambodia itinerary.
Perhaps hitting the markets for tons of appetizing dishes is the top recommendation. There is the Old Market at Phsar Chas, where you can feel the authentic Cambodian taste of some spices, multicoloured arrays of fresh produce, crispy fried tarantulas, octopus, chicken feet, etc.
If you're in search of something tamer, give a try to fried banana kebabs, roasted corn or banana-chocolate pancakes.
In case you're too busy during the daylight, you can still get the market experience at the Angkor Night Market.
For those in pursuit of relaxation, indulge yourself in a traditional Khmer massage after a long previous day of temple-touring. There are dozens of spas offering reflexology, massages with fresh local ingredients. With only USD3-USD5, you can completely immerse in a "fish massage" to nibble dead skin from your toes thanks to tiny fishes.
Last but not least, take a traditional cooking class to get one final insight into the heart of Cambodia cuisines. Khmer chef instructors will show you how to identify and mix the mysterious ingredients that you'll need to create your culinary masterpiece.
Day 15: Siem Reap Departure
You'll have the last morning in Siem Reap with scanty time for further activities. Depending on departure time, you can take advantage of spare time to get around for souvenirs. Siem Reap is paradise of handicrafts, sculptures, weaving silk to Kampot pepper. Make sure you have experiences in choosing the best Cambodian mementos to bring home.
Usually the hotel room is available until 12 pm, so take your time for packing and checking out on time. Leaving for the hotel, transfer to Siem Reap International Airport for boarding home.
Literally, 15 days are insufficient to explore the endless surprises of impressive history, marvellous landmarks and fascinating cuisines in these two Indochina countries.
Definitely, that's what a travel agency is for. Instead of organizing everything on your own, you can take into consideration a Vietnam &a Cambodia Tour, where a perfect itinerary is made up to fulfil your wanderlust.


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Mon 12 November 2018 19:00-20:30
Room G.06, 50 George Square
Join Sexpression Edinburgh for an interactive session exploring men's mental health and the impact that masculinity can have on men's experiences and their ability to discuss them.
There will be lots of opportunities for participants to share their own experiences - including anonymously - as well as information on support available for men who would like help managing their own mental health.
Free event, just drop in. Find out more and see who else is going on Facebook.
To see more events during Mental Health and Wellbeing Week, click here.
Edinburgh University Students' Association is a charity (SC015800) and a company limited by guarantee (SC429897) registered in Scotland.
Registered Office: Potterrow, 5/2 Bristo Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9AL


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Registration & Fees
Pre-Registration Rates
Pre-registrations must be received no later than Friday at 2:00 pm for the following week.
- Before School AM Extended Day : $9.00 per day
- After School PM Extended Day : $22.00 per day
Drop In Rates
Drop-in rates apply to registrations requested after the 2:00 pm deadline. Giddens School is required to by law to maintain certain teacher/student ratios, therefore drop-in requests cannot always be guaranteed. Note that financial aid does not apply to drop in rates. Drop-in requests must be made by email.
- Before School AM Drop-in Rate: $15.00 per day
- After School PM Drop-in Rate: $32.00 per day
Late Fees
- Children who are not picked up by 3:30 will be signed into the extended day program at a drop-in charge of $32.
- A $1 (per minute) charge will be billed to families who pick up after 6:05 pm.
Extended Day Hours of Operation
AM Extended Day
- Meets in the big room from 7:30-8:30
- All children must be signed into their program by their attending adult.
PM Extended Day
- Meets after school from 3:15-6:00
- Children are signed into their program by their teacher
- All children must be signed out of their program by their attending adult.
Christian Foster, our Extended Day Manager is available to answer any questions. Please contact him.


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It is no secret that social media websites and apps are the new hangout spots of the 21st century. With this upward trend that sees more and more people staying in touch and sharing precious moments online, there has also been a shift to social media for advertising. Instagram, a Facebook owned photo sharing site, has reached 1 million companies using its social media platform to advertise their products to Instagrammers.
Instagram's Large Platform
The most obvious reason that businesses advertise is to gain visibility, and no one offers visibility to the small business owner like social media. Instagram alone brings in a gargantuan 600 million users a month! For entrepreneurs who find that traditional forms of advertising are just too expensive, or even hard to access, Instagram provides the opportunity to make your business internationally known.
Over a hundred million people visit business profiles each month, and a whopping 80% of Instagram users follow a business. The why for this may be best answered by James Quarles, Instagram's VP of business, who had this to say about what it is that attracts businesses to Instagram: "Businesses are drawn to Instagram because it's a place where people follow passions...people are in a mindset of being open to discovery."
The global impact that Instagram can have on your business cannot be overstated. A strong social media presence could literally be the difference between selling dozens of purses locally to women you know and the women that they know, or selling millions of them around the globe. The United States, The United Kingdom, Brazil, Russia, and Indonesia all have been active advertisers on Instagram.
Cost Efficient
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, advertising your business can be an expensive endeavor. Instagram's phenomenal growth in advertisers can be largely attributed to how much cheaper it is than running a television or even radio ad. The social media juggernaut even offers a suite of free tools for business owners who are diligent in promoting their products. There is a tool called "Insight" which allows users with a business profile to view statistics regarding the popularity of their posts. These statistics can give business owners valuable intel that could greatly enhance their targeting tactics for posts and advertisements to come.
The Convenience Factor
One factor in Instagram reaching one million advertisers is the ease and convenience offered by the platform. Many up and coming entrepreneurs already have and enjoy their own personal Instagram page and following, and it is easy to integrate business and personal pages in Instagram. This encourages people who are already friends to become fans of your business, and Instagram is reportedly launching a tool in the near future that will allow companies to offer booking on their business profile.
Proven Success
There has been continual growth in the number of businesses that run ads on Instagram. This kind of growth does not occur where there is not success. Tinder, which is an online matchmaking website, has seen an increase in the number of matches that it creates ever since it cast its reel into the vast pool of Instagram followers who are looking for love.
Suann Song, a successful Washington D.C. based entrepreneur who started her business on Instagram, has been pleased with the results that she has seen as a result of advertising her business on the social media platform. Her company Appointed, which specializes in customized paper products, launched in 2015 with a Kickstarter campaign that Song shared on her Instagram page.
Her business was profitable after six months, and is now selling over 50 products in 300 stores worldwide. Says Song about her success: "It's hard to build a brand, and paper is so saturated. We couldn't have done it without a service like Instagram ...it's so accessible and powerful if you know how to use it."
Times do change things, and one of the major things that has changed with time is the way companies reach out to both loyal and prospective customers. Social media is the wave of right now, and the foreseeable future, and in this new marketing landscape, Instagram has become home to one million advertisers.


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Pete Alonso drove in six runs with five hits, including a three-run homer that helped lead to Julio Teheran's shortest career start, and the New York Mets held on in the ninth inning to beat the Atlanta Braves 10-8 on Thursday night.
ATLANTA — Pete Alonso and Amed Rosario helped the New York Mets pile up huge totals of hits and runs Thursday.
The Mets needed almost all of them to hold off the homer-happy Atlanta Braves.
Alonso drove in six runs with five hits, including a three-run homer that helped lead to Julio Teheran's shortest career start, and the Mets held on in the ninth inning to beat the Braves 10-8.
"It's incredible. It's hard to put in words, five knocks as a rookie," Mets starter Marcus Stroman said of Alonso. "It seems like he's on everything, barreling everything."
Alonso's first-inning homer carried 451 feet before making a splash landing in the pool behind the center-field wall.
Alonso's 39th homer tied Cody Bellinger for the National League rookie record. Bellinger hit 39 homers for the Dodgers in 2017, the same year the Yankees' Aaron Judge set the major league rookie mark with 52.
"I don't stand alone," Alonso said. "I'm tied. Hopefully I keep on going and keep pushing forward. Hopefully I can stand alone in that category."
Alonso set career single-game highs for hits and RBIs.
The Mets had a season-best 23 hits. Rosario's career-high five hits included two doubles, two singles and a triple. It was the first time in franchise history the Mets had more than one player with five hits.
"That's nuts. That's crazy," Alonso said when told about the duo making history. "I think all of us kind of fed off Amed today."
Wilson Ramos added four hits.
New York won despite giving up six homers, including three in the ninth. Freddie Freeman and Josh Donaldson each hit his second homer of the game in the inning and Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a two-run shot — all against Drew Gagnon.
Edwin Diaz walked Brian McCann before striking out Ender Inciarte for his 25th save.
Stroman (7-11) allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits in 5⅓ innings. The right-hander earned his first win in three starts since being traded to New York from Toronto on July 28.
Stroman gave up homers to Matt Joyce in the fourth and Donaldson in the sixth.
New York, trying to stay close in the NL wild-card race, snapped a three-game losing streak that included the first two games of the series.
Teheran (7-8) walked three consecutive batters to force in a run in the second. He left the game after giving up a run-scoring single to Ramos. Teheran recorded only four outs while giving up eight hits and six runs.
"My command wasn't there," Teheran said, adding he'll try to quickly move past the ugly outing. "I'm just going to put it in a bag and concentrate on the next one."
Todd Frazier's third-inning homer off Josh Tomlin increased New York's lead to 7-0.
Alonso drove in two runs with a fifth-inning single off Tomlin and added a run-scoring single off Anthony Swarzak in the seventh.
Mets: Only one day after he was placed on the 10-day injured list with a mild left hamstring strain, 2B Jeff McNeil jogged in the outfield before batting practice. McNeil said he hopes he won't miss more than 10 days with his second IL stint this season with the same injury.
Braves: SS Dansby Swanson (right foot contusion) hasn't been cleared to run but took fielding practice from his knees before the game. It's the same drill regularly used by third-base coach Ron Washington with infielders. Swanson, who also played catch in the outfield, has been out since July 24.
Teheran fell to 1-2 in four starts against the Mets this season, including three straight in which he failed to last longer than four innings.
Acuna robbed J.D. Davis of a homer in the sixth by leaping and reaching above the yellow line atop the left-field wall for a catch. Acuna landed in a sitting position on the warning track before pausing and throwing the ball back to the infield as fans cheered.
"Kind of dramatic," Braves manager Brian Snitker said of the brief uncertainty about the catch. "Good for him. It's entertainment."
Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard (8-5, 3.89 ERA) will make his first start against the Royals since 2016 when the Mets open a three-game series at Kansas City on Friday night. Syndergaard gave up three runs in six innings in a 4-3 win in the 2016 start.
Braves: RHP Mike Soroka (10-2, 2.32) will make his first start against Los Angeles when Atlanta opens a three-game series against Kenta Maeda and the Dodgers on Friday night. The matchup of division leaders is a rematch of the 2018 NL Division Series won by the Dodgers.


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Conundrum #7
Wild goats on the slopes of Benevenagh
Three surprised looking goats
|The slopes of Benevenagh are grazed by a herd of feral goats. I've counted about 25 animals of all ages. They are very shy and hard to photograph, because they don't like people and/or border collies and our newshound Tudor is always around and highly interested in this story. The above picture is the best that I could do.
Back to the start


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I have, as a result of reading Carla's and other blogs, been thinking a lot about doing the 30 Day challenge thing.
It looks interesting and I feel that I need a challenge at the moment. Plus, after any long absence from doing something, finding something which will encourage and assist your getting back into the swing of things, is always a good idea.
So I looked at the 30 Day challenge that Carla has been doing and that I have been enjoying following. Here are the questions…
1. Five ways to win your heart.
2. Something you feel strongly about
3. A book you love.
4. Bullet your whole day
5. Things you want to say to an ex
6. Your views on mainstream music
7. Five pet peeves
8. What you ate today
9. How important you think education is
10. Put your music player on shuffle and write the first ten songs that play
11. Your family
12. Five guys (or gals) whom you find attractive
13. Your opinion about your body and how comfortable you are with it
14. What you wore today
15. Your Zodiac/horoscope and do you think it fits your personality
16. Something you always think "What if…" about
17. Something that you are proud of
18. A problem that you have had
19. Five items you lust after
20. Your fears
21. How you hope your future will be like
22. Your academics
23. Something that you miss
24. Five words/phrases that make you laugh
25. Something you're currently worrying about
26. Things you like and dislike about yourself
27. A quote you try to live by
28. Somewhere you'd like to move to or visit
29. Five weird things that you like
30. One thing you're excited for.
Now I have to be honest here and admit that actually a lot of those questions appear, on first glance, tame to me but who knows, perhaps they will generate something and challenge me in ways that I have not yet anticipated.
Either way I shall be doing this challenge and will be interested in folk's opinions of my answers. 🙂
Day one starts today and my first post in this challenge will follow this one. Happy Reading 🙂


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According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), American companies spend $170 billion per year on costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses. Roughly 3.7 million workers are injured per year in the USA.1 The report indicates that although we have come a long way in ensuring that our workplaces are safe, there is still a lot that needs to be done.Download an Insight
Moreover, OSHA fines are set to rise dramatically based on the New Federal Budget bill, which now allows OSHA to raise its fines for the first time in 15 years. Industry experts predict the new penalty to jump up by 78%
Workplace safety is not only about identifying and managing incidents. A successful health and safety program is a continuous process for preventing work-related injuries and diseases. It is about creating a culture where everyone is responsible and accountable for ensuring safety. It's time now to relook at traditional health and safety program and ensure that it is adaptive to change and is sustainable before the situation becomes critical.
Follow these 5 steps to transform your health and safety program:
1. Start from the top
Strong leadership is vital for workplace safety and health. Leaders should play a key role in ensuring safer workplaces by developing the vision of occupational health and safety and ensuring that they are imbibed and accepted at all levels of the organization. They should ensure that a good and functional health and safety management system is in place. Leaders should ensure that there is an optimum focus on health and safety program, ensure appropriate allocation of resources, budgets and encourage active participation of workers and facilitate the free exchange of information between works and management.
Health and safety leadership should be involved in planning and setting performance targets, productivity metrics, remunerations and rewards, operational strategies, accountability, and collaboration. They should promote a culture that is innovative and adaptive to the ever-changing business, regulatory and competition landscape. They should lead by example, empower others to be a change agent and foster opportunities for change.
Leadership needs to create, manage and enforce policies and procedures that are consistent with the culture they seek to promote. A successful policy management program provides enterprise-wide access to health and safety related policies so that all the employees are aware of the Do's and Don'ts.
2. Embrace change as a cultural norm
Embracing change is an age-old challenge and most organizations are resistant to change. But to sustain in this changing business environment, change is inevitable. Building a mature health and safety culture that is sustainable in this changing business environment is not just about meeting regulatory requirements but also about creating a work environment where employees are empowered, engaged and accountable.
Trust is very critical for accepting and facilitating change. A compelling reason for the change must be communicated to everyone. Employees have to understand the reason for change and the expected result. In the absence of a formal communication, employees will try to resist change. Leadership should focus on identifying and empowering change agents at various levels of the organization to ensure accountability and increased employee participation.
Employees should be trained and involved in carrying out the changes. Comprehensive training is very important to help employees understand health and safety related initiatives, identify near misses and to avoid hazards and accidents. Employees should be trained on the hazards that they will be exposed to and how to avoid any injury or accident. Employees should be also trained to deal with emergency situations. Training cannot be a one-time program and should be revisited at regular intervals to ensure that the employees are up to date.
3. Think beyond human behavior factor
Human behavior is a major factor that influences occupational safety. Most incident reports mention employee negligence as a reason for workplace incidents. However, it is important to understand that employee behavior is a reflection of the organizational culture and responsibility of leadership. It is impossible to improve health and safety performance by solely focusing on behavior modification and any process that relies on human behavior only is designed to fail. Human behavior can be modified by modifying processes. There should be a focused approach to identify and classify behaviors which led or might lead to errors. Organizational culture and policies shape and influence employee safety behavior. Policies and procedures should be created and enforced to ensure that undesirable human activities can be prevented. Employee awareness is the key. Employees should be clear of safe and unsafe behaviors. Policies, training, and employee awareness campaigns can serve to influence the perceptions held by employees regarding the importance of occupational safety.
Organizations should plan and schedule safety observations to identify and classify potential hazardous safety behavior. Processes should be defined to proactively assess the hazards associated with an activity. Regular job hazard assessments can help to assess and rank job hazards, identify the impact, likelihood, and potential frequency and define strategies to mitigate the risks.
4. Adopt process thinking to simplify complex safety challenges
A process-based approach helps evaluate even the most complex systems in a simpler way, one process at a time, to achieve the desired outcome. So the best way to analyze and utilize process thinking is to always ask "How" and "What" can go wrong. How did this happen or what can happen and not necessarily "why." It is not about pointing fingers and finding faults.
A health and safety program on paper comprises of planning, identifying risks, designing and implementing controls and taking appropriate actions to achieve the right outcome. But in reality, there are unidentified risks that lead to no controls and no actions resulting in undesired outcome. This is where process thinking helps navigate better and ensures efficiency. A process based thinker takes into account the intent, assumptions and the approach for a program before designing the process and evaluates what and how can go wrong at each of the steps thus minimizing the number of undesirable outcomes.
Behavior based safety program is only a small part of the complete health and safety program and relying solely on that would lead to failure. A well-defined plan that includes regular risk and hazard assessments, audits, and inspections will definitely help identify and manage potential hazards and undesired outcomes ahead of time and lead to improved performance. Process thinking can thus offer a complete and sustainable solution to occupation health and safety.
5. Leverage technology to ensure success
Implementing a well-planned, technology-enabled health and safety processes to manage workplace safety and incidents can help in ensuring the success of an occupational health and safety program. Organizations should leverage technology to automate and streamline the process of policy and procedure management, employee training and awareness campaign. Technology solutions can help aggregate all information, identify risks, gauge performance, measure the effectiveness of safety programs, and ensure compliance with regulations. Technology can help automate workplace safety observations, identify and record near-missed, perform job hazard assessments, report and investigate incidents, store employee medical records, manage PPE and facility safety, and conduct audits thus facilitating a closed loop process.
Employee Safety shouldn't be an after-thought. It is one of the best way to protect your two most important assets-people and reputation. Management commitment is imperative to build the foundation for improved safety performance. Once the foundation is built and employees are empowered, the entire organization will work toward creating and sustaining a safety culture that relies on process based thinking to ensure success.


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I'm just waiting for my jacket potato to cook, house is cleaned, both kids are at school. In the moment of silence I have decided to write about something that is always a hot topic in the parenting world. Breastfeeding.
Before I fell pregnant, I was 100% certain that I was going to breastfeed my child. Why wouldn't I? After all, breast is best was a phrase I always heard.
In my antenatal classes running up to giving birth to Kellan, we attended a breast feeding class. While pregnant. With no baby. The lady was going through all these pro's of breast feeding like how it benefits the baby, you'll lose your baby weight and also, having sex and not falling pregnant. This was definitely looking like the right path for me. No sterilising bottles, no having to walk downstairs at 3am in the morning to make up a bottle, no colic, no wind, no reflux. Why wouldn't anyone want to breastfeed. The snuggling in bed while they are latched on, the ever lasting bond between you and baby while you carry out the most natural thing in the world.
Fast forward to Kellan being born, not only am I now feeling like a failure because I couldn't give birth to him as my body wouldn't dilate past 5cm's and even on the drip I struggled, I was then faced with our first breast feeding experience. I held my chunky 9lb baby up to me, and done everything the midwifes had showed me. Dan was sitting by my side anxiously watching me. I always remember him saying "don't stress about it, just try, if we don't breastfeed him there is always formula" – but in my head I'm thinking, No, I am going to breastfeed this child as that's what he needs, it's the best start in life for him.
After him trying to latch on and us failing miserably, I called the midwifes in. There I am, post c-section, a screaming child head butting me to find my boob and a midwifes cold hands clasped around my boob, squeezing it into the baby's mouth. What didn't help is that I have inverted nipples, I don't have big boobs, they're manageable I thought.
After what felt like hours, trying to get him to latch, he would latch for a few minutes, come off my boob and scream the house down. I still wasn't going to give up.
Three days later, a baby that wasn't happy, a new mummy who was exhausted and feeling like I was failing, I called the midwifes over. I wanted to go home, I wanted my baby to breastfeed, I wanted this bond that I had heard so much about. She told me that I couldn't leave until I could competently feed my baby via breast. If I wasn't going to, then I needed to be shown to be feeding him a bottle so they could see that I could feed him.
What a blow.
I wasn't being lazy, I wasn't not attempting to give the baby the best start in life, I was failing. I was failing once again at something that should come so naturally.
I just physically couldn't do it, I had to feed my baby, so I gave in and gave him his bottle.
What gets to me, is when I see people thinking that people who don't breast feed are lazy. Most of us don't choose to not breast feed, there are a few of us, but it's our decision as humans, but most of us can't. Some of us don't produce enough milk, but we manage to feed our babies by bottles – we all have one job, to look after and feed our babies in any way we can.
Stop judging and stereotyping breastfeeding/non-breastfeeding mums. We are all doing the best we can. We need to support each other.


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Canon 20D, T2i, 100-400L IS, EF-S 18-55mm IS, EF-S 55-250mm IS, EF 50 f/1.8 II
Nikon D7200, 18-55mm VR II, 55-200mm VR II, AF-P Nikkor 70-300 DX G ED VR
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