text:
Home /
Our Sources / About Us
/ FAQs /
Advanced Search
Not what you're
looking for? Try an advanced search.
Download the entire decision to receive the complete text, official citation,
docket number, dissents and concurrences, and footnotes for this case.
Learn more about what you receive with purchase of this case.
United States District Court, D. Hawaii
May 11, 2018
STATE OF HAWAII, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION, HOOPONO-SERVICES FOR THE BLIND, Plaintiff,v.UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, by and through GENERAL ROBERT B. NELLER, Incumbent Commandant of the Marine Corps, in his official capacity, Defendant.
E. Kobayashi United States District Judge.
April 17, 2018, Plaintiff State of Hawai'i, Department of
Human Services, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation,
Ho'opono - Services for the Blind
("Ho'opono") filed its Motion for Temporary
Restraining Order ("TRO Motion"). [Dkt. nos. 12
(Motion) & 13 (Mem. Supp. of Motion).[1] Defendant United
States Marine Corps, by and through General Robert B. Neller,
Incumbent Commandant of the Marine Corps, in his official
capacity ("Marine Corps" or
"Defendant"), filed its memorandum in opposition
on April 26, 2018, and Ho'opono filed its reply on May 1,
2018. [Dkt. nos. 19, 27.] This matter came on for an
evidentiary hearing on May 9, 2018. Hoopono's Motion is
hereby granted for the reasons set forth below.
April 3, 2018, Ho'opono filed its: Complaint for Motion
for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief
("Complaint"), pursuant to pursuant to the
Randolph-Sheppard Vending Stand Act, 20 U.S.C. § 107,
et seq. ("the RSA");[2] and Motion for
Declaratory and Injunctive Relief ("Injunction
Motion"). [Dkt. nos. 1 (Complaint), 2 (Injunction
Motion) & 3 (Mem. Supp. of Injunction Motion).]
Ho'opono is the RSA SLA in Hawai'i. General Neller is
the highest ranking officer in the Marine Corps, and he is
responsible for all Marine Corps bases, including Marine
Corps Base Hawai'i ("MCBH"). [Complaint at
¶¶ 30-31.]
facts of this case are largely undisputed and are established
by the parties' exhibits[3] and the live testimony at the
evidentiary hearing. For approximately five years,
Hoopono's licensed blind vendor - Stanley Young, with
teaming partner Blackstone Consulting, Inc.
("BCI") - has successfully operated the MCBH food
service facilities. Their services have consistently received
satisfactory ratings, with one excellent rating. [Mem. in
Supp. of Injunction Motion, Exh. 2 (Decl. of Lea Dias
("Dias Decl.")) at ¶ 18;[4] Errata, filed
4/13/18 (dkt. no. 11), Exh. 3a (Decl. of Joseph Blackstone
("Blackstone Decl.")) at ¶ 24, Exh. A (MCBH
Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System
printout).[5] The Marine Corps states the current
contract - which was designated "a competitive Section
8(a) set-aside[[6]] subject to a SLA having priority
for award under the RSA" - was solicited in 2010, but
the contract period did not start until March 1, 2013 because
of multiple bid protests by the incumbent vendor. [Def.'s
Exhibit List, filed 4/25/18 (dkt. no. 17), Exh. O (Decl. of
Eileen Keating Carnaggio ("Carnaggio Decl.")) at
¶ 5.[7]]
Ho'opono bid on the contract, the Marine Corps engaged in
extensive negotiations with Ho'opono and BCI about
staffing concerns.[8] The Marine Corps' concerns were
ultimately satisfied, and it deemed Hoopono's proposed
staffing to be fair and reasonable. The contract was worth
approximately $14 million. [Dias Decl. at ¶ 23.]
contract ran through the end of February 2018, but the Marine
Corps invoked the extension clause of the contract. The
Marine Corps exercised its extension options through May 15,
2018, but has declined to exercise the remaining options,
which would have run through the end of September,
i.e., 180 days after the expiration of the
contract's original term. [Id. at ¶¶
46-47, 49.] The extension options were exercised based on
findings that Hoopono's staffing, pricing, and past
performance were fair and reasonable. [Id. at ¶
the first four years of the contract, the Marine Corps did
not express staffing concerns, but in the last year, it
expressed that only United States citizens should be on
staff. Ho'opono and BCI argued this discriminated against
current employees who held Green Cards and previously
received clearance to work on MCBH. After negotiations and
modifications, such employees were allowed to remain on
staff. However, the dispute raised deportation fears among
some of the staff, and a few resigned before the
modifications were finalized. [Blackstone Decl. at
¶¶ 25-26.] During the negotiations for the
extension options, the Marine Corps initially only wanted
Ho'opono to employ United States citizens, but it
eventually agreed to allow the employment of persons who held
Green Cards. All terms of the current contract govern the
extension option period. Ho'opono and BCI therefore
believed the Marine Corps did not have any concerns about the
other terms. [Id. at ¶¶ 28-29.] As
recently as September 2017, the Marine Corps deemed
Hoopono's staffing - including number and job
descriptions - to be fair, reasonable, and acceptable.
[Id. at ¶ 33.]
September 11, 2017, RCO-HI posted a pre-solicitation notice
("Pre-Solicitation"), which noted the required
services would be subject to the RSA. Ms. Carnaggio informed
Ms. Dias about the Pre-Solicitation and provided her with
milestone dates in a September 21, 2017 email. [Carnaggio
Decl. at ¶ 8 (discussing Exhs. D (email chain between
Ms. Carnaggio and Ms. Dias dated from 5/5/17 to 9/25/17)
& E (Pre-Solicitation)).]
September 25, 2017, the Marine Corps issued Solicitation
number M003-18-17-R-0003 for a new MCBH food services
contract with a base term of one year, with four option years
("Solicitation"). [Dias Decl. at ¶ 31; Mem.
in Supp. of Injunction Motion, Exh. 9 (Solicitation).] On
October 24, 2017, the Marine Corps amended the Solicitation
to add the requirement that the contractor staff the food
service facilities with a minimum number of employees who
fell within certain job descriptions ("Amendment
1"). [Dias Decl. at ¶ 33; Mem. in Supp. of
Injunction Motion, Exh. 9a (Amendment 1).] Amendment 1
altered several portions of the Solicitation's
Performance Work Statement ("PWS") §§
2.6 and 2.6.1, setting forth new minimum staffing
requirements in multiple labor categories. [Carnaggio Decl.
at ¶ 11.] Ho'opono and other vendors were informed
of Amendment 1, and Ms. Dias signed an acknowledgment of
receipt. [Id. at ¶ 12, Exh. H.] Ms. Carnaggio
emphasizes that Ho'opono did not challenge the terms of
the Solicitation, as amended, by submitting either an agency
bid protest to the Marine Corps or a bid protest to the
United States Governmental Accountability Office
("GAO"). Further, Ho'opono represented that
its Proposal did not identify any exception to the
Solicitation's terms. [Id. at ¶ 14, Exh. I
(letter dated 11/6/17 to Ms. Carnaggio from Ms. Dias, with
Exceptions/Assumptions page).]
November 8, 2017, the Marine Corps amended the Solicitation
to: require that the contractor only employ United States
citizens; make grammatical changes; and extend the due date
for proposals to November 20, 2017 ("Amendment
2"). [Dias Decl. at ¶ 33; Complaint at
¶¶ 19-20.] Ho'opono asserts Amendment 2 is not
relevant to the issues presented in this case. [Mem. in Supp.
of TRO Motion at 12.] There was also a third amendment
("Amendment 3"), but Ho'opono asserts it is
not relevant because it was only offered to bidders that were
deemed to be in the competitive range, i.e., it was
not offered to Ho'opono. [Complaint at ¶ 49.] The
Marine Corps apparently agrees Amendment 2 and Amendment 3
are not relevant to the TRO Motion. See Carnaggio
Decl. at ¶ 13 (noting the issuance of Amendments 2 and 3
but not discussing them).
timely submitted its response to the Solicitation
("Proposal") on November 17, 2017. [Dias Decl. at
¶ 34.] The Proposal "includes a list of employees
and staff whose numbers exceed that of employees and staff in
the current contract extension, and reflects the staffing
requested by Defendant in past and current contracts."
[Blackstone Decl. at ¶ 34.] Ho'opono requested that,
if the Marine Corps desired modifications to the staffing
levels in the Proposal, it discuss them with Ho'opono in
direct negotiations, but the Marine Corps has refused.
[Id.] According to Ho'opono, the Proposal
included the same staffing levels in its current contract and
the extension option periods, with the minimum increase
required by Amendment 1. Ho'opono argues its Proposal
should have been deemed to be in the competitive range based
on Hoopono's "technical capability, past
performance and price, " and it should have been
afforded priority under the RSA. [Complaint at ¶ 54.]
Technical Evaluation Team ("TET") reviewed all
proposals submitted in response to the Solicitation and
ranked them against the technical evaluation criteria from
the Addendum to Federal Acquisition Regulation
("FAR") 52.212-2 EVALUATION -Commercial Items
(October 2014), which is included in the Solicitation. The
TET members reviewed each of the proposals individually,
without comparing it to the others. Each TET member
documented each proposal's strengths, weaknesses,
deficiencies, risks, and any items for future discussion. The
TET leader and the TET evaluator reviewed the TET
members' evaluations to determine a consensus rating for
the technical factors.[9] The TET leader prepared a report
setting forth the TET's collective opinion. [Carnaggio
Decl. at ¶ 15.] The TET's consensus ratings for
Hoopono's Proposal were: corporate experience -
outstanding; management plan - acceptable; quality control
plan - acceptable; food services operations plan -
unacceptable; and staffing and transition plan -
unacceptable. Because of the unacceptable ratings for food
services operations and staffing/transition, Hoopono's
overall technical rating was unacceptable, and its Proposal
not "eligible for further evaluation or potential
award." [Id. at ¶ 16.] In other words,
Hoopono's past performance and price were not considered.
the RCO-HI completed its evaluation of all proposals, it
prepared a Pre-Business Clearance Memorandum
("Clearance Memo") which: summarized the
evaluation of all proposals; recommended which proposals were
to be placed in the competitive range;[10] identified
questions to discuss with vendors in the competitive range;
and sought authorization to begin those discussions. The
Marine Corps' Marine Corps Acquisition Policy and
Procedures ("MAPP") required RCO-HI to obtain:
approval of the Clearance Memo from the Marine Corps
Installations Command Pacific regional contracting office in
Japan; approval from the Marine Corps Installation Command
contracting office in Washington D.C.; and legal clearance of
the Clearance Memo. All required approvals and clearances
were obtained, and Ms. Carnaggio then established the
competitive range of vendors that her office would engage in
discussions with under FAR 15.306. Hoopono's Proposal was
not included in the competitive range because of its
unacceptable overall rating for its technical elements.
[Id. at ¶ 17.]
In a
letter dated February 13, 2018, sent to Ms. Dias by email,
Ms. Carnaggio informed Ho'opono she deemed Hoopono's
bid technically unacceptable ("2/13/18 Rejection
Letter"). [Dias Decl. at ¶ 35, Exh. A (2/13/18
Rejection Letter).] On February 14, 2018, Ms. Dias requested
a debriefing from Ms. Carnaggio, who sent a Pre-Award
Debriefing report on February 15, 2018 ("2/15/18
Debriefing"). [Id. at ¶¶ 37-38, Exh.
B (2/15/18 Debriefing).] On February 16, 2018, Ms. Dias sent
Ms. Carnaggio an email response to the 2/15/18 Debriefing,
and Ms. Carnaggio sent a response on February 21, 2018
("2/21/18 Debriefing"). [Id. at
¶¶ 39, 41, Exh. C (2/21/18 Debriefing).]
In the
Debriefings, Ms. Carnaggio stated she was unwilling to engage
in direct negotiations about the staffing issue and would not
allow Ho'opono to submit clarification. She therefore
removed Hoopono's Proposal from the competitive range
without evaluating the entire Proposal. She did not apply the
RSA's priority in rejecting the Proposal. [Id.
at ¶ 42.]
April 10, 2018, a private vendor - The Severson Group, LLC
("Severson") - was awarded the contract described
in the Solicitation. The amount of the contract is $18, 419,
014.74.[11] [Mem. in Supp. of TRO Motion, Exh.
17 (printout from the Federal Business Opportunities website
for Management and Mess (M&MA) Services award information
for the Solicitation).] Severson is a SBA-certified
"Section 8(a) Business, Small Disadvantaged Business,
and Veterans Administration Certified Service-Disabled
Veteran-Owned Small Business." [Carnaggio Decl. at
¶ 18 & Exh. N (letter dated 4/6/18 to Ms. Carnaggio
from Carlos Liu of the SBA, confirming Severson's
eligibility for the 8(a) Program).] At the evidentiary
hearing, Ms. Carnaggio testified the Marine Corps engaged in
negotiations with Severson after Severson's proposal was
determined to be in the competitive range, and Severson was
allowed to submit a final proposal revision. Ms. Carnaggio
interpreted the FARs as only allowing for negotiations with,
and proposal revisions by, an offeror whose proposal is in
the competitive range. However, she also acknowledged that,
under FAR § 15.303, she had the discretion to elevate an
unacceptable proposal into the competitive range, but she
determined there was no compelling reason to do so with
Hoopono's Proposal.
contract was scheduled to begin April 15, 2018, with a
thirty-day overlap of service for the transition from
Hoopono's services to Severson's.[12] [Mem. in Supp. of
Injunction Motion, Exh. 7 (email string between Steve
Forjohn, Marine Corps' counsel, and Lori Wada, Esq.,
Hoopono's counsel, from 3/14/18 to 3/16/18).] Ms.
Carnaggio testified Severson is scheduled to assume full
services at MCBH on May 16, 2018.
March 22, 2018, Ho'opono requested arbitration pursuant
to the RSA, 20 U.S.C. § 107d-1(b). [Complaint at ¶
26 (citing Complaint, Exh. 6).] Ho'opono filed this
action to obtain a court order requiring MCBH to maintain the
status quo until there is a decision in the pending
arbitration. [Id. at ¶¶ 27, 68.]
Ho'opono filed the TRO Motion to preserve the status quo
until this Court rules on the Injunction Motion, which seeks
to preserve the status quo until the arbitration panel
renders its decision.
Court has described the applicable standards as follows:
In general, the standard for a temporary restraining order or
a preliminary injunction is as follows:
"[I]njunctive relief is an extraordinary remedy that
may only be awarded upon a clear showing that the plaintiff
is entitled to such relief." Winter v. Natural Res.
Def. Council, Inc., 555 U.S. 7');">555 U.S. 7, 129 S.Ct. 365');">129 S.Ct. 365, 376, 172
L.Ed.2d 249 (2008). The standard for granting a preliminary
injunction and the standard for granting a temporary
restraining order are identical. See Haw. Cnty. Green
Party v. Clinton, 980 F.Supp. 1160, 1164 (D. Haw. 1997);
Fed.R.Civ.P. 65.
Sakala v. BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP, CV. No.
10-00578 DAE-LEK, 2011 WL 719482, at *4 (D. Hawai'i Feb.
22, 2011) (alteration in original).
A plaintiff seeking a preliminary injunction must establish
that he is likely to succeed on the merits, that he is likely
to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary
relief, that the balance of equities tips in his favor, and
that an injunction is in the public interest. Am.
Trucking Ass'ns v. City of Los Angeles, 559 F.3d
1046, 1052 (9th Cir. 2009) (quoting Winter v. Natural
Res. Def. Council, Inc., 555 U.S. 7');">555 U.S. 7, 129 S.Ct. 365');">129 S.Ct. 365, 374,
172 L.Ed.2d 249 (2008)) (explaining that, "[t]o the
extent that [the Ninth Circuit's] cases have suggested a
lesser standard, they are no longer controlling, or even
viable" (footnote omitted)); see also Winter,
129 S.Ct. at 374-76 (holding that, even where a likelihood of
success on the merits is established, a mere
"possibility" of irreparable injury is
insufficient to warrant preliminary injunctive relief,
because "[i]ssuing a preliminary injunction based only
on a possibility of irreparable harm is inconsistent with
[the Supreme Court's] characterization of injunctive
relief as an extraordinary remedy that may only be awarded
upon a clear showing that the plaintiff is entitled to such
Painsolvers, Inc. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co.,
685 F.Supp.2d 1123, 1128-29 (D. Hawai'i 2010) (footnote
and some citations omitted) ...
Our website includes the first part of the main text of the court's opinion.
To read the entire case, you must purchase the decision for download. With purchase,
you also receive any available docket numbers, case citations or footnotes, dissents
and concurrences that accompany the decision.
Docket numbers and/or citations allow you to research a case further or to use a case in a
legal proceeding. Footnotes (if any) include details of the court's decision. If the document contains a simple affirmation or denial without discussion,
there may not be additional text.
Download the entire decision to receive the complete text, official citation,
docket number, dissents and concurrences, and footnotes for this case.
Learn more about what you receive with purchase of this case.
LRC, Inc. About Us


text:
HuntingNet.com Forums - View Single Post - Word of the Day, November 2, 2017, Proverbs 28:13
Word of the Day, November 2, 2017, Proverbs 28:13
View Single Post
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 258
Word of the Day, November 2, 2017, Proverbs 28:13
Word of the Day, November 2, 2017
Oh what a savior. Isn't He wonderful? Sing hallelujah, Christ is risen. Bow down before Him for He is Lord of all. Sing Hallelujah, Christ is risen. O come to the altar the Father's arms are open wide. Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 28:13
13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
When I get my verse or verses for the day from the KJV online site, this is what it said about verse 13:
It is folly to indulge sin, and excuse it. He, who covers his sins, shall not have any true peace. He, who humbly confesses his sins, with true repentance and faith, shall find mercy from God. The Son of God is our great atonement. Under a deep sense of our guilt and danger, we may claim salvation from that mercy which reigns through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord.
With this statement, I could stop writing todays WOD. But I will go on
Do we know what the first thing we need to do? Recognized what sin is. How do we know this? By reading the Word of GOD everyday. Remember, Repent & Repeat was a message that was preached awhile back at one of our Tuesday Mens Prayer Night. As Christians, we should know what sin is and strive not to sin as we grow closer to our LORD and Saviour. As we do grow closer in our relationship with Christ, we need to remember what sin is and then repent when we have sin as quickly as we can. If necessary, we need to repeat this process again. However, our hearts desire should be to never sin again and our desire should diminish to keep repeating the same sin over and over again.
As I have shared GOD to people over the years I have often heard people say to me that your Christians think you are better than them. My response is often that no, we are worst because we do know what sin is and still continue to sin even though we know what not to do. Remember, repent and repeat! They say churches are filled with hypocrites (and also everywhere else we go) and yes they are but the church is a hospital for sinners. When we are sick, we go to the hospital, when we are sinning, we should go to be in church at the alter laying it at Jesus feet and asking forgiveness.
I can speak from experience that when my life has sin in it, there is no peace; no true joy and it can only come with righteousness first. Romans 14:17 states;
For the kingdom of GOD is not meat and drink; but
, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Matthew 6:33 share with us;
But seek ye FIRST the kingdom of GOD, and His
; and all these things shall be added unto you.
1 John 1:9:
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
With confession come mercies from GOD. With righteousness comes joy and peace in our lives. As believers, we need to remember what sins are, we need to repent to GOD and if needed, and it will be needed, to repeat as often as we sin. As those that are not believers, no matter what you have done, there is peace and joy after confession of our sins to GOD and you to can experience the saving grace of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour.
We all start on the outside. The outside looking in. This is where grace begins. We were hungry, we were thirsty with nothing left to give. Oh the shape that we were in just when all hope seemed lost. Love opened the door for us. He said come to the table. Come join the sinners who have been redeemed. Take your place beside the Savior now. Sit down and be set free. Come to the table.
Timothy P. Furness
View Public Profile
Send a private message to timfurn
Find More Posts by timfurn

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Money Affirmations – How to Live in a Pool of Abundance
When we talk about money flowing into or out of our lives, what do we really mean?
When you stop to think about it, you realize there must be some sort of unspoken boundary that separates "your life" from everything else going on around you.
And once something flows beyond that boundary, it is officially out of your life. Which doesn't sound very positive. And so, a new thought emerges:
How can I get more money to flow into my life?
There is another way to think about the whole matter of cash moving around, however. Best of all, thinking this way is far better suited to experiencing financial peace.
Trade the River for a Pool
"I am now living in an abundant pool of money."
Try saying that affirmation to yourself every morning for a month or so.
And while you're letting that affirmation go to work on your thoughts, upgrade the mental picture you have of your life as well.
Instead of "your life" being a well-defined territory that money flows into and out of, picture yourself (i.e., "your life") as floating in the middle of an endless ocean…of cash.
That's right. If your life consists of floating in the middle of an inexhaustible supply of cash, then it doesn't flow into or out of your life. Instead, it just moves around…
There's No Escaping It
First there's some money in your pocket. And then you trade it for a nice meal at your favorite restaurant. True, it is now in the restaurant's pocket and not yours, but it's still in the ocean — and that's exactly where you are.
In other words, picture yourself living a life where you're always surrounded by cash at all times. You can never get away from it because there's nowhere you can go that it isn't.
Which could lead to another affirmation:
"I am now existing where money exists."
And at any moment, you are capable of doing work or providing a service or value that will initiate some of that cash floating into your pocket.
Heck, someone might even just float some of their cash your way out of generosity (especially if you're in the habit of doing the same for others).
Is the "River" Concept Bad?
No. Thinking of cash like a river flowing into and out of your life isn't bad. Or wrong. And if it's never caused you to feel worry or concern, then just forget about it.
On the other hand, if the thought of cash flowing out of your life does cause you worry or concern, try trading in the "river" concept for a "pool" concept or "ocean" concept for a while by using the affirmations mentioned above.
And once you feel a new level of peace and security regarding money and your life, then try returning to the picture of the river to see if it too can serve you in certain circumstances.
Now get out there, use those affirmations, and float in some money!


text:
Featured category
Directory Stats
Use your high-speed Internet connection to make all of your phone calls. VoIP provider offers full feature set with voice mail, caller ID, etc. Requires supplied broadband phone adapter.
www.voip-phone.org ~ Details
Free mobile with Free line rental and best available deals online.12 months free deals on all network.
www.onlinemobiledeals.co.uk ~ Details


text:
All foreign citizens who wish to work or study in Spain needs to learn Spanish, as Spain dominates with the Spanish Language. The great interest for the Spanish language and culture over the last years has created a boom of schools & colleges in Spain.
Spain is a country, which in the last decade after entering the EU in 1984 has improved its economy and infrastructure significantly. The country still has a high unemployment rate but many sectors in Spain are in expansion and the need for qualified employment is increasing.
The strongest industries in Spain are the service sector and the tourist industry, but Spain also has an important agricultural sector. Banks, telephone companies and gas and power companies are the most important international Spanish companies.
The many foreigners who have settled down in Spain have brought a complete industry of services like schools, shops, doctors, estate agents targeted to and serviced by foreigners. Apart from the service targeted to foreigners living in Spain, it is popular among foreigners to open a business in the tourist industry like restaurant or hotel.
Whether you want to learn Spanish for everyday life, your job, to study at a Spain universities, or just out of interest: Forefront Academy is teaching Spanish successfully through qualified instructors with the systematic way. Select the program with the focus that most closely matches your goals:
Most of our Spanish courses are designed for all levels from beginners to advanced.


text:
Looking for another exciting adventure in the Smokies? Look no further! The Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster is one of the newest, yet one of the best and most thrilling rides through the Smokies! Come hop aboard and sit in the drivers seat to glide down the track on this exhilarating attraction!
After opening in 2014, the Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster quickly became a favorite amidst the other incredible attraction housed inside Gatlinburg. This family-friendly thrill ride is open year round and is an exciting outdoor addition to your winter trip to the Smokies! Grab a partner or come along as a single rider down the smoothest mountain coaster in Gatlinburg. Our silent, three-fourths a mile track provides you with an exciting ride down the mountain. The silent track allows you to take in all the sights and sounds of the nature that will surround you! With free parking, already affordable rates and discounts for double-riders and groups, this ride is a no brainer when planning your trip to Gatlinburg.
Our lift system will carry you to the top and then our hand break system allows you to control your speed up to 35 miles per hour on the way down! Aside from some height and weight restrictions, there are no special skills required… just the desire to have a good time!
Enjoy this adventure during the day and admire the views of the snowcapped mountains through the wintery wonderland surrounding you or end your night with a twilight ride down our illuminated track. Day, night, rain, snow or shine our attraction is ready for you to come give it a whirl and is sure not to disappoint! We look forward to becoming a traditional stop for you and your group anytime you visit the Great Smoky Mountains!
So throw on your winter best and hop aboard for an adventure unlike any other! If you have had the time of your life with us, we would love to hear all about it! We invite you to share your experience with us in the comment section below and feel free to tag us in your post on social media by tagging us at #GatlinburgMountainCoaster and include the hashtag #CoasterMoments. Maybe you will see your pictures featured on our pages as well! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date with all things Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster related.


text:
Shahid-Mira look their stylish best at a wedding reception
They are undoubtedly one of Bollywood's cutest couples, but Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput's recent outings have only proved they are equally stylish.
The much-in-love couple impressed us with their style yet again at TV couple Gautam Gupta and Smriti Khanna's wedding reception.
While Shahid wore a classic black bandhgala, Mira looked opted for a lovely royal blue and silver satin sari.
What's more, the doting husband also went ahead of Mira to open the car door for her, adorable right?
amp-next-page separator


text:
UPDATED: MISSING PERSON • Jordyn Iyana Johnson • Washington, D.C. • 17 Years Old
Please help us spread the word about Jordyn Iyana Johnson out of Washington, D.C. by sharing this report.
UPDATE: January 5, 2018 – 7:57 am: According to DC Metropolitan Police Department, Jordyn Iyana Johnson has been located safely. Thank you so much to everyone who helped share about her disappearance.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: WASHINGTON — The DC Metropolitan Police Department is asking for the local public's assistance in locating missing 17 year old Jordyn Iyana Johnson out of the Washington, D.C. area.
Jordyn was last seen on December 31, 2017 at approximately 11 pm, in the Unit Block of Elmira Street, Southwest, Washington.
This incident was reported on January 1, 2018. She was last seen wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and pink UGG boots. Jordyn is carrying a black duffle bag with the word "PINK" written in white letters.
Jordyn is described as:
• GENDER: Female.
• ETHNICITY: Black.
• HAIR: Black.
• EYES: Brown.
• HEIGHT: 5 feet 2 inches.
• WEIGHT: 130 pounds.
Do you know something?
If you have any information in regards to Jordyn's whereabouts, you are being asked to contact the Youth and Family Services Division at 202-576-6768 or Command Information Center at 202-727-9099 immediately.
Want to stay anonymous?
If you wish to remain anonymous with your information, you are welcome to text the Metropolitan Police Department Text Tip Line 50411 or submit your tip online at mpdc.dc.gov.
Thank you for all of your efforts in helping us spread the word about missing people like Jordyn across Washington, D.C. We ask that you please take a moment to share these reports on all social media platforms in order to reach the broadest local audience as possible.
We do our best to inform the general public about missing people across the United States of America. View all of our state-based websites by taking a look at our country map just below.


text:
The cost of living is set to fall to levels not seen since 1949 with one measure of inflation creeping into negative territory in March.
Official figures show annual inflation, as measured by the Retail Prices Index (RPI), went negative in March for the first time since 1960. It is now -0.4%, down from 0% in February.
The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) – the official measure of inflation that, unlike the RPI, does not include mortgage interest payments – fell to 2.9% in March, down from 3.2% in February and 3% in January.
The figures are largely in line with inflationary expectations, with the recession bringing the cost of living down. However, there are concerns the CPI is falling at a slower pace than anticipated.
Jonathan Loynes, chief European economist at Capital Economics, says that although CPI decreased last month, on the back of lower food and energy costs, the VAT cut last December has slowed its fall.
But he adds: "There are good reasons not to get too worried. For a start, energy prices should fall a fair bit further over the coming months. There are also some signs that food prices might have started to drop. And second, we suspect that the weakness of retail spending and activity in general will bear down strongly on core inflation in time."
With these factors likely to keep inflation moving on a downward path, the threat of a longer period of deflation still looms.
"UK inflation is still set to drop a lot further and the threat of a broader bout of deflation has not evaporated," warns Loynes.
The Bank of England's base rate cuts have brought the RPI into negative territory, with mortgage interest payments down by 42.2% year-on-year.
Charles Davis, economist at the Centre for Economic Business Research, explains: "This – and particularly food and fuel costs – drove inflation on the PRI into negative territory. Inflation on this wider measure is likely to reach its lowest level since monthly data began in 1949 in the coming months."
Davis believes the CPI will also turn negative later this year.
Given that RPI is used as a benchmark by many trade unions and organisations to gauge wage increases, experts forecast many employees could endure pay freezes - and even pay cuts - this year.
Pensioners are also likely to be affected by deflation, if it continues for the rest of the year, as the government uses September's RPI as a measure for annual rises in the state pension and other benefits.


text:
Happy to have, Sophie Malherbe, Co-founder at FURIOUS INTENT, as part of the online jury for the AMPLIFY Paris edition 2018:
|Sophie Malherbe, co founder furious intent, innovation agency
Practising business consulting in London and Paris gave her a good understanding of organizations and related transformations. She finally develops innovation skills and decides to found furious intent in 2012 an innovation company specialized in design thinking.
Since then, she has been coaching innovation projects and facilitating learning programs within big companies like AXA, DANONE, ENGIE, PERNOD RICARD, TRANSDEV, UNIBAIL RODAMCO, …
|Degrees and Certifications
|•Telecommunication engineering diploma at ESIGELEC
•ESSEC MBA : Strategy and Management of International Businesses
•Experience design certification (Pine & Gillmore)
•Design management institute member
•Creative facilitation expert Cooper New York.
•Pitch certification – Nancy Duarte
•ZMET (Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Techniques) French market representative
|Field of expertises
|•Innovation projects Design and implementation
•Experience design
•Qualitative exploration – deep understanding of people, beyond expressed needs.
•Companies transformation and new ways of working
|Professionnal experience
|•Engineer at Mott Mac Donald, telecom networks in London office
•Consulting (Manager @ EUROGROUP CONSULTING)
•furious intent


text:
'Toxicity a relative thing': Worst industrial chemical disasters in human history
"You could call this a warning sign that more explosions or fires could be coming soon," a spokesman for Arkema said Friday, after towering flames and clouds of black smoke overtook much of the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby.
The cooling systems at the plant failed thanks to "unprecedented flooding" overwhelming the site's "primary power and two sources of emergency backup power."
The first two explosions rocked the plant on Thursday, with anxious residents unsure if the plant was producing toxic emissions.
"Toxicity is a relative thing," the plant management said, admitting however that the smoke was "noxious." Without going into details, the plant also released a list of chemicals stored at the facility – all of which will likely be left to burn out.
While the situation is developing and what, if any, harm it poses to the public remains to be seen, leaks and accidents involving industrial chemicals have claimed thousands of lives and caused untold environmental damage over the years.
Oppau explosion in Germany, 1921
On 21 September 1921, 4,500 tons of a ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate fertilizer mixture exploded at a tower silo in Oppau, southwest Germany, at a chemical plant run by the BASF corporation.
Today in Science History: In 1921, a huge explosion at a fertilizer factory at Oppau, Germany, caused 500 deaths. pic.twitter.com/Hdn8qDONEC— Maryland Science Ctr (@MDScienceCenter) 21 сентября 2015 г.
An estimated 500 to 600 people were killed and thousands more injured, while thousands of nearby homes were destroyed.
Minamata disease, 1932-1968
For years, local people in the city of Minamata, southwest Japan, noticed that animals, particularly cats, seemed to go mad, suddenly convulsing, running in circles or jumping in the sea. Then it happened to humans – slurred speech, convulsions, and uncontrollable movements. In 1956, the so-called Minamata disease claimed its first human life.
A subsequent investigation revealed that from 1932, the Chisso Corporation, an important local employer, had been dumping mercury left over from its acetaldehyde production (an important chemical used in plastics) in the waters around the city, poisoning the fish and by extension, anyone who ate the fish.
The practice had gone on for decades, continuing all the way until 1968. Angry residents filed suit, while protesters bought enough shares in Chisso to attend and disrupt their stockbrokers meetings, yelling "Murderer!" and "You swallow mercury!" at its chief executives. The corporation in turn hired yakuza gangsters to beat up and intimidate the protesters.
By 1973 however, a judge found Chisso guilty of gross negligence and ordered the company to pay over $66 million in compensation. As of 2001, nearly 3,000 patients had been diagnosed with Minamata Disease, and 1,784 of them have since died.
Bhopal disaster in India, 1984
Considered one of the world's worst industrial disasters, on the night of 2-3 December 1984, the US-owned Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant started leaking poisonous methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas into the air around Bhopal, India. Within hours bodies were piling up in the streets as 3,800 people dropped dead in a nearby slum, and nearly half-a-million people had been exposed to the toxic cloud.
The Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), which ran UCIL, tried to deflect attention away from the low health-and-safety standards at the plant, and instead, tried to blame either Sikh terrorists or failing that, their own Indian subcontractors for the deadly leak.
Eventually a Supreme Court ruling forced it to accept responsibility and ordered the company pay out $470 million, a relatively small sum, considering the scale of the long-term damage to survivors and contamination of the local soil and water supply.
Estimates of the death toll vary. The government said 5,295 people died but activists placed the figure as high as over 20,000 deaths.
PEPCON disaster in Nevada, 1988
The PEPCON disaster occurred in Henderson, Nevada on May 4, 1988.
The Pacific Engineering and Production Company of Nevada (PEPCON) plant specialized in the manufacture of a major component in solid propellant. The drama began while workers were leaving for lunch, as sparks from a repair crew welding torch set ablaze fiberglass infrastructure.
The flames quickly engulfed PEPCON's stock of oxidizer, creating the "largest domestic, non-nuclear explosion in recorded history,"according to a NASA case study.
The blast was equivalent to one kiloton of TNT, approximately the strength of a tactical nuclear weapon.
Fortunately, only two people were killed as a result of the explosion and 372 more injured, while buildings were damaged within a 10-mile radius. Damages were estimated at $100 million.
Toulouse chemical factory explosion, 2001
On 21 September 2001, a storage unit containing ammonium nitrate exploded at the AZF chemical plant in Toulouse, at the time the largest fertilizer manufacturer in France. Twenty-nine people were killed and over 20,000 buildings, including homes and schools, were damaged in a blast that registered 3.4 on the Richter scale. Occurring a mere 10 days after the events of September 11, terrorism was widely suspected, though no conclusive evidence emerged.
Ouverture du 3ème procès de la catastrophe #AZF : le site quelques jours après l'explosion en septembre 2001 #AFPpic.twitter.com/qv0VqQpvvA— AFP Archives (@AFParchives) 24 января 2017 г.
In 2012, AZF boss Serge Biechlin was jailed for three years and slapped with a €45,000 fine for manslaughter for gross negligence relating to the case, after having been cleared earlier at a 2009 trial.
Ajka alumina plant accident, 2010
In October 2010, a tide of red sludge swept across the Hungarian countryside after a dam holding alkaline by-products from aluminum extraction at the Ajka plant burst, killing 10 people and leaving over 100 others with severe chemical burns.
Las visibles consecuencias tras el desastre / vertido de la fábrica de alúmina de Ajka, Hungría (2010): pic.twitter.com/K08KN4Ns— Miguel García (@Milhaud) 11 июля 2012 г.
Entire fields, towns and villages were buried under 1 million cubic meters (38 million cubic feet) of toxic red mud, with hundreds of homes rendered unlivable and having to be destroyed. The company behind the spill, Hungarian Aluminium (MAL), was fined a record $647 million, but continues operations to this day.
West Fertilizer Company explosion in Texas, 2013
On April 17, 2013, a massive explosion tore through the ammonium nitrate storage site at the West Fertilizer Company in Texas, sending a fireball nearly 100 feet (30m) into the air as firefighters battled to extinguish the flames. The blast was so powerful, it even registered as a 2.1 magnitude quake by the US Geological Survey.
Fifteen people were killed, twelve of which were volunteer firefighters making up a third of the local town's fire department. Another 200 or so people were injured, while 500 families lost their homes.
READ MORE: Texas blast: Ammonium nitrate's fertile history of devastation
In May 2016, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) confirmed that the blaze at the West Fertilizer Company was the result of an arson attack, though so far, no suspects have been arrested. Damage from the fire and explosion were estimated at $100 million.
Tianjin explosions in China, 2015
Apocalyptic scenes were seen at the Chinese port city of Tianjin on 12 August 2015, after a pair of massive explosions from a chemical warehouse ripped through nearby buildings and parking lots, killing 173 people. The blasts came from the Ruihai International Logistics facility, which was said to be storing 3,000 tons worth of hazardous chemicals including ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sodium cyanide.
Nitrocellulose, a flammable compound stored at the site, caught fire in the dry summer conditions, the flames then spreading to tanks of ammonium nitrate, which is what led to the explosions, which were felt from many miles away.
As with the Texas explosion, the majority of victims were emergency responders, which included over a hundred firefighters and several police officers. In November 2016, judges jailed 49 corporate executives and government officials for negligence and corruption, that led to the colossal eruption.


text:
Will Macron's Marchers take power? Le blog de Thomas Piketty, Le Monde
Robert Gottliebsen. It sounds incredible, but the government is providing a carrot to encourage people to stop working in their late 50. 'Absolutely bizarre': Government provides incentive to stop working
Census 2016 results are out, but can we trust the data?
This census was dogged by an online debacle that embarrassed the government, inconvenienced millions of Australians and even earned ...
Rise and rise of of violent extremism trying to create religious echo chambersi
Rise and rise of of violent extremism trying to create religious echo chambersi
"For our third annual roundup of the most influential people on the Internet, TIME sized up contenders by looking at their global impact on social media and their overall ability to drive news…Here's who made this year's unranked list"
UNEXPECTEDLY: Every now and then, a small news item will restore your faith in the decency of people. This is one of those. "Video shows a teen falling off a Six Flags ride — and a crowd gathering to catch her." Spare yourself the navel gazing about amusement parks, and watch the embedded video.
That leaving is so difficult, however, may in part explain the desire to leave. In the most sophisticated cases for Brexit, there is no acceptable resolution to the negotiating dilemmas. Rather many Brexiteers think their nation's culture and legal system need to take their own courses. For better or worse, they think England in particular simply can't become that much more "continental." What appeared to be a wonderful deal — free trade but no euro — actually was viewed as a Trojan horse for the disappearance of British uniqueness. Over time the encroachments of EU law and governance will clash more and more with the underlying institutions and culture of the U.K., and something will have to give. Law and culture eventually must prove congruent, but EU legal and bureaucratic powers will inevitably grow, ultimately clashing with the notion of Britain as an idiosyncratic and independent nation. Culture and law cannot remain so separate forever.
I have myself been strongly pro-Remain, but I don't dismiss the Leavers as a bunch of ill-informed voters or hapless victims of globalization. Counterintuitively, it is the supposedly undereducated Leavers who have the more theoretical and historical perspective. It doesn't help that they initially were promised a much weaker set of ties with the EU, and so mistrust makes all of the complaints more potent.
On top of all this, many Brexiteers suspect there won't be any better time to leave than now, and so "Remain" is for them an impossible stance over the longer run. Returning to history, ejecting James II seemed risky and destabilizing at the time, but for the most part the decision wasn't regretted and it was better not to have hesitated.
England and Second Glorious Revolution
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo star Michael Nyqvist dies, aged 56
industries Industries--Technological innovations Big dataBroad Subject Area(s): Culture Economics ... up to paybig bucks to the US-based academic-entrepreneur. "Being creative" had become an almost ... See Also Big Data links
Israeli police to question James Packer over Israeli PM Netanyahu graft...
Happy birthday, GST – time to grow up and tax more food
Happy birthday, GST – time to grow up and tax more food
Ray, Abhishek and Ghasemkhani, Hossein and Kannan, Karthik Natarajan, Ad-Blockers: Extortionists or Digital Age Robin Hoods? (June 23, 2017). Available at SSRN:https://ssrn.com/abstract=2991805
"As an answer to mitigating the impact of intrusive online advertising on users, ad-blockers have risen in prominence over the past few years. Initially dismissed by the online advertising industry as inconsequential, ad-blockers have evolved from a mere plugin tool on browsers to full-fledged platforms that derive benefit from certifying quality of advertisers and reducing disutility of the users. However, the rise of ad-blocking has prompted discussions on the validity of its price structure and its impact on quality of advertising online. Many term the business model of ad-blockers as an extortion based businesses, built on fleecing advertisers. Still others question whether ad-blocking will actually benefit online advertising quality. In this paper, we investigate these issues using a game-theoretic model consisting of three agents – advertisers, users and an ad-blocker. Through our model, we provide answers to questions related to price structure of ad-blocker platforms, platform membership trends and implications on advertising quality online."
Media and communications resources and


text:
Episode Archive
81 episodes of Eclectic Readers since the first episode, which aired on June 13th, 2015.
Episode 81: Book Talk: Book Recs for Extraterrestrial Life
May 15th, 2020 | 42 mins 4 secs
book recs
Meredith, Tara, and Susan are given a mission: curate a list of books for extraterrestrial life. Each list is surprisingly different and yet they all have something in common. Listen and let us know what novels you would share with ET!
Episode 80: Secret Passages in a Hillside Town: We Had to Get It; We Were Told to Get It
April 30th, 2020 | 42 mins 20 secs
Jeannette and Susan try to enter the secret passages but find that it may not be as magical as they thought. From Olli as the protagonist to how Greta was handled, they try to unravel the themes and meanings.
Episode 79: Book Talk: Lit in the Time of Corona
April 15th, 2020 | 33 mins 50 secs
book recs, book talk
Susan, Tara, and Jeannette go into how they are doing during the stay-at-home orders. Specifically, how their reading habits are beneficial, if their reading habits have changed, and recs to get through this trying time.
Episode 78: Blood of Elves: Once You Sit Down, You're Invested
March 30th, 2020 | 44 mins 37 secs
book club, fantasy, small screen adaptation
Susan, Jeannette, and Meredith discuss Blood of Elves and how the books feel more modern yet formatting was very questionable. How very well translated is something if a word is used too much? Also, is pirouetting very important to describe fighting?
Episode 77: Book Talk: Small Screen Adaptation - I'm Doing Jazz Hands and Nobody Can See Me
March 15th, 2020 | 38 mins 44 secs
small screen adaptations
Jeannette, Meredith, and Susan talk about adaptations and how it affects their reading habits. Will they immediately read a book that's being adapted? They also talk of favorite adaptations and adaptations they would like to see.
Episode 76: March: Baby, Come Back!
February 29th, 2020 | 42 mins 15 secs
civil rights movement, freedom riders, graphic novel memoir, historical graphic novel, john lewis, march graphic novels
In this month's book club episode, Meredith, Tara, and Jeannette discuss the three book graphic novel memoir series "March" by US Congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis.
Episode 75: Book Talk: Diversity in Publishing
February 15th, 2020 | 44 mins 6 secs
Jeannette, Meredith, and Tara check out some recent stats on diversity in publishing, spotlight a couple of people advocating for diversity in the publishing world, and talk about what they do to maintain diversity in their own reading lives.
Episode 74: The Starless Sea: Had a Whiskey and Contemplated My Life
January 30th, 2020 | 47 mins 49 secs
erin morgenstern, fantasy, homage to stories, starless sea, storytelling
Our hosts dive right into the Starless Sea and discuss all the stories to make a whole story and more. Also, they discover if they are a Keeper, Guardian, or Acolyte.
Episode 73: Book Talk: A New Chapter
January 15th, 2020 | 44 mins 6 secs
Our hosts come together to discuss the evolution of their reading habits in the last decade. They then look forward to their resolutions of the coming year with a fun twist.
Episode 72: The Tenth Girl: Twist Me, Don't Trick Me
December 15th, 2019 | 1 hr 16 mins
female protagonist, horror, sara faring, tenth girl, ya
It's our end of the year wrap up and the gang's all here! Wherein Tara and Meredith talk about YALL Fest, we announce our 11th Hour Readathon to close out our 2019 TBRs, and we pick our favorites from this year's reads. Then we cozy up by a (internet) fire to discuss the not-so-scary ghost story: "The Tenth Girl."
Episode 71: Orlando: Don't Take My Pants Away
November 15th, 2019 | 1 hr 4 mins
It's Non-Fiction November! Susan, Meredith, and Tara discuss the genre in general, do they read a lot of nonfiction? And what are some of their favorite nonfiction books? Then they go into a fictional biography with Orlando. Virginia Woolf really is ahead of her time and they come to the conclusion that more time may be needed for classics.
Episode 70: City of Brass: I Don't Know if I Want Anyone to be in Charge
October 15th, 2019 | 1 hr 2 mins
chakraborty, city of brass, female protagonist, high fantasy, non-western fantasy
Meredith, Tara, and Susan talk all about Non-Western Fantasies in this month's episode, including which ones they've loved, which ones are still on their TBR, and what cultures they'd love to read more fantasies about. Then they discuss the historical fantasy and the world of djinns in The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty.
Episode 69: The Scarlet Pimpernel: Winnie-the-Pooh
September 15th, 2019 | 1 hr 9 mins
classic, emma orczy, french revolution, scarlet pimplernel
This month Susan, Jeannette, and Meredith talk about how pressured they feel about reading classic books and how it affects their TBR and just maybe realizing it's time to Marie Kondo their TBR. But they do cross a classic off their list with The Scarlet Pimpernel and discuss how it's more about a relationship than who the Scarlet Pimpernel is.
Episode 68: The City in the Middle of the Night: Insert Our Love for Libraries Here
August 15th, 2019 | 1 hr 15 mins
ebooks, libary love, sci fi
Tara, Jeannette, and Meredith talk about Macmillan's new ebook library lending model, what they love about our public libraries. Then they dive into Charlie Jane Anders' The City in the Middle of the Night. The book left them disoriented, but in a good way? You'll have to listen and find out why!
Episode 67: The Importance of Being Earnest: Bumbleberry
July 15th, 2019 | 50 mins 59 secs
importance of being earnest, oscar wilde, play, satire
All 4 ladies are in one place celebrating the book club's 10th anniversary! We talk a little about the Good Omens TV show on Amazon Prime, a little about how we love the theater, and a lot about being earnest.
Episode 66: A Thousand Mornings: I Was Told There'd Be Food?
June 15th, 2019 | 1 hr 6 mins
a thousand mornings, mary oliver, poetry
Tara finally gets her poetry episode! Jeannette and Meredith talk with her about their favorite poets, poetry memories from school, and then they discuss Mary Oliver's poetry collection A Thousand Mornings.


text:
The Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection
Nylon tape slings
Hermione Cooper
4 nylon tape slings
a & b - 2.5(w) cms c-4(w) cms d-2.59w) cms
blue, cream, orange
Various types of rope have been a around pretty much since man began to walk on earth. Early versions were made from grass,straw,animal hair and various other plant life such as manilla, sisal and hemp. Silk ropes enjoyed a brief period of fame round about 1900, but it wasn't until the arrival of nylon that we started to see ropes similar to the ones we use today.
We are not quite sure when nylon ropes first appeared on the market, but think 1950's is about right, and it seems that nylon tape came along pretty soon after. It appears that a lot of early tape was tubular (as with the white one here in the collection) for strength, making the tape nice and wide and nice and thick, as with the orange and blue ones we have here, was another obvious way of gaining strength.
Early tape was knotted rather than sewn, to join it until stitching methods got strong enough to do the job.
One of the first companies to make extensive use of tape in the UK was Troll- the Troll Whillan's climbing harness being one, if not the first, - made from nylon tape sewn together on an industrial scale.
We thought this little 'gaggle' of slings was a nice little look at sling history.
Dating from the 1960's they were donated by Jim (Skooby) Paterson and Ian (IDS) Thomson. Check out various other slings in the collection.
Donated by Jim (Skooby) Paterson
Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007


text:
Program Description
Do you want to study and learn English in an American University?
The University of Findlay's accredited Intensive English Language Program (IELP) certificate program prides itself in building students' English skills.
The IELP program is designed to:
- Increase English proficiency
- Assist with adjusting to life in the United States
- Facilitate academic success
Program Options:
- 8-week long summer session with activities designed to help you explore the state of Ohio and fully immerse yourself in the American culture. Cost: $4,392 (additional fees apply)
- 16-week long fall or spring semester session that gives you more time to advance your English proficiency, experience American culture and make connections with other students, both from the United States and the 40+ other countries represented on campus. Cost: $5,300 (additional fees apply)
Our certificate program is unique and services a diverse student body. Our faculty will prepare you with the necessary English skills and study strategies to be successful in your undergraduate and graduate courses. Special courses for both areas are offered each semester to prepare you for your respective area of study.
The mission of the Intensive English Language Program is to offer innovative programs to international students.
About the School
The University of Findlay is a flexible, forward-looking institution that is constantly seeking ways to better serve students and the community. In today's fast-paced world, Findlay is continually ada ... Read More


text:
Joshua 4:7
then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever."


text:
Miss Penny is the Birmingham-based drag sensation who performs at all your favourite London venues, including being a judge at It's a Knockout at Halfway II Heaven. She's a massive Tina Turner fan and has 35 wigs at home.
Where are you from originally?
I'm from a small town called Atherstone in Warwickshire, conceived under a wandering star and born on a policeman's overcoat in a bus shelter.
And where do you live now?
I know reside in Bearwood, Birmingham, and have done for a number of years. It's central for gallivanting across the UK, spreading my joy and vulgarity. I live with my partner, who some know from adult DVDs and even VHS. And also my housemate, Sam.
What do you love about living in Birmingham and why?
Well there's a Gregg's on every corner and an Oddbins every four paces, so it's pretty good for that. Birmingham is such a diverse city and is currently undergoing a lot of redevelopment, which will be a boon – when it's all finished. I like it when people go 'Oh I can tell you're from Birmingham' and then talk in a Black Country accent. No, it's totally different bab!
What was the first gay venue you visited?
The first gay venue I visited was The Fox, which is Birmingham's lesbian bar, ran by Andy King – he's been there for years and is a major face on the gay scene here. It's such a fun bar. I remember they played the song Court of King Caractacus and all the girls put down their drinks, climbed up onto the bar and tables and did the dance. It was sooo camp and hilarious… Obviously I'm not camp at all; butch top, me.
Anything you are looking forward to at the moment?
I was looking forward to judging the opening of Bette Rinse's It's a Knockout at Halfway, but I've been a tad poorly lately so couldn't be there. It's a fun time of year with Halloween, my birthday in November and, of course, Christmas coming up, and I cannot wait. I like a strange man popping down my chimney, and the stockings, obvs.
What was the last theatre show you saw, where, and what did you think of it?
OMG Tina The Musical! I'm a mahoosive Tina fan and Mum got me premium tickets. I went with Olly Blatherwick from The Welly and it was A-MAZ-ING; the staging, songs, actors, lighting – just a total joy. I would recommend it if you haven't been.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Good food! I don't care how much I spend as long as it's good and I don't have to wash up. I mean, these hands don't do dishes, that's what the houseboy is for…
Biggest extravagance?
Wigs! I have so many. I have 35; I think I have a problem. I literally love them! Oh and jewellery, too. I have four drawers full, rings, necklaces and earrings. My name is Miss Penny and I have a wig and jewellery addiction – send help.
What has been the highlight of your career so far and why?
Oh loads since I started this journey, from my first proper show all those years ago. My first show in London, being part of the comedy roast of Rose Garden at The RVT, working abroad. I did a wedding at The Clink a few years ago, that was so surreal but amazing; I'd never done anything like that. Slightly kinky too. I've also been lucky to be a regular host for Jimmy Smith for some of the biggest charity nights at the Brewers.
Best gift you've ever received?
Most recent has to be my Eurythmics box set from the better half. He hunted high and low for it last Christmas and I was over the moon when it arrived. And my Tina musical tickets from Mummy.
If you could go back in time which year would you choose and why?
The 90s, mainly because I love the music; there were so many good dance tracks then. There were hardly any mobile phone and people actually had conversations.
What's the best party you've ever been to and what made it so good?
That's a silly question – as if can remember any of them!
What is the best piece of advice you've been given?
Drag-wise it was from Tony Page: 'You must learn how to lip-read dear.' Sounded strange at the time but how true he was. You can scour a crowd while singing and see what people are saying and it triggers things in the brain for patter as you go along. So beware…
Who is your LGBT+ hero and why?
There are many, but my personal one has to be Son of a Tutu. She is so attentive to all things LGBT+ and an avid supporter of our community. The video she just did for BBC is amazing and inspiring; she knows how to put things across in ways that many cannot. Her finger is on the pulse constantly, nothing gets by her. Tutu's knowledge of our history and politics is vast. A true hero for speaking out and a true hero for the support she gives to our community.
Who are the most entertaining people you follow on social media and why?
Oh I love Bette Midler and Cher on Twitter; their posts are hilarious. John Partridge is a total doll to chat to and follow. On the drag circuit it has to be Ginny Lemon from Birmingham, her live videos give me life and are so whacky. She's out to lunch on a one way ticket.
Where in the world would you like to visit before you die?
New York is on the bucket list, and Thailand. Maybe Bognor as I've heard it's nice through a car windscreen on a cold wet night.
What is one thing you wish you knew when you were younger?
If I knew how much effort doing drag entails and how much high heels hurt when you've been doing a two-week straight run of shows, then I might have worked in a library instead. But I would never change anything. I'm a true believer in your fate is your fate. Hindsight is a wonderful, but you can't do anything about it.


text:
"When a person wants to know the opposite sex, they go on a date. Both parties may not have a common association but the table and food shared over dinner set a common group of fellowship. Communion denotes association and fellowship. The common food is Jesus. God feeds and enjoys Jesus' love as seen in the fellowship offering in Leviticus. We too feed and enjoy Jesus when He said He is the Bread of Life and whosoever eats of Him will not die. Have communion today and remember what He died to give us — fellowship with our Father!" – Adrian Ho
Yes, Jesus is my Sunshine bread, the bright and morning star. 🙂


text:
- Full Price
- You Save
43 bought
Fine Print
- Valid from 13 June – 23 Aug 2019
- Timings: Sat – Thu: 10am – 9pm / Fri: 12pm – 9pm
- Not valid 7 days before & 3 days during Eid Al Adha 2019
- Advance booking required (subject to availability)
- For inquiries/appointments, contact: Izghawa branch: 3033 6266 / 4451 2854 or Gharaffa branch: 4418 5687 / 4038 2954 / 3094 0943
- Merchant cancellation/re-scheduling policy of 12hrs applies
- Maximum hair length: 20inches, get a 20% discount on extra length to be paid directly at the salon
- The quality & care of the advertised services & offers are solely the responsibility of the merchant
- Cannot be exchanged or redeemed for other services
- Not valid with other offers
- No cash value/No cash back/No refunds
- Present voucher upon arrival
- Ladies only deal
Please see the terms for all deals here
Option 1: Sleek Now Hair Treatment
Pay QR299 instead of QR700
- The procedure leaves hair straight, lustrous and frizz-free
- Compatible with all kinds of straightening products and chemical processes
- Lasts for up to 1 month on curly hair and from 1 to 2 months on wavy hair
- If necessary, it can be reapplied 20 days after the previous application
- Duration: Approx. 45mins
Option 2: Brazilian Blow Out OR Collagen Hair Smoothing Treatment
Pay QR399 instead of QR2000
Brazilian Blow Out
- Most innovative and effective professional smoothing treatment
- Improves hair condition by creating a protective protein layer around the hair shaft to eliminate frizz and smooth the cuticle
- You can either keep your curls and lose the frizz or achieve the smoothest possible result
- Immediately wash hair, exercise or put your hair in a stylish ponytail without worry
- Great for all hair types – curly, kinky, frizzy, fine or damaged
- No change in curl patterns; natural curl pattern returns after 12 weeks
- No line of demarcation with new hair growth – great for transitioning from straighteners, relaxers or other keratin treatments
- End result: smooth, frizz-free hair with radiant shine for up to 12 weeks
- Duration: Approx. 70 – 90mins
Collagen Hair Smooth Treatment
- Similar to hair botox treatment but more concentrated in cleansing
- Does not straighten hair but beneficial in the long run
- Treatment results last approx. 3 months depending on hair type
- Duration: Approx. 70 – 90mins
Option 3: BB+ Hair Treatment
Pay QR699 instead of QR2000
- Combines treatment and styling ingredients in one session for healthy hair texture
- Get stunning hair with professional BB Crème which is a quick and easy treatment that offers various benefits for all hair types
- Suitable for colored and straightened hair which will last 3-6 months
- Duration: Approx. 90mins
NOTE: Maximum hair length: 20inches, get a 20% discount on extra length to be paid directly at the salon
Get gorgeous hair this year with up to 80% off!
The salon offers high-end quality service from your hair down to your nails. The salon in Doha was opened a year ago but the Kuwait branch has been opened for a long time. Starting from nails, mani/pedi, artificial nails and paraffin services to Moroccan baths of different varieties. Same as body waxing and several types of facials.
When it comes to hair services, they offer different kinds of hair treatments like smoothening or straightening treatments. Hairstyles, from simple blow dry brushing to the extravagant hairstyles for different occasion, they have it all. They also have both full hair color and highlights. The staff is mainly from Tunisia and Morocco with our nail technicians from the Philippines.
The main goal is to satisfy all customers with whatever beauty needs they want. They do hair consultation and tests before doing any hair treatments to make sure that everything will be done properly.
Their makeup artists are Tunisian and Qatari ladies. They work with appointments so we prefer our customers to call 2 days prior to your preferred appointment, but walk in customers can be accepted depending on the availability of staff. They also offer home services.


text:
Denim jeans are the ultimate go-to for every season and are pretty much certain to look good regardless of how you style them
With so many different types of jeans to consider these days, things can get a bit overwhelming. To ease your future shopping experience, check out our guide to types of jeans for women/men, and the best denim jeans to suit your body type
Jeans has advanced a lot since tailor Jacob W. Davis and drygoods salesman Levi Strauss patented the rivet in 1873.
The 20th century's most iconic garment – blue jeans – is more than ripe for designers to experiment with and disrupt in the fashion sense, and right now they're doing so in droves.
Today, despite many predictions that jeans would disappear from our wardrobes, they are still going strong after 145 years of faithful service, and denim pants and jackets are still at the top of the lists of our favourite items to wear in spring.
|Rag & Bone Dre Skinny Boyfriend Jeans
Price: €160
Whiskering and fading give these slim boyfriend jeans a broken-in look, and worn edges complement the undone style.
|Good Legs Slim-Fit Skinny Jeans
Price: €200
Slim-fit, skinny, cropped, high-rise, loops, five pockets, silver-toned hardware, faded wash, contrasting stitching, frayed trim at centre, slits at cuffs, cross loops at centre back, v-shaped yoke at back.
|Balmain Slim-Fit Biker Jeans
Price: €1270
These Balmain biker jeans are defined by their slim fit and ribbed details above the knees.
|Slim Fit
Price: €140
Soft to the touch and extremely comfortable, the style comes in a range of hues that slip right into your everyday lineup.
|Ollie Ecru Denim
Price: €210
The off-white Ollie jeans are a seasonal favourite, made in comfortable stretch denim with a higher waist, slim hip and wide, cropped legs.
|Slim-Fit Jean In Black Stretch Denim
Price: €125
Extra slim through hip and thigh, with our narrowest leg.
|LEVI'S Straight High-Rise Jeans
From €95
Regular-fit, straight, high-rise, belt loops, five pockets, branded hardware, faded wash, branded leather patch at back, v-shaped yoke at back, signature stitching at back pockets…


text:
This is how perfumery managed to increase sales using Ingramer Direct Messages.
September 17, 2019
It doesn't matter whether you sell goods or run a personal account, to build a really loyal community, you need to interact with your audience closely. How to do that? Using Direct Messages! And how to do that if your audience totals thousands of followers? Using Auto Direct Messenger!
With this article, you'll find out what auto messenger is, how it works and how to use it for your business sake.
What are the features of Auto DM service?Auto DM is a service which enables bulk automatic messages sending.
- You choose the recipient of messages: all new followers, all followers without exception and certain followers from the Custom List.
- You create messages templates: you can write a text and add some media files to it to make it more unique.
- You narrow down the mailing list base: using Gender and Language filters and choosing the number of users' followers and follows.
- You can send messages directly from your PC, without wasting yourself for multiple gadgets.
How to apply it: A case-storyProblem:
A client Emma addressed to Ingramer's team in hope to find a solution to her particular problem:
- poor sales;
- the lack of understanding of Target Audience needs;
- the absence of loyal regular clients.
The aim was to streamline the sales without significant time and money loses.
We offered to acquire a standard Ingramer Package together with Auto DM service. The emphasis was put on Direct Messages as the main issue of the client was the absence of a connection with potential and existing clients.
Together we created a mailing strategy and elaborated the messages templates and launched auto mailing.
The strategy included mailout of the first welcoming messages to all new followers, the mailout of exclusive information to users from a custom lists (which are created on the bases of users' activity) and the mailout with the ask for branded content creation for all the followers.
1. The first greeting message is a must
The purpose of the first message is to establish contact with the audience. Thus, you put out some feelers and realize whether a user is ready to engage with you. In order for the tool to work efficiently, our client worked out the text for the first message based on our recommendations. Here is what she did:
- Taking into account that a person regularly follows a lot of accounts, she thought up the message which immediately win followers' attention and briefly tell how this business can be useful.
- Emma made the letter as personal as possible. She tried to show that she wanted to establish communication and not just keep formalities. Keeping in mind that the person who has just followed an account, quite possibly, knows nothing about the brand, she put a little feeling in the message. That should help make a user more loyal. Here it's vital to not overdo it, familiarity and simulated emotions are likely to cause an inverted effect.
- She avoided formalities. Dull messages and deliberately respectful tonality immediately report that this is an automatic mailing. Nobody will read them to the end.
- Emma didn't try to sell with the first message. Not always a person follows a business account to buy something immediately. Therefore, 1st-message sales instead of a sincere greeting will immediately cause negative and motivate people to unfollow the account.
- As the welcome message should be made short, informative and memorable, she chose 1-2 key thoughts for the first message. Thanks to our recommendations, she decided that it's a good tone to greet a new follower and offer help with a choice.
Hi, I'm Emma, the founder of the brand. Thank you for following me! I am always in touch to answer any questions about our perfumes. If you can't find a fragrance to your liking, I can make the one just for you. Feel free to text me here or leave a request on my website a link 😊
The results:
Our client tested this variant sending it to 200 new followers. 197 users opened the message. Thus, the open-rate was 98,5% which is a nice result. Out of 197 users, 95 wrote the reply. 78% clicked the link.
2. We give users an exclusive
One of the main reason why people follow brands is the pleasant feeling of being close to it, to feel a kind of insider. Our psychology motivates us to belong to a particular community. Why not propel this feeling and turn it to advantage and capitalize?
Exclusive information here is a feed. It includes not only discounts and coupons, though they are also needed. What Emma did:
1. She created a Custom List and added there the most active users. The aim was to encourage them with some insider information about discount and promotions available for them exclusively; The mailout was:
Hi😃 I've noticed that you are an admirer of quality perfume, so I decided to offer a special discount 15% for any fragrance from new collection - only for most active followers! Choose and text me back!
2. She notified about giveaways which were held only on Instagram and only for a certain category of followers. Thus, she let them know that they were the first to learn about these promos. Emma decided to check how well followers know the brand.
Hello again! Just wanted to let you know that you have the chance to win one of three most popular fragrances! To win, you just have to give the right answer. Meet ya on 31 October. Good luck!
The results of an 'exclusive'-strategy:
The ER of the audience increased by 45%. Emma started to receive twice more comments under each post. That causes significant sales growth – 27,8%.
3. Ask to share posts or create posts for the brand
This strategy works very efficiently, as you significantly expand your reach, build brand confidence and receive customer recommendations. This content format is incredibly valuable for sales growth.
Our client offered a bunch of free testers for everyone who would share the 3 posts from the account feed:
Hey! I hope you are doing well😃 I want to offer you something cool: share 3 of my posts and get 20 testers of the best fragrances for free! Love, Emma
The results of posts-sharing strategy:
Thus, Emma increased the reach and attracted new followers to the page. Thanks to good recommendations she received, users started to make orders more willingly without postponing the purchases.
Total results:
Having worked through it, thanks to Ingramer, our beautiful client Emma created an automated sales system in which a potential buyer, moving from one stage to another, in a logical and clear order, began to trust him, becomes loyal and regular.
Thus, she constantly generated new customers, led them further along the product line, generating new sales, increasing the average check.
In 2 months, our client managed to establish a close connection of our client with his audience. That helped to understand the target audience better and realize what it needs. Thus,
- 27,8% sales increase;
- 45% more loyal public;
- the number of regular clients has increased thrice;
- 160 hours and thousands of dollars saved;
- after completing all the steps, Emma received hundreds of new messages per day. She answered all messages as quickly as possible, interacted with the audience and engaged them in communication - this greatly increased the return on money invested in advertising. The ROMI, in this case, was incredibly high, as the investment was 156 Euro for 2 months.
If you think it's hard…You are mistaken. Not only marketers and Smm-specialist can set up such a campaign. With Ingramer, it's ease to nurture loyal customers as our Instagram DM offers a wide functional and intuitive interface which doesn't require any professional skills from you.
Moreover, for everyone who buys our DM module, we gift free DM templates and sales scripts and promise full customer support at any time.


text:
To the Editor:
There is a deep vein of pessimism running through the country right now. This was the message of a recent poll in the Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill, which found almost 70 percent of respondents saying that the U.S. is "in decline." Ame
To the Editor:
There is a deep vein of pessimism running through the country right now. This was the message of a recent poll in the Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill, which found almost 70 percent of respondents saying that the U.S. is "in decline." Americans are dejected.
I understand the sentiment, but it is far too soon to give in to it. If you look at our system's abiding strengths, rather than the shortcomings of the moment, you can't help but conclude that the challenges ahead of us may be formidable, but they are not unmanageable.
For one thing, we have a durable Constitution that has given us more than two centuries of political stability. Just as important, our fundamentals are strong: we have a long history of renewing ourselves through immigration, are blessed with vast economic resources, can deploy a dynamic, talented and innovative workforce, educate our young adults at institutions of higher education that are the envy of the world, and encourage all these assets to flourish in a free, secure, and democratic society.
It may be hard these days to find many people who think of Congress or the political system it represents as being core American strengths, but they are. Our government is built on the belief that ultimate power rests with a diverse people, and that they need a way to make their many voices heard and to work out their differences peaceably.
This is what Congress is about - it makes sure that society's varied and conflicting opinions are heard before government acts, and then moves forward in a measured fashion that tends over time to force policy-makers to find consensus. This is why the work of the Congress over many decades has had such a fundamentally positive impact on Americans' daily lives, in ways we should be grateful we can take for granted.
I would be the last to argue that things are perfect - either in Congress or within the political system as a whole. Our institutions need plenty of reforms that ought to be on the front burner and aren't. Faced with a mass of serious challenges, we are not dealing with them efficiently or with far-sightedness. Local, partisan and private interests too often prevail over the national interest. Our system too often favors the rich and ignores the poor.
Yet these problems characterize this particular moment in our history, not our basic way of being. They may be discouraging, but they are not crippling. The American people have not given up on our system of government. Our challenge as a nation is not to reinvent ourselves, but to use the abundant strengths we possess to find our way through our problems and emerge stronger on the other side.
Lee Hamilton
Director, the Center on Congress
Indiana University
Bloomington, Ind.


text:
Take a ride on Ohio 511 north off of the 250 bypass, go approximately seven miles and you will come upon the most beautiful display on a barn you will ever see.
I kept passing it on our Saturday and Sunday jaunts in the Ashland area. Each time I failed to have my camera with me. Last week in returning from Oberlin after watching my granddaughter play softball, I told my wife I was going to stop and ask the owners if I could take a picture of the beautiful American flag on their barn.
Phil and Judy Kocab are the parents of a son who served in Desert Storm. To show their appreciation to all veterans, they created this flag.
However, for safety and privacy reasons, they cannot have people driving into their lane to the house to view the flag. The view from the road is more than enough for all to soak in the beauty of the work. The best view is when coming from the south on Ohio 511.
The Kocabs were extremely happy to acknowledge my love for honoring veterans. We talked for several minutes, exchanging our feelings about veterans and present-day military members serving our country to keep us free. Where would we and our country be without the sacrifices of the military veterans and their families?
The flag covers much of the east side of the barn. I stood for several moments soaking in the beauty of it.
As I transferred the picture above from my camera to my computer, I decided all veterans should hear about this uplifting experience.
Some of you might remember my letter to the editor a year ago about "Red Fridays," where I expressed my feelings for honoring veterans and present-day military personnel by wearing red shirts on Fridays. The past two years I was very proud to go to work at Truax Printing in Loudonville and along with several of my co-workers wore red on Fridays. A new employee who was my replacement as I retired on Dec. 31 said to me one Friday morning, "See Bob, I'm wearing red for you." I thanked her and said to her it wasn't only for me but for all who served in the service and the ones serving now.
The first thing a soldier says when asked, "What can we do to make things better for you?" is "We need your support and your prayers." I think everyone who loves our country will share this. It will not be long before the U.S. is covered in red, and it will let our troops know the once-silent majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media let on.
Fly your beautiful Old Glory American flag each day, not just on special flag days. Please replace your flag when it gets ripped, torn or dirty. Many veteran organizations have special ceremonies to dispose of worn and torn flags.
Also the Red Cross needs blood throughout the U.S. If able, sign up and help keep the blood banks full. Encourage your children and grandchildren to go to the local bloodmobile and give a pint on a regular basis. This blood not only helps the local people in need, but is sent overseas to help our wounded military.
I encourage anyone who needs an uplifting of spirits to drive north on Ohio 511 and view this beautiful salute to veterans.
Please view it carefully from the road; there is a lot of traffic along Ohio 511.
Robert Hurst
Help is available
for teens in trouble
Since Tuesday, the Times-Gazette has posted a notice for information about two young Ashland County girls who are believed to have run away.
I am, like everyone else who has seen this in the paper, feeling a mixture of sadness and fear for these two young girls. Recent statistics indicate anywhere from 1 to 3 million teens runaway every year in the U.S.
It is so important for any teenager or child who feels the need to get away, for whatever reason, to realize help is available.
Locally, Appleseed Community Mental Health Center, through funding of the Ashland County Mental Health and Recovery Board offers a 24-hour crisis line, 419-289-6111 or 888-400-8500. The Rape Crisis Domestic Violence Safe Haven, funded by Ashland County United Way, also offers 24-hour crisis intervention at 419-289-8085 or 888-304-9844.
My thoughts and prayers go out for these two young ladies, and it is my hope they and others who are considering running away will seek out help.
Jerry Strausbaugh
Executive Director
Appleseed Community Mental Health Center


text:
The California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) is pleased to announce that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has reviewed and approved California's Health Information Technology (HIT) for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) proposal for $40 million through September 30, 2021.
The approval of State's advance planning document adds additional funding for administrative support and implementation activities for a new Health Information Technology in Emergency Medical Services (HITEMS) project. The HITEMS project will facilitate emergency care and disaster response by developing bidirectional connections between Health Information Organizations, local EMS agencies and providers, local hospitals, and medical professionals. This project will advance care coordination by allowing Medicaid providers to meet meaningful use requirements through improved health information exchange and advancing interoperability tools and services for EMS, community paramedics, End-of-Life decisions and disaster medical responses.
The approved Implementation Advance Planning Document-Update (IAPD-U) was submitted by the California Department of Health Care Services' (DHCS) in March 2018. DHCS will partner with the State of California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) to develop this project, which is estimated to run through September 30, 2021 with an estimated cost of $40 million dollars using a 90/10 matching formula. The State must provide adequate support for all costs claimed and provide detailed records and proper audit trails. Additionally, only actual costs incurred are reimbursable. Onsite reviews will be conducted at the discretion of CMS to determine if the objectives for which FFP was approved are being accomplished and to verify that the program is being administered efficiently and effectively as described in 42 CFR § 495, Subpart D.
Two important Next Steps for EMSA are on the horizon:
- EMSA continues to work with Foundations and Local EMS agencies to identify the required 10% non-federal matching funds.
- EMSA expects to begin to formally solicit proposals from local EMS agencies for health information exchange for EMS within the next 30-45 days.
Please contact Leslie Witten-Rood, HITEMS Project Manager, for further information. email@example.com


text:
The set up changes seem to have led to weak cuts. Distances with all clubs are down and the driver has a mind of its own, determined it seems to carve the ball as far right as possible into the deepest rough each hole has to offer. To be honest, Royal Ascot Golf Club is now looking an absolute picture, the best it has since it moved to the new course and we started playing in August 2005. However accuracy is now at a premium, and if I was to err on a note of slight criticism, the semi-rough is too long and it's a lofted club to get the ball forward. It really needs an intermediate cut, then this depth of rough and then the real bundra we have, which to be honest, if your ball goes into it, you deserve to be reloading. Of course that muttering is just my point of view although I know it's a view others have voiced in the 19th. Maybe the word will get back. Maybe the club just have a sadistic streak and not happy with taking our subs annually enjoy watching us suffer each weekend as well!
This week is the world famous Royal Ascot horse racing festival. Although the club is technically open, playing on a reduced course, to be honest the aggravation of getting to and from the club with revised traffic flows, huge crowds and a lack of practice facilities, mean I tend to give it a wide berth each year. We do have a number of reciprocal agreements and many use this week to take advantage and travel to sample other courses.
As my game has unravelled a little, I'm using it to have a number of lessons. On Tuesday (14th) I had an hour with Andy Piper to sort all that ailed my game in recent weeks. On Friday I am having an hour with Gary Smith, an England Golf coach, a Golf Monthly top 25 coach and inventor of the Linear Method of short game. This is down at Sutton Green Golf Club in Guildford and has a designated short game area (Gary Smith in Surrey Golf Magazine - turn to page 26/27).
I have spoken many, many time about Linear Method pitching and chipping and it's a technique I feel more comfortable with than a more conventional method. I've been working on it, self taught via an instructional DVD, but now I've a chance to get the top man to make sure I am doing it properly, give me the absolute chapter and verse on this (the search on the front page of this site will give you all you need to know about all things Linear). That's still to come though. This was about getting my swing back on track.
As well as a teaching professional, with a portfolio including many single figure golfers and professionals, and being an examiner and coursework assessor for the PGA, Andy Piper teaches golfers at all levels under the ethos of "Enjoy the Challenge" and tailors and approach to suit golfers of all abilities.
|Andy Piper - the name in charge of trying to sort my ailing golf swing - Brave man!
The cure, as always with Andy was simple. We started by getting taller and closer to the ball so the shoulders were much more over the top of the feet and not in front. From there, we tweaked the hand position at address and moved the head position slightly back. Think the iconic Jack Nicklaus head turn. From there it was simply a case of making the same swing I had, ensuring I stayed behind the ball at impact and bingo, the ball began travelling straighter and further. In fact distance was a few yards up on what I'd consider my average per club. There were still some bad shots, but these derived from a poor tempo, far too quick in the takeaway. We call it the excited puppy, where I see progress, and like a puppy get way too excited and so don't go through the checklist in set-up and swing way too quickly.
Having tweaked the irons we moved onto the driver. As I alluded to earlier, the semi-rough we currently have at Royal Ascot is rather long and penal and finding where the mower goes is vital. We didn't play around too much with the set-up we'd created and it was a case of simply swinging smoothly, feeling the toe of the driver was taking over through impact as I had a tendency to want to hold onto it and push it down the line instead of letting it release. Again, distance returned and dispersion was far tighter.
This was an hour long lesson. Like the usual thirty minute ones, time flew by and it was over so quickly. I feel back in tune with my game and plan to work hard over the next few days to get the set up changes in place before the course re-opens fully next week and I can get out and test the revamped swing. I don't feel we've re-invented the wheel with the changes and I haven't got a plethora of swing thoughts in my head. I've a basic checklist to go through, mainly about the initial address position and standing closer and taller, then trusting it and letting it flow.
So far so good with my return to school week. I've a new swing aid to tell you about once I get it for my 50th birthday tomorrow (16th) and I've given it a test. I've also got the hour of tuition with Gary Smith on Friday. This I'm really excited about as I feel the Linear Method is far better suited to my short game. It sits better in my head and I feel I can commit better to the shots. I'm self taught to date and so hopefully Gary will add some meat to the bones and he'll tweak what I've done myself and get my short game really firing.
I've a lot of work to do in the next week or so to make these changes from both lessons feel natural and get them working out on the course. As always, I'm committed to the challenge and while the odyssey towards single figures remains in hiatus with health issues curtailing as much playing and practice as I'd like, its still game on as far as that's concerned. For now, I need to get the ball into play off the tee more often, something I feel more than capable of doing, and then using the new set up to stay behind the ball and deliver a solid strike onto target. After Friday if I do miss the target, my new short game skills should see me right. After all, what can possibly go wrong?


text:
LINDA NYONDO, Lusaka
COMMON Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has initiated a three-year project called 50 million African Women speak project worth US$13.3 million. Project coordinator David Sabiti said in an interview that the project aims to set up a platform that will allow women to participate and share experiences with urban and rural women entrepreneurs.
He said the project will enable women have access to financial services and promote entrepreneurial skills.
"The project will be funded by African Development Bank (AfDB) and regional communities with US$12 million coming from AfDB and the other US$1.3 million being sourced from regional communities,'' he said.
The project will be managed by a standing committee which will have representations from the African Union, regional communities and women's organisations from benefiting countries.
Mr Sabiti said women entrepreneurs from 36 African countries, which include Zambia, will benefit from the project.
He said the purpose of the project is to contribute to economic empowerment of women.
Mr Sabiti said the project which COMESA has initiated will be implemented through existing established ministries in 36 benefiting countries.
He said women entrepreneurs can easily have access to information by browsing on the website to get information and many business opportunities.
"The platform will be a very powerful tool of interaction; we will engage a firm which will design our website. The website will be user-friendly to make it easy for women to get information,'' Mr Sabiti said.
He said the aim of the project is to improve the business of a few women who are in business and are struggling to develop their business because of their gender.
"Many African women fail to penetrate the business industry due to barriers such as lack of education, property rights and legal barriers,'' Mr Sabiti said.


text:
Marq on Main residents can look forward to several fun events this summer, including one of Lisle's most cherished festivals, Eyes to the Skies. The Eyes to the Skies festival is widely known for its hot air balloon display, showcasing around 20-30 balloons each year, including athletically themed balloons, specialty balloons, and festival sponsored balloons. […]Continue Reading
Check Out Lisle's Eyes to the Skies Festival
Monday, June 11, 2018


text:
Moratuwa Uni. starts Aviation Engineering Dept.Published : 12:02 am May 26, 2018 | No comments so far | |
(208)reads |
Flying in the sky was a big dream of humans throughout the globe in the past and different nations tried in several ways to achieve the success but failed.
According to the legend of Ravana Dandumoneraya might be the world's first aeroplane which transported people, thousands of years before Wright brothers' invention. Therefore, we had a great history in constructing aeroplanes. With the growing trend of searching of Ravana legend among public research, if we will be able to prove the history, we can claim that we are the pioneers of the aeronautical field.
A long time after Ravana era, past 2-3 decades, there was an isolated effort of making aeroplanes in Sri Lanka and most of these were confined to research level.
In addition, there have been few aviation schools dedicated to aircraft maintenance courses. The Aeronautical Engineering is growing in-line with the country's expanding air transport sector, as well as the increase in industry-related professionals.
A long time after Ravana era, past 2-3 decades, there was an isolated effort of making aeroplanes in Sri Lanka and most of these were confined to research level
Amongst all the courses in engineering, aeronautical engineering is a niche field and is only available in a few reputed
universities in the world. As a result of high demand for aeronautical engineering courses, for the first time in the state university sector, the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Moratuwa added "Aviation" to the B.Sc. Engineering degree programme. Our Aeronautical Engineering Stream provides a solid foundation in mechanical engineering, leading to specialisation in aeronautical engineering. Aeronautical Engineering is a branch of aerospace engineering that deals with the study and creation of advanced technologies in the field of aviation, defence system,
and space technology. This course prepares you for designing, development, testing, maintenance and operation of commercial aeroplanes, military aircraft and their components. Although aeronautical engineers generally don't fly aircraft, they certainly have a huge contribution towards the field of aviation.
This course not only produced young aeronautical engineers to serve the country but also show their colours internationally gaining pride to the country. At present, the first batch of ten undergraduate students will participate in international aeronautical competitions in the UK showing that their knowledge and skills are hands in hand with other international graduates.
As a result of high demand for aeronautical engineering courses, the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Moratuwa added Aviation to the B.Sc. Engineering degree programme
Aeronautical engineering has become a highly paid and prestigious career option. Although the salary of most aeronautical engineers depends on their academic excellence and individual skills, the average beginners' pay in this field is much higher than in other engineering fields.
There is a huge need for aeronautical engineers in airlines, aircraft manufacturing units, aero engine production plants and design development programmes for the aviation industry. In fact, there are immense opportunities for those who wish to work abroad.
Moreover, we hope to get the knowledge and practical skills from world-recognized experts in aeronautical industries such as Airbus, Boeing and other aeronautical related industry, with an aim of manufacture aeroplanes within in Sri Lanka in near future.
Currently, we are in close collaboration with Sri Lankan Air Force, Sri Lankan Airlines and other aeronautical related industries to fulfil above aim. The University of Moratuwa has already established a research centre in Homagama and this centre caters and provides facilities and experts to make true of this. Other University students, especially who are interested in aeronautical fields, especially post-graduate level, can also join us.
Manufacturing our own aircraft is no longer a dream. At present Sri Lanka is already in the process of making a simultaneous improvement on the following aspects such as, Development of aviation infrastructure, Airline fleet modernization and expansion, improving local and international aviation affairs and Expanding and improving aviation related functions and activities.