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Racing Around: Cosselman celebrates first win in pro stock
After nine years of racing in the street stock division, Randy Cosselman was looking for a bigger challenge.
"We had won a couple races in the street stocks and had a bunch of seconds, but it seemed we were pouring as much into the street stock as we would have been in the pro stock," Cosselman said.
So when an opportunity to drive a pro stock came, he jumped at it.
"Five years ago, Luke Horning asked if I wanted to try out a pro stock and I just said sure, I will give it a whirl," he said. "The last race of that year I ran both the street stock and a pro stock. It was a No. 22 that A.J. Walters had."
He was hooked.
"We figured if we were going to pour all that money into the car we might as well move up in class so it could give us a little money back," Cosselman said. "I don't plan on getting out of racing for a while yet so we might as well try to get a little bit of money back."
After weeks of frustration to go with some solid runs, Cosselman parked his No. 5C pro stock in Victory Lane for the first time at Fonda Speedway last Saturday night.
"It felt great and it took a lot of pressure off my shoulders," he said. "To win down there is special. There are at least 10 guys at Fonda that could win on any night. Here we have a 2005 HRD Pro Stock and we beat all those guys with the new chassis. We have done updates to it but it has been around. The car was fast last year. On the Thunder Along the Mohawk weekend, we were the fastest car in time trials and won our heat race, but had bad luck when we went into the feature."
Racing in early June seems to favor Cosselman as his two other victories in the Pro Stock division came at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park on June 3 and June 17, 2016.
In all three victories, Cosselman did something unique to honor a longtime friend Don Warner. He removed the hood from his car and braced it against the side, showing the tribute to the late street stock driver prominently displayed on the hood.
"Rocky and I were always friends and Don just started helping out on the car and coming around all the time," Cosselman said. "He was a close friend, almost like a second dad. He believed in me and that meant a lot. Both he and Rocky always had the belief in me that I could do it."
Randy wasn't the only Cosselman to win last weekend as his cousin Steve picked up the street stock win Sunday at The Ridge.
At Fonda, Randy, Steve, Brian and Neil have all posted victories in the street stock division.
"Steve had the 25C. My brother Brian liked Rusty Wallace so he went with the 2C. My brother Neil went with the 52C because he liked that," Randy said. "I wanted to go with the 6 because I was a huge Mark Martin fan, but they made me go with the 5."
With the cost of racing increasing, Cosselman sees the crate motors as a way to help keep the cost of fielding a competitive Pro Stock down and keep the competition close.
"I think the crates are definitely the way to go," he said. "The class has definitely grown a lot. It was a year or two before I got into the pro stocks that there were only about 10 cars down there at Fonda. But they were still exciting to watch. Then after we got into it there seemed to be a whole lot more drivers. You go to any track on any given night and people are watching the pro stocks because we are sometimes two and three wide the whole race. Lots of times it is the best show of the night."
Cosselman also is grateful for the support he has had throughout his career.
"I have to thank my wife Becky," he said. "Hoose Construction has been with us since we went Pro Stock and Don's Towing, Tommy Spencer has helped us out and Nancy Denley has been with us since day one. Smith and Sons, Jackson Hewitt, Main Street Auto, North Country Electric, Red's Service and Repair and 2B Extreme Graphics have all helped out."
Sheppard wins The Tribute
Matt Sheppard led 44 laps of the 61 lap $6,112-to-win The Tribute race honoring Jumpin' Jack Johnson and C.D. Coville for his 16th win of the season Tuesday night at Albany-Saratoga Speedway
Kenny Tremont followed Sheppard under the checkers, while and Stewart Friesen, who reskinned his modified with the No. 61 and paint scheme honoring Coville, finished third. Danny Varin and Erick Rudolph completed the top five. Matt DeLorenzo, Jeremy Wilder, Marc Johnson, Brian Krummel and Ronnie Johnson made up the second five.
Kim Duell picked up the victory over Norm Loubier and Dan Older in the companion pro stock feature.


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As you will have seen from Polly's post below, lately we have been considering the relationship between the physical text (medieval manuscripts in our case) and the digital output which we are in the process of constructing here at the Estoria Digital.
The immediate response to the question "why keep the manuscript then?" (and I am sure we would all say the same) is that this is not even a question worth addressing. The question should simpy not arise and to engage with it may give the impression that we are entertaining the possibility of more than one answer. There are already enough examples of philistinism in the world. For us, as scholars who are not the owners of our cultural and intellectual wealth but merely the custodians of it so we can pass it on to future generations (amended perhaps, but fundamentally intact), some things are, and should be, sacred. And our manuscript culture, in which I include the physical objects, is one of those things.
To explain why manuscripts have the status of sacred objects (and not just artefacts) is not to engage with the question above. But before doing so, I would like to suggest why I think we are in a moment of rare privilege. For scholar of medieval texts, the possibilities which have emerged in the digital sphere in the last two decades or so are very exciting. I suspect that my imagination is too limited to have any idea where this will all lead, but as an editor of medieval texts, I welcome freedom from the limitations of print. However, in 50 years time perhaps we will have created a medieval experience in multiple dimensions which will replicate the act of medieval reading in a manner to which anyone could have access. And if we can replicate all of these things in whatever format takes over from digital, then why do we need the original object? I therefore find myself in the curious position of celebrating that which could lead to the destruction of what I believe to be the core of my discipline.
Could, but need not. As I said, I think those of us who were trained in pre-digital methods, and who celebrate the possibilities of the future, have a rare moment of opportunity to pass on our knowledge to digital natives so that all that is dear to manuscript culture is preserved and built upon in the new dimension. Which is why my fear that I have contributed to the destruction of something precious is mitigated by the possibilities of embedding in our future, digital, practice, all that was important about our pre-digital methodology and thought.
The answer to the question? Who knows what future technological advances will tell us about manuscripts? (Nothing, of course, if they are destroyed.) But far more important is the knowledge that the manuscript, the physical object, provides a direct and physical link to another human being who many centuries ago sat and left his mark on the very page one can still touch. That direct human connection cannot be replicated and we who are, after all, scholars of the humanities, celebrate that.

subset: commoncrawl


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We found 1 matches for Chris Churchill in Ohio
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Day to day actions and words matter
We have been struggling since Friday to find the right words, the right response to give to the killings at the two Christchurch mosques.
Many have said they are surprised by the racist attacks that have left 50dead. Surprised at the depth of racism that exists here in Aotearoa.
The fact that white supremacy exists is something our members have experienced first-hand and that we as a union have been trying to tackle for some time.
One way we can do this is by striving to improve our Te Tiriti relationships, not just between Māori and Pākēhā but between all the members of our union, all those whose lives are transformed by tertiary education, and all those in the wider community with which we are involved.
We know that standing together on this ground is the only way we can endure through bad times. This doesn't mean making us all the same. It means respecting difference, celebrating diversity, and building strong relationships based on connections to others.
We must strive to ensure that everyone in Aotearoa has a place to stand and belong. We know that all our members will be trying to provide aroha and support to those affected by the racist attacks in Christchurch.
Let us make sure we spend time with our Muslim members and their families, kanohi ki te kanohi, when they are ready to share their time with us.
And let us all recommit to ending racism, homophobia and transphobia, sexism, and any ideological positions which cause harm to others. We can do this through our everyday actions, not just in New Zealand's 'darkest moment'.
We do know what to say and do.
Our Te Koeke Tirit sets out our values as a union and provides a path for us to walk every day.
As Martin Luther King said: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
Our light is Te Koeke Tiriti, whose four whainga are set out below.
Tū kotahi, tū kaha
We are strong and unified; we are committed to actions which will leave no-one behind; we create spaces where all people can fully participate, are fairly represented, and that foster good relationships between people.
Ngā piki, ngā heke
We endure through good times and bad; we work to minimise our impact on the environment; we foster ahikā – the interrelationship of people and the land, including supporting tūrangawaewae – a place where each has the right to stand and belong.
Awhi atu, awhi mai
We take actions that seek to improve the lives of the most vulnerable; we give and receive, acknowledging that reciprocity is fundamental to strong and equitable relationships; and we work to advance approaches that ensure quality public tertiary education for all.
Tātou, tātou e
We reach our goals through our collective strength and shared sense of purpose, which are supported through participatory democratic decision-making processes and structures.
Ma te Atua rātou o te whanau Muslim e manaki e tiaki
Sharn Riggs, National Secretary
Michael Gilchrist, Te Tumu Whakarae, National President


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GENEVA – The annual Cookie Walk will begin at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Geneva. The festive, homemade cookies are among the attractions during Christmas Walk in Geneva.
The church is at 102 S. Second St. at the corner of James and Second streets, with early arrival suggested. People may purchase an empty pastry box for $14 and fill it with their choice of cookies while supplies last.
For more information on Christmas Walk, visit genevachamber.com.


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Exo Terra Repti Clear F250 and F350 Terrarium Filters are among the best water filters for aquaterrariums and paludariums. The filter sponges of these terrarium filters must be replaced regularly so that the cleaning performance cannot drop. Please only use Exo Terra Original filter sponges for this purpose, as otherwise you could seriously damage your terrarium filter or only have a reduced water purification. Not to mention that: Exo Terra original filter sponges are so cheap with us that it would not be worthwhile to make them yourself.
The original replacement filter sponges for the Exo Terra Repti Clear F250 and F350 Terrarium Filter fine filters are of different sizes. When ordering, please check whether you are using an Exo Terra Repti Clear F250 or F350 Terrarium Filter at home.


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à louer: Appartement Marwei 130 dans Delfstrahuizen
- Surf. habitable
- 100 m²
- Chambres
- 3
- Année de construction
- 1970
- Furnished
- 2 bedrooms
- Fully serviced
- balcony
- Waterview/Friesland/Tjeukemeer
Charming, small apartment complex located on a very idyllic and unique spot at the Tjeukemeer in Friesland.
This perfect location is full of advantages; right on the wonderful Tjeukelake with a diversity or recreational possibilities, such like sailing, surfing, or take a boat.
Besides watersports, the nature is rich of flora and fauna and has one of the best sunsets you ever seen! Join us on our electric boats, which we offer to our guests, and enjoy this outstanding nature reserve and stunning sunsets.
From the apartment its about 10K to the nearest city of Heerenveen and about 30k to Almere. Although the apartment is located in a rural area, the highway is very closeby and the village is very well connected to places like Almere, Heerenveen, Lelystad, Amsterdam and Groningen, and to the rest of the Netherlands.
In about 1 hour and 10 minutes you can reach the Apollolaan in Amsterdam South! In case of company lease, the owner is willing to organise a shuttle bus for commuting to work (Almere/Amsterdam). Also, if you are having guests over, there are extra rooms to rent for 750,- euros per month (or on night to night bases). The nearest supermarket is less then 2 minutes drive from the complex.
The free standing apartment complex is separated from the Hotel building. The Hotel is a relaxing retreat with nice rooms and every so now and then a BBQ or event will take place.
Lay-out: Entrance on first floor; hallway with access to spacious, bright and fully furnished living room with open kitchen. The living room has many windows so you can enjoy wonderful views all day around. Connected to the living room there is a spacious balcony overlooking the landscape and water.
Separate bathroom with bath, shower and sink, separate toilet. The apartment consist of 2 spacious bedrooms with kingsize beds and large closets.
Beddings, Bedlinnen, kitchen materials, internet, tv, utiltiies, everything is included in the price!
This apartment can host 4 persons, suitable for a family of 4, or 2 couples, or 2 working persons.
A minimum rental period of 1 month is required, and the apartments are available for long term.
A fantastic opportunity at a unique location close to the work environment!
- Prix de location
- 1 500 € par mois (Non meublé, Gaz compris, Eau comprise, Electricité comprise, Frais de service compris)
- En vente depuis
- Plus de 3 mois
- Statut
- À louer
- Réception
- Immédiatement
Surface et contenu
- Surface habitable
- 100 m²
- Type de logement
- Appartement
- Type de construction
- Construction existante
- Année de construction
- 1970
- Nombre de pièces
- 3
- Nombre de chambres
- 2
- Nombre de salles de bains
- 1
- Installations
- toilettes
Espace extérieur
- Balcon
- Présent
- Jardin
- Pas présent
- Classe énergétique
Espace de rangement
- Cellier
- Pas présent
- Type de parking
- Présent
- Présent
- Oui


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Tuesday, November 3, 2015
James Hetfield vs Jonathan Davis. Vote the "Best Frontman Of All Time"
Metalrocknews.com invites readers to vote in this round of poll "Best Frontman Of All Time". James Hetfield or Jonathan Davis? Vote your favorite frontman in the poll below. Fans are able to vote repeatedly and coming back to make sure your favorite band win. This poll will end on November 10 at 11:59 PM EST.
Posted by Metal Rock News on November 03, 2015
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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…left his body on 23 August 2016.
Atit Kaviraj (aka Kavi, Alexander Malta) was born Alex Robert Lagger in St. Gallen, Switzerland in a very traditional family; father a dentist, mother a family woman and a supportive,
sociable lady; both devoted to theatre and opera. Their first son Peter became a pianist and opera singer with a wonderful bass voice. Having a beautiful bass voice himself, Alex was inspired to follow suit, not only for the career possibilities but also for his brother's success in attracting women! His family now had to deal with two opera singing sons.
He developed his talent for the opera stage, singing internationally with the greatest conductors and directors of the time. Vedi, his ex-wife and friend, says, "He was really made for the roles of kings and aristocrats, but he also did great character parts and was very funny in comic roles. He had that 'Italian' type of humour down to perfection!"
However, Alex was never really convinced that the lifestyle of the conservative, well-behaved people of St. Gallen was for him. He was more attracted to the fringe, people who were different, artists who didn't fit in the system. He was intelligent, creative and needed the stimulating presence of people of a similar wave-length.
When he met Osho (then Bhagwan) in 1985, he found his spiritual family and became Atit Kaviraj. The name he received from Osho took him by surprise because it means 'Beyond King of Poets'; to go 'beyond' made him reflect for quite a while. He lived Osho's message as he understood it, to the full. He was in Rajneeshpuram and Pune at least once a year, in between singing engagements.
His home, a big historical villa in northern Italy, became a center for workshops and celebrations throughout the 90's until now. Many sannyasins lived there and created what is known as 'Villa do Poeta'. Unconventional people moved to the area who were attracted to Kavi; they worked, did workshops and developed their individual vision of Osho. He reconciled the world of being an opera singer in full dress with being an outsider.
Kaviraj was a very generous person; he didn't want to become rich. In fact, he had to live on very little when he became a pensioner. But as soon as he had some cash, he's spend it on a rich life, rich in experience and rich in humanity. We remember him as a vital, witty and original man, a king in his own house, with that rich velvety speaking voice that made everyone look round to see where the voice came from.
This last summer, before he left his body, Kaviraj hosted groups in the Villa do Poeta. He was happy to spend some time in the Villa away from the hospital, having missed two summers at home. Vedi (aka Janet), who was Kavi's caregiver in her home in his last year of life, adds, "I went through the whole Villa after his passing. I found so many Osho books, tapes, videos; also notebooks and diaries with Kaviraj's thoughts about Osho's lectures and his own spiritual search. He really was a poet. I don't think anyone ever saw these diaries until I opened them just now."
Photos and text thanks to Vedi
Kaviraj as Don Alfonso in Cosí fan tutte:
Surendra writes:
In this clip Kavi performs along with Jonas Kaufmann, one of the most famous tenors of today. It is from a 1998 production of Mozart's Cosí Fan Tutte. Kavi sings Don Alfonso – easy to distinguish as he dresses differently from the other two on stage and wears a tricorner hat and brown waistcoat.
You can leave a message / tribute / anecdote using our contact form (please add 'Kaviraj' in the subject field)…
Farewell beloved Kavi! Being around you, as a friend, as a generous host of our singing workshops at your Villa, as a true king in your own right, always filled my heart with joy! And I'm sure, you'll be that king of the heart wherever you are! With love and gratitude,
Your life story moved me. Am sure you are creating poetry beyond too and gathering a commune of like-minded souls. See you when my time comes. Love,
Anand Deepti


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EWU basketball star Dean out with injury
Wed., Oct. 20, 2010
The mood at Eastern Washington University's men's basketball practice Wednesday afternoon was remarkably upbeat, considering Glen Dean did little but watch from the sidelines after learning earlier this week that he has a stress fracture in his left foot that will sideline him indefinitely.
"I'm just glad it happened now and not halfway through the season when we're into conference play," said Dean, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, who averaged a team-high 12.1 points and a Big Sky Conference-best 4.4 assists as a true freshman last winter. "I'm a little disappointed, but things like this happen and you just have to deal with it.
"The important thing is how you bounce back."
Dean, who has been wearing a protective boot on his left foot, will have his injury re-evaluated in the next week or two and is hoping to return in time for Eastern's Dec. 29 Big Sky opener against Sacramento State – or sooner.
But as third-year head coach Kirk Earlywine pointed out, there are no guarantees that his starting point guard will return at all this season.
"Any time you lose your best player, it's tough," Earlywine said. "And when he's also your leader on the floor, it just multiplies the challenge.
"Plus, we're dealing with an unknown quality here in whether Glen will be back in December, or January, or at all – which makes it hard to structure practices and plan for what's going to happen down the line."
Until Dean returns, the point guard responsibilities will fall on the shoulders of Cliff Colimon, a first-year junior transfer from the College of Eastern Utah, who helped the Golden Eagles to a 27-10 record and third-place finish in the NJCAA national tournament last winter.
"The impact of losing Glen is tremendous," Earlywine admitted. "But I feel fortunate in the fact that we were able to find another guard in Cliff who could be our primary ball handler. He was the starting point guard on what was, arguably, the best two-year college team in the country, and played at one of the premier high schools (Elizabeth) back in New Jersey.
"Obviously, guard was not our most impressing recruiting need, but we were able to get Cliff – and now he has a huge burden on his shoulders."
In addition to Dean, the Eagles have also lost the services of freshman forward Geoffrey Allen, who broke his wrist in an earlier practice and will miss the entire season.
Earlywine expected to redshirt the 6-5, 175-pound Allen, the son of former UCLA and NBA standout Lucius Allen, this winter.
"But the way he was playing, he was changing my mind – just like Jeffrey Forbes did last year," Earlywine added. "It's unfortunate he sustained that injury, because the thing he needs to work on most is his upper body.
"And with that wrist in a cast, we can't put him under a bar in the weight room."
The Eagles, with just four letterwinners returning from last year's injury riddled 9-21 team that finished 5-11 in the Big Sky, play home exhibition games against Seattle Pacific (Nov. 2) and Montana State-Billings (Nov. 8) before opening regular-season play at home against San Jose State on Nov. 12.
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If you woke up to a "Bills-induced depression," which caused you to bring your child to school late this morning, you're not alone.
Thomas Adams, the principal of Newfane Middle School in Niagara County, shared this note from the father of one of his students:
Best tardy note ever? @WGR550 @TBNSports pic.twitter.com/f1sYPk1fYL
— TomAdams (@TomAdams72) November 3, 2017


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By the release of "'Round About Midnight" in 1957, the reputation of Miles Davis had already been well established in the jazz scene. He had already recorded "Birth of the Cool," which was instrumental in the popularization of cool jazz, as well as played in Charlie Parker's Bebop Quintet from 1944 to 1948. But, as jazz fans now know, there was much more in store for the jazz trendsetter.
In 1955 Davis staged a comeback at the Newport Jazz Festival, which found him back in top form after struggling with heroin addiction. Soon he had signed a new record deal with Columbia Records and put together the "first great quintet," which notably included tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, who would eventually gain legendary status in the jazz community.
The result of the the new record deal and band was "'Round About Midnight," which has been hailed as one of the first, and finest, hard bop recordings in jazz. Hard bop was notable for its inclusion of rhythm and blues, gospel and blues styles in its song arrangement. Jazz musicians at the time were attempting to get away from the fast tempo and inaccessible complexity of bebop, which many felt had gotten away from jazz's roots as music steeped in African-American tradition.
Hard bop players also distanced themselves from the cool jazz scene, which fed off of relaxed arrangements and influence from classical music. Davis, who was instrumental in the formation of the cool jazz sound, knew better than others what he wanted out of the future of jazz. Throughout "'Round About Midnight," you can hear the change of sound that Davis curated.
Rhythmic yet reserved, meticulously planned yet with just the right amount of improvisation, "'Round About Midnight" revels in balancing out its instrumentation. One great example of this is "Dear Old Stockholm," which delicately plays with rhythm as each instrument carefully nestles itself into its right place. When Coltrane's sax solo takes center stage, the rest of the band lock into a rhythmic play, helping to augment the color of Coltrane's playing.
"Ah-Leu-Cha" works in the final ideas of the bebop era into "'Round About Midnight." It's frenetic playing style and hold-on-to-your-seats tempo hearken back to the days when bebop was king. Yet Davis and crew hold back a little on the recording. Davis' trumpet shirks wild solos to find a more melodic style, still able to demonstrate his larger-than-life talent on the instrument.
Coltrane, of course, would expand upon the style we hear on "'Round About Midnight," going on to dazzle the world with recordings such as "Giant Steps" and "My Favorite Things," in which the musician embraced a style that came to be known as modal jazz. Still, the musician prospered in any jazz environment. Even on the Davis recording, his solos show the virtuosic movement of his solos, which effortlessly move through melodic lines, inserting themselves like puzzle pieces into the curated hard bop arrangements of the songs.
Over the years "'Round About Midnight" has come to be recognized as a classic and a milestone in the expansion of jazz. You can purchase the album here.


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Ministry of Civil Aviation is the nodal ministry responsible for the formulation of national policies & programmes for development & regulation of Civil Aviation & for devising and implementing schemes for the orderly growth and expansion of civil air transport. Its function also extended to overseeing airport facilities, air traffic services and carriage of passengers & goods by air.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) was constituted by an Act of Parliament and came into being on 1 April, 1995, by merging erstwhile National Airports Authority and International Airports Authority of India. The merger brought into existence a single organization entrusted with the responsibility of creating, upgrading, maintaining and managing civil aviation infrastructure both on ground and in airspace.
Established in 1927, FICCI is the largest and oldest apex business organisation in India. Its history is closely interwoven with India's struggle for independence, its industrialization, and its emergence as one of the most rapidly growing global economies.
A non-government, not-for-profit organisation, FICCI is the voice of India's business and industry. From influencing policy to encouraging debate, engaging with policy makers and civil society, FICCI articulates the views and concerns of industry. It serves its members from the Indian private and public corporate sectors and multinational companies, drawing its strength from diverse regional chambers of commerce and industry across states, and reaching out to over 2,50,000 companies.
FICCI provides a platform for networking and consensus building within and across sectors, and is the first port of call for Indian industry, policy makers and the international business community.


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When asked why someone reads a classic story, the answer often is that the characters are memorable. Often, characters are redemptive, loving, loveable, attractive.
But what if they're not?
Listverse intrigued me with a recent list of the 10 Vilest Villains in Literature. I now am revising my classics reading list to include one or two of the more interesting villains.
I am already familiar with more than half of the villains on the Listverse list. (I'm not sure if I should be pleased or concerned.) I have met the Wicked Witch of the West courtesy of two different authors. I'm also intimately familiar with Sauron, thanks to my recent obsession with The Lord of the Rings (thank you, Peter Jackson and J.R.R. Tolkien!). I know I read Beowulf in college, but I claim no ability to retain anything I was scheduled to discuss in excruciating detail at 8 a.m. on a Monday. I also know Satan, though not on a first-name basis.
However, I have yet to meet the Transylvanian count, and I look forward to our introduction in Dracula. I've seen him at a glance, but we never had a chance to get acquainted.
I also have added Bill Sykes (of Oliver Twist) to my list. I remember the revulsion I felt when seeing him on stage in the musical Oliver!; even as a 10-year-old, I knew evil when it crossed my path. I also suspect Charles Dickens can scare the, forgive me, dickens out of me with a good bad guy. Right now David and I are becoming acquainted with the soon-to-be-redeemed Ebenezer Scrooge, and I am mesmerized by Dickens' prose in A Christmas Carol. I believe I have learned the trick to novelist: read him out loud, and you literally can't put down his tale.
Can you recommend some villains you have met? What repelled you? More importantly, what attracted you? (I promise I won't tell.)


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|Kongregate Registration for Free Flash Games and Chat with solprovider
Content Editing with Kupu
Eventually the website will be used. Either you will tire of adding functionality, or your employer will demand visible working results. So you tell the people who will be entering the actual information how to access your Lenya website.
Oops. That is a BAD idea. Because they are expecting to be able to format the content. And add images. And add links to other pages, and PDFs and other files, and even other parts of the same page.
And Lenya 1.2.2 does not do any of that well.
There is a button for centering text. It looks just like the one in MS Word and every other program. They click the button, and the text or picture centers. There is also a button for "justify right". They might try that one too, and it appears to work. Then they click "Save", and all their centering and right-justifying disappears!
This section is about fixing the bugs and annoyances in the Kupu editor.
In This Chapter


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It's hard to deny that the WNBA is one of the most diverse pro sports leagues in the world, and it's evident on the court as well as off court. One way that the league's diversity is displayed is through the players' sense of style. While some ladies have a more simplistic style, some ladies express themselves through a mix of edgy prints, classic fabrics, trendy footwear, and chic jewelry.
Connecticut's Chiney Ogwumike is quickly emerging as on of the shining stars of the WNBA both on-the court as well as off. Whether she's showcasing her baskebtlal IQ and comedic peronality by doing commentary for ESPN, or relaxing at home with her family in her hometown of Houston, TX, the 6'3″ forward always makes sure to step out with class, style, and grace. We caught up with Chiney here in NYC during New York Fashion Week to talk about her personal style, cultural influences, and more:
How would you describe your style?
I think my style is chic, sophisticated, but subtle. I like to wear things that are simple, but fitted and classic. I'm also African, so I like patterns and colors. I'll have one dress, basically a fitted dress that I love the cut of, but I would get it in one hundred different variations just to mix and match. I'm very simple and sophisticated. Trying to be the female version of a classic man like Jidenna.
How has your background influenced what you like to wear?
Being Nigerian American is the best of both world because you get the richness of Nigerian culture and you can create a universal style around it. So I bring a lot of patterns and colors, they call it ankara which is the printed fabric mesh, and you can take the ankara and mold it into whatever you want. You can make a skirt out of the print fabric, or you can make a top. I usually make simple classic stuff that is a blend of both worlds of Nigeria and America.
Who are some of your favorite designers, both Nigerian and American?
Oh my God! Michael Costello! I live for him! I watch Project Runway and he is my favorite. He's amazing, but I didn't know that he was going to be this big of a star. As far as Nigeria, I don't have one specific designer. I just love the Nigerian prints because anyone can manipulate them to make your own outfit. That's part of the culture—when you have weddings our events, you take the prints and you create your own custom outfit for those events. I try to do that as much as I can, so when I go to American events, people can identify and say "Oh, that girl's wearing African Ankara. She must be African.". It's the subtle things that you don't have to say, and that's what fashion is about.
Who are some players in the league whose style you admire?
I think Crystal Langhorne has a really nice style. She's classic and sophisticated. She rocks it for tall girls. There are more daring women across the league, but I think I identify more with Crystal's style. I don't think I've got my budget like Crystal (*laughs*). She rocks Louis, Gucci, Fendi, and I'm still on Chipotle money.
(Photo Credits: Instagram)


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Nelvana signs raft of cross-platform deals
Amazon UK and Cinedigm are among the new VOD, linear-TV and in-flight entertainment partners for shows like Backyardigans.
Corus Entertainment's Nelvana has signed a range of deals across VOD platforms, linear TV and in-flight entertainment in the U.S., the U.K., Canada and Latin America.
Heading to Amazon UK are Backyardigans (pictured), Mr. Young, Little Bear and Life with Boys, while Babar, Pippi Longstocking, Rescue Heroes and special programming for Franklin are landing on Pure Flix in the US. In addition, Cinedigm in the U.S. and Canada has picked up The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, George and Martha, Rescue Heroes, Pippi Longstocking, Braceface, Wayside and Elliot Moose.
For linear TV, Accessible Media in Canada has signed a deal for Babar, and SRC Canada has picked up Ranger Rob for French-speaking Canada. In Latin America, Television Entertainment grabbed Backyardigans Extension.
Nelvana has also signed a partnership with Spafax Inflight Entertainment and Air Canada that will bring its shows to new heights. The in-flight entertainment deal includes Backyardigans, Fairly Odd Parents, Max and Ruby, The ZhuZhus, Ranger Rob, Little Charmers, Maggie and the Ferocious Beast, Trucktown, Franklin and Friends and Scaredy Squirrel.
The sales come not long after Nelvana bolstered its management team by hiring licensing and entertainment industry vets Peter Crighton, Kelly Elwood and Tonya Lindo.
From Kidscreen


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Absinthe Spoon with Stamped ABSINTHE Design
Now $5.99
Was $9.99
Make your absinthe drinks the right way with this distinct chrome coated brass spoon.
- Overview
Prepare your glass of the Green Fairy the right way with this distinctly unique chrome coated brass absinthe spoon. The word absinthe is carved into either side of the spoon, giving your sugar cube a solid place to rest. The one-of-a-kind design of this spoon allows perfect amounts of cold water and sugar drip slowly into your glass of absinthe.
- Has the word ABSINTHE stamped out in the grill
- Covered with a high shine from chrome over brass
- Fits perfectly over absinthe glasses
- Will not tarnish
- Dishwasher safe
- Specifications
- Dimensions: 7"L
- Shipping & Delivery
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- Customer Reviews
- 3.0 / 5.01 ReviewAre you kidding me ???It's a spoon with a stamped name & holes in it....... -
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Tram Pham Hill, M.D., CEO/CMO
Tram Pham Hill, M.D. received her Medical Doctorate from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX, in June 2002 and completed her residency in internal medicine at the University Of Oklahoma, School of Medicine in June 2005. Dr. Hill began her practice in September 2005 serving as the Medical Director and primary staff physician at the Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine at the Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma, Durant, OK. Dr. Hill is currently the Medical Director and primary staff physician at the LifeCare Wound Center of Plano, TX. Dr. Hill also serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer of HMS.


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What's it worth to you?
To provide a student with a new instrument?
To afford a student the opportunity to travel abroad?
To give support for a student's voice lesson?
To cover the cost of costume materials for a mainstage production?
Thanks to support from alumni and friends like you, students of the West Virginia University College of Creative Arts are getting opportunities that will change their lives forever. Whether their passion is theatre, music, art or dance, our goal is to provide each of our students with life-changing, educational experiences they will never forget.
If impact on the life of a WVU student is what you're seeking, look no further, because every dollar you donate to the College of Creative Arts directly helps a student. Here are a few examples of how donors have positively impacted students, and made a real difference with their support:
The School of Music continues to expand through community outreach opportunities. Thanks to donor support, DreamCatchers, a new project in the Music Therapy program, is bringing together children and families for a musical theatre experience. This program provides children ages 5-18 with and without disabilities the opportunity to learn interactive skills through song and dance.
There are currently 15 Music Therapy students who volunteer with DreamCatchers. Our students are able to take this weekly, interactive experience into their own clinical work. Learning to empower clients and families is a critical skill for the professional music therapist.
The WVU Wind Symphony is heading to Carnegie Hall! The Wind Symphony has been invited to perform as a featured Showcase Ensemble for the 2018 New York Wind Band Festival on March 6, at the world-famous Carnegie Hall. While in NYC, students will also connect and network with area alumni, rounding out their experience in the Big Apple, all made possible thanks to donor support.
This year, the Art Museum of WVU featured the work of Shepard Fairey, a contemporary street artist, graphic designer, activist, illustrator and founder of OBEY Clothing in the "Work Against the Clampdown" exhibit. Fairey used mash-ups of 1930s WPA posters, 1950s American advertising and Cold War Soviet propaganda posters with bold color combinations and strong compositions to disseminate his messages. Thanks to donor support, students from across the state visit the Museum … for free!
Students of the School of Art and Design have been able to travel and experience art created by world-renowned artists, thanks to the support of donors. In October, Art History Professor Dr. Bernie Schultz led a group of art students on a museum research trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Dr. Schultz will retire this fall – and he will truly be missed!
The School of Theatre and Dance recently collaborated with the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Together they presented a danced lecture on Einstein's theory of general relativity, black holes and one of Einstein's last predictions: the existence of gravitational waves.
Directed by guest director Jade King Carroll, students performed "Topdog/Underdog" by Suzan-Lori Parks, a historic piece that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2002. It provides a peek into the life of two competitive African American brothers who were orphaned as children. Carroll is a noted director who has worked in theatres all over the country. According to Carroll, working with WVU students has been the highlight of her residency. "It feels like a necessary and relevant story to tell right now and with these students," she said.
As you can see, we are passionate about giving our students the best educational experiences possible. Your gift of $1,000, $500, $100 or more will enable our students to continue to go first. Make a gift online today to the WVU College of Creative Arts. If you have any questions, contact the Development Office at 304-293-4331. Thank you again for your dedication to the WVU College of Creative Arts!
Sincerely Yours,
Dr. Keith Jackson
Philip J. Faini/Falbo Family Dean


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I Was There: On Board The Titanic (i Was There Books)
- Number of Pages: 48
- Languages:
- English (Unknown)
- English (Original Language)
- English (Published)
Boat and Ship Books for Kids - Copyright (c) 2020
Brief summary:
Seventeen-year-old Jack Thayer explores the Titanic and forms a brief friendship with another passenger before experiencing the wreck of the giant ocean liner.Your child will love this amazing book. Written by Shelley Tanaka and it was published in September of 1996 by Hyperion. The book is 48 pages long and it has amazingly colored illustrations. An I was there book. Even though reading is a thing that everyone of virtually any age can enjoy, you will discover surely many ways that you may make the enjoyment a great deal better. View this advice and you should enjoy reading far more, select the hyperlink below.
Author: Shelley Tanaka


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A step-by-step guide to creating your own little world using the Polar Coordinates Filter in Photoshop
by Natalia Medd (iPhotography Student)
I always liked those round creations which look like your own little world, and wanted to try to make one. I finally did. Here is a step-by-step quide of how I made it, using the Polar Coordinates filter in Photoshop.
First, we will need to choose the image to work with. Ideally it is supposed to be a 360 panoramic shot, but it is not absolutely necessary. The trick is to get the edges of your image to match perfectly when they are connected in the end.
You can make two types of images using this technique: your own little world/planet, or an "inside out" version which can look like a portal or tunnel.
Part I
1. Let's start with the first version of little planet. I had a panoramic shot which I made using the panorama setting on my cell phone. It looked like this:
It does not look too impressive, but we have one more step to do. Go to Filter>Distort>Polar Coordinates.
Part II
2. With the second "inside out" version of the little world, we will not need to flip our picture upside down. All other steps are the same.
It is great to have a panorama to work with, but it is not necessary. You can turn pretty much anything into a round creation. For the image of a "portal", I had a picture of a boy sitting on the beach.
I did not want two boys in my picture, so I removed one using the Stamp tool in Photoshop.
Click ok, and now we have the square picture. Almost done.
Last thing we do – some finishing touches.
I played a little bit with levels, hue/saturation and color balance to get the color I wanted and something that looks like a sun in the center of the image.
This version is what I have in the end, Centre of the Universe!
The iPhotoshop Team
Discover the Photoshop Tricks the Pros Don't Want You to Know!
iPhotoshop Course gives you the inside knowledge and skills to become a Photoshop artist. Developed by award-winning experts, this extensive online course shows you in step-by-step detail how to create cutting-edge graphics, surreal scenes, mind-blowing special effects and so much more using any version of Photoshop.


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California's Grgich Hills Estate is well-known and enjoyed in Cayman for its distinctive quality wines, so a recent visit from Violet Grgich herself, hosted by Jacques Scott at The Wharf was welcomed with excitement by those in the trade. Business Editor, Lindsey Turnbull reports.
The history
Miljenko "Mike" Grgich, the patriarch of the Grgich family arrived in the Napa Valley in 1958, fleeing from communist rule in his native Yugoslavia (now Croatia) via West Germany and Canada. A pioneer of the California wine industry, Mike Grgich gained international recognition during the famous Paris Tasting of 1976 when, during a blind tasting by some of the most prestigious French wine connoisseurs, his 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay was voted the best white wine in the world. This made the world sit up and take notice of California winemakers and paved the way for California's wine industry.
Grgich Hills Estate took off when Mike teamed up with Austin Hills, creating a new winery in 1977, and it began producing consistently great wines that age beautifully and are drunk at some of the most formal occasions internationally (as well enjoyed at home here in Cayman!). Mike still works at the winery at the age of 85, along with his daughter, Violet, and his nephew, Ivo Jeramaz.
Violet made a brief visit to Cayman recently while on a cruise touring the Caribbean and giving wine demonstrations on board, at the invitation of Jacques Scott. The Wharf provided a perfect backdrop to tasting some of Grgich Hills Estates best loved wines.


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One morning when I woke up recently, my mind got to thinking about Kate Middleton. I thought about what entering into the royal family and being married to a prince was like for her. She was just a "commoner" before she and Prince William met in college. I wonder how she adjusted to what have to be very strick rules of behavior. I thought if I could do something like that myself. I think it is very brave, or maybe she is very in love that helped her morph into a Duchess. I wondered if she wrote an autobiography yet. I really enjoy those. My search on Amazon shows me she has not, yet anyway. But there is approximately 62 books dedicated to her and her marriage to Prince William. There are also magazines dedicated to them, as well as several adult coloring books of Duchess Kate.
Her fashion choices have always been fan fare for the media. But strict rules apply. Unlike her sister-in-law, Meghan Markel, she obeys them. I can't imagine what other "rules" she lives by. Was the transition hard for her? The closest I've come is when I got accepted into a Catholic parochial school for girls, St. Joseph's Academy. I was one of only three girls selected from a public school background into this prestigious school that year. Naturally, I was an outcast and hung out with other outcasts – they had come from private schools, but nonetheless, they were outcasts. One time, a nun spoke to me. And it was because of what I was wearing. I had officially broken rules when the day was a given "casual" day, meaning we could wear normal clothes and not the strict uniform. Well, I happened to dress casually, except I still wore my uniform skirt. She just told me it was inappropriate and I had broken the rules, but that was it. So I can only imagine what is going through Meghan Markle's head when she breaks rule after rule with her outfits. Ten Times Meghan's broke the royal family fashion rules. I'm running into difficulty – I apparently can't add a link to the article. But if you wish it is from Glamour and the title is, "10 Times Meghan Markle Broke Royal Protocol With Her Fashion." And you can't pin any of the images either, as I attempted to capture #10. It was Princess Meghan wearing a green dress with a white coat on top. I was pinning it because I wanted to remember this combo. That wasn't what broke the rules about the outfit, but I'll let you find out for yourself.
Kate and Meghan have obvious differing temperaments of adjusting to life as a royal. So what is going through Meghan's head, and why is she so obstinate about following "rules," while Kate never has missed a beat. I know Kate's been in this longer, but she's always been beholden to respect the duties of being a royal. I wonder if the tolerance of Meghan's fashion choices will continue with other rules of engagement besides dressing. Looking for Kate's autobiography, I came across quite a few books dedicated to Meghan. No autobiography from her either. I guess I have an assortment of books to choose from if I want to try to get into the minds of these two, now powerful women. I can't say much more about either. I don't know, except Kate got drunk and danced on tables when William broke up with her once. She also modeled for a friend in some very revealing clothing while in college.
But that was Kate before she became a princess bride. Meghan's antics with fashion may extend even beyond that. I guess I have some reading to do if I want to know, from a third-party perspective, unfortunately. Maybe one day one of them will write what it was like to go from being "common" to royalty in a single day.


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I'm an expert level Microsoft Access programmer. I've built, modified and managed databases in the healthcare, energy, environmental, and industrial sectors. I've been programming in Access for 20 years since Microsoft Access version 2.0.
I'm available for tutoring newbies and seasoned programmers. I am well-versed in all aspects of Microsoft Access including SQL, VBA, and building through the interface.
I also do tutoring for other Microsoft Office applications. Read my subjects desc... ... More
I have been teaching general education grades 5-9 and a special education teacher grades K-12 for 25 years. Because of my experience with students with special needs, I am very skilled to assist students in their coursework, organization, reading for comprehension, study skills, and problem solving in addition to their academic subjects. My Master's Degree is in Education with an emphasis on Special Education and my BA is in English/Education. My experience has assisted me to be Highly Qua... ... More
My name is Terry T and have been teaching high school and college students in a variety of settings (in class, tutoring, online, seminars, etc.) for over 20 years. I have a Ph.D. in Food Science and Human Nutrition from Colorado State University, a Masters degree in Physical Education and Sports Science from the University of Denver, and a Bachelors degree in Biology from the University of Texas. Currently I author textbooks, online courses, and college level curriculum for several major text... ... More
I excel at tutoring the Physics portion on the MCAT test. I focus on concept review (when it is needed) and test taking strategies based on the needs of my student. Every student is unique. I work closely with my students to devise test-taking strategies and a tutoring program that helps them ace the test. ... More
I taught 2nd grade for 4 years and 3rd grade for 5 years. I am now a stay-at-home mom of 4. I have had a few private tutoring jobs in the past and would love to do some more. I love sharing my love of learning with others. Two of my favorite things about teaching and being a mom is the look of wonder when a child learns something new and the look of accomplishment when a child conquers a skill that had previously been difficult.
Reading and math are my two favorite subjects to teach. The o... ... More
I have over twenty years of experience as a middle school language arts teacher. I am an avid reader and a published writer. I love working with diverse students with diverse needs. Working one on one with students is an incredibly enriching experience as I get to see growth up close.
I am skilled at teaching editing and revising skills to all levels of students. I am able to make reading relevant and interesting for any individual. I focus on deep comprehension and synthesis of skills, no... ... More


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Articles submitted for theaquaticcity.com
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theaquaticcity.com - The Aquatic City Islamabad has started its "Green City" mission that is offering incentives for Environment-Friendly society. Green Cities are those housing societies that encourage sustainable living. Environmental pollution is threatening our lives. The impacts of climate change are more evident ...
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Tag: 'creditscore'
From the community
I need to the option to hide or unsubscribe from the free credit report on the main dashboard.
For privacy reasons I need to hide the very large credit score from my dashboard. Please don't tell me it's...
From the community
Free Credit report won't work. it says: Oops, something went wrong. Please try later... Trying later and I get: We ran into a problem and can't continue.
Form was filled out correctly and no missing information.


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18143 N 93rd St Scottsdale AZ 85255
Welcome to this upgraded single level great room floor plan with heated pool and spa in prestigious DC Ranch! This home is gated and situated on a premium corner lot with desert and mountain views. Just a short stroll is the central community park. The home's interior features hardwood and travertine flooring, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, double ovens, gas cooktop, double stacked wood cabinetry, and plantation shutters. The bedrooms are split allowing for privacy in the master suite. The backyard includes a heated pool, a spa, a fire pit, flagstone decking, and a putting green. This home is in a great location on an interior corner lot with views of the McDowell Mountains.
18143 N 93rd St, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, United States
Jason Felker
Talka International Realty
Having started Talka International Realty along with his wife Stephanie, Jason Felker strives to raise the bar for the real estate industry by increasing the expectations for professionals in this field. His keen sense of business, real estate knowledge, extensive..


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For many of you, looking at the latest FD interest offered by banks and comparing it with the past 1 year returns of debt funds serves up an easy conclusion. FD interest is better than debt funds!
In this article, we'll take you through why FD rates can seldom be superior to debt funds especially in the short to medium term debt fund category. You just need to know what to compare and how long to hold your fund.
Here is a synopsis:
- You cannot compare the past 1 year returns of debt funds to the future 1-3-year interest rate that your bank will be paying you.
- There are ways in which you can roughly gauge the expected returns from a debt fund, if you look at the right numbers. Yield to maturity is one such key number.
- Current yield to maturity of funds across short to medium term categories tells us that debt funds are the clear winners compared with FDs.
Before we discuss anything about debt funds' past returns and how to assess how much a fund can deliver, let's understand why debt funds should deliver more than FDs.
Why debt funds can deliver better
When you invest in a FD, the bank borrows from you and uses the money to lend – at a higher rate. There is a margin for the bank.
When you invest in debt funds, you are indirectly the lender. How? The mutual fund either buys debt instruments in the market or lends directly to companies – either for short term or long term. In other words, the total returns a debt fund generates is from lending/investing in lending instruments. The only margin there is the expense ratio, which is lower than the margin that banks mark up (over FD) for lending.
So what do I mean by saying that you are the lender? Simply that you ought to be earning more than a bank FD. IF you get this basic fact right, you will know why debt funds seek to deliver higher than FD rates.
Comparing past returns of debt funds with future returns of FDs
FD interest rates that you see are what you will be earning in the future. Debt fund returns are what has been earned in the past. Comparing the two can be misleading.
- The last 1-year return of short-term debt funds was 4.7% and that of ultra short/low duration funds was 6.4%. Comparing this with FD returns of 6.8-7% today would make it seem like FDs are better. Here, present FD rates are being compared to past 1-year debt returns. This becomes glaring in a higher rate scenario. When FD interest is hiked, it is natural that the returns from bonds and other papers in which debt funds invest should also go up. You do not factor this when you merely look at past returns from a low rate scenario.
- Two, let us suppose we compare a year ago FD rates of 6.25% to one-year short-term debt fund returns of 4.7% now. This means comparison of past returns in both cases. Would this be the right comparison? No. This is because, the investor did not compare the right category of funds. For 1-year time frames, liquid or ultra short-term debt funds are your solutions. Not short-duration funds. If you look at the 1-year returns of ultra short and liquid funds, they were higher than a year ago FD rates. In other words, comparing FD returns with the right categories of funds for the time frame over which they need to be held is vital. If you are looking at a short-term debt fund and your returns are low even after holding it for 2 years, you will then have to get it reviewed. Otherwise, it is simply a hold.
If you agree that the past returns may not be representative of the future performance, you might still wonder why short-term debt funds gave a measly 4.7% return in the past year. This was a result of debt market volatility. Unlike FD, the returns of traded bonds tend to be volatile. Hence when a fund holds an AAA-bond that is traded, in a rising rate scenario, it sheds value to keep pace with higher yields. But then, remember, we would have recommended a minimum 2-year time frame for these funds. What happens over that period? The total interest of the underlying bonds over their maturity period helps the fund normalize returns and smoothen the volatility.
- Three, in general, the past 1-year return is not representative of the returns of all categories of debt funds except short tenure funds like liquid funds or ultra short-term funds. Why? Because these categories of funds, given their short tenure, adjust very quickly to the latest interest environment. As the papers they hold have short maturities, this quick maturing results in them constantly buying new papers. In a rising interest rate scenario, these funds will be buying papers with higher coupons. In the present scenario, you will see that liquid funds' average returns at 6.8% is keeping pace with longer duration FD returns prevailing now. In other categories where holding period is higher (since the funds hold instruments with higher average maturity), the returns will not move up as quickly; the transition will be slower as the funds will have to wait for the tenure of the underlying instruments.
How to gauge future returns
It seems logical to say don't look at past returns. But then no mutual fund can provide you any assurance on future returns. So how to gauge it?
Except for categories that play duration (gilt, long duration, and dynamic bond to some extent) all other categories from liquid to medium duration funds play an accrual strategy. That is, they seek to generate returns from the coupon (interest) of the underlying papers. Any capital appreciation is incidental gains.
For all categories of debt accrual funds, yield to maturity (YTM) is a reasonable indicator of what you can expect in future. Yield to maturity is the total returns of the papers that the fund holds for the remaining tenure of the papers. For example, if a fund holds various bonds whose average residual maturity is say 2 years and the YTM of such a portfolio is 8%, it means from at the end of 2 years, the portfolio should ideally have generated 8%. This returns less the expense ratio is what the fund should generate.
Let us take an example to illustrate how YTM transforms into returns when the instruments are bought and held.
|Avg. maturity
|Expense ratio (Annualized)
|Annualized return
|6.5% (Jan 2018)
|32 days (Jan 2018)
|6.45% (rolling 1-month return for Feb 2018)
|7.1% (May 2018)
|33 days (May 2018)
|6.9% (rolling 1-month return up to June 25, 2018)
In the illustration, by end-January 2018, liquid funds on an average had a YTM of 6.5% and the underlying papers were to mature in about a month. At the end of the month, the YTM less the expense ratio is what should ideally be the annualized return if you held the fund for that 1 month. This is how, based on the average maturity and the yield of the current papers, returns are delivered.
For liquid funds, the return is very close to the YTM. Return can vary a bit as the tenure of the funds increases. This is because longer maturity funds have papers that are traded and are volatile during your holding period. But that also means that they can deliver capital appreciation over and above the 'accrual' they get from the interest income.
What happened in high FD interest periods
The FD interest today at little under 7% is far from a high interest scenario. Take the last high interest period which was in 2011-12. 1-3-year FDs generated as much as 9.25% then.
Let us see what would have happened had you held on to debt funds over the same period of an FD say for 3 years.
3-year returns between 2011-12 to 2014-15
|FD (locked in 2011-12)
|Ultra short/low duration (rolling 3-year returns in 2014-15)
|Short-term debt (rolling 3-year returns in 2014-15)
|Medium duration/corporate bond (rolling 3-year returns in 2014-15)
- In the above data, the post-tax returns of debt funds yielded the same since capital gains indexation over this period ensured there is no taxable gain after indexation. There can be periods when there are taxes too but because of indexation, you pay far lower taxes.
- In general, in a high interest scenario, you tend to gain more from indexation benefit as inflation also creeps up (cost inflation index is derived from inflation numbers). This benefit does not exist in FDs.
- In the above illustration, the returns are all that of category averages. The better funds delivered over 10% pre-tax.
- In any of the above categories, had you seen the past 1-year returns (2010-11), it would have been 5.5% to 6.5%. That would have been a complete put off for you, hastening you to conclude that debt funds yield poor returns. But had you seen the YTM of these funds they would have been in the 8.8-9.6% range for their respective maturities.
For the above period, had you locked into a 1-year FD, please be informed that liquid funds delivered over 9.4% returns in that period. In other words, the respective debt categories did the job of beating FDs over various time frames.
The reason why we have provided the above illustration is for you to know that in high interest scenarios, debt funds ought to be performing and with far higher tax efficiency.
What is the scene today?
The table below will provide you a rough indicator of how what funds are expected to deliver over their holding period. For example, short duration debt funds can be expected to deliver their YTM less expense ratio, provided you hold them for at least 1.9 years. If you hold them for 6 months or 1 year and see that the returns have not come by, then you simply have not done what you ought to do with these funds.
|Accrual fund categories
|Avg. maturity
|Expense ratio
|33 days
|Ultra short/low duration
|207 days
|Short duration
|1.9 years
|Medium duration/corporate bond
|2.67 years
|Credit risk
|2.25 years
FD returns today 6.8%-7.25%
*All numbers are category averages and as of May 2018
Why you should ignore the intermittent volatility
You may have observed in your holdings that the volatility in returns is least in liquid funds and next to that in ultra short and credit risk categories. This is because much of the papers they hold are held till maturity and often not traded. However, in traded papers, volatility cannot be avoided. It is not just with debt funds, it holds good if you held your own bonds too.
Let me explain this to you with an example. Suppose you held 5 NCDs bought through your demat account in a public offer a year ago. These bonds on an average may deliver you around say 8%. You are happy that this interest accumulates to you or is paid out.
However, if you ever check the price of your bonds in the current market, you will be shocked to know that they would be below the price at which you bought. That means losses. However, this is not something you usually bother about. You are hopeful over the 3 or 5-year maturity period of the bond, you will get the interest (coupon) and on maturity get your principal back. However, if you try to sell in the market, looking at the losses now, you get hurt.
This is the same when it comes to debt funds. They are a portfolio of various debt papers and need to be held for the recommended time frame to ensure you do not suffer losses. When you try to exit ahead of the recommended time frame, you are translating the temporary loss to real loss.
Gauge the expected performance of your debt funds and try to stick to the time frame, to ensure: one, you get better returns than FD; two, you do not suffer losses.
And we think another debate on FD vs Debt funds is uncalled for if you remember that your bank, as a lender, makes more money than the FD holder. In debt funds, you are the lender. The job of your debt fund managers is to ensure you lend prudently!
If you still get spooked by volatility in debt funds, hold funds with minimum maturity (liquid and ultra short/low duration) for longer periods. What causes the damage is to hold funds with longer maturity for shorter periods. The inverse is perfectly ok, in a rising rate scenario.
FundsIndia's Research team has, to the best of its ability, taken into account various factors – both quantitative measures and qualitative assessments, in an unbiased manner, while choosing the fund(s) mentioned above. However, they carry unknown risks and uncertainties linked to broad markets, as well as analysts' expectations about future events. They should not, therefore, be the sole basis for investment decisions. To know how to read our weekly fund reviews, please click here.
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Below are the current research projects being undertaken by the Network.
- Patients' Experiences and Perceptions Study – Qualitative Study
Aim: To develop an accurate understanding of patients' evaluation of their healthcare while incarcerated using a qualitative approach.
- FIT HEART – Feasibility of an Intervention Targeting Health through Exergaming as an Alternative to Routine Treatment
Aim: To investigate the feasibility, acceptability and potential effectiveness of a novel intervention (exergaming) to promote physical activity among patients of secure mental health units.
- BANGAMALHANA: A collaborative throughcare program to support social and emotional wellbeing of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island females transitioning from prison to community
Aim: The aim of the Bangamalhana project is to improve the social and emotional wellbeing of incarcerated Aboriginal women aged 18-24 years transitioning from NSW prisons to community. This will be achieved through the co-design and leveraging of existing formal throughcare to be 'fit for purpose' in terms of culture, gender and age.
For more information about research projects email firstname.lastname@example.com


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Recently, we had the pleasure of sponsoring our 14th Annual Growth & Exits Strategies conference in London with the World Financial Symposiums (We even mentioned it in the Q3 Tech M&A Monthly). Over 200 European delegates from financial and technology sectors met and discussed critical topics surrounding maximizing enterprise value, growth, and exit options – whether through investment, buyout, IPO sale, and merger.
This was one of the most comprehensive events we've had the privilege of sponsoring. The level of panelists and speakers made for a very interesting and informative day. With speakers and delegates from 19 countries, the networking and exchange of ideas and viewpoints were particularly thought-provoking and productive. We had panels covering venture capital, private equity, strategic buyers, and sellers, who recently exited their companies. As well as presentations concerning GDPR, the Top Ten Disruptive Tech Trends and What's Driving Valuations, as well as What Are You Worth and How Do You Get It!
One of the highlights of this conference is the ability of the audience to ask the panelists questions during their sessions.
The speakers were all in agreement that valuations are high, this is one of the best times for funding and exits.
Venture capitalists are actively providing growth capital, private equity and strategic investors are competitively looking for new acquisitions.
Corporate Development Executives from Accenture, Cisco Investments, and IFS shared their acquisition strategies and gave insight into some of the key criteria they look for while engaging with a potential seller. It was interesting to learn that gaining internal agreement to move forward with a transaction was one of the most time-consuming parts of the process.
Once the buyers' team makes a decision to move forward with a deal, most reported a period of 6-8 weeks to go through Due Diligence and 2-4 weeks to complete the SPA. All speakers on this panel agreed that integration is a crucial part of the process and that they have their own dedicated integration teams to maneuver through this key phase. Though each buyer had variations in their integration process, there was a consensus that one of the first areas to get integrated is the sales and marketing portion of the business.
The Private Equity Panel was comprised of speakers from Battery Ventures, HgCapital, and STG Partners (formerly Symphony Technology Partners). This panel all agreed that it's currently a "sellers' market," valuations are high especially for areas like AI.
We listened to an interesting keynote "Inside the recent Genhom Acquisition" which closed May 2018. On stage was the buyer (Agilent Technologies – US-based – leader in life sciences, diagnostics and applied chemical markets), seller (Genohm – Switzerland-based – Lab Data Automation Software Company) and M&A Advisor (Corum Group Intl.) as they discussed this transaction from all three perspectives. All were in agreeance that from the start they could see a good fit and synergy between the two firms. However, as the M&A process wore on, some deal fatigue set in and towards the end there was disagreement with some small points of the final terms. Having an experienced M&A advisor was key in keeping the deal on track and filtering some of the emotions which built up from both sides. They were able to work through these issues and find a solution that was good for both sides and ultimately consummate a successful transaction. Both teams are now working together in the final integration phase of the process.
Similarly, Former-CEO of Every Angle, Fred Hermans shared his story of selling his company to Magnitude in June this year. Every Angle provides Self-Service Operational Analytics Platform for SAP (based in the Netherlands) and Magnitude Software is a leader in unified application data management across industries and enterprise platforms, including SAP (US-based). Fred Hermans stated, "We are excited about joining Magnitude as it will provide both companies the opportunity to accelerate global expansion while offering SAP customers an unmatched unified application data management portfolio including an agile analytics suite." He went on to state "We share a vision of simplifying the access to and analysis of data from ERP systems that will allow our customers to increase the business value they realize with these systems."
The London Stock Exchange addressed the most common misconceptions surrounding IPOs and the growth in the European market.
In conclusion, while the M&A outlook is strong, many of our fellow speakers and delegates questioned the "legs" of this present M&A rally. Regarding the timing-related question, we do strongly suggest that companies and investors considering an exit in the next two or three years look very closely at the dynamics of their specific market segment today.
From Corum's perspective, 2018 has been a record year for transactions, there is considerable pent-up demand for acquisitions. Beyond that, we have clearly seen a significant increase in valuations, a trend towards cash transactions and favorable structures for sellers.


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... My view is that there just is no substitute for a system of social morality like those in eastern cultures of old. Modern society has the attitude that "if it's not illegal, do it". Unfortunately, the law will never be able to codify in black letters the rich spectrum of behavioral regulations imposed by morality, developed over thousands of years of human behavior. Thus, individuals conforming only to the law and ignoring ethics and morals will inevitably breach their moral duty, and the damage they do is limited only by their "creativity" in using the law and the social power they wield due to their position, wealth or influence.
In short, we need to disabuse ourselves of this trend to consider ethics and morals some hokey, freedom-fettering construct that has become obsolete. It is very much necessary, and Wall Street is a great place to look if you want an example of why.
You may find him regressive, and he is. Eastern morality has failed even in the East. But, and this is the important question, now what?
Everybody knows morality is a moderation of our "instincts" which can wreak havoc. The modern world has outsourced morality to institutions. To regulatory bodies. "If they say this is acceptable, there's nothing wrong in it." Law is not a substitute for moral behavior. But what other option do we have?
Value education in the face of 24 hour Television? You must be kidding.
The existence of the "market" exacerbates this tendency of evaluating all behavior in terms of where it stands financially and legally. The prevailing Gods of the modern Have's are the rich and famous. "That's who I want to be."
The saints and scriptures are for the Have-nots.
George Soros says: "It's not whether you're right or wrong, but how much money you make when you're right and how much you lose when you're wrong."
He's in tune with the times. (Though to be fair, he may be asking you to put your money where your mouth is)
If you return the extra change that you got from a shopkeeper, you are a moral person, who believes in doing the "right thing". If you don't, you are a modern man, and you will win. An environment of distrust will develop, of course (as any ethologist will tell you), but how does that matter anyway, as "I am mortal", "I have but one life to live", "I live for none but myself", the slogans of modernity.
Poor Richard ("Honesty is the best policy") didn't have a clue about how the world works.
Or maybe he did, and we are doomed.


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MUMBAI (NewsRise) -- Jaguar Land Rover, the luxury automaker owned by India's Tata Motors, saw sales of Jaguar car models fall for the 11th straight month in August in the U.S.
However, demand for Land Rover sport-utility vehicles pushed up overall sales of the British automaker by 2%. Jaguar Land Rover sold a total of 9,648 cars and SUVs across North America, compared with 9,421 units in the year-earlier period, it said in a statement on Wednesday.
The sales were crimped by a sharp drop in volumes of Jaguar luxury sedans that reported a 20% decline last month to 2,469 units. The sales of Jaguar have been sagging in the U.S. amid weak demand for cars and a slow pace of adoption of its E-Pace models.
Most of the major U.S. automakers reported a small increase in sales in August amid rising consumer confidence and low level of unemployment. However, the demand for cars is likely to cool off in the second half of the year weighed by rising prices of vehicles and increasing interest rates.
Sales volumes of Land Rover surged 14% to 7,179 vehicles.
Meanwhile, sales in the U.K. reported a 66% jump to 3,444 units as the company nearly completed clearing of inventory, say analysts. Jaguar sales more than doubled to 1,242 units in the U.K. in August, while Land Rover reported a 46% surge, brokerage PhillipCapital said.
JLR has been grappling with declining sales in most European markets amid uncertainty over diesel vehicles. In July, it reported a 22% decline in global retail sales citing "transitional issues" in some markets.
The company's China demand was damped by the trade tensions with the U.S., while demand in Europe and the U.K. were hit by the tougher emission rules. In North America, JLR said it was letting go of some of the higher discounted business, and a delayed timeline for new model launches also hurt demand.
Mumbai-based Tata Motors had acquired the luxury automaker from Ford Motor in 2008 for $2.5 billion. JLR accounts for more than half of Tata Motors' total revenue and nearly 90% of its operating profit.
Tata Motors gained 1.3% in Mumbai trading, while the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex lost 0.4%.
--Dhanya Ann Thoppil


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Perfect Asian destinations that match your hobby
Holidays are the ideal time to indulge your interests and hobbies, with all the free time in the world and a thrilling setting in which to enjoy them.
To help you pursue your hobbies away from home, Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travellers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, dug into its data to create a list of lesser known travel destinations in Asia that are perfect for a range of hobbies.
Wild Swimming - Khao Sok, Thailand
If one of your hobbies includes swimming in natural water, then pack your bags and head to Khao Sok, a nature reserve in southern Thailand that's home to dense jungle, dramatic mountains and the pristine Cheow Lan Lake.
Where to stay: Boasting overwater bungalows on the Ratchaprapha reservoir (Cheow Lan Lake), 500 Rai Floating Resort is set in a midst of natural surroundings. Guests can indulge in an outdoor pool and enjoy amazing views of lush green hills. Delectable local and Western cuisines can be sampled at Talay Nai Restaurant.
Cycling - Imabari, Japan
The Shimanami Kaido is the famous bikeway across the Seto inland sea that runs the approximately 80 km from Imabari to Onomichi. People from all over the world visit and enjoy cycling on the six islands and across the beautiful bridges.
Where to stay: Cyclist love staying at Cyclo No Ie, a guesthouse for cyclists and backpackers, as it offers a relaxing accommodation to rest your tired legs after a long bike ride around the area. As they cater mostly to cyclists, bike hire and bike storage are also available at the property.
Live music - Saitama, Japan
Home to the second largest indoor arena in the world (with a spectator capacity of 36,500), the Saitama Super Arena, as well as the John Lennon Museum, Saitama is a must-visit for all lovers of live music.
Where to stay: If you're looking for a quiet retreat after your night's out dancing and singing along to the best of live music then look no further than the Urawa Royal Pines Hotel, which features six restaurants, a top-floor café and its own pastry shop. It has a 24-hour reception and a hairdressing salon, while free Wi-Fi is available property-wide
History - Muang Phônsavan, Laos
For history buffs, a trip to Muang Phonsavan in Laos is a must. As the capital of the Xiangkhoang Province, Phonsavan is best known for its megalithic archaeological landscape called the Plain of Jars, which is one of the most important prehistoric sites in Southeast Asia.
Where to stay: Kongkeo Guesthouse is a family run accommodation and serves as the perfect place to stay if wanting to relax after a long day of exploring this historic area. The property features a restaurant, free parking and complementary Wi-Fi.
Culture - Qufu, China
If you consider yourself a culture vulture, you'll be in good company on a visit to Qufu, China, which is probably best known as the hometown of Confucius and for various cultural cites associated with this celebrated Chinese philosopher.
Where to stay: Ideally located only a short walk from Confucius Six Arts City, not to mention world-famous temples, cemetery and family mansion of Confucius, the Shangri-La Hotel offers 5-star accommodation with complementary Wi-Fi throughout. The enchanting property also features an indoor heated pool, a tennis court and five dining options.
Nightlife –Haad Rin, Thailand
Home to what's probably the biggest all-night beach party in the world, night owls and party goers should not miss the chance to dance the night away to psychedelic trance music while wearing neon paint on Haad Rin Nok (Sunrise Beach) during the monthly Full Moon Party hosted on the island.
Where to stay: Centrally located on Haad Rin, The Coast Resort Koh Phangan is only 800 metres from the Full Moon Party. It offers air-conditioned rooms with free bottles of drinking water, free Wi-Fi, an outdoor pool and a fitness centre.


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FireFighter Wifey Shirt
Regular price $24.00
This shirt is new firefighter wifey favorite. Heat pressed words firefighter in white with a red arrow!
This is a Next Level Apparel brand style shirt that is super comfy and flattering. This is a raglan style shirt in red sleeves with a gray base. You will love it.
If you have something else in mind, contact me under the contact us form, and we will sure to work with you for a customized design.


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Two recent, intriguing crime novels by well-known authors have various degrees of success. Both have justice-related themes, providing hours of captivating reading entertainment.
"The Racketeer" by John Grisham (Doubleday, $28.95) isn't his usual legal thriller, although there are an assortment of legalities involved.
It focuses on the plight of Malcolm Bannister, a Black attorney who's serving 10 years in prison for his involvement in a money-laundering scheme.
He's spent some of his time as a jailhouse lawyer, learning a lot about his fellow prisoners. When a Federal Judge and his young secretary are discovered murdered, with an empty safe nearby, Bannister feels he knows who's responsible.
After the extensive investigation by local police and the FBI turns up no evidence, Bannister offers them useful information - for a price. He can break the case wide open, but wants his freedom.
Grisham's compelling tale is told from alternating viewpoints, beginning with Bannister's narrative and then switching to a third person, more objective view.
The reader doesn't really know immediately where the novel is going and is given few clues along the way. The author offers numerous surprises, racial insights and a bit of violence, but the final outcome is not completely unpredictable.
Grisham, in his brief afterward, notes "Almost nothing in the previous 340-odd pages is based on reality" - and he's 100% right. Although confusing at times, his latest novel is still classic Grisham, ready-made for the movies.
"The Cocktail Waitress" by James M. Cain (Hard Case Crime, $23.99) is a top-notch crime novel by the creator of "Mildred Pierce" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice".
Set in the early 1960's, it focuses on pretty Joan Medford, whose husband died under suspicious circumstances.
With a 3-year-old son and desperate for money, she takes a job as a cocktail waitress and soon gets involved with a wealthy widower and a handsome schemer.
She must make important, life-changing decisions, which inevitably lead to deadly, conflicting results and an ironic conclusion.
This is the lost final novel by Cain, the noir fiction specialist, who died in 1977.
In the afterward, by Edgar-Award winning author and Hard Crime Press founder Charles Ardai, it is revealed how the manuscript was discovered and how it was made available for publication.
Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing's Curious Book Shop, has reviewed crime novels and noir thrillers regularly since 1987.
This review was originally published by the Lansing State Journal on Sunday, November 18, 2012.


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Most Clevelanders have driven past the former Quay 55 building thousands of times while zooming up and down the Shoreway. But what many locals may not know is that the building is now known as The Shoreline Apartments—designed to offer resort-style living right on the shores of Lake Erie, according to new owner John Carney.
"Landmark plans to [create] a resort right there on the lake," says Carney, vice president of Landmark Companies (the real estate developer that bought Quay 55 in July 2017). "It's different when you drive past it, rather than when you walk in."
Once on the property, residents and guests are treated to prime views of Lake Erie, an in-ground outdoor swimming pool, patio with grilling stations, and a dog park on premises. Carney is also in talks with a paddle board rental company for residents to use in the summer months.
Furthermore, Carney says many residents have their own kayaks and paddle boards on site, and the location is a quick trip to Forest City Yacht Club. Nearby, the Cleveland Metroparks offers dining, drinks, and beach volleyball courts at E. 55 on the Lake. "This is stuff our residents can walk to," Carney says. "In the summer, residents are out all day with their iPads and laptops by the pool using the free Wi-fi."
The Shoreline is built in the former Nicholson Cleveland Terminal—a 1929 structure that was originally used to unload and store cars coming off freighters from Detroit. "It was basically a four-story concrete bunker with ramps," explains Carney.
Now in the process of updating and modernizing the building's existing 138 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments throughout its 250,000 square feet, Landmark spent the summer completing 29 new units in what previously was a 28,152-square-foot second-floor garage.
"There were cars there that literally had the best views of Lake Erie," Carney says, adding that many of the units were pre-leased by April and residents began to take occupancy in June. All 29 apartments were leased within five months of completion. "[Now, residents] can watch the sunrise to the east and then watch it set in the west."
Meanwhile, Landmark spent $400,000 on exterior building maintenance—including sealing the windows, tuck pointing, and other masonry work, as well as a new roof on the fifth-floor addition built in the 1990s. Now the team will spend $180,000 on mechanical system upgrades, such as the cooling tower and energy-efficient LED lighting in all the common areas.
"We're modernizing the units as they turn over," adds Carney, who adds that 40 percent of the tenants work within the healthcare industry in University Circle or in the Health-Tech Corridor. Furthermore, he says residents move to The Shoreline for a more mellow city experience.
"People may not realize that it's only about three miles from Public Square," he says. "We get a lot of downtown people who want to get away from the noise but aren't ready to move to the suburbs."
Carney says his team tries to cater to the residents' lifestyles and needs, saying that many residents choose the Shoreline as the last stop before buying a house. So Landmark offers amenities such as discount tickets to the Cleveland Orchestra and other concerts; connections to a moving company that offers "moving starter kits" of boxes, tape, and paper; and a free concierge service.
"We're trying to come up with as many partnerships as possible," Carney says. "We want to understand every reason people choose to live here and make sure we're engaged with the residents on a management level."
Other features of The Shoreline Apartments include an 800-square-foot community room that holds up to 40 people; a state-of-the-art fitness room; and an eight-person meeting room. The apartments themselves—38 one-bedroom, 127 two-bedroom, and two three-bedroom—range from 600 square feet to 1,800 square feet; all come standard with washers and dryers, white appliances, quartz or granite counter tops, and glass tile backsplashes in the kitchen. Carpet is also standard, although residents can easily upgrade to stainless steel appliances and wood LVT floors.
"We're pretty flexible," says Carney. "If they want something, we'll upgrade it for them."


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Inspired by the Arkansas Review's "What Is the Delta?" series of articles, Defining the Delta collects fifteen essays from scholars in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities to describe and define this important region.
Here are essays examining the Delta's physical properties, boundaries, and climate from a geologist, archeologist, and environmental historian. The Delta is also viewed through the lens of the social sciences and humanities—historians, folklorists, and others studying the connection between the land and its people, in particular the importance of agriculture and the culture of the area, especially music, literature, and food.
Every turn of the page reveals another way of seeing the seven-state region that is bisected by and dependent on the Mississippi River, suggesting ultimately that there are myriad ways of looking at, and defining, the Delta.


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The Undeniable Power of Social Media
When Facebook first emerged, it was thought to be a handy platform for friends to chat, and who would have thought that, within a few years, Facebook would become a huge digital platform for ecommerce? If you were of the opinion that social media isn't really a marketing avenue for your industry, think again. Simply put, the number of online shoppers is growing exponentially, and a large percentage are using social media sites to order products and services, making Social Media Marketing (SMM) an essential component to every digital marketing plan.
Connecting groups of Likeminded People
Social media provides an interactive platform for specialised groups, and any organisation that was looking for some collaboration would use an online social media proposal template to get their message to the right people. Friend lists send your contact details around the world, and from a business angle, SMM is a vital marketing avenue that is to be developed in an ongoing way – once the account has been created, regular quality posts will slowly build a following, and with ecommerce platform that facilitate online payments via Facebook, you really do have a convenient buying platform.
Bad News Travels Oh So Fast
If a company or organisation is not performing (customer service is non-existent), social media will have it known within the global online shopping in a flash. As an example, a small airline made a Facebook post offering a flight discount, and were bombarded with hundreds of comments about bad customer service! This global platform is indeed a double-edged sword, promoting both good and bad, which is great for the consumer and forces sellers to develop a solid reputation.
Get your Message Out
Using a range of social media platforms, you can inform millions of users about your cause or campaign. Social media can be credited for making people aware of animal and environment conservation programs, and if 25 million people watch a short movie about the plastic pollution problem in our oceans, this spreads the word in a very effective way. The way the friend system works creates webs and webs of networks, and a person could become world famous overnight with a single YouTube posting, such is the power of social media. Reputations that be destroyed in minutes and those who silently do amazing things are recognised, the unsung heroes and those who have a plan to clean up the planet, inspiring millions to do the same.
Consumer Paradise
A friend sends you a Facebook link, as he knows you are looking for a special kind of patio furniture, and with a single click, you are on the manufacturer's Facebook page, where you can either buy directly, or follow a link to their main site. The experts say social media commerce is already a major player and the future looks rosy, as more and more social media platforms offer easy online payment options.
If social media isn't already a part of your life, you are definitely in the minority.


text: nerdperson777 Posted December 9, 2019 7 hours ago, Calligraphette_Coe said: One trick is to always pick an underwire bra, as they hold their shape a lot better. It is, of course, no fun to get poked by those damn wires, though. I told my AFAB roommate that I've never used wires, as my mom didn't get them. They kind of impulsively said F U, as they have been used to not needing to have a filter after a year of not being in professional environments. They quickly said sorry, as it wasn't really meant in an insulting way. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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weekly updated blog for Oi! – punk – ska – reggae
Last year i got a copy from the Back On The Streets! album by Aggressive Combat, a Basque band who bring back the No Mess, No Fuss sound from the 80ies. I was immediately enthusiastic about their music and recently i did an interview with the band to give them the oppurtunity to introduce theirselves. All questions were answered by Mara (vocals).
April 2015 – band website
The usual question. Can you please introduce the band?
We are a streetpunk/Oi! band from the Basque Country, exactly from the town of Arrasate / Mondragon. The current members are Sid (Bass), Nebado (Drummer), Harri (Guitar) and I, Mara (Vocals).
We started with the band in 2004 when we were 16-17 years old kids with 5 members band, with Iurgi and Arnaiz still on guitars. Last year we celibrated our tenth anniversary and we still hope to celebrate at least 10 more years.
We also have to give thanks to another Aggressive Combat member Iñaki 'Virus', who played guitar with us when Arnaiz left the band.
Last year you released the Back On The Sreets! album, how were the reactions?
We are really happy with our work and with the reactions of the people, but of course as the times goes by we see some things we wanna change for the better, but at least we're happy with Back On The Streets.
Back On The Streets! is just your second full-length in ten years. Are you slow songwriters?
Well, as you could see we do things very slowly, but there are several reasons for it. When we recorded Etorkizun Iluna, our first full-length album, we started to play a lot of gigs mainly here in the Basque Country.
A couple of years years later we recorded an EP called Survive. Those two works were recorded with the original line-up featuring Sid, Nebado, Arnaiz, Iurgi and me (Mara), but shortly after the release Arnaiz left the band. Although we didn't recorded we continued writing songs and playing songs.
We also recorded a cover from a traditional Basque song called Xalbadorren Heriotzean wich was released on the Txarrantxa Rock. We recorded this song as a four-piece band.
After some years playing lots of gigs Iñaki joined the band and we decided to take the new songs and to make another full-length album.
Many punk & Oi! bands i know from the Spanish State are heavily influenced by metal music, yet your music sounds more like the British Oi! from the 80ies…
Since the early years of the band we play covers of all those old British Oi! bands like The 4 Skins, Blitz, The Business, The Last Resort and many more. We can say that those bands are the main reason why we're playing this kind of music and of course it's our main influence, so it's great for us to hear you saying that we sound like them.
Did you played many abroad gigs of mainly in the Spanish State?
I don't know if it's the same for every band, but for us the most difficult thing is to fix up the dates, cause we use to work in different things and some many times we can't play cause of work problems. So if we want to go abroad it's even harder.
I think, nowadays with internet and the social nets is easier to get in touch with people from many different countries and if they're interested on doing something or playing a gig it's easier and faster than years ago. By this way we've played in countries as Germany, Czech Republic or France, and we hope to play in many more someday.
You are an outspoken Basque band. Does it ever give trouble at gigs elsewhere in the Spanish State?
Well, first of all we've to say that we are Basque and we are proud of our history, heritage and our culture. We believe that every country has the right to choose what they want to be and we don't hide that we would like to see a free Basque Country. We have to say that until today we haven't had any problems in our scene and we got good relationship with people or bands from different parts of Spain or France.
Since a few years the Spanish States is suffering from the crisis and has a huge unemployment. Does this influence the number of people at gigs?
Yes, the crisis has hit hard here. Some of us and a lot of people around here are unemployed so they can't go to gigs every weekend as some years before. The attendance is lower nowadays but I don't know if the reason is economical or that the young people like another kind of music. There's also a lot of good people, young and old, who spend the few money they have coming to our gigs and it's something we really appreciate.
What are your future plans?
Of course we got some future plans, we recorded two songs during Christmas two songs for a split EP with our Galizian brothers Skarmento and we've started writing some new song for a future release, but we don't know when it will be recorded or released. We're also looking for some future gigs. All the band members have also different parallel projects as Hawking Thugs, Gaupa Heroes and Drop! but we're still alive!
Do you have any closing comments?
Thanks for your interest on us. We would like to say to all the people who want to see Aggressive Combat playing in their bar, town or area can keep in touch with us via e-mail (aggressivecontact at gmail dot com). Cheers & Keep the Spirit Alive!!
Click at the image(s) to purchase band releases from Aggroshop.com