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During the preparation for this article I did a bit of research on the Chameleon. It is a popular belief that it changes colors to camouflage itself. However, there's more to it than that; it seems that the color changes are a result of its environment, its comfort level, and its level of anxiety. It turns out that the chameleon analogy is more fitting than I thought.
Our S4 Open Appliances were designed to be seen when desired and completely transparent otherwise. They evolve and change as required to deliver services to the BAS and associated value added applications. Today, our S4 Open: BACnet-N2 Router integrates into legacy JCI Metasys® N2 systems and publishes to either BACnet/IP or OPC. At the same time, we can publish to the legacy Metasys® supervisory controller without it realizing that we are there.
The S4 product started out positioned as a sophisticated gateway whose typical use case was competitors of Johnson Controls using it to introduce their head end operator workstation and global controllers to buildings fitted with JCI legacy N2 field devices. As part of our platform, we went beyond just protocol conversion and automated as much of the integration process as is practical. One of the innovative features of our S4 Open: BACnet-N2 Router is its ability to enable the legacy Metasys® head end to transparently co-exist with the new BACnet technology being introduced.
As cloud-based applications started being introduced to the marketplace, a number of the analytics and other value-added application providers found out about our system and started using it as an on-site agent for bi-directional data access from the legacy N2 devices, collecting data without interrupting operation of the existing Metasys® head end. Thus, the S4 system found a new use case, and a new market, without us having to change any code; we simply took advantage of a feature that already existed in the S4 Open Appliances.
Our release 1.30 externally focused on enhancing our BACnet stack and underlying services to improve the BACnet client user experience and isolate the N2 field devices from the ever increasing demand for data. The major enhancements here were support for both confirmed and unconfirmed COV. We also added a S4 Router caching service that provides services similar to COV for points and attributes that use RP / RPM services. Behind the scenes, we put a huge amount of effort into restructuring the code in preparation for upcoming releases 1.50 and 2.0. Release 1.50 is a transitional release that starts the migration to new hardware platforms, multiple new OS support, and a host of new services and integrations.
First, the easy topic. Some time ago Advantech announced End-Of-Life for their UNO 2059GL platform that we have been using for many years. Its successor will be the Advantech UNO 2362G. It comes natively with Windows 7 Embedded Standard as its OS. Our current 1.30 firmware has been ported to this new hardware and OS and testing is underway with a very high priority. Advantech worked very closely with us to deliver these systems with an expanded case supporting either two or four fully isolated RS-485 ports.
We are taking care of our existing installed base of systems hosted on the Advantech UNO 2059GL platform. These systems were originally delivered with the Microsoft Windows CE 5.0 operating system. Our release 1.50 upgrades the OS on these machines to Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 2013 and moves the firmware to the same code base as our upcoming release 2.0, to the extent that those features can be supported by the underlying UNO 2059GL hardware. Upgrades to 1.50 will be offered to anyone with a currently active Software Assurance subscription. The upgraded OS improves system security and facilitates changing from Microsoft DCOM to web services/JSON communications between the appliance and our S4 Open Management Console.
Major release 2.0 will be out this summer and will add the following capabilities:
- Publishing with web services / JSON to interface to cloud-based services and RESTful interfaces
- Integration into Novar BAS systems
- Integration into BACnet MS/TP systems
- Providing BACnet/IP services for ecobee WiFi thermostats
- Completing the migration of all firmware to ISO C++ 11. This removes OS dependencies and allows us to later move to other O/S such as Unix derivates (Linux, Android) and to cloud-based implementations.
- The current S4 Open Management Console will become an HTML5 based web service and introduce a cloud-based "Homebase" service that incorporates value added services.
- Re-architecting the system to contain protocol specific information in individual .dll files to make the system more easily extensible by adding protocol plug-ins
Later in the summer we will include support for integrating into Siemens Apogee P1 systems. One of the maintenance releases for 2.0 will introduce BACnet scheduling and BACnet alarming services.
A lot of the work we are doing in the above releases positions the S4 Open Appliances to keep up with the new Web Services, RESTful interfaces, and tagging technologies that are rapidly evolving. It's too early to make any product announcements in these areas but suffice it to say that we have been staying current with industry trends and will have the technology to enable the new requirements.
We've been involved in far too many support cases that required our integration partners to make a trip to the customer site. We clearly saw the need to improve remote diagnostic capabilities for the N2 bus. We have not been able to find a commercial hardware platform that addressed this need. As good as the UNO 2362G product is, it also did not meet this requirement. So, we embarked on a project to design and have a S4 specific hardware platform custom manufactured for us. The initial prototypes of that product are now under test in our S4 test lab. Much of the internal work on the Release 2.0 code was done to accommodate this new platform. The CPU is based on the TI Sitara chipset which provides scalability to both larger and smaller implementations. The RS-485 support chipset is a high end product controlled from TI designed for rugged environments.
RS-485 termination and biasing is built into the system and by the system firmware. Diagnostic testing of the N2 bus can be performed remotely to save our partners windshield time whenever possible and to increase the chances of them arriving on-site with the correct parts when they do need to make a site visit.
Even after the new S4 hardware is available, the Advantech UNO 2362G hardware platform will continue to be offered as an option when our partner prefers to, or is mandated to, implement their systems on commercially available hardware.
Klaus Obermeier, president of our development partner Obermeier Software, led the design effort for this new hardware platform. Obermeier Software has his own line of products focused on the industrial automation world. The architecture of the Obermeier Software SNMP OPC Gateway family is converging to use the same architecture that the S4 Open Router 2.0 uses, making the protocol support interchangeable between our products. This very quickly could bring additional OPC and SNMP support to the S4 product. Expect that OPC UA support will be one of the first to appear in the S4 products. Some environmental monitoring products focused on high availability installations use SNMP.
Obermeier Software also has code to support the several variations of Modbus as protocol plug-ins. Meters, pulse counters, etc. typically will support Modbus. Newer technologies will support some variant of IoT protocols. They usually can be decomposed into a web services / JSON offering. This summer we will be publishing using this technology so it is a relatively small incremental step to be able to integrate these devices. I don't want to minimize the effort because there always is the work involved with Q/A testing, field testing, etc. to deliver the quality that we expect of our products.
We haven't done anything in the LON area. We may need to consider this in the future if we get more involved in metering applications and building infrastructures continue to converge into smart buildings. Echelon was at one point a major contender in the BAS space but they refocused their efforts on metering applications in recent years. Until it becomes necessary to invest in this technology we will continue to refer our partners to providers who are expert in this technology.
By this Fall, we will be at a point where we will be evaluating other legacy BAS systems to determine which ones are viable candidates to include in our offering. Some of these systems are either too old or have too small an installed base to justify a full scale R&D effort to develop integrations to them. We are negotiating with a 3rd party who has a number of drivers to bring these into the S4 Open router environment. We'll know more on this by the end of the summer. The S4 products have always been chameleon-like: they blend in with their environments and respond/react to the demands of the industry. With the current round of enhancements in mind, it looks like we will be spending a lot of the long, hot, summer days in the air conditioned test lab instead of at the beach.


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With an unexpected night off work last night, the creative juices were flowing and I had lots of time for stitching! These felt pins were lots of fun and fairly quick to make using things I already had!
Beaded Felt Pins, originally uploaded by ivoryblushroses.
Beaded Felt Pins, originally uploaded by ivoryblushroses.
I've had the Hope and Believe beads for some time now and they seemed perfect for a pin. Both the green and white heart shapes are cut from a wool/poly felt overlaid with a bit of green wool roving from my spinning stash. Using pearl cotton, I feather stitched the edges of the roving down to the top layer, then added beads freehand! The little bird bead is from a little stash of antique Arizona totem beads that I came across a while back.
The Believe pin was my first attempt. The beads are a bit more random... I think I like slightly more order! But it was fun and nice to be creating once again!
I also worked on the seams of the third cream/white crazy quilt block. I've been trying to use a greater variety of stitches in these blocks. There are a few variations of feather stitches, herringbone and chevron stitch and my favorite in the lower right hand corner ~ the Spanish Feather stitch. I love that it looks like fancy braiding! I had tried this on the first block, but was glad it ended up to be mostly hidden as it was quite uneven. This seam isn't perfect, but I think I finally got the knack of it!
Looking back at the pictures of the first two blocks, I realized that there are still three small patches that need to be filled with stitching, so that's the next thing I plan to work on!

subset: commoncrawl


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August 20, 2008
Press Clips August 19, 2008
- Workers need choice to stop intimidation
- N.C. lawmakers lining up against workers' rights
- Don't Let Our Opponents Divide Us with Race
- Labor, Film Co. Paint McCain as the 'Real Elitist'
- Managing to vote GOP
- Obama Tells Allies He Is Ready to Hit Back
- As expected, UAW endorses Obama for president
- Cinderella, others arrested in Disneyland labor protest
- If I Were the Boss . . .
- SAG, AFTRA together for ad contracts
- California could change farm worker union votes
- Labor ramps up anti-McCain efforts
- Letter: 'Secret ballot' encourages free expression at ballot box
- Should companies be allowed to provide political education for employees?


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What a frantic few weeks it has been since the season ended. You could be forgiven for thinking it seemed considerably longer than that given all that has went on, however. Jordan Henderson has already left, presumably to finance Bruce's summer rebuilding plans, and speculation persists about possible departures for Lee Cattermole and Asamoah Gyan, too. There has been no end of speculation regarding new players arriving at the club either, with a plethora of players linked and a different player every day being said to be close to signing. Yes, if we thought we were getting a little time off from the football soap-opera then we were being naive. What once was an excuse to get together on a weekend with friends and release some steam is now a 24/7 lifestyle, it seems.
We probably shouldn't be too surprised, of course. If Niall Quinn has done one thing since he returned to the club, it is to show he has a flair for the dramatic. Roy Keane's relentless charge to the Championship title after a very slow start, beating Newcastle at home for the first time in decades before slumping towards relegation and then surviving at their expense, the whole Darren Bent saga. It has been something of a roller-coaster ride. So, in the interests of perspective, allow me to take you on a trip down memory lane to the summer of 2006 to remember how this all started.
First a little necessary scene-setting, and for this I apologise. Life following Sunderland had become even more grim than usual. Weekly meek surrender was becoming a soul-destroying normality as our cheaply assembled and poorly led team became the biggest whipping boys the Premier League had seen since, well, Sunderland. Relegation with a, then (thanks Derby), record low points total inevitably followed. Mick McCarthy had long since been sacked by then and no permanent replacement had been appointed. Towards the end of the season, rumours persisted that Bob Murray, the chairman who was about to preside over his fifth relegation, wanted to sell up. Whispers were abound that Niall Quinn was ready to ditch his cushy life as a football broadcaster and journalist to round up some wealthy friends and buy the club. Many dared not to dream, but early that summer an anonymous club spokesmen delivered the news we were all desperate to hear; "talks between the board and Niall Quinn are ongoing". Things seemed to be gathering pace when, almost 5 years ago to the day, Bob Murray told fans that it would be certain that he "would not be the chairman of this football club at the start of next season" before declaring that Quinn had "always been my preferred successor" and urging the fans to back the Irishman.
There would be no instant gratification, though. Talks were long and, due to Stock Exchange regulations, silent. Negotiations, due diligence, and shareholders consideration all had to be carried out and were all as prolonged and drawn-out as seemingly humanly possible. All the while, there was a season to prepare for with no manager, an outgoing chairman, a skeleton squad, and no one in a position to immediately do anything about any of them. The man who finished the previous season in a caretaker manager position, Kevin Ball, was granted his request to return to looking after the youth team and their interests. So it fell to Kevin Richardson, just about the last man standing on Sunderland's coaching staff, to prepare the players for the new season.
When Quinn was finally in a position to get inside the club and begin his planning, what he discovered was a disillusioned and demoralised group of players more interested in plotting their own routes out of the club than plotting the rebuilding of the club. Deciding to sit down and meet the players individually, Quinn scheduled a series of meetings to be done in alphabetical order. Ben Alnwick, the young reserve goalkeeper at the club, was first in to see the incoming chairman, and immediately submitted a transfer request before leaving with instructions to send the club's senior goalkeeper, Kelvin Davies, in next. Davies complained about the fans "taking their football too seriously here" and submitted a transfer request of his own. Ben Alnwick was recalled, told that he was the new number one, would be given a new contract, and asked if he wanted to withdraw his own transfer request, which he did. So, having dealt with the unexpected goalkeeping crisis, Julio Arca, a former team mate, was summoned as the next name on the list, and promptly produced a transfer request. Quinn gave up and sent the irrepressible Bobby Saxton to deal with the rest of the players as a group.
The next task on Quinn's 'to-do' list was finding a manager of sufficient enough repute to shake the club free of its apathy. Martin O'Neill, who was without a club after leaving Celtic, was courted but was unable to be persuaded to stake his reputation on the club at that time. Sam Allardyce was reported to be approached, with the hope that the promise of big financial backing would tempt him away from Bolton. Roy Keane, someone with no managerial credentials but a name of genuine prestige was another target, but believed the timing to be wrong. It wasn't until Keane had a rethink a few weeks into the season that the manager position was filled. In the meantime, Quinn himself stepped into the role and struggled. Kelvin Davies got his move, as did Julio Arca, as they were sold to Southampton and Middlesbrough respectively, and George McCartney also left. Quinn looked to strengthen, and hindsight demands we use that term in it's most ironic possible sense, with William Mocquet and Arnau Reira. It wasn't the beautiful football fairytale-style dream we had all desperately dared to believe in – lets just put it that way.
As we know, things turned out great, and that season went on to contain so many great memories and probably become by favourite ever season following the lads. But crikey what a slow and painful summer that was. It was a summer during which we spent more time learning Stock Exchange rules than we did watching transfer rumours. A massive 100 days elapsed between the first concrete reports of Niall Quinn looking to buy the club and his take-over being complete. That time was spent without a manager, without a chairman, and without the kind of planning and preparations they bring. We couldn't attract a manager, we couldn't sign any players, and our existing squad was full of players determined to flee. So when, over the course of this summer, you find yourselves frustrated at our top players linked away, or what you believe to be the wrong players coming in, or whatever, just as I myself have been, cast your mind back to how things were only 5 years ago. After all, our best players being flattered by interest from Liverpool or Tottenham is a hell of a lot better than our best players desperate to get moves to Southampton or Middlesbrough.


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Cannabis for medical use was approved in Alaska by 58% of voters on November 3, 1998. Medical use of cannabis became legal April, 1999. Patients in possession of written documentation from their physician, stating that they "might benefit from the medical use of marijuana" are exempt for state-level criminal penalties governing the use, possession and cultivation of marijuana.
Conditions Approved for Medical Marijuana in Alaska
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Epilepsy and other disorders characterized by seizures
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Multiple sclerosis and other disorders characterized by muscle spasticity, and nausea.
- Other conditions are subject to approval by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
Cannabis Quantities Allowed in Alaska
- Possession: patients (or their primary caregivers) may legally possess no more than one ounce of usable marijuana.
- Cultivation: patients (or their primary caregivers) may legally cultivate no more than six marijuana plants, of which no more than three may be mature.
- A confidential state-run patient registry issues identification cards to qualifying patients.
All patients seeking legal protection under this act should enroll in the state patient registry and possess a valid identification card.
Patients not enrolled in the registry will not be able to argue the "affirmative defense of medical necessity" if they are arrested on marijuana charges.
Full details of how to get a medical marijuana card in Alaska.
Medical Marijuana News Update:
5th June, 2011 – There are still no marijuana doctors or marijuana dispensaries in Alaska. This is really disappointing for Alaska medical marijuana patients, considering medical marijuana was made legal in April 1999.
Please contact us if you know of any marijuana doctors or dispensaries in Alaska.


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It is obligatory the use of gloves, mask and protective goggles, since the risk of burns and poisoning is high. The lye, the oxalic acid and the hidrosulfito of sodium are other products very indicated to whiten wood. The wood is warm, lasting and decorative. Nevertheless, all our furniture suffers with the sun. The solar rays or the passage of time darken them of total or partial form.
It happens in addition that the ctos notice much because the blackening of the wood is registered in certain zones and not of uniform way. Positions to reclaim a furniture, the most advisable substance to clarify wood is the oxygenated water, since, remembers Consumer/Eroski, as soon as it damages ligneous fibers. This hydrogen peroxide can be used in any type of wood without needing rinsing it after its application, since their components evaporate when the curing. For an optimal result, oxygenated water of 130 volumes is due to use. However, the action will be more aggressive if a water mixture oxygenated of 100 volumes with pure ammonia in a proportion of 95 parts by 5 is used, respectively. Precautions when using water oxygenated Once sandpapered the wood surface, extends on the same the chemical compound with a white rag. This it does not have to be of cotton, since this material is degraded with facility by the action of the oxygenated water. Spent minutes, the zone dealt with a cotton rag rubs with energy.
If the result is not the hoped one, it is possible to be repeated the process past hours. NYU Law is full of insight into the issues. The volume is the measurement that is used to identify the concentration of oxygenated water solutions. In this case, 1 volume is equivalent to an oxygenated dissolution of 0.3% of water (H2O2) and a 99.97% of water (H2O). If one considers that the water oxygenated that is used with medicinal aims and disinfectants have 10 volumes, the reason will be understood by which, when using this product to a greater concentration ten times, is obligatory the use of gloves, mask and protective goggles, since the risk of burns poisoning is high. Other products launderers the lye, the oxalic acid and the hidrosulfito of sodium are other indicated products to whiten wood. The lye must have a concentration of 12%. For his application on wood it must be used diluted to avoid the yellowish tone that can leave on the furniture. However, whichever major is the dilution, minor will be their aclarante power. The oxalic acid is due to dilute in water or alcohol before its use. In order to increase his power bleaching, it is necessary to apply warms up it. Given his toxicity, after the treatment it is necessary to wash the wood. The hidrosulfito of sodium, is a crystalline white dust that gives off a strong scent to sulphur. This compound is soluble in water and it is used in aqueous solution to 10%. In this case also it is necessary to wash the wood surface after his application. Source of the news: How to reclaim a furniture blackened by the sun and the time.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
The Center for the Arts, University at Buffalo, will present Ballet Folklórico de Antioquia, Colombia on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 7:30 p.m. in the Mainstage Theatre, located at the Center for the Arts, North Campus. The performance is sponsored by M&T Bank.
The members of Ballet Folklórico de Antioquia, Colombia have one mission: to spread the multicultural richness of Colombian culture. In a celebration of Colombian folklore in its many manifestations, the company offers an experience of authentic music, dance, and physical theatre accentuated with brilliantly colored and scintillating costumes. The group features 20 dancers and eight musicians.
Recognized for its elegance, excellence and high technical level of dance, Ballet Folklórico de Antioquia, Colombia has been enjoying a rapidly expanding international reputation in addition to its many awards and special appearances. The company won a Gold Medal at the Stylized Folk Olympics in France and the title of "Perfección" at the 25th annual International Festival in Quebec. Ballet Folklórico also received a special recognition as the best Latin American company to take part in the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 - the first Colombian group to ever participate in such an event.
Tickets for Ballet Folklórico de Antioquia, Colombia are $26.50 general admission and $11.50 for students (all schools). Tickets are available at the center box office and all Ticketmaster locations, including ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets, call 1-800-745-3000 (in Canada 416-870-8000). For more information, call 716-645-2787.


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Mirabito commits $100,000 to UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital
NORWICH, NY – One of the region's most prominent energy families has committed $100,000 toward the construction of a new emergency department and walk in center at UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital. Members of the Mirabito family presented a check to campaign leaders during a small ceremony at the family-owned energy holding company's Binghamton headquarters. The […]Read More
Mirabito to Host 11th Annual Holiday Gathering
On Sunday, December 8th from 9AM-12PM, Mirabito Energy Products will host its 11th annual Holiday Gathering at the Metro Center in downtown Binghamton. This family-fun event will kick off the holiday season with music, games, crafts, and plenty of food. The event is free and open to the public, though in the spirit of giving, attendees are […]Read More
Shop Forward: Mirabito Offers Gift Card-Give Back Campaign
Shop Forward: Mirabito Energy Products Offers Gift Card-Give Back Campaign to Support the Salvation Army of Binghamton Beginning Friday, November 29, 2019 and running until December 31, 2019, Mirabito Energy Products will donate $1.00 from the sale of every Mirabito Gift Card purchased at its convenience stores to The Salvation Army of Binghamton. "We wanted to create […]Read More
Mirabito Energy Products Announces Changes to its Boards of Directors
Mirabito Energy Products is pleased to announce the election of Justin Fisher to the Mirabito Holdings, Inc. and Mirabito Power & Gas, LLC Boards of Directors. Justin replaces John Mirabito, who retired as Chairman from the Boards of Directors in June. Justin has been employed with Mirabito for eleven years. He currently serves as Senior […]Read More
Mirabito Employee Ensures Customer Safety
On Saturday, September 21st, Mirabito Convenience Store employee, Don Decker, was working his shift at the 2 Castle Creek Road store in Binghamton, NY. All of a sudden, he heard a loud crunching noise and ran to the doors to see what the noise was. He assumed it was an accident, but when he got […]Read More
Our People Make Energy Different
On Friday, June 28th, Mirabito employee Robin Curtis was leaving her 2pm shift at the Chenango Bridge store when she noticed a woman at the gas pump who appeared to be very confused. When Curtis approached the woman and asked if she needed help, the woman's response was that she couldn't find her way home. […]Read More
Mirabito Store Manager Runs for a Cause
On Saturday, May 4th, Trevor Proper participated in the 6th annual Run 4 the Hills For First Responders! run/walk to raise money for Hero Fund America. Proper and his team completed the 4-mile run/walk in full firefighter turnout gear, making the race particularly difficult. Hero Fund America recognizes and honors emergency response organizations, providing grant money […]Read More
Mirabito Holdings, Inc. Hires Brett Hughes
Mirabito Holdings, Inc. is pleased to announce that Brett Hughes has joined the Mirabito team as the Director of Business Development. Brett will be responsible for the strategic leadership of Mirabito land assets and real estate projects for the continued profitable growth of the company. Brett comes to Mirabito with significant experience in Real Estate, with his […]Read More
North Shore Oil – Letter From Harry Pratt and Joe Mirabito
Dear Valued North Shore Oil Customer: We are pleased to announce an exciting new combination between North Shore Oil Company and Mirabito Energy Products, effective April 15, 2019. This combination will enhance the products and services you have become accustomed to receiving over the years from North Shore Oil Company. The combination will be called […]Read More
Mirabito Natural Gas Announces Name Change
(Binghamton, NY, March 2019) Mirabito Natural Gas, LLC has, been involved in brokering electricity products to customers across Upstate New York for many years. To better represent this arm of our business and make our services more clear to our customers, we have changed our name to Mirabito Power & Gas, LLC. This name change […]Read More
Mirabito Employees Help Runaway Little Boy
On February 19th, a little boy wandered in to the Mirabito Convenience Store in Earlville, NY. The little boy was alone and appeared to be lost. Donna Barley, who was on staff that evening, immediately became concerned upon noticing that the boy did not have an adult with him. After a brief conversation, the boy […]Read More
Mirabito Employees Volunteer at Mary's Meal
Twice a month, Our Lady of Sorrows Church sponsors and hosts a free Mary's Meal dinner in their café. The community meals are run by volunteers of the Vestal community. On January 8th, several Mirabito employees took the opportunity to connect with their community and run the dinner. Rich Thrasher and his two sons, Vince […]Read More


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Stickers linking to white nationalist group appear in North Dallas
Stickers have started showing up across the DFW metroplex that link to a website that watchdog groups say belongs to a white nationalist organization.
It appears the stickers were placed recently in parts of North Dallas. Social media posts say they were also placed in Fort Worth and Grand Prairie.
Media reports show it's something that's been happening in other cities across the country this year. When people saw it happening in North Dallas, they took matters into their own hands.
The stickers contain a QR code which directs people to a website for the Patriot Front. Both the Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center designate the Patriot Front as a hate group.
The ADL says it is a "white supremacist group whose members maintain that their ancestors conquered America and bequeathed it solely to them."
Both the ADL and the SPLC say the Patriot Front spun off from the group behind the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.
The group has been active recently in North Texas. On its website, the Patriot Front says it was behind the protest of an anarchist book festival in Denton two weeks ago during which a group of people chanted "Reclaim America" outside a bar.
People noticed when photos posted overnight Sunday on a purported Twitter account for the Patriot Front said "activists" posted stickers in several North Texas cities.
One was found at the DART station off of Forest lane and another one at the corner of Forest and Central. Two people showed up there to take it down. One asked FOX 4 to not show their face for safety reasons.
"It's definitely scary for minorities, such as myself, that this is out there," the person said.
So once they were done, they replaced it with a message of acceptance.
"We just decided to take them down and show that hate is not welcome in our community," they said.
The SPLC says it's currently tracking 73 hate groups in Texas. 14 of those are statewide, and one of them being the Patriot Front.


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There are more than 5 billion pages on the World Wide Web. Every day we send more than 300 billion emails, and 3 billion individuals access social media. Every web page, every email and every post is a message that we want to communicate to others.
How do you design these messages, so you successfully get your point across?
LUCID Writing is a six-step, user-centric approach that will strengthen your ability to communicate on the web. It's based on principles of cognitive psychology and instructional design developed over the past 30 years. Following these steps and applying the principles will enable you to craft communications that fit the needs and expectations of your audience.
Of course, not all communications have the same importance. You might spend ten minutes composing an email and a month designing a web page. The process is similar, but you can choose the apprioritate amount of design depth. In this webinar, you will learn the six steps for organizing content design and creation. The steps guide you in understanding your audience's goals and mental models, information architecture, the cognitive requirements for meaningful communication, establishing engagement, setting tone and validating the results through usability testing.
This webinar will be of interest to anyone who creates content for the web and for UX professionals who want to guide and influence content prepared by others in their organizations.


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Whiplash occurs when a person's neck is forced to strain as his head and body are forced in separate directions. Many Chicago residents who have been in fender benders and more serious accidents have experienced whiplash to some degree. For many, whiplash is a discomfort that eventually remedies itself with rest and therapeutic treatments. For others, it lingers as a debilitating ailment that manifests into additional serious conditions.
For example, whiplash can cause pronounced pain in a person's head, neck, back and shoulders. That pain can be mild to severe, constant or sporadic. It can exist as pain alone, but it may also be associated with numbness and other sensations in the extremities and affected areas of the body.
Whiplash can lead to a lot more than just pain and discomfort as well. The neck includes a portion of the body's spinal cord, the bundle of nerves that runs from a person's brain throughout his back body. Whiplash can injure a person's spinal cord and cause serious problems for his nervous system.
It can also lead to neurological problems in the affected individual. People who have suffered from car accident-related whiplash have experienced dizziness, coordination problems, issues with sleeping and problems with other focused-based activities. What makes whiplash a scary condition is that many car accident victims do not even know that they are suffering from it until hours or even days after they have endured their motor vehicle collisions.
Whiplash is more than just a sore neck. It can cause long-term pain and suffering in a victim of a car accident. The medical expenses associated with treating whiplash can be costly; individuals who are facing medical treatments for whiplash due to car accident injuries may have rights to pursue their damages and costs under personal injury law.


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Minaean International Corp. Signs Memorandum Of Understanding With Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board For Collaboration In Construction Of Dholera Projects
Vancouver, BC, Canada –January 19, 2015 – Minaean International Corp. (TSX Venture Exchange: MIB; Berlin and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges: NJA) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Gujarat Infrastructure and Development Board (GIDB) for execution of contracts in relation to Dholera Special Industrial Region (SIR) in Gujarat, India. The MOU was signed as a part of the three member Canadian consortium for execution of contracts involving the township development of Dholera SIR and is an initiative championed by India's current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The design and planning is partly done by a group of Canadian engineers and will be put on the implementation stage upon approval from GIDB. The MOU was signed on January 11th, 2015 at the 7th Vibrant Gujarat summit held in Gandhinagar, India with Canada's Minister of Labour and the Status of Women Hon. Dr. K. Kellie Leitch in attendance.
Mr. Hari Varshney, Chairman of Minaean, commented, "This is a great milestone for Minaean and for Canadian companies who look towards developing business opportunities in India. With the country poised to regain its status as one of the fastest growing global economies under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and the focus put on the development of industry and infrastructure, Minaean is gearing itself for partnerships with larger corporations for execution of these projects".
A copy of the official news release published by the Canadian Trade Commissioner's office is reproduced below:
About Minaean
Minaean International Corp. is a company well known for its pioneering efforts in the manufacture of light gauge steel components for the construction industry and modular metal buildings in India. The strong, affordable, ecologically sustainable structures present a promising solution to the mass housing shortages in developing countries in addition to a range of conventional applications.
The shares of Minaean International Corporation (parent company) are publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "MIB" and on the Berlin and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges under the symbol "NJA". For more information, please visit www.minaean.com.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
"Mervyn Pinto"
Mervyn Pinto, President & Director
January 12, 2015 / No. 201501-06
Canadian Consortium Sign Agreement with Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board
A consortium of Canadian infrastructure companies represented by Stantec Consulting and Minaean International Corp signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) at Vibrant Gujarat. The agreement marks an important step in Canada's contribution to Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor projects.
Canadian consulting and engineering firms have already been active contributors to the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). The signing of the MOU between the Canadian Consortium and Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board will open the door for increased collaboration and cooperation by Canadian companies in the Dholera Special Industrial Region.
Speaking following the signing, Canada's Minister of Labour and the Status of Women Minister Dr. K. Kellie Leitch said "Gujarat's urban development story is being watched by the world, and this is an exciting opportunity for Canadian companies to be part of it. The members of the consortium are renowned in Canada and abroad for contributing to world class urban centers." In addition to Minister Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, the Premier of the Province of Prince Edward Island, Robert Ghiz and Ontario Minister of Provincial Parliament Dipika Darmela also witnessed this historic agreement.
The consortium is comprised of:
Stantec: a professional consulting firm with expertise in planning, engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management, and project economics.
Minaean International Corp: A light gauge steel construction company with expertise in environmentally friendly infrastructure and housing projects
WSP Global: A leading professional services firm with expertise ranging from environmental remediation to urban planning, from engineering iconic buildings to designing sustainable transport networks, and from developing the energy sources of the future to enabling new ways of extracting essential resources.
Canada is the 4th largest exporter of engineering services globally, while Canadian architects, designers and project managers are known for their creativity and ability to innovate. Canadian companies are recognized for their high-level of project management; specialized technical skills and for developing environmentally friendly technological solutions that combine innovative design with high quality and look forward to engaging in India's infrastructure projects.
For more information please contact:
Ms. Ritika Nandkeolyar, Consul – Political/Economic and Public Affairs:
+91 22 6749 4489/+91 99675 15930; firstname.lastname@example.com
Ms. Elaine D'Souza, Public Diplomacy and Communications Officer: +91 22 6749 4432/+91 77380 84728: firstname.lastname@example.com


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|1925 Fun Facts, Trivia and History
Quick Facts from 1925:
|Top Ten Baby Names of 1925:
Mary, Dorothy, Betty, Helen, Margaret, Robert, John, William, James, Charles
|US Life Expectancy:
(1925) Males: 57.6 years, Females: 60.6 years
|The Stars:
Josephine Baker, Mary Pickford, Anna May Wong
|Miss America: Fay Lanphier (Oakland, CA)
Firsts, Inventions, and Wonders:
The New Yorker went on sale for the first time (cover date Feb 21, 1925)
The world's first motel, the milestone Motel, was built in 1925 by Arthur Heineman in San Luis Obispo, California due to its being a midpoint between LA and San Francisco, a two-day trip for motorists at the time.
Department Store Sears didn't have a physical store location for its first 19 years as a retailer. Its first general catalog was published in 1906, and its first store was established in 1925.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published.
The Grand Ole Opry, a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee debuted on November 28, 1925, as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM.
Wheel Gymnastics was presented in Germany
Cecilia Helena Payne-Gaposchkin discovered that hydrogen and helium are the most abundant elements in stars and, therefore, in the whole universe.
Chrysler was founded by Walter Percy Chrysler.
Pete the Bear is actually Disney's oldest recurring character, making his debut in the 1925 cartoon Alice Solves the Puzzle.
|The biggest Pop Artists of 1925 include:
Gene Austin, Benny Krueger & His Orchestra, The Benson Orchestra of Chicago, Ben Bernie and His Orchestra, Eddie Cantor, Vernon Dalhart, Cliff Edwards, Carl Fenton, and His Orchestra, Ernest Hare, Marion Harris, Lewis James, Al Jolson, Billy Jones, Isham Jones and His Orchestra, Ted Lewis and His Band, Vincent Lopez and His Orchestra, Nick Lucas, John McCormack, Billy Murray, Blossom Seeley, Bessie Smith, Aileen Stanley, Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians, Ted Weems and His Orchestra, Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra
|US Politics:
March 4, 1925 (Wednesday) Second inauguration of Calvin Coolidge
Pop Culture News:
IDITAROD – In January 1925, a diphtheria epidemic broke out in Nome, Alaska. Medicine was hundreds of miles away, in Anchorage. They gathered 18 teams of dog-sledders to make the 674-mile trek. Gunner Kassan was the final sledder, let by his soon-to-be-famous dog, Balto. The journey is commemorated every year in the Iditarod. Togo, another dog in the run, actually did more miles than Balto. #unsunghero
Ford introduced its first truck – the Ford Model T Runabout with Pickup Body.
THE SCOPES TRIAL – John Scopes was a substitute biology teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, a state which had passed a law banning the teaching of evolution. Mr. Scopes taught it to his class, as it was in the school's approved textbook, like every biology teacher in Tennessee did. He was found guilty and was let off on a technicality.
The Olympic Flag was designed by Pierre de Coubertin (blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field).
The US government has held a stockpile of 1 billion cubic meters of helium in Amarillo, Texas, since 1925. This is due to post WWI fear that we may run out of helium in case of blimp warfare.
As a joke, recently hired engineers at General Electric were ordered to develop a frosted lightbulb, which they believed to be impossible. In 1925, newly hired Marvin Pipkin got the assignment and made the first frosted lightbulb.
Nellie Ross was the first US Governor, was inaugurated in Wyoming on Jan 5, 1925. The second female governor, Miriam Ferguson, from Texas, was sworn into office January 20th.
Until 1925, the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government and did not limit the powers of state or local authorities
George Bernard Shaw is the only person to win a Nobel Prize AND an Oscar. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925 and an Oscar for Pygmalion in 1938.
Wearing a Fez was banned in Turkey, and still is.#fezzesarecool
|1925 Astronomy News:
The Total Solar Eclipse of 1925 had a path of totality that just grazed Manhattan. It was reported that residents below 96th St. could still see part of the Sun, while those above 96th were in total darkness.
|The Tri-State Tornado:
The Tri-State Tornado was the deadliest in U.S. history, storming through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing 695 and injuring 2,027 people.
The Suicide Poem:
Goodbye my friend, goodbye
До свиданья, друг мой, до свиданья
Nobel Prize Winners:
The 30th Vice President of the USA, Charles Gates Dawes, in addition to his Nobel Peace Prize in 1925, was a self-taught pianist and composer who composed the 1912 hit song Melody in A Major which used in Tommy Edwards' 1958 #1 hit It's All in the Game.
|Popular and Best-selling Books From 1925:
Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis
The Carolinian by Rafael Sabatini
The Constant Nymph by Margaret Kennedy
Glorious Apollo by E. Barrington
The Green Hat by Michael Arlen
The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton-Porter
The Little French Girl by Anne Douglas Sedgwick
The Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley
One Increasing Purpose by A. S. M. Hutchinson
The Perennial Bachelor by Anne Parrish
Soundings by A. Hamilton Gibbs
The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes
World Series Champions: Pittsburg Pirates
Stanley Cup Champs: Victoria Cougars
U.S. Open Golf: W. McFarlane
U.S. Tennis (Men/Ladies): William (Bill) T. Tilden/ Helen Wills
Wimbledon (Men/Women): Rene Lacoste/Suzanne Lenglen
NCAA Football Champions: Alabama & Dartmouth
Kentucky Derby Winner: Flying Ebony
Boston Marathon Winner: Charles Mellor Time: 2:33:00


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Last Updated on October 28, 2021 by
Easter is almost here! It has snuck up on me this year. With traveling and work, the time has flown by! I realized this past week that I really needed to start putting our little one's Easter basket together. All of these ideas are available through Amazon Prime, so you still have plenty of time to get them here before Easter!
Easter Basket Ideas for Toddler Boys
Personalized Toy Bin.
We LOVE these to keep his toys in. They are easily portable so we can move them from room to room and they blend in well with our decor. We purchased this bin from a local store, but Amazon has a few that would work perfect.
Sippy Cups.
I'm all about practical gifts! Sippy cups disappear around here like socks do, so we can never have too many!
Summer Supplies.
I love the idea of doing a beach or summer themed basket. Swim trunks, sunglasses, beach balls, etc. are all fun ideas for your toddler!
Board Books.
Our little one loves his board books. A few books are a perfect candy alternative for any one's Easter basket!
How cute are these Easter eggs filled with Play-Doh?
Of course, what Easter basket would be complete without a few toys? This drum set is perfect for your toddler!


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I am writing a spec script that deals with an actual person who lived years ago. I have fictionalized many events in his life and now part of me is wondering if this is legal? Think in Titanic, James Cameron didn't get John Jacob Astor's permission to recreate him, give him words, and actions, in the film? How does that work? Is creative license totally creative? If you veer from the truth to exaggerate your story, is that technically slander?
Not if the person in question is dead.
Generally, slander refers to things you say, whereas libel refers to things you write. Either way, dead people can't do anything about it, and the heirs aren't allowed to sue on their behalf.
Certainly, whenever you are dealing with living people, or recently living people, you'll want to be careful. There may be some hidden landmines. For instance, an estate may have control over a celebrity's voice or likeness (think Marilyn Monroe). And copyright still applies. If Cameron based Titanic on Astor's private diaries, the estate would have reason to go after him.


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In Educational writing Subjects for essay writing typically make a distinction to the standard itself in lots of instances there's numerous data that's supplied on…
When writing a descriptive essay in educational writing there are some things to think about earlier than leaping in and having the ability to take one thing and leaving it in an outline. Writing one of these essay matter can have an individual considering an excessive amount of and being too artistic with out including that house for the work to actually come to life. Typically occasions there are a couple of steps that may be understood with a purpose to create essays and essay subjects that may land the upper grade.
Paying Consideration
Throughout this method, there are issues that might be performed with a purpose to enhance the standard of the educational writing together with some essay subjects to replicate upon in the direction of the article's premise.
Pre-write the essay
Draft the essay
Go away house throughout the doc
Avoiding the grip
Pre-writing the Educational Writing Essay
Can have some useful results that has the coed conscious of what they're writing. Typically the writing can start and it'll construct, however in a route the coed won't perceive, nonetheless the construction can usually discover itself if the stream is discovered and it'll proceed and start to be just a little bit louder by way of a number of the issues that will be integrated into the construction of the doc.
Drafting The Essay
Means that there's one other rewrite to have taken place to make sure that there may be some dynamics concerned that weren't missed and a few euphoric descriptive parts that might be added.
House is Invaluable in Educational Writing
Throughout the doc, constructing it with out the appreciations for the house or ignoring the house itself from being constructed can have advantages and have some drawbacks. Primarily the dissertation will need some house to breathe to ensure that its nature to be discovered.
Avoiding The Grip
That's being referred to is the over exhaustion of a selected matter. This may result in the writing changing into just a little bit drowsy and boring to learn. As soon as is commonly sufficient an outline except there's an added layer being talked about. And if that's the case, then there's at all times one thing else that may be approached by however usually occasions, overdoing it is going to result in extra catastrophe.
A Listing Of Subject For Essay
Geographical variations
Concert events
Every of those essay subjects for educational writing might be mined for additional data and are a categorical point out to boost the particular person's creativeness and to provide you a push.
Tags: Academic, essay, essays, research paper, student, term paper, Topics, Writing


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By Allen Stare
I'm a "heavy sleeper." Ask my wife and she'll tell you my idea of sleep is a state somewhere between unconscious and dead. Being a heavy sleeper means I'm also slow to wake up. In grade school I had a "mom" alarm. The "mom" alarm screams at you every seven to nine minutes until you finally get out of bed. It's like a snooze alarm only the last time it goes off it says, at the top of its lungs, "I'm not going to tell you again…get down here NOW!"
Somewhere in Junior High I traded the mom alarm for an actual clock radio. It's quite possible mom told me she was done yelling and I'd better figure out another way to get myself up. Yeah, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure that's what happened. My clock radio was cool. It had red glowing numbers and would play a radio station when it went off. It also had a "snooze" bar. This was my first exposure to the snooze bar. Oh, BABY, did I love that snooze bar! I STILL love that snooze bar!
Full disclosure…I intentionally set my alarm some multiple of nine minutes ahead of the time I need to get up just so I can smack the snooze bar. As stupid as it may sound, I've always played this game with myself. I usually set the first alarm to go off 27 minutes ahead of actual "get down here NOW!" time. Twenty-seven minutes equals three snoozes. I don't know the metric conversion, but in the good ol' U S of A the "snooze" is nine minutes. From the days of my red glowing numbers it's been nine minutes. If you don't know a snooze is nine minutes, it's possible I don't like you. Non-snoozers are people who pop awake to an alarm about as loud as a heavy sigh and are bright and alert the moment they open their eyes. (Oooops, better tread lightly here…my wife is a non-snoozer.) You non-snoozers will never know the delicious decadence of a good nine, or eighteen, or twenty-seven minute snooze.
As a lover of the snooze, I decided to find out why a snooze is nine minutes. I've heard theories, but I've never heard a really solid answer.
This, it would seem, is because there is no solid answer. I looked into both the history of the alarm clock and the history of the snooze button. Alarm clocks are ancient. The Egyptians added bells and whistles (seriously) to their water clocks. No snooze. Seth Thomas patented the mechanical alarm clock in 1876. Still no snooze.
It wasn't until 1956 when General Electric-Telechron came out with the Model 7H241 "Snooz-Alarm" that we could cheat the sandman. If you hit the bar on top, you got "about 10 more minutes of sleep". Designers were shooting for "nine minutes and change" according to two reports I found. The Telechron was a mechanical snooze. When you hit the bar, a flywheel attached to the alarm would advance the alarm trigger a slight bit. It was imprecise, but it would reset for just under ten minutes. Fun fact about the "Snooz-Alarm": since you were actually resetting the alarm each time you hit snooze, it was necessary to put the alarm back to the starting point every night before you went to bed. If you didn't, your latest snooze from this morning would become your first alarm tomorrow morning.
In 1959 Westclox joined the snooze game with their "Drowse Alarm". It had a rocker bar on top. If you pushed it one way, you got five more minutes. Rock it the other way and you got "about ten." Again with the nine minutes and change. In the 1960s when "flip-digital" clocks were introduced, the nine minute snooze had become the norm (nobody used five). According to one extended explanation, the mechanics of the flip-digital display made it easier to work with only the ones column of numbers. Going to the second column of flip digits meant an additional set of gearing. For snooze designers, triggering the snooze after nine minutes was the cheapest and easiest route. I read the same kind of thing about digital displays. In the controller chip, designers programmed a variable for the snooze time. When you smack the snooze, the variable gets set to the value of whatever digit you're on minus one. If the last digit is a five when you hit the button, the snooze time is set to four (current time minus one). In nine minutes, when a four comes up, the snooze goes off.
While searching for answers to the nine minute question, I was surprised at the number of "snooze-haters" I found. These people believe the snooze alarm has destroyed the world! Eisenhower-era Americans didn't snooze! They got right out of bed and got to work. They built things and made durable goods in factories! If there had been a snooze bar in the 40s we'd have lost WWII and all be speaking German or Japanese right now! The evil snooze spread in the 1960s. Obviously it was the snooze that gave us hippies, welfare, Democratic Presidents, off-shore manufacturing, assassinations and the Beatles. The snooze bar led directly to bell-bottoms and Disco!
No surprise, the snooze button, like every other awesome thing, might also be bad for you. Some sleep specialists say the snooze interrupts a REM cycle. In nine minutes you are about halfway to REM sleep. When the snooze goes off, the REM cycle is interrupted and you are groggier than if you had allowed yourself to get up in the first place. Although some of these guys point out something I can confirm: snooze dreams are very vivid and you remember more about them when you wake up.
I don't care. I don't smoke, I've seriously reduced my intake of red meat and I've given up soda (both regular and diet). I'm not giving up my snooze. There aren't many things in this world you can depend on…but you can depend on this: tomorrow morning my alarm will go off 27 minutes before I actually have to get up.
[Questions? Comments? Column ideas? I would LOVE to hear from you! Write me at: firstname.lastname@example.com]


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Mark Lilley-Tams - Director and Solicitor
Practising Immigration Law from 2005
Mark Lilley-Tams
" There are various circumstances which cause a break in continuous residence and legal advice should be sought if there are concerns about this. This application carries an application fee in excess of £2000 and is non-refundable in the event of a refusal. Any refusal will therefore mean additional costs as well as new documentation having to be obtained and potentially additional scrutiny from the Home Office for future applications.
Our legal team at OTB Legal have a great track record of getting successful outcomes for applications to live permanently in the UK because of 10 year lawful residence. Why not talk to us about your application?"
We find that our 3 stage system of working with clients gives everyone the greatest clarity on what can be achieved, how it will happen and how much it will cost.
Price - £0
Before we take on a case we always want to establish what the right kind of application is for you and this is what the Assessment Stage is all about.
We find out more about you and what you want to achieve. It is an informal discussion which can be delivered how you want it, whether that is over the phone, using video conferencing or at our easily accessible office - it is entirely your choice.
This stage is completely free and there is no obligation to take on our paid services. At the end of the Assessment Stage you will have a clear plan as to the range of applications available, the costs involved and how likely you are to get a successful outcome.
Take advantage of this free legal advice from the UK's leading immigration lawyers:
Price - £300 (inc 20% VAT where applicable)
Once we have been given the green light by you we can formally take instructions on which application type you wish to pursue.
For a fixed fee of £300.00 (which includes 20% VAT where applicable) you will benefit from:
In this stage you will gain a clear strategy on how to move things forward. Our lawyers will work with you to maximise your prospects of success.
Once the Advice Stage is completed you have the choice of either completing the application yourself or instructing us to assist you in submitting your application. You remain fully in control of how far you progress your matter with us. In any event you will be armed with expert legal advice and how to apply.
Price - £1200 (inc 20% VAT where applicable)
The Application Stage is all about guiding you successfully through the application process with minimal fuss.
During this stage the service includes:
We would like to thank you for all your hard work and assistance you provided in putting together our indefinite leave to remain application. We are thrilled with the outcome. Keep up the wonderful work.
If you want to take the first step towards getting an outstanding legal service then use the booking form below to schedule an appointment via our online booking system.
Your first chat with us will always be free, confidential and give you a clear idea of the application types which suit you best. There is no obligation to purchase any services from us but we will give you an idea as to costs and your chances of getting a successful case outcome if you decide you want to make an application. Our leading legal team are waiting to hear from you now or whenever you feel you are ready.
Mark Lilley-Tams - Director and Solicitor
Practising Immigration Law from 2005
Sally McEwen - Director and Lawyer
Practising Immigration Law from 2001
Lydia Watkinson Associate Solicitor
Practising Immigration Law from 2016


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Jacek, SP5APW informs DX-World that he's going to visit Vietnam in September.
He will work from Cham Island (AS-162) during 15-22 September and then 22-27 from Hoi An (mainland).
The callsigns are: 3W9JK/P (mainland) and 3W9JK (Cham). He will be ready to operate 6-20m SSB using IC-7300 plus 1.2 kW PA (SP7SP) and Hexbeam antenna (SP7IDX).
QSL via homecall direct, bureau and Clublog OQRS.


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I will be participating in a workshop session at the Internet Governance Forum in Vilnius this September on the 14th. The title of our paper and the session is Freedom of Connection — Freedom of Expression. Information about the session is available online from the IGF and the paper is posted on SSRN at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1654464
Comments on the report would be greatly appreciated, as the authors plan to revise in light of discussion at Vilnius.
A summary of the full report follows:
Freedom of Connection – Freedom of Expression: The Changing Legal and Regulatory Ecology Shaping the Internet*
by William H. Dutton, Anna Dopatka, Michael Hills, Ginette Law, and Victoria Nash, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford
*The authors thank UNESCO's Division for Freedom of Expression, Democracy and Peace for supporting the drafting of this report. We received additional support of the Fifth Estate Project at the OII, through gifts from June Klein, Electronic-Boardroom TMV®. We owe special thanks to UNESCO's Xianhong Hu, for her comments and guidance.
Executive Summary
Over the first decade of the 21st Century, the Internet and its convergence with mobile communications has enabled greater access to information and communication resources. In 2010, nearly 2 billion people worldwide – over one-quarter of the world's population – use the Internet. However, during the same period, defenders of digital rights have raised growing concerns over how legal and regulatory trends might be constraining online freedom of expression. Anecdotal accounts of the arrests of bloggers, the filtering of content, and the disconnection of users have sparked these concerns. However, they are reinforced by more systematic studies that provide empirical evidence of encroachments on freedom of expression, such as through the increased use of content filtering.
This report provides a new perspective on the social and political dynamics behind these threats to expression. It develops a conceptual framework on the 'ecology of freedom of expression' for discussing the broad context of policy and practice that should be taken into consideration in discussions of this issue. This framework structures an original synthesis of empirical research and case studies of selected technical, legal and regulatory trends. These include developments in six inter-related arenas that focus on:
- technical initiatives, related to connection and disconnection, such as content filtering;
- digital rights, including those tied directly to freedom of expression and censorship, but also indirectly, through freedom of information, and privacy and data protection;
- industrial policy and regulation, including copyright and intellectual property, industrial strategies, and ICTs for development;
- users, such as focused on fraud, child protection, decency, libel and control of hate speech;
- network policy and practices, including standards, such as around identity, and regulation of Internet Service Providers; and
- security, ranging from controlling spam and viruses to protecting national security.
By placing developments in these arenas into a broad ecology of choices, it is more apparent how freedom can be eroded unintentionally as various actors strategically pursue a more diverse array of objectives. The findings reinforce the significance of concerns over freedom of expression and connection, while acknowledging countervailing trends and the open future of technology, policy and practice. Freedom of expression is not an inevitable outcome of technological innovation. It can be diminished or reinforced by the design of technologies, policies and practices – sometimes far removed from freedom of expression. This synthesis points out the need to focus systematic research on this wider ecology shaping the future


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For a history essay, researching what we were studying was the most engaging method for understanding the material. I did well in history because I genuinely enjoyed the subject. Pay attention in class, look up videos on your own time, and explore different perspectives – hopefully you'll enjoy the subject enough to have fun working on it too. This extra research while also be the foundation of your essay.
A strong thesis will provide an effective introduction to your history essay, so it is important to understand what you want to say with your essay and to spend some time refining the statement. I would suggest focusing on three major points in your thesis that you intend on developing in your essay.
As for the conclusion, this is where I would reframe your thesis as well as some of the main arguments and counterarguments you brought up in the body of the essay.
Now onto some broader essay tips. Don't merely list the facts of an event, say why they matter and what they add to your argument. Adding counter arguments and debunking them is also key to building a strong argument. In addition, making essay outlines is probably my second best tip. They helped me structure my thoughts in order to deliver well-constructed arguments. Discussing the events in class and with friends also helped with recalling the information.
My best tip is to use historiography. Knowing the views and stances of different historians not only helped my understanding but is one of the criteria for a highly marked essay. Also, I find that knowing historiography helps greatly with structuring the essay, because you are able to interpret, interconnect and articulate events and evidence.
History is a fun course, and although it does consist of a lot of writing, with the right approach and attitude, I'm sure you can excel!
You may also like…
- Joanne's thoughts on how to approach a History EE
- Tyus's tips on how to get an A on your History EE
- Find IB information about History here


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Chapter 139 | Table of Contents | Chapter 141
This chapter has been brought to you by me, and larkspur.
Chapter 140: Maliciousness Against Shamelessness
The people present all felt that he would say something to have Lin Suixin agree but he surprised everyone.
He smiled, shook his head and said, "Apologies, I refuse."
Lin Suixin's eyebrows rose up. He looked at Duanmu Jingzong but did not speak.
Ding Ning looked calmly at Duanmu Jingzong's back and said, "You do not dare?"
Everyone's heart jumped. This was pure insult.
Duanmu Jingzong's smile suddenly disappeared.
He turned around, looking coolly at Ding Ning and said, "I'm not in a hurry."
Ding Ning looked at him and said emotionlessly, "We may not meet later."
Duanmu Jingzong was not angry and smiled sweetly. "You are very confident."
"You feel that you can certainly defeat me."
Duanmu Jingzong said to Ding Ning and his gaze landed on Li Xixing behind Ding Ning. Then he said with a smile, "I understand your meaning. You feel you are stronger than Li Xixing and I, but that Li Xixing is weaker than I. You fear that I will encounter Li Xixing in the competition, and Li Xixing will have a tragic fate so you want to take care of me beforehand."
"I have seen your fighting. You are very strong." Duanmu Jingzong's gaze moved back to Ding Ning after a moment. He smiled warmly. "I must win in order to become a disciple of Min Mountain Sword Sect again. I will be as careful as possible. Using a bit of energy to take care of easy opponents is much better than using a lot of energy at the start."
"Shameless!" Xie Rou cursed in fury.
Duanmu Jingzong first came to challenge, and then when Ding Ning extended the invitation, he said such things. This was very shameless.
Many people present felt that Duanmu Jingzong was very shameless.
Yet the more shameless someone was, the harder they were to handle.
To be able to be this shameless in the face of a challenge, Duanmu Jingzong would rise in the eyes of some.
Besides, there was a unanimous skepticism: did Ding Ning really feel he could defeat Duanmu Jingzong?
"You really think so?"
A cold voice sounded. Many people stopped breathing.
The speaker was Li Xixing.
Li Xixing looked icily at Ding Ning.
"He only expressed his speculation," Ding Ning looked at him and said.
"If that is the case, I thank you for your goodwill."
Li Xixing turned to Duanmu Jingzong and said coldly, "I will duel you."
When this stoic youth first spoke, most people thought of what he would say next. But when they heard his words, they could not avoid but inhale sharply.
The old grudge was something many people in Changling knew about, especially when it concerned two marquessate establishments. If this duel really proceeded, the battle between these two youths would be bloodier and crueler than ordinary fights.
Duanmu Jingzong smiled.
He smiled sweetly, no anger on his young features. He appeared extremely innocent.
Yet, seeing this smile, many people felt cold. Their gazes unconsciously landed on the still calm Ding Ning. They began to doubt Ding Ning's motivations in standing up at the start. They started to suspect if Ding Ning had purposefully wanted to create a situation where Li Xixing would first wear away at Duanmu Jingzong's strength.
Duanmu Jingzong's lips opened, revealing white teeth. He was about to speak.
Unexpectedly, Ding Ning spoke first.
"Do not accept." Ding Ning looked at Duanmu Jingzong, and said.
Duanmu Jingzong stilled slightly and mocked. "Why not?" He added sarcastically after a pause. "Should I fear you will say more things to challenge me?"
"I will not challenge you, I will curse at you." Ding Ning looked calmly at Duanmu Jingzong and said, "Very ugly cursing."
The people who had started to suspect Ding Ning stilled. Behind Ding Ning, Li Xixing frowned and opened his mouth to speak.
"Such a joke!" Duanmu Jingzong laughed out loud. "Will I fear your curses?"
"Your mother is a prostitute, who knows if she sold her skills rather than her body or her body rather than her skills," Ding Ning said calmly looking at him.
Gasps sounded over the entire valley.
The temperature of the valley seemed to tangibly lower alongside the gasps.
All the cultivation teachers looked in disbelief at Ding Ning, their faces stiff.
The curse was too malicious.
The teachers were of some age, and knew of the past events in Changling. They all knew that Duanmu Jingzong's mother, Zhang Xiaohuan, had come from a brothel, and been one of the most popular singers in Changling at the time.
Many singers back then only sold their skills and not their bodies. Zhang Xiaohuan should be one of them. But the brothels would not have accurate records. At the very least, the history books of the Qin at this time would not waste ink on the lives of singers.
Something without a verdict could not be argued against.
Everyone thought that Ding Ning would attack Duanmu Jingzong with insult, and not to humiliate his mother so maliciously.
"Previously Duanmu Jingzong was very shameless, so he is very malicious." Hearing the gasps in the valley, Jing Liuli said softly, "He is using maliciousness against shamelessness."
She seemed to speak to herself but also to Tantai Guanjian. Most people's gaze had returned to Duanmu Jingzong as she spoke.
Ordinary students would not dare to attack Duanmu Jingzong's mother maliciously like this. Otherwise, even if they became disciples of Min Mountain Sword Sect, Duanmu Marquessate Establishment would avenge. But Ding Ning was different.
From the start, he showed he did not fear death. He did not even care about the intentions that Palace Attendant Rong had conveyed, so he would not care about the Duanmu Marquessate Establishment. This was why he could say such horrid things. Everyone was sure that he had worse things to say.
Duanmu Jingzong's smile and calm disappeared. At this time, his young features seemed to be covered in thick frost.
"You are very good," he said, taking a deep breath and looking at Ding Ning who was not in a hurry to speak again.
Then he turned to Lin Suixin, bowed and said, "Humiliating one's parents is a great grudge. Sect Uncle Lin, please agree."
"What, you cannot stand it after hearing just one curse?" Lin Suixin had a mocking expression as he said, "If it were me, even if I heard worse things about my parents, I would consider it a fart. Those that are innocent will be proven innocent."
Duanmu Jingzong did not stand back up and said coldly, "Of course I am not as good as Sect Uncle Lin."
"Since you call me sect uncle, I gave you that word of advice."
Lin Suixin put away his expression, saying emotionlessly, "Since I have spoken, and you are determined, I can agree."
Duanmu Jingzong smiled, his young smile appearing cruel at this moment.
"You did not want to duel me but were forced to. So, I won." Ding Ning looked as calm as when he had started and said, "In the following duel, I will still win against you."
Duanmu Jingzong glanced at him and said dismissively, "Is there any meaning in saying those things now?"
There was an uproar.
Only now did everyone react and realize the duel was proceeding! Before all other fights, Duanmu Jingzong and Ding Ning would have their first fight!
A short period of time ago, everyone thought that Duanmu Jingzong was the strongest pawn in the hands of the perfect woman of the palace!
Zhang Yi's mind was blank. He was closest to Ding Ning but he was dazed, unable to believe this was true.
In the distance, Huang Zhenwei's brows were deeply furrowed. His eyes started to flash with an indescribable emotion. He thought of a possibility.
A possibility he did not find likely.
Translator Ramblings: Ding Ning is adept at finding the weak points.
Chapter 139 | Table of Contents | Chapter 141


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Global wood pellet consumption reached 35 million tonnes in 2018 or +14% compared to its level of 2017. This total excludes China, although if we were to include China it would have an overall total of 52.746.706 tonnes.
Europe is the largest pellet consumer in the world with 27 million tonnes of pellets being consumed annually. In 2018, the EU28 saw a significant growth of around 2 million tonnes with the industrial use of pellets being led by the UK. With a production volume of 20,1 million tonnes (16,9 million for the EU28), Europe solely supplies 74% of its pellet use (65% for EU28).
There are two significant regions who are net importers of pellets in the world, namely, the EU28 and Asia. The figure below confirms this current hegemony of the EU28 regarding its pellet consumption and in stark comparison Asia is continuing to grow at a rapid rate, becoming the driving force of the pellet market development alongside Europe.


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The team
Julia Salaverría
Managing Partner
Assistant contact
Julia is responsible for investor relations and corporate development and management at Ysios Capital.
Julia has over 25 years of experience in executive positions in the financial sector. From 2000 to 2007, Julia was Director at Talde – a venture capital group that pioneered venture capital management in Spain. There she was responsible for fundraising and investor relations, and for Talde's biotech investments in Spain. Julia led the closure of a €40 million fund for Talde in 2000 and was responsible for raising another fund of €60 million in 2006.
Prior to Talde, Julia was Principal Economist in the Research Department of the Bank of Spain and gained broad experience as a high-level committee member in the European Commission, European Central Bank and OCDE.
Julia holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Universidad Autónoma of Madrid, an MBA from the University of Deusto and a Senior Management Program (PADE) degree from IESE at the University of Navarra.
Board positions
Formerly, Julia was Board member at Sabir Medical and STAT Diagnostica.
Julia is also Board memberof Contra el Cáncer en Gipuzkoa association and an independent Board member at Cecabank. Formerly, she was member of the Board of the Spanish private equity and VC association SpainCap.


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March 29, 2016 - March 30, 2016
Network with the industry's leading experts as they analyze the opportunities in the real estate market! Our 2015 event was a great success, with some of the top industry leaders in attendance. Opal's 2016 Real Estate Investors Conference will focus on the latest developments in the marketplace.
Opal's Annual Real Estate Investors Summit is designed for real estate managers, operators, hedge funds, private investors, family offices, pension plans and other institutional investors. It will provide various networking opportunities along with an educational platform.
This conference will exclusively feature dialogue driven panel discussions led by consultants and family offices. Power Point presentations are prohibited during the sessions but may be made available on our mobile app. Please send in PDF or PowerPoint format if you would like to have presentation included on App. *Only Standalone Speakers will be allowed to use PowerPoints, but cannot pitch products or advertise anything with their firms.*
The GAFM Global Academy of Finance & Management™ is the world's fastest growing professional society with approximately 50,000 members in over 150 countries hosting and accrediting certification training worldwide and offering exclusive board certified designations to candidates who meet the highest professional standards and assessment criteria.
The GAFM will grant full annual CE (7.5 Credits for 1 day, 15 Credits for 2 days) for those who attend this conference.
CWM™ Chartered Wealth Manager®
MFP™ Master Financial Planner®
AFA™ Accredited Financial Analyst®
CTEP™ Chartered Trust and Estate Planner®
CITA™ Certified International Tax Analyst™
* All certification courses available directly online from an accredited law school program
Opal's speakers and topics were very interesting and important ine commercial real estate investing business now.Leslie, Andren
Consultant, Andren Computer Solutions
This was my first conference with Opal. From the beginning they were tentative to my questions/concerns. The conference was educational, but most of all the networking was top notch. I already have some follow up meetings in my calendar. Can't ask for much more!Nick Jones
Red Bell Partners, LLC
Great conference. Will certainly do deals with some of the people I met at the conferenceJames Fried
Managing Director, Aztec Group, Inc.
This was a great conference focused on all asset classes of real estate.Ben Cary
Director of Business Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts
I have been in the RE development business for 30 years and actually learned a great deal at the conference.Barry Goldmeier
President, Advanced Housing Corp.
Most events leave you feeling less than inspired . this opal event was among the best I've attended in 25 years much to do with the opal team.William "Billy" Procida
President, Procida Funding, LLC
I would definitely attend the Real Estate Investors Summit again. It is a great way to meet other decision makers and educate yourself on all things real estate related.Jason Janda
Associate, R.W. Selby


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Wine Pick of the Week: Robert Hall 2014, Paso Robles Cuvee De Robles
Robert Hall
2014, Paso Robles
Cuvee De Robles
Reg. $15.99
(Good through May 31, 2016)
This delicious wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cinsaut and Counoise. It features a mouthful of berry flavors with a lingering spicy finish.
Enjoy with burgers, pasta, pizza or Sigona's Moo-na Lisa gouda-gruyere style cheese.


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Soreie is a family run farm. The farm together with the agriturismo are located in the beautiful Dolomites of the Fassa Valley.
The founder Sebastian has always been passionate about agricolture, he studied biodinamic method in the UK. Back in his home valley he started working small pieces of land of family and sustainers. The farm slowly grew and it involved the rest of the family. The feedback has always been very positive and since almost 10 years from the fist steps, Agritur Soreie is ready to open and will be the official headquartes of the farm.
The farm produces forest fruits like strawberries and raspberries, vegetables and milk products like goat and sheep milk, yogurt and cheese.
Our products are on sale in our small shop inside the agriturismo.
Biodynamic agriculture: What is it?
The Biodynamic agricultural method was developed at the beginning of the 20th Century by a group of farmers in NW Germany (now Poland) concerned about the future of agriculture and the degradation of soil conditions from the use of chemical fertilisers. Following a series of lectures by the Anthroposophist philosopher Rudolf Steiner they worked to develop an ecological approach to agriculture that increases soil fertility without the use of chemicals and pesticides.
The type of agriculture which evolved is sustainable, natural and of high quality. The biodynamic farm is viewed as an organism and is therefore a largely self-sustaining system producing its own manure and animal feed. Additionally, the basic principle of bio-dynamic fertilization is through the use of compost made in a certain way including the addition of medicinal herbs to increase its quality and potency.
A very direct way of understanding bio-dynamic agriculture is the awareness that the exterior mirrors the interior. Plant or animal disease is seen as a symptom of problems in the whole organism.
Importantly, the bio-dynamic method of farming helps to cut the cost of food production, helping the farmer to survive in the increasingly competitive world where bringing food to our tables is dictated by the supermarkets and pharmaceutical companies rather than the actual food producers.
Soul Food – In bio-dynamic agriculture, the simplest but hidden aspect of life is taken into consideration and used to stimulate vital processes essential to having a complete food that is not only fuel for the body but contains values and nourishment for the spirit.


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A Drug Addiction Treatment program offers many benefits to an addict. The most obvious benefit is the positive impact that it can have on a person's life. With proper assistance in the right direction, the person suffering from the addiction can overcome the addiction and regain control over their life again. Many people in recovery are able to get jobs, get back to school and gain self confidence back. These are all wonderful benefits, but the most important of them is that the addict no longer has the power to take drugs or alcohol and have a full time job.
Treatment for drug addiction can be overcome by simply educating the community about the dangers of drug abuse. Drug awareness and education efforts aimed at adults and teens and between families, communities and the media are effective in decreasing drug use. However, there is still a need for intervention programs, drug intervention classes and drug rehab programs. There are also a number of agencies who work together with local schools to teach kids about the dangers of drug abuse.
In most rehabilitation programs for drug abusers, one or more family members are in charge of taking care of the patient. They are responsible for maintaining the addict's day to day living standards. This can help to reduce the number of addicts that end up in jail, hospital and drug rehabilitation centers. This is because they can provide much needed support and motivation for the patient. In many cases, there is a lot of emotional support available too.