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WARNING: Proceed at your own risk if you're reading this with no previous knowledge of The Stanley Parable. Danger everywhere.
I played The Stanley Parable for three hours before I realized that pushing a button without being prompted to do so could actually make things happen. It was delightful.
The Stanley Parable is a game that challenges you to ponder your actions even as you blindly follow the direction of an unseen narrator who is every bit as cunning and diabolical as the most malevolent virtual puppeteer you can dream up. Except when he's not.
No, that's not right. Well it is, but it's hardly a full picture of what's been wrought here. To be honest, I can't give you a written impression of The Stanley Parable. It's a game– no, an interactive toy– no, game. Yes. Game. Totally. It's a game filled with contradictions and endings leading to beginnings and ideas that fold in on themselves before cycling you back to the same starting point, to run through the same maze, to reach the same end. Only it's also rarely the same. Except when it is.
Get all that?
To be honest, I can't give you a written impression of The Stanley Parable. It's a game that exists to sha–
No. Wait wait wait. Stop. I settled on describing The Stanley Parable as a "game" up in that earlier paragraph, but it's really not that at all. There's an element of play in your repeat looks at poor Stanley's meaningless existence, but there's no risk, no reward, no escalating challenge, nothing that relies on the skill, strength, or luck of the operator. Toss "game" out. This is "surrealist interactive fiction." Yes. I like that. It's a bit pretentious, but also apt.
To be honest, I can't give you a written impression of The Stanley Parable. It's a work of surrealist interactive fiction (better!) that exists to shatter narrative expectations. The feat of programming mastery that creators Davey Wreden and William Pugh were able to accomplish is breathtaking. They've built a virtual space brimming with endless possibility, and seemingly possessed of a self-awareness that reads and even anticipates your every move. It's all an illusion, of course, and one that becomes more transparent over time. Except sometimes even the failing illusion is intentional too, another mechanism designed to keep you ensnared. It's dizzying, but also frequently funny in the sort of way that causes anyone in close proximity to turn around and stare at your mad hysterics.
To be honest, I can't give you a written impression of The Stanley Parable. It's a work of surrealist interactive fiction tha– this all seems familiar, doesn't it? That's sort of the point. In reality, The Stanley Parable plays you. It's a brilliantly constructed illusion that encourages you to search for just one more ending in the same way that the Civilization series drives you to always click for one more turn. The sense of mystery is all-consuming, as is the desire to see what's through the next door, around the next corner. Even when it's the same door or corridor you've passed through dozens of times. You never once know what's coming next, even when all evidence suggests that you should. It might be a changed hallway or room, or it might be the dreaded Adventure Line springing up to mock your progress.
And I haven't even mentioned the Confusion Ending.
The dry, humorless Explanation for The Stanley Parable is as follows: an interactive first-person experience that actively ponders the meaning of choice and consequence. There is no success just as there is no failure. There is only Stanley, your window into this odd little world and the avatar charged with tugging on its many threads. Some lead to freedom. Others to certain doom. Still others to prescient whiteboards. Or, in one instance, to Minecraft.
No joke.
Through it all, there's Kevan Brighting, the voice of your narrator. He ranges from charming to pathetic to villainous to tragic to frustrated to resigned to [insert emotion here]. He's your comrade, but also your unforgiving overseer. Brighting's lyrical, Brit-accented reading is magical, a blended performance of GLaDOSian proportions that is at once referential to (and reverential of) Portal's villainess while also operating with the freedom of a much broader emotional scope.
His performance is helped along by a brilliant script that explores toilet bowl ponderings alongside hipster-pleasing profundity. It's a literary achievement, a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure built for intellectuals with low-leaning brows. Individual passages sometimes hammer a bit too hard on the philosophical twaddle, but make no mistake: this is an Important Work.
But then, you know all of this. Right? You're not reading without having first played The Stanley Parable. That would be silly. I warned you at the start of this whole endeavor. "Danger everywhere," remember? At best, none of what you've read made any sense at all. At worst, you've spoiled the thrill of discovering one of gaming's most unique and thought-provoking experiences. But take heart: even that is a salvageable situation. Therein lies the brilliance of The Stanley Parable. As well as you think you might know it, it always creeps in again to surprise you.


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When we think about our summer giveaways, we always know that the August giveaway is likely to be hot and humid. Well…this August did not disappoint. It was hot and humid, but our volunteers and donors showed their support and we had a great (and gigantic) August 2017 giveaway.
It was a bit sweltering, but we had a very successful giveaway that served 246 of our fellow humans. That's right…246! I've been volunteering at giveaways for the past few years, and I've never seen the line so long. We received several donations from our Amazon Wish List and those who brought things to the giveaway. Our Donations Coordinator had a full car when she arrived…and an empty car when we finished. There were so many people that were helped with the generosity of our donors and volunteers.
In addition, we had a carload of clothing that was sorted, folded and displayed by our volunteers. For those of you that haven't attended one of our giveaways, the clothes are popular and go very quickly. We often get special requests for certain types of clothing for next time. As an aside, if anyone has any used men's shoes they can spare, we'd love to have them.
The backpacks…we need to comment on the incredible outpouring of support in response for our call for backpacks. We asked our donors for backpack donations, and our donors stepped up to the task. All in all, there were well over 60 backpacks donated (either new or used) and they all went very quickly.
Thank you to all our volunteers and donors that helped us out this month. There were many, many people served by your actions today.
Next giveaway is September 17th!

subset: commoncrawl


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Executive Dashboard
If you are an executive level user in your organisation, you will see the Executive Dashboard by default when you login to DealWall. Else you can always click on in the navigation bar to see the Dashboard view.
Executive Dashboard shows the deals you are involved in arranged into pie-charts based on the sort criteria you select. The segments in the pie-charts are color coded based on the deal status - so you will get a real-time view of the entire deal pipeline you are involved in.
You can filter the dashboard to a particular quarter of interest using the Filter drop-down. The dashboard view is refreshed to show the deals which have estimate close date in the selected quarter or already marked closed in the selected quarter. The current quarter has a * next to it.
Sort Criteria:
You can sort the dashboard using key deal parameters using the Sort-by drop-down. You can sort by
- Stages
- Accounts
- Account Manager
- Partner
- % Complete
- Region
- Vertical
The dashboard view is refreshed to show pie-charts corresponding to the sort criteria selected. There is a pie-chart for each value of the sort-criteria. For example if you select Region as sort type and the filter matching deals have Regions as North America, EMEA, APAC, then you will see 3 pie charts. The leftmost pie chart is the aggregate of all the deals in the individual pie-charts.
Pie-Segment Colors:
All deals are classified into specific color based on their status
- Red - in progress deals running more than 1 week behind schedule. Either some stages or tasks in the deal are running behind schedule.
- Amber - in progress deals that are less than 1 week behind schedule.
- Green - in progress deals that are so far meeting all their estimated time lines.
- Sky-blue - closed deals marked as Won,
- Light-grey - closed deals marked as Lost
- Dark-grey - closed deals with no-decision.
The deals are grouped by their status color and shown as individual pie-segments in that color. The aggregate number and deal value is presented below as well as on mouse-over;
You can click on any of the pie-charts to do a drill-down. System will display a list of deals falling in that pie-chart in a tabular view.
Copyright 2016-2021 A2O Mobile


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Life From The Top
I strain my head on the late night taxi-ride from the airport to get a sense of this enormity. What is equally striking: the highrises are lit up like Christmas trees. Nobody ready for sleep despite the late hour.
It is clear that Asia is the future.


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Monday, September 30, 2013
September Wrap Up
I am always so surprised with how fast a month can go by. I have been back at school for a month, I have been done my job for a month. But it feels like only yesterday. Oh well, I guess that's what happens when you get older.
So, here we are. The monthly wrap up. I found that I was suffering from some pretty terrible migraines early this month which made it impossible for me to do anything never mind reading. Even saying that I still was able to get a few books in. So I can't complain.
Books Read:
1) Just One Year by Gayle Forman
2) Wicked Burn by Beth Kerry
3) Consequences by Aleatha Romig
4) Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J Bick
5) The Story Guy by Mary Ann Rivers
6) The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Looking at it now, it seems like I read a lot. Hmmm. How did that happen.
Books reviewed:
1) The Truth About You and Me by Amanda Grace (My Thoughts)
2) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (My Thoughts)
3) Ten Tiny Breaths by KA Tucker (My Thoughts)
-I posted my Fall TBR. I had had such success with the spring and summer lists. I don't know that this fall will be as successful. We'll see.
-I have decided to start a new feature. A monthly favourites if you will. I posted the introduction last week, you can see it here.
- I got a new blog design! I absolutely love it! It was done by Katie at KD Designs. She's brilliant guys and if you're looking for a change. Check her out.
-The new blog design means that I have a new button for you all the grab and all my social media icons are in one tidy little place. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube and Goodreads.
I've given up on my challenges. I think in the new year I will not participate in any challenges. And just focus on reading, reviewing, and commenting more. I think I'll just start that now. Yup- that sounds good. I will still give myself a book reads goal- those are fun.
2013 reading challenge: 62/75- I am seven books ahead. Which is great cause it looks like the next month is going to be INSANE for me. I have an assignment due every week from now until the end of the term (end of November). I'll be reading, but maybe not a lot.
Anywho, that is all for me this month. Here's to another month!
~Happy Reading Everyone!
4 comments:
Not so many reviews but they are time consuming when you have other stuff to get on with. You've read a lot though :) Here's mine: http://booketta.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/its-wrap-end-of-month-round-up.htmlReplyDelete
I agree about challenges. They seemed fun at first, but I'm kinda meh about them now. I have enough review books to read as it is! I like shorter ones like a few weeks or months, but not the year long ones!ReplyDelete
Aww, that's crappy about the migraines! I couldn't say what happened to September. Poof, it was just gone. Oh, And I gave up on my challenges last year... I like the idea behind them, but they can be a pain to maintain.ReplyDelete
Good for you for such a goal (72?). Mine is 25 books for 2013 (down from last year and the year before) and I am pretty pathetically behind. Did you review Fangirl? It's on my GoodReads list. Keep on turning pages! :)ReplyDelete
— Roald Dahl


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Hollis Gillespie is a comedian, an award-winning humor writer, novelist, travel columnist, NPR commentator, travel expert for NBC's Today Show, and guest on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She was also at The Vortex in the beginning sipping on cocktails and jotting down stories at the bar. There are some tasty bits of Vortex History in this one. Also, Michael gets DRUNK!
Tweet us @thevortexatl
Big thanks to our friend Candye Cane for our intro and out music!
Listen to this Podcast on Soundcloud or YouTube!
Now Subscribe on iTunes !!!
Click HERE for the RSS feed!


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The Difference Between Franklin Loan Center and Other Lenders
Filed under: Market Comentary
I pulled up some stats, and over the last 12 months over 2,000 loan officers have closed a loan in Riverside County alone! This stat shows how much competition there is in the industry, which raises the question: "Why should I choose Franklin Loan Center?"
I wanted to walk through a few recent stories that happened in the past six months, to help you see how we stand out from the other lenders in the area:
100% Disabled Veteran
We worked with a veteran in his 70's who was disabled, who needed to find a place to live because his landlord told him that he needed to move. We helped him get into VA loan in a 55+ neighborhood nearby. This solution worked out great because even though he didn't have any money available for the down payment, he was still able to get the financing that was needed. The mortgage payment was actually cheaper than paying rent, helping him with monthly cash flow.
One note: Riverside County has a program designed for 100% disabled veterans. These people can apply to get a significant reduction in their property tax, which is a huge savings to help with the affordability of home ownership.
Difficult Relationships
In a divorce situation, the wife was buying the house from the husband as part of their split. The parties didn't get along, and there were multiple attorneys hired to help, making it a challenge for everyone involved. These are the kind of things that we need to work through on a regular basis, and we were able to comb through the details to close the deal.
Buying a Dream Home
We love helping people with their dream homes. I had a client up in Seattle who bought a 1,700 square foot dream home that he paid $1.625 million for! The crazy thing is that the high-end market up there is so competitive, that it took about a dozen offers and he kept losing out on to other buyers. We finally ran him through underwriting prior to making another offer, giving him the opportunity to offer without contingencies regarding the loan. Since the underwriting was done, we were able to close it in about 15 days!
We Can Help You Find the Right Loan
These stories are just a few of the examples showing unique ways that we've helped our clients get the financing needed to buy a home. Don't assume that you won't qualify for the lending that is needed. If you are thinking about buying, then we invite you to contact us for information about your options. We're here to help!


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How could Evoplay be introduced?
Evoplay is a fast-growing Ukrainian gaming software company with lots of new games of high quality. They provide both online slots and live casino games. Everything they do is modern and evolutionary. All their games are perfected for mobile use in full HD quality. EvoPlay Entertainment have has had a plethora of different video slots, virtual reality (VR) and 3D games, instant win titles, as well as table games. With an office in Malta and a partnership network with the States of Eurasia, parts of Asia and Europe, this gaming software provider is one the oldest and largest companies still present in the industry.Evoplay has solidified its position in the industry successfully through diversification of its product portfolio and mergers. This software provider is one of the best when it comes to web-based gaming platforms. Check out the best Evoplay casinos right now below.
Go directly to
1 Games by Evoplay EntertainmentWe have reviewed 1 of the Evoplay Entertainment games. Click the game logo below to see our review and details of the game.
Top 3 Casinos with Evoplay Entertainment slots
A modern casino site with appealing design.
Treating all players like VIPs with frequent cashback bonuses.


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At DoggyLoot, they offer a brand new hand-selected deal each day for dogs. If you are just learning about DoggyLoot for the first time, or haven't had time yet to sign up, register using this link and you'll get a $5 Credit to use toward your first DoggyLoot Deal!
With today's deal from DoggyLoot, you get almost half off a Spotless Paw Dog Paw Cleaning Glove – the perfect tool to clean off your pup's paws after a game of fetch at the muddy dog park! These gloves are soft, super-absorbent, six-fingered (so you can wear them on either hand!) and made of the highest-quality microfiber available. Plus, either side can be used to scrub your pup's paws, doubling the cleaning surface area. No more worrying about dirty paws ruining your carpets or car seats! Get your paws on this deal at DoggyLoot.


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Call us Today
(888) 846-4937
Email us Today
Written by: Leonard Parker | Damage Restoration Marketing | 15th October
The goal of any digital strategy for any business is to improve the profit and revenue-generating capacity of the company and give a boost to their return on investment. Embracing big data and actively working to incorporate and integrate it with business processes and methods is a great and very effective way of doing so. A brief survey of the current business and marketing landscape will show you that data-driven companies and businesses are the ones that enjoy the greatest success in this competitive environment. In fact, a McKinsey analysis showed that data-driven companies achieve some 15% to 20% higher return on investment than their counterparts.
Big data has been one of the trending buzz words in the past few years but, recently, it has become a staple in the world of business and marketing. The value that big data brings to marketing and sales and how big a part it plays in changing the way we target customers and cater to their needs cannot be overstated. As easy as it may seem to accept the role of data in the modern business realm, it is not as simple when it comes to going through with its integration. So, how can a damage restoration company incorporate data into their digital strategy? Let's take a look at some methods you can adopt to drive data towards the core of your business and marketing processes.
This question should be one of the very first on your mind as you head into this process: Will the players in your company accept the change or will they be resistant to adopting a different digital strategy than the one they have been following so far? For a successful data-driven environment, you will need all hands on deck as it will completely change the basis of what your company operates on. You will need to supplement them with all the knowledge, training, and equipment they will need to make the transition to embracing data wholeheartedly.
You cannot successfully exploit the advantages of a data-driven strategy unless you get the necessary IT and equipment to support the implementation of those insights and ideas. The proper technology at the helm can help you save a lot of time and effort when thinking about implementing a particular data-driven digital strategy. As such, it is important that you map out a model of the ideal strategy implementation process and note your requirements beforehand. This will make the integration process as smooth and faultless as possible. You may even want to look into the likes of cloud-based solutions and integrate them with your existing on-premise tech to create a modern, hybrid blend of tools to support your digital strategy.
If the customer does not like what they are reading on your site, they can very easily just click on another link and find what suits them best. You have to be able to capture their interest and let them know that you are there to cater to their home restoration needs the way they need you to. Instead of going for a more generalized approach, you need to personalize your messages and customize your content to target specific sections of your large consumer base. This increases your chances of actually scaling and winning a loyal customer. With the power of big data in your hands, you can use input to figure out the interests and habits of your customers and plan your marketing strategy around that information.
Once you have the data and knowledge you need to make a transformative change in the way you conduct your sales, manage leads, and handle customer relations, do not be afraid to hand it over to action takers to implement the change driven by the smart use and exploitation of your company data. Your entire team should be a part of the data integrating process and this ties back in with the concept of building a business culture where data lies at the center of all things and processes. If you are receiving data regarding a problem that a broad section of your consumer base is facing, let it be known to the service delivery people at your damage restoration company and not just the supervisors or managers. This way, customer service can be improved at every level of the chain.


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Leadleds Full Color Led Display Outdoor Waterproof Programmable with Temperature Sensor
Full Color Led Outdoor Signs for Business Waterproof iOS Android Program with Temperature Sensor, making it an ideal choice for businesses that need reliable outdoor signage.
Tube Chip Color: Full Color
Display Function: Graphics/Text/Number/Image/Animation/Clock
Pixels: 10mm
Usage: Outdoor waterproof
Model Number: LLDP10- SMD1696RGB
Brand Name: Leadleds
Size: 103*23*6.8cm ( 40.5*9*2.6inch )
Added function: With a Temperature sensor
Frame: aluminum alloy
Chip: 3535 SMD
Waterproof: Yes
Information input: USB flash drive+WiFi
size:103*23*6.8cm ( 40.5*9*2.6inch )
Information input: USB flash drive + wifi (supports Android and iOS Phones)
The frame color is black
The frame material is alloy aluminum
Pixel pitch: 10mm
The density of pixels: 10000dots/m2
Brightness: 6000CD/Sqm
Horizontal/Vertical viewing angle: 120 degree/60 degree
Input voltage is AC 100V or 240V(default); DC 9V-36V if vehicle use
Working temperature: -40°C ~ +65°C
Operating ambient humidity: 10%-95%RH
with aluminum frame, lightweight but stronger
Display Single color Or double color Or RGB 7 color message, Display 1-2 lines of messages
Dot-matrix: 1536 led chips. pixel pitch: 10mm, clearly display your message/advertising/notice
Support Language: English / Chinese (Simple & Traditional) / Russian / Spanish / German / French / Korean / Thailand / etc world languages
Display ability: Multi Languages, text, number, symbol, vector diagram. The font of the text message is adjustable
Usage: outdoor, semi-outdoor. indoor(brightness can be adjusted)
Wide in use for stores, banks, airports, railways, etc public places to advertise and notice.
---> Text messages can be scrolled and programmed by computer. The program can support all the languages in the world
Multiple languages and each language can be switched freely
Signal input by USB or WIFI
---> All programs can be transmitted by WIFI or USB flash disk, which is very easy and very convenience
---> Supports text, numbers, pictures, clocks, timers, graphics, animation, etc
---> Text program edit in any language, free adjust
---> More than 20 effects, such as: move to the right, move to left, snowfall, mosaic, fan open and etc This display board provides many customization options, with simple instructions for creating your own eye-catching designs and effects.
---> With multi-program mode
---> With hierarchical management of programs in menu type so as to keep a clear structure and convenient maintenance
---> High efficient energy-saving, supports programs played at the appointed period
---> Widely in use: commercial advertising LED display screen, service propaganda in finances, offices, hospitals, shops, and stores. The display is designed with a sturdy aluminum frame and a waterproof rating, making it durable and reliable. With lots of programming options and super brightness, this screen is the perfect tool for displaying your messages.
Each Package Included :
7 colors LED display 1 pc
Power wire cord 1 pcs
Installation bracket 2 pcs
Free control software and English user manual 1 pc
Packing: Hard cardboard boxes + Wooden frame
It's by FedEx-DHL- UPS the express shipping way delivery to you!
Estimated Delivery Time: 3-5 days (ships out within 7 business days)
How can I get free shipping?
For small items such as some of led bulbs, led lights, we offer free shipping. If big items, free shipping is available if you order qualify quantity, please refer the checkout page.
When will my order be shipped?
Typically, within 1-3 business days can be shipped. Some customized items take a bit long within 5-7 business days can be shipped, for giant led screens, please refer to page notes.
Where will my order ship from?
Some items can be shipped from local warehouses in the United States and Europe, you can receive your orders quickly, some items will be shipped from the factory where in China. If the location has no stock, your order will be fulfilled by other warehouses automatically.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes, we do. Insert your full address at checkout and shipping rates will be applied to your order, the total amount includes product and shipping.
How long will it take for my order to arrive?
We offer post delivery, express, air or by sea.
By post delivery time is within 1 to 2 weeks, many times even less. For remote places, the shipping time will be longer, you can track the shipment on the courier official site.
For giant led billboards, the default delivery is by express service 3-10 days delivery, the exact delivery date according to tracking information of express company.
If you like by sea to transportation, you can communicate with us before you place the order.
What shipping carriers do you use?
For smaller parcels we use postal service or express delivery depends on which shipping way you choose. For larger packages will ship by express or by sea.
The cooperative transportation companies are:
USPS, La Poste, Bpost, Singapore Post, Russian Post, etc
FedEx, DHL, UPS, TNT, SF express, etc
MSK, COSCO, EMC, APL, HMM, etc.
How can I track my order?
Once we fulfilled your order, you will receive an email notification with a tracking number. You will be able to track it immediately.
*Some LED signs are custom-made items, if we communicate by email, we'll produce and ship the items according to your confirmation.


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- Home
- Community
- Sister City
- Relationship History
Relationship History
Early Arrangements
In 1984, 22 teachers from Saitama Prefecture (the equivalent of our
state) visited Longview. Arrangements were made for each of them to stay with a teacher in Longview for a home visit. Saitama had been sending teaching delegations all over the world for a dozen years, but the opportunity to stay in a teacher's home was a first for the group. Because of the extra efforts made, the tone was set for a long-standing friendship.
In 1985, the Longview School District was awarded a $75,000 grant by the Weyerhaeuser Foundation to start a Far Eastern Studies program. Through this funding, the school district was able to hire Jim Kolberg to begin teaching Japanese at Mark Morris High School.
Grant Hendrickson, Superintendent of Longview Public Schools, visited Saitama in 1985 and met Kunji Suzuki.
Mr. Suzuki has been the real Japanese force behind all that followed, said Hendrickson.
He visited Longview as our guest in 1987 and saw the program at Mark Morris in action. He suggested that we establish a sister school relationship between Mark Morris and Wako International High School. Many student exchanges have taken place since that time, promoted by the efforts of Jim Kolberg and Principal Gary Kipp at Mark Morris.
Rotary Club Connections
Suzuki and Hendrickson were active in the Rotary programs of each of their communities. With very little prompting, the Longview Rotary Club established a sister club relationship with the Wako City Rotary Club. Hendrickson and his wife, Pat, have twice been their guests in Wako. There have been several return visits by Japanese Rotarians to Longview.
Through Rotary contacts, the mayor of Wako City, Shigeru Tanaka, became interested in a sister city relationship and has continued to encourage the formalizing of that relationship. Each summer Mayor Tanaka sends groups of middle school students to Longview and has personally funded visits of Longview students to Wako City. Adds Hendrickson,
I can't say enough about the generosity and leadership provided by both Mayor Tanaka and Kunji Suzuki.
There have been many other visits back and forth during these years by groups of students and adults.
Formalizing the Relationship
On Friday, October 1, 1999, the Sister City dream was realized at a formal signing ceremony at City Hall. Wako's 27-member delegation, including Mayor Tanaka, hosted a beautiful reception at City Hall.
At 7 p.m, Mayors Tanaka and Leber signed and exchanged proclamations from their respective cities that recognized each entity as a formal Sister City. Many visitors were on hand at the ceremony to express their thanks for making the Sister City opportunity a reality.


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Along with our keynotes by Danyel Smith, cultural lead at "The Undefeated" for ESPN, and Aminda "Mindy" Marqués Gonzalez, we've announced two pre-conference workshops on data journalism and freelancing. The Conference and Mentoring Project (CAMP) takes place from Oct. 28 to Oct. 30 at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in Roanoke, Va. Register for the conference today.
Freelance Free for All: So you want to freelance, maybe part time, maybe full time? Maybe you just got laid off and you're freaking out. Come hear several panels on how to pitch, where to pitch, how much to charge and navigating through freelance contracts. There will be three 45-minute panels (followed by Q&A) and a practice Pitchapalooza. We'll have a mix of panelists to discuss the topic, including freelance writers, copy editors, videographers and more. The workshop is offered 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, and includes a box lunch. Please bring a laptop, tablet or notebook for notes and pitches. Registration is $85.
Using Data in Everyday Assignments: Data mining isn't just for investigative journalists and long-form projects. In this hands-on workshop, attendees will learn how to find data and research that will support story development and help beat writers on daily stories. Presenters will talk about public record requests and how to find the data you need, and how best to analyze and interpret it. Attendees are encouraged to bring a laptop or tablet with access to Microsoft Excel. The workshop will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28. Registration is $50.


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How Do Car Leases Work - Car Leasing Explained
A car lease allows you to drive a vehicle from a dealership for an agreed upon amount of time and miles, and pay for its usage rather than for the full purchase price of the vehicle.
You make monthly payments to be able to drive the car. The monthly payments are based on the car's projected depreciation value over the course of lease term.
A car lease from Proctor Honda ranges from 2 - 5 years in length, and is measured in months (ex: 3 years would be a 36 month lease).
Shorter term leases (less than 2 years) may be available through subleasing websites, but are not available through the dealership. The most common terms for a car lease are 2-3 years. A major benefit to 2-3 year leases is that the vehicle warranty is normally for 36k miles or 3 years, meaning that there is little risk for out-of-pocket repair during the lease.
At the end of the lease, you will return your vehicle to the dealership where it will be inspected. The dealership will make sure that the lease did not exceed its mileage limit and that there is not excessive wear and tear to the vehicle.
Many people get nervous that they will be charged for every scratch or ding on the vehicle, but keep in mind that the dealership is expecting your car to have 3 years' worth of wear and tear from normal use over the course of a 36- month lease.
Depending on the type of lease, there are three options when the lease is over:
***When you return your lease to the dealership, don't forget to also bring in any extra keys and floor mats that came with the vehicle.
At the end of the lease, you will be charged a disposition fee (flat rate agreed upon at beginning of lease that dealers use to prepare the vehicle for resale). In addition to the disposition fee, you will settle up for any additional charges for mileage overages or excessive wear/tear.
Since car lease monthly payments are based upon projected depreciation over the lease term, the lease will specify a mileage limit for the vehicle.
It is important to know approximately how many miles you drive per year before entering into a car lease, because you will be charged for every mile that you drive beyond your agreed upon mileage limit.
Fortunately, Honda's rates for exceeding miles do not exceed $0.20 PER MILE.
Most car leases allow from 10,000-15,000 miles on the vehicle per year. Higher mileage leases are available (ranging up to 30,000 miles per year), but cost more. Miles cannot be added or bought in the middle of a lease.
The average credit score for people leasing cars is 745. A good credit score is required to lease a car, and generally dealerships like to see a score of 650 or higher.
One of the biggest draws to leasing a vehicle is that the monthly payments are typically lower than monthly auto loan payments.
Leasing allows you to always enjoy the benefits of driving a new vehicle, since you can trade up to the most current model at the end of every lease term, and keep driving with the newest technology and safety features.
It is also a great option for people who don't want the hassle of car ownership. Since leased new cars are almost always under factory warranty, there are few out-of-pocket repairs and maintenance costs, and you can walk away from the car at the end of the lease without having to spend time and energy trying to resell it.
What is residual value, and why is it a benefit to leasing?
At the beginning of your lease, the leasing company will determine the residual value of the car (an estimate of how much your car will be worth at end of the lease). Another added benefit to leasing is that by calculating the residual value at the beginning of your lease, the lease company (NOT YOU) will assume the risk for market factors outside your control (i.e., collsions, CarFax hits, high gas prices lowering vehicle values, vehicle becomes undesirable, vehicle recalls, etc.) If the vehicle is worth less than the expected residual value at the end of a lease, the lease company takes the loss, not the customer.
In addition to the key differences above, learn more about the differences in buying or leasing a vehicle here.
Yes. As long as your window tint is compliant with state laws, you are able to tint the windows on your lease.
Factory accessories are also allowed on any leased vehicle.
After-market / third-party accessories are not permitted on your lease.
Collision and comprehensive coverage is required on every leased vehicle. In addition to this, it is recommended that people who lease a vehicle consider gap insurance.
What is GAP insurance?
GAP stands for Guaranteed Asset Protection. GAP insurance exists to protect the driver of the leased vehicle from paying out of pocket in the event that their leased vehicle is stolen or totalled.
The great news for people who choose to lease from Honda, is that GAP insurance is included as a part of the lease.
GAP insurance works alongside collison and comprehensive coverage insurance. Since vehicles depreciate most in the first year or two, there is a chance that if your leased vehicle is totalled, you may still owe more on the car than its true depreciated value at the time of the collision. GAP insurance will prevent the driver from having to pay out-of-pocket for the difference in what they owe and the depreciated value.
If the vehicle is totalled, your lease will end before its term.
If your leased vehicle sustains repairable / minor damage during an accident, simply let your insurance cover the repairs, have the repairs completed, and turn in your leased vehicle when the lease term is over. Even if your car's true value is less than the residual value (the amount of depreciation calculated at the beginning of your lease), you will not owe money for the difference.
Yes, however, the vehicle must be returned to the same dealership you leased it from.
If you move out of state, you will need to update the lease company of your move immediately.If you move out of state, you will need to update the lease company of your move immediately.
Vehicles must be returned to the dealership at the end of the lease. So, what happens if you relocate across state lines prior to the end of your lease term? If your vehicle is leased using the captive finance company, such as Honda Financial Services, it can be returned to any authorized Honda Dealership in the United States! To verify that you are eligible for nationwide returns, contact your leasing company prior to your move and update them with your new address when available.
You need to be licensed and registered in the state where you are a resident. Also, your sales tax rate may be different between states, so your monthly payments may change slightly. Some states (Georgia) require taxes on vehicles to be paid upfront, annually.
Yes! Bypass the showroom & save time by designing your deal online. Get pre-approved online and customize your lease on a new Honda.
- Car Shopping Basics
- Buying vs leasing
- How is my trade valued?
- Auto Finance Glossary
- Auto Buying FAQ's
- FICO credit scores & car buying
- Extended warranties & service contracts
- Auto Leasing FAQ's
- Car Leasing Explained


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DIY Easy Bake Oven Recipes
More Frugal Tips /The Royal Family/From Our Readers /Guest Post
I am sure we all have wonderful memories as a child cooking in our Easy Bake Oven. I always hated running out of mixes and they were so hard to find. Of course when my kids were little we had to continue the tradition. The one thing I hated most was hearing "Mom I'm out of mix "or "Mom I messed this mix up and I don't have any more". I am sure many of you have gone through the same thing. Did you know that you can make your own Easy Bake Oven mixes at home using items in your pantry? It's great for when you don't have the time to go to the store to pick up more mixes.
Cake Mix: (using boxed cake mix)
- You will need to grease and flour your small pan.
- Mix 3 tablespoons of cake mix and 1 tablespoonof milk
- Mix until smooth and pour in pan.
- Preheat your easy bake oven and cook for 15mins.
- Mix 3 tablespoons of Jiffy White Frosting Mix with 1 teaspoon of hot water.
Easy Bake Oven Brownie Mix:
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2-1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 2-1/2 tablespoons flour
- 4 teaspoons chocolate syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Blend all ingredients until the batter is nice and smooth.
- Grease and flour your Easy Bake Oven cake pan.
- Pour in your ingredients and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Let cool, and cut into pieces
Easy Bake Oven Pizza:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon pizza sauce
- 1 dash salt
- 1 teaspoon margarine
- 2 1/4 teaspoons milk
- Preheat your Easy Bake Oven to 15 minutes.
- Stir together baking powder, flour, salt and margarine until dough looks like medium-sized type crumbs.
- Slowly add your milk while stirring dough.
- Shape dough into a ball and place into your greased Easy Bake Oven pan.
- Use your fingers to pat the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan, then up the sides to form the crust.
- Pour the sauce evenly over the dough, then sprinkle with cheese and add any other toppings.
- Bake 20 mins.
If you don't have an Easy Bake Oven you can get one here.
Do you have a homemade Easy Bake Oven Recipe to share?


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Contact Us
#193, Deepsinh Rathod, self made engineer
By Faces of Rajkot, March 29, 2016
We have IIM and IITs they make finest engineers and entrepreneurs in the world. They study hard, work hard but not all of them could do out of box. In my life, I have seen engineers working 9 to 5, doing monotonous job, come home, eat and sleep.
Deepsingh Rathod, an illiterate person from Rajkot, developed a bicycle with MP3 player, recorder wit stereo systems, telephone, 17" TV, CCTV camera that connects online. The bicycle also has 4 types of security alarms. Isn't that something out of box? Even millions of mechanical engineers do not think about doing things differently and do 9 to 5pm job robotically.
"I drove cycle to Nepal", says Mr Rathod. It took me 1 month and 10 days to reach to Nepal one way. I visited Pakistan boarder too this year. Every Saturday night I visit Chotila for Darshan. It gives me positivity and strengths.
I'm basically from Banaskantha but probably my destiny wanted me to learn a lot and brought me to Rajkot. I cannot thank enough this city for giving me more than I deserve a job, family, friends and my beloved cycle. Thank you so much Rajkot.
I designed this cycle out of my pocket money and it costed me Rs. 95,000 in total. I work as a watchman at Domino's pizza. Low income or no education cannot stop me doing what I want. I am Rajkot.
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2nd Africa Regional Young Academies Conference
After the First Africa Young Academies Regional Conference, organized by the Global Young Academy (GYA) in cooperation with NASAC, took place in Nairobi, Kenya unter the title "Accelerating science for development in Africa by increasing the momentum and impact of National Young Academies", this year's meeting will be held on Mauritius. More information will follow HERE soon. A detailed meeting report will be available online after the event.


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Archive for February, 2014
Change is a Good Thing
Posted by Erin K. Banks in personal on February 17, 2014
Tomorrow I start a new job at a new company and I am incredibly excited. I mean really really excited. Everyone wants to make a difference within an organization, everyone wants to make an impact, everyone wants to keep learning. Everyone wants to surround themselves with people who have the same passion and that you […]
vShield / vCloud Networking and Security App – Excluding VMs
Posted by Erin K. Banks in cloud security, security, vCloud Network and Security, virtualization, VMware on February 17, 2014
This blog is specifically for VMware vCloud Networking and Security 5.x… I would definitely say that the number one question I get regarding vCloud Networking and Security is with regard to vShield App and all the things you can (and can not) do with it. One of the questions that I recently got was regarding […]
Grey Screen of Death – ESXi 5.X Installation
Posted by Erin K. Banks in virtualization, VMware on February 7, 2014
As I was working on upgrading my home lab to ESXi 5.5, I kept running into a problem. To give you some feedback, I was using Fusion 6.0 on my MacBook Pro. The ESXi 5.5 software was locally on the Mac and I was attempting to install it on a USB drive. Note that I […]


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Football player Vetrih gets six-month ban for doping
Ljubljana, 14 June - Slovenian football player Amedej Vetrih of Domžale has tested positive for the banned substance higenamine. He received a six-month suspension by the the Slovenian Anti-Doping Organization (SLOADO) in what is the third doping case in Slovenian sport this year.
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I am known as Anna M.C., but you can call me Galadriel, Queen of the Elves, Lady of the Golden Wood. All shall love me, and despair!
If that's too much to ask, a token show of vague affection and mild depression will do nicely.
This is my version of Galadriel's Fellowship Greeting Dress/Mirror Dress, inspired by Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring. It's really a fusion of both scenes, since the former scene included a gauzy cape, while the latter scene lacked both crown and cape. Just think of this as my deeply personal, daringly avant-garde interpretation of Ngila Dickson's vision, in which the simultaneous lack of a cloak and presence of a crown act as a symbolic statement -- a spiritual affirmation, if you will -- of the "uncloaking" of Galadriel's queenly power within my own soul!
Or, you could just think of it as me running out of time to make the cape, and bluffing shamelessly.
Halloween 2002, the Third Age, round about Second Breakfast.
The original Galadriel dwelt in the magical and perilous realm of Lothlórien, knowing all that had once been, and much of what would be, while bestowing great gifts upon those who sought her aid. My Galadriel dwelt in the magical and perilous realm of the public library, answering reference questions and pushing copies of The Lord of the Rings on unsuspecting patrons.
Hey, I settle for what I can get.
The dress began its life as a baggy size 16 closeout wedding gown purchased on e-Bay, consisting of ivory chiffon over a polyester undergown and a thin inner lining. I would've liked to sew something from scratch, but I've never learned how to use a pattern, and this seemed just a tad too ambitious for a first attempt.
As you can see, it took buckets of blood, sweat, tears, and any other body fluid you'd care to name to transform my purchase from a pseudo-medieval wedding gown into a pseudo-Galadriel gown. The entire process took approximately four months of evenings and weekends to complete. By the end, I had gained enormous empathy for Sauron, as I knew what it meant to degenerate into one enormous, sleepless, bloodshot eye.
I seam-ripped out the split skirt overlay panels and then re-stitched the main chiffon skirt by hand to avoid snagging. Since this was one of the first things I did to the dress, I was still in enough of an anal-retentive mode to make sure I passed the needle through the tiny holes left in the fabric by the original seam. At the time, this seemed logical. In retrospect, this was quite impressively insane.
In the interest of not destroying the dress right off the bat, I had the acres of skirt professionally hemmed to floor length in front, and the three-foot train reduced to a significantly smaller sweep train.
Although I'd hoped to be able to alter the existing sleeves, a few unfortunate cuts left them looking like a tribute to Galadriel's "Terrible as the Dawn" shredder sleeves. I ended up having to seam-rip them out and sew bell sleeves from some serendipitously matching Wal-Mart ivory chiffon. I cut them so as to make the natural selvage serve as a smooth cuff edge, and avoid the heaviness of a hem.
Judging by the e-Bay pictures, I'd originally thought the lace was just a loose overlay. I soon discovered it was sewn down every quarter inch on the bodice. Four days later, after painstakingly seam-ripping the lace and silk flowers, it was obvious that the heavy lace tatting had been sewn directly onto the polyester undergown for stability; there was no chiffon from the waist up. If left as is, it would result in a distinctly pathetic, "Budget Galadriel" look.
I took advantage of the situation to rip out the side seams and take in the bodice several inches, reducing the dress from a size 16 to a well-fitting 8/10. Afterwards, I essentially improvised a chiffon bodice overlay. I hand-sewed one square block of chiffon to the front waistline and two to the back waistline on either side of the zipper, pinned and trimmed them to fit the curves of the bodice, and then hand-hemmed and hand-sewed them together. The less-than-stunning hem around the neckline is sneakily disguised by ivory satin bias tape plundered off an old negligee, plus a line of Hancock Fabrics' pearl trim. I was extremely pleased with how it turned out, all things considered.
I would've loved to hand-embroider hundreds of exquisite ivory ferns upon the gown in true Galadriel fashion; of course, I would also love to be a billionaire. Both propositions seemed equally unlikely to happen by October 31st of 2002, or even 2006, for that matter. As a pragmatic alternative, I purchased several yards of shiny satin-finish, leaf-patterned lace from a wholesale fabric remnant shop. With the assistance of my long-suffering family, I cut out about half a zillion leaves, which were then attached to the chiffon with Fabri-Tac glue. I employed a scatter pattern in which the leaves were set closer together on the upper sleeves, bodice, and upper skirt, and further apart on the voluminous lower sleeves and skirt. This allowed me to glue a more manageable quantity of leaves on the gown without making the whole thing look anemic.
It just wouldn't be Galadriel if it didn't sparkle like the lobby at a Liberace convention. Gluing big globs of glitter on the gown could look cheap and grungy, while sequins would evoke Liberace far more than Lothlórien. The only answer was hand-sewn beads -- 4 silver rocailles and 2 silver "2-cut" beads (like miniature bugle beads) per leaf. The rocailles had a more consistent, subtle glimmer, while the flashier 2-cut beads reflected bright sparks of light as I moved. Unfortunately, the end result sparkled a lot more in person than in pictures.
I sewed the belt from tan, "Willow" patterned ribbon from Michaels, embellished with a repeating motif of 10 silver rocailles and two pearl teardrops, and edged with the same pearl trim as the dress neckline. Interesting trivia: I hand-sewed all the belt beading on the airplane and late at night during my trip to Las Vegas to visit my sister-in-law. While the rest of the world gambled, I grumbled at rocailles.
The crown consists of silver and gold 16-gauge wire, hot glue, and silvery-gold plastic holly leaves bought for $0.25 per branch at last year's Craft-Mart Christmas clearance sale. Snipping the pointy bits off the edges of the holly made them resemble regular leaves. I followed the design of the movie crown as closely as the available pictures and my skill would allow, even doing my best to reproduce a large segment of the intricate design in back. Everyone at work knew when I'd worked on the crown, since I'd come in with big ol' wire gouges on my hands, arms, and, on one particularly klutzy occasion, my nose and cheek.
I couldn't find a mother-of-pearl button without holes in it, or a piece of round mother-of-pearl jewelry that didn't cost a fortune. I finally ended up taking a large button, filling up the holes with hot glue, gluing a pin on the back, and painting several thick layers of mother-of-pearl paint on top. The silver branches were derived from cut-up hoop earrings hot-glued to the button, while the silver leaves were snipped from dangle earrings and hot-glued to the branches. This project has the distinction of inflicting more creative hot-glue burns on me than any other; I dripped hot glue onto my thumb, reflexively placed my thumb in my mouth to cool it, and wound up with blistered lips and tongue.
If there's a consolation prize for Most Self-Inflicted Injuries Acquired During Costume Production, I'm a shoe-in.
I did give the ol' college try at making my own ring out of silver filigrees, wire, and a rhinestone. I ended up destroying my computer printer, thanks to an embarrassing and Rube Goldberg-ian accident involving silver filigrees, a hot glue gun, and gravity. I finally gave in and bought an officially licensed reproduction ring from Applause. Ironically, the ring appeared so briefly in the film that most of my acquaintances wouldn't have known the difference if I'd just called my diamond engagement ring "Nenya."
My elf ears were the old reliable Woochie brand, of Vulcan fame, applied with a particularly viscous (and vicious) brand of spirit gum, then coated and blended with foundation makeup.
Unfortunately, I was not willing to dye my long red hair blond for the sake of the perfect Galadriel image, and cheap wigs just look goofy. However, since Tolkien's famous book did include a line from Gimli saying that her hair "surpasses the gold of the earth," not that "her hair is blond," I decided to go for a very literal interpretation: I liberally coated my hair with streaks of gold glitter gel. You can barely see it in the pictures, but in person, people had to wear industrial sunglasses to look directly at my head. I achieved the crimping effect by having my hair tightly braided in four braids the night before and soaking it down in the shower. By Halloween morning, it had dried into a cascade of rippling waves (and by the following morning, it had fused into a snarl of glitter-encrusted, spirit-gummed knots. So kids, don't try this at home).
Since I couldn't afford to have a sophisticated lighting crew follow me around to cast an ethereal and luminous elf-glow (heck, I couldn't even bribe a co-worker to shine a flashlight on me), I applied a very sparing amount of silver glitter gel to my eyelids, upper cheekbones, chest, and hands. Since I'm cadaverously pale enough for a passable Galadriel complexion without any special makeup, I just used my usual foundation, combined with soft brown eyeshadow, a tiny amount of rose-toned blush, and a tiny amount of rose-toned lipstick.
Overall, the spirit gum was the most annoying aspect of the makeup. The Doom of Men may be mortality, but chronic ear-dandruff is the Affliction of the Elves.
Galadriel had hordes of elf-minions to carry her things; for practical reasons, I needed a purse. I found a $4.00 bargain at a local St. Vincent de Paul thrift shop, a clutch purse encrusted with a leaf-pattern of silver rocailles. Removing the tarnished clutch frame, I sewed the top into a drawstring bag with a silver cord.
For health code reasons, I couldn't go barefoot. I considered getting see-through plastic sandals, but couldn't find a satisfactory pair. I finally purchased some silver elastic sandals with a very elvish woven pattern to them. Unfortunately, these sliced through the flesh of my feet like piano wire through cheese. I have no pictures of them, since I took great pleasure in vengefully hacking them to bits and chucking them in the garbage the minute I returned home.
Isn't it obvious? I'm a barking mad masochist with a glitter fetish.
Seriously, I've always loved elaborate Halloween costumes; I loved Peter Jackson's film; I loved the idea of being a character who would promote a renowned work of literature; I loved the idea of swanning about the library where I work, wrapped in a glimmering mist of chiffon and murmuring cryptic elf aphorisms like "Even the smallest book can change the course of the future." I could greet visitors to the reference desk by asking them, "How may we aid your quest?" When a patron asked me how to find a book, I could allow an enigmatic smile to play about my lips while replying, "Even the wisest cannot tell, for the shelves contain many things." Then, if the item they wanted was checked out, I could assume a pale and stricken pose while breathing "It has fallen into shadow!" And then I'd get smacked senseless. And probably richly deserve it.
Moreover, I lost 60 pounds (and kept it off!) this year. Reason enough to splurge on a really killer costume, I'd say.
Besides, pointy ears rule.
The only really bad moment came when the elevator burned out, and I had to traipse up and down stairs in my slicing sandals with my arms overflowing with a huge chiffon sweep train (I'm betting Bag End there were at least 12 outtakes of Cate Blanchett falling a** over teakettle down that Lothlórien staircase). Every mother in the library wanted a picture of her child with me in front of our Lord of the Rings poster display; it must've started to look like a "Madonna Galadriel and Child" portrait session. This costume also helped my department win prizes for "Best Group -- Lord of the Rings" at the City's employee Halloween costume contest; our group consisted of three Generic Hobbits, three Generic Elves, one Generic Human Warrior from Gondor, one Generic Wizard, and one Gandalf the Fuchsia-Rather-than-Grey (don't ask). I plan to use the movie ticket I was awarded to see -- what else? -- The Two Towers.
My Galadriel gown has now been packed away in plastic, awaiting its recycling next Halloween for The Return of Galadriel -- unless, after I see Eowyn in The Two Towers, the desire to swan about with a sword becomes too overwhelming . . . .
And for the record, bits of spirit gum are still flaking out of my ears.
Please e-mail any questions or comments to
This costume site was created on FrontPage by Anna's dear friend, CJ the Hasty Ent.


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Clementi is bailed out by Mr. Brossard (Paul Guers), a wealthy man about town and friend of Susy. Now if decades of movie watching have taught me anything, it is that the person who bails anyone out during an investigation is a suspect. I'm sure movie buff Jack took note. Once freed, Clementi confronts Susy with the receipt that she pawned her necklace. She admits she did it and says Tony was behind the whole plan. Wow, we're hitting the 50 minute mark and everything is all wrapping up? Uh, hellllllll no. This is an Italian TV series starring Bud Spencer so we have at least three more plots to get to. Indeed, Tony is confronted by a blackmailing reporter who accidentally recorded him telling Susy of the plans. This leads to Clementi teaming up with the reporter and then Tony is murdered, the remaining jewels are stolen, and Susy is kidnapped. Much like an Italian meal, this has lots of courses for everyone.
throws down a bit. The action highlight is where Bud heads to a bar to follow a lead and he and another guy just absolutely destroy the place. Is it worthy of prime Jackie Chan? No. But after being teased with the valueable statues in THE FALSE ETRUSCAN, it is good to see some good old furniture and glass windows get smashed to pieces. The production also has a nice "the brakes have gone out!" car bit toward the end. The driving down the winding French mountainside is rather precarious looking and definitely a highlight. In addition to that, we got not one, not two, but three jokes from Bud's character in this. Be still my heart! Interestingly, this particular episode keeps all of the action in France (versus the Italy settings of the first two episodes). This results in some nice location work in Marseilles and making Clementi a bigger fish-out-of-water character. Another interesting thing is that Clementi doesn't really have to do much detective work. No joke, the script has Clementi learning the whole plot from the reporter and the big mystery is revealed when Clementi looks into the wallet of a guy he beats up and spots a decades-old photo of some French Foreign Legion pals. Damn, he sure is lucky that thug was the sentimental type. Well, I'll give him credit for recognizing some random stuntman from a police composite. That is a true investigative skill worthy of admiration. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to do some more detective work in front of my television.
Ursula Andress gets her first royalty check:


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Job Title
Fragrance and Cosmetics Specialist
Fixed 12 month permanent contract
You will report to the Retail Supervisor
Purpose of the post
The Fragrance & Cosmetics Specialist will be responsible for driving and building cosmetics sales and manage the fragrance and cosmetics section of the departures retail store.
Job Description
We are currently recruiting for a Fragrance and Cosmetic specialist to join our team
We are offering a fantastic opportunity to work with a variety of internationally renowned luxury brands within the beauty industry. The ideal candidate should have at least 2 year's cosmetics/fragrance retail experience. This is a target driven role and you are expected to be as pro-active as possible to ensure sales targets are reached, as such a passion for fragrance and sales is essential.
You must be flexible and available to work from Monday to Sunday.
The ideal candidate will be
• Extremely well presented
• Confident with the ability to traffic stop to achieve sales
• Proactive and passionate about the beauty industry
• Flexible to the client's needs
• Sales and target driven
• Excellent communication and customer service skills
• Experienced in fragrance and sales
• Organised, enthusiastic and self motivated
• Drive retail sales at store level
• Liaise and engage with customers to assist their purchasing requirements
• Ensure customer service is of the highest standard
• Assist customers with finding and suggesting cosmetics products that meet their needs.
• Introduce newly launched products to customers depending on their requirements
• Promote key products by one to one promotion and product placement.
• Cross selling and upselling of products through customer incentives
• Stock management of the cosmetics area including the regular ordering of new products and managing existing inventory to ensure required stock levels are maintained
• Set up store displays to create maximum impact
• Provide ongoing feedback and reports to cosmetic brands and airport management
• Experience in a previous retail cosmetics selling environment is essential
• Keen eye for detail required for merchandising and stock management
• Exceptionally customer focussed & committed to offering excellence in customer service.
• Proven track record of achieving sales targets
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Awareness of current industry developments in terms of market trends
• The ability to work flexible hours including weekends where necessary
To apply please submit a current CV and short cover letter outlining your relevant experience to: [email protected] Closing date for applications is Friday 20th February 2017.
Alternatively send a postal appication to HR Manager, Ireland West Airport Knock, Charlestown, Co. Mayo
22 Mar 2017 12:50pm
06 Dec 2017 10:29am
06 Dec 2017 13:59pm
06 Dec 2017 14:02pm


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What's the Value of Social-Emotional Learning in Wisconsin Schools?
These days, school is more than just a place of learning.
The classroom has become a "home away from home" for some students, especially those whose lives involve big challenges. And increasingly, school is the place kids seek help with their social-emotional needs.
What are the best ways to do that? How should schools strike a balance between social-emotional and academic learning? And what are educators in the Milwaukee area already doing on this front?
That's the question in front of a panel, assembling Wednesday at Marquette Law School.
The conference will feature Chester Finn, a long-time, well-known education activist – who is also a distinguished senior fellow and president emeritus at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute in Washington, D.C.
Finn says he sees the concept of social-emotional learning as just another thing on the long list of responsibilities we've given modern schools.
"My modest beef with an over-emphasis on social-emotional learning is, we're already not doing a very good job with the three R's -- reading, writing, and arithmetic," he says. "Every time we give [schools] another mandate, we erase time for things schools are uniquely qualified for, which is teaching kids long division and the causes of the Civil War."
Finn says plenty of organizations already exist in society that work on social-emotional learning, directly or indirectly -- including "Sunday school," Little League, and the Girl and Boy Scouts -- making them better suited to teach those concepts.


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Garden State Wine Growers Association
Garden State Wine Growers Association ("we" or "us" or "our") respects the privacy of our users ("user" or "you"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our mobile application (the "Application"). Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THE TERMS OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY, PLEASE DO NOT ACCESS THE APPLICATION.
We reserve the right to make changes to this Privacy Policy at any time and for any reason. We will alert you about any changes by updating the "Last updated" date of this Privacy Policy. You are encouraged to periodically review this Privacy Policy to stay informed of updates. You will be deemed to have been made aware of, will be subject to, and will be deemed to have accepted the changes in any revised Privacy Policy by your continued use of the Application after the date such revised Privacy Policy is posted.
This Privacy Policy does not apply to the third-party online/mobile store from which you install the Application or make payments, including any in-game virtual items, which may also collect and use data about you. We are not responsible for any of the data collected by any such third party.
We may collect information about you in a variety of ways. The information we may collect via the Application depends on the content and materials you use, and includes:
Personal Data
Demographic and other personally identifiable information (such as your name and email address) that you voluntarily give to us when choosing to participate in various activities related to the Application, such as chat, posting messages in comment sections or in our forums, liking posts, sending feedback, and responding to surveys. If you choose to share data about yourself via your profile, online chat, or other interactive areas of the Application, please be advised that all data you disclose in these areas is public and your data will be accessible to anyone who accesses the Application.
Derivative Data
The information our servers automatically collect when you access the Application, such as your native actions that are integral to the Application, including liking, re-blogging, or replying to a post, as well as other interactions with the Application and other users via server log files.
Facebook Permissions
The Application may by default access your Facebook basic account information, including your name, email, gender, birthday, current city, and profile picture URL, as well as other information that you choose to make public. We may also request access to other permissions related to your accounts, such as friends, check-ins, and likes, and you may choose to grant or deny us access to each individual permission. For more information regarding Facebook permissions, refer to the Facebook Permissions Reference page.
Data from Social Networks
User information from social networking sites, such as Facebook, including your name, your social network username, location, gender, birth date, email address, profile picture, and public data for contacts, if you connect your account to such social networks. This information may also include the contact information of anyone you invite to use and/or join the Application.
Geo-Location Information
We may request access or permission to and track location-based information from your mobile device, either continuously or while you are using the Application, to provide location-based services. If you wish to change our access or permissions, you may do so in your device's settings.
Mobile Device Access
We may request access or permission to certain features from your mobile device, including your mobile device's Bluetooth, social media accounts, storage and other features. If you wish to change our access or permissions, you may do so in your device's settings.
Mobile Device Data
Device information such as your mobile device ID number, model, and manufacturer, version of your operating system, phone number, country, location, and any other data you choose to provide.
Push Notifications
We may request to send you push notifications regarding your account or the Application. If you wish to opt-out from receiving these types of communications, you may turn them off in your device's settings.
Third-Party Data
Information from third parties, such as personal information or network friends, if you connect your account to the third party and grant the Application permission to access this information.
Data From Contests, Giveaways, and Surveys
Personal and other information you may provide when entering contests or giveaways and/or responding to surveys.
Having accurate information about you permits us to provide you with a smooth, efficient, and customized experience. Specifically, we may use information collected about you via the Application to:
- Administer sweepstakes, promotions, and contests.
- Assist law enforcement and respond to subpoena.
- Compile anonymous statistical data and analysis for use internally or with third parties.
- Create and manage your account.
- Deliver targeted advertising, coupons, newsletters, and other information regarding promotions and the Application to you.
- Email you regarding your account or order.
- Enable user-to-user communications.
- Fulfill and manage purchases, orders, payments, and other transactions related to the Application.
- Generate a personal profile about you to make future visits to the Application more personalized.
- Increase the efficiency and operation of the Application.
- [Other]
We may share information we have collected about you in certain situations. Your information may be disclosed as follows:
By Law or to Protect Rights
If we believe the release of information about you is necessary to respond to legal process, to investigate or remedy potential violations of our policies, or to protect the rights, property, and safety of others, we may share your information as permitted or required by any applicable law, rule, or regulation. This includes exchanging information with other entities for fraud protection and credit risk reduction.
Third-Party Service Providers
We may share your information with third parties that perform services for us or on our behalf, including payment processing, data analysis, email delivery, hosting services, customer service, and marketing assistance.
Marketing Communications
With your consent, or with an opportunity for you to withdraw consent, we may share your information with third parties for marketing purposes, as permitted by law.
Third-Party Advertisers
We may use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit the Application. These companies may use information about your visits to the Application and other websites that are contained in web cookies in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you.
Other Third Parties
We may share your information with advertisers and investors for the purpose of conducting a general business analysis. We may also share your information with such third parties for marketing purposes, as permitted by law.
We are not responsible for the actions of third parties with whom you share personal or sensitive data, and we have no authority to manage or control third-party solicitations. If you no longer wish to receive correspondence, emails or other communications from third parties, you are responsible for contacting the third party directly.
Cookies and Web Beacons
We may use cookies, web beacons, tracking pixels, and other tracking technologies on the Application to help customize the Application and improve your experience. When you access the Application, your personal information is not collected through the use of tracking technology. Most browsers are set to accept cookies by default. You can remove or reject cookies, but be aware that such action could affect the availability and functionality of the Application. You may not decline web beacons. However, they can be rendered ineffective by declining all cookies or by modifying your web browser's settings to notify you each time a cookie is tendered, permitting you to accept or decline cookies on an individual basis.
Internet-Based Advertising
Additionally, we may use third-party software to serve ads on the Application, implement email marketing campaigns, and manage other interactive marketing initiatives. This third-party software may use cookies or similar tracking technology to help manage and optimize your online experience with us. For more information about opting-out of interest-based ads, visit the Network Advertising Initiative Opt-Out Tool or Digital Advertising Alliance Opt-Out Tool.
Website Analytics
We may also partner with selected third-party vendors[, such as Google Analytics and others, to allow tracking technologies and remarketing services on the Application through the use of first-party cookies and third-party cookies, to, among other things, analyze and track users' use of the Application, determine the popularity of certain content, and better understand online activity. By accessing the Application, you consent to the collection and use of your information by these third-party vendors. You are encouraged to review their privacy policy and contact them directly for responses to your questions. We do not transfer personal information to these third-party vendors.
You should be aware that getting a new computer, installing a new browser, upgrading an existing browser, or erasing or otherwise altering your browser's cookies files may also clear certain opt-out cookies, plug-ins, or settings.
The Application may contain links to third-party websites and applications of interest, including advertisements and external services, that are not affiliated with us. Once you have used these links to leave the Application, any information you provide to these third parties is not covered by this Privacy Policy, and we cannot guarantee the safety and privacy of your information. Before visiting and providing any information to any third-party websites, you should inform yourself of the privacy policies and practices (if any) of the third party responsible for that website, and should take those steps necessary to, in your discretion, protect the privacy of your information. We are not responsible for the content or privacy and security practices and policies of any third parties, including other sites, services or applications that may be linked to or from the Application.
We use administrative, technical, and physical security measures to help protect your personal information. While we have taken reasonable steps to secure the personal information you provide to us, please be aware that despite our efforts, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable, and no method of data transmission can be guaranteed against any interception or other types of misuse. Any information disclosed online is vulnerable to interception and misuse by unauthorized parties. Therefore, we cannot guarantee complete security if you provide personal information.
We do not knowingly solicit information from or market to children under the age of 13. If you become aware of any data we have collected from children under age 13, please contact us using the contact information provided below.
Most web browsers and some mobile operating systems [and our mobile applications] include a Do-Not-Track ("DNT") feature or setting you can activate to signal your privacy preference not to have data about your online browsing activities monitored and collected. No uniform technology standard for recognizing and implementing DNT signals has been finalized. As such, we do not currently respond to DNT browser signals or any other mechanism that automatically communicates your choice not to be tracked online. If a standard for online tracking is adopted that we must follow in the future, we will inform you about that practice in a revised version of this Privacy Policy.
If you have questions or comments about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
Garden State Wine Growers Association
P.O. Box 386
Cream Ridge, NJ 08514


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The right to appeal is purely statutory. Code of Civil Procedure section 902 defines who may appeal from a judgment. The statute provides that "any party aggrieved" may appeal from an adverse judgment. The test is twofold. One must be both: 1) a party of record to the action; and 2) aggrieved — to have standing to appeal. Thus, notwithstanding an appealable judgment or order, an appeal may be taken only by a party who has standing to appeal. Standing is a jurisdictional requirement and cannot be waived.
One is considered aggrieved whose rights or interests are injuriously affected by the order or judgment in an immediate and substantial way, and not as a nominal or remote consequence of the decision. [See, In re K.C.] Conversely, a party who is not aggrieved by an order or judgment has no standing to attack it on appeal. Injurious effect on another party is insufficient to give rise to appellate standing. Appellate courts provide relief for appellants who have been wronged by trial court error – not for appellants that have suffered no wrong but instead seek to advance the interests of others who have not complained. Continue reading


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Monday, February 17, 2014
"A Grip Without A Jet Ski Ain't No Grip At All!"
This year started with a vengeance and hasn't let up. In less than 48 hours after the clock stuck midnight on December 31st* I was back at work and haven't stopped since. I've been fortunate enough to roll from one show into the next, but the steady work means I haven't had time to do much else.
As such, I've been behind on a lot of things lately. Behind on getting an oil change for my car. Behind on keeping up with the mail that's piling up on my kitchen table. Behind on doing my taxes. Behind on updating this blog (sorry!).
I'm also behind on my television watching, but thank goodness for the internet or else I'd never been able to see the Simpsons episode that aired shortly after the New Year. Called "Steal This Episode," the story centers around Homer and his bout of movie piracy. I thought this was a very well done episode, managing to deal with a serious issue in our business with humor and thought. And while I agreed with much of what this episode had to offer (especially this tid-bit), one part did make me chuckle more than the rest.
Despite most shows (and commercials) that aim to give the viewers a glimpse into life on set and below the line portraying us rather unrealistically, I think this one nailed it. :)
* Or January 1st, if you want to be technical about it.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Being Spoiled.
"And they didn't even give us a t-shirt!"
I stared at the ranting electrician standing before me in awe. Not because I couldn't believe he didn't get a t-shirt, but because he was bitching about it.
Get a couple of grips or electricians in a room together long enough and it won't be long before the work horror stories come out, with each one trying to top the last like some kind of production fueled pissing contest.
While the theme of these
He's the oldest one out of all of us on this particular crew, which mainly consisted of people my age just starting out in the industry, and had far more years and sizable shows under his belt than most of us combined. He had just spent the better part of last year working on a hit show. One big enough that it was consistently near the top of the ratings list each week, sending talk shows and gossip blogs into a frenzy after each time it aired. It was a show popular enough that other countries had their own versions.
Needless to say, the show was big and made a lot of money.
Unfortunately, they didn't spread that wealth around to my coworker's liking. But his anger wasn't towards the quality of the food or the lack of manpower for the rigs they'd put in, but with the fact that they didn't get a wrap gift at the end of the season.
"Can you believe that?" he huffed, "Not even a t-shirt!" He was pretty worked up about it now.
I, on the other hand, was flabbergasted.
Sure, I can understand where he's coming from. If the way he was performing on set today was any indication, he probably worked his ass off for that show and just wanted some kind of acknowledgement for his hard work. However, a show t-shirt is usually a wrap gift, which is something that's, at best, an obligatory "thank you" from the powers that be, but in no way is such a gesture mandatory on any show.
While I've never personally worked on the show in question, I've done a day or two on shows just like it, and if the shows' operating procedures were even remotely similar, the guy had it good.
Decent catering, real soundstages, good rates and a fully stocked coffee bar are just a few of the perks shows like that enjoy. Not to mention enough guys you could possibly need, that, on average, work for eight hours but get paid for ten; some days without even breaking a sweat.
The fact that he's whining about the lack of a free shirt tells me that there's nothing else worth complaining about on that show.
And while I agree that it'd be nice if we got some kind of token of appreciation from the people we toil for, nowhere does it say they can't be dicks about it and send us off with nothing more than one last paycheck. It is, however, mandatory that we have safe working conditions and get paid on time, all of which was met on that show and then some. Not getting a t-shirt, though surprising for a show with such a big name, isn't something worth raising your blood pressure over.
Especially when you're following a story about how one show never had anything but pizza for lunch and three departments had to share a truck.
I think some guys, mostly ones who have been doing this longer than I have and perpetually work on big things with real budgets like the way it's supposed to be done, often get too comfortable and seem to forget that on most shows, Production isn't your friend. They're your employer. You're exchanging work for money; not gifts. Guys like that also tend to take simple courtesies for granted. Like twelve hour turnarounds, snacks at crafty that eat like a meal, and meals at catering that eat like a feast. They often forget that the minimum required turnaround is nine hours, crafty isn't obligated to get that hummus you like, and catering can be done by El Pollo Loco if Production chooses to do so.
It wasn't that long ago that I found myself on sets like that (and far worse) every day, and as I climb my way up to bigger and better things, I hope I'll still remember the shit shows that I came from. I hope I don't get complacent enough to take for granted the niceties that production does provide us with.
And above all, I hope I never get to the point where I'm spoiled and feel entitled enough to complain about not getting t-shirt at wrap from a show. Because really, if that's all you have to complain about, you have it pretty good.
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Candy Cane Salvage
(Redirected from Candy Canes)Jump to navigation Jump to search
The Candy Cane Salvage is obtainable by clicking on a Gamester present and receiving a "You've been Nice." message starting in the Winter Event 2007. During the Winter Event 2008, Candy Cane Salvage was one of the possible rewards from the Father Time mission. Starting in 2009, any green con or higher Winter Horde has a chance to drop a Candy Cane. These can be redeemed for a variety of badges, temp powers, and costume pieces from past winter events from the Candy Keeper, who is only available during the Winter Event.
A festive piece of peppermint candy to celebrate the holidays. Seek the Candy Keeper in the winter chalet in Pocket D, as he collects these candy canes in return for hard to acquire treasures.
- Even though it was actually event salvage, the candy canes where placed under special salvage due to the limits on event salvage (no more than 99 of one type). Intended in design was to allow players to amass more than 100 candy canes to buy more items that would be included in following years. With an upgrade to the coding in Issue 15, this salvage item was moved to its proper location in the Event Salvage tab.


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We have an extremely wide range of style and colours for external and internal doors.
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4 Mesoyis Industrial Area,
8280 Paphos, Cyprus
Carpentry Factory © 2018 All Rights Reserved. Website Design by G.K Progress I.T.C Services Ltd


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Three Ohio Residents Receive Travel Grants to Italy Through NIAF
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Follow Students Virtually starting June 9 at http://niaf.tumblr.com/
(WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 10, 2016) Three university students who reside in Ohio are participating in the Ambassador Peter F. Secchia Voyage of Discovery Program, an all-expenses-paid educational and cultural initiative that sends Italian American students to Italy. The students are: Kelsey Bonacci of Akron; Marisa Formica of Solon; and Dominic Muccio of Bay Village.
Sponsored by the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF), the tour is visiting Italy's Piemonte region, NIAF's 2016 Region of Honor, from June 9 to June 23.
For the fourth consecutive year, participants will give back to the Italian community. This year, the students will work with school children under the care of the Salesians of Don Bosco at the Mother House, known as Valdocco, in the city of Torino. This NIAF travel program's benefactor is a member of the Occhienna family, the mother of Saint Don Bosco. Ambassador Peter F. Secchia's father is a descendent of the Occhienna family.
"The Ambassador Peter F. Secchia Voyage of Discovery Program affords these young adults an incredible opportunity to further understand the historical significance of Italy and its many contributions to the United States and to the world. The bond these students forge with each other and with Italy will increase their interest in preserving their shared heritage," said Anita Bevacqua McBride, co-chair of the Foundation's scholarships and grants committee.
"We are so proud that we are able to offer such a program to young Italian American students. This cornerstone program of the Foundation will strengthen their understanding of their rich culture as they experience the land of their ancestors for the very first time in their lives," said Gabriella Mileti, NIAF director of programs.
Now in its 17th year, the 14-day NIAF program kicks off with a walking tour of Torino, the first capital of modern Italy and the residence of the Royal Savoy Family. In Torino, the group will visit La Reggia Venaria, one of the residences of the Royal Savoy Family; the Basilica of Superga, the burial place of the Savoy Family; Palazzo Reale, the royal seat of Duke Emanuele Filberto in 1563; and the National Museum of Cinema. The first evening will include a dinner with members of the NIAF Board of Directors at a local agriturismo, a working farmhouse.
The itinerary includes: tours of the Martini & Rossi factory and museum in Asti, one of the renowned centers of wine production; the Borsalino factory, known for its fedoras; and the famed chocolatier Ferrero factory in Alba, home of the white truffle, "tartufo bianco." Visits to the historic towns Acqui Terme, Alessandria and Neive are also part of the tour. In Nieve, students will visit a 17th century winery "La Cantina del Glicine." During the program, students will gather to watch Italy play against Ireland, Sweden and Belgium in the Euro Cup 2016. The students also will participate in an excursion on Lake Maggiore to explore Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori.
NIAF is proud to administer the Ambassador Peter F. Secchia Voyage of Discovery Program which includes round-trip airfare between the United States and Italy, accommodations, meals, guided tours and on the ground transportation. For more information, visit www.niaf.org/voyageofdiscovery.
The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the heritage of Italian Americans. Visit www.niaf.org