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Flights home are perfect for writing race reports, so this race reflection has been done in record timing. Before I launch into the longwinded account of the day, and may lose some readers along the way I just want to say thank you to each and every person in my life. My family, friends, boss, colleagues, coach, physio, GP, masseuse, bike shop, guys at the roti stall at the markets (Sunday post ride ritual) even my lovely customers at the pharmacy. It shouldn't take a race for me to say thank you, and I hope you already know how grateful and appreciative I am, but just in case you don't… Thank you!
This weekend I completed Ironman 70.3 Cairns, a 1.9km swim, 90km ride and 21.1km run through beautiful Far North Queensland. Having completed the full distance Ironman Cairns the past 2 years I was happy to venture north and take on the half Ironman this time around.
I arrived in Cairns on Thursday which was perfect (I would highly recommend getting to the destination at least 3 days before it if you're traveling to race). By the time you fly, eat, travel to hotel, check in, buy some groceries, eat, rebuild your bike, sort yourself out, eat again and collapse into bed… The day of travel is pretty much a write off and can be quite exhausting.
I knew heaps of people racing so was looking forward to catching up with them, but on the other hand don't really like talking about the race prior. People's energy rubs off on me, cool calm collected people leaving me feeling the same and the opposite effect if I'm around nervous jittery peeps! So I decided to meet up with a few people but spent most of the weekend with the friends I was staying with and Mum.
I went on the Fohette Roll Out on Friday morning, an annual ride with all the fabulous Foher ladies. It was great to have a chat with everyone as we were rolling and left me feeling pretty grateful to be part of this gorgeous and inspiring girl gang.
After that I became a bit of a hermit, Ironman Cairns (and the 70.3) starts in Palm Cove (20km roughly from the city). So bikes need to be racked there and run gear bags in the city. The day before can therefore end up being spent walking and travelling more than you'd probably like to be. I think I recorded about 15,000 steps that day, probably not ideal if you were doing the Ironman!
Fast forward to race morning, I travelled up to Palm Cove with my coach Pete and two other Endurance Collab team athletes who did the full Ironman. The majority of the way we talked about sharks in WA and crocodiles in Cairns… Pete's theory (or apparent scientific explanation of why we were going to be ok) was that the beach was too cold at this time of year, and crocs can't digest their food in the cold so die… Therefore they avoid the ocean and stick to rivers. Although we were about to swim 1.8km in that croc infested water, the conversation and trip was strangely calming and beat talking about the race.
Up until Sunday morning I hadn't really been nervous. But once we did the final bike check, last loo stop and headed down in the dark to the swim start I began to feel nervously excited! 6 months ago a lady held an ultrasound machine to my foot, said I had a tear in my ligament and it would be months before I could run again. At that stage I had been training hard, was feeling the fastest I had ever been and was ready to race, so the disappointment hit me hard. Now here I was finally good again and on the start line.
The swim was a rolling start, that means they let athletes go 2 by 2, about one second apart. This avoids a mass washing machine feel and hopefully reduces injury etc for athletes. There's big debates over mass start vs rolling, I quite like both. The rolling start meant I swam pretty much solo for the whole time. I can get a bit slack in the swim and drift off without realising. I definitely work better chasing or keep up with someone, but I was on my own. I did try to focus on stroke and go harder when I found myself drifting, but need to work on those cues to keep razor sharp focus for the next race. I finished in 30.06 and wasn't disappointed with that.
T1… Worlds longest transition? Between the swim exit, my bike and T2 exit there must have been close to 1km. I spent about 7 minutes in there but don't think I wasted much time fluffing about, it was literally just a super long run.
Bike. Oh the bike. Going into the ride I was pretty nervous/dubious. Last year at Ironman Cairns I rode too hard during the last 60km home into a headwind and smashed my legs for the run. I didn't want to repeat that again.
Then I also have the opposite that sometimes goes on… Where I'm a bit slack and don't ride hard enough in training. Not because I don't want to, there's just a little person in my head that tells me I can't, when maybe I really can? A few times in training I literally couldn't ride race pace efforts.
Ummm how do you expect to go race pace on race day if you don't do it in training?
I don't know… I'll wing it?
Needless to say these things can't be 'winged' especially over a 90km ride. It was overcast, with a tailwind heading towards Port Douglas and I rode comfortably getting in nutrition as planned. Then we turned around and got a headwind as expected. At this point I was pretty stoked not to have to do a second lap like the Ironman athletes did.
The last 30km into Cairns city goes through the cane fields, has pretty strong headwinds and isn't really very exciting. By then my legs were feeling tired, I think I paced myself pretty well without over doing it, but most of all I started getting excited. The swim had been good, bike not too eventful and no mechanical issues (apart from back brakes that weren't really braking, but I survived all the downhills thank goodness) and I was thinking about the run.
I was thinking about how good it was going to be having all of the spectators and other athletes around, up until then I had swum and ridden pretty much on my own so was looking forward to the atmosphere. My overall bike time was 2 hours 55 min. A PB on my last 70.3 ride time, maybe a tad slower than I had hoped for, but plenty of lessons in there that I will take home for training and the next race.
T2. I rolled into the esplanade and saw some friends already running, Mum in the crowd cheering and other friends also entering transition. One of them racked her bike a few down from me and told me she was stopping there. Not running, had enough, wasn't feeling it, doneskies. My first instinct was that she would regret not finishing more than she would regret a bad race. So once I finally undid the run gear bag knot, put on some shoes, hat and race belt, I kindly bullied her into running with me… And she reluctantly obliged (considering she 'wasn't feeling it' had a great run and finished the race)! Just being able to start that run together and seeing her smiley face running along the next 2 hours was awesome.
So the run… 21.1km at the end of a swim and ride. I know I have done this before but sheesh it was harder than I remember! I started off ok, maybe feeling a bit too good and hyped up by the awesome atmosphere. Probably went out a bit hard, and started to struggle after about 5km. But I plodded along, loved seeing so many familiar faces out there and was equally grateful for all the complete strangers cheering and giving compliments and encouragement. I ran way faster through these crowded areas than the lonely desolated sections. Not even purposely, just because when you're smiley and loving life it puts a spring in your step.
It's not all sunshine and rainbows, I was struggling there for a solid 10-15km! My watch said I was slowing down with every kilometre. That's when I decided to stop looking and starting soaking up the atmosphere instead. We won't remember the pace we ran as much as how we felt out there. I had planned to step on the gas after halfway, then once I got to 10km changed my plans… Decided to try and pick it up when I had 5km to go, but my legs weren't of the same opinion. They didn't want to go any faster, then I decided ok when I have 3km to go I'll get faster… Nope still no response from the leggies.
But with 1 km to go, the crowds were getting pretty rowdy and cheering hard, the finish line was oh so close and I managed to pick up the pace and run home with a smile of pure relief and satisfaction. I finished it 1 hour 55min, in context of the last 6 months I am pretty stoked with this time.
Turning into the red carpet and down the finishers chute… That feeling is definitely my favourite. Whether you are first, last or one of the 3000 people in between, I reckon the glorious feeling is pretty much the same.
We have all swum the same 1.8km, ridden 90km and run 21.1km. We are all competing for our own reasons, only a handful do it as their job, the rest do it solely for pleasure. There's some sacrifices that come along with training for endurance events, then the race itself hurts (a lot) but seriously that finish line feeling… Makes it all worthwhile!
The finish line and medal should have been the end of this story, but instead it's the beginning of the next one. On Sunday evening at the insistence of my friend Toni we attended the roll down presentations for Ironman 70.3 World Championships which are being held in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I hadn't even considered attending roll down or the likelihood of getting a place. But we went along and both Toni and I accepted slots, so are heading to the USA in September!
This means in 12 weeks I will once again toe the line for a 70.3, this time it will be at World Champs. I got the spot by roll down, meaning people in my age group who finished before me didn't accept their places. A tiny bit of me wonders if it makes me any less worthy of going… But World Champs aren't an opportunity that will come up very often.
Considering 4 years ago I couldn't run 5km, this is so surreal. If you know me from my pre-triathlon days you will know I avoided exercise for the best part of 26 years… Now I can't imagine life without it (well I can- I would have way more time, energy and money, but wouldn't trade that for how much I love this sport). I know I still have a heap of work to do and there's plenty of room for improvement but I'm so excited, grateful and inspired by this opportunity… So bring on the hard work ahead.
Until next time remember, anything really IS possible.
Chloe x


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Tick-borne 'bourbon virus' discovered in Oklahoma
Tick-borne 'bourbon virus' discovered in Oklahoma
The Oklahoma State Department of Health says a recently discovered tick borne virus is in Oklahoma.
The Bourbon virus has only been diagnosed only twice in the United States. The disease is so new that health officials say they need more research to understand the dangers the virus poses.
Symptoms of the virus include fever, severe muscle and joint pain, fatigue, disorientation, diarrhea and a rash. The Oklahoma patient reported symptoms in May 2014 and has since made a full recovery, according to OSDH.
There is no known treatment for Bourbon virus.
OSDH said Oklahoma ranks among the highest states of tick borne diseases.

subset: commoncrawl


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6 Very Stupid Mistakes Smart People Make
Being smart is an amiable characteristic every entrepreneur should work at. This is because being smart will guarantee that you make certain business decisions that will help you achieve your business goals and objectives. Nonetheless, being a smart entrepreneur doesn't shield you from making stupid mistakes; sometimes, these mistakes can bring your business to its eventual end. This article is aimed at showing you stupid mistakes smart people make that could cost them their business:
Spend too much time thinking and not enough doing
Being successful in life and business is not just a product of your thoughts or desire to succeed, it is way beyond that. Success is when planning meets preparation. While it is of utmost priority to think and figure out how you are going to go about certain issues, taking action is the only ingredient that will guarantee your success. As a smart person, you must realize that you cannot dream or desire your way into success, success is a formula that comes with lots of work, so quit thinking and start acting.
Wait to be promoted before doing the next level job
In life, you don't prepare in rainy days, you prepare for rainy days. Consequently, if your desire is to become a leader, then you have got to start acting like one, waiting to be a leader before you start learning the principles of leadership shows how ill-prepared you are for that position. Leadership is only offered to those that are prepared; hence you must never wait for promotion before you start thinking like one. People can see the attributes of leadership in you from the influence you command and your ability to make things happen.
Over-complicate things
As humans, it's in our nature to over-complicate issues, especially among smart people. A lot of smart people do not believe in simplicity, they feel creating complex solutions proves just how smart and important they are. Nonetheless, complexity leaves us with little we can achieve. Therefore we must seek for simpler ways to achieve results rather than over-complicate things like smart people do.
Underrate the amount of effort
This is one mistake most smart people always make. They fail to realize that Rome wasn't built in one day; what we admire today took years of money and sacrifice to achieve. Being smart doesn't mean you have to work less to succeed at what you set out for; on the contrary, you are only successful based on the amount of time and effort you dedicate to achieving something.
Fail to communicate clearly
One road to failure is our inability to communicate our intentions clearly to the party receiving the message. Information cannot be acted upon except they are well understood. Smart people are guilty of this; the fact that you know and understand what you have said doesn't mean every other person is on the same page with you. Accordingly, you must strive to simplify and communicate your goals and decisions clearly so others can fully understand.
Failure to delegate
Smart people often have this 'I know it all sentiment'; hence, they feel it's quicker or better when they handle things themselves. While it seems like a good thing to do on an individual level, failing to delegate responsibilities when you work with a team will place a limit to what you can achieve; this is because, by delegating responsibilities to your team, you increase their productivity by challenging them out of their comfort zone.


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The owners of this home are complete frauds and scam artists. The house is filthy, nasty and disgusting. When I originally viewed the home, it was like this and instead of hiring professional cleaners, they allowed us to move in one day in advance... read more
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Very bad service staff always has excuses, no reply to email request only after 3-4 attempts . They don't know how much the rent is, you need to wait 2 weeks for a maintenance request, the online option doesn't exist. Is a total chaos and... read more
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The landlord will not fix anything. The a.c. unit needed to be replaced the whole time I lived there. He never cared. When the hail storm hit it took 5 months for him to do repairs. The stairs are not a legal with. Electrical issues. I had 4... read more


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We first went to Brindley place where we enjoyed looking at the historic canals and the narrow boats which were once a very important part of the city.
Then we walked through the city and visited the new Library, Victoria square and other iconic buildings. We then had lunch at the BMAG and visited the different galleries showcasing the cities important features.
We all had a fantastic time and really enjoyed about the history of our city.


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What does rafts mean?
Definitions for rafts
Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word rafts.
Princeton's WordNet
tons, dozens, heaps, lots, piles, scores, stacks, loads, rafts, slews, wads, oodles, gobs, scads, lashings(noun)
a large number or amount
"made lots of new friends"; "she amassed stacks of newspapers"
Anagrams for rafts »
farts, frats
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of rafts in Chaldean Numerology is: 9
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of rafts in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1
Sample Sentences & Example Usage
There is no indication from the sightings that any survivors have been aboard any of the life rafts.
They are in good health, a little tired. The rafts were beginning to deteriorate and that made the stay of the people on board risky.
They are in a good state of health, a little tired. The rafts were beginning to deteriorate and that made it risky for the people to stay on board.
There's so much wind, thunderstorms and sea spray that it is difficult to see, but our hope is that they are either on the vessel or on life rafts, and we can identify them.
Saying we should keep the two-party political system simply because it is working is like saying the Titanic voyage was a success because a few people survived on life rafts.
Images & Illustrations of rafts
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translations for rafts
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- flåterNorwegian
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Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:
"rafts." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2018. Web. 18 Aug. 2018. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/rafts>.


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Celtic Rover is an exciting way to make the most of your festival experience through benefiting from a range of discounts on tickets and 'money can't buy' benefits while at the same time supporting our Education Programme.
"Celtic Connections is when old friends meet up and new friends join in. They catch up, swap tales, have frequent coffees and blethers in the Members Lounge, recommend shows and enjoy a package of extra bonuses such a further discounts, invites and much more… What's even better is that being a Celtic Rover not only lets you have a fabulous, fantastic, fun time it also supports the Celtic Connections Education Programme which means that young people get the chance to share in a whole range of amazing performances from musicians from all over the world."- Lilian, Celtic Rover
Thanks to our 2018 Celtic Rover members, our Education Programme saw more than 12,000 school children across Scotland learn about traditional, folk and world music. Up to 9,000 children from across Scotland travelled to Glasgow Royal Concert Hall to enjoy five free morning concerts by leading Celtic musicians. For many this was their first time experiencing live music!
The Education Programme also goes into schools and in 2018 around 3,400 Glasgow school children enjoyed free in-school workshops, our largest outreach figure yet! The children can try out traditional Celtic instruments such as the bodhran, fiddle, clarsach and whistle, with some of the best professional Celtic musicians in the country on hand to share their experience and skills.
Celtic Rover memberships for 2019 will be live soon. Sign up to our newsletter on the homepage to be first to know!


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An Internet Payment Gateway is used to securely authorizes and process credit cards for e-commerce and brick and motor businesses. An Internet Payment Gateway can be integrated into a websites to process payments once your online customer has completed their shopping cart and are ready to check out and pay. The payment gateway securely encrypts the credit card data and returns a response of either accepted or declined.
An online payment gateway also provides authorizations for credit cards, batching out (batching out is the process of sending your businesses daily transactions to the merchant processor for payment), and reporting of all your daily transactions.
T1 Payments utilizes NMI a fully PCI Compliant payment gateway. NMI provides a full suite of revolutionary data security and fraud detection services to ensure your business is protected from hackers and thieves. Your business can also enjoy utilizing NMI's payment gateway without a website as a stand alone payment gateway and accept credit cards online.


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Most, if not all, businesses today recognize that social media marketing is an important tool in their marketing arsenal. (Side note… if you don't please give us a call right away). That said it's important to realize that just like any marketing medium there's a right way and a wrong way to do it. There's no clearly defined right way to initiate a social media effort. What I mean here is that there is no such thing as a social media expert. The medium is very new and we're all figuring out what works best as we meander our way through various social media outlets.
There is however a wrong way. There exists some unwritten rules by which those involved in social media have defined that can lead to an unsuccessful social media outcome. There are tons and they are still being written, but here are 5 social media marketing mistakes a business can make.
There are many social channels available from a marketing perspective, too numerous to list in fact. But are they all necessary for your business? Spreading yourself too thin by engaging in too many channels can cannibalize your efforts. Before engaging in social media, like any marketing medium, you need to understand your target audience and where they are currently engaged. A B2B company that sells a million dollar enterprise software solution to the Fortune 500 is going to have different social media marketing needs than a B2B company that sells copy machines. Likewise, a B2C company is going to need a different social media marketing experience entirely.
Once you understand your target audience and where they are engaging socially, select a few social media channels and really commit yourself to involvement. Being active (not obnoxious) in a few social media channels is much better than being dormant in many.
As any seasoned sales person will tell you, there's a right time to close and wrong time to close. Social media is about providing information that positions your company as a worthy choice for a prospect. It's about sharing information – not always about your company – that invites discussion around topics that are important to the overall sales process. There's nothing more annoying inTwitter (as example) than a company that's always talking about how great they are and linking to their corporate site. Link to industry articles, partner sites, clients, prospects, and yourself too of course, but mix it up. Social media marketing is not about closing the sale!
When you start out with social media, you have zero followers, fans, and likes. It takes time to generate a following. If you're looking for quick leads, try direct marketing or PPC. If you're looking to create a foundation on which to build a reputation within your market, well then that takes time – months and years in fact. However, if you are diligent and consistent in your social media marketing efforts, then it can be leveraged by all other marketing channels to create success.
This goes hand in hand with point 3 above. There are some marketing initiatives that you just need to participate in depending on your market. And some of them just aren't directly associated with a measurable ROI. They contribute without a doubt, but let's not get all caught up in their measurement. There has been a lot of discussion around the ROI associated with social media and I say cut it out! No one gets all heated on the ROI of sound collateral or awareness efforts. Those business cards… what have they done for your bottom line? See my point? Social media marketing can be measured in many ways, but ROI currently isn't one of them so forget what you read.
Social media marketing is about participation in a dialogue. You can start the dialogue; you can even guide the dialogue, but don't ignore other people who are part of it. Encourage discussion and foster it, even if you don't agree with what's being said. This transparency is a crucial part of social media and those companies that are winning with it are those that are part of the conversation.
There are many wrong ways to engage in social media marketing and I've touched on just a handful. Hopefully, they'll help! If you have other social media marketing mistakes that you've seen or experienced, please share them. It's part of that transparency thing in point 5 above after all.
11 Must-do Activities For A Successful Google AdWords PPC Campaign
5 Ways a Blog Can Benefit Your Business
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Do You Know About These 6, Lesser Known, Google AdWords Tools?
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HTC backlash over pop-up ads on keyboard
Ads will be removed "as quickly as possible", while in the meantime, folks on Twitter are being told to locate the TouchPal app in the Settings menu and uninstall its updates . Both companies are to be blamed in this case. "The way you show your junk ads whenever I want to write something is the most stupid and annoying way of advertising ever".


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By Darryl Fears
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 29, 2004; Page A21
The powers that be in the black political and civil rights community turned out as always for the annual dinner of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington. Former Virginia governor L. Douglas Wilder, Jesse L. Jackson and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) were among the guests at the pricey head tables.
But on that April night, they yielded the spotlight to a man who had pretty much stayed the shadows for 32 years: Eddie N. Williams, president of the Joint Center, the nation's premier black think tank. Large chunks of time had been reserved solely for tributes to him.
Williams built the center virtually from scratch, starting when he took over in 1972. Now Washington policymakers, pollsters, campaign managers and politicians, particularly in the Congressional Black Caucus, rely on its research to gauge the pulse of black America.
Williams will leave the organization at the end of the year to retire at age 72. Elliott Hall, chairman of the Joint Center's board of directors, said Williams "will be extremely difficult to replace," and that a search for his successor was recently narrowed from 200 candidates to six.
When the board summoned Williams to the District three decades ago, at a time when outspoken black activists dominated the American stage, he let them know that he was not the most dynamic guy out there.
"I said to the board that if they were interested in another charismatic black leader, that was not me," Williams recalled. "But if they wanted someone with the commitment to build an institution, I would consider that to be a real challenge."
It was a dead-on description, Hall said. "Eddie Williams is not a flashy, charismatic personality. He let the Joint Center's work speak for him."
Bob Bates, a retired Mobil Corp. executive who was Williams' classmate and Omega Psi Phi fraternity brother, described him as cool.
"He's the ultimate calm manager we don't see very often," Bates said. "I've always admired Eddie's ability to look through an issue and come out with a measured decision."
Under Williams's watch, the think tank went from having a $400,000 budget to more than $2 million today, Hall said. He used part of those resources to start counting every black elected official in the United States and survey black people to define the black political agenda.
"Black people who ran for office during the time that I came on board often were natural leaders who didn't know much about governance," Williams said. The Joint Center's research helped educate them, he said.
"Definitely by losing him, we're losing someone who had vision, who put on paper research we've never had before, especially here in Washington," said Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Meeks said the Joint Center's research helped him as an attorney in New York, long before he ran for office, and that its work helped give black people "legitimacy and a voice."
That voice has resonated during this campaign season. Democrats and Republicans have taken note of a 2002 Joint Center study by researcher David Bositis showing that younger black Americans are less likely to say they are Democrats.
Eddie N. Williams
Title: President, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.
Education: Bachelor's degree, University of Illinois.
Age: 72.
Family: Married; three children.
Career highlights: Vice president, public affairs, University of Chicago; reserve officer, Foreign Service, Department of State; reporter, Chicago Daily Defender and Atlanta Daily World. Pastimes: Golf, poker, the Redskins.


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Police Dog Open House
To celebrate their 25th Anniversary, Police Dog Services held an open house at their facility on October 18 where they demonstrated the skills and roles of police dogs. Jango, Maverick, Memphis, Ellis and Stryker were just some of the Service dogs that took the stage alongside officers. The dogs and officers demonstrated several tactics used by police when working with dogs such as explosive detection, article search, narcotics detection, apprehension, recalls and searches for people.


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On Portland's far west flank, in an upscale Beaverton-like strip mall, the crowds descend nightly to slurp the noodle soup offered in multitudinous variations based on pork, chicken or seaweed broth.
This is an outpost of a Japanese chain with a handful of U.S. outlets, all in the Pacific Northwest, and everything about the place, from the picture-filled menu to the cadre of young servers to the tiny waiting area that often spills outside and the "we'll text you when your table is ready" and "we'll be happy to seat you when your whole party has arrived" patois seems slick and calculated.
But the ramen broths, especially the "rich" ones are indeed deep and flavorful, harboring all sorts of treasures beyond the namesake noodles, which tend to be overly soft. A hearty bowl of tonkatsu shio rich ramen ($12) with a soft-cooked egg and pork chashu ($1.50 each) added in is a winner. The lightly tangy yuzu shio ramen ($11) was also a keeper.
For salt-restricted patrons, most of the ramen bowls come in "low sodium" strength though the "traditional" ramen didn't seem overly salty. The izakaya menu, primarily populated with deep-fried Japanese bar snacks, is skippable.
Pro tip: Don't plan on lingering once the soup is gone. Our check magically appeared without even the perfunctory "no rush, pay whenever you're ready" platitude.
GO: 11830 NW Cedar Falls Drive, 844-585-2487, ext. 4, kukai-ramen.com. 11 am-2:30 pm and 5-9 pm Monday-Friday, 11 am-9 pm Saturday and Sunday. $-$$.


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Posts Tagged 'T-Mobiles'
Sprint sues to block AT&T/T-Mobile merger on TuesdayTuesday, September 6, 2011 23:18 No Comments
This was posted under category: IT News, Mobiles
Sprint announced on Tuesday that it has filed a lawsuit with a federal court in the U.S. District of Columbia in an effort to block AT&T's planned $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom. The suit is related to the Department of Justice's lawsuit, which was filed on August 31st. "Sprint opposes AT&T's proposed takeover of T-Mobile," Sprint's vice president of litigation Suzan Haller said. "With today's legal action, we are continuing that advocacy on behalf of consumers and competition, and expect to contribute our expertise and resources in proving that the proposed transaction is illegal." Sprint argued that the merger will "harm retail con


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By Paul Schmitt
Over 60 people were on hand Monday evening to recognize five significant contributors to the Algoma community at the annual Business Industry and Education (BIE) Awards Banquet. The event was held at the Hotel Stebbins and saw North Water Street Bakery win for business improvements. Algoma Lumber won the industry award. The education award went to Lori Miller from St. Paul School and the Live Algoma Coalition. The aesthetic award went to Timber Trail Campground for their website design. Algoma Area Chamber Executive Director Sara Krouse says the evening concluded with a special recognition for Algoma Motors.
Krouse says the annual BIE Awards Banquet is a special and emotional event that brings together the core people of Algoma that are working to make the community a better to live and work.
(Photo from Algoma Chamber of Commerce)
Jean & Jeff Rabas and Jim & Dori Rabas with family award


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This cosmetic ingredient is fully accessible for members.
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- Artdeco High Precision Liquid Liner
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The Claridge line of lead crystal lighting is beautiful, simple and elegant. Each piece features polished nickel accents and a lead crystal base.The beautiful lead crystal is a classic style with rounded edges, like ripples from a drop of water, increasing in size. At nearly 25 inches tall, this lamp makes a stunning statement in a living room, bedroom or glamorous office. The shade options include Oyster grey silk dupioni or black silk dupioni, with a rolled edge hem.
Full range dimmer switch. Choice of shade color with rolled edge hem.


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Kosta Browne Pinot Noir 2009 . Sonoma Coast. 1lnl, 2wisl. Bottle (2). ... (Total: 2 Btls. )Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
DescriptionKosta Browne Pinot Noir 2009
Sonoma Coast
1lnl, 2wisl
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"Ripe and deeply flavored, concentrated and well-structured, this full-bodied red offers a complex mix of black cherry, wild berry and raspberry fruit that's pure and persistent, ending with a pebbly note and firm tannins. Ranked #1 on Top 100 of 2011." (95 pts. James Laube, Wine Spectator, Aug. 2011)
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Tractor unit from 2012-1
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Professor and Chairperson, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan State University
The Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University invites applications and nominations for the position of Professor and Chairperson. We seek a leader who will strategically focus the intellectual resources of our faculty, students and staff to address natural resource issues confronting society. The Department's size, diversity, and commitment to the land-grant philosophy represent a substantial opportunity for a leader with the vision and desire to grow our impacts across the Great Lakes region, the nation, and the globe. The Chairperson will provide leadership of the Department in all teaching, research, extension, and outreach programs; maintain and enhance a creative, productive, and inclusive environment for faculty, staff, and students; oversee transparent Department processes and administrative decisions; and serve as the principal representative of the Department, regularly interacting with senior leadership of the College, MSU Extension, MSU AgBioResearch, and partner agencies and stakeholders with whom the Department has cooperative agreements.
Candidates must have been awarded a doctorate in a field related to any of the Department's academic programs; qualify for the rank of full professor; have experience in personnel, program, and budget administration; demonstrate outstanding leadership and interpersonal skills; and exhibit commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion across a range of academic and professional activities. Competitive candidates should possess (1) a demonstrated record of scholarship, teaching, and leadership, (2) be able to nurture the Department's existing and extensive collaborations within natural and social sciences and across natural resource sectors, and (3) leverage these collaborations to garner additional funds and resources for Departmental programs. We seek candidates with experience overseeing academic department budgets and administering a large, multidisciplinary, and diverse faculty with a variety of appointments and assignments across the college and university. A strong record of team building is highly desired.
The Department of Fisheries and Wildlife is a vibrant community of scholars made up of 43 core faculty, 100 graduate and 240 undergraduate students, 31 research associates, and 6 full-time staff. Our Mission is to build local, national, and international capacities to conserve ecosystems that support fish, wildlife, and society through integrated programs in research, education and engagement. Collectively, we are tackling challenges and developing solutions in areas including, but not limited to: managing for sustainable harvest of fisheries and wildlife populations, developing sound governance structures and effective policies, assessing the ecological status of animal populations and their ecosystems at broad geographic scales, and understanding and responding to drivers of global change.
Candidates seeking the challenge and opportunity to lead an outstanding department should submit their application to MSU Careers website (Posting #504297). For more information on the position, please contact search committee co-chairs Dr. Michael Wagner (firstname.lastname@example.com) or Dr. Richard Kobe (firstname.lastname@example.com). Review of applications will begin August 1, 2018 and continue until the position is filled. The expected start date is August 2019 or sooner. Michigan State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and proactively upholds the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Additionally, MSU is proactive in exploring employment opportunities for dual career families, both inside and outside the University, and respects all family forms.
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The Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources are committed to achieving excellence by creating and sustaining an accessible and inclusive culture that values cultural and academic diversity. We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. The College is particularly interested in candidates of all backgrounds who are committed to the principle that academic excellence is achieved through open access and proactive inclusion.
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Beyond the box score: An introduction to the world of advanced basketball analytics
Thursday March 11, 2010 9:15 AM
Beyond The Box Score
An introduction into the world of advanced basketball analytics
Kyle Lowry's relentless style has helped the Rockets transform into one of the league's more uptempo teams.
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Jason Friedman
Rockets.com Staff Writer
HOUSTON - Not long ago, the Holy Grail of major league baseball was thought to be found within its triple crown statistics: batting average, home runs and RBI. Those numbers served as the foundation of player evaluation, supposedly shedding ample light into everything fans, media and management needed to know about the men who made their living on the baseball diamond.
Then people like Bill James, Rob Neyer, Billy Beane and countless others helped usher in the statistical revolution, forever changing the way the game is viewed. Now we know the critical importance of on-base percentage. Numbers like OPS and WHIP finally occupy a (well-deserved) permanent place in the baseball lexicon. And even difficult to properly assess areas like fielding have seen significant strides in the way we determine the difference between those who are gifted with their gloves and those more prone to gaffes.
None of this is to say that the triple crown numbers have lost all meaning. Its simply that the palette used to paint the baseball canvas these days now contains an assortment of colors which span the entire spectrum. As a result, todays picture is far more vibrant, not only allowing us to see certain subtleties which went undiscovered before, but also enabling a greater appreciation of that which is absolutely essential to the beauty of the portrait as a whole.
The same evolution, of course, is well underway in basketball. An army of analysts, writers and executives including Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey has helped bring a dizzying array of advanced metrics to the table, shedding light on some of the games finer points which had previously been left in the dark by the confines of the traditional box score.
As with baseballs sacred stats of yore, these new numbers are not meant to completely take the place of the facts and figures which served as basketballs foundation for so many years, but simply to put them in their proper perspective. Points per game and other such statistics still matter, of course but they become far more meaningful and impactful when placed within the context of terms like pace and usage.
Its all part of the process of discovering that which impacts winning and losing the most, and its that ongoing search for the truth which lies at the heart of the analysis utilized by not just the Rockets brain trust, but a host of brilliant minds behind websites such as Basketball Prospectus, HoopData, 82games.com, Basketball Reference and many others as well.
If youre already familiar with the treasure trove of information available at those sites then chances are what youre about to read will be nothing more than a refresher (though, by all means be sure to check out the highlights from the recently completed fourth annual Sloan Sports Analytics Conference of which Morey is a co-Chair which included discussion of such thought-provoking topics like the value of a blocked shot and the price of anarchy in basketball).
If, however, youre unfamiliar with or not entirely clear what terms like efficiency and true shooting percentage really mean then hopefully this can serve as an introduction into a few of the fundamental concepts which drive basketball analytics, allowing you invaluable insight into not only the minds of Houstons decision makers but, ultimately, the game itself. After all, even though the Holy Grail isnt likely to ever be found in statistics, a far greater understanding of the difference between salvation and damnation (or in this case, winning and losing) certainly can be.
Pace is exactly what you think it is: a way to measure the speed with which a particular team plays. Not only is it helpful when discerning each clubs preferred style of play but it also serves as the first step in figuring out why all scoring averages are not created equal (well get to that one in the efficiency section).
Pace is simply defined as the number of possessions a team uses per game. Not so simple, however, is figuring out the number of possessions each club gets in a single contest since its not something which can be precisely calculated just by using the contents of a traditional box score (as explained in detail here). That said, there are several different formulas readily available online which can quickly calculate the number of possessions used by each team per game, subsequently shedding light on the pace of play.
This is a stat which is particularly interesting when examining this years Rockets squad, since the team repeatedly stated its intention to push the pace and play at a faster rate before the season began. Sure enough, Houston has generated about 3.5 more possessions (96.2 compared 92.7) per game than last years club.
To put that in its proper perspective, consider that A.) The average NBA team uses 95.3 possessions this season and B.) Whereas this years Rockets team ranks No. 7 overall in pace of play, last years club would have placed 26th. So while a difference of 3.5 possessions per game might not sound like a lot, its been enough to transform Houston from one of the leagues slower paced teams into one its fastest.
Of course, its not how many possessions you have but what you do with them. Which brings us to
Team X scores more than 107 points per game, ranking it No. 3 overall in the NBA.
Team Y, meanwhile, tallies a shade under 98 points per game, placing it in a tie for 21st.
Less than a decade ago, the general consensus would have been that Team X possessed an offense which was vastly superior to that of Team Ys. But today we know better. Or at least we should.
Team X happens to be the Golden State Warriors, a team that epitomizes the term run and gun. The Warriors shoot early and often, which is why they lead the league in pace by a significant margin, averaging 102.7 possessions per game. Team Y, on the other hand, is the Portland Trailblazers, who just so happen to be the slowest team in the league from a pace perspective. The Blazers operate almost exclusively out of the half-court, often milking the shot clock which therefore means they typically utilize fewer possessions than does the average team.
So here we have two clubs which operate on polar opposite ends of the spectrum. Its not a matter of right and wrong theyre just different. But that variance doesnt prevent us from comparing the overall offensive effectiveness of the Blazers and Warriors. By simply figuring out the number of points each club would score if given 100 possessions, we can precisely see just how efficient each team is. And what we find when doing that is the Blazers soar into 7th place in the NBA, producing 107.6 points per 100 possessions, while Golden State slides all the way down to 15th, averaging exactly 104 points per 100 possessions. So even though the Warriors might possess the more prolific offense, Portland clearly boasts the more effective one.
That, then, is why all scoring averages are not created equal and why pace of play must always be accounted for when viewing both a team's and individuals per game stats (defensive efficiency, by the way, is calculated exactly the same except its the number of points allowed per 100 possessions).
If Rockets fans werent familiar with this term before the trade deadline, they probably are now. Thats because the newly-acquired Kevin Martin is Captain True Shooting Percentage, having posted a TS% over 60 percent in each of the past four seasons.
So what is true shooting percentage and what makes it so meaningful? It really comes down to the fact that the traditional barometer of a players shooting ability (field goal percentage) weighs 2-pointers and 3-pointers the same (which clearly they are not, given the fact made 3s are worth 50% more than shots made inside the arc) and ignores free throws entirely. TS% takes all three into account (the formula, for those interested, is PTS / (2 * (FGA + 0.44 * FTA)) and therefore does a much better job of assessing who makes the most of the shots at their disposal.
It should come as no surprise then that Martin shines in this area. Though his .448 career field goal percentage might appear underwhelming to casual observers, his accuracy from deep and incredible ability to get to the line and sparkling conversion rate once he arrives there are what make him such a special player.
Again, the key word here is efficiency with the goal being to find out who maximizes the value of their teams possessions. And when it comes to analyzing high-usage, perimeter players over the past five years, few come close to occupying the same rarified air of Martin in terms of efficient scoring.
Click here to read Part II of our introduction to advanced basketball analytics.
Got a question for Rockets.com? Send it to Jason Friedman. And for up to the second news and injury updates follow the Rockets and Jason on Twitter.


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Cities and Memory - Prison Songs
Prison Songs is a new project from Cites and Memory and examines the lives of the prisoners of the Mississippi State Penitentiary in the late 1940s, by reimagining the work songs recorded there.
Prison Songs is a new project from Cites and Memory and examines the lives of the prisoners of the Mississippi State Penitentiary in the late 1940s, by reimagining the work songs recorded there.
We are proud to present 'Decoy', a new single from 'Karhide'. With a release date of April 17th 2016 it will be available to buy as a download from normal digital channels or Pay What You Want on Bandcamp.
Just to let you know that I have checked the stock and there are only 4 copies of Not For Want Of Trying left in stock so if you want a copy you'd better order soon!
Karhide Sundowner Remix EP released 13th March 2016 featuring remixes by Kid Kin, In Violet, Dead Beat At Dawn, Cities and Memory, Lucien Rivers, Ann Arbor and Karhide
Alright the Captain hitting Europe with Bear Makes Ninja
Mar 11 - JT Soar, Nottingham, UK
Mar 20 -Portals BBQ at The Brixton Windmill ft. AKDK, Wot Gorilla?, Alright the Captain and loads more
Mar 25 - Antwerp Music City, Antwerp, Belgium
Maybeshewill have just announced the dates of their last tour and they have picked some amazing support bands including You Slut who have been forced to reform to support them in the UK.
The new EP from Karhide Called Sundowner is now finished and will be released on January 4th 2016
You can listen to it over on Soundcloud:
Cities and Memory: Utopia takes one of English literature's great works of imagination, Thomas More's Utopia and creates something new from the collective imagination of artists around the world – an entirely new Utopia of sound.
We are offering a special offer on Bandcamp to buy all the releases with a discount of 50%. For that you will get all the 46 relelases that are on bandcamp for £64!
Go check it out!
The largest Cities and Memory sound installation so far takes place tonight and tomorrow (20 and 21 November) across Oxford city centre.
Memoryphones by Cities and Memory.


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The 2016 Holiday Gala is sold out!
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A Premier Networking Event for Financial Technology Professionals
December 1, 2016
The 2016 Holiday Gala will be an exclusive, invitation-only event for WSTA Members, Affiliates and Event Sponsors. It will take place at Stella 34 in New York City and will include Open Bar, Buffet Stations and DJ Music.
Some of our Sponsors have provided raffle prizes to be awarded at Holiday Gala*.
Charter Communications: Beats Pill Speakers
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Year of the Artist, Day 22: Jim Aparo, Part 2 – Adventure Comics #432
Every day this year, I will be examining the artwork on a single comic book story. Today's artist is Jim Aparo, and the story is "The Anguish of the Spectre" from Adventure Comics #432, which was published by DC and is cover dated March/April 1974. This scan is from the trade Wrath of the Spectre, which was published in 2005. Enjoy!
I had started to appreciate Aparo more through the 1990s and early 2000s, mainly because I had seen some (but not a lot) of his 1970s work and I had seen him inked by some very good inkers, so I knew he was talented. It's only in the past few years, however, that I have begun to get large chunks of his 1970s work, beginning with this trade, which I got a few years ago. It's very strong work from Aparo, and when I got it, I wondered about the paper stock. Aparo didn't work long enough to see his pencils heavily digitally colored or printed on glossy paper, although some of it, naturally, was. But other artists who came of age in the 1970s and 1980s and still worked after the digital revolution and the paper stock revolution have seen their work suffer, and it's too bad. This trade, unlike the Legends of the Dark Knight collection from yesterday, was printed on rougher paper, probably more like it was originally, and I think we can see how gritty Aparo's work is, which makes it a perfect fit for the Spectre.
First we get a glorious splash page, with the text box at the top left balancing the Spectre on the top right. We read the spookily lettered title of the story, which leads us left to the Spectre, who curls downward to the bad guys, who cringe in fear. It's a nice way to link all the elements of the page.
I must say, this story makes very little sense. It's basically an excuse for the Spectre to kill bad guys in gruesome ways, but that's okay, I guess. The story begins with those three black-clad bad guys sneaking onto an estate and planting a bomb in a swimming pool. Then we get this page, in which we discover that two of the baddies own a salon, and the third is a model. Yet on the previous two pages, they perform like a highly-trained SEAL team or something. Weird. Anyway, I like this page because of the way Aparo quickly builds tension in the middle row. We know the bomb is set to go off at 8.30, so the clock in the corner of each panel helps push us toward the deadly hour. The final panel is very nice, too, as Aparo's rough art gives us a good impression of a brutal explosion, especially with the silhouette of the victim's body being thrown in the air. Tilting the panel helps create a sense of chaos, too, which works well. It also helps move our eyes off the page to the next one.
Jim Corrigan investigates the murder, and is put onto the main suspect by the victim's daughter, who, I should note, on the same day that her father was blown up, puts some serious moves on Corrigan while he's interviewing her about the suspects. He rebuffs her, but he does go check out Maxwell Flood, the victim's business partner. This is a nice sequence, as Aparo uses the panel borders to reveal his transformation into the "ghost of Adrian Sterling." Aparo switches from heavy inks to light lines and shading as Corrigan becomes ethereal, and it works well. He also does a good job looping the point of view around, but making sure that the word balloon in the final panel (Aparo lettered this, as he often did in his career) leads us off the page even though Corrigan is going against the grain.
This is a 13-page story, so Michael Fleisher doesn't have a lot of time to create a complicated tale, so of course Flood is the killer … or rather, he hired the three people to plant the bomb. Flood calls Eric, one of the bombers, who tells him to come over to the salon, where Eric decides to kill him. The Spectre is having none of it! This is, of course, what the Spectre is known for: horrifying and ironic deaths. Aparo's heavy inks add some weight to the scene, making Eric's death more terrifying than humorous, which, let's face it, it could be. He's getting cut to death by his own scissors, for crying out loud. But the terror on his face helps make it the slightest bit sad even though he know he deserves it. It's well done by Aparo.
The second killer, Peter, turns to sand after he menaces Gwen, the victim's daughter, and then we get this page, where Jim Corrigan tells her to forget him (she doesn't; she shows up again in this series). Then he goes after Vera, the third killer. This is another horrifying fate, as Vera ages years in seconds and dies an old woman, and Aparo nails it. I love the almost pointillist work Aparo does on the Spectre when he becomes ghostly, as he doesn't want anyone to see the Spectre. The stippling on Vera as the lights hit her in Panel 3 is wonderful, too – as we saw yesterday, Aparo in this early stage makes good use of shadows to highlight the lighting, and he does it here very well. Obviously, he inks more heavily as Vera ages, but it works nicely. The most horrifying panel is probably Panel 5, where Vera isn't quite old yet. Aparo turns her monstrous, and her true nature is revealed. Then, of course, she dies. The Spectre doesn't play games!
Aparo's art is excellent on this story, and it's one of those ones that people who were reading comics in the 1970s can point to when schmucks like me say they don't like Aparo's art. Before we leave, let's review: In this story, two men who own a hair salon and a female model get dressed up like spies, sneak onto an estate, and plant a bomb to kill a businessman, whose business we never learn. They were hired by his partner, who was stealing from the company. The victim's daughter tries to seduce the detective investigating her father's death even before the coroner can take the body off the estate, and she keeps trying even after she finds out the object of her lust is, in fact, dead. The man who hired the three killers, mind you, doesn't appear to be punished, nor does it appear that there's any evidence of him stealing from the company. The Spectre, apparently, doesn't care if you hire murderers, just if you actually commit the murders. Comics in the Seventies were awesome, man.
Tomorrow: Aparo in the 1980s! Will we see worse art, better art, or the same kind of art? We shall see!!!! You can also see stuff in the archives!
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Last night Eco-Age proudly unveiled another world first – The 2014 London Stella McCartney Green Carpet Collection at a launch event hosted by Livia Firth, Natalie Massenet, Stella McCartney and Anna Wintour. This is the first time a sole designer has created an entire capsule collection according to the Green Carpet Challenge® (GCC) Brandmark, the only guarantor of social, ethical and sustainable excellence in the fashion industry.
Created in accordance with the highest environmental standards using only materials that are either recycled or sustainably certified, the 13 exclusive evening looks celebrate delicate femininity and bold graphic abstraction – the perfect marriage of ethics and aesthetics.
"This breakthrough collaboration is a defining moment for the GCC Brandmark and very poignant for me as creative director of Eco-Age, as Stella was the first big designer to take part in The Green Carpet Challenge and is now the first to produce an entire collection" said Livia Firth. "This exquisite collection displays all that is unique in Stella's design ethos, wonderfully enhanced by the partnership with the GCC."
"The event last night was a clear cross road for global fashion" said Livia. "the beautiful GCC clothes by Stella showcased in a magical recreated world all made with upcycled materials – truly the perfct marriage of ethics and aesthetics and a celebration of this"
Selected styles from the collection will be available from November, exclusively at Stella McCartney stores and on Net-a-porter.
[…] Stella McCartney's Eco Capsule Collection launched on September 14th of last month dazzling us with luxurious pieces exclusively made only from recycled and sustainable materials! This collection was made in honor of the Green Carpet Challenge which Livia Firth hosted. […]
[…] According to Livia Firth,"The event last night was a clear cross road for global fashion", "the beautiful GCC clothes by Stella showcased in a magical recreated world all made with upcycled ma…"' Take a quick 1 minute peak at the event […]


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The Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland. We work in cooperation with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and United Nations Human Rights Council to promote and protect human rights through global dialogue.We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest, or religion.
The Centre was founded on the belief that human rights dialogue across cultures, regions, and sectors is not yet optimal, and we aim to place human rights at the centre of governance throughout the world by promoting mutual understanding and cooperative relations across these boundaries.
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Grenada is a tri-island country in the south-eastern Caribbean Sea comprising of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique. Its approximately 107,000 citizens speak English, and creole French and English are popular unofficial languages.
Known as the 'Island of Spice,' Grenada is an active producer of many exotic spices including cinnamon, cloves, mace, and nutmeg. Tourism and travel are also key to the economy, accounting for 25.5 percent of Grenada's GDP in 2015 – a value that is expected to rise to 31.5 percent in 2026.
Overall, the World Bank anticipates an annual GDP growth of 3 percent for Grenada by the end of 2016, the fourth-highest growth in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has also highlighted Grenada's prominence as one of the highest exporters of telecommunications, computer, and information services of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.
St George's University, known for its medical curriculum, is a benefactor of the country's economy and is the largest private employer on the island of Grenada. It attracts renowned academics and a diverse student body.
Grenada's colonial past has shaped its culture – a blend of African, French, English, and Spanish influences – and is infused into the wide selection of cuisines, traditional attires, and festivals taking place throughout the year. Festivals are sources of allurement for the international community, with the Annual Grenada Sailing Festival and Grenada's Spice Mas Festival being prime examples.
Created in 2013 by the Grenada Citizenship by Investment Act, Grenada's Citizenship by Investment Programme supports the nation's renewable and sustainable development initiatives, and stimulates foreign investment to promote tourism, construction, agriculture, and manufacturing. The Grenada Programme has gained recognition and trust thanks to its due diligence processes.
The Grenada Citizenship by Investment Programme offers applicants two investment options.
The first option includes a contribution of US$200,000 into the National Transformation Fund (NTF), a Government institution responsible for locating and financing alternative, economically-stimulating investments for the country.
The second option allows the applicant to purchase a US$350,000 Government-approved real estate project, which the applicant must hold for at least three years.
The application process, showcasing an administration timeline of 60 business days, is also one of the most seamless, requiring no interview, no business experience, and no language requirement. Travel to Grenada or residence therein are also not necessary under the Programme.
Every application is vetted by the Citizenship by Investment Committee (CBIC), and must go through a series of external due diligence checks before it is readied for final review and for approval by Cabinet.
Grenadian citizenship can benefit successful applicants by providing them with options for global mobility, particularly to China and the United States, the latter of which allows Grenadian citizens to apply for a renewable visa through its E-2 Programme. Dual nationality is allowed.


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All Films.All Above Board.NOW INCLUDES TV SHOWS & TV LISTINGS
A turf war is in progress on the streets of New York's Chinatown and the police force is relying on one of its most decorated officers Nick Chen (Chow Yun Fat) to calm the situation. However, Nick is saddled with a naive and idealistic new rookie partner Danny Wallace (Mark Wahlberg) who is unaware of the complexity of the codes of honour in the Chinese community. When a Triad gang attempts to corrupt Danny, Nick is forced to intervene.


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BURBANK, Calif. — Digital Playground has released performer-turned-director Keiran Lee's feature film debut, "Hot Chicks Big Fangs" online and in stores Nov. 5.
The vampire thriller film is described as an erotic homage to films such as "From Dusk Till Dawn" and "Night of the Demons."
"This is my first feature, and I was a little nervous," Lee said. "The challenges were stressful, but directing a feature is something I've always wanted to do. The fact it's a Halloween movie with big budget special effects and makeup made it really fun and allowed me to go crazy creatively. I'm thrilled with how the movie turned out and excited to have people see it."
Written by Lee, the movie finds three guy friends stranded on an isolated road when their car breaks down Halloween night. A mysterious woman appears out of the dark and lures them back to her home with the promise of shelter and a phone call. What they discover instead is an all-girl Halloween bash in need of male treats to sink their teeth into.
"Keiran has done a phenomenal job with 'Hot Chicks Big Fangs,'" Digital Playgorund Creative Director James, said. "The film is beautiful and exciting and delivers what our fans expect: quality storytelling, big production values, and, of course, scorching sex. In addition, Keiran's enthusiasm as a new feature director shines through in his creative choices and technical approach to filmmaking. It's fresh, thrilling, and a perfect fit for DP, as we expand our offerings."
The studio noted that Lee will direct more features and launch a new gonzo POV line.
"I am grateful to James and everyone at Digital Playground," Lee added. "They've shown tremendous faith in me, and I look forward to the opportunity."
The film's cast includes Bonnie Rotten, Monique Alexander, Nikki Benz, Romi Rain, Destiny Dixon, Mick Blue, John Strong, Clover, Bill Bailey and Erik Everhard.
The NSFW trailer for the movie can be seen here.
Email sent. If you wish to send to another person, click here.


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My husband and I attended the CRUSH 105.7FM VIP party at Vapor Night Club in Saratoga on Saturday. Friends of ours had won tickets and were in the drawing for their Cruise Giveaway. Sadly they did not win, but we had a great time anyway. I must say that coming up on our thirties, it's nice to find an age appropriate night scene. The music was the perfect blend of today's top hits and music from our younger years. We also weren't surrounded by college kids just looking to get completely obliviated and hook up. We were partying with folks our own age who knew their drinking limits and were just there to have a good time. One word comes to mind: refreshing. It also didn't hurt my ego to be one of the youngest ladies on the dance floor, just saying.
As nice as this club was, it still proved fun to people watch. My friends and I came up with our own code words for certain people throughout the night. There was Soccer Mom Turned Party Girl, Creepy Guy, Ronnie Wannabe (Jersey Shore reference), and last but not least White Shorts Girl.
White Shorts Girl certainly held everyone's attention, guys and girls alike. She danced like it was her day job (maybe her night job?) and had the body of a Lakers Cheerleader. She was dressed in teeny tiny white cut-off shorts, a black peasant style sleeveless top, and killer shoes. As all the guys in the club were appreciating her for her dance moves, all us ladies were certainly giving her props for dancing all night in shoes like these:
Wowza, right? BTW - ladies, you can purchase said shoes via Famous Footwear for $49.00. I cannot speak to how comfortable they are, but they will generate attention in the club if that's what you are looking for. Forget about "The Eyes Have It" because shoes like these have it all. These babies would certainly make my wish list. There are three things in this world I love almost as much as my dog and my husband - shoes, purses and a great pair of jeans.
Enough about me, what's on your wish list? Do you have a shoe fetish as well?


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Can you imagine your life without a birth certificate? Could you go to school? Could you get a job? Could you legally drive a car? Without the basic documentation that a birth certificate provides, the answer to all these questions is a resounding no.
Yet life without a birth certificate is a reality for millions of people around the world. How do I know this? Because my own grandmother and great-grandmother did not receive birth certificates. As women of color in the American South, pre-Civil Rights Act, they were two of many who were not officially counted. I saw the difficulties that my grandmother and great-grandmother faced living without birth certificates, which strengthened my conviction that all girls must be counted.
Every year millions of children around the world are not registered at birth. And considering that approximately one person out of 12 worldwide is a girl or young woman between the ages of 10 and 24, the lack of documentation for one of the fastest-growing segments of the population in developing countries is truly a global issue.
The importance of documentation at birth cannot be overestimated: Without a birth certificate, as a girl grows up it will be difficult, if not impossible, for her to attend school or get a job. She will not be able to own her own land or start her own business. She will not be able to vote. She will likely be confined to the home and left unpaid. She becomes an invisible member of society.
The good news is that the Girls Count Act of 2013 aims to tackle the issue head-on. The Girls Count Act encourages countries to enact laws that ensure girls and boys of all ages are full participants in society, including promoting birth certifications or some type of national identity card. It also urges the U.S. government to work with partners like the United Nations, which can help countries facilitate data collection and even establish identification laws to ensure girls are active participants in the social, economic, legal, and political sectors of their societies.
Millions of girls across the world today are being fundamentally overlooked in their communities because they are denied the opportunity to be registered at birth. Now is the time to urge Congress to support the Girls Count Act of 2013. Because like my grandmother and great-grandmother, every girl deserves to be counted.


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When L & I naively started trying to make a baby, we were resolute about the 12 week wait. We shook our heads at people who pompously announced their two pink lines before the pee stick even dried: How could they be so stupid??!!
Enter Clomid after a year shrouded in secrecy: This was the point I called my mom, crying, scared that we would end up with 4 or 5 kids in the womb at once. In retrospect, what a joke.
As time wore on, we wrestled with a secret that became harder and harder to keep. Our closest friends had no idea what was going on, and our only support came from each other. While I believe that IF has intensified our relationship in ways I never dreamed possible, having such little outside support was becoming more and more difficult for us both. We began to think that letting a few people in on the situation might actually relieve some of the stress we were feeling so burdened with.
So, we decided to put it out there and we let our closest friends and family in on the most difficult journey of our lives. While it was a difficult decision to make, it was the right one because we could never have made it through IVF without the prayers and support of the people we decided to tell.
Now that we are pregnant, we have shared this joyous news with the same people who so graciously walked with us this far. I believe that if this ends in some unthinkable situation, these are the same people who would support us through the devastation. I can't imagine something like that being a part of my life story without these very same people knowing.
Truthfully, "coming out" to a few select people has been one of the biggest blessings in our lives, without a doubt. It was a risk, but it was worth taking.
As for the "outer circle" (i.e. people at work, more distant friends we don't talk to that often, etc), I won't feel okay telling them until the end of the first trimester - at least. While we are thrilled that we are pregnant, I don't exactly feel compelled to go out and shout it from the rooftop.
So, those of you who are my real life compadres, know that we love you and generally think that you all rock. We are so glad you're on this journey with us.
By the way, have I mentioned that I've eaten almost a whole jar of pickles in less than 24 hours?


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Workout Trends #1: Classes That Burn Massive Amounts of Calories
High intensity interval training (HIIT) still rules the number one spot on the American College of Sport's Medicine's list of the most popular fitness trends for 2018. That's not surprising, as everyone wants to walk into a class and get the maximum results for their efforts, says Burn 60 master trainer, Andrew Schuth. That's why classes at Burn 60, which has two locations in California, follow a format that alternates between bouts on the treadmill and functional training intervals on the floor all under the watchful eye of the trainer. While one group is burning it up on the treadmills, the other is on the floor performing exercises, such as one-minute of burpees, and using various types of equipment. "We do different moves to create muscle confusion and we try to keep you moving so your heart rate is elevated and you burn more calories," says Schuth. Participants can expect to burn anywhere from 500 to 900 calories during the one-hour class and see results within the first two weeks.
A Victoria's secret model trainer reveals the best way to lose belly fat.


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1/4 way done
I guess I can mark the quarter way done mark. It's not really bad here. I have a place to sleep and hot showers and decent food, even if they can't figure out what should go together on the menu. Like the other night lasagna and Chinese food night.
It is interesting to see how the new Army does things. To see how much computers have taken over the process we used to do with plastic sheets and grease pencils. It's also sad to see how much time is spent on slides and briefing prep instead of analysis and collecting. The equipment is better than I had, but the loads you carry are way up. Protective armor, full battle load and weapon by themselves weigh 55 lbs. Add to that all of the gear we carried and body load can reach 150 lbs. The Hummers that were agile in the old days strain under the weight of the add on armor. They have added AC to the vehicles so you don't roll down the windows. Gunner positions have been enclosed. The vehicles bristle with antennas to get the latest comms.
Personally it has been ups and down. Seeing the caskets go by as we stand and salute our fallen is very sad. Homesickness creeps in on occasion. We were told only two locations and very little travel. It is up to 10 or 12 locations and travel is hard to come by. For the future they should omit things from their orders they don't stand by. It would lessen confusion and not make for hard feelings. The time frame is unsure. We were told a year, but it may end in Feb or Mar. No one has been able to say if the next group will fall in on the equipment here. If they do then no one seems to be planning to train them on the system stateside. That leaves more travel for me and a delay in getting them up to speed.
There does seem to be improvements in the country but still fighting in parts. Forces are moving into areas little touched over the past 3 years and that spurs some conflict. 10th MTN DIV (LI) is halfway through and the strain is showing, long hours, same thing is fraying nerves and personalities that back home you could leave after work are always with you. The young troops are tired and still fairly new to the Army. The older ones have maturity to fall back on but the new ones don't have the life experience to cope sometimes. Sometimes this place is very garrison, and does things like soldier of the month boards, 10K's, PT tests and intramural sports. But then you hear the choppers coming and going all day and night. The A-10's going on strafing runs and prowlers flying over really low and fast. These remind you that this isn't garrison.
That's how I see it
your Man in the STAN


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31 October 2012
TURKMENISTAN: Continuing haj restrictions, increasing raids on Christians, religious freedom prisoners of conscience remain jailed
Turkmenistan continues to allow only 188 pilgrims, including MSS secret police officers, to take part in the annual Muslim haj pilgrimage. The imam of a large mosque, unnamed for fear of state reprisals, told Forum 18 News Service that they were not aware of any Muslims who thought it possible to ask for an increase in permitted haj numbers. In mid-October a school teacher in northern Turkmenistan, also unnamed for fear of state reprisals, was interrogated and threatened by the MSS secret police, Protestants in Turkmenistan have told Forum 18. The MSS wanted to know whether the teacher believes in Jesus, and which Christians they know. The interrogation of and threats to the teacher come at a time of heightened raids and pressure, particularly on Protestant Christians. Five Jehovah's Witnesses and an unknown number of Muslim prisoners of conscience, all jailed for exercising freedom of religion or belief, were not included in the latest prisoner amnesty. And former Jehovah's Witness prisoner of conscience Vladimir Nuryllayev's attempt to clear his name has been rejected in a "damaged and opened" official letter, Forum 18 has been told.
2 October 2012
TURKMENISTAN: Multiple fines for unregistered worship meeting
A week after their Sunday worship meeting was raided, eleven Baptists in Turkmenistan's northern city of Dashoguz were each fined two months' average wages, Protestants told Forum 18. One of those fined was a schoolboy aged 17. Two of the judges refused to discuss with Forum 18 why they had punished individuals for meeting for worship. One of the judges also refused to explain why he had imprisoned a Jehovah's Witness conscientious objector in March. Meanwhile, the Turkmen authorities allowed a visiting Protestant Oleg Piyashev to return to his family in Russia after earlier blocking his departure. And it remains unclear whether any Turkmen pilgrims will be allowed to join this year's haj pilgrimage to Mecca, which begins in late October.
27 September 2012
TURKMENISTAN: Raids, fines, exit denial, bloodied hands
Police and other unidentified officials who raided the home of a Baptist family in the northern city of Dashoguz dragged the father of the family, 75-year-old Begjan Shirmedov, from the house by his collar and beat the hands of his 68-year-old wife until they bled, Protestants told Forum 18 News Service. About 15 church members were questioned and religious literature seized. The raid came two weeks after a raid on another Protestant meeting in the city, with fines on three participants. One of those fined – Oleg Piyashev – was revisiting his homeland from Russia. A Russian and Turkmen citizen, he was banned from leaving Turkmenistan at Ashgabad airport on 23 September. The Russian Embassy told Forum 18 it is awaiting an explanation from the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.
5 September 2012
TURKMENISTAN: Upsurge in raids, threats, fines
At least five Protestants in Turkmenistan's Lebap Region have been given large fines for religious activity without state approval in three separate trials in late August, Protestants told Forum 18 News Service. One of the trials followed a meeting where the Imam, local officials and elders summoned the village population and threatened to expel all the Protestants or ostracise them, and threatened that their children will be kept under close scrutiny in school. Elsewhere, other Protestants have been summoned and threatened, including one whose business was seized. "The situation has got markedly worse since July and we don't know why," one Protestant, who asked not to be identified for fear of state reprisals, told Forum 18. No official was prepared to discuss the raids, threats and fines with Forum 18.
17 August 2012
TURKMENISTAN: Another conscientious objector prisoner of conscience
Five conscientious objectors to Turkmenistan's compulsory military service – all Jehovah's Witnesses - have been sentenced since late May. Four received suspended sentences but the fifth, Juma Nazarov, received an 18-month prison term in July, Jehovah's Witnesses told Forum 18 News Service. This makes five currently known prisoners of conscience jailed for exercising their religious freedom. One of them, Aibek Salayev, has been severely beaten up and threatened with more beatings and being raped. Also, "thousands" of people from Mary Region alone are said by an official to be waiting for a place on the haj pilgrimage to Mecca, whose numbers are severely restricted by the government to about 188 pilgrims a year – including MSS secret police. Those who may be selected from Mary Region for 2012 are among those who lodged applications in 2004 or 2005. "We check first to make sure they are still alive," the official told Forum 18.
28 May 2012
TURKMENISTAN: Prisoner of conscience freed, but remains under restrictions
Jehovah's Witness prisoner of conscience Vladimir Nuryllayev was freed from Ovadan-Depe Prison in Turkmenistan on 17 May, Forum 18 News Service has learned. However, he remains under restrictions, having to report to police up to three times a week. Nuryllayev was freed under amnesty, having been originally arrested in November 2011 and in January 2012 sentenced to four years imprisonment. Another Jehovah's Witness prisoner of conscience Sunet Japbarov – a conscientious objector to compulsory military service - has been freed from labour camp at the end of his 18-month sentence. Their release leaves six known Jehovah's Witness prisoners of conscience, five of them conscientious objectors and one - Aibek Salayev – sentenced like Nuryllayev on charges of "spreading pornography". There are also an unknown number of Muslim prisoners of conscience also jailed for exercising their freedom of religion or belief. Another conscientious objector, Ashgabad-based Juma Nazarov, was arrested on 10 May and faces criminal charges.
17 May 2012
TURKMENISTAN: Another prisoner of conscience jailed on false charges?
For the second time in 2012, a Jehovah's Witness in Turkmenistan has been sentenced to four years in a labour camp for allegedly "distributing pornography". His fellow-believers insist to Forum 18 News Service that – like the first such prisoner Vladimir Nuryllayev - the charge against Aibek Salayev is fabricated to punish him for his faith. Salayev was sentenced on 12 April by the same Judge at Dashoguz City Court, Akmurad Akmuradov, who sentenced Jehovah's Witness conscientious objector Navruz Nasyrlayev to the maximum two-year strict regime labour camp sentence for this "offence". Salayev was brutally beaten by the ordinary police and MSS secret police "in the stomach, on the kidneys and on the head. As a result his face swelled up and he could not eat", local Jehovah's Witnesses who wished to remain unnamed for fear of state reprisals told Forum 18. Another conscientious objector, Juma Nazarov, has been arrested, and there are six other known Jehovah's Witness conscientious objector prisoners of conscience. There are also an unknown number of Muslim prisoners of conscience jailed for exercising their freedom of religion or belief. One other Jehovah's Witness conscientious objector is on a suspended sentence.
18 April 2012
TURKMENISTAN: Maximum prison sentence for latest conscientious objector
Zafar Abdullaev, a 24-year-old Jehovah's Witness conscientious objector, is the latest prisoner of conscience to be given a prison sentence for refusing Turkmenistan's military service, which is compulsory for all young men. He was given the maximum two-year prison term on 6 March at Dashoguz City Court, the court chancellery told Forum 18 News Service. He had already served a two-year suspended sentence on the same charges. Four other Jehovah's Witness conscientious objector prisoners of conscience are serving prison sentences, while a sixth objector is serving a suspended sentence. Another Jehovah's Witness prisoner of conscience is in jail for charges unrelated to compulsory military service. Abdullaev's imprisonment came the same month that the UN Human Rights Committee called on Turkmenistan to free imprisoned conscientious objectors, end their prosecution and introduce an alternative service. It also called among other things for an end to restrictions on exercising freedom of religion and belief without state permission, religious education and the import of religious literature.
27 March 2012
TURKMENISTAN: Four fines for Bibles, prisoner transferred
After the local police officer in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabad found Bibles in the possessions of three guests at a local Protestant's home, all four were taken to the government's Council for Religious Affairs for questioning, then held for an hour in an overcrowded detention cell, before being taken to court, Protestants told Forum 18 News Service. Although the judge refused to try them without proper documentation, they were brought back and fined by the same judge a week later for "violation of the law on religious organisations". Meanwhile, in the wake of his four year prison sentence handed down in February, Jehovah's Witness Vladimir Nuryllayev has been transferred to the isolated desert prison of Ovadan-Depe, Jehovah's Witnesses told Forum 18. But he is not in the high-security unit but the manual labour section, mainly working in the kitchens. His fellow Jehovah's Witnesses – who insist he has been punished because of his faith - hope he will be included in the amnesty likely to be called for Constitution Day on 18 May.
8 March 2012
TURKMENISTAN: Religious freedom survey, March 2012
Ahead of the examination of Turkmenistan's record at the UN Human Rights Committee, Forum 18 News Service notes that freedom of religion or belief in Turkmenistan, and other intertwined human rights, remain highly restricted. Among systematic violations noted in Forum 18's religious freedom survey are: prisoners of conscience including conscientious objectors jailed for exercising freedom of religion or belief, who face beatings and other maltreatment; prisoners' severely limited religious freedom; lack of fair trials and due legal process; state control of religious leaders and communities; racial discrimination; severe restrictions on religious education and sharing beliefs, including banning women from studying academic theology in the country; a registration system apparently designed to impose state control; a ban on unregistered religious activity, and great difficulty in those who want it acquiring registration; raids on both registered and unregistered groups; MSS secret police informer recruitment; restrictions on having a place of worship, even for registered groups; fear of openly discussing human rights violations; severe haj restrictions, an exit blacklist and other freedom of movement restrictions; and censorship of religious literature and other material. The interlocking nature of Turkmenistan's human rights violations appear designed to impose total state control of all of society.
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