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Senior judge Lady Smith to head Scottish child abuse inquiry
Lady Smith has been a judge for the past 15 years
Senior judge Lady Smith has been appointed as the new chairwoman of the Scottish government's child abuse inquiry.
It follows the resignation of Susan O'Brien QC, who quit the post earlier this month citing government interference in the inquiry. A second member of the three-person panel, Prof Michael Lamb, also resigned over similar concerns.
The inquiry will examine historical allegations of child abuse in Scotland. It is expected to last four years, and will look at the extent of abuse of children in care and identify any systemic failures. But it has been criticised from the start by survivors of abuse, and was left with Glenn Houston as its only panel member after both Ms O'Brien and Prof Lamb resigned within days of each other.
Ms O'Brien and Prof Lamb, right, both quit the inquiry, leaving Glenn Houston, left, as the sole remaing inquiry member until Lady Smith's appointment
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said Lady Smith – who has been a judge since 2001 and was appointed to the Inner House in 2012 – would bring a "wealth of knowledge and experience" to the leadership of the inquiry.
He said: "It is in the nature of Lady Smith's background as an experienced judge that the inquiry will be taken forward without fear or favour to identify how individuals and institutions failed many of Scotland's most vulnerable children.
"We must ensure children are effectively protected as a result of what we learn from the inquiry."
Lady Smith said many children had not been given the protection they deserved after being placed in residential care.
'Restoration of dignity'
She added: "Their voices now require to be heard and questions of when, where, how and why it happened require to be fully addressed.
"Real efforts must be made to try to effect healing, repair, restoration of dignity and hope for the future.
"It is, accordingly, very important that the work of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry continue and it is for these reasons that I welcome the invitation that has been extended to me by the deputy first minister and have today given my commitment to being its chair."
Mr Swinney said at the time that he had accepted Ms O'Brien's resignation after starting the formal procedure to remove her from her post.
He said complaints had been made about Ms O'Brien "revealing views" during a training session for inquiry team members.
Child abuse trauma experts judged that two comments made by Ms O'Brien had "indicated a belief system that is incompatible with the post of chair of such an inquiry".
The two comments were revealed in a series of letters published by the Scottish government.
'Repeated threats'
Ms O'Brien accepted she had made the comments, but said they were "acceptable in the context in which they were made" and that she would "never underestimate the gravity of child abuse".
She said she had "accurately reported, without endorsing, what a survivor had said to me about their attitude to their own abuse" during the training session.
She further claimed the Scottish government had "sought to micro-manage and control the inquiry", and had "undermined" her and threatened to sack her when she resisted.
Prof Lamb also said he had resigned because of "repeated threats to the inquiry's independence", which he said had "undermined the panel's freedom" and "doomed the inquiry before the first witness has been heard".
Mr Swinney has said he rejects any charges of interference in the independence of the inquiry, and that the government wants a "robust independent inquiry that can operate without fear or favour." SOURCE
- Senior judge Lady Smith named new head of child abuse inquiry
- Lady Smith to take over Child Abuse Inquiry: The Journal Online
Anne Mather Smith, Lady Smith (born 16 March 1955) is a Scottish lawyer, and a judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland.
Anne Mather was educated at Jordanhill School and Cheadle County Grammar School for Girls, before attending the School of Law of the University of Edinburgh, where she graduated with an LL.B. (Hons.).[1] She undertook a two-year apprenticeship with Shepherd and Wedderburn WS, and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1980,taking silk in 1993.[1] She married David Alexander Smith WS in 1979.
Smith was admitted as an advocate in 1980.[2]She worked as Standing Junior Counsel to the Countryside Commission,[1] before becoming a Queen's Counsel in 1993.[1]
She served as a Temporary Sheriff from 1995 to 1999,[2] Chairman of the Scottish Partnership on Domestic Abuse from 1998 to 2000,[1] and as an Advocate Depute from 2000 to 2001.[2] In April 2001 she was blamed by Donald Findlay QC for faling dress standards in the courts. In 1997, she had appeared been the first woman to appear before the Court of Session in trousers; Findlay said that "The drop in standards began when female lawyers were allowed to wear trousers in court. They are all right for going to Tesco in, but not suitable dress for ladies to wear in court."[2]
In November 2001, Smith was appointed as a judge of the Court of Session and High Court of Justiciary, the Supreme Courts of Scotland, taking the judicial title, Lady Smith. Filling the vacancy created by Lord Gill's promotion to Lord Justice Clerk, she was only the third woman ever to have been appointed to the College of Justice.[3][2] WIKI
Lady Smith | A Diary of Injustice in Scotland
PDF https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/068a2ec0-2300-432e-bc5e-cd4d1037f179
Scottish Legal Complaints Commission demand judge's husband's insults against solicitors clients be shielded from FOI investigation 19/05/2010
Scottish Legal Complaints Commission censored documents to protect top judge's husband's anti-public insults. CONTINUING REVELATIONS OF AN ANTI-CLIENT POLICY at Scotland's legal complaints regulator – the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission have led to the SLCC demanding key documents revealing a series of insults against Scots consumers made by one of its lawyer board members David Smith, the husband of Court of Session judge Lady Smith, be withheld from release in an investigation currently being carried out by Scotland's Freedom of Information Commissioner, Kevin Dunion.
Scotland's Information Commissioner Kevin Dunion. FOI Commissioner Kevin Dunion was asked to investigate the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission over a Freedom of Information response which contained heavily blacked out, yet readable details of insults & tirades by the SLCC's board members against consumers, individuals, and solicitors clients who had been invited by the Commission to take part in the first ever external investigation into the infamously corrupt Master Insurance Policy & Guarantee Fund, operated by the Law Society of Scotland & Insurers Marsh & Royal Sun Alliance, the purpose of which is to compensate victims of 'crooked lawyers' but which in reality rarely ever pays out to consumers. IN FULL HERE
Scottish Law Reporter: Allegations Court of Session judge 'buried evidence' 03/09/2010
Allegations Court of Session judge 'buried evidence' at £200k+ employment tribunal as Lord President puts off complaints investigation into colleague
Lord President Lord Hamilton in the dock over regulation of judiciary's conduct.
SERIOUS DOUBTS over the ability of Scotland's top judge to carry out investigations into complaints made against fellow judges & sheriffs have surfaced after Scotland's Lord President, Lord Hamilton appeared to shy away from carrying out an investigation into serious allegations made by a former lecturer at St Andrews University against currently serving Court of Session Judge Lady Smith & the controversial ex-Sheriff Mark Sischy, (now deceased) who were both involved in an Employment Tribunal case.
Court of Session Outer House Judge Lady Smith faces allegations over 'buried evidence' at Employment Tribunal
Among the allegations levelled at Lady Smith on the website of Dr Declan Quigley, former lecturer of Anthropology who resigned from St Andrews in 2002 and took the University to an Employment Tribunal, are claims that : "Lady Anne Smith, Scottish Supreme Court judge, ensured that evidence buried by the Scottish Employment Tribunals to protect the University of St Andrews remained covered up and that a judgment containing a tissue of misrepresentations went unchallenged."
The late Mark Sischy who resigned from his position as a Sheriff in disgrace after being caught drink-driving, and amazingly returned to the Scottish judicial system as a £74,000-a-year chairman of employment tribunals, ended up presiding over the former University lecturer's case against St Andrews University, is, according to Dr Quigley's website alleged to "[have] perverted the course of justice. He signed a judgment containing a tissue of misrepresentations and buried large amounts of evidence to protect the University of St Andrews.". Mr Sischy's return to the judicial system in such a prominent role after his drink driving conviction provoked accusations of cronyism, and was questioned at the time by the SNP's Tricia Marwick MSP.
Tricia Marwick said : "The manner in which Mr Sischy was appointed raises concerns of cronyism within the Scottish judicial system. Mr Sischy has been promoted to a full-time chairman while still serving a ban for drink-driving. When you consider that some of the cases brought in front of employment tribunals may involve drink-related incidents during hearings for unfair dismissals, it seems ludicrous to appoint someone with a criminal conviction in this area."
Speaking today to journalists for Scottish Law Reporter, Dr Quigley said
"Lord Hamilton is clearly protecting Lady Smith who corruptly hid from the parties to an employment appeal tribunal (and their barristers) that the Chairman of the original tribunal had been an alcoholic and had been off work for months immediately prior to signing the judgment."
Dr Quigley continued
"I am examining ways of making Lady Smith legally accountable for her actions and the Lord President and the President of the Employment Tribunals (Mrs Shona Simon) will have to justify why there has been no examination of the circumstances surrounding the case when there have been repeated requests to do so. Obviously, if the claims on my website were not true, I would have been hauled up in front of Lady Smith by now for contempt of court or defamation. In fact, Lady Smith was in contempt of her own court – and of the very basis of the Employment Appeals Tribunals – and she needs to answer for that."
MacAskill claims ignorance as he appoints ex Law Society President McAllister named in claims fixing memos to Judicial Appointments Board 08/08/2008
Before I quote the Justice Secretary's Press Release on the McAllister appointment, I feel a footnote is required on the second appointment contained in the Press Release, that of Lady Smith. Lady Smith, appointed along with Martin McAllister, is the wife of David Smith, who was of course, appointed by Kenny MacAskill to the (SLCC) Scottish Legal Complaints Commission – to examine complaints against other lawyers. IN FULL HERE
The Justice Secretary, the too-sick-to-work Chief Executive, the SECRET PAY-OFF & the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission 30/07/2011
Frequent Flyers : SLCC's David Smith expressed anti-client jibes to Eileen Masterman in emails around the anti-consumer law complaints quango. Among the papers ordered to be disclosed in a decision by the Scottish Information Commissioner, Kevin Dunion, emails containing anti-client jibes were revealed to have been sent by SLCC board member David Smith to Ms Masterman in July 2009. Mr Smith, husband of Court of Session judge Lady Smith, was personally appointed to the SLCC by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill. Mr Smith, a lawyer who served much of his career at law firm Shepherd & Wedderburn, who themselves often act for the Master Policy in protection of questionable solicitors against negligence claims, referred to participants in the Master Policy survey & deceased clients who had committed suicide as a direct result of involvement with the Master Policy, as "Frequent flyers" IN FULL HERE


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Upcoming London Visit: September dates, friends and booking
Lovely London people! I am sure that you have read in the last post the sad news (sad for you, jolly for me) that I have skipped the steaming metropolis for some better quality life in the beautiful city of Edinburgh. BUT! It is not all bad news. I plan to be back in London every 4-6weeks to see those dear regular clients who I have met over the last 2 years, and the few new lovely people who I choose to see during my visits. My first visit will be... Read More
Threesomes: Playing with Couples: part 1
I am a very, very lucky person, not just for sex work, but in any work; sometimes I am paid to do things I love doing for free. I'd like to discuss one of those things today: sex with couples. Of course, more usually, the threesomes I am involved in at work involve another professional- this is also often awesome, but different, and I'll blog about it separately soon. Managing the expectations of two people is more difficult, so I usually... Read More
Cambridge, Oxford, London…
NB: yet again, girl in the picture *not* me. And slightly more glamorous than the travel I've got planned… As many of you know, I get regular itchy feet phases (thankfully of the metaphorical variety… if you have *actual* itchy feet, please visit your doctor) and have decided to do some city-hopping in the next few weeks. I'm not going to mention the dreaded T-word ("tour")… as one AW member put it, "I'm... Read More

subset: commoncrawl


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The home office tax deduction is a special deduction offered to self-employed individuals or employees who use their home for business. In order to claim a deduction an individual must use part of his/her home as a business office, meaning an area reserved for work. Within this office area, the individual can meet with patients or clients or go about performing services for income. But to be able to take the deduction, you need to meet the full requirements.
Are You Eligible for the Deduction?
In order to legally receive this deduction, a person must use an office area for business purposes in a "regular and exclusive" manner. Unfortunately, many people misunderstand this requirement of the Home Office Tax Deduction and therefore make a mistake by taking the deduction on their taxes when they don't meet the standard —one that can ultimately result in an adverse audit finding.
How Much Can You Deduct?
It really depends on the percentage of the home that you use for business purposes.
The most common mistake is that some consumers deduct dual-use areas — that is, an office space that is used for both business and personal purposes. This is not the correct way to do it. The area must be exclusively used for business and not for any other purpose. This should be an area that is used for work or client meetings and cannot be used for any family or leisurely gatherings.
How Does it Work?
There are two options starting in 2013. The regular calculation involves determining the square footage that is for exclusive business use and then you can pro-rate various business overhead expenses based on that square footage. It's a simple math calculation that all tax software or your accountant can guide you through. Your tax return will include Form 8829 (Expenses for Business Use of Your Home) which will itemize your expenses and calculate the deduction.
In addition to counting the square footage and determining a percentage of rent, taxpayers can also deduct pro-rata insurance costs, utilities, repairs, security system expenses, office supplies, local or long distance telephone costs and the depreciation of furniture.
The second option allows you to deduct $5 per square foot of home office up to 300 square feet without detailing all the expenses.
What is Usually Challenged by the IRS?
They could assert that you don't meet the "exclusive use" standard & therefore deny the deduction. They could also challenge the square footage cited in your tax return as being excessive for your actual business use.
Documentation is critical. Having a floor plan and photos showing the area in use will help. The IRS does not require that you have to have an entirely separate room for business, just that it is readily discernible as separately used only for business. And you need to be able to document that in a way that the IRS accepts.
Is Any Downside to the Deduction?
Some people feel that taking the home office deduction is a red flag for getting audited; others don't. If you follow the rules and have proper documentation, you'll need to make your own decision about that. Not doing so means that you are losing a legitimate tax deduction.
If you are in doubt as to whether you are correctly calculating the Home Office Tax Deduction then speak to an accountant or review the IRS Publication 587, which covers home office tax issues.


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Little Girl
Hydrangea Watercolor, 12" x16"
Pink Peony Watercolor, 11" x 14"
Brown Iris
Barbara has been painting with watercolors since her retirement from the Binghamton City School District in 2001, where she taught remedial reading and elementary grades. She majored in History of Art at Wellesley College and enjoyed her studio courses. However, marriage, children, and teaching lled her days until retirement.
In 2004, she began taking watercolor lessons in Big Pine Key (FL) and found her passion. She has taken workshops with Marion Simpson, Kathy Smith, Lian Zhen, Julie Joyce, Joe Fettingis, Steve Rogers, Lynn Ferris, and Karen Leffel Massengill. She has won many awards both in Binghamton and Florida, including Best in Show in 2010. "Little Girl" won best in show.
Barbara has given watercolor workshops at Roberson museum, Lyceum, Johnson City Senior Center, Fine Arts Society of the Southern Tier, and in Florida. She is a member of Fine Arts Society of the Southern Tier, the
Lower Keys Artists Network, and the Florida Keys Watercolor Society. Barbara is on the Education staff at Roberson museum and shows her work in their gift shop.


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Thu, 16 October 2014
Loulou from Thievery Corporation joins us backstage at the Belly Up before their recent show. We talk about the band, Burning Man experiences, and we offer a sample of three of their amazing tracks.
Thievery Corporation: http://thieverycorporation.com/
Loulou on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouLouGhelichkhani
Belly Up's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BellyUpTavern
Direct download: A_Sunny_Place_for_Shady_People_-_Episode_56_-_Loulou_from_Thievery_Corporation.mp3
Category:Music -- posted at: 1:00pm PDT
Tue, 30 September 2014
Chris and James from Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and the crew from Tatanka join us before their show at the Belly Up in Solana Beach.
Giant Panda's new album, Steady, comes out today (09.30.14) so make sure to pick that up.
We play four amazing tracks from the album and end with an epic Tatanka track.
And, a big thanks goes out to the Belly Up for being great hosts!
Tatanka's Website: http://tatankadub.com/
Belly Up Tavern: http://bellyup.com/
Direct download: A_Sunny_Place_for_Shady_People_-_Episode_55_-_Giant_Panda_and_Tatanka.mp3
Category:Music -- posted at: 4:07pm PDT
Fri, 29 August 2014
Joey and Zack from Whitey Morgan and the 78's take a break to join us before their recent show at the Soda Bar.
Links from this episode:
Whitey Morgan Website: http://whiteymorgan.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhiteyMorgan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WhiteyMorgan
Instagram: http://instagram.com/whiteymorgan
Sonic Ranch: https://www.facebook.com/sonicranch
Soda Bar: https://www.facebook.com/sodabarsandiego
Gogol Bordello: https://www.facebook.com/gogolbordello
Direct download: A_Sunny_Place_for_Shady_People_-_Episode_54_-_Whitey_Morgan_and_the_78s.mp3
Category:Music -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT
Wed, 4 June 2014
Dub Architect joins us just before his show at Winston's in OB and we chat about his epic Cali Roots performance, an overview on his rig, some Dub history, and he tells us how he turned his ankle injury into something positive. Also, Tommy uses the word "converse" but this time he's not talking about his shoes....
Dub Architect's Website: www.dubarchitect.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theDubArchitect?ref=br_tf
Live at California Roots 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MSoTpgaoAU&list=UULoYgYlR9n7w8FOzOUzH5eg
Dub Volume 2: http://dubarchitect.wordpress.com/dub-volume-2/
His Rig Overiew: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgBPC94O2JQ
Direct download: A_Sunny_Place_for_Shady_People_-_Episode_53_-_Dub_Architect.mp3
Category:Music -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT
Sun, 20 April 2014
Chuck Treece, a great session musician and professional skateboarder, and Ania Mali join us to talk about their latest project, Deep Ocean. We showcase several of their tracks, talk about Chuck's numerous impressive credits and connections, Ania's chase for her dreams, and we get into some "deep" discussions.
Go see them at Mozambique in Laguna Beach April 22nd for the Deep Ocean single release party.
Chuck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TREECEFALCIONE
Chuck's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chuck.treece.3
Chuck Treece & McRad: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/ChuckTreeceMcRad
McRad: https://www.facebook.com/pages/McRad/227345644571
Ania on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AniaMaliakina
Ania's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AniaMali
Souncloud: https://soundcloud.com/aniamali
Glen Landing: https://www.facebook.com/glenlanding
Mike Pinto: https://www.facebook.com/mikepintomusic
Smiles Project: https://www.facebook.com/SmilesProject
The Cool and Deadly: https://www.facebook.com/TheCoolandDeadly
Stiffed: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/stiffed/id15786568
A Band Called Death: http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/A-Band-Called-Death/70245244
Direct download: A_Sunny_Place_for_Shady_People_-_Episode_52_-_Chuck_Treece_and_Ania_Mali_from_Deep_Ocean.mp3
Category:Music -- posted at: 5:07pm PDT
Thu, 17 April 2014
HI Roots joins us in the Sunny Place for Shady People studios to chat about their influences, upcoming shows, we play a drinking game, and they play an acoustic version of "Roll My Dice".
Be sure to check them out this Saturday, 4/19 at Typhoon Saloon with Reeform and Papafish.
HI Roots Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HiRoots
Official Website: http://www.hirootsmusic.com/
Direct download: A_Sunny_Place_for_Shady_People_-_Episode_51_-_HI_Roots.mp3
Category:Music -- posted at: 2:00pm PDT
Tue, 8 April 2014
The Llamadors come to the studio and celebrate ASPFSP's 50th episode! We get to meet the band, learn parts of the story of the adventures of Baby Das, and showcase some of their songs.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thellamadors
Llamadors Website: http://thellamadors.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thellamadors
Bandpage: https://thellamadors.bandpage.com/
94.9 Article: http://www.fm949sd.com/the-local-949/2014/03/02/new-music-video-from-the-llamadors#sthash.oJHvj7hd.dpbs
Direct download: A_Sunny_Place_for_Shady_People_-_Episode_50_-_The_Llamadors.mp3
Category:Music -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT
Fri, 4 April 2014
Here is our first all music podcast to get the weekend started right.
Check out the links below and buy some new music!
Roots Manuva: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/roots-manuva/id2900925
The Dead 60s: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/the-dead-60s/id216481358
Sidestepper: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/3am-in-beats-we-trust/id2581909
Bedouin Soundclash: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sounding-a-mosaic/id281151381
The Walkmen: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lisbon/id386079579
ReggaeSkaPunk Podcast:
Website: http://reggaeskapunk.com/Reggaeskapunk/ReggaeSkaPunk/ReggaeSkaPunk.html
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reggaeskapunk.com/id423506417?mt=2
Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/reggaeskapunk-podcast/reggaeskapunkcom
Lily Allen: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lily-allen/id157063999
MIA: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/arular/id63570677
King Midas Sound: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/king-midas-sound/id266739129
B-Side Players: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/b-side-players/id14413871
Sin Fronteras: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCmAsMoPO_Q
Wicked Beat Sound System: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/wicked-beat-sound-system/id27978251
Warsaw: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/warsaw-poland-bros/id214846054
Direct download: A_Sunny_Place_for_Shady_People_-_Episode_49_-_All_Music_Podcast_-_01.mp3
Category:Music -- posted at: 2:00pm PDT
Mon, 31 March 2014
Jake Mclaughlin, professional tour manager and sound engineer, joins us to showcase a ton of music from the bands that he works with, talk about his touring life, and he gives a great perspective on his side of the business.
Jake Mclaughlin: https://www.facebook.com/jake.mclaughlin.104?fref=ts
Warsaw Poland Bros: https://www.facebook.com/warsawpolandbros
Delta Spirit: https://www.facebook.com/Deltaspirit
Delta Spirit - California: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va0ezWC2du4&feature=kp
Casbah San Diego: https://www.facebook.com/CasbahMusic
Louis XIV: https://www.facebook.com/xivrecorders
Fleet Foxes: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fleet-Foxes/24709128407
Yeasayer: https://www.facebook.com/yeasayer
ManMan: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ManMan/17971610321
Menomena: https://www.facebook.com/MenomenaOfficial
Direct download: A_Sunny_Place_for_Shady_People_-_Episode_48_-_Jake_McLaughlin.mp3
Category:Music -- posted at: 5:22pm PDT
Tue, 25 March 2014
Mike and Jay (from Seismic Leveler and Vegitation) come in to talk about their past bands, touring, seeing shows from a professional sound guy's point of view, and we quickly review the Makeda podcast.
Direct download: A_Sunny_Place_for_Shady_People_-_Episode_47_-_Mike_and_Jay_from_Seismic_Leveler_NEW.mp3
Category:Music -- posted at: 8:43pm PDT


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Buying The Rocket Spanish Course
Want to see the reviews of Rocket Spanish course? Rocket Spanish Reviews are consenting: Rocket Spanish course is the top program to understand the Spanish language.
You Can Learn Spanish quickly and easily, once you buy Rocket Spanish
There are several versions available when you purchase Rocket Spanish. There is a version where you get transported equipment and CDs at home or you can save courses to your PC. Delivered version is a bit more expensive, as you physically get all the resources together with the course. You choose what option is most effective for you. The wonderful thing about Rocket Spanish is you can learn the training courses at your own pace. You determine your schedule to learn Spanish. Just how great is to learn Spanish at home, where you are most comfortable with?
All instructions for Rocket Spanish are about 20 minutes. Short lessons make it simple to learn and you study a lot faster. When you purchase the Rocket Spanish learning course, you get audio lessons, tests and study materials. Rocket Spanish is also very funny, simply because they contain learning exercises. Certainly not a lot of lessons are available with the games, which have a a tendency to make studying fun!
The goal of Rocket Spanish course is to teach grammar in a live interview situation. When you learn Spanish, it is useful to have a real conversation with someone. Rocket Spanish has tools to simulate real interactions. Just how special is it? This software would be an excellent choice for businesses to use as well. This special education system has a lower price than most Spanish language programs as well. You acquire a lot for your money.
A number of other Spanish language courses, in fact, do not even compare Rocket Spanish. The reviews all agree that Rocket Spanish is the most beautiful from the start to finish. It's a very well done program. Learn Spanish faster and easier when you buy Rocket Spanish right now. You will be a master in Spanish in simply no time and have fun mastering it!
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Education Guide
See what local private, parochial and independent schools have to offer.
89 students
Student-teacher ratio: 8 to 1
(2011-2012) $4,700-$6,100
Administrator: John J. Moore
"Aquinas Academy focuses on personalized instruction for home and day school," says Principal John Moore. A small, private, co-educational day school and home school program, it is operated by Catholic laymen and dedicated to promoting academic excellence. Its K-8 home school program allows home-schooled students to participate in group activities like retreats, plays, clubs and field trips. The academy strives to teach faith, not as an independent course within the school day, but as a way of life.


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Esau looks for a loophole in the rules of the Lost universe in order to kill Jacob, and he succeeds by manipulating Ben (Judas?). And yet - Jacob seems unsurprised by this development, and his death seems more like a sacrifice - he goes into it willingly, though his followers are surprised and despairing. And now we all speculate that Jacob is back in the form of Sayid, who died and was carried away with his arms outstretched like a cross, was washed in blood-colored water, and at the end of this episode came back to life. And, even as Esau seems to be in full control, Jacob has had a plan in the works for generation, when he found and touched each of our main Losties.
If the show is following this line of thinking, then the new parralel universe that is "reset" to before the crash seems to be making a crucial point. Even if things are different, even if you could undo some awful things, that altered world is NOT better than the one they were already living in. Their reset lives appear to be empty, meaningless. It appears that the island story, despite all of its tragedy, is ultimately redeeming. Just like our lives? One article compared this idea to Leibnitz's response to theodicy, the struggle of reconciling the idea of a good God with a suffering world. Leibnitz postulated that this is the best of all possible worlds despite the suffering - that ultimately THIS is the best story of all, and that the suffering is a part of that story.
And here I can't help but quote Sam in the Return of the King:
It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why.and
[Fairy tale] does not deny the existence of sorrow and failure: the possibility of these is necessary to the joy of deliverance. It denies (in the face of much evidence, if you will) universal final defeat...giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy; Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief.
I have lots of questions about Lost. I have no idea what the final end will look like. This premiere didn't help at all in that sense! I'm sure it's not meant to be a display of Christian philosophy, but sometimes you find unusual glimmers of truth in places. In any case, I wonder... why is Christian Shepherd's body missing? I'm sure that's crucial, but have no idea why. Now that we have two story-lines, is one just to show how pointless it would be if it all restarted? Or... will the two stories course-correct and somehow end the same way? Or... will they converge and somehow merge into one (dang that would be confusing).
Oh... and as for Locke being the Monster ... dude. Isaac and I totally called it. Check out this post from APRIL of last year. Yes, we are awesome.
- Isaac also totally predicted way ahead of time that the Shadow of the Statue gang is ageless like Richard, and that they were original inhabitants of the island. You can read that post here, and I think we'll have it further confirmed in future weeks.
- I also wrote last season about this conversation between Jacob and Esau.
Esau: "They come, they fight, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt. It always ends the same."
Jacob: "It only ends once. Anything that happens before that--it's just progress."
- You can read my thoughts about it here.


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The Research Computing Advisory Committee is an advisory board made up of representatives from PNNL's research directorates. The committee is directed by Michael Hofmockel with support from Nathan Baker (science outreach).
Advisory Committee members:
- Work with the Research Computing director to prepare the annual budget request and operations plan
- Provide input on major allocation and budget decisions, and
- Have the opportunity to attend monthly project operations review meeting.


text:
100300 Features: -Ultra-sleek design. -Can hold up to 2 dumbells. Product Type: -Dumbbell rack. Shape: -Vertical. Finish: -Gray. -Gray finish. Dimensions: Overall Height – Top to Bottom: -22.8″. Overall Width – Side to Side: -19.9″. Overall Depth – Front to Back: -26.2″. Overall Product Weight: -49 lbs.
The perfect complement to your Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbells, the Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbell Stand features an ergonomic design that helps protect your lower back. You'll never have to bend down to pick up your weights again. The handsome, ultra-sleek design will fit well in any workout area. It also comes with a built-in rack for hanging towels. This stand measures 20″ x 26″ x 23″ inches Assembly is required.
Manufacturer Warranty
5-year warranty
Ergonomically designed for use with both Bowflex SelectTech 552 and 1090 dumbbells
Eliminates the need to bend down to pick up weights
Built in towel rack


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Home for Christmas......
20 comments:
- Gery said...
Wow, what a card!
Totally stunning beautiful soft pastel colours.
Your work always looks so beautiful and compleet.
Thanks for showing it.
Whishing you and your loved ones a beautiful Christmas and a healthy New Year
Love Gery
- December 21, 2011 at 5:49 PM
- Cordine said...
It's a stunning card!
Happy holidays!
- December 21, 2011 at 6:32 PM
- Miranda de Groot said...
This is such a lovely card.
Hugs Miranda
- December 21, 2011 at 6:33 PM
- Home sweet home said...
Wow!!!This is such a gorgoeus card,love everything:):):)
- December 21, 2011 at 7:20 PM
- Manuela said...
Dear Kim! Your card is just wonderful with the colors and the details. This is a little piece of art! I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Hugs, Manuela
- December 21, 2011 at 7:47 PM
- Sandra said...
very nice card Kim, and I wisk also the best for the Christmas and a happy new year
gr sandra
- December 21, 2011 at 7:56 PM
- Janny said...
WOW Kim what a gorgeous card, and the coloring is so sweet, wish you a verry nice Christmas, hugs Janny
- December 21, 2011 at 8:13 PM
- Maritha said...
OMG KIM.....you are so FAB at colouring that it´s almost scary!! =) LOVE your card dear!!
- December 21, 2011 at 8:16 PM
- Durvina said...
This one is really stunning, Kim.
hugs, Durvina
- December 21, 2011 at 8:48 PM
- Hélène said...
Wow Kim! Your creation is beautiful, great work! Love all the details.
- December 21, 2011 at 8:51 PM
- arjette said...
Woowww what an awesome card, it's beautiful!!!
gr. arjette.
- December 21, 2011 at 9:27 PM
- yvon said...
Sigh............. just don't know what to say.
Have a verry merry Christmas and a gorgeous New Year.
Hugs, Yvon
- December 21, 2011 at 10:54 PM
- Shirley N said...
Oh Kim, this is just gorgeous! I love the image behind her, she's adorable and your layout is just stunning! Happy Holidays to you and your family!
- December 22, 2011 at 6:10 AM
- Lone Krieger said...
Simply adorable. Oh what I wouldn't give to receive one of your cards in my mailbox.
A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family.
- December 22, 2011 at 8:56 AM
- Sassy Scrapper said...
Oh my sweet darling your card is absolutely amazing. The colors are so soft I really love that. And your masking is awesome makes such a wonderful layout!!! I've also got to try the coffee ink, I love the look of it. Thanks for always inspiring me. Have a fabulous Christmas I hope your days are filled with lots of laughter and love.
Hugs Bonnie
- December 22, 2011 at 1:41 PM
- Kirsty-Anne (Kitty) said...
Hi wow such a pretty creation. The colours and details are incredible. I love it all so modern and dreamy ! Just wanted to thankyou for all your inspiration this year . I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas & A very Happy New Year lots of crafty festive hugs Kitty :D
- December 22, 2011 at 8:09 PM
Hi Kim!
What a sweet lovely card you made......what a happy feeling it gives. This week I Will start with my mother and 13year old daughter to stamp and draw Magnolia. I look forward to it and your blog will be a great inspiration for us! Thanks!
Merry Christmas and à Happy New Year!
Monique from Zeeland/The Netherlands
- December 23, 2011 at 8:52 AM
- Mandy said...
Oh wow Kim this is absolutely stunning, so pretty and so many beautiful details, I love it :)
Wishing you and your family a very Happy Christmas
hugs Mandy xx
- December 23, 2011 at 9:16 AM
- Cathy said...
So adorable!
- December 27, 2011 at 9:10 AM
- Танюша said...
Спасибо за удовольствие познакомится с Вашими работами!!! Они прекрасны!!!
- November 10, 2012 at 5:19 PM


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Business Intelligence platform that turns dashboards into written recommendations
- Stage Product In Development
- Industry Software
- Location San Francisco, CA, USA
- Currency USD
- Founded August 2012
- Employees 2
- Website datamyze.com
Company Summary
Datamyze is a platform that simplifies the process of turning advertising and user data into business intelligence. We empower businesses to leverage big data by utilizing our predictive and learning engines to generate written actionable insights.
Martin GilliardBusiness Development
15-year veteran working at the intersection of data, advertising and technology. Global experience on the publisher and agency side of the business with unique perspectives of how data and technology enables businesses to create richer experiences for consumers, publishers and advertisers.
Nicholas MannellaArchitect
Problem solver, out-of-the-box thinker and status quo challenger with a unique mix of business and technical knowledge. I leverage a top-tier education and 12 years of experience to bring innovative solutions to life.
Wynne KimProduct
Data analytics and marketing specialist with exceptional organizational/leadership skills and a passion for translating complex ideas into business products. Expertise in display, search, email, direct response, television set-top-box and spend data.
Previous Investors
David RayoUnconfirmed


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How Safe is Your Web Service
You are probably using several software applications that talk to each other. Whether you have a custom web application or prepackaged financial solution, getting applications and services to communicate requires a skill, technique, and knowledge to protect your information. So, what happens when your web service is not secure? What information could you be leaking and how could you be vulnerable?
Security Concerns
The four concerns of web service security are privacy, message integrity, authentication, and authorization.
- Privacy refers to ensuring that messages are not visible to anyone except the web service and the web service consumer. Traffic should be encrypted so that machines in the middle cannot read the messages.
- Message integrity provides a guarantee that the message received has not been tampered with during transmission.
- Authentication provides assurances that the message originates from where it claims it did. Both a legal term as well as a technical term, non-repudiation refers to the concern of not only authenticating a message, but proving the origin of that message to other parties.
- Authorization refers to ensuring that only consumers who should have access to a resource of your web service actually have access to that resource. Authorization requires authentication because without authentication an attacker could pretend to be a highly privileged user.
Building a web service or API (application programming interface) requires a methodology for exchanging secure information, and there are two popular solutions: SOAP and REST.
Technology Choices
Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is a popular protocol specification. It is a complicated specification and some developers, though well-meaning, leave security vulnerabilities. An example of a vulnerability is SOAP injection. What is SOAP injection? It occurs when the server attempts to parse the XML message from a client. If the XML message is malformed, meaning that it does not follow the rules that the server expects it to follow, the server may return an error message that actually shows code and gives insight into the underlying system. Developers may turn off this behavior. However, this is often forgotten before a deployment.
REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for distributed systems. The World Wide Web is one such distributed system. REST has become a popular architectural choice for designing web services. Such web services are referred to as RESTful web services. An advantage of using REST is that the security vulnerabilities are well known as they are the same vulnerabilities that impact web sites. This means that developers who are familiar with website security will be able to leverage their knowledge to secure RESTful web services.
Final Thoughts
Developers working with either of these technologies must be concerned with the four security points. No methodology or architectural choice ensures that your information is well-protected. It is important that your consultants explain the architecture they plan to use and how their implementation plan accounts for security concerns. If your developer does not have a detailed answer, it is a red flag.
Can You Afford PCI Compliance?
I remember hearing it on the radio; another major retail store was targeted by hackers, a store I had shopped not two weeks prior. That sinking feeling struck, the one that calls me to drop everything in order to familiarize myself with my credit card company's phone bank to cancel my cards.
New brawny standards protect us against such events and the incentive for a company to comply is tremendous, but tough standards are not great if they are tough to reach. So we ask; is the arsenal guarding us from online theft too hard to grasp for the average online business?
So to answer our initial question; PCI Compliance is too costly for the average businessman to comply, but we are fortunate to live in a free market that sees bureaucracy as an opportunity. Companies like Braintree may have been created with profit in mind, but they are offering a service that gives us carrots and saves us from the stick.
Sticky Notes; a Web Designer's Best Friend
For the best lessons in Web Development, sometimes we don't need to look further than the lessons we learned in kindergarten. We have found that one of the best tools to communicate between developer and customer is a simple pen and a few pieces of paper.
A crucial part in the development and design of websites and applications is communication. Communication of ideas, concepts, design and user experience between the developers and clients increases the likelihood of satisfaction for the client and a quality product. Frequent demonstrations of working software can keep the project moving and focused in the right direction. Yet it can sometime be hard to narrow down exactly what the client wants for their site or application. Most projects start with a general idea and become more focused as the project moves along. Clients don't realize what it is they prefer in terms of design and functionality until they see the working software. This development method is called Agile Development and is very flexible and adaptive to constant changes. However, it's most effective when the project has a basis/example from which to work towards. Think "like Facebook for [insert x]" or "similar to gmail." But what if the idea is one of simple parameters and functions but no clearly defined user interface or implementation? That is where Paper Prototyping has value.
Instead of working software to demonstrate after a week of development, Paper Prototyping is utilized at the beginning of a development cycle. This method asks the client to act as the user while the developers "drive" them through the interface. However, it's not software that is used, instead it's common paper items found in every office. Sometimes it's as simple as a white piece of paper with a drawing of the website's look. The best and more effective kinds use folders, note cards, note pads, and post-it notes to represent different functions on the page. To show you what I mean, let's look at some prototyping for a site that might want to implement a User Management feature.
Most sites today have users create some form of account or profile. If you are looking to design a site with this function, maybe you don't know exactly how it should look or what functions should be available. For this example, we'll use a site who's company is looking to sell products and or services. Let's start with a mock-up of the homepage:
It's a white piece of paper with a "To-Do List" paper note as the profile sign-in. On the left hand side or two sticky notes used to represent possible functions or features on the page. These features may have been explicitly stated by the client, but in the case where it's not, they are easily changeable. Case in point, you can quickly demonstrate what the user would see if they had an invalid login.
Quick and Easy. As the user, you are asked to then make a selection by the developer. So let's say your goal is to attract new users. One thing they will all have in common is to fill out information on a "Subscribe" page. So, the user clicks the "Sign-up/Subscribe" button (indicated in green writing in the picture above) and the current page is taken away and the "subscribe" page is presented.
All we have here is a manilla folder with some notes pages and writing in pen. The value comes from being able to demonstrate clearly what the page looks like and answer questions such as: Is this function useful? Could we make this better? Do we want to expand on this? Should more data be provided during this process? Is it simple and easy to understand?
Those types of questions usually get answered later in the development process. Lots of times its for no other reason than the client "hadn't thought about that". We are web-developers and, more to the point, we are the guides for clients to get into the expansive world of possibilities known as the internet. Paper Prototyping allows everyone involved to start on the most direct path toward the final product.
Go to Part 2 where we use Paper Prototyping to demonstrate standard user management features for existing profiles.
How Much is a Like Worth to You
Businessmen want to know how much effort to invest in pursuing "Likes." The popular feature seems to many as a cheap form of validation, equivalent to the old Stuart Smalley bit, "I'm good enough, smart enough and doggone it, people like me." Those who never wanted to become experts in social media are asking "why is it important?" and "will this bring me money?"
Likes Bring Measurable Results
To say a "Like" is an end is short-sided, like saying that motion stops when a pebble hits the water. To do so would ignore the ripples that act like homing beacons to viewers and search engines.
A Like does many things behind the scenes, providing measurable objectives, reports, and now impacting search queries. Bing's new features make it easier to see what your Facebook friends Like, incorporating your community in your search results. This begins a more conversational aspect to your searches. Decisions can now be made by a committee of your choosing on news stories, bands, celebrities, movies, or brands.
A Like is a validation that someone is interested in you, your product or your service. And in social media, we collect validation like currency.
Still, there are many benefits to a Like. When someone "Likes" your page it appears on news feeds, meaning their recommendation will be broadcasting to their 300 closest friends; a ripple effect that allows compounding affirmation. This is validation supreme.
Those Likes that you click will also help Facebook configure what advertisements go to you, so for those Facebook advertisers who choose to focus on one or another interest, this is big.
Likes Bring Conversation
That Like also gives you permission to talk to your clients who have, in essence, voted for you. When you update your status, there is now a measurable audience waiting to see what you have to say. And if your content is share-worthy, you have the potential to go viral. This, of course, increases the need for your content to be impactful and relevant.
(Facebook graph demonstrating your posts, people talking, and total reach).
For Search Engine Optimization (SEO), the Like acts as a beacon for Google's eager robots seeking content with recency and relevancy. And while Google algorithms cannot see what is happening inside Facebook, they can certainly see what relevant activity is occurring on your site. And a Like button embedded on your site is highly relevant, especially if it is clicked often.
Of course, frequency is as important as reach; it's important to get in front of your people repeatedly and often. And that endorsement from a friend is much more powerful than an paid ad, creating greater loyalty. It's a handy medium to remind people that they have a friend when they need it, and the transparency personalizes and localizes in a format that allows the occasional shameless plug.
Can you monetize this? Sure – like this article, which says:
- On average, fans spend an extra $71.84 they would not otherwise spend on products they describe themselves as fans of, compared to those who are not fans.
- Fans are 28 percent more likely than non-fans to continue using a specific brand.
- Fans are 41 percent more likely than non-fans to recommend a product they are a fan of to their friends.
And this one which gives conflicting information:
Depending on who you ask and the metrics you use, a Facebook follower could be worth nothing at all, as little as $3.60, as much as $22.93, exactly $136.38 more than a non-follower, or a whopping $214.81 for a nonprofit organization.
Still, for those who grew up in traditional media, the Like button is Nirvana. Where we once were dependent on expensive statistics dependent on research diaries filled with vague groups and guesses, we can now track individual motivations and interests with laser-LIKE focus. Its value is measurable beyond compare.
The Great Security Question Hoax
Much of our identities are locked away in the ether. Kept safe in vapor pockets by banks and wireless providers with paper thin questions like, "What is your mother's maiden name?" We've all answered them, developing password fatigue as we try to remember our favorite sports team or if we used our grandfather's given name or "Gampy."
Some things are not that hard to figure out. That Sarah Palin and her husband Todd met in high school was ferreted out by one such hacker just before her Yahoo mail became public knowledge. Same with the name of Paris Hilton's dog. Yep. Hacked.
Good security questions are hard to design as they need to be definitive, applicable, memorable and safe. If the question is too hard, it might be easily forgotten by the person who is being protected. In the study mentioned earlier, participants forgot 16 percent of the answers within three to six months.
— If the question is too easy, the world of hurt can be indescribably huge.
As a user, you could increase your own security by giving false random answers, calling the bank for a reset whenever you forget them. Still, it is a work-around for a system employed way too liberally by banks that know better.
Perhaps they do it to make customers feel like they are participating in their own security. And better systems, like sending new passwords by email, require hiring an extra person on the phone bank as customers need tech-support when they forget how to use these systems or when they lose auto-generated emails in their spam filters.
Password questions are still king as there is no viable alternative. They reduce customer phone calls, giving companies incentive to keep status quo. Still, finding the balance between customer convenience and protection from identity theft might be difficult. With much at stake, responsible corporations with our identities in their hands might consider titanium locks over vapor.


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Yes, it's true! The yellow powder that tarnishes almost everything, it's the secret ingredient that makes your smile brighter, whitening your teeth! I found an old recipe and I said since this ingredient is one of my favorites, I definitely must try this recipe! Turmeric is the secret ingredient that ...Read More »
Home / Tag Archives: whitening


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Students at the Japan School of Wool have created a project that might be the most adorable thing that will ever haunt your dreams. Lead by professor Housetu Sato, the students constructed enormous, wearable, wool felt cat heads that are somewhat unsettlingly realistic. The heads are on display at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum this spring, but it's the photos of the heads being worn as masks that really bring them to life.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Give me a minute, I need to sit down for a cat nap."
"Fresh catnip for all."
"If x is the bird outside the window and y is the window... nope, still won't work."
"Don't act surprised. You know how cats love ledges."
"And now we dance."
"Enchante, kitty."
"Tastes like cat food."
"Doing a little meditation on string theory. Like how to catch the string."
Look at the table of tiny wool cats behind him.
"Ready for my closeup."
"Praying for that sunny spot to appear in time for a good nap."
"You might know me as your adjunct purrrrr-fessor."
Credit: Japan School of Wool Art | Twited Sifter


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Universal Pictures has re-titled and re-dated it's upcoming Tom Cruise starer.
"Mena" was supposed to be release on January 6, 2017, but now the film will be released on September 29, 2017 under the name "American Made".
"American Made" is based on the outrageous (and real-life) exploits of Barry Seal, a hustler and pilot who was unexpectedly recruited by the CIA to run one of the biggest covert operations in US history.
Doug Liman is directing with Jesse Plemons, Domhnall Gleeson, Lola Kirke and Sarah Wright co-starring. Producers are Brian Grazer, Brian Oliver, Tyler Thompson, Kim Roth and Doug Davidson.
"American Made" will open against Sony's "The Equalizer 2".


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Sunday, 19 August 2012
Nothing technical here today!
22 comments:
- Happycrafter Shell said...
Fabulous!! this must have taken ages to cut everything out xx
- 19 August 2012 at 21:26
- Sheila said...
Fab card Zoe x
- 19 August 2012 at 21:28
- jacquie said...
its fab i love it Jacquie xxx
- 19 August 2012 at 21:31
- she3655 said...
Hi Zoe, Fab card, love it..... it is nice to get back to cutting out and clagging lol.... thats what Ive done today and loved it xx
I love the image you've used... xx
- 19 August 2012 at 21:35
- Sall said...
Simple this is not, it takes a genius to do this kind of thing and you really are a genius.
- 19 August 2012 at 21:42
- Linda said...
Hi Zoe, first I would like to thank you for your lovely comments on my blog I really do appreciate them.
Your card is stunning and by no means simple! I love the scene you have created and the depth with the decoupage.
Linda xxx
- 19 August 2012 at 22:13
- Doreen said...
Wow what inspiration, this is fabulous.xxx
- 19 August 2012 at 22:15
- Trudi said...
Wow, amazing, you never fail to amaze, absolutely brilliant x
- 19 August 2012 at 22:27
- Kate M said...
Absolutely stunning
- 19 August 2012 at 23:50
- PinkyLisasInkyCrafts said...
Oooohhhhhhh I likey! Great colouring and I'm glad you haven't used bold or dark colours. The glitter on the rock pool really bring your focus into the card. This really is wonderful!
Hugs Lisa xxxx
- 20 August 2012 at 01:39
- SuzeJo Murphy said...
Brilliant ! just love it ... it made me smile xxx
- 20 August 2012 at 07:45
- judith@poppy cottage said...
Lovely images, a great card, xx
- 20 August 2012 at 10:47
- jane stillman said...
What a fabulous card, and so much work, love it
- 20 August 2012 at 18:04
- Joan Macdonald said...
Fabulous card - i can see a lot of time and effort has gone into making this card.
Joan x
- 20 August 2012 at 18:10
- Jane Songhurst said...
Fantastic card, paper piecing at it's best ... I love it
Jane x
- 20 August 2012 at 18:37
- Cumbrianlass said...
Hi Zoe, absolutely gorgeous you should frame it, this is what we should be having a proper English summer at the seeside.
I do like the wall, I could do with it for a project I have to do!
- 20 August 2012 at 20:50
- Dawn said...
Great card! Such a lot of work has gone in to it!
Well worth it though!
Dawn xx
- 20 August 2012 at 21:00
- lindyloo said...
awww what a super card wish the weather was like this xx
- 20 August 2012 at 21:09
- Brenda Brown said...
Fabulous decoupage and a great card.
Thanks for linking to PanPastel UK this week.
Hugs Brenda xox
- 21 August 2012 at 14:38
- Claire said...
Gorgeous card, love the touch of sparkle on the sea. Thanks for joining us at PanPastel UK and good luck
Claire xx
- 23 August 2012 at 21:07
- Lindsay Craftymonster81 said...
Absolutely gorgeous scene hun, I love the decoupage and that sea gull is fabby. Thank you for joining in with the PanPastel challenge blog
Lindsay xx
- 25 August 2012 at 01:38
- The Happy Ever Crafter said...
Really nice seaside scene, great card!
- 25 August 2012 at 13:33


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Seller. Gemma Lowles.
"These are simply a beautiful pair of book ends perfect for any dog lover! They have been coated with copper which is worn in places giving them a gorgeous patina. They are believed to be quite old but it is not known when the top finish was added. It does however, give them a very on tend look!"
Those sold will be dispatched by Gemma.
Customer pays for returns, accepted within 14 days.


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FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German e-commerce venture capital group Rocket Internet said on Friday it would bring its planned initial public stock offering (IPO) forward by one week, citing "exceptional investor demand" for its shares.
The offer period will now end on Oct. 1, the first day of trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange is slated for Oct. 2 and settlement is planned for Oct. 6.
(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Maria Sheahan)


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Address730 E Northwest Hwy Mount Prospect, IL 60056 Website (847) 394-8200
- Monday
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Michael Kautz Carpets and Designs is a family owned and run business that has been serving the Chicagoland area since 1969. We carry a wide variety of flooring products for any room in your home. We also carry many home improvement products such as granite, quartz and Corian counter tops, kitchen cabinets and more.
Our expert sales staff is trained to help guide you through any project from a simple room of carpet to a full kitchen or bath remodeling project. Come in today!


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Hanna Skandera still carries the name designate after 3 years
Hanna Skandera still carries the name designate after 3 years
Education Secretary Designate Hanna Skandera still hasn't been confirmed, even after three years on the job. During this passed legislative session she endured hours of testimony with no confirmation.
"It's just unprecedented that we would have 10 hours of confirmation hearings without a vote; it's a real disservice to New Mexicans and to Hanna Skandera" said Terri Cole, president and CEO of the greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.
But others disagree, like Sen. Linda Lopez who chairs the committee responsible for considering Skandera's appointment.
"I don't agree with her policies and I don't think she's qualified," said Lopez, adding the process is not over and her position will come to a vote eventually.


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Say Something Justin Timberlake Ft Chris Stapleton Cover
Download Songs Say Something Justin Timberlake Ft Chris Stapleton Cover only for review course, Buy Cassette or CD / VCD original from the album Say Something Justin Timberlake Ft Chris Stapleton Cover or use Personal Tone / I-RING / Ring Back Tone in recognition that they can still work to create other new songs. DMCA Removal Requests Send to [email protected]
|Say Something- Justin Timberlake Ft. Chris Stapleton (Cover)
| Happy Friday love bugs!!
Today I'm covering Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton's new song "Say Something" and I am in loveeeeee.
Who else is totally obsessed with this song? I could literally go on and on about how impressed I am. From the amazing one take video, to the production and vocal performance.... just wow! As soon as I heard it I knew we had to do it, and ASAP! Rob and I stayed up till about 5:00am working on this track! Slept a few hours, and then Jeremy and I headed to the park and got our groove on! Woot Woot! lol. We also did a one take visual and I'm excited about that because they're my favorite!! What do you guys think about the breakdown we created? I feel like I got to channel my inner Lana Del Rey which always makes me HAPPY! As always, Rob created this instrumental from scratch and he did amazing!! So blessed to have top of the line guys in my corner. Hope you guys love this version, we made it with lots of love! Don't forget to like, comment, share and subscribe loves!!
Download my original "Feel That" on iTunes now!
Feel That - Single by TALIA
Follow me!
Instagram: /_taliamarti...
Snapchat: tallsss
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_Taliamartinez
Facebook: /TaliaMusicLv/
Huge thank you to Robert Katz and Jeremy Le for making all of this possible with me. Check them out!
Jeremy Le:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeremyyyLe
Instagram: /jeremyyyle/
|Download as MP3 | Download as MP4 | Fast Download


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Here I will post my personal thoughts about a bit of everything. And you don´t need to agree!
I feel the post about GODS belongs here too.
This project will all be about the opposite to science. I know science have busy days telling us empirically, "There is no higher ground". Big Bang is a fact! Well the first chapters in the Bible are about the creation of Universe and Man. From a science point of view, I would say leave the debate walk-over! This is so easy to beat! Indeed Big Bang is a fact! Still and only as a parenthesis, the Genesis is in the beginning, pretty close to science. "And there was light".
The next 500000000 pages however, are about ethical rules. Do "this" and you will be unhappy. Do "that" and you´ll get to heaven. May be so, I´ll not take anything for granted. You have to remember evolution. The texts were written long ago. Still in its fundamental, I find many rules highly up to date. Kill someone and you´re fucked! Besides, I look upon the texts strictly metaphorically.
As I see it, GODS are needed – in whatever form – when Man is doubting her/his existence. Those negative thoughts could be life-long chains, preventing a person to live her/his short life fully.
Ok we got anti-depressive pills to adjust serotonin & nor-adrenalin. All good,because once you´re stuck in low land you might need help to once again rise. I have no hard times accepting such treatment.
But my conclusion is, what may cause this turn down is lack of hope.
Your life is in the grey routine? You may have financial problems? Or could it be a relationship meltdown? What about your career? Envy? Addictions? Loneliness…. and so on.
Could it be a relief to feel hope? Tormented enough, would you not do anything to achieve a real change?
Hope is so basic in all of us. It doesn´t matter if you are Black, White, Yellow, Red, Purple, Brown or just extremely colorless! We all need hope! If you are successful you may just go with the flow. BUT if you have hard times, you´ll need something to hold on to! In this very moment I feel there is a place for GODS.
I don´t think we have anything in science providing the ordinary man hope. I think science is more about gratitude. It appears like science been taking over the religious mantra about feeling gratitude.
Lets say we have a man suffering from a lethal decease. So a.t.m. where is the scientific hope? In a new medicine? Hmmm doubt it. But for every child being rescued from leukemia we all feel gratitude! But hope….?
In the end of the line, this is what I feel. Modern science have made it a bit "neanderthal" to believe in higher spirit, a God or force beyond modern explanation.
I say, there is a place for both!
I´m a bit concerned about the music industry of today. It seems like the streaming is taking over more and more. Spotify and other companies are paying shit money to every composer joining their services. And joining you must, otherwise you don´t exist.
I feel I want to go in another direction. The music I produce is really not commercial in anyway, so why bother? Why can´t I use this platform to sell my music? Well of course I can ….and I will. But I´m a bit concerned.
I am also very grateful for everyone supporting my music. Every little download makes it possible for me to continue produce music in my way. So please if you like this idea, help me spread the word about this little haven of independent music. I highly appreciate any help.
Tomas // the 3rd of May 2015. (Don´t forget to watch any Star Wars movie tomorrow. May the 4th be with you! )
Here are my Dear Friends Jonas & Lalle … we had a day off in Paris.


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This has been a long time in coming, but it is finally here. I have finally finished episode one of the Guadalupe River Chronicles. The biggest hindrance in creation was timing. Either the weather or some other random event kept me from filming. But it is finally done! I really hope you enjoy watching it! Now, all that is left is to make the next episode. Hopefully soon, but it is looking like that might not happen until next summer. Rest assured I will have plenty new videos coming out and I have been bouncing around some new ideas that you will be sure to love watching. Also, If you have any video ideas for me I would love to hear them! Leave me a comment or contact me.
// Technical Details //
It is a big help to me when you use any of the above product links to Adorama, Amazon, and B&H and when you get anything. It costs you nothing, and helps me keep my site running. I have bought from all of these websites and I highly recommend them for their service, quality, and shipping speed. I recommend them all personally.


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Tax-reform savings 'could pay college bill'
"Reform of the tax covenanting system introduced in the mid 1990s to coincide with the abolition of undergraduate fees at third level has brought about tens of millions of euro in savings for the government in the intervening years, new figures have revealed. However, while the savings achieved by reform of the system would "help" with the introduction of free third-level fees, a spokeswoman for the Department of Finance has confirmed that they were not 'ringfenced' for this purpose. …" (more)
[John Downes, Sunday Tribune, 26 October]Tags: fees, tax


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Today I want to share with you, the pictures I've made in Bristol – Portishead on our road-trip we had this last spring in England.
It was raining but we still wanted to go to the seaside. I never liked to let the rain ruin my plans.
So here we are, dancing in the rain, with an outfit not so appropriate for this weather, but that didn't matter. The view and this place were overwhelming.
We left this place with the best memories <3
Pictures made by Monica Popa


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The Financial Times will allow users following a link from Google to access one FT.com story without affecting their quota of free stories or requiring registration.
Under the 'First Click Free' programme, users arriving at FT.com via links on Google and 30 other partner websites will always see the story for free, without needing either registration or subscription, regardless of how many stories they have previously viewed.
FT.com recently changed its policy from a subscription-based model to a 'third way'approach which will allow readers to read up to 30 stories per month free and requiring only registration after the first five stories. Subscription to FT.com costs £99 or £199, depending on the level of access. for those that read more than 30 stories per month.
Any browsing beyond the initial landing page will be controlled according to this new access model.
Ien Cheng, managing editor and publisher of FT.com, commented: 'We want FT.com to become both a more integral part of the Internet's web of links and a fast-growing destination site in itself.
Cheng said that under the new access model, there was always a small chance that users will reach their 30-story monthly limit by following a link from an external site. Under the new scheme, partner sites guarantee that their users do not reach the free-usage quota by following their links to FT.com.
Josh Cohen, business product manager for Google News, commented: 'We're pleased they are using 'First Click Free' to ensure we can include their content in all of Google's search results, and to ensure our users always get access to the FT stories they are looking for."


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Seen the current knowledge about physics, could this technically be realized given the resources?
Yes it could. Several concepts for interstellar travel-capable propulsion systems have been proposed by serious scientists in reviewed journals such as the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Acta Astronautica and the journals of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. These are based on known physical phenomena, nuclear fission or fusion. No need for warp drives, negative energy etc. Thus, given the time and the resources to complete the R&D work it is possible to develop a starship capable of up to 10% of light speed based nuclear fission or fusion. Using such a starship any one of the few hundred nearest stars could be reached within two centuries of travel time.
Admittedly, none of the proposed concepts have been tested in practice, but the science is solid. Moreover, knowledge gained in current nuclear fusion energy research could be put to use to build starship propulsion systems as well. Putting theory into practice will take patience, a long-term vision and a still costly development step but it should be possible. See our Tech section for more information.
Is this really important to focus on now? Are there no urgent things to spend resources on?
These long term projects will never be urgent, as they will never benefit anyone alive at the moment. There will always be more urgent matters. Therefore, it is important to start up long term thinking and now is just as good a time as any. Getting the resources for interstellar project is an issue heavily plagues by short term thinking and the presence of more urgent but in the end less important problems. Building up the required capital bit by bit is a way out of this stalemate. It allows to use 99.9% of the world's yearly produced resources for other, more urgent things. But there is a significant difference between spending none and a small fraction of a percent of the world's recourses on interstellar projects: it can make them happen. In the long run, this can mean the difference between life and death for humanity. If humanity stays bound to a single planet, it will die out sooner or later.
Why is this important?
There are many good reasons. These reasons include our responsibility towards the long term survival of life, curiosity, scientific discovery, avoiding stagnation and decadence in society, existential reasons such as giving a sense of purpose and connectedness in a cold and vast universe, general coolness and all the benefits that can come from exploring as has been shown time and time again in history. Also see our why section.
How much capital is needed? How much time?
As you might expect the cost estimations vary widely per design. To give an idea: In 1968 Freeman Dyson estimated the cost of a particular 50,000 tonne manned interstellar version of his Orion spaceship at 367 Billion USD (2340 Billion inflation-adjusted to 2012). This is more than you will ever own, but it is not more than humanity's military expenditures over a period of two years! So it is not the size of the economic system that is the problem. Furthermore, a cheaper and smaller unmanned version would certainly be adequate seen the current state of ICT technology. A coalition of developed nations could easily build ships like this if it decided to. As you will read in our technology section, the Orion starship could be build with 1960s technology, so that is no reason to wait either.
The amound of capital needed looks still very large compared to the average aerospace project. However, it could be saved up bit by bit in a fund. For example, if the amount currently put into space agencies worldwide would be put in a fund with the same annual return as that of the Nobel Prize Foundation, a trillion dollar would be available in less than 30 years.
This is of course a long period, but remember the mission time of an interstellar spaceship will also most likely be measured in centuries as well. Thus, this does not prolong the time of the project so badly. Please see our publications for more details.
What about settling on Mars?
Over the next centuries, human activity in the solar system might increase based on then economically viable activities such as asteroid mining for precious metals or space tourism for the wealthy. Also, an outpost on Mars or the Moon might be constructed. However, with an average temperature of -55 degrees C and an unbreathable, thin atmosphere (only 0.5% of Earth's air pressure) Mars is not exactly a place to live and thrive without much support from Earth, for the same reason as no people live in isolated deserts. This would certainly change if the planet were terraformed. Plans have been proposed that could allow to make it habitable for Earth life. These would entail investments of at least the same order of magnitude those required to organize interstellar missions. This is perhaps something for a second fund... or a final option for when no habitable planets will be found within reachable distances.
As of now, several planets outside our solar system have been found that could actually support life as we know it here on Earth and should be studied from close by. In orther words, they are in the 'habitable zone' of their star. Such planets really are like gems floating far away in the sky. Drawing the analogy further and comparing to Mars, it's opal versus sandstone...
What is the status of the FMF?
The FMF is still a young organisation, started Summer 2011. We are not big enough to finance substantial research yet. We do organise activities such as lectures to increase awareness of the potential and problems of interstellar spacetravel, and fundraising activities
When the day comes when enough the FMF has grown significantly in term of income, how will it spend those resources?
In the short run, with limited available capital, we would launch contests, scholarships and prizes to encourage students and researchers to work on one of the many aspects of interstellar travel.
In the longer term, an obvious sequence of events would be that the fund would help to finance (in order or priority):
(1) The discovery of destination planets able to support life. Work on this is already going on now by astronomers around the globe, and many interesting targets are already identified.
(2) The development of the necessary propulsion technology for interstellar travel.
(3) Sending robotic probes for close range observation.
(4) Seeding life on planets that can support life but do not have lifeforms of their own.
(5) The development of ships able of supporting life for a period of over a century.
(6) If any habitable planets are found the transport of settlers from Earth.
Launch costs to low earth orbit also need to be reduced significantly. However, as there is profit to be made here this will probably be achieved by private companies relatively soon. Recently, companies such as SpaceX and Reaction Engines Limited have been making great progress in this field.
Will humanity even last for a century?
We live in troubling times, but so did almost all the preceding generations. Each century has its dramas and its successes, its adventurous explorers, optimistic entrepreneurs, its visionaries, its sages and its doomsday prophets. We thoroughly believe in the ability of humanity to overcome the hurdles of the 3rd millennium just as it did for those of the past millennia.
Would interstellar settling be a solution to overpopulation on Earth?
Seen the cost of sending even a few hundred or thousand settlers, no.
Would it not be better just to wait until the warp drive is invented?
No, you will wait forever. As far as we can say based on well proven theories such general relativity, any of these exotic SF inspired propulsion tools would require energies that would require converting entire planetary masses into energy, plus strange undiscovered things such as negative matter. Furthermore, the universe might not allow any faster than light travel as it conflicts with causality, things happening before their cause.
Plus, there is something named the correspondence principle: any "new" physics law discovered will still need to give the same answers as the old theory where the old theory has been confirmed by experiment. And the existing theories are proving to be correct at scales and energies well above those attainable by humanity. And these theories have been around for a surprisingly large amount of time now, sorry my dear exponential progress enthusiasts...
No need to feel bad. Why sitting idly if even our current knowledge of physics allows to develop propulsion systems that will do the job?
Exploration is wonderful, but are there ethical concerns on settling on other planets? What if there is life already there?
If you don't like humanity or life on earth it will not seem a very good idea to spread it around the universe in all cases. If you do, you might still have concerns on dropping fauna and flora from earth on another rock.
Personally we do not have problems with spreading earth life on planets containing primitive single-cell lifeforms of their own already. This is what life does all the time on Earth. Spreading simple lifeforms such as bacteria and algae, able to replicate under a wide range of conditions, is actually the only way we see it possible to make a planet suitable for settlement seen the cost of interstellar travel. Still, the process would take thousands of years.
Seen the required resources, trying to settle on planets already containing sentient life would be off limits and also plainly stupid.
By the way, at this moment we know that planets are plentiful in the universe but about the abundance or scarcity of life not much fact-based can be said. We only have one experimental sample: Earth. We know it took not so long on an evolutionary scale for protozoic (simple uncompartmented single cell creatures) life to develop after the oceans of the primitive Earth had formed, only a few hundred million years. On the other hand, the first complex land creatures only appeared about 3.5 billion years after. The genus homo is only about 2 million years old.
An semi-educated guess is therefore that a large percentage of planets suitable for human settlement might have only simple life forms on their surface, or no life at all.
Suppose you land on a planet with an oxygen atmosphere and simple, small lifeforms and start walking around. Would you have to worry about infections as your immune system has never seen similar threats? Or would you be immune to the microorganisms there?
Very specific pathogens such as viruses would probably be no threat as they co-evolve with the cells they prey on. On the other hand, cell-size parasites (or bigger) could do much harm, assuming life out there would have the same molecular basis (i.e. would be based on the same amino acids, sugars etc.) You would be good food to them, just as you are for earth-borne parasites with the surplus you have at least some immunoresistance for those.
On the other hand, if life on the alien planet would be based on different basic organic molecules, it would not be compatible. You would not be able to feed on it and vice versa. Put bluntly, such alien life would be only good to serve as heating fuel and construction material. So yes, it is important for interstellar settlers to bring with them enough species to construct a viable ecosystem of their own. If they're organic lifeforms, that is.
On a side note, the (dis)similarity of the molecular basis of alien life to that of our own planet would be a good indication of the value of panspermia theories (i.e. Earth life was seeded from space). Another good reason to explore other star systems.
Are travel of up to two centuries not prohibitively long, especially for human astronauts?
Many aspects of interstellar travel require a long term vision unseen in normal policy or daily life. It is something we humans are not instinctively inclined to but, as we are partly rational beings after all, should be perfectly capable of.
In all certainty, the first explorer ships sent would be robotic explorers. Only if a destination promising a reasonable survival chance has been found sending settlers can be considered, possibly only after seeding that world with life from Earth. The fact that these settlers would have to travel through hostile outer space for decades or even centuries has been explored thoroughly in interstellar exploration literature. Some of the more realistic proposed solutions could are (a combination of):
• Suspended animation. Many animals hibernate, saving resources and aging more slowly. This could be induced in humans as well, allowing a relatively large population to travel in 'sleeper ships'.
• Sending (some of) the settlers as embryos / DNA. This allows a genetically more diverse population to be transported for the same cost. Of course, humans are much more than their genes alone, thus a way to raise and educate the embryos once they are born is vital as well. The most straightforward way is sending at least a few dozen adult settlers as well.
• The use of so-called 'generation ships', city-sized starships in which a viable population can survive and live a meaningful live for several generations until the destination planet has been reached. This will take a very large amount of resources to build, probably only available to a civilization spread out over the solar system.
• Life extension. It could very well be possible to increase human lifespan significantly. At this moment, several companies and research centers are investigating life extension treatments.
Suppose the Foundation succeeds in helping to establish a settlement in another star system. How will society look like over there?
We have no illusion in the ability to control a group of people over such distances or the desire to do so. Communication latencies will be measured in years if not decades and bitrates will be small. The fund and its sponsors will only influence who goes on these missions and what tools, knowledge, wisdom and organizational structure goes with them. After departure it will be for the brave settlers themselves to make the best of it. Complex industrial societies are based among others on heavy specialization and devision of labor. Seen the limited amount of people that can probably be transported the society of the settlement will probably be rather simple in the beginning, revolving around agriculture and bare survival.
Could we not just wait until the Earth's GDP has grown to such heights that interstellar travel can be financed readily, i.e. without having to save up for it?
Until the industrial revolution, humanity was in a Malthusian trap situation and the GDP per person was almost constant. The industrial and scientific revolution saved us from that trap as it brought along an exponential rise in productivity and GDP much faster than population growth.
However it is very well possible that this still ongoing exponential growth will not be continuing for a very long time.
Some of the earth's resources (atmosphere, areable land, water, ...) are already overstretched and a correction might be coming. In an optimistic eco-centered scenario the economy will switch to sustainable energy sources and agriculture, and the earth will foster a more or less stable population that is able to live in relative wealth in balance with nature. This probably does not entail indefinite GDP growth so saving up would probably be necessary for enabling interstellar travel. Furthermore, an ever larger fraction of the economy will be service-based, so a higher GDP does not automatically main a higher support capacity for heavy industrial space projects.
In a more Kardeshev-like growth scenario based on humans being universal predators and adaptors humanity or, after a fourth industrial revolution, its AI successor will continue to expand until almost all the energy sources of the planet or even the solar system are captured and used. Building a starship would then be peanuts but the world it would come from would be not so cosy anymore, rather a machine than an ecosystem.
These are of course just a few of the plethora of possibilities. We don't know how history will turn out eventually. If it were for most individuals to decide, a future still human and in balance with nature would be preferred. Given these considerations is seems to us that saving up is a more preferable strategy for bringing humanity to the stars.
Will people be motivated to contribute to something that they will not see completed in their lifetimes? Are there any examples from history?
We like to compare the organisation of interstellar travel to the construction of the great cathedrals in late medieval Europe. For example, in 1386 AD Giangaleazzo Visconti, duke of Milan, ordered the construction of a great cathedral fully knowing it would take hundreds of years and he would not see its completion. The Duomo di Milano was not fully completed until 1965, almost 600 years later.
By the way, not many centuries-old organisations are still around. Most are of religious nature, having a great ideal that has a meaning stretching out to eternity. May the quest for interstellar exploration be of similar inspiration...


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What Is American Hebrew Academy?
American Hebrew Academy is the only Jewish Pluralistic College Preparatory boarding school in America with a community of friends, parents, administrators, coaches, teachers, and students. It is an international school offering students an experience as they discover what Jewish means to them. The academy prepares its students for college as they expand their horizons on their Jewish religion and heritage. At the academy, students learn to integrate concepts and facts, write concisely and clearly, and think creatively and analytically. Each student obtains a strong desire to learn.
Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, students learn and live with other Jewish kids who had different backgrounds. The teachers taught and studied in Israel and America, and are able and willing to help students not only in their academic problems but in their personal problems as well.
The American Hebrew Academy Program
In the academy, each student learns more about himself/herself and about the responsibility and privilege of being one of the future Jewish leaders. He/she is prepared to accept all of life's challenges and inspired to take one's place in the Jewish community in order to be closer to his/her people, faith, and community. The academy lets its students discover their Jewish identity through different Jewish values, religious, and cultural programming and Judaic classing.
The academy prides itself in offering a dual curriculum based on an enriched Jewish studies program and the traditional college prep classes which better prepares each student for his/her career. Each student is given education on sciences and liberal arts as his/her foundation for further learning. He/she is also taught Jewish text which are centered on the universal Jewish model of Bet Midrash. The academy also offers a period where he/she can study in Israel to truly experience Jewish learning.
Athletics is also a focal point in the academy. A student can choose from many interscholastic sports for a chance to compete in North Carolinas most prestigious and oldest league, the Triad Athletic Association league. Sports include wrestling, volleyball, track and field, tennis, swimming, softball, soccer, cross-country, cheerleading, basketball, and baseball. Other fitness activities include yoga, weight training, ultimate Frisbee, touch football, swing dancing, rock climbing, racquetball, lacrosse, self defense/karate, golf, boating, and anaerobic and aerobic training. The students are encouraged to get and stay fit.
Related articles
- The Varieties of Religious Therapy: Judaism (psychologytoday.com)
- Performing Small Acts of Kindness (psychcentral.com)


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Apparently there has been a "Ramen Revolution" in the Twin Cities as of late. That might explain why we've found noodles in our mouths on a weekly basis this year. When we're not eating pho, we're often enjoying giant bowls of ramen noodles, fatty pork and general tasty flotsam. Since we've gotten some real firsthand experience with the stuff lately, we thought we'd share our reviews of different ramen joints in town.
This is hands-down the Superhuman favorite ramen in town. Here are some stellar endorsements from staff.
"Draman Ramen – The best in town. The flavors of the hybrid broth are dramatic. It's dramatic ramen. It's Dramen Ramen. No half-stepping. Get yo' slurp on!" – Van
"The Dramen at Unideli was my first ramen experience outside of the microwavable packs from college days. With the first sip of the broth, I was hooked on the idea of trying as much ramen as I possibly could. But I also immediately knew the Dramen would be impossible to beat. The presentation is beautiful, the taste is complex, spicy and exciting. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water despite having just had it (for the fifth time) for lunch yesterday. Let's go!" – Drew
"Unideli is the most underrated and best place for Ramen in the Twin Cities. If you are looking for a trendy crowded bar scene go to Moto-i, but if you want the best bowl of ramen in town go to Unideli." – Grant
This spanking new ramen spot on Nicollet caught our eye so we had to try it (plus we liked the name). We all went for the Char Siu, which features pork belly and pretty little fish cakes that look like watermelon radishes. (Warning, do not bite into one expecting a radish.) This place has gotten a bit of negative press, but we found it surprisingly good. The steamed pork bun appetizers were especially tasty. The place was empty, so if you want a quiet space to get fast ramen, give it a shot.
"The Char Siu Ramen from Kungfu Noodle was just my second ramen experience, and it was a pretty good one. The atmosphere they've created is worth checking out, and the Char Siu ramen didn't disappoint. I would happily go back, but would be more excited to try elsewhere first." – Drew
"I thought this place was solid. Very tasty. But I'm no ramen expert." – Becky
This University of Minnesota-centric Japanese restaurant is a favorite for ramen, sushi and bento-based meals. We'd definitely recommend hitting it up — just watch out for college kids who will make you feel old and sober!
"Karaka-tantan Ramen – Miso broth with the right spice and everything nice. It's like Zen. Perfectly balanced deliciousness." – Van
This spot on Nicollet opened up with a long line out the door, showing how much hunger there is for good ramen in this town. We've all eaten here a few times and we generally deem it to be "fair." The trick is to get the Tonkotsu and not get too experimental.
"The Tonkotsu is very good. The rest are a bit blah." – Grant
Hungry yet? We hope we helped you find a new ramen place to try. Let us know what you think.


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Calgary Replacement Windows
Simply Yours Windows Doors understands what you are looking for when choosing new replacement windows for your renovation. We work with Jeld-Wen replacement window products which deliver a variety of style options that are eye-catching, energy efficient, secure and easy to care for.
We want to help you find new replacement windows that are the perfect compliment to your home. Browse these pages to learn more about the products from Jeld-Wen, how they're designed and how you can customize the look to enhance the final outcome of your renovation.
Each window that we supply and install is custom built specifically for each individual customers home. We strive to meet each customers window functionality, design and style needs. We have a variety of window options for specific function and look that will meet the needs of all our customers. These include our high quality maintenance free vinyl window line, to our high end wood metal clad product line. No matter what product line you choose, our expert installers will install each window properly to code with care, and will leave your home clean and ready to use.
Custom Window Replacement Projects
Vinyl Window
Two toned look with brickmould trim. Commercial Brown windows with Desert Sand brickmould trim. Interior white vinyl and Low E triple pane glass.
Vinyl Window With Black Capping Trim
Window is Black exterior, White interior and Low E dual pane glass. White grilles between the glass on the awning window.
Large Specialty Picture Window With No Trim
Stone up against window frame. Window is Desert Sand exterior, White interior with Low E triple pane glass.
Full Exterior Renovation
Desert Sand vinyl windows, white interior with white grilles. Simply Yours sprayed stucco with new paint, did fascia, soffit, eavestroughs and roof.
Vinyl With Brickmould Trim
One is solid white, while the other is two toned, both white interior. The white window has Low E obscure glass, while the two toned one has Low E triple pane glass.
Vinyl With No Trim
Stone up against window frame. Window is Desert Sand exterior, White interior with Low E triple pane glass.
White Vinyl Window
Left photo: spray foam that adds insulation. Right photo: window finished with interior primed casing trim.
Vinyl Windows With Black Capping Trim
Windows are Black exterior, White interior and Low E dual pane glass. White grilles between the glass.


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Try the USAC Program Search to narrow programs by terms or fields of study.
Browse USAC programs using our Interactive Programs Map.
By planning ahead, almost anyone can afford to study abroad, so start thinking about your finances as early as possible! That way, you can be sure to have enough resources to take full advantage of studying and living in a foreign country and the numerous opportunities it presents. Your travel plans and lifestyle will largely determine the amount of money you will want to have accessible, and it's also a good idea to have extra funds available to use in the case of an emergency.
As a non-profit, university-based organization, USAC understands the financial pressures students (and parents) face to finance their educations and we are committed to maintaining modest fees for our programs. Additionally, we work to provide scholarships and access to other means of financing in order to provide an affordable study abroad opportunity with USAC.