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Living Room. Thursday , December 28th , 2017 - 22:00:21 PM
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Our plastic screw cover caps are available in black or white. We stock a pack of mixed screw collar and caps as well as in smaller quantities. The screw cap covers have been designed to give a neat finish, and sit over the existing screw.


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© Copyright 2018 Mallorca Airport


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text: You can't create a movie as you think about it. And what's in the scene is not what's being seen. A shot always means something other than what it is. All are vehicles. A landscape is just a vehicle. The viewer might think different things, and I'm not going to intervene.


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The commercial air conditioner MIFUJIRATOR was completed in May 1951 to become Japan's first packaged air conditioner. Until that time, mainstream air conditioners required parts to be individually assembled upon delivery to the customer. For that reason, a great deal of time was required before operation start, and it was essential for a person to be present with knowledge of parts assembly and adjustment methods in order to fully demonstrate the air conditioner's performance. However, with the MIFUJIRATOR, anyone could operate an air conditioner just by pushing a button. This made the MIFUJIRATOR a revolutionary product of its time. Because of its convenience, the air conditioner enjoyed a solid reputation and became an unprecedented hit. This established the foundation for Daikin to become the leading manufacturer of commercial air conditioning in Japan.
Japan's first air conditioner


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Dr. McClure honored for his 22 years of work in Vietnam
His Holiness The Dalai Lama presents Dr. McClure with the award "An Unsung Hero of Compassion" in 2005
This video made by the ReSurge Foundation explains why Dr. McClure was awarded their leadership award in 2012.
Dr. McClure's first mission to Cuba was with the Plasticos Foundation. His statements open this video.
Dr. McClure lead Plasticos' first mission to Laos after making an exploratory visit on his own. This video is from the second Plasticos mission he lead to this beleaguered country.
Dr. McClure recognized for developing the Resurge International reconstructive surgery program in Vietnam.


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|Guidebook World Map Latest Posts
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|Shandor Strongheart
Posted: Mar 1 2018, 08:02 PM
Shandor tried his best to not wilt beneath his brother's fury. Gideon had been so happy, once. They all had. How had he changed so much? But Shandor knew that some of it came down to base personality. Those who carried air within them never truly locked down the way that earthen folk did. Perhaps, if he had been inclined towards air and not rooted to the ground, even Shandor might have gone the route Gideon had.
He listened to Gideon, each word stabbing him with emotional pain. And as he opened his mouth to speak, the other man held his hand up, stalling him.
"I'll add a stone to the grave in the morning. If you won't come to my aid now after leaving us so wantonly then you're dead to me, brother."
Shandor froze, still as a rock for a moment before his mouth closed, his eyes hardening. Sorrow flooded him, but so did acceptance. He would not walk the path of destruction he saw Gideon going down. The gods could very well be their only hope in this war-tone world. The gods might be the ones who truly came to save them in the end, and Gideon wanted them to not simply return to whence they'd came, but be destroyed.
A God's arrival couldn't be anything but cataclysmic, their departure when done so violently, would be even more so.
Silent, he stared at Gideon with gentle green eyes. After a moment, his eyes turned toward the gravestones, all in a line, and then he turned and walked away. "Goodbye, brother." The words were soft, drifting back to Gideon on the gentle breeze that passed them both by. Deliberately, not hurried but not lingering, Shandor returned to his horse, murmuring a prayer for his dead family, and looking once again upon the handsome visage of his brother, twisted by fury.
Then, as steadily as he had rode home, he turned away and rode away from it. There was still time to save the gods from Gideon's wrath. Or perhaps, him from theirs.
--end scene--
|Pages: (2) 1 2


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Tag Archives: crusading studies
Rita Orazi and Larissa Ross Present at the 2017 Hudson Valley Medieval and Early Modern Undergraduate Symposium
This past 25 February, Fordham students Larissa Ross and Rita Orazi presented at the 2017 Hudson Valley Medieval and Early Modern Undergraduate Symposium at the College of Mount Saint Vincent.
Larissa Ross presented her paper, "Daughters of the King: Medieval Female Piety as Seen in Julian of Norwich and Constance in Chaucer's Man of Law's Tale." In her paper, Larissa looked to Julian of Norwich and Chaucer to explore late medieval conceptions of the metaphysical nature of women and of ideal female holiness. Julian and Chaucer, contemporaries who influenced and were in turn influenced by the same cultures and ideologies, are rarely brought into conversation with each other. Larissa placed Julian of Norwich, a renowned holy woman, into dialogue with Chaucer's fictitious holy woman to see where both figures embody or toy with popular perceptions of what it meant to be a woman mystic considered holy.[Read on for more about Larissa and Rita's presentations] Continue reading
Heather Hill at the Digital Humanities Summer Institute
Over the week from June 5 to June 11, 2016, Heather Hill had the opportunity to visit the beautiful campus at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, for the annual Digital Humanities Summer Institute (DHSI). DHSI is a multi-faceted learning experience that brings digital humanists together from around the world. It includes daily classes, workshops, unconferences, networking events, colloquium sessions, and lectures throughout the week. This year, DHSI also coincided with the Electronic Literature Organization (ELO) conference being held on Victoria's campus, allowing interaction between these two digital communities.
During her visit, Heather took a course on text encoding, learning the basics of the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) and its complementary programs and organizations. She was able to apply what she learned immediately to the Independent Crusaders Mapping Project that is currently being developed by the Center for Medieval Studies. Students working on this project at the Center are encoding charters with TEI markup while also mapping the places of departure for each crusader. Heather will further be able to use TEI as she pursues a career as a digital humanities librarian next year at Pratt Institute.
Heather was also able to promote the work of Fordham's digital humanities community and the Center for Medieval Studies at the DHSI colloquium. On the first day of the sessions, Heather presented on the project "Exploring Place in the French of Italy" (EPFOI) and described the Center's methodology of mid-range reading. With this methodology, project members mapped place names without necessarily looking within a text, but they still acknowledged the individuality of each one. Audience members were receptive and asked several follow-up questions concerning how they could also utilize this method, seeming eager to replicate the process.
Heather would like to thank the GSA and the PDG committee for helping fund her visit to DHSI.
By Heather Hill
9 April Oxford Outremer Map Colloquium
This past 9 April, the Centre for Medieval Studies hosted the Oxford Outremer Map Colloquium at the Lincoln Centre campus. This colloquium, showcasing the work the Centre has done for the digitization project of Corpus Christi College MS 2*, a unique and somewhat baffling map of Outremer dating to the mid 13th century, served as an informal unveiling of the digitized map's website and an introduction to the debates surrounding the map and its curious composition. Broken into two parts, the colloquium addressed the authorship of the map and the use and application of a digitized text as opposed to physical interaction with a manuscript itself. Pre-circulated papers were presented and responded to by Evelyn Edson (Piedmont Virginia), P.D.A. Harvey (Durham), Asa Mittman (C.S.U. Chico), David Pedersen (Fordham), Nicholas Paul (Fordham, presenting on behalf of Sarit Kattan Gribetz, Fordham), and Abigail Sargent (Princeton, MA Fordham 2015), and Tobias Hrynick (Fordham), both of whom worked on the website itself. Two computers were provided during the colloquium for attendees and participants to interact with the new website and the digitized map.
The first portion of the colloquium, discussing the authorship of the map, had Evelyn Edson presenting her views on why the map was likely produced by Matthew Paris, a controversial writer and prolific cartographer of 13th century England. While this map, Edson related, did differ dramatically from Matthew Paris' other works, he had source material in the form of pilgrim and crusader accounts, early developing sea charts, and other world maps upon which he could have drawn to produce a unique, politically-aware representation of the Holy Land. P.D.A. Harvey, in response, contested that the map is too dissimilar to Matthew Paris' earlier maps ("Acre maps," as he referred to them, for their emphasis on the city of Acre over Jerusalem or any other city of the Levant), but he agreed that sea charts and other such sources as those Edson theorized may have inspired the map's style and presentation. Saying that Corpus Christi MS 2* is missing Paris' attention to detail, Harvey believes it to be a hasty copy of a larger, no longer extant, map, and, if Paris did indeed create it, it was by no means meant to be publically presented. Asa Mittman looked to the seemingly apocalyptic nature of the map, with the presentation of the tribes of Gog and Magog walled-off from, but very near to, the Holy Land and the city of Jerusalem, itself labeled and described in Latin, as opposed to Old French, in which the rest of the map is labeled. If Old French is used to convey the state of the Levant in the mid 13th century, Mittman presented, than the use of Latin for Jerusalem indicated the hope that the city will be returned to Christian control upon the completion of the Apocalypse, which Paris believed to have been in motion since the appearance of the Mongols in the Holy Land, themselves represented by the tribes of Gog and Magog on the map. The rhetoric of the map compares well to the portion of Matthew Paris' chronicle in which he says he was going to stop writing, as the end of the world was imminent, before beginning the next section when the apocalypse didn't quite materialize.
The second portion of the colloquium spoke to the use and value of the digitized map, and, indeed, of digitizing manuscripts generally. Asa Mittman presented both his reservations and his hopes for a project such as the digitization of Corpus Christi MS 2*. While nothing can replace actual physical contact with a manuscript (itself becoming more difficult as different methods of preservation hinder interaction with the texts), the digitization process allows for the content of a text to be paired with modern translations, bibliographies, glosses, and essays within a single website and made available to any and all across the globe. Digitization, Mittman believes, can never transmit the fullest meaning of a text to a researcher or student, as it deprives one of the physical interaction with which the text was made in mind, but it can allow for a significant measure of study of a text without having to pursue funding to go halfway across the world to enter into a secure library, itself requiring a lengthy request which may be denied, to access the material for a limited period of time. The lack of physicality in digitization is both a positive and a negative, as the text in digital form is a fragment of its true self, but is also no longer bound by space and time. Tobias Hrynick and Abigail Sargent responded to Mittman, saying that the stated intention of the Oxford Outremer Map Project was not to replace physical contact, but to allow a level of interaction with the text that one cannot have with it now, due to the need for the text to be jealously preserved for future study. The map is a text, and a digital copy of the text allows for a scholar to write upon it what notes and glosses he or she may need to aid in his or her own study, just as would have been done at the time of the map's creation. Perfectly capturing the spirit of the project was Tobias' closing statement, "The Lewis Chessmen were meant to play chess, and Corpus Christi MS 2* was meant to be doodled on."
Closing the colloquium were two presentations, one delivered by David Pedersen and the other by Nicholas Paul on the behalf of Sarit Kattan Gribetz, who could not attend. Both presentations displayed the possible use of the digitized map in a classroom environment, with David Pedersen showcasing online modules that could be used with class lectures to introduce undergraduate students to the use of maps as rhetorical devices and the symbolism of medieval cartography. Nicholas Paul presented on the use of the map in Gribetz's class, "Medieval Jerusalem," which provided students with a visual representation of the physical and metaphysical views of Jerusalem in Western Europe. Students who actually used the map in their classes attended the colloquium and provided valuable feedback about the online modules and expressed their satisfaction with the direction the modules were taking in their approach to using the map as lesson material.
The Centre would like to thank Evelyn Edson, P.D.A. Harvey, Asa Mittman, David Pedersen, and Sarit Kattan Gribetz for their excellent papers and presentations and for taking part in this valuable discussion. We would also like to extend our most hearty congratulations to Nicholas Paul, Tobias Hyrnick, Abigail Sargent, and all who worked on the Oxford Outremer Map Project for their own remarkable work in putting the website together and providing a creative and eminently approachable way of accessing the map for students and professional scholars alike to take the developing discussion further.
Dr. Nicholas Paul wins the Medieval Academy of America's 2016 John Nicholas Brown Book Prize
Fordham medievalist Nicholas Paul has won the Medieval Academy of America's 2016 John Nicholas Brown Book Prize, awarded annually for a first book on a medieval subject. His monograph, To Follow in their Footsteps: The Crusades and Family Memory in the High Middle Ages, is based on research first completed for his doctoral dissertation at Cambridge University. Further research for the book also took him to Spain and France where he examined family histories, archives, and crusader tombs.
According to the Medieval Academy, To Follow in their Footsteps "offers an original investigation into collective memory in the first crusading century. Paul draws upon widely-ranging sources (texts and material objects) in family history, anthropology, literary theory and sociology to illuminate the historical context and dynastic narratives of the Crusades."
The Center for Medieval Studies has been fortunate to work with this award-winning author as an instructor in our program and a collaborator on several digital projects. The Oxford Outremer Map Project is based on a map he first encountered while teaching a graduate course on the Crusader States, which was then developed into a digitally-enhanced interactive version, supplemented with geographic, historical, and archaeological data. As a contributing editor to the French of Outremer website, Dr. Paul has taken a leading role in shaping how scholars understand the wide range of French-language texts produced and circulated in the Crusader States. Dr. Paul offered the following observations concerning the connections between his writing, his teaching, and his work on the digital projects at the Center:
"Since the publication of my book, my research horizons have expanded in ways that I could not have imagined due entirely to the exciting developments in digital humanities at the Center for Medieval Studies. The projects that Medieval Studies have already sponsored, such as the Oxford Outremer Map Project, the project to edit and translate the legal texts of Outremer, and the new project to aggregate and map data related to independent crusaders, demonstrate perfectly of how digital approaches, tools, and platforms are making possible completely new modes of presentation and analysis."
Dr. Paul has suggested that these digital projects will form an important part of his work going forward, for several reasons:
"Each of these projects represents a piece of a much larger puzzle that I'm taking on in my current research: attitudes to the eastern crusading frontier in Medieval Europe. But aside from the data that they offer, the projects have acted as fantastic platforms for our graduate students to hone skills using digital tools and exercise creativity. They are also nodes around which new scholarly communities, such as the translation group working on the legal texts or the international team who contributed to our digital map, have coalesced. For all of these reasons, I look forward to the future of digital humanities at Fordham, and in particular with my friends, colleagues, and students at the Center for Medieval Studies."
We congratulate our colleague on winning such a prestigious award, and look forward to working with Dr. Paul on current and future projects here at the Center for Medieval Studies.
By Laura Morreale
Week in Review: Workshop on Databases for Medievalists with Dr. Maryanne Kowaleski
This past 5 February, Dr. Maryanne Kowaleski took a break from her appointment at Harvard University's Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study to deliver a presentation and lead a workshop on how individual scholars may develop and prepare a database to assist in their research. While the workshop was specifically meant to aid in the Independent Crusader Database project the Center is currently undertaking, the main points of how to construct a database easily apply to nearly any study or field of research requiring the organization of vast volumes of data. Breaking the entire process down step-by-step, Dr. Kowaleski began with which database software program to use and what each offers the prospective user. Be it Microsoft Access or Filemaker Pro, of paramount importance is that the user spends the time necessary to read through whatever manuals come with the software, including such additional guides as the ubiquitous "For Dummies" series. While this point might seem an obvious one, diving into a database program without knowing what that program is capable of, as, frankly, many people do with many types of programs, will leave you at a severe disadvantage. Like a painter who does not know how to mix his colours effectively, a researcher, working either independently or with a group, who does not know what his or her database program is capable of will only be adding information into a table without being able to do anything with it: the data will be an amorphous mass on a screen.
As Dr. Kowaleski related, it is all too easy, when compiling a database of any kind, to fill it in with as much information as the researcher finds interesting. One must limit a database to a specific type of record (detailing a marriage, an indictment, a person, etc.) to serve as a basis of investigation, and stick to that specific type so that each entry in the database does not stray into areas superfluous to the topic of research. Just because a particular point found in a source is fascinating, that does not mean it must be noted in the database unless it modifies the frame of the research topic, as will inevitably happen over the course of one's study. Focus and specificity are a database compiler's greatest allies; time, as in most cases, is not.
Herself using databases she produced and continues to augment and adapt with new discoveries for well over a decade, Dr. Kowaleski showed that a properly assembled database can illuminate mistakes in assumptions made at the beginning of the research endeavour, and can serve as a continuing work in progress as one moves on to further studies in the same general topic, as the database can be adapted as new information comes to light and foci shift direction. Far from set-in-stone, a database is something which can be modified and augmented as time goes on, making it an ideal method of note-taking when working on a long-term project and when relating a process of analysis to a wider audience. This, of course, applies to far more than historical research. We are in constant contact with databases, both appearing before our eyes and employed behind the proverbial scenes. Every time one buys something online, that purchase is catalogued and incorporated into databases displaying your buying patterns both individually and as part of the entirety of a seller's clientele. Demography relies entirely upon the employ of databases in order to present regional information collected in some coherent, useful way. The ability to chart and organize large quantities of information over a prolonged period of time is vital to any profession or academic discipline what requires the analysis of individual cases in relation to one-another under certain circumstances or within a specific context.
The Center thanks Dr. Kowaleski for her sharing her considerable knowledge and experience with us during her time on leave.
By Kevin Vogelaar
CMS launches the Oxford Outremer Map Project
On June 17, at Saint Louis University's Annual Symposium on Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Dr. Nicholas Paul and Dr. Laura Morreale publicly launched a major project sponsored by Fordham's Center for Medieval Studies, under construction since July of last year. In collaboration with graduate students and other center affiliates, they set out to create a digitally enhanced and interactive version of a map created by Matthew Paris in the thirteenth century, increasing its accessibility for further research. The website also features essays and discussion pages, as well as a methodological report on the technical work flow accompanied by a short video.
We are planning a colloquium to discuss this map on April 9th, 2016 at Fordham's Lincoln Center campus. For more information, contact email@example.com.
The Oxford Outremer Map Project


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An observational study of anaesthesia and surgical time in elective caesarean section: spinal compared with general anaesthesia
Document Type
Neuraxial techniques are increasingly used in obstetric anaesthesia. In our hospital, time constraints are the main problem when planning anaesthesia for elective caesarean section. Neuraxial anaesthesia is believed to take longer than general anaesthesia. The objective of this prospective, observational study was to compare time to surgical readiness and total operating room time with spinal with general anaesthesia for elective caesarean section at a Pakistani university hospital for a period of six months.
Two hundred and forty-five patients receiving either general or spinal anaesthesia were studied. The times of arrival and leaving the operating room, the start and completion of anaesthetic induction, surgical readiness, incision and completion of surgery, were noted.
The times for surgical readiness (general: 16.8 ± 5.4 vs. spinal: 21.1 ± 8.2 min), anaesthesia (general: 4.5 ± 1.4 vs. spinal: 8.1 ± 3.8 min) and surgery (general 50.8 ± 12.3 vs. spinal 54.8 ± 14.0 min) were longer in the spinal group, but emergence time (general: 12.2 ± 4.3 vs. spinal: 7.3 ± 2.7) was longer for general anaesthesia. No significant difference was found in the total operating room presence between the two groups (general 76.6 ± 14.4 vs. spinal 76.3 ± 16.3 min).
In our hospital, the use of spinal anaesthesia was not associated with decreased intra-operative time efficiency compared to general anaesthesia for elective caesarean section.
International Journal of Obstetric Anesthesia
Recommended Citation
Ismail, S.,
Huda, A.
(2009). An observational study of anaesthesia and surgical time in elective caesarean section: spinal compared with general anaesthesia. International Journal of Obstetric Anesthesia, 18(4), 352-355.
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_anaesth/77


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Say My Name: One Surprisingly Simple Way to Have a More Popular Business Online
The one thing I am sure is fact is that the very heart of having a popular business comes down to one thing: how likeable it is to other humans.
(And likeability is all about how well you serve those humans, whether that service means a friendly reply tweet to a fan or issuing a guilt-free, retaliation-free* refund to an unhappy customer.)
* retaliation-free refund: a refund in which you do not then take to social media or your email list and begin ranting about "This One Customer," your rights + philosophies as a business owner, and how people generally need to get into line if they want to enjoy the privileges of buying from you.
…But does it ever seem to you that, sometimes, the "how" behind delivering better service to people can sound like a complicated, tiresome chore?
I have to be honest. I sometimes feel that way.
(It usually happens when people start talking "systems" and "comprehensive client retention strategies." At that point my nowhere-close-to-Type-A personality becomes a small, weary puddle of discouragement.)
I am of the personal conviction that business is done better when it is done with more simplicity. So, today I'd like to give you a simple exercise that is so small and so straightforward that it takes NO planning, NO monetary investment, and NO big effort, yet still has a surprisingly profound effect on the likeability + popularity of your brand.
Here it is:
(Hello. Simplest Official Technique Title ever, right?!)
The Why:
In the famous book How To Win Friends And Influence People, lecturer and course developer Dale Carnegie said:
"Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language."
When we use people's names, we convey to them that A) we respect them, and B) they're uniquely important to us.
On the flip side, when people hear/see us use their names, they instantly give us more attention, trust, and view us in a more positive light.
So, let's get to the point: what does this ultimately mean for you?
More popularity, yes, but also this: studies have shown that appropriate and genuine use of people's names leads to more sales as well.
That's huge.
Remembering and/or using people's names is 100% free. It requires no employees, no equipment, no software, and no highly specialized training. To me, the choice to implement it and use it daily is an obvious one!
The How:
When you call people by name, you want it to sound as natural and sincere as possible. But in online correspondence where you're talking through text, this can be a little tricky.
Here are some examples of what you DON'T want to do:
"I am working on the contract right now and will send it over to you tomorrow. At that time please look it over and sign it, Molly."
"That article you shared is a great one. Lisa, thank you."
Notice how stilted and forced those sound? Here are examples of better ways to mention people's names:
Or, in an email you might say things like:
"Good morning, Jenni!"
"Hey Dan, thanks so much for giving me the heads up!"
"Is that more along the lines of what you were thinking, Jess?"
"I've gone ahead and issued you a full refund for last month, Tia — you should see it show up on your credit card statement within 24-48 hours."
"Did you have any more questions for me, Mark? I'm happy to help if so!"
"Talk to you soon, Lyn. :)"
There is such a thing as overusing names, though, so don't go overboard.
A good rule of thumb is to use someone's name AT LEAST ONCE per email or in an online conversation — but generally no more than two — maybe three — times.
(On social media, the very first reply is where I most often use their name. If you continue to have a few more back and forth replies — such as via Twitter or on your blog — using their name again isn't necessary. If you overdo it, it stops being awesome and begins to sound insincere.)
If you're writing an email and it's particularly long/more involved, I aim to use the person's name twice: once at the beginning and again near the end.
P.S. And remember: never, ever misspell someone's name. (There is especially no excuse for this online when the person's name is right in front of you.)
If the name is particularly difficult or unfamiliar, it's better to be safe than sorry — copy and paste it directly from their email / email address / social media profile / website.
Pick Your Challenge!
The best way to get into the habit of using names is simply to START! Today, pick one of the following and DO IT:
1. Write one (1) email today where you — naturally and sincerely! — use the person's name two (2) times.
2. Use names in comments/replies to three (3) different people on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Train Your Brain
Did you know there are some really fun ways to help you amp up your "talent" at recalling people's names?
Try out Lumosity's Familiar Faces or Name That Name!
There's also a cool app for the iPhone called Name Shark that quizzes you on the names and faces of acquaintances, classmates, clients, co-workers, and distant family members.
So, tell me. As a client or customer, do you like it when a biz owner uses your name? Do you make an effort to use people's names in your business communications? If not, is this something you're willing to try? Please leave your thoughts below!
To simpler service (and results that matter),
(Chief Olyvia)
Blog post photo (c) Caique Silva


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Hobbycraft is the largest arts & crafts retailer in the UK operating from 86 stores, with another 2 stores opening in 2016. Hobbycraft are seeking another 10 new stores to open in 2017.
The business reported an EBITDA of £6.8 million and a turnover of £141.1 million for the year ending February 2015. They offer a strong covenant; D&B 5A1.
Hobbycraft is selectively seeking new units with 7,000-10,000 sq ft of ground floor retail, sometimes including a trading mezzanine. They require an open A1 planning consent (or restricted if the sale of craft goods is permitted) and prefer stores on retail parks with a softer tenant mix, or retail clusters in stronger towns.
Hobbycraft retains Wilkinson Williams for new out-of-town store acquisitions throughout the UK.


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This was my 5th consecutive year painting at the Jubilee Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. At the conference, I am the artist in residence – meaning I paint during all the main session gatherings – and I also do some breakout seminars – this year doing WE ARE NOT TROUBLED GUESTS and one with my friend Justin McRoberts on Prayer.
get the art!
creation: http://scottericksonartshop.com/produ…
the fall: http://scottericksonartshop.com/produ…


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- View
- Add/Edit Basic Information
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Masarykova univerzita, Česká republika / Masaryk University, Czech Republic
Postal Address: Rectorate of Masaryk University Žerotínovo náměstí 617/9, Brno, 60177, CZ. Center for Healthcare Quality, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University Kamenice 126/3, 62500 Brno, CZ
Phone number:
Website: www.muni.cz/ www.med.muni.cz/cekz
Organisation Type: Academic
Organisation summary: THE MASARYK UNIVERSITY ( www.muni.cz and Faculty of Medicine www.med.muni.cz and Center for Healthcare Quality www.med.muni.cz/cekz) : Is the second largest university in the Czech Republic. In the academic year 2011/2012 it served a population of over 45.000 pre- and postgraduate students. Students of the Faculty of Medicine numbered 4500. The Center for Healthcare Quality is one of the Research Centers of the University. It currently employs 4 full-time employees, three of which hold an academic degree. The method of work predominantly used is project management integrating professionals from the various Faculties and Centers of the University for specific tasks. We are your one-stop shop for healthcare quality people contacts in the Czech Republic and in Europe. The creation of CeKZ involved the networking of human resources and materials in order to conceive, not a traditional "stone office" institute, but a distributed work-group with: - The ability to describe the environment and ongoing processes in the public health system - The ability to define the methodology and tools for implementing change - The ability to learn and implement project management (operational departments – all departments to employ the same methods and approaches to work) - A clearly elaborated conceptual and operational dimension (management and work-flow description of institutions)
Riche Classification
|All , First year of life: , 1-4 years , 5-9 years , 10-14 years , 15-18 years , Over 18 years , Genetic studies , Pre-Conception , Conception , Gestation: , Perinatal: , Neonatal: , Infant (first year of life / baby not walking): , Young (pre-school ) child (including those attending Kindergarten / playgroup / child care) , Child (primary school: broadly 5-10 years) , Older child (secondary school: broadly 11-16 years) , Adolescent (under 18 years) ,
|Health issues, determinants and measures:
|Fertility , Pregnancy , Obstetrics , Assisted conception , Health indicators , Addiction , Alcohol , Tobacco ,


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- Impact Reports
- 2017 Impact Report
- 2016 Impact Report
- Message from Dr. Spina
- Impact of Endowed Funds
- The Most Meaningful Impact
- Answering Curran's Call to Action
- A Valuable Partnership Supporting a Growing Need
- Giving Coaches What They Need to Succeed
- More Than an Education
- The Gift That Gives Back
- A New Home for a Vital Campus Program
- An Unexpected Path — and a Big Impact
- 2015 Impact Report
Thank you for your support.
Simple words, but heartfelt. It is you, our alumni and friends, who provide the possibility for our students not only to receive an excellent education, but also to experience life-changing opportunities at home and around the world. We are so grateful for your generosity and for the example you provide to each and every University of Dayton student. Your support allows us to continue our mission.
Our annual Impact Report explores the many ways donors make a difference in the lives of current and future Flyers. Every donor plays a pivotal role in continuing the UD experience. Check out the stories below to see how students' lives are impacted through gifts.
Message from Dr. Spina
A message to alumni, parents and friends from Eric F. Spina.
Impact of Endowed Funds
The University of Dayton endowment creates a base of perpetual support for the mission of the University.
The Most Meaningful Impact
At the University of Dayton, a gift's impact often goes far beyond bricks and mortar.
Answering Curran's Call to Action
Daniel Curran imprinted his bold vision on every University program and initiative, including a signature program of his legacy, the Human Rights Center.
A Valuable Partnership Supporting a Growing Need
For decades, the University of Dayton has been at the forefront of advanced research and technology.
Giving Coaches What They Need to Succeed
All athletic programs rely upon the quality of their facilities to attract top talent and compete on a national level.
More Than an Education
Wed-to-wed stories are common at any college, and the University of Dayton is no exception. Two examples? The Toias and the Pettys.
The Gift That Gives Back
Gifts of all kinds change lives at the University of Dayton, including gifts of time.
A New Home for a Vital Campus Program
Almost a quarter century ago, University of Dayton Emergency Medical Services took shape, and it has evolved into a vital — and life-saving — campus presence.


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Parveen Mittal, Country Head, Stratify Software India Ltd.
March 29, 3.30 pm
Parveen Mittal, Country Head, Stratify Software India Ltd.
March 29, 3.30 pm
About Parveen...
Parveen Mittal manages the operations of Stratify India, based in Bangalore. He is responsible for Engineering, Professional Services, Educational Services and Marketing activities from Stratify India.
Mittal has over 13 years of experience in business, financial and IT consulting services in India and the UK. Prior to joining Stratify, he was leading a Knowledge Management application development team in Satyam, a $500mn IT services company. Previously, Mittal co-founded and managed for three years, Knowledge Communities Pvt. Ltd, a start-up for building virtual teams of Indian IT and management Professionals. He has also worked in the Investment banking industry and with Ernst & Young, a global professional services company, successfully guiding consulting engagements for several Fortune 500 companies.
Mittal is a Post Graduate in Management from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and holds a B.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai
Rashika Jindal firstname.lastname@example.com


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ReSound ENZO 3D
Our newest Smart Hearing aids improve clarity, connectivity and hearing care convenience for your patients with severe-to-profound hearing loss. No matter where your patients are, ReSound ENZO 3D™ helps them pick up more sounds and speech throughout their day.
Looking for our consumer site?If you or someone you love has a hearing loss, we're here to help. Visit our consumer website for information on hearing loss, hearing aids and how to find a hearing care professional near you.
ReSound Smart app for Apple WatchControl the smartest hearing aids straight from your wrist
Stay updated on the latest ReSound and Apple Watch news.
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7 comments :
Your hair extensions look so good, great dye job!ReplyDelete
thank, this is mainly the first stage, i'm thinking maybe leaving it on for longer and going like a dirty blonde at the bottom?Delete
i'll follow you!xxx
- Anonymous24 June 2012 at 21:10
love this necklace!!ReplyDelete
follow you!if you want check out my blog!
Thanks! I will xReplyDelete


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The Milano Newby close coupled toilet is perfect for updating the look of any bathroom, en-suite or cloakroom suite at an affordable price. Featuring a white finish and clean lines, this modern toilet has been manufactured from high quality vitreous china.
The Itoilet comes complete with the water saving 4/6 litre dual flush cistern and the soft close seat, so no more bangs and slams.
Toilet, Cistern and Soft Close Seat Features:
|Weight (kg)
|Width (mm)
|Height (mm)
|Soft close
|Dual flush
|Projection (mm)
|Fitting type
|Close Coupled
|20 Years
All elements arrived on time
well packaged
but not in use yet
Reviewed by Anonymous on 05 February 2018
Toilet arrived as promised and in good condition, all appears in perfect order although not yet installed.
Reviewed by Chris T on 06 November 2017
I looked at similar toilets in showrooms, and when I saw their exorbitant prices decided to look online - hence buying this one. It's not the cheapest one, but was chosen because of its value for money. I am not disappointed.
Reviewed by Steve, Sutton Coldfield on 29 March 2017
looks good and has a high quality feel for great value
Reviewed by mavrick on 17 March 2016
Really pleased with toilet
Reviewed by AR on 13 September 2015
Great little cloakroom suite, easy to fit
Reviewed by Anonymous on 10 April 2015
very pleased with product.
Reviewed by Anonymous on 10 April 2013
Have you purchased the Milano Newby Toilet, Cistern and Soft Close Seat? If so we'd love to know what you think of it.
Additional charges may be applicable to Highlands, Lowlands and Islands – Learn More
Here at BigBathroomShop.co.uk we operate a 14 days return policy, so if you are not completely satisfied with your purchase(s) you'll be able to return it within 14 days of its delivery.
To speak with a member of our customer services team call 0345 122 7569 (dial +44 345 122 7569 for calls made from outside the UK).
Our hotline is open Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 9pm. Friday and Saturday 8.30am to 5pm. Sunday Closed. Full details of our returns policy can be found here.


text: Product Description Australia Flag A simple and affordable way to bring a piece of Australia to your home or event, our Australian flags will look good in any setting. Featuring a sturdy plastic flag pole to hold the nylon, these Australian flags make a great gift. Flag measures 6"wide and 4.5" tall Flag pole is 11" tall


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- Home
- Office & Organization
- Bookplates
- Cavallini & Co. Japanese Woodblock Bookplate
Product Description
Cavallini bookplates are adhesive with images from vintage archives. Bookplates are made from acid-free, adhesive paper stock. Eighteen pieces per set. Japanese woodblock bookplates feature beautiful Japanese woodblock images with a space for you to label your books. Using a bookplate in each of your books will complete your personal library.


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|Posted on December 13, 2012 at 5:40 PM
For UM Alumni you now only have to pay $50 a semester.
|Posted on July 21, 2012 at 10:10 AM
Hi guys! A few changes you should be aware of for the Fall Semester of Miami Ballroom:
1) Due to a lack of instructors, we will only be holding beginner classes in the Fall, with the hope of advanced classes continuing in the Spring (but if for some reason this changes we will be sure to let you know).
2) The executive board has decided that Miami Ballroom will be holding dance socials in the Fall ending withRead Full Post »
|Posted on April 21, 2012 at 10:30 AM
Check out the videos of all the performances from this years Dancing with the UMiami Stars HERE
|Posted on January 17, 2012 at 5:40 PM
Starting Spring Semester 2012
It is now $75 a semester for non-students and $100 for non-student couples ($50 for each of you)
|Posted on January 3, 2012 at 7:20 PM
Check out our awesome student performances from this year's Winter Gala: Blacklight Ballroom in the Videos section of our website! Most have been in Miami Ballroom for only 1 semester!
|Posted on September 10, 2011 at 5:00 PM
This is year we are trying something new by having dance socials at the end of each dance series. They will take place the hour after regularly scheduled lessons starting at 8pm on the date of the last lesson in a series.
These socials are designed to help our members review and practice what they have learned throughout the four weeks of a dance series in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. There will be food, music, and of course, dancing!
Hope to see you there! Email us if you have any ...Read Full Post »
|Posted on July 5, 2011 at 9:58 PM
Congratulations to one of our instructors and 2010/2011 treasurer, Jason Houston, who just recently got cast as an extra on the hit TV show Burn Notice for his ballroom dancing talent! Can't wait to see you on TV! We are so proud of you!
|Posted on June 9, 2011 at 9:18 PM
Click on the link to view the article. Also, check out a quote from our very own 2010/2011 treasurer, Jason Houston.
|Posted on May 21, 2011 at 12:44 PM
Due to popular demand, we will now be offering ADVANCED CLASSES in the upcoming fall semester. Go to our LESSONS page for more info.
See you in the Fall!
|Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:26 PM
On April 13, 2011 at the 2011 SOAR Awards, out of 250+ student organizations at the University of Miami, Miami Ballroom was awarded both the Most Improved Organization Award and the Excellence in Programming Performance Award!!!
All this would not have been possible with out the hardest working Executive Board on the planet, our dedicated members, and all those who put in the effort and support to make Dancing with the UMiami Stars possible. We thank you all!!!
Read Full Post »
|Posted on March 7, 2011 at 9:37 AM
|Posted on February 4, 2011 at 11:35 PM
Since this club in continually growing and becoming more well known on campus and in the Miami community, we thought it was time to give this club a little makeover to go along with our new, more contemporary image.
From this point on Miami Ballroom will be now known as:
Mad Hot Miami Ballroom
Miami Ballro...Read Full Post »
|Posted on January 23, 2011 at 7:37 PM
|Posted on January 23, 2011 at 7:32 PM
New prices:
$25 for students for the semester.
(this includes any kind of student: UM, college, high school, etc.)
$100 for all other members.
Read Full Post »
|Posted on November 24, 2010 at 3:08 PM


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The best way to keep up to date with Wivenhoe Town F.C.
Elmstead Road Colchester Essex Essex CO7 9HX View with Google Maps
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The covers will come off the Renault-powered STR12 at 4.30 pm at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with drivers Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat in attendance.
Also present will be team principal Franz Tost, technical director James Key and deputy technical director Ben Waterhouse.
Toro Rosso finished seventh in the 2016 constructors' championship using 2015-spec Ferrari power units.
For a full list of the 2017 car launch dates confirmed so far, as well as the full testing calendar, click here.


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Ciao dears,
I thought it'd be fun to share a few of my favorite summer recipes I've made in the last few weeks since it is officially summer now. Hope you enjoy. Do you have any favorite summer recipes? Comment below and tell me.
1.) Roasted Shrimp & Orzo Salad
I've made this the past 2 summers and everyone seems to love it, especially my mom (who asked I make it for her for Mother's Day) and my aunt (who demanded I give her the recipe! ha!). It is such a refreshing and tasty dish with a unique taste. I love the combination of the flavors from the dill, lemon, shrimp, olive oil, and scallions. Yum! It's great as either an appetizer or the main dish, or also a good dish to bring to a party. The recipe also makes quite a large amount, so you'll probably have some leftover if you're not feeding a large amount of people, which is good since as it sits in the refrigerator the flavors marinate and it tastes better.
- Kosher salt (*or Sea Salt)
- Good olive oil
- 3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta) * I use the whole pound and just add a little more olive oil.
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
- 1 cup chopped fresh dill
- 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
- 1/2 cup small-diced red onion
- 3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced
Directions:First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash (or 2) of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente(the best way to eat pasta, always!). Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.
While the water is coming to a boil, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for about 5 or 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. *Make sure not to overcook; the shrimp will be a pinky-orange color as soon as they're cooked. If you leave them any longer they'll get too tough.
Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Mix together well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving. *It tastes much better if you refrigerate it overnight or at least for 5 or 6 hours. It allows to flavors to marinate and get a little stronger.
Recipe adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-shrimp-and-orzo-recipe/index.html (I love Ina Garten! )
2.) Homemade Classic Lime Margaritas
While you could just use the bottled mix, a homemade anything is always better (assuming you know what you're doing…ha!). I'm a fan of fruity sweet mixed drinks in the summer. It's nice to read a good book and drink one while relaxing in the sun (or my air conditioned home). Yay Summer! Be sure to put it in a pretty pitcher and pretty glasses, and garnish with limes and/or oranges to make them more fun! Lol!
- For the homemade margarita mix:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (8-12 limes) (*Takes a few minutes to juice them, but tastes better than store bought lime juice.)
Aren't they pretty!
- For each margarita:
- 1 recipe homemade margarita mix
- 3/4 cup (6 oz.) silver tequila
- 1/2 cup (4 oz.) orange liqueur (Triple Sec)
- lime and orange wedges/slices for garnish (optional…but looks pretty!)
- Heat water and sugar in a small sauce pan until completely dissolved and the water is clear. Let cool. *Put in the freezer for a while to cool faster.
- Pour into a pitcher with lime juice. Homemade lime mix done! Leftovers will keep 7-10 days in a jar in the fridge.
- Add tequila and orange liqueur.
- Pour over ice and garnish with lime slices.
- To make frozen margaritas, freeze the lime mix into ice cubes. Blend the ice cubes with chilled tequila and orange liqueur until uniformly slushy.
Notes:Yields: 4 6-ounce servings Estimated time: 15-20 minutes
Recipe Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride (Love that site!)
3.) Homemade Blackberry Margaritas
Yes, another drink…it's summertime, I'm on vacation…lol. I love blackberries (and all berries really), so I thought these would be fun and tasty. They are.
- For the blackberry puree:
- 6 oz. blackberries
- 1/4 cup water
- For the cocktails:
- 3-4 oz. blackberry puree
- 9 oz. lime juice
- 9 oz. water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 oz. orange liqueur
- 3 oz. blackberry liqueur
- 6 oz. tequila
- Heat berries and 1/4 cup water over medium heat. (Save a few berries to throw on top or on the side of the glass for prettiness. )
- Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to break down the berries.
- Pour into a strainer set over a bowl and press the pulp and juices through the strainer and into the bowl.
- Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup water and heat until sugar is dissolved and the water is clear.
- Add puree, simple syrup, lime juice, liqueurs, and tequila in a small pitcher or carafe.(If you have trouble finding blackberry liqueur, omit it or replace it with a couple extra tablespoons of blackberry puree).
- Stir well and serve over ice. You can also freeze for a while if you prefer a more slushy drink.
NotesYields: 4 servings Estimated time: 30 minutes
Recipe Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride
4.) Shredded Orange Cupcakes With Almonds
I made these for breakfast one morning. They're easy to make and a cupcake that you can sort of get away with calling breakfast…haha. I found the recipe in this cute little cupcake book I bought recently. There's so many new cupcakes I want to try in there!
- 6 tbsp. butter, softened (or margarine)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
- 2/3 cup self-rising flour
- 1/4 cup ground almonds
- juice and grated rind of 1 orange
- 2 tbsp. toasted slivered almonds (to decorate) *You can toast them in either a toaster oven or the regular oven for about 10 to 15 minutes at about 350 degrees F.
Orange syrup:
- juice and grated rid of 1 orange
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put 12 paper cupcake liners into a shallow muffin pan.
- Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the egg. Sift in the flour and, using a large metal spoon, fold into the batter with the ground almonds. Fold the orange juice and rind into the mixture.
- Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until risen, golden and firm to the touch.
- Meanwhile, make the orange syrup. Put the orange juice, rind, and sugar into a saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Then simmer for 5 minutes.
- Prick the tops of the warm cupcakes all over with a fork and spoon the orange syrup over them. Lastly, scatter the almonds on top
Makes 12 cupcakes
Recipe Adapted from: The Cupcake: Life's Better with a Cupcake By: Love Food/Parragon Books
5.) Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
- For the lemon cupcakes:
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs, at room temp
- 3 tbsp. lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- For the strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream frosting:
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 4 egg whites
- 3 sticks butter, cubed and at room temperature
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 cup strawberry puree (from about 6 medium, hulled strawberries)
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare muffin tins with paper liners or baking spray.
- Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside. Cream butter and sugar on a high until pale, light, and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add eggs one at at time, mixing thoroughly before adding the next one. Add lemon zest and lemon juice. Turn mixer to the low. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches. Mix only until just incorporated.
- Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer shows only moist crumbs attached, rotating the pans at the halfway point. Allow cupcakes to cool completely in the pans before removing.
- Place the stand mixer bowl over a simmering pot of water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water). Whisk the sugar and egg whites until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture registers 160 degrees with a candy thermometer.
- Place bowl on the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until the mixture is cool and holds stiff, glossy peaks (approximately 10 minutes). Change to the paddle attachment and beat in one tablespoon of butter at a time on medium. The mixture might appear curdled but keep beating, it will pull back together. Add lemon juice, and strawberry puree. Increase speed to high and beat until the frosting reincorporates and is smooth and fluffy.
**Swiss Merengue Buttercream can be tricky, especially if you've never made it before. Luckily it's relatively easy to fix, should you make a mistake. Here's a page with some tips if you have trouble: http://www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride/archives/7640. (I was super excited that I have gotten quite good at making it, haven't messed it up once yet…lol. )
Notes:Yields: 24 cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Basic Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Estimated time: 1 hour
Recipe Source: http://www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride/archives/1260
I know I included a lot of pictures, but when is there ever a shortage of pictures in anything I post…ha, sorry, I like them. Hope you enjoyed. Let me know if you try making any of these.
♥ Xoxo Gabriella


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Corporate Giving
Perhaps your organization has a charitable foundation, makes charitable gifts to not-for-profit organizations in the communities where you live and work, or seeks to host a fundraiser or to volunteer. Albany Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc. welcomes and greatly appreciates these opportunities as well as corporate sponsorships. As a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit, donations to ATRC are tax-deductible to the amount permitted by law. Please contact us to discuss a range of opportunities at 518-765- 2764 or via email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
If you are an agricultural or service business and seek to donate feed/supplies/services or to provide a discount, we welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you.
Credit card donations may be made (one time or recurring) at http://www.gofundme.com/bdjwk8.
Check donations may be made payable to ATRC and mailed to:
Albany Therapeutic Riding Center Inc
182 Martin Road Exension
Voorheesville, NY 12186
Tax ID: 222351589
Thank you for supporting Albany Therapeutic Riding Center!


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Just added! I will be performing at a 'live' show taping of "EVB Live" (Channel 12 News) in Phoenix, AZ! Joining me will be Smooth Jazz Artists: Surewill, Gabriel Bey, Curtis Haywood, along with many others! Please join us at this event! More info on my "Calendar" page!
Purchase "Coast to Coast" And other titles now!
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Listings for Current Year takings are available after the first week of October. Tax Sales are conducted at the Auditor's office on the Third Tuesday of November at 10:00 AM CT.
To be eligible for purchase of property you must:
Properties taken in October have until the sale date to redeem. IRS has right to redeem property from purchaser up to 120 days after sale. Properties are sold "AS IS" with no warranties expressed or implied. There is NO guarantee of marketability. It is the perspective purchaser's responsibility to inspect the property.
There may be additional requirements needed to obtain mortgages or to sell property obtained by county deeds. CONTACT YOUR ATTORNEY to know what those requirements may be and what the additional costs may be incurred before you purchase.
Go to Documents and Links to find our listings!
Minimum Sale Price is where the bidding for properties will begin.
Next Sale Date: November 20, 2018. 10:00 AM CT


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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
NEW TECHNOLOGY....gives me a headache!
Don't get me wrong, I have a computer. I've worked my way through DOS, Windows 1.0, Windows 386, Windows XP and now, Windows 7. I loved WordPerfect but finally gave up and switched to Word when my floppy disks wouldn't fit into any of the newer computers, although I tried darn hard! I have more than one email account but even here I'm a little outdated...I still like the user-friendly format of AOL for my email. I pay bills on line, keep in touch with friends on Facebook, play Pinochle with live strangers on line, sell on eBay and even have this blog. I have a smartphone, a Kindle, a Nook and a Kindle Fire HD 4G LTE which I know how to switch from WiFi to cell in order to search the web if I'm in the middle of nowhere during a major downpour! I know how to save data on a thumb drive, flash drive or a DVD. Thanks in large part to having sons who guided me along the way, I know how to work all of these devices to handle most everything I need to do. But, thinking back on some of the jobs I've had in my life, I guess I have to admit that I am pretty old; in fact you could probably call me a dinosaur!
After that, I went through a number of jobs. I was a waitress, I did cold calls for a shop-at-home carpet company, I worked as a collection clerk for a law firm that did all of the collections for the Bambergers Department Store chain and I worked in the offices of the Benjamin Moore Paint Company (stinky job in the industrial section of Newark). All typing required in any of these jobs was done on a manual typewriter. My next position was as a legal secretary for a small law firm and for the first time I worked on an electric typewriter....so cool! Only problem was, no one had copy machines back in the stone ages, and legal documents had to be typed on onionskin paper in copious quantities using carbon paper. If you made a mistake, you had to correct all gazillion copies with an eraser and then line the paper up in the typewriter again and hope you retyped the letter in the right spot. I actually remember making a total mess of a document one day, and after redoing the entire thing, I stuffed the mangled copies under my skirt so I could throw them away in the ladies room which was out in the hallway because I was too embarrassed to throw them into my wastebasket!
Other jobs followed. I worked as a secretary in the Rehabilitation Department of Morristown Memorial Hospital, ran the office for an emergency elevator repair company, worked in the office of the Morristown Senior Citizen's Center and also worked many different jobs as a temp. I was the office manager for a Morristown architectural firm where I met my husband and then for a large law firm in Newark. But the technology during this period remained pretty much the same. Electric typewriters and adding machines were the tools of the day; no more counting on an abacus!
Other jobs followed, but not much was changing in the world of technology, but now we were moving into the realm of HOME computers! Our older son was the first in our family to get a home computer and it was a crazy Atari that worked in DOS. The printer paper was pretty much the size of an adding machine tape and since Al Gore hadn't invented the Internet yet, the Atari really only worked like a glorified typewriter, producing very tiny pages. Around the same time, my husband got his first portable phone; a crazy contraption that took a technician about three hours to install in George's car. The shoebox sized phone was mounted on a post drilled into the floor of the car and if you knocked it off of it's post you better move your foot if you didn't want a large bruise!
Back to where I started and why technology today gives me a headache. It seems that you just barely acclimate yourself to a new device like an iPad or Kindle Fire when it's replaced by something bigger or better or smaller or thinner and you're stuck with this obsolete relic. Forget disposable diapers, I'd like to know how many computers, laptops, eReaders and cell phones are filling up the landfills?!?
I totally lusted after the Sketchbook X app, even though my Android Smartphone isn't all that smart and isn't smart enough to have a stylus. And even though I can't draw anything that looks representative of anything except possibly a flower, I still want that app. My Smartphone isn't even smart enough to have the flashlight feature, and though it takes great pictures, I'm not scheduled for an upgrade with my Verizon contract.
My point is that every time some new and improved technology comes along, by tomorrow or the next day, some new widget or gadget is introduced that makes yesterday's hot item look like a telex machine. I'm just glad I have some brain cells left after the sixties to embrace some of the ever changing devices. This is why new technology gives me a headache!
March 1, 2013 Footnote: My husband asked me how I could have held so many jobs in such a short time. No, I wasn't hopping around from job to job like a bunny! Having grown up in Newark, I was intent on starting a life and the best way to start was to earn money. Most times when I was in my teens and twenties, I had two jobs, sometimes three. For example, when I worked for the collection attorney, I also worked evenings for the carpet company and weekends as a waitress.
Labels: Lynn's blog
THE JAMES DEANS - Moe Prager Series No. 3
Moe Prager is a former NYC cop, a sometimes PI and half owner of a small upscale chain of wine shops. He had almost made detective with the NYPD when he was pensioned out because of a serious knee injury. He and his wife are struggling with their grief following Katy's miscarriage.
Bored to distraction with the retail liquor business, Moe almost doesn't mind when he is bullied into investigating the disappearance of Moira Heaton, a young intern to up and coming State Senator Steven Brightman (a la Chandra Levy and Gary Condit). Wealthy mover and shaker Thomas Geary has his mind set on backing Brightman for higher office and since Brightman is still under a cloud of suspicion because of Moira's disappearance, Geary strong arms Prager into taking the case to clear Sen. Brightman's name.
THE JAMES DEANS is a good mystery, with plenty of twists and turns. But the best part is Moe Prager. He's a likable protagonist, using his luck and hunches to get to the heart of Moira's disappearance as well as providing the reader with the color and flavor of Brooklyn, Coney island and surrounding boroughs. You can't miss with this one!
Lynn's note: My son and daughter-in-law bought me a bag of books for Christmas....thank you so much! Knowing how much I love to read, they're hard pressed to find mystery and thriller authors who are new to me. One of the books in the bag was THE JAMES DEANS by Mr. Coleman.
I was in the middle of a bunch of other books and finally started this one on February 12th. Since then, in the last fourteen days, I've literally plowed through the entire Moe Prager series -- all seven books --and I've loved them all! One of the nice things about Mr. Coleman's series is that Moe Prager lives his life and ages as the books are written, unlike some other authors' recurring characters who seem to live in a time warp.
I cannot believe Reed Farrel Coleman's books haven't been as well recognized as others in the mystery/thriller genre. They are, in a word, TERRIFIC! Try one, you won't be disappointed!
Pub. Date: varies - 2005 - 2008 - 2012 eBook edition
212 pages
Paperback and eBook
Labels: Busted Flush Press, Mystery
Saturday, February 9, 2013
To be released April 2013
Having just finished a couple of very intense books, I decided to give DON'T GO a try since it was written by one of my favorite legal thriller writers.
Dr. Mike Scanlon is serving in Afghanistan, a handy theme when presenting the reader with hand-wringing drama. He's notified that his wife has died from a household accident, leaving his infant daughter with relatives. Now, Mike Scanlon is a doctor so you have to assume he is working with some brain cells. But Ms. Scottoline's protagonist makes such dumb decisions that you can see very early on just where this book is going and it's frustrating at best. I was actually moaning out loud to a friend that I couldn't believe he went back to Afghanistan and couldn't believe he signed a poorly worded temporary custody agreement with his wife's sister and her attorney husband. My friend kept telling me to shut up and even threatened to turn off her hearing aids since she wanted to read the book after me.
I have to admit that I've always tried to skip over the chick lit books written by some of my favorite mystery and thriller writers; John Grisham, David Baldacci and Lisa Scottoline to name just a few. Without the tension and intrigue of the thrillers written by these authors, the chick lit crossover novels they produce just seem to fall flat. What I realized is that these authors take themselves too seriously for the chick lit genre and fail to add the humor and comedic touch that make books by Jennifer Weiner, Sophie Kinsella and Helen Fielding such a pleasure to read and a fun way to spend an afternoon.
That said, DON'T GO is trite and predictable and takes itself too seriously. I was forced to finish reading this book to see just how bad it was, and it was bad! I would suggest you DON'T GO to your favorite bookseller or library for this one.
Pub. Date: April 9, 2013
384 pages
Hardcover and eBook
Labels: Chick lit, St. Martin's Press
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Seyko Groves began attending Graceway in 2004. This was a scary time, she describes, one full of transition. She had her first child on the way, had just graduated college, and wasn't married yet. She had attended her previous church since childhood, so making the change among everything else happening was challenging.
The biggest thing that struck her when coming to Graceway was the preaching. "It was undeniable," she recalls. "For the first time, the Bible was applicable to my everyday life. It provided an every day hope, I hadn't experienced that before."
She remembers attending The Summit, a missions conference, in 2008 where the music, the poets, the diversity stood out to her. And from that conference on she decided that Graceway was the church she wanted to be a part of.
Seyko quickly joined the praise team, started through discipleship, and sought every avenue possible to continue to grow. "Every decision I made was because I wanted to be around God; I wanted to be close to Him. I was discovering Him in a new way," she states; emotionally recalling this time in her life. The woman who was taking her through Directions at the time had to move out of state, but before leaving, she gave Seyko a journal. She told her to write her thoughts, hopes, and dreams to God. Seyko began writing every day. She wrote her emotions, regrets, failures, and ways God had been faithful to her.
She recalled a time she had a conversation with God. Crying out, "I don't know how to trust you, but show me how to. I don't yet live a life walking in that kind of freedom, I still long for it." Feeling like Satan lied to her, guilted her, from the things in the past. "But," she says, "I have experienced His compassions, His nearness. It was a beautiful thing."
She occasionally looks back on the journal seeing where God has brought her. In fact, the last page in her journal, of this two-year journey, was when she married her husband, Tyrone. She looks back to remind herself that God is the same; His nearness is the same. God always came through and always answered her prayers whether in a physical or emotional way.
"It's a peace that I can't really explain. God is the same but I'm not the same because of him. It doesn't matter what you're going through or what you've done, He is still God. I may not be a very confident person, but I can stand in confidence on that."
Seyko says she has been burdened lately with things going on culturally, the things we see posted all over social media. "We can be a reflection of the diverse kingdom of God," she says. "God is bringing in so many people to Graceway. It really lines up with where the world is going. It's a matter of engagement. It's about shedding the mask and just being real."
Her desire is for us, as the church, to be able to shoulder the tough conversations. "I believe the assembly has the power to be a place where we can not only have those conversations, but be able to engage with the same grace and truth that we receive from God. We need each other a lot right now and the walls, fear, and silence divide us and keep us from relating to one another in the freedom gifted to us by Jesus. "
It starts with being real, she describes — being authentic. "I, too, want to learn how to speak without judgement. I want church to be a safe place for God to work. I want to show that same compassions to others that He showed to me."
Even though she has been attending Graceway for years, it wasn't until just a few weeks ago, Seyko felt as if she really could say, 'I am graceway.' It was when hearing Jeff Adams say the tough words, she recalls, that she felt almost a sense of relief. "I was reminded that Christ's ugliest moment was our best moment."
It was a reminder that things are happening here at Graceway. "Wherever you're coming from, whatever your skin color is, you can come here. You are welcome."
When summarizing her story, she has this to say, "I can look back when I feel lost and know i'm not the same as I once was. I can relax and trust in that a little more. He can take those burdens and make it into something beautiful."


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'We have clearly seen in the last several years that Africa has emerged in the world's consciousness. It is no longer musicians singing for the kids with flies on their bellies and on their mouth, it is real business men looking for deals to make and making profit,' Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu, author and deputy governor of the Nigerian Central Bank, told a packed audience at the London School of Economics last week.
He's right. Sub-Saharan Africa is changing, fast. There are fewer wars, macroeconomic stability is improving and the global financial crisis - a 'theatre of destruction largely in the Western world' - has driven the world's opportunistic focus to Africa, he argues.
If you are looking for exposure to Africa, browse Money Observer's emerging market Rated Funds and 2014 Trust Award winners for top-performing suggestions.
'the stuff of dreams'
'You find a lot of multinational and global investment funds looking at Africa as the "last frontier" for wealth creation,' says Dr Moghalu. 'When the normal theatre of capitalist operation goes down, even in those parts of the world capitalism would normally sniff its nose at, if there is money to be made, they will create a new narrative to justify going there and making money.'
Although Moghalu calls the returns on the continent 'the stuff of dreams', he says the reality is more 'nuanced'.
Over three years, the MSCI World Index returned 38 per cent and the MSCI Africa Index just a third of that. But over the past 12 months, the World Index grew by just 6 per cent compared to 8 per cent for Africa. Within the last six months, the African index has consistently outperformed the MSCI World Index, suggesting a significant turn in sentiment.
'Contrary to the breathless prognostication of the 'Africa Rising' enthusiasts, Africa has become an economic opportunity in the world economy, but the continent has not fully emerged let alone risen. It has not risen as an economic presence; it has not risen as a co-creator of global prosperity.
'It has not risen because it is an opportunity for someone else, it rises because it in and of itself has brought itself to a place of reckoning and can play on an equal footing with other participants and creators of wealth in the world.'
Tapping into a resource that shoots the returns of dreams is at the top of every investors priority list, but it comes with plenty of caveats. Yet, for those who invest in the region before this 'rise', if it does occur, the returns could be substantial.
David Mcilroy, chief investment officer at Alquity Investment Management, knows his onions. His Alquity Africa fund, which employs strict environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in the investment process, returned over 16 per cent in the year to June, and has been relatively steady over the past few months. Investing most heavily in Nigeria, Mr Mcilroy favours the banking sector.
ESG standards include lots of safeguards; the energy efficiency of a company, its greenhouse gas emissions, staff turnover, training and qualifications, maturity of work force, absenteeism rate, litigation risks, corruption and revenues from new products. Mcilroy sees this process as a way to highlight both 'risks and opportunities'.
'Managers who are au fait with the ESG responsibilities tend to be the types of management who are au fait with the other aspects of the business as well, so you can kind of use it as a proxy for good management,' he says.
Stephen Hine, head of investments at ESG research house EIRIS, does warn that retail investors screening for 'responsible' companies may increase volatility in their portfolio as they remove particular sets of companies.
'That said, this tactic has a 30-40 year track record in some of the funds in the US and the UK and many have outperformed their peer benchmarks on a regular basis. Sometimes they underperform it, sometimes they are the same.
'And there are many other investments that have an investment style that would exclude companies for a different reasons: UK growth, UK income, etc. There have been enough players in this industry for long enough to make it possible that one can make a decent return, otherwise this industry wouldn't exist,' he explains in defence of ESG.
Hine thinks responsible investing has crossed a tipping point, garnering much mainstream strength. And while he notes that it is still relatively new on the African continent outside of South Africa, he remains confident that it can be successful across the continent.
'There are a number of different ways you can be exposed to Africa,' explains Hine. 'You could be investing in non-African countries that have an exposure, or you could be investing directly into the equities issued on the various African exchanges. In theory, you could also be investing in sovereign debt or, if you are a high net worth individual, into private equity.'
Investing in Africa
While some environmental damage is unavoidable in the mining sector, Mcilroy does not immediately blacklist these companies, as long as they adhere to ESG principles. In fact he invests in Tullow Oil, due to its high ESG standards and it trading with a 'reasonable' net asset value.
'We are looking for companies that offer the full range... so a highly profitable company but with some attractive blue sky and potentially exciting exploration base over the next 12-18 months.'
He also has a holding in 'topical' Afren. 'They are experiencing a bit of short-term volatility at the moment because the chief executive and chief operating officer have been suspended for allegedly making unauthorised [payments], but it looks like the company itself is not implicated. But, normally speaking, corporate governance standards in the more developed markets are a bit higher than in the smaller African ones.'
Following the South African Marikana disaster, where 34 protesting miners were killed, he has left platinum well alone, which has been of benefit to the fund due to the mining sector's less-than-stellar performance. And unlike most who want exposure to Africa as a commodity haven, Mcilroy focuses on the emerging consumer class.
The banking sector is one of the top performing in Africa, and Mcilroy takes advantage of what he calls the 'big sustainable story', with over 32 per cent of his holdings coming from the area.
'The banks in Africa are infinitely better run than some of the banks run here in the developed world,' he says. He looks for banks that are conservatively run, like Guaranty Trust Bank or Zenith Bank, which have high asset quality and post sustainable returns of 25-30 per cent.
'Historically it has also been a very good way of playing the growth in the African consumer. I have been doing emerging markets for 20 years... when GDP per capita reaches a certain level, the demand for banking services increases exponentially.'
Nairobi-listed Equity Bank Kenya has grown to be one of the biggest in Kenya and relies on mobile and agency banking - stalls providing banking services in markets, for example.
other sectors
'When I go home to Glasgow all the bank branches have been turned into pubs or restaurants because you don't need a branch network anymore, people want to do things on a mobile phone and Africans were doing it first in many cases.'
This leads into another sector Mcilroy is bullish on: telecoms. He has a holding in Safaricom, another Nairobi-listed stock that has been with the fund since inception.
'In Africa it [mobile phones] adds a real value to your life, farmers can check where the best crop prices are, fishermen can check prices of boats, because Africa has started from a relatively low base, the modern technologies have given African society a massive leg up.'
Although historically tough for investors to get into, Mcilroy is able to indirectly tap into the agriculture market through Orascom Construction Industries, the largest construction company in the Middle East with a large fertiliser division exporting into Africa.
Alquity Africa's largest holding is in Nairobi-listed Dangote Cement, which takes advantage of the infrastructure deficit on the continent and is expected to build the second-largest cement business in the world. 'The market is growing consistently at double digit rates' Mcilroy explains, adding that earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation margins are above 60 per cent and he is confident of its growth potential.
'For a retail investor, it is not our position to give advice, but if you are taking a high ten-year view and buy something like that [Dangote Cement] and tuck it away, look at it once a year. I think in ten years' time you won't be sorry.
'It doesn't matter to a great extent what Spanish property prices are, what Greek bond yields are, what Janet Yellen is going to say next week, because these themes are going to continue to play out as people continue to move from the countryside into the cities.
'Urbanisation and industrialisation will take place, it is taking place elsewhere in the world and Africans are no different, they have just been held back for various reasons, some of their own making but some not of their own making. With 21st century technology, they are playing catch up and they are playing catch up in a big way and for us that is the big excitement,' he concludes.
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Ten Books I've Added To My To-Be-Read List Lately
1. A girl who can SEE true love? Yes, please! Sound so good, and how adorable is that cover?! (Click on the cover to add on Goodreads!)
3. A thousand times, YES! I've been waiting for a tea leaf reading book! Also, goregous cover. NEED. NOW.
4. Rachel Vincent is an awesome writer, automatic TBR!
5. The thought of the messages that may be found in the book, give me the feels. Crazy to think about "last messages."
6. I adore Kasie! She is always good for a cute, quick read!
8. Added for this cover! But the story sounds cute!
9. Yes. Just, yes. Everything about this. I read an excerpt online and OH MAN. I need this yesterday.
What's been added to YOUR TBR recently? Leave a comment below!


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8. Integrating in Andalusia
We've taken a new step in the integration process : Nienke has announced that she would like to invite a friend to play at our house . Could we ask Marta? In the Netherlands it is quite common to ask a friend to come and play. Would that be the same in our white mountain village Casares?