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Tag Archives: schools
YMCA Outdoor Schools
Did you know Camp Chief Hector YMCA offers a variety of outdoor schools? Options include:
ECO School: This four-day program aims to develop environmental awareness and community building in an outdoor setting for grade 5 and 6 students. Student learning is fun, active and experiential. Outdoor school counsellors help students use maps to explore the site, examine various tree species, play the Predator-Prey game and build team-work through the low-ropes and challenge courses. Rate $215.25 (includes GST) per student.
Outdoor Experiential School (O.E.S.): This four-day program is designed for students in grades 7 to 12 and aims to foster positive social growth, group awareness and leadership development. Students participate in a number of activities designed to build teamwork and outdoor living skills. A major component of the program is the planning and completion of a full-day focus activity in one of three disciplines: Hiking, horseback riding or canoeing. Rate: $273.00 (includes GST) per student.
SunshipTM Earth: A four-day internationally recognized grade 5 and 6 program developed by the Institute for Earth Education that encourages students to reconnect with the earth and reflect upon their ecological practices. Students learn about energy flow, cycling, diversity, community, interrelationships, change and adaptations. Activities such as helping a giant leaf photosythesize, building soil from rocks and playing the role of a squirrel as its food resources change, helps students to understand these concepts. Students also take part in the Predator-Prey game, team-building activities and the construction of a small world. Rate: $225.75 (includes GST) per student.
Hector Spring School: A four-day program designed to meet various learning objectives from the grade 5 and 6 science and social studies curricula. Students will learn about the food chain as they play the Predator-Prey game and revisit the past as they explore our Voyageur heritage. During their day hike, students will venture around the foothills and learn to identify the various tree species. Students will learn about the stories of early Canadians as they participate in cultural activities, such as tipi living and animal tracking. Rate: $220.50 (includes GST) per student.
Custom Bookings: Programs are available for school groups who want to work together and develop leadership skills. With the guidance of YMCA staff members, students are able to participate in activities such as initiative games, low-ropes, archery, hiking, the challenge course and the high-ropes area. It is also possible to book our site for teacher-facilitated programs or band camps. Program length can range from a one-day experience to a multiple day residential program. Rates vary depending on program options.
- Click here to find out more about YMCA Calgary outdoor schools; or
- Call (403) 673-3858 extension 201
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Data Economy
Data protection, too many obligationsThe legislation agreed in mid-December by Parliament and Council negotiators marks a crucial step forward in getting away with a calamitous patchwork of national laws on data protection. However, it contains a number of inconsistencies that could negative [read more]
The legislation agreed in mid-December by Parliament and Council negotiators marks a crucial step forward in getting away with a calamitous patchwork of national laws on data protection. However, it contains a number of inconsistencies that could negatively affect Europe's digital ambitions.
It took nearly 4 years of bitter negotiations for the EU to strike an agreement on a sweeping overhaul of its data protection rules. But it was worth it. The legislation agreed in mid-December by Parliament and Council negotiators marks a crucial step forward in getting away with Europe's calamitous patchwork of national laws on data protection.
The previous EU rules dated back to 1995 and their varying interpretations by Member States have contributed to create significant regulatory uncertainty while hindering innovation in critical sectors of the economy.
However, the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is far from perfect. It still presents multiple critical aspects. For instance, it fails to create a level playing field for telecom operators.
Following its introduction, the electronic communications sector will be forced to abide by a twofold regulation, complying with both the new data protection legislation and the ePrivacy Directive.
If Europe is serious about supporting growth and innovation in its digital markets, this asymmetry should be addressed as soon as possible. Otherwise it will place yet another burden on a sector which has been hit hard in recent years by a slow economic recovery while being under pressure to invest more in digital networks in order to meet the EU broadband targets.
As many know, the on-going Internet evolution has been providing breeding grounds for several new telecom-like services (including OTT services) to grow.
The point is that, unlike traditional telecom providers, such services are not necessarily bound by the terms of the ePrivacy Directive, although they are functionally equivalent to one another.
As a consequence, different rules applying to equivalent services inevitably create unfair competition between telecom operators as well as legal uncertainty and general confusion among consumers.
In order for consumers to benefit from a consistent regulation, regardless of the service provider in question, a prompt revision of the ePrivacy Directive is thus required.
But the negative implications of the new regulation on data protection could be larger, stretching far beyond the telecoms sector.
DigitalEurope, the main association representing the digital technology industry in Europe, believes that the legislation fails to strike the proper balance between protecting citizens' fundamental rights to privacy and the ability for businesses in Europe to become more competitive.
The text agreed upon between the European Commission, European Parliament and the Council of Ministers contains a number of stringent obligations that could be very costly for IT businesses, undermining their ability to invest, innovate and create jobs.
European businesses, traditionally less equipped to meet these obligations, could be hit hard. And, of course, this is in stark contrast with Europe's ambitions to create a generation of home-grown global leaders in the tech sector.
Another matter of concern is the so-called is the compromise reached on the so-called "one-stop-shop", according to which tech companies operating in different countries will deal with only one data-protection authority, namely where their European headquarter is based.
As Member states managed to weaken this principle, as recently reported by Reuters, some obervers believe that this will create more legal confusion and litiges (for instance, to determine what is the concerned national authority). Again: the bill for the companies could be very expensive.
Following the political agreement reached in trilogue, the final text of the data protection regulation will be formally adopted by the European Parliament and Council in a few weeks. Maybe there is still room to fix its inconsistencies.
Photo credit: Martin Fisch
Digital Single Market
Kaja Kallas: DSM strategy should keep away from digital protectionismOn Tuesday European Parliament will vote its position on the Digital Market Strategy (DSM). The raportuer for the text, MEP Kaja Kallas, explains what the legislative assembly is asking the Commission: i.e. more pro-innovation policies, more support to t [read more]
On Tuesday European Parliament will vote its position on the Digital Market Strategy (DSM). The raportuer for the text, MEP Kaja Kallas, explains what the legislative assembly is asking the Commission: i.e. more pro-innovation policies, more support to the sharing economy, less digital portectionism.
The Digital Post: What are the main requests laid out in the EP position on the DSM?
Kaja Kallas: The most important aspect of this report is its overarching strong support for innovation- friendly policies and its pro-innovation tone, especially with regard to online platforms. To point out some more specific paragraphs, I would emphasize the digital transformation plan and the big data review which aims to remove barriers to promote innovation in the data driven sector.
TDP: What are the actions, if any, stated in the DSM that the EP would like to be tweaked or on which it has some doubts?
KK: The EP report is sceptical of the Commission's approach when it comes to platforms and is somewhat critical of the consultation which had leading questions in it. We are not sure if the outcome is the result of open questions or whether it is based on the ones that were a bit leading.
The EP's report clarifies things that the DSM strategy does not. For example, it is clearly against consolidation in the telecoms sector. Also, the once only principle to be applied in public administration (so not just a pilot project) is brought in, and it goes beyond the strategy on things that we felt were necessary to cover in the report (sharing economy and the digital transformation of the industry for instance).
TDP: How the EP position is supporting sharing economy, as you have stated?
KK: The report shows strong support for the sharing economy and calls for the removal of artificial barriers which hinder its growth. This will enable us to reap the benefits of the digital market and create new opportunities for businesses, citizens, public bodies and consumers.
The report even states that employment laws should be updated to allow new flexible forms of employment to emerge.
TDP: What do you think of the approach of the Commission as regards online platforms?
KK: The consultation launched by the Commission seems to have been more focused on calming down the voices in some member states asking for protectionist measures against American companies.
There is nothing wrong with investigating whether there are problems, but the questions we pose should be open ended and aimed at really understanding the problems. This should not be about protectionism.
photo credit: Dan Mason
A conversation with
Nell Watson: How Artificial Intelligence is going to shape our societyArtificial Intelligence is here to stay and is going to change our civilization in profound ways. That is why we must learn to live alongside machines and to make the best of their intelligence, argues Nell Watson engineer, entrepreneur and futurist think [read more]
Artificial Intelligence is here to stay and is going to change our civilization in profound ways. That is why we must learn to live alongside machines and to make the best of their intelligence, argues Nell Watson engineer, entrepreneur and futurist thinker at Singularity University.
How do you see the AI developing in 10 years time? And what kind of challenges you see in perspective?
What are the main changes in our society that would result from such an evolution of machine learning?
What would be the negative impact and how to avoid it?
What kind of regulation would be needed? Should decision-makers start looking into it as of now?
Within the cultural landscape, if you should choose a science fiction book or movie, which better describes a likely future about the evolution of the Artificial Intelligence?
Nell Watson is an engineer, entrepreneur, and futurist thinker who grew up in Northern Ireland. She has a longstanding interest in the psychology of technology, and how that combination creates emerging social trends. Nell lectures globally on Machine Intelligence, AI philosophy, Human-Machine relations, and the Future of Human Society.
Digital Single Market
Dita Charanzová: Over-regulating online platforms is not the answerPlatforms will be a major driving force for the economic growth in Europe and that's why we have to show common sense when it comes to legislating on them, argues Czech MEP Dita Charanzová in a interview with The Digital Post on the sidelines of the Te [read more]
Platforms will be a major driving force for the economic growth in Europe and that's why we have to show common sense when it comes to legislating on them, argues Czech MEP Dita Charanzová in a interview with The Digital Post on the sidelines of the TechFast session at Hanover Brussels.
How do you see the role of the European Parliament in the current debate about platform regulation?
Is regulation needed to address the dominant position of some platforms, i.e. to level the playingfield in the digital sphere?
How the EU can protect consumers without hurting the European startup ecosystem through over-regulation?
What are the right policies to help the European tech sector to compete with its US counterparts?
photo credit: daliscar1
Digital Single Market
Slashing red tape for civil dronesWhile the European Parliament is due to adopt a report outlining legislation plans for civil use of drones, the European Aviation Safety Agency is looking to alleviate the bureaucratic burden for the operators. International civil aviation has been built [read more]
While the European Parliament is due to adopt a report outlining legislation plans for civil use of drones, the European Aviation Safety Agency is looking to alleviate the bureaucratic burden for the operators.
International civil aviation has been built on the basis of the Chicago Convention (1944) among whose cornerstones one may notice Article 31 (all aircraft need a certificate of airworthiness (CofA) issued by the aviation authority) and Article 32 (each pilot needs a valid licence).
These two dogmas stood for decades, but today the fact is that we have thousands of small drones flying around without CofA and piloted by skilled remote pilots, who however do not hold a formal licence issued by the authority.
This situation is not illegal. On the contrary, several States in the world have promulgated rules which allow to authorise the operator (e.g. if the drone is less than 25 kg) to carry out commercial specialised operations (alias aerial work) in the absence of formal CofA and pilot licence. This is the case for France, Germany, Italy, UK and several other States around the world.
In the European Union (EU) civil drones above 150 kg are subject to current EASA rules and therefore to an impressive amount of paperwork: type certification of the design; individual certificate of airworthiness (CofA) for each produced drone; pilot licence and medical certificate; licence of certifying staff for maintenance; approval of organisations involved in design, in production, in maintenance, in operations and in training of licensed professions; approval of major changes by EASA and few more.
The "Riga declaration" signed by the political EU authorities at the maximum level last March, envisaged the possibility of extending the mandate of EASA to drones of any mass, but based on "proportionate" rules.
It is clear in fact that a small drone of few kilos, operated at few metres above the ground in the countryside has little possibility of causing a catastrophe. On the other side is equally clear that the terrific amount of paperwork summarised above would be unbearable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
But what does "proportionality" means? Sometimes I say, in non-bureaucratic but expressive terms, that proportionality means: "neither kill humans … nor SMEs".
So the major aviation safety regulators around the world, in 2015 began to think seriously whether the historical dogmas, and associated long list of official papers issued by the aviation authorities, should be maintained or not for small unmanned aircraft.
In February the USA Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to allow drones of less than 25 kg to fly without CofA. In March, immediately after the Riga Declaration" EASA published a "Concept of Operations", proposing three categories:
– "open" (low risk for society and no official papers issued by the aviation authority);
– "specific" (medium risk and only one mandatory paper from the authority: the operational authorisation or operator certificate);
– "certified" (high risk and the long list of certificates and approvals normally required for commercial aviation).
These ideas seem to be supported by the TRAN Committee of the European Parliament which has drafted a motion to urge the Commission to propose EU legislation for drones, including small ones, of course based on said principle of "proportionality".
….but: do the citizens agree? Now they have the opportunity to express their opinions, since anyone can comment on the Advanced EASA Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) 2015-10[1], open for comments until 25 September, and which indeed develops more detailed proposals for the three categories, in preparation of the future EU legislation on the matter.
I would therefore urge all involved stakeholders to consult this A-NPA and to possibly comment. This A-NPA could lead to a proposal to amend the Basic EASA Regulation (EU 216/2008) and announces that, subsequently, EASA will propose implementing rules, while standard making bodies (e.g. EUROCAE) will develop industry standards.
The A-NPA states that one issue is the "huge number of drones: the production rate of small drones is simply unprecedented in aviation. In 2014, the two main manufacturers of small drones have produced around 1 million drones and they plan to produce the double in 2015. Such numbers go beyond the current NAA or Agency certification capacity".
True. But hence to protect society we need more resources to oversee this emerging segment of industry. It is very unlikely that States will assign additional resources to aviation authorities to cope with drones; but additional resources could be provided by the market, through "qualified entities" (QEs), if only industry and operators were allowed to contract them.
Today Art, 13 of the Basic Regulation allows QEs to be contracted only by authorities. I guess it should be amended to allow QEs, once accredited by the authority, to stay on the market and support collective safety though independent assessments.
The most controversial point may be the "open" category, subject to no formal approval, but subject to a DG-GROW Directive on the safety of products, addressing manufacturers, but also importers of e.g. Chinese products.
The Directive would contain not only essential requirements, but also the obligation for the vendor to clearly inform buyers on the operational limitations (e.g. not above 50 m of height). An operator going beyond such limitations would be illegal and enforcement mainly delegated to police and not to the aviation authority.
This approach is not necessarily unsafe, providing the thresholds of the category are wisely set and the operational limitations as well. And especially if insurers and QEs would de facto impose market rules, beyond legal obligations. But it is definitely a very novel approach for the aviation community: I am sure that it will attract a lot of comments.
[1] http://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/notices-of-proposed-amendment/npa-2015-10
Picture credits: dronesurvivalguide.org
A conversation with
Kaja Kallas: How the emerging app economy can make Europe strongerIf we want the European digital sector to thrive we should focus more on promoting a cultural change than on regulatory intervention, argues MEP Kaja Kallas. What should be the right regulatory conditions to help the European digital comp [read more]
If we want the European digital sector to thrive we should focus more on promoting a cultural change than on regulatory intervention, argues MEP Kaja Kallas.
What should be the right regulatory conditions to help the European digital companies emerge and become global leaders?
I feel that very often less is more. If we think about all the possibilities we have today and all the new business models that have emerged, then we should keep in mind that these have been created in a rather innovation-friendly regulatory framework in that field. We should therefore be very careful before introducing new regulations.
What we should however promoting is a change in the way we treat failure in Europe – not through regulation but through cultural change- failure is not a bad thing, it shows that at least you tried. If more people are not afraid to fail, then more people will be encouraged to start something new.
The growth of the app economy is certainly creating jobs. However, in the eyes of its critics it may, by disrupting traditional business models, be also destroying jobs. How would you respond to these concerns?
Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson have written a very good book called "Why nations fail?" In that book they show through different historical examples how people have always tried to protect the traditional sectors whereas in order to be successful you should embrace creative destruction.
It means that yes, old jobs will disappear, but new jobs will emerge. You can fight against the knitting machine but if it has already been invented, it will come sooner or later and the craftsmen will have to find new jobs.
How the European Union should address the "threats" the app economy poses on trust and security?
Trust and security are important pillars of the internet economy; service providers have understood this as trust is at the heart of their business model which means that the market already regulates this to some extent. However, from the policy makers side we have to ensure that the right framework is in place for people to trust service providers with their data.
This means that it must be clear that the person is owner of his or her own data and he/ she can decide who can access and use this data.
In November you voiced skepticism about the European Parliament's resolution requiring the unbundling of search engines. Why going down this way is a bad idea?
I think the debate was on wrong grounds – it was about one company in particular. My statement was that it is wrong for the parliament to start intervening in the investigation procedures that the Commission is already conducting.
The Commission has the right to demand unbundling if it finds that the search engine is an essential facility and abuses its dominant position.
The Commission has the tools to deal with this and the Parliament should not make it political.
How do you see the debate about the so-called principle of "platform neutrality"?
It is a very wide question. In general it seems to me that there is a push from some stakeholders to shift the discussion from net neutrality to platform neutrality that would only be applicable to one US Company. I do not think this is right as we might end up harming our European companies even more.
There are many layers to this discussion. First, the use of one platform does not necessarily preclude the use of another similar platform. If one is more user-friendly than the other one, people will change from one to another, as the switching costs are often quite low.
In addition, due to low barriers to entry and the limited cost of creating internet platforms, new ones can emerge quickly.
On the other hand, some platforms might have network effects that can make market entry more difficult for the newcomers.
Thirdly, many of the business models of internet platforms are built on unneutrality.

subset: commoncrawl


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TV Show Patrol's Curt Wagner: David Letterman to Netflix
This week on the program Curt Wagner talks with Bill and Dane about all things television and entertainment. 'Disney' has announced to start their own streaming service separate from Netflix, Curt explains how households will soon have to subscribe to multiple streaming services. David Letterman has announced that he is starting a new talk show on 'Netflix'. Bill, Dane and Curt talk about his highly anticipated comeback.
You can find Bill and Wendy on Twitter at @billwendyshow, and on Facebook at Bill Leff and Wendy Snyder. The Bill and Wendy Show airs Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to Noon, plus an online-only bonus hour from Noon to 1 p.m


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Whether you have a garage door that isn't working or are planning to build a property in Charlotte, NC with a garage, you can rely on us for the overhead door installation process.
Overhead Door Installation in Charlotte – Overhead doors are used on both commercial and residential garages to provide protection from intrusion. They can roll or slide up to allow access in and out, then close and only allow access to those who have the openers. Garages are very useful on both homes and offices or warehouses because they offer valuable storage space for items that don't have to remain inside at all times, such as tools, equipment, inventory, and other similar items. Whether you have a garage door that isn't working or are planning to build a property with a garage, you can rely on us at AmeriServ Garage Doors and Openers for the overhead door installation process.
When our technicians begin an overhead door installation service, we always start by ensuring that the door selected will fit properly and provide a tight seal. If you haven't already chosen a style or can't find one you like, we offer custom options to complement your home or office and your personal style. We will then begin the overhead door installation process by placing the components and securely attaching them and connecting them together.
The process of overhead door installation can vary because different doors operate in unique ways. We generally use Clopay garage doors, which are some of the best in the industry. If you would like to schedule an installation service in Charlotte, North Carolina with one of our knowledgeable technicians, please don't hesitate to give us a call.
At AmeriServ Garage Doors and Openers, we offer overhead door installation services in Charlotte, Concord, Davidson, Gastonia, Kannapolis, and Mooresville, North Carolina, as well as Fort Mill and Rock Hill, South Carolina.


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Our military veterans have risked life and limb in the service of our country and to try and give back, WTB partnered with the Semper Fi Fund to create a mountain bike skills clinic. Each of the sixteen participants at the inaugural event discovered a passion for mountain biking along their path to recovery.
Their instructors over the course of a three day weekend were Mark Weir and Jason Moeschler, two long time friends who have won traded off numerous wins and podiums at the Downieville Classic All-Mountain World Championships.
Each of the service members who attended the event were given a limited edition America themed WTB Volt Team saddle as a token of appreciation. Later this summer, WTB plans on producing an additional batch that will be sold in stores, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Semper Fi Fund. For those unfamiliar with the organization, the Fund is a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to military veterans during their hospitalization and recovery.
For more photos of the weekend, head over to WTB.


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Tell us about the centre.
The Al Noor Centre is the first of its kind in the region and has grown from just eight children in 1981 to more than 250 – plus an ever-increasing waiting list – today. It aims to help individuals with special needs achieve their potential and provides a comprehensive training programme including therapy, work placement, computer and vocational training. We have children with developmental delay, children who find it difficult to fit into a normal social setting, such as a regular school, children who are physically or mentally challenged, as well as those with social-skill problems including Down's syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism. The children in the core programme are aged three to 21, and we run early intervention programmes for children from birth.
You offer creative subjects like yoga, music and dance, too. How does this help?
Music and dance are activities everyone should enjoy, whether they have special needs or not. The children respond to music very well and they enjoy sports and yoga, so their physical and mental development can only be helped by that.
How do parents get involved?
Parents are an extremely important part of school. Families in Dubai come from many different cultural, national and economic backgrounds and their expectations for their children's education are very different; so we work with each individual family to come up with the best curriculum and learning strategies tailored to their own child. We also have a psychologist at the centre who counsels, not only the children, but the parents, too – offering extra support and building a relationship between school and home.
Who pays for the centre and why do you need more money?
Because of our large, professional team, fees for our students are subsidised. We have special educators, speech therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists and classroom assistants, so the cost of educating our children is dramatically higher than for children who attend a typical school. The cost for parents would be rather prohibitive if left solely to them so we have had a lot of help from supporters over the years. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum built the new centre in Al Barsha for us. Since the highly subsidised fees do not cover the full amount of the training programme, the centre raises the remainder through events, campaigns and projects. In certain cases, the entire training for a child is sponsored. The centre receives no official or fixed funding from any source, so expanding our services is a problem. That's why fundraising is really important for Al Noor.
Tell us a little about your credit card campaign.
Launching this month, it will last a year and has three objectives. Firstly, because of the current economic climate, our partners have been negatively affected so large donations are not easy to come by. This campaign aims to get smaller donations from more people. Secondly, by using their credit card to donate, it gives people a small bit of involvement with our cause and having the community involved at this level is very important for us. Lastly, it will hopefully be regular, meaning that we have a continuous income of donations. We're asking people to donate a minimum monthly amount of Dhs25.
What about other fundraising events?
We'll be launching our annual greeting card and handicraft catalogue this month, then we have a raffle in November or December. The catalogue consists of brilliant artwork from professional artists, local school children and artwork by our own students, which are then made into greeting cards. The public can buy the cards and crafts from the school and they will soon be available on our website, www.alnooruae.ae.
How can readers of Time Out Kids help?
Every alternate Monday afternoon we will be encouraging people to come into the centre in small groups. We will give a presentation about Al Noor and a tour around the centre. We want to offer people the opportunity then to decide where they'd like to volunteer within the school, as we have many different areas and we always need volunteers.
If you would like to make a donation to the Al Noor Centre or learn more about its programmes, contact 04 340 4844 or email@example.com.


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Neurotransmitters (brain hormones) become disregulated causing shortage of serotonin as well as shortage of amino acid tryptophan (pre-cursor to serotonin), as well as shortage of magnesium, and high levels of something called Substance P (not a clue what that is). Then we get sensitized nerve endings causing hightened pain levels (we know about that one!!), sensitivity to noise (dont have that one but my neighbour does), thermal fluctuations (oh yes!), and understandable exhaustion after that lot. I think I've had this condition for an awful lot longer than I thought, and it most def. is not in my head. It's real, it's horrible, and if this info. is out there for me to find, how on earth can they justify insisting it's not?!!! As we know, stress is NOT helpful either!!
This is the 1st time I've seen the whole thing in coherent terms and it does make sense. If anyone has any more info. - I'm wondering if the endocrine system & immune system can be affected because that would make even more sense. G'night (I hope) and sweet dreams. x


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A press conference was held on March 5 to mark the advent of the GCC Traffic Week titled 'Your Safety is our Objective', which will take place from 9th to 15th of this month.
According to a press statement, the Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs at Ministry of Interior Major General Abdul Fattah Al-Ali said the GCC Traffic Week is a good platform for exchanging information, ideas, the efforts exerted for traffic affairs and achievements, and for discussing future strategies and plans for solving traffic congestion. He praised the role played by the media and Kuwaiti newspapers in spreading awareness and conveying news in a true and sincere manner.
Major General Al-Ali presented achievements made by the General Traffic Department in 2013 such as engineering projects, the national strategic project for traffic, and projects for implementing latest technological methods. He also presented some traffic statistics.
He announced that the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled has approved the project for establishing the first traffic radio channel in Kuwait, which is considered first of its kind in the region, adding that its objective is to spread more traffic awareness in the country.
Regarding the GCC Traffic Week, Major General Al-Ali explained that GCC traffic week is dedication of one week for spreading traffic awareness, clarifying that this event does not mean more number of citations will be issued against traffic violations.
Others who spoke about the achievement of their respective departments included the Director of Traffic Engineering Department Colonel Saadoun Al-Khalidi, Director of Special Training Department Colonel Hesham Yasin Abdallah and the Head of the executive committee for GCC Traffic Week Colonel Tawheed Al-Kandari.
"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed."
"Envy comes from wanting something that isn't yours. But grief comes from losing something you've already had."


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Blake is a poet, author of 14 books, international teacher and workshop leader with 50 years of experience. He was illuminated at the age of 20 and has experientially journeyed through many spiritualities of both East and West. His Pink Tantra Course is the fusion of all the best he has learned, practiced and written about over all these years.
It is so good to take a bath in the bliss of God, for God is open, spacious, bliss.


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With an admiration for nature and a spirit of freedom, Shamrock Plank Flooring created the Wild Horse Collection.
The Collection contains both American White Oak and Hickory, which have been lightly wire brushed to give the wood a time weathered look. Wild Horse Collection includes 8 colors that allow the beauty of the natural wood to be center stage: Cumberland, Camplina, Dapple Gray, Flaxen, Morgan, Mustang, Roan, Sabino.


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Using Best LED Headlights in your car/ bike is beneficial to the driver and owner as well as the car in several ways. First, it looks great, definitely better than having a yellow light shining through the glass. Well, if you are not bothered so much about the style factor, there are many other reasons. Led headlights are whiter so they give out a better view to the driver so it adds to the safety factor. These are only some of them.
Many car owners, bike owners and automobile drivers are choosing to go for a complete replacement of their vehicle headlights. That is because of there are several advantages for using them. People think that it is okay to use a 'led headlight' for your car. But that is wrong. Read at https://carhq.org/best-led-headlights-cars to know why it very important to us the Best LED Headlights for your Car.
Benefits Of Using Best Led Headlights In Your Car
- Improves Interest In Driving: This is one of the main reasons that you need to install the Best LED Headlights in your car. When the visibility is super, you will not feel like dozing off behind the wheel. This is connected to the safety factor.
- Improves Visibility On Field: This is the most important reason as the car driver will be able to see things clearly and can avoid a dent in the road, or slow down at a bump or sudden turn, etc. Try out the SNGL LED for super bright visibility.
- Best Led Headlights Last Long: Using a renowned LED Light will help to last long and also cuts costs. You do not have to replace a halogen bulb that bursts or an ordinary LED light that goes off quickly. Check out the Hikari LED for long durability. You can be sure the bulb will not suddenly go off on the journey.
- Reduced Load on Car Alternator: The normal headlights will have to waste energy to glow brighter using 80% but LED Headlights will only use 20% of energy wastage to glow. This directly tells on the alternator converter and battery energy usage.
- Easy Maintenance for LED Lights: This is another reason to select modern led lights as they will last a lifetime. There is no need to keep replacing traditional headlights or bulbs each time they go off. It gives the car owner rest due to easier maintenance.
Due to easy and low – cost maintenance., it also saves you a lot of money in the long run as there is long durability and saves replacement costs. So, using them against the traditional headlights on your car or automobile would reduce the load on the alternator that in turn uses lesser power from the car battery. Also, it gives bright visibility so driver need to stress to see. It promotes the energy levels so you drive longer. All of these benefits of using Best LED Headlights adds to the safety factor so you can drive safe!


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I got my items today and they are even more beautiful and elegant than in the the pictures. So I'm dedicating today to showing off some of her beautiful items.
Let me share a little about Michelle with you. In Michelle's words: "Regardless of our age, gender or season, we are all unique individuals. Every item I create belongs with someone special. Life is full of chances for us to show the world what makes us unique. So, take a look through my shop and find the item(s) that is just waiting for you. If you don't see exactly what you wanted, send me a note and I would love to create a piece to fit you perfectly."
|Red Agate Necklace - These wonderful red agate beads showcase the splendor of Mother Nature. Each bead is unique in color and patter.
|Turquoise Aqua Bracelet - I love the colors of the sea, and this handmade bracelet has a lot of them. I have used glass turquoise beads, chalk turquoise, and Czech fire polished beads that shimmer in the light.
|Cameo Necklace - Cameo's are a symbol of times past, when romance was in the air and a racy date was riding in a carriage with the top up.
|Handmade Rosary - Looking for the perfect gift? This may be what you're looking for.
Take a look at all the other beautiful items Michelle is offering at Soft Paw Creations. Use coupon code "winter12" at checkout for 15% off. Don't forget to ask for a custom order if you need something special!


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A new audible warning system, alerting pedestrians and cyclists of approaching trains has made three footpath level crossings in Cambridgeshire safer.
Network Rail began rolling out the system at 18 level crossings across the Anglia region at the beginning of the year, making the railway safer and more reliable as part of its Railway Upgrade Plan.
The system has been installed at footpath level crossings where the user is required to stop, look and listen for a train before crossing.
When a person arrives at the crossing and a train is approaching, the system reproduces the sound of a train horn. This is an additional warning to complement the real train horn on its approach.
The new system has been installed at the following level crossings in the Cambridgeshire region:
•Soham station, Cambridgeshire
•Clayway, Littleport
•Block Farm, Fordham, Ely


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If you know of an area, please reach out to us and provide us with any information about the location, images or the like so we can post and share with the community.
We will be adding photos of each location soon and update it on a regular basis as citizens report to the group.
If you have a location, send us an email.
The purpose of our online map is the following:
- To help show Roanoke city and Roanoke County police departments where these hot spots are located.
- To inform the public so they can be prepared in knowing common places to expect panhandling on a given day.
- To help organizations better design laws to help combat and reflect panhandling.


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An immersive virtual reality exhibition from Icelandic icon Björk.
Björk constantly and consistently challenges the status quo, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in music, art and technology. The exhibition at Somerset House invites visitors to engage with her work through the latest in virtual reality (VR) technology.
"It's fair to say that no other musician is as embracing of technology's intersection with visual art as Bjork…The exhibition is billed to defy categorisation, mixing performance, film, digital installation and interactive experience." – Dazed
Black Lake, Björk's groundbreaking immersive film commissioned by the New York's Museum of Modern Art treats audiences to panoramic visuals and envelops you in a bespoke, cutting edge surround-sound system. Filmed in the highlands of Iceland, the work was directed by the Los Angeles-based filmmaker Andrew Thomas Huang. Huang also collaborated with Björk on Stonemilker VR, a project that transports the viewer to a private performance of the first track from Björk's critically acclaimed Vulnicura album. Shot on location on a remote, windswept beach in Iceland and viewable in full 360-degree VR, the viewer is able to experience a one-to-one recital.
For Mouthmantra VR Björk worked with director Jesse Kanda to capture intense footage from inside her mouth while she sings the title track, her teeth and tongue twisting and seemingly taking on a life of their own. Meanwhile, Notget VR, directed by Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones, presents Björk as a digital moth giantess transformed by stunning masks created by artist James Merry.
"technology is enabling women to work outside the already formed hierarchical systems" – Björk
The exhibition included an interactive educational space which showcases the innovative apps and custom-made musical instruments from Biophilia, an app created by Björk that explores music, nature and technology.
A programme of Björk's extensive video work were screened alongside the exhibition, spanning the artist's 24-year career and her collaborations with film directors including the award winning Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, Nick Knight and Stephane Sedanaoui.


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Jefferson , Orleans and St. Tammany parishes will lose hundreds of square miles of land and face billions of dollars in flood damage if the Louisiana does not implement its $50 billion, 50-year plan for coastal restoration and hurricane protection . That was the message delivered by Johnny Bradberry, chairman of the state's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority , to a North Shore audience Tuesday (Sept. 19) at breakfast briefing sponsored by the Bureau of Governmental Research.
"This is a very scary situation," Bradberry told more than 200 people while viewing a state map with 2,100 square miles tinged in red, representing land lost if the master plan is not adopted. "I don't know about you, but it scared the hell out of me and I have a hard time sleeping at night when I think about those things and the hurdles we have to face."
Bradberry outlined a bleak future without the plan:
- By 2067, Jefferson Parish could lose 42 percent of its land area, including a wide swath in around Jean Lafitte and elsewhere in Barataria Basin. State officials estimate flood damage will total $500 million a year.
- New Orleans would see a 32 percent land loss, including large swaths in New Orleans East , along the land bridge between the city and St. Tammany Parish and in lower Algiers . Annual flood damage could total $400 million.
- St. Tammany would see minimal land loss, mostly wetland areas along the edges of Lake Pontchartrain . But dramatic increases in storm surge heights would result in a $2 billion annual flood damage bill.
The coastal master plan would pay for 124 projects. Its restoration projects are designed to create 802 square miles of land, and the combination of restoration and protection projects are projected to reduce flood damage by as much as $150 billion over a half century.
The three parishes would see $11.4 billion spent on restoration, storm protection and flood risk and resilience projects, including large-scale marsh creation, the proposed Mid-Barataria sediment diversion, construction of a storm surge barrier project at the Chef Menteur and Rigolets passes in Lake Pontchartrain, increasing the height of the New Orleans area levee system and completion of ring levees for Slidell. Also included would be several non-structural risk projects: floodproofing businesses and either elevating houses or buying the property and moving residents to other areas.
If all those projects are constructed and work as they are proposed, they might stave off some of the worst effects of continued coastal erosion, Bradberry said:
- Jefferson Parish could see its 50-year land loss totals cut by 56 percent, and its annual economic damages reduced by $40 milion after 25 years, and $300 million after 50 years.
- Orleans Parish would see an 83 percent reduction in land loss, accompanied by a $70 million reduction in annual flood damages by the plan's 25th year, and $200 million by 50 years.
- St. Tammany would see a 100 percent reduction in land loss, accompanied by an $800 million reduction in flood damages after 25 years, and $1 billion after 50 years.
Assuring that the master plan is fully financed remains the biggest hurdle, Bradberry said. Louisiana has been the beneficiary of revenue from fines and other fees levied against BP and its drilling partners involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout and oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico .
The state also expects to continue to receive money from both state mineral revenue and federal Gulf of Mexico offshore oil revenue for restoration and a few protection projects. Bradberry said the state is pretty certain it will have $10 .7 billion to spend on projects during the plan's first 15 years, and he expects about another $10 billion from existing funding sources during the remainder of the plan's lifetime.
That leaves about $30 billion in unfunded work. And Mark Davis, director of Tulane's Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy and the Tulane University ByWater Institute, who shared the Covington forum with Bradberry, warned that the coastal master plan does not address all of the money issues posed by flooding. Not included, he said, are the operation and maintenance costs of existing levee systems, including the post- Hurricane Katrina levees in New Orleans.
It also doesn't address many issues involving drinking water, which is expected to face increased threats of saltwater intrusion as sea level rise brings Gulf of Mexico waters closer to populated areas. Nor does it address interior drainage issues, such as the flooding experienced by the Baton Rouge region in August 2016 , and the continuing drainage problems faced by the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board.
Some of those problems already are being faced by other communities, Davis said. Houston, even without a zoning ordinance, has a project aimed at addressing sinking ground caused by uncontrolled removal of freshwater from underground aquifers, he said.
Davis said the standards for protection from flooding vary, depending on the flood source. For instance, when the levees along the Mississippi River were built, "the basic policy is to never let it happen -- ever." River levees are reviewed to assure they can never be topped by a high river.
When the New Orleans area hurricane levees were first designed, they were tailored to protect from a "project hurricane," with the definition provided by the Army Corps of Engineers and the National Weather Service. In the aftermath of Katrina, however, the levees were redesigned to a new understanding of the potential risk of hurricanes in the Gulf.
But they also were designed to an artificial standard set by Congress -- the surge event caused by a hurricane with a 1 percent chance of occurring any year, the so-called 100-year storm defined by the National Flood Insurance Program. That definition is not adequate for a major metropolitan area, Davis said, but even that is better than New Orleans' supposed standards for its drainage system.
"New Orleans plans for a 10-year event," he said. "And they don't even how how much rain that means."
. . . . . . .
Mark Schleifstein covers the environment and is a leader of the Louisiana Coastal Reporting Team for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com . Facebook: Mark Schleifstein and Louisiana Coastal Watch . Twitter: MSchleifstein .


text: So what games are we all playing/plan on playing !! just wondering what everyone is playing at the moment with all the new games that have came out mine are : COD4 Farcry 2 Red alert 3 brothers in arms Battlefield 2 [OLDSCHOOL] plan on buying Red Alert 3 as its really good but thats about it !! also playing FiFa 09, PES 09, Gears of war 2 and saints row 2 on the xbox 360


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I love this recipe because it's a one dish meal. You have a lean meat, vegetable, dairy product, and starch all in one casserole dish. Plus my one year old goes crazy for it. Bonus! This Chicken Broccoli Cheese Casserole recipe is easy enough that anyone can make it. Seriously. Let me hold your hand and walk you through it…
- 3 pounds Broccoli Cut Into Florets
- 2 pounds Velveeta
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- Salt And Black Pepper To Taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (more For More Spice)
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon (optional)
- 3 whole (sleeves) Ritz Crackers


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The ACM is updating its 1992 Code of Ethics [ 2] keeping its primary positive emphasis and reinforcing
important elements of professionalism.
Sometimes ethics codes are thought of
as constraints—a list of "thou shalt nots"
where failure to comply leads to censure,
expulsion, and eternal damnation. Some
professional codes of conduct are used
to define negligence and malpractice.
Focusing on the negative elements of a
code is dangerous, and limits the profession. Many of us approach the ACM Code
of Ethics, and perhaps the profession
itself, in a way that we miss the best part
of computing. In addition to the "should
not's" of ethics that tell us how to avoid
doing evil, the ACM's Code of Ethics
focuses on the other side of professionalism—opportunities for doing good. The
Code provides an ethical framework within which we can be inspired do good.
Professional codes of ethics allude
to important principles: integrity, competence, not causing harm, and moral
courage. These principles can undergird
constraints and imperatives: don't cause
harm, don't accept work beyond your skill,
and don't violate privacy. If this is the only
thing our students know about the ACM
Code, no wonder students don't like studying it! Interpreted as a list of "do not's," the
Code amplifies our reasonable concerns
about risk analysis, cyber security, the
drudgery of repetitive testing, and documentation requirements. Distracted by
these concerns, we could lose sight of the
ways in which computing can contribute
positively to society and its citizens. Anti-lock brakes, heart pumps, bio-engineering,
and communication with distant relatives
are all made possible by computing professionals doing good. The last section of the
ACM Code has only one sentence about
'compliance;' the last sentence. There is so
much more to the Code
The Code of Ethics emphasizes the posi-tive side of professionalism. The first clauseof the Code of Ethics [ 1] reads: " 1. 1 Contrib-ute to society and human well-being." Thesuggested modification in Draft 2 [ 3]—rec-ognizing computing's possible positive im-pact on all aspects of our life—expands theencouragement for this positive aspirationby making explicit that the possible posi-tive impact goes well beyond developersand clients, "acknowledging that all peopleare stakeholders in computing."
Clause 1. 1 is a call to do good. The Code
reflects how lucky we are to be in a profession that can have a significant positive
impact on the lives of others. The illustrative guidelines for this principle in Draft
2 [ 3] have been modified to make clearsome of the ways we can do computing forgood and how far our concerns ought toreach. It says that "[Computing profession-als] are encouraged to actively contributeto society by engaging in pro bono orvolunteer work. When the interests of mul-tiple groups conflict the needs of the leastadvantaged should be given increasedattention and priority."This same opportunity for doing goodis also explicitly addressed in another codeof ethics that is approved by the ACM—theSoftware Engineering Code of Ethics [ 11]:" 1.08. Be encouraged to volunteer profes-sional skills to good causes and contrib-ute to public education concerning thediscipline."
The draft revised ACM Code [ 3] calls
this positive work for society "pro bono"
activity. People sometimes read this as
"without pay," but that isn't the true intent
of that Latin phrase. The phrase "Pro Bono
Publico" means "for the public good."
Highly differentiated professions like law
and medicine, for example, are considered
Figure 1: "What the ACM Code really
promotes." Two sides to a Code of Ethics
Click to subscribe to this magazine


text:
Firm PVC Foam
Advanced Seals & Gaskets Ltd stock and convert a huge range of PVC foams in various grades and densities including Firm PVC Foam. Alternate colours are available in some grades.
Firm PVC foam can incorporate self adhesive backing to one or both sides and can be converted into many different products as detailed below.
We manufacture many different components from A348 PVC Foam including;
Firm PVC foam is of particular use to the glazing trade, for anti-vibration (transportation pads) and for glazing security strip and sealing. Firm PVC foam can also be used by the crafting trade to aid with fixing and placing.
Our in house technical department can offer invaluable assistance on product selection along with samples and Technical Data Sheets. This is extremely useful during the design and prototype stage or when alternative products are been sourced.
Help with Firm PVC Foam
If you would like to speak to a representative to discuss your specific application or requirements please call our sales office direct on 01384 469100, alternatively you can send an E-mail. Simply click on the link and forward us your details along with your question and we will contact you immediately.
Firm PVC Foam
Advanced Seals and Gaskets Ltd
Tel: 01384 252555
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
The information presented is based on the present level of knowledge and experience.
All information and recommendations contained in this publication are to the best of our knowledge. Since the conditions of use are beyond our control, users must satisfy themselves that products are suitable for the intended processes and applications.


text:
This is bad enough in itself, with Ning having just recently announced they were going to scrap free accounts and that they'd reduced their staffing levels by about 50% (part of the reason for the excessively long fix time?), but what really took the biscuit was the "support". With site owners genuinely concerned that their sites were down or in various states of not functioning correctly, the best we really got was effectively being asked to stop moaning. At one point, Ning's presence on the thread suggested that if I didn't like his updates (or lack of), I could always check their status site, which was largely showing everything to be swimming along nicely, even when the sites themselves were all but inaccessible, a fact not lost on many site owners in the aforementioned thread.
Many of us were seeking some answers as to what the problem was and when it might be fixed. We're still waiting for the former. As fas as I know, no explanation has yet been provided, unless it's buried somewhere on their domain. Given the extent of the outage, I'd expect something a bit more direct.
Now, I may be wrong here, but I kinda reckon that, as a paying customer, I'm entitled to some answers when the thing I'm paying for isn't there. Instead, they made me feel like I was in the wrong by requesting status updates. Sure, I asked often, but only because I never got an answer.
Given that they're going premium only soon (I'm already premium with them), they really need to get their act together, otherwise people really will start leaving. If there had been an easy way to migrate my site (there currently isn't), I would have been very tempted by around the end of day 2, simply because I was getting no answers and didn't know if we'd be waiting 2 hours or 2 weeks.
Having gone from being an advocate of Ning, I'm now staying with them pretty much only because it's almost impossible to leave and take your data with you.
They've got some good ideas and they've got a good platform in place, but they really need to look at their communications skills.


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Hey, friends! Welcome to the new site! I got inspired over the weekend and bought my domain name 🙂 Yay! Honestly, after my recent post about connecting with other bloggers, I just realized that this is what I love to do. I want to do this, I enjoy it, and it's all worth it to me. So there was really no question anymore about whether or not I should pursue blogging further. The answer is undeniably yes. So here I am to stay on my own little corner of the internet. Wahoo!
So – bear with me. There will likely be a lot of tweaks and changes over the coming weeks as I settle into my role as "web developer" now. Man, putting up a functional website is a lot of work! But again, it's all worth it in time.
So, fellow readers (and I hope you found yourselves here okay – the redirect thing should be working now), I have a serious question for you. What do you think of this layout??? Since I definyitely couldn't make a whole layout myself, I got this dandy layout from Studio Press. I fell in love with it, but now I'm have second thoughts… Is it too distracting from the content? Too foofy? Or does it have a fun, quirkiness to it? I'd love some honest feedback. I have a 30-day return policy with this layout, so if I don't like it, I can change my mind. Please let me know!
Thanks to everyone who reads my blog! I'm thankful for my current readers and I'm so happy to be blogging!


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In the Netherlands, Rijk Zwaan has revealed that its net sales for the 2015/16 financial year grew 14 per cent to €388m, as it "continues to pursue a strategy of autonomous growth".
The De Lier-based group noted that virtually all crops and almost all countries in which Rijk Zwaan is active contributed to the year-on-year growth.
"The turnover increase is partly due to the growing global need for high-quality vegetable seeds," the group reported. "Rijk Zwaan develops varieties for 25 different vegetable crops and sells the seeds produced from them in more than 100 countries."
Operating profit for the 2015/16 financial year was €85m and net profit amounted to €72m, Rijk Zwaan confirmed.
In the past financial year, a new subsidiary was established in Greece – Rijk Zwaan Hellas – while the company invested some €120m in research and development, equivalent to around 30 per cent of revenue, of which a "significant part" was spent in the Netherlands.
"Rijk Zwaan expects the demand for high-quality vegetable seeds to continue to rise, partly as a result of world population growth," the group added. "In order to capitalise on this and to further strengthen its market position, Rijk Zwaan will continue to invest heavily in the years ahead.
"In the current financial year, the investments will be focused primarily on laboratories, offices, greenhouses and machinery. Over the next five years the company plans to invest €250m, of which approximately €150m will be spent in the Netherlands.


text:
CARFAX One-Owner. Clean CARFAX. Keyless Entry, SUNROOF / PANORAMIC ROOF, USB PORT, BACKUP CAMERA, Bluetooth, Hands-Free, Low low Miles at just 22278, SUPER CLEAN MUST SEE TO APPRECIATE!!, 17" Alloy Wheels, ABS brakes, Exterior Parking Camera Rear, Front fog lights, Heated door mirrors, Heated Front Bucket Seats, Leather steering wheel, Memory seat, Perforated Leather-Trimmed Seats, Power moonroof, Remote keyless entry, Security system. 2015 Honda Certified. Accord Gray FWD EX-L 4D Sedan CVT 2.4L I4 DOHC i-VTEC 16V
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Welcome to Indy Honda, your source for Honda in Indianapolis. Our massive selection of new and used Hondas is conveniently located on the south side of Indianapolis, IN. We love Honda here, in fact, we love it so much that we put it in our name. Not only did we put it in our name, but we flooded our lot with every Honda that your heart could desire. Whether you want something new, or a reliable car with a few miles under its belt, we got you covered. If it is quality Honda service that you are looking for, then you really come to the right place. We don't just want to be your car dealership. At Indy Honda we want to be your car dealership for life. When you drive off our lot, our work is not yet done. At Indy Honda our customers always come first, that is why you will not find us pushing you into a car or into service that you don't want or are uncomfortable with. Indy Honda. New Used Preowned.
Used 2015 HondaAccord EX-L
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- Engine
- 2.4L I-4 cyl
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Dealer Notes
KBB.com Consumer Reviews
- 10.0
Safety Features Saved My Life!
By TINA72170 on Wednesday, November 08, 2017I was in an accident, where my front end was damaged, and my car was totaled. Even though the damage was extensive, I only had a minor airbag burn on my arm. When looking at the damage to the car, the passenger compartment was completely protected, even though the hood was buckled all the way up to my windshield. From the inside of the car, you would never know the car was damaged other than the air bag deployment. The collision never hurt me at all, because the airbag deployed in plenty of time in just the right places to completely absorb the impact. Although I was upset and stunned, I was completely unharmed. I would recommend this car to anyone and everyone. Great gas mileage...looked great and absolutely safe.
- 9.0
Sharper than your average kitchen knife
By Lodi Outlets loving on Wednesday, June 07, 2017There may be some taking what I say with a grain of salt when it comes to power; drove an Elantra for 5 years, however, this car has POWER. It has one of the most dependable engines (3.5 Liter V-6) and a sleek look to its exterior. Handles well but is a boat so careful when parallel parking my friends. Also, the steering takes a week or two to get fully used to, but isnt a make or break aspect. The interior is second to none. Back seats have plenty of room despite being a coupe. Love this car for road trips.
- 6.0
OK Maybe
By buck on Monday, May 07, 2018Very Dependable , Good on gas Rough ride Bad on long trips
New Arrivals
2016 Honda Odyssey Touring Van…
- Please Call
- Van Passenger Van
- White Exterior
- 3.5L V-6 cyl Engine


text:
So I can tell you what Francine Pascal was doing in the 20 or so years since the first SVH book was released, sure as hell not picking up any book with the words Sweet Valley in the title and reading it.
Now I admit, I haven't read all the books myself. I've probably read the majority of SVH, a good chunk of SVU, all the Sagas, and a few SVT, SVK, and Junior High (no Senior Year or Elizabeth series). Still, I could own the f-ing CREATOR in a game of Sweet Valley trivia, because she doesn't even know Lila's father's name! It's GEORGE, not RICHARD! I threw the book across the room after that one.
I was confused as hell throughout this entire book. First of all, they're pretending the whole Elizabeth series never happened, while still ripping it off. Okay. Second, it just jumped right into the story, making you feel like you were missing something. I had to Google to see if I should've read the Elizabeth series or the last SVU novels to understand what the hell was going on. Nope, that's how the book was written. Plus, I was so unnerved by all the sex and swearing. I don't want to hear about Elizabeth's orgasms, that's gross. I especially don't want to read about Todd watching porn. Ew. I mean, okay, they're adults now, but damn it, if Jessica could date 90% of SVH and we're supposed to believe she didn't sleep around, then let me believe they still don't!
Now for the spoilers.
I don't buy the character changes. Bruce, a good guy who is in love with his best friend, ELIZABETH (book thrown)? Steven married to Cara (I thought he knocked up Billie in SVU and they got married, someone please clarify this for me), then Steven being gay? Winston supposedly an asshole, though we're never shown him, then unceremoniously killed off (supposedly he fell from a balcony, I think Margo came back and pushed him)? Todd and Jessica, doing it since SVU? Olivia Davidson not mentioned in the dead list in the epilogue?
There is one good thing about Sweet Valley Confidential. 1BRUCE1 is alive and well.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Sweet Valley Confidential...What?
Posted by snappleaddict at 11:55 AM 6 comments:
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text:
Contact The DOCTORS
Abbotsford Oral Surgery
There are many ways to communicate with our office. Please choose the method most convenient to you.
Mailing Address
Dr. Nayeem Esmail Inc.
Abbotsford Oral Surgery
32555 Simon Ave, Suite 300A
Abbotsford, BC V2T 4Y2
Toll Free: 1-877-504-7522
Hours of Operation
Mon & Tues 9 – 4
Wed & Thurs 8:30 – 4
Fri 8:30 – 2
Sat Sun Closed
Online Map & Driving Directions
If this is the first time you have visited our Abbotsford office, the mapping service below will assist you in finding our location. Simply click on Directions and fill out your address and you will be presented with directions that include a map, the travel time, and distance. If you need any additional information, please contact us at Abbotsford Oral Surgery Phone Number 604-504-7522 or toll free 1-877-504-7522


text:
1 page, 4to, White House stationery, slight water stain along portion of top right edge (away from text)." />
New York
24 June 2009
Price realised
TRUMAN, Harry S. Typed letter signed ("Harry S. Truman"), as President, to John W. Snyder, Washington, 19 July 1950. 1 page, 4to, White House stationery, slight water stain along portion of top right edge (away from text).
TRUMAN SHAKES UP HIS NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM FOUR WEEKS AFTER THE START OF THE KOREAN WAR in this letter marked "Personal and confidential" to Snyder. "I have been considering the steps which are now necessary to make the National Security Council of maximum value in advising me as to the major policies required in the interest of our national security as a result of the present international situation." Recent meetings of the N.S.C., Truman complains, have "been so large that I feel it has discouraged free discussion. I therefore direct that the Council meet regularly every Thursday with the Secretary of State presiding in my absence and additional attendance confined to the Secretary of the Treasury [Snyder], Mr. [Averill] Harriman, Mr. Souers," as well as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the head of the C.I.A. "Participation by other officials will be only with my specific approval..."
This letter marks a radical change in the way Truman handled foreign policy and national security matters. In his first five years as President, he paid very little attention to the N.S.C. But now, in 1950, with the country in full-scale war in Korea, and locked in a dangerous arms race with the Soviets, Truman wanted better coordination and control over his national security bureaucracy. And he made sure that his most trusted and respected advisors--Snyder, Averill Harriman and Secretary of State Dean Acheson--would play leading roles in running the N.S.C. and controlling the policy-making process.
Contact Client Service
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Ahead of Christie's inaugural European Paintings auction on 31 October, Arne Everwijn discusses Courbet's radical nudes
Christie's Islamic Art specialist Xavier Fournier explains all you need to know about these exquisite embroidered panels


text:
If you know anything about W.C. Fields, you know he was a curmudgeon, a misanthropic, a drunk, and a hater of children and dogs. Actually most of that was an act, he was at heart a softy and he left a sizable portion of his estate to an orphanage. Before talkies, Fields' forte was as a comedic juggler. After talkies, it was simply being one of the funniest men who ever spoke on screen.
However, it's true he was a world class drinker and he was good friends with another legendary lush, John Barrymore, who today most people only know vaguely as the grandfather of Drew.
Barrymore was a great actor, considered the finest Hamlet of his generation. He also appeared in the first feature film with a soundtrack (music only), Don Juan, released thirteen months before The Jazz Singer.
Anyway, Fields died on Christmas Day in 1946 (Charlie Chaplin, that other famous comedian, also died on Christmas in 1977), and somehow I have a feeling that "Bill" had a love/hate affair with the holiday. No doubt he loved the sentiment but hated the commercialism.
A prolific writer (he wrote many of the screenplay for his films), Fields wrote thousands of letters to friends, admirers, studio executives, etc. Most of are hilarious, of course, and they are collected in the book, W. C. Fields By Himself. One year he sat down at Christmastime and wrote a letter to his good friend, Mr. Barrymore. This is how it came out:
Dear John,
I have been having a few drinks and I thought I would drop you a note. About this time of the year I usually take a moment to write a few letters to my good friends; the time when I remember all the good things and indulge myself to the extent of getting a little sentimental.
It is a blustery evening, but here in my Den it's coz-zy and comfuable. I'm sitting before a nice open fire with my typewriter, John, sort of haff lissning to the radio and slowly sipping a nice, very dry double martini. I only wish you were here, John, and since you are not, the least I cando is to toast to your health and happy-ness, so time out, old pal – while I bend my elbow to you.
I just took time to mix another Martini and while I was out in the kitchen I thought of all the time I would waste this evening if I went out to mix another drink every once in a while, so I just made up a big pitcher of martinis and brought it back in with me so I'd have it right here beside me and wouldn't have to waste time mixing more of them. So now I'm all set and here goes. Besides Mratinis are great drrink. For some reson they never seeme to effec me in the slightest. and drink thrm all day long. So here goes. The greatest think in tje whole wokld, John, is friendship. Anebelieve me pal you are the gertests pal anybody ever had. do you remembre all the swell times we had together "pal??/ The wonderful camping trisp. I*ll never forget the time yoi put the dead skunnk in my sleeping bag. He ha Bow how we laughued didn we. Never did the stin kout out od it. Bit it was pretty funnya anywayh. Nev I still laught about it onec in a whole. Not as muhc as i used to. But what the heck & after all you still my beset old pal john,. and if a guy can't have a luaghg on good treu friend onc in a whiel waht the heck. Dam pitcher is impty so I just went outand ma deanotherone and I sure wisch you wee here old pal to help me drink these marotomi because they are simply sdeliuccious. Parn me whil i lieft my glass to you good helahth oncemroe John because jjhon Barrymroe best pal I goo Off cours why a pal would do a dirty thinb liek puting a skunnk in nother pals sleeping bagg I&m dash if I kno. That was a lousi thing for anybodyhdy todo an only a frist clas heel would di it. Jhon, wasn a dm dam bit funney. Stil stinkkks. And if you thininkit funny you're a dirity lous anasd far as Im concerned you cn go plum to hell and stya ther you dirty lous. To hel with ouy.
Yours very truly,
Bill Fields


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Summit County's Blue River reveals hidden charms and a kayaking legend
June 20, 2016
Looking down at a steep, muddy, roughly 10-story drop on a near 50-degree slope, all I could think was, "I have to get my kayak down that?"
I now understood one of the descriptions I had heard of the runnable section of the Blue River, below Green Mountain Reservoir.
"It's like a class IV put-in for a class III paddle."
All summer I'd waited for the stretch of river, which relies on controlled release from the dam, to have enough flow.
It had been described to me as a secluded canyon run only accessible at the put-in and take-out.
Ten Mile Kayak owner Matti Wade described it as "kind of mystical," having run it with light snow and morning mists creeping into the canyon.
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Out for the season with a bicep injury, Wade told me, "If I could, I would be paddling it every day."
Nearby, a group of rafters were rigging ropes to lower their inflated raft into the water.
I'd been nervous about stretches of river I hadn't paddled before, but never about a put-in.
While among kayakers it's a popular late-season stretch of river, tucked away behind a mountain on the far end of the often-crowded reservoir, the Blue feels far more secluded as it dips into a canyon.
"When you put on the river, you're immediately impressed by the way the river canyons up," one paddler said after running it for the first time in years.
However, why there was not more of a defined trail to reach the launch escaped me.
With a relatively full parking lot of boaters, on an average late summer Sunday, it seemed like a popular enough stretch that someone would have built a more elaborate access. Brushing the thought aside, I focused on the climb down.
It's often said that every river tells a story. For the Lower Blue it feels a little more like a secret, once you're on the water.
After a buddy of mine who was going to join me bailed on the trip, I decided on the kayak equivalent of hitchhiking the run by tagging along with another group.
Wade had told me I'd have no trouble on a busy late summer weekend.
At the put-in, the group with the raft let me tag along.
Once on the water it was as described — no houses, no power boats, no evidence that anyone was within a hundred miles.
Early into the trip, my new group and I rounded a corner and came upon some fellow kayakers who'd stopped to surf a wave.
Seeming to be a better fit, I motioned the group in the raft that I would be staying behind.
The four kayakers I'd joined were all in their mid 50s and early 60s, eagerly taking turns surfing a standing wave. From a distance I wouldn't have been able to tell my new kayaking acquaintances from a group of early 20-somethings.
One of the foursome paddled toward me with a smile and introduced himself.
While others took turns surfing, he mentioned it was his first time back on the water in two years.
He went on to tell me that, because of a heart condition, he had barely been able to climb stairs last summer. But thanks to a special medical treatment he'd received in Denver, he avoided open-heart surgery and made a dramatic recovery.
"I went from difficulty walking up the stairs to nonstop snowboard cruisers and riding trees," he said later.
My new group and I took our time paddling the nearly 4-mile stretch, stopping at play spots and on a grassy shoreline for a snack.
It was immediately clear that three of the four kayakers had been at it a long time. They searched with youthful enthusiasm for every play wave to surf, then stayed in them for minutes at a time.
One of the group members would later tell me that he and two others in the group had been paddling together for 40 years.
Intrigued by their story, but too respectful to pry, I paddled along with them and enjoyed the company.
The group simply described themselves as old friends and longtime Steamboat residents with a passion for all things outdoors.
We paddled through some challenging class IIIs along a cliff as the canyon opened up. Toward the end we came to two diversion dams not described in the book I'd read on the run.
The pour-over drops on the dams looked intimidating from above, but provide the option for a less experienced paddler to portage. Scanning for a line, I followed the other paddlers passed through without incident.
Closing in on the takeout I asked the man who had told me about his heart condition how he liked his playboat. It was a Wave Sport and I'd heard good things.
"I love it," he said, telling me he had three or four.
"I designed it," he added.
As it turned out, I had spent my afternoon paddling with the founder and former owner of Wave Sport kayaks, Chan Zwanzig.
A legend in the paddling community, Zwanzig is credited with a number of first assents on rivers, including the Urubamba that flows in the canyons beneath below Macchu Pichu in Peru.
Now with so many big descents behind him, he sticks to class IIIs mostly.
Because of his health the last few years, the legendary kayaker described himself as "a paddler with class V skills and a class IV/III+ body."
Every river tells a story, and sometimes you meet people with one.
Our day ended as any good kayaking trip should, with smiles, stories and a cold beer.
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|SEO Information
Search Engine Robots - How They Work, What They Do (Part I)
Automated search engine robots, sometimes called "spiders" or "crawlers", are the seekers of web pages. How do they work? What is it they really do? Why are they important?
Think of search engine robots as automated data retrieval programs, traveling the web to find information and links.
When you submit a web page to a search engine at the "Submit a URL" page, the new URL is added to the robot's queue of websites to visit on its next foray out onto the web. Even if you don't directly submit a page, many robots will find your site because of links from other sites that point back to yours. This is one of the reasons why it is important to build your link popularity and to get links from other topical sites back to yours.
When arriving at your website, the automated robots first check to see if you have a robots.txt file. This file is used to tell robots which areas of your site are off-limits to them. Typically these may be directories containing only binaries or other files the robot doesn't need to concern itself with.
Robots collect links from each page they visit, and later follow those links through to other pages. In this way, they essentially follow the links from one page to another. The entire World Wide Web is made up of links, the original idea being that you could follow links from one place to another. This is how robots get around.
The "smarts" about indexing pages online comes from the search engine engineers, who devise the methods used to evaluate the information the search engine robots retrieve. When introduced into the search engine database, the information is available for searchers querying the search engine. When a search engine user enters their query into the search engine, there are a number of quick calculations done to make sure that the search engine presents just the right set of results to give their visitor the most relevant response to their query.
You can see which pages on your site the search engine robots have visited by looking at your server logs or the results from your log statistics program. Identifying the robots will show you when they visited your website, which pages they visited and how often they visit. Some robots are readily identifiable by their user agent names, like Google's "Googlebot"; others are bit more obscure, like Inktomi's "Slurp". Still other robots may be listed in your logs that you cannot readily identify; some of them may even appear to be human-powered browsers.
Along with identifying individual robots and counting the number of their visits, the statistics can also show you aggressive bandwidth-grabbing robots or robots you may not want visiting your website. In the resources section of the end of this article, you will find sites that list names and IP addresses of search engine robots to help you identify them. How Do They Read The Pages On Your Website?
When the search engine robot visits your page, it looks at the visible text on the page, the content of the various tags in your page's source code (title tag, meta tags, etc.), and the hyperlinks on your page. From the words and the links that the robot finds, the search engine decides what your page is about. There are many factors used to figure out what "matters" and each search engine has its own algorithm in order to evaluate and process the information. Depending on how the robot is set up through the search engine, the information is indexed and then delivered to the search engine's database.
The information delivered to the databases then becomes part of the search engine and directory ranking process. When the search engine visitor submits their query, the search engine digs through its database to give the final listing that is displayed on the results page.
The search engine databases update at varying times. Once you are in the search engine databases, the robots keep visiting you periodically, to pick up any changes to your pages, and to make sure they have the latest info. The number of times you are visited depends on how the search engine sets up its visits, which can vary per search engine.
Sometimes visiting robots are unable to access the website they are visiting. If your site is down, or you are experiencing huge amounts of traffic, the robot may not be able to access your site. When this happens, the website may not be re-indexed, depending on the frequency of the robot visits to your website. In most cases, robots that cannot access your pages will try again later, hoping that your site will be accessible then.
*SpiderSpotting - Search Engine Watch http://searchenginewatch.com/webmasters/spiders.html
*Robotstxt.org List of robots and protocols for setting up a robots.txt file. http://www.robotstxt.org/
*Spider-Food Tutorials, forums and articles about Search Engine spiders and Search Engine Marketing. http://spider-food.net/
*Spiderhunter.com Articles and resources about tracking Search Engine spiders. http://www.spiderhunter.com/
*Sim Spider Search Engine Robot Simulator Search Engine World has a spider that simulates what the Search Engine robots read from your website. http://www.searchengineworld.com/cgi-bin/sim_spider.cgi
Daria Goetsch is the founder and Search Engine Marketing Consultant for Search Innovation Marketing, a Search Engine Optimization company serving small businesses. She has specialized in Search Engine Promotion since 1998, including three years as the Search Engine Specialist for O'Reilly Media, Inc., a technical book publishing company.
Copyright ę 2002-2005 Search Innovation Marketing. http://www.searchinnovation.com All Rights Reserved.
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Getting your website up and running is hard enough. After spending hours getting the HTML code just right and trying to make sure that you provide a great user experience, the last thing you want to do is change everything around in order to get your site ranked higher on the search engines.
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Marketing Articles: Getting A Better Search Engine Rank For All Of Your Pages!
In one of my articles, I discussed how to market your web site link twice. It detailed out how to promote not only www.
Google Rank Cake
6 cups thick content mix 1 jar word of mouth, whipped 2 tablespoons meta tags 1 cup creativity1) In a bowl, stir content mix with 1 cup creativity. Stir.
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The Budget Webmaster's 6 Step Guide to Improving Existing Rankings in GoogleYou know the scenario. You get an occasional click from Google for a certain keyword.
Site Maps: Let Search Engines Find Your Pages
With 40 million websites in existence, and more than 3 billion web pages indexed by Google at the time of this writing (July 2003), it's no wonder that more and more people are relying on search engines to find their way through the unruly world that the web has become.Nowadays, it is crucial to get your pages indexed by the most important search engines.
Use Search Engines For A Guaranteed Web Site Promotion
For your web site to succeed, you must use is search engines optimization. Web sites definitely need top rankings in major search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, AOL, and MSN.
Reciprocal Links to Boost Link Popularity ?
Link popularity means the number of incoming links pointing to your website. This is one of the criterical factor that rank the search results.
Googlebot Wont Go Home
I have 'Googlebot' crawl my site every day like a dispossessed spirit that can't leave.It was not always like this, I would go for a month or more before he came to my site and then would only crawl a few pages and leave again.
Has Google Indexed Your Site ?
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SEO Quickstart - 3 Things You can Do to Improve Search Engine Rankings Right Now
Increasing your search engine rankings should certainly be one of your main goals if you are looking to increase your targeted traffic. The reason for this is if you improve your search engine rankings, you'll increase the amount of visitors your website receives, and when you increase traffic to your site you are going to increase customers and sales.
60 Day Sandbox for Google & AskJeeves; MSN Indexes Quickest, Yahoo Next
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SEO Expert Guide - Free Site Promotion (PR) (part 6/10)
In parts 1 - 5 you learnt how to develop your proposition, identify your key words and optimize your site and pages. You were also introduced to our mythical Doug (who sells antique doors, door handles, knockers, door bells or pulls and fitting services) in Windsor in the UK.
Would You Like More PageRank?
The higher the PR of your site the higher will be its search engine position. So the goal is to get lots of sites linking to your site.
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ISR Press Release Story
No Electrical Outlet, No Problem for UMD Robotic Bird That Harvests Solar Energy
Micro air vehicle's solar cell wings feed on the sun, provide energy for the long haul
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 3, 2013
Rebecca Copeland
Small robotic birds are showing lots of promise for tasks such as monitoring the environment and surveillance. But one current drawback they have is the amount of time they're able to stay aloft. Because of the birds' light weight and small size, the tiny batteries used to power them deplete in just a few minutes.
University of Maryland Professors S.K. Gupta and Hugh Bruck and their students in the Maryland Robotics Center are working on a solution that will allow longer flights and battery recharging in remote places without electrical outlets. The Clark School of Engineering team has developed and demonstrated a new version of its Robo Raven micro air vehicle (MAV) that incorporates solar panels in its wings.
While the solar panels don't yet produce enough energy to power Robo Raven III in flight (they produce around 3.6 Watts while Robo Raven needs around 30 Watts to fly), they are effective in charging the MAV's batteries when it is stationary.
Gupta notes that the development team envisions Robo Raven flying "far away from civilizations" during long missions and needing "a way to 'feed' itself" on its journeys.
Because Robo Raven's large wings have enough surface area to create a usable amount of solar energy, the team decided to incorporate flexible solar cells into them. The captured solar energy is then used to supply Robo Raven's onboard batteries. "These new multi-functional wings will shape the future of robotic birds by enabling them to fly longer, farther, and more independently because they will be getting their power from the sun" says Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. student Luke Roberts, a member of the Robo Raven team.
The underlying material of the flexible solar panels is different from that used in the previous version of Robo Raven. That meant the team needed to design new wings and develop a new additive manufacturing process to fabricate them, Gupta says.
"We still need to make significant improvements in solar cell efficiency and battery energy density to replicate the endurance of real ravens in Robo Raven III," Gupta says, "but the good news is that Robo Raven III has already demonstrated we can fly with a solar cell and battery combination. Now that we've successfully taken this step, swapping new technologies that are more efficient should be relatively simple."
Gupta has been working on flapping-wing robotic birds for the better part of a decade. His team first successfully demonstrated a flapping-wing bird in 2007. Robo Raven, the first flapping-wing MAV with independent, programmable wings, was introduced this spring. Gupta holds a joint appointment in Mechanical Engineering and the Institute for Systems Research, and Bruck is a Mechanical Engineering professor.
More Information:
This work was funded in part by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
S.K. Gupta's blog post about Robo Raven III: unorthodoxideas.blogspot.com
More about the Robo Raven: www.isr.umd.edu/news
Maryland Robotics Center YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/umdrobotics
High-resolution photos of Robo Raven III
The Robo Raven III team. Caption: The Robo Raven III team (L-R) S.K. Gupta, Luke Roberts, Ariel Perez-Rosado and Hugh Bruck. Credit: Luke Roberts, University of Maryland
Robo Raven III close-up. Caption: A close-up of Robo Raven III, with solar cell wings. Credit: Luke Roberts, University of Maryland
About the University of Maryland
The University of Maryland ranks among the top 20 public research universities in the nation, and is the closest in proximity to the nation's capital. As the state's flagship university, UMD educates the most talented students from Maryland and beyond. For more information, please visit:
The University of Maryland: www.umd.edu


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Here's something strange for a Realtor to say: we don't want to sell you a house. What we would like to do is help you buy a house. Big difference. Selling often talks people into buying something whether in their best interests or not. Our goal is to support and educate you through the real estate process as you make one of the biggest and most expensive decisions of a life time. That means we take time to help you understand the process, we listen to what's important to you and why it's important. We talk about the pros and cons of every decision with every house we see. It's exciting, it's fun, and sometimes it seems stressful . But we promise we will work together, as a team, to find your dream house that will become your dream home. Contact us today and let's get started finding your next home!
We want to do more than just sell your home. We want to help you make good decisions as you leave one home behind and move on to the next stage of your life. That means educating you about the whole process, providing current market value information so you can make smart decisions, and focusing on all the positives of your current home. Our goal is to help you through the unexpected emotional roller coaster that selling your home can be, while offering all of our professional support and care. If you're wondering what your home's potential sale price is give us a call, we'd love to meet and discuss the current market and give you a thorough house assessment.
We have experience with clients relocating from cross-country to cross-province, we are here to provide as much help as we can. Relocating can be a daunting task to tackle but we are prepared from the moment you contact us to prioritize your needs and cater to your time schedule as much as possible. Whether you are looking to find a short/long-term rental, a home to buy, or a house to build, we can help. From schools to family doctors, the best restaurants and coffee shops; we will give you as much information as you need to make the move easier. Give us a call today to get started!