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Online Love Marriage Specialist Sometimes parents are willing to love marriage, but it is love that creates obstacles to a point at least said is true. Lovers is creating many problems most of the time horoscopes match, then their parents are worried about their marriage life and will find success and they do not want to port their love, they tell of that finding alternatives .Then our online love marriage specialist Karan Sharma solve out our kundli match making problem. The other factor is Manglik dosh is also creating problem in your love marriage then our online love marriage specialist also give the greatest solution of your Manglik dosh issue.
Love Marriage Specialist astrologer Vashikaran siren as indicated by the expert priest in our thoughts and contemplations to persuade someone to move a medium best. The experts observed and specifically suggested by the crystal viewer. Problem Solution Priest spells a deep love and the whole structure will identify Vashikaran. Most of Vashikaran siren expert pundit individuals according to their own specific etiquette can stay with their girl to draw a girl needs. It is an intimate romance are generally not until two hearts, love marriage specialist priest on earth would his love still lives, never bite the dust. In the event that anybody needs to wed with his/her sweetheart then, you can specifically contact to our love marriage specialist pandit ji. Free Astrology Specialist Karan Sharma' energies will give you mantras to make your partner feel in the same request as you feel and bound him/her to wed. Love Marriage Specialist pandit Ji any sort of love Problem can be successfully explained by our love marriage specialist celestial specialist. Free Astrology Specialist Problems like Caste contrast, Brother Trouble, family question, past scenes can be taken care of by love marriage specialist pandit ji.
I & my husband had been married for the past 5 years & then suddenly, everyday there use to be lot of fights amongst us. Initially they were small arguments, but it grew into big fights. So, on my Mother-in laws suggestion we went to Pt. Karan Sharma. He told me that it will be resolved if I will not be too responsible for everything & let him also take some decisions. He came to this conclusion after he studied my Kundli & matched it with the stars. This simple solution started showing its sign within 2 months time. Now we are very happy together
- Manisha ( Mumbai )
I was an arts student & was doing well in my studies but I had a lot of confusion and doubts about my career. So my parents had taken me to Pt Karan Sharma, after going through an advertisement & cross checking with several people. My kundli & palm was examined by him. So after a detailed study & the interaction with my parents, he advised me to apply for government jobs. I sat for UPSC exam & cleared with very high marks, all because of Karan ji
- Harish kumar ( Delhi )
I love that he has structured his service where you don't need multiple readings, one reading a year can possibly get you through. This allowed me to relax my skepticism and really listen to the knowledge he offers.
- Shanel ( USA )
I enjoy the experience of consulting with astrologers to get a hint of how the future and coming months are going to be. I have tried the Astrologer karan sharma few time for astrology consulting and his predictions seems to working okay for me. Nice experience with him till now.
- Dipanjan ( kolkata )
Black Magic Specialist , in India Pandit Karan Sharma Ji is the best and famous astrologer of the world. Black magic has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes. With respect to the left hand path and right hand path dichotomy, black magic is the malicious, left hand counterpart of benevolent white magic. In modern times, some find that the definition of black magic has been convoluted by people who define magic or ritualistic practices that they disapprove of as black magic. The terms Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path refer to a dichotomy between two opposing approaches found in Western esotericism, which itself covers various groups involved in the occult and ceremonial magic. In some definitions, the Left-Hand Path is equated with malicious Black magic and the Right-Hand Path with benevolent White magic. Other occultists have criticized this definition, believing that the Left-Right dichotomy refers merely to different kinds of working, and does not necessarily connote good or bad magical actions. In more recent definitions, which base themselves on the terms' origins among Indian Tantra, the Right-Hand Path, or RHP, is seen as a definition for those magical groups which follow specific ethical codes and adopt social convention, while the Left-Hand Path adopts the opposite attitude, espousing the breaking of taboo and the abandoning of set morality. Some contemporary occultists have stressed that both paths can be followed by a magical practitioner, as essentially they have the same goals.
Vashikaran Specialist of the world who is believe in vashikaran and astrology. He is the specialist of vashikaran in India. Vashikaran is the part of astrology it is the art of controlling someone's mind, heart, feelings, emotions, and actions. All is easy buy the astrology and vashikaran. Vashikaran can help you in get love or lost love back in life. It can solve all your problems which are facing you in life. Life is not too easy on the earth because in our life we are face so many problems, some is easy to move or some is difficult to move from life. Which is too difficult mover in to life, people can't solve all this too easy but it is all solve by the vashikaran or vashikaran specialist in India Pandit Karan Sharma ji. He is the expert of vashikaran. He can solve all you problems, because he is the Vashikaran Specialist and the no.1 specialist in the world.
Astrology and Numerology is the important place in our life. It is create all the situations in our life. Numerology is the universal language of numbers; an each of us was born with a set of numbers unique to us. These numbers unlock the door to the depths of our personality and reveal the way we interact with others, lessons we have yet to learn, opportunities we will be given and challenges we will face at specific period of our lives or throughout life as a whole. Pythagorian numerology was organized by Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, who combined the mathematical disciplines of the Arabic, Druid, and Phoenician, Egyptian and Essence Science then it has continued to evolve. It formed the spiritual basis for many secret societies, such as the Rosicrucian Masons, Anthroposophist and others.
Panchang in Hindu Astrology or Indian vedic astrology is a sort of Hindu Almanac. Literally it means "Five Limbs (parts)". It is an astrological diary that gives useful astrological information required by an astrologer. It is consulted for finding and selecting an appropriate and auspicious time for important occasions, ceremonies or actions like marriage, education, travel, starting new business or project, examination, interview etc. So, basically, Panchang is used to match the current position of planets with the position of planets in a person's astrological chart so as to find and if required, to look ahead to find astrologically good days and times for that person. It is an ancient method to synchronize our actions with good times so as to reduce obstacles and increase our chances for success. In other words, it helps in knowing what days and times are good for an individual and which ones may cause problems so as to avoid them. It is clear that Panchang is a helpful and practical use of Indian vedic astrology and with its help, we can know the nature and quality of any day in advance. The belief is that time is an energy having unique qualities which can be reined in for our comprehensive improvement.


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Together with the other UNOX technologies, this range of pans and grids has been specially developed in order to allow the user to experience innovative cooking techniques only previously possible through the use of additional specific stand-alone kitchen equipment.
For grilling meat, fish and vegetables
The FAKIRO™ Grill is a made from a thick layer of aluminium coated with a specialised non-stick material. This coating prevents food from sticking to the grill and simplifies cleaning operations. The fluted aluminium plate once preheated quickly accumulates energy which is efficiently transmitted to the food. This guarantee an even result and reduces cooking times by up to 40% compared to a traditional grill.
Pizza and focaccia baking
FAKIRO™ is made from a thick aluminium plate that quickly transmits accumulated heat to the dough, simulating the effects of a stone in traditional static ovens.
FAKIRO™ reduces the baking time by up to 50% compared to simple convection baking and delivers a perfect baking symmetry on the top and bottom surfaces of the food. The FAKIRO™ is available in sizes: GN1/1, 600 x 400 and 440x330.
Steaming and frying
The No Fry pan is perfect for steaming and also for frying without oil.
Frying within the oven chamber with No.Fry eliminates the problems associated with traditional frying systems; there is no smell and no waste oils to dispose of. This increases time efficiency and savings in consumables. The No.Fry basket is easy to clean because it is not composed of twisted steel wires, but is manufactured using modern moulding techniques.
Chicken and poultry roasting
Pollo maximises the capacity of the cooking chamber and optimises airflow on the inside and outside of each bird, thanks to the unique cone shaped tips on the rack, securely holding each bird in the optimal cooking position.
The result is a perfect roast inside and out. Each rack can host up to 8 birds weighing up to 1.1 kg.
Roasting and pan frying
Black is specifically designed to roast and pan-fry breaded foods. Coated with non-stick material, Black prevents food from sticking and facilitates easy cleaning.
The instant creation of humidity in the cooking chamber, starting from a temperature of 48°C up to...Read more
DRY.Plus is the Unox technology that rapidly removes the humid air from the cooking chamber to...Read more
AIR.Plus technology has been developed by Unox to give a uniform cooking result on every point of...Read more
Unox's patented STEAM.Maxi™ technology is the solution to perfectly steam any items, even the most...Read more
Minimum humidity. Maximum flavour. The patented DRY.Maxi™ technology carries out two tasks at the...Read more
Cooking & Baking Essentials
We aim to make your kitchen as complete and versatile as possible, and with the use of UNOX...Read more
In the CHEFTOP and BAKERTOP MIND.Maps™ Plus ovens the patented ADAPTIVE.Cooking™ technology...Read more
Data Driven Cooking
Data Driven Cooking is an Artificial Intelligence cloud based technology that enables UNOX...Read more
Add your touch of brilliance. Freely, when you want to. Allow your creativity to be repeated by any...Read more
Time is money: but space is also money. MAXI.Link™ is an exclusive Unox technology that allows you...Read more
Cooking & Baking Essentials
We aim to make your kitchen as complete and versatile as possible, and with the use of UNOX...Read more
When thinking of a professional oven one always thinks about cooking processes. But it is also...Read more

subset: commoncrawl


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I've had times when the art I create looks, well, just "okay". Whether it's the balance of colour, composition or simply doesn't make me smile. Today I'm going to show you two canvases that I've re-worked that you can now find in my Made It Shop. Here are the offending artworks. They have been bugging … Continue reading Work it…and re-work it…Baby!
Tag: magazine
Featured Artist – Etzcetera Magazine
You know those moments when you are doubting your path, ability and presence in the world (and the world feels TINY and SUFFOCATING)? Then something happens....well, a series of little things happen.....that completely changes you. You walk taller. You sing louder. You love more deeply. You act more courageously. The world begins to make sense … Continue reading Featured Artist – Etzcetera Magazine
Case in Point
Hurrah!!! The School term has begun and it's "so far, so good (enough)" LOL. Here is my UPCYCLED pencil case I began on the holidays. Nothing is new, except for the zipper. I had no long zippers in my stash and all the clothes in the rag basket had teeny tiny ones. So all up, … Continue reading Case in Point


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Daily Celebrity Buzz for August 25th, 2011
Check out today's top celebrity news from around the web including Rihanna, Lindsay Lohan, Mariah Carey and much more!
A pretty weak denial from Rihanna on the sex tape rumor - Access Hollywood
How does Lindsay Lohan pay her rent? - Hollywood Dame
Mariah Carey got a new gig - Starpulse
Lady Gaga rules the world - Hollywire
Jennifer Lopez in fugly shorts - Caught On Set
Rod Stewart rolls the dice in Vegas - I'm Not Obsessed
Dita Von Teese is perfection, as usual - Celebrity Smack
Selena Gomez has a crush - Celebrity Cafe
Jason Bateman is having another kid - Fabulous Buzz
House season 8 preview - TV Fanatic
Courteney Cox never would have allowed this - Reality TV Magazine
Image courtesy WENN.com


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Grateful Dead
June 11 - June 17, 2018
Welcome back to the Tapers' Section, where this week we have music from 1970, 1979, and 1981.
Our first stop this week is in Kirkwood, MO, on 5/14/70, where we have this very unique, and excellent, jam featuring a whole pile of terrific Grateful Dead music: New Speedway Boogie > Nobody's Fault But Mine Jam> New Speedway Boogie > Saint Stephen > Not Fade Away > Turn On Your Lovelight.
Next up if the music that came before and after Drums and Space, plus Drums and Space, from 5/5/79 in Baltimore, on Brent Mydland's first tour as a member of the Grateful Dead. From this show, we have He's Gone > Drums > Space > The Other One.
Lastly this week is the trio of songs that ended the first set on 5/13/81 in Providence, RI, starting and ending with a song from Jerry's first solo record: Bird Song>Let It Grow>Deal.
Be sure to join us here next week for more music from the vault.
David Lemieux
Email: email@example.com
Twitter: @lemieuxdavid
love Brent..beyond that...DRUMS!!!!! awesome!
More please, and more cowbell too.
They ever do a BLT?
Bird Song->Let it Grow->Truckin'?
I love Pigpen's little comment at the end of Lovelight 5/14/70. This was a few months after the New Orleans bust.
I just cant wait to get home tonight from work and hear that 1970 sequence! Wow, that looks like a very rare, unique and stellar set.... gotta look up the rest of this show later.
Thanks Dave, you got me to smile for the rest of the day
Thanks for playing this clip!


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South Perth Libraries and Dymocks Garden City are delighted to invite you to celebrate the launch of Rachael Johns' new book The Greatest Gift. The evening will start with champagne and some finger food as Rachael mingles with guests. At 6.30pm Perth author Natasha Lester joins Rachael 'in conversation' about writing, love in all its forms and the journey to The Greatest Gift.
Poignant and heart-warming The Greatest Gift tells the story of a woman who wants nothing else than to be a mum, and one who never wanted to be a mother.
Radio host Harper Drummond lives for her glamorous career. Every day she meets fascinating people doing extraordinary things, but has begun to wonder whether there's something more for her out there. She's financially secure, happily married and loves her job — what more could she want from life? An interview with a childless couple prompts Harper to think about whether she could make a contribution. She and her husband, Samuel, know they don't want a child in their lives, but could she help someone else become a mother?
The childhood cancer that left Claire Beggs infertile doesn't matter to her husband, Jasper. He loves her unreservedly, and they are passionate about their thriving hot air balloon business in the Hunter Valley. Despite their contentment, Claire is desperate to have a child — she knows Jasper would be a brilliant father and doesn't want him to regret choosing her over a family in the years to come. An egg donor seems to be Claire and Jasper's only chance of a happy family.
Can they find someone who will give them the greatest gift? Or will it come at a greater cost?
Book sales and signing available on the night.


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No sound output from Bose 3-2-1 Base AccustiMass Module.
My 3-2-1 Bose AccustiMass Base Module no longer emits any sound. The LH and RH speakers operate properly. Input selections AUX, CD/DVD, VIDEO 1 and VIDEO 2 are also OK?
How can I troubleshoot and repair. Also, a schematic and parts list of the module circuit board would help.
Es esta una buena pregunta?


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- BeckyS0
- 4 years ago
- Wedding: July 2013
Hi Bees! Darling Husband and I are finally ready to add a new member to our family- a kitty cat! yay!!! He has not been the best at picking out cats in the past and i've never actually picked one out myself and just got strays from the neighborhood. The last cat he picked out from the shelter apparently clawed everything, pissed on everything, and would bite/claw for more & more lovin 24/7. Problem is, that cat was a tabby and that's what I wanted because all the tabby's I had growing up were pretty awesome cats. The cat before that was a orange one and he said it was great but my last orange cat was miserable (however could be bc my parents never neutered him). We have a dog already and are getting a kennel for kitty so we can slowly & safely introduce them over the course of a few days/weeks depending on how it goes- we have never had her around cats before but the shelter we adopted her from said she was fine with them.
So, what do you look for when adopting a cat- not a kitten- we need one that is both lovable and independent as we need it mainly to work getting rid of rodents and such- so a good barn type cat but not feral. It will be outdoors during the day and indoors at night (dont want any mountain lions getting it). We do not want a kitten as the poor thing could get easily snatched/bit by a predator out in the country. Any breeds that are better mousers or horrible mousers- we would only adopt from the shelter so it's mostly mutt mixes anyway. Also, any tips on introducing them would be great, I've read alot on the introductions for cats & pit bulls and feel prepared, but could always use more info!


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About Us
Businesses can't afford to rely only on traditional marketing strategies and tactics to survive in the competitive marketplace because the internet has changed the way customers interact with your business – from the way they search for your product or service online to how they engage and evaluate your brand on social media and how they take decision to buy from you.
Founded in 2004 by Tayo Disu, a digital entrepreneur with Mechanical Engineering background, Defture is a Lagos-based digital
marketing agency, serving businesses of all sizes since 2006. We offer advanced digital marketing solutions that help you uncover new insights about your business, discover new opportunities, compete better, connect with your audience, and make more money.
Defture's core competencies span digital strategy, branding, corporate identity design, website design and development, mobile applications, search engine optimization, online advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing.
Our team will work with you to design a compelling and profitable online presence solution for your business for short-term and long-term success.


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Funeral held for baby Chance Walsh; parents' charges reduced
Family and friends gathered in Punta Gorda Sunday to remember baby Chance Walsh.
The nine-week-old's body was found in a wooded area near North Port two weeks ago. His parents, Kristen Bury and Joseph Walsh, are jailed in Sarasota and charged in his death. ABC7 learned Sunday that charges for both have been reduced from first-degree murder. Bury is now charged with manslaughter, and Walsh with second-degree murder.
About 50 people gathered Sunday for a short funeral. His grandmother, Sally Susino, talked about the area where Chance's body was found and how the memory of that place is fresh in her mind.
"Where he was buried was not a beautiful place, and we were very distraught and upset from seeing the site," Susino said.
Deputies made the tragic discovery after Chance's mother told investigators where she and Walsh buried their son's body.
Susino said the one thing that brought her comfort when she visited the site was seeing butterflies.
"It was looking right at me and opening and closing his wings and I realized that it was Chance and started to feel peaceful," she said.
Butterflies were released following Sunday's ceremony, not only in honor of Chance, but in honor of his brother Duane, who passed away two weeks after being born in 2014.
"I took it as a beautiful sign from God. He was showing me that 'here's your two boys. They are peaceful, they are happy, and they have wings,'" Susino said.
"It has brought us a lot of peace. He is still with us. He's flying around there watching over us. Chance is going to be well known, his voice is going to be heard."


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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) NBA MVP Stephen Curry showed in a hurry he hasn't lost a step or his swagger, scoring 40 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 111-95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night to open their title defense.
Curry put on a familiar shooting clinic from all over the court, knocking down seven of his first nine shots with four 3-pointers for 24 first-quarter points. He finished 14 for 26 with seven assists and six rebounds in a rematch of the first round of the playoffs that Golden State swept 4-0. It was his 10th career 40-point game.
Curry and the Warriors raised the championship banner and received their rings in an elaborate pregame ceremony featuring glitz, glow sticks and fire. Coach Steve Kerr attended, then left for the locker room to rest his surgically repaired back as interim Luke Walton coached the team.
More from FoxSports
Anthony Davis, who averaged 29.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in two games against Golden State last season, shot 4 for 20 and scored 10 of his 18 points on free throws.
CHICAGO (AP) - Nikola Mirotic scored 19 points and Derrick Rose added 18 to lead Chicago to a season-opening victory over LeBron James and Cleveland with President Barack Obama watching.
Pau Gasol blocked a potential tying layup by James in the closing seconds. Jimmy Butler then broke up an inbounds pass intended for James as time expired.
The president sat courtside for most of the game as his beloved Bulls knocked off the defending Eastern Conference champions and gave coach Fred Hoiberg a narrow win in his first game.
James scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Cleveland, but the Cavaliers came up short against the team they knocked out in the conference semifinals last season.
ATLANTA (AP) - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 21 points to lead all five Detroit starters in double figures, carrying the Pistons to a victory over Atlanta and ruining the opener of the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference last season.
The Pistons, who haven't had a winning season since 2008 and finished 28 games behind the Hawks a year ago, began to pull away just before halftime. They led by double figures through most of the final two quarters and held on despite missing 20 of their last 22 shots from the field.
Andre Drummond had 19 rebounds and 18 points for the Pistons. Marcus Morris also had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Ersan Ilyasova chipped in with 16 points and Reggie Jackson added 15.
Dennis Schroder led the Hawks with 20 points. Paul Millsap had 19 and Jeff Teague 18, but new starter Kent Bazemore - who stepped in at small forward after DeMarre Carroll left in free agency - was held scoreless.


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Jon Ostler
Jon Ostler has been building successful digital marketing businesses since 1999! He is currently the UK CEO of finder.com a global comparison site. Prior to finder.com Jon founded and sold a number of leading digital marketing business including; online restaurant guide, ad network, web design, SEO and performance marketing agencies.


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Four Stones of DMG
Loyalty – is faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause. To go as far as one can go, that's all that DMG asks from its players. Loyalty is an old trait that it so seldom seen or remembered when it comes to business. This is the same trait that is required to join the ranks of DMG and within the ranks of DMG, it's the players who show this quality to their brand, their craft, and their brethren and always remembering where they came from; their community.
Honor – (from the Latin word honor, honoris) is the evaluation of a person's trustworthiness and social status based on that individual's espousals and actions. Honor is deemed exactly what determines a person's character: reflects honesty, respect, integrity, or fairness. To show honor should be as easy as breathing but sometimes in this day and age, it's easier to be dishonorable. DMG will always take the high road in every encounter and will never stoop to a lower level just because it seems like that easier thing to do. DMG's level of honor is higher than one could imagine.
Humility – is the quality of being modest, reverential, even politely submissive, and never being arrogant, contemptuous, rude or even self-abasing. We will always walk on the same level as everyone else. We will never claim to be better than the next person just for self-righteous glorification. We will always remind the same level of as we started from day one; as equals.
Respect – denotes both a positive feeling of esteem for a person or other entity and also specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem. We will give respect when it's due not because it's demanded from us. We will ensure that we will never be-little anyone just to show the superiority of a brand; this isn't high school. Respect is what we have for our brand, for our brethren, for other players and more importantly; for our craft and community to which ever game we compete in.
Established in March of 2009, Dominion Method Gaming is a developed video gaming brand competing on a professional level. Our mission is to expand as a group in order to compete at major events nationwide and international as we make our efforts of making E-sports, competitive gaming more known into the mainstream.
We take our steps towards our goals, as we grow stronger everyday as a brand, we help out the gaming community in any way that we can and continue to take our rightful places in the tournament scene as the premiere fighting group. We represent a range of passionate gamers and their will alike to give aspiring players an opportunity to compete, improve their skills, and socialize through our community. At the end we continue to make something out of nothing and make it; memorable.
Games DMG competes in:
Super Street Fighter 4:AE
Super Street Fighter 4: 2012 (coming soon)
Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3
Mortal Kombat
Tekken 6
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (coming soon)
Street Fighter X Tekken (coming soon)
Current Sponsors:
? Coming Soon!
? Coming Soon!
Past Sponsors:
Evolution 2K11 Grand Champions:
Tekken 6
Mortal Kombat 9
Evolution2K11 Season:
ere are all of the tournaments DMG has attended that were part of EVO2K11 Season:
Winter Brawl 5- 2 in top 8 for Super out of 300+ entrants.
Winter Brawl 5 – 1 in top 8 for Tekken out of 35+ entrants.
Winter Brawl 5 – 1 in top 8 for MVC3 out of 250+ entrants.
Final Round 14 – Won SSF4 out of 300+ entrants.
Final Round 14 – 1 in top 8 for MVC3 out of 350+ entrants.
Power Up – 2 in top 8 for SSF4 out of 71+ entrants.
Power Up – 1 in top 8 for MVC3 out of 106+ entrants.
Power Up – 1 in top 8 for MK9 out of 66+ entrants.
UFGT – 1 in top 8 in SSF4 out of 250+ entrants.
UFGT – Won MK9 and took 2nd place out of 120+ entrants.
UFGT – 1 in top 8 in MVC3 out of 310+ entrants.
CEO – 1 in top for MVC3 out of 285+ entrants.
CEO- 1 in top 8 for MK9 out of 122+ entrants.
CEO – Won Tekken 6 out of 63+ entrants.
ECT3 – Top 16 for SSF4 out of 320+ entrants.
ECT3 – Top 8 for Tekken out 25+ of entrants
EVO2K11 – Won MK9 out of 500+ entrants
EVO2K11 – Won Tekken 6 out of 350+ entrants.
EVO2K11 – 1 in top 8 in MVC3 out of 1000+ entrants.


text: The stratospheric balloon carrying the PILOT instrument was launched from Timmins in Canada at 9 pm (local time) on Sunday, September 20th. The gondola, weighting more than a ton, the heaviest the CNES took in the last 25 years, was lifted by a stratospheric balloon of 800.000 m3 and reached the altitude of 39.500 m after 3 hours of ascent. After a last transfer of helium carried out just before take-off, the detectors reached nominally their operating temperature of 320 mK when the balloon reached its flight ceiling, and the scientific observations could then start.


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What do you do when a project flops? If you're a masochist like me, you move on to the next thing. While I await the fate of my most recent story submission, I've started a new story and new direction. This will be more romantic and less mysterious. It also means, sadly, I have decided to cancel any remaining Lerxst Johnston stories I had planned.
Hurts to do it, but when something doesn't stick to the wall you need to reach for a better glue. I enjoyed writing Rock Deadly and Rock Til You Drop – I don't think I ever had as much fun with a character as I did with Lerxst. I don't have a son, but I would definitely have welcomed a young man like him into my family. Would I want Lerxst to one day date my daughter? Well…
Anyway, for those of you who did read the first two books – thanks for taking the time. Hope you enjoyed them. I'm sorry to disappoint anybody who hoped for a longer series, but the sales history doesn't support a third book. If a miracle happens, maybe I'll revisit Lerxst at a later time, like Agatha Christie did with Tommy and Tuppence.
If you're curious, I had planned to set the third story in Central Virginia, in wine country. I never detailed the actual mystery, but the story would have involved the family of Lerxst's late mother – and this grandmother is the complete opposite of Grandma Johnston, perhaps the one person in Albemarle County who doesn't approve of the Commonwealth's agri-tourism efforts, to say nothing of Chad Johnston's personal life.
Normally Lerxst wouldn't visit his other relatives, but their desire to meet granddaughter Jules brings them into the story. They would have been like the Westboro Phelpses, only a tad lovable. Lerxst's aunt, disapproving of her sister's choice of husband, would have scoffed at her nephews, particularly Lerxst's long hair. Her son, affectionately nicknamed "Sling Blade" by Lerxst and Chad, is the apple of her eye and can do no wrong, so naturally Lerxst will assume he's the bad guy. Lerxst's father would be deep in a relationship with the lady detective (now leaving the force to pursue her dream of owning a bakery) from the second book, something that irks his younger son.
Grandma Johnston's friend owns a winery and is co-hosting a festival similar to the popular Floyd Fest, which would explain Lerxst, Diane, and Jules performing there. I hadn't decided who would die – it wouldn't be anyone in the family, but Grandma's friend would have been held under suspicion by local authorities.
I had jotted down some sample dialogue to use early on in the book:
"Chad," I said, "if you let me tell Grandma Swathmore that you're gay I will give you one thousand dollars."
"What, and cancel the flash mob musical number I've been planning all year?"
It would have read funnier in the final draft. I had envisioned the opening scene to mirror some part of my own life:
"Just to warn you," I told Diane as I slipped the ring on her finger, "I don't intend to retire."
My new fiancee fanned her hand out in front of her face, admiring the bright yet small sparkle of the green stone that once belonged to my mother. "That's perfectly fine. I'll Skype you from Hawaii."
"I'm serious. Retirement equals death. Look at Charles Schultz."
She glanced over her shoulder. "Is he here, too? I figured he'd be haunting some golf course in Pebble Beach."
"The day his final comic runs, he drops dead." Seriously, look it up. So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, good grief. Missed that last football and kicked a damn cloud.
There's more, but I forgot it.
So, puritanical grandparents, a goofball cousin or two, a murder, and a wedding at the end. I won't detail too much, because I may go back one day and weave some of this into flashbacks for a book. For the most part, everybody is happy and healthy.
I can't say much for the characters in my next book, though.


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President Jacob Zuma says he will not be attending Ahmed Kathrada's memorial service and funeral in compliance with the wishes of the stalwart's family.
The struggle icon died at the age of 87 on Tuesday.
Ramaphosa, however, is expected to read Kathrada's eulogy.
Before proceedings get underway, a political tribute will be delivered by former President Kgalema Motlanthe, who is also a part of the foundation.
Kathrada will be buried according to Muslim rites.
Watch the live broadcast below:
This article first appeared on 702 : Ahmed Kathrada funeral and memorial service


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Senior Operations Manager, Myanmar
at Samaritan's Purse
Job Description
Are you an experienced operations management professional with a heart for the hurting? Join us as a Senior Operations Manager at Samaritan's Purse! As Senior Operations Manager in Myanmar, you will assist the Country Director in providing overall management for daily operations in Samaritan's Purse (SP) Myanmar. Your expertise and efforts will help to show the love of Christ to the people of Myanmar. Let God put your talents to use for a humanitarian cause with an eternal purpose. Join us, today!
Description of Job duties:
- Ensure smooth functioning, well-managed operations department to support programmatic activities.
- Act as the main focal point for Information Technology (IT), Procurement, and Logistics.
- Support continuous up-to date effective communication channels and accurate flow of information between field sites and the country office and DCD.
- Develop and implement operational systems, processes and policies in support of the organizations mission such as report management and information flow.
- Serve as a member of the Senior Management Team, and provide support to the Country Office in ensuring information flows, advice and support on operations issues related to operations.
- Develop and oversee national and international procurement systems to ensure efficient and accurate delivery of program resources.
- Enforce and uphold donor and SP regulations for procurement as well as best practices for operations.
- Enforce SP procedures regarding contracted service. In addition provide frequent evaluation of current contracted services for cost effectiveness.
- Maintain network and awareness of local and national laws and ensure organizational adherence along with the DCD and CD.
- Establish and maintain a harmonious working environment by introducing capacity building trainings seeking to strengthen & encourage active participation and interaction at all levels to foster staff development and empowerment.
- Network and promote relationships for accessing and sharing knowledge within the region on operations matters.
- With a generous and serving spirit perform all other tasks and responsibilities assigned for the benefit of Samaritan's Purse.
- Attend daily morning devotions and participate in prayer support for the ministry, donors, and vols.
- Maintain a strong witness to colleagues, vendors, charitable beneficiaries, and the gen public.
- Assess, manage and report critical physical, emotional, or spiritual concerns of supervised staff.
Job requirements:
- Maintains a personal relationship with and be a consistent witness for Jesus Christ.
- Commitment to the Samaritan's Purse statement of faith, and experience in working with cross-cultural and cross-denominational Christians.
- Advanced degree or related experience project management, business administration, public administration, logistics, supply chain management, communications or related field.
- Twelve credit hours of college-level Biblical studies strongly preferred.
- Field experience and knowledge of the Region is a strong asset.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
- Fluency in English.
- Strong analytical and leadership skills.
- Advanced problem solving and creative thinking skills.
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
12 month contract with the potential for renewal.
This is an accompanied assignment, but unable to accommodate children.
International Employee Benefits
Employees who choose to work internationally get to take advantage of the following benefits:
- Medical, prescription, dental & vision coverage
- Disability insurance
- Term Life insurance
- Retirement savings plan
- Ten paid holidays (holiday observance will depend on the host country)
- Annual home leave
- Twelve vacation days per year
Samaritan's Purse Distinct Objectives:
PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL - EXALT Christ and share the Gospel while working in His Name around the world
SERVE WITH EXCELLENCE - EXCEED the world's standard while serving the purposes of God's kingdom
RESPOND WITH COMPASSIONATE ACTION - EXPEDITE our response to needs as the Lord reveals opportunities to minister
DEMONSTRATE BIBLICAL INTEGRITY - EXHIBIT character and integrity personally, at home and work
WALK IN BOLD FAITH - EXPECT God to do the impossible
Samaritan's Purse Mission Statement:
Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan's Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God's love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Samaritan's Purse Statement of Faith:
* We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God. (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17)
* We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; Ephesians 4:4-6)
* We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood on the cross, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. (Matthew 1:23; John 1:1-4 and 1:29; Acts 1:11 and 2:22-24; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:1-4 and 4:15)
* We believe that all men everywhere are lost and face the judgment of God, that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation, and that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ results in regeneration by the Holy Spirit. (Luke 24:46-47; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; Ephesians 1:7 and 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7)
* We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, whose indwelling enables the Christian to live a godly life. (John 3:5-8; Acts 1:8 and 4:31; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Galatians 5:16-18; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 2:6-10)
* We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the saved unto the resurrection of eternal life and the lost unto the resurrection of damnation and eternal punishment. (1 Corinthians 15:51-57; Revelation 20:11-15)
* We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and that all true believers are members of His body, the church. (1 Corinthians 12:12, 27; Ephesians 1:22-23)
* We believe that the ministry of evangelism and discipleship is a responsibility of all followers of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:9-15; 1 Peter 3:15)
* We believe God's plan for human sexuality is to be expressed only within the context of marriage, that God created man and woman as unique biological persons made to complete each other. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason, we believe that marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female. (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9)
* We believe that we must dedicate ourselves to prayer, to the service of our Lord, to His authority over our lives, and to the ministry of evangelism. (Matthew 9:35-38; 22:37-39, and 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:9-15 and 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10; Colossians 2:6-10; 1 Peter 3:15)
* We believe that human life is sacred from conception to its natural end; and that we must have concern for the physical and spiritual needs of our fellowmen. (Psalm 139:13; Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 22:37-39; Romans 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10)


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The odds, now more than ever, favour longevity: Canadians living out their lives longer, if not better, than our ancestors would have dared dream.
But if something should cut short your 21st-century world, chances are it would be one of the country's 10 deadliest threats — cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, accidents, diabetes, Alzheimer's, influenza and pneumonia, suicide, or kidney disease. Combined, they claim a quarter-million Canadians each year.
What almost certainly won't kill us is what we fear most: terrorism. And we don't hear that rather salient fact nearly often enough.
Even in the age of ISIS, the average Canadian is likelier to die in a bathtub — or win the lottery — than to fall victim to a Charlie Hebdo-style massacre.
We lost two soldiers last October in outrageous strikes that seized headlines for weeks. Inexcusable violations of Canada's beloved normal. We reeled. And we endured.
Two. Repeat. Two. Terrible, yes. Also, two.
Yet the threat exists, as we were reminded this week. Again and again. There was Prime Minister Stephen Harper, capping a lightning visit to Canadian soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait with lavish praise for the war against those who would "despoil our home and native land.
"Make no mistake: by fighting this enemy here you are protecting Canadians at home," the prime minister said. "Because this evil knows no borders, and left uncontained, it will spread like a plague."
Then, on Wednesday, remarkably stark and scary words from Canada's spymaster, sounding the alarm about jihadis who aspire "to kill Canadians."
"It's a sobering observation to make, and there is no euphemistic way of making it," wrote Michel Coulombe, chief of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), in his annual report to Parliament.
"There was a period after 9/11 when many people assumed that an effective terrorist attack was necessarily one that involved a network of highly trained operatives bent on committing a spectacular mass-casualty event," wrote Coulombe.
"In truth, a single assailant with low-tech weaponry — a rifle or even a car — can bring tragedy and insecurity to our communities."
Hours later, Parliament passed Bill C-51, putting a controversial trove of new anti-terror tools within Coulombe's reach.
Thursday brought the lone incongruous note in an amped-up week of fear and loathing as a remarkably sanguine Omar Khadr emerged a free man against the last of the Harper government's furious objections. Once the child of Al Qaeda, and now, in his first ever words to Canadians, a man of seemingly gentle gratitude, intent upon nothing more than building a new life dedicated to healing others.
"I'm going to have to disappoint him," Khadr told reporters when asked if he had any comment for the prime minister. "I'm not the person he thinks I am."
Amid the pounding drums of fear, some hear the hidden pulse of the coming fall election. A government that seemed, before November, to be veering rapidly toward its best-before date now has a spring in its terror-fighting step. Resolute, focused, more than willing to lead the campaign against ISIS, over there and right here at home.
But set aside your politics, if only for a moment, and ponder the fear itself — and how it rankles and confounds a growing number of security researchers, who are gradually learning to downsize the actual threat the Islamic State (a.k.a. ISIS and various other abbreviations) represents to Canada. And learning also that this is not a fight we should so much as dare lead, lest we give the Islamic State militants precisely what they want.
The Islamic State is a massive threat but one primarily directed at the place where it does almost all of its killing — the Middle East. Many now regard the overlapping regional hostilities not as a war with Islam, but a war within Islam. Moreover, a war that the Middle East must lead, fight and finish.
ISIS is secondarily a threat to Europe, by dint of the thousands of Europeans — Muslims or converts to Islam — who have abandoned their lives to join the rump caliphate that spans Iraq and Syria.
Next, and tangentially, the Islamic State is a threat to other parts of the West, including Canada, on two fronts: the risk of battle-hardened Canadian ISIS fighters returning from the war with training and intent to do harm, domestically; and the risk that so-called "lone fighters" will answer the ISIS call to arise and attack from within.
Yet even here, some researchers doubt those risks match up with the warnings, given that the number of Canadians known to have joined ISIS is barely enough to mount a decent hockey game.
"The Islamic State is a threat to Canada — but it is wildly overblown," says Amarnath Amarasingam, a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada postdoctoral fellow who co-directs a study of Canadian foreign fighters at the University of Waterloo.
"By our count, there are about 60 Canadians who went to fight, of which 15 are already dead. And not all are with the Islamic State — some are fighting for the Kurds, some are fighting for the Free Syrian Army, for nationalist reasons, not as global jihadists who would present a threat to Canada."
A similar low-threat assessment for Europe emerged this week in a research paper for Holland's Clingendael Institute of International Relations, which concluded that, "although concerns have run high following the recent attacks in Paris, the threat of violence carried out by foreign fighters to Europe, while present, is largely overstated."
Co-author Daniel Byman, a professor of security studies at Georgetown University, goes further in his assessment, emphasizing that while Europe must provide "ongoing resources to security and intelligence services to keep the threat low," it should also "avoid reactive policies such as systematic prosecution and imprisonment of returnees.
"Some returnees must be imprisoned immediately and others monitored, but governments should also channel resources towards community-led programs emphasizing the rehabilitation and reintegration of returned fighters," Byman writes.
In the Canadian context, it is difficult to imagine the general public embracing such a nuanced approach when the government itself, with more than a little help from the media, is sounding the direst of warnings. But that too is addressed in the Clingendael recommendations, which urge governments to "take care not to overstate the threat of foreign fighters and take steps to reassure citizens that the risk is real but limited."
To the University of Waterloo's Amarasingam, that's the missing piece in Ottawa's approach to the problem: we get all the warnings, minus the reassurance.
"I understand what the government and CSIS and the RCMP are trying to do," says Amarasingam. "They want to ensure that in the unlikely event that Canada ever experiences an attack like 9/11, it won't tear apart the fabric of our society and have us turn on each other.
"They want to plant the seed of possibility in our consciousness to prepare us. But when you raise those warnings — when you say 'We're not a multicultural haven immune from this; we are at risk' — you also need to temper that message and provide the context that the risk of that kind of attack on the streets of Toronto is actually quite low.
"That's a key piece that Canadians aren't getting. And the consequence is that the fear is ramped up out of proportion to the actual risk."
The same disproportionate fear extends to the issue of so-called "lone wolf" attacks. Lone wolves, researchers now are finding, are not so alone after all.
In a recent study on lone-actor terrorism, Prof. Paul Gill of University College London found that nearly half of the case studies involved terrorists who regularly engaged in a "detectable range of activities" within wider peer groups. Some interacted face to face with co-ideologues, while 38 per cent interacted virtually; 35 per cent attempted to recruit others.
"What we are learning about these so-called lone actors makes us realize that much of the fear in circulation is based on utter nonsense," says Amarasingam.
"It's the unknowability that freaks people out. When you have fear without context, some people feel like they can't trust anyone. Some think any Muslim in their community is a potential threat, based on the view that 'It could be anyone.'
"But of course it can't be just anyone. Now that we're learning more about the process of radicalization, we're beginning to understand that it comes with a need to shout from the rooftop their intentions. Some write manifestos, others record selfie videos. They have to make a splash and along the way they often tell people — and quite often that gets detected."
Still frightened? OK, you should be — but just a little bit. Perhaps another way to find perspective in the absence of official reassurance are the words of renowned Canadian scholar Janice Gross Stein, who goes deep to explain the Islamic State in a chapter for a new compendium by the Transatlantic Academy titled Faith, Freedom and Foreign Policy.
Stein's essay — "The Islamic State and the West: The Politics of Purification" — holds that despite the "brutal violence, genocidal killing, beheadings, the destruction of historic works of art and the enslavement of women," there is actually nothing especially new about ISIS.
Tracing the theological roots of the Islamic State from the 18th-century House of Saud to late-20th-century Al Qaeda, Stein argues that while prior militant and millenarian movements shared many of the same distinguishing characteristics, the Islamic State's "sophistication with the tools of the digital era elevates threat perceptions.
"I suggest that in the non-Muslim world, the threat of the Islamic State is exaggerated," she writes. The movement "struggles with its own contradictions, as is already apparent, and it is unlikely to have the strength and resilience to overcome these contradictions and adapt to changing conditions."
The impulse for purification — a return to the roots of religion in the face of foreign influence — is part of not just Islam but also the histories of Judaism, Christianity and Hinduism, she notes.
But such movements gain vigour "when the material world appears to fail to fulfil its promise" — and nowhere has that promise failed more completely than in the corruption-plagued Middle East, where the angry young populations have turned not only against their own governments but also against "the infidel West, that has sustained and supported these authoritarian governments and stood by while they crushed dissent."
Yet ISIS, in not merely seizing territory but proclaiming itself "a caliphate, with the attendant sweeping claims to religious and political authority over righteous Muslims everywhere," has made enemies within Islam in ways that Al Qaeda never did.
"Those claims pose no direct threat to western governments, however, nor does (the Islamic State) have the West front and centre in its sights," writes Stein. Yet the West's response, she notes, has involved "a very dangerous dance in democratic societies," including expanded surveillance and intervention tools that have generally not been accompanied by any increase in civilian and legislative oversight.
Stein points to a long road ahead. In facing the limited domestic threat, western countries, whatever path they choose, must "deepen civility, respect and the commitment to inclusive and shared citizenship."
And on a military front, while ISIS must be contained, the eventual ground attack must "must be led by those who live next door." Any all-out assault by western forces "would fulfil the most violent apocalyptic fantasies" of ISIS leaders.
"Over time, this story is mildly optimistic … our own history confirms that the puritans cannot remain puritanical forever," concludes Stein.
But in the meantime, a struggle that could last generations will require the West simply to "endure, with resolve, stoicism, patience and intelligence," mindful that the primary victims in the ISIS crisis are "the hundreds of millions of believing Muslims whose voices are drowned out by this quarrel, the millions who have been made refugees from their homes, and the hundreds of thousands who have lost their lives."
We can commit to contain, and to prevent the spread of the brutal ISIS impulse. But let us not lead, she says.
"Our best protection from the flying debris is the use of our intelligence assets in ways that are compatible with our basic values, the deepening of our open and inclusive societies, and a long view of history."


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Home Accessories
A selection of silver plated gifts for the home, ranging from bottle openers to salt and pepper sets, chopsticks to napkin rings, desk clocks to candle holders. All these home accessory gift items are suitable for engraving to create unique, personalised gifts. And all are offered here with free text engraving, allowing you to create personalised home accessories at no extra cost.
Got questions? Need help? Call us,
0333 800 5303Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm
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Youll also need
- 20.5 cm (8in) round fruit cake
- 2 tbsp smooth apricot jam
- 400 g pack ready-rolled marzipan
- Icing sugar, to dust
- 600 g (1lb 5oz) deep blue ready-to-roll icing
- 150-200 g (5-7oz) white ready-to-roll icing
- Put cake on a stand or serving plate and spread top and sides with the jam. Unroll marzipan, position on top of cake and press down gently over top and sides. Lightly dust the worktop with icing sugar and roll out the blue icing into a 33cm (13in) circle.
- Brush the top and sides of the cake with water. Position blue icing on top of the marzipan. Using the palms of your hands, flatten icing over top of cake and ease around the sides, smoothing any creases. Trim off excess with a knife and tie the ribbon around the base.
- Re-dust worktop with icing sugar and roll out white icing. Stamp out snowflakes of various sizes and stick to the cake using a little water (re-roll icing as necessary). Wet the centre of each flake and stick on a silver ball.
Lightly brush the cake with water and sprinkle over edible glitter (water helps the glitter to stick). Use a dry pastry brush to even out the glitter if necessary. Store in a cool place.
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Regulatory triggers
In an attempt to open up the European gas and electricity markets, the European Commission proposed its European Union's Third Energy Package in 2009, a legislative push that obliges the EU member states to implement smart meters and dynamic electricity pricing. This translates to substantial capital investments and direct costs in producing, distributing, installing and deploying smart meters for the utilities companies.
Smart meters transmit energy consumption readings at a very fine resolution of 15 minutes or even lower. The sheer volume of these readings is quite substantial a.k.a Big Data. These measurements have to be collected, stored and processed for billing and other purposes. This implies the utility companies have to ratchet up their data center and Information Technology operations substantially, which further adds to the indirect costs of the regulatory push. To further derive benefits and value from the aggregated data, these companies should also develop or source in Big Data competences.
Till now, in most European member states, private households were invoiced only once a year, while business consumers are invoiced on a more frequent basis. Regardless of the frequency of communication, both private and business customers received only basic information about their energy consumption. The energy consumption data has been manually collected by the utilities. Consequently, the utility companies have a dearth of quality data on their consumers' energy consumption patterns. This had limited the companies' ability to engage with their customers, understand their diverse needs, develop innovative solutions and co-create value through a common platform.
The metering market is currently undergoing a transformation, as smart metering systems are increasingly deployed by both, private and business customers. These meters are increasingly viewed as the means of architecting a consumer and data-centric decision-making framework, demand response planning and business strategy for the utility companies world-wide moving into the future.
IT edge to energy production
Through an IT-enabled platform that aggregates smart meter data, energy usage patterns could be understood at a much finer granularity. Such a deep understanding is obligatory in launching a dynamic energy pricing model by a utilities company. This mandates excellent analytics tools that could process volumes of consumer data, identify usage patterns, reveal denominators and enable dynamic pricing mechanisms.
By studying the patterns revealed by smart meter readings, incentive programs and dynamic pricing slabs could be offered to motivate users to reduce or shift energy consumption to non-peak periods. This creates a win-win scenario for both, the utility companies and the consumers; the consumers benefit from cheaper energy prices during non-peak periods, while utility companies could continue running their plants and generators at a constant capacity and energy output level. The consumer surplus thus created traverses the various elements of the value chain, thereby benefiting all participants in the marketplace.
Understanding the smart meter readings also reveals incisive insights into the lives of the customers. As machines and devices are increasingly connecting to the internet, it is now possible to profile the energy consumption and usage patters of these equipments and propose pre-emptive checks, maintenances, replacements, etc.
Prosumers and Micro-markets
With the increase in consumer awareness of renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic panels, rooftop windmills and heat pumps, the utility companies could collaborate with those households by subsidizing their investments and purchasing their surplus energy output at competitive prices. Such a "prosumer" i.e. producer- consumer strategy requires a better understanding of the Micromarket strategy that requires cloud infrastructure,computing framework, customer relationship management system and innovative analytics capabilities.
Furthermore, with the growing interest in electric cars, it is now possible to create value by leveraging the distributed infrastructure at marginal cost. The batteries available inside these electric cars have the capacity to cater to the energy needs of an average household for almost a week. The utility companies could avail this infrastructure by charging these batteries during the nights, when energy prices are typically lower, while maintaining a constant generation capacity. During daytime, when the energy prices are relatively higher due to higher demand by the industrial and business customers, the utility companies could tap into these electric cars to maintain a constant power supply without having to fire up a coal plant of to operate a nuclear station.
Through better understanding of the underlying infrastructure, consumer behavior, usage patterns, etc. through analytics, utility companies could recruit those consumers into their "crowd sourced energy management" platform with the motivation of better demand response planning, capacity planning, energy storage and distribution management.
Current scenario in IT department
Currently, the IT landscape across the utilities industry is heterogenous with a myriad of data analysis and capacity planning applications. Historically, these applications were built "one-off" with heavy emphasis on coding. Despite their effectiveness, the applications' functionality was limited in that these applications consume data in standard formats, apply standard algorithms, and present results through standard pre-defined reports. Over 75% of the total code is dedicated to "infrastructure" processes, such as data aggregation, data clean up (preparation), application flow, storage of results, etc.
However, smart meters and the underlying smart grid infrastructure has opened the pandora's box, meaning the utilities companies now are faced with an enormous deluge of incoming data from sensors, customers, devices, etc. These data reside in several "system of record" archives that scales to trillions of records representing tens of petabytes of data that require further processing to extract information. Such data tsunami puts the traditional approach in jeopardy, which mandates an entirely new approach to data analytics. Competitiveness, hence, hinges not just on IT infrastructure, scalability, quality and quantity – attributes that were traditionally bastions for competitiveness – but also on extracting relevant insights – obvious and subtle – at cheaper costs and decreased time to market.
Enter Data Scientist
Hence, there is an increasing need to substitute the current approach with one that spawns across all elements of the corporate value chain, bridging Corporate & Business strategy, IT Strategy, Software development, Algorithm construction, Mathematics, Natural and Social sciences – what Thomas Davenport from Harvard Business School calls the "Data Scientist".
In short, utility companies should seek these professionals who understand the entire spectrum of the value chain from "bigger picture" i.e. the broader overarching corporate strategy, market place, competitive landscape, operations management, etc. to studying the intricate patterns, structures, correlations and causations represented by data. The data scientists understand the basics of data, how to dissect the business problem and translate into manageable units, look at data for insights, select the appropriate mathematical approaches to use, test different hypotheses to choose the best approach, derive insights from data and communicate these insights, results and business impacts cogently to all stakeholders.
As could be inferred, these capabilities are beyond the realms of these traditional companies, whose competitive advantages have been in building power plants, operating these plants and distributing energy with minimum or no down time. For these organizations, Information Technology (IT) has largely been an enabler of other business functions.
However, these companies are increasingly realizing that applying analytics capabilities to large volumes of data they are currently aggregating could provide consistent, high-quality insights into operational dynamics of the business entity at different levels of granularity. Achieving the maturity level to operate analytics functions in-house mandates substantial investments in both, resources and capabilities – elements that take time to nurture and develop.
Furthermore, operating a Big Data / Analytics- centric data center is beyond the capabilities of the IT departments, which had traditionally evolved with the growing business needs in these organizations. The core axiom of the IT departments in these entities is to deliver a superior quality of existing portfolio of services with minimal or no down time. An IT outage for a few minutes may have ramifications throughout the organization from manufacturing, finance, accounting, logistics, etc. and may have a substantial financial impact. Hence, these departments are usually resource constrained, unwilling to "experiment" with new technologies and are usually wary about deploying "bleeding edge" products into their existing landscape for the fear of these technologies' lack of a proven pedigree.
Opportunities for IT outsourcing companies
Hence, it is obvious to identify the Catch-22 situation that is prevalent in these organizations; IT department, in its ambition to become a strategic asset, contends with providing a high quality service, while, at the same time, seeking to deliver value- adding services by deploying innovative solutions and technologies that have a direct impact on the companies' top and bottom line.
However, with the increasing adoption of public and private clouds, outsourcing companies, vendors, service providers and consulting companies could develop custom solutions that address these pain points and break the deadlock that most such IT departments are currently trying to come to terms with.
By deploying and operating parallel IT infrastructure, aggregating data, analyzing for patterns and delivering business insights, value adding services are effectively delivered with no disruptions to business continuity. Working with customer data requires appropriate governance controls and mechanisms, risk management frameworks to be properly implemented and compliance with strict regulatory standards. The landscape complicates further when processing data pertaining to consumers' personal information. These constraints pose opportunities for specialist companies in these areas. In addition, data analytics render additional insights by integrating relevant structured and unstructured data from within and outside the organization, correlating distributed data sets, etc. These are capabilities that service providers have to develop, in addition to the technical capabilities around Big Data that these organizations are currently developing.
In closing, the utility industry could no longer continue to achieve perfection in the upstream activities i.e. power generation and distribution as a source of competitive advantage. To continue capturing value, it is obligatory that these companies begin considering Information Technology (IT) as a strategic asset and begin making substantial investments in infrastructure and analytics capabilities. Much of the value to be captured in the future stems from downstream activities i.e. the path towards the customers. Understanding its customer base is the first step towards creating sustainable value. This means investing in customer relationship management systems, developing interfaces to capture customer feedback through traditional and emerging channels, such as Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc., understanding smart meter data and mining for obvious and subtle intelligence by relating disparate sets of data through robust analytics.
About the author: Mithun Sridharan is a General Manager at BlueOS LLC, an advisory based in Germany, where he is res pons ible for driving the s trategic s ales initiatives and managing cus tomer engagements in Digital transformation & Analytics. Prior to BlueOS, he was an Account Manager with Oracle Corporation, where he drove strategic partnerships with key enterprise accounts and major Independent Software Vendors in Europe and the USA. He brings with him over a decade of International experience in Management Consulting, Business development, Strategic Marketing & Product Management. He holds an MBA from ESMT Berlin and a Master of Science (MSc) from Christian Albrechts University of Kiel. He is a Harvard Manage Mentor Leadership Plus graduate, an SAP certified Business Intelligence Professional, a Project Management Professional (PMP) and a Certifed Information Systems Auditor (CISA). He also served as the Communication Chair for the German Outsourcing Association in 2013 and is based in Heidelberg, Germany.
Contact: Mobile: +49 176 9792 4897 eMail: email@example.com
LinkedIn: http://de.linkedin.com/in/mithun Twitter: http://twitter.com/jixtacom


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Alice In Sunderland (Hardcover)
The book that gave Bryan Talbot a doctorate!
- More Below…
Product Description
- Artist
- Bryan Talbot
- Author
- Bryan Talbot
- Binding
- Hardback
- Cat No.
- 1375046
- 9780224080767
- Genre
- Fantasy
- 9780224080767
- Publisher
- Jonathan Cape Publishing
- Type
- Graphic Novels
The book that gave Bryan Talbot a doctorate!
Bryan Talbot takes the city of Sunderland and the story of Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell (the 'real' Alice) and around them spins a spectacularly diverse range of different stories.
He explores Carroll's links with Sunderland and shows how the city inspired his masterpieces. Talbot's artwork is a spectacular mixture of different styles and his stories are told from the stage of the Sunderland Empire theatre. In "Alice in Sunderland", he shows - triumphantly - how local history is national history in microcosm, how one story begets another. The result is a landmark book in the graphic field.
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text: I strained my calf a week ago, only a mild strain and although it's recovered occasionally it feels like I'm about to have those weird painful muscle spasms! It did wake me up yesterday attacking my poor leg, but I feel fine to run today. Had plenty of water and bananas to help, (potassium is good apparently) for leg cramps. Anyone else had this?


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The history of National Disability Employment Awareness Month traces back to 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." In 1962, the word "physically" was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
"We all have a role to play in — and benefit to gain from — increasing opportunities for meaningful employment for people with disabilities. This year's theme encapsulates this in three powerful words. It conveys that advancing disability employment is about much more than just hiring. It's about creating a continuum of inclusion. And the first step on this continuum is expectation," said Kathy Martinez, assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy when announcing this year's National Disability Employment Awareness Month theme, which is "Expect. Employ. Empower."
The Arc of Schuyler is sharing in spreading the message that a strong workforce is one inclusive of the skills and talents of all people, including people with developmental disabilities.
The primary purpose of The Arc of Schuyler's industrial and vocational training division, Glen Industries is to assist people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to find meaningful employment. As an example, through Glen Industries' food co-packing service, people with disabilities are learning kitchen sanitation, organization, recipe comprehension, and food preparation – skills that will prepare them for community employment in food service.
Both the federal government and New York State are drafting plans for restructuring work centers and increasing the number of people with disabilities in competitive employment. Employers can capitalize on the talents and skills of people with disabilities and access resources to assist in recruiting, retaining, and advancing skilled, qualified employees.
People with a disability are an important part of a strong, diverse workforce. Glen Industries can assist employers with their recruiting efforts by providing:
- Referrals to meet hiring needs, resulting in reduced recruitment cost
- Pre-screened applicants
- Pre-employment and on-site training
- Help applying for Federal and New York State tax credits and reimbursements related to employing people with disabilities
- Help understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act
Other Resources for Employers and Job Seekers with Disabilities:
- What Can You Do? The Campaign for Disability Employment
- Employees with Disabilities: 5 Myths & Real Facts for Employers
- Building an Inclusive Workforce - A 4 Step Reference Guide to Recruiting, Hiring & Retaining Employees with Disabilities
- Job Accommodation Network
- Employer Assistance and Resource Network


text:
RESIDENTS claim they have been kept in the dark over plans to "massively" transform St Ninian's Church.
A planning application has been submitted to build two towers - 16 metres tall - and add a dome to the top of the building.
St Ninian's, in Caldwell Grove, has been empty for over two-years and the Coptic Orthodox Church wants to make the alterations.
The church has its roots in Egypt, but there are followers around the world - including 50 families in the Birmingham and Solihull area.
A planning statement says that the building will be a "prominent landmark" but that surrounding buildings will hide it from view at a distance.
But residents are concerned about the style and size of the development and also fear that it could create parking problems.
Jennifer Leeming said: "It [St Ninian's] was never an attractive building but I consider this a most inappropriate development on a major route to Solihull town centre."
And fellow-resident Judith Hicken has also voiced concerns about the "sheer size" of the towers being proposed.
It is understood that Solihull Council has been inundated with complaints about the development, due to go to the planning committee later this year.
And many residents have accused the council of not consulting them and only found out when the Solihull News published an article last week.
Councillor John Windmill, chairman of the planning committee, said: "Legally we are only obliged to write to people whose properties adjoin the land that is subject to an application.
"However, we do tend to inform more neighbours if we think it necessary."
Solihull Council has written to 79 homeowners regarding this application and will be putting up site notices in the next few days.


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Today I'd like to welcome J.R. Hauptman, author of The Target, who will be doing a guest post for us!
From J.R.:
The Effects of Deregulation on the Airline Industry
My novel, "The Target; Love, Death and Airline Deregulation," is primarily a human story, a tale of one man's struggles with himself and a world that for him, has been turned upside down. However, there is a strong undercurrent to the book that might cause a feeling of unease in the reader; it is a sense of potential revolt and impending disaster. Given the current disastrous economic situation in our country, it may turn out for this book to be unfortunately prophetic.
Airline deregulation came about in the late Nineteen-Seventies due to the fact that the Civil Aeronautics Board, which regulated that industry, had become too politicized. The CAB decided what airlines would fly what routes, at what frequency and what fares they could charge. Both Presidents Johnson and Nixon, having the powers of appointment, approval and veto, used this vital component of our national transportation infrastructure to reward their political allies and to likewise punish their enemies. The ideal solution would have been to reform the industry and allow more competition in route awards and fares, but the action chosen was what became the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978.
The promoters of airline deregulation proudly declared that the Act would result in free market entry by both established and startup companies, more competitive fares and result in better airline service and cheaper tickets for traveling Americans. An added benefit foreseen but not often publicly touted by economic "conservatives," would be an anti-inflationary check on airline employee wages in this highly unionized industry. They privately salivated over the prospect of putting the final screws into the coffins of labor unions.
Rather than recount the past three decades of instability and chaos in the airline industry, let me point out the results. First, the concentration of the industry. Promoters of deregulation were unaware, or simply ignored the fact that the airline business is extremely capital intensive; it takes a lot of money to operate and maintain a modern fleet of jet airplanes in any semblance of flight frequency, safety, and reliability. Further, free market entry by small upstart airlines was nipped in the bud by a simply Darwinian fact of economic life; the Big Fish eat the Little Ones. The big carriers, having huge cash reserves, would simply match or undercut the fares of the low cost carriers and run them out of any competitive market. The result is, that eventually, the industry went from many high quality carriers serving large, medium and small market cities to a very few major carriers, deemed "too big to fail," skimming the long haul routes, leaving the medium and small markets to be served by contract carriers operating smaller, regional jets.
Secondly, was the overall degradation of service. Economic gurus touted the idea that airlines were finally solving the problem of excess capacity, or "too many empty seats." The problem was and continues to be that with fewer major carriers dominating "Hub" markets, they are not only able to fill those empty seats, it is established practice to cram more seats into airplanes, making current air travel an exercise in torture. Additional factors, such as fuel prices, weather delays and security issues only exacerbate these problems and make the travel experience even more unpleasant.
The effects of unbridled deregulation on our national economic system are currently there for us to witness every day. Airline deregulation was followed by deregulation of the public utilities, energy, and truck transportation industries, to mention a few. Worst of all were the complete dismantling of critical securities and banking safeguards. One of my first jobs, after my airline underwent a sham bankruptcy orchestrated by a corporate raider, was as a securities broker. My mentor there had come from trust department commercial banking and early on, he warned me; "Just watch; the banks want to get in on the securities business because the bankers see huge profits on the commissions we earn and it will mean disaster for both."
How right he was! The Glass-Steagall act of 1932 was passed during the Great Depression and placed a barrier between Commercial and Investment Banking, which is essentially a securities function. Glass-Steagall was largely ignored during the go-go days of the Nineteen-Eighties, and then repealed to obviate any undue embarrassment of those who were charged with regulating these industries.
The result has been overall irresponsible and some outright criminal behavior by those who manage and regulate banking and securities. They have turn these crucial businesses into veritable "Crap Games" by designing a plethora of shady products designed primarily to line their greedy pockets. The list is lengthy; the junk bonds used for "Greenmail", the savings and loan and Enron scandals, credit card usury by the banks, the abusive banking, securities and insurance bailouts with abusive compensation schemes, sub-prime lending; on and on, the list seems endless.
Nothing is more representative of this sickness than the Madoff Scandal. Those who are currently involved in trying to solve this mess are less guilty than Madoff only by degree. Nonetheless, they seem to be repeating the same arrogant mistakes of their sordid past. They ignore the risk at their peril and that of our nation. That risk is Revolution; populist and potentially bloody.
About The Target:
"THE TARGET" is set in the late nineteen-eighties and tells the tale of the tumultuous first years of airline deregulation and the shocking effects it had on that industry and the people who worked there. In those days, Carlo Clemenza is known as the most hated man in the airline business. A dedicated corporate raider and union buster, Clemenza uses junk bonds, uncompromising Soviet styled negotiation tactics, sham bankruptcies and ruthless abrogation of union contracts to crush competing airlines and to bring airline workers to heel. His methods have earned him countless death threats yet he struts with arrogance, surrounded by cadres of security toughs. Virtually thousands of professional pilots find themselves compelled to start their careers over or find them at a sudden and complete end. The airline grapevine echoes daily with the plaintive cry, "Why doesn't someone kill that SOB?!" Only one pilot decides to seriously take up the cudgel and he makes Carlo Clemenza THE TARGET! His chase will take him to the far corners of the country as he finds himself also the object of pursuit.
About J.R.:
J. R. Hauptman has been a professional pilot for nearly a half century. Barely twenty years old, he began as a military pilot and for almost two years, he flew combat support missions in the Vietnam War. Upon leaving military service, he was hired by a major airline and was initially based on the West Coast. His flying career was interrupted by the turmoil that racked the airline industry during the early days of deregulation. In the interim, he worked as a travel agent, as a stock broker and even trained dogs and horses. In the late nineteen-eighties, he returned to aviation, flying jet charters and air freight. He concluded his career flying corporate jets and now lives in Florida. He is completing his second work, a non-fictional social commentary and surfs every day, waves or not.
Thank you so much to J.R. for joining us today! If you'd like to pick up a copy of his book The Target click on the cover image below.


text:
Views: 889, Replies: 26 » Jump to the end
By dave
We're putting together a list of the ATP members' favorite shade plants! Come on in and read how to nominate your favorites! We will later publish a final article on the top picks.
Jan 22, 2016 9:16 AM CST
|When I first saw this article I immediately thought of Epimediums.
I have two that are fantastic.
Frohnleiten is a larger leaf and I consider it a tall spreading variety.
Beautiful delicate yellow flowers in spring. This plant solves a "short soil" problem around an old tree trunk.
Great in dry or moist shade, creeps into some lilies and is a nice interplanting.
Barrenwort (Epimedium 'Frohnleiten')
Here is the second one. I would call it heavy blooming and sturdy. It grows next to and in to a path.
Epimedium Lillie
Bishop's Hat (Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee')
[Last edited by ge1836 - Jan 22, 2016 9:26 AM (+)]
| Quote | Post #1038958 (1)
Jan 23, 2016 3:24 PM CST
|I love my epimediums. I forgot all about them as shade plants until I saw your thread Jo Ann.
Here are some of mine:
This one is tough as nails and evergreen.
I love the blooms on this one, and the winter and spring foliage color. Even in the summer it keeps a touch of the lovely bronze color
This one is new as of spring of 2015, so this will be the first year for blooms. I hope it blooms this year.
Barrenwort (Epimedium 'Amber Queen')
Posted by vic
I would love to find Epimedium grandiflorum 'Tama-no-genpei' and Epimedium grandiflorum 'Purple Prince'
Jan 23, 2016 4:13 PM CST
|Lynn, check out Garden Visions http://www.epimediums.com/ they have both - they are two of the ones that I ordered last year - easiest way for me to find them on the website was under the "Find Plants" -> "By Color" -> "Lavender/Purple flowers"
Pinterest Boards: https://www.pinterest.com/aspe... NGA Blog: http://garden.org/blogs/view/a... Tablescaping Blog: http://aspenhill-gdn.blogspot....
Jan 23, 2016 4:48 PM CST
|Thank you Terri, I will go take a look.
Jan 23, 2016 4:51 PM CST
|Lynn Love the Red barrenwort.
Jan 23, 2016 4:57 PM CST
|oh cool--I hope that two Epimedium threads counts for double
Jan 23, 2016 4:58 PM CST
|Oh my! I just took a quick look at the link you posted! Wow! I'm sure I'll be adding more of these to my gardens this year.
Jan 23, 2016 5:14 PM CST
|Rose: They have such nice intrest.
Spring teeny flowers and as the summer goes on the leaves turn bronze and burgundy.
Jan 23, 2016 5:33 PM CST
|I didn't realize there were so many different ones! Love the foliage on some of them. Do they do well if planted in the spring or are they something you should plant in the fall?
Jan 23, 2016 5:53 PM CST
|Some are evergreen and others are deciduous. I prefer the evergreen varieties. I do have one that is deciduous though and love it.
Either spring or fall planting are good. Most of mine were planted in the spring.
Jan 23, 2016 5:54 PM CST
|I ordered mine during the winter months last year and Karen shipped them at the end of May/early June. I think she also ships in the fall, but I'm not sure if one is better than the other.
Pinterest Boards: https://www.pinterest.com/aspe... NGA Blog: http://garden.org/blogs/view/a... Tablescaping Blog: http://aspenhill-gdn.blogspot....
Jan 23, 2016 6:26 PM CST
|I am looking for a place I can get them in March, which will give them plenty of time to get established before our drought starts in July. Even then I will give them water the first year, after that they are very good at fending for themselves.
Jan 23, 2016 6:41 PM CST
Plants Admin
|Edelweiss Perennials has a great selection, Lynn, including some beauties in the $8-12 range, which are hard to beat in today's market.
Visit my cubits: California Living;
Unrepentant Smokers, Unite!; Guilty Pleasures -- Reality TV
Jan 23, 2016 7:33 PM CST
|Thank you Zuzu, I forgot he carries epimedium. I have many of his hardy plants.
Jan 23, 2016 7:48 PM CST
Plants Admin
|I love his plants. Edelweiss has been my favorite mail-order nursery ever since it started offering mail-order plants. The alstroemeria and gentiana selections are also impressive.
Visit my cubits: California Living;
Unrepentant Smokers, Unite!; Guilty Pleasures -- Reality TV
Jan 23, 2016 7:53 PM CST
|Yes they are. He specializes in the alstroemeria. He used to do sempervivum that he imported from Europe, but discontinued them. I got his last plants 2 years ago.
The entire family are wonderful to do business with.
In fact I think my first two epimedium came from them many years ago.
Jan 23, 2016 7:57 PM CST
|Edelweiss! Yes
Jan 23, 2016 8:22 PM CST
|I just checked the Edelweiss website. They do have some beautiful plants but there shipping is pretty high. Two plants would cost over $17.00 to ship!
Jan 23, 2016 9:03 PM CST
|Many times I can have him bring them to a local plants sale, and not have any shipping to pay.
Jan 23, 2016 9:08 PM CST
|Then that's a good deal for you! I don't think he'll have any local plant sales in my area, do you? Oh well...the other link has some beautiful ones and shipping is pretty reasonable.
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text:
Lately cases of unreasonable delay in handing over possession to the Buyers/ Purchasers have been on a steep rise. The Buyers are left in the lurch after investing substantial money when the Builder does not abide by their own Builder Buyer Agreement and handover the possession within the stipulated time.
But are such buyers remediless? The answer is a clear NO, especially with such cases on the rise and our Consumer Forums passing much needed stinging Orders against such Builders.
What is most importantly required is awareness, as to what has to be done in such cases. The Consumer Protection Act protects such Consumers who fall prey to such situations.
Who is a Consumer under the Consumer Protection Act?
As per Section 2 (1) (d) of the Act,
(d) "consumer" means any person who,—
(i) buys any goods for a consideration which has been paid or promised or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment and includes any user of such goods other than the person who buys such goods for consideration paid or promised or partly paid or partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment, when such use is made with the approval of such person, but does not include a person who obtains such goods for resale or for any commercial purpose; or
(ii) 12 [hires or avails of] any services for a consideration which has been paid or promised or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment and includes any beneficiary of such services other than the person who 12 [hires or avails of] the services for consideration paid or promised, or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment, when such services are availed of with the approval of the first mentioned person 13 [but does not include a person who avails of such services for any commercial purpose];
It is clear from the first part of the definition (which is the matter of concern in the Article) in the Act itself that any person who buys any goods for consideration, is a consumer, however, it would not include any person who obtains any such goods for resale or for commercial purposes.
In order to understand the liability of the Builder in cases of delayed possession, it is pertinent to also understand the meaning of the terms Deficiency and Complaint under the Consumer Protection Act.
As per Section 2 (1) (g) of the Consumer Protection Act
"..(g) "deficiency" means any fault, imperfection, shortcoming or inadequacy in the quality, nature and manner of performance which is required to be maintained by or under any law for the time being in force or has been undertaken to be performed by a person in pursuance of a contract or otherwise in relation to any service;.."
It is important to note that the Section 2 (1) (g) clears the scope of the Consumer Protection Act and it's applicability on cases such as the ones being discussed in the present Article i.e., Deficiency means any fault,... inadequacy... in the manner of performance which is required to be maintained by or under any law for the time being in force or has been undertaken to be performed by a person in pursuance of a contract or otherwise in relation to any service;... (emphasis added)
It has been held in Smt. Ramala Roy vs. Rabindra Nath Sen 1994 (I) CPR 66,
"...If somebody does not perform his part of contract, it amounts to deficiency in service..."
The Scope of filing a Complaint under the Consumer Protection Act is clear under Section 2 (1) (c) of the said Act
"(c) "complaint" means any allegation in writing made by a complainant that—
5 [(i) an unfair trade practice or a restrictive trade practice has been adopted by 6 [any trader or service provider];]
(ii) 7 [the goods bought by him or agreed to be bought by him] suffer from one or more defects;
(iii) 8 [the services hired or availed of or agreed to be hired or availed of by him] suffer from deficiency in any respect;
9 [(iv) a trader or the service provider, as the case may be, has charged for the goods or for the services mentioned in the complaint, a price in excess of the price—
(a) fixed by or under any law for the time being in force;
(b) displayed on the goods or any package containing such goods;
(c) displayed on the price list exhibited by him by or under any law for the time being in force;
(d) agreed between the parties;]
10 [(v) goods which will be hazardous to life and safety when used are being offered for sale to the public,"
A case of Delayed possession is clearly covered under unfair trade practice.
Unfair Trade Practice has been defined under Section 2(1) (r) of the said Act as follows:
"[(r) "unfair trade practice" means a trade practice which, for the purpose of promoting the sale, use or supply of any goods or for the provision of any service, adopts any unfair method or unfair or deceptive practice including any of the following practices, namely:—
(1) the practice of making any statement, whether orally or in writing or by visible representation which,—
(i) falsely represents that the goods are of a particular standard, quality, quantity, grade, composition, style or model;
(ii) falsely represents that the services are of a particular standard, quality or grade;
(iii) falsely represents any re-built, second-hand, renovated, reconditioned or old goods as new goods;
(iv) represents that the goods or services have sponsorship, approval, performance, characteristics, accessories, uses or benefits which such goods or services do not have;
(v) represents that the seller or the supplier has a sponsorship or approval or affiliation which such seller or supplier does not have;
(vi) makes a false or misleading representation concerning the need for, or the usefulness of, any goods or services;
(vii) gives to the public any warranty or guarantee of the performance, efficacy or length of life of a product or of any goods that is not based on an adequate or proper test thereof:"
The Hon'ble National Commission in a case of Delayed Possession had held the following:
"It can hardly be disputed that a term of this nature is wholly one sided, unfair and unreasonable. The builder charges compound interest @ 18% per annum in the event of the delay on the part of the buyer in making payment to him but seeks to pay less than 3% per annum of the capital investment, in case he does not honour his part of the contract by defaulting in giving timely possession of the flat to the buyer. Such a term in the Buyer's Agreement also encourages the builder to divert the funds collected by him for one project, to another project being undertaken by him. He thus, is able to finance a new project at the cost of the buyers of the existing project and that too at a very low cost of finance. If the builder is to take loan from Banks or Financial Institutions, it will have to pay the interest which the Banks and Financial Institutions charge on term loan or cash credit facilities etc. The interest being charged by the Banks and Financial Institutions for financing projects of the builders is many times more than the nominal compensation which the builder would pay to the flat buyers in the form of flat compensation. In fact, the opposite party has not even claimed that the entire amount recovered by it from the flat buyers was spent on this very project. This gives credence to the allegation of the complainants that their money has been used elsewhere. Such a practice, in my view, constitutes unfair trade practice within the meaning of Section 2(r) of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 since it adopts unfair methods or practice for the purpose of selling the product of the builder. Though, such a practice does not specifically fall under any of the Clauses of Section 2(r) (1) of the Act that would be immaterial considering that the unfair trades, methods and practices enumerated in Section 2(r) (1) of the Act are inclusive and not exhaustive, as would be evident from the use of word "including" before the words "any of the following practices". Shri Pradeep Narula & Anr., vs M/S Granite Gate Properties Pvt. Consumer Complaint No. 315 of 2014
"...6. It is evident from the impugned order that the complainant/appellant after having been kept waiting for more than 6 years expecting delivery of possession of the plot and seeing that the infrastructural facilities like roads, sewerage lines, water supply, etc. were not in place, the complainant demanded back the amount deposited. It is also apparent that the plan was sanctioned only in the year 2000. Obviously the money was used in developing other blocks. Reasonable period of 2 years had already expired. One may also consider that it is not a matter of development of plot and raising construction thereon. It relates to only developing plots for the purpose of allotment and by ensuring that the infrastructure is in place....
- In the case in hand, possession was never offered/delivered and there was delay over 3 years. In such circumstances, the respondent is directed to pay interest @ 18% p.a. from the date of each deposit till payment..." H.C. Malhotra And Ors. vs Ansal Buildwell Ltd. 3 (2006) CPJ 22 NC
There are plethora of Judgments on the issue of delayed possession in favour of Buyers/ Consumers. Essentially, what is to be borne in mind is the Complainant should be a Bona fide Buyer aggrieved by the deficiency in service of the Builder/ Respondent in not performing its part of the contractual obligation and adopting to unfair trade practise.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.


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A New York City official on Tuesday ordered an audit of the city's election authorities, citing "deep concern over widespread reports of poll site problems and irregularities" as voters cast their ballots in the state's primary election. New York Republicans and Democrats are holding presidential nominating contests for the Nov. 8 election. Delegate-rich New York, the fourth most populous U.S. state, is a big prize for the candidates.
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Visual Performance Cinema Series Flex Brackets
Durable ABS Flex Bracket for new construction can be nailed, stapled, or screwed to studs before drywall is cut and installed. The speaker then installs using its Roto-Lock™ clamps. The Flex Bracket's snap-on mesh metal wings will accommodate up to 24-inch (610mm) on-center installations and are configurable horizontally or vertically. Centering marks aid in proper alignment.
VP Cinema LCR1/SUR1 Flex Bracket
VP Cinema LCR2/SUR2 Flex Bracket
VP Cinema In-Ceiling Flex Bracket
|7 1/2″ x 20 1/2″ (191mm x 521mm)
|7 1/2″ x 33 1/2″ (191mm x 851mm)
|12 3/8" x 12 3/8" (314mm x 314mm)
|Shipping Weight
|2 lbs
|2 lbs
|2 lbs


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I try and make my pumpkin carving as timely as possible. I've noticed that by using a design that is timely, relevant etc people tend to overlook that I'm not a crazy good pumpkin carver, which I'm obviously not.
Last year it was the SF Giants logo and this year, I created the "Steve-O-Lantern."