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I must also report that a maximum of five larvae have been removed from my subsidiary study site – the secateurs cut marks are all too obvious. I was following only a few larvae here, though the survival rate was higher, providing a useful comparison with the main study locality.
Whoever did this must have spent a lot of time searching, as a planned operation rather than a piece of opportunism. Many of the markers were far from obvious, and most were on branches from where larvae had long been lost. Several marked feeding locations of 2nd generation Poplar Hawk Moth larvae which I followed in order to see whether they made it through to pupation (some did). For what it is worth, this removal of larvae is illegal, as the site is an SSSI, and the activity is also against the owning organisation's bylaws. But the law is often an ass, and is even more regularly made into an ass.
Obviously, it is bitterly disappointing that some people interested in Purple Emperors are prepared to take advantage of work that will assist our understanding of this butterfly, especially when the work is being carried out in an open, giving manner, with regular reporting via this website. They must consider personal possession far more important than effort aimed at assisting the insect's conservation, and people's understanding of the butterfly. The ruthlessness here is astounding, as is the utter selfishness. But some people seem to live outside of shame and without conscience or integrity.
It might not be right to assume that the collected larvae will end up as set specimens – assuming they produce imagines. They might have been collected for sale as pupae, or to provide photographs of pristine specimens (the females hang around for photo calls but the males tend to ascend instantly). It would be marvellous if they had been collected by someone incensed at Oates' apparent intransigence in not protecting these larvae from predators! In which case, rest assured that I wanted to place little pieces of netting round every one, and have lost sleep through not having done so in the interests of science.
The truth is that this butterfly does attract some odd – and at times downright nasty - people, and generates some most bizarre behaviour (as this website wondrously illustrates). Also, more than anyone else I know how addictive Apatura iris can be - but such is humanity's relationship with the heady combination of elusiveness and beauty. Furthermore, I understand the appeal of butterfly collecting better than a great many butterfly enthusiasts do, and am decidedly neutral over the collecting of aberrations, partly because I rather miss meeting old boys out on the downs in search of syngrapha or whatever. It is, though, sad that what integrity there was has all but gone out of butterfly collecting, leaving only rottenness. But of course, the collecting of specimens can now be done in a benign way, through photography. It has moved on wondrously.
I have of course removed, albeit belatedly, markers from all locations that have held or still support Purple Emperor larvae at both my study localities. The study will continue, and I look forward to reporting on it further, to the benefit of everyone who loves this butterfly, irrespective. One of the aspirations behind the setting up of the Purple Empire Website was the, perhaps naïve or vain, hope of bringing all people interested in this butterfly closer together, whatever their perspective. The incident described above rather makes that aspiration unrealistic, which saddens me deeply. We can do better.
Matthew Oates


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Safety News Item – 07/18/08 – CSP Requirements Revised
The Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) announced that effective January 1, 2009 the qualifications for Certified Safety Professional® credentials will change.
The point system to establish individual examination eligibility will be revised, as will the credits received for certain degrees. In addition, among other changes, all candidates must have no less than three years of acceptable professional safety experience.
To review all of the changes go to CSP New Requirements.
Safety News Item – 05/20/05 – NY Keeps Safety Program
New York governor George Pataki approved the state 2005-2006 fiscal year budget that includes an important safety and health program that had been targeted for elimination.
The governor had proposed eliminating the Hazard Abatment Board and cutting the NYOSH Training program funds.
The NY Committee for Occupational Safety and Health ran a successful lobbying campaign to maintain the program.
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subset: commoncrawl


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VOD TV review: Broadchurch Season 2, Episode 7
Review Overview
2James R | On 19, Feb 2015
Warning: If you haven't seen Season 1, this will contain spoilers.
Closing speeches are a gift for films and TV series. Dramatic. Rousing. Full of heightened emotion and theatrical rhetoric. Episode 7 of Broadchurch Season 2 impresses, then, by managing to make them so boring.
The courtroom has long been the weakest part of this second season, partly thanks to a tendency towards histrionics in the stand without a thought for realism or character motivation. The introduction of back-stories for each of our barristers – one going blind, the other with a son whose appeal is denied – was meant to keep us engaged with their shenanigans but has only come across as filler, detaching us further from the emotional stakes of the trial; the shock of that decision by Joe Miller to plead not guilty feels a long time ago. Now, the only feeling we get from Broadchurch is a resounding indifference.
That sense of padding spreads across the rest of the show this week – a surprise, given it's the penultimate entry in the whole season. At this point, we should be on the edge of our seats, rather than on the brink of dropping off.
The Sandbrook mystery drives the bulk of the story and things are starting to come into focus, from the increasingly suspect Ricky Gillespie (who has bluebells in his office) to the clarification of the exact nature of DI Hardy (David Tennant) and Claire's (Eve Myles) relationship. Detours via a stalker, suicide and more sex bulk out the love triangle between old Lee Ashworth and the duo, although it turns out to be more a love circle, or a love line that looks increasingly thin.
Twists and turns like these are commonplace in Broadchurch Season 2, revealing past conflicts to be contrivances with no consequence. The problem is that the whole season feels like that too; half of the discoveries that are announced dramatically in this penultimate chapter are ones we know already, or at the very least were aware of. So when we get a central set piece that sees DI Hardy, boasting about his new lease of life post-heart operation, square off against Lee, it fizzles when it should spark.
"I thought she was lying to protect you, maybe it's the other way around," Alec declares, despite us having reached that conclusion two episodes ago. There is more satisfying spite in the showdown between Lee and Claire, although that still swings wildly between enjoyably cruel dialogue ("Thank God you never became a father") and a downright daft skirmish in the sea.
Even when the hint of an unknown party in France intrigues, the return of a mobile phone number discovered weeks before (that was, for some reason, never investigated) overrides that suspense with frustration. It's no wonder, then, after all this rigmarole, that young Jocelyn's junior takes against rival lawyer Abby, who shagged Olly to find out that Miller's sister was paid by Ellie before her confession – which, of course, we already knew as well.
"You're a terrible person," he says, with a glare. And we agree. After all, who cares about her? Even a sweet picnic between the excellent Charlotte Rampling and journo Maggie can't endear us to these legal types, with their trumped up attempts at melodrama and disregard of continuity. The decision to hold back the final verdict until next week is the least surprising thing of all, but it still irks. At this point in Season 1, the cliffhanger was nail-biting, leaving you clamouring for the concluding chapter. Here, it's less "Why can't we have the finale now?" and more "What? There's still another episode?" Who knew a closing speech could have that effect?
Broadchurch Season 2 is available to catch up on ITV Player. Here's where you can watch Season 1 online.


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Remembrance Sunday at the Tower of London
A visual feast of epic sights, lights and sounds at the Tower of London to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the end of the First World War
At the Tower of London is a new installation 'Beyond the Deepening Shadow: The Tower Remembers', which will fill the moat with a sea of individual flames, signifying a public act of remembrance for the lives of the many fallen and honouring their sacrifice.
This poignant tribute created by Designer Tom Piper and Sound Artist Mira Calix will run for eight nights, leading up to and including Armistice Day 2018. An ever-evolving installation, which will transform each evening over the course of four hours, between 17:00 and 21:00.
The telling visual spectacle will be accompanied by a specially-commissioned sound installation; an auditory adventure depicting the shifting surge of political alliances, friendships, love and loss in war. At the epicentre of the sound installation is an innovative choral work combining One lighted look for me by Sound Artist Mira Calix with words from War Poet Mary Borden's Sonnets to a Soldier.
Beyond the Deepening Shadow will begin with a procession led by the Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London. Emerging from the fortress; the Yeoman Warders will ceremonially light the first flame, accompanied by representatives from the armed forces and volunteers – who use the flame to ignite the thousands of other torches around.
JLDN spoke to a spectator "the 10,000 light display they had surrounding the Tower of London was really moving and really quite touching, I hope it stays beyond the 11th"
Historic Royal Palaces, which manages the tower, was keen to mark the centenary of the Armistice after the success of the 2014 display of red ceramic poppies pouring out of a window and filling the moat.


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When I went to our company's head office for my business meeting I anticipated a day of tedious presentations and dreary discussion. How wrong I was!
I arrived to find I was the youngest by at least twenty years among the grey suited grey haired men sat around the big boardroom conference table, and I was the only woman. Normally when I enter a room full of men I get that exciting little thrill from sensing their attention. I'm mid thirties, brunette, with a good figure and legs that I thought my white blouse and pencil skirt just above the knee were showing off nicely. This time I got just a subdued "Good morning Mrs Sanders" from the chairman and a couple of disinterested glances in my direction from the grey heads. I saw that no-one was sitting at the short side of the big oak top conference table opposite the chairman so I planted myself on one of the black leather swivel chairs there and quietly got my papers in order.
Two minutes before the start time the door opened and in walked the new lawyer, Marcus. I'd exchanged many emails with him and I'd imagined an older man but I saw he was perhaps forty if that. He was good looking to put it mildly, obviously kept himself fit, wearing a tailored slimline blue and white striped shirt with a bright tie and an expensive looking suit. Like me he had a wedding ring on his finger. The moment his eyes fell on me I felt as if an electric shock had hit me. My blouse was thin and tight enough to arouse any man's interest without being too daring, but it suddenly felt a lot thinner and tighter over my breasts and I suddenly wondered irrationally if the outline of my panties showed through my skirt. I felt that so familiar feeling of my clothes evaporating under a man's lustful gaze.
"Julia" he said with a smile "we meet at last."
My throat had suddenly become dry and for once I was tongue tied, but I somehow managed to say something in reply. He sat down next to me.
"Well gentlemen, and Julia, we're all here so let's kick off. First agenda item is minutes of the last meeting and matters arising."
We spent an eternity just on that first item. But all that time I was so conscious of Marcus' eyes on me exploring me: down my neck, over my blouse, across my skirt, down my sheer black nylons to my black high heels. I could feel his smouldering lust for me, and I was having trouble keeping my eyes off the bulging peak of his suit trousers. He was erect for me! I kept finding myself wondering how long his erect penis was: six inches, seven inches, eight inches? I wondered too what positions he liked sex with women in: boring missionary position, the only position my husband ever wants 'Äď or something more exciting! I felt my breasts tighten and that familiar tingling down below and I knew my panties were getting damp at the thought that he was seeing me nude and imagining having sex with me. I could all but feel him mentally removing my clothes. I couldn't help but respond. I had to show him my body!
I arched my back a little in my chair to jut my breasts out. Looking down while trying not to make it conspicuous I saw that had the desired effect of tightening the thin white cloth of my blouse to show the outline of my breasts perfectly. The peaks of my nipples were showing and I felt my face redden as I realised Marcus would know I was aroused! I 'accidentally on purpose' manoeuvred myself into a position where Marcus could see between my blouse buttons. Out of the corner of my eye I saw his gaze lock onto my breasts. I had to smile to myself: I'd put on a bra that as well as being rather brief was flesh coloured. Marcus must have thought I wasn't wearing a bra at all! Then it was time for the next woman's trick for getting noticed.
I carefully wriggled my bottom and discreetly spread my legs a little, trying to make it look as if I wasn't aware my tight skirt was steadily working its way up my nylon clad thighs. Marcus certainly noticed! But what Marcus didn't know, at first at least, was that I was wearing stockings. I know men find stockings sexy but I wasn't wearing them for that reason. If I've got to sit still on my bum for hours in meetings I find stockings so much more comfortable than tights. Marcus was trying as hard as he could not to let on that he was following the progress of my skirt, and at the same time I was trying as hard as I could to pretend my mini striptease wasn't deliberate! At the first sight of my bare thighs above my black lace stocking tops he visibly twitched! I treated him to about an inch of bare thigh before I pulled my skirt back down to just above my knees.
Speakers droned on and the big screen at the front showed uninformative spreadsheets packed with figures and graphs. But I didn't mind. While I sat there with my eyes staring blankly at the screen I was alone with Marcus in that same boardroom, perched on the table doing a slow striptease for him, blouse, skirt, bra, panties, leaving my stockings till last while Marcus stood there naked watching me. His erection was massive and sticking up almost vertical from a thick manly bush gaziantep escortlarńĪ to a big purple mushroom head. As I stripped and posed nude in the kind of kinky poses and sex positions I know my husband looks at in his porn websites I swung my body close to Marcus so he could fondle my legs, my bottom, my breasts and between my legs. Then I sat nude on the edge of the table with Marcus's head between my spread legs for him to kiss me all over my sex mound getting his tongue into my vagina, up over my breasts then deliciously on my lips while he fingered my pussy. Finally he stood between my spread legs, held my waist firmly and his steel hard muscle slid into me till his thick coarse bush met mine. Moments later he was powerfully pumping me and grunting "Julia! Julia!" while he fucked me better than I'd ever been fucked before….
"Isn't that the case Julia?"
My day dream was rudely interrupted by the chairman's question. Fortunately I'd been following just enough of what was being said to give a satisfying reply, but my heart was pounding and my face was red! I glanced out of the corner of my eye at Marcus. He was staring at the screen too, but with a satisfied smile on his face. I wIshed that whatever we were doing together in his mind we were doing for real in bed.
My heart was pounding! Sitting not more than a yard from me was a man who wanted to strip me and have sex with me, and I wanted to do the same! I decided it was time for action and I knew precisely what to do. During a droning presentation I went for a "comfort break." As I rose I turned slowly in my seat toward Marcus and swung my legs wide to treat him to a full frontal upskirt, but still trying to make my movement look accidental. As I held my legs wide, like with all men, a glimpse of a woman's underwear had an absolutely irresistible attraction. His head turned to enjoy the view and he made no secret of the fact that he was having a good long look at my stocking tops, bare thigh above and of course my flesh coloured panties matching my bra. With just the two of us sitting at the end of the table and everyone else's eyes on the screen the show was just for him! I treated him to a wiggle of my bottom as I strolled to the door and I could all but feel his eyes on my bra straps through my blouse and my panties though my tight skirt. I'd decided my next move. Accidental upskirts and sex fantasies were one thing, but what I had in mind would pass the point of no return.
In the ladies' toilet I took my panties off. They were one of the briefest thong sets I had, just a tiny lace edged triangle of cloth at the front and not much more than a thin thong strip at the back. The cloth at the front showed the shape of the bulge of my mound, the smooth sheeny cloth smelled of a combination of my perfume and my sex juice, and best of all a dark pubic hair was caught in the embroidery. With my panties scrunched in a tight little ball in my hand I strolled back into the meeting, where the same presentation was still droning on. My heart was pounding!
I returned to my seat next to Marcus, then below the table top so no one else would notice I tossed my panties into his lap. They landed on his thigh. You should have seen the look on his face! Keeping his hands below the table top he unfolded them, ran his fingertips across the juice-wetted patch at the front, and plucked at my pubic hair. Now he knew I had a hairy cunt and what colour my bush was! Sweat appeared on his forehead and I saw he was breathing more quickly, and of course his trousers were up like a mountain peak! He turned and grinned at me. I shuffled my bottom like before but this time I didn't stop at just one inch of bare thigh. I took my time letting my skirt rise as high as it could go, all the time sitting with my eyes attentively on the screen. With my skirt as high as I could get it I slowly swung my legs as wide as I could, swivelling my hips toward him under the table to show him my naked sex mound and the neatly trimmed dark bush around my vagina in a private tease. With my knickers in his hands and my cunt on display his penis must have been about to snap! I gave him a mischievous smile, swung my legs back together, and adjusted my skirt.
Like all of us he had his phone on the table top in front of him, and we'd all been constantly checking our emails during the meeting, keeping up with work and relieving the boredom. I picked mine up and sent Marcus one of those instant messages that disappears without trace, so very useful for keeping things secret!
"DId you like seeing my cunt and playing with my knickers?" I asked. An icon would have flashed on his phone. He picked it up. I didn't have to wait long for his reply.
"Yeah! I like the stockings too. Are you going to take off that sexy bra and show me your tits?"
"You're a naughty boy! I like naughty boys. What would you like to do with me?"
"I'd like to do 69 with you and kiss you all over your cunt and lick you to an orgasm while you sucked my cock off."
I felt my face go red. I hadn't expected a reply as raunchy as that. Marcus, I realised, was as much a hunk as he looked!
"Mmmmmm! I like 69. Perhaps later. How big is your cock?"
"Eight inches when it's up like it is now for a sexy woman as hot as you. Do you like sucking men's cocks?"
"I prefer big hard cocks up between my legs"
We exchanged messages like that during the whole of the presentation. All the time we were sexting Marcus was fingering my panties. It awoke an old memory. When I'd been eighteen I discovered that my younger brother was borrowing my knickers and masturbating over them. Often at bedtime I'd notice a pair was missing from my wash basket. They were just the white or pastel cotton knickers I wore to school, nothing like the sexy ones I wear now. I'd be laying in my bed and I'd hear his bed rattling in his bedroom next to mine, then he'd grunt "Julia!", the rattling would go frantic then suddenly stop. The next night I'd notice my missing knickers were back in the basket, but wet or stained. My girl friends at school enlightened me as to what he was up to. I was masturbating too and thinking of him playing with my knickers and seeing that semen splashed lusting for me got me red hot for finger play! I suspect my pervert of a husband does the same with my panties while he ogles his porn. A fifteen minute comfort and email catch up break was approaching.
"I love it when men soak my knickers with cum. Will you …….?" I messaged. Marcus said nothing in reply but looked at me but his eyes said everything.
The break came and I got a coffee, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Marcus head down the corridor. I chatted to one of the grey suits, pleased to notice that he was obviously interested in trying to see down my blouse. But as we chatted all I could think of was Marcus standing spread legged in a toilet cubicle with his trousers and briefs down, his massive erection sticking up with a big round head, and him powerfully stroking and tugging his shaft while he held my panties in his spare hand in front of his nozzle, and his load splashing over them. I hoped he'd grunt "Julia!" like my brother did when he masturbated. After the break we returned to our seats and the next presentation started. When all eyes were on the screen Marcus passed my panties to me below the table. They were soaked with creamy semen!
"Was it good?" I messaged. He took some time with his reply.
"I put your panties on so I could see how brief they were and feel them tight around my cock. I brushed them over my shaft and balls and across my knob wishing they were your fingers, lips, tits and cunt hair. I had you from behind while you bent over this table in your nylons and high heels with your legs wide. I fingered you till you were pleading for me to have you. Then I held your thighs with my hands down inside your stockings, and pumped your warm tight wet cunt till you squealed and bucked in your climax, then I pumped you till I filled you. When I soaked your knickers it was your pussy I was filling. When can we fuck for real?"
After this meeting ended we'd be off to other meetings, then I'd be heading back home with just my husband climbing on top of me for his two minutes of fun to look forward to. I wanted a man to play with me and hard hungry man flesh between my legs. My heart was pounding. I was wild! I wanted Marcus and couldn't wait. Then I had my inspiration.
"At lunchtime meet me In the ladies toilet."
Marcus looked puzzled, then his low growl and the look on his face told me he'd understood.
I'm not into sex in public toilets but this was different. I would have suggested meeting in an empty office, but in this building there was only open plan or glass fronted fish tank offices. Up here on the boardroom floor was the executive toilet. This wasn't like the cramped cubicles in the girls' toilets at school whIch I squeezed into with my "best friend" to lift our skirts for some pubescent hormonally supercharged knicker wetting "pash." The executive toilet was big, clean, luxurious, pastel tiled, sweet smelling. We could even have taken a shower together there! It was also absolutely private: I was the only woman, this floor would only open to our security passes and our meeting was so confidential no cleaners would disturb us. We'd have an hour but we'd have plenty of room to spread our wings. All Marcus sent me in reply was a smiley, but that was all I needed!
I could hardly concentrate after that. In my mind Marcus undressed me from my sexiest underwear, from my little black dress, from my bikini, I posed nude for him, he masturbated over me, his fingers, tongue and penis took me to orgasm after orgasm. And I knew that inside his head he was doing the same with me. The chairman announced lunch, I saw Marcus linger ruffling his papers while a bunch of grey suits scurried off to the restaurant on a floor below, and I quietly made my way to the ladies. I stripped to my stockings and high heels and stood with my legs spread leaning back on my hands against the counter so my breasts jutted out, fingering my tingling pussy as I waited. The door opened and Marcus walked in.
"I wondered if you'd changed your mind" I said. He'd taken longer than I'd expected.
"Someone asked about the litigation" he replied, and the way he cupped his hand over my mound and eased his fingers into my slit made it clear he certainly hadn't changed his mind.
The moment the cubicle door was locked behind us his hands and lips were exploring me passionately like a boy with his first ever girl. His hands were all over my breasts, my thighs, my bottom, down inside my stockings and of course between my legs. I stood with my legs wide for him to get down in front of me to lick and kiss my cunt then work his way up my naked body till he was kissing and sucking my nipples while his fingers explored my slit.
Even while he was running his hands all over me I was starting to undress him. He managed to keep his hands off me for long enough for me to strip him. There was already a wet patch where his bulging white briefs peaked over the big round head of his straining cock. I squatted in front of him to pull them down so his sex kit was sticking out from his thick dark bush and bending up right in front of my face. It was every bit as massive and stiff as I'd imagined. He hadn't been boasting about his eight inches! Everything within me cried out to sex pleasure him. He grunted and moaned as I took just the big soft red purple mushroom head of his penis into my mouth, massaged it with my tongue and lips and then squeezed my lips round his hard shaft below its head and slid my lips up and down a few times.
He held my shoulders, spread his legs and braced himself for a suck off but I wanted more!
I stopped sucking him, stood and pushed him down onto the toilet seat so he was sitting there with his straining shaft sticking straight up. I stood astride him. The seat was low enough and with me in my high heels I was at just the right height for my pubic hair to tickle his penis head with my breasts right in front of his face.
"Pleasure me!" I managed to gasp.
Marcus knew exactly what a woman wants. It had been ages since a man had touched me sexually the way I want and I was blazing with lust. My spread legs had pulled my vagina open wide, my juice soaked labia were poking out for his fingers and the way he'd been playing with me had already got me well on the way to an orgasm. He stroked my vagina lips with one hand, gently easing his finger tip between my labia to work my clitty, with his other hand he stroked my thighs, and with his tongue he licked and flicked my so sensitive taut aroused nipples and my breasts. As he finger pleasured me he said things like:
"Is that good Julia?" "Is that what you want Julia?" "I want your tits and cunt Julia!" "I want to fuck you hard Julia!"
All I could do was gasp in reply "Yes!" "Want!" "Oh please!"
I love it when men talk dirty to me! And every time Marcus repeated my name I felt a thrill of excitement! Finally his fingers took me to an explosive, delicious orgasm bursting like a sunrise between my spread legs till all I was conscious of were the waves of infinite pleasure exploding out from my vagina through my entire body. My husband had never given me anything like that! Marcus held his hand between my legs cupped over my sex mound as I stood astride him with my afterglow slowly fading.
"Was that good Julia?"
"Thank you!" "Thank you!" "Thank you!" was all I could gasp.
Marcus's hands on my thighs pulling my cunt toward the straining tower sticking up between his legs told me it was his turn. Still standing astride him, I moved till the big purple mushroom head of his cock was against my vagina lips. I let him wait for a moment, just to tease him. His hands slid round me to grab my bum and pull me against him so his face was between my breasts. I held his shoulders and lowered myself down onto him so my vagina slid down over his hard up cock, and he gave a throaty, masculine grunt, gripped my bum tighter and his hips thrust up. Then I rode his rod as I bobbed smoothly and rhythmically up and down, clenching my pussy muscles to squeeze his shaft. His hands clawed my bum, my thighs and my bare back, and from between my breasts I heard him gasp and grunt. Finally his grunts got frantic, he clawed my bottom really hard, he rammed his hips hard up under me almost lifting me, and I heard a muffled cry of "Julia! Julia!" from between my breasts as his pumping penis jerked within me. He held me against him for a long time after he'd come, until I felt his semen running down the insides of my thighs and catching in the lace of my stocking tops.
We freshened ourselves up and dressed. I put on the spare knickers I always carry with me in case of accidents and we were back in our seats five minutes before the next session of our meeting started. I gave my presentation to grey haired heads with blank faces staring vacantly at the screen, and to Marcus whose hungry eyes followed my every move. The meeting dragged on for an hour after the scheduled close time but I didn't care; I was on a high 'Äď I'd had real dirty sex with Marcus! Finally the chairman wrapped it all up.


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On September 29, 1985, an anthology series created by Steven Spielberg debuted on TV. That show was known as Amazing Stories.
Each episode features a different segment created by different writers  containing stories based on horror, fantasy, and science fiction. While the show was nominated for 12 Emmys and won 5 of them and had positive reviews by critics and viewers, it was not viewed by many people. Amazing Stories is considered by many people a cult classic. Today, we're going to talk about one of the episodes of the show that would eventually receive a spin-off. That is none other than Family Dog which debuted on June 23, 1993.
The cartoon is about a dog who lives with a family called the Binfords consisting of Skip (voiced by Martin Mull), his wife Bev (voiced by Molly Creek), their son Billy (voiced by Zak Huxtable Epstein), and their daughter Buffy (voiced by Cassie Cole). He gets into wild and crazy antics while the family neglects and ignores him. Each family member has their own unique characteristics: Skip is a typical suburban man who works hard and cares for his family, Bev is overworked, underappreciated, and sassy, Bobby is sarcastic and witty, and Buffy is small and cute.
The cartoon was created by Brad Bird, whom you might know as the writer and director of critically acclaimed animated movies such as The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille. While he did created the Family Dog cartoons for Amazing Stories, he did not get himself involved with the TV series. He felt that making it into a 30 minute animated series wouldn't work. However, Spielberg continued to create the show without him. There were a lot of people from Warner Bros. and Amblim that had gotten involved. Not only Steven Spielberg, but Sherri Stoner, the writer of Animaniacs and the voice of Slappy Squirrel, and Paul Dini, the writer and producer of Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Lost were the writers of Family Dog. Tim Burton was the executive producer and Danny Elfman did the opening theme.
As much as the show was filled with great talent based on the most popular cartoon segment on Amazing Stories, the show only lasted for less than a season until it was cancelled on July 28, 1993, a month after it aired. The critics panned it due to its crude writing and cheap looking animation. Looking back at it, the show is actually not that bad. I mean, sure, it's not as good as other Amblim shows at the time like Animaniacs, Tiny Toon Adventures, Pinky and the Brain, and Freakazoid, but I can understand why they made this short cartoon into a series. It's quite humorous and well put together. It's not an underrated classic, but the shorts that aired on Amazing Stories are. I would recommend checking those out as oppose to the TV series that tried to cash in on the popularity.
That's all for now. Tune in next time as we discuss about the stop motion musical The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Hope to see you around Old School Lane soon. Thanks for reading.


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The Details
Venue – Stamford Bridge, Chelsea
Referee – Anthony Taylor
Date & Time – Sunday, May 6th @ 16:30 GMT
Current Odds – Chelsea 23/20, Draw 5/2, Liverpool 11/5
Chelsea Form
Chelsea have had something of a renaissance in recent weeks. Just when I had written them off and considered Antonio Conte to be just seeing out his time until the end of the season, they've started grinding out wins again. It may be too little too late in their push for a top-four place with Liverpool just needing three points from their last two games to snatch fourth, but they will be glad to have managed to stay in the race this long. It really had looked like a foregone conclusion back in March and early April. No doubt, Liverpool's progress in Europe's elite competition has taken its toll on their squad and league form – three draws in their last four Premier League games proves that – but, nonetheless, Chelsea have played their part in this race since mid-April, too.
Liverpool Form
There are two different Liverpool teams at the moment. We have the Premier League outfit who have looked tired and somewhat lethargic since the beginning of April – because they are tired and lethargic. They have to be. Injuries to several key players have meant that Klopp now has to operate with "bare bones" of a squad at his disposal. With some rotation in the front three for league games and an exhausted midfield three, Liverpool have been falling short. The top-four should be sewn up, yes, but let's not be too harsh. Klopp and his men have had other things on their mind.
Team News
Chelsea Team News
Conte is without David Luiz, Danny Drinkwater, and Ethan Ampadu for Sunday's game. Chelsea will more than likely line up in their 3421 shape which Conte has used for most of the season.
Chelsea's Top 3 Rated Players this season – (WhoScored.com – at least 10 appearances)
- E. Hazard —- 7.73
- N'Golo Kante —- 7.25
- C. Azpilicueta —- 7.19
Liverpool Team News
The Liverpool injury-list now includes the names of Emre Can, Joe Gomez, Adam Lallana, Joel Matip, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Klopp and the backroom team now have to make some choices on the best way for the Champions League final eleven to rest and recuperate in the three weeks between now and the final. I think we will see a strong starting lineup for each of their remaining league games with the plan to rest the main guys (Salah, Firmino, Milner etc) after 60 or 70 minutes of those matches.
Liverpool's Top 3 Rated Players – (WhoScored.com – at least 10 appearances)
- M. Salah —- 7.72
- R. Firmino —- 7.44
- S. Mané —- 7.28
Predicted XIs
Chelsea (4-2-3-1) – Courtois; Azpilicueta, Cahill(c), Rudiger; Moses, Kanté, Fabregas, Alonso; Willian, Hazard; Morata
Liverpool XI (4-3-3) – Karius; Clyne, Van Dijk, Klavan, Robertson; Henderson(c), Milner, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mané
When they last met
The sides drew 1-1 at Anfield back in November after a Willian cross somehow found it's way over Mignolet into the far corner of the net to equalise for Chelsea. That was after Salah gave the Reds the lead shortly before that. Their last meeting at Stamford Bridge was Liverpool's 2-1 win last season. In fact, Klopp has won on both his visits to Stamford Bridge as a Liverpool manager, so far. A 3-1 win for Liverpool in Klopp's first season was one of the final nails in the coffin of a certain Jose Mourinho as his time at Chelsea drew to a close.
Chelsea 1 – 1 Liverpool
A draw will be enough in this game to secure Liverpool's Champions League qualification for next season. I think the Reds will get that draw, too. I think we will get a repeat of the 1-1 scoreline from the game at Anfield in November.
** Please note – "xGA" in the Form Stats tables symbolises "expected goals against" **


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Concussions are a commonly diagnosed injury in many sports, particularly at college or professional levels. While the diagnosis of a concussion usually depends upon a careful assessment of symptoms, a simple blood test may help to distinguish those who have suffered brain injury from those who have not. Recently, a large study of sports-related concussions in college athletes pointed to a set of proteins that are elevated in circulating blood post-injury (REF), identifying potential biomarkers for rapid, point-of-care identification of a concussion.
Researchers collected blood samples pre- and post-injury from 264 college athletes who suffered a concussion while playing contact sports. Blood levels for three proteins were elevated in post-injury samples (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.19771). These were glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain (NF-L), and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1), which have previously been evaluated as potential biomarkers for traumatic brain injury.
Control subjects included 138 athletes who played contact sports but were not concussed, and 102 athletes who did not suffer injury and played non-contact sports. The biomarker levels for these two groups remained steady throughout the study, further supporting that elevated levels of the above-mentioned proteins are specific to brain injury.
These findings support that blood biomarkers could be used to assess the severity of a brain injury and/or the recovery from a brain injury post-treatment. Synexa Life Science's Cape Town laboratory has quick access to samples collected from traumatic brain injury patients at a nearby clinical site. At Synexa we have well-established protocols, a growing biomarker panel and world-class technologies to robustly assess markers in patients for use in clinical trials.


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We all know that Social Media platforms are in continuous development, and most of them started adding a way to monetize your account. This year is Twitter's turn to bring big changes. This platform has evolved a lot since its release on the 15th of June 2006. If its first purpose was to allow users to share short status updates with groups of friends by sending one text message to a single number ("40404"), nowadays Twitter has become one of the most used Social Media platforms.
Source of Breaking News and Information
In 2016, Twitter's notoriety exploded with the election of Donald Trump, who was outspoken on Twitter throughout his campaign and has often tweeted policy decisions or other announcements during his administration. Since then, Twitter has become a source of breaking news and information.
Fleets – Sharing In The Moment Thoughts
In November 2020, Twitter launched Fleets which is a feature just for Android and iOs. A Fleet may contain photos, GIFs, Stickers, videos, links, or text. Fleets are public and available for 24 hours when they disappear. As an author, you can see who viewed your Fleets, including accounts with protected Tweets, by clicking into your Fleets and tapping on the Seen By text at the bottom.
Let's Hear Each Other on Spaces
In 2020, Twitter launched Spaces. It was in the testing phase until May 2021, when this feature became public and available to everyone. This feature is focused on audio chat in user-created rooms. As the host of the session, you are in total control as you choose the topic, people to speak, and vibe. Once you go live on Spaces, your followers will be able to see your "space" highlighted in purple in their Twitter feed. One thing to mention – to use this feature, your account must be 600+ followers.
Monetize Your Twitter with Tip Jar
In 2021, Twitter comes out with good news – a service that will support creators, called Tip Jar. Any user who activates this option will be able to receive money from his fans or supporters on Paypal, Cash App, Patreon, and Venmo. Twitter does not charge commissions from the amounts received, so whatever you do here it's 100% yours. Right now, this feature is in the testing phase, and it's available for a a few people – creators, journalists, experts, and nonprofits using the English version of the mobile app.


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R on TV
Want to share your content on R-bloggers? click here if you have a blog, or here if you don't.
Had a fun day today in a TV studio for Fox Business News, where Revolution CEO Norman Nie was giving an interview to Liz Claman at Fox Business Network. As you might expect, the interview focused a lot more on the business side than on technical capabilities of Revolution R, but there was some good discussion of the impacts of statistical analysis.
The producers did mix up Norman's background a bit though: as much as I'd like to say that I work with a billionaire, it wasn't Norman that sold SPSS to IBM (that happened about a year after he left). Also, the interviewer inferred that Norman was bringing technology from SPSS to Revolution, when (as Norman pointed out in the interview) Revolution R is built on the open-source R project instead. Nonetheless, it's great to see some national exposure for R.
Fox Business Network: Changing the Face of Analytics
R-bloggers.com offers daily e-mail updates about R news and tutorials about learning R and many other topics. Click here if you're looking to post or find an R/data-science job.
Want to share your content on R-bloggers? click here if you have a blog, or here if you don't.


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- Home
- Government
- City Projects
- American Rescue Plan Act
- City of Hermitage Strategic Funding Plan Process
City of Hermitage Strategic Funding Plan Process
The City of Hermitage intends to formulate a strategic funding plan that takes into consideration public engagement, establishes community priorities and aligns with the limited eligible uses of ARPA funding as defined by the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Furthermore, the city intends to take into consideration the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) ARPA Guiding Principle related to the "Temporary Nature of ARPA Funds"
ARPA funds are non-recurring so their use should be applied primarily to non-recurring expenditures.
- Care should be taken to avoid creating new programs or add-ons to existing programs that require an ongoing financial commitment.
- Use of ARPA funds to cover operating deficits caused by COVID-19 should be considered temporary and additional budget restraint may be necessary to achieve/maintain structural balance in future budgets.
- Investment in critical infrastructure is particularly well-suited use of ARPA funds because it is a non-recurring expenditure that can be targeted to strategically important long- term assets that provide benefits over many years. However, care should be taken to assess any on-going operating costs that may be associated with the project.
The City will take into consideration public input and assess identified needs in determining the most effective use of ARPA funds to aid in the recovery from the budgetary, economic, and financial impacts of the pandemic. The City recognizes the importance of planning for the use of the ARPA funds prudently with an eye towards long-term financial stability. The ARPA funding provides local governments with a unique opportunity to make strategic investments in eligible expenses until economic conditions stabilize.
The City has elected to utilize the Hermitage Community and Economic Development Commission to receive input and assess identified needs for the use of ARPA funds as the Commission was created to evaluate and assist in all economic development in the City of Hermitage, to review economic development projects and other projects having significant community impact and to advise the Hermitage Board of Commissioners regarding said development and projects.
Potential projects and uses of ARPA funds will be discussed at public meetings and prioritized and submitted to the City of Hermitage Board of Commissioners for legislative approval.


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After a $45 million renovation in 2017, this high-end, all-inclusive, adults-only resort is even more ideal for couples and honeymooners. The ocean can be a little rougher here than at most beaches in Punta Cana and there aren't any off-site shops, restaurants or other attractions in the area; but the property offers excellent food for an all-inclusive, a great spa with couples treatments and a hydrotherapy circuit, a very nice beach with plenty of palapas and comfortable loungers, and an impressive fitness center with ample space and equipment. On-site cuisine variety is outstanding and reservations usually aren't required at the restaurants. Accommodations are quite nice; they come with double jacuzzis, espresso machines, and furnished balconies or patios. Some also have swim-up access, private plunge pools, and/or ocean views. Upgrading to the Excellence Club comes with perks such as access to a private swimming pool, express check-in/check-out, Bulgari bath amenities, premium liquor and wine, and a private beach area. Activities include horseback riding, yoga and Pilates classes, scuba diving, dance classes, deep sea fishing, humpback whale watching, helicopter rides, private tennis lessons, and speedboat and catamaran tours.
The Excellence Collection has partnered with certified local labs to provide complimentary COVID-19 tests for guests whose home countries require a negative result to board a return flight. Testing is available on-site and free of charge (antigen tests for the US and UK, PCR tests for Canada).


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Hi! Magical Travel has moved to East Africa !!
We are now Osero Lodge - a Luxury Tented Camp in Maasai Mara, Kenya
Thank you to all our clients and friends at Magical Travel for
helping to give us the impetus to create Osero.
If you wish to know more about Osero Lodge, please click
To go back to your previous page, click


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We had a fascinating experience the other day. We found a huge butterfly (roughly 4 inches wing-tip to wing-tip) that had apparently just newly 'hatched'. It couldn't fly and as we were watching it starting the struggle and flap it's wings, the cats seemed to take an interest. So we ended up having to keep three cats at bay while the butterfly's wings dried and it finally took flight. Of course it seemed like imminent disaster as it's first hesitant flight took it into the goat pen where it was the source of interest for the two livestock guardian dogs, but it carried on out and upwards, last seen heading towards the house site before it disappeared from view.
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Over 12000 years ago in Europe and the Middle East the first herds of Aurochs (ancestor to the cow) started to roam the plains. Leather bags were filled with the milk from these extinct bovines and placed over heated stones. Occasionally, the milk became a paste that separated from the liquid residue and was found to be edible. Slowly but surely, this accidental 'discovery' was mastered in order to produce the paste in a controlled manner, improving its quality . The most important archaeological discovery in "dairy history" may be the Sumerian Frieze (about 5000 years old) in Baghdad's National Museum, which represents the phases of animal milking and milk curing. However in 2003 it was announced that a chemical analysis of 6000-year-old pottery shards showed ancient Britons also had a taste for cow's milk and goat's cheese, becoming the oldest proof yet of cheese consumption.
Cheese became later became popular in Greece and Rome and cheese production expanded throughout Europe by the Middle Ages, its consumption was widespread, mostly in monasteries, where the production of some of the best-known cheeses of today began.
Of the 100 different kinds of cheese produced in Spain, 12 are protected by the Denomination of Origin (D.O.P.) label. Manchego cheese is without a doubt the most important and well-known sheep's milk cheese in Spain. The shape and aspect of this cheese are very characteristic thanks to the traditional use of 'esparto' grass moulds which imprints a zigzag pattern around the cheese. The small wooden boards used for pressing the cheese also imprint the typical 'wheat ear' pattern on the top and bottom.
These rustic moulds are used outside of La Mancha as well. Thus, there is other Spanish sheep's milk cheese with similar shapes and markings, known commonly as "Manchego style" cheese. However, the true Manchego cheese, is made only from whole milk produced by the "Manchega" sheep raised in the "La Mancha" region. This region is a vast high plateau, more than 600 meters above sea level, which extends from east to west and north to south, adjoining the provinces of Toledo, Cuenca, Ciudad Real and Albacete. Manchego cheese has a long historic and literary tradition, as it was mentioned by Cervantes in the legendary "Don Quixote of La Mancha". Today, there are two types of Manchego cheese: the farmhouse type, made with unpasteurized sheep's milk and the industrial type, made with pasteurized milk. In both cases, however, milk from Manchega sheep is the only type used. The climate is extremely continental with cold winters and very hot dry summers.
La Mancha is a region with a long live-stock breeding tradition. Wool and animal bones have been found in some archaeological sites, as well as different utensils used to produce cheese as early as II century BC.
In the late XIX and beginning of XX centuries the first studies on Manchego Cheese were published. During this century the increased specialization of the farms has made La Mancha the base of a powerful cheese industry. Manchego Cheese producers have artisanal techniques while still managing to have intense production. Manchego Cheese has been protected by the Denomination of Origin since 1984. The D.O. stipulates the exclusive use of milk from manchega sheep, as well as an ageing period of a minimum of 60 days.
Manchego is an aged cheese, from semi-cured to cured, unpasteurized or pasteurized. It is produced through an enzymatic coagulation. The paste is pressed and uncooked. The base milk has to have a minimum of 6% fat. The milk coagulates at 28 to 32 º C (82 a 89 ºF) after adding animal curd. Occasionally lactic ferments and calcium salts are also added. This results in a compact curdle within 45 to 60 minutes. The curdle must then be cut to obtain lumps of 5 to 10 mm. The resulting lumpy paste is then slowly reheated to about 40ºC (104ºF). The liquid is removed and the dried paste is put into moulds where it is pressed for several hours. The salting is external, and it is achieved either by rubbing with dry salt, or by immersing the cheese in highly salted water, or a combination of both methods. The percentage of salt in the weight of the cheese can not be higher than 2.3% after two months of ageing. The ageing process must be done in fresh areas, with a humidity level of 75 to 85%, for at least 60 days.
The wax rind is closed, with a yellow to brownish beige colour and should not be eaten. The interior is firm and compact, with only a few small air pockets unevenly spread out. The colour should be ivory to pale yellow. The taste is very characteristic, well developed, but not too strong, buttery and slightly piquant, with a sheep milk aftertaste.
The intense taste and crumbly texture make it perfect to eat as it is, with just a slice of bread. A technique which is very popular in the Mancha is to cut the cheese up into thick slices and then place them in a glass jar, you then fill up the jar with extra virgin olive oil, picual is fantastic for this, and this not only preserves the cheese even longer but intensifies the flavour over time and increases the piquant of the cheese. Quite a delicacy.
It is also great as the focal point of a starter, Manchego can be served with olives, sun-dried tomatoes, serrano ham, crusty bread and a robust red wine or dry sherry. It is also unbeatable with a bit of Branston's!
It is equally enjoyable as a snack or dessert with fruit, fruit tarts or jams. The aromatic intensity of a Manzanilla wine makes it an excellent choice for this cheese.
If you are looking to try a great Manchego Cheese, one of my favourites, which is also available in large supermarkets is Dehesa de Los LLanos, one of the best Manchego cheeses around and was voted best cheese in the world in 2012. It is a Manchego Viejo as it is cured for a minimum of 9 months, so it is a strong cheese but it is absolutely phenomenal.
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Entire Talk:
Entire Talk:
All very well but as a Catholic, we pray every day for St Michael and the heavenly army to come down and save us from evil satanic diabolic demons terrorising earth's humanity, but St Michael seems strangely absent? Hmm…..
Strangely absent? He is not absent, you are just oblivious to his action and presence. As St. John of Arc said, he can frequently be found to be walking amid Catholics.
Nell, your statement is exactly what the devil hopes people will make. Doubt needs to be conquered. We need to believe in God and planting doubts in people is the first step to dividing us.
Our Lady's message is to all to return to God as the primary object of our lives. You are here in this site and are in the right path, but you need to pray for The Holy Spirit to illuminate your mind and tell you what you need to do. Praying the Rosary is the main weapon, but it is not enough. If each of us could convince one person to put God ahead of everything else, our numbers would grow by two and pretty soon we will be on the path to victory for Jesus.
In most forums I still hear people complaining, but no one offers any solutions that have God as the primary objective (except for Brother Alexis, AJ and a few others.)
In most secular websites the solutions presented are for government or politicians to do this or do that, but no one really talks about the elephant in the room. The reason for all this decadent behavior is that man is trying to find solutions in other men and not in God. Until that changes, the status quo will continue and the devil will appear to continue wining the battle against Jesus Christ.
So a daily rosary by those that believe in Jesus is the first step. Getting others to join in praying the rosary is the second step. And the third step is to start talking to other about returning to Jesus Christ's teaching and not be ashamed of do it.
You are here, so that is good. If you have doubts, pray to the Holy Spirit to help you figure out exactly what you as an individual can do, but you have to trust God when you ask. The answer will come to you when you really have faith in that prayer is answered by God giving you what you really need in you asking.
God bless you and your family.
Soul stirring ! .
Praise God for those Patriots who plead for the great moral evils of our time to be resisted.
He gave this speech at a QAnon convention in Las Vegas. If he's aligning himself with that movement, Catholics better beware.
Comments are closed.


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Retail beef prices strong despite increased meat supplies
by Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing specialist
November Choice retail beef prices were $5.911/lb, up from $5.840/lb in October and 1.8 percent above the November 2017 price of $5807/lb. However, the all-fresh beef retail price dropped to $5.603/lb from the October price of $5.683/lb. The all-fresh price was also down 0.5 percent from the November 2017 price of $5.629/lb. For the year to date, the Choice and all-fresh retail beef prices have averaged 0.2 and 0.7 percent above last year for the same period.
Retail pork prices dropped in November to $3.701/lb from the October level of $3.727/lb and were down 2.2 percent from the November price of $3.786/lb price one year ago. So far this year retail pork prices are down 1.1 percent year over year. The retail broiler composite price in November was $1.853/lb down from $1.889/lb in October and down 1.0 percent from the November 2017 price of $1.871/lb. For the year to date, retail broiler prices are unchanged from last year. Retail beef prices have remained strong despite increased supplies of beef and other meats. The ratio of retail beef price to broilers and to pork has averaged slightly higher in 2018 compared to 2017.
Retail meat prices do not capture prices for food eaten away from home. According to USDA, 53.8 percent of total food expenditures in 2017 were for food away from home, up from 50.9 percent just five years earlier in 2012. Over the period from 2012 to 2107, at home food expenditures increased 12.2 percent while expenditures for food away from home increased by 26.1 percent.
The fastest growing segment of at home food expenditures was in the category that includes farmer's markets followed by mail order and home delivery. Farmer's markets represented 0.8 percent of at home food expenditures in 2017 while the mail order/home delivery category accounted for 3.0 percent of total at home food expenditures. Most major away from home food categories showed growth over 25 percent since 2012. This includes food expenditures at full and limited service restaurants, hotels, drinking establishments and recreational places.
Take advantage of nice weather in December
by Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing Ssecialist
These pleasant December days could be put to good use in preparation for the spring calving season. Now is a good time to check the pens, calving stalls and the equipment that will be used in February and March. Do a "walk through" of pens, chutes, and calving stalls.
Make sure that all calving pens or stalls are clean, dry, strong, safe and functioning correctly. Many producers use the calving shed or stalls for storage the "other" ten months of the year. Now is an excellent chance to clear out the items that are in the way and not needed for assisting the cow or heifer in labor. This is much easier to do on a sunny afternoon than on a cold dark night when you need them in a hurry.
Locate and purchase the colostrum or colostrum replacers that will be needed for those calves that are born but too weak and sluggish to nurse quickly. Some calves born to two-year-old heifers may need additional colostrum because the cow is not producing adequate amounts of first milk. Commercial colostrum replacers should contain 100 grams or more of immunoglobulin per dose. Read the label to be certain. These need to be on hand before the calving season begins.
Cow-Calf Corner is a newsletter by the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Agency.


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Why Play? Why Stop? Play more! Here's how!
Feb 21 2022
In session two of The Mindful Play Inquiry Online, we began by exploring our favourite kinds of play when we were kids and our favourite kinds of play now. We pondered on why people play and what might stop up playing as adults.
Then we dived into a non-verbal, physical play session. At the end of playtime, I asked the group to reflect on the quality of their play throughout the session. They were invited to share some actions that supported them finding their way into the play zone.
After the session, I took their chat box sharings and crafted them into three poems: What Does Play Do For You? What Stops Grown Ups Playing? and What Can You Do To Get Into The Playzone?
Read more >Reflections On Writing
Sep 15 2021
In January 2021, I received a 'Developing Your Creative Practice' (DYCP) grant from Arts Council England, to pay for support, inspiration and time to focus on my writing practice. Having come to the end of this project, here's some reflections about what I've learned.
Read more >Poet Bee Golding's Response To The Mindful Play Taster
Jun 01 2021
Poet Bee Golding strikes again, capturing her experience of the Mindful Play Taster Session at The Clowning Out Of Chaos Conference on 22nd May 2021.
I led a Mindful Play Session, exploring the theme of CHAOS through meditation, play and reflection and here is what Bee discovered.
Read more >When Holly met Andrew Cain
May 19 2021
I met Andrew Cain from Play Connect for a chat on Zoom.
Andrew is a Brighton-based improvisation teacher and therapist who specialises in helping people into play and connection. He wanted to find out about what I do and how I do it.
Read more >Meditations For Chaotic Times - a mini workshop
May 14 2021
Ahead of the Clowning Out Of Chaos Conference (21-23 May), I offered a wee workshop exploring meditations for chaotic times via Facebook Live.
Read more >The ingredients of Mindful Play
May 11 2021
Hey you! Would you like to know a little more about the style of meditation, play and reflection that happen on the upcoming Mindful Play Inquiry Online course (starting 3rd June)? Here's a little window into the inner workings of Mindful Play!
Read more >Clowning With Chaos, a mini workshop
Apr 30 2021
Ahead of The Online Clown Academy's Clowning Out Of Chaos Conference (21-23 May), I offered a wee workshop exploring chaos through clowning via Facebook Live.
Read more >Surrendering to creativity, grief and beauty
Apr 20 2021
Trigger warning: miscarriage, grief, swearing
Clear blue sky, warm sun, cool breeze and a cacophony of birdsong. I'm sitting on the balcony of my tiny Holly-sized converted garage apartment on the south coast of Cornwall in the midday sun (I might regret this decision later when I'm lobster red). I rode three trains, a bus and a ferry to get here, to walk and breathe and BE for a week. As I gaze out at the frenzy of blossom, the cornucopia of plump rhododendrons and the swarms of frantic dancing bees, I think, "Oh Fuck Off!"
Read more >Mindful Play Reflections and Poems
Mar 01 2021
For the last four weeks, I've been running The Mindful Play Sessions on Zoom, for a carefully selected group of wonder-beings as part of my process of writing a Handbook of Mindful Play for group leaders. This blog offers some of my reflections on the past 4 weeks and a collection of poems capturing the essence of Mindful Play written by the group during the sessions.
Read more >Curating The Conditions To Be Creative
Feb 03 2021
My first intensive writing week was supposed to be a retreat in Arvon, a beautiful rural writers haven in Yorkshire, where writers of all disciplines are supported to steep themselves in their practice. There'd be uninterrupted time and space, delicious food to eat, other writers to talk with and Mother Nature to soothe and inspire. The plan was to use this time to explore ways of letting nature and body-based play infuse my writing.
Coronavirus had other plans.
Read more >


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Institute of our Lady of Mercy Safeguarding Policy Statement
Registered Charity No. 290544
The Institute of Our Lady of Mercy is committed to the National Safeguarding Policies and Procedures of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, to take all reasonable steps to protect all who are vulnerable from any form of abuse and to promote a safe environment for them.
This commitment flows from the fact that we are all made in the image and likeness of God and the Church's common belief in the dignity and uniqueness of every human life.
We start from the principle that each child, young person and adult at risk has a right to expect the highest level of care and protection, love, encouragement and respect that we can give.
We will liaise closely and openly with statutory agencies to ensure that any concerns or allegations of abuse are promptly reported and appropriately dealt with, victims supported and alleged source of harm held to account.
The Institute's commitment to the 'One Church' approach to safeguarding in the Catholic Church in England and Wales is also affirmed by this statement.
Our expectation is that this statement will be accepted and upheld by our Sisters and Associates, Staff, Volunteers and all who work for and with us in the Institute and also those who use our premises.
(Institute Leader) Date: January 2023
Due for review: January 2024


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19th October 2018
NEWS: Heavy Hand debut "Disgusted"!
Atlanta Georgia Nu-Metal tinged Metalcore crew Heavy Hand have released their debut single "Disgusted". There was a mistake in the video titling which labels it as "Particle" in some places, however whatver the title, for a band which has seemingly only appeared in August, it's a decent listen!


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Place cards, Personalized place cards, Lavender soap, Name cards, Bridal Shower Place Cards, Baby Shower Place cards, Wedding Place Cards
Our lavender soap place card favors serve double duty as a beautiful place card for your event, and a personalized soap take home favor for your guests! Each favor comes with a guest sized soap in lavender, wrapped in twine with a personalized heart shaped tag with your guests name on it. Beautiful, multi tasking no waste favors for your next event.
Listing includes:
1- 2.3oz Lavender artisan soap bar wrapped in twine, with a personalized cardstock tag.
Please include names in the personalization box when checking out.
Unique, useful favors your guests will love!


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When you receive an email from a person or organization and report the email as "spam," the address is added to a list within your email provider and forevermore will be routed to a "spam" folder. Your unwanted mail, or spam, is not included in any notifications you receive for new mail and is largely invisible to you unless you choose to look for it. If you have inadvertently placed a message in the spam folder or would like to receive notification of mail from a flagged email address in your regular in-box, you will need to change the designation of the sender's email address, or "unspam" the address.
Step 1
Open your Gmail or Yahoo Mail account. Click on "Spam" from the list of options on the left side of the page. Find the message from the sender whose designation you wish to change and click on the message to open it.
Video of the Day
Step 2
Click "Not Spam" at the top of the page. The message will be automatically moved to your regular in-box and the address will be removed from the list of senders sent to the spam folder.
Step 3
Open your Hotmail account. Choose and click "Junk" from the left-hand menu. Click to open the message from the sender you wish to "unspam" or click inside the adjacent box to the left of the message. A check will appear in the box to signify that you have selected the corresponding message.
Step 4
Click "Not Junk" at the top of the page to move the message and remove the email address of the sender from the list of spam senders.


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All of our products are 100% natural, sustainably sourced and hand-made with certified organic herbs right here in Calgary.
All of our products are 100% natural, sustainably sourced and hand-made with certified organic herbs right here in Calgary.
I'm Jo-Anne, a Certified Herbal Therapist.
I started Herbal Healing in 2002 after a life long fascination with herbs and plants. After being unable to cure my chronic sinus infection through western medicine, I started exploring alternative, natural therapies.
Arnica Salve
"Super healing for sprained ankle and knee! I got this on a Thursday, when my 185 lb autistic son jumped off the trampoline and landed so badly he couldn't stand up, and needed 2 people to get him into the bath, navigate stairs, etc. Applied 2x daily, had an energy treatment, gave a few doses of arnica 200c in the first 18 hrs, and by Sunday he was walking by himself with just a slight limp. This salve is much more effective than Arnicare arnica gel. Swelling was minimal, bruises faded quickly. The Herbal Healing Arnica Salve feels freshly made and potent, easy to massage with, and has been a much valued support in the healing process. Thank you!"
Headache Blend Tincture
"For years I have experienced migraine headaches associated with changes in the barometric pressure. Despite changing my diet, limiting caffeine and increasing exercise they persisted and at times were debilitating. I was so frustrated as the quality of my life was being significantly impacted. I was also concerned about the increasing amount of over the counter medication I required.
I contacted Jo-Anne and she recommended her headache remedy coupled with garlic pills to address my continually blocked sinus. The change was almost instant. My sinus opened and I went through 2 significant pressure changes in the first week headache free! I know this is going to require ongoing diligence on my part to continue the remedy even when I am feeling good but that is a non-issue given the relief I am experiencing.
Thank you Jo-Anne for your help and ongoing support."
All Heal Salve
Stimulating Liniment Oil
"Wanted to write a testimonial for Herbal Healing stimulating liniment oil. My husband has pseudo gout from time to time, It wanders around his legs and feet. It is very painful. I purchased a bottle of stimulating liniment oil from Herbal Healing and within 10 minutes of application to his foot, the pain began to subside. We were amazed! He has been using it for a week and the gout has improved immensely! We love the fact that it is a natural remedy. Highly recommend it! I have started using it on my arthritic knee and it too feels better. Thanks Herbal Healing!"
"Every product I have tried from Herbal Healing has been high quality and incredible. I highly recommend them!"
Rose Shampoo, Conditioner and Face Cream
"Recently I purchased the Rose Shampoo, Conditioner and Face Cream on a whim; I hadn't tried any HH products before. Wow! My hair loves them! My hair is a bit coarse with a lot of curls and wave but with this shampoo and conditioner it consistently comes out soft, smooth and shining.
I usually order my natural skin/hair care from Ontario, so I'm happy to have found HH right here in Calgary, and am looking forward to trying many more products!"
The Rose Face Cream is heavenly. My skin, although "mature" is very reactive and easily irritated but it loves this cream. Such a little amount goes a long way, and the scent is divine."
Headache Tincture
"I used to get at least one (usually more) migraine a month! I didn't want to go on medication suggested by my doctor like anti-depressants or an anti-seizure drug.
So I started taking the headache tincture and my migraines came on less frequently and much less severe. I now haven't had a migraine in almost six months. I would recommend this blend to anyone who gets even the slightest to severe headaches and migraines, and just wants some relief!
Thanks again! This stuff is just amazing!"
Arnica Salve
"Love the arnica salve. First tried it years ago on my ankles. It's amazing now all I do is use it when I over do it. Thank you for continuing to make great products."
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text:
April 1, 2021
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Brushes Off Concerns Over Voting Restrictions Bill
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp dismissed the corporate backlash over the voting restriction bill he signed last week.
Last week, Kemp signed a voting restriction bill into law that limits drop boxes, adds identification requirements to absentee voting, and makes it illegal to give food and water to voters waiting in line to vote.
While the bill was met with praise by Republicans, many of whom still believe former President Donald Trump's debunked stolen election claims, Black Americans see the bill as voter suppression not seen at this level since the Jim Crow era.
Kemp dismissed the claims on CNBC's Closing Bell Wednesday saying "If they want to have a debate about the merits and facts of the bill, then we should do that."
More than 70 Black executives have signed a letter urging corporate America to stand against voter suppression and the MLB is considering moving its All-Star Game out of the state, a move President Joe Biden endorses.
Those who signed the letter include Black executives from Merck & Co., American Express, TIAA, Vista Equity Partners, and others. Voting rights advocates have also targeted Aflac, Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, Home Depot, Southern Co., and UPS with demonstrations, phone banks, and campaigns.
A Delta internal memo showing praise for the bill was leaked, which led to calls to boycott the airline. Delta CEO Ed Bastian reversed course Wednesday, calling the bill "unacceptable" and "based on a lie.
Kemp responded to Bastian Wednesday in a statement.
"Today's statement by Delta CEO Ed Bastian stands in stark contrast to our conversations with the company, ignores the content of the new law and unfortunately continues to spread the same false attacks being repeated by partisan activists," Kemp said.
Voting rights candidate and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams wrote an Op-Ed in USA Today asking Georgia residents not to boycott the state. Instead, Abrams wants residents to stay, fight, and demand companies speak out against the bill.
"Boycotts are complicated affairs that require a long-term commitment to action," Abrams wrote. "I have no doubt that voters of color, particularly Black voters, are willing to endure the hardships of boycotts. But I don't think that's necessary — yet."


text:
Live from the Rock Health 'Digital Health' Summit
The Rock Health Summit in San Francisco draws some of the biggest names in technology and health care, including geneticist Craig Venter, Chief Data Scientist at the White House DJ Patil and Fitbit CEO James Park. Rock Health is a fund for early-stage digital health startups.
The annual conference takes place at UCSF's Mission Bay Conference Center on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
In case you're missing it, here are some of the highlights. I'll be updating this post throughout the conference.
Update, 4.15pm Wednesday Sept 30
Former Facebook CFO David Ebersman opened up about his experiences starting a behavioral health company called Lyra Health. Ebersman admitted that the stigma around mental health is still a challenge, but he said we're seeing signs of progress. "Not that long ago," he said, "there was a stigma about cancer."
I'm signing off for tonight, folks. Thanks for following!
Update, 3.30pm Wednesday Sept 30
A group of startup founders, including Collective Health's Ali Diab and Stride Health's Noah Lang, offered some salient advice to would-be health entrepreneurs.
Diab said he spent six months reading about the intricacies of the health sector before starting his company. "Do your homework," he said. "It's not enough to have a great idea." Those who want to succeed in health need to understand the landscape, including the insurance providers, employers, and the regulation.
Lang said it's important to understand the regulation and policies underpinning health care. But he said, "don't rely on that." Policy is liable to change and potentially even get repealed with each new administration.
Update, 2.30pm Wednesday, Sept 30
Molecular-biology pioneer Craig Venter spoke about the power of technology, which is making it cheaper and easier to sequence human genes. Venter was among the first scientists to map the human genome over a decade ago.
He was also the first person to have his genome sequenced, and learned that he was at a high risk for melanoma. Venter had a scare a few years back, but had the melanoma removed before it had a chance to spread.
Venter is currently working on extending the human life span through his company Human Longevity Inc. Much of this work involves collecting human genetic data. "We are trying to have the richest sources of all diseases that we can," he said. Read more here about Venter's work.
For Venter, a big focus is on building a massive data-set and testing scientific assumptions about genetic associations. "There is so much useless and wrong information about genetics in the literature," he said.
I enjoyed hearing Venter deliberate on the future of privacy and security when it comes to our genetic information. Venter implied that it would not be feasible to "de-identify" your genetic blueprint (his lab is looking into predicting a person's face shape from a voice recording alone). But he did say security will become more important, and that it's not a good idea to share your DNA on the Internet.
In an interview with KQED's Senior Science Editor Andrea Kissack, Venter urged people to get their exome sequenced, which costs about $250. "That's less than a month of cable," he said.
Update, 1.30pm Wednesday, Sept. 30
I spoke with Thea Runyan, cofounder of Kurbo Health, over a nutritious lunch. Runyan's startup Kurbo Health is a coaching and weight loss app for kids.
Her advice for healthy eating: Unlimited fruits and vegetables, and avoid "red light" foods, like ice cream. She doesn't think that activity-tracking wearables for kids are the answer to the childhood obesity epidemic. "Most end up in a drawer," she said.
Update, 11am Wednesday, Sept. 30: James Park, CEO of wearables maker Fitbit admits that the company "pioneered the art of shipping late hardware products." The company got its start in 2007, showed off a demo at TechCrunch's Disrupt conference in 2008, but didn't ship its first product until September of 2009.
I'm expecting some exciting new products from Fitbit in the coming years. Park said the company now spends $100 million on research and development: about two-thirds for software development, and the remaining one-third for hardware.
Evolent Health's CEO Frank Williams offered some interesting tidbits about cultivating company culture. Williams said on the day of the company's initial public offering, or IPO, he made eggs and pancakes for employees at the San Francisco offices. He said transparency is key for a health care business: There's no shame in speaking honestly about the potential pitfalls, as well as the opportunities.
Fitbit's CEO offered some rare insight into the IPO, which performed better than analysts and Wall Street expected. He said he had fast food from Smashburger delivered to the corporate jet when making the rounds during the roadshow!
Update, 5pm Tuesday, Sept. 29: Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya brought the house down with a rallying cry for Silicon Valley's top investors to fund ambitious health care companies. He joked that startups that deliver brownies in the middle of the night have a better shot at procuring investment than new ventures tackling cancer and diabetes.
When asked about whether he saw a "Facebook-sized opportunity" in health care, he immediately quipped "bigger." Palihapitiya previously worked at Facebook before starting a fund called Social Capital. He started investing in health care after watching numerous family members get diagnosed with diabetes.
I was impressed with Palihapitiya's longer-term investment vision. Unlike most investors, he's not chasing the easy wins and is willing to wait a decade or more to see a big return.
Rock Health cofounder Halle Tecco backstage said Palihapitiya has a unique investment thesis that doesn't mirror most of Silicon Valley. She said that Rock Health takes pains to select conference speakers who are "big thinkers, not just focused on incremental change."
I'm signing off for tonight. Tune in to the same URL for live updates!
Update, 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29: Adam Gazzaley, cognitive neuroscientist at UCSF, spoke on-stage about the transformative potential of virtual reality goggles in health care:
"Augmented reality could be the next platform in five or ten years out. The potential is really profound when it comes to the brain. As the entertainment world increases affordability, I think we'll see a globalization of this whole field.
He also commented on the potential of gaming for the aging population:
"If you can train the brain through experience, through interactivity with gameplay, we have shown that we can reversing several of the neural and behavioral and cognitive changes associated with aging. We do look at these tools as powerful digital medicines or wellness tools." I recently interviewed Gazzaley for KQED. Read more here!
Mary Spio, founder and president of Next Galaxy spoke about bringing augmented reality to kids and people with disabilities:
"People in wheelchairs tried [virtual reality headsets] and experienced sensations like they were flying and walking. We also see potential to bring these headsets into schools as a required part of the curriculum."
One of my favorite quotes of the afternoon comes from Sandy Jen, cofounder of Honor, in-home senior care startup Honor. Jen spoke about the limitations of technology in health care:
"The important part of what we do is building relationships. Tech can't replace a human bond."
Update, 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29:
White House CTO DJ Patil pushed for more technology experts in health care:
"If we have a constitutional law professor [President Obama] who is tech-minded, we can do it for health care. The CEOs need to become technologists and we have to help them." Patil said Silicon Valley has a thing or two to learn from the White House, including how to hire a diverse workforce.
Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Susannah Fox on broaching conversations about Healthcare.gov, the federal website for consumers' to shop for health insurance, which was plagued with errors when it initially launched:
"Talking about healthcare.gov at HHS is like saying 'Lord Voldemort.' I'm going to say that word. Brace yourselves." But Fox stressed that HHS has a slew of innovative projects in the works, including its IDEA Lab.


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14 October 2004
BRUSSELS – Two four-year-old children have been killed in a house fire in Marcinelle, near Charleroi.
The fire broke out in the house's living room at dawn on Thursday morning.
Motorists on Charleroi's ring road were the first to call the fire brigade after they spotted smoke billowing out of the second storey of the family home.
Fire fighters had difficulty reaching the children because of their location.
The fire is thought to have broken out in the living room, with the likely cause being either a short-circuit or overheating in the radio-TV.
The house was occupied by a young couple, with their 14 year old daughter and four-year-old twins.
Finding themselves trapped by the fire, the couple tried to protect their children by taking refuge in the back of the converted attic but they were all overcome by smoke.
The father was taken to a burns unit with serious burns and the mother and older daughter were also admitted to hospital.
Emergency services tried to revive the twins at the scene before transporting them to the clinic but they died at around 10am.
The urgent medical aid service, SMUR, was on another call-out in the region at the time of the fire and this delayed treatment for the youngest victims.
[Copyright Expatica 2004]
Subject: Belgian news


text:
By Andrena Sawyer
Faith has never been my struggle. In fact, I thrived in situations that required faith. It's caused me to see God in real ways that only fueled my thirst to see Him demonstrated in bigger ways.
I remember my sophomore year in college. I knew that there was no way I was going to have the money to cover the balance of my tuition that a scholarship didn't cover. My father had a candid conversation with me that he would not take me to school that year because we didn't have a solid plan. The way he saw it (being the rational and protective father that he is), driving me from New Jersey to Washington DC was only a set-up for embarrassment and heartbreak later. My response? That same day, I took the train from New Jersey to New York, then took the bus from New York to DC. I packed enough clothes to last me at least a month, because I just knew things would work out. Sure enough, after a lot of crying, praying and fasting, I ended that year in good academic and financial standing with the university. I went on to graduate in 4 years.
While I was in DC, I thought the Lord was leading me to start a youth outreach. I proposed the idea to a friend who responded, "what if someone gets shot?" He wasn't asking to discourage me. He was challenging me to think through all possibilities. Truth was, I had no money (barely paid my tuition), I was a foreigner in the area, and my support system consisted of other 18 year olds who were also trying to figure out life. I discarded reason (and his questions), and went on to do the outreach anyway. That outreach, Rock, the MIC, lasted for 5 years, and served an average of 150 youth each year. I saw God provide thousands of dollars, some of the most talented (and popular) Christian artists graced the stage, and the most unlikely people connected to serve the community. Faith has not been my struggle. Until recently.
When I decided to become an entrepreneur in 2012, I had no idea what it would entail. I knew God was opening some doors. He'd increased my confidence in the abilities He gave me, and the previous season brought harsh disappointments that left me broken and with no choice but to seek God earnestly for direction. I was hearing clearly in that season.
I have watched Him do incredible things through my company, and in me. It's also been a journey that has stretched me in ways that I could never imagine—financially, emotionally, relationally, and physically. I've gained and lost weight on this journey, made and lost money and possessions, gained and lost relationships, and sacrificed more time than I can account for. A series of my decisions recently led me to a crossroads that required me to choose between closing the doors of P.E.R.K. for good, or pushing through a little bit more, just in case there was the mother load of breakthroughs on the other side. Pushing through has meant having to learn what scarcity looks like (all over again), and constantly rejecting the pressure to live life comparing my journey to others. I cry out to God almost daily about why He's answered quickly for me before, but now the answers seem more interspersed.
Here's my conclusion: my 18 year old faith is no longer enough. The thrill of believing for the impossible is now exhausting and not as exciting. It's a perspective that comes with the expectation of maturity. A good friend once teased me that I was a glutton for punishment. Perhaps he's right, or perhaps choosing to believe that the God of Elijah and Abraham who anticipates needs (1 Kings 17:6, Genesis 22:13), and the God of Esther who favors unqualified people, often requires faith that is produced through what appears to be suffering.
What I've learned in this process is that faith often goes against reason. It is often clouded by fear, and the barometer cannot always be past experiences. God's nature doesn't change. He still does very much with very little, and I believe He is looking for ways to demonstrate His glory to us. Perhaps the faith He is looking for is not for performing the spectacular for us, but through us, so that His glory remains His own (untarnished and solely His). When our faith of yesteryear is not enough, we must take hold of the truth that we are finite and God is not. Patience is required to seek and wait for the response. He is sovereign and sensitive at the same time. That truth ought to be enough to remind us to take His promises as our own each day, as we wait to see in what new ways He will manifest His glory, grace and kindness toward us.
Andrena is Founder of MCWEN, and the president of P.E.R.K. Consulting. She is also the author of several books including The Misadventures of a New Entrepreneur, and The Long Way Home. Connect with her on Twitter or Instagram @ Andrena_Sawyer.


text:
Desktop Version
Quobis Collaborator also now has desktop support for the three main desktop OS, Windows, mac OS and Linux. As with the mobile version you can access through the directly installed native app or via your web browser with the corresponding URL.
This section explains the main differences with the mobile version as well as the specific features related with the desktop app.
Desktop application usage
The use of the desktop application is very similar to the web application version, see Quobis Collaborator features section for detailed information.
Quobis Collaborator was developed with a responsive design. This means it can allow for a resizable window and can adapt itself to any screen size, resolution or aspect ratio. Therefore the application can either show a more compact view (like in mobile versions) or an extended view depending on the size of the window where it is executed.
Desktop application installation process
Installing the application implies a similar process on each operative system. To start, double click the executable file provided.
Windows (.exe)
An installation wizard will guide you through the installation process.
macOS (.dmg)
The disk image will be mounted on your system and a finder window will open. Drag the Quobis Collaborator application icon to your applications folder.
Linux (.deb)
The software package will open a software installation window. Click the install option.
Supported OS versions
The following platforms are supported by Sippo collaborator
Windows 7 and later are supported, older operating systems are not supported and will not work.
Minimun version supported is macOS 10.10 (Yosemite)
The app can run in a distribution depending on the included libraries of that distribution. Only Ubuntu 12.04 is guaranteed to work although the following platforms are also verified to be able to run SIppo collaborator
Ubuntu 12.04 and newer
Fedora 21
Debian 8
Limitation notes
Currently, the desktop version of Quobis Collaborator does not have full support for the Start a screensharing session feature and will only allow to share the whole content of the screen.


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text:
The "refashioning" of the British high street in recent times has been remarkable. Several household names have entered administration or face rescue from opportunistic investors. It may appear to be a tale of unrelieved doom.
But the UK continues to be a nation of shoppers. The point is that consumer behaviour has evolved as the options of where and how to shop have multiplied. What satisfied 20 years ago no longer cuts it, particularly given the wider changes to the ways in which we interact – with each other, organisations and government.
So, what relevance does this have for universities? As significant employers, we are, like the major retailers, fixtures of local communities. We bring students into towns. We are, metaphorically, the anchor tenants in local shopping centres. And the demand for our product is fundamentally sound. People need the skills to get those aspirational jobs, to secure their status in a knowledge-based economy.
However, the majority of universities operate in a manner and form akin to that of the department store. We offer a broad product range under one roof. You want sociology, sir? That will be the second floor. Looking for business, madam? It's in the basement.
We have sprawling, costly and often historic premises, with significant borrowings to cover costs of improving them. We have legacy back office and support systems that are difficult to update. We are traditional in the way that we operate, and there is nothing particularly memorable about the overall experience that we offer.
This is not a good place to be. The combination of weak and confused positioning and high sunk costs offers a significant opportunity for new competitors with clear positioning and different cost structures. Incremental improvement to do better than other similar operations does not get us out of this bind. The challenge is to deal with category killers that have fundamentally different operating systems and assumptions.
But all is not lost. Some stores are thriving among the chaos. Whether on the high street or online, there are players, new and established, delivering value and attracting consumers. The supermarket Lidl offers a limited range but low prices with minimalist service. The clothing retailer Next offers its integration of bricks and clicks. Zara brings fashion from catwalk to store at speed.
These are very different routes to success, but all share a strong brand identity, clarity of value proposition, operational agility and relentless use of data. It is difficult to imagine such statements currently being made in relation to many universities.
However, pockets of evidence suggest that the department store trap is not inescapable. On positioning, take Loughborough University, with its relentless focus on student sport and competitive ethos, or the University of Strathclyde, with its emphasis on applied disciplines and close engagement with practice. On market reach, take Coventry University, with its distinctive operating structure and varied delivery channels, or my own institution, Lancaster University, with its international campus operations and its recent partnership with University Academy 92: a new for-profit institution set up by ex-Manchester United footballers.
In all these cases, there is a recognition and exploitation of distinctive capabilities. However, even here, the extent to which such strategic focus permeates throughout an institution is questionable. Rather, it sits atop an unconvinced academic base.
Ultimately, success depends on that focus percolating throughout the university, allowing us to fundamentally question our underlying operating models and our core cost structures. Challenging the nature and importance of research, the way that teaching is delivered and the staffing mix – these are the really contentious yet critical areas to address.
It is complacent to argue that online education has been around for years and that new providers, feted by governments, have made only a marginal impact on universities. The equivalent pressures were around in retail for years, too, before the "closed" signs started to go up. It was the cumulative effect of these pressures over time that took their toll. Those universities that do not react early to those pressures could well share the fate of Debenhams and House of Fraser.
Angus Laing is dean of Lancaster University Management School.
Print headline: Innovate or liquidate
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