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Let's jump into the hits from the past week:
1. Sign That Times Are Bad.. Governments Desperately Looking For Revenues… @ IS.
2. The Awkward Millionaire @ MJTM.
3. 5 Tips to Help You Reach Your Retirement Goals @ Canadian Finance Blog.
4. 5 Benefits To Building Your ETF Portfolio @ Build Your ETF Portfolio.
5. What's Up With All the Life Insurance Choices? @ Invest It Wisely.
6. Pepsico: Estimated to Offer 9% Rate of Return @ Dividend Monk.
7. Dividend Paying Tech Companies @ Dividend Ninja.
8. Air Products and Chemicals Inc. (APD) Dividend Stock Analysis @ DGS.
9. Powerful Quotes for Those Desperately Seeking Guidance in Their 20s @ Studenomics.
10. Retail: Is It Different This Time? @ Barel Karsan.


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When was the last time you sang a song at an FFA meeting? If you are like me – never. However, if you had been a member of the New Farmers of America (NFA), there is a good possibility that you sang a number of songs at NFA meetings. When I am around former NFA members of my age, they can sing NFA songs from memory.
In the NFA Guide (1946 and 1962 versions) one of the optional chapter officers is the "Song and Cheer Leader". A conductor's baton is the symbol of that office. Two duties of the office are listed:
- See that members are acquainted with appropriate songs and yells.
- Be responsible for all music used by the chapter.
But the NFA Guide doesn't stop there. The words to a number of NFA songs are included in the Guide. The 1946 Guide lists the following songs: [If you want to hear or download the songs, just click on the links. The sound quality is not that great since the original sound file was in the .au format and has been converted to mp3]
- The N.F.A. Creed Song (somewhat hard to understand)
- Give Me That Old N.F.A. Spirit (good quality) + Peace in the Valley
- How D'Ye Do
- Smiles
- Lift Every Voice and Sing
The 1962 Guide includes a newer song written in 1956 – NFA Boys are We (good quality)
It is interesting comparing the 1946 and 1962 versions of the song "Give Me That Old NFA Spirit" The 1946 version had four stanzas, one of which allowed you to fill in the name of a person. The 1962 version dropped that stanza. Also, the last stanza is different.
One of the most popular competitive events in the NFA was the quartet contest. Quartet competition was held at all levels of the organization. In 1959, the national winning quartet was from South Carolina. At the 30th national convention (1964), the winning quartet was from Georgia.
The 1964 National Winning Quartet from Georgia
The Chadbourn (NC) NFA Quartet sang "King Jesus is Listening" and "Remember Now Thy Creator" in 1950-51. Many of the songs sung by NFA quartets were spiritual songs. The quality of these recordings is not that great.
On December 23, 2005 NPR (National Public Radio) had a great program about the NFA and the quartet contest. It was titled "Remembering the Lost Tradition of Quartet Contests" I highly recommend you listen to it; the quality is great. You will learn more about the quartet contest but you will also learn more about the NFA.
Some southern states mimicked the NFA and had a quartet competition. The photo to the right is the 1951 Lakeview, Florida State Champion Quartet. At one time North Carolina FFA had a quartet competition (but no longer does). I think Alabama might still have such an event; at least they have the contest rules online. There could be other states who have or had FFA quartet competitive events.
Teaching Ideas:
- When you teach about important dates in the FFA, you could do more than just mention that the FFA and NFA merged in 1965. You could play some NFA songs. In the merger, all NFA identify was lost. We can at least partially rectify that by introducing some NFA songs to our students.
- If the NFA existed today, would the music take on a Rap-like quality or would it still be the traditional quartet? Perhaps we could have students develop a new NFA song in remembrance of the NFA.
- There are a number of folks who believe FFA competitive events should be tied to the curriculum. If you don't teach something (such as poultry), should your FFA members be participating in poultry related competitive events? Following this line of thinking, should we have a quartet contest? This would be a good topic for a discussion or debate.

subset: commoncrawl


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★"Improbably special." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ 2021 Moonbeam Award: Best Board Book
★ 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist
A Loch Ness Monster parent reassures their child that they believe in them--no matter who else may have their doubts.
Set in a magical imagining of the Scotland's Loch Ness, I Believe in You is an ode to a loving adult's unconditional acceptance of their young one. Featuring appearances from unbelievably fun paranormal characters including a unicorn, grey alien, Sasquatch and ghost, I Believe in You is a fun and heartwarming celebration of the unwavering bond--and belief--shared between a parent or guardian and their child.


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We are OPEN for tastings, sales and picnics on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 12 to 4, we are unfortunately unable to accommodate appointments outside these times. Please note that our Tasting Room has moved outside so dress accordingly and we have no bathroom at this time.
We are accepting e-mail orders with DELIVERY to Quadra, Campbell River & the Comox Valley ONLY, please 2 bottle minimum. FREE SHIPPING is available for more than 6 bottles within BC.
You can also buy our wines at both grocery stores on Quadra Island.
Visit our Website Here
Cheers, Ben & Jill


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Before clompleting its merger with Bankia, Caixabank wants to reorganise its balance sheet and will put up for sale portfolios of problematic assets worth 1 billion euros.
The doubtful assets CaixaBank intends to divest have been divided into two portfolios.
The first, called 'Project Hermitage', is made up of 'unsecured' credits valued at some 600 million euros. These credits are without collateral and linked to consumption and to SMEs.
The second one, under the name 'Louvre Project', consists of credits worth some 400 million euros with a real estate guarantee, of which some 200 million euros would be linked to land from Martinsa Fadesa.
Martinsa Fadesa is a company which was forced into bankruptcy at the beginning of 2015, as it was unable to refinance its financial debt of 3.2 billion euros. Nor was it able to renegotiate the creditors' agreement, with which it managed to overcome the largest insolvency proceedings in history in 2011, in order to extend the payment of that debt.
Caixabank and Bankia aim to start operating as a single entity at end-2021. Gonzalo Gortázar, CEO of CaixaBank, has anticipated that the technological integration of both entities, one of the crucial and most complex phases in a merger, is expected to close in Q4'21.
For the time being, the boards of both lenders will meet today to approve the announcement of their Shareholders' Meetings where the merger will be submitted to a vote.
According to the tentative calendar managed by the two banks, these meetings will be held in early December. The operation would already have the favourable opinion of the independent expert (the BDO auditor) appointed by the Valencia Commercial Registry. This would validate that the merger exchange does not harm the interests of minority shareholders. Having this report is an indispensable requirement for calling the Shareholders' Meetings.


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For more information about the book club, please contact the book club leaders:
Terra Merkey, Music Librarian, firstname.lastname@example.com
Cathryn Miller, Social Sciences Librarian, email@example.com
The Social Justice Reading Club is focused on uniting Duquesne faculty, students, and staff in discussions of social justice books.
Book: Evicted by Matthew Desmond When: Wednesday, March 27th Where: Student Union Africa Room Check out a copy of Evicted from Gumgerg Library. About the Book: "In Evicted, Princeton sociologist and MacArthur "Genius" Matthew Desmond follows eight families in Milwaukee as they each struggle to keep a roof over their heads...Its unforgettable scenes of hope and loss remind us of the centrality of home, without which nothing else is possible." -From the back cover of Evicted |
Register for the discussion Here
Students at Duquesne University were asked how they'd respond to someone who disparaging people on public assistance. Here are some of their responses:
"It's okay to get help when needed. You'll never know what someone is going through."
"I would try to be a voice for these people; whom some may be disabled, ill etc"
"... there should be more opportunities for growth outside of the welfare program."
"Not everyone on welfare is not trying to work on their lives but there is a great amount that are. Also, do not judge others on welfare because you do not know their situation."
"Some are born to privilege, some are born to poverty..."
"There but for the grace of God go I... we never know what may happen... our role as fellow human beings [is] to treat each other with compassion and love. Who knows what that person who is on public assistance has gone through, what demons she faces? Rather than tear her down, let's build her up. And, if you don't have anything nice to say - zip it!"
"First I would tell them to shut up. That there are people in this world that work hard and don't have the luck that others do. That yes there are people that abuse the system but there are a lot that need it. And its our job as people that have that luck or ability to help those get out of these places and do good."
"You have no idea what struggles he/she could be going through right now. Give them time to get on their feet, and don't judge."


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Lingdale Road, Wirral, England, CH48
2017-12-20 00:00:00
Reference number:
450,000 £
3 Baths
Lingdale Road
Dec 20, 2017
Reference Number
Lingdale Road, West Kirby, Wirral CH48
Accommodation comprises entrance Frosted glass double glazed door open to entrance hall with staircase rising through to a small landing area with obscured glass double glazed window to the rear and doorway opening to a spacious open plan living room/kitchen.Open plan living room/kitchen 17\' 2\" x 19\' 6\" (5.23m x 5.94m) Having been beautifully fitted with a stunning Merilyn Phillips kitchen comprising of an extensive range of base, wall and drawer units with attractive roll edged work surfaces and outset breakfast bar. Inset single bowl sink unit with swan neck mixer tap. Integrated Neff appliances to include four-ring hob with built-in extractor canopy over, electric oven and further combination microwave oven with warming drawer beneath, large larder style refrigerator and separate larder style freezer and built-in dishwasher. Attractive tiled splashbacks. Wood effect ceramic tiled floor. Attractive vaulted ceiling with large double glazed remote operated roof light. Recessed ceiling spotlights and kickboard lighting. Radiator. Television and telephone aerial points. Large double glazed window to rear with a stunning outlook across the Royal Liverpool golf course towards Hoylake and seaviews towards the North Sea. Steps up to the hallway.Hallway 14\' 6\" x 4\' 7\" (4.42m x 1.4m) With sloping ceiling to part and recessed lights. Modern radiator. Double glazed window to the side. Low level motion sensitive lighting. Doorways to utility room and bathroom and further steps to door opening to inner hallway being \'L\' shaped with doors opening to bedrooms 1 and 2.Utility room 8\' 3\" x 5\' (2.51m x 1.52m) Wood effect ceramic tiled floor. Roll edged work surface. Plumbing for washing machine and space for tumble dryer.Bedroom 1 15\' 8\" x 14\' 6\" into bay window plus additional door recess (4.78m x 4.42m) Superb original bay window to the front with mullioned windows with leaded panels and two further double glazed and lead effect windows opening to the front. Deep coved ceiling and radiator. Television aerial point. Telephone point and doorway opening through to ensuite shower room.Ensuite shower room 10\' 4\" x 4\' 6\" (3.15m x 1.37m) Fitted with a modern white suite comprising of a fully tiled shower cubicle with overhead and hand held shower units, twin wash hand basins with drawers beneath and low level w.C. Wood effect ceramic tiled floor and attractive tiled walls. Two wall light points, towel radiator, recessed lights and extractor fan.Bedroom 2 12\' 5\" x 7\' 10\" (3.78m x 2.39m) With deep coved ceiling. Original mullioned window to the side with leaded panels and two further double glazed and lead effect windows opening to the side. Radiator. Television aerial point. Telephone point.Bathroom 9\' x 8\' 2\" (2.74m x 2.49m) Modern white suite comprising of a large corner shower cubicle with both overhead and hand held shower units, panelled bath with waterfall mixer tap and hand held shower unit, wash basin set into vanity unit with storage cupboards beneath and concealed cistern w.C. Attractive part tiled walls and Italian ceramic tiled floor. Recessed lighting, loft access, chrome towel radiator, extractor fan and feature part double glazed mullion window to side.Outside Property benefits from a block paved driveway to the front providing allocated parking for one vehicle with external lighting and block paved steps leading to pathway extending across right hand elevation providing access to the front door and also providing access to a timber gate opening to a private and enclosed garden to the rear principally laid to lawn with large central patio area, deep raised borders and panelled fencing and brick walls to boundaries.
3 Baths
- 2458 Views


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A Table
A Table – Nuevo Latino success yet again
The 411
Last year I had the pleasure of checking out Madre, which is one of the restaurants of Mario Navarette Jr, a chef who does Nuevo latino style of cooking. Madre was a hit and is one of my favourite brunch experiences so, when I heard that he had another place that did brunch by the name of A table, I needed to check it out. Situated on Fleury, in the Ahuntsic area, A Table is not in it the usual spots you would expect a cutting edge restaurant to be. Often we picture the Plateau, Mile End or Old Port but this location choice is quite interesting.
At 1st glance
When you walk up to A table you can easily miss it since the front does not scream out to you. It is setup with tables all the way to a partly open kitchen concept and a single washroom past that. They have a coat section so no need to put it behind your chair. The open kitchen looks nice if you are seated close by it and you can see the staff preparing the meals. The kitchen does not seem that enormous but the place itself seats only around 50 give or take a couple.
The menu is a mix of classic breakfast aspects with a touch of fine dining and latin inspiration. Yes, I know it's confusing but here is why it works. Let's take the poached egg and caviar: you get poached eggs which is a breakfast dish then you add caviar which you would only find at a fine dining restaurant and then all this placed on a corn bread piece for support. The menu is one page but most people will be impressed with its quality. The menu items are:
- Sides
Before we even ordered they brought a bowl with some warm corn bread balls with a side of apple sauce and butter. This was a nice appetizer and it was also included in the price which, in my books, makes it taste better. It was a comforting dish and you could open up the corn bread balls and butter it right up. Also, the butter was the perfect consistency so it spreads easily (none of those frozen pieces that tear up your bread) and some apple sauce for that extra touch of sweetness.
For the main dishes I ordered the Poached egg and smoked salmon ($15.75). This dish is two poached eggs on top of some smoked salmon resting on a corn bread base with a side of vegetables and topped with caviar. This dish was pure genius as the eggs were perfectly done, the smoked salmon worked well, the corn bread base/pancake wasn't too crispy but still did not get soggy and even the caviar was appreciated so as to give it that little extra bit for presentation.
My friends ordered the decadent French toast with apples and dark chocolate ($13.75). This dish was comprised of 2 very thick slices of French toast and is topped with warm apples and dark chocolate sauce. The chocolate was a touch bitter which worked wonderfully with the sweetness of the apples and the French toast. The bread was very tasty and generous. This mixed with the syrup made for an out of body experience. I think I was transported to heaven.
Our service started off really well but then a large group showed up and we lost our waiter for a while. In fact, we waited a good bit to place our order but after that he was pretty good with checking in on us. The downside is that there was only one waiter for the entire place and when it's full it can be busy. Besides that, he was polite and helpful especily when helping decide between two dishes.
Most dishes are vegetarian friendly and if you can handle smoked salmon then your options increase a little more. The menu is in no way vegan and don't expect anything really healthy..
Wrap up
Overall I was very happy to experience A Table and my impression with restaurants associated to Mario Navarette Jr got even better. If he has another place that does brunch, trust I will be there. I think people should check it out even if it is off the beaten path. The prices are not that bad once you consider that you get that bread at the beginning. In the end, you can have a foodie brunch for a great price.
124, rue Fleury O, Montreal Qc, H3L 1T4 (514) 439-1966 Sunday 10:00-14:00 |
View A Table in a larger map
Bottomless Cup Of Coffee | YES |
Credit Cards | YES |
Web Site | YES |
Debit Card | YES |
Kid Menu | NO |
Vegetarian Friendly | YES |
Price | $$$ | $15 |
Overall | 4.5/5 | |
Wheelchair Access | NO | 0/3 |
Parking |
Parking Meter & Street |
Easy |
Metro |
5 minutes |
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Today.....I am 32. Wow.
32 is the first age that I actually remember my mother being. I'm not sure what that says about me.
I awoke this morning to a scrumptious breakfast of.....
Made from scratch.....
Boston Creme Pie!
Grant made it overnight while I was sleeping.
Chocolate ganache.... yummmmmmmmy.
It's all gone now.
No, I didn't eat it all myself! I brought it up to my hospital and my staff devoured it. Grant is turning into the Best Friend's Veterinary Hospital gourmet chef.
He's the best.
I will also soon be enjoying my very own copy of The Little Mermaid on DVD (apparently it shipped yesterday!)
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Happy Birthday to ME!!!!!
Posted by Sarah at 4:54 PM
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Fusion 360 and Aspire are two of the many trending CNC machining software preferred by professionals. Let's dive deeper to see the features, benefits, and details of both of these software, respectively.
Table of Contents
Fusion 360
Fusion 360 is a cloud-specific software platform for CNC routers to do 3D modeling, CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing), PCB (Printed Circuit Board), CAD (Computer-Aided Design), and CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering) of products. From simplified multi-axis machine control to Adaptive Clearing high-efficiency roughing with Tool Orientation, Fusion 360 allows you to quickly and easily program your CNC router.
Product manufacturing with 2.5, 3, 4, and 5-axis CNC mills, turning, probing, profiling and mill-turning operations combined with a powerful post engine everything included besides the prograde design tools. The productive design algorithms allow Fusion 360 to repeat a design program for hundreds and thousands of times per minute, saving you immense time in the procedure.
- Easy to Understand PCB Designing Software
Fusion 360 relieves the CNC machinist from struggling with electronics workflows and swap between the file format manually. Also, you get access to the advantages of a fully featured graphical capture, mechanical CAD, and PCB design on this software platform.
- CAM cum CAD Integrated Software
The software significantly reduces risks of rework or defect in the product and missing deadlines. With Fusion 360, you can employ HSM (Hardware Security Module) technologies to manufacture high-quality machined parts and do additive manufacturing by utilising PBF (Powder Bed Fusion) or FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) for metal-based 3D printing.
- Impeccable Software for 3D Simulation
Design 3D models, simulating it with Fusion 360 in a single simulation software tool, during the early development phase to check the product performance and find out costly faults (if any) beforehand.
- Can design and machine the products, ensuring aesthetics, fit, form, and function of the workpiece
- Use productive design tools and simulation to ensure manufacturability and reduce the effect of engineering, design, and PCB changes
- Straightaway modification of the existing model fixtures or features with integrated CAM cum CAD software tool
- Machine products using a set of comprehensive modeling tools to ensure the required shape, fit, and function of your workpiece following varied methods of analysis
Aspire is one of the most feature-specific and top-shelf CNC software apps till date. The great thing about this software solution is it is easy to learn to implement any complex designing and machining 2D, 2.5D and 3D projects with CNC routers or others.
Aspire shares an intuitive and easy to use user-friendly interface for product designing and CNC routing, besides including several additional features. Moreover, Aspire includes tools to help you turn 2D photos, sketches, drawings, and other digital artworks into detailed 3D models, whose roughing cum finishing tool tracks are then calculated to precisely cut the model into an exact 3D shape as it is.
- Consists of a wider collection of 2D + 3D clip-art files of more than 1300 that include Weaves, Panels, Textures, and over 150 of 3D models from "Design & Make", which alone worth around $5000
- 2 sided CNC machining to implement double-sided project requirements
- Wrapped rotary-axis routing besides in-software simulation
- 3D model designing from 2D vectors
- Vector drawing using smart snap and transform shortcuts
- 3D surface modeling from image files
- Import 3D documents in a number of formats including – STL, V3M, OBJ, DXF, CRV3D, SKP, and 3DCLIP
- Creative 3D editing including carving, blendin, and smoothing
- 3D roughing cum finishing tool path options
- Online access to clip-art
- Installation USB including more than 35 hours of comprehensive cum high quality video-training tutorials, illustration files, and an inbuilt user guide
- Text editing with single stroke fonts
- Nesting true shape increases material usage
- Import 2D vectors in a number of formats including – DWG, SVG, EPS, AI, PDF, DXF, SKP, etc.
- Import 2D Images in BMP, PNG, JPG, GIF, TIF, etc.
- Picture cropping and editing
- Lithophane modeling
- Export 2D + 3D files in DWG, TIF, EPS, SVG, AI, STL, etc.
- Helical arc support
- Immersive vector positioning, sizing, and node editing
- Tool paths moulding to develop constant cross-sectional arches, profiles, frames etc.
- 2D profiling with riveting tab hold-down, ramping, leads, and other possibilities
- Tool paths tiling for slicing larger projects into smaller sections to compatible fit the smaller machines
- Tool path templates to automatically apply commonly used strategies and settings to new designs
- High quality cum multi-color tool track preview for verification of parts and client approval
- Project setup sheets
- The exceptional 3D component modeling of Aspire with an all-inclusive editing and designing tools makes the software easy to work with the imported 3D relief models or existing 2D data, plus giving wider access to creating customized 2D and 3D models from the grassroot level
- You can easily create, edit, and join the dimensional shapes to build the final design
- Aspire lets you rework and import the existing clip-art and 3D data to integrate with 2D data as well as a wide assortment of tool path options, enabling your CNC router to cut and shape diverse parts


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Chaka Oaxaca (12/15/09) 23.18
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Chaka Oaxaca (12/15/09) 23.18 (1:02:49 / 57.8 MB)
The Overnightscape Underground – December 2009 – Track 18
"Your Late Night Broadcast" online at onsug.com
Created by Frank Nora (email@example.com) in New Jersey, USA
Frank in NYC. Texas Hold'em, virtual money, gambling, movie trailer quote question, paranoia of alternate realities, the 1990s, radio incidents, podcasting apps, the shirt concept of "chaka", Magic Marker, Howard Stern, Rebel Rebel, Lost, watch ad, football, police cars, musical "Memphis", Da Vinci's Workshop, Mos Def, Times Square, free will, Google phone, Frances Bean Cobain, Rivers Cuomo, Bill Hicks, diamonds, Syb Barrett, steakhouse, salt breadsticks, hand drying, herbal bitters, anime TV series "Honey Honey", Oaxaca, 'wichcraft, bathroom, and Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.
License for this track: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/). Attribution: by Frank Edward Nora – more info at onsug.com


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NDF Audio Prayer Book
Natural Dharma Fellowship has a book of prayers most frequently used during our retreats and gatherings. Compiled below are audio versions of these prayers.
Prayer of Refuge and Universal Love
& Pure Perception and Bodhicitta
The Four Immeasurable Aspirations
Jigme Lingpa's Bodhicitta Prayer
Prayer to Remain in the Natural State
In Praise of Prajnaparamita
Prajnaparamita mantra (version one)
Prajnaparamita mantra (version two)
Seven-Line Prayer to Padmasambhava
& Padmasambhava mantra
Shakyamuni Buddha mantra
Chenrezig mantra
Tara mantra
Yeshe Tsogyal's Retreat Song
Machik's Prayer of Offering the Three Gestures
Not available – We'll keep an eye out for this and post it here if we can find it.
Gyalwa Gotsangpa's Seven Delights
Yeshe Tsogyal's Song to the Demons
Not available – We'll keep an eye out for this and post it here if we can find it.
Tsoga Rinpoche's Heart Advice
Bodhicitta Dedication Prayer
& Dedication of the Merit


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I think Genghis Khan is one of Maiden's most programmatic songs. When I listen to Transylvania, I don't really envision vampires, but when I listen to Genghis Khan I can totally envision Genghis and his army riding into battle. With the steady gallop of the opening with the high speed riffs signaling the beginning of the battle. It's an early instance of Maiden telling a story through music and they're already pros at it.
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The next fried chicken sandwich to take up a monthlong residency on U Street NW calls back to a time before Buttercream Bakeshop was a must-visit for Cinnascones and the Salt Line was an essential destination for New England-style seafood plates.
Pastry maven Tiffany MacIsaac and chef Kyle Bailey, respective owners in the Shaw bakery and the riverside spot in Navy Yard, collaborated on the second entry in the "FRIED" chicken sandwich series for guest chefs at Service Bar. Starting tonight, customers at the inventive cocktail bar at 928 U Street NW can buy a sweet-and-salty sandwich that builds on a fan favorite the married couple used to serve when they worked at Birch & Barley and (now-closed) Golden Brown Delicious.
"The Top That" ($13) has buttermilk fried chicken seasoned with cayenne and fenugreek, bacon, and maple chicken jus on yeast doughnut buns topped with buttered pecans. The new sandwich is available until March 5, and a portion of the proceeds will go to Safe Shores, an organization that advocates for children and adolescents affected by violence and trauma.
Longtime observers of the D.C. restaurant scene will recognize ingredients from "the Top That" as the same that made the "Luther" a brunch sensation at Birch & Barley and GBD, eventually spawning imitators.
Service Bar introduced the "FRIED" series in December by making a version of chef Kevin Tien's Sichuan spiced hot chicken sandwiches from Hot Lola's. Fans of that sandwich can find it at its home base in Ballston. The series began as a way to shine a spotlight on local talent in the wake of fried chicken mania ignited by the Popeye's chicken sandwich.
- A U Street Pop-Up Will Show Off Fried Chicken Sandwiches From Across the DMV [EDC]
- GBD to Unleash the Luther, Campari Doughnuts [EDC]
- A Sandwich a Day: The Fried Chicken Luther at ChurchKey in Washington, D.C. [Serious Eats]


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Believe it or not, plain and simple, we live in a visual world. Everything RSA does is visual. Even texts on your mobile device and text, or messages, we write have visual influence and impact on the recipient/s.
Our designs are meant to connect what you do, whether it be services or products, with your audience. The visual messages have to be clear and set you apart from your competition.
Your best friend sends you a text inviting you to dinner at a nice restaurant. What do you visualize? We'll let your imagination run its course with this one. We can think of many things that may run through your mind.
We aren't competing for awards. We have one purpose ... grow your revenue and put a smile on your face (or the face of your stakeholders).
Creative people can't do this if they aren't intimately involved with your particular business, your values, your market audience, and aren't familiar with your competitors or their products or services.
We pride ourselves in getting to know our clients and often feel like we have as much interest in and commitment to their success, as they do.


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Ocracoke Islanders, like other Americans, are shocked and brokenhearted by the devastation caused by the recent earthquake in Haiti. Ocracokers often have a special affinity with other island communities, especially ones vulnerable to storms and hurricanes. In recent years Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the western hemisphere, has had more than its share of hurricanes. Now this terrible earthquake is causing untold misery, injury, property loss, and death.
There are many international aid agencies responding to the aftermath of this earthquake. The following link provides contact information for several of them: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1953454,00.html Donations of any amount are welcomed.
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Travel--and Mortality
July 13th, 2008 at 08:32 pmI'm getting ready to travel to my mother's this week--my first plane trip in two years. My sister has flown recently, so she brought me up to date on all the new carry-on regulations--glad I learned about that *before* going to the airport.
I also checked out the size of my old carry-on and found that it was a couple of inches bigger than regulation. Most of the time that might not matter, but I figure in this day of packed flights and charging for baggage, they'll be more likely to check. Anyway, I found a carry-on that's within limits on sale for 51% off at the LL Bean outlet--because the color is being discontinued. So I was happy with that find, especially as my mother is aging, and I figure that at some point in the foreseeable future I will probably have to do a great deal of cross-country flying back and forth.
That's on my mind as I've been witnessing first-hand the decline of an elderly man in my congregation who has been ill this year. I had visited him (and his wife, who was also hospitalized at the time) in hospital on New Years, and then three weeks ago heard that he was in hospice. So I was very surprised a few days ago to hear that he and his wife would be hosting Shabbat services at their assisted living facility this past Friday night.
I went, and Frank was in much better shape than he had been the last I saw him, though the change in his appearance was shocking compared to that of just a year ago before illness took its toll. He seemed in good spirits, and I was hopeful that he would have a while yet.
But it turns out that that Shabbat service was a good-bye. I received word by email that he died in his sleep last night. I know that he suffered a lot this last year, but I'm glad that his last Shabbat was such a pleasant one.
It seems so odd, to be going to a service hosted by a fellow on Friday and then to his funeral on Monday. $6 off cereals whose full price would be $15.56. That's a 38.6% savings, and $6 to my $20 Challenge (which I've not been pursuing so far this year).
A good start--we'll see if I can do better the next time!
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[category_name] => Cost of Living
[category_stub] => cost-of-living
[entry_id] => 40946
[entry_title] => Comparing Expenses now vs 2000
[entry_stub] => comparing-expenses-now-vs-2000
[entry_url] => https://dido.savingadvice.com/2008/07/08/comparing-expenses-now-vs-2000_40946/
[entry_date] => 1215487076
[entry_date_mysql] => 2008-07-07 22:17:56
[entry_text] => I found an old file last night that contained a summary of my expenses that I created in August 2003, so almost exactly 5 years ago. I pulled out the current data and compared the two. Here's how my expenses have changed, and why:
First, there are two categories of expenses I have now that I didn't have in 2003: school books (fortunately work pays for tuition) and home maintenance, as I'm now an owner.
Biggest increase is eating out, up 193%, or 24%/year. Why? Call it either laziness or busyness. The past two years, I've been working a full-time job, a part-time job, and going to school part-time. Cooking is fairly low on the priority list at the moment. Going to work on this.
Next is work-related expenses (books and films I use in teaching, software that I use that's not paid for by work, and office supplies, up 145%, or 18%/year. That figure is somewhat distorted. Back in 2002 and 2003, I was at my poorest in my adult life, patching together a series of part-time jobs rather than having a full-time job (the full-time job I have now began in Sept. 2003). So the August 2003 figure is low; the current figure reflects more of what I tend to spend when I do have a full-time job.
Personal Expenses: up 103%, or 13%/year--mostly because I recently spent about $500 to buy a few professional wardrobe pieces in preparation for job interviews as I change careers.
Medical Expenses: up 71%, or 9%/year
Rent/Mortgage: up 67%, or 8%/year. But back then, I rented. Now I own. So I pay $300/month more, but that includes not just the mortage but homeowner's insurance, property taxes, and an extra 5% that I pay each month towards the principal.
Transportation: up 64%, or 8%/year. Inflation.
Household: up 58%, or 7%/year. Now that I own, I buy a few more things 'for the home' than I did when I rented.
Groceries: up 55%, or 7%/year.
Gifts & Donations: up 24%, or 3%/year.
Utilities: up 20%, or 3%/year. I expect these to soar in 2010 when the rate caps come off in the state (PA). Meanwhile, I've actually managed to cut my phone bill by savvy shopping.
Decreased expenditures:
Pets: Down 6%. Distorted comparison--my Simon was terminally ill June-Aug 2003, so the expenses for 2003 were quite high. He was less expensive to care for for most of his life, and generally Henry has been more so--Henry has more chronic problems.
Entertainment: down 33%. With the increased workload, I've pretty much given up any entertainment other than paying the minimal Netflix fee most months (although I actually have Netflix on hold for the summer), and paying the most basic cable TV bill ($15/month). (I didn't even have cable TV back in '03.)
Going through this has been educational. I had no idea that my eating out expenses had gone up so drastically, and actually, I thought my grocery expenses had gone up more, but on a per-annum basis, it's about 7%, which is what the inflation on food has been of late. (That doesn't mean there's no need to cut, though; I'm just routinely a fairly high spender in this area and really could stand to get these expenses down.)
The categories where my increased spending far outweighs inflation are the first three. I'm hoping the personal care expense is temporary because of the big clothing outlay. Two years ago, I managed to spend only about $200 for the year on clothes, for two new pair of athletic shoes, so I know it is possible to pull my expenses her way down.
I need to be more cautious on work-related expenses--it's way too easy to give myself work as an excuse for buying a book, and particularly on eating out. Eating out so much has just become a bad habit. And it's very rarely eating out at a sit-down restaurant--it's grabbing a sandwich and a cup of coffee at the convenience store more often than I should that adds up--not the kind of dining out that one gets special pleasure from, but just the convenience of having someone else prepare the food and not having to remember to take it with you.
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[journal_id] => 2725
[journal_url] => dido
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[journal_name] => Fiscal Fitness
[journal_author] => Dido
[journal_author_email] => firstname.lastname@example.com
[category_ids] =>
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[category_id] => 721
[category_name] => $20 Challenge
[category_stub] => 20-challenge
[entry_id] => 40856
[entry_title] => Market Research Subject
[entry_stub] => market-research-subject
[entry_url] => https://dido.savingadvice.com/2008/07/05/market-research-subject_40856/
[entry_date] => 1215215053
[entry_date_mysql] => 2008-07-04 18:44:13
[entry_text] => Two years ago, during the summer I had no income coming in, I signed up for a couple of market research panels (e.g., Pinecone), after researching which ones seemed reliable and didn't ask you to buy products upfront (which lots of the survey sites do--they promise money back, but you have to give some upfront). I've been making about a couple of hundred dollars a year from this side venture.
One of the panels I ended up on (by invitation actually, this one I don't think you can volunteer for) is run by my local grocery store--actually by the store that *used* to be my main store, before I "defected" and started spending most of my grocery money at a more upscale chain.
The store whose panel I am on is trying to develop more of an image as a health & wellness-conscious store. They've definitely shown great improvement on this front in the years I've been shopping there. But a couple of weeks ago, they recruited volunteers for a special "health and wellness" assignment. I signed up.
Part one was keeping a journal for a week, recording all activities that I did that I personally considered "health and wellness" related and answering some questions about each. Based on the journals, they selected a dozen people to participate in Part two. I was chosen. So on Wednesday morning, two market researchers came to my house and interviewed me for three hours, video taping the interview and a tour of my house, with focus on things in my house that were health and wellness related. The research interview was really pretty in depth, and not very scripted--mostly the interviewers asked me to elaborate on things that I had brought up, rather than asking me a series of "canned" questions.
After the interview, they went with me on a shopping trip to the grocery store that sponsored the research, and followed me around the store videotaping my trip and commentary.
During the interview, I had waxed so enthusiastic about the store that has become my new "store of choice" that they actually came back and went with me on a shopping trip to *that* store, too (though that one wasn't videotaped, as they didn't have permission--they just snapped a few pictures with a cell-phone camera).
All told, I spent about 8 hours with the team, and got to ask them some questions, too (one has a masters in cultural anthropology, the other background in neuro-linguistic programming and design). And I was paid $250, to boot. So I brought in a wee bit of income and had an interesting experience. I'll be curious what comes of the study in terms of how the initiating store changes in the future!
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Save 26%
Anka Biga Glossy Rectified Porcelain Wall and Floor Tile 24"x24"
Sale price
From $2.45
Regular price
Save 26%
Anka Patara Glossy Rectified Porcelain Wall and Floor Tile
Sale price
From $2.54
Regular price
Ceramic Floor Tiles
Ceramic tiles for floors should be stronger than ceramic tiles for walls. On our website, you will discover floor tile models in a wide variety of sizes, glosses, colors, and surfaces, suitable for any decoration style. Most preferred in floor design, these ceramic and porcelain tiles offer long-lasting and stylish floors. Non-slip (non-slip) floor tiles are frequently preferred especially for wet areas. Our models with "floor wall" ceramics on our site can be used both on the wall and on the floor.
Advantages of Ceramics
- Tiles are long-lasting and sturdy, and they are not influenced by temperature fluctuations, so they may be utilized outside
- Ceramic tiles are heat resistant, as well as chemical and surface cleaner resistant.
- They are the most favored coating materials in damp regions due to their strong resistance to water and humidity.
- Ceramic and porcelain tile coatings are simple to clean and require little upkeep.
- Because they are made in high-temperature ovens, they are tough and long-lasting.
- Tile comes in a variety of styles, including patterned, unpatterned, matte, glossy, rectified, and unrectified, all of which are appropriate for any decorating style.
Things to Consider When Buying Ceramics
- Ceramic & Porcelain is sold on different surfaces as glossy, semi-gloss, matte, and non-slip. You can choose ceramics and porcelains with a surface suitable for your decoration style and the space you will use.
- Non-slip tiles are mostly preferred in wet areas such as bathrooms, terraces, balconies, and poolsides. Matte ceramics have a non-slip feature compared to glossy ceramics.
- Tiles are produced in many different sizes such as 12"x24", 20"x20", and 24"x48". You can determine the ceramic dimensions according to the size of the area you will use. For example; In small spaces, large tiles can further narrow the space.
- You should apply your ceramic and porcelain tiles with the right tile adhesive, so it provides longer-lasting use.
- If you want to make a jointless, more adjacent application on your ceramics, you can choose rectified ceramics.
- Apply your ceramic tiles with a suitable joint filler/mortar. You can find joint fillers compatible with every tile color on our site.
- Don't forget to order about 20% extra for your order. Because some tiles may need to be cut from the corners during installation.
- In order to make you feel happy in every use, you should choose tile models that reflect you and your style.
- Ceramic & Porcelain Tile usage areas; Houses, terraces, bathrooms, kitchens, entrances, balconies, restaurants, schools, cafes, shops, hospitals, workplaces, warehouses, etc. Suitable for many different venues.


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A good shower head makes a good bath and a good bath makes you comfortable and calm. So if you are looking for a great shower head with both excellent built quality as well as great design and functioning BathSelect is the place for you. One of the most modern and best looking shower heads are the waterfall shower head in chrome. The chrome finish is one of the most modern and elegant looking finish there is. It makes sure to combine a flashy yet decent look in one package to make it look luxury and modern. The stainless steel, which has been used in its construction is super sturdy and will have no complaints in future regarding leaks or any other sort of durability issues.
The contemporary design is always a plus point as it makes sure that the design will be a perfect match for your bathroom. It also offers a punch of features. It is available in a great waterfall design of water flow that features a large sized shower head that has excellent free flow of water that looks like a waterfall. The shower head also doesnt require high amounts of energy to use but can work under very low pressure. Some also come with a handheld shower that is going to provide you some more ease of access and make your experience even better. This shower head is a quality product and once you have used it you will have a great experience.


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Juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron can be difficult to tell apart from a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron, but in this case I had several more images of the bird and also knowing the location and time of year am able to be sure it is a YCNH.
I made this image at the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Florida last May. I am looking forward to returning there during our family vacation in February.


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Tottenham v Wolves: Spurs likely winners but don't rule out another lead slipping
Tottenham face Wolves on Sunday afternoon and Steve Rawlings fancies them to start fast and assume command after a sorry result against Leeds last week...
Sorry Spurs look to finish with a flourish
Despite losing their opening game, at home to Everton, Spurs started the 2020/21 season incredibly well.
Under Jose Mourinho, they went on an unbeaten run that stretched from September all the way up until just before Christmas and when they beat Manchester City 2-0 at home to win their fourth game in-a-row, and their sixth in eight matches, on November 21, they climbed to the top of the Premier League.
Having remained at the summit for almost a month, before losing back-to-back games against Liverpool and Leicester, Mourinho's men were matched at a low of 5.6 to win the league on December 16. They were also matched at just 1.43 to finish inside the top-four and as low as 1.06 to finish inside the top-six but here we are with just three games to go and the prospect of European football at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next season look bleak.
Participation in next year's Champions League looks an impossibility and they can be backed at around 5/2 on the exchange to finish inside the top-six to qualify for the Europa League.
The decision to sack Mourinho in the week leading up to the Carabao Cup final (which they lost 1-0 to Manchester City) looked like a financially considered judgement given his head-to-head record against Pep Guardiola and Spurs haven't really improved under interim boss, Ryan Mason.
Although only losing to a late Americ Laporte goal in the Carabao Cup final, Spurs never looked like taking the trophy home and after back-to-back Premier League home wins under Mason, against a largely out-of-form Southampton side and the bottom club, Sheffield United, they were tamely beaten by Leeds last weekend.
Mason bemoaned their luck after the game, quite rightly pointing out their misfortune to have Harry Kane's goal ruled off for an almost undeterminably narrow offside margin when the score stood at one apiece, but Leeds were very much the worthy winners and Spurs keeper, Hugo Lloris, made a string of saves to restrict the margin of defeat to 3-1.
The Next Tottenham Manager market is wide-open and Harry Kane's future at the club is in serious doubt. They look like a club in disarray and it's a miserable end to a campaign that started so brilliantly but this is a great chance to restore some pride after last week.
Nuno's Wolves are missing Jimenez's goals
At first glance, Wolves look to have found a bit of form as the season draws to a close but it's not very convincing form.
Wolves have won three of their last five Premier League games but they've been against two relegated sides and a team down to ten men for much of the second half.
A pair of hard-fought 1-0 wins against Fulham and Sheffield United, thanks to goals in the 90th minute and on the hour mark, are nothing to write home about and they were 1-0 down and being outplayed by Brighton at home until Lewis Dunk made the rash decision to haul back Fabio Silva when clean through in the 53rd minute. A move that saw him see red and that changed the game completely.
With the Seagulls down to ten men, Wolves substitute, Adama Traore, hauled them back in the game with an equaliser in the 76th minute before 21-year-old, Morgan Gibbs-White, pinched the points in the 90th minute.
Wolves manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, spoke after the win against Brighton about how he needs to build and improve his youngsters as they look to the future but the biggest issue they've had this season has been the loss of their Mexican striking sensation, Raul Jimenez, who scored 17 Premier League goals last season and 13 the season before.
Wolves are finding goals hard to come by without Jimenez and he's a huge loss.
Spurs can start fast at home again
Given Wolves have won both of their last two away games against Spurs and that away teams have a better success rate (40%) than home teams (37%) in this strangest of fan-less Premier League seasons, Wolves at around the 6/1 mark commands respect but I'm not convinced. Their recent results flatter them somewhat.
As poor as this season has turned out to be for Spurs, they're still a solid team at home and if they avoid defeat on Sunday, they'll edge ahead of West Ham to sit second in the Premier League Home table, with only the champions, Manchester City, ahead of them.
As tough as they are to beat at home, Spurs at around 1.5 in the outright market isn't a price that excites me, but I do like the look of them in the Half Time/Full Time market...
They've been in front at the break in nine of their 17 home games so far this season and they're playing against one of the leagues slowest starters on Sunday.
Wolves have led in only four of their 17 Premier League games and they've been either losing 1-0 (6) or drawing 0-0 (7) in each of the other 13. Nuno typically tries to keep things tight early on and build after the break but I'm not sure they'll keep this Spurs side out until half time if they play like they should do after last weekend's lacklustre display at Leeds.
I expect Mason's men to be up for the fight on Sunday and for them to come out of the blocks fast so Tottenham/Tottenham at around 6/4 looks the way to go here.
I'm not going to leave it at that though. Spurs have lost a whopping 20 points from winning positions so far this season so if they do start fast, there's no guarantee they'll finish the job off and there are a couple of Opta stats that need bearing in mind.
Under Santo, 87 of Wolves' 133 Premier League goals have been scored in the second half (65.4%) and since they returned to the Premier League in 2018-19, only Manchester United have won more points from losing positions than Wolves (51). Small savers on Tottenham/Draw and Tottenham/Wolves at juicy prices look well worth including in the staking plan.


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SAUL Co-ordinator's Report August 2011
by John Slaughter
I am pleased to welcome four new members in this report, Wayne Morris, Barbara Sault, Pat Nichols and Cecil Saul.
Wayne posted a message on our Forum advising that he had recently discovered that his father had been adopted as a child, his birth name being Herbert A Saul. The adoption record lists his father as Robert Edward Saul who was born in London around 1888. Wayne had found a Robert Edward Saul born in Liverpool around that time and wondered whether this was the same person. I was able to confirm that was indeed the case. We already knew something about this family from research that an ex member and I had carried out some years previous. This earlier research had shown that the family had originally come to England from Ireland. Robert Edward's grandfather was a George Saul who, though born in Ireland, was, by the time of the 1851 census, an emigrant passenger agent in Liverpool. More details about George will be found in my report in the April 1995 journal. As far as we are aware George and his wife Jane Hanway had five children, one of whom Robert Wallace Saul emigrated to America some time after the birth of his son, Robert Edward. It is not known precisely when Robert Wallace emigrated or how many children he eventually had, I have been given a total of eight but details are sketchy.
Robert Edward Saul married twice and was killed in a motor accident on 20th September 1928. Herbert A was a child of the second marriage and just one year old when his father died. There was at least one other child of the second marriage, a Robert Saul, who was adopted by his uncle George Weston Saul.
Barbara Sault made contact after finding references on our website to Kate Leach and Phillipa Saul, to whom she is related. Phillipa was her father's first cousin. Barbara's father was John Henry Sault and his father Henry Charles Saul. It was the latter who added the "t" to his name, after he had emigrated to Canada, it is said in order to make it easier to obtain employment. This Saul family has been traced back quite a few generations to Stalham, Norfolk.
My records
show that I had correspondence with Pat Nichols as long ago as August 1997 so am
particularly pleased that she has now joined the Society. Back in 1997 Pat
provided me with a copy of her Sawle family tree that went back to an Edward
Sawle and Jane of Veryan, Cornwall. This chart formed part of the information
that was used to prepare the Sawle charts some years later. Subsequently we were
able to establish that Edward's parents were John Sawle and Elizabeth Thomas who
had married at Probus, Cornwall in 1755 and had baptised their first three
children there before moving to Veryan. I wait to hear if Pat can add anything
to our knowledge.
Cecil is a descendant of a William Saul who was born in Campsall, Yorkshire in 1837 the son of Charles and Mary (nee Seniour). William emigrated in 1862 initially to Canada and then on to America. William was following in the footsteps of two of his uncles John and Thomas (the sons of Thomas Saul and Elizabeth Addy). Cecil has clearly spent a lot of time, together with others, in researching the descendants of both William and John and has uploaded his information on the website www.findagrave.com. I was not previously aware of this site and it is certainly well worth a look, particularly if you are trying to trace American connections/descendants. What happened to Thomas is not presently known but Cecil is on his trail.
I received an enquiry from a Gavin Saul who noticed that his name had been mentioned in my April 2007 report as being the owner of a Saul Tartan. I had no knowledge of who Gavin was at that time. Gavin has now kindly provided me with some details of his Saul ancestry. His grandfather was Percy Sidney Saul who I was able to confirm from the birth indexes as having been born in 1909 in the Leeds registration district. Percy's parents were Herbert Saul and Agnetta Henderson who had married in the previous year in the Chorlton registration district. Despite this information however I have been unable to find the family on the 1911 census and wonder whether they may have been resident in Scotland at that time (I do not have access to Scottish records – so if anyone does and could have a look, I would be grateful). Gavin subsequently obtained a copy of the marriage certificate for Herbert and Agnetta from which I was able to link the family to our largest Norfolk chart. Herbert was born Herbert George Saul in 1885 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. His father Frederick George Saul was a travelling printer and had eight children in total. The birth places of the children clearly demonstrate his mobility.
Return to The Sole Society Home Page


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Knightfall (season 2)
8 episodes
1307th year. The powerful of this world issue a cruel order according to which the Templars are persecuted. They were pursued, and caught, mercilessly burned in front of the assembled crowd. The key character is Sir Landry, who is confused by yet another disastrous operation. As the leader of the brotherhood, he was obliged to do everything in his power to try to protect the community and ensure victory in the Holy Land. A young man becomes that the Grail is announced again. This particular relic was supposed to be guarded by the Knights Templar. (more…)
Project Blue Book (season 1)
10 episodes
The series will talk about top-secret investigations related to UFOs, which were conducted in the United States in the middle of the 20th century and are known as the "Project Blue Book". At the center of the plot there will be Dr. Joseph Allen Heineck, an American ufologist and astronomer, a brilliant college professor, recruited by the US Air Force to lead this covert operation. In the course of it, thousands of cases of alleged observations of unidentified flying objects were investigated.
Vikings (season 5)
20 episodes
The fifth season of the popular series "Vikings", telling about Ragnar Lodbrok, the brave leader of the Viking tribe, who was able to write his name in world history as the ruler of one of the most strong-willed, strong and unshakable states. The protagonist of this series unites the kingdoms and tribes of the Vikings, to create a strong huge state, capable of defeating any ill-wishers. Numerous foreign trips against gentiles, as well as large-scale mass battles – these are the passion of these people. However, for all their warlikeness, the Vikings try to remain human. They have families, love and are responsible for their loved ones.
Six (season 2)
10 episodes
The plot of this series "Six" tells us a story about how a special detachment will try to save its commander from the hands of terrorists who are trying to lure information from him in any way that has an unrealistically high value in the sphere of US defense. It will also be about the always relevant issues of the value of human life, the role and place of native people in human life, responsibility and reconciliation with the tragedy of loss or murder. The motivations of the heroes, the attitude to the former commander are not so unambiguous.
Knightfall (season 1)
10 episodes
The series "Knightfall" tells about the powerful and brave Templars who survived numerous persecutions from both opponents and allies. Who would have thought that the pope, who had gathered such a mighty army, would himself pursue his representatives for the purpose of execution for treachery, which they did not commit. Defeat in the Holy Land is a failure of the military plan, but in the armies of the Templars there are no cowards and traitors. People who devoted themselves to the service of the Order were faithful to Clement Fifth and King Philip the Fourth. The protagonist of this story is the brave Sir Landry, who is at the head of the crusading army. He with pain in his heart is experiencing a failure of the crusading army in the Holy Land. However, when information appears about the Holy Grail, hope in the best appears in the heart of the protagonist again.
Six (season 1)
8 episodes
U.S. Navy's SEAL Team Six's mission in Afghanistan has an unexpected turn – the Taliban leader who must be eliminated is working with a citizen of the United States. This situation requires the most desperate measures, and obviously, this person must be eliminated too. But what is his role in the latest events? How the Special Forces' elite fighters will react?
Real Vikings (season 1)
4 episodes
You can download Real Vikings Season 1 here at TopTvShows.me. Latest episodes available for free download. We monitor the air dates of TV Show "Real Vikings" and upload new episodes ASAP. All premieres of television series can be found on our website. If you want to stay updated of the show's new episodes, please, sign up for TopTvShows updates below.
Gangland Undercover (season 2)
8 episodes
A gritty fact based drama series that tells the astonishing story of a drug dealer who was arrested then given a desperate ultimatum: serve over 20 years in jail, or go undercover inside one of America's most notorious biker gangs. Charles Falco opted to go undercover and for the next three years he led a crazy and dangerous life infiltrating the Vagos motorcycle gang, collecting evidence while faced with the constant risk that he might be discovered and become one of the gang's victims. Each episode unfolds a different step in Falco's covert investigation into their illegal activities, while across the series, the drama builds as carefully constructed character arcs unfold bitter personal rivalries. These tensions finally erupt when the gang's Vice President is killed in a motorcycle accident, unleashing a chain of unforeseen consequences that ultimately tear the gang apart. With suspicions about Falco's true identity mounting, the operation threatens to unravel, leading to a tense …
Roots (season 1)
4 episodes
The drama TV series "Roots" tells the story of Alex Haley's family –a famous black writer and public figure of the United States. Members of his family pass through difficult and terrible experience, they have to face slavery and fight for the rights. They suffer from continuous harassment and mockeries, prosecutions and discrimination. But despite all this, they remain honest people who steadily go to the better future… (more…)
Texas Rising (season 1)
10 episodes
TV series takes place in 1836 in Texas. This period of political turmoil and military clashes. General Sam Houston's is fighting for the independence of Texas against Mexican Army General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. But Houston's many enemies in his own camp, for example, an aristocrat from Kentucky Colonel Sherman ignored orders not trying to win at any cost. Yes, and President Andrew Jackson diplomatically waiting, not wanting to openly confront Mexico… The series "Rise of Texas" about the legendary Rangers is based on real events of the Texas Revolution.


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Silver canvas giclee -- 2 Step
Measurements: 36" x 24" x 2"
Art and fashion are so closely intertwined, it can be hard to tell them apart, or even have one without
the other. The Fashionista range by Jodi epitomises this connection, playing on the edgy, eccentric side
of fashion that blends so well with unusual and bold artwork. Both dare the viewer somewhat, from the
striking red shoes of Boss Lady to the defiant gesture of Love and Skulls. These artworks are passionate,
trendy and direct, yet retain the depth and room for exploration seen in traditional art. Silver canvases,
gold colours and chic watercolours are used to great effect, creating a contemporary but playful set of
works. These items are as carefully curated as the wardrobes of the rich and famous, yet appearing
casual and fun, ideal for a home or gallery space that�s young at heart. Anyone who enjoys a hot coffee
on the way to work, a sparkling new set of shoes, the style of the latest perfume bottle or the challenging
but rewarding crush of the metropolitan rat-race will love this tongue-in-cheek representation of that world.
Special Financing
Furnish Your Dream Home
Furnish Your Dream Home


text:
Freakish killers lurk in the forests of Hawaii: tiny caterpillars that sneak up on unsuspecting snails, hogtie them, and devour their unfortunate victims alive. This surprising way of life – unprecedented among caterpillars – may eventually help biologists understand how evolutionary innovations arise.
When entomologist Daniel Rubinoff of the University of Hawaii in Manoa first heard accounts of snail-eating caterpillars from naturalists on the island of Maui, he did not believe them. "I thought, nah – they're probably scavenging the snails after they die," he says.
After all, the overwhelming majority of caterpillars are vegetarians, and even the few known predatory groups feed exclusively on insects. But when Rubinoff and his graduate student, William Haines, brought specimens back into the lab, their doubts vanished.
In rapt fascination, they watched a caterpillar, less than 1 centimetre long, creep up to an equally tiny snail resting on the surface of a leaf, before gently lashing it to the leaf with silk threads. "It reminded me of Gulliver's Travels, where the Lilliputians bind him while he's sleeping," says Rubinoff.
Nowhere to "run"
Once the snail is unable to escape – by dropping to the forest floor – the caterpillar forces its way into the mouth of its shell and devours it, head first. Rubinoff and Haines first observed this behaviour in a newly described species called Hyposmocoma molluscivora. They have now seen similar behaviour in at least four other closely related species living on at least four of the Hawaiian islands.
Peculiar adaptations are par for the course in Hawaii, which also boasts spiders that impale flying insects with their long claws and caterpillars (unrelated to the snail-eating species) that ambush passing insects.
Such oddities are probably a result of the islands' great isolation, which means many ecological niches normally exploited by other animals remain vacant, says Rosemary Gillespie, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California at Berkeley, US. Even by these standards, though, the snail-eating caterpillars are extreme, since they involve both a novel food choice and a method of prey capture previously unknown in caterpillars.
Rubinoff is now studying where these predatory caterpillars fit into the family tree of the genus Hyposmocoma, an enormously diverse group of at least 350 species found only in Hawaii. Knowing who their closest relatives are may help understand the steps they took in evolving their bizarre lifestyle.
Journal reference: Science (vol 309, p 575)


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View All Calendars is the default. Choose Select a Calendar to view a specific calendar. Subscribe to calendar notifications by clicking on the Notify Me™ button, and you will automatically be alerted about the latest events in our community.
The Durham City Council will hold virtual public hearings on March 1, 2021, at 7 p.m. to hear the following requests: FY 2021-2022 Annual Action Plan "Needs" Public Hearing (PR #14459) What are the needs in your neighborhood and how should we spend federal funds to help? Share your thoughts with the Durham City Council at our Annual Action Plan "Needs" Public Hearing.


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After a brief intermission, Roots Collective hit the stage to finish off the night. Their set was diverse and seemed a tad more on the traditional side. Those in attendance appeared to respond better to Roots Collective too. As made evident by the non-stop dancing crowd that swarmed the stage from the first note until the very last. The band performed tributes to the late great Bob Marley via covers of his hit songs like "I Shot The Sheriff." And they also did some original material like their song "Run Around." However, what stood out the most from their set was the modern twist that they added to their act. They incorporated Hip-Hop into their sound via newest potential member Mariano Weaver aka Mic Pro. Mic Pro is a formerly retired Hip-Hop artist. Also, he is a founding member of the Blaqlizt Entertainment brand. He came out of retirement when presented with the eccentric opportunity to perform with Roots Collective. They adjusted original tracks like "Love & Unity," "Fire," and "Money;" to allow Mic Pro to do his thing. The end result was pretty fresh. His old school style and honest lyrics meshed well with the band's soulful Reggae approach. And the crowd enjoyed the twist too. So much so that they didn't want the show to end and were pretty vocal about it. The event still had to close out at midnight but Roots Collective and Mic Pro received a lot of praise for their set. People had nothing but positive things to say about it from the union all the way down to State Street. That's a pretty big deal. Overall, the night was a huge hit.
**My Two Cents: I am not a huge Reggae fan. However, since I started featuring Brooklyn Hip-Hop / Reggae artist Versatile Excell on the site; I thought it would be cool to check out the Reggae / Hip-Hop scene here too. And I am glad that I went. It was really cool to experience the two styles coming together in person. It was something different and the audience was certainly into it. Looking forward to following the partnership of Roots Collective and Mic Pro and seeing how it all plays out. Readers can listen to some of the band's music and learn more about them here. -MinM


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Included Safari Features
Excluded Safari Features
See all the hot spots in this seven day (six night) tour. From Amboseli National Park and its stunning view of Mt. Kilimanjaro to the Masai Mara home to the Big Five. In between there is Aberdare National Park and Lake Nakuru National park and its thousands of flamingos. Travel home with a lifetime of memories after this fun-filled week.
Included Safari Features
Excluded Safari Features
Rise early to enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel. Depart by road to Amboseli National Park. There you will experience your first 'Spice' game drive en-route to your lodge. The Park shelters more than 420 species of birds and has enormous Elephant population and other big game attracted to the area by underground springs fed from the melting snows of Mount Kilimanjaro. Lunch is served at the lodge, before departing for an afternoon 'spice' game drive. Return to the lodge and enjoy a scrumptious dinner.
Overnight at Amboseli Sopa Lodge or Amboseli Sentrim Camp. Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
This morning we rise early for good views of Mount Kilimanjaro before clouds build up over the summit, we set off for a 'Spice' game drive. Amboseli is an excellent place to view a multitude of wildlife, including everything from Wildebeest to Giraffes to Baboons. A visit to a Masai village is planned after breakfast. Midday finds us at our lodge for lunch and afternoon rest, followed by another 'Spice' game drive. Amboseli is home to the legendary Masai tribesmen. Masai warriors are famous and are proud nomadic tribe whose legendary prowess in battle and single-handed acts of bravery in fights with the wild animals are known across the world. Overnight at Amboseli Sopa Lodge or Amboseli Sentrim Camp. Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
Depart Amboseli after breakfast .Our destination today is the Aberdare National Park. We stop for lunch at an upscale restaurant in Nairobi and travel overland through plantations of coffee and tea to The Aberdare Country Club, nestled on the slopes of Mweiga Hill. After high tea, set off for the Ark tree lodge, located in the forest on mountain slopes of the Aberdare Mountains at 7,000 feet. This outstanding lodge offers high altitude game viewing, including animals that are rarely encountered elsewhere: giant forest hog, bush pig, tree hyrax, large spotted genet, and the elusive bongo. Wildlife can be observed from different levels – and from outside where you can see, hear and smell everything and inside where you can sit with a cup of tea and stay warm and cozy. You can put in a request to be awakened during the night if your favorite animals show up. A herd of Elephants might be just feet away and if you are lucky, a Leopard or large male Lion might put in an appearance. Overnight at the Ark Forest Lodge or Treetops Forest Lodge or the Serena Mountain Forest Lodge. Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
Lake Nakuru National Park is the destination today. The Park's lake is well known for hundreds of thousands of Flamingos. After breakfast, we drive through the Great Rift Valley stopping at one of the highest towns in Kenya, Nyahururu at an elevation of7700 foot. The main attraction here is the 236 foot Thomson Falls. Part of the Ewaso Nyiro River, these cascading falls tumble to the thick forest below. After lunch at our lodge, an afternoon 'Spice game drive is planned where one could see both the White and Black Rhino, Rothschild Giraffe and it is almost a guarantee to see the elusive leopard here. Overnight at the Lake Nakuru Lodge or Flamingo Hills Tented Camp. Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
Enjoy an early breakfast, check out of the hotel and proceed on a 'Spice game drive en– route to Masai Mara. A pleasant drive across the dramatic Great Rift Valley brings you to Narok Township a Masai business centre. After a short stop over continue to Masai Mara Game Reserve. This enormous Reserve actually part of the vast Serengeti plains is famously known for it's spectacular great wildebeest migration and is home to the big Five – Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Cape Buffalo and Leopard. A 'Spice game drive will be conducted after lunch, then proceed to the Camp or lodge for an enjoyable dinner. Overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge or Sentrim Mara Camp. Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
we spend the day in the Masai Mara – one of the greatest wildernesses of the world on morning and afternoon 'Spice' game drives. Large mammals are varied, abundant and easy to see. Residents among the Park's Mammals are; Masai Giraffe, Eland, Topi and thousands of plain Game including Impala, Zebra, both Thomson and Grant's Gazelles. Optional Hot Air Balloon rides and a trip to Lake Victoria for fishing are available at an additional cost while in the Mara. On your final evening there will be a stunning Bush Sundowners—a glorious al fresco cocktail party overlooking the savannah at sunset. Overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge or Sentrim Mara Camp. Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
An early morning 'Spice' game drive is planned before returning to your camp/lodge for a proper sit down English breakfast. After breakfast, we drive to Nairobi and check-in to our hotel for day room use where the rest of the day is at leisure for last minute shopping and sightseeing. In the evening, you will be escorted to the Airport for flight check-in and board your plane that takes you home with a smile and a lifetime of memories. Meal Plan {Breakfast}
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Member Driven Technologies Launches Data Analytics Division
Member Driven Technologies (MDT), a CUSO that hosts the Episys core processing system from Symitar, announced the launch of its data analytics division to help CUs better organize their data and make it more actionable. MDT has hired a team that is specifically focused on hosting Symitar's Advanced Reporting for Credit Unions (ARCU) for its clients.
Apto Payments Launches Instant Issuance Platform
Apto Payments announced the launch of its Instant Issuance platform, a self-serve, developer platform that allows CUs to issue debit cards. The platform can switch from development to production, customize cards, onboard users, and track sign-ups and revenue.
Samsung Unveils a 512GB DDR5 RAM Module
Samsung has unveiled a new RAM module that shows the potential of DDR5 memory in terms of speed and capacity. The 512GB DDR5 module is the first to use High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) tech, delivering 7,200 Mbps speeds — over double that of DDR4.
Dell Upgrades PowerStore, Adds Lower-Cost Model for Enterprise Storage
Dell has unveiled the PowerStore 500, a lower-cost model of its enterprise storage system aimed at a broader range of organizations and use cases desiring enterprise performance and features as they grow their use of storage appliances.
VMware Increases Visibility, Enables Compliance and Enhances Security for Containerized Applications
VMware has unveiled expanded cloud workload protection capabilities to deliver security for containers and Kubernetes. The new solution will help increase visibility, enable compliance and enhance security for containerized applications from build to production in public cloud and on-premises environments.
Zerto announced the availability of Zerto for Kubernetes (Z4K) and previewed Zerto 9.0. Zerto's Z4K applies its continuous data protection (CDP) technology to next-generation, containerized applications. Additionally, Zerto 9.0 will add backup?to S3-compatible?storage?such as?Cloudian,?introducing cloud tiering?for AWS and Azure.
More than a Year into the Pandemic, Concerns Are Still Swirling About Bans on Cash
While no legislation has been introduced or passed to prohibit cash acceptance, a growing number of merchants, such as restaurants and bars, are banning cash acceptance. To ensure consumers have a payment choice, some states, such as MA, RI, and NJ, and cities, such as New York, San Francisco, and Philadelphia, have adopted laws that prohibit retailers from refusing cash. A letter, signed the by Secure Cash Transport Association, Independent Armored Car Operators Association, ATM Industry Association, and Davis Bancorp, has been sent to Congressional and state leaders asking them to support legislation that protects payment choice, including cash.
Here is a chance to learn about real life credit union success stories from various technology vendors through the words of their clients. This week's vendor is:
and their client is:
AT&T Starts Offering 5G Fixed Wireless for Businesses
5G fixed wireless service is now on the table for AT&T business customers. Plan options include service with up to 50 Mbps or 100 Mbps, with access to AT&T's 5G low-band network, 5G+ using millimeter wave, and LTE for data. Customers will need to have 5G-capable devices and be in areas where 5G+ service is located if they want AT&T's high-band flavor of 5G - which at this point is only available in very limited parts of specific cities.
83% of Ivanti survey respondents stated that they used a QR code to make a payment (or complete a financial transaction) for the first time ever. Of those respondents, over half (54%) used a QR code for a financial reason for the first time in the past three months alone. However, 31% of respondents claimed that they had scanned a QR code that did something they were not expecting or were taken to a suspicious website. Plus only 37% were aware that a QR code can download an application.
Account Takeover is Still a Major—and Underestimated— Problem
About half of the companies polled by Arkose Labs said they had lost customers over the past year due to account-takeover attacks, and 90% of all businesses surveyed agreed takeovers adversely impacted the user experience, which in turn damaged their brand reputation. Other costs include refunding accountholders the funds pilfered from their accounts; resetting passwords, which runs about $70 per account; increased manual reviews; and manual tuning of fraud-detection systems. Of the ways in which consumers are impacted by account takeovers, 40% of respondents cited compromised credentials, 32% cited transaction fraud, 14% cited stolen payment details, 8% cited loss of funds, and 3% cited time spent to reclaim their accounts.
Nearly Half of All Malware Is Concealed in TLS-Encrypted Communications
A Sophos analysis of malware samples observed during the first three months of 2021 showed that 46% — or nearly half — of all malware that communicated with a remote system over the Internet used TLS for that purpose. Sophos' analysis showed that attackers are using TLS to exfiltrate data, to carry out command-and-control communications, and to evade detection systems when distributing malware. Of that activity, a vast majority of the day-to-day malicious TLS traffic came from malware droppers, loaders, and malware tools downloading additional malware on already compromised systems.
Technology and Marketing
4 Ways to Reach a Larger Social Media Audience
Social media platforms today frequently update their algorithms to make branded content less visible. The following steps can help FIs skirt tricky algorithms to get in front of the right audiences: 1) Don't avoid organic altogether; 2) Pay to play; 3) Provide value with content; and 4) Think strategically about retargeting.
OnPoint Offers Discounts for Home Solar & Electric Cars
OnPoint Community Credit Union has launched a promotion for electric vehicles and solar panels as a way to promote a healthier planet. OnPoint announced special discounts under its Green Horizons initiative on home equity lines of credit for solar panels and loans for electric and hybrid vehicles. For electric and hybrid vehicle loans, borrowers get a discount worth 0.25% APR. With those discounts, the rates are now 2.49% to 3.34% APR on new or used electric or hybrid vehicles. For solar panels, the discount is available when homeowners apply for the credit union's "EquityFlex Line of Credit" for home improvements.
'Significant Misunderstanding' Is Hampering Adoption of Open Banking, Survey Suggests
A Censuswide survey, commissioned by Mambu, found that more than half (52%) of consumers have never heard of open banking and 61% have never used it, in spite of 80% of respondents using one or more mobile finance apps. When exploring what consumers want from open banking, the survey shows that nearly half of respondents want instant digital money transfers; more than a third want aggregated account balances at a glance; a third want tips on better money management and a quarter want money-saving suggestions for their bills.
FIs Embrace Digital Transformation in the Wake of COVID-19
One eye-opening statistic from a recent Celent report is that 5,400 FIs – one-third of lenders in the US – are supporting almost three million borrowers with a lending product that simply did not exist a few months ago. Another staggering fact is that 14 years' worth of loans were processed in just 14 days at one point last year. The Celent Covid-19 Banking Insight Panel also found that the majority of FIs have maintained (44%) or increased (39%) their IT budgets in order to facilitate this digital transformation.
IBM Enhances Hybrid Cloud Security Offerings
IBM is the latest cloud company to outline a new set of capabilities for hybrid cloud management with news of new and enhanced security services aimed at helping customers manage security strategy, policies and controls across hybrid clouds. The company announced immediate availability for its expanded IBM Security Services for Cloud portfolio that leverages AI and automation to assess cloud security posture and identify and prioritize security risks and related issues - all within a strategy based on zero trust principles.
VMware Bundles Support for the Branch-of-One Workforce
VMware has unveiled an integrated package of cloud security, access control and networking software aimed at addressing the key needs of today's COVID-19-driven remote workforce. VMware Anywhere Workspace brings together the company's core enterprise software products, including its Workspace ONE unified endpoint management, Carbon Black Cloud cloud-native endpoint security, and secure access service edge (SASE) components, into a single system to support a widely distributed workforce.
Every FI Needs a Chatbot (Or Two) for Its Digital Transformation
According to research from Cornerstone Advisors, heading into 2020, just 4% of mid-size FIs had deployed a chatbot. By the end of the year, that percentage had more than tripled to 13%. Cornerstone's research says another 16% intend to invest in chatbots in 2021. The author contends that there are three requirements driving the need for chatbots in banking: 1) The need for speed; 2) The need for data; and 3) The need for personalization.


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The mantle of Ray Parker Jr. is a weighty one to assume, so the producers of the upcoming Ghostbusters remake wisely split the burden between two heavy-hitting Top 40 veterans: Fall Out Boy and Missy Elliott. The former band takes on the brunt of the assignment here, twisting the classic theme into their fist-pumping stadium-pop mold, Patrick Stump yelping "I'm not afraid, not afraiiiid!" — if the original wasn't one of the most famous songs of the '80s, you might not even immediately guess it was a cover. Missy plays the featured guest, doing Bobby Brown proud with her fairly literal verse ("In my closet, down the hall / I see shadows all on my wall / Man, these monsters be big and tall!")
It's kinda awesome, actually. We can only hope the accompanying is this stupid and fun.