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The customer loyalty programs that deliver the most value are the ones that let you build points by just going about your daily life. That's why PC Optimum is so popular. Buy groceries and drugstore items, earn points.
I have a PC Optimum card, and it consistently delivers pleasant surprises. It seems like every time I bother to check my points total, it's substantial enough to generate a discount on my next purchase at a Shoppers Drug Mart or a Loblaw grocery store.
But after reading this blog post on maximizing PC Optimum, I realize I'm an amateur at earning points. One good suggestion I hadn't heard before is to link different accounts into a single family account.
Now for a perspective on PC Optimum that you may not have considered. When I attended Camp Mustache last summer (a gather of frugal-minded people aiming for financial independence), I met someone who told me he regards his hoard of PC Optimum points as a sort of family emergency fund. In a pinch, they have most of their household spending covered for a while.
This makes a lot of sense, but I'd be cautious about hanging onto loyalty points of any kind for extended periods. If you do this, you're vulnerable to rule changes that devalue your points or force you to use them up quickly to avoid expiry.
Subscribe to Carrick on Money
Are you reading this newsletter on the web or did someone forward the e-mail version to you? If so, you can sign up for Carrick on Money here.
Rob's personal finance reading list…
Track all your investment accounts in one place
A Q&A with the CEO and founder of Wealthica, a website that allows you to see all your investment accounts in one place. Security is discussed, as it has to be for any online service of this type.
The latest must-have kitchen feature
All about how the island has become a must-have feature in kitchens. People who already have islands are upgrading them. "Used for more than just meal prep, the kitchen island serves as a gathering spot in the home, used for dining, entertaining and socializing." It's easy to scoff at stuff like this, but if you're selling a home, you can be sure buyers will want an island.
How to withdraw money from your pension
Veteran financial blogger Jim Yih on how to unlock money you had transferred from the pension plan of a previous employer to a locked-in retirement account, or LIRA. It's difficult to get money out of a LIRA, as it should be. But there are some options.
The average new vehicle price is HOW much?
According to the autoTRADER.ca Price Index, the average new-vehicle price came in at $40,386 in December. Ouch.
Ask Rob
Q: I am a novice DIY investor. I have had shares in a global dividend mutual for some time now. When checking Morningstar, it shows performance of 20 per cent last year. Based on my simple math, I am receiving only 4 per cent in new dividends. Am I missing something here?
A: You're seeing total returns for your fund, which is the combination of changes in the share price plus dividends. Mutual fund and exchange-traded funds are generally published on a total-return basis.
Do you have a question for me? Send it my way. Sorry I can't answer every one personally. Questions and answers are edited for length and clarity.
Today's financial tool
For RRIF holders, here's a calculator that will let you set a withdrawal amount and then show how long your money will last.
In case you missed these Globe and Mail personal finance-related stories
- Your retirement fund in a savings account? Maybe that's not as crazy as you think
- Couple ready to play the long game as they plan for retirement
- Retirement planning should use a dual-budget approach
More Carrick and money coverage For more money stories, follow me on Instagram and Twitter, and join the discussion on my Facebook page. Millennial readers, join our Gen Y Money Facebook group. Send us an e-mail to let us know what you think of my newsletter. Want to subscribe? Click here to sign up.


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The Brat and the Star (Part 2) – By Eagle
The Brat and the Star (Part 1) – By Eagle
Ragini and her friends Seema and Rani had come to the Sea side resort to relax and have some fun. The resort they were staying was an exclusive resort patronized by the rich and famous and had more women than men as visitors. The resort had exclusive rights to a portion of the beech.Ragini was 32 year old woman .She was about 5ft 3inches in height weighing about 60 kgs . She was buxom in fact top heavy with a 40inch bust which was firm, round and thrust out, and looked like it was carved out from stone .She just loved to flaunt them .Her nipples were dark and big. Her butt was round and shapely at 35inches , and she had a slightly protruding belly . She had shoulder length hair and a lovely face ,with a look of a spilt brat who was indulged in every way, in short she behaved like spoilt bitch,who always wanted her way and she was also very horny. Her friends referred to her as milky , because of her huge jugs . She was an aggressive , fun loving bitch with an attitude and never backed away from catfight . She ran her own business. Rani and Seema were her friend and partner's. Both men and women lusted after her.

subset: commoncrawl


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Browser does not support script.
The Department of Geography and Environment has launched a new blog on "Global Investments and Local Development", supported by the European Research Council. It is dedicated to globalisation and its consequences on local economic development, employment and innovation.
The blog aims to tackle and debate fundamental questions related to the location strategies of global investment flows and their impacts on their host countries, regions and cities across the globe. It aims to foster the dialogues between academics in all fields, students, policymakers, economic development practitioners, businesses, managers and members of local communities.
The team behind the blog encourages submissions of posts written for a non-technical audience about globalisation and how it relates to economic development. The core focus of this blog is global investment, with a wide range of issues that include global value chains, offshoring and re-shoring processes, skilled migration as well as city and regional innovation, growth and jobs.
Click here to visit the blog and to find out how to submit a post.


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IAM650- Video Producer Captures Narratives of Life Stories
Podcast Interview with Alexis Doty
Alexis has been in the video production industry for over 28 years which in this marketplace is a huge success. She started out in corporate television at Home Depot and Coca-Cola and now owns her own production company in Northern Virginia. She prides herself on her jack of all trades ability to direct/produce/shoot and edit all of her videos when necessary. Her passion project is Memory lane Productions which is dedicated to her father who passed in 2019 from Alzheimer's Disease. With that branch of her business, she aims to record loved ones life stories/journeys and capture a narrative of their life to pass down to friends, family and future generations.
- CEO Hack: Positive mindset and collaboration
- CEO Nugget: Find someone to collaborate with
- CEO Defined: One who has passion for own craft, setting own rules
Website: http://f22videosolutions.com/
Twitter: @F22Video
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/f22VideoSolutions/
Check out one of our favorite CEO Hack's Audible. Get your free audiobook and check out more of our favorite CEO Hacks HERE


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MOB TOWN Trailer: Go Chase Some Squirrels
Maybe you've heard about the mob movie that's inspired by true events? Maybe you know that it draws inspiration from a book that details an unprecedented meeting of reputed Mafia leaders in upstate New York in 1957?
Well, this isn't Martin Scorsese's ambitious, sprawling The Irishman, opening later this week for a limited run in theaters. Instead, this is Mob Town, directed by Danny A. Abeckaser, which focuses entirely on the fateful meeting of crime-family leaders in the late 1950s.
The real events, covered in the book I Heard You Paint Houses -- which inspired The Irishman -- have also been covered in other books. In this version, the great Robert Davi plays crime boss Vito Genovese, who calls the meeting. The star of the show, however, is David Arquette as Sgt. Ed Croswell, who gets wind of the meeting and finds himself pursuing the case alone.
Jennifer Esposito, Jamie-Lynn Sigler (yup, The Sopranos), and director Danny A. Abeckaser himself also star. The film will open in theaters and On Demand/Digital on December 13, 2019. Watch the trailer below.


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Financial Aid Resources and Planning Services
Student Success Center, Room 101
400 7th Street North
La Crosse, WI 54601
Western's Student Resource Request system is available to help when students bump into life situations that get in the way of their success. By completing the form, students will be connected to campus resources such as emergency funding, basic need resource navigation, counseling and case management, and the Cavalier Cupboard.
Western staff will review your request within 2 to 3 business days and contact you by email with further information. For additional information on community resources, please visit Life Resources. If you have questions, please email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Kids Document Life in the City in 1969
Saturday, October 26 - 10:15AM to 11:00AM
Chace Auditorium
In 1969 I was a senior at the Rhode Island School of Design, studying photography with Harry Callahan. My thesis project was to explore graphic communication with children. Over two years I developed my own art curriculum and taught 100 students from five different neighborhoods in schools and churches around Providence. My project was supported by a Polaroid program to introduce photography to disadvantaged children, providing free cameras and instant black-and-white film. I taught students ages 10 to 14 to use photography as a way to describe their lives, explore their neighborhoods, and express their feelings about the world. Beyond fundamentals about cameras and composition, I taught them about documentary photography and introduced them to important works by master practitioners. I accompanied them on photo walks in their neighborhoods, and took them on field trips to unfamiliar places. Most of all, I sought to pass along Harry's adage that you only need to care about what you photograph in order to make it interesting.
The work by these students is remarkable for its directness and immediacy. These children focused their full attention on documenting their surroundings, friends, and families. The result is an extraordinary collection filled with the kind of vivid, honest depictions that only personal photography can yield. When these photos were exhibited at RISD, the graduate students appreciated the vitality and raw unpracticed look these children obtained with primitive equipment, and inspired several to begin using Diana cameras in their own work. Recently I discovered the sealed shipping crate sent back from the final Polaroid Gallery exhibition in 1970, and I got to appreciate the children's work all over again. Now it is an important time capsule capturing city and family life from 50 years ago in some of Providence's most impoverished neighborhoods.
Dialogue and critique are important to the SPE mission.
Please join the conversation.


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The Null Zone sweeping across the Western United States and disrupting all electrical devices has been deemed a National Emergency. And the President has reunited S.M.A.S.H.! Will the science heroes be able to stop this perplexing phenomenon? Meanwhile, other heroes are reunited in Invertica City, and the hunt for Tom Strange begins. But where do you begin to look for someone who vanished years ago?
32 page full color comics
America's Best Comics, 2003


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If you spend more time fragging than reading news, dont worry, we've got you covered. Here are the top five stories from last week.
5. Valve announces dates for 2019-2020 DPC Majors and Minors
Valve has announced the dates of the Majors and Minors for the next season of the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC). November, January, March, and June will each have one Major and Minor, while April and May will share one Minor and Major.
4. Secretlab's Game of Thrones chairs are worthy of a king
As HBO's epic fantasy series reaches its conclusion, Secretlab has revealed limited edition Game of Thrones variants of its Omega and Titan gaming chairs. Cheer for your favorite house — as long as it's Stark, Targaryen, or Lannister — from the comfort of luxurious cold-cured foam.
3. An eventful month for FIFA Esports
April was quite the month for the FIFA esports scene, with no less than five major events being held: The first-ever FIFA eNations Cup, the group stage of the inaugural eChampions League, the last FUT Champions Cup event of the season, the eSuperliga, and the eDivisie.
2. Epic disqualifies Fortnite World Cup player for cheating during qualifiers
Damion "XXiF" Cook was disqualified from the upcoming Fortnite World Cup Finals after he was found to have cheated during Week 3 of the North America-East server qualifiers. XXiF was also given a 14 day competitive ban and made ineligible to receive any Week 3 prizes.
1. Onitsuka Tiger announces Chun Li-themed limited edition sneakers
Japanese footwear brand Onitsuka Tiger announced a collaboration with Capcom to make 5,000 limited edition Chun Li-themed sneakers.
The sneaker is based on Onitsuka's signature "Mexico 66" design and incorporates Chun-Li's colors into its two colorways: White x ASICS Blue and Acid Yellow x Acid Yellow. The shoes also sport a simple, etched Chinese dragon design, symbolizing the fighting nature of Chun-Li.


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Marlen Ochoa-Lopez Wiki, Bio, Age, Husband, Children, Cause of Death, Parents, Family, Ethnicity, Facebook and Instagram
Table of Contents
Marlen Ochoa-Lopez Biography – Marlen Ochoa-Lopez Wiki
Marlen Ochoa-Lopez was a 19-year-old pregnant woman found dead in Chicago and her baby cut from her womb.
Ochoa-Lopez was lured to a home in the Scottsdale neighborhood of Chicago on April 23 by someone offering free infant clothes on Facebook. The next day, she was reported missing by her husband.
According to Police, on the day Ochoa-Lopez went missing, paramedics responded to a call from a 46-year-old woman claiming she had just given birth. It was to the same house Ochoa-Lopez was headed to for what she thought was free baby clothes. DNA tests later determined the baby to be Ochoa-Lopez's child. The baby is being treated at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois, in grave condition. Ochoa-Lopez's family named the baby Yadiel.
The case took a turn on May 7 after one of Ochoa-Lopez's friends told detectives that they saw her active on a chat site on Facebook, and investigators found out that she had been in contact with one of the suspects, Clarisa Figueroa.
When police arrived at Clarisa Figueroa's home, they were met be her daughter, Desiree Figueroa, who told them her mother was at the hospital because there was something wrong with her legs and that her mom had just given birth.
At that point, authorities had an understanding of what was happening, and they found Ochoa-Lopez's car not far from Clarisa Figueroa's home. Later that day, Clarisa Figueroa told detectives that Ochoa-Lopez never went to her home, but admitted that she knew who she was and had met her in the past.
After investigators recovered DNA from the baby and the baby's actual father, members of the Illinois state Police crime lab determined that Clarisa Figueroa was not the mother.
On Tuesday, investigators executed a search warrant on Clarisa Figueroa's home, where they found bleach and cleaning supplies. Ochoa-Lopez's remains were found in a garbage can on the property, according to authorities. Evidence of burned clothes and blood in the hallway and bathroom floor were also found. A cable was also found in the garbage can where Ochoa-Lopez's body was.
Around 1:30 a.m. Thursday morning, Desiree Figueroa allegedly confessed to assisting her mother in strangling Ochoa-Lopez.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said investigators can only assume that the suspects wanted to raise the child as their own. Clarisa Figueroa, 46, and Desiree Figueroa, 24, were both charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery of a child, according to police. Clarisa Figueroa's boyfriend, Piotr Bobak, 40, was charged with concealing the death of a person and concealing homicidal death.
Marlen Ochoa-Lopez Age
She died in April 2019, Chicago, Illinois, United States. She was 19 years old.
Marlen Ochoa-Lopez Husband
She was married to her husband Yovani Lopez.
Marlen Ochoa-Lopez Children
She was was nine months pregnant and the mom of a 3-year-old child, Yovani Yadiel Lopez.
Marlen Ochoa-Lopez Parents
Marlen Ochoa-Lopez's parents are Raquel Uriostegui and Arnulfo Ochoa.
Marlen Ochoa-Lopez Family
She was the daughter of Raquel Uriostegui and Arnulfo Ochoa. She has a sibling, Oscar Ochoa.
Marlen Ochoa-Lopez Cause of Death
Her death was ruled a homicide. Her cause of death was ruled as strangulation. The Cook County medical examiner identified her body on Wednesday and said an autopsy showed Ochoa-Lopez died from ligature strangulation.


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CreateMacGames has announced that their next CreateMacGames Coding Challenge will be starting on Sunday, December 5th. The fourth and final challenge to be hosted this year, CMG plans on releasing details as the date approaches.
Previous challenges have included creating a game with no visual display, creating a Missile Command-type game, and coming up with a version of John Conway's game of Life. Links to the pages of previous winners can be found at CMG's site.
Recent Mac Games News
Thursday, October 21, 2004Wednesday, October 20, 2004Tuesday, October 19, 2004Monday, October 18, 2004Friday, October 15, 2004
Search for other Mac games news stories or browse our Mac Games News Archive.


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(Times): Gordon Brown has been dealt an embarrassing blow by Brussels with a warning that Britain must do more to curb its spiralling debt. The European Commission wants Labour to outline further spending cuts and spell out where the axe will fall. The intervention, a week before the Budget, will electrify the debate over the economy. David Cameron promised in a BBC interview last night to fight the election campaign by going farther than Mr Brown in saying where cuts will be made. The Commission is due to release its latest assessment of Britain's plans to reduce the deficit tomorrow, but a leaked draft makes uncomfortable reading for the Prime Minister and Alistair Darling, the Chancellor.
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Category: World News
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text: I would really like a small P&S camera with a DSLR-quality sensor. Sometimes I need a small, portable camera that does not sacrafice image quality. I know that I would need to pay a premium for such a camera. But now that there are some decent DSLR's below $1,000 U.S., this seems like a reasonable request. And since Contax is a premium brand . . .


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During excavations in 2017, Fairfax County archaeologists recovered four refitting pieces of a decorated ceramic plate. After some research, laboratory archaeologists determined that the plate commemorated the 1802 Treaty of Amiens, which ended 1792-1802 hostilities between France and England stemming from the French Revolution.
This English-made ware was popular in the United States from 1802 until 1807, when President Thomas Jefferson instituted an embargo against the British. The artifact is somewhat odd, as the United States limited participation in the hostilities to primarily naval actions against the French in the West Indies during the "Quasi-War," which had been settled prior to the Amiens treaty. Other examples of this plate have been recovered from excavations in the City of Alexandria, Virginia.
The location of the artifacts' recovery is peculiar. They derived from a cellar hole on a site interpreted as slave quarters due to the recovery of other artifacts strongly associated with enslaved people. Perhaps the plate was handed down from the enslaver to the enslaved. Enslaved persons may have intentionally selected the plate for its decorative quality or for symbolic reasons. When whole, the scene depicts "Britannia" as the central figure. "Victory" is to her left holding a palm frond, historically a symbol of triumph and peace. To Britannia's right would have been a depiction of France wielding the "Liberty Cap." All figures are clad in Greco-Roman attire.
According to the website of the Architect of the Capitol, in the late 18th and 19th centuries, the Liberty Cap symbolized freedom from slavery. None other than then-Secretary of War, later President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis objected to its use in the architecture of the capitol building. Interestingly, the figure that would have held the Liberty Cap was not recovered. The symbolism contained within the decoration may indicate a deliberate choice by the enslaved and may have even served as a quiet, visual act of not only aspiration, but also resistance.


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What you need:
Marinated Cube Steak (Venison)
1 to 3 lbs of venison cube steak
1 to 2 bottles of Italian Dressing (I use Fat Free)
I think it is best if you marinate the cube steak in refrigerator over night. Then grill the cube steak on grill. Toss a salad, bake or boil some potatoes and have a wonderful meal.
I also grill chicken breast cut in half marinated in Italian Dressing.
Note: cutting them in half cuts down on the cooking time.
Contact Sue: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Glass Sliding Doors Brendale
Brendale is the city of eco-friendlies, which provides a serene atmosphere with abundant natural elegance. Notoriously known as the city of sunlight, Brendale has an amazing climate which remains constant for all year long.
That would certainly not like to witness the breathtaking views, Brendale deals? With a beverage in hand, enjoy a remarkable daybreak, enchanting sunset as well as other extraordinary views of nature with Glass Sliding Doors by Glaziers Brendale.
Mounting Glass Sliding Doors can be a wonderful financial investment along with an attractive and also an elegant addition to your residence Interiors. You can add a modern-day touch to your home with Glass Sliding Doors Brendale, moreover, it is one of the most effective means to bring your outdoors in, include design, luxury and convenience together with the additional benefit of conserving room.
No job is too large or small for our company. Just give us a call on (07) 3064 0665 to truly get your free estimation.
Why hire Glazier Brendale for your glazing requires?
Glazier Brendale is the most effective Glass Sliding Doors repair work and also installation company in Brendale. Running given that 1989, Glazier Brendale is 100% Australian Family members Owned glass repairing as well as making organisation, which has emerged as one of the trusted names in Glass. All you need to do is listing out your demands and also requirements as well as we will certainly function it out for you within a guaranteed timeframe, along with the best high quality products. Glazier at Glazier Brendale are specialists, extremely qualified, well knowledgeable and possess a vast understanding regarding the brand-new and also upcoming patterns in glazing, as well as are aware of exactly how to develop your residence at a budget friendly cost.
Glazing Solutions Provided By Glazier Brendale
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Glazier Brendale is an utmost choice for your glazing requirements as it is the Participant of Master Builders, BSA approved and totally insured. For that reason, you can rest assured that your home or office is in good hands as well as will be getting a bargain. Glazier Brendale has the ability to provide top quality products as well as unique customer service due to its constant financial investment in personnel training in addition to research to recognize new techniques and also patterns in the glazing market. Our glaziers at Glazier Brendale can help you out with your residence expansions as well as improvement jobs in addition to business projects. Our team of extremely skilled glaziers function endlessly to bring all your glazing needs and also demands to fact. Our glaziers are offered 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to guarantee that you attain your task's preferred result.
Do you have unique glazing job that calls for exceptional workmanship? Glazier Brendale accepts unique, distinct and also challenging glazing projects also. We particularly analyze each job appropriately to identify one of the most possible result, bearing in mind your spending plan and also tailor our services based on your demands, needs and budget without compromising on the top quality of the products and services that we offer. Our skilled group of internal glaziers guarantees that your glazing job is done with utmost accuracy and also you obtain a spectacular outcome upon conclusion.
Painted glass splashbacks look striking as well as modern, additionally, it is very easy to preserve as well as offers your house a lavish and classy appearance. Such pieces of painted glass splashbacks can be set up in bathrooms for shower screens in addition to in offices, making it a beneficial addition to your residence. Do you wish to brighten the interiors of your residence and make your house attractive?
Embellish your home with repainted, printed and also coloured glass with the help of glaziers from Glazier Brendale. Painted glass splashbacks comes in unlimited colour array with different impacts; it is easy to clean, economical as well as resistant to warmth as well as water. Do you have any pictures or style which you desire to get it published on your glass? Glazier Brendale additionally provides glass splashbacks with digitally printed pictures as well as design of your option making use of the current UV glass printing innovation, which makes certain to wow your guests. We provide printed, repainted as well as coloured glass splashbacks services for both residential and commercial setups.
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For best Glass Sliding Doors solutions, transform towards Glazier Brendale.
Glass Repair Brisbane Northside
1 Winifred St
Mango Hill Qld 4509
Glass Sliding Doors Brendale


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By Judson Peck, M.S. Environmental Policy '15
Leaders are committed individuals who educate and inspire us to collectively take action to make change. What characteristics define leaders and what skills and strategies do they employ to motivate us to take action? I explored the answers to these and other questions by talking with two prominent leaders within the sustainable food movement in Vermont.
Sustainable agriculture uses farming practices that protect environmental and human health. The vast majority of food grown in the United States depends on toxic chemicals (only 4% of total food sales were organic in 2012) and is transported long distances (over 3,000 miles from farms in California and Mexico to consumers in Vermont). As public awareness of the risks involved with conventional agriculture increases, there is a growing movement to make food production in the U.S. more sustainable, healthy, and local. Much of this push for awareness and change is initiated by people like Ellen and Will.
Ellen Kahler is the Executive Director at the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) in Montpelier, which provides financial and technical assistance, industry development, and network services to catalyze the development of Vermont's green economy. One of the signature VSJF programs she oversees is the Farm to Plate Initiative, which is a 10-year comprehensive strategic plan to strengthen Vermont' food system. The statewide initiative aims to increase economic development and jobs in the farm and food sector and improve access to healthy, local food. Ellen manages eight full-time staff and numerous consultants, and provides direction, strategic planning, fundraising and community outreach and interface for the organization.
Will Allen is the Farm Manager at Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center in East Thetford. The certified organic farm grows healthy, local food and strives to engage the community to develop and share practices that promote sustainable agriculture and good health. Will is a lifelong farmer and activist who was one of the pioneers of organic farming in California. He founded the Sustainable Cotton Project in 1990, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping cotton growers transition to cleaner production (using minimal chemicals) and working with cotton companies to encourage them to purchase and use cleaner cotton in their manufacturing processes. Cotton is one of the most chemical and water intensive crops. Will has also been a pivotal leader in the first-in-the-nation H.112 Bill to label genetically engineered foods in Vermont. The Bill is currently scheduled to take effect July 2016, but is under threat from an ongoing lawsuit from the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Snack Food Industry, and the International Dairy Foods Association.
Who is a leader?
Leadership is not for everyone, so what characteristics define a leader? According to Will, a leader is someone who takes advantage of the situation and seizes the opportunity, which for him, is the essence of having an impact. "It's how you compose yourself. You can either walk away from a situation or deal with it"—the latter is a leader. Similarly, Ellen explains that the key attributes of a leader are crafting a shared vision (for an organization or movement), developing a roadmap forward, and understanding the role most needed to be played in order to achieve the vision. A leader assesses the situation to determine the type of role and the direction to take, including what course corrections may be needed based on emerging obstacles or opportunities. A leader thus maintains a higher evaluation of the situation and responds with the correct action.
"It's how you compose yourself. You can either walk away from a situation or deal with it."
What skills do you use to lead others?
Ellen explains that it is important for leaders to hold a larger view to understand the underlying nature of the system that the movement seeks to change and structure interventions accordingly. Clarity of thought and a clear communication style are also important for leaders to articulate what they see happening and share this assessment with others in order to remain responsive to the changes taking place "on the ground." It is also crucial that leaders are flexible, adaptive to change, and "comfortable with being uncomfortable" because they are often confronted with obstacles. Ellen notes that a sense of humor helps when dealing with resistance. She adds that leaders must have confidence and trust their intuition. Ellen's leadership skills have developed with years of experience and training, but she is also just naturally drawn to the bigger picture.
What strategies do you employ to lead others?
Will believes in the power of demonstration. For example, the Sustainable Cotton Project organized bus tours to show the public the problem with conventional cotton production—a farm using large amounts of chemicals—and explain the history behind the rise of chemical use. The tour also showcased an alternative—an organic cotton farm—to demonstrate a solution. Will emphasizes that leaders need to have an alternative or solution to the problem. Many people can identify the problem, but not many people can find a viable solution. Similarly, Will co-started Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center to demonstrate the importance of organic, local food production. In addition to growing organic produce, the farm facilitates several school and community vegetable gardens and encourages the public to visit the farm and attend trainings.
How important is information in leading others?
Information, research, and data play a huge part in Will's effort to lead people. In his recent book, The War On Bugs, Will documents how the media, scientists, and government agencies combined to convince farmers to use chemicals, hormones, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in an effort to increase their profits and control the American farm enterprise. He uses his book to educate the public about the dangers of the U.S.'s toxic chemical-based agriculture system. On a side note, Vermont, New York, and California are the only states that require agrochemical reports that document how much chemicals farmers are applying to their fields.
Will emphasizes that information for a public audience needs to be dramatic. For example, he has hung bags of chemicals next to cotton t-shirts to illustrate that a typical t-shirt (1 lb cotton) uses 1.5 lbs of chemicals to make. Similarly, Cedar Circle Farm places bags of chemicals next to pick-your-own fields to show the amount of chemicals (650-700 lbs of pesticide and fertilizer per acre per year) that would otherwise be used to grow strawberries if they were not organic.
Although Ellen acknowledges that intellectual reasoning and strong communication is important to inform and convince others to follow your cause, she stresses that connecting with people from the heart is integral. Having a likeable personality, happy demeanor, and hopeful outlook attracts people to make such connections. Ellen notes that "there is so much doom and gloom in the world and on the news that when you are working on a project to create an opportunity for a hopeful and much needed positive change to an outdated system, it's easier to attract others to get involved." In the case of local/sustainable food, because many people are concerned about where their food comes from, and because it's such a big part of Vermont's heritage and identity, it has been pretty easy to engage with a wide range of consumers and food businesses.
How do you overcome resistance?
In her extensive experience as a leader, Ellen has observed that people agree more often than not, and that those who don't may simply not understand the situation or be influenced by other personal factors. For this reason, it is important to communicate clearly and try to understand the person—where their point of view is coming from and any other factors that may be influencing their stance. It is crucial not to rush to quick judgments about people, but rather, to step back and ask questions to solicit their view in order to reach common ground. Most importantly, leaders need to listen and work to reduce their ego by realizing that leaders are in service to others. The first thing Ellen does when she encounters an obstacle is to step back, listen, and ask questions to address the resistance before continuing forward.
"Leaders are in service to others"
Will, in his involvement with the Vermont GMO labeling initiative, has met and continues to face strong resistance, both from opposing organizations such as the Grocery Manufactures Association (which includes Monsanto, Dow, Coca-Cola, General Mills and many other corporations), but also from those afraid of losing to these large conglomerates (Vermont lost a lawsuit in 1994 brought by GMA and IDFA against the state's labeling law on the bovine growth hormone rBST). In order to gain support from others, leaders must appeal to the values that resonate with their target audience. For example, drawing on Vermont's first-in-the-nation leadership on other issues (it was the first state to abolish slavery, legalize gay marriage and ban fracking), Will appeals to both activists and legislators by arguing that Vermont should be the first state to label GMOs.
"You can't do it all by yourself"
Finally, Will adds that "you can't do it all by yourself." A leader must find allies and bring people together, as he did by forming the Vermont Right to Know GMOs Coalition. In addition, finding pivotal people (and funding) and figuring out how to leverage the most pressure is important. For example, the Sustainable Cotton Project gained support from Patagonia and Nike by effectively pitching the contrast between chemical-intensive and organic cotton production.
What inspired you to take on a leadership role?
Will found that there was a vacuum in organic agriculture in the early 90s that needed filling and he rose to the challenge, while other people saw Ellen as a leader and drew her naturally into the role. Whether we rise to a particular challenge or support others who lead the way, those who "put aside the fear of failure … [will] have a powerful impact" (Howard Zinn). For Will, the struggle is as much fun as the victory.
"Put aside the fear of failure… have a powerful impact"
Overall, leaders assess a situation, evaluating it at a systems level, and then take the correct action. They are confident, flexible individuals effective at communicating, adaptive to change, and have a sense of humor in the face of resistance. They are warm, open, positive people who connect with others to unite and collaborate behind a problem … and the solution.


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Two Scoops of Django 1.5 Beta Released
After thirty four days of hard work, Audrey and I are proud to announce that we've released the beta of Two Scoops of Django: Best Practices for Django 1.5. It's been a monumental effort, a labor of love, and we hope you find our efforts worthy. You can buy it right now in e-book (PDF) form on the website: https://roygreenfeld.com/products/two-scoops-of-django-1-5
Two Scoops of Django: Best Practices for Django 1.5 is a compilation of best practices for the Django framework. Like any framework, Django has tips, tricks, and pitfalls that aren't documented in one place. Experienced developers know this stuff, but gleaning it off the Internet takes a lot of time. We decided to take everything we know and write it down.
We stand of the shoulders of giants: We received advice from Django experts including a BDFL, Django core developers, and subject matter experts from around the world. Reader contributions from advanced and beginning developers have also shaped the book, and we can't thank enough those who gave us their insights.
None What is different about the beta release?
- Added 50+ pages of content while reducing the file size from 5.1 MB to 1.5 MB.
- Added list of tables, list of figures, and an index.
- Dramatically improved the chapters on security, testing, logging, admin, and many more.
- Added so many more code samples that even with the new example numbering system we lost count.
- Speaking of code examples, most of the code samples in the book are loaded directly out of fully tested projects.
- Incorporated the feedback of dozens of readers. Thank you so much for your contributions!
What does buying the beta get me?
- Access the PDF version of the book.
- Access to the Kindle and ePub formats when we release the final.
- Access to final release of the book.
Why aren't there Kindle or ePub versions yet?
We want to support more formats, but won't do it poorly. It's going to take us at least several days to render the book in an alternative format that looks good. Since we both have multiple presentations at the upcoming PyCon US, we simply don't have time to get it done.
If I bought the alpha do I have to buy the beta?
Alpha buyers get full access the beta. In fact, you should have already received an email with a link to the latest version. If that hasn't arrived, please email us at email@example.com.
Is this book good for beginners?
The response from beginning Django developers reading it has been unbelievably, overwhelmingly positive. This is the book we wanted to have when we learned Django, and we're honored by the response the book has received.
Since the book isn't a tutorial, we ask that before beginners purchase it, they learn the fundamentals of Python and take the official Django tutorial.
When beginners find sections of the book above their head, they do what everyone does when reading a technical reference: skip over challenging sections until they have enough grounding to understand.
If any beginners are confused by our explanations, or have difficulties, please email us at email@example.com. We'll do our best to answer your questions. Your issues provide invaluable insight into what we need to improve.
Is this book good for experienced developers?
We've done our best to provide worthwhile material for developers of all levels. In fact, a lot of intermediate to advanced developers have said they've found good things to use in our book. Many have also found that by using our book as a supplementary manual, it helps them their team work better.
Is this book going to get updated?
During the alpha we updated the book multiple times before knuckling down on the beta rewrite. Even after the final version comes out, we'll continue to update the book. One of the advantages of self-published e-books is we have total control of content.
When can I get a print version?
After a lot of consideration, we've decided to hold off on the print version of the book until what we call the final release, which won't be released until after PyCon US. We're very finicky and don't want buyers of the print version to have an unfinished book.
Tutorial? PyCon? Are you going?
Yes! We're going to be at PyCon next month! We're giving the Wiring Up Django Packages tutorial, and Kenneth Love (of Getting Started with Django fame) is part of our team.
While tickets to PyCon itself are sold out, you can still register for the tutorials.
When is the book's final release?
The final release won't occur until after PyCon.
Our plan for the final release of Two Scoops of Django: Best Practices for Django 1.5 is to focus on errata, alternative electronic formats, and the print version.
Can we purchase the book in bulk?
We're working on a program to provide organizations the capability to purchase many e-copies and keep the recipients of the book updated constantly. We hope to have this ready in a few days.
Can I buy the book via PayPal?
No. I've answered in full here.
We're considering other non-credit card options to handle payment.
Known Issue Warnings
There are problems with copy/pasting of code from the PDF. The new build process is turning the code examples into some sort of image type of object, which explains the strange characters. We're working on it, but aren't sure how long the fix will take.
On Android, if you try to open the PDF directly from the Gumroad download, you might get a "Cannot open file" error; however, if you navigate to the download location on your phone/tablet with a file browser (e.g. Samsung's "My Files"), you should be able to open the file from there. Gumroad is currently investigating the issue.
Where should I send errata or suggestions?
Please send errata to email@example.com. We try to respond personally to every request.
Tags: twoscoops python django audrey pycon


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Harley Benton announces affordable exotic wood acoustic range
Wanting some koa in your guitar collection without breaking the bank?
Images: Harley Benton
Harley Benton has dipped its toes into the ever-widening pool of acoustic guitars constructed from exotic woods, offering a set of affordable models in a number of sizes.
The range includes nine guitars: three choices of body size and three choices of wood top per body shape. Aside from the difference in construction, core specifications remain the same across the whole line: each features mahogany back and sides, a pau ferro bridge, a bone saddle and a satin finish. Electronics consist of the Fishman Presys II paired with a Sonicore pickup.
The three tops available are koa, flamed koa and Java ebony. Java ebony models come with a laminate top, while the koa and flame koa models come with a solid top.
The three sizes are Dreadnought, Grand Auditorium and Parlor. The prices for the guitars range from €255 to €569, making them – in true Harley Benton spirit – a lot more affordable than many acoustics fitted with similar exotic woods. Keep in mind, however, that the choice of exotic wood does only apply to the top – the back and sides are still mahogany, and the fretboard for each model is pau ferro.
Find out more at harleybenton.com.


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Funerals are, in their own way, one of the most solemn and yet touchingly human ceremonies we have. Jewish and Indian funeral practices have lasted for thousands of years. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" and many other such prayers have long played a critical comforting role in Christian funeral services. From William Shakespeare's "Fear No More the Heat of the Sun" to Emily Dickinson's "Because I Could Not Stop for Death," and from Buddhism to Jorge Luis Borges, ruminations on mortality and celebrations of life animate our deepest poetry and prose.
Planning for and executing a funeral is never easy. The best funeral directors understand that funerals are a time for healing and connection, reflection and celebration, and as such, help families and friends achieve all that while handling the logistics of the process as well.
All manner of different cultures around the world have their own funeral traditions.
Grief Counselling
Funerals can, needless to say, be overwhelming. As painful as this grief is, our capacity to feel and care so much is part of what makes us human. The best funeral homes and directors thus provide grief counselling for grieving families, allowing you to work through your feelings in a healthy, open way with the help of trained experts who can and want to help you through this difficult time.
Funeral Services
The most reliable funeral directors in Sanquhar can provide a variety of critical services, including the following:
- Taking care of burial arrangements
- Providing funeral wreaths and floral arrangements
- Lending assistance for different types of religious and secular services
- Providing different types of music to be played during the service
Give your loved one the farewell they deserve with the help of the most compassionate funeral home in the Sanquhar area.


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According to Deadline Detroit, the facade of the new Detroit Police HQ looks like it belongs on a South Beach spa. "The greenish-and-whitish-colored-striped facade that's going up on the Lodge Freeway side of the new public safety headquarters says beaches, creamsicles, sunsets, Jimmy Buffet, incense, facials, hot stones and sweetness." Well we're all for sunsets but really sickened by creamsicles, which is to say this one is too soon to call. [Deadline Detroit]
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Infrastructure is the foundation of everything. You may hear the word a lot and have a general sense of what it means. But what is it exactly, and where else can it be applied? In this video, you will learn everything you need to know about infrastructure, including what it is in particular and why it's important.
In general, it is all of the roads and bridges that we use, but also includes things like dams and airports. It's networking and water pipes. It's everything that keeps things running the way they do. It's the foundation upon which everything is built.
This video will help you to understand everything that infrastructure is. It is important for all aspects of life, including how we get to work or the store, how we participate in recreational activities, how we run our businesses, and how we spend our time online. Everything works together to create the life that we know, and it is all built on our infrastructure.


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Metro police will face steroids test 6/17/08
Metro police will face steroids test 6/17/08
Metro police will face steroids test
By KATE HOWARD Staff Writer
The Metro Police Department will begin randomly testing officers for anabolic steroids.
All officers randomly selected for drug testing will be tested for steroids in addition to the battery of drugs already included in the random drug-testing program. Officers suspected of drug use in a serious work-related accident or under investigation for use of force may be asked to submit to the drug test as well, Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said. The steroid test will not be given during pre-employment screening.
The change is expected to triple the cost of the 300 tests the department administers each year, with a test including steroids priced at about $110.
"The Nashville community expects their police department to set the example for a drug-free workplace, and they should expect us to set the example," Aaron said.
Three veteran officers have been on paid administrative leave since February after they were implicated in a federal investigation into steroid distribution, Aaron said, and their status won't change until the investigation is complete. He declined to say whether the officers – Stephen Reece, Danny Cage and Mike Evans – are suspected of using or selling the drug.
Cage and Reece could not be reached for comment. Mike Evans declined to comment.
But Evans' Nashville attorney, David Raybin, said his client understands the department has to investigate the matter, and Evans expects to be cleared. The department has begun contacting officers to set up interviews, Raybin said, but Evans has not been interviewed or drug tested.
"On behalf of my client, I can say he certainly agrees (testing) would be appropriate and he would welcome any test," Raybin said. "We're confident this will be resolved in short order, and (Evans) can get back on the street."
A similar policy will take effect July 1 in Hendersonville. Human Resources Manager Kay Palmer said the city will add steroids to its random drug tests for all safety personnel.


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We are a quiet and attentive audience, this second night. If 'comedy is truth plus pain' there is plenty of that, in principle, although 'comedy of insight' may be a better descriptor. But it's not geared to make us laugh out loud. Our compulsion to search beyond the deceptively whimsical 'windows' – somewhat warped and playfully reflective – tends to divert any rising mirth.
In The Wars is deeply insightful, profoundly humane and not to be missed.
Reviewed by John Smythe, 18 Aug 2017
"It's the art of invisibility" says one of the characters of the six stories of "In the wars" Nothing, except the light that allows us to see, but unseen itself, can rival with the invisibility of love. Love, what a used word, raped and exploited word. War love. War stories. Stiching love. When war is the fatherland of bad politics, love can be our refugee…
I see "In The Wars" as a short stories book. I love this contract one establish with the audience: first one story, then the second one… in our case you can count until six cause this is the number of stories that we are going to present you. Many things have been said about the significance of telling stories: to answer questions that we haven't already put to ourselves, to take us to some places where we still don't know their names, to create disorder in a world ordered by the most powerful… Stories can talk about love, pain, the unknown better than in philosophie. In our case we have used a classical device in literature: to put a secondary character of several wars in the forefront: a dog, a barbie, a ring, an unknown daughter… Cause this is another power of the literature converted into theatre: to give voice to the ones that normally don't have it.
Jorge Picó, director.
Writer and actor's note: Juliet O'Brien
Two years ago I had the privilege of seeing the photography exhibition, » The most Important Thing» by Brian Sokol. This exhibition was a collection of photos the subjects of which were exiles holding the most important thing they could take with them when leaving their homes. There was a woman holding a ring, a young boy, a monkey, a disabled woman seated on her wheel chair and then there was one little girl who looked to the camera with the utmost dignity, positioning her empty hands in the air as if holding an invisible object. The photographer asked her what her object was, she replied: «It's my doll I left behind.» It was an extraordinary coincidence as at the time I was already writing and working with the idea that I would tell stories through the prism of an object or form other than human. From this particular photo however the scene of Leila and her abandoned doll was born.
At the heart of In the Wars are the stories of little boys and girls and fathers and mothers who have to flee their homes in search of a better life and in search of that one precious commodity, safety. The stories cover multiple territories: Iraq, Palestine, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Chechnya, New Zealand and France. Jorge Picó and I have endeavoured in this collection of tales to put light on the territories of love in these territories of war and to treat these stories from another perspective in order to find another door in to the complexity of War. A mother in the play says, «You have never known war.» This play is dedicated to the mothers who have never known peace.
Creative team
Writer and actor: Juliet O'Brien
Director: Jorge Picó
Music composer: Gareth Farr
Set designer: Wai Mihinui
Lighting designer and operator: Jennifer Lal
Assistant director: Finn Shepherd
Producer: Sophie Lindsay.
Publicist: Cherie Jacobson
Graphic designer: Elise Wilk
Costume designer: Fabienne Desfleches
Lighting operator: Michael Trigg
Carpenters: Andrew Gibson and Blair Ryan
David Geary, Isabelle Labrousse, Helen Moulder, Maria Buchanan, Mary O'Brien and Tim O'Brien, Miranda Harcourt, Jonathon Hendry, Ken Duncum, Peter Hambleton, Tina Cleary, Kerryn Palmer, Vicente Mas, Bridget Hargreaves, Gustavo Garcia Rodriguez, Nathan McKendry and the team at Taki Rua, Nathalie Buckrell and the team at Alliance Française Wellington, Stephen and Katrina Drew, Théâtre de la Jacquerie, Théâtre Romain Rolland, Xochitl de León, Col.legi del Teatre de Barcelona
Our sponsors – a special thank you
Creative New Zealand
New Zealand-France Friendship Fund
Embassy of Spain to New Zealand
Written and performed by Juliet O'Brien
Directed by Jorge Picó
Original music by Gareth Farr
Presented by Plateforme Théâtre
at BATS Theatre, The Propeller Stage, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
Until 26 Aug 2017
[1 hr 10 mins]
Reviewed by John Smythe, 18 Aug 2017
We've been steeped in war stories since the 2014 centenary of Britain's declaration of War against Germany in August 1914: 'The Great War'; 'The War to End All Wars'. Yeah right. Do I need to list all the wars since? Along with the books, plays, feature films, television dramas and documentaries, the daily news is littered with reports from contemporary war zones, not to mention warnings of impending possibilities.
If you think you're 'all warred out', however, fear not. In The Wars is a completely different take on the theme. Terms like 'unintended consequences', 'innocent victims', 'collateral damage' and even 'trickle-down effect' offer themselves as common denominators of the six stories that comprise this insightful solo show.
The set, by Wai Mihinui, is the first surprise: towering panels clad in high quality wallpaper that denote comfort and elegance – except for the odd angles, judiciously accentuated at appropriate moments by Jennifer Lal's lighting design. A long, narrow table has heavy, industrial legs at one end and classic turned wooden legs at the other; a plain chair at one end and a fancy one at the other are juxtaposed with an elegant tea set versus a single cup and saucer.
A glaring but silent brightness punctuates some scene transitions. Does it herald a new dawn of hope or yet another distant missile obliterating its target (or perhaps missing it and striking civilians, as so often happens)? Gareth Farr's music and soundscape contrast the ebullience of creativeness with the dull and resonant roar of destruction. Paradox riddles this play.
Writer/actor Juliet O'Brien has worked with her co-graduate from École Jacques Lecoq, director Jorge Picó, to develop In The Wars and, unlike The Letter Writer which premiered in France before gracing the 2010 NZ Festival, this world premiere was designed and rehearsed in Wellington.
The six different perspectives, all based on true stories, are ingeniously wrought to challenge our grey-matter before they engage our emotions. A gently rendered physicality informs and distinguishes each iteration, drawing us in without making a spectacle of itself.
Spoiler alert? I cannot discuss this show further without interpreting elements that are revealed subtly and intriguingly, although there is plenty more that I won't expose. The short message is, go: it's highly recommended. Read on or not as you choose.
Nothing is more innocent than a soon-to-be born baby. Hasha has gleaned her name from the conversations the "warmths" have in the unknown outside world. We become aware her mother is Yaeda, her father is Yiden and they are in Iraq. And everything that's happening is 'normal': the way it is. In counterpoint to her non-judgemental awareness, we are left to interpret and judge the objective reality of what she is being born into.
O'Brien personifies a Barbie Doll, donated to war orphans by an American child and brought to Gaza by an NGO, to offer the next telling contrast: broken nails versus smashed buildings; the delicacy of a tea party v the brutality of bulldozers clearing rubble. Again our understanding of the reality differs dramatically from hers (i.e. Barbie's) and the space between is where we discover, or rather create, the truth.
Two boots represent the deceased father of a Rwandan woman, determined to get him out to the middle of a lake rather than bury him in their war-torn land. The eloquence of the daughter's language and her abiding love compel us work to comprehend the atrocities that have led to this moment.
Who knew War Dogs sometimes need therapy? Here O'Brien morphs into a somewhat stressed 'shrink' who used to work in Cincinnati and now tends a whimpering 'Hero dog' somewhere in the Middle East. Then she is floppy-eared 'Corporal Brenda' herself, recreating the mine-detection mission that has traumatised her.
Epaulets clipped onto her basic khaki (costume design by Fabienne Desfleches) signifies the next transition into a soldier in Chechnya, although the focus turns to a large gold ring and the quest to win a hand in marriage. The ring's story harks back to Jason and the Golden Fleece; romance is undercut with mention of a father who taught fear and hatred (plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose); the question arises as to where true value lies … The ring reveals eternal truths as it lies in the ruins of war.
The final and most text-based scene brings a New Zealand perspective to war, wherein one Eileen Ramsay utilises the framed photo of a cavalry man and a carefully preserved jacket to appraise her daughter Rita of people and family histories yet to be recognised by Google. Her heartfelt, "I am so happy that you have never known war" reminds us how lucky we are, at the so-called 'bottom of the world' – a state wittily emphasised, to continue the inversions, with a poignant rendition of The Carpenters' 'Top Of The World'.
We are a quiet and attentive audience, this second night. If 'comedy is truth plus pain' there is plenty of that, in principle, although 'comedy of insight' may be a better descriptor. But it's not geared to make us laugh out loud. Our compulsion to search beyond the deceptively whimsical 'windows' – somewhat warped and playfully reflective – tends to divert any rising mirth.
In The Wars is deeply insightful, profoundly humane and not to be missed.
For more production details, click on the title above. Go to Home page to see other Reviews, recent Comments and Forum postings (under Chat Back), and News.


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It has been quite a week for milestones connected to the issues that have dominated the news during the past year.
On Monday, it was Martin Luther King Day in the United States, held each year on the third Monday in January to mark the birthday of Martin Luther King Junior on January 15, 1929[1]. Dr King led the struggle to ensure that 'Black Lives Matter' back in the 1960s – and paid for it with his life, when he was gunned down on a balcony in a motel in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. I remember watching the news. A month short of my 13th birthday, a heavy pall of mourning descended on my family home.
So that was Monday. On Tuesday, 1,610 deaths were recorded in the UK, the highest daily number to date since the pandemic began. But then, there was Wednesday: 1,820 deaths – another gruesome, heart-breaking record. This country now tops the world in the number of coronavirus deaths per million people, with Brazil a close second, and the USA, 8th on the list [2].
Wednesday, January 20 was also the much-awaited date on the US calendar that saw the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States – alongside Kamala Harris, the first woman and person of colour as Vice-President. A momentous day held in the midst of a total lockdown of the city, following the assault on the Capitol by Trump supporters two weeks earlier[3] – a right-wing insurrection that eclipsed the news of the Senate Democratic victories in Georgia that day[4].
Significantly, President-elect Biden chose to mark the eve of his inauguration by presiding over a Memorial Service to acknowledge the milestone of 400,000 coronavirus deaths in the US. The simple dusk service, which included the lighting of lamps alongside the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, opened with a prayer from the black Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington DC, Wilton Gregory, the first African-American Cardinal. Next, Vice President-elect, Kamala Harris spoke, before inviting Lorie Marie Key, a black nurse from Detroit to sing 'Amazing Grace' – as she does when she ministers to Covid-19 patients. Finally, it was the turn of President-Elect Biden, who counselled: 'It's hard sometimes to remember, but that's how we heal'[5]. Of course, he was speaking from the heart, from his own experiences of personal tragedy, grief and loss.
So, a week, indeed, to remember. Will it usher in a time of healing?
Next week, on January 27, two very different commemorative dates fall on one day: International Holocaust Memorial Day and Tu Bishvat, the New Year for Trees[6]. Unlike Yom Ha-Sho'ah on the 27th of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the Jewish day set aside for remembrance of the six million of our people who were murdered, January 27 is a date on the global calendar. The world is called to remembrance. Perhaps, Tu Bishvat should also be marked across the planet. After all, just as racism, inequality and injustice continue to stalk the globe 76 years after the defeat of Nazism, the Earth itself is in danger. Every nation and every people must heed the warnings of global warming and the loss of biodiversity – and act now.
We look for glimmers of hope. And there are some. The roll-out of the coronavirus virus vaccine, although slow, holds out the hope that infection rates will fall and the pandemic will be on the wane in the second half of 2021. Meanwhile, the reduction of flights during the pandemic has had some positive impact on the planet[7]. When the coronavirus crisis is over, we know that we cannot return to life as 'normal'; we have to create a new normal rooted in our guardianship of the Earth.
The new American administration offers hope – not least because of the decision to re-join the Paris Climate Accord confirmed on Inauguration Day[8]. If he was alive today, Dr King would have seen glimmers of hope in the Biden/Harris team. And born as he was in Atlanta, Georgia, he would have detected bright flames of hope in the Georgia election on January 6 that saw the first black man from that state together with a Jew, elected to the Senate.[9] A milestone in itself, the success of these two Democrats means that the Senate is now 50:50 between the two parties. And so, with the casting vote in the hands of the Vice President, the Democratic program of reform should have a chance to prevail.
We can certainly find hope in Tu Bishvat, which reminds us that even in the midst of winter, the sap is rising in the trees. And we can even find hope in remembrance of the Sho'ah on international Holocaust Memorial Day, which marks the moment on 27 January 1945 when the Red Army liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Nevertheless, we are still living in a time of peril on all fronts – not least, the economic fallout of Brexit. How do we make sense of it all? How do we navigate a path for our lives in the challenging circumstances we are experiencing? In my view, to survive we need to think big and act small. Quoting a 19th-century American pastor, Martin Luther King Jr. taught that "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice."[10]
At this testing time that threatens to overwhelm us, it is essential that we keep the vision of that arc in our minds, while focusing on getting by day-by-day. Ten days ago, I began noting down a few things each day, however small, that gave me joy. I found an unused notebook, and decided to begin on Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat, the 1st day of the Hebrew month of Sh'vat, with its promise that, appearances to the contrary, spring is on its way. A lot of my entries focus on the delicious, nourishing meals that punctuate my day. I've also included, the sparkle of the early morning frost before sunrise, the sunshine breaking through the clouds, and my daily walk. I can really recommend taking a moment before going to bed to reflect and note down moments of joy, however fleeting. Acknowledging these micro-moments doesn't change anything at the macro level, but it can change how we feel and enable us to carry on.
Today is Mental Health Awareness Shabbat, reminding us of the importance of recognising the mental health challenges we all face. If we manage to pay attention to moments of joy that we experience each day, we may also be able to remember that the seemingly insignificant things we do each day can make a difference to the wider world, even in these coronavirus times. Every time we recycle rather than throw away, every time we reach out to an isolated neighbour, every time we help someone in need or share what we have with others, we are contributing to the renewal of the planet. Every time we act with compassion and consideration, we help to transform the social climate.
We can't wait for the long arc of the moral universe to arrive at its destination. Justice, compassion and healing won't happen without our acts of justice, compassion and healing. More important, we can't banish the forces of injustice and destruction by relegating them to an evil realm. In Psalm 89, verse 3, we find the phrase, Olam chesed yibbaneh, 'the world will be built out of love'. But it's not true. We have to rebuild and repair the world out of everything we find in it, including, the debris of hatred, fear and mistrust. That's why, when my dear colleague, Rabbi Monique Mayer of Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation, taught us an evocative tune for the words Olam chesed yibbaneh at our annual rabbinic retreat four years ago, taking my cue from the title of Amos Oz's memoir, A Tale of Love and Darkness[11], I decided to add the word choshech, 'darkness'. So: Olam chesed v'choshech yibbaneh – 'The world will be built out of love and darkness'[12].
In this week's Torah portion, Bo[13], the plagues visited on Egypt reach a crescendo, with the final three: locusts, darkness, and the death of the firstborn. It might seem that compared to locusts and mass death, darkness is less horrifying – and certainly does not constitute a plague. But the description in parashat Bo suggests otherwise: 'The Eternal One said to Moses: "Hold out your arm towards the sky that there may be darkness upon the land of Egypt, darkness that can be touched." / Moses then held out his arm towards the sky and thick darkness descended upon all the land of Egypt three days'[14]
If you haven't experienced it, try imagining a darkness so thick and powerful and enveloping that it can be felt. Such a darkness can be terrifying. We have to build the world even out of our greatest terrors as well as out of love.
But before we fall into the trap of binary thinking, let's also remember that darkness can be nourishing and life-affirming. Every human being, is nurtured in the darkness of the womb. And we need the darkness of sleep in every 24-hour cycle in order to maintain our physical and mental health. Ideally, we should spend at least one third of our lives in this sleep-full darkness. By contrast, light, which is so often used as a metaphor for all that is good can be terrible if it is relentless. Subjecting prisoners to light around-the-clock is a form of torture. If the penultimate plague had been a plague of light for three days and three nights, it would have been equally unbearable.
Language is limited – and can confine our thinking, especially when we use it metaphorically. And yet, language can also lift our spirits, open our hearts to hope, and transform the moment. And so, it was with the spectacular poem that was the highlight of the Inauguration ceremony. Entitled, 'The Hill we Climb', it was written and spoken by the first National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, a 22- year-old young black woman from Los Angeles[15]. The poem is a powerful declaration of hope to the people of the USA, but the opening words speak to us all at this time:
When day comes, we ask ourselves where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry, a sea we must wade.
We've braved the belly of the beast.
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace,
and the norms and notions of what "just" is isn't always justice.
And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it.
Somehow we do it.
'The dawn' is not yet 'ours' in Britain – or in most of the world – but yes: 'Somehow we do it'. As we survey the events of the past week, look ahead to International Holocaust Memorial Day and Tu Bishvat next week, and continue to live through these challenging times, may we acknowledge all our feelings, our feelings of despair and of hope, and resolve to do what we can to generate healing and renewal, for ourselves and our loved ones, our society and our world. And let us say: Amen.
Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah
Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue
23rd January 2021 – 10th Sh'vat 5781
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-uk-death-toll-rate-europe-eu-compared-map-tracked-a9548676.html ↑
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/12/us/capitol-mob-timeline.html ↑
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/06/us/georgia-election-results ↑
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/19/biden-leads-memorial-nearly-400-000-americans-killed-covid-19/4215250001/ ↑
The 15th of the Hebrew month of Sh'vat. See: Mishnah Rosh Ha-Shanah 1:1 ↑
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969720323305 ↑
https://environmentnewyork.org/news/ame/statement-biden-expected-keep-promise-us-will-rejoin-international-paris-agreement ↑
The Revd. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. ↑
Reverend Theodore Parker (1810-1860). President Barack Obama was also fond of this quotation. See: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/04/arts/obamas-eulogy-which-found-its-place-in-history.html ↑
Published in Hebrew in 2002 and in English in 2004. ↑
This revised phrase is included in the new draft Shabbat morning service of the forthcoming new prayer book of Liberal Judaism, Siddur Shirah Chadashah, which I am co-editing with Rabbi Lea Mühlstein of Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue. ↑
Exodus 10:1-13:16. ↑
Exodus 10:21-22. ↑
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/20/amanda-gorman-poem-biden-inauguration-transcript ↑


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Whether you are ascending the highest rock in Utah, or a simple cliff in Rocky Mountain National Park, the harness you choose will make a difference in your climbing comfort. In the article "Harness the Power: 5 Performance-Minded Picks," Julie Ellison wrote for Climbing.com, she explains the best reasons to buy each harness.
"Some are mega-plush, built for hours of hanging, while others are slim and trim for sending projects. Then there are those designed with special features for ice climbing or mountaineering. You'll probably have your harness for years—you won't replace it as often as a rope or rock shoe—which makes it all the more important to choose the right rig," Ellison wrote.
Starting at $60, there is a harness perfect for your climbing needs.


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New boy Teddy Soares is set to bring a storm into the Love Island villa during his entrance. With a lot of the girls currently single, including Faye and Kaz. Fans are interested to see who the hunk will couple up with. The 26-year-old from Manchester isn't a stranger to the limelight, as fans wonder Teddy love island a model? With the answer being confirmed that Soares previously worked as a model.
So hopefully, this Love Island newbie will find Love in the villa. After all, the chemistry between these lot, being referred to as having less chemistry than a GCSE science lesson. We are excited to find out more about Teddy and what the future holds for his love life.
Is Teddy Love Island a Model?
Teddy Soares previously worked as a model for Abercrombie & Fitch from 2011-2014, a pretty big deal. Despite him taking a different career path after this. We can confirm, he was a model. But is now a Senior Financial Consultant according to his Linkedin profile. At the time of his modelling for Abercrombie and Fitch, he would have been just 16. However, those are still shots he is proud of today. Although it doesn't state how old his Starnow bio is, fans are curious to know who's being played.
Much like Love Island, his sample shots on his variety of profiles are topless, with many abs and striking facial features on show.
Fans of the show are certain he will go for Kaz, as he is her type on paper.
Kaz and teddy please and thank you #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/oRWRfwiH2k
— • l o i s • (@LoisM__) July 8, 2021
How tall is Teddy Brad Soares Love Island?
This season of Love Island hosts some of the tallest contestants ever, so the girls are hopeful for another tall man. Being a model can often require a certain height. This is usually taller for men. Well, according to his Starnow profile, Teddy is 6ft and considers himself to well built. Although fellow contestants Brad and Liam are taller than Teddy, he still towers over the girls and many boys.
Is Teddy Soares an actor?
Alongside Teddy modelling, fans want to know if the 26-year-old is an actor too. According to Soares Starnow profile, he has no acting experience and has never been an extra in any TV show. However, his bio also advises, despite him having no previous experience. Teddy advises that he believes his creativity, confidence and originality will provide him with the skills he needs to achieve greatness. He also goes on to say, "I also pride myself in being able to learn quickly, take constructive directions and passionate when doing so." therefore, it is likely during his time in the villa, we will see his confidence shine through.
There is also nothing about reality tv on his starnow profile; however, it advises similar information to the acting section. But it looks Teddy will need to update his profile to feature Love Island after the show.


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Overview: A man wakes up in a Moscow laboratory to learn that he's been brought back from the dead as a half-human, half-robotic hybrid. With no memory of his former life, a woman who claims to be his wife tells him that his name is Henry.
Verdict: Half human and half machine, Henry wakes only to witness the kidnapping of his wife Estelle, by a group of mercenaries. From this moment onward Henry searches and fights for Estelle with every ounce of energy he possesses. He kills and risks being killed himself, by every weapon imaginable. The viewer, through the use of a special camera attached to someone's head, is about as face to face with the violence as anyone can get.
Each move that is made by Henry is followed by the viewer. Every throat that is cut seems as if it is done by our own hands. We figure out what is happening only in so much as Henry does, for both viewer and character are in the same shoes.
The film is kinetic, bloody and non-stop action. While worn down by the shaky camera work and bad acting, I also appreciated all the zany twists, gore, rawness and laughs to the story. Ann of Green Gables and Little House on the Prairie the film is not, and this is usually a good thing. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival 2015.


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As SPIN previously reported, singer Andrea Boccelli was rumored to be among the featured musical acts at Trump's inauguration. The intel leaked through an interview with the mother of the inauguration's only confirmed performer, crossover-classical star and former America's Got Talent winner Jackie Evancho. But the rumored duet between the two singers, or any other Bocelli tunes for that, matter appear to be off the table.
Yesterday, Page Six reported that Bocelli was, apparently, pulling out due to "too much heat" from the public (There was a brief Boycott Bocelli social media crusade, too.) The Trump camp had a different story to offer: Tom Barrack, chairman of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, claimed in a CNBC interview yesterday that Trump had rejected an offer from Bocelli to perform. He also noted that Bocelli is a "[friend] of Trump since the very beginning."
Here's Barrack's version of the scene that occurred: "Donald said, 'You don't need to. We're not in that kind of a framework. Thanks very much for the offer. You're my friend. You are always welcome at the White House…It never got to: Can you, will you, would you with either of them. They're just great friends. And that was it."
Seems like a distinctly Trumpian write-around of the messier, less flattering true story–either way, it looks like the Italian pop-opera star will not take the stage in Washington on January 20, and that his fans can stop trashing his CDs.
Asked about the overall difficulty the committee seems to be having booking acts, Barrack said: "The celebrities have to decide: Do you want to participate and be relevant, or do you not want to participate and not be relevant?" Makes you think. Watch the full CNBC interview below.


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Aim of the law
The aim of this law is to generalize renewable energy sources for electric production or for health purposes, gain these sources to economy in a reliable economic and quality way, increase of resource diversity, reduce greenhouse gas emission, protect the environment, develop required production sector for actualization of these aims, support sustainable energy production, reduce energy importation and provide security of supply.
Scope of the Law
This law includes rules, protection of renewable energy source areas, certification of electricity and/or heat produced by renewable energy sources and implementations with procedures and principles in relation to support the usage of these sources.
Identification of Energy Resource Areas
To benefit from renewable energy sources or to provide and incentivize facilities, which may enable energy sources to be converted into electricity or heat, the Cabinet declares a region in TRNC as RES (Renewable Energy Sources) and publishes it on Official Gazette on proposal of the Ministry responsible of Energy.
No production permit is given to regions declared as RES without confirmation of the Ministry. In case of wastelands in RES area, they can be rented by investors to establish mentioned facilities as per No 53/189 "Wasteland (Land Tenure and Management) Law."
In case of state lands in RES area, they can be rented by investors to establish mentioned energy facilities as per No 63/1993 " State Land (Hire and Evaluation) Law"
Application and Evaluation of Producing Companies
Electricity production via renewable energy sources is based on the permit by the Ministry responsible of Energy. Therefore, the applications should be in written and as stated by the Ministry.
Applications are supported by reports or evaluations related to place and way of procurement of equipments or software or equipments or software list designed for use in draft plans and projects prepared by authorized engineers and confirmed by Cyprus Turkish Electricity Administration.
Applications are submitted to the Ministry with a signed and official sealed certificate of receipt. All subject matter documents are exempted from all kinds of tax, duties, and charges. In any case, applications are determined in 6 months and the applicant or his proxy is notified in written with a good reason.
Companies, which their application is granted, are given a License as determined by the Ministry and it is valid for 25 as of the issue date. The License is free of charge. Companies which complete infrastructure requirement related to energy production are given a RES /Renewable Energy Source) License. This license is classified in terms of power to be produced.
If electrical conduction or distribution network is not connected at least in one year as of the License with no valid reason, the necessary infrastructure is suspended until it is completed and RES Certificate is not given for subject matter activity.
Incentives are met by an item formed every year under the budget of Ministry responsible for Energy. For this reason, the following incentive matters are applied:
- Whole or partial financing of facility investment;
- Guarantee of purchase by netting;
- Guarantee of purchase;
- And;
- Registration of to-be-proposed projects are exempted from all kinds of tax, duties, and charges;
- The entrance of instruments, equipments, materials and products imported abroad to TRNC on use of energy production system and their activation purposes are exempted from all kinds of funds, tax, duties and charges;
- The Cabinet is responsible to enable necessary considered measures and deemed appropriate incentives by the proposal of relevant Ministry to enable the use of above stated instruments, equipments, materials and products produced in TRNC;
- Investment Period, which is the period to benefit from incentives, will involve first 5 years including all preparations. However, the period to benefit from incentives can be increased to 7 years or reduced to 3 years by taking investment charges and monthly production capacity into consideration.
Cancellation of use of a Right
RES Certificates of Companies, which do not fulfill or violate obligations forecasted in relevant legislation related to License and/or RES Certificate given by the Ministry, are withdrawn by the Ministry and all instruments for energy production are seized in order to meet all accrued expenses and penalties.


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I love 1930s sunglasses and I have 3 pairs of the acetate round type with various coloured tinted lenses and celluloid frames. They are stylish, classic and great for everyday wear and really do make a vintage ensemble complete. My nana had a white pair (like the ones below) with green lenses that I adored when I was little and I wish I had been able to get hold of and keep them as an adult, but they disappeared when I was a teenager. Anyhoo…I'm always looking for more, so here are range of 30s, 50s and 50s shades that I found on Etsy for sale.
* All photos link back to their original Etsy page


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Welcome to RecipeSource!RecipeSource is the new home of
SOAR: The Searchable Online Archive of Recipes and your source for recipes on the Internet. | |
---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.01 Title: Blue Ribbon Burgers Categories: Cheese/eggs, Ground beef, Vegetables, Beef Yield: 6 servings 2 lb Ground Beef 2 ts Worcestershire Sauce 1/2 ts Salt 1/4 ts Garlic Salt 1/4 ts Pepper 3 oz Cream Cheese; Softened, 1 pk 2 tb Blue Cheese; Crumbled 4 oz Mushrooms; 1 can, * * Use 1 4-oz can of mushroom stems and pieces. ~------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mix meat, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Shape the mixture into 12 thin patties, each about 4-inches in diameter. Mix the cream cheese and the blue cheese. Top each of 6 patties with the cheese mixture, spreading to within 1/2 inch of the edge; press the mushrooms into the cheese. Cover each patty with one of the remaining patties, sealing the edges firmly. Broil or grill the patties 4-inches from the heat, turning once, until the desired doneness is reached and cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. ----- Plain Text Version of This Recipe for Printing or Saving | |
Copyright ©1995-2000 SOAR. ©2001-2021 RecipeSource. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |


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South Africa's government has maintained that leisure travelers from countries with higher coronavirus infection rates will not be allowed to enter the country when the borders reopen on October 1.
The list of countries includes the United States, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, India, the Netherlands and Russia.
However, business travelers from these countries, which are considered by the Pretoria government as "high risk", will be allowed to enter. Diplomats, repatriated persons and investors fall in this category.
Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor told a press conference that, "We will review the data every two weeks. The government is being guided by epidemiological data when deciding which countries are deemed high risk."
President Cyrial Ramaphosa eased lockdown measures in September. At the height of South Africa's coronavirus outbreak, the country had one of the world's strictest lockdown restrictions.
The easing provided relief to its struggling tourism sector with air travel resuming.
While South Africa is the continent's most industrialized country, tourism remains one of its key contributors of GDP. Last year, the sector made up 9% of the GDP, and employed 750,000 people according to the Tourism Marketing Agency and the Statistics Office.
South Africa is one of the most frequently visited countries in the continent. Last year, more than 10 million foreign visitors entered the country, with 73% of them originating from the United States, United Kingdom, India, the Netherlands and France.
All of these nations are on the "High-risk" category list announced by the government and SA Tourism, the marketing agency, says if that doesn't change, then 440,000 tourism jobs are at risk.


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We're Ocean Mortgage, and we like to think we're different. We've been in business for 30 years, and we offer a wide range of mortgage products, separating us from big banks and direct mortgage bankers. As a wholesale mortgage broker we can offer better financing than the majority of lenders, which results in a better deal for you, our client. We specialize in residential mortgages, including purchases and refinances. Whether you're a first-time buyer or you need to refinance your home to cover sudden expenses, we'll be there for you every step of the way. We have the experience and expertise needed to navigate all types of income documentation, and give every one of our clients the personal touch they need for their unique situation. Every borrower is different, and we pride ourselves on understanding that. If you want to know you're in good hands, and work with a team of trusted professionals, get in touch with us today!
Want to know more about us? Check out our Services page, or learn more about our Team.


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I've had a busy couple of days at Brigstock and am back again tomorrow. It's an event I always like to go to at this time of year as I feel even when the ground starts to firm up, at Brigstock the ground is still good and rides well (akin to Barbury). Hence I've made sure all the horses have had a run.
I had Alex and Tommy yesterday in the 5Year Old qualifier – sadly neither qualified but they both went well. Tommy jumped a double clear and I thought did a good test – but the judge didn't agree! He is still a little green but I thought he had gone well; it transpires the judge marked him down for his tongue being out (which he did without me seeing or feeling!) I will nip this in the bud with changes to his bitting and noseband – it's very fixable. Alex was a little green in the dressage and then had a green stop at the planks in the show jumping but jumped the rest well and also went well cross country. So no qualifications but good educational runs for both horses and I was pleased with both of them.
Harry did the CIC* dressage. I've radically changed his warm up which seems to be working as yet again he scored well with a 42.1 which put him 2nd after dressage in a large field. Let's hope this form continues at Houghton! I withdrew after dressage (always the plan) given he is running at Houghton next week.
I had Fin and Figgy today and Mary had Keedy and Jenny Buzz. Mary had a good day a good double clear although still work to do in the dressage. She is now gaining in confidence with Keedy and they are going well together and having fun, so important. Jenny only did the dressage on Buzz as he's been off for a few weeks with foot issues, which we hope are now behind him and it's early days with his new shoeing etc.
I was very pleased with Finn he did a good double clear and felt like he's really growing up. I just let him canter around in a nice rythmn – maybe I should have gone a little faster as he would have been in the top few without time – his day will come and he will win a lot in the future.
Figgy had a very good day and was in the money. I've always said I will one day win a lot with her. She was 2nd today in the Novice with a 27 and double clear. She's an elegant big mare and we are begining to really build a partnership; she is settling more and more as she gains confidence and understanding of her work.
I'm back tomorrow with Coco who will do the 2star dressage and Magnus doing the intermediate – a beefy track.
Off to a fellow riders engagement party tonight but won't be a late night as its another 5am departure time tomorrow – the joys of an eventriders life!
Posted 22nd May


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01 Deerhunter – Vox Celeste 5
from Vox Celeste 5 7″
02 White Wires – Pretty Girl
from Pretty Girl 7″
03 The Cave Weddings – Let's Drive
from The Cave Weddings EP
04 Lê Almeida – Nunca Nunca
from REVI EP
05 Spoon – Got Nuffin
from Got Nuffin EP
06 Andrew Bird – See the Enemy
from Fitz & the Dizzyspells EP
07 The Galacticos – Battlestar Galactico (@ 4:00)
from EP Phone Home
08 Lover! – Let's Play A Game
from Let's Play A Game 7″
09 Eating Pebble – OK, OK! I Love You
from Sammi! Oh, Sammi! EP
10 The Bombettes – Oh Boy
from You Have No Chance, Lance EP
11 The Weeks – Lawman's Daughter
from Rumspringa EP
12 Blitzen Trapper – Silver Moon
from Black River Killer EP
13 Blue Giant – Clean the Clock
from Target Heart EP
14 Emily Wells – Symphony 6: Fair Thee Well & The Requiem Mix
from Dirty EP
15 Wooden Shjips – Contact (gainsbourg/bardot)
from Contact 10″
16 Dead Mellotron – Dress Rehearsal
from Ghost Light Constellation EP
17 Deerhunter – Rainwater Cassette Exchange
from Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP
18 Peaking Lights – Silver Tongues, Soft Whispers
from Imaginary Falcons 7″
19 Ringo Deathstar – In Love
from In Love 7″
20 The Blacks – Ammunition
from Tiger Songs EP
Download link:
DrB notes: Not always the 'single' or primary song from the EP or single, usually just what I liked best. All files have been normalized, etc – your listening mileage may vary.
As always, use this mix as a way to find some new artists – support them if you like what you hear (buy music, see shows, hit the merch table, order drinks for the band, whatevs)
posted 1/6/9


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COVID-19 News: Governor Walz Issues Stay at Home Order for Minnesotans (updated)
(Courtesy MPR)
Gov. Tim Walz has ordered Minnesotans to stay at home for two weeks, at least, as part of the state's ongoing efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19 disease.
The order isn't a complete lockdown and it allows essential activities and services to continue, Walz said. People will be allowed to exercise outdoors and visit the grocery store, for example, with proper social distancing. The order takes effect Saturday and lasts through April 10.
Walz said it's impossible to lessen the number of Minnesotans who will become infected with COVID-19, but the stay home order is intended to push out the time of peak infections so there are intensive care unit beds available for those who need it.
Minnesota had 235 ICU beds available as of Tuesday, Walz said, adding that about 15 percent of COVID-19 cases will require hospitalization and 5 percent will need intensive care. The remaining 80 percent of infections are expected to be mild.
The goals of the order, Walz said, include:
- Build out hospital capacity
- Increase access to ventilators and other life-saving equipment
- Increase testing for COVID-19
- Address personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages for health workers
- Plan for how to protect and care for vulnerable populations in coming months
- Assess new data to inform mitigation strategy
On-site school closures last into early May under the order.
Nearly 80 percent of Minnesota jobs are considered essential under the order, said Steve Grove, the Department of Employment and Economic Development commissioner. A list of those jobs is available at a state website.
Walz has already issued orders to keep Minnesotans from congregating in ways that might aid the disease's spread, including shifting bars and restaurants to takeout-only service.
Other states have instituted so-called shelter-in-place rules, although many of those orders are similar to what Minnesota is already doing. Most allow for residents to go to grocery stores and pharmacies, take walks and walk pets.
The plans for extended curbs on daily life come as the state Health Department on Wednesday confirmed 287 cases of COVID-19 after 6,365 tests. Twenty-six people were in the hospital with the coronavirus. The number of cases is likely at least 10 times as high as the number of testing-confirmed cases, however, and an increasing number of people will likely require hospitalization in the coming days and weeks, according to health officials.
Officials are weighing constructing makeshift hospitals in school gymnasiums if needed.
Minnesota officials say early signs indicate that preventative measures are helping. Cellphone data and other information shows that social distancing is happening, Walz said, adding, "Minnesotans are taking this seriously."
As of Wednesday, 122 coronavirus patients no longer required isolation, the Health Department said.
Walz, though, cautioned earlier in the week that more waves of coronavirus cases will come.
"There is no doubt that this is going to take some time," Walz said. "It's going to be well beyond Easter (April 12), and I don't think it does us any good to pretend that it's not."


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A 360 review can be an extremely powerful survey tool to help develop and grow employees when the reviews are constructive and the staff is willing to implement the feedback they receive. What are 360 Feedback Surveys? A 360 feedback survey is the process where employees receive feedback from their manager, peers or direct reporting authority. They're confidential and a progressive method many organizations adopt to identify their employees' strengths and weaknesses and recommend corrective measures to help improve the employee's performance. What Is the Purpose of 360 Feedback Surveys?
There are a variety of purposes of conducting 360 feedback surveys, including:- They reveal employee strengths.- They provide development opportunities for employees and shows the performance of the managers.- They're safe and confidential.- They help you find and develop new leaders for succession planning.- They help you identify what's actively contributing to staff turnover and low engagement.- They allow you to measure leadership programs. Through the leadership program, you can plan and carry out a growth strategy.
What are the Benefits of 360 Feedback Survey Software? A 360 feedback survey tool helps employees understand how their colleagues perceive them, identify their strengths and weaknesses and develop important leadership capabilities.
Some benefits of 360 feedback survey software are:- Easy and fast: After initial setup, you can deploy in minutes.- Effective: Industry leaders have been using it for years.- Flexible: Customize survey, workflow and reports.
Other benefits of 360 feedback surveys include:
Increases Self-Awareness.
Self-awareness allows your employees to understand their personality, including their:- Beliefs- Strengths- Weaknesses- Thoughts- Motivations- EmotionsSelf-awareness is particularly crucial in leadership. Improves Working Relationships Reciprocity is an important behavior in a relationship. Performance feedback is often one-sided (i.e. direct/supervisor report relationship) or simply missing (peers are not confident in saying anything. By introducing this relationship element, you create another reciprocal support touchpoint. Enhances Performance A 360 feedback survey is one of the best tools you can have for improving relationships, providing clarity on improving performance and increasing accountability. Conducting a feedback review was once an expensive and complex process, often involving lots of company time and outside consultants. Today, however, online survey software and technology have made it much easier to apply this efficient tool to your staff. This means you can use this effective tool more often and by more individuals increasing collaboration and cooperation in your team. Make today the day you implement this powerful survey tool in your organization.


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Established in 2019, Club 27 Restaurant inside the new clubhouse at Sykes/Lady Overland Park Golf Club is quickly becoming recognized as one of the hottest indoor/outdoor restaurants in America.
If you haven't been yet, come check us out!
- KCTV5 Top 5 Restaurants with Indoor/Outdoor Seating - 1st Place
- Nationwide Club+Resort Business Top Rated Patios 2021 - 2nd Place
- International Golden Fork Award 2020 - 1st Place