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One of the Wii's best. The duet's offer a super fun multiplayer experience that rivals Rock Band & Mario Kart.
The best part of the game is the duets. Disco dancing truly is more fun with a partner! Another addition to the game's format is the Just Sweat mode. This is a workout type program that you customize to fit your exercise goal, and it keeps track of how many dances you do each day/week. I must brag that I've lost weight playing this game. :-)
The only real issue I have the with the game is the inability to choose which dancer you want to be when you do a duet by yourself. It automatically makes you the dancer on the left, which sucks for me when the girl is on the right!


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Manufacturing is the process of adding value to raw materials by turning them into products. In DuPage County, the primary manufacturing industries are metals and food, but the world of high-tech manufacturing encompasses a wide-range of industries with employers eager to add more highly skilled workers to their team.
Manufacturing has undergone rapid modernization over the past 20 years to keep pace with the global economy. Incorporating cutting edge technologies and developing new products, manufacturing companies in DuPage County are constantly innovating. Behind these creative processes is a skilled workforce of "makers" carving out career paths for themselves in rewarding fields.

subset: commoncrawl


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The ACT Government believes there is no evidence to prove that anti-consorting laws work in Australia after the ACT Legislative Assembly passed the Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 on Thursday afternoon (1 August).
Earlier this week, ACT Policing announced that they had shut down and seized Belconnen's Lakeside Tattoo Parlour under confiscation of criminal assets legislation, an ACT first. It is alleged the business was involved in laundering money for a bikie gang in the ACT.
But Attorney General Gordon Ramsay disagreed with the assumption that if police had anti-consorting laws, they could have stopped money laundering at the tattoo parlour taking place in the first instance.
Anti-consorting laws make it an offence to associate or speak with habitual criminals, or other people deemed to be dangerous or dissolute, whether in public, private or online.
The laws, which are in place in New South Wales, South Australia and in Queensland, state that speaking to two or more convicted criminals on several occasions, after receiving a warning by police, is punishable by imprisonment.
Mr Ramsay said there is no evidence that proves anti-consorting laws work in other states and territories across Australia.
"When you look around Australia, it is very clear that anti-consorting laws haven't been working in the jurisdictions that have them to stop organised crime happening," Mr Ramsay said.
"The Opposition from time to time say that anti-consorting laws are the silver bullet. It is clear that the evidence does not support that. We will continue to work in an evidence-based way.
"What we are doing is rather than looking at things that don't have a track record and that don't have the evidence of working, we will continue to provide to the police the legislative vehicles and resources that they need.
"We will continue to work to undermine that business model that criminal gangs have, we will take away the profits, and we support the ACT to be a strong, effective and safe community."
The Attorney General said the Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 will strengthen firearm laws by simplifying prosecutions for unauthorised possession and use of firearms, ensuring that prosecutions are not delayed due to a technical argument.
Mr Ramsay said the legislation also introduced mechanisms to support the operation of the National Unexplained Wealth Scheme that enables all participating jurisdictions to work together to effectively deprive criminals of their wealth, irrespective of the jurisdictions in which they operate.
He said the legislation strengthens the ACT's organised crime-fighting abilities and emphasises the importance of evidence-based policy measures to combat organised crime.
"The Bill is another example of the ACT Government's methodical, measured and evidence-based approach to targeting, disrupting, and prosecuting criminal gang members," Mr Ramsay said.
"The ACT Government will not back down in its effort to fight organised criminal gangs operating in Canberra."
Opposition leader Alistair Coe said tough anti-consorting laws could stop Canberra from becoming a haven for bikie gangs.
"The ACT is an island in New South Wales and at the moment, we are a haven for outlaw gangs," Mr Coe told Region Media. "It shouldn't be that way. We should be a nimble jurisdiction that is best equipped to deal with these sorts of problems.
"Instead, we are dragging the chain and we are not doing what we should and that is bringing in anti-consorting laws to give the police every opportunity to crack down on illegal behaviour."


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Manticores, Myths, and Memory (part two)
(Part two of four)
Paul Ashdown and Ed Caudill are co-authors of the latest book in the Engaging the Civil War Series, Imagining Wild Bill: James Butler Hickok in War, Media, and Memory (Southern Illinois University Press). In yesterday's opening part of their series, they touched on the quartet who've been the focus of their earlier work: John Mosby, Nathan Bedford Forrest, William T. Sherman, and George Armstrong Custer.
Part Two: Of Myths and Manticores
The four figures we've focused on—Mosby, Forrest, Sherman, and Custer—comprised, in myth and memory, what we came to think of as our metaphoric manticore, a heraldic beast with a human head, and the body of a wingéd lion with a scorpion tail. The manticore was, in legend, a killer dredged up from the unconscious to devour its prey and leave no scraps. Each of our protagonists represented aspects of the manticore in high relief. Each had been re-imagined in public history, journalism, and literature, and often made congruent with ideologies coming to public attention through the bellows of the press. The way they had been re-imagined told us much about the meaning of the war in public memory and the durability of myth.[1]
In the last book in our Manticore Quartet, we focused on Custer's neglected role in the Civil War, which made him a national celebrity long before the debacle at the Little Bighorn. The mythic Custer—the bold Indian fighter atop Last Stand Hill with guns blazing and golden locks flying—kept drawing us back to the West and its popular mythology. There, too, we found Sherman, first as commander of the Western armies and then as general of the army, setting aggressive Indian policy after the war and approving the mission that sent Custer and the 7th Cavalry to glory. Anything to do with the West was gilded in popular culture with an alloy of blood, heroism, and elan—the essentials of a great storyline, especially for mass media.[2]
Along with other basic elements, the sheen made Custer ideal for mass consumption, from the newspaper headlines of Civil War feats to the near half-million hits one will get now with an internet search of his name. Custer started the printer's ink flowing with the self-aggrandizing articles he wrote for Galaxy, collected and published as My Life on the Plains. Just months after the Little Bighorn disaster, journalist Frederick Whittaker published a fawning biography of Custer. Popular culture picked up the story. From the early days of cinema, Custer had been in the movies, none more memorable than the iconic 1941 film They Died With Their Boots On, with Errol Flynn as Custer blazing away as the Indians closed in. Custer was a short-lived television series canceled due to Native American protests. Rod Serling imagined a time-traveling National Guard unit wandering into the Little Bighorn battlefield in a 1963 Twilight Zone episode. Fantasy and alternative history novelist Harry Turtledove conjured Custer as a brash fool in his rousing Great War series. Other fantasy writers couldn't get enough of Custer, casting him as everything from a post-Civil War sorcerer to a garrulous ghost. Just in time for the 2016 presidential election, Custer turned up in a political consultant's novel as a bullying, fascistic, Western-state governor named Armstrong George who wants to close borders and battle terrorists.[3]
Sherman's Civil War nemesis, Forrest, was the Confederacy's foremost "near" Western general. Forrest's authorized biography, selectively edited, was in print by 1868. Journalists Thomas Jordan and J. P. Pryor collaborated with the general in telling his story, which omitted much controversy. The Nashville Agrarians in the 1930s enhanced his mythic legacy when they hailed him as a Christian knight defending the yeoman South with all the energy and purpose of "the Western man." Saddled with his early association with the Ku Klux Klan, his pre-war reputation as a slave trader, and the taint of the Fort Pillow massacre in Tennessee during the war, Forrest became a political lightning rod, especially in the 21st century. He has a long history as a high literary character, beguiling writers as notable as William Faulkner. The general could be repackaged to fit just about any storyline. Turtledove cast Forrest as a racist politician-general in Guns of the South and a unicorn-riding cavalryman in Sentry Peak. Forrest's alleged kinsman was the title character of Winston Groom's novel, Forrest Gump, and then the popular film. There seems no limit to Forrest's myth.[4]
The same could be said for Mosby. Mosby was a fine, if not always accurate, writer who lived until 1916, affording him ample opportunity to gild his own legend. He helped former newspaper editor John Scott assemble an authorized biography in 1867 and published his war reminiscences in 1887. Mosby had settled in San Francisco in 1885 to work as a railroad attorney before becoming, in 1901, a federal agent battling cattle barons in Nebraska. In 1905, he was sent to the Oklahoma Territory to investigate corruption in the administration of Indian affairs. This Western background served him well in popular culture. In 1957, Mosby and his rangers became the subject of a controversial television series, The Gray Ghost, more TV Western than Civil War melodrama. Mosby was TV-ready in the 1950s. He was the iconic gunslinger, daring, cunning, but never ruthless, and handsome to boot. Though a Rebel, the 1950s Mosby represented the American spirit, a lower-case rebel with a cause who fit the era. During this time of racial turmoil across the nation, however, sponsors and networks were skittish about anything to do with the Confederacy. Mosby was yanked off his horse by nervous advertisers, and the popular series was canceled. Western novels about Mosby skirted the controversy and turned the Virginia cavalryman into a gunfighter on horseback, more cowboy than colonel.[5]
Sherman shows up in important recent fiction, most notably E. L. Doctorow's novel The March. He appeared also in numerous fantasy novels by Turtledove and other writers, cavorting with vampires and communing with angels. John Wayne played Sherman on television, in an episode of Wagon Train in 1960, and in the film How the West Was Won in 1962. But Sherman's most notable role undoubtedly was in Gone With the Wind (1939). He appeared only in name and flames, but was the force that animated the entire epic that came to define the March to the Sea in popular history.[6]
Like our manticore of myth, these Civil War figures comprise a beast of many parts, which it sheds and grows as the culture changes. It is adaptable to an ever-shifting society. Whether our subjects were heroes or villains is less the issue than their affirmations of myth. Sherman showed us total war, which became more lethal in legend than in fact. He made war not just physical destruction, but psychological, too. The Sherman part of the beast illustrated how the monsters in our imaginations were more terrifying than the ones in front of us.
Perhaps nearly as horrifying are those things in the nearby woodlands. Forrest was the backwoodsman who became an accomplished leader, and displayed the virtues of the frontier primitive. He showed war to be about brutality and killing, as illustrated particularly well in the Fort Pillow massacre. It wasn't about pride, but hatred. His limb of the beast was unschooled savagery.
Mosby came out of the shadows, haunting the edges of the Union's main forces. He was that part of the manticore most elusive and difficult to corner. He was the gunslinger personified—independent, clever, bold, brave—particularly when conjured up in early television. Custer was the celebrity whose warrior legend owes as much to the press as historical reality, the very picture of dashing elan.
(to be continued….)
[1] Caudill and Ashdown, Inventing Custer, 7-8.
[2] The name of the battle and national monument is inconsistent. We settled on Little Bighorn, but honor the variations in organizational names and references in other publications.
[3] "George Custer" Google search on June 7, 2016, turned up 469,000 hits; George Armstrong Custer, My Life on the Plains (New York: Sheldon and Co., 1874); Frederick Whittaker, A Complete Life of General George A. Custer (New York: Sheldon and Co., 1876); Caudill and Ashdown, Inventing Custer, 292-94. Stuart Stevens, The Innocent Have Nothing to Fear (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016).
[4] Thomas Jordan and J. P. Pryor, The Campaigns of Lt. Gen. N.B. Forrest, and of Forrest's Cavalry (New Orleans: Blelock and Co., 1868); Andrew Lytle, Bedford Forrest and His Critter Company (Nashville, TN: J.S. Sanders, 1992, orig. pub. 1931), xxii; Ashdown and Caudill, The Myth of Nathan Bedford Forrest, 133-38, 141-44, 151-52, 160-64; Winston Groom, Forrest Gump (New York: Doubleday, 1986); Harry Turtledove, Guns of the South (New York: Del Rey, 1992); Harry Turtledove, Sentry Peak (Riverdale, NY: Baen Books, 2000).
[5] Ramage, Gray Ghost, 300-301; 319-29; John Scott, Partisan Life with Col. John S. Mosby (New York: Harper and Bros., 1867); John Mosby, Mosby's War Reminiscences, and Stuart's Cavalry Campaigns (New York: Dodd, Mead and Co., 1887); Ashdown and Caudill, The Mosby Myth, 150-58, 180-92.
[6] Caudill and Ashdown, Sherman's March in Myth and Memory, 111, 116-123, 131, 136-37; E.L. Doctorow, The March (New York: Random House, 2005).
1 Response to Manticores, Myths, and Memory (part two)
The world loves a good story. In fact it shows a habitual need for a good story. The issue is, to what extent does myth expose us to deeper truth. The bible is mostly mythological but much of it brings us to a deeper understanding of human nature and God. I like the style of your expose and the rather comprehensive way you deal with your subject matter.


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The Premier League brings in Christmas festivities early as Liverpool travel to the Emirates Stadium on Friday night to take on Arsenal in a mammoth encounter as the race to finish in the Premier League Top 4 begins to heat up, and the festive period begins in earnest, with 4 games in the space of 9 days for Jurgen Klopp's Reds.
Liverpool have the advantage of a couple of days extra rest, given the Gunners' Carabao Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday, but the Arsenal lineup on Friday will be vastly different from the one that took the field on Tuesday.
For Liverpool, confidence is high, as a temporary slump was halted with a proper smashing of Bournemouth on the South Coast following two frustrating home draws. Liverpool needed the victory against the Cherries just for the confidence to carry on to such a big game.
Olivier Giroud will miss out for Arsenal, while Joel Matip could make a return to the Liverpool side. With 5 days in between the two games, this could be one game that Klopp could be seen taking lightly, in terms of the number of changes he makes to the squad.
Here are the key individual battles that could decide the outcome of the game.
ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE v DEJAN LOVREN
Lacazette was perplexingly left out of the side when Arsenal came to Anfield earlier this season, but it can be safe to assume that Arsene Wenger will not go down that route this time.
The Frenchman has hit a slight barren run recently, but his quality is unmistakable. From what I've watched of Arsenal, it seems very much as though Lacazette is the kind of striker who will thrive when he gets the right kind of service. Far too often, Lacazette has made very good runs only for his team-mates to ignore it or not find him with their passes.
For Lovren, his struggles are well-documented, but he has bounced back well from a disastrous afternoon at Wembley and looks to be settled on the right side of the two central defenders. The evening at Bournemouth would have done a lot of good to his confidence too, as he scored a goal, that exemplified his bravery.
Lovren is enjoying his best spell of the season yet, but it is important not to get carried away. Liverpool have barely faced a team since their battering against Spurs that has taken the game to them and put the defenders under constant pressure. Lovren has done what he has had to, without too many lapses in concentration, but Arsenal will ask a lot more questions of him than most of our recent opponents, so it is another opportunity for the big no. 6 to prove his detractors wrong.
GRANIT XHAKA v JORDAN HENDERSON
The battle of who will be the bigger disappointment? Xhaka and Henderson have by far been the most vilified by their own fans this season, and this game is a massive opportunity for both to step up.
Henderson is coming off his best performance of the season, against Bournemouth. He was energetic, snapped into tackles, and there was adventure in passing.
That is one thing he has been accused of – being a coward – with his passing, with his leadership and just with being a presence in the middle of the park.
But the Vitality Stadium on Sunday saw glimpses of the Henderson from the 2013-14 season, and Klopp would not be too concerned about that spot if the skipper can put in more such performances on a consistent basis.
Xhaka, on the other hand, has had a struggle of his own. His passing has been shoddy, his renowned ability to tackle poorly has come to the fore and overall, he has had zero impact on Arsenal this season.
Xhaka won't have good memories of playing against the Reds as it was his loose chipped pass to Joe Gomez that enabled the Reds to score the opener on their way to a 4-0 win at Anfield earlier this season.
There is also uncertainty for Arsenal with the absence of Aaron Ramsey, and it is important that Liverpool play on that edginess. Henderson's energy and drive will be a good place to start from, provided the skipper provides those on the pitch.
LAURENT KOSCIELNY v ROBERTO FIRMINO
What more can be said about Firmino that hasn't yet been said about him? He contributes in a most different way from most other strikers, but he contributes in a way that makes him the fulcrum of this team, the focal point which decides how the team plays.
Koscielny himself has had a shaky last few weeks, despite keeping clean sheets. He has been uncertain with the ball at his feet, suspect in the air, and his leadership has been questioned by many an Arsenal fan.
The Frenchman can be assured that he will not get a moment's peace from Firmino, who was at his pressing best against Bournemouth and with enough rest between the two games, there is no reason for him to not do the same on Friday night.
For someone who gets criticised saying his end-product is poor, Firmino already has an impressive 13 goals to his name this season, and there is little doubt that he is the best man for the role he plays in this Jurgen Klopp system.
An underrated aspect of Firmino's play has been the telepathic understanding he individually has with each of the other three members of the "Fab Four". That has meant that even in the absence of either Salah, Coutinho or Mane, Firmino has been able to strike a formidable partnership with the others in the attack.
Salah will, no doubt, be a threat to Arsenal, but Firmino will be a lot more crucial in not allowing them to build from the back, which will be crucial for Arsenal, in the absence of Giroud.


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The Lego Batman Movie (2016)
Saturday 22nd April 2017
In the irreverent spirit of fun that made The LEGO® Movie a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble-LEGO® Batman-stars in his own big-screen adventure.
But there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker's hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up.
Will Arnett reprises his starring role from The LEGO® Movie as the voice of Lego Batman, aka Bruce Wayne. Zach Galifianakis (the Hangover films, Muppets Most Wanted) stars as The Joker; Michael Cera (TV's Arrested Development) as the orphan Dick Grayson; Rosario Dawson (TV's Daredevil) as Barbara Gordon; and Ralph Fiennes (the Harry Potter films) as Alfred.
The Lego Batman Movie is directed by Chris McKay, and produced by Dan Lin, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Roy Lee, who worked together on The LEGO® Movie. Jill Wilfert, Matthew Ashton, Will Allegra and Brad Lewis serve as executive producers. The screenplay is by Seth Grahame-Smith and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers and Jared Stern & John Whittington, story by Seth Grahame-Smith, based on LEGO Construction Toys and based on characters from DC Entertainment. Batman was created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger; Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
Production designer Grant Freckelton and editor David Burrows also return from The LEGO® Movie, joined by editors Matt Villa, and John Venzon. The music is composed by Lorne Balfe.
The Lego Batman Movie is released on DVD, Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray on 19th June 2017 from Warner Home Video.
- Director and Crew Commentary
- Deleted Scenes
- Original Animation Shorts; Dark Hoser, Batman is just not that into You, Cooking with Alfred
- Movie Sound Effects: How do they do that?
- The Master: A LEGO Ninjago Short
- One Brick at a Time: Making the Lego Batman Movie
- Comic-Con Panel
- Rebrick Contest Winners-Frosted Pie
- Harley Quinn Robs Gotham Bank
- Two Face Chase
- Inside Wayne Manor
- Brick by Brick: Making of the LEGO Batman
- Behind the Brick
- Me and My Mini Fig
- Trailers and Promos
Please note - Disc special features are subject to change, may differ from format to format and/or may differ from region to region.
Official Secrets
HotDVDGreen Room: Limited Edition
Poor Things
Vanity Fair


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Welcome to our 2020 New Home Preview; the 5th edition of our annual Preview, where we showcase some of the highly anticipated new neighborhoods expected to begin construction across Metro Detroit in 2020.
If you aren't working with a Realtor yet, connect with us so we can help ensure you're at the front of the line for pre-construction pricing, lot selection, and more, when these communities open.
For additional new communities, check out the Neighborhoods page on our website!
What We Know: Coming in late summer 2020, Lakeview by Robertson Brothers Homes will be selling a small number of single family homes, featuring the same product Robertson is currently selling in nearby Wixom. Ranging from 1,716 to 2,366 square feet, with 3-4 bedrooms, these will be 2-story homes with 2-car attached garages, nestled near the southern shore of Walled Lake. Robertson expects the homes to start in the low $400s, so with options, homesite premiums, etc., expect to be in the mid-$400s.
What We Think: Nothing against the City of Walled Lake, but it's the proximity to the eponymous body of water that will make Lakeview massively popular for west-siders who want lake-living, without driving into Northern Commerce and beyond. Factor in award-consuming/other-worldly Novi Schools and we anticipate this tiny community will sell-out super fast.
Bonus: It's also walking distance to 12 Oaks and Fountain Walk but this is Metro Detroit and no one walks anywhere so LOL disregard.
Editors note: we don't care if we used "eponymous" correctly we just wanted to see how long it would take to show up in Jeff and Lou's Google searches and as expected it was immediate.
What We Know: Located near the corner of Livernois and Hamlin, Cumberland Village by Lombardo Homes will feature 57 single family homes, with ranch and colonial options available, ranging in size from 2,000 sqft to 3,600+ sqft. Prices start in the low $400s and the neighborhood features coveted Rochester Schools. Pre-sales have begun!
What We Think: Originally developed and planned for Cranbrook Homes, Lombardo will offer more competitive prices that will appeal to a much larger buyer demographic – really, this neighborhood will be the price-leader for new construction neighborhoods within the Rochester School District. Additionally, the location is incredible, providing access to all things Rochester, without navigating the dreaded Rochester Road crawl.
Bonus: For no additional charge, Jeff will pronounce "Livernois" in an exaggerated French accent on command.
What We Know: Offering 1,850+ sqft townhomes from the low $300s, the Townes at Mill Street by Pulte Homes will bring a new construction option within walking distance of Downtown Plymouth. Located on the west side of Liley Road, just south of Main Street, this neighborhood will feature 76 townhomes, featuring 3-5 bedrooms, 3.5+ baths, and attached 2-car garages.
What We Think: For those looking to be close to the action, this development represents the future of in-town residential construction: a former industrial site that's been remediated and repurposed. The result will be the removal of an eyesore that is replaced with a clean, efficient, well-built neighborhood that will help continue filling in the gaps between Downtown Plymouth and the Old Village neighborhood.
Bonus: Technically Old Village is actually closer to this neighborhood and that really is a bonus because the restaurants are better than Downtown and also don't @ us this isn't up for debate.
What We Know: Clearview Homes will be building 87 single family homes on a 24 acre parcel on the north side of 14 Mile (just west of Mound), on the site of the former Fuhrmann Junior High. A mix of colonial, Cape Cod, and ranch plans are expected, with wooded and pond-view lots available. Pricing is expected to be released within the next 30 days, and our guess is it will be somewhere from the low to mid-$300s.
What We Think: If this neighborhood looks familiar, it is; we featured it in our 2019 Preview as well. So why is it still here? 1) We're lazy, obviously; and 2) delays pushed it into 2020, however it remains one of the most inquired-about projects in Metro Detroit; the anticipation has only continued to build as we've waited for pre-sales to begin. Word on the street is (a.k.a. the builder told us), they plan to start paving roads this spring.
Bonus: The aforementioned paved roads. No seriously, one of the overlooked benefits of a new neighborhood is the joy of driving on smooth, crater-free roads – a novelty in Metro Detroit, where paved roads are a privilege, not a right. Because, you know, the Motor City and whatnot.
What We Know: The Reserve at West Bloomfield by Toll Brothers will feature a variety of home designs including ranch-style homes ranging from 1,800 sqft to 2,400+ sqft, and likely starting from the mid-$400s. The neighborhood will offer low-maintenance living and resort-style amenities including an on-site clubhouse with fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, covered patio, and outdoor fireplace. This neighborhood is currently scheduled to open Spring 2020.
What We Think: We had been wondering who would end up nabbing this massive parcel (with over 200 lots!) and both the builder and product seem to be an excellent fit; the success of other recent new-construction ranch-oriented neighborhoods in the area are proof that aging boomers currently living in the township want to stay in the area, while a number of others outside the township are willing to relocate.
Bonus: We provide a peek behind the scenes via a one-act play we call Things The Kids Are Saying; Planning Commission Meeting Edition:
WB residents: we want more ranch plans!
Toll Brothers: ok, boomers.
Did we do that right?
In addition to the neighborhoods listed above, there are others slated to open this year, though details are still limited: Lombardo on the east side of South Lyon (near Novi/Northville), MJC on the north side of Troy, Hunter Pasteuron the east side of West Bloomfield, and more. Connect with us to stay in the loop on these developments and others; we will share updated info as it becomes available!
For additional information on all the neighborhoods above, have your Realtor get in touch with the builder/builder rep directly.
Not working with a Realtor? Let's chat.
Over 80% of resale buyers use a Realtor when purchasing an older home, building a new home shouldn't be any different.
Lou Bitove & Jeff Bortnick, owners of The New Home Experts®, have more than 35 years combined experience in real estate, much of that with builders like Pulte & Toll Brothers. They also provide market research for area builders, developers and national firms. If you're considering a new home, remember: the builders rep represents the builder, not you. Work with the only local agents in Metro Detroit to specialize in new homes, and save money in the process – ask us how!
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By Zach Goins
Photo: William Purnell/Icon Sportswire
November 8, 2020
For 58 minutes and 30 seconds, the Panthers played well enough to knock off the defending Super Bowl champions.
But after a back-and-forth game against the Chiefs, the Panthers once again fell apart in the final minutes and were unable to complete a game-winning drive, as Joey Slye's 67-yard field goal attempt missed wide right and Carolina fell to Kansas City 33-31.
"We had every opportunity to win the football game and we did not. Coaches, players, staff, not any one person– all of us. We did not make the plays to win the game," head coach Matt Rhule said. "We came here to win, we didn't get it done, and so we'll head back to Charlotte and continue to work, get ready for next week."
An offense that had been clicking all game– as well as a coaching staff that had been rolling the dice all day long– both fell stagnant at the game's most critical moment. The combination of a lack of urgency and a string of short passes held the Panthers back from moving the ball into scoring position in order to help steal a win.
Despite the meltdown in the final moments, Carolina's performance on Sunday was both shocking and admirable.
Here are some takeaways from Sunday's game:
Welcome back, C-Mac
From the very first play on Sunday, it was clear the Panthers were thrilled to have Christian McCaffrey back in action. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater connected with the All-Pro running back on a swing pass on the first play from scrimmage, and the touches kept coming for CMC.
Walked in
Walked in
Walked in pic.twitter.com/CGLlY26Csg— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 8, 2020
Sunday marked McCaffrey's first game back since suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 2 against Tampa Bay, and there were no signs of rust after six weeks off. CMC tallied 18 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown, plus 10 receptions for 82 yards and another touchdown. On the game's first drive alone McCaffrey touched the ball six different times on his way to scoring his fifth touchdown of the year.
"He's a great player and great players show up in crucial areas, crucial times. Third down, red zone, two-minute, all those things. He showed up in those areas today," Rhule said of McCaffrey. "Our ability to run the football results in way more red zone touchdowns."
Despite McCaffrey's return, it seemed as if the Panthers' coaching staff finally learned its lesson when it comes to managing the superstar's load. In his absence, backup Mike Davis filled in at running back without missing a step, and wide receiver Curtis Samuel mixed it up in the backfield, too. Pre-injury McCaffrey would take nearly every offensive snap at running back, but on Sunday the offensive game plan did a nice job of sharing the wealth between McCaffrey, Davis and Samuel.
"It was definitely good having Christian back this week," Bridgewater said. "He fought for us, he ran hard, he put the ball out of the backfield, picked up guys in protection and then when Mike came in, Mike made some plays as well. It was good to just have both of those guys rolling."
Teddy Bridgewater speaks to the media https://t.co/Nh3suRbLXl
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 8, 2020
McCaffrey still took the majority of the snaps– as he should– but the addition of a few two-back sets allowed the offense to use Davis as a lead blocker, and Samuel's presence even led to a touchdown on a 14-yard jet sweep, although the slight toss technically counts as a receiving touchdown.
Now, we'll just have to wait and see whether this style of load management is truly the new mindset to help preserve McCaffrey, or if it's just a preventative measure in his first game back before getting back to an all-CMC game plan next week.
Mahomes, Kelce and Hill expose Panthers secondary
It's no secret the Chiefs are one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL, particularly on offense. In case anyone forgot, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his receivers reminded the world why on Sunday.
"Patrick is a different beast," safety Sam Franklin said. "He can move up in the pocket, extend plays, he can throw the ball underhand, overhand, side-armed. There's just so many ways that he can attack you."
Mahomes completed 30-of-45 passes for 372 yards and four touchdowns, picking apart the Panthers' already thin secondary. On the receiving end of Mahomes's passes were tight end Travis Kelce (10 catches, 159 yards) and wideout Tyreek Hill (nine catches, 113 yards, two touchdowns), two players Carolina could not figure out how to stop.
Safety Sam Franklin speaks to the media https://t.co/giJzmUJcuC
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 8, 2020
"They do great things about hiding him," Franklin said of Kelce. "Putting him in different spots so you can't really press him sometimes, he gets free releases."
It didn't help that the defense was without arguably its best player in linebacker-defensive back hybrid Jeremy Chinn, who was out with a knee injury. Chinn's versatility and unique combination of size and speed would have provided Carolina with a possible answer against a tight end as dominant as Kelce, but without Chinn, the All-Pro was able to terrorize the defense.
One bright spot for the unit was Franklin, an undrafted rookie out of Temple who has filled in at safety since Juston Burris's rib injury in Week 6. Franklin came up big on back-to-back plays in the third quarter, blowing up a screen pass to running back Le'Veon Bell before sacking Mahomes. The two stops forced the Chiefs to attempt a 48-yard field goal that ended up missing wide left, allowing Carolina to maintain its lead at the time.
Everything but the kitchen sink
Riding a three-game losing streak and facing the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Panthers had nothing to lose against the Chiefs.
If Rhule somehow pulled out a miraculous upset, he would notch a signature win to help jumpstart his tenure in Carolina. Well, the dream scenario didn't play out, but the team's effort was impressive nonetheless.
With the freedom of low expectations, Rhule and company used the opportunity to dial up every last trick play in the playbook. Some worked, others didn't, but the amount of guts shown by both the Panthers players and coaches showed just what this team is capable of accomplishing.
Robby Anderson speaks to the media https://t.co/9Yzl5kut48
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 8, 2020
"We came to win, we came to play to win," Rhule said of the mindset. "We wanted to get a win and tried to play that way."
Rhule set the tone early with a fourth down conversion on the game's opening drive that led to a touchdown, and he would end up converting the team's two other fourth down attempts as well, including 28-yards gained on a fake punt. The trick play marked the second fake punt in as many weeks for a team desperate to create a spark.
On top of the fakes, the Panthers attempted two onside kicks– one as a surprise and one out of necessity. Neither bounced in Carolina's favor, but the surprise attempt came at a perfect time and caught Kansas City off guard, although it ultimately fell a yard short.
"Got to be able to execute that kick, give our team an opportunity to steal a possession on special teams," Slye said. "That was one of our big keys this week, and I let the team down in that aspect and I didn't execute my job."
The coaches weren't the only ones putting it all on the line, though. On a critical fourth-and-14 early in the fourth quarter, Bridgewater made sure to do whatever it took to convert. As the pocket collapsed around him, he stepped up and took off, before launching himself airborne to pick up the final yards.
Kicker Joey Slye speaks to the media https://t.co/goCxiqcCPw
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 8, 2020
"As I was running, I just looked to the sideline to see where the chains were," Bridgewater said of the conversion. "I knew if I would have went down head first, they might have marked me down a little shorter, so I just decided to take flight and sacrifice my body and try to get the first down."
All the gutsy calls and rolls of the dice came up short against the Chiefs, but with seven games left on the schedule and a shot at the playoffs virtually nonexistent, expect to see a lot more of this mindset moving forward. Because, why not?
The Panthers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, November 15 at 1 p.m. in Charlotte on FOX.
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Alutard Wasp venom ®
Clinical Indication
Preventative treatment for wasp sting allergy
Not yet reviewed
Date of classification
October 2019
Not yet reviewed drugs with no traffic light recommendation so not yet approved for use in LLR.
- New medicines, devices, appliances.
- New indication of existing medicine.
- New NICE TA which has not been reviewed.
- Not been requested for review by either TAS/LPT MMC.


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Air New Zealand responds to criticism over 'swimsuit safety video'
Air New Zealand has responded to critics of its latest inflight safety video starring Sports Illustrated swimsuit models, saying the beachside setting made it "entirely appropriate" that the ladies wear bikinis.
The Kiwi carrier is well known for its decidedly different safety videos, which are as much a global marketing tool as a way to ensure your seat belt is indeed fastened low and tight.
But AirNZ has had to leap to the defence of its 'Safety in Paradise' video, even on the basis of a 'behind the scenes' teaser released ahead of the actual video's debut later this month.
That's a novel experience for the airline after previously well-received clips starring Betty White, Bear Grylls and an assortment of Hobbits.
"We have been careful to ensure Safety in Paradise has been produced in a way that is tasteful" maintains Air New Zealand spokesperson Andrew Aitken told Fairfax NZ, adding that it was "entirely appropriate they're wearing beachwear and we were careful to ensure all talent were in appropriate wardrobe choices".
The airline says it carried out extensive tests with a section of customers and staff to ensure the video achieved the right balance between entertainment and safety messages.
'Safety in Paradise' will begin screening on Air New Zealand flights this month, but here's the 'behind the scenes' clip which everybody's talking about.
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT
Be that as it may, it is still quite troubling for the national airline, 100% owned by the government of a country so evolved to be going down this path.
All you need is a couple of hunks in speedos to tip the balance back from misogynist to humorous.
Haha, oh wow, I went from +6 to -8 in a couple of hours. Apparently there's some feminist brigade out there somewhere, or else someone creating a whole lot of accounts *just* for this issue.
And while what I admit that what I said was deliberately provocative, Fiona's comment down below was harmless and yet wound up at -11. Somebody must be *really* angry about something...
I think it's a great publicity stunt, personally not offended at all at the use of swimsuit models in a safety video.
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Air New Zealand responds to criticism over 'swimsuit safety video'


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It was the horse who chose Narnia, that much is clear.
His name was Strawberry, and he had been in the middle of a long and troubling day. First he had been out doing his daily work with his cabby on the streets of London when an otherworldly half-giantess had taken control of him and made him her "royal charger" and then it was all galloping and crowds and shouting.
Then a moment of rushing speed, and Strawberry and a number of human companions (and the otherworlder) found themselves in the wood between worlds. And it was there that Strawberry "shook his head, gave a cheerful whinny, and seemed to feel better."
It was then that "Strawberry did the most natural thing in the world." He stepped into one of the pools. Not because he knew each pool was a world, or had any idea about worlds, or woods between worlds, or anything else, but only because he was thirsty. He stepped in to have a drink (though he never got one) and found himself in the proto-darkness of the nothingness before a world begins.
Then there was The Voice. Singing a song that some of the humans seemed to like and, well, Strawberry seemed to like it too: "[H]e gave the sort of whinny a horse would give if, after years of being a cab-horse, it found itself back in the old field where it had played as a foal, and saw someone whom it remembered and loved coming across the field to bring it a lump of sugar." Something about that music brought the horse strength. Vitality.
And then, as the World came into being and plants began to fill what had been nothing, and as the Great Lion walked to and fro and sang his creation song, Strawberry happily returned to doing what a happy horse does: he began to eat "delicious mouthfuls of new grass."
Strawberry the horse is no major character in the story of The Magician's Nephew, but we see some fascinating bits of the story's theme—the creation—playing out in his story. It's all the more interesting because Strawberry—unlike the other animals of Narnia—is not created in this story. He's from our world. And while Aslan doesn't choose every animal in Narnia to be a talking animal (he chooses two at a time), he does choose Strawberry. As a matter of fact, he's the first animal to speak outside of their initial chorus ("Hail, Aslan. We hear and obey. We are awake. We love. We think. We speak. We know."). Strawberry follows up immediately with, "But, please, we don't know very much yet."
What's fascinating to me about good old Strawberry is that he seems to go through the entire process of evolutionary spiritual growth that Lewis lays out in various places. He starts as a beast, a sort of pre-conscious animal that isn't completely aware of either himself or the world in the same way he soon will be. Aslan refers to the previous state of the animals as "dumb and witless" (dumb in this context meaning without speech). Strawberry himself says that he scarcely remembers these days once he's awake: "But I've a sort of idea I've seen a thing like this before. I've a feeling I lived somewhere else—or was something else—before Aslan woke us all up a few minutes ago. It's all very muddled. Like a dream." He has vague memories of humans, of the sting of the whip, of the glories of sugar, and when they talk about it, it comes back to him in bits and pieces. But he has become something—or rather someone—else.
Aslan makes it quite clear that in this time, Strawberry wasn't some free animal. He was a slave. In fact, Lewis as narrator says the exact same thing. As the clean air of creation begins to work on Strawberry—before he's even given the gift of speech—Lewis says, "He no longer looked like the poor, old slave he had been in London; he was picking up his feet and holding his head erect."
So Strawberry, in this first stage, goes from beast to person. From a dream to wakefulness. From slavery to freedom. From silence to speech, from witless to intelligent. All of this because one, he was thirsty. And two, because Aslan chose him. No doubt Lewis chose all these things with clear intent. Even the thirst of the horse is likely another reference to the "living water" that Jesus talks about in scripture (Lewis loves this metaphor and you may recall it from The Silver Chair, when Jill is thirsty and discovers the only way to access the water is by going quite close to Aslan.). In fact, it's not an uncommon metaphor in scripture, see Isaiah 55:1-5, or the words of Jesus in John 7:37-39 (note that here Jesus equates the water of life with the Spirit—in Greek the same word means breath, wind, or spirit—and the first thing that happens in the darkness of the pre-creation after the Voice begins its song is, "A light wind, very fresh, began to stir."), or, again in the very last chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22… note especially verse 17.
But there is still another transformation in store for Strawberry. Aslan turns to Digory and tells him that it's time to "undo the wrong that you have done to my sweet country of Narnia on the very day of its birth." There is a quest that must be undertaken, a journey to retrieve a magical apple. When Digory says that he might need help for such a task, Aslan turns to Strawberry and asks, "My dear, would you like to be a winged horse?"
Which Strawberry desperately wants, but he only humbly says, "If you wish, Aslan—if you really mean—I don't know why it should be me—I'm not a very clever horse." Aslan does wish, and he roars, "Be winged. Be the father of all flying horses," and Strawberry rears up like he would have done "in the bad old day" and wings burst from his shoulders just like the animals of Narnia burst from the ground. And Aslan asks him if it is good and Strawberry—or the creature who used to be strawberry—replies, "It is very good, Aslan."
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Across the Green Grass Fields
Note that these words— "very good" in reference to the creation—are used in scripture, as well. Each day, as God creates the world, there is a moment of reflection on all that has been made and then God says, "It is good." This goes on until the final day of creation, when God looks at creation in general—and humanity specifically, the culmination of God's creative power—and says it is "very good." Surely, Lewis is echoing that here.
But this winged horse is not Strawberry any longer, because Aslan gives him a new name: Fledge. Fledge, of course, being a word that means "to acquire feathers." Getting a new name when following God or accepting a new mission in God's service is common in scripture: Abram becomes Abraham, Sarai becomes Sarah, Jacob becomes Israel, Simon becomes Peter, Saul becomes Paul, and Strawberry becomes Fledge. He's given a new name, a new quest, and becomes a new person. In Christian scripture we're told that every follower of Jesus will one day get a new name, a sort of pet name between God and his beloved, that is known only to God and the one who receives it. And naming is part of the creation. Frank is told that part of his job as king will be to name the animals. Adam named the animals in Eden. There is power in names, and part of that power is recognizing what a thing is, who a person is at their heart.
So Strawberry goes from beast to person to something more. Someone indelibly touched by the magic of Aslan, so that it's clear to all who see him that he is not just a horse, not even just a talking horse, but a person who has been in the presence of Aslan, who has received a name from him, who has been bestowed with the transformative power of certain gifts so he can perform the tasks and quests set out for him.
Interesting side note: Aslan says that Fledge will be the "father of all flying horses" and yet we don't see another one in the Chronicles of Narnia. There isn't a "mother" of all flying horses, and while we do see Fledge again in the final book of the series, there's not even a moment in the rest of the Chronicles where we see a flock of winged horses soaring overhead. The only other moment that a winged horse is mentioned is in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, when it's mentioned that there is a winged horse turned to stone in the white witch's castle. But even there, it's only one winged horse and we're told nothing about it: gender, color, name. It could well be Fledge himself…
This is the sort of question when studying Lewis that's worth pushing into. Sometimes it might just be a moment of sloppiness (like the varying height of Reepicheep), and sometimes it's something done with quiet purpose (see the book Planet Narnia!). I have no idea why this is…the only thing I can think of today is that Pegasus is also a sort of singular flying horse, and I do note with some interest that Hesiod says that the name Pegasus comes from the word πηγή, meaning "spring" or well, and in some myths where Pegasus stepped, springs of water came up, and it was while drinking from a spring that Pegasus is caught by the hero Bellerophon. In any case, I'm not sure what's going on here, but if someone would like to use the question to write their doctoral thesis, I bet there are clues out there for those who take the time.
After this transformation for Fledge, there are those who struggle to call him by his new name. Even the narrator calls him Strawberry and then says "or Fledge as we must now call him." Frank calls him Strawberry and immediately corrects himself to Fledge, and that's the end of that. Strawberry never appears again in the book; it's only Fledge now.
Fledge goes on his adventure with the children, and he serves as transportation, shelter (the children sleep nestled beneath his wings), and encouragement. When they return home, Fledge is astonished to see that his "old master" Frank has been transformed as well. He was never a beast, but he has gone from person to King (or, as Fledge says, a "real Master"…Aslan makes it clear that a Master or King in this sense is not one who owns others or treats them as slaves, but one who provides for and protects those in his care). Here we get another clue of the transformation from person to something more, for as Fledge looks at Frank he sees that "[a]ll the sharpness and cunning and quarrelsomeness which he had picked up as a London cabby seemed to have been washed away, and the courage and kindness which he had always had were easier to see. Perhaps it was the air of the young world that had done it, or talking with Aslan, or both."
So Frank, who had been at least kind-hearted already, has his kindness brought into more obvious action in his life. His courage is increased. And what has gone away? Sharpness, cunning, quarrelsomeness. All the sorts of things that we see in Uncle Andrew, that we notice in Jadis.
I've been working hard not to jump ahead into other books, but there is one more Fledge moment in the Chronicles, and it's so sweet and lovely I don't want to miss it when we talk about The Last Battle. For in The Magician's Nephew we learn about what Narnia was, how it came to be. The creation, the coming of evil, the first king and queen, the talking beasts and the wakened trees, and, yes, the horse Strawberry who was once a lowly slave, and then a True Horse and then Someone Better: Fledge, father of all winged horses.
In The Last Battle there is a moment…just a sentence, really…where the children Digory and Polly have grown (Digory Kirke became Professor Kirke in time, and then Lord Digory; Polly Plummer became Aunt Polly and then Lady Polly) and in that world to come we see—not just a simple winged horse. Why, that was just the beginning of Fledge's life. For "out of the gateway there came a horse so mighty and noble that even a Unicorn might feel shy in its presence: a great winged horse. It looked a moment at the Lord Digory and the Lady Polly and neighed out 'What, cousins!' and they both shouted 'Fledge! Good old Fledge!' and rushed to kiss it."
It may be our thirst that brings us to Narnia, but it's Aslan who chooses us. Lewis believed strongly that the moment of creation is a blessing that provides us with choices. That when we are given the gift of consciousness, of speech, of life, of freedom, that we have then the ability to let ourselves become something less than we were created to be: to allow ourselves to "pick up" the qualities of quarrelsomeness or sharpness or cunningness. Or else to continue to grow, to change, to cultivate kindness and courage. The moment of creation is not the peak of what we could be…we are invited to become something—someone—much more than what we are, much more than who we were to begin.
In this book, Lewis assures us that there is a moment—we can expect it, we can rely on it—when the Creator will turn to us and say, "Beloved…would you like wings?"
Matt Mikalatos is the author of the YA fantasy The Crescent Stone. You can follow him on Twitter or connect on Facebook.


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Visual / Museums
Sumter County Museum
The Sumter County Museum preserves and interprets the history of Old Sumter District, present day Sumter, Lee, and Clarendon Counties. The museum uses living history, period rooms, and temporary exhibits to share stories about the Sumter area. It includes the Williams-Brice House (1916), the Heritage Education Center, the Carolina Backcountry Homestead and our NEW Temple Sinai Jewish History Center. We also provide rental space for weddings, parties, and other events.


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Celebrate Halloween year round with this purrfectly cute vintage-inspired black cat hard enamel pin. Best when worn while walking under ladders.
Size: 1.25"
Royalties from Pins for Weirdos directly support the artists who create them.
- High End Polished Hard Enamel
- Deluxe Locking Back - Comfortable against skin while also being the most secure pin back option available
- Pins for Weirdos Backer Card in Matte Black


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The possibility of a big Covid-19 rebound in China over the next two or three months is remote as 80% of people have been infected, a prominent government scientist said on Saturday.
The mass movement of people during the ongoing Lunar New Year holiday period may spread the pandemic, boosting infections in some areas, but a second Covid wave is unlikely in the near term, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on the Weibo social media platform.
Hundreds of millions of Chinese are traveling across the country for holiday reunions that had been suspended under recently eased Covid curbs, raising fears of fresh outbreaks in rural areas less equipped to manage large outbreaks.
China has passed the peak of Covid patients in fever clinics, emergency rooms and with critical conditions, a National Health Commission official said on Thursday.
Nearly 60,000 people with Covid had died in hospital as of Jan. 12, roughly a month after China abruptly dismantled its zero-Covid policy, according to government data. (SOURCE)


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Advanced Plastics Benelux
ADVANCED PLASTICS BENELUX BV is a leading distributor of raw materials, machines, tools and ancillaries for the composite industry.
Since 2002, as Advanced Plastics Benelux BV, we proudly offer a wide range of high quality products thanks to our long-term suppliers worldwide. All our products have been meticulously curated as to be a value-added solution for you. Advanced Plastics Benelux BV has a strong and prominent position in a large number of international market, mostly but not limited to the Benelux and Germany. In order to satisfy the needs of our customers and to serve as best, Advanced Plastics Benelux BV is always proactively looking for new solutions to expand our brand and product portfolio. One of the most important strengths of our company, is a long term committed partnerships
both with our suppliers and customers, this is an important core value for us that carry us beyond a box mover type of distributor. Another important core value of us, to serve our customer base in a responsively, timely manner with point on targeted solutions. Advanced Plastics Benelux BV offers the possibility of one-stop shopping thanks to its
extensive product range. This is very attractive to you as a customer: Delivering all raw materials, auxiliary materials and tools by one supplier. This service is simpler, faster and above all cheaper. Combined with all these facts that to supply raw materials directly from stock, Advanced Plastics Benelux BV makes a respected and reliable supplier.
• Polyester, Vinylester, Crestapol
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• Glass, Carbon, Aramid, Hybrid
• UD, Biax, Triax, Quadrax, CSM
• More than 2,500 customer-specific articles
High-Tech Fabrics
• Woven Fabrics, prepregs
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• Saerfoam, Nidaplast, PVC Foam, Mould Foam
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• Vacuum Moulding, RTM & RTM Light
• Vacuum Infusion, Reusable Membranes
• Vacuum Equipment
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Release Agents
• Mould Releases, Semi-permanent
• Internal Mould Release Agents, Cleaners, Strippers
• FRP equipment, Transfer Pumps
Tools and Ancilliaries
• Rollers, Brushes, Taps, Buckets, Catalyst Dispensers, Scissors, etc.


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Duke Snider Autographed Los Angeles Dodgers White Majestic Jersey- JSA Auth
Duke Snider Autographed Los Angeles Dodgers White Majestic Jersey
With James Spence Authentication
This is a Hand Autographed Baseball Jersey of Duke Snider of The Los Angeles Dodgers. This is a Majestic Jersey. This item has a James Spence Authentication, which Comes with a JSA #'ed Sticker and matching JSA COA. You can view this item on the JSA website. It was signed either at a public autograph appearance or a Private Signing. This is a stock photo of the item. Although you may not receive this exact item, the item you receive is virtually identical and brand new in great shape. We appreciate your interest in our items and we hope that we can make all transactions professional and satisfying.


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Topics covered:
- Indian Culture – salient aspects of art forms, literature and architecture from ancient to modern times.
Sangeet Natak Akademi launches second phase of the Web Campaign 'SANJHI – MUJH MEIN KALAKAR'.
Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama will launch the second phase of the Web Campaign 'SANJHI-MUJH MEIN KALAKAR'.
It is an initiative to document and promote the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) and diverse cultural traditions of the country by direct public-participation.
The literal meaning of the term SANJHI is "to share" and "to partner".
The Second Phase:
The second phase of this campaign has its main focus area like the folk, traditional, customary, socially events and ritualistic art forms – woven as a cultural fabric around the harvest festival season of January.
It is widely celebrated as various nomenclatures like Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Lohri, Bhogali Bihu, Torgya, Uttarayan, Attukkal Pongal, etc.
The Intention:
It intends to bring forth such forms that are aligned with the domains of intangible cultural heritage as per the Convention of Safeguarding the ICH under UNESCO:
- Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage;
- Performing arts;
- Social practices, rituals and festival events;
- Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe;
- Traditional craftsmanship.
About The Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) –
Founded in 31st May 1952 [HQ: New Delhi]
The Sangeet Natak Akademi – India's national academy for music, dance and drama – is the first National Academy of the arts set-up by the Republic of India.
It is presently an Autonomous Body of the Ministry of Culture, and is fully funded by the Government for implementation of its schemes and programmes.
It is the nodal agency of the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India to coordinate the matters related to Intangible Cultural Heritage and various UNESCO Conventions addressing Cultural Diversity and promotion and dissemination of multifarious cultural traditions and expressions of the country.
What is Intangible Cultural Heritage?
The term 'cultural heritage' has changed content considerably in recent decades, partially owing to the instruments developed by UNESCO. Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects. It also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.
Source: PIB


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Affordable Newcastle, Wyoming Christian Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center Alternatives
In your search for addiction treatment centers near Newcastle, Wyoming, please take a look at the rehabs we have compiled. Our list of single-gender adult drug and addiction treatment center alternatives includes just rehabs that are Christian. These rehabs are affordable and highly successful, with a history of the highest addiction recovery rates in the rehab industry. They offer counseling and life skills vocational therapy.
A treatment center for substance abuse can definitely be life-changing. But sometimes the whole idea of what "rehab" is all about can be confusing, since many programs are like a revolving door. That's why it would be helpful to talk to a center, to dispel the fallacies about substance abuse rehabs that can be found in or around Newcastle, WY, and other Wyoming locations.
The First Myth of Addiction Treatment: Rehabs for Substance Abuse are "One Size Fits All"
Substance abuse rehabs in Wyoming typically have a standardized set of treatments, but each is with its own distinctives. Outcomes can vary much due to the amount of time spent in the program.
Remember this: Short-Term Rehabs in Wyoming Rarely Work in the Long-Term. They are Usually a Revolving Door.
The more effective programs will last several months, not a few days or weeks, since it takes that long to reteach them the truth, positive thinking, and better motivations toward a successful future.
Not every client has the same experience and history with drugs and alcohol. What started the initial use and subsequent addiction is different for each individual. So, unraveling it will take different approaches and intense therapy.
Did you know that addictions are often initially caused by a disappointment or a void in the person's life? So, those triggers must be dealt with simultaneously. Often called "dual-diagnosis treatment," this [combined therapy is essential, but not a part of the treatment in all rehabs.
Fact is, the Christian Rehabs that We List Near Newcastle, Wyoming, Have "Triple-Diagnosis Treatment" Since they Focus on Also Treating the Soul of the Addict
Addicts need counseling for their mind, body and soul, before they can make any progress toward defeating an addiction. Secular rehabs try to mimic this by focusing on a "Higher Power", but there is no kinship built with an unnamed "power". The addiction treatment centers near Newcastle, Wyoming, in our directory focus on building a vibrant, personal relationship with God, who gives men and women strength, hope, and encouragement for life transformation.
Another Myth About Addiction Treatment in Newcastle, Wyoming is this: Men and Women With Chemical Dependencies Have the Personal Choice to Stop their Addiction Without Help
It is impossible for a chemically-addicted individual to just choose to stop their own addiction. Addictions are in a portion of the brain called the Mesolimbic Dopamine System. This system is not part of the conscious portion of the brain. Whether or not the addict initially opened the door to the addiction is irrelevant to their option to stop it once it has taken hold of their brain. Once the addiction is started, the addict no longer has mental control to stop it.
So, if you or someone you love in Wyoming is involved in a harmful addiction to drugs or alcohol, pushing them to stop on their own may only destroy your relationship and the addict's own emotions. Seek professional help as soon as possible. The more time goes on, the more difficult it will be to reverse it.
We offer a list of addiction treatment centers in Wyoming that are faith-based, dual-diagnosis drug and alcohol addiction rehabs that serve adult men and women with chemical dependency. These centers offer a structured and encouraging environment in which the cycles of addiction are broken and replaced with positive thinking and essential life skills.
Lasting and caring help for an addict in Newcastle, Wyoming is only a phone call away. Look here for the most affordable, Christian addiction treatment alternatives that are easily accessible from Newcastle, Wyoming.
Christian alcoholism or drug addiction treatment centers in Newcastle, Wyoming: Newcastle is a city in and the county seat of Weston County, Wyoming, United States.GR The population was 3,065 at the 2000 census. Excerpt about the city where rehabs and addiction treatment centers in Newcastle, Wyoming are located is used with permission from Wikipedia. |


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I hope it helped you understand how to use your freezer better and make dinnertime easier.
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This piece is so one sided that one has to wonder how it got by the editors. Both sides in this are villians. the EC is just like any government beast on either side of the pond (they are mostly missinformed and tend to act like the're in charge of the second coming). Microsoft may or may not have crossed the legal line of being a monopoly but they do work hard to get the benifits and avoid the problems of being one.
"Consumers are better off when companies add new features to their products,a truism that even antitrust officials in the United States acknowledge." – dumbest line of the week
first the antitrust officials she seems to be talking about are just the same as their european counterparts. Second they are the same dummies that let Microsoft off on the slam-dunk case in the states. Third sometimes added features are just dumb (ala video devices in the front of your car). In this case one of the features that the're talking about is a firewall . Its a good feature but most of the people I know run Hardware firewalls they should be able to get rid of Microsofts (or anyone elses) with the click of a button.
Lastly her fear mongering about the effects on Europe – if they don;t get vista immediately – are wrong. Vista is clearly designed for the next generation of machines and is clearly not ready for prime time. No business in its right mind is planning on switching until Vista proves itself in action.
The "OS" world is in terrible shape. it seems to think in the terms of "one size fits all". I expect better from all of them. Currently we have two choices 1. Microsoft which is too monolithic 2.apple/linix which are based on 40 year old ideas. There are people/companies out there with new fresh approaches but there is no way to overcome either the market share or FUD problem and this is a clear indication that governments have to take some kind of action if we are to move to the next level.
European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes is touring the United States this week. Her visit comes during a nasty spat between the commission and Microsoft that could seriously hurt technology businesses and consumers.
Microsoft is planning to launch its new operating system, Windows Vista, in November for corporate clients and in January for consumers. Before launching in Europe, it hopes the EC will explain if there is anything in its software to which the commission seriously objects. Normally, a corporation shouldn't have to get permission from a government body in order to launch a product, but in this case, Microsoft and the EC have a history that changes the norm.
Curbing Power
In March 2004, the EC ruled that in addition to paying a record fine of 497 million euros (US$632 million), Microsoft had to sell a copy of Windows without Media Player software and hand over the specifics of its Windows server technology to rivals. Both these mandates were meant to correct Microsoft's allegedly harmful market power.
The company appealed the decision, and in July, the commission slapped Microsoft with an additional fine of 280.5 million euros ($356.9 million) for supposedly not complying with its orders. Given this history, it isn't hard to see why Microsoft would want to know in advance of its next product if the commission has problems with it. Unfortunately for everyone except EC bureaucrats, an answer will not arrive in the near future.
"It is not up to the commission to give Microsoft a green light before Vista is put on the market, it is up to Microsoft to accept and implement its responsibilities as a near-monopolist to ensure full compliance with EU competition rules," said EU spokesperson Jonathan Todd. That's tough to swallow, given that the commission has also said it has concerns with Vista.
"Diversity and innovation could be at risk if Microsoft was allowed to foreclose the existing competition in computer security markets … by bundling its own security products into its dominant operating system," Todd said.
This game-playing by the commission should make entrepreneurs everywhere sick. Kroes and her staff are acting like spoiled children, as they are basically telling Microsoft, "We think you have problems, but we won't tell you how to fix them." That's disappointing leadership from Kroes, who was recently named by Forbes as one of the "World's Most Powerful Women."
Who Needs Enemies?
Of course, if one takes a hard look at Todd's comments, the natural conclusion is that the commission doesn't want Microsoft to build security features into its product. That's not just anti-consumer, it's downright stupid. With friends like that, Europeans certainly don't need any enemies.
Conducting business in this kind of environment is obviously dangerous, and one of the reasons why Microsoft cited the EC's concerns about Vista as a "risk factor" in a recent filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. But not all Europeans accept the EC's poor behavior.
In a letter to Kroes, European parliament members Chris Heaton-Harris, Sharon Bowles, Peter Skinner and Michal Kaminski said, "It is alarming that one of the world's most successful technology companies considers the European Commission's attitude a risk factor."
It is indeed alarming, and it becomes even more so with the possibility that this risk might force Microsoft to delay its launch of Vista in Europe. If that happens, European businesses will join consumers in feeling the unfortunate harm caused by the commission's missteps.
Seeing the Light
According to European computer retailer PC World, "The possibility of a further delay in the introduction of Microsoft's new operating system Vista in Europe, due to regulatory uncertainty, would disrupt the computing industry." Many other companies also expressed concerns, as delays cause loss of revenue and harm the economy.
Consumers are better off when companies add new features to their products, a truism that even antitrust officials in the United States acknowledge. In suggesting that consumers would be better off if Microsoft refrained from adding new security features to its system, the commission reveals where its real concerns reside: helping competitors and showing the world that the EC isn't afraid to wield its power, even if it does hurt those it was meant to protect.
Neelie Kroes may be powerful, but she needs a new perspective on the technology industry and consumer needs. Perhaps she will get it during her American tour this week. If she doesn't, a lot of people will suffer.
Sonia Arrison, a TechNewsWorld columnist, is director of Technology Studies at the California-based Pacific Research Institute.


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Advice for a Happy Life
Wednesdays in January
Meditation Classes
Online and Onsite
7 – 8:30pm
Always keep a smiling face and a loving mind, and speak truthfully without malice
~ Venerable Atisha — from Advice from Atisha's Heart
Wednesdays in January
One thousand years ago, the great Indian Buddhist Master Atisha was instrumental in reviving pure Buddhism in Tibet. When he was about to return to India, he gave very special advice which, if applied in our life even today, can lead us to pure and everlasting happiness. This ancient wisdom practice, known as Advice from Atisha's Heart, is a perfect method for keeping a balanced mind when faced with the challenging situations of our hectic modern lives.
This advice is practical advice for daily living. By taking this advice to heart ourselves, we can develop and maintain inner peace, reduce and cease our experiences of problems and suffering, and thereby bring about positive changes in our life.
Join Resident Teacher, Gen Kelsang Kunden for meditation Wednesdays in January with meditation and contemplations to apply Atisha's Advice to our daily lives so we can experience a deep and lasting happiness.
You are also welcome to join us for this class on Sunday afternoons at 2:30pm.


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Collaborating closely with a network of partners around the world, 50by40 is a passionate nonprofit that works to reduce the consumption of farmed animal products 50% by the year 2040. The nonprofit provides support for working groups, events, and grants all in pursuit of their ultimate "50by40" goal.
As their mission gained traction and momentum, 50by40 quickly realized that a polished website would play an important role in attracting new partners and educating the public about their work. Their previous website was no longer meeting their needs, so they approached NMC for a nonprofit website design that would better showcase key initiatives and information about the cause.


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Batman and Robin 666 #8
May 11th, 2009
Click here to read the rest of the run
And so ends our second story arc. We don't have a wait for the trade philosophy round here so enough gets answered that it's a satisfying conclusion, but we leave enough shit dangling to keep you coming back for the mega-story. If you've been following us since the beginning you'll be used to all the weird tonal shifts by now and this episode's absolutely no exception. I gather Morrison's going to be using Professor Pyg in his new Batman book so as of now this stuff is officially NOT CANON. Not unless Grant secretly loves this non-run and plays along, which I doubt. I'm playing in his sandpit afterall. And, of course, that's been one of the themes of this arc. Seriously, though, in some ways I've, completely naively, started to feel as though these characters belong to me, and it does sting a bit to be reminded that they absolutely don't, so forgive me if I feel a little sad. I'm looking forward to Morrison's new bat-arc as much as anyone, but it's a shame to see *my* Robin relegated to a pile of bad guys for Batman to beat on.
And that's the other thing: I suppose by this time it's become clear that this book is as much about Alice Dodgeson as it is about Damian Wayne. I think I always saw 666 as a team effort, but that doesn't mean I'm not aware that Damian really needs some time to shine on his own and I've factored that into my future plans, so hopefully I'm heading off any complaints some of you might have at the pass. Though I'll also be spending some issues focusing really closely on some of the supporting cast too, one of whom may come as something of a surprise. These last two arcs have really been about world building and setting the scene both tonally and narratively for what comes afterwards. So, sure, they're overflowing with crazy vehicles, virtual reality, lynchian conceits and toy guns, maybe to the point of overkill, but now it's all firmly lodged in place, I can take my hands off the throttle a bit and Nu Gotham can relax into a different kind of pace.
So anyway, let's forget about all that for now and join Batman and Robin as they face down the combined might of the Black Rabbit and Action Figure. One last time before the continuity hounds start screaming Elseworlds!'
Batman and Robin 666 #5 (new story arc!)
March 24th, 2009
Sorry about the delay, Superteam. I would have posted this on Friday if it wasn't for Zom's notepad fucking up my shit. I was so angry I couldn't face redoing the entire deleted file until today – I'm sure you understand.
So… this time round there's a lot more talking – denser panels and whatnot – there's more wildlife and a sprinkling of magic. BTW, I've been checking loads of comics and people break the 25 to 20 words a panel rule ALL THE TIME so I don't feel that bad about it any more. Obviously if the action's supposed to be fast paced you can't go shoving soliloquies in character's mouths, but if it's just talking heads, or even a teensy bit of implied movement, then it doesn't matter so much. Again, I won't be coming over all Bendis or Kevin Smith.
I wrote this one under the influence of the mighty Melchior Productions Ltd, Vangelis (obviously, but specifically his Apocalypse Des Animaux stuff), Telepathe and Atlas Sound, so it's all a little downbeat…. Apart from the parts that take place in the Engine Rooms, which I wrote while drinking and chatting with a mate. We had Stay High and Thunderheist on repeat. That LBG tune's a corker (thankyou, Wrong Tom!).
Batman 666 #2
February 19th, 2009
"I thought this was, frankly, going to be so far up it's arse it could taste itself.
It weren't though.
Really enjoyed this…"
Our hopes and fears for this fan-fic extravaganza captured by our good friend Triplets in the comments thread for part one.
Give these a go, it's not like Amy doesn't rush off into fan-fic territory every time he writes one of those Rogue's Reviews you all seem to love so much. In the opinion of this mindless, this is just as fun, if not more so.
Like he said.
My only concern about this one is…. Well, you'll probably understand what's thorny about one of the themes about halfway through. I might need to add a bit more dialogue somewhere to prove I'm not a racist. There's some dodgy ground.
Testing, testing…. Batman 666 fan-fic comic script alert!
February 14th, 2009
I honestly never intended for any of you lot to read this guff.
When Zom found out I'd been writing comic scripts in my lazy hours, he insisted I put them up here.
And then he said he thought it might make us look like a bunch of conceited wankers.
And then he decided I should do it anyway.
So, if anyone digs it – I'm not that sure how good any of it actually is – then you can look forward to seeing more of the same over at our soon to be unleashed sister site for, err, em>creative work</em>. It'll be called The Warehouse of Broken Dreams, or something. Anything to keep the lawyers away.
Just a few thoughts before we get into this, because I know you'd offer up the life of your sister to read this shit, and we'd better get moving…..
If anyone slogged through our mindless ramblings over on Pillock's intensely wonderful A Trout in the Milk blog, then you may remember – HOW COULD YOU FORGET?!!?! – me banging on about how much fun it'd be to write a Damian 666 comic. An alternate Batman from the universe next door, but, more importantly, a next generation Batman, would allow for so much more wriggle room – in fact I'd argue he'd demand it! His writer would almost have a duty to extend all the wild bat-conceits, themes and tonalities far, far beyond anything that'd come before. The son of the batverse would necessarily incorporate and reiterate in a far more concentrated and conclusive fashion all the tatty, flailing elements that constitute the present day Batman's superbody. You really could have it all. And nobody would give a shit, seeing as it could all be dismissed as a *possible future*.
Realistically I'm sure a great deal of fandom would hate the book, but, fuck it, they'd only go and buy it anyway. And weep.
I'm not sure how much to tell you about the strip before we get this show on the road – I don't want to spoil anything (Oh, the vanity!) – but I figure there're some things it'd be nice to know (not necessary, I hope you'll note, but nice). To begin with I want to stress that my Damian, in an attempt to remain truthful to Morrison's original vision for the character, is far less morally rigid and considerably more ethically and tactically improvisational than his Father. He inhabits the twilight world of a new century where all the old certainties have flown out the window. A shifting Gotham whose suburbs and superscrapers are bleeding into the netherworld (PLEASE DON'T UNDERSTAND ME TOO QUICKLY), and where heroism is a flickering, ephemeral concept in permanent revolution. This is Batman at dusk, metaphorically speaking. Or is it dawn? All the usual suspects will feature – there's a Robin, a Batmobile, a Batcave and plenty of fighting (I count four fights in the first issue alone, all jammed into 23 pages), but, as Moore describes Miller's reimagining for his introduction to Dark Knight, 'it's all completely different' (you see! I'm comparing myself to Frank Miller now! My God….). This Batman has a different family set-up – in fact family is pretty much the theme underscoring the first story arc – and is much more at home with all the weird psychedelia and wacky magical shit than Bruce Wayne. There just isn't the same air of denial surrounding Damian. He's at home in the DCU, entrenched in ways his predecessor wasn't, and maybe finds it all kinda fun.
Anyway. Expect to be confused. It all moves pretty fast.


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This original Roxy Richter from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World costume was very easy to make, and super fun to wear! I bought the wig, and found the dress at a thrift store, as well as a black zip up hoodie and just cut the hoodie in half. I got some black fishnets and tore holes in them. Then, because I didn't have any black boots, I just used black leg warmers and black flats for my shoes and you couldn't really even tell the difference! And then it was just the little stuff like the black undereyes, and I got that at Walmart in the sports section, and I also got the belts at Walmart too, and the studded chokers and then the red lips!
This was definitely my favorite costume I have ever sported. The only downside to this was that not many people knew who I was, so I was constantly repeating myself, but it was great for me, and if you are a fan of the graphic novels, or the movie it will be for you too!


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Police are attempting to identify a man after two people allegedly forced their way into a house and threatened to kill a young mother.
Police said a 25-year-old woman was asleep with her five-year-old daughter on a sofa at an address on Thorn Bank in Bacup around 12.30am on Friday, January 1, when two men allegedly kicked in the front door and gained entry.
A police spokesman said: "One of the men was armed with a knife and made threats of harm towards the victim and her family."
The man police are looking for is described as white, 6ft tall with a close shaven head. He was wearing a blue T-shirt.
DC Dave Greenwood, of Burnley CID, said: "This was an extremely frightening attack on a young woman and what's worse is that she was with her child who must also have been absolutely terrified.
"If you know who this man is or you have any information at all that could assist us, please make contact with us at your earliest opportunity.
"I am especially keen to speak to anyone who may have witnessed any disorder that took place on Thorn Bank the evening before (December 31) at around 11pm."
Anyone with information can contact East CID on 01282 472524 or they can call 101 quoting incident reference 68 of January 1, 2016. Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
- Adam Burke, 34, of Thorn Bank, Bacup has been charged with burglary with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm. He appeared at Blackburn Magistrates Court on Saturday, January 2 and was remanded in custody to appear at Burnley Crown Court on February 11.


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Objections and appeals
Alle pagina's gelinkt aan
Is the assessment correct? Have the rules been complied with?
If you do not agree with the tax assessment, you can submit a letter of objection, and later, if necessary, a letter of appeal. This not only involves the assessment itself, but also the way in which it was reached. Were the rules complied with in this respect?
Do you need a lawyer or not?
You are not required to engage a lawyer if you are lodging an objection. But it can be a sensible decision to do so. The lawyers at Jaeger are specialised in tax law. They have a great deal of experience with court proceedings. Generally speaking, they sail a somewhat tighter course than a tax adviser would. And bear in mind – the better proceedings are conducted, the greater the chance of a positive result.


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January 10-14, 2013 was the coldest stretch of weather they've had in Tucson (and throughout the SW) since 1971. No day got warmer than 45 degrees. The lows at night ranged from 27-17 degrees. It was generally sunny, but it was definitely NOT riding weather. We hunkered down to wait it out.
To be honest, that had been part of our plan the entire time. We wanted to have time to do our annual relationship review, take a one day meditation retreat and have some time to just chill out. We didn't expect it to take quite the literal meaning it did.
We saw a couple of movies during that stretch – "The Sessions" with Jody Foster and "Hitchcock" with Helen Mirren and Anthony Hopkins. Both were excellent. Sessions was the true story of a quadriplegic man who decides he wants to experience sex. He consults with his priest, then hires a sex surrogate. It is witty, poignant and very well done. "Hitchcock" follows the story of Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville, as they created his masterpiece, "Psycho". Hopkins is spot on as the master of suspense and the interplay of the two main characters is magnificent.
Sunday we were going to ride again with Susan but it was still too cold. But we did go see her beautiful condo for dinner and then she showed us a documentary film on the 2005 RAAM (Race Across America) called Bicycle Dreams. It was amazing, inspiring and heart-breaking. Susan has volunteered in the RAAM command center in Tucson. Her home is dotted with victory trophies from her cycling triumphs on her recumbent. She's been most gracious and we will be riding with her these last two days now that it's finally warming up.
We also spent a day on our annual relationship review. This is always a highlight of our year. We take the time to review what happened last year, what we expected to happen, and reflect on how things change. Then we see how we are doing in our relationship, our other relationships, and our relationship to the community as a whole. We usually spend the time snuggled together on a couch and with this weather, that was a necessity. The only thing that was missing was a roaring fire. Not many fireplaces in Tucson.
We decided to take a day trip to Kartchner Caverns. We'd heard it was beautiful and was naturally around 72 degrees and 99% humidity year-round. Going underground to get to warmth was somehow appropriate for our situation. The caverns were discovered in 1974 by two cavers who immediately knew they'd found a rare treasure, a living, wet limestone cave. They conspired to keep it secret even as they got the Arizona State Parks to convince the legislature to create the park in 1988. It was developed with an eye to preserving the integrity of the cave's ecosystem. You go through 3 airlocks which keep out the dry outside air, stay on a special pathway, and don't touch anything. Along the way you see enormous rooms, cave bacon, flowing limestone formations, soda straws, beautiful "drapery" forms and much more. One column is more than 58′ tall and massive. You really have to see it to believe it. And, unlike most tourist caverns, it is still growing. And did I mention it was warm? Note: they do not allow cameras so these photos are from the web.On the 14th we spent a silent day in meditation. We alternated sitting and walking every 30 minutes all day. It was a good break from our normal routine of constant communication and internet busy-ness. We celebrated the breaking of silence with a trip to Lovin' Spoonfuls, a vegan restaurant we found two years ago when we were here. The milkshake was wonderful, but the lasagna was disappointing. That's the way life goes.
January 15 we got word that my mother died. She had been declining for months and her final departure came relatively fast and was fairly peaceful. Much of the family was able to be with her for her final breaths and that was good. She was a great mom and a fantastic person. She'll always be with us.
We decided to go out riding even though it hadn't warmed up. We braved the 40 degree weather and rode to the Pima Air and Space Museum. It's one of the largest air and space museums in the world, and the largest non-government funded aviation museum. Hundreds of planes of all types and an excellent group of docents to tell you about them. I visited a B-17 exhibit to learn more about the plane Daddy flew in. I had a docent point out the place where the flight engineer flew and learned that he would also have been the top turret gunner. Daddy had never mentioned that. Hmmm. There's always more to learn about people.
So a third of our vacation closed with a promise of a warming trend. It might even get up to 70 before we leave. To that we say, YAHOO!


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Luton Casinos
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Luton is a large town in Bedfordshire, England situated on the River Lea about 30 miles northwest of London. With a population of 213,052 inhabitants, it is one of the most populous towns in the United Kingdom. It is famous for its straw hat and motor vehicle industry. There are also some historical churches, landmarks, and museums in the town.
For those looking for gambling and gaming spots, there are three casinos in Luton. These are:
If you wish to play in any of these casinos, you must be 18 years old or above. Make sure that you bring a valid ID and wear smart casual attire.
Land-Based Casinos in Luton
The largest and most popular casino in Luton is Grosvenor Casino Luton. Owned and operated by the Grosvenor Casino company, the casino is open 24/7. It is easily accessible as it is located at the Park Street West 35 in the town center. Since it first opened its doors in 2007, it has been a major nightlife attraction in Luton.
With a large area of 35,000 sq/ft, the casino features 75 gaming machines, 30 table games, and 20 poker tables. Aside from the state-of-the-art slot machines and electronic roulette terminals, the casino offers live gaming such as Blackjack, American Roulette, and Punto Banco. The casino also regularly hosts poker tournaments and cash games.
About three miles from the Grosvenor Casino is the second casino in Luton, the Genting Casino Luton. It is located at the Skimpot Road near the Caddington Golf Club. Open 24/7, the casino has a total gaming area of 20,000 sq/ft.
They have 50 gaming machines, 18 table games, and 6 poker tables. The casino boasts a wide selection of slot machines and electronic roulette terminals. The following popular casino games are also offered at the casino: American Roulette, Blackjack, Mini Baccarat, Punto Banco, 3-5 Multi-Win Poker, and Three-Card Poker. Additionally, poker cash games and tournaments are regularly held at the casino.
The third casino in Luton is the Admiral Casino Luton. It is located at the George Street 34 in the town center of Luton, just 300 yards from the Grosvenor Casino. Unlike the other two casinos, this one does not have table games and poker tables. They have modern and state-of-the-art slot machines, featuring popular titles like 20p Routette, Centurion, Fishin' Frenzy, and Rainbow Riches. The casino is open 24/7.
Things to Do in Luton
Apart from the gaming action, there are other things to do and see in Luton. The top tourist attractions to see in Luton are Stockwood Discovery Centre, Wrest Park, Wardown House, Stockwood Park, Wardown Park, and the Walled Garden.


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Joanna Marple
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories. I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.Easy Sign Up
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No-Plastics October – Final Musings
Here are a few final photos. My no-plastics month is coming to an end. I have bought almost no plastic this month and have reduced my waste by over 50%. I have tried several alternative products with no plastic content … Continue reading


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The Front Office serves the Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General on a wide variety of matters affecting OIG and its relationship with USAID, the Department of State, and Congress. The office consists of a Counselor to the Inspector General, General Counsel, Chief of Staff, Quality Assurance Director, and professional and administrative staff.
Office of Audits, Inspections, and Evaluations
The Office of Audits, Inspections, and Evaluations conducts performance audits and other oversight which evaluate program effectiveness, economy and efficiency, internal control, and compliance. The office conducts program and management system audits as well as financial statement audits required under the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990. Our auditors also review audits related to the financial accountability of grantees and contractors.
Office of Investigations
The Office of Investigations conducts worldwide investigations into allegations of criminal, civil, and administrative violations. The office pursues allegations of abuses in agency programs and activities, as well as other violations of law or misconduct by those involved in these programs.
Office of Management
The Office of Management delivers administrative services that support OIG's mission in the areas of financial management, information technology, human resources, learning and development, logistics services, procurement and acquisitions support, overseas and administrative operations, and business continuity planning.
Overseas Offices
OIG conducts audit and investigative activities in roughly 100 countries around the world. To support these activities, OIG has offices in 12 locations:
Domestic Headquarters
- Washington, DC
Africa Regional Office - Pretoria, South Africa
- Dakar, Senegal Suboffice
- Kampala, Uganda Suboffice
Asia Regional Office - Bangkok, Thailand
- Islamabad, Pakistan Suboffice
- Manila, Philippines Suboffice
Middle East and Eastern Europe Regional Office - Frankfurt, Germany
- Cairo, Egypt Suboffice
- Tel Aviv, Israel Suboffice
Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office - San Salvador, El Salvador
- Port-au-Prince, Haiti Suboffice