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A detailed study conducted by Blain Hydraulics (a world leader by market share) has shown that the hydraulic elevator is the safest elevator type against natural disasters like seismic movements etc. Misleading arguments against hydraulic elevators are mainly limited to exaggerated energy consumption and environmental issues. We have evaluated these claims below.
Genuine installation costs for the same performance are estimated to be 15-25% higher than the hydraulic units. (MRL installations might be initially offered at low prices to win contracts with overblown service charges later).
Maintenance is difficult because machine room is located in the headroom of the shaft or on or under the cab. It is costly as well since technology is patented and servicing may only be performed by the original installer or by their service partners.
Safety Requirements becomes complicated since each expertise and is difficult to reach in the shaft.
Energy consumption of hydraulic elevators –
The motor size used in both traction and hydraulic is the same.
The cost of energy consumption in a hydraulic elevator is lower since it does not consume energy when traveling down. It comes down due to gravity.
Low Noise hydraulic elevators – Hydraulic elevators are best suited for residential installations since the power unit can be installed away from the shaft, outside the home. This enables a low noise operation of the lift.
Lower initial cost - Substantially lower initial cost of equipment and its maintenance. It is generally estimated that the initial investment is 15 to 25% less than for traction installations.
More effective building space utilization –
Hydraulic elevator uses about 12% less hoistway area than traction unit since
No overhead machine room
It can easily be installed in existing or new buildings without a shaft
Best for installations where future floors may need to be added to the building.
High reliability on failure free operation –
Does not require experts for rescue operations.
Elevator controls can be adjusted without working in the shaft.
Environmentally Safe - Better for the environment since the hydraulic power unit during down travel can serve to lower temperature in the basement of buildings.
Overall, Hydraulic elevators have unbeatable properties such as breakdown free operation, low initial cost, easy installation and high comfort. Hydraulic elevators also have the best records in safety and servicing costs.


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As of 1st November 2007, jobseekers from all new EU Member States of the 2004 enlargement have free access to the Luxembourg labour market. When Pascal Gerard, manager of a construction company from Luxembourg hired Malec Slavomir, a Polish worker, he couldn't tell how long the employment-related formalities would take.
Malec came to Luxembourg to find a job, called in at the site where Pascal's team was working and asked if there were any available positions. He passed a practical test and Pascal immediately decided to hire him. Just a month earlier, Malec would have spent months applying for a visa and Pascal would have had to wait a similar length of time, if not longer, in order to obtain the necessary work permit for Malec. However, the labour regulations in Luxembourg had just changed and it was hard to believe that the new, 'no-restriction' policies would shorten the process from an indefinite period of time to just two days, at most.
From the 1 November, Luxemburg decided to lift any remaining labour market restrictions on jobseekers from countries of the 2004 EU enlargement. The process of hiring a migrant worker is therefore now exactly the same as hiring local staff. The majority of the 'old' 15 EU Member States initially applied so-called 'transitional rules'. These rules allow restricted access for citizens from the new Central and Eastern European Member States to the EU-15 labour markets for a maximum of seven years. However, the regulation foresees the possibility of lifting barriers in stages. The '2+3+2 year' formula states that the old EU members had to review their restrictions for the first time two years after the 2004 enlargement, that is to say in 2006, and for a second time three years later, in 2009. The deadline to remove all limitations is a further two years later, in 2011.
Luxembourg had imposed work restrictions, but strong economic growth and a shortage of qualified labour convinced Luxembourg to allow individual work permits in a number of business sectors, including finance, IT, construction and agriculture. Nicolas Schmit, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign Affairs, emphasised that his government's recent decision to lift all barriers aims to ensure that "the free movement of EU citizens within the Schengen area is accompanied by the free circulation of workers". All Member States from the 2004 round of enlargement will apply the Schengen Agreement, which allows for the abolition of systematic border controls between the participating countries, from January 2008.
The EU-15 Member States remain split over easing access to their labour markets. An increasing number of countries, including Belgium, Spain, France, Italy and Portugal, either opened certain business sectors or lifted restrictions earlier than originally planned. Their decisions aimed at encouraging economic growth or solving acute staff shortages. Recently, Germany has also decided to reduce labour market restrictions for a limited number of sectors and professions.
Luxembourg's economy is characterised by low unemployment, a high growth rate, substantial cross-border mobility and long-term immigration measures. EURES Adviser Mario della Schiava explains that "large numbers of foreign workers come to Luxembourg, attracted by our good salaries, relatively low taxes and an interesting cultural experience." Among the 12,000 new jobs that have been created over the last year, 72.5% of the vacancies have been filled by cross-border workers commuting to Luxembourg each day.
Pascal Gerard helped Malec to find accommodation on the same day he signed his contract. He then registered Malec with the local administration authorities the following day. Due to his qualifications and basic knowledge of German, Malec was quickly integrated with the team. He is now attending German classes and is seriously considering bringing his family over to Luxembourg. This story shows the context in which foreign workers from Central and Eastern Europe are largely welcomed and much needed to fill gaps created by an ageing workforce, a declining domestic population, and an expanding economy.

subset: commoncrawl


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The government says veteran CIA officer Harold Nicholson passed secrets to Russia for the same reason that lures most Americans who have betrayed their country: money.
Mr. Nicholson's arrest this week for allegedly selling classified information to Moscow, including the identities of fellow agents, is the latest in a series of cases in which such charges have been brought against other United States government employees.
What these cases underscore is that despite the end of the cold war, US government and corporate secrets are as vulnerable to theft as ever by those to whom they are entrusted. Indeed, officials and independent experts warn, the threat will likely grow given the hunger of allies and foes alike for information that could give them an edge over the US in the fierce global struggle for military, technological, and financial dominion.
But US officials also insist that the Nicholson case differs from the others in one crucial respect. They say it demonstrates the improved level of cooperation in counterespionage by the FBI and CIA since the unprecedented damage wrought by the CIA officer-turned-Russian-spy Aldrich Ames.
"In the Ames case, the cooperation between the CIA and FBI was not great," says CIA director John Deutch. "Here there was complete cooperation and information exchange from the beginning."
Mr. Deutch stresses that "we must remain vigilant to the penetration of US national security organizations by Russia and other hostile intelligence services."
Despite the new era of diplomatic amity, the Russian External Security Service - the successor to the KGB - continues to be one of the most aggressive intelligence agencies seeking American government and corporate secrets.
"We've seen no reduction in the efforts of the (Russian) external security service to penetrate the security services and the national security of the United States," says FBI Director Louis Freeh.
Roy Godson, head of the National Strategy Information Center, a Washington-based intelligence think tank, says other states, including US allies such as France and Israel, are just as active in trying to steal secrets from American government agencies and companies.
"The Russians are not alone in this. Several hundred thousand of some of the best minds in the world are trying to pick our pockets," says Dr. Godson. "They are particularly interested in learning about our technology and influencing us to do things in their interests."
"Nations need to know each other's secrets. What we are learning is that it is independent of the cold war and ideological hostilities," notes Alan Goodman, a former CIA official who is now a dean at Georgetown University, in Washington. "As long as you have intelligence services, they are going to try to get things you'd rather they not have."
THE CIA and FBI are still trying to determine the extent of the damage done by Nicholson, a onetime station chief who worked as an instructor at the CIA's training center from 1994 to July 1996. It was during that period that he is charged with working for Russia.
Preliminary indications are that the information Nicholson allegedly sold for more than $100,000 was "highly sensitive." The FBI suspects that Nicholson may have disclosed the identities of all new CIA agents trained since 1994, as well as the names of some field agents. "The passing of such information placed those officers lives, as well as the lives of their foreign contacts, in danger," says Mr. Freeh.
But officials do not believe that Nicholson's disclosures led to the death of any agents or informants. The secrets passed by Mr. Ames, who was paid $2.5 million over more than eight years for information, led to the executions of more than a dozen foreigners on the CIA payroll. Ames was arrested in 1994.
Officials say Nicholson's disclosures may not be as harmful as those made by Ames because of the speed with which his activities were detected and stopped. They note that his apprehension was more remarkable because Nicholson had exhibited none of the unusual behavior or personal problems - such as Ames's alcoholism - that normally set off alarms.
"The fact that Nicholson was apprehended so relatively early in his spying was in large part a result of the post-Ames reforms put into place as a result of lessons that tightened up counterintelligence and security," says one government official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Those included more stringent disclosures and scrutiny of employee financial records and computer records."
An FBI affidavit says counter-intelligence operatives first became suspicious of Nicholson during an October 1995 polygraph test in which he gave a deceptive answer about whether he had ever had contact with foreign agents.
During the subsequent probe, Nicholson was seen riding in a Russian Embassy car last June in Singapore. A month later, he made $20,000 in bank deposits and bought his son a $12,000 car, the affidavit says. Nicholson was monitored photographing top-secret CIA documents last week, four days before he was arrested at Dulles International Airport.


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Newcastle Jets wide midfielder Jeremy Brockie is looking forward to the next few games with the New Zealand national team.
The 23-year old has been capped on 22 occasions by the All Whites and says Wednesday night's clash with Mexico in Denver and the June 5 meeting with Trans-Tasman neighbours Australia in Adelaide loom as good tests for the NZ team.
"We have two tough games against Mexico and Australia coming up but it's great for us to be getting good competitive games against tough opposition," he told tribalfootball.com.
"We have our World Cup qualifiers next June so the more games and the higher quality of games is great for us."
Brockie came back into some solid form at the back-end of last A-League season with the Jets after being sidelined with a foot injury but he has now confirmed that he is fit and firing, off-field as well as on, following his engagement to girlfriend Jessica.
"I had a month off (after the season)," he added. "I had to play a few reserve games and keep training up until the end of March.
"I then played for the national team against China in a 1-1 draw, so during my month off I headed home to spend time with family and friends.
"I traveled around the top of the South Island (of NZ) where I got engaged to my now fiancé Jessica.
"Then the final two weeks I was involved in holiday clinics with young kids which was very successful.
"I'm fit and healthy right now so I'm feeling very good for the upcoming season, hopefully nailing down a first team place, and achieving the goals I have set for myself."
As for things back at EnergyAustralia Stadium, Brockie said it is exciting times ahead of the 2011/12 season after the club made some strong signings in the way of Jason Culina, Byun Sung-Hwan, Chris Payne and Tiago.
"Everyone is working hard and even though the season is still a long way off, we know there's a lot of competition for places this season," he added further. "Obviously it's great news that we have signed some very good players in Jason, Byun, Chris and Tiago.
"Along with securing a few of the local young boys that performed well last season when given the opportunity, we have been told that nobody's place in the first 11 is guaranteed yet so we have to work hard in training and perform in the pre-season games."
And Brockie also reflected on the now-defunct North Queensland Fury - the club he spent the 2009/10 campaign with.
"It's pretty disappointing to see the Fury missing this year as it is a very popular sport amongst the young kids up there," he said.
"It was unfortunate that no one was willing to carry the team on."
The game is about opinions. Make yours heard! Join the tribalfootball.com nation on Facebook today: Facebook.com/tribalfootball


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Pember's After-School Discoveries
3:30 – 4:30pm.
Our after-school programs are free, open to school-age children and held in the Museum.
September 21 – Tiger Tales
We kick off our fall After-School Discoveries with a program on Tigers. There will be a slide presentation with known facts about tigers along with hands-on discovery of a real tiger skull. A take-home tiger activity will be passed out at the end of the program.
October 5 – What Happens in Autumn?
Participants are asked to bring colorful leaves and any seed pods to share.
Learn what happens to the environment & our animals in Autumn.
October 19 – Pember's Halloween w/Weird & Wild Creatures
Nightmares of Nature, Strange Wonders, Tiny Terrors and more!
November 2 – Tag a Museum Trail
Participants will tag a Natural History object & together the class will research it online.
November 16 – Going Nuts
Discover which trees produce nuts & what animals depend on them for food.
Note: Not for anyone with nut allergies. Real nuts will be present.
November 30 – Texas Wild!
Pember traveled to Texas 1889-1891 collecting specimens.
Discover Texas habitats & animals & find the specimens that came from Texas.
December 14 – Snow, Ice & Animals
Learn about snow, ice and the animals which live in this environment.


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Otherwise known as an Officiant, a Wedding Celebrant is the person who conducts a wedding ceremony whether it be religious, humanist or spiritual. As outlined in the Getting Married in France section of My Riviera Wedding, the only legally recognised wedding ceremony in France is the civil service, which is often accompanied by a symbolic blessing or religious ceremony. Couples who decide not to hold their ceremony in a place of religious worship can effectively hire an independent Wedding Celebrant to lead their wedding ceremony in their venue of choice; on a beach, in a hotel, in the gardens of a villa or Chateau or even out at sea on a yacht!
The French Riviera is home to many well reputed Anglophone Wedding Celebrants. I have compiled a selection of the most reputed professional officiants in the area currently available for wedding ceremonies throughout the South of France.
- Anne Naylor: Anne Naylor creates and conducts tailor-made wedding ceremonies throughout the South of France region. Along with the Bride and Groom, Anne prepares the order of service, vows, readings and blessings according to the couple's faith, religion, spirituality or culture. For her wedding celebrant services she offers 5 packages ranging from as little as 500 euros up to 2, 500 euros. Anne is also a life coach and writes an inspirational weekly column for the online newspaper The Huffington Post.
For more information about Anne and the different Wedding Celebrant services she offers, you can visit her website and her blog. Please don't forget to mention that you found out a about Anne on www.my-riviera-wedding.com! By doing this you will be helping me to spread the word about my wedding planning activities.
- Peter Madan: Based near Cannes, Wedding Celebrant and ordained Reverend Peter Madan runs a team of 10 ministers, located along the French Riviera. All ceremonies are 100% made to measure and Peter personally prepares all the future Brides and Grooms for their wedding ceremony, even if one of the other team members celebrates the actual ceremony. The preparation process usually starts with an initial consultation, Peter then provides the couple with sample ceremonies according to their needs from which the outline of the ceremony is drafted out. With Peter, the couple continues to work on the ceremony over the following months before the big day. Peter and his team of celebrants are all bilingual French/English and can between them offer wedding Celebrant services in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew, Russian and Turkish. Although all of the celebrants are Christians, they can all also perform non-religious ceremonies. The team has previously married a large variety of different couples including Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Non-Believers.
You can contact Peter Madan either by email or by telephone on +33 4 93 69 52 00. To find out more about the wedding celebrant services that Peter offers, you can visit his website. Please don't forget to mention that you found out a about Peter and his team of celebrants on www.my-riviera-wedding.com! By doing this you will be helping me to spread the word about my wedding planning activities.


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Drifters @ Callala Beach, Pet friendly!
5 bedroom Holiday house for rent in Callala Beach
$220.00 - $957.66*per dayprice range estimate for 8 guests*
Sit back, its time to coast... The house enjoys the sounds of the waves & also the calling of the birds... Just perfect for a getaway
Drifter's @ Callala Beach has lots of character, cathedral/vaulted ceilings, polished timber floors, large outdoor deck for alfresco dining framed by the bush & in ground pool, all helping to give it a modern beach house feel.
With 5 bedrooms & lots of space in the 2 entertainment area's there is plenty of room for a group of couples/friends, extended/large/multiple families.
We have new beds & the kitchen comes fully equipped with everything you would find at home & are full of the mod cons including a large screen LCD TV, DVD, Hi-fi, BBQ & a wood combustion heater for the cooler months as well.
Feeling Active ...
400M away you can enjoy the white sands of Jervis Bay/Callala Beach & look for the resident pods of Dolphins who come in very close regularly all year round!
Of course there are many possible pursuits in and around the blue waters of Jervis Bay. The clear, crystal blue/green waters are perfect for diving, boating, kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, fishing, dolphin (resident pod of dolphins regularly sited) & whale watching (in June/July & October/November).
Not to forget are the surfing beaches just a short drive away.
Off the water there is beach or Bush walking, in house swimming pool, 9 hole golf course 5 minutes away, Cycling ( bring your bikes ), Tennis court hire along the beach, Lawn Bowls just a short distance from the house.
Explore point perpendicular, the old light house & some of the fantastic beaches & walks along the way.
Visit the spectacularly beautiful Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay, MAJOR GOLD AWARD winner, NSW Tourism Awards.
Don't forget if you want to enjoy dolphin/whale watching & other cruise's on the beautiful waters of Jervis Bay, courtesy of Jervis Bay Wild, there are voucher's in our info board which will entitle your party to a 20% discount.
Due to NSW Tourism policies we are meant to limit groups to no more than 12 adults, i.e. to get the maximum of 16 staying the booking would consist of at least 4 children
The first level
* Main bathroom with bath & shower
*1st bedroom with queen size bed
* 2nd bedroom with queen size bed
* 3rd bedroom with queen size bed
* Modern well appointed kitchen
* 8 seater dining area
* Lounge/entertainment area with combustion heater
* Deck, BBQ & outdoor setting
Ground floor
* Bedroom 4-queen & bunk beds (4)
* Bedroom 5- 1 set of double bunks & 1 set of single bunks (6)
* Entertainment area with flat screen tv & dvd player
* Second bathroom
* Laundry
* Pool
*Large grassy fully fenced back yard
*Swing set for the Kids
Make a booking request now
DISTURBANCES/LOUD PARTIES WILL NOT BE TOLERATED This is not a party house & if you disturb our neighbours you will loose your bond. We like our neighbours & are in regular contact with them, again disturbances will not be tolerated
Due to Stayz and NSW Tourism policies we are meant to limit groups to no more than 12 adults, i.e. to get the maximum of 16 staying the booking would consist of at least 4 children
* Callala Beach Shack has a strict NO SMOKING POLICY inside please.
*Photo ID needs to be supplied for the person who is making the booking
* Pets will be approved on application.
* No Linen (sheets) or towels provided unless the linen hire option is taken up
*There is a linen hire service available, please ask for further details.
* There is a mandatory a $180.00 cleaning fee.
*Cleaning fee covers replacing doona covers, vacuuming & mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms & kitchen. An additional cleaning charge will be levied for any extra cleaning.
*Acceptance of booking is acceptance of Standard terms & Conditions, along with any other conditions put in place by the managing agent in writing at the time of acceptance
* Seas the Day @ Callala Beach requires a $500.00 security deposit (fully refundable at the end of your stay provided there is no damage done to the property, no extra cleaning required, all the terms and conditions and guest's rules are followed). An additional bond of $500.00 is required for groups under 25 years of age. We may accept school leavers bookings, conditions negotiated with owner.
*We ask that you respect our neighbors & only the guests staying are to be on the property.
* Noise must be kept to a minimum & disturbances wont be tolerated (at any time) & may lead to an early termination of your stay.
Standard Terms and Conditions of Temporary Holiday Accommodation
To maintain a good standard for our guests we require certain conditions to be complied with. We appreciate most will respect our property but the occasional abuse requires that we state the following conditions.
Note: Variances can be agreed on but only by arrangement with the owner in writing.
The Owner does not accept any responsibility or liability for acts or omissions of third parties or natural events, which may prevent or disrupt a booking. It may be possible that certain facilities or features may not be available on occasions due to circumstances beyond the Owner's control for which the Owner accepts no liability.
The owners will make every effort to ensure the property is available as booked. However the owners reserve the right to make alterations to bookings due to unforeseen circumstances.
THIS IS NOT A PARTY HOUSE, Loud parties and functions are strictly prohibited. Quiet controlled family gatherings for birthdays/anniversaries are permitted. If you disturb our neighbours it will result in the loss of your bond and/or additional payments & may result in termination of your stay.
The price charged is for domestic use only and not commercial. Accordingly this rate does not allow for the extra wear associated with functions in terms of cleaning, garbage removal, wear and tear, repairs etc. Use contrary to this may result in loss of your security deposit and/or additional payments & termination of your stay.
Please respect our neighbour's, any disturbance, at any time, including excessive noise, is prohibited and may result in termination of rental and loss of bond. (we will give one warning only, please ensure that your mobile contact is switched on)
Loss - the owners take no responsibility for the tenant's personal property.
Pets are not allowed unless specified in the booking & accepted in writing with the owner.
Photo ID must be emailed to complete the booking.
The booking must be made by a guest staying at the property
A mobile phone contact number must be supplied for communication whilist at the property.
Deposit of 50% non refundable is required to secure the booking.
Payment of the holding deposit constitutes the clients acceptance of these Terms and Conditions. The booking is not secured until receipt of the
Balance of the rental amount must be received in full 30 days prior to occupancy. If not the owner has the right to cancel the booking and attempt to re let it.
Keys & Access details will not be supplied until all payments, including the bond & a copy of the photo ID have been received.
Cancellation if caused by the client, money paid is not refundable unless the house is re-let for the same amount for entire period. If a refund is made due to the property being re-let then a $50 cancellation fee will apply.
The bond is payable at the same time as the balance amount.
The bond will typically be refunded within 14 days, in full, subject total of the terms & conditions being met. It is designed to cover any additional costs incurred including but not limited to, any breakage, damage or excess cleaning requirements, extra guests beyond those declared.
The standard bond (up to 12 adults) $500.00 bond
Under 25's require $1000.00 bond
School leavers require a $2000.00 bond
The standard number of adults is 12, the owner may accept bookings with additional adults with extra conditions & bond.
It is highly recommended that the guest conducts an inspection of the property upon arrival & reports any concerns via email/SMS within 2 hours of checking in.
Damage, Breakages, Theft and Loss are the tenants responsibility during their stay, we recommend that you keep all doors & windows locked when you are not there.
Damage & breakages found in the post stay inspection & not reported to the owner, will assumed to be done by the last group of guests who did not report anything & Charges may apply
The cleaning fee covers sweeping/vacuuming of floors, cleaning kitchen & bathrooms & changing doona covers, any excessive cleaning will be billed additionally. It is a requirement that you leave the house as you found it.
BBQ is there for your convenience, please clean it after use, extra charges are incurred if cleaning is required.
If you require Gas for the BBQ you can get a swap & go from the paddle cafe or at Culburra (service station) & Nowra (Bunnings & service stations). You will be re-embursed the cost if you forward a photo of the receipt to Geoff via email.
Excess rubbish & recycling should be stacked neatly near the bins & costs will be calculated on how much time it takes to take it to the local tip (10 min away) & the tipping fee. Bin space is allocated to you on the info brochure.
Number of Guests should not exceed the number stated on the Confirmation Notice or subsequently agreed in writing or email. Fees will apply for excess guests not agreed with the owners in advance.
Visitors are only allowed on the premises between 8 am & 10 pm. any visitors outside of these hours will be deemed extra guests & charged as such.
Departure - the property should be left in a similar state to its condition on arrival.
Checkout time is 10:00 by the latest, to allow time to prepare property for next guests. Late checkouts are only approved in writing @ the discretion of the owner. Charges will apply if the cleaners have to come back due to guests overstaying checkout times.
Linen- Sheets & pillowcases are to be supplied by the tenant unless otherwise arranged. All linen supplied is washed at the end of your stay, additional charges apply for excessive dirt & stains (wine, chocolate, mud etc) & torn or missing items.
Enjoy your stay!
Once all amounts including bond has been paid then directions, house & access infomation will be emailed to you.


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Events with Nigel
Book an event with Nigel
Nigel is available for private, corporate, charitable or fundraising events. His appearances can range in topics from wildlife conservation to his personal experiences as a wildlife filmmaker. Nigel can even bring an array of unique live animals to your event!
For enquiries and information on booking an Event with Nigel Marven:
Please contact his agent, John Miles in Bristol
Email: email@example.com
Where in the world is Nigel?
Copyright © 2015 Nigel Marven. All Rights Reserved.


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Summer 1990
Citizen politics aims to spur a democratic resurgence at the grassroots. But as other forms of democratic participation decline, can citizen organizing make a difference?
Unless you are an activist yourself, your personal contact with the world of citizen politics probably occurs when your doorbell rings. A canvasser, usually a young person with a clipboard and leaflets, tries to engage you in a discussion of a contemporary problem, perhaps toxic waste dumps, pesticides in the food chain, or rising utility rates. If you sign a petition or contribute a few dollars, you'll receive more material. Engage in a longer conversation and you may be recruited for active membership.
You're also likely to encounter citizen organizing by mail or telephone. There, too, you're asked for a financial contribution to help stop wars, prevent nuclear holocaust, slow ozone depletion, or protect abortion rights, free speech, gene pools, or animals. Occasionally, you may see rallies or demonstrations sponsored by these groups on television, but you will probably remain unaware of who or what is behind "Citizens for..." or "Citizens against...".
Citizen organizing, by neighborhood and by issue, is now entering its fourth decade and becoming a well-established feature of the American political landscape. Some activists and theorists see it as a big departure from conventional politics. They credit citizen organizations with reviving grassroots democracy, empowering previously marginalized groups, introducing issues to the public agenda excluded by more powerful interests, transforming passive citizens into active ones, inspiring a new populist revolt, restoring a progressive political coalition, and addressing social problems government has failed to solve.
Citizen organizations have undoubtedly increased participation, particularly at the local level. Yet any close observer of citizen organizations discerns a paradox. Their growth has occurred at a time when, by most measures, civic and political participation has deteriorated. Voting turnout rates have declined steadily even as these organizations have grown. Partisan affiliation has dwindled, as money has become the most important form of participation. Citizens consume political information mostly through one-way channels. The general public distrusts political institutions in general and politicians in particular. And while serving as a new medium of public activism, citizen organizations face some important constraints on their political role, in part because of requirements for successful fund-raising and for retaining tax-exempt status. As a result of both the larger political context and the limitation of community organizing itself, this movement has not done as much to empower the poor, revive democratic citizenship, or create new political majorities as its adherents have hoped. How to understand and remedy those limitations is the subject of a continuing debate.
by Alexandra Atzl
Being relatively new to Drupal, I was overwhelmed recently by the task of implementing a base theme and three sub-themes for a customized system of Drupal sites we were developing at Singlebrook. I needed a clear, simple way to write the necessary CSS code, without having to repeat it up to four times.
The basic principle governing this entire project was to be as lightweight as possible. We wanted an end product with no repetitive or unnecessary code, and that would be relatively future-proof. Across the board, we strove to avoid unnecessary modules and to create our own custom ones to perform just the functionality we needed; no more and no less. We avoided Views, made generous use of Drupal hooks and theme functions, and ended up with a site that does what we want, without overly-large modules and excess code slowing it down.
On the theming side, we knew we needed to deliver three different themes to the client (#1, #2, #3), plus an additional base theme, which would mostly mirror theme #2. We also knew we wanted to use (now that I've begun using it, I'm completely reluctant to return to plain ol' CSS, and I think all of Singlebrook agrees).
Jeff A , one of our Drupal developers, set up a clever Guardfile in each of our themes that would run Compass to compile our SASS files, and then run LiveReload on a specified port to immediately reload our browser windows any time a .css or .js file was saved. This way, I could easily view any changes I was making on my external monitor, without having to switch windows and refresh the page (more on configuring Guard in a future post!).
Our base theme was made up of a series of specific .scss files for different parts of our site. I created
, etc. as partials, and then used a single
file to import all the styles I needed. This is where I imported compass and
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and mixins in one convenient place.
Using this setup (shown above), all our styles were compiled into a single base_style.css file, which was then inherited by each sub-theme.
Each sub-theme then had its own compiled css file, named style.css . Drupal sub-themes will override inherited css files if they have their own version of a file with the same name; because we wanted to inherit the base styles and then modify them on a per theme basis, the theme-specific css files were each called style.css in their respective directories, and our base css file was called base_style .
clean water.
children that grow up strong.
crops this year and the next.
changing minds.
hunger and undernutrition.
killer diseases.
lives cut short.
drought and disaster.
ignorance and indifference.


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Students from the Cornerspring Montessori School held a bake sale this Spring and raised over $240 in support of the local soup kitchen. Middle School students from the Raven classroom visited the Belfast Soup Kitchen to present the staff with a check from the proceeds of the bake sale and to take a tour of the facility.
Each year Cornerspring Montessori School chooses an organization to sponsor as part of its curriculum in teaching students about community giving and service. This type of work weaves into all types of our academic curriculum such as math, language arts, etc. and helps our students learn such skills as committee formation, working in a collaborative fashion and correspondence. This year the school decided to sponsor the Belfast Soup Kitchen as our annual charity after hearing the news last fall that it may close due to lack of funding. Students rallied to do a food drive and art night in the fall and invited the Director, Alex Allmayer-Beck to the school so they could present him with several boxes of food items, along with a check from the proceeds of the art night admission.
Anyone wishing to support the Belfast Soup Kitchen can contact them at 207-338-4845 or by mail at Belfast Soup Kitchen, P O Box 1153 Belfast, Maine 04915.


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The Eumenides Line 566-733
At this moment, Athena returns to her temple at the Acropolis in Athens, accompanied by twelve jurors who will make a decision after hearing the disagreement between the Chorus of Furies and Orestes. Athena orders her Herald to sound the trumpet and announce that the court session will begin. This way, all Athenian citizens will know what is going on. She explains, "Let the stabbing voice of the Etruscan/trumpet, blown to the full with mortal wind, crash out/its high call to all the assembled populace./For in the filling of this senatorial ground/it is best for all the city to be silent and learn/the measures I have laid down into the rest of time" Lines 567-572. Athena is establishing a court that will try other cases in the future as well. She wants everyone in Athens to watch what she is doing, so that they will be able to properly resolve future disagreements between other groups of people. As the trumpets sound,
First, she asks the Furies to explain what Orestes has been charged with exactly, stating that the pursuer must begin every court case so that it is clear what the purpose of the trial is. These words set a standard for how future trials shall be conducted, with the plaintiff speaking first. The Furies interrogate Orestes in front of the jury, asking if he killed Clytaemnestra; he readily admits this, describing how he cut her throat with his sword. Yet he states that Apollo prompted him to kill her to avenge the death of his father, Agamemnon. The Furies reply that Clytaemnestra has suffered for her crime, but Orestes the murderer is still living. They insist that there was never a need to punish Clytaemnestra, because Agamemnon was not a blood relative, but because he killed his own mother, Orestes must suffer intolerably.
In defense, Orestes calls Apollo to the stand to explain why he was justified in killing Clytaemnestra. The god of prophesy states plainly, "This [the murder of Clytaemnestra] is justice. Recognize then how great its strength./I tell you, follow our father's will. For not even/the oath that binds you is more strong than Zeus is strong" Lines 619-621. Apollo reaffirms that Orestes did the right thing, suggesting that even Zeus himself supported this action. He urges everyone to recognize "how great its strength." This point of view is very much in contrast to that of the Chorus of Furies.
Topic Tracking: Forgiveness 8
Topic Tracking: Humility 7
Apollo next states that the cruel manner in which Agamemnon was murdered justifies Orestes' actions. Agamemnon had just returned from a great victory in the Trojan War and was taking a bath, when Clytaemnestra restrained his arms in a robe and chopped him into pieces with an ax. This was a cowardly, dishonorable way to kill. Apollo calls this the "death of a great man" who was killed by means of deception from his very own wife. The Furies don't believe that Zeus would support this action, declaring that Zeus once handcuffed and imprisoned his own father, Cronus for crimes that he had committed. The Chorus insists that Zeus supports punishing men as much as women, for Clytaemnestra was merely avenging the death of their eldest daughter Iphigenia whom he had sacrificed so that the Greek ships could sail to Troy.
Apollo replies that imprisonment and murder are two totally different things. Clyatemnestra did not imprison or handcuff Agamemnon to punish him; she murdered him in cold blood. The Furies ask what would happen to Orestes if he is forgiven for this crime, declaring that he will live his life in misery anyway because no other city will want him to live there, including his home city of Argos. People everywhere will be disgusted that he spilled the blood of his own mother.
The god of prophesy rejects this argument from the Chorus of Furies, declaring that mothers are not in fact blood relatives of their children at all. He states that women are merely vessels that hold the man's seed. They are like the soil of a farm that nurtures the seeds that are planted there, until they bloom. The man is the only true blood relative of a child and as such, Orestes was fully justified in avenging his father's death, "The mother is no parent of that which is called/her child, but only nurse of the new-planted seed/that grows. The parent is he who mounts. A stranger she/preserves a stranger's seed, if no god interfere.../There can/be a father without any mother. There [Athena] stands,/the living witness, daughter of Olympian Zeus,/she who was never fostered in the dark womb/yet such a child as no goddess could bring to birth" Lines 658-666. As an example to support this argument that mothers are not blood relatives of their children, Apollo refers to Athena, the very judge at this trial. She was born after popping out of Zeus' head, without any help from any woman, mortal or godly. Apollo declares that Orestes was completely justified in avenging Agamemnon's death, because the man is the only blood relative of the child. The mother is merely an empty vessel to hold the growing child until he is born.
After using Athena as an example for why Clytaemnestra is not Orestes' blood relative, Apollo adds that if Orestes is indeed acquitted for this crime, then Orestes will go home to Argos, and he shall insure that the Argive citizens shall forever be allies with the Athenians. He says these words with great confidence, "I shall make great your city and its populace./So I have brought this man to sit beside the hearth/of your house, to be your true friend for the rest of time,/so you shall win him, goddess, to fight by your side,/and among men to come this shall stand a strong bond/that his and your own people's children shall be friends" Lines 668-673. If Athena forgives Orestes for killing Clytaemnestra, then she will have many benefits. Rather than furthering a pattern of destruction and murder that has afflicted the rulers of Argos ever since Atreus was king, now Athena can insure future peace, prosperity, and friendship between Athens and Argos as well.
With these words said, Athena next asks if the Chorus of Furies or Apollo have any other arguments to add, but both sides rest their cases and wait to hear the jury's decision. The goddess of wisdom turns to these twelve men, reminding them about the holiness of the Acropolis where they stand. Because of this, she warns them not to "muddy their own laws/with foul infusions." She encourages them to make the best decision based upon the evidence that they have heard, and not to make a poor decision. If a poor decision is made, that will be unjust and the court will become foul and meaningless. She adds that this court shall be present on the Acropolis to decide many cases in the future as well, saying "I establish this tribunal." Athena adds that the citizens of Athens must use the court to accomplish good and to honor the laws that the city has established.
Next she asks the jury of twelve men to cast their votes about whether or not Orestes is guilty for the crime of killing a blood relative. The Furies warn as the voting occurs that they will destroy Athens if the jury rules against them. Apollo reassures the jury not to be afraid of the Furies because the king of the gods, Zeus, will protect them all from any danger. The Furies reply that regardless, they will return to Athens and destroy the countryside. Apollo reprimands them, accusing them of having no respect for any gods at all; they have no humility and instead worry about their own selfish anger. The two continue to argue back and forth and resort to name-calling. Apollo says that if a man is faithful and worships the gods dutifully, then he is obligated to protect that man.
The Furies accuse Apollo of overturning the older order of gods that ruled before Zeus since he "won the ancient goddesses over with wine." Apollo warns that the Furies will not win the case, nor will they be able to cause any destruction in response to this at all. The Furies say that Apollo has no respect for them, for they are much older than he is. They calm their anger down a bit as they wait to hear the decision of the jury, "Since you, a young god, would ride down my elder age,/I must stay here and listen to how the trial goes,/being yet uncertain to loose my anger on the state" Lines 731-733. Apollo has insulted them greatly and these avenging creatures are resentful of him. They all sit expectantly to hear from Athena.


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Lately I have felt in a bit of a funk. A rut. A bit uninspired and stagnant. I've not been able to put my finger on why exactly, I think there are multiple things contributing to it (bad weather, leaky roof, no oven, not enough money, bad sleep) but they are the usual kind of things I deal with all the time. Why were they feeling so much worse this time? And then Emmy commented on my Chelsea Bun post:
"Hope you get over blogger's block, soon. Maybe you could start a new project and tell us all about it, or update us on how TTB is growing??"
A new project! I don't have anything on the go at the moment. Well, I didn't until Wednesday when I cast on 210+3 stitches and started another ripple blanket. And things started to feel more balanced again! I had something to look forward to over nap time and something to do while TTB plays. He's often quite happy to play on his own, so long as I am there and he can see that I'm not doing anything more interesting than what he's doing.
I did a brief stocktake of my Stylecraft yarn today to see what I had and what needed replenishing. Do you see why I never know how much yarn I used for my blankets?! I never start with full balls, I just kind of have a continuous stash of it and the colours run out at different speeds. I'm lucky enough to have a shop in town that sells it so I just pop in and buy a ball or two as and when. I promise to weigh the resulting blanket though and give you an approximate amount of yarn though.
The colour sequence is (so far) loosely picked from the stripy sample I did last year (full post here) and it feels quite nice and reassuring to use this as a guide. The less thinking I have to do the better!
The colour sequence so far is: Meadow, Pomegranate, Shrimp, Magenta, Aster, Sherbet, Fondant, Aspen, Turquoise. The yarn is Stylecraft Special dk and I'm using a 4mm hook. It takes me roughly 12 minutes to do a row (so 24 minutes for a stripe).
When TTB gets up from his nap, he is really cuddly so we usually watch an episode or two of Postman Pat on the sofa. (This photo shows Abney and Teal though!). He is happy for me to crochet during this as long as he can snuggle up :-) He had the cutest shirt on today, I think it's from H&M.
It's amazing how much better having some crochet on the go makes me feel!


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A good rule of thumb is to replace a Lennox furnace when the cost of repair approaches 50 percent of the value of the heating system. Lennox suggests planning to replace the furnace if it is 12 years or older.
The average furnace lasts 10 years or longer, and some may last up to 20 years. This average varies based on the quality of the furnace, how much it is used and how well it has been maintained. One problem in trying to determine when to replace your furnace is that most furnaces do not show preliminary signs that something is wrong or going bad and typically just stop working.


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It looks like this part does not have any measurements or models listed.
We'd love to make sure you avoid disappointment and get the exact part you need. Please contact us to make sure you are buying the correct part for your appliance.
Scratch-b-gone surface restoration kit
Repair up to 20 normal sized scratches and make your appliances look like new! scratch-b-gone is not a cosmetic cover or polish to hide scratches; this is a permanent fix. easily resurface your stainless steel and remove the damage and restore the beauty


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Welcome to Shop Li-Ning
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Model: Li Ning Wade All In Team 3 High Performance Basketball Shoes
Release Date: Spring 2016
Materials: Printing inks + synthetic Leather + Cow Suede
Sole: Rubber + EVA
Style Code & Color
A: ABAL007-1 "Galaxy" Black/Purple
B: ABAL007-6 "USA Flag" Dark Blue/Red
C: ABAL007-2 "Tai Chi" Black/White
Tailored for basketball
Tech: Cushion; Bounse
Condition: Brand New and 100% Authentic
1. Professional basketball match shoes
2. Cushion on the middle part of the midsole maximally to reduce vibration and stress on your ankle and provide excellent cushioning
3. Bounse tech to enhance your quality of support for higher speed of propulsion
4. Transparent durable rubber outsole
5. Cow Suede upper with ink printing upper
Check video below:
|Active Deal
|Black, Blue
I really like the shoes, comfy, good for playing basketball and easy to move it, looks great and feels great too. I love them
I really like the shoes, comfy, good for playing basketball and easy to move it, looks great and feels great too. I love them
I really like the shoes, comfy, good for playing basketball and easy to move it, looks great and feels great too. I love them
100% Brand New Genuine
Authentic & Original
100% Money Back Guarantee
All product can be verified
For Clothing, Li-Ning use Asia Size. You can check the different with US size below, and also check it how it fit.
Important notice: The size on our online shopping site is Asia Size.
Li-Ning Clothing Size
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All the Li-Ning product on web is free shipping via Air Mail (Total amout have to be above 100us dollar).
We ship worldwide.
Please note, Air Mail is rather slow, normally take up to 15-22 working days to arrive. As some country is too far like South America and Africa, sometimes it will take more than one month.
You can also checkout by using standard express shipment, which normally take 5 to 7 working days. Some country is slower max 22 working days.
You can also checkout with Express shipping like DHL, UPS or Fedex, which is fast, but shipping cost is higher.
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You may return most new, unopened items within 5 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.
We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.
When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.
Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.


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Do you ever need to connect to the console of a server? Are you too lazy to go to the server to do it? If so, then check this out from a cmd window:
mstsc /v:serverName /console
I almost never need to connect to the console as most everything that I need to do can be accomplished with the SQL Server tools and the use of Terminal Services/Remote Desktop. But this will come in handy when two other people are already connected to the server via RDP. Now a third person can connect!
posted @ Thursday, October 12, 2006 2:44 PM | Feedback (8) |
Filed Under [
We've been having performance problems on a new 64-bit SQL Server 2005 cluster in our test environment. We opened a ticket with Microsoft to assist us with this.
After modifying several things, the only thing that was slow was Management Studio. On both nodes of this cluster, it would take about 3-5 minutes to load Management Studio. The first MS engineer suggested that we add the nosplash switch to the Management Studio shortcut, like this:
This did not increase performance at all on either node. The second MS engineer suggested that we uncheck two options in Internet Explorer's Advanced Security settings. ...
posted @ Thursday, October 05, 2006 10:47 AM | Feedback (6) |
Filed Under [
SQL Server - General
For those of you who have been using SQL Profiler 2005 for a while, you probably are already aware of this. We've been using SQL Server 2005 for a few months now, but I hadn't touched SQL Profiler 2005 very much yet. Today I had to run a trace to check if any of the queries in our performance environment were taking too long. I always save the trace data to a table, so that I can easily run queries against it. Here is my typical query:
SELECT TOP 100 Duration, TextData
FROM TraceTable
WHERE TextData IS NOT NULL
ORDER BY Duration DESC
posted @ Wednesday, October 04, 2006 11:46 AM | Feedback (4) |
Filed Under [
SQL Server - Database Administration
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Copyright © Tara Kizer


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Introducing a wonderful young actress, Alana Jo Beckman. Alana is making quite a name for herself with seven projects under her belt and a eighth film soon to be released. Her very first project was a featured extra in, "Dark Fields". Later she was cast in a cool film, "White Lake", her character was, Chloe one of the daughters. She said, this film was a lot of fun, especially the drowning scene. In this scene she got to get into a full tub in her pajamas.
Alana's biggest project to date was, "Conviction". This was directed by Tony Goldwyn, starring Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell. She had a principle role in this film, she was the little neighborhood girl cheering on the young Betty Anne Walters in a fight scene with her brother in a barn. She loved being on the set of a really big movie. Alana's newest project is a film called, "After Visiting Hours". This is a film about elderly residents disappearing from nursing homes all over the country. This is an age old enemy from Grimm's Fairy Tales on the prowl for aged meat. Harvey a modern day monster slayer goes undercover and stakes out a nursing home but, the monster is too deadly, so he enlists the help of his two nieces, Kylie and Laurel. Alana played, Laurel in this film. She said, it was totally awesome bringing this character to life. She is the super intelligent one in this film. Alana says, the cast and crew all worked well together, and was like one big happy family.
Alana hopes to one day be the lead character in a really huge box office hit. She has already achieved one of her goals, and that was winning an award for her acting. She won Best Supporting Actress in a short film called, "The Lost and Found Shop", this was at the Detroit Independent Film Festival in 2011. Alana is doing very well with her acting career but, she would like to someday play the role of a child vampire, she thinks vampires are really cool. Acting is her favorite thing to do, she loves meeting and making new friends. She loves being in front of the camera, and she says that sometimes she will even kiss the camera for good luck. Alana has a great attitude going forward in her career, she says that there are a lot of talented people all over the world waiting to be noticed, these talented individuals will someday get that opportunity if they continue to believe in themselves. Alana is a believer!
Alana is truly amazing and has a great future ahead of her in acting. She has a wonderful start and not afraid to go after any part no matter how big or small it is. This is what it takes, you have to take what ever comes your way. It is important to be seen and heard, and for Alana she is doing just that. If she continues the way she is going her break will come, and you will see her name on movie theaters across the country. You can keep track of Alana and her projects at IMDB


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Is it YOUR time to start practicing Yoga?
Some have called me a yoga midwife...and I find that most fitting. I feel pure joy in the opportunity to guide someone in their first breaths of yoga, to demystify their preconceived ideas and realign any misperceptions they have about the practice. I can see their being illuminate as they begin to grasp what yoga is all about, and take their first conscious steps on the path of awakening. For these reasons, I'm truly grateful to be offering this very special Beginner's workshop at the top of the New Year in Boulder, CO at Amana Yoga. Registration at www.amanayogaboulder.com
"If you want to find the secrets of the universe,


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Fiona Krüger's Watches "Memento Mori"
Herman Henstenburgh, 1667 – 1726 | Vanitas Still Life | Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Katsukawa Shunsho | The actors Ichikawa Danjuro V as a skeleton, spirit of the renegade monk Seigen… | Edo period, 1783 | The Art Institute of Chicago | Photography © The Art Institute of Chicago
Day of the Dead, Halloween, and the scary side of ARTstor
Halloween stems from the Celtic harvest festival of Samhain (roughly, "summer's end") held on October 31–November 1, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. The festival was integrated into All Saints Day, a Catholic holiday observed on November 1 to honor saints and martyrs. The evening before All Saints Day was referred to as All Hallows' Eve, which eventually became Halloween.
Vanitas 18th Century Robert Dighton titled, "An Essay on Woman: Life and Death Contrasted
Vanitas Figure,1700's Europe
19th C Anatomical Venus, Unknown Modeller and Workshop, Museu d'Història de la Medicina de Catalunya
Ignaz Günther, approx. 1756
'Hell'O Monsters' (Brussels, Europe)
|Ignaz Günther
Fernando Vicente Vanitas
Hand Carved "Momento Mori" Skeleton Rocking Chair
A intricately carved mahogany "momento morie" rocking chair depicting a skeleton figure on rockers terminating in dragons. Probably modeled after the Mid 19th Century Russian example as illustrated in 19th century European Furniture by Christopher Payne. Vincent Price, a well-known actor in horror films, owned a whole set of skeleton chairs.
A intricately carved mahogany "momento morie" rocking chair depicting a skeleton figure on rockers terminating in dragons. Probably modeled after the Mid 19th Century Russian example as illustrated in 19th century European Furniture by Christopher Payne. Vincent Price, a well-known actor in horror films, owned a whole set of skeleton chairs.
Electric chair covered in butterflies and made entirely out of porcelain by artists Bertozzi and Casoni
Bouke de Vries Mao Head with Skulls, a life-sized bust of Chairman Mao made out of tiny skulls made out of porcelain
"The original Vanitas paintings were concerned with the impermanence of man and his earthly pleasures in the face of death. Symbols used included human skull, as well as books, candles, hourglasses, mirrors, flowers, insects, soap bubbles and shadows, all combined to create both a literal and abstract symbolism suggestive of the transience of life.
The new show Vanitas: The Transience of Earthly Pleasures displays original works dating back to the 17th century alongside painting and sculpture from 27 international contemporary artists."
Coffins From Ghana
Coca Cola Coffin: Young carpenters open a coffin shaped in the form of a Coca Cola bottle in Teshie, a suburb of Accra January 22, 2004.
"Since pre-Columbian times, El Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead has been celebrated in Mexico and other Latin countries. This is a very special ritual, as it is the day in which the living lovingly remember their departed relatives.
For centuries the inhabitants of Mexico have created fascinating folk art expressions of the Day of the Dead: magnificently decorated skulls and catrinas, fabulous candelabra, trees of life and attractive skeletons. Skilful artists transform wood, clay, tin and paper into wonderful Day of the Dead sculptures many inspired by Jose Guadalupe Posada."
Maria Jimenez
Wood Carved Skull
Wood Carved Skull
Bat by Luis Pablo
"Be fully awake to everything about you … the more you can appreciate & get a full measure of joy & happiness out of life," Jackson Pollock's dad once wisely advised his 16-year-old son.


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|Guy B. Johnson & his Mom, Dr. Maya Angelou
To write memoir as literature is almost impossible." James Baldwin Those were the very words that motivated Dr. Maya Angelou to write,
"I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings".
Marguerite Johnson - Maya Angelou burst upon the American scene, April 4, 1928. Mother, Author, Poet, Dancer, Film Producer, Tony Award winner and Grammy Winner. She did it all before laying down with our ancestors on May 28, 2014.
|Dr. Maya Angelou =
Strength, Courage, Wisdom
|Dr. Maya Angelou attended my Alma mater,
George Washington Sr. High in San Francisco, CA
|I love this photo of Dr. Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King +NASDAQ
|Dr. Maya Angelou's Autobiography
"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"
"When people tell you who they are, believe them." Dr. Maya Angelou
|Dr. Maya Angelou
Dr. Maya Angelou -
"I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings",
"A Song Flung Up to Heaven"
"The Heart of a Woman"
Video -
"Blacks Blues Black" (A Series of 10 -1 hour programs on the impact of the various African Cultures on arts/music/life - episodes written and produced by
Dr. Maya Angelou on KQED, 1968)
When I read the book, "A Song Flung Up to Heaven", it took me places I'd never been before. As with all of Dr. Maya Angelou's works, I've learned and grown so much.
Thank you, Dr. Maya Angelou for all of the words of wisdom that you've shared with me as a teenager in San Francisco, CA at the beautiful Herbst Theatre. I really appreciate you sharing your brother, Bailey, and son, Guy B. Johnson's life with me, allowing me to ask how they were doing and knowing that I was sincere.
Those two men were so real to me - and I was only 16!
Thank you for being a light, shining so bright in this world. Words can be so healing....R.I.P. Dr. Maya Angelou . My condolences to Guy B. Johnson.
Love & light,


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Overview of Brussels
This is a Belgian city that is rich in culture and history that is evident from the medieval and new buildings to the amazing galleries and museums. It is well connected with main roads and thus it makes it very easy to get around by bus, on foot or it is well connected with train. The areas that are outside the city can be reached using the subway. The city is composed of many modern buildings that were founded by great architecture, fine cafes and paved streets.
Brussels was colony of many nations including Germany, Spain and the Romans. This history has contributed to its status as a community for various lobbying groups, diplomats and politicians from the European Union. One of the languages which are used in Brussels includes French with a Dutch influence in the southern area of the city. The residents of this city are relatively conservative when it comes to politics and religion and they tend to have very strong family ties. A majority of them follow the Roman Catholic faith and even though church attendance has gradually declined over the decades, religion still plays a big part in the lives of many residents.
The city of Brussels is credited with the origin of oil painting in the 15th century and most of the masterpieces have originated from the country. The last century has witnessed an increase in Art Nouveau designs that was a break from the conservative classical that were predominant in the 19th century.
The Grand Place in Brussels is considered as one of the most striking town squares in the continent. This square plays host to a flower market each day, regular musical performances and on Sunday mornings there is a bird market. Many writers like Baudelaire and Victor Hugo who were amazed by its beauty have mentioned the square in their works. It is one of the main attractions that tourists around the globe come to see when they were in Belgium.
The cuisine in Brussels is praised all over the continent and some people consider it to be one of the best after French cuisine. The recipes often combine German and French styles and include seafood and meat as the key raw ingredients. This city is also home to the popular fries and potato chips and during your stay you will be able to sample a variety of them. The country's chocolates, beer and mussels are also favorite of visitors.


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History can teach us some of the key lessons we need to learn for leadership in the church today. "The Nuremburg Chronicle of 1493 describes Europe as depressed. Published in one of medieval Germany's most important centers of learning and innovation, the Chronicle epitomizes its era. On the one hand, pioneering with the new, innovative hardware of movable type, it faithfully reproduced engraved portraits of the major cities of Europe and the Holy Land. On the other hand, it described a civilization with little vision or hope.
Contributing to the general malaise was a combination of political, social, economic, and theological "downers." Late fifteenth-century Europe, despite its glorious cathedrals, emerging artists, and developing network of universities, was a society living in the wake of the plagues, the breakdown of the feudal order, and the increasing inability of an often hypocritical and corrupt church's capacity to ring true. There had not been a major scientific discovery for a thousand years.
Then, as if suddenly, Europe is all agog. The depression lifts like a morning mist, novelty begins to shine everywhere, and the seeds of the Renaissance that had been germinating here and there for two hundred years sprout vigorously. The imaginative gridlock that had largely beclouded Europe's inventiveness for more than a millennium dissolves forever. Over the next half-century, more radical change occurred in every field of human endeavor than had ever happened before, or, with the possible exception of the first half of the twentieth century, since.
While there have been other half-centuries of extraordinary progress, few have involved such fundamental change of direction all across the board. A person born in 1492 could have witnessed in their lifetime:
• An extraordinary flowering of artistic imagination concerning form and perspective in painting, sculpture, literature, architecture;
• The Reformation led by Luther and Calvin, ramifying out into almost every subculture and presaging the way religious differences would be formulated for centuries to come;
• The invention of the watch, enabling an unheralded fine-tuning in the measurement and coordination of daily time periods;
• Observations of space and experimentation with lenses that would lead to the creation of the telescope; and
• The dissemination of the first newspaper, initiating the effects of widespread information-sharing within a community.
Underlying all of this artistic, philosophical, and scientific upheaval was an even more basic, all-embracing change: the two worldviews by which European civilization had oriented itself for almost fifteen hundred years (based largely on the scholarship of the second-century Greek thinker and mapmaker, Ptolemy) were turned on their heads. One misperception was the view that the land mass on our planet was situated entirely above the equator, extending contiguously from western Europe to eastern Asia, with the Indian Ocean a land-locked lake. The other was the notion that our planet's relationship to the rest of the planets and other heavenly bodies was "geocentric" – that is, the other planets and stars revolved around the Earth, which according to this orientation was situated at the center of the universe.
Anyone who has ever been part of an imaginatively gridlocked relationship system knows that more learning will not, on its own, automatically change the way people see things or think. There must first be a shift in the emotional processes of that institution. Imagination and indeed even curiosity are at root emotional, not cognitive, phenomena. In order to imagine the unimaginable, people must be able to separate themselves from surrounding emotional processes before they can even begin to see (or hear) things differently. Without this understanding, it becomes impossible to realize how our learning can prevent us from learning more. After all, when Galileo, a century later, tried to reorient the cosmic perspective of his world, he offered in rebuttal to those who were unwilling to learn what he had learned: a look for themselves through his telescope. And there were people who not only disagreed with his views but, when offered the opportunity, even refused to peek.
While it can be said that Columbus' voyage would not have been possible without some of the accumulated learning that preceded him, European history after 1493 does not logically follow from all the knowledge or creative imagination that had been gathering in the previous three centuries. The slow pace of advancement could have continued at that same slow rate of progress for another three or even five hundred years. The quantum leap that occurred around 1500 was a direct result of a complete reorientation to reality initiated by Columbus' discoveries and the subsequent exploration of geography.
Similarly, though some have said that the Age of Discovery was merely symptomatic of the cultural and economic advances occurring at that time, the catalyst for those other imaginative breakthroughs was the "nerve" of the great navigators who led the way. Europe's imaginative capacity was unleashed not by the discovery of learning, but by the discovery of the New World, while the enormous awakening of European civilization's inventiveness was the direct result of the effect those new horizons had on an Old World.
Columbus' voyage was a hinge of time. It swung open a door barely ajar, and for the next hundred years after 1493, no significant cathedral, unless previously planned, was begun. The effect of America's discovery on the European imagination was as though God had been hiding a piece of land bigger than the known world since the dawn of creation. The great lesson of this turnaround is that when any relationship system is imaginatively gridlocked, it cannot get free simply through more thinking about the problem. Conceptually stuck systems cannot become unstuck simply by trying harder. For a fundamental reorientation to occur, that spirit of adventure which optimizes serendipity and which enables new perceptions beyond the control of our thinking processes must happen first. This is equally true regarding families, institutions, whole nations, and entire civilizations.
But for that type of change to occur, the system in turn must produce leaders who can both take the first step and maintain the stamina to follow through in the face of predictable resistance and sabotage. Any renaissance, anywhere, depends primarily not only on new data and techniques, but on the capacity of leaders to separate themselves from the surrounding emotional climate so that they can break through the barriers that are keeping everyone from "going the other way."
What our civilization needs most is leaders with a bold sense of adventure. Our nation's obsession with safety ignores the fact that every American alive today benefits from centuries of risk-taking by previous generations."
Excerpted from A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix by Edwin Friedman


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Math @ Duke
Math HOME
Papers Published
Abstract:When can a real hypersurface in complex
n-space contain any complex
curves? Since the tangent spaces to such a curve
would have to be null
vectors for the Levi form, a necessary condition is that
the Levi form
have zeros. The simplest way this can happen in the
non-degenerate case
is for the Levi form to have the Lorentzian signature.
In this paper, I show that a Lorentzian CR-manifold
M has at most a
finite parameter family of holomorphic curves, in fact, at
most an n2
parameter family if the dimension of M is 2n+1. This
maximum is attained,
as I show by example. When n=2, the only way it can be
reached is for M
to be CR-flat. In higher dimensions, where the CR-flat
model does not achieve
the maximum, it is still unknown whether or not there is
more than one
local model with the maximal dimension family of
holomorphic curves.
The technique used is exterior differential systems
together with the
Chern-Moser theory in the n=2 case.
Reprints are available, but can also be downloaded
from the AMS or from JSTOR
ph: 919.660.2800
fax: 919.660.2821


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Read More Reviews on TripAdvisor
405 Spray Ave, Banff, Alberta, T1L 1J4 4037621772
Reminiscent of the hot springs that beckoned travellers over 100 years ago the pulsating waterfalls and the mineral pool in the heart of the spa rejuvenate tired muscles and soothe troubled spirits. The intensity of oxygen inspires clarity of thought and renews strength of purpose. Willow Stream brings to life the unique healing powers of the alpine air the sacred waters and mountain magic.


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Our View: Make sure you vote
October 25, 2005
There often is low turnout for odd-year elections.
Without a presidential or gubernatorial race to pique the public interest, turnout can be sliced by half. For example, nearly 11,500 Routt County residents voted in the 2004 general election, and fewer than 5,000 voted in the 2003 election. That's too bad. The reality is that the City Council election, School Board elections and local tax initiatives often have a much more direct effect on our lives than presidential, Senate and congressional races.
On Tuesday, two very different groups of candidates will face off in a Steamboat Springs City Council election that will shape the future of our city. Such an important decision should be made by more than half the city's voters.
Make sure you vote. There is no better way to participate in our democracy.
The Pilot & Today does not endorse individual candidates. But for the benefit of our readers, the following is a recap of our stances on this year's ballot initiatives.
Referendums C and D: Referendum C would amend the Taxpayers Bill of Rights, lifting revenue limits for five years and allowing state tax revenues to catch up from a three-year-old recession. Referendum D would immediately borrow against the anticipated funds from Referendum C to begin highway projects, fund pensions and build schools. We think Referendum C is a solid, bipartisan solution to the state's financial crisis. It appropriately addresses TABOR's ratchet effect while keeping the core of TABOR intact. Vote yes on referendums C and D.
Recommended Stories For You
Routt County Referendum 1A: Referendum 1A asks for a 1.5-mill property tax for 20 years to support the county's Purchase of Development Rights program. Currently, a 1-mill property tax funds the program. That tax expires next year. Under the PDR program, the county purchases development rights on qualified ranchland and open space to preserve the land in its current state. It should be noted that the PDR program works in concert with the Yampa Valley Land Trust. Our original editorial indicated the two entities are competitors. We like the PDR program and hope it continues, but we disagree with the decision to seek a 50-percent increase in tax funding and to double the lifetime of the tax. Vote no on Routt County Referendum 1A.
Routt County Referendum 1B: Referendum 1B would implement a 1-mill property tax to fund Horizons Specialized Services. The tax would allow Horizons to serve 11 of the 22 mentally retarded clients on its waiting list. The county has implemented residency and fundraising restrictions to ensure the tax funds are used efficiently to help Routt County residents. We believe in Horizons' mission and think the tax is a reasonable request to fill a clear need in the community. Vote yes on 1B.
Routt County Referendum 5C: If approved, Referendum 5C would lift TABOR revenue restrictions placed on the Yampa Valley Housing Authority. This "de-Brucing" lets the Housing Authority, which does not levy a tax, pursue local and state grant funding at levels necessary to tackle affordable housing projects the community needs. Vote yes on Referendum 5C.
Ballot Issue 5A and 5B: Ballot issue 5B is an $l1.4 million bond issue that would be used by the East Routt Library District to triple the size of Bud Werner Memorial Library. Ballot issue 5A is a 1-mill property tax increase to fund staff and operations to meet the needs of the larger library. During the next 20 years, the two ballot issues will cost taxpayers more than $30 million. The issues would more than double the library district's current tax rate. We think the price tag is too high for something we don't deem a critical need. Vote no on ballot issues 5A and 5B.
Those are our stances. We encourage you to consider them in formulating your own stances. Most of all, we encourage you to vote Tuesday.


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Open Events
The best way to get to know a school is by paying us a visit. Please see below details of our forthcoming open events or contact us here to ask a question about life at the school.
Year 5 Open Evening (for prospective students starting in September 2019)
Thursday 5th July 2018 5.30-8.00pm
Year 5 School Tours (for those who can not attend the Open Evening)
Monday 9th July, Tuesday 10th July and Monday 16th July 9.30-10.30am (Headteacher's talk at 10.30am)
If you would like us to keep in touch with you about events at the school please click here and send us your e-mail address and we will e-mail you a copy of our Gazette magazine or you can read it here on the website.


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I normally reserve my historical analysis for games in football and basketball, where it has more relevance than the strong emphasis on current form for MLB selections. Today, the Texas Rangers travel to Houston for this 3-game weekend set against their closest pursuer for division supremacy.
Texas Rangers (Perez) vs. Houston Astros (Keuchel)
Not only do we have a strong historical reasoning for the game, but it combines with a current form to give us a big dog play that we simply cannot pass up!
The Houston Astros, after a 20-32 start, clawed their way back into divisional contention with a 34-12 burst. But, the combination of injuries and poor pitching has left them on a 2-8 slide, as they enter this 3-game set in the role of hunter, trailing Texas by 6 ½ games for the AL West lead. Texas had their own 4-15 dip, when a trio of starters, Darvish, Lewis and Holland, all ended up on the DL at the same time. The Rangers have righted the ship with a 7-4 run. With the addition of Beltran and Lucroy, they have strengthened their offense. The imminent return of Holland and Lewis (Darvish is already back in the rotation) makes this team a legitimate threat for an appearance in the World Series. At 63-46, they maintain the best record in the American League.
Returning to the historical aspects of this selection, we find that Texas has taken 17 of 20 from Houston, including 9-1 already this year. Today's Texas starter, Perez, has an extraordinarily strong history against the Astros. In 7 appearances, Perez is 5-2 with a 1.88 ERA.
Such cannot be said of Astro's starter, Keuchel, who is far from the dominant presence of his CY Young campaign. For the year, Keuchel is 6-11 with a 4.86 ERA. He was just ripped for 7 runs in 5 IP vs. Detroit. But, his worst starts this season have come against the Texas Rangers. In going 0-3 against his division rival, Keuchel has a 7.91 ERA.
This is a huge favorite price on a team and a pitcher who are currently undeserving of such favoritism. Texas has played the better ball this year, is in much better current form than a Houston offense that has plated just 7 runs in their last 6 starts and has a dominant historical edge, both from a team vs. team perspective, as well as on the mound. In what can only be termed our History Book Underdog Play of the day we bring back a huge price with this Ranger's victory. I invite you to put the MLB odds in your favor and join me in my MLB pick on the Texas Rangers tonight.
Free MLB Pick: Rangers +159
Best Line Offered: at 5Dimes
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Want To Read More On This Game? Click Here


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On March 1, 2016, the Banking Standards Board announced that Sir Brendan Barber had been appointed as its Deputy Chairman. The BSB was established in April 2015 as an industry initiative. It aims to promote higher standards of behavior and competence in banks and building societies operating in the UK.
The press release is available at: http://www.bankingstandardsboard.org.uk/deputychairmanappointed/.


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The West Ottawa and Zeeland West boys track & field teams and Hamilton girls track & field teams all won their divisions at Wyoming's Frank Grimm Relays on Saturday.
The Saugatuck girls won the Wyoming Lee Solis Invitational as well.
The West Ottawa and Zeeland West boys track & field teams and Hamilton girls track & field teams all won their divisions at Wyoming's Frank Grimm Relays on Saturday.
The Panthers totaled 94 points in the Upper Division— 11 more than runner-up Byron Center.
West Ottawa won the long jump, high jump, 1,200 sprint medley, 800, 3,200 and 6,400 events.
Zeeland East took fourth with 66.5 points. The Chix won the 2,000, discus and shot put events.
In the girls Upper Meet, West Ottawa came in third with 69 points, while Zeeland East was fourth with 67.
West Ottawa won the 2,000 and 100 hurdle relays. Zeeland East won the Distance Medley, 3,200, discus and shot put events.
The Hamilton girls won the Lower Division with 106 points — six more than runner-up Zeeland West.
Hamilton took first in the 800, 3,200, high jump, long jump and shot put events.
Zeeland West won the 2,000, 1,600, 100 events.
The Zeeland West boys took first in its Lower Division with 130 points — 49 more than runner-up Grand Rapids West Catholic. Hamilton (69) was fourth.
Zeeland West won the pole vault, long jump, 110 hurdles, 100, 800, 1,600, 2,000 and 3,200 events.
Hamilton won the shot put event.
Boys track & field
Two Saugatuck records broken
Saugatuck's Bobby Drew set school records on Saturday at the Wyoming Lee Solis Invitational in the shot put at 49-4 and the discus at 146-2.
The shot put mark was 44 years old, while the discus record at 34.
Other Saugatuck winners were Sean Kelly in the 1,600 and Tannon Perr in the 300 hurdles.
Girls track & field
Saugatuck wins invitational
The Indians took first at the Solis Invitational for the third time in four years.
Saugatuck received winning efforts from Aurda Webbert in the high jump, Lauren Jenkins in the 1,600, Melissa Francis in the 100 hurdles, Audry Flood in the pole vault and the 3,200 relay of Cammy Garvelink, Libby Springer Dhara Patel and Jenkins.


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We offer RV/trailer/boat storage in our fenced yard adjacent to our campground. Why put up with storing your boat or RV in your driveway taking up valuable space or worrying about theft when you can store it right here? Save time and the hassle of trailering your boat or RV to the lake or campground using our convenient storage facility.
It is certainly worth only $240 for a FULL YEAR of storage!
|RVs / Boats / Trailers
Marina - Motel - Campground
We are located approximately 3 miles north of Warsaw, MO on US 65. Sterett Creek is on the shore of Truman Resevoir (commonly referred to as Truman Lake). Truman Lake is the largest man-made lake in Missouri and is home to many species of fish and wildlife. Our Marina offers easy access to the Osage, Grand, Big Tebo and Little Tebo arms of the lake. Our Motel and Campground offer easy access to the Sterett Creek Loop of the Truman Lake Mountain Bike Park. Sterett Creek is the perfect place for outdoor fun!


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PDE Seminar
Tuesday, October 20, 2015 - 3:05pm
1 hour (actually 50 minutes)
Skiles 006
The study of reflector surfaces in geometric optics necessitates the analysis of nonlinear equations of Monge-Ampere type. For many important examples (including the near field reflector problem), the equation no longer falls within the scope of optimal transport, but within the class of "Generated Jacobian equations" (GJEs). This class of equations was recently introduced by Trudinger, motivated by problems in geometric optics, however they appear in many others areas (e.g. variations of the Minkowski problem in convex geometry). Under natural assumptions, we prove Holder regularity for the gradient of weak solutions. The results are new in particular for the near-field point source reflector problem, but are applicable for a broad class of GJEs: those satisfying an analogue of the A3-weak condition introduced by Ma, Trudinger and Wang in optimal transport. Joint work with Jun Kitagawa.


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International Business Management
Italy is a country with scarce natural resources and therefore its living standard is highly dependent on its ability to sell high value manufactured products and services abroad.
With more than 400 billion euros of goods exported yearly, Italy is one of the largest manufacturing and exporting country in the world (more than 3% of total world exports). Nevertheless, its real exporting potential is waiting to be fully developed.
At present Italy has many exporters but they are often too small, operate in a restricted number of markets usually too close to home and export only a few lines of products.
Program Modules
MODULE 1 – Strategic Competencies
MODULE 2 – Operational Competencies
MODULE 3 – Personal Skills
MODULE 4 – Project Work
MODULE 5 – Internship


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Welcome to south arm.This beautiful unique design new home is located right in front at McRobert High, one of the top rated high schools in Richmond. South Arm community center and park are just minutes' walk from home. Shopping mall, public transit are all within few minutes' walking distance. Open concept kitchen with high end European appliances and a very spacious spice kitchen. 4 bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms upstairs and a beautiful south facing sundeck. Fully equipped with Air conditioning, Radiant heating ,HRV, Central Vaccum and Security system . There is also a one bedroom and den rental unit on the main floor helping you with mortgage. House like this is rarely available. Book your private showing right away!
Air Conditioning,ClthWsh/Dryr/Frdg/Stve/DW,Drapes/Window Coverings,Fireplace Insert,Garage Door Opener,Pantry,Smoke Alarm,Vacuum Blt. In, Recreation Nearby,Shopping Nearby


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About Tamworth
If you want accommodation ranging from refreshing holiday b&bs to holiday bed & breakfast properties, you'll find great accommodation options for your stay in Tamworth!
With great discount holiday accommodation deals on offer, you can book your perfect Tamworth accommodation in New England now!
Tamworth: Country Icons and Outdoor Action
Tamworth, in the New England region of New South Wales, has several unique claims to fame. The first town in Australia to be publicly lit up with electricity in 1888, the Tamworth of today is an international hub for country music.
During your visit, make sure to do some wine tasting or try local dairy products. Delve into the region's past and tour cottages dating back to the 1840s. Stretch your legs at one of the neighbouring national parks or cast a line off the banks of local rivers.
Holiday homes in Tamworth range from tidy cottages to spacious residences with panoramic views over the countryside.
Tamworth: A Hub for Country Music
Tamworth is known far and wide for its country music scene, the epitome of which comes to life in January. Tamworth plays host to the second largest country music festival on the planet. 50,000 visitors flock to the small New England town to watch their favourite Australian and international country singers perform.
If you can't make it for the festival, soak up the country atmosphere at the Big Golden Guitar Tourist Centre. The centre doubles up as a wax museum, where you will be able see real size figures of country icons. A larger-than-life replica of the golden guitar presented at the Australian Country Music Awards features prominently in front of the centre.
Wine and Dine in Tamworth
Cool climate wines thrive in the New England region. Close to Tamworth, you will find 20+ cellar doors. A number of guided tours allow visitors to sample a variety of wines, as well as local cheeses and produce. Venture along the New England Foodie Trail and stop at local eateries, farms and wineries.
In town, Tamworth has restaurants and cafes for every budget and traveler. For a taste of history, head to the family-friendly Currabubula Pub and Cafe, which has been open since 1838. The venue regularly hosts live entertainment.
Each year in April, the Taste Tamworth Festival takes place, with over 120 events run by local farmers and restaurateurs.
History and Heritage in Tamworth
Find out about Tamworth's electric heritage at the Powerstation Museum, where you can take a self-guided tour of the permanent displays, featuring original machinery that once lit up the city's streets.
For more insight into the region's past, visit Calala Cottage, a residence that belonged to the town's first mayor. Now housing the Tamworth Historical Society, it harbours artifacts and artworks belonging to Tamworth's founding families. Also on the grounds is a shepherd's hut, built circa 1840.
Just a short drive from Tamworth is the once prominent gold mining town of Nundle. The historic settlement features one of the few remaining spinning mills still at work in the country. Some of the machinery is close to 100 years old. Watch how wool was spun in centuries past and purchase your own wool clothing and blankets produced on site.
The Great Outdoors
Not far from Tamworth, visitors have several lakes, rivers and national parks at their disposal. Locals tend to camp and fish at Lake Keepit - you might even reel in some catfish. Meanwhile, Manilla River, close to Barraba, is a popular destination for birdwatching.
The national parks of Nowendoc, Warrabah and Mount Kaputar offer a whole host of outdoor activities. Wander through fields of wildflowers at Nowendoc. Bushwalk for kilometres at Mount Kaputar, setting of a long extinct volcano. You can hike up to the top of the mountain for sweeping views over the countryside.
If you visit Warrabah National Park, spend some time on the shores of the Namoi River, where you will find plenty of picnic spots. There's also a playground for those travelling with children.
Getting to Tamworth
Tamworth is set roughly halfway between Sydney (a 5-hour drive) and Brisbane (just under a 7-hour drive). Tamworth's regional airport is located about 10km from town, with direct daily flights from both capital cities. If you'd rather take public transport, direct bus services also operate several times a week but take almost double the time.


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DUBOIS – The Penn State DuBois Student Government Association will hold its 14th annual Breakfast with Santa this holiday season. Reservations can be made now. Available time slots are 8:00 a.m., 8:45 a.m., 9:30 a.m., and 10:15 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, in the Student Union at Penn State DuBois.
Children will have the chance to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus and, of course, sit on Santa's knee and tell him what they want for Christmas. Kids can participate in activities like face painting and play games, like Pin the Nose on Rudolph.
The cost is $3.75 per person, and proceeds will benefit the Make a Wish Foundation. Reservations are a must. To reserve your time, call Marly Greeley in the Student Life Office at 814-375-4764, or email Marly at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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JOPLIN, Missouri – Rescuers combed through overturned cars and flattened buildings Tuesday hunting for survivors after this Missouri town was struck by one of the strongest US tornadoes ever recorded.
A massive mile-wide funnel-cloud, with winds of up to 200 miles (320 kilometers) an hour, tore through the town of Joplin with devastating force late Sunday, leaving 122 people dead and hundreds more missing.
Tornadoes were meanwhile Tuesday striking neighboring Oklahoma, with television footage showing multiple massive twisters touching down in rural areas near the state capital Oklahoma City.
"This is a very dangerous time right now," Governor Mary Fallin told CNN, as she urged Oklahomans to immediately take shelter from "several… huge tornadoes on the ground."
Joplin city manager Mark Rohr said earlier that there was an increasing sense of urgency, as rescuers scoured the town's rubble and debris in hopes of finding more survivors.
"People's lives are at stake," Rohr told a press conference.
"We are still in search and rescue mode, and will be for the foreseeable future," he said, almost two full days since the disaster flattened much of this town of some 50,000 people.
Officials said the tornado ranks as the 8th deadliest in American history, and the deadliest single twister to strike the United States since modern records began in 1950 — rising above the toll in a tornado in Flint, Michigan in 1953 that left 116 people dead.
More than 8,000 structures in this town bordering the heartland states of Kansas and Oklahoma were damaged or destroyed when the twister came roaring through with just a 24-minute warning.
Sunday's massive twister cut a swath of destruction four miles (6.4 kilometers) long and three quarters of a mile (more than a kilometer) wide.
Brandon Hicks, 26, was lucky enough to be on an out-of-town fishing trip when the twister struck, but came home to discover that his house, as well as one across the street belonging to his brother, was completely destroyed.
"We're trying to get everything salvaged, before the next storm hits," Hicks said as he sorted through the ruins of his possessions.
Forecasters warned more potent storms could be on the way, perhaps as early as Tuesday.
Not far away, Lauren Miller, 23, wiped away tears as she sorted through family photos picked from the wreckage of her grandmother's home.
Miller's grandmother, who took shelter in the cellar with a neighbor as the house collapsed on top of them, survived.
But her other grandmother, who had been out for dinner Sunday evening to celebrate the high school graduation of a family friend, did not.
"It's not easy," Miller told AFP.
"I don't think the worst has come yet. This is all adrenaline and coping," she said.
Some news reports said as many as 1,500 people were still unaccounted for, although there was hope that some might have found their way to homes of friends and relatives outside the immediate area.
On a hopeful note, 17 people were reported to have been pulled alive Monday from under the debris and rubble following the tornado, but only two emerged alive on Tuesday.
Desperate residents meanwhile phoned local radio stations seeking information about missing loved ones.
The town's Facebook page has become an online kiosk for news about which nearby restaurants are offering free meals and where to find emergency shelter.
Residents were vowing to pull together in the aftermath of the calamity, saying they will eventually rebuild Joplin.
But the first order of business, they said, is to search for anyone trapped in the rubble and wreckage who might still be alive.
Churches and shelters lent their efforts to the rescue, sending legions of volunteers — assistance city officials said they were grateful for.
Joplin "has had a wonderful outpouring of support from volunteers coming into our community to affect that search and rescue," Rohr said Tuesday.
Responders have encountered trying conditions, including heavy rain, and rescue operations had to be suspended on Monday after two men were struck by lightning, one of whom was seriously injured.
US President Barack Obama plans to tour the disaster scene on Sunday.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families that are suffering at the moment," said Obama, who is on a four-nation European tour.
"All we can do is let them know that all of America cares deeply about them, and we are going to do absolutely everything we can to make sure they can recover," he added.