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Justin Bieber Betrayed by a Friend who Sold Marijuana Photos for $25000
The alleged marijuana images, posted by TMZ last week were reportedly taken in a hotel room in Newport Beach, California with Justin holding an blunt while surrounded by friends, including BFF lil twist.
While Justin has not publicly commented on the incident, he is said to be upset that he has been sold out by someone he trusted.
An insider told the New York Post: "Justin feels betrayed by someone who sold these pictures for $25,000 who he thought was a friend."
Related Bieber News
It's hard to trust someone especially if you're in the business and is as successful as Justin.
That means that whoever It was isnt a real friend
Well, I guess everyone finally found out that he is actually a human being and not a God.
Too bad the retards of this world will go crazy with the rumor even though its really the dumbest thing ever.
Oh the old "he's a human being" excuse now. Very creative 😛
It's not an excuse, it is the truth. He IS just a human being, and HE does make mistakes.
why did they have to turn it into such a big story? And the jerk who sold these pics is so selfish too. smoking pot isn't that big a deal, and whether Justin smoked or didn't, the media would not have brought it to everyone's attention if that so called "friend" of poor Justin didn't sell the pics. I hope Justin is handling it ok 🙁
I am crying right now i can't believe it was actually Justin :'( Im not leaving him no matter what though. He made a mistake and that alright im just hoping he's not still doing it. I was always afraid this would of happen to Justin. I don't know what i would do if GOD FORBID he died because of this. My mom has told me all about her favorite celebrities when she was younger and how alot of them died because of stuff like this. Justin if it's you pleaseeeee stop i need you. The beliebers need you. Without you we would be just a couple of idiots liking a boy .
U can't trust anyone 🙁 poor Justin. But I will always stay by his side
listen 2 me dummies,u r pure humans.justin has done soooo many good finz he makes jx a mistake nd u realise it.if u want want 2 kill hm hav u considered d gud fins he has done and still does and is still doing.
How about you learn to spell little girl and learn how to write sentences too dumb*ass.
*Listen to me dummies, you are pure humans. Justin has done so many good things (?) he makes a mistake and you realize it. If you want to kill him, have you considered the good things (?) he has done and still does and is still doing.*
….Yeah, I'm under the impression that you're about the age of 7.
If this greedy moron did not betray Justin and sold those pics to a gossip site, we would not be talking about this. Give Justin a break–he did not start this. He did not hurt anyone.
wow some people say"im his biggest fan'oh wiat he smokes im leaving him"..only true beliebers will stick by his side…who cares if he smokes.he is normal just like u.he was probably just trying to get over the break up.that doesnt mean to go all syco on selena either. he made those choices,on his own.what 18 year old doesnt smoke,every once in a while…i love him wether he smoes or not…
Justin had told Oprah he does not trust anybody. Now you see why. The person who did this is probably fired if he worked for him. this is really good news since now his handlers will be more concerned and watchful over him. He will do fine. We should not worry so much about his going into alcoholism or hard drug use-he knows what it can do as he told Oprah.
I really don't care about this anymore.
A pretty good half of this is Justin's fault. Whether he confirms it or not, everyone now knows it's real. When someone calls for doing stupid things you have to pay the price later. ALSO to all the people saying it was fake, how do you like me now? 😛
You're right, half of the Beliebers don't want to recognize the truth. Make excuses. Making excuses doesn't help him. Just makes him spin more out of control.
Rue b
I really didn't care either because the boy is 18 and that's what most 18 year olds do now a days. I'm still on the fence about if its actually real because I just hate tabloids but if it is then let it be and get over it. its Justin life so let Justin do Justin and you keep doing what we are suppose to do and that is to be Beliebers not his mom. He got a mama to tell him whats right from wrong and its definitely not us. #stillbeliebin'
PS: not directly to you @Marley but you know to all of us.
I don't want my idol doing drugs… 🙁
thats what happens when you got friends who are drug addicts he needed the money to buy more pot. i wonder how long justin has smoke marijuana sense he met lil twist or when he was in canada? this will not end well guys first is marijuana and later could be heavy drugs like cocaine or worst. i just hope that if he does don't do it in front of other people.
In 2 months he'll have like 7 more tattoos and will have pics of him doing cocaine. Sad what he's become.
Rue b
but heres the thing we cant judge him for what he has done…its like the miley cyrus incident like before…we cant just assume oh he's going to do this and that…its like really what if this was his first smoke? (but I highly doubt it). And who says he would be addicted to it? Like really im sorry but I don't like people like you who assume he's going to do worst when we our selve are going to do worst when we get older just like he did. But heres the twist we all have the option to continue it or stop so who knows what he'll do next. ONLY HE KNOWS! not what people assume or say 'oh he'll be like the rest'. I haven't given up on him and I hope you haven't either.
If you were a Belieber you would trust Justin and not assume such things about him. Be positive don't be negative. Justin is a good person.
That is so sad and if that happen to me I will feel the same way as he is feeling that is the worst thing ever.
I won't believe he smokes weed till i see a video of him saying it himself cause the photos of "Him" smoking wasn't him. His leg tattoos and ARM tattoos were missing and he doesnt wear the type of nikes on the picture like EVER.
Umm if your were a Belieber you would know that he does wear Nikes (and Jordans) just not as much as he wears Supras. Bought the shoes when he was in Australia. And the arm tattoos are much higher on his arm near his elbow, you wouldn't be able to see it with the sleeve in the pics. You're like the only one who doesn't know this.
ACTUALLY. I am a belieber. and yes he does wear Nikes but not those Nikes that look like Air Maxes or Jordans. and He's Owl Tattoo on his arm is BELOW his elbow therefore you should be able to see it in the pics.
I agree! until i/we havent saw a video of him smoking, im not believing in this nonsense..
Justin's sexy new girlfriend Samantha
I Know you don't smoke or do drugs
I Love you boyfriend. Just the way
You are forever&always xxxx
Oh my God! What kind of a friend he has,that is so mean..
Anyway! Justin really smoke marijuana?? 🙁 what makes him do that. He must have a hard life out there.. I hope he quits before it gets serious
I feel like part of this is justin's fault. I'm not saying he did it, yet, because it hasn't been confirmed yet (though i doubt it ever will be confirmed)- however, there's a lot of evidence signifying that he did. If he didn't want to be in the tabloids for doing something stupid then he shouldn't have done the stupid thing in the first place then there be no problem here now, would there? You can't trust anybody and this is a perfect example why.
Wow that person is a real asshole for doing that now Justin must feel like he can't trust anyone. The first time I saw the pics I immediately knew that Justin was smoking but it didn't upset me even though I didn't like the idea of him smoking but I didn't like quit being a belieber that some guys did or like start cutting my wrists and stuff like an obsessed fan. I actually stood by him! But the stuff that made me LMAO the entire time was when some ppl were saying it's a pencil or probably its a pretzel. lol But poor JB he must be REALLY pissed off right now 🙁 🙁 🙁
oh my poor baby 🙁 u shouldnt trust anyone these days….but justin should know better smoking is NOT COOL!
" oh I'm justin's friend and I like to be a bitch and I'm gay also I like to betray him"
That's B*tch
retarted fangirls
Well Justin was being the stupid person himself to trust everybody around him. He should of known better.
I know right…. (now I'm disappointed :()
Why do you guys expect so much from him?… He is just a human for gods sake. And i WILL not believe it until i have damn hard proof where he come out and says it himself.
My God why he smokes marijuana I am without words (the wrong way)
To hater stfu
He probably just wanted to have a little fun gosh it was probably just a one time thing let it go
well justin should know that ONE TIME can lead to more times..people who smokes tries something stronger, and more deadly.Im not sayin justin is gonna do that but he should know better. and he has little kids that looks up to him..and this is not FUN.
retarted fangirls II
One time thing? Oh really? He is probably smoking pot as we speak. Have a little fun? Drugs ain't a little fun, it can send you to jail. It just shows how mature he is.
CARMA IS A BITCH (to the person who sold pics)
wtf.. so he does smoke? or was he just holding it?.. i can't believe this :S
To hater stfu
He was just having a little fun he do not smoke it was like a one time thing
Guess we will see? hope it was a "One Time" thing 😉
Wow tht "so called friend" thinks they're feeling good on the outside yet in the inside the feel guilt and betrayal and they know one day they'll regret it and it will haunt them 😀
Why he smokes marijuana?? I'm seriously discouraged! I think Lil Twist puts in problems that trouveque Lil Twist gives the bored?
I think its messed up that everyone is making a big deal about this…he never did anything to hurt anyone but himself…I can bet that at least 90 percent of 18 year olds have smoked or did alot worse. Just end thus bs and leave him alone and let him do what he does good and gives his fans what they want (his music)…and to the person that sold the pics carma is a bitch
Amen 😀
these lil girls dont wanna know what hes doin BESIDES smokin weed, what didnt make it to the public by now….. hes not 12 anymore.
next "scandal" will be justin takin home different girls every other night… cuz he CAN 😀
retarted fangirls II
And they'll say " he's human too! "
sorry justin that suck just be aware and careful of you you call your friend
WTF? 🙁 those who betrayed ma bieber,,, u w'll regret .. stupid pple
So all the stupid b*tches who still think it's fake, here's your proof.
retarted fangirls
Proof that he was blowing trees. Don't cry. 😉
We all knew… you guys just didnt!
Wasnt talking bout it in a negative way, retarted fangirls
بيليبر عربية
@retardedfangirls انتي ثورة يا هبلة!
retarted fangirls II
Man, I think you are a legend on this site. LOL i laugh at your every comment you make about the retarded fangirls. Justin don't give a shit about you girls! he is using you. We may look like haters, but you will be bummed out one day. Without his so called "family" he would be still living in the ghetto of canada… Where he belongs. The avon theatre.
retarted fangirls
Lol thank you. I know, they think Justin is so perfect then when he makes a mistake they want to say he is human again. -___- I mean I'm sure he cares a little bit, about the fans, but. Im pretty sure he doesn't give 2 f*cks about what you guys do except for buying his stuff. Lol at the last part
retarted fangirls II
@retarted fangirls
I sometimes wonder if these 2 year old's will one day grow up and realize how stupid they were. Like seriously, the retards think they have a close relationship to justin. You never know what that 18 year old twat would be doing after he has had camera's shoved up his a**. And they want to say "I know my boy wouldn't do this!". He tries to keep is good kid image by donating hundred's of thousands to charities. You think he would be glad to throw so much money on charities like that? probably not. I see so many talented buskers in Wellington ( New Zealand, where I reside ), and I wish I was in scooters position. I would have picked the talented buskers in Wellington, rather than this untalented, girl sounding prick. Wait, does he have a vag or a peni*? probably a little of both.
Can you believer??? Would you have thought???


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Immigration & Customs Enforcement Begins Enforcing Customs & Immigration
News Drop
- Roughly 200 arrests were made in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina
- The operation is named "Operation Cross Check"
- Democrats decried the actions nationwide as needlessly causing fear for immigrant communities.
Under a new administration illegal aliens are seeing a rise in deportation and arrests. While Democrats and illegal immigrant sympathizers continue to decry these arrests, many also feel law enforcement is finally enforcing laws. Arrests and deportations continue to grow as Trump vaguely promises to focus on illegals with a criminal record, those famously dubbed 'bad hombres' by the President.
WASHINGTON — Democrats raised concerns Friday and Saturday about recent immigration enforcement actions — though immigration officials say that only routine actions targeting criminals were underway.
Fear is running high among immigrant communities since President Donald Trump's inauguration — and after the recent publicized deportation of an undocumented Arizona mother of two after a routine visit with immigration officials, reports have been spreading of Immigration and Customs Enforcement stepping up its actions in the southwestern US.
The actions are the first concerted effort by ICE under the Trump administration to arrest targeted undocumented immigrants for deportation proceedings.
It's unclear at this point in the nascent administration whether it was a sign of things to come, or whether the actions were conducted under any different procedures than could have been in place under the Obama administration. It was the uncertainty, the publicity of the raids and the high tensions raised by public comments on immigration by Trump administration officials that had Democrats asking for more information.
"These reports show the serious consequences of the president's executive order, which allows all undocumented immigrants to be categorized as criminals and requires increased enforcement in communities, rather than prioritizing dangerous criminals," California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said in a statement responding to media reports of the stepped up enforcement, including some accounts that the actions were targeting low-priority undocumented immigrants, including family men and women.


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Sunday, February 19, 2012
With our weekend trip coming to a close, we had largely by this point accomplished much of what we'd hoped to in the weekend's time. We had, at this juncture, just one more site we wanted to visit before heading back to the airport that afternoon. Off we went once more to the Île de la Cité, home of "Our Lady of Paris" (Notre Dame), for a peek at the somewhat less touted (though spectacular in its own right) La Sainte-Chappelle
La Sainte-Chappelle
La Sainte-Chappelle (The Holy Chapel) is an incredible structure inconspicuously tucked away amidst the buildings of the Palais de Justice, built on the site of the former royal palace of Saint Louis. Only a street or two away from Notre Dame, naturally this particular church rarely captures the typical traveller's notice on the island, though is well worth both the wait and the fee to enter should you happen to make a visit to Paris.
The chapel is an exquisite piece of architecture, some 764 years old, and in my opinion, between Notre Dame and Sacré Cœur, wins the prize for possessing the most interesting history. After waiting outside in a line for what might have easily been 30 minutes to an hour, Jason and I entered the chapel expecting it to look something like this:
Instead, the room we entered looked like this:
Dark and comparatively cramped, it was in no way less breathtaking, simply unexpected. From floor to exquisitely and artfully crafted ceiling this smaller chamber was a riot of color and patterns with small bits of stained glass providing the majority of the light. At the end of a short hall was a small altar area roped off that held a number of religious sculptures. While impressed by its beauty, Jason and I were still somewhat baffled by the difference between the image we expected to greet us and the one that did. It was not until we turned to leave that we noticed a tiny hole in the back wall. Here a narrow, spiral staircase led upward to a second level more resembling our expectations.
There is no level of preparation by way of photo for what you see when you arrive in the main chapel. The room is a vast cavern of color and light, stunning and opulently reverential as every single wall is dominated with soaring stained glass windows. I am truely grateful we waited until our last day in Paris to visit La Sainte-Chappelle since it was our sunniest day and therefore showcased the glass as it would best be seen. Benches line either side of the chapel for people to sit and admire the windows, reading them with the assistance of an informational sheet that explains each.
A little bit of history:
La Sainte-Chappelle was built in the mid 13th century to house King Louis IX's (later sainted by the Catholic Church) relics of the Passion of Christ including the crown of thorns, one of the most significant relics of medieval Christendom, a piece of the original cross, the image of Edessa, and some thirty other items.
The soaring stained glass windows (currently undergoing heavy restoration) are amongst the most famous features of the chapel and are some of the finest samples in the world. Fifteen enormous windows line the walls with a massive rose window dominating the western wall above what appears to be a giant door.
Each window features a specific tale from the bible. The three in the eastern end of the chapel (behind the giant altar) feature the stories of Christ's infancy (left), The Passion (center), and the Life of John the Evangelist (right). The windows then cycle around the room starting at the western end of the north wall with the Book of Genesis and tales of the Old Testament, then move clockwise around the room covering scenes from Exodus, Joseph, Numbers/Leviticus, Joshua/Deuteronomy, Judges, Jeremiah/Tobias, Judith/Job, Esther, David and the Book of Kings, with the final windows on the western end of the south wall showing scenes of the rediscovery of Christ's relics, the miracles they performed, and their relocation to Paris in the hands of King Louis.
The Rose window on the western wall, added in 1490, depicts St. John's vision of the Apocalypse.
Notre Dame Part 2
Leaving La Sainte-Chappelle with some time and sunlight left to us, we returned a couple of blocks over to Notre Dame admiring more of the outer structure of the building which we missed on our first pass on Friday. This included a lovely courtyard in the back and a view of the building from behind just as gorgeous and interesting as the front (Jason has these pictures because while it was sunny it was freaking cold this day).
We wandered around and took a number of pictures before fleeing into the cozy sanctum of a nearby cafe for a quick, warm lunch.
It was here that I was treated to what I would place as my best meal in Paris which included a large, delicious bowl of French Onion soup, a basket of warm baguette, and a goblet of hot, mulled wine. I was so full and comfortable after this simple meal that all I wanted to do was nap and as loathing the idea of going back out into the blustery cold again.
Jason seemed to be of similar sentiments, and instead of lingering or wandering about Paris further we decided then to head back to the hotel, collect our things, and make our way (early) to the airport. It was about 3:00pm at this time and our flight wasn't until 9:45 or so, but we had a rather long journey and preferred to just get settled inside somewhere.
Homeward Bound…or not
After an hour train ride back to Charles de Gaulle airport, Jason began pulling out our papers and tickets for our return flight home. One stop away he realized with dread that he had booked our return tickets for the wrong day so we were effectively 30 hours early for our flight back home.
After scrambling to try to find a flight (or train ride) home that night and coming up with not a single option cheaper than £500/person, we opted instead to stay a night in the luxury hotel attached to the airport. Even though I ruined Jason's hopes of a midnight run of the airport with visions of riding about on luggage carousels and racing the baggage carts around the empty halls by coming down with a sudden and aggressive Parisian ailment (a flu-like head cold mainly…I'm sure the rude waiter that morning must have spit in my "Chocolat"), we settled for a nice, leisurely dinner and then fell asleep to a movie in our posh hotel room.
And despite spending the next day curled up like a sniffly cat on an airport chair, all in all, I'd say it was actually a really lovely end to an utterly lovely weekend.


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Pest Control Fundamentals Explained
It's possible to even attach it to your ac mechanism so the entire home is filled with that. It's readily on the air-conditioning system to keep the entire building fresh and tease free. Residential pest control isn't the same game inside than it is outside for many reasons, but the most critical is that the very same substances that could curb insect populations quickly may likewise be terrible for the people that live in the dwelling.
The most usual is the American Roach. In rural regions of Britain, the utilization of firearms for pest control is fairly common. Some call for using pesticides, insecticides and other dangerous compounds, however, in addition, there are several other techniques for handling the infestation that's more eco friendly in nature. All the treatment alternatives for the bigger roaches are equally.
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A unique flow inspired by good medicines most loved elixirs.
Brittany rotates through her favorite Good Medicine warming elixirs to inspire a unique flow on the mat. A cup of morning tea and asana in one! $15
Matcha on the mat: activating the spirit with this Japanese antioxidant Rich elixir and an active flow.
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Chai & the Chakras : allowing the exotic spices and good medicine's house chai to take you deeper through a chakra aligning flow (mid day or evening)
$15 includes a special beverage of the week as well as yoga.


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Our February outfit challenge was to create an ethical/ sustainable outfit inspired by Frida Kahlo. Frida was a Mexican painter whose work is considered emblematic of national and indigenous tradition and is also celebrated by feminists for its uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form.
Ethical Fashion Blogger Pao of Project Minima created this fantastic photograph inspired by a Frida painting for a feature about imitating art on Thrifted Shift.
I have also noticed plenty of fashion inspired by Frida Kahlo lately, which just happens to be sustainable. Check these out!


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A jazz singer of outstanding talent, whose career spans the West End, Broadway, Hollywood. The daughter of late Jamaica-born jazz pianist Leslie 'Jiver' Hutchinson, she made her debut as a pianist on BBC radio show, " The Children's Hour" at the age of 13, and has gone on to balance a career as a solo performer on England's club circuit and in musical theatre.
Elaine has made numerous radio and television broadcasts and concerts singing with Small Groups, Big Bands and Symphony Orchestras around the world starring with Michel Legrand, Stephane Grappelli, Andy Williams, Benny Carter and Herb Ellis.
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Yorkville Sports Association has been an invaluable resource to the New York City Parks Department, the citizens and corporations of New York City since 1978 when Adolfo Al Morales and Yorkville Sports Association began facilitating corporate leagues with eight softball teams. An ad in the paper for more teams brought recreational softball players out of the woodwork and Al realized there was a huge need for someone to organize sports teams in the city. By 1994, Yorkville Sports Association had 159 softball teams, 43 football teams, 40 basketball teams and over 40 volleyball teams. What made Yorkville so special was the need to be all-inclusive. They were the first sports organization to have an open scrimmage that allows individuals an opportunity to organize a team and participate. Al and Yorkville were off to a great start, and everyone took notice.
Soon after the inception of YSA, Al began scheduling games at parks that were underutilized and in need of repair. YSA made them viable and they became a source of revenue for the city. Throughout the years, many sport organizations and corporations came to YSA for help with their events. Al was known for cutting through the red tape in order to get things done. Volley Across America turned to YSA for help securing full management of event sites, volunteers and participants for their Centennial of Volleyball Celebration in New York. Hundreds participated, utilizing the five courts in Central Park for a fun day of clinics, contests, fun rallies and mini matches, which were led by Holly McPeak and Mike Dobb, two future Olympians and professional volleyball players. In the end, Volley Across America thanked Al and YSA for helping to make the Centennial of Volleyball Celebration a huge success. Shortly thereafter Evian contacted Al and sponsored the volleyball league.
YSA was given a booth at the Evian Beach Pro Volleyball Tournament at Madison Square Garden, rubbing elbows with Kach Karei and all the top world volleyball pros and Olympians. Not long after, the New York City Sports Commission Mayor's office came calling, looking for help with the Inaugural Mayor's Cup. After a very successful first run in 1996, YSA and the Mayor's Cup Softball Tournament (a five-borough softball tournament) would crown an NYC champion in softball. YSA and the New York City Sports Commission went on to have a long and prosperous partnership. In 1999, the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), the governing body of United States Softball, sent Al a letter of thanks for his devotion to softball. They complemented the quality of work, saying the fields were in excellent shape, the surroundings were perfect, the games were exciting and every player had a "glad I participated feeling." That year, all the proceeds from the event were donated to the City Parks Foundation. The ultimate recognition of the tournament's quality came when the Mayor's Cup became an ASA sanctioned event.
Moreover, Al aided Lorelei Enterprises when they presented the Randall's Island Softball Tournament, a three-day corporate tournament. 40-50 teams were entered by New York City businesses and corporations with the goal of increasing public awareness of Randall and Ward's Island recreational possibilities. The tournament raised funds to improve and restore recreational facilities so there would be a place for all to play. Al and YSA also sponsored the CUNY Athletic Conference Basketball tournaments. The expertise and proficiency of YSA makes them the premiere destination for groups who need help with the management of their sports tournaments and leagues.
The success of YSA's events encouraged other cities, companies and new businesses to increase public awareness and grow. New corporate leagues started popping up around New York and larger cities across the country like the Chicago Sports Club.
During the mid-90's Al was a paid consultant for LeagueLink, which later became Active.com, one of, if not the largest sports software companies in the U.S. When LeagueLink/Active was created it took league and tournament management to a whole new level. They were first to create a customized scheduling program and it couldn't have happened without Al's input.
Al and YSA honed their league management skills in their dealings with the City Parks and Recreation department. When the NYC parks department asked Al for help with permit procedures, he provided the outline for their current system. When they needed help updating their website, Al recommended Active.com to take a look at their current system. They effectively became partners, teaming up with others to benefit the lives of those who participate in recreational sports while enhancing the quality of life and NYC's parks. In 2003 YSA became a New York City vendor, administering softball leagues with the Parks Department. In three seasons YSA made half a million dollars for the city.
Al grew up playing baseball at the North Meadow fields. At at the age of six Al was playing baseball on the very fields he now schedules YSA softball teams on. Since Al was so knowledgeable about the city's parks and about scheduling games, the city asked him to be a part of the advisory council that took on the daunting task of renovating Central Park's Great Lawn and North Meadow. The group offered suggestions about what improvements should be made to improve fields and open space to make them the best in the city to play sports as well as take a stroll. YSA suggested, and it was approved, that teams that normally play on those fields should be allocated replacement fields throughout the city during the construction. The goal was to make the renovations appear seamless to teams, and the city took recommendations from those with the most experience in league management, which brought them to Al.
Al's contributions to the City Parks Foundations did not end with advice and cooperation. He was a firm believer in increasing funding and donating to make the parks better for everyone. In the 80's and 90's a portion of all YSA's league fees were allocated to the Parks Department and proceeds from the Mayor's Cup were donated to the City Parks Foundation. In the early 90's, when the parks department was facing a huge fiscal crisis due to budget cuts, YSA organized a letter writing campaign asking the city to increase funding to the parks department. He also encouraged the businesses that participated in league sports to donate to parks. The response was overwhelming, with many businesses writing to say how much recreational sports meant to their company and many of them donating. In 2001, $15,000 was donated to help provide uniforms and equipment for youth leagues in all five boroughs and to help fund the Fourth Annual City Wide Youth Softball Tournament. Ten years later, the Parks Department was facing a similar crisis and Al went to bat for the city parks again. Not only did he offer suggestions to increase funds for the parks and how they can utilize the areas surrounding them to boost revenue he was also asked by Commissioner Stern to testify at City Hall Council on behalf of the parks. Al testified that donations to the City Parks Foundation should not be pooled into the city's general fund, but should go directly to beautifying and benefiting the city parks, just as it was intended.
The city eventually took a larger role in allocating field permits and management of recreational sports. Corporations that had worked with YSA for years offered glowing reviews to the city about Al's management of their leagues and his ability to schedule and solve team issues, in the hopes that YSA could be the city's resource for league management. Although they ultimately decided to keep all responsibilities in-house, Al continues to advocate for his league and other leagues and be the person solving issues from malfunctioning field lights to double bookings at a location. He fought to get the best fields for his clients and continues to do his best to improve the conditions of parks for others. He also made sure his league's players treated the parks with care and respect from the beginning, instead of waiting for the city coming to him with a complaint about teams not following rules or misusing a park. Any issues were promptly taken care of by Al. He realized that the best way to get things done was to have a positive relationship with the City Parks Department and do his best to make sure that everyone gets what they need.
It was in the spirit of cooperation that Al founded the United Athletic Association (UAA) in 1998. This group brought together sports organizations and leagues from all over the city, working with City Parks Foundation and the Department of Parks and Recreation to properly utilize all the public resources for adult and youth sport organizations as well as promote recreational sports in the city. In 2001, Al made a plea to the Parks Commissioner on behalf of UAA members about deteriorating conditions. Many fields were being double booked and the field conditions were becoming a problem. He suggested that they create additional time slots. Always looking to solve the problem, not just complain about it, Al offers concrete solutions. For years Dewitt Fields maintenance was lacking. UAA offered to help maintain the fields and did just that. Al's big black truck dragged the field and made them playable for all to use. To solve the issue with double booked fields, he offered to help set up a reliable online registration and management system. When he saw little movement from the Parks Department, Al and UAA went up through he chain of command and met with a city council member. This got the ball rolling, and the Parks Commissioner finally had to take notice. UAA did an analysis of the problems with the Parks Department and presented it to the commissioner. Parks requested to see the future plans for the department and offered to assist in developing one. They felt there had to be a shift in focus to include other sports and make equal time for all sports. UAA applauded their willingness to accept help from organizations that actually use the fields. All the hard work made a difference and though UAA began to see improvements, UAA members didn't stop pushing for perfect field conditions. Al wanted to see football return to the North Meadow, which was displaced and moved to Randall's Island. This destroyed his league of 64 teams to the point of struggling to get just eight teams. The UAA has become the go-to organization for advocating for excellent playing conditions and additional time slots throughout the city. He hopes to improve cooperation for the Mayor's Cup.
Al worked through his business to provide valuable service and a positive influence to the adult and youth community. Al once said, "I have a particular place in my heart for young people who are having a difficult time, and feel strongly that involvement in sports builds unity, trust and serves to promote good mental and physical health." In this spirit, Al, YSA and UAA donate time and money to many youth organizations, including the Police Athletic Association (PAL), Youth Service Leagues, Harlem RBI, Talbot Perkins Children's Services Mentoring Program and the Yorktown Athletic Club (YAC).
In 1994, Al began his own youth sports programs, The Recreational and Cultural Society (TRACS) for youth. It provided NYC's underprivileged children the opportunity to participate in team sports at no cost, in exchange for volunteer hours at community programs. YSA League fees helped fund and support TRACS. The program, which was featured in ParentGuide magazine, started with a 16-team softball league and sponsored a little league baseball team. When local community programs were able to, they took over the running of the leagues.
In the early 90's, Al was contacted by Graham-Windham, who hoped he could help set up a volleyball clinic for young women in a group home who were interested in volleyball. He came through, not only providing court time, but also a coach. Graham-Windham was very grateful, and thanked Al and YSA for their help, saying the clinic created a greater sense of pride and self-esteem in the girls and they had a more positive outlook on life.
Throughout the years, Al has donated tens of thousands of dollars and equipment to youth teams and organizations. He has a strong sense of community and a deep commitment to helping those in need anyway he can and he uses sports as his tool.
Al has brought his sense of community and his business to Yorktown Heights since 1994. He has played, donated and sponsored adult and youth basketball and softball teams since 1999. He has participated and volunteered in numerous Yorktown community events and donated over one thousand shirts to the D.A.R.E. program in 2012. He is also a member of the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce, a former member of the Yorktown Lions, and a current member of Yorktown Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) which is activated in emergencies, like Hurricane Sandy. All while continuing his work in NYC with corporate leagues and community sports, as well as advocating for more fields and healthier conditions.
Over the years, Al and YSA have made many connections that are beneficial to the teams, leagues and communities he works with. He is well-versed in the politics of league management, constantly cutting through the red tape to get things done, while maintaining an open heart and mind to the underprivileged and underserved. Through his unyielding persistence, Al's caring for the community, advocacy and love for sports has made him the MVP of his field.


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What I'm wearing
This month I start my office job full time. This means smart clothing is a must. After being supermarket worker for the last 7 years I have to admit I didn't really have any smart clothes other than my graduation dress and a black dress I wear to funerals. Not great right?
But thanks to the Christmas period/January Sales, I have managed to get my wardrobe looking a bit more prepared.
|Dress: Topshop - £40 Top: River Island - Currently in sale
What I'm listening to
So I my be a little behind with the Sam Smith craze, but I got this CD for xmas and I love it. My favourite tracks have to be 'I'm Not The Only One' and 'Like I Can'.
What I'm watching
For Christmas my parents got me a fab new smart TV and to add to it and make it even better, I invested in a Now TV box. Its such a great investment. It comes with a 3 month entertainment pass which gives you access to channels such as MTV and Comedy Central. As well as access to box sets such as Greys Anatomy, Girls and 24. When the 3 months is up I can pay £6.99 for a month pass (no contract).
What I'm smelling
My favourite perfume is still the same. I'm still stocked up on Alien by Thierry Mugler and judging by all the Christmas present pictures I have seen, the fragrance is getting more and more popular.
What I'm eating
My month looks set with a diet of Jaffa Cakes that I was given for Christmas. Yes, I have an unhealthy addiction to Jaffa Cakes and these huge boxes do nothing but make the addiction worse!
What I'm looking forward to
With is being January there is only one answer to this. I'm looking forward to the year ahead.
With trips to Paris, London and Newcastle on the radar for the first couple of months, I can tell its going to be an amazing year.


text: Here is a chance to watch videos and movies featuring Wayne Dyer for free for the rest of today. Some of the movies Wayne has been featured in include: My Greatest Teacher, Co-creating at its Best (a conversation with Abraham), You can heal your life, and The Shift. Sign up for the Hay House World Summit to get access. All they need is an email address.


text:
The Latin American Briefing Series (LABS) brings influential academic experts, policymakers, and business leaders together at the University of Chicago to explore emerging current affairs that will shape future social, political, and economic trends in Latin America.
LABS is supported by a U.S. Department of Education National Resource Center grant and by the Center for Latin American Studies Corporate Partners Program.
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Environmental Refugees: Climate Change and Human Displacement
Teófilo Altamirano, Professor of Social Science, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Peru and Tinker Visiting Professor, University of Texas, Austin.
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David Mares
Baker Institute Scholar for Latin American Energy Studies
James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy (Rice University)
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Henry Goldkamp, known as St. Louis' buskering poet, has a new project that has been getting a fair amount of attention in the local media lately, called "What the Hell is St. Louis Thinking?"
At locations all over St. Louis, Goldkamp dropped typewriters on handmade podiums. There are 25 out right now and they can be found at City Museum, Sasha's Wine Bar, Melt, City Diner and CBGB, just to name a few locations. Anyone is welcome to step up and contribute their thoughts, and Goldkamp will eventually compile the best entries into a book.
This weekend, Goldkamp picked up the day's writings from the City Museum and noticed a comment that stopped him cold: "i think that all these typewriters are located in areas with the same or similar demographics and dont really represent the community, as they will only get thoughts from white hipsters or tourists."
See also: - St. Louis Has a Busking Poet. This Kind of Stuff Makes Our City Cool - Parody Patrol: St. Louis Filmmaker Creates Hilarious, Fake Commercials (VIDEOS) - Washington University Senior Documenting Familiar Faces in Delmar Loop
"It really kind of hit me hard," Goldkamp tells Daily RFT. "It was really disheartening, but at the same time it's been my number-one fear, that this doesn't represent all of St. Louis."
Even before the comment appeared over the weekend, he fretted that he might have trouble capturing a true cross-section of St. Louis, racially and socioeconomically.
"I thought, 'Man, I need black people, and I don't know that many black people, to be honest. How am I going to do this?'" he says. "St. Louis is so segregated, not just by race, but just thinking about the fucking question, 'Where did you go to high school?' There's so many immediate judgments made."
So Goldkamp has a new game plan. He's extending the deadline past August and says he'll put a typewriter in all 79 St. Louis neighborhoods for at least a week. He's hoping to place them not just in businesses and tourist attractions, but in places where real life is happening -- schools, nursing homes, strip clubs, casinos. And he says he's yanking some of the platforms from areas that are too...expected.
"I'm actually pulling everything from Cherokee and South Grand by next weekend," he says. "They've already contributed enough. I have plenty."
He's also put out the call for individuals to take a typewriter into their home, keep it for a day or two, then pass it to someone they know. Then that person would give it away after a day, ideally to someone who doesn't know the person who gave it to them in the first place. He hopes this will lead to the typewriter "bleeding through the neighborhood" and may solve his diversity problem.
"I want every aspect. I want every neighborhood," says Goldkamp. "The beauty of it is it puts everyone at the same level."
If you're interested in adopting a typewriter for a day, e-mail Goldkamp at firstname.lastname@example.com, or find him on Facebook or Twitter.
Follow Jessica Lussenhop on Twitter at @Lussenpop. E-mail the author at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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They have names like Maria, Stefan, Ina, Julia or Christian and they all have one thing in common: they aren't real. Companies have been using these virtual online advisors – bots for short – for many years, but only since last year has the topic really taken off. One reason could be that thousands of chat and twitter bots were used in the recent U.S. presidential elections to support the campaigns of candidates Clinton and Trump – without the intervention of real humans.
A study by the University of Oxford has revealed that every third follower of the two candidates was not actually a person, but rather a machine. "Bots are used chiefly to reinforce trends," reports political and computer scientist Simon Hegelich from the Bavarian School of Public Policy. The goal is to make a candidate's tweets or Facebook pages more popular than they otherwise would be.
Although many people are justifiably skeptical of these new bots, companies welcome them as an opportunity to cut costs and enhance customer loyalty. After all, customers today expect to have service available 24/7, via all communication channels. The constant availability of products and information puts businesses, government offices and service providers under a great deal of pressure to have an open ear to customer queries or complaints, around the clock. But customer service is often overloaded – or would otherwise be too expensive – to offer this kind of comprehensive, around-the-clock customer care. The solution here comes in the form of intelligent computer systems – the so-called "chat bots".
For Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, bots are the new apps , i.e. a trend with mass usage potential. He wants to "democratize" artificial intelligence and the resulting growth. Under his vision, everyone could profit from this – and not just the large high-tech companies like Google, IBM or Microsoft, who however are researching and driving this development.
These virtual assistants have already been put to work at Ikea, Deutsche Telekom, Unicef and many other enterprises, including the German Armed Forces and German libraries. And they are often scarcely distinguishable from real people,. Thanks to extensive knowledge databases and artificial intelligence, they are capable of understanding complex problems and formulating the correct reaction to questions or events. They can swiftly answer regularly recurring questions and solve problems 24/7, 365 days a year.
Chats are moreover the ideal medium for fast question-and-answer games: Here, users are more forgiving if it takes a few seconds to receive an answer than they would be for a phone call. And chats can also be initiated using Facebook or WhatsApp, making it unnecessary to install an additional app. Chatbots, by the way, are used primarily to handle relatively simple questions.
The main difference between the bots of recent decades and today's AI chat partners are the masses of data which can be analyzed in real-time. Compared with human advisors, a chatbot takes into consideration all of the information available for every query – the address, contract data, previous queries, or order history – all of which flows into artificial intelligence processing. Added to this is the precise analysis of identical queries: What kind of information was used to solve a similar problem, and which information was not?
Bots analyze all of this and deliver the appropriate response. And by now, they can even do this in real-time user dialogue. Siri, Alexa and Cortana – the digital voice assistants from Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft – are good examples of what to expect in the near future: voice-controlled robots that can give you the right answer to almost any question, and in some cases, even tell a joke while doing so.
In the United States, artificial intelligence is already playing a role in legal decisions, while doctors continue to take advantage of AI for diagnosis and therapy. At CeBIT, companies can find out ways and means of getting to know their customers better and providing better customer support. For example, at the Marketing & Sales Solutions event.


text:
World Riddles 3
Solve a number of new riddles in this free full version game.
If you like this game, try World Riddles: Seven Wonders.
Solve a number of new riddles in this free full version game.
Categories : Puzzle Educational Logic Nonograms Picross Board Memory Adventure Brain
Series : World Riddles
Downloads : 21.1K
Price : Free
In this sequel you will restore Great Civilizations by using your wits to solve a number of new riddles. The blossoming of Japanese sakura, the high mountains of Tibet, the forbidding Great Wall of China and much more await you in this fascinating new adventure! Features: - Incredible gameplay; - Over 200 new color riddles; - Additional gameplay mode; - Huge number of fascinating facts; - Eye-popping graphics.
- Game Size: 56 Mb
- Windows 98/XP/Vista/7/8/10
ImportantAll free games provided at this web-site were licensed, sublicensed for distribution by other game developers, game publishers or developed by internal game studio and provided free legally.
If you have questions about this game, please contact us using this form.


text:
Coffeecup Web Form Builder Review
Arclab Web Form Builder makes it easy to create HTML/php forms and email the form submission as Text, HTML or XML. The HTML web form generator supports single- and multi-page php forms with autoresponder and file uploads. Create your email contact form, support form or custom mail form right away...
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Omnistar Form Builder is a powerful web site form builder program developed by Omnistar Interactive. It was developed to give businesses and organizations the ability to effectively build web site Form Builder without doing any programming. Prior to the development of this dynamic solution,...
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|License: Freeware
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Web Form Builder is a standard code generator project that implements a production quality ASP.NET 3.5 application with SqlDataSource as a data access layer. This type of project is perfect for a small to medium size database. Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and Oracle 11g database servers are...
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ApPHP FormBuilder is an easy-to-use HTML form builder script that provides simple and flexible way to create HTML forms and also validate different types of fields, using embedded Data Validator. You can easily add text fields, radio buttons, check boxes, single select boxes, text areas, buttons...
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PHP Form Builder is a highly advanced application that you can install in your own PC for building unlimited number of PHP Dynamic forms which can be used on any web server, containing all types of information field (text boxes, lists, upload fields, countries of the world, email box, etc.). The...
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Form Builder is an awesome form-creating software! Designing web-based forms has never been easier and fun as it is with Form Builder. It features an easy drag-n-drop GUI, no-coding, stylish Flat, Metro, Bootstrap and Solid form themes, pure CSS style form aspects, as-you-type text validation,...
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CoffeeCup Flash Form Builder is a drag and drop program that creates the most unbelievable Web Forms you have ever seen. Add Input Boxes, Text Areas, Lists, Drop Down Boxes, Check Boxes, Radio Buttons and more !
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Omnistar Forms is a dynamic website form builder that allows you to easily create forms for any web site without doing any programming. You will be able to create custom forms with unlimited fields and have the submitted information stored in a secure backend area. The use of Omnistar Forms will...
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Web Update Builder is a content management tool for creating small software clients that allow inexperienced users to make changes to their web sites. No HTML knowledge nor any special training is required from end users. The whole concept is based on adding some new tags to mark editable areas...
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The owners of web sites, on which there are forms (for example to send messages, feedback or support) frequently have a problem that they receive a lot of SPAM emails, which were sent via these forms. Specific routines (form spiders) search for such forms in internet, analyze them and then...
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Tk Web form Buddy project is a helper for Web forms. The Tk Web form Buddy is a Tk script that allows one easily to make a series of strings available to the X11 PRIMARY selection, which is useful for filling in Web forms that have common/repetitive data. How many times have you wished to...
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Web Submission and Review Software is a Web-based system that is used for the submission and review of papers to academic conferences. Web Submission and Review Software provides support for the entire life-cycle of the conference review process. One of the goals of this software was to make...
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Web Form Factory is a simple application that binds HTML forms to a database. It analyzes the HTML file you supply and identifies all the common input types it contains, including text fields, drop down lists, checkboxes, radio buttons, and text areas. Once all the input types have been...
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Web forms are necessary, but they can definitely be perplexing. They're a chore to code and hard to design—and then there's all that tough back-end stuff! That's why Web Form Builder does the dirty work for you: Just drag...
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An advanced Web Form Builder that allows you to create HTML Forms quickly and easily. You can create an unlimited number of forms with any number of radio-buttons, checkboxes, pull-down menus, text areas, etc. It supports form validation. Form submissions may be sent to multiple email addresses....
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WebSmartz WebSite Builder software comes with Website templates, Flash intros, HTML templates, and Flash templates. The web templates and Flash intro library are bundled in a very easy-to-use web site builder, which makes it very easy to build your own custom small business website. You can use...
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SPUCK Sunday Dec 27 06:49 AM
Dec 27, 2009: Tree Hauses
OK! So you're looking for that special get away. Somewhere you can zone out. Recharge. Digest.
DanaC Sunday Dec 27 07:02 AM
capnhowdy Sunday Dec 27 07:48 AM
All of the above.
legoushoec Sunday Dec 27 09:17 AM
We have the full range of shoes, they are inexpensive, welcoming everyone one to come to order, your support is our biggest motivation. It's http://www.nikeshoz.com . You can try it!!!
Stormieweather Sunday Dec 27 11:17 AM
dam spam.
Trilby Sunday Dec 27 01:02 PM
very sweet!
TheMercenary Monday Dec 28 10:53 AM
Ok, I'm digging #3. I could live somewhere like that if it could withstand the wind.
Gravdigr Monday Dec 28 05:22 PM
Do NOT fucking want!!!!
casimendocina Monday Dec 28 08:52 PM
My favourite is the eye. The others are fantastic except the Japanese one in the middle of the road. The tree itself is great, but the treehouse itself just looks like a transportable that's been stuck up in a tree. Boring.
xoxoxoBruce Monday Dec 28 09:16 PM
The tree was built at the same time as the treehouse, casi, they're a matched set.
classicman Monday Dec 28 09:25 PM
Cannabis what???
Gravdigr Wednesday Dec 30 07:21 AM
What cannabis?
xoxoxoBruce Wednesday Dec 30 12:22 PM
Not cannabis, cannibals... the people you don't want to say, "eat me", to.
Griff Wednesday Dec 30 02:43 PM
Cuz they'll put you in their brownies?
casimendocina Thursday Dec 31 01:18 AM


text:
The challenges were many
"The major concerns were the time constraints and vessel safety," observed Richard G. Moffitt, Exploration Survey Unit consultant. "These were hazardous, shallow areas previously uncharted. In fact, there were old navigation charts in existence, but from several decades ago and at low resolution — insufficient for present-day vessel navigation for exploration projects. Historically, there were many more shipwrecks in the Red Sea than there were navigation charts."
Conventional technology at the time utilized echo sounding as a means to map underwater topography, but this would have taken many years to complete. So instead, Saudi Aramco put at its disposal the latest technology available to get the job done.
What followed were 848 days of survey operations. Five specially equipped ships would spend a combined total of 2,823 vessel days using a multi-beam echo sounder to collect data for water depths between 5 meters (m) and 2,400 m. This technology was supported by three aircraft using Airborne LiDAR Bathymetry systems for water depths between 0 m and 40 m, with a combined total of 1,260 survey flights completed.
The results were a new high resolution merged bathymetry grid allowing the mapping of complex geological features, including volcanoes on the seabed.
The data was encouraging for Saudi Aramco. The company was now able to move offshore rigs around and initial exploration could begin. But technology never stands still.
Previous 2-D seismic data had been compromised in certain sections due to the unpredictable seabed topography of the Red Sea. If plausible, a 3-D seismic survey would deliver more definitive and detailed data, and combined with the hydrographic survey, it would yield immensely useful information with a high degree of certainty.


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Here's another good deal for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, the Grand Theft Auto IV is currently on sale over at Xbox Live for $10. Download yours now! [Joystiq]
From the monthly archives:
July 2013
The release date for Codemasters' upcoming racing video game 'F1 2013' has finally been revealed. The game will hit PS3, Xbox 360 and PC on October 4th in Europe and on October 8th in North America. [Hooked Gamers]
Konami's latest football video game 'Pro Evolution Soccer 2014' is set to hit North America on September 24th. The game will be available on PS3 and Xbox 360 when it outs. [VG247]
Ubisoft has released a new gameplay video '13 Minutes of Caribbean Open-World' for their upcoming Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag title. You could check it out after the break. For your info, this historical action-adventure open world video game is scheduled to hit PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U on October 29th in the US. Read more
The release dates for Namco Bandai's upcoming Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures title have finally been revealed. The game is scheduled to hit PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U on October 29th, while the 3DS version will be available on November 26th. [VG247]
Skybound and Gamagio's latest three-dimensional shoot 'em up video game 'The Walking Dead: Assault' is now available on Android. You'll be able to download it starting today via Google Play for just $3. [VG247]


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As reported, a Chattanooga, TN armed robber victim handed over his money and offered no resistance, yet the robber still chose to shoot him in the mouth:
The two men, Marcus Ramos Alonzo and José Lagos, told police they were driving when they noticed they were being followed by a white vehicle with several people inside. When they stopped at 2213 E. 14th St., a black male got out of the following vehicle and came up to them with a handgun, demanding money, according to the news release from Lt. Kim Noorbergen. Mr. Alonzo said he was shot after he gave the robber his money. The robber took Mr. Lagos' money as well, and the white vehicle was driven away, police said.
As this sad example shows, complying with a criminal's demands is no guarantee that the criminal won't become violent. Similarly, running from the criminal can also lead to injury.
Remember, criminals are unpredictable, and often mentally unstable. In this case that unpredictability and instability can be seen clearly. By shooting the victim, the robber committed a much more serious crime, and made it likely that the police will spend more resources to solve this crime . In exchange for that increased risk of being caught, the robber received not a single penny more from his victims. This is clearly not a rational choice – yet is is a choice that robbers make time and time again.
Fighting back against robbers, however, can be quite effective as a means of reducing the risk of injury. This pregnant woman used a gun to defend herself, her unborn child, her toddler, and her husband from an armed robber, and suffered no harm. This armed barber shot an armed criminal who threatened him and his son, saving their lives. This armed pet shop clerk shot an armed robber who threatened a fellow employee's life, as well as his own life, preventing them both from being stabbed. This armed pizza delivery man defended himself against 3 armed robbers, and walked away unharmed. This armed citizen stopped a bank robber, while this armed Israeli citizen stopped a terrorist, suffering no harm themselves. This motel clerk was also able to stop an armed robber and ensure that neither a fellow employee, or a nearby mother and baby were harmed. While I could provide more examples, the point should be apparent: armed self defense works.
Join the NRA today and do your part to help preserve our gun rights (and save $10).
Tags for this article: Crime, Criminal, Safety, Self Defense, Victim, Why I Support Gun Rights
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Coucou tout le monde!
I have been very absent during the past few weeks and I apologise. I'm aware that I've neglected the blog a bit but new things have been happening for me recently, one of which is that I got a job!
It was extremely difficult trying to find a more professional, permanent job after I'd finished au pairing last year. I looked for jobs literally every day during the last few months and after a bunch of interviews that led to nowhere I was feeling quite dejected #thestruggleisreal. Then, I got offered this assistant position in a law firm in February and my start date was for the week straight after!
I feel like I didn't really have time to process the change as it has occurred so quickly, and rather than switching on the laptop in the evenings or weekend I've preferred to spent time with the boy and friends as I've been seeing them less and less. Now I feel like I'm into my routine of work and I thought I can't let another week go by without posting on the blog. So don't fret, I'm back 🙂
Yesterday was March 21st, officially the first day of spring. Paris has been seeing a change in weather recently as we've had some really gorgeous sunny days (despite the huge pollution storm this week *cough cough*). With this new job, I feel like I can start making personal changes too that weren't so easy to realise before. I'm now in a position to start saving money and use it for a number of projects – a vacation with the boy, potentially look for a new apartment (we hate our neighbours!!) and maybe even take up driving lessons again. I'm so fortunate to finally be a in a position where I can take control of my life again and I'm so excited to start moving things in the right direction!
And there are definitely some changes that need to be made on the food side of life too. Now I haven't mentioned it much on the blog but I am obsessed, OBSESSED, with this French dish called raclette. What is it? In a nutshell, it's hot melted cheese over a plate of potatoes and selection of sliced meats. (Raclette is the name of of the cheese and also the verb 'to scrape' in French, because you scrape the cheese onto your plate.) If your mouth isn't watering right now, we can't be friends. In the past few months, we've been eating this dish regularly…like, sometimes once a week regularly. It's becoming a problem. The pounds I'm shedding from my wallet are building up on my body!!!!
This is really a winter dish that people eat especially in the mountains when they go skiing as it is obviously a very hearty meal that will fuel you up for a day on the slopes. But when you're just eating it watching the new season of House of Cards, all that fat, salt and carbs are going to accumulate until you turn into a wheel of cheese yourself. So, with spring on its way in I say goodbye to raclette… and fondue… and mont d'or…. Now I have NEVER given up a food for a certain period of time in the hopes that I will lose weight or whatever but I do believe in moderation plus with the change in season it just doesn't make sense to keep eating such rich, wintery foods.
With that said, I leave you my lovelies with a little recipe for Sunday Waffles that I've started making this past month. I realised that the boy had a waffle machine which we NEVER USED!!! Crazy I know. It's a little decadent too which makes it perfect for a Sunday afternoon treat 🙂
Sunday Waffles with home-made chocolate sauce
Prep time: 15m Cooking time: 15m
200g plain flour
5g baking powder
50g sugar
150ml milk
100g butter, melted
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
Optional: a few drops of vanilla essence
Pre-heat the waffle maker.
Measure the flour and put in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, salt and baking powder.
Put the butter in a small saucepan and melt over a low heat. Whisk the eggs with the butter, ensuring the butter isn't toooo hot otherwise the eggs will curdle. Make a hole in the flour and pour the butter and eggs.
Next, add the milk in small quantities and continue to whisk until you have a smooth batter.
Thinly slice some butter on to a paper kitchen towel and use this to grease the plates of the waffle machine. You only need to do this at the beginning. Start pouring the batter in, be careful not to put too much in otherwise when you place the lid down the mixture will leak from the sides (this has happened to me more than once!)
Chocolate Sauce
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp 100% cacao powder
Honey to sweeten as desired
To make your own chocolate sauce, melt the coconut oil in a pan over a low heat and add the cacao powder. This will be very bitter without any sweetener so add honey if you desire.
Pour the chocolate sauce over the waffles and top with whipped cream and a few sliced strawberries. Serve!


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Founded in 2016, ATL Autobahn is the division of the ATL Automotive Group responsible for the distribution, sales and service of luxury brands BMW and MINI in Jamaica. Headquartered in Kingston, the Autobahn name is derivative of the limitless approach employed by BMW and MINI manufacturers and mirrors the local dealership's aim to provide its clients with boundless opportunities.
As an extension of ATL's automotive arm, ATL Autobahn is equally focused on offering exceptional customer service and aftersales care. With a carefully selected team that comprises some of the most outstanding talent in the automotive industry, BMW and MINI owners experience the first class treatment they deserve.
ATL Autobahn is also the regional master dealer for eight other Caribbean territories including, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Curacao, the Cayman Islands, St. Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago.


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Have you ever made a quilt? I have. It's one of the most therapeutic and calming things I've ever done. And I had a huge sense of accomplishment when I finished. Both of my grandmothers made quilts, my mama did, and my aunt Jeannie did. I loved to open that big box at Christmastime knowing it was a quilt that one of them had made. I was so flattered that after all the time and energy they had spent on that quilt, they had selected me to receive it. Even as a young girl, I knew a quilt was a gift I would cherish always. Back when I was living at home, I remember during the winter months Mama would set up her sewing machine in the living room over by the window. At night when we'd all be in there watching TV after supper, Mama would be over at her sewing machine, making another quilt from the scraps left over from a dress or blouse she had made for one of us earlier. Then, when she had sewn all the squares sewn together, she'd lay the batting on the living room floor, lay the quilted piece on top of that, and then start tacking it down. When that was completed, she'd sew the border around it. Then it was finished. All that remained was for Mama to decide who would be the proud recipient of her precious handiwork which represented so many hours of love. I feel very blessed to have received one of Mama's quilts. I sleep under it every night I'm home. It doesn't match the fancy comforter we bought in Los Angelos, but it feels better than anything you can imagine. Just because I know my mama made it just for me. When Daddy's mother died in 1950, one year before my sister Alice was born, Mama got the trunk that held all of the quilts, china, crystal, silverware, and knickknacks that Grandma had collected during her lifetime. Mama discovered that Grandma's trunk also included a few quilt pieces that she had started but had never finished. My sister Susie eventually wound up with those quilt pieces and we all figured she would finish them out and keep them for herself. But as only Susie would do, she cut the makings of the quilt into four squares, had them quilted, put a picture of Grandma McEntire and a descripion of the quilt ogether, and had them framed for Alice's, my brother Pake's, and my Christmas present. That's how thoughtful Susie is. She could have kept the quilt for herself, but, instead, she shared with her brother and sisters something so special, which had belonged to a woman none of us had ever met. That's part of Susie's charm. That's also the charm of a quilt. Like a mother, it wraps its arms around you-sosoft, yet so sturdy, and so comforting. In my grandma's time the sewing of a quilt would bring friends and neighbors together, and in quilting circles today that lovely tradition continues. Now we live in a time when so many women do not even have a sewing machine in their home and when country quilts hang in the fanciest boutiques and galleries selling as "decorative art." That would sure give my grandma and her circle a good laugh and more than a few shakes of the head. Can you just imagine the visiting, the stories, and the fellowship that have gone on during the making of all the wonderful quilts through the years? And can you imagine all the children who have been tucked in securely underneath them in their beds night after night? And us adults too? That's what you call "comfort from a country quilt." I hope this book is as comforting to you as my mama's quilt has always been to me. Like a quilt, this book is made up of small pieces of material-some of my favorite stories, memorable experiences, and more than a few opinions-written, rather than sewn, from the stuff of my life. I have stitched these pieces together with my sincere hope that you will find the "quilt" of a book friendly, warm, and enjoyable, something you can turn to for comfort and entertainment and for sharing with friends and family. So grab your favorite quilt, wra up, get comfortable, and enjoy. From me to you. Love, Reba
TULSA TIME by Don Williams
I left Oklahoma driving in a Pontiac Just about to lose my mind I was going to Arizona maybe on to California Where the people all live so fine My baby said I was crazy My moma called me lazy I was gonna show'em all this time Cause you know I ain't no fooling I don't need no more school'in I was born to just walk the line Chorus: Livin on Tulsa time, livin on Tulsa time Well you know I've been through it When I set my watch back to it Livin on Tulsa time Where there I was in Hollywood Wishing I was doing good Talking on telephone line But they don't need me in the movies And nobody sings my songs Guess I'm just wasting time Well then I got to thinking Man I'm really sinking And I really had a flash this time I had no business leaving And nobody would be grieving If I went on back to Tulsa time Repeat chorus
I'd like to thank Danielle once again for these lyrics and the foward!
Click here to return to the main lyric page Repeat chorus


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Native Instruments Absynth - Learn to use Absynth 5
Complete sound manipulation, on a number of levels. Absynth 5 is really in a class of its own.
Absynth 5 is a deep tool, capable of both generating sound and affecting incoming audio. Its ability to mangle and morph sounds, along with its powerful effects engine, have made it a tool of the trade for sound designers -- particularly those creating immersive, atmospheric sounds for music and picture.
Let our sound design mentors guide you through this this complex but powerful tool to help you understand it and maximize its potential.


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Hockey players get to much fuss! Ice rinks waste ice on hockey games, which apparently happen EVERY SINGLE DAY!! That is insane! Ice time should be equally split between figure skaters and hockey players! Also, they get so many banners hung up, even for pee wee teams who DON'T DO ANYTHING! I've only seen 4 banners at my rink for figure skating in my life! Now that is sad, especially because figure skating is so much harder! You could be skating since 1 and never make it to the Olympics, because all the jumps and spins are so hard to master! Even learning a single axel can take years!! Figure skaters should get the ice time and attention! Hockey players get way to much!
Hockey players risk themselves the most of all athletes including football players i would say only because you can't maneuver a hit on skates as well as you can on a field. Plus they play 82 games a year not including playoffs while football players only play 16 games. They get hit, whacked, shot at, and fought with. Toughest athletes out there and to play one of the toughest games too. Still score more than soccer players haha
First of all us as hockey players work are asses off even as peewees we can win a state title even though we do have hockey games almost evry day thst dosent mean that we are spoiled. Most sports dont put there life in risk for a sport and figure skaters dont do shit on the ice they honestly just skate around doing stupid jumps so fucking no they are not spoiled!
Hockey players, in my opinion, are the most hard working and genuine of all athletes. People don't realize how in shape you have to be just to play the game. Everything that they have, they more than deserve. If anything, they deserve more. If you want to talk about spoiled athletes take a trip to the NBA. As a fan of MLB, the NFL, and the NHL, I can definitely say I respect hockey players for their hard work the most. Baseball players come in in a close second just because of how few people actually make it to the MLB, but no athletes do as much as hockey players.
If anything hockey players are under respected. Hockey is a very physical and sometimes dangerous sport. More violent than football. Im basketball you get fouled for touching someone. In hockey players are constantly making physical contact with each other, which is part of the game. Same thing with football. In football you get kicked out for throwing a punch. In hockey punching is pretty normal.
If you look around, hockey players are the least spoiled in the sports world. They get no media attention like the football, basketball, and baseball players do, when popular hockey players switch team, they get a 10 second time news report on a sports network but when a major basketball player changes teams, he gets an hour special and gets CNN news major headline. They also get the lowest pay in the sports world, low ranking baseball, basketball, and football players get paid double the amount then the best hockey players do. Hockey players play 82 games a season and each night they go out and play, they risk their lives with the rough game they play whereas football players play only 18 games a season and they are the glorified tough guys in sport. To even say Hockey players are spoiled is crazy, I think Hockey players should get more attention then they are getting now.


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Voting for Round 4 has concluded. Head here to see the final match-up--and be sure to vote for your favorite!
To help you find your perfect New York summer escape, we rounded up some of the state's top destinations to face off against each other in the style of March Madnes. Visit I Love New York on Twitter to vote for your favorites--and come back to the I Love New York Blog next week to see which attractions move on to the final round! Click here to see all of the Round 1 match-ups, click here to check out Round 2 and head here for Round 3.
Round 4: Central Park vs. Niagara Falls State Park
WINNER: Central Park
Central Park is the most frequently visited urban park in the United States with 42 million visits each year to its 843 acres of sheer beauty. The park is home to ballfields and playgrounds, statues, a mature conservancy, monuments, bridges, ponds and woodlands . You'll find endless activities and sights to explore.
Niagara Falls State Park
Discover the majesty and beauty of the Niagara Falls this summer. Get misted by the magnificent spray of the falls then wander the surrounding State Park. The wonderland that surrounds the Falls includes gardens, over 15 miles of challenging hiking trails and (not surprisingly) stunning views.
Round 4: National Baseball Hall of Fame vs. Lake Placid
National Baseball Hall of Fame
All hail America's sport! The newly renovated Baseball Hall of Fame Museum is a not-for-profit educational institution dedicated to preserving the history of the game, honoring its outstanding contributors and connecting generations of fans.
WINNER: Lake Placid
Fed by a network of springs and mountain streams, Lake Placid is one of the cleanest freshwater lakes in the world. In the summer, it's a fantastic destination for boating, water skiing, swimming and more. Set up camp at one of several local campgrounds, and be sure to explore the nearby village of Lake Placid, which hosted the winter Olympics twice. You can take a bobsled ride here year round!


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Popular Now
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01803 865913
+44 1803 865913
Series: Collins How to Identify Guides
By: Nicholas Hammond
176 pages, 900 col illus
A practical beginner's guide to identifying birds.
Each entry includes:
Numerous, specially-commissioned illustrations to show their behaviour and plumages.
Scientific factfile to double-up as a useful reference.
Distribution map and advice to suggest where you are most likely to find that species.
Detailed, accurate illustrations show birds as you will see them in the wild.
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Don't judge a cook by its cover because I'm a skinny cook with a fat soul ♥
I was born and raised in the South ya'll and blessed with Southern charm and social graces. I grew up in the super small town of Vidalia Ga. Have you ever heard of it? Or maybe you have heard of Vidalia onions? Well if you're ever passing through don't blink because you might miss it and even though I haven't lived there in twenty years (if your doing the math that makes me 21 wink,wink) I still go back several times a year to spend time with my family. I must say there is something to be said about true Southerners, Southern food, and small town values.
So why the name The Peachy Onion? Well we all know Georgia is known for their sweet peaches and Vidalia is known for their sweet onions and when you combine the two you get myself and The Peachy Onion! And just like an onion has many layers so do I! I've lived in five different states Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Colorado, and California (I jokingly say Im part gypsy) and I currently reside in sunny 🌞 California.
It's absolutely beautiful here with the breathtaking cliff lines and perfect weather year round. I guess one could say I have been blessed to live in so many beautiful places. And all this moving and traveling around has allowed me the opportunity to taste and eat some pretty amazing foods. Just in case you didn't know I LOVE FOOD, good food! I know some people eat to live but I guess you could say I live to eat!
At the end of the day I would say comfort food is my all time favorite food and that my cooking inspiration comes from the Southern food I grew up eating like Biscuits & Gravy, Shrimp & Grits, Black Eye Peas & Collard Greens, BBQ and all the sweet tea and desserts a girl can eat. Plus a few of my other favorite cuisines I've adopted along the way like Mexican and Italian. Mmmm I love me some Breakfast Burritos, Enchiladas, Tamales, Salsa, Guacamole, Mole, Flan, Churros, and Chicken Parmesan, Lasagna, Meatballs, Caprese Salad, Cannoli, and I could go on and on and on!
Take a look around. Some of the recipes I will be sharing have been passed down from my families table to mine. Some I have inherited along the way from places I've lived and traveled. And some I've recreated from my favorite restaurants.
Hopefully you will stay a while and I can inspire and satisfy you with some of my wholesome Southern food favorites, classics, adoptions, and beyond!
As we say in the south, "Ya'll pull up a seat and lets eat!"🍴
Little More About Me …
What do you LOVE about food & life?
I'm all about the 4 F's in life. Food, Friends, Family, & Fun! I couldn't imagine not eating my way through life and enjoying these moments with those who are special to me.
How would your friends describe you?
FUN! I'm outgoing, ambitious, and I love to entertain. I like to think I'm the hostess with the mostess.
What is your favorite kitchen utensil?
OMG I love all my kitchen utensils and gadgets! Hmmm, well a good knife is a MUST because there isn't much you can do without a sharp knife but I think a set of tongs would come in second place. You can do a lot with tongs! Oh, and a glass of wine!! What that doesn't count as a utensil?
Paint a picture of you cooking in the kitchen?
Ok, sure. I enjoy a glass of wine or a bottle depending on the kind of day I've had. I really enjoy music playing in the background and usually its blues or jazz or oldies (Motown). Yes, I know my friends make fun of me. Music makes my world go round and I don't know what I would do without it. I honestly listen to everything it really just depends on my mood and what I'm feeling at the moment. Oh, and lets not forget the classics like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennet! I guess you can say I'm an old soul.
Do you have a favorite style of cooking or a favorite dish?
Anything sweet! Sweets are my weakness and sweet and salty might be my favorite flavor combination! I don't know how to answer this question. I grew up in a small town in Georgia on southern food and what some would refer to as soul food. In the south we never skipped a meal and there was always lots of hearty food, fried food, and never a shortage of dessert. I left home at 18 years young and have lived in a few states now. I jokingly say I'm part gypsy. I was born and raised in Georgia then I moved to South Carolina, Florida, Colorado, and currently reside in sunny California. So, I have experienced all types of food from state to state and through my travels which means I LOVE lots of different food styles of flavors! If it taste good then I'm with it. I guess I'm the biggest fan of Southern, Mexican, & Italian. How does that sound?
Ok, well if you had to choose a last meal what would it consist of?
At this point in time in my life I would say a juicy rib eye, miso cod, king crab legs or stone crabs drowned in butter, lobster mac-n-cheese, black shaved truffle risotto, creme brulee, warm toffee bread pudding, and a bottle of Ace of Spades to wash it all down! What is that a bit indulgent? Well if it's my last meal then let's go big or go home and do this without guilt! My taste buds have expensive taste some would say sophisticated.
See you in the kitchen!
Oops silly me ….
Meet George & Royce taste testers behind the blog!🐕


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Legal Question in Business Law in Ohio
What recourse is there if the Board of Trustees, of an Ohio private not-for-profit company, fail to follow by laws?
Asked on 1/24/10, 4:26 pm
1 Answer from Attorneys
Vaseem Hadi Rendigs, Fry, Kiely & Dennis LLP
I would need more information to answer this. First, I need to know what your relationship is with the company and the Board. Next, what the alleged violation was, and how that impacted you (or who it did impact). Finally, a copy of the bylaws would be helpful to see if it provides guidance on what the consequences are for such a violation. Depending on what the matter is about, failure to follow your own bylaws can be a powerful piece of evidence. I would like to learn more about this. Please call me at 513-381-9216. I look forward to hearing from you.
Vaseem S. Hadi
Answered on 1/31/10, 2:27 pm
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The French Climate-Terror Connection
TOKYO – Since the November 13 terrorist bloodletting in Paris, the City of Light has been practically under martial law. In this subdued and challenging context, world leaders are now convening in the city at the United Nations Climate Change Conference to hammer out a new global agreement to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Could disrupting the talks have been part of the terrorists' agenda?
It certainly seems possible. After all, severe environmental conditions in much of the Middle East and North Africa's Sahel region contribute to the sense of desperation that fuels Islamic extremism. Given this, arranging the attacks in such a way that could distract from efforts to ameliorate those conditions – while advancing the terrorists' other goals, of course – would seem like a "winning" strategy.
The situation in the Middle East and the Sahel is certainly dire, with rapid desertification devastating pastoral economies and the livelihoods of farmers, shepherds, nomads, and those who depend on them. This combination of environmental and economic degradation has created fertile conditions for murderous Islamist movements, including Boko Haram in Nigeria, al-Shabaab in Somalia and Kenya, and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Where climate change threatens to lay waste to the environment, fanatics have banded together to lay waste to civilization.
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We listed our six challenges for public procurement in 2015 at the beginning of the month. Here they are again.
Challenge no.1; Implementation of New Directives
Challenge no.2; Austerity continues
Challenge no.3; Social issues
Challenge no. 4; Value and Innovation
Challenge no.5; The Fight against corruption
Challenge no.6; Capability and competence
Today, let's look at the fourth of our list of key priorities, value and innovation.
Value for money is at the heart of public procurement. It is the most fundamental objective for contracting authorities, and the treaty principles, EU and national regulations are designed to try and ensure that value is achieved from public expenditure. But there is often confusion between cost (or price) and value. Sometimes contracting authorities choose low price, but achieve poor value. And sometimes they pay too much, thinking they are getting "value" but really, it is not clear that the value is worthy the additional cost.
Getting the balance right is therefore a critical role for procurement people and functions. Then we have the issue of "innovation" and how to achieve it through the procurement process. This has become a major topic for discussion, yet few contracting authorities have really worked out what it means and how to contract for innovation. That is another area where procurement professionals can add value to their organisations by understanding the options.
Key points
- As pressure on the public purse grows, (see our "austerity" comments), there may be a temptation for contracting authorities to focus strongly on lowest price (or lowest whole life cost) as the driving factor behind public procurement decisions. But whilst in some cases that is the right approach, it can also often be a false economy.
- Value should always be the focus – but note that sometimes the lowest cost product or service will be the best value. Indeed, in our experience, many evaluation methodologies perhaps give too much weighting to "quality" or similar non-price factors within the process.
- The EU and many national governments are also giving attention to how public procurement can be used to drive innovation, with the view that this will have beneficial long-term effects on economies, and stimulate enterprise and invention.
- The new procurement directives address this directly, with the concept of "innovation partnerships" to "spur innovation" and encourage public procurement to be used to assist in the development of an innovative product or service, and the subsequent purchase of the innovative results. (If there are any, of course!)
Actions for procurement
So what should procurement consider in 2015? Here are some ideas.
– For every procurement, be clear about what "value" means, push budget holders to explain what value means to them, and focus on achieving that through the procurement and tender evaluation process.
– Model your evaluation methodology before you approach the market or issue the tender, to make sure that it reflects the balance between price and other value factors that you want. In other words, be clear how much extra you are prepared to pay for some quantity of "added value", whether that is delivered by higher quality, more features, etc.
– Do not be afraid to choose a low-cost option, but equally understand where paying a higher price will genuinely deliver better overall value to the contracting authority and the citizen.
– Ensure that you understand the key points of "innovation procurement", and what is possible under the new directives. It will not be applicable for every organisation and every situation.