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Mortgage Loan Place has recently secured a new line of credit that has allowed us to offer the absolute lowest rates for jumbo loans available anywhere! With quick turn around times and the lowest rates available, find out what we can do for you.
If you are looking to borrow more than $417,000 for your home loan, your life just got a bit easier. Congress recently approved lower rates for jumbo loans in hundreds of counties across the United States. To see if you qualify for these record low rates, simply start a jumbo loan request. Jumbo loans are now much more flexible now offering better terms for borrowers.
Mortgage Loan Place® has recently been approved to offer high value borrowers even better rates than previously available. With these historic low rates, there has never been a better time to apply.
Take the Next Step:
• Get a Jumbo Rate Quote
• Contact a Jumbo Representative
"Your staff's performance during the whole process was exemplary. We're first time home buyers and asked a million questions, but they patiently explained everything to us,and made us feel that he would everything in his power to make this process as smooth as possible."
Marc C.
"... Far exceeded expectations and dealings. Communication was prompt and clear. Broker was exceptional."
Karl B.
"Our loan officer did a great job of communication with us. Our loan had some unexpected twist but I am thankful for Jake working so diligently to get us in our house."
Thomas T.
"My experience working with your company has been completely positive. Your guys make the mortgage process painless/easy. You were accessible and responsive, and he treated me like a customer should be treated."
James B.
Mortgage Loan Place.com has a department set up to deal exclusively with jumbo loans. We have direct access to newly created credit lines to fund your home loan. Most mortgage companies are simply brokers, but we have the underwriting staff and access to strong credit lines to get you the best deal on your jumbo loan.
Most mortgage companies will try to get you in an adjustable rate mortgage for your jumbo loan. But our strong lending history has allowed us to grow while other lenders are going out of business. We have recently been able to get access to a solid line of credit that allows us to get you a 30 year jumbo loan at an incredible fixed rate.
Not only can we provide the best rates, but we can get you in your loan much quicker than any of our competition.
There have been many reports talking about large mortgage companies and banks that require 60 days to complete a jumbo loan. But we have our own underwriting department that will provide much faster closing times. Plus, we have increased the underwriting staff to accommodate the large number of new loans we are processing as a result of our unbeatable rates. This ensures we will be able to offer the low rates while ensuring a quick closing.
No one can predict which the interest rates will do in the coming months or whether or not this new jumbo loan option will continue to be available, but you can lock in now to take advantages of these historic low rates.
Mortgage Loan Place® has recently secured a new line of credit that has allowed us to offer the absolute lowest rates for jumbo loans available anywhere! With quick turn around times and the lowest rates available, find out what we can do for you.


text: Professional guided fly-fishing trips and survivor expeditions along the Delaware River in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey for Trout, Shad, Stripers, Smallmouth Bass and other game fish species. Full, half day and fly-fishing vacation packages. Wilderness Fly Fishing Camp. Singles, couples, families, kids and don't forget to bring the pets. Groups and corporate outings. I supply all the gear for you to experience the great outdoors. Call 215-343-1720 to reserve a day, weekend or fly-fishing vacation package on the Delaware River.

subset: commoncrawl


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Senior Associate Stephen Jackson's keen interest in the rights of employees and of disabled persons has led him to specialize in employment law and disability litigation and appeals. He has a thorough understanding of employee's ERISA rights, federal and state employment laws, and Social Security's multi-step disability determination process. He possesses both the experience required to effectively pursue employee's rights, and to advocate vigorously for working men and women whose lives are challenged because of chronic illness, injury, or the ravages of disease.
Steve received his J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law with a Certificate in Labor and Employment Law in 2003. Steve received his B.A., summa cum laude, in organizational management from Concordia University Chicago in 1999. He is a member of both the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar.
Steve was admitted to practice in the State of Illinois and before the United States District Court and the Seventh Circuit Appellate Court in Illinois. While in law school he clerked at the preeminent labor law firm of Katz, Friedman, Eagle, Eisenstein, & Johnson, and then at Daley, DeBofsky & Bryant. After earning his J.D. Steve joined the Cook County State's Attorney's office where he worked as an Assistant State's Attorney in the Child Protection division of the Juvenile Justice Bureau. In 2006 he joined Jan L. Kodner & Associates working exclusively in the area of Social Security disability appeals. He joined the Bryant Legal Group in 2014.
Steve is also a member of the adjunct faculty a Concordia University Chicago where he leads classes in Employment Law, and Personal Values and Organizational Ethics. For the past three years he has also served as Co-Chair for the Scholarship Gala Committee of Smart Love Family Services, a leading Chicago based non-profit offering innovative psychological counseling, parenting programs, and early childhood education.
Most Recent and Upcoming Presentations, Materials, and Publications:
- Author and presenter of "Effective Hearing Tactics," Presented at the National Business Institute, Social Security Disability: From Start to Finish, Chicago, IL, April 29-30, 2014.


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More and more people are going in for cosmetic surgical procedures compared to the past when it was just celebrities who chose to go under the knife. Plastic surgery has turned out as a great choice for people to achieve the desired body profile when methods such as exercise and dieting prove futile.
Established plastic surgery practices in NYC offer a comprehensive range of invasive, minimally invasive, and non-invasive cosmetic procedures to help men and women of all ages meet their aesthetic goals. These treatments range from simple cosmetic injections such as Botox and minimally invasive liposuction to invasive procedures such as breast augmentation and tummy tuck. Regardless of the procedure you are interested in, it's critical that you find and consult a skilled and experienced cosmetic surgeon in NYC for your safety and optimal long-term results. Here are some of the specific benefits you are assured of with the right surgeon:
- Transparent initial consultation: The consultation should be an open discussion between the surgeon and the patient. A professional plastic surgeon performs a complete evaluation to know if you are the right candidate for the treatment and goes all out to understand your concerns and expectations so as to provide a customized solution. The benefits as well as the risks of the procedure are explained which will help you take an informed decision.
- Extensively trained and experienced: A surgeon who is well trained and experienced in the procedure will be able to perform it with precision which is important for an optimal outcome.
- Expertise in advanced techniques: Established surgeons keep themselves updated and use advanced techniques to provide the best results with minimal surgical trauma. This would ensure a speedy recovery.
- Skill to offer personalized solutions: A surgeon who is skilled in the procedure could provide you with a personalized treatment plan to meet your specific goals.
- Patient safety: A good surgeon would be focused on patient safety and take appropriate measures for this.
- Can handle emergencies effectively: Minor issues and unexpected events can occur during cosmetic surgery and only an experienced surgeon can handle them effectively.
- Better possibilities: Experienced plastic surgeons can offer their patients the entire scope of cosmetic treatment modalities with extensive choices.
- Superior follow ups: A reliable surgeon would provide end-to-end care with dedicated follow-up.
The right plastic surgeon will put you at ease during the procedure and perform it in a way as to minimize scarring, pain and surgical trauma. This will ensure a safe and pleasing treatment experience and improve recovery and results.


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LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) – Longmont police are looking for a woman who robbed a bank and used the threat of AIDS as her weapon.
Thursday a woman went to the Wells Fargo bank inside the Safeway on Ken Pratt Boulevard. Police say she gave the teller a note saying she has AIDS and she would infect the teller if she didn't hand over the money. She never showed a weapon.
The threat of getting infected with AIDS was enough to scare the teller into giving the woman money.
"I'm not sure how you could do it; there's variety of ways. You could have needle with your blood, you could spit on somebody; you know saliva is not a good transmission of that," a Longmont police officer said. "It was enough to inspire the fear and that helped her be successful in the robbery."
The suspect is between 55 and 75 years old with a bony build and a thin face. She was wearing a train engineer's hat and a Bass Pro Shop sweatshirt
Police said the suspect got away with an undisclosed amount of money.
Police believe because of the rare manner of the robbery, the suspect is probably local and a handful of homes are already under surveillance.
Just when you think you have heard it all………..
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When Gina Cadenasso, the proprietress of
in Portland, OR asked me about doing a little
, I was ecstatic. You see Bolt is a bit, ummm, awesome.
Gina has this special way of curating her inventory. I don't use that word lightly. Walking into the front door of Bolt you are immediately greeted with a feeling of style, fashion and urban make-ing. Gina has a way of editing collections down to this refined boutique of prints and notions that suit Bolt's aesthetic perfectly.
So when I discovered that Gina had chosen to include Peacock Lane in Bolt's offerings I was truly ecstatic.
And when she asked me to pick out a fat quarter pack to
... well, I got so excited by what I had to choose from that I had to go and make new pillows for our living room... and a mini pattern to go with them!
Mod Petal Pillows
I chose a fat quarter pack consisting of the following five prints for
Quilting Treasures - Juicy Blossoms in Orange
Bluehill - Savannah - 7443 - Green (5)
Lecien - Cocoa Eraser Dots
Moda - Basic Grey - Max and Whiskers - Maybley Fur in Black
Lecien - Rosalie Quinlan - Sweet Broderie - Daisy Chain in Orange
I couldn't quite stop there though... my shopping pile also included:
Daisy Janie - Geo Grand - Crystal Ball in that yummy bright citron-y green
Andover - Melissa Averinos - Dazzle - Shadow Stripe in Teal (for the backing)
Kona Cotton in Ash for the middle square and border
Kona Cotton in White for the dash of sashing
I thought you might also like to see what this same pattern would look like done in the fat quarter pack of Peacock Lane that Bolt is also
! In this example I've swapped out the Kona Ash and replaced it with Kona Medium Gray (or even Charcoal). The prints are fussy cut pieces of Meadow in Pink, Meadow in Gray, Falling Flowers in Aqua and Parade Day in Gray.
Shopping List (makes two 19" square pillow covers):
1/8 yard each of five to seven prints
1/4 yard of Kona Ash for center background and border
1/8 yard of Kona White for sashing
1 yard of print for backing
3/4 yard of batting
3/4 yard of no-show lining for inside of quilted pillow fronts
thread to match
water soluble marking pen
2 pillow inserts - 22" square
(optional) 1/8 yard of Wonder Under or other paper backed two sided fusible web
Cutting List:
Various Prints: 40 @ 3 1/2" squares
Fusible Web: 8 @ 3 1/2" squares
Kona Ash: 2 @ 9" squares; 4 @ 2 1/2" x 15 1/2" strips; 4 @ 2 1/2" x 19 1/2" strips
Kona White: 2 @ 3/4" x 9"; 2 @ 3/4" x 9 1/2"
Backing: 4 @ 18" x 19 1/2"
Batting: 2 @ 22" squares
Lining: 2 @ 22" squares
Mini Instructions:
(please keep in mind this is a quickie mini tutorial - for detailed explanations of how to cut, piece, quilt and bind, I would suggest the many awesome blogs that detail those techniques... might I suggest my personal favorite,
1. Cut all pieces according to Cutting List (1/4" seam allowance included in measurements)
2. Trace Mod Petal Template on paper backed side of fusible web squares. (Template should print out at 2.7" wide x 3.3" tall) Fuse web to eight 3 1/2" squares. Cut out.
3. Fuse petals to center squares in your desired arrangement. Play with this! There are many fun ways to arrange the petals. Example leaves a 3/8" space between the petals. Attach with desired edge stitch. Example uses tight zigzag stitch.
4. Piece two Mod Petal Blocks by using the diagram. Press all seams flat.
5. Layer a 22" lining square face down, a 22" batting square and the Mod Petal Block face up.
6. Quilt as desired. Example uses straight line quilting 1/4" from the seams. Trim to 19 1/2".
7. Hem one 19 1/2" edge of all four backing pieces. If backing is directional, hem one top and one bottom for each pillow back.
8. With quilted pillow top lying right side up, layer one pillow back right sides together with hemmed edge running horizontally across the middle of the pillow top, aligning raw edges along the top. Layer the final pillow back piece with right side down, hemmed edge running horizontally across middle of the pillow top, aligning raw edges on the bottom edge. Pin.
9. Stitch 1/4" from edge around the entire outside edge of pillow cover layers. Turn right side out and enjoy!
Ahh - it's all SO good.


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These games teach valuable skills and have a high fun and educational rating.
Your child develops fine motor skills and learns about astronomy by playing cosmic bowling.
Your child develops a knowledge of Chinese culture while playing various games and reading accompanying text.
Your child develops health knowledge and fine motor skills by navigating this game and collecting healthy food.
Your child develops spatial reasoning skills by examining and strategizing in a golf game.
Your child develops fine motor skills by performing tricks on his/her snowboard.
Your child develops fine motor skills and learns about recycling by playing various Envirogirl games.
Zoodles 11.8.7 Copyright (c) 2014 Inquisitive Minds, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Kanelsnegl ~ Danish Cinnamon Roll
Ingredients for Dough :
300gm bread flour
200gm all purpose flour
2 tspn yeast
4 TB sugar
100ml milk
90ml water
2 eggs
1/2 tspn salt
40gm butter, chopped
*250gm butter, room temperature (cut into 10 pcs)
1 TB all purpose flour
Method :
(1) combine all dry ingredients into a big mixing bowl then add in milk & egg and gently stir to form a stick dough.
(2) add in butter and knead till smooth then set a side to rest for an hour or till double in size.
(3) punch dough to release air and again knead dough till smooth.
(4) place dough to a greased plastic bag and keep refrigerated for an hour. (I kept mine in the freezer for 30 mins)
(5) once ready, place dough to a slightly floured working table and roll it flat for about 12x24" size.
(6) arrange butter onto dough (as shown as the above picture), fold dough over and nicely sealed.
(7) refer here for folding method.
(8) again, keep the ready dough refrigerated or frozen once it's done. And use it at anytime you want.
(9) finally, roll dough flat into 15x24" and spread on melted butter then top with cinnamon & brown sugar.
(10) roll dough like swiss roll from the longer side, divide dough into 24 portions and leave to rest for about an hour or till double in size.
(11) now, brush on egg glazing and top with sliced almond.
(12) bake at preheated oven 200'C for about 18-20 mins or till nicely brown.
I'm sending this to Wild Yeast @ Yeastspotting.


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Chain necklace and drop pendant
Current price : 1 750 €
Shipping fees are not included in the price
Price with buyer commission VAT includedHow it works ?
18ct (750°/oo) white gold pendant set with a drop-shaped chalcedony with small brilliant-cut diamond shoulders, approximately 0.45ct.
18ct (750°/oo) white gold chain necklace, spring ring clasp.
Gross weight : 8.7g (0.28oz).
Chain length : 40cm (15-3/4oz).
Pendant dimensions : 5.5 x 1.2cm – (2-1/8 x 1/2in).
No viewing nor possible collection for this item in our Paris office unless specific request.
For further information, please contact email@example.com
Condition report :
Bibliography :
Provenance :
- Item(s) quantity: 1
- Weight in g : 8 g
- Expertissim Reference: 2015031500


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Get a Complete and Reliable Flat Tire Change Service in Houston, TX Today
A flat tire surprises you when you least expect it. Everyone knows the situation and circumstance- you are dressed up and ready to attend a meeting or event, and suddenly a wayward nail or a sharp piece of glass managed to position itself at the right time, and on the right place. The result is a flat tire that will not just derail your travel plans; it will also help ruin your enthusiasm and motivation for the rest of the day.
Don't let this road problem affect your schedule, and define the rest of your working day. If you are within Houston area, and a flat tire throws your travel plans into a mess, get professional road assistance within the area, get in touch with Roadside Assistance Pros for a complete fire tire change service. Although a flat tire is one of those problems that can be addressed, using the right tools like tire gauge, flares and sealant, sometimes a professional team working on this problem is the best way to do it, especially if you are looking for an efficient, clean and fast way of replacing a flat tire. Also, it's not every time that you have the right tools, and you got a flat tire in an ideal environment, like a well-lighted shoulder, with lots of help coming.
If a flat tire happens when you are least ready, and cannot provide the immediate solution to the problem, consider checking out the available flat tire change service in Houston TX. As an experienced automotive team from Houston, TX, we understand the need of drivers for an immediate assistance, and for a competent flat tire replacement, when requested.
Count on Emergency Roadside Assistance and Flat Tire Change, When you Need It
For years now, Roadside Assistance Pros Houston has been in the business of providing reliable, competent and on-the-dot support to drivers who need emergency roadside assistance. Our team is available 24/7, and we maintain a competent customer support team who can provide you with automotive services, when you need it the most. Although our team is known to provide a competent flat tire change service in Houston, we can also provide other emergency services that can keep your car on the road:
- Emergency roadside assistance
- Long distance towing service
- Wrecker service
- Out of gas service
- Flat tire change
- Change car battery
- Jump-start car battery
- Accident removal
With our roadside assistance that's available 24/7, you can count on Roadside Assistance Pros Houston when it comes to all kinds of emergency roadside assistance service, so you can get back on the road, fast. We invite you to contact (281) 972-7735 to know more about the services that we offer. Call us today if you are looking for emergency towing service, emergency fuel, vehicle extrication or flat tire change Houston, TX service. With years' worth experience in providing automotive assistance to our customers, we can assure you of a reliable service, delivered on time.
Why Call Us for Flat Tire Change in Houston, TX
We can provide you with well-rounded automotive services, from flat tire replacement to long distance towing. We understand that our customers need our services immediate, so we dispatch our team within a fast response time after the call has been made and confirmed. Our team members are chosen based on experience and training, so you only work with a competent team that knows the problem. Our pricing structure is one of the best in the industry, so you will only get the best solutions that will not hurt your wallet.
With our flat tire service assistance, we change the tires for you so you can focus on more important aspects of your travel. Get in touch with our team today, and call (281) 972-7735.


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STARTING A BUSINESS – A Simple Step by Step Guide
Firstly, our thanks for choosing the Parry Sound Area to start your new business.
This guide has been produced by the Parry Sound Area Community Business & Development Centre Inc. (CB&DC) to assist the entrepreneur wishing to start a business in Parry Sound and surrounding area.
The Parry Sound Area CB&DC is a federally supported not-for-profit Community Futures Development Corporation governed by volunteers in partnership with FedNor / Industry Canada. The services provided by the CB&DC are to promote and assist the economic growth and community development of the Parry Sound region. The centre focuses on job creation by community strategic planning and providing funding and advisory services to area businesses, new and existing.


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Humberto Leon and Carol Lim have been named creative directors of Kenzo, the Paris-based fashion label owned since 1993 by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. The pair founded Opening Ceremony in New York nine years ago.
Here's the official statement from LVMH:
LVMH announces the appointment of Humberto Leon and Carol Lim as Creative Directors of Kenzo effective July 2011. Humberto Leon and Carol Lim are the duo behind Opening Ceremony, the fashion and retail concept they founded together in New York City in 2002. They will split their time between New York and Paris.
"Humberto and Carol will bring their fresh creative talent and innovative approach to Kenzo to rejuvenate this iconic brand. I am confident that they will leverage the unique contemporary & lifestyle spirit of the Brand to position it ideally for an ambitious development," declared Pierre-Yves Roussel, Chairman and CEO of the Fashion Division of LVMH.
"Kenzo Takada came to Paris from Tokyo with bold new ideas for fashion and established an international company full of vibrant energy and color. We are thrilled to take Kenzo, a source of great inspiration for us, into the future with our generation and the next in mind," said Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, Creative Directors of Kenzo.
After 8 positive years, Kenzo and Antonio Marras have decided to end their collaboration. Kenzo would like to thank Antonio Marras and wishes him all success in his endeavors.
Leon and Lim will debut their first collection for Kenzo this fall.
Follow me on Twitter: @HannahElliott


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Julian Cope presents JAPROCKSAMPLER.COM
Akira Fuse
Akira Fuse single from 1968.
Akira Fuse was a debonair '60s pop star whose story is central to Japrocksampler, and is told in detail throughout the length of the book. His finest contribution to Japanese music is undoubtedly as lead singer on the King Records LP LOVE WILL MAKE A BETTER YOU by Love Live Life +1. This record appears at number 6 in Japrocksampler's Top 50.
Julian Cope
To contribute information about this artist you must first log-in or register with Head Heritage.


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Icy Rain/
January 16, 2013
The recent dip in temperatures, to actual winterish temperatures of both freezing days and nights, kept us inside for a few days. Our work schedules abetted that, and I noticed we were all very grumpy.
Wednesday, the 26th we awoke to misty rain and icy trees. "We're going outside," I told my son. We got soaked (you're probably thinking, "No wonder your kid has had a cough for weeks.") while stomping puddles and walking in the stream.
Beren gamely used branches to balance as water rushed over his boots. We found a frozen frog, held it for a few moments, and did what we thought was best - put it back in the water beneath some leaves. We observed cardinal flower rosettes and stepped on and over multiflora rose.
"Are you cold? Do you want to go back home?" My son didn't reply but kept walking. "Are you wet?" He nodded. "Ok, let's go home."
On one cold evening, 25 January 2013 at 21:15 to be exact, someone edited the entry for cabin fever on Wikipedia:
Cabin fever is an idiomatic term, first recorded in 1918,[1] for a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated and/or shut in a small space, with nothing to do for an extended period. Cabin fever describes the extreme irritability and restlessness a person may feel in these situations.[2]
A person may experience cabin fever in a situation such as being in a simple country vacation cottage. When experiencing cabin fever, a person may tend to sleep, have distrust of anyone they are with, and an urge to go outside even in the rain, snow, dark or hail. The phrase is also used humorously to indicate simple boredom from being home alone.[3]
When experiencing cabin fever, a person may tend to sleep, have distrust of anyone they are with, and an urge to go outside even in the rain, snow, dark or hail.
What an odd combination of characteristics. Tend to sleep? When? Where? Distrust? Even in the rain? What's wrong with walking in rain, snow, dark or hail?


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Purchase New Inventory Management Accounting Software
Are you a small business owner who is looking to buy a new inventory management accounting software? You have come to the right place! Read this article and discover the 5 questions you should ask before purchasing the software!
Buying a new inventory management accounting software is not the easiest job in the world. The right software is out there, but you need to stay patient and search until you find the best and right system according to your business' needs.
In this article, we are going to share 5 questions you need to ask yourself before purchasing the inventory software. These questions are created to help you determine which software is best for you and your business, regardless of how far along you are in the search for the ideal accounting system solution.
These 5 questions will give you the information and details you are looking for, you will be able to narrow down your requirements, determine exactly which companies and vendors are reliable and legit, and answer questions you didn't even know you needed to ask.
5 Questions
5 Questions You Should Ask First
Here are the 5 questions you need to have in mind:
- What works about my existing accounting process: Whether you are currently using a software or you are depending on a spreadsheet and a calculator, it is important to consider what is working about your existing accounting process before you make a certain change. You need to ask yourself – what features do you love about your existing software program, does your Excel spreadsheet give you something that makes it extra simple to keep your business company organized, and etc. Your new accounting system should meet or exceed all these aspects you need and like about your current system.
- What does not work about my existing process: It is important to determine what is not working well with your current process. There can be various reasons for this. It could be that your system is outdated and slow or you spend too much time on calculating the orders and the number of shipments, so you can't concentrate on something else. You need to think specifically and carefully about what is not working and then make a detailed list of what you want to change and use this list as a jumping point for your inventory accounting system search.
- What type of business do I have: You need to keep in mind that all accounting systems are not designed equal. Each system is created with specific business sizes and types in mind. It is vital to take into consideration the unique needs of your business company, your niche, and your industry, so you can understand which software will best fit the budget.
- Where do a want my business to be in one year: It is really important to take into consideration your future business plans and your current business needs and requirements. By doing so, you will be able to select a software that will develop with you as your business company does. Having a plan will make it simpler to decide which features and tools you need from a specific inventory accounting system.
- Which features and tools do I absolutely need from the software: The truth is that you choose a software because of the features and tools it owns. You need to determine which features your business needs from a certain software.
We hope these 5 questions and your answers will bring you to the best inventory management accounting system for your business! Good luck!
Buy iPad Mobile POS Systems: Top POS Systems to Choose From
Interested in buying an iPad mobile POS system for your business? You have come to the right place! Read this article and discover the best POS systems you can use! Implementing an iPad mobile POS [...]
The Perks of Using an Inventory Management Software in Distribution
If you want to improve your inventory management in wholesaling or distribution, you have come to the right place! Read this article and discover the perks of adopting an inventory management system in distribution! The [...]
How to Choose the Best SCM Software for Your Business – 3 Questions to Ask Yourself
Planning on buying a SCM software for your business? You have come to the right place! Read this article and discover the 3 questions you need to ask yourself in order to choose the right [...]


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Blue skies, wide open green meadows and fresh air…If you've been craving the sights and sounds of the countryside, Sweet Harvest slot is right up your alley!
Have you been looking for a window to escape the hustle and bustle of the city? Sweet Harvest slot presents you with an opportunity to do just that.
Experience the blossoming romance of nature with a bit of farm life. The exotic beauty of nature will definitely offer something that you have been looking for.
The latest slot from Microgaming has lived up to the expectations of the critics. The graphical display of this slot is simply stunning. Some of the features to look forward to include wild and scatter symbols , free spins, insane prizes and a lot more.
A Sweet Experience!
Being a 20 pay line slot, the payouts are higher and so is the volatility. While the coin size flexibility lies in the range of 0.01 to 0.25, the highest bet amount you can wager stands at 25.
Make sure that you have enough in your account if you are planning to wager on all pay lines and opt for the Bet Max feature. However, if you are a newbie, it only seems wise to take it slow in the beginning until you get a hang of this slot.
That being said, you need to keep in mind that you have a shot at the fixed jackpot when you bet the highest amount! Go Big or Go Home seems to be the tag line of this slot.
Sweet Harvest Logo-The Wild Symbol
Sweet Harvest logo is probably one of the most awaited symbols of this slot. Not only does it help you create winning combos, but it also gets you ready to play for the humongous jackpot of 10,000 coins.
The wild symbol in this slot appears as a stack and five of these at a time can get you 10,000 coins richer!
However, the wild symbol begs to differ in the Free Spins round. The lead male and female lead characters of this slot get to be the wild symbols in this particular round.
Harvest Bonus-The Scatter Symbol
Harvest Bonus, the scatter symbol is the next best symbol in this slot. It does not appear as frequently as you'd probably want it to because it lands only on the second and fourth reels.
But if you're able to get two or more on Harvest Bonus symbols, then they trigger the Free Spins bonus round, in addition to awarding you a random prize.
The Free Spins Bonus Round
You've landed in this round because you're lucky and deserve to take home a generous winning amount. This round can fetch you as much as an amazing 12,000 coins!
You will be awarded up to 12 free spins depending on the number of Harvest Bonus symbols that got you in to this round. What's more is that, you'll also be eligible to receive 2x multipliers to boost your earnings.
Final Thoughts
Sweet Harvest slot is literally like a breath of fresh air that will take you away from the hectic city life to the calm and peaceful country life. With a laid back theme, amazing payouts and great features, this slot is as entertaining as they come. Play it once to experience a whole new life in the countryside!


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Montreal Cares Award/
(as seen on communitas.org)
Thursday, the 12th May 2016 proved to be a momentous day in the life of Communitas as our organization was honoured and presented with a '2016 Montreal Cares Award' as one of three Community Organizations so recognized at a Gala Event.
The 6th Annual red carpet event was well attended with guests dressed to impress and many activities – with dancers, musicians and a fund-raising auction only some of the events that unfolded during the evening.
Some 17 awardees in 6 categories (Small Medium Enterprises/Youth Leader/Student-Athlete/Community Leader/Community Organization/Lifetime Achievement Award), were presented with beautiful awards by various distinguished citizens of Montreal.
Communitas was recognized for our work in restorative justice through the re-integration of ex-prisoners in the community.
Michele, Peter, Jeri and Kadene attended the ceremony on behalf of Communitas, with Michele and Peter accepting the award and being interviewed on stage.
Many were the words of encouragement received from the attendees at the end of the event, with several persons introducing themselves and offering to become volunteers.
The evening ended with a continuation of the fund raising auction (which was supported by P.K. Subban – one of the awardees) and more red carpet photos and gift bags for all. A truly wonderful evening- and a milestone in the life of Communitas!


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When you need metal or waste removal for your residential or commercial project, call MCQ Handling Inc.
MCQ Handling Inc has three main areas of service:
- Roll-off bin services,
- Lugger box services and
- Dump services.
We own tractors, trailers and steel collection bins used for the collection and transportation of scrap metal and related materials.
Our products and services range from waste management and disposal services to residential dumpster services.
MCQ Handling Inc is a market leader in the collection and transportation of scrap metals in the Great Lakes region. MCQ Handling Inc is by far the dominant participant in the regional market ranging from Hamilton to Windsor, and more than twice the size of the next largest competitor.
Over the past 25 years we have also designed equipment for the varying needs of customers from containers (two yard to 90 yard), compactors and recycling equipment.


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A few months ago, I started doing a bit of research online about where to buy fabric in London. A number of the sewing blogs I follow are sewers from London, and I also fell in love with the TV series: The Great British Sewing Bee. It's on the BBC so I didn't get to watch it live, but I found it on Youtube, so I watched it there. I actually got quite attached to a number of the contestants, and I am eagerly awaiting the American version, which they have started to cast for. Anyway, I discovered that Goldhawk Road, near Shepherd's Bush (which is the tube station right next to the mall we frequent), is apparently one of the places to go for fabric. It is lined with several fabric shops, along with a couple of haberdashery shops. Of course, as soon as I read about it, I was dying to go. I told John about it a couple months ago, and being the amazing husband that he is, he figured out exactly how to get there, and promised to take me.
It was actually really easy to get to. We took the number 237 bus two stops from Shephard's Bush and at the fabric shops of Goldhawk Road. It was actually very cool, and to be honest a bit overwhelming. The first shop we went into, I just stared and touched fabrics. Everything was so beautiful. In the next shop, I bought my first piece of fabric, and then it became really fun. John was so patient, and even helped me pick out a bunch of great pieces.
I was really hoping to find some amazing deals, and while I did get a couple of fabrics fairly cheaply, it wasn't much cheaper than buying from Fabricland at home. I do think that the fabrics are much nicer and of better quality though, but the proof will be in the pudding when I start sewing with them. They was definitely a way better selection than at home though. That's for sure.
Here are the spoils from the first trip, yup that's right, we ended up going back for second time.
There are a lot of shops, and we didn't quite get through them all the first time.
This shop (above) ended up being one of my favourites. I got some nice jersey (t-shirt material) and several pieces of Liberty cotton at a way better price than buying them at Liberty. So all in all, I was very happy with both our trips to Goldhawk Road, and I can't wait to get sewing!


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Subversion to Red is a project that fosters a search for new forms of socio-political organsiation by revisiting certain concepts and societal forms from the past.
In Soft Subversions: Texts and Interviews, 1977-1985, Félix Guattari points out that 'Capitalism only selects and economically valorizes those things that fit its specific needs'. Thus it follows that (not capital letter) capitalism may only produce motivation by calling upon incredible levels of cruelty. In contrast, this project encourages a return of the idea seeking to revive the notion of idealism in contemporary society as an alternative form of motivation. It asks whether it is possible to re-visit and revive some of the 'old' concepts, re-activating them for our own purposes today.
Throughout 2012, I followed the events related to the Occupy movement closely. I wanted to learn more about the methods they were using in order to affect selected institutional systems. To my surprise, I did not learn anything from them. In one of the first instances after Occupy's initial 'occupations' of MOMA New York, the museum's curators publicly asked Occupy to suggest how they might modify the museum's internal activities in order to fulfill the requests that Occupy was making. In another instance, during the last weeks of Berlin Biennial 7, Occupy were invited by the curators of BB7 to propose new working strategies for the Kunst Werke Institute, inviting Occupy to modify the structure of any one of the institution's departments. However, perhaps due to Occupy's lack of awareness about the inner workings of the institution – divisions of labour, workloads and the specific dynamic of their in-house processes – they were unable to propose anything relevant. In this instance they were unable to meet the core aims of their own fight.
Nevertheless, what I learned through this process – something that motivated me to start working on this project – is the following: first, conceiving how to change things. In order to create valuable tools for relevant change today, it seems necessary to investigate a history of alternative social / political arrangement. Secondly, I learned that art institutions are often open to revising their internal working methods; to consider and introduce changes, in order to propose new social/societal models.
These two aspects are fundamental for the project Subversion to Red, which has been conceived almost as a 'five-year plan', where a number of activities (conferences, actions and performances) will be enacted in order for a final goal to be achieved.
The aim of the project is to find ways in which the idea of (not capital letter) socialism, or Marxism could be re-introduced in contemporary society.
Through a process of reviving certain socialist / Marxist ideas and strategies, the project aims to apply those postulates within present-day working environments. In the particular case of Subversion to Red, the chosen working environment is that of the art institution (and cultural environments more broadly), as these are often open to revising their internal working methods and to consider the possibility of introducing changes as a way of testing new social / societal models.
This project is not interested in large-scale revolution, or the performative aspects of public / street revolutions. It is based on the idea that change should come from within, and by carefully following predetermined steps that might work in different ways towards re-shaping individual or public opinion.
The steps
The project has three stages of development:
1. Knowledge (Red Discussion)
Red Discussion is conceived as a discussion between relevant thinkers and theorists who are invited to analyse and critique various concepts within socialist / Marxist theory. The goal of these discussions is to raise the possibility of reactivating certain 'historical categories', while bringing an element of discursiveness (delete) from within the realm of socialist / Marxist theory. The aim is to deconstruct former models (those no longer relevant to current social and political structures) and to propose aspects within them that may still be applicable today.
2. Ideology (Red-iness)
This second stage aims to point out the validity of certain socialist / Marxist postulates for contemporary society. Newly created artworks will revive these ideologies, by re-enacting excerpts from various speeches, books or films, in the form of performance or video-performance.
3. Application
When stages one and two have been familiarised (i.e. when a level of public knowledge and ideological belief in them has been augmented), a third step could then be applied. Concretely, the application of these new strategies would be tested within art institutions, by proposing to modify their internal working structure and strategies. The art institution(s) would work according to these modified strategies, supported by employees' internalisation and appropriation of these ideologies.
Red Discussion
Live art event
Red Discussion is part of Subversion to Red project. Red discussion is conceived as a discussion between relevant thinkers and theorists who are invited to analyse and critique various concepts within socialist / Marxist theory. The aim is to deconstruct former models (those no longer relevant to current social and political structures) and to propose aspects within them that may still be applicable today.
During the event, various ideas and key words have been written onto a pentagonal table, which served as the platform to build up and define a set of key concepts and ideals that could be used as a guide for redefining the contemporary society.
Speakers include: Dave Beech, Hannah Black, Gail Day, Mark Fisher and Nina Power. Chaired by Vlad Morariu
See the video documentation of the discussion…
Redi-ness – Gestalt
Video performance
Red-iness is a series of video performances that explore the idea of 'time collapse' and the applicability of past concepts in the present. Redi-ness – Gestalt (2013) presents the re-enactment of a speech acted by Milena Dravić in the film W.R. Mysteries of the Organism (1971), directed by Dušan Makavejev.
Redi-ness – Robespierre
Video performance
Red-iness is a series of video performances that explore the idea of 'time collapse' and the applicability of past concepts in the present.
In the film Early Works (1969) directed by Želimir Žilnik, excerpts from a letter written by Karl Marx to his friend and fellow political philosopher Arnold Ruge are read aloud:
…In the eyes of the despot, men are always debased. They drown before his eyes and on his behalf, in the mire of common life, from which they always rise up again. Muta pecora, prona et ventri oboedientia. ["The herd is silent, docile and obeys its stomach."]
For our part, it is our task to drag the old world into the full light of day and to give positive shape to a new one…
Early Works was conceived as an attempt to re-introduce Marxist ideals to the demoralised, devalued and unsophisticated form of Socialism that existed in former Yugoslavia in the 1960s. Similar re-appropriations of certain motivational speeches were carried out in public life at the time. For example, Žilnik filmed actor Stevo Žigon addressing students in Belgrade during protests in 1968, capturing him re-reading Maximilien de Robespierre's famous speech from the French Revolution.
In Žilnik's film and Žigon's speech we witness how certain concepts can be applicable and become a driving force for change in different times and conditions. A new video work presented at Calvert 22 embodies this process, whilst raising the question of how far these re-enacted speeches might still be relevant today.
Images of the installation at Calvert 22
Exhibition history:
'.how is it towards the east?' – Calvert22, London
Double Feature # 4 Nikolin Bujari & Nada Prlja – Tirana Art Lab, Tirana
Imaginarium: contemporary video art from Macedonia – Gray's School of Art, Aberdeen, Scotland
Press coverage:
/ One Stop Arts, Voices of dissent in the East End: …how is it towards the East? at Calvert 22 Gallery. by Ana Baeza Ruiz
"…Nada Prija's work is part of a five-year-plan that proposes to "revive the notion of idealism in contemporary society as an alternative form of motivation", and she is equally concerned with the principle of "reactivating" – in this case old socialist forms of organisation. She explores these through the art institution, a platform she finds open to revising its internal working methods. For Calvert 22, she has curated a public event, the Red Discussion, where five thinkers discussed Marxist theories in the aim to deconstruct former models and flesh out aspects that may be applicable today. The resulting ideas were written over the surface of a pentagonal table, and for the duration of the exhibition visitors are welcome to add thoughts.
Prija's video performances under the title Red-iness further probe these issues by exploring the concept of "time collapse" (the ways in which past ideas can be transposed into the present), and she re-enacts excerpts of speeches by Robespierre during the French Revolution, and later Stevo Zigon during the Belgrade student protests of 1968. The outcome, however, is a somewhat cryptic piece that is perhaps a little too disingenuous as far as its institutional critique goes, especially given the extraordinarily well-educated profile of its Red Discussion participants…"


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When Violence is Good
I watched Episode 5 of The Missing (Series 2, BBC One). The episode is fast becoming known for its violent ending. The series, which focuses on investigations into missing children, does not often feature violence so this episode came as a hammer blow. Some have criticised the violence shown but I think that this … Continue reading When Violence is Good


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The Land of the Free Isn't so Free for Journalists
Armed conflict and government surveillance in the name of national security: Together they make up the world's most serious threats to press freedoms, according to Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) annual examination of press freedoms around the world. Some of the biggest offenders aren't surprising: Syria, where dozens of journalists have been killed or gone missing; ...
Armed conflict and government surveillance in the name of national security: Together they make up the world's most serious threats to press freedoms, according to Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) annual examination of press freedoms around the world.
Some of the biggest offenders aren't surprising: Syria, where dozens of journalists have been killed or gone missing; the Central African Republic, where journalists have been caught up in the country's descent into staggering violence; and Mali, where in November two French reporters were abducted and killed.
But one of the report's main targets isn't a war-torn Middle Eastern or African country. It's the United States, which dropped 13 places on the index, to 46 out of 180, putting it just behind Trinidad and Tobago, Papua New Guinea, and Romania. "This year, the ranking of some countries, including democracies, has been impacted by an overly broad and abusive interpretation of the concept of national security protection," Reporters Without Borders' head of research, Lucie Morillon, said in a statement.
The report points to the conviction of WikiLeaks source Chelsea Manning and the continuing pursuit of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden as factors that have created a threatening environment for American reporters and sources. Reporters Without Borders also cites the Justice Department's move to secretly obtain two months of phone records from the Associated Press in a search for information about a CIA leak of a foiled terror plot. It did so by serving a subpoena to its phone provider, Verizon, for which the Justice Department didn't even need a warrant. The entire probe was done in accordance with the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986, and the AP reportedly didn't know about any of it until three months after it happened.
"Freedom of information is too often sacrificed to an overly broad and abusive interpretation of national security needs, marking a disturbing retreat from democratic practices," the report, which was released late Tuesday, said.
Reporters Without Borders cited AP flap as one instance with troubling implications for press freedom in the United States, a democratic country where communications are subject to increasingly sweeping electronic surveillance: Those seeking to lift a veil on classified government activity can't reasonably expect the full privacy of their, or their sources', communications.
"Prosecutors have sought phone records from reporters before, but the seizure of records from such a wide array of AP offices, including general AP switchboards numbers and an office-wide shared fax line, is unusual," the AP article on the seizure noted at the time.
Thanks to the Snowden revelations, the United States isn't the only democracy to fall in this year's index. The United Kingdom also suffered, falling three places to number 33. The report cited the government's harassment of the Guardian newspaper and its journalists after they published numerous stories based on the Snowden document.
According to the report, Finland tops the charts in press freedom, followed by the Netherlands, Norway, and Luxembourg. On the other end of the spectrum, Eritrea comes in last at 180. Syria, Turkmenistan, and North Korea rank at 177, 178, and 179, respectively.
Of course, the explosion of armed conflict, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, has also taken its toll on the state of press freedom in those countries. "In an unstable environment, the media become strategic goals and targets for groups or individuals whose attempts to control news and information violate the guarantees enshrined in international law," the RSF report said.
Some of the biggest drops due to such conflict were in the Central African Republic (down a staggering 34 places to 109), which has been witnessing a steady descent into violence since March 2013, and Mali (down 22 to 122), where Islamist groups have been vying for control since 2012. In October, Reporters Without Borders condemned the threats directed at C.A.R. journalists by a newly formed police force, called the Extraordinary Committee for the Defense of Democratic Achievements (CEDAD). The police force, founded by a general in the Seleka rebel coalition that had ousted the previous government earlier in the year, developed a reputation for harassing members of the media and conducted a "heavy-handed interrogation" of the editors of three Bangui-based dailies in October.
Syria came in four places from the bottom at 177, but its rank remained unchanged. The poor state of media freedom in the country, which has been wracked by protracted civil war since 2011, should perhaps come as no surprise. In a recent article for Foreign Policy, James Traub painted an especially bleak picture of reporting on the conflict there, where jihadi groups make explicit targets of reporters. Traub wrote of a post on a jihadi website that warned of "a type of spy who collects the news and gives it to their masters in detailed reports, which would hurt the jihadis." The post reminded readers of the need to capture "every journalist."
As of the article's publication, there were at least 30 journalists in captivity in the country.


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What Is Data Breach Insurance?
Data breach insurance and cyber liability insurance helps cover the costs of a data security breach for things like identity protection solutions, public relations, legal fees, liability and more depending on the coverage you choose. You want data breach coverage in place because quick action is critical to help restore the public's confidence, if your business is victimized by a cyber attack.
To mitigate the risk of civil litigation and other penalties when a data loss or theft occurs, a cyber liability or data breach insurance policy can provide access to professional assistance to help businesses comply with applicable laws and regulations.
A representative from The Hartford can help you find the cyber security insurance coverage that is right for your company.
- Quick responses when a data breach occurs. Businesses must respond swiftly to minimize the impact of a data security incident on their customers, employees and their business. Their reputation is at risk, and there are laws and regulatory requirements that must be addressed immediately or companies that experience a breach could face steep penalties and even lawsuits. Protection from The Hartford includes access to experienced breach response partners that can assist businesses in meeting their lawful obligations and communicating to those who may be affected by a cyber threat, breach or theft of personally identifiable information entrusted to the business.
- Help prepare businesses for a data breach. Our Data Breach and Cyber Liability coverages include access to services that assist businesses in preparing for a breach by helping ensure that proper security measures are in place before there is an incident. For example, these services can help businesses with network security, employee training, developing appropriate privacy and network policies and procedures, identifying and managing company assets, and incident response planning. Data security is challenging and requires a holistic, multi-faceted approach. The Hartford can help businesses take the appropriate next step in improving their cyber risk.
The Hartford offers 24/7 access to a data breach preparedness website for easy-to-understand prevention and response guidelines that outline the steps businesses can take to help prevent a cyber event. For larger cyber liability policyholders, The Hartford's Cyber Security Services provide a holistic solution that helps you effectively manage cyber risks, as well as take action when the inevitable cyber event occurs.
Does Your Business Need Cyber Liability or Data Breach Insurance?
Most business owners understand that the personally identifiable customer information they have on their computers is a target for hackers and that their online presence leaves them open to liability claims. However, far fewer take adequate measures to protect their business. Here are some example scenarios where a businesses could benefit from cyber liability or data breach insurance:
- The business has a network that their employees all save data on, which is helpful but also puts the entire operation at risk should a computer virus work its way in.
- The business keeps customer/patient records such as medical histories, credit card, bank account and Social Security numbers in its database – which is a target for hackers.
How to Copy, Store & Secure Data
Back up your data regularly and store it securely.
If your business is the target of a data thief, you want a recent backup available so you can restore your valuable data.
Take some clues from this infographic.
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Take some clues from this infographic.
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In the event of a data breach, a business must respond quickly to help protect impacted individuals and the business's reputation. Our coverage can help with response related expenses including, costs to notify impacted individuals and good faith advertising. And in most states, cyber security coverage is available to help cover legal defense and liability expenses if your business is sued because of a breach.
Data breach insurance can be added to The Hartford's Business Owner's Policy and General Liability Choice® policy. Our Data Privacy – Network Security Liability policy and CyberChoice First ResponseSM are stand-alone policies that allow businesses to tailor coverage to their specific data privacy and network security insurance needs.
Cyber Liability Insurance and Data Breach Insurance From The Hartford
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The Hartford's CyberChoice First ResponseSM is designed to help protect small and midsize businesses before, during and after a breach.


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The latest issue of Musée Magazine, "Women" was just released and I'm thrilled to be one of the selected artists. This beautiful issue is solely dedicated to women artists and can be read here.
Nov 23, 2015
Nov 11, 2015
A rainy day in Los Angeles
Some post-Halloween fun...
Eddie and I made paper mache masks and posed as our favorite mischievous magpies, Heckle and Jeckle!
Also, in case you missed the 2015 Lenscratch Mask Exhibition, take a peek here!
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HOUSTON (Reuters) - Mexico's state-run oil firm Pemex could delay to next year a call to energy companies to form joint ventures planned for October, amid government complaints that firms have not invested quickly enough to make good on the promises of the energy reform, the country's energy secretary said on Wednesday.
Pemex has so far had mixed results in its strategy of finding foreign partners to form joint ventures. In 2016, BHP Group was chosen to partner with Pemex in the country's flagship offshore project Trion.
But some later auctions failed to attract oil and gas companies as bidders, and others were delayed.
Oil firms have only invested $800 million out of the billions of dollars committed to over 100 new Mexican energy projects, Rocio Nahle told journalists at CERAWeek by IHS Markit conference in Houston.
"They must comply with what the law says in terms of timelines, otherwise they will have to return" licenses and contracts, Nahle said.
Mexico is under pressure to boost the country's oil output and strengthen Pemex following a long-standing production decline that reduced the oil firm's crude output to 1.62 million barrels per day (bpd) in January, below the 2019 target. Crude exports were 1.07 million bpd.
Pemex pumps almost all the oil produced in the country, but following the nation's opening of its energy markets, authorities expect foreign firms to contribute more barrels as fast as possible to ease an energy trade deficit.
"Pemex has its own project of drilling 116 wells. As that project develops, it will decide if farmouts (joint ventures between Pemex and foreign partners) will be called this year or next," the secretary added.
Pemex will award service contracts to drill the mature and abandoned wells, according to Nahle.
Low refining rates increasingly are forcing Pemex to import over 800,000 bpd of gasoline and other refined products, according to official data, even as the government strives to minimize fuel theft.
The energy secretary is pushing forward a $6-billion-to-$8 billion project to build a new refinery in the state of Tabasco and will begin the auction process in coming days.
An initial budget of about $2.5 billion this year will go toward procuring equipment, Nahle said.
"We will do our best (to move fast) because when a project gets delayed, it costs more," she added.
Pemex also plans to refurbish its existing refineries this year with the goal of make them work at 70 percent of their 1.6-million-bpd capacity compared with the current 37 percent.
Pemex also plans to add catalyzers to three of Pemex's refineries to decrease sulfur content in its fuels, especially marine fuel, to meet the international IMO 2020 rule.
Reporting by Marianna Parraga; editing by Jonathan Oatis


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Students and Post-docs
Nick Skaff, PhD (2013-2018)
Nick's research evaluates how the composition and configuration of aquatic habitats influence broad-scale mosquito-borne disease transmission. He also works with two large collaborative research groups, GLEON and CSI Limnology, to determine the ways in which climate, and terrestrial and aquatic landscape structure influence the chemical and biological properties of lakes at regional and continental scales.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Joe Stachelek, PhD (2016-present)
Joe's background is in coastal marine ecology with a particular focus on salt marsh, mangrove, and seagrass ecosystems. To date, his research has focused on the application of data-intensive computation and modelling to inform water resources management in Texas and Florida. To that end, he has developed a number of software tools and R packages to facilitate high-throughput access to environmental databases. His research at MSU is a continuation of some of these themes with a specific focus on examining the nature of landscape features and the extent to which they are related to lake properties across a variety of spatial scales. He enjoys teaching programming through his involvement in the Software Carpentry and Data Carpentry organizations. In particular, he serves as a maintainer for the Data Carpentry GIS-with-R lesson materials.
Email: email@example.com
Katelyn King, PhD (2016-present)
Katelyn's interested in the surface connections between lakes, streams, and wetlands. Specifically, she is studying how these connections affect freshwater ecosystem state and health patterns over large spatial scales. Prior to starting at MSU, Katelyn worked for 4 years as a Bioprocessing Engineer for a pharmaceutical company in Virginia. She worked on large scale cellular fermentation, recovery of cellular proteins, and protein purification through chromatography. She received her B.S. in Biology from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. She performed undergraduate research in the Rappahannock River, studying fish species richness and recovery of the American Shad population after re-stocking efforts.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Ian McCullough, Post-doc (2017-present)
Ian is a landscape ecologist particularly interested in the role of climate change on ecological patterns and processes across space. His research is not tied to a particular system; he has worked extensively with both forests and lakes using a combination of field observations, experiments and modeling. Ian's research is inherently interdisciplinary, having integrated principles and methods from ecology, geography, limnology, climatology and hydrology. In addition, Ian is particularly interested in synthesizing existing long-term datasets to address novel questions at large spatial scales.
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Autumn Poisson, Project Manager
Autumn is the project manager on the Continental Limnology project, which aims to create a water quality database of the continental US. She is involved with project planning, implementing and tracking project and team activities, setting up and facilitating meetings, gathering and sharing data, communicating information, and working with team members on related research. Her research interest include understanding coastal processes in the face of climate change and how to best mitigate the challenges presented.
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Nicole Smith, GIS Analyst.
Nicole is the GIS Analyst for the Continental Limnology project. She uses Python and R programming to automate GIS processing steps leading to the creation of metrics and watersheds included in the GEO module of the LAGOS lakes database. She also writes and maintains metadata relating to this module, creates maps and visualizations, and leads the sub-team working on this portion of the database.
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Katherine Webster, Affiliate Faculty
Kath is a landscape limnologist with a longterm research interest in understanding how hydrogeomorphic features shape lake characteristics across broad spatial extents and, particularly, how they influence the response of lakes to stressors ranging from acid rain to nutrient enrichment. Her role in the Continental Limnology project is to contribute to the development of the GEO module of the LAGOS-US database.
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Undergraduate Students
Alex Blair, Student GIS Technician
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Claire Boudreau, Student Research Assistant
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Ellie Phillips, Student Research Assistant
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It doesn't matter what your skill or experience is nor how much money you make, you can help change the life of someone by supporting the Jamaica Red Cross. You can donate now or become a volunteer! Have fun doing your part for the community.
The Jamaica Red Cross encourages youth participation at all levels from developing policies, implementing programmes and shaping the future of our humanitarian response.
The role of the Emergency Services Section is to ensure that the Jamaica Red Cross is in a constant state of preparedness for timely response to emergency situations and disasters.
The Red Cross endeavors to promote and safeguard health through various programmes and services, including; Geniatric Clinics, HIV/AIDS Advocacy, Prevention and Support, Feeding Programme - Meals on Wheels, etc.
Amid the chaos and despair of conflict, the Jamaica Red Cross is a sign of hope to those whose lives have been shattered by these incidents. Our neutrality gives our staff access to conflict zones where they can save lives and help rebuild them.


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+353 1 240 3600 | email@example.com
Human Resource Management and related HRM training courses are outlined below including Competency Based Interview Preparation, Performance Management, Conflict Management and Mediation along with details of the Professionally Accredited CIPD Foundation Certificate and Diploma in HR Practice, CIPD Foundation Certificate and Diploma in Learning and Development and the Certified Mediation Training Programme (Mediators' Institute of Ireland). Please view the full listing below.
The overall aim of the Certified Mediation Training Programme is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of Mediation as well as expertise in mediation skills for the management of workplace and organisational conflicts and disputes.
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The two-day Mediation Skills for Managers training programme is designed to give participants an understanding of conflict and different approaches to managing conflict, awareness of their own style, where mediation sits within the range of alternative dispute resolution approaches, an introduction to the theory and practice of mediation as well as an understanding of the mediation model and relevant skills. The programme is suitable for staff at all levels who wish to enhance their knowledge, skills and approach to conflict resolution, in particular in relation to organisational / workplace conflict.
Advanced Freedom of Information - How to Prepare Submissions for OIC
This one day programme is for Freedom of Information Internal Reviewers and those in FOI bodies charged preparing submissions to the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) in cases of FOI external reviews. This course is an advanced programme that has been designed specifically for experienced Internal Reviewers and FOI practitioners in FOI bodies, with particular reference to the Civil Service, Local Authorities and the Health Sector.
This one-day programme is for Freedom of Information Internal Reviewers charged with reviewing decisions made by FOI Decision Makers in accordance with Freedom of Information Act 2014 should the requester seek a review. This course is an advanced programme that has been designed specifically for experienced Internal Reviewers in FOI bodies, with particular reference to the Civil Service, Local Authorities and the Health Sector.
Bullying and harassment take many forms and the effects are wide reaching. In addition to the possibility of costly legal actions, it causes stress and anxiety to those involved, increases absenteeism, lowers levels of performance and can significantly undermine organisational, team and employee morale. This one-day programme will equip those with responsibility for staff welfare and well-being to recognise and address this potentially damaging workplace issue. The programme is primarily intended for staff who have responsibility for the work and performance of others and also for organisations who wish to develop or to highlight the launch of a policy on bullying and harassment or a wider policy on Developing and Maintaining a Positive Working Environment.
The CIPD Foundation Certificate in Human Resources Practice is designed for those who want specialist Human Resource Management (HRM) knowledge combined with practical skills development. A key feature of this programme is that it is highly practical allowing participants' ample opportunity to acquire and practice new skills. This programme will specifically address key HRM challenges in the public, private and not for profit sectors of employment. It is being offered in Dublin and in Wexford.
The CIPD Foundation Level Diploma in Human Resources Practice is designed for those who have already graduated or will graduate from the CIPD Foundation Level Certificate in HR Practice Programme. The Diploma Units are designed for those who want to expand their specialist Human Resource Management (HRM) knowledge combined with practical skills development. Successful completion of the programme leads to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Foundation Diploma in HR Practice.
The CIPD Foundation Certificate and Diploma in Learning and Development is designed for those who want specialist knowledge combined with practical skills development to underpin their contribution to Learning and Development within their organisations. It is ideal for anyone with coaching and training responsibilities. Successful completion of the programme leads to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Foundation Certificate in Learning and Development.
Line managers are central to ensuring that recommendations set out in the Report of the Task Force on the Public Service – Transforming Public Services - are achieved within organisations. Their knowledge and skills in relation to people management significantly impact on the organisation's culture, day-to-day operations, staff performance and employee engagement. In view of the above, proactive organisations are now ensuring that their line managers have the necessary skills, knowledge and support to enable them to play an effective role in engaging with staff and securing their commitment to, and participation in, the change process and the ongoing transformation of the public service.
This one-day Competency Based Interviewee Preparation workshop is suitable for staff at all levels of the organisation who are eager to improve their interview techniques. The programme focuses on practical interview preparation, skills development and answering styles.
The aim of this very practical workshop is to ensure that candidates have the best possible opportunity to succeed by fully understanding the interview process and being focused on what is required of them.
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I feel ever so slightly betrayed by Renée Fleming. After the 2005 release of her jazz CD Haunted Heart, which I liked none too much, she really went out of her way to regain my trust. She turned in one splendid performance after another (from Violetta and Desdemona to Tatiana and Rusalka) and recorded a handful of intriguing CD projects. And then — with a regularity that rivals the phases of the moon — she dropped another crossover album.
That is not to say that Dark Hope, her new indie-rock effort, is nearly so heinous as Haunted Heart, which left me demanding concrete, recorded evidence that Fleming actually spent any of her college days touring as a jazz singer.
At the end of the day, Dark Hope is simply impressive in its genre impersonation (more the music than the video for the first single; see below). You can catch Joanne Sydney Lessner's delicious yet fair review of the album in the October issue of OPERA NEWS.
— Oussama Zahr
In 1993, OPERA NEWS published an article called "Front-Page Opera," in which we asked fifteen writers, reporters and other notables what twentieth-century news events they would like to see as opera topics. With the success of Nixon in China and The Death of Klinghoffer, the 1986 New York City Opera staging of the premiere of X (The Life and Times of Malcolm X), plus a couple of works in the pipeline dealing with the kidnapping of Patty Hearst and at least one on the Manson family, we thought at the time we might be on to something. Was the availability of twenty-four-hour news so exciting that opera librettists would be turning exclusively to CNN for ideas? Well, it would seem not.
The undeniably operatic life of Nelson Mandela (with the bonus character of his now ex-wife Winnie) was a suggestion that did end up onstage, if not yet in major international houses. The fall of the Romanovs, another proposed storyline, received royal opera treatment with the debut of Deborah Drattell's Nicholas and Alexandra at Los Angeles Opera in 2003, with Plácido Domingo (well, really, who else?) in the pivotal role of Rasputin. One of our contributors felt strongly that the lives and deaths of the Ceausescus, the evil husband-and-wife dictators of Romania, would be ideal grist for the opera mill. This one never happened — probably because nobody could think of a Romanian soprano to play the missus.
Not one of the group we asked in 1993 mentioned J. Robert Oppenheimer and the birth of the atomic bomb as a promising opera topic. Oops. In fact, none of the suggestions we received has inspired an opera with broad, mainstream appeal, let alone multiple productions.
Nobody considered TV talk-show hosts potential title characters, so Jerry Springer: The Opera, London's long-running, Olivier-Award winning musical wasn't on anybody's radar. Apparently we didn't realize that tabloid topics and "real" news would become almost indistinguishable within a few years. After all, could any of us have predicted that an opera about the life of Anna Nicole Smith would find its way to — of all places — the stage of the Royal Opera House in 2011?
Maybe we should forget the news (and what passes for news today). It does seem that now, perhaps more than ever, novels — from The Little Prince to Moby-Dick — lure librettists. This is by no means a new trend, but a surprising number of the resulting operas display considerable (for these times) staying power. So former Book-of-the-Month Club selections make for good operas, right? Not everybody would agree on that (check out the OPERA NEWS Archives and read Joel Honig's "A Novel Idea," OPERA NEWS's Aug. 2001).
— Elizabeth Diggans
Why do so many practitioners of "crossover" profess to be so deeply offended by the term? It has no inherently negative connotation as far as I can see: it was coined merely to indicate an artist "crossing over" from one genre into another — generally one for which he/she was not previously known. The word itself certainly implies no harm in that.
Many artists have successfully made forays outside what is considered their home territory. Take Eileen Farrell's recordings of Irving Berlin or Rodgers & Hart: I defy anyone listening blind to identify Farrell as an interloper in the pop world. And Cesare Siepi's "I've Got You Under My Skin" — silly, over-the-top and heavily accented as it is — remains fun, sexy and utterly irresistible. In the opposite direction, Sting has earned kudos for his idiosyncratic but earnest ventures into lute song, and Aretha Franklin's accidental appropriation of "Nessun dorma" was a smash hit.
I can't imagine Farrell would have had much objection to the term "crossover," since she seemed to hold dual citizenship in the pop and classical worlds and could travel back and forth over the border confident of a warm welcome whichever way she went. The trouble seems to arise with artists who want to be taken for natives but come across more as the kind of daytripping tourists whose cameras, Hawaiian shirts and socks-with-sandals are a dead giveaway. One suspects there would be less niggling over terminology if the artists in question were not so worried about tripping over the barbed wire and finding themselves caught in no-man's land, with hostile searchlights trained on them from both sides.
— Louise T. Guinther
As the opera season draws to a close and American Ballet Theatre takes up residence at the Metropolitan Opera house, a change comes over the audience. When the final curtain falls on even a first-rate opera performance, audience members rush toward the exits with the panicked urgency of passengers just informed, "By the way, that iceberg was a tad larger than we thought, and it turns out we're a bit short on lifeboats." Maybe I'm being unfair. I suppose there might be one or two brain surgeons in the audience who've turned their cell phones back on to find their presence is needed in the operating room STAT. But can all those frantic people clambering over me without apology really be brain surgeons? Is it asking too much to give the singers the courtesy of a few minutes of appreciation? On some nights, people don't seem to mind waiting around to boo; why not wait around to applaud on other nights? What's the hurry?
On the other hand, at the end of an even average ballet performance, a whole new show begins in front of the curtain. Any prima ballerina worth her salt recognizes that she now owns that little piece of the stage, and she's not about to let anybody take it from her. This is her moment, and you'll get none of that surprised "Oooh, all of you nice people standing there applauding for little ol' me?" attitude from her. And her male costar (no matter how spectacularly he himself has danced) gallantly assumes the role of her enslaved go-fer, trotting around obediently picking up bouquets and presenting them to her on bended knee with an expression of adoration (probably concealing the fact that he can't stand the very sight of her). She may deign to remove a flower from a bouquet and return it to him with a gracious nod or affectionate kiss (never letting on that she's not quite certain what his name is). This can go on for quite a while, and the audience loves it — and stays to watch, as if the ballet hadn't really ended when the prince pledged his undying love to the wrong swan and had to go back to that damn lake to find the swan he truly loved.
So, should opera singers take a lesson from this? Would a master class on the art of the curtain call taught by one or two (preferably Russian — they do it best) ballerinas help? The problem, of course, will be how to train the tenors to pick up the bouquets — and actually hand them over to the sopranos. Maybe that's where the baritones come in.
— Elizabeth Diggans


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London Geometry is a leading provider of professional training courses for the games industry, providing a range of technical, business and art courses taught by industry experts and leading university academics.
Delivered short courses
Programming subject options
C++11 Introduction
This segment deals with the details of the changes to the C++ language for the C++11 release such as constexpr, rvalue references, variadic templates and lambdas. We explore how the language changes will effect concurrency by enabling very lightweight constructs to be constructed using Lambdas.
C++11 Standard Library
The Standard Library (STL) has been updated to accommodate move semantics and variadic templates. This talk takes a performance-skeptical view of STL from a game programmer's perspective. We ask the question of whether we can now use STL in our games and if there are still constructs we should avoid.
C++11 Threads
In this segment we take a look at C++11 threads, atomic variables and the C++11 memory model. We discuss the perils of multicore shared memory architecture and how to avoid data races. We also explore how to write lightweight concurrency constructs using std::async and std::thread, discuss spin locks with std::atomic_flag and attempt to unravel the C++11 memory_order enumeration.
Code performance
This segment looks at performance tools and how to read PC sample traces at an instruction level. We time a few standard operations to see how they perform and compare the results. We show the true horror of non-sequential access and relate this to data structure design. Finally we delve into the benefits of non-temporal access on modern CPUs which can significantly improve performance in some cases.
Maths subject options
Quaternions are used in computer graphics to represent rotations. They do not suffer from gimbal lock the same way that Euler angles do and can be interpolated to generate a constant angular velocity transition.
Floating point numbers
Floating point numbers are very convenient to use but can have unexpected side effects. Knowing how floating point numbers behave in overflow and underflow conditions will prevent many coding errors from becoming last-minute nightmares.
Unity options
C# scripting
Co-routines in Unity can enable you to create very intuitive gameplay code with the entire lifetime of the game or level encapsulated in a function. Generating mesh geometry on-the-fly will enable you to create user-definable enviroments and non-traditional gameplay.
Unity shaders
Unity supports CG-like shaders with user definable parameters. Understanding the lighting model and rendering pipeline can help you to improve the look of your game.
Custom options
LG can create custom modules to suit the needs of your team in any subject from GPU architecture to cloth simulation.
Games Industry Feedback on London Geometry Courses
"LG delivered the course to a group of a dozen programmers of various skill levels at Creative Assembly. It was very positively received by all attendees, providing good breadth of material at a depth appropriate for beginners and yet encouraging the more experienced coders to be sure of the detail of the topics covered. We continue to derive benefit at this studio from the efforts of Creative Skillset and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending this course to other studios seeking to level up all their coders."
– Guy Davidson, Head of Programming. Creative Assembly.
"Ongoing professional development for all of our staff is extremely important to Rebellion. The advanced programming course was a great way to keep our coding teams up to speed in recent developments in the C++ standards and to increase knowledge of various aspects of maths and games programming, ensuring that Rebellion remains at the cutting edge of games development."
– Mike Healey, Associated Head of Programming. Rebellion Studios
"We found the course to be beneficial and enjoyable and would highly recommend it to others."
– James Callin, Technical Director. Studio Gobo.
"It is great to see Creative Skillset and London Geometry so active in supporting the UK games industry, the training they delivered to SCEE Research & Development ties in more closely with the real world software engineering problems we see in games development."
– Kish Hirani, Head of Developer Services, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe


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A Wide Range of Eye Care Services in Lillington, NC
Office Hours:
- Monday: 8 AM – 7 PM
- Tuesday–Friday: 8 AM – 5 PM
- All offices are closed each weekday 12 PM – 1 PM and open select Saturdays by appointment only.
Looking for a place to get your eyes checked and much more? At MyEyes Optometry, we offer a wide range of eye care services in Lillington, NC that provide solutions to all of your vision needs.
- Eye Exams
- Low Vision Care
- Pediatric Eye Care
- Glasses Frames
- Customized Digital Lenses
- Glasses Repairs & Adjustments
- Sunglasses
- Contact Lenses
- And Much More!
MyEyes Optometry: Expert Family Vision Care
Our staff of optometrists has years of experience in their field, and they're passionate about improving the eyesight of each member of your family. Our patients trust our Lillington eye doctors, Dr. Alan Byrd, Dr. Aaron Glass and Dr. Caleb Lesnoff, to give them the highest level of patient care, combined with the latest in optometric technology, to make seeing better even easier.
At MyEyes Optometry, we can find solutions to all of your eye problems, and make sure your God-given gift of vision is something that's making a positive impact on your life.
Find Your Next Pair of Glasses in Lillington
At our eye care office in Harnett County, we carry the top brands of eyewear, from designer frames to the highest-quality contact lenses. Need your glasses adjusted or repaired? Our opticians can make sure your glasses fit just right and will last you for many years. We accept many forms of vision insurance, so you can get the perfect pair of eyewear that still fits in your budget.
We welcome you to request an appointment or contact us today to experience our premier eye care in Lillington and beyond.


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Enjoy Our Selection of Fine Cuisine
Crooked Creek Saloon and Creekside Eatery offers a distinct selection of appetizers, soups and entrees to satisfy every taste, including fresh seasonal dishes. We offer wines to accommodate every meal, and would be happy to make a recommendation for you. And of course, don't forget to check out our selection of mouth-watering desserts.
We offer a daily lunch menu, dinner menu, and a selection of seasonal specials.


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(Posted Fri. Aug 19th, 2016)
The National Corn Growers Association continues its sixth season of Field Notes, a series that takes readers behind the farm gate to follow the year in the life of American farm families. While these growers come from diverse geographic areas and run unique operations, they share a common love for U.S. agriculture and the basic values that underpin life in farming communities.
This week, Field Notes caught up with Indiana farmer Brian Scott, who blogs as The Farmer's Life.
"We're a few weeks past pollination now, and the corn hasn't experienced much stress," he explained. "Our corn crop is probably in the milk stage, and it is looking pretty good.
"It has been about three weeks since we had rain. It has been about the longest stretch this year. I don't know if it took some of the highest yields down, but I haven't seen any stress. I am kind of surprised. There must be more moisture out there than I thought, but it looks really good."
To listen to the full interview, click here.
Stay tuned over the coming weeks as Field Notes follows the growers who have opened their farms, families and communities up this year and meet the true faces of modern American agriculture.


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Today The Guardian reported that Ai Weiwei is free to travel overseas once again. One of China's most prolific artists and controversial figures, his art and social media use has championed free speech and human rights, even as he was banned from leaving China. Weiwei has ties to Princeton, where his Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads is currently on display at the University's Scudder Plaza through December 4, 2016. His book, Ai Weiwei-isms, a collection of quotes reflecting his thoughts on key aspects of his art, politics, and life, was published with Princeton University Press in 2012.
From The Guardian:
More than four years after he was banned from leaving his native China, artist Ai Weiwei is free to travel again after Beijing authorities returned his passport.
"When I got it back I felt my heart was at peace," the artist told the Guardian on Wednesday afternoon, just hours after police handed him back the travel document and informed him he was free to go overseas.
"I feel pleased. This was something that needed to be done," added Ai, who has long been a vocal critic of China's leaders. "I was quite frustrated when my right to travel was taken away but now I feel much more positive about my condition.
"I think they should have given it back some time ago – and maybe after so many years they understand me better."
The artist posted a celebratory Instagram message alongside a photograph of himself posing with the document. "Today I got my passport," it read.
Ai said his first trip would be to Germany, where his six-year-old son has been living since last year.
Read the rest here.
Weiwei wrote in Ai Weiwei-isms, "Once you've tasted freedom, it stays in your heart and no one can take it. Then, you can be more powerful than a whole country."
Wishing him well in his travels.


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Have a plethora of plungers and skateboards?! This game is for you! (Just kidding, you only need two of each).
How to play:
Have two students come forward. Tell them they're going to race by sitting on a skateboard and using only a plunger to propel and steer themselves. Create a starting line and a finish line.
Pro Tips:
- If you have limited space, create a circular course, where students race around the group but have them go in opposite directions and whoever gets back to the starting line first, wins.


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- 8 large Idaho potatoes (about 4 pounds), well-scrubbed, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups chopped broccoli (about 1 bunch)
- 2 cups (16 ounces) favorite ranch salad dressing
- 3 cups chopped fennel (about one large bulb), with core and tops removed
- 1 large red onion, quartered and very thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup diced green olives with pimento (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Leaf lettuce, for garnish
- Cherry tomatoes or sliced tomatoes, for garnish
- Fill large stockpot half full of water, add salt and bring to boiling over high heat. Add potatoes and bring back to boiling over high heat; reduce heat to medium and boil for three minutes.
- Add broccoli to potatoes and bring back to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium again, and cook until desired doneness (1-3 minutes). Potatoes and broccoli should both be firm. Drain well in colander.
- Transfer potatoes and broccoli to large mixing bowl, add ranch dressing and let cool. Stir in fennel, onions and olives, if using. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve on bed of leaf lettuce with ripe tomatoes as garnish.
Recipe Yield: Yield: 14 servings
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories: 280
Fat: 18 grams
Sodium: 480 milligrams
Cholesterol: 10 milligrams
Protein: 4 grams
Carbohydrates: 28 grams
Recipe Options
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Some of Zach's family (7 of them!) came to stay with us last week and we had such a great time visiting and letting Bear and his cousin, Kamdon, get to know each other. They come in town every year for the Houston Rodeo and it's always a blast...this year was no exception!
Grammy took Bear and Kam for a walk around the lake while Bear snoozed
Zach's Dad (aka "Squadboard") having fun at the park
lunch in Old Town Spring
Aunt Amanda loves to love on Bear
(She's expecting Baby #2 in September! Ahhh!)
(She's expecting Baby #2 in September! Ahhh!)
a worth-the-wait wait at Cheesecake Factory
sleeping on Squadboard
fried food paradise at the rodeo
Zach's parents always buy the grandsons their first cowboy hat...Bear sported his like a champ
"like a rhinestone cowBear"
cowboy cousins :)
sweet sister-in-laws
lunch at Smashburger (our favorite!)
picking strawberries at Atkinson Farms
Bear looks thrilled about the strawberry farm (maybe it was the sun in his eyes? Mommy was unprepared and didn't bring a hat!)
It was a fun, fast five days! Can't wait for Easter when we can go home and see family again; it'll be Bear's first egg hunt, too :).
Happy Tuesday, friends!