text:
NLOS identification and ranging methods in indoor IR-UWB systems
Sun, Jingyuan
Date of Issue2016
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) is a promising communication technology. With the advantages of high accuracy, great anti-interference performance, high data rates, and low power consumption, it is drawing more and more attention and is becoming a hot research area for future communication and position estimation applications. In this dissertation, we mainly focus on the IR-UWB ranging techniques which appears to be the basis o f further UWB positioning. A detailed introduction of UWB signals and widely-adopted UWB channel models are provided. Moreover, as NLOS propagation poses a threat to the accuracy o f ranging estimates, we also address the NLOS identification problem. Parametric-based as well as non-parametric-based method for identification are compared by simulations. It is found that both of them work well, and non-parametric-based method can better simplify the receiver since it merely depends on the statistics o f the received signal without the need to extract the channel statistics. To correctly identify the channel condition will no doubt benefit the range estimation, which is also discussed in the dissertation. Two main ranging techniques, namely Received Signal Strength (RSS) and Time of Arrival(TOA) based algorithms are presented. For the latter, in order to reduce the influence o f noise and multipath effects and improve the ranging accuracy, we also propose an energy-detection-based based TOA which uses a threshold to search for the first direct path. Extensive simulations of RSS and TOA ranging methods are conducted, which implies that in most cases, TOA outperforms RSS as expected.
DRNTU::Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering


text:
Super bowl rocks!!!
- By : Géry
- Category : Musique, Télévision
- Tags : Black Eyed Peas, Bruce Springsteen, Concert, Half time, Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Mi-temps, Michael Jackson, Rolling Stones, Show, Super bowl
- Comments : 29
En attendant de découvrir le show que les Black Eyed Peas préparent pour la mi-temps du Super Bowl 2011, le 6 février prochain, flash back sur les meilleures performances de ces dernières années.
La plus rock : Les Rolling Stones en 2006
La plus "Tout ça pour un nichon…" : Janet et Justin en 2004
La plus déchaînée : The boss, Bruce Springsteen en 2009
La plus Hot : Diana Ross en 1996
La plus playback : Michael jackson en 1993
Voici le show que les Black Eyed Peas on tdonné à la mi-temps du Superbowl de cette année. C'est tout simplement incroyable!!!
29 Comments
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Eric and Jason, two of the hottest characters on HBO's True Blood who are not werewolves, finally had some man-on-man action last night. Spoilers ahead, for those of you who care…
Sunday's episode of True Blood opened with Alexander Skarsgard, who plays powerful vampire Eric Northman, reappearing after what many assumed was his fiery death in Season 6 the one where he was naked, sunbathing on the North Pole or something, and showed some full frontal.
Anyway, he appears in this fancy house, sitting in a chair like this.
He tells Jason (Ryan Kwanten), to whom he gave some of his blood last season to save him, "You found me." Then he pours himself a huge martini. Then Jason tugs at his belt buckle, then Eric turns all angry choking top, then they strip, then Jason tackles him to the bed and he gets to be on top, and they kiss, and fuck.
No shit.
But it turns out to be a dream. But once again HBO proves that they love the gays and are willing to do anything to keep us subscribing. And this of course follows on that other gay dream Jason had in Season 6 after he had some of Warlow's blood, but that only involved a sexy shaving sequence and an almost neck-kiss.
Now if only they can get Joe Manganiello to have a threeway with Ryan Kwanten and Alex Skarsgard…
Update: Here are some gifs and stills below, and a full clip courtesy of Mr. Man.
July 9, 2014 at 10:44 am
would love to have ryan kwanten om top of me like that .
July 1, 2014 at 9:55 am
As you say, it was just an erotic dream Jason had about him and Eric. Last season Jason had an erotic dream about him and Warlow. And the season before Sam had an erotic dream about him and Bill. But these dreams go nowhere. They are just teasers. When the dream ends, the show quickly returns to its mostly heterosexual comfort zone and remains there for the rest of the season.
The only exception to the hetero narrative is the recurring gay character, Lafayette. But heteros are comfortable with him because he's a sassy gay clown with no sex life.
But there is a third hot male character in the show, who is not a werewolf: James (played by Nathan Parsons). James is gay, or at least one of those mythological bi guys. I doubt that the show will turn him into a 5-star gay. Parsons was part of the eye candy in one of DeCoteau's eye-candy films, "The Brotherhood V: Alumni."
July 3, 2014 at 12:38 am
Spot on with your assertion. Just another homoerotic dream that goes nowhere.
Lafayette was cool in the earlier seasons, but he's been pretty uninteresting for the last few seasons even with him becoming a witch.
True Blood had great potential and even though the show is on it's 7th season it's been on a downward spiral since the 4th season when Bill became King.
All of the characters have changed for the worse. Glad it's the last season!
July 1, 2014 at 7:54 am
I'm barely at the end of season 1, gotta long ways to go!
June 30, 2014 at 7:05 pm
Who'd have thought that show would turn good again. Go figure.
June 30, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Guess it's time to catch up.
June 30, 2014 at 12:03 pm
Hot damn. Haven't seen this episode yet, but it does fulfill my expectations based on an earlier episode where Jason drinks Eric's blood.


text:
Bank Holiday Monday offered a buffet of potential non-league games to visit. I decided on Enfield Town v Harlow Town at the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium. I'd previously seen the distinctive stadium from the A10 and had always wanted to visit.
Enfield Town's history is equally as interesting as their art-deco ground. The club was founded in 2001 as a fan-led breakaway from Enfield FC. The original club had moved to Borehamwood in 1999. The Enfield Supporters' Trust believed the regime of the former club weren't willing or able to bring the club back to North London. The trust created the new club two years later, as a result.
The new club started life in the Essex Senior League and almost immediately started moving up the divisions. The Club originally ground-shared with Brimsdown Rovers, but in 2008 they struck a deal with Enfield Council to move to the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium. The deal involved the stadium being restored and upgraded, and Enfield Town officially began life there in 2011.
Enfield Town are a supporter owned club, the first in the UK, and fans can join the Supporters Society for £1. The small fee buys one share, and allows fans to attend meetings, and participate or stand in Board elections.
Competition: Bostick League
Attendance: 514
Ticket: £11
Programme: £2
Refreshments: Two Pepsis (£2)
Star player: Joe Wright
Getting to Queen Elizabeth II Stadium
The stadium is easily reached by car as is just off the A10. Turn off at the Toby Carvery and follow the signs down Donkey Lane to the car park. Enfield Town and Southbury Stations are the closest public transport options. Both are a bit of a walk. Head towards the Enfield playing fields and walk to the northern end.
I was instantly struck by the art-deco style building that doubles as a club house and main stand. Lots of fans were out on the balcony area enjoying some cold beers in the late summer sunshine.
I received a warm welcome at the turnstiles just to the right of the main building. Once inside the ground, programmes were available, and there was a food stand serving a variety of burgers and drinks.
The Enfield Town experience
My first thought when I entered the ground was 'oh no, not another ground with a running track'. I do research grounds before I visit, however, so this wasn't a surprise. It did seem that everything was a long way from the pitch. On closer inspection, though, it was clear that the club had put a lot of thought into how to use the space to their advantage.
Stands have been installed on each side to get people closer to the action. The stand on the far side had seats, and each end had covered standing areas. The main building also contained elevated seating above a large ETFC flag. The crowd of 514 was evenly spread around the stadium which indicates that good views are available from each area.
Enfield had a lively bunch of fans at one end. Harlow Town, had also brought a group of vociferous fans, kitted out in red replica shirts and banners. The visiting fans quickly occupied one end but were surprised to see the Enfield hoards heading in their direction just before kick-off. They quickly relocated to the other end. They returned for the second half, however, as the both sets of fans swapped ends, like their teams.
There was a great atmosphere throughout a close, lively game. Both ends were well populated but there was also plenty of space to move around the ground and see the game from different angles. The Enfield Chairman joined the home fans at one end and was clearly enjoying chatting tactics with some of the regulars.
The game
Harlow started the game at a terrific pace and almost scored in the first 30 seconds as Dadson burst clear. His shot was well saved, however, by Enfield keeper Joe Wright. The visitors went close again a few minutes later when Wright tipped a powerful shot from Read onto the crossbar.
It was the home side, however, that broke the deadlock. Shepherd sliced the ball over his own keeper when attempting to clear an Enfield freekick. After gaining the lead the home side began to get a foothold in the game. As they began to look more comfortable Harlow resorted to trying to hit their strikers early with long balls.
Both sides had a good chance each before the break. Dadson hit the wood work again for Harlow, this time it was the post. Roberts then hit the crossbar for Enfield was a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Enfield failed to create many chances on the second half, but Harlow were still pushing for the equaliser. Unfortunately for the visitors they fired too many aerial balls towards the Enfield centre backs. Former pro Darren Purse dealt with most of these balls, much to the chagrin of the Harlow fans.
With only a few minutes to go Harlow were denied what looked like a clear penalty. I was stood behind the net at the end where the alleged foul was committed. I may have had the best view of the incident in the whole stadium and it looked like it should have been given. The referee's view, however, was possibly not as good as mine.
Enfield Town was one of my most enjoyable groundhops so far. It's local, easy to get to, the club have an interesting history and the stadium is well set up, with a lot of character. They have a lot of interesting opponents in the Isthmian Premier Division, so I'm sure I'll be visiting again soon.


text:
As you probably know, I live in Washington DC. I take photographs in DC as well. We've got a few quirky rules here about that. For example, if you are on National Park land, you cannot use any photographic equipment that touches the ground. As you can imagine using tripods becomes a bit tricky. But beyond that, I haven't heard of many photographers getting harassed in the name of security, unlike Chicago and London. Then I read this piece in the Post today. Glad to see that Eleanor Holmes Norton getting involved. Her Open Society with Security Act bill is certainly intriguing.
Month: July 2008
I'm going to Defrag… help me figure out what to do when I get there
I am headed to this year's Defrag conference and I pumped to do so. I didn't get to go last year which I really regretted, and Eric hasn't let me forget that either.
I will be moderating a panel called: Can identity be a filter for information overload? Eric and I are in search of interesting people and points of view to include on this panel.
On first blush, to me, this sounds like a discussion of the current state of personalization. Eric isn't sold yet on that angle. I'd be interested to learn if/how personalization is moving from explicit declarations, "I like cake," to something more implicit, "From examining your read RSS feeds, Computer thinks you like cake."
Putting on my enterprise identity hat, I start to wonder if my role and relationship to my employer has a hand in this. Again, this ought to be an interpretation of pattern and not an explicit assignment. I am a senior analyst at Burton Group focused on identity and privacy. I share interests with my team. Collectively this blob of information (feeds, groups, sites, etc) is likely to be of interest to us. Further, I am curious how my role and relationship combined with a Google Search Appliance or SharePoint can act as a filter.
Finally, I can't help but think of the privacy implications here. Traffic analysis can and will start to reveal my preferences, and there definitely are privacy implications to this. Add extra data to the mix, like location, and the privacy concerns grow quickly. (I swear there are moments that my iPhone seems eerily like HAL.) How does industry handle my contradicting desires to filter based on my identity (and here I am including preferences as part of my identity) while not revealing too much about me? What is too much anyway? Who gets to decide?
At any rate, if you've got some ideas on the matter, please send them to Eric and me – operators are standing by.
Chasing the magical GRC animal
I'm sure you've been following the Terry Childs case. Mr. Childs was a sysadmin in San Francisco who decided to change a few passwords and thus locked the city out of their new wide area network. Though it is still not clear why Mr. Childs did this, he had been recently written up for poor job performance.
Among others, Matt Pollicove wrote about this and the need for trust. Matt asserts that trust is a must and I completely agree. That being said, the last two points in his post are mistaken.
First he says:
This means, making sure there's no orphan or rogue accounts in the systems.
While this is a generally accepted good practice, it would not have necessarily helped San Francisco keep from losing their network. Privileged account management would have been far more useful. Discipline and control around how sysadmins gain access to and use root-like accounts, the bread and butter of privileged account management, would have helped avert some of San Francisco's problems.
Second Matt says:
GRC tools will be a must in this verification.
This first thing that springs to my mind is a question: what aspect of governance, risk management, and compliance would have helped the city of San Francisco in this case? A good governance and risk identification and management process would have helped a great deal. But we have to keep in mind there is no such thing as a GRC tool; there is no such animal. In fact, GRC is starting to sound like the wonderful magical bacon animal that Homer Simpson dreams of. If pork chops, ham and bacon all come from the magical animal in the Simpsons, then privileged account management, orphan account management and provisioning all come from the magical GRC animal. Where does it end? The reality is that the industry has confused the benefits of good governance processes and risk management capabilities with automation tools that aid, but never replaces, those processes and capabilities.
Privileged account management is not and should not be considered part of the marketing fog of GRC. Does the controlled management of root-like accounts constitute good operating procedure and help reduce risk? Absolutely. But that doesn't make privileged account management a GRC technology. Is orphan account removal a critical process from a security and risk mitigation perspective? Of course. However, that doesn't mean the technologies to do that are GRC technologies.
Specificity of language is crucial. Telling the city of San Francisco that the solution to their problems lay within "GRC" would have done little except lengthen the time to finding what their real problems were. Our industry cannot take the easy route and lump every possible technology and procedure under the sun onto the GRC heap or else we'll find ourselves chasing Homer's magical bacon animal.
WordPress for the iPhone
Sweet! WordPress released their app for the iPhone. So far, so good. I am getting dangerously to being able to go to conferences without my laptop.
And by so far, so good, I meant it crashed when I posted this post. Sigh. I'm sure this too shall pass.


text:
In Acts 7, a leader in the Church named Stephen is dragged before the Sanhedrin and demanded to explain his beliefs. Assured by Jesus that the Holy Spirit would give him the words, he opened his mouth and started talking. What followed was a sweeping history of the people of Israel, culminating in their handing over Jesus to be crucified. As you might imagine, that didn't go over so well with the Jewish crowd. Stephen was dragged out of the city and stoned to death. His death sparked intense persecution for followers of Jesus. So intense that, as we're told in Acts 8:1,
There arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
At the end of that verse, there's an interesting detail. It says everyone was scattered "except the apostles."
Why is that so interesting? Well, just before ascending to heaven, Jesus told his disciples they would spread his teaching from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and the rest of the world (Acts 1:8). The moment Jesus-followers were scattered, the spread of the gospel out of Jerusalem and into the rest of the world began.
And the Apostles weren't a part of it.
Imagine if you had to pick one person or team of people from your church to go and take the message of Jesus somewhere new. You would probably pick your senior pastor or the team of pastors at your church, right? What a shock it would be to find out that, not only were they unable to go, but you and your small group were the ones that had to do it.
That's what the Bible is telling us here—a mostly unknown group of Christians took the gospel into places like Judea and Samaria, planting churches as they went. These were average people with normal jobs that had to earn a living and figure out how to spread the gospel.
That means they had to do something fundamental: they had to make disciples.
And they did. Acts 11 shows us where the believers who were scattered after Stephen's murder ended up. They went all over the place, but some went to Antioch and started preaching the gospel to the non-Jewish people living there.
Barnabas, a trusted man in the church, was so impressed with what was going on in Antioch he brought his friend the Apostle Paul to check it out. Together they taught and encouraged this fledgling church where followers of Jesus were called "Christians" for the first time.
It's easy to miss what's going on here because, well, it's missing. And that's the names—the names of the Christians who took the gospel to parts unknown. These were literally no-name men and women who were making disciples and planting churches.
By the way, the church in Antioch ended up becoming the church planting center of the early church. The church in Antioch actually sent Paul and Barnabas out on their first missionary journey.
From the beginning of the Church, then, we see everyday Christians making disciples, planting churches, and sending missionaries.
These early Christians knew they were part of a close-knit, life-on-life community that was called to love one another like their own family. The book of Acts and the Epistles attest to that.
The Church knew then, like it does now, that it had collectively been given the Great Commission. But the first Christians went one step further—they took the Great Commission personally.
They knew they were each called to make disciples. Not just the elders. Not just the Apostles. Every one of them. The early Christians took the Great Commission personally and collectively.
We've seen a renewed focus on the gospel and its sending emphasis of late, which is incredibly hopeful. Much of that emphasis is on churches as collective bodies, and rightly so. But let's not lose sight of our personal call to make disciples and teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded.
This lack of emphasis on a personal call to make disciples is why most churchgoers' lives look no different than their unbelieving neighbors. It's why the divorce rate is the same among Christians and non-Christians. And it's why Christians believe they should share their faith, but most of them don't.
Just imagine yourself in a modern-day version of the situation in Acts. Imagine being dropped off in the middle of a city like Los Angeles or San Francisco. But instead of churches all over the place, there are no believers to be found. There are no church leaders, no pastors, no denominations. If you found yourself in that situation, would you know what to do?
I'm afraid for too many of us the answer is a resounding no. We would have no idea where to begin. No idea of how to evangelize our neighbors, baptize them, and start teaching them to obey Jesus' commandments. No idea of how to live in community with other believers in a way that's so attractive that those around us can't help but ask what's going on.
We can say we don't need to be directly involved in discipling people because we have the freedom to have large churches with lots of pastors and seminaries to train them to do the work (here in America, at least).
And that's true. All of those things are possible, which is perhaps why that's largely the way evangelical churches operate in America.
But does that make it the right way to operate? Just because we can structure things that way, should we?
Here's a diagnostic question: If there was no church to invite people to, no engaging services to ease the anxieties of the unchurched, no safe and fun children's ministry for their kids, would you still know how to tell your neighbors about Jesus?
The answer to that question reveals a lot about whether or not we should be operating in a way that removes personal responsibility for the Great Commission.
Only when Christians wake each day with a burden to make disciples in their particular context—only when that is their primary calling and way they view the purpose of their life—does the church function the way it was intended. Only when Christians gauge their effectiveness based on their own fruit instead of their pastor's does the gospel multiply.
Otherwise, the Church gets bogged down arguing about strategy and philosophy of ministry and all the things that keep it from focusing on Jesus' last words (Matt. 28:18-20).
When Jesus came back from the dead, he called together the small band of people who followed him. His intimate circle included eleven men. At most he had 120 followers. It was to this small group that Jesus handed responsibility for completing his mission by making disciples just like he did.
True disciples have been made in this same way ever since: by a group of believers each investing in the people around them, giving them the best news they've ever received, and teaching them to follow Jesus.
Grayson Pope is a husband and father of three, as well the Managing Web Editor at GCD. He serves as Pastor of Community at his church in Charlotte, NC and has earneda MACS at The Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Grayson's passion is to equip believers for every day discipleship to Jesus. For more of his writing check out his website, or follow him on Twitter.


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The Paralysis of the Presidency
It seems to me that we have reached the point where the nation, and therefore Congress, is so divided that they're like two guys standing in the middle of a suspension bridge swaying high above a rocky chasm. Neither of them wants to let the other fellow pass. Neither is willing to back up, to concede even an inch.
I came to this conclusion after analyzing the last 10 years of political activity in our nation's capital. During the eight years of his administration, the only major piece of legislation that Obama could get passed, even during the two years the Democrats had a super majority, was the Affordable Care Act.
Even his other big ticket item, handing $150 billion over to the Iranian mullahs was a dirty deed he pulled off with, as he put it, his pen and his phone. Even the nutsy Democrats didn't want their fingerprints on such a treaty.
Over the past two years, the only legislative victory scored by Trump was the tax cut bill. His other accomplishments, such as opening the oil pipelines, moving our embassy to Jerusalem and cutting regulations, were things he was able to do through executive actions.
The only reason he was able to seat two conservative justices on the Supreme Court was because he didn't have to involve the House. It only required the Senate to carry Gorsuch and Kavanaugh across the finish line.
But when it came to abolishing the Affordable Care Act or pushing to have a wall erected, he was predictably deserted by House and Senate Republicans.
That's why, unless you were a federal employee who wasn't collecting his or her paycheck, there appeared to be so little difference between the government being shut down and the government being open for business.
It appears that a stepping stone to success in the Democratic Party is to lose an election. Stacey Abrams, who lost her gubernatorial election in Georgia last November, despite being backed by the Obamas and Oprah Winfrey, was selected to give her party's rebuttal to President Trump's State of the Union Address.
In the meantime, Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke, who spent $70 million on his Senate race and still got his butt kicked by Ted Cruz, is considered running neck and neck with Kamala Harris, ahead of the 4,000 other Democrats who are also eager to take on Trump in 2020.
I don't quite get why the Democrats are so crazy about these two losers. But I have to admit I, too, have a soft spot for them. But that's because it's the Party's winning candidates I abhor.
Kamala Harris, whom I look upon as the feminine Barack Obama — which is to say, the slightly more effeminate Barack Obama — argues that ICE agents are no different from the night riding, cross-burning, Klan members who terrified and murdered black southerners in the bad old days.
That would be putrid enough. What makes it worse is that 20,000 Americans applauded when she said it, when anyone with even half a brain would recognize that those enforcing our federal immigration laws are in no way even slightly similar to lynch mobs.
In fact, if an equation is to be made to America in the 1860s, the closest parallel I can come up with is comparing mayors and governors of sanctuary cities and states to those promoting secession from the Union. But whereas a case can be made that the Confederacy had a constitutional basis for standing up to the federal government, no rational person can possibly justify endangering American citizens on behalf of criminals who have no business being within our borders.
It's fascinating that a black woman, such as Sen. Harris, feels entitled to demean white Americans who simply object to having their nation invaded by predominantly brown mobs — but have no problem being friends and neighbors with American citizens who happen to be Hispanic — bigots and racists.
If Democrats want to see real life bigots, they need only look in the mirror.
Speaking of racism, Tom Brokaw made the mistake of saying something sensible on TV; namely, that Hispanics in the U.S. should make every effort to assimilate and to be certain that they and their kids learn to speak and read English.
On the face of it, that is such an obvious statement, you wonder why he felt called upon to say it. But, of course, Brokaw spent decades at the news anchor desk for NBC, so he got used to stating the obvious in those sombre tones that all network anchors learn to master during their time at the Cronkite Academy of Clichés and Ponderous Mutterings.
As one would suspect, for breaking ranks with his former colleagues, the usual suspects trashed Brokaw as a racist, a catchall term that stupid people have learned to apply to anyone who disagrees with them. Or, in other words, dares to speak the truth.
Fortunately, Brokaw is no longer on salary at NBC. Otherwise, he would have been fired. Honesty, after all, is now reason enough for the Left to call for your head on a spike.
In fact, I was all set to spring to Brokaw's defense, but he took my legs right out from under me by apologizing as soon as the virtue-signaling attacks began.
Which is why I wish the coward had still been employed, just so he could have felt the axe hit his neck.
What makes the Leftists' attack on Trump ring so hollow when it comes to the fraudulent Russian collusion claims is that if they really believed them, they would want to see Hillary Clinton grilled on a spit. After all, she famously pushed the re-set button with her Russian counterpart; she and her husband accepted bribes from the Russians; she used a personal server while transmitting national security material on her electronic devices; and she handed over 25% of our uranium deposits to Russian oligarchs. And, finally, she and her cohorts in the DNC paid millions of dollars for the updated version of the fictional best seller known as the Russian dossier.
I've never been a fan of Roger Stone, who strikes me as just another of those pilot fish who accompany political sharks, feasting off the remains that stick between their teeth. For sharks who can't brush after every meal, the little fish serve as dental floss. And so long as they do their jobs right, the sharks don't eat them.
But even I was outraged when Robert Mueller and his henchman at the FBI, Christopher Wray, conducted an early morning raid at Stone's home in Fort Lauderdale that involved 29 heavily armed agents, two armored vehicles and a helicopter, which, as Tucker Carlson pointed out, was more men and fire power than the Navy Seals employed in the Pakistan raid on Osama bin Laden's hideout.
I have occasionally complained to friends that one of the annoyances of writing commentaries is that I have to memorize the spelling of certain names. Along the way, they have included the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, not to be confused — God forbid! — with his successor, the Ayatollah Khamenei; Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; Recep Erdogan; and, more recently, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It doesn't help when James Coulter further confuses the issue by sending me an email suggesting that a more appropriate name would be Alexandria Occasionally Coherent.
As I gaze around at the political landscape, I find myself more and more agreeing with the environmental activist Edward Abbey, with whom I generally disagreed, when he stated: "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against its government."
I'll close with a line that's gone viral on the Internet, and which, unlike most of the items that go viral these days, is both true and amusing: "Someday soon, we old folks will use cursive writing as a secret code."


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There are seven functional areas of a law firm: Marketing, Sales, the Factory, People, the Physical Plant, Metrics/Money and, last but not least, YOU.Read More »
Invisible Time: Timekeeping in the 24/7 Era of Communications
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How to Win the Meet and Confer
In this video, discover how to win the meet and confer.Read More »
Key Sources of Client Disputes
You may be an excellent lawyer, yet client disputes are an inevitability at every law practice. And if you're not prepared, they can become more than an annoyance — they can threaten the life of your practice in extreme cases. There's nothing like having all the relevant facts at hand to settle a dispute quickly. And the latest practice management ...Read More »
How to Avoid Malpractice Claims
Why take chances? Malpractice claims are an omnipresent risk in a lawyer's life. They're more than a risk: 4 out of 5 lawyers will experience at least one. Stop rolling the dice! Technology offers some easy ways to reduce the risk and improve your practice at the same time. Join Ron Collins, attorney and Fellow of the College of Law ...Read More »
Overcoming QuickBooks for Lawyers
Discover how you can overcome the limitations of QuickBooks by implementing new software. Understand why law firms cannot afford to keep "loose books" Learn the requirements for law firms using QuickBooks from an industry expert Explore the customization features and workarounds for legal professionals The Speakers: Erica Birstler Erica is Manager of Customer Success at CosmoLex, developers of a cloud ...Read More »
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From the initial consultation through final billing process, it is imperative that attorneys develop good habits in keeping, reporting, and billing your time. To ensure on-time payments, we will discuss current trends in the legal industry, including online payments and the LawPay solution. Learn how to set your hourly rate, create your budget, properly report billable hours, and more. The Takeaways: ...Read More »
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We all know that bookkeeping challenges bog down the best efforts of many small law firms. Now that we've closed the books on 2015, it's the perfect chance to start fresh with a new approach to accounting that will keep your ledgers clean and current all year long. Learn how to keep better books — in less time — by ...Read More »


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Gurds is a British born Inspirational Speaker, Transformational Life Coach, Podcast Host and Author. She guides people to step into their authentic power, and design extraordinary lives that make them feel emotionally and spiritually happy.
Gurds empowers others to shine into their light through the art of self-love and forgiveness, with a holistic blend of spirituality.
During our deep-dive we chat about:
the road that leads us to change
the importance of self-love
overcoming adversity
and so much more…
Gurds is an inspiring real-life example of everything that she teaches.
You can connect with her here:
Website - http://www.getinspiredwithgurds.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iamgurds/
Personal page - https://www.facebook.com/gurdshundal
Public page - https://www.facebook.com/iamgurds/
Please share the love by subscribing and/or leaving a comment on iTunes or YouTube.


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Family Dental Care
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UCAS CARD If you are in year 12 then you can sign up for this fantastic part of the UCAS website which offers a great deal to students. UCAS cards are available through the UCAS website and are a great way to get discounts on a variety of items both in high street stores and in places such as major restaurant chains. They provide a 10% discount which is always invaluable to students so you can get the latest fashions, sportswear, technology and great food for a much better price,
To apply just go onto the UCAS site and search for 'UCAS card' or go to the separate website: www.ucas.com/ucascard/ . You will need to know your college's UCAS identity number so remember to ask someone before you try and sign up. Once you have it you can fill in all of your other details and your card will be sent through the post within a short time. It is definitely worth it as you can also sign up for e-mail alerts which can let you know about special offers or competitions that are going on, or even get a service to find out information about a subject you may be interested in applying for at university. On the site you can also access a forum to let you talk to likeminded students all over the country and share advice and tips which you may find useful in the future.
It is absolutely free to get a card, which will then be produced just for you, and it will give you range of different services and offers which you will find really useful. There are always new shops signing up to the scheme so make sure you sign up soon (before 31st August, or 30th September in Scotland) and be part of it today.
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Restorative Yoga Mini Retreat
Sunday 23rd June, 4-6pm
Experience 2 Hrs of some Serious Self Care, and Nurture Your Nervous System.
This is my ultimate indulgence for Exhaustion, Adrenal Fatigue, Divorce Stress, Health Issues, Pain, Menopause, Grief, Illness - (And Yes I've ticked every box)!
Restorative Yoga is a deeply relaxing manipulation of the nervous system - leading to deep relaxation, when all the organ systems of the body are benefited. We switch on the Parasympathetic Nervous System (Rest and Digest) which is the opposite of our Sympathetic Nervous System (Fight or Flight).
This Mini Retreat allows you to actively and intentionally do nothing. There's no DOING in Restorative Yoga. Extensive use of Yoga props (bolsters, blankets, blocks etc) support, cushion and cradle your body, we cover you up and leave you there for around 20 minutes per position or longer if you want. We're looking for that point where the physical body can completely relax, which initiates and facilitates healing on deeper levels including stress and emotions.
Give yourself a gift of time and healing space. Take off the heavy load you may have been carrying and give yourself the opportunity to find your inner healer (Parasympathetic Nervous system) to emerge. Research shows reduction of blood pressure, improved immune function, digestion, fertility, elimination, and increase "good cholesterol" levels. The Restorative practice is just the strategy to hold space for your inner healer (Parasympathetic nervous system) to emerge, and allow the body to do what it wants to do.
• Restore your body from the inside out
• Revitalise your organs and overall energy
• Calm your nervous system
• Release tension
• Quieten your mind and finish the evening with a lovely cup of Ayurvedic herbal tea
This Mini Retreat is highly recommended for any and everyone, and serves as a lovely gift to self or another. You are held in a safe space with a Mature yogi with 12 years of professional training and teaching experience.
Bookings are essential and limited spaces as this is a prop heavy session. Dress warm and in layers, and bring a pair of socks.


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My Favourite Artist......./
Just been helping my favorite artist get ready for her up coming Exhibition in April...doing plenty of framing and glass cutting ...yes Robyn Jacksons Exhibition starts around the 15th of April at the Macleay Valley Community Art Gallery , 5 Kinchela St , Gladstone, NSW.........plenty of beautiful artworks in silk and oil.......be there or be square !!!


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MB staff had a blast with this interactive invitation, which engages community members in thoughtful, fun response to design precepts. Our staff created unique sentences from VMDO's word magnets template, included in the invitation, to outline the idea that we are all "Connected by the Language of Design". Of course, the backdrop for our magnet sentences was the toolbox that holds one of our power sanders, and we generated a crane image to display our pictures, since these things are 'words' in contractor 'language! Thanks again for a chance to collaborate!
Copyright 2014 MB Contractors. All Rights Reserved.


text: Irene is a model for all of us. She was caught up in evil herself but didn't let that stop her from helping those caught up worse in it. She was Polish but not Jewish. She was a forced laborer under the Germans, but she used her position to helped Jews and hide Jews. She faced danger, was under the threat of death, had to give up her innocence, but she did not give up her charges or her honor. We should all try to be so bold in the face of our struggles and should we ever witness such evil, I pray that we shall all be strong enough to stand against it....Continua


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Jeff Kennett – As a nation, we need to be reconciled
The Herald Sun, June 8, 2016
LAST week I launched a book titled The Forgotten People. It is a compilation written by people from the political Right who have opposed constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders — or would be expected to. All have since rethought their views and now either support or give tacit support to recognition.
I think the time is long overdue to change our attitudes and the language we use when we refer to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, who I prefer to call our first peoples.
They occupied our continent for tens of thousands of years before white settlement in 1788 and we should recognise and celebrate their history, culture and special place in our nation.
The first peoples understandably seek constitutional recognition that they occupied this continent before we arrived.
The Australian Constitution was written by and for the new settlers and their successors. The Constitution finalised in 1900 did not recognise our first peoples but in several phrases excluded them from recognition and participating in Australian affairs.
It took until 1967 for the conservative Liberal government, with bipartisan support, to pass a national referendum that removed constitutional discrimination against the first peoples.
Section 51 defined the power that the federal parliament could apply for making laws for peace, order and good government "other than the Aboriginal people in any state". The phrase was removed.
Section 127 dealt with the counting of citizens of the Commonwealth but said, "Aboriginal natives should not be recognised".
That whole clause was removed as a result of the highest in favour vote ever in a federal referendum.
Since white settlement, the treatment of our first peoples has been at times brutal, well intentioned or misplaced, unfair, reasonable or generous. But there has never been a genuine partnership. We can't change the past but nor should we forget it. But it shouldn't cloud our thoughts and actions of what we can do to reconcile all citizens of this great country.
It is time for us all to celebrate our first peoples. There are not many of them but they are special and their history and customs should be appreciated, supported and encouraged.
There has been much debate about what form the constitutional recognition should take and much of the debate is occurring among the first peoples, as it should. Some want constitutional recognition, others want a treaty.
But until they can agree on appropriate wording, proceeding to a referendum is pointless.
Nevertheless, recognition is long overdue and no one wants it to be symbolic. It must be meaningful, substantial and enforceable. I believe recognition should commence with the phrase, "This Constitution recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the continent's first peoples". That is merely a statement of fact but unless we more recent arrivals recognise that fact, the chances of genuine reconciliation is substantially reduced. Such a statement should be added as a new clause 6 to the Constitution Act.
The first peoples have also talked about a council to advise government on their affairs and any legislation that might affect or enhance their opportunities. Such a council would not be difficult to establish, based on regional representation. But it would not control any expenditure or have any power of veto.
But properly structured and supported, such a council could provide invaluable advice to the parliament and help us to celebrate our first peoples.
The council would function in the same way as those bodies that considered, for instance, the impact of legislation on small business.
Professor Anne Twomey has suggested a new section 60A(1) for the Constitution Act that responsibly establishes such a body.
60a(1) There shall be an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander body, to be called the (insert appropriate name agreed by community) which shall have the function of providing advice to the parliament and the executive government on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
(2) The parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to the composition, roles, powers and procedures of the (body).
(3) The Prime Minister (or the Speaker/president of the Senate) shall cause a copy of the (body's) advice to be tabled in each House of parliament as soon as practicable after receiving it.
(4) The House of Representatives and the Senate shall give consideration to the tabled advice of the (body) in debating proposed laws with respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Not a bad starting place in my opinion, as long as the first peoples agree.
The book I launched, The Forgotten People, creates the impression that the only real opposition to the success of a referendum recognising our first peoples is on the Right of politics.
I reject that. Conservatives led the way on ending discrimination and I am sure they are ready to do so again — and the community is ready, as it was in 1967, to give our first peoples the recognition they deserve. Our community is more than just fair-minded, it is generous and will overwhelmingly support sensible and meaningful constitutional recognition.
But the first peoples must agree on the form and the wording, and that should be the sole objective in their forums to be held this year.
So much media attention focuses on the failures in the indigenous community without saluting the many doctors, professors, lawyers, professionals in so many occupations, the politicians, public servants, artists and sports people.
It is time to celebrate our first peoples, time for constitutional recognition. It is time for their leaders to decide on the wording.
It might not satisfy every leader or region or community. But without agreement soon, the opportunity for constitutional recognition could be lost for decades.
Many of us recognise the need to achieve that reconciliation and move to an exciting future, based on a wonderful history.
Have a good day.
Jeff Kennett is a former premier of Victoria.


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Chihuahua friends photo "fiesta" contest entries
August 27, 2011 § 1 Comment
Now we are cooking with frijoles! We have started receiving entries for our pet photo contest so it is FIESTA time!! And no, it does not have to be photos of dogs. All the critters are my amigos and are more than welcome.
To review the details of the contest, check out our original post by clicking here. Vamos, chicos, go ahead and enter!!!!!!!!!!
So here are the peeectures of some of my friends 🙂
Chihuahua – Weather watcher (from my window)
August 25, 2011 § Leave a comment
Ay, caramba, amigos! I don't want to jinx us, but I am really grateful that we escaped the wrath of Hurricane Irene here in Florida. Puerto Rico and some of the islands got pummeled!!
Check this out:
Of course this picture is fake, but my Mama remembers how crazy floods were in Puerto Rico where she spent part of her childhood. So much so that finding a sharky swimming on a highway would NOT have surprised her. Eeeeeeeek!!
I must also say anything I was muy worried about our boy, so recently installed into his 5th-floor dorm room at FAU in Boca Raton. He was going to be seeing it all VEEEEERYclose and personal from his window!
Some Chihuahua hurricane survival tips:
- Don't lose sight of your humans. Have your blanky, favorite toy and food bowls ready to go if you have to evacuate.
- Stay on the high ground (for me the back of the couch) but find a safe, warm dry spot somewhere in the safest room of the house – the room least exposed to windows.
- Make sure you have your collar with id on, in case you get separated from your humans.
- Don't get too spooked and start barking, everyone will be nervous enough.
I'll be keeping my paws crossed for the folks and critters up the east coast! Stay safe!!!!!!
La Chihuahua is throwing a photo fiesta! (Psst, pssst … it is a contest!!)
August 23, 2011 § 3 Comments
Psst, pssst … I need your help, amigos. My Mama is not muy happy at all these days. I know, I know. How can that be when she's got me, the sunshine of her world, the joy of her life, the spring in her step?!? But I must admit, even my tail is hanging low these days too with the kids now both gone off to college. And yes, I know I threatened to enroll and go to college too. But that was WAAAAAAY too demanding on my sleep schedule and too much work for this princess. Ay, Caramba! And besides, someone needed to stay home with Mama.
So I am cooking up a leeeetle plot … err, I mean project, to cheer us all up. You see, a little while back, some nice folks representing Cesar Canine Cuisine, reached out and sent us a care package to get my esteemed opinion on some of the products. And I must say, the Cesar Softies Medley treats get a big thumbs up from me!!! But that is another story I will soon get into.
Anyhow, my chicos, the Cesar's folks were kind enough to provide some extra treats for me to share with my amigos. So I'd like to kick up a little fun and organize a little photo contest!!! Send me your cool, funny, adorable, once-in-a-lifetime "what I did this summer" pictures to enter! Include a little description of yourself with your name, hometown and a few words about your "special moment on camera," and that will do the trick. Of course, I'll need an email address(don't worry I won't share it with anyone) so I can contact you if you win. You can email me the pictures at firstname.lastname@example.com or post them on my Facebook wall. You must agree (in writing) to my posting the pictures on Facebook and on my ChihuahuaWisdom.com blog to participate, but you retain the rights to your photos.
A panel of experts – Mama, Tigger and Moi – will select the top 10 photos (I know it will be hard to pick!!) and put them up for votes from all our friends on my Facebook page. You can invite your friends to vote too. Just have them send a request. I like to make new friends.
The top 3 vote-getters will receive prizes, courtesy of Cesar Canine Cuisine. No purchase required; you can enter as many times as you'd like; and all that. We are not picky, nor are we the experts at much of any of this. Unfortunately, however, I must restrict this to U.S. entries. I have no clue how to handle the international mail and restrictions. I'm just a leeeetle chica. But we do want to see lots of fun pictures to cheer us up! We need some party spirit at Casa Chanel!!
So get busy, and send us your entries by September 30. We'll put the pictures up on October 1st for votes and we will allow 2 weeks for votes. So by Oct. 15th you too could be chowing on some yummy treats!
Tell your friends! The more the merrier!! Ciao, for now, Chicos, and let the cuteness fiesta BEGIN!
College "Move In" Day is tomorrow?!?!?!?!?!?
August 15, 2011 § Leave a comment
What? My boy is off to college tomorrow? But I am not ready!!!
- Not enough belly scratches.
- Not enough behind-the-ears scratches.
- Not enough haunches scratchings.
- And definitely, oh most definitely, NOT ENOUGH KISSES!!
I will miss you, my chico. And I will be waiting patiently for your return. Love,
Your favorite girlfriend,


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About Vatican City
Rome 3 days Youth Hostel: Des Artistes This hostel is clean and close to the train station. Their roof terrace and buffet breakfast is a favourite among the travellers. Hotel: Tuscolana This is a value for money hotel five minutes from the metro line and half a block from the city bus line. There are some graffittis that spoil the neighbourhood's ambiance, but don't let that get to you. It is situated in a safe middle class neighbourhood.
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Best Time To Visit Vatican City
Best time to visit Vatican City is from March to June
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St. Peter's Basilica
Piazza di San Pietro, 00120 Vatican City
If there had to be one example to sum up the fury of artistic spirit during the Renaissance it would definitely be the S...
Sistine Chapel
Viale Vaticano, 00120 Vatican City
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St. Peter's Basilica
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Viale Vaticano, Roma, Città del Vaticano
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Viale Vaticano, 2, Città del Vaticano
The museums of the Vatican are by far the best place to experience Renaissance art. A collection that has taken over fiv...
Sistine Chapel
Viale Vaticano, 2, Città del Vaticano
The Sistine Chapel is the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It's famed ceiling painted by Michelangelo is ...
Vatican Museums
Viale Vaticano, Rome, Italy
The museums inside the Vatican are home to some of the most envied and treasured Renaissance paintings and sculptures. T...
Piazza S. Pietro
Piazza San Pietro, Rome, Italy
Right next to the Basilica is the St. Peter's Square. With an imposing Obelisk in the center and fountains on the axis w...
Viale Vaticano
Viale Vaticano, Roma, Italy
The Vatican. The grandest churches and architecture from The Roman catholic church. we also visited some Greek orthodox ...
Saint Peter's Basilica
Piazza San Pietro, Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
This work of Renaissance architecture is the largest church in the world. The burial site of St. Peter, this church is m...
Piazza S. Pietro
Piazza San Pietro, Vatican City, Vatican City
Designed by the extremely popular Baroque artist Bernini, the iconic St. Peter's Square is where the Pope greets and ble...
St Peter's Square
Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
The skies were lovely and blue and we headed to St Peter's Square next. The christmas decorations were up and it made th...
Museo del Tesoro della Basilica di San Pietro
Piazza San Pietro, 00200 Vatican City
St Peter's Square Vatican City Rome
Largo del Colonnato, 9, 00120 Rome
Museo Vaticano
Viale Vaticano, 00165 Roma RM
The Vatican City Museum was HUGE. We weren't interested in the art exhibits so we only focused on the Egyptian section a...
Vatikanische Museen
Viale Vaticano, Rome, Italy
Founded in the 16th century by Pope Julius II, the Vatican Museums is the most visited museum in the world. The renowned...
Basilica di San Pietro
Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
Saint Peter's Basilicia
Piazza San Pietro, Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
Vatican City
Ris Cafè Pub & Restaurant
16, Piazza del Risorgimento, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Content that I saw everything that I wanted to see in the Vatican, I made a lunch stop near the Vatican at Ris Café. Lu...
Bar La Coccinella
via antonio sala 7/9, 00165 Rome
Fashion Cafe
Via Di Macchia Palocco, 21A, 00136 Rome
Le Chiccherie
Via Cipro 48, 00136 Rome
Vatican Grottoes
Vatican City
Sphere within a Sphere
Pine Cone Courtyard, Vatican Museums, 00120 Vatican City
Vatican Treasury
Vatican City, Vatican City
Anna Creazioni di Eleonora Cesarei
Marcantonio Bragadin 35, 00136 Rome
La Pieta
Chapel of the Pieta, Basilica Di San Pietro, coordinate 41.902183, 12.453937 Vatican City
Via Triumphalis Necropolis
Vatican Museums, Viale Vaticano, 00120 Vatican City
St. Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro)
Vatican City
Porta Santa
Vatican City
Roman Curia
Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City
Roman Necropolis
Vatican City
Monument to Alexander VII
Vatican City
Cupola di San Pietro
Piazza san Pietro, Vatican City
Vaticano Egyptian Obelisk
St Perers square, Vatican City
Ufficio Scavi
00120 Vatican City
Tomba di Giovanni Paolo II
Piazza San Pietro, Basilica di San Pietro, 00193 Vatican City
Campo Santo Teutonico
Piazza Dei Protomatiri Romani, 00120 Vatican City
Cappella Redemptoris Mater
Palazzo Apostolico, Vatican City
Vatican Gardens
Viale Vaticano, presso Musei Vaticani, 00165 Vatican City
Baldacchino di San Pietro, di Bernini
Basilica di San Pietro, Piazza di San Pietro, Vatican City
Stanze di Raffaello
Viale Vaticano, 00165 - Roma, Vatican City
Viale Bastioni di Michelangelo, 25, 00192 Rome
0 Hotels found


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CitiSculpt: Opportunity Zone Experts
The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) signed by President Trump in December of 2017, gave American taxpayers substantive reductions in tax rates, as well as, an unprecedented gift to investors of all sizes. The TCJA included specific legislation to foster investment and development in targeted areas of poverty throughout the United States. These targeted areas are called Opportunity Zones and the legislation is primarily focused in urban areas. The Opportunity Zones, unlike the former Promise Zones – which were essentially rural areas needing investment, offer substantial potential tax benefits to investors.
When was the last time (the answer is never), that the Internal Revenue Service gave you eight years to pay capital gains taxes; and when was the last time (answer is never), the IRS gave you a potential 15% reduction in those taxes? The brilliance of the legislation is a strategy to defer harvested capital gains and reinvest those gains in the Opportunity Zone – while enjoying the benefits of a very long time to pay those taxes with up to 15% reduction in those taxes. The gift gets better, if the investor of deferred capital gains holds the asset in the Opportunity Zone for ten years, then any gain on the investment is free of capital gains taxation. This unprecedented, bi-partisan legislation is genuinely unique for the American taxpayer.
Since early 2009, the Dow Jones Industrial Index has risen nearly 200% (9,031 to 26,458). As such, many investors have enjoyed remarkable increases in their investments, and as disciplined investors they are now contemplating an exit strategy to harvest those gains. Those investors that are tax adverse, will seek to redeploy the gained capital. Opportunity Zones present a viable potential solution for tax deferral, long term payment, and reduction cycle for the payment of those taxes.
CitiSculpt, as an innovative commercial real estate developer, is on the forefront of this Opportunity Zone initiative. We currently have a multi-million dollar development plan underway in an Opportunity Zone in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. This development plan is a mixed use plan with Class A office space, a 200-230 expected unit multi-family complex, a future boutique hotel site and a street level retail facility. Other Opportunity Zone development projects under consideration by CitiSculpt include properties in Charlotte and Durham North Carolina; and Greenville and Columbia, South Carolina.
For additional information on the CitiSculpt Opportunity Zone projects, please email Michael Miller, Chief Financial Officer (firstname.lastname@example.com).
*CitiSculpt does not provide tax, legal, investing, or account advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, investing, or account advice. You should consult your own tax, legal, investing, and accounting advisers before engaging in any transaction.
Opportunity Zone: 10 Academy Street
Announcing an exciting new development project that is being made possible thanks to the Opportunity Zone Funding Program. With a targeted Closing Date of December 11th, 2018, the timeline of the new build section of 10 Academy Street will be less than 30 months from the start date.
Sold in various individual parcels at a time, this project will consist of an Office Building that will eventually become a part of a larger people friendly development. Additional projects will include:
Full service parking deck
Institutional quality multifamily project with 200-230 expected units
Quality "flag" limited service hotel built on site
A small Retail/Office building
At 10 Academy Street, Greenville, South Carolina the total purchase and buildout budget for this project is estimated at around $100,000,000. CitiSculpt is creating an Opportunity Fund solely and specifically for this project. CitiSculpt will provide asset management and development services at market rates throughout the duration of this project. Additionally, CitiSculpt will dedicate its resources and employ various consultants to advise, design, facilitate, and diligently control all aspects of the project.
Our Goal
Utilizing talent, skill, ingenuity, and patience to create real estate developments that harmonize with the natural surroundings. We strive to create engaging, comforting, and attractive developments that benefit entire communities. Our goal with 10 Academy Street, Greenville, South Carolina is to use the OZ Program to create long-term economic growth and development and to generate and deliver a solid return for investors.
Want to Learn More?
CitiSculpt is committed to continuing shaping cities and improving lives through incredible and innovative developments in South Carolina.
If you'd like to learn more about the exceptional beauty and distinct natural features of downtown Greenville or would like to learn more about the Opportunity Zone Funding Program, please contact Michael Miller, Chief Financial Officer (firstname.lastname@example.com)
*CitiSculpt does not provide tax, legal, investing, or account advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, investing, or account advice. You should consult your own tax, legal, investing, and accounting advisers before engaging in any transaction.
Frequently Asked Questions About Opportunity Zone Funds
Q. What is an Opportunity Zone?
A. An Opportunity Zone is an economically-distressed community where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. Localities qualify as Opportunity Zones if they have been nominated for that designation by the state and that nomination has been certified by the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury via his delegation of authority to the Internal Revenue Service.
Q. How were Opportunity Zones created?
A. Opportunity Zones were added to the tax code by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 22, 2017.
Q. Have Opportunity Zones been around a long time?
A. No, they are new. The first set of Opportunity Zones, covering parts of 18 states, were designated on April 9, 2018. Opportunity Zones have now been designated covering parts of all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories.
Q. What is the purpose of Opportunity Zones?
A. Opportunity Zones are an economic development tool—that is, they are designed to spur economic development and job creation in distressed communities.
Q. How do Opportunity Zones spur economic development?
A. Opportunity Zones are designed to spur economic development by providing tax benefits to investors. First, investors can defer tax on any prior gains invested in a Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF) until the earlier of the date on which the investment in a QOF is sold or exchanged, or December 31, 2026. If the QOF investment is held for longer than 5 years, there is a 10% exclusion of the deferred gain. If held for more than 7 years, the 10% becomes 15%. Second, if the investor holds the investment in the Opportunity Fund for at least ten years, the investor is eligible for an increase in basis of the QOF investment equal to its fair market value on the date that the QOF investment is sold or exchanged.
Q. What is a Qualified Opportunity Fund?
A. A Qualified Opportunity Fund is an investment vehicle that is set up as either a partnership or corporation for investing in eligible property that is located in a Qualified Opportunity Zone.
Q. Do I need to live in an Opportunity Zone to take advantage of the tax benefits?
A. No. You can get the tax benefits, even if you don't live, work or have a business in an Opportunity Zone. All you need to do is invest a recognized gain in a Qualified Opportunity Fund and elect to defer the tax on that gain.
Q. I am interested in knowing where the Opportunity Zones are located. Is there a list of Opportunity Zones available?
A. Yes. The list of designated Qualified Opportunity Zones can be found at Opportunity Zones Resources and in the Federal Register at IRB Notice 2018-48. Further a visual map of the census tracts designated as Qualified Opportunity Zones may also be found at Opportunity Zones
Q: What do the numbers mean on the Qualified Opportunity Zones list, Notice 2018-48?
A: The numbers are the population census tracts designated as Qualified Opportunity Zones.
Q: How can I find the census tract number for a specific address?
A: You can find 11-digit census tract numbers, also known as GEOIDs, using the U.S. Census Bureau's Geocoder. After entering the street address, select ACS2015_Current in the Vintage drop-down menu and click Find. In the Census Tracts section, you'll find the number after GEOID.
Q. I am interested in forming a Qualified Opportunity Fund. Is there a list of Opportunity Zones available in which the Fund can invest?
A. Yes. The list of designated Qualified Opportunity Zones in which a Fund may invest to meet its investment requirements can be found at Notice 2018-48.
Q. How does a corporation or partnership become certified as a Qualified Opportunity Fund?
A. To become a Qualified Opportunity Fund, an eligible corporation or partnership self certifies. To self-certify, a corporation or partnership completes a form, due to be released in the summer of 2018, and attaches that form to its federal income tax return. The return with the attached form must be filed timely, taking extensions into account.
Q: Can a limited liability company (LLC) be an Opportunity Fund?
A: Yes. A LLC that chooses to be treated either as a partnership or corporation for federal tax purposes can organize as a Qualified Opportunity Fund.
Q. I sold some stock for a gain in 2018, and, during the 180-day period beginning on the date of the sale, I invested the amount of the gain in a Qualified Opportunity Fund. Can I defer paying tax on that gain?
A. Yes, you may elect to defer the tax on the amount of the gain invested in a Qualified Opportunity Fund. Therefore, if you only invest part of your gain in a Qualified Opportunity Fund(s), you can elect to defer tax on only the part of the gain which was invested.
Q. How do I elect to defer my gain on the 2018 sale of the stock?
A. You may make an election to defer the gain, in whole or in part, when filing your 2018 Federal Income Tax return. That is, you may make the election on the return on which the tax on that gain would be due if you do not defer it.
Q. I sold some stock on December 15, 2017, and, during the required 180-day period, I invested the amount of the gain in a Qualified Opportunity Fund. Can I elect to defer tax on that gain?
A. Yes. You make the election on your 2017 return. Attach Form 8949, reporting Information about the sale of your stock. Precise instructions on how to use that form to elect deferral of the gain will be forthcoming shortly
Q. Can I still elect to defer tax on that gain if I have already filed my 2017 tax return?
A. Yes, but you will need to file an amended 2017 return, using Form 1040X and attaching Form 8949.
Q. How can I get more information about Opportunity Zones?
A. Over the next few months, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service will be providing further details, including additional legal guidance, on this new tax benefit. More information will be available at Treasury.gov and IRS.gov


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You will leave the workshop, engaged, energized and armed with powerful insights and tangible tools that will help you improve your relationships, reduce your stress and live your best life ever.
TIME: 10:00am - 4:00pm (one hour lunch break on your own)
Location: Encouragement Place 1706 W Algonquin Rd, Hoffman Estates, IL 60192
$89 early bird special until September 11, 2018. $99 regular price.
Price includes an online assessment that will be sent to prior to you arriving at the workshop! (assessments will be handing out that day)


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Safe Harbor Expansion: Minnesota's Leap Into a More Comprehensive Approach to Child Victim/Survivors of Human Trafficking
Sarah Ladd & Amanda Colegrove | September 22 | 10:15-11:15 AM | Room 2584
The State of Minnesota joins with other communities in asking: "How can systems be changed to better protect child trafficking victims, prosecute traffickers, and prevent trafficking?" The session will begin by explaining the history of Minnesota's safe harbor model in the context of other state and federal responses to the trafficking of children. Then, the discussion will utilize interactive methods to discuss complex issues: interagency systems change, access to services, policy and service changes necessary to integrate labor trafficking into existing safe harbor models, development of survivor advisory boards, creation of multi-disciplinary teams and agency protocols, and the specific role of the child welfare system in the safe harbor response under the Minnesota No Wrong Door model. Participants with diverse backgrounds, including multi-disciplinary systems professionals, survivors of sex and labor trafficking, and researchers, will also benefit from the open-ended style of this workshop.
Presentation Objectives:
· Explain the Minnesota safe harbor response model, including ongoing efforts funded by a federal OVC grant to expand safe harbor to all trafficking victims under age 24
· Discuss the role of the child welfare system under recent federal laws and state amendments requiring identification and response to trafficking
· Discuss Minnesota's public health approach and the regional navigators model for improving access to services for victims of both sex and labor trafficking
· Engage participants in a multi-disciplinary discussion on systems change designed to better protect victims, prosecute perpetrators, and prevent all forms of human trafficking


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Hag dreams meaning
Hag To dream of a seeing an old hag represents a situation or problem that you are surprised how negative it is. To dream of an evil old attacking you represents your feeling about being unable to escape negativity in your life. Your sense of intuition or choices always seems to keep you trapped in… Read More »


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Igor "iLTW" Filatov joined OG as a stand-in for position one, the organization announced Friday. OG will play with iLTW in the WePlay! Dota 2 Winter Madness tournament.
Добро пожаловать Игорь!— OG (@OGesports) January 4, 2019
We're glad to welcome iLTW, standing in as our pos 1 player.
See you at 17:00 CET for our #WePlayDota2 match today against @VegaSquadron#DreamOG pic.twitter.com/lthbZxbtlT
OG revealed iLTW will join the Dota 2 team as a stand-in player. He is temporarily filling in the vacant spot left by
The team's new stand-in will play with OG during its game against Vega Squadron in the WePlay! Dota 2 Winter Madness tournament. The winner of the match will advance to the semifinals against NoPangolier.
Cover photo courtesy of OG Esports/Twitter


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Here they are, folks! Click HERE to get to my shop to see everything all at once, or click on the thumbnails below for each item.
Allrighty, then… I won't be keeping you any longer. If someone gets to the beads before you do, I'm down for a made to order. Hope you guys enjoy your weekend, I know I will.
Thanks for looking!


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In the latest episode of South Park, "The Problem with a Poo," Matt Stone and Trey Parker (who, as nearly always, wrote the script) appeared to take a shot at The Simpsons. It's right there in the title: "The Problem with a Poo" is a reference to The Problem with Apu, Hari Kondabolu's documentary centered on the problematic Kwik-E-Mart employee. At the end of the episode, Mr. Hankey is banished from South Park and heads to "a place that accepts racist, awful beings like him," somewhere that doesn't "care about bigotry and hate." Cut to: Springfield, where a crudely drawn Apu is waiting for the joyful christmas poo.
Then, the final blow.
Shortly after "The Problem with a Poo" aired, Kondabolu tweeted, "Did @SouthPark just side with me? WHAT IS HAPPENING? #CancelTheSimpsons #PleaseDontThough." (Kondabolu has said in multiple interviews that he's a big fan of The Simpsons, and that "my friends and I watched it from the get-go." The Problem with Apu wasn't made out of hatred; it was made because he expects one of the greatest shows of all-time to be better.)


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To: Crecente
From: Bashcraft
RE: More than 1 Billion Served
A billion — the mind boggles. I wonder how many words I've written since I've been writing at Kotaku. I wonder how many of them have been spelled correctly. :/
.................So last week I was in Tokyo. This week I am not, I am home. Right now, home.
Things I noticed when I got back, Micro-Bash is able to do new things. Before I left, he could kind of clap his hands. And....... That's about it! When I get back, he's really good at clapping his hands, and he can also wave "bye-bye" and raise his hands up in the air when someone says "banzai!"
The couple of days have been mostly clapping, waving bye and saying "banzai" over and over again.
What you missed last night
Square Enix Wants To Sell Over Six Million Copies of FFXIII
How Tim Schafer Got His Start
Real Racing Will Affect Gran Turismo
No Modern Warfare 2 Demo For You
Super Street Fighter IV Confirmed, Is Standalone Title


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Achieving Cost-Effective Fuel Efficiency
The pressure to create more fuel-efficient vehicles is mounting thanks to a mixture of government regulations and environmentally conscious consumers. One automaker wanted to improve its fuel efficiency by exploring an emerging trend in vehicle design—active grille shutters. These are shutters that are integrated into the vehicle's front intake grille to alter the flow of air to the engine, promoting cooling when open and fuel-sparing aerodynamics when closed.
Business Objective
Active grille shutters are a relatively new technique in automotive design, and they carry some challenges, particularly in safety and durability. For example, the vendor must be confident that a grille won't get stuck in ways that would affect vehicle performance or overheat the engine. The automaker turned to the Flex Sketch-to-Scale® ecosystem to help it introduce the active grille shutter design in a safe, reliable and affordable format.
ProductActive grille shutters
ServicesSketch-to-Scale®, product design, manufacturing
"It's very important for us here at Flex to improve performance, but it is critical to maintain safety while doing so. If a system can't be relied upon, it doesn't matter what benefits it may bring."
– Bill Vergin, General Manager, Flex MCi
The importance of active grille shutters to a vehicle's operation, along with the technology being relatively new, means that an active grille must be factored into the earliest stages of a vehicle's design process. Flex's Sketch-to-Scale® product design and manufacturing capabilities helped produce a safe, reliable and high-performance design from the outset.
Flex used its Mirror Controls International (Flex MCi) subsidiary, which specializes in advanced actuation technology for the active grille shutters to work. The company's strong focus on research and development has created a unique array of actuators that can be used in various active aerodynamic applications.
Thanks to Flex MCi's technology, the client was able to achieve its primary fuel efficiency goals cost-effectively by reducing the drag effect from unnecessary air intake. It did this while hitting safety targets that are critical in a highly regulated manufacturing sector where the cost of product recalls can run into the millions of dollars.
"It's very important for us here at Flex to improve performance, but it is critical to maintain safety while doing so. If a system can't be relied upon, it doesn't matter what benefits it may bring," says Bill Vergin, General Manager at MCi.
The automaker also reaped some additional benefits from the active grille shutter. A more controlled intake of air led to lower noise from the motor, and it also reduced the level of wind noise in the cabin, creating a more pleasant driving experience.
Featured Content
Develop and commercialize your next disruptive automotive solution with our Sketch-to-Scale approach across the entire automotive ecosystem. Learn More
Advanced Engineering
Achieve competitive differentiation and optimization through process innovations early in the design and manufacturing phases. Learn More


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Join Autumn Feldmeier For A Retreat In Cuba This Fall
By SF Yoga
We had the incredible opportunity to meet up with one of SF Yoga's writer's Autumn Feldmeier about her retreat coming up this fall in Cuba.
Can you tell us a little bit about why you chose Cuba for a retreat location?
Cuba has been on my radar for quite a while because of my love for samba, classic cars and architecture. I traveled there in July 2016 with a friend and fell in love with the people and their passion for life! However, I knew it would be difficult to orchestrate a retreat there compared to other destinations. Luckily, a dear friend referred me to an amazing tour guide who led him on a yoga retreat for an Escape to Shape trip. I met him at the end of my first visit and knew that I could pull it off with his guidance. Even now, with the current travel changes in Cuba (our tour guide is licensed with the government and falls under one of the 12 allowed categories of authorized travel- (5) Educational activities (see §515.565), traveling to Cuba requires proper planning and execution. Fortunately, for me, I've made a rare connection which allows me to bring people to Cuba legally, safely and with a local's access.
Why do you love yoga?
My goodness! Where should I start? In short, I was a hard core marathoner who had a rather toxic relationship with my body. I believed in the more is more philosophy, eventually getting injured in the process. Throughout my healing process and the duration of my injury, I found the yoga practice. Yoga healed my soul many times and continues to do so. Whenever I doubt myself or my divinity, yoga reminds me. Even in the difficulties that plague our modern era, it's my saving grace.
We love that there is a SEVA project happening during the retreat? Can you tell us the inspiration behind this project as well as what the SEVA project is all about?
Before I went to Cuba, I connected with Robert Sturman, who is a renowned photographer. He connected me with 'The Godfather of Yoga' in Cuba, known infamously as Eduardo Pimentel. It turns out Eduardo's ex-wife Elsa Hermida works with the Pediatric Ward at Havana Oncology Hospital and currently teaches yoga for both kids and nurses in the hospital. Our SEVA is bringing both art and yoga supplies to her cause.
What would you say are the top 3 reasons to head to Cuba with you this fall?
1. Cuba is a unique place that's changing rapidly and there is no better time than the present to go.
2. Our tour guide is a guaranteed safe and legal way to travel to Cuba (under our current administration)
3. The Cuban people are the sweetest, sexiest, and most gracious people you will ever meet!
What is your hope for people attending this retreat with you?
My hope is that the attendees will unplug (very limited wifi in Cuba) and reconnect with a more grounded, sensual part of themselves. They will rediscover their love for food and movement (one will negate the other!) Also, judging from my last group in May, they will look and feel 10 years younger because their spirit and passion will be revived.
Autumn Feldmeier has spent 12 years as a medical salesperson-working in hospitals, surgery centers even chemotherapy clinics. She has personally seen both the successes and the failures of our medical system. Then, as the result of a bad knee injury that included surgery, she found yoga. Through the yoga practice, Autumn has not only healed her body, but she has found calm through mindfulness practices. Autumn has 400 RYT hours with Bhakti flow yoga teacher Rusty Wells, she has also studied Mysore Style Ashtanga with world-renowned teacher Louise Ellis. her continued study includes greats like Janet Stone, Martin Scott, Mark Morford and most importantly-her 4 1/2 year old nephew. Now Autumn teaches yoga around the world through her retreat business, you can learn more here.
Find out more about this incredible retreat in Cuba here. And, locally, you can take one of Autumn's classes in Oakland at Bliss Fit Oakland.


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Come out and enjoy this year's festivities at Wings of Freedom Park! There will be caroling, cookies, hot chocolate and pictures with Santa! Start the holiday season off with your Altus AFB family! Festivities begin at 1715. For more information, please call 481-6600.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: November 19Archery Tournament
Later Event: December 2Holiday PJ Party & Movie


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A wise way to reuse old stuffs in your home is by recycling them. With little imagination and creativity, you could have tons of recycling ideas for home. This article will give you some recycling ideas for you. For starter, look for your old suitcase. Your old dusty suitcase wants to retire? Let it be the most comfortable bed for your pet. With a little hack, your cat will love it. For the purpose, you need only a half of the suitcase. The legs are optional, it's up to you. The necessary parts are the half suitcase with its comfortable pads. Your pet will love this new pet bed.
Other recycling ideas for home are chain ring clocks. An old blunt chain ring should not be thrown away. You could make it a wall clock with a little imagination and ingenuity. What you need is only an old chain ring, clock mechanism, and a talent to screw or unscrew the part. Having done the assembling put the batteries on and enjoy your unique steampunk-styled chain ring clock. Furthermore, if you have old suit jackets, you could make them cute again as unique pillows. You should not open the seams, just use the existing hollow space and stuff it with pads. With some creativity, you could turn the old jackets into pillow with various forms. It would go with your rustic or vintage tastes.
Moreover, do not throw away your burlap after its contents are used up. As one of the most practical recycling ideas for home, you can use it as the multifunction bag instead. This bag burlap is easy to make. To add the accent, you can add ropes or ribbon. Just use burlap bag as magazine container or other practical purposes. Well, it is simple yet interesting to try, right?