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By Taylor Schaefer, staff writer for Save The Water™ | December 2, 2014
Coal-fired power plants create around 140 million ton of fly ash and other combustion wastes every year (2). The wastes created from the power plants contain some of the most toxic metals such as titanium, mantancse, arsenic, mercury, lead and molybdenum (1). Since coal waste sites around the country are not subject to federal regulation, many of these deadly pollutants have contaminated the groundwater and other fresh water sources (2). Not only can this poison fish and other wildlife, it can cause cancer and other potential life-damaging illnesses.
Recent contamination in Wisconsin has many residents concerned about how the coal ash is being disposed. By classifying coal as an "industrial byproduct" companies are entitled to place contaminated ash under roads and building as a fill (4). When coal ash is combined with building materials the chances of contamination are very minimal. However, when used as a fill there is no separation between ash and soil, leaving contaminants exposed to groundwater (4).
An organization called Clean Wisconsin conducted a study that found almost 1,000 wells, which provide drinking water for thousands of residents, were contaminated from coal ash (4). It was also found that one in five wells located near a plant in Wisconsin had excessive levels of molybdenum (4). The United States EPA states that no child should drink water containing more than 80 parts per billion (ppb) of molybdenum. Besides the developmental and reproductive problems, molybdeum is also linked with cancer. Clean Wisconsin's study found dangerous levels up to 138 ppb around an elementary school near the coal plant (4).
Wisconsin is not the only state under scrutiny for coal ash contamination. Last February nearly 39,000 tons of toxic coal sludge entered into the North Carolina River by a Duke Energy plant (5). After cleaning up 3,000 tons, the company states that their cleanup is finished (5). With 92 percent of the toxic metals still covering 70 miles of the river bottom, environmental advocates are not pleased (5). Brian Williams of the Dan River Basin Association contested that, "This stuff is not just going to go to the bottom and stay there and not harm the environment." Some other places with high concentration of coal ash generation include the state of Pennsylvania, which ranks first in the nation, with over 15.4 million tons annually. Texas comes in second with 13.1 tons (3).
With unregulated companies tainting the country's fresh drinking water supply with deadly pollutants, groups such as Clean Wisconsin and Dan River Basin Association are outraged that companies are not forced to do more thorough testing on different types of coal ash and create a more transparent public record of where the ash is used (4). It is recommended by environmental specialists that polyethylene liners be inserted into the coal ash ponds in order to limit direct contact with underlying soil (4). They also insist that groundwater monitoring be required in the use of coal ash, especially when used as fill. Groups are also advocating for coal ash to be considered an official hazardous waste (4).
Coal ash contamination has become a serious national concern. According to the EPA, the United states has over 1,000 operating coal ash landfills and ponds around the country (2). Since waste sites are not subject to any federal regulation, it is imperative that the public is aware of their states known cases of contamination. To find out more about where your states stands in regards to coal ash generation and major dumping sites go to Earthjustice.com (3).
- D. S. Cherry arid, R. K. Guthric. December 1997. AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION. "Toxic Metals in Surface Waters from Coal Ash."
http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1752-1688.1977.tb02093.x?r3_referer=wol&tracking_action=preview_click&show_checkout=1. Accessed November 25, 2014
- EarthJustice. 2014. "Coal Ash Contaminated Sites"
http://earthjustice.org/features/coal-ash-contaminated-sites. Accessed November 25,2014
- EarthJustice. 2014. "How safe is your State?"
http://earthjustice.org/features/campaigns/state-fact-sheets-on-coal-ash. Accessed November 25,2014
- Kari Lydersen. November 18, 2014. Midwestern Energy News. "Study: Wisconsin groundwater contaminated by coal ash."
https://energynews.us/2014/11/18/midwest/study-wisconsin-groundwater-contaminated-by-coal-ash/. Accessed November 25,2014
- Zoe Schlanger. July 21,2014. Newsweek. "With 92% of Coal Ash Still Coating North Carolina River Bed, Duke Energy Declares Cleanup Complete."
https://www.newsweek.com/92-coal-ash-still-coating-north-carolina-river-duke-energy-declares-cleanup-260084. Accessed November 25,2014


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i know many of your have had issues with not being able to find hardcore games in the lobbies. so what i did was uninstalled the whole game then reintalled the game without the DCL maps. but im such an avid HC player i just at the lose of buying the dlc maps and just didnt re download the maps.
so if you wanna play HC you needs get ride of the dlc maps!! no i can find HC game no problem
well it don't really help if your losing maps you should still be able to play hardcore on any map that's the whole point so when you find the SOLUTION!! for that let us all know!!
I would say this is an alternate way if you wish to play Hardcore Matches in the game. It's not a solution though as you'll not be able to find matches once you reinstalled the DLC maps back to the console.
Still, this is good information. Thanks for sharing.
The problem with this is that you Defcon 1988 are probably putting more effort into finding a solution than SHG/Activision. They don't care anymore and haven't even sorted release day glitches so they aren't gonna bother trying as their contract is essentially over. 3 years work for 1 years gameplay that was the over shadowed by map exploits, scorestreak glitches, and the random weapon distribution. BO3 is out soon so it's onto the next botch job cash cow.
It takes a bit longer to find a decent game on Hardcore, thats all i ever play anyway, after just finding out that Black ops 3 has not put in Domination or Kill Confirmed to the hardcore playlists it seems i have just wasted money buying that poxy game, so now i find myself back on Advance Warfare for my Domination fix, i must say its far easier now as it seems that for some reason there are lots of newbies just starting this game, cannon fodder for myself to help finish off some of the challenges.
All I want to play is hardcore death match in advance warfare and never any games found. But as soon as I play regular, ina game lobby ASAP. I'm dying halp
© 2019 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, MODERN WARFARE, CALL OF DUTY MODERN WARFARE, CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS, CALL OF DUTY GHOSTS, CALL OF DUTY ADVANCED WARFARE, CALL OF DUTY INFINITE WARFARE, and the CALL OF DUTY WORLD LEAGUE Logo are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are property of their respective owners.

subset: commoncrawl


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About the article
Michael Haugh
Michael Haugh is a senior lecturer in Linguistics and International English in the School of Languages and Linguistics at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. His research focuses on the analysis of interpersonal phenomena in naturallyoccurring interactional data drawing from approaches in pragmatics, intercultural communication and conversation analysis. He is the co-author of a number of forthcoming volumes including Understanding Politeness (with Dániel Kádár, in press, Cambridge University Press), Politeness in Chinese and Japanese (with Dániel Kádár, forthcoming, John Benjamins), and Pragmatics and the English Language (with Jonathan Culpeper, forthcoming, Palgrave Macmillan). He is also the co-editor of Face, Communication and Social Interaction (2009, Equinox) and Situated Politeness (2011, Continuum), and has edited a number os special issues, including "Face in interaction" (2010) and "(Im)politeness across Englishes" (2012) for Journal of Pragmatics.
Published Online: 2013-03-07
Published in Print: 2013-03-01
Citation Information: Sociocultural Pragmatics, Volume 1, Issue 1, Pages 46–73, ISSN (Online) 2104-8313, ISSN (Print) 2104-8305, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/soprag-2012-0005.
© 2013 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co.. This content is open access.


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The Patriots' plan to scatter the Bills?
It starts with Tom Brady and a waterfall of weapons on offense, but coach Bill Belichick sees another hurdle: Shutting down Buffalo workhorse LeSean McCoy.
"A power running game with a back that can, literally, run the ball from sideline to sideline and make four guys miss in a phone booth," Belichick said, per NBCSports.com. "McCoy can take any play and turn it into a play that doesn't look like any other play you've seen before."
From a workload standpoint, McCoy operates as the beating heart of a Bills attack light on game-changing wideouts. Only Le'Veon Bell (33.3) and Todd Gurley (31.2) account for a higher percentage of their team's scrimmage yards than McCoy (30.5), who looms as just one of four players with 700 rushing and 250 receiving yards on the year.
Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty agrees with Belichick, right down to the somewhat tired phone booth analogy, saying: "I've been playing him since college where we had calls where you've got him in a phone booth and you come up with just his towel."
Said safety Duron Harmon: "Trying to tackle LeSean is scary in and of itself, the guy can be running this way and all of a sudden cut and he's going in completely the opposite. He's probably the most -- if not the most -- elusive [player] in the league."
Before we fear for New England's well-being, let's recall that their defense -- a subject of panic in September -- has allowed the fewest points per game since Week 5 (13.1), keeping every opponent to 17 points or less -- better than the fawned over Jaguars, Steelers, Ravens or Eagles.
McCoy is a hot-and-cold runner statistically this season, generating just three 100-yard outings with five games under 50 yards. On tape, he's still running hard and scorching teams with his quick-cutting jolts. He's a big part of the passing game, too, taking in lobs from Tyrod Taylor and barreling north with the ball held in hand like a loaf of bread.
McCoy still has it, but he'll need to be Superman and He-Man rolled into one to take down a Patriots team that has casually dismissed the Bills repeatedly since Brady was rolled out of the top-secret lab and delivered to Foxborough in 2001.


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Top 5 Music Obsessions of the Day
Listen as a playlist on Spotify
1. "Candleland" :: Ian McCulloch, featuring Elizabeth Fraser
"You'll know that something's left you,
just as you arrive."
I forgot how beautiful this song is, and I forgot much I love Ian's solo album. Elizabeth and Ian's voice together is harmonically gorgeous. I found myself playing this song, on repeat, as the sun lit up the sky this morning. Early mornings, first songs heard, the winding freeway ahead – it was a beautiful morning today.
2. "It's Only Life" :: The Shins
"You've been talking for hours.
You say,
"time will wash every tower to the sea,"
and now you've got this worry in your heart."
I'm still loving this song. I think it has made its way onto the 5 music obsessions a few times (at least) since I started this series. There is an honesty in the lyrics, a mixed up blend of regret and hopefulness. It feels like growing up and growing into yourself. It feels like not caring anymore what anyone thinks, facing everything ahead without getting stuck in the behind, and just living.
3. "The Killing Jar" :: Siouxsie & The Banshees
"Then from his eyes,
spring fireflies,
breathing life,
into a roaring disguise."
My favorite off of the Peepshow album, this song always got replayed, rewound, turned up loud. This song always made its way onto mixed tapes, CD's, and even still makes appearances on playlists. Something about this song feels like everything I've always loved about Siouxsie & The Banshees music – the pace, the vocals, the dark tinted lyrics, the underlying pop sensibilities, the orchestration, the electronic twists and turns, the rise at the end, the climax and chanting, and the quick stop ending.
4. "Laid" :: James
"I found you sleeping next to me,
I thought I was alone.
You're driving me crazy –
when are you coming home?"
I think this was the first time I heard James, and Tim Booth's voice (that range is incredible). I bought the album soon after and it became something quintessential in my life, marking a very specific time, the life I was living, the people I loved, the dreams and heartbreaks, and cross-country flights, all of it. It is instant memory recall music whenever I hear this song.
5. "Perfect Skin" :: LLoyd Cole & The Commotions
"And I'm staying up here so I may be undone,
she's inappropriate,
but then she's much more fun
and when she smiles my way…"
Lloyd Cole's storytelling reminds me of late 80's, late night coffee house conversations that weaved together literary references and local confessions, like who is falling for who, who left without saying goodbye, and "would it be okay if I kissed you?" Things like that. Lyrical nostalgia.


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Anyway, I was sitting in the exam room and the nurse had done all her note taking on the laptop. Finally, the doctor came in. She looked at me, said hello and looked at the computer. She turned back to me, looked at me for a second and then said: "you don't look 78". No, I said, I'm 68 (my February birthday being foremost in my mind). She asked me my name. I told her. She clicked some buttons and then said: "you had a colonoscopy on ...". Yes. She told me all were benign and to "come back in 5, no 1 year" and then showed me out.
Yeah, right. Like I'm going to forget the ordeal of emptying my body in a year's time. I'm sure it's going to be closer to 5 but we'll see.
Had to wonder if the nurse put my slightly high blood pressure on a 78 year old patient's chart instead of mine. LOL.


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Lyric video for TARJA's new song "Never Enough" online
"Colours In The Dark", Tarja's new album will be released in Europe on August 23rd via earMUSIC. The official lyric video for the new song "Never Enough" is now online and available.
The video was filmed in Zlin, Czech Republic and Tarja says: "I didn't want to make a traditional, boring lyric video for the song, so I appear on the video not just the lyrics of the song. This video is not what we can call the official first music video from my new album, but just an improved version of a lyric video."
"Colours In The Dark" was mixed and mastered by Tim Palmer in Austin, Texas. With ten brand new songs and over one hour of music, fans of Tarja look forward to the release.
Tarja will perform the new songs in the "Colours In The Dark Tour 2013" starting with her forthcoming tour in Europe.
Visit www.tarja-coloursinthedark.com for more info & updates!
Posted on May 31, 2013, in News and tagged lyric video, never enough, tarja turunen. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.


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Financial advice to help you achieve your goals.
At SB One Bank, we offer a wealth services program through Ameriprise Financial Institutions Group, a channel of Ameriprise Financial Services. Through on-site financial planning and investment solutions, they partner with us to help you reach your financial goals. Contact your local branch to schedule a complimentary consultation with a qualified Financial Advisor for additional details.


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Populus deltoides
(Family Salicaceae)
Image by Kendall Villmer
Adult: The cottonwood is wide spreading deciduous tree. It is pyramidal in youth and can grow to 100 feet tall.
Stem: The stems are winged. They display a grayish-yellow color.
Bark: The bark of a mature Cottonwood is depply furrowed while being weak and brittle. It has a light greenish brown color.
Leaves: The stems are alternate, simple, deciduous leaves. The leaf is a lobed/ deltoid shape with undulate leaf margins. The leafs green in color with a grayish colored bottom. They can be anywhere from 2 to 5 inches in length.
Flowers: While the cottonwood is considered not to be ornamentally important, it produces a yellow catkin flower.
Flowering: Flowers in June or July.
Habitat: The Cottonwood is quite persistent being found commonly all over the U.S.
Native Status: It is native to eastern North America, and quite hardy in places.
Fruit: The Cottonwood produces a white cotton-like ball elongated capsule as a fruit. They range from 0.25-0.33 inches long.
Uses: The timber of the Cottonwood is used principally for lumber, veneer, fuel and much more. Recently it has been beat as one of the leading potential species for silviculture biomass production. Saliacylic acid can be derived from the tree and can be used as a coupling agent in dye intermediates, and in retarding the vulcanization process in rubber, as a preservative for glues and leather goods, and used in latex paints. The bark tincture has been used to treat rheumatism, gout, and scurvy and infections of the chest, kidneys, and stomach. The buds have been used as a vulnerary and pectoral.
Conservation Status: This plant is considered weedy or invasive.
Submitted by Kendall Villmer, July 2012.
Wichita State University
Generated on 2011. This website is continuously updated.
Comments can be sent to Mary Liz Jameson.
Designed by Bioadventures.


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Here is my Rip it Up for Ribbon Challenge Entry
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Rip it Up for Ribbon Challenge
Labels: Scrapbook Room
3 comments:
awww this is so COOL!!! Your style is so unique, and I really love how you added the little spot for your pen :)ReplyDelete
You rock!ReplyDelete
Hey did you see the new K&Company stuff in Scrapbooker's?? The Smash journals and all the Smash accessories and stuff... VERY COOL.. I love the style...
Thanks for taking the time to comment, I appreciate each one. All replies will be in the comment section, please check back to read them once I figure out how to use Blogger - LOL!
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Welcome visitor you can login or create an account.
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The Jordan Horizon delivers sport-inspired comfort with an upscale aesthetic. It gives you a dressed-up, post-game option without compromising the ride.
Jordan Horizon - Men's Black/Gym Red/Dark Grey/White buy GYSQVAY Product #:23581001
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On my quest to find the hautest shoes for Spring, I stumbled and literally fell over my own two feet when I saw the Yves Saint Laurent collection. Each and every one of these shoes (all available at SaksFifthAvenue.com), made me want to get a 4th or 5th job just to purchase them all and build a bigger closet to accommodate my new babies! See for yourself...
Suede and Metallic Leather T-Strap Sandals
Satin and Suede Colorblock Platform Pumps
Tie-Up Satin and Suede Platform Pump
Textured Jelly Platform Sandals
Suede Anchor-Stitched Wedge Sandal


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One of the top destinations in the world for a romantic weekend away and a popular choice for both pre and postnuptial celebrations, Las Vegas is a couple's haven. For couples hoping to experience Sin City in style, Pocket Vegas Visitor Map & Guide has compiled an exclusive Las Vegas coupons saving book perfect for any honeymoon, engagement or anniversary trip. Soak up the atmosphere with these Las Vegas offers….
Maverick Helicopter Vegas Fly Over
For a romantic rendezvous, Maverick's helicopter tours offer both daytime and evening flights over the famous city strip. Complete with a champagne toast, wedding tours can be arranged for a day with a difference. Throughout April, book with the Pocket Vegas Visitor Map and Guide Maverick Helicopter Vegas coupon and receive a discount plus free t-shirt.
Bootleg Flightlines Zip Lining
For those who want to see more of the beautiful Nevada desert, Bootleg Flightlines zip lining promises to leave your heart pounding. A full-blown adrenaline rush, the flight line is a great opportunity to challenge each other to a 60 mph race over Las Vegas' signature red mountains. Each of the four runs offers stunning views of canyons, valleys and even the Las Vegas strip. With one full price purchase, a Las Vegas Bootleg Flightlines coupon will get you another flight half price.
Double Helix Wine Bar
Celebrations and romantic holidays are not complete without a romantic evening out and a glass of wine of two. The refined Double Helix Wine Bar is the perfect place for an intimate tête-à-tête. Offering a 2nd bottle half price for one bottle purchased at full price, The Helix wine bar is great way to review the days adventures and get ready for a night on the town. Offering a double deal with a Vegas coupon, the Double Helix group is also offering a free appetizer with a purchase of two entrees at the new Wine & Whiskey Lounge at Town Square.
El Segundo Sol
Any night on the town needs to starts with a good dinner and a buzzing atmosphere. El Segundo Sol is just the place and is highly recommended with mouth-watering food and a free appetizer when presenting a Las Vegas Coupon.


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Job Description
About the Company
Our client is a Leading IT&T firm. As the business is growing rapidly, they are now looking for an experienced Senior Solution Specilist to support the team.
- Report to department head, work in a team of 5, liaise with internal and external parties on business solutions design
- To internal parties, obtain requirement from sales on solution desires, work with product marketing and project team on package and programs launch.
- To external parties, evaluate new products/services, source and dealing partnership, corporation with partners/vendors,
- University degree on Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Information Engineering or related disciplines
- Experience in pre-sales support and enterprise solution implementation
- 5 years relevent experience
- Proficient in spoken and written English and Chinese
Click "Apply Now" to apply for this position or call Tom Wong at +852 3180 4925 for a confidential discussion. All information collected will be kept in strict confidence and will be used for recruitment purpose only.


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If you're looking for a fresh and useful way to boost your business online, try your hand at article advertising. Writing great articles can bring more customers than ever to your site. This article will let you know how to get things off the ground.
Article Submission
To be successful with article advertising, you need to focus on both the quality and quantity of your articles on your site. Doing so will allow your readers to enjoy interesting and relevant content in multiple articles. The more you work at your writing, the easier it becomes. This will allow you to produce articles at a more rapid pace.
There are no secrets in the world of article marketing. Doing your own research can really make a difference. Article advertising is simply a type of marketing that focuses on posting niche-related content.
Success in article advertising can be linked to trial and error. By knowing what will work and what isn't going to work when you create an article, it can help you become more successful with time. When you know what works the best for you, you can tailor your articles and your writing to achieve these goals.
When writing for an article promotion project, avoid fracturing your work into more than one page. This is tempting to do, since the more pages you have the more advertising and keywords you can implement. This will make your site less annoying for readers to use. Encourage visitors to read your article by making it easy for them to receive it as a single page.
Make your articles accessible to your target audience in order to improve their marketing power. If your article is boring or tough to read, no one will read the whole article. Do not make your paragraphs long and use words which are familiar to most people.
Keep yourself up-to-date by using every article submission tool available. Lots of products are released each day to help you save time, money and energy when writing articles. Utilize all the help that is available. Marketing your articles is a very competitive endeavor.
Keep your website up to date with unique articles rather than filling it with previously published material. Article syndication is all about being unique and rising above the crowd. If you share an article that has already been posted hundreds of times already, you will only be putting yourself in competition with hundreds of other websites. Write totally unique content or license some limited-edition PLRs in order to stand out.
Strong organization and a lot of self discipline are paramount to developing good, solid information for article marketing. Make sure you have all of your resources sorted and ready to use before you start writing your articles. Establish a set time to focus on work every day so you will be able to make some measurable progress toward the goal of adding valuable data to your website.
You don't have to put an obsessive amount of work into your article promotion campaign. It does not take a long time to begin article marketing. Keep the methods you have learned from reading this article in mind, and you will soon see some great results.
Work From Home – CLICK HERE to Get Started
Much Success,
Joseph Montes
Ninja Marketing
Top 50 Blogs of 2013


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The Little Things Make All the Difference
When it comes to outdoor living and indoor home comfort, it can be the little things that make all the difference. Here at South Coast Hearth & Patio, we offer a wide selection of quality accessories for your home, a variety of products that can put the finishing touches on your next home improvement project.
Hearth Accessories
When purchasing hearth accessories, there are two major factors to consider- Will this product do what it is designed to do? and Will this product last for years to come? At South Coast Hearth & Patio we work with the industry's leading producers …
Fireplace Tools
You can count on South Coast Hearth & Patio for all of your fireplace tool needs, everything from sweepers, to pokers, to fire logs and screens.
CO2 Alarms
CO2 is a deadly substance that cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, which makes owning a reliable, long lasting CO2 alarm a vital part of any household.
Child & Pet Gates
When you have a stove or fireplace in your home and you also have children or pets, it is crucial that you protect your little ones with a child and pet-proof gate.
Grill Accessories
Grill better and grill cleaner with the full selection of top quality grill accessories at South Coast Hearth & Patio.


text: On August 1st, Chautauqua County Health Network hosted a regional DSRIP update meeting at SUNY JCC in Fredonia. 52 individuals were in attendance from different community partners in the region to present updates on their work being done for DSRIP. The New York State (NYS) Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) Program´s purpose is to fundamentally restructure the health care delivery system by reinvesting in the Medicaid program, with the primary goal of reducing avoidable hospital use by 25 percent by 2020. If we maintain our current reduction rates, the state will achieve a 33.14% reduction over baseline for potentially preventable readmission and 26.9% reduction for potentially preventable emergency room visits. Currently, we are in demonstration year three and measurement year four. Community partners provided handouts to showcase available resources and services throughout our county that align with our DSRIP objectives. Through collective impact, many different community partners have been collaborating to meet the goals for DSRIP.


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So I didn't mention this yet, but in addition to a cyclist and a photographer, I'm also an ambassador. Of sorts. Let me explain.
You see, this year Finland celebrates its 100th birthday. Among countless other events and occasions, one of the ways we celebrate our independence milestone is by having four Nature Days throughout the year. These are special days when all Finns are encouraged to go outside and enjoy our wonderful free nature, that we are fortunate to have so much of.
Somehow I was chosen as one of the ambassadors to these Nature Day events. Mostly because I had the crazy idea to cycle into all 39 Finnish National Parks a couple summers ago and blog about my adventures and mishaps. (Photo gallery)
The first Nature Day was to celebrate winter on Feb 4th. That time I organized an event with my friend Olli Järvenkylä. Who also happens to be a fellow nature ambassador, because he had the crazy idea to spend 100 days outdoors in one particular national park and blog about his adventures and mishaps. Together with some fellow students from the Sámi Education Institute, we spent the day outside building quintzees (snow shelters) big enough to sleep in. I made a quick little video of the activities that you can watch here.
The second Nature Day for spring is a week from now on Saturday May 20th. This time the plan is to gather some people for a simple bike trip to a nearby laavu (a Finnish lean-to). That date happens to coincide with the last official sunset before the midnight sun period begins, so it's quite likely we'll be sitting by the fire and frying sausages well into the nightless night.
So if you are in Finland - or anywhere for that matter - I warmly recommend taking your bike out for a little field trip on that day to celebrate Finnish - or anywhere's - nature with good friends and good food.


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Running ahead of schedule, at 10:22 pm PST on Sunday, October 15, 2017, the Byzantium fork went live at block 4,370,000. As previously covered by ETHNews, the Byzantium hard fork encompasses enhancements to the Ethereum network by integrating Ethereum Improvement Protocols designed to provide the system with a number of new benefits while weaning miners off proof-of-work consensus.
Reactions to the successful update took many forms and developers weren't shy about sharing celebratory tweets:
Hard fork celebration! pic.twitter.com/mL1ZyJOYeA— Vitalik Buterin (@VitalikButerin) October 16, 2017
happy #byzantium hardfork from the @ParityTech offices #ethereum pic.twitter.com/ayImqaVjKh— Afri 5chdn (@5chdn) October 16, 2017
The update was not without hiccups; one bug was identified shortly before the planned hard fork and quickly nipped in the bud by fast-acting developers, as noted by Hudson Jameson of the Ethereum Foundation:
Interesting fact about geth release this morning: it took one hour from the time the bug was discovered to patch it and alert everyone 👍— Hudson Jameson [2X] (@hudsonjameson) October 14, 2017
After the upgrade, developers continued to monitor the progress of block confirmations as the difficulty adjusted. To that end, Buterin issued a status update at 5:46 am October 16:
1200 blocks into Byzantium so far so good. Difficulty almost fully readjusted, block times already back below 20s. https://t.co/4oxHwA1Uhh— Vitalik Buterin (@VitalikButerin) October 16, 2017
Hard forks such as the Byzantium update would not have smooth deployments, if not for the cooperation of many individuals and entities – a testament to the robust community from which Ethereum continues to grow and evolve.


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Siding Installation
The professionals at Specialty Window & Door bring experience, dedication and a positive attitude to every job site. Our team is fully equipped to install siding for residential properties. Our siding installation crews are trained to ensure that your property will be protected during construction as well as providing a daily clean up on projects. The professional team at Specialty Window & Door encourage you to take a moment to view the different types of vinyl siding our team offers, you can view the options below.
Different Types of Siding
Contact Us
Specialty Window & Door urges you to contact us with any questions regarding our siding services or any other general questions you may have. We look forward to speaking with you soon.


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The Anteater alum filled in as an interim role in 2016 taking UCI to a 17-9 recordRead more about Mike Saunders Named Men's Tennis Head Coach This post was shared via headlines-featured's RSS Feed. UCI Paper Shredding Company
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Celebrating the life of Tammy C. Flaherty
Be the first to share your favorite memory, photo or story of Tammy. This memorial page is dedicated for family, friends and future generations to celebrate the life of their loved one.
We ask on behalf of the family that you keep your comments uplifting and appropriate to help all who come here to find comfort and healing.
Tammy C. Flaherty passed away suddenly on October 8, 2018 at Berkshire Medical Center. Born August 16, 1959 she was the daughter of John H. Sr. and Kay Bailey Crosby.
She was the loving wife of Command Sergeant Major, USA(R) Gary Flaherty and is survived by her brother, John H. Crosby Jr.(Robin).
She was predeceased by her sister Nancy.
Tammy was the Site Manager - Canaan Senior Program, a member of the Canaan Protective Fire Company Fire Police, Corresponding Secretary of the Canaan Protective Fire Company, Secretary to The Town of Canaan Planning Board and Curator and Treasurer of the Canaan Historical Society.
She loved animals and particularly her cats. Tammy was totally involved with working along side her husband assisting Veterans and their families.
Family will receive friends Sunday from 1 to 3pm at the French, Gifford, Preiter & Blasl Funeral Home. Interment will be private on Monday at the Gerald B. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery.
Those who wish may contribute to the Canaan Fire Company or The Historical Society in her honor. Condolences may be conveyed at frenchblasl.com.
To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Tammy C. Flaherty, please visit our Tribute Store.
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TGI is back and this time it's serious. Over the next few instalments, we will be asking some pertinent questions surrounding music. The first concerns the use of ...On December 2, 2017 / By Bill Cummings
This is a book review. But Blue Book One: Dreamhouse is not a book. It is more like a blister-pack of coffee-table conversation pieces: a montage of photography, ...On February 5, 2014 / By Joe Bedford
It's not often that you get to see a double bill quite like this. Two legendary bands touring the UK together both with rich backgrounds and fantastic reputations. ...On April 24, 2013 / By Ben P Scott
25 years is a long time for some, but for one night at Koko, it seemed like only yesterday as Living Colour revisited their breakthrough album ...On March 10, 2013 / By Mark Williams
© 2004 - 2016 God is in the TV. All rights reserved.


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Chocolate: The Exhibition
|May 2, 2012 at 6:00 pm
|May 2, 2012 at 6:00 pm
A unique tree in a lush tropical environment. A seed so precious it was used as money. A spicy drink and a sweet snack. Chocolate is all this…and much more. Explore the relationship between human culture and this rainforest treasure in Chocolate, at Turtle Bay Exploration Park.
Chocolate will immerse you in a sweet experience, engage all your senses, and reveal facets of chocolate you've never thought about before. You'll explore the plant, the products, the history, and the culture of chocolate through the lenses of botany and ecology, anthropology and economics, conservation and popular culture. Exhibit runs from May 3 to September 9, 2012.
A special preview event, "Chocolate After Dark" is set for Wednesday, May 2, from 6 p.m - 8 p.m. It's Turtle Bay's newest and most delicious event ever! For $35/ticket, you'll enjoy an evening of unique chocolate delicacies, distinctive wine tastings and an exclusive preview of our newest exhibition Chocolate: The Exhibition. With limited tickets available, this fabulous event is sure to sell out, so don't wait – get your tickets today!
And if all that sets your mouth to watering, we'll send you off with a chocolate treat to satisfy your cravings.


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James Oler, former Bountiful leader of the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) was convicted on May 17, 2019 of delivering his underage daughter to the states for sex. He will be sentenced next month.
While media report the child as being 15, Oler's sister Esther Palmer, in a presentation earlier this month at the North Vancouver Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW), said Oler took not one, but two of his daughters, when they were 12 and 13, to the states for sexual purposes. One of the daughters is now speaking about her experience of Warren Jeffs having sex with her when she was 12, and of his giving her the morning after pill.
Despite Bountiful's Winston Blackmore and James Oler being convicted of polygamy in June 2018 and given house arrest for six and three months respectively, Palmer stated that polygamous marriages are continuing in Bountiful with authorities not enforcing the law when it is brought to their attention.
In her presentation, Palmer spoke about being raised in Bountiful with no education about politics or society in Canada, or about her rights as a Canadian citizen under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Palmer went on to say girls and women in Bountiful have no concept of consent, of their right to say no to sex, are refused birth control, and have no control over how their bodies are used. They have no understanding that how they are treated is considered abuse under the Charter.


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Harman Grubisa Fran Pant - Navy
Or 6 payments from $59.83 What's this?
A high waisted, bootleg pant, with topstitch detailing, cut in a two-way stretch. The Fran pant is cut to fit and flatter. - Stretch fit, runs true to size - High waisted with belt loops - Model featured wears an AU | NZ Size 6 sitting just below the waist & is 5'9" in height. Care & Content Powder Blue 62% Polyester 32% Viscose 6% Elastane Turkish Origin Dry clean Only Navy 93% Cotton 7% Lycra Cold was with like colours inside out, warm iron on reverse, hang to dry, close all fastenings prior to wash. Do not tumble dry.


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Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2009
Published: July 7, 2009
Pages: 325
Form: Paperback
Series: A Witchcraft Mystery
Author: Juliet Blackwell
Buy The Book: B&N | Book Depository
Lily Ivory is not your average witch. Her spell-casting powers tend to draw mischievous spirits while keeping normal humans at a distance. But now her vintage store could give her a chance to make friends in San Francisco.
Lily hopes for a normal life when she opens Aunt Cora's Closet. With her magical knack for vintage fashion-she can sense vibrations of the past from clothing and jewelry-her store becomes a hit.
But when a client is murdered and children start disappearing from the Bay Area, Lily may be the only one who can unravel the crime. She tries to keep her identity a secret while investigating, but it's not easy-especially under the spells of sexy "myth buster" Max Carmichael and powerful witch Aidan Rhodes. Will Lily's witchy ways be forced out of the closet?
My Thoughts:
This book was quite a little adventure. I love mysteries, especially if they involve a little something extra like magic, and Blackwell nailed it with this one. Lily settles in San Francico and opens a shop selling antiques and vintage clothing. While getting new inventory from old Mrs. Potts, she hears the ominous cry of an infamous demon. Despite casting a spell protecting her, Lily soon finds that Mrs. Potts has indeed died and a child has been snatched from the neighborhood.
Lily is an interesting sort of witch in that she kind of just wants to lead a normal life and fit in. But she's good to a fault, and feels responsible when Frances Potts dies. Although she's powerful, she still has a lot to learn and her best attribute and biggest flaw is her unwavering self-reliance. Lily is sweet, and humble, and doesn't like to ask for help, even when it's necessary. But she's the kind of person that people are happy to help and do things for.
Max is one of those people who fall under her spell, despite his skepticism in her abilities. I liked Max from his very first appearance in the book. He's very smooth, but not in a slick sort of way. And I like the easy conversation and camaraderie he and Lily have throughout the book. He's also very handsome, in a rugged way, brave, and protective. My kinda guy for sure.
The pace of this story was excellent, and Blackwell did an awesome job of revealing clues and circumstances at the right time. There were many times I felt as if I was in the novel. The book enveloped me so much in parts to the point I felt my pulse quicken and fear creep into my heart. All throughout the novel I had no idea where the story would end up. Of course I took a guess it being a mystery and all, and I was completely wrong. Definitely kept me hanging on until the very end. And the supporting characters were great too. I especially like her familiar Oscar. He kind of reminds me of Dobby the way he's described.
Overall, lovely book and great mystery. I will definitely look forward to reading the rest of this series.
Filed in: Fiction, Mystery, Reviews Tags: Books, Fiction, Juliet Blackwell, Mystery, Review
4 Responses to "Review: Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell"
Have you ever read Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble (Jolie Wilkins, #1) by H.P. Mallory?
Based on your review, SS kind of reminds me of that book. And I had so much fun reading FBaCB, so I'm sure I'd enjoy this one too!
Thanks for putting this book on my radar, Jade.
This is cute! You always pick the cute ones.
Now I'm even more excited to read this one! Great review!


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Hi all, Bryan the owner here. As many of you are aware, we offer a Subscription Service as a way for you to stay current with routine releases without having to preorder every time. It's perfect for games that have a constant release schedule, such as living card games, miniatures games, or roleplaying games that produce on a regular basis. In addition to the added customer service, it also helps us ensure that our inventory levels for popular and routinely-produced items are following relative demand.
However, over the years games will stop or radically change how they are produced, or the relative demand for a game shifts over time. As such, our list of subscriptions is becoming a bit clogged with games that are, frankly, interfering with newer or more routine release schedules. A good example is the Firefly Board Game. While still an excellent game with a strong following, the release schedule has dropped off significantly, to the point where a new release is no longer something we would call "routine." Also, we have found that most of the fans of a particular game line already know about these releases, and are even preordering them anyway (often because they forgot they had a subscription).
And sometimes, a line is just too confusing to efficiently maintain. A good example is Shadespire, where some customers want new factions, but not new dice. Or they want sleeves, but not boards. For a game line like that, there is so much variance that there is no "common" type of release.
As a result, we are going to be paring down our lists, and removing some games from the subscription pool. We will be creating a list of "subscribe-able" games and posting that to our web site. That will make our subscription service more efficient, and easier for customers to be aware of. You may be contacted either by phone or email that a game you had on subscription is affected by this editing. While I don't think this will be an issue in most cases, please let us know if this is a significant inconvenience – we will do what we can to take care of you.
I also want to reiterate that removing a game from the subscription lists is not an indication of our devotion or love for that game! For example, we are big fans of Ticket to Ride, but one release a year does not a subscription warrant. 🙂
Here is a preliminary list of the games we will be keeping on the subscription lists. It will very likely change in the short-term as we begin our editing process, and will certainly change in the long-term due to the reasons mentioned above and as new games are released.
- A Game of Thrones: The Card Game
- Arkham Horror: The Card Game
- Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn
- Dungeons & Dragons Official Hardcovers
- Elder Sign
- Eldritch Horror
- Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game
- Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
- Mansions of Madness
- Mystic Vale
- Smash Up
- Star Wars Armada
- Star Wars Imperial Assault
- Star Wars Legion
- Star Wars X-Wing
- T.I.M.E. Stories
- White Dwarf Magazine
Thanks for reading, and please let me know if you have any questions.
– Bryan


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As we begin to embrace both the sorrow of the Newtown massacre and the joy of Christmas, it is good to return to the classic holiday stories. My class of five and I sat around our fireplace yesterday morning, rain falling outside, our meeting room festooned with a tree, two mangers and several bright red Santa Clauses carved out of walnut. The wind bustled, slap dashing against the windows as we read Nabokov, Dickens, Truman Capote, and Russell Banks. And listened to Dylan Thomas reading A Child's Christmas in Wales.
Our spirits came together as we heard Truman Capote in A Christmas Memory tell the story of his Christmas as a young boy in Monroeville Alabama, living with relatives in a big house. His close friend and constant companion, a sixty-year-old female relative, looked like "a bantam rooster." At Christmas, they gathered their pennies (they are quite poor) and made thirty fruit cakes, distributing them to "people who have struck their fantasy" like President Roosevelt, the local bus driver and Haha Jones who supplied them with whiskey for the cakes. Buddy's companion is full of wisdom. She reflects, "there's never two of anything." And, toward the end of the story, she says, "I've always thought that a body would have to be sick and dying before they saw the Lord….But I'll wager that at the very end a body realizes that the Lord has already shown himself. That things as they are – her hand circles in a gesture that gathers clouds and kites and grass and Queenie pawing earth over her bone—just what they've always seen, was seeing Him. As for me, I could leave the world with today in my eyes." Words like this calm our spirit and heal us. Read Capote's story aloud to your family and friends, and smile.
And then, revisit A Christmas Carol and remember the transformation of Scrooge once he was visited by the spirits. After his encounters with the ghosts,
"He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!"
If you have another moment, listen to A Child's Christmas in Wales, read by Dylan Thomas. This tale will make you laugh and you will marvel at the music of the language. Listening together with friends and family will bring you close.
Happy Holidays and let's keep the radiance of today in our eyes and rejoice in our loved ones.


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Buoy Planter
Buoy Planter
Bright yellow dipped planter on white stonewear.
Available as-is or can be made to order.
Example shown is 6" wide by 4.5" tall.
contact me for custom orders.
shipping note: I'm currently selling locally within NYC. When checking out, enter your any address for shipping, and we then can arrange offline an in-person handoff to avoid shipping charges. If you're not in NYC and interested, please contact me first before checking out.


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OP-ED: Behold the Democrat Politician Protection Act
by Sen. Mitch McConnell
For the past two years, our united Republican government drained money and power from Washington and returned it to states, communities and families. From middle-class tax cuts to regulatory reform, we took this approach and watched the nation thrive more as a result. Democrats have a different philosophy. After November's elections, everyone knew Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the new House would send the Senate far-left proposals to retighten Washington's grip on the country. And right on cue, even… Continue Reading
OP-ED: I'm proud of our vote to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh
by Sen. Mitch McConnell
Oct. 6, 2018, was a proud day for the U.S. Senate. We fulfilled one of our most critical constitutional duties and confirmed Brett M. Kavanaugh, a stunning legal mind and an exemplary federal judge, as the newest associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. The stakes are always high when the Senate considers a Supreme Court nomination. But the shameful spectacle that unfolded in recent weeks raised the stakes higher still. By the end, senators were not merely deciding whether to confirm an imp… Continue Reading
OP-ED: After Historic Year Under President Trump and Republican Congress, the State of our Union is Strong
by Sen. Mitch McConnell
When President Trump delivers his State of the Union address, he will have outstanding news to share. After a decade of sluggish growth and stagnant paychecks, our country is back on the right track. Optimism is sweeping across the country, and the economy is finally gaining momentum. The Trump administration has worked with the Republican Congress to improve the lives of the American people. While liberal Washington Democrats have obstructed the president's agenda at every turn to satisfy the… Continue Reading
OP-ED: Democrats reap what they have sown
by Sen. Mitch McConnell
The day after Neil Gorsuch's nomination to the Supreme Court was announced, I wrote about his sterling credentials, record of independence and long history of bipartisan support - and predicted they would matter little to hard-left special interests that invariably oppose the Supreme Court nominees of any Republican president. I asked Democrats to ignore those extreme voices and their attacks and join us instead in giving Gorsuch fair consideration and an up-or-down vote, as we did for the first… Continue Reading
OP-ED: Gorsuch's confirmation worth the fight
by Sen. Mitch McConnell
After the tragic passing of Justice Antonin Scalia last year, I promised that the Supreme Court vacancy would not be filled in the middle of a hotly contested presidential election. The American people needed to have a voice in the consideration of Justice Scalia's successor. On Friday, we saw the long-awaited results of that commitment. Kentuckians spoke when they helped elect President Trump, and the U.S. Senate listened when it confirmed Judge Neil Gorsuch. Even when many thought that Hilla… Continue Reading
OP-ED: Give Neil Gorsuch an Up-Or-Down Vote
by Sen. Mitch McConnell
Judge Neil Gorsuch is an exceptional nominee for the Supreme Court. He's recognized by people on both sides of the aisle as an accomplished, principled and fair jurist. When he was nominated to his current seat on the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in 2006, no one cast a single negative vote against his nomination: not then-Senators Obama, or Clinton, or Biden, or Kennedy - and not the current Democratic leader of the Senate, Sen. Chuck Schumer, either. Back then, Senator Schumer found G… Continue Reading
OP-ED: Democrats, ditch the apocalyptic rhetoric on Judge Gorsuch
by Sen. Mitch McConnell
The president made an outstanding choice with his nomination Tuesday of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Justice Antonin Scalia's passing was a significant loss for the court and for our country. Gorsuch's impressive background and long record of service, however, give me confidence he will carry forward Scalia's legacy of faithfully applying the law and the Constitution. Like Scalia, Gorsuch understands the constitutional limits on his authority, and he knows that the duty of a judge i… Continue Reading
OP-ED: ObamaCare failed Americans. Now it's time for relief
by Sen. Mitch McConnell
By nearly any measure, ObamaCare has failed: It didn't lower costs, it didn't increase choice, middle-class families continue to lose health plans they were promised they could keep, and Americans continue to call for ObamaCare's repeal. They spoke loudly again this November, and about 8 out of 10 favor changing ObamaCare significantly or replacing it altogether. We in Congress hear you, and we have already begun to act. The Senate is currently working to pass the legislative tools to bring r… Continue Reading
OP-ED: Face it, Obamacare has failed
by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Rising health care costs have become the hallmark of a partisan Obamacare law that was sold with promises to lower them. The Obama White House just announced that health care premiums will rise again this year for millions of Americans by an almost unbelievable 25% under Obamacare. And that's just a national average. Many Pennsylvanians face hikes in their health premiums as high as 55%; Oklahomans up to 69%, and Arizonans as much as 116%. Behind these numbers are the stories of families and in… Continue Reading
OP-ED: Time to Act on Bill That Provides Critical Funding
by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Next week the Senate will vote on legislation - the so-called continuing resolution or CR - that will address Zika, veterans programs, severe flooding, the heroin and prescription opioid crisis, and fund the operations of the government through December. After many weeks of bipartisan negotiations, there is some understandable confusion over just what is and is not in that bill. I'm happy to clear it up. First, this is what's known as a "clean" CR. It's a clean bill because of what it doesn't … Continue Reading
OP-ED: Addressing a National Epidemic
by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
My office receives a great deal of correspondence each day, from letters of support for a piece of legislation to personal anecdotes urging congressional action. One letter my office received was a personal story from a Kentucky mother who lives in Florence. "I am writing to you," she said, "on behalf of my son and so many others that have lost or [are] on the verge of losing a loved one due to heroin use. My son is still with me. I want to save his life…" A few years ago, her son left … Continue Reading
OP-ED: Back To Work For The American People
by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
When the American people elected a new Republican majority in 2014, they called for the Senate to get back to work. From day one, that's what this majority has set out to accomplish - and we've gotten a lot done as a result. Consider what we were able to achieve for the American people last year alone. Enacting permanent tax relief for families and small businesses. Bringing an end to a job-killing energy embargo from the 1970s. Rebuilding our nation's crumbling infrastructure with the most si… Continue Reading
OP-ED: Senate approves aviation bill to make flying safer, more passenger friendly
by Mitch McConnell
Many Americans are rightly concerned about airport security after the tragic terrorist attacks at an airport in Brussels, Belgium that killed dozens of innocent civilians, including a young woman from Kentucky and her husband, and wounded more than 200 others. The Kentuckians I meet want to know what their government is doing to improve safety and security - including at airports - in light of horrific attacks like these. The safety of every American who flies is a top priority for the new Repu… Continue Reading
OP-ED: 5 Broken Promises Americans Are Remembering On ObamaCare's 6th Anniversary
by Mitch McConnell
Exactly six years ago, Obamacare was signed into law after being forced through Congress over the objections of the American people. Many warned that this partisan law's promises couldn't be kept, that health costs and taxes - rather than jobs - would go up, and that its implementation would be a predictable mess. These are reasons why every Republican voted against the partisan law. I wish these predictions hadn't been correct, but the fact that they are reminds us why we need to build a bridg… Continue Reading
OP-ED: Let the people have a voice
by Mitch McConnell
The next Supreme Court justice could fundamentally alter the direction of the court and our country for a generation, and the American people deserve a voice in such a momentous decision. This fair and reasonable approach is what Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and I announced weeks ago and reiterated personally to the president. Our determination to allow the American people to have a voice has always been about a principle, not a person. It's called the "Biden Rule." As Vic… Continue Reading
OP-ED: Senate Passes Bill to Address Nation's Prescription Opioid and Heroin Crisis
by Mitch McConnell
Across Kentucky, people are now routinely dying from the abuse of prescription pain pills and heroin. More than 1,000 Kentuckians die every year from drug overdose, according to the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy. That's more than are lost to fatal car crashes. This problem rips families apart and ravages our communities-and the rate of drug abuse is growing. That's why, as Senate majority leader, I made passing the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) - introduced by Sen. Ro… Continue Reading
OP-ED: Democrats shouldn't rob voters of chance to replace Scalia
by Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Grassley
Appointed by President Ronald Reagan and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 1986, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was a towering figure whose sharp wit and formidable intellect were rivaled only by a decades-long fidelity to our founding document and an enduring commitment to the rule of law. His death stands as a tragic loss for our country. Finding the right person to take the seat he occupied will clearly be a monumental task. It may be a consequential challenge, but we think it's o… Continue Reading
OP-ED: Administration and Congress should work together to address the Zika virus
by Mitch McConnell
Like many Kentuckians, I'm concerned about the Zika virus and the growing number of reports of people infected. In a recent meeting with President Obama at the White House, I raised the spread of this virus and what it could mean for Kentucky and the country as we head into warmer weather this spring and summer. Millions of people in Latin America and the Caribbean have been diagnosed with the Zika virus, which is transmitted primarily by mosquitoes. There are several isolated cases of American… Continue Reading
OP-ED: Promise kept: Senate passes Obamacare repeal legislation
by Mitch McConnell
When I became the Senate Majority Leader one year ago, I pledged to Kentuckians and to the American people that a new Republican Senate would work to repeal Obamacare, the most disastrous law in a generation. So I'm proud to report that the Senate has succeeded in this important task. Under my leadership, a majority of the U.S. Senate voted to repeal Obamacare, and passed the first repeal bill out of the Senate since this law's enactment. For the first time, the President will be forced to make … Continue Reading
OP-ED: Obama takes his reckless energy plan to the United Nations
by Mitch McConnell
It would obviously be irresponsible for an outgoing president to purport to sign the American people up to international commitments based on a domestic energy plan that is likely illegal, that half the states have sued to halt, that Congress has voted to reject and that his successor could do away with in a few months' time. But that's just what President Obama is proposing to do at a U.N. climate conference in Paris starting Monday. The president's international negotiating partners at that c… Continue Reading


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Kathleen F., Manor, TX
Real Patient Review submitted through SleepSomatics online quality assurance system on June 30, 2016 10:09 AM:
Josuha is amazing! He made the training process on using the CPAP Therapy equipment so easy. His intelligence and knowledge of the CPAP Therapy product was noticeable. When I left the clinic I knew that when I got home to use my CPAP Therapy I would not have any issues. He made sure of that. He went over everything in great detail. He is awesome!


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Following a review of Government online services by Martha Lane Fox, the Government Digital Service set about developing Gov.uk as the single online home for all Government's public facing content and services. Bringing together the information and transactions of 24 Ministerial departments.
RedEye was selected to deliver user testing to help ensure the site achieved a high level of usability during a critical period when content from the major Government Departments was being converged.
RedEye's innovative mix of lab-based user testing with eyetracking, remote testing and home testing for disabled users, together with their extensive experience in working with Government websites and stakeholders helped them to secure the contract.
RedEye's UX team worked with the Government Digital Service to design a series of tests to investigate and optimise the user experience. User test sessions were conducted at RedEye's lab in central London, and using a mobile lab set up in Bristol and Leeds. Remote testing sessions helped to spread the geographic reach wider and include some more niche user types. Three rounds of testing explored the new Inside Government section of the site with professional users whose jobs require them to regularly seek information from several Government sources. One round concentrated on general public users with a particular focus on tasks which required more extensive journeys.
Whilst core GDS team members observed on-site at RedEye's usability lab, secure live web streaming was used to enable GDS team members and stakeholders from around the country to view the user sessions as they happened to create greater engagement with the process.
After each round of testing RedEye produced a detailed report of prioritised issues and recommendations, and held a workshop session to discuss these with GDS and the relevant Government departments.
Following each round of testing, changes were made to the website in response to the recommendations made. The structure of the guides which form the core content of the site was changed after analysis of the general public testing showed that users were not able to navigate effectively.
A critical change made as a result of the testing was a re-design of the navigation menu within Inside Government. Analysis showed that previously difficult to and content consultations and statistics (both of vital importance to professional users) had an uplift in page views of 290% and almost 500% respectively. The website was awarded the prestigious Design of the Year award in April 2013.
I am delighted that the GOV.UK website has won the Design of The Year award in 2013. For the first time, people can find out what's happening inside government, all in one place, and in a clear and consistent format. It is just another example of Britain's world class design talent standing out on the global stage.
Rt Hon David Cameron
I am delighted that the GOV.UK website has won the Design of The Year award in 2013. For the first time, people can find out what's happening inside government, all in one place, and in a clear and consistent format. It is just another example of Britain's world class design talent standing out on the global stage.
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Otherworldly Evil Monarch - Chapter 230
Chapter 230 - The Twelve Levels of Spirit Xuan, each level scaling to the sky!
Jun Mo Xie had lost his patience after watching the Solitary Falcon obsessing endlessly with himself, and hence, blatantly asked the one question he most wanted the answer to.
It seems that this guy just doesn't understand what a 'hint' really is! Mildly hinting at things is a complete waste of energy since he's simply blind to them... it's just better to be straightforward around him ah.
''Who told you that about the Spirit Xuan realm? That it's the highest realm?'' the Solitary Falcon batted his eyelids twice as he stared at Jun Mo Xie with a sour taste in his mouth. He was busy imagining defeating two of the most powerful factions in the world, singlehandedly, like a valiant hero, but was suddenly interrupted by Jun Mo Xie's question, like a soldier by a truce.
''That is just wrong! How is Spirit Xuan the highest realm? This is a big joke!''
''Oh... then... is there a realm higher than Spirit Xuan? Allow me to learn something from your vast experience and knowledge.'' Though Jun Mo Xie was intentionally playing dumb, he really didn't know anything on this topic in reality either: ''Are you telling me that Great Masters aren't Spirit Xuan experts? But then what are they?''
''You fool!'' the Solitary Falcon's anger rose in resentment since the young master Jun was failing to meet his expectations: ''A Spirit Xuan expert is a Spirit Xuan expert, and a 'Great Master' is a 'Great Master'! Get it? The strength of a Spirit Xuan is too mediocre, and hence your assertion is plainly baseless and muddled!''
''Oh?'' Jun Mo Xie's eyes opened wide in surprise.
''Xuan Qi is the world's most amazing thing!'' the Solitary Falcon's face turned as solemn as a pilgrim's.
Jun Mo Xie heart secretly quacked a few contemptuous laughs: Xuan Qi is the world's most amazing thing? My 'Art of Unlocking the Heaven's Fortune's' Aura is a thousand times more powerful;what would you call that, huh?
''Xuan Qi can delay aging, enhance physical strength, make people live longer, move mountains and drain seas, call the winds and summon the rains... with it, you can do anything you want!'' the Solitary Falcon's eyes were fanatical: ''But people still use it just as a means of killing others...''
''Move mountains and drain the seas? Do anything you want?'' Jun Mo Xie stood up, this time however, in genuine surprise! The young master Jun's eyes were practically popping out of their sockets, while his chin had almost hit the ground.
''Hum, maybe this Old Man exaggerated things a bit...'' the Solitary Falcon proudly added: ''But your master is the most obvious example, he obliterated an entire Maple Forest with just one wave of his hand, tch, tch, I believe that this miraculous feat was still just a little peek into his true abilities ...''
''Oh ...'' Jun Mo Xie sat down in discouragement, like a ball which had just been deflated.
The inference he had made from this, had left him paralyzed...
''A person with a Xuan Qi realm below the Ninth level is just an ant;even though this sentence is correct, it is still not completely true.'' The Solitary Falcon continued: ''The Ninth Level is so low that it can't even compare to ants. The correct statement should be: A person with cultivation below the Spirit Xuan realm is an ant!''
''That would mean that only a handful of people are worthy of being called humans.'' Jun Mo Xie muffled in an authentic manner. ''The rest would just be ants.''
''There are twelve levels above the Spirit Xuan realm;the normal people are just at the beginning of things;they are nothing more than a joke for someone at such high levels!'' the Solitary Falcon's body language was clearly exuding his pride and arrogance: ''And the twelve levels of Spirit Xuan, each scales to the sky!''
''The twelve levels of Spirit Xuan, each scales to the sky?'' Jun Mo Xie silently repeated the sentence, and then asked: ''What does this mean?''
''Just the way Spirit Xuan realm is above Sky Xuan, these twelve levels are above Spirit Xuan;advancing each subsequent each level from the first to the twelfth is just as difficult as ascending to the heavens! Moreover, the gap between each of these levels can only be compared to the disparity between the land, and the sky! Therefore, each of these twelve levels scales to the sky!''
The Solitary Falcon hummed, and then said: ''The twelfth level is the real practice of Xuan Qi in my eyes, and only person who has entered into the twelfth level can be regarded as a real man! The difference between the twelfth level and a mere Spirit Xuan is so great that a Spirit Xuan isn't even worthy of realizing it! In fact, he wouldn't even be qualified to have any knowledge of it!''
''So you've already crossed a few levels?'' Jun Mo Xie asked out of curiosity.
''This old man, and old Feng Juan Yun are currently at the fifth level, which is the minimum requirement to be considered a Great Master.'' The Solitary Falcon went mute for a while after finishing his sentence. ''Fifth level... I don't know if I'll ever be able to reach the sixth level... alas ...
''The fifth level... because anyone under the fifth level is unworthy of being traditionally called a 'Great Master' since such martial artists don't truly have the desire to become 'Great';a Spirit Xuan expert isn't necessarily a Great Master, but a Great Master is bound to be a Spirit Xuan!
''The rise to the fifth level is the first of the large gaps! In fact, one needs to put a huge amount of effort to break into the fifth level, and only then are they able to comprehend the true abilities of the fifth realm;and this new understanding helps them in vaguely borrowing the power from their surroundings for their own usage... that's what makes them 'Great Masters'! And anyone under the fifth realm simply cannot fathom the power this level allows a person to derive from his surroundings... as a result, even a peak fourth level Spirit Xuan expert is still just a Spirit Xuan expert! And not a 'Great Master'!''
''So, Yun Bie Chen and the Li Jue Tian are presumably at the twelfth level of the Spirit Xuan realm?'' the knowledge of this new world had left Jun Mo Xie feeling as if his eyes had been opened all of a sudden.
''No, that's not the case!'' the Solitary Falcon shook his head, but didn't give any justifications. Even though Jun Mo Xie asked, he remained silent. Following a long silence, he finally spoke up in a faint tone: ''Yun Bie Chen has only reached the peak of the eighth level...
''The theory about these twelve levels have been derived from a distant legend which states that there comes a huge barrier in-between these levels after every four, such as, from fourth to fifth, from eighth to ninth... for example, the difference between the fourth and the fifth levels is so massive, that one goes from being called a Spirit Xuan expert to a 'Great Master'!'' Since he had already decided to tell the young master Jun about this, the Solitary Falcon saw no harm in explaining things in proper detail to further Jun Mo Xie's knowledge and understanding.
''If that's so, then what is above the eighth level of the Spirit Xuan realm? And since Yun Bie Chen is also only at the eighth level, the person who breaks into the ninth level first, will become the first one in the world to do so!''
The young master Jun had only mentioned this point since he was calculating the speed of his entry to the Spirit Xuan realm, I should be able to reach the Spirit Xuan realm in about three to five years' time at this rate, and hence he was naturally intrigued by the level even the Eight Great Masters hadn't reached yet!
''The eighth level of the Spirit Xuan realm is a new world altogether;and even I'm not qualified enough to have any knowledge of it... only Yun Bie Chen, Li Jue Tian and those people from the Tian Fa forest are qualified and eligible to speak on it, that is, of course, it we don't take your master into account. Your master's realm is far higher than any of my generations', in fact, his cultivation is so high that even if Yun Bie Chen could confidentially claim to catch up with him someday, a man like myself can only dream of writing about it.''
The Solitary Falcon sighed, stood up, walked over to the bedside, pulled out a jar of wine from-under the bed, opened its seal, and drained a mouthful of it down his throat, in the hope that its embrace would help in soothing the desolation of his anxieties.
''This partitioning of the cultivation levels is very baffling!'' Jun Mo Xie suddenly took a deep breath;the differentiation in this world's strength levels is so strange, and harsh! In case you haven't reached the stage yet, you're not even qualified enough to learn about it...
The facts still aren't clear though, in fact, even though the twelve levels are quite well differentiated, but if one were to follow this context, then all levels would appear the same on the surface... but the internal discrepancies between the levels would still be very strict. So basically, the lower levels would never be able to understand the higher ones, and even if the situation changes with respect to the levels, this basic fact would still apply universally...
Everything that I had previously heard from my Grandfather and Uncle were nothing more than worldly rumors. Perhaps that's more than what the others know, but it still means that a Sky Xuan expert will never be able to withstand the strength of someone that strong!
And from what the Solitary Falcon just said, there's always a new world to be opened. So, will Yun Bie Chen and Li Jue Tian be able to attain these transformations? Although they are in the same realm as the Solitary Falcon, but they are still a few levels above him... so it really won't be surprising if he doesn't even have any knowledge of it yet!
But, where does the peak of this world's cultivation end?
For a long time, Jun Mo Xie was so lost in his thoughts that he completely forgot to regret over his precious, twelve thousand taels a jar, wine...
''So, the Silver Blizzard City, and the Xue Hun manor... you're not aware of what they could be capable of?'' Jun Mo Xie raised his head;his eyes gleaming.
''The only thing this Old Man can say is... the Jun Family is both bold, and extremely lucky!'' the Solitary Falcon sighed in remorse;the mention of this matter depressed the Solitary Falcon's heart once again, and he couldn't help staring at Jun Mo Xie as a result.
''This is really bizarre! Your Jun Family is just a worldly Family, and yet you've survived for this long in front of the Silver Blizzard City;this is nothing short of a miracle.''
The Solitary Falcon shook his head again: ''Let's just leave the Xue Hun manor for the time being and talk about the Silver Blizzard city only;you simply shouldn't have provoked them just now! If I didn't know that you were being backed by a man of your master's strength, I would've simply patted you on your buttock, and left instead of accompanying you on this madness since this is practically like selling your life to the doorsteps of death ah;even though your offer is very attractive, I still value my life more!''
Even though the Solitary Falcon was being quite generous on the surface, only he knew the effort it was taking to hold back his vomit upon realizing that he had stepped into a hornet's nest...
''Is the Silver Blizzard City really that powerful? So powerful that we just don't stand any chances of victory?'' Jun Mo Xie frowned. I'm still confused after witnessing the Silver Blizzard City's Third Elder's strength... although he's a Spirit Xuan expert, but he simply isn't strong enough to compete against the Solitary Falcon... I just don't understand why he's talking about this matter in such a serious tone rather than boasting his own status...? The young master Jun's malicious mind simply couldn't fathom this calculation.
''The Third, Sixth, and Ninth Elder of the Silver Blizzard City are naturally of no concern, but now the problem is that you've provoked the Silver Blizzard City's Xiao Family! This is almost equal to going head-on against the Silver Blizzard City! Do you understand this differentiation?'' the Solitary Falcon looked pitifully at Jun Mo Xie, and sighed as he thought, the ignorant really are fearless.
''Isn't the Silver Blizzard City's master surnamed 'Han', and if that's the case, then why are you saying that we're up against the Silver Blizzard City?'' Jun Mo Xie still couldn't understand it: ''Could you explain this clearly?''


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Tours - Deux-Sèvres
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Poitevin Marsh
Visit Marais Poitevin.
Champdeniers-Saint-Denis city
Champdeniers-Saint-Denis is an old medieval city whose origins go back to the mérovingienne time. It was a famous commercial crossroads as of the 13th century with its fairs assiduously attended by the foreign merchants. In spite of its small size, Champdeniers knows an economic life ...
Discover Parthenay
Located between Nantes and Bordeaux, the Community of Communes of Parthenay, with 18000 inhabitants, has strong assets which will charm small and large. Its architectural heritage, medieval, its various parks of relaxation, its cattle market, its centre town, its festivals, its cultural, sporting ...
Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud, capital of the Wild Marsh
Located in the most wild part of the marsh poitevin also called Venice Green, it will offer the marvellous discovered ones to you. Its channels, conches, drains, ditches, cover more of the tenth of the 1600 H of the together wet marsh. You will discover an impressive cathedral of greenery consisted ...
Sauzé-Vaussais city
Located in the South of Deux-Sevres, on the axis Nantes/Limoges (D948), near the axis Paris/Bordeaux, Sauzé-Vaussais carries its slogan " well; in the middle of Poitou-Charentes". Its geographical location allows it to have an important economic life, many services, a tourist ...
Thouars city
Thouars is a french town, located in the department of Deux-Sevres and the Poitou-Charentes area. Thouars was considered the flowery city and the city of the art and history.
Discover Arçais city
Arçais is a french town, located in the department of Deux-Sèvres and the Poitou-Charentes area, in the west of Niort, in the Marsh poitevin.
Welcome to Bressuire
This is the capital of the Country of the Bressuirais scrap-metal which includes the cantons of Bressuire, Cerizay and Mauléon. The city is member and accomodates the seat of the Community of common Heart of the Scrap-metal with the Communes of Chiche, Faye-l' Abbess, Courlay and Boismé.
Celles-sur-Belle city
Celles-sur-Belle, located in the department of Deux-Sevres east at the center of the space formed by the four big cities of the Poitou-Charentes area, itself area in the center of the Europe of the West: Niort is at 20 km, Poitiers (regional capital) at 75 km, Angouleme and La Rochelle at 85 km; and ...
Chef-Boutonne located at 80 km from Poitiers (Futuroscope), 100 km from the La Rochelle, 40 km from Niort (Venice Verte) and 60 km from Angouleme. This small village of countryside owes its name with the river Buttons it, which takes its source in the middle of the city, under the Laundrette of ...


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By Sarah, Sunderland, UK
Hi, my name is Sarah, I am 21 and was diagnosed with congenital hip dysplasia at 8 months old. I have had 13 surgeries for it, including tractions and plasters. I was diagnosed with avascular necrosis at 7 years old.
Last year I underwent a total hip replacement and reconstruction. It took 9 hours and I am still attempting to heal from it now. We believe something may not be right with the new hip and I am waiting for results of a CT scan. I am also waiting to see a knee surgeon in the hope of having surgery to correct my multiple knee problems.
Ever since having my hip replacement my health has gotten worse. I have now been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in some of my joints and joint hypermobility syndrome which causes my knees to sublux. That means they dislocate then go back themselves after. Since March I have had 115 subluxations. I now suffer chronic pain every minute of every day in my spine, back, both hips, both knees and my left ankle.
Although I am in constant pain, and have severely limited mobility, I still grasp at what life I have left – I am taking the time to educate myself, attending an adult night classes to better myself. I also try my best to not allow my deteriorating condition to take away my smile or kindness, I pride myself in trying to be kind and supportive to everyone which is why I use my Instagram account as a diary to try to educate, support and encourage others.
Thank you
Sarah x
If you'd like to share your DDH experiences, email your story to email@example.com


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The grocery store can always be one of the largest pain points of any budget. Sure, you think to yourself, "I wrote a list, and I'm sticking to it!" Inevitably though, grocers often get the leg up on consumers with enticing deals and offers that you weren't planning on spending money on. However, with a little forethought and planning, you can still come in under budget the next time you run out for "just a bag of chips."
While we've written before about saving time, money and patience at the grocery store as well as more ways to save on food – sometimes it can help hearing from fellow consumers on how they save money when going grocery shopping as well.
Recently Dave Ramsey's team collected responses from their Facebook page on how to save money at the store, so we wanted to share these with the hopes that they could help you too!
1. Crunch some numbers while you shop.
"Stick to your list and use a calculator as you shop to stay under budget. We're under $50 a week for our family (two adults and a toddler). No junk food either. It's doable!" — Amanda N.
2. Get creative with the food you have on hand.
"Don't feel like you need to buy something just because you're out of it. Raid your pantry and fridge for substitutes first. Make your meal plans around what you already have." — Carla A.
3. Start freezing and storing meals now.
"Cook big meals and divide leftovers into portions and freeze them. Freeze as much as you can from your shopping. Nothing beats already having it." — Anthony R.
4. Round up your grocery store cost estimates.
"I use tally marks to keep track of what I'm spending, and I always round up every item. Even if the item is $1.29, it gets two tally marks. That way, by the time I check out, I'm both aware of approximately what to expect and surprised to still be under what I wanted to spend." — Jilian H.
5. Use the envelope system.
"Use the envelope system and put unnecessary items at the end of the counter. I would tell the cashier I only had a certain amount of money to spend and to stop when I got to that point. Instead of it being an embarrassment, it was a bonding moment for me and the cashier when I made my goal, or even if it didn't work out." — Jan B.
6. Don't allow for budget-breaking surprises.
"Our grocery store offers 'scan it.' You can walk around with a scanner and scan your items as you shop. It keeps a total for you so you're never surprised at the register—and you can decide if you really need certain things." — Jamie M.
7. Stick to a meal plan.
"Meal plan ahead of time with your favorite store's ad in hand. Buy larger quantities of what's on sale and freeze it. Stick to your list. And never grocery shop hungry!" — Nikki G.
8. Don't buy more than you need.
"Just because something is marked two for $5, four for $10, etc., doesn't mean you have to buy that many items. You get the same discounted price if you buy just one." — Stacy H.
9. Test out your green thumb.
"Try growing a garden. There's an initial investment, but it pays off in terms of produce for the year." — Ash B.
10. Shop online and pick up at the store.
"My wife makes a list and then orders all the groceries online. We pull up at the store and they bring them out to the car and help load them in. It is convenient, saves time, and there is no impulse buying inside the store while walking around with the kids." — Matthew G.
11. Try going meatless for a meal.
"We do a meatless meal one to two times a week. We budget $500 for a family of five. Sometimes it's too much, sometimes it's the perfect amount. If we don't spend it, we put it toward our debt snowball." — Holly M.
12. Eat leftovers for lunch.
"We almost always have a nice dinner every night and are really good about taking the leftovers for lunch. I think it's important to have a family dinner every night. Yes, sometimes we go cheap. But no matter what you cook, if you consistently eat at home, it's way cheaper than going out all the time." — Cindy N.
13. Buy generic.
"We shop at a great grocery store known for their low prices, and most stuff we buy is generic. We no longer buy desserts or junk food, which cut probably $200 from our budget." — Erin A.
14. Only buy meat when it's on sale.
"Choose different cuts of meat. For example, we love boneless skinless chicken thighs, and they are so much cheaper than chicken breasts. They taste better too." — Colleen M.
15. Leave the over-spenders at home.
"My #1 [grocery store hack] is banning my husband from going to the grocery store! We saved at least $300 a month by him not going." — Melissa W.
Granted a lot of the above tips may SEEM like common sense. However, sometimes those can be the best advice as well!


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Author: admin
Confirmation Meeting
Confirmation- Meeting for Parents on Thursday 31st Jan at 8pm in Ballylinan N.S. All parents from the 3 school are asked to attend this meeting. Many thanks.
Christmas Newsletter 2018
Click on this link to read: Christmas Newsletter 2018
Christmas Concert
Arles N.S. Christmas Concert will be on Wednesday 12th December at 7pm in Arles Hall. All are welcome. Tickets will be on sale in December. Many thanks.
Clothes Collection
The Parents Association will be raising funds by holding a clothes collection on Friday 7th December. Please collect up all clothes, shoes, towels, bed linen, tea towels and curtains that you don't need. Please see further note in your child's school bag. Thank you. Parents Association
Parent Teacher Meetings
Parent Teacher Meetings next Wed 21st and Thurs 22nd. Please see note in your child's bag with times and return it to school as soon as possible. Many thanks
Cumann na mBunscol Winners
Congratulations to Arles Boys who won the Cumann na mBunscol Final today. Well done Boys!
Super Troopers
Super Troopers- Please see letter, wall chart and Journal in your child's bag. Encourage your child to be active each night and to do the exercises. Many thanks
GOAL Jersey Day
Thank you to everyone who supported GOAL Jersey Day on Friday 12th October. We raised €95. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.
Halloween Walk
On Thursday 25th October, pupils can come to school dressed up for Halloween. The Halloween Walk will take place on that day too. Thanks to the Parents Association for organising Sponsorship Cards and to all those who support it.


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Look at me, labelling this post as "Random Photos Day", as if it's something I've ever done before. :D
But, this could easily become a "thing". I love to snap photos of my dolls, so why not share some when they turn out at least halfway decent?
I currently am using a Canon G12 for the majority of my photos. My hubby has a Canon Rebel, an older model (I can't think of the version off the top of my head, but we've had it for at least five years now, maybe seven), which I am encouraged to use when I feel the need. I sometimes go through the extra time and hassle to pull it out and use, but often I just want a few quick pics while the mood is upon me. Plus, using the professional level camera makes me feel like I should pull out all the stops and set up our mini photo box, and take "proper" pictures.
So in lieu of the extra steps, I normally opt to set up my makeshift photo stage, consisting of two pieces of foamboard duct taped together with cardboard on the back of one to keep it standing upright. I drape that with grey fleece, which seems to work the best for most shots. Or, in the case of these photos, I'll pull out pieces from my giant stash of scrapbook paper for backdrops. With the G12, I just use the "auto" settings, which normally turn out well as long as I have good light coming into my office that day.
So here are a few photos of my lovely Horsman Urban Vita "My Valentine" doll. I love the wig she came with, and those big earrings. She looks 1920's-era glamorous, but still modern. She's wearing a sweater I knit up on a whim.
And now for my favorite picture of My Valentine I took today:


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My biggest fear about getting married was that I was going to have to cook dinner every day in order to be the perfect wife. I was terrified. Rarely did I actually cook a full meal for myself, let alone another person. I felt like if anything made me not cut out for the job, that was it. Naive, I know, but that was my biggest hangup.
Luckily for me, my husband is really easy going and doesn't make me feel bad when I only have enough energy to make macaroni and cheese from a box. However, when I do cook meals, I like to cook meals that are well balanced and a bit healthier than carbs on carbs on carbs. So, I just went grocery shopping (and stayed under $100, woohoo!!!), and I'm setting a goal to make healthier dinners for at least 4/7 days this week. The other days account for when my husband has to work evenings and I can survive on zucchini and sweet potatoes.
I know a lot of people, wives, husbands, friends, mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, whoever you may be, can get hung up on the smaller things because they seem so important to us. It can be an extremely heavy weight on our shoulders to feel like we just don't measure up to what we think the expectations are.
My question is, who decides on those expectations? Who decides that we aren't good enough?
For me, the thoughts that I have to cook dinner every night in order to be a good wife comes from my mother. She's NEVER ever in her life said that to me, she's never even implied it!! And, let's clarify, we had plenty of leftover or fend for yourself nights when she didn't want to cook, too. But my mom is my greatest role model, and she showed her love through her cooking for my dad. He always got his food first, and she would always cook according to what he liked or wanted that day. So, growing up with such an amazing cook for a mom, inadvertently taught me that in order to be as wonderful a wife and mother as she always has been, I have to cook dinner!
(these are some of the meals my mom makes, she's perfect, I know)
Your committee members may be different, but the important thing is recognizing that you have a committee made up in your mind deciding what you should/shouldn't do/feel/be. And they are not always right!!
My mom would never call me a bad wife for not cooking dinner! She would point out the good things I do, like keeping the house clean and organized, or always doing the laundry so everyone has clean clothes. My committee in my head is completely fictional, but that doesn't necessarily make it easier to ignore.
I had a friend tell me a story a while ago of when she was a new mom (she has four beautiful kids, now). On the outside, she comes off as the most put together person I have ever met, but she will not hesitate to tell you that she lives in sweatpants, no makeup, and a messy house because that's what mom life is like for her. When she was a new mom, though, she lacked a lot of that confidence that she has gained over the years. She felt pressure from her committee to be perfect – to keep the perfectly clean house, to have the perfect body after baby, and to always have dinner ready when her husband comes home. Finally, she cracked, and her husband came home to find her crying in the corner of the kitchen because she just could not make dinner that day. Her sweet husband picked her up off the floor, comforted her, and proceeded to make dinner himself. In everyone else's eyes, she was still a super mom and a super wife. Her husband did not love her any less for coming home with dinner not being made, things scattered throughout the house, and a mess of a wife on the floor. But in her eyes, she was a failure.
Friends, what can we do to change our mentality, to stop being such perfectionists and people-pleasers? Honestly, I don't know. I'm still trying to figure it out. But it starts with recognizing that there is no such thing as perfection in anything we do. There's just not. What we might think is perfect is an absolute disaster to someone else. We have to find a balance in our own lives of trying our best and being okay with being less than perfect. I promise your husband will still love you if you don't put eyeliner on every day. He married you for more than your perfect wings, ladies.
So this week, as I try to make dinner every night, I'm going to remember that it doesn't have to be a spectacular event every night, or else I'll just get burnt out. I'm going to do my best to get a balance of proteins and vegetables, but I can already promise you that one night, we'll be making frozen pizza at 9pm because I just won't have the energy to do it all.
Learn to love yourself and learn to give yourself credit for the effort you put in. You're already the best thing in someone else's eyes, so don't beat yourself up over a few flaws or mistakes. You've got this.


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Recently I was chosen as one of the "Ten New Voices of Europe" by an international jury drawn from prestigious literary venues and festivals. The selection was announced at the 2016 London Book Fair as part of the Literary Europe Live project led by Literature Across Frontiers.
For more information visit the Literature Across Frontiers website: http://www.lit-across-frontiers.org/ten-new-voices-from-europe/


text: Brother Bytheway! is the coolest. Since I joined the church when I just turned 18, I had not been to youth activities and went straight to YSA ward(with many older mature members and visitors). But Brother Bytheway's talks have always been there to answer FAQs and increased my love for the gospel. This talk helped me realize that I have always had the Spirit since my baptism,I just did not know it and taught me that I should heed to it with more diligence and obedience.


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Harida, born in 1949, in Chile, studied classical drums and percussion at the conservatory in Santiago and Rome , before cocreating one of the principal avant-garde and Latin Fusion projects of the seventies in Spain, Mirasol Colores.
Intrigued with Eastern mythology and music, he traveled to India in 1977, spending several years there, devoted to meditation and the study of Indian music, learning to play santoor and tabla.
Living in Osho's community in Poona and playing music during the meditations in His presence shifted his perception and style of music, powerful rhythms carrying a silence within the sounds, music as a tool to connect with the inner being, to promote healing and presence, living in this moment.
His love for music and the joy of connecting through rhythm with others is guiding his work for the past 40 years, in 1995 he co-founded Nazca Music in Holland, and recorded more than 30 albums through this label, his own as well as other artists. In 1999 he moved to Portugal, where he is involved in recordings, performances and the organisation of meditation retreats and the yearly Osho Festival of Music and Meditation at his place Pomar da Serra in Alentejo.
WEB | www.nazcamusic.com
WEB | www.oshofestivalportugal.com
WORKSHOP Meditation / Dance
Tribal Meditation
Dance is one of the oldest forms of expression to connect body and soul, used in many indigenous cultures in their tribe healing gatherings. The dance allows us to reclaim our innocence and natural power. The dancer disappears into the dance, there is no ego, there is no separation.
Rupesh, from Mexico, and Harida from Chile, both percussionist, created this dance meditation with powerful rhythms on a wide range of percussion, connected to the different elements inside and around us: Water, Earth, Fire and Air.


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I love staying at home over Christmas and New Year. While the neighbourhood is often eerily quiet, I love the leisurely pace of long summer days and the simple pleasure of making spontaneous decisions on how to spend time. Here are a few suggestions for things to do in and around Auckland over the holidays:
BBQs, Picnics and Parks
Get your friends together for an impromptu BBQ. While our Boxing Day BBQ has become a regular event, with three of us friends since we started primary school, there's no real plan, it just evolves on the day. And because everyone brings something to share, something to BBQ and whatever they fancy to drink, it's a very relaxed affair.
Pack a picnic - with so many fabulous picnic spots you're spoilt for choice, from the inner city beaches of Mission Bay, Kohimarama, Takapuna and Point Chevalier, to making a day of it and packing up the car and heading to Maraetai, Long Bay or Omaha. Or what about boogie boarding or surfing at Piha, Muriwai or Tawharanui. Don't forget your water bottle, sunblock and hat. And please swim between the flags if the beach is patrolled. Auckland Regional Parks
Walk one of Auckland's 48 volcanic cones for magnificent views of the city including: One Tree Hill, Mt Eden and Mangere Mountain. Or head out West to the Waitakeres – there are fantastic short walks from Arataki Visitor Centre with its panoramic views of the Manukau and Waitemata Harbours.
What about checking out the summer music programme at the Auckland Botanic Gardens, Manurewa or take a drive to Snells Beach, near Matakana and enjoy the 2km walk through Brick Bay Sculpture Park with its contemporary sculptures by New Zealand artists, all for sale. Finish with a well-deserved lunch in the stunning glass pavilion cafe of Brick Bay Wines. Or if you can wait until 23 January Sculpture on the Gulf, Waiheke is on again - only 35 minutes ferry ride from Auckland CBD, it is definitely worth the trip.
Auckland's Festival of Tennis
Get up close with the fabulous line-up of international tennis players at the 2015 ASB Classic and Heineken Open, between 5 and 17 January. This year's festival of tennis also promises food, fashion, music and more. For more information or to book your tickets go to Festival of Tennis.
Fun Family Day Out
Parnell Baths has the largest salt water pool in New Zealand. With a huge grassy area and large shady umbrellas perfect for a picnic, it's a fun and affordable family day out. On a hot summer's day, when the carpark is jam-packed, leave your car on the waterfront and walk across the bridge. Children under 16 are free, 16 and over $6.30 and non-swimmers $1. (Note: closed Christmas Day)
Wet Weather?
And if it's a wet day, there's always the Auckland Museum or Auckland Art Gallery (both open every day except Christmas Day). Catch up on the latest movies, with many new ones released on Boxing Day. Or enjoy coffee in your local neighbourhood cafe - something I'm doing right now as I write this post. You never know who you might bump into – people are so much friendlier when they are on holiday.
Feeling Lazy, then Relax!
One of my favourite things to do, once the Christmas rush is over, is to relax on a lounger in the garden with a pile of magazines or that book I've been meaning to read all year. And if the neighbour starts up their lawnmower, just turn the music up a little louder!
Happy Holidays!