text:
Sterility Testing
Peristaltic pump and single-use sterility test units optimised for various sample formats such as open and closed containers, pre-filled syringes, powders or medical devices. Choose between microbiology products like peristaltic pumps for sample and media transfer, completely closed systems for the sterility testing of pharmaceutical products or reusable sterility test systems for the sterility testing of injection and infusion solutions.
The Sterisart® NF System is a completely closed system for the sterility testing of pharmaceutical products. It is based on the membrane filter method, however it eliminates the procedure of manipulating the filters. By this means the main risk of a secondary contamination and false positive results is eliminated.


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285,000 Tax Not Paid | Hamble United Kingdom
- Make GP
- Model 42
- Year 2007
- LOA 42ft/13m
- Class Performance Sail
- Hull Carbon Fibre
- Keel Fin Keel
- Rig Sloop
- Engine Single Diesel
- Drive Sail Drive
- Layout Aft Cockpit
- Berths 6
- Ancasta Ref 29437
- Name 42° South
Overview42° South is a fully optimised, grand prix machine that has been developed and tweaked to fit into the new "FAST 40" box rule, that is taking the race boat world by storm.
Unrecognisable from her original GP42 class days, her current and hugely passionate Kiwi owner has totally transformed the boat and modernised just about every on-board system, having seen the initial potential in this hugely quick Reichel Pugh hull design.
A multiple race winner over the years and a new 2017 Ultra-high modulus rig, means this boat will stand on the top rung of any IRC fleet, given half a chance by her crew.
Available at a fraction of replacement cost - turn key - Get in touch.
"42° South" (ex-Seawonder 007) was originally built in 2007 to a Reichel Pugh design specification to meet the GP42 class rule.
Over the past 3 years, substantial refit and optimisation work has taken place and the boat is UNRECOGNISABLE from her original specification, now fully conforming to the new FAST 40+ Class rule.
The boat was originally built by Marine Composites in Italy and is a full carbon/foam/epoxy construction.
She is ideally suited to grand prix, inshore racing……and is perfectly poised to continue to race in the Solent based Fast 40+ fleet as a "turn key" proposition, completely ready to race in 2019, or to join any Fast 40, Med 40, IRC or ORC fleet around the globe.
With the GP 42 parameters having been grand-fathered into the FAST 40 "box rule" they have the potential to challenge even the newest of designs out there and at a fraction of the outlay costs.
LH - 12.8m
Beam - 3.91m
Draft - 3m
Disp - 4047kg
Major upgrade work since 2016;
- New steel keel fin, with composite fairings.
- New longer bowsprit.
- New high modulus Hall Spars mast.
- Complete cosmetic overhaul.
- Removal of coach roof and new "low aero" deck added.
- Full North 3Di RAW sail inventory.
- Modern high-performance hardware installed.
Spars & Rigging
New 2017, ultra high-modulus, Hall Spars grand prix mast.
Two-spreader configuration, with new 2017 Rod standing rigging and composite fore stay.
Based on following specifications:
I = 16200mm
P = 16800mm
E = 5900mm
J = 5000mm
BAS = 1700mm
ISP = 18600mm
Hall 236C mandrel
Hall carbon section with taper
Ultra-High Modulus 455 GPa HS40 unidirectional pre-preg carbon fibre (bare tube weight 68kgs)
100% Autoclave cured 121 degrees Celsius pressure of 6 bar insures a less than 1% void content
Mast tube made utilizing 'male tooling'
Ply by ply design of mast tube laminate for optimization of weight and mast-stiffness
Attachment (dogbone) of two (2) masthead backstays
One (1) sheave for main halyard
Two (2) sheaves for masthead spinnaker halyards in side by side arrangement
Two (2) integrated trip line operated locks for main halyard and one (1) masthead spinnaker halyard
(lock bullet included)
Masthead wand and windex, linked to B&G system
Hall internal tangs to suit rod rigging
Aluminium headstay fitting for attachment of carbon headstay
Patching for future factional halyard sheave box
Patching for future genoa staysail halyard
One (1) sheave for jib halyard below headstay attachment
One (1) internal Trip line operated Lock for jib halyard (trip line actuated)
Two (2) ferrules below the hounds for entry of topmast deflector, position optimized for GP42
Two (2) sets of tapered carbon spreaders
Hall carbon boltrope track bonded to the mast with feeder
Carbon track doublers installed at full hoist & first reef position
Separate Cunningham track with slider installed below feeder
One (1) jib halyard to exit above deck for manual hoist, lead to pit below deck
Two (2) masthead spinnaker halyards to exit via internal turning sheave and lead to pit below deck
One (1) deflector exit lead to yacht mounted rope cascade
One (1) mainsail halyard to exit below deck including existing lead block for hoist through main hatch
Trip lines to exit below deck for operation from pit area
Running rigging - all new 2016 or 2017.
Main Halyard (Lock) - DSK78 NTP 8mm - Black - 42m
MH Halyard - DSK78 NTP 10mm - Black/Red - 44m
MH Halyard (Lock) - DSK78 DYCO 8mm - Black/Blue - 44m
Jib Halyard (Lock) - DSK78 DYCO 8mm - Grey - 39m
Deflector Cable - Smart Rigging - SK99 Uni wound - 18m
2 Runner Cables - Maffioli - SK99 uni wound cables
Head Foil - Gorilla Rigging - 6mm extrusion and cuben Sleeve
Sail Inventory
NOTE: Boat was last sailed late 2017.
Code; Detail;
Main - Race 2017 3Di RAW North Sails - Excellent - (larger roach and designed to mode the boat to the top of the rating band)
Main - Race 2 2016 3Di RAW North Sails - larger head - Excellent and with a re-profiled and extended new head section to match the increased "P" of the new Hall Spars mast.
J1-B 2017 3Di RAW North Sails - Excellent.
J1-A 2016 3Di RAW North Sails - Good.
J2-B Light Medium 2017 3Di RAW North Sails - Excellent.
J2-A 2016 3Di RAW North Sails - Good.
J3 Medium 2016 3Di RAW North Sails - Excellent.
J3+ Medium Heavy 2016 3Di RAW North Sails - Excellent.
Heavy Weather Jib /Storm Jib - Excellent.
A2-A 2016 Superkote North Sails - Good.
A2-B 2017 Superkote North Sails - Excellent.
A1.5-A 2016 Superkote North Sails - Good.
A1.5-B 2017 Superkote North Sails - Excellent.
A4 2017 Superkote North Sails - Excellent.
Code Zero 2017 Laminate North Sails - Excellent.
Spin Staysail North Sails - Excellent.
G/S North Sails - Excellent - unused.
Furling sails, including SS, GS and top down Code 0 have new KZ race furlers and Future fibres torsion cables.
Older sails include;
1 x Doyle Sails A2 - increased STL (190 sqm) - good.
1 x Doyle Sails A4 - increased STL (190 sqm) - good.
Large inventory of practice, training and delivery sails.
"42 South" is an exceptionally well configured boat, with tiller steering arrangement giving a large working cockpit.
She benefits from Harken winches throughout and a single Harken carbon pedestal, which drives the primary winches.
The pedestal system is also fitted with an over drive box, giving increased gearing to the pedestal and a new string drop system in 2016, for driven spinnaker retrieval.
All clutches on the boat are from Spinlock and are regularly serviced and maintained.
2 x Harken 54.3 Primary winches (pedestal driven)
2 x Harken 46 STA runner winches.
2 x Harken 46 STA mainsheet winches.
1 x Harken 46 STA pit winches. (1 x spare older pit winch)
B&G Instrumentation throughout, with a new H5000 system in 2016.
New masthead wand October 2017.
4 x 20/20 mast displays,
2 x Cockpit FFD displays - 1 x companionway bulkhead, 1 x pedestal mounted.
Fore stay loadcell pin with amplifier.
2 x 10/10 aft runner displays.
New ruggedized deckscreen 2016
IBM Thinkpad on-board computer, running expedition software.
Navigation lights.
Yanmar 3YM30 Diesel inboard engine, with sail drive configuration.
Folding 2-blade propeller.
2016 work;
Removed coach roof and re-profiled to flush deck to aid close sheet headsails and modernise the boat.
Structural analysis undertaken by ASTA.
Replaced keel fin to increase draft from 2.60m to 3.0m.
Keel designed by Ker Design and built of steel in Turkey.
Keel designed to add 100 kg of steel to the bottom 25% of the fin for un-rated increase to righting moment.
2017 work;
Substantial optimisation work undertaken to re-mode the boat to the top of the rating band.
All major sail handling systems replaced or re-profiled.
New rig installed.
Substantial focus on weight reduction.
Deck re-sprayed black with fresh anti-skid
New Grapefruit Graphics foam cockpit lining
New Composite stations
New bilge pump installation
Removal of hydraulic forestay adjustment to save weight, replaced with fixed strops for measured rake angles on the mast
Winch system fully optimised and laser aligned
Full deck layout refit
New deflector system and magic wheel at base of mast
New engine and house battery box
Complete re-potting of Pushpits and Pull pit
Full redesign and rebuild of bow area including forestay attachment and bobstay attachments
Spare backstays in new condition
Full length dock bag
Full set of wet weather gear (used)
The boat supplied with safety equipment required for Cat 4 racing including;
Flares, horseshoe, Navigation lights, VHF radio, 10 x lifejackets, jackstays, etc.
In addition the boat has the following;
Galvanised hard standing custom cradle.
1 x House battery.
1 x Engine cranking battery.
Exhaust wet box system.
Custom boom cover.
Assorted fenders.
Assorted mooring lines.
Boat tool kit.
Sal repair kit.
Assorted spare line.
Full set of deck custom deck covers 2017.
Fitted 20ft container, with work bench and sail storage area.

subset: commoncrawl


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School Partnership Working and The Henry Moore School
The Henry Moore Primary School has been committed to partnership working for many years now.
Harlow Education Trust (formerly Consortium)
The school works in partnership with many other Harlow schools via the Harlow Education Consortium networking.
HET/HEC itself is over twenty years old and has seen a great deal of shared support, offers high quality training and other support systems for Harlow schools including Financial support, EWO, EP, and other School Improvement partners.
HET has had whole town INSET days with specific foci, Subject Leader meetings sharing resources and issues, and Harlow Head Teachers meet regularly to discuss current issues and support each other where and when possible.
Mary Evans—Head Teacher is currently Vice Chair of HET and Chair of the HET Primary Headteacher Group.
Primary Strategy Consultant Leader
Mary Evans-Executive Head Teacher has, in the past worked as a PSCL in several Essex schools.
Local Leader in Education
Mary Evans- Executive Head Teacher has successfully worked in a variety of ways as a LLE in Essex schools.
Thomas Willingale-Loughton-Partner Head Teacher
Mary Evans and Henry Moore staff worked with Thomas Willingale School for a year supporting the Head Teacher to get the school from Special Measures to Good in a year.
St James' Harlow-Executive Head Teacher
In the absence of a Head Techer, Mary Evans worked at St James' as Executive Head Teacher from November 25th 2013-when it was in Special Measures. The school came out of Special Measures exactly one year later-26th/27th November 2014.
Mary Evans shared her time between Henry Moore and St James' over this period of time.
Partnership Working
In both of the above schools Mary Evans and Henry Moore staff worked in partnership with colleagues in the partner schools in the following ways:
Please see below HMI reports from supported schools.
October 2018
St James Church of England Primary School - Harlow
Please click on documentation below
Thomas Willingale School - Loughton
Please click on documentation below


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1978 The Bee Gees started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Staying Alive'. From the film soundtrack Saturday Night Fever, it gave the brothers their fifth US No.1, also No.1 in the UK
1967 Robin, Maurice and Barry returned to the UK after living in Australia for nine years
1970 Barry began work on his solo album "The Kid's No Good", which went unreleased
1971 Maurice recorded the track 'Trafalgar' all on his own.
1997 The single 'Alone' was released, making it to number 5 in the UK and number 28 in the US
1991 'Secret Love' released in the UK, reaching number 5 in the singles chart.
1975 The Bee Gees recorded 'Baby As You Turn Away', completing work on the "Main Course" album
1970 Barry recorded 5 more songs for his album: 'A Child, A Girl, A Woman'; 'Mando Bay'; 'Born'; 'Clyde O'Reilly' and 'Peace In My Mind'.
1976 Maurice and Yvonne's son Adam born
1978 The Bee Gees win Best pop vocal performance at the Grammy Awards for 'How Deep Is Your Love.'
2002 The Bee Gees made their last ever concert appearance when they appeared at the Love and Hope Ball, Miami Beach, Florida.
1970 Robin was working on 'Engines and Aeroplanes' for his solo album "Sing Slowly Sisters", which went unreleased


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A roundup of news from the late desk
While you were sleeping: Cybercops fighting cyberattack, a bear in Toronto, 2 new saints
Cyberattack update: So far, it looks like North America was spared, but the European Union's police agency, Europol, says it is working with countries hit by the global ransomware cyberattack to rein in the threat and help victims. In a statement Saturday, Europol's European Cybercrime Centre, known as EC3, said the attack "is at an unprecedented level and will require a complex international investigation to identify the culprits." EC3 says its Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce, made up of experts in high-tech crime, "is specially designed to assist in such investigations and will play an important role in supporting the investigation." The attack, which locked up computers and held users' files for ransom, was believed the biggest of its kind ever recorded.
Bear killed in downtown Toronto: Toronto police shot and killed a bear as it roamed through a residential area of the city late Friday night. A police spokesperson said Emergency Task Force members were deployed to a neighbourhood in northeastern Toronto after multiple bear sightings were reported. The police official said the animal, which according to unconfirmed eyewitness reports was an adult black bear, was rummaging through backyards, and at one point banged on the door of a residence. There were no reports of any people or pets being injured. Police had no immediate information about where the bear came from, its gender, or whether a post-mortem examination would be performed to try to determine if it was suffering from any abnormalities.
Two new child saints: Pope Francis added two Portuguese shepherd children to the roster of Catholic saints Saturday, honouring young siblings whose reported visions of the Virgin Mary 100 years ago turned the Portuguese farm town of Fatima into one of the world's most important Catholic shrines. Francis proclaimed Francisco and Jacinta Marto saints at the start of mass marking the centenary of their visions. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims were on hand, many of whom had spent days at Fatima in quiet prayer, reciting rosaries before a statue of the Madonna. They clapped as soon as Francis read the proclamation aloud. Francisco and Jacinta, aged 9 and 7, and their 10-year-old cousin, Lucia, reported that on March 13, 1917, the Virgin Mary made the first of a half-dozen appearances to them here while they grazed their sheep. They said she confided in them three secrets — foretelling apocalyptic visions of hell, war, communism and the death of a pope — and urged them to pray for peace and a conversion away from sin. At the time, Europe was in the throes of World War I, and the Portuguese church was suffering under anti-clerical laws from the republican government that had forced many bishops and priests into exile. He urged Catholics today to use the example of the Marto siblings and draw strength from God, even when adversity strikes. The children had been threatened by local civil authorities with death by boiling oil if they didn't recant their story. But they held fast and eventually the church recognized the apparitions as authentic in 1930.
Source: Canadian Press, Associated Press


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"Ticket to Brasil" singer Natania Kamin and guitarist and composer Pavel Jany perform at the Oakdale Library July 9.
"Ticket to Brasil" performed at the Oakdale Library July 9. Usually with 5-6 more instruments, they performed diverse Afro-Brazilian music about love, forgiveness, sun kissed ocean, and celebration.
Dressed up in red, white and blue, residents, including city council member Julie Fliflet, had fun tossing candy out to the parade-goers.
The annual Lake Elmo Fourth of July Kids Parade drew participants and spectators alike. (photos Linda Baumeister/Review)
Bismarck State College
• Eric Johnson of Oakdale
Colby College
• Kimberly A. Bourne of Lake Elmo
Brian Beck, right, of Lake Elmo recently was promoted to the rank of major in the U.S. Army.
Winners after years of searching, Barbara Zitur and her son Reilly Page found the Oakdale Summerfest Medallion in the wood chips by the Tartan Crossing rock. (Linda Baumeister/Review)
Retired members of the Oakdale Fire Department were the Grand Marshals of the Ted Bearth Grande Parade June 25. The department celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
Oakdale's 32nd Summerfest drew crowds of people seeking fun and thrills, including food, live music, sporting events, carnival rides and games.
Admiring his silver medal, Jonathan competed in the 50 meter dash for the Maplewood Monarchs.
The Special Olympics regional competition at Stillwater High School June 20. Three days of competition and fun also included meals, games, displays, and a wellness center. (Linda Baumeister photos/Review)
It's the cows: respected businessmen and civic leaders Larry Eberhard and Terry Furlong saw gallons of comic potential in reminding 2001 paradegoers of that year's media "get" for Oakdale. As a group of escaped beef cattle roamed the suburb the previous winter, with residents and officials alike wondering where they'd turn up next, media coverage of the roundup became so intense it actually hampered efforts to corral the cows. (submitted photo)
Event organizers and dozens of vendors are gearing up to take over Richard Walton Park in the coming days for Oakdale's Summerfest.
Narri sold fresh produce from her Afton family farm at the Lake Elmo Farmer's Market June 20.
In its debut year, the weekly downtown Saturday market runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through October at 3511 Lake Elmo Ave., also known as Hagstrom's courtyard. (photos by Linda Baumeister/Review)
The Special Olympics regional competition was held at Stillwater High School June 20. Three days of competition and fun also included meals, games, displays, and a wellness center. (photos by Linda Baumeister/Review)
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text:
Notes on Jan Cox Talk 3172/
Jan Cox Talk 3172 - July 2004
Copyright Jan Cox, Jan's Legacy 2017
Notes by cfish November 2017
Suggested Title: Why does Innate Wisdom have to be put into Words?)
Begin: What I am trying to point to tonight really has no description. But knowing the human mind (because I got one) and knowing what it's prone to latch on to, its a prime example of how consciousness works.
It's an example of how consciousness keeps looking in certain directions, at certain tilts, and how the human mind is fooling itself. It's not "you" fooling human consciousness, and its not consciousness fooling "you." It is it fooling itself.
If I can get you to look around at where I am pointing, you will realize that the "consciousness fooling itself" description is totally invalid. But you can't say why. Ordinary consciousness may say human experience is idiocy.
But I am not pointing out the idiocy. What seems to be going on is not what's going on. Consciousness works. Consciousness is not idiocy. I am not trying to get you to smirk. There are no words to say what I am trying to get you to do.
Here is the example. Consider the phrase "words to live by." (ex. honesty is the best policy) There is more than one book, maybe a recent book, with proverbs, wise sayings, etc. that are in the public domain. (ex. no copyright)
05:00 Maybe the editor of the book will write an introduction about the great significance of the time honored proverbs, tracking them back three thousand years, and how they are just as valid today.
But if these "words to live by" are inherent/innate knowledge, and if there are versions of these phrases (ex. honesty is the best policy) thru out all the cultures, even illiterate people know them, why does it have to be put into words?
10:00 Ordinary humanity, no matter how honest, sincerely agree with the phrase "honesty is the best policy." It appears to be an instinctive world wide truism. People will write it down and buy it in a bookstore, and then recommend the book to friends.
15:00 "Words to live by" (ex. honesty the best policy) seem to be an instinctive truism on the surface. Instinctive truisms speak to you. But why do they have to be put into words? Humanity's collective consciousness's head is full of them.
A lot of truisms are restatements but I say there are twenty five to fifty truisms you will find all over the world. But why do they have to be put into words? I want to stop there. The point of it is the question, "Why is it necessary to put into words?"
20:00 What our previous forerunner mystics called "being asleep" is right here. Ask yourself if truisms are instinctive, why do folks feel the need to share, hear, and write them down? Those actions seem to help validate the truism.
Trying to get you folks to turn your head, think about, human collective consciousness is filled with these truisms. Sometimes the 'words to live by' are attributed to a religion, sometimes to an individual.
25:00 But if no ordinary person disagrees with a truism, why do you want to write it down and tell someone else? How come consciousness doesn't say "Huh, I thought dishonesty was the best policy"?
Anytime when considering something that seems ironic (synonymous with moronic) maybe a smirk, it will at the very least blind you, literally. I have spent some effort here trying to knock the legs out from under that smirk. It is not profitable to laugh at it. Without words, what would consciousness have been?
In a sense for consciousness, to be operational, requires input, a form of learning. (ex. learning language from a teacher) Yet it seems consciousness instinctively recognizes a truism. ( ex. honesty best policy)
Something in everyone's consciousness, its not the body saying it, says don't jump off a hundred foot cliff. But if consciousness recognizes something as soon as it hears it (ex. honesty best policy) why does it have to be put into words? If we already know it in consciousness, why don't we just live accordingly?
That is the condition under which consciousness operates. Without words there is no active consciousness. And that is what produces in people like us a state we find annoying, a state we call being distracted, being asleep.
ends abruptly 32:48


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Loving Lately: Queer Eye
So you guys may or may not have noticed… I took a little hiatus. Kelly and I have religiously switched on and off every 2 weeks writing blog posts since Loving Lately began and in the middle of last month I just completely shut down and couldn't. I didn't want to write candidly and in detail about what was going on in my personal life, but I also didn't feel like writing about just anything because everything else felt so inconsequential.
The long story short is Scott and I lost a member of our immediate family to cancer. And we've been grieving this for some time now and the last time I was supposed to write for Loving Lately I just couldn't wrap my mind around what would be important enough to write about and Kelly I'm so thankful took the wheel for me and posted all this gorgeous love and amazement with her Heart's Delight post.
So I'm back. A little worse for the wear, but who isn't these days? If I've learned anything these past few (very difficult) years of my life, it is that so many people are going through SO MUCH. Scott and I talk often about how when people find out about our pain they feel like they can open up to us about theirs and it is truly amazing the obstacles and circumstances so many in our life have overcome, or are still in the process of surviving. That being said though, SOMETIMES WE ALL JUST NEED A BREAK! Some fun, some love, something irreverent and silly but also beautiful and uplifting.
So instead of writing a post about grief (which is what I'm really feeling right now), I refuse to do so. Or maybe I can't yet. It doesn't really matter. What I want to write about, is an amazing TV show (and yes cue skepticism its fine) that is getting me through my days while I'm grieving and that has inspired me to make changes in my own life: Queer Eye.
You came into my life//And the world never looked so bright//It's true, you bring the best in me
//When you are around//Things keep getting better
The tag line for this show is: more than a makeover. And yes, on the surface Queer Eye is a reboot show where five gay men called the Fab 5, each with their own expertise, help a man makeover his life. But seriously "more than a makeover" is the best way I could possibly describe it so I'll let it stand for itself. So here are some things I'm putting into my life from this seriously revolutionary show that is helping heal my heart and give me hope for all that is coming next:
1.) Expand your definition of self care. When you hear self care, do you think of yoga, meditation, taking baths, journaling etc? Me too and those things are all amazing. But Queer Eye has really helped me expand my definition of what it means to care for myself. Tan, the style expert, and Johnathan, grooming, talk so much on the show about making an effort when it comes to how you look and really incorporating those tasks into your self care routine. "It's not vanity, it's self care. And there's a difference." Is my favorite line on this topic from Johnathan. Also, "How you take care of yourself is how the world sees you." Since QE season 1 premiered, I have taken a significant step towards paying more attention to my makeup, enjoying doing my hair again now that I have some, getting clothes I love and dressing nicely for work and events with family and friends. And I'm wearing a lot less black (you were right, Mom LOL). And to be honest, I would have considered those things vanity before and having cancer I let go of a lot of those things because I had to, and I hadn't necessarily picked that enjoyment back up again. I hadn't realized how much pain I had held in this area of my life. QE has reminded me that I absolutely love those things and that doing them makes me happy and helps me feel cared for, even when everything going on around me is nuts.
2.) Cooking for yourself and others can be fun and it doesn't have to be/shouldn't be complicated. Antoni (cooking expert) has gotten some flack in the media for the simple dishes he does with the guys featured in the show. Basically, people questioning whether or not he is a real chef. I feel TOTALLY the opposite- I love that Antoni has brought simplicity back into the cooking game and reminded us that if preparing and eating food isn't fun and enjoyable- why would we do it? He's also brought back into my life the notion that cooking is a perfect way to bring people together, to show love and affection, and do it in a healthy way as well. He works with many of the guys to prepare a meal to share with family or friends, or to cook a special dish that is in their family tradition. Just tonight, I made a special grilled salad because I saw the recipe and right away thought Scott would absolutely love it. It was five ingredients and 5/5 are things he loves. I prepared it for him for dinner and he was over the moon and so was I- it was the perfect way for me to show appreciation for all he does and to express my love for him plus it was delicious and healthy.
3.) Those stories you tell yourself about what you can and can't do, what you can and can't be in your life, none of them are true. The first ever episode of the QE reboot shares such in incredibly important message, that actually is a message throughout all of them. Johnathan says, "When people say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, it's not true, because you can reinvent yourself and learn new things whenever you want." Such a simple line, but gives me chills every time. Over the years, we accumulate all this scum about who we are and more importantly who we aren't. We aren't meant to be successful, healthy, wealthy, loved, the list goes on. The Fab 5 remind all of us that none of these stories are real. And you can decide at any time that you want to be different and a lot of times, that story is literally the only thing standing in your way.
4.) Give tons of love and affection to people in your life. Tell people what they mean to you genuinely and OFTEN. I just love how the Fab 5 interacts with the guys and with each other, really with anyone they meet. They give and express love almost constantly. I'm struck by how often they physically touch- hug, give kisses on each other's cheek, and how often they are giving out compliments. Their whole energy just says positive vibes to me. When I watch them, I want to be even more that way in my own life. I want my energy to light up a room and leave everyone, including myself, feeling better than they did before I got there. I want to dish out compliments liberally and genuinely to every person I'm around, and while none of us are perfect I think this is a great goal to aspire to.
5.) Be who you are- it is a magnet for everything good in your life. The right people will love you when you are the truest version of yourself. Not much explanation needed for that one am I right? : )
I could literally write a book on how much I love this show. I didn't even mention Bobby (design) and Karamo (culture) who I love just as much. If you're wondering, Johnathan is my favorite but seriously all 5 of these men are so inspiring and they make me want to be the best version of myself. Part of me thought it was silly to write a whole blog post on a TV show but you know what I'm over worrying about that stuff. Queer Eye is what I'm Loving Lately. It is getting me through this time of such grief and sadness, reminding me that no matter what I face that "All things just keep getting better" (their theme song).
Sending you love always and go watch Netflix's Queer Eye.


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Tajikistan is increasing production of cement, making it one of the most commonly exported products to the neigboring countries. The republic is becoming the main supplier of this type of construction material, displacing Pakistani products on the Central Asian markets.
This year was not an exception. The volume of cement exports amounted to 1.44 million tons while the value reached $ 65.4 million in 2018.
This figure in 2017 amounted to 970,100 tons worth $ 45.9 million.
Tajikistan exports this type of building material to Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Tajikistan increased cement exports but reduced the sale of primary aluminum abroad in 2018.
According to the source, last year aluminum was exported in the amount of 94,800 tons for $ 199.3 million. This figure is less by 6,600 tons, compared to 2017, and in value – by $ 1.4 million. Data on aluminum production in the country are not provided.
During the years of independence in Tajikistan, dozens of new cement plants were created using foreign investment. At the moment, there are 13 small and large enterprises in the republic, whose total annual production capacity is five million tons.
More than 80 percent of the total volume of cement produced accounts for three enterprises created with the participation of Chinese investments: Chungtsai Mohir Cement LLC (Yavansky District), Huaksin Gayur Cement (Yavansky District), Huaksin Gayur Sogd Cement (Bobojon Gafurov District).
The share of Tajik Cement (Dushanbe) in the total volume is only about 8 percent.
Tajikistan currently fully satisfies its own cement needs. Since 2015, the surplus of these products has been supplied to neighboring countries.
Neighboring countries prefer to buy Tajik cement because of its high quality and relatively reasonable cost.
Enterprises of Tajikistan produce the most popular grades of sulfate-resistant cement – M400 and M500.
In the coming years, it is planned to build and launch new cement manufacturing enterprises in Tajikistan. In particular, preliminary work began on the cement plant construction in the Kubodiyon district of Khatlon, which will become the largest in the country.


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Call us now
This project was a little bit trickier than the average. One reason was the film needed to be installed using lifts to reach all areas of the glass, but the stairwells were hard to access and were very tight, making it difficult to maneuver in the space to get the window film installed properly. But, all in all, the installation went smoothly, the results turned out great, and our client was very happy.
Commercial window tinting films can be beneficial for many different reasons. As in this case, they can be used to aesthetically improve the exterior or interior view of your building. But they can also be used to control the sun and unwanted heat, glare and UV rays. Window film can dramatically increase the comfortability in your offices or building, while also reducing cooling costs at the same time.
Contact Us today| 540-253-5402. We can cut on your energy costs, save you money, and make your building a comfortable place for your it's inhabitants.


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Espresso Special Original
Story of Min Mountain Coffee
Coffee's Farm
The ESO Roast
Original Coffee
Romantic agriculture
When you arrive in the coffee farms, you will feel the difference of utmost beauty in joice, love, culture, customs, language, share, environment and ecology.
We call it a
Romantic agriculture
, which will give you a great experience that is like no other. In all coffee farms, the coffee is growned in the Min Mountains, the mountains are higher than 1550 meters above sea level and is the interference crossroad between the sea and the Lang-Biang Plateau.
Coffee absorbs the quintessence of heaven and earth, the essence of country of thousands of flowers with dew drops interference with the sea breeze. This makes coffee bean ripe slowerly, brings coffee with more natural and tasty aroma.
Min Mountain International Coffee Co. ltd
14th Floor, Vincom center, 72 Le Thanh Ton str , Dist 1, HCMC, Viet Nam
0937 222 386


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Students from UCT's School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics have been helping to introduce innovations that improve daily life for residents of the informal settlement like Imizamo Yethu, while at the same time getting students hands-on experience for design and construction.
The project was started in 2008 and evolved from 2011 when second-year students started designing and prototyping platforms aimed at improving communal spaces for water collection and clothes washing as part of their course curriculum.
The leader of the project and senior lecturer, Michael Louw says the project came about when a survey revealed that more than 300 people in Imizamo Yethu share one water point.
The aim was to increase the number of water points in the area.
We've built really good connections with community development workers. Together we have identified these specific areas that are really in need of additional water points.— Michael Louw, Senior lecturer in the School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics
We basically set up a design project in the studio with second-year architecture students where they went on some technology course and did some prototype thing.— Michael Louw, Senior lecturer in the School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics
And a third of the class volunteered to go and build these platforms and water points during the June holidays.— Michael Louw, Senior lecturer in the School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics
Louw says they have done about seven platforms to date and have increased water points by 50%.
He says they are involved in other projects in Imizamo Yethu and they have recently started a vegetable garden.
To hear the rest of the conversation with Michael Louw, listen below:


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Cheap tickets to Winnipeg from Houston
For cheap tickets to Winnipeg from Houston, WestJet has you covered. You'll be pleased to discover that our aircraft fly to over 150 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe, including Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport. That's not the only reason thousands of people choose to fly with WestJet: we're also committed to offering our guests a great experience, which means safe, friendly and affordable travel each and every time. Get real value and unbeatable service for your next trip by flying with WestJet.
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Airport Details: To YWG, Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport From IAH, George Bush Intercontinental Airport
Winnipeg offers visitors an array of talented artists, unique architecture and famous events, which is why it's been dubbed the "cultural cradle of Canada." There is also outdoor adventure available, with skiing, skating and hiking complemented by some of the province's best golf facilities. Manitoba's largest city – and capital – is also known to enjoy sunny weather, so guests can usually bank on having fine weather overhead.
Are you ready to get away? Book cheap tickets with WestJet today and you'll be in spirited, sociable Winnipeg in no time at all. Whether it's a business trip or you want to visit Assiniboine Park, The Forks National Historic Site or The Manitoba Museum, you know that you can get there swiftly, safely and comfortably with us. Fly to Winnipeg from Houston with us and see how far a great guest experience can go.


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The (GBCI) Men`s Ministries department has one goal and vision: to assist men around the world with their walk with Jesus Christ. Our desire is to help men have the courage to explore and begin their walk with Christ, the strength to develop the lifestyle that enhances the discipleship patterns of Christ, and the endurance to live a victorious life that allows their family, friends, colleagues and the younger generations to find their fulfillment in Christ.
(GBCI) has Discipleship Resources just for men who want to be all that God has called him to become. We will focus on the following :
Courage: This level focuses on men who are discovering Christ or taking their first steps in Christ. The courage level will give application and implementation exercises for spiritual growth


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On October 31, one of our newest sponsors, United Federal Credit Union, came to our lab learn a little more about us. Alyssa, David, and Max gave them a tour of our shop and machines, as well as filling them in on some our current community events and upcoming events that we will be attending. Team 135 would like Untied Federal Credit Union for their generous donation.
Written by: Max Heuermann


text: DigitalTwitter Launches User Galleries For Image OrganizationBy Shea Bennett|August 23, 2011 ShareBy Shea Bennett|August 23, 2011 Share Yesterday Twitter began to roll out User Galleries, a brand-new feature on Twitter.com that aggregates the images that users have uploaded in their tweets into a single organized page.The galleries will accept images from Twitter, yFrog, TwitPic, Instagram and other image-sharing services that are supported within Twitter's details pane.A maximum of 100 of the most recent images will be displayed in chronological order in two different flavours: grid view, which shows thumbnails, and detail view, which shows the most recent image. Video thumbnails are not supported, neither are images shared in tweets before January 1, 2010.Galleries can be found on Profile pages – Twitter uses the LIFE magazine profile to show how this will work.(Source: Twitter.) Sharehttp://adweek.it/2kYihzY copy Adweek Adweek


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Dec 14, 2012
EW.com is reporting a rumor that Summit Entertainment is considering actress-turned-director Drew Barrymore as one of a select group of directors to helm the third Twilight movie, Eclipse.
Barrymore did just finish work on her directorial debut, Whip It! starring Ellen Page.
Neither Summit nor Barrymore's representatives would comment to EW.com.
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As always, I only recommend products I personally use and love, or think my readers will find useful.
Update: Looks like they are sending random members $30 gift cards for FREE!
Several people are getting a FREE $10 Eddie Bauer Gift Card just for signing up for Adventure Rewards on the Eddie Bauer website. All you have to do is go here and join, then watch your email for a FREE $10 gift code.
As an outdoor guide, Eddie Bauer built products to stand up to the rigors of his adventures. He built them—and guaranteed them— to last. We carry on that legacy. Every product carries a lifetime warranty.


text: The full title is "Gowanus Expressway gets what it has coming." The Gowanus and the Cross-Bronx are to NYC highways that have been designated "chump roads" by natives. The name is for out-of-towners who get on them because they think they are the best routes or because they don't know any better. These routes are invariably jammed and afflicted by the almost mythic burning school bus, the broken down box truck and the jack knifed tractor-trailer truck. Those who know better, have alternative routes. The 8 x 10 drawing itself was done by doing a colored work in Corel Painter, printing at high-resolution on archival Canson and then inked using Rapidographs.


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Easter 2017
Easter card making after the chocolate egg hunt.
Children were given a list of clues for an Easter Egg hunt that took them through various spots in Lopdell Precinct starting in The Upstairs Gallery before leading them down into Deco Cafe, Te Uru Art Gallery and leading them back to our gallery for their treasure hunt prize!
Art and craft supplies were kindly donated by Stampin Up.


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Rich textures and effortless grace are the signature of this brand, a trend-setting Italian fashion company founded by the Tuscan designer of the same name. Alessandra is famous for her refined Italian style: her distinctively constructed womenswear features the finest materials including leather, wool, cotton, silk and fur, all used in the creation of a tapestry of contrasting textures that express her unique sense of fashion.
This talented designer knows exactly what her customers want: captivating, fluid clothes designed with the contemporary woman in mind. Experimental drapery t


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Storrs Start
As a self taught writer and game designer, I am always exploring ways to better my craft. I use my understanding of history and emotion to create characters, cultures and worlds to be explored. I also design simple and elegant game mechanics which are easy to understand and use, and don't get in the way of having fun!
I have many projects planned for the future, including a trilogy of books starting with Redcap, A community project centered around the annual National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and several board games and short stories.


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This is Amanda's all-time favorite recipe—and the one she gets the most requests for. It's the perfect combination of sweet and salty, with lots of hearty, healthy vegetables that make it delicious and satisfying.
4-5 medium-large beets (gold and red if possible), peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
2-3 medium onions, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
5 or 6 full sized carrots, chopped into bite-sized pieces
Roughly a quart of potatoes (purple and buff/gold), scrubbed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1-2 T olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375. Toss the potatoes, carrots, onions and gold beets together with a bit of olive oil, salt and black pepper. Spread them out on a cookie sheet or in a baking dish. Then toss the red beets with a bit of olive oil and place them on top of and around the other veggies. Roast in the oven until they're all soft and fully cooked.
½-⅔ cup balsamic vinegar
1 T butter
2 T of cooking sherry
2 T brown sugar or honey
Black pepper
A pinch of salt
A nice big pinch of fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
½ T fennel seeds
Combine all the ingredients except the thyme in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the pinch of thyme, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the whole mixture has reduced by half. When the vegetables are done, remove them from the oven and let them sit a few minutes. While they're warm, transfer them to a serving dish and pour the sauce on top. Toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with fresh thyme. Serve warm.
Note: To make this dish into a full meal, cook up a few Italian chicken sausages, halve them lengthwise and slice them into 1/4 inch pieces. Add these to the vegetables before you toss them with the sauce. The saltiness of the sausages really balances out the sweetness of the rest of the dish. It's also good with crumbled feta cheese in place of or in addition to the sausage—just sprinkle this on top instead of mixing it in.


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Creating Your Plot
What do you want to write about? It's a simple question. And yet, it can be incredibly difficult to answer it with enough ferocity to get you to and past 50,000-100,000 words. It's one thing to have an idea, but it's a whole other to have one big enough to create a novel.
During my NanoWriMo experience, I reached about 25,000 words (Nano is about reaching the coveted 50k) and hit a wall: a brick, unforgiving wall. I knew exactly how I wanted to end my story. I knew exactly where I wanted my characters to end up. But I didn't know how they would get there. So what did I do? I consulted the Internet, of course. I tweeted with the #NanoWriMo hashtag saying, "Help me. I'm stuck!"
Some kind tweeter found me and responded with, "Quick! Bring back someone from your character's past!" It was a simple suggestion, but it worked miracles. I did just that. My character of Jenna was born. But you can never just introduce a character. There had to be a story associated with her. Then, there had to be a story connecting her to my leads. It snowballed from there, and what started as a simple, romantic-comedy-type novel, quickly turned into a family saga, with an underlying romance. It shifted the whole focus of my book.
So, how do you create a plot? How do you make it complex enough, but not too complicated? You can always look at your own life, but below are some other ideas.
Plot Devices
"An object or character in a story whose sole purpose is to advance the plot of the story, or alternatively to overcome some difficulty in the plot." (Web definition)
This can be your best friend if done well. But, it can cheapen your novel if done poorly. Me bringing in a character from the past could be described as a plot device. I think that she progressed the story in that she gave more insight into my character Addison. She helped explain why Addison is the way she is without saying, "Addison is sad because…" Death is a plot device. I have that one too. Cheating is a plot device. Got it.
However, my biggest pet peeve with plot devices is when they're haphazardly thrown in, as if the writer got stuck at that wall and just needed something else to write about to make word count. It's sloppy. It's distracting, and worst of all, it's obvious. If the device doesn't serve a greater purpose than simply distracting the reader with something else for a few chapters, get rid of it! Please!
Fifty Shades of Grey (specifically, Fifty Shades Freed, book 3) did this. This book was PACKED with plot devices. The third book was all over the place. But what irked me was that they didn't serve a bigger purpose. Kidnapping, marriage proposals, near death, attempted kidnapping, more near death, a father nearly dying, a baby…and on it goes. It's just too much. Especially for a 400-word novel, where nothing had the chance to develop. So before you throw them all in like some stew, ask yourself: How is this helping my novel? Does it make sense in the bigger picture?
Character Arcs
These are vital. Who are your characters? It's not enough to write them in the present, in my opinion. Allude to backstories. These backstories will almost always come into play with the character development throughout the story. It's what helps the reader understand how/why a character is overcoming something.
Characters drive the story, so you must complete your characters. I've talked about Creating Characters in a past post. Their arc—background, current struggles, hopes, fears, etc—drive the story. Don't ignore all of the things you can explore. Try this before throwing in plot devices.
Story in a Story
I'm actually a huge fan of this inception concept. It doesn't work well for every genre, or for every book. In a lot of ways, it combines both the devices and the arcs. There's also a couple ways to do it.
Switching POVs is one way. I mean, full on switching POVs, as in each chapter changes. Jodi Picoult does this all of the time. One chapter is marked "Bill", the next "Sharon", the next "Thomas", etc. Sometimes, scenes will repeat themselves, but will be told through the eyes of the other character. As humans, we all interpret things differently. With the various POVs, the story feels slightly changed.
The more literal story within a story can be done with flashbacks, flashforwards, or hidden plots that slowly emerge.
Flashbacks: Your MC is a child. Your MC is dealing with a different conflict during that point in his/her life. Your MC is in the middle of something that will affect present-day MC
Flashforwards: Everything the reader is currently…well, reading, has significance to what will come next. The books opens in 2020, but switches to 1990 during chapter two. Two different stories taking place in different times, but they'll connect—eventually.
Hidden plots: Just look at the movie Inception! Yeah, they're trying to plant an idea in the billionaire's head, but you also learn about Leo and his wife, and that whole story simultaneously.
I think it's best to have your general idea conceptualized before you start typing. Although everyone has a technique that works for them. Just let things come naturally. If you're half way through your book and realize, well, it'd make much more sense for Jennifer to quit her job than deal with her boss since she's such a strong-willed character, then follow that path. Just don't force it.


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This set is imported directly from René Rofé New York.
Tempting black body harness featuring open cups, a strappy neckline, adjustable spaghetti straps, O-ring accents, a strappy bodice, a back hook closure, and an open cage back.
Colour: Black
Material: 75% Nylon, 25% Spandex
Sizes: Available in S/M and M/L


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MBBS Admission Through NEET
Are you an aspiring doctor, hoping to study medicine in one of the excellent MBBS colleges in India but still unsure of the NEET guidelines & Marks ?
We are here to assist you with our trustworthy and comprehensive counselling services which can easily guide you to secure MBBS admission through NEET.
As we know, NEET (National Eligibility Entrance Test) is an all India level based examination held by the prestigious CBSE Board. The AIPMT examination has been transformed to NEET from 2016, after the Supreme Court passed the order. The NEET examination is solely for aspirants applying for MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) and BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) programs. This examination is conducted in several cities, especially during the month of May. Students who are passionate about applying for the examination are advised to apply for the NEET examination from the month of January.
The eligibility criteria for MBBS By NEET applicants are mentioned below:
- Applicants must be of 17 years or have completed by 31st of December of the year of admission.
- Every applicant must be an Indian National or be overseas citizen of India (O.C.I.).
- It is prerequisite for applicants to successfully clear their 12thor equivalent exam with PCB and English subjects from any recognized board of India.
- According to Supreme Court regulations, there is no age limit for applicants, who are applying for NEET from 2017 onward.
- Applicants can attempt to appear for the NEET examination thrice after which they will be restricted to apply.
- The new Supreme Court regulations state that Indian Nationals, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origins (PIOs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) and foreign nationals too are eligible to apply for NEET from 2017 onward.
MBBS admission through NEET counselling process involves the following regulations:
- 15% of the admission seats in any government medical college in India, other than AIIMS, JIPMER and medical colleges in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & J&K, will be ensured through AIQ counselling conducted by DGHS (NEET).
- The remaining 85% of the admission seats in government medical colleges are ensured by state counselling conducted by the central government. The seats are solely reserved for the state dwelling candidates.
- State government university affiliated private colleges hold the right to take admission for its 100% seats through state government counselling.
The counselling process includes the invitation of the students who have secured preferential ranks and providing them with the list of colleges to select where they are seeking to be admitted. The admission seats are allotted to students on the basis of choices given by them, rank scored and the availability of seats in the medical colleges.
How We Can Help You Through MBBS Seats By NEET
- As we are an experienced MBBS admission consultant providing guidance through NEET scores.
- 70 percent of the Indian parents think they will do the same counselling and seat allotment procedure which admission consultant will do, but they are wrong.
- If you will do correct counselling then MBBS seat is also possible in low NEET score.
- We are not charging hefty counselling fees, a normal fees is applicable which can assure you a seat.


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Unique Estates is pleased to present to your attention a lovely, new apartment for rent. It is set in a luxury building with a representative lobby, controlled access and security. The place is quiet but extremely communicative - a few meters away from Oborishte Str. The apartment is fully furnished with taste and attention to the details. The equipment is of the highest class.
We recommend viewings!
Entrance; living room, dining room and kitchenette in an open common area, terrace in front of the living room, two separate bedrooms with closets, two bathrooms with toilets.
Oborishte region is part of Sofia Downtown and occupies the area between Slivnitsa Blvd, D. Nikolaev Blvd, Sitnyakovo Blvd, Han Omurtag Str, Shipka Str, Paris Str, Moskovska Str, Knyaz Alexander Batenberg Sq, Largoto and Maria Luiza Blvd. Oborishte region is situated on square surface of 3070 daa - 1433 daa of non-residential areas and 1637 daa of residential areas. The population is over 36 000 people.
The region characterizes with aristocratic buildings constructed before the Second World War and monolithic buildings from the 70s of the last century. New, luxurious office and residential buildings were constructed in the last years.
The administrative buildings in this region are: the Ministry of Councils, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, The Energetic Committee, the Parliament building (the former House of Parties), the Capital Municipality, the Archives State Agency, the Central Cooperative Union, many embassies, etc.
The culture sites which can be visited in Oborishte are: the National Opera and Ballet, the Cinema House, the National Music Theatre 'Stefan Makedonski', The Culture House 'Sredets', the Drama Theatre 'Sofia', The National Library 'St. St. Cyril and Methodius', the Small City Theatre behind the Canal, the Gallery for Foreign Arts, the National Puppet Theatre - hall 2, the Military Historical Museum, the Theatre workshop 'Sfumato', 211 Monuments of Culture, including the Sofia mineral bath, the Youth Theatre 'Nikolay Binev', 40 monument plates, 15 monuments, including Vasil Levski Monument, Doctor's Monument, the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, the Monument of St St Cyril and Methodius, the Monument and grave of Ivan Vazov, the Monument of Alexander Stamboliyski, etc.


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Family Travel: Review of Sani Club Resort in Halkidiki, Greece
A Review of Sani Resort
We were originally planning on going to Sani Resort in Halkidiki, Greece in late July or August, but then we saw how much cheaper prices for June were and despite not getting back from our Ibiza family holiday at Gran Palladium just over a week before, we flew to Thessaloniki in late June and made our way to Sani Resort, still feeling surprisingly ready for another holiday. I guess having a two-year-old and a 20 week baby bump will do that to you!
Getting to Sani Resort
With such a short transfer time, and a car transfer included in the price we paid, the journey to Sani Resort looked fairly easy once we'd done the 2 hours and 50 minutes flight to Thessaloniki from Amsterdam. And it was... except our plane was both a bit delayed and then we also sat on the tarmac at Schiphol for forty minutes before taking off. Also, I don't know if it's just Transavia flights or just bad luck, but we were once again at a gate that required a bus transfer from the terminal, which always adds an extra bit of stress and what I like to call "faffing" to our journey. Also, I wasn't quite prepared for the chaos at Thessaloniki. It's a small airport but it took us ten minutes to find the Sani Resort reception area (turn right once through the arrivals doors FYI!) because of a swelling crowd of people in the arrivals area. None of these were huge problems, at all, but added up to me feeling pretty bloody exhausted by the time the car was on the motorway heading to the beach. (I also have to add that we experienced a really long, slow queue once to check-in for our return flight so be prepared for the airport to not really run as quickly or smoothly as you may expect!)
However, as we pulled into the main gates of the Sani Resort, a sense of calm descended. Yes, the many signs for all the many Sani complexes were a little confusing and overwhelming, I could definitely feel my holiday getting closer so that helped me breathe a little slower.
Staying at Sani Club
We stayed at Sani Club, the resort at the far eastern edge of the bay. It was actually the first of the resorts and hotels to be built back in the 1970s and there are some photos floating around of a cluster of the holiday houses on the hillside looking out over an otherwise empty bay. Now development dominates the whole curve of the bay, but not in an all-consuming way. There is only one so-called high rise building, and even that wasn't too tall or tower-like by many modern standards. The colours of the buildings are all very similar and this blends in well with the landscape and the beach. Sani Club underwent considerable renovation and building work during the winter 2017 - 2018 so everything felt very new, modern and fresh when we were there.
Next door to Sani Club within the resort is Sani Dunes, which has a quieter, smaller and more adults-only feel. Then there is the Porto Sani and Sani Marina, which does have accommodation but is really dominated by the marina it is named after (where some huge and luxurious yachts were docked!) and the shops and restaurants that line the water's edge. Then comes Sani Beach, arguably the largest resort in the complex, and the only one with a hotel building (that not-quite high rise), and finally at the very peak is the more intimate Sani Asterias which has a beautiful, more private beach and fewer facilities for families. The other resorts all had more holiday house or apartment style accommodation spread out around a swimming pool, or as in the case of Sani Club, scattered along the hillside. To get from one resort to another was a bit more complicated that just walking, though we did end up doing this on one or two occasions (which I'll get to later). There is a shuttle bus travelling around all the resorts taking guests from one to another, running every 15-20 minutes throughout the day and into the night. Guests have access to all resorts and their facilities but additional charges may apply depending on what board you are staying with.
We chose Sani Club because it was the only resort with private pools and we split our week there between staying in a Deluxe Double Room with a Sea View, and a One Bedroom Bungalow Suite with a Private Pool. I have to say our first room was so spacious and comfortable and had such beautiful sea views that I did worry a little that we'd made a bit of an expensive mistake spending more on a villa with a private pool. There were a total of three swimming pools, two in the main pool complex including a large kids pool that was very shallow so perfect for toddlers and babies, and the other pool was big enough to accommodate lots of families and swimmers. Our favourite pool was actually the one in front of The Pines restaurant which wasn't shallow or especially designed for kids and families but it was a little quieter than the other pools and it also had a great view of the sea and we made good friends with the serving staff.
The Kids Club at Sani Resort
Sani Club is also one of the resorts with a kids club, which we found downstairs in the main building, where the lobby, buffet restaurant and mini-market was found. The entrance to the kids club was also directly on the beachfront too so if you were going to spend the day on the beach, you would be very close to your little ones enjoying the kids club. If you've read my other family resort reviews you'll know by now that we love a resort with a kids club and I have to say this one really had the most professional set-up and staff of those we've experienced yet. Employees were international, but mostly British or Greek, and it felt extremely well set up with lots of paperwork, policies and a very logical but varied environment both inside and outside for both the creche (kids aged 0 - 4) and the general kids club (4+). For under 4s there is an additional hourly cost for putting your kiddo in the creche, and you could only sign up to 3 hour sessions at €10 per hour, in the morning and/or the afternoon. Alternatively, you could sign up for the lunchtime session and your kids would go to lunch with the staff so parents could have a little lunch date by themselves. If you signed up to two sessions a day you then received a discount with both sessions costing only €40 total for the day. We were informed we needed to pre-book the sessions in advance (this was organised by email prior to our arrival) but we found there was some flexibility once we were there with changing and confirming dates while there.
We fell into the routine of taking our son (who was then a month off turning three) for a 3-hour session in the morning after breakfast together. We did book one or two other afternoon sessions but ended up cancelling them (without having to pay) because we wanted to spend afternoons together in the pool. There were other kids activities happening at other locations within Sani Resort, but because getting there involved getting on a shuttle bus or a long walk (see below!) we stuck to just using Sani Club's kids activites and facilities, which were more than good enough with a playground also available.
There is one very cool thing that the Sani Resort offers, which we didn't actually use in the end, they offer a complimentary "Babewatch" service, where you can leave you little ones in an area near the beach (just outside the kids club) or at a table in the shade near the main pool for up to 30 minutes, completely free. This was available only during certain hours but you didn't have to pre-book in advance. We absolutely cannot fault the kids club. It was fantastic and we'd go back to Sani Club (and our kiddo was toilet training at the time so they had to manage that but did without even blinking) almost for that reason alone as we felt huge peace of mind when he was there and we were able to relax during our time off!
Eating at Sani Resort
We were staying at Sani Club on half-board, meaning we had breakfast and lunch or dinner included. However, it wasn't quite that simple. Here is also where I felt it all got a bit more complicated than I would like on a holiday - what can I say, I like to relax my brain as much as possible on holiday! - as there was a buffet restaurant in our resort where we could have our second meal for free - but all the other restaurants were a la carte and there we could either have a limited-choice set menu for free or we could choose from the other menu and then have a €20 discount per person. Now considering most main meals were around the €20 mark this wasn't the best deal in the world, however, I have to say that the set menus we were offered in most restaurants were more than adequate. My other bug bear with the eating situation was that drinks weren't included, even with the buffet deal, including water. While plenty of complimentary bottled water was provided in our rooms it felt quite steep to charge €5 or more for water at mealtimes. We also had a problem using the Sani Resort app that was designed to help you make reservations at restaurants, which we were advised you must do. It worked fine for the first two days but then when we changed rooms it didn't like our reservation details anymore so we had to rely on calling reception or our concierge service which was a bit tiresome as this involved them calling us back to confirm and we didn't always want to be waiting by the phone. As for lunches, we mostly shared one or two meals between three of us from the pool bar menus at The Pines or by the main swimming pool as we weren't always very hungry but rather we just needed something to keep us going until dinner.
We tried a number of restaurants for dinner during our stay including all the Sani Club restaurants, plus two others around the Sani Marina area. As it happened our favourites were The Pines and Cabana, two of the restaurants in Sani Club. The Pines is an organic restaurant that sources all its produce from within a 100km radius, and Cabana was a Mediterranean themed restaurant with beautiful views of the ocean. We also tried Ouzerie, the Greek taverna style restaurant at Sani Club, but were a little disappointed with the food - there was a meatballs dish which was so salty we couldn't really eat it. We tried another Greek restaurant on Sani Marina which was also not the best Greek food I've had. This was a little disappointing as we were so looking forward to having some decent local food, but I suspect that may be the problem of such a large scale resort that is really more focused on offering variety rather than specialising in local delicacies. We also tried the Italian restaurant at Sani Marina, and it was good, but we didn't feel the need to head back to the Marina after that. We also found the shuttle bus - which departed at the top of a big hill in Sani Club - a little annoying to get to as it either involved getting a golf buggy up there (which were available on demand from reception so easy enough but it's just not always easy to make your little boy walk up and down stairs to actually get to the reception) or we'd have to walk up the big hill which in the late afternoon sun wasn't much fun for anyone!
In fact, I think it was more to do with having a hungry two-year-old in blazing hot heat so for us it was just easier to stay at Sani Club. On our two visits to the Marina we actually also walked back, via the beach of Sani Dunes and past a camping site/beach club that wasn't owned by the Sani Resort. It was very strange to see this as it was a completely different vibe to the rest of the Sani Resort so I suspect that's why they didn't advertise or advise guests to walk that way to and from the Marina, but it was actually fun to see a more laid-back vibe, although we're really not campers so we were quite happy to go back to our villa!
One thing we only learned after the first few mornings of our stay was that going to breakfast at either The Pines or Cabana was also complimentary, providing your had a reservation. For us, this was a much nicer experience as there were less crowds, less choice (which for us was a good thing!) and some delicious and healthy (or not so healthy) a la carte options. Once we knew we could do this we alternated between the two each morning and had a much more relaxed and calmer breakfast experience; not that there was anything wrong with the buffet, we just sometimes prefer to be away from the crowds, also our villa was closer to these restaurants so you could say we were also being lazy!
Other Facilities at Sani Club and Sani Resort
While we didn't get up to too much while staying at Sani Club, it's safe to say there is plenty to do if you have older children or your the kind of person that likes to keep busy while on holiday - I believe these people exist, although I don't know many myself! During our week I did aqua aerobics in the main pool most mornings and one day when we woke up and the sea was almost as calm and flat as a mirror, my partner booked a wakeboarding session. The staff there were great at helping my pregnant self accompany him so I could watch and take some photos and feel incredibly jealous!!
We saw lots of people on rented bikes, and I was tempted by the mapped out running routes, but not enough to actually lace up my trainers. I did however do so to visit the gym a few times, and there was an indoor swimming pool for those days when it rained (which apparently it had done shortly before our arrival) or you just wanted to hide from the sun. There was also a spa to use but we didn't even get a chance to do so as we loved our private pool and villa so much. We also found out that younger kids staying at Sani Beach could hire push along scooters to get around, there were organised activities for kids (lego-building, games sessions) and adults (local market visits and painting lessons), and there was evening entertainment every night in the form of shows and live performances. We didn't use it in the end as all the restaurants we visited were very kid-friendly, but there was also a babysitting service available,
And before I forget, I would say, if you want to minimise your exposure to children while holidaying at Sani Resort (which I fully understand!), then I believe Sani Asterias and Sani Dunes are the two hotels you should look at, while Sani Club and Sani Beach are the best for kid-friendly facilities and options.
What we loved about Sani Resort... and what we kinda didn't
Overall we loved Sani Club and the rest of what we saw of Sani Resort for its blend of family-friendly style and luxury. The whole resort was geared up for everyone to have relaxing, luxurious holidays, but that then meant that there were plenty of options to keep kids busy and even adults active, if they wanted. Again, we loved the kids club and it's a serious reason we're thinking of returning to Sani again next summer.
One thing I haven't really mentioned here, but is definitely a highlight of Sani Resort, is the beach. The water in the bay that Sani Resort dominates is simply beautiful. I've not seen such clear blue waters in Europe since, well, I guess possibly my last visit to Greece all those years ago. It was crystal clear in places and on many mornings we woke to see it looking as still as a mirror. The beach at Sani Club is man-made, or at least man-maintained so it's not as good or as typically beachy as those by Sani Dunes or Sani Asterias, but the beach area at Sani Club was always very popular (so popular it was a little too busy for us) and you can enjoy lounger-service for drinks and food.
I would quickly add that while we feel we got value for money, the Sani Resort is not cheap to stay at compared with other resorts offering similar facilities and packages if you're looking for a family-friendly resort holiday. However, I will say that the overall standard and quality at Sani is much higher than most, and for some people this is worth paying for.
If you've been reading my blog for a few years now, you'll know how marrying luxury travel with family-friendly destinations is something I used to think was impossible, but we're slowly building a list of design, style and luxury-focused resorts that have just as much appeal and entertainment for young children, and I can absolutely add Sani Club to this.
And if you'd like to save this post, here's an image you can save or share:
For other family-friendly luxury resorts around the world, check out my reviews of Point Yamu by COMO in Phuket, Thailand, Kandima Maldives, and Gran Palladium Palace in Ibiza. And for other family travel articles you can read the following:
Why (and When) You Should Travel With Kids
Packing Tips and Packing List for Travel with a Baby
Tips for Flying with a Toddler
Tips for Helping a Toddler with Jet Lag
Essential Travel Gear for Travel with a Toddler
The Best Travel Pushchair/Stroller
Packing List for Toddler's First Ski Trip
Tips for Maldives with a Toddler
Frances M. Thompson
Find Frankie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google+.


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It's Friddday! Which means it's time to roundup the best of the week in CNET video.
In our latest installment of our new How-To, DIY-tech series, The Fix, our resident how-to guru's offer up expert advice on building the ultimate home theater. They'll show you how to easily and affordably install a TV, give you tips on choosing the right screen size, as well as our top three ways to add audio to your home theater. You'll be your own home theater specialist by episode's end.
Earlier this week, Amazon revealed that it would be increasing it's Prime subscription service by $20 to $99 a year. But we've got a very clever workaround that will lock you in at it's current price of $79 a year. Watch the video to see how!
Plus: We talk iOS 8 and Apple TV rumors in the latest Apple Byte; Adventures in Tech takes us through some the more positive moments in BlackBerry's past; and where and how to watch March Madness games on your TV, computer, and mobile devices.
1. The Fix: Building a home theater
CNET's newest how-to and DIY show features useful tips to easily install your television, get the best sound quality, and select the right screen size.
2. Apple Byte: iOS 8 looks to bring new Maps and augmented reality
You probably updated to iOS 7.1 but rumors point to new Maps, iTunes Radio, and more in iOS 8. The Apple TV could bring motion controls, and our Steve Jobs figure winners!
3. Save $20 on your Amazon Prime membership
Amazon recently raised the price of Prime to $99 but we'll show you how to save $20 and lock-in for $79.
4. Top 5: Simple smart home upgrades
Five simple pieces of technology that will make your home smarter.
5. Adventures in Tech: What BlackBerry did right
BlackBerry is lying in ruin -- but believe it or not, it had some good ideas in its time. Here's what BlackBerry did right.
6. Razer Blade packs a slim gaming laptop behind a higher-res screen
The weak display in last year's Razer Blade gaming laptop is swapped out for an amazing 3,200x1,800 one.
7. Ways to view March Madness
It's a fact: Productivity drops in March as millions of people put down their work and pick up their remotes to tune into the annual NCAA basketball tournament. If you'd like in on the action, CNET's Kara Tsuboi tells us how to view the games on your TV, computer, or mobile device so you never miss a minute.
8. Googlicious: A smartwatch won't be Google's only wearable
Google offers their Android SDK for wearables to all developers, the Chromecast goes worldwide, and Samsung releases their Milk Music service.
9. Mophie Space Pack: A killer iPhone battery case with storage
The Mophie Space Pack protects your iPhone, acts as a battery, and also gives you extra storage space for your media.
10. Map-free travel with the Navigate Jacket
Pedestrian accidents are on the rise with people looking at their smartphones as they walk around. Now, a high-tech jacket has been developed to help people keep their heads up so they don't have to look at maps as they walk around. As CNET's Sumi Das shows us, the jacket has sensors that vibrate and light up to guide you.


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Please be advised that starting July 2013 Wonderland Daycare is going to increase the childcare fee rates to the following.
• Infants Program: $1,500/ a month
• Toddler Program: $1,350/ a month
• Pre-school and Kindergarten Program: $1,200/ a month.
• Part time: $800/ a month
All extra-curricular activities are $65 per activity a month. A post-dated cheque for three (3) months is required starting June 2013.
Cameras are going to cost $20/ a month starting in July.
- Returned cheques will be charged a $50 fee per cheque.
- Unpaid daycare fees upon the return of a cheque, your child will not be permitted to come to the centre until his fees are paid.
- Late fee after 7 p.m. is $1 a minute.
- Transportation: $250 two way pickup. $200 one way pickup.
- Supplies payment $50 a year.
- Vacation is given after 6 months attendance in the childcare. Each family gets a 2 week vacation grace period that does not need to get paid ONLY AFTER A 4 WEEK NOTICE. Sick days are not counted towards vacation period.
In case you would like to withdrawal your child, you will need to provide us with a 4 week notice


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Last weekend, I took another drive through the Delta region of eastern Arkansas. While the Delta lacks the tall bluffs and mountains of the Ozarks and Ouachitas, I think that it's a really photogenic area (and one that I've been working on a photo project on for awhile). There is a lot of history here, and miles and miles of verdant fields that produce healthy crops of rice, soybeans, cotton and mosquitoes.
But it is also a region that has been struggling with a stagnant economy and decades of population loss. Perhaps the best example of this is the city of Pine Bluff.
Nearly all of the buildings along Main Street are empty and boarded up, and several have collapsed in recent years. Downtown Pine Bluff was quiet when I drove through, which granted it was a Sunday afternoon but there didn't look to be another soul around for miles. This old building, which sits right by the train tracks that bisect the town, sits gutted and empty except for water that has flooded the area where the floor used to be. A sign on the broken door said that this used to be a dance studio.
But I did drive by a bright spot in Pine Bluff's future – the old Pines Hotel. The hotel was recently sold, and actually it was cleaned up and studies are being conducted to see how it can be saved. Hopefully it will be brought back, and then help provide a spark that could bring new life to this part of town.
I left Pine Bluff and headed south and stopped by this old church, which appears to not have been used much in the past few years (although someone does mow the grass still).
This old barn was nearby, sitting along a dusty dirt road and baking in the afternoon sun.
I had some troubles taking pictures in the harsh afternoon light, and also in reaching a few places that I had wanted to get pictures of. One place had "no trespassing" signs posted at it, the other ended up being on private property. Since I really didn't want to be shot by anyone that day, I headed off to find something else to point the camera at. I ended up finding this little muffler man, trying to lure business along Hwy. 65 in Dumas.
It was starting to get a little late in the day, and the sun was starting to drift closer to the horizon. This was taken at a field along Hwy. 65 as a freight train rushed by on the tracks directly behind me.
Further up the road I passed by another old church, which sat in the golden light from the sun. It also doesn't look like it's seen many services lately, although there was a healthy congregation of wasps guarding their nests along the side of the building.
And another view of the church, and the lonely country road that it sits along.
Just down the road, the cotton fields were starting to bloom.
I made one last stop, at an old abandoned house that actually sits in the shadow of the Varner prison unit. I couldn't find any information about the house, which has a roof that has collapsed over the front porch. But there is a small family cemetery that sits nearby, with old graves baring the Varner name. So this might be the old home for the Maple Grove plantation, which the state of Arkansas purchased in 1902 so that it could have land for the nearby Cummins prison. It was a bit eerie to be there, the old house and cemetery overlook the prison that is home to the state's Death Row inmates. I wonder what the people who are buried there would think of their once grand house, now abandoned and collapsing? That their farmlands were sold to a prison system that would house violent criminals, and also the place where those same prisoners were put to death?
I assume the Arkansas Department of Corrections is in charge of the property. The grass around the house and cemetery looked to have been freshly mowed, and the graves were in good condition. The only sounds were the chirping of crickets, and the dull rumble of traffic along the distant Hwy. 65. It was starting to get dark, and the windows in the old house were reflecting the last bit of light from the setting sun.
Thursday, September 14, 2017
In The Delta
Posted by Cormackphotos at 11:23 PM
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If you are thinking about making cannabis edibles, you should know that the key ingredient that will make your recipe special is cannabutter. You may go to the nearest dispensary and buy it there, or you can make it on your own enjoying the whole process!
How to decarb your weed?
Your edibles can have some "greenish" or bitter taste due to the terpenes in the plant. That is why you need to decarb the plant material. More than that, it is a necessary step for making your final product really potent. There is nothing complicated in the decarboxylating process: you need to heat your buds on a cookie sheet in the preheated oven for half an hour at 121 degree Celsius. A higher temperature will simply destroy the THC, that is why you need to be extremely careful. Heating the buds at a low temperature changes the molecular structure of weed so that our bodies can easily absorb the components. Take into account that the majority of ovens have the so-called "hot spots." To save your buds from getting burnt, check on them every 15 minutes. You may also shuffle them around the cookie sheet or just turn the sheet 180 degrees. Wait until your buds become brown and crisp and turn the oven off. Let the plant matter cool down a bit and gently grind it with your hands.
How to make cannabutter?
There is no mystery in making pot butter as it is just like making infused nut oil. Follow these five steps and remember that you are the only boss in the kitchen.
- Melt one stick of butter (½ cup) in a saucepan.
- Add the buds that you have ground with your hands to the liquid butter. Do it gradually, stirring the mixture all the time.
- Simmer the mixture on low heat for 45 minutes. Do not forget to stir it. You will see small bubbles appearing on the surface.
- Strain the mixture into a container (it is better to use a metal one).
- Make sure you squeeze out all of the cannabutter.
The finished product will have a slightly green color. Now you have everything you need to make your favorite delicious brownies, or pizza, or even chicken with a cannabis-infused sauce. Enjoy!


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Project location
Wellar Wing, Bedford Hospital.
Now part of South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.
Aims and Outcomes
The dining room of the non-purpose built mental health unit was only used for mealtimes, and was cluttered and felt unwelcoming and uncomfortable. The team wanted to create a more sociable area with direct access to the garden that could be used for a range of activities.
The space available has been maximised and transformed into The Billabong, a vibrant and welcoming area. Folding doors now allow direct access to the garden. The ceiling has been lowered and a new lighting system installed. Different types of flooring help to delineate the areas as well as creating an area adjacent to the garden which can be used as a performance space. New crockery, tables and chairs have been purchased and a video projector and roll-down screen installed for musical performances, film screenings and family events.
Over 110 service users and staff were involved in creating the artworks using aboriginal mark making techniques and this theme led to the choice of colours for the refurbishment.


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We are proud to announce that this Aug 17th, 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM we will be hosting an Open House at 61 WEST TERRACE...
Click here to read more detail about 'West Terrace Open House!'
2 MONTERRA CO, Rural Rocky View County, AlbertaMLS®#: C4222786
Listing Overview
- Property Value$839,000
- Property Address2 MONTERRA CO, Rural Rocky View County, Alberta, T0L 1W0, Canada
- TypeHouse
- Style2 Storey
- BasementFull
- ParkingTriple/Insulated/Heated
- Year Built2011
- Living Area2,903 sq.ft.
- Lot Size Area0.30 acres
- Bedrooms4
- Bathrooms3 full & 1 half
- Maintenance Fee$135.00
2 MONTERRA CO, Rural Rocky View County, Alberta, T0L 1W0, Canada
** OPEN HOUSE, Sunday, August 18th, 1-4 PM **
Must see in Monterra! Grand bright entrance, stone feature wall, 2 way waterfall accent & stunning features throughout. Main floor boasts a open kitchen, large island, walk through pantry, quartz, high end built in appliances & an open and bright dining area that walks out onto your sheltered deck. The kitchen area opens into the 2 story living room that centres around a gas fireplace with floor to ceiling stone. Main floor also consists of a 2pc bath and 2 other flex rooms open to the floor above, perfect for a den, tv room or even a formal dining room. A gorgeous split wrap around staircase with floor to ceiling windows will wow you as your head upstairs! On one side you have two large kids rooms, a 4pc Jack&Jill bath & upper floor laundry. The other side is the massive master retreat with its very own fireplace. The walk-in closet and 6pc open concept bathroom are sure to stun. The lower level is just as impressive featuring a large custom wet bar, entertainment area, gym, bedroom & 3pc bath
Listing Provided By
Copyright and Disclaimer
The data relating to real estate on this web site comes in part from the MLS® Reciprocity program of the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB®). This information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the CREB®.
- Ken Morris
- Phone: 403.804.7314
- Mobile: 403 804-7314
- Office Phone: 403 804-7314
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Royal Lepage Integrity
- #1 - 201 Grand Blvd.
- Cochrane Alberta, AB


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Preliminary Accident Reports
June 2010 Issue
April 9, 2010, Santa Maria, Calif., Bell 222U
At about 0124 Pacific time, the helicopter was substantially damaged while preparing for takeoff. Neither the airline transport pilot nor the two flight nurses were injured. Visual night conditions prevailed. One of the tail rotor blades had been strapped to the helicopters tail boom. Following the pilots engine-start operation, as the tail rotor began rotating, the tie-down strap broke.
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The monthly journal of risk management and accident prevention, is packed with useful, timely information on basic and advanced technique, accident analysis and, most important, practical articles on how you can develop the judgment that will keep you in the air and out of the NTSB's files.
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Procurement ExpoMeet with purchasing officials seeking qualified Native American Indian suppliers at RES 2019!
RES provides qualified American Indian owned businesses the opportunity to meet one-on-one with federal, state and local government purchasing officials, as well as prime contractors and private sector corporations.
By taking part in RES's Buy Native: Procurement & Matchmaking Expo you have the opportunity to present your company's goods and/or services to buyers from federal, state, and local governments, as well as Fortune 500 corporations.


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Week In Review
The Week In Review rounds up interesting, inspiring or thought-provoking things I've read this week.
"How are you to imagine anything if the images are always provided for you? To defend ourselves...we must learn to read. To stimulate our own imagination, to cultivate our own consciousness, our own belief system. We all need these skills to defend, to preserve, our own minds." -- Adrien Brody
Cuba, in Clothes | Chavie Lieber, Racked
It's long, but the entire piece is worth a read.
"Coupled with recent collections from Valentino and Stella McCartney that appropriated Cuban design and didn't involve anyone from the country in the design process and a televised visit from the Kardashians which showed little but cigars, rum, and colorful convertibles, it's clear there's risk of 'exoticizing Cuban people and culture,' as Racked wrote last year.
Perhaps the most questionable of these examples is Chanel's resort fashion show hosted in Havana this past May. Many locals felt Chanel used Havana without actually involving it. The show was closed off to the public, even though it was held on a public street. Out of the 47 models who walked the show, Chanel only hired two local models. Hardly anyone from Cuba's fashion community was invited.
'While Chanel has always been an icon and an inspiration for me,' says Freixas, 'it seemed like they were interested in Havana on a social level, by only looking at people who could possibly be clients, like famous musicians. But there are more important things in the world than money. Chanel's show could have been an opportunity to involve the Cuban fashion community and be a session to meet and exchange ideas.'
'I didn't care about not getting a seat,' adds Gil of the Fábrica. 'I cared that Chanel completely ignored Cuba's fashion community.'"
No One Tells Megyn Kelly What to Wear | Vanessa Friedman, The New York Times
"By acknowledging the role clothes play in her own life and psyche, she is contravening one of the last taboos: If women want to be taken seriously, they are not supposed to take fashion seriously. A patently idiotic idea. (If you want to be taken seriously, you had better think seriously about every message you are sending, including the ones in your outfits.)"
The Social Psychology Behind Fashion | Judith Donath on Quora via The Huffington Post
"My hypothesis is that fashion is a signal of one's skill with information — of one's access to it and one's ability to distinguish good information from bad. To be at the forefront of new fashions you have to both be privy to knowing what is new and upcoming and also be able to distinguish which is going to be the next cool new thing from something that is merely odd and different. The cost in fashion is the risk of making a mistake, of adopting the wrong thing.
...fashion is also closely related to innovation adoption. We can think of them as orthogonal phenomena: a pure fashion has no practical utility and is adopted solely for signaling social position while the ideal innovation is all utility, adopted for its usefulness. Understanding their interplay helps us understand why new ideas do and do not spread."
The Environment & World Affairs
Edward Burtynsky's quest to photograph a changing planet | Raffi Khatchadourian, The New Yorker
"Our helicopter was heading over the Niger Delta, across a vast and unstable sky, with gray clouds surging above. I was sitting behind the pilot, and behind me, gazing out a starboard window, was Edward Burtynsky, a Canadian photographer known for his sweeping images of industrial projects and their effects on the environment. For three decades, he has been documenting colossal mines, quarries, dams, roadways, factories, and trash piles—telling a story, frame by frame, of a planet reshaped by human ambition.
...Some photos had the texture of neo-Expressionist paintings: darkly gorgeous portraits of devastation. 'It's like a lost civilization,' Burtynsky said. 'It's otherworldly.'"
What Is the Left Without Identity Politics? | Walter Benn Michaels, Charles W. Mills, Linda Hirshman and Carla Murphy, The Nation
From Walter Benn Michaels:
"Because the core of a left politics is its critique of and resistance to capitalism—its commitment to decommodifying education, health care, and housing, and creating a more economically equal society. Neither hostility to discrimination nor the accompanying enthusiasm for diversity makes the slightest contribution to accomplishing any of those goals. Just the opposite, in fact. They function instead to provide inequality with a meritocratic justification: If everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed, there's no injustice when some people fail...identity politics is not an alternative to class politics but a form of it: It's the politics of an upper class that has no problem with seeing people being left behind as long as they haven't been left behind because of their race or sex."
The Dark Side of Christmas: The Impact on Sweatshops | Amoge Ukaegbu, New Internationalist via Truthout
"Christmas consumerism undoubtedly fuels sweatshop labour, but to place blame on consumers is misguided, landing us in the old trap of blaming individuals for a problem ultimately systemic. For many consumers facing stagnating wages and increasing product prices, the mainstream goods are the most, if not only, affordable options. Products like the Fairphone are expensive, and no such alternatives exist for the common laptop or desktop.
Arguments that sweatshops increase gender empowerment for women who work in factories, or increase the wealth of individuals previously impoverished, fail to accept one harsh reality: in some places sweatshop employment is akin to slavery. Benefiting while wronging is exploitation at its core."
Aleppo: Elegy for a doomed city whose history spans centuries | Hassan Hassan, The Guardian
"Over the past five years, many people have come to know Aleppo for its gruesome violence. But the city is deeply rooted in history. Shakespeare mentions the city in Macbeth and Othello in the context of a far-off exotic place, where Othello killed a Turk in vengeance for a slain Venetian and where a sailor in Macbeth , according to one of the three Witches, vowed to sink his ship, the Tiger. It is one of the most revered cities in the region, and its rich history invokes profound stories about victory and defeat, success and suffering. Traders from Aleppo carried their city's name far and beyond, to the extent that it is often said many in Africa recognise the name Aleppo more than Syria. Unlike other Syrian cities, Aleppo is the only one that has its own qudud, a traditional musical form that originates from the time when Muslims ruled Spain."
A Buddhist cop's approach to justice | Cheri Maples, Lion's Roar
"This crisis in policing has to do with unnecessary use of force, racial profiling, militarization of police departments, lack of trust between communities and police departments, lack of strategies to address trauma and emotional health of police officers, unconscious and unspoken organizational agreements in police culture, and a lack of informal safety nets for people across the country...Many of the tragedies now being uncovered in policing are the result of the fact that as police officers we simply cannot see what is actually in front of us — a suffering human being in need of help.
Without the tools of mindful awareness, cynicism and an armored heart are almost an unavoidable effect of a police officer's job. It's often hard for us to recognize, admit, or remember that our hearts may have stopped quivering in response to the suffering of others."
What have you read this week?
Feature image: "Oil Bunkering # 2, Niger Delta, Nigeria 2016" by Edward Burtynsky


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Cannot wait to see you on 29th April with other two empowering speakers:
MattSherwood - a captivating and dynamic coach who has studied the art of public speaking since the age of 15 and helped hundreds of people become exceptional communicators. (Please check his work at http://www.mattsherwood.com/
Tom Le - Champion in Division V Table Topic contest 2017. He also attended Humorous Speech Contest at District level in 2017
- Warm-up
- The art of speaking with passion: being fearless and setting an intention of serving (Jen)
- The art of body language expression (Matt)
- The art of humour (Tom Le)
- Your ultimate formula for speaking with passion to influence
How to join us?
- Check-in with your information at https://docs.google.com/document/d/16PGAFD0SCeupuisQjp-n3LZ9wS0Pegdb7pAYNl841ms/edit?usp=sharing
- or connect with us one facebook http://facebook.com/jenempowerleaders
- Prepare good Internet condition at a quite place
- Enjoy the LIVE call on Sunday