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The power of collaboration
"It all started with chest pains at home one evening – they were worse than any heartburn I'd ever had," says Merle Hastings of Calmar. "I am not one to initiate medical care, but after I had been complaining a bit, my wife pointedly asked if I wanted to go the emergency department…and I did."
Once at the Winneshiek Medical Center Emergency Department, the emergency team administered clot-busting medication to prevent any further damage to Merle's heart. After the initial stabilization, the physician ordered an EKG to determine the cause of the pains.
"The EKG came back clear – it did not show the readings of a heart attack. But the medical team was not satisfied and they admitted me for the night," says Merle.
After careful observation through the overnight, nurses prepared Merle for an early morning CT scan to help determine a diagnosis. "My physician on the hospital floor was in consultation with cardiologists at Mayo Clinic. The CT scan was canceled after the Mayo Clinic cardiologists recommended I be transferred by ambulance to Saint Marys in Rochester."
Through Winneshiek Medical Center's relationship with Mayo Clinic Health System, physicians in Decorah collaborate with experts at Mayo Clinic and throughout the 70-site system to determine the best care for patients. Merle directly benefitted from the combined expertise of local care and specialized physicians. "My transfer up to Saint Marys was absolutely seamless. The Winneshiek Medical Center ambulance brought me to their emergency department and from there I went directly to a hospital room. My cardiology team was ready to care for me when I arrived."
Soon after his arrival, Mayo Clinic cardiologists performed a minimally invasive procedure to determine Merle's diagnosis. Merle says, "It was amazing – but I had no pain with this procedure and was fully awake the entire time."
The cardiologists found a partial blockage, and prepared Merle for a procedure to place a stent in his artery to open up the blockage. Merle says, "After they put in the stent, I spent a short time in the recovery room, and then returned to my hospital room." The next morning, Merle along with his wife and medical team, discussed his care. "Following a few final tests, my wife drove me home, and I had virtually no recovery period," says Merle.
The cardiologists recommended Merle enroll in the cardiac rehab program at Winneshiek Medical Center. He says, "The local cardiac rehab staff called me soon after I returned home to set up my personalized rehabilitation." Merle also arranged to follow up with his primary care physician – Paul Wenner, M.D. – who could manage his care locally. "In addition to seeing Dr. Wenner at Winneshiek Medical Center," says Merle, "I was able to see my Mayo Clinic cardiologist right here in Decorah. He comes to Decorah throughout the month to care for patients. I appreciate not having to travel to Rochester to see specialists."
Of his experience, Merle says, "The connection Winneshiek Medical Center has to Mayo Clinic is noticeable and makes it easier for the patient." He adds, "I am thankful this kind of care was available to me when I needed it."


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Table Tennis at Withers
We now have our biggest range of Table Tennis bats to date, offering more choice to give you a better chance to find the bat that suits you. We have bats from Butterfly, Donic and Fox, now with a bigger range there should be something to suit everyone.
In-store we have a sample table for viewing (Butterfly Easifold 19). So if you are looking to purchase a table please pop in and see us and we can show you what's available. As well as this you are able to use the table to try out bats before you buy them. This gives you a chance to see how the bat plays and whether it will suit you.
We also have comprehensive range of balls from Butterfly, Donic and Fox as well as bats covers and net and post sets.

subset: commoncrawl


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Everyone who knows me was very surprised when I made the decision of moving to Punta Cana. In 2013 it was an area where you were able to count on one hand things to do and places to go, and as a city girl can become boring. But from my experience, I can say I arrived during a great transitional period with huge opportunities.
So how is it to live in "Paradise"? Well Punta Cana is really a land of rest, relaxing at the beach and amazing nightlife. Also many adventures as well as luxury and comfort, but it's also hard work!
So let's talk about options and what to do as a tourist!
Punta Cana has over 60 all-inclusive resorts and a few amazing boutique resorts, 11 golf courses all along the strip, and tons of activities related to excursions, dining and nightlife.
Before "traveling around the world" I knew this area very well because of my hotel management career. Eighty percent of my internships and family vacations where in hotels in Punta Cana. I'll give you my TOP 5 ( No. 1 is the best) on accomodations, where to eat, and things to do according to my own and close friends experiences.
Accommodation: There is so many excellent options that is so hard to do just a top 5. Depending on the purpose of your trip it can vary a lot, so here are my top 5 of different categories:
A. Adults only: Romantic getaway, couples, honeymoon:
- Secrets Excellence Punta Cana (All-Inclusive Luxury)
- Barceló Bávaro Palace (Exquisite gastronomy)
- RIU Palace Bávaro (So chic and modern)
- Iberostar Grand Hotel Bavaro (Gourmet all-inclusive)
- Majestic Elegance (Majestic treatment)
B. Friends getaway, couples:
- Breathless Punta Cana- Adults Only (Vibrant nightlife)
- Hard Rock Punta Cana (You feel like a rockstar)
- CHIC by Royalton (Chic very chic)
- Grand Bahia Principe Punta Cana (Lovely scenery)
- Meliá Caribe Tropical (Wonderful staff)
C. Family vacations:
- Barceló Bavaro Palace (Family club)
- Nickelodeon by Karisma (Be a kid again)
- Memories Splash (Amazing waterpark)
- Dreams Punta Cana (Wonderful and many options for family)
- Sirenis Punta Cana (Aquagames)
d. Luxury boutique resorts:
- Tortuga Bay (High level luxury villas)
- Eden Roc Cap Cana (Endless amazing views)
- The Westin Punta Cana (Indulgent Resort)
- Le Sivory Punta Cana (Oasis of exclusive pleasures)
- Alsol Luxury Villas Cap Cana (Amazing marina views)
These Top 5 are based on my input and friend's feedback. There are new ones that I haven't visited or heard about anyones experiences, so I'll keep you guys posted.
When you book an All-inclusive normally you stay inside the property to take advantage of all the facilities and the unlimited food and drinks. If you're staying at a boutique or a Non-All-inclusive, or just want to go local, here are my recommendations of where to eat and things to do.
When it comes to food and you really enjoy GOOD food, it's so hard to decide the best option when there are so many. My favorites are Sushi, a good medium raw piece of meat, and all related to Italian fare. But I've been trying everything in the area for the last 4 years, so here are my recommendations:
To help you with budget info I rate them based on minimum price range per person:
$0-$15 ($) / $15-$25 ($$) / $25-$40 ($$$)
-Pearl Beach Club: (Spanish-International food) – $$$
Amazing sushi and great cocktails
-Noah: (International/fusion food) – $$ to $$$
My favorites are the Atlantic salmon, the goat stew and their 16 oz. grilled sirloin steak.
-Playa Blanca: (International Beach Cuisine) – $$$
Fancy during the day, very romantic at night with the ocean view, the ceviche is to die for and their Gratinated Lobster Tail with Spinach. Just WOW!
-La Casita de Yeya: (Real Dominican food) – $$
If you wanna try tasty Dominican food… go here! I recommend everything!
-Citrus: (Lounge – International food) – $$
Live music, very social, great staff, amazing Orange Tuna and try the Citrus Filet!
-Little John Beach (Chic and Bohemian) – $$ to $$$
Amazing Fried Fish and big cocktails!
There are tons of places to eat, but those are my top favorites in no particular order. I also recommend: La Locanda (Super delicious all kind of pastas and pizza), Andres Carnes (U pick the meat and they will grilled it) and Venezia Pizzeria (Italian and wood oven pizzas) all of them $-$$!
Then when it comes to brunch I recommend:
- Ruta01 – $ – https://www.instagram.com/ruta01cafe
- Amcafecolao – $ – https://www.instagram.com/amcafecolao
- Mathilda – $$ – (They have a great Prix Fixe menu for lunch under 10USD !!!) https://www.instagram.com/mathildapuntacana
I knew this post was going to be long, there are so many options now! Let's move on and finish with nightlife. There are a couple of very good bars and places to go and have a great time.
- Cocobongo has great shows, staff and drinks. You can buy packages in almost every hotel or online! Also in the same place they have Congo Bar with an awesome staff.
- Oro night club, which is the disco of the Hard Rock Hotel. You can visit in whether you're staying there or not.
- Imagine, a cave disco with different types of music in the same place.
- Pearl Beach Club, always has parties and activities on their calendar.
- El Pub, good music and great drinks.
- Lazy Lizard, an awesome sport bar.
- Wacamole which is a taco bar but also has amazing drinks.
- Last but not least, Liquidos Bar, is a place when you can start the night, very relaxed with good music.
This is not even half of the options, but I'll keep posting about new places and things to do. If you want me to post something in particular let me know by leaving a comment!


text: SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- The president of Togo, Gnassingbe Eyadema, died Saturday, according to the Associated Press. Eyadema, 68, passed away as he was being rushed to treatment in Europe after suffering a heart attack. The West African nation's military said hours after Eyadema's death that his son, Faure Gnassingbe, will be the country's new leader, the AP reported.


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We pillage and plunder and know how to party. This Halloween beware of the pirates, because the tides are rolling in with the Curse of Side Bar! If you can't handle the booty, get off our ship.
Subscribe to the Ticketvibe Newsletter to keep up with news & special offers


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Backpack Explorers – Microscope Explorers
Name: Backpack Explorers – Microscope Explorers
Date: April 10, 2019 - April 11, 2019
Event Description:
Come on an adventure! See nature in a whole new way. Bring your curiosity and find out how different natural objects look at a microscopic level. We'll collect specimens and examine different textures, patterns and colors using a handheld digital microscope. Children ages 3-5 and their caregivers investigate science, art, music, stories, and culture in a fun, hands-on manner. Don backpacks filled with exciting artifacts while journeying through the Museum's nature trails and exhibits. Foster artistic expression in your little one and take home activities to continue the learning. New themes weekly! $15 per child, Members receive 20% discount. Non-members pay Museum admission for accompanying adult. $5 materials fee for siblings younger than 3 who participate in the crafts.


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Press Releases
Greer Chamber Sales Strategies for Success Program Hosts Upcoming Seminar
February 22, 2010
The Greer Chamber's "Sales Strategies for Success" (SSS) program is hosting an upcoming seminar on Wednesday, March 3 from 11:30-1:00pm in the Community Room at the Village at Pelham. This event will feature Russ Davis, from Sandler Training, and his topic will be, "Why Salespeople Fail…and What to Do About it!" There is no charge for Chamber members and a $5 fee for non-members. Please visit the Greer Chamber's website to register attend (www.greerchamber.com).
The Sandler Training methodology is different from any other sales system out there. Davis will be giving an overview of the system that has changed the way so many companies and individuals approach the market place. The seminar is all about making and exceeding those all important sales numbers and forecasts. It's an eye-opening look at the deficiencies of modern day selling efforts.
Some of those deficiencies include:
• Painfully long selling cycles
• Unmet sales forecasts
• Bad selling habits that erode margins
• Too much unpaid consulting
• Bidding wars
Laura MacPherson, Creative Director at Northstar Creative and Chairman of the SSS committee says, "Russ offers practical teaching on how to sell effectively, and he makes it enjoyable in the process! Every time I hear Russ speak, I walk away with something great to put into practice at my next sales appointment."
For more information about this program, please contact the Greer Chamber at 877.3131.
Sales Strategies for Success is designed by sales professionals for sales professionals. It serves as an arena for those in business development to learn how to increase sales within an interactive environment.
The Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary, non-profit organization that represents approximately 590 businesses in the Greer area. The mission of the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce is "To Champion Economic Prosperity for our members and the greater Greer community." For more information on the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce, call 864-877-3131 or visit www.greerchamber.com.


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Bluegrass Hospitality Group expands Drake's to Louisville, Tennessee
For the first time, the company behind Malone's, Sal's Chophouse, Harry's and Drake's is expanding one of its restaurants beyond Lexington — and even Kentucky — but it might not be the one you think.
Despite the fact that its Malone's restaurants constantly place near the top in nationwide rankings, Bluegrass Hospitality Group is expanding its newest concept, Drake's.
A Drake's opened April 21 in the Louisville suburb of St. Matthews — the first of three restaurants to open outside of Lexington. The next will be in Franklin, Tenn., outside of Nashville, and at The Summit in Louisville's East End.
But why Drake's and not Malone's or Harry's, a horse racing-themed bar that is featured at the three Lexington locations of the famed and long-lasting steakhouse?
BHG's operating owners, Brian McCarty and Bruce Drake, cited the economy.
"It's just played exceedingly well in this economy," McCarty said, "and we feel like it's struck a chord with folks just looking for high-quality pub food at reasonable prices, in an ambiance where they can come have a lot of fun."
He noted that 55 menu items are under $12 each.
The first Drake's opened two years ago when, McCarty said, BHG wanted to expand with a "burgers and beer" restaurant.
"We wanted to build a fun place that would play well with that demographic," he said. "Basically, it was perfect timing with the economy hitting the skids in October of '08 and us opening in May of '09 with our Drake's brand."
Drake's offers 24 craft beers on tap to complement what Bruce Drake calls "chef-driven, well-prepared, cooked-to-order" food.
Drake said the Lexington restaurant has seen sales increase, and McCarty said the Louisville restaurant is exceeding their initial projections. The two wouldn't discuss specifics on sales.
Besides its most well-known brands locally, the company also runs a Texas Roadhouse franchise and Regatta Seafood Grille.
"We've got a lot of different concepts that we've been very fortunate to be successful in," Drake said. "We've got small-, medium- and large-size engines — or small-, medium- and large-size stores — and Drake's just seems to be the one brand that just really hits on all cylinders and becomes really efficient for us."
Dennis Lombardi, an executive specializing in restaurants with design-development company WD Partners in Columbus, Ohio, said BHG's decision to expand Drake's, instead of the higher-end Malone's, makes sense. It's a matter of numbers, he said.
In the world of upscale steakhouses, one of the biggest chains, Morton's, has just about 80 locations "versus how many Olive Gardens," he said, referring to the more moderately priced Italian chain.
"When you're looking to expand a brand, especially outside of its heritage market, one of the things you want to do is make sure that brand has the legs or expandability," Lombardi said.
The additional restaurants will not vary much from the original Drake's, which is on Tates Creek Road in Lansdowne.
The St. Matthews restaurant is housed on the first floor of the Burdorf's Furnishing & Flooring building on Shelbyville Road, which Drake said they transformed into a restaurant scene.
"Louisville definitely has opened their arms to us," said Mark Thornburg, market partner with BHG and the person in charge of opening the expansions. And the new location has "really exceeded our expectations."
He said Drake's will add to the existing bar scene in the area.
"With our demographics, we attract 21-year-olds, as well as 70-year-olds," Thornburg said. "It just plays so well in that St. Matthews market."
McCarty calls St. Matthews a "hybrid market," where the major shopping malls and many national restaurants in Louisville are housed within 2 miles of Drake's.
The Summit's Drake's will open in the fourth quarter, he said, and is in a "completely different market" than St. Matthews'. That location — a former Max & Erma's that BHG has been looking at for years — is more akin to the group's restaurants in Hamburg.
Meanwhile, the Nashville-area restaurant, which is set to open July 14, is about 10 miles south of downtown in a development with many other restaurants and retail shops.
McCarty said the group chooses locations near existing restaurants to be surrounded by places where people are already going. "We don't want to be out on an island," he said.
On the subject of competition, the two said they welcomed the expected entry into Lexington of Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse, a regional chain with three locations — Louisville, Cincinnati and at the Belterra Casino in Indiana.
The competition will "make us even better operators as we plan on continued growth in Lexington for years to come," McCarty said.
BHG is always open to real estate opportunities, he said, but is not actively seeking to expand any other brands at this time.
"In terms of expansion, we have a full plate with these three stores opening this year," McCarty said. "You just have to stay focused and realize you're only as good as your last meal, and you've got to keep your customers happy."


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Features Bill Drummond's short story "Let's Grind (or How K2 Plant Hire Ltd Went To Work)".
Back Cover Blurb
The party starts here… with a cast of crazy scientists, nomadic DJs, fetish queens, conspiracy theorists, killer ants, graffiti artists, gangsters, convicts, cult leaders, Netheads, repilcants, religious maniacs and ball room dancers.
Is it worth getting?
"Let's Grind…" has also been included in 45. If you are slightly interested in Bill's short stories chances are you already own that anyway, so there really is no need to pick up "Disco 2000" separately.


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Young finds himself overwhelmed by the sheer number of injured superheroes coming in at once. Wizarding School: Mai's grandparents run a small school for young magicians. Punny Name: Every area (save the ship) is named after an emotion Treepidation, Doubtback, etc.
Mark Brennan, though his supposed death was offscreen, a while after his Replica Handbags departure, and under circumstances where he would plausibly be forced to fake his death. You got Calofisteri in the Replica Stella McCartney bags forest area http://www.yourhouseantalya.com/2013/06/13/with-husband-gustav-in-1954-and-worked-tirelessly-to-help/, optional boss Omega in the waterfalls, Apanda in the library, Azulmagia, Catastrophe, Halicarnassus, Twintania, and as well as six Alte Roite mini bosses in the castle area, then ultimate Chest Monster Shinryu, Necrophobe and final boss Exdeath in the last area.
In Episode II, he had a minor role (even as Chancellor Palpatine), whereas Count Dooku was given more screen time and treatment as a Big Bad, but in a subversion, Sidious was the one that pushed for the formation of Dooku's organization (the Confederacy), and Stella McCartney Replica bags intentionally placed Dooku Designer Replica Handbags as a Valentino Replica Handbags scapegoat while he pulled the strings from the shadows. Replica Hermes Handbags
This was completely forgotten afterwards. Another straight use of this trope was France, where Replica Designer Handbags both French empires and the later French Replica Valentino Handbags republics (third and fourth) smoothly fit. For this reason, few players have actually finished the game at all, but that is not really Replica Hermes Birkin required to enjoy it.
And All Dragon. Counter Attack: Satellite Konthets are assigned to a particular enemy, and any attack on that enemy will cause them to fire hitscan lasers (though with a slight delay) in retaliation. Hermes Replica Handbags Not final pairing. Cloning Blues: In Genetech. And the Orgmen.


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Drapery Concepts, Incorporated
Drapery Concepts, Incorporated was a corporation registered in the state of California.
It was a domestic corporation, meaning it was formed, as well as registered, in California. Its articles of incorporation were filed on April 26, 1984.
All of Drapery Concepts, Incorporated's powers, rights and privileges in the State of California have been suspended. This could have happened because they failed to file a return and/or pay taxes to the California Franchise Tax Board, or because they failed to make certain informational filings with the California Secretary of State. The specific reason for this suspension can be found by ordering a status report from the Secretary of State.
Drapery Concepts, Incorporated was a for-profit entity.
Noubar Markarian
9072 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego CA 92123
Registered Agent
Melkon Markarian
9072 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego CA 92123


text: Attend a Math Pathways workshop to learn about District changes to Math policy, a Mental Health and your teen informational workshop, learn about College pathways for your Middle School Student, Technology and your Middle School Student and a special presentation by the Southwest Police Department of youth programs available! Refreshments will be served. Students will receive community service hours if a parent or guardian attends!


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Tag Archives: Berger Blanc
Separation within animal activists and rescue groups
Montreal animal activists are often quite separated when in support for the same causes.
2 years after CBC's report concerning the animal cruelty happening within the walls of the Berger Blanc, it's still open for business
Quebec's animal laws are only but text on paper.
The City of Montreal wants to seize Rumby
The City of Montreal wants to seize Rumby. The City will be requesting a generic warrant that would allow a seizure in any location, building, or whatever it may be.
Wicca's "summerland", a reflection of the injustice caused by the City of Montreal
"OMG, it's already 1 year today since Wicca's incident… I still can't get over the fact that you're not here with me, I wish. 1 year and I still feel it was like yesterday.
301 – The SPVM is now applying Quebec's weak animal cruelty laws, why Mario and not the Berger Blanc?
If it was up to the City of Montreal there would be no stray dogs or humans on the Island. Their plan, euthanasia and harassment.
A protest to close the Berger Blanc Montreal for profit pound will be held on Sunday, July 21, 2013 12:00pm until 4:00pm.


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The Effect Of Foreign Exchange Rate Volatility On The Financial Performance Of Commercial Banks In Kenya
Mutwiri, Faith G
Item TypeThesis
MetadataShow full item record
Realized volatility is a measure of actual price volatility, based on past prices over a given time period. It is sometimes called historical volatility or historical deviation. Realized volatility stands in contrast to implied volatility, which is based on expectations of future price movement. Realized volatility can be calculated and expressed in different ways, such as in terms of indexes Kenya like many other developing countries has adopted a floating rate regime which means that the price of the Kenya Shilling (Kshs.) with respect to other currencies is set by market forces of demand and supply. As per commercial banks' foreign exchange trading activities audit by Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) in 2011, the main drivers responsible for the increase in the level of activities during this period were identified as "reverse carry" deals, shortening of the tenor of currency swaps, the preference by Kenyans to hold their wealth in foreign currency and the use of Electronic Brokerage System (EBS) for foreign exchange trading. The research method that was adopted in this research is the quantitative method since the main concern was the relationships between the variables and analysis of the causal using numerical data and statistics. The quantitative method focuses on the measurement and analysis of causal and effect relationship between variables. Exchange rate volatility was looked at by establishing the daily ratio of the day's exchange rate to the previous day. The study findings showed that there was high volatility in foreign exchange rate within the first quarter of 2008 (January and March). The volatility reduced, almost evened out between the second and third quarter of the year before increasing in the beginning of the third quarter. Moreover the study used tolerance and Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) values for the predictors as a check for multicollinearity. Tolerance indicates the percent of variance in the independent variable that cannot be accounted for by the other independent variable while VIF is the inverse of tolerance. Finally, the study showed that tolerance values ranged between 0.221 and 0.633 while VIF values ranged between 1.579 and 4.526. Since tolerance values were above 0.1 and VIF below 10, then were was no multicollinearity in the model. The study recommends that since there are several economic implications of these results for both business policy and public policy. Firstly, when the market is inefficient in processing information, it implies that there are significant lags between dissemination of information and market participant's reaction to news. These information lags could arise from market segmentation and/or poor utilization of information communication technologies in the market. Therefore, to improve the information efficiency in the foreign exchange market, the government should consider using information technology infrastructure to provide information on exchange rates to the wider public. This is already happening with respect to the stock market. For individuals and businesses, this implies that they can profitably utilize their sophisticated IT infrastructure to gather information and exploit it to earn profits in the foreign exchange market. Secondly, persistence and nonlinearity in volatility also suggest inefficient information processing in the market. This could be attributed to irrationality or heterogeneous expectations or risk aversion in the market that causes participants to herd together. Therefore, the CBK needs to intervene in the market to reduce information asymmetry and speculation, which could be contributing to nonlinearity and persistence in volatility.
CitationMutwiri,Faith G.;2013.The Effect Of Foreign Exchange Rate Volatility On The Financial Performance Of Commercial Banks In Kenya.
University of NairobiSchool of Business


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About The University of Northern Philippines (UNP)
The University of Northern Philippines (UNP) is a university in Barangay Tamag, in the City of Vigan in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. It is the first and oldest state university in Northern Luzon which offers low tuition fee, tracing its roots to 1906, which is older than the University of the Philippines by two years. It is the only state university in the province aimed for less-fortunate people and one of three state-owned educational institutionsof higher learning operating in Ilocos Sur (with the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College and the Northern Luzon Polytechnic State College, a former branch of the university).
#619 2nd floor 80 feet road ,koramangala 6th block near sony world signal, Bangalore 560095
Call to +91-9035061122 / 9035061133
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Fees Structure
|BS Program
|MD Every Year
|Tution Fee


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Relaxing with a highball of Scotch or enjoying a well-made drink is a pleasure (or near ritual) enjoyed by many. With the continuing popularity of classic cocktails and the resurgence of cocktail culture in general — not to mention the copious imbibing on Mad Men—liquor has taken on an increasingly prominent position in the zeitgeist.
Click here to see the distillery tours >
With that comes a desire to really know a thing or two about the spirits that fill one's glass or shaker. And now, thanks to tours offered by distilleries around the globe, travelers can get a glimpse behind the scenes of some of their favorite brands.
Spending an afternoon at a distillery can offer an unprecedented peek into a spirit's lineage, place in history and production. It can also lead to interesting discoveries, like how a favorite whiskey, for instance, matures in barrels that once held sherry, port or even rum.
Many tours start at the very beginning. From barley destined for whiskey to sugarcane earmarked for rum, raw ingredients lay a foundation for an experience that excites — and challenges — all the senses. (Try to detect the notes of spice, toffee and berries in Ireland's Bushmills 16-Year-Old Malt, and you'll see how.)
These facilities also happen to be located in beautiful places. The rolling hills of Kentucky set the scene for a host of distilleries that make up the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Maker's Mark — with its signature red wax-dipped bottles — attracts 100,000 visitors a year to its 650-acre location. Head to Scotland, where the Macallan Distillery, located on a 370-acre estate that borders the River Spey, produces a distinguished array of single malts. And if rum is your drink of choice, visit the stunning Aragua Valley in Venezuela, where the fifth generation of the family behind Santa Teresa rum carries on the tradition.
Pack your bags and get a taste of the spirited life at these ten distilleries that are worth the trip.
More articles from Departures:
The Macallan Distillery is located on its own 370-acre estate bordering the River Spey. The original farm is where The Macallan gets some of its barley — a special strain called Minstrel; the rest is grown throughout Scotland specifically for the brand. Choose from either a full tour (80 minutes) or an extended tour (135 minutes), which culminates with a taste of four different Macallan single malts.
Visit the Still House 2, where the entire distillation process is on display, and Warehouse 7, where an exhibit called "Mastery of Wood" spotlights the oak casks that the Macallan uses — most of which have previously held sherry and help give the whisky its signature flavor. There is also a private salmon fishing boat and hut available during the fishing season.
Easter Elchies
Maker's Mark has welcomed guests since 1952. Located on 650 acres in the heart of Kentucky (the distillery sits on 20 acres; the remaining land is a nature preserve), the brand gets 100,000 visitors a year and offers a comprehensive look at the making of its two bourbons: original Maker's Mark and the longer-aged Maker's 46 (the brand's first new offering in more than 50 years).
"They get to see every inch of what we do," says Rob Samuels, COO of Maker's Mark and an eighth-generation distiller. Three tasting rooms in a functioning warehouse welcome guests, and tours cap off with a tasting and the opportunity to hand-dip a bottle in the bourbon's signature red wax.
3350 Burk Spring Rd.
Leave it to Brooklyn to house a fully functioning gin distillery attached to a neighborhood bar. Owner Allen Katz, a renowned cocktail and spirits expert, uses a pot-and-column still custom made in Germany to make his signature gins: the 114-proof Perry's Tot Navy Strength (named for Matthew Calbraith Perry, who was commandant of the Brooklyn Navy Yard in the mid-1800s), and Dorothy Parker American, a lighter offering featuring botanicals like juniper, cinnamon and hibiscus.
"There is a current gin craze among professionals and cocktail enthusiasts," says Katz, who also makes a rye whiskey. "It is enticing to be able to add something new to the category." Everything in the operation is done by hand, and the Shanty—the distillery's in-house bar—shows off the end product in a variety of delicious cocktails.
79 Richardson St.
Nestled in Northern Ireland, Bushmills and its Old Bushmills Distillery—where the label's five whiskies, including its "distillery reserve" 12-year-old single malt, are produced—is the oldest whiskey facility in the country.
The whiskey is triple-distilled (which is standard in Ireland) before it matures in former bourbon barrels and those that have previously held Spanish sherry, port and rum. The hour-long tour walks visitors through each stage of the process, instructing them on everything from history and tasting notes to how best to enjoy the spirits, like the ten-year-old malt with its hints of vanilla and honey, or the gently spicy 21-year-old with its essence of orange peel and oak.
2 Distillery Rd.
Santa Teresa, Venezuela's oldest rum producer, has been in the business for more than 200 years. The distillery is located in the Aragua Valley (about 50 miles from Caracas) and is surrounded by 900 acres of sugarcane—the base of rum. (The operation is headquartered at the Hacienda, which was founded in 1796 and is the site of Simón Bolívar's ratification of the abolition of slavery in 1818.)
While Venezuelan rum is aged for at least two years, some of Santa Teresa's reserves are a century old. Pot stills produce the spirit, and the wax seals at the top of each bottle are done by hand. Its commitment to the environment — Santa Teresa has been a staunch proponent of reforestation in the area since 1949 — only adds to appeal. "The aromas from one place to another are highlights," says Henrique Vollmer, a fifth-generation distiller who runs the business with his brother, Alberto. "From earth to harvested sugarcane to alcohol being distilled."
El Consejo


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Back in January of 2010, I was driving back to St. Louis after spending a fews days in Atlanta. As I passed through Chattanooga, TN on I-24, I noticed what looked like a huge, abandoned factory on the left-hand side of the highway. I took the next exit, reversed my direction and drove back to where I saw the factory. I took a few backroads and eventually found my way to it. I'm still clueless as to what used to be there...I suppose if I'd snooped around long enough, I could have figured it out. Considering how cold it was outside, however, I was really only concerned with exploring the factory and getting as many pictures as I could before getting back on the road. I eventually found myself inside, and it was one of the coolest places I'd ever "explored." I tried to imagine what it might have been like before it was shut down. Not knowing really anything about it, though, made the exploring all that more exciting...I literally had no idea what was around the next corner, room or building. When I came to a spot where there seemed to be some kind of crane or contraption that I couldn't figure out, I figured it was a great place to get a shot.
Again, I really have no idea what the place used to be. I'm also really intrigued by the "crane" or "cab" or whatever it is. So if any of you out there know exactly what I took a picture of, please do let me know!!
Regardless, I hope to get back up there one day soon to walk around a bit more when I won't feel so rushed and when the weather is a little warmer.
Something tells me I barely scratched the surface of the ol' place...
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Serving Golden Girl Fierceness…
Last month I went back home for a visit and convinced my mom to go thrifting with me. My mom is not a thrifter. She likes her clothes new from the store (thank you very much!) But since she hasn't seen me in over a year she humored me and we stopped at a few thrift stores during a day of shopping.
The minute I picked these pants out her face screwed up. After trying them on and parading out of the fitting room she couldn't hold it in anymore before she whispered "those pants are ugly!" I smiled and told her I was buying them anyway because I liked them and she just shook her head. This is an example of what I wear to work when meeting with clients. Usually you'll catch me rocking a pair of heels but I'm getting into flats more and more these days. There's nothing worse than hobbling at night after a day of strutting in heels. I won't lie, the jacket was for the pictures because in San Diego a sweater will do. Honestly, most days a sweater will give you a heat stroke but I've always been willing to suffer for fashion.
I feel like I should be sitting out on the lanai with Blanche, Dorothy, Rose and Sophia. Maybe I've been watching too many episodes of the Golden Girls lately because their style is rubbing off on me.
While I know these pants might not be everyone's cup of tea the suit me perfectly fine. I dress for comfort, style and a little craziness. You'll always see me rocking crazy prints and oversized silhouettes because that's what I like.
Sweater: Urban Outfitters // Coat: Missguided // Pants: Thrifted // Shoes: Sam Edelman (old)
Photos by: Ernesto Ortiz (San Diego)


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Friday, November 20, 2009
Christmas Tags
I will now be offering gift tags at my Christmas Card Workshop. They will be $3 a dozen. If you are interested, let me know. I will be posting pics later today.
Posted by Embellished by Brenda at 10:31 AM
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Tagged: in the future
The Estimated Elastic Lifespan Expectancy Timeline: Also Known As "The Death Clock"
[Hypothetical Fables from Past Futures Pt. 4]
By Gregory JM Kasunich
In the Future every human being, man, woman and child, knows when they will die.
The technology had been a long time coming and, like most technology, evolved through a series of incremental innovations, becoming smaller, faster, and more socially accepted with every incarnation and update. Now, every new bouncing baby boy or girl is fitted with their very own, state-of-the-art, ineloquently named: Lifeline Predictive Bio-monitoring Unit. In most developed countries, this has become a legal requirement, similar to the public welfare and safety policies surrounding the legal implementation of seat belts, fluoridated water, and carbon monoxide detractors. The near ubiquitous nature of the unit is a result of law and common decency in an effort to reduce unhealthy lifestyles and suicides and increase lifespan and productivity.
The system consists of three parts: A thin film of silicon infused with flexible circuits grafted to the skin just behind the ear lobe that collects data points on UV radiation exposure, quality of sleep, stress levels, brain chemical ratios, and so on. A pellet, lodged next to the pancreas gathers information on enzyme releases, metabolic rates, internal organ function, and endless metrics related to diet and exercise. A wrist display attached to a powerful microcomputer processes the input from the sensors and comes with a customizable band that is available in several trendy colors and styles. Although the data can be sorted and filtered in any combination and rendered in beautiful, interactive, animated charts, most ignore the bulk of useful information collected on their bodies and instead focus on one, single, metric: the estimated elastic lifespan expectancy timeline, or as it has come to be known colloquially, "The Death Clock".
Although the background computations handled by the processors are inscrutable, the concept of the Death Clock is seductively simple. Using the information on lifestyle and genetic makeup, barring unpredictable accidents and cellular anomalies, the computer calculates an estimated date and time of expiration. At first, this number was wildly inaccurate and was seen as little more than a digital bagatelle. Sundry complaints were lodged early on with users reporting that they had out outlived their clock by several years, while others, expecting a long and healthy life, where disappointed when met with an abrupt and unexpected stroke or heart attack or kindly failure. Then, of course, the requisite thought pieces appeared online with opinions on everything from privacy to reincarnation. Comedians mined the lack of precision for cheap amusement. A few people were inspired to finally take that vacation. Mostly, the clock was an afterthought, a half-baked beta feature tacked on to the ever trendy bio-monitoring gizmos that were becoming an increasingly common fashion accessory. Eventually, after years of user feedback, refinements, medical breakthroughs, and the formulation of an algorithm that in-andof-itself was a miracle of math and quantum computing, the clock went from a disregarded piece of cruft to an instrument that was so precise, so accurate, that it was able to zero in to a moment within minutes, sometimes seconds, of one's demise.
There is one very important aspect to the Death Clock to understand. It does not simply spit out one, immutable, date and time of expected expiration. No, instead, the point of death is constantly shifting, adding and dropping days, years, minutes, and seconds like a capricious stock market ticker. In this way the Death Clock is more weathervane than timepiece. As changes occur to lifestyle and health, the clock adjusts to give the most accurate estimation as to when it is time to shuffle off this mortal coil. Perhaps a man turns forty and decides to resume that jogging routine, his time grows. Or perhaps a woman in Tacoma takes up smoking, the number pitches down sharply, slicing decades off the clock. An aging clerk in Munich quits that seething pool of cortisol and regret he calls a job, his number stretches over newly minted years. A pale teenage girl stands in the sun for too long, the number shrinks like a midday shadow. Every meal, every party, every sexual encounter, every vitamin, every sit up, snort of cocaine, meditation session, intramural sport, infection, illness and recovery all affect the clock. It is this mode of operation, this specific aspect of the functionality of the clock that has had an interesting effect on society. It turns out after a few generations of living and dying by the clock, people began to alter their lifestyle based on the clock and soon society divided up into a number of discernible groups with distinct and predictable traits. Sociologist have identified a few.
The Methuselites: The Methuselites approach the inevitable march into the sunset not as a foregone conclusion but rather as a challenge. Although they know that in the end Death will come to collect the debt all life owes from the moment of conception, they refuse to go quietly into that good night. Many Methuselites have a predilection for competition. They have an inane desire to achieve, to excel in the face of absurd, and seemingly unassailable odds. Within each Methuselite, there is a need to press up against the boundaries of the universe and leave an impression, proof of their existence. Several athletes become Methuselites, training their bodies to prevail in the face of the unrelenting, life-long, challenge of existence. Ex-Military, disciplined and driven, turn their attention to defeating the enemy of time. Wealthy iconoclasts, captains of industry, use their wealth to employ other to keep them floating above the unknowable depths of the great beyond, shielding them from any danger that might diminish their remaining time, the one commodity they cannot purchase or create. The Methuselites have lashed themselves to the prowl of time and have made outliving and outlasting all others their singular ambition in life. There even exists a record book containing the names of those who have lived the longest as well as a gold and emerald cup held by the most senior human of the lot. The unfortunate reality of living this way is that, most report, in the very final defeating moments, that it is not much fun. All the time spent staying alive, they had forgotten to truly live, to dance, to drink, to fall and rise again, to love others deeply, to sacrifice for a friend, to sleep in on a rain filled morning, to stay out way too late, to allow spontaneity and joy to seep into their tightly wound routines. They lingered the longest, filled with a sense of regret and victory as they watched others around them perish. But not them, not them, not them, until it was their turn, and then as they finally relent and take the first and last step across the great divide, they recognized the small glint of victory in the eyes of young Methuselites attending their bedside.
The Attenuates: The Death Clock has also been used as a barometer in ascertaining ones value in matters of vocation and heart. Applicants seeking a profession that requires specialized training are, legally, required to reveal the current readout of their clock during interviews. The justification being that a company cannot possibly be asked to invest time and money in a person who will not provide a decent return on investment. Those with a disappointing amount of time remaining are given simple, menial, jobs like scrubbing the perennially reappearing profanity laden graffito from the concrete facades of downtown high-rises or extremely dangerous jobs like installing seasonal decorations outside the top-floor balconies of said high rises. The Death Clock has also become an important instrument on the dating scene. One of the most attractive qualities in a mate is a huge set of digits on the readout display. That and of course wealth. Those lacking the longevity to see a relationship though to full term, but still desire love and physical intimacy, are relegated to certain clubs and online dating forums where causal hookups are permissible and generously available. So for those seeking to have it all, a decent job, a stable family, and a loving and committed partner, a significant amount of adolescence and formative years must be invested into building a good looking clock. Unfortunately, the strain and expectation of maintaining such an attractive timepiece causes many to become Attenuates later in life. The Attenuates numbers begin to decline once they have obtained the family, the job, and the life they wanted. They settle into a happy and fulfilling routine spending less time checking their clock and worrying about finding love or a decent job. They take pleasure in their frequent and filling meals. They exercise less, and in some instances begin to seek escape and release in clock-draining drugs and alcohol. Of course their numbers deteriorate, but they don't seem to care, taking consolation in their achievements. When their diminished numbers are noticed, at work or at home, threats are made, arguments are had, and ultimatums are issued. For some, there just is no turning back, no way to reach down and find the motivation or change. For others, too much damage has been done to return to form. In this very common situation, Attenuates hire skilled forgers to generate a fraudulent display clock to falsify the numbers and allow The Attenuates to continue with the routine to which they have become accustomed. The ruse is rather advanced and generally avoids detection entirely. It is only when, after a light game of catch, a man unexpectedly falls to the ground clutching his chest in agony and dies, or, a seemingly healthy woman slips into a diabetic coma shortly after a round of sampling gelato that the sham is exposed. When questioned about their deception, most claim they just couldn't chew and swallow the enormous bite of life the had bitten off when they young and hungry and wanted it all. But then they smile and do find solace in those all too fleeting, very-good years.
The Orpheuns: Most people spend a good deal of their lives avoiding death. This is not the intention of The Orpheuns. The Orpheuns seek out a high in the face of death. They look for Death in the corners of their homes, in frayed wired and sharp utensils. They search for it on the edge of cliffs, in cocktails of homemade narcotics, and on the rails of the subway. Whereas others attempt to curate a reasonable collection of decades, The Orpheuns derive their rush from watching their numbers plummet, careen towards zero, then at the last possible moment, joyfully wrenching themselves back onto the plateau of existence just out reach from the reapers boney grasp. Since the Orpheuns know they will die, they taunt the ferryman and find elation in riding the line between the warm light of life and the eternal night. What could be more exhilarating that staring into the visage of death and denying him, peaking for a moment into the prohibited oblivion without falling into the abyss? Of course, when one pushes into the abyss, the abyss pushes back, and many Orpheuns have met an anachronistically untimely death in the pursuit of their high. They miscalculate when to throttle back and end up incinerated, squashed, dismembered, deceased. All too often, Orpheuns witness their compatriots in carelessness suddenly depart and swear off their reckless behavior, only to find hours later with a purloined set of defibrillator paddles or a Percocet Pimm's Cup attempting to scratch the incessant itch. For The Orpheuns the larger the number on their clock the more they feel trapped by the tyranny of possibility. With time comes expectation, disappointment, decision and responsibility. With life comes grief and hardship and compromise and boredom. By living in the moment, pressed against the now and the hereafter, The Orpheuns fill their days with excitement and elation, avoiding the useless business of societies expectations and regulations. What The Orpheuns failed to discover is that in their attempt to feel something, anything, and avoid the true stuff of life, they miss out on the joy of ice cold water in mid-July, the smell of their newborn in their arms, the soaring tones of a Stradivarius, the serenity of an undisturbed hammock. They have traded away a lifetime of joys, a sum greater than its parts, for temporary and fleeting moment of manufactured enlightenment. That being said, they do seem to enjoy it.
The Purgers: As with any technology there will be those who distrust it, who will level accusations of surreptitious government espionage, of insidious societal undermining, of unknown serpentine corporate interests, and want no part of it. These are The Purgers. It would be fair to say that although not unified by cause they do agree on outcome; the eradication of technology from the body. Some cite religious reasons, believing that their god or their selected coterie of deities never intended for humans to enhance their given vessels with technology. Commentators have questioned weather or not it was hypocritical to get tattoos, piercings, and cosmetic surgery, to which the religious detractors often reference some selected scripture or psalm to justify their contradictory behavior. Some are burdened by anxiety. The precognitive knowledge of their own death is enough to cripple individuals of a certain constitution. Still others feel they never were given opportunity to opt out as an infant and do not want to be saddled with the decisions of their parents. This type of revelation usually comes about around the time they leave for university. People have objected to the The Estimated Elastic Lifespan Expectancy Timeline on the grounds of woman's rights, human rights, information overload, techno-slavery, fear of cancer, fear of surveillance, genetic injustice, denial, and many, many others. Ultimately, The Purgers all come to the same conclusion: the Death Clock and all of it's components must be purged from the body and destroyed. Several illegal clinics have cropped up, housed inconspicuously inside false storefronts, abandoned shipping centers, and a myriad of other brick, steel, and mortar hosts where they can operate unmolested by the government. These clinics vary in cleanliness and quality and many are fly by night operations taking advantage of those without the means of legal repercussion. The better ones often end up getting uncovered and shut down for attracting too much positive word of mouth. Some Purgers attempt back yard procedures, dubbed Autotechnodectomy on themselves. These amateur internet-taught surgeons generally end up doing more harm than good to themselves and are ostracized for their crude and highly visible scarring. But, for the most part, barring any unfortunate infections or mishaps during the procedures, Purgers go on to lead fairly normal lives. They do tend to end up in the hospitals a bit more often, they do perish unexpectedly, and they do admit that if they had just known about this cyst or that blood disease they might have enjoyed a little bit more time in the body they suffered to reclaim.
The Glancers: Then there are the Glancers; a somewhat marginalized group of people who elect to focus their energy on quality, rather than quantity, of time. So named for their tendency to lazily glance at their clocks with an infuriating indifference. They are viewed as a feckless and voluntarily ignorant bunch, interested more in allowing their attention to dwell on the salty-sweet fragrance of a late dawn marine layer than the annoying reality of reduced visibility impeding the rest of the world's morning commute. While others pull their weight, toiling to serve the community at large and build a better future, The Glancers remain intentionally myopic. Their vision shortened to the immediate present. They float through society, avoiding politics, competition, and arguments, achieving nothing of significance, refusing to wear any of the various shades of need and desire that consume the more driven elements of modern life. When they are sick, they seek medical council. When struck with hunger, they eat. When amorous, they make love. They meet their needs but do not exceed them. In times of suffering and joy it is common to witness them checking their wrist more frequently. When hurting, perhaps they are hoping the number will mercifully drop. In times of joy, their faces betray their astonishment and despair at how little time remains. There is a resignation about these people, an acceptance of what cannot be stopped and a quiet celebration of what remains. Their names cannot be found in history books. Their faces will never be rendered in marble or steel. Their stories are only told to each other. Their lives small and simple and mostly serene. They have been accused of missing out, and in many, many, the accusations ring true, The Glancers do miss out. They never feel the pride and election of crossing the finish line first, or winning the heart and hand of someone out of their league. They never retire home, full of sweet soreness after a long day worked at a hard-won vocation. They never get the rush or thrill of testing the limits of life. They never know the freedom of being devoid of technology or information.
For all the things The Glancers miss out on, they do gain one thing; a special kind of peace, a happiness derived not from what is missed but from what is gained by making friends with persistent specter of death. A calm and fulfillment only felt after inviting him in for tea, calling Death your friend, and allowing him to sweeten the bitter root of life.
The Corporeal Nature of The Universe and The Malignant Organ of Earth
[Hypothetical Fables from Past Futures Pt. 3]
Gregory J.M. Kasunich
In the future, it has been discovered that the planet Earth, the planet on which humanity ascended from whatever evolutionary predecessors and remained persistently tethered (aside from brief and expensive sojourns beyond the protective membrane of the atmosphere to neighboring planets and moons), in what was once perceived to be the vast and expanding singular universe, is nothing more or less than a simple, mere, organ; a functioning, living viscus in a vast, celestial, four dimensional (and rather incomprehensible) creature. A series of connected tissues, as it were, functioning together to serve, in some yet unknown and perhaps unknowable way, a Being (A creature that would in time become christened by scientists and theologists as The Celestial Host, or more colloquially, The Being) constructed from the fabric of space and time in very much the same way the cells and tissues and organelles comprise our very own human bodies.
The discovery, as discoveries of this magnitude often do, came on slowly and was the result, not of direct study, but rather an almost throw-away notion proposed by the then young Dr. Stanley Johannes Stemrike. A suggestion that was at the same time both a hypothetical assertion proffered as an attention seeking thought experiment to his fellow matriculates (a stunt often pulled by publication seeking students) and also as the semi-serious solution to a long standing unsolved universal model, a model that was, as it came to be discovered, only partially explained by the completion of The Standard Model of Particle Physics. Of course, as these things go, he was initially, and some still say rightfully so, largely ignored and ridiculed in equal parts from the armchair intelligentsia as well as the more venerable names of educational/research establishments in science and medicine and cosmology and philosophy. Soon the theory was turned over and thoroughly tumbled by the collected thoughts, opinions, and contributions of The Internet as well as academia. So, like a stone pummeled by the relentless deluge of a water fall, the thoughts and ideas surrounding the original assumption were polished into a noticeable and unavoidable splendor. The evidence was compiled and finally, after decades and decades, the idea was once again offered up as scientific explanation. Within the century, after the development of necessary technologies including but not limited to fourth dimensional probes, instruments of Planck length, near light travel, and so on, it was concluded, beyond even the darkest shadow of a doubt, that the Earth was in fact an organ. An organ in The Celestial Host and weather or not it was the raison d'être humanity would have wanted, it was nonetheless, a true purpose, the true purpose of existence. The elusive question of the Meaning of Life had been answered.
In the public presentations of this information, information which as one might expect is still hotly debated and contested by the vast majority of humanity, the most relatable method for understanding how this planet functions is through the apt analogy of our own bodies. Of course these presentations were not performed by Dr. Stemrike, who had at this point had been deceased for the better part of two centuries. No, audiences were generally elucidated by any number of scientists, philosophers, preachers, and self proclaimed life coaches who had taken up the cause. What follows is the distillation of a number of these talks collected and generalized for expressed didactic purposes of conveying the ideas though metaphor:
"The human body, our bodies, are at the very basic level, carbon. Carbon that has been pushed and pulled and bullied and arranged by any number of predictable and universal forces in order to assemble the complex network of human life. Now, the same exact principles that are at play in our bodies are also at play on a macro a micro level as well. The governing forces, chemical reactions, proteins, electrons, protons, neurons and so on are the same from elephant to amoeba. In this way we can first begin to understand that size is indeed relative. What may seem small to us mere humans, may be universally massive to a microscopic critter. In the same way, we, as creatures of a certain size, may be rather imperceptibly small to a being of such size and significance and multidimensionality as The Celestial Host. Although the creature of which we, and our planet, are a part of is quite, quite, large, the same principles apply to The Being as to our bodies. For example, the veins and arteries that carry cells and nutrients and pathogens and viruses and so on are the same as the rivers and streams and roads and footpaths and highways of our world, all carrying organisms of varying complexity to and fro. The rock and soil and moss and grass: the epidermis, the atmosphere: the protective membrane surrounding the fragile tissue of the organ. Air and water are the plasma in which all living creatures are dissolved. Words and mating calls and speeches and professions of love, all just signals sent between cells.
If one was to examine a human cell, one would find a series of smaller organs, or organelles, within that cell. In this way, each human, is like a cell in the body of The Celestial Host. Whereas our cells contain endoplasmic reticulum, (rough and smooth) lysosomes, mitochondria and so on, we have lungs and livers, and hearts. Our cells have a nucleus, we have a brain. If we are cells, our organs are the organelles. And just like cells in our bodies, there are many different kinds, some harmful and some helpful. For example the vast majority of creatures on planet earth are like red blood cells, going here and there, eating, changing food to energy, creating waste that breaks down back into the matter that is the earth. We carry air and liquid from place to place. We reproduce creating copies upon copies upon copies of ourselves, just like cells. For most of us, for a long time, our impact has been minimal, forgettable, and brief. Servicing without knowing (the same way our cells don't "know" they are servicing us, but rather are programed from the moment of their creation to do what they are created to do), and eventually, inevitably, dying and becoming, just like our own excrement, part of the organ, part of the Earth, a resource to be recycled and reborn.
"There are of course other types of people with analogous human cells. Thinkers, philosophers, teachers, and certain engineers and politicians. These are the neural cells. These cells (people) are responsible for solving issues of communication and transportation, they pass on information. The historians: keepers of memory. These cells together create projects (thoughts) and execute them to either great service to the Earth or to great destruction. These cells ultimately work to disseminate information and develop new ways for survival and efficiency. At times these cells govern large bodies of people in order to keep them organized and safe and operational.
"Another type: Doctors, hospice workers, caregivers, surgeons, acupuncturists, massage therapists, mental health professionals. Even some police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, FEMA workers, UNICEF fund raisers, garbage collectors, plumbers, environmentalists, and gardeners all work in a similar way to white blood cells, scrubbing and cleaning the organ of disease, of harmful factions of humanity. Removing sickness, repairing cells, and arterial waterways, planting new trees, staving off the crusty scab of pavement, removing tumors of flesh and steel. Plants themselves act as a giant liver, cleaning the air so that metal can be oxidized and broken down and digested by the earth.
There are of course pathogens and cancers. Murders and rapists, slumlords and abusers, methadonians and chemists creating compounds of death and addiction. Slave owners. Human trafficers. Torturers. Developers that scar the land, slash down forests, frack the stone hills, and pile temporary homes of planned obsolescence upon the earth like a slowly spreading psoriasis. All the factors that now have become the rote declarations of those attempting to save the organ are in fact in a very real way, brining the eradication of our species closer and closer to reality.
"It has been shown The Celestial Host has taken some measures to ensure the continuing functionality of our planet. Fires, floods, genocides, earthquakes, eruptions of ash and magma, comets and meteoroids, tsunamis, anything that has reduced the population of the planet significantly is less a natural disaster than a planetary colonic (floods), a dose of acetaminophen (fires), of universal scratch of an itch (earthquakes), or a cosmic chemo treatment (nuclear war). Yes, as with any medicine, its administration comes at a cost. Many good and healthy cells (humans) may be killed off in the process, but the intention is always for the greater good. To stave off long term injury to the organ. To continue functionality and survival.
"At this point, most begin to understand the analogy, however loose it may seem at times it is still the best analogy we have, and therefore further exploration of the topic can be undertaken on a personal level or through attendance at further seminars delving deeper into the subject of The Corporeal Nature of The Universe. But if the audience will allow a small aside, a moment of warning usually reserved for endless debates by talking head pundants, it bears stating that all the current research, the analysis of trends, tides, frequency of natural and "man made" disasters, rate of population growth and the rate in which we are expending natural resources, the temperature of the planet (organ), the extinctions of species, the accumulation of non-compostable produces collecting like an artificial contentment in the sea, the murder rate, the methane levels produces by factory farms, has all lead the greatest minds to the conclusion, not the assumption mind you, but the conclusion that our organ (planet) is in an aggressively malignant state. It cannot and will not sustain. Universally speaking, it seems that whatever larger purpose our planet served, it now, and for some time now, has been doing more harm than good to The Celestial Host. It stands to reason that sometime in the murky and unknowable future, the likelihood that our planet will be biopsied, found to be beyond reparable state, and excised from The Celestial Host in some kind of Earth-ectomy is imminent. Perhaps we have always been some vestigial rock, some potentially tumorous mass just waiting to cause enough pain to be given proper medical attention and removed from existence as mysteriously as we had arrived. So, as the intention of this presentation is not to leave you all in a state of doomsday panic or existential crisis, all that can be said it this. Know that you had a purpose, that you served in someway or another a much high power. Know that your comings and goings, the love you shared, the children you bore, the thoughts you wrote down and mused over on late nights with friends, the kindness you showed, the flowers your cultivated, the pet you kept, the things you learned, the time you had all was meaningful, and hopefully, in some way or another extended to life of this planet even a moment longer so that one last kiss could be given, one last sunrise witnessed, or one last moment of awe experienced. It was because of you, because of us we will not go lonely into the night, but together ride the vessel of our world into the quiet depths on the unknown."


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Please register your son/daughter prior to tryouts.
Go to the Registration menu and select Tryout Registration.
Location for all days: Skyline College
Tuesday February 20
6th/7th Girls and 3rd/4th/5th Boys 7:30 - 9:00pm
Thursday February 22
6th/7th/8th Boys 7:30 - 9:00pm
Sunday February 25
3rd/4th Boys and Girls 10:00am - 11:30am
5th/6th Boys 11:30am - 1:00pm
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How to give your brand the WOW factor with great packaging to create an emotional connection
by Michelle Hartjes at Bespoke Packaging
So, you have a strong brand. You've probably workshopped your idea a billion times, brainstormed with your team, written business plan after business plan, and you know what you want your customer to feel when they receive or unwrap your product. You've probably worked with a creative agency to bring your brand to life. So how do you translate that into your packaging? How do you create packaging with WOW factor and make a positive impact on your customer?
You want to create an emotional connection, something they'll treasure or remember, or share with their friends. The emotional connection your client has when they see your packaging can be the difference between them telling all their friends and sharing on social media, or doing nothing – throwing the packaging in the bin. A positive experience can be so easy to create, showing your customers that you care.
We all want to stand out and get noticed, but you don't have to paint a billboard for it – it's easy to create the experience and have an impact on your customers using simple tips like these:
1. Send out packages with a handwritten note inside.
Thank your customer for buying, being awesome, having style – whatever!
2. Think about a unique texture you can use for your packaging.
At Bespoke Packaging we offer linen and hessian trim as a tactile point of difference to help your customer enjoy the experience and connect with the package.
3. Create something visually appealing, and "instagrammable".
It's one of the best free marketing tools around, so try and give your customer something that they will be inclined to take a photo of and share on social media.
4. Make unwrapping an experience.
Those extra couple of minutes a customer spends opening the product can make a difference in how well they remember it. (This is what one of our customers, Elle, said on our Facebook page: "Loved that I received my package today from Bespoke and didn't want to open it because it was so beautiful! I can't wait to make my clients feel exactly the same. Thank you!")
It's often underestimated how important it is to create packaging that not only looks fantastic but feels great for your audience – both physically and emotionally. The emotional connection and the passion they feel when they receive your product can be one of the most important things in your business, as it creates a fantastic culture that other potential customers will love. Take the time to consider how your packaging will do this.
Sometimes you have the opportunity to get to know your customers and can tweak the experience to really connect with them, so do this if you can! We like to take the opportunity to talk to our customers on the phone whenever we can because every business is different and so are their needs. Also, think about what you already know about your customer and how you can personalise it for them; if you're a wedding photographer, you will know the personalities of your clients after having spent time with them. If your customer has mentioned recently that they're tired and stressed, pop a bag of green tea into the envelope with a cute little note.
Great tips from Michelle over at Bespoke Packaging! We've collaborated with Michelle on some amazing packaging products for our clients' brands. Check out Identify Yourself and watch this space for Ms Peacock Fine Chocolates… This post originally appeared at www.bespokepackaging.biz.


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How about the signal stats?
Sorry trying to upload everything and edit them. They should be up now.
Ok. A couple of your upstreams are near borderline, have you ever noticed the upstreams go to 50dBVmV or above 50dBmV? Do you have any splitters in before your modem? If so try temporarily bypassing them to see if it clears up.
I can't remember if it has been at or above 50. I don't think it has but I could be wrong. I have one splitter that I know of that leads to my modem and cable box. What should the levels be at? It just seems odd that I never had any issues until I upgraded my modem.
This link can tell you here: Xfinity Internet Connection Troubleshooting Tips
Even though it does say 25-54dBmV for upstream, which it can if it the signal for upstream is clean, I normally operate off of 50 for the max side of it, since locally they use 50 in my area for the max. I recommend anywhere between 35 and 45. So a couple of yours are towards 50 being why I ask.
If you scroll down a little bit further in that link, there is a definition there (in simpler form). Here is also another link that has some definition as well https://www.dslreports.com/faq/13055 (more technical)
I was wondering if I should change my splitter and run shorter/newer cables from the splitter to my cable box and modem.
You could replace the splitter with a new bi-directional 5-1000MHz (1 GHz) rated splitter. Not the gold-colored ones. How do the coax cables look? If they don't look bad, then thry might be fine.
They are older. I don't remember the last time they were changed. Plus they are way longer than needed. Probably atleast 25'-50' each from the splitter to the cable box and to the modem. Could be a little longer even because I had to zip tie them in a bundle because they were so long.
Would something like this splitter work? If not what would you recommend? https://www.amazon.com/BAMF-2-Way-Splitter-Bi-Directional-5-2300MHz/dp/B0113JAN8K/ref=sr_1_8?s=elect...
So I bi-passed the splitter and I was getting 43, 43, 45, 43. So I am already on the high end of the spectrum. I changed the one coax cable that was around 20-25' long and dropped my numbers to 46.5, 46.5, 48.5, 46.5. Better and farther from 50. I have a second splitter I tested and got 46.5, 46.5, 48.5, 45. The 4th one was lower which seemed odd. I may just use that one instead.
Since you made those changes, I would just reboot it, if you haven't already, and see how it goes.
I unplug it before switching cables and then turn it back on. Will that suffice or what do you mean by reboot? Do I need to do anything to the router?
I mean since you rewired the coax, just unplug the modem and the router, plug the modem back in. After the modem comes back online, plug the router back in.
I did just as you said and got a warning in my logs right after reboot. Any idea what it means?
I actually do not know, but a Google search turned up this link: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r31691948-Signals-Unicast-DSID-PSN-startup-error
According to that link the following was said (direct quote):
It's difficult to define what the error is exactly in laymans terms. Basically it shows some problem with the upstream signal, probably the SNR. Most problems with SNR are caused by ingress leaking into the coaxial line and a bad connection on a coaxial faceplate is a infamous place to get that kind of ingress. If it was the only error in the log, it might be worth to fully research, but since you have other known problems, it makes sense to troubleshoot those first. IMO mental energy is almost as precious as physical energy when it comes to troubleshooting. Don't worry about some cryptic log when you know of an actual problem you need to fix. Only worry about it if it still occurs after fixing the coaxial problem. It's probably better to do it sooner or later, before it get worse and possibly disconnects your service all together
Is there any wall plate between your modem and the splitter?
No wall plate. The lines come through the floor. Everything was fine until I rebooted both of them together. I had rebooted the modem by itself probably 5 or 6 times when changing things around and I didn't get anything in my logs. The internet is working fine though right now and my numbers are all stable.
In that case, since it isnt being accompanied by any problems and additonal events in the logs, I would let it go as is, as long as everything is working.
Will do. I will report back if anything funky pops back up. Thank you!
No problem
I don't think there was anything new in the event log. This was after the factory reboot.
Comcast is coming out tomorrow. I am going to see if they will check for any splitter issues or cable runs under the house. I have only lived here for a year or so. Maybe the new modem is more sensitive than my old motorolla sb6121. It hardly ever had any issues.
@BrandonBoss wrote:
I don't think there was anything new in the event log. This was after the factory reboot.
An FYI. Bear in mind that after a modem is re-booted or reset, the error log entries that follow are worthless. If they say "Time Not Established" or the time / date stamp defaults to 1/1/1970, they are not valid. The entries are only valid after the modem locks with the system and is in Block Sync mode.
The wires come up from the floor and about 2 feet after that they enter the splitter. From the splitter a 5' cable enters the modem and the other 5' cable enters the cable box. I doubt its either of those causing the issue because I have never had issues before like this. I guess we will find out more tomorrow. I should have all 4 upstream bonded channels working right? The guy from Arris said that I should have atleast 2 or 3 but not gauranteed to have all 4 and that its probably a comcast issue. He said only having 1 is an issue though. Not sure why. Definitely far from understanding how a lot of this stuff even works.
@EG wrote:
@BrandonBoss wrote:
I don't think there was anything new in the event log. This was after the factory reboot.
An FYI. Bear in mind that after a modem is re-booted or reset, the error log entries that follow are worthless. If they say "Time Not Established" or the time / date stamp defaults to 1/1/1970, they are not valid. The entries are only valid after the modem locks with the system and is in Block Sync mode.
I don't even understand what that means. I know that after the reset it cleared all the older issues in the event log prior to the factor reset. Although I screen shot most of those issues anyways.
FYI. A noise ingress problem or any type of return path / upstream channel impairment can cause the un-bonding of the multiple bonded channels.
@BrandonBoss wrote:
Maybe the old modem was less sensitive to the noise or whatever is coming through the lines compared to the new one.
That is a known fact. Some models of modems / chipsets are more critical of less than stellar signal / line / connection quality conditions compared to other makes / models.
I switched the splitter yesterday and just went back to the old one. Narrowing it down to see if that could possibly be part of the problem. I must have something wrong with signal though. The numbers rose after my earlier post today again on the upstream power until I lost 3 channels out of the 4.
after reboot with old splitter. I have a feeling they will get higher again until I lose 3 of them again.
Tech came out today. Switched the 4 way splitter at the line and then switched me over to an upgraded cable. I guess the one that was running to my modem was the old style that allows interuptions because it doesn't have the protections on the outside of the wire. Hoping that I am done having issues.
Internet has been steady for 24 hours now. Hoping it keeps going strong.
Tech said he got all the noise out by switching the cable and splitter where the line enters the outdoor box. Fingers crossed it keeps working the way it should.


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BELGRADE — Serbia is beginning to reform its outlaw TV industry, which until the Oct. 5 revolution was little more than a political soapbox for Yugoslav dictator Slobodan Milosevic.
The Media Center Broadcast Law working group submitted draft legislation to the republic's parliament Friday to create an independent regulatory body, called the Broadcast Council of Serbia, which will monitor the sector and transform Serbia's state broadcasters into Western-style public-service channels.
Tax support, new regs
State TV revenues will initially be derived from a flat-rate electricity tax. The Broadcast Council would also set conditions for establishing new channels, allocating frequencies and defining types of programming.
"We want to send a message that there will be no special privileges for people or companies" under Serbia's new regime, said Dragoslav Sumarac, a rep from the government's anti-corruption commission.
Although there is no word yet on when parliament is expected to pass the legislation, analysts expect lawmakers to work quickly to regulate the TV industry. Although rules are expected to mirror EU standards, the draft law submitted to parliament a week ago reduces the amount of inhouse programming to be aired over privately held channels from 50% to 25%, presumably to reduce the amount of political preaching over the Serb airwaves, and increase the sector's entertainment value.


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Funnel Cake!
June Tycoon is the gift that keeps on giving. It brings us new friends, new streamers, new games, new challenges, and best of all- THEME PARK FOOD!
There's nothing more quintessentially "State Fair Food" than Funnel Cake, so we started off the month with the most widely known and most simple-to-make treat found at parks nationwide!
Funnel Cake
I get it, funnel cake looks intimidating. It's oddly shaped, difficult to eat, and always way too hot when you buy it from a food truck. But I promise you, making funnel cake once will open you up to a world of possibilities of tasty treats you once thought couldn't be made at home.
- 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk pancake mix (no seriously, go buy a box!)
- 1/2 cup coconut flour (or regular flour, coconut brings a yummy texture)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar to garnish
Heat oil to 375°F in a large Dutch oven and adjust to maintain temperature. While oil is heating prepare the funnel cake batter.
In a large bowl whisk together pancake mix, coconut flour, and sugar. Whisk in water and vanilla until you get all the lumps out. Your batter should be the thickness of cake batter, not too thin and not too gloppy. Lifting the batter with the whisk or a spoon should form ribbons as it falls back to the surface.
Pour batter into a funnel or a plastic squeeze bottle with a 1/4-inch opening. Or use a piping bag and cut a 1/4-inch opening. You'll use about 1/2 cup of batter per funnel cake.
If using a funnel, cover the opening with your finger and position over the center of dutch oven or deep fryer. Allow the batter to flow, working quickly to swirl in a loopy circular pattern to make a 4 to 5-inch large disk.
Fry disk for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden on the bottom. Using a shallow heat resistant strainer, carefully turn funnel cake and fry until golden brown on second side, about 1 minute longer.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Place confectioner's sugar in a fine mesh strainer and tap over cakes to dust lightly.