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News List
» News List
Date posted: December 18, 2018
Download the latest European Accreditation (EA) Newsletter which includes articles on the launch of a new EA website, and the outcomes of the latest General Assembly.
Date posted: December 17, 2018
As part of the Government's preparations for the eventuality that the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement in place, a draft legal framework for accreditation has been laid before Parliament. The draft Statutory Instrument (SI) confirms the appointment of UKAS as the national accreditation body and retains most ...
Date posted: November 19, 2018
Arrhythmia Alliance Cardiac Update and Meeting will be taking place on 30th November at the Conference Aston, Aston University in Birmingham. The cardiac update meetings are for all healthcare professionals involved in the management and treatment of arrhythmias. UKAS will be exhibiting at Arrhythmia Alliance Cardiac Update Meeting to showcase ...
Date posted: November 19, 2018
On Friday 16th November, representatives from 60 countries voted to redefine the International System of Units (SI), changing the world's definition of the kilogram, the ampere, the kelvin and the mole, forever. The decision, made at the General Conference on Weights and Measures in Versailles, France, which is organised by ...
Date posted: November 13, 2018
WWEM, the Water, Wastewater and Environmental Monitoring show is taking place on the 21st and 22nd of November in Telford, UK. WWEM comprises of an exhibition, conference and technical workshops which focus on Wastewater and Environmental Monitoring. This year WWEM will take place alongside AQE The Air Quality and Emissions ...
Date posted: November 9, 2018
Do you know why professional standards are important, want to know more about ISAS accreditation, see a demonstration of the Traffic Light Ready (TLR) gap analysis web tool and have the opportunity to discuss ISAS in detail? On Wednesday 5th December 2018 at BMUS 2018, we are running 30-minute ISAS ...
Date posted: November 5, 2018
On 16th November 2018, measurement scientists from the 60 Member States of the Metre Convention will come together to vote on the redefinition of the International System of Units (SI), changing the world's definition of the kilogram, the ampere, the kelvin and the mole. If agreed, these changes will come ...
Date posted: October 27, 2018
Quality World, the CQI's official magazine, interviewed Matt Gantley, to find out his plans to develop new and innovative areas of accreditation to support enterprise, government, regulators and the public sector. Download a copy of the article.
Date posted: October 27, 2018
Trust is the focus of this year's World Quality Day, which takes place on Thursday 8 November 2018. It is an opportunity to recognise the role that everyone in an organisation plays in building and maintaining trust with stakeholders. Every year, the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI), along with UKAS and ...
Date posted: October 25, 2018
UKAS accreditation is set to play a key role in support of new regulations governing the licensing of activities involving animals which came into force on 1 October this year. The Animal Welfare (Licencing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 cover activities such as pet shops, cat and dog ...


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Ghost Writing
Prosperity Publications offers a wide selection of talent for transforming your project or dream into a book for all genres.
Our specialty includes fiction and the new genre of creative non-fiction. We work closely with you to gather the necessary information, determine your vision for the piece and ensure that we conform to that vision throughout the ghostwriting process. We begin with a concept, theme, or idea and assist the customer to convert their ideas into a finished product either fiction or creative non-fiction format. We assign writers to work with the client, based on the nature of the story to be produced.
Prosperity Publications provides the opportunity to complete your book, satisfy your dream of becoming a writer or get your project off the ground and completed. Contact us and see how little it can cost to advance your goals or fulfill your life-long dream of writing a book and becoming an author.
Creative Writing
Prosperity Publications has a staff of writers who have conducted creative writing workshops throughout the country for the past ten years.
Our workshops provide the clients with knowledge of the craft of writing. We teach the use of many different techniques to help you find your way through the novel, essay, memoir, or script you are writing or hope to write.
Upon completion of the seminar, our customers will understand the importance of identifying the theme behind her or his story and how to apply the plot, dialogue, character development, conflict, and beginning, middle, and end to the story. Workshops can be conducted for one day or over a two-month timeframe depending on the depth of the material presented.
At Prosperity Publications we provide the most extensive distribution network opportunities available to independent authors. We work with Barnes and Nobles, Amazon to ensure that your book will get the most visibility possible.
Book Publishing
Prosperity Publications can help guide your from the publishing of your book to the distribution and marketing of your book.
We provide services to authors, self-published authors
Our book editors have edited fiction and non-fiction books and will work with you to craft and finalize your manuscript with our copyediting and proofreading services.
Writing Seminars
Prosperity Publications specializes in several type of writing seminars including: memoirs, creative writing, non-fiction, and creative non-fiction.
We have conducted writing seminars for Black writers on tour, Zora Neale Hurston Arts & Humanities Festival, several book stores across the country. Along with various military bases.
Book Consulting
The book consulting team at Prosperity Publications specializes in helping guide authors and small presses through the entire book publishing process step-by-step. We will review the first 30 pages of your manuscript and provide insight as to how you should proceed whether you decide to use Prosperity Publications or another company of your choice.
We can provide keynote speakers for your event. In addition, we also provide panel discussion groups as well for a range of topics from Social issues, to black history, women's history and literary topics. Our signature workshop is on "Images of blacks, past and present" "Black is the new black: changing the image of the Color Black" and other cultural issues. We have conducted workshops/panel discussions/and speaking engagements for the National Pan Hellenic Council, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Central State University, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta Incorporation, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. Groove Phi Groove Social organization, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. United States Army, Barton College, Limestone College, Georgia Tech University, University of Georgia, Miami-Dade College, Coker College, St. Phillips College, University of Texas at San Antonio, Atlanta NPHC, US Dept. of Agriculture, RawSistaz Literary Event, Sister to Sisters Sorority Luncheons, Mainstream and Independent bookstores, Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Harlem Book Fair, Queen's Library in New York.
Book Marketing Services
Our book marketing services are tailored to your book, your category and your goals. A strategic print book marketing plan and ebook marketing timeline are essential to your success. More books are published each year than ever before. Finding and reaching readers has become more and more difficult.
Amazon Book Sales - Maximizing your presence on Amazon.com and launching a strategic Amazon book review campaign is key to your success.
Book Marketing Plan - Prosperity Publications can help you with your book marketing and sales plan.
Submissions Guidelines
Please write to us explaining your idea and enclose an outline and a sample chapter of the proposed book (typed and double-spaced, please) along with sample illustrations where applicable. For Children's books, please submit full manuscripts. Please email to: firstname.lastname@example.com Be sure to include information about yourself with particular regard to your skills and qualifications in the subject area of your submission. It is helpful for us to know your publishing history - whether or not you've written other books and, if so, the name of the publisher and whether those books are currently in print.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fountain pen, colored pencil, watercolor, on Arches 10 X 14 coldpress WC paper.
I have an endless fascination with houses hidden in trees, crafted by flying creatures who have no hands. This is magic, all around us.
Words and Pictures.
Fountain pen, colored pencil, watercolor, on Arches 10 X 14 coldpress WC paper.
I have an endless fascination with houses hidden in trees, crafted by flying creatures who have no hands. This is magic, all around us.
"A poem should always have birds in it."
From her poem "Singapore", from the collection "House Of Light" (1990).
If you put all my joy over all our pots together,
It would not touch how I feel about this cast-iron pot.
Let all my joy from all our pots be plopped together
and it slops around, with room, inside this iron pot.
I never thought I'd see a black utensil packed together
with black lids of iron and be thrilled to feel a pot.
When I'm old we'll need to lift it's weight together
or I'll bend beneath the iron. But today I waltz this pot.
We ate our people's roots but no-one's meat
or wine, and hung our harps on willow wands
unplayed by winds. I read our people's book
and found the number there of years we must
be slaved. From sorrow we'd forgot to look.
I turned toward the wall and would not play.
I told Yahweh it must be His to count
the years, I said "We are your portion
in the earth. You're poor. We're all you've got."
The instant when our sins should slash a vein,
when lambs are hushed their crying by a blade,
the legate Gabriel enpierced my room.
A word went out. He said. An actual word,
resuscitating sentences, germ cells of books,
as books are matrices for nations. Words
went out at dusk and I have fought celestial
orcs to bring them home. Get up, get out,
go virgin to a virgin couch and and kiss a virgin
mouth, plant stories in your fields, fire
pots for wines, and sing new wedding psalms
beneath your virgin vines. Go home.
Fragments overheard before the police came.
I jotted down what I could, then I hid in the cupboard.
Chugging song
Come now, sing now, happy tunes
and drink, drink, drink — we're in our youth.
"Fool, fool, deliberate fool:
can you drink the cup?
Or will it drown you?
Down, down, three times down,
take the triple-bath, play the triple-tool.
Fool, fool, deliberate fool…" (repeat)
"For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are."
C.S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew


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Trump, Zinke, Gianforte not good for Montana women
HELENA – When it comes to valuing issues important to women, Republican Presidential front-runner
Montana Cowgirl is a popular blog that tracks the doings of Montana's radical right. Without reservation it points out the inconsistencies in the actions of this group, the extremes to which they take issues and the hypocritical aspects of their thinking. With plenty of outlandish and even violent subthemes being played out on the national scene this source brings the chilling notions of ultras home. Disturbing news, indeed, even with a little salt.
Checkout the Montana Cowgirl website at Montana Cowgirl.
HELENA – When it comes to valuing issues important to women, Republican Presidential front-runner
This "Letter to the Editor" was submitted to both the Broadwater Reporter and the Independent Record on May 2, 2015 by Gary Carson of Townsend.
We are reprinting Gary's letter to the editor courtesy of Gary Carson. We believe it is as relevant today as when it was written:
HELENA -- When it comes to Donald Trump being the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, it appears Congressman Ryan Zinke is saying one thing to Montana media about his support, while changing his tune for national press.
A Washington front group funded by Greg Gianforte is running dishonest ads against Governor Bullock because they know Gianforte is fundamentally out-of-step with Montanans.
Facebook denies claims by Gianforte that they did not select a Montana site because of business equipment tax. Facebook says they never met with Gianforte and that the Montana business equipment tax did NOT disqualify Montana for a Facebook server site. They said they will continue to include Montana, as well as other states, for future Facebook sites.
For more: Facebook denies Gianforte claims
Just hours ago New Jersey multimillionaire Greg Gianforte attended the Hometown Helena event where he was asked four times about his support for job-killing, pro-discrimination laws similar to North Carolina and Indiana. All four timesGianforte dodged the question by reciting an inaccurate talking point.
As more questions surface about where New Jersey multimillionaire Greg Gianforte spent his fortune, and his position on job-killing discrimination laws that would hurt Montana's economy, Gianforte continues to hide from Montanans and responds "no comment."
To read more go to "Gianforte remains Montana's No-Comment Candidate"
Greg Gianforte was caught attending PAC-money fundraiser in Washington DC. This comes weeks after Gianforte signed a "pledge" to not raise PAC funds, confirming his "pledge" was nothing more than a political gimmick.
This week Montanans celebrate Sunshine Week and the bipartisan Disclose Act: the new Montana law championed by Governor Steve Bullock to bring more transparency to elections. Each day this week the Montana Democratic Party will send questions that New Jersey multimillionaire Greg Gianforte continues to dodge.


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SAN FRANCISCO (Marketwatch) -- Annaly Mortgage Management Inc. NLY, +0.53% after Thursday's closing bell declared a third-quarter dividend of 13 cents a share. The dividend is payable Oct. 27 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 28. The New York-based company, which owns and manages a portfolio of mortgage-backed securities, declared a second-quarter dividend of 36 cents a share in June.
Annaly Mortgage Management declares 13c 3Q dividend
Quote References
+0.05 +0.53%


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14 Storage Ideas For More Space In The Bathroom That Everyone Should See!
Hidden shelf!Brilliant! This slide-out storage is fantastic. It's an amazing suggestion if you want to hide something. You can put in toilet paper or towels and so on. The main idea of this life hack is to keep your bathroom items hidden if you do not want them to be visible. Also, the shelves are […]Read more


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The Spring-Ford Chamber of Commerce is a community-focused business advocate. We strive to help our member businesses grow while improving the community in which we all live and work.
Click Here for photos from
2019 Limerick Community Day
I provide officially licensed sports apparel and accessories for dogs, offering NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA and College dog jerseys, dog collars, dog leashes, dog toys and more.
Join Today
Start benefiting from your Chamber membership today. Sign up today and get your business more exposure. Connect and grow your business with the Chamber.
Celebrating 25 Years!
Spring-Ford Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 127, Royersford, PA 19468
610. 489.7200
© Copyright 2019 Spring-Ford Chamber of Commerce. All Rights Reserved. Site provided by GrowthZone - powered by ChamberMaster software.


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Show me the money!
Money, money, and more money! Are you leaving money on the table??? Introducing the fabulous Dawn from Money: learn to live with it. She gives us the recipe to her Millionaire Soup and so much more great advice to get us to where we want to be! After our technical issues yesterday, Dawn took the day to record this valuable video just for YOU! See below for the Millionaire Soup recipe!


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Music stands and lights, orchestral chairs & more!
You can hire our professional stage & orchestra equipment for use at rehearsals, concerts, orchestra tours / travels of choirs, youth orchestras and professional symphony orchestras, studio recordings, music festivals, TV shows, Theater & Movie productions, photo shoots, promotions, castings / auditions, music competitions, presentations, fairs, etc..
You can hire from our large range:
- music stands / orchestral music stands by KOENIG&MEYER or KOLBERG
- oddment trays for woodwind players
- conductors' desks - also pull-out models for large-format scores
- stand lights with light bulbs, wiring and safety cable bridges
- battery-powered stand lights KOENIG&MEYER "Concert Lights" or MIGHTY BRIGHT "Duett 2"
- orchestral chairs / musician chairs / choir chairs
- complete sets of orchestral chairs for up to 250 musicians
- conductor chairs
- timpani chairs / timpanist chairs made by KOLBERG or WILDE+SPIETH
- percussion chairs / percussionist chairs made by KOLBERG
- drum thrones made by PEARL, TAMA, MAPEX, SONOR, ROC'N'SOC
- percussion tables / oddment trays
- mallet holders / mallet forks
- bass stools / double bass chairs / bass thrones
- bar stools (for guitarists / singers)
- piano benches made by STEINWAY, BLUETHNER and others
- keyboard benches
- harp benches
- organ & harmonium benches
- director chairs
- stands for woodwind and brass instruments
- stands for string instruments
- keyboard stands / keyboard tables
- stage platforms in variable heights
- conductor podiums with safety rail
- baton for conductors
- harp podiums
- harp trolleys
- cello podiums
- pin guards for double bass and cello
- mobile acrylic sound absorbers & sound shields
- grand piano dollies
- metronome (digital metronome / historic metronome in pyramid shape)
- and a lot of more stage & orchestra equipment...
Our stage & orchestra equipment is packed in custom-made PREISSLER Flight Cases and can be used - like all our rental instruments - not only for concerts in Berlin and the surrounding countryside of Brandenburg but as well as for entire orchestra tours / orchestra travels by truck transport within Germany and Europe. Under certain circumstances even world wide.
Our special rental service
- With us, you obtain all your hire items and transport services from a single source, and always have a designated contact person for your entire project.
- We transport the rental equipment with our special transport vehicles.
- If you wish our special trained Stage Service Team will setup and dismantle your hired stage / orchestra equipment and also instruments on your stage at site and / or support your complete event.
- Our stage & orchestra rental equipment is insured for the full hire period in accordance with our Terms and Conditions.
- Your safety is very important to us! Therefore all of our electrically operated rental equipment are reviewed regularly in accordance with the statutory German DGUV V3 accident prevention regulations and come with an up-to-date inspection sticker and the relevant inspection reports.
- Our complete equipment is always in as new condition, clean and perfectly maintained.
- In cooperation with our partner companies, we also provide you with complete professional sound and lighting systems - on request with fully trained personnel - for your show or concert.
Contact us - we will be glad to advise you.
Please note:
Our hire offer applies only to professional use! We regret that hire for solely private purposes over a protracted period of time (education, practice) is not possible.


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For Immediate Release · By Nairem Moran · firstname.lastname@example.com
St. Mary's City, Md. – St. Mary's College of Maryland men's swimmer Ben Ertman (Potomac, Md./Churchill) earned a spot on the 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-District® Division III Men's At-Large Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for the first time in his career. CoSIDA announced teams representing eight districts on Thursday afternoon.
Ertman is part of a 12-person team representing District 2, which is comprised of the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. He was one the only male student-athlete from the Capital Athletic Conference to pick up the award. As a first team selection, the 5-10 senior now advances to the Academic All-America® ballot.
A team captain this season, Ertman graduated summa cum laude this past Saturday after finishing his academic career with a 3.952 cumulative grade point average as a double major in Chinese and psychology.
He made the Dean's List every semester, which awards those students who earn a minimum semester grade-point average of 3.50 or better on all courses attempted with at least 12 credit hours taken for a letter grade. Ertman was also named a St. Mary's Scholar for 2016 and 2017; an honor bestowed upon juniors and seniors who have earned at least 32 credit-hours and whose cumulative GPA is 3.50 or better.
The 2017-18 St. Mary's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Ertman is also a member of three national honor societies – Chi Alpha Sigma, the national collegiate student-athlete honor society for juniors and seniors; Phi Beta Kappa, the honor society in the liberal arts and sciences; and Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology, serving as its vice president in 2016-17.
He was awarded the Foreign Language Book Prize in Chinese as well as the Psychology Major Award at the 2018 Awards Convocation. The Psychology Major Award was established in 1993 and recognizes a psychology, human development or human studies major who demonstrated a superior understanding of the themes and methods of that discipline.
Ertman is also a four-time member of the CAC All-Academic Team. He will be heading to China to teach English for a year before pursuing his PhD in psychology.
In the pool, Ertman was a consistent contributor for the Seahawks despite having cerebral palsy. He competed in the freestyle and backstroke events, breaking the 20-minute mark in the 1,650 freestyle for the first time in his career at the 2018 CAC Championships. Ertman medaled twice at the 2017 Intercollegiate Para Swimming Championships, picking up silver in the 100 backstroke and bronze in the 100 freestyle.
Facebook: StMarysAthletics
Instagram: @smcseahawks, @smcmswimming
Twitter: @smcseahawks
Hashtags: #SweepTheSheds, #GoHawks


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Prayers For Pastors and Congregations–On the First Sunday of Advent, December 2018
A Prayer for Pastors: O Lord, so quickly the celebration of the American holiday of Thanksgiving moves into the Christian season of Advent. As I preach and teach to my congregation, and care for the people, may I help them see the multiple meanings of Advent—the coming of Jesus. May I proclaim the coming of the baby Jesus to live as a man and to be our sacrifice. May I urge that receiving Jesus into our lives is the way to our salvation and eternal life. May I help followers of Jesus anticipate His second coming and a spirit of living life in Christ in a watchful manner. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
A Prayer for Congregations: O Lord, the calendar tells me we have one additional week this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That does not reduce the stress I feel about this season of the year. May I in the middle of the hurry of the season increase my desire to gather with other Christians to celebrate the coming of Jesus as a baby, into our lives, and in the culmination of earthly history. May Jesus being the reason for the season not just be a pithy saying but the deep meaning that warms my heart, soul, mind, and strength. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.


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SOLIDWORKS 2019: Specifying a Default Save Folder
Categories // What's New In SOLIDWORKS
What's New in SOLIDWORKS 2019
Ever get tired of constantly telling SOLIDWORKS where to save your files? Even more so when you save them to the same location each time?
Well, with SOLIDWORKS 2019, you can now specify the save folder you wish to be your default save location. If you do not put a default save location, it will default to the last saved location. How does one do this? Easily!
From within SOLIDWORKS, go to the Options menu. Once inside, go to Options > File Locations. Once in the File Locations menu, click on the dropdown arrow under the "Show Folders for" area.
The Default Save Folder is the third option down. Select the option and then click Add. Navigate to the folder you wish to save to, then click Select. Once you have selected the folder it will now be displayed as the default save location.


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Ready "at a minute's warning" to Fight for Liberty
America's early Minutemen were men who were ready for military duties "at a minute's warning."
When these men rallied, they became a militia, citizens with limited military training who could grab their arms immediately and fight in an emergency to defend their local area.
The first Minutemen were in Massachusetts, and they saw their first action at the battles of Lexington and Concord. They certainly surprised the British, whose leader reported,
"Whoever looks upon them as an irregular mob will be much mistaken."
It was one of those Minutemen who "fired the shot heard round the world," on April 19, 1775, commencing America's open rebellion.
Minutemen militia groups were formed in other colonies, including the Culpeper Minutemen of Virginia. The importance of the American militia was later enshrined in the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution. The Minutemen are also forever remembered in such poems as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride" and Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Concord Hymn."
Every year we celebrate the anniversary of that "shot heard round the world," on April 19th, the day we know as Patriots Day.


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Pink And Grey Bedroom Ideas
Aug 31st
Grey bedrooms ideas might prove the room design music pop inspirational youtube audio library. In combination in bathroom ideas of the tops source for bringing interest depth and grey bedroom ideas. Pink and grey bedroom ideas, images for you run the risk of your favorite celebrities. Room ideas innovative gray and pink and pink and grey our new. Interior design we usually steer away from using white and grey white. Bedroom best rooms grey bedroom in pink and grey bedroom with pink bedroom decor on bed room ideas may be it dark or light. Gold bedroom no longer wanted.Tag: pink and grey bedroom ideas


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This café is best for short work sessions and meetings.
What I like about it:
- Excellent coffee and food. One of those places that know their coffee and food. Everything there is yummy.
- Ambiance. It's got an "arsty" feel to it, chilled-out vibes and a lot of natural light.
- The matcha latte. Ace.
Key features:
- Coffee rating (1 = really bad, 5 = really good): 5
- Wifi: None.
- Power sockets: None
- Location:54 Tavistock Pl, Kings Cross, London WC1H 9RG
- Nearest tube: King's Cross St Pancras
Other features:
- It's a small space but this particular branch does not get very busy. It is usually frequented by students since it is located near University College London.
- Seating type: Wood and steel tables and chairs.
This is a good place for a one-to-one meeting or a short work session but it is not a long-work-session kind of place purely because they do not have power sockets or wifi. However, in my opinion, these guys make the best coffee and serve up the most delicious cakes. Try their matcha and white chocolate cake or their carrot cake and you will know what I mean.


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a way to use large spool of thread on a standard machine. . . is creative inspiration for us.
Get more photo about home decor related with by looking at photos gallery at the bottom of this page.
We are want to say thanks if you like to share this post to another people via your facebook, pinterest, google plus or twitter account.
Right Click to save picture or tap and hold for seven second if you are using iphone or ipad.
Full size is 360X450 (Link to full-size image) pixels.
Source: marthastewart.com


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Q: How reliable is this database?
A: The marks that are listed in this database are obtained from students who have previously sat the Higher School Certificate examinations. In order to obtain their raw marks, those students would have had to purchase their raw marks from NESA (formerly BOS/BOSTES). The data has not been independently vetted and relies on past students to accurately provide their marks. Note that as papers vary each year, the standards of marking will also naturally change. Hence there is variation between each year. The marks should only be taken as a guide and not an expectation of future years.
Q: Why is there not a complete list of marks for each year?
A: This site relies on students voluntarily submitting their raw marks. Since the only way to ascertain the raw mark is by a student purchasing their marks, if students do not decide to purchase their marks AND if students do not decide to submit their marks, then there is no possible way to provide the raw marks for a particular subject in a particular year.
Q: My subject isn't listed. Are there marks available for my subject?
A: The database is typically up to date. You may still contact us to confirm whether or not there are marks available.
Q: How can I help?
A: If you have marks to contribute, please submit your marks here. We understand and appreciate that you are required to purchase your marks, so we thank you for your contribution. You can also help us by mentioning us on discussion forums, Facebook groups etc. If you have any other suggestions or see an error on the website, please send us an email.


text: NaijaLiving Style Picks….See the top fashionable Nigerians around the world this week! Ezinne Alpha at the launch of House Of Tara's studio 14 launch in Lagos. Alex Ekubor is causing a stir in the fashion world! He recently made it to the OK! Nigeria list of top 10 sexiest Nigerian men. We love his casual cool look here. We don't even know her but we don't care! Her bag is gorgeous.. Lady in Red. We heart Kate Henshaw's style at the Africa Magic viewers choice nominees party Rita Dominic is giving us life in this jumpsuit He took a risk and it paid off! Jimmy Akingbola's got style at the Screen Nation Awards.


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Welcome To The Baby Show
Welcome to The Baby Show, the UK's leading pregnancy & parenting event series, taking place annually in three locations and attracting a combined audience of almost 70,000 visitors.
A unique family-friendly shopping and advice experience, the show features 1000s of products and 100s of brands and the opportunity to hear from and meet some of the UK's top parenting experts.
From pushchairs to nursery ideas, maternity fashion to healthcare, our experts are on hand to help you make the right choice for your growing family. The next show will take place from ExCeL London, NEC Birmingham and Olympia London.
The Baby Show Trade Video
Join Us at The Baby Show
Are you a retailer or company that trades within the Baby industry and is interested in being an exhibitor at the next edition of The Baby Show? Then, please complete our enquiry form below and a member of the team will be in touch with you shortly.
If you are a visitor and would like to purchase a ticket then click here


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Editorial Policies
- » Focus and Scope
- » Section Policies
- » Peer Review Process
- » Publication Frequency
- » Open Access Policy
- » Archiving
- » Editorial Board
- » Editorial Mission
Focus and Scope
The purpose of the Online Journal of Rural Research and Policy is to expand publication opportunities for scholars in our field. The journal is a peer-reviewed, online publication. It publishes academic and community-based research, commentary, and policy articles focused on the Great Plains in a way that is of interest to both academic and community audiences. The goal is not only to present theory, but to stimulate discussion, encourage more research on rural issues, and improve access to information that promotes decision-making that enhances rural people and places.
Reports of original investigations in any area of research and policy that affect rural areas are sought. Scholars, students, community development practitioners and policy makers are encouraged to submit original articles for review. We encourage submissions on topics in all disciplines: arts, sciences, education, engineering, agriculture, architecture, law, medicine, veterinary medicine, pharmacology, public health, the environment, ethnicity, demographics and others. Also, non-academic policy essays dealing with rural issues—both historical and current—are very welcome. For information on whether your work "fits" with the mission of the Journal, please contact Dr. Thomas Gould, firstname.lastname@example.com or phone him, 785-410-5146.
The researcher's method is important only with regard only to its suitability for the study undertaken. The diversity of the field of mass communication should mean that we will accept studies employing a wide variety of methods.
The journal recruits invited works and, at the same time, is a peer-reviewed publication. The editors will review manuscripts, send them out to reviewers and will advise co-editors. As typical with peer review, the reviewer does not know the identity of the author. The result of the review may be acceptance, acceptance contingent on revision, or rejection.
Section Policies
|Open Submissions
|Peer Reviewed
Book Reviews
Books dealing with rural issues will be reviewed and posted in this section. In addition, a link to a blog will be provided for additional discussion of the book and/or the review.
|Open Submissions
|Peer Reviewed
Peer Review Process
Researchers are encouraged to submit their work for peer review. We are not discipline specific, but rather focus on rural issues. Research from all areas of academia are welcome, including arts, sciences, education, engineering, agriculture, architecture, law, medicine, veterinary medicine, phramacology, and all others. Also, non-academic policy essays dealing with rural issues—both historical and current—are very welcome. For information on whether your work "fits" with the mission of the Journal, please contact Dr. Thomas Gould, email@example.com or call him at 785-410.5146.
Publication Frequency
OJRRP publishes on an "as ready" schedule, rather than the print tradition of "issues."
Open Access Policy
OJRRP provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of information that leads to knowledge and progress.
This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration. More…
CLOCKSS system has permission to ingest, preserve, and serve this Archival Unit.
Editorial Board
Joe Aistrup, Professor and Interim dean of Arts and Sciences, Department of Political Science, Kansas State University.
David E. Anderson, Professor, Department of Clinical Sciences, Kansas State University.
Carmen Bain, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Iowa State University.
Jaishree Beedasy, Ph.D., Institute of Rural Health, Idaho State University.
Benjamin C. Bolender, Research Assistant and Ph.D. Student, Department of Sociology, Kansas State University.
Ronald S. Brakke, President and CEO, Brakke Consulting.
Jim Coffman, College of Veterinary Medicine, and past Provost, Kansas State University.
John Cyr, Executive Director of North Central Regional Planning Commission, Beloit, Kansas.
Leslie A. Duram, Professor and Chair, Department of Geography and Environmental Resources, Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Joy Esquierdo, Assistant Professor, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, University of Texas – Pan American.
Cornelia Flora, Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Director of the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, Iowa State University.
Jan Flora, Professor of Sociology and an Extension to Communities specialist, Iowa State University.
William Forbes, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Steven F. Austin State University.
Lori Goetsch, Dean of Libraries, Kansas State University.
Carol Gould, Executive Director, GP Interactive Distance Education Alliance.
Dawn Guernsey, Professor and Chair, Department of Art, University of Kansas.
James A. Guikema, Associate Vice Provost for Research, Associate Dean of the Graduate School, Kansas State University.
Chuck Hassebrook, Executive Director, Center for Rural Affairs.
Barbara Havlicek, Director, Center for Extended Services and Studies; Assistant Director, Center for Rural Education and Small Schools, Kansas State University.
Richard Hayter, Professor and Associate Dean for External Affairs, College of Engineering, Kansas State University.
Rick Herzog, Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Stephen F. Austin State University.
Mark Lapping, Distinguished Professor, Department of Public Policy and Management, University of Southern Maine.
Robert L. Larson, Professor, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University.
Ken Laundra, Environmental Sociologist, Online Educator.
Vicki Luther, Co-Director, Heartland Center for Leadership Development, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Sue Maes, Interim Dean, Division of Continuing Education, Kansas State University; Director of the Institute for Academic Alliances.
Kurt Mantonya, Senior Associate, Heartland Center for Leadership Development, Lincoln, Nebraska.
April C. Mason, Provost and Senior Vice President, Kansas State University.
Pam McMichael, Director of the Highlander Research and Education Center, New Market, Tenn.
Gerad Middendorf, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, Kansas State University.
Robert C. Newhouse, Director, Center for Rural Education and Small Schools, Kansas State University.
Charlotte Shoup Olsen, Professor and Extension Specialist, School of Family Studies and Human Research, Kansas State University.
Deborah E. Popper, Professor, Political Science, Economics and Philosophy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York.
Frank J. Popper, Professor, Planning and Public Policy Program, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University.
David E. Procter, Associate Professor, Speech Communication, Theater and Dance; Director of the Center for Engagement and Community Development, Kansas State University.
Ralph C. Richardson, Dean and Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University.
Stephanie A. Rolley, Jarvis Chair and Professor of Landscape Architecture and Regional and Community Planning, Kansas State University.
Kirk Schulz, University President, Kansas State University.
Bradley Shaw, Associate Professor, Department of Modern Languages, Director, International and Area Studies, College of A&S, Chair of the American Translators Association.
Todd Simon, Professor and Public Relations Sequence Head, A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Kansas State University.
Guido Stempel, Professor Emeritus, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University.
Donald D. Stull, Professor of Anthropology & Past President, Society for Applied Anthropology, University of Kansas.
Milan Wall, Co-Director, Heartland Center for Leadership Development, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Brad J. White, Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University.
Warren White, Professor, Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs, Kansas State University.
Jeff Zacharakis, Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership, Kansas State University.
Brett Zollinger, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Social Work and Director of the Docking Institute of Public Affairs, Fort Hays State University.
Editorial Mission
The Journal publishes peer-reviewed academic and community-based research, commentary and policy articles that address issues related to the Great Plains. We also publish invited articles from leading researchers. Research in a broad range of areas-art to zoology, engineering to modern languages, community development to geography-are appropriate. The only criteria we require is that the information offered is related to the Great Plains. This region-undergoing major change and the accompanying stress on its social and economic infrastructure-needs new ideas that can flow from research and discussion. OJRRP offers a unique subject-driven platform for this research, while generating conversations through its book reviews and blogs.


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Episode 11 of The Eurogamer TV Show is now ready for viewing. The show includes games such as Halo 3, World in Conflict, and Forza 2.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It's part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today's pop culture.


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Sweet Spot: Dunedin's Fried Dough
A gourmet take on the indulgent carnival snack
By Archana Ram
Photo by Justin McChesney-Wachs
The San Diego County Fair may not be back till June, but you can still get a taste of carnival fare at Dunedin New Zealand Eats, where chef Ivan Laguna serves up their Fried Dough starter during brunch. It's bite-size pieces of house-made funnel cake paired with Vermont maple syrup and a strawberry sauce that's made fresh daily. "This dish plays off the ubiquitous fresh donuts found on many brunch menus," Laguna says. "We wanted a fun starter that wasn't too sweet or too heavy that people could easily share and that would still put a smile on their faces."
Park 3501 30th Street, North Park


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Single Cylinder, 4 stroke, Twinspark, 346cc engine, 5 speed constant mesh gearbox, 20 litre fuel tank capacity, Curb weight 192kg, Maximum Power19.8 bhp @ 5250 rpm, Maximum Torque 28 Nm @ 4000 rpm
*Finance from BMW Financial Services (a division of BMW Australia Finance Ltd, Australian credit licence 392387) on a consumer loan at 7.29% pa. On a ride away price of $6,790.00 and no optional extras with 60 monthly repayments of $147.56 and a final payment of $147.56. Total amount payable is $8,853.60. No other offers apply. Fleet, government & rental buyers excluded. Fees, charges, terms, conditions & approval criteria apply. Offer applies at Brisans Motorcycles while stocks last on new motorcycles. Offer valid as of 06/12/2019. ^Comparison rate based on monthly repayments for a 5 year secured consumer loan of $30,000. WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the example given & may not include all fees & charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Enquire now with one of our business managers for further details on 02 4940 8777.


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Senior adviser Ed Stefanski speaks for the first time since acquiring Svi Mykhailiuk and Thon Maker before the trade deadline. Rod Beard, The Detroit News
Auburn Hills — The Detroit Pistons are set to make another roster addition, even after the trade deadline.
They are close to an agreement with wing Wayne Ellington, a league source told The Detroit News on Friday.
The source requested anonymity because the deal had not been finalized.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski was first to report that the Pistons and Ellington were close to an agreement.
"Ellington is one of the top available players in the post-trade deadline buyout market, and Detroit will score a significant recruiting victory in signing him," Wojnarowski wrote on Twitter.
Ellington, 31, is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard who was traded from the Miami Heat to the Phoenix Suns this week and then waived by the Suns. Once Ellington clears waivers this weekend, he'll become a free agent and can sign with any team.
After the Pistons dealt two of the wings in their rotation, Reggie Bullock and Stanley Johnson, this week, they have plenty of minutes for Ellington, who will share time with Luke Kennard as the primary scorers.
Ellington posted 8.4 points and shot 37 percent on 3-pointers in 25 games with the Heat this season.
Ellington was selected in the first round, No. 28 overall, in 2009 out of North Carolina.
Twitter: @detnewsRodBeard


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AC PHOTO AND VIDEO uses Sony camera's and Adobe Software
The Studio is a multi-tasking two car garage that was and still is a Audio Recording Studio that started in 1987. In the early 90's I started experimenting with Computer based DAW's Digital Audio Workstation and also tried to get a job at Skywalker Ranch since I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. Studying Audio for Video. But then Video Taping so many events and learning to edit with a program called Pinnacle Studio led the way to full on High Power Editing and filming. The Live room became the perfect room for filming and portraiture... We use Sony Camera's but at client's request we have used other camera's as demonstrated in the pictures below.


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- LAW1. H.R.3979 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 Sponsor: Rep. Barletta, Lou [R-PA-11] (Introduced 01/31/2014) Cosponsors: (106) Committees: House - Ways and Means Committee Reports: H. Rept. 113-360 Latest Action: 12/19/2014 Became Public Law No: 113-291. (TXT | PDF) (All Actions) Notes: See the committee print, containing the legislative text and joint explanatory statement, accompanying the enrolled version of H.R.3979. Tracker:
This bill has the status Became Law
Here are the steps for Status of Legislation:
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- Resolving Differences
- To President
- Became Law


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About Us
About CollisionSite.com®
CollisionSite.com® was founded in 2004 by a team of business professionals with decades of experience in the fields of website design, programming, and the collision industry. CollisionSite began as an idea to give Collision Centers dynamic affordable website systems with functionality for customers and insurance agents. As our client base increased and our clients requested more functionality, CollisionSite has evolved into a much more robust system that offers production, parts, customer, staff and vendor management that can be accessed at any time from anywhere in the world.
With the help of our collision center managers, production managers, estimators and insurance agents, we have developed an extremely powerful management system that is easy to understand and use that provides functionality that is unequalled in the collision industry world.


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Job Description Assistant to Personal Shopper - NM Non Commission-(1903952)
For over a century, Neiman Marcus Group has served the unique needs of our discerning customers by staying true to the principles of our founders:to be the premier omni-channel retailer of luxury and fashion merchandise dedicated to providing superior service and a distinctive shopping experience in our stores and on our websites. Neiman Marcus Group is comprised of the Specialty Retail Stores division, which includes Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, and our international brand, mytheresa.com.Our portfolio of brands offers the finest luxury and fashion apparel, accessories, jewelry, beauty, and home dcor. The Company operates more than 40 Neiman Marcus full-line stores in the most affluent markets across the United States, including U.S. gateway cities that draw an international clientele.In addition, we operate 2 Bergdorf Goodman stores in landmark locations on Fifth Avenue in New York City. We also operate more than 40 Last Call by Neiman Marcus off-price stores that cater to a value oriented, yet fashion minded customer.Our upscale eCommerce and direct-to-consumer division includes NeimanMarcus.com, BergdorfGoodman.com Horchow.com, LastCall.com, and CUSP.com. Every day each of our 15,000 NMG associates works towards the goal of enabling our customer to shop any of our brands "anytime, anywhere, and on any device." Whether the merchandise we sell, the customer service we offer, or our investments in technology, everything we do is to enhance the customer experience across all channels and brands.
Job Summary
To assist in the selling, clientele, and operational functionsvital to a Personal Shopper
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Create a stunning and memorable party backdrop with our candy house background. It makes a great scene to greet guests as they enter your party, or you could use it for a sweet photo backdrop. If you prefer to do your own thing, consider buying gossamer in various pastel shades and swag it along tables, chairs, and ceilings.
Candy party backgrounds create the setting for other fabulous candy party decorations at your candy party or prom. Looking for candy banners? Props? Standees? Balloons? We've got 'em.
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|By Jeremy Geelan
Article Rating:
|September 22, 2010 11:00 AM EDT
"Larry Ellison is borderline bat-shit crazy on a good day," the analyst Rob Enderle is quoted as saying in a piece last week by Sam Gustin - a senior writer at DailyFinance, an AOL Finance & Money site.
Enderle was prompted to utter this remark by speculation that perhaps the Oracle CEO is about to embark upon the acquisition of his life: of HP.
"I think his bet is that he can damage HP enough that it drops in value and he can wander in with an offer," Enderle is quoted as having added.
So is it possible that Ellison the Conqueror, CEO of Oracle Corporation since he founded the company in 1977, truly has the $90BN HP in the crosshairs of his acquisition rifle-sight? Can a $120BN company somehow buy and absorb a $90BN one?
Well certainly he now has on board the exact right man to tackle the integration of such a purchase: none other than HP's own former CEO, Mark Hurd. And, as Gustin expresses it:
'Ellison is a man with ambitions as big as his MIG-29 fighter jet is fast, and he's got a history of stating that the info-tech industry will further consolidate in the same way the auto industry consolidated into the Big Three in the U.S.'
"When your end goal is global dominance, difficulty is a mere distraction," Gustin notes.
Enderle was quick to highlight a revenge-is-sweet angle to, to the possible scenario.
"[W]hat could be sweeter revenge for Hurd than winding up running HP again - as a part of Oracle?"
Credit for first raising the possibility of an Oracle-HP bid goes not to Enderle or Gustin, btw, but to former FT journalist Tom Forenski, who was already writing speculatively about such a scenario back in mid-August - that's to say, before Mark Hurd had even been made Co-President of Oracle.
With cloud computing now driving a sea-change in how enterprise IT datacenters are put together, one thing is certain: more consolidation is right around the corner.
Only time will tell if an Oracle bid for HP will be next. This one, as they say, will run and run.
Read the original blog entry...
Moroccanoil®, the global leader in oil-infused beauty, is thrilled to announce the NEW Moroccanoil Color Depositing Masks, a collection of dual-benefit hair masks that deposit pure pigments while providing the treatment benefits of a deep conditioning mask. The collection consists of seven curated shades for commitment-free, beautifully-colored hair that looks and feels healthy.
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The textured-hair category is inarguably the hottest in the haircare space today. This has been driven by the proliferation of founder brands started by curly and coily consumers and savvy consumers who increasingly want products specifically for their texture type. This trend is underscored by the latest insights from NaturallyCurly's 2018 TextureTrends report, released today. According to the 2018 TextureTrends Report, more than 80 percent of women with curly and coily hair say they purcha...
Sep. 5, 2019 07:00 PM EDT
The textured-hair category is inarguably the hottest in the haircare space today. This has been driven by the proliferation of founder brands started by curly and coily consumers and savvy consumers who increasingly want products specifically for their texture type. This trend is underscored by the latest insights from NaturallyCurly's 2018 TextureTrends report, released today. According to the 2018 TextureTrends Report, more than 80 percent of women with curly and coily hair say they purcha...
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We all love the many benefits of natural plant oils, used as a deap treatment before shampooing, at home or at the beach, but is there an all-in-one solution for everyday intensive nutrition and modern styling?I am passionate about the benefits of natural extracts with tried-and-tested results, which I have used to develop my own brand (lemon for its acid ph, wheat germ for its fortifying action…). I wanted a product which combined caring and styling effects, and which could be used after shampo...
Sep. 4, 2019 11:00 PM EDT Reads: 313
The platform combines the strengths of Singtel's extensive, intelligent network capabilities with Microsoft's cloud expertise to create a unique solution that sets new standards for IoT applications," said Mr Diomedes Kastanis, Head of IoT at Singtel. "Our solution provides speed, transparency and flexibility, paving the way for a more pervasive use of IoT to accelerate enterprises' digitalisation efforts. AI-powered intelligent connectivity over Microsoft Azure will be the fastest connected pat...
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There are many examples of disruption in consumer space – Uber disrupting the cab industry, Airbnb disrupting the hospitality industry and so on; but have you wondered who is disrupting support and operations? AISERA helps make businesses and customers successful by offering consumer-like user experience for support and operations. We have built the world's first AI-driven IT / HR / Cloud / Customer Support and Operations solution.
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Codete accelerates their clients growth through technological expertise and experience. Codite team works with organizations to meet the challenges that digitalization presents. Their clients include digital start-ups as well as established enterprises in the IT industry. To stay competitive in a highly innovative IT industry, strong R&D departments and bold spin-off initiatives is a must. Codete Data Science and Software Architects teams help corporate clients to stay up to date with the mod...
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At CloudEXPO Silicon Valley, June 24-26, 2019, Digital Transformation (DX) is a major focus with expanded DevOpsSUMMIT and FinTechEXPO programs within the DXWorldEXPO agenda. Successful transformation requires a laser focus on being data-driven and on using all the tools available that enable transformation if they plan to survive over the long term. A total of 88% of Fortune 500 companies from a generation ago are now out of business. Only 12% still survive. Similar percentages are found throug...
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Druva is the global leader in Cloud Data Protection and Management, delivering the industry's first data management-as-a-service solution that aggregates data from endpoints, servers and cloud applications and leverages the public cloud to offer a single pane of glass to enable data protection, governance and intelligence-dramatically increasing the availability and visibility of business critical information, while reducing the risk, cost and complexity of managing and protecting it. Druva's...
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BMC has unmatched experience in IT management, supporting 92 of the Forbes Global 100, and earning recognition as an ITSM Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader for five years running. Our solutions offer speed, agility, and efficiency to tackle business challenges in the areas of service management, automation, operations, and the mainframe.
Jun. 15, 2019 01:00 PM EDT


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With over twenty years experience in Agricultural Contracting Sussex Land Works provides ditching, hedge cutting, land clearance, spraying, fertilising and grounds maintenance services across the Midhurst and Chichester area.
Ditching – Our ditching team can help ensure yields are higher because drainage provides good agronomic conditions, mellower soil, deeper plant root zone, less compaction, more timely planting to maximise the growing season, earlier harvest, less surface soil erosion and less runoff of nutrients such as phosphorous.
Hedging – regular pruning and maintenance of agricultural hedges.
Farm Building Maintenance – Sussex Land Works can repair and maintain agricultural/ farm buildings ensuring that those buildings work harder for your business.
Estate Maintenance – If you own or manage a small or large farm, estate or large grounds and wish to have the property/grounds transformed then we can offer a complete package of improvements tailored to your requirements. We can provide a one off project solution or we can assist you with your on-going maintenance. These services could include tree felling, stock and amenity fencing, road and track construction, farmyard clearance, field maintenance and many more services.
Bespoke Specialist services – Speak to us about your specific requirements so that we can tailor our services to your agricultural business.
Agricultural Contracting Please contact us for further information about our range of services including land clearance, ditching , hedging, seed application, spraying, fertilising etc.
We have a range of clients across the South East of England (across the South Downs, Midhurst, Petersfield, Arundel, Horsham, Portsmouth, Horsham, Alton, Pagham, Selsey areas etc.). Whatever your requirements relating to landscaping or land use, please give us the opportunity to discuss how we can help on T: 01730 814751.


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Sunday, February 10, 2013
How to be prepared...my way
Part of any snow storm is the getting prepared part. There are things you need to do. The problem is that more and more these storms are hyped and overproduced. Now they even name them, like Hurricanes! (This one was called NEMO, after the Captain not the Fish -- I think) I've been fooled many times by the storm that's suppose to dump 20 inches and only leaves 2! It's like the boy who calls wolf, over and over and on every channel at 4, 6 and 11. Its hard for me to commit.
But with this storm, the media was SO persistant that this was going to be EPIC (yes one announcer said EPIC three times during his segment) I decided to believe. So once you committ, there are some things you need to do.
My number one concern is always food. Because food...you should know....is important to me. You should have plenty of food. Stuff that will be easy to cook if you lose power and if possible stuff that can hold warm a long time like chili in a crock pot or beef stew. This also means lots of snacky food, fruit and vegetables, and dips. You want to have plenty of eggs and milk too. Although I'm not sure why. I get the eggs part, but why the milk? I don't suddenly want milk during a snowstorm. But eggs can be breakfast, lunch or dinner, and you can go through a dozen fast. (especially with teens in the morning for breakfast)
What else. You need to have a gas tank filled in your garage for the snowblower. You also need to make sure you can START the snowblower. And that there is a clear path for the snowblower to get out of the garage.
You should make sure you have laundry soap. Because you'll be stuck inside and you may as well wash all the sheets and dirty clothes.
Make sure your oil tank is filled. (that's how my house gets heated)
Oh firewood. You want to make sure you have a lot of firewood. I had a cord delivered about a month ago so I am totally set there.
You need at least one flashlight that has good batteries. Make sure it works.
I like to have a good cache of red and white wine. And some whiskey and beer. I bought some Bullet Rye and some extra vermouth, for in case I wanted to make some Manhattans.
Oh and plenty of reading magazines, I like foodie ones. And a book to read. (Remember if you lose power you also lose TV)
And there are some steps above that I skipped. You'll manage.
Nobody's perfect.
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Today was the day that we were to go to St. Andrews. This was probably the single most talked about destination of my trip between me and my friends back home, and everyone wanted me to take some pictures while I was there.
Waking up Sunday morning was NOT FUN. If you recall my story from Day 8, I didn't get home until very late at night; 5:30 AM to be exact. I woke up at 7:30 AM Sunday, and felt like a million bucks! No, I didn't feel like a million dollars, but rather like I was attacked by a million male deer. (As you can tell, I was so hungover/still drunk from the night before that I'm at a loss of wit, and I'm reduced to telling jokes that are not funny.)
Sunday's in Edinburgh have strange bus schedules, so we needed to do some major planning in order to make sure we got to the tour bus on time. Busses only come once an hour on Sundays, so if we missed the bus, we were screwed! Luckily, we scouted the bus times BEFORE our night of drinking, so we knew we had to be ready to go by 8:32. I somehow managed to shower and eat, and we made it to the bus with plenty of time. As a result, we got to the city center with time to spare.
We checked in at the tour company, boarded our bus, and we were off to St. Andrews. Since this was a full day tour, and our destination was only an hour and a half away, the tour company ended up taking us on a roundabout route to St. Andrews that went through several small towns located along the North Sea.
This was pretty cool, and allowed us to see some views of Scotland that we would never have seen otherwise. It's great to see specific tourist destinations; it makes travel easy when you have a specific goal in place. However, sometimes it's the things you see when you're not at the touristy destinations that really make you appreciate your vacation.
The actual name of the town we stopped in was an old fishing port named Anstruther, and is a self described "undiscovered" part of Scotland. Well, I guess it can't be completely undiscovered if two tour busses a week go through the town, but it's relatively undiscovered compared to the larger attractions in the country. I'm glad that it's undiscovered, because it was absolutely beautiful, and there was hardly a soul around town.
Becky and I admired the harbor the most and we got some good shots of the boats that were docked in, well, mud. I'm not sure why, but every boat was completely out of water, and they were sitting on a bed of mud! I'm guessing that it must have been low-tide, but I'm not really positive on that. I found it strange that there would be no water in the harbor at 10:30 AM, because that seems like prime boating time! However, since I'm not sure how things work in Scotland, I'll just assume that they had things under control, and I need not worry. Especially since the town dates back hundreds of years. I doubt that they would want to hear a dumb Yankee like me asking why there is no water in the harbor!
On the other side of the harbor there was a lighthouse. It's always cool to see lighthouses, because they usually have such historical significance (and they are also really old, and old stuff is cool!). We walked down and snapped a photo, and on our way we noticed a man pulling up a crab trap. In it were two crabs! It was awesome to see real live crabs walking right next to the lighthouse! That's not an everyday sight.
I particularly liked this town, because it reminded me a lot of the harbor towns on the east coast of the United States. My dad and I took a trip through Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Maine when I was in high school, and we spent some time walking through small fishing villages. This village brought back many great memories of our trip, and made me think of the similarities between the Eastern US and the coast along the North Sea. I'm guessing many of these similarities occur due to the fact that the people who settled in New England are the very same people who previously fished the North Sea. They brought many of their customs and architecture with them.
After about 45 minutes, we re-boarded the bus and set off for St. Andrews. On our way, we went through a few more villages, and heard several more historical facts about the area. I'd repeat them, but I think it'd get boring after a while. Finally, we made it to St. Andrews, and we were dropped off toward the end of town. As we were dropped off, the tour guide said "here at St. Andrews, you can enjoy the cathedral, go to some shops on Market Street, and even check out the British golf museum". She didn't even mention the reason why I went there; the birthplace of golf!
Now, I must preface the St. Andrews stories by telling you that I really am not much of a golfer. In fact, I quit golf a few years back, and told my glorious quitting story on this blog over a year ago. I did, however, really want to see the old course at St. Andrews, because it's such a historical landmark for the sport! More than anything, I wanted to go to St. Andrews so that I could make my golf crazy friends jealous! Tyler, Mandy, Hucky and Charles, these photos are for you!
I took a ton of pictures of the area, because I wanted to make sure that I was able to get it all on camera, but I had two major factors working against me in these pictures. The first was that the day was overcast and windy, so the colors didn't turn out the greatest. The second is that I was extremely hungover, and I was dressed like an idiot. Yes, that's an Old Chicago T-shirt that I'm wearing!
Despite the negative aspects of the weather pattern and my poor choice in clothing, I really enjoyed seeing the course! There's just something surreal about walking on the 18th fairway of such a historic course. I felt like a shitty golfing version of Jack Nicklaus, or even an extremely shitty Tiger Woods.
If you're ever in Scotland, and you have even a remote interest in golf, St. Andrews is a must. I'd talk more about the courses and the history of the course, but that's probably something that you can read about on the Internet. In reality, I only spent about 20 minutes on the course (there were people playing on some holes, and it took about 10 minutes to get to the important landmarks and snap photos), so I don't really have much else to say.
We spent another two hours walking around St. Andrews city, got some lunch, and looked at some shops. Three hours is a lot of time to spend in the city, so we were happy when it was time to get back on the bus.
The bus ride back went directly to Edinburgh, and was relatively uneventful. We arrived back in Edinburgh around 6 PM and took it easy the rest of the night (by this time, the hangovers were mostly subsided) and took it easy the rest of the night. We had to get up early again the next day (tour started at 8:15 AM) to go to on the Highlander tour.


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Slapstick equals humility, and humility - as St. Thomas Aquinas pointed out - equals truth. St. Thomas would have cautioned that salvation remains a serious business: it's called the Fall of Man, after all, not the Wipeout of Man. But as a sideshow to the obstacle course of righteousness, we can enjoy "Wipeout."
The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man. - G.K. Chesterton
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Wiping out with St. Thomas
The Boston Sunday Globe has a good article on a TV show my family loves - "Wipeout" - and brings in none other than St. Thomas Aquinas for some perspective:
Labels: St. Thomas Aquinas
3 comments:
- blog nerd said...
That's funny--I haven't seen this show but my mother-in-law just told me about it a couple of days ago. Now I have to check it out. You know in all that free time I have. :)
- July 20, 2009 at 4:10 AM
- RAnn said...
Hi My name is RAnn and I'm the hostess for Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival. We are a group of Catholic bloggers who share our best posts with each other weekly. I'd like to invite you to join us. You can see this week's post and links at http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com/2009/07/sunday-snippets-catholic-carnival_18.html
- July 20, 2009 at 6:35 PM
- David T. said...
Sure, I'd like to try it... I'll follow the link.
- July 22, 2009 at 5:46 PM
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Hotel wedding venues in Locust Dale seamlessly combine convenience and style. Most hotel wedding venues are all-inclusive, so your planning process is sure to be stress-free and your out-of-town guests will love the option of staying on premises. Whether you're hosting a large event or an intimate affair, hotel wedding venues are the ideal location.
The Inn at Meander Plantation is the ideal location for your dream Virginia wedding. Regardless if you are planning a small intimate elopement or a destination wedding, our 80 acres in Virginia wine country, overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains is perfect setting for your special day. Our guest... (Hotel Weddings Locust Dale)
The Farm Retreat at Willow Creek is a country wedding venue located in Culpeper, Virginia. If you've dreamt of being immersed in the natural beauty of the countryside for your wedding day, look no further. This venue sits on 100 acres nestled next to a small mountain where wildflowers, dense forests... (Barn & Farm Weddings Culpeper)
Walden Hall, a wedding venue located in Reva, Virginia, offers a literary-inspired space for couples to exchange their vows. Named after Henry David Thoreau's famous Walden, this farmland property allows couples and their guests to slip away to the serene Virginia countryside. Here at this farm,... (Barn & Farm Weddings Reva)
The Country Club of Culpeper is a golf club in the greater Washington, D.C. area. This vintage-style club offers antique furniture and decor and a banquet hall space for couples. This venue can be found in Northern Virginia, approximately 90 minutes from downtown Washington, D.C. Facilities and... (Country Club Weddings Culpeper)
A stunning wedding venue in Madison, Virginia, Early Mountain Vineyards offers couples panoramic views and luxurious amenities to celebrate their big day. A destination wedding venue for almost a decade, the venue creates memories for those in the Charlottesville, Washington D.C., Richmond areas and... (Winery Weddings 0)
The Barns of Madison County is a charming barn wedding venue located in Etlan, Virginia. This property encompasses over 300 acres and offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and two spacious event barns, originally built in the 1800s. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge... (Barn & Farm Weddings 0)
Couples and guests alike can enjoy a wedding celebration at Fawn Lake Country Club, in the heart of historic Fredericksburg Virginia. Featuring well-manicured greens, a sparkling lake and a charming clubhouse, our venue is the perfect choice for an outdoorsy and romantic wedding venue. You will find... (Country Club Weddings Spotsylvania)
Morais Vineyards & Winery is an elegant wedding venue located just outside of Washington, D.C in Bealeton, Virginia. This romantic vineyard venue features a variety of indoor and outdoor wedding locations that will have your guests swooning. The large ballroom is the perfect place for grandiose... (Winery Weddings Bealeton)
Weddings should last for days, not hours. Shenandoah Woods specializes in weddings where all of your guests will enjoy the entire weekend together. Located in a private valley in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah Woods is a spectacular setting for your wedding. Our Pavilion is on... (Barn & Farm Weddings Luray)
A mansion wedding venue in Bealeton, Virginia, Great Marsh Estate is open for ceremonies, receptions, elopements, and rehearsal dinners. Guests will enter the estate through a beautiful, tree-lined driveway, driving onto 121 acres of lawn and woodland just an hour outside Washington, DC. The... (Mansion Weddings Bealeton)
Stover Hall is a spacious and stunning wedding venue located in Luray, Virginia. Whether you want an outdoor ceremony with the mountains as your backdrop or an elegant indoor reception in their huge barn complete with chandeliers and drapery, this venue and their attentive staff will make your dream... (Barn & Farm Weddings Luray)
Eden Try Estate Vineyard and Winery is a winery & barn wedding venue in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Nestled just 4 miles from historic downtown Fredericksburg this venue combines the best of rustic and vintage elements for a perfect day! Our signature red barn was built for entertaining & is... (Winery Weddings Fredericksburg)
Stevenson Ridge is a historic wedding venue located in Spotsylvania, Virginia. Situated on 87 acres of stunning property, Stevenson Ridge is located just an hour outside of The District. A combination of pastures and woodlands, this unique property is a serene escape with a rustic feel. The on-site... (Historic Weddings Spotsylvania)
Black Horse Inn is a mansion wedding venue located in Warrenton, Virginia. Featuring sophisticated spaces inside as well as exquisite outdoor facilities, this venue truly boasts the best of both worlds. Whether couples are planning an intimate soiree or a grand spectacle, it offers somewhere more... (Mansion Weddings Warrenton)
Marriott Ranch is a rustic-chic wedding venue located in Hume, Virginia. Nestled in a beautiful, relaxed landscape and filled with rustic charm, this venue is dedicated to providing an elegant, stress-free wedding experience for every couple. They are located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge... (Barn & Farm Weddings Hume)
Knot-tying trends come and go. But there's one Northern Virginia wedding venue with a timeless style as enduring as your love for each other—that's Airlie. Just 50 miles outside D.C., Airlie transports you to a world filled with rich history, heartwarming Virginian hospitality and an unspoiled... (Historic Weddings Warrenton)
Geri Melchers Home & Studio is a museum in the greater Washington, D.C. area where couples can celebrate their wedding. This classic and historic setting offers 27 acres of land and a charming garden terrace for couples on their big day. Views of the Rappahannock River and even a barn make this... (Historic Weddings Fredericksburg)
The Inn At The Old Silk Mill is a historic inn and wedding venue in the Washington, D.C. area. This venue, with a ballroom, mixes city vibes with vintage touches to create the perfect hidden gem for a couple's big day. It can be found in Fredericksburg, Virginia, approximately one hour from downtown... (Historic Weddings Fredericksburg)
The Inn at Vint Hill is a mansion wedding venue in the Washington, D.C. area for couples seeking a historic venue for their wedding day. This vintage and elegant house of red brick is built with black shutters, white trim and sits on an expansive and well-kept lawn. This venue, located in Warrenton,... (Mansion Weddings Warrenton)
Effingham Manor is a Nokesville, Virginia-based historic venue with a unique story and stunning beauty. Nestled amid the countryside of Virginia's Prince William County, this once 42-square mile estate includes a 250-year old manor house, multi-tiered English garden, blacksmith shop, historic slaves... (Winery Weddings Nokesville)
Stonewall Golf Club is a versatile wedding venue located in Gainesville, Virginia. This country club-style wedding venue offers elegance and class in each of its indoor and outdoor spaces. You will be able to host your guests inside the venue's sophisticated ballroom overlooking the green or say... (Country Club Weddings Gainesville)
Based in Delaplane, Virginia, Blue Valley Vineyard and Winery is a rustic winery wedding venue that serves couples throughout the greater Washington, D.C. region. The beautiful property is set against a backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains and stunning vineyards. Thanks to the country yet modern... (Winery Weddings Delaplane)
Bristow Manor Golf Club is a wedding venue situated in Bristow, Virginia. This historic mansion and grounds offer picturesque surroundings for couples looking to celebrate in elegant luxury. Residing in the heart of nature, it combines both lush greenery and stunning views with Southern charm and... (Mansion Weddings Bristow)
Elegance Estates is a mansion wedding venue located in Stafford, Virginia. This wedding venue offers a warm and intimate setting for you to celebrate your special day with friends and family. When you choose to host your wedding at Elegance Estates, you will have an exclusive experience on these... (Mansion Weddings Stafford)
The Dominion Valley Country Club is a golf club in the greater Washington, D.C. area where couples can host a classic wedding. This venue offers an elegantly traditional ballroom space with bright windows and regal columns. Couples can find this country club in Northern Virginia, approximately 30... (Country Club Weddings Haymarket)
Gala Cuisine at Foxchase Manor is a banquet hall wedding venue within a historic mansion in the Washington, D.C. area. Couples can host their wedding or other event in this classic and elegant venue with impressive columns, an outdoor patio and luxurious ballrooms. The venue, located in Northern... (Mansion Weddings Manassas)


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Chris Connor, the great jazz singer whose lush, foggy voice and compressed emotional intensity distilled a 1950s jazz reverie of faraway longing in a sad cafe, died on Saturday in Toms River, N.J. She was 81 and lived in Toms River.
The cause was cancer, her publicist, Alan Eichler, said.
A singer who used little vibrato and was admired for her inventive rhythmic alterations of ballads, Ms. Connor belonged to the cool school of jazz singers that included Anita O'Day, June Christy, Chet Baker and Julie London.
In her finest records, she conveyed the sound of a singer rapt in a romantic spell. Both O'Day and Christy, whom she emulated, preceded her as vocalists with the Stan Kenton band, which she joined briefly in 1953, replacing Kay Brown. Ms. Connor had earlier sung with the Claude Thornhill band.
During her solo recording career, which began in 1953, Ms. Connor had only two charted hits: "I Miss You So" (1956) and "Trust In Me" (1957), both for Atlantic Records. But for jazz vocal aficionados, her signature song, "All About Ronnie," Joe Greene's smoldering ballad of romantic obsession, is a pop-jazz milestone of dreamy cool. Originally recorded with Kenton, she re-recorded it on Bethlehem Records after she went solo.
Today, many of Ms. Connor's 1950s and '60s albums are regarded as pop-jazz classics. Among the strongest are three from 1956, "Chris Connor," "I Miss You So" and "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not," as well as "Chris Connor Sings the George Gershwin Almanac of Song" (1957) and "A Portrait of Chris" (1960).
She recorded two highly regarded albums, one for the Atlantic, the other for ABC Paramount, with the Maynard Ferguson big band.Continue reading the main story
Especially during the Atlantic years, Ms. Connor worked with the best arrangers, including Ralph Burns and Jimmy Jones, and jazz players like John Lewis, Oscar Pettiford, Phil Woods, Kenny Burrell, Milt Hinton, Clark Terry and Oliver Nelson. Other songs with which she is associated include "Lush Life," "Good Morning Heartache," "Something to Live For," "High on a Windy Hill," "Round About," Lullaby of Birdland," "Witchcraft," "Glad to Be Unhappy" and "Get Out of Town."
Born Mary Loutsenhizer in Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 8, 1927, Ms. Connor studied clarinet for eight years as a child before becoming a singer in her late teens. She decided to pursue a fulltime career after her public singing debut in 1945 at the Jefferson City (Mo.) Junior College graduation was warmly received.
Ms. Connor worked as a stenographer by day and sang on weekends in the Kansas City area. Then, determined to hit the big time, she moved to New York City. There she met Thornhill, who was seeking a singer to fill out his vocal group, the Snowflakes. She toured with the band on and off until late 1952.
Her dream of singing with Kenton was realized when Christy heard her on a live broadcast in early 1953 and recommended her as a replacement. Within days, Ms. Connor auditioned and began touring with the band.
The rigors of the road, however, took their toll, and she left after less than 5 months to go solo. She signed with Bethlehem Records, which simultaneously released two 10-inch LPs, "Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland and "Chris Connor Sings Lullabys for Lovers." They were hugely successful.
In 1956, she became one of the first white female jazz singers signed to Atlantic Records and recorded more than a dozen albums for the label. In 1963, however, when it came time to renew her contract, she decided instead to sign with her manager Monte Kay's small label, FM. The label declared bankruptcy the following year.
That unfortunate decision coincided with the rock 'n' roll insurgence, which swept aside singers like Ms. Connor, and her career never fully recovered. She endured what she later described as a bad period that lasted until the early '70s.
Her setbacks were compounded by a worsening drinking problem, which she eventually overcame. Her 1980s comeback revealed a voice that was physically stronger than ever, but its emotional elixir was diluted. She continued to perform and to record for small labels. Her last three records, "Haunted Heart," "I Walk With Music," and "Everything I Love," were released on Highnote Records, the final album in 2003.
Ms. Connor is survived by her longtime partner and manager, Lori Muscarelle.
An obituary last Tuesday about the jazz vocalist Chris Connor included several errors. She joined the Stan Kenton Band in 1953, as the obituary indicated at one point, not 1952, and she spent less than 5 months singing with the band, not 10 months. The singer whom Ms. Connor replaced in the Kenton band was Kay Brown, not June Christy. And Ms. Christy was not "planning to leave Kenton" when she recommended that he hire Ms. Connor in 1953; she had already left the band, in late 1951.


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All the cars we consider for a HOT ROD Rod Test must do more than appeal to our twisted sense of right and wrong. The big focus is on streetability in an extraordinary setting. Or something that's never been done before; originality rates high. And when a guy who's run over 300 mph in a doorslammer builds a down-and-dirty street piece, we tend to hop all over it.
Jerry Kugel and sons Joe and Jeff, all of Kugel Komponents, turn out some of the most beautiful street rods and associated parts you've ever laid eyes on. In 1999, the Bonneville vets drove the Kugel-LeFevre turbocharged small-block Firebird (originally built and raced by Dave MacDonald) at the Salt, decisively setting a speed goal (307.468 one way, 300.788 two-way average) that had been sought by the best in the business.
Eighteen months ago, Kugel didn't know what a Ford Focus was. His kids had to clue him in. Koogs: "This project came about when some Ford engineers came into the shop unannounced and asked if we would be interested in installing a GT-40 302 crate motor, a T5, and an 8.8 Mustang rearend in a front-drive Focus. And it had to be strictly a bolt-in deal. My first thought was holy s-t!, who are these guys? To say the least it has been a fun and brain-busting experience, but the results are better than I expected." Yes, they are, folks. And you can buy all the stuff you need for the conversion direct from Kugel Komponents.
We like the fit and the feel of the stock Focus. It's a well-built vehicle with decent finish inside and out. Since it was developed in Europe, it carries that ambience, from steering feedback to engine gutsiness to chassis dynamics and overall snug build quality. Kugel's rendition is totally factory inside save for two exceptions: The shifter pokes out of the floor in the same place but it's noticeably longer, and since Kugel didn't want to spend the time integrating the original instrument panel with the crate engine, he built an aluminum face and inset it with quite legible Classic analog meters (tachometer, speedometer, and engine functions) as well as small green turn indicator lights.
We marauded Interstate 5 a couple of hours at a time and found the whole package to be quite amiable over the road. Though the clutch pedal releases quite near the floor, clutch action is smooth and direct. The brake and throttle, however, are close enough to allow silky, unhindered, heel-and-toe downshifting, even for the unpracticed foot. The shifter throws are longer than stock, but this imparts the leverage you need to pull off a fast one. The seats are supportive and more than comfortable on the long haul, and because the Focus' greenhouse is substantial, outward vision is very good. Kugel retained the factory perks and all the original controls, so the ergonomics are unchanged. And to Kugel's credit, nary a squeak or a graunch escaped from the interior no matter how disparate the road surface.
Ride & Handling
Though Kugel's job increases the curb weight of the Focus coupe by 200 pounds (to 2,900), it distributes the mass more evenly over the wheelbase of the car rather than maintain the 60/40 bias of the front-wheel-drive version. The Focus body shell is quite rigid, and Kugel's engine cradle acts as a further stiffening agent. This innate integrity combines with the strength of the transmission crossmember and the subframe for the rear axlehousing to virtually negate the need for a rollcage.
This substantial platform is great potential for a car that will handle capably and safely no matter what the situation. Jerry reworked the spindle and hub to accept the Mustang rack steering, added a 31/44-inch-diameter Sway-A-Way antisway bar. He swapped in K&W struts, stiffer springs, and more damping rebound to help contain the increased weight over the front axle, and overall, the Focus felt surprisingly nimble and very controllable.
Kugel the racer hung that 8.8-inch Mustang rear in the back like it will never come out. He posed QA1 coilovers with Eibach springs, adjustable top links with Heim joints on the forward ends, and aluminum bushings in the housing itself, and located the assembly with solid-mount tubular traction bars as the bottom links. It's pure race stuff, but mostly the Focus structure rolls along quietly and with utter composure. You wouldn't be embarrassed to take your mom for a ride in it.
By retaining the stock wheel offset as well as the front and rear track dimensions, and employing minimal section-width tires, the Focus turning radius is only 34 feet, and the power-assisted steering (perhaps a tad too much) makes whipping the car around a breeze. On the highway, it seems to tighten up a bit, though, and tracks true even in the face of major pavement upheaval. Those rubber-band Toyos don't do much for ride quality, either running smooth or like they had flat spots, solely as a function of the road surface.
You hit the brakes, point the wheels into a 90-degree bend, hammer the throttle on exit, and the car shoots straight ahead, albeit with minimal wheelhop. Despite the stock 10.2-inch-diameter discs, the Focus crams down very well, at least the first time. Those 10-inch Mustang discs out back help some, but some 12-inchers up front would be the hot ticket for fade-free halts in 120 feet or less.
Anybody give a hoot about mileage? The filler neck on Kugel's fabricated tank had to be fed very slowly or else it would burp back and shut the pump off. By carefully introducing 15 or so gallons and then recording what we had used, the figure comes to 15 or 16 mpg. That's with a real heavy foot and speeds beyond 70 mph on the freeway.
At first thought, the Focus must be a rocket, right? Well, in relative terms it is. It has a stiffer axle ratio and puts as much poop to the tarmac as the 4.6L V-8 in the GT has at the flywheel, but it weighs almost as much as the Mustang GT coupe. The GT-40 crate engine 302 is rated at 320 hp and the E-303 cam comes on strong after 2,500 rpm and marches all the way to 6,500. Mash the loud pedal and the car scoots away with a turn or two of the wheels and lets out a healthy squeal in Second and Third.
The car is tricky to get out of the hole. Too much pedal and the tires spin (a lot), but if you slip the clutch a little, you get to leave cleanly. The shifter is neither precise nor quick, the body rocks back and forth on the suspension too much at each powershift, and the engine is as-is from the crate. With optimum surface and firmer valving the rear shocks, this car would be solidly in the mid-13s. My best (aggregate) was a 13.97 at 104.8.
The 302 lays in that engine bay and looks up at you like it was born there. And though the T5 shifted well enough, it was a noisy bugger. The engine pumped through Doug's shorty headers that run straight back into an H-pipe just aft of the "collectors" and on to a 211/42-inch dual exhaust fitted with snarly MagnaFlow mufflers. It makes a beautiful sound just sitting on idle. Despite a distinct rasp under no load, exhaust noise over the road is minimal and pleasing. And if anything bewilders the troops, it is exactly that. They hear the V-8 rumble and they see the Focus, but are unable to synch the two … until it's way too late.
What It Is
Kugel's street racer is a real instigator, a vision that taunts the Asian legion, gives the BMW boys an aneurysm, and delights hot rodders with equanimity. The modest exterior package vibes domestic tuner with the usual skinny 17s, but then Kugel's duals are poking out the back. He calls the Poker Focus his outlaw car, but adds that it might be legal, or at least overlooked, in about 40 states. To codify the project, he's shoehorning a four-cam Cobra motor into a Focus wagon along with all the Mustang emissions equipment, catalysts, and computer-related hardware in an effort to receive certification by the State of California. It's what the core of hot rodding has always been all about-putting a bigger engine in a smaller car-21st century style. It's 289 Pinto meets 2003. What a concept.
Quick Inspection
Jerry Kugel
Whittier, CA
'01 V-8 Focus ZX3
Type: Ford, 302ci
Block: Cast-iron, Ford Racing Performance Parts 302 GT-40 assembly (long-block)
Oiling: Stock oil pump and 5-quart oil pan
Crankshaft: Nodular iron
Connecting Rods: Forged steel
Pistons: Forged, 9.0:1 compression ratio
Cylinder Heads: GT-40 aluminum, stainless steel 1.94/1.54-inch valves
Camshaft: FRPP, 0.498-inch lift, 220-degree duration at 0.050, hydraulic roller lifters, GT-40 valvetrain
Induction: FRPP intake manifold, Holley 600-cfm carburetor, 15-gallon custom aluminum fuel tank
Ignition: Ford electronic, trunk-mounted battery
Exhaust: Doug's headers, 31/48-inch flanges, 151/48×14-inch primaries, 2.5-inch collector, H-pipe, 2.5-inch dual system
Cooling: Custom core, thermostatically controlled fan
Output: 320 hp (flywheel), 270 hp (rear wheels)Performance: Mid-13s as tested
Transmission: Ford T5 five-speed manual, B&M Ripper shifter with longer lever
Clutch Assembly: Hydraulic actuation, 10.5-inch FRPP pressure plate, steel flywheel
Rear Axle: Stock-width Mustang 8.8, 3.73:1 ratio, Traction-Lock differential
Driveshaft: Custom chrome-moly steel (Power Train Industries, Brea, CA)
Front Suspension: Stock ZX3 uprights/spindles (with hub modification), 200 lb/in coil springs, K&W struts, lower control arms, Sway-A-Way 31/44-inch antisway bar
Rear Suspension: QA1 coilovers with 200 lb/in Eibach springs, KK adjustable upper links with Heim ends, tubular lower link/traction bars with solid bushings, and 31/44-inch antisway bar
Steering: Mustang front-steer rack-and-pinion, power assistBrakes: Stock 10.2-inch discs, front; 10.0-inch Mustang disc, rear
Other: KK engine cradle with side supports, transmission crossmember, subassembly for rear suspension; all units bolt-in
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: Motegi Racing 17×7
Tires: Toyo 215/45ZR, 235/45ZR
Body & Paint
Body: Stock
Interior: Stock; KK custom instrument panel fitted with Classic tachometer, speedometer, and ancillary gauge cluster; AM/FM stereo w/CD player; air conditioning
Car Weight: 2,900 pounds