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Are you worried that you or someone you know may have all the signs of a high functioning alcoholic?
By definition, a high functioning alcoholic is hard to recognise. Some people are able to juggle excessive alcohol and not look like it from the outside. They still maintain a good job, have a nice home, and enjoy family and friends. But how do we know whether they actually have a problem, or not?
Nobody likes to think they are an alcoholic, so it is perfectly natural to try to disguise any problems with alcohol. There is a huge potential to get caught up in the social, cultural and psychological problems alcohol can create. Without a doubt, people who drink excessively can find themselves in a predicament of the vicious cycle fuelled by alcohol. The problem with alcohol is that it is easy to cross from moderate drinking to problem drinking without realising it.
What is an alcoholic?
The other problem with trying to identify the signs of a high functioning alcoholic is trying to define exactly what alcoholism is. There are so many public perceptions of the definition of alcoholism that it can be difficult to agree on a single meaning.
There are so many different ways to define the meaning of alcoholic, such as a person who has the following behaviours;
- Moderate drinking with occasional excess
- Problem drinking
- Binge drinking, Over drinking, Drinking to excess
- Alcohol abuse
- Alcohol use disorder
- Dependence on alcohol
- Chronic alcoholism
- Alcohol addiction
You may recognise a scale of severity in this list of definitions. Starting from moderate drinking, through to full blown alcohol addiction. The problem is that people who are on this scale of alcoholic behaviour will often cover up the signs. That in itself is characteristic of a high functioning alcoholic. Not everyone appears to become a hopeless alcoholic who cannot hide the signs. Some people can manage alcohol abuse while maintaining the veneer of a normal lifestyle. Many people are at risk of advancing along the scale of alcohol abuse, all while they stay firmly in denial that they have any problem with alcohol at all.
6 Signs of a High Functioning Alcoholic
The better we become at hiding the signs of a drinking problem, often the more we become stressed at carrying that burden. The more stress we carry, and the more problems we have to cope with, the worse it can get. We can often find that the problems with alcohol increase in proportion to th pressure we are under. We just seem to get better at hiding the signs of alcoholism. At least, that is, until something goes wrong, and the whole façade comes crashing down. If you are worried that you are showing signs of a high functioning alcoholic, then we recommend that you don't ignore the warning signals. We recommend that it is time to get help to stop drinking and begin to deal with those underlying issues.
Sign 1 – Drinking Dominates Your Thoughts
One of the typical traits of a highly functional alcoholic is a very organised person who carefully plans their day around when they can have a drink. Maybe you have the discipline to avoid alcohol during the day, but when it is time for a drink, all work has to cease. Sometimes you find that you have the overwhelming desire to wrap up a meeting, or go home early. Or you may even forego an evening engagement so that you can relax with a glass or more of your favourite drink. Maybe you arrange your day so that afternoon drinks takes priority over other events. Is there a pattern of doing this every day? It is very, very easy to slip into a bad habit of drinking alcohol every day after work.
Sign 2 – Moderate Drinking is Becoming a Problem
The problem with drinking alcohol is that it forms a strong association with our habits. Consequently, these habits can become entrenched without us realising. We slip into a pattern of having a drink to relax at the end of the day. It becomes a habit to have a drink to enjoy going to a party, or another drink to get to sleep. Or any other excuse. When everything is going well in our lives, we can ignore the warning signs of alcoholism. Generally we'll convince ourselves that there is no problem with alcohol in our lives. After all, everyone drinks, don't they?
Sign 3 – Drinking to Cope With Problems
One of the early signs of alcoholic behaviour is the need to drink alcohol to deal with emotions. Whether we drink to deal with stress, or sadness, or anxiety, or suppressed anger, we drink. At this point there is a risk we can become dependent on alcohol to cope. It can be especially harmful to be in denial about the risks of drinking to excess. Denial often increases the anxiety associated with hiding the signs of drinking. This is one of the classic signs of a high functioning alcoholic.
Sign 4 – Trying to Hide a Drinking Problem
Without a doubt, one of the key signs of a high functioning alcoholic is drinking alone. Although this may seem harmless enough, there are many problems associated with drinking alone. When you do not have to account to another person, it is not easy to reduce the amount you drink. The problem is even worse when someone feels the need to conceal their drinking from others. One of the earliest signs of alcoholism is when someone chooses to hide their consumption. Intuitively they are aware others would observe they're having too much, but they don't want to be told. They don't want to cut back. So they hide their drinking because they are in denial of the problem.
Sign 5 – Craving Alcohol
Many people misinterpret the signs of a high functioning alcoholic, as someone who is highly organised and rushes around to deal with a heavy workload. But what can actually be the motivation for meeting deadlines can be the need to drink. Often times the urge to drink alcohol can dominate the thoughts of a highly functional alcoholic. Alcohol craving will strike around 24 hours from the previous drinking session, and this is why we find ourselves pouring a glass of alcohol at the same time every day. The cravings for alcohol can manifest as a feeling of mild anxiety, irritability, and a general feeling of unease. But this can create a problem because when we give in to the cravings and have another drink, we are guaranteed to restart the cravings cycle in another 24 hours' time. All this does is set up a positive reward cycle for drinking alcohol every day. The craving for alcohol is really a vicious cycle which can dominate our lives.
Sign 6 – Tolerance for Alcohol
One of the clearest signs of a high functioning alcoholic is when we become tolerant to alcohol. Alcohol tolerance occurs when we drink alcohol every day, and need to drink in increasing amounts to get the same effect. Alcohol can affect the chemical balance in the brain. Furthermore, over a long period of time, alcohol can create a shift in the normal production of hormones. The main reason we drink alcohol is to feel a temporary sense of pleasure. However, after a period of heavy drinking, the brain can become dependent on alcohol just to feel normal. A tolerance for alcohol means that we no longer feel the same sense of pleasure from drinking the same amount. And so we drink more and more in a dangerous cycle to seek satisfaction or pleasure. Without alcohol, we actually become unhappy. This can then lead to depression and anxiety and a range of mental disorders.
These are all signs of a high functioning alcoholic. If you recognise these in yourself, we recommend you seriously consider getting help to stop drinking. Consequences on health are real and serious.
Do you or someone you know have any of these signs of a high functioning alcoholic?
If you do recognise any of the signs that someone might need help, never think it is too late. No matter how bad the signs, it is worth treating the issue, stop, or reduce the drinking and make a recovery. We recommend that you seek medical advice before you attempt to withdraw from alcohol. This is especially so if your intake is very high. But don't despair. There are many examples of people who have been able to quit drinking alcohol and find true happiness and freedom from the cravings and the vicious cycle alcohol once caused them.
Do you want to escape from the vicious cycle of alcohol? Let me show you how you can stop drinking alcohol and stay stopped.


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Chantecaille Philanthropy Cheek Shade Bee (Emotion)
Made using finely milled pigments that contribute to the exquisite colors and a feather weight texture that brushes on lightly and blends seamlessly, each Cheek Shade leaves a gorgeous veil of flushed color.
Bees pollinate the flowers and trees which feed us. They are in danger of extinction due to the overuse of chemical pesticides and monoculture planting practices, which have eliminated wild- flowers and plants they rely on to survive.
Chantecaille is proud to help honey bees survive by donating a portion of our proceeds to support The Xerces Society and their efforts to protect the bees and their habitats.
Using the Cheek Brush, gently apply the cheek shade to the apples of the cheeks, blending outwards.
No animal testing. No parabens. Fragrance free. Phthalate free.
05126 Emotion - A golden coral
BY POST: All deliveries will be despatched using Royal Mail Post or Parcelforce. An email confirmation will be sent once your order has been despatched. This will allow you to track your delivery for items sent using Parcelforce. Please note we do not currently offer overseas delivery.
Standard delivery cost is £5.00. We aim to ship your goods on the day your order is received, up to 2pm, Monday to Friday. Alternatively, if you order after 4pm or over the weekend your order will be dispatched the next working day. Please allow up to 5 working days for delivery.
If you are out when delivery is attempted Royal Mail or Parcelforce will leave a card. You are then able to rearrange delivery or collection. Additional Royal Mail charges may apply.
TO STORE: Orders will arrive in store within 5 working days. You will be sent an email confirming your package has arrived in store and which department you will be able to collect it from.
We are happy to refund or exchange goods purchased from Hoopers online. Goods must be returned within 14 working days of receipt, in perfect condition, together with your delivery note as proof of purchase, completed with reason for return or exchange. A pre-paid returns label will be enclosed with your goods.
Refunds will be given in the same payment method as the original transaction. For items that are excluded, please visit our Returns page for information.
This does not affect your statutory rights.

subset: commoncrawl


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"Stylemaster Patios has exceeded out expectations in everyway! The whole experience has been a pleasure, right from the first consultation and measure up to the completed product. The entire team has been great. Not only did they deliver way before the promised due date but every part of the planning and design has ensured a beautiful product that we are happy to 'Show Off' to all our family and friends. The tradesmen were always polite, courteous and on time and we could not have asked for anything else.
Highly recommended! Give them a call today!"
Scott Zuber


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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Nov. 27, 2014)-- They refer to themselves as, "The group nobody wants to belong to."
Every Thursday morning, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's this year, too, "Mornings With The Dads" meets at a Denny's restaurant just off I-65 in Greenwood to drink coffee, tell jokes and shed a few tears over the lives that were lost too soon.
"Every father's child died in different ways," said Dave Cook as he recalled his daughter Leslie. "Ours was a very violent situation. Our daughter was murdered."
Henry Pawlick's daughter died due to complications years after surgery.
"The loss of a child is not like any other loss and it's the toughest one to deal with," he said. "I've come out here and we've all been here when the snow was four, five feet on the ground and we're the only cars on the road. I think there was a time when Jim and I were the only two who showed up. I wouldn't miss this for anything."
Jim Nathan's son Kevin was a truck driver.
"That first morning I set my alarm for 5:30 and I said to myself, 'What the hell do I want to get up at 5:30 in the morning to go have breakfast with a bunch of guys?' That was eight years ago and I think I have missed five meetings since then.
"Now I look forward to it. I can't wait to get here to see my guys. To see my brothers."
A similar group meets Tuesday mornings on Indianapolis' northside where the fathers of slain police officers and sheriff's deputies have attended.
Often the men talk about their kids. Sometimes they talk about their families, or the Pacers. Most of the time they just listen.
"My son is Dion," said John Longworth, who still refers to his son in the present tense."His wife was Jennifer and they died at the same time."
That same time would have been the night of November 10, 2012, when a house explosion in the Richmond Hill neighborhood killed the young neighbors next door.
"It's been a bad month," said Longworth. "It's still two years but it's been very difficult to get through this month."
"I'm Don Buxton and my daughter is Jennifer Buxton Longworth," another dad announced from the other end of the table, "and we lost her two years ago this month.
"We lost her along with my son-in-law Dion."
The blast that took Jennifer and Dion's lives made national news and will continue to do so next summer when the first of three people accused in the fatal insurance scheme goes to trial in South Bend.
"There was nothing more disheartening when this first happened than to turn on the news and every station was a picture of my daughter and son-in-law on their happiest day," said Buxton, recalling the wedding photograph that was released to the media. "It was their happiest day and now it's a reminder of the saddest day of my life."
Kurt Kriese lived out his own personal tragedy on the front pages when 12-year-old Noah slipped over the edge of a Swiss waterfall in 2009.
"These guys get it. They know. They ask questions. They want to know about the child, he said. "This group has been a lifesaver in the ways that they're open to hearing.
"With these guys we sit there and the child is alive within us."
The group came together to write its first "Mornings With The Dads" book four years ago.
Volume 2 continues the tale as fathers write about their children and the hope and comraderie that encourages healing.
If the group can drum up enough donations, publication is expected in the spring.
Tony Dungy, whose own teenage son died while his dad was coaching the Indianapolis Colts, is expected to write the introduction.
"Even though it's my third year, this is first time I've been here for a Thanksgiving Day dinner," said Don Uhrine who held up family vacation photos of his son Jason. "I wonder if God has arranged a little table like this up in Heaven and all of our sons and daughters are sitting there having their own Thanksgiving breakfast reminiscing about us, missing us and knowing that we were loving fathers and that we still are."
You can learn more about Tuesday Mornings with the Dads here and on their Facebook page.


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Irish property group Sherry FitzGerald agrees to sell remaining commercial property stake to Cushman & Wakefield
Irish property group Sherry FitzGerald has agreed to sell the remaining 80 per cent stake in its commercial property arm to global player Cushman & Wakefield
Irish property group Sherry FitzGerald has agreed to sell the remaining 80 per cent stake in its commercial property arm to global player Cushman & Wakefield for an undisclosed sum under a deal which is expected to complete in September.
This gives Cushman & Wakefield 100 per cent ownership of the commercial business here, having originally taken a 20 per cent shareholding in 1998.
Sherry Fitz has operated as the exclusive affiliate of Cushman & Wakefield in the Republic for a number of years, rebranding two years ago as Cushman & Wakefield Ireland.
More than 100 Sherry Fitz staff will be impacted by the transaction.
It is understood that some of the funds from the sale will be reinvested in the residential business of Sherry Fitz, Ireland's biggest estate agent. Shareholders are also expected to benefit from the transaction.
The deal will result in the Irish business being fully integrated into Cushman & Wakefield's global operation, which comprises about 48,000 staff across 400 offices in 70 countries.
Sherry Fitz will continue to be a strategic partner for Cushman & Wakefield post the completion of the deal.
The commercial property group's managing director, Aidan Gavin, will become Cushman & Wakefield's head of Ireland, and will also sit on its UK and Ireland executive committee.
As part of the transaction Cushman & Wakefield will also acquire from Sherry FitzGerald Group a minority share in its affiliate commercial property businesses in Cork and Belfast.
Gavin said the business has gone from strength to strength since adopting the Cushman & Wakefield brand.
He added that they have real momentum in the marketplace. They now have the opportunity to move to the next stage by leveraging the resources of their global network to shape the future of Irish property.
Sherry Fitz's chief executive Steven McKenna said the deal provided the group with the opportunity to back their ambitious plans to continue developing their core business.
They will shortly be opening the 100th office in Ireland, and are equally focused on providing a smarter business for the benefit of clients through imaginative technology.
He said that it makes sense for Cushman & Wakefield to solely own their Irish commercial business and equally it makes sense for Sherry FitzGerald to have a simplified ownership structure and single brand.
Chief executive for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Cushman & Wakefield, Colin Wilson described the deal as an exciting next step in a relationship that began 20 years ago.
He said it reflected the significant increase in cross-Border projects on which the two companies had been collaborating.
He said Cushman & Wakefield expects further growth as the Irish economy continues to strengthen and it integrate fully as a single firm with a truly seamless operation between Ireland and the UK.


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We've developed strategic relationships with key brands to provide best in class products based on manufacturing quality, depth of range, and options for every customer price point.
Many of our customers don't realise that we also produce our own brands, such as RefleXion shower enclosures, Prima appliances and Virtu kitchens, to ensure that we are providing options right the way through the spectrum of features and price points, with a consistent level of quality.
Within our Bathrooms to Love collection, we have selected products which give a complete bathroom solution, with a great range of options.
Our kitchen furniture range provides true flexibility for customers with varied budgets.
Our Virtu brand offers 'good', 'better' and 'best' product, carefully sourced and selected to match the best possible quality for each price point.
All our appliances come from trusted brands, many of which are known to your customers. When sourcing appliances we select a range of products to meet the widest range of requirements, and even produce our own highly rated Prima+ appliances, bringing higher spec options at lower prices.
Some of the more striking features of a new kitchen come from the sinks, taps and accessories. We source stunning, great quality sinks & taps, with a variety of styles that suit the diverse tastes of your customers.
Our online platform designed with you, for you and always available.
Our customers tell us how much they value our Account Managers, who work one-to-one as a business partner, and our Customer Service team, who are always available on the end of a phone or email: approachable, friendly and able to help with whatever questions or problems our partners may have.


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Whynot Pottery & Acacia Art Tile
Who We Are
It is us, we are Whynot Pottery, we moved to Whynot NC in 1976 to live on the family farm and raise small livestock, we ended up fully embracing the local pottery of the Seagrove area. We spent time in and out of Seagrove Pottery with Dorothy and Walter Auman, JB Cole, and Jugtown Pottery. We were encouraged to learn how to make pottery as a living, so we did. We opened in 1982.
Acacia Art Tile was a concept put together by Meredith and her sister Lee Lewis. After the loss of her sister Lee, Meredith slowly worked into the tiles on her own. All the tiles are hand rolled and hand cut, after drying and firing, they are decorated to create images of the things around us, flowers from the garden, praying mantas, lizards, an added layer of tiles are the giraffes and sheep, with a whimsical point of view they have quickly become favorites. The second firing melts the glazes and brings the tiles to life. The accent tiles are ready to hang and look great in that extra wall space.
They are also compatible with commercial tile as accents, Contact us for custom work.
What We Do
It's simple,we just make pots, pots for pouring, pots for drinking, pots to serve from, pots to eat from, pots that are candles and pots that are lamps.
We start with high quality pre-mixed clay and form our pots on the wheel and occasionally with clay either rolled or extruded. After drying the work is fired to about 1800 degrees Fahrenheit; what we'd call bisque temperature. At this point the work is ready to glaze.
Glazes are applied by either dipping the pots, pouring, or spraying the glaze and sometimes a combination of each.
All of our pottery glazes are mixed on site and made up mostly of feldspar, flint, clay, calcium carbonate, and wood ashes. Metallic oxides (mostly iron) are added for color.
We never use lead in our pottery.
The glaze kiln is fueled by LP gas. It takes twelve to sixteen hours to bring the interior temperature to 2350o and two full days for the ware inside to cool enough to be handled. The intense heat of the kiln vitrifies the clay and melts the glaze, which partially soaks into the surface of the pots.
Contact Information
If you have any questions or comments send an email to email@example.com. Be sure to put the word "pottery" in the subject line.
Why Whynot?
Until 1905 much of the area in North Carolina that is now called Seagrove was known as Whynot.
In about 1854 the people of the community found themselves in need of an official name in order to establish a federal post office. During a meeting called to address this need many suggestions were considered. Each prospective name was preceded with the question "Why not?"
Since no one was willing to answer that question, or agree on a name, the meeting dragged on late into the night. After hours of polite indecision, one brave and tired soul stood up and said, "Why not call it Whynot and let's go home."
If you know of another community or pottery named Whynot please e-mail me and tell me where it is and what you know of it. So far the only other Whynot I know is in Mississippi just south of Interstate 20 at the Alabama state line. And I still haven't heard their story .
Let me know if you have another "Whynot" story!
Home ▪ News ▪ About Us ▪ Gallery ▪ Shopping ▪ Events ▪ Directions ▪ Links


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Over the years of living in a house with all males (1 husband and 2 grown sons), I've gained a solid appreciation for the sport of football. Now, I don't claim to have complete understanding of the game (hardly), but I do enjoy the excitement the game elicits from it's fans of all ages. Not to mention the colorful uniforms and the creative logos each team so proudly displays as they take the field.
As we embark on the NFL's 2011-2012 season, I've been caught up in all the pappable excitement and needed to capture that the best (and only) way I know how. With my trusty paints and brushes I take to the field. 🙂
Here are two teams that I worked on just the other day. The Atlanta Falcons and The Miami Dolphins…from start to finish. I hope you'll enjoy seeing these come to completion and much as I enjoy showing you!
The background color always comes first and then I do the banding at the top of the glass:
I usually do the writing on the base of the glass next. I find it easier to center the design on the bowl of the glass if the writing is there as a visual marker for me.
The outline of the design happens next:
Next comes the filling in of the outline. Back in my cookie decorating days, this would be called the flooding. It's similar and yet different 🙂
Look closely at the picture and you can see the other glasses I was working on this particualr day. There are two Miami Dolphin's glasses and one Lady Gaga. There is nothing better to me than having a full table of "works in progress". It's my drug of choice 🙂
The team name on the base of the glass then needs a little contrasting color to really make it pop. The addition of the white detailing does just that:
There now, almost finished. I hold it back and check to see that I'm happy with it:
Yes, It's a keeper. Time to take the photos I need to add this glass to my etsy shop for purchase.
Complete and ready:
Next comes the Miami Dolphins glass. It's the exact same process only different colors and completely different design. I especially like this one because of the dolphin. I love dolphins!
The base color comes first:
The base coat, the banding at the top of the glass, and the beginning of the design all get painted first. Everything is "eyeballed". I've practiced long enough to make a pretty decent circle and have my lines connect from start to finish on the banding. The only thing that worries me now is that my eyesight is playing tricks on me as I get older and I'm constanstly taking my glasses on and off as I'm painting! Sheesh, time to get me some of those cute little magnifyers I suppose.
I decide to pre-line my star burst to insure that I have the points as equal distance as possible:
A little scalloping inbetween the lines and things are looking good. Actually to me at this point it kind of looks like some sort of ribbon medal which I promptly file away in my head for a possible design on another day. LOL! You just never know when inspiration will hit 🙂
Flooding the outline with paint. Um, I mean painting in the outlines:
He's a little hard to see here, but I've outlined and painted in the dolphin. I added just a touch of darker blue to him so he wouldn't totally disappear into the great blue yonder.
Back to my dolphin glass as I add in all the little details that make this design so special:
The contrasting color of the team name really makes a complete difference. It's all about the details and I never skimp on the details!!!
LOL. Somewhere between saying that I never skimp on the details, I got lost in my painting and forgot to take pictures of how the detailing was done. Oh well, here are the completed pictures of the glass. You can see for yourself how the details really make the glass:
I completely love special orders and any piece can be personalized if requested. All my painted glassware items are dishwahser safe and make fantastic conversation pieces and gifts.
Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you'll come and visit me again soon!!!
Fondly yours,


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Reeling In The Comhlámh Years.
Philip Mudge, our Volunteering Quality Officer (or Guardian Of The Code to some of you…) has let his imagination get the better of him and has come up with his rather own unique history of Comhlámh over the past 40 years.
Regular readers of my blog may have been disappointed at its lack of appearance over the past couple of weeks, but much excitement has engulfed the Comhlámh office as we celebrated our 40th anniversary with President of Ireland Michael D Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin. Those of you unfamiliar with the rich tapestry that is Comhlámh may not be aware of the significant milestones from 1975 until today, and so this may be of interest.
Comhlámh was formed in 1975, influenced by the raw power of Springsteen's Thunder Road and as a statement of dissatisfaction with the over serious progressive rock characterised by excessive guitar solos symbolic of the decadence of the developed world. Within 12 months the embryonic punk scene in London showed the influence of Comhlámh with the Sex Pistols (I don't wanna) Holiday in the Sun seen by most commentators of the day as a clear statement against volunteer tourism and a precursor to the Comhlámh Code of Good Practice. In 1978 inspired by Abba, Comhlámh Take a Chance and the launch of Comhlámh News from which most of the information contained in this report has been collected.
In 1981 Comhlámh News reports refugees fleeing from "intolerable situations". It is widely believed that the Human League's Christmas smash hit Don't you want me by the is a clear demand to the countries of what was then the European Community to open borders to those fleeing persecution, while the Police' Roxanne is now commonly acknowledged to be a thoughtful and insightful reflection on the connection between people trafficking and forced prostitution.
In 1982, The Smiths What difference Does It Make? Inspired the Comhlámh Coffee Campaign which pioneered the fair trade movement in Ireland and influenced long time Comhlámh supporter Michael D Higgins in 1984 to launch his presidential campaign and tap into the youth vote at the Bob Dylan concert at Slane Castle.
The Times They Are A Changing says Bob and Comhlámh members join the Dunnes Stores workers on the pickets lines in an anti- apartheid protest brought to International Attention by Euan MacColl in his 1988 follow up to Dirty Old Town, Ten Young Women And One Young Man.
Meanwhile Comhlámh continues to question the impact of travel from the developed world to the global south publishing Cecil Rajendra's poem Tourists. Members of the British new wave/ dance band New Order acknowledge that their 1983 track Blue Monday was written with specific reference to US president Reagan's visit to Ireland and was kept in the charts until his visit had taken place, becoming the biggest selling 12 inch single of all time.
In 1985, Comhlámh's Readers Digest of Subversive Literature motivates a washed out (or unwashed) Irish pop singer to change the world and "Give us the *****ing Money" inspires Freddy Mercury to redefine stadium rock at the Wembley Live Aid concert, while three years later with the universal dominance of Enya's Watermark, World music is defined as only coming from Donegal. Comhlámh members, bewildered and let down by the lack of internationalism of the Bhundu Boys, The Wailers and Kana Bongo Man resolve never to listen to Kwasa Kwasa again and play I Should Be So Lucky continuously on repeat throughout July, August and September.
In 1989 Comhlámh members join anti-nuclear protests in Scotland and The Stone Roses gain their first appearance on Top of the Pops with She bangs the Drums: their tribute to Deirdre Cantwell. A year later these protesters stand in solidarity with football supporters looking for assistance from Comhlámh with their social welfare rights.
In 1991 Comhlámh joins forces with Kermit, Burt 'n Ernie and Big Bird to bring Democracy Street to the Irish televisions while castigating Albert Reynolds' government for its poor record on International Aid commitments(http://bit.ly/1Y3SO43 ). Practices in the International NGO community were also called into question when Gary Barlow stated that It Only takes a Minute to work for equality within before demanding it from others in 1992 with Celine Dion and various styles of euro-pop high in the charts, Comhlámh bucks the trend with a critical look at the Maastricht Treaty, before, confident that Things Can Only Get Better Comhlámh marks its coming of age by taking on the UN in 1993.
And so ends the first twenty years of Comhlámh. My next blog will cover Comhlámh's role in Brit Pop, Riverdance, the rise of Rap as a respected art form and Mark Cumming's secret life as an X Factor judge before giving it all up to become head of Comhlámh.
4 comments
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I spent four years trying EVERYTHING in Online Dating, and through a huge amount of trial and error, I produced a system that I will share for you. This book will take you, step by step, through everything you need to know to double, triple or even quadruple the number of women you meet online.
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31476 N 133rd Lane, Peoria, AZ 85383 US Glendale Home
31476 N 133rd Lane, Peoria, Arizona
Luxury Gated Living in Vistancia
Property Details
Listing Information
- Bedrooms: 4
- Baths: 3
- Partial Baths: 1
- Lot Size: 9100
- Style: Single Family
- Garage: 3
- Heat Source: Gas
- Schools: Peoria Unified
- Taxes: $3,984
More Information
Property Description
This is luxury gated living in Peoria's award-winning Vistancia community! Large TW Lewis floor plan is just under 3,400 square feet with four bedrooms, den and separate living and family rooms. Well-appointed gourmet kitchen has an elegant breakfast nook, plus a convenient island with counter seating and a Butler's Pantry. Gorgeous raised panel cabinetry, granite counters, tile backsplash and a stainless appliance package that includes double wall ovens and a gas cook top.
There is plenty of room for entertaining with a separate living room and family room that is accented with a beautiful brick fireplace. The split floor plan offers privacy in the master retreat, which features his-and-her vanities, a walk-in shower with glass block and a luxurious spa-like raised garden tub. Other amenities include plantation shutters, custom paint, upgraded lighting, custom pool and incredible mountain views from the backyard. An extensive use of brick pavers and easy maintenance landscaping is the perfect look to this Mediterranean oasis in the desert! Come see it today, call it home tomorrow!
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Job growth is slowing to a crawl in Connecticut, but state economists hope revisions will show that employment growth has actually been improving.
Job growth is slowing to a crawl in Connecticut, but state economists hope revisions will show that employment growth has actually been improving.
The state's economy added a scant 300 jobs in November, hampered by recovery efforts following Superstorm Sandy, state labor officials said Thursday.
The unemployment rate fell to a still-high 8.8 percent from 9 percent in October. Nationally, the unemployment rate in November was 7.7 percent, the lowest since December 2008.
Still, Andy Condon, director of the office of research at the Connecticut Department of Labor, said the jobs and unemployment numbers are encouraging, particularly because the number of jobs increased immediately after the destruction along Connecticut's shoreline due to Sandy. The storm pounded the Northeast on Oct. 29.
But a shrinking labor force is causing concern that Connecticut is going through a "fundamental shift" in the state's demographic s, he said. November posted the fifth consecutive month of "significant drops in the labor force," he said.
Connecticut's labor force has contracted by 34,000 jobs over the year as workers drop out of the labor force, with most retiring, Condon said.
"They're deciding not to work anymore," Condon said.
Connecticut has recovered 30,700 jobs, only 26 percent of the 117,500 jobs lost during the deepest recession in decades.
The 300-job increase in November represents less than 0.05 percent. Small as it is, the job gain was the fifth monthly increase in 2012. Jobs were lost in five months and employment was unchanged in one month.
The biggest job gains were posted in professional and business services, up 1,100, or 0.6 percent. The largest jobs decline was in manufacturing, which lost 1,200 jobs, the fourth consecutive monthly fall in jobs.
Condon warned last month that for the first time, Connecticut's economy was posting year-over-year job d eclines. However, November's numbers put job growth over the year in the black, but only barely: A total of 900 jobs have been added, representing a paltry 0.1 percentage.
In the 11 months of 2012, Connecticut's economy generated just 1,900 jobs, which Condon said is "well behind" last year's pace of 8,800 jobs added through November 2011.
However, state labor officials say a technical process that adjusts employment numbers "continues to confirm an upward revision" of nearly 10,000 jobs. Revised numbers won't be known until early next year.


text:
- Track my spending
- Have 10 No Spend Days
- Pay off credit card
- Get tax information ready to take to accountant
- Finish will paperwork and make appointment with attorney
- Add $500 to savings
- Finish W-2 for my employee
Monday, January 3, 2011
January 2011 Goals
4 comments:
Sorry about the smooch! If it makes you feel any better, I totally smooched my dog for new years. I'll try to not get too used to it! Anyways, I love your blog and will be adding you to my blog roll.ReplyDelete
Wow, I won't complain about our mini storm today then!! It started fast but ended fast too, clean up took about half an hour (my dad on the tractor). 2 back to back storms suck!ReplyDelete
Good luck with your January goals! Tracking is going to help you tremendously!
Hubby and I were sick and in bed at midnight, no smooching there...ReplyDelete
Sounds like great goals for January...saving $500.00 is awesome!
great January Goals!!!!! I can't wait until I am able to start saving that amount of $$$ !!!! Great jobReplyDelete
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text:
What's black and white and all over pop culture?
Bat-mitzvah chic is back, with traditional tallit tassels playing a quiet cameo — this time in a documentary by rapper J. Cole
Yaakov Schwartz is The Times of Israel's deputy Jewish World editor.
The Tribe's favorite four-cornered garment is back in the public eye — this time in a documentary for HBO by rapper J. Cole. The fringed tallit prayer shawl can be seen in the movie around the shoulders of a preacher at the Eastside Christian Community Pentecostal Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
Cole co-directed the documentary, "4 Your Eyez Only," which the HBO website describes as "giv[ing[ voice to those struggling in the American South, capturing their stories through interviews and music."
It's not as if Cole is a huge fan of Jewish culture, however. His 2010 song "Villematic" includes such anti-Jewish tropes in his lyrics as, "Talk is cheap, its like y'all grew up in a Jewish home! Pardon the stereotype…"
This documentary wasn't the shawl's first sartorial showing. Last September, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump was presented with one by Bishop Wayne Jackson during a visit to a Detroit Pentecostal church — a gesture that was seen as peculiar, or even offensive.
Jackson told The Times of Israel at the time that "This was nothing to be offensive. I love Israel. I support Israel. I love the people of God. The prayer shawl was meant to do nothing but to show the power of the holy spirit."
Jackson said the custom of wearing a tallit was not unique to his church by any means.
"Many of our Hebrew brothers and sisters may not know this, but this is all over the United States," he said.
But while some have called the crossover tradition "cultural appropriation," when used for prayer in a church it is at least in the same ballpark of religious ritual as its intended use.
This is more than can be said for budget clothiers Old Navy and H&M, who both sold tallit lookalikes in the recent past.
Following a public outcry, H&M pulled a strikingly familiar striped scarf from Israeli stores last January after claims that it was disrespectful, though it does continue to sell that and a tallit-style poncho on its website.
Also last year, a participant in New York Fashion Week was photographed wearing the genuine article — and not a tallit facsimile — on the street outside the event.
While some would like to see traditional tassels relegated to the safety of the synagogue, others may not see it as so black-and-white. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.


text: Some days you can't get into second even if you double clutch it,Monday was one of those days. AyreWolf Uncategorized November 12, 2018 1 Minute I had very serious intentions on rolling over to the mini cassia area of Idaho yesterday , meaning Monday, but by mid day, and medications to rid me of this confounded cough, I hit the rack and did not awaken until I heard the rattling of my door. It was the current downstairs neighbor asking me to keep my eyes on the mail for them in case some important piece of mail for them got stuck in my box. Really. So I got up long enough to get a call from PoohBear, sift through emails, and see what trash was being thrown around fb. I don't like fb, its nothing but a gossip page, no real serious anything business, or journalism on there any more. Quite frankly if I didn't have to maintain order on our pages and groups on there, I'd shit can my fb account. But as its said, everybody goes there. Then there was and sorta is now the need for feed, but too tired and mired that I am, too lazy to even go to the store. So that being that closing the door and heading off to snore. See you this afternoon on Rebel Radio on http://www.spreaker.com/ayrewolf Share this:TwitterFacebookEmailMoreLinkedInLike this:Like Loading... Related Published by AyreWolf Radio Media Broadcaster Farm Aviation pilot Tow truck company owner/operator View all posts by AyreWolf Published November 12, 2018


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Article Tools
Raiffeisen Postpones Stock Exchange Plans
Published: April 29, 2011; 08:07 · (Vindobona)
The banking group has to postpone for two or three years the IPOs of the agricultural holdings NÖM and LLI planned for 2011.
Raiffeisen Postpones Stock Exchange Plans / Picture: © Raiffeisen Bank International AG / S. KlimptThis article includes a total of 156 words.
For the Raiffeisenbank Wien-Niederösterreich, involved in numerous regional companies, the IPO slowdown at the Vienna Stock Exchange and the subdued mood on the international stock exchanges is a real inconvenience. The dairy company NÖM, as well as Leipnik-Lundenburger, should have entered the Vienna Stock Exchange in 2011. Raiffeisen is postponing these plans for two to three years.…
Fast News Search


text:
Edge Tracing Manipulation of Clothes Based on Different Gripper Types
Khairul Salleh Mohamed Sahari, Hiroaki Seki, Yoshitsugu Kamiya and Masatoshi Hikizu
DOI : 10.3844/jcssp.2010.872.879
Journal of Computer Science
Volume 6, Issue 8
Pages 872-879
Problem statement: Edge tracing is considered important for deformable object manipulation in order to spread and reveal the original shape of an object before it can be sorted. It is important in unfolding clothes to reveal its original state during sorting. Tracing in this study context involved tracing the clothes edge, with the robot arm movement based on feedback from sensors. Development of special tools for deformable object manipulation is also considered to be important as well and must consider the properties of the deformable objects. Approach: This study introduced three robotic grippers developed to handle clothes for home service robots. For each gripper, a unique tracing algorithm was developed to fully utilize the capability of the gripper in edge tracing. Results: Each developed gripper had been tested and edge tracing algorithms have been developed to suit the gripper's capabilities. Experimental results demonstrated the uniqueness of each gripper and the effectiveness of the tracing algorithm developed. Conclusion: The results showed that the grippers are capable of tracing the edge of clothes and reveal the second corner of the clothes. Inchworm gripper is proven to be the most promising gripper for clothes manipulation.
© 2010 Khairul Salleh Mohamed Sahari, Hiroaki Seki, Yoshitsugu Kamiya and Masatoshi Hikizu. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.


text:
In Saudi Arabia, women can finally drive
Accountancy firm PwC has predicted that the number of women on Saudi Arabia's roads will swell to three million by 2020. But much of the initial optimism over his reforms appears to have been dented by a sweeping crackdown on women activists who long opposed the driving ban. [Full Article...]
European Union migration row to relegate Brexit to footnote at Brussels summit
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini initially said in a post on Facebook that the two NGO ships should "go to Holland", as it was said to be flying under a Dutch flag, and should not dock in Italy . Italy's new populist government has threatened to seize several other ships carrying migrants, sparking a row with the EU. Salvini's tough talk came on the eve of an informal mini-summit of 16 leaders ... [Full Article...]
New Details Emerge in the Murder of Rapper XXXTentacion
In this Tuesday, June 19, 2018 photo , fans and community members light candles as they gather at a vigil for rap singer XXXTentacion in Deerfield Beach , Fla., near the site where the troubled rapper-singer was killed the day before. [Full Article...]
Pelosi Calls GOP Immigration Proposal a 'Compromise With the Devil' - Lauretta Brown
First lady Melania Trump made a surprise trip to the southern border on Thursday amid the firestorm over the Trump administration's separation of migrant families. "She wanted to see everything for herself", Grisham said. "We have a chance", US Representative Carlos Curbelo said. "We don't like to see families separated". [Full Article...]
Trump says will sign something 'pre-emptive' on immigration border policy
Addressing Mr. Trump, Vice President Mike Pence spoke publicly on the issue for the first time at the meeting, ultimately echoing Mr. Trump's call for Congress to address family separation by a more permanent means. That's because of the Flores Agreement, a 1997 government settlement that says children can not be detained in federal facilities for more than 20 days . [Full Article...]
North Korea returns remains of 200 USA war dead
Meanwhile, the U.S. Indo-Pacific military commander told Japan's defense minister on Thursday that Washington remained committed to the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of North Korea . "I expect they will talk about the path going forward and where priorities should lie". "Unlike previous year when missiles were repeatedly test-fired, we no longer face a situation in wh... [Full Article...]
German ETFs hit by concerns over European Union migrant crisis
After meeting at Chancellor Angela Merkel's Meseberg retreat outside Berlin, she and France's Emmanuel Macron presented the new budget as a means of boosting the bloc's economic competitiveness. More than 2,300 children have been taken from their parents since early May, a practice loudly decried by rights groups and United States politicians from both main parties. [Full Article...]
One dead and dozens missing in Indonesia boat accident:…
At least one holidaymaker was killed and dozens of others missing after a passenger boat sank in Lake Toba of Indonesia's North Sumatra province on Monday, a disaster agency spokesman said. A mobile phone video released by the agency showed people throwing life preservers and life jackets to several people in the water from another ferry. [Full Article...]
US Leaves UN Human Rights Council
The U.S has long-standing criticisms of the council. Standing with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the State Department, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley slammed Russia, China, Cuba and Egypt for thwarting US efforts to reform the council. [Full Article...]
Germany's right give Merkel an immigration ultimatum
German Chancellor Angela Merkel , who Trump met with last week at the G7 summit, has faced political headwinds in the country since she implemented an open-door policy in 2015 in an effort to lead the way in response to the refugee crisis. [Full Article...]
IDF fires at head of Gaza terror cell responsible for firebomb kites
Monday's flare-up was the first instance of rocket fire along the border in two weeks, breaking an implicit ceasefire that followed a sudden conflagration in late May. Senior Israeli military officials are reportedly concerned that a heavy-handed response to the incendiary devices could spark an escalation. "During the suspects' interrogations by the Shin Bet, it was determined that the cell p... [Full Article...]
US Will Reportedly Withdraw From UN Human Rights Council
It's not clear whether the US will quit the council in a way that means it will not cooperate with it in any form or whether it will continue to at least observe its sessions and engage in some of its investigations, the rights advocates said. [Full Article...]
Migrant family separations: Republicans scramble as border crisis grows
U.S. public opinion appears divided along partisan lines on the family separations, with two-thirds of all voters opposed, but 55 percent of Republicans supporting the policy, according to a Quinnipiac University National Poll . There is already criticism abounding that detained migrants are being treated like animals in cages; Trump's use of a word which likens them to locusts destroying crops... [Full Article...]
Texas Sheriff Deputy Arrested Over Child Sexual Assault Allegations
The sheriff said Nunez, 47, allegedly touched the girl inappropriately on numerous occasions, causing her pain and " at least some indication of minor injury ". "Folks like this are creatures of habit and opportunity", Salazar said. "Certainly what was appealing was the vulnerability of that community because they are less apt to report things". [Full Article...]
Dominic Grieve: Rebels could 'collapse government'
But the latest manoeuvre by a minority government that has been forced to compromise with parliament anxious some lawmakers who feared it would hand the European Union an incentive to withhold any agreement on an exit deal to force a "softer" Brexit. [Full Article...]
Trump announces plans for Pentagon to create U.S. 'Space Force'
In his speech, Trump said that this new Space Force will be an independent "separate but equal" branch of the military. The president's latest directive indicates that importance of American dominance in space is related to national security. [Full Article...]
Confirmed Dead in Western Japan Earthquake
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said more than 300 people were injured in total, but many of them suffered minor injuries. People gather to receive clean drinking water delivered from a special vehicle after an quake hit Takatsuki city, Osaka, western Japan, Monday, June 18, 2018. [Full Article...]
Kirstjen Nielsen, DHS secretary
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of NY called Nielsen a "stone cold liar". "Period", Rep. Katherine Clark , also responding to Nielsen, echoed Monday morning . But the measure has been harshly denounced by activists, religious leaders, elected Democrats and Republicans alike. Former first lady Laura Bush said that as a resident of a border state, she appreciates the need to protect the nation's boun... [Full Article...]
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin exploring 'possible' summit
The Wall Street Journal also reported earlier this month that the USA ambassador to Russia, Jon Huntsman, had come to Washington to meet with Trump administration officials to help arrange the meeting. The 44th annual summit was held between the seven G7 member states - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States , and the representatives of the European Union... [Full Article...]
Several dead in vehicle crash near Texas border
The Texas Department of Public Safety said the driver lost control of the SUV and it rolled, causing the deaths and injuries. Authorities believe the driver and one passenger are USA citizens and the 12 other passengers were undocumented immigrants, Boyd said. [Full Article...]
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text:
A pimple or acne on your lip, or lip line, is unpleasant and unsightly. You'll no doubt want to figure
Aloe vera is called the wonder plant for a reason. Either the Aloe Vera gel or the Aloe vera juice
Castor oil might be something that your granny or grandad are familiar with as a cure for everything during their
Supermarkets and salon shelves are stocked full of products that claim to strengthen your hair, protect the color or leave
Every Indian household knows how great Fenugreek Seeds or Methi seeds can be, as it is a favorite in lots
What is Mustard Oil Mustard oil is made from mustard seeds. It is a fatty vegetable oil that is a
Blue dresses make a statement, whether they be navy, royal blue or a subtle baby blue, they are a great
Most people know that almonds are packed full of nutritional qualities and a great snack. Almond oil also has many
This article briefly takes a look at some of the health benefits claims of apple cider vinegar before making you
Moringa seeds are becoming increasingly well known for the benefits to our overall health. Western communities are finally catching on!


text:
Gateway serves as bridge to a future-proof, state-of-the-art process landscape
At a paints and coatings manufacturer, our pnGate PA ensures a continuous, fast and secure flow of data.
At a paints and coatings manufacturer, our pnGate PA ensures a continuous, fast and secure flow of data.
Last week's Distributor Partner Meeting from July 11 to 12, 2018, at Softing headquarters in Haar was a great opportunity to exchange information, gather input from our partners and strengthen our business relationship.
Alpha Grainger, manufacturer of high-precision turned parts for industries such as aerospace, medical, military, and automotive fields, was faced with ongoing alarms which reduced production capacity and even led to sudden machine stops.
Our new brochure is out. It gives an up-to-date overview of our products and solutions for digital communication in process automation
We use cookies to ensure the best experience on our website. Your cookies can be disabled at any point. By proceeding without changing your settings, you agree with us. More details can be found in your privacy policy.


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Monday, April 27, 2009
Weight Watchers
I have been "dieting" for 3 weeks, exercising 5 days a week, with at least 45 minutes of cardio each day and I have not seen one change on the scale. Not one pound, not one half a pound. I am either ready to cry, eat a brownie, or see a doctor. I'll definitely cry, I just don't know what to do next. I have even been taking photos of me in my work-out gear, I just don't know if it is appropriate to post them, I can't tell if there is a difference in the past 3 weeks. I still want to cry.
4 comments:
- Nathan and Sarah said...
How frustrating! hang in there! results will come!
- April 27, 2009 at 4:39 PM
- Mark and Karen said...
Keep it up. There is a point when it just starts falling off. Right now you are probably building lots of muscle, which as you, weighs more. Which means you are losing since you haven't gained. Hang in there!
- April 27, 2009 at 5:49 PM
- Boop said...
My sister-in-law was having the same problem. I'm not sure what the doctor finally decided, but keep it up! I'm cheering for you!
- April 28, 2009 at 9:02 AM
- Becky said...
Go for the brownie!
- April 30, 2009 at 12:43 PM
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text: Don't feel like gluing extensions on every time you want to play up your peepers? Celebrity makeup artist Tina Turnbrow says she uses Maybelline Lash Discovery Mini-Brush Mascara on her client (and Weeds actress) Mary-Louise Parker. "It has a tiny brush, which makes it great for bottom lashes," she says.


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Our outreach services include more than programs – we're there to lend a helping community hand whenever possible. You'll find librarians twirling book carts in parades and handing out free books to children in community festivals throughout the county. Friends of the Library groups also get involved. When a shortage of supplies at a Lorton food bank coincided with a large donation of paperback books to the library, the Friends of the Lorton Library came to the rescue. The Friends graciously allowed the library to give away the paperbacks in exchange for donations of canned goods for the food bank – a win-win situation.
Librarians reach out to business owners, seniors and job seekers to tackle the newest trends. Patrick Henry Librarian Deb Smith-Cohen works with members of the Vienna Business Association to help small business leaders learn how specialized market research tools can help them grow. Oakton Library staff, including Pearline Fang, Aliya Parvez and Linda Shankle, partnered with the Lifelong Learning Institute of Northern Virginia to help older adults of all backgrounds and income levels learn to use eBooks and navigate library resources. Staff at Pohick Regional Library serve as "embedded librarians" in resume and interview clinics and English as a Second Language classes, bringing resources and knowledge directly to students in need at the Plum Center. Additionally, staff members Jim Seeley, Robert Harvey, Andrew Pendergrass, Darcee Huber and Lynette Terpak hosted a booth at the Mini NOVA Maker's Faire, demonstrating how to program a computer to create a piano out of carrots.
Children's programs and resources also go on the road. By bringing storytimes to Head Start programs and military communities like the Van Noy Library at Fort Belvoir, librarians help children who may not be able to attend regular library programs gain valuable early literacy skills. In a partnership with local law enforcement, Lorton librarians brought special programs to a local community center at the West Springfield Police substation. McGruff the Crime Dog even paid a visit to one special storytime! Librarians are ready to connect students with library cards, ESL materials, homework help and other resources at Back to School Nights and other school events.
|Staff member Darcee Huber at the Mini NOVA Maker's Faire
|McGruff the Crime Dog
waves to his fans at Lorton Library.
|A visitor to the Centreville Day Festival
shows off his new book.
Interested in learning more about how your community organization can partner with the library? Send us an email to learn more - let us come to you!
Deb Smith-Cohen, Patrick Henry Library & Rebecca Wolff, Centreville Regional Library


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Everything We Want From the Maybelline x Gigi Hadid Collection
And we mean everything!
(SPOT.ph) Makeup lines from your favorite celebrities usually come with a hefty price tag, a long waitlist, and an even longer time for delivery. But here's the good news, beauty junkies! That's not going to be the case for the Maybelline x Gigi Hadid Collection, which will be available at Maybelline counters in the Philippines on November 15.
The collaboration takes you from West Coast to East Coast with two collections inspired by Gigi's hometown of LA and the other by her current home base of New York. She even has a travel-friendly palette for the trip in between!
If you want to get your city-girl chic look on, then reach for East Coast Glam. It has everything you'd need for a sharp, smoky cat-eye and a nude, pouty lip to match.
For that fresh, sun-kissed vibe, West Coast Glow is designed for being out and about on a sunny day. With loud lippies and soft eyeshadow shades, you don't have to go far to look like you went to the beach.
Check it out:
East Coast Tinted Primer in Light Medium (P499)
East Coast BB Cushion in Natural and Fair (P799)
East Coast Eye Countour Palette in Cool and Warm (P599)
East Coast Liquid Eyeliner in Black (P349)
East Coast Gel Eyeliner in Black (P299)
East Coast Fiber Mascara in Black (P499)
East Coast Brow Pencil in Brown and Dark Brown (P349)
East Coast Lip Kit in Taura, Erin, and McCall (P349 for lipstick; P249 for lip liner)
East Coast Liquid Strobe in Cool (P399)
West Coast Lip Kit in Lani, Khair, and Austyn (P349 for lipstick; P249 for lip liner)
West Coast Eye Shadow Palette in Cool and Warm (P599)
West Coast Gel Eyeliner in Nude (P299)
West Coast Tinted Primer in Medium Deep (P499)
West Coast Liquid Strobe in Warm (P399)
Limited Edition Jetsetter Palette (P1,899)
Most of the products from the Maybelline x Gigi Hadid collection are now available at SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Makati, SM Fairview, SM Manila, SM Las Pinas, SM Cubao, SM San Lazaro, Watsons SM Megamall Daimaru, Watsons SM Mall of Asia 1, and other select Maybelline counters nationwide.
The East Coast Lip Liners and Eye Contour Palettes as well as the Jetsetter Palette hit stores in December.
For more information, visit Maybelline's website or log on to the Maybelline Facebook page.
UPDATE (November 21, 2017, 5:20 p.m.): This story has been edited to reflect the new release date for selected products.


text:
Summer of Soccer 2019
With three major international tournaments going on right now, soccer fans and...
Goodell joined Texans owner Bob McNair in a pre-game ceremony before kickoff to honor Hurricane Ike Relief workers before the team's home opener.
The Texans Helping Texans relief effort, which received a $500,000 contribution from the NFLPA matched the amount that McNair had put up and announced that the fund had generated $2.45 million.
"It's a great privilege to be a part of this, but more importantly, to support Bob, who is a great leader in this community," Commissioner Goodell said. "We know how important the Texans are to Houston. I thought it would be appropriate for me to come down."
"This is an important game for the city."
In addition to making a personal appearance, Goodell announced the running of several PSA's (Public Service Announcements) from the Bush-Clinton Gulf Coastal Fund, on behalf of former presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton.
The ads ran during every game that was played over the weekend.
Goodell and McNair held a brief press conference prior to the game in the Texans auditorium. Several questions were asked about the possibility of Houston getting another Super Bowl in the near future.
"Houston put together a very strong bid," Goodell said. However, they went up against some pretty strong competition. The Super Bowl they held here in 2004 was a terrific experience, a very positive one, for the NFL."
"I would encourage Houston to continue seeking the game."
PricewaterhouseCoopers, the international accounting firm, contributed $150,000 to the "Texans Helping Texans" campaign. There donation helped to push the total amount raised in the campaign to $2.45 million, surpassing the goal of $2 million through NFL, corporate and private donations.
Here is a list of the Helping Hands Contributors:
Houston Texans/Bob McNair, NFL/NFLPA $500,000 Chevron Corporation $250,000 PricewaterhouseCoopers $150,000 Amegy Bank,H-E-B,Hines,Williams,Kroger $100,000 Hilcorp,Comcast,Phillip Burguieres $100,000 Indianapolis Colts/Jim Irsay $50,000 David Weekly Homes,Cal McNair $50,000 Asia Chemical, SCI,UPS, Academy Sports $25,000


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Nintendo is suing an Orange County, California, resident who it claims is illegally modifying its consoles and selling pirated versions of popular games in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Pirates have found ways to circumvent Nintendo's hardware and software features that make it so only authorized games can be played, and in doing so the video game giant says they're infringing on its copyrights and trademarks.
Nintendo says one of those individuals is Mikel Euskaldunak, who it claims has been selling modification services for the Nintendo Switch that allow users to play unauthorized games, and has been selling NES Classic Edition systems that come preloaded with 800 pirated games.
In addition to infringing its copyrights directly, Nintendo claims Euskaldunak and countless other currently unnamed defendants are also inducing users to infringe them and are liable for contributory copyright infringement as well.


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Dale Shannon Hallman, 29, died Friday, April 6, 2018 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Columbia, SC and the son of Winfred Hallman and Naomi Strickland Hallman, he was the husband of Brandi Perry Hallman. Dale was a Saluda County Deputy Sheriff for over 5 years and served as a K-9 handler. Dale was a dedicated husband and father and he loved the outdoors and was an avid sportsman. He served as a volunteer fireman with the Circle Fire Dept. and Saluda Fire Dept.
Surviving are his wife Brandi Perry Hallman and his parents, Winfred and Naomi Strickland Hallman of Batesburg; two sons, Jase and Jonathan; a daughter, Laney-Grace due in June; a sister, Letha Bryan (Brantley); two nieces and a nephew; second parents David and Melinda Rhoad of Batesburg; his brothers and sisters in blue and his K-9 companion Copper.
The family received friends from 4 until 6 p.m., Sunday evening at Ramey Funeral Home.
Funeral Services were held 11:00 AM Monday, April 9, 2018, at Saluda Baptist Church with Rev. Derrick Jones, Rev. Lee Cothran and Rev. Greg Williams officiating.
Interment followed in Shiloh United Methodist Church Cemetery.
Memories and condolences may be shared online at www.rameyfuneralhome.com


text:
Brid… August 24, 2009Posted by ZaQ in Readings....
Tags: book, poetry
add a comment
…ge where she walks.
Face of Sorrow
Toc the Younger, Steven Erikson
I have seen the face of sorrow
She looks away in the distance
Across all these bridges
From whence I came
And those spans, trussed and ached
Hold up our lives as we go back again
To how we thought then
To how we through we thought then
I have seen sorrow's face,
But she is ever turned away
And her words leave me blind
Her eyes make me mute
I do not understand what she says to me
I do not know if to obey
Or attempt a flood of tears
I have seen her face
She does not speak
She does not weep
She does not know me
For I am but a stone fitted in place
On the bridge where she walks
great poem, great book :p
High… March 11, 2009Posted by ZaQ in Readings....
Tags: poetry
2 comments
The Highwayman
Alfred Noyes
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding-
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
He'd a French cocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin,
A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doe-skin;
They fitted with never a wrinkle: his boots were up to the thigh!
And he rode with a jewelled twinkle,
His pistol butts a-twinkle,
His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky.
Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard,
And he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred;
He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Bess, the landlord's daughter,
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.
And dark in the old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked
Where Tim the ostler listened; his face was white and peaked;
His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay,
But he loved the landlord's daughter,
The landlord's red-lipped daughter,
Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say-
"One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night,
But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;
Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,
Then look for me by moonlight,
Watch for me by moonlight,
I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way."
He rose upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand,
But she loosened her hair i' the casement! His face burnt like a brand
As the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast;
And he kissed its waves in the moonlight,
(Oh, sweet black waves in the moonlight!)
Then he tugged at his rein in the moonlight, and galloped away to the West.
He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon;
And out o' the tawny sunset, before the rise o' the moon,
When the road was a gipsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor,
A red-coat troop came marching-
King George's men came marching, up to the old inn-door.
They said no word to the landlord, they drank his ale instead,
But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed;
Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at their side!
There was death at every window;
And hell at one dark window;
For Bess could see, through the casement, the road that he would ride.
They had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest;
They bound a musket beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast!
"Now keep good watch!" and they kissed her.
She heard the dead man say-
Look for me by moonlight;
Watch for me by moonlight;
I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way!
She twisted her hands behind her; but all the knots held good!
She writhed her hands till here fingers were wet with sweat or blood!
They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like
Till, now, on the stroke of midnight,
Cold, on the stroke of midnight,
The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers!
The tip of one finger touched it; she strove no more for the rest!
Up, she stood up to attention, with the barrel beneath her breast,
She would not risk their hearing; she would not strive again;
For the road lay bare in the moonlight;
Blank and bare in the moonlight;
And the blood of her veins in the moonlight throbbed to her love's refrain.
Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs ringing clear;
Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?
Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,
The highwayman came riding,
Riding, riding!
The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up strait and still!
Tlot-tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot-tlot, in the echoing night!
Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light!
Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath,
Then her finger moved in the moonlight,
Her musket shattered the moonlight,
Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him-with her death.
He turned; he spurred to the West; he did not know who stood
Bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood!
Not till the dawn he heard it, his face grew grey to hear
How Bess, the landlord's daughter,
The landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.
Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky,
With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high!
Blood-red were his spurs i' the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat,
When they shot him down on the highway,
Down like a dog on the highway,
And he lay in his blood on the highway, with a bunch of lace at his throat.
And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees,
When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
A highwayman comes riding-
A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door.
Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard,
And he taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred;
He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Bess, the landlord's daughter,
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.
creepy :p
Qu… March 10, 2009Posted by ZaQ in Readings....
Tags: poetry
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…it the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart,
And take thy form from off my door!
–The Raven, Edgar Allen Poe
Ju… April 22, 2008Posted by ZaQ in Readings....
Tags: poetry
add a comment
…st a thought
Emily Dickinson
A Thought Went Up My Mind Today
A thought went up my mind to-day
That I have had before,
But did not finish,-some way back,
I could not fix the year,
Nor where it went, nor why it came
The second time to me,
Nor definitely what it was,
Have I the art to say.
But somewhere in my soul, I know
I've met the thing before;
It just reminded me-'t was all-
And came my way no more.
nice :p
Dark… April 15, 2008Posted by ZaQ in Readings....
Tags: poetry
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…ness is all around :p
Lord Byron
I had a dream, which was not all a dream.
The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars
Did wander darkling in the eternal space,
Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth
Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air;
Morn came and went–and came, and brought no day,
And men forgot their passions in the dread
Of this their desolation; and all hearts
Were chill'd into a selfish prayer for light:
And they did live by watchfires–and the thrones,
The palaces of crowned kings–the huts,
The habitations of all things which dwell,
Were burnt for beacons; cities were consumed,
And men were gathered round their blazing homes
To look once more into each other's face;
Happy were those who dwelt within the eye
Of the volcanos, and their mountain-torch:
A fearful hope was all the world contain'd;
Forests were set on fire–but hour by hour
They fell and faded–and the crackling trunks
Extinguish'd with a crash–and all was black.
The brows of men by the despairing light
Wore an unearthly aspect, as by fits
The flashes fell upon them; some lay down
And hid their eyes and wept; and some did rest
Their chins upon their clenched hands, and smiled;
And others hurried to and fro, and fed
Their funeral piles with fuel, and looked up
With mad disquietude on the dull sky,
The pall of a past world; and then again
With curses cast them down upon the dust,
And gnash'd their teeth and howl'd: the wild birds shriek'd,
And, terrified, did flutter on the ground,
And flap their useless wings; the wildest brutes
Came tame and tremulous; and vipers crawl'd
And twined themselves among the multitude,
Hissing, but stingless–they were slain for food.
And War, which for a moment was no more,
Did glut himself again;–a meal was bought
With blood, and each sate sullenly apart
Gorging himself in gloom: no love was left;
All earth was but one thought–and that was death,
Immediate and inglorious; and the pang
Of famine fed upon all entrails–men
Died, and their bones were tombless as their flesh;
The meagre by the meagre were devoured,
Even dogs assail'd their masters, all save one,
And he was faithful to a corse, and kept
The birds and beasts and famish'd men at bay,
Till hunger clung them, or the dropping dead
Lured their lank jaws; himself sought out no food,
But with a piteous and perpetual moan,
And a quick desolate cry, licking the hand
Which answered not with a caress–he died.
The crowd was famish'd by degrees; but two
Of an enormous city did survive,
And they were enemies: they met beside
The dying embers of an altar-place
Where had been heap'd a mass of holy things
For an unholy usage; they raked up,
And shivering scraped with their cold skeleton hands
The feeble ashes, and their feeble breath
Blew for a little life, and made a flame
Which was a mockery; then they lifted up
Their eyes as it grew lighter, and beheld
Each other's aspects–saw, and shriek'd, and died–
Even of their mutual hideousness they died,
Unknowing who he was upon whose brow
Famine had written Fiend. The world was void,
The populous and the powerful–was a lump,
Seasonless, herbless, treeless, manless, lifeless–
A lump of death–a chaos of hard clay.
The rivers, lakes, and ocean all stood still,
And nothing stirred within their silent depths;
Ships sailorless lay rotting on the sea,
And their masts fell down piecemeal: as they dropp'd
They slept on the abyss without a surge–
The waves were dead; the tides were in their grave,
The moon their mistress had expir'd before;
The winds were withered in the stagnant air,
And the clouds perish'd; Darkness had no need
Of aid from them–She was the Universe.
Chilling stuff :p
Hau… October 16, 2007Posted by ZaQ in Readings....
Tags: poetry
add a comment
…nted Palace
Edgar Allan Poe
The Haunted Palace
In the greenest of our valleys
By good angels tenanted,
Once a fair and stately palace—
Radiant palace—reared its head.
In the monarch Thought's dominion—
It stood there!
Never seraph spread a pinion
Over fabric half so fair!
Banners yellow, glorious, golden,
On its roof did float and flow,
(This—all this—was in the olden
Time long ago),
And every gentle air that dallied,
In that sweet day,
Along the ramparts plumed and pallid,
A winged odor went away.
Wanderers in that happy valley,
Through two luminous windows, saw
Spirits moving musically,
To a lute's well-tuned law,
Bound about a throne where, sitting
In state his glory well befitting,
The ruler of the realm was seen.
And all with pearl and ruby glowing
Was the fair palace door,
Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,
And sparkling evermore,
A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty
Was but to sing,
In voices of surpassing beauty,
The wit and wisdom of their king.
But evil things, in robes of sorrow,
Assailed the monarch's high estate.
(Ah, let us mourn!—for never morrow
Shall dawn upon him desolate !)
And round about his home the glory
That blushed and bloomed,
Is but a dim-remembered story
Of the old time entombed.
And travellers, now, within that valley,
Through the red-litten windows see
Vast forms, that move fantastically
To a discordant melody,
While, like a ghastly rapid river,
Through the pale door
A hideous throng rush out forever
And laugh—but smile no more.


text:
A dad who builds 3D-printed arms in his garage workshop has created a specially adapted bicycle for children missing an upper limb.
Adam Dengel, 30, created his first DIY limb in his bedroom for son Thomas, four, who was born without a hand.
He has since set up a charity and made superhero-themed prosthetics free of charge for children around the world.
For his latest project, he plans to surprise four children with their own custom-made bikes.
They cost £220 to make and are fitted with an ergonomic cup which allows the rider to reach the handlebars without leaning.
Mr Dengel said the modification makes the bikes safer to ride than a normal model.
The parts, like the arms, are created on Mr Dengel's 3D printer in the garage of his home in Royston, Barnsley, which he has converted into a workshop.
"These kids haven't had the best start in life and we wanted to help boost their confidence," he said.
"Plus this gets them outside, riding bikes with other youngsters, and helping them to make friends."
Mr Dengel, 30 and his wife Katie were inspired to help others through their experiences with their son.
Thomas was born with a short forearm and missing his hand due to amniotic band syndrome – a rare condition where stray bands of tissue wrap around the limbs of an unborn baby and cut off blood flow.
Unhappy with the basic NHS prosthetic, the couple started looking at alternatives and found a charity which made Thomas his first mechanical arm.
This led him to buy his own printer and set about creating a number of colourful, comic book-inspired hands for his son – including his latest Batman-themed prosthetic.
Through the couple's charity LimbBo Foundation, Mr Dengel has so far built 33 personalised arms for children, including youngsters in America and Holland.
"To say we the charity started out as an idea on the sofa we're thrilled with how things have gone," he said.
"We only ever wanted to help other kids like Thomas and it gives us so much pleasure to know we're doing that."
Source of the article: BBC News


text:
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text:
Today we added the level of difficulty 😀 We created a schematic for displaying two digit numbers from 0 – 99 using 2 seven segments and 2 shift registers 😉
Setting up the class 🙂
All set up! Raul (on the right arrived very early ;))
Before class started Clarence showed his wifi detecting with espectro project. He had successfully display it to LCD 🙂
The LCD displays the wifi ID the device is connected to and the signal strength, plus the number and average strength of other wifis detected in range 🙂
A closer look
At the end of the class Clarence showed that had successfully display sensor readings from LDR in numbers and progress bar 🙂 Good work Clarence! 😉
Hello Areli! Welcome back little buddy 😉
Areli had to catch up with the class after missed it for several weeks and he finished the schematic for one digit 🙂 Good work! We will create the 2 digits next week okay? 😉
Ren! Never fails 😉
Ren's worked just fine 🙂 Keep the wiring because we're going to add some sensors next week 🙂
Hello Farrell!
Ok Farrell was in the mood today! Great 🙂
He put almost all of sensors he got on his breadboard LOL but the schematic worked 🙂
A closer look of how messy the breadboard looked 😀
Farrell tried to add one seven segment and one shift register but after seeing those cables doubling up the mess he decided to continue that at home or next week 😀
Raul! He hated that he had to do what we did last week but when he knew that this one would be able to display 2 digits instead of 1, he agreed to proceed 😀
The wires! 😀
Raul's worked straight away 🙂 The first in the class 🙂
Hello Cinta 🙂
Cinta did the catching up eagerly today 🙂
Yay it worked! Next week we'll do the 2 digits! 😉
Capt. Malik was a bit frustrated after weeks having problems with his gyroscope library. Apparently because he had compiled lots of projects, there are two Arduino libraries folder in the system that keeps conflicting. We should clean it up and re-install Arduino. Hope it will work, otherwise our Air Drum project will be pending again 😦
The class 🙂
We will do more complex but more fun project next week 😉


text:
LONDON (Reuters) - Sterling traded below $1.25 on Thursday, little changed, after new Prime Minister Boris Johnson filled his cabinet with Brexiteers and promised he would take Britain out of the European Union on Oct. 31 with or without a transition deal.
Johnson met his Brexiteer-dominated team of senior ministers for the first time on Thursday to plan how to persuade the EU to agree to a new withdrawal deal.
He told parliament that the Irish border backstop would have to be struck out of the divorce agreement if there was to be an orderly exit with a deal.
Johnson's victory in the Conservative Party leadership contest was largely priced into sterling. It has lost more than 5% of its value since early May and recently touched a 27-month low against the dollar and a six-month low versus the euro. A small recovery since was caused largely by profit-taking from investors who had shorted the currency.
"Sentiment towards the pound doesn't seem to have improved – on the contrary, three-month risk reversals continue to decline, showing that people are getting increasingly negative on the currency," said Marshall Gittler, a currencies analyst at ACLS Global.
"So I believe this is just a temporary respite and I remain long-term bearish on GBP."
Attention now turns to whether Johnson will follow through on his rhetoric about trying to extract more concessions from the EU, and taking Britain out of the EU in October without a deal if he cannot achieve that.
The EU has so far repeatedly said it will not rewrite the withdrawal agreement, but it has said it could change a so- called political declaration on future ties.
Sterling edged up 0.2% to $1.2502.
Against a euro that rebounded across the board after the European Central Bank was not as dovish in its monetary policy stance as some had expected, the pound slipped 0.3% to 89.485 pence.
Reporting by Tommy Wilkes; Editing by Larry King and Frances Kerry


text:
Anyone planning to wade through the vast outpouring of literature on the First World War might do well to make July Crisis their first port-of-call. Thomas Otte's book is the meticulously-researched story of how and, most importantly, why the 1914 bloodbath happened.
None of the pre-war decision-makers, as the author points out, desired a European conflict. But individually, after a long period of more or less uninterrupted peace, they had lost what Henry Kissinger once called 'the sense of the tragic'. With that loss, nearly a century of peace came to a violent end and the self-destruction of Europe as the powerhouse of world politics began.
What makes July Crisis different from other books about the period leading up to war is its multilateral approach. Rather than focus on one or two countries, it explores the dynamic of relations between the six great powers of the day. Beyond that, it probes into the decision-making processes in the different capitals, how problems were perceived, how possible responses were formulated, and how such policies were then applied.
The absence of strategic leadership in most countries in 1914 is one of the big themes of the book. 'It therefore operates at two levels,' Otte observes, 'the systemic that looks at the interaction between the powers, and the level of individuals. It is that strange dialogue between the system and the actions of individuals that lies at the heart of the book.'
The author maintains that the First World War was not inevitable, and different outcomes were possible at different stages of the crisis. These are explored in the book, which also examines the geopolitical shift in power from Germany to Russia in 1913-1914, and so redresses some of the obsession with the Kaiser's ships. However, the multilateral approach is not used to absolve the powers from degrees of responsibility for the escalation of the crisis and the descent into war by blaming abstract systemic constraints.
Otte advances three explanations for the ongoing preoccupation of scholars and the wider public with the war and its origins. First, the Great War rocked the sense of security, prosperity, and progress that had sustained the self-confidence of Europe. Second, its effect was a profound transformation of European society and culture, indeed of world politics, in the years following the armistice. And third, a kind of 'world war of the documents' began in 1919 in the form of peace treaties foisted on the defeated nations which attributed to them responsibility for starting the war.
It is important to understand that ab
These were individuals acting in response to external and internal stimuli, and to perceived opportunities and threats. Their hawkish or dovish views on the realities of international politics, and how they manoeuvred in the space given to them within the existing political arrangements in their respective countries, hold the key to understanding the war's origins. The real explanation for nearly 40 million military and civilian casualties during the war are to be found, Otte tells us, in the near-collective failure of statecraft by the rulers of Europe.
The author offers a close examination of who took decisions, how they took them, and why. At the heart of the book lies that strange dialogue between the broader system of great-power politics and the actions of individuals. This is part of the book's originality; while placing the events of 1914 in the context of the existing alliance structures, accepted norms of international behaviour, and notions of national honour, the focus is on the role of these individual decision-makers.
Military factors did not dictate the course of events, and even at the end of July 1914 the interlocking nature of different mobilisations can be exaggerated. Military factors did, however, shape some general assumptions: some of the calmer diplomatic heads in Europe – in Britain, Russia, Germany, and France – believed the prospect of war would act as a deterrent to taking matters to an extreme. In that assumption they were quite wrong.
The only two statesmen to emerge from this tragedy of errors with their reputations relatively unscathed were British Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey and the German diplomat Karl Max Prince von Lichnowsky. Both men clearly perceived that Europe was rushing headlong into catastrophe. Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in June 1914, Grey attempted in vain to mediate the conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia.
Grey famously remarked, standing at a window of the Foreign Office at dusk, 'The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them again in our time.' For his part, Lichnowsky was the only senior German diplomat to raise objections to his country's efforts to provoke an Austro-Serbian war.
There remains the issue of what lessons are to be learnt from the July 1914 catastrophe. Otte rightly questions whether history teaches any at all. The author argues that the international landscape of 1914 looks more familiar to us today than the more recent 1970s or 1980s.
But one must tread cautiously when attempting to force parallels with events today. 'If there are any lessons, it is above all the need for clear strategic thinking and consistent strategic leadership in foreign policy,' he says. 'Those responsible for framing and executing foreign policy need to be sensitive to the broader sweep of history, and they need to be able to appreciate how any given international problem fits into a wider set of international issues.'
Bringing Great War lessons up-to-date, the author says, when dealing with a problem like Crimea and Ukraine, it is of vital importance to consider a number of broader issues: the future security architecture of Eastern Europe, the roles of Germany and Russia (historically the relationship between the two has been central to the international order in the East), the place of Russia in international politics, and the potential of the various points at issue in Ukraine to affect other international problems, such as the Iranian nuclear issue.
'The Great War teaches anyone prepared to ponder its meaning that human judgment is frail, and it seems to me that politicians would do well to consider that they may get things wrong,' Otte says.
The tragic consequences of lurching blindly into confrontation were recognised in the 18th century by Alexander Hamilton, George Washington's chief-of-staff in the American War of Independence, who observed, 'When the sword is once drawn, the passions of men observe no bounds of moderation.'
Bringing the war's consequences closer to our day, Otte cites the case of Osama bin Laden, who sought to justify the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US with reference to the Muslim community 'tasting this humiliation and contempt for more than 80 years' – by which he meant the dissolution of the Caliphate in the aftermath of the First World War.
July Crisis: the world's descent into war, summer 1914
T G Otte
Cambridge University Press, £25
This article appeared in issue 45 of Military History Monthly.


text:
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The rise of email marketing is no secret. It's not just the brands responsible for sending those emails that know that, we all do. Every day, email users are inundated with dozens (if not more) emails from marketing lists that you knowingly or unknowingly have subscribed to.
Interestingly, the surge of email from companies has actually transformed the way that people interpret the printed mail they receive. A study by Royal Mail found that 70% of consumers feel that they receive too many emails. In turn, printed mail is viewed as a more trusted and reliable source once again.
Research into this subject was conducted by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Royal Mail. In the DMA's study, they analyzed response rates and transactional data from marketing companies Bizo and Epsilon. Royal Mail conducted 18-month, in-depth investigation of consumer behavior and attitudes towards mail and other media.
Let's take a look at their key findings to compare the benefits and drawbacks of direct mail and email:
Evidently, there are strong benefits and drawbacks for each form of communication. Which is more memorable? Research by neuro-marketing firm TrueImpact found that brand recall for digital ads was just 44%, compared to 75% for direct mail.
Each method can lead to great results, particularly if executed well and chosen appropriately based on the content of the message.
Customers have expectations and preferences for which medium should deliver which message from businesses they connect with.
Although these may vary by industry or business case, we've categorized common messages that work well for printed mail and email.
|Direct Mail
Take note, a survey by Epsilon found that 59% of Americans and 66% of Canadians stated that they enjoy getting printed mail from brands about new products. For email, those numbers fall to 43% and 53% respectively. Furthermore, Royal Mail found that people value mail that they can touch 24% higher than mail they could only see.
That's key. Any message that you share with customers says something about your brand. If the medium of your message affects the perceived value of you or your offer, it will influence purchase decisions as well.
In addition to the content of your message, there are other factors to consider when deciding whether to mail or email your customers.
Is the message time sensitive? Do you have a strict budget? Does your industry carry a print vs. digital expectation? Have your customers expressed a preference? How much time is needed for customers to comprehend the message? What data is important to track? How important is the message to customers? What action will customers take? Do you have a good mailing list?
Of course, there are many circumstances where a combination of direct mail and email is the best method.
Take the advertisement of a great promotion you're offering, for example. On printed letterhead or postcards, you're giving customers the time to check out the product imagery, consider the offer, and add it to the bulletin board to keep the promotion dates as a reminder. In emails, you're instilling the message wherever they are, staying top of mind, and giving them a direct purchase path to your ecommerce site.
Company news, product launches, account updates – these are all opportune messages for a combination of direct mail and email.
Printed letters and business communications are far from obsolete. As research has shown, each of them hold incredible value, and that value isn't necessarily the same as it was 15 or 20 years ago. No matter what mix of direct mail and email you test, have measurement strategies in place and closely examine the results.
For the printed materials, choose high-quality letterhead, envelopes and postcards to give a great impression.
Topics: marketing, business tips
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