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Charter's VOD Lessons
Charter Communications Inc. has hit its share of bumps on the VOD road. The MSO was one of the first to roll out video-on-demand four years ago, using Diva Corp. technology and software. But when Diva went belly up, the MSO had to scramble to bring VOD in house, and transition subscribers with as little disruption as possible.
Soon after, the MSO was hit with acute financial problems and upper-level corporate turmoil. While the company soldiered on, launching VOD service in new markets, the business never quite hit its stride.
Now, CEO Carl Vogel's management team is in place, including Kip Simonson, senior vice president of sales and marketing, who oversees VOD. And Charter has redesigned its strategy to move its on-demand service to the next level.
The Diva launch and ensuing internal relaunch predated Simonson's arrival. "The product wasn't quite as stable, and we didn't market much of it," he said. "We had a four-month ugly transition time. Our VOD buy rates and usage rates lagged the industry, and we weren't marketing it much.
"We had made the same mistake as most of the industry," he continued. "Everybody was searching for the pot of gold — and the pot of gold is movies-on-demand."
To Simonson, the formula is easy: follow the money. "The money is going to Blockbuster and Hollywood Video," he said. In fact, Simonson once worked in the home-video business, before joining the cable industry.
Slowly, that is changing. Charter has VOD deals with all the major studios, he said, save for Walt Disney Co. TVN Entertainment Corp. handles much of the product procurement and transmission for Charter's VOD business.
Simonson said that Charter doesn't have the early distribution windows to really make hit movies a big business. "New releases are what drive the business." Still, Charter is seeing the benefit of efforts to reduce windows to 37 or even 30 days. "We are seeing the same shrinkage in windows. But that's not something we can market. When we have day and date, then we can message it."
And while others have looked to free-on-demand to boost VOD, Simonson believes, there is a better focus, while waiting for hit movie windows to change.
"When I looked at the technology, I think we focused on the wrong portion," he said. "[Subscription-VOD] lagged movies-on-demand, and that to me seemed like a big miss. In the digital world, 70% to 80% of customers have at least one premium service, but only 30% to 40% of digital customers buy [pay-per-view]."
The answer, he said, was to push premium VOD, in the form of SVOD, to retain and even gain digital customers. Simons set out last year to renegotiate his premium deals to offer SVOD as part of current premium packaging. Although Charter tested $3.95 and $4.95 packages in St. Louis and Greenville, S.C., the goal was to have SVOD priced into the overall premium package.
Charter was having close to the same success rates as others who had launched a la carte. "But most of us have never a la cart-ed anything beyond 30%. SVOD and VOD are the two biggest competitive advantages that we have over satellite. They can't do them, and we're making them available to only a small subset of our subscriber base."
After reworking the premium deals, Charter rolled out on-demand offerings from Home Box Office, Cinemax and Showtime in December and January and Starz On Demand in April and May. And although it's a bit early to discern telltale results, Simonson pointed to Charter's first-quarter statistics, which show that digital subscriptions rose and basic-subscriber losses were sharply reduced. "SVOD has dramatically increased users and usage," he said. And SVOD could help Charter elevate premium package pricing over time, as long as penetration figures aren't getting hurt.
Over a decade ago, cable introduced multiplexing, which helped stem erosion in the premium business. "We believe the phenomenon will happen again with SVOD," he said. "The value of the product has increased dramatically." Compared to DBS, he said, "HBO is a lot better on cable now" with HBO On Demand.
The emphasis on SVOD and hit movies does not mean Charter has abandoned free-on-demand. It does carry free product in about half its markets, focused on Rainbow Media Holdings Inc.'s unique Mag Rack content, "but we're not filling our servers with FOD."
The FOD averages about 55 to 60 hours, Charter said. In addition to Mag Rack, Charter also carries some TV Guide content, trailers and studio extra material.
But Simonson also is looking to bolster FOD with unique programming. One is local sports. "If we produce a high school football game on our local origination channel, at some point we could encode that game and carry it on VOD," he said. Charter is considering the addition of such features.
It is also exploring deals with TV stations that have top-rated local newscasts to encode the newscast and carry it on VOD after it airs live.
What's more, Charter is looking to beef up its educational and kids $4.95 a month VOD package. It carries a batch of kids' content, including PBS fare, from TVN. "That balances the value of on-demand for the whole house," Simonson said. "It's nice to have, and there is a target market."
Charter is rolling out HDTV, but it's taking a wait-and-see attitude on HD VOD. The thinking is there is only a fraction of the people with HDTV sets and a fraction of those interested in VOD. Since it's a relatively small fraction today, HD DVR could do the trick.
A vibrant VOD platform can help cable win back customers from direct-broadcast satellite. So far, Simonson said, "local HDTV is the No. 1 reason for satellite customers to be switching back." But VOD also is in that mix, he said. "The proof in the pudding will be in digital churn and basic net gains. Our digital churn is significantly lower than rest of industry."
"In the early days, people left cable for DBS because they perceived it was a better product," Simonson said. "But in the second-generation products, we are beating, or we are the only product." And that includes not only local HD and VOD, but interactive TV, which is available to 1 million Charter subscribers. Charter will add some new VOD markets this year, Simonson said. "As we get scale and the costs come down, we'll deploy it deeper. We're focusing on figuring out ways to shorten the windows with the goal to get to day and date."
"From my prospective, coming out of the video-rental business, movies-on-demand is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow," he said. The $9 billion spent on movie rentals could flow to VOD. "Today's PPV buyers still rent three to four movies at the video store. Availability and windows, it's a chicken-and-egg kind of thing."
"But with the things we have in the arsenal versus the competition we're in great position," he concluded. "We just have to execute and take advantage of it."
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By Jack Reid


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A review of the 2018 market combined with projections for 2019 has left even the most sophisticated participants in the retail industry puzzled over the direction of future activity. The impact of various changes in the market affected the mindset of several businesses. These changes include but are not limited to:
- government interventions – increased taxes, obligation for business to pay MSP premiums on behalf of employees, and increased minimum wage;
- higher interest rates;
- substantially higher construction costs;
- commercial property taxes that continue to increase;
- reduced inflow of international investment capital; and
- slowed residential market.
Specific to the retail sector, some retail properties in secondary markets lurched and stumbled under the weight of vacancies left by another high-profile, national-chain department store closure. Sears ceased operations of 13 stores in B.C. in January 2018, less than three years after Target Canada closed 17 B.C. stores in April, 2015.
In secondary markets, backfilling those 100,000-square-foot plus vacancies has been a challenge. Markets like Salmon Arm, Campbell River and even Kamloops and Prince George might have stable local economies and retail sales growth, but large anchor tenants in Canada are rare. They are already in most of the markets that can support them, and they expand carefully and slowly. Often, smaller markets are not of interest.
However, other shopping mall properties have experienced major reinvestment geared towards capturing new local residents in condominium towers.
In Metro Vancouver, the Target and Sears closings were considered a benefit to most mall properties, because either the stores were re-tenanted quickly with true "anchor" retailers or the leases were bought back by the landlords to make way for higher-rent-paying tenants, or major redevelopment. Guildford Town Centre, Oakridge Centre, Lansdowne Centre, Brentwood Town Cetre, Lougheed Town Centre, Metropolis at Metrotown and Richmond Centre, to name a few, are either planning or undergoing anchor or full redevelopment in the coming years. While the heyday for new mall development has passed, the era for the densification of underutilized retail (and parking space) is upon us.
Looking ahead to 2019, B.C. retailers will be eagerly anticipating the ramp-up in hiring and spending throughout the province, from the $40 billion LNG Canada terminal in Kitimat to the nearly $4 billion SkyTrain extension from Commercial Drive to Vancouver's west side and University district.
These megaprojects, coupled with large-scale real estate development projects and B.C.'s always-robust population growth, are expected to result in a strong 2019 for retail in the province. B.C. will handily lead all provinces in annual sales growth rate, once again flirting with 8 per cent to 10 per cent growth.
The wealth effect
Retail sales in Metro Vancouver now top $40 billion per year – almost half of the province's $85 billion. Since 2015, however, retail sales growth in the Metro region has slowed to a more sustainable 7 per cent in 2018, compared with 11.1 per cent in 2015.
The psychological effect of the slowing housing market and lower property values reduces consumers' perceived wealth, which can reduce retail expenditures. One of the unintended effects and clearest indications of this is the growing street-front vacancies on Vancouver's west side.
To date, Vancouver's west side and parts of Robson Street downtown have seen prolonged vacancies, while Cambie Street, Main Street, Commercial Drive and Gastown in East Vancouver are showing strong leasing activity.
There is no better example than Vancouver's west side, where Oakridge Centre is set to undergo one of Canada's most ambitious urban redevelopments, while nearby street-front retailers on West 10th, West Broadway and in Kerrisdale buckle under high taxes, increasing wage costs, and soaring rents – conditions that once were overcome with growing sales.
Previous: Hotel market
Next: Vancouver office market

subset: commoncrawl


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"O-boy check the place out," Chuks exclaimed.
"It's as if they have all the guns in the world inside here," Segun said, admiring the hall at the shooting range.
When they arrived, they had seen many people waiting in the reception, both men and women, in a place that was more a hall than a room, with showcases taller than a person standing on two legs. After their registration and other details had been confirmed, all of them— almost twenty-five by Chuks' rough count —had been led farther into the hall. A man had presented a young lady he said was going to be their teacher.
"Good day ladies and gentlemen," he'd said. The man had worn a long-sleeved white shirt on blue trousers that had a camouflage pattern like those that soldiers had on their uniforms, with boots that seemed to be twin to the same kind that military men wore. The man even had a military-like bearing, and the clothes themselves seemed to be a kind of uniform, because he had seen men and women walk into the building wearing the exact same thing.
"This is Instructor Maryanne Okolo, who will be teaching your class. She is a very good instructor, so feel free to ask her any questions, okay?"
"Yes sir," they chorused.
The young woman who was going to be their teacher, at least, didn't wear an army uniform look-alike. She looked to be about twenty-six, twenty-seven, and wore a pair of recommended glasses. She held a white tablet in one hand. She looked like someone in maybe three-hundred, four-hundred level that taught in a secondary school and not at all like she worked in a shooting range. Chuks had to wonder how she would manage to teach a class of almost thirty adults, most of whom were her age or older.
When she talked, she revealed a set of straight, perfectly white teeth.
"Okay guys, welcome to Star Ranges Nigeria. As Instructor Makinde said, I will be your class instructor, and I hope we— "
The teacher's voice was cut off by a loud crack.Everyone turned back to look at a wide corridor just opposite the entrance to the hall where the sound seemed to have come from. Chuks had heard something like that before. Was that gunfire?
The startling realization had only just hit him before more gunfire erupted, a steady stream of it, like multiple bangers going off at once. Everybody ran away from it, both of them included. Gunfire? Were these people mad?
"Everyone, come back, please," Maryanne said calmly. "This is a firing range. That means we have guns." Well, that bit was true, Chuks acknowledged from where he stood among the rest at what seemed like a safe distance. "You should have known before you enrolled. But there are also safety protocols, so everybody please come back." She was beginning to sound annoyed.
They all came back to where she stood, but only because the shooting had stopped.
"The instruction for new Buttercup enrolees is that we take a tour of the guns in here," she continued, as if there hadn't been shooting just few seconds ago. "If you'll all please come this way, we shall start."
She led them down into a row of the tall glass showcases, and Chuks saw that they were filled with guns. The showcases lined the left side and the right side of the hall with a wide walkway in-between, and all of them held weapons of one kind or the other.
Visit www.pobsonline.com for more amazing stories
"Let's start with the oldest kind of weapons we have in here, shotguns. A shotgun is one step above the dane gun many of you might know. In the shotgun category we have the Mossberg 500 pump shotgun. It is called "pump" because of the way the shotgun works. Please bring it out for me."
The person she had spoken to was a guy in something that looked like a LAWMA janitor's jumpsuit, with the difference that it was grey in colour instead of orange, and on the breast had STAR RANGES written under some kind of blue circle logo.
The guy slid back a wide slot in the glass and brought out the weapon. Those closest to the teacher moved backward unconsciously as he did, obviously afraid of the the gun. Chuks and his friend did as well. No be like say I dey fear, but. . . He wasn't about to get himself shot in the name of coming to a firing range.
Maryanne smiled when she saw their reaction, once again flashing those perfect white teeth. She deftly took the weapon from the guy in the janitor's uniform.
"There's nothing for you to be afraid of. This is a unloaded weapon. Now, let's imagine you want to shoot something."
She aimed the gun at a girl at the front and pulled the trigger. The girl actually jumped and ran away from the group. Some people laughed nervously. Chukwudi wasn't part of those people. Adrenaline was surging through his veins. Segun looked at him, a look of alarm on his face. He too had thought their teacher had actually shot that girl.
"Why are you running away? Come back, now, I told you it's not loaded." The girl really looked scared, holding a hand tight to her chest as if her heart was about to fall out. "Sorry for scaring you. What's your name?"
"Keziah," she said, eyeing the weapon in fear and edging away from it.
"I'm sorry I scared you, Keziah." At least she seemed to mean it. Keziah nodded, not taking her eyes off the heavy black gun for one second. "When I said it was unloaded, I meant there's no round inside it. It cannot do anything to you. "But just imagine you have fired it. Can you do that?" All of them nodded eagerly. "Okay. So once you have fired it, you just do it like this."
The shotgun had two barrels, one on top of the other. It was the second one that she held, sliding it back to reveal a small hole, then sliding it forward again. The metallic cha-cha it made was exactly as it was in the action films he had seen.
"That is called "reloading". You have to do it each time you fire. If you hate manual reloading, then you'll love the Atchisson Assault shotgun also known as AA-12, a fully automated shotgun with 5-round boxmagazine, 20-round drummagazine, gas-operated automatic fire and a cyclic rate of fire at 360 rounds per minute, or RPM," she said, pointing up at another shotgun up near the top of the showcase. He could literally see the minds of those closest to him spinning.
The entire showcase seemed to be filled with different variations of the same kind of gun.
"Trust me, you need to see it in action. Now, don't look confused, you'll be trained on how to use it in due course. This is just a tour.
"Over here we have the rifle section so everyone move over, please."
She handed the shotgun back to the janitor, then turned and walked on to the next showcase. The rest of them followed.


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Marjorie J (Marinucci) Feccia, 82, of Milford, MA passed away Saturday, July 30th 2016 at the Milford Regional Medical Center after a period of declining health. She was the beloved wife of Guido J Feccia who died in 1982. Marjorie was born and raised in Walpole, daughter of the late Emilio and Mary (Areano) Marinucci. Marjorie started as a cafeteria worker in the Milford school system. She finished her career as a Food Service Director for the town of Millis. She loved the opportunity to provide the best meals for the school children particularly with coordinating the yearly picnic in the park. Marjorie was a longtime communicant of Sacred Heart Church. She loved to crochet, had a wonderful knack for baking & cooking and traveled whenever possible.
Marjorie is survived by her 3 children: Dr. Robert Feccia and his wife Dr. Barbara Avellini of Northborough, Debbie Arnold and her husband Kevin of Pahrump, NV, and Lisa Sannicandro and her husband Louis of Blackstone. 6 grandchildren, Steve Feccia, Jeff Feccia, Kristen Feccia, Eric Arnold, Ashley Arnold and Jared Sannicandro, 1 great grandchild Jack Arnold and several nieces and nephews. She was the sister of Madeline Taylor and the late Joseph Marinucci. She was also the longtime companion of the late Othello "Red" Biagetti.
Her funeral will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016 at 9AM, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10AM at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, in Milford. Burial will follow in the parish cemetery. Visiting hours at the Consigli-Ruggerio Funeral Home, 46 Water St., Milford, MA, on Tuesday afternoon, 4-8PM.
Robert, Lisa, and Debbie,
Please accept our deepest condolences for your loss. May you be comforted by the outpouring of love surrounding you.
Farah, Adam, and Irene Feccia
My sincerest condolence on the loss of your mom. The pain of her loss will take time to heal, but the memories will last forever. May she now rest in peace.
Marty Longo
Hi Lisa:
My deepest sympathies to you and your family. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Love and Peace,
Bobbie Frye
I extend my sympathies to you and your family. May you find comfort in each other's love and in the memories of your mother.
Rich DeMuro
So sorry to hear of your loss Lisa. You were such a devoted daughter.
Nancy Durbano
My deepest sympathy goes out to you and your family. God Bless you all and may Mom be at eternal peace.
Lorene Boucher
Please be patient. It takes up to 15 minutes for your message to appear in the guestbook.


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i woke facing the corner with my computer and i had googled "how to put out a fire" i am so scared to turn around
You must be Logged in to post a comment
Said the idiot with a can of gas in his hand
Whoo Denver!
Don't take TFLN so fuckin serious, it's here for humor, asswipe. Grow up, sir.
That's because when you turn around, you'll find that you're DEAD!
LMAO that made me laugh
That was some funny ass shitt!!!
Only in Colorado
That made me laugh!!
How do u post a tfln?
Hahahaha that's so funny
1208 you're stupid shit. This is funny regardless of fake or real.
sorry this is stupid shit.
Anyone who thinks this is funny probably cracks himself up when he farts and burps. Bunchadumbshits!!!!


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New York State's legislative session ended for the year in the early hours of Friday, with three key fashion industry bills not yet signed into law.
This year has seen a wave of regulatory pushes in New York from advocates in the fashion industry, with proposed bills covering a range of topics from chemical safety to labour protections for fashion models and creatives. It follows a landmark bill signed into law in California's state senate last year, which clamped down on exploitative piece-rate pay in the state's garment sector and pushed liability onto brands for poor practices in their California supply chains. A federal bill made in its image, dubbed the FABRIC Act, has since been introduced to US Congress.
In New York, a bill to prohibit apparel's use of PFAS — a class of substances also known as "forever chemicals" that can pose serious health risks — is furthest along in the legislative process, having passed both the senate and assembly late last month. It now only needs approval by Governor Kathy Hochul.
The New York Fashion Act introduced in January this year would require companies with revenues of over $100 million doing business in New York to disclose environmental performance, climate target-setting and supply chain due diligence. But it is still several steps away from passing.
The Fashion Workers Act, announced by Model Alliance leader Sara Ziff in March, seeks to regulate the often exploitative practices of employment and payment for models and other creatives at the hands of agencies. Similar to the New York Fashion Act, it has yet to reach the senate and assembly floors.
The bills must now await next year's session, due to commence in January, but lobbying to get them across the line in 2023 continues.
"The work doesn't end just because the session ends," said Maxine Bédat, director of New Standard Institute, a non-profit which spearheaded The Fashion Act. "The work continues in terms of building that consensus [among state senators], and getting it to a place … where it can be in a position to be passed."
Learn more:
New York Fashion Act to Test Brands' Appetite for Sustainability Regulation
Stella McCartney is among the backers of a new bill introduced in New York that could step up disclosure and due diligence requirements for brands operating in the key market.
Credit: Source link


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Sold by the foot, or bundled in common lengths with steel quick-links. Our 3/8 chain is Grade 70 transport-rated, which is very hard (though not quite bulletproof) and the 3/16 chain is grade 30, which is still stronger than most chain sold in home improvement stores.
Bundles- Two 24" chains and a pair of steel quick-links will make hanging your targets easier. Choose from heavy 3/8" or lighter 3/16"; the heavy chain mates with the 1/2" bolts that come with our Standard and Thicker Gongs, the lighter chain works well with the quicklinks that come with our thinner rimfire targets.
These chain sets work well with our BearClaw tree hanger, 2x2 Stand, 2x4 Stand, Conduit Kit, or your home-made target-hanging system. Here's a bunch of ways to hang or mount targets.
A word about chain sizes: the dimension refers to the thickness of the metal from which the chain is made, so 3/8" chain is made from 3/8"-thick steel, and the hole in the middle is about 1/2". The finer 3/16" chain has a 3/8" opening. Was that helpful or more confusing... see drawings :-)


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Malta Fashion Week is here and how excited am I! Day 1 was a great start with three fashion shows by Rosemarie Abela, Architecture in Fashion and Drew and Crew. I met so many friends, fellow bloggers and influencers and got to meet some of my blog followers in person. I did enjoy every second!
This is the outfit I wore for the first day. Inspired by Greek goddesses, this long, flowy, coral coloured dress, designed by NILARA was a perfect way to start with an elegant dress, colourful and vibrant to reflect my passion towards fashion and the arts. I love the back detail very much. I accessorised it with beautiful coral and diamond earrings and gold accessories from GABA and a beautiful purse from PORTO.
I shot these pics at the entrance to the Malta Fashion Week venue, Fort St Elmo where there is currently a display of sexy Range Rovers and Jaguars, Muscats Motors being one of the main sponsors this year. You know I love my cars too and host the TV programme Acceler8 so all in all a great start! Check out all my Instagram stories to see the videos of all the shows available for you for 24 hours!
Send you much love as I am off to prepare for another busy day here in Malta! #MFWA19
Best Regards,
Dress: NILARA
Jewellery: GABA
Purse: PORTO
Photos courtesy of Mark Soler Ms Photography


text: Larry Jorgense 0 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Wondering how Evernote did not sync new notes but sync new tags created during a session? I added an extensive amount of information related to forward planning and lost it all due to a syncing error except tags created during that session. How is this possible? This occurred over Dec 29 - 31. Link to comment


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A cross-continental blend of flavours, techniques and ingredients brings together the best fusion has to offer, an Indian spiced Korean-style burrito!
When I first had a 'korrito' here in Hong Kong, I fell in love with it! It was a much lighter version of the traditional burrito. I wanted to remake it, so I did…with a few desi twists.
Aloo bhujia is an Indian dry snack made with spices, herbs, boiled potato and chickpea flour. It's used as a topping for many Indian street dishes as it adds that extra crunch and zing!
I think the whole combination is insanely yum. Who would have ever thought of blending the traditional Kimbap into a burrito, with seaweed, gojuchang sauce, and an Indian spiced snack would make a delicious dish! Well, here it is!
Don't forget to tag me or send me your recreations if you make this. I would love to share!
- Julienne cut the following vegetables to fill ¼ of a cup:
- Yellow peppers
- Carrots
- Green lettuce/spinach or salad leaves
- Red cabbage
- 3 long strips of soft tofu, pan fried and crispy
- Handful of aloo bhujia (optional)
- 1 yakitori seaweed sheet (unsalted)
- 1 tbsp of vegan mayo
- 1 tbsp of gojuchang sauce (or Sriracha)
- 1 cup of cooked white or brown rice
- Mix the mayo and gojuchang together. Keep aside
- Place the seaweed sheet over a bamboo sushi mat.
- Layer the white rice on the ¾ of the seaweed sheet. The remaining ¼ has to be on the top edge, rather than the edge closest to you. Ensure it is a 1cm thick layer of rice.
- Lightly brush the gojuchang mayo sauce over the rice. You can add more as per your taste.
- Layer the green lettuce over the sauce.
- In the centre of the sheet, line the cabbage, peppers, and carrots horizontally.
- Stack the strips of tofu in the center, creating a pyramid.
- Sprinkle the aloo bhujia over the vegetable filled sheet.
- Pour more mayo/gochujang sauce over here as a final touch before rolling
- Gently roll the seaweed sheet by lifting the bamboo mat from the bottom edge closest to you, to the opposite top end of the sheet, in one turn. Do not twist the mat continuously to make a swirl. This process needs to be one clean round roll, to make the bottom edge of the rice meet with the top edge of the rice. Then, with the remaining ¼ of the seaweed, continue to roll, to lock the whole roll in place.
- Secure this roll by holding the cylinder in place and gently squeezing it tight.
- Check if everything is in place before removing the bamboo mat.
- Place the roll on the center of the chopping board and slice diagonally with a very sharp knife. Make sure the knife is dry too, any moisture will melt the seaweed, causing it to deflate your roll.
- Serve with the remaining sauce! Enjoy!
All recipes and images are copyright and the intellectual property of 'The Veggie Wifey', and cannot be altered or redistributed for commercial or other purposes.


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Alexander Nikitin, Interview in Moscow, 1992.
Interviewer — Metta Spencer
Nikitin: About three years ago the Center for International and Political Studies was founded here in Moscow to be a non-governmental political consultant agency for the governmental and nongovernmental structures. We are at a period in the history of the Soviet Union where the old structures are not operative anymore. For example, the idea of "hearing" was foreign for the specialists in this country. It was considered to be a Western parliamentary technique … but when the parliament of Russia was reformed it appeared that there was a practical necessity for public control over the political decision-making process, and a necessity for expertise. Unfortunately, the deputies appeared to be absolutely unprepared, green in politics and economics. The head of the defence committee for Moldova is a literary critic by professional training. I can give you hundreds of examples. So people quickly realized that they need some experts around them, but they don't have enough money to spend on expert centres and in some cases they hesitate to confess that they simply don't know how to write a draft of a law or something. That is why the parliament quickly came to be surrounded by a network of foundations and consultants. Some of them want to be used by parliament. And this means that we started two years ago to establish a network of expert structures, which were previously … .
The centre which we created, was …
The initiative was strongly supported by Andrei Melville and Shakhnazarov. The centre was initially supported by the Soviet Political Science Association, which he headed. IMEMO. Professor Kislov and so on.
During these three years we did some projects that are really interesting from the point of view of civil society. The most risky project was the inter-republican (which became international when the USSR split up) consultations on defence and security. This started a year and a half ago. Practically not even a year and a half ago, Gorbachev was insisted that republics behave like republics and nothing more. The Baltic states were the first who started to demand to be treated as independent states. Moscow insisted on consultations. Then we initiated a nongovernmental centre and we intitiated nongovernmental negotiations with Estonia,, they met with the leaders, the commander of the Baltic fleet, etc. Then we did the next step. We brought thirty experts to Tallinn to spend five days with a large group of experts from the Estonian government. It was on all the baskets of the CSCE process. Lawyers, military people, etc. During these five days, … there was a breakthrough.
Then the whole draft of the agenda went simultaneously to the Gorbachev team and to the President of Estonia. The negotiations were the next stage. When we came back to Moscow we had trouble pushing through the ideas here. The Estonians were eager to be part of negotiations, but Moscow — the official delegation sent by Gorbachev — tried to maneouvre. One official told us: "frankly speaking, we have to waste as much time as possible until Gorbachev tells us to go ahead. "
We were not working for the benefit of Russia or Estonia. The nongovernmental force was recognized as a mediator. Then we contacted Lithuania. The Minister of Defence of Lithuania came to this office. We were elaborating the idea of negotiating the withdrawal of the of the army from the Baltic states. Again, that was the time when this was considered a very problematic issue. Right here you see the volumes, thousands of pages of transcripts. Divided by republics. During 8 months, once a month we created a community of people from the different former republics, who knew each other personally, who knew each other's phone and fax numbers, and who were responsible for resolving army and military disputes. That, we consider an achievement in itself because the relations between the former republics of the Soviet Union, we were ideologically concentrated. People were very ideological about the necessity of pushing for the interests of Ukraine or __, and in the international relations between Russia and America or Germany, everything is already — people are already quite practical about national interests. But here, there is not any concept of national interest, neither in Russia nor in the large states like Ukraine or Lithuania.
Spencer: Extraordinary. Can you explain?
Nikitin: It is simple. The problem is that national interest means knowing what would be the action or the policy which would fulfill the needs of the country. To fulfill the needs of the country you need to try to divide the country from the surrounding, because even if you talk about the economic needs of Ukraine, you never tried that Ukraine would be separate from the Soviet Union. For example, in the sphere of defence, what do you mean about the security of your country which never had a military. Parliamentarians like to force to get closer to the defence situation, it takes months and years. And when time is pressing and you are creating an economy, a defence, etc. nobody has time to sit for months to do normal public hearings and a lot of papers to clarify what will be the necessary financial situation of Russia, etc. Not enough information, not enough initial expertise on the definition of the national interest. This is not because people don't want it but because large nations, such as the United States, spend decades defining and elaborating their interests, and their relations toward NaTO, for example. The same here. I am sure that 5-7 years from now the national interest of Ukraine will be defined much more clearly than now. As for Russia, until now its national interests have been defined as the national interests of the Soviet Union. It was never such a body as the Russian republic. Even in the United Nations, Russia never had a seat. The Soviet Union was Russia. I frankly see attempts to elaborate the national intersts of Russia as an artificial event. I don't believe Russia is a separate body. A lot of effort should be made now to cut the corpse of Russia out of the bigger corpse of the Soviet Union, and this is done quite violently. For example, the creation of the defence ministry of Russia was done by a group of military who were in competition with the old ministry of the Soviet Union. There was no necessity in creating the Russian army, and Yeltsin gave his word to the international community that this will be the last resort when we create the Russian army. But he violated his own words several months later, and definitely not at the point of last resort. Simply when (General Lubinov came?) and wanted nominations, and he said okay, why don't we sign the decreee?
And coming back to the international negotiations, the minister of defence of Moldova, etc. this is the building where these people could meet and discuss on these very painful matters. We used the nongovernmental status and this turned out to be a key.
Spencer: I discussed a few weeks ago with Lindsay Mattison in Washington, who had worked wtih the Soviet Political Science association before. I think he was involved in many of the negotiations with Afghanistan. He made many of the same points.
Nikitin: But non-governmental only became non-governmental about two years ago because before all the agencies were controlled by the central committee of the communist party. It was a strong mechanism for such control. I give you another example. Two years ago we organized several rounds of negotiations between emerging political parties of this country. This was a previous project of mine. Leaders of Christian Democrats, Kadets, Radicals, Anarchists. They met six times in this building, discussing economcis, human rights, and so forth. This is in many cases the only place where they could meet. This is a tremendous ideological issue for the Christian Democrats to go into the territory of the Communists, or vice versa. That is why this was better as a neutral area. That was not easy. First of all, the communist Party was trying to slow the process down. I was called and during three hours, persons were trying to do a brainwash and say that we don't need to do this.
On my own computer I made labels to put all the parties around the table, but for the speaker for the CP it was a huge problem to decide whether he could speak for the Party because…. The person from the Central Committee maybe was a sub-member. .. … For someone to speak for the party, all of them are members, so that was a challenge.
Spencer: Were you a consultant for the Russian government?
Nikitin: Until recently, it was cheap because everything was cheap in this country. We spent some money from the peace fund. We published something. The last brochure is on democratic Russia. This kind of result. All of this is not tremendously expensive. We use the foundations.
Spencer: Tell me a little about Breakthrough.
Nikitin: Hundreds of people participated in it. Initially it started with a phone call from the _____ Hotel in Washington which I did to California. We called, with my colleague Kortunov, and we called our colleagues at Beyond War American non-governmental organization and said, why don't we start working on the _____ published in both countries? The newness of the idea was not only this. … Bring together a team of people who participated in ___ the nuclear weapons from both sides of the plants of the political and legal decisions from the American and Russian side. Thus we appraoched people who had been in charge of Amnerican nuclear missiles — Thayler. Theodore Thaylor. Not Taylor but Thaylor. (or Saylor) and Academician (Roschenbosch??) from the Russian side who was one of the designers of the navigating device for the Soviet nuclear missiles. We brought them together, with Gromyko, son of the foreign minister, and Americans who were with the State department like Bill ____ and others in Moscow and in America. Which means that Americans come for a couple of weeks and communicated directly to the other authors, worked out the ideas for each chpater. It was a complicated forces, which was administered in a new way for us. I appreciate extremely the efforts of Americans who used the American methods of processing knowledge for this project. Americans brought some management skills to the project. They created the computer system, which did editing, translation of Russian and English. And then we established the computerized satellite lines beween Moscow and California. We sent through many texts; this was only because of the computers and satellites that we acconplished the book in such a short time because we did the editing of approximately twenty articles at the same time, each of them in two languages, which gave us the texts on which approximately forty people worked. We had good coordination like in the army. I mean, there were special chiefs and …


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Freezes and wifi dropouts
Ubuntu has always has issues holding wifi stable in my experience but upgrading to Cosmic from Bionic on a Dell XPS13, bought with Ubuntu installed, which has been perfect (bar the occasional wifi dropout) since November now has random freezes (fixed only by holding power down to reboot) and very frequent wifi disconnects which aren't always recovered by restarting network-manager. Had to setup my VPNs again too as existing ones failed to start after updating to Cosmic.
Worst update in a while for me.
Oh and my workspace switching shortcuts all got reset along with the workspace layouts. Grrrrr


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For the 42nd time in its history, the 851 Prince Edward Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron held their Annual Ceremonial Review Sunday.
The review took place at the Prince Edward Community Centre, with a reception being hosted at the cadet headquarters at Macaulay Mountain Conservation Area following the formal portion of the ceremony.
With flags held high, boots shining and their arms snapping in unison the cadets marched smartly onto the parade square under the directions of Squadron Warrant Officer First Class Aaron Wiik and Warrant Officer second class Sydney Creasy.
During inspection the review party, led by Captain Penny Irish, made their way through the rows of cadets, nodding and occasionally sharing a few words with those graduating.
Captain Irish has been involved with Air Cadets since 1980.
In 2000, Irish joined the Mountain View Cadet Flying Training Centre (MVCFTC) to the Power Pilot Scholarship Course. There, she held the position of Flight Centre Commander at various flight centres in Ontario.
In 2015, at the rank of Major, Irish accepted the position of Officer Commanding in charge of all the flight centres in Ontario.
This summer, she will be going to the Netherlands as an Escort Officer as part of the International Air Cadet Exchange.
During her time with the cadets, Irish served at the 598 Squadron in Cobourg, the 661 Squadron in Prescott, and the 870 Squadron in Brockville, among others. Despite this, Captain Irish is proud to call Prince Edward County home, as she acknowledged in a compelling speech
"I, along with everyone here, wish you all the best as you begin this new chapter of your life," Irish said. "This is also a sad, but proud and memorable day for me too. You see, I grew up in Prince Edward County and this is my last day as an annual reviewing officer. So, without knowing it, you've brought me home, and for that I am truly honoured.
"Be proud of yourself, who you've become and where you're going," she asked of the crowd.
In her speech, Captain Irish also stressed the value of volunteer work, and encouraged the returning cadets to take advantage of all that the cadets program has to offer.
"You have taken a path chosen by fine cadets before you over the last 41 years. Like those before you, you have completed the first of many steps that will lead you to a rewarding future," Irish stated.
"During your time at cadets, take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way: effective speaking, sports, rocketry, drill team, santa claus parades and summer camp, to name a few," she implored.
Mike Campbell, Captain of the 851 Squadron, took some time to speak with the Gazette about some of what cadets has to offer youth and also what the cadets can offer to the community.
"They're involved in various community services such as Glenwood Cemetery clean-up, helping with legion poppy sales, and the Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign," Cambell noted.
This past year the cadets participated in a trip to Ottawa that included a visit to the Diefenbunker Museum and Vintage Wings of Canada, an aviation museum. They flew in powered aircraft in Oshawa, which included a control tower tour.
Cadets also enjoyed gliding at Mountain View Airport and participated in two survival training exercises in which they developed survival skills in the outdoors.
"It's remarkable watching the cadets who joined in September develop and learn new skills which they displayed during the final parade of the year. And for the first time in about 10 years we formed a drill team that did amazing for a first effort," Campbell said.
Despite the upbeat nature of the ceremonial review, Campbell stated that fundraising is a challenge the squadron faces each year.
However, the cadets work hard to attend different fundraising events and, as Campbell notes the 851 has a supportive group of parents and sponsors who come up with great ideas.
"We also have support from the business community and service clubs in the County," he added.
Before departing for their BBQ reception, the cadets also heard from their Commanding Officer, Adam Kidd.
Kidd was effusive in his celebration of the cadets hard work.
"The year you've put in makes me happy to be your CO. Please pat yourselves on the back. Parents, thank you too. We can't do this without you guys. I've always said that I'm responsible for the cadets but I'm truly responsible to you parents," Kidd said.
Jokingly, Kidd looked to the crowd of parents and offered them his phone number, a heartfelt display of dedication, stating he was always available to answer questions about cadets.
Among the many awards bestowed upon cadets was the esteemed Lord Strathcona Medal which was awarded to Wiik. This was only the second time such an award was bestowed upon a cadet of the 851 Squadron.
Cadets will resume the first week of September. The program is open to youths aged 12-19 and runs until June each year.


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All the way back to the beginning
Stories of my life previously unknown to me have been emerging during this season of retreat at home. My Iowa cousin sent pictures from younger days visiting the farmlands where my dad's family lived. I could recognize myself in the photos, but had little memory of being there at ages 6 and maybe 10, and driving a horse-drawn cart (see previous blog, "Two cousins…").
Then it came to my attention via a short blurb on a newscast that a man I had spent time with during my college days had passed away of a heart attack. He actually lived not too far away and I had tried to make contact over the years but had been unsuccessful, he being quite a recluse. A very different memory.
And I've just received the pictures from my other cousin on my mom's side of the family. She mistakenly sent the package to my old address. I was quite fortunately contacted by the person living there now and he promised to re-mail the package. Days went by, weeks. He had a family emergency, but was finally able to send it. He refused any payment for his kind gesture and only asked that I pay it forward. A blessing in itself.
It was an odd assortment including my baby announcement, pics of me, my dad mowing the lawn, my grandparents and their home in Florida, and these tiny leather baby shoes. I found myself looking down at my feet and wondering if these were really the same feet.
However, the prize tiny snapshot was my mom pregnant with me, a photo I had never seen before. As my cousin noted, it was undoubtedly the first picture of me ever taken. And this much delayed package showed up on my dear mom's birthday, a message from heaven.
I am attempting to assemble these puzzle pieces of my life and now I've gone all the way back to the beginning. May grace be clearing the way for deeper understanding as spring arrives and we emerge into a brand new landscape.


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|Skill 3D
Estimating: Benchmark Numbers
A benchmark is simply using one thing to estimate another. Benchmarks can be anything - such as pencils, paper clips, shoes - etc. When using benchmarks for measurement, the student does need to know how to look at something and then come up with a proportion. For example, is the amount half? Is it double? Is it triple the amount? etc. So, in the problem below, we ask the student to look at the first jar and estimate how many will be in the 2nd jar based on the number in the first. This skill is actually not too difficult for most students. Since 100 gumballs are in the first jar, we would then logically estimate that there are 200 gumballs in the 2nd jar as it is twice the size as the first.
If 100 gumballs are in the first jar,


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Tuition is due in the amount of $890.00. That is a one-time only fee which covers registration, application fee, wallet card. We charge no annual renewal fees or membership fees, so the $890 is good for your lifetime.
The Seminary offers a payment plan for those who cannot pay the $890 tuition up front. After filling out the online PhD application, instead of submitting $890, you send in only half the tuition, which is $445. There is a special downpayment Half-Tuition button at the very bottom of the tuition payment page. After filling out the online PhD application you will be directly transfered to the PayPal payment page. Just scroll down to the very bottom and choose the Half-Tuition button.
Then send $100 to $200 per month thereafter as you can afford until the remaining balance is paid.
After you make your tuition downpayment, we send your diploma and PhD wallet card to you right away (upon your completion of the application and submission of your thesis paper). Your Certificate of Ordination is shipped at the same time. Then you make your monthly payments. The only thing not available until after the tuition balance is paid in full is transcript service.
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Interfaith Church, Inc..


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May 12, 2013
Camille outdueled Feeling You in a rematch of the rivalry they recently stoked at Yonkers, winning Sunday night's featured Preferred pace for mares at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried the night's top purse of $25,000.
On April 27 at Yonkers, Feeling You rallied in the stretch to ...
Camille Wins Star-Studded Feature Distaff Pace at Pocono2013-05-14
May 12, 2013


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Lupin's current target: a key to a certain server facility. Once obtained, the information of all the customers and their funds from the world's largest online bank will be in Lupin's hands. There, they find the developer of the security system of the bank: Amlita. Lupin and Jigen successfully capture Amlita and bring her to their hideout. However, almost immediately upon their arrival, Zenigata and his men surround the place. Being at a loss as to why their location was exposed so easily, they discover an online show going viral. The show's name: "Arrest Lupin III."
Source: Crunchyroll
The Girl in the Twin Towers
The Lupin Game
The Killers Gather in the Wasteland
Zenigata's Pride and the Desert Dust
A Crook's Resolve
Lupin VS The Smart Safe
His Name is Albert
Who Has the Black Notebook?
The Man Who Abandoned "Lupin"
Thief and Thief
Get Pablo's Collection
The Extravagance of Goemon Ishikawa XIII
2 votes
1 votes
This Lupin, is such a great encapsulation of the Lupin that went before it yet draws in savory chunks of new ground to make this the freshest Lupin incarnation since Jigen's Gravestone or A Woman Names Fujiko Mine. So, you want to know where to start with Lupin? Start here. Yep, that is right, even after over 40 years of Lupin in its many jackets, Lupin can just be started here. Now, if you have some time, I'd always suggest watching one or 2 episodes from Lupin in his red jacket glory of the 70s, or Castle of Cagliostro (the title that got me into anime) But, you don't really need to. Lupin for the most part is 5 characters and capers. Lupin, the thief with panache, he leaves a calling card and steals loot. He is goofy, and silly, but will kill you if he feels threatened. There is Jigen and Goemon, his trusty cohorts. One is a beatnik looking gunslinger, and one is a traditionalist Samurai. They normally are brought in to help Lupin, although Jigen is more a true partner. Rounding out his sometimes helper team, sometimes nemesis is a femme fatal in the name is Fujiko. She is as trustworthy as a politician with a mansion but does seem to have a soft spot at times for Lupin. Finally, there is Lupin's chief nemesis, the poor hapless Inspector Zenegata. Think Javier in Les Misérables, a dedicated cop that will not rest till he gets Lupin but add a sort of rivalry love for his target. There, that is Lupin. Usually there is a McGuffin for Lupin to go after, and rivals in his way. Normally, Lupin is a non-linier show, however this one does butt up against series IV and feels like a direct continuation of that series. BUT! You don't have to see it first. The overall tone seems different. In fact, I'd have to say, this series is a better one. It decided to abandon the ongoing long arc in favor of 4-6-episode series mini arcs with a general theme that links them together. Also, this series is mostly in France (with a small stint in South America) By baking Lupin down to manageable elements, it does not drag like the last series did at points. Lupin is shown more vulnerable than many other times before. Every one of his small band is given a moment in which they interact with Lupin in a way that adds *gasp* a dimension of character development. He is also given a couple rivals that gets under his notoriously thick skin. There is also challenges that are not so easily avoided. And finally, he reviels something, you never see in any of his previous series. The series deals with age, legacy, and why or if Lupin actually cares for his compadres. Outside of Cagliostro and A Woman Called Fujiko Mine, this one was the best all together wrap ups for an ending. Overall, even as a huge fan of his past, this is possibly my favorite series of his. Definately worth the check out.
There is no discussion yet for this series.
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The official video for 'Nothing Without You' by Fireworx is out. It aims to connect to anyone who has lost someone close and the inevitable absence that will infuse your whole existence. It's about a 6-year oldRead more
Kategori: Video
Priest live in Stockholm
Our creative team at House of Wizards produced a full-scale livestream of the amazing show Priest did (180218) at Debaser Strand in Stockholm. See it in full below. 'Writing the next chapter in their story,Read more
Us live at #howsessions
Us performed live for the first time at House of Wizards in Stockholm, Sweden. It was an intimate event where a specially invited crowd could see the band perform their debut single 'Till the DyingRead more
Oz – The Box
The Box is more than a film or a musical experience. The Box is a call to arms; an all out declaration of war against those who seek to define us, chiseling our roles andRead more
TILLY live in the studio
TILLY performing 'Where is the Fire' (unreleased track) live from Studio 1 at House of Wizards.
Tilly – ctrl alt del (official video)
Directed by LMDL. Produced by House of Wizards.


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WASHINGTON (CNS) — The initial groans from the audience during a "Saturday Night Live" skit when comedian Pete Davidson likened people who "support the Catholic Church" to R. Kelly fans were just a taste of the reaction this skit would receive from some Catholic officials.
In the NBC show's "Weekend Update" segment March 9, Davidson's link of the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandals with the R&B singer now facing charges of criminal sex abuse prompted calls for an apology from the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, and the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.
In the skit, Davidson described Kelly as "a monster" who should "go to jail forever," before adding: "But, if you support the Catholic Church, isn't that, like, the same thing as being an R. Kelly fan? I don't really see the difference, only, like, one's music is significantly better."
Davidson, who was raised Catholic and attended two New York Catholic high schools and a Catholic college in Brooklyn, briefly, went on to say that when his mom told him she was going to Mass, he told her he was going to "listen to the 'Ignition' remix, " one of Kelly's songs. Davidson's mother is Catholic. His father, a firefighter who lost his life in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, was Jewish.
In a March 11 statement, the Brooklyn Diocese — adjacent to the New York Archdiocese where the show is taped, in New York City's Comcast Building — demanded "an immediate public apology from 'Saturday Night Live' and NBC" for the "disgraceful and offensive skit."
"The clergy sex abuse crisis is shameful, and no one should ever get a laugh at the expense of the victims who have suffered irreparably," it said, adding that the "mockery of this difficult time in the church's history serves no purpose."
The statement noted the efforts the Brooklyn Diocese has taken to deal with abuse, including its zero-tolerance policy where any clergy member credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor is permanently removed from ministry.
It also said the "insensitivity of the writers, producers and the cast of SNL around this painful subject is alarming."
Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, based in New York, similarly took offense at Davidson's remarks, saying in a March 11 statement that the comedian "libeled all priests."
Donohue said the comedian wasn't comparing Kelly to an alleged predatory priest but to "the entire Catholic clergy."
"His bigoted remark deserves to be condemned by everyone," he added.
He also said the comment didn't warrant Davidson's firing, which he said would be a "drastic action."
"Because we are not aware of any anti-Catholic comments that Davidson has previously made, we are not calling for his dismissal. But executives at NBC need to talk to him without delay. If he strikes again, our response will be different," he said.
Last November, Davidson apologized on air for mocking the eye patch of Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican, who is now in the U.S. House of Representatives. Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, wears the patch after losing his eye while serving in Afghanistan.
During his appearance on "Saturday Night Live" for the apology, Crenshaw said: "There's a lot of lessons to learn here. Not just that the left and right can still agree on some things, but also this: Americans can forgive one another. We can remember what brings us together as a country and still see the good in each other."
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Wide Awake
by Mayukh Sen
Dir. Pedro AlmodГіvar, Spain, Sony Pictures Classics
When Pedro AlmodГіvar initially conceived his twentieth feature film, Julieta, he wanted Meryl Streep to play the title role at three different stages in her lifeвҖ"20, 40, 60. AlmodГіvar eventually decided to return to Spain and shoot in his native tongue, fearful of filming outside his geographical and linguistic comfort zone. Had the collaboration materialized, perhaps it wouldвҖҷve served as a much-needed jolt of energy for two great artists whoвҖҷve plateaued in recent years. Indeed, the standard complaint about this chapter of AlmodГіvarвҖҷs career recalls what is sometimes said of Streep: he appears to have grown risk-averse, following both critical and popular acceptance, and his films have become more tame and genteel as a casualty.
The common critical refrain with AlmodГіvar is that heвҖҷs two different filmmakers. At times, he is the madcap lunatic with broad comic leanings. At others, he is the man who unspools the interior lives of women through melodrama like so many of cinemaвҖҷs estrogen obsessives before him, like Cukor, Sirk, and Fassbinder. On occasion, these two competing strands reconcile, as they did in All About My Mother. Yet his output in the decade since 2006вҖҷs Volver, from Broken Embraces to The Skin I Live In to IвҖҷm So Excited, has lacked the charge and spontaneity of his finest work. Julieta has awoken him from this recent stupor.
Like All About My Mother, Julieta is about a bereaved mother, and she is played by two women at separate stages in her life: in her forties by Emma SuГЎrez, and then in her twenties by Adriana Ugarte. We first meet Julieta when she has grown private and forlorn. Julieta hasnвҖҷt seen her daughter, AntГӯa (Priscilla Delgado as an adolescent, Blanca ParГ©s when she is older), in twelve years, and she has spent those intervening years battling depression. Just as she is about to move to Portugal from Spain with her lover, Lorenzo (DarГӯo Grandinetti), she, by chance, runs into Bea (Michelle Jenner), a childhood friend of AntГӯa. Bea alerts Julieta that AntГӯa is now living in Lake Como with her three kids, a revelation that sends Julieta into an emotional tailspin. Julieta then abandons her initial plans to go to Portugal and moves back into the building where she raised AntГӯa, and begins to revisit the time of AntГӯa's conception. She spends the film sifting through the drudgery of her past to make sense of her mistakes.
We flash back to 1989, when Julieta is on an overnight train. Here she is played by Ugarte, spiky-haired and costumed like a Jem and the Holograms character, blue fishermanвҖҷs turtleneck, and large red earrings to boot. UgarteвҖҷs Julieta seems like an entirely different woman from SuГЎrezвҖҷsвҖ"more impulsive, unbridled, passionate. She is entertaining the portentous musings of her older male train-mate, and she grows bored with him, misconstruing his cries for help as sexual advances. Spooked, she leaves the shared seating compartment and goes to the dining car, where she meets an impossibly handsome Galician fisherman, Xoan (Daniel Grao), whose wife has been comatose for years.
The journey is marred by a tragedy for which Julieta canвҖҷt help but assume a modicum of responsibilityвҖ"the train shrieks to a halt; the man whom Julieta just walked out on committed suicide by jumping off the train. To ease her sadness, Xoan and Julieta have sex on the train, and this chance encounter begets a daughter, AntГӯa. After XoanвҖҷs wife dies, Julieta and Xoan marry, yet the guilt of this episode forecasts greater tragedy that rears its head later in their marriage, culminating with AntГӯa abandoning her mother upon reaching adulthood.
As in Volver, another AlmodГіvar film predicated on the estrangement between mother and daughter, JulietaвҖҷs narrative is labyrinthine, riddled with eleventh-hour twists that recast earlier events in a more urgent light. Such revelations give earlier throwaway gestures greater weight and meaning. In fact, the film is a collage of plot points that stay constant throughout AlmodГіvarвҖҷs careerвҖ"a mother searching for her child (All About My Mother), the fraught mother-daughter relationship interrupted by abandonment (Volver), even a comatose wife (Talk to Her)вҖ"but there is less emotional excess here than in any of those films, even the comparatively austere Talk to Her. This signals something of a shift for AlmodГіvar. вҖңI battled a lot with the actressesвҖҷ tears, against the physical need to cry,вҖқ AlmodГіvar told El PaГӯs in March. вҖңWhat I wanted was dejectionвҖ"the thing that stays inside after years and years of pain.вҖқ
AlmodГіvarвҖҷs sobriety here befits his unlikely source materialвҖ"a trio of short stories from Canadian writer Alice MunroвҖҷs Runaway. At first glance, the two artists possess discordant sensibilities, with MunroвҖҷs plaintive moodiness a seeming mismatch for AlmodГіvarвҖҷs lunacy (Sarah PolleyвҖҷs Away from Her, also adapted from a Munro, offers quite a different interpretation). AlmodГіvarвҖҷs latest films have felt wanting for this very reasonвҖ"though IвҖҷm So Excited was an aberration, heвҖҷs largely mellowed the eccentricities that once endeared audiences to him.
And yet the film has more rhythm than anything else heвҖҷs done in the past decade, and its successes lie primarily in the way he structures the film as a two-hander between his actresses. Critics often speak of AlmodГіvarвҖҷs fascination with women, but these so-called womenвҖҷs pictures tend to gravitate around certain musesвҖ"Carmen Maura, Victoria Abril, Marisa Paredes, PenГ©lope Cruz. His most recent with Cruz, Broken Embraces, felt rote, as if their collaboration had exhausted its potential. AlmodГіvar has worked with neither SuГЎrez nor Ugarte before, and for this reason the film feels fresh, as if AlmodГіvar is working in an unfamiliar register. They are two very different performers, a fact that becomes increasingly evident by AlmodГіvarвҖҷs characteristic extreme close-ups. Ugarte has large, milk-saucer eyes that communicate alertness, while SuГЎrez appears sullen from the minute we meet her.
Ugarte is particularly skillful in suggesting that the Julieta we meet on that train will, one day, become the withdrawn SuГЎrez. As the film goes on, UgarteвҖҷs body language becomes bulkier as she dissolves into near catatonia. This culminates in a scene, already justly celebrated, wherein AntГӯa is rubbing her motherвҖҷs hair clean after a bath. UgarteвҖҷs head disappears underneath that towel, and SuГЎrez's face emerges as a total shell of the vibrant, youthful woman weвҖҷd known before. The sequence is balletic. Ugarte had already externalized JulietaвҖҷs trauma so adeptly that the transition between the two performers is seamless.
It is through these two women, and the way he directs them, that AlmodГіvar realizes what he terms a вҖңcinema of womenвҖқ that is more fine-tuned than his previous films. The closest heвҖҷs come to this previously was in Cecilia RothвҖҷs work in All About My Mother, a performance devoid of histrionics even as chaos swarmed around her. She was a quiet center of gravity, and the film derived much of its power by having Roth as its anchorвҖ"a mother pining for her child, a feeling of loss that Julieta builds on.
The anecdote about Streep would no doubt support the popular thesis that AlmodГіvar, almost 67, has aged into a filmmaker of compromise, as if the once fearless director is now paralyzed by fear of broadening his horizons. With Julieta, though, he works off a grand canvas without sacrificing intimacy or insight. To speak of this film as a slight entry in AlmodГіvarвҖҷs filmography would betray his genius; he is the rare filmmaker who can explicate upon a womanвҖҷs grief without exploiting it. In Julieta, Almodovar toys with this thematic occupation, but he does so with unfamiliar faces. And Ugarte and SuГЎrez have coaxed a more observant filmmaker out of him, giving his filmmaking a needed jolt of energy.


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Program: #05-16 Air Date: Apr 11, 2005
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All of the music on this program is from a live concert given at the Holland Festival of Early Music at Utrecht 2004 featuring the Ensemble Pierre Robert conducted by Frederic Desenclos.
As Albert Edelman wrote in the introductory text:
With all the attention going out to Biber because of the 300th anniversary of his death, Ensemble Pierre Robert focuses on Marc-Antoine Charpentier, who also died three centuries ago. After his death Charpentier's music sank into oblivion and was not rediscovered until the twentieth century. During his lifetime Charpentier was very popular with a select group. On this programme he is accompanied by an unknown contemporary, Daniel Danielis, a Fleming who for most of his life was a music master at the cathedral in Vannes. Danielis' music was not published during his lifetime, but surprisingly a number of his compositions can be found in various manuscripts, such as the collection Caeleste Convivium, compiled by Sébastian de Brossard. With modest means - only three voices and basso continuo - Danielis succeeds in setting the most wonderful texts for the Last Supper to music in an extremely effective manner. In an unusually rich language - his poems are unique even for the very devotional style of those days - the poet invites us to the Last Supper, stimulating all of the senses. While Danielis' texts are rejoicing, the subject of Charpentier's Méditations sur le Carême (Reflections for Lent) is reserved and reflective. We do not know whether Charpentier wrote his Méditations sur le Carême for a church service, neither do we know exactly when the pieces were composed. The listener is guided past a number of edifying examples, starting with the destroyed Jerusalem, the main part consisting of scenes from the last days of Jesus' life. The reflections conclude with the story of Abraham and Isaac: trust in God will bring salvation. However, the text ends just when God is about to intervene in the awful offering. The dark days before Easter are not over yet...
Broadcast of this program is made possible with the generous support of RNW, Radio Netherlands World Service.
1.Marc-Antoine Charpentier 1643-1704
Méditations pour le Carême
2.Daniel Danielis 1635-1696
Propter nimiam charitatem
Ornate aras
Ad fontes amoris
Composer Info
Marc-Antoine Charpentier 1643-1704, Daniel Danielis 1635-1696


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Bulgarian white cheese is a feta variation known in Bulgaria, Macedonia and other Balkan countries as "Sirene". Made from sheep's milk, Sirene is a tad saltier than Greek feta and has a creamier texture, with a hint of yogurt overtones. Bulgarian white cheese is often used in traditional pastry dishes such as Banitsa (Tiropita) and Shopska salad (similar to Greek salad).
- Very good source of calcium.
- High protein content.
- Gluten Free.
- No Sulphites.


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A trader cannot measure risk for every execution. Most executions, however, don't require the same risk exposure. In Forex trading, participants must regulate their risk management system to deal with market volatility. The primary rule is simple everyone should invest the least amount of money in a trade. They should choose an amount that makes them comfortable. If traders plan for their money management process like that, it improves their trading performance. That's because a trading mind comfortable with the trade setups has less pressure of losing. It can concentrate more on the position sizing of a trade. Even after placing the orders, it has a better concentration on the price movements. When a trader realizes the perfect spot for closing the order, it benefits their career with high-profit potentials and limited losses.
Every participant should plan for a systematic approach to money management. If the traders make mistakes with the position sizing, their risk exposure should generate a stop-loss and save the day. Besides a safe stop-loss, risk management techniques should also provide better support to the profit target. When it contributes to both the investment and profit, the traders receive a relevant risk to reward ratio. Using that composition, every participant feels confident in the trading process.That is why everyone should learn how to measure the risks to assure efficient performance.
Establishing a risk per trade strategy
The money management system starts with the actual investment policy. For each order, every trader needs to set the investment. It is crucial for both the size of the lots and the trading mind. When the size remains large, traders think about high-profit potentials. They also take poor measurements for the position sizing. That's because most traders who invest aggressively in a trade think about earning significant profits from it. If possible, read more about risk management policy in the trading profession and try to reduce your risk exposure in every trade.
Thinking about income, they forget about relevant profit targets and precautions. Instead of setting the stop-loss and take-profit, they neglect the precautions. Most individuals do it without having any skills for it. Some participants, however, do it to keep some headroom for the price movements. Unfortunately, for an aggressive trader, his sole strategy costs him money.
Utilizing the objectives for trading
Alongside the risk per trade strategy, traders should also think of the profit potentials. Everyone must set an objective for the purchases. With that objective, they can set the closing position in the case of successful execution. Traders can also implement take-profit for the trades. With this precaution, they feel comfortable with a running order. It also closes automatically when the price reaches the target point. Using a profit target like that benefits every trader in this business. Since traders can relax and avoid losing the profit potential, they concentrate on the market movements.
When participants have a better idea of the markets, they change the positions accordingly. Performing like that, every participant experience better profit potential. Their take-profit secures the potential income, and the stop-loss controls the trades during an unfavorable condition.
Employing an efficient mentality
Before placing an order, every trader starts with the risk per trade. After setting it carefully, they focus on the objectives for making profits. Using the risk to reward ratio, participants find valuable trade signals. To allocate profitable trade signals, however, traders should implement the market analysis. By using this system along with the risk to reward, everyone feels safe from the market volatility. With a content mentality, they concentrate on the market movement and position sizing. When you trade like that, your mind gets the most positive vibe for trading currencies in Forex. Whether the return is a profit or a loss, traders don't bother with it.
A trader should perform in a well-organized way to eliminate errors. Since it improves consistency, the traders also experience better winning rates in their businesses. To employ every crucial fundamental for systematic trading, however, everyone should develop an efficient mentality. Without that, no one is safe from making mistakes in Forex.


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Remember to visit our auto parts and accessories specials page to see what discounts we're currently offering. No time to stop by our Santa Rosa Hyundai dealership? If you know the car part you need, you can order it online. Simply fill out our online parts order form.
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The Ministry of Custom and Trade has designated the procedures and principles of the websites which the Stock Companies have to open. "The Directive in regard to the Stock Corporation's Essential Websites" (hereafter it will be referred to as the Directive) published in the Official Gazette on 31 May 2013.
The Directive has been regulated in accordance with articles 210 and 1524 of the Code of Commerce (Turk Ticaret Kanunu-TTK) and it will enter into force on 1 July 2013 (Article 17). The stock companies, which are established after the Directive entered into force, have to open web-sites within three months after the registration of the companies' establishment on the Turkish Trade Registry. A part of the web-sites need to be allocated for announcements which must be published by the stock companies.
According to the Directive, the stock companies can accomplish their obligations on their own; in addition they can take support from the CDSPs (1) (hereafter it will be referred to as MTHS). The websites are constituted in regard to the TTK will be registered under the Central Recording and Registration System Number (hereafter it will be referred to as MERSİS).
The Directive regulated that some points are essential to be published on the stock companies' web-sites. These essential points are; (i) MERSİS number of the stock company, (ii) stock companies' trade name, (iii) stock companies' registered office, (iv) pledged and paid capital sum of the stock company, (v) if a stock company is a joint-stock company, the chairman's and the members' name and surname; if the stock company is a limited liability corporation, the manager's name and surname of the administrative board; if the stock company is a limited partnership divided into shares, the managers' name and surname, (vi) stock companies' auditors' name and surname, settlement place and registered branch if there is. If a legal entity will be chosen for a member of the administrative board of a joint-stock company or a manager of a limited liability corporation the followings need to be published in the companies' website; (i) the legal entities' MERSİS number, (ii) trade name, (iii) name and a surname of a real person with the registered office of the company.
According to the paragraph 3 of article 6 of the Directive these followings are the examples of the compulsory subjects that have to be published in the websites in six months; (i) in regard to the subparagraph (e), if a suit for annulment has issued against to the company, this matter need to be published in the companies' website in five days after its publishing in the commercial registry gazette, (ii) in regard to the subparagraph (f), the court's final order of the suit for annulment need to be published in the companies' website in five days after it is published in the commercial registry gazette, (iii) in regard to the subparagraph (z), the representatives of the administrative board or manager's board and the decision of their representation manners need to be published in the companies' websites in five days after it is published in the commercial registry gazette.
(1) Central database Service Provider; Private Law Legal Entity which performs (i) keeping secure the content that has to be in the companies' websites, (ii) carrying on the activities, like archival storage and accessibility, which is determined by the Ministry of Custom and Trade in regard to article 1524 of the TTK and this Directive.


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Your complete Auto care shop
Auto Body Work and Paint, Free Estimate
Engine / Transmission / Brake / Suspension / Air Conditioning
No Appointment Necessary
We Care about You & Your Vehicle
They went above and beyond my expectations. I would recommend them 10/10 times. Great customer service. Chuck was very open and honest the whole time
Great first experience here— super friendly and experienced staff took good care of my car and would highly recommend for anyone who is looking for an honest and skilled place to get work done. If the need arises, I will definitely come back. 5 stars!
I had some minor damage to my bumper and Lucky made it look as good as new. The price was much better than the other estimate I received and Andrew took care of getting the rental car for me. The vehicle was ready when promised. I would definitely recommend Lucky and will use them again if I'm so unfortunate to need more work to be done,
I got into a bad, mainly cosmetic, fender bender a month ago. Nationwide did all the work for me and directed my car to be taken to this place to get it repaired. I wasn't so sure how I felt about letting my car be fixed by them because of the lack of reviews.. However, ever since my car was handed over to them, it's been nothing but excellent (more…)
Thank again to a great team at this auto shop specially to Joe who showed great management and work to get my car back to new once again. With less I got the same and even more than those so call big auto shops. My car was really messed up and this company fixed it like new. I am very very satisfied with their job and even more (more…)


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Willowbridge Special School
Name: Willowbridge Special School
Location: Enniskillen, N Ireland
Client: Education Authority
Value: £3.9M
At Willowbridge the new build extension included new offices, classrooms, resource areas and dining room with refurbishment works completed to the kitchen and boiler house.
Close coordination and engagement with the principal and design team was necessary to develop the specific service requirements for pupils aged 3-19 with moderate, severe and profound learning difficulties.
The scheme required considerable and complex phasing to maintain the safe operation of this school environment.


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Villa Daria
Great value three bedroom Seminyak villa on a quiet private road just two minutes from Eat Street
What we love about Villa Daria Seminyak…
- This is a lovely family villa at an affordable price
- There's a newly fitted kitchen
- The villa has a large open plan living and dining area
- All three bedrooms are ensuite and have been updated with all brand new ACs in all three bedrooms.
- The flat-screen TV and DVD.
- The villa has a Wi-fi and cable TV package
Villa Daria
Welcome to Villa Daria, a newly renovated spacious 3 bedroom villa in Seminyak.
Located at the end of a small private road, in a safe area, this is a lovely family villa at an affordable price.
The Villa comprises:
- Large open plan living and dining area
- 3 bedrooms all with brand new AC's
- 3 en-suite bathrooms.
- Private Pool
- Sun area with sun loungers.
- Newly fitted kitchen
- Relaxing Bale
- Private parking
- Daily maid services.
- Wi-fi and cable TV package.
- Flat-screen TV and DVD.
All of our villas come with the services of our guest relations manager who will be able to assist with massages/spa treatments, tours and travel, car or scooter hire and all general advice and information needed to ensure your vacation is a memorable experience.
Please state in your inquiry if you'd require airport transfers. There's a transfer fee of IDR 175K one way for one car, to fit 4 people and luggage (surcharge of IDR 50K if the transfer is between 9 pm – 7 am). The fee is payable to the driver directly.


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Plastic identification
In this category you will find a whole range of articles allowing a simple identification for an easier logistics. Plastic labels or pvc labels in different sizes and colors to quickly identify equipment, plants... Our labels can be personalized on request.
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Looking for something to do this weekend? Here are two choice dining events going on around the city:
Old Rip Van Winkle "Pappy & Co" Goods and Apparel Launch Party
When: Saturday, 3-7 p.m.
Where: Foxhollow Farm (8905 Highway 329, Crestwood)
What: The Van Winkle family is launching Pappy & Co. goods and apparel inspired by Old Rip Van Winkle. This event includes hand-crafted bourbon Old Rip Van Winkle cocktails, barbeque from Bluegrass Brewing Company, cuisine from Wiltshire Pantry, La Palina Cigars from Riverside Cigar Shop and bluegrass from Relic Bluegrass Band. VIP tickets are $100—which features a tasting of Van Winkle 10-, 12- and 20-year bourbons—and available online.
Otaku Ramen Pop-Up at MilkWood
When: Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Where: MilkWood (316 W. Main St.)
What: The ramen craze has reached Louisville! Well, briefly anyway, Sarah Gavigan, of Nashville's Otaku South, is turning MilkWood into a pop-up ramen shop. Bowls start at $12, and beer and wine pairings will be offered too. Reservations suggested, 502- 584-6455.
[Photos: Courtesy Facebook/MilkWood and Facebook/Pappy & Co.]


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This is a Deluxe Wiring Harness Kit, commonly used on guitars with 2 Pickups. It has a a Slanted Blade Style Switch,
Plate and Knobs that have been moved over to alleviate the cramped space between the volume control and the
switch. All of the components are Top Grade. All you need to do is add your pickups, and ground the kit to your guitar.
(2) CTS/Mojotone 450G 250k Potentiometers
Low Noise
Robust Construction
Proprietary Anti-Static Lube
Brass Shafts
Brass Bushing
Smooth Feel
Reduced Shaft Wobble
(1) Mojotone/Oak Grigsby style switch
(1) Switchcraft mono input jack
(1) Sprague/Orange Drop .047uf capacitor
(1) Cloth covered 22 gauge black and white wire
(1) Control Plate with high quality Plating
(2) Chrome Knobs with Slotted Set Screws
(1) Black Switch Tip
Audio quality Solder is used for
superior joints and best sound.
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On this episode of Drone and Phone, DJ Clark takes on DJ David in a round of golf at one of the world's biggest golf complexes at Hainan Mission Hills. Wondering how that turned out?
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Muehrcke lines of the fingernails is a transverse leukonychia. [33] They may be evident on both fingernails and toenails. [34] A complete and detailed history is necessary and should include questions concerning occupation and medications. Attention to the chronologic sequence of the events related to the nail abnormality is important. The personal history and a review of systems may also provide important clues to the etiology of the nail changes. Systemic anticancer drug nail changes may cause pain and functional impairment, particularly with taxanes or EGFR inhibitors, but Muehrcke lines are not linked with nail symptoms. [35]
Physical Examination
The two transverse bands originally described by Muehrcke run parallel to the lunule. The bands are separated from each other and from the lunule by areas of normal pink nail, they are not palpable, and they do not indent the nail itself. The distal white band may be wider than the proximal band. The lines are usually found on the second, third, and fourth fingernails; they rarely occur on the thumbnail. [1] The lines are more pronounced with severe and prolonged hypoalbuminemia, and in some patients, they can be reduced or eliminated by intravenous administration of salt-poor serum albumin. They may also be seen following chemotherapy and constitute an aesthetically unpleasant adverse effect of medication and an easily observed sign indicative of previous use of cytotoxic therapy for malignancy. [33]
The physical examination of the nails is valuable in providing clues to the etiology of the nail abnormality. Therefore, a detailed and efficient examination of the nails, in addition to an examination of the rest of the skin and mucous membranes, is essential. Perform a complete physical examination if indicated.
Daniel [8, 36] highlighted a few important points relating to the examination of abnormal nails. If these tests are performed, they provide a more accurate examination. Note the following:
Always examine all 10 fingernails and all 10 toenails (and any additional digits if they exist). For the most part, fingernails provide more subtle information than toenails because trauma is more likely to change or hide certain clinical manifestations in toenails and because they grow more slowly.
Study the nails with the fingers completely relaxed and not pressed against any surface. Failure to do so may affect the nail hemodynamics and change the appearance of the nail.
Blanch the fingertip to see if the pigmented abnormality is grossly altered. This test may aid in differentiating the discoloration of the vascular bed of the nail from the discoloration of the nail plate.
Illumination of the nail can be achieved with a penlight placed against the finger pulp shining up through the nail. If the discoloration is in the matrix or soft tissue, its exact position can be more easily identified. If upon illumination, the discoloration disappears, it is more likely to be in the vascular bed.
Try scraping the surface of the nail plate, or try cleansing locally or cleansing with a solvent (eg, acetone). If in doing so, the discoloration goes away, the cause of the nail alteration is most likely a topical agent. If, however, as a result, the substance used is impregnated further into the nail or subungually, other studies (eg, nail composition studies; potassium hydroxide preparations; biopsy with light microscope, electron microscope, or special staining) may be indicated.
Nail changes associated with systemic disease (as opposed to trauma) often occur in the matrix so that the leading edge of the abnormality (pigmentation) is usually shaped like the distal portion of the matrix. To estimate the time at which the initial insult occurred, one can measure the distance from the proximal nail fold (cuticle) to the leading edge of the pigmentation change. The rate of nail growth is about 0.1-0.15 mm/d. [8]