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The recent wildfires that have spread throughout California have now been called the worst wildfires to cross the region's history. The numbers are staggering in loss of life, homes, vehicles, land, infrastructure and more. The tragic loss of life in these fires is adding up as families still search for loved ones and find serious, hard realities.
California wildfire damage adding up
Shigella Bacteria Outbreak Connected to San Jose Restaurant
In a disturbing case of restaurant negligence, nearly 190 people spanning six different counties have suffered from an outbreak of Shigella bacteria according to health officials. The outbreak is believed to have been started at a Mexican seafood restaurant in San Jose.
Government Announces $1.2 Billion Settlement with Toyota
General Motors has recently been making headlines for a scandal in which the company recalled more than one million vehicles. But GM isn't the only automaker on the hot seat these days. Last week, the U.S. government announced a $1.2 billion settlement with Toyota, in addition to filing a criminal charge against the company for intentionally misleading consumers regarding safety issues in Toyota and Lexus vehicles. According to the Justice Department, this is the largest government penalty ever to be exacted against an automaker.


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The Risks of being Abroad without Health Insurance
Posted by Dannielle Noonan
When you're planning a trip abroad or even relocating to another country, you might be wondering 'why is health insurance important?'. As insurance experts, Medibroker have seen cases of people going abroad without insurance go catastrophically wrong.
Here, #ExpatHour participant and blogger Alec Peebles tells us about how he thought he could get away with going to another country without insurance - and explains the costs he incurred because of his mistake.
Alec graduated university in Winter of 2013 and knew that jumping into the daily 9-5 USA grind wasn't for him. He had always loved to travel so he figured it was as good a time as any to take the plunge and try actually living in a new country. Over a year later, he's still enjoying every day of his expat life, living and working in Thailand and blogging about it at Abroad With Alec.
Alec thought that travel insurance would cover him for his move abroad until he found a job and was able to benefit from employee health insurance. But what happens when your protection from travel insurance ends before your employee health insurance starts?
Being abroad without insurance is risky a move. When I first began my travels I was on a tight budget. I had a policy from a reputable travel insurance supplier that was supposed to last me until I found a job in Thailand, the country I'd chosen to relocate to. However the problem came when I found a job and discovered that my employee health insurance wouldn't come into effect for another month, thus creating a lapse in my coverage. I had two choices – spend the month hoping I wouldn't have any medical issues, or shell out more money to prolong my travel insurance coverage. At this time money was tight, and I figured that because in all my time traveling I'd never even used my insurance, surely I'd be okay for a month, right? Huge mistake.
The problems began just a few days after my coverage expired with a bit of an upset stomach. It's Thailand. It happens. A trip to the doctor and she said I was fine. Luckily doctor visits like this are cheap in Thailand and only cost me $20 (which is not something I'd even bother with getting reimbursement for really). However this was only the beginning. Within a few more days I had a fever that was reaching over 100* F at times, and I felt like death. After two days of battling this with over the counter medicines and home remedies I finally relented and went to the hospital. Of course the news I received was not good – I was going to need to be admitted, put on an IV, and watched overnight. Healthcare in Thailand is cheap, but I knew this was going to cost quite a bit.
Alec would never have ignored his symptoms if he had health cover.
After my treatment was finished I was released, feeling much better. I cautiously made my way to the payment window to see what the damage was going to be. For the room, medicine, and all other fees my total was $400. Compared to prices for private medical treatment at home this was an absolute bargain, but when you're young and in the midst of relocating halfway across the world it's a fairly substantial amount of money. Of course, had I not let my travel insurance lapse I would have been fully reimbursed.
The costs of medical attention overseas for uninsured expats can be extortionate in other parts of the world. Did you know that an international health insurance plan will not only cover the costs of medical treatment in your expat country, but will also protect you wherever you go?
Since starting my job I've been involved in two motorbike accidents and had to make numerous small trips to the hospital for various ailments. Now that I have a comprehensive international health insurance plan from my employer, it's a walk in the park. Just get a receipt and certificate, take it to my employer, and the money is given back to me in my following paycheck.
So take a lesson from my mistakes – illnesses, accidents, and many other things CAN and WILL happen to you at some point. Make sure you have the proper coverage lest you want to risk an unfortunate health hiccup derailing all of your plans.
Medibroker can find you health cover for your move abroad. Request a no-obligation quote and one of our experienced team will get straight back to you to discuss your specific needs. Our health insurance broker service is completely free and we operate in your best interests - we are 100% impartial and you will never get a lower price by going to an insurer direct.
Planning a move to Thailand, just like Alec? Check out our guide to the best places for expats in Thailand.
You can find out more about Alec's experiences abroad on his website, Abroad With Alec and follow him on twitter.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hire A Lawyer In Order To Deal With A Criminal Charge
Whenever a person is arrested and charged, they'll need to employ a lawyer or attorney to be able to represent them from the charges. They're not going to want to be alone when they head into the kendall county courthouse to be able to plead innocent or even guilty. Regardless if they do not believe there may be any hope for having the charges thrown out, there is lots legal counsel is capable of doing.
An attorney might be able to have the charges thrown out, even when the person thinks there's no probability. Evidence can be dismissed in the event it had not been legitimately attained, which means there is not adequate evidence to be able to charge the person any more. In the event the charges can't be dismissed, a legal professional could possibly reduce them. It's usually carried out by a plea bargain. Even if the person will be convicted for the offense they may be charged with, the legal professional might be able to help them keep away from time in the kendall county jail. The legal professional will examine all the parts of the person's predicament to determine what could be undertaken to be able to help them and exactly how they are able to receive a much better end result for the case.
It is infrequent that a case is hopeless. More often than not, there is quite a lot an attorney is capable of doing to be able to help the person stay away from the maximum sentence for the crime they may be accused of as well as even help them to keep away from time in jail, in particular for a misdemeanor charge. In the event that you've been charged, speak to a lawyer instantly for assistance.


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What we love…
portable easy to use charger which doesn't require you to carry any cords to charge your devices, has a full charge straight out of the box
What we'd love to see…
longer cords to charge our devices, the ability to have a USB port where you can plug in your own longer cords
Easy to use charger that includes integrated cables and wall plug that comes fully charged and ready to use.
Our Rating
The Hub Plus by MyCharge is a portable battery charger/powerbank designed with integrated cables including: Apple® Lightning™ cable, micro-USB and a plug so that if it dies you can easily plug it into the wall and recharge your devices. It will charge two devices at once – one using the Lightening cable and the other using micro-USB. This charger, unlike many others on the market came fully charged out of the box – that meant that if you had a dead device you could be charging it within moments rather than waiting for the charger to charge and then charging your device.
I loved that I didn't need to worry about carrying cables along with my charger. It all folded up into a small power brick with the cords and plug storing nicely inside which meant I could put it in my diaper bag, purse, or backpack on the go. It also kept a charge well even when I wasn't actively using it – I went three weeks without having to use it and it was perfectly charged and ready to use when I started to get the dreaded low battery on my iPhone. It also charged my dead iPhone to being able to turn it on within 10 minutes which is good for a powerbank – usually I have to plug it into my car charger or home charger in order to get it to turn on quickly. I loved how fast it charged my iPhone and got me up and running in a few minutes. It is small and light which meant it didn't weigh down my bag when not in use. It also had a feature which turned off the charger when your device was fully charged so that it didn't overcharge.
In terms of enhancements, I would like to see longer cords for the charger. Right now they are very short and if you are trying to charge your device in your bag and still use it, there simply isn't enough length and you are left holding the charger along with your device. I'd also like to see a USB port which you could plug your own cables into.
Easy to use charger that includes integrated cables and wall plug that comes fully charged and ready to use. This charger is slim and fit into my bag easily while keeping a charge until I needed it.
Available from myCharge and Amazon for ranging from $79 – $99 USD
Tech specs
Battery: 6000mAh Lithium Ion
Product Dimensions: 4.1 in x 2.5 in x 0.9 in
Product Weight: 0.5 lbs.
Output: 3.4A shared
Smart-sense: ensures complete device compatibility
Hyper-charge: ultra-fast charging of your devices; up to 65% faster than competitors
Power-stay: maintains battery power for up to 1 year
Max-power: maximum power transfer from powerbank to device
High-density battery: the smallest and lightest powerbank
Safe-cell: provides the highest level of battery safety
Rapid-recharge: powerbank recharges up to 50% faster than competitors
Pass Through Charging: will charge the powerbank and connected device simultaneously
NOTE: A product was supplied by the company for review purposes, no other form of compensation was received, all opinions stated in the review are those of the author and have been offered honestly.


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Mortgage Funds: Where are they at?
Late last year the mortgage fund sector was adversely affected quite considerably and many investors personally experienced the hardship of that affect, with many still unable to access their funds or their access is limited to a restricted quarterly basis.
As we discussed in our Newsletter on 28 October 2008 "Are all Mortgage Funds the same?" many of the mortgage funds affected were in fact performing as expected prior to the unprecedented request for redemptions. Many products would have been unsustainable under that kind of market pressure. However, these funds created their own vulnerability to their redemption volumes and consequent freeze. This was the result of attracting "short term" investment funds by promising to redeem funds on short notice, a promise on which they could not ultimately deliver.
Nonetheless, in an article that appeared in the Australian Financial Review (AFR) on 21 January 2009, "Mortgage funds look tempting as interest rates fall", it rightly comments that "mortgage funds tend to do better in environments of falling interest rates because the loans are reset every few months, so the rates will lag official rates."
This is a very relevant comment and one which helps investors understand the underlying assets that support an interest rate paid by a mortgage fund that is often greater than 1% over the official cash rate. The article also suggests that as cash rates are falling and the banks are returning little more on their bank bills, term deposits or bank account rates, investors are looking for an alternative. In a market that is so uncertain, what is available to investors who are looking for an alternative in the fixed interest sector?
The AFR article suggests that mortgage funds are once again becoming more favourable as commented by financial planner Scott Haywood who noted that "Historically, mortgage funds usually return 1 to 1.5 per cent more than a Cash Management Trust ("CMT"), so for a conservative investor there are still grounds to have that money spread across different types of fixed interest."
How can investors gain confidence again in mortgage fund investments?
Understand what you are investing in and what are the parameters for investing in the fund. Remember, not all mortgage funds were affected by last October's events (including the La Trobe Australian Mortgage Fund). A mortgage fund is NOT a cash management trust or a term deposit. However, an investment in it should be considered a term investment. And the fund should in our view be able to deliver reasonable certainty over redemption rights on that basis. Most mortgage funds continue to be structured to fail this certainty test.
La Trobe's Pooled Mortgages Option is a 'term investment' with a minimum 12 month investment period. It has been La Trobe's philosophy for this Option not to have an investment period less than 12 months as we believe that an investment in mortgages requires more of a term commitment by investors in order to align expectation with the realities of the underlying investments. Mortgage funds are invested in mortgages with terms from 12 months and longer - therefore high volume redemptions over a short period of time cannot be sustained. By requiring investment terms from 12 months and spreading both mortgage and investment maturity dates across the year, a mortgage fund is better able to match underlying mortgage terms (although we note that even this is not perfect matching). The term investment (12 months) is one reason why mortgage funds pay (or in our view, should pay) a higher rate of return than say a daily transaction account at the bank because those accounts are and should be more liquid than a term deposit or term investments such as a mortgage fund.
Unfortunately an event completely external to the mortgage fund industry (the government bank deposit guarantee) caused the excessive requests for withdrawals that translated into investor fear. Fear in the majority of cases has caused the suspension of mortgage funds and not mismanagement, although we take the view that they should have been better structured to prevent the contagion of fear.
It all comes down to understanding your investments and being comfortable with the risk and return associated with each investment choice.
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Chris Andrews is the Head of Funds Management for the La Trobe Group and has responsibility for the La Trobe Australian Mortgage Fund. Read full profile here.
La Trobe is one of Australia's leading independent specialist mortgage Financiers. Its business includes residential mortgages, commercial mortgages, and investment services operating one of Australia's largest Mortgage Funds under AFSL 222213. It employs over 115 staff and has raised over AUD$10Billion to assist over 100,000 customers since inception in 1952.
Copyright 2010 La Trobe Financial. All rights reserved. No portion of this may be reproduced, copied, or in any way reused without written permission from La Trobe Financial. Disclaimer


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Eyefolds The BankerYotpo reviews for Eyefolds The Banker
Eyefolds The Banker
These foldable Eyefolds Banker readers will help you count your cash and travel like a dream.
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Good day to you,
I have question. For around 3 and a half months I refrained from masturbating, until I got to a point where I couldn't take it any more and masturbated. The first time I did it, I didn't feel bad about it, and I really felt I released myself. However, few days later after the first time, I don't know what happened. It seemed as though I just needed to masturbate again. I don't know what happened! Did I need to release myself or just the joy of it. Yet, I ended up masturbating the following day just because I started reading about masturbation again. What's happening with me? Guilt is starting trying to take hold of me. What's up? I'm lost and I need help.
Each ejaculation does not empty the seminal vesicles where your semen is produced. You held off ejaculating for a very long time, so your seminal vesicles were stretched to their capacity. Your first ejaculation brought tremendous relief because the seminal vesicles were no longer over full. However, they are both tender from being over stretched and still near full. That is why it wasn't all that long before you felt the need to ejaculate again.
There is nothing sinful about ejaculating. Sin comes when you use pornography or lust to stimulate yourself to the point of ejaculating (I Thessalonians 4:3-5). The guilt is more triggered by you deciding that masturbating is wrong, though there is a physical element to the guilt as well. See: Why do I feel guilty after ejaculating?


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Be at one with nature while hiking in the Salzburg Alps. Towering mountains, crystal clear water, fresh mountain air and a clear view: opening up in front of the Alpen-Karawanserai wellness hotel's front door is a true holiday. You can experience the Salzburg Alps in all their beauty along more than 450 kilometres of marked hiking trails.
In summer a paradise for mountain biking and hiking – that's Saalbach-Hinterglemm. The same slopes that are used by skiers from all over the world for the time of their life are transformed into one of the best mountain bike regions in Austria. It's the pinnacle of mountain biking, and it's in Hinterglemm.


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I have been obsessed with podcasts for the better part of a year or so. It started with Serial (as it does for most people) and then after reading the book #GirlBoss I jumped into the GirlBoss Radio podcast (which just launched their second season this week).
From there I fell hard and fast down the rabbit whole of podcasts, but not just any kind of podcasts. The ones that keep my attention are full of advice and inspiration from people doing amazing things and it took me a while to find a whole bunch that I really loved. So, I thought it was only fair to share a handful of them. I won't say too much on what I like and don't like about each of these podcasts because everyone has their own preference of editing style, energy, accent, and so on. But each one are from and/or feature creatives, writers, entrepreneurs, influencers and more. Many episodes are interview style but quite a few are solely narrative. All of which have really impacted me in one way or another. Go ahead and check them out. Give them each an episode or two and let me know if there are any podcasts you love that I missed!
(These are in no particular order)
Youpreneur FM with Chris Ducker
Unmistakable Creative
Raise Your Hand and Say Yes with Tiffany Han
On Brand
Natalie Sisson's Quest for Freedom
Make It Happen: A podcast by Jen Carrington
How I built This with Guy Raz
Girlboss Radio with Sophia Amaruso
A Better Life w/ Rachel Rofe
Being Boss: A podcast for creative entrepreneurs
After the Jump
Todd Henry's Accidental Creative
Influencer Podcast


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Timeline for Education and Diversity Accomplishments in ESA. This timeline traces the ESA's many accomplishments relating to education and diversity since the society's founding in 1915. Included are major initiatives, profiles of award winners, information about key publications, and accomplishments of the Sections and Offices dealing with education and diversity. The purpose is to allow viewers to trace the evolution of ideas and initiatives relating to education and diversity, especially during the past 25 years.
The timeline was developed by members of the Committee for Diversity and Education; the advisory group included Ken Klemow (Wilkes University), Carmen Cid (Eastern Connecticut State University), Julie Reynolds (Duke University) and Teresa Mourad (ESA). Laura Solomon (Wilkes University) served as the technical associate. Financial support was underwritten by ESA's Centennial Committee.
We welcome suggestions for additional items worthy of inclusion, as well as corrections of any errors. Please submit those suggestions to Ken Klemow (firstname.lastname@example.com).


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Glutton's Journal:
August 22, 2011
First Bite: No. 246
By Nancy Staab
- Interior photo by Helena Peixoto
Seasonality, simplicity and restraint rule at No. 246, the new Ford Fry and Drew Belline venture in Decatur. Go for the ricotta-filled agnolotti with summer corn and stay for the whole roasted Branzino, craft cocktails by Laura Creasey and a rustic-urbane decor by Smith Hanes.
I think No. 246 had me at the décor (or do I mean the door). It's a handsome space in that spare, poetic way that is the calling card of designer Smith Hanes. Hanes also did the décor for Ford Fry's other restaurant JCT. Kitchen as well as The Farmhouse at Serenbe. What's not to love about No. 246's absurdly oversized Edison light bulbs (making that design cliché absolutely fresh again); generous framed windows spilling in tons of light; exposed brick walls painted white; reclaimed wood floors; white subway tiled, theatrical open kitchen with a coveted chef's counter (not so much table) for four; sleek granite bar; judicious art work and a glinting row of tarnished mirrors imperfectly reflecting the rustic-modern charm of it all. The only down note: the restaurant was packed like Italian sardines, from the bar to the main dining room, on the Thursday night of our visit to the degree that my group was straining to converse across a tiny table. However, we are told the restaurant is already taking steps to fix the problem.
No. 246 may not be the catchiest of names for a restaurant, and it doesn't even refer to the actual address of the space (which is right next door to Leon's Full Service). However, following our first test dinner, we are going to be committing this name to memory and making the "field trip" to Decatur regularly to sample the seasonal menu. Decatur, oft-called the Berkeley of Atlanta, is undergoing a little dining boomlet—even with the late, lamented departure of Watershed. It will be a toss-up whether nearby Cakes & Ale chef Billy Allin (who grows his own organic veggies out back) or the equally agrarian-minded chef Drew Belline of No. 246 (under the mentorship of business partner/chef Ford Fry) will claim the "Chez Panisse of Decatur" title, but it will be an interesting race.
But on to the food: Belline, last of Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison's Floataway Café, brings the same attention to locally-sourced ingredients, clean dishes and seasonal regard at his new spot, as he did at Floataway. The starter presentation of bread, olives in olive oil and a bowl of rustic salt grains on a brown butcher's paper runner set the tone for the entire meal. It is simple like a Dutch still life, almost biblical, and certainly represents an Italian holy trinity (well, minus the tomato). Presentation points were also earned for the playful starter toasts delivered in curved wooden trenchers. Each spread was served in its own little glass jar--to be slathered on the grilled bread--and very affordable at $3 a pop. Our favorite: the wood oven roasted eggplant with chilies and mint.
Two items were sampled from the cutely named "Water & Flour" portion of the menu. (Note the simplicity. Clearly the mantra of this kitchen.) The prosciutto, gorgonzola and fig pizza was pungent, salty and sweet in equal measure; but not too sweet, even with the lacing of balsamico over the plump green figs. The bracing gorgonzola more than undercut excess sweet and the crust had a particularly salty zing. Next came the sublime and already signature agnolotti with sweet corn, local chanterelles, corn milk, humbolt fog goat cheese and toasted garlic. It's a bowl of pillowy agnolotti stuffed with ricotta and bathed in subtle corn and mushroom broth. We rue the day chef Belline has to take this dish off the menu due to corn's all-too-brief season. It is both light and subtle, yet rich at the same time. (We hear the mushrooms are locally foraged and most of the pastas, including the agnolotti, are hand-made in house.) The vegetable sides, rapini with garlic and chilies and the lemon-roasted beets with tarragon, were honest and earthy—the garlic barely perceptible in the rapini or the agnolotti dish.
Dinner culminated with a head-and-tail-on, whole-roasted Branzino beauty topped with shaved fennel, salsa verde, lemon, olive oil and sea salt. Perfection simplicity, and restraint being the operative words for this dish. It would be easy to slip into the boring with this much simplicity, but Belline's accomplished cooking, a wood-burning oven, and just the right dollop of indulgence (a scoop of goat cheese, a slather of prosciutto, a brushing of olive oil) save the day. Too sated to try the tempting desserts (buttermilk panna cotta with lemon ginger marmelade, blueberry crustada with crème fraiche, etc.) or Laura Creasy's craft cocktails, our crowd vowed to revisit No. 246 soon--before that delicate agnolotti is a distant summer memory.
No. 246, 129 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur, 678.399.8246, www.no246.com Open for lunch and dinner daily with a special spaghetti dinner deal on Monday nights.
And here is a recent fall update on the summer corn agnolotti dish and equally addictive:
Below two more images from the No. 246 website: A spaghetti with clams recipe from the Monday Night Spaghetti Dinner specials and a local heirloom tomatoes salad with basil and pecorino.


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Molara Wood is the author of 'Indigo', a collection of short stories recently published by Parresia. Also a journalist, essayist and critic, she has won awards for her short stories. A former arts columnist for the Sunday Guardian, and later Arts and Culture editor of the now defunct NEXT newspaper, she is currently Special Assistant to the President on Documentation. 'Indigo' is her first book.
Your short story collection Indigo is finally out. It was a long journey to publication. What exactly happened?
I guess it was the usual story of trying to find publishers whose ideas for the book tallied with my own. I had some glitches along the way which aren't really worth going into now. Every book has its own story, its own journey and it's the long run that matters. I have found that as a writer, it's important to exercise patience and to not rush into print.
How long was Indigo in the making?
The bulk of the stories were written over several years up to 2008. The last was added in 2010. Many of the stories went through a long process of editing and adjustments, as I tinkered with them every now and then until I could tinker no more. It was important to get the stories right first, and to have some of them curated by other literary editors for publication in journals and anthologies.
I like the blend of immigrant experience in some of the stories and the strong cultural nuances in others. Was this a blend you deliberately worked at or was it something that just came off in the end?
I'm glad you like the blend. I just wrote as the muse moved me and without any particular design. Eventually I had twenty-something stories and figured I had more than enough for a collection. The seventeen in Indigo are the ones we felt could co-exist thematically in one book.
Some of the stories like the title story and 'Night Market' have mystical themes or concerns without being out-rightly magical realist. Do you think Magical Realism still has a future in literature?
Magical Realism has a past, a present and a future in literature. The great Latin American authors, especially Alejo Carpentier who first articulated the concept of "lo real maravilloso" (the marvellous real), saw Magical Realism as an expression of the reality of their world, where life was and remains magically real. They were writing about New World societies that had a lot of African influences through slavery for example, in their language, myths, ways of seeing, religious beliefs and so on. So I'm saying of course that Africa is the original "lo real maravilloso". Look at newspaper pages and tell me whether some things reported even in this day and age are not magically real. You have news items that ask you to believe that a thief turned into a goat; goats get arrested as do masquerades; or that some woman gave birth to a horse. I find it interesting that many people recount these with straight faces and listeners often take them as so. You can dismiss it all as absurd, or you can recognise that conceding to the magical element, or the fantastical, is one of the ways in which people add layers of meaning to their lives. It's another way of making sense of the outlandishness of their world. For as long as there are societies where the magical exists side-by-side with the supposedly real world, Magical Realism has a place in literature. And as long as there are artists whose imaginative universe allows them to see wonder and magic in everyday life, Magical Realism has a future.
Seventeen stories in your collection. Why did you think it was necessary to have that huge a number in your collection?
I don't find 17 short stories to be such a huge number in a collection, especially when you consider that about five stories in 'Indigo' are very short pieces of flash fiction that take up no more than two pages at a time.
Indeed some of them are incredibly short, like 'Free Rice' a deeply disturbing story, which is interconnected with 'The Scarcity of Common Goods'. How did it occur to you to link up the two?
Let me share something about the creative process pertaining to these two stories. You see, 'The Scarcity of Common Goods' is one of those stories that did not start in my head as any one specific idea. It began with the title, which I liked when it dropped into my head – the paradox of "common" goods conflated with "scarcity" in one line, fascinated me; and I decided to write a story around the antithetical notion. I started with a sentence, not knowing where it would lead – it's an approach I recommend. Then I added another sentence, and another; and soon I had the beginnings of a story about a widow grieving for her husband. Then I suffered writer's block and the story got stuck. So, I abandoned it for a while and decided to write a separate story about this husband she was grieving for, and that's how 'Free Rice' came into being. It's based on a true story I heard when I was young, by the way. When I was done with 'Free Rice', I returned, reenergised, to 'The Scarcity of Common Goods' and churned it out.
A number of the stories address the immigrant experience, some of them were set in London where you lived for a while. How much of your personal experiences are in these stories?
Well, I have now lived a greater part of my life in Nigeria than in Britain. Yet I don't get people asking if the larger number of my stories set in Nigeria are based on personal experience. Why is that? And when I'm asked if the London portraits are based on myself, I am tempted to ask, "which one?" – since they are such wildly divergent characters with different backgrounds, personalities, experiences and fates. They are many and, complex though I like to think I am, I am not legion. Every day I spent in the UK was legally accounted for; I would never have anything to do with a fake passport; arranged marriages for visa purposes were astonishing to me; and I most certainly never wished to move from London to America. As I told you, most of these stories were forged over a long period of time in the furnace of my imagination. I took time to make these people as real as possible, to get every nuance of character: background, appearance, quirks, insecurities and so on. They are based on life in London as seen around me. I am a student of human nature, I observe and psychoanalyse people, I see more than they intend me to see. I thought it was important in these stories to explore the reality of the immigrant condition as experienced by our people in the UK, rather than the fable of 'life abroad' that drives Nigerians to seek greener pastures that often don't exist. It was also important to attempt to write these lives with empathy, without judgement – but that should not be taken to mean I lived these specific scenarios. I think it is what these stories say about Nigerian life in London that should concern people, rather than whether or not the author experienced such-and-such. My characters are me only to the extent that I created them. I like to say that they are children of my brain.
Indeed, it is clear that the characters are quite different from Molara Wood as a person, and I suppose readers always want to know how much of the writer's experiences are invested in the story. But why do you think stories of displacement and identity have remained relevant decades after 'The Lonely Londoners'?
Before ever reading 'The Lonely Londoners', I had watched a film titled 'Black Joy'. It was a West Indian 'hard-knock-life' kind of story, showing Caribbean immigrants suffering and smiling in the UK. The film remains indelible, though I've not viewed it again since the late 80s – so that probably says something about the power of immigrant stories. Many years later I watched 'Dirty Pretty Things'; I was a Londoner, but the film showed me an underbelly of immigrant London that was unknown to me. So, maybe one answer to your question is that immigrant stories are a window to hidden lives – often hidden from the new world they're in as well as the old one from which they came. New lands raise new questions about identity, while redefining and renegotiating the individual's dreams, aspirations and ways of being in the world. An exploration of that existential struggle will throw up new insights into the human condition.
Some of the stories deal with typical women issues, like questions about fertility such as in Indigo, or the challenges of living with a co-wife such as in Gani's Fall among others. What are your thoughts on women's literature as a subgenre of literature?
The first thing I would say is that women's writing is in no way a sub-genre of literature. From George Elliot and Jane Austen to Zora Neale Hurston and Zulu Sofola to my sisters making strides in this generation – women's writing is part of the literature of humankind in all its richness. It's just that the canon is patriarchal, and has privileged the male gaze and narratives about the exploits of men. Female writers therefore help to open up the spaces, to bring women's voices and experiences to the fore.
In broad terms I was referring to the classification of women-centred stories or books, which has been termed "women's fiction". The gender of the author is immaterial in this instance. Khaled Hosseini's 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' will qualify as such whereas Adaobi Nwaubani's 'I Do Not Come To You By Chance', though written by a woman, doesn't. It is quite distinct from "women's writing".
I've not read Hosseini's book, but I gather it's a novel about women, much like 'Madame Bovary' or 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' – female characters visualised through the psychology of male authors. If they are to be categorised as 'women's writing', then what on earth was Virginia Woolf talking about? Nwaubani's Cash Daddy, on the other hand, is a male character in a piece of writing by a woman. Some of my protagonists or narrators in 'Indigo' are male – do those stories not qualify as 'women's writing'? It would seem to me therefore that the author's gender does matter. Here's a simple test: would Hosseini's book qualify for entry into the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction? I should think not.
Why do you think the short story is always looked at as inferior to the novel such that when someone like Alice Munro, a notable short story writer, wins the Nobel it is considered a departure from the norm?
I think the short story has always enjoyed a solid reputation, and is the closest to the old idea of a skilled storyteller with enough tales to keep you coming back. What the short story may lack is the glamour of the novel, which is seen as more ambitious in scope – it says: 'I'll give you a whole world, complete, in a big volume'. And publishers find that irresistible. Even now it's difficult to get a literary agent on the strength of your short stories alone, unless you have a big prize under your belt. We look forward to the day a short story writer winning the Nobel would not be seen as remarkable.
And of course we know that short stories are quite a challenge to pull off successfully, not many writers are adept at it. How does one succeed as a short story writer?
If by success you mean how well it is written, then I suppose it's a matter of just honing the craft, ensuring that all the elements of the story are there. Beginnings are crucial, endings are important and the middle must not sag.
How do you conceive your stories? Do they occur to you as flashes of inspiration or do you set out deliberately to write about a particular theme or concern?
Mostly as flashes of inspiration to which I then supply a backbone and flesh out as I work to connect the dots. I very rarely set out to write about a particular theme or concern, but my preoccupations find their way into the story as I go along.
How did you fall in love with literature? What made you decide to become a writer?
It's like the 'Goodfellas' syndrome of Ray Liotta who always knew he wanted to be a gangster. I always knew in some way that I wanted to be a writer. It was about making the meandering journey to a point in one's life when the realisation dawns that enough time has been wasted, you might as well just knuckle down and write.
I understand you are working on a novel now. What is about? When should we expect this novel to hit the shelf?
It's too early to go into it. Ask me again in about a year's time.
Well, I will. It is always a pleasure to talk to you, Molara. And good luck with the novel.
Thank you. I enjoy your work and I appreciate all you're doing to promote writers.
Thank you.


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- Reading the Postmodern Polity: Political Theory as Textual Practice (review)
- Philosophy and Literature
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- Volume 16, Number 2, October 1992
- pp. 388-389
- 10.1353/phl.1992.0035
- Review
- View Citation
- Additional Information
388Philosophy and Literature Reading the Postmodern Polity: Political Theory as Textual Practice, by Michael J. Shapiro; ? & 173 pp. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1992, $15.95. MichaelJ. Shapiro, a professor of political theory at the University of Hawaii, calls for a revision ofthe traditional discourses of political theory. The discipline of political theory has traditionally emphasized questions of power, authority, and the just, while simultaneously ignoring questions concerning its own textuality . Shapiro identifies this tradition with the anti-modern, Western apologetic mode of political theory associated with Leo Strauss as well as the metaphysical proclivities of his philosophical progenitor, Plato. Within this political philosophical nexus, philosophy and society are viewed as irreconcilable; imagined space and the space of the political are hierarchicalized. The postmodern political theory ofShapiro, however, rejects all such discursive formations in which the relationship between different social spaces is rendered distinct. "A politics of discourse," he states, "is inextricably tied to a politics of space" (p. 5). In other words, the relationship between spatial and discursive practices is always already a discursive phenomenon. For Shapiro, then, the social must be read as the textual. This relationship between space and meaning is thus the necessary site for any analysis of the postmodern polity's terrain of discourse. From the outset of this exemplary collection of essays, Shapiro challenges several traditional political philosophical presuppositions: its interpretive methodology (hermeneutic), its separation ofintellectual and nonphilosophical space, and its treatment of language as referential. On the contrary, Shapiro argues that political theory is primarily a literature and that "reality" is a textual phenomenon . Moreover, he claims, it cannot be articulated in the traditional politico -epistemological discourses. His focus, then, is on "the domains of power and authority with which various modes of representation are complicit" (p. 37). Taking his cue from poststructuralism, Shapiro's political philosophy emphasizes a specifically Foucauldian genealogical mode of critical interpretation. It is an attempt to destabilize interpretations in general such that the economies in which they operate may become manifest. Hence, Shapiro does not limit his discussion of the postmodern to what has traditionally been perceived as the terrain of the political. On the contrary, his analysis of the postmodern polity involves such diverse essays as "Politicizing Ulysses: Rationalistic, Critical, and Genealogical Commentaries" and "American Fictions and Political Culture: DeLillo's Libra and Bellah et al.'s Habits of the Heart," as well as "Spatiality and Policy Discourse: Reading the Global City" and "Strategic Discourse/Discursive Strategy: The Representation of'Security Policy' in the Video Age." Chapter four, for example, entided "Political Economy and Mimetic Desire in Babette's Feast," attempts an analysis of various political economies ofdesire. Shapiro's particular postmodern approach to political economy Reviews389 (deconstructive) exists in opposition to Marx's modernist, anti-representational mode and is certainly informed by Baudrillard: "The shift from the production and exchange of goods to the production and exchange of signs in theorizing political economy," he states, "is intimately connected to some significant shifts in the structure of social space" (p. 59). He further suggests that Isak Dinesen's Babette's Feast, "chronicles a disruption of a spiritual economy . . . while at the same time exemplifying the various mechanisms involved in desiring's relationship to economy in general" (p. 60). In chapter eight, "The Politics of Fear: DeLillo's Postmodern Burrow," Shapiro suggests that DeLillo's repolitization of fear, especially in his White Noise, reflects the condition "againstwhich DeLillo writes." That is, like Kafka, DeLillo's writing is "aimed at escaping from closed systems, from the web of codes that remain unread because they are confused with the 'real' " (p. 130). Its narrative, in other words, is a deployment of "modernity's repressive politics of fear"; it informs us "about the powerful delegating effects of modern, commercial/ consumer-oriented space" (p. 136). Shapiro invokes DeLillo's textual practice as representative of the postmodern mapping of the authority of modernity's structure of mediating codes. Textual practice, thus, is inseparable from the politicizing mode of Shapiro's genealogical analysis. For those interested in questions of the postmodern, Reading the Postmodern Polity is, once again, an exemplary collection of essays. Shapiro's thinking is indebted not only to Foucault but to Nietzsche...


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9 Natural Ways To Straighten Your Hair
Straight and smooth locks are all the rage these days.
However, many salon treatments are harsh on your hair causing damage and split ends.
Not to mention, those solutions are often pricey.
However, what if we told you that you can get gorgeous straight hair without the cost or the harm?
The truth is, several in-home treatments require ingredients that many of us have in our pantry.
Don't buy into the cure-all over-the-counter treatments.
Most of those come with some pretty steep side effects. Instead, opt to try a natural approach that nourishes and straightens.
Let's take a peek at some tried and true natural solutions for straight hair.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera promotes healthy hair growth as it contains enzymes.
Moreover, the gel actually hydrates your hair which keeps it straight.
All you have to do is to combine half a cup of warm oil and Aloe Vera gel.
Let it stay for 30 minutes and they wash it off. Your hair will be straight.
Milk and Honey
An article from Tree Hugger suggests using milk and honey to get straight locks.
Mix one cup (240 mL) of milk with one tablespoon (15 mL) of honey and apply it to your hair.
The vitamins from the milk coupled with the cleansing properties of honey help keep your hair straight and shiny.
The best solution to straighten your hair is castor oil since it hydrates from scalp to root.
You just need to coat your hair with castor oil, allow it to act for several minutes and then rinse it off.
Make sure not to apply too much oil on your scalp because it will make your hair look greasy.
Coconut Milk
Besides being a great solution to straighten your hair, coconut oil contains antibacterial properties which will help you reduce the risk of scalp infections.
Just extract the juice from a coconut and allow it to set on your hair for ten minutes before rinsing.
If you want to keep your hair straight make sure you are using beer.
That's right.
According to Top 10 Home Remedies, beer is rich in vitamins and antioxidants that keep hair strong and sleek.
You can use flat beer as a final rinse after shampooing.
Fullers' Earth
Another great solution is Fuller's Earth which hydrates and repairs damaged hair.
According to Search Home Remedy, you should prepare a mixture with
one cup (240 mL) of fuller's earth and five tablespoons (75 mL) of rice flower.
After that, add one egg and mix the ingredients well to get a paste.
Allow to set on your hair for several minutes before removing.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is beneficial for your hair because it restores the natural pH level and enhances the overall look and feel of your hair.
When your hair is healthy, it is less likely to dry out and kink up.
According to Top 10 Home Remedies, you should combine two tablespoons (20 mL) of apple cider vinegar with one cup (240 mL) and apply the mixture to your hair after shampooing.
Leave it on your hair and allow it to air dry.
The reason why bananas are an excellent solution for your hair is because they are rich in minerals that promote healthy hair.
Just mash up two overripe bananas and create a mask for your hair.
In the end, your hair will be moisturized, straight and shiny.
Celery also works as a natural stimulator for hair growth and it straightens the hair as well.
All you should do is to soak the leaves in water and then use it as a spray on your hair for desired results.
If you want to straighten your hair and not to damage it in the process, make sure to use some of the abovementioned solutions and the results will amaze you.
What's popular Now
9 Natural Ways To Straighten Your Hair Reviewed by Health Tips on December 13, 2016 Rating:


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Put a 'spring' in your step with a new pair of shoes! Shop these cuties (note these are affiliate links)
Target does an awesome job keeping up on trends, and these shoes are evidence of that. Can you believe that these are all under $50? I'll let you in on a secret... they're all $35 and less! Such a great price point for you to add a pair (or two) to your Spring wardrobe! I'm pretty sure I need both pairs of sneakers in my life... and with this Seattle weather I might as well grab those white patent booties too!


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What's Up Wednesday is a weekly blog hop hosted by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk. Check out the links on their pages to see what other writers are doing.
What I'm Reading
I finished Leah Raeder's new adult contemporary romance UNTEACHABLE in one day. It was that freaking good. Give me beautifully broken characters, unsavory choices, and spot-on voice and I'm ALL IN.
What I'm Writing
Not much this week since work kept me pretty busy. But I'm really looking forward to having time off over the holiday break and getting some words down. True to form, a new idea is torturing me but I'm trying to enact some form of discipline (so unlike me!) and keep it at bay until I make more progress on my other WIPs.
What Inspires Me Right Now
Christmas music. Every year I fight the urge to start playing it after Halloween.
What Else I've Been Up To
Celebrating finishing holiday shopping/wrapping early, the culmination of special events for the year at work (your girl is TIRED), and the goodness produced by the K-State Bakery Science Club.


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About Absolute Care Services
Absolute Care Services Ltd was created to change the way the care system operates and put people with needs before bureaucracy. Started by Della Smith in 2002, as a direct result of her daughter Gemma's own personal health battles, ACS has grown to become a leading home care and supported living provider in the Surrey and Greater London area and also operates a franchise network across the country of carefully selected franchisees who share our ethos and genuine passion for care.
"The girls that care for my parents-in-law are amazing. If they are having a bad day, they treat them with respect and nothing is too much trouble for them. My parents-in-law have such a bond with your carers. A big thank you to the girls. We are so pleased to have this care in place for them and would recommend your company 100%."
At just 2 years old, Della's daughter Gemma was diagnosed with a brain tumour, which unfortunately grew back 4 times over a period of 16 years. Della was informed the tumour was terminal, as it was inoperable. However, through her own research and a mother's natural passion to protect her child, she refused to accept that her child would not survive. So Della took the NHS to court, challenging their belief that medical intervention would or could not work, Della won the case and Gemma won her right for a chance to live.
Della was told Gemma would need full time care, so she left her job and became a carer and with her dedication for making a difference to people, she soon progressed to Care Manager. After several months of witnessing poor practices and the most basic of care, it became obvious that organisations profits were more important than the individual. Della's natural passion took over and Absolute Care Services was born.
Want to know more? Contact an office near you:
Contact our offices directly to find out more about the services we offer in your local area.


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Bild: Flight Operations
Take an exclusive virtual tour of the flight carrier USS Harry S. Truman while operating in the Persian Gulf. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has surpassed an operational milestone by delivering the most carrier-based ordnance throughout the conflict with ISIS. This floating airport has recently completed 1,407 combat sorties, delivering 1,118 pieces–over 580 tons–of ordnance.


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For those of you who are out there for technology, cyber Monday might be the right day to hit. Apple products are known to be high priced, some people prefer to buy directly from Apple and on the other hand some folks wait for best cyber Monday deals to purchase a discounted one over getting iPhone on big bucks. 75% of the people buy their Apple smartphones through wireless carriers. There is no prediction that Apple store would sell iPhones on discounted prices. However, e-commerce sites of big retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Amazon and eBay would be likely to offer bargained prices on unlocked Apple smartphones. In addition, there are dual kinds of deals on this; some expecting to get a good deal of gift card bundles while activating an installment plan which is more or less same every year, and other expecting this trend to change with no installments and purchase your smartphone straightforwardly with minor percent off.
Depending on what has been offering in the past, here are some best iPhone deals to hold this year most probably:
IPhone X:
The most expensive model up to date begins at retail price of $999 offering 64 GB with high demand worldwide. Its pre-sale starts at October 27, 2017, with the official arrival on November 3, 2017. It is suggested to wait till November as eBay is likely to show some discounted offers like selling at $949.05 without installment plan and 5% off.
IPhone 8:
Pricier than last year's iPhone 7, having retail price of 64 GB version is $699. It is expected that Walmart, Target and Best Buy will offer more or less same cyber Monday deals as they did last year. While availing only 4% discount expect to pay around $671.04 to get unlocked IPhone 8.
IPhone 8 Plus:
With the retail price starting at $799 in case of 64 GB version, belong to breed of iPhone 8. In purchase of unlocked version, look for $765.44 (4.2% off) without installment plan.
IPhone 7 & IPhone 7 Plus:
Cyber Monday could be possibly the best day to take advantage in availing a year older iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus, as you can look for $100 saving for 32 GB version than the actual price issued last year.
As Smartphone purchase is expanding years by years. Looking back into the past there were somehow similar deals of getting iPhone. This year, stores must be figuring out how to surprise people on this cyber Monday with their sizzling upcoming deals.
New post (#OrderNation #JustAwesome #TrustedShop #BlackFridaySale It Starts Now Lets …) has been published on – https://t.co/sYmdrByuGs pic.twitter.com/lxPAW7aSL5
— Black Friday Deals (@Thefirdaydeals) 1 de octubre de 2017


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If you've ever dreamt of building your own 'Grand Designs' home, you are far from alone.
According to the National Self-Build Association (NaCSBA), around seven million people in Britain would like to build their own homes. The good news is the Government is right behind wannabe self-builders, aiming to double the number of self and custom-built homes to 20,000 a year by 2020.
If you're hoping to turn your self-build dreams into reality, here are five things you need to know…
1. You'll need patience when finding a plot
Finding land remains the biggest hurdle faced by wannabe self-builders, according to recent research by NaCSBA. Of more than 2,500 people questioned, more than half (56%) said that tracking down an affordable and suitable site on which to build their home was by far the biggest challenge they faced.
The Government-endorsed Self Build Portal has a 'Need-a-plot Noticeboard' where you can highlight exactly where you are looking for a plot. Those with land for sale can check the noticeboard to find a suitable match.
2. You can't just apply for a standard mortgage
Mortgages for self-build properties don't work in the same way as mortgages for properties that are already constructed, so it's a good idea to seek specialist advice from an independent broker to help find the best deal to suit your needs.
3. You must be strict about sticking to your budget
Self-build projects can quickly come grinding to a halt if you run out of cash. Set a realistic budget for your project, supported by quotes for all the work you need doing, and then aim to have a contingency fund of around 10% to 20% in case you run into any unexpected costs.
Remember that you'll also need to factor in the cost of accommodation while your project is being completed - it can often take a couple of years (or longer) to build a home from scratch.
4. You'll need the right construction professionals
Don't assume that once you've got the go ahead for your self-build project that it will be easy to find a builder who can start work straight away.
Good builders can often be booked up for months in advance, so start finding out who is available (and when) as soon as possible. Recommendation is usually the best way to find reputable tradesmen, so talk to anyone you might know who has already built their own home.
Many people choose to take on a main contractor, rather than assuming the role of project manager themselves, so they can find the individual tradesmen required to complete the project… although this can be more expensive than going it alone. One of the most useful resources to help you track down builders is the Federation of Master Builders.
5. You can claim a VAT refund on your building materials
If you are building your own home, you can reclaim any VAT you've paid on building materials, which can often run into thousands of pounds.
Many self-builders miss out on this, either because they aren't aware they can claim it back or because they forget to do it. To qualify, you must keep records of everything you've spent and apply for the refund within three months of completing your build. You can't claim VAT back on things like fitted furniture or carpets. You can find out more about applying for a VAT refund at GOV.UK.


text: Healthy Teeth by Owen O'Regan | Feb 6, 2018 | Daisy class 2017/18, Poppy class 2017/18 A Dental Nurse came to visit Reception, and talked to us about how to keep our teeth healthy. We need to brush our teeth for 2 minutes, every morning and night. We have been practising how to use a toothbrush at the water tray!


text: Born: 1915-07-16 Died: 2006-07-11 IMDB Filmography Jun 21 2015 Damned vampires From: The Lost Boys One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach... All the damned vampires. Barnard Hughes (Grandpa) #Vampires#Monsters#Complaints#Life#Disgust#Frustration#Halloween Jun 09 2015 Rules! From: The Lost Boys Rules! We got some rules around here. Barnard Hughes (Grandpa) #Rules#Grandfather Jul 28 2003 All that is visible From: TRON All that is visible must grow beyond itself, extend into the realm of the invisible. Barnard Hughes (Dumont) #Computer#Philosophy#Beliefs


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Cloudy and humid weather is keeping the observatory room closed. It will continue for a few more days.
I am trying the USB coonection from the observatory to the meeting room. Cat5/6 cable connection is not working. Have checked two different cables and connectors. This is a problem that needa to be resolved ASAP.


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Drama City Escape Information
- Drama Title: City Escape
- Alternative Title:
- Status: Ongoing
- Genre: Variety show
- Country: Korean
- Published Date: 2015
- Total Episodes: 2
- Summary:
- Online Video Links: Click Here to Download City Escape
Download City Escape episode(s)
|Download City Escape Ep 5 | RAW
|Download City Escape Ep 6 | RAW
Other dramas you may like
A young woman leaves the city to return to her hometown in the countryside. Seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, she becomes self-sufficient in a bid to reconnect with nature.
Masayuki Suzuki (Itsuji Itao) is known as "Datsugoku Oh" (King of Escape) because of his incredible ability to escape from any prison. Even though his ability to escape from prison was unmatched he would normally get caught within a few hours from his escape. He is then sent to Prison Island ... can he escape ?
In China, Xuie lives an impoverished life with her father who is far from helpful. She is living in Chongqing, the city of 40 million people. She works as a teacher, teaching Mandarin to foreigners. Even though she is from Chongqing, she doesn't speak in Chongqing dialect, rather talking in Mandarin which is the standard language of mainland China. One day, her father gets arressted because of prostitution and she is called to the police. One policeman comes closer to her and her mind is taken by him. In the crowded and busy streets of industrial developing city, Chongqing, Xuie dreams to escape from her painful and hopeless life.
In the northern Chinese city of Manzhouli, they say there is an elephant that simply sits and ignores the world. Manzhouli becomes an obsession for the protagonists of this film, a longed-for escape from the downward spiral in which they find themselves.
Three people live in a remote Buddhist monastery near Mount Chonan: Hyegok, the old master; Yong Nan, a young man who has left his extended family in the city to seek enlightenment - Hyegok calls him Kibong!; and, an orphan lad Haejin, whom Hyegok has brought to the monastery to raise as a monk. The story is mostly Yong Nan's, told in flashbacks: how he came to the monastery, his brief return to the city, his vacillation between the turbulence of the world and his hope to overcome passions and escape the idea of self. We also see Hyegok as a teacher, a protector, and a father figure, and we watch Haejin make his way as a curious and nearly self-sufficient child.


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- advantatagetsincAsked on November 16, 2017 at 03:54 PM
I would like to ensure that I am being notified of completed applications without logging into jot forms. I initially had this set up to email me a notification to firstname.lastname@example.com
Can you please confirm that this process is still active. Email me at the email above as this is my business email address.
- MarvihAnswered on November 16, 2017 at 04:25 PM
You can set up an EMAIL NOTIFICATION which will get you notified everytime a customer/user completes a submission by following this guide https://www.jotform.com/help/25-Setting-up-Email-Notifications


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I feel like the wayans brothers on in living color... "mo photos mo photos mo photos!"
all pics are thumbnails. click them for the glorious version
center camp at night looked weird in photos. with one's naked eye,it looked fairly normal. when one takes a picture of center camp, the colors freak the heck out. then you look around center camp and see all sorts of lights. like rock star lights that shine on concerts. you don't notice them until you look at the lights themselves.
magic mirror self portrait studio photo. you know, the magic mirror self portait studio that didn't turn out exactly as planned... this is kandice. I suppose I should print it and give it to her some day. some day.
the tall redhead swede is the girl that enabled me to paint part of center camp. the background there is (one of) the panel(s) in center camp that she painted. it's the one to which I contributed. that photo was to be for MMSPS as well. alas.
there are a few specific goals I have at burning man.
see the sun rise every day
see the sun set every day
get pancakes every day.
this here is the first sunrise I saw. after a early to bed deep sleep due to long driving and hard work. I was sleeping on the zoline and woke with first light in time to snap this snappy snapshot.
after an out all night adventure, I took a solo dawn visit to the temple to take cliche dawn pictures. some of them turned out downright neat. there's a reason so many people take pictures of cliche subjects.
after an out almost all night adventure, I got back to camp some time before dawn. the sky was ablaze in predawn purplety. sunrise seemed nigh. I climbed the scaffolding to greet dawn. I waited. and I waited - like horton. I had no clock, and sundials kinda suck before dawn. I estimate over an hour I stubbornly waited and fought off sleep standing 20 feet above playa level. I have a whole series of photos of me looking impatient.
one of the cooler sunsets. this year's sunsets were pretty weak compared to the last couple of years.
remember how robin williams said that language was invented to woo women. it seemingly originated lizard hunting as well.
remember the goddess aphrodite? as I was napping in the ghetto, she awoke me and then flitted off - barely before I had a chance to take this picture. I feel like I've photographed nessie, so many people have asked me about pictures of her based on the hawaii post. there ya go.
remember that pancakes every day goal? here's a tiny glimpse of the splendor the pancake playhouse has to offer. more people frequent them because of the cool 80s songs and pancakes rather than the sign out front. but fuck them.
for the past couple of years, I've been meaning to do photo serieses of people posing as the man. I kind of started that this year, but not in as interesting a way as I intend. the stilt walkers are cool nonetheless.
johnboy, in the third picture, posed for me in the man pose at my request. after I did the pictures, he told me that he's the guy responsible for most of the pyrotechnics in the man. I rule.
here's some pics of lil ol me.
that thing in the background of the second shot is the light cube. it's many ping pong balls suspended and blinking in amazing drug hazeish patterns. I watched it for quite a while and I don't recall it ever repeating.
I had a little accident...
I couldn't think of a good theme for these, so this is the small "mode of transportation" section of pics.
and, of course, the obligatory watermelon section.
this is the same girl that enabled the center camp painting above. she also gave me the watermelon I cut up and gave out.
and then there's me in the watermelon getup. I can almost hear the man, standing over my shoulder in the background, saying "yeah" like the black guy in jail in trading places. either that or telling me to look at those gazongas.
I can't hardly wait to show you the cool ones in my next post.


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After putting a spectacular fight in the first race of the season last month, Honda's Marc Marquez took a dominant win in the 2019 MotoGP Argentina Grand Prix. The rider completed the race with a massive lead of 9.816s over the rest of the pack, having led the race right from pole position. Coming in second was Yamaha's Valentino Rossi, going strong even as newer and younger riders take space on the grid. The Italian managed to pass Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso take P2, with each rider of the top three teams making it on the podium.Read More
Jorge Lorenzo believes a natural rivalry between himself and Marc Marquez will help Repsol Honda "grow" and improve its MotoGP challenger throughout 2019.Read More
Marc Marquez would still win races in MotoGP if he ever decided to leave Honda, says five-time champion Mick Doohan.Read More
Marc Marquez would still win races in MotoGP if he ever decided to leave Honda, says five-time champion Mick Doohan.Read More
Marc Marquez took a comfortable ninth victory of the 2018 MotoGP season in the Malaysian Grand Prix after long-time leader Valentino Rossi crashed.Read More
Tech3 rider Johann Zarco says the scariest part of his horror high-speed MotoGP shunt at Phillip Island was a sense that he'd never stop sliding once coming off his bike.Read More
Marc Marquez took victory in MotoGP's inaugural Thailand Grand Prix, passing chief rival Andrea Dovizioso on the final lap to take a step closer to the 2018 championship crown.Read More
Marc Marquez won the Aragon Grand Prix to extend his overall lead of the MotoGP championship to 72 points on Sunday, after pole-sitter Jorge Lorenzo crashed on the opening lap.Read More
Jorge Lorenzo of Ducati Team will start Sunday's Aragon MotoGP on top after sealing his third consecutive pole position of the season in style, snatching Saturday's honours from team-mate Andrea Dovizioso by 0.014 seconds as the Ducati duo overhaul championship leader Marc Marquez (Respol Honda Team) in Q2.Read More
Andrea Dovizioso scored his first MotoGP victory in five months by coming out on top in a three-way fight against Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez in the Czech Grand Prix.Read More
DUCATI'S Jorge Lorenzo powered from pole to claim victory in a second straight race at the Grand Prix of Catalunya on Sunday, ahead of championship leader Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi.Read More
Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez cruised to another victory at the MotoGP Grand Prix of France, which saw the majority of his race and championship contenders disintegrate one by one—quite literally. Alma Pramac Racing's Danilo Petrucci finished a valiant second, with none other than Valentino Rossi right behind him in third.Read More
A last-ditch lap of 1m31.185s - a new MotoGP track record around the Bugatti circuit - was enough for Zarco to claim his second pole of the season and the fourth of his fledgling premier class career.Read More
Pole-sitter Cal Crutchlow wiped out before a three-rider crash involving previous points leader Andrea Dovizioso, his Ducati teammate Jorge Lorenzo, and Dani Pedrosa.Read More
The two superstars have been locked in a bitter feud since the Grand Prix of Argentina. Marquez crashed into the Yamaha sensation, forcing Rossi off the track in the second MotoGP race of the season. Rossi was fuming with the defending world champion after the race and rejected Marquez's attempt to publicly apologise.Read More
Having been demoted to fourth place on the grid from pole for blocking Maverick Vinales in qualifying, Marquez leapt to second into Turn 1 as Andrea Iannone scorched into an early lead.Read More
Marquez was placed under investigation at the end of qualifying for blocking Vinales at the tight left-hand Turn 15 while the Yamaha man was on a hot lap.Read More
Jack Miller believes Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez need to end their "immature" feud, rekindled by their contact during the Grand Prix of Argentina a fortnight ago.Read More
Rossi and Marquez, who have 11 premier-class titles between them, have enjoyed a famously fractious relationship as a result of a series of on-track controversies – and came to blows again in Sunday's Termas de Rio Hondo race.Read More
In scenes reminiscent of their battles last year in Austria and Japan, the two 2017 title protagonists ran nose to tail for the final laps, with Marquez attempting a pass at the final corner on the last lap. But Dovizioso managed to edge back ahead exiting the turn, getting superior traction and outdragging Marquez to the finish line by the tiny margin of 0.027s for his ninth career MotoGP victory.Read More
Biaggi believes that Marquez would have been able to win the title even had been riding for the Italian manufacturer, as MotoGP's top marques are now so close to each other.Read More
The Honda rider played a patient game across the 27 laps, pulling clear of what had been a frantic scrap for the lead with Valentino Rossi and Johann Zarco with five laps to go to storm to an ultimately comfortable win.Read More
Marc Marquez sauntered to a third victory of the MotoGP season at Brno, timing his pitstop to perfection on a drying track as his main championship rivals blundered.Read More
Marc Marquez stretched his remarkable MotoGP winning streak at the Sachsenring in Germany to five races, and eight in all classes, with a flawless victory.Read More
Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa has made MotoGP history at Jerez, winning the 3000th Grand Prix race in front of his home crowd with a lights-to-flag masterclass that team—mate Marc Marquez could do nothing about.Read More
Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa took an incredible pole position in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, taking to the top in a last dash and teammate Marc Marquez unable to depose him on his last lap. Pedrosa was fastest on Friday and on Saturday in free practice three, on the charge at his first home race of the year. Behind Marquez is Cal Crutchlow, completing the front row in a Honda 1-2-3.Read More
Marc Marquez made it a famous five wins in a row at the Grand Prix of the Americas in Texas as a dramatic third round of the MotoGP World Championship saw Maverick Vinales slide out.Read More
Jorge Lorenzo demolished his own Valencia MotoGP track record to take his last pole position as a Yamaha rider, beating Marc Marquez by three tenths at the end of a scintillating session.Read More
Marc Marquez has been crowned MotoGP world champion for a third time after clinching his maiden victory in a sensational Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi.Read More
Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) will start from pole at the Twin Ring Motegi for the Japanese GP, as the Italian legend fought off Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in a close Q2 to take his 64th pole – and equal the record number of pole positions held by both Marquez and Rossi's teammate Jorge Lorenzo.Read More
Valentino Rossi beat MotoGP arch rival Marc Marquez to win a thrilling Catalunya Grand Prix at Barcelona.Read More
Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi led from the start to secure victory in the Spanish MotoGP at the Circuito de Jerez.Read More
Marc Marquez took little notice of a number of falls behind, cruising to a fourth win in Texas ahead of Lorenzo and Iannone.Read More
ARGENTINA delivered a bizarre race befitting an equally bemusing lead-up, Marc Marquez taking his first MotoGP win of 2016 simply by staying out of trouble.Read More
Marc Marquez takes the victory from a last lap dash in the closest race of the season, whilst title contenders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi finish second and fourth, leaving just 11 points difference in the standings.Read More
Valentino Rossi extended his MotoGP lead over Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo to 23 points at the San Marino Grand Prix despite a strategy blunder that handed victory to Spaniard Marc Marquez.Read More
Movistar Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo emerged victorious from the 'Battle of Brno' after an imperious ride at the bwin Grand Prix České republiky. The Spaniard was untouchable during the race as he went on to take the win by 4.462s from Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez, with his teammate Valentino Rossi in third. Lorenzo now sits on top of the MotoGP™ World Championship standings, level on points with Rossi, after taking his 5th win of the season.Read More
Jorge Lorenzo claimed pole at the Czech Republic Moto GP by setting a new record lap in Saturday's qualifying session at the Brno Automotodrom.Read More
Defending champion Marc Marquez claimed his second successive Grand Prix with victory in the Indianapolis MotoGP.Read More
Defending champion Marc Marquez won the German MotoGP with a dominant race ahead of Dani Pedrosa. It was the Spaniard's first victory since the second race of the season, at Austin in April - but his sixth in six years at the Sachsenring circuit. Championship leader Valentino Rossi was third but extended his overall lead over Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo. Rossi - chasing his first title since 2009 - now leads Lorenzo by 13 points at the halfway stage of the season. Marquez was utterly dominant in the 2014 season, winning 13 of 18 races, but has been off the pace in 2015.Read More
Valentino Rossi defeated Marc Marquez in a final-lap thriller to win the Dutch TT at Assen and stretch his MotoGP championship lead.Read More


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The Adept Un-store
A marketplace of independent role-playing games • Ron's Policies
by Ron Edwards
Tags: GMful group, unapologetic politics
Cold War Berlin: truth is found at the intersection of independent lies.
- $10 PDF, two versions: screen-view and print-ready
- Physical book available through the site link
PDF orders are fulfilled manually within 12 hours.
Find this game at Adept Press.


text:
Adobe CC Collection November 2017 For Windows
Author of assembly: CrackzSoft
Version: November 2017
Creative Cloud offers the best creative tools in the world, always up to date. And now, all the apps and resources, including new Adobe Stock images are always at your fingertips right there where they serve. And everything is perfectly connected through Adobe CreativeSync technology, so you can easily turn your brightest ideas in your best projects across desktops and mobile devices.
About assembly
Assembly updated on 30th november and all adobe products latest version included.For activation patch present inside assembly.
What's Inside
– Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 v188.8.131.52687
- Adobe Acrobat CC 2018 v18.0
– Adobe Prelude CC 2018 v220.127.116.11
– Adobe Audition CC 2018 v184.108.40.206
– Adobe Media Encoder CC 2018 v220.127.116.11
– Adobe InDesign CC 2018 v220.127.116.11
– Adobe Animate CC 2018 v18.104.22.168
– Adobe Dreamweaver CC 2018 v18.104.22.16836
– Adobe Muse CC 2018 v2018.0.0.685
– Adobe Illustrator CC 2018 v126.96.36.199
– Adobe After Effects CC 2018 v22.214.171.124
– Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2018 v18.104.22.168
– Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC 2018 220.127.116.11
- Adobe Character Animator CC 2018 v1.1
- Adobe Dimension CC 2018 v1.0.0
- Adobe InCopy CC 2018 18.104.22.168
- Adobe Bridge CC 2018 v188.8.131.522
- Adobe XD CC 2.1.32
Master Patch is included, Just extracted your desired app and install it, after installation, run the patch
Please seed as long as possible


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Swefco Packaging takes great care in discovering your product packaging requirements, and designing an economical solution that will minimize damage. We take the time to learn about your product and its characteristics, like height, shape, configuration, dimensions, fragility, and more. We'll discover every aspect of your product's distribution cycle, and physical environmental hazards (product environment, warehouse environment, transportation environment, and end-use environment). Then we'll decide on the level of protection needed for the product, and design a custom solution to meet your needs.
Swefco Packaging knows that you are concerned with total packaging cost vs. product protection. 0% damage is not economical; so we'll design a solution for you that meets your needs and still is cost-effective. The result will be an inexpensive packaging solution that is easy/fast to assemble and unpack, simple in design, easy to handle/transport, offers a clean/neat appearance, and is accepted by the end-use customer.


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Barbon Village BBQ - Saturday, June 1, 2019
One of our most popular annual community events. Starts at 6 pm, with games for children, plus food and bar... All welcome!
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We just sent you an email. Please click the link in the email to confirm your subscription!
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Interstitials are pages or parts of pages displayed on web sites before showing the actual content. The intent is to block the user from seeing the content before making a decision (click an ad, subscribe to a mailing list, download an app). They have been commonly used for displaying ads but an huge number of sites are using them for making the user to download an app.
There is a recent study of using app interstitials by Google (on their very own Google+, a now long dead social network). The conclusion of the study is negative: app interstitial suck. I was one of the unfortunate users who tried to use it on a mobile phone. Attempt to view a Google+ page on my Android was interrupted by a prompt to install the Google+ app. I decided to not install the app but also found no way past the prompt. Also, all my Google Authorship links (on a mobile-optimized site) took to a Google+ page that also asked to install the app. Thankfully, authorship is now dead too.
Google has now a Mobile SEO Guide and it includes "Avoid interstitials" as a best practice. Furthermore, Google is considering making interstitials a negative ranking factor. This includes both ad and app interstitials.
An alternative solution to app interstitial is a small banner with a link taking to the app download page/appstore (if the site needs an app at all!). Let's follow the great quote from Google:
Let's remove friction and make the mobile web more useful and usable!


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there is a silence that i think only stay at home moms understand. it's not the silence of naptime (blessed silence that is) it's the silence of non-communication. our days are spent in babbles and bawling. screams and sputters. you talk , they listen, and you talk some more. there is RARELY ever a quiet moment in a house with children. but when you have little ones that are pre-talking you become locked in a silent bubble. try talking to yourself for hours, days, weeks at a time and having no one answer you-except for the occasional, "ba!" or stella's ever so popular, "mmmmm….bububuubu….hmmmmmm". you don't realize how bonkers you've become until you are standing in the grocery store line and normal conversation seems difficult and you feel your lips going, "baaaa."
stay at home moms go to crazy extremes to find conversation. we arrange 'playdates' for 8 month olds (they end up sleeping in their car seats while the moms fumble to find words). we go to the park like most people go to happy hours. we stand a little longer in lines hoping to be caught up in conversation. a few words here or there will last us til next week.
when matt comes home from work and asks me something i often start sputtering while my mind attempts to form real grown up words. with the kids i speak extra loud, slower, and stress certain aspects.
"hand me the PLATE. the ORANGE PLATE. THANK YOU. mommy says THANK YOU to LINCOLN"
"don't hit her. DON'T HIT HER. OUCH! OWIE. lincoln will give stella an owie."
"DOG. that's a BLACK DOG. dogs go RUFF RUFF."
and so on and so force. reading back over it sounds ridiculous. silly. no one talks like that. but i do. everyday. and for good reason. they have to learn manners. they have to learn animals. they have to learn colors. they have to learn to not hit. they have to learn to TALK.
and finally, when you think you have been cast to sea and forgotten about, when the silence among the screams seem to be deafening, you ask a question and get an answer.
"is lincoln poopy?" i asked while unbuckling stella from the stroller, half paying attention half thinking of my venti coffee getting cold.
"NO! ba-ba-blocks!" and he picked up the bag of oversized legos and threw them on the ground. I was in shock. wait a minute….was that…an ANSWER?! dear Lord did we just have a conversation?! it wasn't much, the next question was answered in giggles, but it was an answer. we were getting somewhere.
i often chuckle because i feel like tom hanks in the movie Cast Away. he spends his days talking to and arguing with a volleyball he named wilson. I have the same one sided conversations day in and day out, i amuse myself with the topics. we talk about what to have for dinner, how to properly prepare fish, which path we like best walking home, which park we like best, the differences between sport balls. but unlike tom hanks, my wilson's will answer me someday. and yesterday, i had a glimpse, a sliver, of that conversation.
but for now i am going to enjoy my captivated audience and relish in the fact that i get to monopolize the conversation without being rude, and that i always get the last word.


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As B and I hugged each other, he was trembling. "Mom, I want this (sobriety) so bad!"
As the mantra goes-- one day at a time....relapse is part of the recovery...let go, Let God, "The Three C's-- I didn't cause it, I can't control it, I cannot cure it".
Got it.
How I wish I had found this blog much sooner! The woman is a brilliant writer. LOVE her blog!
It appears that she's not going to blog for the month of February. I'm hooked.
I had to post one of her MANY insightful blogs on being the mother of a heroin addict. It spoke "VOLUMES" to me:
From: "Broken Hearted Mom"
My son has been a heroin addict for 8 years, give or take a year. Junkys have a hard time with chronological events. I know heroin. I know rehabs, paraphernalia, police cars in the drive, relapses, lies, dope sick, proper attire for inmate visits, counselors, social workers, and endless advice from people who don't know shit about heroin. I know that if your kid is addicted to prescription opiates or crack or alcohol, you are living a life similar to mine. Don't know much about meth, except that my son did it a few times when he couldn't get his drug of choice, heroin. He said he didn't care for it. How lucky am I!If you came here by searching heroin, because you are in that frantic early stage where you think that by educating yourself, you can fix this, I give you the top ten ways you can tell your kid might be an opiate addict.#10 You can't find at least one item of yours that had great sentimental value and cannot be replaced.
# 9. You sleep with your car keys under your pillow, and keep your purse under the bed.# 8. You have received at least one inappropriate and shoplifted Mother's Day gift.# 7. He doesn't have one of the Christmas or birthday gifts you've bought him.# 6. All of your day is spent on his overwhelming problems.
#5. Everything has to be done RIGHT NOW# 4. Your idea of rock bottom is his idea of another day in paradise.# 3. You've had him jailed because you wanted him to be safe.# 2. You sometimes believe that he can overcome this with your unconditional love.# 1. Your head knows its not your fault, but your heart is broken.


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Some Disney Fairies heroes are way too frivolous engaged in undressing each other and playing the petting game that is only to begin with, so you can iagine what else they can do! Rosetta Beware as the drawn thing and offers more surprises than you think: ;) Here is the scene of savage lascivious Disney Fairies sex that are digging into callow toon bitch one in the pink!
Recent Comments
- Anonymous on Busty Tinker Bell have perfect fuck holes
- Anonymous on Tinker Bell got into a trap full of horny vines!


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Thursday, October 19 // 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Cost: Free
- Have you thought about downsizing for yourself or a parent or about moving to a smaller home?
- What do you need to consider for a move and what steps will you need to take?
During this interactive seminar through panel discussion and presentations, you will learn about options for making or not making a move, timing for moving, tips on downsizing and organizing, types of housing that are available and how to go about selling a home. Join us as we help you decide if this is a move you will make. You will leave with resources to help you through this complicated process.


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Reading week
FILE IMAGE:A railway vendor is reading a tabloid newspaper when he got a free time A scene from Kozhikode Railway Station.
Reading week observance will begin on Friday.District Collector N.Prasanth will inaugurate the program at Gov. Nadakkav Vocational Higher Secondary School.
District Information Office,Literacy Mission, Department of Education are jointly organizing the program.
Another program will be held at the district jail on June 20.District Panchayath president Kanathil Jameela will inaugurate the program.
Reading Day is being observed on June 19,commemorating the contributions of PN Panikker ,founder of Library Movement in the state. Even the digital technology and smart phone revolution changed the concept of reading,newspapers are still the decisive mass communication tool among a large number of people. Reading week programs are arranged in Kerala for next seven days.Schools, cultural institutions and Libraries are all set to observe the day with many activities.
Keralite's reading habit has been popular as they take newspaper with their morning tea.


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Cultural Survey of Proposed Austin Executive Airpark
Author(s): J. Shiner
Year: 1983
This resource is a citation record only, the Center for Digital Antiquity does not have a copy of this document. The information in this record has been migrated into tDAR from the National Archaeological Database Reports Module (NADB-R) and updated. Most NADB-R records consist of a document citation and other metadata but do not have the documents themselves uploaded.
If you have a digital copy of the document and would like to have it curated in tDAR, please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Cite this Record
Cultural Survey of Proposed Austin Executive Airpark. J. Shiner. 1983 ( tDAR id: 75438)
This Resource is Part of the Following Collections
Investigation Types
Archaeological Overview
83 / 03 / 18 • Federal Aviation Administration • Microfilmed • No Sites • Volume 2
Geographic Keywords
48453 (Fips Code) • North America (Continent) • Texas (State / Territory) • Travis (County) • United States of America (Country)
Spatial Coverage
min long: -98.173; min lat: 30.025 ; max long: -97.369; max lat: 30.628 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Sponsor(s): Federal Aviation Administration
Record Identifiers
NADB document id number(s): 843386
NADB citation id number(s): 000000130349


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UNSCENE produces professional theatre and, resources allowing, will produce anything from classics to brand new work. We want to provide the opportunity for professional actors and directors to try their hand at roles that challenge and interest them and then showcase themselves by inviting directors and agents to see their work. Ultimately, however, the aim is to enjoy plying one's trade; treading the boards and entertaining audiences.
Click the links to see examples of our theatre work, including our radio-theatre production, The Adventures of John Paul Jones.
Abigail's Party
Website powered by Green Hosting
Design by UNSCENE 2014


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Leaf and Berry
SD Bell & Co Ltd. have been roasting coffee and blending fine teas in Belfast since 1887! So, where better to sample them than in the very place where they are roasted, blended and packed?
The "Leaf & Berry Coffee Bar" was established in 1978, Now affectionately Nicknamed 'The East Belfast Stock Exchange', it has grown to over 110 covers today.
You can drink your way around the world. All coffees are roasted on the premises, and the choice is breathtaking: exclusive Blue Mountain Jamaica shares the podium with Great Taste Award-winning mild Colombian San Agustin or espresso-strength Barista 1887" roasts . It's the same for the tea. They're absolutely at the top of their game here. More Great Taste Awards adorn their classic like Natural Leaf Breakfast Tea and Directors' Brew teas, alongside trendier White, Green and Red teas, both in loose-leaf and tea-bag format. They serve light, Continental & Full Breakfasts, delicious scones, light lunches, home-made soups and afternoon teas. It has an extremely broad-based and loyal customer base of business people, young families, tea aficionados and those who wistfully remember the aroma of roasting coffee in Ann Street, Belfast.
Check out their live music, or contact them to hire their stylish and intimate venue for your private function.
Hours of opening:
Monday to Friday – 8:30am to 5pm
Saturday – 8:30am to 4pm
Sunday – 11am to 3pm


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I'm a terrible liar. In fact, I'm such a bad liar that I don't lie ever–the worst.
Although really…that's probably not true. I suppose I do lie in certain situations. For example when a telemarketer calls–sure, yeah that's pretty common. I think that what enables my lying gland in this circumstance to start secreting falsehoods is the fact that I am convinced that nothing is at stake.
The telemarketer needed a job; got this one, and must then keep their job by showing up and doing that which is asked of them; and what is asked of them is that they call me and try to sell me something. I see my response within this matrix as being of little or no consequence; my obligations are no more than to pick up the phone and ideally, to be polite.
Lies, then, come to me naturally in this scenario, and I tell them without remorse.
"Sorry–I was just on my way out the door!"/ "Oh, shit sorry, the baby just started crying–could we do this later?" etc.
There is another context though (another familiar on the mean streets of adulthood) where, I have noticed, lies are also considered par for the course. Here, I find myself impaired somewhat; my lying gland fails to respond. Because, you see, there's so much more at stake with Matters Of The Heart.
This is not about love. This is at most lust and at the very least, boredom.
I'm the kind of girl who tends to elicit great positive responses from….hearty types, shall we say? Jocular construction workers, chatty homeless people, and bikers out for a good time. They love me. And I can smile and laugh or walk on ignoring them without complaint so long as the interaction takes place entirely in the public realm. After all, we both know they don't really wanna take me out anyway! They've got a lady at home, or across town in an office somewhere and they're just yelling at me to pass the time. Fine, sometimes I yell back. Easy. They don't take it seriously, and neither do I.
What is not so easy is when it moves from the street to somewhere more intimate, and the crowd is gone and it's just you and him and his heart. Gaaaah!
But then, here I have to interrupt myself. Just a few sentences ago I reduced these interactions to the stark motivations of lust and boredom, but really, I don't see it quite so simply. Somewhere in the middle lies infatuation. So much more fragile! Always the product of generous helpings of lust and boredom and a lil' something else, infatuation doesn't even know itself in the mirror! Poor thing! It thinks it's something much nobler….much more inspired, and for this we must tread carefully (in case you can't tell, infatuation and I go way back….).
During the fall a construction worker who had been working for several months in my building started showing me a bit of attention. I had always been friendly with him, inasmuch as my home is his workplace, so a 'Guten Morgen' and a smile seemed appropriate. Then, however, he started complimenting me; then asking if he could get to know me better; and asking again when I brushed it off as if he'd been joking.
This was not a 'Hey hotstuff!'; this was a guy with a crush. He had the quality of a puppy that thought you wanted him, only to be pushed away. People to whom I complained of this unwanted attention around my house advised me to tell him I had a boyfriend, but I could never seem to think of it in the moment. More than that, it even seemed a bit wrong, where it was probably pretty obvious that I was single–I'm always coming and going alone.
I know what it's like to have feelings for someone who doesn't reciprocate, and I felt this need to do right by someone who seemed to have that with me. Somehow, the idea of finding a person so unappealing that I would lie to them to shake them off seems harsh and unkind. This despite the fact that most people would probably be less hurt to see love's arrow thwarted by the specter of a rival than to find out that they just had shitty aim.
In all, I think he asked me out 3 or 4 times. His persistence wore away at my sympathy, and I still resent the feeling of discomfort I get when I see him around the house, but all the same I haven't yet brought myself to lie to him.
I suppose it has to do with the idea of being taken seriously. Lying–no matter how harsh the truth can be–seems so laden with contempt. The wonderful thing about lying to a telemarketer is that they probably feel contempt for their employer too! But when someone is putting their heart out there–no matter how obnoxious, or unappealing that heart may be–it's the most they have to offer.
I realize that I probably took the situation with the construction worker more seriously than he himself did, but then I tend to do that. And I still wonder if I wouldn't just be better off steeling myself up and developing a knack for the old *artful dodge* to deal with unwanted attention–honesty, in this event, seems more fraught than lies. How much less complicated my comings and goings would be….ah! but then, what would I write about?