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gluten-free veggie lasagna
realizing that i couldn't possibly use up several cups of fresh cheese on my own in a week-long period, i decided to make a couple batches of pasta-less vegetarian lasagna, based rather loosely on this recipe. to be honest, i didn't consult the recipe at all (i did however borrow the idea of replacing the noodle sheets with slices of baking potatoes, alternating with zucchini that i drizzled in olive oil and rubbed with salt for added flavour). i like to try out gluten-free recipes when i can, as there are some dietary restrictions in my circle that make palatable substitutions something to keep an eye out for. i was pretty satisfied with how this turned out; bonus smugness points for making the cheese, too!


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Getting real: The power of "authentic social impact engagement"
When families embark on a journey to make philanthropy a part of their lives across generations, it often starts with simple concepts: Having fun as a family, getting in touch with nature, being authentic and open about values, donating canned goods or clothing to families in need, recycling cardboard and aluminum cans, celebrating every birthday and holiday with a big cake and a gift to charity, buying wrapping paper from the school fundraiser, contributing to a handful of favorite charities--even eating healthy food and appreciating every peaceful moment. In any household, "doing good" is a powerful way to create a sense of belonging--in the family, the community, and the world.
But is there more to the story? Yes.
A series of three pilot studies yielded a process called "authentic social impact engagement." In the social impact arena, the drivers of consumer action are fundamentally different from the drivers of consumer action in a purely commercial setting. Indeed, authenticity is the key to action-oriented engagement by a consumer of philanthropy, whether that consumer is a donor to a nonprofit, a volunteer for a charity, a consumer purchasing a brand that supports a cause, or even a homeowner committed to recycling paper products and aluminum cans.
So what is "authentic social impact engagement? The formula is based on four parts: Affirmation, Education, Inspiration and Motivation.
Before a person can become deeply engaged, emotionally and intellectually, in a community or a cause, or even philanthropy in general, he or she must feel affirmed that what he or she is doing already to "do good" is in fact good. This includes not only giving to charities, of course, but also volunteering in the community, recycling and respecting the environment, donating canned goods, serving on boards of directors or committees, and attending community events. This also includes emerging methods of social impact engagement, such as purchasing products that support a cause, marketing favorite charities through social media, and even committing to personal and family health and wellness. The emerging methods of social impact are particularly important to members of the next generation, who view their social impact as wide-ranging and not restricted to the definition of "charity" according to the Internal Revenue Code. "Affirmation" requires acknowledgement–without judgment–that giving manifests itself in a variety of forms.
Opportunities for learning about philanthropy are in demand across all audiences. Students are interested in techniques that result in lives actually being changed for the better. Parents want to know how to teach their young children about doing good. Grandparents want to know how to leverage philanthropy to create a multi-generational platform for preserving family values. Young professionals are seeking new ways to access business information about nonprofits, especially online. Corporate executives seek techniques for charitable planning that meet their tax and estate planning objectives. The educational component of community engagement is a rich environment for testing and deploying best practices in philanthropy education to help people understand how philanthropy makes a difference in the quality of life of the people they wish to serve. Note, however, that authentic engagement requires authentic education; education is a process of self-discovery–not a prescription by philanthropy professionals for how to do good the "right" way for the "right" causes.
Stories are powerful. Stories of people and companies making an impact will inspire others to pursue their own charitable objectives. Certainly the cause selected is an important part of any story. Too often, however, the "giving" side of the equation is left out of the story–the point of view of the person doing the good. How did the experience with philanthropy make the giver feel? How did her life improve? How did the giver's relationships with his children and family get better by pursuing philanthropy together? How did the giver make positive changes to her mental and physical health by integrating philanthropy into her life? How was the giver's life enriched by feelings of gratitude and the ability to help people in need? Generosity empowers the giver, and a story is much more powerful to inspire others when it reinforces that theme.
Motivation is the moment of truth. Does a student, an employee, an executive, or a parent have the tools and information to act on a philanthropic desire? The first key to successfully motivating a person to "do good" and become more involved in philanthropy is to offer easy ideas in step-by-step format so that it does not seem overwhelming. This is especially true for a young professional or a donor in the early stages of philanthropic involvement. These "emerging" philanthropists are typically busy in their careers and family lives. Plus, they are accustomed to multi-tasking in bite-sized activities, usually conducted online. People at all levels of giving frequently voice this frustration: "I want to help, but I just don't know how I can help." It is not useful for a person to be told to "get involved" with nothing specific to back it up–no call to action.
The second key to successful motivation in the social impact space is that people must believe that their acts of doing good, no matter how small, make a difference. "My gift doesn't matter" is often top of mind for people giving money or donating time. Changing that thinking will better motivate people to get involved–on their own terms–in something specific.
Now–are you ready to rethink "doing good"? By isolating a person's relationship with the act of giving itself through the four-step formula for authentic engagement, executives, civic leaders, parents, employees, students–and anyone else engaged in philanthropy–will be more satisfied with the experience. And that's success by doing good.

subset: commoncrawl


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Maybe if I put some of these things into words — on paper — they'll straighten themselves out in my mind and not be such a confused jumble. I need a big wind to drive all the chaff away — I am not bold enough to do it myself , or even to decide what is chaff and what isn't.
It's funny how you think so hard and puzzle over certain problems for a long time and then suddenly the light breaks and you see it all so clearly and simply.
My relationship with my parents has had a great deal to do with my attitude and feelings toward the idea of God. The book Faith is the Answer revealed that to me. It had never entered my mind at all. And yet I see it all now. It dates back, I suppose, to childhood punishments, which I blamed on God, sticking out my tongue at the ceiling, where I was under the impression God dwelt. I realized that this was a daring and impudent thing to do and I suppose it gave rise to later feelings of guilt and estrangement from God.
There has never been a really close companionship between Mother and Daddy and me. I'm only beginning to understand why — and with understanding there isn't any bitterness now or even rebellion. It's too late now and besides yesterday's failures and disappointments can never be made good today — only today's. That sounds mixed up but I know what I mean! And without understanding there can be no real, meaningful love, even between parents and children.
Perhaps I'm being wholly unjust, but I'm not bitter or complaining any longer — but I think that all along, ever since I was a child, I've craved understanding and I've gotten love, a very unsatisfying substitute! So love has seemed to me just that — a substitute, a weak thing that would deprive me of what I really needed and longed for. Of course I never consciously thought of it in that way.
And since the child connects God with his parents I have felt estranged and ill at ease and far from God many times. I didn't trust his love and I didn't expect understanding from Him. Subconsciously I still don't and sometimes it seems a hopeless battle. I want so hard to believe in His love and to trust him and love Him in return and yet I can't — bonds of steel hold me back. This parent-God tie-up is probably the main reason and it is planted so strongly in my subconscious mind that uprooting it seems to be impossible.
God wants us to be happy — how hard I've tried to convince myself of that. A war-torn world and all the evils about us seem to belie that and yet the evils are not God's doing — they are man's. If man would let God take over his life, then he would be happy — completely and perfectly. I believe this with all my heart — in theory.
I've been unhappy for so long that I just can't believe I'll ever be otherwise. "The vast inertia of the soul," as someone has put it.


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17 May 2018
Belt and Road China Connectivity Index: Made to Measure
By ICBC Standard Bank and Oxford Economics
1.1 Connectivity and our index
In essence, B&R is a multi-generational project that looks beyond infrastructure and is, instead, "rooted in a shared vision for global development" While tackling the infrastructure deficit is a necessary step to unleash inclusive economic development, measuring broader economic benefits is of equal, if not more profound, importance. As a practical matter, both the implementation and longevity of B&R will depend on the realisation of broad mutual benefits across B&R participants. The China Connectivity Index (CCI) is specifically designed to capture these broader economic benefits by quantifying the dynamics of bilateral connectivity between B&R countries and China.
The CCI is a first of its kind research tool offering a unique solution to the challenge of tracking the evolution of the still nascent B&R project. The purpose of the CCI is to build out a dynamic evidence base from which investors and policy makers can assess the high level themes and challenges that emerge from the massive efforts of B&R.
As the first CCI white paper, it is natural and necessary to examine the index from a retrospective viewpoint. We take this opportunity to explore, through the lens of the CCI, what trends and insights can be distilled from the changing nature of China's connectivity to the B&R countries over the last 10 years. Chapter 2 presents the index framework and previews the headline results of the inaugural index. In Chapter 3, we discuss the key insights from the CCI based on in-depth empirical research. Chapter 4 looks forward to identify themes critical for future B&R developments, and sets out our vision to establish B&R thought leadership…
4. B&R connectivity in the future
Working in partnership with B&R governments to tackle the infrastructure deficit is a key objective for China in the years ahead. The Chinese government is committing substantial funding to several new investment vehicles, as well as bolstering existing institutions with a new mandate to support B&R. It is important to note the bulk of this funding has yet to be deployed, so current CCI results reflect little of this investment.
To support infrastructure development outside of China itself the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has the potential to be the most powerful. The AIIB is a multilateral organisation, with 52 members, including several outside of Asia. Total capitalisation of the bank is US $100 billion, with China providing a quarter. The bank has a mandate to finance "Asia-related" infrastructure in member economies. The Bank lent approximately US $1.7 billion in 2016 to nine projects across Asia and the Middle East.
Elsewhere, the New Development Bank (NDB, previously the BRICS Development Bank) also has a mandate to lend for projects that promote infrastructure and development with a significant impact in member countries. Three of the five member economies of the NDB are part of B&R (China, Russia and India), and the bank's Vice President said in 2016 that expansion to new members was a priority.
China is also acting through new investment funds, over which it will have more autonomy. The Silk Road Fund is a Chinese state-owned investment fund, set up in 2014 with an endowment of US $40 billion from the Chinese government. The fund's mandate is to upgrade infrastructure along the B&R, and it has so far made three investments – most significantly in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is discussed in more depth below. In 2016, China set up the Sino-CEE Fund, with an endowment of €10 billion and the aim to leverage a further €50 billion. The fund will focus on Central and Eastern Europe but could extend its operations to other regions for projects supporting China-CEE connectivity.
China has also increasingly permitted the China Development Bank (CDB) to start invest overseas in recent years. The bank was founded in 1994, and at end-2015 had RMB 9.2 trillion (US $1.4 trillion) in loans outstanding. However, the CDB is likely to remain primarily focussed on domestic economic development―supporting transition away from heavy industry in the north-east and financing economic development in western provinces.
Chinese commercial banks are also increasing their financing to B&R projects, supported by official co-financing. For example, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a network of connected projects boosting maritime, rail and road connectivity between the two countries, as well as upgrading utilities infrastructure in Pakistan. Total financing committed across the CPEC is expected to amount to US $62 billion over the period from 2015-2030, coming from a wide range of sources, including commercial and multilateral banks. Analysis of the "big four" Chinese state-owned commercial banks suggests they lent a total of US $90 billion into B&R economies in 2016. However, it not clear how much of this lending related to the infrastructure related objectives of the B&R initiatives, as opposed to more standard commercial activity.
Finally, the initiative has also been formally recognised by the global development financing community. At the B&R summit, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the New Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. At the summit, Jean-Christophe Laloux, Director-General of the European Investment Bank said "We appreciate the tremendous efforts of all involved and recognise the clear the leadership that China has shown to develop this key initiative".
5. Conclusion
Much has already been achieved in boosting B&R connectivity, even prior to the formal announcement of the initiative in 2013. B&R exports are accounting for a steadily rising portion of China's demand in some key areas, allowing B&R economies to tap into China's rapid growth. But within B&R there have been some important shifts in relative connectivity between regions – largely driven by changing priorities for the Chinese economy.
The outlook is clearly positive for the future of B&R connectivity. Resources are being marshalled for a substantial financial stimulus to boost infrastructure spending across the B&R regions, while trade, investment and financial sector policies are also being liberalised to unlock potential economic flows.
We expect China's domestic economic agenda to continue to be a key factor in connectivity developments looking ahead. The growing importance in recent years of services trade, supply chain connectivity, and outward investment in higher value-added economies are all set to persist. So while ASEAN economies may remain the most-connected with China, those in CEE and key tourism destinations are likely to close the gap. Connectivity with commodity-based Middle Eastern and Central Asian economies may fall further if these countries fail to diversify into sectors better-aligned with China's own priorities.
Trends in the wider global economy should be supportive of B&R connectivity in the years ahead. After several years of very slow global trade growth, data from the first half of 2017 suggests a reinvigoration of global trade activity. With an increasingly-positive economic outlook across many developed and emerging economies, global trade flows and demand for Chinese goods and services should strengthen in the coming years.
But several key sources of risk remain, particularly with respect to an uncertain global geopolitical landscape. An increase in protectionism in key advanced economies could prevent market forces from driving global trade growth, and therefore China's trade connectivity. In the Middle East, diplomatic tensions could undermine the freedom of movement of goods and people across a key region for China-Europe trade. And slower-than-expected growth in China would cut resources available for B&R investment – even as it makes better connectivity more crucial. Finally, from a political perspective, it will be important to ensure the consensus over economic connectivity between China and B&R being mutually beneficial is sustained, and that partner economies see plenty of direct economic gain.
The China Connectivity Index will be a crucial tool in the years ahead. CCI will remain the key resource for B&R stakeholders seeking to stay informed of connectivity enhancements in the years ahead. This report will be updated on a semi-annual basis, reviewing latest trends in China-B&R economic connectivity, as well as progress made in delivering against policy pledges. Moreover, our work on China Connectivity will be complemented by an ongoing monitoring of economic health in B&R economies. For our initial assessment of economic health in B&R, please see the complementary paper accompany this China Connectivity report.
Please click to read full report.


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Hint: There was a movie made about this one word.
Looking back at my high school-aged self, I was a bit of a loner. Not a loner in the sense I had few friends or shut my self out, I just didn't step outside my comfort zone. I was very caught up in how I carried myself. But now, more than ever, I wish I could tell my younger self to, "fucking relax".
I wasn't involved in many extracurricular activities, hung out with my usual friend crowd, did mostly the same things after school. I had a routine and rarely did I break my routine. But as I've gotten older I've realized - breaking routines is the best. It's exciting. It's fun. You don't know what is coming next. And how did I come upon this realization? But saying this one word more often than I ever have in my entire life:
In July of 2013, my brother told me about this gym at which a friend of his, Mark Schneider, was now a trainer. What did I tell him when he said I should check it out? "Yes."
What did I tell a fellow gym go-er when she asked me to come to a volunteer meeting for a local marketing organization? "Yes."
What did I tell my former employer when she told me to learn more about something called Google Adwords? "Yes."
The results of these three instances have quite literally changed my life. I enjoy incredible community, knowledge base and workout regimen at The Movement Minneapolis. I haven't been going there enough lately (sorry, guys), but it is incredibly comforting to know you have the opportunity to visit with amazing people everyday. I've learned more about myself and my body in the past two years than I ever could have imagined - and it's all thanks to those amazing folks
Thanks to Monica, I am now pretty involved with the MIMA membership committee. I work on the social side of things, helping distribute content across multiple social channels. The team is headed up by the incredibly smart and insightful Arik Hanson, and I get to work on an insanely talented team of volunteers. Words cant describe how much I look up to these people, and what their friendship means to me. It is truly an honor to work with each of them.
As for my former employer, I wouldn't be where I am today without the push they provided to me. Being that I no longer work there, I constantly find myself looking back at how much I learned in the 2.5 years I was at Diedrich RPM. It is because of them I am now running paid search efforts for a software company in Minnesota.
So - has one simple word changed my life? Yes. The word has helped - but also my inner drive to become something greater than my past self. And it's fun.
So obliterate that comfort zone and realize that excitement, fun, laughter and success are just one word away.


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Join us on our Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open tournament analysis that takes place this week in Wuhan. Find out who the dark horse is, as well as the player to fade and keep an eye on this event.

WTA Wuhan

The Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open takes place in Wuhan with Hard Court as the chosen surface for this WTA Premier 5 event.

Dark Horse

The former world no.2 – Agnieszka Radwanska – continues to pursue her first title in 2017. Playing on Asian soil brings the best out of Radwanska with a phenomenal 76.12% career record and 11 titles on the WTA Tour on that region. Adding to this, the Polish is enjoying great success this week with two straight sets victories against Magdalena Rybarikova and Julia Goerges.

Looking now at Radwanska's draw in Wuhan, the 28-year-old returns to action this Wednesday against Ashleigh Barty. Known as one of the most promising young players on the WTA Tour, Barty holds an outstanding 72.55% winning record this season. However, the Australian only won 20.00% of the matches throughout her career against top 10 opponents. Due to Agnieszka's exceptional record on this region and Ashleigh's lack of experience against top opponents, our recommendation is for you to add Radwanska to your betting picks to emerge victorious from this encounter at -125 at William Hill. Besides the value on Agnieszka's moneyline in the following round, placing a small bet on her outright at +900 at BetVictor is also an interesting approach for this tournament.

Player to Fade

At the age of 25, Karolina Pliskova is going through the best moment in her career. In addition to her outstanding 77.78% winning record in 2017, the Czech already won three titles on the WTA Tour this season. Despite her brilliant numbers in recent months, Pliskova was far from impressive on her debut in Wuhan against Shuai Zhang. On the other hand, Karolina won't have an easy task in Wuhan with very dangerous opponents on her half of the draw such as Garbine Muguruza, Agnieszka Radwanska or Jelena Ostapenko. Due to the tough draw ahead of her and shaky performance in the opening round, our advice is for you to avoid placing any bet on Pliskova's outright in Wuhan at +500 at Bet365.

Player to Keep an Eye

Dominika Cibulkova hopes to rediscover top form in Wuhan. Despite her disappointing defeat against Caroline Wozniacki in Tokyo, the former world no.4 is slowly returning to her best level. Known as one of the most aggressive baseliners in the game, the fast court conditions in Wuhan are perfect for Cibulkova's game style. Adding to this, the 28-year-old didn't experience any major problems on her debut with an easy 6 – 2 6 – 2 win over Jil Teichmann. Famous for her exceptional return to serve, the 2016 WTA Singapore Finals champion won 62.50% of the points played on Teichmann's serve.

Taking a look now at Dominika's draw in this tournament, the Slovak won't have an easy task against Caroline Garcia in the following round. Nevertheless, it's hard to ignore the tremendous value on Cibulkova's tennis betting odds. With this in mind, our suggestion is for you to place a bet on Dominika to secure a place in the quarterfinals at +102 at Pinnacle as the most valuable play for this contest.

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Importance of Salah in Islam
The prayers (daily five times salah) are a sort of purification for a human being. Muslims when performing salah, turns and meets to His Lord five times a day. When a person stands to perform salah daily five times, he secures himelf from doing sinful and prohibited acts for the duration of the day. Moreover, it needs to also be a time of regret and repentance, such that he asks ALLAH Almighty for forgiveness for the sins and transgressions he did. Similarly, the prayer in itself is a good deed that wipes away a number of the negative and evil deeds that he done.
Salah is an obligatory act of worship which is performed five times daily at prescribed timings; Salah is also the most important pillar of religion Islam. Its intention is to generate inside the subliminal self of person such energy, mild of faith and his belief on ALLAH Almighty becomes more strong and this thing allows him or her to attempt stay away from all types of evils and temptations and stay virtuous and pious and defend himself in opposition to the weak spot of the flesh and the mischief of immoderate appetites.
The importance of the salah in Islam can be understand by this that it is the most important part of religion Islam and there is not any kind of excuse of skipping any salah, everyone will be accountable for the salah. When Muslims performs salah they strengthen their relation with ALLAH Almighty and this relationship with ALLAH Almighty is both established and positioned into practice, in addition to stepped forward and elevated, by way of the prayer. Consequently, if the prayers are sound and right, the relaxation of the deeds could be sound and right; and if the prayers aren't sound and right, then the rest of the deeds will not be sound and right.
In reality, the prayer is done properly with authentic remembrance of ALLAH Almighty and turning back to Him for asking forgiveness, it will have a lasting effect on the individual. After a person finishes the salah, his heart can be full of the remembrance of ALLAH Almighty. He can be anxious as well as hopeful, he tries to adopt righteous path and worldly luxuries and life will no more attracts him.
The significance of the prayer should have to be understood by all Muslims. It's miles the primary pillar of Islam, noted that Salah is mentioned after the Testimony of faith, by which a person becomes a Muslim. Salah was made compulsory to perform for all peoples. So Muslims living any corner of the world must give proper attention to the factor that they will be answerable for salah in the life hereafter.
Umrah is a sacred journey to Makkah and not mandatory in Islam religion but Umrah is very important in the life of Muslims. With aim to provide the pilgrims with the best and complete Umrah services, we now offer our customers reasonable Umrah Package Deals from UK. So you don't miss a chance and visit us to get the deals.


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15 projects, one expedition
GLACE is composed of 15 different, synergistic research projects, bringing together scientists from a wide range of disciplines and from around the globe. Research questions will target the physics, chemistry and biology of sea-ice, glaciers, lake sediments, terrestrial ecosystems, the ocean, and the sea floor.
Swiss polar science has a strong standing on the expedition, as six of the research projects are led by scientists from Swiss research institutions.
For this first full circumnavigation of Greenland, the 44 selected scientists will have helicopters and zodiacs at their disposal as well as different laboratories both on the ship and in dedicated laboratory containers. This will allow them to work around the clock and conduct real time experiments in addition to collecting and storing unique samples and data. The scientists on board the expedition will benefit from a large support team composed of mountain guides, zodiac and helicopter pilots, lab assistants and technicians as well as a management team with wide range of competences.


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I posted earlier about my belly button wound. I'm 6 and a bit weeks post op and my belly button has been sore and red last few days anyway this afternoon I noticed a blister forming and throughout the day the blister has grown and grown so i left it. I've just checked it as it was really sore and the blister has burst put now my wound is ripping and opening up,id say almost by half up to now at first there was just a small pin prick, I've cleaned it and put a dressing on it to keep it clean. Will it be ok till I can get the doctors in the morning do you think?
Help...my wound is opening: I posted... - Endometriosis UK
Endometriosis UK
43,689 members • 36,883 posts
Help...my wound is opening


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Day: November 11, 2017
365 Challenge: Day 244 – Connection
Connection: relationship in which a person, thing, or idea is linked or associated with something else
When I woke up this morning, two things came to mind after reading a few messages on my phone. It sits on my night table on the lowest possible volume so I'm not interrupted overnight, but it's the first thing I check when I wake up to see what's going on.
The first thing I realized is that it's Veteran's Day and everyone is doing something fantastic to thank our veterans. I am not a fan of war (or any confrontation) and always look for a peaceful solution; sometimes, as we've seen in the past (today and the future, too), it's not always possible to avoid battle. While I don't condone and agree with war as a general statement, I understand it and I am absolutely grateful to all the amazing veterans and active duty defenders who have kept us safe for hundreds of years. Their hard work, often leading to death, loss and/or pain, has enabled so many of us to make connections around the world. Thank you to our veterans for everything they have done. Your sacrifice is unmatched by any other I could possibly think of…
The second thing I realized is how many people reading my blog and participating on the Watching Glass Shatter book blog tour are making new connections with one another. If I could have any success with all of the effort for my book launch right now (other than sales and good feedback), it would be to build a path that connects together people who didn't know one another before, but now they do. I enjoy seeing everyone chat with one other, find new blogs to follow, meet new people potentially who live near them, etc. This is amazing to witness and I am grateful for all of you who have been part of it.
Life is about making connections and doing something to make the world a better place. I'll never match what our veterans have done for us, but if I can help bring people together through a blog, then I feel just a little bit better about my contributions today. I am grateful to those who stand proud and honorable and for giving us our freedom and protection.
About Me & the "365 Daily Challenge"
I'm Jay, an author who lives in NYC. My debut novel, Watching Glass Shatter, can be purchased on Amazon @ http://mybook.to/WGS. I've always been a reader. And now I'm a daily blogger. I decided to start my own version of the "365 Daily Challenge" where since March 13, 2017, I've posted a characteristic either I currently embody or one I'd like to embody in the future. 365 days of reflection to discover who I am and what I want out of life.
The goal: Knowledge. Acceptance. Understanding. Optimization. Happiness. Help. For myself. For others. And if all else fails, humor. When I'm finished in one year, I hope to have more answers about the future and what I will do with the remainder of my life. All aspects to be considered. It's not just about a career, hobbies, residence, activities, efforts, et al. It's meant to be a comprehensive study and reflection from an ordinary man. Not a doctor. Not a therapist. Not a friend. Not an encyclopedia full of prior research. Just pure thought, a blogged journal with true honesty.
Join the fun and read a new post each day, or check out my book reviews, TV/Film reviews or favorite vacation spots. And feel free to like, rate, comment or take the poll for each post. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
Watching Glass Shatter: Blog Tour Day 7 – Valerie's Musings
It's Day 7 of the Watching Glass Shatter book blog tour and the amazing Valerie's Musings is our host. Please check out her site for a book review, pictures and great content. She participates in a lot of book tours and reads often. You'll always find something great on her site! Speaking of which… one of the marketing graphics I used for the book comes from her site. Thank you, Valerie!


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Stan Smiths Round Two: The Link Between French Dress and Cultural Values
Do you guys remember when every single person in Paris was wearing Stan Smiths? It was like a game you could play, you'd go to a bar and instead of darts you'd play Count the Stan Smiths, and you'd have to stop around 20 because all the white-clad feet would just blend together and you'd lose count.
And I remember that being a pretty revelatory experience for me as an introduction to French fashion culture, one I've been thinking about ever since, because I really wanted Stan Smiths. Like, really. wanted. Yet I couldn't get them, because everyone had them, and that would be breaking a Fashion Law.
So instead I bought Sambas, and then I had a conversation with a friend that went something like this:
Me: Hey, so I finally got those new Adidas I ordered!
Friend: Oh right, the Stan Smiths? Everyone has those.
Me: (offended) Ew, no, I know. I got Sambas.
Friend: But you didn't get the Stan Smiths? That's what everyone has.
We were having two different conversations - I would avoid buying a sneaker that had "saturated the market," but for him, their popularity was a sign of their value - and neither of us was wrapping our minds around the other side. It was something I was going to think about a lot in the next few months as the Stan Smith phenomenon took full hold.
It's not that I think that All French People Dress the Same or that there's a lack of creativity in French fashion, generally - I'd have a lot of girls whose styles I really respect after me in a second - but I do think that outside of a certain upper echalons of ~fashion~, Parisian dress tends towards a certain conformity and sameness that is less visible in American philosophies of dress, as observed in major Northeastern cities and specifically New York.
In sum: In America, you're supposed to be an individual. In France, you're supposed to look good.
To put it simply: in the US, I'd say ballpark 50% of people "dress well," in the sense that their clothes fit, they're fashion-conforming within a two year margin, they Look Nice. The rest of the pie chart looks like this: those who dress for pure comfort, those who are fashion conforming within five to ten year margin, followed by those whose dress departs from the norm in a positive, forward way ("edgy"), and finally those whose dress is so forward to be unrecognizably good, voir "weird."
In France, 85% of people dress well. They look nice. They are clean and presentable and stylish and good. This is where the image of the French Girl comes from. And this is my style home, because it is very safe, and very classic, and not weird at all. The other sides of the scale are similarly shifted. The rate of weirdos, non-conformists, punks, scene kids, goths, lolitas, hipsters, hippies, etc. etc. etc. ad nauseum is statistically much smaller.
So this comes with a few disclaimers: I'm referring to a small subset of people in terms of age, socioeconomic status, subcultural appartenance. It wouldn't be fair if I told you that every French middle school girls owns a pair of shorty Uggs and and an Eastman backpack because, hello, so did we (Jansport FTW tho). And I think trends, like Stan Smiths, can "go viral" and become overly saturated in a similar way in the US.
And, of course, if Americans are supposed to be "individual" in our dress, if we're supposed to be showing off our personalities, then it mysteriously turns out that all our personalities are pretty darn similar.
My favorite meme right now are Starter Packs, like those images with a handful of objects and a title along the lines of, "Kid who reminds the teacher that there's homework." They're always eerily accurate in a way that makes you wonder if we're not all living arms of the same Matrix; somehow the more specific category the scarier it is. It sometimes takes a long look to realize that you're looking at a meme made by a specific age group in a specific era and within a certain context; "long-haired horse girl" wouldn't be dressed the same in the 80s and she wouldn't exist in a lower-middle-class suburb.
What we can draw from Starter Packs is a confirmation, sometimes unsettling, that all of our clothing choices are 1) highly informed by context; 2) exist, inescapably, within a context; 3) trend, necessarily, towards similarity and social identity far more strongly than they do towards individuality and personal expression. No matter what country we live in, and how much we'd like to pretend otherwise.
But if consumer choice leans more toward sameness in general, French dress trends to place more value on that trend-towards-the center than American dressers. And I don't think it's really quite enough to stop that question short at "There's more social value here in looking good." There's a politeness to it. "Dressing well is a display of good manners," said maybe Tom Ford ??? and probably someone else sometime. I think it's like vaguely a Barthesian kind of thing - in which fashion is a physical manifestation of social conformity and alignment with a given norm.
French culture is inherently oriented towards politeness, conformity, and propriety in a way that American culture simply isn't. From the day I got here people have been trying to tell me about some American Cowboy Myth, and I've been trying to talk them out of it (sometimes literally because I think glamorizing the Wild West is weird and racist).
Now that I've been here for a while, I can't decide if I've just decided that they're right (not about the cowboys), or if I've finally swallowed the hard pill. Because I think that this is something that's at least a tiny little bit present in American culture - individualism and subtle disrespect for authority. It's the reason that Americans find the French rude and the French find Americans boisterous and uncultured. We're just not getting each other, guys! It's all gonna be okay!
Bref, what this means for clothing: if your fringues are a sign of participatory identity (they are, and so are mine) then it makes sense for a culture that places greater value on conformity to find itself "following the trends," so to speak, in the sense of aligning one's dress to a more widely-understood cultural definition of style. In a country where "incivility" is an insult you can hurl on a bus, looking presentable in a familiar way literally becomes a question of good Old World manners.
That's why I was so offended that someone would assume that I got the same sneakers as everyone else. From day one, Americans raised to think of ourselves as different. I've got inside confirmation that this goes down to the school systems, kindergarten, how you draw a tree. French teachers will tell you that trees aren't pink. We get a lot of positive attention for individuality from a young age (that festers into an individualism isn't exactly beneficial to the political good of the country as a whole, so don't read me wrong.) Let's be very clear - Americans are blind ol' trend followers like everyone else, see above point about Starter Packs. We just really like to pretend we're not.
So to come back to the original anecdote, I think the reason that Stan Smiths became such a massive Thing can be traced right back down to the fact that everyone had them. They were a simple, minimalist shoe that got the endorsement of Phoebe Philo around right at the time that simple and minimalist was the height of fashion. Or, more accurately, the height of fashion was being way too cool to care. It became, in the end, a symbol of wearing what everyone else was wearing - which was exactly the point.
And for the record, I eventually got over myself. I do own and wear Stan Smiths. But only because my sister got me them as a birthday present so I'd shut up about them. :) <3


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Demand for HVAC Technicians in Alabama
HVAC is a high-growth and relatively lucrative industry, especially for an occupation requiring only one to two years of postsecondary training. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2017) projected a 15 percent growth rate in HVAC job openings nationwide between 2016 and 2026, more than double the average growth (7 percent) expected across all occupations during that time period. This rate is roughly the same for AL HVAC opportunities, as Projections Central (2017) reported an anticipated 13.6 percent increase in job openings in this field within the state. With the predicted addition of 685 fresh HVAC positions in AL and 48,800 openings nationwide, there is ample evidence that this is a promising profession in AL and across the country.
There are several reasons for the healthy employment outlook in HVAC. First, HVAC systems typically have a 10 to 15 year lifespan, after which they need to be replaced. Second, with the rise of manufacturer warranties and regular service contracts, these workers are generally guaranteed work throughout the year, even during the low seasons. Third, the growing interest in energy efficiency and evolving legislation contributes to a trend in retrofitting or upgrading old systems to be in compliance with new standards. Lastly, almost all new structures across the US have climate control systems, and as a result, areas of high construction generally have a high demand in this field, particularly for installation specialists.
The BLS (2017) notes that 64 percent of HVAC workers around the country were employed in plumbing, heating, and A/C contractors organizations. Also, while some HVAC mechanics and installers work regular business hours, others may be called upon to work evenings, weekends, or holidays during the high summer season in the Yellowhammer State, when demand for air conditioning services peaks.
It is important to point out that people the HVAC field incur a relatively high rate of injury and illness compared to other occupations. This is due to the physical nature of the work, which often requires the lifting of heavy objects, dealing with electrical wiring, soldering parts, and handling refrigerants, all work-related activities that come with risks. The threat of muscle tears, electrical shocks, or chemical burns can generally be kept to a minimum with the use of safety equipment and rigorous training standards.
Finally, as evidence of a thriving HVAC industry in Alabama, one need not look further than common job posting websites. For example, Indeed (Sept. 2018) had 340 HVAC job openings in AL, including opportunities at the University of Mobile, Springhill College, and Rheem Manufacturing Company, among others. Monster (Sept. 2018) had an additional 21 positions at organizations such as Advantage Resourcing and the City of Huntsville.


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2014 visitor figure misses STB forecast
HEADWINDS on several fronts pushed Singapore's 2014 visitor arrivals down 3.1 per cent to 15.1 million, the first decline since 2009 and off the mark set by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
The consolation was that STB's quest for higher yield tourists could be paying off - tourism receipts were flat at S$23.5 billion as per capita spending rose.
Expectations were for 16.3-16.8 million visitors and tourism receipts of S$23.8-24.6 billion in 2014, both of which failed to materialise as arrivals from markets such as China took a tumble and certain regional currencies depreciated against the Singapore dollar.
This also suggests that an earlier target - set in 2004 - of 17 million visitors by 2015 would not be met.
At a press conference on Wednesday, STB chief Lionel Yeo highlighted that Singapore's tourism industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 10 years. "If we look at what has been achieved so far, we have been able to double visitor arrivals since 2004 (and) increase tourism receipts by two and a half times. To me, these are excellent results and testament to the efforts that have gone into growing the tourism scene over the last 10 years."
Unexpected events, such as the global financial crisis over 2008-2009, also threw Singapore off its growth trajectory along the way.
Last year, visitor arrivals from Singapore's second-biggest source market, China, plunged 24 per cent to 1.72 million as the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines' flight MH370 dampened travel demand to South-east Asia. China's clamping down on the sale of "zero-dollar" tours - cheap tour packages with surprise fees - via stricter laws in late 2013 has also had a significant impact on travel to the region.
Meanwhile, visitor volumes from Singapore's largest source of tourists, Indonesia, dipped 2 per cent to some 3.02 million on the back of the weaker rupiah, while traffic from Malaysia slipped 4 per cent to 1.23 million as the Superstar Virgo shifted its homeport to Hong Kong and the ringgit depreciated. Tourist volumes from Australia dropped 5 per cent to 1.07 million due to lower "twinning" traffic with Singapore's neighbouring countries and the UK.
On the other hand, arrivals from markets such as Hong Kong (17 per cent), South Korea (14 per cent) and Vietnam (11 per cent) all grew at a double-digit clip.
The data also showed that tourists from some key markets are also staying longer and spending more per person. In the case of China for instance, per capita expenditure - stripping out sightseeing, entertainment and gaming - for January-September 2014 climbed 29 per cent to S$1,600 while average length of stay was up 56 per cent to 4.4 days.
This year, CBRE Hotels expects a slight recovery, with visitor arrivals for 2015 to clock 15.7-16 million. The STB is expected to release its own targets in the coming weeks.
In the hotel industry, performance was largely flat last year, with average occupancy declining slightly by nearly one percentage point to 85 per cent, while average room rate was steady at S$258. This resulted in revenue per available room (RevPAR) sliding 1.1 per cent to S$220. Still, overall hotel revenue grew by 7.2 per cent to S$3.1 billion as room stock expanded 3.9 per cent to 57,172 rooms.
Citing URA data, the STB estimates that some 5,000 new rooms will be injected into the market this year from hotels such as Park Hotel Alexandra and The Patina.
According to CBRE Hotels, new supply coming into the market will have an impact on the industry, although many of the hotels will not be completed until later in the year.
Occupancy is expected to drop slightly "by a couple of percentage points at most", said CBRE executive director Robert McIntosh.
Looking forward, the STB acknowledges that the uncertain global economy and currency volatility will continue to have an impact on tourism, while competition from regional markets is also on the rise as some countries relax visa requirements to attract the tourist dollar.
To combat this, the STB will ramp up marketing efforts in major tourism markets - such as by targeting secondary cities in China and Indonesia - to drive demand. There are also plans to market Singapore more as a mono-destination, so there is less dependence on travellers who visit Singapore as part of a multi-tour destination.
As for business travel and MICE (meetings, incentive travel, conferences & exhibitions), the STB is trying to attract more attendees by focusing on 10 key markets in the Asia-Pacific region. For the first three quarters of 2014, BTMICE visitors dropped 13 per cent year on year to 2.3 million and spend by these visitors fell 5 per cent to S$3.89 billion.
And while 2014 wasn't the best year for the cruise industry, the STB projects that throughput will grow 10-15 per cent this year to take it closer to 2013 levels. Ship calls fell from 391 in 2013 to 372 in 2014, while cruise throughput dropped from 1.03 million to 890,000.
Chin Ying Duan, communications manager for Royal Caribbean Cruises, said that the group is basing more ships in Singapore this year in a nod to its bullishness on Asia's growth prospects for the cruise industry.
"This year, we're looking forward to stronger interest," she said, adding that some six different cruise ships will be deploying from Singapore over the course of this year. And from H2 2015, the cruise company will have one cruise ship with a year-long deployment out of Singapore.


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By Anna
Few have doubts that the assassination of President John F Kennedy wasn't a conspiracy, including Director Oliver Stone. But according to Roger Ebert, and I tend to side with him on this, JFK isn't a film about proving our darkest suspicions. It's a film "about feelings."
If you haven't seen JFK, imagine the scenes of Zodiac, where Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal's character) is losing his family because of his obsession with the unsolved Zodiac murders. New Orleans State's Attorney Jim Garrison is Graysmith. They are the same man and the story is told in the same way—reflecting true events and stirring the audience's real emotions they still hold from those true unresolved events.
What's different between me and Ebert, however, is I wasn't alive in 1963 when JFK was assassinated by maybe the CIA, the FBI, Castro, the anti-Castro Cubans, the Mafia, the Russians or all of them together.
I don't remember the feeling of sorrow, anger and frustration Americans felt at the unanswered questions, but I am alive to feel the ramifications of the government distrust because of the conspiracy cover up.
A Canadian told me last week that we in the United States will never be able to have a government like Canada because we would never allow regulation and government control because of events like JFK's assassination and Watergate. JFK stands for something so much greater than a coup d'état, though that's pretty damn significant, it stands for that feeling we get as Americans when we realize that fighting for freedom means fighting for individual tyranny—a selfish tyranny that can always be trumped by a more selfish and greater tyranny: Career politicians and, according to Stone, war hawks. After all, as Theologians Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon put it: States are dependent on wars for moral coherence because war gives us the necessary basis for self-sacrifice so that people who have been taught to pursue self-interest can at times die for one another.
Kennedy died for us. For "moral coherence."
As I write this pleasantly outraged by the mere idea of a conspiracy surrounding JFK's death, which the Department of Justice at least admitted to in 1991, I have to recognize Ebert's truth: My outrage is because of the masterpiece that is JFK—the perfect editing (remember the scene when Garrison and his posse are dining out juxtaposed with the cutting up of the inexplicable Oswald photo? It's a dance between sleuths and schemers), the apotheosis casting, the discovery of the Zapruder film causing anachronism and shock—every little bit constructs nothing short of "our national state of mind since November 22, 1963" (Ebert).
Quick Reviews from movies I saw this week
Hot Tub Time Machine
It made me laugh, it made me cringe, but most of all it made me glad I was a teen in the otts and not the 80s. Take it or leave it, that's all I have to say.
Let the Right One In
This is a poignant and mystical film that isn't really about vampires at all—though that's what mainstream society wants you to think. This Swedish film, based on a novel by the same name, is being remade here in the United States and due to come out on Friday, but I think the original will be a better use of your time.
The film is about a young boy who befriends a young vampire girl who lives in his apartment building, but it could be any young kid struggling with identity and befriending the society reject. Yes, it's the vampires that draw us in and freak us out (the ability she has to control and manipulate her prey is eerie), but their situation breaks my heart. I too was there at age 12, struggling to let the right one in. I think the U.S. version could shed a different cultural light on this, but I'm skeptical. So see this first and then move on to a newer interpretation.


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James Rickards (JRHS) Class of 1992 Alumni List
Help us Update the James Rickards 1992 Class List by adding any names missing from the list below:
Registered Alumni
1992 Class List
- Kennedy Akila
- Tiffany Herring Austin
- Ryan Bruce
- Tina Campbell
- Kay Carter
- Pamela Collier
- Bobbi Darling
- Shawn Davis
- John Doyle
- Kevin Ferrell
- Booker Flowers
- Sharunda Gipson
- Kelvin Hills
- Willie Hinson
- Stephanie Hudson
- Nicole Johnson
- Jim Jones
- Jennifer Jones
- Akila Kennedy
- Rebecca Kilpatrick
- Robert Lawhon
- Latasha Mango
- Marisol Medina
- Bonnie O'neal
- Monika Pitts
- Byron Keith Price
- Cleveland Richardson
- Roberta Strickland
- Christopher Thomas
- Monika Walker
- Sylvia Williams
- Russell Wilson
- Terri Wimer
Know James Rickards Class of 1992 graduates that are NOT on this List? Help us Update the 1992 Class List by adding missing names.
The top movie in theaters during 1992 was Aladdin, grossing over $217,350,219 in its lifetime. The most popular television series for 1992 was 60 Minutes
Hit Songs From 1992
Sometimes Love Just Ain't EnoughPatty Smyth and Don Henley
My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)En Vogue
Let's Get RockedDef Leppard
StayShakespear's Sister
The Way I Feel About YouKaryn White
Come and Talk To MeJodeci
Good For MeAmy Grant
Make It HappenMariah Carey
Achy Breaky HeartBilly Ray Cyrus
That's What Love Is ForAmy Grant
Hit Movies From 1992
Reunions and James Rickards High School News
More 1992 alumni from James Rickards HS have posted profiles on Classmates.com®. Click here to register for free at Classmates.com® and view other 1992 alumni.
The students that went to school at the Tallahassee high school called James Rickards High School and graduated in '92 are on this page. Register to add your name to the class of 1992 graduates list.
We also encourage you to keep up to date on news and reconnect with James Rickards High School alumni.


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Speed News Desk | Updated on: 13 February 2017, 8:17 IST
Reports have indicated that former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President N Srinivasan has been sacked as the chairman of International Cricket Council (ICC), with current BCCI chief Shashank Manohar's name being put forward as the replacement for the former.
The decision was taken at BCCI's Annual General Meeting (AGM), which is currently taking place in Mumbai. The BCCI-nominated person's term as ICC chief comes to an end in June, and it looks likely that Shahshank Manohar will be in charge of the reins till then.
A host of other issues are also being discussed at the AGM, with speculations rife that BCCI would undergo sweeping changes under the leadership of Manohar.


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Project Fellow Post for MSc Chemistry Candidates @ Alagappa University
MSc chemistry candidates walk-in for project fellow position at Alagappa University. Alagappa University is recruiting msc chemistry candidates for a project position. Check out all of the details on the same below:
Job Title: Project Fellow
No. of Posts: 2
Fellowship: Rs. 12,760/- per month
- Qualification : M.Sc. Energy Science/M.Sc. Chemistry with first class or Equivalent.
- Desirable : Research experience in related to the project will be given preference.
How to Apply:
Eligible candidates can attend walk in interview for the post of Project Fellow in DST-SERI supported project entitled "Fabrication of Low Cost Inverted Planer Perovskite Solar Cell". Interested candidates are requested to attend the interview with their Curriculum Vitae along with the copies of the certificates in proof of their educational qualification, age and experience. They can also send their resume by e-mail to Dr. S. Karuppuchamy, Principal Investigator, Department of Energy Science, Karaikudi at [email protected]
The post is purely on temporary basis. No TA/DA will be paid for attending the interview.
Dr. S. Karuppuchamy
Professor and Head (i/c),
Department of Energy Science,
Alagappa University, Karaikudi.
Walk-In Details
- Date of Interview – 16.04.2018
- Time of Interview – 11:30 A.M
- Venue of Interview -Department of Energy Science, Science Block, 7
th Floor, RoomNo.705, Alagappa University, Karaikudi.


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Posted on 27.12.17 by Satya Prasoon
This session was marred by allegations of corruption against the higher judiciary and the subsequent mishandling of situation by Apex Court , which imposed an exemplary cost of 25 lakh on the petitioner Prashant Bhushan, worsened the crisis. In the midst of this credibility crisis, the 5 Judge Constitution Bench comprising of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, DY Chandrchud, A. Khanwilkar, Ashok Bhushan and A.K. Sikri. heard and reserved judgement three constitutional cases – Common Cause v UOI (evaluation of the Fundamental Right to Life, in the context of the right to die with dignity), Kalpana Mehta v UOI (scrutiny of the separation of powers with respect to parliamentary privilege) and NCT v UOI (examination of federalism as enshrined in the Constitution).
Common Cause v UOI, which dealt with recognition of Living Will and Advanced Directive for terminally ill patients was heard for 2 days and reserved for judgment. Six days of arguments were heard in the Kalpana Mehta v UOI, which examined if Parliamentary Standing Committee Reports could be relied upon by the Supreme Court to issue directions under Article 32 (writ jurisdiction) and Article 136 (Special Leave Petition). The case was in response to the tragic Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) clinical test, which was sanctioned by Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), despite an adverse report by a Parliamentary Standing Committee. The case of NCT v UOI was heard for 15 days by the court. In this case the Delhi Government had appealed the Delhi High Court decision which had declared the Lt. Governor to be the "administrative head" and was not bound by the aid and advice of the council of ministers. In many ways, this case is very significant for examining evolving nature of Indian Federalism and the limitations on Centre's power to interfere in the governance of Union Territories like NCT.
In one of the most anticipated hearings of this session the Shafin Jahan v Ashokan case, Hadiya testified in open court on 27th November 2017 after which the Supreme Court modified its earlier interim order, allowing her to continue her studies in Salem. The earlier order of 8th August by Former Chief Justice Khehar, ordering a NIA probe into her interfaith marriage and putting the 25 year old Hadiya into house custody, had been widely criticised. By releasing Hadiya from her parents' custody, the order on 27th November partially undid the effect of the earlier order.
On 5th December, the eve of the Babri Masjid demolition, the SC heard the Maulana Aashad v Mahant Suresh Das case and rejected the plea by Senior Counsel Kapil Sibal, who was representing the Wakf Board, to postpone the matter to after Lok Sabha elections scheduled for July, 2019. Instead the matter was adjourned to 8th February. The 5 judge bench has also started hearing the case of Goolrokh Gupta v Burjor Pardiwala, which will decide if a Parsi woman loses her own religious identity and can be excommunicated by the Parsi Trust on marrying a Non-Parsi.
On 14th December, a day before the end of the session, the Supreme Court in Puttaswamy v UOI issued an interim injunction on linking Aadhar with various services until 31st March, 2018. This hearing was necessitated by the 31st December 2017 deadline for linking Aadhar to bank accounts and other services. The Court will begin regular hearings on the constitutionality of the Aadhar Regime from 17th January.
The winter session was an eventful one with the court hearing many constitutional cases and also giving interim relief to citizens in matters of Aadhar. However, the tactless handling of corruption allegations has seriously dented the court's self image and institutional authority and the court will have to work on its accountability mechanism to redeem its image as the temple of justice.
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I was so excited yesterday about it being the last day of Winter, I made my first doily ever!
I used a very fine cotton yarn (DMC Petra) and needle (Clover Amour 2,5).
Years ago I bought a magazine with old-fashioned doilies in France. You know the white lacey ones that you find in your great-grandmother's attic ;-)
I loved adding some color to the intricate designs. This one is rather conservative I think, but very Spring-like. The DMC Petra yarn has such a beautiful shine. I think I might invest in a couple of different colors and make some more. What do you think?
Happy Spring everyone. May we all blossom :-)


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Maqio IML Print 50 Litre Decorative Storage Office Toy Boxes
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How Not To Get Hooked By A "Phishing" Scam
A typical e-mail scam works like this: you receive an e-mail from a business claiming to be someone you usually deal with. In this e-mail, you are asked to "update" or "validate" personal information, such as Social Security numbers, credit card number, dates of birth, or other sensitive information to keep your account "active". This is called "phishing" - and it involves internet crooks who send messages to lure personal information from unsuspecting victims. Never disclose private information requested from an unsolicited e-mail or phone call.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)


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Srinagar to see restrictions on Wednesday too, PDP alleges negligence
The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided not to take any chance and put severe restrictions in volatile areas of Srinagar's old city tomorrow too, while the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, raised pitch on Tuesday, accusing the government of negligence and mishandling the situation.india Updated: Jun 26, 2012 21:27 IST
The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided not to take any chance and put severe restrictions in volatile areas of Srinagar's old city tomorrow too, while the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, raised pitch on Tuesday, accusing the government of negligence and mishandling the situation.
"Restrictions like today will continue. We are analysing the situation and nobody will be allowed to disrupt the peace," Srinagar district magistrate Baseer Ahmad Khan was quoted by a local newspaper.
Immediately after a fire gutted the 245-year-old shrine devoted to 11th Century saint Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani on Monday morning, youth took to streets and engaged security forces in stone pelting.
Conservative estimates suggest that more than two dozen people were injured, including 10 security personnel. There was complete shutdown in Kashmir valley on Tuesday in response to shutdown call given by separatists and religious leaders. In old city, the authorities imposed restriction on movement of people and vehicles.
On Monday morning, J and K law minister Ali Muhammad Sagar's cavalcade was also attacked when he tried to reach the spot. It was followed by the beating up of senior moderate separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah. Opposition Peoples Democratic Party has obliquely blamed the National Conference for the attack in Shah.
"This was no occasion to show such disrespect to the senior leaders (Shah and his associate Nayeem Ahmad Khan) or display hooliganism. It seems some political elements who have historically used muscle power and browbeating as their preferred political tool are trying to fish in trouble waters," said PDP spokesman without naming any political party.
In an oblique reference, the PDP spokesman said, "It was unlikely to happen as they have been indulging in such acts as a part of their political tactics and are enjoying political patronage and protection from the NC leadership."
The spokesman also expressed concern at the hasty cleaning operations at the gutted shrine during the night. "Whether this was opportune to remove all evidence even before the government had ordered an enquiry into the cause of this unfortunate incident?" asked the PDP spokesman.
The PDP alleged that some ruling party politicians, who also are part of the Wakf Board, have been interfering in the matters of prominent shrines as if they are their personal property.
"Such interference and lack of any discipline in dealing with these delicate structures could be one reason for the Khanyar catastrophe," alleged the PDP.
First Published: Jun 26, 2012 21:26 IST


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Saison Petite Souris Beer & Bottle Release, Live Music by Oscar Butler 6:30 pm - 9 pm. Live Glass Blowing Demo by Rashan Jones. Happy Hour 3 pm - 6 pm & 9 pm - Close.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: June 2Bow & Arrow Brewing Co Special Release of Wild Rice Pale Ale
Later Event: June 2La Cumbre Brewing Co Special Tapping at Two Fools Tavern


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3 mistakes you should avoid as a high school student
Teenage – the age when you enter high school, the age when you are a bustling rule-breaker, the age when you are a busy facebooker! It is that point of time in your life when you are actually starting to observe things and have a perspective. Childhood is gradually fading and you are developing interest in things that never made any sense earlier.
Amidst all this hullabaloo and confusion, you are welcomed by a whole new phase, where the curriculum never seemed this difficult. Studies suddenly starts getting tougher at an unbelievable pace and you are surprised at the need for your ingenuity to keep up with them.
Basically, grades and their importance take a backseat here since your recently-developed young mind is taking its own time, exploring the beauty of the world around you. The overwhelmingness of these newfound feelings can lead you to act or behave in a certain way that adversely affects your academic life.
When high school hits, students are always enthusiastic, ready-to-be-challenged, and filled with the zeal to make an impression on others. This leads them to take up activities or create a disposition that is attention-grabbing. However, in the course of doing so, students may not realize that the whole effort could strongly backfire, academically.
Skipping classes, misutilization of time, procrastinating homework and assignments, pointing out teacher's mistakes, believing that school is boring, the list can go on. While these are only a few examples, there is a trio that could hurt them real bad.
We list out the 3 biggest mistakes high schoolers basically make:
1st Mistake – Over-indulging in extracurricular activities
Students love to get involved in extracurricular activities because it gives them a break from studies. However, for high schoolers, this is an opportunity to become the center of attention in front of the entire school. Excelling in a major sport will make you a popular student and probably the favorite of many teachers. Furthermore, it would also help their career when they are applying for colleges or jobs – or that's how they put it when you challenge them.
How it affects – With most of their focus on sports, books obviously get whatever that is left of it. This could still pan out well if the student was capable of multitasking. But that is not common either. With a challenging academic program in the pipeline and not enough focus, grades eventually suffer.
How to correct it – Firstly, we are not saying that you should not sign up for extra-curriculars at all. These activities are crucial to maintain a proper physical and mental balance. Students who are not involved in sports must understand that.
Just keep in mind that extracurricular activities should not consume more than 40 percent of the total time you are giving to academics.
How will this help you – You will be able to lead in your favorite activity as well as keep your GPA high.
2nd Mistake – Prioritizing online identity over offline reality
Flaunting online social stats is a vogue among high school goers. It's all about who has the highest number of friends on Facebook, whose posts on Instagram hit the highest figures in terms of likes and comments, and who has the maximum number of followers on Twitter. Boy or girl, the obsession for social media is the same and it keeps hitting a new level everyday. And besides, they have a lot of unaccounted hours to kill.
How it affects – Students end up spending long hours online, chatting with friends, sometimes with strangers (which is a whole new concern that we have talked about here) as well. This affects their performance in all aspects of their academic life and besides, there have been reports of major health problems too!
How to correct it – While it is awesome to stay connected with your friends through social media, you can also use it to connect with your teachers or other inspiring personalities. Also, limit its usage to a few minutes a day. Remember, high school is only for 4 years. There is an entire life left to get back to Facebook and Twitter later!
How will this help you – You will be an examplary student who understands technology and is not affected by the negative side of it.
3rd Mistake – Growing an attitude
Imagine you are in the middle of a Math class and your Math tutor is solving a Geometry problem. The teacher makes a mistake; instead of drawing an equilateral triangle like what was asked in the problem, the teacher has drawn a bilateral.
You spotted the error. So, what do you do?
Many will see this as one of those golden opportunities to be the one who, "shows everyone how things should be done".
How this affects – Your action might manage a few chuckles. But you will also develop a negative attitude in the process.
How to correct it – This is the stage of life where your ego and insecurities decide how you act. If you are willing to show restraint now, you are likely to master them later.
You must realize that your instructor has years of experience and knowledge. So, what you saw as lack of ability can be a mere misinterpretation. A better way to respond in this situation will be to suggest the correction politely and respectfully.
How will this help you – You will not only gain the reputation of a good student, but will also be a star in the eyes of your teachers.


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Project analysis
Project analysis
On request, we perform a project analysis to evaluate the requirements of a product and help our customers choose the solution that best suits them. Our experience in glass processing and the skills acquired over the years allow us to carefully evaluate existing projects that need improvements.
This phase, in the case of projects already developed, is essential to understand the needs of our customers and the opportunities we can guarantee them and precedes the start of the production cycle.
To guarantee this type of service, which is a feature of our company, our technical and commercial experts are able to evaluate the technical aspects of the products in their role as professionals in the sector. In the following design phase, they interface with our partners by offering an advisory service and create a dialogue that facilitates sharing the needs of the customer and communicates the know-how acquired, in order to work together developing the most suitable solution.
During the project analysis, our specialised team performs both a general and a specific assessment regarding the supply of a product and the consequent processing that glass must undergo to obtain an effective and long lasting result. During this phase, we analyze:
- The technical requirements for the product
- The target performances
- The aesthetic requirements
- The budget, if required
A subsequent phase involves the evaluation and selection of the glass processing phases based on the result that our customers want to achieve. We evaluate:
- The most suitable process to achieve the desired effect
- Processing times
- Implementation costs
- Delivery service
- Possible services on request such as installation or final tests
At the end of the project analysis, our experts interact with our customers presenting the results both from a technical and commercialstance . This type of service allows us to create a sharing relationship with our partners based on transparency and dialogue that is also maintained in the subsequent production phase. From the design to the delivery of the finished product, through the manufacturing processes, our Company guarantees to our customers a consultancy and assistance service and a constant update on the progress of the works.


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Areti Lighting One Globe Floor Lamp
Areti Lighting One Globe Floor Lamp
Trade or Contract?
If you are a trade professional or require quantities of this product - email firstname.lastname@example.com or call us on 020 7608 0203. Full catalogue here.
Designed by Gwendolyn and Guillane Kerschbaumer, the Areti One Globe is a sleek minimalist floor lamp. The sisters set up their own design studio - Atelier Areti - in 2008, after having worked for several architecture and design offices throughout Europe and the US.
Height: TBCcm x Width: TBCcm x Depth: TBCcm
Materials & finishes
White powder coated steel structure with brass joint. Glass globe. Alternative specifications are available on request.
Lead time
Made for you in 8-10 weeks (click for details)
Can't find what you're looking for?
Contact us via our help & advice form or call us directly on 020 7608 0203.
As well as our online shop, you can also search products using the Furniture File Catalogue below. Simply take note of the product you are interested in and contact us for a quote.
For Trade & Contract queries - please email firstname.lastname@example.com


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Caramel pumpkin #Keto Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust! 🎃
Last night at 10pm the mood struck to recipe develop! So here you go. This sugar free cheesecake is deliciously festive and easy to make!
- 1 1/2 cup blanched almond flour,
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder,
- 5 tbsp monk fruit granulated blend (or swerve)
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract,
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- 1/3 cup of melted butter.
- 32 oz cream cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 1.5 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup of swerve
- 4 packets of stevia.(to taste)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
- 1.5 TBSP pumpkin pie spice.
- Make the crust and press into a parchment lined cheesecake pan or square pan.
- Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Let cool.
- Slowly whip together the cheesecake ingredients until smooth. Put HALF on top of the cooled crust.
- Then to the other half ADD 1/2 cup of pumpkin purée and 1.5 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. Mix together and then pour on top of the plain cheesecake.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.
- Let cool for 4-6 hours or overnight before slicing.
Keto caramel (optional but delicious!)
- 1/4 cup of yakon syrup or sukrin fiber syrup.
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 3/4 cup of heavy cream
- 1/4 cup monk fruit granulated sweetener or swerve brown sugar.
- Combine everything in a sauce pan stirring regularly and cook about 15 minutes at a medium to low boil until thickened.
- Pour the semi cooled caramel on top of the cooled cheesecake before or after slicing and then top with Lily's sugar free chocolate chips!)


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In App Purchase Listener
A listener interface for In-App Purchase is triggered by ads. The ad can trigger an In-App Purchase with an InAppPurchase containing product id(SKU). Then the application decides how to conduct the purchase. You can get more info in Google Official Documentation
Note: You will only receive in-app purchase (IAP) ads if you specifically configure an IAP ad campaign in the AdMob front end.
Implemention of the onInAppPurchase listener is really easy, all you have to do is to subscribe to ON_AD_IN_APP_REQUEST event
GoogleMobileAd.addEventListener(GoogleMobileAdEvents.ON_AD_IN_APP_REQUEST, OnInAppRequest);
Implemention of the Event data will contain a product id. You should start your game purchase to flow with this id as soon as you receive ON_AD_IN_APP_REQUEST event
private void OnInAppRequest(CEvent e) {
//getting product id
string productId = (string) e.data;
Debug.Log ("In App Request for product Id: " + productId + " received");
//Start purchase flow with productId here
Once the purchase is completed, you should call RecordInAppResolution with one of the following constants defined in GADInAppResolution:
public enum GADInAppResolution {
RESOLUTION_SUCCESS = 0, // Purchase was a success
RESOLUTION_FAILURE = 1, // Error while processing purchase
RESOLUTION_INVALID_PRODUCT = 2, // Error while looking up product
RESOLUTION_CANCELLED = 3 // Purchase was cancelled by user
An example of a successful call will look like this:


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Chill Moody feat. Beano "Somebody Else" (nicethings remix)
Coming off this past holiday weekend viagra as illegal in which Chill was interviewed by Jim Shearer during their VH1 broadcast, he laces us with a "nicethings" remix of Mario feat Nicki Minaj banger "Somebody Else". Also, you can currently catch Chill Moody's newest video "Chains" in rotation on MTV JAMS (goes live on VEVO July 22nd). #AubGreenCollective #nicethings


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Luxury Homes for Sale Dollar Point Tahoe City
Luxury Homes for Sale in Dollar Point:
If you already own a home in Dollar Point and want to know what your property is worth, call me 530.414.1260 for a confidential consultation.
Thinking about making Tahoe City, California your second home? Need more home buying options?
Check out the homes that are for sale in Tahoe City here:
Want to see other options?
- Tahoe City Homes for Sale
- Tahoe City Condos for Sale
- Tahoe City Lakefront Homes for Sale
- Lake Tahoe Homes for Sale
- Lake Tahoe Lakefront Homes for Sale
- North Shore Lake Tahoe Homes for Sale
- West Shore Lake Tahoe Homes for Sale
Do you want help figuring out the different neighborhoods, HOA fees and which area will best meet your needs?
Call me at 530.414.1260 and I can help you find the right place to buy!
For all of your Tahoe real estate needs –
Laura A. Allen | 530.414.1260 | firstname.lastname@example.com
BROKER ASSOCIATE, Tahoe Real Estate Agent
CalRE# 01473598
Coldwell Banker, Tahoe City, CA CalRE#01908304
All information is deemed reliable, but is subject to change, and/or correction without notice.
Buyers and Sellers should investigate and verify all information to their own satisfaction.
Luxury Homes for Sale Dollar Point Tahoe City


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Value: $750
Gift Certificate for a front or back yard garden design with a value of $750, courtesy of Wentworth Landscapes – Designing Gardens for Living … Creating Gardens for Life! Wentworth Landscapes provides designs for outdoor living spaces where people want to live, work, entertain and play. The design team will focus on your needs and living style while creating your design.


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Cherish special memories with this personalised multi frame. You can personalise the frame with the words of your choice, making this a really special birthday or Father's Day gift. You can then insert four photographs into the frame, two 4"x4" images and two 4"x6". There are hooks on the reverse to allow for the frame to be hung on the wall, either portrait or landscape.
You can add up to forty five uppercase characters for your chosen phrase. Please ensure that all spelling and punctuation are correct as we will etch exactly what you enter.
Your personalised design is hand-etched in our studio in Liverpool.
As standard, the frame is wrapped in tissue paper and bubble wrap and is dispatched in a bespoke postal box.


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Hyman's Burden
Mark Hyman chastises New York Teacher magazine for running an approving article on Jack Powell, a sometime substitute teacher who recently decided to give up shopping at Wal-Mart.
Hyman claims his disdain is based on the fact that Powell has decided to go on food stamps to help feed his partner and two children rather than pay the cut-rate prices at Wal-Mart. According to Hyman, this makes Powell the public "burden" he claims Wal-Mart employees are.
But Powell said nothing of the sort. Powell *did* say that he doesn't want to support Wal-Mart, given the mega-retailer's history of predatory business practices that undermine local entrepreneurs, rely on sweatshop labor, and don't include offering a living wage or health insurance to many of their employees.
And in fact, it's true that Wal-Mart employees are forced to seek public assistance at a significantly higher rate than employees of other major retailers.
Hyman claims (without any evidence) that Powell's stand was "inspired by union bosses." (Apparently for Hyman, that would make Powell's actions seem underhanded.)
But in the article Hyman refers to, Powell never mentions the word "burdensome." Perhaps that's because he doesn't object to Wal-Mart because their workers are a "burden" to society, but because the corporate giant's actions are unethical. Hyman projects his own values onto Powell and assumes that one could only think Wal-Mart should provide adequate healthcare coverage to keep employees from burdening the rest of us.
But some of us (and I'm guessing Powell would fit into this category) don't feel the working poor are a collective burden that the rest of us carry around with us. On the contrary, it's the business practices of some companies, including Wal-Mart, that are the burden. If you've read Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed, you know that the working poor (and this includes a lot of Wal-Mart employees) generally work their butts off to make ends meet, but are often not rewarded for their efforts with anything close to a livable wage, affordable housing, or health care of any sort. They're not the burden; the burden are those that consider exploitation in the name of profit acceptable.
And what about Powell himself? Hyman calls him a burden because he's on food stamps. But millions of hard working people doing necessary jobs are on food stamps. Hyman says Powell is a "welfare case" by choice. But let's think about Powell's choices: he educates children as a part-time substitute teacher, bikes to work whenever possible, is raising two-kids in a two-parent home, and spends most of his professional time touring the country doing educational and entertaining shows at schools, libraries, and local concert halls as one member of the Zucchini Brothers, a three-man band that performs for children.
Food stamps or not, this guy is certainly giving his fair share and more to the social good.
But in Hyman's bizarre algebra, one's contribution to society is based on the amount of money in one's bank account. In this, Hyman is much like the rest of his conservative brethren, for whom the successful entrepreneur is the ubermensch all citizens should aspire to be and pay homage to.
And that goes a long way in explaining why, for Hyman, a Wal-Mart executive who maximizes profit by paying workers a pittance is a hero, and a guy who rides a bike, teaches school, and entertains children is a burden.
And that's The Counterpoint.
Hyman Index: 5.80


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Asset Publisher
Enrolling in school
All children of compulsory school age must be enrolled in school and attend every day.
Triple P
Positive Parenting Program gives you simple and practical strategies to help you build strong, healthy relationships.
Our Priorities: Sharing Prosperity
The Premier has announced a program of whole of government targets to help Government deliver outcomes for the community.
Recommendations to reform policy, legislation, administration and institutional structures.


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We have recently returned from a three-day vacation to Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California. The first day we stopped at the Sundial Bridge in Redding and saw the mighty Sacramento River. It was still carrying a lot of water and flowing rapidly, and we tried to imagine what it was like before it got dammed up at Lake Shasta. How much more power it must have had! How it must have periodically overflowed onto its floodplain, creating the fertile soil in the valley.
Then we drove into the park through its northern entrance to walk the interpretive path along the Devastated Area, where the traces of Lassen Peak's last eruption in May 1915 are explained and some of the effects are documented in historic pictures. Our six-year-old grandson was impressed by the variety of rocks that had been hurtled out of the volcano and the huge boulders that had been carried down by the massive avalanche caused by the eruption. Pictures showed the plume of ash that rose 30,000 feet into the air. Surprisingly, none of the homesteaders in the area were killed during this event. One of them saw the advancing mudflow and ran three miles to warn his neighbors.
The following day, we entered the park through the south entrance. (Highway 89, which goes through the park, still is not open to traffic due to the massive amounts of snow the park received this winter.) At the visitors' center we learned that we were in the center of what used to be the caldera of a giant volcano that had been active 600,000 to 400,000 years ago. Steam vents releasing sulphuric gases and boiling mudpots still show how close Earth's fiery center reaches to the surface at this location. We hiked to Devil's Kitchen, one site where we could get fairly close to some of these fascinating geological phenomena, on the third day of our visit. It was fascinating!
At the same time that I marveled at Earth's displays, I felt awed by the realization that Earth, our home, was here long before humankind and will still be here long after we may have destroyed the environment that has made this planet habitable for humans for this relatively short time of Earth's existence.
We took two hikes through beautiful forests and mountain meadows while we were at Lassen. Before we started these hikes, we weren't sure how our grandson would do. Would he get tired soon and whine and complain? None of that—he was a real trooper. At one point he declared that he liked hiking in nature because "God is in nature, so you can feel close to God. God is in the trees and the flowers and the animals." Pause. "Maybe God IS nature."
Maybe God is nature. Then nature would be God. And because humans are part of the natural world, God would be us, and we would be God. What a thought! Could it be that everyone, every living thing is divine? If this were so, if we accept this as true, how will it affect our actions, reactions, and interactions? I don't have the answers, but I know that standing in an ancient caldera and the musings of a six-year-old got me thinking and wondering. -Kristina


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Civil servants plan tax-day strike
The largest UK civil service union is balloting 280,000 workers in 200 Government departments and agencies about a planned strike action for 31st January, the deadline day for self-assessment tax forms.
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said its workers were angry about compulsory job losses, below-inflation pay offers and outsourcing of much of their work to commercial agencies and consultants, representing a saving and investment to the Government but uncertain times for them.
However, the Cabinet Office commented that the civil service "had to change" to meet expectations and that it had to represent a sound UK investment to its citizens.
"Chancellor Gordon Brown is saying that we can produce more with less public servants," said PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka. "What he isn't telling the taxpayer is that services will worsen if there are job cuts in the civil service.
"We have been negotiating with the Cabinet Office for two years and all we have seen is tens of thousands of public sector jobs go while private sector consultants rake in huge profits as part of their ever-increasing UK investment in Government activity."
Cabinet secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell wrote to Serwotka about the issue, saying: "While departments and the civil service as a whole will continue to do all we can to avoid compulsory redundancy, we cannot provide any guarantee in that respect."
Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said: "There is absolutely no need for a strike."


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Listen To This Eddie is a weekly column that examines the important people and events in the classic rock canon and how they continue to impact the world of popular music.
For the longest time the idea of the farewell tour was a joke; an obvious marketing ploy designed to separate hundreds of dollars from your wallet into the pockets of rock stars and the conglomerates that promote them, bolstered by the fear that this would be your last opportunity to hear your favorite performer play your favorite songs live. The punchline of course is that two, three, or four years later, those same bands would hit the road once again in a gambit to separate hundreds of dollars from your wallet to witness their glorious comeback. In 2018, the joke stopped being funny.
Last week, three titanic rock entities from the '70s and '80s announced they would hit the road for the final time beginning in 2018. Thrash metal icons Slayer led the way, announcing a two-month run kicking off in the spring. A few days later, southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd, who only have one remaining original member to their name — guitarist Gary Rossington — followed suit, unveiling a mega-run through America's finest amphitheaters, supported by the likes of Kid Rock, Bad Company, and Hank Williams Jr. "We've been doing this a long time and we're getting older, and it's really hard touring and traveling," Rossington told Billboard. "My health isn't very great, so it's harder for me to tour these days."
The biggest, and most dazzling shoe to drop however, was that Elton John, one of the most consistent classic rock road warriors out there, had decided he too was ready to retire from the road. Though his goodbye would be long — three years, 300-dates — it would be definitive. "My priorities have changed in life," he told Anderson Cooper at the press conference. "I always thought I'd be like Ray Charles or B.B. King on the road forever, but your life changes."