text:
A tiny problem
March 31, 2007
Tomorrow a Sunday of all days, the Power Plant – by the way owned by Endesa – will cut supply from 08 to 13 hours (GMT + 1), due to technical reasons. Return to normality will be after 13 hours or before if anything goes alright for the corporation.
March 31, 2007
From the Greek: Ploutos = wealth + kratia = power. In day-to-day terms, Rule By The Rich.
A tour de force between the Socialist government and the opposition Partido Popular (Right Wing) is taking place these days in Spain regarding the purchase of the energy Company ENDESA and a Public Purchase Offer (PPO) presented by the multinational corporation E.ON, which is apparently supported by the opposition party, and another PPO from the multinational corporation ENEL together with the Spanish Building Company ACCIONA which, also apparently, have the sympathies of the government. I am not going to deal here with the technicalities of both offers nor am I going to step into, figuratively speaking, the positions held by both opposition and government, although my inclinations tend to be more favourable to the government's.
I am going to deal here about my every day firmer conviction that the world is not ruled by political parties, be them democratic or not, nor is it ruled by the people in democratic terms. I firmly believe that the world is ruled by the rich people through a system which I would like to name Corporatocracy. I do not think I am coining any new term because I am sure many people in the world think like I do.
In the epoch of the last dictatorship the energy companies in Spain were owned by the state which controlled them through a sort of state holding : the Instituto Nacional de Industria (the National Institute of Industry). When the democracy(?) appeared in Spain after the dictator's death, there were very important changes in the economic panorama, and little by little, with the shy opposition from the unions, the big companies changed hands from public to private, which was called privatisation.
It may not escape to anybody's comprehension that the energy industry holds one of the safest positions in the world's economy, particularly in the developed countries. Nothing can be done in terms of economy without the active intervention of energy, and it is in the energy sector which the avid eyes of those thinking with their purses stare continuously.
The offer presented by E.ON has been advised (?) by the following financial advisors:
BNP Parisbas S.A. – Citigroup Global Markets Ltd. – Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch –
J.P. Morgan Plc – Lehman Brothers (Europe) Ltd. – Merryll Lynch Capital Markets España S.A. –
You may find details about these companies in http://en.wikipedia.org because given that including in any post more than one link may make me the victim of cyber hackers I am not going to oblige them by doing so. In any case in future comments I'll be pleased to include more links that are convenient to the issue under analysis.
I think it was Richard who suggested somewhere else that without the energy suppliers we would have nothing to do, and I think he was right. They have so much power, if you think carefully about it, that I would not be able to write these simple ideas today if I do not pay them their bill every two months. The energy suppliers are fundamental for everything: house building, car making, domestic appliances, clothes, shoes, combs, pins, post stamps, etc, etc., weapons of all kinds, aircraft, ships, nukes, you name it!
And I ask at this point: do any of you believe that with these assets and the political system that rules all of us is there anyone that dares to challenge the power of an Energy Corporation?
And in practical terms, although these corporations are ruled by a wealthy elite aided by super-intelligent persons who are not permitted to wholly integrate in their social layer, the public in general with money to participate in the property of those corporations by simply buying their shares in the Stock Exchanges, also benefit from the initiatives which at all times are directed to earn more money. Only that the latter cannot effectively participate in the decisions that are concocted by the real owners of the entities, you know those holding the majority of the shares.
In any case these extra shareholders are in no way a cause of worry to the top brass of the corporations.
Nor, of course, are they a majority among the public in general of whom they are members.
And believe it or not, the SEC has also something to do with these Public Purchase Offers. Do you know what the SEC is?
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
In the first comment to this post, I will give you a link to check this information about the SEC.
I still have problems with my server
March 25, 2007
Which will definitely not be solved today. I hope tomorrow the day will give me better news, because these problems don't permit me to write as I wish in blogs and forums. The server's pace is sluggish and not trustable.
There have been reactions for all tastes in the comments written to the First Part of this issue, I'll try now to give a response to them at the time I include in this Second Part new elements of consideration to the problem under revision.
It is thought that giving the economy as a root motivation for the crisis that is going on in the Middle East is an oversimplification of the problem. I do not believe it is, I firmly believe it is the reason for everything going on in the region. Simple reasons can be the answer to difficult problems, sometimes matters are made difficult to understand because those who deal with them so want them to be to hide the real situation behind. In this connection I remember an Einstein's anecdote when he had to confront the number one student in a class room to solve a problem. The student took just some minutes to find the solution, while Einstein took very much longer to find the same solution because he used a scientifical process to do it.
If you look at things with simple eyes is quite different to looking at them with complicated ones.
Religions have all the time since their inception been exploited. Men were always exploited in one or another way, and they still are, much that they want us to understand that slavery has been erased off the face of the Earth. But this is another question I am not going to deal with here.
It is religions and their exploitation that have brought us to this post, and on them I am going to focus here.
Thirst of power is what have made men and women(the latter in scarce circumstances) divide into two sides : those wielding the power and those suffering the consequences. The growth of populations caused the growth of memberships in all religions. The Ecclesiastical Hierarchies organised them in a way that the faithful were permanently subject to fear of God. God was made in the image of man, not all the way round because this is absolutely impossible as God has never been seen by any one.
Fear, the most abject of the human traits, is at the root of all our problems. We have fear of wars, of fights, of not having enough money to reach the end of the month…, and above all of death. The Catholic Church instituted the sacrament of Confession as a unique instrument to keep its faithful in the fold. Psychologically speaking Catholics owe their souls to the Church dignitaries who are allegedly endowed with the grace granted by God of absolving all sins. The Imams are in charge of this mission, although in a different way, in the prayers all Muslims are compelled to pray every day, while Jews must have a weekly time, the Sabbath, to strengthen their relationship with God. All of these are rites in which the faithful of each religion firmly believe which keep them united in each of the folds.
And those who wield the temporal power, or want to wield it, know and use it for their own benefit.
We have seen in all these years since the problem in the Middle East became really serious, that there have been situations where suspicions might have arisen of attitudes which went against one or another religion. The cartoons issued in Denmark, the Pope's statements about Islam's being violent, whilst Judaism has maintained the same position it has for centuries continuously using today the Holocaust to keep undesirable situations off its limits, that is Muslims fighting against Christians, Christians uniting to Jews – of all unions – to fight Muslims, and all of them making the world a complete chaos to live, this in sheer fear of one another.
I do not believe for a second that religion be at the root of the problem, of this universal problem we have been compelled to live with, religions are being used just to keep us watching the locks of our houses, the persons who walk on the streets about us, the suspiciously-coloured passengers that will be travelling in the same planes we travel, the strange bags that have been left unattended anywhere, in sum distrust about each other is growing non-stop in the world. Why?
I do not believe in conspiracies, I believe in evil and in goodness, I believe a human being is capable of being evil or of being good, of being greedy and of being modest. How many times have we seen how a human being has used another one for the former's benefit? Numberless. Husbands using wives and viceversa, children using parents and viceversa, friends using friends, etc, why then human beings cannot use religions, too? And above all the members of those religions?
Why, for instance, cannot Jews use Christians and Muslims against each other in their own benefit? What are the Christian-Zionists (not Zionist-Christians curiously) but an aberration which is being used in favour of Zionists? Why cannot Muslims use Christians against Jews? Or Christians not use Jews against Muslims?
While they are busy trying to settle their enormous differences, some take advantage of the situation to fill their own coffers.
Religions should avoid to have any interferences in politics, but it is imperative that religions do not allow politics to use them because politics have not anything whatsoever to do with religion. Politics is material, religions are spiritual. The day this is achieved, we shall start to have peace because religions are in their origins meant for peace and love among the human beings.
How a religion is conceived and how it can be exploited
March 15, 2007
As we have been able to see through the years and our studies, practically all religions have been conceived under the fundamental concept of God, or a god, in this post I am going to deal with the idea of religions which have been a permanent part of our lives for thousands of years, namely – in chronological order – Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Of all the three are based in beliefs that have God as the main core of everything that exists, the origin and eventual end of life, any life.
In accordance with what we have learnt, Christianity was the origin of a religion that sprouted from Judaism and which Judaism did never accept as legitimate by Jewish standards. The Christian Messiah was never admitted as the Messiah the Jewish Scriptures spoke of. Perhaps if he had been admitted Christianity would not exist, only Judaism would have been consolidated. But events took a different course to what today seems it would have been a logical one.
Islam came to existence long afterwards. Its origins are in a way much to do with Judaism and Christianity, although it is a totally different religion. All in all I wonder whether if there had not been a split there would have existed the problems we have today which oppose the three religions against one another. If there existed just one giant religion all over the world, without divisions, how would the world behave in religious matters? Would it have been a religious dictatorship? My opinion is that it would not. My opinion is that given the individualistic condition of the human being, it would eventually have split into as many divisions as there are today, with the same problems we also have today.
The concept of God has been taken by the three divisions as an individual patrimonial asset and each one has claimed its property along thousands of years, something that bumps frontally with the very foundations of the three religions, because in all cases God is the proprietor not the propriety.
It is curious that the term fundamentalism was first used in reference to an extreme Protestan position characterised by the belief that the Bible is a verbally accurate recording of the word of God. This position holds that the writers were divinely inspired to the smallest detail of revealed truth. The term has been applied to a part of Islam with the same strict adherences to the Muslim sacred text, the Coran. But the term, if I am not wrong, was employed by Christians in the first place. Following the definition given above, then Judaism is the most fundamentalist of all doctrines, but this has never been said of it.
We have Orthodox Jews, as we have Orthodox Christians and I believe Muslims, too. Can we liken Orthodoxy to fundamentalism? I think we can quite easily. As happens with so many other idioms or terms in our languages, the degeneration of the meaning of fundamentalism has been clearly taken to represent a religious position that in our Western world demonises its followers when it is applied to Islam. If we follow the traject of the term its meaning is all the contrary: it is strict adherence to a faith, nothing else.
Did the persons who started using the term realise that its application was by no means a clear reflection of the real status of those it was meant to be used for? Perhaps they did not or perhaps they did, I do not know nor do I believe anyone will at this stage. The fact is that the term is considered as a deprecatory one referred to the Muslims who use violence in their aims which as far as I can understand, have nothing to do with the Islamic religion. It has to do with the freedoms the people who live in the Middle East region want to achieve for themselves, freedom from the economical grip exerted by multinational corporations whose only interest in that region is the exploitation of natural resources paramount for the normal development of the Western world.
But a world-wide system of news at the service of those corporations has created a false impression on the minds of its readers which really in my opinion disguise a legitimate claim on those resources in a veneer of religiosity. Not that religion is not mixed up in the struggle, but it is mixed up because it is the only way to make Arabs move, given their adherence to the Islam's principles and tenets. In my opinion it is not conquest what this movement pursues, it is the devolution to their legitimate owners of the exploitation alien forces make of those natural resources.
And in this pursuit the media I referred to before take much care in focussing the attention on Muslims in general, which creates the desired outcome of generalisation of the problem. The more people accuse the Muslims in general, the more Muslims will join what the Western Media call fundamentalism. That is the main mistake – sometimes I call it purpose – of the Western countries regarding the Arabs: their position face to Islamic countries is being conducted by interested parties which will never bow to the Arabic countries' legitimate claim of their own land and resources.
And to this we should also add the precarious situation in which Arab leaders recognised by the Western countries find themselves in, starting being hated by their subjects for their affinity to the West.
My thoughts about the situation in the Middle East, and in the World, are many more than a normal post would permit, so I will leave it as it is now for the consideration of readers, as otherwise it would be too long and boresome.
The title of the post also allows for a second part to be written.
Oppression and oppressed
March 11, 2007
Every day there are new aggressions against women, against children, against elderly people. As it happens it seems the world is turning against the weakest human beings. This is nothing new, it has happened for centuries and centuries, but never was the world so technically advanced as it is now. Never were morals so much considered as they are now.
I feel a sense of oppression myself, something against which I cannot fight, something that leaves me depressed and unable to shake it off, and I presume the rest of the human beings around me find they are themselves in the same helpless position, although most of them have never been aware of what produces this depression.
I think our religious education may have something to do with it. Our moral education sees itself so many times compelled to contend with irreligiosity – in the strictest sense of the word -, with immorality. Those principles we were reared on are of no use any longer. Double morals to explain the inexplicable are continuously used to contain any likelihood of our rebelling against the established system, a system which we have contributed to shape because we have bowed to the pressure of our oppressors.
And the worst part of it is that people do not think, do not discern over what they are forced to do. They go to wars, they accept that human beings be killed for motivations that they have never come to understand just accepting those motivations because it is simpler to do so than fight against them. And that is to me nothing less than oppression.
Men speak about rights for women, for children, for the elderly, but it is just a way to content themselves that they are doing their duty in accordance with the principles they were brought up with, but there eventually is no effectiveness after the decisions have been taken. Women's standards of living are below men's, the children are neglected absolutely and parents duties are not exacted but, instead, those duties are transferred to the state which is the ultimate decider via the Law or otherwise.
There is no reality in education, every new political tendency that takes the power either by election or by force creates its own educational system, again oppression.
The elderly see how their end approaches and muse over what they have done during their life, not realising that their life has not yet extinguished and that they are as valid – or perhaps more valid – to society as always although these last years they are forgotten by the establishment because they are too dear to maintain. Again oppression.
There are very rich countries whose health and social security conditions are really third-world, they exact from their citizens whatever they deem convenient, but again this kind of oppression does not take into account that these citizens have imperative needs both physically and spiritually, citizens are not compensated for going and dying in wars, and when they return the oppressing state does not think it is neessary to see to their quick recovery and rapid attention.
There is a generalised feeling of despair that we are living this life as best as we can, irrespective of how we are treated. Our sense of responsibility has also been affected by these conditions.
Responsibility seems it is no longer our duty but the duty of the oppressing state.
These are just thoughts that keep ocurring to me and I write them because it so seems I let steam off and it helps me to carry on.
New World Order?
March 6, 2007
None such! I have been reading around on the net how many free thinkers believe there is a New World Order under way, and I am afraid this is another way to delude us into the same giant lie we have been fed with since the end of World War II. The New World Order, in my opinion, was instituted sharp on the end of the talks held by the various world powers that won that war. There have been changes, apparent substantial changes, but the run of the world is being kept inside the canons of a dictatorship of Capitalism.
The last news that leads me to believing this is what I hear about China's giving its countryside inhabitants such a quantity of perks that that would ensure a pacific transition from Communism "a la Chinoise" to Capitalism "a la Chinoise". Unbelievable, isn't it?
Russia took the same way with Gorbachev and we now see how Russian societal levels have taken a new look and every day the differences between rich and poor are more evident, as happens in the US where there officially exist 37 million poor, nothing more nothing less than about 17% of the population.
If there were to be a New World Order and it were going to be imposed by the "Old" World Order… then I'd better not think about it, because our lives and our minds would be subjected to unthinkable levels of tyranny. We would be reduced to mere pawns without a will whose only mission should be to act as tools of the New Ultra-Capitalist Dictatorship.
China has realised, as did Russia, that the best system to run a country is the Capitalist system, and I think that for the time being it is. What is not acceptable is ultra-capitalism, that all thoughts and ideas be exploited to enhance the powers of Capital, instead of being used to improve our living conditions and our education so as to achieve for ourselves what is intrinsec in our lives : freedom in all its expressions.
Have we ever realised that without us Capitalism would not exist? Have we ever realised that we also think, that we also have ideas, that we do not need anybody else's ideas to survive?
As the world goes I can only see two kinds of protagonists: those who are high up and control everything from birth issues to death rates and the rest of us.
And as Merkin says, we still have this means of communication, let's use it as long as we are allowed to.
Which is becoming a clamour on the internet.
We can also change the World Order.


text:
George W. Davis
Ohio.com correspondent
GREEN: An educational wetlands project to enhance educational opportunities, while helping control stormwater runoff, will be constructed this summer in front of the middle school on Steese Road.
City Council gave approval last week to a $268,676 contract for Tucson Inc. of New Philadelphia to do the work during the school district�s summer recess.
Council also approved the sale of a small section (0.19 acres) of property at 4810 Massillon Road to Scott Plummer for $5,700.
Plummer owns property abutting the newly purchased city-owned land, which remained after the Greensburg Road/Massillon Road intersection project was completed.
Ward 1 Councilman Jim Colopy asked city planners to gather more information from Joseph Cervana of Grille 39 on Massillon Road concerning his plans if granted a state D-5 liquor permit.
Mayor Dick Norton informed the council that construction is expected to begin in July on the Acre Fresh Market project in the Heritage Crossings development off Massillon and Graybill roads.

subset: commoncrawl


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From my experience as a Real Estate agent, buyers look at some basic things right away. Obviously each couple and each situation is different but I notice a few similarities between buyers. Some of the similarities are:
1. Washrooms, bathrooms:
People look to see where they will spend a lot of time. They look to see if they are dirty, how big the toilet and tub are. Is there a shower? What is the decor? Is there a fan? What is the lighting? What is the style of it? Tiles?
I'm telling you people look at the washrooms, bathrooms. The best thing to do is clean them and put all of your things away. Clean the dirt in between the tiles. This is so important. Put clean towels there. Pretend you are going to a hotel. Your washroom should look like a hotel room washroom when you first go there.
2. Kitchen:
People spend a lot of time eating. I don't have stats but I know most people eat at least three meals a day. What I see which turns most people off is people's drawers and counter being cluttered and fridge being dirty. When people come into your house they want to imagine how they would live in that house. If your sink, drawers and cabinets are dirty most people will not want to live in that. People will look in your fridge. Knowning that make sure it is clean and things are not cluttered. I know it is hard to be neat in a fridge but it is important. Even if you are not giving up the fridge in the deal make sure the fridge is clean!
3. Backyard:
Cut your grass. Daily if it needs it. If people are coming to your house to see if they want to buy it the least you could do is cut your grass. If a couple is going to buy a house in the hundreds of thousands, they do not want to have spend another 5 grand to landscape the house as well. The best thing to do is be simple. Not too much clutter in your garden. If there a lot of clutter, dig it up and replace it with grass. I mean you're selling your house anyway throw away those old bushes.
4. Doors & Handles:
Changing the front doors, Garage Doors, door handles and or paint them. This can be a quick way to add thousands of dollars and give your home an impression of luxury with a simple thing to change.
Painting can do wonders for a house. It can totally change the landscape of the house with the proper colours. Make sure you get a professional to do it. A bad paint job can be the exact reverse, lower your value. People look at the corners, they look to see if the paint is even. A lot of people think they can paint. They are wrong. It can lower your value by giving your house a bad paint job. It can also prevent people from buying your house. First impressions are the most important thing to buyers. A buyer usually knows if they will live in a house a few seconds after entering.
Virtual Staging
There has been a lot of advances in technology this year, and one of the areas is virtual staging. It has come down so much that some agents are looking at this as viable alternative to staging, rather than have the place look empty on photos and videos. In my...read more
Price Drop 30% put into Perspective
The prices of sales in the GTA have come down 30% from last year. Let's put this stat into perspective. The prices from January to April sky rocketed and then came down after that. Of course they are going to be a lot lower since the prices jumped so much. The media...read more
Will the Market Bounce Back This Year?
The Liberal Government both at the Federal and provincial level as well as Mayor of Toronto seem hell bent on bringing down the prices of real estate to make it affordable for everybody. In some imaginary world this is going to stick. The problem is with their plan is...read more
Are You Ready For Your Information To Go Public?
I read the articles, I read the comments, people want information. They want it all. That is the new way of doing business. They want all of the information that real estate agents have access to, and they want it for free, and they want it now. People think they have...read more
Buying a New Build From A Builder Sucks
I've had enough of these builders and you should really beware before buying a new build. Over the past 10 years I've been selling Real Estate, I've had one bad situation over another with my clients. The past two years, I've reached my limit and I'm here to say don't...read more
The purchase price of your home is only one of the costs you'll encounter. Here are other possible costs you need to consider: Mortgage loan insurance: If you are putting less than 20 per cent of the house value down, you're going to need mortgage loan...read more
Over Rated Home Features
When I do an open house or put a house up for sale, I always get a few questions about features that I always say, why do you want that. Here they are: 1. Central Vacuum: Why do you want to lug around a snake and try to clean the house? Its simple, its called Dyson....read more
Uber is Not Like Real Estate!
I read articles all the time written by Real Estate agents who are trying to convince themselves that we are in a good business to be in, and that it is necessary to use an agent for every transaction. In Toronto, put up a sign and your property will be sold by the...read more
Transit Solutions Would Help Lower GTA Prices
One thing that can truly help lower GTA prices are some major transit solutions. It is apparent that the GTA market and all of the surrounding areas have gone buck wild in the past few years, and especially in the last few months. So many sales records have been...read more
Why You Should be Underpricing Your House For Sale?
Its all about quantity and impression.When people are buying a house, they get into some-what of a HEAT! Underpricing Your House drives that heath up. I would call it a hunter gatherer mind set. Buyers are constantly on the hunt, and one thing that I've noticed is...read more
Landlords Are Doubling Their Rent, Here's Why
The liberal government has announced that they will be doing something to calm the renting hikes from landlords. While this is a good thing for renters, it could be a detriment to housing and landlords going forward. Some landlords have already become proactive and...read more
John Tory's Toll Would've Increased House Value Everywhere
While the Ontario Government cut this John Tory's dream of having a great highway into Toronto short, I believe he was on the right path to increasing the value of Real Estate. When I heard they were going to add some sort of toll to cars going into the city, I was...read more
Would You Go Into a Court Without a Lawyer?
Buying a house and using the listing agent is like going into court without a lawyer to represent you. Each and every time I have a listing, I have somebody calling me asking me "what's the price if I don't have an agent and buys directly though me?" I always want to...read more
Liberals Are Going to Tank This Market!
What is the one thing the liberals are looking for right now? Votes and money. The way that they will try to get both is to try and capitalize on this hot real estate market. The middle & lower class does not like the fact that they cannot afford any real...read more
Marijuana will Be a Major Concern when buying houses next year
Right now marijuana, and grow ups are a fairly minimal concern when buying houses. Agents typically put a clause that the owner never grew or has known about any grow ops in the house, but this is about to change next year. What is changing is that July 1st, 2018,...read more
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Friday, November 14, 2014
Fashion Friday: Stripes & Studs
If there is one look I could wear everyday it would most likely involve the color black, stripes, and a bold statement necklace. These are pretty much my fall staples and my new obsession is with this form fitting dress from Amiclubwear, I love the contrasting stripe pattern and the unique tulip hemline, you could pretty much wear this with anything. I decided to go with a more edgy look and paired it with a leather studded jacket and my new favorite necklace from Charlotte Russe.
Outfit Details:
Dress - c/o Amiclubwear
Necklace - Charlotte Russe
Jacket - H&M (Kids section)
Shoes - Steve Madden
⋅ Labels: fashion


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Suburban Nursery School is a parent run, co-operative nursery school in Bethesda, MD joyfully serving 2, 3, and 4 year old children. Utilizing a play-based approach and small class size, Suburban provides kids and parents a fun and gentle start to the school years, and offers a wonderful opportunity for parents to be a real part of their child's first school experience. Each and every parent participates in their child's class, and an elected board of parents governs the school.
Our program emphasizes personal responsibility and the sensory experiences that help integrate children into the larger world. Our teachers have varied backgrounds and bring to our school an unusual combination of professional education and practical experience. Our curriculum includes music and creative movement, which introduce the children to song, movement, and an expanded repertoire of body awareness. Each day has a consistent schedule that includes free play, specific projects, story time, snack time, and large muscle play on either the outdoor playground or in our well-equipped "rainy day" room.
Basic Facts
Available Spots: (2) openings in our 2-year-old classes and (1) opening in our 3-year old class.
Years Established: 1958
Enrollment: 54
Average Class Size: Our 2 year old classes have 8-10 children each, while our 3 and 4 year old classes have 18 children each.
Tuition: Tuition varies depending on number of days your child attends and your availability to volunteer in the classroom. See http://www.suburbannurseryschool.org/ for more information.
Who you serve:
Co-ed, Preschool
Contact Details
- Address: 7210 Hidden Creek Rd, Bethesda, MD
- Zip Code: 20817
- Phone: 301-229-1465
- Website: http://www.suburbannurseryschool.org/
Important Q&A
What differentiates your school from all others?
Parental participation is the foundation of our co-operative nursery school. At Suburban, parents, teachers and children learn and play together. Parents are an integral part of Suburban. Parents, through their roles as aides in the classroom and volunteers on the Board and various committees, provide a stable, nurturing, supportive school environment.
We, at Suburban Nursery School, believe that each child is special and unique. They grow, change and mature along a developmental continuum in patterns that are as different as their little thumbprints. At SNS, we strive to provide opportunities for them to develop fully; each, at his or her own individual pace.
At SNS, we believe that children learn through play. We believe that when children experience a multitude of rich sensory materials, their conceptual understandings will expand. We provide age appropriate materials and activities to help the children explore and expand their world through child-initiated, teacher-supported play.
We offer the children an atmosphere that encourages self-discovery and motivates active thinking and positive interactions. The children are encouraged to express themselves in appropriate ways. They also have many opportunities to learn to respect the rights of others and thus develop a sense of responsibility for themselves and their friends.
The goals of SNS are to help children develop social, physical, cognitive and emotional skills as well as encourage their creative expression. These skills will serve them well as they enter the more structured and academically oriented environment of elementary school.
The Yellowbird (2yr), Bluebird (3yr) and Redbird (4yr) classes naturally differ from one another. The children progress through each successive class, building on the experiences and skills that help prepare them for the transition to kindergarten.
Most importantly, we want the children to have fun. SNS is a safe, friendly place in which they will grow and develop. We want them to move from class to class and finally to kindergarten with optimism and confidence with regard to themselves and the world around them.
Whats one myth about your school thats just not true?
Some parents think that the requirements of attending a co-operative preschool will be too onerous. However, SNS offers several levels of participation in the classroom (corresponding with varied tuition fees) to fit the needs of every family. Every family must participate in the management of the school as well, but there are plenty of potential ways to do that--many of which accommodate busy work/life schedules. SNS also offers sibling sitting for a modest fee during the school day so that parents with younger siblings can co-op without the hassle of finding external child care.


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Retreat, save your strength, and come back another day.
That's the advice of media tycoon and pan-democratic camp supporter Jimmy Lai Chee-ying to the students who have been occupying the streets for almost two months now.
Lai, who is regularly seen at the protest site in Admiralty, told The Age in an interview that the protesters are now tired after more than 50 days of street occupation.
The right thing for them to do is to retreat while the momentum of the movement is still there, and save their strength for the future, Apple Daily quoted Lai as saying.
If after their retreat, the government continues to ignore their demand for genuine universal suffrage, they will definitely be back on the streets, he said.
Having said that, Lai vowed to stay with other protesters if they decide to pursue the Occupy campaign.
He warned the police against using force to clear the streets, saying that such an action will only anger the people and the protesters will surely come back, even though they might opt for other protest sites.
Commenting on the failed attempt by student leaders last Saturday to fly to Beijing to seek talks with central government officials, Lai said they chose the wrong time for such a move.
They should have made the trip during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on Nov. 10 and 11 when many national leaders were present.
He said he did not propose the idea to the students as he did not think they would listen.
– Contact us at [email protected]


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Handpicked Jewelry-Rings
Synthetic Opal Beads Rings
Synthetic Opal Beads Rings
-Synthetic Opal beads (GIA: Polymer Impregnated Synthetic Opal)
-Stamped 925 Sterling Silver ( Rhodium plated to keep Sterling Silver from tarnishing)
What is Synthetic Opal?
Synthetic opal is impregnated in laboratory and has similar structure to natural opal. Synthetic opal has brighter colors and larger color patches than in natural opal. The color grain boundaries are highly irregular and has a distinctive pattern , showing more ordered array of colors because the intricate pattern of natural opal cannot be duplicated. Synthetic opals actually are opals, but the normal process of nature has been sped up so what occurs over millions of year, and now occurs in a laboratory in months or years.
We acquired the synthetic opals from an official authorized distributor to guarantee you will get the highest quality of products.
Handpicked Opal beads ring. Gorgeous five row pave-set opal beads ( 1.5 mm x 57 pieces) ring, classic and elegant, perfect gift to someone who is not afraid to wear this bold and vibrant color opal ring. It adds a dash of vintage style, yet modern and easily to pair with any type of outfit from work wear to a little Black dress.
Length: 1.25"
Teardrop bead: 8 x 18 mm
Care instruction:
Each pair of earrings will be packed in a gift box with plastic bag. In order to keep this product in good condition for a long time, we don't recommend to put any chemicals on this product such as chlorine from the swimming pool or perfumes. Just simply wipe down with a damp and soft cloth and air dry.


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Ever on the lookout for something new to try, I was browsing through my Quilting Arts book and found Rose Hughes writing on how to fast piece appliqué a landscape quilt and realised that I had watched her YouTube video on the technique a while ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTsSR6efCks. Her method looked fairly easy so with the the book to hand yesterday, I gave it a go.
Rose recommends that the shapes are simplified but obviously I didn't heed her advice since there isn't a simple shape to be seen in my leaf. Freezer paper is used for the shapes template and this remains on the pieces even when overlapping one piece to another and also when stitching them together. My iron was certainly well used yesterday! The raw edges are trimmed back on the top only and once all the pieces are stitched together, the stitching lines are couched over with fancy yarns to hide the raw edges. Still with me? The video makes more sense! I don't do fancy yarns so I just pinned my trimmed and stitched leaf to the background and then free machine stitched along each join, followed by double thread satin stitching to cover the mess I made of the first stitching.
Not having pieced a quilt in the traditional way I'm in no postion to critique Rose Hughes' method but I'm glad I tried it and particularly glad that my leaf ( approximately 12″ x7″) wasn't any smaller but I'm not sure that I'd use this method again. My first go-to these days tends to be fusible web which leaves a neater edge for satin stitching over if I want to.


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from an article originally posted June 18, 2014...
I ran away for a minute with my boyfriend. We met friends, we attended meetings, we dinnered, lunched, breakfasted, and just enjoyed people. I struggled with energy, but I often pushed past my limits for the joy of the moment and being with friends that we rarely get to see. I cried in laughter, cried in heartbreak, and sat in silence hearing from the heart of those I love, those that are hurting themselves. A silence that is feasting on hearing from the heart of another—hearing the real story. Oh those honest moments are filled with such grace. So many of us often meet with children rumbling around. These were sacred adult moments of honesty without need to veil any words in any way to protect the young. No, these were honest, safe moments. Beautiful, beautiful moments. My heart left Houston tired, but also loved and encouraged. I met new friends and connected with old friends. People—they are just amazing. Simply amazing. People struggling in faith, people struggling in life, people simply moving through each moment dependent on Jesus for all of it; it's breathtaking to behold. People optimistic, hardworking, cynical, crass, gentle, polite, rude—all of them, AMAZING. I simply will never come to the end of love, I cannot find it, but I intend to die trying. Love just grows and grows. I will never reach the limit of people to love. Jesus is amazing in the generosity he gives us to love and keep on loving. It's simply wonderful.
There was one moment I had secretly looked forward to for months. You see, General Assembly is a meeting of our men. It is a time for our pastors and elders to join together in worship and humble decision making. I could not wait to be in a worship service where the voices of men are united and singing. Several women are in attendance, certainly, but it is predominately men in the room. The final song before the preaching came and the voices of the men joined together. I simply closed my eyes and listened to the thunderous singing of faith, the begging for goodness and grace in song. We were sitting with our friends and missionaries Chuck and Jimmy Lynn Linkston, and oh my soul, Chuck has the most beautiful voice. I did not want the song to end. It filled my heart; how it filled my heart with such joy.
Then we sat and the speaker Ray Cortese stood to preach to the men—a room filled with men and women of faith that lead people to the goodness of grace found in Jesus each day. His words came to the large crowd gentle and sure. He was funny, but not afraid to take on hard subjects. Then he started to speak of grace. All at once I heard him speak of this place, Mundane Faithfulness, then he said my name, and referenced my story. I believe I turned a new shade of red. I wanted to both jump on the chair and thank him for his generous words, and also hide under the chair in fear. Fear that I could never live up to the beauty of grace he was describing. I can simply seek and hunt for it, and write of that hunt for grace in this place. I was so honored and humbled by his words.
The service ended, and Jason and I made our way to his side. He didn't know I was in the audience. He grabbed my face and kissed my cheek and I just cried. Cried in such gratitude that this broken mess—me—could encourage such a man of faith. I was almost speechless, which is a rarity. I simply thanked him and met his wife and his beautiful daughter—the legacy of faith that God has granted him to see in his daughter, who is pregnant with a grand baby, was simply amazing. To find myself connected with such a family in a small way grace. Such grace.
Every evening I limped to bed full from friendship, from worship, from joy. I would take hours for the going to stop hurting my body and finally sleep would find me. The pain is the worst when I stop. It's as though my stopping causes it to start. But isn't that a grace. I could go, and go, and go in a way my heart loves to go without too much pain. Jason would give me his look all through a long evening; I would return his glance with, I'm fine, I'm good. These people and relationships are like a feast. Please don't make me go to bed yet. And Jason graciously let me spend it all each night. Spend every bit of what was given away. He gladly captured me and gave me the proper pills to help me find my way away from the pain that would grab me when we would finally stop. The ugly of this disease that only Jason knows.
I flew home to my littles today. They were well loved and cared for by our dear Ruth. She is a gift of extending love in the lives of all my children. She meets them each uniquely in love and draws the best of each of them out in life. It's so beautiful. The kids did not pine for us as they were so deeply loved and cared for each moment. Jason has remained to continue in the beautiful business of our denomination.
As I was there in Houston, the call came that my next meeting with the scary snort was approved. The insurance had denied it, but my MRI had indicated that the cancer has grown and is pressing upon my spine. I understand some of you are new readers in this place. I call all scanning machines (MRI, pet scans, cat scans) snorts from the P.D. Eastman book Are You My Mother? The place where the bird confronts the front loader and says, You are not my mother to the scary snort.
From my latest test, we know a few things: my cancer has grown but it is not in my spine. My kind-faced oncologist and I need these results to figure out my next step. My current chemo is not working. My pain is growing daily, and my cancer is marching on and growing within me. Our hope is that its growth is confined to my 5 lymph nodes. The goal with metastatic cancer is to slow the beast. We have yet to find the answer to slow my cancer. Tomorrow I will be injected with radioactive sugar to see where the sugar runs. The stuff is so dangerous and toxic it is stored in lead containers until it is put into my arm. It's fierce business to see it coming at you as you wait in a chair to get the toxic stuff. To see what lights up from the injection then tells us where my cancer has traveled. The old places will be measured and compared and new places will hopefully not light up. That is my prayer. But no matter the answer, grace will meet us.
So tomorrow I face the lonely snort of a PET scan without my boyfriend in the waiting room, but I feel peaceful. I really do. I just had three amazing days at his side without interruption; one test will be okay. I love and hate these snorts. They tell us what we need to know, and what we wish we never had to know. But at that edge of life—that painful lonely place—Jesus will meet me. I will not be alone. I will be met. As the radiologist looks at my scans, he or she will be looking for the corners that cancer has tried to invade. Won't you pray there is no new cancer with us? Here is what a cancerous lymph node looks like in a pet scan.
Oh friends, there are hard days, but there are also great good days. I have known them both. I have been met in each high and low. Pray tomorrow would meet me with peace, and that as I exit this test I will be ready to join my kids and find the very best in the day. The waiting for results has always been very hard for us—unbelievably hard really. But these quarterly scans are my reality. I must learn to capture life in the midst of them. I hate how much life is stolen in the stress of the waiting. Hate it.
Where are you? Embracing the best of life or slugging through the most painful of it? Or simply somewhere in between? Do you see the grace? Are you looking?


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Self Catering in Betws-y-coed
COEDFA PRINCIPAL HOUSE sleeps 8 (3 double and 1 twin, 3 bathrooms with 2 ensuite) Parts can be sectioned off within the property to accommodate smaller and larger parties The principal house of this Victorian Gentleman's residence with classic period features including spacious rooms and high ceilings. This superbly fitted out property stands proudly high on the sunny side of the Conwy Valley abutting the Gwydyr forest and offering outstanding quality self-catering accommodation. Full of original charm Coedfa exposes wooden floorboards, a slate classical "diamond shaped" flooring and an original fireplace of green marble in the living areas. There are exposed fireplaces in each of the bedrooms. Original 'sash' windows remain to the front of the building.
The property enjoys a private patio/rockery area through double doors from the kitchen, which includes wooden summer house, with ample space for outdoor entertaining listening to the rush of the water from the nearby mountain river, enjoying the evening sun. Also enjoy the shared flat lawned grounds, woodland and terraced gardens totalling over two and a half acres. Included in the price is the use of Duke's leisure facilities at the Waterloo Hotel five minutes walk from the property for all guests. Please view our website for more details.


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Federal charges filed against NY, NJ bombings suspect
Federal authorities formally charged 28-year-old Ahmad Khan Rahami Tuesday with planting a number of bombs in New York City and New Jersey over the weekend.
Rahami is accused of use of weapons of mass destruction, bombing a place of public use, destruction of property by means of fire or explosive, and use of a destructive device during and in furtherance of a crime of violence. Criminal complaints against Rahami were unsealed in New York and New Jersey Tuesday.
Investigators believe Rahami planted bombs in New York City, as well as in Elizabeth and Seaside Park, N.J. One of the devices exploded in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood Saturday night, wounding 31 people.
The court filings allege significant premeditation by Rahami. An affidavit claims that he began buying bomb components in June, purchasing citric acid, circuit boards, ball bearings and electric igniters on eBay.
In a statement, the online auction site said it was "proactively working with law enforcement authorities on their investigation." The company later added, "The types of items bought by the suspect are legal to buy and sell in the United States and are widely available at online and offline stores."
In addition, video recorded two days before the bombings and recovered from a family member's phone shows Rahami igniting incendiary material in a cylinder, then shows the fuse being lighted, a loud noise and flames, followed by billowing smoke and laughter, the complaint said.
The court filings also include excerpts from a handwritten journal found on Rahami following his arrest Monday. Investigators say Rahami accused the U.S. government of "slaught[er] against the mujahidean [sic] be it Afghanistan, Iraq, Sham [Syria], Palestine ..."
The journal also lauded Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born cleric killed in a 2011 drone strike, and Nidal Hasan, the former U.S. Army major who went on a 2009 rampage at the Fort Hood military installation.
Prosecutors say the document ends: "The sounds of the bombs will be heard in the streets. Gun shots to your police. Death To Your OPPRESSION."
Before the federal charges were filed, Rahmani was already being held on $5.2 million bail, charged with the attempted murder of police officers during the shootout that led to his capture Monday outside a bar in Linden, N.J.
Ealier on Tuesday, Rahami's father claimed he called the FBI on his own son two years ago -- but a source told Fox News that he immediately recanted. And according to a neighbor, the father said in 2014 that his son may have been in contact with people overseas collecting explosives, ABC News reported.
Rahami's father, Mohammad, spoke to reporters outside his home in Elizabeth, N.J. "Two years I called the FBI, my son, he's doing very bad, OK? But they check it almost two months... They say he's not a terrorist. I said, 'OK.' Now they say he is a terrorist. I say, 'OK.'"
Rahami's father said that two years ago, his son "was doing bad. Yeah, he stabbed my son, he hit my wife and I put him to jail two years ago."
Mohammad Rahami added that Ahmad stabbed his brother Nasser "for no reason." Later Tuesday, he told reporters that FBI agents "[did] not do their job."
The FBI's Newark field office looked into the accusations, a federal law enforcement source told FoxNews.com. Ahmad Khan Rahami was in jail on an assault charge at the time, the source said, but agents interviewed his father.
"He recanted immediately – he left that part out. He said he didn't mean his son was a terrorist, just that he was interested in gang activity and watching violent videos. There was no derogatory information on him, and no basis to continue the investigation," the source said.
FBI's scrubbing of the allegations made against Rahami at the time did not turn anything up -- or as a law enforcement source close to the investigation described, the lead "washed out." Fox News is told a full-blown investigation into Rahami was not opened.
Rahami was arrested for stabbing a person in the leg and possession of a firearm in 2014. But a grand jury declined to indict him, despite a warning from the arresting officer that Rahami was likely "a danger to himself or others."
While the hunt for Rahami has ended, the investigation into his alleged path from server at a family restaurant to terrorist bomber is just beginning. Friends of Rahami's who spoke with media outlets trace the roots of his radicalism to his trips to jihadist hotbeds in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"It's like he was a completely different person," a friend of Rahami's, Flee Jones, told the Times. "He got serious and completely closed off."
Rahami's first documented trip to Pakistan was in 2005, when he visited Karachi as a 17 year old, The New York Times reported. Rahami stayed in Karachi, known as a jihadi hotbed, for a few months before returning to New Jersey in January 2006. In 2011, Rahami made another lengthy trip, visiting Kandahar, Afghanistan, and Quetta, Pakistan. He again visited Quetta from April 2013 to March 2014. Multiple sources told Fox News that Rahami visited Afghanistan at least three times. Rahami was stopped on one trip for secondary screening, but he satisfied the questions and was cleared, a source told Fox News.
Rahami's activities in Afghanistan and Pakistan are unknown, and authorities said the excursions didn't raise any red flags at the time. Officials said at a Monday news conference they didn't know if Rahami had received any weapons or explosives training. He did have a firearms license, however, The Washington Post reported.
But regardless of what he did during these trips, Rahami's demeanor changed when he came back to New Jersey. Rahami began wearing traditional Muslim robes after one trip to Afghanistan, two friends, Amarjit Singh and Jonathan Wagner, told the New York Times. He grew a beard and began praying in the back of his family's chicken restaurant.
Rahami also exhibited anti-Western and anti-military sentiment when he was around his young daughter, a former girlfriend, Maria, told FoxNews.com.
"One time he was watching TV with my daughter and a woman in a [military] uniform came on and he told [her], 'That's the bad person,'" she said.
There are family influences on Rahami, too. Rahami's dad, Mohammad, told Wagner that he fought the Soviet Army in the 1980s as a member of the mujahedeen, the same group that spawned Usama bin Laden and a generation of terrorists. Wagner said the elder Rahami didn't approve of the current U.S.-led fighting in Afghanistan.
One of Rahami's brothers, Mohammad K., posted at least one jihadist message on Facebook, The Daily Beast reported. While Rahami had little presence on social media, his brother posted a meme in 2013 showing extremist fighters with the quote: "I bring men who desire death as ardently as you desire life." The same brother also posted a 9/11 conspiracy theory video last month.
Rahami's social life also was upended.
He stopped seeing Maria, allegedly ceased paying child support and in 2014 married a woman in Pakistan. He wrote to New Jersey Rep. Albio Sires that year seeking a visa to get his wife into the U.S. Sires said Rahami was "kind of nasty."
"At the time she was pregnant and in Pakistan," Sires said on MSNBC. "They told her that she could not come over until she had the baby, because she had to get a visa for the baby."
The wife, who has not been identified, was eventually allowed into the U.S. She returned to Pakistan just days before the New York and New Jersey bombings and was detained by authorities in the United Arab Emirates on Monday, a U.S. official told The Los Angeles Times.
Separately, a sister of Rahami's accused him of trying to stab her but later recanted, Rep. Peter T. King, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, told The Washington Post.
Rahami was born in Afghanistan in 1988 and came legally to the U.S. in January 1995, several years after his father arrived in America as an asylum seeker, CNN reported. Rahami became a naturalized citizen and was known as a "class clown" in high school, Maria told FoxNews.com. Maria said Rahami got along with his classmates; however, he still criticized American culture, comparing Western values to the strict version of Islam practiced in Afghanistan.
Rahami majored in criminal justice at Middlesex County College in Edison, N.J., but he dropped out of school before finishing his degree, according to media reports.
Mohammad reportedly opened First America Fried Chicken in 2002 on the ground floor of a home in Elizabeth. Family members lived on the second floor. It's unclear when Rahami last lived at the address, but the location was raided by authorities on Monday during their dragnet for Rahami.
Zobyedh Rahami, who said she was a sister of Ahmad's, wrote online, "I would like people to respect my family's privacy and let us have our peace after this tragic time. I would not like to answer any questions."
FoxNews.com's Perry Chiaramonte, Fox News' Matt Dean, Kathleen Foster, Catherine Herridge and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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Click here for more info and support.


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FRANCE is a country that offers something for everyone. We all know France for its particular lifestyle that is known as "savoir vivre", the ability to enjoy life and make the best of it. This is especially true when it comes to food – there's nothing the French enjoy more than some good French meal and a bottle of wine.
France has huge cities like Paris, Lyon, Lille and Marseille as well as small and cozy countryside villages. The capital Paris with its more than 11 million inhabitants is by far the biggest city since France is a centralist country. The temperatures range from Mediterranean climates on the Atlantic coast in the West and on the East Coast to average temperatures in central France and on its northern and Eastern borders.
The relatively versatile climate and the scenic diversity allow for a variety of different outdoor activities like surfing on the Atlantic coast and mountain biking, climbing or skiing in the more mountainous regions like the Pyrenees or the French part of the Alps in the East of the country.
Always mandatory: the right equipment
France can definitely be recommended as a holiday destination. People who enjoy sightseeing will be as pleased as will more sporty people who prefer some action during their holidays.
If you are planning on doing some sports in your holidays, keep in mind that the right equipment is essential not only for having fun but also in terms of safety. For example, if you want to go skiing or snowboarding, supplies like Snowtrex.co.uk have a large variety of great pieces you might need.
If you prefer to go biking or hiking, check your equipment on a regular basis if you brought it along for your holidays. If you rent it locally, chances are good that you can rely on it working properly. Nonetheless, a critical glance is always recommended; after all, what you want least is having an accident due to bad equipment.
IMAGE: Mountain Biker (Francois via Wiki Commons)


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Subscribe and stay up-to-date with the latest news and great offers from DEKALB, Asgrow and Deltapine.
Strong Performance. Strong Yields.
Deltapine understands the particular challenges of raising Strong Cotton in the Far West. And we believe those challenges deserve strong solutions. Built on our four pillars of excellence and bred to thrive in your unique region, these local varieties offer strength you can lean on and performance you can count on.
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British surfer rides monster wavein News · 18-12-2018 08:40:00 · 0 Comments
Briton Tom Butler believes he may have broken the world record for surfing the biggest ever wave after successfully riding a huge swell at Nazaré in Portugal last Friday.
The 29-year-old says the wave was estimated to be more than 30 metres tall.
The current official record is 24 metres, which was set last year by Brazilian Rodrigo Koxa also at Nazaré.
The claim will now have to be submitted to World Surf League in order to be officiated but initial reports suggest Butler may have got himself a new record.


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The Sixth Story office needed a bit of a facelift to motivate its employees.
Creating a series of motivational posters using black and white imagery and bold type to fit in with the rest of the office decor. Adding a hand-lettered welcome sign to the entrance to emphasise Sixth Story's passion for handcrafted design.
Agency: Sixth Story
Design: Kathrin Janata


text: A pretty little Jewish girl from Brooklyn grows up to be gorgeous, fabulously talented, and miserably married to a world-famous Latin bandleader--in a roman à clef by Xavier Cugat's pre-Charo singing wife. An ambitious mother, oodles of natural talent, bushels of copper curls, a flawless figure, the best in voice and drama lessons, and a lucky meeting with George Abbott combine to set Julie Lehman on the fast track to Broadway stardom--until, at the tender age of 15, she's derailed by lecherous, philandering, supersuccessful middle-aged master of the Latin beat Paco Castell. Although she's just a child and can't speak a word of Spanish, Paco hires Julie to be his latest sultry songstress, taking her from the Lehman family's cramped apartment to the ultraglamorous world of ritzy hotels and swell clubs. A quick study, Julie learns foreign lingo lyrics to the big numbers by rote and, with a swivel of her flawless hips, finds that she has a gift for the stationary rhumba. She is soon selling those songs. Nasty Paco, of course, hopes to get the child between the sheets, but Julie's mother accompanies her everywhere, and the slimy cad is limited to stolen smooches until Julie, at 16, accepts his offer of marriage. The whirl accelerates. Julie sees the world and meets tons of what she invariably calls ""famous celebrities."" Becoming more beautiful and talented with each passing year, she's the toast of three continents. But Where Is Love? Not to worry. First-time author Lane weaves in the parallel saga of a handsome, rising young Jewish theatrical lawyer and agent Steve Burton, himself the prisoner of an unhappy marriage. Steve and Julie are destined to meet, but first Julie must endure a savage beating from Paco and a cruise on the Onassis yacht. Straight from the checkout lane.


text: Madison Theater (map) 730 Madison Avenue Covington, KY, 41011 United States ✚ gCal ✚ iCal All of the hard work comes down to March 19th. We're fighting to become the best band in Cincinnati. Join us March 19th at the Madison Theater at 7pm for the Finals of the Madison Theater Band Challenge


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Nestled within the lush green countryside of North Yorkshire, England, lies a pretty little market town and parish, home to a mere 1,235 people. Situated in Wensleydale on the western bank of the River Ure is the hidden gem of real ale production. The quintessential epicentre for locally produced fare, fine cask ales and cheery English wholesomeness. I'm talking about, what is to me, the centre of the universe. Masham!
Now I could quite happily waffle on for pages telling you all about everything Masham (pronounced Mass-am) has to offer, but this is a blog about craft beer, and in my opinion that subject is where Masham comes into its own. The simple reason for this is, Masham has not one, but two unbelievable brewerys. I KNOW!!!!
Situated a mere 0.8miles apart in the centre of picturesque little Masham are Theakstons brewery and The Black sheep brewery. If that wasn't amazing enough. Scattered inbetween them both are no less than four real ale pubs. All boasting cosy open fires, traditional English pub decor, rooms to let, and all serving delicious, fresh locally produced food made to order. Oh, and of course a delightful array of superb cask ales. This place really is a real ale lovers paradise.
Let me tell you about Theakstons.
The picture above is of The Black Bull In Paradise, which is the tasting room and gift shop of the brewery.
The Brewery is the sixteenth largest brewer in the Uk by market share and the second biggest brewer under family ownership, behind Shepard Neame.
Theakstons brewery was established by Robert Theakston and John Wood in the Black bull pub and brewhouse, Masham in 1827. By 1832 Robert Theakston had full ownership of the brewery and in 1875 handed it over to his son Thomas, who expanded the business, building a new brewhouse on the Paradise Fields. Which kind of answers the question on why the tap room is named, The Black bull in Paradise.
Since then, the brewery has established itself as one of the major players in the Uk brewing industry. Producing classic ales such as Old Perculiar.
Which is a thick, strong dark ale. With rich roasted malt flavours and subtle notes of liqorice and chocolate. On the other end of the spectrum they produce a delicious light ale called Lightfoot, which is delicious and zesty with citrus bursting in your mouth.
Along with common staples such as; mild, best bitter, XB, and Old Perculiar, they also offer a range of seasonal brews,including my favourite, Grouse beater.
Named after the beaters who trawl the coutryside, banging sticks in order to scare the grouse to fly away, giving the hunters something to shoot at. Its a delicious malty beer,with bags of orange citrus, and definatly one I Iook forward to each year.
The strange thing about the two brewerys in masham is they are most definitely connected to one another. This is because in 1988 Paul Theakston left his position with Theaskstons following disagreements with his family and other shareholders running the company. In 1989 Paul Theakston bought the North Yorkshire Malt Roasting Company from an animal feed company in order to start a new brewery. The Black Sheep Brewery was born.
Paul, using the towns association with sheep came up with the name 'Sheep Brewery'. This quickly changed to 'The Blacksheep Brewery' which was chosen at his wifes request. I presume on account of the Theakston family dissagreements, meaning Paul became the 'black-sheep'. The brewery produces a range of well hopped beers and was an almost instant success. The brewery now producing over 75,000 barrels a year. The Blacksheep brewery produce two of my most favourite beers. Blacksheep ale, a classic amber ale with rich malty flavours balanced perfectly with hops giving just the right amount of bitterness. The second being 'Golden Sheep'
A delicious golden ale packed full of rich fruity hops. Other beers in thier range include; Best bitter, and Rigwelter. This is a strong dark ale that is super rich in roasted malt flavour and high bittering hops. The name given for when a sheep ends up on its back and is unable to get itself back on its feet. It then being branded 'rigwelted'. Perfect for sipping infront of a roaring open fire on a cold winters night.
Recently they produced a one off beer to celebrate the start of the tour de france bike race which began in Yorkshire this year. The beer was named 'velo', and was a delicious smooth blonde ale pack full of juicy cascade hops. I was lucky enough to sample it on my last visit there and it was extremely good.
The brewery also has a fabulous visitors centre, offering tours, a bistro offering superb English cuisine, and it is also available for weddings and various other functions. Not forgetting the 'sheepy shop' for all your branded merchendise.
So if your looking for a fabulous place to visit with amazing real ale and food then look no further than this gem of a place. Pay Masham a visit. You wont regret it.


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Why Buhari insulted Ojukwu's memory
Ojukwu stood for Nigeria's unity based on equity. Otherwise, as he put it: "Let my people go". That is my stand also, and I believe it is the right thing to ask for. Buhari and those freeloading from the Nigerian oil-fed Commonwealth believe in gunpoint unity: Nigeria is indivisible and indissoluble; any who disagrees will be shotRead More


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New Jersey's Clean Energy Program Overview
The New Jersey Home Performance with Energy Star ("HPwES") Program can help you save home energy costs and efficiency for heating and cooling your home! This energy efficiency program provides whole-house energy solutions to lower your energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint. ServicePlus is dedicated to clean energy solutions, and we are one of the proud HVAC contractors participating in this program!
Did you know that you can reduce your energy costs by as much as 30 percent by choosing appliances that are more energy-efficient? A simple furnace repair or furnace replacement might be all it takes to put some money back in your pocket. An easy and affordable upgrade can also increase your comfort and help improve the quality of your indoor air quality in your home. Health impact from indoor pollutants can present themselves very quickly or years later — don't take the risk! Contact us today to learn how undesirable indoor air quality can be harmful to your family's health.
By participating in this program, homeowners in New Jersey have until June 30, 2017 to receive as much as $4,000 in financial benefits. Additionally, homeowners may qualify for the following:
- Zero percent financing (or up to $10,000 with a seven-year term at most)
- 4.99 percent financing (or up to $15,000 with a 10-year term at most)
to assist financially with the energy-efficient upgrades!
For a full list of benefits and incentives available to homeowners, please visit the New Jersey CleanEnergy website.
ServicePlus Service Company is a qualified participating HVAC contractor in the HPwES program. Our expert indoor air quality technicians are available to help improve your home. Contact us to arrange your free, no-obligation home energy assessment.


text: Sweet Kardoune is a traditional tool coming from Algeria to naturally straighten your hair! It's a safe and heatless way to smooth frizzy hair used from almost forever in Algeria from the little girls to the grand mothers. Sweet Kardoune protects hair during the night and prevents from hair breakage. In the morning, you wake up with smooth, sleek and soft hair. It is definitely the best tool to get rid of hair straightener.


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HOUSTON - The University of Houston is hosting its 5th Annual Wheelchair Rugby Camp this week. Athletes from across the country are taking part at UH, learning new drills, scrimmaging and making friends.
"I live to play the sport," said Michael Peacock, a 14-year veteran of wheelchair rugby. "It does wonders physically for me. It also helps mentally, being around the other guys."
Aimee Bruder traveled to Houston from Birmingham, Alabama to take part.
"To me, it means we're not fragile," Bruder said. "We're willing to stick our neck out and have fun like anyone else in the world."
Jacob Ross grew up playing baseball, but a car accident four years ago left him paralyzed from the chest down. Now at 25 years old, he's got a new passion.
"After my accident , I just found rugby," Ross said. "It's one thing that's really awesome in my life. It's beyond an addiction, it's super competitive and really fun."
The camp is put on by students in UH's Adaptive Athletics program.


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Performance in the Education rooms at the Theatre Royal
The festive family musical adventure! It's Christmas Eve in The Magical Toyshop and Santa's got the flu! The McDougall's have come to help the elves with the Christmas lists, but they need your help too! Will everyone get their toys on Christmas morning?
For access arrangements please contact Alison or Laura on 0141 240 1309 / 10 prior to booking.
Please note, this show is aimed at families with children aged 8 and under.
While we take every opportunity to ensure the details for The McDougalls Magical Toyshop are accurate, we always advise that you contact the event organiser before setting out for the event to avoid disapointment.
Looking to reach new customers? We offer a variety of advertising options with prices starting from just £30 per month!


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Thank you, from the Foods of the World Forums!
Buffet style sweet & sour dumplings
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Joined: 18 May 2012
Location: Cape Town
Status: Offline
Points: 225
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Posted: 30 May 2012 at 03:24
When TheHusband and I started dating I was living in a digs in "Little Mowbray". I wasn't really a student at the time but my friends were and well I was tired of living at home. My relationship with my parents was strained from moving out of home and smoking and (not really) working for my dad.
In walking distance from our house we had some great food options. Some for the begining of the month (Greek and Chai Yo), one for mid month and special (read: reasons to get drunk) occasions (Fat Cactus) and one for just before the end of the month (when you know you really shouldn't but you really don't want to eat at home) and that was a "chinese" buffet place. I forget the name, it changed so often as did the clientèle. They are no longer there, I believe their fatal mistake was adding a sushi bar (which was not all you can eat like their buffet)
TheHusband and I often went there as it was normally quiet in the week and they didn't seem to care that we sat there talking till midnight while they packed up around us. Some of my deepest and darkest secrets were shared with J in the dimmed and slightly steamed (a result of many chaffing dishes) restaurant and I remember the place with much warmth and love.
They had firm favourites on offer. Chicken sweetcorn soup, prawn chips, spring rolls, kung pow chicken, steamed rice, egg fried ice, bbq ribs and sweet and sour chicken or pork. Those little deep fried dumplings were my weakness. I would always try something else but those little balls always featured.
The only other place I know that makes them are Tong Lok and well, I didn't much feel like going out to get some. Somehow making them myself seemed like a lot less work. I was wrong but it was completely worth it in the end. Tasted so much better home made and fresh out the wok.
Buffet Style Sweet and Sour Dumplings
You will need:
3 boneless chicken breasts
Enough peanut or sunflower oil for deep frying
For the batter:
1 cup flour
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
What to do:
Check out some more recipes and reviews - www.addtotaste.co.za
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looks good . it will do a great party food
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Location: Cumberland, RI
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Nice looking recipe, and an even better anecdote about where you got it
Go ahead...play with your food!
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Why don't dealers want to sell cars?
You'd think, considering the news about struggling dealers and automakers, that sales managers at dealerships would be itching to make the best deals they can.
Instead, they're tending to hoard their inventory, only willing to let cars go for top dollar. Maybe their strategy is to sell fewer cars, but at a higher profit. Or maybe they're just too dang arrogant to admit they need to make the best deal possible.
I posted over the weekend about my experience shopping for a replacement car for my wife. Then a CarGurus blog reader sent us an e-mail expressing his frustrations with dealerships, which confirmed to me that my experience probably isn't unique.
From what I'm seeing so far, dealers are playing serious hardball. Here's one example from this weekend:
I found a car I was interested in and began negotiations. My first step was to negotiate the price of my trade-in, for which they offered me $6,500. My research showed a trade-in value of about $9,000. Also, and here's the kicker, the dealer had my exact car on their lot for $15,999.
So I knew they'd price my car similarly, and I asked for $10K on my trade-in. I told my salesman I'd then negotiate a fair price on their car. I essentially got laughed at as I was walking out their door. They let me go when I was willing to make a deal and pay more than I probably should have for their car.
So now I'm changing strategies and doing what I should've done in the first place. I sold my car privately for $11,000, I've secured financing through my credit union, and now I'll shop with cash in hand and work the best deal I can.
That's my advice to the guy who emailed us and to anyone else car shopping right now. Dealers are hurting, but they're still looking to take advantage of buyers in any way they can. Go with cash and make your best offer… if they still turn you down, well, maybe they'll be one of the thousands more dealers to fail in the coming years.
Would any dealers care to put in their two cents here? Have any other car shoppers had experiences like this?


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17th C. Mughal Indian Jade Wootz Khanjar Dagger, of baluster design, possibly of Chinese origin (ID: id501)
17th C. Mughal Indian Jade Wootz Khanjar Dagger, of baluster design, possibly of Chinese origin
|( ID: id501 )
KHANJAR with JADE HILT
17th – 18th C, Mughal
Jade arts in India reached their zenith during the Mughal period. Some of the finest and most elaborately carved hilts were during this period.
Blade: This fine example is mounted with a finely crafted double-edged wootz blade with polished edges, and with an armor-piercing tip. The wootz pattern is streaky, suggesting a classification as sham or Syrian damascus. Apparently, blades made of sham were less esteemed (Figiel, 1991); however, it's quite uncommon to encounter today such blades, making this dagger a relative rarity.
Hilt: The single-piece celadon green jade hilt is finely carved in the form of a flattened baluster (a less common style seen in Mughal daggers), with curled quillons and pommel with a bud, with curled terminals. This hilt is reminiscent of Qing dynasty jade hilts that were imported to India.
Scabbard: Old, velvet and brass mounted throat. The throat is pierced, and chiseled with flowers done in a characteristically Mughali style.
Dimensions: Blade: 10.75" OAL: 15.75"
Condition: Minor damage to tip of scabbard. Minor chips to hilt, but intact and firm. Excellent for its age
Item on Consignment


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The novelty of a larger dating pool right at my fingertips gave me more perspective. Through the ups and downs of sharing a table with strangers, I learned my incredible value. Despite the message threading our culture; if you're single, there's something wrong with you. Let me give you some examples of how this message shows up in typical conversations:
- "Stop looking so hard, he'll be right around the corner." - Who are you to say that I am looking too hard, and what does that even mean? Because...
- Maybe you don't put yourself out there enough - Really? I talk to strangers!
- Focus on yourself, you'll find him when you're ready. - I AM THE MOST NARCISSISTIC PERSON I KNOW! I'm sort of kidding. Really though, this advice implies that all I do with my time is man hunt. I actually have loads of hobbies, and resent the implication that I don't already take great care of myself because I'm too distracted scoping out hotties I'm not good enough for.
- "You're too picky." - Choosing a life partner is not an REI purchase. I can't just take him back no questions asked, if it turns out he's not a great baby daddy after all. Also I don't think too picky pertains to my list of non negotiables:
- Mutual sexual attraction.
- Mutual intellectual attraction.
- Mutual appreciation and respect.
Okay, you get the point by now... People (especially people in relationships of any duration) feel like they should say something about singleness. There's actually not much to say about it.
It just is.
It is possible and even likely that many single people are healthy, rational, fun, and intelligent. These cultural fallback messages are not productive as they perpetuate the lie that falling in love makes a person more whole.
Thanks for reading, make good choices! :)
Related articles:
Let's connect, tell me your story in the comments section!


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Ruby Wax is still inspiring me with her book Sane New Word. Last night I was reading the chapter about depression.
Ruby's recommends that sufferers of depression should club together to support each other. She makes the really good point that a fellow sufferer will discuss treatments, feelings, therapy and everything else connected with the illness with much more genuine interest and stamina than sympathetic friend who has never been through the same thing.
I was reflecting on this and thinking how similar this is to my situation with MS. My friends and family who don't have the disease are sympathetic and listen and are lovely. But when I meet with my friend who has MS, and has made the same lifestyle adjustments as I have, to over come the disease, then we can talk for hours and on a deeper level.
The reason it works so well to support another in the same position is that we have true empathy. We really understand the situation they are going through because we have been there. Because we have been there we can place ourselves in the moment that they are in and in that way offer the best possible support.
It strikes me that Mindfulness is at the heart of this approach. When we are truly interested in something we can give it our whole focus and can be present in the moment. Whether we are the supporter or the one in need of support this is exactly what is needed in difficult moments.
The support approach works so well. If you provide support to another suffering in the same way that you have then you feel good for your efforts. If you are being given the support then the understanding that you are given will mean the world to you.
Whatever you are suffering with Mindfulness is a great place to start on the road to getting things back on track. By calming the mind and the body the next steps become so much more possible. You are able to see more clearly and reach out to find a resolution.
If you would like to get started with some Mindfulness training to help you relax and focus your mind then book onto a Revitalise Session.


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Laura Jade Bates, 28 from the Central Coast of NSW, shares her amazing story;
I took a deep breath and walked into the hairdressing salon.
This is it, I told myself, don't stuff it up.
My dream had always been to work as a hairdresser, so I was stoked to finally get an interview for the role of trainee after a wave of rejection letters.
But as soon as the salon manager took one look at me, I worried it was over.
"You're going to be on your feet a lot," the manager warned. "Can you handle that?"
I knew exactly what they were getting at.
I was 23 and weighed 150kg.
I was aware that I was overweight, but my heart was still set on being a hairdresser.
I continued to talk about my passion for the job, hoping they'd hear my enthusiasm.
"Well, I'll give it to you," the manager said finally, "but I'm unsure because of your… size."
His words cut like a knife.
I should have felt exhilarated that my dream was about to come true, instead, it was like a nightmare and I was more ashamed of myself than ever.
Sadly, my dream soon turned sour and I left the job after just a few weeks.
I didn't have the support I needed there, and felt like everyone was judging me because of my size.
"I'm just not cut out for it," I told a mate.
My weight had been a constant burden throughout my life.
In primary school, I had to get a special uniform made for me because the regular sizes were too small.
By the time I was 12, I was 100kg.
"I can't understand it," my mum, Carolyn, said. "It's not like you spend all day in front of the TV."
My five older siblings were all active and I enjoyed playing with them.
It didn't make sense.
I'd tried plenty of diets with no results. But I loved junk food – especially chips and lollies.
I could happily devour an entire pack of biscuits in no time at all.
Poor Mum was at her wit's end over what to do with me.
At 13, I was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries and insulin resistance, which explained why I was putting on so much weight.
But by now my bad habits were hard to break.
Maccas was my staple – I'd easily eat a large burger meal with 10 extra chicken nuggets.
I loved pizza, chips, garlic bread and soft drinks, too.
I was eating myself to death but I didn't care.
The weight continued to pile on until, at 24, I reached a staggering 170kg.
While most people my age were out having fun, I felt like an old woman, too exhausted to do anything at all.
"I'll need knee replacements before I'm 30," I told Mum.
The shocking truth hit me like a tonne of bricks.
Worse, I realised that if I kept living like this, I might not even make it to 30.
From that day, I vowed to take control of my life so I joined the local gym, Central Coast Barbell.
After a few minutes on the rowing machine, the sweat poured down my brow and I was puffing desperately.
Every time I thought about giving up I remembered the promise I'd made and I willed myself to go on.
For six gruelling months I persisted and the weight began to budge until I'd lost 60kg.
"You're like a whole new person," Mum said, wrapping me in a hug.
Finally I had the confidence to start looking for a job.
I still wasn't ready to think about hairdressing again and instead I studied for my certificate 4 in fitness, so I could become a personal trainer.
I loved my new healthy life and hit the gym as often as I could until one day, I was working out doing weights when I felt an excruciating pain shoot down my back.
"Ouch!" I yelped.
Next morning I woke up, hardly able to move.
It turned out I'd badly injured my back, making even the smallest movement agony.
Without the gym, the days dragged by.
Old habits soon returned and the weight piled back on.
I was 40kg heavier in no time.
Depression set in as I realised I was back to square one.
With all the extra time on my hands, I started reading up on weight-loss surgery.
A doctor suggested a mini gastric bypass that would restrict how much food I could eat.
"It's my only option," I told mum.
She nodded sadly.
I was scared, but knew it was now a matter of life or death.
The change was immediate.
Post-procedure, the fat rolled off me within weeks.
After a year, I was down to 83kg.
"I'm so proud of you," Mum beamed.
But I knew this was only the start of my journey.
I needed weeks of physio on my back and with strengthening exercises and lots of rest, I could at last get back to the gym every day.
Now, the smallest things, like being able to touch my toes or take the stairs without gasping for breath, have given me the biggest confidence boost.
I'm even going to return to hairdressing soon.
I'd want to start fresh at a new salon which is exciting but I'm also petrified.
My weight has held me back for so long and I've been able to hide behind it too, so it's strange to get used to not having it anymore!
It's time to move on with my life though.
I'm so ready to pursue my dreams and the job I've always wanted.
Losing weight was the hardest thing I've ever done, and I know other people are struggling, too.


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FWN members and awardees converged for an intimate gathering at San Francisco's Garden Court, The Palace Hotel.
Dr. Mutya Shaw shared her views on the impact of her work in the health care profession and the universal health care movement in the Philippines. Other FWN topics discussed include: Becoming an author, volunteering for the #FWNSummit2017, FemtorMatch, MeetUps, Events, Professional Development Series, Book readings, Curriculum Development for the Filipina Women Leadership Book series.
Among those present were Mutya San Agustin Shaw (US FWN100 '07; Global FWN100 '13) Professor, Pediatrics, Clinical Epidemiology, Social Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY and Founding President, Philippine Ambulatory Pediatric Association, Inc., New York, Angie Louie (US FWN100™ '12) Owner, Hana Zen Restaurant, Cecile Ascalon (Global FWN100™ '15) Family Support Services Program Manager, West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center, California, Chelo Pallas, SEC & GAAP Compliance Manager, URS Corporation, Helen Marte (US FWN100™ '09) Commissioner, San Francisco Public Library, Kharissa Fernando (Global FWN100™ '15) Support Manager, Peek, California, Michelle Florendo (Global FWN100 '15) Founder & Principal, What if You Could, LLC., California, Marily Mondejar, CEO & Founder, Filipina Women's Network, Vice Chair & Commissioner, Commission on Community Investment and Infrastructure (Successor Agency to the San Francisco Redevelopment Commission), Thelma Boac (US FWN100™ '07; Global FWN100™ '13) Trustee, Berryessa Union School District, California.


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Saturday, April 8, 2017, 4:00 p.m.
2 past occurrences
Un caballo llamado Elefante (Elephant, the Horse). 2016. Chile/Mexico/Colombia. Directed by Andrés Waissbluth. Screenplay by Miguel Ángel Labarca, Daniel Laguna, Waissbluth. In Spanish; English subtitles. 80 min.
With Tomás Arriagada, Joaquín Saldaña, Ana Sofía Durand. On his deathbed, Lalo and Roberto's grandfather conveys one final wish: set Elephant, his beloved horse, free before she ends up at the slaughterhouse. Just as the young brothers get on track to accomplish their mission, Elephant is kidnapped and taken to a circus. Lalo and Roberto have no choice but to embark on a whimsical adventure to infiltrate the circus and rescue Elephant. Inspired by Chilean folk singer-songwriter Lalo Parra's childhood memories, Andrés Waissbluth's third feature combines live action with animation to construct a world of fantasy with a touch of magical realism.
New York premiere
Saturday, April 8, 2017,4:00 p.m.Followed by a discussion with WaissbluthThe Museum of Modern Art, Floor T2, Theater 2
Sunday, April 2, 2017,2:00 p.m.The Museum of Modern Art, Floor T2, Theater 2
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