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Ode to Dolores Umbridge
I love villains in movies and literature. I have always thought a bad guy says a lot about a film's protagonist and to a certain extent that film's writers and directors. A poor villain can render a story meaningless in my eye.
I don't think the Harry Potter series, book or film, gets a proper bonafide superstar villain until Dolores Umbridge strolls into town with her cats and her pink outfit. Now don't get me wrong, I think Snape, the Dursley and Wormtail are note-worthy, but it was only until this pint-size puff of pink evil comes along when I realised how lacking those other villains were.
Order of the Phoenix is my least favourite Harry Potter book. It's the book that I found hardest to get through and I just didn't think it was as enjoyable as the rest. One of the biggest reasons for this was Dolores Umbridge – she just rubbed me the wrong way.
I found Dolores Umbridge a lot more unsettling that the chief big-bad, Voldemort. Her main goal wasn't the stereotypical 'rule the world' arch; her main ambition was to suppress the soul in order to achieve conformity from young people. To Umbridge creativity, curiosity and resourcefulness in a student are a sin and this makes me shudder. The extent to which she goes about draining those sins away from students was just horrific to read.
Conversely, watching Dolores Umbridge in the film version of Order of the Pheonix is a joy and all of the credit for that goes to Imelda Staunton who is beyond brilliant in this movie. I have to say it again, she is bloody brilliant in Order of the Phoenix.
Now the fact that I couldn't stand to read Phoenix because of Umbridge isn't a slight on Rowling, in my opinion it is a compliment but what Imelda does to that character is root her in the real world.
Back when I was in secondary school there was a group of friends who were so nasty and were such bullies but they walked around like their shit didn't stink. They were so far up the teachers' ass and got away with causing so much chaos that it is incredible to think about it now so many years on. What made them insufferable for me was how they interacted with people, especially the folks they bullied – they used charm and sweetness. They were super nice on the surface – all Ps and Qs and smiles and kisses and high pitched greetings (think Alicia Silverstone's Clueless). Pure fakeness.
Now I have seen this type of fakeness in a more subtly form within the work place but Imelda's take on Umbridge brings back the anger that I had for those unique bullies back in school. Staunton got under my skin (see what I did there) so much that I forgot that it was an actor playing a character and believed Dolores to be an actual person. When an actor can make you feel-it-in-your-gut then they have done a remarkable thing.
By the end of the film I wanted Umbridge to suffer. I felt the same loathing that Harry and co felt and I realised that I haven't come close to feeling the same way about Voldemort – not in the films anyway. Umbridge, in one film, shows more menace, ability to cause horror and gave me more of a sense of dread than Voldemort does in the whole series. I mean no disrespect to Ralph Fiennes who I feel does a good job but I think what Umbridge shows is how woefully underdeveloped the big V is.
When the horsey human creatures get a hold of Umbridge in the end of Phoenix I wanted them to rip her to pieces – I wanted to see blood everywhere. Tarantino style. The fact that I feel that way about a children's film is the biggest compliment I can pay Imelda Staunton and The Order of the Phoenix. She is nothing short of a wonder in this film.


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Boatshed on a mission in Arabia !
Boatshed are now operating Yacht Brokerage services in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Boatshed is one of the world's largest yacht brokerage groups that prides itself on giving potential buyers the most complete and accurate picture of the boat that they want to buy.
Boatshed Brokers personally visit every boat that they list, taking up to 80 photographs and videos which are available on-line to registered users anywhere in the world. They also undertake viewings, negotiate offers, attend surveys, deal with legal and compliance issues, handle client funds, plus offer support and liaison throughout the sales process.
Boatshed's service combines traditional yacht broker service in a local designated area and a network of offices spread across the globe. All brokers are trained and use a standardised set of procedures and award winning technology. Our services are now offered across over 50 international locations.
The company has developed a unique system of cloud-based database technology that provides accurate, up-to-date information on all kinds of vessels, from yachts to motorboats. Boatshed is unique in that every boat offered for sale is personally viewed, photographed and evaluated by a member of the team. The broker takes a standard set of up to 80 photos and video. Detailed inventory, age, condition and capacity details are recorded while aboard each boat.
This means that clients looking to buy a boat at any boatshed location, can make an informed decision on whether to travel to see a boat. Whether the boat is in Dubai or any other Boatshed location, such as the offices now in Thailand, Europe or the USA, the process of listing and photography the boat is exactly the same.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ivan Rodriguez Set to Announce Retirement
There's a little bit of irony that two of the greatest catchers ever are nicknamed "Pudge."
Carlton Fisk had that nickname on his way to catching the most games in major league history with the Red Sox and White Sox. He wound up in the Hall of Fame.
There's a prety good chance the "other" Pudge will, as well.
Ivan Rodriguez, who made the all-start team fourteen times, won a world title with the Florida Marlins, won an MVP award and also earned 13 Gold Glove awards, will announce his retirement Monday in Arlington, Texas, where he enjoyed the majority of his success on the field. He also passed Fisk in the most games caught department.
Rodriguez spent twelve years in Texas before heading to Florida to play for the Marlins. He also made the all-star team four times as a member of the Detroit Tigers.
Rodriguez will finish his career 116 hits shy of 3,000, a .296 career batting average and 311 home runs. He hit .300 or better ten times.
Rodriguez played last season for the Washington Nationals.


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My friend said they are still out there, but I haven't been out for over a month. Gypsy and her band are on the top of a mountain where the wind had blown the snow off the ridge, and they can get to the grass. He sent me a picture and they looked pretty good, Their long hair covers up their ribs.
Curious, safety in numbers.
She should have been on a Center Fold.
The result of war.
Deformed mustang.
This colt was so close I turned the flash on, just to see what would happen.


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Creative Technology research at the University of Sussex focuses on several basic and applied research areas.
These videos show just some of the group's work...
Above is Marianna Obrist discussing the work of the SCHI-Lab.
Diane Simpson-Little explains the Product Design work at Sussex.
Pollie Barden introduces her interest in playful and inclusive technologies.
Further work can be found by clicking on these themes, to be found in the menu on the left under Projects:
Human-centred technology
- Human-computer interaction, accessibility, end-user authoring tools, multisensory experiences for interactive technologies, technology-enhanced social interaction and tangible and embodied interaction
Technology enhanced learning
- Learning with and through technology, learning through social networks, automatic content creation, e-lecture production
Digital heritage
- Virtual museums, museum interactive systems, 3D Reconstructions of sites, monuments and objects, metadata, database repositories
Participatory Design
- Working with older people, social activists, school children, people with disabilities, developing tools and methodology
Media technology and computer graphics
- Computer graphics hardware and software architectures, 3D modelling, real-time animation, motion sensing, gaming systems, virtual and augmented reality systems, 3D, VR and AR applied to e-commerce, 3D, VR and AR applied to digital heritage, digital content creation, video production systems, design fictions
Digital Economy
- Creative industries, collaborating across digital industries, virtual communities, social media, micropayment, payment and rewards systems, e-business, e-government, e-citizenship, internet of things
Data Analytics and Data Visualization
- Space science, medical informatics
Cognitive Science of Representational Systems
- Tactile interfaces, representations of mathematics and energy,


text:
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of all our most recent UK undergraduates (FT and PT) are in employment or further study after six months
You'll join a friendly community of almost 19,000 staff and students
Back to Our staff
School: School of Law, Criminal Justice and Computing
Campus: Canterbury
Tel: 01227 923291
My forensic career started at Kent Police where I worked as a Crime Scene Investigator and then moved to the Centre for Investigative Skills (later Kent Police College) to train CSIs on their initial and development CSI courses, as well as training crime scene management and forensic science to police probationers and detectives. I later became the Volume Crime Manager, responsible for policies relating to the forensic response to volume crimes and forensic intelligence and was an operational Senior CSI, engaged in managing the forensic aspects of major and serious crime investigations and peer reviews of incidents in Kent and an IPCA investigation in Sussex. I was also the forensic lead for CBRN incidents after 9/11.
I have a wide array of interests but I am particularly involved with CSI work, crime scene management, forensic investigations and sexual offences. I possess an emerging interest in the value of digital equipment as sources of physical evidence, an area often ignored, and the value of novel forensic techniques in the investigation of crimes against heritage assets such as the use of underwater security taggants on historically significant shipwrecks.
I am module leader for three core modules and one optional module in Forensic Investigation.
I have been engaged by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and GEOS International to carry out exploratory research into rape and other forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Kenya so that an overall picture could be painted regarding the potential for capacity building at the Laboratory of the Government Chemist – the main forensic service provider in the country. This culminated in two reports on capacity building and the interlinkages between the police and health providers.
I work with Historic England and the National Police Chief's Council on heritage crime and am developing the application of scientific analyses to assist police forces in investigating metal theft, in particular. I am also engaged in an ongoing project with a major dive company to secure marine heritge assets from theft and increase the chance of successful prosecution by employing a novel security marking system.
Recently I provided an expert report on crime scene management for the defence team engaged by Eddie Gilfoyle who was convicted of murder in the absence of tangible physical evidence.
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences since 1991.
I hold a FSSoc diploma in crime scene examination, with 'retired' status.
My main teaching expertise is crime scene investigation, forensic investigation and forensic intelligence, strategies for major crime and the contextual value of evidence.
Member of the NPCC Heritage Crime Group
Presented at Historic England heritage crime conferences in 2016 (metal theft) and 2017 (shipwrecks).
Expert witness in R v Gilfoyle appeal.
Temporary expert to GIZ and GEOS International mission.
Reviewed Op Orchard (City of London Police).
STEM ambassador.
I regularly contribute to the Blackstone's series edited by Bryant R and Bryant S:
Blackstone's Student Police Officer Handbook 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 (Oxford University Press)
Blackstone's Handbook for Policing Students 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 (Oxford University Press)
Blackstone's Student Police Officer Workbook (2010) (Oxford University Press)
and have carried out research and knowledge exchange for the German aid agency GIZ where I wrote two internal reports related to capacity building and gender based violence:
Lawton-Barrett, K. (2012) Capacity Building at the Kenyan Government Chemist. Deutsche GIZ: Bonn. An internal report.
Lawton-Barrett, K. (2012) Interlinking health services with the Government Chemist in Kenya. Deutsche GIZ: Bonn. An internal report.
These became part of a wider mission report to GIZ.
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Tuna Noodle Casserole With Leeks and Fresh Dill
This recipe is supposed to elevate the good old fashioned tuna casserole that mom made with canned cream of mushroom soup. It really doesn't though. For all the extras like fresh dill and home-made sauce with leeks, the flavor was a little bland. And the Gruyere cheese is very expensive. I might try this recipe again with some modifications.


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Software Development Engineer - Alexa Europe
4 months ago
(5.11.2018 13:41)
AMZN Dev Center (London) Ltd
Company/Location (search) : Country (Full Name)
United Kingdom
Job Description
Voice-driven AI is no longer relegated to the realm of science fiction. Alexa Experiences and Devices is focused on leveraging emerging technologies to create new product opportunities that deliver the future of voice-driven AI to our customers and partners.
Alexa Europe Tech team as part of Alexa International is focused on features and tools to drive meaningful improvement in customer experience, engagement, and utility specific to the European customers.
You will be working with a unique and gifted team developing exciting products for consumers and collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams. You will have an opportunity to contribute to the end to end tech stack and Alexa services while delivering the features across domain boundaries; driving the design, architecture, and implementation of cutting edge products used every day, by people you know.
We are looking for passionate, hard-working, and talented Software Engineers (SDE) who have experience building innovative, mission critical, high volume applications that customers love.
Key responsibilities include:
· Develop and launch core product features.
· Participate in design reviews, prototype new technology and evaluate technical feasibility with your peers and Sr. Engineers.
· Address all aspects of technology and service readiness
· Interact with cross-functional engineering teams across the company
· Work in an Agile/Scrum environment to deliver high quality software against aggressive schedules.
The ideal candidate is clearly passionate about new opportunities and has a demonstrable track record of success in delivering new features and products. A commitment to teamwork, hustle, and strong communication skills (to both business and technical partners) are absolute requirements. Creating reliable, scalable, and high performance products requires exceptional technical expertise, a sound understanding of the fundamentals of Computer Science, and practical experience building large-scale distributed systems. This person has thrived and succeeded in delivering high quality technology products/services in a hyper-growth environment where priorities shift fast.
Notwendige Qualifikationen
-Bachelor's/Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related technical field
-3+ years of experience in software development in Java or C++
-Expert CS fundamentals including data structures, algorithms, run-time analysis, object oriented design and code quality verification
· Business-level English written and verbal communication skills
Wünschenswerte Qualifikationen
-Knowledge of scripting languages like Python or Perl
-Programming experience on mobile platforms, preferably Android
-Familiarity with working in an Agile environment
-Ability to effectively articulate technical challenges and solutions
-Graduate degree and foreign languages a plus.
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text: With smartphones, iPhone docks, tablets everywhere, we cant help but wonder if anyone even bothers using wall clocks anymore. But the Pixel Time Wall Clock will make you want to have a wall clock again. This wall clock is made of "pixels" and looks just like something out of an 80's computer game. It measures 12 inches in diameter, is colored black and white, and contains the numbers 12, 9, 6 and 3. You can pick up the Pixel Time Wall Clock for $24.99 at Perpetual Kid. And there is no doubt about it – this clock would certainly look lovely in just about any room in your house, including your office – or even your kitchen. But if you get it for your kitchen, you should really pick up a pair of matching Pixel Oven Mitts for $16.99.


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From today.com, link to article.
If the article disappears, here is the text: ========================================
How many times during this year's super hot and humid summer did you just wish you could strip all of your clothes off to cool down?
Well, it turns out being naked may not only be more comfortable but healthier […]


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February 12, 2016
| Photo Gallery
See the nails that rocked the runway and backstage at February's NYFW.
September 10, 2015
| Photo Gallery
See the nail looks that walked the runway this September for NYFW Spring/Summer 2016.
February 12, 2015
| Photo Gallery
See the nails that walked the fall runways at NYFW.
September 29, 2014
| News
Good Housekeeping's October 2014 issue explains that a flesh-toned mani is the perfect detox from last season's over-the-top nail art craze.
May 9, 2014
| News
InStyle's April 2014 issue and manicurist Madeline Poole explain the DIY process for spring's top runway trends.
January 7, 2014
| News
The December/January 2013/2014 issue of People's StyleWatch says that festive nails include glittery manis in a range of colors include copper, gold, and blue. Match with your favorite outfit and a blingy cocktail ring to make your nail beds really stand out!
December 17, 2013
| News
The January 2014 InStyle shows that these models sported nail art to match every ensemble.
September 9, 2013
| News
Marie Claire's September issue featured looks for work and play inspired by the runway.
June 14, 2013
| Article
Lacquerous works like Netflix for luxury lacquer. After joining, each member creates a "Lust List" from the season's hottest nail colors and brands, then receives three at a time in the mail.
April 8, 2013
| News
Kick spring into gear with non-sheer pastels.
March 29, 2013
| News
Here are a few color-popping shades Harper's Bazaar has seen on the runways this spring.
March 28, 2013
| News
Mint green is one of the most popular shades for spring, according to InStyle's March 2013 issue.
March 27, 2013
| News
Many polish brands are coming out with matching lipstick shades, according to Shape magazine's March issue.
February 14, 2013
| News
InStyle magazine suggests a fun and bright color pop for springtime manis or pedis.
December 24, 2012
| News
Wearing white in winter is no longer a fashion faux pas. Frosty makeup, clothing, hair, and nails graced the runways of top brands like Chanel this season.
Nails From NYFW A/W 201972 photos
Stupid Cupid: Anti-Valentine's Day Nail Art7 photos
In nail art, marks made by dabbing a loaded brush against a surface.
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text:
TRENTON � Congressman Jon Runyan�s re-election chances improved dramatically Friday, courtesy of a new congressional map that added more of Burlington County to his district and subtracted Democrat-heavy Cherry Hill.
The new map, which was formally approved Friday morning by the commission assigned to redraw the district boundaries, moved Cherry Hill from Runyan�s 3rd District to Democrat Rob Andrews� already safe 1st District.
Runyan�s 3rd District also picked up Riverton from the 1st District as well as nine northern Burlington County towns represented by 4th District Republican Chris Smith and all of Shamong, a portion of which is part of Republican Frank LoBiondo�s 2nd District.
Palmyra and Maple Shade remain part of the 1st District, which also includes large parts of Camden and Gloucester counties. But Bass River moved from the 3rd District to the 2nd, which includes Washington and all of Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties.
The shuffling of towns is done every 10 years by a bipartisan commission after the U.S. census count in order to better reflect population shifts so that each congressional district represents the same number of people.
New Jersey is also losing a congressional seat because its population did not grow as fast as other states. As a result, the commission was forced to merge two districts.
The 13-member commission � made up of six Republicans, six Democrats and one independent tiebreaker � decided to merge the 5th and 9th districts in North Jersey, setting up a potential 2012 re-election battle between Democratic incumbent Steve Rothman and Republican incumbent Scott Garrett.
But the new map, which was submitted by the Republican delegation and selected by tiebreaker John Farmer Jr., gives Garrett an edge in voter registration in the merged district.
It also appears to make the 3rd District much safer for Runyan, a Republican freshman who narrowly beat Democrat John Adler of Cherry Hill in 2010. In addition to subtracting Cherry Hill and adding northern Burlington County to the 3rd, the new map added Brick and Mantoloking to its already large Ocean County territory.
Currently, Democrats hold a 7-6 edge among New Jersey�s congressional delegation, but the makeup could change to 6-6 if Garrett wins the merged district.
Joe Roberts, the former Democratic speaker of the state Assembly and chairman of the Democratic delegation on the redistricting panel, said his party�s final map submission, which was passed over by Farmer, created a fairer fight between Rothman and Garrett.
Roberts also said it kept Cherry Hill a part of the 3rd District and would have made it more competitive by adding Voorhees in Camden County.
�The notion that District 3 is competitive is frankly a work of fiction,� he said.
Farmer, who is dean of the Rutgers School of Law and a former attorney general under a GOP governor, defended his selection, acknowledging that the Democrats face an uphill contest in the merged district but insisting that it will be competitive, as will the 3rd District.
�It is in every way an improvement over the previous map,� Farmer said Friday before the formal vote. �The map I am prepared to support today is legally sound. Its districts are compact, contiguous, respect communities of interest, and honor our state�s diversity.�
Farmer also rejected the Democrats� attempts to postpone the final vote to give the public time to comment on the proposed boundaries.
Afterward, former Burlington County Freeholder Aubrey Fenton, who served as a Republican member on the commission, said the selected map fairly represented the ideas of all the commissioners as well as the public.
�It was amazing going through the process and seeing the state from all the different vantage points. There were a lot of spirited conversations, and I learned a lot,� Fenton said.
He said he also believed the 3rd District would continue to be competitive.
�It doesn�t matter what race you run in. If your name is on the ballot, you consider it competitive,� Fenton said. �The people will decide. I think that was the overall goal of the commission.�
One big question remains: Who among the Democrats will challenge Runyan?
The answer seemed simple until April, when Adler, who was preparing to run for the seat again, unexpectedly died from a heart infection. Since then, no obvious Democrat has emerged as a likely challenger.
Medford doctor Tom Sacks-Wilner is rumored to be mulling a challenge against Runyan, but party members said other, better-known candidates were waiting until after the redistricting was completed before deciding.
The removal of Cherry Hill from the 3rd District could prove daunting for any Democrat, and some in the party may have been pinning their hopes on the addition of Voorhees, the hometown of well-known state Sen. James Beach and state Assemblyman Lou Greenwald.
Burlington County Democratic Chairman Joseph Andl wasn�t ready to write off the party�s chances of unseating Runyan, but he said the loss of Cherry Hill and the addition of Brick, a traditionally Republican town, pose challenges.
�In Burlington County, we know we can compete, and the addition of the northern towns look like a wash,� Andl said. �It�s the Ocean County side that looks a little tougher.�
He said the party hopes to select a candidate to challenge Runyan quickly.
�We�re going to have to get together with the Ocean County chair to see what interest they have, and we�ll go from there,� Andl said. �I imagine anyone who is running will announce pretty soon.�
David Levinsky: 609-871-8154;
email: firstname.lastname@example.com;
Twitter: @davidlevinsky


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About 2 weeks ago, I wrote a letter to Governor Branstadt of Iowa, asking him to make a change in the Iowa National Guard. I pointed out that he was the Commander-In-Chief, like the President, and had the power to stop letting these predators keep on abusing us in the National Guard. I told him the statistics, how this has been going on for years, and how the Iowa National Guard is the worst offender. I begged him to do something, and asked what would he have done if his son had actually served, and been raped. Maybe that is why he hasn't responded, I do not know. But that isn't going to discourage me. I plan on writing him again and again and again, because I am just so stubborn, and pissed off.
But I have decided to take it a step or two farther, because that is just how I am. I have decided I am going to start an email campaign, and write all members of the Senate and also the House of Representatives, both state and federal. And then I am going to do the same thing for all states, including governors. I hope I can start some kind of movement, and encourage others to do the same thing. Remember, one voice in a storm can go unheard. Many voices in a storm cannot be ignored forever. Please join me in my mission.
You can find the email addresses and fax numbers for ALL Congress Members and Governors at the following website: http://www.conservativeusa.org/mega-cong.htm
Below is the letter I wrote to Governor Branstad:
Dear Governor Branstad,
I would like to bring your attention to an article that was on the front page of the Cedar Rapids Gazette on Thursday, August 9, 2012. I am providing the link to it, in case you didn't. It was titled 'Local Veterans Speak Out About Military Sexual Trauma." http://thegazette.com/2012/08/09/local-vets-speak-out-on-military-sex-assault/
I am a veteran, who tried valiantly to serve my country in the Iowa National Guard for over a decade, in spite of the fact that I was repeatedly raped, harassed and discriminated against. I am not the only one. In fact, I know of at least 20 women who suffered some of the same things I did while serving right here in the great state of Iowa. Nothing was ever done, we were all told it was our fault, we all were punished and branded as trouble makers, and Godd***ed Females. I lost my career over trying to make it stop. I even caused my unit to be investigated by the Inspector General's Office. I attend a Female Veteran's Retreat every year on the English River, and guess what the #1 topic is? Military Sexual Trauma and PTSD.
I even wrote a letter to The Adjutant General, pleading with him to make a change. Nothing has. Since I left the Iowa National Guard 14 years ago, other women veterans I served with told me of their rapes & harassment. I was so angry to find out my sacrifice accomplished nothing, and that it only got worse. I work with a man who served 20 years in the Army Reserves here in Cedar Rapids, and I asked him one day why he chose the Reserves over the Guard. He said it was because he couldn't stand the way they treated the women, that the National Guard is the worse branch of the military for how they treat women. Unfortunately, I have heard this many times.
Pardon me for being so bold, but are you NOT the Commander-In-Chief of the Iowa National Guard? And as such, have you no power to make this stop, and stop immediately? Or do you agree with most of my own chain of command, that if a woman wants to be in the military, she gets what she deserves? Do you know in the military 1 in 3 women, and 1 in 10 men are sexually assaulted? What if your son served, and was raped? What would you do?
What will you do now?
Thank You For Your Time,


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Nov 18th 2014
TWiT Bits 597
Nexus 6: All About Android
Nexus 6 Phone Review.
Guests: Jason Howell, Gina Trapani, Ron RichardsRon Amadeo talks about the Nexus 6 and demonstrates how on point the "OK Google" feature is on android. For the full episode, go to twit.tv/show/all-about-android/188 Bandwidth for TWiT Bits is provided by Cachefly.


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Art Review Archives:
Chicago Printmakers Collaborative
Chicago Printmakers Collaborative
The Chicago Printmakers Collaborative 16th Annual Small Print Show is on exhibit through February 25, 2006, with prints thronging the walls in the CPC's combination gallery and printmaking workroom. This diverse offering features subjects, styles and media in abundance: over 100 prints by thirty-two artists living or exhibiting in Chicago, including engravings, etchings, lithography and screen printing, with the exhibition's balance of works changing regularly as sales make space on the walls. From little to large, there are delights to be found here: artists new or familiar, works from the tiny woodcut to the good-sized screen print, and most of all, a survey of current work in fine art printing's many disciplines.
Why the print, in this day and age? It is an intimate art; but drawing too can be intimate. It is a personal one, both for artist and viewer, but the same may be said of pastels or paintings of similar size. What sets printmaking apart from these other disciplines is the way in which the tool inserts itself between hand and image. A drawing captures the hand's sweep in its graphite or charcoal line, in the same way in which anyone can pick up a pencil or pen and mark a piece of paper. A painting permits the freest gesture of the brush. Printmaking approaches the image-making process from an entirely different standpoint. Graver, burin, knife or scorper may be used expressively, but require both forethought and force. What the artist envisions he must literally cut or engrave into the block or plate. His ability, therefore, to execute his envisioned work requires not only imagination, but a significant amount of control and dexterous skill. This is not an art of the contemporary trends of laissez-faire, where technical mastery has been sacrificed to what is loosely termed 'freedom of expression.' Print's devotees must exercise both vision and craft. The results not only rightfully elicit the viewer's respect; they are a delight.
Printmaking is a deceptively broad term, for the making of prints actually falls into three main types, each with its own further subdivisions. Relief printing (woodcut, linocut, wood engraving) is among the oldest of the printmaking techniques; the design of the print is raised and receives the ink. Intaglio (etching, engraving, aquatint) involves the reverse, with the design holding ink through areas incised or graven. Planographic processes (lithography) are those in which the design may be drawn on a flat stone in wax crayon, which directs the ink to various areas, while diverting it from others to create the printed image. Each of the techniques is its own discipline; each permits the artist to exercise different control over the manner of line and shading, in variations from bold graphic style to the minutest subtleties of gray. The print itself is made by inking the block, plate or stone with printer's ink, laying on a sheet of paper, and applying intense pressure, either by hand or with the aid of a printing press. The resulting impression constitutes an individual print. (The CPC's web site also provides descriptions of print processes and terminology.)
Nearly all these types of printing are represented in the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative 16th Annual Small Print Show. The prints are of modest size, generally about the size of a book page for any small or large book one might name. Over 100 unframed prints cover the walls of the CPC's main workroom from midpoint nearly to the ceiling, with works by various artists placed throughout in a freely mingled blend. The intent is to present the prints in an informal atmosphere, and the approach succeeds by juxtaposing contrasting styles, by highlighting the handcrafted feel that makes prints so appealing, and in allowing the viewer to approach closely this art which so rewards close viewing. Appreciation of the paper, the slight impressions left by the pressures of the block or plate, and the subtle variations in the ink are all part of the visually lavish experience of fine art prints. To see them in a room filled with the types of tools and equipment used in their making is a further benefit, bringing one closer to the artist's presence, as well as to the fact that these prints are part of the forefront of art -- not relegated to museums, but active in the here and now. Most of all, the diversity of media, subjects and handling provide the opportunity for rich contrasts.
Flexible and responsive as it is to contemporary visions, printmaking draws on a long, full and varied history. In almost any period, an artist can find vivid sources of inspiration. In The Call of the Wild (engraving: 5 x 5 in.: 2000), Chicago printmaker Misha (Michael) Goro draws on elements of graphic style dating back to the Northern Renaissance, highly detailed, with a slight, earthy wildness to its wiry control. The one-horned boar, the cascading folds of fabric of the ample cloak of Death, and the apocalyptic imagery of the subject could easily be elements of a 16th-century Dürer print; but that the outer hairy skin of the beast strips away to reveal the mechanical diagram of a steam engine is the surrealism of a purely 20th-century nightmare. What seems wild is revealed to be an all-consuming force of mechanical greed, with Death along for the ride. Goro melds Renaissance style and engraving technique with surreal imagery, evoking a contemporary allegory with its dark roots in both worlds. The artist's skilled and deliberate command of the burin (hardened steel tool used for engraving) is evident in the many passages of tiny, intense detail.
In contrast to such minute detailing, L.A.-based artist Artemio Rodriguez offers the bold direct graphics of the linocut (linoleum cut), modern cousin of the woodcut and included among the relief printing processes. Linocut is a subtractive process, the white areas made by carving away the block. Giant Woman (linocut: 2 x 2 in.: 2003), one of the title images of the exhibition, shows the characteristic 'gouged' quality associated with woodcut and linocut (Rodriguez is accomplished in both, though it is selected linocuts which are included in this exhibition). In this work the artist uses a the irregular grooves of a linear background as a foil for the boldly stated curving forms of the woman. Her huge presence towering over the buildings is further punned on by her enormous endowment, and perhaps also, by the fact that this 'giant woman' is an image able to be covered by the palm of a hand. The degree to which Rodriguez is control of his materials is evident in Cocodrilo de petate (linocut: 5 x 5 in.: 2003). Cocodrilo and its two companion prints display an impeccable sharpness in their smoothness of line, the boundary between white and black: a smoothness impressive when one recalls that the technique by which this image was made involves carving away the nonprinting parts with a gouge or knife. There is tremendous surety of hand in these lines, as well as in the compositional patterning of the v-shaped hatches which define the scales of the beast, contrasting the smooth black of the grinning monkey and the crocodile's own shadow. The design itself has a powerful folk virility in its balance of absolutes of black and white.
A different handling of the linocut is seen in the work of Rogers Park artist Watie White, Apollo Restaurant (linocut: 12 x 9 in.: 2001). White works the block with a crude, expressive vigor, his darks and lights full of patterning and creating an image with a sense of depth. White's rendering of the title restaurant, a local haunt (now closed) nestled beneath the Argyle stop of the CTA Red Line, all but vibrates with the gouged irregularities in his choice of cuts. The image resolves into a set of arches one within the other, a distant, distorted silhouette of a bicycle, and leads the eye all the way back to the window of the restaurant, a black expanse save for its white 'Open' sign. The emotional quality of the distortion recalls that of German Expressionism.
There are few abstract works in this particular exhibition; but that the print medium can successfully render an appealing abstract vision is evident in the etchings of Elise Hughes. Hughes' Line Plate #2, "Blue Point" (etching with chine collé/monotype: 2-1/2 x 2-1/2 in.: 2005) is one of a wide variety of similar experiments involving a freely-drawn, looping line with additional elements, such as the triangular blue point of the title, incorporated. These apparently simple scratchings of line on printing plate have a dynamic rightness of composition that leads the in and around, providing balance, visual interest, and a wordless appeal. Hughes' incorporation of chine collé (thin sheets of paper applied during the printing process) and monotype (a one-time-only application of ink to the plate before printing) add elements of uniqueness to each of her abstract prints.
With the techniques available to printmakers, small prints, which can pack a lot into a modest space, can often be small indeed. About the size of a postage stamp, Chicago artist Anatole Upart's Nativity (woodcut with hand coloring: approx. 1 x 1 in.) is the smallest in the exhibition, a briefly-sketched, expressionistic rendering of stable and star, done in black ink, with touches of added coloration in blue, red and yellow.
At times, it is not so much the print that is small as the tiny details it can contain -- and at times, as Deborah Maris Lader's Too Much Stuff (etching), it is both. This 3 x 3 in. print is a whimsical assemblage of 'things', from "toothy grin" to "girl who made herself a carpet out of scraps". Reminiscent of the French 'encylopedistes' of the 18th century, who sought to catalogue elements of the world around them, each of these items includes tiny, written annotation done with the engraving tool, smaller and more precise than ever a pen could do. Several uncolored etchings of the individual panels are on exhibition, and the full series is also displayed as a pocket-sized, full-color artist's book in accordion fold format, also entitled Too Much Stuff, with twelve panels of tiny detail touching on everything from arms and legs to birds and brain waves, a whimsical, miniaturized commentary on human habits of accumulation and categorization. Ms. Lader is a Chicago printmaker, as well as the founder and Director of the CPC.
A print need not be complex to evoke the possibilities of the medium. In Cynthia King's Botanical #1 (drypoint, proof: approx. 3 x 3 in.) a simple, somewhat nervous line sketches the unadorned outline of five stems of floral blooms, capturing the essence of their botanical fragility. Printed in green ink, the slightly blurred line of the drypoint adds to the effect of a quickly captured floral impression. A similar effect is achieved in Feather by George Bodman (etching: approx. 4 in. diam.). In this image of a single shaft of feathery down, the delicate line of the burin is particularly suited to sketching the puff-like wisps of the feather filaments and the way in which they all but float.
Subjects in nature are often half-hidden; it can take a moment to spot a field mouse or a bird on the nest, or, as in Scott Kiefer's Wild Rabbit (etching/aquatint), the head of the rabbit, crouching or reclining next to a wild geranium, and half in a shadow whose placement suggests our own, as if we had come upon the wild creature unawares. Here, the artist's application of tonality lets the eye seek for a moment before resolving the final image, just as it would in perceiving the meaning of nature's patterns. Contrasting Kiefer's naturalistic image is American Lion (linocut) by Evanston artist Jeff McNear, reminiscent of Inuit art in its stylized, fluid forms and using decorative areas of pure pattern, energetic darts printed in golden-tan ink, to create the limbs and huge forepaws of the tawny cat; a similar patterning in reverse is used for the lion's face, staring with direct gaze out from the center of the image.
Through the CPC's sixteen-year history, members and students have come and gone, maintaining their ties through no longer in Chicago, or recommending to the Collaborative fellow printmakers whose work is of interest. The exhibition thus includes not only local artists, but prints by national and international participants as well. France has a long history of the caricature, so it should come as no surprise that the denizens of Parisian artist Christine Gendre-Bergère's So, Nothing series should be so expressive. Three of the four drypoint works (each 4 x 4 in.) feature a bereted middle-aged figure with a prominent nose and scanty hair, garbed in a cowl-neck sweater and shapeless coat. The drypoint's soft, slightly blurry line is used to effect in the bricks which form the background, and in the subtle differences between the dark vertical texturing of the coat, and the slightly lighter horizontal strokes of the sweater. In the first panel he looks up with a pursed lip, expression skeptical and suggestive of a whole range of inner thought. With only the bricks for background, the whole attention is focused on the figure and his comical, slightly exaggerated features. The third panel is similar; in this one he smiles, pleased apparently -- with what, we can only speculate. The panel between these two shows him playing with folded paper constructions, decked out in a folded paper hat, a second paper hat or sailboat on the railing behind him, the half-filled wineglass in his hand suggesting a state of playful intoxication. The fourth panel features a similar figure, this time a woman, her face twisted into a comical look of arrested attention as she hears -- what? Whatever it is, she is oblivious to the dangerous tilt of her coffee cup. Gendre-Bergère brings a playfulness of vision to the art of the print, showing that this traditional medium need not be wholly serious. In each of these her suggestiveness of inner thought leads one back to the work, looking again to speculate on just what her bereted Frenchman might be thinking.
Among the artists who draw on sources closer to home are Chicago artist Hiroshi Ariyama in his screenprint Passing Storm (four-color screenprint: 16-1/8 x 8 in.: 2005). Screenprint is the youngest of the printmaking arts, a method by which ink is forced through a screen or cloth, the latter treated to block out certain areas. The method permits of successive layers of flat, even color, with the design created by the selective blocking of print areas on the different screens. The image in Passing Storm is composed of four different inks, primarily a pale blue, a robin's-egg, and a darker blue. The composition in follows a long horizontal expanse of Lake Michigan, relieved by the small proturbance of one of the distant water-reclamation towers. In the upper third of the image, the darker blue invokes an anvil-shaped massing of cloud in the pale sky. Below this, subsequent screenings of the pale and robin's-egg blues receive an overlay of the darker blue for deep contrast. Together they aptly evoke the busy movement of the water, the changeable glinting and flashing of its choppy, swaying surface, as well as its fragmented reflection of the cloud mass in the sky above.
In this era of xerography and of 'digital art', when duplicability is a taken for granted as a daily fact, printmaking is a reminder of the craft, skill and long tradition of the duplicable image, as well as its application to expressive visions in the fine arts. Engraving and etching, woodcut and screenprint, with inspirations from the Renaissance to the 20th century -- the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative 16th Annual Small Print Show presents a survey of contemporary printmaking by local Chicago-area and several national and international artists, in all manner of subjects and print media. Over 100 prints by over thirty-two participating artists are on display. In addition, most featured artwork is for sale with many prints priced well under $100, an opportunity to add to one's art collection, or even affordably start one. The Chicago Printmakers Collaborative 16th Annual Small Print Show will be on exhibit through February 25, 2006. The viewer is encouraged to make a special trip.
The Chicago Printmakers Collaborative, established in 1989, offers printmaking facilities, private classes, and more. Located just across the street from the Western stop on the CTA Brown Line, the CPC is easily reached via public transportation. Exhibiting artists of the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative 16th Annual Small Print Show include Kim Ambriz, Hiroshi Ariyama, Jeff Atkins, Christine Gendre-Bergère, George Bodmer, Margaret Buchen, Alex Carroll, Vadim Dadiomov, Aja Engel, Lee Gatewood, Christine Gendre-Bergere, Michael Goro, Elise Hughes, Carrie Iverson, Scott Kiefer, Cynthia King, Deborah Maris Lader, Kim Laurel, Alan Lerner, Jeremy Lundquist, Ben Marcus, Nichole Maury, Jeff McNear, Bert Menco, Kristen Neveu, Duffy O'Connor, Dennis O'Malley, Mary O'Shaughnessy, Joel Rendon, Artemio Rodriguez, Jeff Sippel, Jamie Solock, Diana Sudyka, Bobby Sutton, Jerry Svoboda, Anatole Upart, and Watie White.
--Katherine R. Lieber
Editorial Note: Below are web addresses, where available, of artists discussed in the review.
Dimensions given in the review are image size.
A previous exhibition of the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative Annual Small Print Show was reviewed by ArtScope.net in December 1999 (http://www.artscope.net/VAREVIEWS/chgoprint1299.shtml).
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talkSPORT's first live game of the 2017/18 Premier League season comes from Vicarage Road on Saturday with Watford hosting Liverpool, kick off 12:30pm.
Click here to listen to exclusive national radio commentary of the match and for a live stream.
Marco Silva, appointed Watford manager this summer, will be looking to get his Hornets reign off to a winning start but faces a tough task against a Reds side which finished fourth in the Premier League last season.
Silva has left his two big summer signings, strikers Richarlison and Andre Gray, on the bench but another new arrival, Nathaniel Chalobah, starts.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, has named his big close season signing, Mohamed Salah, in his starting XI.
With Adam Lallana, Daniel Sturridge and Barcelona target Phillipe Coutinho sidelined, Salah will line up alongside Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in attack.
Young full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold also starts as Nathaniel Clyne misses out due to injury.
The confirmed teams are available, in full, below…
Watford: Gomes, Janmaat, Britos, Kaboul, Holebas, Chalobah, Cleverley, Doucoure, Amrabat, Okaka, Pereyra.
Subs: Gray, Richarlison, Prodl, Femenia, Watson, Capoue, Pantilimon.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Lovren, Moreno, Can, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Subs: Karius, Milner, Gomez, Grujic, Klavan, Origi, Solanke.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)


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What do the stars have in store for you today?
Your horoscopes for October 15
March 21 to April 20
Innovative planet Uranus focuses on all that's new. You'll start to build the future that is right for you, with some genius ideas.
Plans friends make for a night out may not appeal but could bring love into your life.
Already involved? A partner has fascinating news to share so show you're ready to listen.
April 21 to May 21
A decisive day for love when you and a partner could be ready to make a deeper commitment to a relationship.
If you're single, one unexpected name keeps coming back into your mind and it's a former workmate.
Action planet Mars links success and a fast-action sports contest.
May 22 to June 21
Jupiter goes into the heart of your chart and makes you a love leader.
A relationship can feel so positive when you map out the route you'd like it to take.
Single? Instead of waiting to be noticed you get in first and approach that newcomer. There could be a lucky outcome to checking missed messages.
June 22 to July 22
Instead of giving too much energy to other people's projects it's important to save some for yourself.
Then you'll be able to say yes to new experiences, new ambitions and feel yourself sparkle.
Venus and Mars remix your love life by adding more romance, respect and passion. Luck visits door 75.
July 23 to August 23
Spur-of-the-moment choices and changes make a satisfying agenda for you, as you can charm loved ones on to positive action paths. However set a schedule may seem, it's not too late to rework it.
A travel moon sees you starting a journey single – but being in love when you reach your destination.
Phone Meg's live psychics on 0905 005 8102 (£1.50 per min + your phone providers access charge. 18+ only) or to pay by credit/debit card call 08000 356 684 or mobile users call 020 7111 6406.
Text a psychic. Just text MEG then a space and your question to 84122 (£1 per message. Max 3 per reply).
Calls cost £1.50 per min plus your telephone company's network access charge. You must have bill payers permission. Calls recorded for your protection, Max call duration 19 minutes for 0905 number. Over 18's only. These services are for entertainment only. SMS cost £1 per received message, max 3 messages per reply. UK only. To opt out of free promo messages call Helpline: 020 7111 6210. SP: Inveroak.com, PO BOX 10015, CM1 9HH.
August 24 to September 22
A talent that has skipped several generations shows itself in you and you're ready to put it to the test.
Doing this can double your self-confidence. Venus inspires you and a partner to be the best you can be for each other and make exciting decisions.
Single? You meet where groups of people are singing.
September 23 to October 23
Your values chart is switched on. So, in love, you see positive elements in a partnership outweigh its occasional flaws.
There could be cash surprises when you discover something in your home is worth more than you think.
Single? Another Libra is a challenging choice but also rewarding.
October 24 to November 22
You have the smart ideas, energy and luck it takes to turn a home project into a success. In your love life, the work you put into keeping the relationship strong should go well.
If you're single, the moon love-matches you with someone who runs a restaurant and this relationship is too good to rush.
November 23 to December 21
There's so much positive energy in your chart and it will drive you to chase your ambitions.
Even though they will amaze everyone else, it will just make success sweeter. Love-wise, you could be talking about moving in together.
Single? Venus matches you with someone who has an air of mystery.
December 22 to January 20
You're a natural mediator and can get even the most stubborn people to talk to each other again. A friendship that means a lot to you is back to its best.
You also set high standards in your love life and value sincerity as highly as passion.
Single? Dazzling ideas and looks lead to your new Scorpio partner.
January 21 to February 18
You will be at your most adventurous so when you focus on projects you truly believe in, they work out.
Even if you have no plans to travel, your life gets an international flavour.
Venus climbs higher in your chart and love makes "for ever" promises. Luck hands you an Italian dictionary.
February 19 to March 20
Ambition is growing stronger and replacing wishful thinking with upfront communication marks the start of progress.
If you're single, you'll know you can be lucky in love when you see a face, first in a dream, then in real life. A talent several relatives share gets its lucky break.


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Mar 6, 2013
Mineral Magnet
LOVE this
Mineral Magnet set
. Reminds me of the rocks we used to collect when we were little. "Collect" meaning purchase from the National Geographic store at Ala Moana. I should've kept them then I'd have one of these by now ;)
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Food Service - Permanent Establishments
Opening a New Permanent Food EstablishmentIf you are building a new building or remodeling an existing establishment or structure, you can jump right in and begin the Plan Review process. If, however, you are buying an existing establishment and plan to run it "as is", we recommend a call to the Health Department first. We have records on all existing food establishments under our jurisdiction, and can tell you before you buy if you would be inheriting any previously identified problems. Our sanitarians can be very helpful in pointing out potential pitfalls.
Brandon Morrill, MPA, REHS
Charlevoix/Otsego Office: 231-547-7668
Rhiannon Pomerville
Antrim Office Office: 231-533-1104
Michele Delves, CP-FS
Emmet Office: 231-347-4694
Plan ReviewSubmittals must include:
› Plan Review Packet
› Proposed Menu
› Appropriate Fee
› A Plan to Scale
› Equipment Specification sheets (make, model, dimensions)
Plan Review Materials:
Plan Review Submittal Procedure
Instruction Sheet
Plan Review Packet
MDA Plan Review Manual
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Forms:
SOP Packet Cover Sheet
Page 1 - SOP Staff Training
Page 2 - SOP Personal Hygiene
Page 3 - SOP Handwashing
Pages 4-6 - SOP Employee Health
Page 7 - SOP Purchasing Food from Approved Sources
Page 8 - SOP Cleaning and Sanitizing
Page 9 - SOP Cross Contamination Prevention
Page 10 - SOP Bare Hand Contact
Page 11 - SOP Thawing Potentially Hazardous Foods
Page 12 - SOP Cold Holding
Page 13 - SOP Cooling Potentially Hazardous Food
Page 14 - SOP Cooking Potentially Hazardous Food
Page 15 - SOP Hot Holding
Page 16 - SOP Reheating Potentially Hazardous Foods
Page 17 - SOP Time Only as a Method to Control Bacteria
Page 18 - SOP Date Marking
Page 19 - SOP Warewashing
Special Transitory Food Units (STFU) and Mobile Plan ReviewSTFU/Mobile Plan Review Packet
STFU Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Forms:
SOP STFU Wastewater Disposal
SOP STFU Water Supply
SOP Packet
STFU/Mobile SOP Packet


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Rick St Dennis facebook challenge Anything goes finishes today so I am just in time to enter my card
Rick St Dennis stamp Jocosta with border coloured with markers and layered onto paper from Bearly Mine Steampunk Fantasy paper. Added butterfly charm and brad. Layered all onto brown card
About Me
- Granmargaret
- Sydney, NSW, Australia
Welcome to my blog
I started this blog in April 2012 so I could join Challenges. I am now on some design teams. I hope you like my cards. I started stamping in 1995 but my cards are still mostly cute.
Thank you to those who have joined as followers and to those who comment.
Unfortunately because of spammers I have had to put moderation on the comments. I will approve them as soon as possible, this also means I don't miss any.
I don't always get a chance to reply to all comments but I read them all when I approve them and I really appreciate you taking the time to give your comment.
The lovely banner was made especially for me by Amanda at Faery Ink Art & Design when I won her first blog challenge. You can buy the black and white version of Granmargaret Fairy at
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
Rick St Dennis facebook challenge
2 comments:
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I read them all and really appreciate your thoughtfulness.
I have had to put comment moderation onto my blog as I had some spam messages. I will approve messages as soon as possible.
Anonymous messages are not allowed on this blog.
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Rhys Southan of the blog Let Them Eat Meat came across my veganism-related posts here on TFIR, and ended up interviewing me for his series of interviews with ex-vegans.
I put quite a bit of effort into the interview and am pleased with how it turned out. You can find it here.
I welcome your comments (make them over there). This whole thing has really been a journey, and I'm not there yet.
And to anyone who finds themselves here from following a link at Let Them Eat Meat – welcome. I am going to be blogging more or less regularly beginning soon and would love to have you join the discussion of miscellaneous things ethical.


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Download free walks
Walking maps
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Walking in Oxfordshire
All the information you need to get walking in beautiful Oxfordshire
Sponsored walks
If you have a sponsored walk coming up, just let me know and it will appear here.
Thames Challenge 2018 - Saturday 8th September 2018 Sponsored walk in aid of Help for Heroes (including 5 pubs!)
Contact me
If you know of further information or corrections which would improve the site.
Thanks for visiting Walking in Oxfordshire.
John Harris
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Advantages of Recruitment Services for Getting a Job
When it comes to employ new employees in your organization or getting job yourself there are different ways in which you can fulfill your requirement. For recruitment in your organization you can ask your present employees to refer candidates or go to any recruitment services who will provide you with the skilled candidates.
Similarly if you are a candidate and is looking for a job there is no doubt that going to recruitment services has its own advantage. Let's explore those
Advantages of hiring with the help of recruitment services
- The best recruiters in the market have knowledge about the market and they know which company is looking for what type of candidate. So when you give them your profile they can provide you with a better opportunity that is not available online.
- Recruitment services extend your reach when it comes to job search or candidate search. As they have experience of the job market they also have candidate profiles that are not easily available. Moreover, when you read a candidate profile online you may not be able to judge them totally. The recruitment agency works with them and thus knows where they can look for good candidates.
- If you are a first time applicant then taking services from these recruiting agencies is best as they can even guide you through the recruitment process. They know how you can present your resume and how to make yourself appreciable at your interview.
- By getting services from recruitment agencies you can also fix a budget. Depending upon your skill or requirement they will suggest you the total expenditure that will incur for getting the job or getting the right candidate. They are the best resource when you have specific choice.
Thus, next time when you start looking for a job make sure that you reach to any of these services who will provide you with exclusive service.


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After comments earlier this year from both Joss Whedon and Nathan Fillion suggested that the long-ago-cancelled Firefly TV series was unlikely to ever be making a return, fans of the show will be relieved to hear that they can now find out what happened to Serenity and her crew via a new series of comics released by Dark Horse.
Dark Horse has already been producing Serenity comics since 2005, with Whedon's and Brett Matthews' Those Left Behind (created as a bridge between the end of the TV series and the beginning of the Serenity movie) ranking amongst its most popular publications. For many, then, the news will hardly come as a surprise, though it may be difficult for devout Browncoats to imagine events continuing on the ship without two of its key characters, Wash and Book. Comic Book Resources provides this summary of what we can expect from the new comics:
As the series begins, Mal and the crew are recouping from their recent strike against the sinister interplanetary government, The Alliance, in which they exposed government agencies as those responsible for the creation of the Reavers — the scourge of the universe. With River Tam in the co-pilot chair and a very pregnant Zoe reeling from the death of her husband, Wash, Mal is finding himself and his ship in greater danger than ever.
So far, the company has yet to reveal who will be writing the series, though we do know that Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8-9 artist Georges Jeanty, a big fan of the original show, will be illustrating. Jeanty described his experience of moving on to these comics after his work on Buffy:
"'Firefly' is a lot darker than 'Buffy,' There are way more shadows and shading than with 'Buffy.' Also, when I was drawing 'Buffy,' I could start from scratch. Sure, I had to keep in line with how the characters looked, but everything [else] was up for grabs. Sunnydale was destroyed, so I didn't have to keep in line with the architecture. With 'Firefly' there are seven characters and a ship to consider. When they're on Serenity — fans know what every inch of that ship looks like, so I have to be very meticulous with my depiction. Not to mention there are a few very subtle differences in the ship from TV to the movie. This is definitely a learning experience, one I don't think I'll fully master until the series is over!"
He also went on to talk about some of his influences for the drawings:
"I'm looking at a lot of other sci-fi stuff. Artist Mobius is a big inspiration, along with Geof Darrow. Walt Simonson on 'Alien' is a good thing to keep handy. Also, movies like 'Blade Runner,' 'Outland,' 'Alien' — anything with a rustic futuristic feel. I have a very small window to master these characters, and I'll probably be finished with the series before I get there!"
Check out Comic Book Resources to see more of Jeanty's completed artwork.
Sources: The Mary Sue | Comic Book Resources


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Haemorrhoidal Artery Ligation Operation (HALO)
The Haemorrhoidal Artery Ligation Operation (HALO) is a new operation designed to eradicate piles without the need for cutting. As such, it is relatively pain free, and most patients are back to work after 24-48 hours with only a minimum of discomfort, which if there is any, is no more than a mild a throbbing in the rectum.
The basis of the operation is to restore the haemorrhoids back to their anatomical position, and occlude the blood supply to the vascular cushions forming the haemorrhoids, resulting in them shrinking. The operation is best performed under general or spinal anaesthesia.
All stages, including stage III and IV haemorrhoids can now be treated with this technique by the addition of an Anopexy, or Recto-Anal Repair. The latter is performed in addition to the HALO and involves the application of internal sutures designed to restore normal anatomy. The Anopexy can be associated with some post-operative discomfort which can last 24-48 hours.
A miniature Doppler ultrasound device locates branches of arteries supplying the haemorrhoids. These blood vessels are tied off, and the haemorrhoid shrinks over the subsequent days and weeks.
Because the stitch is placed in the lower rectum where there are virtually no sensory nerves the procedure is pain-free.
New developments to this technique now means that in addition, an Anopexy to return the prolapsing haemorrhoids back into rectum can now be performed.
- The new modified instrument allows the placement of stitches internally to lift the prolapsing tissue.
- This technique offers a real choice to treat a variety of stages of haemorrhoids including stage 4 haemorrhoids without the need to cut any tissue and therefore avoids any complications associated with those techniques.
- It is relatively painfree and 85% of patients have complete resolution of their symptoms and over 90% are thoroughly pleased with the results even if there are minor residual symptoms.
Other treatments: early haemorrhoids (grade 1 and 2)
Dependent on the severity of haemorrhoids, symptoms arising from very early haemorrhoids can be treated by adopting a high fibre diet. If symptoms dont resolve then banding or injection of the haemorrhoids may be advised.
Banding of haemorrhoids
This treatment works by a rubber band cutting through tissue and causing an ulcer which heals by fibrosis, "fixing" the haemorrhoid in its normal anatomical position.
- Performed as an outpatient procedure, and sedation is unnecessary.
- Involves the placement of a small telescope called a proctoscope inside the anal canal and a rubber band is applied to tissue above the haemorrhoid.
- This results in pulling the haemorrhoid into its normal anatomical position.
- Up to three haemorrhoids can be treated at one time using banding.
- This treatment is effective in 70% of patients with early haemorrhoids.
- Pain, mild in 20% but severe in 5% often the result of a misplaced rubber band requiring its immediate removal.
- Fainting can result on standing after treatment.
- Blood loss, usually slight but in rare instances can be severe requiring hospital admission.
- Very rare cases of necrotising faciitis reported.
Injection Sclerotherapy
The rational of injecting chemical agents into haemorrhoids is to create fibrosis so that prolapse cannot occur.
- Phenol in oil is the commonest chemical agent used.
- Less effective than banding in treatment of early haemorrhoids.
- Sclerotherapy normally produces dull pain lasting up to 48 hours.
- Very effective in 70% of patients with very early haemorrhoids.
- Pain from injecting into wrong place or too deep
- Bleeding from puncture point
- Prostatis, urinary tract infection and blood in seamen
Other treatments: advanced haemorrhoids (grade 3 and 4)
This is a radical surgical treatment for grade 3 and 4 haemorrhoids and is performed under general or spinal anaesthetic. The operation involves cutting out the haemorrhoids and is an effective treatment but is associated with considerable pain on opening bowels on the first few occasions. Pain can sometimes persist for several weeks.
- Variable stay in hospital depending on the degree of pain and when bowels are opened.
- This surgery can occasionally result in damage to anal muscles resulting in seepage and soiling.
- Haemorrhoidectomy is associated with 10% treatment failure rate.
- Post-operative haemorrhage
- Infection
- Inability to empty rectum requiring hospital admission and manual evacuation
- Minor incontinence but occasionally severe
- Anal stenosis
- Fistula formation
- Anal fissure
Stapled Haemorrhoidectomy
This technique involves the removal of excess prolapsing tissue above the haemorrhoids resulting in the restoration of the haemorrhoids to their normal anatomical position.
- The operation is performed under general or spinal anaesthetic and involves the insertion of a circular stapling devise which removes a cylinder of excess tissue and staples the ends together.
- Since the tissue removed is above the area of normal sensation it is relatively pain-free.


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I just got back from a hot and sunny vacation in Miami. One week away from winter (and all the snow) was just what I needed, except now, all I'm thinking about is my next getaway, even though summer is nowhere in sight. One thing I love about travelling is all the shopping I do before I go away... like shopping for a new bikini or bathing suit, even though it can be stressful since the choices are endless.
I loved partnering up with Swimco, because this Canadian company knows swimwear well–after all, they've been in the business since 1975 and they're one of the largest swimwear retail chains in North America. Shopping Swimco online is an easy and fun experience with great customer service available to help you find just what you're looking for. They have a huge selection of women's, men's, and children's swimwear and beach accessories, and even though you're faced with a huge selection of swimwear options, it's easy to narrow down your search if you tell your online Fit Expert what you're looking for. Swimco prides itself on offering the best there is in swimwear and accessories, from the brands you already love.
Here's what else I love about this company: Swimco believes that everybody and every body deserves to feel confident in a swimsuit, and by providing swimwear that allows people to look good, people feel good, too, and nothing is more important than that. Swimco helps customers feel good half naked, and that's a wonderful thing.
Since I already have dozens of bikinis, I've started welcoming one-piece bathing suits back into my life because they're so stylish right now. I knew I wanted a one-piece suit, in a bright colour. I was shown a blue bathing suit and instantly fell in love. Selecting my size was easy–I just gave my measurements and size to my Fit Expert, and after that, I chose a cover-up and beach hat to complete the look. My package was delivered within a couple of days, and everything (even the swim shorts I chose for my children) fit perfectly. (I loved the bright beach bag everything came in too!).
I absolutely loved my bathing suit and felt incredible on the beach in south Florida. I can't tell you how many times strangers stopped to tell me how much they loved my bathing suit, asking me where I got it from. It was a great conversation starter. Feeling confident in swimwear–when you're wearing next to nothing–feels so good.
Working with and selecting my new bathing suit from SwimCo was an incredibly easy and pleasurable experience, and I can't wait to shop SwimCo again. After all, a girl can never have too many bathing suits.
Thank you, SwimCo!


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Another 6 months has passed since my last post, I still haven't gotten my camera fixed but my lovely boyfriend helped me out with some outfit photos. Not to sound like a cliche but this year has absolutely flown, again another cliche, time flies when you are having fun. This truly has been the best year of my life, one of the exciting things to happen this year was my first trip overseas.
I went to Tokyo for 10 days about a month ago. I don't know why I haven't been overseas until now, the amount of money I invest in my wardrobe may be a slight factor hehe. Japan has always been my dream location so it seemed fitting to make it my first trip. Japan was everything I wanted and more and I had such an amazing time, I was pretty close to tears when I had to come home. Before I went overseas I did think about doing a diary blog post of my adventures but as it was my first trip I didn't want to spend my trip thinking about what I was going to write about, I wanted to make sure I was fully immersed in the moment.
What I did do instead was a shopping haul you tube video of my purchases which you can check out here, This is my first you tube video and I am hoping that it will end up being something I do a little bit more of. If there is anything you would like to see me do a video about please feel free to comment below.


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The Beginning and Progress
Sony and Ericsson advanced its reciprocal project commercial activity in the eldest period of time of the Millennium and have their corporate duties business establishment located in London. This clannish undertaking institution has worker concentration of ended 7 1000 devoted backup about the international plus investigation and perfection offices in Europe, China, America and Japan. Now v time of life in the subject field industrial world, Sony Ericsson continues to enjoy mass approving for their multifarious raiseable products.
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Classic Green and White Bar Scarf / Allegra K Lady Metal Floral Interlocking Buckle Cinch Band / Oakley Women's Behave Asian Fit Sunglasses / Luvable Friends 24 Count Disposable Bibs, White / Echo Design Women's Ombre Bobble Muffler / Floral Pattern Silk Printed Ascot / Nike Golf Men's Tri Fold Pebble Grain Leather Wallet / Ballet KD dance Leg Warmers In Knee High To Extra Long 50 / RVCA Men's Arty Wallet / Tough Wallet ID Credit Card Holder Aluminum / Plain Colour Design Pashmina & Silk Shawl Scarf Wrap Stole / Ray-Ban RB 4105 710 50mm Wayfarer, Folding / Gold Frame John Lennon Clear Sunglasses with Free Case / Silver Celtic Cross Cufflinks Cuff Links / Harmonie Womens Nylon Legwarmer / Hurley Men's Icon Regional New Era Hat / Nautica Men's Vegetable Tanned Trifold Wallet / Bella Taylor Carnevale Quilted Cotton Wristlet Wallet / Fandori Sastin Silk Scarf with Contrasting Color- Gold and
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Unspeakable Crimes Famous Serial Killers in History
List of famous serial killers in the world. The most notorious serial killers are found on this page. This list of murderers is alphabetical by first name and can be sorted by any column. There's UK serial killers and American serial killers here. This list of the most well-known serial killers can be copied to make your very own list of the most famous serial killers in history, should you be so morbidly inclined.Who are the most famous serial killers in history? Celebrity serial killers are few and far between, so the world's most well-known serial killers aren't something to be taken lightly. Take a look at this list and you'll see who is considered amongst the worst serial killers ever.
Abdul Latif Sharif, was an Egyptian chemist and chief suspect in the Juárez killings, a decade-long murder spree that began in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juárez in the early 1990s. Sharif immigrated to the United States in 1970 to work as a high-paid research chemist for a series of U.S. companies, some of which are alleged to have shielded him from persistent accusations of rape and murder. Jailed for 12 years for rape in 1984, Sharif was released early for good behaviour in 1989, committed another rape, and fled to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, to escape a deportation hearing in El Paso, Texas. After the bodies of young women began to turn up in the desert surrounding Juárez, Sharif was ...more on Wikipedia
Age: Dec. at 59 (1947-2006)
Birthplace: Egypt
Cause Of Death: Natural causessee more on Abdul Latif Sharif
Adolfo de Jesús Constanzo was an American serial killer, drug dealer and cult leader. His nickname was El Padrino de Matamoros. ...more on Wikipedia
Age: Dec. at 27 (1962-1989)
Birthplace: Miami, Florida, United States of America
Cause Of Death: Suicide
Place Of Death: Mexico City, Mexicosee more on Adolfo Constanzo
Ahmad Suradji was a serial killer in Indonesia. Suradji, a cattle-breeder born on 10 January 1949, was executed July 10, 2008. He was also known as Nasib Kelewang, or by his alias Datuk. He admitted to killing 42 girls and women over a period of 11 years. His victims ranged in age from 11 to 30, and were strangled with a cable after being buried up to their waists in the ground as part of a ritual. Suradji was arrested on May 2, 1997, after bodies were discovered near his home on the outskirts of Medan, the capital of North Sumatra. He buried his victims in a sugarcane plantation near his home, with heads of the victims facing his house, which he believed would give him extra power. He told ...more on Wikipedia
Age: Dec. at 59 (1949-2008)
Birthplace: Medan, Indonesia
Cause Of Death: Execution by firing squad, Capital punishmentsee more on Ahmad Suradji
Alexander Yuryevich "Sasha" Pichushkin, also known as The Chessboard Killer and The Bitsa Park Maniac, is a Russian serial killer. He is believed to have killed at least 49 people, and possibly as many as 60, in southwest Moscow's Bitsa Park, where a number of the victims' bodies were found. ...more on Wikipedia
Age: 44
Birthplace: Mytishchi, Russiasee more on Alexander Pichushkin


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|History of the Basque
|Prehistory and Antiquity
|Basque Prehistory
|Basque people in Antiquity
|Middle Ages
|Duchy of Cantabria
|Duchy of Vasconia
|County of Vasconia
|Battle of Roncevaux Pass
|Kingdom of Navarre
|Banu Qasi
|Basque party wars
|Modern Age
|The Basque Country in the Early Modern Age
|Basque witch trials
|The Basque Country in the Late Modern Age
|Carlist Wars
|Basque nationalism
|Dukes of Vasconia and Gascony
|Kings of Pamplona and Navarre
|Lords of Biscay
|Counts of Araba
|Counts of Lapurdi
|Viscounts of Zuberoa
|Navarrese right
|Basque navigation
|Basque culture
|Basque literature
|Politics of the Basque Country
|Timeline of Basque history
|Basque portal
This article is part of the series:
Foreign policy
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Politics portal
Basque nationalism is a political movement advocating for either further political autonomy or, chiefly, full independence of the Greater Basque Country. As a whole, support for Basque nationalism is stronger in the Spanish autonomous Basque region and northwest Navarre, whereas in the French Basque Country support is minority.
Basque nationalism, spanning three different regions in two states (the Basque Country proper and Navarre in Spain and the French Basque Country in France) is "irredentist in nature"[1] due to its claims regarding the French provinces.
Basque nationalism is rooted in Carlism and the loss, by the laws of 1839 and 1876, of the Ancien Régime relationship between the Spanish Basque provinces and the crown of Spain. During this time, the reactionary Fuerista movement pleaded for the maintenance of the fueros system and territorial autonomy against the centralizing pressures from liberal governments in Madrid. The Spanish government revoked part of the fueros after the Third Carlist War. The fueros were charters granted by the successive kings of Castile and acted as part of the Basque legal system dealing with matters regarding the political ties of the Basque Provinces with the crown. The Fueros gave Basque subjects a privileged position in Spain with special tax and political status; basically, Basques were not subject to direct levee to the Castilian army, although many volunteered, especially in the Spanish navy, which was led, among others, by Basque sailors like Juan Sebastián Elcano.
The concept of a Basque nationalism was born out of the Carlist question and the influences from the Romantic European view of nationalism in the nineteenth century.
The seminal ideologist of this process was Sabino Arana, founder of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV in its Spanish acronym). By the end of the 19th century Arana, coming from a Carlist background, created an ideology centered on the purity of the Basque race and its so-called moral supremacy over other Spaniards (a derivation of the system of limpieza de sangre of Modern-Age Spain), anti-Liberal Catholic integrism, and deep opposition to the migration of other Spaniards to the Basque Country which had started at the first stages of the industrial revolution.
In the early 20th century, Basque nationalism developed from a nucleus of petty bourgeois enthusiasts (non-native Basque speakers themselves) in Bilbao to incorporate the peasant basis of Carlism in Biscay and Guipuscoa. The movement survived without any problems the dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera under the guise of cultural and athletic associations.
Basque nationalism managed to substitute Carlism in the favour of the Catholic Church as a barrier against leftist anti-clericalism in most of the Basque provinces.
In 1936, the main part of the Christian democrat PNV sided with the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War. The promise of autonomy was valued over the ideological differences, especially on the religious matter, and PNV decided to support the republican legal government, including member of the Popular Front. Autonomy was granted in October 1936. A republican autonomous Basque government was created, with José Antonio Agirre (PNV) as Lehendakari (president) and ministers from the PNV and other republican parties (mainly leftist Spanish parties).
However, in 1937, roughly halfway through the war, Basque troops, then under control of the Autonomous Basque Government surrendered in an action brokered by the Basque church and the Vatican in Santoña to the Italian allies of General Franco on condition that the Basque heavy industry and economy was left untouched.
Thus began one of the most culturally difficult periods of Basque history in Spain, due to immigration of non-Basque from other parts of Spain to serve a fast-paced industrialising economy which followed, thriving chiefly during the 1960s. This immigration was enhanced by the protectionist measures of the Franco regime, as the expanding Basque economy required more workers from elsewhere to fill the gap in the labour force. Simultaneously, Basque language was prohibited in those acts involving the public administration or the mass media, being only tolerated at some folkloric or clerical activities; the situation was milder for Basque language in Navarre and Álava, areas which sided with Franco's uprising.
For many leftists in Spain the surrender of Basque troops in Santoña (Santander) is known as the Treason of Santoña. Many of the nationalist Basque soldiers were pardoned if they joined the Francoist army in the rest of the Northern front. Basque nationalists submitted, went underground, or were sent to prison, and the movement's political leaders fled. Small groups escaped to the Americas, France and the Benelux, of which only a minority returned after the restoration of democracy in Spain in the late seventies, or before.
During World War II the exiled PNV government attempted to join the Allies and settled itself in New York to gain American recognition and support, but soon after the war finished, Franco became an American ally in the context of the Cold War, depriving the PNV any chance for power in the Basque Country.
In 1959, young nationalists founded the separatist group ETA, which soon adopted a Marxist revolutionary policy in the 1960s. Inspired by movements like those of Castro in Cuba and Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, the group aimed to establish an independent socialist Basque country through violence and extortion. ETA's first confirmed assassinations occurred in 1968, although it is not clear when it adopted assassination as a policy. It is currently the last remaining Spanish political group which supports violent direct action. At an ideological level, although ETA has not rejected race to be a defining feature of the Basque people, is stressing instead the importance of language and customs.
When Spain re-emerged as a democracy in 1978, autonomy was restored to the Basques, who achieved a degree of self-government without precedent in modern Basque history. Thus, based on the fueros and their Statute of Autonomy, Basques have their own police body and manage their own public finances with virtually no intervention from the central government of Spain. The Basque Autonomous Community has been led by the nationalist Christian democratic PNV since it was reinstated in the early 1980s until 2009 when PSE got into office. In Navarre, Basque nationalism has failed to gain control of the Autonomous Community's government, but several Basque nationalist parties run races in certain municipalities.
Unlike Spain, France is a centralized State, although a Basque nationalist party maintains a presence in some municipalities through local elections.


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TOKYO (Bloomberg) -- Call it Japan's Great Hangover.
Vehicle sales last month in Asia's second-largest auto market fell to the lowest since December 2012 after Japan raised its consumption tax for the first time 17 years, according to industry figures released today. In the run-up to the levy being increased 3 percentage points to 8 percent on April 1, sales had surged for seven straight months.
More broadly, the figures may foreshadow the extent of the consumer backlash resulting from the higher taxes Prime Minister Shinzo Abe imposed to counter the world's biggest debt burden. Economists estimate that this quarter, Japan will see its biggest economic contraction since the earthquake and tsunami that ravaged the country three years ago.
"Any sane person was buying big-ticket items in February or March rather than in April," Martin Schulz, an economist at Fujitsu Research Institute in Tokyo, said by telephone. "The Japanese carmakers will have to prove how much they really can work this very difficult market."
Total sales fell 5.5 percent to 345,226, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and Japan Mini Vehicle Association. The slump may deepen this month as poor weather prevented some customers, who placed orders before the sales tax increase, from getting their cars delivered until April.
'Grave' May
The delay made industry sales for April artificially high, and the numbers could turn "very grave" starting this month, Yoshitaka Hayashi, a director at the dealer association, told reporters today.
Carmakers are bracing for a yearlong slump, with the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association's forecasting a record 16 percent sales decline for the fiscal year ending in March 2015.
Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. delivered their fewest number of vehicles since 2011, according to the industry figures. Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., maker of Subaru cars, saw sales tumble 41 percent to a record low, based on data stretching back to 1993.
Nissan Motor Co., Honda Motor Co., Suzuki Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. bucked the slump by posting gains. Sales rose 7.1 percent for Nissan, 12 percent for Honda, 11 percent for Suzuki and 27 percent for Mitsubishi.
Prior to the April 1 tax increase, consumers went on a binge as they helped push deliveries to more than 783,000 vehicles in March, the highest monthly tally in eight years.
A prolonged slump would undercut the benefits that automakers such as Toyota -- headed for a record profit this fiscal year -- have reaped from exports due to a weaker yen.
"There may be a temporary hangover," said Kevin Tynan, an auto analyst at Bloomberg Industries. "Japanese automakers production and earnings are at risk."
A slew of retail data will be released in the coming weeks, including department store sales, to shed more light on Japan's downturn in consumption.
Slowing output
Manufacturers are reining in output and cutting orders after the sales-tax increase, the Markit Economics and Japan Materials Management Association said Wednesday. Their purchasing managers' index for manufacturing in Japan fell to 49.4 in April, the lowest in 14 months. A reading of less than 50 signals contraction.
In the corner of a Toyota dealership Wednesday in Osaka, a space usually reserved for celebrating customers' purchases and seeing them off was occupied by a Prius waiting to be fixed.
"It's been several months since we have been so free," said Isao Nakamura, a sales manager at the dealership, who estimates orders fell about 20 percent in April.
The last time Japan increased its consumption tax -- to 5 percent from 3 percent -- in April 1997, domestic car sales dropped 15 percent and declined for 21 months in a row.
For Toyota, the nation's largest company, the decline in domestic demand adds to the challenges it faces as the carmaker looks to fend off General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG for global sales leadership.
Toyota earnings
Including deliveries for its Hino Motors Ltd. and Daihatsu Motor Co. units, Toyota's sales rose about 6 percent to 2.58 million in the January-to-March period. Deliveries in Japan surged 13 percent to 322,252 during the same span.
Toyota has projected a record 1.9 trillion yen profit for the fiscal year ending in March. Analysts have scaled back their estimates for Toyota's earnings to below the company's forecast after the automaker called back more than 6 million vehicles last month and agreed in March to pay a record $1.2 billion U.S. fine for misleading consumers about safety defects.
The average of 25 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg calls for net income of 1.87 trillion yen in the year ended March, which would still be a record. The company reports results on May 8.
Honda last week forecast its full-year profit may increase to 595 billion yen in the 12 months ending in March 2015, 14 percent below the average analyst estimate compiled by Bloomberg. Nissan releases its earnings results on May 12.
Japan cut its vehicle-purchase tax to 3 percent from 5 percent to cushion the effect of the sales tax increase, and plans to abolish the levy when the nation's sales tax is raised to 10 percent in 2015.


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Our friendly and helpful team would like to welcome you to KK Sports & Leisure Centre, where we offer a fantastic range of activities for all ages and abilities.
Whether you want to improve your general health and fitness, try a new activity, arrange a children's party, or simply find an enjoyable way to spend your leisure time, our team is dedicated to ensuring that every visit is enjoyable.
We hope that in these pages you will find something to tempt you to visit and enjoy the facilities we offer.
Our opening times are; Monday - Friday 8.30am-9pm, Saturday 10am-3pm and Sunday is 10am - 4pm.
We look forward to welcoming you at the centre soon!