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PDAs For Every Budget
already hooked on a handheld? if not, chances are you know someone who is. the only downside to owning one is eyeing with envy all the new models that hit the market every few months. with the prices of basic models in free fall and manufacturers dreaming up all sorts of features to pack into high-end units, now is a good time to buy or upgrade. the past year was an exciting one for pda technology, with the arrival of faster processors, improved displays, built-in wireless capability, more combination pda/phones, and better audio and video support.
to help you sort through all the options, we've tested 13 standard pdas and 8 pdas with built-in phones. and for the first time, we've evaluated their audio and video capabilities to determine whether you can really play music or watch movies on them. we also detail the service plans of several wireless carriers for easy comparison. finally, we report on emerging wireless and handheld technologies.
despite the technology strides, in 2002 u.s. pda sales declined 12 percent, to 5.76 million units, according to research firm dataquest. analysts attribute the drop to slowed adoption by enterprises. yet consumers are still the backbone of the u.s. pda market, purchasing three-quarters of the devices sold. consumers use pdas to manage their appointments, contacts, money, music, photos, recipes, and other reference materialand, of course, to play games. we list the most popular ones throughout this story.
the proliferation of pdas has resulted in a more stratified market, with prices for every pocketbook. you can buy a simple palm zire for $100 (street) or a color dell axim 5 for a mere $249 (list). dataquest reports that just over 6 percent of pdas sell for more than $600, and roughly the same proportion are priced under $100. over a quarter cost from $200 to $299the sweet spot for the consumer market.
whatever the packaging, inside all of the pdas we reviewed is serious technology. intel xscale processors running as fast as 400 mhz recently surfaced in several pdas, including models from hewlett-packard and toshiba. and manufacturers are shifting from monochrome lcds with 160-by-160 resolution to tft color displays with up to 320-by-480 resolution. analysts at research firm displaysearch predict that more than 90 percent of pdas will have color screens by mid-2004.
handheld operating systems are also on the fast track. palm os retains its hold on the market; 55 percent of units worldwide shipped with it in 2002, compared with 25 percent that come with pocket pc. what's palmsource doing right? it continues to focus on personal information management (pim) tools and palm os's legendary ease of use. the company isn't sitting still, however; it has extended the os to be more versatile and improved audio and video playback. the new palm os 5.0 also does voice recording, a long-overdue enhancement.
meanwhile, pocket pc 2002, which includes windows media player, remains better designed for multimedia. but in our jury testing, the two high-end sony clié pdas (which use palm os 5.0 and their own multimedia software) earned top scores for audio and video playback quality.


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|Christmas Decorations at the hotel
Giving Voice is a national campaign led by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists which aims to demonstrate how speech and language therapy makes a difference to people with speech, language and communication needs, their families, and wider society. I'll be updating this blog regularly so please keep checking back and share it too :) click the Giving Voice logo to go direct to the official website!
Thursday, 15 December 2016
Inspiring the Future...
Sunday, 27 November 2016
Laughter is the best medicine!
|Lost Voice Guy, Ian Lavery, Andrew Day
At the Judges table with their goody bags!
|Medals and trophies for the children
Saturday, 15 October 2016
Learning to Laugh
|Tilly and Tom
Tuesday, 26 July 2016
Love to Laugh? Voice Box is Back!
|Tilly and Tom enjoying Voice Box
Tuesday, 8 March 2016
International Women's Day
|My sister Joanne, mam and grandma with a cool little Julie!
Monday, 7 March 2016
Laughter with a Lord
|Richard Burgon, Leeds East MP, Chris Dyson and TJ
Photo Credit: Geoff Wilson
|TJ telling his winning joke (complete with potato prop!) with Nick Smith, MP
Photo Credit: Geoff Wilson
Photo Credit: Geoff Wilson
Kamini Gadhok, CEO of RCSLT with Lord Quirk
Photo Credit: Geoff Wilson
Sunday, 6 March 2016
Raising the Roof at Speaker's House
I travelled to London for the Voice Box final on Wednesday. I arrived a little early at Portcullis House so had a little walk along the Thames to take a few photos. Anyone that knows me knows I can never have too many photos of Big Ben or the London Eye! After brief sightseeing I joined the queue to get into Portcullis House. Once through security I was greeted with a buzz of enthusiasm and excitement from all the children waiting to go to Speaker's House for the competition (and indeed the adults in the room too!)
|Portcullis House, London
Voice Box was organised by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and The Communication Trust. I had the pleasure of meeting the Director of The Communication Trust (Octavia Holland)on our way from Portcullis House to Speaker's House.
I was particularly excited that two of the Leeds schools had made it to the national final and chatted with both finalists while we were waiting. Both children from Leeds were particularly excited for their first trip to London and couldn't wait to tell their jokes! My niece took Voice Box to her school last term too and the winner from there also attended so I introduced myself to him and his guests too :)
|Nick Smith MP, me and Sharon Hodgson MP at the Giving Voice Awards 2011
|Ian Lavery, MP with me in Speaker's House
It was also lovely to have the chance to catch up with Andrea Robinson, who is also a member of the Giving Voice Innovation (GIG) group. She was also supporting a child in the final :)
|Me with Andrea Robinson, SLT
|Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East, Chris Dyson Head Teacher and TJ - winner of Voice Box!
Richard tweeted about the event and shared this photo on Facebook and Twitter

subset: commoncrawl


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Winter in South Carolina (where I currently reside) is essentially nonexistent. Growing up in realms north of the Mason-Dixon line, and having lived in the coldest capital city in the world, I know winter. This ain't it.
That said, along with the daffodils and tulips creeping up from the earth in my backyard, this website is also beginning to show signs of life again.
We've taken a break since Christmas. Many reasons for that — both personal and strategic.
Posting this to Just let you know the podcast and fun folklore content is coming back. Slowly but surely.
I've discovered a few links to keep you busy in the meantime.
There is a fun website called "Only in Your State" which posts oddities from the 50 states. For example, there's this post on 9 urban legends in the State where I reside. Search your State (or a state you'll be visiting soon!) to see the things which make that location odd, unique, or downright creepy.
While we focus primarily on North American folklore here at Folkloristic, let's be honest - North America gets a sizable chunk of our lore from the British motherland. The BBC published a wonderful article on the folklore of Essex - the origin point of demon-dogs, giant snakes, and the weird but intriguing owl-man. The photo of owl-man alone makes this worth a read through.
While we're still outside of North America (but still within the realm of her Majesty), this Australian craftsman has created furniture inspired by the monsters of Australian folklore. Unique and strange animals live in Australia in real life, making the beasts of Australian lore even more interesting. I want the scaled wardrobe.
Finally - if you plan to see Disney's live-action release of Beauty and the Beast this week, be sure to check out the folkloristic origins of the tale. Spoiler alert: the original is darker and there's no singing candlestick.
More coming soon! May your week be magical.


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I was inexperienced. I was new to technology altogether. I was awful.. 30; The War and Treaty, Sept.1; Mac Sabbath, F k You pay me, Queen of Hell, Ken Vandermark, Paal Nilssen Love Duo, Sept. 2; Sam Hooper Group, Sept.3; Jivviden, Bad Hounds, Sept.4; possessed by Paul James, Jivviden, Bad Hounds, Sept. 4; Oddi Tease, Vita Devoid, Gigi DeLuxe, Discord Addams, Bella Sin, Sept.5; Allison Bencar, Maura Rogers and The Bellows, Myth and company, Sept.
nba caps We stopped and bought some, enough for two ears each. It's best to buy just what you are going to eat that day. It is never the same if you've stored it for a day or more.. The Company has over 580 concession based shop within shops at approximately 260 retail locations, which are located in Asia, Australia supreme snapbacks, and Europe. The size of its concession based shop within shops ranges from approximately 200 to 3,300 square feet. Its Ralph Lauren e commerce sites offer customers access to an array of Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Polo, and Denim Supply apparel, accessories, watch and jewelry, fragrance and home product assortments. nba caps
supreme snapbacks To capture casual, a lot of restaurateurs turned first to the baseball cap. Two decades ago, if a chef emerged from the kitchen for a walk around an upscale dining room in the white double breasted jacket and baseball cap not toque it was a rarity. "Guests would want to see him and he would come out into the dining room in this baseball cap," she says. supreme snapbacks
Evening parties and cocktail parties are the most happening parties that can link you with your social circuit and evening dresses and cocktail dresses have become necessary for these parties. Variety of sizes, styles, fabrics and cuts are available which can make you look elegant and unique in the crowd. You can choose your own design of evening dresses and cocktail dresses that comes in all styles that will work in every evening party if paired with appropriate accessories..
nhl caps 2OO7 OUTLOOK: According to Flowers, it's not real positive. Ragland should be solid at quarterback but after losing running back Lequan Lewis to graduation, the Pioneers are going to need to find somebody to replace all those yards and touchdowns. "We never seem to reload, we're always rebuilding," Flowers said. nhl caps
European hare and beaver fur felt hats do not need to be waterproofed. You do not need to use silicone sprays or anything like that. The only hat that needs to be waterproofed is a wool hat and the reason is, is because the felt is not as dense and as strong and compacted together because of lack of microscopic barbs on the wool versus European hare which is rabbit fur felt or beaver fur felt.
nfl caps In 1992, Chelsea Clinton was the target of a " Saturday Night Live " Wayne World sketch {Supreme Snapbacks, comparing the then 12 year old looks to those of Al Gore daughters. Then https://www.basketballhat.com/supreme-snapbacks-c-143.html, Rush Limbaugh compared Clinton appearance to that of a dog. And the Bush twins also had their fair share of bad press when they were in college. nfl caps
mlb caps Light therapy may be most effective when you use it first thing in the morning when you wake up. You and your doctor or therapist can determine when light therapy works best for you. Response to this therapy usually occurs in 2 to 4 days, but it may take up to 3 weeks of light therapy before symptoms of SAD (such as depression) are relieved mlb caps.


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Presumed planet of origin: a planetoid in an asteroid belt located in the Gamma Canaris star system, less than 1000 ly from Earth, possibly a remnant of a planet breakup. It is one of 7000 bodies in the asteroid belt, 34 % of which had some type of atmosphere. The composition of the planetoid is iron and nickel, and it had an atmosphere that consisted primarily of oxygen and nitrogen with traces of krypton, argon, and neon. The general surface temperature was 75 °F. Gravity was 1G.
Only one representative of this species is known. The Companion is a non humanoid lifeform composed chiefly of ionized hydrogen and electricity. It appeared as a gaseous, vaguely sparkling cloud of yellow, orange, and red.It is able to communicate via telepathy with willing to do so. It has the ability to rejuvenate organic life, and inhibit the aging process, disperse or teleport itsel, produce material objects, including food and water and manipulate objects through telekynesis, produce electric discharges. It can also merge with a humanoid, creating a joined entity. In doing this, the creature sacrifices its immortality and most of its other powers.
Source: Star Trek universe, (TOS: "Metamorphosis")


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LOS ANGELES, Dec. 3, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CapitalSource Inc. (NYSE:CSE) today announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.01 per share on its common stock for the fourth quarter of 2013. The dividend will be payable on or about December 27, 2013 to shareholders of record on December 13, 2013. The ex-dividend date will be December 11, 2013. About CapitalSource: CapitalSource Inc. (NYSE:CSE), through its wholly owned subsidiary CapitalSource Bank, makes commercial loans to small and middle-market businesses nationwide and offers depository products and services in 21 retail branches in southern and central California. CapitalSource, headquartered in Los Angeles, had total assets of $8.8 billion and total deposits of $6.1 billion as of September 30, 2013. For more information, visit www.capitalsource.com.
CONTACT: For information contact: Investor Relations: Dennis Oakes Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications (212) 321-7212 email@example.com Media Relations: Michael Weiss Director of Communications (301) 841-2918 email@example.com


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Utility Infrastructure
MMI has extensive experience in water supply, sewage and sanitation systems in both small and large-scale urban development projects. Our domestic and fire water experience includes pipes and fittings, tapping sleeves, valves, meters, reduced pressure backflow preventers and double check detector assemblies and various housing structures and enclosures. We also have experience in sanitary sewer pipes and fittings, cleanouts and sewer lift stations and pump design.
Our engineering team has strong relationships with the Sewerage & Water Board (S&WB) network engineering and plumbing departments and a thorough understanding of the process involved in receiving approvals for water, sewer and drainage connections into the S&WB network. We also ensure that all our utilities designs are in accordance with the latest S&WB standard drawings and specifications.


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Did you hear what the Oregon shooter said?
"This is the only time I'll ever be in the news, I"m so insignificant!"
If a child grows up and feels they have no chance for success in life they can grow up and become our worst nightmare. On the other hand, if we make our children feel special it can have a profound impact on their lives and lead to greatness.
I know a lot of my friends are tired of my posts about Future American President, but the reason why I created this project is to help children feel important. In How To Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie speaks about the importance of feeling special. If a child feel special the gun issue would be a concern. I believe when a child grows up feeling special it can lead to a great future. The dangerous part is what can happen when a child grows up feeling worthless. Guess how the Oregon shooter felt about himself.
To inspire a child, it doesn't have to be our child, it can be a neighbor or a friend's child, but we all need to encourage kids to believe they have possibilities. I named my book project Future American President not because I was looking for children who want to become the president one day. I use the word president as a metaphor for greatness because if a child grows up believing they can become the president, they believe they can do anything in life.
To an adult, a picture of a child may just be a cute picture, but to the child it's a vision of themselves and endless possibilities.
If you believe in this message then please pledge 1 dollar today as a symbol to let others know this message is important and worth spreading. You can pledge here.
We have only 7 days left to bring this project to life. If it doesn't hit its 10K goal then this project will go away forever and no more books will be printed. However, we have a chance to make an impact on a child and keep them from feeling the way the Oregon shooter felt. Today you can make a difference. Please join us in bringing this project to life.
For each person who makes a pledge I will give a public thank you mentioning your name on Facebook, on my podcast and on my daily Periscope broadcasts.
Pledge here: http://kck.st/1UOLOn0
Make a child feel special here: http://kck.st/1UOLOn0
Always dream big,


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A "Monster's High" Birthday Party!/
I had never heard of "Monster's High" before this sweet Ari's birthday a few weeks ago now.
Monsters or not, after a little research I found these creatures to be quite charming and adorable.
I chose "Dracu-Laura" as our subject matter and I truly was floored at how awesome these little ladies did!!
Hope Spoken Link Up!/
This week I received an invitation...
My heart skipped a beat to receive this invite. I am so, so excited to meet you all!!!
An Introduction:
I am a midwestern girl who adores fall, twinkle lights, tea parties, indy film, creativity, music, and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is it!
I am married to a handsome handy-man who just finished seminary and I am blessed daily by his heart.
{Budget} Movie Night Under The Stars/
Since formerly working in film, I couldn't stop thinking last summer about how much I missed moonlit movies in Los Angeles at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
(And my parents have the ideal setting for a re-creation of this :)
When I pitched my parents the idea to throw an outdoor movie event in their backyard and they were all in...the planning commenced!
{Everything you see here...created on a budget!}
COFFEE AND CANVAS Ladies Night at Bloom Prints Studio/
Too much fun!
That is what describes our ladies painting night at Bloom-Prints Studio this weekend.
In Honor of the Royals: Another Princess Day at Bloom-Prints Studio./
This Friday, we had yet another Princess (and Knight) day at Bloom-Prints Studio.
In honor of the British Royal birth and his parent's Art History degrees...I thought I would post in our regal day : )
Congratulations Wills and Kate!
One Man's Dream...Inner City mission.../
A few weeks ago, I had the honor and privilege to partner with Heart Love Place in Milwaukee as their photographer and artist for their annual Red Tie Auction.
Every time I visit, I am slayed by what God is doing there.
The leadership He has brought to this ministry is amazing.
It truly overwhelms me to think of where this mission all started...A man several years ago now had a dream.
Art Studio Launch!!!/
Art Business Starting....and Contemporary Art-ing.
My heart.
It is SWELLING today with excitement!
A dream for years...A dream for years coming true today.
A dream to provide a safe space, to build your children's self-esteem and to be truly cared for while creating great art!
A sneak peek of the Bloom Prints Studio!
A Recap of Our First Day of Studio Classes!/
"I Can Draw A Hippo and a Monkey!"
Friday blessed my heart x10, the day we launched our art studio at Whelan's!
A HUGE THANK YOU!!! To Mrs. Whelan and her gracious willingness to support our studio launch!
We had a re-schedule of three sweet little ladies, so this class was very sweet and small and our girls got some very special one-on-one attention :)
As I noted on Friday's post...I wanted to share a few sweet photos of that precious day on Monday. So without further adieu... :) To Read More...Click here!
A Whimsical Baby Shower for a Special Momma!/
Not only is this precious baby a miracle from heaven, but Jessie's story is a miracle in and of itself.
In May of 2011, on Jessie's wedding day, one entire side of her body went numb and she was unresponsive.
At 26 years of age, on her wedding day, Jessie was having a stroke.
An incredible test for this (almost) newly married couple.
Praise God, she miraculously came through and they married a few short days thereafter.
She is an incredible fighter.
Throwing a Baby Shower - For Two Tiny Miracles!/
They Twins Are Here!
Planning a baby shower can be such an incredible opportunity. Throwing a party for a friend or a loved one means you have the rare honor of blessing the heart of a momma-to-be and celebrating an unborn life!
One of my dearest friends in my entire life had not one, but two precious baby boys and I had said honor of throwing them an elephant themed celebration of life. She and her husband had been through an incredible amount of obstacles (born at 26 weeks),...
To read more...click here!
Zachariah's Acres./
Making Nature Accessible to Families with Children with Special Needs.
My heart was blessed beyond belief, when asked to do the photography for the Fall Kick-off event for Zachariah's Acres. This incredible ministry was started by a man with a vision. His mission: to make "Nature Accessible to Families with Children with Special Needs." Children come to this beautiful plot of land and share laughs and memory making with their parents, that will last them a lifetime!
Blog post coming soon!
Movie Night-Under The Stars/
Sing'n' In The Rain!
Since formerly working in the film industry, I sentimentally recalled last summer how much I missed moonlit movies in Los Angeles at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. (Read more about it here!) When I pitched the idea to have an outdoor movie event in fall and everyone was in...the planning commenced!
Blog post coming soon!


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An ethnic dish that brings me back to Thailand – Papaya Salad (also known as Som Tum Thai). This salad can be firey when you add the chili peppers (or in my case accidentally a GHOST PEPPER which was far too much for my taste buds). But that being said, this recipe is totally customizeable.
This traditional Thai dish is one that I had every day for the 10 days I spent throughout my travels this past month in October 2015. Fresh, local ingredients of papaya, tomato, green beans and a garnish of cabbage with its combination flavors of lime juice, garlic, fish sauce, and chilis had me ordering this at least once a day (sometimes twice!!) Papaya contains a specific enzyme, papain which has digestive properties and is helpful for those with stomach discomfort. It's soft buttery flesh can be green or orange in color and is easy for the intestines to move along the tract and digest. Rich in Vitamin C, A, and fiber this fruit provides wonderful nutritional benefits too! Dig in – it is one of my favorites and soon to be yours too!
- This dish is totally customizeable - add more lime juice, less sugar, extra chili pepper (or none at all) its up to you!
- Many Asian markets have pre-shredded green papaya. If you can't find it pre-shredded just buy a whole one, peel the outer skin, remove the inside seeds and shred using a regular cheese grater with medium-large sized holes. I used a food processor and used the "shred" option making it super easy and quick.
- If you can't find "green papaya" no worries, you can use regular tropical papaya (orange flesh), or even make a mix of papaya and cucumber or carrots.
- In Thailand, they used a mortar, pestle and spatula to smash and mix the ingredients in one bowl. I however, just used a large mixing bowl to smash the ingredients together.
- 2 cups Shredded Green Papaya
- 5 Cherry Tomatoes (or 1 Large Tomato cut into chunks)
- 2 Chili Peppers, chopped fine (or 1/4 of 1 ghost pepper ** BEWARE this is basically putting fire in your mouth)
- 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce (*If you are vegetarian swap with Tamari or Soy Sauce)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Handful of Fresh Green Beans (end stems removed)
- 1 Lime (Juice)
- 1 Tbsp Sugar (*You can swap with stevia)
- 1/4 cup Peanuts (*Optional)
Optional Additions:
- Shrimp is traditional (option to add tofu or chickpeas for extra protein)
- Cucumber
- Red Onion
- Cilantro or Basil
- Using either a mortar and pestle OR using a large mixing bowl and spatula, smash the garlic clove first in the bowl, then add the green beans and cherry tomatoes pounding a few times to get the juice out.
- Add the chili peppers and crush them to release the hot flavors.
- Add the shredded papaya, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and optional peanuts, shrimp/tofu, and basil/cilantro. Continue to use your spatula or pestle to push the mixture down into the bowl releasing all the oils, juices and complementing flavors.
- Plate and serve as is or garnish with a sliver of green cabbage and fresh cut green beans on the side.


text: Few of us have ever experienced anything like the current job market. Millions of jobs have disappeared, and everyone from experienced executives to newly minted college graduates are facing the toughest environment in decades. Which is why top-notch interview skills are more important than ever. Top Notch Interviews teaches job seekers at any level, from all industries and professions, the author's proven technique to increase interview success.


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Caroline has worked with Beyond for quite a few years now, having responded to an advert that said 'must love dogs'. Although principally her role is dealing with the administration and accounts she is often to be found stroking the dogs, cuddling the cats and patting the horses. Caroline can also be found at Beyond trainings and events either hosting or as a participant, and occassionally both.
Caroline has a varied background in business and hospice care and is trained in massage and aromatherapy. She is also a NLP Master Practitioner.
She spends much time with her own dogs and fosters unwanted older dogs. She also sings with a choral society and folk group and has recently been encouraged to pick up her guitar again after several decades of it sitting in the corner of a room.


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A state panel charged with coming up with reforms for Metra and other Illinois public transit agencies is set to have a second public hearing.
The Northeastern Illinois Public Transit Task Force meets Wednesday in downtown Chicago.
Gov. Pat Quinn formed the group in August after allegations about political hiring at Metra. He's called for an overhaul of the commuter rail agency, PACE and other transit agencies.
Appointed members of the task force include former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider. They're expected to send a first batch of suggested reforms to Quinn by Oct. 18. Lawmakers are set to meet in Springfield days later, and could take up legislation based on the suggestions.
The group will submit a final report in January.


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About a decade ago, I became aware of how Outlook would never be anything but a glorified address book. And if I was going to leverage technology to improve my relationship skills, I needed to find a Client Relationship Management tool ("CRM") that would capture important customer information that would be useful in adding value to those important relationships.
OK, I confess that it has not been an easy path and ultimately, the finest piece of wisdom I've collected along the way came from my good friend, Chuck Cutler at Client Look who said, "The perfect CRM is the one you use." My behavior patterns were a perfect demonstration of this wisdom as we proceeded to try REA, Realhound, ACT!, ACT! for CRE and most recently ClientLook with less than perfect results (i.e. I was not using any of them!!!).
About two months ago, I came upon something called CapsuleCRM and my assistant and I have been using it for about two months and we LOVE IT! Let me give you the reasons why…
- It plays very nice with Gmail and Google Apps for Business which we also love. Capsule inserts a "gadget" into Gmail that provides a one-click path to (a) adding a contact into the CRM and (2) placing a copy of an email and all attachments into that contact record.
- It is very, VERY intuitive and very, VERY clean interface. I like simple and boy is this ever easy to use in every respect.
- Connected with social media. Automatically grabs photos from Facebook, Google+ and Twitter accounts. Auto links to LinkIn accounts and more.
- Very affordable. For less than $25/month, my assistant and I both have our own accounts which link into a common database.
- Linkages to lots of other tools including MailChimp
- Management of sales pipelines and opportunities and more…much more.
There is a 30-day free trial which we made use of in evaluating this tool and I must say that not a day goes by that I don't find another reason to praise this product. If you are frustrated with the complicated CRM programs that require days of training and want something that simply works and is affordable, I highly recommend you try CapsuleCRM and see for yourself.
Good luck!


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McDonald Hopkins Law Firm Alert: Court Finds Patent False Marking Statute Unconstitutional
Feb 24, 2011, 04:30 ET
CLEVELAND, Feb. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In a landmark decision on February 23, 2011, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio ruled that the qui tam portion of the patent false marking statute (35 U.S.C. Section 292) is unconstitutional because it lacks "sufficient control" for the President of the United States to "take care of the laws of the United States" as required by Article II of the United States Constitution. Unique Product Solutions, Ltd. v. Hy-Grade Valve, Inc., Case No. 5:10-cv-1012.pdf (N.D. Ohio 2011).
In the past few years, the number of patent false marking suits has increased to the point where it has become a cottage industry. This recent explosion stems from a ruling by the Federal Circuit that the statute's civil penalty provision allows recovery of up to $500 for each occurrence of a false marking. In other words, for every product sold that has been marked with an expired patent, the defendant may be liable for up to $500 for false marking. Since that ruling, attorneys and companies formed solely for the purpose of filing false marking suits have scoured for products marked with expired patents and filed hundreds of patent false marking actions across the country. The goal of those suits has been to force companies having marked their products with expired patents into quick settlements.
Click below to read the McDonald Hopkins Intellectual Property Alert:
McDonald Hopkins Law Firm Alert; Court Finds Patent False Marking Statute Unconstitutional
About McDonald Hopkins
McDonald Hopkins is a business advisory and advocacy law firm with offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, and West Palm Beach. The firm's comprehensive legal services are provided by teams of specialized attorneys and professionals in areas such as business law, litigation, business restructuring and bankruptcy, estate planning, government affairs, healthcare, intellectual property, labor and employment, and mergers and acquisitions. The president of McDonald Hopkins is Carl J. Grassi. For more information about McDonald Hopkins, visit www.mcdonaldhopkins.com.
SOURCE McDonald Hopkins


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Support our core operations
Every day, IMS cares for its retreatants, teachers, staff, facilities and grounds. The income that's needed to successfully operate our Retreat Center and Forest Refuge programs comes from two sources – course fees and donations. Since we try to keep our retreat fees as affordable for as many people as possible, revenue from this stream usually covers just half of our expenses.
This means that we must rely on the generosity of our community to balance our budget and to operate our centers in a sustainable way.
If you have questions, please call 978-355-4378 ext. 230 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Dropsy on Facebook | Dropsy on Twitter
Stretch Goals!
Joe Badon is illustrating a beautiful 16 page "Choose Your Own Adventure" coloring book! These will be sent out in January, along with a digital download of accompanying original music by me! To order, click "Manage Pledge" and add 11.11 if you live in the US, or 13.11 if you live anywhere else!
"Dropsy is a clown. A very, um, not nice looking clown. I think I love him. He has a puppy and he draws his own, poorly painted face on everything – including said loyal canine companion. TV and my nightmares tell me that ours is a world full of sad clowns just trying to get by/devour my heart with crooked, yellow teeth, but Dropsy is an irrepressibly joyful clown in a sad situation. His family's circus has been burnt to the ground, and he's gone from local, animal-whispering hero to scrap-collecting outcast. His game, then, is a point-and-click adventure that wields sorrow in one hand and gut-busting humor in another, with a fascinating open-world structure gluing everything together. The personality is strong in this one."
Nathan Grayson - Rock, Paper, Shotgun
"All in all, Dropsy really grabs my attention for simply daring to be a bit different. The character isn't out to save the world. He's a social outcast, but really wants to do well..."
Chris Priestman - Indie Statik
Dropsy is an open world adventure game with an emphasis on surreal atmospheric elements and environmental storytelling. It extracts the humor and rich narratives from classic adventure games and places them into a unique exploration based framework. You guide Dropsy, a perpetually carefree clown (ex-clown to be precise) through a richly detailed world full of colorful characters and sinister secrets.
Dropsy subverts the traditional tendency of game protagonists to be destructive forces in the world. Instead of slaying enemies, Dropsy's innocence and kindness act as a catalyst for redemption. Dropsy doesn't recognize anyone as his enemy, and will lovingly embrace them whether they like it or not.
Though its roots are in the point-and-click titles of old, Dropsy is an almost entirely text-free experience. There are still colorful characters to communicate with, but the dialogue is handled visually rather than linguistically.
This helps emphasize another theme central to the game, a sense of not belonging. Players may not always understand what a character is trying to communicate, resulting in assumptions based on how they interpret the visual symbols. This came as a way to deal with the fact that Dropsy cannot speak, and has become one of its most unique aspects. It also gives the game a universal appeal as people who speak any language can enjoy it fully.
The goal is to allow the player to discover the narrative at their own pace instead of spoon feeding them plot points. Solutions to puzzles emerge organically as more is learned about Dropsy's world.
Dropsy started in 2008 as a "Choose Your Own Adventure" game on a message board. To see an archive of the game, CLICK HERE.
Teaser Trailer
The Story
In addition to being a gentle soul, Dropsy harbors at least one miraculous ability: While his bumbling speech sounds like babble to your average human, animalkind understands it perfectly. This was discovered by his parents at an early age and was put to good use in their circus as he grew older. The act gained widespread notoriety, and Dropsy quickly became a hometown celebrity.
The plot of this game revolves around the events following a deadly fire at Dropsy's family's circus, resulting in the tarnishing of his image as a local hero.
Their tent now serving as a dilapidated makeshift home, Dropsy and his father struggle to survive by collecting scrap metal and taking (occasionally humorous) odd jobs.
You guide Dropsy and his faithful dog Eughh on an adventure permeated with humor, wondrous sights, and buried secrets. Bizarre, otherworldly events unfold as you discover more about the fateful fire and Dropsy's nebulous past.
The World
Though often bizarre and humorous, this game's world takes itself more seriously than your usual graphic adventure. It's organized by a few nuanced people groups, each with defined relationships. Players progress by learning. As you familiarize yourself with how the world's history, locations, NPCs, and groups of NPCs relate to each other, solutions to puzzles become increasingly apparent.
The Dreamworld
Dropsy's dreamworld will be another avenue for discovering more of the story and mythos without needing text. Only accessible for five minutes at a time while Dropsy sleeps, his dream world is a surreal amalgam of events from his past, opinions, interests, and desires. When you return, you'll begin where you left off.
The dreamworld is entirely optional, and completion of the game is possible without visiting it once. That said, it offers a solid text-free way to give extra exposition of Dropsy's backstory and personality. It will also drop esoteric clues about the events happening in the overworld - think Agent Cooper's dream sequences from Twin Peaks.
Puzzles and Design
Dropsy is an 'open world' game in the sense that you can visit almost every area from the very beginning. There is initially a clear suggested route, but very few locations are off limits. This presents a few challenges in designing an adventure game, as they generally lock you into a specific location until you solve specific puzzles. Many of them also require a chain of sequential actions in order to complete said puzzles. These actions usually revolve around communication with NPCs, interacting with set-pieces, finding items, combining items with other items, or using items on set-pieces.
Dropsy hasn't done away with that stuff, it's just de-emphasized. The major difference here is the fact that puzzles are geographically oriented. The world is littered with hints that get more and more frequent and apparent as you near the geographic core of a puzzle. Once you discover that core location, you'll only be required to perform a few of the aforementioned traditional actions to solve the puzzle and progress in the game. This allows puzzles to support the narrative in a stronger way, and helps alleviate problems that arise with hard to decipher 'game designer logic.'
More information on the system can be found here:
While there has been a resurgence in throwback adventures lately, they tend to forget the old crusty Soundblaster/FM Synth tones that gave the classics a warm edge. We'll be combining this aesthetic with fuzzed out guitars, organs, tape echo, 70's drum machines, vintage keyboards, ukulele, and jacked up drum kits. Oh, and plenty of Mellotron.
Each area in the game will be represented by diverse styles, ranging from Dub/Roots Reggae to Prog Rock to Shoegaze. If the project exceeds $19,000, Chris Schlarb will compose the music for the bulk of the game. Jay Tholen (and friends) will still handle the Dream World.
Music Examples:
Music by Chris Schlarb:
More by Chris Schlarb:
Music by Jay Tholen:
Krautrock Inspried track by Jay Tholen:
The music will also be dynamic in that it shifts depending on the mood of the scene, as heard in the following example:
Because people dig it when you namedrop stuff, Dropsy was influenced by the following things in some manner: Twin Peaks, Earthbound, Grim Fandango, Myst/Riven, The Neverhood, Shoegaze, 70's Prog Rock (especially Magma - if you dig Magma you're going to love part of this game), Roots/Dub Reggae, Free Jazz, Theology, Surrealism, and Scandinavian Folklore.
Jay Tholen - Artist, Designer, Composer
After years of relentless begging, our first computer was purchased in early 1997. My parents' tight financial situation meant that new games were a Christmas-only affair, so most of my early PC gaming experiences came out of the bargain bin. While I didn't like it then, I now appreciate that I was 'forced' to play older games. Had it not been for this I probably would've missed the entire Adventure genre.
Everything changed upon receiving a copy of Sim Tower for my Eleventh birthday. A demo of Klik & Play contained on the disc sparked a passion for game design in me that has never waned. I joined the 'klik' community shortly after and began pumping out retrospectively awful, but ultimately necessary, amateur games.
It was in these days that I met Justin, the programmer for Dropsy.
My creative gaze shifted toward music after discovering Prog Rock in my junior year of high school. This led to an intense period of consuming as many challenging, unfamiliar sounds as my ears could handle. Discovering artists like Brian Eno, Albert Ayler, and Magma were important milestones for me. After graduating, I purchased my first mixer and MIDI controller and began concocting my own.
Inevitably, the two passions began to converge. In 2007 I became active in the Chiptune and VGM communities and have released Twenty-Five albums and EPs since.
Justin Warnes - Programmer, Designer
Programs the computer.
Chris Schlarb - Composer [If $19,000 is reached]
Prolific musician, producer, and composer Chris Schlarb will be composing the bulk of the OST. Chris is best known in indie game circles as the composer for Nifflas' ambient puzzler Night Sky. His solo albums released under Asthmatic Kitty and work as half of experimental jazz duo I Heart Lung have received universal acclaim. He also founded the record label Sounds Are Active in 1999. His most recent work can be heard in 90's Arcade Racer.
Acacia Lawson - Animator [If $25,000 is reached]
Acacia Lawson is a freelance (or, according to her, mercenary) animator/illustrator working out of Atlanta, Ga. Trained in animation, she's ended up gravitating towards video game art in her career, and pixel art in particular. She has a penchant towards strange-looking characters, and especially enjoys monsters/characters perceived as monsters. Her main aspiration is to one day save the world, or barring that, make some really cool cartoons.
David Saulesco - Voice Actor - [if $26,000+ is reached]
David Saulesco cut his teeth writing the thematically driven, orchestral soundtrack to Derek Yu's monumental indie hit Eternal Daughter and has since composed for several computer games. He has also worked as a game journalist for the Swedish national radio and written symphonic arrangements for live game music concerts worldwide.
Melanie Ehrlich - Voice Actress [if $26,000+ is reached]
Melanie is an awesome actress and voiceover talent who always has something interesting up her sleeve. She has two pet rabbits named Fluffy and Pia, and they are pretty much the best and fuzziest things ever. She has given life to myriad fun and lovable characters over the years, but have found few that are purer of heart than Dropsy and his gang.
You can hear an example of Melanie's voice work in an older Dropsy track here:
Why Kickstarter?
Finishing this game by the end of 2014 requires time and focused effort, Both of which are much harder to facilitate without funding. All money raised will go directly towards the creation of the game, including compensation for our incredible team. You can find a detailed breakdown in the Budget section below.
Another Kickstarter?
We had two previous campaigns for Dropsy. The most recent one was unsuccessful, but we did make it to 50% completion thanks to our passionate backers.
The other Kickstarter, from 2011, was successful. The minimum goal was $225 for a software package, and it ended up bringing in $1,600. I assumed I'd just be able to purchase the software, get a decent (read: non-broken) computer, learn a few programming tricks, and release a game in two years. I've made lots of progress, but I was definitely naive in my expectations.
I have not stopped working on the game since that original Kickstarter. I live and breathe this thing. The framework of the game is mapped out completely, and many of the art and music assets are complete. The funds from this campaign will allow me to actually turn all of this content into something playable, polish it up, and release it.
On Stretch Goals
There are three, and will only ever be three stretch goals. These will allow me to bring on Chris to compose, Acacia to animate, and a few voice actors to record a made-up phonetic language to tie into the visual dialogue system.
We're happy with the game's current scope and feature set, so anything above the last stretch goal will allow me to pay our team for more work, smoothing out the development process.
If we don't make these goals, I will be handling the soundtrack and animation work myself. This could push the game's release to early-mid 2015.
REWARD-O-BOT explains them better than I ever could...
Thank you! Your name will appear in the game's credits. You'll also receive access to incredibly entertaining exclusive video updates at least once per month.
Get an early downloadable copy of the game for PC, Mac, and Linux.
Help steer Dropsy's development by participating in the game's beta. Enjoy the double album soundtrack while you're at it! Also includes a special Book of Secrets containing everything from concept art to detail on the mythos to a special worldmap overlay pointing to hidden secrets.
Receive a beautiful 18x24 poster version of the worldmap.
A piece of Dropsy history sent to your doorstep! Dropsy was laid out on paper through a series of doodles, free writing exercises, and diagrams scrawled across the pages of a spiral notebook.
Concept art from the game sent to you. In the mail! In real life!
Leave your own little footprint in Dropsy's dreamworld by creating a non-interactive set piece OR collectable item. We'll work together to make sure the idea is congruent with the game's themes.
Send me anything below 30 seconds and I'll work it into the soundtrack somewhere. OR if you play an instrument, I'll send you a track to jam over.
Design your very own in-game character! Custom dialog and everything! We'll Skype or email and work your idea for a simple NPC into Dropsy's world.
Design your very own explorable area, complete with a custom NPC! We'll Skype or email and work your ideas into Dropsy's world.
Here's the breakdown of our budget for Dropsy:
Licensing Fees have to do with software that allows us to port the game to Mac and Linux.
Reward fulfillment includes the postage and printing expenses associated with our physical rewards.
All Coding and Design funds go towards software and work hours put in by our programmer.
Assorted / Misc. includes light marketing and a 'rainy day fund' in case my rickety computer dies on me.
Risks and challenges
Game development is sometimes unpredictable, but we're doing what we can to limit any potential hangups. I am so personally invested in and passionate about this project that it WILL be made. The only question is 'when.'
If we make the minimum goal, but Acacia and Chris aren't able to assist with animation and music, the release date will be pushed to Spring 2015. I'll need that extra time to finish the music and animation involved. We'll still release an early playable version for beta testers in 2014.Learn about accountability on Kickstarter
Funding period
- (32 days)


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Shoosmiths promotes 5 partners, 80 percent female
Shoosmiths has announced an 80 percent female promotion round this year.
The firm promoted five lawyers, four of them women. The majority of the promotions were in real estate, with three lawyers hailing from Manchester, Milton Keynes and Nottingham receiving promotions in that field. An employment specialist and a regulatory lawyer were also promoted in the firm's Birmingham office.


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Sew Giving: sewing for others.
Past and present students of Sew You Studio are invited to come sew and make things to donate to non-profit organizations.
The project for April will be baby bibs. They will be donated to the Gabriel Project, a crisis pregnancy center that is committed to supporting pregnant mothers with emotional, spiritual, and material assistance.
This event is free and materials will be provided. However, any donations of cotton fabric are welcome! Please notify Claudia if you plan on a fabric donation. Thank you!
To sign up please contact Claudia. Space is limited.


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Happy Medic has recently asked how to fix the things that are broken in EMS systems around the world. This got me to thinking and resulted in this post which is all about one aspect of pre-hospital health care that I think the system in the UK and probably most other countries fail dramatically in.
If you phone 999 (or 911) for a chest pain, you will get, at a minimum, an emergency ambulance with a paramedic. He or she will fully assess your cardiac emergency, take all of your vital signs, do a 12 lead ecg, then interpret it to diagnose an acute myocardial infarction. You will receive aspirin, buccal GTN, 100% Oxygen and Morphine (if not contra-indicated) If evidence of an MI is seen, the ecg will be transmitted to one of the receiving cardiac units where you will be transported directly to, on lights and sirens, to have your angioplasty within the shortest possible time frame.
If you phone 999 for a stroke you will, at a minimum, have an ambulance response within 8 mins from a paramedic who will assess your condition and the presence of a positive FAST (face, arm and speech test). He or she will provide 100% oxygen, a chair to the vehicle, will contact a local stroke unit and transport you there with lights and sirens so that you can get a fast scan (CT scan) and clot busting thrombolysis treatment if appropriate.
If you phone 999 because you feel suicidal, acutely depressed, very anxious, have taken an overdose, have harmed yourself or have some other emergent mental health problem, you will receive and ambulance response, usually with a paramedic. He or she will look at your physical wounds(if you have harmed yourself) and will transport you to a local A&E department to wait for hours before possibly seeing an on call psychiatrist who will not admit you to a psychiatric unit as you will most likely by intoxicated with alcohol and will therefore be out of bounds for getting onto an acute psychiatric ward. You will eventually be sent back home with instructions to follow up with your GP. You will feel let down by the NHS, you will feel as though no one is there to help you and you may feel that the next time you "cry for help" you will have to try that little bit harder, which may result in your early and very unnecessary death.
The ambulance service cannot be the life line for acute and chronic psychiatric illness. We do not have the necessary expert training nor the time to talk to a patient for the length of time required to have any significant impact on a person in crisis. All we can do is to try and be understanding, not judge the patient, and treat them like any other patient who has a physical problem.
Mental illness is so incredibly common. Sometimes I think paramedics can forget that the crushed and despondent patient sitting in front of them in the back of the ambulance could so easily be one of us at any time. God knows, we see and deal with enough stuff to cause us to have some sleepless nights and to leave some unpleasant thoughts with us. How long before it all builds up and manifests itself in a mental illness. I can easily tell which of my colleagues have had experience with mental illness on a personal level, either themselves or with a close loved one. I can see the different way they approach these patients, the obvious empathy they have and the kindness and compassion in their words and actions.
I am one of those paramedics. I have had my own problems in my life (some of which I intend to share at a later date) and some I have witnessed in my family. I have also had the opportunity to undergo some mental health training whilst studying for my registered nurse qualification. I only hope that if ever I become poorly and need help from the NHS, that I get someone who can empathise and sympathise with what I may be going through at the time.
However, as I said, the ambulance service isn't the real problem. The real problem is the lack of help for patients with acute manifestations of mental illness.
How wonderful would it be to have specialist centres where as pre-hospital clinicians, we could refer and transport these patients to their own type of "definitive care"?. Imagine what it would be like to have a purpose built unit, staffed with RMN's (registered mental health nurses), counsellors and psychiatrists. There would of course need to be the facility to triage their patients so that the genuine ones get all of the help they need and the not so genuine ones get told that it is not just the easy option to keep going there. There would be a unit or a ward where they would actually take intoxicated patients, because, lets face it when everything goes pear shaped, most people turn to the drink which shouldn't really result in "definitive treatment" not being given. There would also be follow up clinics for patients who do not require immediate "life saving" emergency psychiatric care (like a follow up in a fracture clinic for a broken limb) and there would be clear links to further community care to continue the patients treatment.
Do you think this is all a dream?? Probably, although I hope that one day there may be some equality in the way that mental health is approached when compared to the money and resources thrown at the big physical problems out there.


text: A look into a magazine cover shoot - telling a story, highlighting food, locations and subjects. This is a recent cover shoot for Date Night Cincinnati in which we feature Moerlein Lager House at The Banks, Smale Park, and the historic Roebling Bridge. Huge shout out to our models, Amber Mueller and Tommy Stevison and those stylish specs? You guessed it, those are Frameri creations all the way! Make sure you and your date get yourselves to The Banks this Spring for great food, drinks and sights!


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Known as is a column in the list of students attending my Reading and Interpretation seminars at UCL. Preferred name is often a field in a job application form. We might otherwise make the culturally-conditioned assumption that a person's registered first name is for informal use and the last name for formal contexts. The Canadian Language Museum Blog last year published a map of Naming conventions in Europe, North Africa, and Asia showing that the pattern of Given name + Family name is now common from Britain to parts of south-east Asia.
We were surprised, hunting down the Mills family in West Leake, Nottinghamshire, to find this slimline blue slate gravestone, now leaning against the southern wall of the chancel, but formerly marking the grave of two of William and Hannah Mills' children. What was surprising wasn't so much the tragedy of losing a baby boy of ten months and a daughter of twelve, but Hannah's names. Was she really 'known as' Kirk – a masculine-sounding name, and not even Biblical. Her father was a factory-owner and Methodist Local Preacher. I'd like to imagine that she was known as Hannah or some diminutive (Hannah also being her mother's name). As you've probably guessed, Kirk was her mother's maiden surname: William Mills and Hannah Kirk were married at All Saints, Loughborough, on 17th July 1826. The Kirks are still a significant local farming family. If you stare heavenwards in East Leake Parish Church, you can still see in bold lettering on one of the beams 'T Kirk Churchwarden 1769'.
In that case, her parents or godparents had chosen at the font inside Saint Helena's Church, to give Hannah a combination of baptismal names that commemorated her family history ahead of the name they would use at home. It suddenly occurred to me that this pattern is followed more than we recognise. Both my mother and mother-in-law always used their middle names; it wasn't that they dropped their first names when they became teenagers, but their parents had always intended to call them by their middle names. That was in the 1930s; Kirk Hannah Mills was born over a hundred years before, when (outside of the Landed Gentry and Aristocracy) it was relatively unusual in Britain to have more than one baptismal name.
Reflecting on my own family, the pattern of
- Commemorative name
- Preferred (contemporary) name
- Surname
was actually very common in the early twentieth century. My Granddad's siblings were 'Uncle Eric' and 'Auntie Maud', both popular turn-of-the-century names, but it was their silenced first names – Joseph and Elizabeth – that commemorated their paternal grandparents.
Stephen Wilson (The means of naming, UCL 1998) fails to consider whether this pattern has any significance. I am sure that it does; it was intentional and outward-facing act by parents, balancing past and present, respect and affection, home and society. Wilson brings to our attention research showing that in the nineteenth century and earlier French children were often known by names that were unrecorded in official records (p234):
'He was registered as Jean-Louis, but he is called Pierre-Marie' an ethnologist was told in the Bigouden. A study of the Vexin shows that only about half the men and women listed in the 1836 census bore names identical to those in the register of births.
Was English experience similar to French? Did our ancestors with such a standard palette of names in the census returns go by a more colourful selection of pet-names and nicknames at home and at work? I don't have much evidence, really only my own family's oral history, which is full of name forms that you will never find on a birth certificate or census return – Aunties Nellie, Polly and Sally, Uncle Jack (and north of the border, Uncle Jock), Fin and Jennie, Aggie and Sandy. And don't forget the politically-charged diminutives of William used in Ireland – Protestant Billy versus Catholic Liam.
These are all hypocoristic forms of registered names, not different names altogether. Was the French pattern of a sort of 'Kennel name' for the official record and a radically different everyday name ever followed in England? We do it with pedigree dogs: our old border terrier was registered Shacklebush Baron, but we called him George or Georgie, a name unknown to the Kennel Club. Conformist and deferential to authority, our 19th century English ancestors generally used affectionate forms of their registered and baptismal names.
But as the fashion for multiple first names spread from high to low during the 19th century, it became possible to formally give a child both a Sunday-best name and an affectionate name. Was this a new pattern, or an old pattern now becoming visible in official records for the first time? Do any genealogists out there have evidence, however slight and inferential, of unrecorded names in use in 19th century England?
If only there had been a column in the Census returns for Preferred Name. Then we might all get a little closer to 'meeting the ancestors'.


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Tic Tac Toe Space Description
Play online Tic Tac Toe Space here on BrightestGames. Tic tac toe lovers! Do you want to play this game in deep silence of the space. You can choose what you want from 6 planet views. Your own can play against the computer or can play with your friends in two players mode. Choose match count as 3, 5, 7 and start the game with choosing the first player who will play as first. The goal is to be able to bring together 3 X or O side, vertically or diagonally. Have fun!
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A great wedding - Amy and Ryan, with a Detroit Urban Shoot and a trip to the Sterling Heights Fire Station
Amy and Ryan had a great wedding September 25th .The ceremony was held at the St Peter's Catholic Church in Mt Clemens. We had so much fun for the romantics - Ryan is a firefighter at the Sterling Heights Station and we had to make a stop there. I love it when we can make our romantics more personal..
Then off to a fun Detroit urban shoot at the Tiger by Comerica Park, The Fox and Hart Plaza.I have to admit Ryan and the guys did something I have never seen before - he was hoised up by his groomsmen and then hung into the Tigers teeth and just hung up there for awhile !
The reception was held at Zucaros on 21 and Gratiot where everyone had a fantastic time
Check out our FaceBook fanpage for a great video - these are not playing as well on the blog - so check it out htere!
Please copy nad past the following link!
Or = the FB symbol on this blog will get to to our Fanpage then scroll down to the video!


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Same-sex couples in England and Wales are set to be allowed to marry, under plans announced today by Culture Secretary Maria Miller in the House of Commons.
Following a government consultation, legislation allowing same-sex marriage will be brought forward next year.
Although the Catholic Church and Church of England are opposed to equal marriage, faith groups such as the Quakers, Unitarians and Liberal Judaism support marriage rights for gay couples and have stated they would like to provide the ceremonies.
Authored By Scott Roberts – See the Full Story at Pink News
Find more articles and gay wedding resources in the United Kingdom.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at firstname.lastname@example.com. Or find us on Facebook. We're also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.


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Songwriter and Brenau Artist-in-Residence Bruce Burch will speak about his book Songs that Changed Our Lives and his music career Friday, Aug. 12, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Peach State Bank, 350 Washington St., in Gainesville.
Stop by and hear the stories behind several of his hit songs, recorded by country artists such as T. Graham Brown, Billy Joe Royal, Aaron Tippin, Faith Hill, The Oak Ridge Boys, George Jones, Barbara Mandrell, John Anderson and Wayne Newton. Burch will be signing copies of his book, selected chapters of which were featured in the Chicken Soup for the Soul inspirational book series.
For more information contact 770.538.3186 or ude.uanerb@hcrubb.


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Vicente del Bosque, Spain coach
Oscar Tabarez, Uruguay coach
Spain played much better than us and completely deserved their victory. They really imposed their game on us, especially in the first half. Our organisation was a bit lacking and we didn't win the ball back enough. We tried to get more into the match in the second half, as we were playing for pride and didn't want to be embarrassed; it was a tough situation. We did manage to make more of a game of it at that point, although we probably have to admit that our opposition had taken their foot off the pedal a little by then. We saved face and put in a decent effort, although at times we played well below our usual standards.


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Well, Hannah and I are home in the US.
We'll be here for six weeks, returning to Luxembourg in early September.
Shawn had to stay in Lux for work. Boo.
(We already miss him. A lot.)
I made a comment on Facebook that this was the most bizarre travel experience I've ever had, and I wasn't kidding. It possibly rivals one of Shawn's business trips when he got stranded in London because a volcano erupted in Iceland.
So, sit back, friends. Get yourself a cup of coffee and get comfortable.
You're about to read a series of events that just seemed to spiral out of control beyond anything I could have imagined.
Wednesday night, Shawn drove us to Brussels so we could catch our flight there. Leaving from anywhere other than Luxembourg saves one flight and one layover, which doesn't seem like much, but it is when you're traveling alone with a 4 year old.
We boarded our plane and arrived 7.5 hours later at JFK. On the flight, it was business as usual for me and Hannah. Shawn was a dear and upgraded us to Economy Comfort so we had room 'a plenty for stretching our legs and seats that reclined comfortably.
We arrived at JFK with three hours until our flight to Pittsburgh where my mom was picking us up. We made it easily through Customs and Security and got to our gate with plenty of time to spare. Our flight boarded a few minutes late, but I thought nothing of it.
Once we were in our seats, there seemed to be some commotion in the back of the plane. Both flight attendants made several trips from the front of the plane to the back. (Did you know that in Europe they are called "air hostesses?" Isn't that the cutest name?) Then the pilot and co-pilot emerged from the cockpit and went to the back of the plane. They returned to the front again, turned the engines off and opened the door. A bit later, a US Air Marshall boarded the plane and marched to the back. Dude meant business.
Apparently there was a problem with a family of four who only had two tickets and were trying to hold a child on the mother's lap and the child was far too old. This is against regulations. They were refusing to leave the plane until the Marshall told them that if they didn't comply, he would use force. He physically escorted them off the plane. The whole ordeal took about 40 minutes.
Remember when I said that things started to spiral out of control? For the next five hours, here's what happened:
We taxied around the runway for one hour.
Went back to the gate to refuel.
Sat on the plane for another 2 hours without the engine running and no air conditioning.
The woman in the row behind us threw up.
Two monks in the third row began praying and chanting.
We taxied out to the runway where we sat for another 2 hours.
A thunder storm rolled in.
We returned to the gate, were asked to exit the plane and wait inside.
Once inside, we found out that the flight was cancelled. By now it was 9:30 and our flight was supposed to have left at 4.
I got in line at the Delta service desk to reschedule another flight. After one hour of waiting, and a lot of confusion and transfers because my original ticket was paid for in Euros and not Dollars, they finally booked me on a flight for the next day leaving from LaGuardia. Since I had a child with me, they booked me into a hotel…all the way out on Long Island. Because of the number of cancelled flights, there were no rooms available near either NYC airport.
Now, all I needed was my luggage, right?
That was going to take TWO HOURS.
Have you ever sat on a plane on the runway for five hours, only to have the flight cancelled and then have to wait another two hours for your luggage?
I wouldn't recommend it.
But the sweet lady at the desk said, "Here's what I'm going to do for you. I'm going to file a "lost baggage" report (wink, wink) and when your bags are "found" (wink, wink) I will have them delivered to your final destination."
She was an answer to prayers. I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to manage to get two large suitcases, two carry on items and a sleepy 4 year old out of the airport on my own.
She gave me two taxi vouchers, a hotel room voucher, $50 worth of food vouchers, boarding passes for the next day's flight, two toothbrushes and two airline t-shirts. (Which were lovely, by the way.)
By diggity, we were on our way now.
It was well after 11PM, which is 5AM in Luxembourg and this mama was tired.
We hopped into the cab and after a 40 minute, nauseating ride, we were at our hotel.
We walked in to the sound of club music thumping and strobe lights flashing.
Oh, and there was a bouncer at the door.
It reminded me of Senior Week 1996 in Myrtle Beach.
We checked in, rode the elevator to the 5th floor and opened the door to our room.
Both of us were so exhausted that we put on our free airline shirts, crawled into bed and slept the sleep of angels.
The next morning we woke up and realized how fantastic our room was.
AND! AND! This was the view:
Ocean front.
Oh, yes sir.
We used our vouchers and ordered room service.
An omelet for me, blueberry pancakes for Hannah.
Then we wandered around the hotel a bit and headed to the beach.
Luckily I had a change of clothes for Hannah in her carry on bag, but not for myself.
That's why I'm wearing the same clothes that I flew across the ocean in the day before.
(It's my standard uniform when traveling – black velour pants, tshirt and hoodie.)
(Hoodie not pictured.)
We used another voucher to eat nachos and guac by the pool.
Now it was time to go back to the airport to catch our flight. This time we'd be flying into Cleveland and my mom was set to pick us up there.
We used our final cab voucher and arrived at the airport with plenty of time to check in and go through security and such.
You'll never guess what happened next.
Our flight - the one we were rescheduled on because the original one was cancelled - was cancelled.
I kid you not.
The only thing that kept me from bursting into tears was the fact that I'd just spent the morning at the beach. And the poolside chips and guac. Those helped, too.
I explained my entire story to the ticketing agent.
She was able to get us on a flight to Pittsburg, but the catch was that it was boarding in less than 20 minutes. Hannah and I moved faster through that airport than we ever have.
We boarded sweaty, still covered in sunscreen and me in clothes that I'd been wearing for over 36 hours. We were fresh as daisies.
After the bumpiest, wobbliest, scariest descent, we finally arrived in Pittsburgh, where my mom and aunt picked us up and drove the 120 miles to my parents' house.
We were finally home.
The trip that should have taken 12 hours door to door took us over 40.
So, the big question everyone asked is how did Hannah do during all of this?
She was AMAZING. I am so, so proud of her.
She travels so well, keeps herself busy and just goes with the flow.
She was such a trooper.
This week Hannah told me how happy she was to be home in the US.
"It sure was a rough trip getting here, wasn't it?" I asked her.
"Yea, this trip home changed my life," she told me.
(I have no idea where she gets the dramatics.)
But I think it changed my life, too.


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Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia
This site provides information on the ethical and other requirements to practice as a Chartered Professional Accountant in BC. It also provides information on how to become a chartered professional accountant and commentary on the BC economy.
The federal Department of Finance is responsible for the development of federal fiscal policy, including laws affecting federal taxes, financial institutions and markets, and federal-provincial transfer payments.
BC Small Business Service Center
Canadian Business: Small Business Services
Assuris - protection for annuities, life insurance, etc
Assuris is the not for profit (federal government mandated) organization that protects Canadian policyholders if their life insurance company should fail.
A great way to improve flexibility, balance, and overall fitness.
Professional Contacts
Canadian Federation of Independent Business
CRA's Payroll Deductions Online Calculator
Service Canada: Services for Seniors


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Letters to the Editor
Fresno needs to 'change our way of thinking'
Does anyone else see the irony in our way of thinking in Fresno?
We complain about rolling blackouts, energy and water shortages and utility fee increases, yet we gladly embrace one of the biggest drains on our resources: tract development.
We've convinced ourselves that manure is the real cause of Valley air pollution.
We apply suburban planning principals and zoning ordinances that were developed in the 1960s to today's projects and developments. Have we not progressed in the last 50 years?
Visible trash cans constitute visual blight, yet endless seas of parking, retail centers repeated on every corner and stucco everywhere you look are not?
We complain about the 100-plus degree heat, yet we have one of the smallest percentages of park space per capita to mitigate the heat island effect that seas of asphalt have created.
We have literally driven most bicycle riders and pedestrians, both of which reduce traffic congestion in our traffic-jammed city and promote healthy living in our obese country, off the streets of Fresno. Do we really love our automobiles that much?
If Fresno is to have any chance of survival and revitalization of its core, we need to change our way of thinking.
Jamie Dronyk


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As I and one of my athletes prepare to run the Boston Marathon in less than two weeks, we are thinking about all those good things we should be doing during the next, crucial 7-10 days. As an athlete and a coach, I have experienced almost every mistake in tapering for the marathon and so now know what NOT to do. We all have heard that good marathon-training should include a taper during those final 21 days. Some of us still feel that they will lose crucial fitness during that time period but it's the rest that helps your body recover from those hard training weeks you put in during get build up! Studies have shown that your aerobic capacity doesn't change during the taper period As a matter of fact, a review of 50 studies on tapering published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise shows that levels of muscle glycogen, enzymes, antioxidants, and hormones which were all depleted by high mileage return to optimal ranges during a taper. Muscle damage that occurs during sustained training is also repaired and immune function and muscle strength improve which reduces the odds you'll catch a cold or get injured.
Below are 15 tips that we are following on our journey up to Boston and I hope they help some of you before your big day:
- Be lazy the 2 weeks leading up to the race – when you can sit, don't stand, when you can lay down, don't sit!
- Absolutely do not add any extra miles ~ follow your coaches schedule or if you are self coached, stick to your program even though you feel sluggish. Do not "slip in" extra workouts. Also, eliminate or greatly reduce any strength work that you maintained during your marathon build up.
- Continue fueling and hydrating well right up to race day. Eat extra carbs in the 3-4 days prior to race day to get more reserves stored for use on the big day.
- Review the course map – I wrote an article for Runners World on this very subject. Check out where the water stops are so you can plan where to take your nutrition in case you don't run with a fuel belt. Scout out where the hills are so you can remember to run by effort, not pace and you know when the downhill is coming! A few years ago, I studied the Boston Marathon course so well that I knew at what mile the hills were, and how long they were so I know when I would get relief!
- Check the weather and bring extra clothes including clothes that you can discard at the starting line. Staying warm and comfortable is very important – you don't want to lose precious energy by shivering! Also, consider a large plastic trash bag that you can wear to protect yourself from rain or wind.
- Do not eat or wear anything new! This is not the time to try out new racing flats!
- Remember to "chill out" on the first half of the marathon. You cannot bank time in the marathon. Everyone feels great when they are tapered and rested in the first 10 miles. Treat the marathon like 2 ten mile races followed by a 10K. Run the first 10 miles @ or slightly below goal pace. Then assess how you are feeling at the 10 mile mark and again at the 10k mark. With about 6 miles left to go, you can tighten the screws a little bit if you have anything left in the tank.
- If conditions are hot, freezing, or blustery adjust your race plan. Less-than-ideal conditions mean you have to adjust your time goals. Headwinds can slow your finish time by several minutes, and heat or cold by even more. A survey of marathon finish times suggests that 55 degrees is the ideal temperature, a temperature of 35 or 75 degrees adds 7 percent to your time, and an 85-degree day adds 10 percent.
- If you can, try to run the last 2-3 miles of the course the day before the race. This will help you recognize certain landmarks and help you push through to the finish line knowing how close you are.
- Set multiple goals such as an A, B and C goal. That way, you will feel a stronger sense of accomplishment if, for example, you miss qualifying for Boston or don't hit that PR you were chasing. Just finishing a marathon is a major accomplishment.
- Check the race Web site for suggestions on how to get to the race (car or public transportation), where the port potties are located, and where you will take your morning clothes bags. Many larger races will take your things to the finish line for you on a point to point course.
- Make sure you arrive at the start early – I recommend at least an hour before you start so you have plenty of time to use the port potty and go through your warmup routine.
- Should you get a cramp or a side stitch, remember they usually go away if you slow down and apply pressure to the area where you feel the cramp.
- When you arrive at the aid stations on the course, get water or sports drink from the end of the line as it is usually less crowded.
- Relax and enjoy your race! Running is just putting one foot in from of the other and following your well-rehersed race plan. Smile at the volunteers and high five the children. It will make the race much easier.


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This year marks the 50th anniversary of Star Trek. To celebrate there have been a slew of Trek-related projects released - most notably, the latest motion picture, Star Trek Beyond - but being that Star Trek began on a television, it's only fitting there would be a new TV series to mark the achievement. Star Trek: Discovery is that new series, though it's missing the golden jubilee but just a tad, releasing not this year but rather in May 2017 on CBS All Access (with the premiere also airing on CBS proper).
Production on Star Trek: Discovery has been slow to start (hence the delay of release) but practically everything we've learned about the series remains promising. Perhaps most promising was the news that Bryan Fuller - former Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Voyager staff writer and since celebrated creator/producer/writer of TV series such as Pushing Daisies and Hannibal - would serve as Star Trek: Discovery's showrunner.
But sadly, Bryan Fuller is now stepping down as showrunner for Star Trek Discovery (via Variety), which is more than a little disheartening given his passion for the project. Taking over the day-to-day showrunning duties on Discovery will be executive producers Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts.
Variety's report goes on to further clarify Fuller's involvement with Discovery by explaining:
"Fuller, who will remain an executive producer, will still be involved in breaking stories, and the show will continue to follow his vision for the universe that this latest "Trek" series will inhabit."
So there is the silver lining to this disappointing news. Fuller has already set the stage for Star Trek: Discovery, with Variety reporting he has written the first two scripts and developed the series' broader story arc. Still, the heavy lifting of bringing Discovery from page to screen will fall to Berg and Harbarts, two producers who have previously worked with Fuller. Writer/director Akiva Goldsman is also joining Discovery in some top creative role, likely providing support to both Berg and Harbarts.
But for those worrying that Fuller backing away from Star Trek: Discovery means the series is in trouble, there's no cause for alarm (at least not yet). CBS has reportedly been very pleased with the material Fuller has produced, but worry that he doesn't have the time necessary to devote to what will be an eagerly anticipated (and scrutinized) television series. And the truth is that Fuller is simply stretched too thin at the moment - what with filming about to wrap on his Starz series, American Gods, while at the same time he's prepping an Amazing Stories reboot for NBC.
It's all too much for one person, no matter how passionate or committed they are. And to be frank, Star Trek: Discovery will likely only benefit from having those involved in the day-to-day duties giving the series their full attention. But still, considering the excitement Fuller's involvement as showrunner generated for Discovery, it'll be hard for CBS to spin this development in a positive light.
Star Trek: Discovery premieres May 2017 on CBS All Access.
Source: Variety


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[contact-form-7 id="4733″ title="CONSULTATION FORM "]
Roofing Contractor Mission Viejo is Headquartered in Manteca, CA, Cool Roofing Systems, Inc. is a leader in the cool roofing industry. As a top Roofing Company San Jose, we hold contractor licenses in CA, NV, AZ, UT, MT, WA. OR, NM, WY, HI, OK, with more states to come! Our focus is primarily in government, commercial, and industrial.
If you notice that your roof's material is breaking down, it is time to call a roofing contractor Mission Viejo. If you see some damage or leakage, it is again time of get help from the professionals. There are so many companies out there claiming to be roofers. You don't want to hire just anybody. Here are 5 questions you should ask before hiring any contractor.
A roofing contractor Mission Viejo should be licensed, and there is no reason for choosing an unlicensed company. Whether your state requires roofers to be licensed or not, you should not make an exception to this rule. Not only should they have a license, their license should also be up-to-date. When you deal with a licensed contractor, you are reducing the risks if something goes wrong.
Not only should the roofing contractor Mission Viejo be licensed, they should have a physical address and a company name. Avoid any roofer that has nothing more than a post-office box. Having a physical address means that if you have a problem or concern, you should be able to find them.
Whatever the kind of job related to your roof, the roofing contractor Mission Viejo should inform you what exactly they will be replacing. Many homes have roofing with multiple layers. Building regulations in many states require that all the layers be torn down before the new roof is installed. You don't want to choose a roofer who doesn't want to do that in order to save money. For example, some companies may not want to replace the flashing. Keep in mind the following points:
There are two main types of insurance that a roofing contractor Mission Viejo have. Make sure that the company has both:
In both cases, make sure to ask for a copy of the insurance certificate from the contractor.
If your roof needs to be replaced, the roofing contractor Mission Viejo should provide a warranty. Whether it's the modern styled shingles or traditional shingles, they should provide minimum 25 years of warranty.
You should also ask the roofing contractor Mission Viejo who will be cleaning the mess after the work. Will they bring a container for the debris? If you will have to arrange for the container, it is going to cost you more. So make sure to clear all these doubts before you think of hiring any roofing company.


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Consisting of 20 screen printed plexiglass cards Build up is an interactive design experience that encourage creative thinking while blending two dimensional and three dimensional thinking. Each panel ads another layer of complexity as the user builds.
The organization of color and pattern are completely up to the user. This freedom allows for tons of creativity and exploration, as well as hundreds of different combinations. The six slot design of the panels themselves allows for the structure not only vertically but also horizontally. The different orientations that can be used cause the piece to change every time it is being used.


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I'm proud to say that the World War II veteran before you is my Grandfather, Cosimo Armando Delfino. The stories he shared with me throughout my childhood and the extraordinary life he lived are some of my greatest inspirations. He was born on December 25, 1919 in Sicily, Italy to a prominent Surgeon and his wife, who maintained duel-citizenship in the United States and Italy. But during the 1920s, while living in America with his father and three brothers, that picturesque lifestyle vanished after Cosimo's father was shot six times outside their home in New York. Overnight he and his three brothers became Italian orphans in the United States with no claim to their father's estates or inheritance.
In 1942 my grandfather was drafted by the United States Army to fight the Axis powers in Europe. While stationed in North Africa during Operation Torch it was brought to the attention of his commanding officer that he was not a US citizen, which was a great threat to him, because if he was to be captured by the German Army he would not be treated with the same amnesty that other American soldiers were entitled to and would have likely been sent to a concentration camp under the accusation that he was a spy. The United States Army solved this dilemma by issuing Cosimo Armando Delfino his US citizenship in a North African desert weeks before the Battle of Kasserine Pass.
… And this was just the start of my Grandfather's adventures as he journeyed through North Africa, Italy, France and Germany to liberate Europe from Nazi tyranny.