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JDS News
Reports from Jaffna, the cultural nerve-centre of the Sri Lankan Tamils, reveal that at least five people, including a Hindu priest and an education officer, have been killed, while over a dozen has been abducted by masked-men arriving in vehicles without number plates within the past few weeks.
The latest victim of the current series of killings was a 27-year old youth Kandasamy Iruthayan, who was recently released from the government's internally displaced (IDP) camp and was residing in Thirunelveli, near Jaffna town. A group of five masked men entered his house around 10 pm on Wednesday (Jan 5, 2011) and stabbed him several times to death before fleeing the area.
This followed by the dreadful killings of 56-year old Nithyananda Sharma, chief priest of Chankanai Murugan temple, 52-year-old Markandu Sivalingam, deputy director of Education, Valikamam Zone, 29-year old Mahendran Thiruvarudchelvan, a vehicle trader in Thenmaradchchi (his decapitated body was found nine days after his abduction) and 31-year old Ketheeswaran Thevarajah, a postal worker and environmentalist in Vadamaradchchi.
According to latest reports, the deputy director of Education for Valikaamam Zone was shot dead in a close-range by a masked man with a pistol at his home in Urumpirai around 10.30 pm on December 26, in the very presence of his 13-year old daughter.
In an another related incident, police recovered the dead body of 19-year old Ariyanayagam Thulasi, who was missing for two weeks from her home in Puloly, Point-Pedro. The post-mortem report has revealed that she had been sexually abused before her death.
These killings are in addition to the abduction and burglaries. The recent abductions in the Jaffna peninsula include a 30-year old Shanmuganathan Vignesvaran, a teacher from Urumpirai, 35-year old Mahalingam Amirtharajah, a worker from Yogapuram in Urumpirai, a 48-year old widow from Alvai and Sobinathan Gopinath, a 27-year-old driver of a auto trishaw, disappearing from Urumpirai to name a few.
Rising abductions
Worst among them were the abduction of 30 school boys by an armed group from the Kilinochchi district, which was formerly the politico-military headquarters of the LTTE. Of the 30 boys abducted, 28 boys were later dropped at the Omanthai military checkpoint. The fate of the other two is not known. The story has now been twisted as a trip to Vavuniya at their own will.
Danger of such human rights violations not being exposed is high in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts than in the Jaffna peninsula as journalists and aid workers are barred from entering the former rebel heartland. Even the opposition parliamentarians have no access to these areas. The former rebel-held districts virtually remain as military garrisons with the military now building permanent military structures and infrastructure facilities.
The modus-operandi of some of the killings has similarities in nature. The perpetrators have carried out the killing while pretending to be burglars.
Such violence were the daily events when the government troops were locked in fierce war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), but the re-emergence of the dark era even after the military defeat of the LTTE has raised a million dollar question on the motive of such organised crime.
"We are terrified"
Let whatever be the motives, the latest trend of violence has deeply instilled fear and shock among the people.
"We are terrified by the incidents. We get back home early and literally remain indoors, leaving our safety in the hands of the almighty," a Jaffna resident told JDS.
"These criminal activities have either been carried out by government troops or the groups that have got the unreserved backing of the government and its military. The situation is likely to go on unabatedly with the local government elections scheduled to be held in March," another resident said on condition of anonymity.
No arrests
The police have not taken any effort to arrest the situation and none has been arrested in this regard to date. Instead, a senior police official for the north has blamed the media and the local politicians for playing up the "not so serious incidents" to gain political mileage.
Jaffna peninsula is heavily guarded by over 40,000 armed military and police personal even after the defeat of the LTTE. Although there is a civil government agent for the north (chief administrating officer) to look after the administration of the former war-zone, it is the military that is running the daily administration there with a recently retired military General serving as the Governor of North.
The Tamil parliamentarians representing the people in the north on Thursday brought the issue to the notice of parliament. Submitting a list of 15 such incidents that occurred in the northern peninsula, the Tamil lawmakers called for explanations from the government as to how such incidents could take place at ease despite a heavy military presence.
Unable to provide satisfactory explanations, the government's parliamentary group leader, Minister Nimal Sripala de Silva wanted an extra day to respond. This clearly sheds some light as to who could be the perpetrators.
Colombo media keeps mum
Commenting on the incidents, government spokesman and media minister Keheliya Rambukwella has told a news conference in Colombo on Thursday that "the elements that are seeking to tarnish the image of the Colombo government internationally were behind such extra-judicial killings and abductions".
Refusing to name such evil elements, Minister Rambukwella has said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered a quick and impartial inquiry into the incidents.
Meanwhile, media sources in Colombo have pointed out that none of the English and Sinhala language national newspapers have reported any of these incidents or the debate in parliament. They, however, were spontaneous enough to publish the denials of the military in this regard.
With the military now being ordered by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the defence minister and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, to purchase vegetables from the farmers in the north and to sell them at a concessionary rate in Colombo, the perpetrators are likely go scot-free.
© Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka
Friday, January 07, 2011
Extra-judicial killings, abductions, burglaries haunt Sri Lanka's north
Friday, January 07, 2011
Sri Lanka dissolves local government councils ahead of polls
Press Trust of India | The Hindu
Divisional secretaries have been appointed as 'Authorised Officers' to run the administrations of the dissolved councils until the elections are held.
The date for the polls will be announced by the Election Commissioner after the closure of nominations.
The local government ministry extended the terms of all local government bodies last year in view of the two national elections —— the Presidential election held in January last year and the Parliamentary election later in April.
However, some councils are not dissolved in view of the World Cup cricket matches next month. These councils will continue to be in office till end of March.
© The Hindu
Friday, January 07, 2011
First land, now food: Sri Lanka's powers-abetted genocide progresses unabated
Tamil Net
Hundreds of villages depopulated in the country of Eezham Tamils during military offensives and vast tracts of farmland remain enclosed within the military's High Security Zones (HSZs). The military is refusing to vacate these territories.
Meeting a section of Tamil politicians recently, Mahinda Rajapaksa categorically said that he would not stop the military coming with families and colonising the 'conquered' land. He said that he had been in fact thinking of giving more incentives to the occupying military to have more progeny. He was harping on military rather than civil institutions in handling the situation.
While military's refusal to vacate occupied Tamil land goes against even the Norway-brokered 'peace' of 2002, the US ambassador last month 'donated' food to the people lost their land and praised Sri Lanka's achievement in 'resettlement'.
While China actively aids building permanent cantonments to occupying military, the Indian housing scheme and Swaminathan scheme of agriculture turn into mere eyewash.
Meanwhile, the full details of the recent defence pact between New Delhi and Colombo are kept as secrets.
The strong rapport between Colombo and New Delhi at every stage of the military offensive is something that has been revealed sometimes back by no other than SL Defence Secretary Gotabhaya and his revelations are to the extent of even indicting some personalities in the New Delhi establishment to the war crimes.
After grooming a criminal military in the island, all the concerned parties seem to be having no option other than pleasing the military further. The Sri Lankan experiment will soon be exported to Burma and elsewhere, and some vested interest parties are already organising it, is what observers feel.
The Sri Lankan state is spoiled at every stage by corrupt powers that are pledging for the 'unity and integrity' of this state, knowing very well how this state would interpret it.
If at any stage had the powers told Sri Lanka that 'past is past' in experimenting with one nation state in the last more than six decades, and now think of reconciliation through two nation states, the behaviour of Colombo would have been different.
Those who belatedly recognise the Palestinian State now, not because of its own merit but because of their bloc politics, also fail to see that another Palestine and another international terrorist state are in the making in the island. Some of those who uphold the Palestine state sat along with India, China and Russia in the UN Human Rights Council in bailing out Sri Lanka and thus encouraging it in its genocidal programme.
Most of the international organisations and international media are yet to highlight what is happening in the island and to approach the crisis in pragmatic ways appropriate to national questions.
Some elements among them, rather than concentrating on nipping in the bud a deviating state that is endangering international system, choose to train their guns on Eezham Tamils who try in whatever ways presently possible for them to mobilise against the extermination of their nation.
What the International Crisis Group and certain international media watchdogs tell Eezham Tamils about showing contemplation of the past in mobilising for future would be meaningful and would help the affected to steer through better ways, only when such organisations openly come forward to commit to the righteousness in the national cause of Eezham Tamils.
© Tamil Net
Friday, January 07, 2011
Chinese infrastructre company signs Hambantota Port Development deal
Dredging Today
The contract, estimated to be worth over $810 million, covers the design, procurement and construction relating to the second-phase of the port's current infrastructural construction project.
The second-phase is expected to be completed in 36 months.
According to local media reports, the contract states that China Harbour Engineering Company will build four 100,000-deadweight tonne (dwt) container berths, a single 100,000-dwt oil wharf and two 30,000-dwt feeder berths.
These will form a 490,000-square metre harbour basin that the second-phase and the third-phase projects share, a man-made offshore island as well as a 400,000-square metre (m2) road and storage yard.
Following completion of the project, the port will overshadow Colombo Port in overall capacity.
© Dredging Today
Friday, January 07, 2011
Sri Lanka to invite investments for Trinco port
Lanka Business Online
"We're developing Trincomalee and plan to issue a request for proposals to develop land," Wickrama said, delivering the annual P B Karandwala Memorial Lecture. "We plan to issue the RFP by March."
The lecture was organized by the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport Sri Lanka to honour a key figure in ports and shipping in the island.
Wickrama said 9,000 acres of land are available in Trincomalee and that previous RFPs had not drawn the desired response because of the ethnic war.
The 30-year war ended in May 2009 resulting in an economic boom which growth projected at 8.5 percent this year after eight percent growth in 2011.
"Now the situation has changed and there is a lot of potential for investments," Wickrama said.
Trincomalee will be developed more as a leisure port and no more industries will be allowed.
The port has a cement plant and flour mill.
"In the future we will not allow polluting industries as Trincomalee is a very sensitive area. It is one location where you can see elephants and whales - where the two giants on land and in the sea can be seen in one location."
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{ anna beck }
Since I put this photo up on my instagram the other day, I've been getting non-stop emails and questions about my rings and here it is, my secret jewelry loves, Anna Beck. Aren't they so great? The jewelry is made in Bali, so it has a nice Asian vibe and what's even better is that they donate a percentage of their profits to charity.
{ Gili Skinny Cuff Bracelet } { Stackable Rings } { Disc Ring } { Purple Amethyst Drop Studs } { Timor Twist Ring } { Beaded Saddle Ring } { Hoop Earrings } { Large Chain Drop Necklace }
{ Anna Beck }
[show_shopthepost_widget id="159280"]

subset: commoncrawl


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Understanding Hotel Hustle award alerts/
I've written quite a few times about Seth Miller the Wandering Aramean and Hotel Hustle, his tool for searching for award space across hotel chains.
Like most (all?) his online tools, it's undocumented, which means it requires quite a few rounds of trial and error before you get the hang of its, shall we say, nuances.
Just yesterday I discovered another one of those nuances that I thought readers might appreciate.
A Hyatt property can have any of three flags — or none of them
As a newly-minted Hyatt Diamond, I've been doing a lot of searching for Points + Cash rates to fill out my travel schedule for the year, and to do so, I've spent a lot of time using Hotel Hustle.
To understand how Hotel Hustle views the universe, you have to treat every Hyatt property as having 3 possible "flags" in a true or false position:
- Flag #1 asks, "is there a cash rate available?"
- Flag #2 asks, "are there rooms available for all-points redemptions?"
- Flag #3 asks, "are there rooms available for Points + Cash redemptions?"
If there are rooms available for all-points redemptions there should be cash rates available, but the same is not true for Flags #3 and #2; in the course of researching this post I discovered a property with Points + Cash availability but with no points-only redemptions available.
(As an aside, I'm sure I could call Hyatt and have them book me into an all-points redemption, but Hotel Hustle operates based on what's available on the website — no bargaining allowed.)
Hotel Hustle treats each combination of flags differently
Say I'm interested in visiting Philadelphia on July 25, 2016, which happens to be the first day of the Democratic National Convention. Here's what Hotel Hustle shows me when I narrow my search to Hyatt:
It looks like Hyatt doesn't have any properties in Philadelphia, so I'm out of luck.
But a bit earlier in the year, say, this Saturday, my results look different:
It turns out Hyatt has all sorts of properties in Philadelphia! That Hyatt Place in Mt. Laurel looks promising, but unfortunately it doesn't have any points-only or Points + Cash award availability.
Of course, if I arrive a few days earlier, I might be interested in spending some time up in Plymouth Meeting:
I'm in luck! Points + Cash rates are available, securing me a precious stay credit towards requalification.
Making sense of Hotel Hustle flags
Each of the above pictures illustrates a particular combination of flags, each of which you need to understand to get all the information you need from Hotel Hustle.
The first picture illustrates the situation when none of the flags are "true:" Hotel Hustle will not help you. You cannot configure any kind of alert for a property that does not have any rooms available for cash.
The second picture illustrates a situation where only Flag #1 is "true:" Hotel Hustle will allow you to set an alert for points-only award availability in the righthand sidebar or, if you can locate the property on the map and click on it, set an alert for Points + Cash award availability.
The third picture illustrates the (unusual) situation where Flag #1 and Flag #3 are "true," but Flag #2 is "false." Hotel Hustle does allow you to set a points-only alert in the righthand sidebar, but it only allows you to view Points + Cash availability by locating the property on the map and clicking on its icon.
Points-only and Points + Cash are different alert types
What if you're not interested in qualifying or requalifying for Diamond status with Hyatt and just want to save some money on your next Hyatt stay?
In the second picture above, you can see that you can create both points-only and Points + Cash award alerts through Hotel Hustle. But if you are indifferent between the two, you need to create both types of award alert.
If you select "Manage Alerts" you can see which kind of award alert you've created. If you want to be alerted when either a points-only or Points + Cash awards become available, your "Manage Alerts" page should look like this:
The "C&P Alert?" column designates whether the alert is for Points + Cash or a points-only award availability.
I poke fun at Seth for not documenting his web apps, but in all fairness, even if he did I wouldn't read the documentation.
At the same time, since I just figured out how this worked I suspect there's a chance it will be of value to some of my readers!


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Part of MAO's mission is to minimize the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. MAO's Maternity and Infant Services Division achieves this goal through strategic medical and social work services, advocating for expectant and new moms to identify and minimize environmental factors that could limit their overall well-being, and empowering them to be the best mothers they can be.
These Moms of MAO often have limited financial and social support, which can cause them to feel alone and hopeless during a time that should be filled with excitement and love. While MAO's moms and their babies must remain anonymous, MAO has established a few ways for you to shower them with love.
MOMS of MAO BABY REGISTRIES
MAO's caring team members have created baby registries with Walmart and Amazon based on the specific needs of each of our moms-to-be.
You can also support the MOMS of MAO by shopping online and electing to have your gift(s) shipped directly to MAO, by entering the following address during checkout:
MAO (c/o Jennifer)
2900 McGehee Rd.
Montgomery, AL 36111
If you prefer to shop in stores, you can visit any Walmart store and search for our registry at the kiosk using the last name "Moms of MAO." If you purchase in stores, be sure to notify the cashier that your purchase is for our registry. In store purchases can be dropped off at MAO's Montgomery or Dothan locations:
MAO – Montgomery
2900 McGehee Rd.
Montgomery, AL 36111
MAO Dothan
1865-3 Honeysuckle Rd
Dothan, AL 36305
You can also support the MOMS of MAO by shopping the Amazon Baby Registry and electing to have your gift(s) shipped directly to MAO, again using the following address:
MAO (c/o Jennifer)
2900 McGehee Rd.
Montgomery, AL 36111
Outright Donations
MAO also accepts monetary donations via this website, or by checks submitted through MAO's Montgomery office. Be sure to enter "Moms of MAO" in the memo section of your check or in the comments section on PayPal.
For questions, or to obtain a tax receipt for your donation, please contact either Jennifer (Montgomery) at (334) 280-3349 or Stephanie (Dothan) at (334) 673-0494.


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Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The Land of Lord Krishna - Dakor
6 comments:
Fascinating post, I have always been really interested in Hindu culture. I even have a copy of the Bhagavad-Gita, I find Lord Krishna a most amazing subject to read about - hence why I enjoyed this post so much :)ReplyDelete
I love the sparse beauty of these shots. Bravo!ReplyDelete
Seems like a must visit place, and thanks for the info abt dakor..ReplyDelete
A very beautiful post! Wish I could go there some day:-)ReplyDelete
Your pictures really tell the story perfect, nice and very informative post. keep clickn :pReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 18, 2012 at 8:49 AM
Always glad to read amazing articles.. Will be back for more for sure! Thank you for sharingReplyDelete
Delighted you stopped by... Your suggestions, feedback are really appreciated. Thanks a lot :) Hope you visit again!
If you have asked a question, please give me at least 2 days to reply back. Thank you :)


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We are hard at work on our next release, Talbot Adams' new full-length record! It's due to come out within the next couple of months, so stay tuned.
For now, enjoy Talbot's new video for "Away", directed by Ron Rodenmeyer and Wes Williams and guest starring Daphne Nabors from Overnight Lows. The track is available for download at talbotadams.com or on 7" vinyl through douchemasterrecords.com.


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BOSTON (Reuters) - Well known U.S. activist investors including Nelson Peltz and William Ackman took a hit from the first-quarter U.S. stock market slump, with their funds losing money while some smaller players delivered gains.
Peltz's $11 billion Trian Fund Management lost roughly 4 percent during the first three months of the year while Ackman's $8 billion Pershing Square Capital Management's flagship hedge fund dropped 5.7 percent, investors said.
Returns among activists have been lower than usual as the market favored growth stocks instead of the underpriced value stocks that activists traditionally target for corporate improvements. The firms either did not return requests for comment or declined to comment.
Daniel Plants' Voce Capital, which invests roughly $200 million, gained 7.9 percent and James Mitarotonda's Barington Capital Group climbed 6.8 percent. Smaller activists tend to focus on smaller companies where changes may occur faster, helping boost returns.
The quarter was tough for most stock investors as fears of faster interest hikes coupled with tough language on trade from U.S. President Donald Trump left the Standard & Poor's 500 with a 1.2 percent loss, the first quarter drop since late 2015.
Declining returns came as activists launched a record 73 new campaigns and put $25 billion to work in the first quarter, data from Lazard show. The average activist fund lost 1 percent, lagging behind the average hedge fund which was roughly flat at 0.4 percent, Hedge Fund Research data showed.
Even some of the industry's most widely admired agitators did not have much to brag about in early 2018. Daniel Loeb's Third Point slipped 0.7 percent while Jeffrey Smith's Starboard Value was up 0.71 percent.
ValueAct, founded by Jeffrey Ubben and now run by Mason Morfit, gained 1.6 percent. Despite the positive return, ValueAct told clients in February that it plans to return $1.5 billion in capital.
Some firms' losses swelled. David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital, which occasionally engages in activism, lost 14 percent in the first quarter, while Glenn Welling's Engaged Capital dropped 7.9 percent and Scott Ferguson's Sachem Head Capital was off roughly 5 percent. Jana Partners was off 2.4 percent.
Explanations for sluggish returns vary, ranging from criticism that many activists are not good at hedging their portfolios through short selling, industry investors said, to bad news at some portfolio companies.
Despite sluggish returns, activists are pushing for change at a fast pace, data showed. "In a market that lacks direction or a down market, activist investors can catalyze change and unlock value and outperform," said Engaged Capital's chief investment officer Glenn Welling.
Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; Editing by Cynthia Osterman


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"Where do I begin?! Thuy is absolutely amazing as a person and photographer. When you meat her, her energy puts you at ease. My husband and I aren't the type of who love getting our pictures taken. As soon as we met Thuy we were immediately comfortable. She made us forget we were being photographed, allowing us to open up. Most importantly, her pictures are stunning. Thuy has excelled at photographing Indian weddings (of all regions and religions). She is highly respectful of varying religions and customs, and knows what is culturally appropriate." - SriVani & AdityaRead More
"My fiance and I chose Thuy to be our wedding photographer based on her classic photographs, professionalism, and willingness to work with our wants and needs.]We love her passion for photography which shines through her work, and her extra touches show how much she cares about her clients. We had the pleasure of working with Thuy recently at our engagement photo shoot. She was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and very accommodating to our needs. We had to postpone the initial shoot, and on the day we finally did it, the weather was freezing and it even hailed at one point. Thuy was very efficient and remained upbeat throughout the shoot. She kept us laughing and the pictures came out wonderful. She has been fantastic to work with so far and we are so excited to work with her on our wedding day!" - Jonathan & KerryRead More
"Over and above Quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value, and flexibility! A true professional, Thuy is fun and easy going, she captured our wedding day beautifully!" - Lisa & KarenRead More
"We are so glad that we chose you as our photographer for our event(s). Everyone that we know that has seen your pictures are always amazed with the work the you've done with us. We will seriously consider you to be our 1st choice photographer whenever an photographic opportunity does come along. So be prepared to be called upon. =) Thank you for all your hard work with the wedding." - Hai & WillRead More
"Thuy Pham is an excellent photographer and professional I would highly recommend her to anyone. Her professional enthusiasm showed all the way from our first meeting to the final delivery of my photos, we met frequently to discuss all the details of the photography as well as for our engagement session photo shoot and all the while we has the utmost confidence in her skill set and business savvy.
Our wedding pictures are absolutely STUNNING and everyone at my wedding was impressed with the quality of her work. Once the event was over she delivered all of the pictures we requested in a timely fashion and was certain to ensure we were happy with every aspect of the product." - Jamie & ShaneRead More
"I just want to say that Thuy was amazing to work with. From the very beginning she was on the top of her game. Her smile alone and genuine demeanor put me and my husband at ease. Every aspect of our planning and events leading up to our day that involved Thuy were handled with such professionalism and care. On the day of our engagement photos, I was definitely not having the best day, but she took awesome pictures and she was effortless and making sure she got the shots that were the best! My wedding day photos were spectacular! She was everywhere she needed to be and with our limited time on the property, she executed everything we needed to the tee! Thank you Thuy, for helping complete our day and adding such sunshine to an already beautiful day!!" - Kai & MyronRead More
"Thuy was beyond amazing. She's a high end wedding photographer for a decent price. I highly recommend Thuy. She will go above and beyond to make sure your pictures come out exactly what you want. I love our final product!!!" - Natasha & DavidRead More


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/ Virginia Clean Energy Business Incubator Endorses Virginia Dominion Power's Solar Project
Virginia Clean Energy Business Incubator Endorses Virginia Dominion Power's Solar Project
The National Institute for the Commercialization of Clean Energy's Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Carole Cameron Inge, endorsed the proposed Virginia Dominion Power solar project in an exclusive interview with journalists Monday from her Tyson's Corner office complex. "We are thrilled to see progress toward 'clean energy' development in Virginia and especially in a community like Halifax County that is in such desperate need for jobs," stated Dr. Inge. Inge is the founder of the Virginia Clean Energy Business Incubator and currently leads the Northern Virginia-based organization. The Virginia statewide incubator is an organization that is part of the National Institute for the Commercialization of Clean Energy, a national consortium of incubators working to bring clean energy technology to market around the globe. In recent months, Virginia Dominion Power has taken steps to develop clean energy programs.
"We first discussed clean energy efforts with the power company over a year ago when we explored developing an algal biofuels project in their Richmond headquarters, and shortly thereafter, Dominion established their first community incubator in Ashland, Virginia. During those discussions, it was clear the target for Dominion was photovoltaic technology and I recall a senior executive stating the vision was to have solar farms replace tobacco farms in the Southern region of Virginia," stated Inge. "They (Dominion) has stayed true to their vision and we believe the Tobacco Commission will support the project." Inge is a long time senior technology program leader and recipient of significant Tobacco Commission funds, most recently for the Riverstone Energy Center and the Advanced Manufacturing facility, both located in Halifax County Virginia. These funds totaled $8 million dollars and supported the purchase of equipment.
According to Mike Sexton, a local official with the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority (IDA), the construction of the solar panel site is expected to create approximately 100 jobs, and the battery manufacturing facility is expected to create about 150 jobs over a 36-month period, Sexton explained, noting these jobs would be on the higher end of the scale of manufacturing jobs.
According to the Gazette Virginian, to make the project feasible, Dominion has reached an agreement with a battery storage manufacturer to maximize the benefits of this unique project for the county. IDA Executive Director, Mike Sexton explained the project has three entities working together to make it happen:
Dominion, which estimates it will invest $27.9 million on the project;
The unnamed manufacturer, which will supply and manufacture the batteries; and
The University of Virginia, which will work with both Dominion and the manufacturer through its Center for Electrochemical Science and Engineering and its Department of Systems Engineering to conduct all its research related to this project in the county.
The IDA and Dominion have submitted the $5 million grant proposal to the Virginia Tobacco Commissions Research and Development Fund to help fund the project, according to Sexton.
To support the grant, the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) adopted a resolution Friday morning in support for a 2011 $5 million application by the IDA and Dominion Virginia Power to the Research and Development Program of the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission. The program is designed to bring energy research to fruition and ultimately create jobs but can a small rural community with high illiteracy rates create and sustain 250 high tech jobs involving chemical engineering? According to Dr. Inge, "the challenge for many rural communities is the workforce, and this is especially true in that region of the state where the history of the workforce has not been in the energy development and engineering space but rather in the textile and tobacco farming areas. Extensive training can cost companies money and time, and for the clean energy sector, time and money are limited, especially with the amount of investment in this area coming from China, a serious competitor to the US in clean energy." Halifax County has a higher education center and official's supporting the project believe there should be a rapid deployment of training programs around energy in order to meet the workforce demand Dominion is suggesting.
Another component of the Dominion Power pilot demonstration facility for solar power generation is battery storage. "Energy storage is the key element with solar but the costs to the environment must be carefully considered and could be hazardous," stated a chemical engineer affiliated with the project. The proposed facility is expected to generate about four megawatts of power and be the largest integrated solar-battery facility in Virginia. Inge interfaced extensively with the undisclosed battery storage company early in the process of this deal and she was instrumental in connecting the University of Virginia researchers with the company's researchers last fall. "It is my hope that the companies, the University of Virginia, and the local community can seal this deal and put the Riverstone Energy Center in business. It was our vision to have energy be a major part of the revitalization of the region and it is theirs to lose," said Inge. In a final comment, Dr. Inge went on to explain that the Virginia Tech Modeling and Simulation Center in Riverstone Technology Park can be a perfect match for the pending energy research and commercialization partnership. She told reporters, while the equipment is a bit dated, it should be useful for a while longer to monitor manufacturing processes and possible environmental risks related to the facility.
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Inge Nominated for Lifetime Achievement Award in Modeling and Simulation
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Inge Selected for Prestegious International Speaking and Teaching Roles: Events Featured Here
Under Secretary of US Dept. of Energy Convenes International Leaders in DC: Special Event
Va Clean Tech Incubator Company WINS Prestegious US DOE ARPA-E Award
Virginia Clean Energy Business Incubator Endorses Virginia Dominion Power's Solar Project
NICCE Leads Discussions with Key Executives in the Norfolk, VA Region
American Businesses for Clean Energy: Inge and Alexandrov Discuss Vision


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The Salem Witch Orgasms
by Alexandra Davis
Sat, Mar 23 at 7:30pm
- Wheelchair Accessible
- 21+ Bar with ID
- Table service during production
Come and experience the final show produced by Ghost Light Theatricals, in the newly minted Copious space in Ballard. After a decade of residency at the formerly known Ballard Underground, this production culminates the vision of Ghost Light's 15 years of productions producing modern adaptations of classical stories.
The Salem Witch Orgasms by Alexandra Davis (Winner of Battle of the Bards XII; The Final Battle) presents a comedic view into the lives of American women in the Puritanical Northeast. Stylistically a mashup of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Mel Brooks and The Princess Bride; this frank, hilarious and sex-positive representation of female-identifying sexuality will have you gasping for breath from laughter.
As tween boy Given learns about his family history from his sexually liberated hippie Grandma Carol, the story borrows the framework of William Goldman's The Princess Bride to plunge into the experiences of a group of women identified as witches because they explored that most forbidden and misunderstood of fruits; the mysterious and alluring female orgasm. At times ridiculous, filled with large scale song & dance numbers, and relevant to our modern cultural fixation with purity; this show will tickle more than your funny bone *eyebrows* *eyebrows*.
Directed by Lia Sima Fakhouri (fresh off the critically adored Veils with Macha Theatre Works) and featuring the work of Beth Pollack, Aaron Sterne, Christine White, Joe Drummond, Olivia Martin, Madelaine Figueroa, Cassidy Westbrook, Anastasia Greeley, Jason Hill, Seth Steward, Callie Williams, Jack Hilovsky, Cassandra Leon, Hannah Simpson, Asa Fager, Konstantin Lazarov, Jennifer Burkey and Allanah Raas-Bergquist.


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Arcanus Side Resort
Read more about this Hotel
The Arcanus Side Resort is located on the shores of the Blue Mediterranean at Sorgun's long and wide sandy beach. It is a luxurious hotel offering every modern amenity anyone can ask for. Its wonderful installations include an enormous swimming pool, a fully equipped gymnasium, many shops as well as a private sandy beach and a private port. It is the ideal choice for fun and relaxing holidays as it offers the opportunity to exercise many activities like beach volley, tennis, aerobic, archery and many others.
Distance from Airport
The distance from Antalya's airport is approximately 71km.
The hotel has a total of 463 rooms, of which 437 are standard rooms, 12 are family rooms and 14 are suites. All rooms include en-suite bathroom, satellite TV, mini bar, central air conditioning (limited hours), safe-box, direct-dial phone, hairdryer and a balcony/terrace.
Food & Drink
The hotel features four restaurants, three of which are a'la carte, as well as four bars including beach and pool snack bars.
Sports & Entertainment
Facilities include an outdoor swimming pool with jacuzzi, pool with 2 water-slides, children's pool and an indoor pool, sun-loungers, umbrellas and towels are available free of charge on the beach and by the pool.
For guests entertainment there's a variety of day and evening activities, evening shows, disco (certain days of the week), beach volleyball, beach football, table tennis, fitness centre, Turkish bath, sauna, darts, aerobics, aqua aerobics, boccia, archery, tennis courts and air rifle. For younger guests there's a playground, a mini-club for ages 4-11yrs and during high season a junior club for ages 12-16yrs.
- Aerobics
- Archery
- Bar
- Entertainment
- Gym
- Internet Access
- Kids Club
- Kids Pool
- Pool/Billiard Table
- Shops
- Swimming Pool
- Tennis Court(s)


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Hey, Midwest! Are you ready to get OUT there?!
Join OTA June 17th through the 23rd for 5 days of canoeing, leadership and community
OTA's roots run deep in the Midwest. To honor this, OTA is excited to run its first ever multi-day trip in the Midwest! Featuring 5 days of canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, this trip is perfect for any queer young person looking to learn new skills, make new friends and spend time in nature!
Open to queer youth 14 through 22. No experience necessary, just a willingness to get OUT there!
Queeries? Contact us at email@example.com


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"Court Certifies Class and Approves Nationwide Class Settlement for Review Appraisers"
Working RE, July 16, 2014 (online)
by Bryan Schwartz
United States District Court for the Central District of California, Hon. David O. Carter, certified a class action challenge on behalf of hundreds of real estate appraisers employed by Bank of America and its appraisal subsidiary, LandSafe Appraisal Services, around California, seeking back wages for unpaid overtime, meal and rest period premiums, and other wages and penalties.
Judge Carter also granted his preliminary approval to a $5.8 million settlement on behalf of another group in the case, called Review Appraisers – who verify the Residential Appraisers' reports. Approximately 370 review appraisers nationwide will soon receive notice of the settlement, which is expected to receive final approval in November 2014, barring any successful objections. Each participant, on average, will net a payment of over $10,000 in the settlement, and the position will be reclassified in 2014 so that Bank of America's Review Appraisers will be paid overtime going forward.
Boyd, et al., v. Bank of America, et al
The case in question, Boyd, et al., v. Bank of America, et al., was brought by San Francisco Bay Area attorney Bryan Schwartz along with Schonbrun, Desimone, Seplow, Harris & Hoffman of Los Angeles. The action alleges that Bank of America wrongly called appraisers exempt from wage laws based upon the notion that they were company administrators or policy-makers (like human resources officials) or learned professionals (like attorneys and doctors), who must undergo a prolonged course of specialized academic instruction.
Judge Carter, in Orange County, noted evidence that "Residential appraisers do not supervise anyone, advise management, advise loan officers, negotiate, or bind LandSafe in any way." Rather, the decision noted that "each report produced by a residential appraiser corresponds to a single mortgage sale by Bank of America." Because the policies, job descriptions, and state and federal guidelines governing the appraisers were uniform for the whole class, the Court found that a common, predominant question existed as to whether the so-called "administrative exemption" from the wage requirements could apply. The court also found a key common question whether the appraisers are "'primarily engaged in an occupation commonly recognized as a learned . . . profession' in light of the minimum standards for licensing, certification, and continuing education." Apart from the extensive on-the-job training, appraisers do not need more than a high school diploma plus several weeks of classes.
"The Court's order is a complete victory on our motion seeking to have all appraisers' claims heard together," said Schwartz, who argued the motion for the Plaintiffs. "These days, when class certification is under attack by companies and their advocates, trying to keep workers from coming together to vindicate the wage protections, it is refreshing to see a well-reasoned court order which gives the employees a fair chance to fight for their rights."
"I look forward to representing the class, and to proving that all the residential appraisers are entitled to be paid overtime and be provided meal and rest periods when they work long hours – as is so often the case," said Boyd, the class representative. Though Bank of America challenged the "adequacy" of several of the class representatives, the court found each of them suitable.
For more on this issue, click here.
About the Author
Bryan Schwartz (BryanSchwartzLaw.com) is a leading California attorney representing workers in wage, discrimination, and whistleblower claims. In recent years, he has represented residential and commercial appraisers in multiple, nationwide class action lawsuits against their employers. For more information about this case, Boyd, et al. v. Bank of America, et al., please contact Bryan Schwartz: email@example.com.


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What Made Chaya Singh To Fall In Love With Krishna?
Chaya Singh belongs to a Rajput family but born in Bangalore where her parents had migrated to from U.P. before her birth. She has a reputation of being very selective in her roles. Chaya Singh shot to fame in her debut film 'Thiruda Thirudi' with Dhanush, thanks to the 'Manmadha Rasa' kutthu song. With this film she got a major break and once the song Manmadha Rasa scorched the airwaves, every producer wanted her to do item numbers in their movies, which Chaya disliked. She gave up many a lucrative film offer because she felt she deserved better than to do a kutthu number. Chaya has now done over 25 films in all the south languages. Though she made a name in Tamil cinema she slowly shifted to Malayalam cinema as out there she was getting the kind of role she was looking for. She suddenly upped and tied the knot with actor Krishna at a traditional ceremony. The duo fell in love while they were acting together in Shankar's film 'Ananathapuratthu Veedu'. Though she is a very traditional girl during the shoot the two of them would often spend a great deal of time chatting with each other. Krishna must have made a good impression on her because he was the villain in the film.
3 Responses to What Made Chaya Singh To Fall In Love With Krishna?
I like mrs krishna.i like krishna flim nd serials…sidhambara ragasiyam
krishna is an amazing actor..his anathapurathu veedu film and his serials are superb.mrs.krishna is very good actress and awesome dancer.
chinnathirai superstar krishna…


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Holidays In Mississippi
It's Christmas time and it's over 70 degrees! I guess we should be grateful for the warmer weather. It does encourage more activity in real estate, and that makes me happy! Going to start baking cookies soon!... Read more
7048 Old Canton Rd Ste 1003D
601-605-6066 | Client Register | Client Login
Thank you for visiting today. If this is your first visit, take your time and look around. We have plenty of information and resources available to you. If you are a return visitor, thank you. We would love to hear from you. We can serve all your real estate needs.


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Hackett was missing mom this weekend and having a rough evening. Kevin decided to share with him the hope that we were clinging to, that all would remain normal and that I would be going home on Tuesday. He watched the house being prepped for my return, and just like us, was excited.
Kevin picked him up from school yesterday so that he would be the one to share the bummer news with him. The first thing out of his mouth when he saw Kevin, was "is mom home?". Kevin told him no and explained in Hackett terms why. He buried his head in Kev's side as they walked out of school. When they got in the car he lost it and sobbed for five minutes before Kevin could even leave the parking lot. They left and went for ice cream. While driving, he told Kev, "Dad, I love Tobin, but I guess I care more about myself, because I want mom home". How truthfully human. I am so thankful that my 7-year-old is in touch with his feelings and shares them. Ice cream perked his spirits, but later in the evening he had some more questions. He wanted to know if Tobin would live this time. He understands that Tobin will be born before he's ready and will have to stay in the hospital so he was wondering if he would be able to see him and touch him. All such valid and heartbreaking questions, but again, I am thankful that he is asking them.
Hackett and Kevin came to visit me this evening. He arrived with his top hat, magic wand, and tricks ... to cheer me up. I got a lot of snuggles, belly rubs, and lippy kisses. He got a lot of reassurance of how much I love him, miss him, and am proud of him. He is doing good handling everything, but just like us, he is sad that this is occurring.
While Kevin and Hackett were here, my doctors came in to tell me that two of my four numbers from my three hour glucose test were just barely out if the normal range. I have gestational diabetes. My diet should be enough to control it, but it is one more thing. The last 11 months have been beyond emotionally exhausting, and I am spent.
I have done a lot of staring today. At my plastic bag, my sweet pictures on the wall, and my beautiful flowers. One of my doctors said today that I have the best room she has ever seen. Thank you to everyone who has helped make it as cheery as possible.


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Easy Easter DIY Centerpiece4:00:00 AM
Here is the directions and materials you need to make this cute DIY centerpiece.
There are a few things I wanted to give you my insider tips on for this how to!
The wooden plaque is basically a wooden box with a large hole cut into the middle. It sounds way fancier than it actually is. Also, I picked a box that I was able to pop the grass mats directly in to it without cutting anything. It's so much easier to manage! I also used a metallic paint to add a pop of color against the white and the green of the grass. I used copper color from the Martha Stewart brand of craft paint. It looks like a chic and abstract version of dirt. *hahaha*
I hope this Easter DIY helps make your Easter table perfect. It's super pretty and can also be used through the entire Spring season. Just add different props or decorations!!


text: Mmmmmmmmmm, Beer. I am a pretty big beer fan, or beer snob depending on how you look at it and when I was contacted by Green Room Brewing about creating their logo I jumped at the chance. After talking with one of the owners over a few rounds about what they wanted in a logo and the idea behind the name Green Room I had a good starting point for the logo. The term "Green Room" is a surf term for the sweet spot in a large barrel and I wanted the logo to convey that. I decided to have everything enclosed in a circle to re-emphasize being in a wave while also giving a slight nod to classic surf designs. They also just had a write up in the Florida Times Union and you can read the story here


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How is stomach cancer staged?
The most common staging system in North America for stomach cancer is the TNM classification system.
In the TNM classification system "T" refers to tumor characteristics.
A tumor is given a score from T0 to T4 based on how many layers of the stomach are invaded by the tumor.
A lower score is given to a tumor that invades only the innermost (superficial) layer of the stomach wall, while a higher score is given to a tumor that invades the outer (deeper) layers of the stomach. "N" refers to the number of lymph nodes that contain cancer cells.
Stomach cancer is scored from N0 to N3b depending on the number of lymph nodes invaded by cancer and their closeness to the stomach.
A "regional" lymph node means that the lymph node is near the stomach region. A tumor can spread (metastasize) from the stomach to other parts of the body by the lymphatic system and its blood supply.
Lastly the "M" refers to whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body and is scored from M0 to M1.
The information about tumor characteristics (T), number of lymph nodes affected by cancer (N) and the degree of spread (M) are combined and the patient is given a final stage from stage 0 to stage 4. To see how T, N and M are combined into a final stage, see table 2 below.


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Posted on September 29, 2014, 12:52 PM By admin
I see this app getting pulled from the AppStore soon. It's a lot like launcher that was pulled the other day.
What it does is let you call a set of favorites from your Notification Center. Apple pulled the app launcher the other day for launching apps from the Notification Center. So if you missed out on that app get over to the AppStore and make sure you get your copy of favorites.
Link to favorites
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A Unique Opportunity
Riverbend Academy: A Unique Educational Opportunity
When I was pregnant with my first son, I was teaching in the public school system. I anticipated what teachers my son would have through elementary school and believed he would most certainly attend there.
Shortly after giving birth, I thought, there's no way I could part with him for so many hours a day. I determined I would homeschool him all his remaining days. My church had a homeschooling ministry and I thought surely as a certified teacher, I could educate him myself.
Then I attended a Riverbend Academy fundraiser. It was the year before my oldest was due to begin kindergarten. I was blown away by the caliber of the student performances! Their knowledge was astounding as they rattled off chant after chant, grade by grade, each knew more than the one before. Watching the interactions between students and teacher, student and student, with the joy they exuded on stage made me come to a startling realization…I could not duplicate that kind of educational experience at home.
I had not heard of a classical education before but it intrigued me deeply. Terms such as trivium were new. I vaguely recalled its stages from my educational psychology class; however, when my professor taught it, she dismissed it as archaic. I had no idea it was still around, a successful and viable educational methodology, and right under my nose! My husband and I then determined to make whatever sacrifices were necessary to ensure our children would attend Riverbend Academy.
Riverbend Academy is a unique educational opportunity. There are many attributes contributing to our school's unique education. Our subject matter, spread over the Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric years, for one. We teach Latin, Logic, and Rhetoric. Two of these courses, I didn't have the opportunity to take until college, and that was due to the requirements of my major! Now, my boys would have the opportunity to take these courses throughout their educational experience.
Evident at the performances is the teachers love for their students. Yes, teachers love their students no matter the school, but this type of love is unique to Riverbend Academy. Our school is Christian not only in name but in deed. As such, the teachers' love for their students is not just a superficial love them to behave or love them to learn the subjects as dictated by the government. Rather, the teachers have a Christ-centered perspective in teaching all subjects. They teach students the love of God's design in mathematics and sciences, of His providential hand throughout history, and beauty through the arts and music.
Further, they teach about the love of Christ and His redeeming work upon the cross. My children are presented the Gospel in every subject, in every discipline situation, and in their daily discussions; my children are consistently pointed to Christ and His righteous atonement. My children are not only allowed but required to bring their Bibles to each class, where they open the Word of God to see how it's not Google or Siri that holds the answers to life's questions, but the living Word of God.
When you are taught to think critically through the lens of Scripture, it changes who you are. Even our senior graduation is unique, complete with a knighting of the men and young ladies with a blessing and charge. At Riverbend Academy, we seek to produce growing and maturing young adults who seek to further the kingdom of God for His glory and our good.
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More in Christ-Centered Biblical Perspectives Blog
January 11, 2017Parenting in Spite of Fear, Part 2, Lynette Bowman
September 28, 2016Parenting In Spite Of Fear, Part 1 by Lynette Bowman
September 20, 2016Classical & Christian Education: The Difference Through History


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How To Use Twitter and Social Media To Win Your Fantasy Baseball League
With Opening Day around the corner, it's important for fantasy baseballers to take advantage of the resources available to them. Twitter is becoming one of the greatest tools for fantasy geeks, acquiring breaking news and updates instantaneously — and not needing to wait for the newspaper the following day (Sorry newspapers!) or for six consecutive episodes of SportsCenter that air late in the evening.
With that said, this isn't the first article of it's kind. Last year, our very own Albert Lang published a "How to Use Twitter & Social Media to Win Your League" piece that was very well-received. And it wouldn't hurt you to read it again, actually.
In case you don't have the time to head back and read Albert's piece, here's one essential tip:
Aside from this, you can set up Google alerts for your closers. That way you know if your guy recorded/blew a save and if there is a closer controversy or injury you need to pay attention. If you don't get an e-mail, you don't have to worry.
Additionally, our good friend David Gonos published his own version just this past week entitled "99 Fantasy Baseball Twitter Accounts You Should Follow." Be sure to check that out as well.
So here is the initial list we included in our 2014 fantasy baseball draft kit:
In addition to the fantastic analysts and websites, it may or may not be more important to follow each team's beat writers as well.
Here are favorite beat writers for each MLB team:
Well, there you have it. Enough fantasy baseball follows to clog up your timeline for the next seven months.
You're Welcome.


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Welcome to New Wine
Latest blog post New
'This book is not about what God has done but is a prayer for the greater things he will do.'
Worship, Healthcare, Urban, Rural, Additional Needs...
Find a place for your passion
United is our main event, taking place over two weeks each summer. We don't hibernate for the other 50 weeks, we have teaching, training and resourcing events and retreats across all mission areas, led by experienced practitioners within the New Wine family. Every New Wine event is centred around worship, Word and Spirit and is aimed at serving the local church.See our events
Browse the latest products from our extended New Wine family, offering inspiration, insight and encouragement for all areas of life.Browse the shop


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Since plants have been kept in rooms, they too have been subject to fashions and trends. At the moment, primarily three trends are apparent in German apartments.
Hover Dish Planter by Pot Inc.
Stylish metal dishes for indoors that can hold grasses and sedums.
The Hover Dish Planters are metal bowls that hang from a steel wire. They are ideal for mosses, sedums and grasses, but they can also be put in the kitchen as holders for fruit and vegetables. There are five different designs, two models are made from galvanized steel (Dolga and Flango) and the other three from aluminium. All of them are double powder coated for durability. The Hover Dish Planters are available in six bright standard colours, but can also be ordered with custom colours.
Further Information: potinc.ca
The Micro-Planter Chess Set
Chess: One of the oldest, most popular and most complex board games ever created. For hundreds of years people have wrecked their brains over the positions of the 32 black and white pieces. Countless designs of the King and his army have been made over the time, either hand-crafted or made in factories. The latest developments of the 3D printing technology make it now possible to realize unusual designs without manual labor or going into mass production.
XYZ Workshop, a creative team of husband and wife specialising in 3D printed curiosities. The idea is that you can grow different herbs or succulents in the pots and give the game of chess an individual note that can be seen, smelled and felt. The design of the pieces reminds of the Bauhaus style with simple and strong geometric forms.
Anyone who is interested and has access to a 3D-printer can download the design files and start printing their own chessboard.
Further Information: xyzworkshop.com
Epstein Garden Lights: Handmade Quality Made in Germany
Garden lights have the practical advantage of making stairs, paths and ponds safer at night, however, the aesthetic dimensions are essential as well. For more than 25 years the Epstein-Design manufactory develops and distributes high quality lighting for home and garden. The lamps are handmade and only available in specialized stores.
Real highlights among the different Epstein lines are their outdoor nature lights. They are made with sandstone or natural slate. The devoted treatment of the natural stones gives them a unique look. The garden lightings look like statues and at night they reveal their true beauty. Columns, spheres and pyramids: The multitude of the different Epstein-Lights provides designers with lots of possibilities for individual garden concepts.
The durable luminous elements are covered by a three-year warranty and the manufactured materials are guaranteed to endure ten years of UV exposure.
Further Information: epstein-design.de
Bringing Balance into the Garden with Asian Furnishings
When it comes to finding a special look for the garden it is promising to search Eastern inspiration. Asian garden design is a very old culture. And nowadays it is getting more and more popular in the Western countries.
German entrepreneur Armin Holt reported that the sales of his company Asiastyle have risen annually by 20 % in the last three years since he specialized in Asian design merchandise for in- and outdoors.
Together with a few exotic ornamental plants all these pieces will bring a relaxing and exotic atmosphere into the garden.
One method of inspiring hobby gardeners who are looking for an Asian theme in their garden could be to point them to the five Chinese elements. This ancient daoistic theory divides everything into the five elements of earth, water, fire, wood and metal. By combining these elements in the open spaced garden a natural balance can be achieved.
The element of Earth could be represented by a winding gravel path made out of natural stones, fire could be an open fireplace or maybe some Japanese shoji lamps for moody outdoor lighting, wood should be obvious and metal can be represented by lots of design pieces for example some wind chimes.
Because of the huge demand, the people of Asiastyle even had a successful summer event where they exhibited their products and invited other companies to join them, like Monolith Grill who presented a number of barbecues and Spa Ambiente who specialize in bathroom sinks made of natural stones.
Further Information: Asiastyle.de


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Mardi Gras is many things—it is a costume party, a sea of drunken indulgence, a pleasant family picnic on the neutral ground, a roving high school band concert, a Christian holiday. Mardi Gras is the greatest party on earth and a trip to New Orleans during the Carnival season should be on every person's bucket list.
We love Mardi Gras and think it is the perfect adventure for any solo traveler. We've created an eBook guide that offers safety tips, food and drink recommendations, the history of Mardi Gras and more to ensure that your adventure to New Orleans is the trip of a lifetime.
Purchase our Solo Traveler's Guide to New Orleans Mardi Gras eBook Here:


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The words were on the upper level scoreboard that lines the inside of Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh:
"It's a Bird Thing."
Apparently so.
After the Ducks took defending champion Detroit to a Game 7 in the Western Conference semifinals, the Pittsburgh Penguins are taking the Red Wings a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Red Wings Nation didn't seem too nervous for a Game 7 against the Ducks, who put a serious scare into Hockeytown when took it all the way down to the final minute.
But Detroit and its curiously large fan base in Southern California should be wary because Pittsburgh has what the Ducks had going into the playoffs:
The longer a series goes, the less it has to do with matchups and line combinations and statistics. At this point it comes down to bounces and winning a battle for the puck here and there.
Pittsburgh shouldn't feel intimidated going into Joe Louis Arena on Friday because, as the cliche goes, anything can happen. And Detroit knows that all too well because, if it wasn't for Dan Cleary pushing that puck across the goal line with three minutes remaining against the Ducks, they might not be here.
The question for Detroit fans is whether they are supremely confident their Red Wings will bring home the Stanley Cup and build on its protracted dynasty or if there is a sliver of doubt that this will turn out to be a missed opportunity.
Here's guessing the home-ice advantage in this series will hold true and that Detroit will be lifting the Stanley Cup for the fifth time in 12 years.
Unless, of course, it's a bird thing.


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At the 3rd Preparatory Committee meeting for the 2020 Review Conference of the NPT at the UN HQ, the civil society was given an opportunity to address the meeting. On May 1, 2019, 16 speeches were delivered to the delegates by the civil society groups.
One of them was a joint statement on Korea from the PSPD (People's Solidarity for Partipatory Democracy), a prominent NGO in South Korea, and IFOR. Here is the statement, which has been endorsed by 40 civil society groups in the world, including the U.S., Canada, Japan, Germany, U.K., Bangladesh, etc


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Kickstarter Projects Live at Maker Faire NYC
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Maker Faire NYC is this weekend at the New York Hall of Science, and Kickstarter will be representing in full force. We'll be hanging out at our booth with lots of goodies to share (Kickstarter buttons!), so come by and say hi.
You also won't want to miss any of these amazing Kickstarter projects at the fair:
Pop-up Art Studio's Papermaking Workshop
The Pop-Up Art Studio will show you how to make paper out of things like bananas and onions — fun! Can't make it out? You can still support the project here.
ModKit Demonstrates DIY Electronics
ModKit will show you how to use their graphical programming interface to build electronics like motors, sensors, lights, sound, and the popular Arduino and Arduino compatible development boards. You can also support them here.
The Lifesize Mousetrap's Rube Goldberg-style Kinetic Sculpture
Watch the Life Size Mousetrap in action. It's a 16 piece, 50,000-lb. interactive kinetic sculpture set atop a 6,500-square-foot game board. Wow!
Learn how to make cool stuff with muscle wire, a unique metal that bends when an electrical current is applied.
Our very own Perry Chen will be speaking on the Maker Square Stage, as well as participating on a panel discussion about creative businesses.


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1092 Crown 6SR Towable Mortar Mixer
Crown 6SR Highway Towable Mortar Mixer
- Choose between 7.9 hp Honda GX240 gas motor, 5.5 hp Honda GX200 motor or single phase 1.5 hp electric motor (110/220 V, 18/9)
- Crowns exclusive Shear Pin Protection system shields the gear reducer and engine from potential damage should an engaged mixer be impeded by a shovel or other foreign object
- Crown's self-latching drum lock is knee operated, freeing both hands for optional dumping control
- Durable and efficient mixing paddles come standard
- Large 5.3 x 12" tires for smooth towing to your job
- 2 to 2-1/2 bags capacity, 6 cubic Ft
- Heavy-duty one-piece cast-iron ring gear for longer life
- Highway towable comes with high speed taper roller bearings, and heavy duty axles for years of trouble-free towing
- High Strength Frame newly designed frame provides improved durability and stronger support in the areas where you need it
- The raised frame construction allows for convenient dumping for a wheel-barrow
- Charging height is 57.5"
- 2 pcs safety grill is stronger, safer and easier to use than a one pcs grill and will not damage the drum
- Lifetime Warranty, All Crown mixers feature a lifetime warranty on the drum bearing and seals
- Crown's fixed engine mount design eliminates engine movement and bounce during transit, resulting in less wear and longer engine life
- Optional spiral mixing blade upgrade sold separately here
- Free shipping from Crown warehouse
What's Included?
- Crown 6SR Towable Mortar Mixer
- Pintle Hitch 2 inch Ball Hitch sold separately here
- Safety Chains
- Operator's manual
|Crown 6SR Mortar Mixer Specifications
|Drum Capacity
|6 cu ft
|Bag Capacity
|2-2.5 bags (88 lbs pre-mix)
|Max RPM
|75 x 45 x 55 in
|500 lbs
Questions & Answers (4)
Does this mixer come with a spiral blade installed?
No the Crown 6SR towable mortar mixer does not come with a spiral blade included this can be purchased separately and when ordered with the mixer will be factory installed. The spiral blade is easily attached with bolts when purchased separately.
where to buy in GA?
These items come direct from the manufacturer location, but can be shipped anywhere within the lower 48 states for free to a commercially zoned address with a loading dock or forklift.
Hi , I live in Tsawwassen, Delta , BC Canada , if I buy I need 2inch tow bar as shown in picture and how long is delivery time .
Thank you for contacting Contractors Direct.
Please contact us directly at 1-800-709-0002 or firstname.lastname@example.com to confirm lead time and shipping arrangements to your location.
can i put a 11 hose on my 6sr mixer
Please contact Crown Construction (877) 403-1220 to discuss any modifications you need to make.
Let us know if you have any other questions.


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PRESS KIT - click to download pdf file | Last updated: 02.23.2015 | pdf
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT - pdf
IMAGES - click to download files
high resolution poster image
headshot - Laura Kissel, Director [b/w, 300 dpi jpg] [color, 300 dpi tif]
production shot - Laura Kissel and Li Zhen at Yangshan Deepwater Port
more production stills are downloadable from Cotton Road Facebook page
FILM FRAMES - click to download files
hands repairing fabric | caption: A migrant worker repairs fabric in a weaving factory in Changzhou, China.
textile worker | caption: A migrant worker repairs a broken thread on a loom at a textile factory in Changzhou, China.
Ms. Jiang | caption: Ms.Jiang, owner of a clothing company in Shanghai, discusses how difficult it is to produce clothing for the low prices offered by American and European retailers.
Liu Chengfeng | Migrant worker Liu Chengfeng, 19 years old, takes a break from work in her dorm room.
100% cotton yarn bag | caption: A bag of cotton yarn, ready for shipment to a weaving factory.
cotton bloom and square | caption: Farmer Brown points out a cotton bloom and cotton square.
Farmer Brown | caption: Farmer Brown standing in one of his cotton fields in July.
clothing price tag | caption: Price tags ready to be attached to shirts in a clothing factory in Shanghai.
Farmers Brown and Tyler | caption: Cotton farmer Carl Brown and his farm hand, Grover Tyler.
shipping containers | caption: A quilt-like pattern of shipping containers stacked at the Port of Savannah.


text:
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Do you want to understand more about yeast in your beer?
Do you want to sample different yeast strains to see if your palate can detect them?
This is the night to make all your yeast dreams come true.
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Also, live music from Ryan Halliburton & The Still from 6-8pm!
Featured Beers include:
- Allagash White, Double U, Farm to Face Ghoulschip
- Victory Brewing Company (Parkesburg PA) Berliner Weisse
- Ommegang Rosetta
- Black Hog Brewing Co. Disco Pig 7 - Pineapple Express, Disco Pig 4 - Lime Maguey
- Gruit Brewing Co. Lavender Lager
Pay as you go


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text:
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PMW Bulletins
Hamas is sending civilians in Gaza to die for media coverage, says Abbas' advisor
by Itamar Marcus
Apr. 8, 2018
Hamas is sending civilians in Gaza to die
for media coverage, says Abbas' advisor
by Itamar Marcus
Mahmoud Abbas' senior advisor has accused Hamas of intentionally sending Palestinians in Gaza to "go and die," for the sole purpose that Hamas will have stories of dead Palestinians to tell the media.
Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Abbas' Advisor on Islamic Affairs and Supreme Sharia Judge, delivered a sermon on Friday from the PA headquarters in Ramallah, in the presence of Mahmoud Abbas. He accused Hamas of deliberately encouraging civilians to endanger themselves: "You Palestinians, our people, go and die so that we'll go to the TV and media with strong declarations."
Al-Habbash claimed that the Palestinian population are not being fooled by Hamas anymore, and "
sides with the PLO
Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Abbas' Advisor on Islamic Affairs and Supreme Sharia Judge:
"The Palestinian people... doesn't care about those [Hamas] with 'the emotional stories of heroism,' those with the slogans of heroism - slogans that when you hear them, you think that the people saying them are inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque after they liberated it. And afterwards you discover that they're only selling illusions, trading in suffering and blood, trading in victims, [saying]: 'You Palestinians, our people, go and die so that we'll go to the TV and media with strong declarations.' These [Hamas] acts of 'heroism' don't fool anyone anymore. The Palestinian people... sides with the PLO."
[Official PA TV, April 6, 2018]
Click to view
While Abbas' advisor was criticizing Hamas for sending Palestinians to their death, Abbas' Fatah Movement celebrated the participation of an infant in the Gaza demonstrations. Fatah posted a photo of a six-month-old baby who had been placed on a pile of tires. The tires would eventually be burned at the Gaza demonstrations:
Posted text:
"A child no older than six months was among the participants in the demonstrations today (Friday) [April 6, 2018] and in the March of Return events on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip"
[Official Fatah Facebook page, April 6, 2018]
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text:
Issue 1 Page 16
All this week, in addition to the regularly scheduled pages of Potential, I will also be featuring a preview of my new mini-comic, The Goat Man. Please be advised when reading that Goat Man is intended for mature audiences! It has naughty words and some side boob. Side boob! So, ya know. Watch out for that. The full comic also has a whole heck of a lot of violence, but I won't be showing all of that here. If you want to read the full 16 page story, you'll have to head on over to my comic store. For a limited time, the full digital issue is only 99 cents, so get it while it's hot. Thank you for reading!


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Nani continues his good run of form with two assists
It's not yet a case of 'Cristiano who?' but Nani has finally started to justify his hefty price tag, in his third season at Manchester United. Today he got two assists, and had a hand in another goal. As the Chalkboard shows, Nani's crossing from wide positions on the left-hand side is not the best, but he is very effective at beating his full-back, coming inside and providing more accurate passes.
That was the case for United's final two goals today, with the Bolton defence visibly tired from Nani's constant runs.
He also played a part in United's first goal – his pass to Giggs on the left-hand side in the 38th minute was a clever, over-the-shoulder flick that led to Giggs' cross being diverted into the United net by J'Lloyd Samuel.
With United's tendency to attack down the right-hand side, Sir Alex Ferguson will be pleased he can also rely on good service from the left.


text: One of my favorite activities: lounging with a book. I just finished Keith Richard's Life and I absolutely loved it. The cover seems a bit vulgar, and it definitely foreshadows some dark stages of Richard's life; however, the autobiography is filled with fun facts of the Rolling Stones and a true passion for the Chicago Blues, written in his own rugged, English vocabulary. What did you read this summer? xoxo... Jessica of the Wanderers


text:
Would anyone want to make themselves unpopular? I doubt it. But there are times when one has to choose between what is going to give them a quiet life, and what they feel is right. Obviously, though, you have to choose your battles. In this series I thought I'd explore the sorts of thing which some educational technology leaders or school leaders might not like.
Strictly speaking, if a teacher declines to carry out an instruction, he can be reprimanded – even if the instruction is dreadful. In my first day at one school I had the following conversation with my Head of Department:
HoD: Regarding the Year 10s (15 years old), just spend the first couple of lessons giving them a list of terms and their definitions to write down.
Me: But the terms will be meaningless unless we explore the concepts behind them.
HoD: Don't worry about all that; just write the list on the board and get them to copy it down.
Me: But what's the purpose of doing that? They won't learn anything.
HoD: No, but it'll keep them quiet.
Sorry, but that's pretty appalling if you want my honest opinion – on at least four levels.
Firstly, I think a lesson should be more than about keeping kids quiet.
Secondly, I'm not sure I want kids to be quiet: I want them to discuss and challenge, not sit there like sponges.
Thirdly, if by "keeping them quiet" the HoD meant ensure there were no behavioural issues, then the best way of achieving that is to make the lesson interesting, not to try to bore the kids into submission.
Fourthly, I believe in providing people with learning hooks – something they can hold on to, mentally, when learning new terminology. How can people learn things in a deep way if all they've done is learn a list of words by heart? But if they understand the concepts which underpin those words, they won't even have to make a conscious effort to learn them.
Disobeying the HoD wasn't a strategy that was guaranteed to gain me kudos or promotion within the school. But I was able to look at myself in the mirror each morning!


text:
Do you work with a factory in China, and wish their quality standard were a bit higher? You are not alone.
Here are six pieces of advice you can follow in this case.
1. Say it, and write it, to your factory
If you don't communicate your dissatisfaction, nothing will happen. Here is an example of message you can send:
"The customers who shop in our stores expect a relatively high quality (higher than average). We don't want them to think, 'Oh, these products are also made in China'. Either we keep our quality standard up, or we will need to stop purchasing from your company."
2. Give early feedback
it is the whole purpose of inspections during production: give a warning if the average quality is too low, while the manufacturer still has time to do corrections.
If you only perform final inspections (before shipment), you are taking risks. At that stage it might be too late to rework the goods, you might be in a hurry to ship them out, and the supplier might simply wait until you release the batch.
3. Do not accept low quality "exceptionally"
I have seen this mistake over and over again. Quality issues are only caught before shipment. As noted above, no good solution is found. The buyer lets the factory ship the products, even though they are not satisfactory.
What message does it send to the factory? Will they take your quality standard seriously in the future? Of course not.
A very serious discussion needs to follow. And the following order should be watched extremely carefully. If you don't do this, you will be disappointed again and again.
4. Define what is a major defect, what is a minor defect, and what is not a defect
It is hard to think of every possible defect. But, for most product categories, defining the 10 most frequent types of defects goes a long way.
I actually wrote some advice before on this same subject:
Prepare an easy-to-read manual
Some importers are very organized and write a clear QC checklist. The best practice is to show a lot of photos. For each potential defect, show one photo on the left (photo of the defect), and another one on the right (photo of what is acceptable).
It is quite helpful to inspectors, but make sure they don't need 1 hour to read this manual! A good target is 5 min.
By the way, this document is also useful to the supplier and the factory technicians. Write "NO" in red or "OK" in green, on the photos.
5. Set the AQL limits (i.e. tolerances for defects) that correspond to your quality standard
Maybe you started with the "standard" AQL limits (full explanation here), and you noticed that too many defects are tolerated? You wish inspectors rejected a batch with a lower proportion of defects?
For example, instead of authorizing 2.5% (for major defects) and 4.0% (for minor defects), you can tolerate only 1.5% and 2.5% respectively. There is no science to this, as I wrote in how to choose an AQL limit.
The drawback is that suppliers generally protest. They argue that 2.5 and 4.0 is the "standard" in China's export business (which is true), and that tighter limits will be hard to achieve. It is a good excuse for raising prices, and even for excusing delays.
6. Go and find another manufacturer!
That's the solution of last resort, in case your manufacturer shows no improvement (which, unfortunately, is likely to happen).
What do you think?
Related articles:
Explain your quality standard to quality inspectors


text:
In Which My Cousin Is Mistaken for a Poacher/
One Mother's Day my cousin Todd went out to see our grandmother, who at the time lived halfway to Hawkinsville. The visit was uneventful enough, but on the drive home Todd saw something he had never seen in his life: a roadkill alligator. He stopped the car and got out to get a good look at the poor alligator. It was a big one--eight or nine feet long with a great scuted tail and the same dreamy smile in death that it had worn in life. Todd marveled at the thing for a while, then got back in his car. His friend Brad was expecting him. When Todd got to Brad's apartment, the television was on, tuned to a National Geographic nature documentary called "Realm of the Alligator." Brad, fascinated by the program, didn't even take his eyes off the screen as he greeted Todd and motioned for him to join him on the couch. A scientist was swimming in a lagoon full of alligators and snapping their pictures. "Look at him," Brad said, gesturing toward the screen. "They could eat him right now. Can you imagine?"
"That reminds me," Todd said. "I saw a dead gator on the side of the road today."
Brad snapped around and stared wide-eyed at Todd. "A real alligator?" he breathed. "Dead?"
Todd nodded.
"It was there today?"
"It was there half an hour ago. On 247, almost to my Granny's house."
Brad was already getting up from the couch. "We've got to go get it!" he said. "We've got to go get it this minute!" Brad was a young man of great enthusiasms, almost to a fault. He was determined to wring every bit of life out of each day. That particular hour he was more interested in alligators than anything else in the world; he wasn't going to let an unclaimed alligator molder by the side of the road.
It took some doing to get the alligator in the back of Brad's truck; an adult alligator weighs several hundred pounds. But they managed. Todd's dad's house wasn't far from where they picked up the alligator, so they went there to skin it out. Todd got the alligator hide, since he was the one who found it. Brad got the head; he hadn't decided exactly what he was going to do with it, but at the very least he planned to scare girls with it. They cut up the tail meat and put it in Todd's dad's refrigerator to marinate, planning to reconvene in a couple of days for a gator fry.
Todd didn't know much about tanning an alligator hide, but he figured drying it out was surely one of the first steps. So he flopped it over the privacy fence behind his apartment.
When Todd left for work the next morning--he was assistant manager at a shoe store--the flies were already buzzing around the gator hide in the growing warmth. Hmm….he thought to himself as he got into his car. I probably need another plan for curing that hide.
Shortly after lunch a man in khaki came into the shoe store. "I'm looking for a Todd M______," he said.
"That's me," Todd said. "I'm Todd M_____."
"Mr. M_______," the man said, "I'm Officer Osborne from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Could you step outside with me?"
Somebody from the apartment complex, perhaps offended by the smell and the fly-buzz around Todd's gator hide, had ratted him out.
"Mr. M_____," said the game warden, "did you know it is a violation of Georgia law to possess an alligator carcass?"
"I didn't know that," Todd said.
"Well it is," said Officer Osborne. "It's a serious violation. I confiscated an alligator hide from from a fence in the Sandpiper Apartment complex. I have been given to believe that it was your alligator hide. Was it your alligator hide, Mr. M_____?"
"Well, yes, it is. But…"
"I'm going to need to confiscate the remainder of the carcass," Officer Osborne said. "And I'm also going to confiscate the vehicle you were in when you harvested the alligator, as well as the gun you shot it with."
"The gun I shot it with?" Todd fairly shouted. "I didn't shoot any alligator! I found it. Dead. It was roadkill.
A sneer curled the game warden's lip. "Roadkill," he said. "You're not the first to tell me that one."
"It's the truth," Todd said. "I don't know what else to tell you."
"Can anybody corroborate your story?"
"Sure. Brad W______ was with me. He helped me get it in the truck. Or I helped him."
"This Brad W_______," the warden said, "you tell me where I can find him. If he tells the same story you tell, you might be off the hook."
It was a long and worrisome hour that Todd waited for Officer Osborne to talk to Brad. He hoped Brad would just tell the truth and tell it straight. But Brad, in his youthful exuberance, had had occasion to speak with officers of the law before this. He could be a little cagey.
In the end, Brad's story and Todd's story and Todd's father's story all checked out, and all was well. But Officer Osborne insisted on confiscating as much of the carcass as he could. He already had the hide from his initial visit to Todd's apartment. He drove to Brad's place and pulled the alligator head out of the freezer, never to frighten a girl or anybody else. He even drove out to Todd's dad's house and got the tail meat out of the bowl in which it was marinating.
The gator fry was cancelled.


text:
Rating: T
Fandom: Once Upon a Time
Pairing: Emma Swan/Captain Hook (Captain Swan)
Spoilers: Through 2.05 "The Doctor"
Prompt: In the middle of the night Emma has a nightmare with Graham and wakes up startled. Hook notices this but pretends to be asleep. The next day he casually asks Emma "Who's Graham?"
Author's Note: In the last 48 hours, I have become completely obsessed with this ship. Unbeta'd, all mistakes are due to my poor typing skills. ;)
Bad Dreams
Emma drove her Bug through the quiet streets of Storybrooke. She wanted to make one last patrol before heading home for an ice cream and movie night with Mary Margaret. All seemed in order, which wasn't a surprise. It's not like Storybrooke was teaming with lawbreakers. Apart from attempting to remain one step ahead of Regina, being the Sheriff of Storybrooke was the easiest job she had ever had. She was just about to turn around and go home when she saw a light on in her office at the Sheriff's station. Emma was certain she'd turned off all the lights before locking up and heading out. Maybe Regina was spying on her? Or more likely sending one of her lackeys to do it for her. Either way Emma needed to check it out.
Emma cut the engine and climbed out. She drew her gun and held it at the ready as she pushed on the door. It was locked, just as she'd left it. What the hell? she thought. She unlocked the door and pushed it open. The end of the hall was filled with light that could only be coming from her office. As quietly as she could, Emma made her way down the dark hall, gun pointed in front of her. She instinctively squinted as she came into the light, temporarily messing up her vision. A few seconds later, her eyes adjusted and Emma stepped around the corner to confront the intruder.
There sitting at her desk was Graham.
He looked just as he had the last time Emma saw him, in all his waistcoated, messy haired glory. Only this time he wasn't doubled over in pain. No, he was sitting there like Emma had seen him every day since he'd made her his deputy. Her heart constricted painfully in her chest. She didn't even notice that she'd lowered her gun. Her head was screaming at her that this couldn't possibly be real; she'd watched Graham die in her arms. Too bad her heart didn't listen.
"Graham?" she whispered.
He looked at her and smiled. "Emma," he said. The accent was just as she remembered. She closed her eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. When she opened them, Graham was still there.
"How? How are you here? I...I watched you die."
"You sure about that, Emma? Because I don't feel dead," Graham replied, as he stood and stepped around the desk. "Maybe Henry's been telling you too many stories."
"Henry?" Emma asked. "Wait, you said you remembered. Just before you...you know...you said you remembered everything. What did you remember, Graham?"
"Is that really what you want to talk about right now, Emma?" Graham asked, as he took a step toward her. Emma backed up on pure instinct. There was something about this that wasn't right. She could feel it.
Graham held up his hands in mock surrender. "Slow down. Look, I can prove it's me. Kiss me."
"You think I'm not real, right? Tactile interaction seems to be the fastest way to prove that I really am standing here in front of you. So, kiss me, Emma."
Part of her desperately wanted to. His Irish brogue sounded so reassuring. But she'd been so torn up by his death, just when she'd started to let someone in. If it was some kind of trick or a figment of her imagination, she wasn't sure her heart could take a second beating. Still, she wanted him to be real so badly. Caution be damned. Emma threw her arms around Graham's neck and pulled him down to her lips. He felt the same. He felt solid. Unbidden, tears started to fall as she continued to kiss him. Graham's arms came around her and held her close.
Pain sliced through her. Emma staggered away from Graham, backing into the glass wall of the office. Slowly, Emma felt herself sinking to the floor. She looked down and saw a growing red stain in her now torn shirt. Emma pressed her hand to the wound and looked at Graham, horrified.
"Graham," she said, weakly. And hating herself for her weakness and stupidity.
He laughed. But it wasn't Graham's laugh. This laugh belonged to someone very different. Someone who in that moment Emma hated more than she'd every hated anyone in her life.
"Regina," she said.
Regina-as-Graham knelt down, brandishing a blood covered dagger. "Did you really think you could take the things that belong to me so easily? Did you think I would just stand idly by while you stole my life? Shame on you, Miss Swan."
Emma wanted nothing more in that moment than to punch the monster in its smug face, but she didn't have the strength. Her arms felt like lead. She felt herself losing consciousness, falling further and further into oblivion.
Killian Jones wasn't asleep. It was nearly impossible to find a comfortable position on the cold, hard ground they'd decided to use as a campsite. It seemed no matter which way he turned there was a rock or a pine bough or a stray branch digging into his body. He fervently wished to be back in his quarters on the Jolly Roger. A captain belonged at sea, not wandering some forest. Unfortunately, his trusty ship could not get him to Storybrooke, where his Crocodile waited. There was little that Killian wouldn't sacrifice to come face to face with Rumplestiltskin. If that meant sleeping in the middle of a forest with a band of four women, then so be it.
Killian was startled when he heard a voice in the dark. In seconds, he recognized it as belonging to the Swan girl. From what he could make out, it sounded like she was having a nightmare. He was about to reach over and shake the poor girl awake when she sat up abruptly; her eyes were wide and afraid. Killian quickly snapped his eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. He didn't want to get involved in whatever drama the girl's subconscious had cooked up. He could hear her panicky breaths as she muttered one word over and over. Graham.
Who or what was Graham? Killian wondered. Then promptly scolded himself for wondering. The lives of his traveling companions didn't matter. All that mattered was getting to his Crocodile. But he couldn't deny that there was something about the Swan girl that intrigued him. It wasn't every day that someone got the better of Captain Killian Jones.
The next day he and Swan were scouting ahead of the others. Their group was fairly quiet, but one could never be too careful about ogres. Or the other things forest contained like trolls. The pair walked parallel with about ten yards between them. The silence in the forest was a bit unnerving and Killian was bored. And he was Killian Jones and if there was one thing Killian Jones liked to do it was talk. Besides, he might learn something important.
"So who's Graham?" he asked.
Swan turned her head to look at him. He saw the briefest look of shock cross her face, then she composed herself. "You an eavesdropper as well as a pirate?" she asked.
"I haven't survived this long by being unobservant, Miss Swan."
She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. "Just how old are you?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"I've seen a lot of insane things of the last few months, try me."
He grinned. She wasn't easily intimidated, he liked that about her. "Three hundred years, give or take," he said. "I must admit that I lost track some years ago."
Whatever she had been expecting him to say, it wasn't that. But she didn't hesitate. "That's a really long time to hold a grudge," she observed. "What'd Rumplestiltskin do to you? Besides the obvious."
"That, Miss Swan, is a story for another day. You never answered my question."
"What question?"
"Coy doesn't suit you, Miss Swan. Is it really such a secret?"
Swan looked down, avoiding his eyes. "No secret," she replied. "He was just someone I knew."
"But he was important to you?" Killian wasn't sure why he was so intent on getting an answer out of her. But for some reason, he needed to know what could make someone like Emma Swan wake up terrified.
She looked at him, clearly exasperated. "He was my boss. There was...we might have...It doesn't matter. He's gone now. Died in my arms actually."
It was his turn to be surprised. He knew what it felt like to have someone close die in his arms. It was something they had in common. He found himself experiencing a feeling he hadn't felt in three hundred years: sympathy. He didn't dare act on the impulse though; he had a feeling that Emma Swan didn't want his sympathy. Clearly, the woman in front of him was stronger than he'd previously thought. It only made him more drawn to her.
"Have you avenged his death?" he asked.
She didn't ask how he knew that Graham's death wasn't an accident. She just smiled knowingly and said, "Not yet."
"Might I offer my services when the occasion arises?"
"Careful, Hook," she said, "I just might take you up on that."
"I would be my honor, Miss Swan," he replied, bowing formally.
She laughed, a much happier sound than he anticipated. He looked at her bewildered, but grinned in spite of himself. Maybe there could be life after vengeance after all.


text:
Houby Day is the new release by Istvan. It's a collection of art pop songs inspired by his favorite song writers and the instrument he wrote the songs on, the ukulele. This is also the first record of music for adults that he's made since he started writing and performing music for kids and families.
Istvan reunited with his original band mates Steven Slivka and Tommy Miller to perform the e.p. as well as a bunch of hand picked cover songs on October 4th which was the Friday of Houby Day weekend. The title is named after the Houby Day parade, a celebration of Berwyn's Czech and Slovak heritage. Pronounced "ho•bee," the festival centers around the Czech and Slovak word for mushroom, which was the object of a hunting tradition and a significant part of the Czech diet. The set included an ongoing slide show of images that added to the stories Istvan told through out the set. This was a one time only performance.
Currently the e.p. is only available by download. The purchase will get you a special download card that can be redeemed via the CD Baby web site. Included in the download is the music from Houby Day as well as the albums cover art and a text document that includes the story of how the e.p. came to be. The physical CD should be available in mid to late November.