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The original Lamborghini V12 GT that put the marque on the global map, the 350GT, here in 1/43 scale made by Minichamps.
The very first Lamborghini ever made, the 350 GTV prototype, here in a nice 1/43 scale model by Starline. This is the silver metallic model with closed headlights.
A silver metallic version of the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 made by Motor Max
This is the AUTOart 1/18 scale replication of the actual Centenario Roadster unveiled by Automobili Lamborghini SpA, an absolute must-have model.
The very rare 1/24 scale model of the Lamborghini Cheetah by Bburago, this is their Explorer version.
As far as I know this silver metallic car is the only 1/18 scale model available on the market for the very special 25th Anniversary edition of the Lamborghini Countach.
The final production version of the Lamborghini Countach was the 25th Anniversary edition, and Premium X Models has just released a very nice 1/43 scale model of it.
The Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary as a toy in 1/64 scale from Hotwheels
A unique test bed for composite construction of a new Lamborghini, the Countach Evoluzione from the late Eighties, nicely reproduced in 1/43 scale by Looksmart.
A stunning key chain with a brushed steel Countach LP400S at the end.
This silver metallic over red Lamborghini Countach LP500S sure looks good in 1/64
A very nice key chain with a silver plated Lamborghini Diablo model
The Lamborghini Diablo GT finished in bright silver metallic, sealed resin 1/18 scale model by GT Spirit.
The Lamborghini Diablo SV version in silver metallic with a large SV decal in red on the sides, here a 1/18 model by Welly.
One of the most beautiful 1/18 scale models of the Lamborghini Diablo VT, this silver metallic version by AutoArt is truly amazing and should be present in every Lamborghini collection.
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text: hi all! i am excited to show you my first semi-finished botanical collage. my scanner finally came in the mail today, and i quickly became busy scanning in artwork. the individual flower/word scans need some work, so while i contemplate on how to make them better, i decided to piece my illustrations together. once i figure out how to make a repetitive pattern in fabric design, these will be uploaded to spoonflower for some custom fabric. woo hoo - i can hardly believe i will have custom designed fabric for my aprons. in the meantime, i will be printing and matting this collage for sale at my upcoming festivals. possible text woven in with the flowers will be determined shortly ;)

subset: commoncrawl


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Hi, Everyone... I am using a different Linux OS and, upon installing Steam and European Escalation (EE), the cloud sync. operation did not find/discover my saved games on the Steam server.
Could someone please tell me where, in the Linux Steam version of EE, the saved games folder is located so that I might boot into my old Linux OS and locate these files to paste within my new Linux Steam OS? (I am not inclined to replay all those stages, however good this game, as life is too short.)
Thanks so much, C.
Saved Games Folder/Linux Steam/Cloud Sync...
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Re: Saved Games Folder/Linux Steam/Cloud Sync...
Profile should be in ~/.config/EugenSystems/WarGame/saves
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text:
'If you love me, make sure I don't wake up': WA man calls for assisted dying laws
WA man Nigel Haines says there was nothing more heartbreaking than listening to his wife asking him to end her life.
Suzie Haines was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2005 and suffered in the last years of her life before dying in 2011.
Mr Haines has become a staunch advocate for voluntary euthanasia legislation in light of the recent WA parliamentary inquiry, and said the heartache watching his wife suffer was testament as to why new legislation was needed in WA.
"There was at least three years of suffering that Suzie wouldn't have had to go through," he said.
"She was strongly in favour of organ donation and strongly in favour of voluntary euthanasia. But she was denied that. By the time she passed away her body was shutting down and they couldn't use anything.
"She said 'do you love me?' I said yes. She said 'if you really love me, you'll make sure I don't wake up in the morning.' That's when it brought it home to me just how serious it was."
Mr Haines said not backing assisted dying legislation due to concerns of foul play was a "cop out", but the correct safeguards needed to be in place.
"If we just say 'it's never going to happen', it will be terrible – you are going to have people committing suicide in terrible ways," he said.
"That really would hurt their next of kin more than someone dying with dignity.
"Once we say we are in favour of going down that track, at least it is a step in the right direction."
Mr Haines said residents with opinions on the topic should contact their local representatives, with every likelihood any new legislation could come down to a conscience vote of MPs.
"I'm hoping the parliamentarians will reflect the wishes of the constituents," he said.
The prospect of more-robust laws around assisted dying in WA is one step closer, as the Joint Select Committee on End of Life Choices delivered a report on Thursday.
The parliamentary group has spent the past 12 months hearing from stakeholders, groups and members of the public in relation to their beliefs on the possibility of euthanasia in WA – with Mr Haines one of those to make a passionate submission.


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At the start of a dietetic internship, students have often had no experience in effective counselling. At our hospital, students must complete a 3 week diabetes rotation and this is a very limited amount of time to develop confidence in this area. Most student learning at university was in lecture format and students often begin the diabetes rotation by believing that the dietitian's role is to tell clients what to do.
Dietetic interns should become involved in the counselling process as soon as possible in the rotation (even in the form of role playing). Interns have identified "an open learning environment, in which students can establish rapport, take risks and make mistakes" as qualities of an effective dietetic internship (1). Early in the rotation they can begin by participating in the opening part of the interview. The dietitian can also explain the process to the intern as the interview proceeds.
LECTURING DOES NOT WORK and is very frustrating for clients with diabetes. They do not appreciate a lecture and end up feeling frustrated that the educator does not understand how difficult it is to live with diabetes. Food is an important part of one's life and making changes is very difficult. Focus groups of those who have received nutritional counselling have shown that dietary changes have made clients feel "angry, depressed and deprived" (2). So how does one make this experience a meaningful one in a busy clinic and introduce the idea of motivational interviewing (MI)*?
[box color="white" icon="accept"]*Definition: MI is an evidence-based approach to behaviour change. It draws on several existing models of psychotherapy and health behaviour change (3). One of the goals is to help individuals work through their ambivalence towards behavioural change. They do much of the work as the counsellor helps them explore reasons for and against change. [/box]
Interns agree that when they observe the dietitian conduct an interview, it looks very easy. They don't realize that it took many years of experience and reflection to move from an advice-giving style to one that employs the techniques of motivational interviewing. MI can be particularly helpful in diabetes counselling. It uses a variety of techniques such as reflective listening, shared decision-making and agenda-setting (3). It can be useful to break the interview into 4 parts and discuss each part separately. All 4 parts take place within a single session which lasts about 1 hour in my practice.
Part 1
Getting ready/setting the stage Before the client arrives, ideally the intern should be familiar with the client's history. This includes length of time the client has had diabetes, medications, height and weight, social issues, and control (A1C, lipids, blood pressure). (I tell the intern not to be surprised if the client is on a long list of medications as this is often the norm in diabetes). When the client arrives, the dietitian should provide a quick summary of the history. For example, "I have had a look at your file and can see that you have had type 2 diabetes for 15 years. It looks like you are having difficulty with your control – does this sound right? – perhaps you can tell me what your concerns are regarding your diabetes?" Developing a rapport with the client and getting to know his/her life situation is key. The client may express concern about his control (both diabetes and cholesterol) and tell you that the large meal he eats after his evening shift is a big part of the problem. Letting the client do most of the talking is part of a successful MI session (3). At this point the dietitian can use an effective empathy technique by asking permission to set the agenda. ("Would it be alright if we reviewed when and what you eat, your medications, and your blood sugars to really understand what's going on? Perhaps we can figure out how to improve your control. When you come for follow up, we can discuss your cholesterol"). The dietitian becomes less the voice of authority and more of an equal partner in solving a problem.
Part 2
Allowing clients to decide what changes might be possible The diet history may have identified several key areas of concern. For example, the typical dinner may be very high in carbohydrate because the meal is late at night and the client has not eaten since noon. Rather than saying "your dinner is too late at night and you need to eat earlier", the dietitian can help the client come up with their own solution. "Rolling with resistance" is a specific type of empathy where you attempt to understand resistance to change. The tone of MI is non-confrontational and non-judgemental. The dietitian can help the client express pros and cons to changing behaviour ("Can you tell me what it is you like about eating late at night?"). The client may say that the vending machine choices at work are not healthy and his wife has prepared a very healthy meal at home for him. The dietitian can ask the client to rate their readiness to change on a scale of 0 to 10 by asking "How important is it for you to change your eating pattern right now?"
Part 3
Developing discrepancies Here the dietitian can help the client become aware of the discrepancy between their current behaviour and their personal goals. The client in this case puts a lot of value on good health and wants to enjoy his retirement and knows that his current situation will compromise this. The dietitian can elicit potential solutions to the problem from the client. The dietitian never tells the client what to do but serves to discuss mixed feelings and barriers to change.
Part 4
Instilling confidence and goal setting A scale can be used to assess confidence in achieving a goal. For example, the dietitian can ask the client to rate his/her confidence in achieving a goal on a scale of 0 to 10 with 10 representing extreme confidence. The client may say the number is 5 and the dietitian can explore barriers to change: "What would need to change for you to move from 5 to 7?" The dietitian can summarize the client's readiness to change and point out the pros and cons of changing the behaviour.
MI has been used in my areas of health behaviour including weight loss, exercise, addictive behaviours and type 2 diabetes. In a randomized trial of clients with type 2 diabetes, those who received additional MI sessions lost significantly more weight (4). MI has also been shown to result in a lower A1C in teenagers with diabetes (5). It can take several months to train MI to certified diabetes educators (3). MI is not for all clients with diabetes. Some prefer a more directive approach and have even stopped the interview to say "Aren't you just supposed to tell me what to do?" or "Aren't you supposed to just give me a diet?" It is not always possible to know which style works best for each client. It can also be difficult to use MI in clients whose first language is not English or French.
Dietetic interns can feel intimidated by this approach to counselling. It is very different from their student experience and letting the client do most of the talking takes confidence and lots of practice. However it is felt that even in brief consultations the spirit of MI can be incorporated in everyday counselling. As interns move through the different clinical rotations they become more skilled in this type of counselling.
- Kruzich LA, Anderson J, Litchfield RE et al. A preceptor focus group approach to evaluation of a dietetic internship. JADA.2003;103:884-886.
- Barr J, Schumacher G. Using focus groups to determine what constitutes quality of life in clients receiving medical nutrition therapy: First steps in the development of a nutrition quality-of –life survey. JADA 2003; 103: 844-851.
- Welch G, Rose G, Ernst D. Motivational Interviewing and Diabetes : What is it, How is it used, and does it work? Diabetes Spectrum. 2006; 19: 5-11.
- Smith West D, DiLillo V, Greene P et al. Motivational Interviewing increases adherence to a behavioural weight control program. Presentation at the North American Assoc. for the Study of Obesity Annual Meeting. Las Vegas, Nev., 14-18 November 2004.
- Channon S, Smith VJ, Gregory JM. A pilot study of motivational interviewing in adolescents with diabetes. Arch Dis Child. 2003; 88: 680-683.


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Register Now
Sorry! No results were found for your search. Your search may be too restrictive - try loosening up your parameters (i.e., don't require items like Waterfront or View). Some property types do not contain all fields (i.e., multi-family homes do not list number of bedrooms).
You can go back and modify your search.
Kelly & Christy Wilson | United Country Real Estate - Southern Oklahoma Realty
2617 N. Commerce, Suite D; Ardmore; OK; 73401 580-222-6248 Direct
United Country Southern Oklahoma Realty is technologically proficient and innovative at selling real estate with creative target marketing to achieve MAXIMUM market exposure for your property. Don't you deserve a team that goes above and beyond traditional real estate practices when selling your property? Our goal is to get your property sold, FASTER and for top dollar. Kelly and Christy Wilson brought United Country to Southern Oklahoma in 2006. United Country has over 90 years of experience at innovatively promoting real estate. When you combine Kelly and Christy Wilson's expertise and 20 years of experience with United Country, they have the tools to "get the job done." United Country is unbridled and dominates the lifestyle market for selling country homes, farms, ranches and land across the country. We target buyers both locally and all across America. Call today to learn more about what makes us different. We look forward to talking with you.
United Country Southern Oklahoma Realty is based in Ardmore, OK. We service Carter County and the surrounding areas of South Central Oklahoma. We are proud to call Ardmore home and we are eager to help you do the same. Contact us today so we may help you live your dream.
Mission Statement
"Kelly and Christy Wilson with United Country Southern Oklahoma Realty are committed to providing the absolute highest level of customer service to their real estate clients. They take great pride in being accessible to their buyers and sellers to achieve an experience that is above and beyond the competition. They strive for excellence in creative marketing and are devoted to the end goal of uniting buyer and seller."
Each of our independently owned offices offer the finest selection in lifestyle real estate. We offer the finest selection of real estate for sale.
© 2019 Southern Oklahoma Board Of Realtors All rights reserved. Information deemed to be reliable but not guaranteed. The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Broker Reciprocity Program. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than United Country Real Estate - Southern Oklahoma Realty are marked with the BR logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing brokers. Listing broker has attempted to offer accurate data, but buyers are advised to confirm all items. Information last updated on 2019-09-14.


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Electronic Systems Engineering
Enroll today to get started on your new career.
Congratulations! You're on your way to a hands-on education that will equip you with the necessary skills and background to begin your career. Graduates from New England Tech with an Associate of Science Degree in Electronic Systems Engineering Technology often find jobs after graduation in the following fields/positions: Electronics Technician, R&D Technician, Instrumentation Technician, and Data Communications Technician, among many others. Invest In Yourself™ and your future by continuing your education with New England Institute of Technology.


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21st Jun 2008 05:12pm
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Mozilla Firefox World Record
4 days ago Mozilla released a new version of it's highly successful web browser Firefox. To celebrate the launch, Mozilla contacted Guinness World Record's to see if they could start a new world record for the Most Software Downloaded in 24 Hours. I contributed and so did Martyn and still at the time of posting this the record hasn't been verified just yet, but because it's a new record it's obviously broken. As a reward we have a certificate *woohoo*


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Andrew Carnie | Dendritic Forms | 23 June – 10 September 2010
Andrew Carnie DENDRITIC FORMS
23 June – 10 September 2010
GV Art is pleased to present a new solo exhibition by the artist and lecturer Andrew Carnie, whose current work explores scientific themes and involves 'picturing' the body through science. The topics of his work include memory, the brain, developmental neuroscience, genetic disorders, temporal lobe epilepsy and the human body after death. His practice often involves concentrated interaction with scientists in different fields as a stage in the development of his work; other works are self-generated and develop from robust ideas he is interested in.


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Greater Houston Retailers Cooperative Association recommends PACE Houston site
Benefits of Going Green
By Jeff Thompson GHRA April 2017 Issue Page 14
"If you've been in the convenience store business for any length of time, you've probably been approached by one or more vendors offering to reduce your energy costs with LED lights. This can be a costly conversion. What you may not know is that you can accomplish many energy saving goals for your business by utilizing a PACE loan. PACE stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy, and the loan structure is unique in that it is capitalized by independent lenders. Property owners like the PACE Loan program because it presents positive cash flow benefits immediately, and the annual assessment can usually be passed through to the tenants, who benefit from the lower utility bills. Even if you are intending to sell your property in the near future, there may be benefits for you since the financing stays with the property. Specifically, in the event the current owner should choose to sell the property, the current owner is not obligated to pay anything more than the Annual Assessment then due. As such, any a capital improvements made to your property using this loan structure can benefit your property value and resulting selling price. Perhaps the biggest benefit to a PACE Loan is that it requires an independent assessment of the loan and the anticipated energy savings. Also, a PACE energy efficiency project potentially increases the property's Net Operating Income and building value. This independent assessment requires that upon analyzing the projected green energy savings, that the Savings to Investment Ratio (SIR) must be greater than "1". The Savings is calculated as the sum of the savings over the useful life of the project. The Investment is calculated as the Principal value of the Investment. Another simpler way to state this, is that the amount you save in utility payments must be greater than your annual assessment payments. This Benefits of Going Green means that in addition to having a zeroinvestment capital improvement to your property, your net operating income will see positive monthly benefits or else the loan won't be approved. Rather than spending the entirety of this article discussing the benefits of a PACE loan we can also talk about what types of energy efficiency improvements can qualify for PACE funding. In the Houston area, the items which will produce the most benefit are HVAC, insulation, lighting (indoor and outdoor), cool roofs (reflective white roof), energy management systems, car charging stations, bike racks, windows, glazing. HVAC components include chillers, cooling towers, air handlers, thermostats, boilers, variable drive fans (VDF's). If you decide to pursue this type of funding, you can learn more at www. pacehouston.com, and keep an eye out for potential energy saving LED manufacturers in future issues of In Action Magazine. Keeping it Green can help keep you in the green."


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According to RealSimple, banks are not required to honor personal checks that are more than six months old. Checks older than six months are considered "stale dated," and it is up to the bank whether or not to honor them.
Some checks, such as payroll checks, have a specific expiration date. In this case, how long the check is valid is written on the front of the check. For instance, a check that says "only valid for 90 days from the date issued" will expire 90 days from the date on the check. In some cases, the issuer of the check will send a new check at the recipient's request, but they are not required to do so.


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Verenice (Vere) cannot help but to smile. Everywhere she goes she is grinning ear to ear. Although she was extremely shy as an eight year old, nothing could ever stop her from greeting you with a smile. This was the case the first time she joined the Garnet After School Program and met Vanessa, an ASP volunteer.
Erik, An Unexpected Light
The "Blue Apartments" are well known in the Maple neighborhood. The epicenter of most of the gang activity, this specific row of tiny living quarters has built a reputation of being one of the darkest spots of Fullerton.
Erik grew up in these apartments. It is everything that he knows. In 2011 the Maple After School Program did not have a building. Solidarity would take pop-up tents, portable tables, folding chairs, some school supplies, and load them all into the back of a beat up pick-up. Feet from Erik's home, the staff would unload all of the elements necessary to run an outdoor after school program. Despite ugly weather conditions and a harsh learning environment, Erik's curiosity led him to hang out with Solidarity in these very early days.
Almost five years later, Erik sat on a chartered bus returning from Yosemite Sierra Summer Camp (YSSC). For a week he had experienced God's presence in a Christian camp on the outskirts of Bass Lake. Things felt different to Erik, but he didn't quite know why. He completed Level 3 of IMPACT and earned his way to YSSC. Reflecting back on the work he put in leading up to his week at camp, Erik realized his life was heading down a path he never imagined.
Our IMPACT program asks each student to set three goals. Creating tangible benchmarks with a mentor, Erik focused on a few areas in his life he wanted to improve: self discipline, academics, and health. He committed to maintain a 70% attendance at Merge (Monday evening church). God was quietly shaping Erik as he accomplished goals, met with his mentor, and experienced new purpose and direction in his life.
While at camp Erik joked, "Here, everyone feels like family; people just say 'Hi' all the time and everyone loves you. On Truslow (the Blue Apartments), you have to be careful of who you talk to or you could get slapped." Although it was masked in humor, the seriousness of Erik's statement resounded clearly.
There is a consequence to the way you behave while living in the neighborhood. At camp, Erik was free to be a teenager without the pressure of having to demonstrate how tough he was. He didn't have to prove anything; instead, he was accepted into a safe family environment. In this new-found freedom, Erik took risks by reaching out to make new friends, going rock climbing, and banana boating on the lake.
However, the biggest change in Erik's life is how he began to listen to God. The next night at Merge, Matt Anderson taught that the same experience of being in God's presence at camp was attainable in the neighborhood as well. Matt explained that God was speaking to them at camp and is speaking to them here on the streets. He then asked the whole room to quiet themselves of all distractions and listen to God to see who He put on their mind.
Erik settled into his chair trying to quiet his mind and listen to God. In the silence, Erik did not expect anything to come to him. Then, all of a sudden, his dad popped into his head. Shaking it off, Erik thought to himself, "No, that was too quick, I think I made that up…I gotta try again." Again his dad entered his mind. Figuring that God was trying to tell him something, Erik asked, "What do you want me to tell my dad, God?"
"I felt like God wanted me to tell my dad that no matter what we are going through, that I will be there with him," Erik recalled the next day. "Things have been rough lately between me and my dad. It hasn't been the best." Erik shared how Matt's teaching had really moved him. God wasn't an invisible, unknown entity; He was the Lord, choosing to speak something specifically to Erik.
God used IMPACT, camp at YSSC, and a prayer exercise at the Merge to draw Erik closer to Jesus.
The Blue Apartments are still a dark place in the Maple neighborhood. Yet, God has chosen young leaders, like Erik, to be a new light. He is not the same. His home will not be the same. The Maple community will not stay the same.
Through your support and generosity, Solidarity has been able to provide opportunities for IMPACT, camps, and a youth church. Thank you for investing in the hearts, minds and lives of those God is using to help transform communities.


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22:00 at SOUTH STREET - THEATRE (14+)
Tom Williams has received praise online from the likes of Q Magazine, The Line of Best Fit, Clash and picked up plays across the board on BBC 6 Music by Lauren Laverne, Huey Morgan, Tom Robinson, John Kennedy & Steve Lamacq.
Tom Williams, formerly helmsman of Tom Williams & The Boat, returns to perform in Reading. Tom's latest single 'Everyone Needs a Home'. The track, which received its first play from Steve Lamacq on 6Music is the first to be revealed from William upcoming fifth album, due for release later this year on Caroline International.
The single, with its intense, soaring strings and Williams unmistakeable vocal is an exciting taste of what is to come from the new album. Demonstrative of a new, more refined approach to songwriting and with the influences of 70s American rock echoing throughout, the track was written in December 2016 and is an angry and impassioned response to the global refugee crisis and the rise of the right wing in the UK.
Tom has also performed at a number of high-profile festivals including Glastonbury, Latitude and Secret Garden Party.
"A singular and distinctive voice in modern songwriting"
Steve Lamacq, BBC 6Music
Steve Lamacq, BBC 6Music


text: Christoph Siegenthaler wrote: > Totally agreed. I've got a phone with which I can't make phone calls without > echo and buzzing even though the OM folks have been working on the basics > for weeks/months now. Come on... Phone calls are the only basic > functionality I can think of in a cell phone. It is a cell phone with gps. The gps part seems to work well enough. But of course the phone part ought to work too. :-/ Helge Hafting


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Life, or at least the first one, started in some cotton field. Then came the pickers, the millers, the dyers, and finally, a trip to the factory. The journey was supposed to move on to a drawer, then a closet, then someone's back, but instead his Makers stitched and rent him endlessly. He was a million pieces at once, then one piece at once, then a million once more. It didn't matter that he was born of similar stock as everyone else, because somewhere along the line he was deemed unworthy, in a million different ways, and thus barred from whatever was outside the factory walls, allowed only to be worthy in practice. He'd get close, and when he felt complete, they'd hold him up by the cuffs and smile and laugh and throw him back to the pile.
The buying bosses from New York came down once for an inspection. They walked around to assess worthiness. They walked around some more and one of the bosses walked off to the corner, where he came upon the pile of practice awaiting the seam ripper's blade. The boss reached down and grabbed him by the collar. He looked at it. He looked to the other bosses. He looked down again and hollered "Boy, this sure is a fun shirt!"
The boss's grin betrayed menace but not malice—the boss hadn't done that thing he'd done before, where he turned around, marched over to some poor seamstress, and bellowed at length about standards and traditions of excellence and discerning customers—so the seamstresses were relieved. Fun Shirt betrayed no visible reaction, because he was a shirt, but his wrinkles looked like smiles.
The boss's company was in charge of the orthodoxy as well as the factory. For a century or so they had been clothing the right people and picking the right colors, and now everyone who knew what they were supposed to be wearing knew they were supposed to be wearing the company's goods, if not exactly why. Their fathers had worn them, and their fathers, and so on, and that was good enough. For the company, the joy of controlling the orthodoxy was the joy of changing the orthodoxy at will. The Fun Shirt would change the orthodoxy and into the void would pour money and they'd keep the money when the orthodoxy resettled. Here was a new venue for exploitation, delightfully imperfect, and it would serve the company well.
The first stop on Fun Shirt's freedom tour was New York, where he was trumped before a board room, his unorthodoxy extolled in a presentation with charts and figures and a finish of applause. Next, he boarded the first truck to Cambridge; he was so excited, studying etiquette guides and mentally preparing himself for weekends at Nantucket. He really had no idea what he was doing, but he knew he was going to slide onto the arms of the status quo, and he was more than happy to make the most of his opportunity.
Instead he slid onto a hanger, into a display, with signs and words and script and arrows. They approached him warily, because they had neither seen their fathers nor their fathers' fathers wearing something like him, and so they did not accept him thoughtlessly. They paused and whispered and eyed and roved and roved away and back and this did not exactly feel like the status quo.
Fun Shirt did catch the occasional eager eyes, but in them were mischief. The others darted quickly away, and their hands eagerly scooped up the other shirts instead, the pinks the whites the candy-striped blues. The salesmen eyed the purchases and tittered amongst themselves; they seemed excited, and Fun Shirt surmised that the scoops were coming faster and more fearfully than usual. He was a bit disappointed, but acceptance now would be acceptance still; he went with the mischievous eyes when their hands gripped him because this was something, at least.
On campus, the others were skeptical of Fun Shirt sharing their space. But he joined them in the classroom, ignoring the stares, and he joined them at parties, ignoring the snickers. He was unorthodox, yes, but if he was among them it meant he was going to become one of them, right? It meant that one day the backslaps would become back pats and exercised in warmth, not jest, but he wasn't quite sure. By and by, the stares became eyebrows raised and they registered not shock but not acceptance either, and the snickers never stopped and the eyes above his collar, the eyes he couldn't see, still seemed to give off mischief, or at least that's what got reflected and this definitely didn't feel like the status quo.
It went on for years like this and maybe that endless parade of winks and nods was the status quo, but the other shirts, the pinks the whites the candy-striped blues, were always there and they just seemed to be there and their presence never elicited surprise. They knew his name, "Fun shirt!", and they recognized him, "Again?" and "Again?", and he realized that maybe he couldn't just be. But he was on the precipice, he just knew it.
Fun Shirt came out of those years hoping his time spent across the river would translate into a place of prestige. The rest of the world knew where he had been, and doubtless they couldn't see far enough to know that he hadn't quite made it there. He thought he could use his hard-won recognition-if-not-acceptance to exist untroubled, unburdened. There were stories of shirts worn in offices, plackets wrinkled and cuffs pencil-stained, or worn cross-country, sleeves rolled up during negotiations, or smelling of an infatuation's perfume and a quick launder before a wife's embrace, or edges frayed and weaves exposed, seasoned with the proddings of grandchildren, and he prayed any of those fates would be his. He wanted so desperately to live mild-mannered and, if unfulfilled, at least above-average, to think that he had come all this way to do something that meant anything, anything at all, even if was really nothing.
He spent a lot of time stuffed in the back of drawers, next to his dreams, and he mirrored their compartmentalization, and he lived that way, balled-up and often forgotten. He was back in New York for a while but he never went back to the offices, to that board room. He remembered the meeting and the applause and it had been a golden day, clear as can be. The journey so high from such depths surely meant he was preparing for launch, and whole galaxies of possibility had seemed to exist before him. There had been stars in his eyes, and now he knew the excitement hadn't been for him, because he wasn't the point, his whole journey hadn't been the point, and the stars grew dimmer, and he remembered the talk of the void and he felt like they had launched him into it for all the constant darkness and muffled signs of life beyond. He had the occasional scrap of employment on Madison or Fifth or Sixth, or the offices transposed to shorelines and countrysides that would bring him along like decoration, and they still called him "Fun!" and he still saw the mischief reflected and he knew that this was as far as he'd come and as far as he'd go, and he allowed himself to think this was just fine.
Still, maybe that was enough, to be good and better than those who hadn't been to Cambridge; it was far enough from and close enough to and if someone was standing aways they'd have to really squint to say he wasn't in the mix, so he filled the distance with as much pomp and bluster as he could. He knew he was above the railroad stripes and the denim and the heavy thick blues and the flannels and the geometric prints and the gargantuan sports logos and they could only squint at him, and he figured they couldn't see.
They all came from the fields, and they all went to the mills, and they all went through the factories, but their seamstresses didn't have to worry about New York bosses coming down and screaming and so their lives went on inauspiciously. Most of them only had one life, and they were living it just fine, though it's true many of them hadn't been to Cambridge. But some of them had, and they knew what they were and what they weren't and they quickly made peace with it, so their years were as good as they could have been. And they left and went on to do more or less normal things and even the ones who hadn't been to Cambridge knew that they were all, at root, spooled from the same cotton, grown in the same earth, and they didn't need to be in any drawer in particular. Sunlight, moonlight, hamper, laundry, clothesline, and over and over and all that was just fine.
They disgusted Fun Shirt, happy with lesser lives. He knew they were worse off, just knew, even when he saw them in the street or at the Alumni Club, that everyone who knew better knew they were cut from different cloths, knew that his was superior and theirs a mere temporary, token mistake. But his supposed lessers could see it didn't matter because they could see so from afar and when they were close they could see even more clearly and when they got close he could see that they could see and, even if it weren't true, he lied to himself over and over and over until it became his quiet truth.
He kept on repeating the lie and found another shirt that spoke the same lie and they lied to each other and lied with each other and soon they had children, and they hoped the kids would be given more room to be their oddly colored selves, and he knew they had good breeding—he had worked so hard to give them good breeding—but still, they were unhappy. But maybe unhappiness would be their lot, listening for the lies and working to enjoy their lives of privilege in distinguished anonymity.
That wasn't going to happen, of course. It had never really happened for Fun Shirt, and behind the pomp and bluster he knew that, and he watched the looks in his children's faces at homecoming weekends, and he knew that that they knew and he hoped that they would inherit his durable aloofness, he hoped that they would learn his lesson, that they would lie to themselves and call it character development, but they were awful liars. They disappeared and reappeared and disappeared again, and they were no Fun Shirts, and, no matter how much he lied and worked to keep the lie going he thought he was far enough but he wasn't. And when he finally realized he was never going to be among the pinks the whites the candy-striped blues, when he finally saw that there would be none after him, when he finally looked down, he was scrap again, in a pile awaiting his final death and the seam ripper's blade.
Melvin Backman is a black writer from North Charleston, South Carolina, though he lives in Brooklyn now. His work has appeared with Spook, Seven Scribes, and The New Yorker. He also has a newsletter about clothes called 'If You Pleats.'


text:
For Fliers, 'Open Skies' Start Is Slow
Few New Routes, Higher Prices; But Posh Trip to Paris
See Corrections & Amplifications item below
Ending government limits on flights between the U.S. and Europe was supposed to ignite lots of new competition and offer consumers cheaper fares across the Atlantic. Headlines heralded a "boom in trans-Atlantic travel."
The most noticeable change: a large shift by U.S. carriers of...


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Hackney House welcomes the use of its modern, centrally located spaces for events, presentations, networking, meetings, conferences, exhibitions and as communication environment to serve the local Hackney community and its businesses.
This stunning venue, a stone's throw from Liverpool Street Station consists of a ground floor event space, which can accommodate up to 300 attendees, a first floor break-out space with bar and roof terrace for up 150 and 2 meetings rooms on the second floor which can accommodate 20-30 people each.
Hackney House works closely with an assortment of exciting local caterers that can offer everything from delegate breakfasts to summer barbecues or seated gala dinners, nothing is out of the ordinary. Being at the heart of tech city, we are used to supporting companies with high demands when it comes to presentation equipment. We have an almost limitless supply of equipment through our partner companies and will be glad to provide quotes for all your audio-visual needs.
Ground Floor (140sqm)
Standing - 300
Theatre - 100
Cabaret - 60
First Floor (90sqm)
Standing - 150
Theatre - 50
Front Boardroom
Standing - 50
Theatre - 25
Boardroom - 25
Rear Boardroom
Standing - 30
Theatre - 15
Boardroom - 10
Venue Facilities:
Catering & Bar: From supplier list only
Production i.e. furniture, props, AV etc: Recommended suppliers here
Pets Welcome: NO
Exclusivity: YES
Parking: NO
Wheelchair accessible: Ground floor only
AV Equipment: YES
Hackney House
25-27 Curtain Road
0208 356 5505


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Where is Harrah's Hotel, Las Vegas Located?
The Mardi Gras themed Harrah's Hotel Las Vegas stands on The Strip and has its own monorail station, Harrah's Imperial Palace. The hotel is next to a clutch of Las Vegas hotels, including the Venetian and Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino. It's five miles from the airport and walking distance of The Strip's attractions.
Harrah's Hotel, Las Vegas Hotel Features
With 86,664 square feet of Las Vegas casino space, seven restaurants, outdoor pool, spa, shops and entertainment options, Harrah's ticks all of the Las Vegas hotel boxes. It organizes live revues daily with the best improv comedians in the business taking to the mic at The Improv Comedy Club.
There are twelve dining and lounge venues catering to most gastronomic tastes, from grilled to order steaks and ribs at The Range Steakhouse to the down home feel of the I Love This Bar – a restaurant, bar and grill featuring live bands. Ming's Table serves Asian cuisine. For something extra special, head to The Oyster Bar At Harrah's where you can sip cocktails and dine on fresh seafood.
An Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool keeps things cool outside and is circled by comfortable day beds, cabanas and an outdoor café.
The Harrah's Spa and Health Club is a great escape from the excess of Las Vegas with aromatherapy, massage and body treatments.
Harrah's Hotel, Las Vegas Guestrooms
Harrah's Hotel and Casino Las Vegas has 2500 rooms and suites to choose from with seven styles of accommodation and a PetStay option for those travelling with dogs. Guestroom features include:
• Mini bar
• Flat screen TV
• 24 hour room service
• Iron and Ironing Board
• Hair dryer
Harrah's Hotel Las Vegas Expert Tip
Drinks at Harrah's Hotel and Casino's Carnaval Court Bar & Grill are served by some of the world's best flair bar tenders
Harrah's Hotel, Las Vegas Race & Sports Book:
45-seat race and sports book,
Harrah's Hotel, Las Vegas Restaurants:
Café at Harrah's,
Carnaval Court Bar & Grill,
Flavors Buffet,
Ice Pan ,
Ming's Table,
Oyster Bar at Harrah's,
The Range Steakhouse
Toby Keith's I Love This Bar.
Harrah's Hotel, Las Vegas Entertainment:
Improv Comedy Club,
Mac King Comedy Magic Show,
Legends in Concert
Harrah's Hotel, Las Vegas Nightlife:
Carnaval Court,
Harrah's Hotel, Las Vegas Attractions:
Harrah's Hotel, Las Vegas Pool:
Olympic-sized pool
Harrah's Hotel, Las Vegas Spa:
The Spa
Harrah's Hotel, Las Vegas Shops:
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company,
Millennium Foto,
Magnet Max,
Tower of Jewels,
Harrah's Essentials,
Carnaval Market,
Tu Tu Tango,
Carnaval Wine and Spirits,
Marshall Rousso
Harrah's Hotel, Las Vegas Wedding Services:
Flamingo Las Vegas


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Series: Magical Dressmaking Mystery #2
Also in this series: A Custom-Fit Crime
Genres: Mystery & Detective
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Business is booming at Harlow Jane Cassidy's custom dressmaking boutique-even with her great-grandmother's ghost hanging around the shop. But when a local golf pro is found stabbed with dressmaking shears, the new town deputy suspects Harlow. Now she has to clear her name before the next outfit she designs is a prison jumpsuit…
A fashionably enchanting murder mystery!
My Thoughts
Secrets, secrets, and more secrets. That, in a nutshell, is the underlying theme to A Fitting End, the second book in Melissa Bourbon's Magical Dressmaking mystery series. Simply put, I cannot say enough good things about this series. A Facebook friend once said that this series is "like comfort food" and I still have yet to come up with a better description.
Just months after finding a dead body in her front yard, dressmaker Harlow Cassidy finds her life interwoven with Bliss tradition and a murder mystery. She is deep in patterns and preparations for the annual Margaret Moffette Lea Pageant and Ball, outfitting Bliss teens in 1800s garb to honor the wife of Sam Houston. It's tradition in this Texas small town and Harlow is quite surprised to find that her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all took part. As this year's event unfolds, a golf pro at the country club is found stabbed – with Harlow's sewing shears. She had nothing to do with the murder, but the wife of a senator – Zinnia James – just might have. Harlow quickly finds herself taking on vastly more responsibility for the festival than simply making dresses, all while pulling at the threads of family secrets, trying to make the right relationship pattern with handsome Will Flores, and attempting to uncover the true culprit.
Melissa Bourbon's writing is warm and welcoming. I love starting a new Magical Dressmaking mystery because I know I'm going to find myself in Bliss, Texas with the Cassidy clan. It's a true Southern charmer, that's for sure. Like Harlow, I find Will magnetically attractive and I can't wait to see how his budding relationship with Harlow will blossom. Also, the aftermath of some of the newly-revealed secrets in A Fitting End opens up a huge avenue of new mysteries and charms.
It's an enchanting series that I would highly recommend to all readers.


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There's a long and rich interplay between meditation and the arts, including music and artworks including the ancient Indian tradition of mandalas.
But bringing meditation into conventional theatre is a little more unusual. Elephant of my Heart is a stage adaptation of Jessica Clements' book of the same name: Clements herself even performs in the show's chorus. It's a memoir of her time in hospital recovering from a brain haemorrhage as a nine year old child. She believes that the inner travels she went on, guided by an elephant, triggered her healing process.
Prospero Theatre adapt her story using familiar techniques of children's theatre: puppets, songs, games, and audience participation. But there's an emphasis on the body, and on creating a new language to talk about illness and recovery. Jess is taught that the scars covering her head are sewn up by a black panther's whisker, and kept safe by invisible dragonflies. Medicalised terms are demystified by being paired with analogies from the natural world, in a holistic approach designed to lead Jess towards a new comfort with her recovering body.
At the close of the performance, Clements leads us on a simple visualisation, designed to help the audience find their own inner animals. It highlights the closeness between mindfulness exercises and the kind of imaginative games that children often play - their careful focus during the visualisation suggests that perhaps children's comfort with their own imaginations makes them more receptive to techniques that adults feel too inhibited to try.
Little is known about whether healing can be accelerated by meditation, but recent studies tentatively suggest that the stress-reducing properties of meditation can strengthen the immune system. Certainly, there are clear links between meditation and the state of mental wellbeing needed for a full recovery. But perhaps the strongest message of Elephant of My Heart is the importance of developing a language and story that enables people in recovery to understand their illness, whether or not that means cultivating an inner jungle. (AS)
Elephant of My Heart was on at the Edinburgh Fringe, Greenside, from 5-16th August. More information: http://prosperotheatre.com/prospero-community-company/elephant-of-my-heart/
The role of mandalas in meditation: http://www.chopra.com/mandalas-sri-yantras
More information on Jessica Clements' book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elephant-My-Heart-Jessica-Clements/dp/1452585725
Studies which tentatively suggest the positive impact of meditation on the immune system: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26799456


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Specific Identification is another method of determining the cost basis for your mutual fund share purchases (average cost, and FIFO are other methods). With specific identification you need to keep good detailed records of each purchase including price paid, date, etc. Under this method you select which shares from which purchase date you are selling, thus in terms of tax liability you would want to select the highest price purchase you made in order to crystallize a lower tax obligation. You will need to give notice to the fund manager of the purchase details as well as checking with the IRS or your accountant on the procedures. It is prudent to get competent tax advice, as good advice will earn you money as well as save you from potential liabilities.
Synonyms: Cost basis, Taxable profits
If you have any further questions or would like to add to the entry above, then please submit your thoughts below.


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A quick note to GOD concerning the NCAA Basketball tourneyment/
Hey God, Colin from Ohio here. I know it's been a while but I was hoping for a quick favor. I'm sure you are swamped with spring and probably have a million things to do, but if on the off chance you find yourself around a television tonight, I was wondering if maybe you could help the Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Kentucky Wildcats? (tip off 9:45 EST , Fri Mar 25th, no big deal, just in case you were wondering)
See, one of the things on my "bucket list", so to speak, is to see my favorite team win March Madness just once before I die and let's be frank, I'm not getting any younger and figure this year is as good as any.
I know it's just a silly game and I'm not asking for you to fix the result or anything, (though it would be justice for John Calipari, but I'll let you be the judge of that) maybe just some loose balls could bounce our way? That's got to be pretty easy right?
At the very least, could you make sure those blind officials don't call some ridiculous blocking foul on Craft when the opponent is clearly charging or a hand check foul on Sulliniger when he is laying on the court? That kind of incompetence could cost us the game.
Anyway, I mean, I know it's not a big deal, but with all the factories closing in Ohio and the whole Lebron thing and everything don't you think it's kind of the least you could do?
But I am sure you are busy so if you cannot find 30 free seconds to get to it tonight between 9:45 and midnight (EST) I understand, Colin


text:
Fortitude + Squarespace =
A Website
Mike Bevels
Fortitude + Squarespace =
A Website
Mike Bevels
Are we there yet?
Contributor Interface Overview
Customizing Squarespace with JS and CSS
Shortcomings of Squarespace
How to Publish a Blog Post
(Is that Tim Robbins?)
Why Squarespace?
Why Squarespace?
Tried various other website builders (Wix, etc)
(You had me at parallax scrolling)
Squarespace offers flexibility with easy injection of custom css and js
(That's the "tech" part of this tech talk)
A variety of nice starter templates are available
Decent developer community
(Online Q&A forum reminds me of the Turbotax community forum)
Jeff Bridges has a lot of clout in the browser based website building community
Contributor Interface
Contributor Interface
Published vs Unpublished
Linked via Main Navigation vs Not Linked
Main Navigation Hack
Modular Pages
Custom Javascript and Javascript "plugins"
Global template style/design changes
Easy generic style changes
Custom CSS
Site Metrics
See what drives traffic to our site
(Spoiler Alert: It's Blogs.)
Squarespace Shortcomings
Squarespace Shortcomings
No site backup/export/version control
There are ways to get around this, but nothing is a silver bullet
I should utilize Fortitude's github page to version control the custom CSS and Javascript
(Mike, why haven't you already done this?!?)
Be careful when publishing blogs!
Creating A Blog Post
Creating A Blog Post
Blogs drive the majority of traffic to our site
I will give you a contributor account
Be careful!
Save early, save often!
Browser will lock up after a period of time
(Hulk Smash!)
Published vs. Created date
Code style / code highlighting
We are using prism (http://prismjs.com/)
Page components
Reader Comments
Is that Tim Robbins?
Is that Tim Robbins?
Ask wisely. We go to Happy Hour when the Questions are done.


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The Culture Gabfest, "Vamp" Edition
Listen to Slate's show about the new Pixar movie Brave, Aaron Sorkin's latest offering The Newsroom, and the legacy of film critic Andrew Sarris.
Listen to Culture Gabfest No. 197 with David Haglund, Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner by clicking the arrow on the audio player below:
And join the lively conversation on the Culturefest Facebook page here:
The Summer Strut playlist is back! Tell us what songs you'll be strutting to this summer by posting songs you think we should include on the playlist at Facebook.com/culturefest or emailing song names or links to email@example.com.
The sponsors of today's show are Bing.com and Stamps.com. For Stamps.com, use the promo code "CULTUREFEST" for your no-risk free trial and bonus offer. Today's show is also sponsored by Bing.
On this week's Culture Gabfest, our critics discuss Brave, the first Pixar movie to feature a female lead; consider its post-feminist implications; and wonder where it stacks up in the Pixar body of work. The Gabfesters are then joined by Slate "Brow Beat" blog editor David Haglund to discuss Aaron Sorkin's HBO workplace drama The Newsroom, its Sorkin archetypes, and whether it constitutes an enjoyable return to Sorkinland or a boiling vat of Boomer resentment. Finally, they discuss the legacy of film critic Andrew Sarris, his auteur theory, and his debates with colleague Pauline Kael.
Here are some links to the things we discussed this week:
Dana's review of Brave for Slate
Feminist response and backlash in response to Pixar's first female lead
Spirited Away and the movies of Hayao Miyazaki
Aaron Sorkin's body of work, including his plays The Farnsworth Invention and Hidden in This Picture; his television shows Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Sports Night, and The West Wing; and his movies Moneyball, The Social Network, and A Few Good Men
David Haglund on watching everything ever written by Aaron Sorkin for Slate's "Completist"
The supercut of Sorkin dialogue recycled throughout his body of work
The cultural authority of the news anchors of yesteryear, Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite
Andrew Sarris' essay "Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962"
Sarris' top 10 lists from 1958 through 2006
Sarris' reviews for the New York Observer and the Village Voice
The French film criticism and theory magazine Cahiers du Cinéma, which originated "la politique des Auteurs," the idea Sarris translated as "auteur theory"
French New Wave directors Jean-Luc Godard, Éric Rohmer, and François Truffaut
Auteurs Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, Francis Ford Coppola, Jean Renoir, and Orson Welles
Writer/showrunners Aaron Sorkin, David Chase, David Simon, Matthew Weiner
Andrew Sarris' response to Pauline Kael's 1971 New Yorker essay "Raising Kane"
Pauline Kael's research appropriation for "Raising Kane"
Sarris on Douglas Sirk
Sarris' categories of directors
Kael's 1963 essay "Circles and Squares"
Brian Kellow's biography of Pauline Kael, A Life in the Dark
Last Tango in Paris reviewed by Kael for The New Yorker
Bonnie and Clyde reviewed by Kael
A two-part analysis of Sarris' and Kael's disagreements about auteur theory: Part I, Part II
Dana's pick: Following a Gabfest listener's post on our Facebook page on the humility of staying silent on cultural products, Dana endorses doing nothing as the ultimate summer activity, specifically: staring at the wall, petting your dog, and letting your mind wander
Julia's pick: A song to (summer) strut to: "I Love It" by Icona Pop
Stephen's picks: Pauline Kael's 1971 New Yorker essay "Raising Kane" and Chris Eigeman's Salon piece "Trust Me on This: 'Abbey Road' "
Outro: "I Love It" by Icona Pop
You can email us at email@example.com.
This podcast was produced by Mark Phillips. Our intern is Sally Tamarkin.
Follow us on the new Culturefest Twitter feed. And please Like the Culture Gabfest on Facebook.


text: "Donohue's latest is women's fiction at its finest, a masterfully unfeigned story about unconditional love and its healing power mixed with a thrilling mystery. Her animated dialogue sets the tone, and the human and equine costars add genuineness. The two ... POVs drive the tale in this fast-paced, bestseller-bound page-turner." -- RT Book Reviews, 4.5 stars, TOP PICK


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Bathroom lighting installation requires great care to ensure that it conforms to the required safety standards. You will see a bathroom zones diagram by each of the products so please take care that you are ordering one appropriate for its intended use.
In zone 3 there is no special requirement for safety in a bathroom so most other fittings can be used.
In particular take a look at our ceiling lights page as the bathroom ceiling is usually in zone 3 by default.
If in doubt either contact a qualified electrician or us. Bathroom lights are designed to minimise the reflected glare from gloss surfaced ceramic tiles.
The 'Como Triple Round' has three bulbs facing in opposite directions to achieve this. Bathroom wall lights can be situated either side of a mirror, in the way that the 'Tube' and 'Roma' are designed to be, or above a shower, as shown by the 'Ice Shower Downlights'. The bathroom light area has so much choice you will definitely be able to achieve the effect that you desire.
Ice Shower Downlight
A good chunky clear glass and chrome mains voltage downlight suitable for use above a shower.
1 x 50W standard GU10 240V reflector (included)
IP65 – suitable for use in zones 1, 2 + 3
Cabraret Lighting
Cabaret is a bathroom safe wall fixture for use above or either side of a mirror to give the effect of good stage make-uo lighting. The frosted glass spheres contain a single 25W G9 halogen lamp and the fitting also has a pull switch at one end.
Suilable for use in zones 2 and 3
Max 4 x 25W G9 halogen (included)


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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The city of Paris may have just elected its first woman mayor, but Kansas City mayor Sly James has come up with a blueprint to empower women that he believes is the first of its kind in the country and will provide a guide for other cities to follow.
WE, or the Women's Empowerment initiative, will help increase the number of women not just in city jobs but also in high-ranking municipal government positions, it will make it easier for women-owned companies to contract for city projects, it will encourage women to join the many boards and commissions that impact urban life and it will even look at issues like the establishment of a child care center in city hall. (Hey, when three of the mayor's staff members were nursing moms, that led to an improved facility for breastfeeding on the job.)
It's an ambitious plan and one that James is excited about.
"I spend half of my life in meetings," he said. "And often there's no women in those meetings." Yet, as he points out, women make up 51 percent of the population and are now graduating from college at a higher rate than men. Women are a resource for government and business that should not be overlooked.
He hasn't in his office. "Eight of 12 of my staff members are women," he said. "We look for the best person for the job and wow, guess what, they're women."
The idea for WE started with an internal review of the city before looking externally at how to get women involved. That internal examination is what makes the program unique, said James, who was named one of the five most innovative mayors in the country by Newsweek in 2012.
Although women fill 29 percent of city jobs, they hold just 23 percent of the department director positions or higher. Fortunately, there's no pay disparity for the same job at city hall. But because fewer women get those top positions, income disparity exists. "Women are not going to rise to the upper level of income unless the glass is taken off the top," James said.
Barriers need to be identified — and removed. He's blunt in his assessment of what may be holding back women. "I don't want to be sexist but it seems to me, despite this alleged age of enlightenment" that women still get involved in the biggest share of duties at home. "That has to impact what you're able and available to do and, frankly, what you have the energy to do."
James seems empathetic to women's issues. Describing himself as "a black man who grew up during the Civil Rights movement," he said, "I think I'm sensitive to discrimination and unequal opportunities because I'm a minority."
The plan for WE has been more than five months in the making, as the mayor's office partnered with Central Exchange, the Women's Foundation of Greater Kansas City and the University of Missouri-Kansas City Women's Center for several months of research, including focus groups, to answer, in part, that age-old question: What do women want?
As far as the workplace at City Hall goes, women want on-site, affordable, quality child care. He agrees. "From my perspective, if a woman knows her children are five, six, eight floors below and she can check on them if there's a problem, it eases her mind." And it means a parent doesn't have to go down to the parking garage, leave work and then return.
Flex-time has been another request and it may help make employees more productive, James said. "At the end of the day, it's all about productivity in the workplace."
But the blueprint goes far beyond providing child care or flex time:
Boards, commissions and task forces
Those boards, commissions and task forces exist for a reason: Their decisions and policies can affect the daily lives of a city's residents. But few women serve on them.
"I've been to meetings that if it weren't for me, it would be a bunch of white guys," James said. "Don't get me wrong — there's nothing wrong with white guys but that's just one perspective."
Women bring different qualities to the table: "Research tells us that the female perspective adds an important dimension to organizations because they are communicative, collaborative, task-driven and goal-oriented," James said.
So why aren't there more women serving on these boards?
Wendy Doyle, the president and CEO of the Women's Foundation of Greater Kansas City, contracted with the University of Kansas to do research on the barriers that keep women from involvement in city boards and commissions.
My favorite response from the focus group portion of the study: "Nobody asked!" In other research, women said they didn't know or understand the selection process. They were also concerned about the time commitment as well as wasting time in inefficient meetings.
The study's summary stated that women need to be mentored and they need more knowledge of civic issues and structures.
"We also found barriers for working moms," Doyle said. "Does the time of the day conflict with child care or school? What about the safety of the location?"
Complete results of the research will be released April 21. "There's been nothing like this done before," Doyle said.
Helping to find the women with the knowledge, experience and interest to serve on these boards will be the Women's Foundation.
Women-owned businesses
Getting certified as a WBE, or Women's Business Enterprise, can lead to more opportunities for bidding on government projects as a certain percentage will go to women and minorities. But that certification process can be a barrier, said CiCi Rojas, president and CEO of Central Exchange, a group for professional women that provides development and networking opportunities.
"We do know that the perception of the certification process for WBE, or Women Business Enterprises, is unnecessarily long and burdensome," said Rojas. "It's not an easy process, but it shouldn't be so you can ensure that businesses are actually women owned and operated."
It could be "streamlined," she said, with Central Exchange becoming a partner organization with Women Business Enterprise National Council to certify local businesses. That would create a "one-stop shop" so that women can focus on running their businesses rather than devoting time and resources to the certification process, which sometimes has to be done two or three times because of Kansas City's location straddling the state line of Kansas and Missouri.
Careers at city hall
Reaching women still in school will be the goal of the Women's Center at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
For starters, the center is sponsoring a panel discussion in April on city careers that will feature a deputy chief of police, the director of public works, an assistant city manager and the deputy director of parks and recreation, all of whom are women.
Dr. Brenda Bethman, director of the center, said her aim is for students to get exposure to careers, gain experience and have the opportunity for internships. New interdisciplinary core classes, required for all students, will have a service requirement that could include city projects.
"We want [careers in city government] to be an option on their radar," she said about women students at UMKC.
Rojas of the Central Exchange wants career women to consider city government jobs as well. "It's an opportunity to transfer skills," she said. "Women who are downsized from corporate jobs or who want to do something different can work for a municipality and affect the quality of life." Jobs can be found in areas ranging from arts and culture to parks and recreation.
For those unfamiliar with Kansas City's history, Kay Barnes (cousin of legendary newsman Walter Cronkite) made history here when she was the first woman elected mayor in 1999 and then reelected in 2003. Term limits kept her from running again. And James is not the first African-American mayor of Kansas City; Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), elected to head the city in 1991, has that distinction.
So yes, as the song goes, everything's up to date in Kansas City.


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IDC Commentary on Service Provider Cloud Service Opportunity
Summers tend to be a bit cool in San Francisco, but acceptance of Cisco's Unified Service Delivery (USD) solution by Service Providers searching for the best path to cloud is heating up. We're excited at the progress so far – including recent records set by the Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) which just placed 3rd globally in the x86 blades category in a recent IDC report. A little over two years ago people questioned Cisco's entry into the compute segment of the data center. The large number of Cisco customers have proven that innovation that brings new levels of efficiency to the data center wins out every time. We're proud of our customers and the services they're bringing to market more quickly using the Cisco USD solution and its key foundation technologies like Cisco UCS.
Industry analysts are also seeing a need for an end-to-end solution like Cisco USD and noting the importance of resource optimization, management consolidation, service improvements, and cost reduction as fundamental tenets of efficient cloud service delivery.
Below is a short video commentary by IDC analyst, Courtney Munroe, VP, Worldwide Telecommunications. Courtney talks about the market challenges SPs face and how they can benefit from a transition to Cloud-delivered services. Pay special attention to the core things he believes SPs must address for Cloud: virtualized fabric for the computing platform in the data center, how the data center and the network work together and security across the entire delivery chain.
Cloud Services: Challenges and Opportunities for Service Providers
At Cisco we're dedicated to helping SPs achieve new levels of efficiency and profitability as they move to cloud-based service delivery. We've worked on a number of ways to make it easier to SPs to deploy innovative new services by offering a fully tested and implemented design guide for deploying Infrastructure-as-a-Service, sharing the progress of key customers, or coming out with new innovations to make the data center more efficient.
I hope to see you at Cisco Live in Las Vegas and if you're attending I'd like to talk to you about the compelling value proposition of Cisco Unified Service Delivery. The team and I look forward to seeing you there.
In an effort to keep conversations fresh, Cisco Blogs closes comments after 60 days. Please visit the Cisco Blogs hub page for the latest content.


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Tough guy actors Sean Penn and Josh Brolin fought for real on the set of new movie "Gangster Squad," refusing to let stuntmen take their hits.
Film producer Dan Lin claims the two stars trained for their fight scene in the movie by sparring at Penn's home after director Reuben Fleischer told his leading men he wanted the scrap to look as real as possible.
Lin tells HollyScoop.com, "They would train in front of Sean's front yard once in awhile. I mean, they really got into it.
"Sean and Josh are in tip top shape and they really train… It (fight scene) looks so visceral and real and makes our climax really exciting."
Brolin, who plays a tough 1940s cop in the film, recently admitted the brawl scenes were challenging to shoot because Penn, who portrays Mafia boss Mickey Cohen, had not perfected the fight choreography.
He told WENN, "The fight I did with Sean Penn (was the most challenging scene). He didn't rehearse as much as I did so his fists were flying wildly during the fight, hoping they (camera operators) got something that was usable. It was a tough fight and I love the way that it turned out, but I think for both of us being the current and ex smokers that we are, that was the most challenging on an oxygen level."


text: Deducing Your Deductions: The LSB Tax Deductibility Quiz posted 2/21/2014 in General As we discussed in our first post this week, it is tax season. For most, this is the one time of year when we suddenly care about taxes, and hurriedly try to figure out everything we need to know. However, Lincoln Savings Bank believes it is wise to understand taxes, and more importantly, deductions you can make to lower your tax bill.Again, as we stated in our earlier post about tax season basics, we are not tax professionals. We are your financial partner, meaning we do everything we can to help you reach your financial goals. With that in mind, the following is a tax deductibility quiz to see just how savvy you are when it comes to common tax deductions. Answers are below the questions, but no cheating! Good luck! Last year you accepted a new job that required you to move. True or false: you can write off moving expenses even though you don't itemize. A. True B. False You use your accounting knowledge to do the books for a community non-profit. This is a nice deduction, right? A. True B. False True or False: alimony is tax deductible. A. True B. False True or False: child care payments can be deducted by the payer. A. True B. False Out-of-pocket charitable contributions, through payroll deductions or charitable gifts, are deductible. A. True B. False Sending your kids to private elementary or high schools pays off as a tax deduction, true or false? A. True B. False You made a payment on your child's college loan. Who gets to take the deduction? A. You B. Your child You had to find a new job last year, and racked some expenses – gas for your car, parking, tolls, food and lodging (for overnight stays), and printing costs. You can claim these as deductions. A. True B. FalseHow did you do? Six to eight questions correct is pretty good, four to five is average, but anything less than four means you need to brush up on your tax deductibility knowledge. Lincoln Savings Bank hopes these tips help you as you work through your taxes this year. If you have further questions, please consult a tax professional. Good luck, and we hope to see you soon!Lincoln Savings Bank, member FDICAnswers: 1A, 2B, 3A, 4B, 5A, 6B, 7B, 8A Follow Subscribe to our blog Categories Banking Business CEO Messages Community General Homeowners Insurance Investments Mortgage Personal Finance Press Releases Seasonal Trust Wealth Management Recent Articles Get your FREE Gift with a New Checking Account from Lincoln Savings Bank Announcement: Hy-Vee Data Breach Why Low Mortgage Rates Make Now a Good Time to Buy or Refinance Archive 2019 2018 2017


text: How much Password Manger, I need to know the cost I am on a limited income. I feel if it is quite high, I will be better off trying to find one of those Password Managers, that is free online. I am sure though there is a catch to it though, I just thought the Password Manager came free when I bought my Microtrend Maxium Internet Security.


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Three of our girls represents Dimboola in state cross country
Dimboola Memorial Secondary College, the Dimboola Primary School and the Holy Trinity Lutheran School sent a team of three girls to the 2017 State Cross Country championships at Bundoora Park last week.
Dimboola Primary School cross country runner Mayci Porter competed in the 12/13 girls primary school section. Danni Haebich represented DMSC and Olivier Revel represented Holy Trinity Lutheran School
On a cold wet day, Mayci and her mum were up early and headed down to Melbourne to line up with the best in Victoria. Dressed in the new Green And Gold sports top the Dimboola PS just purchased with a grant from Grain Flow, Mayci was set for a big day.
Apparently the track was rather wet and muddy making the conditions for personal best times out of reach for all the runners.
Mayci competed in the 12/13 year girls Primary School section and ran three kilometres in 10:41 minutes.
Mayci was placed 62nd from a field of 88 after just turning 12 in June, and competing with some older runners.
Danni competed in the 17/20 year olds girls section and ran the three kilometres in 10:46 minutes placing 41 out of 82 runners.
Olivier competed in the 15 year old girls section and finished the three kilometre course in 10:41 minutes. She placed a credible 35 from a field of 80 runners.


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Allard Pierson Museum is the archaeological museum of the University of Amsterdam.
The ancient civilisations of ancient Egypt, the Near East, the Greek World, Etruria and the Roman Empire are revived in this museum. Art-objects and utensils, dating from 4000 B.C. till 500 A.D. give a good impression of everyday-life, mythology and religion in Antiquity. There are also several scale models of ancient temples and buildings. In the ancient Egypt department there is a room dedicated to death with mummies, sarcophagi and a film showing the process of mummification. Our so-called plaster-cast-attic, only to be visited with a guided tour, shows copies of world-famous Roman and Greek statues.
Every year two or three temporary exhibitions are organised. Check our website for more information.
The mission of the Allard Pierson Museum – as a University museum and in cooperation with the Department of Mediterranean Archaeology – is to make the Mediterranean Antiquity accessible for scholarly purposes (for Academic and other training and research) as well as for a broad audience with special attention for youths. The museum is displaying original antiquities and other objects as one of the sources of Western tradition to put the present in a culture-historical perspective by means of insight in and understanding of the past.
The museum has a specific and essential place in the cultural environment of the city of Amsterdam. It aims at being a relaxing place, and a stimulating and inspiring surrounding for visitors and staff.
Source: Allard Pierson Museum
Opening Times
Tuesday – Friday: 10.00 – 17.00 hrs.
Saturday – Sunday: 13.00 – 17.00 hrs.
Monday: Closed
The museum is also closed on the first of January, Easter Sunday, 30th of April (Queen's Day), Whit Sunday, Christmas Day.
Address and Contact Information
Allard Pierson Museum
Oude Turfmarkt 127 (Map)
1012 GC Amsterdam Phone: 020 525 2556
Website: Allard Pierson Museum
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Do not republish or repost.


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Head bank teller jobs are often coveted positions because of the salary increases, but they also require greater responsibility. A head teller is responsible not only for typical teller duties, but also for overseeing other tellers and ensuring that shifts run smoothly.
Education Requirements
Whether or not a degree is required to get a head teller position depends primarily on the employer. Smaller banks may promote from within, allowing individuals with only a high school diploma or its equivalent to move up through the ranks as long as they have experience. However, in larger banks, candidates may be required to have some sort of degree such as a Bachelor's or Master's degree in accounting or business. An Associate's degree in accounting may also be acceptable.
Important Skills and Qualities
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS, the most important qualities and traits that a head teller should have include customer service skills, the ability to pay attention to detail, math skills, and a strong moral sense. Head tellers not only oversee other tellers on their shifts, but they also continue to work with bank customers. These individuals are often the only people who have access to the vault on any given shift, so it is important that they have a strong moral ethic. Finally, these individuals must be team leaders because they will be responsible for boosting morale and ensuring that everyone does his or her job correctly.
Head Teller Salary
Head teller jobs require more responsibility, so it comes as no surprise that a pay increase is often the driving factor for those who are candidates for this position. While the BLS reports that the average salary for a bank teller in the United States is $24,940, head tellers can make upward of $32,194. The amount earned depends on several factors including the location of employment, the individual's experience and education level, and even the individual employer. Those who work for high-profile banks in large metropolitan areas will earn more than those working in small branches in less populated areas.
The Years Ahead
The BLS also reports that bank teller jobs will only increase by 1% industry wide between 2012 and 2022, meaning that the anticipated growth for head tellers will be even less. This means that the competition for these jobs will become fiercer and that candidates will want to make sure that they have the proper education and experience to move up. As more and more transactions take place online or through the use of automated teller machines (ATMs), the need for financial institutions to add more bricks-and-mortar branches will continue to slow. It is expected that fewer than 1,000 new head teller jobs will be added before 2022.
Although the demand for head tellers has slowed due to the failure of banks to expand physically, those who take the time to earn the proper degrees, who live in or are willing to relocate to larger metropolitan areas, and who get the necessary customer service experience will have the best opportunities.


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Writers' association calls on el-Rufai to withdraw bill against public preaching
The Human Right Writers' Association of Nigeria on Sunday called on Gov. Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State to withdraw the bill on prohibiting religious preaching in public places in the state.
The National Coordinator of the association, Mr Emmanuel Onwubiko, alleged that the bill violated constitutional provisions for freedom of worship.
He said that the bill, if passed into law "is capable of breeding religious crisis in the state.
"We recognise the validity and sanctity of section 10 of the constitution which clearly spelt out that government of the federation or state shall not adopt any religion as a state religion''.
He described Kaduna State as a sensitive which should not be allowed to be troubled with issue of religion, advising the stakeholders not to mix religion with politics.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the governor recently introduced a bill to substitute the Kaduna State Religious Preaching Law, 1984.
No comments yet


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Sooner Nation still has Kevin Wilson to kick around.
East Carolina has hired former Texas Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, thus ending speculation that OU's offensive coordinator was heading to Greenville.
Despite the Sooners' overall offensive success under Wilson's watchful eye, he still has his fair share of detractors among the OU fan base. On occasion, you'll find Homerism in that camp.
Yet, even Wilson's staunchest critics should recognize that today's news is to OU's benefit. If Wilson was out of the picture, the alternatives wouldn't be so pretty.
First, the prospect of OU head coach Bob Stoops hiring someone not currently on campus is an "alternative" in theory only.
It's just not Stoops' style. Unless he intentionally plans to move the team in a different direction, Stoops' history shows he prefers promoting from within to fill coordinator vacancies. Seeing as OU is just a year removed from having possibly the best offense in college football history, the Sooners' head coach doesn't appear motivated to change course.
(Begin tangent.)
And why should he be?
Admittedly, there are things I'd like to see OU do differently. And fresh blood sometimes does provide the spark to help a unit make significant strides. Look at the improvement in Texas' defenses after Mack Brown brought in Gene Chizik and Will Muschamp, for instance.
Yet, fans often overestimate the kinds of miracles that coordinators can work and understate the value of continuity. Bringing in an offensive guru such as Norm Chow means a whole new way of doing business–new terminology, new objectives, new roles for players. To think such a transition would be seamless is foolhardy.
(Tangent over.)
So, if bringing in a fresh face is out of the question, that leaves current position coaches Jay Norvell and Josh Heupel as the only real options. Frankly, I don't feel confident handing the keys to the Big Crimson Machine over to either.
Norvell's track record of mediocrity at previous stops in Westwood and Lincoln speaks for itself.
Heupel has all the makings of a great offensive coordinator... two or three years from now. Keep in mind that Stoops himself primarily works with the Sooner D, so OU's offensive coordinator has to carry a little extra weight. At this point in his young career, Heupel has yet to accumulate the experience necessary to run OU's offense.
Face it, haters. Given the circumstances, the Kevin Wilson we all know definitely beats the devil we don't.


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Safe and Sacred
Safe and Sacred is the name of the child protection program of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. This program replaces the Virtus program previously utilized by the Archdiocese.
All NEW clergy, staff and volunteers must complete the Safe and Sacred Program BEFORE they begin their employment/ministry. If you had already completed Virtus and submitted a background check prior to 8/1/2013 please re-certify in January 2014. The program can be accessed by clicking here. Please have your driver's license, social security number and the below email address with you when you begin the "Safe and Sacred" process online.
The last step of this process will ask you for an email address - this will get your information to St. Malachy!
Thank you for your diligence - St. Malachy Parish is going to keep ALL children safe!
Circle of Grace
Circle of Grace Program identifies a child's personal space where he/she should be comfortable. Should this space ever be compromised, the child should share with a "trusted" adult. As the VIRTUS Program is focused on how adults can protect children, the Circle of Grace program is geared towards the child's view. Children in grades kindergarten through high school are made aware of the Circle of Grace program as part of the religious education curriculum.


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What is the most efficient way to sync/mirror certain data from a large remote database with a local version?
The scenario is, there is a central remote database on a hosted server, which will share data with several smaller databases available. The problem is, each database will only require a part, and not all the data that is available in the main database.
For example the database server of company A should not sync and get the data that belongs to company B.
How can we restrict the syncing process so that the smaller databases request and sync only the required/relative data, and not the entire table(s) and/or central database, in order to reduce bandwidth usage and not compromise security.


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The Frontier Centre for Public Policy has just released Balancing Elephants: Saskatchewan's Return on Investment – SASKFERCO. The 1980's brought in some of the worst economic times Saskatchewan had ever had. It was a time of many systemic changes, political uncertainties, and economic hardships, both at local and international levels. The collapse of the Soviet Union, political unrest in the middle-east, the crash of oil prices, and the devastation of agriculture brought on by drought and infestations. Despite these challenges, the Grant Devine government forged ahead with plans to diversify the Saskatchewan economy, resulting in Saskatchewanians receiving an enormous return on investment. To read this interesting and intriguing examination of history, visit Frontier Centre for Public Policy website www.fcpp.org.
The paper is authored by Gerard A. Lucyshyn, a senior research fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. This is the first paper in the Balancing Elephants series. The paper examines and reviews the returns on investment received by Saskatchewanians from decisions made by the Grant Devine government.
Read the entire paper here: FC196_Saskferco_MY1517_F2


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La Jolla Canyon Loop Trail in Point Mugu State Park in Malibu/
Point Mugu State Park is at western edge of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, stretching from Newbury Park on the north to five miles of oceanfront. The Chumash Trail is the westernmost trailhead in Point Mugu State Park which in turn gets you to the La Jolla Valley Natural Preserve area (which also can be accessed from the Ray Miller Trail, about two miles southwest of the Chumash Trail trailhead).
The Chumash Trail trailhead is accessible off of PCH, about 2 1/2 miles from where Las Posas Road connects to PCH in Camarillo, and about 10 miles from the intersection of Las Posas Road and Highway 101. It is across the street (PCH) from a Naval Base Ventura County training range. Look for the left turn into a small dirt parking area that has space for perhaps 15 or so cars.
The Chumash Trail is an initial, quite steep and technically challenging .7 mile climb, to a juncture where you either turn right to the Mugu Peak Trail (MORE AT THIS LINK). If you turn left (north), continue another half mile until you reach the La Jolla Valley Loop Trail.
The La Jolla Valley was acquired by the State of California in 1966 as part of Point Mugu State Park and was established as Natural Preserve in 1972.
Another 1 1/2 miles of hiking on the La Jolla Valley Loop Trail gets you to a small campground area with as I recall, 3 or 4 campsites accompanied by picnic tables, a vault toilet, but no water. No campfires allowed out here in the back country either. Although these appear to be rarely used, the only problem coming in from the Chumash Trail instead of the Ray Miller Trail (and La Jolla Canyon Trail) area is that you must pay for the campsite at the Ray Miller Trail area. Thus, if you do plan to stay at these back country campsites, keep that in mind and pay first.
That said, the La Jolla Canyon Trail (not to be confused with the La Jolla Canyon LOOP Trail) has been closed since January 2015 because of mudslides that made that particular trail too dangerous to use. Confused? Yes, this can be confusing. Bottom line is that you pay for the camping at the La Jolla Canyon/Ray Miller Trailhead area but access the camping from either the Chumash Trail, or a longer route via the Ray Miller Trail.
So after you reach the campground area, you can either head back the way you came, or take the loop back around to the Mugu Peak Trail, where you will be treated to views, views and more views. Or hike to the top of Mugu Peak for the best views of all.


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Licensed under the REAA 2008
|Mobile: +64 27 249 8361
|Office: +64 6 350 6058
|Michelle 's Facebook
Phone tel:+64 6 357 4989
Email: email@example.com
Michelle started her real estate career at the tender age of 19, and reached number one status in residential sales after a very short period for the national franchise she worked for at the time. Some years later, she enjoyed a well earned extended overseas travel experience, and returned to work for the largest independent company in the Manawatu. Michelle went on to repeat the same number one sales status in residential sales for that company before starting a family in 1997.
In 1999, Michelle and John van Lienen formed JVL Prestige Realty and for fifteen years Michelle was the Business Manager for their company until May 2014 when JVL sold to Bayleys. Michelle says "the move was all about a balanced family lifestyle with our kids" and "the new merger is exciting, and allows me to focus on my passion of selling real estate again, together with John".
Michelle, who was born and raised in the Manawatu, knows the region and the people in it well. She is known as a committed industry professional, and has always been totally client focused. Together Michelle and John form a real estate partnership that has seen them involved in over 6000 property sales, which will benefit clients who choose to use their experience and advice when considering selling or buying. That kind of experience can't be replicated, and offers significant value to clients in all areas of the real estate buying and selling process.
Call Michelle anytime for advice you can trust.


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Preached by Msgr Philip Heng, SJ at Cathedral of the Good Shepherd - Singapore, on 21st May 2017
In today's Gospel of John chapter 14, that we just heard proclaimed, Jesus in v. 15 says to His disciples, "If you love me, you will keep my Commandments . . ." And then, in v. 21 Jesus adds, "Anybody who receives My Commandments and keeps them will be one who loves Me."
As we are gathered here in this Eucharistic celebration, as believers and disciples of Jesus, you and I know that these statements of Jesus to His disciples are true, and that they also apply to all of us, without any exceptions. However, You and I also know that, it is one think to believe that what Jesus says is true, and it is quite another when it comes to putting what we believe into practice.
A good and basic question that we fail to reflect on, but frequently experience as a reality of our daily living is, "Why is it so difficult for us to love Jesus and obey His Commandments, as God Wills of us?" Why is loving Jesus so difficult, when we all know and believe that He had suffered so much and even died for us, so that He can then open the gates of Heaven for us to receive the gift of Eternal Life?
My brothers and sisters in Christ, yes to love God and to obey His Commandments is a common challenge that all of us and indeed all of humanity face, since Adam and Eve. As a consolation, we know that even St Paul admits of this inner struggle in his letter to the Christian community in Rome. He says, "I cannot understand my own behaviour . . . for though the will to do what is good is in me, the performance is not, with the result that instead of doing the good things I want to do, I carry out the sinful things I do not want." (Rom. 7: 15-16, 18b-19).
Take the cases of these true stories that I have come across; the names I will use are not their real names. James a non-Catholic was due for a bypass of his arteries; one was 95% blocked and another 85%, and if I am not mistaken a third had some 75% blockage. To make a long story short, James' wife asked me to bless James before his operation. Before I blessed James, I asked him, "James, your wife has asked me to bless you and pray for you as you are going for a serious operation tomorrow. Do u wish that I pray and bless you? "Yes, certainly" James immediately responded." So, I prayed over and blessed James, and at the end of the prayer, James' wife rubbed some holy water from Lourdes on James' chest.
Several days later, James' wife called me and said that to the doctors were utterly surprised when in an X-ray before the operation, all of James' arteries were found to be clear. And when the doctors asked James, what had happened? He simply replied, "Well, the only thing I know is that a priest came and prayed over me last night." James told his wife, "Fr Heng, saved me $25,000 for the operation and also my life." I replied, "No, Fr Heng did not save your husband's life. It is Jesus who saved his life." In spite of his wife's urgings, as far as I know, up till today, James is still not Baptised. He seems to continue to be resistant towards receiving the gift of faith to become a Catholic. Is James waiting for a heart attack or another scare on his life before he accepts the gift of faith?
Why is James resisting Jesus? We shall not judge James, because for many of us, we are not too different from James. If we reflect more deeply on our lives, we will realise that even as we have received the gift of faith, we too continue in so many ways daily, to resist Jesus. We continue to allow our pride to come in the way of listening to the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and as such we continue to reject God's Will and ways of urging us to love Jesus more fully.
My sisters and brothers in Christ, when we allow our pride to lead us into justifying our behaviour and, as St Paul says, ". . . instead of doing the good things I want to do, I carry out the sinful things I do not want," we know very well that although we may sound convincing in our justifications and excuses of our uncharitable behaviours and self-centred attitudes, in doing so, we have never found find peace in our hearts. We may put up strong arguments, respond arrogantly or and even threaten the weak with power and anger, but in the end, the Truth is that we will only find peace in our hearts, if we strive to be more like Jesus, in the way we live, and relate to others.
As such, my brothers and sisters in Christ, like St Paul, as we experience the inner battle within us, let us first be humble enough to admit that this "inner struggle and battle" of seeing the good and yet, somehow still choosing to sin, is actually happening in our daily living. And so, let us not deny its truth and reality. In other words, what is worst in our lives, is to continue to choose to justify our sinful behaviour and still think that we are right. Such refusal and obstinate behaviour is what we call the sin of pride. And pride, St Ignatius of Loyola, in his Spiritual Exercises, tells us is our refusal to be open to the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in the way we live. And, as such, if we continue to reject the Holy Spirit, and justify our sinful behaviour, as St Paul admits, then our pride will feed the other sins that are within us; and this in turn will attract other sins and vices.
One of the big differences between St Paul and us, is that he has gone on to become one of the greatest saints and evangelist in the history of the Church, while many of us have not grown in our spiritual lives in as much as God would have Willed for us.
An example of obedience to the Holy Spirit, amidst our challenges in life is the true story of Jane who is married to Jack for more than 25 years. For the past several years, Jane has been going through much pain and trials in her family. Jack has found a foreign China mistress, and living with her in a new house. Meanwhile, Jack is keeping all his millions to himself; have a hold on his children as he has all the money to support them. He spends lavishly on his new found mistress, and wants a divorce from Jane. However, Jane as a good Catholic, refuses to give in to her husband's demands, as it is against her faith.
Jane tells me, "Father, I feel so tempted to be divorced from my husband, but I know that my children need both parents to grow up, normally and wholesomely. I can see that they are already very hurt and confused in their lives. I feel so sad for them, because I love them very much. Daily, I can only live in the hope that my husband would one day see the truth and we be united again as a family. Meanwhile, I daily pray for strength and know and believe that Jesus is there for me and my children.
As, I conclude, let us be reminded once again of what Jesus in today's Gospel is saying to us. He says, "If you love me, you will keep My Commandments. I shall ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you for ever, that Spirit of Truth whom the world can never receive, since it neither sees nor knows Him; but, you know Him, because He is with you; He is in you."
My brothers and sisters in Christ, as we like St Paul experience an inner battle within us of "seeing the good and yet, somehow choosing to sin," let us be mindful that, with God's graces, we can only overcome our pride with the virtue of humility. And humility is the willingness to see that we are each weak and sinful, and that we can only choose to love Jesus wholeheartedly, if and only if, we allow the Light of the Holy Spirit to pierce through our hardened hearts, disarm our resistances, and empower us with the strength and courage to persevere, like Jane, to love Jesus unconditionally, in spite of the pain, trials and challenges of our lives.In doing so, we are assured that we will always have the Peace of Christ; but if we choose not to do so, then we all know from our experiences, that this will surely bring anxieties, miseries and emptiness in our lives. Which do you think is God's Will for you and for me? Is it choosing to love Jesus through obeying His Commandments, or is it to resist the Spirit through our pride?
Fr Philip Heng,S.J.
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