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UPDATE! We reached our goal in under 24 hours!
Thank you so much to everyone that has supported so far! We're getting a lot of amazing feedback, and we're so excited to inspire photographers to travel a little bit differently. (For less money)
The Season 2 is going to be even better. With the extra funding we're going to be able to film and create a lot of great photography and travel tutorials outside of the show.
Even though we're at 100%+ we still encourage you to buy the course if it interests you. It's something very unique, and will get you into hotels and experiences you've only dreamed of
Season 1 of A Photographer In was an amazing success, and we're here to raise the funds required to start on Season 2!
I'm the most excited to be able to travel more with my beautiful fiance Lindsay. We got engaged New Years Eve in Las Vegas! Here's an iPhone photo from the night:
We also have a bulldog named Richard, and a cat named Princess Penelope. This is the one time we attempted to take a family selfie. It didn't end well.
This is Richard and I on a regular day.
The Season 1 special was a 9 day road trip from San Francisco back to our home in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The full version will be out soon, but check out this trailer for it for now:
We want to teach you everything we learned filming season 1 of the show.
It's a course we've named 'Travel The World for (Nearly) Free With Your Camera,' and it's the $95 (Canadian! ~$70USD) backer reward.
This course goes start to finish through everything we have done to start getting 5 star hotels and resorts to offer us free stays in exchange for photography for their social media.
Results will vary, but if you're willing to put in a bit of work, there are a lot of amazing opportunities out there.
Here's what's in the course:
Section 1 (6 Videos): Getting Free Hotels.
- Creating Your Offer
- Creating a Stats Sheet
- Showcasing Your Value
- Finding the Right Hotels and Experiences
- Using Success to Create More Success
- Email Templates and Scripts We Use To Get Free Hotel Rooms
Section 2 (6 Videos): Instagram and Social Media.
- The Most Important Thing to Know About Social Media
- How To Get 10,000 Instagram Followers in Under a Year
- 3 Things to do Every Day to Get More Followers
- Collaborations
- Becoming a leader
- Paid advertising
Section 3 (8 Videos): Travel Photography
- Travel Photography Basics
- DSLR Camera or Camera phone. They are both important.
- Light
- Live on camera Portrait Shoot in Italy
- Composition
- Live on Camera Resort and Wedding Shoot in Jamaica
- Photo Editing on Computer and on iPhone
- Advanced Travel Photography
This course is only available to backers of Season 2 of A Photographer In, and will be delivered the day our Kickstarter finishes.
I know this sounds a little too good to be true, but this is something that has changed my life, and allowed me to travel all over the world and stay at some of the most beautiful 5 star properties on the planet. All for free, or mostly free.
The basis of it is pretty simple. I create value for them with my camera or iPhone, they give free hotel nights in return.
If you haven't come across an episode of the show yet, here's the trailer for season 1:
Let's start from one year ago:
In July of 2015 I had 800 followers on instagram. Which is pretty good, but I didn't have the Hilton Bora Bora knocking on my door to visit them. I did want to travel though - so, instead I just started emailing a few smaller hotels, and asking if I could come take some instagram photos for them in exchange for 3 nights at their hotel.
Note: I've included all of the email scripts that I used when I was first getting started in this course.
From there it wasn't long before I had my first offer.
It was around this time that I also started taking my instagram and social media presence more seriously. I knew that it would be easier for hotels and brands to trust me, if they could see that I had a bit of following online.
Over the next 10 months, my instagram followers grew by over 10,000 people at first and then all the way up to 28,000. There is a section in this course that outlines all the steps I took to grow from under 1000 to 28,000 followers on instagram. It's a lot of work, but it certainly pays off when you're looking to make traveling and travel photography your job.
Now you might be saying that you're afraid that your photography isn't good enough to get you free hotel rooms, or that you don't have the proper camera equipment.
Well, 2 pieces of good news.
Over 50% of what I usually end up delivering is shot on my iPhone. In fact, a few episodes of my travel show A Photographer In were shot on iPhone.
There is an entire section of this course devoted to travel photography with both an iPhone and a DSLR. Quite honestly, that section is an entire course on its own. We do on location portraits in Italy, resort and wedding photography in Jamaica while you are on top of my camera, and iPhone photography in Miami. The photography section of the course is broken down into equipment, lighting, composition, and post production. Sit with me on my computer while I edit an entire travel photography shoot. As well as learn how I edit on my iPhone on the go. If you've seen any of my photos on instagram, it was edited on my iPhone.
There is so much in this course it's almost overwhelming.
It is a start to finish, step by step process to get you into free 5 star hotel rooms all around the world. I know you're probably thinking, that if it's this easy, why isn't everyone doing this already?
The truth is that it takes work to email back and forth. It might seem like the easiest part, but that is what you'll end up spending hours behind your computer doing.
Lucky for you, I'm including the scripts and email templates that I've been working on for over 5 years and you can start using them right away. It hurts a little to give away all of this hard work, but they are really the most important part of this course.
This is something unique that you're not going to find anywhere else, because no one else is using this system yet.
The only place in the world you can get this course right now is by backing the Kickstarter for season 2 of A Photographer In for $95 Canadian.
That's less than a single night in a hotel room. While a lot of the hotels and travel are paid for, it takes money for us to bring a crew, edit and get it out there in the world.
So come back Season 2 of A Photographer In, we can both make our dreams come true. Just do it quickly, because it is a Kickstarter and once it's over you won't be able to get this course.
Just remember, that right now the course is over 70% off at ~$70USD ($95 CAD) after the Kickstarter ends it goes up to it's regular price of $299USD!
Check out an episode from season 1 of the show:
My second favourite episode is NYC for the slow motion puppy montage:
Iceland was pretty awesome as well:
And Chernobyl:
Oh, and Las Vegas:
Risks and challenges
The challenges come in the post production process. It's not irregular to spend 30-40 hours editing on a single episode. When we're filming 10 episodes in a short period of time, we really have to be able to find the time. This is where it helps so much to have funding. We can afford to hire great editors, and more importantly, someone to go through all of the raw footage we take while travelling.
The main benefit to having extra help is that we can now edit all the sections that we film on location. This includes things like photography tutorials, and travel tip sections.
With successful funding, we're excited to be able to overcome all of the challenges we faced and overcame in season 1.
Funding period
- (31 days)


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100g dark chocolate bar flavoured with liquorice and rose petals.
If you love the rich taste of Syrah then this one is for you. Or the unique flavour combinations can be enjoyed as a little self-indulgence without any wine.
– Dark Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier soya lecithin, natural vanilla flavour)
– Liquorice (aniseed) flavour
– Dried mixed petals

subset: commoncrawl


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Sample Cover letter for Management Engineer
You need to understand the format of writing cover letter as if you are not clear with it then there are chances of creating some great blunders. This sample cover letter for Management Engineer would help you to create good impression in the mind of employer.
(Write your name and address)
John Burch
3941 Bottom Lane
Phone: 716-678-8257
(Write Employer's name and address)
John English
Gateway Inc.
514 Franklee Lane
Date: 01-11-2010
Dear Mr.English,
(In first paragraph, include the information like why you are writing, position you are applying for and source of the job listing)
This letter is in response to your job advertisement of Management Engineer position in Buffalo . This position is compatible with my skills and work experience. It also suits well to my career interests.
(In second paragraph, include the summary of your work experience.)
My work experience includes:
- Formulating and implementing the process vision and design, enhancement strategy and transition strategy.
- Actively participating in IT Infrastructure planning cost control and ROI Analysis.
- Devising IT Infrastructure project plans within preset budgets and deadlines.
- Identifying and appraising vendors for technology or business process solutions.
- Ensuring technical excellence in service delivery to ensure customer satisfaction and to minimize down time.
- Providing training to the team members on solution components.
(In third paragraph, thanks the employer and include the information about how you follow up)
I will visit you next week for discussing my work profile for this position. Please find my enclosed resume with this letter. You can also get in touch with me either by email and phone. I would like to thank a lot for considering my resume.
Yours Sincerely
(John Burch)


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The Lacoste Polo Shirt Is 85 Years Old, And It Remains A Favorite Of Filipinos
What hasn't been said about the Lacoste polo shirt?
That it is the standby for sport-inspired elegance or, really, what you call, loafing-around-the-mall style?
That it lends some sort of magic, transforming you, its wearer, into a cool Parisian person, and that is why you like it?
That, amid the turmoil of brick-and-mortar stores, its boutiques remain full, especially during the holidays, when everyone, from the uncles to your
And that, after the founding of its French label by tennis player René Lacoste 85 years ago, the short-sleeved, collared, petit piqué polo shirt with the embroidered croc (a style that resulted from the removal of the long sleeves to better suit the game of tennis) still looks fresh today.
Lacoste remains relevant because it continues to build on that singular polo shirt. This year, it made a lot of noise when it switched out the crocodile emblem for one of 10 in-danger species, including the Cao Vat gibbon and California
In this banner year, the label trains the spotlight on the iconic polo shirt by revisiting eight decades of its evolution. Since 1933, the original L.12.12 polo shirt has adapted to the tastes of the decades, and the special 85th anniversary unisex collection reflects this.
The shifts occurred in both style, as in the sweatshirt of the '50s or the button-up polo of the '60s, as well as design, as seen in the color blocking of the '70s or the sailor stripes of the '80s.
The screenprint polo shirt of the '90s (think a garment half-dipped in
An exhibit designed around
This iteration of the polo shirt projects a new French elegance with its concealed button placket and tailored shirt collar, but you know what remains constant? That little crocodile on the left breast of the shirt and the fascination of people, including you, over it.
The Lacoste 85th Anniversary Exhibition runs until September 14 at Central Square, Bonifacio High Street.
This story originally appeared on Esquiremag.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Townandcountry.ph editors.


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Romney Wins Iowa's GOP Poll
Sunday, August 12, 2007
AMES, Iowa, Aug. 11 -- With a convincing victory in the Republican straw poll here Saturday, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney vaulted himself into the next phase of a presidential nomination battle pitting his traditional early-state strategy against a more unorthodox approach by national front-runner Rudolph W. Giuliani.
Romney's win in the nonbinding Ames contest, sealed by his appeals to the party's conservative base and generous spending all around the state, underscored his attempt to concentrate time and resources on the opening states of Iowa and New Hampshire, believing that early victories will propel him to the nomination.
Giuliani, who is at odds with GOP conservatives on abortion and gay rights, skipped the Iowa test run as part of a blueprint for victory that is less dependent upon winning the first two voting states. Giuliani strategists see a flock of big states holding their contests in late January and on the first Tuesday in February as the former New York mayor's best chance to secure the nomination.
"Romney's running a more traditional campaign to solidify social conservatives and economic conservatives," said Scott Reed, who managed Robert J. Dole's 1996 presidential campaign. "Rudy is not only trying to change the importance of the calendar but also trying to turn out a lot of moderates who don't traditionally vote in these primaries and caucuses. . . . Giuliani's strategy is not flawed -- but it's never been tested."
The GOP race remains wide open, with many Republican voters disgruntled with their choices and support for all the leading candidates remaining relatively soft and shallow. That foreshadows five months of intensive campaigning before Iowa's caucuses in January.
"Today, the people of this great state sent a message to America, and that is that change begins in Iowa," Romney told an exultant crowd of about 200 supporters after the results were announced. "We're just getting started. We've got a long way to go. . . . This message is rolling on."
Romney's victory came against a relatively weak field that did not include Giuliani, Sen. John McCain of Arizona or former senator Fred D. Thompson of Tennessee, and after he heavily outspent those who did compete. Still, the result, with Romney easily outpacing his rivals with 32 percent of the vote, helps elevate him from relative obscurity six months ago to the top tier of the GOP field -- despite his relatively low standing in national polls.
"I think today, the way it worked out, is this is really the defining moment for the base candidate," Romney adviser Tom Rath said. "With Giuliani, McCain and Thompson not here, I would make the argument that this was very definitely a test of who was strong with the base. . . . We think we can expand on that base as the conservative candidate going forward. That keeps us in this game a long time."
Romney's strategists see value in trying to narrow the competition to a race between their candidate and Giuliani, in hopes of setting up a conservative-vs.-moderate contest. But McCain and Thompson are wild cards who could redraw the battle for the nomination by the time of the Iowa caucuses.
Romney has begun to engage tentatively with Giuliani -- on issues such as immigration, health care and abortion -- although the former governor's advisers said he will draw his sharpest contrasts with the Democrats and, by implication, seek to convince GOP voters that he would make a superior nominee to Giuliani.
But Giuliani may resist being drawn into direct engagement with Romney. "They might want a one-on-one," one Giuliani strategist said. "But I don't think you can have a one-on-one this early. I feel pretty good no matter what the scenario."
Mike DuHaime, Giuliani's campaign manager, said his candidate may surprise people in some early contests and will be formidable in states such as Florida, California, New York, New Jersey and Illinois, all of whose votes follow the first three events of 2008.


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On October 1, Tiffany and Basil were married and held their reception at Shadowbrook, in Shrewsbury, and Snapshot Photobooths was there to help celebrate. Tiffany, Basil and guests took an unlimited amount of photos in our Black Lounge Photobooth, where they had the option for colored photos or black and white photos. Guests also had the chance to put one copy of their photo strip in a keepsake scrapbook for the newlyweds! Everyone had a blast and Snapshot Photobooths, powered by Sound Connection Entertainment, was happy to be a part of Tiffany and Basil's special day.
Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Take a look at our favorite images from the night below!


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The Pasco Sheriff's Office Explorer Post 916 has been approved to assist Sheriff's Office members during natural disasters such as hurricanes. The Explorer Response Team will be assisting deputies assigned to work at approved hurricane shelters.
The Explorers' training included:
A review of Sheriff's Office General Order 46.1.1 regarding hurricane plans
Attending a Red Cross Shelter training program
Touring a local shelter to see how they are operated.
The program is voluntary and each parent approved their son or daughter to participate.


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Whether you pronounce it like "ditch" or the french way, "neeesh", finding your niche can be powerful.
What it looks like to niche down in motion design
Niching down is simply getting more specific. It means you're saying no to projects that aren't in your niche. It means getting hyper focused on becoming known for a more specific thing.
There are several ways that you can niche down.
Most designers and artists gain momentum in a particular style that begins to define them.
What style do you enjoy working in?
Here's a short list of motion design styles
- 3D broadcast
- 3D cinematic
- Character animation
- Traditional cell animation
- Flat, 2D
- Abstract
- Animated lettering
If you aren't getting hired for the type of work you want to create, do personal projects. People hire you to produce the type of your that you share.
There are countless industries out there that can all benefit from motion design. One way to choose an industry to focus on is think of what your secondary passions are.
My secondary passions are skateboarding and traveling. And I've been spending some time thinking about doing a personal project series based around traveling.
Discovering your niche doesn't have to be an ah-ha moment, it's usually a discovery through doing lots of work. This is still very much a part of my journey.
Are you really good at making animated GIFs? Maybe explainer videos are your forte. Do you come from a graphic design and branding background? Motion identity branding could be a huge strength for you.
What type of motion design work are you excellent at creating?
Explainers, GIFs, branding motion, ads, etc. all have their own unique value proposition, time commitments, area of expertise, and sometimes require working with a team.
It's good to start by auditing yourself. What are you naturally good at? Knowing yourself will help you determine the right path for you.
Are you niche enough?
Think of niching down as a spectrum. On one end, you're doing way too many things at the same time (motion design, graphic design, web design, copywriting, lawn mower repair, and sky diving lessons), on the other end you're so niche that you're animating red triangles for brands that have the words red and triangle in their tagline.
There is a sweet spot in there somewhere, and I'm guessing you're erring on the side of doing too many things. We tend to err on the side of caution and safety. And having lots of design hats feels safer. I can get hired for so many things!
Knowing lots of things can certainly be good. Where I would argue that it's hurting you is if you portfolio doesn't look like it came from the same person.
I can't claim to be on top of this. It's a work in progress. Through experimentation, I'm slowly starting to find a natural swing of motion design that I tend towards.
Be known for your niche and vice versa
Let's say your niche is motion branding. When people hear your name, you want them to think, motion branding. That's a big step, but don't stop there. You want people to hear motion branding and then think of your name. That's the direction you're looking for.
The real power of choosing a niche is getting people to think of your name when they hear the niche thing you do. That means that you won't have a shortage of clients. It means that you are the expert in that area.
Like I said before, this is still very much a part of my journey. I just want to add some valuable thoughts to the general conversation.
Have you thought about niching down to something pretty specific? Is it scary? Exciting? I'd love to hear your thoughts. You can reply to this email or tweet at me @itsaustinsaylor.
Go make something move!


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Chapter Twenty-Nine/
Raine held his bleeding shoulder as he weaved through the gaggle of shoppers. The red lanterns spilled light across the faces, warping the consumers into shades. He bumped into a stall, knocking the wares into the gutter, but he stumbled on.
Shouts followed, distant, hollow. His arm had gone numb, lost to emptiness. No pin pricks, no oscillating pain, just a dull extension of himself. Turrell's book tugged on his shoulder from inside his jacket. He spat to the side, a bloody mess of flesh struck the pavement.
A loud crack filled the air. Raine spun on his heel. A pack of children darted out from behind a stall, their laughter spilling out of the mob. Another explosion of fireworks hit the concrete, thinning the crowd. The lights intensified, burning into his eyes.
He leaned into an alley, away from the main lane. Shattered bulbs left him sheathed in darkness except for the halo from the thoroughfare. As he released his grip on his shoulder, a groan escaped his throat.
Steadying himself against the wall, he reached into his jacket pocket. He breathed in heavily, grasping at the book's edge, tugging. It didn't budge. His brow creased as he yanked. A seam popped and it flew from his hand. It hit the ground with a splat, fanning out black blood in the gutter.
"What do we have here, boys?"
Four youths strolled down the filthy lane, dressed in matching suits, canes planted on their shoulders. At odds with their surroundings, these upper crust gentlemen had come to prey on the weak. On Raine.
Raine looked up, tried to smile, but fell to his knees. He reached out to catch himself, then fell atop his wounded shoulder. A scream hit the air, followed by laughter from his companions.
"Looks like he's had a tussle. Should we help him out?"
Raine shook his head against his swimming vision, fighting the need to sleep. He fumbled for the book, smearing blood in the process.
The first kick struck his hand. The second, his face. A cane caught his shoulder, digging in, tearing. A warm gush surged from the wound. He tried to reach for his shoulder, but a boot pinned his arm to the ground.
A shout reverberated in the alley.
Recoiling from the sound, his body stiffened, curling in on itself. The clomp of retreating boots echoed all around him, telling him nothing. He forced one of his eyes open, but the scene blurred together in muddy blacks and Day-Glo colors.
"Damnit Raine," a distant voice muttered. "Looks like you're pissing off all the wrong people. Gilpin, Manal, help me."
The world swirled, even after he closed his eyes. A scream pressed at his lips as foreign hands pulled him up, but he suppressed it, preferring to simply sleep.
Maybe then he'd wake from this nightmare.
Carrick laid out the reports, one by one. Each had printed in big block letters, NOTHING TO REPORT. He'd set the entire city out looking for that bastard with that damn bounty and no one had taken him up on it? Raine didn't have that much fucking clout. He sipped a cocktail, fighting the rising anger welling inside him.
He threw the glass across the room. It exploded against the wall, coating the plaster in a running mass of orange. He cursed, pulling out a pristine cigarette. "What the fuck do I have to do?"
He'd sent out his best agents, assured that they'd have Raine within the hour. Instead, a fucking day had passed and none had showed their faces. Better that they hide. Carrick stared at the fragments.
One of the lower family members appeared, a cousin perhaps, and Carrick spat out, "Clean that up." He turned from the mess, stormed to the back of his apartment. Entering his sitting room, he stood at the window, staring over the courtyard. Lines of people waited for justice.
Craving another drink, he braved his living area.
His cousin, and the spill, had disappeared. Instead of calming him, it only infuriated him further. He grabbed another glass when the phone rang.
He set it on the counter, snatched up the phone. "This better be fucking good."
"I've got Raine, Carrick," Gilpin whispered.
"I told you to call me sir."
A silence filled the line. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Now where is he?"
"We're at a motel on the fringe of the—"
"I need it's name."
"The Superior Knights. Room 116."
"How's he doing?"
"He's pretty torn up. Urban's got a few of us watching the place though. Do you need me to do anything?"
"Can you put a bullet in him?"
"Kidding." Carrick chewed the inside of his cheek, heart pounding. "We'll have a few guys on the way to pick them up. Na Creidmhigh thanks you."
"No problem, Carr— sir."
Carrick hung up the phone. Of all the hands he'd sent out, Gilpin — that fucking traitor — had actually found Raine. He smirked at the irony, considered a drink to celebrate, then remembered his purpose. Crossing the room, he ripped open the door. The guards flinched, straightened.
Carrick said, "Let's go. We've got some bastards to hunt."


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The government and policymakers must work together if the 401(k) plan is going to remain the dominant private-sector device for retirement savings, said Paul Schott Stevens, president of the Investment Company Institute (ICI), at the ICI's 50th annual conference May 7.
Stevens urged retirement plan participants with mutual fund investments to "stay the course" in these tough times for the markets. He noted that the average account balance of workers who remained in the same 401(k) plan from 1999 to 2006–a period that included a serious bear market–jumped nearly 80%, from $67,800 to $121,000 including contributions.
Indeed, James Riepe, senior advisor and retired vice chairman of T. Rowe Price, who moderated a panel discussion on May 8, noted that the size of the retirement market is huge, with $18 trillion now invested in tax-deferred retirement accounts. The ICI's own numbers show that at year-end 2007, investors held $9.2 trillion in IRAs and defined contribution plans.
In 2007, ICI says that assets in IRAs rose 12% to $4.7 trillion, of which $2.2 trillion was invested in mutual funds. Assets held in defined contribution plans rose 8% last year to $4.5 trillion, ICI says, while mutual funds accounted for $2.4 trillion of that total. The most popular type of defined contribution plan last year, ICI says, was the 401(k), totaling $3 trillion in assets.
Cathy Heron, senior VP and senior counsel at Capital Research and Management Company, says that she expects to see legislation that addresses 401(k) fee disclosure as well as a bill that provides some sort of remedy to those workers who don't have access to retirement plans.
On a separate panel addressing the changing world of investing, Jack Brennan, chairman and CEO of Vanguard, asked panelists if index funds and ETFs posed a threat to traditional mutual funds. Arthur Zeikel, the retired chairman of Merrill Lynch, responded in the affirmative, but Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Capital Management, argued that the industry has "overdone it" in creating index funds, adding that there's been too much "slicing of the market."
Zeikel opined that ETFs pose a lesser threat. "ETFs can be traded all day and not accomplish anything," he said. As for so-called actively managed ETFs: "Actively managed ETFs fly in the face of logic–that you can actively manage an ETF.


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I've spent quite a bit of time so far this year travelling up and down the country working on my Martial Arts Hall project having already visited the majority of the remaining halls but still missing out on the halls that are the furthest south. I remedied that however with a well executed trip to Kaohsiung that not only included a trip to the Kaohsiung city Martial Arts Hall but also to the Qishan Hall which is an hour or so long bus ride outside of the city.
While planning for the trip I spent a bit of time mapping out my route on Google maps. I needed to know the quickest possible walking or bicycling route from the Qishan bus station to the Martial Arts Hall in order to utilize the time I had in the best way possible.
When I was looking at the Martial Arts Hall on satellite view I noticed something interesting on a mountain beside it. It seemed like there was a huge temple up there. I zoomed in and the title "Kaohsiung Confucius Temple" popped up. I did a quick search on google to find out what it was and when I saw the description: "The largest Confucius Temple in South East Asia" I automatically decided to add the temple to my itinerary.
I have become a bit of a pro when it comes to taking photos of Confucius Temples - This isn't to say that my photos of the temples are particularly interesting or even look good but I have a lot of experience with them and since they are mostly uniform in design I figured that even though this was dubbed as the largest Confucius Temple in Taiwan and also South East Asia that I could swoop in and out and get the shots I needed without spending much time.
I have to admit, I was wrong. There was no way I would have been able to just walk into this temple, take a few photos and leave. It was simply just too big and too impressive to not spend a little extra time to enjoy the minor details.
So far I've written about a few of Taiwan's other Confucius Temples which include the historic Tainan Temple as well as the Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu temples. There are however over twenty large Confucius Temples Taiwan and are typically constructed at the city or county level and vary in age from over three centuries to less than three decades.
The Kaohsiung Confucius Temple, not to be confused with that other "Kaohsiung Confucius Temple" is one of three Confucius Temples in the greater Kaohsiung area which all happen to more or less have the same English name.
For clarity sake I think its probably better to refer to this specific temple as the "Kaohsiung County Confucius Temple" (高雄縣孔廟) or the "Qishan Confucius Temple" (旗山孔廟). But in the case of "Kaohsiung County" it becomes confusing as the "county" ceased to exist a few years ago when the county and the city amalgamated into the area known as "Greater Kaohsiung" (大高雄市).
If I was talking to a Taiwanese person, they would of course understand that the Kaohsiung County Confucius Temple was the one in Qishan, but when it comes to English it becomes a bit confusing and is likely one of the reasons why there is so little English information available when it comes to this specific Confucius Temple.
The Kaohsiung Confucius Temple is not particularly an old temple, but there is a long history on the ground for which it stands. The temple is situated within Zhongshan Park (中山公園) and has an area of 41,169 square meters. While the temple may be lacking in history, it is certainly not lacking in size and easily makes the other Confucius Temples in Taiwan look pretty small in comparison.
The temple was built on the site of the Qishan Shinto Shrine (旗山神社/きざんじんじゃ) which was built in 1936 (昭和8年) and served its purpose until the Second World War when it was partially destroyed and left to rot. In 1983 a local politician promoted the demolition of what was the original shrine and planned for a Confucius Temple to be constructed in its place.
Construction on the temple started in 1984 and surprisingly was completed only a year later opening to the public in time for the annual Teachers Day celebrations. Unfortunately it seems that when it was built, in order to complete the temple as fast as possible a few short cuts were taken which forced the temple to close in 1993 for a period of eight years to reconstruct and repair some of the damaged buildings caused by a weak foundation, erosion and earthquakes.
The temple reopened to the public in 2001 (民國90年) and since 2004 the annual Teacher's Day celebrations on the anniversary of Confucius's Birthday are held on a grand scale at the temple.
Confucius temples tend to be uniform in their simplicity - Unlike the overwhelming beauty of Taiwanese folk temples and Taoist temples - Confucius temples stand alone in their almost "zen-like" nature in that they don't have shiny gold or bronze decorations and murals all over the walls with hundreds of sticks of incense creating a haze throughout the temple.
The simplicity exhibited in Confucius temples throughout China, Hong Kong and Taiwan is meant to be a show of respect to Confucius as well as the importance of his philosophical views of education and his influence on Chinese culture and history.
One of the common features of all Confucius temples is that there is no imagery or statues of Confucius. This is a rule that goes back almost 500 years to the Ming Dynasty (明朝) when the emperor decreed that all Confucius temples should be uniform and only have "spirit tablets" (神位) rather than images of the sage. This practice has endured in Confucius temples up until today.
Below I'm going to describe a bit of the key features and different buildings within the Confucius Temple:
Dacheng Hall (大成殿)
Dacheng Hall is the main shrine area of any Confucius temple. The hall, which is known in English as the "Hall of Great Achievement" sits in the architectural centre of the entire complex and is also in the middle of a large granite courtyard. Inside the hall is a very simple set up with the Confucius spirit tablet set up on a nicely decorated table.
Suffice to say that with the rest of the complex being as large as it is, the Dacheng Hall at this temple, which is the main attraction is equally as large. When you walk into the main hall you can't help but feel a bit of awe at the sheer size of the single-room hall. The ceiling is quite high and when you walk in you might feel a bit like an ant.
On either side of the Confucius shrine there are additional shrines dedicated to the four sages (四配) Yan Hui (顏子), Zengzi (曾子), Zisi (子思) and Mencius (孟子) who were Confucius scholars and authored books which expanded upon the Confucian philosophy and has had a lasting impact on Chinese culture and the diaspora of Chinese people's throughout the world.
The building is the highest building within the main complex and is elevated off the ground. In the front of the hall is a stone carved mural of a dragon with several more dragons on the roof. In the middle of the roof there is a 'seven-levelled' pagoda which is thought to suppress evil.
Chongsheng Shrine (崇聖祠)
The Chongsheng Shrine is traditionally situated behind the main Dacheng Hall and is used as a shrine room to venerate the ancestors of Confucius as well as the various Confucian sages and philosophers throughout history. This shrine room is not unlike a shrine room that you'd find in any large Taiwanese home and is an important place for ancestral worship for the descendants of Confucius whom have over time spread out throughout the world.
The Chongsheng Shrine in this temple is accessible to the public and has several different shrines with spirit plates for the many different generations of Confucius's ancestors. The room isn't as grand as some of the other areas of the temple but it is quiet and there's a nice breeze through the pills on the exterior.
The Kaohsiung Confucius Temple has the honour of being the largest in all of Taiwan but at the same time also one of the loneliness of them all. I visited the temple on a weekend and apart from a young couple who were hanging out at the main doors making out, I was the only person inside the whole complex.
The relative emptiness of the temple was great for a few reasons - The first that I didn't have to worry about people ending up ruining my shots. The second is that the temple is supposed to be a place where people go to be educated, relax and contemplate the larger aspects of life. I feel like in the case of this Confucius Temple, it would be much easier to sit next to one of the massive pillars, enjoy the mountain air and the peace and quiet of the temple.
I suppose the reason for the relative emptiness of the temple can be attributed to a number of factors - The first being that most people don't actually have any idea that it is there. The next is that most tourists prefer to take leisurely walks through the old street rather than walking up the steep set of stairs that brings you to the temple.
No matter what the reason, I think more people should know about the Kaohsiung Confucius Temple - Even though its not one of the older temples, its certainly the biggest and also the most peaceful. If you are in the Qishan area, make sure to stop by and check it out!
Map / Location
For more information about Taiwan's Confucius Temple's please check out my Confucius Temple Guide.


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Comic Review: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #1/
Written by Julie Benson and Shawna Benson | Art by Claire Roe and Allen Passalaqua
While I must say I really enjoyed the first half of this as we get an emotional look at Barbara Gordon's life from the time she was a little girl, first starting as Batgirl, being shot by Joker and her time as Oracle before getting that experimental surgery and back as Batgirl again.
Once Black Canary and Huntress get involved, though, I feel like it slips up a little which is weird for a Birds of Prey story as DC Comics has done them well over the past few years. When we're focused on Babs, it's an enjoyable ride. When it's not, the story drifts away from me a bit.
The major disappointment, and it pains me to say this, comes in the art department. Bab's nose really feels off and she doesn't have lips half the time. The inking feels a little too much at times and after looking back, feels really inconsistent.
We go from these stellar looking shots like this:
To this:
That doesn't even look like the same character. I hate to be overly harsh, especially as a massive BabsGirl fan, but to go from Babs Tarr to this is painful. Batgirl #1 drops next week, and this optimistic reader needs a beacon of light.
Babs is supposed to be an off-the-wall quirky character, but forcing her to have one of her signature facial expressions each and every painful is going to make this a hard series to keep up on.
As I said, when the writing is zoned in on Babs, why she does what she does and how she got there, it's strong. The Killing Joke flashbacks are spot on, emotional and make the reader care about where we're going forward.
When we're on the other Birds, specifically Huntress, it falls flat. She's this religious, merciless killing badass who is also stealing the Oracle's identity.
Rating: 6/10 It's not a complete disaster, but the art really brings this issue down in the end. Babs looks like a different character from page to page at times and the "quirky cuteness" is forced down our throats and in every panel.
Batgirl #1 drops Wednesday, July 27. Let's hope we get back on track, because this series was riding some major momentum after coming off the arguable best run in the character's history.


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Friday Madness: Where are they going?
Hey folks. Now, I love perusing all of the popular fashion sites and blogs to stay current on the latest trends and find my own outfit inspiration. But, does anyone, besides me, look at these women and wonder where the hell they are going? Don't get me wrong, I love love love and can really appreciate what these women do on what seems to be a daily basis. But, do you think these ladies are walking through Kroger or pumping gas in these outfits?
But, don't you love it!?!?!?!?!


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Structure is the Foundation of the Illustrated Breed Standard
In an illustrated standard, the skeleton inside the dog must fit together properly to support the proportions called for within the text of the breed standard. Every bone in the canine skeleton has a specific purpose and works in relation to the surrounding skeleton. For example, if a shoulder blade is upright, or an upper arm short, it will reflect the limitations in the gait of the dog. The external silhouette of the dog body is dependent upon the length and shape of the spinal column and rib cage, as is the set of the tail and neck when taken in conjunction with surrounding structure. Readily noticeable points of conformation include shape of feet which are effected by the length and relationship of the bones which support them. Each dog has a unique skull which forms the shape and length of the parts of the head, as muscles attach for support and adjacent structure collaborates to makes each dog and breed unique.
It is important to know what lies within the body of the dog and to translate that into correct form. Likewise, it is important to know what lies beneath the coat in a breed that is heavily coated or has particular grooming patterns. When judges do "hands on" examinations, they are able to follow the bones of the skeleton and locate the structure, point by point. Grooming does not change the structure of the dog, although it can do much to change the visual impression. Therefore, in coated breeds, it is important to demonstrate what lies beneath all of that coat and forms the true dog. Sometimes it can be surprising.
Finalized breed standard drawings may be combined to demonstrate the relationship of structure to outward appearance. Skeletal or overlay illustrations can be used independently as well as within the body of the correct dog. It is helpful to demonstrate the skeleton alone, where it is not obscured, so that the fit of one bone to another can be clearly seen. It is also important to show that skeleton within the actual body of the dog, where everything comes together for a unique fit. All of this enhances understanding in the illustrated standard and reinforces knowledge of the breed.
Underlying structure forms the building blocks of dog anatomy in the illustrated standard. Its importance cannot be emphasized enough. The need to use this important resource for judges' and breed education should be paramount in understanding breed type and function.


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A nosa terra (Our town)
It is because of my grandparents that I understood their existence. Then, through my parents, I got to know more about these places. These lands are part of those in which my ancestors grew and lived, which my parents were fortunate enough to enjoy for a short time before their parents, forced them to leave in search of better opportunities and larger dreams in America.
Today, a large part of rural Spain is abandoned, stuck in time and with little interest in changing. Everything seems stagnant and nature claims what was once, what was once a town is now ruins.
Galicia is located in the north of Spain and is known for its land as well as for the landscapes that they create. During Franco's dictatorship, its inhabitants were forced to leave in search of a better life, and few returned. The mortality rates are very high and the birth rates are non-existent, which leads to a total abandonment of these villages.
This work documents the place that saw my parents and generations before them born, showing the marks of time, abandonment and nature. This leads me to understand where I come from and links me with those who came before me, which serves as an admiration and a respect for them. With this work I seek to register the rural Spain that lies forgotten.


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DDR Chic Reliving East Germany in a Berlin Hotel
Want to spend a night in East Germany and experience the way things used to be? A new youth hostel has opened in Berlin seeking to offer visitors a taste of life before the Wall fell and a bit of Communist kitsch.
A new Berlin youth hostel is offering a new spin for backpackers looking for a change from the usual cheap beer and breakfast buffet of müsli and yoghurt. Ostel, located in Berlin's central Mitte district, promises a taste of what life was like in communist East Germany. It offers rooms in a prefabricated "Plattenbau" concrete apartment block like those seen all across Eastern Europe from Berlin to Novosibirsk, as well as a saccharine dose of communist kitsch.
Opened in May by entrepreneurs Daniel Helbig, 35, and Guido Sand, 33, Ostel -- a German mashup of "East" and "Hostel" -- lucratively exploits the trend of "Ostalgie," or nostalgia for the lost days of socialism since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. International interest in daily life in East Germany has surged in recent years with the success of German films abroad about life in the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR) like the comedy "Goodbye Lenin" and the Oscar-winning Stasi snitch drama "The Lives of Others."
"I'm just surprised nobody came up with the idea of opening up this kind of hostel sooner," says Helbig, who like his business partner grew up in East Germany. Since opening, the proprietors have also begun selling DDR-era souvenirs, including photos of former Communist Party leader Erich Honecker. Hotel guests kept nicking them from the walls.
The tea room located next to the reception has also been converted into a mini museum of East German life. Dime store artifacts include plastic ice cream cones, pennants for East German football teams and plush toy versions of the popular East German cartoon character the Sandman.
Sitting on a corduroy upholstered sofa in the reception area, a treasure from East German times, Helbig explains his strategy for success. "We want to show visitors to Berlin what East German apartments looked like. Sometimes we even get East Germans who want to experience a bit of the old times -- times that were snatched away from them too quickly." Helbig and Sand spent weeks scouring flea markets and the Internet to track down East German furniture and memorabilia to fill their budget hotel. They had no trouble finding material.
Communist, But Cheap
While the Ostel may be something of a museum of DDR fixtures and fittings, the feature that most immediately draws attention is the garish rugs. Plus, of course, there's the cabinet with the built-in record player in the reception area. Helbig lays down an LP and begins playing a song by a former DDR singer and television presenter who represented the country at the opening of the 1974 football World Cup -- an important event in DDR history because the East German team beat West Germany, which went on to win the tournament.
Thirty-three years later, the Ostel evokes memories of a system that has been consigned to the history books yet remains palpable. To operate the hostel, Helbig and Sand have rented 12 apartments in a large Plattenbau block in central Berlin. With a paltry total monthly rent of only 7,000 for the complex, they say they were already profitable within their first month of business. And on weekends, business is especially brisk. The world, it seems, is happy to spend a Saturday night with Honecker and friends.
"The carpets are fabulous," says Carlos Nivot. "I didn't know Germany had anything like that." The 22-year-old, who is from a town near Barcelona, is sleeping in the "Pioneer Camp," with his friend Anna. Carlos opens the door to the Pioneer Camp, where he finds three double beds, a lamp that looks like a crystal chandelier, a potted flower and a round wooden table with a metal base. Carlos travelled to Germany to protest against the G-8 summit at Heiligendamm, but he has stayed on an extra week to take in the sights in Berlin. He saw the ad for the Ostel in a subway train: "I love the communist furnishings, but the real reason I'm here is that it's so cheap."
A night in the Pioneer Camp dormitory, so named after the "Young Pioneers," the East German Communist Party's version of the Boy Scouts, sets guests back by only 9 ($12) a night. And those who want a little bit more privacy can stay in their own room, like Number 26 in the Plattenbau, for 38. An oval mirror with a plastic frame hangs on one of three white walls in the room. The fourth wall is an inferno of colors. And the carpeting -- egg yolk and neon green -- is practically blinding. A small East German-made radio sits on a small brown and blue nightstand.
The room is dominated by a portrait of senior SED Communist Party official Willi Stoph, who died in 1999. Of course, it's not in every person's taste to have to sleep under the watchful eyes of an SED man who was arrested after the fall of the Wall for crimes committed under the Communist Party -- even if, in the end, he was deemed unfit to stand trial. Indeed, some guests have already complained about some of the photos. But Helbig dismisses the criticism, saying: "We're completely apolitical and these pictures are just intended as a joke."
Also not to everyone's taste is the "Stasi Suite," homage to East German secret police decorated with authentic furniture from former members of the Politbüro. You can find that and many other rooms on Ostel's Web site.
Is the East Sexier?
Helbig reports that some older men have even dropped by to spend an amorous weekend with their young girlfriends in a socialist environment -- being back in the DDR apparently makes them feel younger and randier. Still, Ostel isn't 100 percent true to its East German roots, either. The bathrooms, for example, look more Ikea than socialist sanitary facility.
"We're still working on things," says Helbig. Indeed, the owners have big plans. A few Plattenbau apartment blocks away, East German vacation apartments are being readied and plans are afoot to transplant the Ostel concepts to other eastern cities like Dresden and Leipzig. "But I must admit there's still plenty of DDR atmosphere in those cities," he adds.


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Sailing Dinghy
With Ki, the owner of K1 Marine Trimming, being a former international Olympic class racer he knows how important it is to have a taut fitting cover for your dinghy. He has the right knowledge and experience and has taken it upon him to develop the best sailing dinghy covers on the market. He has carefully developed these to cater for needs that a common racing sailor needs.
K1 Marine Trimming offers a wide range of sailing dinghy covers especially for the most popular dinghy classes in WA like the 420, 29er, 505, 470, Musto skiff. These were designed keeping in mind that most WA racing sailors take a trip across the Nullarbor every year. This means they are heavy duty, UV resistant, safe for towing and long lasting.
If we don't have a pattern on hand for your dinghy we can manufacture custom-made covers that can be made to fit any size and shape of boat.
We also manufacture further canvas products for dinghies such as:
- Custom-made foot straps
- Spinnaker bags
- Mast Covers
- Sail Bags
- Folding Biminis
- Foam padded under covers
For all your sail repairs see our Repairs and Maintenance page


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Register for Volunteer Training
Jump to:
The Athletics Youth Sports Section provides the mandatory training required for all volunteers and coaches. From Hillsborough County's 58 partnered programs to the user-groups renting fields and facilities, requirements for volunteers are the same across the board. Florida requires youth sports volunteers to pass background checks. Athletes, parents and coaches must also comply with Florida's new law regarding concussions and related sports injuries; all volunteers must take a mandatory coach's training class.
- In-person volunteer training classes are free and good for two years
- Online concussion classes are free
- The online volunteer training class is $20 and good for one year
- The fee covers the training and membership into the National Youth Sports Coaches Association
Things To Consider
- The following pertains to all in-person classes:
- Good for two years
- Take place at All People's Life Center 6105 east Sligh Avenue Tampa FL 33617
- Start promptly at 6:45 p.m.
- Class instructors are also volunteers, please be respectful
- All coaches must take CPR, First Aid, and AED class
- CPR, First Aid, AED class counts for the CPR, First Aid, AED requirement and the volunteer training requirement
- Concussion class counts for the concussion requirement and the volunteer training requirement
How To
- Class schedules will be announced
- For more information email Aileen Henderson or call her at (813) 744-5394
What's Next
- You will receive an email confirmation listing the date(s) of the classes you are registered for
- Bring a printout of the confirmation with you to class
Concussion training classes are available at the following online sites:
Online Volunteer Training
Get Help
(813) 744-5595


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All are welcome!
Show me your way, O Lord; lead me on a level path. Psalm 27:15
At the Parish of the Epiphany, we believe that St. Benedict, who taught his monks a great deal about hospitality, had it right: "All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ." (from the Rule of Benedict 53:1) Whether you've already visited Epiphany, you're seeking a new spiritual home, or you're simply "church-shopping" online, we welcome you!
The Parish of the Epiphany is among Winchester's most treasured landmarks. In fact, our building was once described as "the most beautiful middle-sized church in America" (a bit of a stretch, but ours is indeed a very beautiful church.) While rich history with the Arts & Crafts movement in Boston is a tremendous legacy, we don't worship our building. Our building is here so that we can worship God in fellowship with others. And that — the worship of God, friendship with Jesus Christ, and service to our community — is the mission to which we invite you and your loved ones to join.
"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." Matthew 18:20
The Parish of the Epiphany offers many personal ways to discover an accepting, caring community and a place of belonging while you get to know us. Your unique spiritual journey will be respected, your questions welcomed, and your participation celebrated.
Welcome to the Parish of the Epiphany!


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Magic Johnson's All-Star Slam-N-Jam
Magic Johnson's All-Star Slam-N-Jam, is a star-studded event set on the tropical shores of Maui, Hawaii. Magic hosts with Chick Hern doing the play-by-play for a 3-on-3 celebrity basket ball tournament. Celebrities from movies, music and television join their favorite NBA All-Stars for a friendly competition under the Maui sun. And just in case any disputes get too hot then the event's commissioner, Evander Holyfield, will lend an ear to the matter and take care of business. Fun in the sun with Magic and Chick – does it get any better?
16 One-hour episodes – Worldwide


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The painting of the ruined Victorian house in last week's Middle Grade Gallery is from Searching for Shona, by Margaret J. Anderson (Knopf, 1978), a recently rediscovered childhood favorite. After Marjorie and Shona trade places on the train platform in Edinbugh, Marjorie is evacuated to Canonbie. She and another orphan, Anna Ray, are billeted with the Miss Campbells, middle-aged identical twins who own a dress shop. Marjorie and Anna find the house in the painting, empty (although not yet in ruins) save for a cozy playroom in the turret. Clairmont House becomes a refuge for them until the army requisitions it to house soldiers, and by the end of the war, the house is as the artist depicted it in the painting.
How is the painting connected to Shona? I don't want to give it away--if a middle grade novel about two girls, one from a privileged background (Marjorie) and another with only one clue about her family (Shona), trading places during the evacuation appeals to you (don't forget the abandoned house and the identical twin sisters, either), you really should try to find a copy of Searching For Shona. I will say that Shona's father, like John Piper (whose work I featured in the original post), turns out to have been a war artist. But there's more to the story than that, and it's all very satisfying.
Unfortunately, I didn't get many (any) other recommendations of children's books about the evacuation. Anna Hebner noted that in C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950), the four Pevensie children are evacuated from London to the Professor's country house (Lewis himself took in evacuees at his house in Oxford). A Tale of Time City by Diana Wynne Jones (1987) also begins with the main character's evacuation from London, although she only makes it as far the train station (this one's out of print, and Charlotte doesn't like it anyway).
As for realistic fiction, The Children's War (a blog dedicated to books written for children and young adults about WWII) has a review of In Spite of All Terror by Hester Burton (1968), and I'm looking for a copy of that one now.
But the books about the evacuation I most want to read are (perhaps not surprisingly) by Noel Streatfeild. The first is Saplings (1945), a novel for adults about the devastating effects of the war on a middle-class family with four children. It's available in a gorgeous Persephone Books edition (have you heard of Persephone Books?) and sounds very depressing. The second is When the Siren Wailed (1974), a children's book written at considerably more remove from the war itself, and in which three working-class children are evacuated from London. The original edition was illustrated by Margery Gill and thankfully, it ends happily.
[See the comments for more suggestions.]


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As we grow older our health becomes increasingly important – Take care of yourself now to create a better future for you and your family. There are many factors that can affect your personal health and many ways you can seek to improve it. If you feel that you are not as healthy as you should be, take a look at this comprehensive guide and learn how you can take better care of yourself. The first step is to understand why our health is important, once we know this, we can take steps that will help with avoiding illness and living a fruitful life.
Why Is Your Health Important?
Why exactly should we try and take care of ourselves? Is there any actual benefit to maintaining a healthy lifestyle? Of course, there is! Those of you that have visited the doctor or undergone surgery will understand the associated pains and stress that arises from health complications.
Our health is vital to our quality of life – If you live an unhealthy lifestyle, you may invariably encounter health issues that can greatly impact many aspects of your (and your families) daily life. For example, if you eat excessively and become obese, you might experience heart conditions or even contract type 2 diabetes. Alternatively, if you eat an excessive amount of sugary foods you could experience issues with your oral health and lose your teeth.
Aside from the potential health hazards, taking care of yourself also helps boost your confidence and will allow you to live a long and fulfilling life – You will be able to participate in a wider range of activities and will never experience limitations due to health complications.
How Can You Take Care Of Your Body And Mind?
There are many ways that you can take care of yourself, the most important of which are listed below:
Exercise – Regular exercise will ensure that you keep fit and that your body remains active and in good shape. If you fail to exercise, your joints and muscles may become tired and stiff, and your stamina may also reduce. The exercise you complete doesn't have to be overly strenuous – Even a simple walk around your local park several times a week could make a huge difference!
Healthy Diet – Eating health can have a great impact on your quality of life. The key is to eat a balanced diet and exercise control and moderation! No one is saying that you can't eat chocolate, but eating 7 chocolate bars a day is obviously a bad idea. Use your common sense and logic! Try to eat a healthy breakfast and a variety of cooked meals in the evening. Complement this with plenty of water to keep your body hydrated.
Oral Health – Dental hygiene is also supremely important. Your teeth, gums, and mouth serve a variety of roles and if you do not take care of them, you could receive further complications such as gum disease and tooth loss. Ensure that you clean your teeth and use mouthwash regularly. Furthermore, it is advised to visit the dentist and have regular checkups.
Follow these simple instructions and take care of yourself! Do not dismiss your personal health; consider your future and plan ahead to ensure that you can make the most of your life!


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Ingredients: (Serves 4)
4 x 180g barramundi fillets
2 1/2 cups roasted macadamia nuts
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons water
1/4 cup olive oil
Lemon wedges, aioli (see note) and green salad, to serve
Process nuts and breadcrumbs in a food processor to fine crumbs. Remove to a shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper.
Lightly beat eggs and water together in a shallow dish. Dip both sides of fish fillets into egg mixture. Coat with breadcrumb mixture, pressing on with your fingertips.
Transfer to a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook fish for 3 to 4 minutes each side or until golden.
Serve fish with lemon, aioli and salad.
(Note: To make your own aioli, roast 1 head of garlic at 180C degrees for 45 minutes or until soft. Squeeze flesh from skin. Mash flesh and stir through 1 cup whole-egg mayonnaise.)


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Sometimes a movie comes along and I've just got no idea who it's meant for. Anne Fletcher's The Guilt Trip lies firmly within that realm. It's the kind of feel-good comedic pap that gets fobbed off around the holidays, but lacks any real heart or warmth. Starring almost exclusively Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand, the movie verges on quaint, and misses out on whacky. Honestly, The Guilt Trip isn't much of anything at all — except just a movie by definition alone.
Working inside a road trip/odd couple premise, we find Andrew (Seth Rogen), a socially awkward chemist who's invented some sort of all-organic cleaning agent with a wonky name that we're told is revolutionary. He's running around the country, trying — ineffectively, I might add — to sell the stuff to various big-box chain stores. Running out of money and making one last go of it, he visits his overbearing, somewhat obnoxious mother, Joyce (Barbra Streisand), and — after hearing her story of a long lost love — decides to take her with him as a means of sneakily reuniting Joyce with her old flame — despite the fact that he finds mom generally embarrassing and clingy.
From here on, the movie is exactly what you expect it to be with hi-jinks (Babs eats a four-pound steak) and familial understandings popping up here and there. Much of the plot is set up within the formula of a rom-com (though thankfully not as creepy as that sounds), with various misunderstandings and reconciliations along the way. Despite its PG-13 rating for "language and some risqué material" (these days "risqué" equates to one scene inside one of those preposterous movie strip clubs where everyone's naughty bits are covered up, and I guess one unfortunate rape joke that's in the trailer), The Guilt Trip is too focused on not offending — or maybe pleasing — Babs' audience to be funny.
All this does is keep the movie from entering the realm of unfunny or even actively awful (like, say, a certain film about a racist, misogynistic talking teddy bear). But this doesn't make The Guilt Trip a film worth the time or effort of passively sitting through. Rated PG-13 for language and some risqué material.
Playing at Carmike 10, Carolina Asheville Cinema 14, Epic of Hendersonville, Regal Biltmore Grande


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Rick Perry still prides himself on being a Bubba.
The former Texas governor relishes laying on the country-boy charm, greeting voters with "Howdy," talking of growing up on a cotton farm that had an outhouse until he was 6 and boasting that he's spent more time atop a John Deere tractor than anyone else running for the Republican presidential nomination.
Unlike during his short-lived presidential bid four years ago, though, today's Perry is decidedly less cowboy — going for country humble instead of country strong.
He's traded his brown ostrich boots, nicknamed "Freedom" and "Liberty," for sensible shoes, diluted his rugged persona with professorial glasses and tempered the shoot-from-the-hip style that made him something of a gunslinger governor.
Out among Iowa's summer fields of not-yet-high corn, Perry is hoping he can stand out without his signature swagger. Some wonder, though, if Perry hasn't lost his distinctiveness, becoming just another middle-aged candidate in casual business attire.
"He looks so different from four years ago," said Nancy Klein Dykstra, 58, who accepted Perry's firm handshake at a community center in rural Ellston, about 80 miles southeast of Des Moines. "I thought I remembered him being kind of a robust, big guy, big presence."
Perry admits that he's ditched much of the bravado of his first presidential run. He hopes a more down-to-earth approach will help him in Iowa, where he's spent more time than any presidential candidate so far. He says of Iowans: "I don't think they care whether it's someone who has any swagger or not."
Still, it's been a mega-makeover for Perry, once given a "Top Cowboy of Texas" award, and who used a laser-sighted pistol to shoot a coyote while jogging in a sparsely populated corner of Austin during his time as governor.
On Saturday, Perry walked on stage at a conservative forum in black dress shoes; no fewer than four of his Republican rivals wore cowboy boots at the same event.
The transformation isn't sitting well with some back home.
"He's gotta wear boots; he's from Texas," said Rocky Carroll, a Houston bootmaker who has been stitching together custom pairs for Perry since he became state agriculture commissioner in 2001.
Perry wears size 10 ½ E, the same size Carroll's fitted to another client, George W. Bush. But Perry stopped wearing the boots last year, saying they hurt his back.
That's an especially sore subject since Perry had stem cell surgery in July 2011 to fuse his spine and said post-op painkillers were partly to blame for the collapse of his first presidential campaign.
Carroll said he lowered the heels on Perry's boots afterward to make them easier on his back.
"He said, 'They fit all right now,'" Carroll recalled.
But Perry hasn't gone back to boots, instead often lacing up dress Oxfords, like most of his GOP rivals. He frequently wears dark suits and squirms uncomfortably in them at times.
Also gone from 2012 is Perry's brash verbal style.
In that campaign, he suggested Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's economic policies were "treasonous" and Social Security was a Ponzi scheme.
This time, Perry largely sticks to talking points and centers his message on his strong job-creation record in Texas.
His folksiness hasn't totally fallen away, however.
Perry is fond of expressions like "the horse is out of the barn," and he likes to joke that the 2.5 million people added to Texas' population during his 14 years as governor meant "a lot of new pickup trucks."
In Ellston, where a Sunday evening crowd of about 80 sampled seven different varieties of homemade pie prepared for his visit, Perry asked 19-year-old Emily Green where the red, white and blue cowboy boots she was wearing were made. When she said Puerto Rico, he exclaimed: "Good lord, girl! We've got to get you some El Paso boots."
Don Kass, chairman of western Iowa's Plymouth County Republican Party, met Perry recently and said the two "had a long conversation about a cow herd."
To be sure, Texans Lyndon B. Johnson and George W. Bush governed with plenty of Texas swagger of their own — Bush is remembered for invoking the "dead or alive" poster of the Old West in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. But Dave Carney, top political strategist for Perry's 2012 campaign, said they toned down that brashness when campaigning in early primary states, and Texans who didn't — Perry in 2012 and Phil Gramm among them — saw their home-state style backfire.
"As a leader of a state like Texas, that is very effective, but it doesn't necessarily wear well in other states," Carney said. "You talk about swagger, but there's not a lot of success there."


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The Thinkers Convention was a three-day brainstorming session for young people held at Beza Church from July 15 – 17, 2014. The focus of the event was to encourage the audience to discuss and come up with solutions for issues and problems that they found in their community that frustrated them.
The first day of the convention was opened by guest speaker Ato Yemaneh Gezahegn. After his brief speech of inspiration, the youth split into five different groups to brainstorm on these five topics: Clean Addis, Innovation, Begging, Green Addis and Clubbing. The teams, led by respective facilitators came up with different solutions and ideas to tackle their respective subjects.
By day two, the teams refined and worked on their ideas, concentrating on a few that were more relevant than others. On the third day, each team prepared slides and presented their ideas to the whole group.
This convention, held for the first time, only consisted of Beza Youth members. But in the near future, the organizers hope to organize the Thinkers Convention twice a year at a national level, helping to unleash the potential of Ethiopia's youth as an instrument in fighting poverty, developing innovation and birthing a generation of problem solvers.


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What we're reading...
Tomasz Tunguz of Redpoint looks back at at "Done Deals" by Joshua Lerner, a collection of interviews of venture capitalists from 2000. He picks out some quotes which could aptly describe today's funding environment. Link
Michael Seibel of Y Combinator talks to people all the time who want to start startups in their late 20s or 30s but can't because of decisions they made just a few years earlier. Here is a collection of the advice those people would have given to their younger selves. Link
Jeff Haynie writes about what he learned from starting Appcelerator. Some of these lessons are to monetize earlier, scale slower, and burn less. Link
Luke Iseman at Y Combinator writes about the hugely successful crowd funding campaign for Glowforge. The company raised $27.9M in 30 days. Here's how they did it. Link
Mark Suster writes about why VCs do not want valuations to drop and discredits the claim that investors can spook the market into falling. He lists a few reasons why valuations in recent years have been irrational, including the rise of social networking and smartphones, as well as the low interest rate environment. Link
Alex Iskold writes about why now is the best time to start your startup. Link
Nathan Saucier writes an article called Why the Future of Virtual Reality Isn't Movies or Video Games Link
Adam Grant writes about the idea of failure. He states that the most successful people he interviewed on the topic were not afraid of failure, per se, but of failing to matter. Link
Originals learn to see failure not as a sign that their ideas are doomed, but as a necessary step toward success. We learn more from failure than success: for example, evidence shows that space shuttles are more likely to make it to orbit after botched launches. A failure signals a gap in knowledge or a poor strategy, and motivates us to go back to the drawing board and get it right. Without failure, complacency can creep in. At NASA, the Challenger disaster happened after 24 successful space flights, which led to overconfidence. "In their own minds," physicist Richard Feynman reflected, "They could do no wrong."


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Welcome to Tattoo Jam at Doncaster Racecourse
Come join us for your not so average day at the races!
Just as much competition, just as many trophies, but less horsing around and more serious tattooing.
Doncaster Racecourse has been the home of Tattoo Jam since almost day one, and we're proud to bring our worldwide artists and that Tattoo Jam spirit to Doncaster every year.
With amazing views of the racecourse, ample outside and inside seating, plenty of floor space and most importantly, bars over all three floors - we've got it covered.
So what are you waiting for? Come join us, odds are evens for a bloody great weekend.
Don't be! Whether you're on a train, plane or an automobile, here's how you can reach us:
Doncaster Racecourse
The Grandstand
Leger Way
By Road
Doncaster racecourse boasts excellent links to the motorway network including M1(jnc 32), M18 (jncs 3/4), A1M (jnc 36) and the M62. Car Parking is Free (outside of the Leger Festival) in Car Park C (enter opposite junction at Wickes on Leger Way).
Click here to download a map.
By Train
The nearest station is Doncaster Train Station
For up to date timetables, route planners and live departures, check out National Rail
By Air
The nearest airport to Doncaster Racecourse is Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Doncaster is also served by Manchester, Leeds Bradford and East Midlands - all can be reached via transfer or train.
We have partnered with HotelTattoo.com the world leader in finding you the best value room for any convention. You can instantly search all of London's hotels, see images, read reviews, view locations and find the cheapest prices anywhere...


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Dead? No, Not Really. We Can Resuscitate
When a patient has low heart rate, doctors do not immediately give up hope; they do what they can to revive their patient. Doctors can resuscitate heart and lungs that have low activity. Just like in medicine, online advertising can resuscitate dead email addresses. Marketers should not give up hope immediately on their email addresses; they should give time to check contact information to see whether they are truly inactive before relinquishing them from their databases.
Advertisers should check out their databases to see which emails are now inactive and are simply taking up the space. There are email industries that have to weigh in topic of inactive emails vexing email marketers. However there is also the topic on how to reactivate or resuscitate email addresses. The campaign of email address revival is to have a win-back setting.
The Approach
- Altering Rate of Recurrence. To those subscribers who have lapsed in sending their responses, it should be considered in increasing or reducing the frequency of the emails. If there is a stable and expected pace of emails then the change in frequency may be enough to rouse the subscriber out of their insipidity.
- Captivating Themed Appearances: A predictable rhythm in a theme can also put subscribers to sleep. Face it, it might be boring. But a simple alteration in scenery may be sufficient adequate to get them to open their emails and even acknowledging the subscribers' lack of activity can generate high rates.
- Bargains. What better way than to awaken the interest in customers than to offer bargains, discounts and promos? Surely that will capture their interest and attention once again; this would really be a motivation to once again be responsive to the emails advertisers send. Giving out discounts and promos is probably the most common and effective way of bringing back customers into the advertisers' fold.
Advertisers know that looking for fresh contacts is not easy and so resuscitating inactive or "dead" contacts can truly save up on time and effort. Giving out discounts, changing themes and resending newsletters can never hurt and rekindle the life of connection between customers and advertisers have.


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Unless you have a lot of startup experience, it can be a little tricky to make down-to-earth financial projections for your new company.
Pragmatic assumptions are important in such a forecast.
Internet startups
When in doubt, start by decreasing your assumptions.
What else can you do as an Internet startup?
Excelling in thought leadership, Ms. Joey Tamer is a Los Angeles-based a strategic consultant to entrepreneurs in technology and digital media, and to experienced consultants in all fields to maximize their practices.
Joey Tamer, www.joeytamer.com
Here are her seven financial-planning suggestions:
- Reduce the rate of adoption of your product/service.
- Increase the rate of attrition of your customers.
- Decrease the rate of conversion of "free" to "premium" customers (if you have that model).
- Decrease the time of the conversion of "free" to "premium" customers (if you have that model).
- Add significant time (double?) to your ideas about the "time to market" of new features and benefits.
- Add significant time to the receipt of subsequent revenue from adoption, conversion and retention of customers, and from their "upsell" to new features, benefits and versions.
- Add 10 to 15 percent (or more) to all costs.
In addition, I'd point out that there are good reasons for you to consider why and how to determine your break-even point and to use a business success checklist to work smarter, not harder.
More startup questions to ponder
The late esteemed business professor, Neil Delisanti, recommends that startups use the forecast for follow up and to see how they are doing against it. Don't wait until end of year, he warns, because that's too late to make changes.
Mr. Delisanti left a strong legacy as a professor at the University of Puget Sound and The Evergreen State College in Washington state, and successfully counseled 2,000 new or young businesses via the Small Business Development Center in Tacoma.
He agreed that it's best to subtract or add 10 to 15 percent to or from the expected, which can be easily done in an Excel model.
"It is recommended they build a model forecast utilizing cells with variables that will change the results of the entire sheet with just one cell entry," he added. "That way by changing just the price, the net profit changes, or change the price and sales volume and the whole thing changes."
Contingency scenarios
He was also an advocate of creating contingency scenarios. He was the consummate devil's advocate for anticipating unplanned events such as riots, natural disaster, product pulled from shelves or hardship from construction on your street.
More scenarios for which to plan:
- If you have to stop selling an obsolete product or service
- If you have to increase taxes/license fees/compliance expenses
- If you need to increase labor costs and also reduce expected productivity of labor
- If you face rising costs of resources; petrol/electricity/water/trash collection/etc.
(Note: Both experts have been trusted and valued colleagues. Mr. Delisanti and Iworked together for more than 20 years. I know Ms. Tamer well since 2004 via our membership in a professional organization for consultants. )
From the Coach's Corner, here are more of Ms. Tamer's insights:
6 Values for Financial Protection — Debt is the catalyst for all financial woes – for individuals and the aggregate economy in the United States and globally, esteemed associate Joey Tamer astutely reminds us. To illustrate, she asserts the first credit card issued by Bank of America enticed baby boomers into using credit for immoderate purchases. We now know the card as Visa.
Options to Navigate This Marketplace Bedlam — Uncertainties regarding Wall Street, actions by the Federal Reserve, and funding often set off alarm bells. But if you're looking for capital, there are reasons to hope, according to leading consultant Joey Tamer.
What Should You Divulge When Asking for Investment Capital? — If your startup is the next big thing, but you want venture capital, you can start smiling. Yes, financing has been difficult to obtain in recent years. But entrepreneurs wanting venture capital have reasons for at least a small celebration – the money is starting to flow again after the Great Recession took its toll.
Eight Strategies to Consider Before Starting A Tech Business — So, you've got an idea for a tech business, but you're unsure about your prospects. Do you know what are important strategies to consider before starting a tech business?
What No One Tells You about Raising Investment Capital — Investment capital is available during all economic cycles, according to leading consultant Joey Tamer. Ms. Tamer has proven approaches for raising money. "In good times, risk capital is available from all sources, and they compete and sometimes share hot deals with each other; the practice is termed syndication," said Ms. Tamer.
"Think small and act small, and we'll get bigger. Think big and act big, and we'll get smaller."
-Herb Kelleher


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Congratulations to Tanja & Des who celebrated their marriage at the Radisson SAS, Rosses Point on the 3rd of July '16.
These guys travelled over from Norway to marry in Desmond's home-place of Sligo and held an intimate ceremony surrounded by their family and friends. The ceremony was a lovely, personal celebration and mix of their two cultural backgrounds with beautiful music from the very talented Elaine Gordon & Kev O'Gorman.
After their ceremony, we took a short trip down the road with the couple to Rosses Point Pier/Beach to capture them on the edge of the stunning Wild Atlantic Way. We travelled back to the Radisson afterwards to capture some family and wedding party shots before the party truly started. DJ Scruffy Duffy MC'd throughout the Meal and the guests were on their feet in no time and as you'll see from the photos, partied late into the night.
Thank you to the happy couple for having us along on their big day, it was lovely meeting your family & friends and capturing all the fun and excitement.
Best of luck in your future together Tanja & Desmond!


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The existing Quick-term statistics Regulation (STS-R) (EC) No 1165/98 calls for quarterly indices on building fees for new residential buildings (excluding residences for communities). But now some developers are routinely paying almost $900 per foot to erect their beneath-building, amenity-filled condo towers, and one particular project has broken the $1,000 per foot marker, according to Robert Barone, president of the White Plains-primarily based building analytics firm IVI International. If you are going for a best-of-the-range designer kitchen then get a value from your supplier, which includes fitting, and substitute this for the kitchen allowance per square metre. In fact, you are going to most likely not do significantly more than simply raise the price per square foot of the complete (now smaller) property – and possibly not modify the all round expense at all. We do have loads of data on retail costs as that is a core industry that we serve in our A/E business. Let's examine two homes once again, only this time they're each 3,000 square foot Colonials.
I don't have information outside the US, nonetheless, if I were to build a two story office constructing in a related location in the US, I would use $150-$180 USD per square foot. The create cost figures do not consist of design fees, preparing fees (currently £385 for a new dwelling) engineer's fees or Developing Regulations fees. Let's start by taking into consideration what square foot homebuilding fees really are — nothing much more than the total cost of a given project divided by the total number of square feet in that project.
We subscribe to RSMeans' , researchers of building cost information nationwide, and have come across some crucial existing data on the price of industrial building for 4 different industrial project kinds as a function of their location. With the exception of townhouses (exactly where Northern Cape holds the quantity three position) the provinces of Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal hold the top three cost positions for all the other creating varieties. Fees can give no a lot more than a rough guide to the probable cost of constructing, as expenses can vary drastically based on website circumstances, level of fitout and design. There we sit – builder and prospective client – possessing a productive conversation about what the house costs. As for construction sort, wood construction will definitely be your least price selection. Clay, Stones, Boulders and so on) then you can expect your fees to boost in the thousands of dollars.
Note, that not all kinds of construction cost the very same per square foot, and even much more importantly, the cost of construction per square foot varies considerably with place. Every single builder, when presented with plans and specifications, is capable to implement unit costing and vendor quotes to arrive at a total building expense. So it really depends on the nature of the constructing if this modify of use would generate added fees above typical tenant finish costs or not. If you change the use from retail to assembly space, you may also have to give upgrades to the current building for fire separation walls to adjacent spaces, sprinklers, exiting, accessibility upgrades, and upgrades to mechanical systems. A lot of men and women appear to leave some of these considerations out when hunting at project expenses. Great advice, I am creating in Spain, but the common gist of what you are saying is extremely valuable.
The vertical elements such as walls, windows, doors and wall finishes are affected not only by the location of the building but also by its shape. Some men and women may possibly prefer to go with a custom design and style and builder alternatively of building a project home by way of a larger business. This is a really detailed piece of perform and aids in straightforward step by step processes to establish the realised and hidden costs of a constructing project. A three-story unit of masonry building with twelve apartments would run roughly $9.four million in total charges. Nonetheless, the Expense Data is primarily based on assumptions concerning building type, high quality and situation of inclusions which may possibly differ from your personal circumstances. I was hunting at around 300 metres square for the develop and the information provided here is certainly valuable in ensuring that I am not overcharged for the create.


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"Right On" two words that Benjamin says but also two words that describe Benjamin D'avanza. He is a professional photographer by trade. There is no dichotomy between the words "right on" for Ben is an artist, artisan, and architect. He is an architect of aesthetics capturing them for us to enjoy. Walk into his home, yard, shop, or studio and you will see this is true. First and foremost Ben is a friend and kindness is his modus operandi for he is always helping someone.
We met Ben when we were looking for some welding equipment and the rest is history. Besides their technical skills, character and discipline is what a good mentor passes on as his legacy. We hope you enjoy some behind the scenes photo with Benjamin here.


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Content Explorer
The Affective Digital Histories archive comprises open and publicly accessible data, including images, press cuttings, audio and video clips, and creative commissions. The materials have been digitised and catalogued by researchers at the University of Leicester and can be accessed here via the Explorer, or through the University of Leicester's own Special Collections Online.
You can explore the archive on our website in different ways; select 'Timeline' below to group materials according to date, or use the map feature to show their locations.
Interview with Anna Mee.
|Interview with Anna Mee.
|50 minute interview with Anna Mee, lifelong resident of Leicester. She describes her family background and how she left school at fifteen and became a cutter, eventually working at several hosiery manufacturers in Leicester. She recalls her brand new Secondary Modern school ; going from work to the lunchtime dances at the Palais on Fridays ; how the industry employed an entirely white workforce until the 1970s, when Asian women started to be employed ; meeting her husband at El Rondo ; being sacked for coming back to work drunk after lunchtime drinks ; as a child going to see the Coronation with her school at the Odeon cinema ; how she and her husband took over the running of The Charlotte in the early 80s. She recalls how Helsinki's was the fashionable place to go, and the scene at El Rondo where the black guys liked to dance and so were popular with the white girls. She relates how the hosiery factories were gradually replaced by small units and the area became run down.
|Hulme, Tom
|Mee, Anna
|Social life of the factory;Industry
|Digitisation note
|Interview recorded for 'Changing Industries in Leicester's Cultural Quarter', a collaboration between University of Leicester, Cuttlefish Multimedia Ltd and Phoenix. Courtesy East Midlands Oral History Archive. See http://leicesterstgeorges.co.uk/ for further details.
|You may use this item in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 UK: England & Wales License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/
|Metadata license
|You can re-use this metadata record under a Creative Commons Zero 'no rights reserved' licence: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0
|Contact note
|Please contact email@example.com with enquiries
|Tue, 20 May 2014
|Wed, 10 Sep 2014 11:24


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I am not entirely sure what to say. It's definitely been a while since I've updated this blog. If you saw my previous post you will know that I am mourning the death of my dog Toby. That's not the only reason that I haven't written much lately but obviously it doesn't help. I just want to take a minute to write about Toby. His death was one of the most difficult things I've ever gone through. Even though my family and I knew that it wasn't fair to make him continue on the way he was it was still difficult to have him put down. It felt like we were doing this horrible thing to him without him even being aware of it. I know that unfortunately I will never forget that day when my family and I sat around our dog, sobbing as he went to sleep one last time.
Remembering Toby
03 Wednesday Aug 2011
Posted Uncategorizedin
But I am slowly learning to remember all of the good times that we had with Toby. There are so many stories about Toby that I could share that there isn't enough room to write them all down. All I can say is that he was an incredible dog. He was a constant, loving, caring companion. He was a happy and sometimes goofy dog who enjoyed life immensely. Even though I am feeling pain now I would still do it all again. I have almost fifteen years of memories with Toby and I wouldn't trade that for the world.


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Our Vision
Ideas • Aesthetics • Connections
Exploring big ideas from our information age & fusing them with minimal, elegant design
All is One • Each is Other
At I+O we seek to fuse timeless ideas with elegant design. Subtly imbuing objects with striking concepts, giving them an aesthetic appeal that resonates with us deep down. Additionally, all we make is in done so with our ethic of human dignity and ecological sustainability. At I+O we are gripped by the power of ideas to shape, transform and inform our view of the world.
Fusing profound, philosophically interesting ideas within minimal design
We wholeheartedly believe in the power of the internet, as an infinite doorway to unimaginable possibility. Through the simplest of processes, Ones and Zeros, electrical flows and non-flows systematically combined, we are able to encode previously unimaginable amounts of information, to form networks, to build digital ecosystems, collaborate and connect in profound ways.
Embrace complexity
We seek to look beyond naive caricatures and absolute positions, instead of facing a complex, dynamic, ever evolving world that can be seen through many, equally valid lenses.
Utilize the information revolution
Join us on our journey