text:
Eight IIA Member companies honoured in Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards
The IIA would like to congratulate the eight member companies who made this prestigious list and wish them all the best in the EMEA Fast 500. The Fast 500 pools all Fast 50 winning companies from Europe, Middle East and Africa and ranks them accordingly.
Congratulations to Software Asset Management Ireland, winners of the Technology Fast 50 Awards 2010. View all the winners here.
The programme ranks the 50 fastest-growing technology companies in Ireland based on percentage revenue growth over a five-year period. This year the following eight IIA Member Companies were honoured. (Position in brackets):
- Roomex (3)
- Daft.ie (4)
- Avvio (7)
- Cartrawler (15)
- Espion (36)
- Newsweaver (41)
- Texthelp (44)
- Arekibo (49)
Deloitte is a member company of the IIA also.
1st Annual European E-Commerce Conference
This 1st event will focus on the most pertinent issues for the E-Commerce sector including privacy, security, advertising, competition policy and intellectual property. Key speakers are already confirmed including representatives from the European Commission, EU Parliament, the European consumer association BEUC, Amazon, eBay, Google, Microsoft, Visa, Phorm, MAQS, Symantec and many others (see list below). They will discuss what the new e-commerce pathway will look like, particularly given the changing Commission and Parliament, how far European policy making has come in respect of the regulation (or not) of the digital domain and what steps can be made to improve and support e-commerce as a potential driver for economic and social improvement.
Save €200 by registering before 6th October.
The conference which is supported by EMOTA will provide a consistent Brussels based platform and meeting point for all stakeholders involved in e-commerce.
Given the horizontal nature of e-commerce and its emergence as a key part of the European and global economy, the range of issues discussed will be of relevance to those operating in many sectors including financial services, telecoms operators, transportation and logistics, internet service providers, security and privacy operators, goods manufacturers and many, many more.
For the agenda and pricing: www.eCommerce-conference.eu or contact James Wilmott on +44 (0) 2920 783 022/ firstname.lastname@example.com
Confirmed speakers include:
- Malcolm Harbour, Member, European Parliament (Chairman of the EP's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee)
- Jacqueline Minor, Director, Consumer Affairs, DG SANCO, European Commission
- Monique Goyens, Director General, BEUC (consumer organization)
- Patrick van Eecke, Partner, DLA Piper
- Andrew Cecil, Director Public Policy Europe, Amazon
- Sebastian Mueller, European Policy Manager, Google
- Stuart Cooke, Senior Director, Industry Associations & Standards, Qualcomm
- Brooks Dobbs, Chief Privacy Officer, Phorm
- Thomas Myrup Kristensen, EU Internet Policy Director Corporate Affairs, LCA, Microsoft Europe
- Andrea Servida, Deputy Head of the Unit, Internet, Network and Information Security, DG INFSO, European Commission
- Rosa Barcelo, Adviser, European Data Protection Supervisor
- Peter Møller-Jensen, EU Government Affairs Director, VISA Europe
- Alastair Mitchell, CEO and co-founder, Huddle.net
- Brendan Reilly, Head of Northern European country product management, Deutsche Bank
- Luke Hendrickx, Director, Competitiveness of Enterprises & External Relations, UEAPME
- Monique Wadsted, Partner, MAQS Law Firm
- Alvydas Stancikas, Head of Unit, Enforcement of Industrial and Intellectual Property Rights, DG MARKT, European Commission
- Paul Excell, Chief Innovation Officer, BT
- Claude Rakovsky, Head of Unit, Antitrust and Mergers Policy and Scrutiny, DG COMP, European Commission
- James Waterworth, EU Affairs Director, Nokia & President, EDiMA
Consumers: EU crackdown on websites selling consumer electronic goods
The clampdown covered 369 websites selling six of the most popular electronic goods to consumers in the EU – digital cameras, mobile phones, personal music players, DVD players, computer equipment and game consoles. It covered 200 of the biggest websites selling electronic equipment in the EU as well as more than 100 websites which were targeted on the basis of consumer complaints. The results of the checks carried out in May this year show that 55% of the websites investigated showed irregularities in particular relating to: misleading information about consumer rights; misleading information about the total cost of the product; or incomplete contact details for the trader. The initial checks by national authorities will now be followed by an enforcement phase when companies are contacted by national authorities and required to correct their websites or clarify their position. At this first stage, three countries – Iceland, Latvia and Norway – have published names of the websites covered by the investigation (see MEMO/09/379 ).
EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva said: "We targeted websites selling electronic goods because I know from my own mail bag, and we know from the level of complaints coming into European Consumer Centres that these are a real problem area for consumers. We discovered that more than half of the retailers selling on-line electronic goods are letting consumers down. This is a Europe-wide problem which needs a European solution. There is a lot of work to be done in the months ahead to clean up this sector, Europe's consumers deserve better."
The electronics goods market
The value of online retail sales of consumer electronic goods in Europe is ca. € 6.8 billion (2007), and about one in four EU consumers who ever bought anything online bought an electronic product (including cameras). More than a third of complaints regarding online sales handled by the European Consumer Centre Network in 2007, concerned the purchase of electronic equipment.
The sweep investigation
In May 2009, national enforcers (co-ordinated by the European Commission) checked websites selling electronic goods for compliance with three crucial EU consumer laws: the Distance Selling Directive, the e-Commerce Directive, and the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (see MEMO/09/379 for more details).
The sweep investigation focused on 3 key areas:
1. Contact information for the trader: Under EU law, there must be complete information about the name, geographical address and email address of the trader.
2. Clear information about the offer (total price and clear product description): Under EU consumer law the online traders must provide clear information about the characteristics of the product, as well as the total cost (including taxes), all extra delivery costs and payment arrangements. The final price to pay must be the same as stated in the information provided before the purchase.
3. Clear information about consumer rights: Under EU law, consumers must be provided with information about their EU "right to return" i. e. a good bought at a distance can be returned within a minimum of 7 days without giving a reason. The investigation also checked the accuracy of additional information provided about consumer rights e.g. warrantees, refunds.
The results
The results of the sweep investigation were as follows:
55% of the 369 checked websites showed irregularities which are being investigated further. 13 % of the problematic sites will require cross border co-operation between national authorities. The most common problems found were:
Misleading information about consumer rights (66% of problem websites) Buyers were either not informed at all or misinformed about their "right to return" – the right to cancel an order bought a distance within a minimum of 7 days and return the product without giving a reason. For example, they were told that the trader would not accept the product back, or that they could only have credit rather than cash refund. In other cases, consumers were misled about their right to have a faulty product repaired or replaced for at least 2 years after the purchase (e.g. they were told that they only had this right for one year).
Misleading information about the total price (45% of problem websites). For example, information on the extra delivery charges was either missing or difficult to find. The extras were then added only at the final payment stage. Some other websites went as far as promising "free delivery" or an "all inclusive" deal, even though delivery charges were in fact applied.
Missing or incomplete contact details of the trader (33 % of the problem websites). Details of the trader's name, geographical address or e-mail address were missing or incomplete, so that they could not be contacted in case of problems.
What happens next?
Traders will be contacted by the national authorities and asked to clarify their position or correct the problems identified. Failure to bring a website in line with the law can result in legal action leading to fines or websites being closed. The EU wide enforcement results will be presented by mid-2010.
Samples of good and bad websites selling electronic goods:
Are you generating sufficient revenues from international markets?
Click here to take a short, 5 minute survey.
The IIA International Strategy Working Group will be holding a seminar in the Autumn to help organisations better tap into international revenues using the Internet. In advance of this seminar, called "Growing international revenues using the Internet", we are looking to identify how we can best meet your areas of interest. It would be great if you could complete our short survey.
Your responses are private and anonymised and will only be used by the IIA and the working group for this purpose.
Check back later in the summer for more details of this event.
Roaming: Vote in European Parliament paves way for swift agreement on lower SMS and data roaming charges
The Commission proposed in September 2008 (see IP/08/1386) to make sure that consumers in the EU do not have to pay more than €0.11 per roamed SMS in the EU (excluding VAT) – a proposal endorsed yesterday by the Parliament's lead Committee on the new roaming legislation. At present, SMS roaming charges in the EU are on average €0.28 per roamed SMS and can go up to over €0.80 in some countries. The Parliament's Committee also voted in favour of ambitious measures to reduce the cost of data roaming charges (the cost for surfing the web or downloading data via a mobile connection abroad). To pave the way for lower consumer charges, the Industry Committee voted in favour of a cap on inter-operator charges of €0.50 per megabyte of roamed data. The Commission had proposed such a cap, but at €1 per megabyte. The Parliament's lead Committee on the new roaming legislation also endorsed measures to enhance the transparency of roaming charges to eliminate the risk of "bill shocks" for data roaming. Finally the Industry Committee voted for an obligation of operators to charge roamed calls by the second from the first second of a mobile call abroad (Commission proposal: from the 31st second). The Commission had identified that consumers currently pay around 20% too much for roamed calls abroad because of imprecise billing methods.
"Yesterday's vote in the European Parliament is very good news for consumers all over Europe. In view of the current economic downturn, the Parliament is right in wanting to strengthen the purchasing power of European consumers as of this summer, which will encourage them to make even more use of their mobile phones", said Viviane Reding, the EU's Telecoms Commissioner, who had initiated the new roaming legislation and attended the Committee vote in Strasbourg yesterday evening. "I welcome the fact that the Parliament's lead Committee on the new roaming rules yesterday evening voted in favour of all the main points of the Commission proposal. I congratulate Adina-Ioana Valean, the Parliament's Rapporteur on roaming in the Industry Committee, for the impressive negotiation skills she has shown over the past months. I would also like to thank Syed Kamall, the Parliament's Rapporteur on roaming in the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee for his constructive work ensuring that both consumers and businesses can benefit from a practically borderless and transparent single telecoms market for roaming. I would also like to extend my thanks to the Rapporteur of the Culture and Education Committee, Manolis Mavromatis, for his strong support for the Commission proposal."
Yesterday's vote by the Parliament's Industry Committee endorsed, by majority vote, all the main features of the Commission's proposal for new roaming rules, from the €0.11 retail cap for roamed text messages to new transparency obligations. The Industry Committee also supported the principle, proposed by the Commission, that voice roaming calls must be billed by the second. Following the proposal of the Internal Market Committee last week, the Industry Committee voted for an amendment to ensure that this principle applies from the very first second of a roamed call.
The Industry Committee has proposed two further changes to the Commission's proposal:
- A data roaming wholesale (inter-operator) cap of €0.50 per megabyte. The Commission had proposed a wholesale cap at €1 per megabyte, while the Parliament's Internal Market Committee had suggested a wholesale cap at €0.25 per megabyte.
- Ending the whole roaming legislation in June 2012, while the Commission had proposed a review in 2013. The Industry Committee proposal would allow the next Commission to review the new rules in the middle of its 5-year mandate.
"I now call on Parliamentarians and Member States to work together very closely over the coming weeks to ensure that the final deal on SMS and data roaming can be concluded well before the European Parliament elections in June", said Commissioner Reding.
Next Steps
The 785 members of the European Parliament will vote in their plenary session scheduled 21-24 April, on the roaming proposal. If the Council agrees with the content of the vote, the new roaming rules will come into effect on 1 July 2009.
On 23 September 2008, the Commission proposed a new Roaming Regulation that would cut by 60% the cost of sending text messages while roaming in the EU (IP/08/1386, MEMO/08/578). It would also reduce the price for using mobile data services abroad and introduce transparency measures against bill shocks. Moreover, the Commission proposed to extend the duration of the current voice roaming Regulation from 2010 to 2013 reducing roaming caps for mobile calls further by €0.03 each year (now at €0.46 for calls made abroad and €0.22 for calls received abroad which would be further reduced to €0.34 for calls made abroad and to €0.10 for calls received abroad by 1 July 2012 [excluding VAT]).
The Council of the EU's 27 Telecoms Ministers had already endorsed all elements of the Commission proposal on 27 November 2008 (MEMO/08/745).
If you want to know how much you pay while travelling in the EU for a call received/ made, for an SMS sent or megabyte downloaded, visit the EU's Roaming website which offers an overview of tariffs per country in the EU:
Commission earmarks €1bn for investment in broadband – Frequently Asked Questions Answered
€ 1 billion has been earmarked today to help rural areas get online, bring new jobs and help businesses grow. On average, 93 % of Europeans can enjoy a high speed online connection but in some countries broadband covers less than half of the rural population (see the table in the annex). Broadband internet connection is expected to create 1 million jobs and boost the EU's economy by €850 billion between 2006 and 2015.
How can investment in broadband infrastructures stimulate Europe's economic recovery?
Investment in broadband has a positive impact on economic development, innovation and territorial cohesion. A recent study shows that, assuming a constant adoption rate up to 2015, broadband development will help create around 1 million jobs in Europe and a broadband-related growth of economic activity of € 850 bn between 2006 and 2015[1].
In areas with a lack of infrastructure, such as less populated areas or remote and isolated rural areas, increased spending on new telecom infrastructure boosts the productivity and employment potential of the local economy. Development and adoption of advanced broadband services help make businesses and public administration more efficient by enabling organisational innovation and facilitating access to markets. The impact on European industry is clearly positive: apart from civil work for networks which has a direct impact on local employment, sales of network equipment will also benefit global European suppliers (like Siemens, Ericsson, Nokia, Alcatel-Lucent), as well as telecoms or satellite operators. And areas with advanced broadband connections will see an increase in demand for products and services.
What is the current state of broadband coverage and speed in Europe?
Broadband access is increasingly widespread in the EU, following substantial EU efforts and a pro-competitive regulatory framework in place since the liberalization of the telecoms sector. In December 2007, broadband connection was available to around 93% of Europeans, mostly in densely populated areas.
However 30% of the EU rural population still has no access to high speed internet.
At the start of 2008, on average, more than half of European users enjoyed advertised internet speeds above 2 Megabits per second, which is considered the minimum to enable advanced services like television over the internet, and about 10% of users had access to more than 10 Megabits per second. This compares favourably with the USA, where 37% of broadband lines offer at least 2.5 Megabits per second and only 4% have speeds equal or above to 10 Megabits per second. These are however "advertised" speeds which overestimate actual speeds. In fact, internet speed worsens when the distance between the exchanges and the location where the user is based is great and/or when several users access the internet simultaneously.
Internet speeds increase with the share of fiber-based high-capacity access technologies. Fiber accounts for 45% of all broadband subscriptions in South Korea and 39% in Japan. These numbers are similar between the EU and the US (1.4% and 1.5% respectively) but much lower than in Asia.
In terms of penetration rate (broadband take up per population), which was 21.7% in EU27 in July 2008, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden and Finland lead the rankings in the OECD area penetration rates above 30%. The penetration rate in the US is 25%.
Why is it necessary to spend EU money on broadband investment? Could this not be better done by each Member State?
The EU money will be used in addition to private investments and national funding. It means that rural areas which are not covered by existing plans to roll out or upgrade broadband will be able to participate in the web economy very soon. In particular, this means that areas that are already at an economic disadvantage will be better placed for economic recovery already in 2009.
Which regions in Europe are in a particular need of broadband investment?
European rural areas suffer from much lower coverage rates than urban or suburban areas and this is where the European help should focus. In some countries, even traditional telephone networks are not available in rural areas (in Bulgaria or Romania for example). In others, lack of investment and difficult geographic conditions has limited broadband coverage to less than 50% of the rural population (Greece, Poland, Slovakia). Even countries with a more developed infrastructure still have rural coverage rates below 80%. This is the case of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia and Lithuania. Finally, even in the most developed countries (Germany, France, Italy, Austria), there are still areas that, due to their geographical location or mountainous landscapes, do not enjoy the same conditions as the rest of the country.
Finally, these figures relate to the coverage of DSL, which is the most widespread access platform in Europe. But they do not take into consideration people who live too far away from telephone exchanges to have access to DSL. This is around 3% of the population in the EU15 and much more in the new Member States. Thus, there is considerable scope for investment to ensure all Europeans have the right to broadband.
The attached table provides detailed figures on the level of coverage according to the type of area.
Table1: Broadband coverage[2]of population by urbanity, December 2007 (EU27, NO, IS)
|Not relevant
|Not relevant
Data source: IDATE Study "Broadband Coverage in Europe 2008"
Data for urban, suburban areas and for the national average in Bulgaria and Romania are not available. Rural coverage in these countries is 0 and this allows the calculation of rural coverage for EU27 + 2.
How will the €1 bn of EU money reach rural areas with a particular need for broadband investments?
The money will be injected into the existing Rural Development Programmes, which have been drafted and approved on the basis of the rules established for the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. This means that no new instrument needs to be created and that they will be managed by the national rural development managing authorities. This will necessitate a modification of the Rural Development Programmes and Member States are called upon to do it by 30 June 2009 to allow projects to be identified and expenditure to be made already in 2009.
The European Council in December asked the Commission to specify concrete projects for investing the €5 bn for infrastructure? Is there such a central list for broadband projects?
It is the responsibility of Member States and regions to select the projects that can best serve their areas following the established eligibility and selection rules within their rural development programmes. Projects are not imposed centrally by Brussels, but selected by the Member States and they should reflect the needs identified at national, regional and local level in the context of the National Strategy Plans for rural development.
What is the next step? Can the money now be paid out or do Parliament and Council first have to give their agreement? How long will it take until the first payments are made?
The legal proposals that the Commission has tabled today will make possible the spending of the €1bn under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and will increase its overall budget by the same amount. The proposal requires the approval by Council. The Commission calls on the Council to adopt these proposals as soon as possible so that money can already be committed in 2009.
How will each Member State apply for this extra funding?
By June 2009 Member States and regions will have to propose a modification of their Rural Development Programme, which have to incorporate the option for investments in broadband infrastructure. Member States and regions can authorise projects from the date of submission of the modification request.
What will be the distribution of funding among the Member States?
The amount of €1bn for broadband to be spent under rural development would be distributed among all Member States on the basis of the current distribution key for the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The distribution process will cover also another €0.5bn that are to be spent under rural development for "new challenges" as identified under the Health-check of the Common Agricultural Policy.
Which is the co-financing rate of a broadband project within Rural Development?
Projects can benefit from higher co-financing rates in 2009:
- 90% in Convergence regions
- 75% in non-Convergence regions
If agreed by the Council, additional co-financing of 10% would also be temporarily possible in 2009 to promote the economic recovery in Member States and ease investments.
What are the types of measures related to broadband that can be supported through Rural Development?
The types of operations that can be supported are:
- Creation of new broadband infrastructure including backhaul facilities (e.g. fixed, terrestrial wireless, satellite-based or combination of technologies);
- Upgrade of existing broadband infrastructure;
- Laying down passive broadband infrastructure (e.g.: civil engineering works such as ducts, and other network elements such as dark fibre, etc.) also in synergy with other infrastructures (energy, transport, water, sewerage networks etc.).
Where can I find the contact details of Rural Development Authorities for my Member State?
Further information on the European Commission's broadband initiatives at "Bridinging the Broadband Gap" initiative:
European broadband portal:
[1]Micus study, "The impact of broadband on growth and productivity", available at
[2] "Broadband Coverage" refers to the coverage of DSL networks, the most widespread form of broadband access in Europe, and in particular to the percentage of population depending on a Local Exchange equipped with a DSLAM. Thus, coverage also includes those people (Households or Businesses Units) that reside too far from these switches to be able to purchase a DSL connection even if they wanted to do so. Hence, coverage figures overestimate actual availability.
Regulatory Environment Strong but Economic Market Conditions very Weak
The 2009 ECTA* Regulatory Scorecard, which benchmarks the telecoms regulatory framework in 18 European countries, shows Ireland performing well when it comes to its legislative environment and policy but is generally weaker on the resulting regulatory and market outcomes .
Ireland, together with the UK and Norway, scored highest for the efficiency of its regulatory authority. However, the price Ireland's dominant player eircom charges for a competitor to access the 'local loop' is the highest in Europe at €431 per annum compared to €206 in the Netherlands.
Overall Ireland scored 6th position on the scorecard out of 18 EU member states, jumping from 12th position last year with the UK top of the table. The improvement is attributed to improved regulatory processes and relatively progressive policy proposals concerning next generation networks.
Commenting on the findings Ronan Lupton, Chairman of ALTO, which represents the alternative telecommunications sector in Ireland said: "While ComReg should be commended for scoring so highly it is clear that major obstacles still exist for effective competition in Ireland. Access charges to the incumbent's network is still the highest in the EU and stifles profitable investment. We would call on the Minister to issue tighter policy directions to ComReg and ensure competitive services are available to Irish consumers."
Additional findings of the report as they relate to Ireland include:
- ComReg achieved strong performance for being able to conduct market analyses decisions in an efficient and transparent manner and have also been able to act effectively as dispute settlement bodies.
- For economic market conditions, Ireland scored the worst alongside Turkey and the Czech Republic. For voice, business services and mobile services Ireland was very weak on competition with competitive weaknesses identified in the broadband environment in particular.
- Time to port a telephone number ranges from 1 day in Ireland and Germany to more than 45 days in Poland.
General findings include:
- Countries with lowest prices tend to have higher penetration rates.
- Overall where LLU and cable providers have a higher penetration rate access speeds are higher. Where the incumbent has a higher level of penetration (and typically a higher share of the market), broadband access speeds do not increase significantly.
- Overall LLU helps to expand the broadband market and where LLU has a significant level of penetration the incumbent does not lose sales. In other words LLU is good for consumers (more people subscribe), good for competitors and is not negative for incumbents.
In launching the report ECTA urged the European Parliament and Council to use the opportunity of the Review of the Telecoms Framework to send a clear signal supporting the need for consistent and effective regulation to address dominance in the telecoms sector and to fully empower national regulators.
Innocenzo Genna, Chairman of ECTA said: "Now more than ever, politicians need to help consumers and businesses through the economic crisis by stimulating investment and innovation by all players, lowering costs and boosting business productivity. The results of the Regulatory Scorecard have repeatedly shown that relaxing rules on dominant telecoms firms is not the way to deliver any of these objectives."
About ALTO
ALTO, the association for Alternative Operators in the Communications Market, was established in 1998 to represent the interests of new operators entering Ireland's telecoms market.
ALTO represents its members with regulatory authorities and policy makers such as the government, the EU, ComReg and the Competition Authority to ensure a competitive and fair business environment in which members can operate successfully. Members also benefit from effective intelligence gathering on current and future legislative and regulatory developments.
Members include: BT Ireland, Budget Telecom, Cable & Wireless, Chorus, Colt Telecom, Complete Networks, Digitweb, ESB Telecoms, Magnet Networks, NTL, Smart Telecom, TalkTalk, Verizon and 3 Play Plus.
For more information visit www.alto.ie
About the 2008 ECTA Regulatory Scorecard
The Scorecard is a comparative quantitative analysis of 18 EU Member States, and Norway and Turkey, resulting in an overall score for the effectiveness of the regulatory environment in each country.
A questionnaire was compiled following consultation with NRAs and ECTA members, and taking account of the requirements and recommendations contained in the EU Communications Framework, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) reference paper on telecommunications and European Commission and European Regulators Group (ERG) Guidelines. It covers (a) the institutional framework; (b) general market access conditions; and (c) the specific competitive and regulatory conditions relating to the markets for fixed and mobile telephony, high speed business connections and broadband.
About ECTA*
The European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA) looks after the regulatory and commercial interests of new entrant telecoms operators, ISPs and suppliers of products and services to the communications industry.
ECTA works for a fair regulatory environment which allows all electronic communications providers to compete on level terms in order to multiply investment and innovation throughout an effective European internal market. The association represents the telecommunications industry to key government and regulatory bodies and maintains a forum for networking and business development.
ECTA member companies include operators, service providers and suppliers as well as National Associations of such who all contribute towards regulatory policy development and participate in our comprehensive range of networking events, conferences, seminars, briefings and executive meetings.
.eu domain passes the 3 million mark
Two and a half years after its launch, this confirms the success of the .eu top-level internet domain. It is the fourth most popular internet domain among European country domains and the ninth worldwide. By promoting a distinctly European online identity .eu helps citizens and businesses to reap the full benefits of the single market. Multinational companies and SMEs, NGOs and think tanks as well as individual Europeans have all adopted .eu to mark their web presence.
"The three million .eu domains reflect the confidence of European internet users in .eu," said Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media. "This achievement, just a few months before its third anniversary, indicates how .eu has clearly won public favour: a growing number of internet users are embracing the opportunity to express their European character online. In particular, I am glad to see that an increasing number of small and medium-sized companies have adopted .eu as an integral part of their corporate identity and I am looking forward to seeing more companies taking advantage of .eu in the future."
By reaching the third million domain, .eu has well consolidated its place among the ten largest top-level domains in the world, such as .com, .net. and .org. Registrations for .eu domains have been steadily growing since its introduction in 2006. In addition, .eu domains enjoy a good reputation: a recent survey carried out for EURid, the registry for .eu, shows that users not only perceive .eu as the genuine European internet identity, but also believe that .eu domains are innovative and modern.
Most .eu domains have been registered in EU countries with the largest populations and highest internet penetration. Germany continues to lead with 30%, followed by the Netherlands (14%), the United Kingdom (12%), France (8%) and Poland (6%).
.eu first opened on 7 December 2005 to holders of prior rights (IP/05/1510). Since early April 2006, registration has been open to all EU residents and organisations with a registered seat in the EU (IP/06/476). Management of the .eu registry (the database holding all .eu registrations) is entrusted to EURid, an independent not-for-profit organisation. By its first anniversary, 2.5 million .eu domain names had been registered (IP/07/483), another 300,000 domain names were added in 2007 (IP/08/530).
Statistics on the second quarter of 2008: http://www.eurid.eu/files/Q2_08.pdf
Live tracking of .eu statistics is available at:
Top ten top-level internet domains in number of registrations as of November 2008
|.eu (*)
(*) an update on the number of registrations for .eu is maintained daily on EURID website:
Number of .eu domain names compared to national top-level internet domains per 1000 inhabitants (as of January 2009)
|No. of .eu domains per 1000 inhabitants
|No. of country domains per 1000 inhabitants
|Czech Republic
Paraskavedekatriaphobic me?* Not a chance
Friday the 13th June has been a great day for the IIA. I go home happy (keep your eyes peeled around the Digital Hub for a smiley-faced cyclist) on a day when one new member joins the IIA. I'll be cartwheeling home today because the Institute of International and European Affairs have become our third new member today and it's not even lunch time! Every new member means that we can improve our services, benefits and discounts for all members so keep on joining.
I first became aware of the IIEA when Fergal O'Byrne, our CEO, passed on an invitation to their recent event Perspectives on Privacy in the Information Age at which Peter Fleisher, Google's Privacy Counsel and Billy Hawkes, Data Privacy Commissioner spoke. I blogged about it at the time.
The IIEA is in their own words "is a policy research think-tank and forum based in Dublin. It provides members with early warning of EU policy developments and in-depth analysis of their implications for Ireland and Europe and flag key policy issues that shape the business environment." One of their current research projects which would interest some IIA members is their Digital Future Project. They are seeking contributions in relation to a number of strategic questions for Ireland's Digital Future.
*Paraskavedekatriaphobic? I had to say that on radio once. Multitalented me.
Protect us from all anxiety
One of the many things I have been doing since I began working here in the Irish Internet Association has been responding to queries that come in from members and from the general public. In order to do this I have to try very hard to keep abreast of the kind of issues that are concerning our members. One of our newer members originally contacted me with a query about data protection legislation and I felt terribly ignorant when he seemed to know more than I did. Happily he still joined the IIA!
So last week I gratefully accepted an invitation from the Institute of International and European Affairs to attend their event "Perspectives on privacy in the Internet Age" with presentations by Peter Fleisher, Chief Privacy Counsel, Google Inc., and Billy Hawkes, Data Protection Commissioner. There was also a brief presentation from the floor by Inspector Pat Burke of An Garda Síochána. Here is a brief synopsis but please if you were present and feel I am misrepresenting anyone, I would welcome corrections and clarifications. Thanks!
Both Peter and Billy opened their presentations quoting Scott McNealy's now infamous and eight year old comment "You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it." although it became quickly clear that neither of them are even remotely as blasé as McNealy was way back then when it comes to privacy and data protection.
Both of the speakers talked about how, now that information storage is so cheap, it's actually more cost effective to keep rather than delete information. Fleisher suggested that corporations who are required to comply with privacy and data protection legislation could deal with this in a number of ways:
- Time based anonymisation: forgetfulness should be programmed in so that once information reaches the time limit required by law, it is forgotten by the database.
- Include privacy controls so that users can choose what level of privacy they wish to set for the information that they are storing or publishing online.
- Education: Corporations like Google have a responsibility to educate users about privacy and data protection in a clear and accessible manner.
However Google's biggest difficulty in relation to privacy legislation is that they are required to comply to location based regimes as he called them. Even within the EU and based on the EU directive countries could set their own time limits for data retention and Google has to comply to all of these while in reality all of this data exists in the cloud rather than any specific location. He also pointed out that in the US there are 39 Security Breach laws each with their own details because the legislation that governs privacy in the US is not federal.
In relation to education Fleisher told us that Google have developed a selection of videos about privacy which have been viewed by half a million viewers. He suggested that corporations might consider video as a more personable approach to privacy statement than the current privacy statements that can now be found on most websites. Fleisher said that the APEC privacy framework was, so far, Google's preferred framework with it's emphasis on preventing harm and focus on accountability.
He finished up by reminding us that the big question should be what do we want technology to do for us rather than what is technology doing to us?
Billy Hawkes, the Data Protection Commissioner, had some very interesting statistics about data protection in Ireland and attitudes to data protection and privacy among Irish citizens. Firstly he pointed out that only 10% of companies in Ireland transfer data outside the EU so there may not be currently a requirement for global laws. Citing the Eurobarometer 2008: Data Protection in the European Union: Citizens' Perceptions, he pointed out that Irish people were slightly more concerned about privacy than the EU average but were also among those most opposed to monitoring of internet usage. All these details can be accessed via the Eurobarometer website. (PDF) Nora Owen, who chaired the session, in her summing up made particular reference to Hawkes use of the phrase "function creep". He used this when referring to the reasons why data is being kept. Does less privacy and more monitoring equal enhanced security for citizens? Does it equal less crime.
When talking about the future he suggested that corporations should include privacy by design or commission privacy enhancing technology. Similar to Fleisher he emphasised the need to educate people about revealing information, making the point that privacy rights are technology neutral.
Inspector Pat Burke from An Garda Síochána also added from the floor that through their cooperation with the Data Protection Commissioner and always operating within the law and with the right to do proper, legitmate investigation they have had some success in tackling crime which uses the Internet as a platform such as child pornography, internet fraud and identity theft. They have also been able to tackle transnational crimes such as human and child trafficking.
Questions from the floor were put by TJ McIntyre from Digital Rights Ireland and Mark Kelly of Irish Council for Civil Liberties who asked if Google would use a human rights framework to which Fleisher responded that Google are very focussed on the ethical use of the Internet and while they were forced into "the odious concept of censorship" in China, their search results in China include a statement that the results have been filtered. They also will not offer Gmail in China. Brian Greene also made the point that 90% of people using the internet are consumers rather than content producers and there are issues when corporations get and retain data about consumers. Fleisher clarified that Google comes in two flavours: plain ol' search or search enhanced via logging into your Google account where Google gets to know you and offers you results based on your search history. It's the consumers choice which search to use.
An interesting afternoon and do you know what? The lunch was delicious too!
As I mentioned at the top of the post I'm new to a lot of these issues so I would really appreciate any comments or clarifications via the comments below.


text:
Rarely do you come across a made-for-TV love story quite like Dennis and Karen's.
The teens met and fell madly in love in high school back in the 1950s, but their Nicholas Sparks ending wouldn't come full circle for more than five decades.
When Karen became pregnant, her parents banned her from seeing Dennis and decided that adoption would be the best option for all involved. Smitten with his girlfriend, Dennis tried to propose in an attempt to save the relationship and grow their new family together, but he was met with a firm "no" by all the adults in their lives.
Shortly after their baby girl Jean was put up for adoption, Dennis joined the army and Karen went off to college.
Though they missed each other dearly, they wouldn't speak again for over fifty years.
But not a day went by that Dennis didn't think about Karen and the beautiful life they could've shared together.
Then, on October 25, 2014, one of Dennis' friends asked him to join LinkedIn. In the process, he couldn't help but do a quick search for his long-lost sweetheart. Earlier attempts to find her had failed, but there was still a glimmer of hope in the old man's heart that it was not too late.
Lo and behold, he was right.
He searched "Karen Lehmann," and in an uncanny stroke of fate, she turned out to be the third person on the list.
Once he got in contact with Karen, the rest was history. They both turned out to be single—so after more than fifty years apart, these two wasted NO time rekindling the romance. She picked him up on a Monday night, and the two lovebirds were married by that Thursday morning at 11 a.m.
A tearful Dennis was overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude after finding his sweet bride back in his arms once again… but there was still one thing missing.
"He said, 'I found you and now my life would be complete if we found our daughter," Karen explained in an interview with Steve Harvey.
"We did some research with the adoption agency, and by the grace of God we located her," said Dennis.
Full of tears, smiles, and laugh lines painted by their fifty years of waiting, their reunion was nothing short of magical.
"Imagine being 55 years old and you hear that your parents are together and that they're looking for you," said Jeanie of the unbelievable experience.
Thankfully, Steve Harvey got in contact with this beautiful family whose reunion was a half-century in the making and put it on display for America to see. Watch their emotional interview in the segment below:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
how stupid can you be i ask myself quietly inside?
i knew all along the real family drama was the alcoholism and the beatings. Why did i let them blame it all of me?
i still let them. now as if waking up from a 15 yr dream i realize it was only a dream in my minds eye. My hubby treated me much the same way my father always did with constant disrespect, intimidation, anger and fear.
I think when your a small female you interpret these things differently. you see your mom trying to calm down your dad and you think woman must do that than calm men down, save men, rescue men.
is it not wonder after 11 yrs of dating and four of marriage that this last assult by far the most violent would convince me to end this marriage.
trust me- i want my crazy stickers back, better to be born crazy dumb and stupid then to choose to remain a victim in the center of an abusive circle, because then you choose tht damned circle, you were not born different just treated different always less than never good enough.


text:
It seems we have a new addition to our house for how long I don't know. They have been here before and they only stayed for a few weeks. Now the strange thing is I wouldn't necessarily call them friends as we have not really been formally introduced. I would not and am not opposed to being friends but that will be entirely up to them. Now as I said they have been a visitor in the past and actually they have been visiting us quite frequently as of late. It seems that over the past few days they have decided that they would like to be more than visitors and more like actual guest with all of the amenities that come with being a guest.
I'm sure they wouldn't be a problem except that they sleep all day and then they run around all night. They're always looking around to see what they can make for dinner. I don't mind them eating our food as long as they clean up after themselves. I mean it's only fair. They are very tidy and they have impeccable bathroom habits. All in all I can't think of a reason why they can't be a guest in our home.
Oh maybe I can think of one reason and then that's when they would become the enemy. You see I just don't think they get along with our cat Molly Brown. They are really allergic to cats and Molly thinks they are taking over the house. In fact we have never had an argument with them but I think I came home once and they were in the back yard fighting but stopped as soon as I came out side.
I just don't know if it will work out. We'll just have to see. Oh here's a picture from their last visit. you can see why we want to be friends. They are a great couple.


text:
Grohe has released the Euro line collection, following the launch of their first ceramics range – Bau Collection.
The Euro line collection offers a bathroom which is both practical and visually distinctive. As well as combining performance with easy installation features, Grohe claim to offer a perfect match between ceramics and brassware.
Raj Mistry, Grohe UK Marketing Director commented: "The range provides a one-stop solution for installers, reducing the need to match products from different manufacturers and offering reassurance that all aspects of the Grohe ceramics and brassware will coordinate perfectly, both in terms of style and functionality. The range can be combined with Grohe's Rapid SL frames for both basins and WCs enabling installation to be as easy and straightforward as possible".
The range offers design flexibility as installers can choose between four styles of basin including wall hung, countertop and under counter basins, and wall hung and floor standing toilets. There is also the added option to upgrade to a basin or toilet which comes with the company's hygiene coating called PureGuard which combines an anti-stick coating and anti-bacterial glaze technology. This helps to protect against limescale and bacteria. All Euro basins and toilets feature a compact size and are designed to use space effectively, suiting the needs of small bathrooms.
Michael Gray, Grohe UK Product Manager, added: "The Euro line collection comes with a number of practical features, including a Triple Vortex flush on the toilets for thorough and powerful rinsing and 'Rimless' technology for easy cleaning. The toilets also come with a Quick Release seat for easy removal and maintenance, the option of a soft or regular close, and a fully skirted design with hidden fixings for a sleek appearance. The basins are available in a wide range of sizes and mounting options, including full and semi-pedestal."
The Euro line collection is available with a five year guarantee on all products and is also included in the GROHE Smart loyalty scheme for installers.


text:
Phone number: 0405 52....
Email: Click to view
URL: http://www.greenschoolofdriving.info
Business Info
Female driving instructor in Western suburbs. cheap driving lessons. Classes in the sunshine / Melbourne /Western suburbs. Best driving instructor in the Melbourne/Sunshine. Drive test+one lesson $150. 45 minutes driving lesson $40. 45 minutes driving lesson $40. 1 hour driving lesson $45. $180 FOR 5 LESSON PACKAGE/45min. $210 for 5 lesson package/1 hour. $150 for drive test+one hour driving lesson.
Recommend This Business
The review system is a way for customers of this business to easily share their opinion. By sharing your experience with this business, you help other consumers find the right business for them! By leaving a review, you also earn STARPOINTS. Starpoints can be redeemed for cash or prizes like iTunes giftcards. Find out more about Starpoints here.
Some tips when posting a review: When writing a review, see if you can be as balanced as possible. What did you like, what didn't you like? Here are some things to think about - How was the customer service? How was the product or service quality? How was the price/value? Please also check and adhere to the editorial guidelines when posting a review.
Add your own review
Full Category Tree
Nearby Suburbs
- Sunshine (2) - 2.04 kms
- Albion (1) - 2.64 kms
- Brooklyn (3) - 2.99 kms
- Braybrook (2) - 3.32 kms
- Altona North (1) - 4.63 kms


text:
Best PSE Compound Bow
Discover Which PSE Compound Bow Series Is Best For You
The 2018 PSE compound line encompasses four distinct series; the Vapor series for speed and power, the Evolve series for comfort and control, the Adapt series for adaptability, and the Target series for performance. Use the questionnaire below to help you determine which series fits your shooting style or purpose. Once you know, you can take this information to your local dealer to help give them a head start on which PSE bow is best for you.
So which team do you belong to? Vapor, Evolve. Adapt, or Target? Let's find out!
Verify Zip Code


text:
The number of people around the world suffering from diabetes has skyrocketed in the last two decades, from 30 million to 230 million, claiming millions of lives and severely taxing the ability of health care systems to deal with the epidemic, according to data released Saturday by the International Diabetes Federation. While the growing problem of diabetes in the United States has been well documented, the federation's data show that 7 of the 10 countries with the highest number of diabetics are in the developing world.
New York Times, January 16, 2010
9 And He said to me "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-11
When God administers U a test, U are duty bound to give your testimony, so here is mine:
On Thursday, I left my office around 10:30 to go to the eye doctor for an 11:00 appointment at Kelsey Seybold Clinic in the Galleria area. As I got on Hwy 59S, the freeway began to look funny to me. The lanes seemed to keep changing, morphing in & out. However, I kept driving. I vaguely remember getting on to 610 and exiting at Woodway ( although I should have exited at San Felipe). As I tried to go to the clinic on Augusta, I became more and more disoriented. However, I really did not know what was going on.
I drove around looking for the clinic and called the nurse saying I was lost. She asked where was I and I told her on S Post Oak and something, then hung up. I called again and told her I was late, but to please do not cancel my appointment and then I hung up. I called Craig, my husband. Later, he told me that I was babbling on the phone.
As I drove around I became more and more disoriented, yet still not realizing what was really happening. I saw myself driving erratically, turning around in the streets, pulling in and out of parking lots, even going through a red light or two.
At this point I thought I was having a nervous breakdown and keeping saying, "Please, Lord, I'm not going out like this. Lord, do not take me out like this please." I remember screaming trying to make sense of the situation.
I kept trying to get to Augusta Street, but I could not find it. And when I did see it for whatever reason, I did not turn on the street. I remember looking at the clock. It was 11:45 a.m.. I saw a neighborhood, a house with a baby swing in the front yard and then I was back on Westheimer again, driving erratically.
The next thing I knew, it was 1:45 pm and I was lying in an ambulance with an IV in my arm in front of the house with the baby swing. My sugar levels had gone down to 21 and I had passed out in my car. Someone saw me passed out and called the police who called an ambulance
God's grace is sufficient. Even with the erratic driving down the freeway, through the streets, still I did not cause harm to myself or anyone else. I do not know how I got back in front of that house, yet the hand of God hand parked my car perfectly off of the main streets.
Craig would not have known to look for me on that back street if I was still passed out in my car. Hallelujah!!!!! His grace, God's grace was my covering and protection. I now know more than ever, just how good God is, how he protects U, safeguards U, looks after U, keeps U when U can't do it for your self. When infirmities come your way, He is there to make U stronger in your weakest hour. Hallelujah!!!! Glory 2 God!!! I just can't stop saying thank you enough for His grace is sufficient.
Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, sickness of the mind
In my weakness, I get stronger
Divorce, separation, unfulfilled relationships
In my weakness, I get stronger
Bankruptcies, foreclosures, unemployment
In my weakness, I get stronger
Hatred, racism, jealousy
In my weakness, I get stronger
Violence, Death, Destruction,
In my weakness, I get stronger
Wars, earthquakes, calamities
In my weakness, I get stronger
When my life feels low
And I don't know where to go
It gets hard to look up and not give up
When U drink from life's bitter cup
When challenges & infirmities seem be all there is
I stop and remember that I am His
Then I become stronger and know that I can go on
Because I know who I can to go to and call upon
His grace is sufficient
It IS enough
When times get tough, the going gets rough
In my weakness I feel His strength & power
Because I know His grace protects me in my darkest hour
In my weakness, I will cry no longer
For in my weakness through His sufficient grace
I AM Stronger


text:
NICHOLAS PETTAS BLOG: It's been a while!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
It's been a while!
I have been trying to do so many things this year and one of them was that I wanted to renew my site... So I decided not to write much here, but if you are looking then check out this view from my hotel in Sweden! Same view from three different times of the night and day!
Facebook ID: nicholaspettas
posted by Nicholas Pettas at
Previous Posts
Happy New Year! 2011!
Last training of the year!
I found a Bob Sapp movie!
Hooked on River Monsters!
Merry X-mas ! 2010 !
Just on my way...
small interview before a big fight
Theater practice!
Ode Sachiko on Joy Ride!
Nicholas Pettas first time in Lumpini


text:
Leeds Rhinos will be without Aussie prop Mitch Garbutt when they fly to the south of France tomorrow.
Garbutt has been granted leave to miss Saturday's Betfred Super League clash with Catalans Dragons after his wife gave birth to a baby boy yesterday.
Rhinos will also be missing winger Ryan Hall and centre Kallum Watkins who have been named in England's side to face Samoa in Sydney on Saturday.
But Liam Sutcliffe (concussion) and full-back Ashton Golding (hamstring) have been named in Rhinos' initial 19-man squad after sitting out the last three games.
Boss Brian McDermott could bring Sutcliffe and Joel Moon, who has been playing at stand-off, into the centres and move Ash Handley into the vacant wing slot.
Half-back Jordan Lilley, who has featured just twice for Rhinos this season, is in the initial 19-man squad and props Jack Ormondroyd and Mikolaj Oledzki are also included after playing on dual-registration for Featherstone Rovers last week.
Catalans scrum-half Luke Walsh has been banned for one game and drops out from their side which lost at Wakefield Trinity last week.
Krisnan Inu also out, but Brayden Wiliame is available after injury and Louis Anderson, Lucas Albert and Lambert Belmas are in contention for a call-up.
Rhinos' initial 19-man squad is: Golding, Briscoe, Moon, McGuire, Burrow, Galloway, Parcell, Cuthbertson, Jones-Buchanan, Ward, Sutcliffe, Delaney, Singleton, Mullally, Handley, Ormondroyd, Lilley, Oledzki, Walker.
Catalans ' squad is: Gigot, Wiliame, Yaha, Myler, Moa, Aiton, Casty, Anderson, Bird, Bousquet, Garcia, Bosc, Duport, Simon, Thornley, Albert, Margalet, Belmas, Perez.


text:
All-Star, Casey, Daffney and Occy all go to the Midnight Shallows to check out the stars and to set up camp. While stargazing, a star falls into the water. The star, Little Neb, wants to get back home, but Occy sees a mysterious person and they clear out. They head to Galeo's lab and find some ways to get Neb back into the sky. Their plans fail and they try other methods which also fail. The mysterious man comes back again. This man is the Star Greeter who takes Little Ned to his new home as a starfish.
Add this episode to your queue to receive more information about
A Starfish is Born and we will let you know when it becomes available.


text:
Microsoft Visual Basic 2010 Express with Keygen
Visual Basic 2010 Express is part of the Visual Studio 2010 Express family, a free set of tools that Windows developers at any level can use to create custom applications using basic and expert settings. Visual Basic provides a fast and easy way to create .NET Framework-based Windows applications. As with all programs that target the .NET Framework, programs written in Visual Basic benefit from security and language interoperability.
More inviting start page
Develop your application more quickly with friendlier and more useful start options.
Streamlined user experience
Focus on the most common commands by choosing to hide more advanced menus and toolbars.
A new WPF-based IDE
The new code editor makes it easy to zoom in on your code, highlight method references, and overlay powerful features.
Development Platform Support
Whether you are an experienced developer or trying to become one, you can use Visual Basic 2010 Express to bring your vision to life on Windows.
Visual Studio 2010 can be installed on the following operating systems:
Windows XP (x86) with Service Pack 3 - all editions except Starter Edition
Windows Vista (x86 & x64) with Service Pack 2 - all editions except Starter Edition
Windows 7 (x86 & x64)
Windows Server 2003 (x86 & x64) with Service Pack 2
Windows Server 2003 R2 (x86 & x64)
Windows Server 2008 (x86 & x64) with Service Pack 2
Windows Server 2008 R2 (x64)
Supported Architectures:
32-Bit (x86)
64-Bit (x64)
Computer that has a 1.6GHz or faster processor
1 GB (32 Bit) or 2 GB (64 Bit) RAM (Add 512 MB if running in a virtual machine)
3GB of available hard disk space
5400 RPM hard disk drive
DirectX 9 capable video card running at 1024 x 768 or higher-resolution display
DVD-ROM Drive
Download Microsoft Visual Basic 2010 Express Setup: Download Setup
Download Microsoft Visual Basic 2010 Express Keygen: Download Keygen1
Sumber : http://fullversion-aladin.blogspot.com


text:
We started off this week with a classic suite from the 1977 debut album by the Stranglers which was certainly a highlight of their live shows in that period, as can be personally attested. From there we ventured far and wide, with an as-yet-unreleased Barbarellatones track kindly sent to us by Robbie, their singer/guitarist, a song from Gary Numan's "Pleasure Principle" LP, a dreamy psychedelic take on an early Beatles song by Jacco Gardner, the new mono reissue of a Seeds favourite, a recent Raveonettes EP cut and, near the end, the Damned's psych/punk tour de force from "The Black Album". We also featured, amongst others, some tracks from another Psychic Circle label 'sike-pop' compilation of 60's obscurities, one from the brilliant new Hidden Masters debut, the Marty Rhone version of the Michel Polnareff song we featured last week [by Vibravoid] and finally, a classic from Todd Rundgren who is currently touring here in Australia – a must-see show!
..... and so here is the playlist plus some eye-candy!.....
the Stranglers – Down in the Sewer [suite] ("Stranglers 1V - Rattus Norvegicus" LP 1977 UK)
the Barbarellatones – Artificially Inseminate my Love (demo 2013 USA)
Man or Astro-Man? – Sadie Hawkins Atom Bomb ("Is It…Man or Astro-Man?" LP 1993 Alabama, USA)
John Cooper-Clarke – Psycle Sluts 1&2 ("Disguise in Love" LP 1978 UK)
Gary Numan – Metal ("The Pleasure Principle" LP 1979 UK)
Jacco Gardner – You Really Got a Hold on Me ("Mojo: We're With the Beatles" compilation 2013 UK/Netherlands)
Cate Le Bon – The Eiggy Sea ("Cyrk 2" mini-LP 2012 Wales, UK)
Hidden Masters – Last Days of the Sun ("Of This & Other Worlds" 2013 Scotland, UK)
Faine Jade – A Brand New Groove ("Introspection: A Faine Jade Recital" LP 1968 USA)
the Peanut Butter Conspiracy – It's a Happening Thing ("The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading" LP 1967 USA)
the Seeds – Mr Farmer [mono version] ("A Web Of Sound" LP 1967 Los Angeles, USA)
Sight & Sound – Little Jackie Monday (7"single b-side [to Alley, Alley] 1968 Birmingham, UK – taken from "Let's Ride: Fairytales Can Come True, Vol.3" compilation 2008 UK)
Winston G. – Riding with the Milkman (7"single 1967 London, UK)
Rescue Co. No. 1 – Gotta Find You (7"single 1971 UK)
Les Irrésistibles – My Year is a Day (7"single 1968 France/USA)
Marty Rhone – No No No No No [Michel Polnareff cover/adaption] (7"single b-side [to Tell Me Love] 1967 Australia)
Clinic – I Wanna Get You (Woman) [Loons cover] (7"split-single [with the Loons] 2010 UK/USA)
the Raveonettes – Night Comes Out ("Into The Night" EP 2012 Sweden)
Sonny & the Sunsets – Girl on the Street ("Antenna to the Afterworld" 2013 USA)
Hidden Charms – Please Give Me Something ("A Real Cool Time" compilation LP 1985 Sweden)
Mick Farren & the Deviants – Let's Loot the Supermarket Again Like We Did Last Summer ("Screwed Up" EP 1977 London, UK)
the Damned – Curtain Call ("The Black Album" double-LP 1979 London, UK)
Todd Rundgren's Utopia – Heavy Metal Kids ("Another Live" LP 1975 USA)


text:
Traveling around the world is already hard enough – and now for those with tax debt, it's going to be even harder. Starting this month, the IRS is enforcing procedures that will put your passport at risk if you have "seriously delinquent tax debts."
Why Your Passport Can Be Revoked
Though the law behind this plan has been in place for over two years, the IRS is now ready to implement and enforce the policy. The 2015 Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act states that the IRS can send notice to states to deny, limit, or revoke your passport if you owe delinquent taxes.
Under the FAST Act, an individual has "seriously delinquent" liability if:
- The debt has been assessed,
- Is over $50,000 in back taxes, penalties and interest, and
- A lien has been filed to secure the liability or a levy has been issued to recover the liability due.
Though this amount of debt may seem hard to accumulate, one mistake or ill-advised taxable event can land you there quickly. In the same way, failing to plan for your self-employment income or defaulting on a secured loan can cause the debt to pile up. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent your passport from revocation, even if you meet the criteria above.
How to Avoid and Resolve Losing Your Passport
Passport revoked? It's not the end of your travels – the IRS and State Departments are able to reinstate your passport if it has been suspended, but only if you've paid back your debt or made plans to do so.
Your passport will not be revoked under the following exceptions:
- You are already in a formal repayment plan
- An element of your account is pending appeal
- You have requested other administrative relief (e.g. innocent spouse relief; identity theft)
If you received a notice of passport revocation before you established a formal resolution with the IRS, you can resolve it – but it won't be overnight. Paying your debt back in full is the quickest way to release your liens and get your passport back, but that might not be an option for you.
Resolve the Issue with Professional Help
You can enter into an installment agreement with the IRS, which can take 30 days or longer to process. A successful Offer in Compromise will also allow your passport to be reinstated; however, this can be a very lengthy and in-depth procedure with strict guidelines. Unfortunately, Currently Not Collectible status (proof of hardship and inability to pay your debt), will not grant you the passport back.
Tax professionals like the team at Tax Defense Network know how to deal with the IRS and State on your behalf, quickly showing proof that you're getting help. We will help you find the best resolution to your tax debt situation so you can avoid aggressive IRS actions and get your life (and travels) back on track.
For questions on the IRS's passport policy or any notices you receive, speak to a Tax Solutions Analyst to learn more at (877) 588-1098.


text:
Saving Mr. Banks (2013) – Tom Hanks as Walt Disney
Saving Mr. Banks (2013) – Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers (an Australian-British novelist, actress and journalist. In 1933, she began writing her series of children's novels about the mystical and magical English nanny Mary Poppins)
The Imitation Game (2014) – Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing (a British pioneering computer scientist that was responsible for cracking the German Enigma machine during WWII)
American Sniper (2014) – Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle (a US Navy SEAL and most lethal sniper in US military history)
The Fifth Estate (2013) – Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange
Kill the messenger (2014) – Jeremy Renner as Gary Webb (an American investigative reporter best known for his 1996 Dark Alliance series of articles)
Grace of Monaco (2014) – Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly (an American film actress and the wife of Prince Rainier III of Monaco. She retired from acting at the age of 26 to marry Prince Rainier and enter upon her duties in Monaco)
Fruitvale Station (2013) – Michael B. Jordan as Oscar Grant (a young man who was killed by BART police officer at the Fruitvale Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Station in Oakland, California)
Diana (2013) – Naomi Watts as Princess Diana
Lone Survivor (2013) – Mark Wahlberg as Marcus Luttell (a former United States Navy SEAL, who received the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his actions in June 2005 facing Taliban fighters during Operation Red Wings)
Jobs (2013) – Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs
Dallas Buyers Club (2013) – Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodroof (an AIDS patient who began smuggling unapproved pharmaceutical drugs into Texas when he found them effective at improving his symptoms)
Philomena (2013) – Judi Dench as Philomena Lee (a woman who had her son taken away when she was a teenage inmate of a Catholic convent)
Rush (2013) – Daniel Bruhl as Niki Lauda (an Austrian former Formula One racing driver who was the F1 World Champion three times in 1975, 1977 and 1984)
Rush (2013) – Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt ( a British racing driver who won the Formula One World Championship in 1976. After retiring from racing in 1979, Hunt became a media commentator and businessman)
Argo (2012) – Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez (an American CIA technical operations officer who during the Iran hostage crisis, rescued six American diplomats while posing as a Canadian film crew)
Monica Z (2013) – Edda Magnason as Monica Zetterlund (a Swedish actress and singer)
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) – Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort (an American former stockbroker. He was convicted of fraud crimes related to stock market manipulation for which he spent 22 months in prison)
Captain Phillips (2013) – Tom Hanks as Richard Phillips (captain of the MV Maersk Alabama during its hijacking by Somali pirates in April 2009)
Captain Phillips (2013) – Barkhad Abdi as Abduwali Muse (a Somali ship hijacker and sole survivor of four pirates who hijacked the MV Maersk Alabama)
Lovelace (2013) – Amanda Seyfried as Linda Lovelace (an American pornographic actress who was famous for her performance in the enormously successful 1972 hardcore porn film Deep Throat. She later denounced her pornography career and became a spokeswoman for the anti-pornography movement)
Selma (2014) – David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr.
Hitchcock (2012) – Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcok
Lincoln (2012) – Daniel Day Lewis as Abraham Lincoln
The Theory of Everything (2014) – Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking
My Week with Marilyn (2011) – Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe
My Week with Marilyn (2011) – Kenneth Branagh as Laurence Olivier (an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century)
The Iron Lady (2011) – Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher
Moneyball (2011) – Brad Pitt as Billy Beane (a former Major League Baseball player and the current general manager and minority owner of the Oakland Athletics)
A Dangerous Method (2011) – Viggo Mortensen as Sigmund Freud
A Dangerous Method (2011) – Michael Fassbender as Carl Jung
Fair Game (2010) – Naomi Watts as Valerie Plame (a former United States CIA Operations Officer and the author of a memoir detailing her career and the events leading up to her resignation from the CIA)
The King's Speech (2010) – Colin Firth as King George VI
The Blind Side (2009) – Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy (known for adopting the underprivileged Michael Oher as a teen who would later play for the NFL)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) – Brad Pitt as Jesse James
The Social Network (2010) – Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg
The Pianist (2002) – Adrien Brody as Wladyslaw Szpilman (a Polish-Jewish pianist, composer, and memoirist who survived the Holocaust)
Breach (2007) – Ryan Phillippe as Eric O'Neill (a former American FBI operative. He worked as an Investigative Specialist with the Special Surveillance Group (SSG) and played a major role in the arrest and life imprisonment conviction of FBI agent Robert Hanssen for spying on behalf of the Soviet Union and Russia)
Erin Brockovich (2000) – Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich (an American legal clerk and environmental activist who, despite the lack of a formal law school education, or any legal education, was instrumental in constructing a case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) of California in 1993)
Foxcatcher (2014) – Steve Carell as John Du Pont (heir to the Du Pont family fortune and convicted murderer)
Wild (2014) – Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed (an American memoirist and novelist)
Get on Up (2014) – Luke Chadwick as James Brown
Hugo (2011) – Ben Kingsley as George Melies (French illusionist and filmmaker famous for leading many technical and narrative developments in the earliest days of cinema. Méliès, a prolific innovator in the use of special effects, accidentally discovered the substitution stop trick in 1896, and was one of the first filmmakers to use multiple exposures, time-lapse photography, dissolves, and hand-painted color in his work)


text:
Some of you know I went on a scrapping retreat....
Well I just realised that it has been weeks since I shared my work as I have been a busy beaver with life just happening to get in the way. How rude!
I had a lovely time with the ladies that I went away with and some interesting times too.... not that I will mention those - you know the golden rule? What happens on retreat stays on retreat....... etc. etc.
I learnt a few new little techniques and saw some interesting materials like Lutradur, fusible film and webbing spray all put to use. Might have to get me some of those items to play with.
I was delayed with the Home and Scrapped cybercrop in February so took the challenges along to do at the retreat. This is Heather's step-by-step challenge which I found some recent die-cuts to work with after practising with some cutting the other week. I also received some little bits and pieces from fellow scrappers at the retreat and managed to make use of some particularly the rosette and off white flower on here. I really love how this turned out with just using scraps of paper.
Joy challenged us to create a layout without using patterned paper so with a touch of sewing, some die-cut shapes and a few Martha Stewart punches that I borrowed, this is what I resulted with.
My biggest challenge came from Amy who wanted us to cut out 25 - 2" squares and use them on a layout. Some cut photos up to use for theirs but I wanted to keep my photo in one piece so I used them slightly layered for a different design. The theme of the CC was "Love" - can you tell that?
Happy craftin' all....


text:
Inspired by the palace door eye droid in Jabba's pad, 4-Lom and a whole bunch of spiders, I decided that the entrance to our home had to have a similarly imposing ocular look. The cheapest way to achieve this? Multiple peepholes. Thankfully Stiletto had no objections.
We started with marking out the peephole locations, trying not to be too rigid with the placement.
Contractor obliged and helped us to drill the holes in the door.
Peep holes not installed in yet, they'll go in after the door has been painted. With the lights on at night, it sure looks like we live in a bullet ridden ghetto…


text:
Free No se Aceptan Devoluciones in Best LookNow you can play full No se Aceptan Devoluciones in best look with duration 115 Min and was published in 2013-08-30 with MPAA rating is 47.
- Original Title : No se Aceptan Devoluciones
- Movie title in your country : No se Aceptan Devoluciones
- Year of movie : 2013
- Genres of movie : Comedy, Drama,
- Status of movie : Released
- Release date of movie : 2013-08-30
- Companies of movie : Pantaleon Films,
- Countries of movie : Mexico,
- Language of movie : Espanol, English,
- Durationof movie : 115 Min
- Average vote of movie : 7.9
- Youtube ID of movie : -rlFr2lu0IY
- Translation of movie : NL,EN,RU,ES,TR,PT,ZH,HU,DA,CS,SV,PL,IT,DE,
- Actors of movie :
- Loreto Peralta ( Maggie )
- Eugenio Derbez ( Valentin )
- Jessica Lindsey ( Julie )
- Daniel Raymont ( Frank Ryan )
- Hugo Stiglitz ( Johnny Bravo )
- Arcelia Ramirez ( Judeisy )
- Agustin Bernal ( Lupe )
- Karla Souza ( Jackie )
- Roger Cudney ( Abogado Julie )
- Ari Brickman ( Director )
- Jeannine Derbez ( Directora )
- Jesus Ochoa ( Himself )
Movie plot of No se Aceptan Devoluciones :
Release No se Aceptan Devoluciones in Best Quality with movie plot "Valentin is Acapulco's resident playboy, until a former fling leaves a baby on his doorstep and him heading with her out of Mexico." in best look. Full Streaming No se Aceptan Devoluciones in Best Quality by viewing the download link.
Now you can download full No se Aceptan Devoluciones in best video format. Download full No se Aceptan Devoluciones video with single complete the variety by hitting the image on the sign upward button. Enjoy all of the albums completely new movie along with all much-loved movie streaming! just play this movie No se Aceptan Devoluciones now for free access this online movie. This can be truly spectacular and can one particular rare wonderful. The high quality was great all around. Management, pictures and visual effects were all incredibly innovative along with brilliant. The pleasure on the script, often humorous possesses many heart for those his characters are typical very ripped.
... Download Full No se Aceptan Devoluciones in High Quality 720p ...
Director : Eugenio Derbez, Writer : Guillermo Rios, Writer : Eugenio Derbez, Music : Carlo Siliotto, Cinematography : Martin Boege, Editor : Carlos Bolado,
Sure, now you can watch movie involving No se Aceptan Devoluciones entirely length and get the hyperlink to this motion picture No se Aceptan Devoluciones in high definition format.


text:
On Sunday 26th November 2017, the group of Friends of New Acropolis took a day trip to Elephanta Caves to explore the Art, history and Mythology of these rock-cut caves close to Mumbai.
A boat ride, a toy train, a series of steps finally led to the Great Cave at Elephanta. The Great Cave mainly consists of Shiva reliefs dating back it said to 5th to 8th century AD. While some believe that these caves were built by the Pandavas themselves, there is also mythology that links it to the Mahabharata under the name of Gharapuri (which the original name of this region before it was called Elephanta). The cave is a single monolith, carved from hard basalt rock of the mountain!
The group witnessed the large relief in rock in the cave. While the imposing Trimurti of Shiva is a work of art, the suggested symbolism of three aspects of Shiva – the destroyer, the preserver and the creator and its implication to each human beings life, gave it a wholesome dimension. The group also saw the Natraja, the Andhakasuravadha Murthi (Shiva slaying the demon king Andhaka), the Gangadhaara (The celestial Ganges coming down through Shiva) and the very interesting Ardhnareshwari.


text:
bSee Deut. 11:14
eSee Gen. 31:19
yJer. 31:10, 11; See Hos. 1:11
abEzek. 6:9; See Deut. 30:1-3
Zechariah 10
The Restoration for Judah and Israel1 Ask rain a from the Lord
in the season of b the spring rain,
from the Lord c who makes the storm clouds,
and d he will give them showers of rain,
to everyone the vegetation in the field.
2 For e the household gods f utter nonsense,
and the diviners see lies;
g they tell false dreams
and give empty consolation.
Therefore h the people wander like sheep;
they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.
3 i "My anger is hot against the shepherds,
and j I will punish the leaders; ▼
▼ Hebrew the male goats
for l the Lord of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah,
and will make them like his majestic steed in battle.
4 From him shall come m the cornerstone,
from him n the tent peg,
from him the battle bow,
from him every ruler— o all of them together.
5 They shall be like mighty men in battle,
p trampling the foe in the mud of the streets;
they shall fight because the Lord is with them,
and they shall put to shame q the riders on horses.
6 r "I will strengthen the house of Judah,
and s I will save the house of Joseph.
t I will bring them back u because I have compassion on them,
and they shall be as though I had not rejected them,
for v I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.
7 Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior,
and w their hearts shall be glad as with wine.
Their children shall see it and be glad;
their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord.
8 x "I will whistle for them and y gather them in,
for I have redeemed them,
and z they shall be as many as they were before.
9 aa Though I scattered them among the nations,
yet in far countries ab they shall remember me,
and with their children they shall live and return.
10 ac I will bring them home from the land of Egypt,
and gather them from Assyria,
and ad I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon,
ae till there is no room for them.
11 af He shall pass through the sea of troubles
and strike down the waves of the sea,
ag and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up.
The pride of Assyria shall be laid low,
and ah the scepter of Egypt shall depart.
12 ai I will make them strong in the Lord,
and aj they shall walk in his name,"
declares the Lord.
Copyright information for ESV
Welcome to STEP Bible
From Tyndale House, Cambridge UK
Use the search box to find Bibles, commentaries, passages, search terms, etc. Here are some examples:
ESVGen 1
This shows how to quickly lookup a passage.
NIVESVKJVGen 1
Looking up a passage in three different translations is also easy.
This asks STEP to search for the Greek word for 'brother' and show the results in the ESV.
This example runs both a 'Hebrew word search' and a 'Text' search and shows the results in both the NIV and ESV.
You can mix most searches. This finds any word translated as 'throne' in the Prophets and the New Testament, but only in verses concerning the topic 'David'. This excludes verses which refer to a 'throne' in other contexts.
KJVWHNUJohn 1
Interlinear Hebrew & Greek is available for some translations with grammar (and more soon). To reverse the interlinear order, click on a version abbreviation under the verse number.
© Tyndale House, Cambridge, UK - 2019


text:
Eric Lefkofsky together with his wife Liz Lefkofsky founded The Lefkofsky Family Foundation in 2006. The private charitable foundation aims at enhancing the quality of human life in various communities through advancing high impact initiatives, programs, and research. The foundation is focused on achieving its purpose through expanding cultural activities, improving fundamental human rights; propelling innovative medical research and ensuring a large number of children get the quality education.
The foundation has been involved in extensive programs from different categories which include; arts and culture, education, medical and fundamental human rights. The foundation seeks to support as many children as possible in helping them get access to quality education. The LFF also supports initiatives that are geared in advancing equitable education for all. It also supports the strengthening of public schools. The LFF is also focused on funding medical research which is innovating to help prevent or cure some diseases. The Foundation is keen on fostering human dignity by resiliently advocating for human rights and thereby helps in improving the quality of life around the world. It has forged forward to support many programs in relations to civic and arts mainly to promote creativity across the country.
The Liz and Lefkofsky foundation has been openly active in supporting different organizations. It also openly invites other organizations to apply for grants. The foundation has been solely focused on the well being of humanity since it was founded. The foundation has established core values that govern its running. The foundation has put their main focus on the basics of a human being, for instance, a good education. The LLF is committed to supporting innovative medical research especially in regards to medical treatment of children.
Eric Lefkofsky is also the co-founder of Tempus, a recently established organization that focuses on extensive Cancer medical treatment using the latest technology means as the key tool. Tempus focuses on helping as many cancer patients as it possibly can and its programs are gradually expanding internationally. Eric is also the co-founder and Chairman of Groupon. He also the managing director of Lightbank which deals with disruptive technologies and businesses investments.


text:
Senior Member
How Do You Identify?:
Queer Femme
Relationship Status:
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,922
Thanks: 3,038
Thanked 6,343 Times in 1,340 PostsRep Power: 21474845
Everything's Queerer in Texas
At least 42 openly LGBTQ candidates will be running in Texas in 2018. Thats an unprecedented number! Only 6 of the 42 candidates are incumbents & many are running for the first time! There are 5 transgender candidates in the mix.
via Autostraddle https://www.autostraddle.com/sunday-...texans-407129/
{the full list of candidates is on the link via OutSmart below}
With equality under attack by the Trump administration and the Texas Legislature, LGBTQ candidates across the state are lining up to fight back.
A record of at least 42 openly LGBTQ people are running for public office in Texas in 2018, according to an extensive review by OutSmart. Thats roughly three times as many as in any previous election cycle in the states history.
The unprecedented field of LGBTQ candidates includes two for governor, one for Texas Supreme Court, three for Texas Senate, 10 for Texas House, eight for Congress, and dozens for various judicial seats.
Twenty-one of the LGBTQ candidates are female, and 21 are male. Five are transgender, three are African-American, and eight are Hispanic. Six are incumbents who are among the states 18 current LGBTQ elected and appointed officials.
via OutSmart http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2018...ffice-in-2018/
Wishmaker Queer Feminist Hopeful Pessimist Photographer
|The Following 12 Users Say Thank You to VintageFemme For This Useful Post:
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Linear Mode


text:
Latania is a genus of three species native to the Mascarene Islands.
They are easy and satisfying to grow; they are not fussy; and they will
grow in a range of warmer climates. They are easily distinguishable, especially
when young, by the color of the petioles for which they are named. With
its glossy yellow petioles and leaf margins and more lax leaves than the
other species, Latania verschaffeltii is surely the most stunning in this
small genus.
... are very easy to germinate and need up to 1 month to sprout. I collected 12 of these seeds at the end of August. After removing the flesh, I soak them in water for one day and then put the seeds into a ziplock bag after drying them with tissues. Within a week, 2 of them sprouted and within a month, another 8 seeds sprouted as well. So I think as long as the seeds are fresh, the germination rate is guaranteed. Submitted on 18/10/2012 by one of our visitors
... are very easy to germinate and need up to 1 month to sprout. Received the seeds early September, removed the hard shell and soaked in water for 12 hours then dipped in anti-fungal for 15 min. Planted in a deep bed of Coco peat and placed in make shift greenhouse with temp above 45 C and in 3 weeks 60% had germinated. Submitted on 03/10/2012 by Hatem
...difficult to germinate and need more than 1 year to
After removing this very strange soft shell of the seeds I soaked them in luke warm water for four days and
then put them three together in pot, I covered them in peat moss and left them on a sunny spot, were the temperature
was steady 90°F (30°C). My first seed came up on day 267..they send down very deep root so they should
be sown into deep nursery pot, do not discard any seed as they are known to germinate up to more than a two
Submitted on 29/04/2004 by Jón Ágúst Erlingsson firstname.lastname@example.com
...difficult to germinate and need up to 3 months to
Well, I only had the chance to try 3 of these very strange looking seeds. Unfortunately only one sprouted (but
that needn't be representative).
Submitted on 27/01/2003 by Tana Gottwald firstname.lastname@example.com
plant cultivation comments by our visitors
Also see germination commnets above.
Plants from this species ...
... are of high ornamental value
In north in Fiji Islands they need very little care and grow normal.
Loves full sun but seems more tolerant of heavy soils than the other Latans. It also is sometimes attacked by the coconut beetle that chews on the petiole causing that leaf to fall. They transplant well and like fertilizer and watering. It has a softer, more glossy appearance than other Latans.
Submitted on 10/02/2007 by Jim Valentine email@example.com
If you wish to read more on palm cultivation, we highly recommend Ornamental Palm Horticulture
by Timothy K. Broschat and Alan W. Meerow, available in our bookshop.
Ratings and comments reflect individual experiences and the views of our visitors. They do not necessarily describe the most
appropriate methods, nor are they necessarily valid for all seeds or plants of this species. Germination and plant cultivation
success depends on many different factors; nevertheless, these experiences will hopefully aid you in your effort to get the
best germination results from our seeds and the best growth results from your plants.


text:
**More may be added in the future**
*None of the images are mine. I found them on tumblr and google*
Orcas (also known as killer whales or blackfish) are the largest members of the dolphin family. They are found in all the worlds oceans. They are EXTREMELY intelligent and emotional (possibly more than humans). Scientists even say that they have a part of the brain that humans don't have. This part of the brain is believed to process empathy and high emotional connections and bonds. They are very social and form strong bonds with their families. They even stay with their mothers for life. There have even been recorded acounts of male orcas becoming separated from their pods and dying from lonliness. They are the top predator in the ocean and have been known to eat sharks and large whales. Despite being such a skilled predator, there have been no attacks on humans in the wild. Different pods of orcas also have their own distinct cultures. This includes language and accents, diet, mating rituals, hunting strategies, and more. These cultural traits are passed down from one generation to the next. Each cultural group is refered to as an Ecotype there are about 10 worldwide (I may be wrong on the number). Ecotypes vary greatly from one another including culture, language, appearance, and even genetics. The genetic difference is believed to be caused by different pods becoming separated over thousands of years and evolving into different groups. In the wild, Ecotypes do no mingle or breed with one another. These difference between Ecotypes are so vast that some marine biologists have considered classifying them as whole new species (but there is some debate).
Name Meaning and Origin
Orcinus Orca- the scientific name comes from the latin word Orcinus which means "kingdom of the dead" or "Belonging to Orca". Orca was the Roman god of the underworld. This all makes sense taking to account that orcas are the top predator of the ocean.
Killer Whale- Whalers frequently saw orcas kill larger whales. Because of this, they gave them a name literally meaning "whale killer". Through translation errors the name got switched around.
In Indigenous Cultures
Orcas hold many meanings in different cultures. They are considered to represent strength and power. Some tribes even said that seeing one was considered good luck.
Tlingit- Believe they were the protectors of humanity. Due to this they never hunted them.
Kwakiutl- Believe that marine hunters turned into orcas when they died. Then when the orca died their soul would become human again and the cycle would repeat.
Haida- Believe orcas represent family and that orcas are just like people. It is also believed that orcas can turn people into whales. This is why when they see a killer whale it is believed they are trying to connect with their human-kin.
Spiritual Symbolism
-cosmic energies
-astral travel
-soul mates
Elemental Correspondence
Water and Air
Based on my personal knowledge
Orca as a Gaurdian/Guide
If you feel a connection to orca, it means you have a strong sense of love and loyalty, especially to those you love. While you are beautiful, graceful, and gentle to loved ones, you can become fierce when it comes to protecting them. You have a deep sense of empathy and are extremely emotion (even if you dont show it externally). You also have a way with words and can communicate well. Family and friends are extremely important to you as well. You are also very intelligent and can problem solve. When working with orca, you will experience a new way of connecting to the universe and yourself on a level you never knew before.
Stay happy and crafty everyone!
:milky_way: :whale2: Hugo Todd :seedling: :earth_americas:
:sunflower: My personal Tumblr: hugo-todd
:sunflower: My witchy Tumblr: orcamagick
:sunflower: Vegan Amino: :whale: Brandy :dolphin:


text:
Missions – Faith in Action
Emmanuel Community United Methodist Church believes in serving our community. We have opportunities for those who come here to serve others through our partnerships and friendships with local ministries.
In our Community
- Angel Tree – Each Christmas season, through the Angel Tree Ministry, ECUMC provides gifts that are given to Milwaukee children whose mom or dad is in prison. This program allows incarcerated parents to stay connected with their children by purchasing and delivering gifts in their name that they could not otherwise afford.
- Community Banquet – The Community Banquet is a free meal program offered at St. James Church in Menomonee Falls at 5:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of every month by a collaboration of community churches. Neighbors chat and share with each other their joys and sorrows. Folks whose food budget doesn't quite make it to the end of the month are welcome. ECUMCvolunteers handle set up and desserts, clean up or cooking on a rotation of about 8 times per year.
- Falls Area Food Pantry – The Menomonee Falls Area Food Pantry (fallsfoodpantry.org) gathers and distributes food to those with acute or chronic need who live in the greater Menomonee Falls area. Over 1,800 people are served each year. Emmanuel Community along with other local churches volunteer to staff the pantry. Pantry Hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays between 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. and 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Volunteers are asked to report 30 min. early. The Pantry is located at N85W15382 Menomonee River Pkwy Menomonee Falls WI. Phone 262-251-6848. ECUMC volunteers stack and sort food every 12th week –call the church 262-251-3830 for more information. Food may be dropped off at the pantry 24 hours per day 7 days a week.
- The Gathering – People in the Community Feeding the Hungry (Thegatheringwis.org)
Volunteers help prepare, serve and clean up the evening meal on the second Monday of each month at Christian Faith Fellowship Church in Milwaukee. There is a car pool that leaves our church parking lot at 3:00 p.m. For more information call the office 262-251-3830.
- Habitat for Humanity – Each year Emmanuel Community United Methodist Church helps to build a habitat house in the inner city of Milwaukee. This program helps first time home owners realize their dream of owning a home through their own sweat equity and the generosity of volunteer builders. ECUMC joins with other sister churches in raising the funds and providing the labor to build the fully completed homes. Volunteering for Habitat is fun fellowship. Although carpentry skills are a plus we also need painters, "gofers" and lunch providers. Contact the church office at 262-251-3830 to learn more.
- Blessings in a Backpack – The focus of giving for ECUMC children is Blessings in a Backpack. Using the donation list provided by the organization, children raise money, donate food, and help pack food bags which are sent home with Menomonee Falls elementary students who may not have enough to eat on the weekends.
Youth Missions
Here at Emmanuel Community United Methodist Church we believe that you are never too young or old to serve others. The youth of our church participate in missions' year long. From smaller activities such as making blankets for the less fortunate to week long trips traveling to Guatemala.
As Christ instructed us in Matthew 28:19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…", we find it of great importance to help those in our local communities as well as the global community.
Our goal is to provide consistent, yearlong services to others, local and abroad.