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Source: an introduction to syria – its history and its present revolutionary struggles
September 4, 2015
an introduction to syria – its history and its present revolutionary struggles
6 Comments »
Does the Curise Missile Left have a response?
RE: "Proyect's method is convenient. If I present sources either attached to, or sympathetic to, the Syrian government, I am presenting biased sources. If I present sources critical of Syrian government making similar claims, their criticisms of the Syrian government somehow negate the claim in question. It is a lose-lose."
— from A Response to the "Cruise Missile Left" by PATRICK HIGGINS, CounterPunch
Comment by thom — September 6, 2015 @ 2:15 pm
Maybe the idea is to cite impartial sources. Higgins started out in this way by citing the BBC but was gobsmacked by my posting of a subsequent BBC article that made the original claim about the opposition to Assad being the first to use violence look ridiculous. Forced to scramble around for some dirt to throw at the opposition, he could only find an interview with a Shahiba member. Sad really to see a young radical forced to resort to such desperate measures.
Comment by louisproyect — September 6, 2015 @ 11:36 pm
It has been often pointed out that the former government of the Ukraine, and the government in Syria, and the Iranian and Russian regimes that have supported the Rebels opposing the new Ukrainian government and forces of Assad in Syria are evil reactionary regimes. Yet it must be pointed out that the USA has been clearly been pushing Iranian and Russian governments in to a corner for decades. The new government in the Ukraine has shown a desire to help push the border of NATO right up to the Russian border at a time that there is clearly not even a legitimate need for the existance of NATO. The revolution or rebellion or uprising or what ever you want to call it in Syria threatens a government that the Iranian government has seen as a close ally. Since Iran can not threaten the USA to counter US threats against it the best that it can do is to threaten Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States and Israel. Threatening fellow native Muslims does not sell as well as threatening illegal immigrants from outside of the area that have dispossessed the legitimate Palestinian inhabitants. Since Syria has been helping Iran to arm Hezbollah and Hamas they would naturally be seen as very important to the Iranian governments defence.
Although the leaders of Iran and Russia are asses these are not surrounding the USA or even Europe with military bases. If the governments of either of these countries fall to people who are allies of the USA it is hard to imagine that the lives of the residents of these countries will be improved at all. One can imagine that their lives will be even worse. Therefore until there is a revolution in the USA that results in a terrible fate for those who have been in charge in the USA it does not make any sense to support a revolution against governments that the targets of US aggression or those governments that are helping the targets of aggression defend themselves. It is possible that there could be an exception to this rule when the target of US aggression is barbaric. Some would say that Syria is such an example. I would say that a government fighting for its survival from a barbaric overseas empire needs to be cut some slack. Was Syria such an example of barbarism even before the civil war started? Maybe, I did not live there and knowing what is going one's own country is hard enough let alone one that is very distant. It seems tha many Syrians would say that the Assad Regime was so barbaric that being an American colony would be an improvement and many Syrians are saying no it would not be an improvement and many Syrians are saying that we do not want Assad or the USA and many of those Saying that are with ISIS and many are not.
Under such circumstances the only legitimate policy of any European or North American leftist should be to support a government policy of no military involvement.
Comment by Curt Kastens — September 8, 2015 @ 8:49 pm
Curt, you dumb ass the implication of your position is that every backward country on the planet has to wait until there is a revolution in the USA until they can have their own revolution.
Comment by Curt Kastens — September 8, 2015 @ 9:13 pm
No Curt, you are the dumb ass. The implication of my post is that it will not do any good for your puny ass country to have a revolution until there is a revolution in the USA. The trends created by the USA and its subservient allies are so great as to dwarf any policies that your government might implement to try to improve the lives of your country's citizens. Furthemore what ever limited successes you have will always be threatened by a counterattack from the forces of the global empire. My source for this assessment is secret German General Staff Documents prepared by the Wehrmacht in March of 1945. i do not have a copy of these documents nor do I know where they can currently be found.
You should not expect anyone at the Hffington Post to claim to have seen them.
Comment by Curt Kastens — September 8, 2015 @ 9:23 pm
Since Iran can not threaten the USA to counter US threats against it the best that it can do is to threaten Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States and Israel.
Kastens, are you brain-damaged or something? I have pointed out to you already that unless you begin to back up your bullshit arguments with some facts, you will be banned. I can tolerate disagreement but I cannot tolerate ignorance. In fact, Saudi Arabia and Iran have been moving closer over the need to smash the "takfiri":
What Saudi-Iranian rapprochement means for Assad: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/05/what-saudi-iranian-rapprocheme-2014521112931887464.html
Saudi Arabia And Russia: A Budding Rapprochement?: http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1815&no_cache=1#.VfGgFp1Viko
Now unless you can show some signs that you are keeping up with current events, you will be terminated.
Comment by louisproyect — September 10, 2015 @ 3:22 pm
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Breach in distributary at Fallarh village near Bathinda
Wheat crop over 100 acres of land was inundated due to a breach in a distributary at Fallarh village near Bathinda on Monday morning.punjab Updated: Mar 08, 2016 11:11 IST
Wheat crop over 100 acres of land was inundated due to a breach in a distributary at Fallarh village near Bathinda on Monday morning.
Officials of civil and police administration and canal lining department rushed to the spot and the breach was repaired.
Talwandi Sabo tehsildar Iqbal Singh said the water entered the fields by the time the breach was repaired. He said the crop was damaged but will suffer a damage if the crop gets flattened due to winds with water in the fields.
Rain effect Muktsar admn orders crop damage assessment
Muktsar: The Muktsar administration officials on Monday visited Goniana, Bhagsar, Rahurianwali and Balmgarh villages in the district to take stock of the loss caused to the wheat crop due to heavy rain and hailstorms on Sunday.
Deputy commissioner Summet Jarangal, who was accompanied by additional deputy commissioner (development) Kulwant Singh, assured the farmers that the administration has ordered the assessment of the damaged crop and the government would help them.
He also directed the revenue officials to prepare correct reports. Even as rain is good for crops at this juncture, a heavy rainfall accompanied by hailstorms flattened the wheat crop in various parts of the region.
First Published: Mar 08, 2016 11:10 IST

subset: commoncrawl


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This is the perfect getaway for couples, small families or just the fishing guys. Our family cabin is located on beautiful Lake Cumberland, in Jamestown KY. We have a private dock with an easy walk from our front door to the dock, no need to get in your car to drive to your boat. If you know Lake Cumberland, you know how rare it is to have walking access to docks. Our community at Clifty Creek also has a ramp for easy in and out of your boat. Bring your own boat and wave runners or rent them at Jamestown Marina or State Dock, both only minutes away.
The Cabin is located 5 minutes by water to 2 of the largest marinas on Lake Cumberland, Kentucky State Dock & Jamestown Dock. Both marina's have restaurants, live music, variety of boat rentals options, fuel and grocery store. The cabin is less than 10 minutes to the Cumberland River which has some of the best trout fishing in the south eastern US and the Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery at Wolf Creek Damn. A great place to visit with the family to engage in an educational journey of the regions trout.
Our Cabin is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath with a large screened in porch with a beautiful year round view of the lake. The cabin has an expansive deck and screened in porch which has always been ours and our guests favorite spots to enjoy the sunrise over the water with morning coffee to ending the day with a great meal with family and friends. We offer a stainless steel outdoor grill, large teak table and chairs for 8, nice teak day bed with the best mattress and several cozy wicker cushioned chair options. A great hammock under the trees for an afternoon of reading or taking a nap. Inside you have a nicely furnished kitchen with all the necessities to make a great meal; large refrigerator, 4 burner stove, oven, microwave, coffee pot, pots & pans hanging rack and a solid maple chopping block. The living room has a working wood burning fireplace, leather coach & chairs, pull out full size sofa bed, 42' flat screen TV and DVD player to watch your favorite movies. Master bedroom has a queen size bed with high loft down comforter and a stackable washer/dryer in the closet area and the other bedroom has 2 twin beds. One bath newly renovated with single bowl sink and 48" shower. All bed linens, bath and kitchen towels furnished.
We have several updates for the 2018 rental season. A nice face lift will greet our returning and new guest during their visit. Take a look at the new pictures uploaded to see all the great features.
Over the years, our family has made wonderful memories at our cabin. Whether on the water anchored in a cove, swimming at the dock, reading a book in the hammock or on the day bed, enjoying a great dinner with family and friends or great game nights with the kids. These memories will last a life time. So if your family or group is looking for memories that you can cherish for a lifetime, this cabin is the place for you.
Mature 25+ yr old renters
Non Smoking in Cabin
Approved pets only


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self help
Monday, May 30, 2016 - 6:00pm - 8:00pm
What does "success" mean to you? Is it more money, a better relationship, recognition? Are your bills, poor decisions, lack of support…your "life" dictating your goals…or are you? Learn how practicing seven simple steps can put you on a path of achieving your personal and or professional success!
Presented by Life Coach Sandra Oleksiw. http://sandraoleksiw.weebly.com/ and hosted by the High River Library.
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This past week I have been thinking a lot about living abroad. I had a conversation with my friend Kate not too long ago and she wondered whether the United States would ever feel like it wasn't our home anymore. Will we get so used to being overseas that returning seems undesirable? I have been turning that idea over in my mind and Justin and I talked about it too. Our standard response to living abroad is, of course we'll return to the States (eventually, sometime, someday). But after Kate and I talked and I said the same thing to her - of course we'll return to the States - I realized: we really cannot say that with certainty.
When we decided to move abroad, even then, we didn't know how long we would be away. Five years seemed reasonable. But then we went to the job fair and at the welcome-orientation-go-get-'em speech, an overseas school administrator stood behind his podium and said, "When I first moved abroad, I thought I'd be gone for a year. Twenty-three years later..."
And Justin nudged me and we glanced at each other, silly grins. Moving abroad had been my idea - a non-negotiable when we started talking about our future together - but that weekend at the job fair, he said to me, "I can see doing this for a long time." Granted, we were heady with a few successful interviews and offers, and energized by all the conversations we had with other expats (soon we would be expats too!), but still, that was the weekend when we began to think maybe ten years? twenty? why not twenty-three years abroad?
So I've been thinking about our reasons for moving abroad, and reasons for staying abroad, and reasons for returning to the States. And in the middle of all this thinking, I hit a summer slump.
International teachers travel. Oh, give them a long weekend and they will go find a bus to board. Winter and spring breaks are made to add stamps to passports. Someone usually knows someone who has been to Bulgaria and if you need a Lonely Planet Egypt, just whisper it at a barbeque.
Well, we are international teachers, but we are not traveling much right now. So with most of the staff gone for summer holiday, and the few remaining summer school teachers getting ready to board planes within the next week, I am feeling slumpy. I don't even really want to travel because I am close to uncomfortably pregnant, and I have a toddler, and it's an expensive season. But still. If I wasn't pregnant, we'd be standing in a customs line, thumbing a Lonely Planet.
Since we aren't off on a long summer away - a short trip to Lebanon will have to keep us happy - we've been talking about where we want to go next. Justin and I were sketching travel plans over the next two or three years, and I pointed out that if we were still in Wisconsin we wouldn't be taking big fat yearly vacations on our teachers' salaries. So why feel compelled to take big fat vacations now? So scrapping the big fat vacations, what do we really, really want to see while we are in this region of the world?
Oman. Jordan. The pyramids, because we'd kick ourselves if we didn't. And Turkey, because everyone raves about Turkey. Oh, and Greece. Maybe Malta.
Anyway. There was a subtle shift in how we talked about our loose travel plans. It became okay to feel less urgent about seeing this or that, because we have also started to be realistic about how long we may actually be abroad. There is no rush to hop over to Paris or spend a week in Irish countryside. We'll likely get there. We might be taking our teenagers along, but we'll likely get there.
Even writing that here makes me want to rush to assure Stateside family and friends: of course we'll return to the States. Eventually, sometime, someday.
Edited to add, so I don't panic the folks back home.
Talking about what may happen in the next decade is what it is: talking about what may happen in the next decade. Another friend of mine, Christine, and I were discussing this whole messy thing about living abroad - what to say when friends and family ask about your return. Truth is, it's much easier to just say what we've been saying, someday we'll head back to the States.
I'll likely blog about this more later, but the prospect and process of returning to the States sometimes seems more difficult than the decision to leave was. Justin and I are not opposed to returning and settling. We aren't opposed to living in the States for awhile only to go abroad again. But that's just it: we aren't opposed to too much right now. We simply cannot say what our Big Life Plan is yet. (How many of those Big Life Plans go your way, anyhow?) So moving back to the States at this point presents way more issues - personal, location, financial, lifestyle - than any resolution or relief.
I make more of this than it is. Mostly, whenever I think about why we aren't ready to return to the States yet, I think of what our parents and my siblings might want. Then I think about what I want. I think they should all move abroad, so we could get more passport stamps on holiday.


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Widest selection of high quality construction and landscape aggregate materials in the Wallingford, Connecticut area to meet the needs of all of your commercial and residential construction projects. Friendly, professional service and a dedicated delivery fleet to bring materials directly to your job site.
Our Recent Grand Opening in Wallingford, Connecticut
Email us at email@example.com or call us at (203) 864-5532 for product and pricing information.
Stay tuned for information regarding our downtown Hartford area yard, which is currently "under construction".


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Police identify the 2 people involved in Route 42 crash
BETHANY – Connecticut State Police have identified the two people involved in the Route 42 crash in Bethany Friday night.
Police said a car was traveling westbound on Route 42 in Bethany, while a truck was traveling eastbound and both vehicles collided. Police said John A. Kwochka, 43, of Shelton was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to police, the other person involved was Amanda Cashmore , 21, of Cheshire who was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital for minor injuries.
41.452858 -72.989490


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An independent Scotland would need to ensure a formal currency union arrangement to keep the pound was completely viable, like being pregnant, Bank of England governor Mark Carney has warned.
The central bank chief made the unusual comparison speaking before the Treasury select committee about the implications of Scottish independence and potential risks if voters choose to break away from the UK in September's referendum.
"Viability in a currency union is a bit like being pregnant in the sense that you can't be half viable in a currency union. You need all the components of a currency union. You have to look at the whole package," he told MPs.
Carney argued that there would be "advantages" to an independent Scotland if it became part of a EU banking union but it would be "half-viable" as it would not have a common deposit guarantee scheme and lender of last resort negotiations would have to be made.
This comes after Carney warned in a speech made in Scotland that a "successful currency union requires some ceding of national sovereignty", while the British government argued that an independent Scotland would be handing over control of its interest rates and borrowing levels to a foreign nation.
However Carney warned that the Scottish economy is "more volatile" and that there was a "distinct possibility" that banks like the Royal Bank of Scotland would be forced to move their headquarters out of an independent Scotland.
Carney suggested the rest of the UK could end up bailing out Scotland if it was hit by a financial crisis.
He told MPs: "There's famously a no-bailout clause in the Maastricht Treaty but when push came to shove with risks in the periphery that was not fully credible because the spillover effects of not bailing out, or not assisting in some sort of arrangement, were judged, in the teeth of a global crisis, to be too great to risk and so there were extraordinary efforts made, and appropriate efforts, made by European officials to avoid that.
"The issue for the rest of the UK would be would it be credible, I'm not predicting this but one has to plan for contingencies, would it be credible to stand by if an independent Scotland were to be in fiscal difficulties?
"If it is not credible then the structure of the currency union obviously is less than perfect but it is also taking on a contingent liability or responsibility to the rest of the UK balance sheet. So, these are all issues that have to be thought through in advance."
The Bank of England governor confirmed to SNP committee member Stewart Hosie that Scotland and the rest of the UK's economies are "highly correlated", which is "beneficial" for a currency union arrangement.
Carney dismissed suggestions that he thought a currency union was a bad idea.
"I have been absolutely clear and I will continue to be clear that what I have tried to do, what the Bank has tried to do, and what we will continue to do is to draw attention to economic issues which the interested parties can address and then others can make the judgments," he said.
"At no time have I said, or will I say, that I do not support or that I advocate a currency union, either side of the debate. When it was suggested that he had created a "less than optimistic picture", he told MPs his intention was to draw attention to the underlying economic issues.
A fierce argument has erupted over the prospects of an independent Scotland keeping the pound in a currency union arrangement with the rest of the UK after three main political parties said that it would not be possible.
Chancellor George Osborne ruled out any chance of an independent Scotland joining a formal currency union, in a move which was backed by Labour and the Lib Dems.
Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon dismissed the warnings as the "Westminster establishment" trying to lay down the law to Scotland and warned the move would backfire on the pro-Union parties.
Osborne said: "The pound is one of the oldest and most successful currencies in the world. I want Scotland to keep the pound and the economic security that it brings,"
"The UK works, in good times and also in bad. Together we have faced the worst economic and financial crisis since the Great Depression.
"But we avoided the economic collapse other nations around us in Europe faced because together, we had the strength to confront our problems and overcome them."
Carney told the Treasury select committee earlier today that the Bank of England could not directly stop wealthy foreign buyers pushing up house prices by snapping up expensive properties in the capital.


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GAYLORD — Residents interested in gardening are invited to the Otsego County Michigan Master Gardeners Program and the Alpine Masters Association at the annual spring banquet that will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, at Wisconsin Street Hall, 610 S. Wisconsin Ave.
This is a banquet for all master gardeners in Otsego County, whether they are active or inactive.
The guest speaker will be Dr. Larry Dyer, Ph.D. He will discuss identifying garden diseases and insects and how to control them organically. This is especially important to Otsego County gardeners who want to protect rivers, lakes and streams from chemical runoff while growing chemical-free foods for their dinner tables.
The cost is $15 for members of the Alpine Master Gardeners Association and $20 for nonmembers. The deadline to register is Wednesday, April 17. Registration forms can be obtained online at www.otsego.org/amg.


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Here is the information for the September Holiday Stamp Classes.
2 dates are available... (this is a change from the original date)
Sunday, September 16 at 2 PM
Sunday September 23 at 2 PM
You will make 8 cards....2 each of the following designs:
Super cute and easy (promise)!
Material fee is $20, or just $8 with a $40 order.
Please RSVP early, as space fills quickly! Please bring adhesive and scissors. Light snacks will be served.
See you soon,


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Rob Griffiths' – Artist's biography and work
Rob Griffiths has lived in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire for most of his life. His sculptures are influenced by his love of the forest and the wildlife that surrounds him. All the timber used for his sculptures is sustainably sourced locally. He has undertaken many commissions – from councils, schools, parks and private individuals – all specifically designed to be in harmony with the surroundings. His work involves the use of chainsaws, power tools and traditional wood carving tools.
Rob Griffiths' artwork for Gyosei
Rob's inspiration for this sculpture "What lies beneath" came from his interest in canals and the hidden creatures that live beneath. It takes the form of a bench with relief carvings that illustrate the food chain in the canal and a giant frog sitting peacefully unaware of all that lies beneath. The sculpture has been carved from Forest of Dean oak.


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The North Hagerstown Hubs swept the South Hagerstown Rebels in a Washington County high school lacrosse doubleheader at School Stadium on Monday night.
North pulled out an 8-7 victory in the boys game and then got a 17-5 win in the girls game.
During the boys game, Matt Stowell scored four goals and Charlie Hamilton collected three goals for the Hubs (1-3).
But it was Drew Harmon that got the decisive score for North with 1:57 remaining, as he snapped a 7-7 tie by scoring on an unassisted goal with a quick shot through a crowd of players.
"I was glad to see Drew Harmon get that game-winning goal after all of that hard work that he did to set up Stowell and Hamilton," North coach David Parker said. "Harmon's solid play drew the defense towards him and that enabled Stowell and Hamilton to be open for the goals. For two young teams, I thought that they gave the crowd their money's worth tonight."


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Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi score late goals as Argentina come from two goals behind to play out a 2-2 draw with Mexico at the AT&T Stadium in Texas.
|Current Group C Standings
|Trinidad and Tobago
Follow @sportsmole for the latest breaking news stories, and follow @sm_headlines to get every headline from Sports Mole
Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio lands Mexico jobSao Paulo coach Juan Carlos Osorio is to become the new manager of the Mexican national team.
Oct 7, 01:21
Jurgen Klopp rejects offer to become head coach of MexicoOut-of-work manager Jurgen Klopp reportedly turns down an offer to become the head coach of Mexico amid rumoured links to Liverpool.
Oct 1, 09:03
Result: Mexico stunned by Argentina fightbackSergio Aguero and Lionel Messi score late goals as Argentina come from two goals behind to play out a 2-2 draw with Mexico at the AT&T Stadium in Texas.
Sep 9, 05:33
Half-Time Report: Javier Hernandez penalty hands Mexico lead against ArgentinaJavier Hernandez scores a penalty to hand Mexico a 1-0 half-time lead over Argentina in Texas.
Sep 9, 04:26
Miguel Herrera sacked by MexicoMexico part company with manager Miguel Herrera just two days after winning the Gold Cup following allegations that he punched a TV reporter.
Jul 28, 21:37
Mexico coach Miguel Herrera punches journalist in Philadelphia airport?Mexico head coach Miguel Herrera is accused of punching a journalist while in Philadelphia airport following his side's Gold Cup final victory.
Jul 27, 16:07
Mexico captain Andres Guardado wins Golden Ball following Gold Cup triumphMexico's Andres Guardado wins the Golden Ball after scoring six goals during his nation's Gold Cup-winning campaign.
Jul 27, 06:55
Result: Mexico ease past Jamaica to clinch Gold CupMexico beat Jamaica to claim their 10th CONCACAF Gold Cup, thanks to goals from Andres Guardado, Jesus Corona and Oribe Peralta.
Jul 27, 02:58
Half-Time Report: Mexico close in on 10th Gold Cup titleAndres Guardado fires Mexico into a 1-0 half-time lead against Jamaica in the Gold Cup final in Philadelphia.
Jul 27, 01:55
Live Commentary: Jamaica 1-3 Mexico - as it happenedRelive with Sports Mole all the action from the Gold Cup final showdown between Jamaica and Mexico.
Jul 27, 00:01
Result: Mexico reach final with controversial winAndres Guardado nets a penalty in stoppage time before scoring from the spot in extra time as Mexico beat Panama 2-1 to reach the Gold Cup final.
Jul 23, 04:55
Live Commentary: Panama 1-2 Mexico (AET) - as it happenedRelive with Sports Mole all the action from the Gold Cup semi-final showdown between Panama and Mexico.
Jul 23, 01:30
Result: Last-gasp Andres Guardado penalty denies Costa Rica as Mexico advance into semisAndres Guardado scores an 124th-minute winner as Mexico edge out Costa Rica after extra time to reach the Gold Cup semi-finals.
Jul 20, 03:26
Result: Late Yohance Marshall header denies Mexico in Gold CupYohance Marshall strikes in stoppage time to deny Mexico three points in their clash against Trinidad and Tobago as the Soca Warriors finish top of Group C at the Gold Cup.
Jul 16, 03:32
Result: Mexico held by 10-man Guatemala in Gold Cup clashMexico are held to a goalless draw in their Group C clash at the CONCACAF Gold Cup by 10-man Guatemala at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
Jul 13, 04:02
Result: Oribe Peralta hat-trick guides Mexico to thumping winMexico thrash Cuba 6-0 in their opening match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup as Oribe Peralta scores a hat-trick to inspire his side to victory at Soldier Field.
Jul 10, 04:37
Javier Hernandez ruled out for four weeks, will miss Mexico's Gold Cup campaignJavier Hernandez will miss Mexico's Gold Cup campaign after being ruled out for four weeks with a fractured collarbone.
Jul 2, 08:58
Javier Hernandez taken to hospital with suspected broken collarboneThe Mexican Football Federation confirms that Javier Hernandez has been sent to hospital with a suspected broken collarbone.
Jul 2, 07:24
Result: Mexico held to stalemate by HondurasMexico and Honduras continue their preparations for the CONCACAF Gold Cup by playing out a goalless draw in Texas.
Jul 2, 04:38
Miguel Herrera stands strong in wake of Mexico's early Copa America exitMiguel Herrera insists that he "does not feel under any pressure" on the back of Mexico's disappointing display at the Copa America in Chile.
Jun 21, 15:59


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Re: Adkins from England 1660 - ?
In reply to:
Adkins from England 1660 - ?
I noticed you mentioned Lewis Adkins in your posting. The Lewis in my lineage was born abt.1760 in Va. and died bef. 15 Mar 1819 in Madison, Jackson, OH. One of his sons was named Philip who was born 31 Mar 1791 in VA and married to Polly Ann Hall in Knoxville , Knox, IL. I have more info from Philip on but was wondering if this is the Lewis I need. Thanks


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Trendybiba provides free delivery on all items in India for Order Above Rs 1000.
Items which are labeled 'In Stock' on their respective product pages, are stocked in our various warehouses and usually takes 5-7 business days to reach our customers. Items which we will need to procure or import, are labeled 'Imported' on their respective product pages - the delivery of these items can vary between 2 and 4 weeks. Products which you can pre-book, and are labeled as 'Forthcoming' are dispatched on the release date of the particular product - release dates are mentioned on the product page.
We process all deliveries through reputed couriers.
If there is no courier service available in your area, we will ship your non-electronics items ( i.e. except Mobiles, Gaming Consoles, Cameras, Laptops) via Government Registered Bookpost or Speedpost. If your order contains an electronics item (Mobiles, Gaming Consoles, Cameras, Laptops) we will get in touch with you and try to work out a convenient alternate delivery location that is serviced by our courier partners.
All Electronic Items are Insured for theft & damages during transit.
There are no extra taxes, hidden costs or additional shipping charges. The price mentioned on the website is the final price. What you see is what you pay. Our prices are all inclusive. All taxes are included with the list prices.
As a process, we constantly look at service levels of our logistics partners and make changes to those areas that do not match our service standards. As a result, there may be certain areas that we do not deliver to, as part of this process. Deliveries to such areas may hence be temporarily affected, before we are able to resume the same.
Yes, Delivery Charges will be on actual, and duty charges has to be paid by the customers only..


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2017-2018 SEC Member Tribute
15,602 Members. 310 Chapters. 1 Georgia HOSA. This is the amazing organization we were chosen to lead. Since the 2017 State Leadership Conference wher
2017 Rally Recap
This fall, Georgia HOSA celebrated our Fall Leadership Rally, with over 2,800 HOSA members from across the state! Rally was filled a presentation from
HOSA Go! Gotta Catch Em All
The Pokemon Go phenomenon has taken over and is allowing players to capture Pokemon in the real world. It allows you to *Get Up, Get Out, and Explore.
HOSA Hero July 2016
Georgia HOSA is pleased to announce our first HOSA hero of the 2016-2017 school year in the month of July, Avery Gordon! Avery is going into her third
2016 Top 10 Results are In!
HOSA's Competitive Events Program is designed to bring health career education to life through rigorous testing of knowledge performance, skill and le
We Are Live In 3…2…
After an entire year of preparing for your competitive event, State Leadership Conference is your time to show off your skills! There is no telling ho
2016-2017 State Executive Council Slate
In February 2016, the Georgia HOSA Nominating Committee witnessed a great caliber of candidates who showcased true passion, leadership, and enthusiasm
2016 Board of Director's Application
"We exist to shape the future delivery of quality healthcare to all people." As a HOSA board member, I was able to positively impact my students beyo
2016 State Qualification Testing Results
Studying, studying, and more studying is what our Georgia HOSA members have been up to, as they were preparing for the 2016 State Qualification Testin
Lumpkin County HOSA Guest
Scott Lowe visited the Healthcare classes on September 4, 2015. Scott is a 37 year old quadriplegic and is currently on a ventilator.


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Fifteen refugees, as well as staff and friends of Jesuit Refugee Service, will attend a private audience with Pope Francis on Saturday, Nov. 14. The pope will speak about the importance of education for refugee children and youth as a means to build peace and foster the development of more resilient and cohesive societies.
The event will commemorate the 35th anniversary of JRS, founded on November 14, 1980 by the former Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Pedro Arrupe, S.J. (Find out more about a 35th Anniversary celebration for JRS in New York on Dec. 1.)
Pope Francis has long urged Catholics to welcome refugees, saying the world is currently suffering from a "globalization of indifference," ignoring those who cry out for mercy. On Saturday, as a precursor to the Holy Year of Mercy to launch on 8 December, the Pope will formally recognize and pledge support for the JRS Global Education Initiative, an initiative aimed to extend JRS' educational programs to 100,000 additional refugees by the year 2020.
Refugees face a variety of barriers trying to access education, from overcrowding in schools to xenophobia in host communities. Their fundamental right to education is often lost. Among refugee children globally, only 36 percent attend secondary school and less than one percent have the opportunity to pursue a higher education.
For 35 years, JRS has provided quality education as a tool for people to better fulfill their own potential and fully contribute to the growth, strength and stability of their communities. Schools allow those who have been forced to flee their homes to rebuild a shared space, a community, a sense of normality.
Pope Francis has historically called the public to protect refugees and care for the most vulnerable. Access to education can keep children safe and protected from risks, including gender-based violence, recruitment into armed groups, child labor and early marriage.
The audience will take place in the Sala Clementina in the Vatican. Though not able to enter the Sala Clementina, interested press will be able to watch a live feed of the event from the Sala Stampa of the Holy See located at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican City. Interviews may be conducted before the event with several refugees and JRS International Director, Fr Thomas Smolich S.J., from 9-10am at the JRS international office at Via Borgo Santo Spirito, 8.
Jesuit Refugee Service/USA is an international Catholic non-governmental organization whose mission is to accompany, serve and advocate for the rights of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons.


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Amarpur City Information
Amarpur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Gomati district in the state of Tripura, India. It is also the headquarters of Amarpur sub-division. Amarpur is an idyllic quiet picnic spot, on the banks of Amarsagar, the 16th century artificial lake. The town stands on the ruins of a palace. On the southern bank lies a temple dedicated to the eight headed goddess, Mangalchandi. A fair is held during the Basant Panchami (February). These are two beautiful lake with historical importance. CHOBIMURA -Place of Interest A water area with green hills and pics of gods in the hills DUMBOOR LAKE -Place of Interest A water area of 41 km2. with 48 islands surrounded by luxuriant green vegetation. Water sports facilities are additional attractions. There is a Hydel Project near the lake from where the River Gomati originates and this is called Tirthamukh where on 14 January every year famous 'Pous Sankranti Mela' takes place. The lake is the confluence of rivers Raima and Sarma. Various species of migratory birds are noticed in the winter and it has rich reservoir of natural and cultured fishes. Greenery: While reaching Amarpur from Udaipur, both side of the road are lined with deep forest. This part of the land has much natural beauty and a peaceful atmosphere.


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So you are thinking of investing in a franchise and not going ahead with your own independent start-up. You think it's a good investment but opinions of people around you have left you in a dilemma. Of course the cost and the premium involved in obtaining and maintenance of a franchise makes many people think ten times before buying a franchise but in my opinion investing in a franchise is better and a safer option in the hard financial times going on. If you don't believe me then let me tell you the fantastic set of advantages that come with investing in a franchise.
Advantages of Buying a Franchise
- Identity of the Franchisor's Brand in the Market
By investing in a franchise the first thing that you gain is the market impact that the franchise's brand name has. Not only you get an effective identity in the market but also access to the already existing customer base of the franchise's brand.
Since it's already an existing brand in the market it definitely will have public recognition and trust. So existing customers of the brand will prefer coming to you itself even if they don't know you personally but they have trust on the brand name which you are running.
- Advertising Costs and Efforts
It's a well-known and an established fact that advertising accounts for one of the biggest expenses in any business's balance sheet.
But by opting for investing in a franchise you save much of your advertising costs as the brand is already well-known in the market and some amount of national level advertising comes in your franchise cost itself.
- Not much need of experience
If you are new to the business scene you probably won't have much of experience or in fact, you might not have any experience at all.
But this is not a problem with a franchise as franchisors usually give the required training to enable you to operate on their business model, rules and regulations. The training includes everything like technology involved, transaction and cash handling methods, accounting rules and methods plus much more.
Also, at any point of time, if you need any kind of support, the franchisors are always available to help you out as they themselves want you to be successful. After all, their very expansion is dependent on your success.
- Lower costs on inventory and supplies
Since in one single place many franchised businesses are running of a single brand it becomes easier to procure the necessary supplies thereby resulting in increased purchasing capacity ultimately decreasing the total cost acquired on buying goods and creation of inventory.
From the above mentioned points you can easily make out the reasons behind higher success rate of franchises as compared to start-up businesses. So go ahead, invest in a franchise and enjoy the independence of a small business ownership supported by the advantages of a big business network.


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Dinosaur (Dungeons & Dragons)
|Wizards.com image
|Publication history
|Based on
In numerous campaign settings of the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game, dinosaurs, based upon the actual-life reptiles of prehistoric ages, are present. Some of the dinosaurs used in D&D, such as Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus rex, and Ankylosaurus, are real ones which used to exist on earth. Others, such as the Bloodstriker, Fleshraker, and Swindlespitter from the Monster Manual III, though labeled as dinosaurs, are made up, and as such are likely better regarded as monsters. Most D&D settings have a location where dinosaurs are known to dwell, and seeing as they coexist with intelligent races, they are sometimes depicted as tamed, with armored tyrannosaurs being used in battle and raptors used as mounts.
Publication history[edit]
Dinosaurs have existed in each edition of the Monster Manual,[1][2][3][4] and have played a significant role in D&D since nearly the very beginning. In 1981, dinosaurs were a major antagonist in the module The Isle of Dread (which was exceptionally widely distributed as it was included with the Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set).[5] Also in The Bane of Llywelyn, an early first edition D&D's module featured amazons on Pterosaur-like dinosaurs.
In 1990, the Hollow World Campaign Set for the Hollow World campaign setting was introduced. It "... takes all the best elements of the fantastic adventure fiction of the '30s and '40s (dinosaurs, savage men, lost empires) and marries them to the tropes of D&D (elves, dwarves, Vance-style magic)".[6]
Dinosaurs continue to play a major role in a number of more recent published adventures and campaign settings. In the 2002 Eberron campaign setting, dinosaurs play a major role,[7] and are the primary food source, work animal and mount of the Talenta Halflings.[8] In 2006, the first part of the Savage Tide Adventure Path was published. These adventures return to the "dinosaur-ridden" Isle of Dread.[9]
In the fourth edition of D&D, dinosaurs are referred to as behemoths and given alternate names.
The dinosaurs appeared on Geek.com's list of "The most underrated monsters of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons".[10]
- ^ Gygax, Gary (1977). Monster Manual. TSR, Inc. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- ^ Easley, Jeff (1994). Monstrous Compendium Annual (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition). Renton, Wash: Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 1-56076-838-X.
- ^ Tweet, Jonathan; Williams, Skip; Monte Cook (2000). Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual: Core Rulebook III. Renton, Wash: Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1552-8.
- ^ Tweet, Jonathan; Williams, Skip; Cook, Monte; Baker, Rich (July 2003). Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual: core rulebook III (v.3.5 ed.). Renton, Wash: Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1552-8.
- ^ "D&D Clones". White Dwarf. 24. April–May 1981.
- ^ "Hollow World at Wayne's World of books". Archived from the original on 2008-02-01. Retrieved 2008-01-22.
- ^ Sivils, Dan. "GenCon2003: The New D&D Campaign Setting is…". Archived from the original on 2008-12-03. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
- ^ Baker, Keith Michael. Shadows of the Last War (Eberron Campaign Setting (D&D): Adventures). Renton, Wash: Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3276-7.
- ^ "The Savage Tide Adventure Path". Retrieved 2008-01-22.
- ^ http://www.geek.com/games/underrated-monsters-of-advanced-dungeons-dragons-1659543/
|This Dungeons & Dragons article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


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I'm pretty sure I promised Jasper I would update even on my rest days.
Today is day two of my training, but I won't be running. However, there are still changes to my regular day. I have to make sure I am drinking enough water, and also that I am eating enough. Also that I'm eating at proper intervals in the day. This is still a challenge for me. There is a whole grain muffin waiting for me in the kitchen, begging me to eat it for breakfast, but I still haven't managed to stuff it in my mouth.
Vitamin C remains in my daily plan until further notice.
Also, I have plans to start taking pictures and put them up here, to make it more interesting to look at. I am gonna take pictures of me, and of my shoes, etc... Also anything you guys wanna see...
Thats it for today,
<3 Jessica.


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Amthal Fire & Security has once again been awarded the Alcumus SafeContractor status for achieving excellence in health and safety in the workplace.
Alcumus SafeContractor is a leading third party accreditation scheme that recognises extremely rigorous standards in health and safety management amongst contractors. It is used by thousands of organisations in the UK including SMEs and FTSE 100 companies.
Says Jamie Allam, Commercial Director at Amthal Fire & Security: "As a security company, we are naturally dedicated to providing the ultimate safety measures for our customers. But it's only right we take our own practices as seriously and continue to seek the highest accreditation.
"Alcumus SafeContractor is the UK's fastest growing health and safety assessment scheme. To have passed such a rigorous assessment process shows our commitment to health and safety for the benefit of all our staff and proves to our customers, new and existing, that we do practice what we preach!"
Gemma Archibald, Director of Alcumus SafeContractor added: "This is undoubtedly fantastic news for Amthal. With such a wide and varied client base, it is clear that the company continues to deliver very high standards of output and is consistently able to satisfy its clients again and again.
"We believe more companies need to follow by example in understanding the importance of adopting good risk management. And here, SafeContractor can play a vital role in supporting meeting compliance needs, whilst working with their contractors as they progress through the accreditation process."
Back to basic security and alarms are the premise to all good security. Amthal will ensure a monitored alarm, or wireless security system can be tailored to your property to keep your assets and possessions safe and protected from any opportunist or professional criminal activity.READ MORE>
If you are responsible for business premises, an employer or self-employed with business premises, responsible for a part of a dwelling where that part is solely used for business purposes, a charity or voluntary organisation or a contractor with a degree of control over any premises, you have a responsibility in relation to fire prevention!READ MORE>
As the world becomes more digital and buildings more intelligent, homeowners and businesses are looking at more efficient ways to secure buildings. Access control enables you total control on who has access to your building. Locks and keys also allow you to secure your building, but when keys are lost or stolen, the inconvenience and expense of changing locks and re-issuing keys can be considerable.READ MORE>
CCTV Installation can let you know who is at your door, help prevent incidents and criminal activity and help protect people and property. Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) works around the clock to help detect and deter crime, providing organisations with vital information. Many existing users of CCTV installation are failing to realise the full potential of their system and the benefits it can provide.READ MORE>
Amthal's team of surveyors and system designers include individuals with industry experience of over two decades, combined with technology specialists who's purpose it is to keep up with the ever changing industry technology, products and integration.READ MORE>
We are regularly audited by the SSAIB & BAFE to ensure all systems we install meet current BS & EU industry standard requirements, Our experienced and skilled staff will deliver the design, installation and commissioning of the entire system.READ MORE>
Preventative service visits form part of our industries codes of practice and are essential to ensure your electronic fire & security systems work effectively when most required. Amthal's service & maintenance contract customers receive priority response for all site and telephone support 24 hours a day 365 days a year.READ MORE>
Amthal partners with EMCS, the UK's leading independent alarm receiving centre. EMCS is approved by the security industry governing bodies NACOSS and BSIA to BS5979 and ISO9000. Their monitoring environment is resistant to any possible attack or power failures. All incoming telephone calls are responded to within 10 seconds!READ MORE>


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Namba scores 'Wheel' exposure
Hawaii designer Anne Namba will get some sweet screen time when "Wheel of Fortune" episodes recently shot on the Big Island air in November and February.
Co-hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White were in Waikoloa with 195 staff and crew from Los Angeles through Wednesday for tapings of the long-running game show.
This trip marks the fifth time "Wheel of Fortune" has been on location in Hawaii, and the third time taping at the Hilton Waikoloa Village.
The episodes will air between Nov. 3 to 14 and Feb. 9 to 20.
White, who is known for the dazzling gowns she wears on the show, will be wearing three outfits by the local designer, as well as other fitting looks by Tommy Bahama.
It's a process that started in June, when White's stylist, Kathi Nishimoto, contacted Namba, who shipped designs for fittings in L.A. in August.
In a phone interview Sunday from the Big Island, White, 57, said the fittings are necessary because she's a petite 5-foot-6 and most designer samples are intended for 6-foot-tall models.
"Most of the time the dresses need to be hemmed, and I need to make sure the outfits allow me to lift my arms to reach the top row of the puzzle board," she said.
"Wheel of Fortune" began airing in 1975 and is now ranked as the longest-running syndicated game show in the United States.
White joined "Wheel" in 1982 and quickly set off Vanna mania with her glamorous and ever-changing wardrobe. The show's website includes a Vanna's Links section under the Backstage menu with photos of recent dresses.
"I don't know how that happened, but after 32 years and 6,000 gowns, I've worn a little bit of everything and never repeated a dress," she said.
That makes the extra attention she received from crew members over Namba's designs all the more remarkable.
"Everyone's been really impressed by Anne Namba's clothing. They're so beautiful but they're also comfortable, and for me that's great," White said.
"I'm a very simple girl. When I'm not working, I like to wear sweats and blue jeans."
Nadine Kam is Style Editor and staff restaurant critic at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; her coverage appears in print on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Contact her via email at email@example.com and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Rebel Mouse.


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Crystal Power
Author: Kevin Dunn
Thursday, September 8, 2016
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Last month we explored the phenomenon called "soda ash," a layer of sodium carbonate that forms on the surface of raw soap whenever unreacted sodium hydroxide comes into contact with carbon dioxide in the air. The result is a layer of white powder that can be easily washed off with water, and easily prevented by covering raw soap with plastic film. But occasionally soapmakers come to me with a "soda ash" problem that does not wash off with water, and which forms despite covering the soap. While it appears similar to soda ash, this white layer is simply soap that is lighter in color than the soap surrounding it. Figure 1 shows white soap crystals that have formed in a bar of palm oil soap colored with maroon oxide. Figure 2 shows a cross section. Unlike soda ash, these crystals are not just a surface feature—they appear on the interior as well, and they do not wash off with water.
To understand this phenomenon it is important to recognize that soap is not a single compound, but a family of related compounds. All soaps are alkali salts of fatty acids. You can recognize their names on soap ingredient labels: sodum laurate, sodium myristate, sodium palmitate, and sodium stearate. These are the sodium salts of fatty acids with 12, 14, 16, and 18 carbon atoms, respectively. Any given oil molecule contains three fatty acid residues, and they may be different. Thus the saponification of any real world oil produces a mixture of soap molecules. Coconut oil soap, for example, contains primarily sodium laurate, but also contains sodium myristate and other soap molecules. Soaps produced from different oils have different properties because they contain different combinations of soap molecules.
Raw soap typically starts in a liquid state and becomes solid as saponification proceeds, and as the soap cools. Generally, when liquids turn to solid, crystals form. They may be large crystals like diamonds or quartz, or they may be too small to see with the naked eye. If you look at table salt with a magnifying glass, for example, you will see that it consists of tiny cubes, the natural shape of the sodium chloride crystal. Some crystals are so small, they are visible only under the microscope. Crystals form when identical molecules (such as sodium chloride) pack together in an orderly pattern, and the particular pattern determines the shape of the crystal.
Not every solid is crystalline, however. Glass is a non-crystalline solid, and so is ice cream. What makes them non-crystalline is that they are mixtures of different molecules. Ordinary window glass, for example, is actually a mixture of silicon dioxide, sodium oxide, and calcium oxide. Ice cream is a mixture of cream (itself a mixture), milk (another mixture), and sugar.
If you try to make ice cream by simply mixing the ingredients and shoving it into the freezer, you are bound to be disappointed. You will find that it separates into layers, each layer containing a different component of the mixture. If you have ever accidentally let ice cream melt and returned it to the freezer, you will have seen the same behavior. And even ice cream that stays frozen is not immune—ice crystals form on the surface if you don't eat it fast enough. This is just the natural order of things. When liquid mixtures freeze into solids, they typically separate into their components. As crystals grow, identical molecules pack together, pushing aside the "alien" molecules that don't fit. And as the "alien" molecules congregate, they form crystals of their own. The larger the crystals, the more complete the separation, and the uglier the ice cream becomes.
Left to its own devices, soap will also separate into crystals and for the same reasons. In its liquid state, the various soap molecules are all mixed up, but as the soap cools, each component begins to crystallize. If the cooling is rapid, there is not much time for separation to occur, and the crystals are too small to be visible with the naked eye. If soap remains liquid long enough, however, and particularly if there are areas of the soap at different temperatures, crystals may form that are large enough to see. If the top of the soap is cooler than the bottom, for example, the soap molecules with the highest freezing point will crystallize at the surface. As cooling continues, the soap molecules with the next lower freezing point solidify, and the process continues until the entire batch is solid.
The key to avoiding separation in soap is the same as for making ice cream. An ice cream churn keeps the ingredients mixed until they are too solid to separate. The concept of "trace" is the soapy equivalent. We continue mixing the soap until it is too solid to separate. If you have a separation problem with a soap that does not gel, solving it may be as simple as pouring at a thicker trace.
If your soap gels, however, the soap has a second chance to crystallize. The longer it remains in gel phase, the greater the chance of separation. If you oven process your soap, the solution to the problem may be as simple as taking it out of the oven sooner. If your molds are unevenly insulated, or if you stack them, the temperature may differ from one region to another, and soaps with different freezing points may crystallize in different regions. In this case, the answer may be as simple as paying more attention to insulation, or noticing a difference between soap from molds in the top, middle, or bottom of a stack. Since the freezing point of soap depends on the water concentration, increasing or decreasing the water portion may solve a soap crystallization problem. But the most imaginative solution to the problem is to turn it into a feature. If you get crystals consistently, you may decide that they provide a beautiful accent to your soap.
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"When soap has developed this crystal look, is it still safe to use?"
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Posted By: Spencer | January 13, 2018
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The soap is completely fine to use. It is more an aesthetic issue than anything.
Posted By: WSP Staff | Date: January 17, 2018
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I've just got the one outfit to share this week. Osian calls me 'Mumma', so when I saw this top I just had to get it. Even if he didn't call me Mumma, I probably would have got it anyway, it's so cute. I love his leggings, and think they go nicely with his top.
Top - Birdies & Bearcubs | Leggings - Hause of Zoe


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Temple Hill Surgery
The Surgery serves the Temple Hill community.
The surgery delivers much more than just clinical diagnosis and treatment also available is counselling, a sexual health clinic and smoking cessation.
Sure Start
A government initiative aimed at helping families with children aged 5 and under. Staff work closely with Temple Hill Surgery and run a number of projects and programmes including 'drop ins' for parents, carers and children, sessions on self-esteem and self-confidence, baby massage and parenting skills.
Community Café
Originally established as part of the Healthy Living Project, the community café is being run as a Social Enterprise. Open each day and staffed by volunteers from the community, the Community Café offers a selection of healthy snacks and meals.
Community Safety
Feeling safe is vital for people's well being and community cohesion. The Living Well offers a base for Kent County Council's Community Warden for Temple Hill. The Police Community Support Officers also regularly visit the Living Well. People from the community know that the Living Well is somewhere to go to talk in confidence about issues that concern them.
St Edmund's Church
The Living Well is the Anglican Parish Church for Temple Hill and the Bridge. St Edmund's Church has always had a community focus with an emphasis on being welcoming and accepting. It functions as a 7 day a week church offering a range of activities and opportunities to explore spirituality and life issues. This extends from worship events to bereavement support, youth work and community events.


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So this morning I woke up really early. Maybe it was because the sun was shining so bright in my room that I had to get up, or maybe it's because Jasper was using me as a playground. Whatever it was, I was up, and happy to know that the sun was out. The sun helps heal. It truly does, for me.
When I stepped foot outside my buildings front door, I see "Champagne of Beers" plastered on the side of a delivery truck. Is this a sign? I figure if I slow down and look around me, I will see signs from Scott. He introduced me to this beer at Taylor Lanes, where we spent many Friday nights. I smiled. Maybe he is subtly showing me that he's okay, or maybe I'm starting to understand that I will be okay.
Regardless of what it is, I will take all the signs I can get.
a raw, honest look inside the loss of my fiance and how my life will forever be changed.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Posted by graysonmiles at 6:28 AM
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Brooklyn, adapted by Nick Hornby from Colm Tóibín's 2009 novel and directed by John Crowley may be the best romantic drama of the past three or four years. There were times when I found myself holding my breath and wishing it would not end and then that it would end in a very specific way. Neil heard the tears from other audience members at the end and, as we stood reading the credits, I had a strong urge to sit down and watch it all over again. Yes, it's that good. In fact, to quote Mary Poppins, it's practically perfect in every way.
|At Coney Island
It's rare that working class characters are the focus of a major movie, though they regularly featured in New York set movies of the '30s through the '60s. In many ways, this looks like a movie made in that period except in color. That coloring has a legendary quality at times – maybe because some images such as the Manhattan skyline were CGI – but it works in its favor. There's a beautiful sequence on Coney Island where a bathing suit (and especially the different manners in which Americans and Europeans layer clothes) and a pair of men's long pants capture the mood of a decade and the aspirations of a generation. The rolling fortunes of different ethnic groups – Irish, Italian, and Black are mentioned both in the dialogue and visually; the upward mobility of women; and the migration from the past rural (Ireland) to the present urban (NYC) to the dreamed of future suburbs (Long Island) enrich a potentially simple fable into the profundity of myth.
|Saoirse Ronan in Ireland
This could be a family creation story told through the generations, but it's also an adventure story featuring a female protagonist (you'd guess rightly that it wasn't made or financed by Americans. Instead, Ireland, the U.K., and Canada made it happen). A young Irish girl leaves home, sponsored by her older sister and a priest, to pursue greater possibilities in New York in 1951. She experiences intense homesickness even as various people reach out to her. She finds fortune in kindness and help by her landlady, her supervisor, and her parish priest in Brooklyn
|Julie Walters as the Landlady
and that generosity by an older generation to ease the way for a younger adult reminded me of Vincente Minnelli's The Clock (1945), also set in a similar era. She returns these kindnesses with gratitude, respect, and good humor. She goes to a church dance and she sees a young man looking at her and in that moment, most viewers will know and begin to hope. I won't say anything more because the magic of this movie is in how it looks at the most mundane details of everyday life with a sense of wonder.
|An Individual Young Woman
Saoirse Ronan in the lead has the open face and graceful body in which a viewer can read pure and complex emotions. She doesn't need dialogue to express the character, which puts her in a league with Lillian Gish, Anna Magnani, Sophia Loren, Gong Li, and Julianne Moore. She was perverse and sort of frightening in Atonement (2007) when she was thirteen, but she presents the soul of the immigrant experience here. My Mother thought she was beautiful. She is, but it's because she embodies a character that grows emotionally, intellectually, and even physically before our eyes. She could be almost any young girl at the beginning, but at the end she is that individual young woman and the light that shines on her in the final frames could be a halo.
|Emory Cohen with Saoirse Ronan
Emory Cohen carries himself and reproduces the accent of a guy from '50s Brooklyn who would have been a featured movie player, but his eyes and facial contours might have entranced Caravaggio. He has the uncanny ability of making the camera love him from the first shot in which he appears. Burt Reynolds would instruct the camera to love him daily during a shoot and no performer can be a true star without that connection. He's unrecognizable from when he was the teenage son confused by his parents' split up on TV's Smash. His keen vulnerability seemed like a real teenager's, which made him an anomaly on a show that was almost completely artificial about artifice.
|Ronan and Cohen
Domhnall Gleeson, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, and Jessica Paré give performances detailed enough that viewers might want to know more about what's going on in their characters' lives beyond what is shared in the plot. Irish stage actress Brid Brennan stuns as a figure out of a fairytale, a witch who wakes the young heroine. The lighting, props, and furniture in this scene feel as creepy as Jabba the Hutt's surroundings and it's a credit to Crowley's tonal control that it works perfectly to initiate the plot's climax without upending the naturalism of the story. Another instance of a movie working on all levels is when two inexperienced people decide to make love for the first time and it doesn't quite work right, but the camera captures one of the character's faces and the look says, "oh, I thought it would be something more, but it'll get better because I love this person." It's pretty incredible when a performer and a cinematographer (in this case, Yves Bélanger) can capture something so poignant and true.


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Every time it starts to rain again I get this song stuck in my head.
I've never been a Eurhythmics fan and, until watching this video, always thought the singer was male.
In the past twenty four hours we've had 54.8mm of rain fall on our little house on the hill.


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OoOoOoOo... Stepping Stones.. this is the program we attend every Monday morning until mid June.. and I am hoping, that things are going to get worse before they get better. Owen was so happy to go this morning, but got super upset when Daddy (and mommy.. more so daddy) left the childrens area to go to the Parent portion of the class while the kiddies play and do crafts.
Ryan and I learned some yoga today.. holy crap. He was sweating beyond belief, and I have to admit I am not as, "bendy" as I thought I was.. haha. We had a fun time making fun of each other, and then Ryan wanted to go check on Owen, since we had left him crying. Ryan came back about 20 minutes later, and said Owen was having a meltdown, and the workers weren't really paying attention to him.. this was probably a good thing they were letting him have space, but so hard being his mommy.. so I was very upset. Ryan went back, and felt much better as Owen was playing with some other little boys building a tower with blocks.. and thus.. I felt better.
You have to try and understand.. we don't let anyone watch our children who are not family.. Ryan and I have a hard time letting our kids be watched by people we barely know, you never know what can happen.. and that is something I can prevent as of right now, so I do. Owen's main babysitters are our grandparents and his Uncle Josh.. that is about it.
Back to the story. We went back to the children's area, and this is when they wash their hands and have snack. Owen was done being there.. he wanted to leave. Ryan did get him to wash his hands, and then sit for snack. We knew we were going to have an issue, as snack was bananas and apple juice.. not one of Owen's choices of foods he will eat. We both tried several times, and he cried.. screamed.. whined.. but finally, Ryan got him to take a bite!! YAY!!!
We then smothered him in hugs and kisses.. we were so happy and proud of him! Then he kept doing the sign for, "all done" which we just taught him, and he does correctly! He is making so many strides lately, he amazes us daily.
I would also now like to brag he is up to 11 words.. the new ones include, "do", "two", "three", "cheese" (he lost but has back now) "puppy", and "hi".
So, I try to keep telling myself when he has these bad days, that things usually get worse before they get better...here's to some better days ahead.


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Meaning: said by Jehovah.
This name appears many times in the Old Testament.
one of the descendants of Aaron by Eleazar (1 Chronicles 6:7, 52)
He was probably the last of the high priests of Eleazar's line prior to the transfer of that office to Eli, of the line of Ithamar.
a Levite, son of Hebron, of the lineage of Moses (1 Chronicles 23:19; 24:23)
a "chief priest" who took an active part in the reformation under Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 19:11)
probably the same as mentioned in 1 Chronicles 6:9
"Azariah begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub" (1 Chronicles 6:11); Ezra descended from him (Ezra 7:3).
one of the high priests in the time of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 31:15)
great-grandfather of Zephaniah (Zeph. 1:1)
son was at Jerusalem (Neh. 11:4)
listed as one who was sealed (Neh. 10:3)
listed as a man who had a foreign wife (Ezra 10:42)


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Although Damon Gough has occasionally made headlines for being a bit temperamental, if not a downright bad boy, on stage, the songwriter known as Badly Drawn Boy is undoubtedly one hell of a songwriter, and a prolific one at that. In his ever-present knit hat, relaxing with a beer and telling stories about his inspirations, his setbacks, and his plans for the future, Damon was a generous and gracious guest when he recently joined Cheryl Waters on the Midday Show for an exclusive stripped down live set. He focused mostly on his 2009 album, Is There Nothing We Could Do?, containing music inspired by the British television film The Fattest Man in Britain, and between talking more about his soundtrack work, Damon also shared a song from his latest album, It's What I'm Thinking Pt.1 – Photographing Snowflakes, which may be the first in a trilogy — though don't hold him to that! As a special treat, and with the help of the KEXP staff and volunteers who had gathered to watch the in-studio, he played an older favorite, "You Were Right," assembling a one-time performance of The Seattle Whistle Choir to back him up. Check out the videos here:
Listen Live:
High Quality AAC+
Excellent for PC, Mac, iPhones/iPads, Android Devices, tablets, iTunes, Winamp, and VLC. High quality audio, low bandwidth
MP3 Stream
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KEXP AND THE UWKEXP is an
affiliate of the
University of Washington
iTunes and KEXPYou can now find KEXP under "Eclectic" in iTunes after the demise of the "Public" category, to better represent the diversity of our daytime variety shows and numerous specialty programs.
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Monday, January 2, 2012
9 comments:
- Cornell said...
This is a great subject and one that I hadn't really give a lot of though to. But now that you've opened that can of worms, I have to agree with you that I also prefer a character-driven story. If there's a great plot to go along with it, that's even better. Hunger Games comes to mind after writing that. Katniss presented us with a strong heroine, and her supporting cast members were equally well-painted. Toss that crew into the situation that was forced upon them and it's no wonder Suzanne Collins has had such success with that trilogy.Thanks for sharing and giving me more to think about.
- January 3, 2012 at 9:38 AM
- Sharon Ledwith said...
I'm definitely a character-driven kind of gal! I invest myself into the character(s) and I'm gone. I hurt when they hurt, cry when they cry, and laugh when they laugh! Great post! Thanks for reminding me why I love writing!
- January 3, 2012 at 1:27 PM
- anna garner said...
I agree. Character-driven all the way! I think that's the best way to get the reader emotionally involved. Thanks for the post. :-)
- January 3, 2012 at 1:40 PM
- Cordelia Dinsmore said...
Thank you, Anna, Sharon and Cornell for taking the time to comment. It amazes me how a great writer can make their characters so real. I've even wanted to punch one or two for their stupidity at times (the characters, not the writers). I mean, how long does it take until you figure out to lock your doors and stay out of the cellar! Especially when it's stormy out. And dark. And you're all alone - or so you think.
- January 3, 2012 at 1:53 PM
- Ruth Donnelly said...
Ooh, character, definitely! I've often said that I don't care if anything actually happens in a novel as long as the main character is intriguing enough! That's not really true, of course--the more I write, the more I admire a well-crafted plot. But it's characters who get me hooked and keep me reading.
- January 6, 2012 at 9:25 PM
- Cordelia Dinsmore said...
Thanks, Ruth, for stopping by and adding to the conversation. I totally agree with you.
- January 7, 2012 at 9:39 AM
Character is everything. Great post.
- January 7, 2012 at 6:19 PM
- Cordelia Dinsmore said...
Hi, Ann! Thanks so much for coming by. This post is helping me realize I'm in good company.
- January 8, 2012 at 1:24 PM
- Magic Mint said...
Characters all the way. A story with flat characters isn't a story at all. I love the characters that make me wish I was friends with them, or part of their gang, etc. Even better when I start mimicing them in everyday life.
- January 18, 2012 at 6:48 PM


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What to Pack for Your Cruise
You are all set to sail the open seas on the cruise of a lifetime. If you have never been on a cruise before than you might be wondering what to pack. What do you pack on a cruise set to water? Is there a limit to how many bags you can have? Do you really need that many pairs of clothes? What you pack and how you pack all depends on how many days your cruise will last and if you will be venturing off the boat from time to time. Also something to consider is what type of cruise line you are on. Are you exploring Alaska or the Bahamas? Regardless of weather, most of your trip will be controlled on the boat so you don't have to worry about packing the cold weather gear. According to Cruise Critic, casual attire is fine in the daytime on the ship however, formal wear is required in the evening on many cruise liners. If the idea of formal wear freaks you out don't worry! For ladies, formal wear can be a long cotton dress or silk pantsuit where for men business suits would be fine.
According to Royal Caribbean, you should limit how many suitcases you bring because there is limited storage areas. Besides the apparel you should also consider packing aloe vera (for burns), few pairs of shoes (such as sneakers, flip flops, and formal) and a pair of binoculars. If you forget something, the ships always have onboard shops. However, if you want to save money you should buy what you need ahead of time. A great place to start looking is Overstock. Whether you are searching for jewelry, watches, women wear, men's wear, items for kids and baby and so much more including furniture, rug, and décor for your home. Whatever you need for your cruise trip you can find it at Overstock and with their partnership with Groupon Coupons you will save money on your purchase.
Visit Overstock today and be ready for your cruise but be sure to visit Groupon Coupons first for money saving promo codes and coupon codes. Use this coupon and get 15 percent off furniture. Act now and score big with 30 percent off during the spring black Friday sale! Enjoy an extra $40 off plus free shipping with this code. Overstock even has items for your car. Use this code and get up to 30 percent off tires and rims. Enjoy saving $10 off with this coupon plus free shipping. Get up to 50 percent off bath and shower products. Use this code and score 10 percent off your entire order. Act now and save $25 plus free shipping. New to Overstock? Use this code and get $25 off and free shipping. From 10 percent off with this coupon to up to 75 percent off during the home improvement sale you will always be saving when you visit Groupon Coupons first.
Take the cruise of a lifetime and have everything you to make it a good one when you shop Overstock first. From everything you need in your suitcase to dressing up your home for when you return you will always be ready when you shop Overstock. Be sure to stop on over to Groupon Coupons first so that you can save money on everything you need.


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With the bank's revising their interest rates offered on fixed deposits, it has become hard to work out which banks are offering the best interest rates on fixed deposits.
The banks began cutting down the interest rates on fixed deposits towards the end of 2014 as the Reserve Bank of India cut rates by 75 basis points. Across one to five years, most banks lowered their interest rates by 50 to 75 basis points. Few banks like Canara bank, Punjab National Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, United Bank of India, Vijaya Bank and Oriental Bank of Commerce have made deeper cuts. Canara Bank reduced the interest rate on deposits of one to five years from 9 percent to 8 percent in the past four months. Since the interest rates are on a downward cycle, further rate cuts are expected. Lakshmi Vilas Bank fixed deposits and Karur Vysya Bank fixed deposits are offering the best rates.
Longer term deposits' options
Investing in a longer term deposit makes sense at this stage as shorter term deposits will offer you less interest on the money you will invest. In case you have no immediate need, then consider investing in deposits from three years to less than five years. For the three to less than five year term, Lakshmi Vilas Bank fixed deposits and DCB Bank fixed deposits are currently offering the highest interest rate at 8.6 percent. It also offers fixed deposits for a minimum opening balance of Rs.100. the interest is compounded on a quarterly basis for the cumulative deposits made. The interest pay-out option is also made available. DCB has a minimum deposit of Rs.10,000 and if you are choosing the cumulative option, then the interest will be compounded. DCB deposits can be opened online.
Karur Vysya Bank on the other hand offer slightly lower rates on their fixed deposits. The bank offers 8.5 percent for the three year time frame deposits. Currently, it is hard to predict how the interest cycle will unfold and it is not wise to opt for fixed deposits for tenures of five years and above. It is also advisable to go for a cumulative option if you require a regular monthly cash flow.
Shorter term deposits
It is ideal to invest for at least three years. Lakshmi Vilas Bank will pay 8.6 percent interest for deposits of one year and above. DCB offers 8.55 percent interest for deposits between 12 and 24 months. Karur Vysya Bank, Andhra Bank and TMB will offer you 8.5 percent interest on one to two year deposits.
Then there are also the special deposits schemes that will offer higher rates. TMB's has 555-day deposit that gives 8.6 percent interest and State Bank of Patiala offers 8.52 percent interest on one to 555 days deposits.


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Winners Announced!
Everclear have announced the winners in each state who have won the golden opportunity to open for Everclear on their Australian tour which kicks off later this week.
Some amazingly talented bands entered the competition. After thousands of votes from all around the country, and then the final selection by Everclear's Art Alexakis himself the winners are:
Cooly Hotel, Coolangatta Wednesday 10th October:
Lilly Rogue
HiFi, Brisbane Thursday 11th October:
Smoking Martha
HiFi, Sydney Friday 12th October:
HiFi, Melbourne Saturday 13th October:
Darcee Fox
Capitol, Perth Sunday 14th of October:
Jake and the Cowboys
These five talented bands will join Perth band Emperors as special guests on Everclear's Australian tour, Melbourne has already sold out and all of the other shows are not far behind! Everclear and KillRockStar Big Dog Entertainment offer their congratulations to the winners and thank all the bands from across the country for entering, it was an amazing example of just how kick arse the Australian music scene really is!
Special Guests Emperors and Ashes
KillRockStar Big Dog Entertainment Present:
Australian Tour 2012
Wednesday 10 October Cooly Hotel. Coolangatta
with Special Guests Emperors and Lilly Rogue
Tickets: www.oztix.com.au
Thursday 11 October HiFi. Brisbane
with Special Guests Emperors and Smoking Martha
Tickets: www.thehifi.com.au / www.moshtix.com.au
Friday 12 October HiFi. Sydney
Tickets: www.thehifi.com.au / www.moshtix.com.au
Saturday 13 October HiFi. Melbourne (SOLD OUT!)
with Special Guests Emperors and Darcee Fox
Sunday 14 October Capitol. Perth
with Special Guests Emperors and Jake and The Cowboys
Tickets: www.oztix.com.au


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Free Unit Program Planning Supplies
This post was published 5 years 8 months 16 days ago. Please visit the Indian Nations Council home page, or the home page for your District, for the latest events and information. Thank you!
This month's Roundtable topic will be on planning your Pack, Troop or Crew program. The Roundtable Commissioner staff will be providing a presentation on how to plan for and hold a unit program planning meeting.
Supplies will be provided for each unit, such as: program notebooks and planning calendars
A well planned program is the key in providing the youth the best possible Scouting experience.
Please plan to attend your district's meeting in order to pick up your unit's supplies.


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So it's time for a new fortnightly challenge at an Oldie But A Goodie and this week it's the turn of our boss Francesca to host the challenge and she has chosen the theme:
Here's my card:
LOTV Nitwit Country Lady Papers
Ribbons from Stash
Cardstock & Pearls - NEC Stash
Magnolia Greeting Stamp
Stampin' Up Ruby Red Ink
Crystal Ice Stickles
Spellbinders Circle Nesties
We are sponsored this fortnight by Pretty Little Ribbon Shop
To take part in the challenge YOU MUST USE SOMETHING ON YOUR CARD WHICH IS AT LEAST 6 MONTHS OLD - this could be flowers, papers, stamps, etc, however you MUST state on your post which item/s you have used.
Sweet Sketch Wednesday
Stampavie & More 194 Ribbon or Lace
Pennys 128 Circles
Thanks for popping in today, your visits and comments are always appreciated.
Have a fabulous day!


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With the recent death of team owner Ralph Wilson, Buffalo Bills fans and observers are pondering the uncertain future of a proud and storied franchise
Misery, the Buffalo Bills are your team.
The Hall of Fame owner has died, and the team might be bought by any number of interested parties, including outspoken real estate mogul — and oftentimes political lightning rod — Donald Trump.
The franchise just paid $3 million to settle a lawsuit about texting its fans too often (its fans!), and its cheerleaders have taken a pass for next season because the company that manages them has allegedly discriminated against them and failed to pay them fairly, according to a lawsuit filed by five of the Buffalo Jills.
The Bills' stadium is getting $130 million in upgrades, paid in part by taxpayers. And that's just an interim solution until a new stadium — the location still the subject of much debate — can be built.
Jim Kelly, a man who first spurned, then learned to love lake-effect snow, is waging a very public and emotional battle with a nasty form of cancer. When he winces, we all do. In a visceral sense, he embodies the fight to keep the Bills in Buffalo.
And the team — young but continuing to add to its talent pool. The last winning season? George Pataki was governor and Bill Clinton was in the White House. That was in 1999. This year's schedule? Not exactly a cakewalk. The team plays December games against the Packers, Broncos and twice-yearly nemesis New England. Three of the four games are on the road.
Yet, the fans are incredibly loyal.
"I can't call myself a 'fan,'" said Brian Cummings of Shortsville, a nurse who spent part of his flaming youth as a sportscaster. "I'm part of a 'regional expectation': following the Bills is kind of like shoveling snow — it's just what you do if you're born in this area, like white hots on a garbage plate. I'm an observer. Win or lose on Sundays, I still have to go to work on Mondays."
For fans or interested and learned observers, the questions and speculations about the fate of the Bills are fueling a football version of a hot-stove season of interest.
Who will buy the team?
How important are the Bills to Buffalo and western New York (and parts of Canada)?
What will happen to the stadium?
Will the Bills stay in Buffalo?
If they leave, what happens?
New Bills owner
Donald Trump is his own selfie. A master of the deal and all the bluster around it, he has already owned a professional pro football team, the New Jersey Generals of the USFL, which included former Bills Doug Flutie and center Kent Hull. He also sued the NFL.
Will he be the next owner?
"I'm very skeptical of how serious he is about this," said Scott Pitoniak, a sportswriter who has covered the Bills since 1985 and has written five books about the team. "He wanted to run for president, he wanted to run for governor. There's no question he likes to be in the news: it's like oxygen to him, but I'll believe it when he actually makes an offer.
"And this is such a complex thing. If Trump goes ahead and makes a winning offer," Pitoniak said, "he still has to be approved by a high percentage of the vote of the current NFL owners. It will be interesting to see how that plays out. If they don't want you, you don't get in."
Cummings agrees.
"The NFL owners are going to vet Trump personally and vet his finances six ways from Sunday. The NFL wants to know if he has real cash money. Trump knows the answer to that; the question is, does he want the whole world to know the answer to that question?
"From a fan perspective, you don't want an owner who says stupid things. Trump has a talent for putting his foot in his mouth," Cummings said. "Do you want a loose cannon to have the opportunity to say something really embarrassing?"
He also adds that as a USFL owner, Trump sued the NFL. "That probably barred him from the NFL for life. He needs 24 of the other 31 NFL owners to vote him into their little club. That might be a problem."
Might Terry Pegula, owner of the Buffalo Sabres ice hockey club, be a contender? Cummings doesn't think so.
"He's been described to me as a 21st century Jed Clampett," said Cummings. "He's a fan with deep pockets, but does he have the acumen to run something that big? The Bills are probably four times what the Sabres are. The Sabres are like a lemonade stand compared to the Bills."
How about Bob Rich? Maybe, say Pitoniak and Cummings.
"The Rich family had naming rights to the stadium for a quarter of a century," said Pitoniak. "That's another billionaire with deep, deep Buffalo roots."
Added Cummings: "He had the competence to manage the Bisons. He's a known quantity, but we haven't heard a lot from the Rich family."
Andre Reed and Jim Kelly have made noise about possibly being front men for conglomerates that would take over the Bills, but there are many unanswered questions about who would back them.
"My dark horse is Jeremy Jacobs," said Pitoniak. "He's from Buffalo, he owns Delaware North Companies (55,000 employees worldwide), the world's largest concessionaire, with contracts with a large percentage of NFL, NBA and NHL stadiums. He owns the Boston Bruins (ice hockey) and the new TD (Boston) Garden.
"He has genuine roots in the Buffalo area and would want to see the franchise stay there. He could end up being the white knight riding in to save the day."
Pitoniak said Jeremy Jacobs himself could not own the Bills because he owns the Bruins. But one of the Jacobs sons could certainly be the titular head of the franchise.
Cummings also feels the Jacobs family is strongly positioned with dog and horse tracks — even more experience in running sports franchises. "My hope is that the Jacobs come through. He's a known quantity in managing sports at high levels and the other NFL owners know him and know what they're getting into with him. He's what people should be hoping for."
Value to Western New York
Former broadcaster Chuck Wade is a financial analyst at Brighton Securities, and he has some thoughts on the value of the Bills.
"It's not going to be cheap (to buy)," said Wade. "I would not be surprised if the future owner ends up paying well over $900 million to $1 billion for the team. … Ralph Wilson passed on ownership of the team to his wife, Mary. She is now technically the owner. The team will go to auction with prospective owners.
"There is a new lease with the stadium. It's a 10-year lease, and for the first seven years, anyone who tries to move the team has to pay $400 million. Then there's a one-year period when the team can be moved for a $28.4 million fee, then it's back to the $400 million. That was the language put into the contract to keep the Bills here, to help assure the future of the Bills is in western New York."
The one-time exception when the Bills can break the lease is in 2020.
Additionally, the Toronto Sun reported that there's an out clause in the lease that prohibits the sale of the NFL franchise to anyone who intends to relocate the team — at least before that agreement expires in July 2023. The article said that might even supersede the out clause in 2020.
Wade also mentioned another potential buyer, former Victor resident Tom Golisano, who bought the Sabres to keep them in Buffalo and could step in again for the sake of the Bills.
Economics of football
According to state officials, the Bills account for hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact as well as hundreds of jobs in western New York.
"The economic impact must also take into consideration," said Wade. "Businesses that benefit directly and indirectly from the team and its fans, advertising revenue and contracts for local businesses, national exposure for advertisers, the increased attraction for businesses interested in locating in a city with an NFL franchise, income tax of salaries for Bills players and staff, and the resulting economic spin-off that is probably impossible to put a price tag on."
However, a report by the Buffalo News in 2012 said the economic impact of the Bills is relatively modest.
The paper said that "based on 2010 U.S. Department of Commerce statistics, the gross domestic product of the Buffalo-Niagara market was $45.15 billion. Remove the Bills from that total, and 'it doesn't leave a ripple,' said Bruce Fisher, former Erie County deputy executive and founding director of the Center for Economic and Policy Studies at Buffalo State."
The paper quoted Fisher as saying there is no substantial economic benefit from the Bills, noting the millions of dollars in subsidies to the team. That's money, he said, that could be spent elsewhere for a greater economic return. Additionally, money not spent on buying Bills tickets and related expenses would go back into the economy in other ways.
But most everyone agrees there is a psychological loss if the Bills leave.
"The Bills have been a part of people's lives for a long time," said Wade. "Talk to anyone from this area and they have memories of the Buffalo Bills. People have traditions of every Sunday, going to the game, or watching the game on TV. My wife and I had our first child, and the day she was born, we were buying her a Bills outfit. This is part of people's lives, part of the atmosphere and the landscape.
"You go out of the area and tell people you're from Buffalo," Wade said, "and the first thing they mention is the team that couldn't win a Super Bowl in four tries, and wings, and cold temperatures and snow. But the Bills always come first in the conversation."
"The Bills have a regional identity," said Cummings. "They're western New York's tie to the big time."
Wade noted that having the team at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford for three weeks in the summer is a boon to the local economy, noting that the out-of-town visitors all spend money in the area.
Pitoniak said the Bills "are part of the collective psyche and emotion and quality of life here. There are only 32 NFL franchises. They are the most lucrative, prestigious sports franchise in the world, and the Buffalo area has one of them. That makes Buffalo major league, it really does.
"The Bills have been a tradition that's gone on for more than half a century — part of the overall culture of the region," Pitoniak continued. "It would be a huge loss, a huge blow to the collective psyche of the region if they left."
"A Bills' departure would cut a piece of the heart and soul out of this region," he said.
The stadium and the Bills' tenure
Pitoniak isn't so sure that the Bills' future is solidly set in Western New York.
"Keeping the Bills in Buffalo — I don't think any owner can make that a blanket statement forever," said Pitoniak. "Given the economics of western New York, I don't know if that's a promise you can make. It gets complicated down the road."
Ask the state about the Bills in western New York and the answer is unequivocal.
"Gov. Cuomo's priority is to keep the Bills in Buffalo," said Howard B. Glaser, director of state operations and senior policy adviser to the governor. "The ironclad guarantees in the final agreement reflect that, as well as shows the team's commitment to western New York. With this in place, both sides continue to work together and are focused on building a long-term future for the team and the region."
Cummings and Pitoniak see other scenarios.
"The stadium — that's an issue that will have to be addressed through a massive renovation or an entirely new stadium built," said Pitoniak. "We've seen massive renovations of the Chiefs, Bears, Green Bay stadiums. It's clearly an issue down the road.
"And given the economic climate, how will that sit with taxpayers?" Pitoniak said. "School systems are really struggling, Buffalo is one of the most impoverished areas of the state, and you want to be giving hundreds of millions of dollars to construct a stadium for a private enterprise? That's a sticky wicket."
Pitoniak said that "as much as the NFL pines for a team or two in Los Angeles, there's no suitable stadium available. It's a pretty expensive proposition. There are NFL teams in more dire straits and might be the team to move instead of the Bills — San Diego has stadium issues, Jacksonville doesn't sell out games, Tampa doesn't sell out games. Other teams are easier for the plucking than Buffalo."
Cummings sees it differently.
"I think the first stadium completed will get or keep the Bills. If Los Angeles gets its stadium up before Buffalo does — they'll get the Bills. The future expense of operating the franchise is tied to a stadium. The first locale ready to play football and sell tickets is going to get or keep the Bills. Buffalo or Niagara or Orchard Park will have to come up with a new stadium."


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- Just finished up the 2-piece set that's my next deadline. I need to finish the pattern draft and that can head off to my TE!
- I started work on sweater 1 of 3 - that's on small needles, but I've started with the first sleeve (which I like to do to double-check my gauge before casting on the entire sweater) and am about halfway done that. My plan is to finish sleeve #1 and cast on for the body of the sweater, which is knit in the round, and focus on that this week.
- I'm still working on the prototype/sample for the Sweater Club - I'm going to try to put in a bit of time on that as well this week.
- And finally, the yarn for sweater 3 of 3 arrived yesterday, so I've got that ready to go when I get one of the others done!
Personal Knitting: I'm knitting a gazillion stripey socks right now to try out some new colorways. I have a feeling I will have a fair number of lone socks until I get more colorways established and ready to go and I can knit the mates to them. Otherwise, not much on the personal knitting front.