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Tonight I smacked his leg when he wouldn't stop kicking the dog as I had asked multiple times. It stung him because it stung my fingers a little too. After I did that, he stopped and turned to the couch instead and I accepted that. So it worked but I felt like shit for doing it.
Have you exhausted everything and smacked your kid? Not in the face but in the hand or arm or leg? How did it work for you? I know I was smacked and spanked a lot as a kid but I tried to avoid it with my own and it was my last resort and the only one that stopped him in his tracks.


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• HiStat uses electrostatic properties to attract and hold dust particles.
• HiStat dust mops are manufactured from durable specially blended yarn that is sewn onto a durable polyester backing.
• The specially blended yarn allows dust mops to withstand heavy use and repeated commercial laundering with virtually
no fraying, tangling, unravelling and linting.

subset: commoncrawl


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Bishop of Doncaster leads Midnight Mass
27th December 2014
(From John 1:1-14)
"Sam and Monty are the best of friends. Sam thinks he knows just what Monty's dreaming of for Christmas. Something that'll make one little penguin's Christmas Day". Based on the book "Monty's Christmas" it shows that the best gift comes from the heart. What Monty is looking for is love. Do you recognise the story? It is, in case you hadn't guessed, the story that lies behind the John Lewis Christmas advert. I don't know how they do it but Lewis's seem to come up with an imaginative and memorable advert every year, an advert that makes you think just a little differently And they usually have a catchy song to go with it and this year is no exception. In fact the words really underpin the meaning of the story. Sung by Tom Odell and originally written by John Lennon, the song "Real" says this:
"All my little plans and schemes, lost like some forgotten dreams, seems that all I really was doing was waiting for you. Just like little girls and boys playing with their little toys. Seems like all they were really doing was waiting for love. Chorus, don't need to be alone, it's real love, its real love"
The advert is obviously designed to encourage us to spend our money in John Lewis and it raises all sorts of questions about the commercialism of Christmas and the danger of people running into serious debt which I've spoken about on other occasions and recently in the Doncaster Star, so I won't repeat it this evening. But whilst aimed at a target audience for commercial reasons, one can't deny that the advert and the words of the song - which is on sale to support the charity World Wildlife Fund - tug a little at the heart and have a powerful undertone. At the end of the day who doesn't want to be loved – real love -the love of a family or close friends.
That also reminds me of a programme I heard a few weeks back on the radio where an ex-army officer who'd been serving in Bosnia had made it his life time's work, following military service, to set up orphanages in Bosnia and Romania. But of late he'd reversed that policy and was trying to get children into families and close down the orphanages. But the most powerful bit of the story was when they asked a young person what belonging to a family meant. His answer was powerful in its simplicity - LOVE he said.
Love is a very powerful emotion and a basic need. Deprived of love we fall into all sorts of emotional states. But some people use the word love to control and coerce others, it can be used as a destructive and negative force as we so often witness in cases of abuse, the use of power and control of the strong over the weak and vulnerable. Love is talked about too glibly and some seem to fall in and out of it on a regular basis, even though it inevitably means someone gets emotionally and even spiritually hurt. Paloma Faith sung in one of her recent songs that "Only Love can hurt like this". It indicates the depth and passion by which love is felt and experienced.
At its very best love is something that binds you with another person in a deeply committed and giving relationship which survives all things. It's an emotion that's felt at the very deepest level or our being, almost indescribable. St Paul has a good go in his letter to the Corinthians. "Love" he says "is patient and kind, love isn't envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It doesn't insist on its own way, it isn't irritable or resentful, it doesn't rejoice in wrong doing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never ends". "And now" Paul says, "faith, hope and love abide, these three and the greatest of these is love". This evening all of us are being invited into the most powerful and greatest love story ever told an everlasting love – as the song says – a Real love that will not end.
This love story is what Christmas is about. The story of Christmas reminds us that God loves us so much he sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world. The word of God, John tells us, became flesh and dwelt amongst us. In Christ God has healed the great divide between us and him; it's a great affirmation of our real worth and value, an expression of love, he identifies with us especially in our weakness and suffering. It was a self-humbling and deeply loving act of God which is irreversible. God is eternally with us in love. It's what C.S Lewis calls "The Grand Miracle". And the other part of this great love story is that he wants to share it with us, he invites us into a relationship. God's love never changes and it doesn't fade in and out on a whim or fancy. It doesn't matter who we are, we're all loved creatures of God and he longs for each of us to join in this relationship with him.
There'll be many people around the world who today and every day aren't just alone, but deeply lonely and who feel unloved and unwanted. There'll be people today asleep on our streets or in hostels who feel unloved and unwanted, there are others who will be vulnerable and afraid. Over the past week we've witnessed, yet again, horrific scenes of death through acts of terrorism and murder and senseless violence. Wars and political unrest continue to rage in different parts of the world and numerous people live in constant fear and anxiety. Many are left wondering what sort of real love still exists in the world. The only answer is the genuine love of God shown to us in the person of Jesus Christ who gave his all for us and our sinful world, a world that continues to reject him, and yet he still invites us into a depth and
passion of love that can change our world forever.
I hope that all of us here this evening will have a fantastic Christmas shared in love with family and friends, but as we do let's just pause for a moment to think of those who aren't experiencing REAL love of someone or of God. When we experience the love of God in our lives, it may not make the circumstances very different but we'll know in our hearts that we'll never be alone, our lives will be transformed as we're caught up in his saving love and passion but also the love experienced by longing to the family of God, the community of faith. Even, if like those orphans I spoke about at the beginning, you don't have immediate family you'll always find a place in the family of God. Christmas shows us that God is deeply committed to us in love, a love that's so great that he gave us his Son Jesus Christ who ultimately died so that we might be saved. There is no love gift greater than this, only God can save us and that's the best Christmas present any of us can have and which I so strongly desire for you and everyone. Happy Christmas.


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I'm a stay at home mom and I found that this sacred and elusive job does not get the credit it deserves. I've been at home for over nine years now and it's hard for most people to see the accomplishment in that. Being a parent is the best job in the whole world, but it is a job that doesn't make you any money. I felt guilty about that for a long time (which drives my husband nuts). I was surrounded by family and friends that not intentionally made me feel like I was doing something wrong. I sat and had drinks or dinners, listening to their stories about work and how stressed they were, and tired. They worked all day, went home to take care of kids and do housework. They said that I wouldn't understand, that I was lucky and could just stay home all day and…what? Do nothing? Is that what they wanted to say? Some probably, yes, but they are wrong. Just because I don't bring home a paycheck doesn't mean I don't work. I work very hard for my family every day and to think that I haven't sacrificed things is a gross understatement, one such thing is my identity.
I used to love going out and having drinks with friends. Believe it or not I was once quite a social butterfly, but over the course of the years of me staying home I lost that. Now whenever I think about being social my stomach ties up in knots and I have a panic attack. I'm not a therapist, but I do know some of the reasons I'm like this. One reason is the fact that I do spend so much time alone now. During the school months I spend the majority of my day by myself doing what needs to be done. Sure I have the computer and phone but it doesn't take the place of interacting with real people. For a time a volunteered, and I even joined a gym, but for some reason I fell in a rut. I didn't know how to talk to people anymore. I felt judged and I was so afraid I would say something stupid, so I isolated myself and it's been hard to pull myself out of this pit I fell in. That's one of the main reasons I wanted to write my book. I wanted people to know that I was still here even though I had felt like I had disappeared. Things are getting better though. I have friends at my daughter's karate and I've met some pretty cool people by promoting my book. My husband is my rock and without him I think I would have lost it a long time ago. He is the only person in my life who has never judged me and accepts, no, encourages the lifestyle we have chosen. I'm not back to the way I was but I'm working on it.
I feel like I've gotten off track with my mental breakdown, so let's get back to the main topic here shall we? Through all this rambling my real point I wanted to make was that I'm proud to be a stay at home mom. I'm proud of the fact that I've helped raise a beautiful daughter on my values and not someone else's. She learns things from me, not a babysitter or daycare and it's her parent that she always knows will be there when she needs them. Please all you working parents don't get angry with me because I am in no way criticizing how you raise your families. I just don't want to be criticized anymore either. I want to be accepted for who I've chosen to be and not what everyone else thinks I should be doing. Our jobs are all the same whether we get paid or not. Our job is to provide and take care of our families. We all have different ways of doing this and as long as we are doing right it shouldn't matter how it gets done.
I am I working mom and I've learned that I don't need to get paid to feel justified. My worth to my family is priceless and I wouldn't change a thing.


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Monday, June 1, 2009
The Plague
Moving on, I cannot believe it's June 1st. Matthew will be turning 2 at the end of this month. Where has the time gone? We're having an Elmo themed birthday party for him. He LOVES Elmo. I can't wait for him to see Elmo (well the Elmo decor) at his birthday party, I think he'll be very excited!
We've been going back and forth about going on vacation this summer. We had talked about going away on Andrew's due date but that might not work out for us. I would love to go to the beach and just relax. That sounds good right about now.
4 comments:
- Tamara said...
I'm sorry that you are dealing with what Amy dealt with as far as some people ignoring the subject.
Wow, 2 years old. I remember when you first announced you were pregnant with Matthew and then we went to Niagara Falls, LMAO at memories of that trip!
I hope you find some time to get away this summer.
- June 1, 2009 at 2:27 PM
- Nicole said...
The sting of others not acknowledging your loss is so hurtful. I know. Especially if that neglect comes from those closest to you. I pray you'll discover new friends through this journey that will know just what to do and say. Thinking of you, especially now, when the loss is so fresh and so raw.
- June 3, 2009 at 2:32 PM
- Whitney said...
I just found your blog and read your story. I'm sick with sadness for you. We lost our son to trisomy 18 just 3 months ago and I would never want to go back to those first few weeks after he died. It gets easier, even though in some ways, I don't ever want it to be easier to deal with the fact that my child is gone. It's just a terribly painful wound that never really seems to heal. I'm so, so sorry.
I'll be praying for you and your family.
- June 3, 2009 at 2:40 PM
- Cara said...
Shelly - I am so very sorry for all that you lost when Andrew died. Losing a child is excruciating. Our first, Emma Grace was born still on Sept 8th, 2000 at 40 weeks and 1 day.
I look forward to reading and hugging you tightly through your grief - as tight as blogs will allow...
please feel free to add your Andrew to our wall of angels. www.wallofangels.blogspot.com
- June 4, 2009 at 1:25 PM


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Via ShutterStock
This week's hack job of Ashley Madison has left many-a-philanderer shaking in his/her boots. The website which boasts the motto, "Life is short, have an affair" has been the victim of hackers and now all 37 million subscribers of the site are left vulnerable, wondering if their wife or husband will find out that they married little more than a common street whore.
Trying times for those folks. Really feel for them. Sarcasm.
Out of the hacks comes one interesting...


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In 2008 Tom Daley became Britain's youngest ever European gold medallist just shortly before his Olympic debut in Beijing – where he became Great Britain's second youngest male Olympian, aged just 14.
The Devon diver has since won a combined total of ten World, Commonwealth and European Championship gold medals as he quickly established himself as one of the finest in the world.
He also has two Olympic medals to his name having won bronze in the 10m platform at London 2012 before adding another in the 10m synchro alongside Dan Goodfellow at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Daley teamed up with Goodfellow once again to win gold in the same event at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, before taking a break from competing for the rest of the year.
Afrojack - 'Turn up the speakers'
Step 1. The message
Leave your good luck message
Post-Rio spotlight on...diving
Daley: British divers can look ahead to Rio with confidence
Brit watch: Who to look out for in February
Rio Spotlight on...Diving
Sarah Barrow and Tonia Couch became the first British females to win a European medal for 74 years when they took 10m synchro gold at the 2012 European Cham
Lee is part of Britain's podium potential squad having excelled both domestically and internationally since 2012.He is a two- time European junior cha
Rebecca Gallantree made her third and final Olympic Games appearance at Rio 2016, finishing fifth in the 3m synchro with Alicia Blagg.She first competed at
Jack Laugher and 3m synchro partner Chris Mears became Britain's first ever diving Olympic champions after claiming a historic gold at Rio 2016.The Yorkshir
Chris Mears made his Olympic debut at London 2012, where he finished fifth with Nick Robinson-Baker in the 3m synchro and ninth in the 3m springboard.The Re
Originating from Plymouth, Tonia Couch made her third Olympic Games appearance at Rio 2016, finishing fifth with new diving partner Lois Toulson in the 10m


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"that girl is a real crowd pleaser"
"That girl is a real crowd pleaser, small world all her friends know me"
(Black Beatles) - Rae Sremmurd
Rae Sremmurd's "Black Beatle" was the style inspiration behind this look. Considering how much attention it got for it's opening liner and millions of people re-creating the mannequin challenge, it was inevitable this song wasn't leaving my head. So, I instantly went to the drawing board...
Rae Sremmurd is relating themselves to a current day version of the Beatles. Therefore, it made me think of an all black retro look bringing back the bell bottoms, flowy sleeves, with a little choker action to represent what's trending today. I love this top from Zara, it is so convenient the choker is buttoned to the shirt so you have the option of having a choker or not, genius!
I think styles from the 60's, 70's, and 90's will be trending this year. We are seeing a lot of high-waisted bell bottom pants, velvet shirts/dresses, chunky heels, and old popular sport brands making a come back. Creating a modern day retro look is so fun and it proves the motto "that will go out of style" wrong! Looks like our horrible outfit choices from our past weren't so bad after all, well at least the ones trending again. Dress to impress and remember be "a real crowd pleaser" ;)
shop the look: { top (similar), pants, shoes, bag, sunglasses }
photography by: Medium Raw Arts


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About Missoula
In the town itself we could see was tree filled and riddled with cool old brick buildings. It also features a plethora of outdoor splendor from hillside hikes to rivers, streams and parks on all sides. We had come mostly to visit my mom, who moved here last fall, but will find the place difficult to leave after just 2 weeks, especially since I've only been able to ride my new bike for an hour or so on 2 days. It does however look awesome in the back of the truck, making everyone jealous of our cool toys haha. We've been going to my moms after work on most evenings and it's so awesome that its now getting dark around 10pm! We may just now be getting our summer weather but at least we can still enjoy it after work! Why doesn't it get dark at this every night of the year! Work week is over for me. time to ride my bike and have a BBQ!!
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Lucky Strike Bar & Casino
1515 Dearborn Ave, Missoula, MT 5980
Hooters Missoula Poker Room
3050 Stockyard Road, Missoula, MT 5980
James Bar
127 West Alder, Missoula, MT 5980
The Other Place bar & grill
12120 highway 10 E., Missoula, MT 5980
The Rhino
158 Ryman St, Missoula, MT 5980
Bodega Bar Missoula
221 Ryman Street, Missoula, MT 5980
Al's & Vic's
119 W Alder St, Missoula, MT 5980
Sunrise Saloon
1805 Regent St, Missoula, MT 5980
The Palace Lounge
147 W. Broadway, Missoula, MT 5980
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Corner of Broadway & Ryman, Missoula, MT 5980
Red's Bar
217 Ryman Street, Missoula, MT 5980
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134 West Front Street, Missoula, MT 5980
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225 Ryman St., Missoula, MT 5980
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208 Ryman, Missoula, MT 5980
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About Us
In 1993 Sandi Connell R.N. founded REACT SEMINARS with a solid goal in mind: to teach life-saving emergency response through engaging, interactive techniques. This goal remains at the forefront of every course taught by REACT SEMINARS.
Sandi has over 25 years experience in the medical field including ICU, Cardiology and Orthopedics. She is actively involved with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, both in corporate and community capacities, providing blood pressure clinics and "Lunch and Learn" sessions. She is a CERTIFIED Heart and Stroke instructor, an authorized provider for the Canadian Red Cross and a member of theMarkham Board of Trade.
REACT SEMINARS courses will help you respond confidently to health and safety related emergencies. All courses are WSIB approved.


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Products already available include oviductal and uterine fluids coming from healthy animals with all the sanitary certificates and classified according to the phase of the estrous cycle when they were collected (Carrasco et al., 2008a; 2008b)
The fluids have been processed in our laboratories under strict biosafety conditions and after purification and lyophilization, their biological activity has been assessed. The test used for biological activity is the Zona Pelucida (ZP) digestion time (Coy et al., 2008).
We have found that the ZPs of oocytes from different mammals increase their resistance to enzymatic digestion to a greater or lesser extent when they are incubated in the oviductal fluid (Mondéjar et al., 2013).


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On this day as Americans are celebrating their Thanksgiving, I here in Canada would also like to give thanks. I live in a wonderful place, free from worry and strife for the most part. I am so lucky!
Our poor old world has had to endure many atrocities in the form of wars and catastrophes. We have suffered things that people should never have to live through. Although we have never had a war on our own soil in my lifetime, many good people in my lifetime and before me, have lost their lives and many families' future have been forever altered because of wars that our armed services have fought in.
91st Battalion Panorama, The Great War 1914 to 1918
Today, I would like to honor the 91st Overseas Battalion. This photo was taken in May 1916, one month prior to their departure overseas. the 91st saw action in battles including, but not limited to: The Somme, Arras, Passchendaele, Ypres, St Eloi, Vimy Ridge and Amens. 58 decorations were bestowed on the members of the Battalion including four Military Crosses.
One out of every six men in this photo were "killed in action" and more than 50% of them were wounded in action and many several times.
The Armouries, pictured in the centre, was constructed in 1903 and now houses the Elgin Regiment (RCAC)
The County of Elgin, Ontario, Canada, maintains a website: /www.elgin.ca/fww and they archive many collections there for you to visit online.


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Understanding our clients' markets, drivers and challenges, is vital to delivering a successful marketing services. Over 30 years we have built unrivaled experience in a wide range of sectors, working daily to help clients build their brands and connect with customers more effectively.
Delivering for hotels, leisure clubs, restaurants and theme parks the world over


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Quickest CPU to replace an 13-2120?
Found 24th Oct 2017
Looking to try and upgrade my system to better play current games (1080 max resolution). Considering a GTX1060 graphics upgrade, but thinking that the old i3-2120 could also do with replacing. Can anyone tell me what the fastest gaming CPU is that will fit in my mobo (think it's a socket 1155)?
Many thanks
Many thanks
Community Updates


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Nat's Banana & Prune Cake topped with Mocha Cream Recipe
Want a nice delicious fruity cake everyone can enjoy?
Try my following recipe, I guarantee that you will love it especially if you are a fan of bananas and mocha!
Here's to all of you enjoying baking and also devouring the fruits of your efforts!
- 2 Bananas, Mashed
- 8-12 Prunes, Cut into small pieces
- 2 Eggs
- 75-100g Sugar
- 125g Self Raising Flour
- 25g Milk Powder
- 50g Butter, Melted
- 1/2-1 Small Lime, Juice
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- Beat the eggs and sugar with 1 teaspoon baking powder until stiff
- Beat in the mashed bananas and prune (that has been cut into small pieces) at low speed into the egg and sugar mixture. Mix in juice of 1/2-1 small lime and a bit of salt
- Fold in the Self raising flour and Milk powder
- Mix in the butter
- Pour into a 9 inch by 9 inch square tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180 Degrees Celsius for 23-25 minutes until cooked through
Nat's Mocha Frosting Recipe
- Margarine 50%
- Sugar 1-4 teaspoons
- Milk Powder 1 tablespoon
- Coffee Flavored Liquid from Cake Shop 1/2-1 tablespoon
- Chocolate Frosting 1-2 tablespoons
- Cake Cream qs
Pipe the above Mocha frosting above the Banana and Prune Cake and Serve!
Bon Appetit!


text: Creating a winning sales team doesn't happen by accident – it takes purposeful planning. The first step is to leverage assessments to understand your current team dynamics and then determine your desired outcomes so that you can work to close the gap between where you are today and where you desire to be in the future. While building a sales culture, a focus will be put on the importance of coaching, accountability, taking action and generating incremental results.


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The Mint, a great retro addition to your modern home; convenient round shape and even discrete space for storage, you'll love the Mint. Available in Brown Oak, Walnut, or White high gloss top.
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Uptown Location: View Store Details
Store Hours
Monday to Friday: 10 AM to 8 PM
Saturday: 10 AM to 6 PM
Sunday: 12 PM to 6 PM


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Hey Freaks, what is the cheapest non-volatile memory? I want to design a very very small MP3 Player with VLSI's "vs1001" MP3 Encoder including DAC and Headphoneamplifier, supporting VBR and various MPX) and an onboard memory für about 90 Minutes of music. The storage is used to store (erase,store,erase,store,...) those MP3-Files via (modified) USB-connection and will be placed directly onto the board (unejectable). I thought about disassembling anCompactFlash Card, but they are expensive (in my eyes) Is there a better solution for 100 MB and above? Thanx in advance :)
I think der isn't a cheaper solution, than compact flash cards... They aren't expensive...! Your MP3 player only supports MP3? Have a look at new Formats: Ogg Vobis! (Sorry for my awful English!) Fritz7
@ Fritz7: Well, I guess its best to keep this discussion in English though I'm from Austria :) Anyway, Ogg Vorbis would be great, but it's biggest disadvantage is the lack of hardware decoders. Using a VS1001K you just have to feed the decoder with an MP§ bitstream and it does all the work that's needed to decode the MP3. Ogg still has to be decoded "by hand" meaning you'd have to either use a DSP in combination with a conventional uC or use a very powerful uP like eg an ARM - both solutions are not too easy and I guess quite expensive too (just think about how much you'd have to pay for an ARM Eval-Board!). @Rompf: I guess CF is the on of the cheapest memories, and it's biggest advantage is that it's 100% compatible with an HD, which is even cheaper :).
BTW, what I forgot: provided that you build a case around the device, who cares if there's a CF socket in there?
Wird nun in Österreich nur noch englisch gesprochen? ROTFL Schau Dir das mal an: http://www.yampp.com Alles schon drin, auch CF-Unterstützung.
hmpf- man sollte doch den ganzen thread lesen - sorry, dumm geschwätzt.... @Rompf_T: Look at the link postet above, there is a complete solution for a self-made mp3-player, incl. interface for cf-card or hard-disk. I would prefer cf-cards because of the size and the shock-resistance.


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How To Make Your Summer Vacation Count
- Order a T-shirt that says JESUS MADE ME KOSHER or some other gospel slogan to wear while you travel. You'll be surprised how many people will ask you questions that enable you to share your faith.
- Order 100 Jews for Jesus broadsides or other gospel tracts that you like and leave them with (not instead of!) your tip at restaurants, taxi cabs or other strategic locations (but don't leave them in parks or forests where they could be considered litter).
- If you are vacationing in a major city, you may see Jews for Jesus or people from other missions out witnessing. Stop and say a friendly word to encourage them.
- When you hear someone complain about the high price of gasoline, say something like: "A tank of gas will only take you to another gas station, but Jesus will take you to heaven" or maybe, "The cost of energy may be high but you should see what the wages of sin are." On second thought, maybe you'd be better off coming up with one of your own…
- Be sure to attend church even if you are not in your own home town. Ask your pastor to suggest a church in the vicinity of your vacation, or if you are touring, to suggest churches along your route. Taking a vacation from work doesn't mean taking a vacation from fellowship or worship and you'll find joy meeting family in Christ in new places.


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About Our Team
Antoine Abou Hanna
Owner and Master Colorist and Stylist
As a stylist and salon owner for more than 20 years, Antoine's career began in Lebanon. He has been trained by some of the top stylist in Europe.Such as Loutfi Berbari, Alexandre de Paris, Jacke Dessange, Jean Louis David. To fulfill his dreams of wanting to mentor others.
Antoine specializes in cutting and color for all types of hair textures. Antoine brings his advanced knowledge,creative flair, and impeccable attention to his salon and clients.
Antoine is also trained among Wella, Redken, Loreal, Baco, Bio ionic, and is certified in doing Keratin treatments. As a master stylists of his craft, he loves seeing the reaction of making people happy buy transforming peoples looks.
Jennifer Turrin
Owner and Master Stylist and Colorist
Jennifer is a Master Stylist specializing in the art of hair coloring and design. She has been in the industry for 20 years . She has trained with some of the top Stylist in New York and New Jersey. Her specialty is Color . She has trained with Bumble and Bumble, Wella Studios, Paul Mitchell, Toni & Guy, Beth Minardi, Framisi, Redken, Matrix, and Baco.
Jennifer also specializes in Bridal party's, she loves making people feel beautiful on there special day.
She will provide the most courteous and professional service from start to finish, your individual needs are her priority!
Kat Parker
Master Colorist and Stylist
Kat Parker is highly respected and nationally recognized for her exceptional talent in the editorial hair coloring and styling industry. She has accomplished a professional and distinguished reputation for producing Wondrous Hair and is respected by prominent editors, hair artists, photographers, makeup artists, nail artists and fashion designers. Kat has rapidly ascended the list of sought after and impressive editorial hair colorist artists to watch and her photo shoots assuredly launch progressive creations.
Kat's talent was discovered and sharpened in NYC, Fifth Avenue and the Upper West Side. Her first editorial studio, 'The Dunes NY', was recognized by American Salon Magazine, in their coveted Eco Issue, deemed one of three salons in the U.S., demonstrating extraordinary measures in healthier hair coloring changing the beauty industry for the better. Her renegade artistry and inspired talents have now been brought into the State of New Jersey where she takes in salon appointments at Antoine's Salon of Ridgewood. She is a cruelty free artist. Kat is a Master Hair Colorist specializing in: Editorial Hair, Organic & Low Chemical Hair Coloring, Corrective Hair Coloring & Artistic Hair Coloring & Cutting. Her rising portfolio includes on stage events with celebrity stylists, color education for renowned company's and internationally esteemed company's featuring and endorsing her editorial hair color artistry.
Nicole Amendola
Master stylist and Colorist
Exhibiting traits of an artist at an early age Nicole was always creating something on canvas or sketch pads. While attending Cosmetology school in New York at the age of 16 she started her career working as an assistant to a Master Stylist. From there she began learning and applying her talents under the direction of a celebrity makeup artist on photoshoots and behind the scenes at QVC shows. After doing makeup for a few years she realized her passion for hair styling was stronger and made that her full time focus. She then re attended Cosmetology School in New Jersey to refresh her knowledge of the industry and has since taken many classes to learn about trends and new techniques. Nicole is a full service stylist specializing in Hair Extensions, Keratin Treatments, Ombre and Balayage color techniques as well as any color service. Eager to please, Nicole looks forward to creating her next masterpiece on your canvas!


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It appeared likely that the Easter Rising civic dinner in Belfast which was to feature the Irish president would have had just a solitary unionist council attendee.
Michael D Higgins was due to be guest of honour at the event in Belfast City Hall on April 8 to commemorate the centenary of the Dublin rebellion.
He decided to withdraw over a lack of cross-party support for the plan – prompting the SDLP to accuse the DUP of "sabotage" for declaring flatly that it would not send any representatives.
On Thursday night, the News Letter asked other unionist representatives on Belfast City Council what their stance was.
It is understood the UUP was planning to send just a single representative to the event – and that it may not do so now.
When the TUV's Jolene Bunting and independent unionist Ruth Patterson were asked their views, both firmly stated they would not go.
Meanwhile, the PUP's John Kyle said that he and his two colleagues were undecided on the matter until now, but had been inclined not to attend either – given the paramilitary-style marches staged by republicans in the past week.
They will not now go, he added.
It is thought that roughly 300 invitations had been sent out for the dinner, which will still go ahead nonetheless.
A spokesman for Mr Higgins said: "The president accepted the invitation to the civic dinner on the basis that there was cross-party support for the invitation.
"This now is no longer the case, leaving the president with no other option but to withdraw as he does not want to become embroiled in matters of political controversy."
The 60-strong council is dominated by Sinn Fein, which has 19 councillors.
The DUP is the next biggest party with 12 (followed by the Alliance with eight, and SDLP and UUP jointly with seven).
On March 21, the News Letter had reported that the DUP would definitely not attend, with councillor Christopher Stalford stating: "The Easter rebellion was a virtual non-event in Belfast so why it is felt necessary to go to the considerable expense of a civic dinner to commemorate it is beyond me."
At that time, the UUP had said it was still mulling over the approach it would take.
The SDLP's Nichola Mallon (former lord mayor of the city) accused the DUP of carrying out an act of "sabotage" against the event, and of "peddling to extremists".
She said: "Faced with challenges from former flag protestors and the TUV, the party have buckled at the first opportunity they had to show leadership and mutual respect."


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by Eric Osoro
The Conversation, 12 July 2017
Read online at:
The World Health Organisation recently declared the end of the most recent outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This outbreak was controlled more efficiently than the 2014 outbreak and sets an example for other countries. A combination of factors meant that it was possible to stop the disease from spreading. These included a prompt response, immediate diagnosis and treatment, a coordinated approach and the involvement of the community in identifying the case and minimising the spread of the outbreak.
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Gov. Pete Ricketts has proclaimed this "FFA Week" in Nebraska.
Nebraska FFA President Jake Judge of Atkinson says FFA has 8,500 in Nebraska and he says it is growing due to the investment of others.
"More programs," Judge says. "We're having programs pop up across the state of Nebraska, investing in those urban areas."
Judge acknowledges most FFA chapters are based in rural schools, but he says FFA is working to establish chapters in more urban areas of the state, including Omaha.
Judge sees a bright future for agriculture, driven by advances in technology.
"Look at the many advancements that agriculture has had over the past couple of years and the base of it is technology," according to Judge. "We're being able to produce a lot more food with a lot less ground. So, as we move that technology into the GMOs and stuff like that that is going to help us produce more food with less."
Ricketts says state government has a role to play in making agriculture an attractive pursuit for young people.
"Some of the things that we have got to focus on to continue to make sure we have a strong agriculture here are, for example, what we're doing to promote livestock, value-added agriculture, ethanol," Ricketts says. "All that goes into helping to take what we produce, process it, make it more valuable, and that adds to our economy."


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Smokers with chronic low back pain may find relief once they stop smoking. Studies have cited tobacco to be one of the main reasons of lower back pain. Most smokers with lower back pain are surprised to find out that the cause may be tobacco use. Smoking prevents optimum blood flow to the heart, lungs and the lower back, which causes chronic lower back pain. Research points out that lower back pain is significantly associated with smoking history and hypertension, and development of lumbar spondylosis and high cholesterol.
Globally, 80% of the population experiences back pain at some point in their life at least once, however about 40% experience chronic pain which can last for months. Incorrect posture over prolonged period of time, occupational, social, economic and physical factors can contribute to lower back pain.
It can also be related to a disease but often it is found that lifestyle changes are key to solving lower back pain issues. One main problem is people visiting the doctor after a significant time lapse, which often deteriorates the condition and can even lead to chronic issues like slipped disc. If the symptoms persist or are severe, it is best to go straight to a primary health-care physician so that the doctor can decide whether a specialist consultation is needed.
Moderate exercise is also advised: Anything within reason is good. Over exercising and no exercise is harmful for the body. As we age, our spine and disc undergo a degenerative process making our bodies stiffer and less flexible. To combat the effects of age, exercising and healthy eating is a simple solution.
Additional information:
Tips to prevent low back problems:
- Exercise. Being overweight is a risk for low back pain. Muscles are meant to move, also exercise helps keep your joints fluid. However, be cautious when you exercise, over exercising and incorrect posture can lead to back problems. Be aware of your posture and learn the right techniques to protect your body.
- Eat right. Maintain a healthy weight to prevent back and joint issues.
- Maintain proper posture. Incorrect posture while sitting in the front of the computer for hours is a major factor for low back pain. Get your office ergonomics right to protect not just your back but also your wrists, neck and shoulders. Avoid using excessive technology such as smart phones, video games and other smart devices that can cause major neck and back strain.
- Reduce stress. Relieve stress through exercise and learn to manage stress because it affects the overall functioning of the body.
- Sleep sideways.
- Quit tobacco. Besides being a risk factor for low back pain, there are so many serious health complications that tobacco causes. It is time to focus on smoking cessation as a means to better health.
For more information on treating back pain, contact Comprehensive Pain Management in Franklin.


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An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) last year showed that among 17 risk factors, nutrition was the number one risk factor responsible for death and disability in the United States, with impacts greater than all of the other terrible habits upon which we need to work -- such as smoking, physical inactivity, diabetes, etc. Many would argue that nutrition should be our number one target for improving wellness. The 2013 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Guidelines on Lifestyle Management to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk advises us to consume a dietary pattern that emphasizes intake of vegetables, fruits and whole grains; includes low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish, legumes, non-tropical vegetable oils and nuts; and limits intake of sodium, sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages and red meats. Many advocate the "Mediterranean-style" diet because it is heavy on the vegetables and fruit, whole grains, encourages more fish and less red meat and conveys cooking oil should be predominantly olive oil. Conclusion: Be mindful of what you eat, every day.
Continue Learning about Diet & Nutrition
Diet & Nutrition
To eat healthy, pick foods that are the colors of the rainbow, and watch your portion sizes. Eating foods that are colorful-red apples, orange carrots, yellow squash, green salad, tomatoes, blueberries and purple eggplant-helps yo...
u add fruits and vegetables to your diet.More
Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.


text: Popsugar Fashion Amal Clooney Amal Clooney in Alice and Olivia Embroidered Jeans Oct. 2016 Amal Clooney's Flares Are the Type Girls Go Thrifting For October 22, 2016 by Sarah Wasilak 80 Shares View On One Page Photo 6 of 8 ADVERTISEMENT () Start Slideshow Share This Link Copy ← Use Arrows Keys → 6 0 previous images -23 more images Previous Next Start Slideshow As POPSUGAR editors, we write about stuff we love and we think you'll like too. POPSUGAR often has affiliate partnerships, so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase. Amal ClooneyAlice + OliviaCelebrity StyleFall FashionPantsShoppingCelebrity Street StyleGet The LookFallJeans


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A recently published J.D. Power and Associates study of satisfaction with the auto insurance claims process found that, since the last survey, customers have become significantly less satisfied with interactions with insurers upon first reporting vehicle damage.
Motorists can reference J.D. Power's satisfaction study, the company's insurer ratings and rankings of consumer complaints provided by state regulators when they compare auto insurance companies on customer service before making a purchase.
Overall customer satisfaction dropped 1.3 percent, or 13 points, in the study from the last quarter, according to J.D. Power, and much of the decline was due to a 19-point decrease in satisfaction during the "first notice of loss."
The process of repairing damaged vehicles left customers more disgruntled, with satisfaction with this process dropping 15 points. Customers were also less satisfied with service interaction and appraisal, which both fell 16 points each.
But the study found that some of the problem may be attributed to the customers themselves, with 47 percent of claimants waiting for more convenient times and 20 percent waiting for a weekend or holiday to bring in their cars for repairs. Compared with last quarter, that meant adding an extra day and a half on average to get a car to a repair shop.
Those waiting customers tended to be those who reported lower satisfaction with the overall process.
"This suggests insurers need to do a better job of managing customer expectations for claims processing and vehicle repair times," Jeremy Bowler, senior director of the insurance practice at J.D. Power, said in a statement.
The time it takes to repair vehicles increased almost a full day from last quarter, from 15 days to 15.8 days, but researchers linked nearly half of the increase to customers' putting off bringing the car into the shop.
The study, which analyzed more than 3,700 responses from policyholders who had filed a claim in the last six months, surveyed respondents on their satisfaction with:
- First notice of loss
- Service interaction
- Appraisal
- Repair process
- Rental experience
- Settlement
For both repair and total loss claimants, satisfaction with settlement was key in a customer's overall experience, according to researchers.


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Designing a general purpose digital control interface board, with communication control from a computer serial-port/UART, to learn the fundamentals of interfacing and control.
Prerequisite: Some assembly language, interfacing, microcontroller, digital circuits
Project outline: Students are given a set of requirements for the design of the board, and three or four broad possible approaches using different microcontrollers and techniques are presented. Students are then divided into small groups with each group working on a particular approach. At the end, the different designs are compared. Emphasis on creative approaches in design and uses of the board, and students are encouraged to pursue their own ideas with help from the instructor.


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Zoe Motivates Jenna With A Hard SpankingMonday, July 29, 2013
Zoe Motivates Jenna With A Hard Spanking
Jenna has always been the type of girl who has trouble with self motivation. Lucky for her her next door neighbor Zoe is the perfect solution for that because one trip over Zoe's lap will get any naughty girl headed in the right direction! A simple request from Jenna to Zoe is all that is needed to have Jenna with her panties down and Zoe spanking her butt a bright red! Hand to naked bottom or with a paddle Zoe was born to punish misbehaving females!
File Name : 0660_clips4sale_Zoe Motivates Jenna With A Hard Spanking.wmv
File Size : 238.71 MB
Resolution : 720×480
Duration : 00:15:53


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Wealthsimple review – Is it the best choice for investors in the UK?
In this independent Wealthsimple review I analyse the Wealthsimple proposition and look at Wealthsimple's investment performance , fees and compare Wealthsimple vs Nutmeg, Moneyfarm, Scalable Capital and Wealthify. I also explain how it is possible to get Wealthsimple to manage your first £10,000 free for a year. As part of this review I visited Wealthsimple's central London offices to grill them over their investment process, their proposition and their ethics. The review is broken down into key parts and you can jump to a relevant section using the jump links in the sidebar (or via the Contents Menu above if you are viewing this on mobile). However, I suggest that you take your time to read this Wealthsimple review from beginning to end as I make important observations throughout when comparing the service against other robo-advisors in the UK.
Who are Wealthsimple?
Wealthsimple is an online investment manager (often referred to as a robo-advisor) which was first launched in Canada in 2014 and subsequently launched in the UK in September 2017. In the UK Nutmeg is the robo-advice firm with the largest market share. However, with the exception of Nutmeg, most of the of the robo-advisors now available in the UK have come from abroad. For example Moneyfarm launched in the UK after successfully establishing itself in Italy while Scalable Capital hails from Germany. The UK market has a huge potential appetite for cost-effective managed investment propositions offered by robo-advice firms online. The UK DIY investment market is dominated by platforms such as Hargreaves Lansdown where investors can choose their own funds from a range of thousands. However robo-advisers offer a range of off-the-shelf portfolios managed by their investment experts and computer algorithms which makes them ideal for investors (particularly novices) who want to invest while keeping costs low yet who don't have the time or expertise to run their own portfolios. As an aside if you do you use an investment platform such as Hargreaves Lansdown and would like help in deciding which funds to invest in as well as learning more about investment markets then 80-20 Investor will interest you.
Wealthsimple continues the trend of successful overseas robo-advice firms launching in the UK, but this time it is coming from the West, namely Canada and the US. Whenever I look underneath the bonnet of a robo-adviser I look at how sustainable their business models potentially are. Robo-advice firms charge very low fees so have incredibly slim profit margins. In order to eventually run at a profit they require a large volume of customers and/or substantial financial backers. In the world of online wealth management it is a race to £1bn AUM (assets under management) as this is generally accepted to be the point when their business models become profitable. While Wealthsimple has only recently launched in the UK, in the US Wealthsimple's AUM is in excess of £750m (which is over $1bn) and has grown its customer base to over 40,000 clients in Canada and the US. That's no mean feat in a competitive market such as the US which has been dominated by low cost platforms such as Vanguard. In addition, the Power Financial Group, one of the world's largest financial companies, has backed Wealthsimple with $100m of investment. So in that regard I have little concern over Wealthsimple as a company to invest with, of course your investments are ring-fenced and protected anyway in the unlikely event that the company went bust, which is the same for any robo-advisor regulated in the UK.
How does Wealthsimple work?
Minimum investment
Wealthsimple has no minimum investment amount and its low fee strategy will prove attractive to a range of investors which we discuss later.
What is the Wealthsimple sign up process?
Opening a Wealthsimple account is slick and easy as you would expect. When you start you are presented with a multiple-choice questionnaire asking why you are planning to invest, as shown below (click to enlarge):
Once you have selected a reason you are taken through a short multiple-choice questionnaire asking some basic information about your investing experience and personal circumstances. This is similar to most of the other robo-advisers in the UK but it has a slightly more streamlined feel to it. The questions asked include those listed below and are standard fare for any robo-advisor:
- How long are you looking to invest for?
- What's your monthly income after tax?
- What are your monthly outgoings?
- Do you anticipate any negative changes to your income or outgoings in the near future?
- What's the combined value of any investments and cash you have?
- How much debt have you got?
- How much emergency cash do you have?
- How much investment experience do you have (if any)?
- How you wold react to a number of suggested investment scenarios?
You are then presented with a recommendation screen like the one below which is based upon how you answered the questionnaire (click to enlarge).
Interestingly Wealthsimple does not screen users out if investing in unsuitable for them, like services such as Scalable Capital and Wealthify do. For example if you do not have an emergency cash fund Wealthsimple will warn you on the recommendation screen that investing isn't for you but it doesn't stop you proceeding. Having said that the way this issue is addressed by Wealthsimple vs Scalable Capital's screening method amounts to much the same as you can still go back and change your answers to the Scalable Capital questionnaire in order to proceed anyway. However, what I love about the Wealthsimple approach is that you are now presented with a portfolio to invest in which lists the exact funds they recommend. No other robo-advice firm does this, preferring to only tell you the specific funds once you invest, so I applaud Wealthsimple's transparency. This may be in part because Wealthsimple can not publish its investment performance data because it has an insufficient track record. However by showing the third party funds that they will invest in on your behalf this theoretically allows a new customer to research the performance of the underlying investments separately. This is exactly what I do later in this article. Below is the exact portfolio of funds that Wealthsimple recommended for me as a medium risk profile (click to enlarge).
Overall the portfolio is well diversified across assets globally and certainly isn't US focused which is a criticism that can be directed at its US peer Vanguard in relation to its Lifestrategy funds. Wealthsimple use exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and low cost mutual funds in order to keep costs low. All investments are then regularly managed and rebalanced to ensure the asset mix remains in line with the client's goals. So at this point I strongly suggest that you use the Wealthsimple tool, as I have done, to see the portfolio they recommend for you (they run a total of 9 portfolios). It takes minutes and there is no obligation on your part because to get to this point you don't even have to give them your email address.
You can choose to register with Wealthsimple and ultimately have the option to invest in the portfolio via a Wealthsimple Stock and Shares ISA, Junior ISA (which is an exciting and rare option among robo-advisers), via a pension or via a general trading account outside of any ISA wrapper.
If you decide to invest you can monitor and manage your Wealthsimple account online or via its smartphone app. After having a hands-on look at the app I can confirm it's easy to use (you can even make additional contributions through it which is ideal for the self-employed) although it won't necessarily win any design awards, but that's not really the point. What I do like is Wealthsimple's commitment to providing personal finance articles within its app and online to help educate customers. These can range from interviews, to money saving tips or even financial planning and it gives users a reason to engage with their Wealthsimple account on a regular basis.
What products does Wealthsimple offer?
Wealthsimple offers the usual Stocks and Shares ISA and general account like its peers but more notably it also offers a low cost a Junior ISA account. Robo-adviors have been slow or reticent to offer their services via a Junior ISA because of the low annual contribution limits (£4,260 for the 2018/19 tax year). In their race to acquire assets under management they have tended to focus on Stocks and Shares ISAs (with their annual contribution limit of £20,000). Also most allow new customers to transfer their existing ISA portfolios across too so they can be managed by the new robo-advisor. Wealthsimple now also offers a pension product making it one of the few robo-advisers in the UK to do so. The only other robo-advice firms to offer a pension are Nutmeg, Moneyfarm and evestor
Given Wealthsimple's lack of a minimum investment threshold the service lends itself perfectly to those looking to invest for their children via a Junior ISA or wanting to invest smaller sums initially into a pension. Also transfers into a Junior ISA (or indeed the general investment account or Stocks and Shares ISA) are straightforward and free of charge.
Wealthsimple is one of only a few robo-advisors offering Socially Responsible Investing (SRI). This means investing in companies that reach a certain threshold of social responsibility. Examples of ETFs used with SRI include companies with low carbon exposure, gender equality in senior leadership and those supporting local initiatives.
How does Wealthsimple manage its portfolios?
Wealthsimple will regularly manage each client's portfolio by rebalancing the assets held to ensure that they stay on track to reach their financial goals. Every client is different in their investment timeframe and goals and therefore have different investments in their portfolios, this is known as asset allocation. To keep the investments in line with each client's investment goals this asset allocation needs to be monitored regularly. Of course, this is pretty standard for any robo-advice proposition.
What is Wealthsimple's investment strategy?
Wealthsimple's investment strategy is split into three categories.
Diversification - spreading investments across different asset types is a key driver of portfolio performance. Wealthsimple invest in global equities and bonds providing a wide range of choices to create the best portfolio for each client (as shown in my example earlier).
Passive management - which principally involves investing in low cost funds or ETFs that track specific investment markets.
Client control - portfolios are created for each individual client bearing in mind their investment goals and attitude to risk.
What are Wealthsimple's fees?
Wealthsimple has a low cost fee strategy by charging just 0.7% per annum. However, you can get the first £10,000 of your money managed for free for the first year via this offer. The standard annual fee is reduced to 0.5% for clients who invest more than £100,000. There is an additional fee of around 0.2% which is charged by the underlying funds. This underlying fee is on a par with the likes of Nutmeg and Moneyfarm as shown in the next section.
Fees are calculated on a daily basis using the closing balance on your portfolio for each day. The charges will be accrued and applied to the client's account on a monthly basis.
How does Wealthsimple's fees compare to other robo-advisers?
One of the key attractions of robo-advisors is the low fees charged for managing a client's investments, but these fees do vary across the various advisors.
Wealthsimple charge an annual fee of 0.7% (first £10,000 via our this offer) This annual fee is reduced to 0.5% for investments over £100,000. In addition to this there is an ETF charge averaging at 0.2% per year.
Scalable Capital charge an annual fee of 0.75% on the total amount invested, with no reduced fee for larger investments. In addition there is an ETF charge averaging at 0.25% per year.
Nutmeg charge an annual fee of 0.75% on its fully managed service but this drops to 0.35% for any assets over £100,000. In addition there is an ETF charge averaging at 0.19% per year.
Moneyfarm charges a maximum annual fee of 0.7% reducing to 0.4% for investments over £500,000. In addition there is an ETF charge averaging at 0.3% per year.
So you can see that Wealthsimple has pitched its charges below its competitors although there are cheaper alternatives than Wealthsimple for investors with sums over £100,000, namely Nutmeg. It's also important to stress that there are no exit fees so if you decide to transfer your money away from Wealthsimple in the future you won't be penalised.
Wealthsimple portfolio performance
As Wealthsimple has only just launched in the UK it does not yet have a 12-month performance history, which is the minimum the FCA require before a robo-advisor can publicise their performance data. However, using the medium risk portfolio above (which I was assigned when I registered with Wealthsimple shortly after its launch) I can backtest how the portfolio would have performed by analysing how its constituent parts performed. Of course this is only a rough guide because Wealthsimple has the benefit of hindsight when building its portfolios. If we assumed that the portfolio had remained unchanged over the past year (which it would inevitably not have done) then the Wealthsimple medium risk portfolio would have returned 4.6% which is on a par with other discretionary managed propositions out there.
Wealthsimple v Nutmeg v MoneyFarm
Of course what investors really want to know is how Wealthsimple's performance compares to Nutmeg and Moneyfarm, two of the leading robo-advice firms in the UK. The table below shows the actual performance of the Moneyfarm medium risk profile versus Nutmeg's and my notional Wealthsimple portfolio over the year to the end of June 2018 (which is the date of Nutmeg's latest performance figures). Don't forget that the Nutmeg and Moneyfarm's figures are actual returns achieved by customers. I have carried out a full review of Moneyfarm and its performance here.
|% Return over year to end June 2018
|Moneyfarm medium risk profile
|Wealthsimple medium risk portfolio
|Nutmeg (portfolio 6)
I also compared the notional performance of Wealthsimple vs an equivalent Vanguard LIfestrategy portfolio with a 50% equity split. Over the same time period the Vanguard equivalent was up 4.86% versus the 5.49% from the Wealthsimple model. Again bear in mind that the Vanguard figures are actuals and the Wealthsimple figure is notional (with the added benefit of hindsight on their part).
Does Wealthsimple provide any other service?
Interestingly Wealthsimple customers are able to talk to an adviser should you want to. This could be to ask questions about setting up an account or requesting full-blown investment advice, the latter Wealthsimple can provide at an additional cost via its qualified investment advisers. This is a hugely underplayed part of the service and I think Wealthsimple should make more mention of it in its marketing as most other robo-advisors don't offer this. A lot of UK consumers are interested in investing online and many would welcome the flexibility and comfort of knowing that there is a human at the other end of a phone
What protection is there from Wealthsimple going bust?
All assets are held securely by a custodian and protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to a limit of £50,000.
Conclusion - Who should consider Wealthsimple?
Wealthsimple is an interesting addition to the world of robo-advisers and its simple low cost fee strategy definitely makes it worth consideration. If you are looking for a service to manage your money and make strategic investment decisions (rather than just giving you a fixed asset allocation forever) then Wealthsimple is one of if not the cheapest services out there. Its portfolio and investment methodology are on a par with its peers. I particularly like its Junior ISA product which give access to low cost investing. In addition the fact it manages £10,000 of your investment free for a year, if you register via this offer page, and its lack of minimum investment amount makes it particularly attractive to investors looking to invest smaller amounts. However, it remains keenly priced even if your portfolio is worth up to £100,000.
All accounts can be seen at once via its app, so if you have a Stocks and Shares ISA and a Junior ISA you can view them at the same time. Wealthsimple's service is based upon sound ethic principles which has proved hugely successful in the US and will almost inevitably do so in the UK given its financial backing. The lack of past performance history may deter some but as my analysis shows there's nothing to set alarm bells ringing. Wealthsimple is very cost effective and offers the ability to speak to an investment adviser if you wish too. Wealthsimple's proposition is ideally placed to attract millennial and older seasoned investors alike who want someone to mange their money for them. The fact that there is no investment minimum and it offers a junior ISA and a pension product makes it a good solution for those wanting to dip their toe into the online investment (robo-advice) world before committing larger sums.
Looking for a financial adviser near you?
Do you need financial advice? An independent financial adviser can show you how to make the most of your money.
Simply find your nearest qualified and regulated adviser using the UK's largest adviser search.


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Pieces: 155
Year: 2009
Minifigs: 5
Another great set that is part of the exclusive 10 year anniversary edition. The echo base set offers the first ever lego tauntaun with han solo. This set features a rebel command post with laser turrets and an imperial repeater blaster for the snowtroopers. Minifigures included in this set are han solo, 2 snowtroopers, 2 hoth rebel troopers and the tauntaun. This set contains 155 pieces


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Everything is back together, deja vu... I swear I've typed that before. But more problems, er problem. The new thermistor is working, the temperature is showing about 4 degrees higher than the old one. The problem is the heater is not working, it came on briefly when I first connected it went to 45C and back down, but a shutdown and computer reboot later it's not. The PWM light is coming on for the heater and it's clearly not an issue with the Reprap host software, so assume it's a short in between the PWM driver board and the nichrome wire.
I'll have to fix that in the morning. Time for some beer.


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- Mary OakesAsked on September 03, 2017 at 07:16 PM
I am working with a 501c3 trying to establish some simpler registration processes. I have several questions...
I need to be able to build a registration form that will simplistically take payments as part of the registration process. they currently use square for credit card processing. Are you compatible?Will I be able to generate printable individual registration forms once a registration is submitted so I can establish individual files, as well as, a printable spreadsheet index of all registered individuals?Also what is required to establish the discount for charitable groups?Page URL:
- JotForm SupportjonathanAnswered on September 03, 2017 at 07:27 PM
Thank you for contacting us. I also recommend creating an account if you haven't yet.
You can use this link https://www.jotform.com/signup to signup using your email account.
As to your inquiry...
Square payment integration is available.
You can read more details on this Blog article https://www.jotform.com/blog/246-Process-Square-Payments-Online-with-JotForm
The other questions were about a different feature. We will attend to them separately.


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by Zen Gardner - Feb 3, 2015
3 49
by Dennis Wheatly
Guest Contributor
Most of the "mainstream" "scientific thought" which has been publicized by the mainstream mass media during the last 80 years or so, has been based on insidious mechanisms of devious scams and "scientific" frauds, designed to bilk money from a gullible and kept ignorant and "dumbed-down" populace. (It's the old "mushroom-raising" approach to business. How do you raise mushrooms? You keep them in the dark and feed them manure.)
At the same time the "elites" are maintaining various technologies exactly where they have been for decades, or even centuries, in order to squeeze every possible penny out of the heavily indoctrinated public market through the utilization of long-obsolete technologies, by creating perpetual (and illegal) monopolies, of various kinds, on every commodity and product you can imagine.
"Mainstream" views in all the sciences are designed and executed to keep "market-destabilizing" innovations away from the public, so that the larger corporations and monied interests don't have to compete with any new technologies and so that the existing monopolies and cartels are not in any way threatened.
That way, they don't have to spend money on Research and Development any more, in order to keep up with the competition, when there isn't any competition. This means they can report increased profits to the corporate shareholders and the board of directors, with all the money they've saved by not having to do any R&D.
These days, there is very little competition in any of the sciences, as all the "mainstream" scientific paradigms have developed their own tightly enforced monopolies, in all regions of scientific thought and technological enterprise.
Little technological competition allowed, simply due to the fact that any innovations would force the various controlling groups and entities to have to spend money to counter-innovate, in order to keep their market share, which would reduce the "demanded-by-law" nonsensical requirement that the corporation must make a profit. Competitive innovative trends would certainly inexorably improve the public's lot in life, in an ever-improving way. What this on-going suppression of better technologies results in, for the public, is "freedom from choice", rather than any "freedom of choice".
What new technology does get "sold" to the public is typically along the lines of "the easy-opening can", or "silly sand", or a new app for the latest and greatest (obsoleted decades ago) cell phone. Nikola Tesla's communications technology developed back in the 1930s does not require radio waves, and had the same abilities as smart phones, except they didn't have computers yet, back in the 1930s.
Many intentionally damaging "weaponized" new technologies are kept hidden from the public, such as disease-causing chemicals, or GMO foods. This "let's create damages and kill people for profits" behavior is the "new normal" among the parasitic "elite". They're like, "Let's go make some more wars so we can make lots more profits from killing and maiming lots of "useless eaters"[people]. Then, after all, why should we let a perfectly good war go to waste?".
This unfortunately prevalent attitude of winning by intimidation, is happening in many circles, rather than making things like vehicles that do not need fuel, or producing free electricity systems, or teleportation systems, or antigravity vehicles, or eliminating all diseases, or creating faster than light travel and FTL communications systems. "Mainstream science" which is owned by the powers-that-were, wants folks to think that all such innovative technologies are "impossible fantasies", not, "should already be available" realities.
But none of this is new. Business practices which take unfair advantage of people have been around since forever. It's just that cheating kinds of business practices have gotten more sophisticated over time. And in many cases, science is directly involved with business, as part of a profit-making venture. So cheating in the business way can easily lead to cheating in the science way, and cheating in the sciences can lead to cheating in business practices. See how it works?
These kinds of behaviors are especially tempting when a great deal of money and/or power and/or prestige is on the line. A good example of this is what J.P. Morgan did to thwart Nicola Tesla's scientific innovations. Tesla's inventions and scientific genius had hurt Morgan's monopolistic visions repeatedly. After Morgan found out that he could not own Tesla and turn him into a lackey, he attempted on three occasions to have Tesla assassinated, to get Tesla out of the way of Morgan's monopolistic visions. All three attempts failed. (In the last attempt the gunman that was supposed to shoot Tesla on a train-ride got so drunk that he passed out and so missed an opportunity to make big money.)
Tesla held Morgan's feet to the fire over this, because Tesla had obtained direct and irrefutable physical evidence that J.P. Morgan had tried to kill him. Tesla suggested that Morgan should compensate him for the loss of his laboratory and all the equipment in it, and the lab notes, which had all been burned to the ground as the result of one of the assassination attempts. Morgan felt sufficiently compelled by the evidence to agree to these terms. But it really bothered Morgan that he had been forced to bow to Tesla, whom Morgan considered his inferior. (Of course, Morgan considered everyone his inferior.)
So, while Morgan pretended to sponsor Tesla's research for a while. Morgan initially financed the start-up costs of Tesla's Wardencliffe Tower and compensated him for his burnt laboratory. Later Morgan withdrew all funding for the project on finding out that Tesla had overplayed his financial hand, and had Westinghouse make excuses about why he couldn't help out Tesla. So the building and equipment at Wardencliffe had to scrapped to pay off Tesla's debts, which event was very hurtful to Tesla, personally.
Subsequently, Morgan made many plans and spent many millions of dollars (billions in today's money) to destroy Tesla's reputation and to change the global education system so that no one would ever believe Tesla in the future, thus Morgan's various monopolies would forever be safe from the threats of Tesla's innovative skills, which had already cost Morgan a lot of money and prestige.
Morgan sent out envoys to all the major universities on the planet, and, in exchange for Generous Donations to the various Universities and Institutes, he had all of the schools change their educational system, so that no one could ever realize the depths nor details of Tesla's knowledge and thus be a future threat to Morgan, nor to his future heirs.
In alignment with this purpose, Morgan hired many scientists from many countries and had them rewrite all the physics text books, altering the physics explanations and the mathematics, so that no more "awful" Teslas could arise in the future and hurt his future prosperity nor that of his heirs.
As an example of this kind of behavior, Morgan paid a group of scientists to rewrite Maxwell's Treatises on Magnetism and Electricity, so that no one would ever have any hope of re-discovering anything that Tesla had found. The Maxwell equations were thus changed from their original quaternion form (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaternion ), and rendered into the form of vastly simplified and relatively useless vector notations. Maxwell actually rarely used vector notations, as the resulting descriptions were woefully inaccurate and required the simplifying elimination of many important physical facts, in order to function at all well. But the resulting abberated equations were exactly what J.P. Morgan was paying to make happen. Morgan was delighted every time he heard of such results.
There were secret conferences among the "big players" regarding the making of plans to make absolutely sure that no scientific discoveries could ever again be made, which might thwart any of their monopolies or cartels. Obviously, big oil got in on this scheme early in the game, as did most of the others at those meetings. Most of the richest men of those days, agreed to pay large sums into a fund designed to eliminate all future uncontrollable technological threats, while keeping a lid on things, monitoring various public affairs so that these monopolists could take instant advantage if any easily-controlled and profitable inventions raised their heads in the now-controlled-by-them, Patent Office.
Morgan and his hired guns also arranged and paid for experiments which were to be designed with the exclusive purpose of making Tesla look like a fool. It was Morgan's paid for publicity that portrayed Tesla as the world's first "mad scientist". (Of course, to Morgan, Tesla was absolutely a mad scientist, because he was uncontrollable, and because his many inventions and innovations kept wrecking Morgan's heavily investitured monopolies.)
The first run of the Michelson-Morely experiment was paid for by Morgan, and the team of researchers was told going in, in no uncertain terms, that they were required to get results which made Tesla look wrong (even though Tesla was actually perfectly correct in these regards), and at the same time support insane conclusions that would make any future competition opposing the fossil fuels cartel, seem scientifically impossible, by cutting away any and all first principles which could lead to any "dangerous" results, which could be produced based on aether physics.
The rigged and fatally flawed experiment got the results Morgan, et.al., had paid for, and it was announced that there was no aether drag because there was no aether, a completely wrong conclusion. At the time of the M-M experiment, there were 30 different models of different possible kinds of aether media, and the M-M experiment actually did vaguely succeed, by casting doubts on Tesla, mostly due to many loud and expensive public media announcements. Oddly, when Michelson and Morely announced their falsified claims, supposedly disproving the existence of one of the 30 different kinds of aether, the results of the experiment actually succeeded in dramatically proving a completely different kind of model for the aether! But that fact was never realized until almost 100 years after the experiment, and was covered up by all involved, at the time of the event itself.
But the game was not over yet. Morgan had a paranoid streak, and he wanted to make absolutely sure that his fortunes could never again be hurt by any future such "mad wretches", as Morgan thought of all those who might interfere with any of his grandiose plans.
At the next stage, Morgan had his teams search the world over for some likely scientist to hold up to the public eye as the new "Hero For the Ages" in the physics, which physics Morgan really really wanted to make screwed up. After years of work and countless scientific advisories, they found a likely candidate in the form of Albert Einstein, who was living in poverty in Europe, at the time. Perfect! Next they sent envoys to make arrangements with Einstein, in exchange for his ability to create "the theory to end all theories". (And it almost did just that.) This well compensated effort later became Einstein's new version of relativity (theory).
Einstein's version of relativity was intentionally conceptually designed by vested interest groups, such as the oil cartel. The required results were eventually, after years of painstaking effort, turned into math by Einstein, et. al., and then the resulting mathematical fantasy was torrentially touted to an ignorant public by all the corporate-controlled mass media available, for the next 100 years, so that the populace would be brought to believe that free electrical power, anti-gravity, and faster than light travel (to name only a few things), were impossible, on the basis of "curved space-time". The "widely accepted" [No it wasn't. There were many detractors with perfectly valid counter-arguments, which falsified the theory in diverse ways. But such talk was marginalized by the publicity managers.] "new" [Most of it wasn't new at all.] theory (belief) of relativity, formed a conceptual brick wall, obstructing all scientific progress in many very important areas, for more than a century. Einstein's version of relativity has all the hallmarks of a faith-based religion, by this time.
In more modern times, based on his decades of astronomical observations and astrophysical researches, Halton Arp eventually arrived at the conclusion that the Le Sage model for gravitation was the correct understanding. He was right, but the LaPlace model for gravitation is superior to the Le Sage model. And the model for gravitation that was developed at Project Greenglow during the early 2000s is a slight improvement on the gravitational model published by the Marquis de LaPlace in 1853.
In agreement with Halton Arp, here is a relevant fact regarding his conclusions: Le Sage's "shadow gravity" was physically proven to be correct by instrumented spacecraft observations made during the mid-1980s.
An article was published in Scientific American during the late 1980s regarding these observations and what they mean in terms of the "normal" understanding of gravitation. Ultimately, the empirical evidence provided by those spacecraft observations proves that "curved space" is a deluded fantasy. The data which resulted from the spacecraft instrumentation proved conclusively that Le Sage's "shadow gravity" is an observationally correct understanding regarding gravitation. Subsequently, all references to that spacecraft and its observations, and the conclusions resulting from that data, and all articles regarding the significance of these observations, have been removed from the public literature. (LaPlacian gravitation is very rarely discussed.)
Meanwhile, "curved space-time" cannot be measured by any instrumentation yet designed nor even by any conceivable instrumentation. Unless, of course, the experimental team already knows how to make a 4 dimensional laboratory with "4D" instrumentations made of "4D" circuits, and then, in a 4-dimensional way, they can manage to 4 dimensionally install all this "4D" equipment into the required 4 dimensional spacecraft so that somebody can then make a trip through "4D" space with the "4D" "cameras" running. And in constructing all this, these people have to figure out how to act and move in a four dimensional way. And then they have to somehow get the "4D" records and data back here to where we live. (Good luck with all that! It is doubtful that any human being could live through such an experience, so as to help any of these "4D" processes along, in any way.)
Regarding such difficulties, Einstein himself once said, with admirable forthrightness, "Relativity theory can never be physically proved by any manner of experiment." He said that because the only place any "curved space", or "curved time" (how ludicrous), or "curved space-time" have any existence, is inside of some peoples warped imaginations. Einstein's version of relativity is perfectly non-physical, and it is an irrational desecration of the experimental reproducibly observed empirical facts regarding Galilean relativity. Galilean relativity holds regardless of the velocity involved, including an infinite velocity. (The speed of Lorentz Transformation transverse electromagnetic propagations, at velocity "c", is not any limit to velocity, except for this particular variety of E/M propagation.)
Many of the sad states of affairs in the world can be attributed to profit and power-mad monopolistic motivations, casting the well-being of all life completely aside, and due to an expensive and extensive redesigning of the physics during the early part of the last century, so that energy cartels could never be threatened by any so-called "free energy" devices. In actual fact, devices that are capable of producing electricity without requiring any manner of fuel, have made fossil fuels obsolete since the 1890s, and before. Some studies have brought out estimates that our global technology level is about 300 years behind where it should be, if innovations were not interfered with and suppressed.
Certainly, we can easily do better than what we have now.
Thanks to: http://www.zengardner.com


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Also located on SANKO University's main campus is the Sani Konukoğlu Private Hospital where students can get their practical training. Opened in 1996, it is the biggest private hospital in Turkey, having 600 beds and 60,000m2 of workspace.Situated right next to our main building, the hospital is also one of the country's most well-equipped. In state-of-the-art conditions, our students will have the opportunity to learn world-class practices in medicine and other health sciences directly from expert instructors with international scientific and academic experience. Students may also take advantage of the facilities in the hospital garden: an ATM, ladies' hairdresser, health center, exercise room and indoor swimming pool.
@2014 Sanko University, All Rights Reserved


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The best unions fight their toughest battles alone, behind closed doors. Waged one-on-one, member-to-member, they are confrontations aimed at bringing their brothers and sisters back from the edge, helping them conquer alcohol and drug addiction.
Such struggles are not usually associated with traditional bread-and-butter labor issues. But they're just as much a part of unionism's original core mission of mutual support, and combatants say there's as much at stake as on any picket line.
In a quiet and mostly unheralded success story, union-sponsored member assistance programs have become one of the country's most successful bulwarks against alcoholism and drug abuse. New surveys show that programs in which unionists who are recovering alcoholics or drug addicts help fellow members achieve an average success rate far above that of most professionally run employee assistance programs.
Some of the oldest and most successful programs are in New York, where the transport workers, steamfitters, sandhogs, ironworkers, and other unions have made helping members conquer their own demons a key part of their mission.
"It saves lives; it puts families back together," explained Don Perks, who runs a member assistance program for the steamfitters union. It was his union, Perks said, that rescued him. "I called my program leader and the son of a gun had me in detox the next day. He's telling me I got to go in for 30 days. I said, 'I can't afford the time off.' He said, 'You can't afford not to. You're gonna die otherwise.' Then he visited me in detox and stayed on me for months afterwards."
"We live in a society where people don't know how to ask for help. They may be screaming for it, but they don't know how to ask," said Mickey Diamond, who launched a member assistance program for sanitation workers in 1969.
"You're always better off talking to a guy who knows your job and situation," said Tom Burns of the ironworkers. "Someone who can say, 'Come on, don't bullshit me. You think I never wet my pants from drinking? You think I never forgot where I put the car? That don't make you a bad person.' That's how union programs get the success rate they have—that's what makes them work."
Last week, Perks, Burns, Diamond, and other leaders of union assistance programs gathered in a conference room at the posh Cornell Club off Fifth Avenue to swap stories and celebrate the success of their movement. They were also there to mark a unique partnership they've struck with the Ivy League college and a family of wealthy philanthropists committed to defeating alcoholism among workers.
Since 1991, the R. Brinkley Smithers Institute for Alcohol-Related Workplace Studies at Cornell University has been pioneering research on substance abuse in the workplace. The program was founded by Smithers, a multimillionaire banker who was himself a recovered alcoholic and a strong supporter of trade unions. By the time of his death in 1994, Smithers had provided more than $40 million to programs to fight alcoholism, including the Cornell institute. His work has been carried on by his widow, Adelle Smithers Fornaci, who, on Thursday night, sat across the table from a dozen blue-collar union members and leaders grateful for her support.
"'Brink' knew that unions had to be involved if workers were to really get help," she said. "He told the big corporations—General Motors, the steel companies—this can't work without labor."
The meeting was initiated after the latest Smithers study, authored by Cornell professors Samuel Bacharach, Peter Bamberger, and William Sonnenstuhl. The academics spent eight years descending airshafts to visit sandhogs digging the city's water tunnels, climbing high-rise construction projects to talk to ironworkers, and walking through train yards with railworkers.
"Unions have become the most responsive institutions to alcoholism in the country," said Bacharach, who directs the program. "They've done it by going back to their fundamental ideals, by taking care of their members. They know it's better to do it themselves than have management do it. And they're doing more about it than most employers. The root of their success is caring."
Over the past 25 years, some 5000 programs have sprouted at locals throughout the country. Management has also focused increased attention on drinking and drugs—not all of it helpful to workers, said Sonnenstuhl. "Both managed care and drug testing have become dominant aspects, and as a result, companies have looked for shortcuts. One of them is to fire people rather than rehab them," he said.
Jack Hennessey, a founder of the assistance program for the International Longshoremen's Association, said managed care has been a dangerous trend for unions. "The managed care comes in, they just don't know the workplace, they don't know what your job's like, they do the diagnosis on the phone; that doesn't work for most of us," he said.
Alcoholics and addicts entering treatment programs with the backing of union volunteers had a recovery rate of 70 to 80 percent, as opposed to management-sponsored recovery programs, which have only a 10 percent recovery rate, the Cornell researchers found.
"When you have the workplace involved—when people are looking out for you—you've got a better chance to recover; it's that simple," said Sonnenstuhl.
After a 10-year break due to a change in its medical benefits plan, the city's 36,000-member Transport Workers Union reopened its assistance program in the late 1980s. "Members were lined up down the halls," said Ted Mapes, program director. "People are referred by shop stewards or supervisors. And we have teams out in the field, checking on how people are doing."
Ed Watt, newly elected secretary-treasurer of the TWU, said the program serves as an antidote to what he called "the mean-spiritedness that pervades our society these days. It calls for kicking the weakest link. Many times, the members in our programs are the weakest links, and we're the only ones going to help them."
In their new book, Mutual Aid and Union Renewal, the Cornell researchers chronicle a railworkers program adopted in the 1980s. Workers dubbed it "Operation: Redblock" after the red signals that alert engineers to danger. There is a long history of heavy drinking in the ranks of railworkers, who do tough physical labor and often spend long periods away from home. But despite a management-sponsored assistance program and draconian rules about drinking on the job, studies found that almost 23 percent of operating personnel were problem drinkers and at least 5 percent reported to work drunk at least once a year.
"Operation: Redblock" was conceived by a Union Pacific brakeman who reasoned that the stiff punishment of those caught drinking made other workers complicit in alcoholism, since they often covered up for violators. The program allowed the union to steer members into treatment programs rather than have them face immediate discharge. A railworker under the influence is allowed an excused absence from work, providing he or she submits to review by a panel of other workers who may determine treatment is required.
A member of the Redblock committee told the Cornell team, "You don't see [the drinking] anymore. You don't see it period. . . . I knew an old switchman one time that laid in the shanty for three months drunk. They put his name on the ticket and he got paid every day. . . . They just left him back there. That can't happen today."
Research assistance: James Wong


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Hey babes!!! Today I uploaded a new video recreating Baby Ariel's glam look she posted a few months ago. I think it turned out great, although my brown lipstick I had planned for this look is now in Hawaii but that's another story..
I had SOOO much fun recreating this look. I feel like Ariels looks are just enough "wow' that it's still super easy and affordable to recreate if you're like me and can't always buy the high end things. This is the 3 installment of my Social Star Series and I cant wait for you guys to see it. It is a bit longer than my other videos but I wanted to make sure that I explained everything enough to where you get her look.
Make sure to like and subscribe to my channel to be updated whenever I post and follow my socials for the best experience!
Instagram- http://bit.ly/2nAwK4u
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Love you!!


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The Woollen Mills eating house overlooks the Hapenny Bridge with 3 floors of dining rooms and a fabulous rooftop terrace. Specialising in locally sourced modern Irish food, super beers and crafty cocktails.
A fruity and gluggable red sparkling wine based cocktail with a boozy Dingle Vodka kick.
We set out to make a really good vodka but even we were surprised when we tasted the first batch. It was one of those rare times when you get perfectly right at the first go. Again, it must be tasted to be understood. Dingle Distillery Vodka is all about purity. We believe that many famous vodka's are about branding over substance and were determined to create a vodka of supreme quality without, at the same time, attaching a wildly inflated price tag to it.


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United States v. Clark, No. 08-CR-332 (JBW), 2009 WL 1617939 (E.D.N.Y. June 10, 2009)
Clark pled guilty to count two of a twelve-count indictment charging a scheme to defraud a bank. For his offense, Clark faced an advisory Guidelines range of imprisonment of 45 to 51 months. Yet he was sentenced to a year-and-a-day. Why? "The defendant has strong family connections, assisting his siblings who have serious psychiatric illnesses. He provides financial and other support to them and his stepson, who is a member of the armed forces."


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Just what is the legitimate sphere of government? Let's look at a few examples:
You go on vacation, driving on an interstate highway built under government direction.
The fire department responds to your neighbor's house fire.
Burglars would break into your cousin's apartment, except the police caught them during a previous crime and they are now in jail.
A foreign tyrant looks enviously at Alaskan oil, but leaves it alone when he sees the ability of our military.
Your nephew lives downstream from a factory that might pollute the river if it were not for the laws against that pollution.
Those represent legitimate functions of government. They provide what economists call external costs and benefits, or externalities. Externalities are defined as costs or benefits accruing to someone not directly involved in the transaction. Your cousin is not involved in the burglars' "business" but he would pay if government didn't enforce the law. As citizens we are not involved in the tyrant's "business," but we lose if government fails to defend the country. Individually, you paid next to nothing to build that freeway, but many people travel on it. Those are all externalities. Externalities and nothing else are the properly the domain of government.
However that does not mean that government should automatically meddle with all external costs and benefits. It should determine if a proposed action is really worth doing, fair, and worth the cost. For example, it should not build the new road that primarily benefits the mayor's cousin, nor should it build a fancy stadium that brings minimal benefit to the people. Government should also avoid actions that unduly restrict freedom, even if those actions fall within the sphere of external benefits. Some would claim that government should do things like dictate the colors houses should be painted. Free men, however, would object on the grounds that people should make their own choices in such matters, not force their idea of beauty on others. We should remain free unless there are strong and compelling reasons to impose a restriction.


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God is the only true perfect love in my life, although many others strive to be. My parents would most definitely be the second best example. They have loved me through a multitude of questionable decisions, horrible heartbreak, and helped my into the daunting task of becoming a parent myself.
I have told many people, many times that although my childhood was not perfect (I doubt any of us had the ideal), I had the most important gift a parent can give. They loved my no matter what. It did not matter what I managed to surprise them with, after the appropriate discipline was metred out, I was assured of their love.
It was not conditional on good behaviour, perfect grades, or anything I did, it was just their love. I hope I can give my children that same gift.
To me, perfect love is just what God gives. He does not judge whether or not we deserve the love, because honestly, most of us would fall short. He loves us because he is the perfect parent.


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Greyrock Makes Final Investment Decision on GTL Facility
Greyrock Energy reported Tuesday that it has made a final investment decision for a small-scale gas-to-liquids facility that will be located near Houston.
The plant, which will be operational by year-end 2015, will produce synthetic diesel fuel from natural gas or natural gas liquids using Greyrock's GreyCat catalyst and distributed GTL solution. The facility will be the first commercial facility based on Greyrock technology.
"Greyrock has built a modular conversion platform that positions us to successfully deliver this facility and additional small-scale GTL systems worldwide," said Robert Schuetzle, chief executive officer of Greyrock, in a press statement.
The facility will utilized natural gas from the Eagle Ford play in South Texas, a spokesperson told Rigzone. This project is not converting flare gas, but the company is working with customers on applications that take flare gas and convert it into fuels.
The Sacramento, California-based company wouldn't disclose the capacity for the Houston-area plant, but the company's small-scale GTL plants can produce between 100 and 5,000 barrels per day of ASTM-certified transportation fuels, a spokesperson told Rigzone. The specific capacity varies depending on a customer's specific needs.
The project is being funded by a consortium of investors led by Dallas-based Sterling Private Capital and Eagle Oil & Gas Co.
"In addition to the conversion of natural gas into fuels, we are very excited about the opportunity to convert NGLs, especially ethane, in geographies where ethane pricing is depressed and a challenge for producers to deal with," said Pat S. Bolin, chairman, Eagle Oil & Gas Co., in a statement.
Greyrock operates a commercial demonstration plant in Toledo, Ohio.
The rise in unconventional exploration and production in North America has boosted U.S. oil and gas production, but also has resulted in an increase in the flaring of stranded natural gas assets. Some upstream oil and gas companies have been looking at ways to address the issue of stranded assets. Other companies such as Primus Energy and Velocys see stranded and flared gas as an opportunity for small scale gas-to-liquids technology.