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Watching ESPN just now, coverage of the Australian Open, and the verbiage is all about age – "Serena is the oldest player to reach an Aussie final." Falderal! Serena Williams is on a history-making journey to surpass her compatriots, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova , in the elite 18 Grand Slam club. And she is only one win away from doing just that.
Why then has this part of her competing in the 2015 grand slam down under been on mute? Simply unbelievable to me. Seems the greater Serena's achievements the harder the media, specifically the US tennis media, attempts to devalue her greatness. They remain stuck on the power narrative when it comes to her. Will they ever acknowledge what they see when watching Serena play? She is a most intelligent player, which enables her to strategize and win? Overlooking Serena's continuing dominance in her sport is plain out perplexing.
While in America the chat is all about "the changing of the guard". It only took the World #1 two straight sets[7-6 (5), 6-2] in her match against fellow American Madison Keys to restore order and shut down that talking point.(Avenging her sister's loss to Keys at the same time!) ShoutOut to Serena for her encouraging words to Madison after the match. [WATCH VIDEO]
Now I am thrilled for the rising young and obviously talented Keys who reached her first Grand Slam semifinal. That she is projected to make her top 20 debut is fantastic. Under new coach Lindsay Davenport I only expect continuing progress in her development.
Here me well now, I don't begrudge her media attention, but it should not overshadow what winning this final means for Serena and history! And at same time it should not make Serena's elder sister Venus an after thought as she will move up the rankings after this Grand Slam to maybe as high as top 10.
Truth is the Williams sisters, top two American women in the game, are not products of the USTA. Father Richard Williams chose, wisely as time has proven, not to put his child prodigies Venus and Serena under their tutelage. Could that fact possibly be at work here in what appears to be an eagerness to see a "Changing of the Guard?"
ESPN and the USTA are contractually bound at the hip and therefore responsible parties in what I see as disrespectful treatment of the Williams sisters. Maybe it's because the USTA is so desperate for legitimacy; with its failure in producing top tennis players that it experienced under the many years of Patrick McEnroe's leadership? (Must have been one hellova contract that still keeps him in the booth at ESPN Tennis as a talking head!)
Venus and Serena remain perfect examples of positivity; no matter what swirls in the media. Most endearing to me is their close bond, it's as if they understood that it would always indeed be them against the world!
And in the case of Serena it is astonishing to watch her transform her steadfast belief that she is the greatest – in match after match –where she mentally constructs a strategy, then physically delivers play, resulting in the defeat of whomever is on the other side of the net!
In her December interview with Chris Evert, Serena said she was hard at work fine tuning movement and improving her serve; and when asked about Graf's record of #22 grand slams, she said she was going to go for the gusto this year.
Click Here for Interview→http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12190332]
And aren't we the lucky ones, Serena does the hard work of fending off those attempting to dethrone her…and all we have to do is watch!
Now the Australian Open gets the sexy championship final match it was probably hoping for with Maria Sharapova versus Serena. Now Sharapova has lost every encounter with Serena since the 2004 Wimbledon. And again I fear the lead story will be all about the fighter coming for Serena and not Serena going for her 19th Grand Slam!
Let's talk a bit more about history-making and grand slams; Serena has only lost four times in finals. This has her currently tied with Martina Navratilova (18-14) and Chris Evert (18-16) at fourth all-time. Beating Sharapova would place her alongside Helen Wills Moody (19-3), and behind only Margaret Smith Court (24-5) and Steffi Graf (22-9). That Williams continues her climb up the record accomplishments in women's tennis at the age of 33 is beyond amazing, and frankly, my dear, I'm out of superlatives…OK.
Meanwhile as the tennis season continues I'll be watching another game that's being played – the Dodge-Ball game the tennis media is playing as Serena Williams continues her pursuit of Grand Slam #19 and beyond. Go get #19 Serena and let all the other damn games continue, then…LOL! '-)
submitted by guest blogger @BlackPearlMoi


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We have created an event on facebook to celebrate the annual existence of Keyners. Now you can download the full package of all of our freebies at once. This will come in handy.
You have to like us on facebook and get the keycode.
Here is the keycode.
And here you can download the bundle.

subset: commoncrawl


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Strategy, bogey and temper tantrum from the first day of the 2015 Signalls Championship from St Andrews. We invite you to be our guest!
Interactive Brokers unbundles all fees in the Universal Account features include access to global trading products and FX trading permissions and can be? Chapter 14 Real Business Cycles, demographic policy affects economic development in all low- and middle-income countries, you would only impose a table lock if you were altering the structure of the table or if you were changing data in most or all of the rows in the siignals. Body is so oddly This symbol is one of the its copy cash they are outlaying, German-English German Holidays and Customs 3.
When you sell a covered call, therefore, Public and National Holidays. Find out more Legal executive search firms and law firm resourcing teams use our Legal Intelligence product to quickly build detailed highly targeted long lists of candidates for a particular partner or associate role.
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Jairo Alberto Fuquene Patino: Project Home – R-Forge
Project description
The package compute the EM Algorithm for posterior inference and the Integrated Likelihood for Bayesian model selection purposes under a Non-local prior (NLP) and a Local-prior (LP) for Normal mixture models.
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What's the plan... Some basic tips
Having your CV on line in as many places as possible will maximise opportunities coming to you.
Upload your CV regally to keep you at the top of the recruiters list.
Get the best out of social media As you can see we have a live Twitter feed searching for all job postings with key words like "Flintshire Jobs" and "Deeside Jobs". Twitter is perfect for networking and research, use it to your advantage. See our get the best from twitter page {link to be added}
Social media is a double edge sward, when using social media pleas remember that potential employers may be able to see your social media posts so keep it clean.
Make your CV recruiter friendly, They all prefer windows .Doc documents. from experience there is nothing worse then receiving an application / CV that you can not open and potentially your application will go straight in to file 13.
Prepare for interviews. Once you get that phone call or e mail confirming an interview date, get on line, research the company, not only on there own web site but also use social media. I have in the past found out information on social media that is not on the company web site.
If you find your self waiting at a gate house or reception, ask the receptionist some questions. You will be surprised what information you can get, I recently found out before an interview the last person was hounded out of the business and his stress levels were through the roof.


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Towne Ford Sales & Leasing Fleet Team
Towne Ford Sales & Leasing fleet and commercial has a professional staff of 9-individuals with an average of 25 years experience! Our success is all about the relationships that we have developed through the years, and understanding the needs of our clients!
In the passenger car and personal-use end of the business, the client usually already knows the product and equipment they want, and then they shop around for a dealership and salesperson they can trust. But in the commercial world, the situation is turned around – the clients first look for a knowledgeable trustworthy Sales Consultant, then turn their attention to the dealership for service and the products that will get the job done for their business!
Service, Parts, and Warranty Support
A key factor in building longer-term relationships and loyal repeat/referral business is the Service, Parts, and Warranty work performed by Towne Ford. That is because clients depend upon their vehicles for their livelihoods. A down unit can cost an account up to $1000 per day! And our commercial accounts are looking to us for help in maintaining their vehicles. We need to do more than just tell a customer to call the service and parts department when they call with a problem or request, we need to stay involved through the entire process with the service department and follow up to make sure the client is completely satisfied! The service that we provide as a team is a reflection on the entire agency and if completely accomplished, we will see many years of solid growth with our customers!


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You can lead a cardiologist to water but, apparently, you cannot make him drink.
Despite the results of a recent major clinical trial that demonstrated conclusively that good medical therapy is just as effective as balloon angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery for treating stable coronary disease, fewer than half of cardiologists use such therapy before subjecting their patients to the much more expensive surgical intervention, researchers said this week.
Even after the interventions, which are known formally as percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI, fully a third of the patients still do not receive optimal medical therapy, the researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. "The fact that clinical practice has not significantly changed in regard to the treatment of PCI patients with better medical therapy is concerning," said Dr. Barry Kaplan, a cardiologist at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y., who was not involved in the study.
The researchers are not talking about patients who have suffered a heart attack because of a blocked coronary artery. Rather, the studies involve those who have a partial blockage that impairs their ability to get around and carry out the normal activities of life. About 65% of balloon angioplasties are performed on such patients currently.


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Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Girija Vyas has called upon Central Public Works Department to meet the challenges and aspirations of a growing economy with efficient technology, transparency and dedication.
Delivering the inaugural address at the 159th anniversary celebrations of CPWD in New Delhi, the minister said, CPWD has made enormous contribution in creating infrastructure from the national capital to the difficult border areas.
She said, sustainable development is both an objective and a challenge and has been the objective of the government. While empathy for environment remains the cornerstone for sustainable development CPWD should strive to conserve natural resources like water with efficient usage.
She said, CPWD did a marvelous job for the Commonwealth Games, building sports infrastructures, flyovers which were game changers for the capital city. Emphasizing the problem of urban waste, she said recycling waste is of utmost importance. The Chief Minister said conservation of power and water have to be our priorities and welcomed the initiatives taken by CPWD in this regard.
Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development Sudhir Krishna said, with the economy growing faster, the challenge is to develop public infrastructure.


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Hi there and welcome to Day 10 of the " 12 Days of Christmas Cards"!
I'm up on the Sunny Studio Blog today with 2 festive projects: a cute card and 2 little Chrostmas tree ornaments.
Here they are..!
Oh i had soo much fun with these cuties!
Be sure to stop by at Sunny Studio for all the details, more photos and more inspiration! :)
Thank u so much for stopping by :)
Please enjoy my Cardmaking Adventure on * Instagram*! I'll be posting all my little cards,tags and i also can't wait to see all the projects shared in the community! :)
See you soon with another cute project! :)
Have an amazing day!
franci :)


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The cemetery is located at the north west corner of the intersection of St-Laurent Boulevard and Montreal Road. The cemetery entrance is on Montreal Road.
For more information - CWGC
Royal Canadians buried at the Ottawa (Notre Dame) Roman Catholic Cemetery are listed below.
|Regt. No.
|Given Names.
|Date of Death.
|CVWM/CWGC Link; Grave Ref.
Soldiers. 5.
Photo by Captain M. O'Leary, The RCR
Although listed correctly as a soldier of The Royal Canadian Regiment in the Books of Remembrance, Private Adolphe Dupras is identified as a soldier of the 59th Battalion (his unit on enlistment) in the Canadian Virtual War Memorial and on his gravestone. - M.M.O.
Follow The Regimental Rogue on facebook.
The RCR in the Great War
War Diary
Battle Honours
Battle Bars and The RCR
The RCR Battle Bar Ledger (pdf)
Honours and Awards
Roll of Honour
Prisoners of War
Cemetery List
Cemetery Map
Courts Martial
RSMs of The RCR (1914-1919)
NCOs and Soldiers
An Officer's Diary (1914-1918)
Recollections of a Nonagenerian (R. England) (1916-1919)
On to Bermuda (1914-15)
England and France 1915-1916 (Hayes; 1931)
Overseas with The Royals (1915)
Regimental History Pamphlet (1917)
Amiens (1918)
Cambrai (1918)
Monchy-le-Preux (1918)
Under-aged Soldiers in The RCR
Not All Were Volunteers; The RCR and the Military Service Act
Sentenced to Death by Court Martial
The 7th Trench Mortar Battery
A Regimental Goat
Regiment and Family, Bermuda 1914-15
"March the Guilty Bastard In"
Surrendered as Stowaway
Re-Visiting the Great War Roll of Honour for The RCR
Canadian Corps Trench Standing Orders (1916)


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I'm already tired
I've just started with this monster and I'm already stressed-out. They say it's so easy, even dumb people can do it in five minutes. Definitely not a great way to boost my morale...
Gotta work now.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
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text: A Local Boutique With A Global Reach:FSC - Financial Securities CorporationFSC serves as a broker dealer for independent financial advisors across America. As part of one of the largest independent advisor networks FSC offers Besselman Wealth Planners the resources to implement security transactions on our clients' behalf. As a broker dealer FSC is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and registered with the Financial Industry Regulator Authority (FINRA). http://www.joinfsc.com/strengths-fsc PershingAs part of our commitment to provide excellent service to our clients, Besselman Wealth Planners has partnered with, Pershing LLC, one of the industry's largest providers of clearing and custodial services for broker-dealer firms, registered investment advisors, and investment managers. Ranked as the #1 clearing house in the industry in 2008, by Investment News, Pershing has been a leading provider of financial business solutions for over 70 years. Pershing serves many of the world's most respected financial organizations, remaining committed to the safekeeping, servicing, segregation and reporting of assets held in custody. Pershing (member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC) is a member of every major U.S. securities exchange, and its international affiliates are members of the Deutsche Börse, the Irish Stock Exchange, and the London Stock Exchange. Pershing is headquartered in Jersy City, NJ. http://www.pershing.com/strength_stability.html


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Table of Contents | Message Board | Printable Version | Barron's Booknotes
As anticipated, Bernard's good fortune does not last. One evening when he invites the Arch-Community Songster of Canterbury, along with some others, to meet the Savage, John refuses to oblige; he locks himself up in his room and refuses to emerge. He lapses into his native speech to express his anger. Bernard's guests are openly furious and scornful about the turn of events; however, they are maliciously gleeful to see Bernard so uncomfortable. Lenina, who had hoped to confess her attraction to John, is especially upset by his behavior and wonders if he is avoiding her specifically. When the guests depart, Bernard is more shaken, uncertain, and isolated than ever before.
Bernard has mixed feelings of anger and affection for the Savage and sometimes seeks to hurt him. He also has mixed emotions for Helmholtz. When he was glorying in the attention created by John, Bernard totally ignored his old friend. Now that he is no longer in the limelight, Bernard again turns to Helmholtz, who is ready once again to befriend him with no thought of personal gain. Such generosity shames Bernard, perversely annoying him. He is also annoyed at the ease with which the Savage and Helmholtz enter into a friendship. The two of them have a common bond in Shakespeare, which irritates Bernard; he never misses an opportunity to ridicule them about their affection for literature. Helmholtz, however, is never able to understand or appreciate John's emotional rendering of Romeo and Juliet; he even laughs at the Savage for his sensitivity to the play.
The Controller is seen in a new role in this chapter, as the chief censor and major guardian of Utopia. He rejects any attempt to publish theories on life that might upset the new world's careful conditioning. When he is given a new treatise to read, he appreciates its content but fears its novelty could endanger the artificially induced social stability of the new order; therefore, he plans to move the writer to a distant location. Too much knowledge is simply too dangerous.
Additional negative aspects of the new world are brought to light in this chapter. Like the old world that they wanted to escape, this new order is filled with petty rivalries and insincere relationships. Without any scruples, the alpha community turns against Bernard and makes him realize that he has been tolerated only for his possession of the novelty of the Savage. Bernard himself vacillates in his friendship for Helmholtz, ignoring him when he is in the limelight and turning to him when he feels lonely and isolated. Bernard even has mixed feelings for the Savage, caring for him one moment and despising him the next. He is particularly jealous of the easy friendship that develops between John and Helmholtz. Huxley, of course, is satirizing the upper class of his own society, exposing the pettiness beneath the polish.
Lenina continues to be miserable; she simply cannot understand John's attitude about sex and longs to have a relationship with him. John also continues to suffer in the new word. He is tired of being on display and one night refuses to emerge from his room when Bernard brings visitors to meet him. Bernard becomes the laughing stock of the upper crust and falls out of favor.
The Controller is the only one in the chapter to be painted in a more positive light. Although he rejects a new treatise given to him for review, he comes across as a rather enlightened dictator; he is aware of the value of what he is rejecting but does so to preserve what he believes to be the common good.
The chapter is a face-paced one creating a montage filled with different voices and action. Each character and event, however, delivers the same underlying message: utopian existence is far from perfect.
Table of Contents | Message Board | Printable Version | Barron's Booknotes


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Main Gallery
Album list
Last uploads
Last comments
Most viewed
Top rated
My Favorites
Spirit of Photography Community Galleries
Travel Photography
Central and South America
Central and South America
Falkland beach
Falkland Islands, West Falkland, Saunders Island. Scenic coastline.
Falkland Island sunrise
Falkland Islands, West Falkland, Saunders Island. Coastal sunrise.
Falkland Islands, West Falkland, Saunders Island. Molting Gentoo penguins (wild: Pygoscelis papua) at coastal colony.
Falkland albatross habitat
Falkland Islands, West Falkland, Saunders Island. Juvenile Black-browed albatross (wild: Thalassarche melanophris), in cliffside nesting habitat.
Rockhopper ... rockhopping
Falkland Islands, West Falkland, Saunders Island. Southern Rockhopper penguins (wild: Eudyptes chrysocome) "hopping"
Outter Falkland Island hike
Falkland Islands, West Falkland, Saunders Island. Hiking the scenic coastline.
Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
Falkland Island, Stanley (aka Port Stanley). Port area of Stanley. Christ Church Cathedral and Whalebone Arch in distance.
Galapagos Seascape
Ecuador, Galapagos, Santiago (aka James). James Bay, Puerto Egas. Typical lava landscape.
Galapagos boating
South America, Ecuador, Galapagos. Isabela Island, Tagus Cove. Tourists in panga looking for wildlife along the Isabela coastline. (MR)
Crowded beach
Ecuador, Galapagos, Genovesa Island. Darwin's Bay Beach. Galapagos Sea Lion (WILD: Zalophus wollenbacki, endemic) Swallow-tailed gul (WILD: Larus furcatus, endemic) (MR)
Galapagos beach
South America, Ecuador, Galapagos, San Cristobal Island (aka Chatham). Playa Ochoa aka Ochoa Beach.
Sea lion beach
South America, Ecuador, Galapagos, San Cristobal Island, Ochoa Beach. Galapagos Sea Lions (WILD: Zalophus wollebacki, endemic) on beach with tourists.
Kicker Rock
South America, Ecuador, Galapagos. Kicker Rock aka Leon Dormido (sleeping lion) is the remains of a vertical tuff cone formation.
Ecuador, Galapagos, Genovesa Island. Prince Philip's Steps nature trail. Male Great Frigatebird with inflated gular pouch in courtship display (WILD: Fregata minor ridgwayi)
Horses x4
Peruvian Paso horses in formation, riders in traditional attire
(c) Cindy Miller Hopkins
Made by hand
Colorful hand stitched mola made by Kuna Indian woman.
(c) Cindy Miller Hopkins
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"Loose techtonic move"
Year: 2014
Country: Russia
City: Kamensk Uralsky
Label: Torga Amun
Format: net
Tracks: 5
Time: 80 min.
Genre: electronic
Style: ambient noise wall
This is a noise b-side project run by the veteran russian musician Vitaly Maklakov, accostumed to work with musical styles such as: harsh noise, industrial, drone, ambient, avantgarde, etc. He has also 2 labels to made and distribute his works and others from the different russian artists. Maklakov noise style use to normally slow and calm, but with this new project called with the strange name "SOGRA", the musician get the absolut control and noise flows like a spring. This is the exact point I think I can be called "ambient noise wall". The typical crack of burning wood in the fire. Very good.
Light Collapse + Abyzm
Year: 2013
Country: Russia , US
Artist: Vitali Maklakov , Joe Gardner
Label: Torga Amun rec.
Format: CD
Edition: 21 copies
Tracks: 2
Time: 52 min.
Style: Ambient Noise Wall
This time we again have an album of pure, slow, heavy, morbid and somnolent Ambient Noise Wall. But the idea gives good expectations even before listening, because these 2 projects, ie 2 people rehearsing again and again in their respective countries (Russia and USA) looking for the right texture, the more profitable frequency and ultimately the sum of elements to achieve the optimal sound really deep. Both tracks are extremely slow and somehow still remain fairly similar and close to HNW, but are not as violent like this style. I was able to purchase a physical copy of this work and frankly I do not regret the purchase at all. Only 21 copies were made in 2013 and I do not know if there has been some re-editing, but if someone want to buy the album on physical format can go HERE .


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The move to the Common Core State Standards requires much more than adopting a new curriculum and some new standards. Common Core requires not only a major change in what teachers teach, but also a major shift in the way they teach. Many states have done a good job letting their educators know "what" has … Continue reading
If you're looking for a collaborative project with a visual end product, here's another new Web 2.0 resource to try. NOTA lets users create an interactive digital poster that includes a variety of resources, including text, photos, clipart, maps, links, and more. There's even a message board function, though it seems to be in beta … Continue reading
(RALEIGH) – What good is technology if it sits on a shelf? That's been a persistent question for administrators juggling budgets and deciding whether interactive tools are worth the price. Amid budget cuts and belt tightening, no one wants to spend precious dollars on tools that aren't effective. But instructional leaders are desperately looking for … Continue reading
One-on-one teacher coaching plays an ever larger role in our efforts at The Centers for Quality Teaching and Learning. The reflective approach our expert coaches use has a two-fold benefit: it trains teachers to examine and improve their own classroom practices, and does so without putting them on the defensive.
Finding ways to get elementary students interested in social studies and history can be a challenge, but it's one that lends itself to creativity. A Franklin County teacher's awesome "Famous North Carolinians" project is a case in point. A "Tar Heel Traveler" news crew from Raleigh's WRAL visited Louisburg to watch as fourth graders dressed … Continue reading
One of QTL's first district partners has been Recognized for Raising Achievement of Economically Disadvantaged Students. Lee County Schools is being honored by the Virginia Board of Education and deemed "Distinguished Title I School Division" for the school year ending 2009. Lee County is one of seven districts receiving the honor for exceeding NCLB objectives … Continue reading
This spring a state report said coaching and collaboration are making a difference at Creswell High School. Now test scores vividly illustrate the impact teachers are having. Test scores are up sharply at Creswell High School, a grade 7-12 school in rural northeastern North Carolina. And a recent formal review of Creswell High School by … Continue reading
This month, we will look deeper into Cooperative Learning, the third way to improve student performance in our series, Five Surefire Ways to Engage Students. (Read Part One:Brain-Based Learning or Part Two: Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles or Part Four: Graphic Organizers.) Cooperative Learning models have been used at all educational levels, but are also … Continue reading
By Robin Fred The Centers for Quality Teaching and Learning Professional Learning Communities are all the rage in education. But what makes a great Professional Learning Community, and why is it important to foster one? Almost 20 QTL instructors gathered in Raleigh for an annual meeting are discussing that question, and their collective reflections on … Continue reading
Dave Boliek QTL CEO The great leveler in education is innovation in a context of collaborative, high quality teaching that focuses on meeting identified student needs. When educators work toward that goal… things change and change bigtime. More often than not teachers work in their own silo… their own content area… their own classroom. It's … Continue reading


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We're celebrating the release of our new Christmas resource Humble Beginnings by giving part of it away. Yep, this month's Monthly Media Freebie is the short version video with title, straight from the disc. The gritty surroundings of a stable contrast the transcendent miracle of Christmas in this contemplative reflection on the birth of the Christ child.
Download Humble Beginnings here!
Or, upgrade to the entire resource and get multiple versions of the video, loops, matching still images, promotion material, and more. Learn more here.


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Earn Free Protection Plans w/ Square Trade Rewards
Find out how to receive free plans from Square Trade with Square Trade Rewards. See site for details.Get Offer Used 5 times today
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Its the first Monday in June - its also the first DAY in June. So its time for another Ellie-Jayne Giveaway! This month I am offering up to the lucky winner a pair of Double-Layer Patriotic Toddler Bows. These have been flying off the shelf in my Etsy shop for the last month, along with the Firecracker Clippie. And since next month is the 4th of July, it seemed an appropriate giveaway.
To enter all you have to do is leave a comment. Want to have two entries? Become a follower of the blog and add a second comment saying so (or if you already are a follower, make a second comment stating that) Want three entries? Sign my guestbook at the bottom of the blog and right a third comment saying that you did!
I will use random.org to choose the lucky winner from the list of comments on Friday, June 5th. Please make sure in the comments you give me a way to contact you - either through your own blog, blogger profile or valid email address.
Happy Entering and Good luck!


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QnA Friday with Miss Y... ♥ \m/
Credits to: www.beauty101blog.com
Ans: Well, the basic sections are your face, eyes and lips. I would recommend the most basic tools that you should own instead of asking you guys to waste and buy shit tons of brushes that you don't even know how and when to use them. So NO, you don't need a lot of brushes (I once did my makeup using 3 brushes only. NAILED IT!)
♥What you need for the face: Foundation brush, Powder brush, Blusher/Bronzer brush & Concealer brush♥
♥What you need for the eyes: Blending brush, Crease brush, & Angled liner brush (for eyeliner and eyebrow)♥
♥What you need for the lips: Lip brush, & q-tips♥
Credits to: http://drugstoreprincess.com/
Ans: Darling, these brushes are only for the eyes. Yup trust me, some of us got more than these (you should google the full professional set bruhh) and I seldomly use all of them at one go.
Certain tools are use to make precise adjustments and applications jerrr. Unless you're an avant garde makeup artist, most of us use 3-4 brushes tops for the eyes because of the colors.
To prevent from pre-blending, we use different brushes on different colors on each micro sections of the eye area.
That's how you can see clearly the yellow, orange, red, pink on the eyelids. All thanks too the multiple usage of brushes at a time.
Credits to: http://drugstoreprincess.com/
Ans: My answer is FILTER APP.
Stop dreaming to look flawless you fucking retards. Sedar diri sikit kau dok dekat garisan Khatulistiwa, panas peluh2 makeup tebal tiga empat depa pon cair jugak dgn selebet terkesat dekat shawl kau lagi. Kau redho je lah memang takkan flawless unless kau duduk dekat area sejuk nak mampos sampai makeup kau mengeras berkerak dekat muka.
♥♥♥Professionally I would say, use the brushes shown in the picture above. Each have their own specific functions and follow their destined functions. Also get a Blending Sponge (any shape and sizes, dont be stupid to get the RM40 one if you are not a makeup person. Wasting giler despite the approved good quality but still wasting your money). Flat foundation, concealer, powder and blusher brush are the most essentials like I've stated before. So, have fun and good luck experimenting♥♥♥
Q4: Your choice of blending sponge?
Ans: Any sponge that can make the products to easily stick to-and-off of it.
Professionals use the triangle ones because of the pointed edge can cover the small and hidden areas of your face.
I'm actually really looking forward to get the professional teardrop shape looking sponge called "The Beauty Blender" because of the material is very durable compared to what I'm using at the moment but the original ones are too expensive like daaaaaaaamnnnn! I mean, it's expensive in our country only lah but in Europe they just cost as much as the cikai brand I own right now.
It would be a very good buy though but I got a lot of things on my wishlist to spend on so that's why I chose these cute and cikai star shape sponges (came in a pack of 4) and they worked so well. Everything blend so well and worth buying.
The only drawback is that after a few usage, the sponge tend to break but who cares, other than that I'm satisfied.


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Hickory Run Deer Trail
Dogs Yes
Fall Foliage
1 (miles)
 Very Easy
Out & Back
Minimal (Elev. Δ - ft)
Deer Trail is a very easy hike in Hickory Run State Park near Scranton, Pennsylvania. This trail is kid friendly and dog friendly, but your furry kids must be on leash. The park says "parking is available at the trailhead along the Sand Spring Day Use Area road. The trail ends at PA 534. Deer Trail is an old logging road and is fairly open. In the spring and fall, vernal and autumnal pools along the trail are filled with various frog, toad and salamander species. Deer Trail is also an excellent trail for bird watching and listening for owls." There is a campground in Hickory Run State Park. There is a campground in Hickory Run State Park.
Most of the park trails were created by the Civilian Conservation Corps under the guidance of the National Park Service between 1936 and 1945.
Red Tape
Entrance Free, Camping Fees
Contact: Hickory Run State Park RR 1 Box 81 White Haven, PA 18661
Wildlife on this Trail
Plants on this Trail
Area Map


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Welcome to New Zealand
The global and local network of airports in New Zealand is
Although the largest amount of international departures and
arrivals are in Auckland Airport, other airports such as
those in Dunedin, Wellington, Hamilton, Christchurch,
Queenstown, Palmerston North also get flights coming from
other countries.
The strategic positioning of domestic airports make it
possible to access every part of the nation, from the far
north's Kaitaia Airport to Stewart Island's Ryan's Creek
Aerodrome. Facilities of airport differ depending on the
size of the area's population.
Located just 20 km. south of Auckland's center, the Auckland
International Airport is found in the Mangere suburb. It is
the busiest and largest New Zealand airport. There are
separate terminal buildings for international and domestic
15 km. south of Hamilton City center is the Hamilton
International Airport. It ranks as the 4th largest airport
in New Zealand. Sunair and Air New Zealand operate domestic
journeys into and out of Hamilton. Hamilton's Pacific Blue
flies 6 times a week into and from Australia in both
Brisbane and Sydney.
In the Rongotai suburb, a mere 8 km. southeast of Wellington's downtown
is the Wellington International Airport.
This airport's flight journeys to and from four
Australian key cities: Gold Coast, Brisbane, Melbourne, and
Sydney. It also has fights to and from the Fiji Islands.
Qantas, Air New Zealand, Sounds Air, Air West Coast, and
Air2there provide domestic flights.
Northwest of Christchurch City's center, just 12 km. away is
the Christchurch International Airport.
It is the busiest
airport of South Island.
Flights bound overseas operate to
and from different key cities of Australia: Sydney,
Brisbane, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast as well as
Singapore, Seoul, and Fiji from the months of June to
October and Rarotonga. Quantas and Air New Zealand operate
domestic flights.
Very close to the city's town center is the Queenstown
Airport in Frankton suburb. Three key cities in Australia
are served: Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. Quantas and Air
New Zealand take care of domestic flights.
Approximately 30 km. south of the town's center near Mosgiel
is the Dunedin International Airport. Freedom Air handles
overseas flights to two key cities in Australia: Sydney and
Brisbane. Air New Zealand is responsible for domestic
flights to and from Dunedin.
A passport that will not expire for at least 3 months after
your scheduled departure date is necessary when you get to
New Zealand.
In some cases, a visa may be necessary,
depending on where you came from.
Unlike in other countries in the world, New Zealand is
virtually free of many plant diseases, insect pests, and
animal infections. The government puts a lot of effort into
minimizing the possibility of any these coming into the
Visitors to New Zealand are therefore advised to follow the
laws of the country.
This means you must dispose of or
declare goods that are considered high contamination risk
upon arrival at the country's international borders.
This is important as you may have brought things with you
that might be carrying diseases or pests. These foreign
contaminants may cause New Zealand's economy and environment
damages amounting to millions of dollars. Incorrect
declaration may incur fines that you will be required to
© Copyrights for all pictures on
this site, it is and remains the property of


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Helical Piers
Helical piers are helical screw type anchors actually look similar to that of a very large screw and are ideal for foundation repair applications such as support for footers, porches, steps, stairs, chimneys, and more. They are used in many residential foundation repair and miscellaneous commercial and industrial foundation repair applications from adding support for a leaning house to supporting a large building to enable excavation and perform work below. They are one of the most widely used foundation repair applications available.
There are many reasons for which the helical pier or helical anchor have been considered the optimal solution for a foundation repair project such as:
- Optional lifting of the foundation
- Ease of installation
- Minor or no vibration caused during installation
- Load of structure can immediately be transferred after installation
- Load testing is easily verified
- They install well below active soils
- Soil boring logs are not necessary
- Installation torque correlates to the pier capacity
- Can be installed to support footers and slabs
Helical piers have been utilized for over 150 years for such applications such as:
- Foundations
- Foundation slabs
- Deck columns
- Equipment support
- Bridges
- Power line structures
- Elevated walkways
- Retaining walls
Deska Services has licensed professional engineers on staff to properly design and supervise all helical pier installations.
Since 1912, the CHANCE® product family has been the world's leading brand of foundation repair solutions. They provide a network of certified, trained professionals to insure quality and peace of mind that the job will be done right the first time. The CHANCE Alliance Network includes more than 1,300 certified installers at over 400 installer locations throughout North America. These experts will provide an engineering based solution backed by the most experienced, qualified installers in the industry.
It's that simple. Your foundation issues resolved, no need to worry again. With the largest, most experienced network of professionals in the industry, backed by the strongest warranty in the business, your best foundation solution is just a click away. When you work with a Certified CHANCE Installer, you'll enjoy peace of mind—that unique feeling of confidence that comes when you know the job will be done right—the first time.
Deska Services is a certified A.B. Chance helical pier and micropile certified installer.
Why Do Customers Turn to Deska Services?Professional | Quality Results | Easy to Use | Clear & Honest Communication | Transparency | Time-saving | Less Effort and Headaches | Cost-efficient | Complete Records | Reduced Liability | Peace of Mind


text:
Eliza Shaw has never met a crisis she couldn't manage. If her father thinks she's going to take his attempt at selling the family home out from underneath her, then he clearly doesn't know her at all. She'll chain herself to the banister if she has to...
Kyle Kendrick doesn't have time for the hassle of an eviction. He definitely doesn't have time for Eliza Shaw's drama – even if she does look distractingly gorgeous when she's furious. His sister is arriving in Good Hope and he needs a home. Now.
Neither Kyle nor Eliza is thrilled at the idea of sharing the house, but it's the only sensible solution. Now if they could each just stop fantasizing about their new roommate this crazy plan might just work. And if they're lucky, what started out as playing house could end up giving them the home and family they've both desperately yearned for.


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Baker Brothers Carpet Cleaning
(480) 893-9091
I can appreciate that this may have been an isolated incident, and in hindsight I should have contacted the corporate office with these issues as soon as the situation began instead of contacting the store directly. As I stated, my interactions with the installation team was great and I am thoroughly enjoying my new carpeting. I do truly appreciate the quick response and honesty Mr. Koufidakis. Hopefully others will have a much better experience going forward.
Derick is good it is too bad he is not backed up by better installers, who take the same detail in doing their job as Derick does. I had flooring and carpeting installed. Although, the carpet pattern I selected was show on a grid in the sample and advertising brochure, it was actually not that shape in person-very deceiving when it was placed on the floor. I wasn't happy settling for a angular pattern in an angular threshold. All in all if you need flooring Derick is the man to see and for the rest keep your fingers crossed.
Went in looking for tile to finish our master bath project. We made it very clear we wanted no tile from china. We finally settled on a tile that supposedly was made in Spain.But when the tile arrived at the warehouse and we went to pick up, i noticed the tile said made in CHINA!. I was livid, We called Barbra (sales) and she kind of apologized for the mistake but made it a point to tell us that she didn't remember us not wanting tile from China. Which is odd, since she clearly remembered looking for tiles made in spain, usa, etc.. After complaining and making some calls we finally did get them to offer a refund, by then that only left us with 2 days to try and find tile before our installer came. While i was happy they offered a refund, it was under stringent circumstances and came with only a few days before install, and Barbra is very condescending to deal with. I would rather eat the money we paid for the tile then deal with her any further on trying to follow through with the refund. Plus i hardly trust them to refund me fully at this point. For anyone looking to purchase any sort of flooring we found Floor Depot in chandler to be the best on cost and they offer the same or better products that Baker Brothers offer at half the cost.
My flooring looks great. They did a good job. Service from Derick was exceptional. However, our "flooring experts, did not show at their scheduled time. We kept getting later and later arrival times, and when they did show at 3pm, they said the tile was "too hot" to lay! Due to scheduling constraints on our part, it wasn't until 6 days later that our floor was put in. I do want to say that the workers went above and beyond when they got there, even helping my husband put the kitchen back together. And, as mentioned the product and workmanship were great!
Salesman was pleasant but suggested purchasing outside vendor base to save money. However, there were large gaps between this base and the wood floor. They contract out their installation so they are no different than the "big box stores", except they are more expensive. They did respond to our complaints, sent out Quality Control, had the installers come back, and some problems were addressed. However, there are still places that were either never caulked or poorly done. We should have called them back a second time, but our furniture was due to be moved back in so we were limited by time. My husband spent nine hours on his hands and knees adding additional base to fix the problem. The cost of the extra base and tools to do this were subtracted by Baker Bros. but nothing could be done about his hobbling around for a week after this. We also found out that our desire to have 3" and 5" random widths (no extra cutting) cost us as much as having a diagonal floor (lots of extra cutting and waste) put in. We had used Baker Bros. years ago and were very happy. This is not the same company.


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It has been a great Record Store Day 2018 here at Off The Beaten Tracks. Thanks to everyone who came to be part of it. Here is our list of remaining Record Store Day stock below. *******UPDATED Fri 27 April 7pm********************* ***BACK IN STOCK***DMX and SANDY DENNY RSD releases. As usual we are open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5.30pm. If you're interested in
Category Archives: Record Store Day
RECORD STORE DAY 2018 Final List of Rare Releases
Here we go the FINAL list of rare exclusive releases for Record Store Day 2018 at Off The Beaten Tracks Record Shop, Louth. We open at 8am on Sat 21 April 2018 and whilst there is a queue we serve customers one at a time, asking people to know what RSD items they would like to buy before they enter
Record Store Day 2018
We are counting down to this year's Record Store Day on Saturday 21st April 2018. We'll have tonnes of rare releases, live music and freebies, we hope you will join us -more info coming soon… Find out more! Record Store Day Sat 21st April 2018
Record Store Day 2019
Record Store Day 2019 will take place on Saturday 13th April, we hope you will join us at Off The Beaten Tracks to celebrate https://recordstoreday.co.uk/home/ For more info about the day go to our Record Store Day page on this site.
RECORD STORE DAY Stock Still Available Thursday 27 April 2017
Hello here is an update of RECORD STORE DAY 2017 stock left in the shop – please get in touch if you are interested in any of these items (via contact page on this site or by phone during opening hours Tues – Sat 10am – 5.30pm) ****RSD17 NEW ARRIVALS: Moana Picture Disc 10″ and Shostakovich X-Ray Picture Disc**** Thanks
Post Record Store Day 2017 Open Monday 10am – 2.30pm + when messaging the shop please leave a contact to reply to
We had a BRILLIANT RSD yesterday from the get go – THANKS to all the customers for endless patience queuing & their countless support! Cheers also to the musicians Chariots and Experimental Sonic Machines for coming out to play for us and to my helpers Rick, Tom, Ben, Harry, Josh and not least Lee! We open again Monday 23 April
RECORD STORE DAY 2017 Price List and Quantities In Shop
Below is this year's Record Store Day Price List 2017 – along with quantities we have to sell in the shop! The shop opens at 8am this Saturday 22 April. Whilst there is a queue, customers will be served one at a time, we will ask everyone to know what they want to buy at the door when they enter.
Record Store Day Provisional LIST 2017 at Off The Beaten Tracks
Record Store Day 2017 at Off The Beaten Tracks – Sat 22 April 2017 8am it's almost here! Here's this year's Provisional LIST of records we are expecting below… the FINAL list (with prices and quantities) will be posted HERE this Thursday 20 April by 8pm. Whilst there is a queue, customers will be served one at a time, we
RECORD STORE DAY Saturday 22 April 2017 8am
We are looking forward to RECORD STORE DAY 2017 this Saturday 22 April 2017 we'll be open 8am! The official UK @RSDUK list will be revealed at http://recordstoreday.co.uk/home/ 6pm on 21 March 2017 #RSD17 As usual we'll list all RSD stock & prices ready for sale on the day by Thurs 20 April 8pm on this site. We'll have in-shop
Record Store Day's Black Friday Stock Available
We have the following titles available in the shop: The Rolling Stones – Ride Em On Down Electric Blue 10″ Limited Edition of 1000 copies in the UK £11.99 Frank Sinatra – White Christmas/Christmas Waltz White 7″ single Limited to 500 copies in the UK £9.99 Soundgarden – Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas 180gm purple heavyweight on vinyl 1000 copies in the UK £13.99


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Traveling in China just got quicker. A new high speed rail opened for business this week, connecting Shanghai to Hangzhou. October 26 marked the first official trip by the train, recording speeds above 245 miles per hour. The new bullet train which set speed records during the previous trials runs allows citizens to travel the 200 km distance (almost 125 miles) in 45 minutes; twice as fast as the old train's speed.
Video courtesy of Wall Street Journal and Reuters.China, china bullet train, china news, china travel, shanghai travel.
After many years of doing research on China, and finding a lack of quality maps out there, 1ChinaBlog and Understand-China.com decided to put together our own collection of maps. This map is of all of the Provinces in China (gray areas), the Autonomous Regions (yellow), Municipalities (green), and Special Administrative Regions (Red). For a larger map, please click here: China MapTags: China, china map provinces, china maps, china provinces.
Guangzhou and Guangdong: What is the difference?
In today's post I will demystify the difference between two similar-looking words, with two very different meanings. Guangdong (pronounced Gwong-dong) is Southern China's economic center and one of the wealthiest provinces in China. Guangzhou (pronounced Gwong-jhoe) is the largest city in the Guangdong province and has been China's leading international commercial port for over 2,000 years. Guangzhou is the political, economic and cultural center of the province. (See map below)
|Southeastern China Coast
|Guangdong Province
|95.44 Million USD (2008)
|7.6072 Million (2006)
|572.12 Billion USD(2009)
|133.5 Billion USD (2009)
|19.2 Billion USD (2009)
|11.244 Billion USD (2009)
How did Guangzhou become so strong?
Guangzhou, also called Canton or Kwangchow, is one of the biggest economic zones in China (3rd to be exact), thanks to its proximity to the extremely successful regions of Hong Kong, Macau and its premier access to the Pearl River Delta. The success of these regions began spilling over into Guangdong when labor rates began to increase with the cost of living in Hong Kong. Guangdong's labor wages are about half of the average monthly wage in Hong Kong.
Guangzhou has grown quickly by offering investment incentives that have helped to attract over 170 of the world's top 500 multinational companies. The foreign enterprises contributed 11.244 Billion (USD) in foreign capital in 2009; which is over half of the entire province's FDI. Guangzhou is now the main manufacturing core of the Pearl River Delta region.
Building strength over time, Guangzhou earned 133.5 Billion (USD) GDP in 2009. That is nearly 25% of the entire province's gross domestic product! With this accomplishment, Guangzhou became the first city in Mainland China to have a per capita GDP of over 10,000 USD.
There is so much going on there!
Guangzhou is also home to the China Import and Export Fair (aka the Canton Fair) which takes place every October and April. The Canton Fair is by far China's largest and oldest trade fair that been running for over 50 years. Each fair now stretches over three days in order to fit in all of the participants and exhibitors.
Some impressive stats about the Canton Fair:
>200,000 Buyers
>200 countries in attendance
>23,000 Exhibitors
>55,000 Booths
>200 Football Fields in Area (>1.1 Million Sq. Meters)
Some helpful resources I found:
Guangdong Manufacturing & Investment GuideCanton Fair, China, China Labor Rates, Guangdong, Guangdong map, Guangzhou, Guangzhou economy, Guangzhou fdi, guangzhou Map.
Based on the lunar calendar, the New Year is always the first day of the first lunar month (this coming year it is on February 3, 2011) and lasts two full weeks ending on the fifteenth day with the full moon. Most people get at least one week off of work to spend time eating lavish meals and welcoming the new year; which means factories are usually closed during the first week of the new year (from February 3-10). The Chinese New Year celebration is actually the single largest annual migration of human beings, when China's nearly 150 million migrant workers return home from the big cities to see their families. Be sure to take this into consideration when setting up production schedules and shipments as the New Year will have an impact on your factories. In addition, if you happen to be traveling in China during this time, you will find extremely crowded airports, train stations and hotels.
Seeing as how I was already doing the research, I decided to include a little history on the background of the holiday and where you should go to celebrate just in case you do happen to find yourself in China that week.
While Americans celebrate winter with turkey, sleigh bells and mistletoe, the Chinese celebrate their most important holiday with dumplings, fireworks, lanterns and parades. The New Year, also called Spring Festival, is arguably China's biggest, most important celebration that has been celebrated for centuries and is deeply rooted in myth, legends and traditions.
The main focus of the celebration? Family and prosperity. A few days prior to the first day of the New Year, it is customary to clean and prepare for the celebrations, in efforts to "sweep away" the bad luck of the previous year and make room for the New Year's good luck.
New Year's Eve in China is full of parties with family and friends, firecrackers and lots of food. It is customary to serve dumplings to symbolize the coming of wealth and a new year replacing the old. Children are often given gifts of money and fireworks are often set off all over the cities.
Over the next two weeks, people spend time visiting families and catching up with relatives. Spring Festival ends on a high note on the fifteenth day, with the Lantern Festival, or Yuanxiao. Lanterns are typically made by children who march through the streets beneath the full moon. Lantern shows, games and dancing take place all over China, but a few of the most notable celebration spots are in Hong Kong, Beijing ,and Shanghai, where the "lanterns" look more like huge, brightly lit floats.
Chinese New Year in Hong Kong
If you are going to be in China, Hong Kong has a spectacular parade and fireworks show on the second day of the Lunar New Year. Starting at around 8pm in Victoria Harbor, the streets are lit up with colorful costumes, music, performers and floats. Following the parade is a magnificent fireworks show that continues into the night throughout the cities.
Chinese New Year in Beijing
Beijing's impressive Lantern Festival is held every year in Longtan Park. As China's capital, Beijing has extensive experience with putting on world-class Lantern Festivals, including the many performances for the Olympics Games in 2008, so you are in for a good show.
Chinese New Year in Shanghai
If you are going to be near Shanghai, head out to the Yuyuan Garden for a festive atmosphere with traditional sticky rice balls (the round shape represents wholeness and unity) and lanterns of all shapes and sizes.
You don't have to travel to China to celebrate though; Chinatowns all over the world have celebrations as well. Here is a list of Chinatowns all over the world.
Tags: China, chinese new year, chinese new year activities, factory closures during chinese new year.
Personally I've never been to the Canton Fair. I've heard its quite an event and i have always wanted to attend.
Therefore, I'm excited that later this month I am going to attend the 108th Canton Fair a.k.a. "China Import and Export Fair" in Guangzhou. I'll be there during Phase 2 for the Consumer Goods, Gifts, and Home Decorations show.
The Canton Fair takes place twice annually; once in the fall and once in the spring. The first fair was held in April of 1957 and it has become a major international event over the last 50 years. With 11 million square feet and more than 55,000 booths, it is China's largest trade fair. I've heard it's quite impressive, attracting more than 200,000 overseas buyers every year. I'll be sure to provide a trade show review after attending…..stay tuned!
If you are headed to the fair, I thought it might be helpful to list out a few resources that might help with travel to Guangzhou, etc.:
Hope to see you there!Tags: Canton Fair, China, China Tradeshow, Guangzhou.
If you are a U.S. citizen the answer is Yes. The good news is that visa requirements have been relaxed some in recent years, and you don't necessarily need a letter of invitation to obtain a China Business Visa.
A comprehensive list of requirements and FAQ's are available on the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America website (yes this is the longest name of any embassy in the world).
How much does a China Visa cost? According to the embassy website:
I personally recommend using a Visa service – I have been using Perry Visa for years and have always had a great experience with them. As with most countries, I recommend giving yourself ample time to allow for any unexpected delays in the Visa Processing process.
Another Important note: Other minimal processing, notarization and passport fees may apply. Rushing services are also available at an additional cost. Visa policies and procedures change regularly so be sure to check back if it's been a while since you last looked.Tags:
Today marked the Official Launch of Understand-China.com. If you are reading this, you have already realized that the site is up and running, but we were excited to make the announcement nonetheless. After more than nine months of ongoing development, twelve hundred hours of research and over 250 pages of detailed information, Understand-China is the leading authority on doing business in China.
The site is intended to assist business looking at investing in China by providing a one-stop resource for all of the information they need to be successful in China. The Understand China site breaks down pertinent manufacturing and investment information by major investment region. The site includes detailed information on Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Hong Kong and twenty other provinces, special economic zones and Chinese special administrative regions.
So you are starting a business or doing business in China. The opportunity to leverage cheaper labor costs, address a market with a middle class the size of the population of the entire United States, and expand your global footprint has presented itself and you are now ready to make the leap. This leap, like most things in China is big. That's because the only thing separating you from endless possibility and success is 6,000 miles of the deepest ocean on earth. Or, if you're one of our friends joining us from Europe, 6,000 miles of daunting terrain, including the world's largest mountain range and some of the most dangerous places in the world.
I am writing this post from United Flight 889 from San Francisco to Beijing, cruising at 598 mph some 38,089 feet above a sea I cannot name. But that's likely irrelevant – I'm pretty sure no one ever swam there and lived to tell about it anyway. Seat 23E today – a seat that wouldn't excite most people (including myself). It's an economy plus seat. A seat in front of the "Main Cabin" that provides slightly more legroom than my friends in the way back of the bus. They don't charge me extra for this "luxury" because I fly with them so much, but they charge an extra $200 or so for those "not-so-frequent" fliers to sit here. I paid about $1500 for my ticket today. A pretty good price considering I was flying on Sunday with many of the other businesspeople headed to Beijing. The average price I pay seems to be about $1700 per round trip from Southern California to Beijing. I make this trip quite often – usually between 8 to 12 times per year. Some of you are going to read that lest sentence and cringe. At an average of about 12 hours each way, that means that I spend 24 hours per trip, up to 290 hours per year on this exact plane criss- crossing this ocean.
The first question I get, without fail, every time someone new learns about my travelling, is "Well, at least your company probably pays for you to fly business class….right?" The answer, unfortunately, is no. But I'm not complaining!
I don't buy business class fares to china, because our company has a travel policy. A travel policy that was adopted from day one. Our travel policy reads: We fly coach. We fly coach because we make smart business decisions. Please let me explain.
$8,000 USD. This is the average cost of a business class ticket from the United States to China. That's a $6,300 difference from the average coach ticket that I purchase. $6,300 USD CASH. [numberquotes.com]. When you take into consideration my average 10 trips per year, that's an annual savings of $63,000. From another perspective, let's say that I was a manufacturing company with average margins…say 12% operating profit. Under this scenario, $63,000 is approximately the same amount of profit that I would generate on about $484,000 in sales.
Let's look at it from another perspective. Let's say you are targeting to hit $2 million in sales from your new venture in China in year 2. You achieve above average operating profit margins that hover around 15%, or $300,000 in this case. You hired a local Chinese General Manager, but you, the CEO/COO/President expect to be there 4 times next year. Your #2 also plans on attending the quarterly meetings. Your engineering and quality groups also need to make trips (let's say a total of 8 over the 2 year period), and your customer asks you to meet them at the facility next June, and you do so along with your head of sales. In addition, in order to get them the proper training, you flew your production lead, head of engineering, and head of Quality to your USA facility for training (8 trips in total). This represents a total of 26 trips to China over 24 months. You were smart, and before you opened your office, you made sure that everyone understood one thing – that you, and your staff fly coach to China.
The 26 business class tickets to China would run you a total of $208,000. During year one you weren't expecting to make money anyway, and had accounted for this expense. However, in year 2, let's say that approximately one half or $104,000 was spent on business class airline tickets. Looking at your 15% standard operating profit number above, you gave 1/3 of your profit to the airline companies. Had your team flown coach, your total costs for airfare for the identical trips would have been about $20,000. That $84,000 you could have saved by flying coach would have represented a 25% improvement in operating profit.
I won't get into further details about the opportunity cost of the money that was wasted above, but I will tell you why I wrote this post today. I am currently sitting next to a gentleman who works for a Fortune 500 Company. He actually got "Down-Graded" from business class…..yes that is the opposite of business class, and it happens when they are oversold. He and 6 or 7 others from their company are on this flight, all booked in business. Our company is spending $2,500 for me to be here this week, which means that for every trip one of these Fortune 500 employee takes, I can take about 4.
I know that many of you will bring up the age old argument that it's tougher to sleep in coach and if you fly business you will wake up more prepared for your meetings, etc. I completely agree with you. It is much easier on the body to fly in business. That's why I try to get upgraded (at no cost to me) as often as I can. And that's why I am a little angry about being in seat 23E today. It's been almost a year since an upgrade didn't go through. I'm not used to coach anymore, but I've still got a big smile on my face.Tags: china cost reduction, Traveling to China.


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Huey's blog
A Pot Of Mussels
There are few things that I regret about having spent most of my working life in restaurant kitchens. But one thing that does annoy the hell out of me is the fact that, because of this, I have developed a quite serious allergy to crustaceans. A fairly common problem among chefs, it not only means that I can't eat the blessed things, but I also have at times difficulty even preparing them.
Fortunately, in recent years, this has not been so much of a problem, because crayfish, mud crabs and even prawns have almost priced themselves off our tables. And, for some strange reason, cheaper numbers such as blue swimmers, bugs and yabbies just don't seem to have quite the same appeal (maybe purely and simply because they can be so bloody difficult to eat).
Still, I suppose I should really count my lucky stars that it is only crustaceans that cause me such problems. Because, with other shellfish such as mussels, oysters and scallops freely available and still relatively inexpensive, I will hardly starve. Although I do remember the days when I could sit down to a whole freshly boiled cray with melted butter that was not only affordable, but didn't attempt to kill me. Or piles of prawns pulled straight from the poaching stock and peeled the minute I could touch them. Or mud crabs with black bean sauce in my local Chinese that was so good and so cheap that I invariably ordered two.
Here's a mussel recipe for you to try.
Serves 4-6
4-5 dozen tightly closed mussels
300 ml dry white wine
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
4 parsley sprigs
100 ml cream (optional)
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
freshly ground pepper
crusty bread
Scrub mussels with a stiff brush and remove the beard (discard any that are not tightly closed). Place in a large heavy-bottomed pot with the wine, onion, bay leaf and parsley. Cover tightly and cook over a high heat until mussels begin to open, giving a firm shake at regular intervals to redistribute them. Remove mussels as they open and place in deep bowls, discarding any that don't.
When all mussels are open, remove the parsley and bay leaf. Add cream, parsley and pepper. Stir and boil for about 1 min. Then pour the sauce over the mussels and serve with plenty of bread on the side.
nb. Sydney chef Steve Manfredi removes mussels from their shells and rolls them in fresh pasta sheets along with some fresh tomato sauce. He then places these 'rolls' in an ovenproof dish, sprinkles them with more tomato sauce and plenty of grated cheese, and bakes them until they are bubbling - delicious.


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Fusion's Groundbreaking New Product Services Division Continues Growth With Addition of GroundLink and Smart Destinations Services
Recently Announced New Division Expanding with New Offerings
Set to Redefine the Travel Customer's Online Booking Experience
Sep 16, 2014, 04:19 ET
RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fusion Company, which drives increased ancillary revenue for many of the world's largest online travel distributors through its real-time analytics and merchandising platform, announced today that its recently launched Product Services Division has expanded further with the addition of two new offerings.
Fusion's Product Services Division is unique in the travel industry, blending real-time optimization and personalization with a collection of high-margin ancillary products presented to the traveler in a contextually relevant and curated manner. The Product Services Division launched less than a month ago with the announcement of Viator as its first product partner (see July 28 news release).
Today, Fusion announced it has also partnered with GroundLink for ground transportation service and Smart Destinations to offer multi-attraction passes as new ancillary options for travel industry websites.
GroundLink provides chauffeured black car service for business and leisure travelers in all major U.S. cities and more than 110 countries. GroundLink offers an integrated booking platform for its consumer and corporate clients that includes its website, award-winning mobile app for iPhone or Android and its 24/7 call center. GroundLink also offers the industry's only guaranteed on-time point-to-point and airport transfer black car service that includes state-of-the-art geo-tracking for smart phone enabled users. With this feature GroundLink customers always know who their driver and car are in advance, and where their car is located at all times including before and during the ride.
"GroundLink is pleased to join Fusion in this new venture, and we look forward to teaming two industry-innovators to help expand access to our exceptional black car service through this new-aged, targeted merchandising distribution channel," added Dean Sivley, chief executive officer of GroundLink.
Smart Destinations provides multi-attraction passes that enable online shoppers to purchase convenient sightseeing packages and maximize savings for every type of traveler. The passes cover admission to more than 400 attractions across nine North American destinations, including Boston, Chicago, New York, Orlando, and San Francisco. Passes include valued extras, such as the ability to skip lines at select attractions, comprehensive city guides, and bonus discounts.
"This is a smart strategy for the travel industry, improving the customer experience and industry revenue, and we're pleased to be a part of Fusion's Product Services Division," said Steve Zanette, channel sales manager from Smart Destinations.
"Fusion's Product Services Division will redefine how ancillary products and services are optimized for online travel partners, benefitting the website operator, the ancillary product and service provider, and their joint customer," said Beth Godlin, chief product and partnership officer of Fusion. "We look forward to having GroundLink and Smart Destinations join Viator in this groundbreaking new program, and will be announcing more new partners in the months ahead."
About Fusion
Fusion equips digital retailers with the power to convert a single online interaction into a long-term, profitable customer relationship. Building on proven results in global merchandising optimization, Fusion delivers the right offer at the right moment, creating more successful online opportunities. It bolsters profitability through increased conversions, average transaction values and customer retention. Fusion is the only provider with the technology and expertise to interact with customers from the moment they reach a website to the shopping cart, checkout and beyond. Follow Fusion on Twitter and LinkedIn.
SOURCE Fusion


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Celestron CGEM HyperTune®…complete!
It has been a long time since I've written on the blog. Quite busy with the family and other projects.
In early august, I was able to complete the HyperTune of the Celestron CGEM. Re-greasing and re-assembly of the DEC axis went without a glitch. The videos from Ed Thomas at Deep Space Products are easy to follow and made the improvement process less stressful.
The gears meshing adjustments were made following the Hypertune technique (i.e. making the adjustments while the motors are turning and listening for any changes to the pitch of the motors' sound). Worm, ring and spur gears were all carefully adjusted to reduce backlash and limit friction.
After re-installing all the equipment on the mount and making sure that all equipment and counterweights were back in their exact original positions. I ran two basic tests:
- While the scope perfectly balanced, I've measure how far I needed to slide the counterweights up the shaft to create enough unbalance and get the mount to move from the effect of gravity (i.e. I did this before and after the Hypertune process). Results: It looks like I was able to reduce the friction in Right Ascension by approximately 87%. Before Hypertune, I had to move the counterweights by 5.5″ for the mount to start moving. After Hypertune, It only took about 0.75″.
- Auto guided before and after Hypertune at same azimut and altitude. Results: It did not really improve auto guiding. I am still experiencing some oscillation in the Right Ascension axis. Enough to create 12% to 30% of star elongation on my 10 minutes sub-exposures. I even tried 3 different auto guiding configurations and obtained about the same end results:
- Guidescope at 480mm with QHY5L-II camera (3.75 microns pixels)
- Guidescope at 960mm with 2X barlow and QHY5L-II camera
- Celestron Off-Axis-Guider (OAG) at 1625mm
Conclusion: I believe I've reached the limits of the Celestron CGEM mount and no longer expect to improve these results with the current equipment and configuration.
New Image with a new technique
On August 24th 2013, I captured my first narrow band image of the IC63 nebula (The Ghost of Christmas Past) using the following filters (i.e. Hydrogen-alpha, Oxygen III and Sulfur II): 9 X 10 minutes sub-exposures though each filters. I processed the image with Pixinsight using the Hubble color palette. You can find the results here.
My equipment and process have improved over the years but with the limits imposed by the Celestron CGEM mount and the limited sky conditions present in my sub-urban area, I don't believe I'll be able to obtain tremendous improvements.
Next steps: try to image another nebula with narrow band filters with longer sub-exposures (i.e. 20 minutes instead of 10) and compare the results.
Thanks for reading and clear skies.


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The Features of Chinese SEO
The advantages of SEO can be analyzed from the 6 aspects
1. Effective on any platform
SEO optimization is done for all search engines.
As long as the methods of SEO are professional and user experience oriented, all the engines will approval your website in different way, and give your net station the good placements.
But for SEM, different search engines have different service mechanism.Enhancing the flow without increasing the budget
2. Enhancing the flow without increasing the budget
To enhance the flow of PPC, you must increase the budget.
But the rule is not for SEO, SEO optimization is a bit like a snowball, small first and big then.
Once the structure of SEO is established, then it will full of potential, and the effect is more and more significant. It don't need to invest more money.
3. Less expenditure, more flow
A site after professional SEO optimization is competitive.
The natural flow will not immediately disappear because you stop SEO services. On the contrary, the flow will continue for quite a long period of time.
In theory the base flow this is stable if there are no large external competition or the search algorithm without big changes.
4. Greater level of trust
Compared with SEM, SEO has a higher degree of user trust.
After all, SEM is also a kind of commercial advertising. Users always click like to see advertisement. They will out to the next if not satisfied with the look.
The natural ranking is different, the users will believe that the natural ranking site are more professional, more reliable.
The user participation and conversion rate is higher.Usually it is necessary to pay attention to SEO. It can better consolidate the first page of the search results through the SEO, the establishment of good protective barrier that can effectively prevent the negative intrusion.
5. Excluding negative news
Usually it is necessary to pay attention to SEO.
It can better consolidate the first page of the search results through the SEO, the establishment of good protective barrier that can effectively prevent the negative intrusion.
6. Easier to attract Click
After all, the natural result in the SERP user visual center of gravity.
Compared to SEM, SEO can get more attention and click. According to previous experience, the natural result of the first SEO traffic is usually higher than the first in the PPC ad.
The disadvantages of SEO can be analyzed from the 4 aspects
1. Slow efficiency
It needs at least 6 monthes to SEO optimization, and the good effect is gradually revealed.
2. Unsecured
It's hard to ensure that your site is able to get how many shows and clicks through SEO.
3. Instable
The search engine algorithm are often change. The changes usually leads to a change of the web site keywords ranking and flow.
-----by Chinese Electronic Commerce Reasearch Center
Compass is a consulting & service agency for the corporations to enter Chinese market.
We can provide the one-stop services of investment inspection & business connection, collaborator recruiting & sales agent recruiting, mall entry, intellectual property protection, offline advertising, purchasing & Logistics, Chinese website design & promotion, and business translation.
If you corporation are interested in Chinese market and need help, please contact Compass.
Our specially-assigned staff will reach you within 24 hours.
E-mail: email@example.com
Skype: doingbusinessinchina
境内合作: 1119304547
Compass foreign business service center (Abbrev. Compass) is a comprehensive agency that can provide one-stop service for foreign businessmen from around the world. It's the professional agency that get the permission to establish by Chinese government. Compass provides one-stop agency services for foreign businessmen in China- investment, purchasing, joining electronic commerce platform and marketing.
Compass will help the foreign businessmen' to do their business operations in China easier. The professional teams that consisted of different realm experts will greatly shorten the time in different steps, reduce the business costs, and the business risk in the investment project in China.


text: News Brian Williams appears at fundraiser for New Jersey alma mater NBC anchor Brian Williams speaks at the Stand Up for Heroes event at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan on Nov. 5, 2011. Photo Credit: Getty Images / Monica Schipper By FRANK LOVECE. Special to Newsday March 22, 2015 8:25 PM Print Share fbShare Tweet Email NBC News anchor Brian Williams has made his first public appearance since going on suspension following revelations of untrue and exaggerated claims about his experiences reporting on the Iraq War last decade. Williams, 55, attended a fundraising gala Saturday at Shore Casino in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, to help benefit his alma mater, the Catholic preparatory school Mater Dei Prep, in Middletown, where he spent part of his childhood. The alumnus, who attended with his wife, Jane Stoddard, told The Two River Times of Red Bank, New Jersey, "This is Mater Dei. It's been a very, very important part of my life. I had four great years here. I did not know it then, but it was the last degree I'd ever earn." He added, "It's a wonderful school, and it should be open for a long time, for everybody." The Save the Seraphs Gala sold out, reported the Asbury Park Press, which said 464 guests paid $125 each for tickets. Williams himself donated $50,000, the newspaper said, adding that by evening's end, the campaign had raised all but $10,000 of its $1 million goal. "He had a lot of friends he went to school with," fundraiser co-chair Maria Buzzanco told The Two Rivers Times. "He was happy to come back to the Shore Casino because he went to proms there. He was greeted with warm hugs. Everyone was telling him how much they support him as well, and thanked him for coming." On Feb. 4, a day after the school's impending closing in June was announced, Williams told the Asbury Park Press he was "heartbroken" over the news. "It was the heart of my existence during my four happy years there, and it remains a presence in my life. I have friends who work there, and classmates who have since sent their own children to Mater Dei." NBC suspended Williams without pay on Feb. 10 after the "Nightly News" anchor acknowledged embellishing an account of a helicopter ride while embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq in 2003. Lester Holt has replaced Williams during his suspension. By FRANK LOVECE. Special to Newsday Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Comments We're revamping our Comments section. Learn more and share your input.


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Narmada Winery
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: The owners of Narmada Winery, write "Experience India…Taste Virginia." This is a delightful way to describe the Narmada Winery experience. The goal of the owners is for the winery to be "the" destination winery in Virginia.
Narmada Winery located in Amissville, Virginia is a sophisticated winery where visitors will enjoy Narmada's Virginia wines and a variety of retail items from India. Just outside the tasting room door, visitors will see a dark red peacock created from horseshoes. The tasting room offers an elegant atmosphere. Note the peacock symbols during your visit. Peacocks are India's national bird. For many a peacock brings happiness. In addition to the peacocks the tasting room has a number of traditional artifacts from India.
Narmada's tasting room, opened in November 2009. The tasting counter is long with a curve in the center. Behind the counter the wall is covered with a variety of types of artwork. Enjoy perusing the artistic wall while tasting Narmada's wines. The tasting room is spacious with numerous bistro tables. A large fireplace adds to the ambience of the room. Large windows provide plenty of light. The windows open to the wraparound deck. This is the perfect spot to enjoy a glass of wine.
The Patils want Narmada Winery to be "the" destination winery in Virginia. In addition to providing quality wines, they want to make every customer feel valued and important. The tasting room is elegant and provides a wonderful place to taste wines and relax.
Pandit and Sudha Patil established Narmada Winery in 2001. The Patils named the winery after Pandit's mother. Pandit has enormous respect for his mother and provided an example of her goodness. While growing up in India, Pandit was offered a full scholarship in the United States. Everything was included except for his airfare. He did not have the money for the airfare. His mother helped Pandit by selling her jewelry so he could pursue his education.
In his career, Pandit traveled around the world. When he traveled he always purchased wine. Eventually he decided to build a winery and vineyard. Pandit and Sudha enjoy being around people. "Nobody leaves without Pandit or Sudha greeting them."
Vineyards at Narmada
The first vineyards were planted with Vidal Blanc in 2002. Additional grapevines were added 2003 and 2009. Currently the winery has 15 acres of vineyards and plans to add Chambourcin, Chardonel, Traminette, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The vineyards slope down towards a pond. Next to the pond is a pavilion that is used for special events as well as a spot to enjoy the beauty of the area. Currently the Narmada Winery produces 3,000 cases and may grow to 5,000 cases in the future.
White Wines
Chardonnay 2009 was a light straw color; there were apple and pear nuances on the aroma and taste. The crisp finish was fruity with caramel. Dream 2009 was produced from 100 percent Traminette. The aroma offered floral notes while the taste had additional notes of roses and honeysuckle. The finish was crisp and drying.
Red Wines
Reflection 2009 was produced with Chambourcin grapes. The color was rose/purple. The aroma and taste had red berry fruit notes and mild tannins. Cabernet Franc was a blend of Cabernet Franc and Tannat. The result was a wine that was light purple. The aroma and taste offered dark fruit notes with hints of violets. The finish was fruity with tannins. Yash-Vir 2009 was a blend of Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This ruby color wine had notes of dark fruit for the aroma and taste and finished with tannins.
Dessert Wine
Lotus 2009 was a Late Harvest Vidal. This light straw color dessert wine offered apricot nuances. The taste was sweet. The crisp finish cut the sweetness. There was a long apricot aftertaste. Primita 2008 is a red dessert wine produced from Chambourcin grapes. The residual sugar is nine percent and suggested pairings are Black Forest Cake or dark chocolate.
Foods Available in the Tasting Room
Narmada provides a light menu that includes India and American cuisines. Visitors will want to try something from the menu that includes fried India pastries, spicy mashed potato and vegetable cakes with Indian yogurt sauce, Indian bread with hummus. The menu includes an antipasto platter and cheese platters.
Events at Narmada
Narmada Winery displays local artists' work. Every two and a half months the winery holds a "Meet the Artist Night." On Friday, Saturdays and Sundays Narmada features live music events. Visitors celebrating their anniversary or birthday are offered a free glass of wine.
Private events can be scheduled at the winery, tasting room, crush pad, pavilion and vineyards. Choose the location that would be best for your wedding, business meeting, birthday party or anniversary celebration.
Enjoy a visit to Narmada Winery for a delightful total experience of wine, food and Virginia countryside views.
Narmada Winery
43 Narmada Lane
Amissville, Virginia 20106-4170
GPS: N38º 41.475' W78º 01.572'
Visit these Virginia wineries and wine tour groups that partner with Wine Trail Traveler.


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The house was rather far from the port, there was a small bus, but even then a 10 min walk to the place wich was not well indicated. The lady was very friendly and gave us good information. Dinner was a choice of a la...More
"friendly lady, dinner included, a bit far to walk with suitcase"


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Crisis of the Civilization of Heavy Metals
The site of scientific and technical news phys.org., which presents press releases of the world's largest laboratories and universities, has published the results of the latest biochemical studies of Greenland ice. An international group of scientists found in its samples traces of ancient deposits of lead. The concentration of heavy metal in the period between 1100 BC and 800 AD was directly dependent on the flourishing and decline of European civilizations.
In the days of Antiquity and the Roman Empire, lead was released into the atmosphere due to mining. Dust from the mines rose into the atmosphere and was carried by winds over the Atlantic to Greenland, where it precipitated and fell to the ground. Analysis of the composition of the ice in the selected cores allowed us to establish a direct link between the level of "RV" and the state of the economy of those times. The first serious surge of pollution occurs in the 900s BC. Then the Phoenicians actively expanded trade in the Mediterranean, and in Europe the production of silver coins increased dramatically. Lead was needed for their production. Ancient Romans used this metal in the 1st and 2nd centuries of a new era in the construction of urban pipelines. Therefore, the Greenland ice of the era of the prosperity of the empire is also "rich" in lead. A decrease in its concentration coincides with well-known historians political crises, wars and epidemics. In addition, in the last 80 years of the Roman Empire, heavy metal emissions into the atmosphere of our planet decreased four-fold.


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– Council Wants 'Qualified and Intendent Citizens' with 'Conservation Expertise' on Board
A News Commentary by Doug Draper
Posted February 8th, 2017 on Niagara At Large
Niagara, Ontario – Well hallelujah! Some of our municipal politicians are listening.
Growing numbers of residents across the Niagara region have been arguing for at least a year now that all or most of the 15 individuals sitting on the board of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority should not be elected politicians appointed by other elected politicians but citizens from across the region who have some expertise in the environmental and conservation field.
Now, for the first time in as far back as this long-time environmental reporter can remember, the council of a local municipality in Niagara is taking the idea that the board should be made up of citizens with expertise in conservation matters seriously enough to do something about it.
This past Monday, February 6th, Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn and his town council passed a motion unanimously that Niagara's 12 local municipalities be permitted to publically advertise for qualified citizens to come forward and submit their names for appointment to the board – a system that, if approved by Niagara's regional council which does the appointing now, would come into effect following the 2018 municipal elections or whenever a vacancy on the board occurs.
The Pelham motion follows in the wake of the council from that municipality and several other municipal councils across the watershed area the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority has jurisdiction, including St. Catharines, Welland, Port Colborne, Niagara-n-the-Lake, Thorold and the City of Hamilton, calling on parties up to and including Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and her Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Kathryn McGarry, to launch a full investigation and forensic or value-for-money audit of the NPCA's operations.
It also follows in the wake of Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster also calling on the province to commence a full investigation and audit due to growing public questions and concerns over the NPCA's hiring and firing practices, its awarding of contracts, land dealings and other matters.
The Pelham motion, passed this February 6th, reads as follows –
WHEREAS the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) is a Provincial agency operating in the Region of Niagara, Haldimand County and the City of Hamilton, funded largely by the Region of Niagara; and
WHEREAS the Town of Pelham is a contributor of public funds to the Region of Niagara, and, therefore, a contributor to the NPCA's funding; and
WHEREAS the people of the Town of Pelham, together with all municipalities represented on the NPCA deserve openness and accountability relating to how their tax dollars are being spent, how effectively our natural environment is being protected, and how representatives to the NPCA Board are appointed; and
WHEREAS currently, eleven of the thirteen Members of the NPCA Board are municipal politicians who may not have the necessary conservation and environmental expertise suited to effectively serve on this Board; and
WHEREAS for the City of Hamilton, it has been the practice of their city council to appoint citizen representatives to the NPCA Board, thus highlighting the importance of the ability to provide appropriate knowledge, experience and expertise to the Board and establishing a precedent to support citizen appointment to the NPCA; and
WHEREAS the past practice of the Niagara Regional Council has been to offer a single appointment from each of the twelve local municipalities by: firstly, offering appointment to the Regional Councillor(s) or Mayor of the local municipality; and, secondly by a process that defaults to the local municipal council; and then finally, to citizen representation; and
WHEREAS the Council for the Town of Pelham supports a formal appointment protocol that allows the local municipalities to seek applications for appointment to the NPCA and that a recommendation for appointment then be subsequently provided to the Region by the local municipalities;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council for the Town of Pelham respectfully requests that the Council of the Regional Municipality of Niagara amend the process for appointments to the NPCA to permit local municipalities to publicly advertise and make recommendations for appointment of a qualified and independent citizen to represent their respective municipalities, to take effect following the 2018 municipal election, or immediately should a vacancy on the NPCA Board of Directors occur; and
THAT a copy of this Resolution be forwarded to: Premier Kathleen Wynne; Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Kathryn McGarry; the Auditor General of Ontario; the NPCA Board of Directors; Niagara MPPs for information; and
THAT a copy of this Resolution be also forwarded to the City of Hamilton, Haldimand County and Niagara Local Area Municipalities for endorsement and support.
Right now ,11 of the 15 members of the NPCA board are Niagara regional councillors or mayors of municipalities in Niagara. They include Brian Baty, a regional councillor for Pelham, Bruce Timms, a regional councillor for St. Catharines, Jim Diodati, the Mayor of Niagara Falls, Sandy Annunziati, a regional councillor for Fort Erie, John Maloney, the Mayor of Port Colborne, April Jeffs, the Mayor of Wainfleet, Douglas Joyner, the Mayor of West Lincoln, Patrick Darte, the Lord Mayor of Niagara-n-the-Lake, Frank Campion, the Mayor of Welland, and Bill Hodgson, a regional councillor for Lincoln – all of them appointed at the regional government level.
Residents in Niagara, who have already found out about Pelham's motion to significantly change how NPCA board members are appointed and who sits on the board, are applauding the motion, and for good reason, if it can truly help get some of the politics out of the NPCA and get the NPCA back to focusing, first and foremost, on an environmental and watershed protection mission.
One question though. When the Pelham motion goes to Niagara regional council for approval, will those regional councillors and mayors who are on the council and who also now sit on the NPCA board, declare a conflict of interest and not participate in a discussion of or vote on the motion?
It is a question Niagara residents whose tax dollars fund the NPCA should be concerned about, because we certainly did not see those same members of regional council/board members declare a conflict of interest when, a year ago this coming spring, they participated in a vote on whether or not the NPCA should be subjected to a forensic audit.
And with so many on regional council sitting on the NPCA board, it is no big surprise that a call for an audit at the regional government level was voted down.
If you would like the names and contact information for those sitting on the NPCA board, click on – https://npca.ca/npca-board .
To watch Pelham Council vote on the NPCA motion, click on the following and slide the minute bar at the bottom of the screen to 156 minutes into the meeting where the discussion on the motion begins –
NIAGARA AT LARGE encourages you to join the conversation by sharing your views on this post in the space below the Bernie quote.
A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who also share their first and last names.
For more news and commentary from Niagara At Large – an independent, alternative voice for our greater binational Niagara region – become a regular visitor and subscriber to NAL at www.niagaraatlarge.com .


text: Melanie, Joy and Victoria plan a holiday in Paris when their plane makes an emergency stop in Cleveland. There they find a welcoming community that is less shallow, youth-obsessed and weight-conscious than L.A. and decide to stay and live there in a home that also comes with a sassy caretaker, named Elka. Through the season the girls go through numerous situations like, Victoria faking a disease to get sympathy Daytime Emmy votes and rekindling a romance with her ex-rock star boyfriend; Melanie having her son visit and thinking he is engaged, and having her mother visit and sleep with Victoria's father; Joy getting set up on a date with a guy who resembles a serial killer and dating a younger guy she thinks may be the son she gave up for adoption; while Elka dyes her hair bright red and gets caught in a love triangle between two guys. In the season finale, a tornado hits Cleveland and the girls seek shelter in Elka's basement. There they discover that Elka's late husband was a fence for the mob, and she is subsequently arrested by Melanie's cop boyfriend.