text:
Email Newsletters
What Are They?
Email Newsletters are a form of direct mail sent to groups of prospects or customers, often periodically (monthly, quarterly, etc.). Since these newsletters are delivered electronically rather than to traditional mailing lists, small manufacturers can easily maintain and manage lists of recipients for little cost with minimal effort.
Email Newsletters are a form of 'permission marketing' – recipients give their permission to receive newsletters from your business, or they may decline the offer via an 'opt-out.' When using these tools for your business, it is important to follow the laws set in place to prevent abuse of email and protect Internet users from it (see below).
Why Are They Important?
Email Newsletters may be the most important, powerful marketing tool available to small and medium contract manufacturers, when properly used and integrated within a strong marketing strategy. The core strength of newsletters is that they allow you to communicate with potential and current customers regularly, to keep them up-to-date with developments at your business. Examples of sound topics to include in newsletters include:
new equipment purchases/additions
training initiatives
new projects
new markets or processes
completed projects
product line information
qualifications (new or updated)
industry news
personnel updates
industry events your company will be attending
Because of the business cycles and dispositions unique to the custom manufacturing markets, email newsletters fill an important void that most small manufacturers overlook – winning lost work.
It's likely your business has been passed over for jobs before – probably more than a few times. In the era of offshoring and severe pricing pressures, many of your prospects and customers are forced to select suppliers that are either at the end of extended supply chains or are the 'cheapest.' These distant or low-cost suppliers are often difficult to manage, and unacceptable quality, incorrect tolerances or materials, shipping delays and other factors are more disruptive the deeper they go into production schedules. Add to that unstable shipping and freight costs, civil unrest and many other intangibles, and the risks your prospects face often put them in one of two conditions:
- They are realizing the total cost of ownership for the parts and products from the suppliers they originally chose, or …
They've experienced a significant supply chain disruption or supplier failure, and they're under serious duress to find a solution – right now.
A buyer in one of these conditions, 3 months after passing you over in favor of another supplier, is likely to go first to sources she's familiar with. If this buyer has been receiving a quarterly newsletter from your business, she's more likely to remember and reengage you.
Bottom line: Email Newsletters help keep your business at 'top-of-mind' with prospects and customers when they're looking for help. And there's no better lead than that (link to MFG_MMSKC_Leads) for contract manufacturers.
Key Elements & Considerations:
It's important to send Email Newsletters regularly, but not too frequently. Once a quarter is usually the right cadence for small job shops communicating with prospects – too often may turn prospects off to you and cause them to 'opt-out'
It's perfectly acceptable to send an unscheduled business update outside of your regular schedule, but not too often and only if the event is significant enough to your customers
If the list of newsletter items above sounds a lot like Blog posts to you, then you're paying attention. Blog posts – updated regularly – are excellent content pieces to repurpose into your newsletter, and they've already been written
It is critical that you only send Email Newsletters to your Leads list or those that have asked for them. The rampant misuse of email by oversaturation or mass mailings has resulted in negative connotations throughout commercial and business-to-business (B2B) markets, giving birth to terms such as 'junk mail' (physical mail) or 'spam' (email). This misuse has also led to legal penalties for those that abuse it through overuse or fraud, especially in email form (spam). You could face severe fines or lawsuits from misuse. Just don't do it
There are several third-party options for managing your Email Newsletter campaigns. Not only are they inexpensive and reputable businesses, they make creation, maintenance, delivery, measurement and Lead list management easier. They include:
Constant Contact – provides a suite of Email Newsletter solutions for small manufacturing shops, as well as lead list maintenance (includes Social Media tie-ins)
MailChimp – the name may put you off, but this is a serious Email Newsletter management service for small businesses (includes Social Media tie-ins)
iContact – another option with a full suite of Email Newsletter options, plus mobile apps and connectivity to other software programs


text:
Natalia Partyka is one of the athlete in Olympic London 2012, play table tennis. This young Polish girl is the most awesome athlete in this year Olympic for me. Not because she won the medals, because she didn't won the medal for this Olympic. But because she has won my heart. Here some of her profile i would like to share:
Name : Natalia Partyka
Date of Birth : 27 July 1989 (23 years old)
Nationality : Poland
World Rank : 48 (May 2010)
In Olympic 2012, her achievement quick impressive because she has reach final 32 in women single event in Table Tennis.
This girl has teach me : disablity is not the excused. Likes my post before about the men without limb, Nick Vujicic, disablity not the excused for them. Natalia Partyka, who has born without a right forehand, has achieve a great achievement. Here some of her achievement:
2000 : Paralympic in Sydney
2004 : Paralympic in Athens (Gold for single's event and Silver for team's event)
2006 : European Paralympic Championship (3 Gold medal)
2008 : Olympic Beijing
2012 : Olympic London
She didn't win the medal in Olympic but she won my respect. Here some of special word from Natalia Partyka :
"I can show people that nothing is impossible,'' Partyka said. "Maybe being disabled makes things more difficult than for able-bodied people, and maybe we have to work a little harder. But we can do anything we want to do if we just try. Maybe someone will see me and realize their own disability is not the end of the world, that they can achieve bigger dreams than they imagined.'' (source: miamiherald)
Here some other photo of Natalia Partyka :
Nothing is impossible in this world. If we want it, we can do it if we work toward. Let's roll pals, never give up until the last breath.
Hope the story of this pretty girl, Natalia Partyka will be inspired all my reader.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Copper Support Wrist
- Product Details
- Delivery & Returns
- Reviews (0)
- Write Review
Copper Support Wrist
These elasticated supports have copper thread knitted into the fabric (Thermal Copper Insulation, TCI), which produces warmth due to its conductive nature.
Copper Support Wrist Features
- They are washable and can be worn again and again.
- Our copper supports are flexible and do not restrict movement, providing warmth with a conventional support function
Standard Delivery to the UK £4.99
We deliver to all UK postcodes, including Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Scilly Isles and Channel Islands.
Currently we are unable to deliver to Eire
Orders are despatched by our courier 'Hermes' usually within 72 hours and normally delivered to your door within 7-14 days
Click here for our full delivery terms


text:
The Rapids selected Notre Dame midfielder Dillon Powers with the 11th pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. The Rapids acquired that pick from Chicago on Thursday in the trade that involved Jeff Larentowicz. Powers was one of only a handful of players that signed contracts with MLS prior to the Draft.
WATCH: Powers scores golazo at MLS Combine
The Plano, Texas native has played all four years for the Fighting Irish, racking up 10 goals in 78 games played (74 started). Last season, Powers earned NSCAA First Team All-American and All-Great Lakes Region First Team honors, was named to the All-Big East First Team, and was a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist. He was an All-Big East Second Team selection in 2010 and 2011, and his freshman season was named to the All-Big East Rookie Team.
With the United States Youth National Teams, Powers has participated at both the Under-18 and Under-20 levels, and played in the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt. He helped the U.S. U-20s to the 2010 Milk Cup title with a 3-0 record and was named Milk Cup MVP .


text:
To qualify for this service, you must have previously had your resume written by our Resume Writers. This service is not available online. To purchase a resume refresh, you must call a Resume Analyst at 877-798-4854 Ext. 111. Once you have purchased the resume refresh service, you will receive a section of the questionnaire to complete with information about your new position. After your questionnaire has been returned, your writer will contact you if any additional details are required.
Search for information about managing your account, how to use the site, and services iHire offers for job seekers.
Answer questions about iHire's employer services including posting job ads and searching resumes, among other topics.
We're here to help! Contact us with your questions or concerns


text:
Avalanche expectations higher; Lakewood goalie steers U.S. women's U22 team past Canada
We ran a month-away training camp story in the paper and online Tuesday, with Joe Sakic, Adam Foote and Jarome Iginla talking from Sakic's celebrity golf tournament last week.
Congratulations to goalie Nicole Hensley of Lakewood, coach Ken Klee of Morrison and the rest of the U.S. Women's Under-22 select team that rallied to beat Canada 3-2 in a shootout on Sunday to sweep the three-game 2014 Under-22 Series in Calgary, Alberta. The Americans — who featured a handful of players from the 2014 U.S. Olympic team — scored twice in the final two minutes of regulation before allowing Hensley to shut the door. Hensley plays for Division I Lindenwood (Mo.) University and is a product of the Colorado Select Girls Hockey and Green Mountain High.


text:
The victim is this case had his credit card taken by a suspect at the Kinko's Fed Ex (650 Orchard Park Rd) West Seneca.
The resident reported finding a bicycle in their yard which
did not belong to them in the Indian Church Rd./ City Line are of the Town of West Seneca in mid August 2012. Upon
review of home security system it was discovered that a W/M possibly teen had dumped a bicycle and stolen a bicycle belonging to another resident of the area .
If you can identify or believe you may know the subject in the video Contact the West Seneca Police Detective Bureua @ 716-674-3154
Crimestopper Case #D49-11-109664
If you can Identify this suspect please Contact: WSPD CrimeStoppers
Crimestoppers West Seneca Police Case#D49-11-116870 larceny hardware store.
2-W/M' entered store multiple expensive tool kits. Larger suspect W/M approx.6'2" has tattoo Rt.Arm. Suspects Left scene in possibly gold/tan toyota camry.09/21/2011
WSPD Anonymous TipLine 716-675-8423
Untitled document
As part of our regular operations, our department in cooperation with the West Seneca Central School District and most of the private schools in the Town of West Seneca run an extensive program of instruction that is tailored to the needs of children and different levels of education.
These programs start in the primary grades with presentations by our officers that help to teach children that the police are their friends and are there to help you. The programs change each year as children move ahead in grades and include presentations on such subjects as vandalism, shoplifting, drug and alcohol abuse. child abuse and other subjects that children experience as they grow up.
Included in this area is the DARE Program which is taught in the elementary schools at grade five and at the middle school in grade seven. Officers from our department are also trained to teach a DARE curriculum that is appropriate to high school students. When utilized this instruction is presented in health classes at both high schools.
In addition to these programs, our officers work with the Health and Physical Education Department of the West Seneca Schools and present up to date information on issues of steroid use and other substance abuse by athletes during their middle and high school years.
Before a program is presented or any modifications are made, the curriculum is presented to the West Seneca Central School Board for their review. Through the Director of Health and Physical Education for the West Seneca Schools, the curriculum is reviewed to meet the standards for which it is being presented and to make sure it meets with the directives of the Board of Education for the West Seneca Schools.
For more information on any of these programs contact our Family Offense Bureau at 674-2284 ext 140.


text:
Monday, June 6, 2011
Journey to Veronica Roth and Other Wild Adventures (with pictures)
30 comments:
I can't help it, I have to ask. What kind of funky did your sleeves smell like and how did it happen?ReplyDelete
Sounds like a fun trip! :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 6, 2011 at 7:58 AM
There's no reason they can't store dead bodies, aliens, AND salt in those domes. Salt IS a preservative, after all.ReplyDelete
That's so awesome that you got to meet Veronica. She was supposed to come to Ann Arbor for her tour but they switched it to Lansing. I'm loving Divergent.ReplyDelete
FYI, I'm interviewing Elana Johnson today at Literary Rambles to celebrate her debut. Hope you'll stop by.
Aw, that looks like SO MUCH FUN. Why don't I live closer? *sniffles*ReplyDelete
Also, that IS a really cute jacket, and yay for finding Erica's iPod!
Sometimes a touch of saliva-filled BBQ is exactly what coleslaw needs, yanno?
What Simon AND Sara said.ReplyDelete
Happy Monday. :)
I honestly don't know what you're referring to, because I smelled nothing funky on your jacket, and I have a very sensitive nose!ReplyDelete
Anyway, it was great to meet you. Thank you for coming all the way out to the launch party! I hope we get to hang out again soon-- for longer next time!
Ha! What an event! Sounds like a time you won't soon forget. And I think you're all cute! ;)ReplyDelete
It sounds like you had a blast! And it was so much fun hearing how you met Erica! Love her! Thanks for the awesome pictures. :)ReplyDelete
LOL. Looks like you guys had fun! And don't feel bad, I've had to google how to jump start a car before too!ReplyDelete
Hahahaha So glad nobody got blown up jumpstarting the battery.ReplyDelete
Wait. So you're saying you killed the battery, couldn't figure out how to remedy the situation with jumper cables, but WERE able to look the process up on Google on your smarty pants phone?ReplyDelete
Check the technology!
Also, the other parts of your story were awesome too, but that last bit blew me away.
What a crazy, fun road trip!!ReplyDelete
Love the pics, and you all look fabulous!
Girl, you go to such amazing events!
I concur, Simon ;o) Oh, Carol. You know how much I adore you too, writer bestie. We will have MANY more adventures!! Veronica is so sweet and awesome! Loved DIVERGENT! SO much fun!! I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time, well maybe the last time I saw you. LOL.ReplyDelete
I am dense. That's all I can say about the jumping of the battery. LOL
CONGRATS to Elana!!! Getting my copy today!
OMG I am snort laughing over here and trying my hardest to be quiet about it since the todlette is FINALLY napping. I heart you both! I would love to meet up with you guys one day, it would be a blast!!! <3ReplyDelete
Wow, sounds like some trip. Next time, I'm in!ReplyDelete
Awesome story... I have DIVERGENT and POSSESSION on my reading list.ReplyDelete
Why oh why oh why do I not live closer? And I MUST pick up Divergent!ReplyDelete
Sounds like it was a fun trip. I got to meet Veronica too when she and Lauren Oliver came to Toronto and they were both so nice.ReplyDelete
Sounds like so much fun, and so many great memories (and inside jokes) were made. :) I LOVED Divergent and am super jealous you met veronica! I also would like to know the story behind the cute but stinky jacket sleeves. Hope you're doing fabulous!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 7, 2011 at 6:58 AM
That was quite an adventure, lol.ReplyDelete
Susanne Drazic
I love your storytelling! Great pictures.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 7, 2011 at 5:08 PM
I should be bumping into Veronica at a conference later this year.ReplyDelete
I received Possession today. I'm thrilled.
Also, I love your new profile pic.
Sounds like a grand adventure, and I'm still dying to read Divergent!ReplyDelete
Hey Carolina, I just wanted to let you know I've awarded you the Irresistably Sweet Blog Award over at www.literally-ya.blogspot.com. All the other information is over there. Congrats and great blog!ReplyDelete
Man, sounds like an AWESOME trip! Seriously, there's almost nothing so fun as meeting other writers and readers and discovering that you've been kindred spirits all along.ReplyDelete
Can't wait to read Divergent. :P
I love this.
And I love you two even more!
Oh, and I'm with Michele: the next time you all road trip, count me in! ;)
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Congratulations to the winner!ReplyDelete
You got to meet Veronica Roth. Lucky. I LOVED her book.
Sounds like an awesome trip! And I totally sing as loud as I can in the car when I'm tired. I mean, if it works, right?ReplyDelete
Glad you had such a great time!


text:
All right, you guys, I just deleted another new comment on the monster Fantasy of Being Thin thread, because — although I'm sure the commenter was quite well-intentioned — it was another variation on a theme we see every time we talk about giving up the ol' fantasy: That's great for you, but it's impossible to be happy in MY body, because it's so bad, you can't even imagine!
Shapelings, shapelings, shapelings. I'm not even going to take this opportunity to blow sunshine up your asses about how hot and capable and whatever else you all are. If there's one thing that thread demonstrates, it's that overcoming low self-esteem is a long, grueling process; bloggy affirmations barely make a dent. I won't bother with those right now.
And if there's another thing that thread demonstrates, it's that it is okay to talk about your insecurities here, where there are a whole ton of people who can relate.
It is still not okay to slam your body in such a way as to suggest your repulsiveness is a verifiable fact — much less insist that this means you, unlike everyone else here, really do need to diet.
And here's why (setting aside all the other reasons I've gone into a gazillion times): when you post a comment here, you're not just talking to yourself. Or just to me or Sweet Machine or Fillyjonk, in all our not-that-fat, thick-skinned glory. Or even just to the other commenters on the thread. You are talking to the few thousand people who read this blog daily.
And among those few thousand people:
- There is someone fatter than you. (Okay, technically, one person actually does have to be the official fattest Shapeling, but since we don't know who that is, just go ahead and assume it's not you.)
- There is someone whose shape is less conventionally attractive than yours.
- There is someone who has all the same problems as you but is also a member of other oppressed groups.
- There is someone with one or more disabilities.
- There is someone recovering from an eating disorder.
- There is someone currently struggling with a full-blown eating disorder.
- There are a couple thousand someones who are here because they've struggled with low self-esteem, body dysmorphia, and/or disordered eating patterns over the course of their lives.
So when you say, "But MY body is disgusting because of X" or "I still need to diet because of Y," what you are saying is that X and Y are disgusting and unacceptable characteristics, full stop — and the problem is, you can bet someone here shares those characteristics, or is worse off than you are, by your standards.
If I can't convince you that the body you've got isn't intrinsically horrible, then maybe I can at least convince you not to insult other readers, who really don't need to hear your negative opinions about bodies like yours, which also happen to be bodies like theirs.
You know how annoying it is when some relatively skinny chick stands there and talks about how disgustingly fat she is right in front of you? And you're like, "Hello, what does that say about me?"
And you know how it's even more annoying that if you actually call her out on it, she'll inevitably say something like, "Oh, but I totally wasn't thinking about you!"
Yeah. It's the same thing. It's being so focused on your own self-hatred that you forget the implications it has for the people around you. That's really not cool.
So, if you think the fact that you weigh X lbs. is justification for slamming your body around here? Think again about the people who weigh even more — possibly a lot more. If you think your discomfort in your own fat body is a good reason to hate it, think again about the people with disabilities and illnesses that make living in their bodies even more uncomfortable, but who are still trying their best to love those bodies. If you think calling calorie restriction something other than a diet makes it okay to discuss around here, think again about the people recovering from eating disorders, who really don't need to hear that rigidly controlling your food intake is just swell if you do it in the right spirit. And if you think it's fine to say, "But ____ characteristic means I really AM unattractive, unlike the rest of you," think again about all the other people here who share that characteristic. There are more than you think, I promise.
Bottom line, when you insult yourself around here, you will inevitably be insulting anyone who happens to be like you. And the reason we're all here is that we have a lot in common, remember?
So just don't do it. Seriously.


text:
2 x Super Marble (Two Tone) Blues 90cm Extra Large Balloons
2 Super Marble (Two Tone) Blues 90cm Giant Balloons
Super Agate (Two Tone) 90cm Extra Large Balloons - Blues (uninflated)
These extra large, 90cm latex balloons are no ordinary balloon.
Our 3' (almost 1m wide!) round, ball-shaped balloons make a stunning impact for any occasion. Customers & event designers love latex balloons for events & party decorating, event styling solutions, brides love them because of their soft, yet strong, natural finish. They convey all sorts of messages, and can be used in all sorts of ways & event settings.
Why are our giant latex party balloons so popular?
- are biodegradable (safe in the environment)
- come in customisable colours for every setting
- come in large, small and in-between sizes
- are manipulatable (is that a word?) into all sorts of shapes - check out the latest fantasy balloon decor ideas
- can be decorative with or without inflation
- can float or hang
- come in a range of solid colours, crystal (see-through) colours & popular prints
These balloons can be customised for your event - ask our team about custom printing, custom designs, custom colours. You will also need to consider how you might be transporting these gorgeous balloons if you wish to collect them inflated. Often, on-site inflation is a better option.
Check our social pages, especially pinterest for more great agate balloon decorating ideas.
|Shipping Weight
|Shipping Width
|Shipping Height
|Shipping Length
Be The First To Review This Product!
Help other Party Flair users shop smarter by writing reviews for products you have purchased.


text: Search site: Submit Search Menu Deal of the Day Coming Soon New Releases Sample Sets Pigments Basic Pigments Black Blue Bronze Brown Copper Gold Green Grey Orange Purple Red Silver White Yellow Pink Colorshifts Hues Series Opulent Series Ultra Shifts Ghosts Glitters Matte Effect Neon Glitters Flakes Basic Flakes Black Blue Bronze Brown Gold Green Orange Pink Purple Red Shimmer / Multi-Color Black Blue Bronze Green Orange Purple Red Silver Ultra Flakes Mixing Sticks Catalogs Catalogs Apparel Hats Shirts About Us Contact Us Our Sitemap Nav Menu 2 Nav Menu 3 Nav Menu 4 Nav Menu 5 Nav Menu 6 Nav Menu 7 Nav Menu 8 MENU Open menu www.eyecandycustomzus.com Toggle search bar CART ( ) Search... Submit search Home > Pigments > Colorshifts > Geisha Doll Alternative Views: Availability:: Usually Ships in 24 Hours Product Code: ECC-01331 Basic Pigments Size*: 25 gr Colorshift [Add $27.00] Qty: Description Features MULTIPURPOSE COLORSHIFT MICA POWDER – A violet and red colorshift titanium dioxide, this mica mineral powder's 1st picture shown over a BLACK BASE. Ideal for DIY craft use, such as automotive, woodworking, plastics, slime making, homemade bath bombs and jewelry, melt & pour, lip balm, acrylic painting, screen printing, candle making, and more. ULTRA-FINE PURITY – Eye Candy mica pearls are 10-60 microns in size. RECOMMENDED USE – 50 grams of our Colorshift pigments can be used in a gallon of clear. Best results are over a black base. Various colored bases will have a overall effect on the color. UNBEATABLE QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE – Unbeatable Quality and Customer Service – Eye Candy mica pearls are backed by superior quality assurance, purity, and fast, responsive support. Contact us with any questions or concerns to get reliable service you can count on. Related Items Land of the Rising Sun Okinawa Sunset Tobiko Sushi Roll Shinto Shrine Sapparo Harajuku Girl Zen Garden Share your knowledge of this product. Be the first to write a review »


text:
Campaigners angry at Growth and Infrastructure Bill
Campaigners have accused the government of creating a developers' charter as its Growth and Infrastructure Bill was due to be debated in the Commons.
The government says the bill is needed to stimulate development.
But critics say it betrays ministers' promises to leave planning decisions to be made at local level.
They say it will rush through greenfield schemes for business and housing against the wishes of people living nearby.
Ministers have been persuaded that the planning system causes unnecessary delays to projects that will help the economy and create jobs.
The bill will create a fast-track for large-scale business and commercial projects which will allow decisions to be taken within 12 months.
Decisions on business and retail parks in future may be taken by the secretary of state in the first instance.
It will allow developers to submit plans directly to the national Planning Inspectorate where councils have a track record of poor performance.
The bill will relax rules on developers to deliver social housing, and make it easier to install broadband infrastructure.
It will also make it harder for residents to use "village green" rules to prevent development in their local area.
The Campaign To Protect Rural England (CPRE) says the provisions make a mockery of the government's stated commitment to localism.
CPRE says the plans will spoil some of the UK's best-loved landscapes. It warns of a rash of "broadband clutter" in national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty.
It believes the bill will be counter-productive. John Hoad, head of planning at CPRE, said: "Government rhetoric about local planning inefficiency and bureaucracy holding up economic growth is a diversion from the real issue - lack of funding for development.
"The bill is a poor recipe for delivering either growth or infrastructure. The new laws, combined with the disingenuous message ministers are sending about unnecessary red tape, will seriously damage the capacity of the planning system to protect our countryside and environment and deliver the right growth in the right locations."
Village greens
The Open Spaces Society is particularly angered by changes to village green laws, which apply to any patches of open ground enjoyed by local people - not just in villages.
Kate Ashbrook, its general secretary, said: "The clause will make it difficult, if not downright impossible, to register land as a town or village green once it has been identified for development.
"The government wants to stop so-called 'vexatious' applications to register greens which, it claims, are being submitted solely to thwart development. In fact, few applications are purely vexatious and the clause has the effect of killing genuine applications too."
These and other green groups are also separately strongly opposing plans for almost 200 new road schemes in the countryside, which businesses say will help stimulate the economy.
The greens thought they had won the intellectual war over the economics of road building after the government's technical committee SACTRA warned in the 1990s that there was no guarantee that road building would stimulate jobs.
In fact, the committee said, new roads might actually drain economic activity from a depressed remote area.
CPRE president Sir Andrew Motion said: "New roads will ruin our precious landscape and produce even more misery-making bottlenecks and tailbacks. Other solutions are infinitely preferable - solutions that do not compromise unique and beautiful countryside."
'Aspiration nation'
He is especially concerned about plans for the Wye Valley; the green belt round Durham; the Peak District (Mottram-Tintwistle bypass); Blackdown Hills; and the Norfolk Broads.
The prime minister said on publication of the Growth Bill: "(This) is all about helping our country compete in the global race and building an aspiration nation where we back those who want to get on in life.
"We are slashing unnecessary bureaucracy, giving business the confidence to invest, unlocking big infrastructure projects and supporting hardworking people to realise their dreams."
The bill has been welcomed by developers who say the current rules inhibit projects in unintended ways.
For instance, the law allows councils to oblige developers to pay towards local infrastructure if they build, say, a new office block. It is a de facto development tax.
If developers want to vary a planning consent they are liable to pay a second fee that could run to millions of pounds for a very big scheme. The bill will stop this sort of double-charging.
Developers also say the rule obliging them to create social housing as part of private developments makes some schemes unviable. This too will be altered. And less paperwork will be needed for a planning application.
Labour's shadow planning minister, Roberta Blackman-Woods, said: "All in all the planning system and communities could be seriously damaged by this knee-jerk response to the government's economic failure."
Alister Scott, Professor of Environmental and Spatial Planning at Birmingham City University said: "The Bill is presented at a time when public confidence in politicians is at its lowest and ministers should not forget their populist mantra of localism, localism, localism.
"Now, amidst concerns that the wrong sort of localism might result, the government have seen fit to change the agenda in favour of Secretary of State centralism, centralism, centralism. Never has the planning system been in such a pickle."
Follow Roger on Twitter @rogerharrabin


text:
We have a whole bunch of new Pjur products to introduce you to, so many new ones, in fact, that it will take us two weeks.
Everyone who reads our reviews regularly will already know we're in the tank for Pjur. Just take a look at some of our previous reviews HERE and HERE!
Or just use the site's search function, to your right. Type in Pjur; and presto!
For those of you who are new to Dr Dick Sex Toy Reviews, here's the lowdown on Pjur (pronounced "pure"). It's a German company that has been serving the US market since 1995. We think they are, hands down, the world's best personal lubricants, sexual enhancers, and hygiene aids. To make sure you're getting the real deal, look for the yellow dot on the package.
We have four products to tell you about today. But since they fall neatly into two categories we'll review them that way. Review crew members, Angie and Carlos are here with their respective assessments.
Pjur Backdoor Anal Comfort Spray $22.95
An exceptional anal spray designed for men. Key ingredient, lauromacrogol*, lightly desensitizes the anal sphincter to increase his anal pleasure. No lydocaine or benzocaine. Only a few sprays needed per application.
Pjur Backdoor Relaxing Anal Glide $22.95
Long-lasting silicone anal lube designed for men specifically to enhance the pleasure of anal intercourse. Like Pjur AnalyseMe!, but with a higher concentration of ingredients. Jojoba extracts help relax the anal sphincter enhancing the experience. Perfect for use in combination with Pjur Backdoor Anal Comfort Spray.
I've wanted to try these products since I began seeing them online. What. it must be a year ago by now. I'm pretty much still learning to explore my ass and so these products have helped me a lot by boosting my confidence.
My situation is different from a lot of guys I know. I'm married to a great woman who I love deeply. I'm also bisexual. My wife has been very supportive of me investigating my queer identity, so I'm thankful for that. She has no interest in pegging me. She thinks the whole idea of a strap-on is ridiculous. So that leaves me with the option of getting into my ass only with a male partner. It always has to be safe sex, of course.
However, the opportunities to play with a man are few and far between. Thus the need for a confidence building measure likes the Backdoor products. I have to use a lot of lube for anal play of any sort, so why not use one that will desensitizes my butt in the process. Makes perfectly good sense to me.
I used both products — Backdoor Anal Comfort Spray and Backdoor Relaxing Anal GlideBackdoor Relaxing Anal Glide. separately as well as together. For me the ideal is using them together. Although I can safely say that if I had to choose just one, I'd go with the lube.
Backdoor Relaxing Anal Glide is very slick compared to a lot of the other water-based lubes I've tried. And you have to have a water-based lube when you're using a latex condom.
I have the greatest confidence in the Pjur product line to bring me the highest quality lubes without all the chemical additives found in other similar products. Pjur products are dermatologist tested.
The promotional materials for the Backdoor line of products says it's more concentrated, thus more powerful I guess, than the Pjur AnalyseMe! product. I can't testify to that, because I haven't had an opportunity to test them side-by-side. But you can read Mick and Chuck's review HERE.
Full review HERE!
Pjur MyGlide Stimulating & Warming Lubricant $22.95
Water based personal lubricant and sexual enhancement product designed for women who desire more pleasure. Ginseng provides a natural stimulating and warming effect thus maximizing her sexual experience. Perfect for use in combination with Pjur MyGlide Stimulation Spray.
Pjur MySpray Stimulation Spray $22.95
A refreshingly different intimacy spray for women. This new formulation contains a unique blend of ingredients designed to stimulate vaginal blood circulation for ultimate arousal, enhancing the sexual experience. Only a few sprays needed per application.
I turned 48 this past May. For the last year or so, I've been looking into a variety of things that I hoped would assist me in regaining my libido. I'm chalking this libido loss to growing older and the onset of menopause. I realize that I'm experiencing menopause somewhat earlier than most of my friends, which make the event all the more worrisome.
My husband is kind and generous and will often treat me to a backrub when I'm not in the mood. But I know he would rather be more intimate than that. I often feel bad putting him off as frequently as I do; that's why I've been engaged in this search for libido enhancing products.
Like Carlos, I too used both products — MyGlide Stimulating & Warming Lubricant and MySpray Stimulation Spray separately as well as together. For me the ideal is using them together. Although I too will say that if I had to choose just one, I'd go with the MyGlide Stimulating & Warming Lubricant. The spray is an added and appreciated bonus.
The lubricant has a double effect; it both arouses and warms. And it does so with out harsh chemicals that would irritate sensitive skin like mine. I've tried other "warming" lubes and gels, but couldn't tolerate any of them. MyGlide Stimulating & Warming Lubricant is water-based, which is my lubricant of choice. It's so much easier to clean up than silicone-based lubes.
Like all the Pjur products, MyGlide Stimulating & Warming Lubricant is dermatologically tested and extremely gentle to your skin.
Using a personal lubricant is all the more important now that I'm menopausal. I never used to have to worry about dryness all that much in the past. So I figure, why not use a stimulating lube since I have to use a lube anyway. MyGlide Stimulating & Warming Lubricant provides just that, a wonderful tingly and warming sensation throughout my genitals.
The MySpray Stimulation Spray works in a different way than does the lubricant. It also provides a tingly sensation that feel like champagne bubbles on my skin. It's really fun, I must confess. The combination of the lubricant and spray improves blood flow and circulation in my genitals and assists me with sexual arousal.
Full review HERE!
Tune in next week for more new Pjur products.


text:
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police in Jacksonville are looking for a sex offender wanted on multiple charges.
Investigators said Sherman Hackley is being sought on charges of failure of a sex offender to comply with requirements and domestic battery.
Anyone with any information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500 or Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.
Copyright 2013 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
The viewing figures for London Olympics on TV here in USA were bigger than ever for NBC. Many pundits put this down to the enduring allure of Bob Costas but I think it was because the 2012 games were in a city familiar to so many people: dear olde London town. I lived in London for 8 years before moving to California and the highlight of the games for me (apart from fellow Scot and fellow Edinburgh University alumni, cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, becoming the most successful British Olympian of all time) was seeing the city itself become an integral part of the games. The best games are those where the city itself seems intertwined with the events – like Barcelona in 1992 or Sydney in 2000. The BBC did a phenomenal job broadcasting the games in UK. As a publicly funded network the BBC (or Auntie as Brits call it) had the luxury of 24 HD broadcast channels dedicated to the event, meaning virtually every minute of every event was broadcast on TV across UK. You wanted to watch men's handball, Iceland versus Argentina, you got it on your flat-screen in the living room (31-25 to the lads from the rapidly melting land in the north, BTW). Interesting fun fact, the BBC's mobile apps that complemented their outstanding TV-coverage were developed using Adobe PhoneGap. The US broadcast market is a little bit different, to say the least, than its more homogeneous European counterparts. The networks here are competing in a complex, competitive, highly fragmented and regionalized market. So, in short, no chance for 24 dedicated HD channels for the Olympics in USA! NBC was faced with a much more difficult situation than their BBC colleagues and had to rely on streaming the events live to desktop and mobile devices to ensure every sport got its place in the sun (or this being London, a light drizzle). And that's where a technology like Adobe Pass can come into play. Adobe Pass was the authentication glue that allowed cable and satellite subscribers to gain access to NBC's comprehensive live steaming of events on their iPad, Android devices and desktop computers. Folks just had to use their cable or satellite company billing email and password and log-in to NBC's desktop web experience or dedicated mobile Olympic app. Pass did the rest. Not surprisingly NBC's Olympic web site and apps became daily destinations for sports nuts, like me, to visit. Our stream-meisters have an overview of all of this and of Adobe Pass 2.0, announced today, over at the Digital Media Blog. It will be interesting to see how this will all play out for the Rio Olympics in 2016 (and more importantly the World Cup in Brazil in 2014).
Russell Brady
Russell Brady is director, campaign marketing at Adobe – supporting Document Cloud. He is a 15 year veteran at Adobe, working primarily in communications on behalf of Adobe's creative products. Russell also worked in public relations for eBay and Apple.


text:
This month's You Want Pies With That theme "Family Favorite Pie" was chosen by Natalie of Oven Love. She asked us to use a family favorite dessert as the inspiration for our pie or tart.
A childhood sweet that I still love to this day is Chinese egg custard tarts aka "dohn-tot". They can be found on dim sum menus and in Chinese bakery cases everywhere. In fact, there is a cafe in New York City called Egg Custard King. But I have it on good authority (my brothers) that their namesake egg tarts are no match for Golden Gate Bakery's egg tarts. There is always a slow moving line for the egg tarts at this San Francisco Chinatown bakery. The wait can be as long as 15-20 minutes on weekends. The tarts at GG Bakery are pricey at $1.15 each, but the lightly sweetened silky egg custard encased in a flaky pastry shell is worth it. In general, dohn-tots are best eaten warm, but if it's still delicious when cold, you know you have winner.
The owners of GG Bakery close the bakery at least once or twice a year for a 4 or 5 week long vacation. And when they reopen, they always seem to raise the price of the dohn-tot by 5 or 10 cents. I heard from my parents who heard it through the Chinatown rumor mill that they always raise the price to pay for their long vacations. But I think they raise the prices because demand is high and simply because people will still line up for them.
The origin of the dohn-tot is unclear. Some people believe that they are similar to a Portuguese egg tart called pastel de nata and made its way to Hong Kong via Macau, a long time Portuguese colony.
I've never felt the need to make my own dohn-tot because I can easily get one from GG Bakery. Also, a lot of the dohn-tot recipes I've come across have a shortbread crust as opposed to the delicate but much more labor intensive puff pastry shell. In my opinion, it's not a dohn-tot if it has a shortbread crust. For this month's YWPWT, I decided to try my hand at making dohn-tot.
I found this recipe for Portuguese custard tarts in an old issue of Saveur magazine. It sounded great because the crust is made using a rough puff pastry dough. Rough puff pastry is not as difficult to make as traditional puff pastry but it's still extremely flaky. It's perfect for this application. The custard filling recipe called for blueberries and passion fruit, but I left out the fruit to make the tarts more dohn-tot-like.
I liked the way my tarts came out. I was afraid that the custard filling would be a bit too sweet, and it was, but not when paired with the buttery, flaky tart shell. The filling had a nice flavor, but it wasn't as silky as I hoped it would be. But, overall, I think this was a good first attempt. The custard tart was very reminiscent of dohn-tot.
Egg Custard Tarts
(makes 2 dozen)
(adapted from Saveur Magazine #95: Portuguese Custard Tarts)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
Custard filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3 tbsp all purpose flour
6 large egg yolks
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Toss together 1 1⁄2 cups flour, butter, and salt in medium bowl. Add 6 tbsp. ice water; form into a rough ball (don't mash butter). On a floured surface, shape dough into a 6" × 12" rectangle. Fold like a letter. Roll out into a 6" × 12" rectangle; fold again. Roll out and fold 3 more times. Cover; refrigerate for 1 hour; repeat rolling and folding process 2 more times. Cover; refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll out dough into a 12" × 18" rectangle. Tightly roll up long side to form a cylinder. Cover; refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut crosswise into 24 slices. Working with 1 slice at a time, lightly flour, roll into a 3" circle, and press into 2 1⁄2"-wide, 3⁄4"-deep pie tins with sloping sides. Transfer to baking sheet and cover; refrigerate.
Put sugar and 2⁄3 cup water into a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat without stirring; reduce heat to medium and boil for 5 minutes. Be careful - this sugar syrup is hot.
Whisk together 1⁄4 cup of the milk with the 3 tablespoons of flour in a large bowl. Bring remaining milk to a simmer and, while whisking, pour hot milk into the milk-flour mixture. Whisk in sugar syrup and let mixture cool until warm. Whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla to make a custard.
Preheat oven to 400°. Fill each tart by two-thirds with custard. Bake until pastry is light brown and custard has just set, 16–18 minutes. Let cool on a rack.


text:
The grandfather clock I mentioned in an earlier post was repaired today and is ticking and chiming away merrily in my dining room! It sounds just like I remember it. We'll see if I make it through the night without switching off the chime though. I'm afraid it's going to wake me up every 15 minutes with it's Big Ben chime.
For those who don't have the pleasure of owning a grandfather clock, did you know you can experience the pleasure through Twitter?
And on a separate note, did you know there are splogs related just to grandfather clocks? And they delete your comments when you complain to them about stealing your content?


text:
Global Intravenous Solutions Market Size, Share & Trend | Industry Analysis Report, 2024
Global Intravenous Solutions Market Snapshot and Insights 2019
The Global Intravenous Solutions Market 2019 Report is equipped with market data from 2014 to 2024. The market overview covers key drivers and risks factors. The Intravenous Solutions report is bifurcated into top global manufactures mentioning sales, revenue, and prices as applicable. Also evaluates the competitive scenario of the leading players. For instance, the report expands to cover regional market data along with type and application. International market forecasts sales and revenue from 2019 to 2024. The in-depth sales channel is also included in the study.
A PDF report will help you understand
~ Competitive benchmarking
~ Intravenous Solutions Industry forecasts
~ Company market shares
~ Intravenous Solutions Business opportunities
~ Latest trends dynamics
Intravenous Solutions Market | Format: PDF | ICRWorld Research | Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Industry.
Table of Content
> Global Intravenous Solutions Market Overview
First of all, an overview is the first section of the report on the global Global Intravenous Solutions market includes research scope, major players covered in the research study, market segments by type and application, a period considered, and research objectives.
> Worldwide Growth Trends
Also, the report includes capacity and production analysis with market pricing and trends, capacity, production, and production value. This section also includes industry trends and growth rate of key producers in the Intravenous Solutions industry.
> Market Share by Manufacturers
Here, the report includes important chapters, viz. revenue by manufacturers, production and capacity by manufacturers, price by manufacturers, areas covered and distribution by manufacturers, acquisitions, mergers, and business expansion plans, products offered by manufacturers, and date of manufacturers entering the global Intravenous Solutions Business. Some of the Identified vendors are Baxter, Hospira, Fresenius Kabi, Claris Lifesciences.
> Global Intravenous Solutions Market Size by Type
This section discusses ex-factory price by type, production value, and production market share by type. Crystalloids, Colloids are the types of Intravenous Solutions.
> Industry Size by Application
Furthermore, it brings to light the consumption in the global Intravenous Solutions industry by the application. Intravenous Solutions is used in Basic IV Solutions, Nutrient Infusion Solution.
> Production by Region
Here, each regional Intravenous Solutions market is comprehensively studied with a key focus on import and export, leading players, production value growth rate, and production growth rate. Regions Considered are North America, Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and their countries.
Interested? Purchase this premium research report at:
> Consumption by Region
Similarly, this section includes an analysis of the Intravenous Solutions consumption of each region studied in the report on the basis of country, type, and application. Regions Considered are North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and their countries.
> Company Profiles
There are different players of the global Intravenous Solutions market profiled in this section of the report, also all of the players are analyzed considering their recent developments, products, revenue, and company details.
> Market Forecast Production Side
After that, Intravenous Solutions production and production value estimates by type, estimates of key producers, and production and production volume estimates by region included in the section.
> Market Forecast Consumption Side
Contains Intravenous Solutions consumption forecast by region and application. In addition, offers consumption forecast by the country for regional markets studied in the report.
> Opportunities and Challenges, Threats, and Affecting Factors
This section provides Porter's Five Forces analysis, market challenges, and market opportunities. Intravenous Solutions Market constraints and their solutions are also discussed
> Sales Channel and Value Chain Analyses
Most noteworthy, It gives Intravenous Solutions customer analysis, analysis of distributors and sales channels, and value chain analysis.
> Key Findings
Finally, Worldwide Intravenous Solutions market report offers strategic guidance for game-changing trends. Business profiling with comprehensive strategies, financials, and current improvements.
**Thanks a lot for reading it until here anyway.**


text:
PROCS PER HoT APPLICATION
First, here is a sample of the number of Revitalize procs vs. the number of times Rejuvenation or Wild Growth was "applied" as a buff by that player.
- Wild Growth fresh-applications were pretty even across the board (among melee), with a 6-target splash across 10 people (+ pets).
- Rejuv applications were focused on the two tanks, of course, and both tanks saw a greatly increased number of revitalize procs from this. NOTE: tanks' rejuvs were often refreshed before they ran out to keep them swiftmendable, and these refreshes are not counted in the applications numbers, but they did contribute significantly to their overall procs of revitalize.
The data stands fairly well on its own since most of the spellcasts were (usully) made specifically to heal the targets, so there is no need to argue for its mana cost. Those times I did cast it specifically for the revitalize portion for the DK, warrior, and/or cat, I did so when I had plenty of mana to spare. I did check to make certain that the feral druid never cast Rejuvenation over the course of the raid, so his untalented spellcasts are not skewing the procs (no offense, Cel!).
- I want to reiterate that Revitalize WILL PROC even when the healing from the HoT's tick is not applied (due to the target being full health). The game will not apply the healing to a full-health target, but the game will still give that hidden tick a chance to proc the power return.
REJUV vs. WG
Now I will be comparing the FRESH applications of the spells on the individuals, and their resulting revitalize procs. Note: 24% of my healing done was Rejuv, and 23% was WG.
- When Rejuv > WG applications, procs per combined FRESH spell application (rejuv + WG applications) were roughly 60-65%.
- When WG > Rejuv, procs/freshapplication = ~45-50%.
Combining all 6 classes resulted in a 54% procs per fresh application, with WG > Rejuv. Combining every member of the raid (13 total due to some switch-outs for Emalon) resulted in a 50% procs/fresh application rate, again with WG > Rejuv. Remember that this estimate is also including every procs from the unaccounted time that rejuv or WG was RENEWED on the target, thus extending the chance for ticks. Unfortunately, given that procs are not specified as coming from rejuv or WG, and that any given cast of my WG may have hit 1 target or 6, that number of refreshes can't easily be found, even when parsing manually through the combat log.
This chance will fluctuate per person, per raid size (chance of over-writing a Wild Growth is less when there are more targets to choose from), how frequently the caster refreshs Rejuv vs letting it tick fully, and probably a slew of other variables hiding. This is just the estimate derived from my playing style in a 10-man raid on a single night.
- Important: Any given spell application could proc once, twice, even three times or more before the buff wears off, or it may not proc at all! Also, the procs are determined for each individual's own buff ticks, so while one person may proc on a wild growth tick, the others who have the same wild growth upon them may or may not get a proc themselves at the same time. It is for this same reason that ticks can't be counted up in a combat log to compare against procs, because the HoT may proc revitalize without actually ticking a heal.
Now, let's ignore the craziness of procs per fresh applications vs refreshes, and just look at the breakdowns of individual players' power gains. I have selected a Prot warrior, Deathknight (blood), Feral Druid (cat form), Prot Pally, Warlock, and Resto Druid (me!).
The returns from revitalize are all shaded in the pale violet-blue, and I included the raw power numbers returned by each element. The prot pally had quite a few other smaller returns from misc things that I cut out to reduce clutter, all returning less than 6k mana each over the raid night; I also only counted the feral druid's energy returns, ignoring the rage and mana he gained while briefly in bear or caster. Otherwise, each of the other classes shown show their full power returns per type for the night.
- Prot Warr: massive rage returns with rejuv kept on, taking up roughly 1/3 of their rage power gains, equalling or surpassing their rage returns from bloodrage and shield specialization.
- Blood Deathknights: between WG and some occasional thoughtful Rejuvs, it beat out his own runic power regenerator, butchery.
- Kitty Druid: it's no Tiger's Fury, but as any feral kitty will tell you, more energy is a wonderful thing. Surprise ticks of energy make for happy kitties (and rogues), and bloody mobs.
- Prot Pally: matches/exceeds mana tide totem's returns, and that shaman had to intentionally put that totem down; also matches illumination. A relatively small portion of the returns, but noticeable.
- Warlock: same relative percentage (and amount) of mana as the prot pally was returned to the lock by revitalize, though the lock received fewer ticks. This is because warlocks have larger mana pools than prot pallies, so each proc restored more mana (as 1% of mana pool). A small slice, but that's less life-tapping and thus less healing you need to give them, I suppose!
- Resto Druid (myself!): Lifebloom's 3.1 change of refunding half its mana cost on bloom has really borked the energy meters, and innervate is not included since it only speeds up passive regen (atm). Again, though, it matches mana tide's contribution (a 5-minute cooldown), and that's pretty nice when I catch a WG splash or keep rejuv on myself for environment damage/aoe.
10-MAN vs 25-MAN RAIDS
Your use of WG and Rejuv will affect how useful this talent is for you. The more players that are in your raid, the smaller the proportion of players you will see this proccing on (from your own spells), due simply to the limited proportion of the targets you can cast on at any given moment. It will not, however, reduce the raw amount of power returned to your raid: it only spreads it out, just as your healing done is spread out among your targets. Having more resto druids with the revitalize talent in a 25-man raid will increase the proportion, of course.
Having more players in the raid as targets for your Wild Growth will impact how often your WGs overwrite themselves on your targets as well, which affects the "application" rate.
If you are raiding with other druids who do not have revitalize, it may throw off your own measurements of fresh HoT applications vs revitalize procs from your WWS reports. Know at least that since HoTs are not overwritten by other casters, your own spells will not be affected negatively by raiding with druids who do not have Revitalize, unless the other druids also use an unglyphed Swiftmend and thus remove your Rejuvs (fail!).
The thing to ultimately keep in mind is that if you're casting these spells anyway, this is purely passive power regen for your targets. You don't have to specifically cast it as a buff at someone, nor do you have to drop down a totem for it. You just have to heal, which you'd be doing with or without this talent.
If you're using rejuv and WG, there's no reason not to get this talent. Every bit of mana regen adds up, and for those classes with limited power regeneration options, talents like this are a blessing. Warriors/bears, rogues/feral kitties, and DKs don't have as many options for power return as mana-users, and for some of them (such as DKs and warriors) the returns can be a significant part of their overall power returns. This in turn will increase damage output and tank threat, giving you shorter combats to heal through and quicker boss/trash kills. It will also give DKs/warrs/bears that extra little bit of power to help start off threat, or to get in an interrupt early in the combat.
Modelling revitalize is a headache. You can mathematically estimate chances, but who's to tell what will happen in the real raid, when you're throwing spells about and refreshing them before they tick fully? The best way you can really determine how good revitalize is, is to look at what it did. Look at how it impacted your raid, who it boosted, how it may've even given you as much mana back as the priests' hymn of hope gave to you over the course of the raid.
I whole-heartedly support this talent.


text:
London Fashion Week Tickets
City-Wide Celebration
Positive Fashion Exhibition Designers A-Z
Positive Fashion Exhibition Applications
Designers A-Z
LFW Dates
Positive Fashion
Press Portal
Image Galleries
Contract Opportunities
Bloggers & Digital Influencers
Corporate Hospitality
The British Fashion Council (BFC) has now opened applications for designers to participate in London Fashion Week September 2011. There are five categories which designers can apply for: On schedule applications, which includes catwalk, presentation, digital presentation and menswear; The Exhibition; Estethica; NEWGEN, sponsored by TOPSHOP and NEWGEN MEN, sponsored by TOPMAN.
London Fashion Week is one of the world's leading designer showcases alongside New York, Paris and Milan. With over 5,000 visitors, the audience is made up of UK and International press, buyers and industry professionals including key opinion formers. Last season London Fashion Week generated over £100 million worth of press coverage in the UK alone.
The Exhibition at LFW, based at Somerset House, showcases around 170 of the industry's most creative UK and International designer businesses including both emerging and established accessories, jewellery and ready-to-wear labels. The BFC aims for The Exhibition to mirror the energy on the catwalk and presentation schedule.
Estethica is the BFC's sustainable initiative sponsored by Monsoon. All potential Estethica designers must adhere to at least one of the three principles of fair-trade and ethical practices, organic and recycled materials and are selected for both their ethical credentials and design excellence. Estethica is the hub of London's ethical fashion industry and recognised internationally as a leading showcase of ethical fashion.
The BFC NEWGEN scheme, currently sponsored by TOPSHOP was set up in 1993 with the mission of supporting the growth of original new collections which have the potential to make a mark on the international scene. Designers who have been in business for three years or less and are eligible to apply for the NEWGEN scheme and those selected will receive sponsorship and mentoring tailored to the scale and positioning of their products and businesses. Judging is undertaken voluntarily by a panel of Britain's top editors, buyers and talent scouts who compare entrants against the standards of excellence attained by former winners including some of Britain's highest profile designers including Alexander McQueen, Matthew Williamson, Julien Macdonald and more recently Giles Deacon, Gareth Pugh, Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab, Richard Nicoll and Todd Lynn. Sarah Mower is the BFC's Abassador for Emerging Talent and is the chair of this committee.
NEWGEN MEN, sponsored by TOPMAN, launched with success in September 2009. It provides menswear designers with business support, funding and the opportunity to use the official BFC venue, Somerset House, to host a catwalk show during London Fashion Week's Menswear Day. Menswear Day is now going into its fifth consecutive season and has become instrumental in raising the profile of both emerging and established British menswear designers. Last season saw over 20 menswear designers, the highest number to date, showcase to a targeted audience of key menswear press and buyers.
London Fashion Week will run from Friday 16th – 21st September 2011 and is located at Somerset House, WC2.


text:
For the last few years my house has been mice full on. There is a crack under the door that I can't (or won't) do much about which has become an open invitation to every desert rat to come party between the rafters of my ceiling at night time when we are trying to sleep, and to poop in my cutlery drawers right before company comes for a cook-over. Finally this winter I thought I had the problem licked, but when TK was installing the new hall cabinet we found a seemingly fresh and soft mouse nest under the toe-kick of the old cabinet.
Mice Full On
Leave a Reply


text:
10 Ways to Safeguard Your Bones
One in two women and nearly one in four men over 50 will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture. Fortunately, there are simple ways to slash your risk. Here's how.
One of the biggest problems with osteoporosis is that it's silent: You can't feel your bones becoming thinner and weaker. In fact, many people don't find out they have a problem until it's too late, after they've already fallen and broken a bone. But you don't have to become a statistic. Talk with your healthcare provider about how to lower your risk of developing osteoporosis. Then follow this 10-step plan to start preserving your bone health today.
1. Know your risk.
Because they naturally have lower bone mass and smaller bones, women are at much greater risk than men. Plus, in the five to seven years after menopause, women can lose up to 20% of their bone density because of the drop in estrogen, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). If you are 45 or older, thin, tall or a smoker, you have an increased risk of developing osteoporosis, says Carlos Isales, MD, professor of orthopedic surgery at Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta. Other risk factors include drinking alcohol excessively, not exercising, having an eating disorder and not getting enough calcium.
2. Take stock of your family history.
If one of your parents has osteoporosis or has fractured a hip, tell your doctor. More than 50% of osteoporosis cases are genetic, says Dr. Isales.
3. Schedule a screening.
Since osteoporosis is a silent disease, you won't know you have it unless you are tested for it or you break a bone. If you have any risk factors, ask your doctor to test you for osteopenia (low bone density), the precursor to osteoporosis. Women 65 and older should be tested, as should men 70 and older, according to the NOF. If you break a bone after age 50 and/or have risk factors, ask about testing earlier. "After age 50, when you get screened is usually up to your doctor," says Sara Gottfried, MD, a gynecologist in Berkeley, California.
4. Have your bone density test on the same machine each time.
The results of your bone density test (the most common one is called a DXA—for "dual energy x-ray absorptiometry") can vary from machine to machine, so if possible get your DXA test done at the same location each time, preferably on the same machine, to ensure uniform results, says Nathan Wei, MD, a rheumatologist in Frederick, Maryland.
5. Get enough calcium and vitamin D.
We lose calcium every day through our shed skin, hair and sweat and urine—and therefore need to replace it daily because our bodies can't make it on their own. Vitamin D is important too, since it improves the body's calcium absorption. The goals: The NOF recommends adults under age 50 get 1,000 mg of calcium daily along with 400-800 IUs of vitamin D. If you're older than 50, the target is 1,200 mg of calcium daily with 800-1,000 IUs of vitamin D.While your body best absorbs calcium through food, it's not always easy to meet calcium and vitamin D requirements from diet alone. For example, if you're a postmenopausal woman who typically consumes only one or two servings a day of dairy, you may need to modify your food intake or talk with your healthcare provider about taking a calcium and vitamin D supplement.
6. Focus on bone-building foods.
To try and meet the nutrient goals above through food, aim for three servings of calcium daily, including at least 1½ cups of fruits and two cups of vegetables. Dairy foods, such as milk, yogurt and cheese, are your best bets. You can also stock up on calcium-fortified juices and breakfast cereals, sardines, canned salmon (with the bones), almonds and dark green, leafy vegetables. Collard greens, kale, okra, Chinese cabbage, mustard greens and broccoli contain the most calcium, according to the NOF. Spinach, rhubarb, beet greens and certain beans, however, shouldn't be counted as sources of calcium due to their high levels of oxalates, known to reduce calcium absorption.
7. Pay attention to your meds.
Certain drugs increase your fracture risk, so tell your doctor what you're taking, advises Dr. Isales. This includes long-term use of steroids and antiseizure meds. Also to blame are certain cancer treatments, meds used to treat endometriosis or the thyroid and the use of aluminum-containing antacids, according to the National Institutes of Health. Ask your doctor whether a bone-building medication could help block the damaging effects of other medications.
8. Do something you love.
A Swedish study revealed that women over 50 who routinely participated in activities such as walking the dog had fewer hip fractures than women who were less active. "Any movement that puts stress on the spine, hips and other bones helps you stay healthy and strong," says Dr. Gottfried.
9. Stretch to stay limber.
"This will help prevent falls," says Dr. Wei. "Every time you feel stiff, take five minutes to stretch." Here's a simple move: Hold onto a chair for balance and stand with your legs together. Bend at your knees and grab one foot and hold it behind you. This will open your hips and lengthen your quadriceps muscles, says Dr. Gottfried.
10. Move to slow bone loss.
Exercise as often as possible. "I recommend doing an aerobic activity four days a week," says Dr. Gottfried, "plus two non-consecutive days of light weight training for 15 to 20 minutes."


text:
Maximize your dialing capability with a hybrid solution. Add the unlimited resources of CT Impact Direct and/or CT Impact Risk Management to your CT Center dialer for times when you require more dialing capabilities. IAT's hybrid solution will help maximize your daily contacting power and provide peace of mind in times of emergency.
CT Impact Direct: Overflow or short-term needs. When you need an extra boost to your dialing capacity rely on CT Impact Direct Cloud-based dialing resources. Manage CT Impact through CT Center in real-time:
CT Impact Risk Management (RM): Emergency or disaster backup. Be prepared for an unexpected outage or emergency situation by reserving cloud-based dialing resources. All you'll need is a computer with an internet connection and a telephone; CT Impact will be on hand to get you dialing again.
Register for a Free Web Demonstration
Call toll free, for more information 1-800-574-8801


text:
Last Week at the Court: In Plain English
If you were watching the Court last week, you have probably heard and read more about the oral arguments that you have about last week"™s opinions. After all, the arguments were in cases about issues like global warming, extended prison sentences, and patent protection; what"™s more, some of the nation"™s top advocates (Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal and former Solicitor General Seth Waxman, among them) were at the podium.
But we did have opinions in two important, although less visible, cases. First, on Tuesday, the Court held by a vote of six to two (with Justice Kagan recused) that a state agency can sue state officials in the same state to get them to do something (although not for money). In Virginia Office of Protection and Advocacy v. Stewart, the petitioner "" an independent state agency "" sued state officials to obtain mental health records for people committed to state mental institutions; two people had died in the facilities, and another had been injured. The agency wanted to investigate reports of wrongdoing within the institutions, but the state had refused to hand over the records voluntarily. Ordinarily, the Eleventh Amendment protects states from being sued without their consent in federal court.
The legal arguments in VOPA revolved around a one-hundred-year-old case called Ex parte Young, in which the Court held that the Eleventh Amendment rule prohibiting lawsuits against the state did not extend to suits against state officials (a technical distinction to which the Ex parte Young dissenters angrily objected) "" at least not when the lawsuit is filed to stop the state from violating federal law.
Relying on Young, the VOPA majority held that the "identity of the plaintiff" is not important "" in other words, although the dissenters were worried about a state agency suing a state official, comparing such an action to cannibalism, the majority held that Ex parte Young allowed such suits.
There are certainly concerns when cases like this arise, concerns related to the concept of federalism (which is the idea that states should be able to resolve the problems that arise within their boundaries on their own) and sovereign immunity (or the havoc that can result from a state and state officials spending their time defending against lawsuits instead of governing).
But many see Ex parte Young as a critical case that keeps states in line, making sure that they comply with federal law. The VOPA opinion extends the Ex parte Young doctrine just slightly, but enough so that state agencies can now participate in the effort to keep state officials acting legally.
The Court"™s second decision last week, in Sossamon v. Texas, also addressed a state"™s immunity from suit. In this case, the Court had to interpret the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), which (as it sounds) Congress passed to protect religious freedoms in land use and prisons. Even though the language of the statute suggests that people can sue state governments for money when they violate the statute "" by providing that "appropriate relief" is available "" the Court (in an opinion by Justice Thomas, with Justice Kagan recused) explained that the act of accepting money from the federal government did not amount to the kind of consent needed for the state to waive its immunity from suit. In other words, Harvey Sossamon, a devout Christian who sued for his right to worship in prison, could not get any money from Texas for the harm that he suffered in prison as a result of violations of RLUIPA.
Mr. Sossamon argued that by accepting federal funds, Texas had forfeited its Eleventh Amendment immunity; in other words, if it wanted federal funds, it also had to follow federal law and could be sued if it didn"™t. He relied on a legal principle stemming from the Constitution"™s Spending Clause: When a state receives federal funds, individuals (like Mr. Sossamon) may sue the state for money damages. The only restriction? The conditions must be clear. Therefore, Sossamon turned, in part, on whether the phrase "appropriate relief" was clear enough that the states would know that they could be sued for money damages. Unfortunately for Mr. Sossamon, the Court held that the phrase was not clear enough to warn states that they could be sued.
The holding is a problem for plaintiffs like Mr. Sossamon, because under Ex parte Young and other Eleventh Amendment cases, they could only sue for what we call injunctive relief, which is an order from a court requiring state officials to do or refrain from doing something. While Mr. Sossamon"™s case was in the court system, prison officials changed the rules requiring Mr. Sossamon and other prisoners to be restricted to their cells. Therefore, Mr. Sossamon could no longer bring a lawsuit asking a court to order the prison officials to allow him out of his cell; that kind of lawsuit would be "moot," or improper, because he was no longer being harmed. Under the Court"™s holding in his case, however, he cannot sue the state for money to compensate him for the years in which he was not allowed to worship. In other words, the Court"™s opinion leaves him without a legal remedy.
At this point in the Term, we expect the Court to be in session for about eight or nine more weeks; the Court usually announces its last opinions of the Term by the last week in June, and the Justices mostly leave Washington for the summer. So what is going on behind the scenes? Last week, I mentioned that the spring is prime opinion-writing season; after all, at this point, the Court still must decide forty-five cases out of its eighty-case docket. But how does the opinion writing work? Let"™s discuss.
As I explained last week, the Chief Justice assigns majority opinions for cases in which he is in the majority; the senior Justice in the majority assigns the others. But no one assigns concurrences and dissents; each Justice decides on her own whether to "write separately." A Justice may decide to write her own, separate opinion at Conference, if it becomes clear that she does not agree, at least in part, with the majority, or she may decide to do so later on, when draft opinions are circulated.
Those less familiar with the Court"™s procedures sometimes marvel at just how the circulation process occurs. No emails here; instead, paper copies of the Justices"™ draft opinions are circulated by hand, with messengers wheeling carts through the Court"™s corridors. The Justices and their clerks read the drafts and suggest revisions, sometimes indicating that a change in wording or tone would ensure their endorsement of the opinion. While many of these revisions may be minor, some may be much more significant, suggesting wholly different analytical approaches to the issue before the Court.
But the "conversation" that occurs during circulation is critically important, because "" as Justice Brennan often explained "" the most important rule at the Court is that five votes decide any issue. In other words, while a Justice may be reluctant to make changes to his draft opinion, he may need to do so to ensure a majority. Justice Blackmun"™s papers, for example, show that opinions often changed considerably between the first draft and the final form because the changes were necessary to "count to five," or secure a majority. The goal is always to get the traditional, hand-written note (and, yes, the messenger usually still delivers it) that says, "Please join me" (meaning "please add my name to your opinion").
On the other hand, sometimes the circulation process works the other way. Although it is less common, sometimes a Justice authoring a majority opinion will circulate a draft, then find herself unable to secure four other votes. In that situation, she has two choices: change the opinion to bring others on board, or turn her draft into a dissent.
And speaking again of those concurrences and dissents, they serve a few purposes during the circulation process. They may be sincere; a Justice may actually intend to announce and publish her separate opinion to express her views, even though they will not become law (except in very narrow circumstances beyond the scope of this discussion). Or the separate opinion drafts may be strategic "" a Justice"™s intent in circulating her opinion may be to convince others to adopt her views, in which case she will withdraw her separate opinion. Finally, a Justice writing separately may attempt to turn her concurrence or dissent into a majority opinion, especially in a situation where the majority seems shaky.
Circulation is a complicated process; so is oral argument. In next week"™s post, I"™ll discuss the reasons for oral argument sessions and how the Justices consider oral argument in their analysis of a case.
Speaking of oral argument, this week"™s arguments will feature Supreme Court veterans like David Boies, Tom Goldstein (of this blog), and John Elwood (also of this blog). After that? It"™s all opinions from then until the first Monday in October.
Recommended Citation: Lisa McElroy, Last Week at the Court: In Plain English, SCOTUSblog (Apr. 24, 2011, 6:22 PM), https://www.scotusblog.com/2011/04/last-week-at-the-court-in-plain-english-5/


text:
Oh my goodness! These fabulous shades created for the collaboration with Nicki Minaj and OPI are seriously up my street. I absolutely love this collection!!
The main silver glitter shade is called Save Me. The accent finger has Metallic for Life with a Pink Friday kiss.
The other accent finger is Fly with a Pink Friday heart. Cute!!!
There are five limited edition shades and a purple shatter topcoat. Super bling and amazing pops of colours. Totally gorgeous!!
And check out all these fabulous combinations!
Loving the names too… Metallic for Life, Pink Friday, Save Me (my fave), Did It On 'Em, Fly and Super Bass Shatter.
Each shade costs £11. For stockists call 01923 or visit www.lenawhite.co.uk.


text: From Kobe's Facebook page: "Still not feeling well, it's a day in bed for me. Nothing like a good book to take my mind of last night's tough loss. I'm lovin this one!" The book is, per Amazon, a funny memoir of a father's descent into poverty and alcoholism. This guy. [Kobe]