text:
Notify client prior to deletion due to inactivity
Based on this thread, https://requests.whmcs.com/topic/backup-user-data-before-data-retention-deletion I'd agree that a client deletion means client deletion and that I have no right to their data when they request deletion, but it seems perfectly reasonable to ENSURE that the client wants to be deleted if the process is automated. I have a handful of clients who don't have any services, they simply want the occasional convenience of credit card billing. Technically, they're inactive, have no products and would fall into that automated deletion category.
I have been sent emails from other companies saying "you haven't logged in in a while - you will be deleted unless you intervene" or some such language. If a client is flagged for deletion, at the very least, the client needs to be informed and given a chance to opt back in. Surely this kind of email/procedure can be triggered without too much fuss.


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Global Automotive Leaf Spring Market Offering Trends, Share, Size, Growth Until the End of 2025
Automotive Leaf Spring have become vital part of commercial vehicles as a suspension unit in the current situation. Efficiency and effectiveness of the system over other suspension options is the main reason for installation of this system. Leaf Spring is composed of several leaves joined together for better load-carrying capacity. Depending on vehicle speed and the load carrying capacity of the vehicle, leaf spring is installed at front or rear axle of the vehicle
[USPRwire, Wed Apr 24 2019] Automotive Leaf Spring have become vital part of commercial vehicles as a suspension unit in the current situation. Efficiency and effectiveness of the system over other suspension options is the main reason for installation of this system. Leaf Spring is composed of several leaves joined together for better load-carrying capacity. Depending on vehicle speed and the load carrying capacity of the vehicle, leaf spring is installed at front or rear axle of the vehicle. Automotive Leaf Spring helps in maintaining a good health of vehicle and safety of the passenger. The regulations pertaining to passenger safety and set by the regulatory bodies are likely to become tougher during the forecast period. This in turn will mandate the automobile manufacturers to use automotive leaf spring in the vehicles produced, thereby encouraging the growth of the market during the forecast period.
Click here for Free Sample Report@ https://www.mrrse.com/sample/4573
Types of Leaf Spring based on type of end is categorized as double end leaf spring and open eye leaf spring. Variety of shapes is implemented in the design of leaf spring. Based on shapes, leaf spring is broadly segmented as parabolic leaf spring and elliptical leaf spring. Parabolic leaf spring is new form of leaf spring used as suspension unit. It has main application in the light commercial vehicles. On the other hand elliptical leaf spring is known as convention leaf spring, mainly used in medium and heavy commercial vehicles. By vehicle type the global automotive leaf spring market can be segmented into passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles. The rising demand for commercial vehicles across the world led to the increase in demand for Leaf Spring in this segment.
Increasing demand for commercial vehicles due to the expansion of the industrial sector is estimated to boost the production of light commercial vehicles, as they are used for transportation in industries. Leaf springs are anticipated to replace conventional leaf springs in the forthcoming models of automobiles owing to their advantages. Parabolic leaf springs can improve the ride with comfort of light vehicles with conventional leaf spring. Therefore, the use of leaf spring in automobiles is likely to increase during the forecast period in order to meet these regulatory norms.
View Full Report with TOC@ https://www.mrrse.com/automotive-leaf-spring-suspension-market
This report on the global automotive leaf spring market highlights the current scenario of the market along with stating the expected growth of the global market during the forecast period. Various political, social, economic and technological factors which are likely to impact the demand of automotive Leaf Spring have been analyzed to include an exhaustive study of the global market drivers, restraints and opportunities, i.e. the market dynamics under the purview of the report. Further, the key players operating the automotive leaf spring market have been profile thoroughly and competitively across the five geographic regions and their competitive landscape is inclusive of their recent developments related to automated guided vehicles and the distinguishable business strategies adopted by them. To further analyze their market positioning, SWOT analysis, recent developments, and market revenue/ share has been provided for each of the players. In addition, the report includes the market attractiveness analysis of the segmentation, by Leaf Spring type for offering a deep insight into the major Leaf Spring usage area in the vehicles. Thus, the global automotive Leaf Spring market report provides an extensive study of the market along with offering the forecast of the market in terms of revenue (US$ Million) and volume (million units) from the period of 2017 2025.
Global Automotive Leaf Spring Market: Competitive Landscape
Some of the major players in the Automotive Leaf Spring market are: Rassini, Hendrickson USA, L.L.C., Sogefi SpA, Jamna Auto Industries, Emco Industries, LITEFLEX, NHK Springs Co. Ltd., Mubea, SGL Group, IFC Composite, Frauenthal Group, Olgun Çelik San., Jonas Woodhead & Sons India Ltd., Auto Steels, Kumar Steels, MackSprings, Protopower Springs Pvt. Ltd., Vikrant Auto Suspensions, Akar Tools Limited India.
The global Automotive Leaf Spring market has been segmented into:
Automotive Leaf Spring Market, by Types of End,
- Double End
- Open End
Automotive Leaf Spring Market, by Shape,
- Parabolic
- Elliptical
- Semi Elliptical
- Transverse Elliptical
Automotive Leaf Spring Market, by Vehicle Type
- Passenger Vehicles
- Commercial Vehicles
Automotive Leaf Spring Market, by Sales Channel,
- Aftermarket
Automotive Leaf Spring Market, by Geography: The market is broadly segmented on the basis of geography into:
- North America
- Canada
- Latin America
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Rest of Latin America
- Europe
- Germany
- France
- Italy
- Spain
- Rest of Europe
- Asia Pacific
- China
- India
- Japan
- Rest of Asia Pacific
- Middle East and Africa
- South Africa
- Rest of Middle East and Africa
Enquire About This Report @ https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/4573
About Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE)
Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.
MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Ground-breaking energy proposal backed by Swansea public
A pioneering proposal to cut household and business energy bills across Swansea has been backed by local residents.
A city-wide consultation revealed that:
- 90% of survey respondents would consider buying their energy from a local, people-friendly, not-for-profit company owned by Swansea Council;
- 95% agree that the council's proposal to create such a company based in the city is the right approach;
- 96% agree that the council is right to address the issue of fuel poverty.
Andrea Lewis, the council's cabinet member for homes and energy, said: "I thank the many people who took our survey this summer.
"It attracted more than 1,000 responses and revealed that the people of Swansea would be very supportive of the idea we're exploring as a possible solution to the broken energy market.
"There's a long way to go yet but if we went ahead with our own energy company it would give local people and businesses a low-cost option in a market currently dominated by a small number of big businesses that charge over the odds.
"Any such company we set up would have local residents and organisations as its key focus. It would be local, people-friendly and not-for-profit. It would offer benefits to all residents of Swansea through a responsive service and competitive tariffs.
"It would help tackle poverty - a council priority; it would contribute towards a low carbon economy - another priority; it would help the economic and social wellbeing of the area - a Welsh Government priority."
The socially responsible enterprise would use sustainable energy where possible.
A report on the results of the public survey will be presented to the council's cabinet this year so members can plan the next stage in a feasibility study that is looking into setting up the company.
A detailed business case will be drawn up and, if considered viable, the company could launch within two years.
According to the Welsh Government, around 24,394 Swansea households (24.2%) are in fuel poverty.
The Office for National Statistics say there were 160 excess winter deaths (EWDs) in Swansea during winter 2015-16 - that's deaths directly related to the cold weather. The World Health Organisation estimate that 30% of EWDs are a result of living in a cold home. That's 48 needless Swansea deaths which could have be prevented.
The city's new energy company would be set up and wholly owned by Swansea Council as an arm's length enterprise at no cost to the taxpayer. It would be the first such council enterprise in Wales although a small number exist in England.
This business would buy energy from producers and sell it on. Costs would be low due to overheads being lower than those of the big energy companies - and it not being motivated primarily by profit.
It would be able to offer special tariffs for local people, those suffering fuel poverty, small and medium-sized businesses and council partner organisations. Surplus funds would be reinvested in local services and energy initiatives.
Cllr Lewis said: "We'll only go ahead if we know the business can succeed and for that we need to be sure that people would consider being customers.
"I thank the people and businesses across Swansea who took part in our consultation."
Survey results included:
- 97.7% of people are concerned about UK energy prices
- 89.6% think they pay too much for energy
- 79.3% say price is the key factor when choosing how to buy energy
- 72.2% spend £60-£150 a month on energy
To register your interest in finding out more about the Swansea energy proposal as it develops email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Hanukkah Hanukkah
From Plank Road Publishingadapted/arr. Paul Jennings
Here's an English-language adaptation of a Hanukkah standard. Our setting gives you a chance to have some or all of your students play along on recorder, Boomwhackers®, and unpitched hand percussion (tambourine and hand drum). The song is performed three times, with the students singing the first time through. The second time, they play the instruments and optionally move. The third time, some sing and others play, with the singers also moving, again optionally. (from Music K-8, Vol. 25, No. 2)
(Run time: 1:41)
About the Downloadable OptionThe downloadable version contains all the components the print version would, but in electronic format. Files may be quite large: A high-speed connection is recommended. (Visit the Download Help page for more info.)
About the Audio RecordingsAudio recordings contain full performance and accompaniment only (instrumental) tracks.
Downloadable PDFs, Performance/


text:
Introduction Wp Rocket And Autoptimize
Don't you Just hate slow sites? Well, you are certainly not alone. your visitors hate them too– and, to make matters worse, so does Google. That's correct, if you'd like your website to rank highly in search engines, sell more goods, generate more leads, bring in more revenue, or just deliver a more positive consumer experience, it needs to load fast. Wp Rocket And Autoptimize
click here to get started using WP Rocket now!
So how Can you make your WordPress site quicker? Well, if you are still using a generic shared web host, among the best options will, naturally, be to simply switch to a greater performance hosting company. However, what if you just have not got the time or money to make the switch?
Well, Luckily, there is something else you can do that's extremely quick and easy — something which requires next-to-no technical know-how whatsoever! I'm talking, of course, about using a caching plugin.
Today, I will be taking an comprehensive look at a few of the leading caching plugins around. WP Rocket. In the following review, I'll show you by just how much — and how easily — it can speed up your site (using real-life evaluations and actual data).
What is WordPress Caching?
Caching Involves generating — and storing — a readymade static (i.e. unchanging) version of your site in your server ready to show to people at a moment's notice. This reduces the demand for your site (and/or the consumer's browsers) to communicate back and forth with the host to assemble the behind-the-scenes information that generates your website's web pages.
With less Communication happening between servers, and less information being loaded whenever your site is obtained, the time it takes to load your articles and pages is considerably reduced.
WP Rocket Will potentially.
· Cache all of the articles and pages on your website
· Enable browser caching
· Defer loading of JavaScript documents
· Decrease bandwidth usage with gzip compression
· optimise Google fonts
· minify and concatenate CSS and JS files
· Defer loading of images.
You may Be wondering what happens if you publish a new blog post on a cached site, since, paradoxically, an unchanging cached version of your website would not take this recently created data into consideration.
Not so! WP Rocket will regenerate the cached parts of your site each time you update your content, thereby ensuring your visitors will always see the most up-to-date version of your website.
Characteristics of WP Rocket
It's worth Pointing out that, in terms of features independently, WP Rocket contrasts fairly favourably using its rivals. Granted, you are probably more interested in how much faster your site will be after installing WP Rocket (and rightfully so), however it is nice to know you're not missing out on any significant features.
With WP Rocket, you receive page caching, cache preloading, gzip compression, browser caching, Google Fonts optimization, picture and video Lazy Load, minification, plus a great deal more.
If you do Decide to explore the further settings and choices WP Rocket supplies, you will see it has a couple of tricks up its sleeve to get potentially improving speed even further, such as the choice to simply load media files (such as images) whenever the visitor reaches them onto a page (a feature called Lazy Loading).
One of The highlights of WP Rocket is the simple setup procedure, which makes it a pretty much fool proof caching option for busy WordPress webmasters. It's called being'childishly simple to set up' — something customers who just need to get the job done and move on will almost certainly appreciate. Wp Rocket And Autoptimize
click here to begin using WP Rocket now!
In fact, When the plugin was uploaded and activated on your website, the cache will be automatically generated whenever someone visits the website. Everyone visiting your website then should immediately begin experiencing significantly faster loading times. Simple!
WP Rocket Aims to remove all such confusion by being mechanically up-and-running right out of the box — without being so stiff that it is not able to deliver excellent results. After activating WP Rocket, you'll see only a couple of tabs around the admin panel, each with just a few easy-to-understand settings.
You can See the rest of the basic settings display here. While there are a couple more options to utilize, the plugin works just fine without any of these enabled. This really is plug'n' play caching for WordPress!
Of Course, it's recommended that you read the online documentation to really determine what this plugin can do and how much additional performance you can squeeze from it, but, for all those in a hurry (or using zero technical curiosity from the ins-and-outs of caching), it is safe to say that speeding up your site with WP Rocket couldn't be made much easier.
The main Selling purpose of WP Rocket is how easy it makes enabling caching on your site. With many other caching plugins, you are confronted with the sometimes daunting task of understanding — and filling out — several pages of settings and options. Based on how you configure them, you might easily wind up accidentally doing something somewhat screwy (and even, in rare cases, inadvertently breaking your website ).
WP Rocket Can be compatible with content delivery network (CDN) services. if your website is big enough to warrant dispersing its documents to multiple servers around the world for faster loading times, you'll find WP Rocket over accommodating.
Custom Made CACHE LIFESPAN
There's Also the choice to modify the default cache expiry interval. However, unless you're displaying particularly fast-changing or significant external dynamic content on your own site (for instance, critical content from societal networking feeds), the default option 24-hour lifespan should be fine.
Cache — Fundamental Cache Options
The Cache tab lets you control How your page caching works at a basic level. You can. Wp Rocket And Autoptimize
· Include/exclude mobile users from viewing cached pages.
· Include/exclude logged-in users from visiting cached pages.
· Enable caching on HTTPS pages.
· Decide how long a webpage stays cached before the cache gets cleared (the default is 10 hours).
The Majority of the time, you can Render these as the defaults.
Media — Lazy loading + More
In the Media tab, then you can enable Lazy loading for videos or images, in addition to disable WordPress emojis and embeds.
1 feature That's really nice here's your choice to replace YouTube video frames using a static preview image. If you embed a lot of YouTube videos on your site, this is a great way to speed up your site without sacrificing much, if anyusability.
File Optimization — Minification Along With Concatenation
The File Optimization tab is Where you are able to set up WP Rocket's minification and concatenation functionality.
· Minification — shrinks the size of your site's code by removing unnecessary characters (such as whitespace) without changing any functionality.
· Concatenation — minimizes the amount of documents on your website by combining multiple CSS/JS documents into a single.
You can also set up some other Settings like.
· Remove gender-blocking CSS/JS (PageSpeed Insights is notorious for yelling at you concerning this issue).
· Combining Google Fonts files (helpful if you use multiple Google Fonts on your site).
· Remove query strings from static resources (this you will not have a major impact, but it can improve your GTmetrix score, if you care about that).
I urge Enabling as many of these settings as possible. I state as possible because a number of those settings for CSS or JS may cause issues with your website (this is not WP Rocket's error — it is almost always a potential issue with minification/concatenation).
What I enjoy is that WP Rocket Makes this clear when you go to activate one of these configurations.
Three cheers for good UX Design!
Preload — Preload Your Own Cache File
Without Preloading, your website only"builds" the cache for a page when someone actually visits the webpage. That means the first visitor following the cache lifespan expires doesn't see the cached version (since the cache hasn't been constructed yet).
Cache Preloading lets you ensure all visitors see the quick-loading cached page by"warming" yourself, rather than waiting for a person to visit the page.
One of the Benefits of WP Rocket is the fact that it gives you two distinct ways to preload your cache, whereas a few caching plugins don't even offer one.
· Sitemap preloading — preloads your cache according to each of the pages in your sitemap.xml file. It has low impact, but the disadvantage is that it does not cache newly edited or published posts.
· Preload bot — mechanically crawls URLs after you publish/edit a post to ensure that recently edited/published content can be preloaded. The only downside is that it's a little bit more resource intensive, which might cause difficulties on"weak" servers. Wp Rocket And Autoptimize
You Can Opt to use anti virus, One, or the two methods to preload your cache, depending upon your requirements.
Database — Clean Up Your Database
As your site ages, your Database will pick up all types of"gunk" from the kind of revisions, trashed opinions, transients, etc..
This area helps you clean out All that unnecessary crap from your database with one click.
Personally, I find this to be The least exciting region of WP Rocket because there are plenty of free plugins that do a great job cleaning your database. But I guess the key advantage here is that WP Rocket removes the need for you to install a separate plugin.
CDN — Integrate With Your CDN
If you use a CDN to speed up The global delivery of your site, WP Rocket can help you.
· Rewrite your URLs to use your CDN
· Exclude certain files from the CDN
While you can find free Plugins to do the first component, the second component, in addition to the fact which you're able to book CNAMEs for particular file types, gives you more flexibility than most of these free options.
By Way of Example, you could use one CNAME to your images, and another for the rest of your documents.
If you're using Cloudflare, WP Rocket also includes a dedicated Cloudflare add-on which can help you get set up using Cloudflare and control specific facets of the Cloudflare service right from the WP Rocket interface.
And that pretty much sums up The new WP Rocket 3.0 interface!
Through The plugin configurations, you can also enable caching for both mobile users and logged-in users — all with a simple click. After moving on to this'advanced' tab, however, things start to get a little more complex.
To give you even greater control over how caching Functions on your site, you're also free to exclude pages from the cache with the addition of their URLS into the'never cache the subsequent pages'
Through The CDN tab, you can configure the plugin to work with your content delivery system of choice, whereas the tools section gives you fast access to the very clear and preload cache buttons.
What's More, in the event you get stuck, the FAQ and support tabs make it incredibly simple to get into the online instruction, and also open a service ticket from within your WordPress dashboard — a lovely touch!
Overall, WP Rocket intends to be everything to all people. On one hand, it is very simple to set up and start using on your site with default settings which actually create good results, yet, on the other hand, there's also a much large choice of settings and options to appeal to more advanced users with particular needs, or people who demand more control over how caching works on their site.
By Default, each time you publish a new article or add new content to your site, WP Rocket will regenerate that part of this cache. Not only that, but will also refresh the associated areas of the cache (such as the archive pages( menus, or widgets). Wp Rocket And Autoptimize
If You have to refresh everything from the cache, however (not just recently updated or altered content), it is possible to force WP Rocket to regenerate it from scratch. Going a step farther, you'll also find choices to have unrelated parts of your site automatically regenerated if a new post, page, merchandise, remark, or another kind of content has added.
field. (Note. Shopping cart and checkout pages are automatically excluded from the cache as part of the eCommerce service of WP Rocket.)
Documentation And Support
Even though Utilizing WP Rocket out of the box is very simple, should you get stuck or need to know more of the ins and outs of how it works, there's quite a little high tech documentation provided — including a getting started section, different tutorials, helpful FAQs and a convenient troubleshooting section.
As long As your license remains active, you may even open tickets with support to receive whatever WP Rocket-related help you need.
My WP Rocket Testing Outcomes
As Mentioned at the top of this guide, I had great results from using WP Rocket to cache my WordPress website. By analyzing the speed of my website using GTmetrix — using the default settings of WP Rocket and uploading and activating the plugin prior to creating the cache and running the tests — that the average page loading times dropped from 2.2 minutes to 0.9.
The site I tested the plugin on was a WordPress blog using the free Twenty Twelve motif, with approximately 80 posts and 37 active plugins. The site is hosted on a entry level shared hosting plan from HostGator, and does not have any CDN in play.
No two WordPress sites will be the same, however, so these results may not be typical for many websites. They do, however, show that a very fundamental WordPress site on the cheapest hosting will almost certainly have the ability to achieve significantly improved load times using the plugin.
Additional Methods to Accelerate Your WordPress Website
Whether You decide to use WP Rocket on your site or not, there are a number of different means to accelerate your WordPress site that are worth mentioning, such as.
· Deactivating all redundant plugins (many plugins will significantly slow down your site)
· Assessing and optimising all images
· Using a CDN support
· Upgrading into a WordPress-specific high-performance hosting company, such as WP Engine or Flywheel (if your budget permits ).
All of These are well worth trying if you have not already.
WP Rocket Pricing
With Prices beginning at only $39 to be used on a single WordPress site, WP Rocket is an affordable alternative for many. Additionally, there are some other strong free selections available — such as WP Super Cache, and, for the technically minded, W3 Total Cache (to mention but two of many. If you're looking for something which's exceptionally easy to set up and use, though, and also provides access to a very beneficial premium support desk, WP Rocket is a strong contender.
The full Pricing choices are as follows. Wp Rocket And Autoptimize
· Personal. $39 (1 sites)
· Business. $99 (3 websites )
· Pro. $199 (unlimited sites)
All Options include one year's access to plugin upgrades and service. Following this period, you can keep on using the plugin unsupported or renew your permit to keep access. There is also a 30-day refund on offer if you aren't entirely pleased with the plugin later purchase.
WP Rocket Is really quite striking. Not only is it incredibly simple to use, it also provides great results.
Most of The activities you'll be able to carry out to optimise the speed of your website take substantial time and effort — whether that's optimising media files, reviewing and consolidating your plugins, then migrating to a new web host or changing themes. WP Rocket, on the other hand, can be applied to your website in just a couple clicks.
What's More, if you are a WordPress freelancer, whether helping clients with their existing websites or creating sites from scratch, having something such as WP Rocket on your toolkit may be of enormous benefit. In just a few minutes, you'll have the ability to speed up a customer's site and provide them concrete results (in the form of'before and after' online rates evaluations ), also, when the very best way to distinguish yourself from your competition is to offer more value to this customer, things like this will really help.
As a Data-backed article on Moz puts it. "Quick websites have more visitors, who visit more pages for longer periods of time, who return more frequently, and are typically more likely to purchase products or click ads."
Thanks to Its quick setup procedure, speeding up your website with WP Rocket really is an easy win in the war against slow load times.
click here to begin using WP Rocket now!


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'Tis the season to buy presents, fa la la la la, la la la la. Buying presents for babies can be a little bit tricky since they won't really remember your gifts. So we came up with a list of gift ideas you can give your babies, that will not only be fun, but have a little purpose too! This list isn't just for parents, but for ninangs, ninongs, titas and titos too! Here are ten cool online stores where you can buy gifts for your little munchkins!
Start 'em young with all the educational toys Mom and Milly have to offer. From wooden blocks to instruments and toys, puzzles and books–you name it, they've got it! Your babies will love to play with all these!
2. Tiny Buds
A baby's skin is very sensitive; and body soap, laundry detergent, and other products are things we have to be aware of and careful when choosing. Tiny Buds' products are natural, safe, and made with love! Don't know which product to get? They have many products like skincare, bath, and teeth essentials, laundry washes, wipes, and sanitizers. Oh, they even have gift baskets too!
Are you looking for that Pinterest-inspired room? Then Pottly N Tubby is the way to go! They have bean bags, beds in bags, teepees, and decorative pillows, among a whole host of other kiddie decor! So if you plan on making that play/reading area for your kids, why not get these products to add that super chill and cool effect!
View this post on Instagram
Looking to be the coolest parent or godparent this Christmas? Here are some gift ideas that are sure to make you the best gift-giver ever! . Mint Stripes Teepee in this coolest shade of soft mint, available in mini, small and large sizes. . World Playmat as part of our limited PnT Finds! from worldwide European suppliers. Few pieces left as we shipped more this morning. . Cute kiddie chair in blue and white. . Beanies in various shapes and sizes including the new fox lounger 🐺 . Send us a message to make the order 🎄🎀🎄🎀🎄
It's always fun and great to get something educational for your little one! And Beluga Dreams has a lot to choose from! Like puzzles and blocks for your kiddos to learn from and have fun with. Babies sure love to play with blocks and things, so why not make it educational at the same time? And that's not all Beluga Dreams has to offer, they've got books too!
5. Sunny Pages
Here's another bookstore for your kiddos' gifts! Sunny Pages has a wide variety of books your little ones will be sure to enjoy! They have bedtime story books, informative books, and many more! What better way to teach your little ones the alphabet and numbers than with their own books?
Is your baby teething already? Here's a gift that not only has a purpose, but is stylish too! Chunky Chewelries are accessories you and your baby can wear fashionably! These beads are BPA-free so you'll have nothing to worry about!
[Photo: Chunky Chewelries]
[Photo: Chunky Chewelries]
7. Fun Nest
Fun Nest sure has cool stuff for babies! They've got mats for tummy time in different colors and patterns, soft pillows, and toys for babies to play with! And don't forget about those cool teepees! They can be used for both indoor and outdoor play too! Can't you just imagine your little ones having their own space to play around, crawl, and have fun? We sure can!
View this post on Instagram
Moooove over for tummy time! . Black cow soft mat 41×28": 995php . Soft mat prints also available in brown cow and giraffe . . . . . To order please email email@example.com ———————————————————— #funnestph #nurserydecor #nurseryideas #nurseryinspiration #kidsroom #modernkidsstyle #modernnursery #kidsdecor #decorforkids #kidsstyle #kidsinterior #interior #playroom #nesting #momzillaph #girlsroom #boysroom #playroomideas #kidsroominspo #nurseryinspo #playroomdecor #cowprint #playmat #moo #tummytime
View this post on Instagram
Everything you need to recreate this gender-neutral space can be found on Fun Nest. Now didn't we just make styling your kids' room easy?🤓 . Everything is hand made in our own workshop. Every order supports local families and communities (and makes your kids room an even more special space) . . . . . To order please email firstname.lastname@example.com ———————————————————— #funnestph #nurserydecor #nurseryideas #nurseryinspiration #kidsroom #modernkidsstyle #modernnursery #kidsdecor #decorforkids #kidsstyle #kidsinterior #interior #playroom #nesting #momzillaph #girlsroom #boysroom #playroomideas #kidsroominspo #nurseryinspo #playroomdecor #genderneutralnursery
8. Nuby PH
Nuby PH has got you covered for all things baby! Wanna get your baby a pacifier? How about a teether? How about bottles and sippy cups? They've got it all, and more!
9. Sacred
This is what your newborn baby needs! Your baby's skin in the first six months is very sensitive and new. Sacred is a safe and simple cleanser, made with love for your little one's first six months!
Everyone loves a cutie pie dressed in an adorable onesie! Make your cutie pies look extra adorable with these gifts from Urban Baby Clothing! They have all those #totesadorbs onesies for your little ones that will have everyone squealing in delight!


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Seo Ha Joon opened up about his nude self-cam controversy.
The actor guested on the July 18 airing of 'Video Star'. It's the first time he has made a talk show appearance since the issue.
The MCs asked, "You were in the center of a controversy. Did you have a difficult time?" Seo Ha Joon responded, "It would be a lie if I say I didn't."
He then shared why he didn't provide any official statements or excuses regarding the controversy. Seo Ha Joon said, "Why wouldn't I have wanted to speak up about it? But everyone could just tell that it was definitely me and people were already aware, and I could also just tell that it was me [in the photos]. People already knew it was Seo Ha Joon, so I didn't see the point of speaking up and saying, 'Yes, that's me'."
He continued, "I didn't want to say it wasn't me. It was definitely me and there was no point in denying it. Since the controversy, I think I've only had about 20 seconds of happiness in total." He added, "I worried for 3 days about an apology letter. I wrote two words with a pen and then just dozed off for 3 hours. I didn't know what to write, whom to apologize to, or just what to do..."
As for the reason why he gathered the confidence to return, he named his fans and thanked them for being by his side through the hardship.


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Rick McCammon and I went to this show. Alice keeps getting better and better. Lots of fun, of course. No meeting with Alice this time, but we did get to listen to Eric Singer talk with a friend for a bit.
Many thanks to Brian for the tickets and passes!
Back to Hunter's Concert List


text: Oui is an events-based marketing agency based in Manhattan. We specialize in building experiences around your brand that drive consumer behavior and customer loyalty. We believe events channels, ranging from flash mobs to trade shows, are a perfect way to engage with customers and showcase what your brand can offer.


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I just found this and thought some of you might like it- a re-edit of The Mighty Wah's mighty The Story Of The Blues single, lovingly unwrapped over eight and half minutes, for a true Balearic end of night escapade where you want just one last song to send you on your way before you spill out into the streets to see the dawn. May or may not be the work of Ivan Smagghe. At Soundcloud here and available for download.
You're my best mate you are.
Filed under: ivan smagghe, lee miller, man ray, pete wylie, the mighty wah | 4 Comments »


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U of M faculty take picket line to administration's front door
Striking University of Manitoba faculty members took their picket signs and message on a march Friday afternoon, right to the steps of the administration building.
"We want to let them know loud and clear what it is we're asking for and show them that we have this broad support," said faculty association president Mark Hudson, who said the union members were joined by students, members of the public, labour groups and representatives from other faculty associations.
"What we're doing is taking a serious stand for our own working conditions but also for the learning conditions of U of M students," Hudson said, adding the support shows the issues "matter not just at the University of Manitoba but also for academics across the country."
"Manitobans look to their university system as pillars of the community and they want to know that the education that's being delivered is the best that it can be," Hudson said, adding that current workloads do not allow that.
The demands on professors have been increasing year over year "partly through different kinds of administrative work that's being downloaded onto faculty," meaning faculty members are spending more time in their offices when they should be teaching, engaging with students and researching, he said.
The numbers of courses faculty are expected to teach keeps increasing as does the number of students in each of those courses, he said.
- Profs stand firm as conciliation talks begin with U of M
- 'The integrity of this institution is at stake': U of M faculty hit picket lines
The strike by more than 1,200 faculty members is now on Day 4, impacting almost all 30,000 students in some way.
Although many classes are continuing as usual because they are taught by non-UMFA members — teaching assistants and sessional instructors — most students are also registered in classes with professors who are on the picket lines.
- Info on courses, classroom scheduling and service changes can be found on the university's website.
Members of the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) have been holding pickets and handing out information sheets along Chancellor Matheson Road, University Crescent, and King's Drive as well as at the Bannatyne campus near the Brodie Centre.
Hudson has said until a new deal is reached, the picket lines will go up every weekday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.
UMFA felt compelled, though, to take the message right to administration's door because those pickets "are a little bit invisible to the people who are making the decisions at the UM administration team," he added.
UMFA members and supporters are now marching around the Admin building. #cbcmb pic.twitter.com/ib4KxJNxkd—@CourtRutherford
A crowd of about 250 met at the campus' main intersection of Chancellor Matheson and University Crescent and walked to the administration building, holding a rally outside with speeches, signs and a lot of chanting and cheering.
"The University of Manitoba administration seems to be having a hard time understanding our priorities. They also seem unaware that the issues we are fighting for are broadly supported by students, by our members and by academics across Canada," Hudson said.
"So, today we are bringing that message to their front door."
UMFA and administration bargaining teams met with a provincially appointed conciliator on Wednesday and Thursday. They didn't meet Friday, but more talks are planned, Hudson said.
The two sides have agreed to a blackout on discussing specifics of the negotiations in public.


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Expect more exercise variations in Bodyweight Burn
Surely there are some exercise movements you can't replicate successfully. But here inside the program made by Adam Steer, Bodyweight Burn, you may expect lots of fun workout movements and variations. What you need to adjust is how to do training in accordance of Adam's guidelines. And the biggest point is, no matter what movements you do, you can still the reach the fitness goal you dream.
The movements inside the Bodyweight Burn program can also help you in terms of body building purpose, especially in helping you get lean body with toned muscle. Fortunately it can be a win-win solution if you hate or don't want to get a big and bulky body like people who join a fitness competition.
see the program difference in Bodyweight Burn while talking about diet, Adam also recommends to do fasting in 24 hours. It sounds hard to do, but not too hard if you want to apply it in real life. But, if doing fasting is something impossible for you, alternately, Adam suggests you to follow low-carb day, or following a day without eating foods with high carbs. In fact, some of us may try eating dinners early so they don't need to eat late at night hence they can avoid overweight problem.
You might also wonder what to get by purchasing Bodyweight Burn system. Obviously, you will get instant access to download the Bodyweight Burn program hence you can learn about it anywhere you like. PDF guide as the main menu. There is also tracking method in a journal format. Got a question regarding the problem you might face in the future when following the program, don't worry cause their support system will help you immediately.


text: Br. Lee Colombino, SJ is currently enrolled in the Masters in Spirituality program at the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago and he is currently assisting Lynn Sprehe and Fr. McGurn in the Bellarmine Spiritual Direction Internship as part of his studies. Br. Colombino has also taught in the Theology and Visual Arts Departments at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, IL. His studies over the course of his life are indicative of his loves: Cultural Anthropology—engaging diverse cultures that are part of God's creation; Theology/Spiritual Life—a life of prayer, discernment, and actively engaging his journey with God; and, Art—getting messy, seeking to learn from mistakes and taking delight in 'happy accidents'…a time of prayer and reflection.


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A Wild & Funky WeekendFriday Nov 25
New Holland Brewing Company
66 East 8th Street
66 East 8th Street
We're skipping the shopping and starting the holidays off on a sour note.
Join us for this sour beer weekend event!
In Holland, we're offering the following selection of sour beers on tap and by the bottle.
Sours On Draft:
• Sidecar be pouring Blue Sunday 2013, Incorrigible 2013, and Incorrigible Reserve 2016
• Pub on 8th will be pouring Mischievous II
Sours In Bottle (from our Library Beer Selection):
• Choose from Blue Sunday 2013, 2014 and Incorrigible 2013 22pz bottles to enjoy as dine-in or purchased to go (well, maybe we will do just a little bit of holiday shopping…)
Visit The Knickerbocker's event page to view their "Pucker Up" offerings.


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Hey everyone! We are just hours away before getting the second season premiere of Single Parents on ABC. In that honor, I added a new poster for this new season ABC released two new sneak peeks for the premiere which is called "Summer of Freedom". Check it out!
Television » Single Parents » Season 2 » Promotional Posters


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Meetup groups form a key part of local tech infrastructure across the UK
How communities power UK Tech
December 21, 2018
Tech Nation, in partnership with JLL, analysed the makeup and topics of almost 2,400 tech meetup groups across the UK's top tech clusters. These meetup groups form a key part of local tech infrastructure, covering a huge range of topics and fostering idea sharing and a sense of community. This infographic, which you can download below, displays the key findings. You can also read our blog which looks at how property supports tech communities.


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Conni Kids offers customers an array of reusable products to help take the stress out of bed wetting, small accidents, and toilet training.
These uniquely designed products assist in transitioning children out of diapers and provide confidence for every-day and special needs.
Conni Instagram
Conni Bubs - Modern Cloth Nappies
Did you know?
Conni now has a range of Modern Cloth Nappies. See our website at connibubs.com.au


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How to Make Love All Night (and Drive a Woman Wild) by Dr. Barbara…
How to Make Love All Night (and Drive a Woman Wild)
by Dr. Barbara Keesling
Hide and seek, find your pelvic muscle.
Place one or two fingers right behind your testicles. Pretend that you are urinating. Now try to stop the flow. That muscle you just used to turn off the flow from the bladder is your PC muscle.
Squeeze Play (solo, three to five minutes a day)
3 times a day, flex the PC 20 times. Hold it for 1 or 2 seconds each time, then release, repeat for three weeks.
Breathe normally during this exercise.
The Big Squeeze (solo, two to three minutes a day)
Keep doing your 20 quick squeezes, 3 times a day. But now you're going to add 10 really slow squeezes. This is what you do. Take 5 seconds to slowly squeeze your PC as tight as you can. Now hold the tension for a full 5 seconds, if possible. Finally, release the tension gradually over the next 5 seconds
Sensate Focus
Sensate focus techniques are structured sensual touching exercises.
Designed to help men and women focus on, appreciate, and control the moment-to-moment experiences of contact, arousal, and release. These well-established techniques create a level of physiological awareness that leads to extraordinary control over the different phases of excitement, orgasm, and ejaculation.
Pay attention to exactly where you are touching or where you are being touched.
Try to stay as focused as possible.
Don't put any pressure on yourself.
If you're working with a partner,
don't put any pressure on her either.
Sex therapists call this "nondemand interaction."
I will call the sensate focus exercises "demand-free" or "pressure-free" exercises.
There are no grades here, no good and bad, no right or wrong, just touching and being touched.
Stay in the here and now.
Don't think about what happened last week or what could happen next Thursday.
Try to let go of anything that is not happening at this very moment.
Touch of Heaven (with a partner)
There is one passive and one active parner, the passive must stay confortable and relaxed with the eyes closed,
As the active partner, you are going to start slowly, gently stroking the front of her body for about 15 or 20 minutes. You will caress her: you touch in a very, very slow, focused fashion. Because this is a genital caress, you are going to focus primarily on her genitals but not just there. Slowly start to caress her genitals with your fingers or mouth, touching both the outside and inside of her vagina. Use lots of lubrication. Focus intently on the areas you are touching. Pay careful attention to what they feel like and what they look like. Absorb yourself in those sensations. Remember that this is a demand free exercise. You are not touching to please her or to turn her on. You are touching to please you.
Now it's your turn. Once you've played the active role for about twenty minutes, you are ready to switch roles.
Alone at Last (solo)
Touch yourself in a caressing way. do not use a masturbation stroke. Do not try to turn yourself on. Explore every crease and fold in the genital area. Take your time. Remember that the most important thing is to stay as relaxed as possible and focused on the here and now. All you want to do is experience the richness of your own arousal. If your mind starts to wander, gently bring your focus back to the sensations you're experiencing in the moment. This may happen several times. That's okay. Just keep bringing your focus back to the exercise.
Do it for 20-30 mins
Arousal scale
The arousal scale goes
from 1 to 10 where:
Level 1:
Not aroused at all
Level 10:
Level 2-3:
Slight twinge sensation a man gets at the base of his penis as he begins to get aroused
Level 4:
Low level of arousal. It's more than a twinge now . . . you're feeling good. Still, you could stop without much difficulty
Level 5-6:
Arousal is already substantial. Now you're really into it. Once you've reached these levels, you don't want to think about stopping
Level 7-8
You will feel your heart pounding and your face may flush. If you had to talk you would probably sound out of breath
Level 9:
The outside world is very far away, and there isn't much that could stop you now
How to peak
Reaching a peak means letting your arousal rise to a certain level and then immediately letting it drop back down. For example, you may let your arousal rise to Level 6, then let it fall back down. That's a Level 6 peak
This is different from trying to maintain your arousal at a given level, which is known as "plateauing."
Exercise 6:
Climbing Everest (solo)
What you are going to do now is start by giving yourself a genital caress. Slowly stroke yourself until you reach what you would consider to be a Level 4 of arousal. Take a a really slow deep breath. Check your PC muscle, your hip muscles, and your thigh muscles to make sure they're all really relaxed.
Now let your arousal drop back down a couple of levels to a "2" then start the caress again. This time go up to around Level 6. You may need to stroke yourself a little bit faster to get to this slightly higher level. When you reach Level 6, stop the stimulation once again. Take a real slow deep breath and let your arousal drop back down a few levels to around a "4." Make sure all your muscles are completely relaxed. Great. You are going to continue this exercise for the next 15to 20 minutes. You shuld have a peak at Level 4, Level 6, Level 7, Level 8, and Level 9". At each level it's important to stop the stimulation, relax, take a really deep breath, and make sure all of your muscles are relaxed.
Exercise 7:
Twin Peaks (with a partner)
All you need to do is simply say "4" when you have reached that level. Once you say "4," your partner should stop her caress. Check all of your muscles to make sure they are relaxed. Take a deep breath, and let your arousal drop one or two levels. When your arousal has dropped off sufficiently, let your partner know she can start again.
The level should be the same as in exercise 6, but you can change them if you want
A strong PC
can do a lot more than just control your arousal.
It's also the "brake" you will use to hold back your ejaculation while you are having an orgasm.
You're going to learn how to get the same results far more effectively by squeezing the PC
muscle at those peaks. Learning how to use your brakes during these exercises is a little tricky.
That's because there are actually three different ways to squeeze the PC muscle when you are aroused:
One long hard squeeze
Two medium squeezes
Several quick squeezes in a row
you'll find your favourite.
King of the Road (solo)
We are going to begin this exercise the same way we started our first peaking exercise the 6th, but we're going to use uor PC muscle to drop the levels down.
You are not going to stop the stimulation. Instead, what I want you to do is hit the brakes-that is, give your PC muscle one or two good strong squeezes, or three quick squeezes. Then take a very long and deep breath-lasting several seconds. Once you have done this, stop the stimulation and make sure all of your muscles are relaxed. Now let your arousal drop two levels, to a Level 2.
You should have noticed is that even though you were still caressing yourself, the PC squeeze stopped your arousal from going any higher.
The higher you go, the longer and deeper that big breath needs to be.
The higher you go, the harder you are going to have to squeeze your PC muscle.
Moonlight Drive (with a partner)
The same as the 8th exercise with the partner.
When you reach a Level 4 on your arousal scale, squeeze your PC muscle. Take a long, deep breath. Your PC squeeze should stop your arousal from going any higher, even though your partner has not stopped the stimulation. It could even drop you one level. Your deep breath is a signal to your partner that it is time for her to stop her caress. She should wait until the end of your long breath before she actually stops. Let your arousal drop two full levels. When you are certain you have reached a Level 2, you are ready to continue. Let your partner know that she can start her caress again.
Reach levels 4,6,7,8,9 and 10 if you want.
Ask your partner if she wants one of her own.
Enter the Dragon (with a partner)
Just like exercise 9,
peak at Level 4 and another at Level 6, if you have an erection you are ready to have an intercourse with your partner, then raise her legs in the air, spread them apart sufficiently, and bend her knees comfortably, for this exercise no speed is too slow.
Don't tense your muscles.
Focus on the sensations. Stay in the here and now.
Your partner should be totally focused on her sensations too.
When you reach Level 7, hit the brakes by squeezing your PC (hopefully by now you have discovered the method of squeezing that works best for you). Take a deep, deep breath. Now stop moving. Tell your partner, "That's a 7." This is her cue to stop moving too. Stay inside your partner and wait for your arousal to drop two levels. This should take a few seconds.
Continue and repeat at level 8 and 9, if you want you can reach 10th level.
From Peaks to Plateaus
There are three different ways to stretch a peak into a plateau:
Changng your PC muscle
Changing your motion
Changing your focus


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General News: TRAI issues fresh direction against placement of TV channels on landing page - Printable Version
+- Indian DTH Community Forums (https://www.indiandth.in)
+-- Forum: Cable TV and FM Radio Services (https://www.indiandth.in/Forum-Cable-TV-and-FM-Radio-Services--23)
+--- Forum: Television News (https://www.indiandth.in/Forum-Television-News)
+--- Thread: General News: TRAI issues fresh direction against placement of TV channels on landing page (/Thread-General-News-TRAI-issues-fresh-direction-against-placement-of-TV-channels-on-landing-page)
TRAI issues fresh direction against placement of TV channels on landing page - nairrk - 12-04-2018
MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has directed all broadcasters and distributors of TV channel to refrain from placing any registered TV channel whose rating is being measured on the landing page or the bootup screen with immediate effect.
The authority said that the direction has to be implemented in all cases by 31 March 2019. However, in the case of previously entered agreements, efforts may be made to implement these directions as soon as possible.
It also stated that the information of such pre-existing agreements with full details of the parties to the agreement, the territory, agreement period and other relevant details may be submitted to the authority within seven days from the date of issuance of this direction.
TRAI said that the decision has been taken in exercise of the powers conferred upon it under section 13, read with sub-clause (ii) of clause (b) of sub-section (I) of section 11, of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 (24 of 1997).
The direction, the authority said, will protect the interest of service providers and consumers and ensure orderly growth of the sector.
It is pertinent to note that the authority had issued a direction dated the 8th November 2017 wherein all the broadcasters and distributors of television channels were directed to restrain from placing any registered satellite television channel, whose TV rating is released by TV rating agency, on the landing Logical Channel Number (LCN) or landing channel or boot up screen.
This direction was challenged before the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) which stayed the implementation of the direction. Subsequently, the authority repealed the aforementioned direction with immediate effect, after obtaining the permission of the tribunal.
The authority issued a consultation paper on "Issues related to Placing of Television Channel on Landing Page" on the 3rd April, 20 18 seeking comments /suggestions of all the stakeholders. It received 25 comments and 2 counter-comments from the stakeholders, It had also conducted an open house discussion (OHD) with the stakeholders in May.
Based on the submission from the stakeholders as well as the analysis of the data obtained from distributors and Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), the authority came to the conclusion that placing of a channel on landing page influences Television ratings.
According to TRAI, the placement of channels on the landing LCN provides a distinct advantage to such channel in the measured viewing sessions. It added that this placement also jeopardises the accuracy and credibility of the TV rating system.
On the issue of the possibility of changes in measurement methodology of television ratings to mitigate the influence of landing LCN on Television ratings, the authority was informed by BARC that the same is not feasible due to technical limitations.
They informed that the audience measurement cannot distinguish between a watermarked channel placed on landing LCN or anywhere else on the distribution platform's LCN.
The authority also analysed the feasibility of implementing other alternatives to mitigate the effects of placement of rated TV channel on landing LCN, such as putting a restriction on the landing LCN settings, modifying configuration in the middleware to put landing page as a last visited page and mandating distributor to place only consumer-related information on landing LCN.
However, the authority observed that these alternatives are either not feasible due to technical limitations in various types of distributor's networks or impact their commercial interests.


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Check out the new Doctor Who comic-related listings from the March Previews catalog! Make sure and let your local comic shop know what you need!
Friday, February 28, 2020
Friday, January 31, 2020
February Previews Listings
Here are the listings for Doctor Who comic items coming out in April 2020! Make sure and let your local comic shop know what you need!
Friday, January 3, 2020
January Previews
Happy New Year everyone! New Doctor Who on TV and new comic product in the Previews catalog! Check out these listings for March product and let your comic shop know you want it.
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
December Previews Listings
Here are the December Previews catalog listings for all things Doctor Who comic related. Make sure you let your friendly comic shop know what you want!
Friday, November 8, 2019
November Previews Listings!
It's a big month for Titan Comics with their launch of the Thirteenth Doctor: Season Two #1! Check out the interview, two-page spread and multiple variant covers and make sure you let your local comic shop know what you want to order.
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
October Previews Listings
Hurry! Call your local comic shop and make sure you have them order you a copy of the Ground Zero graphic novel! This and other Doctor Who comic related items are in the October Previews catalog, most of which should be shipping in December.
Friday, August 30, 2019
September Previews Listings
Christmas is right around the corner and Titan Comics are doing a 2-issue Holiday Special! Check out what the September Previews catalog has to say about it as well as the other Doctor Who comic related listings.
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Author: Big
Author Website:
Requirements: ArmA 2, Isla Duala, Dynamic-AI-Creator (DAC)
Island(s): Isla Duala
Playable options: N/A
Version: 0.1a
Date: 2011-03-13 07:34
Comments: (0)
You will get a series of missions, getting progressively farther and more difficult, using your UH-1Y. You start off next to some support vehicles (rearm, refuel, and repair here between missions). You will receive a random "hostage" (civilian) pickup target somewhere on the mainland (not too far at first). Land near the "LOAD" waypoint you are given, let the civlian board, then take him back to the home base to unload. As you accumulate points for rescuing hostages, the enemies you face will become more difficult to defeat.
Extract the .pbo file(s) to your ArmA2 Operation Arrowhead\Missions folder.
Known issues:
* If civilian you're picking up dies (i.e. you kill him or land on him), you have to use Radio Alpha to request a new pickup target
* No briefing
* Untested End condition
* No debriefing
* No dialog
* And many more!
I didn't spend that much time on this, it's more of an experiment in the techniques used. Nevertheless I had fun with it. I am aware there's a Choplifter mission for OFP: Resistance out there. It looks like it is much better than this one, but not having that game I can't play it. I didn't know of its existence when developing this in any case.
Forum topic:
- BI forums
- ArmA 2
- Isla Duala
- Dynamic-AI-Creator (DAC)


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In the month of August I couldn't go a day without at least 2 of these products!
MORPHE BRUSHES 35O palette and G6 brush
The 35O palette is constantly out of stock at the moment and for good reason. This palette is EVERYTHING! If you love warm tones that is. The pigmentation is crazy and the formula is like butter. They blend so easily and last all day. This is my first Morphe eyeshadow Palette and DEFINITELY won't be my last. If you don't own this palette, when it comes back in stock jump on it! You won't be disappointed.
These are the three Morphe Gunmetal Brushes that I have and I love them all but the G6 – flat buffer brush is so soft and perfect to get your foundation looking flawless. I don't even know how I applied my foundation without it.
Colourpop Cosmetics have done so well with these Lippie Stix I love the matte shades especially and have been loving Brink this month (top or far left shade) they aren't drying and last all day with minimal touch up after eating or drinking. And they smell like cookies!!! They are so affordable to at 5usd! Definitely worth a try if you haven't already.
Also from Colourpop Cosmetics is their Super Shock Shadows. The consistency is like nothing else with no fall out, crazy colour pay off and last ALLLLLL day! Get Lucky is everything at the moment. Just a little on the centre of the lid completes any eye look.
And finally this baby. Recommended by the incredible NikkiTutorials is the Nivea Men Sensitive post shave balm. You only need the tiniest amount on your fingers to prime your face and once it gets to a tacky consistency you apply the rest of your face. And it no joke makes your makeup last ALL day it's incredible.
Well I hope you've enjoyed my favourites! Would love to know what your August favourites were 🙂 x


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Crestron Electronics
Ron Dagdag is a Senior Software Engineer with 20 years of experience working on a number of business applications using a diverse set of frameworks and languages. He currently support developers at Crestron Electronics with their IoT, Cloud and Voice AI Assistant development. On the side, Ron Dagdag is an active participant in the community as a Microsoft MVP, speaker, maker and blogger. Ron enjoys building projects with his kids and he is passionate about Augmented Reality, ML, and IoT
Please remain courteous and constructive. Comments will be moderated.


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Fuerteventura group getaway in June from £221pp - 7nts aparthotel & flights
Ahoy pirates, grab your squad and head to one of the nicest of the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura. For this holiday in Fuerteventura you will stay for a week in great apartment and the holiday is based on 4 sharing, however there are still great prices to holiday as a couple. Book with just £49 each.… Lola


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Top 10 EDC Bags and Packs
On our Facebook page recently we got asked what was the best EDC Backpack. Our answer is not a clue haha. But seriously, there are loads of brilliant bags and packs out there, all of them are suited to different environments, uses and some are better for space, others for size. In this post we are not going to go in-depth in the features you need to look at when buying a bag (we've done that already in our backpack buying guide).
Instead in this post we are going to focus on the range of EDC bags that are available and look at the best in those mini categories.
The mini categories we are looking at are:
Messenger Bags
TAD Gear Fast Pack EDC
This is the biggest and most expensive of the EDC bags featured in this article. But, that isn't a bad thing at all. It's expensive for a reason. Without trying to sound like a sales pitch, it's fantastic. The quality is second to none. The versatility and design is also astonishing. But, that's exactly what you'd expect for the price!
In terms of EDC use, it is potentially a little big, but would you rather a bag that was slightly too big or too small? We'd definitely rather it was bigger why? It gives you options. If you want a ridiculously long lasting bag that has enough space and pockets for all your gear and gadgets then this is certainly for you.
5.11 Rush 12
This is a brilliant all-rounder bag. It's not a specialist bag, but if you want a bag that can be easily at home on the commute to work in the morning, then be taken into the woods for some afternoon bushcraft.
The reason this bag is so versatile comes down to a number of key factors: Size, it's big enough for almost anything you could need in your average day. Pockets, there are so many good sized pockets all over this bag, both internal and external. Everything is easy to access and safe to store. Versatility, the PALS webbing all over this bag make it ideal for customisation and the adding of extra pouches should you need. These three factors amongst all of the other qualities the pack has is why it has to be one of the top EDC backpacks.
Maxpedition Duality
The Maxpedition Duality Backpack is a bit like the new kid on the block at the moment, and it's getting quite a reputation for being a bit different. This is a single strap backpack, which can be adapted to become dual strap depending on your needs and wants. It's a very standard Maxpedition bag with fantastic built quality and functionality. We also love the simplicity of this bag. It's a no frills no nonsense bag that does exactly what you'd expect from a Maxpedition bag!
5.11 P.U.S.H. Pack
Small and mighty is the term that first comes to mind here. The design on this bag is great. The central pocket is spacious and roomy, then you also have to additional expanding side pockets, which are ideal for things like drinks bottles. Inside the main pocket you have sections to divide up your gear to make it easy to find, but realistically in a bag this size, it shouldn't take you long to find everything anyway. As a small bag to carry almost anywhere this is highly recommended, but due to it's small size, there is only so much it can do.
Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack
The second offering on display from Maxpedition is the Jumbo Versipack. A lightweight, but hard-use Versipack that has all the features you need on a day-to-day basis. The functionality of this bag is great, and you can feel the quality of the materials. There are loads of different pockets for all your gear too! The final thing we really like about the Jumbo Versipack is how comfortable it is to wear and use. Having the waist strap is a nice bonus too, as if you are out anywhere such as on a bike, or crammed on a train, it's good to know your bag is securely attached to your person.
Snugpak Response Pak
Many of you wouldn't forgive us if we didn't include this bag which is absolutely incredible value for money. It's not the prettiest looking bag, but does that matter if it does the job? It's small and versatile with loads of space and pockets. It's also really easy to carry; you can carry it either around your waist as a bum-bag or over your shoulder like a versipack. The choice is yours. Either way you'll find the bag just as effective. Because of this bags versatility it is a must have for anyone who spends any sort of time outdoors. It's probably not suited to the urban office worker, but if that office worker were to also be a bushcrafter, prepper, survivalist or first aider then they should own one.
5.11 Rush MOAB 10
If you think a standard backpack is too big, and a Versipack is too small, then consider a Gearslinger bag. We'll start off by looking at the 5.11 Rush MOAB 10. This is essentially a smaller and single strap version of the Rush 12 which we examined earlier. It's not too small though, as you can still fit a 13 inch laptop inside comfortably. It's a really well thought out and designed bag, with plenty of pockets and storage area, allowing for ease of access, even when on the move.
Maxpedition Sitka
The thought that has gone into this bag is astonishing. It's designed perfectly for normally use and carry, but also just as well designed for front carry and access. With this bag you also get the additional feature of having a waist strap. This can be really helpful and useful if you are likely to be carrying your bag for long periods of time. The layout of this bag also allows for a huge range of pocket of all shapes and sizes for any sort of accessory. As with any Maxpedition bag, you pay for exactly what you get. They aren't cheap to buy, because they aren't cheap to make. Brilliant quality!
Messenger Bags
Hazard 4 MOD Messenger Bag
This bag goes beyond any messenger bag you've likely used or seen before. It has so many options and features it is unreal. It can easily be at home I the office or in the bush. It ha a removable flat which is good because it can either give the bag a more urban feel, or it can be removed of ease of access. It's extremely spacious on the inside and well designed for all of your everyday carry essentials (plus a little extra). It's a messenger bag that can do a whole lot more.
5.11 Rush Delivery Mike
This is more like your typical messenger bag. It's the smallest of the messenger bag range from 5.11, but that arguably makes it the most suited for EDC. It's really a perfect bag for urban environments. It looks smart, but is also very functional and well thought out. There is plenty of space for all your EDC gear and loads of useful internal pockets. With messenger bags it's really important you can protect things like your laptop. Because of this make sure you see which messenger bag is right for you, you may find that you need to upsize to the Lima or Xray which are simply bigger versions.
What now . . .
With an EDC bag it's very much down to preference. Some will prefer rucksacks, other will prefer messenger bags. Either way you need to firstly make sure that the size is right. Too small and it's no good, too big and you're carrying a bag that's too big which is pointless. You also want to think about versatility, as it can my bag cope in a different environment? Can it be used for work and play? Asking yourself these and other questions will help you choose, but hopefully this has given you a good idea of some of the best out there.


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Hotels in Hong Kong
Find a place to stay
Top neighbourhoods in Hong Kong
Top landmarks in Hong Kong
Find out more about Hong Kong
Hong Kong HotelsThough famed for being a popular shopping district and a melting pot of delicious street and local food, there is a surprising amount of things to do both inside and outside the city of Hong Kong. Hotels here are plenty and available for tourists on various budgets and trips, whether leisure, work or both.
Attractions here include massive shopping districts and malls, endless lanes of food stalls for foodies, picturesque trails for hiking and nature lovers and breathtaking views of the countryside that makes up most of Hong Kong.
Things to see in Hong Kong Exploring the natural landscape that makes up most of Hong Kong is one of the open secrets here. Hiking and camping is a great way to appreciate the city's mountains, beaches and remarkable cityscapes. Travelers seeking to escape the bustling city can try out at least four major hiking trails: Lantau Trail on Lantau, Hong Kong Trail on Hong Kong island, Maclehose Trail in the New Territories and Wilson Trail that links Hong Kong island and the New Territories.
Shopaholics will find that there is almost no end to the options available here. The already passionate shopping scene is fueled by no sales tax, and the countless shops offering competitive prices is enough to convert any non-shopper. Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon and Causeway Bay are two of the more popular shopping destinations for fashion, though you can find malls all over the city.
Hotels in Hong Kong Hong Kong's accommodation scene is highly developed and varied, but it is by no means cheap. Nevertheless, it is still possible to find accommodation deals on our website. Most places are linked by an excellent public transport system, so no worries about getting around. Budget accommodation usually gets you just a bed, and if you're a light sleeper, maybe getting a room would be a good investment.
Where to stay If you like getting in the thick of a bustling city, then Kowloon would be a good choice. There is a dazzling array of options when it comes to places for shopping, eating and sleeping. Accommodation options include backpackers hostels and luxury hotels. A place like the Kowloon Waterfront offers a splendid, classic view of Hong Kong, something no visitors should miss out on.
Visitors looking for a little less city and a little more nature can explore staying in Lantau, where attractions like Inspiration Lake and Tian Tan Buddha are sure to inspire awe during your sightseeing treks. Hikers will also find the 70 km Lantau trail that can be done in sections. Accommodation options here are guesthouses, hostels and campsites so don't expect much luxury here.
How to get to Hong Kong If you're coming in by air, Hong Kong International Airport is the main gateway. The airport is well equipped and provides shopping opportunities within its two terminals. The Airport Express train is probably the most efficient way of getting into the city from the airport, with stops in Tsing Yi and Kowloon. The ride is only slightly above 20 minutes. If you're coming in from Macau, then there are ferry services every 5 to 30 minutes, 24 hours a day.


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Topic #2: school supplies. I was thrilled to be contacted by an online retailer that specializes in all RECYCLED products. I even had to clarify that point because they offer EVERYTHING the local big box store sells... so I couldn't believe it was all recycled! That review is also in the works, so don't go out to big box store and buy... wait for my review and/or look at their website (the recycle logo in my list of sponsors).
Topic #3: I get many eco-friendly emails and my favorite is Eco Child's Play. Today's email was: Don't let TOXIC plastics bully your child. Now I like to read about making eco friendly, life saving decisions, but I LOVE getting clear advice so that I don't have to spend time figuring things out and dealing with buyer guilt. So, here's the BACK TO SCHOOL GUIDE TO PVC-FREE SCHOOL SUPPLIES. It covers items from umbrellas to modeling clay to lunch boxes (LGM already hooked you up there) to sneakers to every school supply you can imagine. Bing Bam BOOM... being an eco-conscious consumer has never been so easy!


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STEM Careers: Give Tech a Try
In a tough economy in which many recent college graduates are having a hard time finding employment, data shows a decline in black student interest in pursuing degrees in various STEM career fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math). The lack of interest seems odd if you consider the following: many businesses are heavily dependent on technology, the US Department of Labor predicted that computer science hiring would increase by 24 % by 2018. And, STEM career fields can also be lucrative with starting salaries for mechanical, civil and electrical engineers at over $80,000.
But, the reality is that many black students aren't considering these careers. Since the graduating class of 2000, African American interest in STEM majors/careers has dropped by nearly 30% (STEM Connector/Cisco), and blacks are receiving the lowest percentage of STEM bachelor's degrees of all racial groups (National Center for Education Statistics). It's believed many black students don't consider STEM careers due to reasons including thinking STEM fields are too hard, negative stereotypes, discouragement, and a lack of current role models for young Black students.
However, I'd like to introduce black STEM professionals who are great role models and who discuss why more black students should consider obtaining college degrees in STEM. They are Shareef Jackson, science blogger & science social media activist, Stephani Page, Ph.D. candidate in Biochemistry & Biophysics at UNC, Chapel Hill; and Caleph Wilson, Ph.D. a biomedical researcher at Univ. of Pennsylvania.
Why should college students begin thinking more seriously about considering careers in STEM?
Stephani: I've seen a lot of Black students, myself included, talk themselves out of certain career paths. Whether there is a lack of confidence, a fear of the unknown, lack of awareness, or discouraging voices – it can be difficult to see yourself traverse the paths to a STEM career. I want to see young Black minds knowing that they truly are capable of thriving in these STEM spaces.
How did you get introduced to a career path in STEM?
Shareef: My parents always fed my love for technology by enrolling me in science programs and letting me play video games. It wasn't until college that I realized that those passions could be translated directly into a high paying career learning all the theory and math problems [from] high school could be applied to real world problems.
Stephani:I was a great high school student and I loved Chemistry. Through the encouragement of my mother and my HS chemistry teacher, I decided to study Chemical Engineering at NC A&T
How did you overcome challenges with majoring in STEM?
Stephani: Being in engineering was tough and I didn't have as much free times as friends in other majors, so I started working in study groups with my STEM classmates, who became my support system.
Caleph: Balancing classes, working in a lab, and applying and interviewing for graduate schools required sticking to a schedule.
Shareef: In my sophomore year I failed many classes, but improved my efforts in my last two years, reinforcing the fact I can do anything!
What do you love about your work/career?
Shareef: the work is different every day…fulfilling work life makes it easier to enjoy my personal life.
Stephani: I love talking about science and it's relevance to our daily lives…my thought process as a scientist positions me to be a problem solver in other industries.
Caleph: Learning, thinking and doing has always been three of my favorite things and being a researcher allows me to do it every day. Getting paid to do what I love is mind blowing! I have gained a very diverse group of friends. My STEM career has provided access to a wide range of activities and friendships outside of the lab.
How should students prep for entering a career in STEM?
All three of our role models mentioned the importance of reaching out to interact with STEM professionals directly. They recommend joining mentoring programs through colleges, sororities/fraternities, & professional organizations. They also suggest that social media is a great w2ay to access STEM professionals directly. You can follow all our role models on Twitter, Caleph Wilson:
@heydrwilson, Stephani Page: @thepurplepage, & Shareef Jackson @shareefjackson


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Zika vaccine Current Affairs - 2020
DCGI allows Indian firm to conduct phase 1 trials for Zika vaccine
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted permission to Indian firm to conduct Phase-I clinical trials for a Zika vaccine. It was announced by Union Minister of State (MoS) for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey in Lok Sabha.
Zika Virus
Zika Virus is vector borne diseases spread by Aedes egypti mosquito. Infections in pregnant women can cause children to be born with brain deficiencies (microcephaly) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Microcephaly is condition where a baby's head is much smaller than expected.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared Zika virus as Public Health Emergency of International Concern in February 2016, following an outbreak in Brazil and other Latin American countries and its association with birth defects in newborns. It was revoked in November 2016
The Indian firm had submitted an application along with non-clinical (animal) toxicity data, claiming 100% efficacy in animals to the DCGI to conduct Phase-I clinical trials of its Zika vaccine. Based on evaluation of application, in consultation with the Experts Committee, the DCG (I) has granted permission to conduct the Phase-I clinical trial. The Phase I trials ascertain safety, tolerability and physiological action of a compound inside the body.
Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI)
DCGI under gamut of Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) is responsible for approval of licenses of specified categories of drugs such as blood and blood products, vaccines, IV fluids and sera in India.
DCGI lays down standards and quality of manufacturing, selling, import and distribution of drugs in India. It acts as appellate authority in case of any dispute regarding quality of drugs. It prepares and maintains national reference standard. It brings about uniformity in enforcement of Drugs and Cosmetics Act. It trains Drug Analysts deputed by State Drug Control Laboratories and other Institutions.
Tags: Clinical trials • DCGI • Drugs Controller General of India • Pharmaceutical Sector • Science and Technology
Scientists develop world's first plant-based Zika vaccine
Scientists from US have developed the world's first plant-based Zika vaccine that may be more effective, safer and cheaper than other vaccines against the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
The vaccine was developed using proteins derived from Tobacco plant. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines or therapeutics available to combat Zika.
Key Facts
The plant-based Zika vaccine works against DIII, a part of a Zika viral protein that plays a key role for the virus to infect people. All flaviviruses have the envelope protein on the outside part of the virus. It has three domains. The domain III has a unique stretch of DNA for the Zika virus.
Researchers exploited domain III to generate a robust and protective immune response that is unique for Zika. First they had grown the envelope protein in bacteria then prepared the DIII protein domain in tobacco plants. The multiple immunisation experiments of the vaccine performed on mice shows 100% protection against multiple Zika virus strains in mice.
Significance: The plant protein-based vaccine uses smallest and most unique part of the Zika virus that can still elicit a potent and robust immune response. It produces a potent protective immune response against Zika Virus and also not produce antibodies that may be cross reactive for West Nile fever, Dengue, Yellow fever or others.
About Zika virus
Zika virus is vector borne disease transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the same mosquito that transmits dengue, West Nile fever, Yellow fever. The virus has been named after Zika forest in Uganda where it was first isolated in 1947.
The virus is capable of causing serious birth defects i.e. neurological disorders and foetal deformation known as Microcephaly in which infants are born with abnormally smaller heads. Besides a possible link between the virus and Guillain-Barré syndrome (a condition in which the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system) is also suspected. It is also found that, sexual transmission of Zika virus disease is possible.
The worldwide Zika threat first emerged in 2015, infecting millions in South America. The World Health Organization (WHO) had declared the disease as epidemic and global health emergency but later revoked it after the outbreak was brought under control.
Tags: Diseases • Pharmaceutical Sector • Public Health • Science and Technology • Zika vaccine


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Fears missing woman 'bundled into a car' in reported abduction in Co Wicklow as gardai appeal for information
Jastine Valdez, 24, from Enniskerry, was reported missing late last night
GARDAI are appealing for information after a woman vanished in Co Wicklow with fears she may have been abducted.
Jastine Valdez, 24, from Enniskerry, was last seen leaving her home yesterday afternoon and was reported missing by her family late last night.
Her reported disappearance followed an earlier incident in Enniskerry where a woman was bundled into a car.
Shortly after 6.15pm, gardai received a report of a female pedestrian being forced into a dark coloured Nissan SUV on the R760, south of Enniskerry.
Jastine is described as approximately 5ft in height, of slight build with long black hair and brown eyes.
When last seen she was wearing a dark coloured jacket, white t-shirt, grey leggings and runners.
The scene on the R760 is currently preserved and local traffic diversions are in place.
An incident room has been established at Bray Garda Station.
A case conference has been held by investigators and Gardaí liaising closely with her family.
Investigating Gardai are appealing for anyone with information in relation to the disappearance of Jastine to contact them.
They are particularly appealing for information on or sightings of a dark coloured Nissan SUV partial registration 171-D-2****.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Bray Garda Station 01-6665300 the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
For the latest news on this story keep checking back at the Irish Sun Online, where we will bring you live updates as soon as they happen, before anyone else.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/theirishsun, and follow us from our main Twitter account at @IrishSunOnline, where we will bring you this story and all the rest of the top news and exclusives of the day.
TheSun.ie is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video


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These days, creating marketing videos for your brand is not a matter of choice – it's a necessity.
Wondering how to make a great marketing video for your business or product? Well, you're at the right place to find that out. We asked experts to share their number one tips to make a great marketing video. Read on to learn what they said!
1. Study your target audience
Before creating a marketing video, it's crucial to figure out who you are making it for.
Without knowing specific answers to these questions, you're putting your video at risk of being irrelevant to the potential viewers.
Read MORE >>>>>>
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— Will Corry (@slievemore) March 5, 2019
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— Will Corry (@slievemore) February 15, 2019


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Ban on harmful pesticides
Neonicotinoid, one of the most widely used insecticide in the world would soon be banned across Europe under draft regulations from the European commission. These harmful pesticides, have been in use for over 20 years and are known to harm not only important pollinators like bees and their ilk but also killing insects, microbes, lizards, earthworms, birds and even coastal shellfish. In 2011 the International Union for Conservation of Nature set up a task force to review the safety of systemic pesticides. After reviewing over 800 studies the group called for a global phase-out.
In India, The Anupam Verma Committee, set up to review the continued use of 66 pesticides that have been barred/restricted for use in farming in other countries, has recommended a ban on 13 'extremely hazardous' harmful pesticides (see table), phasing out of six 'moderately hazardous' ones by 2020, and review of 27 pesticides in 2018.
The six pesticides suggested for phasing out by 2020 are: alachor, dichorvos, phorate, phosphamidon, triazophos and trichlorfon.
If you wish to know about our 100% organic, effective and safe pesticides, visit our page here<


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Times Insider delivers behind-the-scenes insights from The New York Times. In this piece, Craig S. Smith a correspondent for The Times, who raised his family in Shanghai, Paris and Hong Kong, writes about an April 2015 trip he took to North Korea with his son, True.
My heart breaks for Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old American student who died Monday after returning home from North Korea in a vegetative state. His crime: He was young and curious, possibly mischievous and certainly naïve.
Mr. Warmbier's ordeal makes me shudder, not only for his tragic fate but also because less than a year before Mr. Warmbier's arrest, I had traveled to North Korea. And I had taken my teenage son.
It has become fashionable to treat North Korea as a kitschy joke. Vice, the millennial-focused media company, has made entertaining, snarky videos there. They accompanied Dennis Rodman to see Kim Jong-un, but Mr. Rodman didn't seem to understand that the trip was a stunt and not Ping-Pong diplomacy. North Korea is not a joke, as Mr. Warmbier's experience has shown.
Most tourists to North Korea are Chinese, for whom the country is a sort of nostalgic throwback to Maoist days. But there are a handful of companies that market North Korean tours to Westerners. They package otherwise dreary trips in cheerful and quirky wrappings, targeting young people who are looking for adventure. The Pyongyang Beer Festival is a typical offering.
But the tour companies are simply agents. Once people cross the border, a North Korean travel bureau takes over, shepherding visitors through fixed itineraries meant to show as little of the impoverished country as possible while bringing in badly needed hard currency. Most people are treated to the same things: stops at socialist-realist monuments and vast, empty squares; cavernous state-owned restaurants serving desultory meals (fried fish, mounds of shredded cabbage), and a brief ride between two stations on Pyongyang's metro — the only real brush with North Koreans that most visitors ever get.
I had long been curious about the shuttered country. I also wanted at least one of my sons to see the Stalinist-style state before it disappears so that they can understand what China was like before they lived there.
I spent my 20s in China when the country was still emerging from the Cultural Revolution. Almost everyone wore blue, green or gray. There were no private cars, and bicycles still crowded the streets. Restaurants were state-owned, there was no commercial advertising and people spoke to outsiders in maddening propagandistic platitudes. I wanted my sons to understand how far China had come to be the gritty, growing consumer-driven land of malls and office towers that they know today.
I booked a private tour of North Korea through one of the agencies.
Things started off-kilter. Hours before we left Hong Kong, I put my passport through the washing machine. It came out curled like a faded denim flower and was still damp when we arrived in China to change to a Russian-built Tupolev plane. A Chinese immigration officer smelled the passport and consulted with his superior before letting me pass. The North Korean immigration officials seemed less suspicious, though the passport looked doctored.
Our North Korean guides met my son and me at the airport: a chatty woman carrying a designer handbag and a taciturn man in a suit, who rarely spoke and was clearly there to listen and observe.
Our guides instructed us not to photograph construction sites, military objects or soldiers, which was a significant constraint in a country where about five out of every 100 people are in uniform. They also instructed us not to cut the legs or heads out of the frame when photographing statues of North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il.
We were taken from the airport in a minibus directly to monumental statues of the men, referred to as "the generals," on Mansu Hill in the center of the city. There, we were warned not to chew gum or stand with our hands in our pockets. We were instructed to buy bouquets of flowers from a kiosk, bow before the statues and lay the flowers at their feet. Only then were we taken to our hotel on an island in the Taedong River, which winds through the center of Pyongyang.
We stayed at the same run-down place as Mr. Warmbier did on his fateful journey — the hotel where most Western tourists are housed. The place was almost empty, but we were warned not to venture unaccompanied beyond the gate or it would "cause problems." On our first night, our female guide turned back to us as she was leaving and made us promise that we wouldn't leave.
We did not leave.
Instead, we spent evenings in the underground entertainment rooms, bowling in the poorly maintained alley (the pins often toppled of their own accord), or playing blackjack in the Chinese-operated "casino."
We covered quite a bit of ground during our visit, from the northern mountains to the southern demilitarized zone. Though it is forbidden to photograph between cities, I took pictures surreptitiously, much to my son's consternation. The countryside looks like a lot of places in northern Asia — dry and brown in April — with oxen pulling carts, and few motorized vehicles.
The most striking thing was how well ordered the whitewashed villages were and how every possible piece of arable land — even steep hillsides — had been plowed and planted. Of course, we were on roads open to foreigners: Who's to say what lay unseen beyond the horizon.
I know that we passed about 10 miles from the Yongbyon nuclear complex on one side and about 25 miles from the notorious labor camp No. 14 on the other. Every request to stop and see something of North Korean life, even shops in the cities, was denied.
As we drove, our guides asked nearly as many questions of me as I did of them. They repeatedly inquired about my work. In my visa application, I said that I managed a translation company in Beijing. It was true to a point; I was the managing director of The New York Times's Chinese-language operations there, which translates Times stories into Chinese.
Their questions were unsettling, however, and I stuck to my story as much as my smile. They talked a lot about how many spies they have in North Korea, and I realized this wasn't a game I should be playing with my son by my side.
On the last day, my son asked if we could go back to see the monumental statues of the generals. The guides seemed puzzled, even perturbed, but acquiesced. When we got there, I lost track of our male guide, but he soon joined us. On the way back, he and I fell behind my son and our female guide.
"Why did you want to visit the generals again?" he asked. I explained that because we had begun our trip there, my son wanted to end it there. He fell silent as we approached an outbuilding. "Would you write that down?" he finally asked. I imagined being proffered a guest book where visitors wrote glowing tributes and answered yes.
A man came out of the outbuilding and they conferred. Then the guide said I only needed to tell him the reason again, and he would go inside and explain. I repeated what I had said. Curious, I followed him into the building.
There was no guest book inside, but rather a group of men in military uniforms. They seemed annoyed that I was there and motioned for me to step outside. After a moment, my guide reappeared. "They are satisfied," he said.
It was then I realized that we had fallen under suspicion. In retrospect, given what happened to Mr. Warmbier, the entire trip was an unnecessary risk. The obfuscation about my identity, my damp and beaten passport, the surreptitiously taken photos — some of them cutting the head off Kim Il-sung — could easily have been used to construe nefarious intent.
On the plane back to China, I picked up a copy of the English-language Pyongyang Daily. "Nukes will put an end to DPRK-US Standoff," a headline read, referring to the uneasy relationship between the U.S. and Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.
"The DPRK will advance the timetable for the great war."
A lot of people say I was stupid. But it's easy to underestimate the danger of a place like North Korea, to feel that it's not real.
Mr. Warmbier was naïve, and so was I.


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NEWS UPDATE: Kasson officer identified in suicide attempt
Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose has identified the Kasson police officer involved in a shooting incident last weekend as 51-year-old Julio Baez.
Baez remains in critical condition at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester. He is a 14-year veteran of the department.
Rose said the case in being investigated as an attempted suicide by his investigators.
Baez was found with self-inflected gunshot wounds in a grassy area outside of Mantorville June 2 around 6:15 a.m. He was flown from the scene by Mayo One to St. Mary's
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