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Halcom Celebrates 25 Years of Successful Business
The company Halcom, which is a pioneer in the area of development of modern solutions for payment systems in Central and South East Europe, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The international company, which uses agile methodology for developing innovative products and services for financial institutions, is present in eight EMEA markets, and has sold its solutions to 70 banks and three central banks and clearing houses. Halcom's teams of experts harness their knowledge of payment systems, technical expertise and years of experience to provide advanced solutions, products and services.
Every success story begins with a good idea and that was also the case when the founder and long-term owner of Halcom, Matjaž Čadež, realised his idea. Within four years of founding the company then named Halcom Informatika, together with its Danish partner, Belle Systems, installed the first internet system for Telekom Slovenija – Siol. This provided a strong reference and marked the beginning of growth and expansion for the Ljubljana-based IT company. A year later self-employed business people holding accounts at NLB (Nova Ljubljanska Banka) - the first user of Halcom's Hal E-Bank solution - began to use electronic banking. This was the first electronic banking solution in Slovenia and also one of the first in the world that used smart cards.
The company successfully realised its vision and in subsequent years continued to break through onto the market by implementing giro clearing for all Slovenian banks at the Bank of Slovenia, and it also won an international tender for giro clearing for the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, the company established a certifying agency for issuing digital certificates and security features for accessing banking solutions or other portals. The company not only expanded its portfolio of products, but also its portfolio of markets. This happened first through the establishment of associated subsidiaries in Sarajevo and Belgrade. Halcom was among the first companies in Slovenia to develop solutions to support the digitalisation of businesses and implement solutions for exchanging e-invoices within NLB and Abanka's products. Halcom continued to follow users and the strong growth of smartphones and in 2011 successfully launched the first mobile bank with the Raiffeisen Bank in Kosovo. In the following years Halcom introduced Hal E-Bank, a new generation of e-banking solutions that was based on an advanced transactional, sales, service and communication platform that supported a variety of distribution channels.
There is always a phase of the company's growth when it becomes imperative for its founder to build a structure which is no longer reliant on him alone. Thus in 2011 management of the company passed into the hands of Marko Šega, who successfully ran the company until May 2014 when Marko Valjavec was appointed Chief Executive Officer and member of the Halcom board. Prior to his appointment with Halcom, Marko Valjavec had worked for more than 15 years for software development companies in the USA and EMEA markets. With his arrival, Halcom got an expert with many years of international management experience from companies operating in the fields of smart processing applications for business-critical contact with customers and automation of operations in financial processes.
The year 2016 was also a turning point for Halcom. In addition to successfully launching an anti-fraud protection digital banking solutions, the company also gained a new owner – the American company Emphasys Software, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian based Constellation Software Inc. The Constellation Group covers a wide range of programme solutions and related services to entities in both the public and private sectors.
Halcom is currently the leading European provider of technology solutions for payment systems on three continents. The company is present in eight markets in Central and South East Europe, Africa and the Middle East. It has sold its solutions to 70 banks and three central banks and clearing houses. Halcom believes in an agile approach to seeking innovative solutions and creating products which enable users safe, user-friendly and reliable electronic payment services. The company has 150 employees with an average age of 32, and the team is constantly rejuvenated through active co-operation with students and the transfer of knowledge from more experienced employees.
What are the company's objectives and future aims?
New ownership has brought Halcom a solid financial background, knowledge and organisational support. This enables it to target development of products and services, a continued growth in the number of customers, as well as regional expansion. The key focus in the coming period are advanced solutions for digital banking and harmony with the new PSD2 directive, solutions in the field of clearing and execution of payments in real-time, as well as security features and cloud-based qualified digital certificates, both in the existing and new markets.
Marko Valjavec, Chief Executive Officer of Halcom, said when asked to common on the company's future: "In the past Halcom created a good working foundation. Our objective is definitely to continue this success story of electronic banking and payment systems. In the fields where we have made history and where we have experience and reference, we wish to find new and innovative solutions for our users, or those who perhaps do not yet exist or are unaware of the challenges." He added: "We certainly want to also grow geographically, to connect with other domestic or foreign companies, and to enable existing customers to grow forward with us."
On this anniversary we look back over the most important milestones in Halcom's history:
- 1996 – Installs the first internet system for Telekom Slovenija – Siol, together with Danish partner Belle Systems a.d.
- 1997 – Develops the first electronic banking solution in Slovenia and one of the first in the world to use secure authentication against smart cards on the basis of the PKI (public key infrastructure) technology
- 1998 – Starts giro clearing operations for all Slovenian banks at the Bank of Slovenia
- 1999 – Established the certifying agency for issuing digital certificates
- 2000 – Installs communication infrastructure for operating giro clearing for all 43 banks in BiH
- 2001 – Establishes the first centre to rent software-as-a-service in Sarajevo (SaaS)
- 2003 – Wins the 2003 Golden Gazelle award for the best fast-growing company in Slovenia and acquires the BVQI (Bureau Veritas Quality International) agency's certificate for the ISO 9001:2000 quality standard
- 2004 – Halcom's Hal E-Clearing/STEP2 system enables Slovenian banks to connect with all European clearing systems via the Bank of Slovenia
- 2007 – With the Hal M-Payments (1-2-3 Pay!) system, Halcom wins the 2006/2007 Best Entrepreneurial Idea award in the category of innovative entrepreneurial ideas amongst established companies
- 2008 – The daily newspaper Dnevnik selects Halcom as the recipient of the Zlata nit (Golden Thread) award for the best employers in the category of medium and large enterprises
- 2009 – NLB and Abanka begin to offer their customers Halcom's services for the exchange of e-invoices within their products for electronic banking
- 2010 – Together with the Serbian provider of telecommunications services, Telenor, and four commercial banks, Halcom introduces to the market the new PlatiMo service which enables modern, reliable and simple payment using any mobile phone
- 2011 – Introduces a uniform system for exchanging invoices in electronic form, and successfully launches the first mobile bank in the Raiffeisen Bank in Kosovo
- 2012 – Receives a full certificate as a family-friendly company, meaning that the company's concern for its employees is at the highest level
- 2013 – Presents a new generation of e-banking solutions - Hal E-Bank, am advanced transactional, sales, service and communications platform which supports a variety of distribution channels
- 2015 – AmCham Slovenia recognises Halcom's project 'Money Talks 2014, Advanced Skills Workshop' as the best business practice in the choice of 'Best of the Best 2015'. At the end of the year Halcom organises the first financial-technological Hackathon in the Adriatic region, where local and foreign programmers develop additional functional solutions of Hal mBills
- 2016 – Emphasys Software, wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian based Constellation Software Inc, becomes Halcom's majority owner. Halcom launches solutions for anti-fraud protection in the context of digital banking in its key markets.


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In the age of smart phones and tablets, individuals are more connected than ever before; however, the risks associated with this connectivity require a heightened awareness of device security and proper management.
The world of identity theft shifted on Sept. 7 when news broke that hackers had infiltrated the Equifax consumer database, affecting an estimated 143 million consumers. The website, equifaxsecurity2017.com, was set up by the credit bureau to assist consumers with ascertaining whether or not their information had been compromised. However, the potential is still very real for the security breach to affect your credit union.
The Alamo Chapter of Credit Unions planned a giving event to celebrate International Credit Union Day, called Random Acts of Kindness. Five of the chapter board members and various credit union staff made purposeful contact with citizens in their communities.
At its open board meeting last week, a rule was proposed to change the National Credit Union Administration capital planning and stress-testing requirements to be more tailored to the size, complexity, and financial condition of covered credit unions.
In the advertising wars, you must win many battles.
Interaction between credit union personnel and their members hinges on increasingly fewer opportunities. Frontline staff, MSRs, lending staff, and supervisors all represent the credit union brand. But how exactly is that accomplished?

subset: commoncrawl


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Almost three dozen imprisoned Christian Ethiopians in Saudi Arabia have been freed after months of being held by the authorities there.The 35 Ethiopians were imprisoned last December 17 for conducting a prayer meeting in a private home."We understand that the Saudi's assaulted, harassed, and pressured the Christians to convert to Islam during the time of their incarceration," says International Christian Concern's Jonathan Racho. According to Racho, the female prisoners were especially mistreated and humiliated.
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- POM Honey Dijon Dressing:
- juice from 2-3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates,* or 1 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup canola oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- Pear Salad:
- 1/2 cup arils from 1-2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates
- 1 lb. salad greens
- 1/2 cup sliced honey roasted almonds
- 1 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 2 ripe d'Anjou pears
- POM Honey Dijon Dressing: Prepare fresh pomegranate juice.* In a large mixing bowl, combine the pomegranate juice, white vinegar, lemon juice and zest, honey and Dijon mustard. Slowly whisk in the oil, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Pear Salad: Score 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranates under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.) Toss the salad greens with just enough dressing to lightly coat. Top with almond slices, blue cheese crumbles and sliced pears. (Slice the pears at the last minute to prevent browning.) Garnish with fresh pomegranate arils.
Related Video
Nutritional Info
- Calories284
- Carbohydrates21 g(7%)
- Fat22 g(33%)
- Protein5 g(9%)
- Saturated Fat3 g(16%)
- Sodium383 mg(16%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat5 g
- Fiber5 g(18%)
- Monounsaturated Fat12 g
- Cholesterol7 mg(2%)


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What Goes Around...
There has been quite a lot in the press this week about the importance of nepotism within football management. The same old faces seem to to turn up again and again and again. Consider the case of Glen Roeder. Roeder's managerial career has been almost uniformly unsuccessful. His first season in charge of a club saw Gillingham have to win on the last day of the season to avoid dropping out of the Football League. He then lasted two years in the middle of the Championship with Watford before getting sacked with them bottom of the table. He then had a period just managing to keep Burnley from dropping into League Two, as assistant to Chris Waddle, before departing and spending five years in the England coaching set up for five years. When he returned to management, he had a good season at West Ham before his brain tumour struck in the middle of a relegation battle that they lost. He was sacked the following April. He then returned again for 15 months in charge at Newcastle United (notable, again, for a conspicuous lack of success) before being sacked at the end of May. So, where would Glen end up next? This man of many talents. This coach without a UEFA Pro licence, who had Freddy Shepherd pleading exenuating circumstances being the reason that he hadn't got it (with all due respect, he had a brain tumour in 2003, and it's now nearly the end of 2007 - he still hasn't got it). The answer... Norwich City. Staring at relegation out of the top two divisions English football for the first time in nearly fifty years, they have brought in a man that has never won anything as a manager, and has presided over two relegations and a couple of close escapes. WHY?
People wonder why there are no decent English managers any more, when the same old incompetent faces keep turning up again and again, and being allowed to throw money around like it's going out of fashion. Bryan Robson, for example, wasted the money of Britain's most patient chairman, Middlesbrough's Steve Gibson. He then moved on to Bradford City, where he took just twenty-two points in his twenty-seven matches in charge, presiding over their relegation from the Championship. He then spent nearly two years at The Hawthorns, in charge of West Bromwich Albion, where he won just 23% of his eighty-one games in charge. He then took over at Sheffield United in the close season, where he has overseen a slump which has left The Blades just above a second successive relegation. I have a simple question for the chairmen of Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough, Norwich City, West Ham United, Newcastle United and Burnley. Is getting the manager's job at your club really that easy? I mean - if I applied, would I have a chance? Because, to be honest, I think I might have. I can talk a reasonably good game, and I bet I know more of the words to "On The Ball, City" than Glen Roeder does.
What this all means is that potential English coaching talent doesn't get the chance that it deserves, which makes it all the more pleasing that Gillingham have decided to look down the football food chain and appoint Mark Stimson, formerly of Stevenage Borough. Stimson has a decent track record. He too charge at Grays Athletic with them in a relegation struggle in the Conference South, secured their safety and took them up to mid-table security the following season. He then took them into the Conference as Conference South by a margin of 23 points, and took them to a respectable position in that League before going to Stevenage last season. He took them to the Conference play-offs and they are in contention again at the time of writing. On top of this, he won the FA Trophy three times in a row at Grays and Stevenage. He deserves a shot in the Football League. Interestingly, Stevenage's new manager is a former Gillingham manager - Peter Taylor, who also took charge of one England match just after Kevin Keegan jumped ship in 2000. Stevenage aren't short of a bit of cash at the moment, and Taylor has managed at non-league level before at Dartford and Dover Athletic. There's a small part of me that is thinking both Gillingham and Stevenage Borough have done a decent bit of business, there.


text: Ok so I am trying to setup a VPN connection "client to gateway" to my RV0041. I was talking with the linksys tech support and I configured the tunnel as per his instruction. The image below is what my tunnel looks like... now the problem I am having is that 1) Linksys says you need to use a 3rd party VPN client in order to tunnel, however they could not give me a name of one to try. 2) I tried to config greenbow and cisco vpn clients however I don't even see anything in the log files regarding an atempt to connect. :cry: If anyone has some insight it would be greatly appreciated I have looked at some of the guides in here but either they don't seem to help or I am just to frustrated to see what I am missing. pjo


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Originally published by me at Alan Levine – Get CC Certified (see it there)
This is a summary of my notes made in preparation for the May 2016 project meeting.
Part of our pre-work for the first project meeting (held May 11-13, 2016 in Washington DC) we were asked to review a number of existing certification programs to find elements we would want to "remix" into the Creative Commons Certification. From the pre-work documentation:
"Picking features and functions from across these examples, and/or defining new features/functions you think are better, create an overall design for CC's certificate program."
My notes and some sketches I made are published on a GitHub site (part of my continued effort to understand the capabilities to both manage and publish web content there).
The Mozilla Web Literacy Framework has a lot of resonance at the meeting.
The interactivity of the color codes and regions on the map was something we all agreed was compelling. For me, the Learning activities as suggested, but not a strict curriculum, connected with my work on the DS106 open assignment bank concept where learners choose what activities to do to complete a unit. This idea led me to sketch a messy conocept of connected 'banks' of content and activities:
I envision that the activities are things done in the open web, so they are something that produces something that advances the presence of creative commons, or what I write about as Making Something of Certification Exhaust.
In creating my notes site, I made use of the Creative Commons licensed Directive theme from HTML5up and Featherlight.js for the lightbox code that shows the images as an overlay.
In my review process, I took notes using Mike Caulfield's wikity "federated WordPress" theme on my own site at http://wikity.cogdog.casa/alan/:
Featured Image: Wikimedia Commons public domain image Da Vinci flying machine sketch


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Everyone in the world loves his/her home and you are definitely not an exception to this. Our lives are filled with uncertainties and unknown dangers. Even our homes are not safe from any kind of loss. It is indeed very necessary to safeguard your home from any disaster, since it is the biggest and most vital investment in your life. This makes it imperative to have a good home insurance so that your home remains secure. A home insurance coverage should not only be a good one, but also should cost less. Many people think that having a home insurance is an expensive affair, but you can certainly get affordable homeowners insurance in Virginia Beach, VA.
As mentioned above, you can definitely get an economical homeowners insurance policy. However, for this, you need to consider few important things. The first thing you can do is increase your deductibles. This works on your current insurance policy offering instant savings to you. While you are looking out for a new insurance, you can make an adjustment in your deductible as long as you find such a rate that would fit your budget. As a word of caution, you must not make a steep increase in your deductible. Several people when confronted with situations like emergency repairs have no money for covering this.
Secondly, you should install a security system. Almost all the insurance providers will give you discounts for the hard-wired ones, especially those that will report to a main call center. Installation of fire alarms as well as your location in terms of closeness to a fire station will also contribute in reducing the monthly payment.
While searching for company providing affordable homeowners insurance in Virginia Beach, VA, prefer to have insurance from a company that is ready to provide a combined home and car coverage at a good discount. However, most of them do provide such coverage and in certain cases, you can save nearly 10% on your premium. This will also simplify your payment process, as you will have to pay only one premium.
Also, when you are taking the services from a broker, never feel satisfied with the first quote that you get. Since it is free to fill out quotes for low cost homeowners insurance, do fill as many as possible. Also, make it sure to compare these quotes so that you can get coverage at an affordable price. While doing this, also watch out if you can get any discounts.
After reading the above-mentioned information, you will learn that finding good homeowners insurance in Virginia Beach, VA is definitely possible. While you hunt for affordable insurance policy, also make sure that the insurance coverage that you have chosen best suits your needs. Given the fact that disaster, whether man made or natural can strike any time and your home is liable to suffer from the losses. Hence, it is in your best interest to save your vital investment from great loss at an acceptable price.
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PICTURES: Southern Lehigh High School graduation
PHOTO GALLERY: Scenes from the Southern Lehigh High School graduation, which was held at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem on Friday, June 9, 2017.
Students across the Lehigh Valley are getting their chance to walk across the stage and begin their future as the school year comes to a close. We're taking photos at most of the area high school graduations this year.
Want to share your own pics? Send us your graduation photos – just upload them at submit.mcall.com/photo and select "Your graduation pics" from the dropdown menu.
Tag @mcall in your photos on Twitter and we'll retweet them. You can also purchase reprints of graduation photos from The Morning Call Store.
View all our prom photos at themorningcall.com/graduation.
Chris Shipley
Copyright © 2018, The Morning Call


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27/10/2017 (dd/mm/yyyy) | Barcelona
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We would like to encourage you to participate in this event being organised by students representatives, together with ESADE Alumni, to promote Lic&MBA Class Reunion Dinner. It'll be a fantastic opportunity to meet up with old classmates and friends.
For this occasion, we have organised a dinner at Red Fish Barcelona restaurant. We would appreciate you sending this announcement to all your classmates so that nobody misses out on this event.
Entrance: Menu 40 euros (to be paid at the restaurant)
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Sarah chats with Bill Perkins about his preparation for the One Drop.
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Saint Louis, Missouri (PRWEB) August 22, 2014
An industry low price of only $750 per finished minute will encourage companies to make their first video or add needed videos. This fee includes research, scripting, extensive videography on the client's location, creative editing, dynamic sound track, and motivating packaging.
The message of the Company Support Video is forceful. It has the purpose to motivate, and the power to get people to take action. It's shorter in length than "ordinary" videos and more to the point with defined goals and targeted results. These videos are produced to promote the client's company and its products and services.
"Selective Formatting" is another feature offered to ensure a great production. The company has developed specific outlines to meet the requirements of each project. This saves time right from the beginning and keeps the video on track. Corporate Image Builders boasts that they verify each step of the production process to guarantee satisfaction when completed.
C.I.B. says that the "Corporate Image" video is the most popular Selective Formatting. It dramatically tells who a company is, what it does, and how it does it. They believe every company should have this video working for them. It is said to give a company greater visibility and will promote sales. Some other formatted videos are the Testimonial video, the Product Sales video, the Facility Tour video, the Recruiting video, and about 20 other formatted ways to help a company grow. They emphasize that they work closely with the client to help pick the best formats to meet the objective. You can get copies of how these videos work by calling the number below or going to our website.
C.I.B. feels strongly that their program is great for an economical first video, or for a targeted multiple video project.
Corporate Image Builders claim they offer the lowest price, and highest quality productions. Their low fee includes all the elements of a professional video. More information can be gathered from their website: http://www.4yourimage.com.
Corporate Image Builders


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Recent news
Download more images and videos with the updated Opera Mini for Android
The newest version of Opera Mini for Android, out today, comes with an improved download manager that gives you more power and control while downloading web content, including pictures and videos.
Download managers are a highly-sought-after feature in India. According to a survey among Opera Mini users in India, 75% of respondents rated downloading as an "important" or "very important" feature. Around 60% of respondents said they "often" or "always" use Opera Mini for downloading content.
Get more control of your downloads
With Opera's updated download manager you can:
- Control the number of files you download simultaneously. Either restrict Opera Mini to downloading between one and five files when using mobile data, or set it to unlimited to make the most out of a fast Wi-Fi connection.
- Get alerts when downloading large files, over 15MB. Choose to download them only over Wi-Fi so they do not eat into your data plan.
- Decide if you want to save all downloaded files in a default location, or choose where to save them each time you download.
Access the type of content you want more easily
Searching the web is the second most-popular activity for Opera Mini users after social networking. To help you search more intuitive, Opera Mini has added updated the search bar. Select a category for your search results – web, images, video or news – before hitting the Go button. This new search bar is available in Opera Mini's classic app-layout mode.
"With more visual and multimedia content on the web and phones with more memory, people are starting to download more images and videos", says Christian Uribe, Product Manager of Opera Mini at Opera Software. "This new update offers a better way to organize downloads and smoother experience when you download and browse at the same time."
Opera Mini is famous for its compression technology, which shrinks data up to 90% of its original size. This makes browsing with Opera Mini faster and also helps you save precious data. With Opera Mini, you can view your favorite Bollywood videos and holiday photographs faster, while you also download your favorite content more easily.
Find out more:
About Opera
Since its founding in 1996, Opera has been a pioneer in shaping the future of the internet. Providing faster and more innovative web browsers, Opera is the everyday browser of choice for more than 320 million people.
Opera Software AS is a privately held company and is headquartered in Oslo, Norway. Follow our news at http://blogs.opera.com/news/.
Opera and Opera Mini are trademarks of Opera Software AS.


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Go Joe implodes well you are more lickly to have your kite blader implodes thant your GoJoe (assuming that you do not pump it like creasy.peterbjarke wrote:In principle a Go Joe works. The problem is that users of it don't learn to bodydrag upwind. They will then encounter a problem when the Go Joe implodes or they are testing a board without a Go Joe. I will recommend taking small tacks when in waves in order not to get too far away from the board.
Cheers, Peter
testing a board without a Go Joe. I guess that 99% of the kitesurfer kite with their own boards and never test other boards.


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Qatar Tourism Authority to feature at IMEX 2013
The Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) is heading to Frankfurt for The Worldwide Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings and Events (IMEX) which will be held from 21st to 23rd May at Exhibition Hall 8, Messe Frankfurt.
The show presents a worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events, uniting exhibitors and buyers under one roof.
QTA will be showcasing Qatar's credentials as a leading destination in the Gulf region for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE). It offers travellers a truly business-oriented location, combined with an exciting mix of leisure activities and quality hotels. In addition to the existing and spacious Doha Exhibition Centre, and The Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha's Education City, which play host to over 60 major conferences per year, a new conference centre is scheduled to open in 2014.
With its infrastructure and hotel offering rapidly developing with 85,000 hotel rooms set to be available in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar is asserting its position in the Middle East. Both leisure and business travellers are greeted by a thriving and diverse destination combining both the flourishing modern and the authentic cultural experiences.
The construction of conference centres coupled with the high quality and range of accommodation makes Qatar an ideal destination to hold conferences and meetings. The excellent air links to Qatar from around the world with Qatar Airways also ensures that it is convenient to the business traveller.
Qatar is also a great choice for incentive programs with its eclectic choice of activities available, ranging from browsing the Souq Waqif to adrenaline pumping desert activities.
IMEX is attended by over 9,000 visitors and features approximately 3,500 exhibitors from 157 countries, spread across 30,223 square metres of exhibition space.
This year the Qatar Tourism Authority's exhibitors include:
* Hilton Doha
* The Ritz-Carlton Doha
* Intercontinental Doha The City
* Sharq Village & Spa
* Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel
* Intercontinental Doha
* Renaissance Doha City Center
* Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels
* Gulf Adventures Tourism
* Regency Holidays
* Qatar International Adventures
* Qatar International Tours
* Qatar Airways MICE
* Qatar National Convention Centre
* Qatar Museum Authority
* UDC - The Pearl Qatar
* Q Media
* Ministry of Culture


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The loudest applause at the 37th Humana Festival of New American Plays did not go to shows' stars. During a performance of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' "Appropriate," shouts sounded for a swarm of stagehands flooding the stage for a scene change. These are the apprentices—a group of 21 actors who spend nine months in Louisville for a professional training program.
"They are the lifeblood of this organization," says Zan Sawyer-Dailey, casting director for the Actors Theatre of Louisville, which programs the festival. "We're looking for people who are really hungry, not just hungry to be actors but to know the theater."
This year's festival, which closed April 7, featured world premieres from playwrights Will Eno, Sarah Ruhl, Rinne Groff, Lucas Hnath, and Jeff Augustin, among others. This year also marked the first curated by artistic director Les Waters, who joined Actors Theatre in late 2011.
To be eligible for the apprentice program, actors must have completed a four-year college acting program. Anyone who is qualified can audition. Approximately 2,100 auditioned this year, and 100 are called back to apply. The application process includes a personal statement, two letters of recommendation, and an interview.
"It's a nine-month total-immersion program that is designed to prepare them for the world they're about to enter," says Michael Legg, the director of the program. Legg spent five years in New York as a theatrical agent, and he says he's looking for performers with the training, talent, personality, and marketability to succeed. "Whatever it is they're interested in pursuing, we help them move down the path toward making that happen."
During Humana, there is a showcase for about two-dozen agents and casting directors, and from last year's cohort, 17 booked gigs within six months, 12 landed agents, and 8 joined the union. The attrition rate over the last five years is 2 percent.
"As a young theater artist, you just don't get hands-on experience," says festival associate director Meredith McDonough, who was a directing intern at the theater. "I have a career because of it," she adds.
The company also performs a five-show season—including devised work, solo shows, and 10-minute plays—that culminates in the anthology project, a full production that premieres as one of the six at the festival. This year that show was "Sleep Rock Thy Brain," a collection of three short plays on the topic of sleep.
"This is like the first time where I feel like we are a part of the acting company that's here because we also have a full show that we're doing," says apprentice Chalia LaTour, who will attend the MFA program at Yale University in the fall. "Even though you are doing your crew work, we're all a part of this company."


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general public have not yet bored BB creams as they were more advanced counterparts - SS-cream (for the next letter of the alphabet).Perfect skin tone without the effect of the mask, a perfect fusion with the native skin color, hydration, firmness and comfort all day - it promises to create a company "Lumen" SS-cream.Reviews of him painted the same ideal, which unsuccessfully looking for a lot of girls.But really he has no flaws?
Positive feedback
cream is easy to use: well-distributed in the face, easily layered, great falls, even the skin around the eyes (although, of course, it is not designed for it, but many were so fascinated by this product, which was postponed inaside all his ordinary means).
have an unusual texture of the cream: he first liquid and visibly shines in the first minute after application, but then it becomes very soft and powdery.Another advantage - it can be used as a proof-reader!For example, to hide local redness, you should apply the SS-cream "Lumen" only on the proble
As you know, the tonal resources better to put on a moisturizing base, otherwise they will emphasize all peeling and uneven.SS-cream "Lumen", reviews of which mostly enthusiastic, so good at wetting yourself that even slightly smooths wrinkles.This can be seen in almost all the photographs.He alone is able to replace the base under makeup, concealer and foundation.
under the skin cream does not sweat, and the tool does not need to be updated throughout the day and is able to withstand even a sporting event.It tolerates heat without floats and does not remain on the clothes.Smell evaluated in different ways: someone talks about the flavor of berries, some of the quite pleasant, but the standard of cosmetic perfumes.
«Lumen."SS-cream.Feedback from those who still remained dissatisfied
It really is an amazing tool which very few critical comments.Among the small claims to be noted are the cream:
1. Do not economical.He is very actively absorbed by the skin and is consumed relatively quickly.Perhaps this is the place to be, but the price is quite acceptable cream to afford to use it in the quantities in which required.
2. Stresses the pores, excessively thick, poorly distributed - such reviews on a background of hundreds opposite look quite convincing.Perhaps it is a product that is poorly stored or forgery.
3. leaves traces on clothes.This is contrary to the reviews, which said its superstoykosti.
4. After some time after the application changes from the natural to the carrot-orange and is peeling - this claim is just one announced the recall may also dealt with the spoiled food, forgery or occurred allergic to any component of the cream.
can meet other negative reviews.For example, here is what one of the ladies: "I was delighted with such perfect skin, like him, I was not used it every day, but after a few months, the skin became visibly worse - there podkozhniki, painful pimples.I had to throw the cream and the skin for a long time to heal and sad.I looked at the composition - now understand what was happening.Chemistry on the Chemistry! "And it's not just talking users and bloggers who are constantly trying different makeup, and they have something to compare" Lumen "SS-cream.Reviews
foreign bloggers
Overall abroad cream is a success.People write that it perfectly covers imperfections, looks very natural, non-caking in the wrinkles of the skin.However, in very many, even the positive reviews are marked disadvantages means that speaks about the objectivity of such reviews.For example, powdery finish enough for oily skin, and in general a cream for the first time is quite shiny and then sits down, quite difficult to choose the color of the girls with very white skin (this is mentioned in the recall of one blogger from Finland).The average score on one of the sites of foreign reviews - 4.4 points (67 reviews), with 85% of consumers would buy this tool again.Not a bad result!
What do those who do not like it?Too heavy, too sticky, too orange - it always complain about how the ladies with a very thin snow-white skin.The technical characteristics of the same, not all praise "Lumen" (SS-cream).Reviews from owners of combination skin is particularly critical: a moisturizer it flows, and without cream dries and tightens the face.The truth is this problem can be solved: carefully prepare the skin by means of peeling, and then give the cream half an hour to shrink.
It really is a breakthrough of sufficient budget brand "Lumen".SS-cream, which reviews more enthusiastic than any similar luxury vehicle, is really worth attention.Its drawbacks are minor, and as a heavy structure, it should not be forgotten that the cream is not so much care, how to create a decorative effect.After SS prefix means "color control".That is the main function of such a product - to create a flawless complexion.Perhaps we still waiting for the release of a new generation of creams, such as DD, even more perfect and is really a two, three or four tools in one.


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Thursday, October 20, 2011
I've been lucky enough to catch live performances of beautiful music on both my visits to #OccupySydney in Martin Place. Worth stopping by, but I wish they could make some funnier signs. A line of interesting, fact-dashed but funny, signs can ground a passing crowd to a halt. Make them laugh, then they might stop, then they might look around.
Day One :
Day Four :
I donated two rare copies of my 1996 novel Max & Murray to the Ocuppy Sydney library.
A friend saw the M&Ms there later and said someone had helpfully noted inside the cover on what page the rants against pokies, affordable housing shortages and political corruption can be found.
I always knew I should have included an Index Of Rants in that book.
Then again, it is mostly rants.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
#Occupy Australia Vows Solidarity With #Occupy Movements Worldwide
How exactly did they manage to pull this off?
In just the four years to 2009-10, the number of households in the top 1 per cent bracket of wealth (i.e. $5 million-plus) rocketed 60 per cent from 55,000 to 88,000. And that was in the post-global financial crisis period when wealth was supposed to be flattened among the executive class."
My 80 second report on #OccupySydney Day One :
Below, #OccupyBrisbane begins with just a few dozen people, but they've voted to stay and, like #OccupySydney and #OccupyMelbourne, continue the protest in solidarity with #OccupyWallStreet :
This is an image of a board drawn up during the 1st #OccupySydney general assembly. Nothing too radical here, and plenty that progressives and conservatives can find equal ground on :
Glenda Kwek visits #OccupySydney :
"We are getting by. When it starts raining, it gets less comfortable," said Ben Peterson, 22, a protester at Sydney's Martin Place camp, which has been in place since Saturday afternoon.Full Story And Photos From Glenda Kwek Here
Mr Peterson and his fellow organisers have been busy putting together workshops to educate campers, including talks on public speaking, logistics, consumerism, alternative media and the political and economic issues of the day, such as coal seam gas.Sydney protest organisers say they have been inundated with food since putting out an appeal for donations on Saturday.
"We've had overwhelming donations of food," Mr Peterson said, adding that someone brought "delicious cupcakes" for the 50 or so protesters this morning.Some campers came with portable stoves so they could heat up their meals, while other bought pizzas and other takeaway foods from nearby restaurants.
A yoga school has donated bottles of water, while members of two unions - the CFMEU and the Maritime Union of Australia - raised $2000 for the Sydney protesters so they could buy basic supplies.Mr Lees said protesters slept under tarpaulins and in sleeping bags and on cardboard sheets after police removed their tents.
The yoga group that donated water also chipped in with a stack of yoga mats.As the Sydney protesters are being watched at all times by the police, Mr Peterson said safety was last thing participants worried about.
"With the police here, it's the safest place to the city," he said.
"But it's also because we are just interested in looking after each other [and not be violent]. We want this space to continue and be inspiring for people."
The #OccupyBrisbane movement finds a star, and GroupThink celebrates :
"The vibes are so good here that I havent smoked drugs for three days"
"People are not sleeping in Africa"
"We went to like round up some homeless people to give them food, it was rad"
"I don't think this is a political thing, it's an equality thing, i just want people to be happy. If people were happy that would be sick!"
Monday, October 03, 2011
By Darryl Mason
A headline on the front page of the Herald Sun online invites you to read Andrew Bolt's latest column :
Except the link doesn't take you to Andrew Bolt's latest column, it takes you to this Herald Sun news story :
Minister rejects call to alter race laws
by Staff Writer
Justice Minister Brendan O'Connor has rejected Coalition calls to alter racial discrimination laws after the Andrew Bolt case.
Maybe Herald Sun editors have finally had enough of Bolt's bullshit as well.
Last week shadow attorney-general George Brandis said the laws were flawed and should be altered because they could impinge on freedom of expression.
He made the comments after Herald Sun columnist Andrew Bolt was found to have breached the Racial Discrimination Act in two columns about light-skinned Aborigines.
Mr O'Connor told the ABC's Insiders program he had a different interpretation to Mr Brandis.
"I think the conclusion that one would draw from reading the judgment is that this was an issue about ... omitting quite relevant facts," Mr O'Connor said.
Or perhaps not.
The full O'Conner quote the last paragraph of the story was drawn from :
But I think the judgment should be read by people and read properly, because I think we don't want to see people racially vilified and I think the conclusion that one would draw from reading the judgment is that this was an issue about not sticking to some facts, or in fact omitting quite relevant facts, which I think led the respondent to be in some difficulty with the articles that he wrote.More from O'Connor :
There's no doubt that if you're going to attribute improper motives about someone, you should get your facts right. And in terms of any chilling effect that's supposed to have happened as a result of the decision, I've seen more of Andrew Bolt since the decision on the front pages of the largest circulated papers, even during footy week.That's no exaggeration. Via Pure Poison :
Imagine being a Herald Sun journalist and having your front page story bumped to make way for that heaping pile of absolute absurdity? This is why there is much grumbling amongst Murdoch journalists and editors at their city papers right now. They find Andrew Bolt to be an embarrassment and a growing stain on their craft and their credibility.
It's very simple. Andrew Bolt knew claiming people raised as Aboriginals were pretending to be Aborigines for profit and personal gain would probably lead to legal action. He wanted this lawsuit. He wanted to be a martyr. And, apparently, Herald Sun lawyers didn't mind either. How else to explain why they let him publish two columns filled with flat-out lies, not merely deceptive language, nearly all of it unreliably sourced?
The Age explains the facts under this headline :
The question mark is superfluous :
Andrew Bolt conceded he made errors in two columns found to be unlawful under the Racial Discrimination Act last week but claimed that ''none seemed to me to be of consequence''. Justice Mordecai Bromberg disagreed, finding Bolt's writings were ''grossly incorrect'', and contained ''significant distortion of the facts''. This was critical to why his defence failed. Here is a sample:
BOLT: ''For many of these fair Aborigines, the choice to be Aboriginal can be considered almost arbitrary and intensely political, given how many of their ancestors are in fact Caucasian.''
BROMBERG: ''In relation to most of the individuals concerned, the assertion in the newspaper articles that the people dealt with chose to identify as Aboriginal have been substantially proven to be untrue. Nine of the 18 named … gave evidence. Each of them had been raised to identify as Aboriginal and had identified as such since childhood. None of them made a conscious or deliberate choice to identify as Aboriginal.''
BOLT: ''[Associate Professor Anita] Heiss … won plum jobs reserved for Aborigines at Koori Radio, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board and Macquarie University's Warawara Department of Indigenous Studies.''BROMBERG: ''Each of those assertions was erroneous. Mr Bolt accepted that they were wrong because they were exaggerated. One of the positions that Mr Bolt claimed Ms Heiss had won as a 'plum job' was a voluntary unpaid position. The other two positions were not reserved for Aboriginal people but were positions for which Aboriginal people were encouraged to apply.''
BOLT: ''[Ms] Eatock only started to identify as Aboriginal when she was 19, after attending a political rally.''
BROMBERG: ''This statement is untrue. Ms Eatock recognised herself to be an Aboriginal person from when she was eight years old whilst still at school and did not do so for political reasons.''
BOLT: ''Acclaimed St Kilda artist Bindi Cole… was raised by her English-Jewish mother yet calls herself 'Aboriginal but white'.''
BROMBERG: ''That statement is factually inaccurate because Ms Cole's Aboriginal grandmother also raised Ms Cole and was highly influential in Ms Cole's identification as an Aboriginal.''BOLT: ''The very pale Professor Larissa Behrendt, who may have been raised by her white mother but today, as a professional Aborigine, is chairman of our biggest taxpayer-funded Aboriginal television service.''
BROMBERG: ''The factual assertions made were erroneous. Professor Behrendt's Aboriginal father did not separate from her mother until Professor Behrendt was about 15 years old. Her father was always part of the family during her upbringing, even after that separation.''
BOLT: ''Larissa Behrendt has also worked as a professional Aborigine ever since leaving Harvard Law School, despite looking almost as German as her father … But which people are 'yours', exactly, mein liebchen? And isn't it bizarre to demand laws to give you more rights as a white Aborigine than your own white dad?''
BROMBERG: ''To her knowledge, there is no German descent on either her father or mother's side of the family although she assumes that because of her father's Germanic surname, there may have been some German descent.
Her paternal grandfather came to Australia from England. Mr Bolt also referred to her father as being white. Her father had dark skin.''
BOLT: ''Take the most prominent Yorta Yorta leaders - Melbourne University academic Wayne Atkinson and Victorian Traditional Owners Land Justice Group co-chair Graham Atkinson. Both are Aboriginal because their Indian great-grandfather married a part-Aboriginal woman.
''How can Graham Atkinson be co-chair of the Victorian Traditional Owners Land Justice Group when his right to call himself Aboriginal rests on little more than the fact that his Indian great-grandfather married a part-Aboriginal woman?''
BROMBERG: ''The facts given by Mr Bolt and the comment made upon them are grossly incorrect. The Atkinsons' parents are both Aboriginal as are all four of their grandparents and all of their great grandparents other than one who is the Indian great-grandfather that Mr Bolt referred to in the article.''
And just plain sick.
It's a stain on Australian journalism, and an unfortunate fallout for all journalists and editors at News Limited, many of whom now find themselves shuddering whenever their friends say the name "Andrew Bolt" in their company.
You'd be surprised at just how many Murdoch journalists and editors there are that feel that way.
Andrew Bolt's Reality Meltdown Over Fukushima


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Green Requiem
Green Requiem is found in Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories, Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain Of Memories, Kingdom Hearts: coded and Kingdom Hearts Re: Coded
[edit] Appearance
Green Requiem resembles a broken conical flask. It has a orange hat feature and a green main body. Like most Heartless, it has yellow glowing eyes. It has thin legs and feet that do not fit the body shape.
[edit] Strategy
Green Requiem are resistant to all magic and fly to a height that Sora cannot reach. They are most commonly found at the cliff area of the Deep Jungle and Wonderland.
The best way to defeat Green Requiem is equip Aerial Sweep and High Jump and attack it.
[edit] Journal Entries
[edit] Kingdom Hearts
Spellcasting Heartless. They heal themselves and other Heartless with Cure. They are slow-moving, but hover high in the air and absorb most magic attacks.
[edit] Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
A magic-wielding Heartless that drifts through the air. It doesn't attack, but it can cast Cure to heal other Heartless. The Green Requiem is slow, but is healed by basic elemental magic, making it tough to squash.
[edit] Kingdom Hearts Re: Coded
Spell-slinging Heartless that drift in midair, ready to cast Cure magic if one of their cohorts' HP drifts into the red. They can heal themselves, too, and will try to flee if you attack them. Good thing they don't have much HP.
Related ThreadsWhere Are Green Requiems? - last post by @ Mar 15, 2009
[?] Where Are The Green Requiems? - last post by @ Apr 10, 2007


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Solid Snake
|Solid Snake
Iroquois Pliskin
Old Snake
|Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid 2
Metal Gear Solid 4
|Created by
|Hideo Kojima
|Designed by
|Yoji Shinkawa
|Voice Actor (En)
|David Hayter
|Voice Actor (Jp)
|Akio Ōtsuka
[edit] Background
The legendary ex-FOXHOUND commando, and also one of the results of the Les Enfantes Terribles project, Snake has twice defeated the menace of Metal Gear. His former comrade Colonel Roy Campbell calls him back to duty to stop terrorists from using a Metal Gear they acquired during it's testing on Shadow Moses Island in Alaska. The leader of the terrorists is Liquid Snake, the twin brother of Solid and current commander of the Special Forces Unit FOXHOUND.
[edit] Games
List of games that Solid Snake appears in:
[edit] Metal Gear
Solid Snake first appeared on the MSX2 computer console in Japan, 1987, which was later ported to the NES for the Western market. Snake infiltrates the enemy fortress Outer Heaven in South Africa to destroy Metal Gear, and discovers that his own commanding officer, Big Boss, is responsible.
[edit] Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Snake is sent to Zanzibar Land, Central Asia, during the midst of a world oil crisis, in order to rescue the kidnapped inventor of an oil-producing microbe. Along the way, he encounters a new type of Metal Gear and, once again, does battle with Big Boss.
[edit] Metal Gear Solid
Snake's first appearance on the Playstation. In Metal Gear Solid, Snake is sent to Shadow Moses Island to investigate a military installation and uncover a deeper meaning behind what the base is hiding. What he finds is more than he'd bargained for. Meeting tons of new characters, plot twists abound and some of the best gameplay ever to grace the Playstation. Metal Gear Solid is a true legend of a game and still stands out of the crowd to this day, only being overshadowed by it's sequels.
[edit] Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty took a different spin on things and was given a varied reception by fans.
Aside from the different nature of the characters, the game brought back the same strategic gameplay that fans loved from the original Playstation version. The inherent lack of Snake after the first half hour on the Tanker is something which riled up some fans. The setting takes place in New York where a Tanker has been sunk after the discovery of it housing Metal Gear RAY. The Big Shell was built to clean up the mess from The tanker. With the absence of Snake from the main role, players are left with Raiden, the new guy. Snake plays a secondary role throughout the game helping Raiden along the way.
[edit] Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Taking place five years after MGS2, Snake is on a mission to kill his brother Liquid, but due to him being a clone he has aged significantly.
Related ThreadsNaked Snake vs Solid Snake vs Raiden - last post by @ Jul 16, 2005
Naked Snake vs Solid Snake vs Raiden (possible spoilers if havent finished mgs3) - last post by @ Apr 3, 2005
Escape from N.Y./L.A. Snake Pliskin = Solid Snake/Iriqoius Pliskin??? - last post by @ Jun 21, 2003
Solid Snake - Son of Big Boss - last post by @ Aug 15, 2003
Maby Proof That its not Solid Snake after all!!!!! - last post by @ Sep 20, 2005
This page has been accessed 15,405 times.


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On May 19, 2009, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release Paul Blart: Mall Cop on DVD, PSP UMD and Blu-ray.
Mild-mannered Paul Blart (Kevin James) has always had huge dreams of becoming a State Trooper. Until then, he patrols the local mall as a security guard. With his closely cropped moustache, personal transporter and gung-ho attitude, only Blart seems to take his job seriously, but all of that changes when a team of thugs raid the mall and take hostages. It will contain bonus materials and extra features, and the DVD will be available for the MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) of $28.96, while the Blu-ray will be available for the MSRP of $39.95. The PSP UMD will run for $24.94.
The Paul Blart: Mall Cop releases will feature the following bonus materials:
- Deleted Scenes
- "Fun on Set" – Wacky moments on-set including outtakes
- Commentary with Kevin James and Producer Todd Garner
- "Kevin James: Not Your Average Mall Cop" – A look at Kevin James and his many roles as actor, producer and co-writer
- "Stunts" – Stunts in the film
- "The Mall" – Experience of shooting in a shopping mall
- "On Set with Mike 'Rooftop' Escamilla" – Behind-the-scenes footage from a pro BMX biker
- "Mall Cop Response" – A mall security guard takes on a pro skater
- "Action Sports Junkies" – A look at the film's extreme sports actors
- "Mike V. vs. Mall Cop" – A pro skater takes on mall security while spray painting the mall
- "Free Running vs. Parkour" – A look at the extreme sports of parkour and free running
- "Thoughts with Kevin James" – Kevin James gives his random thoughts on malls, moustaches and how to become a mall cop
- "Sugar" – Follow a free runner through the mall as he races to get Kevin James sugar for his coffee
- Digital Copy (Blu-ray exclusive)
- cinechat (Blu-ray exclusive)
Check out the box art below:
Stay tuned to IGN DVD for more information about this and other upcoming releases!


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Love can blind you, and often times, you can be so blind that you don't know you're hurting. When you're dating, always listen to the honest opinions of close friends and family members who see the things you clearly can't. When you get three or more negative confirmations from your accountability regarding the girl or guy you are dating, you have yourself a problem. So then what? Fix it (there's a limit to this), or get out while you can.
Here are a few ways to reflect upon your relationship. Do you or your significant other feel any of these things?
- You Feel Unsafe
- Either he's verbally and emotionally abused you or taken a weapon and threatened you with it… get out now. Guys, this goes for you too with your girlfriends. If you feel anxious and worried about seeing her because of fear, don't be with her. You, reader, are fearfully and wonderfully made, created to experience and taste the goodness of the world in which you live. Do not waste your time with someone who makes you believe otherwise. Don't waste your worth on someone who can't see you for who you truly are. Find help, reach out to a friend, teacher, pastor, or parents, and make the change you need to move on and heal.
- You Don't Communicate
- When there's shallow communication or no real face-to-face conversations with your significant other, there's a possibility that you two don't understand one another nor do you intend to. Texting, messages, and email can be methods of conversation, but they shouldn't be the basis of how you communicate.
- Communication is a two way street, and the harder part is listening. If either you or your partner don't do your part in listening to the other, it might be an unnecessary relationship.
- There are also times when one side of the relationship is unable to speak honestly or openly with the other. This also leads to a break down in communication and ultimately the relationship. He or she may not be ready for a real relationship.
- You Can't Trust Him/Her
- Whether it's because of infidelity, numerous partners, or incessant flirting, you can't trust him/her. There is a healthy amount of "jealousy," one that brings about desires of being with one person and one person alone. But if it's to a point where you (or the bf/gf) have become overbearing, constantly texting, asking about whereabouts, or even stalking, you obviously don't trust him/her.
- Without trust, a relationship cannot stand. One person cannot build and hold up the relationship on his/her own. It takes two to tango, and if he/she cheats on you, bring your worth to someone who will cherish it.
- It's an Unhealthy (Physical) Relationship
- With recent trends of couples moving in together, living together before marriage, and sleeping together before committing to one another, the culture has set the tone for relationships to be unhealthy off the bat. Once you've crossed it, it's nearly impossible to uncross it if you continue to be with him/her. The best way to heal is to take time off.
- But when it comes to "Netflix and Chill," and the guy/gal just can't chill and keep his hands to himself, you need a reality check. Every time a physical act happens between a man and female, a part of him/herself is forever lost. That one moment of fiery passion can ruin your lifetime of true intimacy and marriage with your future beloved.
- You Can't See a Future with Him/Her
- If you can't see yourself growing, loving, and committing to this person in the next ten years, you shouldn't be together. Yes, there's a period of time in which one should get to know someone, but if it's been 3-5 years of "getting to know one another" aka being together without intent to get married, don't waste your time.
- People can say lofty things to get you to do things you don't necessarily want, but have respect for yourself and just say no. Remember, it's never official until there's a ring, and you're going down the aisle.
If you have any thoughts on the topic of break ups, feel free to leave a comment. If you don't find yourself agreeing with the 5 points on this post, perhaps you've found the one! Here's my link to another post on 10 Reasons Why You Belong Together.


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The number of Macs shipped in 2006 is expected to more than double compared to 2005, jumping up from 4.5 million to 10 million. According to DigiTimes, this is good news for Appleis manufacturing partners Foxconn Electronics, Quanta Computer, and Asustek Computer. Foxconn manufactures the Mac mini, Quanta produces the PowerBook and MacBook Pro, and Asustek makes the iBook and iMac.
Last year, Apple shipped 4.5 million Macs. The introduction of the Intel-based Mac in January, and the MacBook Pro which started shipping on February 14, are expected to help boost Mac sales.
The transition of the rest of the Mac product line from G4 and G5 chips to the Intel Core chip should be completed by the end of 2006.


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Academic Service Learning
California's Call to Service
San Marcos, California ·
(760) 750-4055 Office of Community Service Learning
Fax: ( 760) 750-3550 Dr. Lynda Gaynor, Director
Community Service Graduation Requirement
At the annual CSU conference on Service Learning, 9/30-10/1/99
in Los Angeles, campus directors of Service Learning in the CSU
were charged with creating proposals, including budgets, that respond
to Governor Davis call for community service as a graduation
requirement for all CA public universities and colleges. The proposals
were to be submitted to the campus Academic Senates who would send
recommendations to the statewide Academic Senate and also were to
be submitted to the Chancellors office to be collated with
the other campus responses for an integrated CSU response. At CSUSM,
this document written by Lynda Gaynor, Director of the OCSL, was
accepted by the Academic Senate on November 10, 1999 for inclusion
with the recommendations of its own task force which were then forwarded
to the statewide Academic Senate.
* * *
The practice of service dignifies a civilized society. Developing
an appreciation of community needs, and developing civic engagement
and a service ethic are valid goals of higher education. However,
we wish to be on record as advocating for the encouragement of VOLUNTARY
rather than mandatory community service. This is a matter of principle.
It is also a matter of pragmatics. It would be extraordinarily difficult
to create and monitor huge numbers of truly educational community
service experiences for students and it is of questionable usefulness
to inundate a community with huge numbers of short-term, untrained
volunteers. There are many ways that an appreciation of voluntary
community service can be developed in higher education through adequate
incentives and creative exposure to the community. There are many
reasons to believe that service that is embraced willingly will
leave a more positive legacy in the future lives of the students
and in the community. That said, we shall address the task as charged.
Assumptions: The actual number of service hours proposed
is unknown, but for this discussion, I will assume 36 hours; the
number could be 30 or 48 or something else. In fact, it would be
difficult for community organizations to make use of volunteers
for even this little time, let alone less, and it is not likely
that a much greater number of hours would be proposed.
It would be likely that there would be some articulation with the
community colleges service requirement, but it is also possible
that university graduates would have a second requirement.
Since this is too unknown at this point, I will assume for our
discussion that all CSUSM students would complete the service requirement
at CSUSM. It is proposed that the requirement would
be phased in beginning with the freshman class in the Fall, 2000
and so the full impact on university resources would not be felt
immediately. For purposes of these calculations, I will assume 1000
students per year in community service, although with our projected
growth this number would rapidly.
OPTION I: Independent Community Service
This option is possible theoretically, so it is being presented;
however, it has not been well received among faculty because it
is questionable educationally, questionable in community benefit,
and a drain on University resources.
Many students already do volunteer service on their own or through
organizations to which they belong, and other students can be directed
to do likewise. With this option, the University forgoes interest
in influencing the learning outcomes that occur during the community
service, although learning outcomes may certainly occur. The University
also largely forgoes responsibility for the nature of the impact
on the community of the students community activity; we must
be aware that students can have positive or negative impacts
on people they try to "help". To meet the requirements, students
could use community service activities in which they are already
engaged, find projects on their own, or independently consult the
database on the Office of Service Learning website. There would
be no tuition and no academic credit. Students would have a project
representative sign off for their hours on a timesheet. If desired,
there could be a simple Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory checklist evaluation
from the project representative that could accompany the time sheet
(with a minimum level of satisfactory responses required), or there
might be no evaluation at all. Risk management procedures somewhat
like those currently used for Service-Learning courses could be
used, or not. Students make their own arrangements for what they
want to do with their service time, within whatever basic limitations
the University might set.
BUDGET: This option has the lowest budget but that
does not take into account the "cost" of lost potential
learning or of possible negative impact on the community of student
activity. Also, the cost is entirely absorbed by the University
since there is no tuition/FTE's produced. The estimated cost of
this option for 1000 students per year:
3 CA II FTE to handle risk management forms, if used,
verify students service hours, transmit verification to Admissions
& Records and enter on transcript records, and maintain a database
of volunteer opportunities, ideally with student evaluations of
the learning value of the volunteer opportunities. (Figures based
on annual salary of $25,164 & benefits of $9,284)
17,224 .5 Community Service Coordinator
Plus 6% for University growth and 3% inflation/yr annually for
the next 2 yrs.
QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED: There would be many questions
to be answered. It should be noted that some of these questions
also would have to be addressed in the other options presented.
OPTION II: Community Service Class
This option involves a regularly meeting class (2/3 credit hours),
possibly meeting on alternating weeks, throughout the semester,
with more or less regular weekly community service time, say, a
minimum of 3 hours/week for 12 weeks within a single site/project,
or a meaningful combination of sites focussed on the same issue.
Course would carry tuition, be for academic credit with either a
letter grade or CR/NC. Potentially, it could be incorporated into
General Education as part of the GEL (Lifelong Learning) course.
Course readings and discussion and written assignments would focus
on the problem area to which the students service is related,
community needs and issues (social, educational, environmental,
political, health) in general, issues involved in creating change,
being an engaged citizen, and in the nature and philosophy of service
itself. Ongoing reflection would be expected and is a hallmark of
such a course (through written work, class discussion, or other
creative means). The student would also receive ongoing feedback
from the instructor (and possibly from other students) on their
reflections from which they can grow in their understanding of the
issues they face in the service placement and of their own reactions.
Community service placements would be arranged collaboratively
by the student and the instructor and the community project with
the help of a placement coordinator using an expanded version of
the database of the Office of Community Service Learning. The same
risk management procedures as apply to our current Service Learning
courses would apply. The quality of student learning is greatly
enhanced when the course instructor has a good understanding of
the placement sites and when good coordination with the site supervisor
is maintained and site visits by instructors would be encouraged.
Instructors might therefore limit their students' selection of placements
to a number that the instructor can reasonably have the time to
coordinate. The site supervisors input might be used in the
final course evaluation of the student, along with the instructors.
When students do community service and participate in the "real
world", particularly "worlds" with which they are not already
familiar, they are exposed to the complicated dilemmas of the world.
Their values, attitudes, and previous life experiences may be significantly
challenged by what they experience, and indeed, this is one of the
sources of learning inherent in community service. The class meetings
would support the students in dealing with their personal reactions
to what they encounter in the community, allow students to reflect
on their own attitudes and values, explore unconsidered alternatives,
and assist in defusing reactions that could lead to destructive
interactions with community members if left unattended. Instructors,
with consultation from a Community Service Coordinator or the Director
of Community Service Learning or other appropriate person, would
be responsible for troubleshooting problems between the student
and the field. Classes would need to be sized for responsible monitoring
of the students' performance. (Class size is unknown but just for
purposes of some budget estimates the number 25 is being used.)
Students reflections would be expected to go beyond the reporting
of experiences and their personal reactions to them. Reflections
would be evaluated with respect to the deepening of students' understanding
of the complex issues with which they are working and their ability
to integrate the content of the course readings and lectures with
their field experience.
Clearly, this kind of course is unlike most other academic courses
and will require more development than can be described here. However,
there are people experienced with this type of course and this type
of teaching, and their consultation is important in the responsible
development of the course. If a 36-hour community service requirement
were met through a 2-credit course in classes of 25, for an instructor
to monitor students service work, it would take 40 sections
to meet the needs of 1000 students each year. This could mean the
equivalent of 5 full time faculty capable of doing this type of
teaching. Another option would be to use 10 part-time Teaching Associates
(if we have access to people with the background and necessary skills),
with the Teaching Associates supervised by a part-time senior faculty
member experienced with the content issues and process skills germane
to the course. Conceivably, a 500 level course could be developed
for this group of T.A.s to develop their knowledge of community
service learning, and their skills in-group process teaching and
other skills demanded their role. The faculty member could be attached
to the Office of Community Service Learning or be part of the duties
of the Director of the OCSL (assuming an expanded time base).
BUDGET: This option brings resources (tuition/FTEs) to the
University but requires a re-allocation of total resources.
$272,450 5 Faculty FTE (based on annual salary of $40, 940 plus
$13,550 in benefits)
103,344 3 Placement Coordinators
103,344 3 CA II (salary base as in Option I)
17,224 .5 Community Service Coordinator (salary base as in
Option I)
2,500 Faculty Educational Development
1,200 Local travel
Plus 6% for university growth and 3% for inflation annually for
2 years
- or -
172,455 5 Graduate Teaching Associates FTE (based on the mid-point
of $2,620/mo.
for 9 months, no benefits)
54,490 1 Faculty T.A. Instructor/Coordinator (salary base as
103,344 3 Placement Coordinators(salary base as in Option I)
5,000 T.A. Educational Development
OPTION III: Discipline-Based Service Learning
This option builds on our present structure but would require a
more consistent definition of what constitutes a Community Service-Learning
course. There may be faculty who would want to continue making use
of some "real world" activity as part of the learning in their courses,
but not wish to meet all the factors necessary to be a designated
Service-Learning course. The use of Option III would require that
there be enough faculty interested in doing this discipline-based
community service type of teaching to consistently mount 40 Service-Learning
courses per year spread throughout the curriculum (for 1000 students).
Also, in the case of many disciplines, in order to cover the required
academic material and also produce a high quality Service-Learning
experience with time for adequate student reflection and faculty
feedback, it would be wise to pursue an additional credit hour for
the course (for both faculty and students). The additional credit
hour would allow both for the community service time and for additional
regular (not necessarily weekly) class meetings for reflection,
and for responsibly dealing with the kinds of reactions that arise
during service work in order to improve the chances of the students'
learning experience being a positive one. The reflection assignments
would be expected to go beyond a reporting of experiences and personal
reactions and demonstrate the integration of the field experience
with the academic course content (or in the case of some internship
courses, the academic content of previous related courses). It is
possible that the service activity could be structured so that it
was spread over a series of courses in a particular discipline in
a planned integrated way and then the total number of service hours
would be divided among the series of courses.
A commonly accepted definition of Service-Learning courses includes:
citizenship, the process of creating change, and the philosophy
of service
It should be noted, that, with the exception of some socio-psychological
and Humanistic/process education faculty, university faculty are
experts in their discipline fields of study and do not necessarily
consider themselves experts in exploring students' feelings, attitudes,
and values or in managing the group dynamics of a classroom situation
in which personal reactions are in themselves the material through
which learning is to occur. Students, especially those working with
populations or in situations for which their personal backgrounds
have not prepared them, can have strong emotional reactions to experiences
that can occur during community service and they can experience
confrontation with their own values. This is in fact part of the
learning opportunity available in the Service-Learning experience,
but facilitating this process so that it can have a positive outcome
for students and for the community, may not be something for which
many faculty would feel prepared.
In this option, therefore, it would be important to build in many
supports for faculty: Opportunities for ongoing learning, relevant
conference attendance, on-campus faculty development opportunities,
and a faculty member with expertise in the dynamics of such teaching
available as a consultant to faculty in their expanded roles. This
faculty member could be attached to the Office of Community Service
Learning, or this function could be part of the job description
of the Director of OCSL if the time base were to be expanded. Faculty
would also need more help with community placement arrangements
than is currently available through OCSL. Another support to faculty
might be a 1-credit or mini-course in which some basic groundwork
is laid before entering the Community Service-Learning class. This
mini-course could deal with some of the issues that were discussed
under Option II's Community Service course to provide an initial
orientation so that the regular academic service-learning faculty
could assume a foundation on which to build. Such a course could
be a segment of Area E of General Education taken before or concurrently
with a discipline-based service-learning course and be a preparation
for community activity. Conceivably discipline based service-learning
faculty themselves might pass through a similar orientation in order
to have a shared foundation with their future students.
$108,922 2 Faculty FTE (due to additional credit hours to SL
27,245 .5 Faculty FTE, Faculty Service Learning Development
150,000 Faculty Development
1,000 Resource Library
1,200 Local Travel
2,200 Printing Service Learning Guides
2,000 Community Partners Education/Support
OPTION IV: Combination of Options II and III
This option would not require as much additional staff as Option
II (fewer class sections could be offered) nor as many qualified
service learning courses as in Option III, because students could
choose to do their community service requirement through one path
or the other.
$500,408/478,906 Midpoint between budget of Options II and III
(faculty option/T.A. options)
Plus 6% for university growth and 3% for inflation annually for
2 years


text: A hello from the Midlands in South Africa! I was really happy to find this site to get help with catering portions for a large wedding we're doing in 2 weeks time. Really appreciate the advice people have given out. We're opening up a bakery on our farm shortly as well as a coffee shop but have been doing weddings for a few years now. We've always hired outside caterers but have had a few disasters so going to keep it in-house. Our main business though is supporting community permaculture gardens and buying and selling fresh veggies. I meant to type this out about an hour ago but got totally distracted looking at the pictures of everyone's desserts. I am not a professional chef and don't have the time to take off to go to school for that but am an experienced cook and love learning new ways of doing things as well as taking classes inbetween life on weekends.


text:
Flame (at The Empire), Leicester Square
The Casino at The Empire, 5-6 Leicester Street, Soho
Phone: 02072877711 Fax: 02030141000
Leicester Square (only 193m away)
Housed in the Casino at the Empire, close to London's Leicester Square, the Flame restaurant is burning brightly. Flame, the Empire's signature grill restaurant, serves a delectable selection of popular European dishes. Flame specialises in fresh cuts of meat and fish, as well as lighter alternatives such as soups and salads to cater to any appetite and budget. For the real Flame experience, try the 20oz King of Steaks signature dish - fit for any King and well-suited to share with a Queen. Please be aware that you must be over 18 to enter and please bring valid ID. Management reserve the right to refuse entry.
Average Price
Main Course £11
Three Course Meal £25
Three Course Meal £25
Open hoursOpen from 18:00 to 01:00, Tuesday to Saturday.
email firstname.lastname@example.com
website www.thecasinolsq.com
Recent Customer Reviews of Flame (at The Empire)
Popular Local Sights
National Portrait Gallery
St Martins Place. Open Mon-Fri 1000-1700 Sat-Sun 1000-1800.
International Restaurants near Leicester Square:
|Cafe De Paris
only 96m away, near Leicester Square
|Sound London
next to, near Leicester Square
|Katana (at The International)
273m away, near Leicester Square
|Asia de Cuba
305m away, near Leicester Square
|TGI Fridays
only 144m away, near Leicester Square
|The Stockpot Restaurant
337m away, near Leicester Square
|Cafe Lazeez
under half a mile away, near Piccadilly Circus
386m away, near Covent Garden


text:
Showcase a custom-designed bath vanity with this sophisticated transitional four-light bath light.More Details >
Hinkley creates a masterful piece inspired by traditional elegance and updated with modern materials. Gorgeous antique nickel steel on its oval wall plate and mounting bar adds a refined, classic look. Four flared etched opal glass shades continue the balanced design pattern, while finials made from faceted crystal add a delicate finishing touch. This transitional four-light bath light offers a tasteful, sophisticated accent for stylish master or guest bath areas.


text:
Asian Retailers Suspend U.S. Beef Imports
Two major South Korean chains have stopped selling U.S. beef following detection of mad cow disease in a single animal in California. The WSJ's Deborah Kan speaks to reporter Alex Frangos about whether more will follow suit.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... and ... the ... end of the major news straight to the major South Korean retailers have suspended imports at U S beef ... following ... the detection and a one match out ... I'm on a dairy farm in California I'm joined now by reporter Alex Frangos ... a K Alix said this is a big lead in the U S Mike and I mean it wasn't that long ago that South Korea ... gave the green light for beef and imports into the country indictments of the many regional and Arrow detection us back into the three-year time ... South Korea and Japan were big importers of US beef they both walked imports ... in one to protect the population ... aam and it's a long time for those restrictions to to be let up in ... aam is that the imports of the extras from us and never got back up to the pre met cab level ... now we have protection Cal for use in a rendering factories that ... was a Calvin was Ardi idea was that ... and Jerry Cavite has died ... aged these random tests they ... did detect a day ... and down you know that set off ... in a new fears about whether there's ... there's more cases ... than in South Korea what they've done is that the authorities had not banned get any ... aam you know imports of American beef with two big retailers of unilaterally said for taking American beef up their shelves because ... there's a there's a big part in a cream population is a very sensitive this matters a lot of protests about it ... back into thousandeight ... aam is the issue with the free trade agreement between the US in Korea so the retailers to try to head off any controversy visible words can take a proper show I remember as protests that in fact when the FTA with ads like ... the taste of what is this mean to other countries to on our game putting us before one to import that US beef into Asia ... well I mean it's it's not just be that you know Carol Zoe is very early this week about you know why the animals being brought into China freezes for its dairy industry ... aam day after a while and Australia New Zealand in Europe wide which have not had any history of mad cow ... to bring in those animals can relate to bring in the American ones cuz they're the best in the world of the year they produce the most ... but not you authorities in China are just now can ... allow that in there with some Hopewell had been at Callan ... you know since it's a nice is two thousandsix ... ALM so maybe a few years District import American housing and white white animals but that seems off the table now that there's this detection ... okay so I'm at it what can you cover and add in DeKalb in and and and that's how do these before so what is it mean they detected one k like how easily does it spread in and how threatening is that really to the food chain well it's the it's insidious is the problem is it a night you QQQQ detected in an animal urine test but he would not show up in human after eating ... the meat usually from that the brain or spinal column or ... in some comics and hamburgers on like that ... aam you when to check for seven to ten years so ... years really hard to know and so authorities wanted the super overly cautious ... and prevented from getting into the into the food chain you know the because it becomes very difficult ... the odds are that the major you're spreading of of ... mad cow back in the UK and had to call thousands and thousands of animals huge cost of fuel hundred people died you know it's a very debilitating horrible ... inhuman so it ... is very concerned ... they said the fact that they found one POW in California and they're likely to be others of the we don't know I mean some some scientists say that this can be really just a one off case ... wasn't something that was spread from another cat in this KAL ... aam yogurts of the that that the farmers have ... tightened their the way to the feed the calves use to be that they would basically feed ... in rendered calloused to live callousness was away or recycle them ... into bad spinal tissue and and and brain tissue that carried the ... dead ... Matt Carroll ... you know put plans are called ... um yeah that's the ... that's been basically you eliminated hopefully ... but you sometimes scientists say that they can just pop up in a random Cal um yeah so maybe it's just really difficult to see and to completely eliminate but you know ... you forget and if China the more safe than an honest and yet I guess the reason why had they need to be more than talent ... okay thanks Fran that's Alix Angus ... you're watching Asia Today and DeVore Khan ...


text:
Turnover trouble Chester's title hopes end in 49-12 loss to Maroa
Chester High School's march to the IHSA Class 2A state title came to an abrupt end as the Yellowjackets were unable to overcome a dominate second half from Maroa-Forsyth in the second round payoff game Nov. 3 at W.O. Smith Field. After holding the Maroa-Forsyth to 9-point gap at halftime, the Trojans went on a 35-0 run in the second half to take a to back to take a 49-12 victory over the Yellowjackets and advance to the Class 2A Elite Eight.
Nov 7, 2018 10:56 AM


text:
Now I don't always do tags. But…heroines. They are fabulous. (Thanks Carina and Haley @ My Addiction Books!)
(Unfortunately, I don't know who invented this tag or if it has an official button.)
1. Which heroine would you trade places with?
Most of the books I read people end up a) tortured, b) murdered, or c) choosing between two boys…and I don't want to be in any of those situations. Because a) I'm allergic to pain, b) I like life, and c) I hate decisions.
I'll say Puck from The Scorpio Races becuase I would like to ride a horse on a beach (the potentially getting eaten by sea horses is a downside). Perks are, of course, Sean. And an aura of fabulousness.
Unfortunately the most horse riding I've ever done is a small pony ride around a market when I was, like, 9 years old. So I would die if I entered this book.
2. Which heroine would you push off a cliff and hope that there are some jagged rocks at the bottom?
I think this is an extraordinarily mean question. I wouldn't want to push anyone off a cliff…because that's awful.
I refuse to answer.
3. Heroine you couldn't care less about? They're so bland that they don't even trigger the hate in you?
There are many female protagonists I think are really bland and could use some…muchness. I'm not sure they've lost their muchness because they didn't have any to begin with. BUT. I'm totally aware that just because I don't like a heroine doesn't mean someone else doesn't.
I felt Nora from Hush, Hush was awfully bland. And I didn't see much spark in Rio from Atlantia. She could swim, though. That's something.
4. Heroine you thought you wouldn't like and ending up liking and vice versa?
Thought I Wouldn't Like: I go into every book thinking I'll like the characters! But…well, Tella from Fire & Flood had me dubious. She was concerned about her hairbrush going into a jungle survival adventure?! UM. Then I realised that her bubbly spunkiness made her this incredibly complex person who I totally admired. I WAS WRONG. SHE IS AWESOME.
Thought I WOULD Like: I totally expected to love Amy from Say What You Will, but she was a complete bully and, yeah, she had a disability…but she had no respect for other people's disabilities/illnesses because they weren't as drastic as her own.
5. Side heroine who is much more interesting than main heroine?
OH! This goes to Isabelle from The Mortal Instruments series without even a second though. Isabelle is like an insecure but very sharp piece of glass. She's all out high heels and stabbing people. WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE?! Clary (the main heroine) is all about…um, Jace. She has a one track mind, which I admire her for.
Gosh, for 6 books and several thousand pages all Clary cares about is one naturally blonde dude. I couldn't have that kind of focus!
I've only been writing this post for a little while and already I'm thinking about 554 million things including origami paper cranes, a sudden need for chocolate, my puppy eating my entire leg, how I need to write a discussion, if I'm doing too many tags, when am I going to organise my blog's pages, and I HAVEN'T GOT MY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS ORGANISED.
6. Which heroine would you want as your friend?
I want to be friends with Maddie and Verity from Code Name Verity so so badly. Verity would be hilarious and inspiring and indomitable. And Maddie would calm and probably make delicious sandwiches and she also flies planes which is cool.
I mean, I actually want to put Celaena Sardothien in this section but I think her personality would squash me and eat me for breakfast.
7. Which heroine do you wish would just CHOOSE (between the guys in her little love triangle)?
WELL, HELLO THERE ALYSSA. We all know I'm a little too emotionally invested in the Splintered trilogy by A.G. Howard (the last book comes in January) and…well, my vote for the love-triangle is Morpheus. It is no secret.
I am terrified Jeb will win. I think it's rather obvious that Alyssa should choose Morpheus. Firstly, she gets to rule Wonderland which would be equally awesome as well as freaky. Secondly, she would have little blue-haired Morphlings. And thirdly, because I said so and she should listen to me.
8. "Bad girl" heroine?
I think the only answer to this is Celaena Sardothien whose name I cannot spell but who loves books and clothes and has a sharp wit and who'd rather read and eat cake than do anything else.
Also she kind of kills people for a living. But we all make small bad life decisions.
(I want to honourably mention Maggie from Disruption too, who absolutely kicks butt. Also Karou from Daughter of Smoke And Bone.)
9. "Good girl" heroine?
Oh I always like people who make bad life decisions. (What?! They're relatable!) I think Cress from Cress could be considered a good girl even though she does bad things. Because she doesn't MEAN to do bad things. And she does square dancing exercises in a space shuttle that orbits earth just to stay fit. I think she's a good girl.
10. Your favorite heroine of them all? (If you can't choose, pick your top 3.)
Let me take deep breaths.
Because this is a hard question. (Even top 3 is hard.)
I've got to say Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass, Blue Sargent from The Raven Boys, and Cath from Fangirl. I relate to them because:
Celaena: likes cake. I like cake.
Blue: Is sarcastic and also intelligent and just downright awesome…well, fine, nothing like me.
Cath: Is a shy introverted awkward writer and also consumes peanut butter as a meal in order to avoid other people. I understand.
I do bet none of these picks surprised you.
Engie @ Musings From Neville's Navel || Emily @ The Loony Teen Writer || Kelly @ Diva Booknerd || Taylor @ Paper Daydreams
(Feel free to do this tag if you want too!)
SO! question for you, my blogglings. which bookish heroines would you have as a friend? let me knoooow in the comments!
Cait is doing an awful lot of tags recently and she hopes you don't mind. But the questions are fun! And it's December, which is totally a month designated for funness. (Plus Cait has an allergy/cold and is currently brain dead.) She's finally steeled her fangirling heart and is reading BLUE LILY LILY BLUE. Oh. the. feels.


text:
....well, there are two sides of the ocean:As WORLD5 is literally a global band :
Let us introduce the former german and now swedish and new zealand citizens:
1982: Founding Members Raimund Breitfeld on drums and Steffen Goeres on guitars
|Raimund Breitfeld , Steffen Goeres
"At that time the electric shavers haven´t been invented yet, the guitars were quite big and a part of the drums missed the shape they nowadays have."
|Raimund Breitfeld - drums, percussion WORLD5
During his high school days Raimund and his good friend Steffen Goeres performed together in several Rock and Pop bands. Steffen's skills on the guitar was so advanced that he was already doing solo concerts as a teenager. Steffen was so dedicated that he literally slept with his guitar. Raimund couldn´t keep up with Steffen on guitar and since there were very few drummers in their small town and their skills were moderate Raimund found his calling behind the drums. Drum lessons, music academy and the college of music followed and he ended up with a degree as a drummer and music teacher.
Read the complete bio at http://www.world5music.com
|Meet the band : WORLD5´s homepage
2011: The Single "You and I" was the first WORLD5 release together with former members Don Bruner, Roland Childs and Stephen Goessl.


text:
I went crabbing yesterday with some friends. We put bacon onto hooks and hung them over the side of the pier by the sea. The water was shallow and the biggest crabs were missing. At first some shrimps nibbled at the bacon, pulling it about.
Then some very smalll crabs made their way towards the shrimps, and came for the bacon too.
Some of the crabs fought each other for a place near the bacon. Quite soon a few bigger crabs bcame out of the seaweed to nibble at the hook. Here is one walking sideways.
And here is one feeding. You can see its mouth parts. It was more interested in the bacon than in us.
Then we were able to start pulling them up to loook at them. They hid in the grass and eventually we let them go.
Some of them were still able to feed on the shore. Here's one now.
A last few photos of the green crab. These are shore crabs. Here is some information. They are a small, non-aggressive Crab, but the males do have large claws which can inflict a nasty nip and so should still be handled with care. They wander around scavenging on uneaten scraps of food, helping to keep the sand and water clean. Like all crustaceans, Shore Crabs grow by moulting (casting their shell).
And this one which was red.