text:
First off, to all of the males reading this, I've got some news for you. You are different than females because of a single chromosome that we call the Y chromosome. Like your other chromosomes, it has a pair; but unlike the rest of your chromosomes, the Y is very different than its pair that we call the X chromosome. The reason your Y is different is because a mutation occurred that did not properly copy the second X pair. Instead the organism was left with a small, shriveled up version of an X. Guys, we're a mutation.
Luckily, that random mutation allowed for the same species to have two different sexes that could recombine their haploid cells to produce more diverse offspring. More diverse offspring means there is a higher chance of one of them finding success and reproducing themselves.
The Y isn't responsible for producing the male structures, though it does play a role in which hormones are released into the body throughout development. You've probably heard of two of the most common hormones: testosterone and estrogen. You probably also think that testosterone is the male hormone and estrogen is the female. In reality, you all have a little of both, though males will have a much greater amount of testosterone and females will produce much more estrogen. One of the key reasons for this comes from the adaptation of mammals to carry their young during the earliest stages of development; you know this as pregnancy.
Pregnancy is basically a leech inside the female that steals the nutrients from its host. It's a good thing they're so cute when they come out! The female's need for pregnancy meant that estrogen became the main sex hormone to help in fat storage. This makes sense as you want to have plenty of energy in reserve for when the leech steals from you. It also meant that testosterone, a hormone that helps in the breakdown of fat and reallocation to muscle, was suppressed. This is why it's easier for males to build muscle and keep off fat than it is for women, the hormones help.
We've painted a picture of two members of the same species: one that is much better able to build up muscle, and another that had a more difficult time and had the burden of carrying a growing leech for 9 months at a time. Unfortunately for females, predation is a violent game and more muscles meant that males were better at violence and therefore better at hunting. Violence is also a very primitive form of communication: violence inspires fear and if something fears you, it will obey you to avoid further violence.
Our species is one where males are generally stronger and more violent than females, who are the carriers and nurturers of the offspring. Hunting also brought in a large amount of food and inspired much greater stories than gathering. Males would be honored for great actions in the hunt while females toiled away with their less heroic tasks. Is it any wonder why those men thought they were better than women?
To our ancestors, the primary purpose of females was to produce offspring and since they could only carry one at a time (usually) they were seen as "occupied" when they were pregnant. Wanting for more offspring, particularly sons, men found a way to maximize his children. More women meant more children so the first marriages allowed for a single man to have many wives. Marriages helped to further solidify the role of women as property rather than fellow humans since men would sell their daughters to other men for resources or negotiation.
It's taken a long time but we have slowly phased out the idea that women are property with the implementation of monogamy in various religions; but the idea lives on today! Brides are still walked down the aisle by their fathers as a symbolic "giving away." Wedding invitations often request your presence for the union of Mr. and Mrs. "Guy's Name Only."
This mindset of male superiority only exists because it has been propagated over generations. Males are conditioned from a very young age to assume a dominant role while females are trained to be more subservient. Even today, women are more often raised with a mindset to remain quiet and listen while men are encouraged to speak their mind. Any equality between the sexes vanished when those roles are established. Our ancestors created a self-fulfilling prophesy to ensure males would remain dominant over females.
That sexist mindset has existed among both sexes for long enough for it to become institutionalized: the people in charge were raised to believe men are superior. The institutionalization has also inspired an extreme version of female sexuality. If you're in the grocery store and see a magazine with a man on the cover and one with a woman on the cover, who is more likely to be half naked? We have added expectations to the role that women play by requiring them to look good. While guys can just roll out of bed and start their day, girls now feel the societal pressure to put paint and powder on their faces to change their appearance.
It's gotten to the point where it's almost hard for women to fight this trend because of the societal pressure from other women. A girl not wearing makeup causes people to wonder why. We wonder "is she trying to make a statement?" "Is she against other women?" "Is she against the expectations?" It's a very delicate line to walk. We have a ways to go to rediscover true equality, but it helps to understand where the mindset comes from for us to solve it. Remember that all problems can be solved if the problem is fully understood. It won't be easy, but there's work to be done here.


text:
Nova Vita's proactive and innovative approach to ending the cycle of violence involves close working relationships with the police, Victims Services of Brant, the Sexual Assault Centre of Brant, school boards and many other local organizations and social service agencies. The Children's Aid Society of Brant, the City of Brantford – Ontario Works and Housing Resource Centre, the Brant County Health Unit and Addictions Services of Brant provide on-site services for Nova Vita clients.
- BRAVE Committee: Nova Vita is currently the co-chair of the B.R.A.V.E (Brant's Response Against Violence Everywhere) committee, a committee composed of 21 organizations providing services to victims of domestic violence. Additionally, as Chair of BRAVE, Nova Vita is the lead organization in a 24 month Status of Women Canada project "No More" campaign – a community engagement project to engage young men and boys in partnership with women an girls to help end gender based violence in our community.
- Emergency Service Providers Committee: Nova Vita is chair of a committee composed of hostel providers, shelter providers and domiciliary hostel providers – the committee's purpose is to monitor trends, identify gaps in service and share information.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
If you're using Edmodo Snapshot, you already know how easy it is to assess and gather student data on Common Core progress. Looking for a quick way to find relevant, standards-aligned resources that can help you close learning gaps? The search is over.
With a new Resource Recommendations feature, you can now use Snapshot to actually help students learn and do better (and save yourself time in the process). Just like the micro-assessments Snapshot creates, its recommended resources are free, standards-aligned, automatically surfaced for you, and:
- Designed for students who are borderline or behind in a specific standard
- Diversified to include a mix of activities, games, lesson plans, and more
- Easy to browse, preview, and assign—right from your Snapshot Reports page
Resources for TEKS and SOL
Currently, the recommendations within Snapshot focus on Common Core. As a library of content for Texas and Virginia standards is being built into Snapshot, educators can find TEKS- and SOL-aligned resources using Edmodo Search, or through the Discover page. All you have to do is search for a standard (e.g. TEKS 2.a) or standard-related keyword, then click "Resources" on the left-hand side of the results page. The more you search, the more personalized your recommendations will become.
The best part? Because Edmodo is a social learning network, you can trust that the resources you find are being tried and tested by other teachers. And rest assured that what's proving successful for them is being recommended to you.


text:
July 26, 2016 (McDonald's Earnings Results and New Home Sales)
Close to 40% of the S&P 500 will report their quarterly results this week. That includes McDonald's, which will report before the open on Tuesday. That report, and the New Home Sales report for June, will be two of the key items to watch.
(1) McDonald's Second Quarter Earnings Report (before the open)
- Importance:
- MCD is the seventh highest-priced stock in the price-weighted Dow Jones Industrial Average
- Company, including franchisees, is one of the largest employers in the U.S., so what it says about wage trends will carry some influence in terms of affecting inflation expectations and profit margins for industry peers and other services-providing companies
- McDonald's is a multinational company, deriving close to 70% of its 2015 revenue outside the U.S., so it provides telling insight on global consumer spending activity and the impact of foreign exchange
- Shares of MCD are up 8% year-to-date and 32% over the last 52 weeks, reflecting the company's improved operating performance and investors' heightened expectations that the encouraging results and guidance from McDonald's will continue. Failure to deliver on those expectations could prompt a material drop in its stock price.
- April Q1:
- Q1 comps benefited from tailwinds that are not necessarily recurring, such as Leap Day, milder weather, and a strong sales recovery in Japan
- Expects macro uncertainties and decreasing consumer purchasing power to remain headwinds through the rest of 2016
- Expects existing labor pressures to negatively impact U.S. company-operated margins by 350 to 400 basis points in the second quarter
- At current rates, currency translation is expected to be less of a headwind, and is now estimated to negatively impact the second quarter by $0.02 to $0.04 per share and the full-year by $0.05 to $0.07 per share
- Believes there is strong momentum in all of its markets
- Remains on track to achieve its net annual G&A savings target of $500 million, the majority of which is expected to be realized by the end of 2017
Options Activity:
A large sweep of September 130 Calls were bought in MCD which leads to the notion of further upside for the next sixty days or so.
Click here to listen to my podcast and learn more about my theory on relationships and the stock market.
Stocks to watch:
- YUM Brands (YUM)
- Wendy's (WEN)
- Jack in the Box (JACK)
- Restaurant Brands International (QSR) [parent of Burger King and Tim Hortons]
- Panera Bread (PNRA)
- Shake Shack (SHAK)
- Bojangles (BOJA)
- Starbucks (SBUX)
- Dunkin Donuts (DNKN)
- Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY)... MCD is fifth largest holding at 4.73% of assets
New Home Sales Report for June (10:00 a.m. ET)
- Why it's important
- New sales are seen as a big indicator for economic activity. This will give some insight to the strength of the local economy.
Existing home sales are counted when the sale of the property actually closes
- New home construction creates jobs and spending on building materials, so the report offers some insight on the potential multiplier effect of new home construction
- New home sales in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 551,000, down 6.0% from the revised April rate of 586,000 and below the prior 3-month average of 544,000.
- The weakness in May featured a 33.3% decline in sales in the Northeast. All regions saw a sales drop with the exception of the Midwest (+12.9%).


text:
Exhibit C my man Rasheed!
So let's bring 2010 on right and dead all other Exhibit C re-dos with homie Rasheed Chappell going in on it. Jay-Z made the death of auto-tune, Rasheed just elevated Exhibit C... and there ain't no coming down so let's not even attempt to do another one folks.
Art credit: WGM


text:
Some Australians will come face-to-face with what potentially lies under their skin after a graphic advertising campaign highlighting the dangers of being overweight or obese was launched on Sunday night.
The 'Live Lighter' campaign, funded by the Heart Foundation ACT and the ACT Government, takes people inside the human body and shows the damage that an unhealthy weight, poor diet and physical inactivity can cause to internal organs.
Based on anti-smoking campaigns, the advertisements show graphic, internal images of "toxic fat" surrounding vital organs, and warn of the links between a "grabbable gut" and chronic diseases.
Heart Foundation ACT chief executive Tony Stubbs said while the campaign was graphic, it was necessary to get the message through to the public.
"The campaigns we've had and the communication we've had around weight in the past hasn't worked: 63 per cent of Canberra adults are overweight or obese," he said.
"You need to do something that people will sit up and take notice of. We do feel people actually want to live healthier but they either don't see it's a problem for them, they don't know how to do something about it, or they think 'it's someone else's issue, not mine'."
In particular, the imagery used of the "spare tyre" around the middle is one that Stubbs said many people can relate to.
"What the message really is with the 'grabbable gut' is that if you do have that visceral fat or grabbable gut, it's sitting around your organs, and your heart and kidney and liver, and it's actually doing damage right now to those organs," he said.
Stubbs said that the winter months in Canberra can be tough to encourage people to get moving, but this time of year is when people start to feel more motivated.
"If we can encourage as many Canberrans to start thinking about eating better and getting more active and getting into these habits now, during winter it won't be a problem for them."
The Live Lighter campaign comprises of television, radio and print advertisements, and refers the public through to a website with free resources.
"There's top tips, a meal planner and lots of case studies. It's a resource that's there for people to go and find out what works for them, and to develop a bit of a strategy to make some small changes," said Stubbs.
"Because even just small changes to the way you eat and how active you are can have a big impact on reducing your chances of getting heart disease, cancers and diabetes as well."
The three television commercials, radio commercial and print advertising, will run for a couple of months before the initial review, and directs the public to free, online resources.
Find out more about the campaign, get tips and health advice, and assess your own risk of toxic fat at livelighter.com.au.


text:
Rousselot gelatins for dairy applications
Unique texture, great mouth feel
Creating dairy foods and beverages that offer consumers a desirable taste, texture and appearance is the fundamental aim of dairy manufacturers around the world. To achieve this, you have to make sure you select the most effective ingredients. Gelatin offers key advantages in a variety of dairy applications. It helps preventing syneresis and it improves foaming and stabilizing the aerated structure. A minor addition of gelatin will provide a soft, and creamy texture.
- Gelatin fits into the global health trend, as it enables you to use less fat and sugar
- High in protein, gelatin is a great ally in the 'protein push'
In mousse products, gelatin can add value with its foaming, stabilizing and water binding properties.
Your quark products will benefit from gelatin's water binding and texturizing properties, in particular. It prevents syneresis and improves stability.
Dessert creams
Gelatin in dessert creams has a strong texturizing and water binding effect, creates a oerfect mouthfeel and stability over time.
Creamy yogurts with an improved shelf life
Rousselot Gelatin is the ideal ingredient for providing your yogurt products with a bright appearance and a smooth, firm, consistent texture. Gelatin is widely used in yogurts because of its excellent texturizing, binding, stabilizing and foaming properties.
Ice creams and water ices
You can add value to your ice creams and water ices by using gelatin's stabilizing and foaming properties to create the perfect structure and mouth feel. It prevents the formation of ice crystals during prolonged storage. Used in association with other stabilizing agents, gelatin gives the finished product a remarkably slow melting rate and a characteristic texture.
The experts at our Application Centers are eager to help you innovate or improve your processes with gelatin or to provide you with recipes. For more information, go to Services & Support


text:
To hold stock vertically against a fence, such as when resawing with
a bandsaw, you can flip the block onto its 1-3/8" shoulder.
The handle is angled for comfort.
As an optional accessory, a clear polycarbonate deflector is available.
Useful for pin routing, it helps protect you from chips and dust without
blocking your view. Four thumbscrews are included for mounting it on the
GRR-Rip Block or to join two GRR-Rip Blocks when working with long stock.
Made in USA.


text:
Pre-school Alliance Partnership
The federation of Sand Hutton and Warthill CE Primary Schools are committed to working in close partnership and collaboration with Sandmartins Nursery, Honeypots and Sticky Fingers Child Minders for the benefit of all children within our care. Through clear, regular and effective communication the Alliance will work together to ensure that transition between settings is a positive experience for all children. We will provide mutual support for staff through professional dialogue and the sharing of expertise and look forward to developing close working relationships which will enhance provision for children and their parents.
Best wishes


text:
Fisher begins with a map of the part of the world in which our story unfolds. Ancient Greece is the locale, and we very clearly shown the passage from Athens to Crete, from Crete to Naxos, and lastly, the tragic final voyage from Naxos back to Athens.
My criticism of Hutton's version of the story was that I felt he spent too much time explaining the entire circumstances behind the existence of the minotaur and the nature of the tribute, and not enough time wandering through the bowels of the labyrinth in search of monstrous prey. Fisher exacerbates this, but also manages to give a more satisfying end battle sequence.
We begin with the birth of Theseus, and are told that, "at the moment of his birth, his father, King Ageus of Athens, buried his favorite gold-hilted sword and sandals under a great rock."
When Theseus is big and strong enough to move the rock, my sword and my sandals will be his. Then and only then will Theseus be my heir and successor!
I tried doing something similar to this when Arlo was born, but Melinda didn't go for it.
At first glance, this set-up appears to be a direct precursor to the Sword in the Stone from the King Arthur legends. On the next page, Theseus has indeed grown to such a stature that he is easily able to lift the rock and retrieve the hidden items. Now he must travel to find his father, who has since remarried and had another child. Along the way, Theseus must battle a giant named Procrustes and two robbers named Scinis and Sciron. Word of his battles spreads and he is able to return to his father's court, a hero!
But the joyous reunion is short lived. His father tells him of tale of the King Minos, of his labyrinth, and of the beast that lives there. "Its dark passages are endless and confusing. No one escapes the labyrinth, not even the Minotaur. Soon I must send the fourteen. Pity them, and pity us to have to bear such burdens."
Theseus knows what he must do.
I like the way Fisher paints the interior of the labyrinth. Very dark, very foreboding. Though there are no forking paths, it appears to be only one singular and gloomy passageway. It only gets one painting, too, for with a turn of the page later, Theseus has found his prey. I know the whole conceit of Ariadne's ball of thread is that he does not have to get lost, but can find the Minotaur straight away, but still, the child in me lusts after a truly terrifying sequence of a man lost in the bowels of the maze. Isn't that what you think of when you imagine the labyrinth?
Fisher's minotaur resembles a tall, strong man wearing an oversized bull mask, but he does manage to make him look terrifyingly enraged, and I love the description of their battle:
Quickly he backed away from the beast, holding his sword straight out before him. Again the snorting Minotaur attacked. It lowered its head and charged, hoping to pin Theseus to one of its great horns. But Theseus dodged the attack and came up behind the huge beast, chopping a blow that drew blood from the Minotaur's shoulder.
It goes on for several more sentences, in this way, and I could really imagine the fight the two of them must have had.
Finally, since this is the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, we know that things can not end happily. Ariadne and the rest of the prisoners are rescued, but that night the god Dionysus appears to Theseus in a dream, and commands him to leave Ariadne behind on Naxos so that he can marry her. Theseus does as he is told, which is slightly different than how Hutton interpreted the tale. Fisher's Theseus seems to be a real hero when it comes to giants and beasts, but at the first call of the gods, he cowers and asks no questions. His cowardice then indirectly results in the death of his father, who runs to the edge of the cliff and throws himself into the sea at the sight of the black sail on the returning vessel.
Part of the Greek Mythology series.
Links: Holiday House
Part of the Greek Mythology series.
Links: Holiday House


text:
Head Master's Welcome
Victoria English School is recognised as a leader in British International Education in Sharjah for over 20 years. Our students are global citizens from over 70 nationalities. Our curriculum reflects the best elements of the British National Curriculum of England and Wales.
As a school we focus on the holistic education of all our students. Each student is unique and our teachers collaborate to bring out and develop the talents in every student. Our students are strong linguists, and we have a strong history of success in the areas of Math and Science. Victoria English School Graduates can be found at leading universities throughout the United Arab Emirates and the World. We focus on preparing students for success in a smaller global yet more competitive world. As teachers we are preparing our students for further education and employment in many current and future industries.
VES students are confident, balanced and caring. They enjoy opportunities to explore technology and participate in the Arts, Health and Physical Education. Our teachers are always exploring opportunities to link academic studies with real life experiences so that our students can see the connections with what they are learning with the real world. The best part of my working day as Headmaster is when I have the opportunity to visit classes and interact with out wonderful students and teachers. I always enjoy celebrating student success and it is a real honour for me to be the Headmaster at such a wonderful school.
Michael Urquhart


text:
Do men prefer AVERAGE women Qualities women believe make them appealing – beauty, youth, confidence, intelligence – are NOT top of men's wish list, says relationship expert TRACEY COX
13:27 GMT, 7 November 2012
Cox is the UK's leading expert and author on sex and relationship
issues. With an academic background in psychology, 14 books on sex,
relationships and body language under her belt as well as a television career
spanning decades, she is more than well equipped to answer your
her exclusive weekly MailOnline blog Tracey will answer questions
as well as offer advice and bring you the latest news and products.
Visit her blog here to leave your feedback and ask Tracey a question.
Men would rather a girl who made them feel secure and listened to them than the one all the other guys wanted to take away from him, Tracey discovered
TRACEY SAYS: I'm obsessed with Lena Dunham's character Hannah in HBO's Girls and, like the rest of the world, a lot of the fascination is with seeing a real girl up there on screen.
Greasy hair, no make-up, general podginess, grubbiness, scruffiness – it sounds off-putting but it's enchanting.
Hannah is the antithesis of the glossy, glam, skinny girls we're used to seeing in sit-coms – and she's one hell of a lot more attractive because of it.
There's something incredibly appealing about flaws-and-all 'average' – and despite society's perception that they are looks-obsessed, critical creatures, men agree.
They really do like average women best.
Study after study (this piece in Psychology Today has a good, general round up) shows while men pay lip service to being hung up on physical attractiveness, once they interact with a woman in real life, they're far more swayed by personality than they profess to be.
A speed dating experiment (reported in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology) with 163 university students found 'spark' far outweighed looks for men and a subsequent study further confirmed feeling an emotional 'connection' won over 'sexiness'.
I saw evidence first hand at a party last week.
I was with the new boyfriend of a friend of mine, watching her chatting away to friends, looking positively gorgeous.
"How hot is your girlfriend!" I said to him, taking in the slim hips, long thick hair, pert breasts, confident aura.
Antithesis of glam and glossy: Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath in the HBO show girls, in bed with her 'difficult' on-off lover Adam
She's a kick-ass lawyer and workaholic but still manages to look amazing. I felt proud of her and sure he was feeling the same.
'I wish everyone would stop telling me how hot she is,' he responded heavily. 'I don't want to be with the hottest girl in the room. It's not me. I just wanted the nice girl.'
The average couple alternates between two or three positions, most settling on missionary, woman-on-top and him-from-behind
Further investigation (three more beers and a bit of prodding) and he confessed her 'hotness' made him feel insecure. 'I want someone to love me, not feel like every guy in the room is trying to take the person I love away from me.'
Turns out the things women believe make them more appealing to men – good looks, youth, being super confident, intelligent, body perfect – aren't top of men's wish list after all.
Having an OK figure that's curvy, looking 'nice', appearing kind, listening, being trustworthy, laughing at his jokes and letting him look after you – these are the qualities men most frequently seek in long-term partners.
All that striving, all that dieting, all that denying ourselves, when we could have been scoffing cupcakes in the bath, Hannah-style, all along. Chocolate anyone
Tweet Tracey at @TraceyCox or follow her on facebook.com/TraceyCoxSexpert.
Find out more about Tracey Cox, her books or product range or broach any topic confidentially at www.traceycox.com


text:
What You Can Do To Help
Click here to donate now!
Your financial donation to Walnut Avenue Family & Women's Center (Walnut Avenue) provides a variety of services that help individuals and families improve their life situations. Contributions of any amount help to keep us moving forward. We appreciate and value your generosity.
We have a variety of ways to support Walnut Avenue either through direct donations, planned giving, the Empowering Futures Endowment Fund, or through in-kind and volunteer work through the Shannon Collins Memorial Garden Project and Friends of Walnut Avenue.
Donate via PayPal!
Donate your car!
If you have a car you want to donate, we make it easy for you! Follow the link below and complete the easy form.
Your Donation Impact
$10,000 provides over 250 hours of respite care for children from families dealing with teen pregnancy, drugs, alcohol and/or violence.
$5,000 provides over 30 women with counseling, support groups and job searches.
$2,500 provides 30-40 community volunteers with training to work with domestic violence survivors and youth.
$1,000 provides 30 children in our Early Childhood Education program with new books for a year.
$500 sponsors a Life Skills Workshop at a local group home.
$250 provides a week's worth of supplemental groceries for 60 families.
$100 provides a week of formula & diapers for infants of teen parents who are striving to graduate from high school.
$50 provides safe children's programs while their parents receives services or attends one of our groups.


text:
From yahoo.
I am sure some of you have seen this story, I don't really know what to make of it.
This guy buys a make believe asteroid in a online game for $100,000 creates a make believe resort out of it and sells it for over $500,000 profit.
Link follows.......................
Gamer makes a cool half-million by selling virtual property - Video Games Blog Plugged In - Yahoo! Games


text:
Kinds of Export Funding
International trade is no doubt part of any entrepreneur's long term goal. It spells bigger markets, more sales, risk diversification and asset maximization to name a few. But benefits aside, it also comes with its own set of challenges one of which includes export funding.
It's true that resources, a lot to be exact, are necessary when venturing into the global market. With factors like shipment, customs, tarriffs, taxes and added administrative and operational costs, business owners need to identify their needs and trace which export funding options will suit each one best. To help with such endeavor, we've listed down some of the most apt and effective options. Read on and discover what they are.
1. Bank Loan
Bank loans involve significant and huge sums borrowed from a bank or similar financing institution. A long term type of credit, it often spans from five to twenty years and sometimes even more. It has a stipulated maturity and is to be repaid on set intervals over the course of the period with interest. Because of its size and length, it requires property collateral and involves scrupulous and meticulous application.
2. Mortgage
This is somehow similar to bank loans in terms of length, payment terms and amount. The difference lies in the fact that where bank loans can be used for whatever venture, a mortgage is specifically taken out to purchase real estate properties.
3. Bridging Loan
Unlike the first two, a bridging loan is a temporary and short term financing. It is a type of interim financing thereby one taken out to fulfill and provide for immediate short term liquidity needs pending the approval and/or availability of a permanent and bigger funding source such as a mortgage, bank loan, sale proceeds, income or the like. It is most popularly utilized to provide for down payments and other immediate expenses.
4. Receivables Financing
This makes use of a company's receivables or sales invoices to draw cash. It works by advancing the value of the invoices before their scheduled maturity date in exchange for a fee which is often a minimal percentage of the total receivable value. Receivables financing has two main types namely factoring and discounting.
5. Merchant Cash Advance
This last type of export funding option is one that makes use of credit card sales. It allows businesses to borrow a certain sum with the payment as a percentage of every month's total credit card sales. What make this a great method is that the level o payments is directly proportional to credit card sales thereby allowing the business to pay only up to what it can afford to.
Export Funding
On this page http://workingcapitalpartners.com/solutions/export-finance, you will learn more on export funds.


text:
Round Rock Star
Net-zero energy home -- the first green rated home in Round Rock
From the street, it looks like a perfect ordinary craftsman style home. But this is a net-zero energy custom home. There's nothing like it anywhere in the neighborhood.
The homeowners found an infill lot in suburban Round Rock and set about to work with the Solluna design/build team to plan a home that's elegant in its simplicity and style.
5-star green rated home
Cool House Tour 2011
Clever design by Debra Blessman of Select Home Design makes this 1,444 square foot home seem bigger than it is. Two bedrooms and an office open directly from the open, vaulted ceiling great room. Windows are placed to bring light and breezes into the home. A metal roof, spray foam insulation, and wide eaves protect against heat gain in summer. Cool interior colors and a stained concrete floor add to the home's sense of simple beauty and comfort.
This is a net zero energy home, which means that over the course of a year, it produces as much energy as it uses, even while charging an electric car in the garage. A geothermal heat pump provides heating, cooling, and a substantial portion of the home's hot water needs. A solar photovoltaic system produces electricity. A rainwater collection system irrigates the landscape, which is planted in drought-tolerant native species and vegetables for the home.
The charming home, now a gathering place for the neighborhood, is the result of careful team planning, thoughtful design, and deliberate choices that make it super energy efficient, comfortable, and delightfully liveable for its owners.
Net-zero energy home
1,444 square feet air conditioned space
Infill lot
Open floor plan
Universal design
Wide eaves and porches protect windows from the hot sun
Natural ventilation from careful window placement
Geothermal heat pump air conditioning and heating
Solar panels
Standing seam metal roof
Spray foam insulation
Rainwater collection for irrigation
Energy efficient appliances
Energy efficient windows
No VOC paints and finishes
Stained concrete floor
Water-efficient plumbing fixtures
Local stone


text:
For the Gnome-impaired, a short explanation of the screenshot:
This is Ubuntu/Karmic with the default Gnome desktop minus the top/bottom panels, plus the "New Wave" theme. Font rendering is light hinted with subpixel AA (to non-Ubuntu distros: *this* is how fonts should look like by default). The panel on the left is AWN, which hosts the gnome menu, application launchers/buttons and applets. The tabbed window at the top is a plain Nautilus view; central window is an application launcher (invoked through cmd+space); the bottom window is a weather report hosted in AWN; the icon is a plain ftp connection that opens in Nautilus (right click to disconnect).
I'm not 100% happy with the side panel yet (this is a dev version of AWN, docky2 is even prettier but way more unstable/immature). I hope by the time of Lucid Lynx, either docky or AWN will have released a stable version.
The central app is gnome-do, which is one of the best applications to come out of the Gnome side the last few years. It completely changes the way you use your computer: no need to search through gnome-menu, kicker or whatever in order to launch an app. Just type the app's name and there it is! ("F" for Firefox, "E" for Evolution, etc etc - it automatically learns your shortcuts). Gnome-do or its underlying engine should become part of the core Gnome desktop (if only to see the die-hard trolls frothing against Mono or whatever ). This is version 0.8.2 which suffers from a few bugs (wrong font size for example), but it's otherwise running great.
In my opinion, *this* is how a desktop should look like: clean, uncluttered, providing clear focal points to the eye (unlike e.g. the tiny 8x8 pixel "logoff" icons to the far right of the KDE taskbar). The "New Wave" theme is understated, with dark colors, subtle gradients and strong visual cues. It does everything it can to get out of your way, while providing feedback on every meaningful action: buttons light up on hover and depress strongly on clicks; close/maximize/minimize window icons are cleanly marked and light up beatifully on hover.
Compared to KDE/Oxygen, the latter gets half of this right. Oxygen also provides good visual feedback on hover/click events, but it's way too bright, aggressive (the horizontal lines on window titlebars are positively abrasive to the eye) and lacks good focal points (dolphin windows are cluttered with icons and panels and lack any depth. The taskbar suffers from the same issue).
This is not meant as trolling or "my desktop is better than yours", just some constructive criticism by someone who loves good UI design. It would be great if someone with a highly customized KDE 4.x desktop could provide some screenshots/feedback/hints on what, why and how he has customized his.


text:
The history of happiness didn't begin just a few years ago. It
wasn't even a couple of thousand years ago that it began. No one
knows the exact time that happiness was first experienced but it
is often estimated that happiness began several thousand years
ago because of the earliest writings that have been handed down
through history. As early as 5,000 BC there are sacred texts
known as the Vedas which were written by great sages and which
explain the way to find true happiness in life. The Vedas have
been the source of the Hindu religion for thousands of years and
were even studied by the Buddha himself. What is certain is that
happiness has come along with the existence of life itself and
only the Supreme Being knows for sure when it all began.
Although nothing is for sure concerning happiness and the
history of its origins, we know that there is a sense of
happiness that differentiates itself from the material happiness
that many people seek out in modern times. Spiritual happiness
is something that still lies deep within us and necessarily
depends on the perception of the individual who decides whether
they want to pursue this or not. Different people can become
happy in different ways and there are many spiritual traditions
from the Greek to the modern day Islamic traditions which all
help people to find the happiness that they are searching for in
The history of happiness may vary according to different people
but one thing seems to be true, people learn by experience and
through mistakes. In many cases, older people actually tend to
be happier than younger people because of the fact that they
have experienced life already and have learned from their
mistakes. They have tried a variety of approaches in life and
learned to be successful according to what they do. They have
failed at times, yes, but they also learned to stand up and face
the world again. This historical experience, for them, has
contributed to their ability to be happy and to find the real
source of happiness which is actually coming from inside
themselves. They may have committed mistakes but they are still
here, loving and being loved by the others around them.
A story about happiness may help to illustrate the way history
plays such an important role in how we learn to be happier in
our lives. There was once a young boy and an apple tree who were
friends. The boy would always swing from the branches of the
tree, climb all over it, eat the apples and sleet under the
tree. These were such happy days but, when the boy got older, he
spent less time with the tree and the man only became interested
in money. The tree said, "Take my apples and sell them, these
will give you lots of money." The man did so and the tree was
happy. The tree did not see the man for a long time after that.
The man grew older, tired of the world and wanted to get away
from it. When the tree saw the old man, it said, "Cut a large
trunk out of me and make a boat, it will send you off to
different places." The man did so and the tree was happy. The
tree waited again until the time the man, its true friend, would
return. Finally, the old man returned but he was too old to play
and too tired to pursue any more wealth. The tree said, "Why
don't you just sit down and rest in my shade?" The man did so
and the tree was happy.
The story can be understood such that we see ourselves growing
older and recognizing that there are trees in our lives which
give and are willing to give more and more even if it means
releasing a part of themselves to us. Just how many trees in our
lives would help us achieve our individual goals and reach our
satisfaction in life depends upon us and what we really need to
be happy. How many times in life do we take simple things like
"shade" for granted? This reflection may help us realize that it
may not be the trees in our lives that bring us happiness but
the way we relate to them and take advantage of their gifts. It
may be that we need very little in life but it takes us an
entire lifetime to realize this simple fact. This may be what
history is also showing us and something that, hopefully, many
people will recognize sooner rather than later.
About The Author: Gary Miller was the World's Leading expert on
Negative Thinking until he lost approximately $3 Million Dollars
because of a lifetime of negative thinking. To learn more about
his Journey to a Positive Thinking Recovery and weekly FREE
Positive Thinking techniques, you can visit his web site at:
articles >


text:
Cape Breton Liberation Army Lives Again
Posted on December 9, 2015
"Down with the causeway!" That refrain became part of Cape Breton vernacular through the comic stylings of General John Cabot Trail, a.k.a. the late Dave Harley, of the satirical Cape Breton Liberation Army (CBLA).
The CBLA and its generals were the brainchild of Sydney Mines native Paul "Moose" MacKinnon, whose self-published Old Trout Funnies satirized Cape Breton politics and popular culture during the Island's cultural renaissance of the 1970s and 1980s.
MacKinnon also created annual CBLA calendars, between 1979 and 2000, lampooning and lamenting hundreds of well-known Cape Breton personalities through detailed caricatures.
The Funnies, the calendars and other of Paul MacKinnon's comic creations are the subject of a new book from CBU Press: Old Trout Funnies: The Comic Origins of the Cape Breton Liberation Army (now in stores).
Introduced, contextualized and annotated by folklorist Ian Brodie (Cape Breton University), the book reprints all three issues of the Funnies, the lesser-known series Old Trout Minis, the CBLA calendars and some one-off cartoon strips, all by Mr. MacKinnon.
The CBU Art Gallery is currently exhibiting select images of MacKinnon's work.
The official launch of the book will take place at McConnell Memorial Library in Sydney on Wednesday, December 16, 7-9 p.m. Mr. MacKinnon will also be at the Martha Hollett Memorial Library in Sydney Mines, on Thursday, December 17, 7-8 p.m. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Everyone is welcome.


text:
Why Personal Statement Diversity?
Colleges and universities want more than just an admissions application completed. They are increasingly asking for a personal statement from prospective students. Diversity is one of the topic areas of interest and not everybody knows how to write about this effectively. That can be a problem if such a statement happens to be part of the application process.
Knowing How to Communicate Your Ideas
This is more than just one or two sentences. A diversity statement for a university application gives the admissions department an idea of how well you understand yourself and what has influenced your life and choices with respect to academic study. An explanation of diversity indicates how you view yourself vis-à-vis the entirety of American culture. It is an opportunity to intelligently explain your differences and hint at what you have to offer. The statement also reflects why you feel that you're not a stereotypical character and that there is a uniqueness about you that is being developed by your academic studies. This can be a tall order for a number of people.
We Can Provide University Application Statement Assistance
A university application statement of diversity need not be a hair-pulling problem. We can provide some assistance to make the process easier. Our staff consists of trained writers who have worked extensively with the academic application process. They have a knowledge of the type of expressions and keywords that admissions officers are seeking. They can help take your thoughts and ideas and put them into sentences which reflect who you are. Some people have a little difficulty in writing and we understand that. It is why we craft the words that will showcase your beliefs.
We can help you with:
- Diversity statement for graduate school writing
- Diversity statement for job application
- Diversity essay for graduate school editing
- Diversity statement for law school
- Personal diversity statement writing
- Diversity statement for medical school proofreading
- Personal history statement for graduate school
- Application resume editing
- Statement of purpose and personal statement writing
- And much more!
Check our diversity statement example right now >>>
Flawless Statement for University Application Is Not a Fiction
We do not invent stories for anyone. Your input is going to be extremely important in crafting a diversity statement. We want to put into words how you perceive yourself and give voice to your unique contributions. No one should ask us to fabricate and we simply will not do that. What we will do is make certain that the text and diversity statement to be submitted is well-written, is effective descriptively, and is a mirror into your personal perceptions.
A strong diversity statement can help considerably in the application process. We want to make sure that this document is a building block in your academic career and not a stumbling stone. You have the right to review a draft before any final assessment is made. Any changes that you would like to see included will be done. Rather than risk writing an awkward text, it is in your best interest to let professionals help you. We can certainly be of service in this regard. You can find also a lot more helpful tips for writing diversity statements for law school or tips on job applications at our website.
If you have any issues with your personal statement diversity, our team is ready to give you a piece of advice!


text: Al De Azpiazu has worked in the Feature Film and Television industry for the last ten years, in both the production and distribution fields. He started his career at Televisió de Catalunya in Barcelona and Mediapro in Madrid (Spain), to then join Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (Madrid & London), holding different positions and responsibilities. In 2016 he joined FremantleMedia International as Vice President, Western Europe, Sales and Distribution.


text:
advanced search
Please Note:
As from 1 July 2010, this site will no longer be updated and
will be retained for Archive purposes only.
For the latest information on the Arts, Creative Industries and Film & TV in
Scotland please visit:
Scottish Audience Development Forum Partnerships 2.0 was held on 23 October 2008 at the Surgeon's Hall, Edinburgh. Find out more about Partnerships 2.0 and watch videos from the event.
Scottish Audience Development Forum Greater than was held on 8 November 2006 in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
Read the Forum transcript to find out what happened on the day.
© Scottish Arts Council. All rights reserved. Terms & conditions | Accessibility information


text:
- Beacon is a Mini-Con from the Energon portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.
Beacon is one of the many power-enhancing Mini-Cons who help the Autobots search the galaxy for raw Energon deposits. Teamed with Lens and Quantum, the trio can form the powerful Blizzard Saber weapon.
- Beacon (Micron Booster, 2004)
- Booster ID number: 6
- Beacon is a redeco of the Energon Saber Mini-Con Wreckage, transforming into a Cybertronic starship, as well as forming the tip of the Blizzard Saber sword. He was sold as part of the second Micron Booster assortment in Japan, in individual, blind-packed boxes so you did not know which Mini-Con you got until you opened the box and opaque black plastic bag inside.
- The same mold is also used by Cybertron Sunstorm. The original version of the mold is used by Jackknife and Runway.
- Like most of the Micron Boosters, Beacon's name is based on a word similar to the name of his original mold; in Japan, Wreckage is known as "Laser".
External linksEdit
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


text:
Today I am forty. Seems forty is an age where everyone asks you the big questions - Are you happy? Are you freaking out about turning forty? What will you do with the next forty? I say fu*k forty! It's just a number. I have never been one to get all upset about turning another year older. I mean, why do it? You cannot stop it. You cannot go back. So, I say own it.
I have been incredibly fortunate in my forty years. I have a small, but lovely family - I knew all four of my grandparents and one great grandmother. They provided me with a childhood that was simple and happy. They helped me become who I am today by giving me the power to make choices and supporting me weather they were right or wrong.
I have been able to fly. Near and far ... The big apple. Stonehenge. Paris. The canals of Venice. The Charles Bridge in Prague. Bourbon Street. Vegas. Hawaii ... and so much more.
I have had fun. A lot of fun! I have amazing friends that have provided me with some of the best moments in my life. Final Fours. Spring Breaks. Weddings. Children. Festivals. Concerts.
I fell into a job that challenges me each and ever day and I don't know what could beat that! Do I have bad days? Sure. But in the end, I make a difference. I am helping people.
So how do I feel about the first forty? Fabulous. Fun. Fortunate.
Here's to the next forty!


text:
Well this is awkward. Your Javascript functionality is turned off. To experience everything our site can do, turn it on.
150,00 €
Colours (2)
80,00 €
Colours (3)
This capsule collection of T-shirts and a shirt is the result of a creative collab with the NY based artist and photographer Davey Adesida. With a 120mm and 35mm camera he captures the essence of everyday life on the U.S East coast and West coast, in connection to the JL SS19 collection theme; SS19 Surf America.
Adesida always finds the most honest angle for his images. Born in Nigeria he splits his time between London and New York and draws inspiration from nature, cinema and quietness. The East coast T-shirts portrays the urban, inner city vibe, commuting, airplanes and street lights. The West coast images speak of nature and a more relaxed lifestyle centered around surfing and skateboarding.
Sign up for our newsletter and receive 10% discount on your first full price order!


text:
To Your Health!
Maryland's champions of health care reform gathered on May 19, 2016 for a festive evening of celebration. Over the past ten years, the Maryland Women's Coalition for Health Care Reform has pursued its mission to advance health equity through access to high quality, comprehensive and affordable health care. As a collaborative, we have been the lead voice for consumers on health policy. During that time, hundreds of thousands of Marylanders have benefited from our work.
At To Your Health!, we toasted the accomplishments of the Coalition and raised our glass to others who have been true health care reformers. We honored Senator Barbara Mikulski who has represented represented the people of Maryland in the United States Congress for 38 years. In 2010, she stood by President Obama's side as he signed the Affordable Care Act. Included in this landmark law was Senator Mikulski's Women's Health Amendment, which ensured that women have access to the health care they need and deserve.
Our silent auction was exciting with fabulous items purchased such as vacations in South Beach and Orlando, great restaurant packages, jewelry, and so much more! The jammin' jazz of the Jumpstreet Band kept everyone moving. Enjoy a few photos from our celebration below:


text:
The RYA / MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence is an assessment of your theoretical knowledge, seamanship and practical skills. It:
- may be used commercially (with a sea survival, PPR and an MCA medical) order to work on board a commercial vessel of up to 200gt up to 150 miles from a safe haven
- is a pre-requisite for the MCA's Officer of the Watch qualification, which enables you to work worldwide on vessels of up to 3000gt.
Course content
Pilotage, boat handling, seamanship and navigation. Use of the equipment on board the yacht, rules of the road and meteorology. For more details on the topics covered in the Yachtmaster exam please see Andy's post.
Note: The Yachtmaster Offshore MCA preparation is very much hands-on course to polish existing skills with little time to teach new sailing skills, or learn navigation or other theoretical subjects. It is therefore recommended that you take the RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Theory course prior to your practical course so you can put those skills into practice on the water. If you feel that you need help in these areas have a look at our Yachtmaster Pro module.
You will be spending the complete week on board the yacht.
Pre-course experience
The requirements for the Yachtmaster Offshore are laid down by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). This is laid down as:
- 50 days seatime
- mileage - 2500 nautical miles, of which at least 1250 nm must be in tidal waters
- passages - five qualifying passages of over 60nm (including two of which you have to be skipper) on a yacht of between 7m and 24m LOA
- VHF radio operators certificate - GMDSS or RYA / MCA VHF (SRC) certificate (please note that the IYT VHF certificate is no longer accepted)
- first aid certificate that has been taken within the last 3 years (or 5 years for STCW95) that complies with the MCA guidelines - see here for an up to date list
While the MCA defines the minimum experience for Yachtmaster Offshore in quantitative terms, what is more important is quality of experience in different geographical areas and weather conditions.
Further details on the skills required are available on our RYA Yachtmaster Offshore skills post
Suggested reading
Assumed knowledge
The standard for Yachtmaster Offshore is high - which is why the qualification is sought after. You will be asked to demonstrate your skills and competence and take full responsibility for the management of the yacht and crew. The CoC is at a level when you can show you have the knowledge to skipper a yacht on any passage, by day or night, during which the yacht is no more than 150nm from harbour.
While the exam is mainly practical you will need a good knowledge of theory to Yachtmaster Theory standard to successfully pass the exam.
Please remember that the preparation week is designed to polish existing skills so if you are wondering what the standard is please have a look at our page "what is involved with Yachtmaster Offshore".
Ability after course
Skipper a yacht on passages by day and night within 150 nm of a safe haven.
Commercially skipper a yacht (with a commercial endorsement) up to 24m.
All our courses are run by one of our experienced instructors.
Itinerary – Preparation
On the Friday evening you join your Instructor for a welcome drink, before being allocated a passage plan to prepare. You are also asked to familiarise yourself with the boat ready for the next day.
On the Saturday morning you will be asked to give a safety briefing with some guidance from your Instructor. For the rest of you time with us, until the Examiner gets on board, you will be polishing your sailing skills.
If you feel that some of the skills identified on our skills page are new to you then we suggest that you do either a week.
We suggest a course in our classroom if your theory knowledge is not at the standard of Yachtmaster Offshore. Choose from Yachtmaster Theory, or why not do a Yachtmaster Theory refresher class? Another option is our on line Yachtmaster Theory course.
Exam details
The MCA examiner will get on board on the Wednesday and examine you for a couple of days. The duration depends on the number of candidates:
- 1 candidate - 8 to 10 hours
- 2 candidates - 10 to 18 hours
- 3 candidates - 18 to 26 hours (spread over two days)
- 4 candidates - 20 to 36 hours (spread over two days)
We ask our clients to arrive on Friday. We clean our boats and do any maintenance between 10:00 and 17:00 so if you arrive earlier we will look after your bags for you. At 17:00 we invite you to get on the yachts and meet your Instructor, and at 18:30 we hold a welcome drink in our club house to introduce you to the crew on the other boats, and all our Instructors.
Notes: Because of our location you have the advantage that you normally arrive in our marina within 15 minutes of collecting your bags.
On the Friday we ask you to get off the yacht at 10:00 so we can clean her ready for the next week. If you have a later flight we can look after your bags for you – and why not think of our one day courses:
Diesel Engine ; First Aid ; RADAR ; Sea Survival and VHF (SRC) course
As usual with Club Yachting the following is included
- four days of teaching PLUS the yacht for the two day Yachtmaster exam;
- Examiners travel costs (a lot of schools charge extra for this)
- seven nights accommodation;
- Tuition from an experienced Instructor – we do not use instructors who have just qualified;
- Light weight waterproof jacket – just in case of the odd wave;
- Food and drink on board – breakfast and lunch, evening meals when sailing late and a glass of wine, or a beer after a days sailing;
- All mooring fees, gas and diesel – no hidden extras;
- Your own berth – no need to share (unless you want to);
- Freshly laundered sheets, duvets and 2 pillows and towels per person – no sleeping bags with liners or any need to bring your own (we suggest you may be able to fly with hand luggage only);
Notes: We do not include: RYA exam fees (payable direct to the RYA), your flights (try skyscanner for ideas), travel insurance or evening meals ashore.
Must bring your own
Not surprisingly most people pack to much when going sailing so Andy has put together a great sailing holiday packing list - useful for both RYA courses, flotillas and charters.
You will also need to bring with you the following certificates:
- First Aid
and for the Commercial Endorsement:
- Medical (ENG1, mL5 or equivalent)
- Sea Survival
Contact us for further details or if you wish to include the course while you are with us.
Need a practical refresher?
If you feel that some of the skills identified on our skills page are new to you then we suggest that you look at:
- practical boat handling week
- Coastal Skipper Plus week
Need to refresh your Yachtmaster theory
If you need to get your theory up to the standard of Yachtmaster Offshore there are a number of options:
- In the classroom Yachtmaster Theory
- Come a couple of days earlier and do a Yachtmaster Theory refresher class?
- We also offer on line on line Yachtmaster Theory course
If you prefer there are also RYA books that are available:
- RYA Navigation Handbook
- Navigation Exercises
- RYA Weather Handbook - Northern Hemisphere
- RYA International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (IRPCS)
Also available are some great flip cards:
Lastly the all essential navigational equipment:


text:
Thank you for joining us last week at The Challenge! The team and I have have chosen the winners!
Congratulations, Hayley!
Who could resist this adorable image and sentiment!
I hope you will join us as a Guest Designer for The Challenge! Please email our Guest Designer Coordinator, Kimberly Wiener at oloughlin.ka @ gmail.com (no spaces) for more information!


text:
Always when I work together with Paulina, we have plenty of ideas, switch our shooting plan completely and start with the ideas from scratch. But in the end, we just get crazy ideas during the shooting and don't stick at all to the plan. I embrace being spontaneous and experimental way more than planning everything in detail. This time, everything changed as well, as she was a little bit sick but still did not want to cancel the shoot, so she spontaneously invited me for a home shoot at her place. And somehow during the shoot, I always make her laugh and she just cannot stop! It is really so funny. her entire portfolio looks so serious. I get the feeling that I am the only photographer making her laugh.
Yesterday, I also made a survey on my Instagram asking "What makes a good portrait?"
a) Message & story
b) Beauty & perfection
I actually thought, most of my followers would clearly click a) but I had to be proven wrong.
a) 53% - 24 votes
b) 47% - 21 votes
To be honest, I find that rather sad. Because overall I see the trend that people go crazy with beauty ideals, living up to fake standards. And honestly, of course "hot perfect girls" are nice to look at for some time, but if they have no appealing character their attractivity plummets rapidly. In my opinion, girls are attractive, if they are not stiff, are smart and don't have a problem to make fools of themselves. Only being a pretty puppet or perfected princess does not appeal to me. That is why I choose to work with models who are pretty but who are up for fun ideas and story telling. making someone constantly look perfect in a photograph is boring. Creating a story is creatively way more demanding than just creating a perfect shooting environment, apply perfect make-up in the perfect light and retouch everything. We need soul and character, not cloned puppets with fake skin. We are all human, so let's show that!


text:
Well, It guarantees a good result
Looking after a backyard grape vine
Last week, mid October, and this week too, I was keen on keeping the vines growing up tall and strong, tending the baby ones carefully too. One to two liters every other day of tap water and a snail scan. Eggshells are good for that job, but we do not eat eggs more than once or twice a week at the moment, so that organic pesticide is low...
Looking for a reason to learn more about caring for them, I found by accident a site that wanted to sell me a great guide or at least a downloadable pdf file.
The Complete Grape growing Guide by Danie Wium "The Grape Guy" and based around an intersting concept of growing 45 pounds of grapes off a single vine...
Well, I have skimmed through and re-skimmed for relevancy to wine grape growing and found it somewhat useful. When I have an acre or two, I will look forward to 45 pounds of fruit off a vine-, that would make nearly 22 kg, or about 16 liters of wine, per plant. Wow, thirty plants now, means-- 500 bottles?!?
The other day, I went for a walk through the vines looking for faults and all, and saw that the wind during the week had kindly broken a few new canes off two of the vigorously growing Pinot! Bugger, as there was a couple of bunches-to-be, lost. In fact, the Pinot is wildly vigorous, so much so that I needed some pointers from the guide. I may cut down the watering to twice a week now, but still give the nursery plants water as soon as the top soil dries out. Soon as the caps fall off, in with some pest and mildew spraying.
The rest of the plants were looked at and from what I gather, any suckers, and, I gathered, non fruiting canes should be removed, so I did that to the Pinot and Shiraz.
Non of the year old plants showed any sign of fruiting this year- so that's good. The two year old plants are not so vigorous, one has some fruiting canes though, and will leave it be. The cuttings are coming along, any that were not leafing up were removed.
From the SBS television programme "The Wine Lovers Guide To Australia", I think I may have identified the Garage Foxy Grapes as Gerwurtz Traminer, red berries, large, perfumed, and it gives 30 pounds per bush! Currently, last years vintage is being fortified, and is not too bad as a sweet, nearly cloyingly sweet, aperitif. IMHO anyway.


text:
As some of you know this was my first experience of TechEd Europe, all my previous conferences has been in the US. Last night prior to the Country drinks I had a dinner with the roundtable members and I addressed some concerns that I now would like to redraw. This TechEd has been equivalent to my US experiences.
Well TechEd is no more at least for me, and with that I would like to thank everybody that has been involved in something that has turned out to be an important part of my life, not just my professional but also my personal life. I have under the wing of TechEd made friends for life.
So it is with a heavy heart I say: TechEd is dead long live Iginite!
After the invite to the Roundtable discussions I made a post called "We few we happy few we Band of brothers" and would like to do that again.
Mr Shakespeare created a lot of great stuff but this always comes to mind when a great conference like TechEd is closing.
TechEd for me is really two parts, content and networking. and with networking I don't mean flippin business cards. This European TechEd experience of mine would not have been possible without a little help of my friends. You know who you are and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I can't wait until the next time I bump into a friend I made here in Barcelona. We truly are a brand of brothers…
Shakespeare's Henry V, 1598:
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
I hope to see you all in Chicago my brothers and sisters.


text:
BROTHER and sister James and Naomi Folkard met with mixed fortunes when competing in two National archery ranking tournaments.
James shot well at the East Midlands Archery Society FITA Star event at Kirby Muxloe on Saturday, securing a personal best master bowman score of the season at 1201.
But 17-year-old Naomi had a rare off day at the Oxford Archers FITA 720. Naomi, who only the previous week, had won the British Target Championships for the second year running, could only score 1198, well below her personal best 1330 and had to settle for fourth place behind Lindsey Pearson (Bingham), Jan Eley (Grampion Suffolk) and Sylvia Harris (Dunlop, Coventry).
On Sunday, however, Naomi found her normal form, winning the Head-to-Head Olympic Round and breaking three national records in the process.
The Royal Leamington AC star scored 631 for the ranking round, beating her own senior and junior national records of 626, set earlier this year in Czech Republic.
For the first three dozen arrows she scored 325, putting one point on her own junior national record.
In the final head-to-head rounds Naomi, who is competing in the Junior European Championships in Croatia this weekend, beat fellow international junior, Rikki Westman (Bowmen of Birstall) 102-93, former GB junior Helen Palmer (Bowmen of Birstall) 99-83 and former GB No.1 Jan Eley 104-101.
Brother James also shot well and to finish seventh and Coventry's Jonathon Mynott won the men's compound bow event.
The Warwickshire County Championships held at Meriden saw Leamington's Malcolm Griffin take the men's recurve title with a personal best 1036.


text:
Fresh off the runway - 2pc
Fresh off the runway - 2pc
55.00 70.00
I'm sorry I'm late my jet just landed *flips hair* This is 2 piece set is sold as a set! Very detailed and impeccable make creation! The is a luxury bandage set, perfect for an event, a night out on the town, or to merely stop traffic!!
90% Polyester, 10% Spandex
Made in China
Model is seen wearing a Large, model wears a size 10-12
Ready to ship! Ships for free with code: fashion
This garment is dry clean only!
Add To Cart


text:
N'Golo Kante thinks Ruben Loftus-Cheek is ready to break into the Chelsea first team and make an impact in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old, who started England's friendly victory over Switzerland in midweek, impressed while on loan at Crystal Palace last season, helping keep the Eagles in the Premier League before earning a call-up for England's World Cup squad.
During the transfer window, he opted to remain at Stamford Bridge in an attempt to break into the first team on a regular basis under new boss Maurizio Sarri but so far, he has struggled to do so, playing just 33 minutes of football in two substitute appearances for the Blues this term.
Loftus-Cheek wants Chelsea breakthrough
Loftus-Cheek prepared to be patient
It has led to suggestions that Loftus-Cheek could head back out on loan in January, but Kante, speaking ahead of the Blues' Premier League clash with Chelsea, thinks the Englishman's time will come at Chelsea.
When I came to Chelsea Ruben was already here and for sure he is a good player, the World Cup winner told Sky Sports. Now he's in the England squad. He did well last season at Crystal Palace and I think he's ready to play.
He's played some good games and now it's the manager's decision. We all have the chance to be at Chelsea and to play with some of the best players in the league.
We can all learn from that but he needs to keep working, to keep improving and I hope it will come at the right time.
Kante knows how difficult it can be not playing first-team football as a young player. The midfielder had struggles of his own breaking into professional football in France
He only made his professional debut in May, 2012 but since then he has enjoyed a rapid rise from playing in France's sixth division to Ligue 1 to winning the Premier League with both Leicester and Chelsea.
And Kante insists it was the difficult times that made him stronger as a player.
Everybody has some difficulty at some point in their careers but we need to use this moment to build ourselves as a player and learn from that, he said.
I had my difficulty when I was younger but now I cannot say I didn't deserve that. It helped me to build myself as a player and as a person.
The only thing is to use it as a thing to learn and improve.
Kante is having to adapt under a new manager this season in Sarri. The arrival of the Italian at Stamford Bridge has meant a role change for the 27-year-old.
New signing Jorginho is now playing as Chelsea's deepest midfielder with Kante playing a little further forward in Sarri's system, which has helped the Blues start with a perfect four wins from four games in the league.
And it's a role Kante, who scored only the fourth Premier League goal of his career in his side's opening day win over Huddersfield, is enjoying.
It's a new system with a new manager, new players and I enjoy being in this position to try and sometimes be in the box and then to be back defending, but I'm enjoying this new position.
When asked about scoring more goals, he added: I will be more in front and I've already got many chances. I need to understand that in this position I will have to score to make a difference for the team. I need to be ready for that but I haven't got a target.
If I don't score anymore but the team keep winning and I'm helping the team I will be happy. However, when I do have the chance, I'd like to score of course.
(c) Sky News 2018: Ruben Loftus-Cheek is ready to play for Chelsea, says N'Golo Kante


text:
Poetry Friday: Coming Awake by D.H. Lawrence
April 17th, 2015 (06:00 am)
Current Mood: sleepy
Current Song: Leverage score music by Joseph LoDuca
Current Mood: sleepy
Current Song: Leverage score music by Joseph LoDuca
When I woke, the lake-lights were quivering on the wall,
The sunshine swam in a shoal across and across,
And a hairy, big bee hung over the primulas
In the window, his body black fur, and the sound of him cross.
There was something I ought to remember: and yet
I did not remember. Why should I? The running lights
And the airy primulas, oblivious
Of the impending bee - they were fair enough sights.
- Coming Awake by D.H. Lawrence
View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.
View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.
Learn more about Poetry Friday.


text:
Never a charge for our services + Best Rates Available
The Difference we make... WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO
- A friendly fact finding phone call, real agents who know Oregon and want to help you!
- In depth "diagnosis" of what will help you the most.
- A personal meeting or phone enrollment, generally less than an hour, to lay out the best path ahead.
- Easy to understand enrollment to a complicated system and return to support for issues in the future.
- Support with uploading any required documentation for tax credit subsidies.
Together we will navigate the complex system of eligibility, tax credits, subsidies and premium relief for each individual client. Our goals will be your qualification for free insurance or significantly lower premiums.
We will be with you to find help with deductibles and co-payments by sharing our expertise and knowledge of values within the system. All these benefits will be yours at no cost as we are compensated directly by carriers without affecting the final price of the plans. We will find the best fit for your needs be it online, in person or via phone. By allowing our agency to work with you we will find the right plan for you specific needs, get you enrolled and maximize your savings through insurance premium relief tax credits.
Example Premium: Age 32, monthly premium = $155.00
(Additional savings with qualified tax credit)
Spending this time together allows us to meet your needs while respecting your budget. We are able to move forward then and select a plan that works for you. We can do this face to face, in our office or your home, or we can easily meet via phone depending on your schedule and needs. Our presentation of how to best use the system and explanation of plans that fit you is easy to understand with the added bonus of completing your online enrollment and processing with the carrier and exchange programs.


text:
That 'Sin City' Sequel Has Been Pushed Back to Summer 2014
Excited to finally see Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller reunite for the long-awaited sequel to Sin City? Well, get ready to wait a little longer.
Dimension Films has announced that the follow-up to the 2005 cult classic, titled Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, has been pushed back to 2014. If you listen closely, you can hear millions of fanboys grinding their teeth.
The film, which was originally slated to open on October 4, has now been pushed back to August 22, 2014. Dimension has offered no reason for the shift, but a late August opening gives the film a slot in the end of summer lineup -- which is arguably a lot more prestigious than an early October opening. The film is currently the only title opening on that weekend too, which is another plus.
This marks the second Frank Miller feature to get bumped from 2013 to 2014. The comic creator's other sequel, 300: Rise of an Empire, has been moved to March 7, 2014.
This is disappointing news for Sin City fans -- but after seven years of false starts and rumors, what's another 10 months, right?
[via /Film]
Follow @Horrorgeek Follow @MoviesDotCom
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2019 FANDANGO MOVIES.


text:
Day 267: Alternative lifestyles
What type of person hurries into the kitchen, makes a dry martini with two olives and grinds a really nice piece of entrecôte in an old fashioned meat grinder? And then makes two hamburgers with lots of mayonnaise and that artificial cheddar cheese wrapped in plastic? Than eats it all, with the martini, leaves the kitchen in a mess and then rushes out again.
Well, I don't know, but apparently I'm that type. And why not, the burgers turned out to be the best I have ever had. The martini was excellent too. And I had to hurry to be in time for the movie* I had bought tickets to.
But maybe the German couple who, in their pajamases, were having an omelette and a pile of raw veggies when I came in, found it a bit... unusual. At least they must have thought I have the most unhealthy lifestyle ever. Since they arrived today and didn't see me eat granola, carrots, herbal tea and cod liver (I'm not making this up) all the other days of the week.
Anyway, we had a little chat about outsourcing, the German Mittelstand and human resource policies before I had to rush. (Nice and social guests for the third time in a week!)
It was all highly improvised, but turned out to be a great recipe for an excellent Friday evening. Martini, entrecôte burgers, a good movie and two Germans in pajamases.
* The movie was great, Captain Fantastic, strongly recommended if you like wilderness, alternative lifestyles, freedom or Viggo Mortensen. Need I say, this is my favourite genre. The only disappointment was the audience, who, judging from the lack of reactions, didn't know neither Noam Chomsky nor Gleen Gould's interpretations of the Goldberg variations nor Guns, Germs and Steel.


text:
Job Aids & Forms - Benefits
Workday Job Aids
- Open Enrollment 2018
- Change Benefits * Benefits can only be changed during Annual Enrollment (October) or due to a qualifying event.
- Manage (Add/Change) Beneficiaries
- Manage (Add/Change) Dependents
- Modify Personal Information (Address/Name)
- Cancel Life Insurance
Adobe Reader is a free global standard for reliably viewing, printing, and commenting on PDF documents and must be installed to print or complete the PDF forms. Users of Adobe Reader 8 and later can save a completed PDF form.
Form directions and/or additional information are provided in the Instructions or Information column or within the form.
Forms that are submitted HRM can be scanned and emailed (unless original documents are required for processing) to email@example.com or sent via campus mail to 110 Thomas Boyd Hall.
For assistance, please contact an HR Generalist at 225-578-8200 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
We've set your shipping destination to:
Prices vary based on delivery destination (it's a tax thing), so please change it if you're not shipping within United States as it might affect the price!
online - get a response within seconds
We deliver nearly everywhere within days
Oh, and they never expire...
1,000s of drams in stock
A 100% agave blanco tequila produced as part of the Cantinero range. Of course, this will make for some smashing cocktails, we reckon. More info
Reposado tequila from the Cantinero range, produced using 100% agave and matured for at least six months in American oak barrels before bottling. Rich in caramel and sweet fruit notes. More info


text:
Cork soprano Emma Nash returns to her hometown with a production of Orfeo ed Euridice featuring a new dance element, writes Cathy Desmond.
It is barely a year since Irish National Opera launched its inaugural season and as the company begins a second year, it can look back on what has been a very successful start to life, with healthy box office returns and excellent reviews.
The company, which effectively consolidates the touring remit of Opera Theatre Company and the big house productions of Wide Open Opera, has succeeded in bringing opera within general reach with performances of eight productions in cities and towns all over the country at relatively modest ticket prices.
Moreover, INO under artistic director Fergus Sheil has managed the balancing trick of mounting the big popular works in crowd-pleasing stylish productions with smaller productions of less often heard works presenting a more adventurous face of the fledgling company.
View this post on Instagram
'Orfeo ed Euridice', a co-production with #UnitedFall in partnership with the #IrishBaroqueOrchestra returns to the Irish stage in three weeks time. Check out our stories to see what the critics thought when it was performed at last year's @galwayintarts festival. #INOOrfeo 📸: Pat Redmond #IrishOpera#Opera#Reviews#OperaReviews#operasingersofinstagram#irishtheatre#dance#dancetheatre#irishdance#instaireland#picoftheday
INO begins 2019 with its most extensive tour yet, a production of Gluck's 18th century Orfeo ed Euridice which had a sold out run at its premiere at Galway International Arts Festival last July.
In an unusual move, INO invited Carlow based choreographer Emma Martin to direct her first opera. With movement as a starting element, it presents a new challenge for singers.
The quartet of dancers from Martins' United Fall company is matched by a chorus of the same proportions. In keeping with the policy of casting Irish talent, the productions have provided welcome opportunities for Irish singers to work at home.
Playing the role of Amore is Cork soprano Emma Nash who reveals something of the rehearsal process.
"Yes, it is true, I'm a dancer now," she chuckles.
No park and bark performances here then. This is a show that calls for light and nimble performers as Nash reveals that she stands on the back of a dancer to deliver an aria.
Preparation for the physical nature of the role has added new routines to the soprano's vocal regime.
"Since Christmas, I am back in the gym in a big way. For singers, your body is your instrument. You have to be fit for an opera career and especially for this show. I have really noticed the difference that improved fitness has made to my performance overall."
View this post on Instagram
The Christmas classic Glitter and Be Gay 🤫 Taken at yesterday's sound check/tinsel tech by my instahusband @therorydunne Can't wait to do it all again tonight with the fabulous @corkoperahouse Concert Orchestra under the baton of John O Brien 🎄🎄🎄#glitterandbegay #tinselinsteadofpearls #christmasgalaconcert #corkoperahouse
Natives of Douglas in Cork, the Nash siblings have all shown an artistic streak. Nash has been singing and dancing since she was a stage school kid. A sister is a graphic designer based in New York and her brother has taken six months off his job as an architect in London to cycle to Australia.
Nash has been busy combining performing and teaching in Cork since graduating four years ago from an opera course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. "It feels like yesterday since I graduated and have been out in the real world. I feel very lucky to have sustained a performing career so far. Not everybody in my year is still singing."
Nash's first big break came in 2015 she landed the role of Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto for Opera Theatre Company.
"It was a huge moment in my career to get such an amazing role after just a year out of college."
Since then she has been a familiar face at Wexford Festival productions and in 2017 she was a winner of the Wexford Festival Emerging Young Artist bursary. "I was thrilled get such recognition from Wexford . I've been involved there for three seasons now. It is great exposure and has also led to some lovely concert opportunities."
In May, Nash will join baritone Gavan Ring for a concert to mark 20 years of the classical music station RTÉ Lyric FM at the NCH.
Pressed for a favourite memory, she recalls her role of Polly in The Boarding House by Andrew Synnott. Based on James Joyce's stories, Dubliners premiered at Wexford Festival in 2017. "I love Andrew's music and I hope Dubliners will get a tour."
Nash is familiar to audiences closer to home from her many performances on Cork stages. She recently sang a lead role in Cork Opera House's production of The Mikado. "I think the Opera Concert Series with John O'Brien is a fantastic initiative. I loved playing Yum Yum. There was such nostalgia for G&S and The Mikado in that audience — it was very special to be part of it."
Nash will be back in Cork Opera house for the third instalment of Tom Lane's mini opera series. Following Front of House and Backstage, new production The Stalls will premiere at the Cork Midsummer Festival.
But for now, Nash is fighting fit for the road. "I'm looking forward to visiting different venues around the country. It will be my first time to perform at the Theatre Royal in Waterford and Glór in Ennis. I'm especially looking forward to coming home to the Everyman in Cork. It is a wonderful fusion of elements and there something for everyone in this production."


text:
Sikh Relief, USA on Sunday conducted their second annual Skydive Fundraiser in Davis California to raise funds and awareness for cancer victim Akashpreet Singh.
As many as 22 jumpers along with their families and friends participated in the event. "I was scared and almost backed out. But I am so happy I actually did it. It was an amazing experience, nothing like I've ever done before. What's even better is the cause I did it for. I'm glad I was able to give to a noble cause that may help save a child's life," said first time jumper Rajbir Kaur Bainiwal.
Talking about the event, Sikh Relief chairman Balbir Singh Bains said: "The fundraiser in the UK has been running successfully for a few years now. When the team heard about Akashpreet's story they were so moved they wanted to organize something to raise money for his treatment. The treatment for Akashpreet will be ongoing for a minimum of six months and possibly lasting 2 to 3 years. He is the only son of his parents and they are desperate for him to recover and be well again. And we, with the help of our fantastic volunteers, will do everything to make that happen."


text:
Little Pine
Los Angeles, CA
I am a big fan of Moby, his music is the soundtrack to so much of my life, his photography work is super interesting, and he is a total architecture and design nut. He even has a Los Angeles architecture blog that is fascinating.
Moby is also a well known advocate of veganism and Little Pine his new 100% vegan restaurant located in Silver lake, a Los Angeles neighborhood. Moby worked with LA based Studio Hus on the design. In his words the restaurant "now it looks like an Art Deco spaceship."
On a recent trip to LA I had a couple minutes to pull over and quickly take some photos. Next time I will go in and eat.


text: Many of you know Dylan Rose. Dylan is the saltwater travel specialist for FLYWATER TRAVEL, and was at one time my office partner in the repping of fishing equipment. In short, a great guy, and an expert when it comes to just about anything related to fly fishing. Dylan and I hosted a group together in Cayo Cruz Cuba this last Summer. Based on that trip, and some wanderings around Havana, Dylan put together a great article recently published in the 2016 Fly Water Catalogue. It is a very worthwhile read.


text: I think you guys are fabulous. I have zero complaints what so ever. He did a wonderful job on my toes and treated me like a friend as well as a patient. His staff his is just wonderful they are always smiling and make you feel welcomed. He's a terrific doctor and I will be back for any other foot problems. I recommend Dr Safiedine to all my friends and family. You guys are just great.


text:
Our People
The culture and diversity of Shoreline is growing, with residents representing a variety of ethnicities, ages, incomes, interests, and politics. Mark Hinsaw, Shoreline City Hall designer, perfectly describes what's happening in Shoreline in his 2015 article in Crosscut, "Seattle may be seeing a decrease (aka displacement) in certain population groups, but those folks are replenishing older, inner-ring towns that were, not too long ago, mono-cultural bastions of the white middle class."
But this story goes beyond race and ethnicity. We are students, entrepreneurs, recording artists, restaurateurs, and volunteers. Several local Shoreline restaurants were recently named favorites of Seattle Chef Eric Tanaka of Tom Douglas restaurants. And no matter who we are or what we do, we support our City. Over the past decade, residents have passed levies to help fund improvements to city parks and trails, and maintain community and human services, our schools, and crime prevention programs.


text:
Don't forget to register online and create your Cupid's Undie Run Team! Then…
- Keep team members motivated by sending emails and encouraging them to increase their fundraising goals.
- Many employers will match the charitable donations made by their employees. Use a matching gift search engine to look for the name of your own employer and for the company names of each of your sponsors' employers. You may be able to double every donation you get.
- Create a friendly fundraising competition between departments. This can be for bragging rights, a free lunch, or a day off if you have a great boss.
- Talk about Cupid's Undie Run at meetings.
- Get a story about your company's team on your company's intranet site. Attach a Cupid's postcard with your team's donation information to payslips.
- Have an inter-city fundraising challenge if your company has offices in different Cupid's cities.
Make sure you check out our Workplace Fundraising ideas!


text:
We provide a valuable service to businesses at every stage of their life cycle. Whether it be raising funds, acquiring, merging, restructuring or ultimately selling, our many years of experience and expertise in transactional work enables us to meet all the challenges of a business's corporate advisory requirements.
We collaborate with various experts in the industry to provide a diverse range of services to assist your business.
We provide a variety of sevices which enchances your business in the following areas:
Financial due diligence forms a crucial part of any acquisition process and serves to mitigate any potential risks associated with a transaction.
MK Consult helps clients identify and understand the value of their businesses in both contentious and non-contentious situations
Whether buying, selling, borrowing, or planning, it is crucial to make informed business decisions from a position of knowledge and strength. We develop the proper analytical design, structure, and methodology for your company valuation.
In addition to offering valuation services for the purposes of a transaction, we are experienced in acting as an expert witness in both corporate and personal disputes.
We are experienced in helping clients achieve their acquisition strategies. Our services includes:
We are experienced and aware of the procedure of selling businesses can be a protracted process where the planning phase requires years before the settlement is completed. Despite the tedious process, we ensure to provide your management team with the necessary assistance to make the transaction process smoother. Maximization of gross and net sale receipts are the upmost priority for us and we assure that the necessary actions are taken to achieve it.
Tax planning is a crucial factor to be considered especially when dealing with cooperate financial transactions. Neglecting the proper procedure could result in unnecessary tax liabilities or possibly loss of important tax reliefs.
We have extensive experience in managing, consulting and assisting in such transactions, across a wide range of sectors to ensure you maximize the value of a sale in the smoothest possible way.
Our services include assistance in the following:
Whether it's a start up capital for a new venture or funding for a potential acquisition. Our services include the preparation of forecasts and business plans, company valuation, assistance in negotiations with potential funders and advising on taxation implications.
Being fully independent, MK is able to ensure that its clients receive objective advice without any conflict of interest and is able to act as the intermediator with potential lenders to achieve the best terms and conditions for particular transactions.
Overhauls are complex and occasionally chaotic processes, often involving numerous parties, significant planning and analysis, and a high degree of coordination. For most client management teams, this is unfamiliar territory.
MK have a practical approach to helping businesses and their stakeholders. Having a broad base of skills, we pride ourselves on delivering a high quality service and providing clients with effective options and solutions.


text: Kimi and Andy's wedding took place at the beautiful Desconso Beach Club on Catalina Island. Its only an hour from the California coast but it feels like it's worlds away. We got to travel all around the island, shooting at the Chimes Tower, the Catalina Casino, and the secluded Desconso beach. The day was filled with ocean air and beachy breezes and a whole lotta partying. There were hula-hoops, giant bubbles, cakes being cut with swords, and some serious glow-stick action. It was a magical night and we can't wait to visit Catalina again.


text:
Got married to my beautiful and loveable wife, Beth. Today was a special day! We enjoyed being with close family afterward for dinner and look forward to a bigger reception for all friends and family in June .
Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Now is the time to book that last minute entertainment or get that special magic gift for a loved one. Contact us today for more information: 1-877-297-7252 or www.eddyraymagic.com
Eddy Ray Will Make Your Event Memorable!


text:
The following video is part of our "Motley Fool Conversations" series, in which industrials editor/analyst Isaac Pino and Blake Bos discuss topics around the investing world.
It was announced early today that 3M will buy ceramic-components maker Ceradyne for $35 a share and a total net sum of $670 million. The news shot shares of Ceradyne into the stratosphere, closing the day up 43%. Current 3M shareholders appeared to be content with the deal, with shares closing up nearly 1%.
3M believes the acquisition will help it expand into the ceramics business, as its technology becomes more prevalent in modern-day applications like ball bearings and defense applications. The deal will add $500 million to 3M's revenue and $0.01 to earnings per share, excluding acquisition costs.
3M CEO Inge Thulin had mentioned there are potential deals in the pipeline, and the company will probably pursue larger deals. Investors can only wonder whether this is one of the first of these potential acquisitions.
While it may be difficult for investors to pinpoint the next takeover target, there are several companies set to spur a new industrial revolution. These transformative companies are highlighted in our special Motley Fool report "3 Stocks to Own for the New Industrial Revolution," which can be yours today by clicking here.


text:
Sun, 5 May 2013
I team up with Dr Wendy Hughes - local O&G specialist to discuss the manageemnt of a heavily bleeding woman in the late part of pregnancy.
This is one of those presentations which can really stretch ones mental and physical resurces. So have a listen as I learn how to do it from the boss!
Direct download: APH_with_Wendy.mp3
Category:Audio podcast -- posted at: 10:21am EDT


text:
Although the Cascade snowpack is roughly normal this year (which is low for a La Nina year in which we expect it to be above normal), the central Sierra Mountains of central CA have been hit very, very hard.
The Alpine Meadows ski resort near Lake Taho is closed today due to unprecedented snowfall, high high winds and avalanche hazards.
The nearby Squaw Valley has had the greatest seasonal snowfall on record, with 45 inches overnight at 8200 ft.
Snow has even hit lower elevations in northern CA, with highway 101 closed between San Francisco and Eureka.
The good news for California is once they get through Saturday that West Coast trough that has taken the cold and precipitation down into California (and yes, generally away from us) will shift back north. The Northwest should be visited by increased rain and mountain snow next week.
All of the above shows the dangers and uncertainties in an El Nino/La Nina winter forecast. We had expected WA to have above normal snow and the Sierra's less than normal. Hasn't quite worked out that way. Statistical relationships are just that...and having something more probable does not mean it will happen.
But don't give up on the Northwest snowpack---it will probably increase significantly during the next week as the jet moves our way.
You are now reading the articleAmazing Sierra Snows with the link address http://www.outsiderla.me/2011/03/amazing-sierra-snows.html


text:
The Contest Page!
Win a book to read this summer!
This summer I'm giving away more than a dozen books! Help me have fun and win a book to read over the summer.
Seekers of Earth
In this contest five people will win a signed copy of the paperback edition of Seekers of Earth, my new science fiction series. This contest starts June 30th and ends July 14th.
Lucas Baldwin, the young son of a powerful lord, is on his first deep space training mission. Advancing through a captured facility he encounters a lunatic girl about his age. Only later does he realize that the girl, Rachel, is speaking English, a long dead language. Rachel talks of an Earth still in existence and more advanced than the horse-and-buggy world that had supposedly been destroyed.
Seekers of Earth is a 38,000-word introductory novella to the Guardian Knights of Terra series.


text:
Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko has caused an online buzz after he uploaded a photo when he was a teenager. The flamboyant senator went ahead to reveal that he was a notorious boy and bhang was his thing. However the City Senator was quick to clarify that he has since reformed and that was something of the past.
Here is a screenshot of his post


text:
A Month Of Music
I've been challenged by a friend to record and release something every day for a month. I've chosen August to do this and I'm going to see how far I can get. I plan to use anything at my disposal, including my phone if I have to.
I'm going to use this as a chance to experiment with different styles, too, so if you've heard any of my electronic music, prepare to be a little surprised.
Follow me on Twitter or watch here for updates. And let me know if you want to join me. It could be fun.