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Sprenger Bow Balance Stirrups
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The Bow Balance Stirrups combine several aspects that represent good secure riding.
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By changing the weight ratio compared to other stirrups on the market, the BOW BALANCE stirrups are optimal balanced as the name already implies. They can be picked up much easier due to the special balance and the bow form of the upper part. A simple touch of the foot and the stirrup gently folds onto it.
Shock absorbing grip is achieved by a widened tread made of rubber with two types of properties.
The renowned and patented System 4 technology, which further is a distinctive part of the stirrups can support the release of the foot in case of emergency and ensures improved flexibility.
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Web ID: 0651563
Redken Curvaceous Co Wash Foam Shampoo - 16.9 oz.
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Redken Curvaceous Co Wash Foam Shampoo - 16.9 oz.
Product Description
Define your hair's shape and leave it feeling healthy and nourished with this Redken Curvaceous Co Wash Foam Shampoo.
- delivers intense moisture
- formulated with Redken's Curl Memory Complex
- made in America
How to use: Apply to wet hair and distribute evenly from root to tip. Massage and rinse.
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Status: Open
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We, at Trompa, are passionate about wine, it's tradition, and the dedicated people that make it.
Be the first lehighvalleylive.com user to add photos or videos of Trompa Wine Bar
Was really hopeful for this place. I think the doylestown area in general is under served for wine fans. To start, our server knew little to nothing of the...
This place is perfect for a date night. Really friendly wait staff, an eclectic menu, and, if you go during happy hour, the prices are surprisingly good....
Just awesome! Great food, well cooked. The zucchini chips are addicting!
Trompa Wine Bar is located at 46 E State St, Doylestown, PA. This business specializes in Adult Entertainment.


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GNIITFD - LUDHIANAMAIN KOHARA CHOWNK, CHANDIGARH ROAD ,Sahnewal, Ludhiana, 141112
About Us
Our institute caters to the needs of all the sections of society ranging from uppermost to the poor class sections.
Our institute doesn't take any tuition fee in order to make the fee reasonable as for as possible. Thus it has no profit no loss basis of business because it is the part of education. We are imparting the computer education & training, computer aided design, software development large scale processing and making available computer resources to all type of user in the areas of information technology.
Our institute is known for providing management skills and personality development conducting regular workshops to enhance communication and interview skills is our regular features. To keep the students updated with the latest i.t. and related business techniques, the institute hold technical seminars and on-campus briefing. In order that the students should be able to face the real life situations we conduct regular aptitude tests, technical test group discussion along with mock interviews.
This is your own department hence don't hesitate to bring to our notice any problem faced by you and we are sure you will benefit a lot from our education system.
Classroom Training
Demo Class
Opening Hours
- Sunday 12:00 - 12:00
- Monday 12:00 - 12:00
- Tuesday 12:00 - 12:00
- Wednesday 12:00 - 12:00
- Thursday 12:00 - 12:00
- Friday 12:00 - 12:00
- Saturday 12:00 - 12:00


text: Sainsbury's journey of digital transformation 2 May 2019 By:Malcolm Pinkerton Comments: 0 Followers: 101 Email Conversation Your name* Your e-mail* Recipient's e-mail address(es)* Separate multiple addresses with a comma (,). You may only specify up to 25 email addresses. Subject Message Refresh Type the text that appears in the image Confirm Email Sainsbury's has unveiled its digital transformation roadmap as it looks to accelerate growth and future proof its business. Success will require serving customers seamlessly online and/or offline through an agile and fully-connected retail ecosystem. Here, we take an initial look at how Sainsbury's is achieving this. Creating the ultimate in-store experience - connected, easy, fast, friction-free A clear statement of intent is a three-month experiment in a London convenience store, where Sainsbury's is trialling the UK's first checkout-free grocery store, which opened to the public on 29 April. Customers can scan and pay for their groceries using the SmartShop Scan, Pay & Go app. So, what is the store like to shop? Firstly, the app is easy to install. One barrier is the requirement for a Nectar loyalty account to complete registration. This, however, is quick and easy to do. Given the importance of gaining a holistic view of customers beyond Sainsbury's ecosystem, this is a crucial step. This step is not onerous, and for the 16 million active Nectar holders who regularly use Sainsbury's, even easier, as it can be completed by scanning the loyalty card. The app only works when in a SmartShop store, and requires activating Google Pay or Apple Pay. The trial is well publicised, both outside and inside the store, with clear signage to guide the shopper through the process The app is used to scan each item and, once done, you simply pay via Google/Apple Pay, before finally scanning a special QR code. Scanning items and the "checkout" process was extremely easy. I was impressed by the simplicity and the fact it literally was scan, pay, go. The entire process was impressively simple and honestly friction free. Optimised for speed and convenience The system costs less to set up than Amazon Go as it is not reliant on sophisticated tracking technology and can be implemented in existing stores at much lower investment. The focus is clearly on speed and convenience, with those products that consume time at checkout through requiring age verification, such as alcohol and tobacco, removed. Guidance through the process from the app itself is easy to follow and attempts to remove as much friction as possible. The assortment has been optimised to cater for convenience-focused shopping missions, such as food-to-go and meal solutions. All this helps create as frictionless an experience as possible and by harnessing the data gathered through the app, the assortment can subsequently be tailored to best meet the needs of the store's catchment area. Mobile-centric This is an indication of Sainsbury's strategy to create a complete retail ecosystem, joining all its digital properties together so customers only need one way of accessing everything, from the weekly shop to financial services. Essentially, Sainsbury's is looking to create a super app, a complete operating system, providing the ultimate lifestyle companion for the mobile-first generation. Data-centric Sainsbury's is looking to gain a truly holistic view of customers across all channels, which is essential if it is to really deliver the fully connected, seamless, personalised, experience demanded of them. The digital overhaul of its Nectar loyalty scheme will certainly help. Embedding this within SmartShop will help Sainsbury's join up customers' online/offline behaviour, while providing insights wherever a customer interacts with the Nectar ecosystem. Consumer-centric Creating true customer-centricity requires breaking down operational siloes. Sainsbury's is creating cross-functional teams, who have adopted agile ways of working to deliver customer-focused solutions. Moreover, it has appointed a chief digital officer, with the primary objective of creating a seamless experience across its Sainsbury's, Argos, Nectar and Sainsbury's Bank divisions. Meanwhile a chief customer officer, with responsibility for customer data across the entire organisation, will help ensure data-empowered strategic decisions. Importantly, Sainsbury's is also partnering with technology providers and fulfilment specialists to achieve its objectives. Kantar POV Next-generation retail requires seamlessly integrating online, offline, logistics and data across the entire value chain. Success depends on upgrading commercial operating systems with new insights, new ways of working, new capabilities, and new metrics. Sainsbury's, in adopting a mobile-led and digital-first approach, building an ecosystem, and breaking down operational siloes, is well placed to make significant strides on its digital transformation journey. Return to the List of Blogs


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Building the Right Environment to Support AI, Machine Learning and Deep Learning
In its financial reports, Amazon doesn't break out the numbers for its cloud computing unit, Amazon Web Services (AWS). So no one outside the company really knows how much AWS makes. But at least one Amazon competitor thinks he knows the truth, and he says the company's cloud profits are staggering.
Andreas Gauger, co-founder of ProfitBricks, blogged:
"I calculate ProfitBricks pricing on a regular basis and it's based on our actual cost and capex including the fact that the cost of hardware is still declining over time just as Mr. Moore predicted it way back in 1965. And sad as it is we are a little smaller than Amazon so I am pretty sure that the prices we pay for hardware, datacenter space or energy are higher than Amazon and the other big players. So here is the deal: if I were to sell our product at the same prices as Amazon or Rackspace does I would have gross margins far higher than the quoted 60% to 80%."
Coincidentally, ProfitBricks announced it was cutting its prices by 50 percent.
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It's Christmas on Arthur Ave and so every vender gives Edward panettone. When he left the Bronx to drive home there were so many panettone in the back of the car he practically couldn't see out his rear view mirror. more »
Enough is as Good as a Feast
Post-Thanksgiving in the Giobbi house is a groaning affair: From a groaning table to a groaning tummy. Edward cooked a meal for 12 by himself, despite the weather. It was snowing in Westchester County. The snow was thick more »
Razor Clams
Edward brought me a gorgeous chunk of guanciale from Italy—the way to a girl's heart–and a jar of grape molasses that he made. He reduces 36 pounds of zinfandel grapes down to about 12 half pints of thick, more »
Pasta with Broccoli Rabe Pesto and Clams
Every time Edward comes back from a trip to Italy he has at least one new recipe that he's all excited about. Part of his circuit includes a stay at the apartment he shares with my sister Lisa more »
Stewed Monkfish with Tomatoes and Herbs
Before Edward went to Italy this fall he packed the fridge in Katonah with all kinds of foods for my mother: meatballs with peas (two packs of two servings); braised chicken with tomatoes, onions, and red peppers, for more »
Green Bean and Mint Salad (Edward turns 88)
Edward turned 88 in mid-July, and of course he cooked his own dinner: stuffed clams, anchovies on toast, and champagne; risotto with zucchini flower pesto, broiled tuna (caught by a roofer/fisherman we know in Montauk) with scallion pesto, more »
Zucchini Flower Pesto
Edward and Elinor are back from Italy and settling in. The zucchini flowers are going crazy in his garden, so he has been cooking them all week, usually flavored with saffron: in a sauté with shrimp, fried more »
Fried Rabbit, for Love
Edward has been in Italy these last few weeks, taking care of business in Le Marche where he and my sister Lisa Giobbi own a little apartment on the Adriatic, in San Benedetto Del Tronto. The town is more »
The Favas are in!
We are finding mounds of fava beans in the green market on Arthur Avenue and the farmer's markets in Manhattan. Edward has been making a light, fresh tasting fava been soup with them. That, and chicken soup with more »
Mint Pesto
Edward is using mint in everything these days, and Neni (see The Greek Kitchen Ecosystem) uses it all the time, fresh in the summer, dried in the winter (it is a key ingredient in her feta cheese pastries). Both more »


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Fremont, California (EastBayDaily) — California's Great America may be just minutes away, but the greatest thrills guests will find while staying at the Courtyard Fremont Silicon Valley Hotel are the new renovations to its lobby area and guest rooms.
The Fremont hotel recently finished a $1.8 million dollar renovation that will have guests screaming for joy. From its rejuvenated lobby area to new amenities in each guest room, this Fremont, CA, hotel will turn guests' expectations upside down from the moment they walk through the door.
In the new lobby area, guests check in at welcome pedestals instead of the traditional front desk, which allows them to interact with staff and get to their rooms faster. They also can relax in the new seating area featuring a communal table. For something a bit more intimate, private media booths with high-definition televisions provide plenty of entertainment and a quiet place to relax. The newly installed GoBoard lets guests explore entertainment options in the area, from the most popular nightclubs and restaurants to local attractions in nearby San Francisco. This oversized touchscreen television also has the day's news headlines, business updates, sports scores and weather reports.
After a day at the San Jose Convention Center, the Mission and New Park Mall, guests can return to the Fremont hotel and dig into the offerings at The Bistro — Eat. Drink. Connect for breakfast and dinner. The new menu contains reimagined classics such as sandwiches, burgers, pizza and salads, all incorporating the freshest ingredients to create bold flavors as vibrant as the surrounding Bay Area. In the evenings, guests can sip on craft brews, signature cocktails and wines while enjoying comfortable seating and taking advantage of happy hour. A new 24/7 Market also sells snacks and toiletries just in case guests forgot to bring a toothbrush.
Regardless of how they choose to enjoy the new lobby, guests can connect to improved high-speed wireless Internet access, allowing them to surf the web, contact the home office or send emails to family and friends. Laptops can also be left at home thanks to new computers with printing capabilities installed in the business library. Guests also can save a few minutes at the airport by taking advantage of a dedicated terminal to print out airplane tickets and check flight statuses.
The main attraction for guests can be found in each of the rooms. New plush bedding offers shortened lines to dreamland, while functional work spaces let busy travelers finish their assignments efficiently so they can relax in front of large flat-screen televisions. For even more comfort and flexibility, a separate seating area can serve as the perfect place to entertain friends and associates or plan an adventure to nearby attractions via the complimentary wireless Internet access. Before guests go out into the world, however, they can freshen up and ready themselves in remodeled bathrooms with Paul Mitchell bath products and amenities.
The hotel in Fremont, California, has put extra effort into its green initiatives, helping to do its part in environmental conservation. New receptacles for glass, paper, plastic and metal can be found at the side exits to the hotel and encourage guests to sort their refuse instead of just going into the landfill.
About the Courtyard Fremont Silicon Valley Hotel Located in sunny Fremont, California, the Courtyard Fremont Silicon Valley Hotel invites guests to relax and enjoy a truly inspiring experience. Whether traveling for business or leisure, guests will appreciate the hotel's close proximity to major attractions, local businesses and restaurants. The new state-of-the-art lobby offers flexible space to work and play on the hotel's free Wi-Fi network, while the signature GoBoard connects guests to the latest news, weather and airport conditions. Visitors who work up an appetite can grab a quick bite to eat or a sit-down meal at The Bistro – Eat. Drink. Connect. which serves healthy food and drinks for breakfast and dinner. Business travelers will appreciate the Fremont hotel's location off of Interstate 880 in Bayside Business Park, just 20 minutes from the San Jose Airport in a prime location providing easy access to San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area. Book a stay today and experience the completely reinvented Courtyard Fremont Silicon Valley Hotel.
About Courtyard by Marriott Courtyard by Marriott offers a refreshing environment that helps guests stay connected, productive and balanced. Intuitive services and design accommodate guests' needs for choice and control. With more than 860 locations in 30 countries, Courtyard is Marriott's largest brand. All Courtyard by Marriott hotels participate in the award-winning Marriott Rewards frequent travel program that allows members to earn hotel points or airline miles for every dollar spent during each stay. For reservations, go to http://www.courtyard.com or contact a travel professional
Marriott International
Courtyard Fremont Silicon Valley


text: With various styles of wedding shoes that range from high platforms to classy peep toe, it is not difficult to find that most suitable pair of shoes for your special day. Silver platform shoes are a work horse as great women's shoes goes. Vintage bridal shoes are not typically white, they tend to be ivory, teal, silver or mink though, of course, if white is what you want, white you can get. Another top trend is shoes with various shapes such as bows. You will want to be able to dance the night away and your bridal wedding shoes will need to be comfortable for the whole day and night. Your bridal shoes are your onetime investment so you will want to choose carefully. Generally, if wedding shoes are expensive, it is normally because they are exquisitely handmade, personalized and definitely unique. You may need to buy the shoes before you order your wedding dress if you are having your dress ordered with your hem length.. When choosing wedding shoes with no heel, the possibilities are endless. Have fun and enjoy the process. Your Wedding day will certainly be a day to remember. properties!


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Chapter 23: Full of Flaws
"Listen, if you're going to spend the night at my place, I'm going to have to lay down some ground rules," Jay tells me as he parks his car in his driveway, speaking for the first time since getting into the car.
"Fair enough," I answer him as we step out of the car and into the cold evening air. I wrap my arms around me to contain some warmth. The air is almost as icy as Jay's current mood and temperament.
"Firstly, I want to emphasize that this is a once-off thing. You are not to stay. You are not to move in and you are not to allow anyone else to move in. Secondly, do not permit strangers, or hobos for that matter, into my house, especially if they're kleptomaniacs. Thirdly, please don't build any treehouses on my property or spray paint any of my furniture," he says sternly, quickly putting me in my place before I can even get any ideas. "I really can't believe I have to say any of this," he remarks coldy.
"Yeah…" I wince and avert my eyes from his in shame, "about all of that, I'm really sorry." I finally apologize, "I'm sorry that I used to take advantage of you. I'm sorry that I was such a terrible housemate."
"I wouldn't say terrible," he says quietly beneath his breath as if disagreeing with me. He opens the back door of the car and reaches for Zac's arm. I help him until we manage to get the bag of brawn out of the car.
"Jay?" I question as I watch him throw Zac over his shoulder, taking some strain under the weight. Zac's most definitely heavy.
"Aqueela?" He returns the name like he's always done since I've known him.
"Why have you not moved to a fancier house? The bacon is being brought home and the cash is rolling in, so why stay in the same place?" I ask, genuinely curious as I take in the familiar surroundings.
Jay locks his car and walks up beside me to the front door, "I don't know. I feel that if I move now, then what is the point? I don't want to forget where I came from. I don't want to forget my roots. The more you have, the more you want."
"I like the way you see things," I reply back softly. He turns to me and spares me a questioning glance. I shrug, "Your perspective on typical things is different."
He adds, "If it helps, it's also 'cause I'm saving. I don't even know for what, I just know that I am. It's more of a contingency if something unexpected were to ever happen."
I smile to myself. Nothing's changed, he's still planning ahead to make provisions for the future.
"Could you unlock and open?" He asks fishes for his keys in his pocket before carefully handing them to me. He's a little too preoccupied with Zac to do it himself.
I take the keys from his hand and ignore the feeling of his fingertips brushing against mine. I quickly unlock the door and open it wide so that Jay can get in and set Zac down onto the couch. He sends me a thankful nod as he does exactly that. He lets out a relieved breath once the weight is literally off of his shoulders. I step in after him and close the door behind me.
Jay's immediately greeted by an eager dog with a ball in the mouth. I watch as he grins down at Slobber before getting down on his haunches to pat the overgrown pup. "Hey little guy, how's my boy doing?" Jay asks Slobs.
I can tell just how much Slobber means to him…and to think he never wanted a dog. It's also obvious of how much Slobber adores his master. He's Jay's dog now.
Slobber drops the ball and barks back at Jay all too happily, his tail swishing back and forth as he stares up at Jay as if trying to communicate with him. Jay laughs quietly to himself as throws Slobber's ball for him, "Fetch, boy!" he encourages.
Slobber doesn't waste a second before running to go and fetch the ball. He brings it back swiftly and drops it into Jay's hands, ready for round two.
I grin and take a seat across from Zac on one of the single seaters. I get comfy and watch Jay interact with Slobber. However, Slobber gets distracted by my movement. Upon noticing my presence, he sprints to me before jumping onto my lap.
Surprised, it takes me a second to recover. From the corner of my eye, I notice Jay trying to stifle a grin upon seeing my dazed expression. I laugh upon being caught off guard as I cuddle Slobber to my chest. "Heya buddy," I whisper as an unintentional smile breaks across my features. I've missed all of this so much and I'd kill to get it all back.
Slobber growls playfully at me as if willing me to talk more. When I don't, he whimpers and barks at me before licking my hand.
I giggle and nuzzle my nose against his fluffy head before glancing at Jay in query. Sheepish, Jay scratches the back of his neck and shrugs before giving me a legitimate explanation, "I talk to him a lot. He now finds comfort in hearing my voice, apparently in yours too."
"You think he still remembers me?" I ask him, taking my chances in doing so.
"Of course he does," Jay answers immediately. "Give yourself some credit, you're definitely not someone easily forgotten," he tells me with an irrefutable gaze cast upon me. "You can leave for as long as you want to, when you come back you'll still be his favorite person," he concludes quietly.
"Nah, I think you top me in his books," I say with a teasing wink. I then see his downcast expression and sigh at the reminder. "Maybe we should talk about what I said two weeks ago," I suggest in the hopes of patching things up with him.
Open to the idea, he agrees easily and sits down, "Alright."
I take the initiative to start, "I know what I did was wrong-"
"Aqueela, Aqueela, Aqueela…I'm gonna need you to stop talking, 'cause quite frankly, no one cares," Zac cuts me off from within his drowsy state as he blinks up at the ceiling in confusion. It's then something clicks in place. He sits up slowly with a hand to his head as his eyes wander, "Where the hell am I?"
"We'll talk later," Jay assures me in affirmation before making his way over to Zac.
Zac glances around until his eyes land on me, "My head is sore. What happened? I can't remember anything," he states as it registers.
"How's your vision?" Jay asks him.
"I'm seeing a lot of beauty on that side of the room," Zac gestures to where I'm sitting, still full of jokes and sarcasm, "and I'm seeing nothing worth remembering on this side of the room," Zac motions to where Jay is. Unfortunately, Slobber is on Jay's side of the room too. That's just unforgivable.
Jay, unfazed by Zac's rudeness, merely asks another question, "Are you feeling dizzy or nauseous?"
Zac shakes his head in turn, "Only nauseous at the sight of you."
"Get up and walk, I want to check something," Jay orders boldly. If he were to be a doctor, he'd be a fairly good one. He's knowledgeable on the subject. As for me, my first-aid has expired. I can barely remember anything.
Zac shakes his head but then stops when he sees my glare. "Fine," he answers gruffly, for my sake, before standing up and walking over to me, a slight limp intact.
Slobber seems to go wild at the new smell of a person and begins to bark crazily at Zac. He eventually even nips at the bottom of Zac's jeans and tries to tug him back.
Jay chuckles and hauls Slobber back into his arms ever so gently. "It's okay, boy, I'm not his biggest fan either."
"I'm not an animal person," Zac frowns down at Slobber and Jay in distaste.
Jay stands up with Slobber in his hold, "Neither am I, that's why I was reluctant to let you into the house," Jay insults, offended that Zac can't stand his dog. It's evident that Jay was just saying that to get to Zac. He's an animal lover through and through, for sure.
"Ha ha," Zac responds in sarcasm before he glares at Jay for his wit and asks, "what did you want to check anyway?"
"To see if you could walk," Jay answers back casually.
"And if I couldn't?" Zac questions, annoyed.
"You'd fall, I'd laugh, and we'd know quicker," Jay answers in an carefree manner, dealing with Zac's nature in ease. He then turns to me in all seriousness, "We'll have to watch him tonight. If he slurs in speech, vomits more than once, loses consciousness again, becomes extremely drowsy or increases in confusion and decreases in coordination - anything out of the ordinary - then we're going to have to take him to the hospital to get a MRI scan or CT scan and a neurological test. I don't think there's any swelling on the brain…" Jay pauses before cracking a joke, "well not more than there already is, and I'm pretty sure he'll remember everything by morning, but we're still going to have to keep an eye on him."
"Got it, doc," I salute him with a laugh.
Jay glances to Zac before offering him some advice, "You should rest plenty. Try to avoid anything mentally or physically demanding-"
"No s*x?" Zac cuts in with a smirk before winking my way suggestively.
"If I have to answer that, then you're just plain stupid," Jay remarks nonchalantly before his eyes drift to me. "Maybe try wipe the blood off of him, please. I'm gonna get him an ice pack for the slight swelling."
Zac stops him, "Why are you helping me?"
"Because I've been where you are," Jay answers him reluctantly.
Zac sighs in dismay, "Turn around."
"What?" Jay asks in confusion, just as puzzled as me by Zac's command.
"Just do it, okay! What I'm about to say goes against my character so I need to maintain minimal to no eye contact right now," he puts in his request demandingly.
Jay groans, but nevertheless complies and turns around. "This is stupid," he mutters under his breath.
"You're stupid," Zac replies back on impulse as if he just cannot help himself.
"Those words don't seem so out of character for you," Jay replies cockily.
"That's not what I was going to say!" Zac hisses bitterly, allowing Jay to get under his skin and mess with him.
Jay merely chuckles in amusement at Zac's out of turn reaction, his back still turned to us.
Zac sucks in a deep breath as if preparing himself for a speech, "Here goes…" he trails off in a falter as if rethinking it.
"Why am I waiting?" Jay muses impatiently in a singsong voice as if to irritate Zac further. He's taking advantage of the situation and he's loving it.
Zac glares at Jay's back as if to tell him to shut the hell up. Jay's just having fun with this now and Zac's just realized that.
"Hurry up, you lunatic!" I whine, tired of being kept in suspense.
"Thanks," Zac eventually forces it out as he wraps it up.
Jay and I fall silent under his single word.
"Phew!" Zac exclaims and pretends to rub a bead of sweat off his forehead as if relieved. "Glad that's over with and off my chest."
Jay turns back around to face Zac with raised eyebrows, "All that buildup for one word? That it?"
"Yeah and now I'm sorely regretting it," Zac retorts before adding, "I take it back, you don't deserve my thanks. I take it all back."
"All back? You only said one word," Jay fails to hide his amused grin. "Not even 'thank you', just 'thanks'," he points out.
"Just shut up and get my ice pack already!" Zac raises his voice, his tone laced with deep irritation at being unable to win and get the upper hand.
"You got it," I hear an easy-going laugh resonate from Jay as he heads for the kitchen, Slobber trailing after him at his heels.
Typical Jay, he's usually relaxed in nature unless pushed otherwise. He's no doormat either.
"He riles me up the wrong way," Zac complains childishly as I take him into the bathroom to clean his stupid face.
"There's a tap. Out of it comes water. Magic." I gesture to the bathroom counter, "Do you think you can handle cleaning your own face without making a mess?" I purposely treat him like a two-year-old.
Jay hates mess and Zac is the very definition of messy. I don't need another reason for them to not get along.
"Nope," he pouts down at me like some kid, "do it for me."
I send him a flat stare. He stares back challengingly. It somehow turns into a competition. He ends up blinking first. I smirk in victory. He groans in defeat, "Ugh fine," he finally agrees and snatches the towel from my hands.
I grin and watch as he finally decides to rinse the blood off of him, muttering unhappily all the while in doing so. Whilst he's still busy, I take out my cellphone and dial Bell's number. As expected, she answers immediately.
"What's up best friend?" she answers in a playful yet tired hum.
"How's my brother from another mother doing?" I ask, worried about Troy's condition.
"We just got back from the hospital now," she sighs at my question as if she has a lot to tell me.
If only she knew that Zac almost ended up in the hospital tonight too…
"Uh oh, I sense a story behind this," I press for more details, aware that chaos follows Troy.
"The paramedics pushed him in with a wheelchair on his own command. The doctor took an X-ray and saw that Troy sustained an acute fracture in his left foot and not his leg. Unfortunately, on the way out of the hospital, an accident happened. Max was pushing the wheelchair with Troy in it. They were just messing around. Troy kept telling him to go faster and that's when Max slipped. They both plummeted down a flight of stairs. Nevertheless, we had to go straight back and see the doctor again. Needless to say, Troy and Max are now both in moon boots with crutches. They were both wheeled out of the hospital by nurses, both high on pain meds. Troy's foot is now officially broken and Max has fractured three of toes. So yeah…it's been a long night," she explains in one breath before asking, "what about you?"
"Let's just say that I almost died tonight," I tell her ever so dramatically.
"What?" she asks in shock. "What on earth happened?"
I tell her the entire story, including the part where I almost died in a motorbike crash. I would have died a hero.
"My goodness, you win. Your night has been worse. Why do you always have to outdo me?" she asks with a vibrant laugh.
"Skill," I answer before changing the subject, "is Benley and Blubber with you too?"
"Um…no," Bells answers in hesitance. "I completely forgot about them with the hype going on."
"I'm sure they're alive," I reply back with a chuckle before saying, "I'm just curious as to how Jay knew I was in trouble. He still hasn't told me how he knew where I was."
"I called him," Bells reveals. "I knew Zac was up to trouble when he rushed you out the club like that. I was worried so I called someone who I knew would worry even more. I needed someone to check up on you. I had a bad feeling. I wasn't sure if Jay would go after you though because he told me he was about to race. Maybe he just finished his race and then came for you," Bells elaborates and explains it all. "As for how he knew where you were, beats me."
"Thanks for calling him, Bells," I extend my gratitude, "if he didn't come when he did then who knows what would have happened."
"No problem," she says in turn, "I'm just glad he came."
"Me too," I agree when hearing Troy and Max bickering in the background. It's a second later when I hear one of the babies start to cry as well.
Poor Bells, I feel for her. She has it rough. She needs a vacation pronto. She can have one when on her honeymoon with Max. I'll stay and take care of the little ones, even though I once vowed to tag along with them if they were ever to end up married. Of course, it was a joke. I'm going to crash their wedding, don't want to crash their honeymoon too.
"Anyway, listen, I better go. Max and Troy just accidentally woke up Melby and now I'm going to accidentally kill them. It's like having five babies in the house," she huffs in exhaustion before saying goodbye and ending the call, cutting our chat short.
I enter the lounge again to see Jay offering Zac an ice pack and a cloth. "Keep the ice pack on the swelling for ten to twenty minutes at a time," Jay instructs Zac.
"Whatever," Zac rolls his eyes and does as told, ungrateful as always.
"How did you know where to find us?" I ask Jay bluntly, still curious for the answer.
"Like I said, I was Zac at one stage. I used to go to that very same bar all the time. I had a hunch he'd be there too, especially since it's close to the frat club. Plus, Grey always knows where Brody is and when he heard that Brody was at the bar too, we put two and two together and figured Zac was part of it all," Jay explains himself.
He glances at Zac with a storm brewing in his blue eyes, "Speaking of which, I am going to kick your ass tomorrow for involving Aqueela. I would do it now, but I don't believe in kicking a dog when it's already down," he warns Zac threateningly.
"You can try," Zac smirks but his smirk quickly fades behind a dark, worrisome frown. "I'm starting to remember stuff now. It's all coming back in flashes and bits and pieces."
"Some concussions only last a few hours," Jay states as if he'd been expecting it. "I figured yours was one of those. It's normal that you start remembering now - good thing too, I won't feel guilty when I end you tomorrow."
Zac ignores Jay and asks aloud, with wide eyes, to no one in particular, "Where the hell is my bike?!"
It's like he doesn't even care that he put all of us in danger!
"Oh yeah…" I play with a strand of my hair innocently, "about that…it died. May it rest in peace. It surely won't be missed."
This won't go down well…
His dark eyes flare up in fury as he whips his head to me, "You! I remember now. You crashed my bike!"
It's about to rain meteorites…
"In an act to save us, need I remind you," I try to defend myself against his accusations.
"An act that failed!" he snaps at me as if it's my fault. Next time, I will send his bike into a fiery explosion and watch it die.
"Relax, man," Jay reassures Zac, "my buddy Kyle took your bike. He's going to take it to Landon tomorrow morning for repairs. Landon can fix anything, he's brilliant like that."
Zac huffs in deep-seeded frustration, "Don't expect me to 'thank' you a second time."
"I won't. It's too mentally demanding of you," Jay grins, unfazed by Zac's attitude. If anything, he's handling Zac rather well. He's really surprised me tonight. I think he's capable of taking Zac on because he's been where Zac is. He knows how Zac's mind operates, and what better way to defeat than what you already know?
Zac opens his mouth to respond back, but as he does so, he ends up yawning instead. I swallow back a laugh as Jay motions to him to follow, "You look deadbeat, let me give you a spare room to use for the night."
Zac, reluctant to obey, gives into his tiredness and actually ends up following Jay upstairs so that the guestroom can be shown to him. When he's tired, he'll comply. Tired Zac is probably the nicest version of Zac, other than concussed Zac.
I sit down and stare blankly ahead of me, deep in thought. Slobber curls up beside me and I end up stroking his soft fur. My thoughts are ruptured by the sound of a phone ringing. My gaze drifts to Jay's cell lying on the coffee table.
I hesitate.
Not able to help myself, I answer his phone on impulse. I'm immediately greeted by the sound of shouting. I hold the phone slightly away from my ear before I register the screaming voice that can only belong to Decoda. I listen attentively to what she has to say as I try to figure out why she's so infuriated with Jay this time.
"Who the hell leaves before the final race of the day?! You just vanished into thin air without even giving me a heads up. You've never ever done that before! The media coverage is not good. People are going wild over your absence. You can't just leave without my consent. Your fans were expecting to see you race and win. I even had sponsors and some investors lined up to see you perform. Once again, you've blown it. You've left everyone disappointed. It's no wonder there was drop in your fanbase today. You keep throwing all your chances to the wind!" Decoda shouts in fury before slowly asking the significant question, "What was so important to you that you had to leave immediately and couldn't stay for the final race of the day? What was so important that you made the choice to take a huge risk on your career? What was so important that you decided everything else you've worked so hard for was worth sacrificing?"
I freeze at her blunt words before inhaling a sharp breath. I wasn't aware that Jay left his race when he heard from Bells that Zac and I could be in potential danger. I thought he finished his race first and then only came.
"Whatever it is, it's not worth it! She's not worth losing everything over!" Decoda hisses knowingly before hanging up, making me glad that I answered her call instead of Jay. He could do without her judgment, especially now that he's lost even more fans due to his irrational tendencies - due to me. He left that race for me and I'd be stupid to not see it. I'll have to find a way to repay him back for all that I've caused him to already lose.
I glance down at Slobber, lost to my thoughts. There's so much I wish I could undo. I've made a lot of mistakes. Some mistakes just simply cannot be fixed no matter the time and effort invested into making it right again.
"Are you okay?"
I tense when Jay takes a seat beside me. I shift so that I'm facing him and reply with a meek nod accompanied by a faint smile.
"Really?" Jay scoffs as he takes in my facial expression, "'Cause you look down in the dumps to me," he states with a fleck of concern etched into his bubblegum blue eyes.
Unknowing as to how to reply to that, I change the subject, "Thank you for what you did back there. Thank you for coming." I'm careful not to mention the fact that I know he left his race for me. I'd rather not stir up something - that something being a hornet's nest. I don't want to set him off.
He leans back to stare at me for a brief second before a carefree grin spreads across his lips, "You don't have to thank me, Klutz," he assures me in confidence. Before I can say anything back, his smile suddenly fades behind the sincerity in his voice as if to convey his seriousness, "I'd do it for you any day, Aqueela Lawson," he concludes quietly yet boldly, speaking with nothing but conviction. For the moment, I believe him.
I return the smile and avert my eyes from his before mumbling a response, "You're being…nice?"
Jay feigns winces and flinches back, "Ouch. I guess I deserved that one." he jokes with that same carefree grin of his. This is the Jay I prefer to the one I saw with Brody.
His reaction to all of this is really catching me off guard. I was expecting a lecture from him and more of his cold-shouldered self, especially seeing as he had to leave his race for me and because he ran into Brody tonight. He was forced to succumb to old memories that he'd rather not hatch or relive. As curious as I am, I won't ask. I will not let his story surface until he wants it to surf my knowledge. If never, then I can live with that.
I bring my eyes back to his, "No, I never meant it like that, I…"
He grasps my arm gently as if to stop me right then and there. When I settle down with a perplexed expression, he releases his hold and takes over the conversation. "I realized how stupid I've been," he states, point-blank.
I have no clue where he's taking this, so I just go along with it, "Only now?" I joke, a teasing glint to my eyes.
A ghost of a smile flickers across his lips, "Again, ouch."
"Sorry," I repeat with a playful grin of my own.
I watch him exhale a tense breath before he starts talking, "I don't even know how…" he falters as if hesitant and uncertain as to how to begin.
I shoot him an encouraging smile in the hopes of comforting him as he takes his time in gathering his thoughts to say whatever he needs to say. Jay's always sucked at expressing himself.
He starts again and decides to just go for it this time 'round, "I've always been incredibly selfish when it comes to you. It's why I was so angry when you left five years ago. It's why I was so angry when you told me about your accident two weeks ago. But if anything, I've been angrier at myself for letting you go. I've unintentionally been taking it out on you. You've been my punching bag."
I stay silent, giving him the platform to voice his thoughts. He needs this.
"I gave you the ticket to New York because I saw how your dad's absence affected you. I wanted to give you the choice to see him, even if it meant losing you for a month. I wanted to be that boyfriend that you could count on, the one who wouldn't hold you back from anything - except, I failed," he admits, tearing his gaze off of me.
He didn't fail.
He takes his words in a different direction, "People see me as this kind of perfect person," he breathes out quietly, a frown developing on his lips at the thought of it. "It's a lot of pressure to live up to. My name shouldn't even be in the same sentence as the word. I shouldn't be classified as 'perfect' when I'm the exact opposite," he tells me, being blatantly honest with himself whilst doing so.
I instantly feel guilty at the thought of me being one of those people who always see him as a perfect person. I didn't realize the negative effect it would have on him. I didn't consider the pressure of our words, or of the way he sees himself.
"I might be seen as perfect by society's definition and realms, but inside I know what I really am. I'm not successful like people say I am. I'm not an overachiever or any of what they make me out to be. They don't really know me. Cold truth is, I don't have everything together. I don't have my life mapped out for me. I'm not some accomplished all-star with his head screwed on right. What I truly am, is a failure. I'm nothing but a failure. I've failed so many times and I still keep failing. I failed today, I failed yesterday and I will probably fail again tomorrow-"
I have to cut in and interrupt when I hear his last sentence, "Don't always be so pessimistic. The difference is that despite your many failures and flaws, you keep going. You keep tackling life and overcoming its obstacles and challenges."
He nods, "I was going to say that it's okay that I fail. I can accept my failures; it's others who can't, others who refuse to just see me for what and who I really am. I'm nothing out of the ordinary, but people don't see that. My real problem is that I've failed myself…" he meets my gaze headstrong, boldness in his eyes, "and I've failed you too."
I shake my head profusely, "You didn't fail me. You never have. You didn't do anything wrong."
"I never wanted to get caught up in fame." He sighs in dejection and continues, "I know who I am and I know where I come from. I never want to lose sight of that by what people say. It's why I don't blow all my money on irrelevant things, material things, like a new house…" he smiles at me in reference back to what I asked him earlier, "to answer your previous question. Like I said before, I want to remember my roots. I want to remember where I came from."
"You don't have to lose sight of you," I argue in respect to when he implied that people's opinions might possibly change him. "People don't get to decide who you are. It's you who makes the choice."
"I know that, but my goal was never to teach others that the only way to get by in life is through being perfect and flawless. My aim was to inspire in spite of the failures. No one is perfect. It's a lie. I don't want to be the face of a lie. I don't want to be the poster kid that influences wrongly. I've had a sketchy background and I've suffered just like everybody else. If people classify me as 'perfect', everything else - my own suffering and abandonment included - feels like it all just happened in vain," he reveals his perspective.
He's always had a unique way of thinking in comparison to others. It gives him an edge that no one can compete with.
"I don't understand," I confess softly. The only problem with his unique outlook on life is that he tends to blind me with confusion in the process.
He blows out a breath of frustration as if irritated with himself in the fact that he can't quite express and share how he feels, "I don't want to be seen as flawless. I want to be seen as full of flaws. If I'm called flawless it's as if the mistakes that I once made and learned from - the very same mistakes that shaped me to be who I am today - mean nothing. Being labeled as flawless means that I make no mistakes and that I've made no mistakes. Take away my flaws and erase my mistakes and you take away all that I've learned and all that I've become because of it. Take away who I've become and you take away me. If I'm not me, then who am I? I'm somebody else. I'm a liar. If I'm perfect and flawless, then I'm a liar too. I hate being called perfect. I can't even begin to express how much I hate the word 'perfect'."
"I never looked at it like that," I confess sheepishly. He overanalyzes and looks into matters deeply. It makes me feel inferior because I look at life differently. I just want to roam free, go wild, have a blast and be happy. It's unrealistic - a dreamer's point of view - but it's me.
"Calling me perfect takes away from my integrity. It's a way of erasing who I really am. It's a facade and a label put on me by others. It's a method that bounds and conforms me to a lie. It's a way of wiping everything that I stand by, everything that is morally right. Everyone is going to slip up, but it's how you deal with your failures that make a person," he explains himself clearly this time.
"Your point being?" I ask with a teasing smile.
"Getting back on track here," he grins back slightly, "what I'm trying to say is that I didn't handle my failures well when I slipped up with you five years ago. I really messed up and I'm sorry for that. I think I never went after you because I always felt like an extreme failure…sometimes I still do. You've always been this beautiful and complex person, Aqueela," he elaborates, making it obvious that he means inner beauty in this context, "I just felt like you deserved so much better. I felt like you deserved someone perfect and flawless - someone that I could never and will never be. It's only now that I see how stupid I was. Despite my failures, I should have gone to New York and looked for you anyway. I shouldn't have let the word 'perfect' hold me back from going after you. 'Perfect' got in the way of us. I made it an excuse."
I now loathe and despise the word 'perfect' too.
Jay continues, "I'm so tired of being angry all the time, Aqueela. I'm tired of always being angry at myself whenever I see you. I still haven't forgiven myself for being an idiot. I want to finally get past that. I want the same peace I see in you. I want to live freely the way you do. I've said it before, but you inspire me. To be selfish again, I'm asking that you stay this time. I don't care in what sense or form, I don't even care who you date, just stay in my life this time, alright? Don't flake out on me again."
I laugh lightly, "Alright," I confirm, "just don't run back to Africa or leave again either."
"Deal sealed," he smirks in agreement, a cheeky smile playing on the corner of his lips at me agreeing so easily to his simple request.
"Don't flatter yourself," I tease, bursting his smug bubble.
"I'm not done," he grins in ease, patiently waiting to see how I'll take to his words.
"This is probably the most you've talked in months," I point out, "not that I'm complaining. I prefer it over the silent treatment and the 'you're dead to me' treatment."
"I gave you the ticket; then just before you left I begged you to stay. Grey, the dumbass, planted thoughts in my head until I was convinced you wouldn't come back after a month. I was afraid of losing you, especially since I'd been left behind before. It got to me up until the point where I didn't believe you when you said that you planned on coming back in a month's time. I lost faith in you. That one's all on me. I let fear blind me, it caused me to distrust your words. It's why I said we were done if you got on that plane. I broke up with you because I thought you weren't coming back. I said it in the hopes to sway your decision, in the hopes that you'd stay. I was hoping that if I put pressure on you, you'd chose me," he chuckles humourlessly and shakes his head to himself, "man, was I wrong, you sure showed me."
I never knew any of this.
"It wasn't a matter of deciding between the two of you. It was a matter of closure, at least for me it was. I needed to see my dad. I didn't choose him over you. I was planning on coming back to you when the month ended - so for me, you calling it off seemed pointless at the time. I figured that when I got back we'd just continue on where we left off. I took your breakup as something temporary," I explain my side to the story, more than satisfied that we're finally clearing up the confusion and miscommunication that has lingered between us for years.
"I have to admit, if you did come back in a month, I would have accepted you back in a heartbeat. At the time, though, I was convinced that you were leaving for good. You even packed as if you were leaving for good and that terrified me," Jay confesses as he makes his point clear to me.
"I didn't intentionally plan to leave for good. It wasn't premeditated or anything, but I think a small part of me wanted to escape from my life in Minnesota. It wasn't about you, it was about leaving all my painful memories behind. It was about running away from my problems that I had yet to move on from, those including my abuse and the death of my biological mother. It was just too much, so subconsciously I was taking the coward's way out by running," I reply back in turn. I take the liberty to be honest with him and clarify it all. "Grey was partially right and partially wrong in a way," I admit to him.
"It's my fault. I was dating you and I didn't even see the true effect that all Yolanda's negativity took on you. I knew it upset you, but I didn't know to what degree and I never bothered to ask," he says in response, understanding as ever, even to the extent of taking all the blame upon himself.
"My doubt of not coming back was erased when Mason told me everything," I add thoughtfully. "He made me realize that you were that childhood friend. He told me about how you defended me against him in secret for years on end, so-"
"He said all that?" Jay questions in confusion as he interrupts me.
I nod in response.
"When I went back to the airport to stop you, I saw him and you. I thought he was badmouthing me. I thought that you were choosing him over me, and so, I stupidly gave up, gave you up. When you didn't come back, I didn't bother searching for you because I was sure you were with him. I jumped to assumptions. I spent two years trying to get over you because I thought you chose him and I didn't want to come looking for you if it meant you wouldn't be with me, and also, I knew that even if you did pick me, I'd never be good enough. When you didn't return, even after a few months, it just reinforced my idea of you and him being together," Jay elaborates before coming to a solid conclusion, "I knew it was over."
"No," I shake my head in argument, "Mason only followed me in order to defend you," I clarify yet again seeing as there's been so many misunderstandings between us. "When he told me all that you did for me, I knew for sure that I couldn't leave you behind. It was then that I was one hundred percent sure that I'd be back in a month, even if it meant staying in a town that haunted me with my past. I wasn't willing to lose you. You weren't supposed to be the sacrifice. However, I then met Zac and Lars and ended up in a car accident. You know the rest of the story," I breathe out a sigh of relief at getting it all out in the open.
There's been so much confusion on both our parts and it's simply because of miscommunication. We should have cleared this up years ago.
Jay reaches for my hand and clasps it tightly as he inspects me with concern and scans my face with his eyes as if in search of something, "There's something else you're not telling me." He hits the nail on the head. "Tell me, don't hold back on me anymore."
I suck in a deep breath before confessing the last of it, "I didn't just delete your number because I was scared. I didn't only not contact you about the accident because I was afraid it would be the last time I'd see you. It was more than that. I figured you were better off without me." I exhale sharply and try to explain, "I told you that my father said some things, well what he said was actually what stopped me from returning home."
"Whatever he told you, it's a lie," Jay insists, already convinced of the fact.
I shake my head in protest, "It's the truth. What he told me is the truth. You might think you're a failure, Jay, but it's not your fault, it's mine. I was told that I'm a burden on everyone, especially you. Lars told me that I set people up for failure. The only reason you feel like a failure is because I always set you up for it. You don't fail me, you fail because of me. You gave me a home, access to your finances, and you got me out of my situation with Yolanda. You did so much for me and I never gave anything back in return. I just took. You're not the selfish one here, I am. You've always been selfless."
"That's not true," Jay argues, refusing to believe what I'm saying. "You shouldn't trust him. He's a liar. Plus, you've seen worse days."
"Lars left and abandoned me as a child because he said I was a burden. Yolanda got stuck with me as a result. She abused me because I was a burden. You had to take care of me when she was arrested because I was a burden. I've always been a burden on everyone, a burden that's just passed along from one person to the next," I say, fighting through the surge of sadness surfacing from layers of stone.
I'm the problem.
"That's a lie, Aqueela. He lied to you. He left you because he was selfish. Yolanda abused you because she wasn't stable…and everything I did for you, I did because I cared, not because I saw you as a burden or just someone to look after," Jay replies back forcefully, trying to get me to see it the way he does. "You've always been so much more than that."
"You just dropped everything for me. Just today you left an important race for me. You lost more investors and sponsors because of me. Nothing will ever change, I will always be a burden on you, whether you accept it or not, whether you see it or not and whether you believe it or not. It's probably the only thing Lars was right about. Even now, I'm still your burden to carry," I tell him as I feel a tear trace my cheek.
Jay takes me by surprise as I feel his arms materialize around me before he embraces me tightly, "I didn't drop everything today because you're a burden on me, I dropped everything because you were in trouble. And I certainly don't carry you because I have to; I carry you because I want to."
I smile against his shoulder, the tears fading behind his words of assurance, as I return the gesture and hug him back. I'm grateful I have a friend in him.
He pulls away from the embrace slowly and ever so slightly as if to check if I'm coping. He gingerly lifts a hand to touch my cheek, the place where he'd seen the tear, his other hand still resting lightly against my back. We fall into an uncomfortable silence for the split second and I part my lips to say something, but the words get caught at the back of my throat. His riveting blue eyes keep me in place under his piercing gaze. I'm about to remove my hands from his neck when he suddenly and impulsively - without warning - leans in and tilts his head forward.
I would have allowed it had it not been for Zac's loud voice booming from somewhere upstairs, "Sh*t, you guys, there's a vampire in this house!" he shouts out adamantly as if truly believing it. I roll my eyes before I hear a crash from somewhere upstairs. "We're all going to die!" His shout is followed by the sound of his fast-paced footsteps running down the stairs to meet us.
I move out of Jay's grasp uncertainly and tear my eyes away from his shyly. Zac reaches us soon after, fear plastered all over his face, as he frantically tries to catch his breath.
"What's going on?" Jay recovers quickly and manages to keep his cool when he's done nothing but rattle and unnerve me.
"There was something under my bed. I just saw a flash before I heard a thud from beside me, and then there was this creature on top of me trying to attack me," Zac explains as he glances around warily as if waiting for something to jump out from the darkness.
"You've lost it. Your concussion seems permanent," I joke in an effort to calm the giant baby down.
"I'm not joking, Aqueela!" he snaps at me before turning to Jay for assistance.
It's then that something runs past us in a flash - a blink of an eye - just as Zac said, before we hear noises coming from the kitchen. Slobber instantly wakes up and sniffs the air before going wild and berserk in his little fit of barks as if smelling out evil…and this time, it's not Zac.


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Notes to Self
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International breaks are notoriously slow times for the national sporting press, meaning that transfer rumours often get a decent airing whenever domestic matches are suspended. One particular line that is currently doing the rounds concerns Palace's James McArthur and a possible move to Rangers.
The Scot has been at Palace since the summer of 2014, when he signed for a reported £7 million from Wigan Athletic. In the three years since, Jimmy has gone on to become something of a cult hero amongst the Palace faithful thanks to his full-blooded displays in the middle of the park but with his current contract set to expire over the summer, tongues are apparently starting to wag north of the border.
Having been born in Glasgow, McArthur is known to be a big Rangers fan and went on record expressing a desire to play for the club at some stage of his career back in 2016. With Palace's Premier League status currently looking anything but secure I suppose none of us should be surprised to see him being openly linked to the club that he grew up loving as a boy.
As things stand, Jimmy isn't guaranteed regular starts in SE25, thanks to the presence of Yohan Cabaye, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Luka Milivojevic but even so, you'd assume that another contract offer from the Eagles may tempt him to prolong his stay, should it be forthcoming. Obviously, budgetary, personnel and managerial changes all have to considered possible if the worst does happen in May but whatever occurs, I'd assume that the club would be keen to keep hold of McArthur for another year at the very least.
There's a good chance that this story is nothing more than an imagined line from a journalist looking to fill some column inches until the games kick off again this weekend but even so, with Jimmy able to sign a pre-contract agreement elsewhere in January, it's a situation worth keeping an eye on.


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As a small part of my day job, I put together a monthly "Cybersecurity Digest". Most of my subscribers are IT Managers in large organizations. I created the digest especially because I like efficiencies: If I'm going to fall asleep at night reading 45 page reports on cybercrime anyway, why not save IT Managers or small business owners some time by summarizing what I learned? Often times, like when I was recently preparing to present details of the mobile virus Obad , I read five such reports. Some of them are virtually useless – overly-generalized repetitions of data elsewhere – whereas others have fresh data and new perspectives. In the excerpt below from my September Digest, I review Juniper's Mobile Malware report.
Mobile Malware Update
The amount of mobile malware we've seen in the last year is approximately at the same point (200K – 300K samples) as Windows malware was back in 2006 which was the first year of cybercrime going completely crazy. Is mobile malware poised to explode as well?
The Mobile Malware Profit Model
The most successful profit model so far is sending or receiving premium SMS messaging without the user's knowledge. Currently this activity is heavily concentrated in China and Russia, two countries where premium SMS messaging is extremely popular. This is also where we see the majority of mobile malware botnets. One security company estimated the profitability of such a botnet. The net of it is this: most users don't notice until they've lost $10 each that they're being scammed, so based on the size of the botnet a herder can earn from $500K to $3million a year. No wonder it's so popular.
Note: there are other profit models (like stealing bank credentials) but they are so rare that it's not worth discussing them yet.
Besides profit, there's another big reason that mobile malware is created: As a launching point for an Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). This should be a concern to any company who have valuable data and who allow employees to "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD). More details about that in my blog about Obad.
Infection Vectors for Mobile Malware
(Note: There is wide agreement in cybersecurity circles about these details – compiled from several different reports)
Methods for infecting smartphones:
The user downloads an infected application. Usually it's a free application from an insecure storefront. This is by far the most common infection vector today.
- The user clicks a malicious url, served up by an ad or as part of a text message.
- The user is enticed to visit a website which is infected.
- Via SMS messaging. This is not common in the US.
Monthly Security Report Summary
The report I picked this month was the best one I read about mobile malware: Juniper Networks Third Annual Mobile Threats Report . It's 27 pages long but if you want to cut to the chase, page 24 has a list of security recommendations entitled, "Guidance for Enterprises".
A few report highlights:
– Android has 68% global market share
– 92% of malware is written for Android
– 77% of known vulnerabilities could be fixed with the latest version of Android. However, only 4% of users have the latest version
– It can easily take 6 months or more to receive the latest version of Android. This provides a wide window of opportunity for cybercriminals
– 90% of Apple customers have the latest version of the OS
– The best way companies can avoid end-user smartphone infections is to create a policy where users can't download applications without prior approval
– More than 500 3rd party stores contain malicious apps
– There is "seasonality" to the posting of malicious apps: January is the biggest month (when the largest number of people have received new devices as gifts)
– 30% of free apps have permission to track location, use address book, etc. versus 8% of paid apps
And that's it for this month.


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Refer to data source.
Related Topics
- Add a Data Source to Schema
- File repositories are used for the following process activities. Different activities may support different data sources:
- Add Attachment (Salesforce) activity
- Adobe Sign Create Agreement activity
- Adobe Sign Agreement Document Download activity
- Analyze Image activity
- Create Ticket activity
- Create Ticket Comment activity
- Create User (Zendesk) activity
- Document Transfer activity
- DocuSign eSign Request activity
- DocuSign eSign Document Download activity
- Download Attachment activity
- Excel Read (Document) activity
- Excel Write (Document) activity
- Export Application activity
- Face Recognition activity
- Generate a Barcode Image
- Generate Thumbnail from Image activity
- Import Application activity
- Microsoft PowerPoint activity
- Microsoft Word activity
- PDF Converter activity
- Read a Barcode Image
- Read Handwritten Text from Image activity
- Read JSON activity
- Read Text in Image activity
- Read XML activity
- Sertifi eSign Request activity
- Sertifi eSign Document Download activity
- Update User (Zendesk) activity
- File repositories are used for these form controls:
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repository, database, document sharing, document share, file sharing, file share, storage, cloud storage


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Store Front – The Disappearing Face of New York is a visual guide to New York City's timeworn storefronts, a collection of powerful images that capture the neighbourhood spirit, familiarity, comfort and warmth that these shops once embodied.
For many of these establishments, the photographs mark the end of a legacy. In the wake of gentrification, vital facets of New York's cultural heritage are disappearing at an alarming rate.
From tiny stores tucked away on narrow side streets to well-known institutions on historic avenues, this book presents the individual images and shop owner stories that together make up a collective history. Up until now, there has been little attention paid to New York's storefronts; this book reverses that glaring omission and makes clear that the spirit of New York City is etched in its facades.
Published by Gingko Press
336 pages, Hardcover
222 x 191 mm
This is a guide to the New York you always wanted to see but feared...
Let's hear it for the little guys! In this new pocket-sized guidebook, we showcase 99 bars, restaurants and...
In the 40 years that Andy Warhol lived in New York he transformed himself...
Our guides are printed in England on 100% recycled paper


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Like AMC's "Mad Men" the latest series on Starz is a period drama in which the patriarchy dominates, the class system is rigidly delineated, and the cultural attitude toward drinking has yet to fall under the punishing heels of recovery and restraint. As its name suggests, "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" (beginning on Friday) is set well before the advent of Alcoholics Anonymous but right during the high moment of extreme sports. Specifically we are in the late 70s B.C. in the ancient city of Capua at a Roman gladiatorial campus where dorm life leaves the shenanigans at the Big Ten looking fairly pathetic.
"Spartacus" belongs distinctly to the swords-and-sandals school, one turning into a specialty for Starz, the premium-cable channel striving for the status of HBO and Showtime. "Gods of the Arena" spins a six-episode back story from last year's initial installment, "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," which charted the rise of the Thracian gladiator who led a slave rebellion against the Roman ruling class from 73 to 71 B.C.
The plan originally had been to film a sequel, but when the actor portraying Spartacus, Andy Whitfield, learned he had a recurrence of cancer and became unable to work, the network decided to look for a related narrative not dependent on his character.
The result is a production even more fantastically soapy than the first, visually elevated by an apocalyptic video-game look in which the orgiastic sex and violence are presented with a studied, syncopated choreography. Technologically we've come a long way from Stanley Kubrick's "Spartacus" in 1960 and the 1976 BBC series "I, Claudius," so that something even as fundamentally absurd as "Gods of the Arena" can be said to bear the sophistication it does not necessarily possess.
The current series revolves around the historical figure Batiatus, owner of the Capua slave-gladiators, and Gannicus, in particular, played by Dustin Clare, who appears as a kind of vainglorious hybrid of Colin Farrell and Fabio. A champion in the field, Gannicus is poised to bring his owner greater and greater glory. As the proprietor of a sports franchise who has also fallen under the shadow of his politically dominant father, Batiatus reminds one of George W. Bush during his Texas Rangers phase.
Batiatus is portrayed exuberantly by John Hannah, the Scottish actor emblazoned in our minds as the mourner who recites Auden's "Funeral Blues" at his lover's memorial service in "Four Weddings and a Funeral." Accustomed to playing softies, he seems thrilled at the chance to swagger and do gutter talk.
There is plenty of it in the series, as well as group sex, gay sex and opium-induced hallucinations. Starz is currently run by Chris Albrecht, who guided HBO when it created much of its finest programming, so comparisons with "Rome" are doubly inevitable. The two ventures are alike in togas only, with "Rome" offering a greater depth of historical curiosity.
"Gods" signals its campiness fairly emphatically with the appearance of Lucy Lawless from "Xena: Warrior Princess" as Batiatus's driven and calculating wife, Lucretia, a woman with an out-of-town bisexual best friend (Jaime Murray) who arrives in Capua as the ancient world's gossip girl in chief. At first glance we suspect that she has packed trouble in her luggage, and that her hostess gift is not a scented candle.
The arrival of the "Spartacus" series while Suzanne Collins's "Hunger Games" trilogy has been dominating best-seller lists with its futuristic gladiator theme suggests there is an appetite for stories of class warfare in the bloody, fatalistic extreme. (In the books the oppressed are pitted against one another in live death matches streamed on television.)
In another time it was gratifying enough to witness the inanities of the very wealthy on "Dallas" and "Dynasty," but now perhaps we want to know that a more egregious fall is destined. Swords and sandals offer the hope and the promise.
Gods of the Arena
Starz, Friday nights at 10, Eastern and Pacific times; 9 Central time.
Created and written by Steven S. DeKnight; Rob Tapert, Joshua Donen, Mr. DeKnight and Sam Raimi, executive producers. Produced by Starz Entertainment.
WITH: John Hannah (Batiatus), Lucy Lawless (Lucretia), Dustin Clare (Gannicus),Peter Mensah (Oenomaus), Jaime Murray (Gaia), Manu Bennett (Crixus), Marisa Ramirez (Melitta) and Jeffrey Thomas (Titus).


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Electromagnetic Shaft Brakes
Electromagnetic shaft brakes use electrical actuation but transmit torque mechanically. EM brakes feature three main components: a field coil made of copper or aluminum, an armature and a hub. The coil is housed in a carbon steel shell and is held in place using either epoxy or a bobbin. When voltage is applied, the coil becomes an electro magnet and creates a flux that pulls the armature to the hub. The armature then creates friction that can be used to slow or stop rotational motion. When the electrical voltage is removed, springs hold the armature away from the hub and a small gap of air forms to allow rotation to continue.
Most EM brakes use a single plate friction surface to slow or stop motion, but other configurations are available. The addition of friction material is also common in industrial applications to reduce the amount of wear on the brakes, especially in high cycle equipment.
The amount of time it takes to develop the magnetic field and the stopping time are both determined by the strength of the magnetic field, the amount of inertia and the size of the air gap between the armature and the hub. Temperature changes can also influence the amount of torque created by an EM brake.
Electro magnetic brakes are used in virtually every industry and for a wide range of applications. Some of the common uses for electromechanical shaft brakes include:
- Industrial motors and equipment
- Robotics, servo motors and automation equipment
- Amusement park rides
- Packaging and food processing equipment
- Elevators and escalators
- Aerospace
- Automotive braking systems
EM Micro-Brakes
EM Actuated Brakes
Spring Actuated Brakes
EM Clutch & Brakes Combo Units
Electromagnetic Brakes Provide Reliable Holding and Braking for Precision Applications
Mikey Pulley manufactures shaft brakes in different electromechanical styles and configurations to meet the requirements of virtually any application. Mounting options for our electromagnetic shaft brakes include shat-mounted brakes for use in axial braking applications and rotor-mounted shaft brakes for mounting directly onto an inertial body. Important considerations in selecting the right electromagnetic brake for your application include: required torque, performance, load properties and drive force.
Electromagnetic Micro-Brakes
Electromagnetic Micro-Brakes have a compact design for use in small precision equipment such as ATMs, copy machines and optical machines where fluctuations in torque and response need to be avoided.
Miki Pulley EM micro-brakes are available in three different armature options and provide friction torque up to 2.4Nm, depending on the style chosen. They are suitable for operation in ambient temperatures up to 104°F and provide zero backlash.
Actuated Brakes
Actuated Brakes are ideal for applications requiring sudden stops and are offered in shaft or flange mounting styles. Common applications include printing, paper processing, packaging and textile applications.
Our 111 model provides a standard configuration with three armature options, and the BSZ model offers a slimmer profile design and two armature styles. Miki Pulley actuated electromechanical brakes operate in ambient temperatures up to 104°F, feature a zero backlash design and provide torque up to 320Nm depending on the model selected.
Spring Actuated Brakes
Spring Actuated Brakes feature compression springs that push the armature into the friction disk to stop rotational motion. This style of shaft brake provides exceptionally stable and reliable holding power is ideal for long-term holding applications.
Miki pulley provides spring actuated electromagnetic brakes in several styles, including slim profile designs, providing up to 55Nm of brake torque. Our electromechanical shaft brake models offer effective solutions for both standard and emergency braking and holding applications and operate in ambient temperature from 14°F to 104°F.
Electromagnetic Clutch/Brake Combo Units
Electromagnetic clutch and brake combination units are offered in eight different configurations providing torque up to 320Nm. Our electromechanical shaft brake combo units include fully enclosed models, dual clutch and brake models, and models including a motor, reducer, clutch and brake.
Contact Us for Electromagnetic Shaft Brakes and More
Miki Pulley offers electro magnetic shaft brakes and clutches in a range of options with custom configurations available. Request a quote for your electro magnetic brakes today or contact us to learn


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|On January 10, 2019, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium held the annual New Year's reception for the leaders of the European institutions based in Brussels, the permanent representatives accredited to the European Union, and the foreign diplomats and chiefs of mission (ambassadors and consuls) accredited in Brussels at Royal Palace. (The Queen wore a floral jacquard midi dress by Dries Van Noten)
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde held a New Year's reception for foreign diplomats
21 comments:
- RosalynJanuary 11, 2019 at 2:06 PM
I like the colours and the pattern of this dress and it looks very beautiful on her. But I don't like the cut; the fabric looks stiff and makes her look bigger than she is. Nice combined with the golden shoes though!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 11, 2019 at 3:16 PM
Endlich mal wieder ein Kleid mit einer für Mathilde passenden Länge.ReplyDelete
Althoug silver and blue are flattering colours for Q.M. this dress, may be because of the cut or the sleeves, ages her.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 11, 2019 at 6:23 PM
Lengths OK, high of the waist not so. The fabric is nice, the accessoires too.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 11, 2019 at 8:17 PM
Very nice brocade dress a very nice color. Mathilde looks very good,love her hair up.ReplyDeleteReplies
- AnonymousJanuary 11, 2019 at 10:57 PM
- AnonymousJanuary 12, 2019 at 1:28 AM
Fully agreed. Lovely lady! So dignified and warm at the same time.Delete
Wow the woman in the grey suitReplyDelete
I like everything about this outfit--the colours and cut of the dress are lovely--Mathilde seems to favour higher waists on many of her outfits--for all you young things, believe me as one gets older it can be comfortable and more flattering than a waistline on the waist. Like the shoes, bag and hair also.ReplyDeleteReplies
- AnonymousJanuary 12, 2019 at 4:48 PM
I am not a "young thing" (dislike labels) either. But I disagree. I do not find higher waistlines comfortable esp when you sit down. I do not find them flattering unless one is pregnant. If one has a fuller figure and does not want to emphasize the waist, a straight dress is a good option. Mathilde however, has a nice figure and would look better in dresses that have a waistline at the waist Imo.Delete
- AnonymousJanuary 12, 2019 at 1:06 AM
Oh no, not another year of dresses with flowers. Please make them go away. :)ReplyDelete
And a big NO again. Beautiful fabrics, but the style makes her older than her years. Pity.ReplyDelete
Que gran REINA, es muy elegante me gusta su peinado, vestido, y muy especialmente su sonrisaReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 12, 2019 at 4:58 PM
She always dress not for her age.ReplyDelete
Perhaps she is what they call "an old soul" ?ReplyDelete
Jo, everything is possible, I totally agree.ReplyDelete
Well she looks like a queen . Isn't that enough ?ReplyDelete
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Brand: - Bravado - See more »
Are you searching for a really comfortable black nursing bra? Then we highly recommend the Bravado Original Full Cup nursing bra. We have sold this full cup version since 2007 and it has always been really popular with our customers.
So what makes it such a good nursing bra? Well, we think you will love how comfortable it is thanks to the cozy cotton and model fabric. We think you will also love how breathable the fabric is in this bra.
How about the construction of this nursing bra? It has a wide bottom band as well as a smooth racer-back which will give you a sportier look!
Not sure which size nursing bra to choose? Then this may be a perfect choice for you thanks to the flexible sizing system. So, rather than picking, for example, a 36F, you would pick either Small, Medium, Large or Extra Large. Each size covers a range of sizes. This makes it easier to pick the right size bra for you. It also means that as your size changes, the bra should still remain really comfortable. Please see the table below to see which is the right size for you.
Breastfeeding advisors suggest you should, if possible, avoid underwires during your nursing months. So you may be please to know this bra is wirefree. It also has full drop away bra cups to allow full skin-to-skin contact for your baby.
So why might this be the perfect nursing bra for you? If you want a comfortable, black full cup nursing bra, then this is a really good choice. Our customers have loved it for over 10 years now.
We try to rate how thick the cups are of each bra, so you are not surprised by this when the bra turns up! We rate this out of 5, so 1/5 is thin cups, 5 out of 5 is thick. We would rate the thickness of the cups of the cups of this bra as 3 out of 5. Medium thickness.
How wide are the straps of this nursing bra? We measured all of the sizes, and it remained consistent at 19mm. This width of 19mm remained the same the whole length of the bra strap. So, it does not get wider nearer the shoulder, but remains at 19mm the length of each strap. To see how this feels, have a measure of one of your existing bras that you have at home.
|49% cotton, 32% modal, 19% spandex/elastane


text: All startups eventually confront the challenge of optimally pricing their product or service. Do you give it away, like Twitter, and hope to find a way to monetize later? Do you price at a multiple of your cost like a wholesale consumer product? Or should you simply charge whatever price premium the market will bear? Your decision can have tremendous implications because your price point defines your brand image and market position; cash and funding needs; and, ultimately, your long-term survival.


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Roger Goodell Flat Out Lies About Number of NFL Players Protesting National Anthem (VIDEO)
The NFL's National Anthem protests have caused what some believe to be irreparable damage to the league. Rather than side with Americans who love the good ol' US of A, Goodell has sided with a large group of NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem. During a Wednesday presser the NFL boss flat out lied about the number of kneelers in the league.
Source: NTK
A reporter asked Goodell the following question:
"The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem."
"During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition. It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses."
Goodell lied by saying:
"Well, I think one of the things we need to keep the focus on is, again, we believe our players should stand for the national anthem. That's an important part of our game and our moments, and we believe in that. I think we also have to keep focus on…we have about six or seven players that are involved with this protest at this point."
According to the New York Post, more than 200 players have protested the National Anthem.


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Small scale asymmetric wire mesh fabric utilizing twin shute wires to add additional visual interest at close viewing distance. The flat top warp wires in this weave style create a smooth flat surface on one side and a bumpy textured surface on the other. Banker Wire offers many other patterns in this same weave style but in varying degrees of spacing and diameter combinations. Call to discuss your next project.
Percent Open:39.0%
Overall Thickness:0.130
Crimp Style: FT2PZ
Aspect Ratio:4.65:1
Opening Limitation:0.070
Weight:1.67 lbs./sq. ft.
Available Raw Materials: Click here for more information on Raw Materials
Custom wire mesh and additional specifications available.
Inquire now or call us at 1-800-523-6772
We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. By closing this banner or interacting with our site, you acknowledge and agree to this.


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Kirkwood Community College Credit Catalog 2019-2020
Kirkwood Community College Credit Catalog 2019-2020 > Course Descriptions > LIT: Literature > LIT-206 Forms of Literature: Fiction (3)
LIT-206 Forms of Literature: Fiction (3)
Explores, through short stories, novels, films and critical theory, the following questions: What is fiction? What are its common elements? How does understanding these elements and the ways they interconnect affect our understanding of how fiction is crafted, read and interpreted? How is fiction different from or similar to other forms of literary expression? Credits: 3, Hours: (3/0/0/0), Prereq: ENG-105 or ENG-120; Arts & Sciences Elective Code: A


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Archive » 2015 » July
Hey AP, you spelled 'Democrats' wrong in this story about foundering O-care state exchanges
Blaming "taxpayers" for the epic fail
Hillary announces vision for America: A Solyndra in every home
Continuing, and increasing, the cronyism legacy
Obama advises Kenya about ending gov't corruption; Seattle experiencing 'living wage' awakening (a Sunday open thread)
Plus: Nope, never saw that
Look who's coddling Denver's social justice jerks
Look who's coddling Denver's social justice jerks by Michelle Malkin Creators Syndicate Copyright 2015 "All cops are bastards!" "F**k cops!" "This is what white supremacy looks like!" On a tranquil Sunday afternoon in Denver, hate-mongering zealots hijacked a rally held by citizens and families of fallen police officers, who had gathered to pay tribute to […]
Getting tough: John Kerry tells deal partner Iran that 'death to America' chants are 'pretty stupid'
James Taylor warming up in the bullpen
Hillary trots out a new scapegoat for email shadiness: Global warming
From "just chillin" to "too hot in here" virtually overnight.
This endorsement should ease any concerns about Obama's nuke deal with Iran (or probably not)
Iran deal is Code Pink approved!
Army sends somebody to retrieve Bowe Bergdahl. Again.
No Obama announcement this time
Sound familiar? Democrats blame people who made a video for horrific acts of others
Planned Parenthood Protection Squad falls into formation
Hillary's campaign focused on bringing down Wall Street by accepting as much of their money as possible
Positive cash flow


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Eastern Partnership and Development Cooperation
Civil society as a driving force in addressing challenges in the region and building regional cooperation.
Download the TRIALOG Policy Digest (October 2013) here
The last rounds of EU enlargement to Central and Eastern Europe have brought new perspectives to development cooperation policies in terms of expanding the geographic focus towards the Eastern neighbourhood. The EU and its Members States are now looking more and more at how they can support building stability and prosperity in the Eastern Partnership countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Mol-dova and Ukraine.
This paper explores how the Eastern Partnership (EaP) initiative contributes to the strengthening of ties both between the constituent countries of the EaP and the European Union and the EU Members States. The emphasis is on the civil society's role as a driving force in addressing challenges in the region and building regional cooperation at the grassroots level.
Written by Evelin Andrespok (lead author, AKÜ), Adriana Zaharia (FOND) and Mirjam Sutrop (TRIALOG).


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Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited has decided to defer payment of fixed deposits customers of the now defunct bank Beige.
According to the bank, the delay in the payment of fixed deposits customers will be resumed after ten days when it hopes some detected anomalies would have been corrected.
"We have noticed certain anomalies regarding the treatment of individual fixed deposits placed with the defunct Beige Bank and its affiliate-Beige capital Asset Management.
"We are therefore deferring any redemption of mixed deposits for a period of ten (10) days, effective today 9th August 2018, to enable our team reconcile the accounts between the defunct bank and its affiliate," the statement signed by the CEO of the bank DanieL Addo said.
Meanwhile, Some employees of the bank are likely to lose their jobs in the coming days as a probation has been given out to them by management. A letter which welcomes the staff to their new employer also noted they will be assessed in the next 60 days after which their employment status will be affirmed.
"Dear Employee. CONSOLIDATED BANK GHANA LIMITED We wish to welcome you to the Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited.
"As you are aware the Bank of Ghana has withdrawn the operating license of your Bank and the Consolidated Bank Ghana Ltd.. has assumed the assets and liabilities of the Bank.
"The purpose of this letter is to inform you that you will be working with the new Bank for a period of 60 days for certain during which time it will be possible for your employment status to be assessed.
"Based on this assessment, a determination will be made as to whether you will continue to be in employment with the Consolidated Bank Ghana Ltd. Kindly be reminded that you will still operate from your current workplace," the letter written by the CEO of the bank to staff said.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com


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| 2.4°C Dublin
The head of the World Bank said yesterday that the world had entered a new economic danger zone and that Europe, Japan and the United States all needed to make hard decisions to avoid dragging down the global economy.
"Unless Europe, Japan and the United States can also face up to responsibilities, they will drag down not only themselves but the global economy," Robert Zoellick said.
"They have procrastinated for too long on taking the difficult decisions, narrowing what choices are now left to a painful few," he added, ahead of meetings of the World Bank and IMF next week.
The meetings of global finance and development leaders in Washington will focus on Europe's debt crisis and the risk of a Greek default, which has led to growing alarm in financial markets.
Mixed signals from European leaders have escalated concerns the 17-nation eurozone may be unable to unite behind a common approach to tackle the crisis. Mr Zoellick said European countries were resisting difficult truths about their common responsibilities, Japan had held off on needed economic and social reforms, and political differences in the US were overshadowing efforts to cut record budget deficits.
Just as those very countries had called on China to be a responsible global stakeholder as a rising economic power, so too should they act responsibly to get a handle on their own economic problems, Mr Zoellick said.
"The time for muddling through is over," he added.
The World Bank chief said emerging market nations would not sit on the sidelines as advanced economies tried to right themselves.
Mr Zoellick focussed on the shifting global landscape in which emerging economies were playing a greater role in the world economy and in development.
He said developed countries had yet to fully recognise the global shifts and still operated under a "do what I say, not what I do" policy. They preached fiscal discipline but failed to rein in their own budgets, and advocated debt sustainability while their own debts were at record highs, he added.
Indo Business


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Community Room & Linen Room
The Community and Linen rooms are multi-functional spaces that can be hired separately or joined into one large space via the original grand timber bi-fold doors.
The venues are appropriate for seminars, large conferences, product launches and multi-day events. The unique Gothic character, decorative timber-work, marble fireplaces and views of the formal garden will make your conference a special experience. Learn about the history of the Community and Linen rooms.
The balcony adjoining the Community and Linen rooms has recently been restored to its original beauty. The balcony is the perfect add-on space to expand your event in the Community and Linen rooms. It can also be hired alone for smaller events, with a maximum capacity of 70 people standing. This area works well as additional break-out space, catering service, networking and intimate events.


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$ 15.99 $ 46.00
This Landmass scratch off USA map with national parks will get you out on the road ready to explore! The top layer is made of gold foil, much like a scratch ticket, with vibrant colors underneath that pop against a black matte background. The easy scratch off material makes this map perfect for all ages.
Whether you're road tripping across the states, have a goal to see every state or are planning on visiting every national park, this map is the perfect way to track your travels.
Features Include:
Looking for a frame? Check out our 24" wide Magnetic Hanger Frame!
We're sure you'll love it and stand behind the quality of our products with a 100% money back guarantee!


text:
This is my first post here. Let me offer a little background --
I started on vinyl back in 2000. Then I added a pair of CDJs a few years later. A few more years and I moved to a hardware controller and software but I don't remember which. I was away for a few years and when I came back I bought a Traktor controller and used their software. I've been away again for a few years and looking to get started again...it keeps calling me back.
I have no plans at all to play live anywhere; expect possibly the internet. I used to have a monthly show on DI.FM (and was a part of a record pool) and would like to do something like that. I enjoy recording mixes. I don't really do any trickery on the mixer or throw in effects. I started playing old school progressive house (Bedrock, Hooj Choons, Baroque, etc) and those tracks were so good that they didn't need any help. However, I would like to play around with some of the new capabilities.
What has pulled me back was hearing this new (new to me, anyway) style of techno called Melodic House. I love the dark stuff. And I happened to come across a Dubfire mix from TomorrowLand in 2018. I had tuned him out when he (Digweed, too) went techno because I don't care for that style, but this new stuff is outstanding! Many of the tracks sound to me like old school prog mixed with techno, and many of them are quite dramatic.
I am leaning toward using a controller - software combination (but inclined not to return to Traktor because I want to learn new gear) again but I have a few questions:
1. Is Rekordbox a software similar to Traktor? Meaning it's what I would use to mix and record with my MacBook?
2. Is there any other software out there worth checking out?
3. Is the high end Pioneer controller (XDJ-RX2) worth the money? Any problems mixing on that unit's small screen? Or...
4. Does it make more sense to go with a less expensive controller and use software since I already have the MacBook? Does the Rekordbox software come with Pioneer controllers? Is Serato a better option?
I am pretty stuck on using Pioneer gear because my experiences with this brand have always been positive. I remember buying my first DJM 500 at a pawn shop and feeling like I'd found the Holy Grail. But I am open to other brands.
I appreciate any help you all can give. I did read a bunch, but I want some advice from those who know from experience.